Fish sticks

After seeing Kanye get murdered on South Park, I wondered how things would change if Kanye was really homosexual. Personally, I would still listen to his music, still be eagerly anticipating his clothing line, and still be thirsty for a pair of all black Air Yeezys with the glow-in-the-dark sole. I would still think he is a great producer, and I would still be proud that he reps Chicago so hard. I wonder if I would be in the minority or majority on this one.

The hip-hop industry is extremely homophobic, so I know there would be a lot of backlash there. he would be ostracized by all the rappers that could finally say, "I told you so!" Diss records would be released every half hour.The Bossip writers would probably jizz in their pants. His "biggest fans" would denounce their love for all things Kanye. Chicago's rep would take a huge hit in the rap game.

It's ridiculous that so many people would jump at the chance to tear down a successful black man simply becuase he doesn't fit the mold of a typical hood rapper. Like the Clipse said, we let so much slide in hip-hop. Why can't we let Yeezy slide. I mean, Lil Wayne and Baby were on 106 and park, and Wayne said that the only person Baby kisses is him. Where's the outrage? Wayne and Baby kissed each other on the lips, yet go to any hood in America and you will find plenty of people that feel Wayne is the best rapper alive. Wayne has this piercing. Yet when Kanye is in a pic with someone who has on leopard print tights, we work ourselves into a frenzy. Where's the consistency? Is it becuase Kanye is well spoken, middle class, and a great dresser? Should he have sold drugs or gotten a lot of tattoos? Should he be more mysoginistic and more glorifying of activities and behaviors that destroy our communties? I'm not saying Kayne is an angel, but for some reason, a lot of people want him to be gay.

Is probably becuase he'd be easier to accept then. It would be easier on their fragile egos.

Do you.

Hip-Hop Snobbery

<------- This is true for the most part, but sometimes there is that one song (or 3) that challenges or belief (or carefully crafted facade) of what you consider good music to be.

I will not admit what those songs are to me, but you can...

Do you.

Calling all MC's!

So Mos Def was feeling himself recently and challenged all current rappers to a pay-per-view rap battle. Specifically, he called out Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Freeway, and a few others. Now in my opinion, I think Mos has a shot at all of them in a freestyle battle, but the problem is, on a stage that big, you know everyone is bringing their best written material.




In a true freestyle battle, these are my top 5 in no particular order:

• Crooked I
• Jin
• Chino XL
• Rhymefest
• Eminem

What do you think? Personally, I'd kill 'em all :)

Do you.

Best Combo Ever?

The Best Combo Ever? is not a question of gustatory debate. It is not one of culinary curiosity. The question posed is one of musical persuasion. Earlier today I was listening to "Some X S**t" by DMX, and noted that he always kills the Swizz Beats tracks. So I wondered to myself and Dane, who else always kills tracks by that one producer? Who is the Best producer/rapper combo ever?


I know this list could go on forever, but here are some of my favorites:

• P.Diddy/Biggie
• RZA/Wu-Tang
• Kanye West/Kanye West
• Pharrell/NORE
• Manny Fresh/Lil Wayne
• Swizz Beats/DMX
• 9th Wonder/Little Brother

I could go on and on. Of course there are some notable producers and rappers left off the list, but 1.)it's a favorites list, and 2.) some great producers don't have one artist that consistently outshines every other rapper they produce for.

Who are your favorites?

Do you.

Gucci Bandana. Aye!

So I go to imeem.com today and I am greeted by utter nonsense. They have a section on the 30 best Gucci Mane songs of 2008...... Yep. First, I was amazed that there were 30 songs to put on the list. Secondly, a list as long as 30 implies at least double or triple the amount of total songs. Who is buying Gucci Mane like that?! Have you heard "Gucci Bandana"?! He says the word Gucci like 17 times. That's like once a bar!

Let me take a step back and say there have been numerous occasions where that song has been stuck in my head, but still....

Other top 30 lists I'd rather see:

• 30 places to visit in Wyoming
• Top 30 trends in trailer park interior design
• 30 reasons not to have unprotected sex: A Pictorial
• Fat Joe vs. Rick Ross: Battle of the Bare Bellies
• DJ Khaled's top 30 ad-libs of this week

Not to hate too hard on Gucci, but c'mon man, step them bars up. Fans, step your expectations up.

