Hip Hop Year In Review 2015

There is a give and take in any good relationship; relationship meaning a status you hold with someone (or in this case, someTHING) in your life. There's always going to be someone or something that gives you a different perspective on life (or anything, for that matter). Variety in life means choices, such as different types of hobbies, or different kinds of people you associate yourself with, for example; there's the guy that has to make everything a competition, that guy who you could call your brother and open up to about anything, then there's those partiers that are just too fun not to hang out with, and maybe every now and then you'll encounter that person that just makes you feel cooler than the rest of the block. Such is hip hop; introducing the year of variety.

Drake owned 2015. In fact, if we name this year like people do the Chinese new year, then 2015 was the year of the owl. Despite the (not what anyone would call setbacks at all because, domination) setbacks that Drake encountered (Meek Mill beef, ghostwriting accusations, the "contract" struggle on Cash Money, and being in the middle of the battle of Lil Wayne vs. Birdman), Drake still managed to have the biggest year in hip hop (again). If You're Reading This It's Too Late was Grammy nominated, his collaborative album with Future What A Time To Be Alive was at one point the biggest album in the world, and his annoyingly catchy "Hotline Bling" became #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 list. Oh, and ever hear of a diss track becoming Grammy nominated?  Also this year, Drake's Meek Mill diss "Back To Back" was Grammy nominated for "Best Rap Performance". October's Very Own did it again; the year of the owl.


(Because I didn't want to share a Drake and Future song. Also, this song represents what 2016 could bring. For those looking for change.)

Although the Grammy's are yet to happen (not until 2/15), hip hop heads can rejoice at the notion that this year's "Best Rap Album" nominees are (arguably, not really though) some of the most deserved. To say J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive has gotten all the attention it has deserved would be criminal, and the same goes for Kendrick's To Pimp A Butterfly and Dr. Dre's Compton; The Soundtrack (Dre could probably do without winning considering the movie's success as well) . Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth might be the most slept on album of the year, while fans might also be angry that Mac Miller (GO:OD AM), Earl Sweatshirt (I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside), Big Sean (Dark Sky Paradise), The Game (The Documentary 2), A$AP Rocky (At. Long. Last. A$AP), and Future (DS2, 56 Nights, Beast Mode) didn't get the nods they thought they deserved. Also, Travis Scott, Rich Homie Quan, and Rae Sremmurd (as much as I hate to admit) all had huge years.


(Kendrick was one of the biggest contributors to bringing back the "music video with a concept")

What else did I miss that's worth talking about?  Marvel did an incredibly dope thing called "Marvel Hip Hop Variants" with their very own super heroes remaking classic album covers (you can see a gigantic list of those covers here http://hiphopgoldenage.com/list/35-marvels-hip-hop-variants/), and Stretch & Bobbito finally got their just due with Radio That Changed Lives!  If there is one piece on hip hop that needs to be seen from this year, the Stretch and Bobbito documentary is that piece. Old unreleased freestyles and interviews from the likes of legends such as Eminem, Jay Z, Nas, Fat Joe, and more surface in their documentary, and if you're one that likes "diggin' through the crates" as the old heads say, then this is your thing.



In terms of coming up, a lot of names could be put on this list. Michael Christmas, Boogie, and Mick Jenkins immediately come to mind, but it'd be wrong to say that there aren't several more artists that could blow up in 2016. Rap took a turn for hilarious, ridiculous fun when Run The Jewels put out their mega-cat-remix album Meow The Jewels made up of 90% cat sounds. The Game got into more beef and legal problems (surprise), and Grantland staff writer Shea Serrano also released his very successful book "The Rap Yearbook", which chronicled the biggest rap song of every year from 1979 to 2014, and also illustrates how hip hop is the product of multiple musical genres mixed with the poetic word expressing the oppression that blacks have faced throughout U.S. history.


