• » Name: William E. Ketchum III
• » Location: East Lansing, MI
• » Member Since: 04/12/07
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• » Wait. So Labels Are Doing The Right Thing?
• » Nas Won.
• » "Man, I Don't Even Listen To Rap Anymore"
• » A Day Without My Blackberry
• » Lil Wayne Is Who We Thought He Was! (c) Dennis Greene

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Speech Is My Hammer...

Wait. So Labels Are Doing The Right Thing?

Recently, there's been even more reason for me to have faith in this Hip-Hop shit. Major labels are actually giving record deals to artists that are actually dope. Wale has earned a deal with Interscope, Pacific Division has inked a contract with Universal Music, and Warner Bros. has signed Wiz Khalifa. [1] (Congratulations to all of these emcees, by the way) It's like these mufuggas are actually smartening up, now.

A perfect illustration of this is Lupe Fiasco's album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, earning a gold plaque. I think that this is proof that talented young artists who are different from the status quo, if given all of the same resources, support and big name cosigns that their less talented peers are, that they can be just as successful. [2] [Begins Armchair A&R rant] Labels should realize that not taking a chance is a bigger risk than sticking to the previous formula. By ignoring the changing nature of the music industry and that actual quality is finally coming back into play, they're setting themselves up for failure. I know, budgets are tight. But by setting up the freshly dressed [3], out-of-the-box emcees with essentially the same treatment that the others get, success is more feasible. Force-feeding songs on radio works for everything else; why can't it work for something that's actually dope?

For more on Wale, Pac Div and Wiz Khalifa, check the sequel to this post. I've got rundowns of each artist, what makes them stand out, and links to their music so you can make the determination for yourself. I think each of them have the marketability to get people interested, and the talent to keep them interested. Going for different, long-term investments instead of get-rich-quick signees? It looks like Interscope, Universal and Warner Bros. are headed in the right direction.

Admittedly, whether their full-length albums are actually released or not is a different story (Saigon's just now finally getting his chance). And hopefully, these labels actually invest time and money into these artists instead of just giving them deals to glorify themselves. But if everybody follows through on their end, then this could really be a good sign.

--
[1] Warner Bros. gets mucho props from me. They didn't only sign Wiz Khalifa - they signed Murs too, and they also partnered with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith imprint.

[2] The inclusion of that support is a key stipulation. Don't say "Little Brother is talented as hell, but they didn't succeed," because they didn't have nearly as much support as Lupe did, whether it's by the label or by media outlets. Having a major label deal doesn't equal major label support.

[3] Don't front, gear matters just as much as tunes. And that's nothing new.

31 Comments             

Nas Won.

So before I get into my advance copy of (Guess which incredible south emcee's) next project and unfinished songs from OneBeLo's upcoming album, I'm listening to Nas' The Nigger Tape with Green Lantern. And this is pretty bittersweet for me.

I was pretty indifferent regarding the title, before: figured it would be an average-to-good Nas album, with him doing what he usually does. The "Nigger" title was just like "Hip Hop Is Dead": a marketing ploy to grab attention moreso than a concept that he was committed to carrying through. I've always felt that while Nas was one of the premier emcees in the genre's history, his music couldn't always keep up with his rhetoric, and that he was brilliant because of how well he did quasi-conventional rap, rather than what he actually rapped about.

But scarily enough, after listening, it looks like dude is actually serious! This is some of the most provocative music of Nas' career, both in concept and execution. "Cops Keep Firing" sees him tackling the discriminatory law enforcement and judicial system with the hunger of his youth, but the insight that comes with his age. "Legendary (Mike Tyson)" is everything that Street's Disciple's "U.B.R." should've been: an engaging narrative and ode to the boxing legend, with an Salaam Remi beat that matches its intensity, and a triumphant overtone that still ties into the "Nigger" theme. "Black President" is a great record, too. And while they aren't as potent, "Be A Nigger Too" and "N.I.G.G.E.R." both have lines that stick to the ribs. These other joints sound promising, too: "Project Roach" has him analogizing the perception of blacks in society to the perception of roaches ("We were looked at as the worst pest, and because of that treatment, some of us started to believe we were a pest, and started to act like it," he said), he rhymes as the N-word itself on "Y'all My Niggers," and him and Busta pay ode to fried chicken on, well, "Fried Chicken" (I don't mess with radio rips, sorry). It looked to be the perfect mix of metaphors and flat-out rapping, of defeatism and pride that would be necessary to execute such a concept successfully. You're rarely going to make everyone happy with a project like this, but IMO, getting discussions going and actually making an engaging, cohesive product equals success in these situations. Hence the title of this post; regardless of him not being married to Beyonce (even though Kelis is bad in her right) or his album title getting stripped, Nas won.

