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- » Name: William E. Ketchum III
- » Location: East Lansing, MI
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- » Where's The (?uest)Love?
- » Speech Is My Hammer: TransDX Express Edition
- » Riley Freeman = My Hero.
- » Shawn? Nasir? Royalties.
- » Ketchums' Approved Early 2008 Hip-Hop Buys
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Speech Is My Hammer...
Where's The (?uest)Love?
*
Damnit, ?uest!
Why are you such a fucking jinx for me?
I’ve been to three Roots concerts in Michigan, each with an opportunity to get a picture with you. Each opportunity ends up fucking up somehow.
First, I slip outside as you’re leaving, and I ask for this drunk guy to take a pic on his camera phone; but the bitch non-nigga makes a video instead of a pic. Next, I was backstage with your Tanqueray show in Pontiac. I get backstage, and I can’t even ask you any questions for my interview cuz hog bitch is dominating the time. Finally, at tonight’s afterparty, I try to leave early for the sake of my man who has to get back in early…lo and behold, parking people decided to let a crackhead take over lot supervision duties (literally), so his car is trapped until the end of the fucking thing anyway. Meanwhile, my man who stayed inside—he showed you a Dilla shirt he made, and talked about how he missed you six times—got to chop it up with you.
Maybe I’m just not destined to add your pic to my catalog with the rest of the legends I’ve met, like Primo, Nas and Jazzy Jeff.
But as much as I want to, I can’t quite hate you.
You embody this hip-hop shit more than anyone else doing it right now. Whether it’s your genuine love for the music—watching your facial expressions behind the boards when you’re playing certain songs is priceless—the fro, how you represent this culture everywhere you go, the intellect you show in interviews, or funding sites like OkayPlayer, you’re what hip-hop is all about. You even rep for the big dudes! You murdered Confidential Lounge tonight…before tonight, the last time I danced this much was in 2005, when Jazzy Jeff came through. And the album’s a monster, too.
Thanks for everything, ?uest. But fuck you.
*Picture courtesy of, well, me.
P.S.: I've got a new hustle. More details later.
Speech Is My Hammer: TransDX Express Edition
What’s good people?
With the homie Shake hyperlinking me from his side hustle, I figure I should at least give y’all an update today. Just because I haven’t been posting for the past few weeks, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been paying attention. So here are my condensed thoughts on a few things that have happened since my last post. Look at it as a “Several blogs for the price of one” type deal. And I purposely avoided the topic of everybody in hip-hop going to prison; shit really gets me down.
The Roots:
This Roots’ song with Patrick Stump joint wasn’t as bad as some of my homies have said it was, because Black Thought still ripped, and with an album that’s obviously going to be album of the year (or at least Top 5) with songs that have leaked - “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction),” “Get Busy" (feat. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk and DJ Jazzy Jeff) and the title track with Mos Def and Styles P - one commercial pander isn’t bad. Just as a point of comparison, every dope Eminem album had at least one mainstream blunder, but the rest of the disc was always high quality hip-hop. That said, I’m not mad at them axing “Birthday Girl” from the final cut and making it an iTunes-only selection, and this “Rising Up” joint with Wale and Chrissette Michele (which they’re apparently using as the single, now?) is perfection. See Jay's post for more, I agree with what he said (which makes sense, 'cause he has the only opinion that matters anyway).
50 Cent/G-Unit:
I really respect the fact that G-Unit’s flooding the market with mixtapes again. Even though 500,000 in the first week isn’t something to balk at, I’m glad to see that 50’s not complacent: Return of the Bodysnatchers v1 and Elephant In The Sand were both fire, and the G-Unit: Gangsta Grillz Edition with DJ Drama is sure to continue the winning streak. Fif’s mixtape game—especially last year’s G-Unit Radio 25: Sabrina’s Baby Boy—has always been on point. BTW, “The Mechanic” > The Massacre + Curtis. But get shit right with Buck, man; he's the best artist y'all have right now.
E-Beef/Blogging:
Like the homie Meka said, this ATL blogger beef shit is pretty disappointing. We’ve had our share of disagreements, but that resulted in biting accusations, name-calling and old-fashioned roasting. But gay rumors? Word? I’m not going to scold the two in question, both because it’s not my place and I don’t know what fueled it, but I’d encourage both parties to just settle their issues (sort of like me and the aforementioned Soul Brotha have) and keep on keeping on.
