A few months ago, we got new blood in the commercial end of the Hip Hop world. I say commercial because believe it or not, there is a bit of difference between the street and industry standards. In the streets without the industry pushing what the standard is in their eyes, I dont know how how much of the music that we listen to we would really embrace as good Hip Hop music. I don't particularly care for the 50 Cent singles that make the money and drive album sales, but whenever I'm in New Jersey/New York I see why he and the crew keep a following. It's because they keep the streets happy with bangin' mixtapes. That's one example of the difference. Nevermind what you might've thought people still have alot of love for the G-Unit there.
Without me knowing, Drake seems to have won many people over (in and out of the industry)with his slew of mixtapes. I first heard of him in the same fashion of the suburban dude who first heard Too Short "Born to Mack" in 1989. If you didn't catch it, the album came out a few years before. At any rate, I was late because "Best I Ever Had" was on the radio (not video yet) and I was like "it's alright" he seems to be consistent with his flow but he sounds like a cross between Wayne and Kanye. Later, I found that I'm the only person that I know who shared the thought. I heard more and more of the song and his name. I wondered "Who is this dude?". After I found out that he was affiliated with Lil' Wayne I thought maybe that is the reason for all of the hype because I just didn't see it. I asked my 19 year old brother in law and he just shrugged his shoulder with his head to the side saying "Dude is nice". I suppose at that point with him saying it so plainly, I just had to wait to see what he was talking about.
Fast forward a few weeks. I'm driving through Tampa and I hear "Successful" which gave me a second chance to be open and hear the man out. This time, I left behind the affiliations and Degrassi fame which could have been hard to overcome. The Hip Hop community is a little tough on a person without a rags to riches story. Or, I would imagine a story that involves Nickelodeon. But in all fairness, the tough guy background doesn't REALLY make a difference and he was able to make his way through the nonsense. I thought they guy just had good wordplay to put it in basic terms. I like all styles of Hip Hop but this was something for the regular dude; that's the guy who get's left out all too often because of being overshadowed by the black Bill Gates characters. Character's being the key word. At that point, I was able to really listen to the man in a non-judgemental way.
Since that Tampa trip, everything that I've heard from Drake has been solid and quite honestly damned good. I just heard "Forever" with him Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Eminem. With that lineup and Drake being up to bat first, it would have been easy to be lost in the mix but that didn't happen. No, I haven't gotten the album at this time but I don't think it would be a bad purchase. He's convinced me that there is more good music to come and I'm interested in listening. Like my brother in law said "Dude is nice" and I've changed my mind.
As always, please feel free to comment and Spread The Word!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Get Your Panties Out of A Bunch
It's been a week or so since I've last expressed my thought's to you. Not because there was nothing to talk about, it was that I was not sure about what I was going to talk about first. In my short absence of sorts, I've thought about all of the sensitivity in music right now. The individuals who "don't worry about" or "make the haters their motivators" are the same ones who can't seem to take constructive criticism and move forward in a civilized manner.
It's not that someone is a jealous because of your progress, it's just that a person or people do not particularly like your "artistic work". In some cases, it's really the fact that a certain group of individuals may feel that you suck to put it into layman's terms. When approached with anything less than praise sufficient for the Pope, artist tend to really blow their top. In alot of cases, every composition is not the best work put forth or, it may not be what the listener is in the market for at that time. I don't believe that is worth jap-out's, hay maker's or stabbings, clubbings, gunshots and the list goes on. If the criticism comes from another artist, either step your game up or issue a musical challenge or duo of sorts. Instant gratification will be awaiting.
