For starters this is not meant to be a piece for dickriding purposes (no homo), it’s simply an examination of facts that lead to an opinion of an artist’s worth and impact on an ever-changing game. Secondly, this is not meant to be a simply biography and therefore there is an assumption that readers are familiar with this artist’s career and don’t need a recap. With that said I submit to you, the hip hop community, that the artist of the decade, the artist who best represented hip hop, as well as took it to new levels, is Kanye West.
To anyone who’s been around the game recently, it’s clear that Kanye West has made a huge impact. From his soulful production, to his big ego, to his unique style, the Chi-town native has established himself as a staple in hip hop. What was once a young producer desperate to even get a guest verse has turned into a powerhouse in the rap world, doing everything from producing entire albums for big name artists, taking down the legends with guest verses, and creating albums that push the envelope further than we’ve ever seen. The most important quality in any rap artist is originality, and no one can deny that Kanye is as original as they come. His influence is seen in many of the young artists now coming up from his clothing (which is, albeit, questionable), his performance style (which is nothing short of rockstar-esque), his production (he brought back, yes, brought BACK, the method of sped up soul samples), and his lyricism (which is probably his most impressive improvement over time). While other artists have dropped classics and sold more records, no one in the last ten years has had the amount of quality material that Kanye has and no one else has been as consistent as Kanye. In fact, consistency might not even be the right word as Kanye has developed so much in this decade that his inconsistency is probably more impressive considering that when most artists change their style, they fail, but with Kanye change has only brought more greatness and it’s kind of fitting that his first real breakout came in the form of a single called “The Truth”.
The year was 2000 and Roc-A-Fella Records was reaching its peak. Jay-Z was riding out the success of “Vol. 3” and readying “The Dynasty” when the Roc’s beast Beanie Sigel released his first album, “The Truth”. Setting off the album was a title track that saw the Broad Street Bully putting to rest any questions of his ability to career himself in the game. The beat was raw, grimy, and sounded like it was straight out of the streets of Philly. The man behind the boards was Kanye West, a young producer who had done little more than a few Harlem World tracks, but the presence was immediately noticed. So fitting was the beat that it helped the album get past that “your label mates ain’t shit without you status” that Memphis Bleek had suffered through. What was most impressive about Kanye’s introduction to us was his uncanny ability to match beats with the artist. No one else has been able to construct a song in such a way that it perfectly fits the artist. Whether it was the Beans track, “Overnight Celebrity” for Twista, “Guess Who’s Back” for Scarface, “Selfish” for Slum Village or “Encore” for Jay-Z, Kanye always knows exactly how to create the perfect marriage between MC and beat. With “The Truth” he provided the backdrop of a hustler on the streets. On “Overnight Celebrity” he used the violins to complement Twista’s rapid-fire flow. “Guess Who’s Back” had that perfect southern drawl even with its soulful base. The pianos on “Selfish” were Slum Village to a T, and “Encore” is the stadium sized anthem track that Jay-Z needed to go out on. Ye’s production value is unmatched in a game where far too often an artist overpowers a beat or vica-versa. Case in point is DJ Premier. Premier can make a beat that damn near anyone can sound good on, regardless of that artist’s true lyrical talent (see Group Home and Afu-Ra), but production alone can’t carry a track. On the flipside you have the always-criticized Joe Budden, whose lyrics are arguably the best in the game, but whose production has been part of the reason why he’s never been able to achieve success (that and the bullshit label politics, and the low I.Q. levels of the zombies who buy music). Kanye will take an artist and create a beat that allows them to do their thing without sacrificing anything in the process. And when the lyrical abilities of the artist are in question, he’ll simply craft a masterpiece and drop a dope guest verse on it (see Dilated People’s “This Way”). However it isn’t just production that has made Kanye the artist of the decade, as beats alone cannot make a star. Over the years the once playful child-like rhymes of Kanye have become full blown 16 bar darts that make us all press rewind time and time again.
Back when “The College Dropout” dropped, it was nothing short of a masterpiece and a game changing album. From the skits to the samples to the flow and lyrical content of this Chicago MC we saw a shift in the way hip hop was made, from the simple “beats to the rhymes” style of the golden age to a true song composition that Kanye brought us. Even though we already had cinematic albums such as Raekwon’s epic “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”, the lyrical skills of the Wu-Tang were NEVER a question, even from the beginning. But with Kanye, even those who loved his debut still criticized his somewhat immature lyrics, even though he had some very conscious political and social messages on the album. He certainly wasn’t at Eminem-level immaturity, but he didn’t seem to take himself that seriously and his somewhat corny flow and Ludacris-style accentuating of lines was something that everyone thought could use improvement. He clearly heard his critics and silenced them with “Late Registration”, where he upped his lyrical game about 1000 times past the level he was at with “The College Dropout”. But always being one step ahead of the game, he not only went above and beyond lyrically, he blew open the doors musically by adding full-on orchestras and creating not just songs, but symphonies with tracks like “We Major” and “Gone”. The latter of these tracks has not only clearly defined movements, but a final verse that proved that the youthful Kanye could tear apart a microphone when given the chance. He had come a long way since “The New Workout Plan”. Around this time, Kanye went from being the producer everyone wanted making their beat to the rapper everyone wanted to drop a guest verse. This has certainly elevated in recent years with him gunning for Jay-Z’s spot as the rapper you know will drop the hottest guest verse on every track he touches. His track record in the past two years has been untouchable with his contributions to “Go Hard”, “Put On”, “Swagger Like Us”, “Make Her Say”, “Run This Town”, “Kinda Like a Big Deal”, “Knock You Down”, “Maybach Music 2”, and he was the clear winner on “Forever”. While four years ago it was a known fact that if you saw Jay-Z as a featured guest you knew you would be hearing one of the sickest verses of the year, and while two years ago that title belonged to Nas, it’s no question that the last two years have found Kanye at the top of the guest feature list. To overcome such disbelief from people with regard to his lyrical ability, this producer disproved everyone from Damon Dash and Jay-Z to his biggest critics who thought he was nothing more than a dope producer. But lyrics and production alone can’t elevate someone to superstardom status, what an artist also needs is recognition and poise. And clearly from his complaints about Grammy nominations to his assessment of George Bush, no one on the corner has swagger like Ye.
The first lesson rappers learn apparently is that they are the best rapper ever in the universe. It’s kinda hard to believe that when every single rapper is saying it, yet Kanye not only believes it, he proves it, time and time again. Raised in a wealthy home he has never exactly been humble, but well it’s one thing to let your music speak for itself as he did for so many years behind the boards, it’s another thing to be in the spotlight and have the ability to not just boast lyrically on record but also in public. Kanye West embodies the idea that “I’m your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” and he does it with such confidence and with such a resume to back it up that it’s damn near impossible to deny. The difference between Kanye and every rapper who claims to be the greatest is that Kanye isn’t just the greatest rapper, he’s the greatest producer as well, something that no other artist in the history of rap has been able to claim. You have great producers, like DJ Premier and Marley Marl, but when have they rhymed? You have producers like Dr. Dre and Pete Rock, who rhyme but aren’t known for their lyrical skills (in the case of Dr. Dre he doesn’t even write his rhymes most of the time). Then you have full on producers/rappers like J Dilla and Madlib, who although they certainly can rock a mic, are best known for their beats with their rhyming playing second to their work on the keys. Madlib and Dilla are the types who rap so as to not merely be creating albums full of instrumentals (which Madlib has done anyway). You have rappers whose lyrical abilities are easily beyond the scope of 98% of the rappers out there, and although everyone has their opinion about who the best rappers are, people like Jay-Z and Nas got lyrics for days and are certainly at the top of the game when it comes to metaphors, narratives, flow, and knowledge. But they don’t have any beats under their belt. Premier doesn’t have any quotable verses. Kanye has both. Kanye has beats which are unquestionably some of the greatest of all time and verses which are unquestionably quotable for years to come. With that comes the back up of the claim that he is as big as he thinks he is, because he has done it all, and he’s done it better than anyone else in the game right now.
Kanye has changed the game, in some ways by bringing back traits of the golden age, and in other ways by pushing the game in new directions. For starters he brought back the idea of one producer working with an artist on an entire album, something that had just about died out when he resurrected the concept on Common’s “Be”. Whether it was groups like Gang Starr, a record like “Doggystyle”, or the era of Wu dominance when RZA composed their classics, hip hop had begun to fade away from the one producer album. In an age when less is more turned into more is more, you saw commercial releases targeting every big name producer they could find to fill the teaser sticker for an album cover. With the exception of Clipse having the Neptunes run their show, no one in hip hop was letting the musical magic be handled by a single person. In 2005 Common released an album that both created a comeback for the rapper who had been exiled to left field after “Electric Circus” as well as re-introduced the brilliant concept of having one beatmaker oversee an entire record. What’s come from that has been artists like Sene and Fashawn bringing in Blu and Exile respectively to create their projects, as well as Blaq Poet electing to have DJ Premier run his show. There are still artists who elect to have a project run over by 17 different producers but the stigma of relying solely on one beatsmith to construct a record has been overturned by the brilliance that Common and Kanye brought. At the same time Kanye has pushed the rap game way past its roots, making golden age purists bullshit in the process, but opening doors to those who may have thought they didn’t have what it took to be a “real” rapper. Certainly without Kanye’s movement into the electronic world with “808’s and Heartbreak” we wouldn’t be hearing from Wale or KiD CuDi as both of their styles have a distinct electro feel. When Kanye announced that his fourth album would be mostly, if not entirely, auto-tune the rap community was a bit perplexed and when he performed “Love Lockdown” we all took a huge gasp. What the fuck was this singing bullshit and where were the soulful bangers and hyped up verses? The album that followed was either going to be a huge success or an epic failure, as most artists who switch their style up look silly by encompassing something that are not (see Lords of the Underground, yes, they released an album a couple years back). Hip hop is one of the toughest places to reinvent yourself and other than a couple artists who have shredded their old image and fooled the world with a new one (Lil’ Wayne), most are just left behind to question why they thought they could change their style and expect to still make hits. Kanye on the other hand managed to completely exit rap and create what is best described as a pop album which not only was incredible on its own, but allowed for future artists to explore other forms of music to incorporate into their style of hip hop and the result has been brilliant albums from artists such as the aforementioned Kid CuDi and Wale, both of whom have tracks that are far from hip hop but still work in a way that screams hip hop culture.
Part of swagger is not only the perception people have of you through your actions but also the image that you portray. Hip hop has gone through fashion changes from the disco era flashiness, to the Fila jumpsuits, to the gold chains and Africa medallions to the hoodies and tims to the flashy Puff Daddy suits to the all-black-everything. Some artists set the trends while others follow the trends. Whether or not the trends are good ones, they are nonetheless a giant part of hip hop culture. The Puff Daddy era of flashy everything was certainly one of the lower points in this culture but it was also a time that was filled with a lot of great party music and takes us all back to a prosperous time. What Kanye West did, whether for better or worse, was introduce the skinny jeans, tight clothes look that has been prevalent in hip hop for the past few years. Now granted some people have taken it a little too far, including Kanye himself who allowed pictures to be taken of him with highly questionable individuals, as well as Lil’ Wayne who thought the skinny jeans trend meant he could actually open up about being a homo as if that is somehow acceptable in hip hop (Biggie, Kane, Brand Nubian, as well as a shitload of others would HIGHLY disagree with that), but you can’t deny the impact that the skinny jeans have had on a culture that is all too familiar with being continuously told to pull its damn pants up. Kanye went so far as to ink a deal with fashion mogul Louis Vitton for a line of sneakers as well as with Nike for a line of questionable sneakers, thus cementing his position as “Louis Vitton Don”. Again, his fashion choices may not be the best and they might not be appropriate for hip hop, but they have been undeniably influential in a culture that is so conscious of fashion.
As important as artists such as Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Nas, and even 50 Cent have been to this decade, there is no question that Kanye West has done more for hip hop than all of them combined. With his production dominating the world of beats, to the emergence of his lyrical dominance, we have seen an in-house label producer turn into a rap superstar. From his first hit “Izzo” to his most recent appearance on a track where he arguably bodied his “big brother”, Kanye has been owning every aspect of the hip hop world and he hasn’t been afraid to go against the grain to do so. There aren’t many artists who would have taken the chances he has taken or accomplished the goals he has set for himself, but he has managed to go way past any expectations that may have been set for him and has done it without any real missteps along the way. No sophomore slump, no lyrical faux pas, no dark periods (talent wise), and no losses of credibility, Kanye West has done what no other artist this decade has been able to do, everything.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Top 10 (15) Albums of 2009
As we reach the end of 2009 it is clear that we have just finished arguably the greatest year in hip hop this decade, if not in the entire history of hip hop. While it’s difficult to compare this year to those of past decades due to the immense expansion of hip hop, specifically in the mainstream, the sheer volume of quality releases is still worth noting. This year is highlighted by big name artists dropping some of their best releases, past artists proving that they still have heat, and new talents giving hope to the next generation of rap. Whether it was Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3”, Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II”, or Wale’s “Attention Deficit”, just about every fan of hip hop had something to be happy about this year. In recent years it’s been sometimes difficult to even construct a top 10 list, this year went above and beyond that and because of that it’s only fitting that the top 10 getting expanded to a top 15. These 15 albums are certainly not the only quality releases of this year but after much consideration it’s clear that these 15 stood out as going way beyond expectations, for a variety of reasons. This list is in no particular order as it was difficult enough to keep it to 15, ranking these would only cause more debate. With that said debate is always welcome and encouraged as at the end of the day, we are a culture of opinion, and have been that way ever since battles began to take place on street corners in New York. I present to you the greatest rap albums of 2009.
