Niles - All Ready A Success Story

"Niles is the new Miles Davis, Coltrane" - "This Time"

Some would say that overcoming hardship, in any context, is the genesis of true success. A diamond from the ruff. That proverbial rose grown from concrete. Jazz. Blues. Be-bop. Hip Hop. Each birthed from plight. Each one defeated its odds.

No doubt, the artist born as Chadwick Phillips has experienced more than his fair share of trepidation. Growing up in Lansing, Michigan, was tough. "I came up in a family of 8 kids and we all had different dads. We were all going to be taken by the state and put into different orphan homes and foster care homes because of the unstable situation. That foundation...created a stigma that I had to grow out of." Bouncing between hotels and homeless shelters at an early age taught him that education was necessary to break the cycle. "One thing I knew was that no body could take my education away from me...Once I found that out, I attacked it full throttle. I hit the ground running. So, I was deep in the books, man."

Chadwick took his burgeoning lyrical reputation and commitment to education to Michigan State University in 2002. Always a keen listener of music, the artist-formerly-known as Alias continued to hone his craft and affection for jazz legends. "I really admire Miles Davis, man. Just who he was beyond the music was real ill, real fly to me." It was there that the name Alias began to demand respect throughout Michigan's historic hip hop landscape. It was there that he finally met his father - jazz legend Sam Gill. "My first time seeing him was in the jazz music section at Michigan State University in a book...He was a very important part of the Be-bop era. He was an understudy of Thelonius Monk...I knew nothing about all of this stuff! It was like opening up sacred...treasures, man. It was great."

After receiving his degree from Michigan State in 2006, Alias relocated to Brooklyn, New York, in order to turn his craft into a career. Showcasing an aggressive flow laced with dexterity and lyrical prowess, he has achieved an impressive level of success within NYC's legendary rap circles. Few Emcees can boast Harlem Rapathon winner, EOW Challenge winner, performed at HOT97 Summer Jam 2007, performed at HOT97 Summer Jam 2008, solo performance on BET commercial for Barack Obama You(th) Vote campaign, HOT97/Koch Records Talent Show winner on their resumes. He even squeezed in a moniker change. "Winning that talent search was like another graduation. It was like another shift...I was thinking...what other form was the updated Chadwick?" He eventually landed on Niles. "Theres a lot of similarities between me and the Nile River. The Nile flows upstream in an unorthodox way. In life, I'm flowing upstream in an unorthodox way. You know, the Nile River is a provider. Its been a provider since its creation. I'm a provider. And I've been a provider since my creation. Its of African decent. I'm of African decent."

Hello Brooklyn. Hello Niles.

Lyrically, Niles is that rare breed of Emcee that sounds equally as authentic on party anthems as he does on battle rhymes and conscious cuts. One part Slum Village. One part Lauryn Hill. Smooth delivery. Lyrically lethal. Contextually commanding. His recently released E1 (formerly Koch Records) single "This Time" showcases his innate ability to craft an infectious, inspirational party anthem laced with common man sensibilities. It feels like Summertime. It feels right-on-time. "That songs straight from the heart! Thats what I was going through...I wanted to tap into that person who you don't show to the world...I wanted to tap into 'that' person. And thats what that song is about...Overcoming struggle. At times we get impatient. But thats hard to listen to. Thats why its a back and forth theme." LISTEN HERE.

Or he can flip his brim and come like this:



Overcoming adversity is a constant theme in the life of Chadwick Phillips. From homeless shelters to college degree. To Brooklyn from Lansing. From contestant to Champion. To record deal. The book of Niles is a success story. But he won't tell you that.

"You know what brother, theres always a higher mountain to climb, man. You can imagine like 'yeah...when I get there its gonna be like this.' But when you get there, its a higher mountain that forms. You know, it rises up and you lookin up like 'Damn!' When you get to the top of that mountain, theres a higher one! So, I'm just in a cycle. I'm just in a zone. In a flow. And I can't really see it for what it really is. But I don't want to because then I'll get comfortable...I'm not really tryna get comfortable. So much more to do."