Do you.

Blasphemy!

I know what I'm a bout to say will sound blasphemous to hip-hop fans that are about 26 and older but,we need to get past Big and Pac.
Really, we do. I'm a huge fan of both and I can't deny the impact they had on hip-hop's history. Many rappers have emulated their styles and their words (Jigga...). Many rappers owe their careers to the late icons, but at some point the idolization must stop.


People need to stop using them to make themselves money while claiming to honor their memory,(Diddy...) and artists need to stop using unreleased tracks to bolster their own mediocrity (too many to name). True Keyshia Coles' new joint with Pac is hot, but he's been dead for over 12 years. Find another rapper please.

I think our hesitance to release them speaks to lack of any great current rappers and our reluctance to accept atrists that push the boundaries of hip-hop.
Jay-Z - Swagger jacker.
Nas - Inconsistent.
Andre 3000 - I don't think music is a priority for him right now.
Eminem - Less about yout wife and mother please. We get it. Life sucks. Move on.
Snoop - Was on No Limit Records....
Everyone else is too regional to be universally accepted or not commercial enough to be included in discussions (shame.)

Pac and Big were victims of the lifestyle their lyrics glamorized. If Hip-Hop is indeed dead, it dies with them. We have become too occupied as a culture to appreciate the artists we have now. Instead of demanding quality from our artists, we demand reincarnations of Big and Pac, as long as you are not blatantly imitating them. It's a tough thing to have to do, to be a post Big and Pac rapper. Sure it's been done successfully, but their prescences remain havey in the industry.

If we want to emulate someone, it needs to be a person like Cornell West, President Obama, or Colin Powell. We don't need to shuck and jive to be successful or famous. We can be intelligent and articulate. We can respected without big cars, nice clothes, groupies, or guns and we can have self-esteem without drugs and sex.

Big and Pac were legends in their own time, but sadly that time is over. The sooner we realize that, the better off we'll be. Our music will probably get better too.

Do you.

Universal Mind Control

This review is for the
iTunes edition.


Intro- Joelle Ndiaye -
It's short, and in French...
kinda like my girlfriend,
who says this basically
translates into-"Welcome
to a new sound called
Universal Mind Control".7/10.

Universal Mind Control - Pharrell whispers they just
wanna dance a few times at the beginning of the track.
It's an interesting comment on the current state of music,
and perhaps the theme for the album.I did notice a lot of
5 Percenter references which are prevalent in a  lot of
East Coast rap.Like most of Pharrell's tracks, UMC has
a dope beat,and like most of Common's songs, a good flow.
It's been stuck in my head for weeks now.
10/10.

Punch Drunk Love ft. Kanye - This joint is an instant
head-nodder.I love the fact that Kanye is NOT singing
on this one. It's a typically boastful Kanye hook that
I like a lot. 8/10.

Make My Day ft. Cee-Lo - Sounds like he borrowed this one
from 3 Stacks, but it works for him as well Cee-Lo is as
nice as ever on the hook, and the upbeat tempo gives the
love song a casual feel. This one got stuck in my head
as well.
8/10.

Sex 4 Suga- Didn't like this one too much at the first
listen, but it has grown on me a bit. I like the beat a lot
more than at first. Not bad.7/10.

Announcement ft. Pharrell - I love the throwback
feel of this beat-good balance of synth and the drum
beat sounds like a hit from the hip-hop's heyday. I half
expected to hear Biggie go "Uhh" a few times before he
stepped to the mic, with a few Diddy "take that's" in
the background.Solid lyrics again from Common, with a
decent verse from Pharrell-I like how he calls out the
G-Shock biters...ahem...BOW WOW.
9/10

Gladiator - In my opinion, this rivals UMC for best on
the album. Nice flow from Common. This track boasts the
best lyrics of the album. Pharell does a great job of
switching things up for the chorus.Songs like this is why I
bought the album. 10/10.

Changes ft. Muhsinah - The standard retrospective/
inspiringCommon joint-hasn't gotten old yet. Muhsinah
is a god fit on the hook. Changes is a nice Obama-era
laid back, Common type track. His daughter Omoye
adds some nice spoken word to the end. 7/10.

