The Company Man hates Lil Wayne

“Man, you don’t even look like a Hot Boyz fan.”

That’s what Troy Fluker said to me while our squad kicked Guerilla Warfare favorites back and forth, waiting for the next run of pick up hoops. I realize that The-seventeen-year-old-Company-Man worked at The Gap, and Basic button downs and Loose-Fit jeans didn’t exactly scream “I Need A Hot Girl.” But we lived in South Carolina, and they had The South on lock in 1999. Of course I was a Hot Boyz fan!

I just didn’t like Lil Wayne.



I’d go on to have an ignore/hate/respect relationship with Weezy F. Baby. Wayne’s nasally delivery and nursery rhymes locked him in a dead heat with Turk for “The Hot Boyz Worst Rapper Award.” Other than the occasional suitable hook (“Respect My Mind” for example), Wayne did nothing but get in the way.

B.G. and Juve were the show. Wayne and Turk were the side show.

CONTINUE READING @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

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 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

The Quotable Reviews: 808s & Heartbreak

"I'm a monster. / I'm a maven. / I know this whole world's changin'" - "Amazing"

Fresh off the success of his now-near-classic LP, Graduation (and subsequent album-sales-shalacking of 50 Cent), tragedy rocked through Kanye West's self-important world when his mother, Dr. Donda West, died from cosmetic surgery related complications[1]. The loss of his mother, along with ending his engagement (to Alexis Phifer), combined with the obligatory difficulties dealing with pop-star status provided the inspiration for the concepts behind The Louis Vuitton Don's fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak.

808s & Heartbreak is unlike any other album in Kanye's catalogue. For starters, he's not rapping, opting to half-sing-half-croon through T-Pain's ubiquitous Vocoder electronic voice manipulator.

Thats right. All beats. No rhymes.

Furthermore, Heartbreak's all 808-drum beat production and all love content mark the first true concept album of 'Ye's career.

Always pushing the envelope.

But the risk behind this concept is whether or not Mr. West's loyal fan base and Hip Hop heads alike will buy-into this form of artistic expression. Emphasis on buy. This isn't a Rap album. This is a Pop album.

THATS RIGHT. ALL BEATS. NO RHYMES.

And Hip Hop is notoriously critical of its most-valued Emcees veering left creatively (Common's Electric Circus nearly ended his career relevance and most cats cringed at the thought Andre-Three-Stacks rockin' without rhyming. Then he dropped "Hey Ya" and all was good. Its funny how winning multiple Grammies can make people forget). Not to mention that Kanye's lack of humility and perceived bitchassness has supplanted a Times-Square-Target-sign sized bullseye on his back. People want him to fail. Can't wait to hate. Prey and pray on his downfall. Does Ye's Pop experiment provide ammo to the enemy? Ride with us as...

THE QUOTABLE REVIEWS: 808s & HEARTBREAK

"And my head keeps spinnin.' / I can't stop having these visions. / I got to get with it." - "Welcome to Heartbreak"

Bass and heartache abound all through 808s & Heartbreak. The album opens with minimalist production and a plodding 808 drum beat on "Say You Will." Yep, Ye's definitely singing. Or something something like it. Honestly, this is the worst track on the album. The beat is dope, moving almost. But I'd fall asleep if it wasn't for the bass line. Plus, the vocals are underwhelming and the lyrics sound like the internal justifications of a date-rapist ("When I grab your neck / I touch your soul").

Following a 3 minute and 14 second instrumental to end the opening track, the album rises with one of the LP's brightest spots, "Welcome to Heartbreak." "My friend showed me pictures of his kids. / And all I could show him was pictures of my cribs. / He said his daughter got a brand new report card. / All I got was a brand new sports car." My oldest friend and his wife just had a baby. A beautiful baby girl. I remember back in '99 when he was sweatin' her at The Racquetclub, and now they're starting a family. Me? I'm still chasing the dream - searching for something real in the world. And theres nothing wrong with that - nothing at all. But it is a reminder that I have yet to truly own, truly create that which is most important in this world - love and family. This cut hits close to home (minus the cribs and sports cars. More like...rent and Metrocards. I keeps 'em clean, though).


