Category Archives: Rootbeer Thoughts

RPHH Presents: Top 10 Projects of the Year

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

First off, rather than create a separate list for mixtapes and albums I figured I’d just pick the 10 best projects and make a list so for anyone that missed out on any of these, there wouldn’t be an overwhelming amount of shit to catch up on. Also, this is a list based mostly on my own opinion, in fact since I’m writing it, it’s entirely based on my opinion. So if an album or tape isn’t listed that you feel should be on here, too fucking bad. I did, however, address a couple records that didn’t make the cut and explained why below so before you flip out that Life is Good isn’t on the list, look at my explanation as to why.

WHAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT –>

Nas – Life is Good – It’s not that this album sucked, in fact, “A Queen’s Story” is one of the best songs ever in the extensive catalog of Nas. But what keeps this album off the list is how badly it drops off after the first 6 songs. Not to mention, the majority of the solid tracks leaked before the album, so when I finally get a record, and only 1 or 2 songs I haven’t heard are actually good, it doesn’t help keep the energy up for the whole record. If this shit was an EP of the first 5-6 songs it would be #1 on the list, but the boring shit on the second half just made me fall asleep and I’m not putting this on the list just because everyone loves it mostly because it’s the first halfway decent thing Nas has dropped in a decade.

The Alchemist – Russian Roulette – The fact is, this album was on the list, until the Jeezy tape dropped. I didn’t plan on putting the Jeezy tape on this list until I listened to it for a week straight and realized that it really did deserve a spot. And so because of that, something had to drop off, and unfortunately it was this amazing effort from Alchemist which is part instrumental/part dope collaborations. Left field albums are always a favorite of critics and this was no different, and for good reason. The production alone was magnificent, and with assistance from Fashawn, Big Twins and Guilty Simpson, it easily makes this record one of the most slept on of the year.

 

TOP 10 OF THE YEAR –>

Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killa

The diversity alone of Gangsta Gibbs makes him one of the best rappers in the game today. Simply put, he’s a rapper’s rapper. He can outflow anyone and everyone, and his maturity and style is such that he can go in over any type of beat, whether it’s laid back, hyped up, or a curve ball from Madlib. On this tape, Gibbs really showcased how versatile he is, as he tackled new styles while still staying true to what he’s best at, rapping. The intro alone is one of the hardest tracks of the year, with the first verse setting off the tape in a way that makes you wanna duct tape your neighbors until they tell you the combination to their safe. Sprinkled all throughout this smoke filled tape are jewels like “The Hard”, “Krazy” with Jadakiss and Jay Rock, the auto-tuned “Bout It Bout It” with Kirko Bangz, and quite possibly the most smoked out track of the year which easily gets my vote for hidden gem of the year, “Boxframe Cadillac (83 Deville Mix)” with Z-Ro. Too many rappers make an album filled with the same shit for 17 tracks, Gibbs delivers a collection of songs with something for everyone and he brings his A game on every track.

Maino Presents – The Mafia

I spoke at length on this project already but basically these guys are like the new Diplomats. You got Maino at the head, PUSH! as the MVP and the others fall perfectly into place on this tape filled with hood anthems and bars on bars on bars. This is what New York rap is supposed to sound like. The beats are hype, the verses are filled with rawness, emotion and truth, and the result is a project that you can play from start to finish without getting bored or needing to skip a single song. Whether it’s the introduction to the Mafia where everyone sets the bar incredibly high, the deepness of “Bury Me a G”, the hypeness of “Black Batmobile”, or the harsh truth’s of the PUSH! solo joint “Black Mask”, every track is up to par. PUSH! is easily the next up in New York as his honesty and originality are such a breath of fresh air in a rap environment that’s gotten too one dimensional. His talents are put on display on this tape and alongside the rest of Maino’s Mafia, this is the album that’s gotten more spins than anything else for me this year.

Troy Ave – Bricks In My Backpack 3: The Harry Powder Trilogy

It’s amazing to see the growth of Troy Ave since his first Bricks tape, where he gave us the rawest street raps possible, to a second tape filled with hopes and dreams of a sky that had no limits, to what he delivered on the third installment which displays an incredibly maturity and really functions as more of an album than just another mixtape. As he begins the tape reminiscing on past rhymes, the air is chilled and the blunt is sparked, the room begins to fill up with the scent and sound of powder. Then as the tape moves forward, street anthems emerge, over the top boasting comes about on “Coke-A-Mania”, and risks are taken on tracks like “Snow” and “Super Cool”. Troy isn’t just making street music anymore, he’s making complete songs that hit all styles of hip hop, and he does them all with confidence and skill. “R.N.S.” is hyped as fuck, “Merlot Pt. 2” is proof that sequels can absolutely be a step up even when the original is already dope, and “Red Cup” remains the absolute best summer anthem since Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince almost 20 years ago gave us “Summertime”. Troy closed out the Bricks in My Backpack trilogy in the best way possible, proving that with time and motivation, growth is possible as he raised the bar each time to deliver more and more of that gettin’ money music to an ever-growing fan base.

The Weeknd – Trilogy

It’s beyond impressive that The Weeknd managed to sell almost 100K units of this considering it was 3 previously released free mixtapes with only 3 new bonus tracks attached but that speaks to how absolutely amazing this music is. House of Balloons is still the pinnacle, but Thursday is also a gem, while Echoes of Silence has hints of brilliance sprinkled throughout, even if the overall project suffers a little bit, mostly due to not living up to the perfection that is the first two (especially House of Balloons). Basically this is new wave R&B that oozes sex in every way possible while giving us crooning for days and powerful production, and after being remastered it’s clear why this is some of the best music to drop in years.

