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Wait. So Labels Are Doing The Right Thing?

June 21, 2008 | Tags: none

Recently, there's been even more reason for me to have faith in this Hip-Hop shit. Major labels are actually giving record deals to artists that are actually dope. Wale has earned a deal with Interscope, Pacific Division has inked a contract with Universal Music, and Warner Bros. has signed Wiz Khalifa. [1] (Congratulations to all of these emcees, by the way) It's like these mufuggas are actually smartening up, now.

A perfect illustration of this is Lupe Fiasco's album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, earning a gold plaque. I think that this is proof that talented young artists who are different from the status quo, if given all of the same resources, support and big name cosigns that their less talented peers are, that they can be just as successful. [2] [Begins Armchair A&R rant] Labels should realize that not taking a chance is a bigger risk than sticking to the previous formula. By ignoring the changing nature of the music industry and that actual quality is finally coming back into play, they're setting themselves up for failure. I know, budgets are tight. But by setting up the freshly dressed [3], out-of-the-box emcees with essentially the same treatment that the others get, success is more feasible. Force-feeding songs on radio works for everything else; why can't it work for something that's actually dope?

For more on Wale, Pac Div and Wiz Khalifa, check the sequel to this post. I've got rundowns of each artist, what makes them stand out, and links to their music so you can make the determination for yourself. I think each of them have the marketability to get people interested, and the talent to keep them interested. Going for different, long-term investments instead of get-rich-quick signees? It looks like Interscope, Universal and Warner Bros. are headed in the right direction.

Admittedly, whether their full-length albums are actually released or not is a different story (Saigon's just now finally getting his chance). And hopefully, these labels actually invest time and money into these artists instead of just giving them deals to glorify themselves. But if everybody follows through on their end, then this could really be a good sign.

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[1] Warner Bros. gets mucho props from me. They didn't only sign Wiz Khalifa - they signed Murs too, and they also partnered with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith imprint.

[2] The inclusion of that support is a key stipulation. Don't say "Little Brother is talented as hell, but they didn't succeed," because they didn't have nearly as much support as Lupe did, whether it's by the label or by media outlets. Having a major label deal doesn't equal major label support.

[3] Don't front, gear matters just as much as tunes. And that's nothing new.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Nas Won.

June 12, 2008 | Tags: none

So before I get into my advance copy of (Guess which incredible south emcee's) next project and unfinished songs from OneBeLo's upcoming album, I'm listening to Nas' The Nigger Tape with Green Lantern. And this is pretty bittersweet for me.

I was pretty indifferent regarding the title, before: figured it would be an average-to-good Nas album, with him doing what he usually does. The "Nigger" title was just like "Hip Hop Is Dead": a marketing ploy to grab attention moreso than a concept that he was committed to carrying through. I've always felt that while Nas was one of the premier emcees in the genre's history, his music couldn't always keep up with his rhetoric, and that he was brilliant because of how well he did quasi-conventional rap, rather than what he actually rapped about.

But scarily enough, after listening, it looks like dude is actually serious! This is some of the most provocative music of Nas' career, both in concept and execution. "Cops Keep Firing" sees him tackling the discriminatory law enforcement and judicial system with the hunger of his youth, but the insight that comes with his age. "Legendary (Mike Tyson)" is everything that Street's Disciple's "U.B.R." should've been: an engaging narrative and ode to the boxing legend, with an Salaam Remi beat that matches its intensity, and a triumphant overtone that still ties into the "Nigger" theme. "Black President" is a great record, too. And while they aren't as potent, "Be A Nigger Too" and "N.I.G.G.E.R." both have lines that stick to the ribs. These other joints sound promising, too: "Project Roach" has him analogizing the perception of blacks in society to the perception of roaches ("We were looked at as the worst pest, and because of that treatment, some of us started to believe we were a pest, and started to act like it," he said), he rhymes as the N-word itself on "Y'all My Niggers," and him and Busta pay ode to fried chicken on, well, "Fried Chicken" (I don't mess with radio rips, sorry). It looked to be the perfect mix of metaphors and flat-out rapping, of defeatism and pride that would be necessary to execute such a concept successfully. You're rarely going to make everyone happy with a project like this, but IMO, getting discussions going and actually making an engaging, cohesive product equals success in these situations. Hence the title of this post; regardless of him not being married to Beyonce (even though Kelis is bad in her right) or his album title getting stripped, Nas won.