Niles Davis continues to build his catalog. His debut album To...Remain is still under construction. Higher mountains are still forming. And like Jazz, like Be-bop, like Hip Hop - no doubt, Niles will overcome. Its in his blood.

Hit Niles at http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/1alias.

Quotable InBox

The Quotable gets more mail than comments, but this one from Ben in ATL is a must-share. Instant hilarity. Enjoy....

Yesterday, I flew from Newark to Atlanta (Delta Flight 2013). I was fortunate enough to get the upgrade to first class (Seat 3C). I boarded the plane, took my seat, and opened my laptop. About 5 minutes later, I heard someone say, “Yo, I am sitting in 3D”. I thought, “OK buddy, hang on for a second”. As I stood up, I realized that I knew the dude sitting next to me; it was Ludacris. I thought, “Well, ain’t this a bia; I am sitting next to Luda”. I wasn’t going to play myself, so I acted like it was no big deal. Neither of us said anything until about 20 minutes into the flight. About that time, Luda tapped me and said, “Yo, ask the flight attendant to get me a vodka and cranberry when she comes around. I’m ‘bout to get a nap in”. I thought, “Oh, this nacka is trying to play me. I don’t know you like that. You ole mid-Major rapper. Order your own drink. I am in first class too, Homie”, but I said, “Alright”. So, when the flight attendant came around, I ordered a Henne straight up for me and told her to make a Shirley Temple for Chris Bridges. How about this nacka slept the entire time we were in the air! I really felt like I had been played. As we were exiting the plane, I looked at Luda and said “Keep doing what you do Playa”. I followed it up by slapping the ish out of that nacka and yelling at the top of my lungs “I feel like slappin somebody today. Slap, Slap, Slap, Slappin somebody today. You Ole Skinny Black looking boi”. Look for it on TMZ!

For the record...everything actually happened except for the "Slap, Slap, Slappin' somebody today" part. Either way, it had me rollin'! See The Quotable's review of Ludacris's most recent album Theatre of the Mind here.

The Quotable Reviews: Actual Factual Pterodactyl

"Now throw your hands in the sky. / Its Queens finest, fortified, so form a line." - "Food Glorious Food"

The first dope thing about Actual Factual Pterodactyl (AFP) is that the album title actually rhymes. Ironic, right? I mean, rap music rhymes. You'd think that more Hip Hop album titles would rhyme as well. At least I would.

But, like The Quotable has stated before, Homeboy Sandman is not the average Emcee. He does things his own way. A little to the left. A little bit different.

So, lets run through what we already know about Queens own 'Boy Sand. We know he rocks an Ivy League degree and discarded a potential law career to do this rap thing full time. We know his live show hits harder than Billy Bong Thorton. And we know Homeboy's Emcee skills are the exact opposite of Tiger Woods (miles above par).

But what remains to be proven is whether or not 'Boy Sand can put together a complete album. And really, thats what separates an Emcee from an Artist. Hip Hop is overcrowded with cats that can rap good but struggle to make an album worth buying (thats whats poppin' in a financial crisis, muttaskuttas!!!! Getting your money's worth). I mean, his live show is dope. His cypher skills are mean. Can Homeboy Sandman complete the tri-fecta and craft an ill LP?

Come along and ride with us as The Quotable reviews Actual Factual Pterodactyl.