Chris Brown – Fortune

Put all your personal opinions of Chris Brown, the man, to the side, this is a great fucking album. From start to finish this record is sequenced perfectly, has hyped up club anthems (“Turn Up The Music”, “Don’t Wake Me Up”), straight up boom bap (“Mirage”) and plenty of songs for the ladies in between that still are dope enough that as a guy you aren’t embarrassed to admit you love this shit, even a joint like “Stuck on Stupid” which every mafucka has to admit they can relate to. If there was an album of the year award it would have to go to this, as even though the mixtape game was on fire this year, the proper retail album gem is easily Fortune. The artist Chris Brown has proved time and time again his ability to make great music and this album takes it to a whole other level.

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.A.D. city

Before this album dropped, I didn’t see the appeal of this young Compton MC. I had listened to section.80 and some other mixtape and just couldn’t get into his whole style. This record though, it made me realize just how much talent this kid really has and how complete of an album he was able to make. It helps that the record is basically a narrative from start to finish, but with gems like “Swimming Pools” and the epic Just Blaze anthem “Compton” along with the beautiful “Poetic Justice” track featuring Drake. This is a great album, and anyone who appreciates good music should recognize what Kendrick has done here. It may not be something you blast in the whip regularly, but when you play this straight through it’s like watching a movie that is captivating for the full duration. This record proved that you can still make thought provoking conceptual music in 2012 and it’s appreciated and for that Kendrick Lamar has achieved well deserving success with his proper debut album.

The Man With The Iron Fists – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Yup, a soundtrack made the list. Combining both old school soul with real raw rap and a marriage of both with Kanye’s beautiful “White Dress”, this is the first amazing soundtrack we’ve gotten in hip hop in years (50’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin” soundtrack was probably the last). Whether it’s the reunion of the Wu-Tang on “Six Degrees of Boxing” or a solo joint from affiliate Killa Sin, or even covers of old soul songs like “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”, this eclectic mix of music forms the perfect background to a movie that more than lived up to its hype, and showcases the influence of RZA throughout the years. Wu-Tang is all over this, along with some of the biggest names of today like Pusha and Freddie Gibbs, and the diversity of the tape makes for a journey of sound that only RZA could compose, complementing what was an incredible directorial effort in the movie.

OC & Apollo Brown – Trophies

Every underground artist believes they are gonna reinvent the wheel by rapping multi-syllabic nonsense over boom bap production, OC & Apollo Brown actually made a great record by doing just that. If you like Flocka or Rick Ross then this album probably isn’t for you. But if you like to call back to the days of tims and hoodies, and you want something that actually sounds good and features a razor sharp lyricist working with one of the most consistent producers in the game right now, then this album is for you. It’s start to finish raw raps, with knowledge and storytelling at the highest level, and enough proof to remind you why O.C. is one of the best to ever do it. You can only go to the clubs at night, so when you need to ingest a heavy meal of hip hop, this is the album that meets that requirement.

2 Chainz – Based on a T.R.U. Story

Say what you want about 2 Chainz, but he makes catchy fucking music. “No Lie” was one of the best singles this year, Nicki Minaj dropped her best (only good) verse since “Monster”, and “I’m Different” was just the right amount of simplicity to work. “Yuck” was just plain dope and introduced an album full of what is now commonly referred to as “brilliant ignorance”, highlighted especially on “Birthday Song”. 2 Chainz is arrogant and isn’t winning any “lyricist of the year” awards, but he has a great personality and the result is an overall solid debut. And when you get a guest verse from Scarface, you know it’s something special, as 2 Chainz is able to run the gauntlet of not just easy ignorant club anthems but also truly deep music that opens your mind.

Young Jeezy – Its Tha World

This tape only been out for a week, how can it possibly make a “best of the year” list? Simple, because it’s really that good. From the jump, Jeezy once again gives evidence as to why he’s the best at making intros. Then you got “Knob Broke” which sets off the tape on some crazy hype shit. Gems all over this project, and surprisingly a lot of straight up solo tracks. The guest spots work well, as 2 Chainz drops a verse on the club-ready “R.I.P.”, and 40 Water blesses “All The Same”. The hypeman work of Lody on “How It Feel” is epic, and you already know that “Get Right” is a fucking anthem. Coming off one of the best albums of his career, it’s only right that Jeezy delivered another dope mixtape, and while this has been on repeat for a week straight I doubt it’s coming out of the deck anytime soon, thus giving it a deserving spot on this list.

No, Kendrick Lamar’s Album is Not a Classic…Yet

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

This topic needs to be addressed now more than ever. The problem is constant, but the recent release of Kendrick Lamar’s album has brought this issue front and center. What I’m talking about is the overusage of the word “classic”. I’ve gone in about this before, whether in full posts or a mention here and there, but it’s time to bring the discussion back to the forefront as the record is barely a week old and it’s already being heralded as the next “classic” rap album. That shit needs to stop.

good kid, m.A.A.d. City is amazing, no doubt. And especially as someone who is not a fan of Section.80 or any of Kendrick’s other earlier work, it really says a lot that I loved the album. Now, his voice is still kinda annoying to me, and I still think he’s being way overhyped, but I have no problem recognizing good music when I hear it, and this is straight up good music, start to finish. The album flows brilliantly, all the skits fit and even the length of some of the songs didn’t bore me or have me pressing next. Basically the record is solid. And if it wasn’t for the many other albums that I’d rather listen to I would probably be bumping this regularly, but the fact is even though I actually really liked this effort from the young Compton rapper, his music is just not for me. It is good that I can finally understand why people love this kid’s music so much, but you won’t catch me at any traffic light with this album blaring from my speakers.

