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...

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

Rap Beef Breakdown

So My Cousin' Sha pointed out a highly potential emcee battle currently underway between 2 of the south's rap-titans rather inconspicuously. Think: Notorious BIG vs. NaS inconspicuous.

The Champion: Andre 3000
The Challenger: T.I.

I know. I know. Caught me off guard too. But once Sha laid it down, I cant front, it sounds highly probable. The lyrical jabs fly back-and-forth on at least two cuts: Andre 3000's verse on the "Walk It Out" remix, and T.I.'s on Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" remix.

The Jab: 'Dre's near classic verse on "Walk It Out" remix. Follow the bold text...



The verse:

"I walk it out like a usher. / If you say 'real talk' I probably won't trust ya /
If you want to go to war / the guns my pleasure. /
Even Jesus had 12 disciples on the level. / Trigger. / Whatever. /
Now think of Three-thou (3000). /
I'm like jury duty. / You're new to this part of town. /
Your white-tee, well to me / look like a nightgown. /
Make your mama proud. / Take that thang 2 sizes down /
Then you'll look like the man that you are, / or what you could be. /
I could give a damn about your car. / But then I would be, /
If was considered a classic before the drastic change in production;
When cars were metal instead of plastic. Value /
Is what I'm talkin' bout. / Take 2 of these and walk it out. /
You'll be the reason they chalk it out. /
You can't be The King in the parking lot forever. /
Not saying I'm the best but til they find something better /
I am here. No fear. Write me a letter.
Til then, I walk it out..."

The Break Down: First of all, that may be one of the tightest verses of all time just on delivery alone! (Andre 3000 is the greatest Emcee EVAR. Fact.) But when you look at the lyrics in another light, the references to the self-entitled-King-of-the-south are more than coincidental. Follow me:

Dre makes it apparent in the first 4 bars that he is on some emcee battle ish ('if you want to go to war, / the guns my pleasure. / Even Jesus had disciples on the level. Trigger. Whatever.'), but doesn't begin to get specific until the middle of the verse when he spits "your white-tee, well to me, looks like a nightgown" (an indirect snipe and T.I.'s tendency to rock the official Trap uniform - quadruple-extra-large-oversized-white-tee-shirt) and "I could give a damn about your car / but then I would be if it was considered a classic. / Before the drastic change in production. When cars were metal instead of plastic. Value is what I'm talkin' about" (a more direct shot at T.I.'s pre-house-arrest Chevrolet Impala SS endorsement. Remember those Super Bowl ads that ran a couple of years back?).

By this point the idea that Dre is going directly AT T.I. definitely sounds like a possibility. But the right-cross finally lands near the verses conclusion. Dre spits "You can't be The King in the parking lot forever. / Not saying I'm the best but til they find something better, / I am here. No fear. Write me a letter." That line is a blatant shove-in-the-mug at T.I. - who coins the moniker "The King of the South" and named his fifth Lp The King. T.I. feels he can call himself the King of the South because none of the other southern rap legends have ever questioned his self-entitlement. In his mind, if he can walk around screamin' that he is The King without anyone steppin to him then obviously he must be the best. Is it possible that Andre 3000 (who's legendary group Outkast has sold more 20 million albums world wide while re-inventing themselves artistically on each album over the past 12 years and is highly-regarded as the greatest rap duo in rap history) is a bit irritated by T.I.'s bravado? Doesn't sound far-fetched to me. And could it be that Dre wanted to ensure the message is delivered by ending the verse with "not saying that I'm the best but til they find something better, / I Am Here. No Fear. Write me a letter"? Well...you think about it.

The Counter Punch: T.I. verse on the "Superstar" remix. (T.I.'s spits last so let the video load completely, skip through Jeezy's verse, stop at Lupe's - pay homage and then slow down and listen to T.I.'s.) Again, follow the bold...



The Verse:

"Okay now. / Anyone who know me, they know me to ride /
But when the shit was selling slow it's just my homies and I. /
Had to get rid of all the phonies and the homies disguised. /
So you speaking, I don't reply, homie don't be surprised. /
You ain't gotta ride for me, I didn't ask you to. /
Take the journey on my own, I would gladly do. /
You gon' and turn around now, I'll call a cab for you. /
I stand up on my own 2, he kiss the ass of who? /
No way Jose, we pot Rose, blow dro, that's more than okay. /
See but don't say. My folk, they flip more yay than Cirque du Soleil. /
Keyser Soze, oh they kill people and get off like OJ. /
You catch your case, just shut your face, don't get caught singing do, re, /
Mi, fa, say, la, ti, do, ghetto hero, G-code I obey. /
He's so gay, didn't have no business hanging around me no way. /
It's okay, life lesson learned I suggest that you go your way. /
I be straight, no conversation man. That's all I'm gon' say (hey). /