Inhale - The beat is a mix between DJ Premier and the
Neptunes with the airy synths as well as a lil scratching
here and there. It's a very breezy beat, but Common
goes hard lyrically, giving it some weight. 7/10.

What a World - Instantly catchy beat-sounds new, yet
retro at the same time. It's a very funky sound, kinda like
a updated Ike & Tina. I can see Ike on the bass now...
Common spits the throwback 80s flow that sounds right
in line with Curtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash. 
8/10.

Everywhere ft. Martina Topley Bird - Very different
sound for Common, but still nice. On this one, he's content
to let Martina do most of the work. He pops in  to do his
thing on one verse. I like this one because Common
shows that he can flow over all types of beats. 7/10.

Break my Heart(live) - For those who haven't seen
Common in concert, it is a great experience, especially
in a venue like the House of Blues. It's a very interactive
experience, with talented live instrumentation."Testify"
from the "BE:turns into a mini theatrical production.
9/10.

Final Score - 96/120=80 That comes out to a B, even
though it feels more like a B+. UMC is not the typical lay
back and burn one album from common, but dope
nonetheless. I like the fact that Common is experimenting
with a new sound and taking risks. Risks are necessary for
artists and for hip-hop as a whole to grow and develop. It
isn't as good as Be or Finding Forever, but it's no slouch
either.



                                                                                  Do you.

The future of Hip-hop?!

On the cover of this month's issue of VIBE, there is a picture of the future of hip-hop. The picture isn't of Lupe Fiasco, The Cool Kids, Wale, B.o.B, GemStones, or a slew of other up and comers. No, "the future of rap is on the cover of VIBEs December 08 issue and you'll never believe who it is!" Man, truer words have never been spoken..

Plies. Yes, THAT Plies. Algernod Lanier Washington according to the government, and the future of hip-hop according to someone at VIBE who doesn't actually listen to music.
Calling him the future of rap is like calling the SUV the future of automobiles, or Rod Blagojevich the future of Illinois politics, or Al Sharpton the future of Black leadership.
With three releases under his belt in 16 months-Real Testament, Definition of Real, and Da Realest-we can see that Plies is prolifically real. I mean, I'm impressed that after a full day of being a "full-blooded goon," he still has time to record so much music. But after listening to some of his real testaments, I figure each track didn't take more than 30 minutes from start to finish. Even still, that's a lot of goonery. Perhaps after performing tasks befitting of the realest person alive, he simply went to the studio to record said deeds. Perhaps, his albums are merely an auditory journal of sorts that gives us insight on the day to day activities of the realest man alive.

Everything above aside, this isn't about Plies. It's about the sad state of hip-hop affairs. I'm not one of those hip-hop is dead/dying people, but I do believe that we are in a rut of sorts. Anytime someone who is a new artist that sounds just like other mediocre rappers with the same content, beats, and D class jewelery gets heralded as the future of anything, we have a problem. Plies brings nothing new to the table. (Sidenote: Grills are still hot?) Sex for the women, guns for the guys, and jewelery for people that are autistic. (Sorry I shoulda said materialistic.) It's the same formula over and over. Sales are down becuase creativity is down, not becuase of iTunes.

In any case, in order for hip-hop to grow and move forward, we need albums like The Love Below, St. Elsewhere, Electric Circus, and 808s & Heartbreak. Boundaries need to be pushed and minds need to be expanded. That way, the future won't be a step backwards.

Do you.

808s and Heartbreaks

Ok, here is an unbiased review of 808s and Heartbreaks by Kanye West.

1. Say You Will - Very minimalist beat, kinda EKG-like with a haunting choir in the background. Clearly a song about his ex Alexis. I think it sets an appropriate tone for the rest of the album. 7/10.
2. Welcome to Heartbreak ft. Kid Cudi - Kanye reflects on the family life vs. his solitary life as a hip-hop artist. Heavy on the Vocoder on this one. It can be hard to hear what he's saying sometimes. I like the message, but not the execution. 5/10.
   