Still, imagine how avant-garde it would have been if he actually had a store product of that title, with a provocative piece of art that actually lives up to it with songs and an accompanying music video like this! With the aftermath of Don Imus and Michael Richards fresh in our memories, and the backdrop of the first Black presidential nominee! This could've been something-if not in quality, at least in intention and/or impact-that was mentioned in the same discussions as Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On? and Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted. Hopefully, this mixtape and the untitled LP that hits stores will jointly show that homie actually had bonafide passion behind this concept, and at least, let heads know that dude's still one of the most talented emcees in the industry, past and present.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Lil Wayne Is Who We Thought He Was! (c) Dennis Greene

May 31, 2008 | Tags: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter 3

Finally, the highest anticipated album of the year is on the streets. And guess what? It’s exactly what I thought it’d be: a dope, 4-star album, but certainly not the five-mic classic that merits “Best Rapper Alive” accolades. I think I adequately covered my theory on the homie in my first Lil Wayne Blog, but I’ve still got some messages for both the stans and the haters of Weezy.
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Stans:
Hopefully, this shows you that your savior is mortal. Everything that you love about Weezy F. is on full display here: that unmistakable voice, the nimble delivery, swag in spades, the comical punchlines, and the moments where he goes the fuck in and murders concepts. The problem is, when given the golden stage—press everywhere from XXL to GQ, a street buzz not even closely paralleled by any of his peers, cosigns by every rapper that matters, and production from the game’s premier knob twisters—he still couldn’t make a classic LP. EDIT: I know, it's still a "classic" due to it being the "album of the summer" and all that, but he failed to make an album whose actual quality matches up to the hype. To his credit, he’s still put together a dope album, and there are definitely some potentially classic songs here. But he’s got duds, filler and formulaic T-Pain songs just like anybody else does. It’s possible that homie’s prolific output has finally caught up with him: substituting “La La,” “Got Money,” “Playin’ With Fire,” and maybe even “Nothin On Me” [1] with highlights from his torrent of mixtapes may have pushed Tha Carter III over the hump.

Haters:
Go ahead and say he’s overrated, because he is. But like I said in my last blog, Lil Wayne’s hyperbole is something that’s understandable because of all of the other elements he brings. And if Tha Carter III does anything, it’s establish the dude as a bonafide talent. Even though he doesn’t make the classic that your stannish enemies thought he would, as I said in the last segment, he’s still put together some fantastic records here: “Dr. Carter” sent chills up my spine with the way he meshed conceptual originality with the style and aesthetic that he’s trademarked, and I’ve continuously maintained that “Comfortable” would’ve been a better single choice than “Lollipop.” He knows how epic “Mr. Carter” is and he shows it by going bar for bar with almighty Hov [2], and “Tie My Hands Down” is a passionate, well-constructed record that you’d be hard-pressed to justifiably hate on. And if you weren’t so busy scrutinizing his lyrics, you’d realize how potent the "style over substance" approach can be while listening to “Let The Beat Build.” Most of you (haters) that I spoke to about the songs they’ve heard have said something to the extent of, “Wow, this isn’t even half bad!” I agree.

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[1] Maybe it’s just me, but I thought was this joint with Juelz and Fabolous the album’s most disappointing song? Considering the previous collaborations between duos of them (Cassidy’s “6 Minutes of Death,” Juelz’ “Make It Work For Ya”), this was really forgettable. And one of Alchemist’s more disappointing beats in a while. Wasn’t a terrible song, but disappointing.
[2] Until Wayne’s last verse, that is. But hey: Lebron’s still a legend for this year’s Game 7 faceoff with Paul Pierce even though the Celtics took it, right?

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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Speech Is My Hammer...

Wait. So Labels Are Doing The Right Thing?

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Nas Won.

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Lil Wayne Is Who We Thought He Was! (c) Dennis Greene

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