The Break Down: First off, I gotta give props to T.I. for that verse. Lyrically it was on point and he FINALLY veered away from the same mundane flow he normally defaults to. The ish is tight alone, but again, when you look at the content in a rap battle context, it comes across as a reply to Dre's verse above. Keep following:

The first allusion appears when T.I. spits "had to get rid of all the phonies and the homies disguised. / So when you speak and I don't reply, homie don't be surprised" (a potential ironic reference that he doesn't intend to reply to Dre's jabs and-slash-or that 3000 shouldn't expect any love from him when they cross paths in the future. One or the other. Maybe neither). Then he gets more specific when he says "You gon' turn around now, I'll call a cab for you. / I stand on my own two. He kiss the ass of who?" (A sly comparison to T.I.'s solo career and the fact that Andre is one-half of the duo Outkast. I'd say that T.I. means that Big Boi has carried Dre over the past 12 years...he's not delusional. Thats just unrealistic...kind of like when Nas said Jay-Z was wack compared to Beanie Siegel in his diss track classic "Ether.")

Similar to Dre's verse, T.I.'s most specific allusions turn more directly towards the end of his verse when he says "don't get caught singing do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do, ghetto hero, G-code I obey" (a potential shot to Andre spending his half of the classic double disk Speakerboxx/The Love Below crooning about love and relationships). Then [The King?] closes his possible-reply with "He's so gay, didn't have no business hanging round me no way. Life lesson learned I suggest you go your way. I be straight, no conversation man. Thats all I'm gon' say" (a possible reference to Dre's style choices and that T.I. does not intend to further dual with Mr. 3000).

Clearly T.I.'s reference's to Dre's are a bit loser than Dre's to T.I., but the possibility that he is indeed responding to the "Walk It Out" verse still has legs. The question is why would T.I.P. try to brush off the battle rather than come more definitively. My guess that even though he calls himself "The King of the South", in his heart-of-hearts he knows that he is not his region's best emcee. T.I. has a lot on the line by stepping in the square against Andre 3000. Not only would he LOSE (re: lyrically sodomized), but T.I. has finally crossed the barrier between respected rapper to pop-culture success (remember he was the official sponsor for Chevrolet's Impala SS series...prior to getting arrested for possessing a-small-country's-weapons-armory-amount of guns).

Its like what Robert Wuhl said on his HBO comedy special "Assume the Position": when legend becomes fact, print the legend. T.I.'s career was built more on his image and trap-history than his talent. Because he possesses an ill amount of street credibility without having the emcee ability to back it up, he needs to be more strategic about who he faces in the square. And this isn't the first time he used this tactic. After helping to build his legend by running head on at lyrically-deficient-Houston-rapper Lil' Flip earlier this century once Flip questioned his crown at a show in Atlanta, Tip threw an opening shot at Ludacris on Young Buck's "Stomp" remix, only to retreat into reconciliation after peeping 'Cris's blistering reply on the same track. Paper Kings are wary of sharp edges...so they fold out of the way. T.I. is no dummy. He understands that to maintain the image of his title he must bob-and-weave around more-worthy contenders (similar to how Lenox Lewis retired as heavy weight champion rather than go-toe-to-toe once and for all with his only real competition, Vladimir Klitschko). Plus, his career is on hold since he is on house arrest. He can't afford to have anyone tapping on his tooth-pick-tower. This couldn't come at worse time for him. So he gives just enough not to look like a punk, while hoping to simultaneously diffuse the encounter.

Either way, Sha shed the light on this one for me and I appreciate it. Apparently Dre replies again on a track featuring Raekwon, but we couldn't find it on either of latest napster-replacements. Rest assured I will send it your way if we ever uncover it.

Carry on...

A Quotable Rant: Jena 6 Member Charged With Assault

"I keep on searchin' and I keep on lookin' / But n****s are the same from Watts to Brooklyn."

"Fantastic Voyage" - Coolio

Nigga.

I abhor the word. But unfortunately I don't know any other way to describe this ish.

Jena 6 member Bryant Purvis was arrested on Wednesday for choking a student who allegedly vandalized his car.

How do you like that...

In a written statement to the Denton County Police (Carrollton, Tx), 19-year-Bryant-muttaskuttin'-Purvis admitted to the accusations.