Still, imagine how avant-garde it would have been if he actually had a store product of that title, with a provocative piece of art that actually lives up to it with songs and an accompanying music video like this! With the aftermath of Don Imus and Michael Richards fresh in our memories, and the backdrop of the first Black presidential nominee! This could've been something-if not in quality, at least in intention and/or impact-that was mentioned in the same discussions as Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On? and Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted. Hopefully, this mixtape and the untitled LP that hits stores will jointly show that homie actually had bonafide passion behind this concept, and at least, let heads know that dude's still one of the most talented emcees in the industry, past and present.

37 Comments             

"Man, I Don't Even Listen To Rap Anymore"

The title of this blog is a pet peeve of mine that has showed up in rappers' interviews for the past few years (or longer?). In the words of my COMPLEX homie Brendan Frederick, "Please, for the love of Jehovah, stop complaining about how hip-hop 'sucks.'" As I've said before, hip-hop is what you make it; why complain about the culture that you're supposed to be a part of? Plus, with how incredible 2007 was for hip-hop music of all sub-genres, you'd be hard-pressed to make me take your complaints seriously.

 

With that said, I have had a little change of pace recently. Don't get me wrong, I love Tha Carter III, along with some other heatrocks this year. But over the past week or so, there's been a lot of non-hip-hop releases that I've been falling in love with. A quick rundown:

 

N.E.R.D., Seeing Sounds

The title Seeing Sounds is Pharrell & Chad's inspired by their interest of synesthesia, which, in this example, is a phenomenon of how peoples' experiences of sounds can trigger visual experiences of images and colors. While this cross-sensory stimulation (pause) isn't something I've been able to experience, anyone should be able to appreciate the experimental approach to this album and its rewarding results. N.E.R.D. takes cues from other genres-retro soul, psychedelic funk, and seemingly everything in between-to make a wildly engaging palette of sounds. Their technical instrumental talent and knack for manipulating sound is unparalleled, especially in the hip-hop world. Check 2DopeBoyz for some tracks from the album, and some bonuses on the Japanese version. Standouts: "Love Bomb," "Sooner Or Later"

 

Plantlife, Time Traveller

I've been up on this LA-based quartet since I randomly received their 2004 disc, The Return of Jack Splash, in the mail. I was gassed when Shake let me know they had a new album, and Time Traveller doesn't disappoint at all. Lead singer Jack Splash's spacey vocals and the band's brilliant understanding and re-interpretation of 60s, 70s and 80s funk make this an album that your parents (or grandparents) would enjoy as much as you will. Standouts: "Your Love," "Sumthin About Hersuga"

 

SugaRush Beat Company

I randomly came across this group's single "L.O.V.E." while scouring OkayPlayer's message boards, and I'm glad I found ‘em. SugaRush Beat Company is a trio of soulster Rashaan Patterson, Australian producer/multi-instrumentalist Jarrad 'Jaz' Rogers and Danish singer Ida Corr. Patterson has already established a respectable solo catalog, Corr had an international hit with "Let Me Think About It." The production of SugaRush Beat Company's impending solo album has gotten Jaz phone calls from Lauryn Hill to co-write and produce tracks for her long-awaited comeback album. After checking this, it's not hard to see why. Still, they make it pretty fucking hard to get a hold of their music. **EDIT: So signing up as a member gives you a download for the megamix after all; just sign up and go to the members page; I thought it'd have a download link on the audio page. Still, you can't buy the music anywhere on iTunes or anything.** Either way, I guess you can hear some of it here. Standouts: "(Oh Lord) Take Me Back," "L.O.V.E."