Artist have the right and they should defend their work, as well as I believe that consumers have the right to express their opinions on a piece of work if they purchase it if it is done a respectful manner. However, the days of someone SAYING "Dog, that isht was whack" and because of that I'm "hating" and it might get physical is absolutely ridiculous and can't move forward into the next decade. If the artist is profitable and prospering, then nonsense jibber should be brushed off unless deep down you know you set us up with that garbage. Common said on the album "Like Water For Chocolate" "I wonder if these whack niggas realize they whack?". No. I don't believe they do. And that's okay. I may not like it, but someone does. Just the same, I don't like that isht and you think that I should. Just relax and chill out. So, let's live by the Tupac driven, "I don't give a ckuff" attitude and not really give a ckuff if somebody doesn't like your work. As always, feel free to express your opinions and SPREAD THE WORD!
It's not that someone is a jealous because of your progress, it's just that a person or people do not particularly like your "artistic work". In some cases, it's really the fact that a certain group of individuals may feel that you suck to put it into layman's terms. When approached with anything less than praise sufficient for the Pope, artist tend to really blow their top. In alot of cases, every composition is not the best work put forth or, it may not be what the listener is in the market for at that time. I don't believe that is worth jap-out's, hay maker's or stabbings, clubbings, gunshots and the list goes on. If the criticism comes from another artist, either step your game up or issue a musical challenge or duo of sorts. Instant gratification will be awaiting.
Artist have the right and they should defend their work, as well as I believe that consumers have the right to express their opinions on a piece of work if they purchase it if it is done a respectful manner. However, the days of someone SAYING "Dog, that isht was whack" and because of that I'm "hating" and it might get physical is absolutely ridiculous and can't move forward into the next decade. If the artist is profitable and prospering, then nonsense jibber should be brushed off unless deep down you know you set us up with that garbage. Common said on the album "Like Water For Chocolate" "I wonder if these whack niggas realize they whack?". No. I don't believe they do. And that's okay. I may not like it, but someone does. Just the same, I don't like that isht and you think that I should. Just relax and chill out. So, let's live by the Tupac driven, "I don't give a ckuff" attitude and not really give a ckuff if somebody doesn't like your work. As always, feel free to express your opinions and SPREAD THE WORD!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Please Let The Family Out Of The Dungeon
Somewhere around the beginning of March of 1998, I moved to Atlanta, Ga. I was lured by the seemingly endless opportunities of success, African American upward mobility, mild climate and of course, Freak Nik ’95. Yes, I caught on to what was to be about the last descent year for the festival. I had never been to an event where 100,000 or more, younger well to do African Americans gathered in one city for an event with such a feeling of togetherness if you will. I’m sure from the stories that have echoed across the country you wonder how I can say togetherness. It’s easy. People who came just had too much fun to fight. There was so much food, partying, and alcohol most of the partygoers were in near-hippie mode. Why yes, there was loud music, street parties and women shaking their goods until the cows came home. Through all of the activities, people actually found the time to converse, network and enjoy the city.
Before my high school spring break trip to Freak Nik, my mother had plans at one time to move to the A and I often thought about what it would be like to live here. I’d listened to M.C. Shy D, Kilo, and Success and Effect. A lot of what was coming out of the A at the time was booty shake. The fast paced Africa Bambaata influenced dance rhythms that were and at the right party now, is still the hometown staple. But in 1994, something completely different happened in the Hip-Hop scene in the South, Atlanta particularly. It was new, and sort of a love child of genius and awkward. It was Outkast, and they introduced us to The Dungeon Family. Ahh, The Dungeon Family, a crew of MC’s, producers, poets, singers, songwriters who successfully balanced being street with politically aware. There was Big Boi and Andre, Cee-Lo, Big Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo (Goodie Mob), Rico Wade, Ray Murray, Sleepy Brown (Organized Noize), Mr. DJ, Big Rube, Cool Breeze, EJ The Witchdoctor, Joi, Back Bone, Slim Calhoun, C-Bone and later Killer Mike and Bubba Sparxxx. There was also Big Reese, Mello Capone and KP, who also headed up the Attic Crew that bought the likes of Cutty Cartel, Powlow, Mr. Mo (Jim Crow), The Youngbloodz, and T.I.
