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- » Name: J. Burnett
- » Location: Atlanta, GA
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hip hop • rap • t.i. • the dirty south
Why Think Let Me Do That...Jesus Approved Commentary
Kanye May Have Passed Big Brother w/Graduation
This is an exciting time in Hip Hop. I can't remember the last time I've actually felt compelled to go buy a CD. If only we can figure out how to get brown people exciting about voting. Oh well. But for now, I guess we'll have to be satisfied with getting Kanye a win on 9/11. Anywho, after several listens to Graduation I've come to a realization and it was a difficult one to come to but I think Kanye West has surpassed the Jigga man as an artist. I know this is virtually blasphemy but peep game and this may be minconstrued as stannery but fuck it...
Think about the impact each has had on the game. Jay's career is largely based upon exaggerated tales of a hustler (maybe they're accurate, maybe they're not). Whether you'd like to admit it or not, Jay got rich by selling that persona to the public; the persona of the cool, intelligent hustler with plenty paper and his choice of woman. Right? Think about the effects that had on the game and the community. For the game, it made it just a hell of a lot harder to get on if you weren't that character or a different shade of that character. For the community, it made a few knuckleheads hit the corner to pitch with dreams of Cristal, foreign cars etc. only to get ethered out of existence or get sent to the pokey. I personally think that's why Kingdom Come didn't do well with alot of Jay fans. They're so used to the persona of Jay-Z that when Sean Carter had a few things to say, they were like get this shit out of here.
Kanye, on the other hand, forged his lane by being who he is. In essence, with this album and past efforts, Kanye is making it okay in Hip Hop and Rap to be yourself again. Think about how powerful that is and the effect it'll have. It's been about being this caricature of gangster or pimp for so long no one, just came and did them. Kanye didn't get guaped up by selling fantasies about triple beam scales, he got paid by actually selling inspiration (Spaceship), faith (Jesus Walks), coping with lose (Roses), self empowerment (Touch the Sky & Champion) and things real people could use. Ye selling an insane amount of albums might actually open up a lane for artists to actually make good music again.
More importantly, I think Ye can connect with fans in a way that Jay could never do. Not everyone can really relate to hustling packs, popping bottles of that Ace of Spade or flying out to St. Trope. This is certainly not all that Jay discusses but alot of what he's discussed throughout his whole career has been related to his affluence, drugs or chicks. The character he's created doesn't allow him to talk about everything. Contrast that to Ye. His message usually revolves around following your dreams, being so passionate about what you believe in that no one can deter you from it, being rejected and how you bounce back from that and many other things but you don't have to be from a certain background to relate to Ye. You just have to have lived. Granted he talks about some unimportant shit and every song he makes isn't life altering but in the three albums he's made I've been able to feel his music on a personal level more than I've been able to relate to Jay's 3 times as many albums.
Lyrically, Jay runs circles around Kanye. This, I know. It's fairly obvious. But as an artist, Kanye is going to take listeners places Jay could never take a them to and he's still at the beginning of his career. He's still growing as a man and an emcee. I think the title Graduation for this album is apt. I'm not sure if he meant for it to happen like this but with Graduation Ye has transcended the Roc and his mentor. He's accepted himself, his faults and showed a level of maturity that's beyond making a track about how cool your age is. He's graduated from being just a rapper to being truly an artist. I mean it's a stretch but what do yall think?
You Could Hang in 2007 If You're Not Careful
I've heard cats mentioning Jena 6 here and there on certain parts of the net including here but I did not know the importance of this case until I investigated for myself, as you should. If we, the black community, let this injustice go unnoticed & unpunished then we might as well start quitting our 9-5s and report back to the plantation. IT'S THAT REAL... I was speechless to know that this went on in 2006 and not 1926. With that said, do not take my words as facts. Do your due diligence and read up on this. Whenever there's an injustice committed in America, Democracy atrophies just a little bit and that affects more then people of color.