 

Veronica Maggio, Måndagsbarn

http://www.zshare.net/audio/13349724e680e153/

No idea who this woman, but the homie B Perkins at URB sent it over, and I loved it.

14 Comments             

A Day Without My Blackberry

Post-graduation life without a full-time job ain't no crystal stair, and T-Mobile ethered my cell yesterday morning. Granted, this was solved that evening by my professor/mentor @ MSU express mailing me an amazingly generous check to burn him some CDs. But for the first time in nearly four years, I was without my trusty Blackberry. Well, I guess I wasn't technically without it, because I could still receive calls and texts on it. But I couldn't make any outgoing actions - calls, texts, e-mails, etc. And anybody that knows me knows that Ms. 8800 has been the woman of my life for a while now.This happened late last night/early this morning, so I was expecting for it to be an especially tumultuous (if not depressing) day.

But I've realized that I can do a lot without a Blackberry. Matter of fact, this day - June 4, 2008 - turned out to be my most productive day since I graduated a month ago. Fittingly, Wednesday's Daily Word from Rev. Run was the following quote: "Good morning. If you are bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things- you don't have enough goals." -Lou Holtz ...Knowing that my bread wasn't where I wanted it to be and that I couldn't utilize my Blackberry motivated me to do as much as possible today, and that's what I did:

1. For the second day in a row, I actually cooked breakfast - scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, toast, OJ - instead of pouring a bowl of cereal and calling it a day. And this time, the food actually turned out good. That may sound like a fundamental breakfast to you, but coming from someone who never cooks at all, this is a good look.

2. I got cover letters, resumes and clips out to two new places. I've been constantly eying one of them for the past week, and I just found the other one that morning. The cover letters were particularly difficult to perfect, because I tend to ramble on in those instead of getting to the point. But I think I nailed them on the head, pause. I feel that I've got great chances at landing both of these, so we'll see where they go.

3. I finally touched base with one place that I had gotten at. They didn't snatch me up, but at least I got in contact with them and I found out what happened, so I can check them out and move on.

4. I interviewed Dwele for MichiganHipHop.com. A bit of a slow start, but I think I got some great material from him for the piece. We get legends, B.

5. I touched base with Kevin Powell (the first black person on MTV's The Real World, activist, nominee for Congress, and most relevant to me, journalist extraordinaire/founding staffer of VIBE magazine), whom I had met at MSU's Black Commencement. I e-mailed him this afternoon, and literally three minutes later, he had already forwarded me to his homie who's connected at a very prominent company looking for young writers. E-mailed his connect, we'll see where that goes.

What's even crazier is that I know that I could've done more if I would've really locked down. Today, I'm going to cook breakfast again, go for a walk right afterwards, then go to the library to knock some things out - articles, some interviews, and probably some Famous Firm bios. T-Mobile doesn't get any reception there, but it's all good: that's familiar territory, now. Hell, I might even change my plan, or pick a weekly or monthly day that I don't fuck with the Blackberry period. It was cool to not be on the constant lookout for that blinking red light, and I've already shown myself that I can be productive without it.

But don't get it twisted, it's still BB for life.

Good luck, Sickamore; I can see you doing fine at the beginning, but you'll be singing the hook of "Allure" sooner than later.

P.S.: N.E.R.D.'s new album, Seeing Sounds = wow. "Sooner Or Later" is the sonic achievement of the year so far.

P.S.S.: Check Necole Bitchie's latest blog, where she breaks down her life story and how she broke into blogging. Incredible.

