[Video] Due To US Wealth Gap, Chuck D Releases “Notice (Know This)” In Response To “Otis”

Stringer Bell wanted to become “The Bank.”

The economic mind behind The Wire’s, Barksdale crime family wanted to expunge the violence from the Baltimore drug trade. He wanted to expand into real estate -- trading the risky day-to-day operations for a financier-only post high above the destruction going down on the ground below. He wanted to be detached from that tragic reality while still profiting from it. He wanted to be Too Big To Fail. He had other aspirations.

In this extended interview on Real Time With Bill Maher, Jay-Z described his brand of Hip Hop as “aspirational.”

“Whether it be for a young guy aspirational, or for an older guy, something that they can relate to...” said Forbes’ reigning Cash King. “...once you draw on a true emotion, I think the integrity of that will carry you through to now.”

Blinded by the mesmerizing glare of Watch The Throne’s jubilant jet-setting kneels a frustrated population weathering the results of the Great Recession: homes lost, wealth gone.

A Pew Research Center study reported the “median Hispanic household lost 66 percent of it’s wealth from 2005 to 2009.” Black Americans watched their wealth evaporate by 53 percent. Asians households lost 54 percent of their wealth. In total, 33 percent of US citizens lost an average of 58 percent of their wealth. White Americans, by contrast, lost only 16 percent over that duration.

These declines have led to the largest wealth disparities in the 25 years that the bureau has collected data.

Under this sobering umbrella, gratuitous forays by n**** in Paris revel in their detachment from a tragic reality while still profiting from it. Aspirational Hip Hop now comes littered with lines like “N***** hate ballers these days,” blind to the economic destruction going down on the ground below. Even in the polarizing critical wake of throne watching, expectedly, the album broke sales records. Sean Carter became “The Bank” immediately after expunging Dame and Biggs. Now he’s fully accomplished Stringer Bell’s dream. He’s Too Big To Fail.

"Respect to you two heroes...,” says Chuck D on his own, Otis Redding sampled release, “Notice (Know This),” addressing Ye' and Jay directly in response to "Otis."

“...but trickle down got us less than zero."

Watch:


READ FULL POST @THEWELLVERSED.COM

The Company Man Show Debut, Watch The Throne Live Album Review

For a year and some months, The Company Man has had the honor of hosting Brooklyn Bodega Radio (every Friday from 1-4PM on PNCRadio.fm). It's been awesome, really. An unintended bi-product of merely seeking a financially viable life writing about rap music. Who knew it would lead to radio...and now video...and now show hosting.

Big thank you to Wes Jackson for trusting me to steer #BodegaRadio.

Big thank you to @JonnyWalkerSF for the initial co-sign and continued support.

Big thank you to @Navani, @KelliNikole, @Nikon, and @EbonyPeace for rocking with me while I figured out what the hell I was doing.

Big thank you to @Laureluxe for showing me the power of Twitter. Hosting a radio show is a lot more fun when you actually have listeners.

Big thank you @Run_P, my weekly co-host. My favorite DJ. My brother.

And after a year and some months, The Company Man has been blessed with his own show on PNCRadio.fm: The Company Man Show (or #TCMS in Twitter speak), airing every Monday through Thursday from 4PM to 6PM.

Big thank you to Alex and A King for this next opportunity.

#BodegaRadio has been successful by embracing the values of it's parent organization, Brooklyn Bodega. #BodegaRadio a true champion of the mobilizing power of Hip Hop, tackling under-discussed topics from a critical stand point while providing a platform for hundreds of independent artists to showcase their craft; to share their journey.

We launched the #InboxSessions (where we spin music by cats on the come up) to mirror Brooklyn Bodega's Show And Prove underground competition series. We're the picture of consistency and progression (never missing an airing) to reflect the consistency and progression of Brooklyn Bodega's, Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. We enjoy ourselves live on air every Friday because building something extraordinary based around something you love is infinitely more rewarding when it's also fun. We learned that from watching our parent company, Brooklyn Bodega. We've gotten better every Friday because we do the two things that consistently equate to success: show up and ask questions.

Everything I've learned from Brooklyn Bodega has afforded me the opportunity to expand on this happy accident with my own show, #TCMS. And although the format will be much more mainstream; much more accessible to those more familiar with Hova than Homeboy Sandman, #TCMS will carry those same core values embodied in #BodegaRadio.

Here's how it's going down:

Every Monday, I will guide each of you through a live album review of one new mainstream release. We'll dig into the liner notes and the quotable bars. We'll compare and contrast and diss and debate the pros and cons of each project while playing each album in it's entirety. Keeping it Honest and Unmerciful as always. Yesterday, during our debut, we dug into Jay-Z and Kanye West's, Watch The Throne. Listen below.

Every Tuesday, we'll dig into a different Top 20 list. Anything from Snoop Dogg's Top 20 Songs of all time to The Top 20 Songs of August 2001 (as we did on today's edition, which you can listen to on the next post).

Every Wednesday, we're going to run through the current Billboard Top 20 and keep tabs on what's happening in the mainstream industry. Which we'll do tomorrow, from 4 to 6PM.

Every Thursday, we'll do a live album review of a selected independent release. We'll provide critical feedback to artists most have never heard of but are talented enough to share with #TCMSGlobal.

I can't express how truly excited I am about this next challenge. I'm comfortable on air (finally), that much I know. I love talking about rap music, that much I know too. The rest will be revealed as I continue to get my reps in (word to Malcolm Gladwell).

Thank you all for rocking with The-Quotable and following my continued progression. Y'all been rocking with TCM since 2006, back when I was an actual company man slaving away for other peoples tax breaks. I am forever grateful.

Oh...don't get it confused, by no means am I stepping away from Brooklyn Bodega or #BodegaRadio. The organization means too much to me personally. The email chain that started this all -- Lupe Fiasco's Daily Quotable -- is forever tied to Brooklyn Bodega. There's still plenty of unfinished business. I'm just increasing my workload.

"Life is good. Life is sho'nuff good" -- De La Soul

#TCMS Debut: Watch The Throne Live Album Review


#TCMS AIRS EVERY MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM 4PM TO 6PM ON PNCRADIO.FM. YOU CAN ALSO TUNE IN ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE HERE: MOBILE LINK http://j.mp/fKwNRq

Q-Tip: The Luminary's Luminary to headline BHF11

In a 2007 interview with The Village Voice, Kamaal Ibn John Fareed -- or as Africa Baby Bam of the Jungle Brothers originally anointed him, Q-Tip -- states aptly that, “We’re a nation of people who have short attention spans and don’t necessarily read the whole book; we make it through the first couple of chapters and fall asleep and forget about it.”