"Heartless"

808s hits its stride on tracks 3 through 10. "Heartless" is a head-nod enducing ode to the eventual heartache of an unwanted breakup. 'Ye borrowed Dre's repetitive-keys, layed them over a thumping bass-line, and crooned his ass to a hit record. Possibly one of the hardest heartbreak tracks ever. "Amazing" feels like a marching tribal revolution with Young Jeezy's gruff ad libs adding the exclamation points. Even Da Snowman's verse here is quality (and I'm certainly not a Jeezy fan). This is the first track worth running back after first listen.

"Ok, I'm back up on my grind. / You do you, and I'm just gon' do mine. / You do you, and I'm just gon' be fine. / Ok, I got you out my mind." - "See You in My Nightmares"

Kanye continues with the brooding 808s and tribal-drum break down on "Love Lockdown," while opining on not loving the right way in a relationship. The beat and piano keys feel like that scene in The Matrix: Revolutions when Morpheus gives his I-know-it-looks-like-we're-marching-into-our-fiery-destruction-but-trust-me-it-will-work-out speech followed by all of Zion erupting into a massive, primal, half-butt-naked, tribal, dance party. Or, as my homegirl Noelle calls it, an "audio aphrodisiac".


"Love Lockdown"

808s peaks on the infectious "Paranoid." Sounding like straight out of the '80s pop-music, this club ready track is the closest 'Ye gets to rappin', as he questions why she's "so paranoid" about infidelity ("Yeah you heard about all the word of mouth / don't worry about what we can't control. / All the talk in the world, lost in the world / til you finally let that thang go. / You wanna check into the Heartbreak Hotel, but sorry we're closed").

"Robocop" explemplifies 'Ye's masterful production, showcasing another thumping beat (this albums' designed to bump in the truck...err...Hybrid) with bouncing, triumphant violin strings layered within. "Street Lights" is more of a subdued extended hook than a conventional song. The Louis Vuitton Don repeats the same chorus five or six times with ad lib-like interjections on life's unfairness arising sporadically. Its as if he only had the hook and the melody and decided not to fill in the blanks. Oddly enough, it sounds pretty decent. "Bad News" is an unfortunate, near-ballad about finding out you're getting played. Similarly to "Say You Will," if it wasn't for the bass line, I would have fallen asleep. Lil Wayne assists on the anthemic "See You in My Nightmares," providing his own Auto-Tuned crooning for the hook. The LP closes with rumbling drums and electric keys on "The Coldest Winter," and then "Untitled," a live performance of "Pinocchio's Story" where 'Ye expresses his frustration with pop-stardom and mourns the loss of his mother. A suitable close to an uncompromising album.

"Do you really have the stamina / for everybody that sees you that say 'wheres my camera?' / For everybody that sees you that say 'sign my autograph. / For everybody that sees you, crying, sayin' 'you all of that'" - "Untitled"

Ending after only 12 tracks, 808s & Heartbreak is sleek and to the point. It never wavers from its concept, and stays true to its title: 808 beat-laced production and a contextual focus on heartache. At best its a thumping, melodic, drive-by on matters of the heart. Tracks like "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Amazing," "Heartless," showcase 'Ye's top-shelf songwriting and production skills and overshadow the fact that he's not rapping. Like Graduation, (read review here), the production is anthemic. Its melodic, bass heavy, and crafted to be felt physically and emotionally. In fact, the soundscape reveals as much, if not more, of the emotional revelations Mr. West has experienced over the past year than the lyrics (and the Vocoder actually allows Kanye's voice to meld into the electric bass-line and keys, acting like an instrument in the techno-esque-ensemble). And in that sense the album is effective. The stadium-ready production, infectious melody, and memorable hooks are so rich that they nearly compensate for the fact that Kanye West cannot sing at all!

I mean at all.

Even with an electronic voice enhancer.

But 808s & Heartbreak is crippled by its potential lack of replay-value. "Untitled" is unlistenable. "Say You Will" is saved by the beat. And "Bad News" is one of those tracks that, more often than not, you probably won't be in the mood to hear all the way through. Thats 3 tracks out of 12.