   (*I do not own any of these songs, videos, or the rights to them*)

Was 2015 the year of the wave riders (which Drake and Future so often got accused of being, although I can't say I disagree)?  It could be argued that this is the case, certainly. But I think 2015 turned out to be much more than that. Not just because there were too many dope projects that dropped and made us all jig in our own way, but because you created a sort of relationship with every rapper you heard this year. Some rappers pushed you to do big things because of their competitiveness and work ethic (Eminem, just because he works on his craft, Kevin Gates because he doesn't get tired), some rappers opened themselves up to the world and were accepted (Kendrick), some rappers made you want to party until the world ends (Future, Rich Homie Quan, Rae Sremmurd, etc.), and some rappers just made you feel like you were fresher than the rest of the block (Fabolous). The year of variety happened so fast because people were looking for the next thing instead of enjoying what they already had (which makes an argument for 2015 being "the year of the wave rider"), but here's to hoping 2016 stops that trend. A flood of music forces the listener to move onto the next thing faster than the brain can process, so why would artists want to ruin the impact of the music that they just put out?  Anyways, here's to an incredibly bumpy, roller coaster year for hip hop and hoping for a more consistent one, yet just as entertaining.              

                



 









          

Is Slaughterhouse Still Together? (Crooked I Addresses With New Song)

If there's any album I have been waiting on, (besides Detox, but Dre killed that off with Compton, luckily) it's Slaughterhouse's next LP Glass House, and while he didn't a give an update, Crooked I definitely addressed rumors about the group in a new song recently.

In Crooked I's new song "Gift Rap", he dropped some pretty eye raising bars about the entire situation with Slaughterhouse; "well they, ask me did Eminem drop Slaughterhouse? did y'all break up since Joe Budden dropped Slaughtermouse? Seen you on Peter Rosenberg and Ebro, your energy was zero, see bro, is there something y'all wanna talk about?"

Crook continues on; "and if it is, don't play the nice dude, just pull a Ice Cube if it's the right move, they ain't putting your album out? damn, these niggas got an attitude, thought we'd be your niggas for life, where's the gratitude? All these questions they're pointing 'em in my direction, like the business end of a Smith & Wesson but I ain't stressing, just came home I was in Detroit visiting Marshall's session, to be in the presence of the one of the goats is still a blessing."

These lines definitely raise some questions (to keep that final rhyme scheme flowing), but no real questions were answered, nor rumors put to rest with Crooked's new song. Check it out below, and form your own opinion. What's holding up the new album?  (Supposedly Just Blaze, but he denies it)

Crooked I - "Gift Rap"
https://soundcloud.com/treacherousrecords/kxng-crooked-gift-rap





     

J. Cole's "Road To Homecoming" Mini Doc Series Is Awesome

This is the type of material I've been waiting for from rappers... some truly behind the scenes action that gives a look into the life of a rap superstar. This time, it just happens to be J. Cole. Cole has been making his case for one of the best and most real ones out with his strong, and silent campaign for his amazing, and now Grammy nominated album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

In case you missed it, last week Cole put out episode 1 of his mini doc series "Road To Homecoming" on HBO, which documents the making of the album, the tour, and Cole talking about the story that went into the making of 2014 Forest Hills Drive. This is the kind of stuff I personally cannot get enough of, the behind the scenes content of my favorite rappers is stuff I live for, and in case you do too and you happened to miss both episodes, you can find both below.

Episode 1
https://vimeo.com/149018305

Episode 2
https://vimeo.com/149886205



 

 

The Lowdown On Wu Tang's "Secret" Album, and It's Buyer, Martin Shkreli

Okay so there is a butt load of confusing details surfacing about the current state of the "secret" Wu Tang album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, so I figured it might be a decent idea to lay them out for those confused about what's going on (or report it for those that don't know, either way it's a win/win for you).

As you know (or may not know) the Wu Tang Clan announced that they would indeed be coming out with a new album (the aforementioned LP). Yaaaaay right?!  Wrong. It was reported that Wu Tang would be placing the LP in a "capsule" of sorts and not releasing it until the year 2103 (yes, 88 years from now). Now yes, it is insane that the Wu Tang decided to pull some prophecy shit and wait 88 years to release the album, but what's even weirder is that Wu Tang was reportedly going to auction off the album to the highest bidder, who turned out to be a man named Martin Shkreli, a pharmaceutical CEO who won the album for about $2 million.