It’s an eloquent summation, really; as succinct and easily relatable as any of the illimitable hymns he’s bestowed upon Hip-Hop since his 1988 entrance on the JB’s “The Promo.” Not only is it honest, but it captures the most primary bi-product of our pop-centric, hyper-technological society the way A Tribe Called Quest captured rap’s Golden Era duality to both entertain and educate.

That’s why -- twenty-one years after the iconic squad’s debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels And The Path’s of Rhythm -- Tribe is still revered by everyone from your momma to Obama: because they made dope songs that blended jazz and be-bop and Hip-Hop with a message and undeniable melody that always...always rocked the party.


“Do dat do dat do do dat dat dat”

And Tip just may be the coolest frontman in history, up there with Jagger and Hendrix. Cross-generational-type cool. Make a pair of New Balance look revolutionary-type cool. Put people on-type cool.

He introduced the world to the legendary J. Dilla when he enlisted him into his mid-90s production team, The Ummah. Busta Rhyme’s verse on “Scenario” (and accompanying uber-classic Arsenio Hall Show performance) elevated the Dungeon Dragon’s then bourgeoning career to “Woo Haa!” levels and beyond. Arguably every “conscious” rapper alive sites Tribe as a major influence. Rah Digga says Q-Tip saved her life.



A Tribe Called Quest’s illustrious catalog and what seemed like an all-too-soon disbanding resonates so deeply, so broadly for so many that it ironically undermines what’s still one of the most storied, individual resumes in Hip-Hop history. We love those first few chapters of Q-Tip’s career so much that -- like he states in that 2007 Village Voice interview -- we often forget about the rest of the book.

We forget that The Abstract produced every track on People’s Instinctive Travels, The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders except “Show Business,” “Everything Is Fair,” “8 Million Stories” and “Keep It Rollin” -- depending on how you feel about his remaking of what was originally Pete Rock’s beat for “We Got The Jazz.” And that that same prolific production genius extends to the Jungle Brothers’ Black Is Black, Nas’ Illmatic, Mobb Deep’s The Infamous, Craig Mack, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Kanye West and soon enough (with the upcoming release of Watch The Throne) Jay-Z; influencing generations and just about anything neo-soul related.

We forget that Kamaal The Abstract (recorded in 2001) actually beat The Love Below (released in 2003) to the genre-bending punch, even though none of the four major-labels he was signed to during his nine-year hiatus believed in his vision enough to release the project. And that his triumphant return with The Renaissance in 2008 is the personification of creative resiliency.

We forget about collaborations with The Beastie Boys and Bun B and the Soulquarians and The Black Eyed Peas and Mark Ronson and The Roots and Raphael Saadiq and D’Angelo and Norah Jones and every sect of the Native Tongues. We forget about collaborations might’ve been like The Standard with Common and The Fabulous Fleas with Posdnuos, Africa Baby Bam and Ju Ju (of the Beatnuts).



We forget those things. A few we never knew.

Q-Tip’s two-decades plus emphasis on artistic integrity and sonic progression along with his cross-generational legacy falls in line with everything Brooklyn Bodega supports through it’s mission statement; everything Brooklyn Bodega is fundamentally about. In the truest sense he is an ambassador for Hip-Hop, consistently pushing The Culture past predefined margins through collaborations across audial boundaries.

He’s the luminary's luminary.

Honestly, having him rock the 7th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is an easier than easy decision. It’s really a no-brainer.

But who would Brooklyn Bodega be if we settled for the obvious? How could we be satisfied with the easy decision and still uphold our laser-aimed focus on freshness?

So we pushed the margins to the brink of breach.

BHF11 is ten-months pregnant with possibilities because Q-Tip isn’t just headlining. He’s curating, partnering with the Bodega Family in assembling an all-world, one-time only performance featuring surprise appearances from every corner of his legendary catalog!

Call it: Q-Tip & Friends -- A Celebration of Hip-Hop Through The Lense of An Iconoclast

And everything’s on the table.

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 2011 BROOKLYN HIP-HOP FESTIVAL

We Are At W.A.R. -- Pharoahe Monch Interview part 2

In the conclusion of TWV’s chat with Pharoahe Monch, the rapper talks working with Diddy, how Geffen/MCA almost killed his career and why he didn’t sign with Jay-Z.

The Well Versed: You mentioned the “Intro.” That was the only track you received production credits for on W.A.R. Throughout your career, you’ve been producing. What was the decision behind the producers you wanted to work with this time? Like for example, Fyre Department [produced “The Grand Allusion”]. I thought that was an awesome arrangement they came with and I know recently they added the live drums to the mix. But I don’t necessarily think of an album with that type of Fyre Department production on the same album as Marco Polo for example. It’s an eclectic range.

Pharoahe Monch: I just wanted to be free and I don’t care about that. I have beats now that are fucking remarkable that I just didn’t think fit and the first version of [“The Grand Allusion”] I just sampled King Crimson and the shit was hot. I rhymed on it and it was hot. I did it at Marco Polo’s house because he had some shit there. I was like, “Can I use this?” because I was doing vocals there and I was like, “Let’s scoop this and do it here.” And we just looped it and it was hot. And then I had somebody play it out on the keyboard and the shit came out dope and Marco was totally against replaying a lot of shit, but the shit sounds fucking crazy. And then I had the band actually play the shit over so there’s three versions of the song. When it got to the band interpretation I was like, whatever it’s my idea — they did the work — it’s not about that. I need the love. I need the love. I mean, this next record — my manager would chop me in the throat if he heard me say, “Next record.” On my next record, I’m going to be doing a lot more production on it.

TWV: Do you have a title?