8 Comments             

Lil Wayne Is Who We Thought He Was! (c) Dennis Greene

Finally, the highest anticipated album of the year is on the streets. And guess what? It’s exactly what I thought it’d be: a dope, 4-star album, but certainly not the five-mic classic that merits “Best Rapper Alive” accolades. I think I adequately covered my theory on the homie in my first Lil Wayne Blog, but I’ve still got some messages for both the stans and the haters of Weezy.
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Stans:
Hopefully, this shows you that your savior is mortal. Everything that you love about Weezy F. is on full display here: that unmistakable voice, the nimble delivery, swag in spades, the comical punchlines, and the moments where he goes the fuck in and murders concepts. The problem is, when given the golden stage—press everywhere from XXL to GQ, a street buzz not even closely paralleled by any of his peers, cosigns by every rapper that matters, and production from the game’s premier knob twisters—he still couldn’t make a classic LP. EDIT: I know, it's still a "classic" due to it being the "album of the summer" and all that, but he failed to make an album whose actual quality matches up to the hype. To his credit, he’s still put together a dope album, and there are definitely some potentially classic songs here. But he’s got duds, filler and formulaic T-Pain songs just like anybody else does. It’s possible that homie’s prolific output has finally caught up with him: substituting “La La,” “Got Money,” “Playin’ With Fire,” and maybe even “Nothin On Me” [1] with highlights from his torrent of mixtapes may have pushed Tha Carter III over the hump.

Haters:
Go ahead and say he’s overrated, because he is. But like I said in my last blog, Lil Wayne’s hyperbole is something that’s understandable because of all of the other elements he brings. And if Tha Carter III does anything, it’s establish the dude as a bonafide talent. Even though he doesn’t make the classic that your stannish enemies thought he would, as I said in the last segment, he’s still put together some fantastic records here: “Dr. Carter” sent chills up my spine with the way he meshed conceptual originality with the style and aesthetic that he’s trademarked, and I’ve continuously maintained that “Comfortable” would’ve been a better single choice than “Lollipop.” He knows how epic “Mr. Carter” is and he shows it by going bar for bar with almighty Hov [2], and “Tie My Hands Down” is a passionate, well-constructed record that you’d be hard-pressed to justifiably hate on. And if you weren’t so busy scrutinizing his lyrics, you’d realize how potent the "style over substance" approach can be while listening to “Let The Beat Build.” Most of you (haters) that I spoke to about the songs they’ve heard have said something to the extent of, “Wow, this isn’t even half bad!” I agree.

--
[1] Maybe it’s just me, but I thought was this joint with Juelz and Fabolous the album’s most disappointing song? Considering the previous collaborations between duos of them (Cassidy’s “6 Minutes of Death,” Juelz’ “Make It Work For Ya”), this was really forgettable. And one of Alchemist’s more disappointing beats in a while. Wasn’t a terrible song, but disappointing.
[2] Until Wayne’s last verse, that is. But hey: Lebron’s still a legend for this year’s Game 7 faceoff with Paul Pierce even though the Celtics took it, right?

80 Comments             

Why MI State's Better Than Yours: Final Edition

Whattup doe?

As you guys know, I love the hip-hop in my home state. It seems like ever since the deaths of area legends J Dilla and Big Proof, we've been making a point to make the illest music ever to help continue the legacy they established from the ground up. It's too bad we've taken this long to get our just due, but I'll be damned if we aren't making the most of it.

I've been chronicling this movement for a few years, now, landing my articles everywhere from my Blogspot joint to URB magazine. I've also brought my allegience for the mitten here, whether it's through Producer's Corner pieces with Black Milk and Sicknotes, to my two installments of "Why MI State's Better Than Yours" on this very blog. I hold my peoples down.

I'm not one to shamelessly plug, but with the (miniscule) fanbase I've established here, I figure I should at least let you know what I've got going.

MichiganHipHop.com is a joint effort between me and M.O.S.Ologist, webmaster/promoter/everything else for the likes of Elzhi, Slum Village, OneBeLo, Nick Speed, and more. In case the URL wasn’t obvious enough, this site is dedicated to the documenting and supporting the burgeoning Michigan Hip Hop scene. MiHipHop uses news bits, show dates, interviews and multimedia to keep you connected to the complete, four-element Hip-Hop scene in the Mitten—from “mainstream” to “underground,” from “backpacker” to “street,” and everywhere in between.

We launched a few weeks ago, but check us out. We posted an interview with producer Young RJ (Slum Village, B.R. Gunna, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks) this morning, but previously, we posted two-piece articles with Guilty Simpson and Fat Ray, along with premiering the video for Buff1's "Beat The Speakers Up." What's scary is that we've got much, much more on the way.