Here's the story as I know:
Jena, Louisiana is rural Louisiana. Imagine the type of town that only has a Walmart, McDonald's, Ace Hardware, a bank or two and that's it. The town is about 85%, 14% black and 1% other. That's Jena. From what I understand the town already had clear cut racial divisions but these turn of events would further that rift. Circa September 2006, a black student at a Jena High School asked his principal if he could sit under a tree in the schoolyard--a tree where only white students rested. The principal told him he could sit wherever he wanted. So, the student sat under said tree accompanied by friends of his. The next day, 3 nooses were hung from the tree. The school head recommended the explusion of the perpetrators (3 white students) but in the end, the students received only a in school suspension. The same black student who faced this horrendous display at school went to an interracial party in Jena some time afterwards. He was asked what his name was by a white student (a male). He replied and then was attacked by said student and his sister. Later, the same boy upon going to a convenience store saw an individual involved in his prior attack. The two immediately began fighting. The black boy was assisted by a friend of his and the white guy involved ran to his truck to get a sawed off shotgun with a pistol grip. The scuffle commenced and the black boys ended up getting the gun away from him and subsequently running away from the scene unscathed. They were charged with theft while the white man who brandished the gun went uncharged. On November 30, 2006 a fire destroyed the main academic building. Then on December 4th after weeks of intimidation by the white students, six black students (later named the Jena 6) attacked one of the white students who participated in the acts of intimidation. They were charged with Attempted Second Degree Murder...
Mychal Bell was the first of the six to be tried. He was found guilty by an all white jury and could face up to 22 Years in jail for a high school fight. His lawyer was a public defender and failed to call up any witnesses on behalf of his client. If this isn't injustice I don't know what is. He was supposed to be sentenced July 30th but controversy began surrounding the conspicuous shady/corrupt practices and it was pushed back to September 20th. And if at all possible I'll be there. My generation's main issue to deal with at this point has been our own lackadaisical behavior. This is what's going to define our generation. It's time for us to make a stand. And this just isn't some bullshit rhetoric. This is real life and it's a fight for liberty in the U-S of A. The implications of the results of this trial will be felt worldwide. Fuck around if you want, and you could hang in the 2007. Racism may not confront you on a daily basis but it does still exist and Jena 6 is concrete evidence. It's time to show the world that Hip Hop hasn't lulled us to sleep but has actually awakened our collective consciousness and prepared us for action.
Here's a couple of resources y'all can check out to learn more on Jena 6.
Why the World Enjoys Alphabet Soup: J. Burnett's Interpretation on Crunk Music
I, like many of you, used to detest Down South music. Plainly put, the shit didn't make any sense to me. My early collection of music consisted of mainly New York artists, some West Coast gangsta rap, even a little bit of Midwest but no Down South albums. Even back in the early 90s I had access to it but I just couldn't really see the appeal in it. Down South rap was like a whole other language to me. The lyricism was kind of lacking, the beats seemed like all 808 with no other accompaniment and I couldn't relate to what they were rhyming about. It seemed like yokel music to me at the time given I was from Chicago and I was in my early teens.
So, I got a bit older, got the internet and learned how to bootleg any and every album. Shit, I was in heaven. I copped mad NYC music that the average Chicago high schooler didn't have access to, more West Coast material but was still reluctant to latch onto the South. Since I overindulged in NYC and afterwhile I got bored. I copped some 3-6 Mafia, some Pastor Troy and some other random Southern artist, I think like an Archie Eversole album or something...The music was still really foreign to me but I kept an open-mind. What I found out about crunk music and down South music that is not lyric-driven is that it's more about capturing a mood or a feeling or inciting an action and/or movement (obviously not the case for all Southern acts as they're pretty diverse). So, when you realize that and that you can't interpret a 3-6 track like you would a Nas joint then I think you can enjoy it more. I think alot of so called Hip Hop purists detest down South music because they use the same frame of reference to judge a Lil Jon track like they would a Jay-Z track. The misstep in that is that Lil Jon and Jay's intention are completely different. Lil Jon may want you to move; Jay-Z may just want you to nod.
So why is the world in love with the South??? This is a big stretch but fuck it that's what blogging is all about; throwing out ridiculous assertions with no concrete backing. Well, the world is complicated enough with various conspiracies incorporating mass corruption in the government, terrrorist threats, poverty, drug addiction and a whole lot of other shit that's generally force fed to us on the daily by each and every media outlet. The shit's kind of depressing so the appeal of music that'll allow you to not think that hard, dance and enjoy yourself kinda makes sense. It's not too much thinking involved and you're told what to do i.e. tear da club up, snap ya fingers and step etc. All you have to do is enjoy yourself. That's just what I think. I do think cats should be more open-minded about opening up to the South and if you haven't heard a David Banner album at this point in your life, you're selling yourself short, for real. What do y'all think tho???