PM: I’m not going to do that. [Laughs] W.A.R. is the title. [Laughs]

TWV: You know, I personally want to thank you. My first job covering anything was the 2009 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and you rocked there. You were the headliner and it was the biggest interview I ever had at that point. But you talked a lot about W.A.R. then. You were talking in anticipation of it. You were talking about how hard it was going to be in comparison to Desire. The interesting thing now after hearing [W.A.R.], it feels like Internal Affairs meets Desire. It’s real hard at moments. Then it’s real soulful, almost gospel in some moments. Then last week you confirmed that “Calculated Amalgamation” was the last song added. How many iterations have you gone through with W.A.R.? If some tracks were made during Desire, and up to a month ago you were still adding tracks…

PM: Not many. The truth is, I like working in studios. I got an MP 2000 XL and a couple pieces of production equipment but I don’t have a lot of recording equipment. I don’t have a lot of recording equipment so the truth is, going back and forth to the studio and getting the shit to sound right was just a real pain in the ass and a process that I would never want to go through again. But I love it. I don’t want to complain about the process. But you do a verse and a chorus and it’s like, “When can I get back into the studio again?” That’s part of the struggle that I feel is in the album, too. It wasn’t high end fruits, berries, zen-palate, Smart Water. It was like basement, Marco’s room, Exile’s fucking house with the fucking cat and whatever the fuck. It was real, “We got to get this shit done however we got to get it done.” [Laughs]

TWV: I’ve been listening to W.A.R. now for a month or so. I think it’s amazing. And especially because it embodies everything that you’re great at — your multi-syllabic rhyme schemes and all these lofty words journalists toss on as to describe your talent. I also feel like it’s very honest. It does embody some of the rage that’s happening in America right now in a lot of ways. And it does that without sounding bitter. Then I think about you as an artist and the way you can do a song with D’Angelo then turn around and do a song with Styles P. You can write tracks for Diddy and then you can drop a “Simon Says.” There’s a lot of range in what you’re able to do, the boxes you can step into. How do you foster that or cultivate that over the course of your career?

PM: I think I can attribute it to a couple of things which is trying to stay honest. As I’m at Rawkus and they’re merging into Geffen/MCA and they’re throwing these names at me about artists they want me to do songs with, I’m like, “I just can’t.” I can’t pull that off. I really think that one that’s true with Hip-Hop, whether it’s that, whether it’s this, I think the fan notices your honesty. Like my manager was saying, Will.I.Am is so honest in his pop-ness; in his willingness to make these songs that it’s all the way that. It’s Super Bowl that. It’s “I GOT A FEELING!” — so that. You got to make a decision where your line is and where you want to be. At that point, I was just like, “I can’t. The risk of this shit ruining my career, I can’t take that risk.”

TWV: Who did they want you to work with?

PM: Excuse me?

TWV: What artist did they suggest you work with?

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ON THEWELLVERSED.COM

Jay Electronica, Jay-Z and The Dream: Shiny Suit Theory

I still have my reservations on Jay Electronica -- or any rapper for that matter with a desire to release material -- signing to Roc Nation...

...but this track is the exact opposite of craptastic.


DOWNLOAD

BIGGIE Ain't The G.O.A.T.

The Company Man was always critical of Jay-Z.

Not because he didn’t make dope songs or because his skills weren’t up to par. A quick peruse through his early catalog is more than enough to prove the contrary. Whether on Reasonable Doubt, or parts of Volume 1, or most of Volume 2 and Volume 3 — his mic always sounded nice.

The hits were always there. The talent was always apparent.

Despite the product’s consistency and undeniable Freshness, the seemingly one dimensionality of his content left him lumped in the middle with every other hustler, thug, gangster, money, hoes, clothes rapper that claimed late 90s airwaves.

I knew he was a hustler who just happened to rap. I knew he could match a triple platinum artist buck by buck with only a single going Gold. I knew I couldn’t floss on his level.

I knew more about Jay-Z’s possessions than I knew about Jay-Z The Person.

And when determining who is the Greatest Of All Time — the proverbial GOAT of this rap shit — all contenders must exhibit range. All contenders must connect on a personal, human level. All contenders have to have more to talk about than “Money, Cash, Hoes.”

FACT.

Hypocritically, I never held Biggie to that standard.

Maybe because of nostalgia, or how both albums hit harder than “Down goes Frazier”, or the unfortunate appreciation we only have for people and their legacy after they’ve passed away — but B.I.G.’s catalog was similarly one dimensional and somehow I never flinched when his name inevitably ended up in GOAT conversations.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE @BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

Fiddy - More Like Diddy

We knew this was coming. Many prayed for this.

In the aftermath of his 2007 sales shallacking courtesy of image antithesis, Kanye West, for the first time, “Bulletproof 50” exhibited commercial vulnerability. Not to sleep on the 691K units Curtis moved in its first week -- essentially the platinum equivalent in today’s crap-tastic retail environment -- but ironically, Fiddy’s self described “artist album” was artistically years past his prime. Clearly, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ it was not. No need to waste words. But lyrically aspiring tracks like “A Baltimore Love Thing” or “I Don’t Need Em” on The Massacre eclipsed any semblance of artistry Curtis supposedly offered. Instead the buying public was treated to Omaha Steak-style manufactured beef and false proclamations of retirement if out sold. The gimmicks were too gimmicky, grossly outpacing the product. Curtis, at its best, was a passable LP loaded with Pop-centric guest appearances, generic bump and grind raps and gun music. At worst? At worst it represented the last grasp of commercial viability from a soon-to-be-fallen album sales titan.

That was then...

In 2009, as we all witnessed (some more jubilantly than others), Fifty’s Before I Self Destruct self destructed on the charts, moving an embarrassing 160k units in its first week, declining consistently each week after.

While the warning signs leading up to this official sales calamity were more obvious than those leading up to 9/11 -- numerous delays and rescheduled release dates, slumping music sales environment, ineffective lead single, tiring gimmicks that proved more polarizing than profitable, digital leakage a month prior to release -- the idea that Brand50 would ever produce such a meager SoundScan showing, leak or no leak, seemed more like a wish from one of his laundry list of detractors than an actual reality. 50 Cent was still 50 CENT, after all. Surely an artist that’s sold over 20 million solo albums in six years, amassing upwards of $150 million (pre recession) through diversified business ventures, and lived in Mike Tyson’s house could crack 200k in his first week. Especially if he’s tossing in a free DVD or two...Right?

CONTINUE READING @ WWW.HIPHOPDX.COM

A Tale of Two CDs - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...PT II and The Blueprint 3

“Stop playing. / You know we run rap. / You know we done that. / Stop frontin, son. Put the gun back” - Raekwon

Two Emcees. Each from The Era. Each stepped into rap kicking ill rhymes revolving around the drug game. Each one etched his own, undeniable, legacy in the talisman of this rap shit by achieving the nearly unachievable: crafting a certified classic album.

This year, two legendary Emcees released highly anticipated sequels on the same day.