Speaking of blogging, I’m going to get my plug on real quick: fellow DX bloggers, go over and join TheUrbanBlogger. My homie Necole Bitchie, who’s site was recently pegged in two Top 40 lists of urban blogs on the Net, started the site as a networking opportunity for black bloggers. I love the idea, and I might even join the squad soon, but I wanted to big up the idea first.
Weezy:
I’m as much of a Lil Wayne supporter as the next man, but homie’s fuckin’ up. He's got what's possibly the most disappointing single I’ve heard in a minute (why not use "Comfortable," featuring Babyface and prod. by Kanye West?) and this Drought Is Over 5 was equally underwhelming. I’m seeing dude live this Sunday though (and Common on Thursday, great week for me), so we’ll see if I change my mind. Shout out to his latest artist, Nicki Minaj (link not safe for work, BTW) Either way, The Wam > "Lollipop."
Jay Electronica:
What do you guys think of Jay Electronica? This kid’s Internet buzz has been incredible with cosigns from the likes of Just Blaze and label head/alleged wifey Erykah Badu, and while I like what I’ve heard, I’m not ready to crown him as “The Next” and shit. Maybe I need to give it another listen, cuz my man Alias is hailing him as that dude, and he hates on everyone. Act I was pretty crazy though, esp. the “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” shit. As for the much-chastized show with Erykah and Mos the other day, hopefully he just learns from it and moves on.
Hov:
Jay’s got a $150 million deal with Live Nation? Shit! If he’s not a hustla, what you call that?
The Mitten:
My state is taking over this hip-hop shit. Black Milk & Fat Ray’s The Set Up is one of my favorite albums of ’08 so far (see “Take Control” for all the evidence you need), and Guilty Simpson’s Ode To The Ghetto was every bit as dope as the hype around it implied. And the list of projects that are in the works is overwhelming, frankly: Elzhi’s solo is on the way, Slum Village’s next LP, Buff1’s next album, Invincible’s long-awaited LP, Royce’s solo projects, Random Axe (Guilty Simpson + Sean Price + Black Milk), Cold Steel (Elzhi + Phat Kat), the Royce + Elzhi + Black Milk album (they’ve even performed tracks together!). And Eminem’s working with Primo? And he’s cool with Royce again? And I’ve got my own site about Michigan hip-hop coming soon? Oh, wait…
Riley Freeman = My Hero.
This might be because I’m the lone sole in my circle that doesn’t watch The Wire, but these days, my favorite TV character is Riley Freeman from The Boondocks. While he was always hilarious in the comic strip and the first run of the show, Season Two has seen Riley (a.k.a. Riley Escobar, a.k.a. H.R. Paperstacks, a.k.a. Louis Rich, like the turkey bacon, what?) evolve to new heights. Armed with the writing of Aaron McGruder and the brilliant voiceovers of Regina King (who, amazingly, voices Huey also), Riley’s misogynistic, mini-gangsta glory has provided for a shitload of quotables on every facet of life. From relationships, to loyalty, to career moves, Riley has the answers.
On masculinity and being hard on hoes:
*(The first two statements were to Tom DuBois, after Usher snatches his wife at a restaurant)
+*"I say toss her groupie ass out the window and let her ass stargaze from outside!"
+*"So this is the message you want to send to the young youth out here like me who are trying to do the right thing and not love these hoes? … All for some white girl who left you left you for some R&B dancin’ ass, sexy flexy ass nigga?"
+“She’s your very first cyber-friend. And you’re her 3 millionth.”
+“Purple speedo? That’s gay.”
+“Uh, yeah. I don’t wanna dickride, so I’ma just, uh, go back to the house."
On snitchin’:
“Don’t snitch, granddad! They don’t know nothing less you tell ‘em!”
On hatin’:
+Oh, let me guess, you’re probably gonna hate [on that diss track] cuz it was about you. You need to stop with the hate crimes, granddad.”
+“I always knew you was a hater, but I never thought you’d be famous for it.”
+“Now before you start hatin’, ask yourself, be honest. Ain’t I’m clean, doe?”
+“But I know I’m not gay, ‘cause I’m the most not gay nigga of all the not gay niggas in the universe! But see, people hate on your when you shinin’, see. That’s what it is. They make up stories. Like me, I stay shinin, so who knows. Pretty soon, people gon be callin me gay.”