If you like my joints, check out my site StuntinonProse. Hit those Google ads up. 100
The Definitive Lil Wayne Blog
Before I start this endeavor let me say a couple of things...First, for everyone (all two or three of y'all) who've been following my blogs that I drop here and there, I dropped that Cormega The Realness and the Nature For All Seasons on my site StuntinonProse.com and I might drop that Firm album later. On the real, thanks for all the love, it's much appreciated. Second, this blog was inspired by Brillyance's Lil Wayne blog. There's mad blogs saying why critics believe Wayne is overrated but there are few blogs out there that make an intelligent case for why Lil Wayne is so well-received by many and subsequently, kinda dope. Lastly, in the words of Pimp C, opinions are like booty holes, everyone got em' and here's mine...
Lil Wayne's still young as hell
Lil Wayne was born in 82. That would make him 24. So, when he dropped with the Hot Boys in 97 he was roughly 15 years old. Now, Wayne was surely not spittin' through the wire, at that point, but it was apparent that he was at least above average. I don't know about y'all but I couldn't do much of anything when I was 15 besides staring at boobies. Even at that age, it was evident even Wayne had potential to have a succesful solo career. How many other rappers were able to rap as a boy amongst men??? I can think of one other who dropped their work at or around that age and his name is Nas. Now, I'm not saying Lil Wayne is Nas but you have to take into consideration especially when the discussion of subject content comes into play, he's still mad young and what's he talking about is about onpar with the things comparable emcees were saying at or around his age. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Wayne continues rapping into his mid to late 30s, so it's difficult to judge where he's going to go as far maturity at this point b/c he's simply not there. He's only 24. With that said, how many 24 year olds can match up with Lil Wayne in his current state. There's only a few if any...
Would You Compare Nas to Rakim?
So, why compare Lil Wayne, an emcee with great potential, to Jay-Z, an established veteran who may be one of the greatest to do it? You don't. When comparing Lil Wayne compare him to cats who came out during or near his generation. Even in basketball, it's difficult to compare the likes of MJ to Kobe or Kobe to Lebron James because the times have changed; what made a player good in MJ's day is a whole different set of criteria then what would make someone superior in this day. Same thing with rap, but if you compare to Wayne to his peers, again, he's kinda shittin on them...
By the Music
I've heard all of Lil Wayne's studio released albums. Now, I can't front. I wasn't a big fan of Lil Wayne in his Wobble, Wobble, Tees, [Gir]Bauds & Ree's era. The albums would have 20 tracks and maybe 5/7 give or take of the tracks were actually decent, but from his debut to 500 Degrees there's a drastic difference in his flows and by the time you get to the Carter, it's almost unbelievable that it's the same person, which deserves merit in itself. Production-wise and lyrically, it really came together for Lil Wayne on the Carter. Cats will say Gillie wrote for him (which is odd given that Gillie and Wayne don't sound that similar and Wayne's continued to be Wayne w/out him) and he swaggerjacked Jay but breaking news...Even Nas/Jay swaggerjacked. Nas is a composite of Slick Rick, Rakim and in his early career, Rae & Ghost. Jay favors Kane and Kool G Rap. When you admire someone's work it's only natural for you to have traces of their DNA in your music. The Carter II was also kinda dope...Y'all can't front on that. The Carter III is going to be pivotal for Wayne for whether or not Wayne will be considered one of the greats or just another face but based off of his catalogue thus far he's doing straight.
The Flow
The flow is digital. Wayne, when focused, is really, really good. And it's not so much his punchlines because it's not difficult to put those together but the way he can jump in the pocket of a beat is kinda ill. That same track that Brill mentioned the "here's my most funniest joke" quote, at the end of the track Wayne goes in...He says "speedboat...wife beater...ballin' like Derek Jeter for every reason/the Testarossa can get ghost like it never seen ya...watch nasty like gonorrhea." It's difficult to make a case either way on a flow w/out audio accompaniment b/c if you quote well enough you can make Memphis Bleek look good. And I'll say this, Lil Wayne at times gets lazy on the mixtapes but they're only mixtapes and given the amount of material he puts out (for his fans), I think the man can get a pass.