To top it all off, we've got a launch party/fundraiser coming up. If you're anywhere in the state, you need to fuckin' be there. Our line-up's got weight.

Like I said, I'm not the type to plug shit very much, but this is my new pride and joy, so I had to do it once. From here on out, you'll see it on the blogroll to the left. Leave a comment here telling me what you think of the site, what you think of Michigan's hip-hop scene, or letting me know who/what you'd like to see on the site.

100.

2 Comments             

Bow Wow: Gettin' Grown

 

Bow Wow has made one of the smartest career moves I've seen since the homie Sickamore left Atlantic. As DX reported today, dude is giving up rap to pursue his acting career.

To me, Bow Wow has always been one of the most misunderstood emcees out there. Coming into the game as a little kid was cool back then, because he was essentially the same age as much of his demographic. Cosignage by Snoop and Dre and signing to Death Row wasn’t a good fit for the young’n, so he linked up with the king of kid acts in Jermaine Dupri, donned a chain with a Mickey Mouse charm, and clowned the singer of 3LW on record. Life was good.

But homie hit his high teens a few years ago, and just like anybobdy else his age, he wants to be an adult. Hell, technically, he is an adult (according to his bio on AllMusicGuide, he should be 21 years old or so now). Thing is, after coming in as a youngster, people don’t believe you, you need more people. So that’s what he tried to do—he got a grill from Paul Wall, wifed up Ciara, had cameos with the likes of Mike Jones, visits the Playboy Mansion, wheels pricey whips in music videos, and dismissed Will Smith as “a gimmick” instead of a rapper. He also declared himself, Kanye West, 50 Cent, and “maybe Jay” as the “only real rappers out there.” Him being younger only made the latter two comments worse, because it looks like he doesn’t respect those that came before him. But when it boils down to it, he was in a transitional period in his life just like everybody else his age was. *And as much flack as I’ma catch for this, dude is actually a competent rapper with a decent flow—“Let Me Hold You” was a perfect radio single aside from the kiddy chants at the end of the song, and I’d rather listen to verses from him than some of the lower-tier emcees saturating the airwaves.*

But finally, young homie’s smartening up. Just like he said on the “Oh I Think They Like Me” remix: “Pool in the front and the backyard, I ain’t gotta act hard, I’m under 21 with a black card.” He knows that musically he’ll always get hated on (some warranted, some not), and movies are where the money’s at anyway, so he’s refocusing. The same cat he dissed before, he’s now looking to as a role model. And last time I heard, he was gettin’ in this:

Looks like homie's gettin' grown.

 

EDIT: OK, according to Bossip (pause at being on Bossip), now, he's fucking with Dollicia Bryan. That young upgrade. Cover courtesy of 2DopeBoyz.

 

Shad's making it happen. 

 

14 Comments             

Where's The (?uest)Love?

*

Damnit, ?uest!

Why are you such a fucking jinx for me?

I’ve been to three Roots concerts in Michigan, each with an opportunity to get a picture with you. Each opportunity ends up fucking up somehow.

First, I slip outside as you’re leaving, and I ask for this drunk guy to take a pic on his camera phone; but the bitch non-nigga makes a video instead of a pic. Next, I was backstage with your Tanqueray show in Pontiac. I get backstage, and I can’t even ask you any questions for my interview cuz hog bitch is dominating the time. Finally, at tonight’s afterparty, I try to leave early for the sake of my man who has to get back in early…lo and behold, parking people decided to let a crackhead take over lot supervision duties (literally), so his car is trapped until the end of the fucking thing anyway. Meanwhile, my man who stayed inside—he showed you a Dilla shirt he made, and talked about how he missed you six times—got to chop it up with you.

Maybe I’m just not destined to add your pic to my catalog with the rest of the legends I’ve met, like Primo, Nas and Jazzy Jeff.

But as much as I want to, I can’t quite hate you.

You embody this hip-hop shit more than anyone else doing it right now. Whether it’s your genuine love for the music—watching your facial expressions behind the boards when you’re playing certain songs is priceless—the fro, how you represent this culture everywhere you go, the intellect you show in interviews, or funding sites like OkayPlayer, you’re what hip-hop is all about. You even rep for the big dudes! You murdered Confidential Lounge tonight…before tonight, the last time I danced this much was in 2005, when Jazzy Jeff came through. And the album’s a monster, too.

