Sorry 50, this somehow get’s me excited. Yeah, Game can be a “hip-hop groupie” at times. Yeah, he was on Change of Heart back in the day. Yeah, the “G-Unot” records got old quick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hated the fact that all he did was quote and name drop other emcees.
But then I started to see why this dude was on. He has a certain type of appeal. He makes mood music. Honest music. He doesn’t hide the fact that he’s a fan first. There is something to be said about that. A lot of dudes are just too green to do that.
When he left Aftermath I, honestly, didn’t think he would make it pass one album. Somehow, Game was able to keep his respect and high production value going. His last album, L.A.X., was probably my favorite. He embodies West Coast hood culture and, besides Snoop, not many can do that on an mainstream level.
The good news is…he’s back with Dr. Dre and Aftermath! I think they make a dope pair. Dre knows how to gel with certain artist (didn’t work with Rakim though). Dre and Eminem, Dre and 50 cent, Dre and Snoop. I think Dre and Game will be a good pairing.
The West Coast gangster sh@t just can’t get duplicated. I, like many other fans, love it. Being an NYC born emcee and fan of hip-hop, it’s not always about the East Coast. I’m not sure how many tracks Dre will have on this album (officially), but I am looking forward to it.
1-Intro (Produced by Drumma Boy)
2-Ambulance Feat. Young Jeezy (Produced By Maestro)
3-Fundamental Feat. Scarface (Produced by DJ Premier)
4-Hype (Produced by Dr.Dre)
5-R.E.D Feat. Busta Rhymes & Nas (Produced by The Neptunes)
6-Energy Feat. Justin Timberlake (Produced by The Neptunes & Dr.Dre)
7-I’ll Find You (Produced by Kanye west)
8-Save Me Now (Produced by DJ Khalil)
9-White Soft Porn (Produced by 1500&Nothin’)
10-Back On That (Produced by 1500′&Nothin’)
11-Right Feat. Lupe Fiasco (Produced by Dr.Dre)
12-Blaze! Feat. Ludacris & Xzibit (Produced by The Neptunes & Dr.Dre)
13-Before I Sleep Feat. Nate Dogg (Produced by Hi-Tek)
14-Snap (Produced By Boi-1da)
15-Flame Feat. Rick Ross (Produced by The Inkredibles)
16-Eliminate (Produced By Dr.Dre & Nottz)
17-The Deal (Produced By DJ Khalil)
18-Would I Be Wrong Feat. Akon (Produced By Polow Da Don)
19-Nothing Feat. Nate Dogg (Produced By Dr.Dre)
20-Outro (Produced by Dumma Boy)
There is always that moment in hip-hop where the underground artist begins to build mainstream “buzz”. That one special emcee that stands above the rest. That b-boy or b-girl that has the potential to connect with “all” hip hop fans.
Artist like Mos Def and Eminem can testify to this. One minute your just paying dues, and in the next minute your on the cover of a magazine. This type of progression excites me. Hip hop is about “freshness”. Most emcees get old and war-torn. Only a few are able to hang on amongst the young lions.
I look at how, last year, XXL shined a bright light on a couple of new artist, claiming they were the “next generation”. Almost all of them didn’t live up to those expectations. I think that cover was a label/mag deal anyway.
As I look at the hype and buzz that now surrounds Jay Electronica, I can only start to think about that other Just Blaze assisted artist…Saigon.
Saigon had the same buzz. He had the endorsement of fans, label heads, and fellow artist. His mixtape “Warning Shots” was in heavy rotation, and forget about the anticipation for the album. Shit, he even had airplay on radio stations who generally don’t give a shit about lyrical skill.
Somehow that momentum slowed drastically. I don’t know if it was the record label mess, the singles they put out, or the outside activities:
Who knows? It is just unfortunate when an artist is on the eve of major success, and it’s silenced by politics & bullshit. I think Saigon is still an dope artist. Maybe a better situation will present it’s self and he could regain that buzz. It happened with the 50 Cent and Sony/Interscope situation. It can happen for any artist.
My hype for Saigon has slowed, bu tomorrow is another day. Seize the moment!