1/4th of the album!!!

Think about it like this. Lets say you're walking down 6th Avenue on a brick-cold day. So cold that you're questioning why the hell you're outside in the first place. But you're bundled up nicely with you're earbuds in and iPod tucked away in your inside coat pocket, bumpin' your favorite track in the world - perfect enough to keep you focused entirely on the music and not on the blistering cold 7 blocks you have left until you reach your subway station.

Then suddenly your favorite track ends. And some wack track comes on right after.

Now you have a choice to make. Do you: A. Undo your perfectly bundled arrangement, letting that BRICK winter air dart your skin, erasing every semblance of warmth collected inside your fabric body armor, instantly reminding you that it is so cold even chicken soup won't help - reach into your pocket, pull out your iPod, and skip to the next track? Or do you: B. Spend the next 4 and a half minutes rushing to the subway while listening to one of the wackest tracks ever, immediately refocusing on the fact that you have no business being outside because its so damn cold???

Unfortunately, on the wrong day, 25% of 808s & Heartbreak will put you in that muttaksuttin' situation. And thats something a great album just doesn't do.

"When did you decide to break the rules? / Cause I just heard some real Bad News." - "Bad News"

Rating: QQQ.5

[1] November 10, 2007. The saddest form of irony considering 'Ye partially made his name by openly discussing self-consciousness on tracks such as the seminal, "All Falls Down"

Carry on...

The Quotable Reviews: Hip Hop Is Dead

"Gave my man my right, I coulda went left. So like my girl Foxy the kid went Def."
"Hip Hop Is Dead" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

Over the past 5 years, God's Son's been good to The Company Man.

No doubt.

Since Jay-Z seemingly, single handedly revitalized Escobar's approachingly stale career with the now infamous battle-track, "The Takeover", Nasir Jones has crafted 3 critically acclaimed, platinum selling LPs (Stillmatic, God's Son, and the grossly underated double disk, Street's Disciple), pushin' the envelope to its lyrical, creative illest every bar along the way (seriously people, who else is spittin' detailed street tales in reverse ("Rewind")? What other rapper is makin' tracks from a female's perspective with such vivid clairity that its mistaken for a guest appearance ("Sekou Story" and "Live Now")?? What other Emcee makes a song with his POPS ("Bridging the Gap")??? Anyone who can't appreciate this is 12 years old (intellectually) and should leave any room The Company Man is in immediately. Certain places children can't play). So with the announcement of his controversially entitled, Def Jam debut album, Hip Hop Is Dead, expectations rose high for us here at The Quotable. Whats Nas got for us now?

*****

"I can smell the haters. Wishful thinkers. /

Bad-luck prayers."

" Money Over Bullsh*t" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

From the first verse on the first cut ("Money Over Bullsh*t") on Hip Hop Is Dead, its apparent Nas came with a mission. A message. And anyone in the way can either roll, or get rolled over. "Put a barrel in a Capo's mouth, 'til his scalp come out. / You a kid. You don't live what you rap about" God's Son spits over L.E.S.'s thumping bass drums and haunting piano keys, dismissing (Dipset Capo) Jim Jones in one bar.

"N****s always on that bullsh*t.
Makes a n**** wanna open up a full clip."
"You Can't Kill Me" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

Clear the trash. Carry on.

From there, Nasir Jones dives head-on into the concept driving this (near) concept LP - "Hip Hop been dead [and] we the reason it died." But rather than wasting an album whinning about everything wrong with today's commercialized Hip Hop industry, God's Son crafts an introspective, educational, and at times inspirational album impressive in both its intricacies and its exclamation points.

"Carry On Tradition," finds Nas bodly admonishing both bitter "rap pioneers" and self-important new rappers "with they fingers entertwined in some gang sign madness," reminding them both that if you've made money off this game, or are making money off this, then you need to contribute to the culture; you need to respect where its been and continue to push it forward.