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 – released 9/11/09
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. Time and time again, Jay-Z has proven that he is not only the King of New York but the king of hip hop in general. From the time that D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune) was released we all knew that Jay-Z would be making an album of epic proportions. Boasting production from Kanye West and No I.D. and featuring guest appearances from up-and-comers like Kid CuDi and J. Cole we were all anticipating an album that was sure to get heavy rotation across the country. The immediate reception was mixed with some reviewers saying Jay-Z had lost his way and was trying too hard to imitate the electronic sound that hip hop was heading towards instead of paving his own way like he always had. Complaints about weak beats from Timbaland and accusations that Jay was sounding “lazy” on the mic may have come at the beginning, but after a couple weeks of bumping the album it was clear that Jay had once again created a complete album with replay value for months to come. From the get go it was certainly apparent that this was unlike any other Jay-Z album, with the spacey production and non-traditional hooks but just like every past album, Jay’s rhymes were on point. With the smash singles “Run This Town” and “Empire State of Mind”, soulful gems like “Already Home”, addicting street tracks like “On To The Next One” and a guest verse from J. Cole that brings back memories of Nas on “Live at the BBQ” (cue hatred from purists), The Blueprint 3 cemented itself as a classic album, something that will still be bumped years from now.
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II – released 9/8/09
Sequels in hip hop, much like in Hollywood, are usually uncalled for and unnecessary. For years now the hip hop world and Wu-Tang fans have been eagerly awaiting the much-hyped sequel to one of the greatest albums of all time. But with all the anticipation came doubts that it could possibly live up to the legacy that the first Cuban Linx left. All those doubts were blown out of the water when Cuban Linx 2 dropped. The first single “House of Flying Daggers” was already an indication that the Wu was definitely back. The menacing beat and the lyrical slaughterhouse of verses left no doubt that the Wu-Tang was just as strong in 2009 as they were in 1995. The album that followed solidified the Wu as the greatest group of all time, able to grow with the culture as well as call back to what they helped start, Mafioso rap. Even though RZA didn’t handle all the production, J Dilla and Dr. Dre along with Pete Rock and others, were still able to construct a complete piece of work that was nothing short of a cinematic experience. The Rae and Ghost tracks were done in classic R.A.G.U. form, from the back and forth style of “Penitentiary” to the pouring out of Ghost’s heart on “Cold Outside”, and especially to the sexual deviancy of “Gihad”. Guest appearances from Method Man and Inspectah Deck made everyone who had begin to sleep on the Wu wake the fuck up and “Wu Ooh” brought back memories of C.R.E.A.M. The critics who complained the album was too long clearly didn’t realize that the first Cuban Linx was almost identical in length, and those who said the Dre beats left something to be desired were probably already tired from listening to what they thought was a lengthy album. The O.D.B. tribute track was nothing short of a tearjerker and the last song was the perfect reminder that the Wu-Tang is forever, and that when faced with the pressures of living up to a certified classic, the Wu should never be doubted. Oh and “Broken Safety” is easily one of the gulliest tracks to come out in a LONG time. It’s Wu motherfucker! Wu-Tang motherfucker!
Fabolous – Loso’s Way – released 7/28/09
Fans of Fabolous have always argued that his mixtapes are far better than his albums. What they usually fail to realize that is while mixtapes are for the streets, an album has to appeal to the masses, and with that, Fabolous knows how to make a damn good album. While a mixtape is perfect for firing off punchline after punchline, an album needs to be a complete product that is both diverse while maintaining conciseness and direction. With “Loso’s Way”, Fabolous does this brilliantly, somewhat following a storyline that is familiar but always welcome in the rap community, the rise and fall of the crime boss. Fab sets off the album by addressing all his haters and letting them know that he hasn’t lost his shine. Single after single follow and even on the more radio friendly tracks he’s still dropping metaphors that his fans know him for. In all honesty though the best tracks on this album are the “bitch” tracks, the female-focused tracks such as “Throw It In The Bag” and “Last Time”. The track with Ne-Yo “Makin’ Love” is hypnotic to the point that you KNOW many a babies are being conceived to it. There are just the right amount of guest appearances, mostly left to hook gods Trey Songz, The-Dream, and the aforementioned Ne-Yo. The production is spread out but nonetheless flows smoothly from track to track. And for those who think Fab is all about the women, “There He Go” will remind them that he can still bring that lyrical heat. The final track is a story that shows the depth of Fab’s talent. From baby-making tracks, to lyrical clinics, to vivid storytelling, this album combines every good thing about hip hop into a perfect package.
Cam’ron – Crime Pays – released 5/12/09
Face it people, the days of Purple Haze, The Diplomats, and Heatmakerz are over. But that doesn’t mean that Cam isn’t still on top of his game. Most critics felt as though this was more like a mixtape than an album but don’t let the length or amount of tracks fool you, this is a solid album from start to finish without any throwaway tracks or verses. It is a little long at 73 minutes, but Cam will keep you entertained the entire time. His signature flow and wordplay are at top notch levels as he makes some of the simplest lines not only witty but raw and dirty. Whether he is detailing his past business forays on “I Get It In Ohio”, inventing new slang on “Curve”, bringing nothing but raw rhymes on “Cookin’ Up” or being the raunchy disgusting Cam we all know and love on “You Know What’s Up”, Cam’ron never fails to impress the listener with his broad range of lyricism. The skits on this album are quite funny even after the first few listens and with a track that’s actually subtitled “No Homo” it’s clear that while Cam might not always take himself seriously, he knows damn well how to make a good song. The best evidence of this is the ridiculously dirty but highly catchy single “Cookies & Apple Juice” which has quite possibly the most hilarious hook along with equally humorous verses. A surprising entry for those who say Cam is all play is “I Hate My Job” which, although seemingly out of place for someone who supposedly makes thousands from hustling, deals with the problems of finding work in a recession and the depression of a 9 to 5 meaningless job. Finishing off the album with a tribute to the deepest of places is only fitting for the man who loves pink. It’s no “Purple Haze”, but “Crime Pays” is certainly a solid effort from one of the most consistent MCs in the game.
Clipse – Til The Casket Drops – released 12/8/09
For their entire career the Clipse have exclusively used Neptunes production. This time around they decided to expand and the decision couldn’t have been better. While the Neptunes still bless their third album with a handful of tracks, that signature sound that Chad and Pharrell were once known for has started to fade, not to take away from the quality of production, but there are no “Grindin”s on this album. With that said we have quite possibly the most consistent and complete Clipse album to date. There is already hate being spewed about the electro influenced dance tracks like “All Eyes on Me” but again these fans are looking for mixtape Clipse and not album Clipse. Some of the most powerful tracks are actually made for the club on this release, such as “Counseling” with a smoothed-out beat, a brilliant hook from Pharrell and laid-back topical verses from Pusha and Malice. Also the uplifting track “I’m Good” is much needed in this time of economic recession. No matter how depressed you are you can’t help but raise up with the beat the Neptunes provide. Clipse also brought back what was once a staple on every rap album but has gradually faded, the reggae track. While it might seem out of place it actually fits quite perfectly as not only a P.S.A. about snitching but a throwback to the days of Mad Lion gracing every damn album he could get on. The most noticeable thing about this album is maturity, which has turned Clipse from the kings of coke rap to elder statesmen looking back on their past transgressions and hoping to offer advice to the young’ns on how to stay away from the game. But don’t except the coke raps to be nonexistent as “Never Will It Stop” with Re-Up gang affiliate Ab-Liva is a testament to just how insane these guys can be with their metaphors and Malice drops what might be the verse of the year on the single "Popular Demand". Just barely making it before the new year, this Clipse album is arguably their best to date and certainly their most mature and complete.
Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse – released 8/11/09
The concept was simple, bring 4 of the hottest MCs together on one track, and end a feud between two of them in the process. What started off as one of the greatest posse cuts in history turned into a supergroup that went above and beyond the expectations of anyone, probably even its own members. Most people know the story by now, Joe Budden recruited Royce Da 5’9”, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz to do a track called “Slaughterhouse” and what came from that was the idea that the 4 would create an entire album, much like everyone had wished the Four Horsemen would have done years ago. The difference is that Slaughterhouse actually made the album, and it was proof that 4 heads really are better than 1, especially given the record label bullshit that every single one of them has been through. Not just lyrical tracks without hooks or good production, the Slaughterhouse album found these 4 MCs working together perfectly, weaving in and out, providing actually songs instead of just a lineup of verses. The opening track set off the concept perfectly with each member introducing themselves and what followed were commercial smashes, club bangers, and straight up hardcore battle rap tracks. While some think the album took a downturn near the end, it still provided one of the best retrospective tracks on hip hop and where it’s been and where it’s at now. Normally with this many talents on one album one will shine above the rest but there is no clear MVP here as each MC seemed to almost get better from the competition of the other three. This album proved that sometimes it’s better to gang up than it is to keep going solo because raw talent is raw talent and egos can get put aside to craft a memorable listening experience for the fans of everyone involved.
Wale – Attention Deficit – released 11/10/09
Upon first hearing this album I felt that it was all over the place and therefore difficult to really take in. From obvious club tracks to this new school electro rap to southern drawls I couldn’t quite tell what Wale was trying to do, then I realized what the title of the album was and it all made sense. Since Wale was introduced to the game he remained an outsider with a knack for lyrics, even with his unorthodox flow and interesting choice of beats. His mixtapes took the culture by storm and few have doubted his ability to run laps around a microphone, the question always was could he create a debut that would live up to all the hype, and there was quite a lot of hype. While it might be the most obscure choice for this list, “Attention Deficit” makes it because it does exactly what it says it’s going to do, and it does it quite well. If you are looking for a track to bump in the club you got the Neptunes crafted, Pharrell assisted “Let It Loose”. If you are a southern rap fan then “Mirrors” is your shit. If you are a conscious rap fan, always looking for a message then the controversial “Shades” is your focal point. If you are an i-Tunes junkie who only likes what’s popular then “Chillin” with Lady Gaga is for you and if you want what could be the ultimate anthem, with the most beautiful beat and blessed by a chilling hook then “Beautiful Bliss” with newcomer J. Cole is the track that you won’t stop bumping….believe me, I’ve tried. When Wale isn’t smoothly dropping cool verses over laid back production he is giving you true insight to not only himself but the world, and it’s wonderful to see that when faced with all the hype, Wale can live up to the challenge.
Rick Ross – Deeper Than Rap – released 4/21/09
Correctional Officer Ricky Ross. Quite possibly the most debatable choice on this list, it’s amazing that even after being exposed as the biggest fake in the industry Rick Ross still managed to promote his cocaine-rap as if no one had ever seen the pictures and documents proving he was closer to the police than 50 Cent. But this list isn’t about recovery or else 50 Cent himself would have made it. Whether or not Rick Ross has actually ever even seen an eighth of coke, he still raps like he’s lived the Scarface lifestyle and he does it with such ease that you can’t help but label him rap’s Al Pacino. His flow is as smooth as Biggie and his lyrics are as biting as Pac and right off the bat he attacks everyone who has hated on him and gives a few shots towards the G-Unit camp. The smash single, “Maybach Music 2” with T-Pain and Kanye West is a track fit for an amphitheater with its powerhouse hook and extra powerful production. Nas delivers a nomination for verse of the year on “Usual Suspects” and “Rich Off Cocaine” is the perfect track for driving down the freeway with the top down on a warm summer night, it’s the ultimate “living the high life” joint. The production is solid (thanks to the ever increasingly dope J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League), and Ricky’s rhymes are the perfect template for anyone reaching for the stars, and while the album caught some slack for the seemingly out-of-place “Face”, it couldn’t be a better addition to an album that is just so extra that you gotta love the effort that The Boss puts in to his projects. Whether or not 50 Cent destroyed Rick Ross on the internet and in the media, Rick Ross was no doubt the better MC this year, and this, his third straight album of this caliber, only proves that controversy is no match for consistency.
Ghostface – Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City – released 9/29/09
A Ghostface R&B album? The fuck? When Ghost announced earlier this year that his next album would be all R&B and “for the ladies”, most Wu fans took a step back, wondering what the hell that even meant and if it could possibly continue Ghost’s streak of always dropping hot albums (look back on his career, not a single misstep). While many Wu fans were highly disappointed with the finished product (sorry guys, you can’t be hardcore ALL the time), what Ghost delivered was the best love-making album since Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions”. Ghost has always been known for his soul sampled, R&B-influenced, female appreciation tracks such as “Camay” and “Holla”, but we were always used to one or two per release, not an entire album with such a concept. But what we got was the perfect combination of beautiful love songs mixed with just enough spiteful tracks to satisfy anyone who’s been in a meaningful relationship. The highlights here include “Do Over” with Ghost’s incredibly detailed love letter verses exclaiming his regret for mistakes he made along with a hook and beat that are as modern as it gets but with that throwback sound. The single, “Baby”, is addicting, both from the auto-tune influenced hook and the simplistic beat that still sounds beautiful even though it’s true to hip hop form. The most out-of-place track “Stapleton Sex”, is the Ghost we all know and love, bringing back memories of “Wildflower” and “Wisdom Body” and has been described by the man himself as “porno on wax”. Every track on the album is a fitting tribute to the fairer sex and collectively this is a solid and complete effort for a concept that few thought would actually work out. While Wu fans are still hungry for that “Ice Water” Ghost, any fan of rap that can appreciate the softer side of art, this album is your “Lots of Lovin”.