Here's an update on Martin Shkreli; Shkreli got arrested on charges of fraud, but was recently released on $5 million bail as of yesterday. Here is a report from Bloomberg briefly summarizing the charges against Shkreli;

"The federal case against him has nothing to do with pharmaceutical costs, however. Prosecutors charged him with illegally taking stock from Retrophin Inc., a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay to off debts from unrelated business dealings. He was later ousted from the company, where he’d been chief executive officer, and sued by its board."

"In the case that closely tracks that suit, federal prosecutors accused Shkreli of engaging in a complicated shell game after his defunct hedge fund, MSMB Capital Management, lost millions. He is alleged to have made secret payoffs and set up sham consulting arrangements."

It has also been reported that Shkreli had plans to bail Bobby Shmurda out of jail, though due to his recent charges, he may not be able to do so anymore. So why does this mean anything?  This guy Shkreli's got "trouble" written all over him. He reportedly raised the price of Daraprim (a life saving AIDS and Cancer drug) from $13.50 to $750 a pill because he claimed "it's a business." Douche. Apparently Wu Tang Clan also gave Bill Murray permission to steal the Wu Tang album in the contract of the Wu Tang album (it shows up in the fine print, amazingly enough), though there are no reports that Murray is going to attempt the heist (probably better off not letting people know you're about to pull off a heist anyways). The details about this album keep getting weirder and weirder, I'll keep HHU Nation informed about any further details (I just came up with that on the spot, HHU Nation, it's got a nice ring to it).      


   

      

Atlantic Records is "Suppressing" Hip Hop Artists

According to reports, Atlantic Records SUUUUUUCKS. Being an artist, obviously you should always be comfortable with who is going to be dealing around your music and how much exposure they will be trying to get you, because social media only goes so far (very incredibly immensely far nowadays, why not just stay independent anyways?). As an artist you have to be able to sell a song on the radio (have a single to push to the public), but the rest of the selling you'd think would be the label's job right?  Atlantic Records apparently does not do a very good job of giving their artists (ironically all hip hop artists, unsure if any other artists of other genres have problems) exposure. Here's 3 cases where rappers have made problems with Atlantic Records public.

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe had such issues with Atlantic Records at one point that for the release of his album Food & Liquor 2; The Great American Rap Album in 2012, Lupe used an all black album cover (above) without the stamps of the label on it to get back at Atlantic. Last year it was reported that Lupe "can't wait to get off Atlantic Records" because he "refused to sign a 360 deal." It'd be interesting to see what happens with Lupe if/when he gets off of Atlantic.

Waka Flocka

Waka Flocka has been having problems with Atlantic Records since the first half of this year, and it looks like they won't be slowing down anytime soon. Back in April, Flocka blamed Atlantic for delaying the release of his long awaited album Flockaveli 2. Reports were that Waka was getting so fed up with Atlantic that not only did he want them to buy out his contract, but Waka also sent out mass tweets telling fans to call Atlantic and demand his release from the company! Are we starting to see a trend here?

B.o.B

B.o.B is the latest rap artist to claim Atlantic Records is "suppressing" him. About a week ago (December 7th) Bob sent out some tweets ranting about Atlantic claiming that they (similar to Waka) don't attempt to get him any exposure. It makes sense seeing as B.o.B (as of late) has been talking about some conspiracy theories and using his music as a platform to question the government (normally big companies don't respond well to that kind of talk, who knows why).

So here's my question to Atlantic Records; why suppress successful artists with die hard fan bases?  How does that benefit you?  Wouldn't it make more sense to promote them more so you can make more money?  It doesn't make sense to me. If any other artists come out and boycott Atlantic, I can't say I'd be surprised at this point. Those corporate big wigs are up to some awfully fishy stuff...  


       
 

Who Should Win The Best Rap Album Grammy? (Why This Year Is Different + An In Depth Look At Each Nominee)

This has to be the most excited I have EVER been for the Grammys. Every year some bullshit rapper is nominated (and more often than not, wins) simply because they have the most exposure, they're played on the radio most, or because the "academy" feels they are fit enough to win. Just because you totally care about my opinion (actually because I felt like doing it, not necessarily the former), below I'll list each of the nominees (besides Nicki Minaj, because admittedly I haven't listened to her album, and just... no) and a case for why they have a chance to win, or not.