On sportsmanship:
+“That’s what you call winning? A nigga’s nuts in yo face? Man, I hate to see what you call losin’.”
On money:
+“Oh no, no, Young Reezy never jokes about his paper stacks.”
+“[Granddad] probably made up this whole slavery thing. What nigga you know ‘gon work all day in a field for no paper?”
Misc. gems:
+“Family? I ain’t ever seen them [Hurricane Katrina relatives] before in my life. As far as I’m concerned, them niggas is the homeless!
+Riley: “Where’d you put my gun?”
Huey: “I confiscated them for security reasons. I have supreme authority until granddad gets back.”
Riley: “You have supreme authority over these nuts, nigga.”
+“That’s a damn shame, you can call a nigga a ‘nigga’ and keep yo damn job.”
+“Talkin bout I’m grounded. I’m Young Reezy! I goes where I wanna go.”
+“Sometimes you just gotta put aside your differences and work through problems with your homie. So y’all to keep to being homies. You feel me…homie?”
+“Yo mama got caught givin’ up neck in the bathroom of the Woodcrest Country Club, and it wasn’t yo daddy.”
Shortly, I'll be commenting on hip-hop happenings - probably The Roots' new songs, "artsy" hip-hop videos, and shit like that. But I first thing's first.
Shawn? Nasir? Royalties.
This is a repost to a blog from November 6, 2007. Gettin' my prophecy on, based on Aliya's news piece yesterday about rumors circulating about a Jay/Nas album. If I see these song titles out there, I want that mufuckin cash, niggas! Got school to pay for. Paypal the young homie; you've got my Gmail address.
"You can't hustle me! You're talking to the ultimate hustler." - Dave Chappelle as Chuck Taylor, in the racial draft
But, as Eskay at NahRight said, this'll probably come out the same day as Detox. "Nevuary 33rd...19...-Never Hate" © Jay, "Money Cash Hoes (Remix)" If you're going to do it, finish it and put it out.
“Black Republican” was dope as hell, but “Success” was a new monster altogether. I don’t know if it’s their previous sampling of each other’s music, running in similar circles (and vaginas), or both of them being from NY, but their chemistry is incredible. It seems like their history as rivals only makes their records more compelling: they may have resolved their differences for the reasoning of making money together, but their competitiveness seems to come from both standard rap face-off fare and from a previous beef. Nas’ former flame was smashed, and Jay lost a battle by blowout. Not only do they have to prove something to fans and hip-hop aficionados: they have something to prove to each other.
So how ill would it be if they joined forces for an EP? It could be released on Def Jam, but pushed the same way that Jay is pushing American Gangster: no overtly commercial singles or T-Pain hooks, but just that real shit. Not a full LP, but a solid six to nine songs that are all bangers from top to bottom, that’ll leave listeners drooling for more but incapable of complaining cuz these fuckers actually sat down and did it. The possibilities! “Dead Presidents 3,” with Jay and Nas both updating their older flows and Nas playing off of the sample that the previous two used. Obligatory song produced by Kanye. A dual reunion with Primo: “NY State Of Mind Pt. 3,” or or “Friend Or Foe ’08,” with them being rival dealers. Maybe even an entire EP produced by Primo? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Detailed songs about their respective wifeys, Beyonce and Kelis. Maybe even a track that has each of them telling their experiences with Carmen Bryant, or some fictional joint about what could’ve happened. Even their braggadocio tracks would be incredible. The song ideas are endless, and with their dual veteran status, they’re more than capable of knocking out concepts. Album title? I’m taking ideas. But offtop, I’m thinking “Success.”
Shawn and Nasir, I want royalties. Paypal the kid.
Ketchums' Approved Early 2008 Hip-Hop Buys
I've always taken pride in contributing to hip-hop as much as I can. With my gear, vernacular, being a success story while keeping hip-hop as a primary facet of that success instead of a sidenote, and to documenting the culture and music that contributed to my life so much.
But these past two weeks, I've bought more music than I have in a long time. Between buying clean versions of joints for my radio show and copping a few things just because, I can honestly say that I've bought a shitload of tunes recently.