"I walked over to him and grabbed him by his neck...then told him not to mess with my car anymore, then left."

I can hear Uncle Ruckus now - somewhere croonin' "don't truss dem' new n****s over there!"

"I try to keep faith in my people. / But sometimes my people be actin' like they evil."
"Fantastic Voyage" - Coolio

On the real, I'm amazingly disappointed in these civil rights victims. It seems like yesterday we were fighting for a cause. But the more and more I learn about these nuckle-heads, the more it feels like I'm fightin' for a bunch of ignorant muttaskuttas! I mean damn, a couple months ago you were one internet-protest away from living out your whorin'-twenties behind the bars of a federal penatentury; and now look at you...chokin' out cats in the street? After going through all of that...you can't think of a better way to handle this situation? Thats whats poppin' in 2008? Civil rights victims assualting muttaskuttas in the middle of Black History Month???

Not suprisingly, Bryant Purvis is also one of the two Jena 6 members throwin' shout-outs at last year's BET Awards. Not 'Thank You for your support and helping to keep our black-asses outta jail.' Shout-outs...as if they were invited because they won an award. Here they are throwin' up their set.


The picture of persecution.



Are they bragging? This ish is an oppressors wet dream.

I now understand why Nas entitled his next album...

Carry on...

A Quotable Rant: Back From Hiatus

"Its been a long time. I shouldnt've left you..."

Sometimes even planned change is unexpected. I'll leave that there for now....

"How should I get it started? F*ck it, just get it started."
"Ya'Meen" - Method Man; Tical 4:21...The Day After

EVERY YEAR THIS ISH HAPPENS!

Every artist and every label fiends for that summer smash, or that holiday season cash-in - and they all end up crossing-swords fighting over rapidly depleting album sales!

Jay-Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, The Game, The Roots, Clipse, Ice Cube, Outkast, Obie Trice, Young Jeezy, Diddy, DMX, Mos Def, Method Man, Mobb Deep, Fat Joe, Lloyd Banks, Pharrell, all released albums between June and December of 2006. As of today, only Hova and Outkast* managed to crack (the much overrated) platinum status domestically (both deserving significant asterisks - Outkast released Idlewild in conjunction with the duos feature film Idlewild - quintessential cross promotion. And as President of Def Jam, Jay-Z was essentially the only artist with complete control over his marketing budget - allegedly spending upwards of $20 million on album promotion for his un-retirement Lp Kingdom Come - including a Super Bowl ad and an unprecedented 1-Day US tour). A few others above posted strong sales numbers (Jeezy, The Game, Luda, and Nas are all approaching 1 million albums sold...6 months later) - the rest fell victim to the competition.

Too many MCs, not enough muttaskuttas buying CDs.

Maybe I missed the memo - but when did it become smart business to release a potentially viable product into an already over-saturated market? 9 out of 10 times money is lost - especially when all the products are packaged the same. And considering the lack of creativity plaguing commercial rap music (Corporate America: once again turning sugar to shit in pursuit of dollars and cents), who can tell the difference anymore? Or more appropriately, who cares to tell the difference?

Here's a thought: rather than flush cash down the isher jousting with every other industry big name during the cluttered 2nd half, why not diversify and drop big-ticket Lps in the wide-open 1st half? Think about it - less competition, increased likelihood of consistent radio and video rotation, and if the chance to make Spring Breakers nationwide dry-hunch to your jammy jam isn't enticing enough, then the increased revenue opportunities should be.

Case in point: T.I.'s 4th studio album, The King, was the only platinum selling album throughout most of 2006. When did it drop?

March.

"You do the arithmetic. WE do the Language-Arts."
"A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre" - Andre 3000; The Love Below

Carry on...


* To be honest, I have no real way to verify this and seriously doubt its accuracy. According to Wikipedia Idlewild is "platinum" but does not distinguish between domestic or international. My assumption is that it went plat internationally, but I also remember what happens when you "assume." So The Quotable will give 'Kast the benefit of the doubt since they've given us a decade worth of Classics.

Quotable Videos:

"Can't Forget About You" - Nas; Hip Hop Is Dead



...still in love with Chrisette Michelle...


"Minority Report" - Jay-Z; Kingdom Come



...still in loathe with that whisper rap...


"Wouldn't Get Far" - Game feat. Kanye West; The Doctor's Advocate



...Game still name droppin'...


"Throw Some Ds' On It Remix" - Kanye West

...on repeat in my iPod all week...


"Throw Some Cheese On It" - Wich Boy



...just plain comical.


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...

On the set of "Can't Forget About You"

courtesy of YBF.com