"Welcome to the Actual Factual Pterodactyl. We in the NASDAQ. We international." - "Food Glorious Food"

Top to bottom, AFP is a fairly diverse album both lyrically and topically. Well, at least for the first half. The rumbling "Food Glorious Food" (title taken from the 60s Broadway play Oliver!, from Charles Dickens Oliver Twist) showcases Homeboy's aggressive, up tempo flow as he kicks ill cypher rhymes, just showing skills on the track. 'Boy Sand is arguably at his best on the infectious concept cut, "I-tunes Song." Over 2 Hungry Bros airy, snare-heavy soundscape, Homeboy drops some of the album's wittiest quotables while cleverly advertising his songs availability on iTunes:

"Download the software. / Click on the icon, hit me right there. / Its not too
pricey. / Its like breathing a breath of fresh air. / Find words that say 'Buy
Now' and press there. / You'll find my CD so manly you'll grow some chest hair.
/ You know how when movies are 'Must Sees'? / Well here's a 'Must Hear.'"

I gotta say this though - not only does this track squat Indian style in your dome for days (once you hear it, your stuck with it. Thats a good thing), but 'Boy Sand's flow lodges itself inside the beat, acting as an additional instrument. Let me explain. Some artists ride on top of the beat. Some ride behind the beat (as if they're continuously catching up to the snare). Some ride ahead of the beat (as if they beat the snare to the punch). Sandman is inside the beat on this one - meaning he's on the beat, but his flow is melodic without being sing-songy, simultaneously melding within the production. Its a lyrical instrument adding depth to the track. Think Eminem on "My First Single," minus the shock value. This is a difficult feat to pull off effectively without actually singing (like Nelly).

I know, I know...a lot of detail. But we do that here at The Quotable. For better or for better. Either way, 'Boy Sand does his thing on this track! It had to be pointed out. Back to the review.

"City Darker" sparks an immediate paradigm shift from the the jolly "I-tunes Song," delving into the shadowy side of New York City - the part "where Barack and Hillary speeches never could reach." Highwater Music's P.Casso teams up with Sandman on "Wise Up" as the two trade bars tackling conspiracies and societal ills. The plodding bass-line, piano keys, and sublime hook make this beat the album's second best.




"I ain't never gonna wear a tie again. / Hottest from the Shire passing fliers out in Ireland" - "Eyes on Vinyl"

Brooklyn MC Fresh Daily shines on "Eyes On Vinyl", as both he and Sandman go in over another rumbling banger. I'm not sure how to describe the production here - but 'Boy Sand says the "track sounds like a soundtrack to a funeral" so lets go with that. AFP's dopest beat. FACT. Sandman spreads his wings on the hilarious "Mambo Tail Tale" - kicking a spontaneous Mambo dance story so vivid that a video isn't necessary, which immediately makes you want to see a video for the song even more! I agree with Encore Status, if a video is made, it should be animated. Unfortunately, this is the only story track on the album. As dope as it is, its a shame that its riding solo

"You ain't never seen / since Adam & Eve / an organism that can manipulate a rhythm like me" - "God Fire Breathe"

Again, the first half of AFP is diverse lyrically and topically. Whether its a concept ("I-tunes Song"), social commentary ("City Darker", "Wise Up"), ill cypher cuts ("Food Glorious Food", "Eyes On Vinyl"), or story rhymes ("Mambo Tale Tail"), fast flows, slower flows, Homeboy Sandman delivers. And its appreciated.



On the album's back half, 'Boy Sand takes it back to basics, highlighting his Emcee skills on cypher cut after cypher cut. "God Fire Breathe" opens with minimalist keys and a light snare before switching to an energetic rock and roll beat. Homeboy's witty word play and tongue twister delivery is again on display - "As a young kid I aint never fit in. / I would get miffed when the class was dismissed. / Teacher tried to say I asked too many questions. / 'Bitch I'm the only muthafucka listenin'." The anthemic production and clever lyricism on "Lighting Bolt. Lightning Rod." overcomes its semi-corny hook. "Or" feels like "VerbalSoulClapMania's" first cousin (whistles and humming instead of hand claps. no beat on either) and Sandman kicks four-minutes-and-fifty-one-seconds of cypher rhymes rhyming with 'or.'

