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Speech Is My Hammer...
Viewing Posts Tagged "Hip Hop News" View All
It Was All A Dream: Air ?uesto's Edition
Earlier this week, I got the terrible news that Burn Rubber, the best sneaker shop in Michigan, won't have the my size of the Air Questo's that I've been looking forward to wasting my money on. I know, they're tacky anyway; but they're a good tacky. I know, they're hard to match up with; but I don't care. I know, they cost way too much money; but I would've made the sacrifice. Granted, I shouldn't be upset about something I didn't already have, but as I've blogged before, I just keep having the worst luck with this dude.
I dreamt that I was at some nondescript industry event, and that I befriended ?uestlove, who was chillin' at the bar drinking a vitamin water. I casually introduced myself by name, and he tells me that he knows who I am. That he read my blog about how I've missed several photo opps with him because of drunken YTs, fuckhead journalists, and crackheads-turned-parking lot coordinators, and that I missed the golden opportunity to interview him because of this shady broad at MSU's financial aid office. We chop it up for about 15 minutes about Dilla, Detroit, and other shit that real Untitleds talk about. I let him know that I planned on copping his shoes no matter how hard they'd be to match, but that circumstances prevented such.
Then, with the exact same pose and smile as he does in this picture, he gave me two pair of the ?uesto's: the "regular" pair, and the special edition gold toe pair.
I got him to sign the red-toed pair, thanked him profusely, gave him a pound and kept it moving. Real, of course, recognizes real.
The dream wasn't very linear after that; just random anecdotes with a Maybach and Kerry Washington, with the beats for Elzhi's "Guessing Game," "Yeah" and "Hands Up" playing in the background. But I swear, the entire mood of the dream was incredibly satisfying after that.
Then I get woken up from my brother, who had my homegirl on the phone who had asked to wake me up. Naturally, she had absolutely nothing to talk about. Hence, being awakened from my much-needed rest and a dream during which I was literally on cloud nine, I went asshole on her. And only about half of my crabbiness was her fault.
*Sigh*
Maybe it's a sign from the sneaker gods that it wasn't meant to be. Oh well, though. MF DOOM Dunks, here I come!
P.S.: Pause at "dreaming about ?uestlove," but just look at it as dreaming about really chopping it up with one of your idols.
Armchair A&Rs, Sit Down.
So some cat emerged this week saying that he's stolen Rhymefest's iPod, and that he's leaking dude's upcoming album El Che track by track until the ‘Fest and the label releases a single, a video, etc. Click here to read his manifesto; props to Eskay for posting this in his Nah Right Lite sidebar.
I'm definitely eager to hear new Rhymefest material, and I can sorta respect the bootlegger's intentions, esp. with him only leaking a song per week until the album's completely out there. But it's still disheartening to see cats bootleg albums online, add a tag of the crew that ripped it, and post a sentence in a .txt file that nobody reads to encourage downloaders to buy the album. If you're gonna bootleg, at least be real about it.
First off, it's not your place to determine what's "helpful" to an artist if it's obviously something that he doesn't want to be done. You're not their parents, loved ones or career advisors, so "tough love" doesn't apply. If they don't want something leaked, it's more respectful to let them do what they want to. And to those who'd want to trap me for my support of other major blogs, remember two things: A) Most of these sites work directly with the artists and record labels more than you'd think, and B) They rarely, if ever, give a link to an entire album that's going to be sold in stores. Otherwise, if it's a story like Rick Ross getting busted as a corrections officer or an artist getting sued for sample usage, then they're actually documenting/reporting on what's happening instead of directly helping them.
IMO, some of this blame falls on 50. Record sales were always somewhat relevant, but nowhere near how they were once Curtis started using them as primary ammunition for his beefs. Now that numbers are back in the spotlight--ironically, once they're less and less relevant due to this same bootlegging--fans feel like they know enough about the music business to effectively help artists out. Don't get it twisted: a lot of these record label cats don't know what they're doing either, but these artists have entrusted their careers with these people. The last thing artists (ones that I've spoken to, anyway) need is for these armchair A&Rs to take matters into their own hands when they don't even know the artists' plans anyway. Besides, most of these cats are just using this as an excuse to boost their e-cred and spread music to their friends, anyway.
And the latter two reasons are actually half-decent justifications to bootlegging. If you just want the world to hear incredible music, then spreading links makes sense. If you want to bring more hits to your web site or be an e-god in a message board/forum, then this method is effective. Hell, even if you're doing it to get money in your pocket somehow, that's an authentic reason. I'm not here to tell people to stop bootlegging; I'm here to tell people to stop bootlegging and trying to make it seem like you're some music industry vanguard while doing it. I wonder what this guy would say if Rhymefest approached him, like, "Yo fam, I don't want to direct my career this way. Please stop leaking my album." *Update: Actually, that's essentially what Rhymefest did.* Will dude respond like, "Nah 'Fest, it's for your own good!" Riiight.