Now this is what I’m talking about! Are you one of those music lovers who savors the process of buying a new cd and reading the credits/liner notes, while taking in the new sounds? This is an essential part of an album’s impression on the customer. Currently, with digital downloads, you get pictures and videos. Meh :-[
MusicDNA may be the answer…
With this new file format on the horizon, boasting up to 32gb of file space, you can get the whole kitchen sink with your download. This may save that sacred “ceremony” that most music enthusiast crave from the digital age.
Here is an excerpt from the BBC report:
” The new file, MusicDNA, can include things like lyrics, videos, artwork and blog posts, which will continually be updated, as well as the music.”
“It has been created by Norwegian developer Dagfinn Bach, who worked on the first MP3 player in 1993.
And its investors include German researcher Karlheinz Brandenburg, who is credited with inventing the MP3.”
Of course, the price and support from major lables may become an issue. We are watching closely.
Rap beef is so last decade. Nowadays, unless there are some real issues behind it, it all seems wack. It doesn’t work for 50 any more, and it’s not getting a rise out of Jay to hear Beanie going at him. Why even go there in 2010?
Why? The media loves it. The media loves to get us excited over potential lyrical battles. There is nothing wrong with diss records and battles…if they are legitimate.
The whole “East vs. West” beef from the late 90s was driven by the media. We all ate it up and chose sides. Magazines like the Source and Vibe kept feeding us till the shit got out of control. Now, on the dawn of another decade, here comes the gas can again.
Complex.com has an blog called “Shots Fired” that will, without a doubt, bring the trolls out. It’s not that there isn’t alot of truth to what’s being said, it’s just that it’s going to open a lot of old wounds. Shit, it’s gonna open some new ones too (for those who didn’t catch the lines).
Some lines are obvious and others can be interpreted to mean different things. Jay-Z hasn’t signed off to say, “hey, this line is about him and that line is about him”. This is just something that’s going to get the blogs, gossip radio host, and hip-hop sites going.
Sad enough, we’ll be the ones to help it get out of control. Luckily for the respect of the game, Jay-Z will not respond to anyone who might get upset at this. I think he’s moved pass that (or at least trying). Maybe this blog will just be a blip on the radar and nothing more.
It’s an interesting blog, but there are far more better things to talk about.
Do or Die 2? Wild Cowboys 2? Really? I see what the trend will be for 2010. I can’t front, I’m a little afraid. Though Raekwon’s “Only Built for Cuban Linx 2” was a huge hit amongst critics and hip-hop fans, will these two albums fair the same? Were Do or Die and Wild Cowboys classic enough to warrant sequels?
Did you own this in 1996?
There is also going to be a sequel to Capone-n-Noreaga’s 1997 debut “The War Report“. This all makes me a little skeptical. AZ has said in interviews that he’s not biting, but he was inspired by Raekwon’s work. That’s cool but, the list is starting to build. What’s next? “He’s the Producer, I’m the Actor“?
I have to admit that I was surprised how good Raekwon’s album turned out. Who knows. Maybe these titles with help to usher in more quality lyrics in 2010. This “trend” isn’t new. Stillmatic could have been considered an sequel to Illmatic. That turned out good.
Now if only we could hear more of this hip-hop on the radio…
2009 was a bitter sweet year overall. Mr. Obama was sworn in as the first African-American President of the United States, and Michael Jackson died (damn, that hurts every time). Hip-hop was ok. A lot of the laffy taffy shit finally left the airwaves, but that then opened the door for auto-tune rappers.
Then, Jay-Z kind of killed that vibe with D.O.A. It seems as if a sense of respect for lyrics and artistry had returned in 2009. I can only imagine what 2010 will be like. Here are the albums and mixtapes that I felt did justice to the Hip-Hop game (in some shape or form) this year:
I value my doe a little bit more than that. $60 is a lot when you add up all the top notch games that come out throughout the year. There are those games that do multiplayer better than they do single player.
It’s a cultural event featuring 36 teams from historically Black colleges and universities, action-packed game play, and interactive half-time shows. The teams represent the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Co […]