2014 Forest Hills Drive


Alright so if you keep in contact with me on Google+, you probably know I preach how great 2014 Forest Hills Drive is almost on the daily. But in all seriousness, FHD is Cole's best work to date. FHD really does have every type of song; the sincerity Cole showcases on FHD ("Intro", "Apparently", "Love Yourz") is only topped by his incredibly clever punch lines, his hunger to prove he's one of the best rappers out ("Fire Squad", "G.O.M.D"), and his one of a kind story telling ("Wet Dreamz", '03 Adolescence"). I hate to pick favorites, but if I had to choose, I believe next to Kendrick, Cole is the most deserving of this Grammy.

If You're Reading This It's Too Late


I have to admit that I didn't give If You're Reading This It's Too Late the real attention I initially should have. In my opinion, Drake's sudden release of an album with no given release date was a red flag (and later figuring out what the release date meant didn't help the case of the album). Drake's urge to be taken off of Cash Money due to Birdman vs. Lil Wayne forced Drake into a rough spot; making loads of music (including the not so great Future collaboration What A Time To Be Alive) to free up his contract under Birdman and Cash Money to become a free agent. It has even been said by Drake and others that this project is practically a mixtape; why else would Drake make the sign "How's my mixtape?" in order to get reception from fans?  While there are some good songs on IYRTITL, the entire project is one made up of merely party songs, and is in no way shape or form Drake's best project, let alone the "album" of the year.

To Pimp A Butterfly

       
Kendrick Lamar (besides J. Cole) might be the most deserving rapper that has yet to win a Grammy for best rap album. Let's forget that Kendrick crafted practically the anthem of 2015 (above), let's forget that Kendrick brought the jazz influence back to hip hop (George Clinton & Ronald Isley features on the album) and practically forced the rest of hip hop to do something innovative; does the message he is trying to send not hold relevance over any time period?  Were rioters not on the streets after black men and children were being shot for unjust reasons chanting Kendrick's "Alright"?  It's clear that Kendrick really doesn't care about winning that Grammy (or he probably does and is hiding it), but for once; wouldn't it be cool to see someone win that deserves to?

Compton: The Soundtrack

        (*I do not own any of these videos, songs, or the rights to them*)

What can be said about Compton that hasn't already been deeply investigated and already said?  In terms of effort, this is the absolute best album of the year (it is the Good Doctor, after all). Dr. Dre found the best rappers, the best singers, and the best producers to collaborate with. Dre knows how to craft the perfect song, and Compton is the perfect example of him doing so. I didn't understand how someone could blatantly call an album of all original music a soundtrack, but listening to Compton, I understand. Dr. Dre doesn't just make albums, he sucks you into the world he's trying to create and doesn't let up until his story is finished. Compton not only raised the bar for rappers and pushed them to be the best rapper they could, but for musicians and pushing them to make the best music they could make. For so long Dr. Dre has had an agenda to bring hip hop into the limelight and make it respectable among other genres of music, and with Compton, Dr. Dre pushed hip hop that much further.

At the beginning of this post when I said "this has to be the most excited I have EVER been for the Grammys", that is because no matter who wins the Grammy for Best Rap Album this year, everybody wins. Hip hop wins (and hopefully Nicki doesn't win because she's not pushing the agenda as much as the aforementioned rappers). Last year hip hop became the most streamed genre of music in the world, and just about 4 days ago it was revealed by Musixmatch that hip hop is the genre with the highest vocabulary. It's unavoidable at this point hip hop haters; we're coming for that number 1 spot. Does this mean that we need to dominate the Grammy's in order for you to realize this?  Probably not, but still, keep your eyes peeled on the MOST INFLUENTIAL musical genre, and what they'll do at this year's Grammy's. Message.                          
             





     

Game's Biggest Beefs

Who in God's name would even remotely think it was a good idea to mess with Game?  I mean, don't people know at this point?  This guy Stitches is apparently living up to his name (not the giving part, mostly the getting, thanks to Game's manager according to some Instagram footage of Stitches getting knocked the FUGG OUT). I mean I suppose at this point Game's got a price on his head, it's like anybody who wants a piece and (somehow) gets one gets some sort of reward; the reward and the respect of having people not wanting to mess with you. But according to Game's history, there aren't many people who have fucked with him and succeeded. Here's 3 of Game's biggest beefs.