Want to help? Contact these artists/labels and ask how. When I talked to G-Unit/Talib Kweli/etc. producer Nick Speed, he asked me to spread around he and rapper Danny Brown's new album, Hot Soup (download here). Incredibly talented KOCH Records emcee Niles (formerly known as Alias, I've blogged about him before) has asked me to spread around his YouTube page to people, so I do that. Start a blog dedicated to the artist/label. Apply for an internship somewhere, so you can get a glimpse of how the industry works.
If you want to help the artist, help them legitimately. Otherwise, help yourself. Either way, just be real about it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Shawn? Nasir? Royalties.
This is a repost to a blog from November 6, 2007. Gettin' my prophecy on, based on Aliya's news piece yesterday about rumors circulating about a Jay/Nas album. If I see these song titles out there, I want that mufuckin cash, niggas! Got school to pay for. Paypal the young homie; you've got my Gmail address.
"You can't hustle me! You're talking to the ultimate hustler." - Dave Chappelle as Chuck Taylor, in the racial draft
But, as Eskay at NahRight said, this'll probably come out the same day as Detox. "Nevuary 33rd...19...-Never Hate" © Jay, "Money Cash Hoes (Remix)" If you're going to do it, finish it and put it out.
“Black Republican” was dope as hell, but “Success” was a new monster altogether. I don’t know if it’s their previous sampling of each other’s music, running in similar circles (and vaginas), or both of them being from NY, but their chemistry is incredible. It seems like their history as rivals only makes their records more compelling: they may have resolved their differences for the reasoning of making money together, but their competitiveness seems to come from both standard rap face-off fare and from a previous beef. Nas’ former flame was smashed, and Jay lost a battle by blowout. Not only do they have to prove something to fans and hip-hop aficionados: they have something to prove to each other.
So how ill would it be if they joined forces for an EP? It could be released on Def Jam, but pushed the same way that Jay is pushing American Gangster: no overtly commercial singles or T-Pain hooks, but just that real shit. Not a full LP, but a solid six to nine songs that are all bangers from top to bottom, that’ll leave listeners drooling for more but incapable of complaining cuz these fuckers actually sat down and did it. The possibilities! “Dead Presidents 3,” with Jay and Nas both updating their older flows and Nas playing off of the sample that the previous two used. Obligatory song produced by Kanye. A dual reunion with Primo: “NY State Of Mind Pt. 3,” or or “Friend Or Foe ’08,” with them being rival dealers. Maybe even an entire EP produced by Primo? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Detailed songs about their respective wifeys, Beyonce and Kelis. Maybe even a track that has each of them telling their experiences with Carmen Bryant, or some fictional joint about what could’ve happened. Even their braggadocio tracks would be incredible. The song ideas are endless, and with their dual veteran status, they’re more than capable of knocking out concepts. Album title? I’m taking ideas. But offtop, I’m thinking “Success.”
Shawn and Nasir, I want royalties. Paypal the kid.
Lupe Fiasco, "Dumb It Down": Revisited
As many of you (should) know, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was one of my favorite albums of 2007. In a post on my Blogspot upon the leak of his debut Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, I briefly touched on why he's so far ahead of his peers, but a revisited in-depth listen to "Dumb It Down" makes me feel obligated to do so again. While speaking to my man Alias on the phone last night, we were chopping it up about how the first verse of the song really breaks down his relevance and existence in the rap game through the song. My blogging homie J Burnett [1] said that when he interviewed Lupe for XXL, that he said that he intentionally made this track as complex as possible, but once you really absorb it, it's crazy. The verse (taken from OHHLA, whattup Flash!), with reference points bolded:
I'm fearless, now hear this, I'm earless (less)and I'm peerless (less), which means I'm eyeless
which means I'm tearless which means my iris
resides where my ears is, which means I'm blinded
But I'ma find it, I can feel it's nearness
But I'ma veer so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer, but I remember
I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this
Clearly cause my blindness; the windshield is min-strel
The whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere
Yeah, I'm both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat
and the locs in the chair had approached him here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts
who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies
Given to the mother of the deceased
Awaken at war, 'til I'm restin' in peace
Lupe claims that he's earless and eyeless, which means he's so far off from what's going on around him in the industry, that he's relatively oblivious to it - he can't see or hear it. He also claims that he's peerless, slyly implying that he's ahead of the curve. The car in the song is a metaphor for hip-hop, and where it's going. He says he's going to find "it," meaning the rap industry and his place in it, but that he's also trying to stay away from it, like a chicken or a deer.