The Mixtape
I've heard cats complain about why is duke putting out so many mixtapes and this and that but is it a bad thing to put music out on the streets. I wished more people would actually spend their off time practicing, testing the water w/their mixtapes. Giving your fans more of your music for free is actually a good thing. And every mixtape Lil Wayne puts out is not his idea. I'm sure in many cases, a DJ stumbles upon some bootleg freestyle Wayne has floating around on the net and packages it with a few other similar freestyles and gets some material he already put other there and that's a mixtape. I could do it actually. Can you really fault Lil Wayne for that? Also, no one ever talks about how ill the Dedication and Dedication II respectively were. When the man is focused, he's focused. Also, when have cat's merit been judged off of mixtapes. If that was the case Joe Budden would be the God emcee, Canibus would be still in the limelight etc, etc.
Respectable Producers Respect the Man. Are they lying?
Your Favorite Producer's Top 10 List. The guys who participated in this are all respectable and have worked with the best.
The Bottomline
If you don't like who Lil Wayne is, personally, that factor doesn't make him a weak emcee. Is he Nino Brown of the N.O.? Is he Damu and all that jazz? I don't know and frankly, I don't care. Rappers lying about their background and tending to exaggerate is nothing new. Is he the greatest rapper alive? No. Could he be, later in his career? Maybe, maybe not; only time will tell. No matter what I scribe on these lines, it won't change your opinion of the man's work or if you just don't like who he is. With that said, hating for hating's sake (no jabs at anyone) is lightweight lame. Just my thoughts. His music isn't for everyone. So, I think in most cases cats should realize Lil Wayne will never talk about spreading water in Africa. It's just not him. When you listen to a Com album you don't expect him to talk about lickin shots. If you don't like his (Wayne's) brand of music that doesn't make him wack. Being wack is what makes you wack and in my opinion, Lil Wayne isn't wack.
Hip Hop Wins This Time???
As I sat down in my swivel chair at the office ready to be greeted by the typical news of my favorite rapper shanking or shooting or pissing on someone; I actually found two things that brought a smile to my face. The first being, the exposure of Beyonce's boobies (who didn't see that coming with all that bouncing and what not) which was totally sweet in its own right (big-ups to the editor of the site; that shit made my day) and headlines of two of Hip Hop's biggest stars, currently, 50 Cent & Kanye West sharing a stage with no verbal or physical altercations to take place at the event, the Scream Tour. In this day and age, it's somehow unbearably difficult and seemingly impossible for two rivals to share a venue without some type of fracas commencing either between their entourages or the artists themselves.
There was once a time when artists at the top could co-exist without having to dual to the death--John Wayne style; that time was the nineties. Big, Jay and Nas were competing for the crown, vigorously, but it never got to them talking about shooting each other's ma dukes crib up. They competed, threw sneak jabs at each other (re: "Kick In the Door," a sneak diss at Nas) but at the end of the day, it was all love. Their competition brought the best out of them and we, the fans, were the ones who reaped the benefits. Do yall remember that time??? I don't know the exact point when being the best meant ethering out the competition, literally, but being the best on the mic has nothing to do with bustin off a gloc. That type of beef is real life beef, something alot of emcees know nothing about (shit, neither do I for that matter). But, if this occurrence is an omen, it seems like Hip Hop may be on the road to getting back to the vision its forefathers had for it. Emcees spent so much time gettin' money this and gettin' money that, they forgot that the best way to get $$$ is to actually produce a quality product (word to Steve Jobs).
Although seeing 50, Ye, Diddy, Jay and a swarm of others on the same stage may seem trivial, it's really not. This is a major occurrence. Two things happened, two of the cockiest emcees EVAR put aside their egos for just a brief period of time to give the fans something special. That's what this Hip Hop shit is really about and that's what we should expect from the goliaths in the game; something special. Two, Fif deaded his prior beef with Jay and Diddy and his differences with Mr. West which was mature of him. Look, this is a guy who said he wouldn't be able to sit on a couch with Jeff Atkins without them scrappin' so yesterday was kind of a big deal for him. In a time when the norm is for you to hear about your favorite rappers catching a case, a eye jammy or a hollow tip or all of the above something like this has to make you proud to be apart of this Hip Hop shit.
Breaking News: Foxy Brown jabs her mom with a stiletto and flees the scene (j/k) but some shit like that would mess up a good day in Hip Hop.
StuntinonProse.com, my site, google ads, yall know the demo.