3. Heartless - My second favorite song on this album. Not as heavy on the voice effects as some of the other songs. I like the synth flute as well the piano chords. In this song he takes a minute to be critical of his relationship vs. being sad about it. A nice change of pace topic wise. I loved the live version as well because of the added effects. It would've been nice to have this version on the album as well. 10/10.
4. Amazing ft. Young Jeezy - Best song on the album. A haunting beat with a powerful chorus and Jeezy's raspy vocals. I could see this being shot at a funeral or a bittersweet return for a soldier/warrior. Very smoky and dramatic. 10/10.
5. Love Lockdown - Sounds a lot better in the final mastered version. His performance of this at the VMAs sold me on this song instantly. It's a very honest song about his past relationship. The instrumental after Kanye stops singing is amazing. 9/10.
   
6. Paranoid ft. Mr. Hudson - Is it 1987 again? Yes. Yes it is. The most upbeat song on the album. Heavy synth, 80s drums. This song takes me bad to when I was...3. But anyway, I worried about the wrong thing...Anyway, great party song 8/10.
   
7. Robocop - A LOT better that the leaked version I heard. Unfortunately, that's not saying a whole lot. That very sad since I actually like the lyrics. They are kinda funny and witty. 6/10. Would been higher with a better beat.
   
8. Streetlights - Kanye got his Mike Jones on - if one line is good, just say it again. Only this time, it's an entire verse. Heavy Vocoder, eerie beat, decent lyrics. 6/10.
   
9. Bad News - Surprisingly upbeat. I really like this one. 8/10
   
10. See You in my Knightmares ft. Lil Wayne - Wasted potential. Apparently, Wayne has been sharing the sizzurp. 4/10.
    
11. Coldest Winter - Man Alexis broke this man's heart...A very honest and open song.6/10.
    
12. Pinocchio Story (Freestyle) - um...wow. I appreciate the honesty, the soul-bearing, but damn Ye. It's gone too far! Hopefully this album got everything out of his system and he can get back to doing what he does best. 3/10.

Final tally - 82/120= 68.3

I wanted to like this album, I really did. It has some good tracks on it, and had the potential to be a great album but falls short. His live performances of the songs have been great though. He reportedly has a hip-hop album coming out in June. Let's hope so.

Do you.

The "Yes We Did" Mixtape

If I were to make a mixtape in celebration of Barack's win, it would be titled:

DJ Hood Griot Presents: The "Yes We Did" Mixtape.

1. Put on - Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West
2. Black President - Nas
   
3. Swagger Like Us - T.I. ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Lil Wayne
4. Wipe Me Down Remix - Lil Boosie ft. Foxx & Webbie
5. If I Ruled the World - Nas ft. Lauryn Hill
6. Southside - Common ft. Kanye West
7. Real - Lupe Fiasco ft. Sarah Green
8. I Can - Nas
9. Forever Begins - Common
10. We Major - Kanye West ft. Nas & Really Doe
11. My President is Black - Young Jeezy ft. Nas
12. Party Up - DMX
13. Good Times - Styles P
14. I Gotcha - Lupe Fiasco
    

I think that has a lil something for everyone. I must point out that some of the songs were chosen purely becuase of their title. Lemme know what you think, and what songs are missing.

Do you.

The Coldest Winter Indeed

Let me start by saying I am a huge Kanye fan. I bought all the records, went to the Glow in the Dark Tour when it hit Chicago, and am anticipating Nike's release of the Air Yeezy (pipe dream, I know) as well as Kanye's new clothing line. But I am far from a "Stan".

In fact, I am very worried. Before I get into that, let me state that I know Kanye is in a very emotional state right now due to the death of his mother, and the end of his relationship with Alexis.

Now that that's out of the way.......What the hell is wrong with this man?! Robocop?! I know the song isn't finished yet, but damn! How much mastering can you do to a song? The Coldest Winter Ever? Why Kanye, why? What did my ears ever do to you? Look, I'm all for artists breaking out of their comfort zone, and expressing new emotions and whatnot, but where's the responsibility? Kanye wants us to spend our money listening to him mourn about his loss while he sounds like a dying giraffe on auto-tune. I do like Love Lockdown and Heartless. Honestly if those were the only songs of their kind on the album, I'd prolly be excited to cop it, but I am not eager to listen to an R&B album from Kanye.

I saw two quotes today that REALLY disturbed me regarding this album. One is about "Tell Everybody You Know" ft Lil Wayne:

"Lil Wayne is singing with a rock edge," Dean said. "He actually sounds a lot like Axl Rose on that track. They bring a lot out of each other. They're each other's favorite MC. Kanye is Wayne's and Wayne is Kanye's."

