Successful?????

drake-rapper-4

Look how many bitches are in the crowd!!!!  Didn’t Kanye say he will “make sure these light skinned guys never come back in style?”

I was reading an article on Hip Hop Dx over the weekend about Drake and his place in hip hop, whether it not it is deserved and it it is a good thing for hip hop.  The author brought up a lot of interesting points.  He feels that Drake’s cross-over appeal and women pleasing sound is a problem for hip hop.  He feels Drake “demaculinates” hip hop.  I guess appealing to the bitches ain’t cool.  He goes on to say that Drake has a “good guy/mama’s boy” persona that takes off the edge that hip hop was built on.  He says Drake is not a unique voice and that he is easily copied and duplicated.  I can’t say I agree with everything that dude is saying because who is he to say what hip hop is supposed to be.  If that were the case, you could say that Andre 3000 wearing wigs and football pads isn’t hip hop despite him being one of the best rappers ever.  Aside from the fact that I give A LOT of people A LOT of shit, it is not my place to call something hip hop or not.  I only have ONE request and that is, whatever your sounds, niche, gimmick, flow, etc. is, simply DO IT WELL.  I would never say that a guy like Soulja Boy or Gucci Mane is NOT hip hop, I just think that they are terrible but I guess they have their place.  I wish cats like Jay-Z, Kanye or Nas would go in on these dudes until they step their shit up but their music is what it is.  Drake, although I am not the biggest fan, has some dope records.  I don’t think that he deserves his spot at the top of hip hop’s elite, simply for a couple mixtapes and a hit single but the industry is this way because labels, radios, blogs, fans AND artists allowed it to be so.  You can be famous nowadays for ONE song or ONE mixtape.  Artist’s don’t even know what an album should sound like any more.  Cats settle for the quick hit, rather than the career.  I think it is hard to point fingers at a cat like Drake because I truly believe that he is just doing what we wants to do.  Now, whether or not people are a fan is one thing but I don’t think Drake being at the top is a problem.  I think the problem is that Drake can be at the top with one song and one mixtape.  Where are the greatest emcees alive?  They didn’t check this cat????? No wait, Lil Wayne was too busy getting his verses written by Drake.  Therein, lies another problem.  I would like you all to read this article because he gives Kid Cudi more props than Drake, which to me ruins every point this guy is trying to make.  Kid Cudi has ONE song, ONE mixtape and major cosigns EXACTLY like Drake.  To me, they are the same type of artist, Cudi is just not as nice on the mike.  Enough of my babble for the afternoon, enjoy another beautiful Monday and make sure you read this article and share your comments.  I included the new video from Drake and Trey Songz, Successful.  This seems to be everyone’s favbrite song nowadays.  What is your vision of success????

Hate It or Love It: A Hip Hop Analysis of Drake

 

 

 

more about “Drake & Trey Songz – Successful“, posted with vodpod

 

 

 

 

Jay-Z Blueprint 3

Jay-Z

Although it is a day later than I expected, Jay-Z’s new album Blueprint 3 has sprung a leak.  I have not heard the whole album but I definitely will this evening.  Hip Hop Dx has two new joints, Empire State of Mind featuring Alicia Keys and Hate featuring Kanye West.  I will have a full synopsis on the album later this week but in the mean time, enjoy(or don’t) Hate and Empire State of Mind.  How the stans feeling??????

Jay-Z featuring Kanye West-Hate

Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys-Empire State of Mind

Ho A Housewife

Kurupt_-_Tha_Streetz_Iz_A_Mutha_-_Front[1]

For your Monday listening pleasure, I got some theme music for all the fellas this morning.  I’m sure we have all been through it but Kurupt, Dr. Dre and Hittman(where is Hittman?) shed some light on our optomism.  I know it seems like you might be the one to tame her but “you can’t make a ho a housewife.”  However, I think Musiq Solchild and Lil Wayne might disagree(see You and Me and Prositute Flange).  They must have found them an EXTRA bad one.  I’ll just cross my fingers and say it MIGHT happen.  Enjoy Ho A Housewife from Kurupt’s Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha and Chronic 2001 and as a bonus, Callin Out Names.  This joint is one of my favorite Kurupt joints because he is talking shit on a few folks.  Kurupt can spill in case ya’ll forgot. 

RIP DJ AM

DJ AM

I’m sure everybody knows by now that Adam Goldstein better known as DJ AM was found dead in his home over the weekend but I wanted to give my condolensces.  2009 has been a crazy year and we have lost some incredible people.  I never got the chance to see or hear DJ AM spin but I heard that he was amazing.  It’s a shame he is gone.  RIP AM.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Add-2 presents Tale of Two’s City Volume 3: The Rise and The Fall