Stitches


I don't know if I'd say this is one of Game's biggest beefs, but it's certainly the most recent. The video above is a mash up of all the Instagram posts from rapper Stitches, who claimed that security would not let him into a club because Game said not to let him in. Stitches waited until Game came out, then walked up to Game and his crew and supposedly got knocked out by Game's manager, Wack 100. When will people learn not to mess with Game?  The only thing I have to say about this guy is that he looks like a meth'd out ICP member. If he wanted his 15 minutes of fame, they definitely started a few days ago, he better make good use of them.

40 Glocc


Game certainly has a thing for making his beefs public; the video above shows Game beating the crap out of rapper 40 Glocc. I'm not exactly sure where this beef stems from (possibly a G Unit fallout, apparently 40 Glocc is a former G Unit member), but it has been going on from 2012 all the way up to now. Game ended up losing this one ultimately though, because 40 Glocc sued Game for $4.54 million in a lawsuit and won.

Lil Durk

             (*I do not own these videos, or the rights to any of them*)

This so called "beef" is confusing; apparently it originally started out as beef between Lil Durk and Tyga (reason unknown), so Tyga PAID GAME to come out and diss Durk for him and handle his light work (of course, I mean it's Tyga, what else do you expect?). There is also video of Durk and his crew approaching Game in the club and talking something out, you can clearly hear "let's take it outside" in the video, which only leads you to believe that they fought, though Durk says that the beef was squashed.

With the reputation Game has, he's obviously not a guy you'd want to mess with, though a lot of people are saying that Game talks about a lot of things that happened that aren't true (i.e. his exaggerating beefs and the stories that go along with them). Either way Game is certainly a guy that remains in headlines, both because of his music and his making headlines due to his fights ( you'd think dude would take on Mayweather considering his confidence and the way he handles everything).





    
     








































   

3 Dope Samples On Beats

Sampling has taken over as one of the most effective forms of producing in hip hop. In fact, it might actually be safe to say that it's part of the creative process in which hip hop was created upon. Hip hop was started from producers and DJ's creating their own music from previously made music, taking older music and flipping it into a catchy drum beat that everybody can groove to in an urban form. Am I dropping knowledge now (just agree with me, it'd make me feel good)?  Anyways, I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and find 5 dope beats that include samples (which can very easily be done considering the amount of samples on beats nowadays). We'll just consider this piece "5 Dope Samples On Beats, Vol. 1".

Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn't Get Far


I heard this song for the first time in a VERY long time last year and my God I downloaded it and played it until I couldn't anymore. The samples included in Game's 2007 hit include Creative Source's "I'd Find You Anywhere" (which makes sense considering the lyrics in the hook) and "Long Red (Live)" from Mountain. Creative Source was a big R&B group from the 70s with many funk and disco hits, so it's wouldn't be surprising to hear their samples on other big hip hop jams. In other words, you wouldn't get far without hearing them sampled by another hip hop star.

Lupe Fiasco - Mural


It's amazing the amount of songs this sample has been in, but I figured the most relevant and recent song using it would be Lupe Fiasco's near 9 minute onslaught "Mural", released from his album that came out in January of this year Tetsuo & Youth. The sample included in this song is the song "Huit Octobre 1971" by Cortex, and can be found in Wiz Khalifa's "Visions", MF DOOM's "One Beer", and many, many more.

Drake - Draft Day
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-draft-day
(*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)

Interesting way I found out what the sample was in Drake's "Draft Day"; NBA 2K15 (and they say video games are bad for you, the nerve of old folks). Lauryn Hill's classic "Doo-Wop (That Thing)" is featured in NBA 2K15, and towards the end the familiar singing is heard that Drake puts in the beginning of "Draft Day".

So there's 3 dope samples on beats. Hip hop producers are some of the best in the world at flipping old songs into catchy or banging jams that hip hop fans love (that's probably why they do what they do). Samples can be found on nearly any and every hip hop song nowadays, it's actually harder not to hear a song that's sampled. It's definitely interesting to hear a familiar old classic in a beat, so here's Geoffrey's suggestion of the day; go out and buy some physical copies, peep the production credits and pay homage!         