Sounds like "Number One" ft. Pharrell Part 2.... The second quote is from none other than the King of Auto-Tune, T-Pain:

"I mean, as far as 'Love Lockdown' goes, he did that whole thing himself. He just had me in mind. 808s is really all Kanye. I'm just here to keep it from [sounding] adult contemporary."

Wow. There Are so many things wrong about that quote. For the sake of space I'll just say that if you need T-Pain's guidance, or input on an R&B album, perhaps you should go back to the drawing board.

Look, I respect artists that go out of the box. Andre 3000 is a perfect example of that. He did his singing thing, which was ok, but when he got back to rapping, he was back to killin people again. ("Throw Some D's" remix) My fear is that this album, 808s and Heartbreaks, will do well enough for Kanye to try it over and over again. He does state tho, that he has a hip-hip album slated for release in June. I hope that nothing changes his mind about that one.

It may be the "Coldest Winter" indeed for Mr. West.

P.S. - Lil Wayne is contemplating a similar vocoder driven R&B album entitled. "Luv Sawngz"

"F**k it, I'm not even a rapper. I'm past that....I'm an R&B singer now. Call me T-Wayne....It's me being more creative, more talented, more than hip-hop." SMH........

Do you.

VIBE bracket results

By now, I'm sure you've all seen the results of VIBE's best rapper alive tournament, and I believe two key variables led to the outcome of this tournament. One is age of the votes, and the second is what defines a rapper. For the purposes of this post, I'm looking at straight lyrical skill. Not at content, (b/c so much of it is the same) albums sold, fashion, beats, or hood status.

I'll start with the final match up: Jay-Z vs. Eminem. Eminem won this one and I have no problem with that. I listen to Jay-Z a lot more becuase sometimes Em is like the lyrical equivalent of Saw 1-5, - very entertaining, but also scary and disturbing. Em is cool, but just not my thing. He's great tho if you want to hear about violent deaths, and matricide. Jay-Z is a great rapper as well, but to list the number of artists and songs he's bitten from warrants another post completely. Even still, his swagger and ability are undeniable. I'm sure this was a close one.

Notable upsets:

Kanye over Lupe. - Kanye is an excellent producer, speaks from his heart, and his performance @ the Glow in the Dark Tour was amazing. But, I have heard the leaked singles from Heartbreaks and 808's and I'm concerned. Also, Lupe's flow, timing, and wordplay are crushing Yeezy. My pick: Lupe Fiasco

Ghostface Killah over Raekwon. - Ghostdini has been more consistent over the years, but Rae dropped a classic in '95. If you don't know the title, and you voted in this tournament, you should be ashamed of yourself. In this case, a classic wins out. My pick: Raekwon da Chef

The Game over Andre 3000. - Wow. Perhaps the most shocking of all upsets. No disrespect to the Game, but 3k's guest spots alone over the past year should have guaranteed him a spot in the final four. I'd take Andre's verse in the Throw Some D's remix over most of the Game's library. When you look back on OutKast's career, 3 stacks brings it consistently.
My pick: Andre 3000

If I were to take into account the total package of a rapper when filling out this bracket, my final four would have been Jay-Z vs. Wayne, with Jay-Z on top. Wayne is hot now, but we'll see how long it lasts. Jay-Z is a biter, but his original lyrics are still killin 95% of all other rappers out there. The other matchup would be Nas vs. Andre 3000, with Nas winning by the narrowest of margins. 3 Stacks is an amazing rapper, but Nas has had so much influence on rap over the last 14 years. His murdering of Jay-Z on Ether, not only added another word to the hood lexicon, but solidified his status as one of the greats. In the end, Hov reigns supreme. He is the face of hip-hop, not only from the music standpoint, but as a testament to hip-hop's global presence, and it's ability to set trends in almost every industry in the U.S.


In the end, who you like as a rapper depends largely on what you want to hear when you listen to their music. Drugs - Rick Ross. Pimpin - Snoop. Sex - Luda. Not sure what they're sayin - Twista. Sidekicks and Bapes - Soulja Boy. Hood struggle -Talib. Things Biggie said in '95 - Jay-Z.

So whatchu wanna hear?

Do you.