Point is, the record is great, but all over Twitter and the forums (both of which I’ll be the first to admit are full of people looking for attention, but also plenty of honest opinions), people are calling this shit a classic. One of the definitions of the word “classic” is that it has “lasting interest or significance”. How in the fuck does that apply to an album that’s a week old? The fact is, in a year this shit could be forgotten. Now I’m not saying it will be cause it probably won’t, but we’ve all had that album that we played nonstop for a month thinking it was the best shit ever, only to return to it a couple years later and find ourselves skipping like half the songs we once thought were so amazing (good example is basically every Nas album since It Was Written). At the time, I thought Hip Hop Is Dead was damn near flawless, but I only bump like 4 tracks from it now, same with Untitled. I ain’t trying to shit on Nas here, he’s just an easy example. At the same time, I thought Teflon Don was great when I first heard it, but still thought Deeper Than Rap was better. Two years later and I consider Teflon Don to not only be a classic but to be the best Rick Ross album (cue people telling me my whole article is irrelevant now because I’m a Rick Ross fan).

What you love today you might only like tomorrow, and what is average today might be a classic 10 years from now. My point being, let that shit marinate before you call it a “classic”, because otherwise you’re just taking away the impact of the word and as a result you’re making truly classic albums less valuable in the overall discussion. Part of it may be the desperation to find the next “classic” in what many people think is a hip hop market that’s been lacking in great music over the past few years. But rather than labeling every halfway decent album a classic just to argue that there’s still good hip hop out there, how about actually taking the time to really reflect on an album and if it’s still got replay value in a year or so, then label it a classic. Otherwise you’re just overhyping a bunch of mediocre projects, giving those “real hip hop” fans even more of a reason to say hip hop is dead.

The Mafia…..The new Diplomats?

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Ten years ago the mixtape was revived with the success of 50 Cent & G-Unit turning a run of mixtapes into one of the greatest rap albums ever made, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. At the same (damn) time, Cam’ron and The Diplomats were also heavy in the streets with their Diplomats series of tapes that culminated in one of the best double rap albums ever made, Diplomatic Immunity. The formula for the Diplomats was one of a leadership role by Cam’ron, with Jim Jones and Juelz Santana playing front court while a slew of other talented artists known as Dipset came in off the bench to deliver street raps and punchlines over epic production. We look back now and see the classic run that Dipset made and it’s incredible how Killa assembled such a great group of rappers with such chemistry and made such an impact in the game. Fast forward to today and we got one of the best mixtapes out right now consisting of the same formula, only this time instead of Cam and the Dips, it’s Maino and the Mafia, and the comparisons are endless and incredible, while the music is still just as fire.

The mixtape, headed by Maino, features PUSH!, Lucky Don, Twigg Martin and Hustle Hard Mouse. From front to back the level of energy is hyper than a Meek Mill record and the level of lyricism is on point. I’ve spoken on PUSH! (formerly PUSH! Montana) here before but I just have to reiterate that this MC is not to be slept on. Dead ass, PUSH! has every positive quality that Jay had from the jump, a vicious flow, emotion, and wordplay that forces you to play back verses multiple times just to catch every brilliant line he spits. I’m not overexaggerating when I say that PUSH! is one of the best rappers in the game right now. And that’s where the comparison to the Diplomats is all that more impressive, they never had anyone as lyrical as PUSH!. Jim Jones and Juelz were greater counterparts to Cam’s star power but neither have bars as quotable as PUSH!, so The Mafia is like a Bulls championship team, with Maino and PUSH! as the Jordan and Pippen. I’ve also never seen anyone put on for his team as much as Maino does. This tape isn’t about him, it’s about The Mafia. While Maino has a couple of verses, he mostly sticks to doing hooks on tracks and lets the crew put their talents on display, even giving a couple artists (including PUSH!) their own solo tracks. The result is a powerhouse tape full of anthems and straight up raw lyrics, it’s kind of like what a Slaughterhouse album should have been.

The other three in the crew can’t be overlooked either. Lucky Don is a beast on the mic, and honestly he vocally reminds me of Hell Rell. Hustle Hard Mouse got a style that’s simple but effective. He lays out bars that need no reflection but make their point, and that’s important to be able to get people to easily relate and understand. Finally you got Twigg Martin who rounds out the swag in the group, and has one of the most exuberant personalities on the mic. His lyrical abilities can’t go unnoticed either as he certainly has the bars to match with his peers.

Whether or not the magic of the Diplomats will reoccur with The Mafia is left to be seen. But if they keep making music like this tape there’s no doubt their impact will be felt. While artists like Meek Mill are at the forefront of the street rap game on the mainstream side, groups like The Mafia as well as artists like Troy Ave and Freddie Gibbs are the true MVPs of the genre, and as PUSH! says on his brilliant When PUSH! Comes To Shove Vol. 2 tape, “as long as there’s gangsta shit in these streets that’s going on, there’s gonna be gangsta shit in these songs”, meaning that there always be a market for this type of hip hop, and as far as right now today, no one is coming close to matching the level of talent that The Mafia is delivering.