Souls of Mischef – Montezuma’s Revenge – released 12/1/09
Almost as bad as the skinny jeans trend is the idea that “bringing back the old school” sound when you’re 10 years removed from your high point is a good idea. Whether its backpackers trying to imitate the sound or former big name artists trying to prove they still got it, hip hop has been plagued with average releases that all sound the same, about 15 years too old. When it was announced that Souls of Mischief were dropping a new album almost entirely produced by Prince Paul, immediately there was a question about whether they would fall into the same trap that artists of their time have been doing or if they would show that they caught up to the 2009 sound. What they managed to do, brilliantly, was somewhat of a combination of both. While this is no doubt an album of “true school” sound, it nonetheless fits perfectly into the 2009 mindstate that hip hop is in. With Del the Funky Homosapien hosting, this album is simply pure hip hop. Head nodding beats, back-and-forth rhymes, and cut up samples provide the listener a throwback to the days of early Souls of Mischief but never overdo the “we’re from the old school” template. Conceptually speaking this album is full of gems too like “Tour Stories” and “Postal”. Arguably the best tracks are “Proper Aim” and “For Real Ya’ll”, the latter of the two being the prime example of how to make a golden age track in 2009. From the way the MCs play off each other to the beat to the hook, everything about this track screams hip hop. The Heiroglyphics have always been comfortable in the underground and this album is certainly that, but instead of sounding like every other backpack rap record, they managed to stand out with this release, proving that you can be old school and yet still make a dope album.
Wu-Tang Clan Presents: Chamber Music – released 6/30/09
For starters, this album proved that a Wu-Tang album doesn’t have to just be Wu-Tang. Secondly, this is the closest thing to 36 Chambers since 1993. There. Now that that’s out of the way, this album is an epic release from the Wu-Tang catalogue boasting sinister production, knowledge-filled interludes, and a lineup of MCs that even “The Symphony” couldn’t touch. The combinations of MCs are carefully chosen, like with Raekwon, Cormega and Sean Price all tearing apart “Radiant Jewels”, which is the perfect name for a track so filled with knowledge that even on the eighth spin the listener can’t convert all of it to wisdom. Ghostface, Deck and AZ are another lethal combination on “Harbor Masters” where AZ is on his “Life’s A Bitch” game. In fact the non-Wu MC’s shine the most on this, suggesting that knowing they were going to be featured on a Wu album made them up their game to the highest possible level. What’s most impressive is how a live band was able to capture that raw gritty Wu-Tang sound that originated in choppy samples and dirty drums. And for anyone who thinks RZA fell off his lyrical game, “NYC Crack” is the most Wu-Tang sounding track since the 5 years that the Wu literally owned rap. Highly slept on, this album is what Wu-Tang fans have been asking for since the Clan first crept on the scene, and as the third Wu-Tang release on this list, it’s clear that once again the Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta Fuck Wit!
Fashawn – Boy Meets World – released 10/22/09
Hands down the song of the year is “The Ecology”, a hip hop sermon that is no doubt the most important thought-provoking track that rap has seen since “Get By”. Off of Cali native Fashawn’s debut, this track is the true definition of hip hop, from its powerful beat to lyrics that would make Chuck D proud of the fact that 20 years after “Fight the Power” there are still MCs that can spread the message that rap was founded on. With that said this rookie teamed up with one of the greatest producers out right now, Exile, to craft an album so complete that it’s almost difficult to believe that this young MC is a mere 21 years old. Fashawn tackled every topic on this album from life on the road to growing up fatherless to representing his home state, and in this day and age when MySpace and blog sites have meant that anyone and everyone is a rapper, he truly stands out as a rookie-of-the-year candidate. The flow of the album is flawless as tracks weave in and out of each other and the lyrics are never outshined by the soulful production of one half of one of the greatest duos out today. We still don’t know a lot about this kid but if this album is any indication, we have another MC whose potential is only growing by the minute and simply put, this album is dope. Don’t sleep on Fashawn.
J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid – released 6/2/09
Posthumous releases typically call up the scraps of an artist who’s family and friends are simply trying to turn a profit by exploiting the death of their loved one (see Puff Daddy) but with “Jay Stay Paid” what we get is an album that proves that had J Dilla still been with us that he would be crushing the scene with his production for years to come. This concept album, presented as a radio show hosted by legend Pete Rock, delivers some of Dilla’s finest work, and provides just the right amount of MCs to keep the listener in tune for the whole time instead of fading in and out and playing back only certain tracks. The weed anthem “Smoke”, while short, highlights Blu as one of the greatest new MCs and “Reality TV” has track of the year written all over it as Black Thought slaughters the beat while referencing damn near every reality show that television has forced upon us. MF Doom rides “Fire Wood Drumstix” almost as good as Jay Electronica once did and Dilla’s brother Illa J elegantly pays tribute to his fallen family member on “See That Boy Fly”. Longtime fans of Dilla will appreciate Frank Nitty’s powerful presence on “Pay Day”. But enough with the MC contributions, these beats are what make the album. Your neck will literally break with “Glamour Sho75 (09)” and if that only causes a cramp then “Coming Back” will surely put you in the hospital with the tears it will induce, being reminiscent of the best track on "Donuts". Crafted perfectly this album is essential to any Dilla fan, both old and new, and is the perfect showcase of the talent that we lost a few years ago.
Cormega – Born and Raised – released 10/20/09
If Nas is the King of Queens, then Cormega is the Prince. Who else could put together an album that includes a three track sequence of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Large Professor. While most artists get out of the streets and can only try to imagine what life might be like if they were still there, Mega is very much a product of his environment who has clearly kept close ties with the life he has been forced to live. The narratives on this album are chilling and combined with the wordplay of a seasoned vet, it’s a safe bet that Nas probably wishes he hadn’t had the falling out that he did with Mega. Cormega twists tales of street life while reflecting on the problems that still exist in a way that few MCs have been able to do over the years and he does it with such passion it’s clear that he is as authentic as every rapper wishes he could be. When people talk about New York rap, THIS is what they are talking about, from stories about crime to poverty to messages that every young person needs to hear, this album is the most complete East Coast album in years. Wrapped up perfectly with legends Parrish, Kane, Grand Puba and KRS, Mega gives us everything that one could hope for in a hip hop album. Another heavily slept on album, this is one of the gems that we were blessed with in a year that saw so much greatness.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic – released 6/9/09
Rappers take notice, Madlib is a top 5 producer, and including him on your album can only help catapult it to the top of every hot albums list. For the past few years Mos Def has given us albums that are not only way out in left field (The New Danger) but also as lazy and unfocused (True Magic…where the fuck was the album cover to that) and has never been able to live up to his solid debut “Black on Both Sides”. With “The Ecstatic”, Mos proves that his many styles truly can be mashed together and still come away with a classic release. “Auditorium” with legendary storyteller Slick Rick combines a hypnotic beat with verbal visuals from two of the greatest at delivering narratives. “Pretty Danger” is an example of how having Madlib on the boards is always the best decision that any MC can make as not only does he provide a banging beat but perfectly matches the flow of the Mighty Mighty Mos. The Reflection Eternal cut “History” produced by the late great J Dilla only further makes us hungry for another “Train of Thought” and the beauty of “Roses” is spine tingling. This album is proof that Mos Def is still one of the greatest MCs of our time, even if he is a little misunderstood. This is not an album for hip hop purists but instead an album for forward-thinking fans who can appreciate all styles of music. “The Ecstatic” is just that, and what else would we really expect from Mos?
There you have it. The top 10 (15) albums of quite possibly the greatest year in hip hop history. No doubt some people will disagree with this list, and surely everyone will have an album they feel should have made it, or an album that did make it that shouldn’t have. But at the end of the day these 15 albums most accurately represent the level to which hip hop rose in 2009. We should be thankful that so many artists made so many incredible contributions to this culture, and as we look forward to 2010 we can only hope that hip hop will continue on this streak. Sorry Nas, but in 2009, hip hop is NOT dead.
Why not on ---
50 Cent – Before I Self Destruct – the only reason this album sounded so good was because his last effort was a failure that even Kwame couldn’t have imagined. With that said, 50 may have improved, but he didn’t do anything special with this release, he just gave us what we’ve been waiting on for the last 6 years.
Alchemist – Chemical Warfare – it had solid tracks, some of the best of the year actually, with the brilliant combination of Snoop, Pusha, and Jadakiss and one of the happiest tracks we’ve heard in a while with “Smile” but there was a lot of crap on the album that made it obvious that Alchemist just wanted to prove that he could make any type of beat, and even though he got the best artists of those genres, he shouldn’t have branched out that much because the overall sound was completely unfocused.
Camp Lo – Another Heist – the hardest one to leave off the list. Purely because there were so many other dope releases did this one slip out of the spotlight. The obvious number 16, this album was nothing short of incredible, a perfect throwback to Uptown Saturday Night, and easily their best effort since that album. Perhaps a little too short (how often does THAT get said about a hip hop album) and unfortunately way too under the radar (not that that is relevant) this album deserves to make the list but just barely missed it.
O.C. & A.G. – Oasis – although the pairing of old school artists has happened a couple times recently (Marley Marl and KRS, Craig G and Marley Marl) this was the year that everyone who was no longer relevant in rap decided to pair up to try to make themselves relevant. From Del and Tame One to Buckshot and KRS to O.C. and A.G., this was the year that the former hitmakers teamed up to try to reinvent that classic sound for those new ears who weren’t around during their prime. This album was the best of out all the collaboration efforts so far and was the least desperate to prove that these MCs were “true classic MCs”. The beats weren’t outdated and the rhymes were on point, unlike other artists who have tried this formula, but at the end of the day they just couldn’t compete with the fresh talent and classic artists who have managed to maintain instead of fading away for a few years and then trying to reignite their flame.
Rakim – The Seventh Seal – for 12 years hip hop has been waiting for the return of the God MC, indisputably the greatest MC of all time. From the weakness of “The Master” to the fallout with Dr. Dre fans began to think that this album would never happen. We were finally blessed with the God’s work, and blessed we were, the God certainly has not slipped in his lyrical game but unfortunately this album sounds slightly dated, as if it had been assembled in 2005, reworked in 2007 and finally released in late 2009. By the time November rolled around, nothing short of a Clipse album was going to crack the top 10 (or Souls of Mischief I guess) and so therefore this album does not make the list, even though it probably should. He’s still the God though, still the God MC.
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 – released 9/11/09
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. Time and time again, Jay-Z has proven that he is not only the King of New York but the king of hip hop in general. From the time that D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune) was released we all knew that Jay-Z would be making an album of epic proportions. Boasting production from Kanye West and No I.D. and featuring guest appearances from up-and-comers like Kid CuDi and J. Cole we were all anticipating an album that was sure to get heavy rotation across the country. The immediate reception was mixed with some reviewers saying Jay-Z had lost his way and was trying too hard to imitate the electronic sound that hip hop was heading towards instead of paving his own way like he always had. Complaints about weak beats from Timbaland and accusations that Jay was sounding “lazy” on the mic may have come at the beginning, but after a couple weeks of bumping the album it was clear that Jay had once again created a complete album with replay value for months to come. From the get go it was certainly apparent that this was unlike any other Jay-Z album, with the spacey production and non-traditional hooks but just like every past album, Jay’s rhymes were on point. With the smash singles “Run This Town” and “Empire State of Mind”, soulful gems like “Already Home”, addicting street tracks like “On To The Next One” and a guest verse from J. Cole that brings back memories of Nas on “Live at the BBQ” (cue hatred from purists), The Blueprint 3 cemented itself as a classic album, something that will still be bumped years from now.
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II – released 9/8/09
Sequels in hip hop, much like in Hollywood, are usually uncalled for and unnecessary. For years now the hip hop world and Wu-Tang fans have been eagerly awaiting the much-hyped sequel to one of the greatest albums of all time. But with all the anticipation came doubts that it could possibly live up to the legacy that the first Cuban Linx left. All those doubts were blown out of the water when Cuban Linx 2 dropped. The first single “House of Flying Daggers” was already an indication that the Wu was definitely back. The menacing beat and the lyrical slaughterhouse of verses left no doubt that the Wu-Tang was just as strong in 2009 as they were in 1995. The album that followed solidified the Wu as the greatest group of all time, able to grow with the culture as well as call back to what they helped start, Mafioso rap. Even though RZA didn’t handle all the production, J Dilla and Dr. Dre along with Pete Rock and others, were still able to construct a complete piece of work that was nothing short of a cinematic experience. The Rae and Ghost tracks were done in classic R.A.G.U. form, from the back and forth style of “Penitentiary” to the pouring out of Ghost’s heart on “Cold Outside”, and especially to the sexual deviancy of “Gihad”. Guest appearances from Method Man and Inspectah Deck made everyone who had begin to sleep on the Wu wake the fuck up and “Wu Ooh” brought back memories of C.R.E.A.M. The critics who complained the album was too long clearly didn’t realize that the first Cuban Linx was almost identical in length, and those who said the Dre beats left something to be desired were probably already tired from listening to what they thought was a lengthy album. The O.D.B. tribute track was nothing short of a tearjerker and the last song was the perfect reminder that the Wu-Tang is forever, and that when faced with the pressures of living up to a certified classic, the Wu should never be doubted. Oh and “Broken Safety” is easily one of the gulliest tracks to come out in a LONG time. It’s Wu motherfucker! Wu-Tang motherfucker!
Fabolous – Loso’s Way – released 7/28/09
Fans of Fabolous have always argued that his mixtapes are far better than his albums. What they usually fail to realize that is while mixtapes are for the streets, an album has to appeal to the masses, and with that, Fabolous knows how to make a damn good album. While a mixtape is perfect for firing off punchline after punchline, an album needs to be a complete product that is both diverse while maintaining conciseness and direction. With “Loso’s Way”, Fabolous does this brilliantly, somewhat following a storyline that is familiar but always welcome in the rap community, the rise and fall of the crime boss. Fab sets off the album by addressing all his haters and letting them know that he hasn’t lost his shine. Single after single follow and even on the more radio friendly tracks he’s still dropping metaphors that his fans know him for. In all honesty though the best tracks on this album are the “bitch” tracks, the female-focused tracks such as “Throw It In The Bag” and “Last Time”. The track with Ne-Yo “Makin’ Love” is hypnotic to the point that you KNOW many a babies are being conceived to it. There are just the right amount of guest appearances, mostly left to hook gods Trey Songz, The-Dream, and the aforementioned Ne-Yo. The production is spread out but nonetheless flows smoothly from track to track. And for those who think Fab is all about the women, “There He Go” will remind them that he can still bring that lyrical heat. The final track is a story that shows the depth of Fab’s talent. From baby-making tracks, to lyrical clinics, to vivid storytelling, this album combines every good thing about hip hop into a perfect package.