"Why the Knicks play 'D' like matadors? / Shit is so annoying.
/ Whole quarters cats don't even run down court. / Is this the same
team James Dolan paid for? / Is this the same team Pat Ewing played for? /
Oh my lord. / Does anyone besides Lee wanna crash boards? / Does anyone besides
me wanna fast forward? / Poor Jamal Crawford. / You must be dreamin' like Al B.
Sure if you think I take shorts."

'Boy Sand takes a jab at mainstream radio's lack of quality music on "Airwave Air Raid" providing a brief detour from the cypher. "Opium" is the lone dislikeable track on AFP. The crawling, monotonous beat combined with Sandman's slow flow feels drousy, damn near yawn-inducing. Its the type of track that you'd absolutely have to skip if you're late night driving or you just might wind up in a ditch (he even yawns right before the first verse drops!).


If "Or" is "VerbalSoulClapMania's" first cousin, then "The Big Band Theory" is its big brother (cypher rhymes over more hand claps backed by minimalist jazz bass strings). "Gggrrraa!!" is another aggressive freestyle cut showcasing Homeboy's dynamic delivery and wordplay. And "2 Hungry Bros Outro's" provides a solid ending to the album. 'Boy Sand's slow melodic flow is at its best here over 2 Hungry Bros heavy snare. "Me and Anakin are quite analogous. / We both look good in black and likely to attack where any planet is. / How could you blame the parents when you're the parasite writing narratives. / With parodies so apparent its so embarrassing." Another ill cypher cut.

"Thanks for coming ladies and gents. / Hope that you're enjoying my show. / If by chance you find that you're not, / I got bad news for you, you're slow." - "God Fire Breathe"

There it is. 15 tracks. 3 rhyming guest appearances. No interludes. Actual Factual Pterodactyl is loaded with personality, witty word play, and infectious rhyme schemes. The production is better than average, but Sandman's delivery overshadows the majority of the beats on the album. Two main shortcomings:

(1) Although his Emcee skills are apparent, he can come across as redundant (especially on the AFP's cypher cut loaded back half). I mean, regardless of how dope the rhymes may be, hearing how great someone is track after track gets boring quick (this would be a critical problem if his delivery was less dynamic).

And (2) Homeboy Sandman fails to let the listener into his world personally. Yeah, he covers most bases (stories, ill cypher cuts, social commentary, check, check, check), but theres nothing personal here. AFP is loaded with personality and perspective. But we don't learn about Homeboy Sandman the person, the human being. What was his family like? What made him realize Emcee-ing was his future? What does he love? What does he fear? Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera. Maybe he provided more insight into himself on his first LP (Nourishment (Second Helpings)) and honestly I haven't heard that album yet (#6 on the To-Do list). But when an album lacks a personal connection to the artist, more often than not, it tends to lack long-term replay value. At least in my iPod.

With that aside, Actual Factual Pterodactyl is a stellar LP. Homeboy Sandman doesn't give an inch lyrically and every track deserves repeated listens. Which is ironically this albums gift and its curse - you have to listen to it. Hip Hop connoisseurs will immediately respect, but to the casual fan, he's more than likely "often overhead / part carry-on". Unless of course they've witnessed his live show.

Rating: QQQQ

The Quotable Reviews: The Truth Is Here

"If they want the truth, you gotta tell 'em its here." - "Real As Can Be"

Two years following the release of one of the dopest-albums-The-Quotable-never-reviewed (The Undisputed Truth), Brother Ali returns with his addendum offering, The Truth Is Here. Much like the legally-blind-bald-headed-white-albino-Muslim-rapper that crafted this EP, The Truth Is Here bucks convention, flipping a proverbial middle-finger towards the stereotypical [1].

(In my best Chris Rock impersonation) "Yeah I said it!" Legally-blind-bald-headed-white-albino-Muslim-rapper.

And he's niiiiiiiiiiice!

Not nice in a chew-you-up-in-a-cypher-kind-of-way. More like, nice in a giving-you-that-shit-you-need-to-feel-type-way. A damn-near-spiritual-type-nice.