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Chris Martin/Coldplay = the new "I'm so Beyond Hip Hop" feature
Note: As always I gotta promo my own shit (StuntinonProse.com). I appreciate the support I've been receiving and hope y'all continue....by hittin' up those google ads. Holla.
This'll be a pretty short drop. I've been noticing a really odd trend in Hip Hop; the Coldplay/Chris Martin feature. I know there's only been a few but it's happened enough for it to become noticeable. First, Fif covers "God Gave Me Style," then Jay with "Beach Chair" and now Swizzy with "Part of the Plan." Nevermind the fact that he lightweight dissed Jay when he spoke about his past. I guess that's irrelevant in the chase for the almighty crossover/mainstream dollar. I don't buy this bullshit for one minute. These same rappers gave us years of pimpin' hoes, bustin' glocks, moving weight and the such, now they're revealing their "open mindedness" and "artistic/alternative" side. It's the hind end of your career and now you want to experiment. Pssshh...The rap game is interesting. Once things like this trickle down from the top, others began to follow suit and it becomes acceptable in the hood. I always hated that about rap. Cats were always mad close minded. Nerds like myself have been secretly bumping Coldplay, Radiohead, Pearl Jam and similar shit for years. Let the crew come by the room and hear it though and the flambo jokes were flying nonstop. Now, these clowns reveal their softer side and it's "oh, they're so next level." All jokes aside though, I'm glad to see the game going in this direction; being more open-minded. Awhile back they tried that heavy metal/rap mash up. It was a painful period for ya eardrums but I think this alternative/soft rock mash up is a little bit more cohesive. What do y'all think about mash ups like the above mentioned?
What Type of Fuckery Is This???
Y'all already know. Check out StuntinonProse.com. Google ads, click those joints for me still trying to catch a value menu meal my niggas and niggettes.
After the RIAA hit the Aphilliates with the Don Guido conspiracy charge and completely wrapped up the mixtape game, the majors are apparently finally starting to feel the loss. Record company goliath, the Universal Music group is trying to reintroduce legal mixtapes. As soon as I read this shit on XXL this morning, I sat their dumbfounded thinking about how stupid whoever orchestrated that RIAA bust on Drama and them boys feel.You Dumbass!!!. I'm sure mixtapes was taking pennies on the dollar out of record labels pockets but the pennies they (mixtape distributors) received from their slim sales was nothing in comparison to the gozillion dollars they (record labels) were getting when album sales were poppin'.
Case and point, 50 Cent. Who remembers pre-mixtape 50 on "The Power of the Dollar"??? It's safe to assume that the album bricked in the sales department. Then Fif and the Unit started pumping out mixtapes like Mexican rabbit babies. Then when GRODT drops and Fif sells some ridiculous numbers of album. For God's sake, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck went platinum. It definitely wasn't off the strength. They're both mediocre albums w/decent production. What got them the sales was the momentum they accrued tearin' down mixtapes every other week, staying on Hot 97 talkin shit every week plus whatever promo activities the labels had them doing. Young Jeezy, same story, different region. How do you know who Young Jeezy is before he drops if there's no mixtape??? You don't. If you take the mixtape out of the equation, Young Jeezy bricks everywhere except in ATL and Def Jam ends up with another bum on the roster. That's alot of emcee's story i.e. T.I., Yung Joc, Fabolous, Joe Budden etc, etc. So did the majors really think once you took the mixtape out the equation that they would have to get more album sales??? Well last I checked the album scans, everyone is still floppin minus the cats that have major promo (10 Ms or more) budgets.
Then this, the major "oops we know we fucked shit up move" and Universal tries to drop a mixtape series called Lethal Squad Mixtapes hosted by DJ Bear. Lethal Squad??? How lame does that sound, seriously... I would punch myself in the face if I bought one of those and who the hell is DJ Bear??? So after they dropped the L-Squad the joint totally bricked selling 5K. I'm glad it happened this way, now these assclowns have no other choice but to legalize mixtapes signing these DJS to real deals or they could sit back and watch as their empires come tumbling down as people like myself refuse to buy cds that I don't know are absolutely fire and continue bootleggin' essentially everything.