In various ways, Raekwon The Chef and Hova The God have walked perpendicular career paths since their nineteen-nineties debut. Rae of course experienced immediate classic status as a part of the ubiquitous Wu-Tang Clan and then again as a solo artist with the release of “The Purple Tape” (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...). And although he would continue to maintain lyrical credibility as a part of later Wu releases and notable guest appearances, his solo career has been littered with under promoted and unimpactful follow-ups (Immobilarity, The Lex Diamond Story). Eventually, it would seem, The Chef’s individual contributions to The Culture plateaued.

Jay-Z’s musical career, on the other hand, spawned from within the shadows of The Purple Tape and Illmatic and Ready To Die and All Eyes On Me - outmaneuvering Industry naysayers and popular opinion to become the most accomplished, most respected, most prolific Emcee in the history of Hip Hop. His musical career alone exemplifies constant progression with mixed in shots of brilliance - represented most potently on his most revered albums Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album. But what can The Company Man say about Jay-Z that you don’t already know?

September Eight, Two Thousand and Nine marks an interesting intersection between these two legendary Emcees. Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...PT II is one of the most anticipated albums of the decade. All together, its been 4 years in the making complete with numerous production changes, guest appearances, label quagmires; you name it, OB4CL2 went through it. But with so much time and trepidation put into one project, not to mention that this is the sequel to one of the most celebrated albums of all time, can OB4CL2 live up to the astronomical hype?

Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 is without a doubt one of the most anticipated albums of 2009. Its the latest addition to the Blueprint series and in many ways represents Jay’s truest return to the album game since his 2003 pseudo retirement (Kingdom Come was like when Jordan came back wearing the four-five; a little rusty but still better than most. American Gangster was his conceptual excuse to step back into Reasonable Doubt mode and wash away Kingdom Come’s aristocratic undertones). The original Blueprint was a watershed moment in Hip Hop as it cemented Jay’s legacy as the undisputed title holder. The Blueprint 2 was....well, lets just say that The Blueprint 2 was “due.” Can part 3 restore the luster to The Blueprint brand?

“I’m talkin’ about music, I ain’t talkin about rap...” - Jay-Z

Jay-Z’s lyrical superiority on TB3 represents the best of rap music. Faux-progression and lapses into stagnant production represents the worst of rap music.

Raekwon’s dark images and crime rap depictions stereotypically represents the worst of rap music. OB4CL2’s unified sound scape and visual storytelling represents the best of rap music.

TB3 feels too long at 15 tracks. At 23 tracks, OB4CL2 feels too short.

Both artists enlisted several different top flight beat makers to craft their sonic backdrops. Where Rae’s production selection united to provide a cohesive sound supporting his album’s intentions, Jay’s production selection comes across as fractured and commercial, limiting his album’s intentions. Where Dilla and Rza and Dre and company seem to artistically compete for Rae’s best beat, Kanye and Pharrell and Swizz Beats and Timbo seem to compete for Jay’s top selling single.

On OB4CL2, every producer steps up. On TB3, Timbaland lets down.

The Blueprint 3 (complete with a week long media blitz including guest appearances on Letterman, Leno, Bill Maher, and a live concert broadcasted globally on Fuse TV) is CEO rap at its finest, packaged for today’s general consumer.

OB4CL2 (complete with early proclamations of classic status from fellow Emcees and those disenchanted with the Industry) is crime rap at its finest, packaged for longing Hip Hop heads.

The Blueprint 3, by design, symbolizes Hip Hop progression. Jay states he’s talking about music, he’s not talking about rap. Although his rhymes remain otherworldly throughout, stale beat selection (“On To The Next One”, 2 of 3 Timbo contributions) and repetitive commentary (“Off That”, “Reminder”) gravitationally pulls the progression back down to Earth. In the end, this album ends up being more about the raps than the music.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...PT II, by design, symbolizes a return to gritty, New York City Hip Hop. That good ‘ole Boom-Bap shit. Although Rae sticks to the least progressive rap subject (crime rap) throughout, otherworldly production and cinematic story telling propel his album out of this atmosphere. In the end, this album ends up being more about the music than the raps.

1995. The Era of wisdom. The Era of foolishness.

Two Emcees from that Era.

2009. Two sequels. The Blueprint 3. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...PT II.

A Tale of Two CDs...

Read The Blueprint 3 review here.

Read Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...PT II review here.

The-Quotable Reviews: The Blueprint 3

“I’m talkin’ music, I ain’t talkin about rap. / You talkin‘ bout whats hot, I ain’t talkin‘ bout that. / The conversation has changed, lets yap about that. / I don’t run rap no more, I run the map.” - “What We Talkin‘ About”; The Blueprint 3

On the real, Jay-Z may be the best ever at opening an album. He has an uncanny ability to know exactly which tracks will put the listener immediately in the exact zone needed to sink into the LP. Think about it, whether its the Scarface or Carlito’s Way intros on Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, or “Can’t Knock The Hustle” on Reasonable Doubt, or “The Rulers Back” on The Blueprint, or “The Prelude”, or “Hova’s Song” or “December 4th”; Hova The God comes hard right out the gate. No one does it better. TB3 is no exception.

“What We Talkin‘ About’s” synth injected keys and subdued bass line provides the perfect backdrop for Jay’s effortless delivery and proclamations of progression - the overall theme of this Part 3. The transition into “Thank You” keeps heads knocking and Jay’s ill 911 analogy for whack rappers is worth running back repeatedly. “Empire State Of Mind’s” sublime chorus and ridiculous word play immediately re-instills pride in New York City rap music and is probably one of the rare songs that you don’t mind being overplayed. It just feels good. Seriously, this cut is loaded with real life content, dope quotables and truisms. Real quick, The Company Man’s top 4:

1. “Shit I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can.” - absolutely true.
2. “Caught up in The In Crowd / Now you’re In Style / Anna Wintour gets cold / In Vogue with your skin out” - dropping mean fashion analogies while describing how young women lose themselves in the limelight.
3. “Welcome to the Melting Pot / Corners where they selling rock / Afrika Bambataa shit / home of that Hip Hop.” - just feels like NYC.
4. “The City never sleeps. Better slip you an Ambien.” - the perfect conclusion.

Back to the review...

Young Jeezy continues to improve, dropping two suitable verses on the triumphant “As Real As It Gets.” “And if you listen hard enough I say some thangs.” You gotta appreciate the unintentional comedy of that Jeezy line. “A Star Is Born” is possibly the most potent cut on the album, putting into perspective Jay’s longevity by name dropping the chart topping artists he’s outlasted. The hopping snare and perfect hook and standout J.Cole performance all blend perfectly.