He follows that with "Where Are They Now?," joining Salaam Remi behind the boards (receiving production credit). Over live drums and a James Brown (the Godfather of soul, Grandfather of Hip Hop) sample, Nasir shouts out "some of his homie's that were misrepresented - legends of the game."

"Lets break it down to / Mic Geronimo, Pharcyde and Coolio. /
I heard Craig Mack back in the studio. /
Have you seen these lost MCs? Funky 4+1, Force MDs. /
Ms. Melodie, I hope she packin' a bank roll. /
As well Educated Rapper, [Dr.] Ice, and Kangol. /
Shante, she from around my way yo. /
EPMD, K-Solo. / Where are they now?"
"Where Are They Now" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

The opus continues with the Will.I.Am produced title-track, "Hip Hop Is Dead," where God's Son kicks an inspired, freestlye flow (once again) over the sickening "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" sample (He used this same sample on "Thief's Theme" (Street's Disciple). Then Lupe Fiasco came along and murdered his beat on the mixtape cut "Twilight Zone." I guess Nas wanted (needed?) another shot at this one...stating "I had to flip this track again yall" during the song intro. Looks like Lupe touched a nerve torchin' his track like that. I'm making this up...but what if I wasn't?).





Up next..."Who Killed It?" a 3 minute and 10 second long mystery track where Nas, using an uncanny Humphrey Bogart impression (or some other prohibition era gangster voice. Actually, I have no idea whose voice it is, but its uncanny nonetheless. In fact, if you know whose muttaskuttin' voice he's using, hit up The Company Man. Thanks, carry on) is on a case to find out who killed Hip Hop (over mean Salaam Remi / Will.I.Am production using the beat from Eric B & Rakim's "I Ain't No Joke")...easily the most creative cut on the album. Definitely a must-download.

"I feel like a Black Republican, / Money I got comin' in. /
Can't turn my back on the hood, / I got love for them. /
Can't clean my act up for good, / Too much thug in him. /
Probably end up back in the hood. / [I'm] like f*ck it then."
"Black Republican" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

Arguably the most anticipated collabo of the new millenium, Jay-Z guest appears on "Black Republican," creating Hip Hop's first anthem of the new year. God's Son rides L.E.S's epic production to perfection (this entire album really....Nas spits the perfect flow for each beat on the album. It really is a thing of beauty). Ironically he never refers to himself as a "Black Republican," substituting "Black Militant", taking over the government" instead. Which makes sense if you think about it...I mean Nas is a lot of things...and a black republican is certainly not one of them (I can't even imagine Nas in a voting booth, let alone calling himself a "black republican"...I digress).

Kanye West returns the favor on "Still Dreaming" (Nas guest appeared "We Major" on 'Ye's sophmore LP, Late Registration) where the 2 emcees wax poetic on creepin' relationships, manhood, and entrapment using a sped-up soul sample - Diana Ross's "The Interim" - as the backdrop (classic Louis Vuiton Don production). I gotta say one thing, Kanye's growth lyrically and sonically is impressive. With every release, his beats become more seamless (initially you could hear the breaks in the cut from whatever sample he used. But, the breaks on "Still Dreaming" area nearly inaudible. I mean, I can figure where the breaks probably go, but they're certainly not obvious. My cousin Sha pointed this out to me. Always educating) and his delivery more competitive. Say what you will about his arrogance, but at the end of the day his hunger is refreshing. He wants to be a better emcee, and any Hip Hop fan should appreciate this (same goes for Lil' Wayne. And The Game. Not Young Jeezy though. You can't say that about Young Jeezy). Another must-download track.

"Its beef week / Monday murda. /
2 n***** dead Tuesday. / Wednesday and Thursday is hurst day.
Friday - sombody-gotta-die day. /
Saturday, put the gat away. Chillin' wit' your chick and a bag haze, /
Wonderin' how its all gonna end / In what type of way. /
Cause Sunday, back to gunplay. /
Most sh*t start over nothin' and get finished quick cause the art of reprecussion. /
Yeah I seen it. A G'goin out indecent."
"Hold Down the Block" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

"Hold Down The Block" finds Nas opining on of a hustler's life and its consequences, without ever sounding preachy.