-I repurchased Ghostface Killah's Fishscale, one of my favorite LPs of the past five years. And I bought it from an independent record store, right after selling them a few CDs that I wasn't using. Shout out to Flat, Black & Circular.
-On Fat Beats' site, I copped the digital download of Black Milk's "Sound The Alarm Remix" 12". Clean versions, dirty versions, and instrumentals of the remix feat. Guilty Simpson and Royce Da 5'9", "Shut It Down," and "Home of the Greats."
-iTunes ate a nigga up. Clean versions of Black Milk's original "Sound the Alarm," and three songs from Pharaohe Monch's Desire album, music videos for Kanye's "Flashing Lights" and Jay's "Roc Boys," and clean versions of songs for our Timbaland vs. DJ Premier show yesterday since I didn't have time to edit certain songs on my own. Shout-out to Meka Soul on putting me on to Snoop's "The One and Only."[1]
Buying music just made me think of how crazy times have changed from when I first started. I remember buying 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Tryin' as a high schooler was an experience: me and my mans skipped school to cop our reserved copies (word!) up at Sam Goody (word!!!), got in the car to hear the first few songs, and both faked sick so we could skip school to listen to the rest of it. But a few months ago, I decided that I wanted to familiarize myself with Stevie Wonder's catalog: so I downloaded about eight of his albums on a whim, and still haven't gotten the chance to listen to em yet. The pros and cons are obvious - CD & linear notes vs. space-efficient mp3s, guaranteed high-quality audio vs. searching or self-encoding, pride of supporting vs. investing money into a show where they're really see the money.
But I can't front, something felt good about putting money into it. Even if I could use that cash now.
With that said, here's several albums from early '08 that deserve your bread; if you don't already know how/where to cop, drop down and get ya Google on. Not only are there store-bought albums this isn't listing, but this also excludes free downloads from cats like Clipse, G-Unit, Rhymefest and others.
Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War (Feb. 26)
Though production from Madlib, Sa-Ra, ?uestlove and others give some of New Amerykah more of a hip-hop feel than her past efforts, lyrical density, her unmistakable voice and overall eccentricity show that Erykah's just as soulful as she was five years ago.
Pete Rock, NY's Finest (Feb. 26)
Avoiding all the "New York is dead" statements and what not, tracks like "We Roll," "The PJ's," and "Bring Y'all Back" show that Soul Brotha #1's Petestrumentals bang just as hard as they always have, dusty samples and banging bass still intact. If he'd only stop rapping though, damn.
Guilty Simpson, Ode To The Ghetto (Mar. 25)
This isn't just me reppin' for my state, either. Combining Guilty's imposing voice, vicious flow and lyrical calisthenics with my vote for the best-produced album of early '08 (with beats by Black Milk, Madlib, Oh No, Mr. Porter and DJ Babu, you can't lose), this is getting repeated spins.
Fat Ray & Black Milk, The Set Up (Mar. 4)
Keeping it in the Mitten, the homie Black Milk minimizes the soul samples and goes with hard-nosed, drum-heavy backdrops for BR Gunna cohort Fat Ray to spit his equally tough bars. I wished it was longer before (pause) but I figure it's fine the way it is.
eMC, The Show (on iTunes Feb. 26, in stores Mar. 25)
The group of Wordsworth, Masta Ace, Punchline and Stricklin' combine like Voltron to deliver an album that reminds me of what hip-hop was all about - dope beats, dope rhymes, well-executed concepts, and top-to-bottom dopeness. Shout out to Words.
Nicolay & Kay of the Foundation, Time:Line
The production half of Foreign Exchange steps his game up, and the incredibly talented Houston emcee team up for one of the most complete, cohesive albums I've heard in a while. Nicolay, you need to hook me up with the dimepieces you have on your album covers. I'm just sayin'.
Anyway, back to bumpin' this shit on the new Skull Candy joints, courtesy of my mentor @ MSU.
--
[1] Me and dude got our Jay & Nas on and re-squashed the beef this past week. Follow the Leader(s) cr Eric B & Rakim
College Chronicles: Feb. 17-18, 2008
As y'all may or may not know, I'm a (super) senior at Michigan State University (shout out to Mo Ager, what's good with Jersey?!), and senioritis has been setting in heavy. I haven't been committing the time that I should to ENG 230: Intro to Film. I've been skipping class for no reason, and I've been falling asleep when I am in there. Granted, he doesn't let us use laptops in class, which makes for tough note-taking (I've got an ultraportable, so I take this joint everywhere), but I still don't put forth the time and effort that a college class in a course that I'm not well-versed in would require.