Kanye v. 50: Revenge of the Nerds for the Hood
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This debacle isn't about who's going to sale more albums. Neither 50 Cent fans nor Kanye West fans will reap any physical benefits from their favorite artist pushing more units. This clash is not about who's going to put a better album together as Fiddy and Kanye Tudda's music, style and subject content differ drastically making comparing their efforts futile. The epic battle between these two titans symbolizes much more to the culture then a race to platinum plaques. As I sat on my ass wondering why people really gave a shit about this mano-e-mano, it finally occured to me what all the fuss was about. This clash between the two is an age old battle that's been going on for eons. Allow me to elaborate. It's Revenge of the Nerds for the hood.
50's character is the hypermasculine, gun toting, hustler character. 50 is the John Wayne of the hood. You're never going to catch 50 in an A Life or Lemar & Dauley tee or an all over print Bape hoody. That's not him. He'll probably never rhyme about dropping in a half pipe or floating through another galaxy or feelings of rejection. Again, you won't see it. Fif views cats who rhyme about the above as lame. I guarantee it. That's why his interactions with Kanye are more like Nelson and Milhouse as opposed to actually ever giving Kanye props. Fif represents the old archetype of what's cool in the Hip Hop culture.
Kanye is a different caricature. West represents the 2.0 version of what's cool in Hip Hop. He rocks slim jeans, SB dunks, rare Polo and all kinds of other fly shit. He does care about his steelo and doesn't really care to engage in the gangsta shit i.e. his response to Beans. He's a nerd; an outspoken nerd but still a nerd. All his antics, the outbursts, the tirades and the"look at me" complex lets us, the world, know that basically no one paid him attention in his youth and he was probably viewed as an outcast or what many of us would refer to as a lame or a square. But now, it's cool to be different; it's live to be stylish and you don't have to shoot, shank or whoop nigga's ass to be perceived as cool so Ye is on front street.
So who's going to outsell who??? I'm putting my money with Kanye. Young Marty McFly of the game, Kanye, seems destined to overtake Biff Tannen, 50 Cent. Kanye's buzz is strong in the streets. Each of his singles has had a very distinct feel to them and they were all dope and released with precision while Fif has struggled to remain relevant besides throwing Flat Screen TVs through windows and other roided out activities. His whole effort seems to be self-destructing right before our eyes. I think Fif is going to have some heat on his album. No matter how cats feel about Fif, GRODT and Massacre are both dope, respectively, but in today's climate of snug V-necks, designer jeans and shoes, skulls, crossbones and bright colors I think the goliath will finally meet his defeat.
Lost Ones: The Fight for Hip Hop
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Now let's get down to business. I haven't been writing much lately. My whole mindset matches the feel of the last Roots album; dark, grimey and fuckin pissed off (plus I lost my password for the site). Between my conundrums with the minstrelsy of mainstream rap music (that even a remote bystander like Barack Obama can acknowledge), the media's false representation of reality (NJ murders high priority coverage while the real life Halo melee continues in the Chi receiving little to no coverage) and just being broke as hell, shit's just all fucked up right now--not just for myself but for the country as a whole. We've stepped in a 6 feet deep pile of shit and it's going to take more then a few years for the next president to sort this mess out. Hopefully in the meanwhile, the people will start to give a shit, but as long as we as individuals "get by" it's all gravy. But as most of you yokels are quick to point out, this is a Hip Hop site and real life doesn't co-exist w/Hip Hop, at least not in this sphere.
If you have any semblance of the history of Hip Hop you know that it's inherently in the DNA of black folks. Whether you start in the motherland with griots passing stories along or the South Bronx with DJs, B-Boys and park jams, either way it goes, it's a fact that Hip Hop...yeah, that's us (black people) right there. In the past, it was pretty much granted that if you were black you at least had some fundamental knowledge of Hip Hop and got a pass, at least in a conversation about the music with someone outside of the race. And rightfully so, it's in our blood. I mean every black person doesn't have to be a Hip Hop aficionado or some shit but if you support this Hip Hop shit, at least know a few things about KRS or the R or Kool Herc. I can honestly say I don't know everything about Hip Hop; I haven't heard every track I should know; I don't know all the crucial facts that I should but I try which is alot more then I can say for most cats my age. I go back and cop classic albums; I read literature on Hip Hop and I try to contribute to the culture through my writing. Like my bretheren, Meka, WK3, Brillyance and whoever else, I love this Hip Hop shit to death. But, it pains me to see black folks losing is because it's our birthright...