Cam’ron – Crime Pays – released 5/12/09
Face it people, the days of Purple Haze, The Diplomats, and Heatmakerz are over. But that doesn’t mean that Cam isn’t still on top of his game. Most critics felt as though this was more like a mixtape than an album but don’t let the length or amount of tracks fool you, this is a solid album from start to finish without any throwaway tracks or verses. It is a little long at 73 minutes, but Cam will keep you entertained the entire time. His signature flow and wordplay are at top notch levels as he makes some of the simplest lines not only witty but raw and dirty. Whether he is detailing his past business forays on “I Get It In Ohio”, inventing new slang on “Curve”, bringing nothing but raw rhymes on “Cookin’ Up” or being the raunchy disgusting Cam we all know and love on “You Know What’s Up”, Cam’ron never fails to impress the listener with his broad range of lyricism. The skits on this album are quite funny even after the first few listens and with a track that’s actually subtitled “No Homo” it’s clear that while Cam might not always take himself seriously, he knows damn well how to make a good song. The best evidence of this is the ridiculously dirty but highly catchy single “Cookies & Apple Juice” which has quite possibly the most hilarious hook along with equally humorous verses. A surprising entry for those who say Cam is all play is “I Hate My Job” which, although seemingly out of place for someone who supposedly makes thousands from hustling, deals with the problems of finding work in a recession and the depression of a 9 to 5 meaningless job. Finishing off the album with a tribute to the deepest of places is only fitting for the man who loves pink. It’s no “Purple Haze”, but “Crime Pays” is certainly a solid effort from one of the most consistent MCs in the game.
Clipse – Til The Casket Drops – released 12/8/09
For their entire career the Clipse have exclusively used Neptunes production. This time around they decided to expand and the decision couldn’t have been better. While the Neptunes still bless their third album with a handful of tracks, that signature sound that Chad and Pharrell were once known for has started to fade, not to take away from the quality of production, but there are no “Grindin”s on this album. With that said we have quite possibly the most consistent and complete Clipse album to date. There is already hate being spewed about the electro influenced dance tracks like “All Eyes on Me” but again these fans are looking for mixtape Clipse and not album Clipse. Some of the most powerful tracks are actually made for the club on this release, such as “Counseling” with a smoothed-out beat, a brilliant hook from Pharrell and laid-back topical verses from Pusha and Malice. Also the uplifting track “I’m Good” is much needed in this time of economic recession. No matter how depressed you are you can’t help but raise up with the beat the Neptunes provide. Clipse also brought back what was once a staple on every rap album but has gradually faded, the reggae track. While it might seem out of place it actually fits quite perfectly as not only a P.S.A. about snitching but a throwback to the days of Mad Lion gracing every damn album he could get on. The most noticeable thing about this album is maturity, which has turned Clipse from the kings of coke rap to elder statesmen looking back on their past transgressions and hoping to offer advice to the young’ns on how to stay away from the game. But don’t except the coke raps to be nonexistent as “Never Will It Stop” with Re-Up gang affiliate Ab-Liva is a testament to just how insane these guys can be with their metaphors and Malice drops what might be the verse of the year on the single "Popular Demand". Just barely making it before the new year, this Clipse album is arguably their best to date and certainly their most mature and complete.
Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse – released 8/11/09
The concept was simple, bring 4 of the hottest MCs together on one track, and end a feud between two of them in the process. What started off as one of the greatest posse cuts in history turned into a supergroup that went above and beyond the expectations of anyone, probably even its own members. Most people know the story by now, Joe Budden recruited Royce Da 5’9”, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz to do a track called “Slaughterhouse” and what came from that was the idea that the 4 would create an entire album, much like everyone had wished the Four Horsemen would have done years ago. The difference is that Slaughterhouse actually made the album, and it was proof that 4 heads really are better than 1, especially given the record label bullshit that every single one of them has been through. Not just lyrical tracks without hooks or good production, the Slaughterhouse album found these 4 MCs working together perfectly, weaving in and out, providing actually songs instead of just a lineup of verses. The opening track set off the concept perfectly with each member introducing themselves and what followed were commercial smashes, club bangers, and straight up hardcore battle rap tracks. While some think the album took a downturn near the end, it still provided one of the best retrospective tracks on hip hop and where it’s been and where it’s at now. Normally with this many talents on one album one will shine above the rest but there is no clear MVP here as each MC seemed to almost get better from the competition of the other three. This album proved that sometimes it’s better to gang up than it is to keep going solo because raw talent is raw talent and egos can get put aside to craft a memorable listening experience for the fans of everyone involved.
Wale – Attention Deficit – released 11/10/09
Upon first hearing this album I felt that it was all over the place and therefore difficult to really take in. From obvious club tracks to this new school electro rap to southern drawls I couldn’t quite tell what Wale was trying to do, then I realized what the title of the album was and it all made sense. Since Wale was introduced to the game he remained an outsider with a knack for lyrics, even with his unorthodox flow and interesting choice of beats. His mixtapes took the culture by storm and few have doubted his ability to run laps around a microphone, the question always was could he create a debut that would live up to all the hype, and there was quite a lot of hype. While it might be the most obscure choice for this list, “Attention Deficit” makes it because it does exactly what it says it’s going to do, and it does it quite well. If you are looking for a track to bump in the club you got the Neptunes crafted, Pharrell assisted “Let It Loose”. If you are a southern rap fan then “Mirrors” is your shit. If you are a conscious rap fan, always looking for a message then the controversial “Shades” is your focal point. If you are an i-Tunes junkie who only likes what’s popular then “Chillin” with Lady Gaga is for you and if you want what could be the ultimate anthem, with the most beautiful beat and blessed by a chilling hook then “Beautiful Bliss” with newcomer J. Cole is the track that you won’t stop bumping….believe me, I’ve tried. When Wale isn’t smoothly dropping cool verses over laid back production he is giving you true insight to not only himself but the world, and it’s wonderful to see that when faced with all the hype, Wale can live up to the challenge.
Rick Ross – Deeper Than Rap – released 4/21/09
Correctional Officer Ricky Ross. Quite possibly the most debatable choice on this list, it’s amazing that even after being exposed as the biggest fake in the industry Rick Ross still managed to promote his cocaine-rap as if no one had ever seen the pictures and documents proving he was closer to the police than 50 Cent. But this list isn’t about recovery or else 50 Cent himself would have made it. Whether or not Rick Ross has actually ever even seen an eighth of coke, he still raps like he’s lived the Scarface lifestyle and he does it with such ease that you can’t help but label him rap’s Al Pacino. His flow is as smooth as Biggie and his lyrics are as biting as Pac and right off the bat he attacks everyone who has hated on him and gives a few shots towards the G-Unit camp. The smash single, “Maybach Music 2” with T-Pain and Kanye West is a track fit for an amphitheater with its powerhouse hook and extra powerful production. Nas delivers a nomination for verse of the year on “Usual Suspects” and “Rich Off Cocaine” is the perfect track for driving down the freeway with the top down on a warm summer night, it’s the ultimate “living the high life” joint. The production is solid (thanks to the ever increasingly dope J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League), and Ricky’s rhymes are the perfect template for anyone reaching for the stars, and while the album caught some slack for the seemingly out-of-place “Face”, it couldn’t be a better addition to an album that is just so extra that you gotta love the effort that The Boss puts in to his projects. Whether or not 50 Cent destroyed Rick Ross on the internet and in the media, Rick Ross was no doubt the better MC this year, and this, his third straight album of this caliber, only proves that controversy is no match for consistency.
Ghostface – Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City – released 9/29/09
A Ghostface R&B album? The fuck? When Ghost announced earlier this year that his next album would be all R&B and “for the ladies”, most Wu fans took a step back, wondering what the hell that even meant and if it could possibly continue Ghost’s streak of always dropping hot albums (look back on his career, not a single misstep). While many Wu fans were highly disappointed with the finished product (sorry guys, you can’t be hardcore ALL the time), what Ghost delivered was the best love-making album since Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions”. Ghost has always been known for his soul sampled, R&B-influenced, female appreciation tracks such as “Camay” and “Holla”, but we were always used to one or two per release, not an entire album with such a concept. But what we got was the perfect combination of beautiful love songs mixed with just enough spiteful tracks to satisfy anyone who’s been in a meaningful relationship. The highlights here include “Do Over” with Ghost’s incredibly detailed love letter verses exclaiming his regret for mistakes he made along with a hook and beat that are as modern as it gets but with that throwback sound. The single, “Baby”, is addicting, both from the auto-tune influenced hook and the simplistic beat that still sounds beautiful even though it’s true to hip hop form. The most out-of-place track “Stapleton Sex”, is the Ghost we all know and love, bringing back memories of “Wildflower” and “Wisdom Body” and has been described by the man himself as “porno on wax”. Every track on the album is a fitting tribute to the fairer sex and collectively this is a solid and complete effort for a concept that few thought would actually work out. While Wu fans are still hungry for that “Ice Water” Ghost, any fan of rap that can appreciate the softer side of art, this album is your “Lots of Lovin”.
Souls of Mischef – Montezuma’s Revenge – released 12/1/09
Almost as bad as the skinny jeans trend is the idea that “bringing back the old school” sound when you’re 10 years removed from your high point is a good idea. Whether its backpackers trying to imitate the sound or former big name artists trying to prove they still got it, hip hop has been plagued with average releases that all sound the same, about 15 years too old. When it was announced that Souls of Mischief were dropping a new album almost entirely produced by Prince Paul, immediately there was a question about whether they would fall into the same trap that artists of their time have been doing or if they would show that they caught up to the 2009 sound. What they managed to do, brilliantly, was somewhat of a combination of both. While this is no doubt an album of “true school” sound, it nonetheless fits perfectly into the 2009 mindstate that hip hop is in. With Del the Funky Homosapien hosting, this album is simply pure hip hop. Head nodding beats, back-and-forth rhymes, and cut up samples provide the listener a throwback to the days of early Souls of Mischief but never overdo the “we’re from the old school” template. Conceptually speaking this album is full of gems too like “Tour Stories” and “Postal”. Arguably the best tracks are “Proper Aim” and “For Real Ya’ll”, the latter of the two being the prime example of how to make a golden age track in 2009. From the way the MCs play off each other to the beat to the hook, everything about this track screams hip hop. The Heiroglyphics have always been comfortable in the underground and this album is certainly that, but instead of sounding like every other backpack rap record, they managed to stand out with this release, proving that you can be old school and yet still make a dope album.
Wu-Tang Clan Presents: Chamber Music – released 6/30/09
For starters, this album proved that a Wu-Tang album doesn’t have to just be Wu-Tang. Secondly, this is the closest thing to 36 Chambers since 1993. There. Now that that’s out of the way, this album is an epic release from the Wu-Tang catalogue boasting sinister production, knowledge-filled interludes, and a lineup of MCs that even “The Symphony” couldn’t touch. The combinations of MCs are carefully chosen, like with Raekwon, Cormega and Sean Price all tearing apart “Radiant Jewels”, which is the perfect name for a track so filled with knowledge that even on the eighth spin the listener can’t convert all of it to wisdom. Ghostface, Deck and AZ are another lethal combination on “Harbor Masters” where AZ is on his “Life’s A Bitch” game. In fact the non-Wu MC’s shine the most on this, suggesting that knowing they were going to be featured on a Wu album made them up their game to the highest possible level. What’s most impressive is how a live band was able to capture that raw gritty Wu-Tang sound that originated in choppy samples and dirty drums. And for anyone who thinks RZA fell off his lyrical game, “NYC Crack” is the most Wu-Tang sounding track since the 5 years that the Wu literally owned rap. Highly slept on, this album is what Wu-Tang fans have been asking for since the Clan first crept on the scene, and as the third Wu-Tang release on this list, it’s clear that once again the Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta Fuck Wit!
Fashawn – Boy Meets World – released 10/22/09
Hands down the song of the year is “The Ecology”, a hip hop sermon that is no doubt the most important thought-provoking track that rap has seen since “Get By”. Off of Cali native Fashawn’s debut, this track is the true definition of hip hop, from its powerful beat to lyrics that would make Chuck D proud of the fact that 20 years after “Fight the Power” there are still MCs that can spread the message that rap was founded on. With that said this rookie teamed up with one of the greatest producers out right now, Exile, to craft an album so complete that it’s almost difficult to believe that this young MC is a mere 21 years old. Fashawn tackled every topic on this album from life on the road to growing up fatherless to representing his home state, and in this day and age when MySpace and blog sites have meant that anyone and everyone is a rapper, he truly stands out as a rookie-of-the-year candidate. The flow of the album is flawless as tracks weave in and out of each other and the lyrics are never outshined by the soulful production of one half of one of the greatest duos out today. We still don’t know a lot about this kid but if this album is any indication, we have another MC whose potential is only growing by the minute and simply put, this album is dope. Don’t sleep on Fashawn.