But I have a paper due in that class today (Monday), at 12:40. I went all week/weekend without starting on it - without reading the assignment more than once, without watching the movie, without choosing a topic for the paper. Was too busy preparing for and doing my radio show, interviewing hip-hop legends, puttin' my niggas on, chillin' with my niggas from out of town, spittin' easy game to this chick, dropping the ball on another, and other miscellaneous bullshit. I'm terrified, but I'm so overwhelmed that I just don't know where to start or what to do.
So I Google the movie. My mans had given me links to stream it, but they were taking too long to work, so I bought it through this site zml.com for $5; I cop it via text message, they give me a verification code, and I download it from the site. I watch the movie. Call my homegirl and ask her to call me in an hour to wake me up (it's 3 AM at this point). Surprisingly, despite her usual unwarranted hating, shorty comes through! Unfortunately, she calls me about 10 min. before I was gonna wake up, so I go back to sleep; wake up at 5:15. 
What do I do? Read the assignment, pick a scene to analyze, and knock that bitch out. Granted, I didn't use all of the film terms that we've learned in class, but I definitely murk the assignment by analyzing the shot the way I was supposed to; at least a 2.5, if not a 3.0. What's ill is that I finished the paper at 7:37 or so - two hours after I started, and with time to go to all of my other classes!
Fast forward to 2:25.
$5 + Less than three hours of typing = Nothing to a boss.
Dilla Day '08: Ketchums' Edition
As I've mentioned in a previous blog, 2008 has seen me and my homie JYoung The General get a hip-hop show on IMPACT 89 FM in East Lansing, MI. As you'd expect, we've been killin' it week after week with incredible playlists, hilarious banter, hip-hop conversation and great feedback from the listeners. This shit has been the most consistent smile-inducer I've had in a while.
But yesterday was Dilla day. As you should know from this week's DX coverage (peep Aliya's Dilla pieces, they're fucking incredible), this past Thursday would have marked the Detroit superproducer's 34th birthday, and today (Sunday) is the two-year anniversary of his death. My co-host brought the heat with his playlist as usual, but I decided to participate in the "Dilla Day" and dedicated my entire playlist to selections from homie's catalog.
I'm not normally the sentimental type, but putting together this playlist and actually implementing it touched me in a way that music hasn't touched me, frankly, since I first got into this hip-hop back in the late 90s. It goes beyond the fact that James Yancey's music was enjoyable to listen to, and it's more than the crazy collaborators or the undeniable cosigns. The fact that this brotha gave so much of himself to his craft - dude was performing shows in a wheelchair and making beats from his hospital bed, for God's sake - and that I was in the position to help chronicle that legacy as a DJ was fulfilling beyond explanation. And you can call me nutty if you want...but with the ambiance in the studio - whether it was my lady friend coming through at the beginning of the show; letting my mentee give over-the-air PSAs, take pics and soak up game; or my rapper homie Philthy coming through and clownin, it's almost like Dilla's spirit was eminating throughout the room. The Cultural Vibe is always fun, but during last night's show, I felt like I was part of something.
Anyway, here are some pics.
Tee courtesy of Bling47. Irks me how my chain is turned around in EVERY picture, but whatever.
On the mic, guiding listeners through the playlist.
JYoung mans the phones.
Lauryn "La-La" Scott, hip-hop journalism's Unsigned Hype, takes her own glamour shot before locking down camera and PSA duties.
The crew: ROY candidate E. Huffman, Philthy, me, and the corner of JYoung's head fraternize between songs.
Here's the playlist. I'm not J Rocc, HouseShoes or DJ Dez, and I got clean versions of Like Water For Chocolate and Champion Sound too late to properly mix them in, but you can only do so much in an 80-minute set. And after running my playlist by all of my resident Dilla heads, I'm confident I (Jay) DEE-livered. If you need the songs, drop down and get your Google on, or hit me up if you can't find them.