Thanks for everything, ?uest. But fuck you.

*Picture courtesy of, well, me.

P.S.: I've got a new hustle. More details later.

6 Comments             

Speech Is My Hammer: TransDX Express Edition

What’s good people?

With the homie Shake hyperlinking me from his side hustle, I figure I should at least give y’all an update today. Just because I haven’t been posting for the past few weeks, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been paying attention. So here are my condensed thoughts on a few things that have happened since my last post. Look at it as a “Several blogs for the price of one” type deal. And I purposely avoided the topic of everybody in hip-hop going to prison; shit really gets me down.

The Roots:
This Roots’ song with Patrick Stump joint wasn’t as bad as some of my homies have said it was, because Black Thought still ripped, and with an album that’s obviously going to be album of the year (or at least Top 5) with songs that have leaked - “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction),” “Get Busy" (feat. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk and DJ Jazzy Jeff) and the title track with Mos Def and Styles P - one commercial pander isn’t bad. Just as a point of comparison, every dope Eminem album had at least one mainstream blunder, but the rest of the disc was always high quality hip-hop. That said, I’m not mad at them axing “Birthday Girl” from the final cut and making it an iTunes-only selection, and this “Rising Up” joint with Wale and Chrissette Michele (which they’re apparently using as the single, now?) is perfection. See Jay's post for more, I agree with what he said (which makes sense, 'cause he has the only opinion that matters anyway).

50 Cent/G-Unit:
I really respect the fact that G-Unit’s flooding the market with mixtapes again. Even though 500,000 in the first week isn’t something to balk at, I’m glad to see that 50’s not complacent: Return of the Bodysnatchers v1 and Elephant In The Sand were both fire, and the G-Unit: Gangsta Grillz Edition with DJ Drama is sure to continue the winning streak. Fif’s mixtape game—especially last year’s G-Unit Radio 25: Sabrina’s Baby Boy—has always been on point. BTW, “The Mechanic” > The Massacre + Curtis. But get shit right with Buck, man; he's the best artist y'all have right now.

E-Beef/Blogging:
Like the homie Meka said, this ATL blogger beef shit is pretty disappointing. We’ve had our share of disagreements, but that resulted in biting accusations, name-calling and old-fashioned roasting. But gay rumors? Word? I’m not going to scold the two in question, both because it’s not my place and I don’t know what fueled it, but I’d encourage both parties to just settle their issues (sort of like me and the aforementioned Soul Brotha have) and keep on keeping on.

Speaking of blogging, I’m going to get my plug on real quick: fellow DX bloggers, go over and join TheUrbanBlogger. My homie Necole Bitchie, who’s site was recently pegged in two Top 40 lists of urban blogs on the Net, started the site as a networking opportunity for black bloggers. I love the idea, and I might even join the squad soon, but I wanted to big up the idea first.

Weezy:
I’m as much of a Lil Wayne supporter as the next man, but homie’s fuckin’ up. He's got what's possibly the most disappointing single I’ve heard in a minute (why not use "Comfortable," featuring Babyface and prod. by Kanye West?) and this Drought Is Over 5 was equally underwhelming. I’m seeing dude live this Sunday though (and Common on Thursday, great week for me), so we’ll see if I change my mind. Shout out to his latest artist, Nicki Minaj (link not safe for work, BTW) Either way, The Wam > "Lollipop."

Jay Electronica:
What do you guys think of Jay Electronica? This kid’s Internet buzz has been incredible with cosigns from the likes of Just Blaze and label head/alleged wifey Erykah Badu, and while I like what I’ve heard, I’m not ready to crown him as “The Next” and shit. Maybe I need to give it another listen, cuz my man Alias is hailing him as that dude, and he hates on everyone. Act I was pretty crazy though, esp. the “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” shit. As for the much-chastized show with Erykah and Mos the other day, hopefully he just learns from it and moves on.

Hov:
Jay’s got a $150 million deal with Live Nation? Shit! If he’s not a hustla, what you call that?