The BET Hip Hop Awards Is Already the Show of the Year

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Look, I ain’t advocating violence, but it’s about damn time something happened. It’s been boring as hell recently. I ain’t been writing shit but half-reviews of albums, bringing up shit from damn near 10 years ago just to complain about why an artist today ain’t never really gonna be shit, and I even recently scrapped an article that was basically just gonna be a reaction piece to some old ass dude who felt it necessary to write a review of an album he knew he was gonna hate but he still chose to take the time to listen to only to rip it apart for the most trivial of shit. When the frequent and tired rants of Lupe Fiasco damn near become the subject of 600 words from me, it means shit is dead. So yeah, I’m happy that something finally happened that’s worth discussing. I’m of course talking about the shooting at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

We don’t know much yet. We got a couple twitter statuses, and a short report from HipHopDX, but it seems that the boiling beef between Rick Ross and Young Jeezy finally reared its ugly head at an awards show that used to be awesome for the freestyle cyphers but after seeing this year’s lineup I give zero fucks about anybody except for RZA and maybe DMX (he could rip it, you never know). I was beginning to wonder how many more “fuck boys” would have to be uttered before Jeezy finally handled his business, and after I stopped counting at around 8 it’s nice to see that some shit finally came from this.

The history ain’t much. Rick Ross called Jeezy a fuck boy, Jeezy said Rick was disrespecting BMF, Rozay called Jeezy a fuck boy, then Jeezy made a better album while “We push nothing back but tops” Maybach Music delayed God Forgives, I Don’t for half a year. There were some more “fuck boys” in there but the point is, two artists who are easily a dream collaboration for me instead decided to hate each other, which is surprisingly since it’s usually the New York artists who can’t work together which is why NY is losing right now while the South is (was) winning.

Again, make no mistake, this shit ain’t good. Sure it’s entertaining for those of us who weren’t there, or have to deal with the repercussions. I read that the gunman was arrested and I never like hearing about people getting arrested so that ain’t cool. The chance for Fox News to decide to all of a sudden pay attention to hip hop again just so they can inevitably publish an article claiming rap is responsible for violence even though violence has been occurring in society for millions of years ain’t cool. The comments section of any news site that does cover this incident won’t be cool. But what is cool is that beef in hip hop is finally back. Call me ignorant, but as I sit here in the comfort of my apartment in a semi-safe neighborhood with the new Gibbs tape on repeat, I’m laughing at the fuckery going on in the hip hop world, as we’re finally seeing more than just subliminal bars and half denials of shit talking. After 50 Cent made it cool to diss everyone for no reason at all, and Jay-Z made it cool to never drop names or admit to calling out anyone ever (“tell them ordinary Joe’s Budden button up”, come on) it’s kinda refreshing to know that all beefs don’t result in bitchassness like bottles being thrown and “fuck _____ and anybody who love ‘em” tweets. Ignorance is bliss, and I’m in hip hop paradise right now.

It’s Gonna Be a Short (Cruel) Summer

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Most anticipated album of the year? Yeah probably. Aside from the follow up to Rick Ross’ best effort yet, the G.O.O.D. Music label’s debut compilation album has been much discussed ever since it was initially announced (as are most Kanye projects) and so now that the dust has settled and the album is out the critiques begin. In a year that’s seen multiple disappointments, from the aforementioned Rozay album (not saying it’s bad, cause it’s dope, but it’s too long with about 3-4 tracks of filler that should have been cut), to the D12….I mean Slaughterhouse album, and now with the destruction of The Weeknd’s best song for a rerelease which is apparently a reworking of his masterful trilogy, the only thing to fall back on (aside from still hoping for the Cousin Bang and Killa Season 2 movies) is Cruel Summer.

So is the album any good? I mean yeah, it’s good. The real question is, what were you expecting? It’s always best to go into any Kanye project with zero expectations. Since his debut, the man has not exactly followed protocol or adhered to standards, he’s set his own. This is the same artist who dropped a classic, I mean for real a CLASSIC, in 2004, and then followed it up the next year with a completely different sound. Oh but Late Registration was still fire right? Sure, but why stick with that formula when you can change it up again for Graduation? And of course, following what some still call his best album he went completely past left field and into the parking lot for 808s and Heartbreak. So even expecting a sound similar to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Watch the Throne for this album will only cause confusion and disappointment.

First off, this is not a Kanye album. This is a compilation of different artists and sounds put together by the musical genius himself, so it’s incredibly diverse and as usual, very different from whatever else is out there. I’m not one for song-by-song reviews but basically if you’re looking for an album full of “Mercy” and “Clique” it won’t happen. The bangers were released already, that’s why they’re singles, while something like “Sin City” or the beautiful “The One” are album cuts. “New God Flow” is the song of the year, with the added Ghostface verse pushing it over the top, and as hilarious as it was, removing Kanye’s call-and-response to himself was the right move. The rest you gotta check for yourself, but make sure you go in with an open mind and remember that this is the same man responsible for completely changing his style multiple times, and creating 5 classic albums in the process.

In all honesty this has been a weak year for hip hop. I personally didn’t like the second MMG effort although following a lot of great reviews I think I may have skimmed through it rather than really listened to it. I covered the Slaughterhouse mess already and I should have known that Rick Ross couldn’t follow up a truly flawless album with anything less than a semi-disappointment. And nobody wants to hear Nas in 2012 other than unemployed college students and 35 year old auto mechanics so save that Life is Good shit for someone who can tolerate 70 minutes of “back in the day I wore British Knights”. With nothing on the horizon for the end of the year aside from what could be the return of the classic rap soundtrack and an album from the most consistent member of the Wu-Tang, this G.O.O.D. Music disc might be all we got to take us into 2013, and like most Kanye albums it’s probably a good thing we have so much time to digest it as it usually takes a minute to really get everything he’s doing on an album. Genius don’t take one spin to realize.