(photo from StonesThrow.com)
1. "Reminisce" // Bilal feat. Mos Def & Common // 1st Born Second
2. "Man's World" // Guilty Simpson // Stones Throw Podcast
3. "Beauty Jackson" // Ghostface Killah // Fishscale
4. "Let's Ride" // Q-Tip // Amplified
5. "Stakes is High" // De La Soul // Stakes is High
"Players" (Instrumental) // Slum Village // Fantastic Vol. II
6. "Keep On" // Dwele feat. Slum Village // Some Kinda...
7. "Show Me What You Got" // Busta Rhymes // Anarchy
8. "Stand To The Side" // Talib Kweli feat. Novel & Vinia Mojica // Quality
9. "Sun In My Face" // J Dilla feat. Blu & Jontel // Jay Love Japan
10. "Fat Cat Song (Remix)" // Slum Village // Fantastic, Vol. 1
"Featuring Phat Kat" (Instrumental) // J Dilla // Welcome 2 Detroit
11. "Nasty Ain't It?" // Phat Kat // Carte Blanche
12. "Aquarius" // Common feat. Bilal // Electric Circus [1]
13. "Runnin" // Pharcyde // Labcabincalifornia
14. "Won't Do" // J. Dilla // The Shining
15. "Cleva" // Erykah Badu // Mama's Gun
16. "Ill Vibe (The Ummah Remix)" // Busta Rhymes feat. Q-Tip // It's A Party 12" [2]
"Waves" + "Donuts (Intro)" + "Donuts (Outro)" // J Dilla // Donuts
17. " Get A Hold" // A Tribe Called Quest // Beats, Rhymes And Life
18. "The Jam" // Mad Skillz // It's Goin Down EP
19. "Climax (Girl Shit)" // Slum Village // Fantastic Vol. II
"Last Donut of the Night" // J Dilla // Donuts
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*Props to K-Fresh and Stones Throw for the extensive discog.
*Also, props to the peeps on OKP for the Dilla wheelchair pic, the clean versions of the tracks, etc. Can't hyperlink, but it's appreciated.
[1] If you didn't like the album last time you heard it, revisit it and see if you change your mind; I know I did.
[2] Shout-out to 88-Keys for putting me on. Good looks, sir.
Lupe Fiasco, "Dumb It Down": Revisited
As many of you (should) know, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was one of my favorite albums of 2007. In a post on my Blogspot upon the leak of his debut Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, I briefly touched on why he's so far ahead of his peers, but a revisited in-depth listen to "Dumb It Down" makes me feel obligated to do so again. While speaking to my man Alias on the phone last night, we were chopping it up about how the first verse of the song really breaks down his relevance and existence in the rap game through the song. My blogging homie J Burnett [1] said that when he interviewed Lupe for XXL, that he said that he intentionally made this track as complex as possible, but once you really absorb it, it's crazy. The verse (taken from OHHLA, whattup Flash!), with reference points bolded:
I'm fearless, now hear this, I'm earless (less)and I'm peerless (less), which means I'm eyeless
which means I'm tearless which means my iris
resides where my ears is, which means I'm blinded
But I'ma find it, I can feel it's nearness
But I'ma veer so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer, but I remember
I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this
Clearly cause my blindness; the windshield is min-strel
The whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere
Yeah, I'm both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat
and the locs in the chair had approached him here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts
who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies
Given to the mother of the deceased
Awaken at war, 'til I'm restin' in peace
Lupe claims that he's earless and eyeless, which means he's so far off from what's going on around him in the industry, that he's relatively oblivious to it - he can't see or hear it. He also claims that he's peerless, slyly implying that he's ahead of the curve. The car in the song is a metaphor for hip-hop, and where it's going. He says he's going to find "it," meaning the rap industry and his place in it, but that he's also trying to stay away from it, like a chicken or a deer.
Lupe's "not a listener or a seer, so [his] windshield smear(s)" - he's too far off to understand/comply with where hip-hop is going, so his viewpoint is unclear. So, he sarcastically suggests, "Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness": essentially, "Hey, why don't you [place rapper here] go ahead and do this rap shit, because I'm somewhere else." He then basically says that rap's windshield is some minstrel show shit (word to LB), and that it's so misguided itself that the car's whole grill is full of roadkill - also implying that it's run over emcees like him who are a chicken or a deer, and dare to do things differently.