J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid – released 6/2/09
Posthumous releases typically call up the scraps of an artist who’s family and friends are simply trying to turn a profit by exploiting the death of their loved one (see Puff Daddy) but with “Jay Stay Paid” what we get is an album that proves that had J Dilla still been with us that he would be crushing the scene with his production for years to come. This concept album, presented as a radio show hosted by legend Pete Rock, delivers some of Dilla’s finest work, and provides just the right amount of MCs to keep the listener in tune for the whole time instead of fading in and out and playing back only certain tracks. The weed anthem “Smoke”, while short, highlights Blu as one of the greatest new MCs and “Reality TV” has track of the year written all over it as Black Thought slaughters the beat while referencing damn near every reality show that television has forced upon us. MF Doom rides “Fire Wood Drumstix” almost as good as Jay Electronica once did and Dilla’s brother Illa J elegantly pays tribute to his fallen family member on “See That Boy Fly”. Longtime fans of Dilla will appreciate Frank Nitty’s powerful presence on “Pay Day”. But enough with the MC contributions, these beats are what make the album. Your neck will literally break with “Glamour Sho75 (09)” and if that only causes a cramp then “Coming Back” will surely put you in the hospital with the tears it will induce, being reminiscent of the best track on "Donuts". Crafted perfectly this album is essential to any Dilla fan, both old and new, and is the perfect showcase of the talent that we lost a few years ago.
Cormega – Born and Raised – released 10/20/09
If Nas is the King of Queens, then Cormega is the Prince. Who else could put together an album that includes a three track sequence of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Large Professor. While most artists get out of the streets and can only try to imagine what life might be like if they were still there, Mega is very much a product of his environment who has clearly kept close ties with the life he has been forced to live. The narratives on this album are chilling and combined with the wordplay of a seasoned vet, it’s a safe bet that Nas probably wishes he hadn’t had the falling out that he did with Mega. Cormega twists tales of street life while reflecting on the problems that still exist in a way that few MCs have been able to do over the years and he does it with such passion it’s clear that he is as authentic as every rapper wishes he could be. When people talk about New York rap, THIS is what they are talking about, from stories about crime to poverty to messages that every young person needs to hear, this album is the most complete East Coast album in years. Wrapped up perfectly with legends Parrish, Kane, Grand Puba and KRS, Mega gives us everything that one could hope for in a hip hop album. Another heavily slept on album, this is one of the gems that we were blessed with in a year that saw so much greatness.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic – released 6/9/09
Rappers take notice, Madlib is a top 5 producer, and including him on your album can only help catapult it to the top of every hot albums list. For the past few years Mos Def has given us albums that are not only way out in left field (The New Danger) but also as lazy and unfocused (True Magic…where the fuck was the album cover to that) and has never been able to live up to his solid debut “Black on Both Sides”. With “The Ecstatic”, Mos proves that his many styles truly can be mashed together and still come away with a classic release. “Auditorium” with legendary storyteller Slick Rick combines a hypnotic beat with verbal visuals from two of the greatest at delivering narratives. “Pretty Danger” is an example of how having Madlib on the boards is always the best decision that any MC can make as not only does he provide a banging beat but perfectly matches the flow of the Mighty Mighty Mos. The Reflection Eternal cut “History” produced by the late great J Dilla only further makes us hungry for another “Train of Thought” and the beauty of “Roses” is spine tingling. This album is proof that Mos Def is still one of the greatest MCs of our time, even if he is a little misunderstood. This is not an album for hip hop purists but instead an album for forward-thinking fans who can appreciate all styles of music. “The Ecstatic” is just that, and what else would we really expect from Mos?
There you have it. The top 10 (15) albums of quite possibly the greatest year in hip hop history. No doubt some people will disagree with this list, and surely everyone will have an album they feel should have made it, or an album that did make it that shouldn’t have. But at the end of the day these 15 albums most accurately represent the level to which hip hop rose in 2009. We should be thankful that so many artists made so many incredible contributions to this culture, and as we look forward to 2010 we can only hope that hip hop will continue on this streak. Sorry Nas, but in 2009, hip hop is NOT dead.
Why not on ---
50 Cent – Before I Self Destruct – the only reason this album sounded so good was because his last effort was a failure that even Kwame couldn’t have imagined. With that said, 50 may have improved, but he didn’t do anything special with this release, he just gave us what we’ve been waiting on for the last 6 years.
Alchemist – Chemical Warfare – it had solid tracks, some of the best of the year actually, with the brilliant combination of Snoop, Pusha, and Jadakiss and one of the happiest tracks we’ve heard in a while with “Smile” but there was a lot of crap on the album that made it obvious that Alchemist just wanted to prove that he could make any type of beat, and even though he got the best artists of those genres, he shouldn’t have branched out that much because the overall sound was completely unfocused.
Camp Lo – Another Heist – the hardest one to leave off the list. Purely because there were so many other dope releases did this one slip out of the spotlight. The obvious number 16, this album was nothing short of incredible, a perfect throwback to Uptown Saturday Night, and easily their best effort since that album. Perhaps a little too short (how often does THAT get said about a hip hop album) and unfortunately way too under the radar (not that that is relevant) this album deserves to make the list but just barely missed it.
O.C. & A.G. – Oasis – although the pairing of old school artists has happened a couple times recently (Marley Marl and KRS, Craig G and Marley Marl) this was the year that everyone who was no longer relevant in rap decided to pair up to try to make themselves relevant. From Del and Tame One to Buckshot and KRS to O.C. and A.G., this was the year that the former hitmakers teamed up to try to reinvent that classic sound for those new ears who weren’t around during their prime. This album was the best of out all the collaboration efforts so far and was the least desperate to prove that these MCs were “true classic MCs”. The beats weren’t outdated and the rhymes were on point, unlike other artists who have tried this formula, but at the end of the day they just couldn’t compete with the fresh talent and classic artists who have managed to maintain instead of fading away for a few years and then trying to reignite their flame.
Rakim – The Seventh Seal – for 12 years hip hop has been waiting for the return of the God MC, indisputably the greatest MC of all time. From the weakness of “The Master” to the fallout with Dr. Dre fans began to think that this album would never happen. We were finally blessed with the God’s work, and blessed we were, the God certainly has not slipped in his lyrical game but unfortunately this album sounds slightly dated, as if it had been assembled in 2005, reworked in 2007 and finally released in late 2009. By the time November rolled around, nothing short of a Clipse album was going to crack the top 10 (or Souls of Mischief I guess) and so therefore this album does not make the list, even though it probably should. He’s still the God though, still the God MC.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Hip Hop Maturation - The Blueprint 3
About 15 years ago, and prior to that, hip hop was regarded as a “fad” that wouldn’t last. The general perception was that this infant form of “music” was nothing more than people shouting over other peoples’ music and that in time, like disco, it would be relegated to its own grave. Between the fashion and the content, it was regarded as having no moral values and as something that only deviants could ever appreciate. What happened was the exact opposite. Hip hop became arguably the most dominant force in music and culture over the last decade. We have everything from hip hop dance classes to the President of the United States talking about brushing dirt off his shoulder. The words “diss” and “beef” have become so implanted in our daily lives that some people probably forget or don’t know at all where those words actually originated. All the while the critics are still out there, whether in the mainstream news coverage painting hip hop as still a violent evil force in the corruption of youth, or in the genre itself as countless “columnists” feel the need to attack every new thing that hip hop ventures into. While bad press is still press, this need for people to constantly hate on every little aspect of hip hop culture, FROM WITHIN THE CULTURE ITSELF, is something that has been growing over the last few years and while the worldwide access the internet has given us certainly lends its support to this phenomenon, the real reason for the self-hatred is the fact that hip hop is in its second generation, and the first generation has no idea how to grow up.
When hip hop was a baby, it was nurtured mostly by its own people. The artists were the promoters were the record labels were the magazines were the critics were the fans. Hip hop was its own little bubble, separate from the rest of the cultural world, where young artists were free to express themselves as long as they were original and fresh. No one over the age of 25 was really doing anything with hip hop and as artists got to be that age they started to fall off. Obviously there were exceptions but the majority of these groups and artists saw a short career with maybe a few highlights and then a fade to obscurity. As tiny as hip hop was in the 80s and 90s, countless albums were released by countless artists, only to be never heard from again. The artists that were big failed to maintain that status as they grew and essentially outgrew the youthfulness of the culture they helped create. KRS-One, Rakim, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, and many others, by the mid 90s, even as they still made music, failed to create the success they once had. Newer artists were seeing short-term careers with one or two albums under their belt before fading into obscurity. Groups like Black Moon and Das EFX never made it past that first hit and only a very select few artists saw their careers grow over time instead of fade. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, Jay-Z and Nas, these artists managed to grow and develop and maintain relevancy in a game that was always about the youth. But somewhere along the way, hip hop matured and brought some people with it. It culturally matured and has attempted to shed that anti-, youthful aggressive label that it carried for so long. With that maturation process inevitably comes rebellion, something that is no stranger to hip hop. The difference being that the rebellion hip hop has always been familiar with is the rebellion of mainstream culture, not the rebellion of its own culture.
Recently Jay-Z released “The Blueprint 3”, an album which has been picked apart by every critic inside and outside of hip hop, as well as every blogger and anonymous fan. Some of the criticisms have been the beats sounding too futuristic or the lyrics being too lazy. The general consensus is still hotness but not without a heavy level of critiquing. While every album sees its fair share of love and hate, what makes this different is that hip hop is, for the first time, experiencing the views and thoughts of a 40 year old man. For real think about that for a second, a 40 year old man. When we speak of legends in rap, the Big Daddy Kane’s, the Rakim’s, the Chuck D’s, we have to remember that all these MCs released the work that we praise so highly when they were in their 20s. When we point to the greatest albums of all time, the greatest verses of all time, the greatest moments in hip hop history, we are referring to moments, albums, and verses that were crafted during those individuals 20s. Their youth, their growing and changing and developing youth. Nas released the greatest album in hip hop history at the age of 20. Every album on the top 20 lists of rap was made during the artists’ 20s, so when you have an album that is released as the artist is pushing 40, you can’t expect it to consist of the same content and structure as the 20 year old.
We have one of the most, if not the only, competitive genre of music in hip hop. Since day one battles have been ever present in rap whether on the street or on wax and because of this we are always looking for those young bucks to try to come up and take the place of the seasoned vet. Only difference then was that essentially everyone was a young buck and the “seasoned vets” were only 5 or 10 years in the game. Perfect example is Canibus taking on LL Cool J. Student versus teacher. The battle was one that most people remember for ending Canibus’ career but not without a vicious punch delivered in the form of “Second Round Knockout”, a record in which Canibus accused LL of only making records for women at this point in his career. At that time, insulting someone’s game was the way to beat them in a battle. More recently however, battles have almost all involved one generation of rappers hating on the previous. Soulja Boy vs. Ice-T, 50 Cent vs. GZA, Joe Budden vs. Raekwon, The Game vs. Jay-Z. Every one of these battles has involved the older artist saying “you youngin’s got no respect” and the younger artist saying “yall is too old, retire”. It’s like the argument now is not about lyrical ability but about why older artists are still trying to be a part of what most still consider a youthful game.
What we need to all realize is that like all things that withstand the test of time, growth and development is necessary. Another recent album release is a perfect example of that. Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2” is the follow up to arguably one of the greatest rap albums of all time, released in 1995. Here we are 14 years later and the Chef has cooked up something that both brings us back to the time when the Wu-Tang was the strongest element of hip hop yet also is within the current state of hip hop. This isn’t Jurassic 5 trying to “bring back the old school” but it’s also not just an empty title in an attempt to sell records. It truly is a sequel to the first album. And it’s a damn good sequel because Raekwon understand that he is no longer a young street hustler and therefore portraying that would be nothing short of laughable, so instead he made a crack album for 2009 that sounded like 2009. Growth and development.
In order for hip hop to maintain a lifespan far beyond anyone who’s around now we need to both appreciate the veterans who are able to grow and mature as well as embrace the new ideas and directions that the music is taking. Someone like Kid Cudi is doing things that 10 years ago would have never been in the minds of anyone, even the revolutionary, way-ahead-of-their-time Neptunes. At the same time Jay-Z is showing us that a lifetime of hip hop cannot consist of the same thing every day, every year or else it just gets boring and unrealistic. So for the haters of “Blueprint 3”, remember that a 40 year old hip hop artist is something that no one ever thought would happen and that rather than hating on it for not being “Reasonable Doubt”, that instead it’s better to take it in and see what maturity has to offer.
When hip hop was a baby, it was nurtured mostly by its own people. The artists were the promoters were the record labels were the magazines were the critics were the fans. Hip hop was its own little bubble, separate from the rest of the cultural world, where young artists were free to express themselves as long as they were original and fresh. No one over the age of 25 was really doing anything with hip hop and as artists got to be that age they started to fall off. Obviously there were exceptions but the majority of these groups and artists saw a short career with maybe a few highlights and then a fade to obscurity. As tiny as hip hop was in the 80s and 90s, countless albums were released by countless artists, only to be never heard from again. The artists that were big failed to maintain that status as they grew and essentially outgrew the youthfulness of the culture they helped create. KRS-One, Rakim, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, and many others, by the mid 90s, even as they still made music, failed to create the success they once had. Newer artists were seeing short-term careers with one or two albums under their belt before fading into obscurity. Groups like Black Moon and Das EFX never made it past that first hit and only a very select few artists saw their careers grow over time instead of fade. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, Jay-Z and Nas, these artists managed to grow and develop and maintain relevancy in a game that was always about the youth. But somewhere along the way, hip hop matured and brought some people with it. It culturally matured and has attempted to shed that anti-, youthful aggressive label that it carried for so long. With that maturation process inevitably comes rebellion, something that is no stranger to hip hop. The difference being that the rebellion hip hop has always been familiar with is the rebellion of mainstream culture, not the rebellion of its own culture.