The Chris Webber produced (yes, that Chris Webber) "Blunt Ashes" is a look back at his career while reflecting on the lives of notable politicians, writers, jazz musicians, and R&B singers. Another envelope-pushing cut.

Tre Williams fills "obligatory inspirational/ghetto reflective, Anthony Hamilton-on-the hook" track (this muttaskutta sounds just like Anthony Hamilton...kinda like Sterling Sims sounds like R.Kelly on Jay-Z's "Dig A Hole." Designer impostors smell good too. Certainly cheaper) on Kanye West produced, "Let There Be Light." The track also features one of the album's realest Quotables - "I can't sound smart or yall'll run away." You can't tell that that line doesn't speak volumes about today's dumbed-down rap industry.

In fact one of the best things about Hip Hop Is Dead is that it ends just as strongly as it begins. "Can't Forget About You,' 'Hustlin,' and 'Hope" all fit subtly, strategically into the album's theme; all 3 are straight Hip Hop.

"Unforgettable. Unsubmittable. /
I go by 'N' now. Just 1 syllable. /
Its the end cause the Game's tired. Its the same vibe /
'Goodtimes' had right after James died. /
Thats why the gangsta rhymers ain't inspired. /
Heinous crimes help record sales more than creative lines. /
I don't wanna keep bringing up the greater times. /
But I'm a dreamer, nostalgic with the state-of-mind."
"Can't Forget About You" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead

I think I'm in love with Chrisette Michelle (her voice at least). Homegirl can blow. She stole 'Lost Ones' from Jay-Z, and she gives Nas a run for his money on (another Will.I.Am special) "Can't Forget About You." The hook is ridiculous, the sample is perfection (Nat King Cole's Unforgettable) and Nas delivers one of his best series of verses since Hova woke his ass up. How 'bout this...if I was trapped in a mini-van with 4 ornery 8 year-olds on a cross-country drive to California and was only allotted 12 songs on the family ipod mini...this song would be 1 of them...thats how dope it is. I can listen to this track forever.

The Game makes an inspired guest appearance on the Dr. Dre produced, "Hustlers," spittin' "1995, 11 years from the day, / I'm in the record shop with choices to make. / Illmatic on the top shelf, The Chronic on the left homie. / Wanna cop both but I only got a $20 on me. / So f*ck it. I stole both." The Songstress, Marsha Ambrosius (from Floetry) laces the hook here and Nas rides Dre's synth strings and subdued heavy keys to perfection...again.

Finally, God's Son concludes Hip Hop Is Dead on some real Emcee ish with an ill accapella freestyle flow, vividly depicting the days when he and Hip Hop "used to be close." No beat. No hook. Just his point:

"Ain't got nothin' to do with Old Skool, New Skool, Dirty South, West Coast, East Coast. This [is] about us. This our thing. NahwhatImsayin'. This came from the gut. From the blood. From the soul. Right here man. This is our thing, man. You know. So I say what I say. And I say what I say and I mean it. Yall take it how you wanna take it. Cause if you askin' why is Hip Hop Is Dead, its a pretty good chance you're the reason it died man. Its a pretty good chance your lame ass, corny ass is the reason it died, man. You don't give a f*ck about it. You don't know nothin' about it. You want this paper, be a hustler. You a 'hustler' you ain't a 'rapper' - get your paper man. NahwhatI'msayin. But this rap sh*t is real. Bitch. This sh*t is real, Bitch."

Understood.

*****

As dope as Hip Hop Is Dead is, its not without its faults.

3 things:

1) Although Nas's delivery delivers on "Carry On Tradition," the Scott Storch, $80-thousand-dollar-per-beat beat is wack. He paid too much...whatever he paid.

2) The Kelis assisted "Not Going Back" is nice...but poorly placed. First off, the beat is too slow for the album's pace at that point, disrupting the transition. "Where Are They Now?" thru "Black Republican" is like driving 90mph in a 50mph zone..."Not Going Back" is the brick wall. Now, this track - with its gunshot rampage intro followed by Kelis immediately admonishing his actions - fits perfectly right after "Hold Down the Block." Plus, "Hold Down the Block" touches on bangin, hustlin, doin' what you gotta do...but knowin' that eventually you'll have to pay for it. "Not Goin' Back's" declaration of NOT going back to the hood is the logical follow-up thematically. And the pace flows with the rest of the Lp. I already re-arranged the album on my iPod.