Yeah...nice like that.

FACT.

Brother Ali is one of the handful of artists in my iPod that is able to evoke emotion in the listener...and unleash the pimp-hand of the government.

(The Chris Rock impersonation returns) "Yeah I said it!" How many rappers do you know that have had their funds frozen by the Department of Homeland Security?

But I guess that happens when you happen to be a legally-blind-bald-headed-white-albino-Muslim-rapper-that-makes-a-song-called-Uncle-Sam-Goddam.

And the track is nice too. (No more hyphen sentences. I-swear).



Nevertheless, rap's Howard Zinn returns with The Truth Is Here - a 9-track EP intended to hold over his loyal fan base until his next full length album drops this September (Street Preacher). Is it another worthy offering?

Come along and ride with us as The Quotable reviews: The Truth Is Here

"As real as can be. I keep my people with me..." - "Real As Can Be"

The Truth Is Here jumps off with the Mo Better Bluesy "Real As Can Be." Ali kicks a slick old school flow over (Rhymesayers in-house producer) Ant's smooth saxophone and soul sample, while reflecting on his first headlining tour and traveling with Rakim. Its the type of cut that makes you want to chill and smoke something. Something good. Good start to the album.

"Little Rodney" is by far the album's most potent cut. Here, Backpack Rap's Version of Sam Kennison lyrically digs into the jail system from both an inmates perspective and the perspective of someone pissed at the business behind it:

"...Twisted, broken, mutilated carcass / living in a harness. / Guards all watch us / from towers with batons / firearms in they holsters. / Shoot to kill marksman keep cross-hairs on us. / Food make you nauseous. / Yard got you frost bit. / They sleep us in shit just to keep us exhausted. / Mixed in with monsters. Divided and conquered. / Where the hard-hearted lawless are highly regarded. / Chance to touch knowledge, / transform the torture. / These bars are between you and your culture. / Eat, sleep, shit, sweat hardship. / A god-less society's garbage. / Twisted 'Mission Accomplished'. / Bars and our sorrows are all that we're armed with. / Heart disconnected, punchin walls with the raw fist. / Caught in / between livin' in hell and a coffin. / Do the death rattle in the metal maze your lost in. / Boxed in. Dropped in a hole and forgotten. / Frozen to the core, your soul feels rotten. / Name is now numbers. Just know your fellow convict / love you, Brother Ali. / Peace, Little Rodney."

This is the reason you buy a Brother Ali album! Homeboy is blessed with a gift for the language. His ability to lyrically paint vivid images is miles above The Average. Its poetic. And is a signal of the all-important-replay-value-potential (ok...one more hyphen sentence won't hurt)! Thats the reason you buy music in the first place - to listen to it!!!! And if it can take your mind places your body has never been and make it feel like you physically experienced it, you'll want to listen to it again!! And again!! And Again!!! AND THEN YOU GOT YOUR MONEYS WORTH!!!! THATS WHATS POPPIN' IN FINANCIAL CRISIS, MUTTASKUTTAS!!!...GETTIN' YOUR MONEYS WORTH!!!!



Deep breath...deep breath...woo saa...

I'm off my soap box now. My bad for the tangent. "Little Rodney" is a very good song. Back to the review...

"I ain't dumbin down. / You gonna have to smarten up." - "Talkin' Shit"

The Truth Is Here's best run hits with the anthemic "Palm The Joker" (high strings and sped-up soul samples. Sounds like '04 Kanye) and the bluesy, head-nodding "Good Lord." The latter holds some of the albums most honest rhymes: "And how you gon' hate me for being what God made me? / Its not a game. I aint sayin it playfully. / They relate to the joy and the pain in me, / and seeing me make it be. Watchin a slave get free." More dopeness. More dopeness.