Recently Jay-Z released “The Blueprint 3”, an album which has been picked apart by every critic inside and outside of hip hop, as well as every blogger and anonymous fan. Some of the criticisms have been the beats sounding too futuristic or the lyrics being too lazy. The general consensus is still hotness but not without a heavy level of critiquing. While every album sees its fair share of love and hate, what makes this different is that hip hop is, for the first time, experiencing the views and thoughts of a 40 year old man. For real think about that for a second, a 40 year old man. When we speak of legends in rap, the Big Daddy Kane’s, the Rakim’s, the Chuck D’s, we have to remember that all these MCs released the work that we praise so highly when they were in their 20s. When we point to the greatest albums of all time, the greatest verses of all time, the greatest moments in hip hop history, we are referring to moments, albums, and verses that were crafted during those individuals 20s. Their youth, their growing and changing and developing youth. Nas released the greatest album in hip hop history at the age of 20. Every album on the top 20 lists of rap was made during the artists’ 20s, so when you have an album that is released as the artist is pushing 40, you can’t expect it to consist of the same content and structure as the 20 year old.
We have one of the most, if not the only, competitive genre of music in hip hop. Since day one battles have been ever present in rap whether on the street or on wax and because of this we are always looking for those young bucks to try to come up and take the place of the seasoned vet. Only difference then was that essentially everyone was a young buck and the “seasoned vets” were only 5 or 10 years in the game. Perfect example is Canibus taking on LL Cool J. Student versus teacher. The battle was one that most people remember for ending Canibus’ career but not without a vicious punch delivered in the form of “Second Round Knockout”, a record in which Canibus accused LL of only making records for women at this point in his career. At that time, insulting someone’s game was the way to beat them in a battle. More recently however, battles have almost all involved one generation of rappers hating on the previous. Soulja Boy vs. Ice-T, 50 Cent vs. GZA, Joe Budden vs. Raekwon, The Game vs. Jay-Z. Every one of these battles has involved the older artist saying “you youngin’s got no respect” and the younger artist saying “yall is too old, retire”. It’s like the argument now is not about lyrical ability but about why older artists are still trying to be a part of what most still consider a youthful game.
What we need to all realize is that like all things that withstand the test of time, growth and development is necessary. Another recent album release is a perfect example of that. Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2” is the follow up to arguably one of the greatest rap albums of all time, released in 1995. Here we are 14 years later and the Chef has cooked up something that both brings us back to the time when the Wu-Tang was the strongest element of hip hop yet also is within the current state of hip hop. This isn’t Jurassic 5 trying to “bring back the old school” but it’s also not just an empty title in an attempt to sell records. It truly is a sequel to the first album. And it’s a damn good sequel because Raekwon understand that he is no longer a young street hustler and therefore portraying that would be nothing short of laughable, so instead he made a crack album for 2009 that sounded like 2009. Growth and development.
In order for hip hop to maintain a lifespan far beyond anyone who’s around now we need to both appreciate the veterans who are able to grow and mature as well as embrace the new ideas and directions that the music is taking. Someone like Kid Cudi is doing things that 10 years ago would have never been in the minds of anyone, even the revolutionary, way-ahead-of-their-time Neptunes. At the same time Jay-Z is showing us that a lifetime of hip hop cannot consist of the same thing every day, every year or else it just gets boring and unrealistic. So for the haters of “Blueprint 3”, remember that a 40 year old hip hop artist is something that no one ever thought would happen and that rather than hating on it for not being “Reasonable Doubt”, that instead it’s better to take it in and see what maturity has to offer.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Blueprint for Immobility
Ever present in hip hop lyrics are tales of street dealings, mostly in drugs, sometimes in women, and sometimes pure violence. In fact tales of drugs have gone as far back as the famous “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. As rap grew, so did the stories, providing more and more detail and giving more and more insight to the world of street dreams and realities. While many songs touched on various aspects of this underworld, there were two complete albums that play through like movies, life stories, biographies, entire pictures of the drug world. Each album played the role separately, one giving the rawest description, the cook up of sorts, the drugs on the table, ready to go, and the day-to-day bullshit that goes on to move that product. The other showcased the high life, the riches, the nice clothes and cars, the upside of the hustle, the kingpin’s manual for poppin’ bottles. One album looked at it from the kitchen, the other looked at it from the club. One from the work, one from the payoff. Together these albums make for the perfect combination of the drug life, both extremes with which one involved sees. With both artists on the verge of releasing new albums, both going back to old formulas of sorts, it seems fitting to take a look at the albums that defined and influenced one of the biggest aspects of hip hop, the drug dealer. The first to do it was Raekwon the Chef from legendary group Wu-Tang Clan with “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” in 1995. One year later up and coming Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z gave us “Reasonable Doubt”. There are many other albums that contributed to the Mafioso movement in rap, Nas’ “It Was Written”, Mobb Deep’s “The Infamous” and AZ’s “Doe or Die”, but the genre was rooted in and flawlessly done with Rae and Jay’s masterpieces.
In 1995 hip hop was sufficiently blunted. The west coast G-funk was still blazing but New York grittiness was making its way back to the top, arguably resurrected two years prior with the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers”. The 10 man group was headed by RZA and his vision for a 5 year, 7 album plan was in the midst of manifesting. Solo albums from Method Man and GZA were pounding in every whip and next up was the Chef Raekwon with an album co-hosted by Wu’s most stylistic MC, Ghostface Killah. What was delivered was an album so dirty, so raw, so gutter that it set the blueprint for a style of hip hop that has been imitated time and time again, the gangster/drug dealing kingpin. The intro alone, with Rae and Ghost boasting of the high life while discussing the work they do sets in motion the whirlwind that follows with broken pyrex bottles, kitchen counter top wrap ups, money stashes in couches, shootouts in living rooms and a whole shit ton of cocaine being blown. To come out of that album without a white nose and a drip is basically impossible. They broke it all down. The production was heavy and grimy, the lyrics were shouted through voices caked in dust and liquor and the hooks (when there were any) were some of the most awkward if not genius things hip hop had ever seen. Every Wu general contributed to the album and each brought with him an alias specific to the crime family ideal. “Wu-Gambinos” they were called, each becoming a mafia don in the process of lacing their drug fueled darts. Songs like “Ice Water”, “Wisdom Body” and “Rainy Dayz” pierce the listener’s ears with sound so clashing it shouldn’t even work but magically along with the equally fucked up lyrics the tracks work to form an album that requires a shower following a listen. Even the one “female” track oozed with griminess even while invoking one of the sweetest things, ice cream. Never before had someone make listing the flavors of ice cream sound so rugged. They even supplied the high that everyone was chasing in the form of “Guillotine (Swordz)”, a track that began with a sample few believed would amount to an actual track after being hinted at before only to be quickly tucked away. “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” was the closest thing to the Scarface fantasy so prevalent in hip hop. It gave us all insight to the world of a cocaine dealer, at least as close as you could sonically get.
New York was the hip hop champ once again and Brooklyn was at center stage with Notorious B.I.G.’s chart topping album “Ready to Die”. On the success of “Juicy”, “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance”, Biggie had won over the hearts of millions of fans and provided the mainstream was swagger and flow along with lyrics filled with not only clever wordplay but substance and depth. His storytelling was unlike no other and he did it while still maintaining to throw punchlines out left and right. Around the same time fellow Brooklyn native and friend of Biggie, Jay-Z was on the come up after spending years working with legends like Big Daddy Kane and Jaz-O trying to find his niche in the hip hop world. Jay brought the swagger in a way different from that of close friend Notorious B.I.G. Biggie was known as a Heavy D of sorts, an overweight lover. The man loved his Gucci and Versace but played more on the lines of “let me chill and get money and fuck bitches”. Jay-Z stepped it up in telling us how rich he was and why he could afford all that nice shit. Jay seemed to focus on not just the hustle, but the results of the hustle, the fruits of labor. While Biggie liked to lay back and chill Jay-Z went out on the town wearing the most expensive suits, driving the most expensive cars, ordering the most expensive drinks, and getting the most expensive girls. Jay-Z’s life was on top of the world, looking down at everyone who wanted to be up there with him. Don’t get it twisted though, Jay certainly didn’t hold back from the risks it takes to earn such a high life. From “Friend or Foe” and “Dead Presidents” it’s clear that work had to be put in to get where he was. But this was certainly someone who had been on top and could educate those below him on how hard it was to get there. “Regrets” and “Can I Live” brilliantly showcase how one’s rise to the top is never easy and how it takes a strong man to survive. He also displayed his knowledge by giving life lessons to young’ns looking for their entrance to the life of crime on “Coming of Age” where he teaches an aspiring rapper/dealer how to make it in the world where he is king.
In the end you have two works of art so similar yet so different in their descriptions of essentially the same thing, the world of drug dealing. The reality is that there are very few kingpins of the drug world and most of them will inevitably meet their demise through either arrest or assassination. It is ridiculous to idolize such ideals when they result in nothing but heartache and struggle and usually much worse, but as any true great author can make the reader actually feel as though they are a part of the story, Jay-Z and Raekwon have given the listener the ultimate experience of the drug dealing lifestyle. And they have done it from completely different viewpoints. Raekwon has given us the training camps and the two-a-days and the pre-season and even the playoffs, Jay-Z has given us the Finals, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the Tonight Show appearances following all those. Each artist holds nothing back in their accounts of one of the toughest professions for even the hardest of men, and yet each has a completely different vision of the world they live in. The lavish dining room with the bottle service and $50 plates of food doesn’t come without the hectic kitchen with sweltering heat and hunched over chefs busily working round the clock creating the delicacies. These records will give anyone who is interested the ability to see the two sides of the hustle, the ups and downs, the joy and pain, the struggle and the success. With both artists dropping new albums soon, Raekwon’s being titled “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2” and Jay-Z returning to his “Blueprint” label, this is a good time to remember how perfectly these two individuals presented us with something that most of us will never see up and close and personal but that all of us, through these albums, can feel like we at least got a peek in the door while being lucky enough to never have to walk in.
In 1995 hip hop was sufficiently blunted. The west coast G-funk was still blazing but New York grittiness was making its way back to the top, arguably resurrected two years prior with the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers”. The 10 man group was headed by RZA and his vision for a 5 year, 7 album plan was in the midst of manifesting. Solo albums from Method Man and GZA were pounding in every whip and next up was the Chef Raekwon with an album co-hosted by Wu’s most stylistic MC, Ghostface Killah. What was delivered was an album so dirty, so raw, so gutter that it set the blueprint for a style of hip hop that has been imitated time and time again, the gangster/drug dealing kingpin. The intro alone, with Rae and Ghost boasting of the high life while discussing the work they do sets in motion the whirlwind that follows with broken pyrex bottles, kitchen counter top wrap ups, money stashes in couches, shootouts in living rooms and a whole shit ton of cocaine being blown. To come out of that album without a white nose and a drip is basically impossible. They broke it all down. The production was heavy and grimy, the lyrics were shouted through voices caked in dust and liquor and the hooks (when there were any) were some of the most awkward if not genius things hip hop had ever seen. Every Wu general contributed to the album and each brought with him an alias specific to the crime family ideal. “Wu-Gambinos” they were called, each becoming a mafia don in the process of lacing their drug fueled darts. Songs like “Ice Water”, “Wisdom Body” and “Rainy Dayz” pierce the listener’s ears with sound so clashing it shouldn’t even work but magically along with the equally fucked up lyrics the tracks work to form an album that requires a shower following a listen. Even the one “female” track oozed with griminess even while invoking one of the sweetest things, ice cream. Never before had someone make listing the flavors of ice cream sound so rugged. They even supplied the high that everyone was chasing in the form of “Guillotine (Swordz)”, a track that began with a sample few believed would amount to an actual track after being hinted at before only to be quickly tucked away. “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” was the closest thing to the Scarface fantasy so prevalent in hip hop. It gave us all insight to the world of a cocaine dealer, at least as close as you could sonically get.
New York was the hip hop champ once again and Brooklyn was at center stage with Notorious B.I.G.’s chart topping album “Ready to Die”. On the success of “Juicy”, “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance”, Biggie had won over the hearts of millions of fans and provided the mainstream was swagger and flow along with lyrics filled with not only clever wordplay but substance and depth. His storytelling was unlike no other and he did it while still maintaining to throw punchlines out left and right. Around the same time fellow Brooklyn native and friend of Biggie, Jay-Z was on the come up after spending years working with legends like Big Daddy Kane and Jaz-O trying to find his niche in the hip hop world. Jay brought the swagger in a way different from that of close friend Notorious B.I.G. Biggie was known as a Heavy D of sorts, an overweight lover. The man loved his Gucci and Versace but played more on the lines of “let me chill and get money and fuck bitches”. Jay-Z stepped it up in telling us how rich he was and why he could afford all that nice shit. Jay seemed to focus on not just the hustle, but the results of the hustle, the fruits of labor. While Biggie liked to lay back and chill Jay-Z went out on the town wearing the most expensive suits, driving the most expensive cars, ordering the most expensive drinks, and getting the most expensive girls. Jay-Z’s life was on top of the world, looking down at everyone who wanted to be up there with him. Don’t get it twisted though, Jay certainly didn’t hold back from the risks it takes to earn such a high life. From “Friend or Foe” and “Dead Presidents” it’s clear that work had to be put in to get where he was. But this was certainly someone who had been on top and could educate those below him on how hard it was to get there. “Regrets” and “Can I Live” brilliantly showcase how one’s rise to the top is never easy and how it takes a strong man to survive. He also displayed his knowledge by giving life lessons to young’ns looking for their entrance to the life of crime on “Coming of Age” where he teaches an aspiring rapper/dealer how to make it in the world where he is king.