Matter of fact, “A Star Is Born” leads off TB3’s best run. “Venus Vs. Mars’” hollowed 808s and paradigm shifting relationship commentary diversifies the album content. “Already Home” is an immediate airwave snatcher. And as far as hater songs go, “Hate” may be one of the best ever (my boy Maine pointed that out and he’s absolutely correct. Shouts to CNY Collective). Here, ‘Ye and Jay trade venom spitting bars at their many detractors over Kanye’s bass-heavy, minimalistic production cypher style. No hook. Just rhymes. Bravo.

If “A Star Is Born” is the album’s most potent cut, then “So Ambitious” is its most important. Its felt like years since Jay’s provided a truly introspective song on an album (I’m thinking something from The Black Album, like “Moment of Clarity” or “Allure.” Possibly “Fallen" off American Gangster). This is his Michael Jordan Hall of Fame speech. This is Jay expounding on all the negative comments and career roadblocks he powered through throughout his life and how each naysayer provided fuel to the proverbial fire. Here, he goes Van Gogh over Pharell’s majestic sound scape, switching styles and perspectives on each verse, dropping memorable line after line, painting lyrical pictures. “I had a couple of meetings, no offers yet. / Maybe I’m not good enough for these offices. / Back to the drawing board, duckin officers. / Its all good cause the streets is A&Ring this.” Through all of his accomplishments and swaggerific, lyrical bravado, the level of trepidation Jay-Z trampled over is often lost in the lore. This is the most honest reminder of his career.

“Feel it coming in the air. / Hear the screams from everywhere...” - “We Run This Town”; The Blueprint 3

Through all of its dopeness, The Blueprint 3 fails to evade the wackness. Tracks like the sonically generic “On To The Next One” and faux-progressive “Off That” and “Reminder” sound like they belong on any other Jay-Z album (the non-classic ones), fracturing the album with one time listens. Not only is the production on each less than to be desired, but the commentary consists of little more than stale proclamations of Hova’s accomplishments. None of the three offer an original or interesting angle on the album’s mission: Hip Hop progression. Ironically, the songs that are supposed to signify how far ahead of his time Jay-Z remains, are also the ones that sound the most like what everyone else is doing. Its difficult to stay out front when you’re playing in other people’s sandboxes. Hell, even “We Run This Town” sounds like T.I.’s “Live Your Life’s” tag-along step brother.

D.O.A. is a different problem. The Company Man already spoke on this here, so I’ll save the commentary. But what happens if Jay doesn’t end Auto-Tune? Seriously, Country Music acts are now using Auto-Tune. Does the song even mean anything if it doesn’t extinguish this latest scourge to artistic integrity? Whatever happened to Cristal? Did heads stop drinking after Jay’s boycott? I don’t know the answer to that question. I’m just asking. What if the song was D.O.H.H. (Death Of Healthcare Hustle)? Or D.O.S.R.L.E (Death Of Shady Record Label Execs)? Or D.O.W.R. (Death of Wack Rappers)? I mean, there are a 4,080 other issues out there to address. Does Auto-Tune deserve to be that high on the list?

Albums are about Replay Value, I don’t know how I to emphasize that enough. The more I press skip, the less likely I am to continue to listen an album in its entirety again and again and again. And thats why I buy albums....to listen to them! I don’t want to be on mile 2.1 or 2.7, so deep into an album that I forget that I’m even running, then have to reach into my pocket, pull out my ipod and press skip, interrupting my psychological distraction and reminding me that I am actually running, all because “Reminder” and its whinny, eardrum grating hook infiltrated my earbuds! The more times that I have to do that, the worse an album becomes. And nearly one-third of The Blueprint 3 is skip-inducing. Thats never a good ratio. At its best this is the second best of the Blueprint series - CEO rap at its finest. At its worst its too long and and too often topically shallow. If you can make a song as progressive and lyrically relevant as “A Star Is Born” or “Thank You” or “So Ambitious”, why would you surround it with stale leftovers like “Reminder” or “Off That”?

I don’t know the answer for that either.

Rating: QQQ.5

The Blueprint 3 Album Review

I know. I know. The title is misleading. I mean, I haven’t even heard Blueprint 3 in its entirety. How can I possibly write an album review?

The answer?

I can’t.

But there is a “but”. Theres always a “but.” And here’s mine:

But...I have heard those same four underwhelming buzz generators leaked to the interweb over the past couple of months. And if “D.O.A”, “We Run This Town”, “Off That”, and “Reminder” are any indicator of how Blueprint 3 will ultimately sound, then the replay value potential looks bleaker than Memphis Bleek going platinum.

“D.O.A” with its commercialized rebellion and faux-trend-bucking represents supreme irony, if not hypocrisy, given that Jay-Z is a one-time president of Def Jam records. And that while El Presidente held office - where he truly was in a position to drive cultural change to the business and sonic side of this Rap Shit - he financially rode the major label bandwagon by pushing whichever Dirty South pump-faking drug-kingpin hard body. Translation: He didn’t do anything different from what was already in motion before him. He didn’t make any changes. And when he finally decides to address a Hip Hop issue, he chooses Auto Tune? Word???

“We Run This Town” is dope. Glad to have Rihanna back. Jay-Z drops two yawn inducing verses. And Kanye sounds like he finally surpassed his “Big Brother.” Not to mention that the track feels like T.I.’s “Live Your Life” which is a great thing if you don’t expect originality from your All-Time Greats.

“Off That” ushers in even more irony given that its supposedly about Jay’s futuristic lifestyle and always-ahead-of-the-game reputation but sports more stale swaggerific content (“Cashmere sweats / they come out next year / but they’re my last year sweats”) and a Timbaland beat circa 2006. Somewhere Justin Timberlake is waiting to break Drake’s other knee-cap for snagging his guest appearance. Unimpressive.

“Reminder” is a return to flossy Jay-Z bragging about his career legacy, dusting his shoulders off on all detractors. You know, stuff he pointed out on Blueprint 1, Blueprint 2, The Black Album, Kingdom Come, American Gangster. Stuff we’ve already heard before. Except the beat and hook are wacker than on any of the earlier editions. 0 for 2 for Timbo.