Oh and speaking of genius, there’s no way that Ghost and Rae essentially spitting back to back on Cruel Summer is a coincidence, that’s gotta just be more of the brilliance of the greatest artist of our time.

Less is More or How Eminem Ruined Slaughterhouse

Posted on by — 10 Comments ↓

Unless you have a sense of morality (in which case you’re a Frank Ocean…or the opposite…shit I’m already rambling) you’ve had a chance to check out the Slaughterhouse album which dropped on Wednesday. If you haven’t checked out the hour and 20 minutes of the group’s sophomore effort then I highly suggest not wasting your time as the Eminem influence permeating throughout the entire disc makes it almost completely unlistenable (“Coffin” is the only joint I fuck with). Since a mixtape dropped this past Sunday it’s sort of like fans have the option of choosing which Slaughterhouse they wanna hear; the true lyrically skilled performers bodying beats picked by DJ Drama, or the bubblegum pop corniness that Marshall clearly forced upon them in an attempt to sell some records (how I don’t know, since Eminem fans mostly listen to him because they can “relate” and I doubt any of them can “relate” to any of the differently toned House Gang MCs). The disappointment felt from the weed plate offered up by this group had me going back to their debut after attempting to stomach this new record a couple of times, and made me realize that having more money and resources to make an album doesn’t necessarily mean the music will be better.

The self titled album from 2009 wasn’t perfect. It had its low points, mostly towards the end, but the majority of the tracks were hyped up anthems complete with Crook, Joe, Nickel and Joell spazzing out with lyrical exercises over some pretty solid production. Highlights like the intro, “Not Tonight”, “Onslaught 2”, and “Cuckoo” were evidence of what these four were capable of and how much they feed off each other’s talent in making sure each verse is just as good if not better than the one before it. Competition was clearly at its peak on the record and while it didn’t sell much, it certainly satisfied fans who had been itching for a full length after the group-titled song that initiated the whole project as well as “Onslaught” and “Move On”.

Their latest effort finds sing-songy hooks (Marshall) over terrible pop-crap production (Marshall) with guests you’d never expect on a lyrical rap group’s album like Skylar Grey (who can’t sing for shit), Eminem himself, and B.o.B. (again, clearly cause of Marshall). The lyrics themselves aren’t terrible, but they aren’t exactly great either. Aside from a couple dope verses here and there, and some conceptual joints that allow for personal reflection, the overall verbal attack was more like a bug bite (they really got a line, on a hook, that’s something like “get the club poppin’ like a bug bite”….I’m dead serious).

For someone like me, the news of signing with plantation owners Jimmy and Marshall wasn’t exactly exciting. However the thought that this newfound home could provide for extensive promotion and a bigger budget for top billed producers meant their second disc could be an even more expansive showcase of their abilities. However after a few flop singles which were clearly designed for a radio audience who has zero interest in raw spitting (pause) and then the announcement of a mixtape before the album, I had a bad feeling about the final product. My prediction came all too true. This album was proof that no amount of money or promotion can make up for bad music, and that if your niche is not the mainstream, then attempting to break through is damn near impossible, especially when everyone in your crew has already failed at their own solo careers (only Joey had a mainstream hit, and I already covered why it ended up fucking him, again, pause). Not only did the Marshall influence affect their output, but it almost seems like Em kept giving them beats and hooks and their unhealthy dickriding of the great white hope prevented any of them from saying “hey, this kinda sucks”. So the result is 20 songs worth of garbage.

Make no mistake, I’m happy that they’ve come this far, considering where they all were when this whole idea was birthed, but it’s not like they’re any more recognizable than they were when they started. Their performance at the BET pre-show was met with a bunch of blank stares as clearly no one knew the words to “My Life”, so basically all they did was get a little extra push to promote a shitty album that will probably fail just as much as their last one. I personally would have preferred to see them stay in their lane and at least produce something worthwhile to promote rather than let Eminem whip them into dancing in the booth and end up with this wack ass bullshit that’s only gonna look like a bigger flop considering all the backing they had. Smh, at least we got a dope mixtape.

The “Pump It Up” Remix Bullshit

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

As I alluded to in last week’s post, I want to revisit something that happened almost 10 years ago to perhaps examine why a certain artist’s career panned out the way it did. I recently wrote about Slaughterhouse and how each of the member’s individual careers took a swan dive before it ever really lifted off. While three of the artists can almost entirely blame their struggles on label bullshit, the founding MC behind the four headed monster has more of an interesting backstory regarding his rise and subsequent fall in the music industry.