In the end you have two works of art so similar yet so different in their descriptions of essentially the same thing, the world of drug dealing. The reality is that there are very few kingpins of the drug world and most of them will inevitably meet their demise through either arrest or assassination. It is ridiculous to idolize such ideals when they result in nothing but heartache and struggle and usually much worse, but as any true great author can make the reader actually feel as though they are a part of the story, Jay-Z and Raekwon have given the listener the ultimate experience of the drug dealing lifestyle. And they have done it from completely different viewpoints. Raekwon has given us the training camps and the two-a-days and the pre-season and even the playoffs, Jay-Z has given us the Finals, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the Tonight Show appearances following all those. Each artist holds nothing back in their accounts of one of the toughest professions for even the hardest of men, and yet each has a completely different vision of the world they live in. The lavish dining room with the bottle service and $50 plates of food doesn’t come without the hectic kitchen with sweltering heat and hunched over chefs busily working round the clock creating the delicacies. These records will give anyone who is interested the ability to see the two sides of the hustle, the ups and downs, the joy and pain, the struggle and the success. With both artists dropping new albums soon, Raekwon’s being titled “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2” and Jay-Z returning to his “Blueprint” label, this is a good time to remember how perfectly these two individuals presented us with something that most of us will never see up and close and personal but that all of us, through these albums, can feel like we at least got a peek in the door while being lucky enough to never have to walk in.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What the hell happened to Memphis Bleek?
“a G? i’ll ride wit chu for free, i want the long term riches and bitches”
We all remember little Memphis Bleek riding shotgun with Jay-Z back on “Reasonable Doubt”, then setting off “Hard Knock Life” over some sick DJ Premier production, releasing a solo album, and subsequently, well, fading away. Why did the right hand man of the arguably the best rapper of the last decade fall so hard and could it be that Jay-Z himself is actually to blame?
With probably the best entrance to the rap game one could ask for, Memphis Bleek was featured on Jay-Z’s first album “Reasonable Doubt” as the corner boy Hov was mentoring on the classic track “Coming of Age”. He proved back then that he had the flow and the swag (before swag existed) to carry himself alongside one of the future greats of rap (even though most assume that Jay wrote his verse). While he was noticeably absent from Jay’s second album, he reappeared on the multi-platinum “Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life” to wake everyone the fuck up on the album’s intro. Along with another couple guest spots on the same album, it was clear that Memphis Bleek had the ability to build a legitimate career in rap, but could he ever step out of the shadow of Jay-Z and in doing so would he ever be accepted as anything more than a sidekick to the greatest rapper of our time?
Following the release of Jay-Z’s highest selling album to date “Hard Knock Life”, Bleek’s debut album was nothing short of a disappointment. So often in hip hop a top notch MC tries to put on his boys (we saw Nelly do this with the St. Lunatics) and so often that weed carrier is nowhere near as good as his mentor, that’s why he’s the weed carrier. “Coming of Age” (the album, strategically named after the song that introduced little Malik Cox to the world) was no different in the eyes of most fans. In fact the only singles that ever gained any ground were featuring other Roc-A-Fella artists, most notably Jay-Z as well as Beanie Sigel. Poor promotion, lazy work, and other factors may have been involved but at the end of the day no one was running to the store looking to scoop up the first Bleek solo album. It did go gold but this was at a time when the economy was booming and just about every rap album would sell at least 250,000 so gold was almost looked at as a failure. Luckily for Bleek he didn’t need solo success since he had the Roc-A-Fella label and Jay to hold him down but one can only imagine that it was difficult being next to the giant and not even coming close to measuring up.
In 2000, shortly after the compilation album “The Dynasty” was released by Jay-Z, Bleek’s next solo album surfaced, “The Understanding”. There could be any number of reasons for this but it doesn’t seem smart to try to jump start someone’s career by piggy backing their release on top of yours (as the Pharrell assisted “I Just Wanna Love U” was topping every chart in the industry and therefore would make Bleek’s album nothing short of completely missed). Few people noticed the growth from the debut and while the album again went gold, it’s assumed that it sold mostly based on Jay-Z’s guest appearances and the Roc-A-Fella label alone. Once again standing next to the giant proved to be a downfall.
A few years went by and Jay-Z released two Blueprints on the hip hop community, featuring all together one verse from Memphis Bleek. It seemed as though Jay was moving further and further away from his protégé, but without setting him up for any real success of his own. The year 2003 would be one of the most important years in rap as we saw Jay-Z retire from rap with his swan song, “The Black Album”. Released one month after was “M.A.D.E.”, the third album from the man who would be king. This was the first truly classic Bleek album. Featuring production from Just Blaze at the height of his game (and Kanye West) and a guest list that most rappers could only dream about (Jay-Z, T.I., Nate Dogg, Trick Daddy, M.O.P., Beanie Sigel and Freeway) the album could easily have been the torch passing from teacher to student if not for being completely overshadowed by the teacher himself. Again it’s hard to understand why Jay would follow up what was clearly going to be a huge record in “The Black Album” only a month later with this Bleek release, and even though there were references to the little man taking the place of the big man, it was as overlooked as any other Bleek album simply because he had already been labeled as nothing more than a weed carrier. It did sell a record 150,000 copies in its first week but never picked up any steam with the various singles and has since been forgotten by most. This was essentially the moment when it was undeniable that Memphis Bleek would never achieve the notoriety and success he deserved.
Two years later we were given “534”, a lazy and wasted album thrown together in the midst of the Roc-A-Fella split between Jay-Z and Dame Dash. In all honesty the only good track on the entire album was actually a Jay-Z solo called “Dear Summer”. From here we’ve seen Bleek fall into obscurity and while he continues to try to push forward on his own with Get Low Records, making mixtapes and signing artists, seeing him in a Garnier commercial just about sealed the deal for him to become milk carton status in XXL.
What we can take from this man’s career is the fact that no one is good simply because they are co-signed by a legend. At the same time, a legend’s weed carrier isn’t necessarily bad, but getting out of the shadow of the legend is extremely difficult and the artist usually suffers because of it. Would Memphis Bleek have even made a splash if not for Jay-Z extensively promoting him? That’s a question we will never be able to answer but at the end of the day there is no doubt that no one will forget the young dealer on “Coming of Age” and hopefully we never forget how he grew into the beast that slaughtered “Hand it Down”. Go pick up M.A.D.E. and put yourself in that Black Album mindstate again, and enjoy one more Roc-A-Fella masterpiece, and next time you see the name Memphis Bleek on something, an album, a mixtape, a single, don’t just brush it off but instead check it out and see how some sidekicks truly can make great music.
We all remember little Memphis Bleek riding shotgun with Jay-Z back on “Reasonable Doubt”, then setting off “Hard Knock Life” over some sick DJ Premier production, releasing a solo album, and subsequently, well, fading away. Why did the right hand man of the arguably the best rapper of the last decade fall so hard and could it be that Jay-Z himself is actually to blame?
With probably the best entrance to the rap game one could ask for, Memphis Bleek was featured on Jay-Z’s first album “Reasonable Doubt” as the corner boy Hov was mentoring on the classic track “Coming of Age”. He proved back then that he had the flow and the swag (before swag existed) to carry himself alongside one of the future greats of rap (even though most assume that Jay wrote his verse). While he was noticeably absent from Jay’s second album, he reappeared on the multi-platinum “Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life” to wake everyone the fuck up on the album’s intro. Along with another couple guest spots on the same album, it was clear that Memphis Bleek had the ability to build a legitimate career in rap, but could he ever step out of the shadow of Jay-Z and in doing so would he ever be accepted as anything more than a sidekick to the greatest rapper of our time?
Following the release of Jay-Z’s highest selling album to date “Hard Knock Life”, Bleek’s debut album was nothing short of a disappointment. So often in hip hop a top notch MC tries to put on his boys (we saw Nelly do this with the St. Lunatics) and so often that weed carrier is nowhere near as good as his mentor, that’s why he’s the weed carrier. “Coming of Age” (the album, strategically named after the song that introduced little Malik Cox to the world) was no different in the eyes of most fans. In fact the only singles that ever gained any ground were featuring other Roc-A-Fella artists, most notably Jay-Z as well as Beanie Sigel. Poor promotion, lazy work, and other factors may have been involved but at the end of the day no one was running to the store looking to scoop up the first Bleek solo album. It did go gold but this was at a time when the economy was booming and just about every rap album would sell at least 250,000 so gold was almost looked at as a failure. Luckily for Bleek he didn’t need solo success since he had the Roc-A-Fella label and Jay to hold him down but one can only imagine that it was difficult being next to the giant and not even coming close to measuring up.
In 2000, shortly after the compilation album “The Dynasty” was released by Jay-Z, Bleek’s next solo album surfaced, “The Understanding”. There could be any number of reasons for this but it doesn’t seem smart to try to jump start someone’s career by piggy backing their release on top of yours (as the Pharrell assisted “I Just Wanna Love U” was topping every chart in the industry and therefore would make Bleek’s album nothing short of completely missed). Few people noticed the growth from the debut and while the album again went gold, it’s assumed that it sold mostly based on Jay-Z’s guest appearances and the Roc-A-Fella label alone. Once again standing next to the giant proved to be a downfall.
A few years went by and Jay-Z released two Blueprints on the hip hop community, featuring all together one verse from Memphis Bleek. It seemed as though Jay was moving further and further away from his protégé, but without setting him up for any real success of his own. The year 2003 would be one of the most important years in rap as we saw Jay-Z retire from rap with his swan song, “The Black Album”. Released one month after was “M.A.D.E.”, the third album from the man who would be king. This was the first truly classic Bleek album. Featuring production from Just Blaze at the height of his game (and Kanye West) and a guest list that most rappers could only dream about (Jay-Z, T.I., Nate Dogg, Trick Daddy, M.O.P., Beanie Sigel and Freeway) the album could easily have been the torch passing from teacher to student if not for being completely overshadowed by the teacher himself. Again it’s hard to understand why Jay would follow up what was clearly going to be a huge record in “The Black Album” only a month later with this Bleek release, and even though there were references to the little man taking the place of the big man, it was as overlooked as any other Bleek album simply because he had already been labeled as nothing more than a weed carrier. It did sell a record 150,000 copies in its first week but never picked up any steam with the various singles and has since been forgotten by most. This was essentially the moment when it was undeniable that Memphis Bleek would never achieve the notoriety and success he deserved.
Two years later we were given “534”, a lazy and wasted album thrown together in the midst of the Roc-A-Fella split between Jay-Z and Dame Dash. In all honesty the only good track on the entire album was actually a Jay-Z solo called “Dear Summer”. From here we’ve seen Bleek fall into obscurity and while he continues to try to push forward on his own with Get Low Records, making mixtapes and signing artists, seeing him in a Garnier commercial just about sealed the deal for him to become milk carton status in XXL.
What we can take from this man’s career is the fact that no one is good simply because they are co-signed by a legend. At the same time, a legend’s weed carrier isn’t necessarily bad, but getting out of the shadow of the legend is extremely difficult and the artist usually suffers because of it. Would Memphis Bleek have even made a splash if not for Jay-Z extensively promoting him? That’s a question we will never be able to answer but at the end of the day there is no doubt that no one will forget the young dealer on “Coming of Age” and hopefully we never forget how he grew into the beast that slaughtered “Hand it Down”. Go pick up M.A.D.E. and put yourself in that Black Album mindstate again, and enjoy one more Roc-A-Fella masterpiece, and next time you see the name Memphis Bleek on something, an album, a mixtape, a single, don’t just brush it off but instead check it out and see how some sidekicks truly can make great music.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Why Slaughterhouse is good for Hip Hop
Almost a year ago rapper Joe Budden put together 4 MCs on a track called “Slaughterhouse”. The idea behind this track was to get some of the most lyrical MCs all lacing a beat with 24 bars, back to back to back to back with no hook. The result was an epic track that was nothing short of a serious lyrical exercise. From that track (minus Nino Bless) the group Slaughterhouse was born. Consisting of Joe the Jersey native, Joell Ortiz from Brooklyn, Royce Da 5’9” from Detroit and Crooked I from Long Beach, this supergroup was really the first of its kind, something that 10 years ago before the boom of the internet could never really be imagined. This was 4 MC’s from different parts of the country all coming together on a song, which then turned into a few more songs (Onslaught, Wack MC’s, Move On). The closest thing we’d ever seen to this was the Four Horsemen group a few years back consisting of Canibus, Kurupt, Killah Priest and Ras Kass. That group, while getting together for a couple tracks, never really got that stability to make an entire album. Where that group left off, Slaughterhouse picked up, completing the idea of four top notch MCs forming a Symphony-like supergroup. For a number of reasons, this formation has been a huge boost for hip hop at a time when rumbles of the “death” of rap are still being spoken by fans and artists. For months there was a buzz about this group and when the decision to make an album finally happened the buzz picked up, gaining more and more ground in the hip hop community. Would the album be a solidified classic, or would these 4 minds clash in the process of recording an entire record? Would the result be an actual group album or a bunch of thrown together verses from four different MCs? We got lucky with this one…..
This first thing this collaboration shows is how hip hop is really about peace and love and not violence. These 4 MC’s came together for the love of rap regardless of where they are from. There is no bickering about east coast/west coast and the only “battling” of sorts is really between these 4 MC’s to all top one another. In fact these dudes have openly admitted that the competition to be the best has been a part of recording which is good for everyone involved, the MCs being on their best game and the fans receiving the hottest verses these guys can come up with. We also get the sense that these MCs really like each other and really have that chemistry that you can only hope for when such great talent comes together. The Lakers of 04 looked to be the best team ever assembled on paper but on the court they couldn’t put it together, something the Slaughterhouse crew has had no problem with at all. They are essentially the Pistons of the same NBA season, as individuals they are good but as a team they are unstoppable and the sum of all the parts is what creates the greatness. While Royce is the “apparent head” of the group, no one MC has been featured more over any other MC and none of them are quick to play the leader role.