You’ve had the Wu-Tang Clan, Juice Crew, DITC Crew, Death Row, Drama Ward and numerous crews I could name but, this is a line up that is also worthy of respect and a bit of gratitude, especially in their hometown. This is why I’m absolutely flabbergasted that there is the minutest trace of any of their songs being played on ATL radio stations. I’m not the artist and feel offended by what I feel is the lack of homage being paid to the forerunners of the “new” Hip Hop sound of the South and Atlanta. With all of the songs recorded by the Dungeon Family, I think there should be enough to play some of their material fairly frequent without repetition. Instead of that so-so song that we’ll hear again in about an hour, I’d just like to groove to a little “Cell Therapy”. My first month in ATL, Goodie Mobs’ “Still Standing” had just been released. There were 3 of us in a one-bedroom apartment in College Park with the radio on all day, except to watch Good Times and Martin. Goodie Mob, Youngbloodz, and PA had to be the top played groups on all of the Urban Stations. Ludacris (known as Chris Luva Luva on Hot 97.5 ATL) and Poon Daddy kept the DF in rotation. Not to expect that stations will totally abandon the seemingly robotic format that “the man” pushing the buttons has set forth, I just feel it’s right to save some airtime for the local heroes. I may be forgetting the radio politics that sometimes dissatisfies more listeners than will be admitted, but this is how I feel and I don’t believe I’m alone. Feel free to let me know what you think and don’t forget to Spread The Word!
Before my high school spring break trip to Freak Nik, my mother had plans at one time to move to the A and I often thought about what it would be like to live here. I’d listened to M.C. Shy D, Kilo, and Success and Effect. A lot of what was coming out of the A at the time was booty shake. The fast paced Africa Bambaata influenced dance rhythms that were and at the right party now, is still the hometown staple. But in 1994, something completely different happened in the Hip-Hop scene in the South, Atlanta particularly. It was new, and sort of a love child of genius and awkward. It was Outkast, and they introduced us to The Dungeon Family. Ahh, The Dungeon Family, a crew of MC’s, producers, poets, singers, songwriters who successfully balanced being street with politically aware. There was Big Boi and Andre, Cee-Lo, Big Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo (Goodie Mob), Rico Wade, Ray Murray, Sleepy Brown (Organized Noize), Mr. DJ, Big Rube, Cool Breeze, EJ The Witchdoctor, Joi, Back Bone, Slim Calhoun, C-Bone and later Killer Mike and Bubba Sparxxx. There was also Big Reese, Mello Capone and KP, who also headed up the Attic Crew that bought the likes of Cutty Cartel, Powlow, Mr. Mo (Jim Crow), The Youngbloodz, and T.I.
You’ve had the Wu-Tang Clan, Juice Crew, DITC Crew, Death Row, Drama Ward and numerous crews I could name but, this is a line up that is also worthy of respect and a bit of gratitude, especially in their hometown. This is why I’m absolutely flabbergasted that there is the minutest trace of any of their songs being played on ATL radio stations. I’m not the artist and feel offended by what I feel is the lack of homage being paid to the forerunners of the “new” Hip Hop sound of the South and Atlanta. With all of the songs recorded by the Dungeon Family, I think there should be enough to play some of their material fairly frequent without repetition. Instead of that so-so song that we’ll hear again in about an hour, I’d just like to groove to a little “Cell Therapy”. My first month in ATL, Goodie Mobs’ “Still Standing” had just been released. There were 3 of us in a one-bedroom apartment in College Park with the radio on all day, except to watch Good Times and Martin. Goodie Mob, Youngbloodz, and PA had to be the top played groups on all of the Urban Stations. Ludacris (known as Chris Luva Luva on Hot 97.5 ATL) and Poon Daddy kept the DF in rotation. Not to expect that stations will totally abandon the seemingly robotic format that “the man” pushing the buttons has set forth, I just feel it’s right to save some airtime for the local heroes. I may be forgetting the radio politics that sometimes dissatisfies more listeners than will be admitted, but this is how I feel and I don’t believe I’m alone. Feel free to let me know what you think and don’t forget to Spread The Word!
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