I want everyone to take a moment and envision this picture.....
You are standing in a theater, looking at the stage where there are 10 supermodels standing in a line. Each model looks hotter than the next and you have to decide if you can work with what is in front of you. I would assume most of you would be excited and agree that you had a wonderful lineup with all top-notch options.
Now imagine that 90 average looking people are scattered throughout the lineup, now does the group look appealing? I'm assuming that even with the 10 fine-ass honeys in there that most people wouldn't take the time to find them, they would simply see the massive amount of average people and just dismiss the whole crowd.
So what is the point of all of this? What does a lineup of supermodels have to do with hip hop? Think about it this way....
Hip hop has evolved so much in the past few decades that sometimes we forget that there are still incredible artists out there offering up some incredible plates for us to feast on. These plates are just getting harder to find.
See the people that focus on the golden era forget that at that time hip hop was still a very small culture that was growing slowly. The talent pool was overflowing with nothing but quality acts. These acts made hip hop potent among its fans and poisonous among its haters. Every Tuesday that a new rap album was released it was another quality effort from a reputable group, or a new artist breaking the mold with something exciting and fresh. Along with Heavy D we had "nuttin' but love" for the music. There were no real flaws. Finding a good artist in the hip hop game was easy, the lineup was basically perfect.
Fast forward to 2007 and you have a slew of artists that are terrible. The talent isn't there, the intensity isn't there, the flow isn't there, the drive isn't there. In a lineup of today's artists it can seem almost impossible to find any real talent. This is where the metaphor from above comes in. Back in the golden era anyone walking in the room that appreciated hip hop would take one look at the scene and fall in love, just like looking at a row of 10 gorgeous models. However now one might look at the lineup, or large group, or rap acts and at first glance see nothing worth giving a second look. It is easy to dismiss hip hop now because the quality acts are few and far between. It's harder to pick out a talented group so it's easier to just walk away and dismiss them all. Plenty of people have no time look for a needle in a haystack, a diamond in the ruff, or the likes. The previously easy task of seeking out greatness has been clouded by so many useless auditions that it's better for some to just walk away and leave rap alone. But fortunately for the true fans, the good artists have that "can't leave rap alone, the game needs me" attitude.
The problem is of course that many people don't have the time to seek out those "can't leave rap alone" artists and instead they just dismiss hip hop as being "dead". Well it's not dead and with the right attitude and dedication we can bring it up to a level higher than it once was, after all the purpose of any culture is to grow and expand into something greater.
So let's all work together in sifting through the enormous group of decent artists to find that diamond in the ruff, that special artist or group that has something real to offer this culture. For example, and this is only an opinion, Kidz in The Hall are a newer group that have not gotten much press and are basically being ignored by the hip hop community. They have released an album that for anyone that listens to it, brings back that 90s vibe everyone is itching to hear again. They even revamped the Souls of Mischief classic to create "06 'Til....." and lyrically knocked out Jay-Z in a "who-works-the-sample-better" battle over what most people know as the "Show Me What You Got" beat. This is only one example of the incredible talent that is passing by many hip hop fans, or once hip hop fans who have gotten tired of seeing so much garbage in the culture.
Everybody needs to wake up and realize that there are still talented hip hop acts with a lot to offer the world, we just need to find them in the midst of all the untalented novelties that are flooding the hip hop market.
With that said I encourage everyone to seek out a group or artist that you have not heard but have heard about with positive reviews. Whether it be Kidz In The Hall, Joell Ortiz, Saigon, or any other artist you find on your own. Even newer contributions from Nas and Jay-Z are worth more than just a casual listen. Also a lot of people seem to be ignoring the artists of yesteryear dropping new soon-to-be classics (Public Enemy, Keith Murray, and Boot Camp Clik are among some of these).
Just because the game is corrupted and filled with embarrassments does not mean that hip hop is dead, it simply means that good hip hop is harder to find but with a little effort you will not be disappointed with what you discover......
Monday, November 19, 2007
Jay-Z - American Gangster.....the album of the year
It's been a couple weeks now that Jay-Z's American Gangster has dropped and although I never intended for this site to be a record review site I have decided to include my review of this record. Upon first listen I knew this album would be something special but now that some time has passed I will state that this is most definitely the album of the year and it has proved once and for all that Jay-Z is the best rapper alive....