“But, but, but, but wait it gets worse...” - Onyx, “Slam”

Here comes the biggest problem. Take a look at Blueprint 3’s track listing:

1. What We Talkin' About ft. Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun
2. Thank You
3. D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
4. Run This Town ft. Kanye West and Rihanna
5. Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys
6. Real As It Gets ft Young Jeezy
7. On To the Next One ft. Swizz Beatz
8. Off That ft. Drake
9. A Star is Bortn ft. J. Cole
10. Venus VS. Mars
11. Already Home ft. Kid Cudi
12. Hate ft. Kanye West
13. Reminder
14. So Ambitious ft. Pharrell
15. Young Forever ft. Mr. Hudson

As of today, Blueprint 3 stands 15 tracks in length. 3 of 4 of the leaked tracks are underwhelming if not unlistenable and expect “Run This Town” to get run into the ground by the end of September. Thats a quarter of the album already out of rotation! Plus, “D.O.A.” and “Run This Town” are back to back at track 3 and track 4 which means that - at best - I’ll rock the first two tracks then either skip or suffer through the next two tracks. Thats not a good ratio for the opening stretch on any album.

I haven’t heard the next three tracks, but “Real As It Gets” features Young Jeezy. Any track with words “featuring Young Jeezy” is an immediate red flag since the Snowman is subpar most of the time. And “On To The Next One” features Swizz Beatz which could be cool if the beat avoids sounding like the generic club soundscape he’s banked off of since “Upgrade You”. Which means if Jeezy gets an entire verse and Swizz delivers another “swing your Louie rag” two-crapper (I mean two-stepper), then The Company Man could find himself skipping 5 out of the first 8 tracks (including “Off That” at track 8)! But since I’m feeling positive today I’ll give Swizzy the benefit of the doubt. 4 out of the first 8 tracks! Toss “Reminder” on top of that and suddenly a third of the album is loaded with one-time listens!!!

We’re talking about replay value here. It doesn’t get any more important than replay value. The more you press “Skip” on an album, the less you want to listen to it again and again and again. And I’m an album cat. Singles are cool. Singles are played on the radio all the time.

But...I don’t listen to the radio either.

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...

The Day I Met Lupe Fiasco...

Honestly, I don't remember the season.

I think it was either Spring or Fall because I was wearing my suit coat. Manhattan summers are too muggy to rock extra layers. You see, The Company Man sweats. And 80 degrees, concrete, and car exhaust are Kryptonite to my Cool (pun intended).

Lets say it was Spring. I like Spring.

Don't ask me 'which day of the week?'

So, coming out of the FYE that used to be on 51st and 6th, I turned the corner to head back to the office. I looked up, and there was Carrera Lu standing right there outside the store!

Its like...the organized confusion of midday midtown froze suddenly. Everything slowed like that first time Neo dodged bullets in the Matrix part one. I didn't see anything else. I didn't see anyone else. I could've been in Brooklyn for all I knew. My senses were f*cked.

And not on some 'Stan' shit.

On some Respect shit.

Meeting Lupe now (err...then) is like meeting greatness just before universal acclaim (despite his ever expanding fan base, Lu still has his detractors. We're certainly not all in agreement on the wallpaper. not yet anyway). Its like meeting Michael in '76 or Jordan in '86 (less the notoriety). Its like meeting Ra fresh off Paid In Full. Nas fresh off Illmatic. Its like meeting the defining talent of any generation, in any genre of any industry, anywhere. At least to me.

And I was shook. I admit it.

I admit it.

To come within a clear twenty feet of someone you genuinely respect and admire as an artist (genuinely in the strictest sense of the word, artist in its most complimentary) is not a common occurrence. And when it does happen, no one wants to come across as another rambling fan seeking an autograph (I only had the Blu & Exile receipt on me anyhow). But at the same time, I wasn't about to let this moment pass without saying something! So I walked up to him:

TCM: "Yooo! Lupe, whats up?? My names 'J' and I respect what you do, kid. Keep doing what you do." That felt corny. Did I just say that???

Turning to the familiar looking cat perched against FYE's window:

TCM: "Is this your hypeman? Whats up, homie? You're a good hypeman."

My fractured senses were still trying to put everything into perspective.

Who is that curly haired guy over my left shoulder? Is he holding a camera?? Damn, its hot. Am I really talking to Lupe??? I'm really talking to Lupe...Focus...Focus...woo-saa

Lupe: "Thanks man. I appreciate that. Make sure you pick up The Cool on December 18th."
TCM: "Oh no doubt! Wait. Are you sure its coming out then? Because I remember back when it was supposed to drop in November..."
Lupe: "Yeah. Nah, its coming out December 18th. Thats the date."
TCM: "Thats whats up. I was disappointed you didn't show up at the Allhiphop.com Week show at the Nokia too."
Lupe: "Aw man...see what happened is that they thought I was performing at the show, but they never confirmed the event. And I had a show in Japan that day..."
TCM: "Ahh...i hear that. Well Lupe, keep doing what you do. I gotta get back to work."
Lupe: "Aight, thanks man."

Instantly, life unpaused. Snapped back to reality...ups, there goes gravity.

As clarity kicked in, I remembered that Atlantic Records' headquarters is right next to FYE and figured Lupe must've been in town for meetings since he didn't have any shows scheduled. Why didn't I ask him why he was in town? Or whens his next NYC show?

I remembered that the familiar cat perched against the window was in fact Bishop G, and that he's much more than just a hypeman. Did I really tell Bishop G that he's a 'good hypeman???'

Most regrettably, I remembered all of the things that I always wanted to ask Lu, all the things I wanted to tell him. I wanted to ask him about Fahrenheit 115, and what was going though his mind when he created "Switch" and "Much More" and 'Lupe The Killer?'" I wanted to ask him about his inspirations and why It Was Written was so influential, and when will he finally lace a track with Nasty Nas? I wanted to ask him what if felt like immediately after 'Presure' was complete and that moment he realized that he roasted Jay-Z?? I wanted to know if he ever thinks about how he'll handle the first time a credible rapper challenges him publicly? It happens to every Emcee. Is he battle ready???

And more personally, I wanted to tell him that the reason this site even exists is because of his music. I wanted to tell him how my back-in-the-day-daily email blasts to everyone in my address book exhaulting the lyrical genius from the Westside of Chicago evolved into The Quotable. And that those conversations helped me realize that journalism is what I want to do when I grow up.

I wanted to press 'Rewind' and run it all back to the beginning. I wanted a 'do-over.'

But it was too late.

I was already half a block away. Turning around now and running up to him again would have felt awkward and dry-stalkish.

So I kept it moving - right past the CBS building on my right and that fly, Laura London-looking shorty in the black camise and black ruffled skirt twirking by on my left.

Matter of fact...It was Summer.

And I left my suit coat in the office.

Carry on..

Resolution #16: Stop Comparing Other Rappers to Lupe Fiasco

I had to do it.

It had to be done.