Add-2

As promised, I am proud to present to you, Add-2′s third installment of Tale of Two’s City, The Rise and The Fall.  Sponsored by 2dopeboyz and Okayplayer and executive produced by another one of The League of OG’s, SLOT-A.  Make sure you download, listen and spread the word.  Add-2 has been working crazy hard and been building a really nice buzz.  He is definitely one of the dopest cats I have heard.  Enjoy The Rise and The Fall and bump it for the next few weeks.  Make sure you holler at Add-2 and share your thoughts and comments and hit up SLOT-A as well for a project well done.  The League!!!!!!!!!!!  Here is the tracklist and the download link.  Download

Add-2 Track List

Soulja Boy Spittin??

soulja-boy

Now I think everyone knows why I am posting this video.  I can’t say that I am a fan of souljaboytellem but he doesn’t irritate as much as some people do.  His music is what it is.  Maybe I should take that same approach to other people’s music but I hold other people more accountable than a guy with shoes called yums and a black diamond remote controlled car chain.  I came across this video on Onsmash(thanks guys) and HAD to watch it.  I knew Soulja Boy has mad a ton of money and isn’t shy about it but it appears that he really wants to be taken seriously on the microphone.  Call me crazy but I don’t think that coming in the game with Crank Dat Soulja Boy or having a name like souljaboytellem and being a nice lyricist go hand in hand.  However, I wish him the best of luck at his pursuit of rhymes.  His first step appears to be his remix of Drake and Trey Songz Successful.  Now only is the video shot with an iphone but is that an Abercrombie shirt he is wearing??????  This whole song confuses me.  He does end the song pretty ill though, “Soulja Boy’s going on a renegade if life gives you lemons you make lemonade.”  Those might be the two illest bars I’ve ever heard from dude.  Besides the fact that he sounds a little slow, I think he’s got a shot at the title.  What do you think???????  Get em Soulja Boy!!!!

Jay-Z Creates Ghetto Techno

Jay-Z and T-Pain

T-Pain approves of this message!!!

First of all, I don’t even know what the fuck that means.  Second of all.  EPIC FAIL.  How are all the Jay-Z stans feeling right now?  BP3 still sounding like a classic?????  I know there is NO WAY this song will make the cut but it’s funny none the less.  So without further ado, I present to you…….Ghetto Techno

Jay-Z-Ghetto Techno

Add-2 The Rise and The Fall

Tomorrow is the day so mark your calendars.  The homie Add-2 is releasing his new mixtape, Tale of Two’s City Volume 3: The Rise and The Fall.  He just dropped off his artwork.  Check it out and please believe I will be posting the mixtape tomorrow and jamming it all day and all weekend. 

Add-2 Add-2 Track List

Peep SLOT-A as the executive producer.  THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kid Cudi=Jimi Hendrix

Now I don’t want to take shots at Kid Cudi because it isn’t his fault and despite my personal feelings about his music, he seems like a down to earth cat.  However, at a recent listening party for the rapper/singer/HBO star’s debut album, the executive vice president of Universal described that album as seminal and that it will change the game.  She went on to compare Cudi to Jimi Hendrix in their pursuit to change the face of music. ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  That is where the brakes came to a SCREECHING hault for me.  Maybe I am the one bugging but I tend to think that my grasp on music and reality is pretty firm.  I had to ask myself a few questions.  Didn’t Jimi Hendrix play the guitar backwards and light his guitar on fire and play it behind his head and with his teeth?  Kid Cudi is famous for ONE song, which to me(once again maybe im bugging) didn’t sound game changing or seminal to me.  He was a part of Kanye West’s worst piece of work to date.  Once again, probably not his fault but I still don’t see how that deserves a comparison to Jimi Hendrix.  Maybe Cudi’s album is a game changer and will blur the lines of music even further and create a whole new genre of music but I’m going to wait until 30 years from now and my children are bumping Kid Cudi and watching his performances.  I know most people take Kanye West’s cosign as law but Cudi has a HOT record and A mixtape.  I’m just a little confused about that statement.  It is kind of scary that the people who are in charge of the music industry and particularly hip hop are drawing such absurd comparisons.  She must have smoked too much of that Kid Cudi Maui Wowie.  If you see this lady, somebody PLEASE slap her.  I wonder who executives are comparing Drake too?  Louie Armstrong?????  Peep the comments at Hip Hop Dx

Elimination Process

Gravediggaz

RIP Poetic

I guess the vibe of the Tales From The Hood soundtrack put me in the mood to listen to some more scary rap or as some call it horrorcore.  I started the morning with Gravediggaz second LP, The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel.  My brother used to listen to this album back when I was in middle school and I got hooked back then.  I revisited the album numerous times since then and it gets better every time I hear it.  The lyrics “sharper than Rza’s rings” and the production is that grimey, old, Wu Tang feel.  I let the album ride all the way through.  The joint that had me hooked today was Elimination Process.  The hook is infectious, perhaps because it’s an interpolation of some theme(my mind is drawing a blank on which one).  I bet you can’t listen to this song without having the hook stuck in your head.  The artwork on this album is really dope too.  The white and gold is the shit.  I guess it’s only right that it has been raining nonstop for the last two days in Chicago for Tales From The Hood soundtrack and Gravediggaz.  I might need some depression meds by Friday afternoon.  RIP Poetic.