Bullshit if you want, and this shit is going to end up like Jazz and Rock & Roll in that it's perceived as white folk's music (don't believe me, ride through any inner city blasting some Chuck Berry or some Miles and watch the looks you get from the younger cats). It's happening from the bottom; the grassroots, the most progressive level of Hip Hop. Bloggers, columnists & myriad journalists list of favorite albums and artists are starting to favor the paler emcees (Brother Ali, Slug, Sage Francis, Evidence, El-P) and rightfully so. These dudes have just outright styled on their peers with much more lyricisim, creativity and candor. This is the first time EVAR, that I know of, where in Hip Hop white emcees have actually been coming harder then black cats--not in all case but there's certainly enough proof from 06 to make a valid case. I write all this not to say, stop supporting white emcees b/c good music is good music but you can kind of see where this is going...I'm peeping Rock the Bells photos, the illest Hip Hop festival we have, and I'm not seeing too many black people. I went to see the Roots and LB and the GZA; same demonstration. It's not just Wu-Tang concerts anymore where white people are showing up in droves. It's already a fact that they're buying the cds but now they're packing out the concerts too, damn. Are we supportin' Hip Hop at all??? I know we are but I just wish black people could have the same enthusiasm about this shit that whites have. Whites and Asians really got this REAL HIP HOP shit on smash. They're living it, breathing it against all that's normal to them and it's in our blood and we're still dookeying in it. More and more, you see mainstream black culture distancing itself from REAL HIP HOP. It's only a matter of time before so and so says fuck Hip Hop and black teens say the same and leave Hip Hop for other races to appreciate. It's already begun.
I don't want yall to think I'm on some F whitey type ish because this is not that. Their fervor for Hip Hop inspires me. Good music is good music and I'd support an alien if he was coming with some fire. But it's time for us (black people) to start taking pride in Hip Hop music; it's truly a unique, creative and beautiful aesthetic and I hate for the year 2095 to come and our kid's kid's kids are not granted the opportunity to bond with Hip Hop like we did becase we took it for granted and allowed ourselves to be written out its existence and the history books.
100
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Rap = WWF
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I know y'all are probably thinking "okay, duh" just based upon the title but I wanted to expound upon the comparison. Usually cats are referring to the gimmicky pettiness of constant beefing in the rap game when they make this comparison, but I wanted to take it in a different direction.
Most males when they were younger loved wrestling. When I was into it--I'd say early to mid-90s--WWF was wrecking shop on WCW whose only stars were the geriatric Ric Flair, the lame ass Steiner brothers & the Crow look-alike, Sting (well, Sting was kind of cool except his signature move was the same as Brett Hart's. Biter). None of them could hold the balls of Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage or the Ultimate Warrior. So, needless to say I was a fan of WWF. Every Monday when RAW came on around 9 or 10pm, I was watching USA--a channel that had nothing else going for it besides the WWF which was later snatched up by FX making USA obsolete. Each week I would tune in to see what happened next in the unfolding storylines or what slub would emerge from being a background crony in a crew to a champion (the Rock) or what happened on Wrestlemania (which Ma Dukes was not upping the Pay Per View dough to for). For awhile I, like most kids my age, went really hard for wrestling. It had to be for about 4-5 years or maybe longer.
Then I got older...I begin to watch it less and less, possibly because of that E True Hollywood story special exposing the truth about how fake wrestling was, possibly because I got into sports, chasing skirts and getting fresh among other things. The point is, I grew out of it. After getting older, I knew who was going to win. I knew what characters they were going to develop into "good guys" or "bad guys" and who would end up the champion. And worst of all, I knew it was FAKE. So that kind of took the allure away.
Look at the rap game and say it's not identical. You know who's going to win (sell a shitload of albums). There's good guys, bad guys (Common/50 Cent). Weed carriers turn into generals (Jim Jones/Fat Joe). And 90% is faker than that rotund butt Kim Kardashian mysteriously got a couple of months ago. The older and older I get, the less rap appeals to me. Hip Hop still resides at the core of my musical taste but rap music makes it difficult for me to continue listening to Hip Hop. Just like with wrestling, I'm just kind of growing out of rap music. When you know everything these dudes are sayin' is fugazi, regurgitated from some OG's life or written by someone else then it kind of makes listening to rap (not Hip Hop) pointless.
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