After Kingdom Come it was apparent that Jay-Z needed to make an album that would reaffirm his status in the game. In addition to poor reviews, Kingdom Come didn't really hit hard with fans, perhaps hip hop isn't ready to be that mature yet. So after a year Jay-Z comes out with one of his finest works to date. At a time when there is pressure to clean up hip hop, Jay-Z is dropping a record that throws a mean punch to the do-gooders who are trying to rectify a supposedly bad situation in the culture. American Gangster, a concept album relying heavily on content from the movie of the same name, mixes 70's soul with the newer sounds of hip hop radio. Starting with "Pray", Hov comes in hard, beat pounding, birthing himself into the Frank Lucas character. Though the first half of the album is probably weaker than the second, Jay still manages to drop knowledge on "American Dreamin'" and "No Hook". The latter being a defense of his talent to bring lyrics during a time of hatred in hip hop. The single, "Roc Boys", is an uplifting head-nod to the flashy lifestyle of the hustler, quite reminiscent of the Reasonable Doubt days. The Neptunes ad a spacey, yet strangely enjoyable track for the ladies in the form of "I Know". The track is supposed to be representation of heroin addiction and surprisingly it does just that, it becomes addicting after just a couple of listens. Along with "Party Life", Jay shows his continuing versatility to be able to make records for all audiences. After "Party Life" the album kicks into high gear. Jay makes a brilliant statement regarding the Don Imus controversy on a once throwaway track now revamped and featuring the bulldog Beanie Sigel with "Ignorant Shit". "Say Hello" is a smooth groove with some more insightful knowledge from the "bad guy". Nas adds his two cents for a bluesy look at the high life on "Success". For those who hate boastful raps, Jay does it perfectly by going above and beyond what most rappers say, not just rhyming about how rich he is, but how he doesn't even have time for all his riches ("got an apartment at the Trump, i only slept in once"). To finish he drops "Fallin", a return to boom bap with elements of the new hip hop sound that blend incredibly with Jay's warnings of the inevitability of a gangster's life. Bonus tracks include the first single "Blue Magic" and a sample-heavy, title track banger courtesy of Just Blaze. A perfect ending to a near flawless album. The only real disappointment is the out of place "Hello Brooklyn". While the beat has the ability to rattle trunks, the guest appearance by Lil' Wayne is an obvious attempt to capitalize on a questionable rapper's current appeal.
All together this album is right up there with Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. The only record in close range of American Gangster is In My Lifetime, or possibly The Blueprint. Jay-Z will certainly silence any critics who thought he may have fallen off or perhaps matured too much for the hip hop scene. This record is a solid album that will be appreciated for years to come.
Joints for the passing listener = Fallin', Say Hello, I Know, Ignorant Shit
After Kingdom Come it was apparent that Jay-Z needed to make an album that would reaffirm his status in the game. In addition to poor reviews, Kingdom Come didn't really hit hard with fans, perhaps hip hop isn't ready to be that mature yet. So after a year Jay-Z comes out with one of his finest works to date. At a time when there is pressure to clean up hip hop, Jay-Z is dropping a record that throws a mean punch to the do-gooders who are trying to rectify a supposedly bad situation in the culture. American Gangster, a concept album relying heavily on content from the movie of the same name, mixes 70's soul with the newer sounds of hip hop radio. Starting with "Pray", Hov comes in hard, beat pounding, birthing himself into the Frank Lucas character. Though the first half of the album is probably weaker than the second, Jay still manages to drop knowledge on "American Dreamin'" and "No Hook". The latter being a defense of his talent to bring lyrics during a time of hatred in hip hop. The single, "Roc Boys", is an uplifting head-nod to the flashy lifestyle of the hustler, quite reminiscent of the Reasonable Doubt days. The Neptunes ad a spacey, yet strangely enjoyable track for the ladies in the form of "I Know". The track is supposed to be representation of heroin addiction and surprisingly it does just that, it becomes addicting after just a couple of listens. Along with "Party Life", Jay shows his continuing versatility to be able to make records for all audiences. After "Party Life" the album kicks into high gear. Jay makes a brilliant statement regarding the Don Imus controversy on a once throwaway track now revamped and featuring the bulldog Beanie Sigel with "Ignorant Shit". "Say Hello" is a smooth groove with some more insightful knowledge from the "bad guy". Nas adds his two cents for a bluesy look at the high life on "Success". For those who hate boastful raps, Jay does it perfectly by going above and beyond what most rappers say, not just rhyming about how rich he is, but how he doesn't even have time for all his riches ("got an apartment at the Trump, i only slept in once"). To finish he drops "Fallin", a return to boom bap with elements of the new hip hop sound that blend incredibly with Jay's warnings of the inevitability of a gangster's life. Bonus tracks include the first single "Blue Magic" and a sample-heavy, title track banger courtesy of Just Blaze. A perfect ending to a near flawless album. The only real disappointment is the out of place "Hello Brooklyn". While the beat has the ability to rattle trunks, the guest appearance by Lil' Wayne is an obvious attempt to capitalize on a questionable rapper's current appeal.
All together this album is right up there with Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. The only record in close range of American Gangster is In My Lifetime, or possibly The Blueprint. Jay-Z will certainly silence any critics who thought he may have fallen off or perhaps matured too much for the hip hop scene. This record is a solid album that will be appreciated for years to come.
Joints for the passing listener = Fallin', Say Hello, I Know, Ignorant Shit
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