Lupe's "not a listener or a seer, so [his] windshield smear(s)" - he's too far off to understand/comply with where hip-hop is going, so his viewpoint is unclear. So, he sarcastically suggests, "Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness": essentially, "Hey, why don't you [place rapper here] go ahead and do this rap shit, because I'm somewhere else." He then basically says that rap's windshield is some minstrel show shit (word to LB), and that it's so misguided itself that the car's whole grill is full of roadkill - also implying that it's run over emcees like him who are a chicken or a deer, and dare to do things differently.
With this struggle between staying away from an industry that seems so offbase from his own beliefs and wanting to find his place, he cleverly alludes to The Matrix, when Neo had to choose between two pills to determine his destiny and that of the other world: Lupe took both. And this struggle will forever haunt him - "Awaken at war, 'till I'm restin' in peace."
Give me a late pass if y'all want, or if this was painstakingly obvious to y'all all along. But with how much I was already amazed at the wordplay, rhyme schemes and delivery in the verse, I'm trippin' even more at how metaphoric that shit is once I break it down. Mr. Editor, sir, have Lupe read this and let me know how accurate/inaccurate my interpretation is to his original intentions, 'cause I wanna know.
Do you guys have any interpretations of the meaning behind the last two verses? Also, any other verses you guys had to revisit much later befofre you really understand what the fuck he/she was saying?
--
[1] Yes, I linked to both of his blogs. Dude's doing his thing.
Video of the year.
I don't know whether to cry or to laugh at this shit. But since I've been in a bad mood and I'm battling the flu, I'm going with the latter.
Highlights:
-Shorty in the shiny suit dancing with the aliens.
-"Tickle the cat."
-Dubya smacking ass, while giving his thumbs up approval to said ass and, presumably, to Mike Jones.
Classic.
EDIT: Props to Eskay, I saw this vid there first.
The Roc is in the Building?
Is it just me, or does it seem like it was only a year or so ago when Roc-A-Fella was having its real-life version of Death of a Dynasty? Jay took the label and clothing line names for himself, interviews and bars were exchanged, and artists were shuffling like casino cards. Granted, Kanye was still delivering, but that was the only really reassuring thing about the label.
But these days, it’s almost like they never left.
Star player Kanye started off strong with Graduation, a junior LP which simultaneously abandoned some of the Chicagoan’s established LP qualities—hilarious skits, high profile guests—while beefing up the more important ones, like convicted rhymes, quirky humor and genre-bending beats. Not to be outdone, Big Brother Hov has gotten back on his grizzly with the five-star classic American Gangster, which recaptures the plight (and flow) of Reasonable Doubt and pairs it with the maturity of Kingdom Come. While I’m sure that Hov’s usage of beats from Hitmen, Toomp and others have left Kanye salty (Lawry’s!), that’s still two wins for the team.
And it looks like they aren’t slowing down. Shakepedia has told me that Freeway's Free At Last is top notch (despite a reported lack of beats from Just Blaze and Kanye, which should be interesting), and considering how Beans was in rare form on American Gangster’s “Ignorant Shit,” I’m guessing that his upcoming The Solution is going to be just as dope. Granted, Tru Life and Memphis Bleek still aren’t doing shit (sorry, but random mixtape appearances and a three-year-old 9th Wonder cameo don’t count), but they weren’t going to anyway. And the roster isn’t as bloated as it used to be, but with random clowns like Teiarra Mari taking up space, a more calculated, streamlined approach may be just what the Roc needs.
All that’s missing is one more big name artist (Jadakiss, anyone?), and the Dynasty can be as strong as it’s ever been. Part of me is hurting that Dame and Biggs aren’t there to be part of this revamping of the label, though.
EDIT/P.S.: It's been brought to my attention that a blogger on another site just did a similar post a day or so ago. Being the anti-biting advocate that I am, let me give him his just due to avoid any controversy. Still, just to be clear, I thought of this entry offtop.
Jay-Z, "Dead Presidents 3 (Snippet)"
http://www.zshare.net/audio/41204969586b1c
This nigga is zoned the fuck out.
"Dead Presidents II" is my favorite Jay song of all time. The beat is immaculate, his lyrics vivid, and his delivery was perfect. Certain bars literally still send chills down my back as if it were my first time hearing it, specifically: "That made him smile, though his eyes said pray for me/I do you one better, and slay these niggas faithfully/Murder is a tough thing to digest, it's a slow process...and I ain't got nothin' but time." The way he made the end of the last line not rhyme with anything is one of the illest things I've ever observed on a rap record, because you could tell how real and cold-hearted it was.