With this struggle between staying away from an industry that seems so offbase from his own beliefs and wanting to find his place, he cleverly alludes to The Matrix, when Neo had to choose between two pills to determine his destiny and that of the other world: Lupe took both. And this struggle will forever haunt him - "Awaken at war, 'till I'm restin' in peace."
Give me a late pass if y'all want, or if this was painstakingly obvious to y'all all along. But with how much I was already amazed at the wordplay, rhyme schemes and delivery in the verse, I'm trippin' even more at how metaphoric that shit is once I break it down. Mr. Editor, sir, have Lupe read this and let me know how accurate/inaccurate my interpretation is to his original intentions, 'cause I wanna know.
Do you guys have any interpretations of the meaning behind the last two verses? Also, any other verses you guys had to revisit much later befofre you really understand what the fuck he/she was saying?
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[1] Yes, I linked to both of his blogs. Dude's doing his thing.
Speech Is My Hammer’s Top 5 Dame Dash Moments
Dame Dash has always been one of my favorite figures in hip-hop. Granted, he was with the Roc in the late 90s/early 2000s, when I was first getting into hip-hop and Jay-Z was my favorite rapper. But even though he’s one of the figures who was prominent during the time which many believe hip-hop was on its downfall, he remains one of my favorite people in the industry to this day. Dude was incredibly funny, but unlike a lot of hip-hop figures now, he also balanced his goofiness with an intellect that made you laugh with him instead of laughing at him. Plus, dude was actually having fun while so many of his peers were/are busy trying to look hard. Pause on this post, and I know the timing is random as fuck, but I present: Speech Is My Hammer’s Top 5 Dame Dash Moments.
5.) AllHipHop’s documentary/shadow of Dash.
An example of Dame Dash’s humor and swag. Along with showing how he made his successful ascension in the music/business world, classic moments include his complaints about being given the wrong kind of private jet, and his love for the dough. “I like all kind of money. I like the Dollar. I like the Euro. I like the Pound. I like the Frank, pause! I like the Yen..."
4.) Dash’s entire music video career.
This cat constantly stole the show in his music videos. My Cultural Vibe cohost J-Young the General says that the Big Pimpin dance was Dash’s top moment ever, but I contend that his best music video appearance was at the beginning of Cam’ron’s “Oh Boy” video, when he’s humorously berating chicks on either side of him. “You’re really just gonna put your feet next to my cereal? Are you serious?”
3.) Dame Dash’s words for Kevin Lyles in the Backstage DVD.
I haven’t seen this, but apparently dude clowned Kevin Lyles, saying that Def Jam was simply hopping on the train that Roc-A-Fella had already got going. For dude to do that on camera, and to Lyles’ face, is nothing short of hilarious.
2.) Dash’s “Rocapads” skit on Chappelle’s Show.
This is a classic moment in hip-hop history, IMO. This captured all that is Dame Dash – the blatant name-dropping, the silly-though-enterprising business acumen, the charismatic mannerisms, the classic quotables. This could’ve been pulled off with other hip-hop figures, but no one would’ve been nearly as funny with this. “So if your period’s dropping, we catch it. Yanahmean!”
1.) Dame Dash & Cam’ron’s appearance on The O’Reilly Factor.
In territory where rappers are notoriously stultified, Dash and Cam teamed up to handle themselves well and to give O’Reilly a taste of his own medicine. Cam’ron handled the ignorant factor (the original occurrence of the infamous, “You maaaaaaaaaad, you maaaaaaaaad!”), while Dame brought intellect along with humor. They didn’t necessarily solve any hip-hop problems with this, but kudos are due to them actually holding their own against Bill O’Reilly without looking like complete idiots, along with being stupidly entertaining. This gets my #1 spot. "I thought you were mediating? ... Bill! Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill!"
Honorable Mention: His entire existence in the State Property films, his overzealous cackle at the beginning of "Bring It On," and his mini-cameo in "Paid In Full."
What are you guys' Top Dame Dash moments?
Video of the year.
I don't know whether to cry or to laugh at this shit. But since I've been in a bad mood and I'm battling the flu, I'm going with the latter.
Highlights:
-Shorty in the shiny suit dancing with the aliens.
-"Tickle the cat."
-Dubya smacking ass, while giving his thumbs up approval to said ass and, presumably, to Mike Jones.
Classic.
EDIT: Props to Eskay, I saw this vid there first.
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