"Baby Don't Go" fulfills the obligatory chick-track quotient. Ant's bouncing organ keys and funky snare make this song more than tolerable, and Ali's rhymes verge on the unintentionally humorous ("If I ask you to dance then we gonna actually dance. / I don't just rub my pecker on the back of your pants"). "Talkin' Shit" is the most versatile track on the EP. You can clean to it. You can ride to it. You can smoke to it. You can drop into mack-mode with it in the background. It even comes complete with its own 4 bar, old-school-break-beat-boom-bap-breakdown (aight...clearly I'm not ready to leave the hyphen-sentences alone. But thats my journey. I'll get there).



Slug (from the Rhymesayers duo, Atmosphere) joins the Street Preacher on "The Believers." The two labelmates volley cypher rhymes back and forth over Ant's rumbling soundscape. "Cash it in and take a look at who you dancin' with. / You're just the middle-man between your fans and your management." Definitely head-nod-inducing. The album wraps with the tranquil "Begin Here," showcasing some of Ali's most personal rhymes.

"When I was young you couldn't tear me away from the stereo. / I used to carry one with me everywhere I go. / As I memorized the words / I genuinely believed every line I heard. / I thought that these men that I referred to as prophets of our time would never lie in verse. / I can't begin to tell you how it hurt as time went on and some of them disguises burst. / I always said 'if ever I get heard,' / 'If ever I am perched in an elevated place / high enough so this world can recognize my words' / I would never turn and try and hide my faith. / And so I give my all as an author. / Even if myself is all I have to offer."

9 tracks. 1 producer. 1 guest appearance. No interludes. The Truth Is Here is a sleek listen, packed with dope beats and dope rhymes, laced with replay value. Honestly, "Philistine David" is its only real hiccup (Ant's corniest production and Brother Ali unfortunately adorns that cheesy-street-preacher garb he occasionally defaults to) [2]. Other than that, the album picks up right where The Undisputed Truth left off.

The Truth Is Here will not make you want to hit the club. Its not going to make the ladies drop and get their Eagle-on or anything. You're not going to find Brother Ali headlining Madison Square Garden, even if he is in that college town, bossin' that crowd around. He doesn't have a six-pack, tatoo, or a bullet hole. He just makes dope music - not so plain, not so simple. The Truth Is Here is no exception. Whats more important than that? "Shit, muthafucka, shit. Ali and them sittin' on another hit."

"Yeah-I-said-it!" (...just couldn't help myself).

Rating: QQQQ.5



[1] Or considering the number of gimmicks and personal triumphs rappers use to sell their backstory and separate themselves from the pack, you could argue that he is the MOST stereotypical rapper. Seriously...how many legally-blind-bald-headed-white-albino-Muslim-PEOPLE do you know??? On paper, that reads like the Lebron James of rap cliches (even if being legally blind or albino wasn't a choice)! Fortunately for him, his music is great enough to make you forget that he's currently leading the league.
[2] And not to nit-pick, but the CD itself doesn't come with an album book! How nonsensical is that?? The only reason most people buy physical CDs is to get the album book!! People like to read the credits, find out what samples were used, read the 'Thank Yous'. AND WHERE ARE THE PICTURES??? WE NEED MORE PICTURES!!!. I might as well have downloaded the album.

The Rap Pet Peeves Blog

Content is extremely important to The Company Man.

Whether its a web page, blog site, or rap song - that site, writer, or artist must have something to say in order to hold my attention. I'm not going to waste time on any site boasting little more than the latest celebrity sightings found on a bajillion other web sites. I'm not going to waste time on any blog showing little more than the latest youtube video found on a bajillion other blogs. And, I'm most definitely not going to waste time listening to any rapper saying the same thing the same way as a bajillion other rappers. Time is money. And during a financial crisis, the cost of capital is too high to waste on those with nothing to say.

But I guess thats what makes me different from most rap fans.

But I guess thats why I'm hot.

FACT.