This album has the potential to bring lyricism back to the game. Not to say that we’re gonna hear “The One” in the same rotation as the names they drop in the song, but the buzz that this group has generated will at least remind hip hop fans that sometimes a hot hook is not the only thing needed for a hot track. Rather than collapse under the pressure of maintaining lyrical integrity while also making something for the radio, Slaughterhouse has created an album that plays through like any solo artist’s major label release. Shared verses, hot hooks, blazing production, all these elements have combined to make an album as opposed to a bunch of tracks with all 4 MCs on it. Most MCs of this caliber would have made an album that wouldn’t be accessible by the majority of hip hop fans. Not to say it wouldn’t have been good but with this much verbal ability usually a couple issues arise. The first is always production. Artists get so concerned with making the hottest verses that they fail to put as much time and effort into getting the best beats possible for the project and sacrifice a hot song by using a boring beat. The other flaw is typically the desire to create such incredible bars that the double entendres and punchlines are overdone and therefore aren’t noticed or aren’t understood by the majority of listeners. So for the average listener it goes way over their head and they get bored and turn it off. Neither of these flaws were apparent in an album fueled by brilliant punchlines, simple and advanced, and blazing hot production. Putting aside the greatness of the group themselves, this is a solid album.
Slaughterhouse has brought back an idea gone from rap for years now, a group. There hasn’t been a rap “group” on the edge of the mainstream in quite some time now. Little Brother is about as close as it gets to a popular rap group and even they have lived in the underground with only producer 9th Wonder (now gone from the group) getting any real type of shine. In the age where a solo artist has guests on every track, Slaughterhouse has brought back the idea that more heads are better than one and that rap superstar status is not only achieved through being a solo artist with a hit single. In fact what really makes this interesting is the fact that all 4 of these artists have tried and arguably failed at making legitimate solo careers. Crooked I has been shunned since the Death Row days, Joell Ortiz was Rakim-ed from Aftermath, Joe Budden has been the victim of industry bullshit since before he even dropped his first album and Royce has failed to ever live up to the shadow in his life that is Eminem. Rather than be bitter and die out like 99% of rappers in their situations (each of the original Four Horsemen being perfect examples) they have become stronger as a group. Hip hop’s early days saw the Treacherous Three, the Furious Five, N.W.A, Three Times Dope and Stetsasonic. The Native Tongues, Wu-Tang Clan and Naughty By Nature, as well as many others, all brought that group element to the genre and were better because of it (obviously some of these groups produced legitimate solo careers for some members but for every solo artist, the group was the origin and undeniably the reason for the solo career success). Nowadays it’s about which artist is hot, MIMS, Drake, Soulja Boy, Fabolous, Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye West, all these solo artists have created hot music but the energy rises when you have that group effort with that group dynamic and more minds than one working on a project.
Finally Slaughterhouse has given us hope for the future of hip hop. They lit a match and sparked the game back up in a time when everyone is complaining about auto-tune and skinny jeans. When the hottest tracks on the radio are nothing more than a hook with artificial singing and a lazy 2-word-a-line rap verse these four MCs have knocked down the walls of manufactured music and created a soundscape that any and all hip hop fans can appreciate. Whether you’re a backpacker who needs “Microphone” and “Lyrical Murderers” to remind you that darts are still the name of the game or a casual fan who can get into party tracks like “The One” and “Not Tonight”, the Slaughterhouse crew and their debut album gives every fan of hip hop something to bump and a reason to be happy about hip hop in 2009.
This first thing this collaboration shows is how hip hop is really about peace and love and not violence. These 4 MC’s came together for the love of rap regardless of where they are from. There is no bickering about east coast/west coast and the only “battling” of sorts is really between these 4 MC’s to all top one another. In fact these dudes have openly admitted that the competition to be the best has been a part of recording which is good for everyone involved, the MCs being on their best game and the fans receiving the hottest verses these guys can come up with. We also get the sense that these MCs really like each other and really have that chemistry that you can only hope for when such great talent comes together. The Lakers of 04 looked to be the best team ever assembled on paper but on the court they couldn’t put it together, something the Slaughterhouse crew has had no problem with at all. They are essentially the Pistons of the same NBA season, as individuals they are good but as a team they are unstoppable and the sum of all the parts is what creates the greatness. While Royce is the “apparent head” of the group, no one MC has been featured more over any other MC and none of them are quick to play the leader role.
This album has the potential to bring lyricism back to the game. Not to say that we’re gonna hear “The One” in the same rotation as the names they drop in the song, but the buzz that this group has generated will at least remind hip hop fans that sometimes a hot hook is not the only thing needed for a hot track. Rather than collapse under the pressure of maintaining lyrical integrity while also making something for the radio, Slaughterhouse has created an album that plays through like any solo artist’s major label release. Shared verses, hot hooks, blazing production, all these elements have combined to make an album as opposed to a bunch of tracks with all 4 MCs on it. Most MCs of this caliber would have made an album that wouldn’t be accessible by the majority of hip hop fans. Not to say it wouldn’t have been good but with this much verbal ability usually a couple issues arise. The first is always production. Artists get so concerned with making the hottest verses that they fail to put as much time and effort into getting the best beats possible for the project and sacrifice a hot song by using a boring beat. The other flaw is typically the desire to create such incredible bars that the double entendres and punchlines are overdone and therefore aren’t noticed or aren’t understood by the majority of listeners. So for the average listener it goes way over their head and they get bored and turn it off. Neither of these flaws were apparent in an album fueled by brilliant punchlines, simple and advanced, and blazing hot production. Putting aside the greatness of the group themselves, this is a solid album.
Slaughterhouse has brought back an idea gone from rap for years now, a group. There hasn’t been a rap “group” on the edge of the mainstream in quite some time now. Little Brother is about as close as it gets to a popular rap group and even they have lived in the underground with only producer 9th Wonder (now gone from the group) getting any real type of shine. In the age where a solo artist has guests on every track, Slaughterhouse has brought back the idea that more heads are better than one and that rap superstar status is not only achieved through being a solo artist with a hit single. In fact what really makes this interesting is the fact that all 4 of these artists have tried and arguably failed at making legitimate solo careers. Crooked I has been shunned since the Death Row days, Joell Ortiz was Rakim-ed from Aftermath, Joe Budden has been the victim of industry bullshit since before he even dropped his first album and Royce has failed to ever live up to the shadow in his life that is Eminem. Rather than be bitter and die out like 99% of rappers in their situations (each of the original Four Horsemen being perfect examples) they have become stronger as a group. Hip hop’s early days saw the Treacherous Three, the Furious Five, N.W.A, Three Times Dope and Stetsasonic. The Native Tongues, Wu-Tang Clan and Naughty By Nature, as well as many others, all brought that group element to the genre and were better because of it (obviously some of these groups produced legitimate solo careers for some members but for every solo artist, the group was the origin and undeniably the reason for the solo career success). Nowadays it’s about which artist is hot, MIMS, Drake, Soulja Boy, Fabolous, Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye West, all these solo artists have created hot music but the energy rises when you have that group effort with that group dynamic and more minds than one working on a project.
Finally Slaughterhouse has given us hope for the future of hip hop. They lit a match and sparked the game back up in a time when everyone is complaining about auto-tune and skinny jeans. When the hottest tracks on the radio are nothing more than a hook with artificial singing and a lazy 2-word-a-line rap verse these four MCs have knocked down the walls of manufactured music and created a soundscape that any and all hip hop fans can appreciate. Whether you’re a backpacker who needs “Microphone” and “Lyrical Murderers” to remind you that darts are still the name of the game or a casual fan who can get into party tracks like “The One” and “Not Tonight”, the Slaughterhouse crew and their debut album gives every fan of hip hop something to bump and a reason to be happy about hip hop in 2009.
Monday, August 10, 2009
We Care Too Much
By this time everyone in the hip hop community is aware of an altercation that took place this weekend between Joe Budden and Wu-Tang’s Raekwon. This history of this situation, in short is as follows: Joe says Method Man ain’t as good as Vibe ranked him, the Wu-Tang gets pissed and rallies around Meth, Deck releases a diss track, Joe says “no comment”, then proceeds to comment all over the situation, deads it with a video apologizing to Meth but leaves open the idea that he will retaliate to anyone else who wants to talk shit. Enter Saturday afternoon.
Now as one of the few hundred people who was watching Budden’s live stream I’ll be the first to say that it was clear that Raekwon meant business when he walked up in that room. It was also clear that Joe was straight up shook when Rae sat down and starting asking questions and making accusations. What happened after that is all speculation since the feed cut out but when Joe came back it was clear he had taken a shot to the eye. Joe then proceeded to call the incident a “faggot move” and has since been absent from his usual daily video blogging.
In the hip hop world, beef is as essential as beats and rhymes it seems. However what used to be lyrical beefs, two MCs battling for control of the microphone at a block party, has become two egos battling for control of the public perception and fighting to maintain their status as being “real”. And while hip hop has certainly seen its share of physical beatdowns (KRS-One catapulting PM Dawn the fuck off stage), the internet age has allowed us to see, with our own eyes, while in the confines of our safe homes, the confrontations and subsequent beat downs of these artists. There are some lessons to be learned from this incident.
1. When you talk some shit, you better be able to back it up. Joe Budden has consistently throughout his career defined himself as the anti-rapper, the MC who is “real” simply by not subscribing to the “gangsta” image of rappers so prevalent and necessary to maintaining stability. The results of this are 3,000 records sold instead of 30,000 or 300,000. You can’t blame the guy for not faking, but at the same time dude has spoken some pretty harsh words regarding many subjects and artists in the game. In fact if people reacted to “Who Killed Hip Hop” the way they reacted to “How To Rob” then every single MC, past and present, would be calling for Budden’s head. At the end of the day though most rappers have realized that what is spoken on record stays on record, although most rappers aren’t talking as much shit as Joe Budden. This guy consistently gets on his live stream and discusses his opinions of other rappers, of rap in general, and of all the bullshit surrounding the entire genre, and has openly challenged any and all rappers to come at him if they wanna battle. The problem is that his bark is much worse than his bite, and this incident proves just that.
2. Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta Fuck Wit. This isn’t the first time in which a Wu-Tang member has been involved in an altercation, remember years back when a journalist had his ass beat for writing a bad article? You got a group of 9 (R.I.P. Dirt) mafuckas who came in the game swingin’ and haven’t forgotten who they are. While Joe Budden is a rapper’s rapper, an aspiring MC since youth, a writer and an artist, and a huge fan in general. The Wu-Tang Clan is a collective group of mafuckas who put in their work and just happened to be sick with the mic as well. The backgrounds of Wu members differ immensely from the background of Joe Budden. Hip Hop helped Wu-Tang escape the street life, for Joe Budden hip hop is a life he chose simply because of his love for it. That means, at the end of the day, that Wu-Tang will handle shit the way they been handling it and the way they grew up handling it, which is to say they will smack a mafucka upside the head if he’s talking shit. Joe Budden will also handle shit the way he been handling shit, by making a diss track and talking all types of shit. The lesson here is “know your competition”, something Joe Budden clearly failed to do before going at an entire group of serious mafuckas.
3. We as fans have need to check ourselves. I’ll be the first to admit that watching the pot boil was exciting. Between Rae’s demeanor and Joe’s shookness, I could tell we were in for something good, but what exactly is good about one rapper smacking up another rapper? Aren’t rappers a minority anyway? Aren’t rappers always being hated on by everyone else including media, parents groups, politicians, and just about anyone who isn’t a diehard fan of the genre? Why make it worse by a)infighting when our image is already bad and b)giving those groups more fire to rage against us. Battles are the lifeblood of hip hop but it’s LYRICAL battles we are supposed to be excited about, not physical altercations that further the stereotype of “violent gangsta rap” that Bill O’Reilly gets off on reporting. This shit ain’t a reality show, it’s fucking reality, and at the end of the day the fans are too excited about seeing a mafucka get his dome split (myself included) when we should be saying “hey, chill the fuck out”.
Now as more and more facts come out (and hopefully the IceWaterTV video of the whole incident) I’m sure we will get more information regarding while this whole incident took place but between the hip hop sites and the online buzz, this altercation is getting some serious attention and many of the people involved in the discussion are placing far too much emphasis on the hilariousness of Joe Budden getting punched in the eye (@mousebuddenseye on twitter says it all). Instead of laughing at how a rapper best known for being angry and bitter while having one hit 5 years ago, let’s take two things from the situation.
1. We don’t know these mafuckas like we think we do. It’s one thing to be a fan but to these people it’s real life. If someone talks some shit about Wu-Tang, the Wu-Tang members gonna take issue and they WILL back up their words with actions. They’ve never been a “words-only” type of group and this incident proved once and for all that they are as “real” as it gets (I hate when people use that word but it fits here). We can headphone it up all day getting lost in the street tales and imagery we’re fed by the Wu but we gotta remember that a lot of what they spit is taken directly from their eyes and ears, and if we actually think about that while listening, we’ll realize that these dudes have seen some shit that none of us would ever wanna be around.
2. Shameless discussion of these incidents will only further the problem. Yes it’s funny to laugh at Joey’s eye or the authority with which Raekwon stormed up in the room and ran shit, but this is not a good look for hip hop and it isn’t good for anyone involved. Even though the Wu proved once again that they ain’t to be fucked with, and even though Joe proved once and for all that he is all talk, this could have escalated past the point of an ice water banada and a black eye and we should all be happy it ended when it did. Violence is inevitable when dealing with people who have had to resort to it in their lives, but as outsiders we shouldn’t be voyeurs to this kind of behavior and celebrate it, because none of us would want to be in that situation.
My prediction is that Joe Budden’s career is essentially over. It was bad enough when he was “that Pump It Up guy”, then he became that “angry bitter pissed off Pump It Up guy” but now he’s in the same boat as Yung Berg and Drake and The Game as nothing more than a joke, a novelty, “that rapper who got punched in the eye”. He hasn’t had a single since Pump It Up, has sold maybe 10 copies of his last 14 albums combined and recently has been known as the “Internet Blog Rapper best known for showing off his wife’s ass”. The list of labels for dude has gotten worse and worse over time. This is most likely the nail in the coffin, and we’re the ones putting it there by subscribing to the idea that rap beefs are supposed to escalate to this. Keep it real.
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