I first heard of Joe Budden when “Focus” dropped. At the time I was listening to a lot of street rappers, a still fairly unknown 50 Cent, Saigon, and the new crossover hit maker, Fabolous. Upon hearing this “Joe Buddens” guy it was clear he had talent, but like so many others at the time he felt like just another street artist trying to come up in the mixtape circuit. By the time his album dropped, hip hop had already embraced 50 Cent and G-Unit as the biggest rappers in the game and that summer was oversaturated with literally every song off of Get Rich or Die Tryin’ as 50 had made an album filled with singles. I, like many others, had heard “Pump It Up” but just didn’t really care enough to check out Budden’s album. Then a friend of mine randomly purchased the Scarface compilation that Def Jam had thrown together to coincide with a special release of the DVD (I still to this day am convinced that including “Dipset Anthem” was purely a way to promote their upcoming record as it had zero connection to the movie or any other songs on the album, but whatever). After hearing “Pusha Man”, my friend bought the self titled Joe Budden album and then proceeded to constantly tell me how incredible it was. Having only heard “Focus”, “Pump It Up” and at this point probably “Fire” I was really confused about how this super lyrical rap fan who liked Talib Kweli was praising this radio rapper Joe Budden. So I checked out the album and I too was surprised at how much songs like “Calm Down” and “10 Minutes” were nothing like the club hits that everyone was hearing from the Def Jam rookie. My quick assumption at why the album basically flopped was because people like me and my boy were the rare breed who liked both lyrical as well as mainstream rap so we could enjoy the diversity on the record while most average fans at the time wanted another 50 Cent record and couldn’t be bothered with five minute songs filled with such heart and emotion. As I look back now though I think there’s more to why Joe Budden went from a heavily promoted upcoming artist on the Def Jam roster to another reject who fell all the way the fuck off and was forced underground by the industry, and it all happened because of the “Pump It Up” remix.

The story is quite simple. Jay-Z had rejected the “Pump It Up” beat and so Joe Budden got it and made it into a hit. Jay, in turn, laced a verse over the beat anyway, and in doing so made a little comment about “let me get that beat, imma give it right back”. Joe, being the emotional being that he is, clearly took offense to this because he then released his own remix of the song where he dissed Jay-Z. Long story short, you don’t come at the king and expect to live. Jay-Z was the hottest rapper in the game at the time and so in the public eye, this seemingly one-hit-wonder trying to start beef with Jay only made him look like a chump and turned him into a joke. I mean really, “Pump It Up” was not lyrical, so when Jay takes the track, does a lyrical exercise on it and then you say “hey wait, I’m lyrical too”, it’s kind of too late. My question is, did Jay really even diss Joe though?

See, Jay been sneak dissing forever. Whether all his little references and comments about other rappers in songs are always disses is pure speculation. Did he diss Clipse on Blueprint 3? Who knows, but a lot of people thought he did. Now on this remix he did mention stealing the beat, but nowhere else in the verse did he diss Joe, matter fact all his shit talking on the track was followed up with him saying he wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. So Jay could have easily just been having fun, maybe thinking about how he was supposed to have the beat in the first place and clowning around by saying he was taking the beat but would give it right back. But Joe reacted. And the first rule of Twitter…..uh….I mean hip hop, is don’t react. Joe dug his own grave by turning a possibly innocent comment into a full on war. Instead of embracing that the god MC blessed his track with vocals and trying to convert that into more notoriety, Budden instead caught feelings and tried to take on the biggest artist in the game. The rest is history. Joe went underground, built up a solid following from those fans who appreciated true lyrical hip hop and actual emotion on record. But the damage was done as soon as Joe attempted to overthrow the leader of rap.

There’s a good chance Joe Budden would have gotten dropped from Def Jam anyway. As I said, the album wasn’t exactly filled with “Pump It Up” material and the buzz was never that strong to begin with, but releasing that diss track sealed his fate regarding his position in the industry. He went from a hit maker to that guy who got sour over Jay-Z freestyling on his song to a one hit wonder in rap’s history. It’s a damn shame considering his talent but given his output over the last decade I really can’t complain. The money might not be there as it could have been, but I’ll take the Mood Muzik mixtapes any day over more tracks like “Porno Star”. Sometimes it’s good to fall off, cause when you regain your footing you’re in a better place.

The Impossibility of a Slaughterhouse Success

Posted on by — 7 Comments ↓

Full disclosure first, I’m a huge Slaughterhouse fan. Not just that, I’m a huge fan of 3 out of the 4 artists in Slaughterhouse (Joell’s boring to me). So I write this as someone who loves their music not just as a group but as individual artists and would love to see them finally get the recognition they deserve in the industry. But the truth is that will never happen.

In a month or so (if it doesn’t get pushed back again), Slaughterhouse will release their second album, only this time instead of on some chump indie label they got the backing of plantation owner Marshall and Shady Records. So one can only assume they’ll finally get out of the shadow of label fucking they’ve all endured over the course of their careers and the masses will finally appreciate true raw lyrical talent right? Nope. The shit will flop like their last album did. Their first album sold 18K first week, that’s a fail. And as of April of this year, a full year after it dropped, their EP has only sold 15K, and that was on Shady Records, again, fail. Combine that with the flops of the three singles they’ve tried to promote for this upcoming album (“My Life” being the closest thing to a hit and even that’s a huge stretch) and now they’ve decided to drop a mixtape before the album, because they’re that desperate for anyone to care about them. The sad thing is this was destined to happen from the start and no amount of Shady Records promo was gonna help.

You have four artists who have all in some way been screwed by the industry. First you got Joe Budden, who still to this day you can bring up and someone will say “isn’t that the ‘Pump it Up’ guy?” Basically Joe did what no other artist in the history of rap has done, flopped as a mainstream rapper and then said “but hey wait, I actually CAN rap” and did what he really wanted to do musically and has since built a huge underground following. But to some he’ll always just be the guy that made “Pump It Up”. The rest of people who aren’t fans of his will say he’s too emotional on his records cause he spits 48 bar verses about Tahiry, and who’s to say they aren’t right?