You see, ever since he forced me to guess 'who's on third?,' my intrigue and admiration for L-U-P-Emperor sprinted past 'homie's nice' straight to 'Homie's the greatest!' at break-neck-speed. I don't remember exactly when it happened. All I know is somewhere between "Can't see me like B.I.G. on CMT" and those perfectly delivered, boxing/shoplifting analogies on the sublime "Much More," I had a brand new best-to-ever-do-it.

From then on, my iPod was pretty much all Lupe all the time. Relating to him. Learning from his content. Looking for flaws. Deciphering metaphors. Admiring the dexterity, the originality. I even started putting him into head-to-head playlist battles with lyrical greats and legendary albums. F&L vs It Was Written. Fahrenheit 115 vs The Blueprint. The Cool vs Capital Punishment. No matter the combination, like Mike in his prime, Lu couldn't be beat.

My cousin Sha calls it a "corner" - that point in time when everyone is doing one thing, then something powerful comes along, and everyone changes direction and follows the leader. Rakim was a corner. Nas was a corner. Before them, heads didn't rhyme like them. They were what he is, "something new, something fresh, something different." After them, everyone was forced to build their skills. Lupe is that next corner...and not-so-coincidentally rap is moving back to the lyrics.

But problems emerged when I realized that I was so immersed in this murk that I couldn't appreciate other artists in the same way.

Great artists.

Former favorite artists.

No matter who it was, no one was exempt. If "Dear Summer" came on, I wished it was "Dear Fall." If "Diamonds are Forever" played, I rapped the words to "Conflict Diamonds." "Thief's Theme," "Hip Hop is Dead?" - give me "Twilight Zone." Biggie didn't feel as BIG. Jay's flow wasn't as effortless. Nas sounded surpassed. It got so bad that even when I heard a track that Lupe wasn't on and never remixed, I still wondered how he would've approached it (think about what Lu couldve done with "I Get Money"). No one compared. Nothing could compete. Oddly enough, for me, the ultimate Emcee was killing the art of MCing.

So I dropped Resolution #16 in early 2008 in an attempt to regain some semblance of balance to the force. And although the galaxy is still grossly tilted in favor of Mr. Cornell Westside, at least I'm back to appreciating other artists.

Who cares if they're only fighting for second place?

Carry on...

Bill O'Reilly Blasts Jay-Z, Young Jeezy

Now, I normally bypass Bill O'Reilly at all costs. Can't pump the breaks for racism. No thanks. No time.

Keep it moving.

But after observing Dennis Miller's cynical-simple-mindedness here (hearing him rant about the impossibility of wind and solar power is like listening to some of history's most progressive thinkers. You know, minds like Robert E. Lee, and those who said Man will never be able to sell bottled water. Seriously, he was probably the guy clutching his type-writer while the rest of the world logged-on. And referring to the President of the United States as 'my man' is blatantly disrepectful to the office. But no one ever accused Fox News of being a classy organization. I'm not feeling the Wolverine look either. Fire your stylist, Dennis. Its a recession. No one will blame you), I couldn't help but wonder what these guys are like off camera. Do they truly live the pseudo-reality they pimp too their Right-wing viewership? Or are they just trying to get that red-neck money?

Maybe they're more like this:

NOTORIOUSLY SUSPECT

Although an enjoyable watch, I can't help but wish NOTORIOUS dove deeper into the Era and the Emcee rather than simply a one-sided, surface level rehash of the most public events surrounding the life and death of the Notorious B.I.G.

The basics are all there. Young Christopher Wallace from Bedstuy Brooklyn succumbs to 'allure'. Starts slangin. Gets bagged. Starts rhymin. Bangs Lil' Kim. Raps to stardom. Marries Faith. Beefs with Tupac. East Coast. West Coast. West Coast. East Coast. Pac dies. BIG dies. Puffy wins.

Catering to young and casual fans, NOTORIOUS fails to go much farther into BIG's psyche and motivations than his albums or magazine articles.
Theres nothing new here.

Theres a slant there.

Puff and Faith come away looking like the ambitious savior ("Come on yall, we gotta rise above this." "In order to save the world, first you gotta save yourself") and the love-scorned-superwoman. Lil Cease is relegated to weed carrier. And according to this film, Lil' Kim was slightly more than a talented jump-off. No wonder she was pissed about the final cut. There was much more there than that.

And, yeah, Biggie bum-rushed the game.

No doubt.

But Wu-Tang and Nas were equally huge (if not...huger?) at that time. On Only Built For Cuban Links, Ghostface screamed on Bad Boy for biting Nas's Illmatic album cover for Ready To Die[1] . 'Pac referenced Nas as the 'alleged ring leader' on the "Bomb First" intro on Makaveli. And supposedly BIG's "Kick In The Door" was directed square at the Queenbridge Emcee. Brooklyn was behind B.I.G. from the beginning. But New York was divided. The sharks were circling each other. The fact that neither The Wu nor Nasir received a subtle mention is suspect.

And where was Jay-Z??? We need Jay-Z!!!

Instead, we get to watch Bad Boy Entertainment further cement Biggie's legacy (as they tell it) into pop culture and Hip Hop lore.

He who wins the war...writes the history.

[1] Dead serious quote from the sadly under-educated teenager three seats down from my homie Sean P during the scene when Biggie's in his mother's kitchen holding his baby daughter: "Oohh...yall, thats the baby from the album cover." Sean P: "Yeah...like that baby is suspended in time."




Carry on....

The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

"Cause this is Theatre of the Mind. / Consider it a sign / of whats to come next." - "I Do It For Hip Hop"

After 8 years and 6 studio LPs, there are certain expectations we here at The Quotable have for each new Ludacris album:

We expect him to come hard from the left with his big, baritone voice, and even bigger videos and production ("Southern Hospitality," "Roll Out," "Stand Up!," "Get Back," "Move Bitch").

We expect him to down shift into mack-mode for a track or three (a la Busta Rhymes), using his tongue-twister-slash-late-night-phone-tone to seduce the fairer sex ("Phat Rabbit," "P-Poppin," "Splash Waterfalls," "Hoes In My Room").

We expect a healthy amount of comic relief ("Ho," "Area Codes," "Blow It Out").

We expect an ill 16 bar cipher cut to open each album ("Southern Fried Intro," "Intro," "Warning").

But what keeps the respect flowing in Luda's direction is his visceral focus on lyricism. And we expect him to drop lines like 'Enter' each and every time out the gate.

FACT.