3) I hate to critique this because I think its a great song but "Playa On Playa" is outta place on Hip Hop Is Dead. Snoop blazes this track and of course God's Son doesn't disappoint, but the pimp theme feels odd here. "The finest chicks I came on and sprayed them. / Gotta get your papes on, play on Playa"...catchy as hell, yes...dope beat, dope rhymes...wrong album. Maybe the Label made 'em do it.

Oh, and one more: Did he include the song lyrics in the album book? NO! Of course not. That would make too much sense. Fans might appreciate that a little too much. I don't know, but it seems to me that the best way to ensure your audience knows what you're saying would be to WRITE IT DOWN FOR THEM. Seriously, this is more necessary now than ever...people don't want to listen like they used to...and if its too complex, they'll ignore it all together. And when you ask them about the album later, they come back at you on some ole' "I couldn't hear what he was sayin'" or some bum-"I couldn't understand it"-bullsh*t. We gotta stop givin' these muttaskuttas excuses. (In my best Eddie-Murphy-as-the-old-white-jewish-dude-in-the-barbershop-on-Coming-To-America impersonation) Ahh Haa! Ahh Haa! (...wagging finger). Would you guys just taste the soup already!

Nevertheless, Hip Hop Is Dead is a masterpiece. You can bump this goin' to club, cleanin' the crib, chillin' wit your girl...where ever. You'll learn about Hip Hop from this album. Buy this album. Burn this album. Steal this album if you have to...whatever. Just make sure you listen to Hip Hop Is Dead.

Its that serious.

Rating:
QQQQ.5

Best Tracks:

1. The wholedamnthing

Carry On...

Weezy Talkin' Greasy - Disses Jay-Z, Pharrell, The Clipse

Give a muttaskutta a mic and he'll run his mouth!!

In the Decemeber / January issue of Complex Magazine (newsstands on Dec. 12), Lil' Wayne (AKA, Weezy F. Baby....AKA "the Best Rapper Alive") had this to say about Jay-Z's 'comeback,' Pharrell, and The Clipse:

"I'm better than him, I'm 24 years old. ... I'm 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold. I don't like what he's saying about how he had to come back because hip-hop's dead and we need him...What the f--- do you mean? If anything it's reborn, so he's probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, 'Yo, this is Jay's house. He's the best.' Now he comes back and still thinks it's his house. ... It's not your house anymore, and I'm better than you."

On Pharrell Williams and The Clipse:

"I don't see no fucking Clipse. This is a fucking legend you're talking to right here. How many years them n***** been around? Who the fuck is
Pharrell? Do you really respect him? That n**** wore BAPE and y'all thought
he was weird. I wore it and y'all thought it was hot. What I gotta go in the store and say, 'I like these colors but I can't buy them because other rappers wore them?'"

On on the photo of him kissing Baby (a man):

"I don't fault nobody for misunderstanding. I don't understand a lot of shit. Baby walked in the crib one day and was like, 'Everybody's doing this black mob shit. When I see you n*****, this is what we're gonna do.' And that's why you've
probably got a picture of me because I stuck with everything that man said. But every n****'s done that. I've done kissed [Juvenile and B.G.]. No homo. Pause."

No Weezy, everyone has not done that. But either way...I'm just tired of rappers always talking about other rappers. Lil' Wayne is nice enough not to have take that route. Rappers need to take shots at other rappers to create a buzz....MCs let their music do the talking.

Anyhow, looks like Wayne is about to drop "Ether 2" - another diss track aimed at Jay-Z...the shark's are swarming. This is slightly more interesting than the Dipset / Jay-Z feud...at least Weezy F. Baby has TALENT.

"F**k that BEEF shit. That shit is played out."

"Whats Beef" - The Notorious BIG: Life After Death

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