Then you got Royce, who even after a makeup session with Eminem still already got fucked over on his debut album and hasn’t done shit since worth of note and honestly doesn’t give a fuck anymore in his bars, which as a fan I think is awesome cause he’ll rap about whatever he wants but to the general audience he may come off as corny. His EP with Eminem sold 600K less in its first week than Marshall’s last album. That’s 600,000 people who said “who the fuck is this Royce guy? Fuck it I’ll pass on this”. And you know Eminem fans, they’re loyal, they’ll buy anything that racist releases just cause it’s Eminem and they can “relate”.

Joell Ortiz? Shit, that Bricks Bodega Chronicles shit gave him a slight bit of hype, followed up with a possible Aftermath debut, but like most Aftermath artists he got shelved indefinitely while Dr. Dre kept working on that epic Detox album that will never happen.

The real disappointment here is Crooked I though. I was watching this documentary recently, I believe it was on the Hip Hop Police, and there was a scene at this convention they used to have in Orlando every year back in the 90s, and there was a segment with either Suge Knight or some Death Row higher-up talking to the camera, and behind him were like 4 or 5 dudes holding enormous posters promoting an upcoming album from Crooked I. That was like 1994. Had that label not crashed and burned then Crooked could have quite possibly become the next west coast legend, but instead he got caught up in the label bullshit, got a little steam with the Hip Hop Weekly series, but has only been relevant again now because of Slaughterhouse. It’s a damn shame.

So why does all this translate to an inability for any of these artists to do well now? Basically it’s cause when you bring up any of their names (especially Joe and Royce) people already have an opinion formed about them and you’re not likely to change that. The average fan especially may have heard Joell’s name like 5 years ago, so his first thought is gonna be “I remember that dude, but I haven’t heard anything about him in so long that he can’t be that good or else he would have already released something of note”. Same with Joey, he’ll never escape the “Pump It Up” demons, and personally I think he fucked himself with that incident anyways involving the remix (that article I’ll write next week). So you got these four artists who already have reputations as falling off or just plain never getting on, so even when you try to promote them as a group, or they try to make hit singles, it just doesn’t work, and no amount of promotion is gonna generate enough hype for them to last any more than one album on Shady Records. It has nothing to do with the state of hip hop or how no one cares about lyrics anymore, it’s just the simple fact that this “supergroup” will always be more known for their past failures than their current output.

Life is Good…but is the Music?

Posted on by — 10 Comments ↓

Nas is one of those rappers who constantly gets listed with the greats, and rightfully so. Between Illmatic and It Was Written he easily has two of the best rap albums of all time in his catalog. So when almost four years to the day after his Untitled album was released we finally got another offering from God’s Son there was an obvious hype, fueled by leaked tracks such as “Nasty” and “The Don”. It didn’t hurt that songs featuring Mary J. Blige and Rick Ross also had leaked, providing some hope for a quality release after weeks of laughing over the saddest album cover since Cole World. Knowing that this album would reflect the recent divorce between Nas and that ugly bitch the Neptunes used to waste beats on made me a little apprehensive about the whole project but I’m not one to let assumptions dictate opinions, so I checked the album and was halfway impressed.

See, the first 6 tracks are fire, plain and simple. “A Queens Story” is easily one of the most powerful and epic songs in Nas’ entire discography. “Accident Murderers” is another gem, complete with Rick Ross providing a solid guest appearance as he always does. And “Locomotive” was that classic NY sound we’ve come to expect and appreciate from an artist who still thinks it’s 1994 and Timberland boots and hoodies are the style. But to be honest, the rest of the album kind of dragged. Aside from “The Black Bond” (a bonus track at that), the remaining 12 songs were average at best. “Back When” was good but it actually felt a little too short, it needed another verse, and the less said about Oochie Wally Pt. 2 a.k.a. “Summer on Smash” a.k.a. Please Let Me Get A Mainstream Hit, the better. Naw fuck that, I need to address that. How the fuck are you 45 years old, supposedly this super lyrical rapper, and you rhyming about sundresses on girls and bottle popping? “Is it Black Girl Lost or Shorty Owe You For Ice”?

Enough about the album itself, here’s my real reason for writing this, what is up with Nas fans trying so hard to convince everyone (including themselves probably) that he’s still relevant and making good music? I get it, being a fan of a rapper who was once on top of the game and seeing him fall off, resurrect his career through a beef with a more legendary rapper, then fall off again has got to suck. Musically Nas hasn’t done shit worth mentioning since 2001 aside from a couple guest appearances, some Kanye production, and “Black Republican” which is only epic because it was the Jay/Nas collab we’d spent 10 years waiting for. From a double album disaster to trying to stay in the media with “controversial” album titles, Nas has been struggling for over a decade. “Made You Look” was the last true commercial success Nas experienced and since Nas was so clever in pointing out how “Eminem murdered you on your own shit”, well, Ludacris murdered you on your own shit. Yet his fans still go above and beyond to defend his music and act like he is in the same arena as his former rival, former boss, and the current part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets.

I’m all about listening to what you like, ignoring what you don’t, and not spending time bitching about other peoples’ opinions. The biggest problem with hip hop isn’t the music it’s the fans. Only in hip hop does disagreeing with someone mean you don’t know shit about rap. So right now, saying that I don’t particularly like the new Nas album means that 1) I’m a hater, and 2) I don’t know anything about good hip hop. Meanwhile, Nas fans are calling this “an instant classic”, “as good as Illmatic”, and whatever other crazy attention seeking comments they can think of just to try to prove that in 2012 anyone under the age of 25 gives a shit what Nas has to say. Were people doing this a few years ago when Rakim dropped an album that went quadruple tin? Has anyone done this with KRS-One’s last 59 records? What is it about Nas that makes his fans so desperate to convince people he’s still somebody to care about? Is it the obvious loss to Jay-Z? Look, think what you want, diss tracks or whatever, but Nas lost. Just like Canibus lost. Your diss track means nothing when the other artist goes on to be way more successful than you, and honestly, when Nas become an employee of Jay-Z, that’s when the battle really was settled.