The Mitten:
My state is taking over this hip-hop shit. Black Milk & Fat Ray’s The Set Up is one of my favorite albums of ’08 so far (see “Take Control” for all the evidence you need), and Guilty Simpson’s Ode To The Ghetto was every bit as dope as the hype around it implied. And the list of projects that are in the works is overwhelming, frankly: Elzhi’s solo is on the way, Slum Village’s next LP, Buff1’s next album, Invincible’s long-awaited LP, Royce’s solo projects, Random Axe (Guilty Simpson + Sean Price + Black Milk), Cold Steel (Elzhi + Phat Kat), the Royce + Elzhi + Black Milk album (they’ve even performed tracks together!). And Eminem’s working with Primo? And he’s cool with Royce again? And I’ve got my own site about Michigan hip-hop coming soon? Oh, wait…

3 Comments             

Riley Freeman = My Hero.

This might be because I’m the lone sole in my circle that doesn’t watch The Wire, but these days, my favorite TV character is Riley Freeman from The Boondocks. While he was always hilarious in the comic strip and the first run of the show, Season Two has seen Riley (a.k.a. Riley Escobar, a.k.a. H.R. Paperstacks, a.k.a. Louis Rich, like the turkey bacon, what?) evolve to new heights. Armed with the writing of Aaron McGruder and the brilliant voiceovers of Regina King (who, amazingly, voices Huey also), Riley’s misogynistic, mini-gangsta glory has provided for a shitload of quotables on every facet of life. From relationships, to loyalty, to career moves, Riley has the answers.

On masculinity and being hard on hoes:
*(The first two statements were to Tom DuBois, after Usher snatches his wife at a restaurant)

+*"I say toss her groupie ass out the window and let her ass stargaze from outside!"
+*"So this is the message you want to send to the young youth out here like me who are trying to do the right thing and not love these hoes? … All for some white girl who left you left you for some R&B dancin’ ass, sexy flexy ass nigga?"
+“She’s your very first cyber-friend. And you’re her 3 millionth.”
+“Purple speedo? That’s gay.”
+“Uh, yeah. I don’t wanna dickride, so I’ma just, uh, go back to the house."

On snitchin’:
“Don’t snitch, granddad! They don’t know nothing less you tell ‘em!”

On hatin’:
+Oh, let me guess, you’re probably gonna hate [on that diss track] cuz it was about you. You need to stop with the hate crimes, granddad.”
+“I always knew you was a hater, but I never thought you’d be famous for it.”
+“Now before you start hatin’, ask yourself, be honest. Ain’t I’m clean, doe?”
+“But I know I’m not gay, ‘cause I’m the most not gay nigga of all the not gay niggas in the universe! But see, people hate on your when you shinin’, see. That’s what it is. They make up stories. Like me, I stay shinin, so who knows. Pretty soon, people gon be callin me gay.”

On sportsmanship:
+“That’s what you call winning? A nigga’s nuts in yo face? Man, I hate to see what you call losin’.”

On money:
+“Oh no, no, Young Reezy never jokes about his paper stacks.”
+“[Granddad] probably made up this whole slavery thing. What nigga you know ‘gon work all day in a field for no paper?”

Misc. gems:
+“Family? I ain’t ever seen them [Hurricane Katrina relatives] before in my life. As far as I’m concerned, them niggas is the homeless!
+Riley: “Where’d you put my gun?”
Huey: “I confiscated them for security reasons. I have supreme authority until granddad gets back.”
Riley: “You have supreme authority over these nuts, nigga.”
+“That’s a damn shame, you can call a nigga a ‘nigga’ and keep yo damn job.”
+“Talkin bout I’m grounded. I’m Young Reezy! I goes where I wanna go.”
+“Sometimes you just gotta put aside your differences and work through problems with your homie. So y’all to keep to being homies. You feel me…homie?”
+“Yo mama got caught givin’ up neck in the bathroom of the Woodcrest Country Club, and it wasn’t yo daddy.”

Shortly, I'll be commenting on hip-hop happenings - probably The Roots' new songs, "artsy" hip-hop videos,  and shit like that. But I first thing's first.

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