So as expected, we here at The Quotable were more than amped about Luda's sixth studio album, Theatre of the Mind. Although he's never been one of my default Emcees (artists that you listen to during those times when you don't know what you want to listen to), Ludacris consistently brings that heat when its cold outside. Does Theatre of the Mind meet the standard? Walk with us as...

The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

Theatre of the Mind is basically made up of three types of tracks: cipher cuts, chick/club songs, and concept records - all intended to provide that scene-from-a-movie feel.

The album opener, "Intro," represents the obligatory, ill, 16-bar, cipher cut where Luda reintroduces himself while laying out the premise of his latest release (a staple found on each of his LPs). Over The Runners heavy bass line, bouncing snare drums, and medieval choir, Ludacris drops one of the most honest quotables of his career - "Give me 16 bars / on another n***** song / and you know that I'm gonna fuckin' kill it!" 'Cris has arguably the hottest intros in the game. Each of his LPs opens with some big, triumphant, back-the-muttaskut-up-cause-you-can't-handle-me-lyrically intro that immediately reminds you why Luda's necessary to Hip Hop right now - because he holds every other MC accountable for his craft. "Intro" is no different, and equally refreshing.



And to be honest, this is the side of Chris Lova Lova thats had us here at TQ so eagerly anticipating this latest release. I mean, tracks like the hilarious, T-Pain assisted "One More Drink," or the club anthem, Chris Brown featured, "What Them Girls Like," or even the R&B-throwback, Scott Storch produced "Contagious" (featuring Jamie Foxx) suitably fill the chick/club track quota (none of which are bad listens). And concept records such as the 9th Wonder produced "Do The Right Thang" (where Luda and Common team up to remind cats to walk the right path or be prepared to face life's consequences), "Call Up The Homies" (featuring The Game), or the trap-certified, 808 bass-lined, "Southern Gangsta" (Rick Ross and Playaz Circle join Luda to wax poetic about their hustler credentials), or even the highly anticipated T.I. collaboration, "Wish You Would" help to round out the album. But Theatre of the Mind's true value is found in its cipher cuts.

"Bow down to greatness / before I get pist-n' / run up in the stands like the Indiana Pacers." - "Undisputed"



"Undisputed" and "Everybody Hates Chris" (with Chris Rock) are the albums first 2 examples, each showcasing Luda's brolic, battle-ready lyrical demeanor. The latter's lively horns and hand claps invoke an immediate head-nod while 'Cris rides the track to perfection. Then, after a brief detour down chick-track-avenue, Theatre of the Mind breaks left onto freestyle expressway. "Last of a Dying Breed" is an epic, scratch-heavy, track that Luda and Lil' Wayne use to put on an exhibition in lyrical exercise.

"Top 5 dead or alive / but really it just hit me / that 3 out of your 5's too scared to f*ck with me. / So how can I advance if you don't give me no opponents? / How can you see the future if you're living for the moment? / Hip Hop couldn't die, / I never offer my condolence. / But I offer ya'll day of atonement."

Luda's arguably at his best on the DJ Premiere produced "MVP," which is also arguably the album's best beat. Premo provides that classic boom-bap nostalgia, and Luda laces this one with some of the albums dopest quotables:

"And my delivery's invading your vicinity. / Hennessey is my remedy. / Taking shots like Kennedy. / And I been a G / for a long time. / To these streets I'm connected like I'm on-line. / On time for whatever. / And every time an album drop, / I drop B.I.G. like Voletta."

I drop B.I.G. like Voletta???? It doesn't get much iller than that!!! It doesn't get much more visual than that!!! And, since The Notorious BIG was a large muttaskutta and giving birth to him must have been exceptionally uncomfortable (Voletta Wallace is Biggie's mother), it doesn't get much bigger than that!!! Now add the fact that Luda's sold over 15 million records world wide (no easy feat for any artist at any point in history, let alone during the recent record-sales recession), it doesn't get much truer than that. Ludacris is a beast. Ludacris is a beast.

"I don't do it for the cars and the fancy drops. / I do it for Hip Hop." - "I Do it for Hip Hop."

Rounding out Theatre of the Mind's best run is "I Do It For Hip Hop" - an ill, scratch-heavy cipher cut enlisting 2 of rap's titans - Jay-Z and Nas. Another great track. Each Emcee gets busy here, but in the end, Ludacris outshines both. Jay appears to have an interesting strategy though. Rather than attempt to go straight at Luda lyrically, he instead uses an old school flow, invoking Hip Hop nostalgia to leave his mark on the track ("Hip Hop / started out in the park. / We used to do it to avoid the narcs."). My cousin Sha pointed that one out. Nas kicks a cool little bumble bee analogy to describe how he's "as live as a hive full of predators," successfully netting him 3rd place.

"And their almost extinct / so I'm sayin' it loud. / MC means 'move the crowd'" - "Last of a Dying Breed"

15 tracks. Loads of guest appearances. 0 interludes.

All in all, Theatre of the Mind is a balanced, enjoyable, LP that will have your head-nodding as soon as you press play. You can clean to it. You can pre-party to it. Might be tough to slide into mack-mode, but you can definitely drive to it. Its combination of chick/club tracks, concept records, and cipher cuts adds up to a solid, diverse listen. Theatre of the Mind is one of the year's best Hip Hop albums, and arguably the most potent of his career.

And the more I think about it - I'm a bi-album Ludacris fan; meaning that I tend to get excited about every-other Ludacris album. Back For The First Time caught me off guard in a good way which made me excited about Word of Mouf (2001). But Chicken & Beer (2003), although more-than-nice in retrospect, wasn't on the priority list at the time. Then The Red Light District (2004) dropped and of course I had to cop that the first day. But I damn-near ignored 2006's Release Therapy, which is his most critically successful LP to date. Now here we are, late in '08, and for some reason I couldn't wait for this album. And thats because, for me, less is more with Ludacris. He's such a larger-than-life presence on every song, that it doesn't take much to OD. Theatre of the Mind's diverse sound scape does a solid job of minimalizing that trait, signalling replay-value potential (and it doesn't get any more important than replay value).

Furthermore, the fact that there is nothing ground-breaking, or career redefining here, or that Luda doesn't show us a new side of his person, his thoughts, his lifestyle, his anything isn't necessarily a bad thing. He still delivers a top-shelf product that embodies all of the reasons why you love Luda in the first place. His diversity. His ability to make you laugh, to make you bounce, to make you feel OK about screaming "move bitch, get out the way!" And most notably, the fact that he's a lyricist to the death - and he's got what you need. Ludacris, the last of a dying breed.

Rating: QQQQ