So what is it with Nas fans? Why is there so much defense of this record, so much acclamation for an album that isn’t even a week old yet, so much insistence that this album is so great when it’s a lot of the same old boring Nas 90s-era rhymes mixed with a little bit of struggle and depression over his divorce? If you like it that’s fine, I have no problem with that. I like Flocka’s newest album, I’m sure many would disagree (but for the record if you didn’t listen to it you can’t say shit, I at least listened to Life is Good from start to finish before forming an opinion). But to tell anyone who doesn’t like this Nas record that they are wrong, or don’t know good hip hop, or are writing off one of the greatest of all time, or whatever other angry comments Esco supporters are making, comes off as desperate and pathetic. Like this man has fallen so far that his fans have to go above and beyond just to convince people he’s still making good music. Enjoy the album, say you enjoy the album, but save the extreme defenses of it, Nas has suffered enough that he doesn’t need his fans bringing him down more.

Watch the Throne…See the Progression

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Recently an article penned by fellow RepPittsburghHipHop writer Rami Bensasi discussed the underwhelming album from two of rap’s greatest artists ever, Watch the Throne. While I respect the effort and opinions laid forth in the article, I couldn’t help but disagree with just about all of it. Rami is an incredible writer and I see where he’s coming from, but I have an entirely different view of not only what Jay and Kanye have done for hip hop, but what they continue to do to make rap one of the most influential and amazing cultures we have today.

To start, it’s 2012. What that means is that the messages of rap’s early days are dated and the culture itself has progressed to a point far beyond the street corners and cardboard boxes laid out for breakdancers. Graffiti is a recognized art form and turntables have been replaced by dual iPod stations and laptop playlists. The internet is the new record store and the mp3 tweet has replaced standing on the corner handing out a mixtape. It’s only natural that the music has changed to reflect that. What’s also changed is the structure of hip hop in the business sense. No longer must an artist perform endlessly while handing his demo to everyone he sees, hoping to secure a record contract for maybe one album which may or may not get shelved depending on what the label feels like doing that quarter. Now artists have the ability to form their own labels, create their own distribution, and get their music directly to the people. Labels are still instrumental in converting an indie startup to a cultural phenom, but the majority of big name artists today got their start pushing their own product in their own lane.

Jay and Kanye made an album full of million dollar lyrics and lavish lifestyles. Yup, that’s right. Because in 2012, unlike in 1992, having a gold chain doesn’t mean a goddamn thing, but having multiple companies and private jets does. This SHOULD be celebrated. Russell Simmons isn’t operating out of a small office anymore, he has a multi-level building with penthouse suites and is sought out for his valued opinion on various social issues. Hip hop has gone from an underground art form to the face of pop music, and in the process it found a way to make a whole lot of money. That’s literally thousands of jobs for a group of people who once struggled to get off the streets and into a McDonalds. Again, this should be admired, and should be what everyone strives for.

Did Watch the Throne produce a couple of hit radio singles? Absolutely. And that’s what any successful artist knows is crucial in staying relevant and maintaining any type of push and success. Wale dropped a great album and sold like 5 copies. Then he followed up by signing to Maybach Music, dropping a couple hot singles, and then an album which has been revered by critics. Contrast that with Jay Electronica, who’s easily one of the most conscious and positive rappers out there, who can’t get a release date because Jay-Z says his album, while amazing, doesn’t have a single. Just look at Slaughterhouse to see what not having a single gets you; three dead weight singles and their album gets pushed back with the promise of a mixtape prior to the album just to try to generate some type of hype for lyrical hip hop that no one wants to hear.

It isn’t Jay and Kanye’s responsibility to do anything other than what they want to do, which is clearly to make great music. I’m honestly sick of people claiming rappers have a responsibility to their fans to make positive rap, they don’t. They make the music, we listen to it. That’s as far as it goes. If they rap positive and we buy it, good. If they wanna be ignorant and we buy it too, good. Either way it’s money. Rap has always been about expressing yourself and Jay and Kanye have done that in the way that they want to. If that means ripping the roof off a super expensive car and driving it around recklessly with white women then that’s awesome. Trust me, if Das EFX could have done that they would have, but in 1992 the best they could do is gather up everyone in the hood and film them rapping in the sewer.

It’s amazing how far rap has come since its inception, and to continue to strike down its accomplishments by complaining it has no substance anymore is to ignore the powerful influence it has and the income it has produced for those involved. A thousand dollar check meant something at one point to an up and coming rapper, now it’s a million dollar check. That says a lot about how far rap has come. And just like in 1989 rappers were flaunting their gold chains and new cars, rappers today are flaunting their multiple watches, cars, boats, and companies. It’s a culture of not only knowledge but celebration of success and progression, it always has been, and the fact that two of its most successful artists can make an entire album filled with genre-bending music boasting about their worldwide ventures just shows how far rap has come in a few short decades, and how rather than yearn for a return to a past time of struggling rappers getting fucked by their labels that we should instead focus on great it is today to be a part of rap. Hip Hop doesn’t need saving because it’s stronger than it’s ever been, all it needs is more recognition for its continued accomplishments and respect for its top players.