Then, just from this fucking snippet? The flow is PERFECT, the punchlines that are both clever AND substantial are there - "fuck y'all mean? handlin' since a teen/like LeBron or Sebastian, high school graduates/straight to the league, I ain't waitin' for my knee to blow/yesterday, I was kneading/needing the dough." From this snippet, he doesn't sound like he's just rapping interchangable drug rap - he actually sounds like he's back there, esp. with that last line. "Blue Magic" was incredible too - Thelonious P spazzed the fuck out on the beat, and Jay got that 80s flow down flawlessly. Point being, so far, homie's got two incredible beats, and two displays of incredible lyricism, delivery and imagery. This DP3, especially, sounds eerily like '96 Jay.
If this and "Blue Magic" are indicative of the whole American Gangster album?
Fuck.
P.S.: Kingdom Come was disappointing; that said, it wasn't nearly as wack as niggas made it out to be.
P.S.S.: Shake, you are that deal. No Amaechi.
Excuse Me Miss
I don’t know if it’s my job description, the recently shed pounds, my new goatee, or plots to hack my Blackberry [1] Paris Hilton style, but women are really feeling the kid these days. They’ve been more receptive to my approach, and some of ‘em are even approaching me now. Aside from being (just a little) bitter that these chicks took four years-plus to catch on, my swag is at an all-time high ©DJ Drama (homie, what’s the word on Gangsta Grillz: The Album?): I’m at the point where I feel like I can pull damn near any woman, and if I can’t, then she’s not worth my time anyway. [2]
That was until last week.
I was at Respiration, this monthly hip-hop night in Lansing that features performances from various MI emcees and poets. [3] During one of the sets, I see a woman come in the building who seemed pretty cute from a distance, but I wasn’t sure about her face-to-face situation. I text my boy to ask him what’s up—he was standing by her—and he gives his approval. I see her up close later, and I made a decision to get at her before the end of the night.
Then, shorty gets onstage. Her and two other members of her group La Famiglia (they performed a mini-set that night; they’re actually a seven-piece band) killed it with their energetic vibes and musically rich production, but she was the standout. Kiss, as she would introduce herself later, had it all—she had a strong singing voice and she was an emcee’s emcee, complete with content, multis, and an impeccable delivery. Homegirl went from hollerable to dream girl in a span of 30 minutes or so.
From my experience, top-notch hip-hop chicks are hard to come by—and provided I don’t wife up Amanda Diva (what up?!) or Starr (what up?!?!), this could be my only chance. So I bitched up. How do I approach a chick like this? How do I compliment her without looking like a male groupie, and how do I incorporate her music and her looks into a compliment without coming across as madd corny? Occasionally, I can kill 'em with my own hip-hop angle; but that’s her angle, too, so that’s not gonna be new to her.
She came by and I took her hand, complimented her set and let her go, with no holleration of any kind. So to all my hip-hop chicks, what kind of shit are y’all receptive to? The group has got another show here in a few weeks (and my peoples are gonna be there too), so I’ve got some time to figure it out.
--
[1] By the way, thanks for the advice on the last joint. Looks like I’ma cop the Curve end of this month, then cop the iPod Classic near Christmas time.
[2] Misogynistic? Maybe, not intentionally though; I guess I’m on my rapper shit.
[3] BTW, still working on the Why MI State's Better series; just digging up exclusive shit first. Haven't forgotten, though.
Why MI State's Hip-Hop Is Better Than Yours. (Part 1)
With the death of city icons Proof, Blade Icewood and J Dilla, Detroit and the rest of the state of Michigan have both been getting lots of attention. Luckily, our artists are taking advantage of the opportunity. The past few years have seen your favorite up-and-coming journalist be more proud of his homestate than ever before, with dope veterans finally getting a shot, and young guns respecting the efforts of their predecessors and making it a point to rep the mitten to the fullest. For the rest of the week (and maybe next week, who knows), I'll be profiling the best MCs and producers Michigan has to offer. Some of them you'll know about, some of them you won't - but all of their music gets the Ketchums Stamp of Approval. In advance, just let me tell all my Detroit heads: I don't know shit about the street Detroit rappers like K Deezy, Stretch Money, Tone Tone, etc. - I've just never taken the time to get into them. But if you think they're that hot, school me @ SpeechIsMyHammer@yahoo.com; otherwise, I'm profiling the artists who are making people pay attention, or who I feel need to get put on.
Black Milk
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