On the flip side, little irks me more than a dope artist saying ish they know is wrong, ish they should know is wrong, and ish that just doesn't make any sense. Sometimes they do it just to rhyme. Sometimes they do it trying to be deep. Sometimes they just don't know no better.

Exhibit A: METAPHORS VS SIMILIES

"...Your boy takes off like I been strippin' all my life. / Thats the type of metaphors I write." - Jay-Z; 44 Fours



Dope line, right? The visual is crazy! "Your boy takes off like I been strippin' all my life. / Thats the type of metaphors I write." - you can see exactly whats he's saying. Not to mention that the song itself is a masterful display of cleverness surpassed only by its predecessor, '22 Twos.' Only one problem: ITS NOT A METAPHOR!

Similie: Comparing 2 or more persons, places, or things using 'like' or 'as'
Metaphor: Comparing 2 or more persons, places, or thing without using 'like' or 'as'

Source: my 5th grade Languange Arts teacher

'Your boy takes off like I been strippin all my life' is a SIMILIE. As soon as that 'like' flowed out Jay's mouth, the comparison was no longer a metaphor. I'm 82% percent sure Hova The God knows the difference between similies and a metaphors. Lets just say he was one '4' short of reaching 44 by tracks end (I mean, clearly '43 Fours' doesn't have the same ring to it. I wouldn't let one grammatical error crater my dope song/doper concept either). He's earned the benefit of the doubt.

Not even Lupe Fiasco is exempt:

"Never met her before / but I think I like her like a metaphor." - Sunshine

Again...SIMILIE.



Exhibit B: SAYING ISH THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHILE TRYING TO BE DEEP
"Jesus died at age 33. / Theres 33 shots between glocks. / At 16 a piece, thats 32 / which means / one of my guns was holding 17. / 27 hit your crew. / 6 went into you." - Nas; "One Mic"



Its been 7 years since Nas dropped 'One Mic' and those bars still fall 40 yards short of making any sense at all. What the HELL is GOD'S SON trying to say (pun intended)??? Comparing Jesus's death age to the number of shots fired at a rival is perplexing and contradictory...especially coming from Nas. Don't get me wrong, 'One Mic' is definitely a classic track (on a not-so-classic album). But the nonsensical nature of the bars above is a distraction from the songs potency. In fact, those are the only bars I can still recite from the track!!! Homie's trying too hard to be deep. And all he needs is 'One Mic'...plus '16 in the clip and one in the hole.'

Exhibit C: SAYING ISH JUST TRYING TO RHYME

Lil' Wayne's catalog is laced with nonsensical lines that do little more than aid his ability to stay on a rhyme scheme. He's adopted the piss-poor habit of repeating the same line consecutively, with slightly different pronunciations (which rarely adds any value to the verse), while he transitions to his next thought. Its weak. It waters down what he's trying to say.

"How did he think of this? / I mean how did he think of that? / I mean how did I think of that? / I mean like a rental, bring it back. / I mean how did I think of that?" - Lil Wayne

Or this one:

"So assasinate me, bitch. / Cause I'm doing the same thing Martin Luther Kind did. / Checkin' in the same hotel. / In same suite, bitch. / Same balcony like 'Assasinate me, bitch!'" - Lil Wayne; "Playing With Fire"

(2 minutes into the video)


Lil Emphezema (my bad, Lil Weezy) pulls an And-1 here. Not only does he repeat 'bitch' as the rhyme on 3 of the 4 bars, but he's also guilty of saying dumb shit just trying to sound deep. Lil Wayne isn't doing a damn thing the same as 'Martin Luther King did.'

Number of similarities between MLK and Lil Wayne: 3 (both are black. Both are male. Both are from he south)

Thats it.

Period.

Either he's over-valuing his contributions to society, or he's under-valuing MLK's. The line is weak, repetitive, and trying too hard to sound deep. Which is why Lil Wayne gets Lil burn in my iPod.

Like I said, content is extremely important to The Company Man.

Carry on...