Kendrick and Cole Bring Christmas Early

If you've been online in the past 24 hours, you know that Cole and Kendrick both came out with songs... Now normally this would be just fucking slap you in the face awesome, but with Kendrick going over one of Cole's songs and Cole going over one of Kendrick's songs... now this raises some suspicion, especially on Cole's "Black Friday" song.



WHAT DID HE JUST END THAT SAYING?!?!

"When you and K. Dot shit dropping, bitch never, they can't handle 2 black niggas this clever, but this February bet shit get scary when I fuck around and drop"...  FLATLINE. Of course it ends in the most trolling way possible, what else did you expect?  But what does this mean?  Does this kill every fans (and pretty much hip hop as a whole) hope for a Kendrick and Cole collaboration project to drop?  I say absolutely not, and here's why; there are methods to the madness. There's no way Cole and Kendrick drop these 2 songs (over each other's beats mind you) on the same day and name them the same thing and not have it mean SOMETHING. But, it comes down to Cole's line... what's dropping in February?  Keep your eyes peeled, and enjoy Kendrick's remix of Cole's "A Tale Of 2 Citiez" below as well.


                  (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*   











   

Rick Ross Says He's One Of The Biggest Ghostwriters In Rap

Oh the irony; Rick Ross came out in an interview with Time magazine recently and discussed his newest album Black Market (set for release on December 4th) and also said something else that definitely sparked some interest. Ross came out to say that he is "one of the biggest ghost writers in the rap game. Check out some quotes from his Time interview below.

How did your time in the headlines shape the direction of the album?

It most definitely made it a more personal record, it made it a more—I don’t want to use the word serious, but more a topic-driven record. I had a lot of time to just sit by myself, so I had a lot more things I wanted to address. That’s what I did on this LP. I spoke on different things. One of them goes by the name of “Ghostwriter.” I finally wrote a record telling the way it feels for me to be a ghostwriter, and not only a ghostwriter, but one of the biggest in the rap game. Because of my own personal success I’ve always been able to keep that in the shadows. On this record, I just felt it was so current. It was needed.

Ross then got asked about the Meek and Drake beef and what ghostwriting means in hip hop.

Ghostwriting was a big topic this year with the feud between Drake and Meek Mill. Do you think that having someone write rhymes for you is necessarily at odds with being an authentic artist?

It depends on really the point you’re looking at. If you’re a battle rapper on the block, the emcee battle challenger, not writing your rhymes could really hurt you. When you’re an artist where maybe the focus is really the talent and the different things you bring to the game, I believe it’s more understandable. Someone who may have another vision or just ideas that are priceless versus someone who’s like, “I’m basing my entire career off the words I’m finna tell you right now over this 30-second period.” I’m not speaking to anybody in particular, but let’s say for instance if you was DMX and had a ghostwriter, it’d maybe change the [perception] versus if you was will.i.am. I think that’s more about the music, the records.

I know I'm not the only one who thinks it's ironic that Ross is suddenly making a claim that he is "one of the biggest ghostwriters in rap" all of a sudden, but his claims do make the question inevitable; Does having a ghostwriter lower your value and authenticity as a rapper?  I believe it does, although Ross does have a point that there is a difference when it comes to artistry, and then as a battle rapper (where you're supposed to "earn your keep" as an emcee who writes his own rhymes).  It'll be interesting to see what Ross has to say on his "Ghost Writer" track on his upcoming album Black Market, set for release on December 4th.       

3 Awesome Episodes Of Snoop's GGN YouTube Show

I know I'm a little late to the game with this one, but Snoop Dogg's popular YouTube series GGN is coming to late night television!  Revolt picked up the show to appear every Wednesday night at 10:30 PM EST (the show apparently started on November 11th). Are you as excited as I am?  Snoop brings his incredibly amiable personality (and also conversation fueled by mostly weed) to TV; this is actually a lot cooler than it sounds (if that's possible). So to celebrate, I've compiled 3 awesome episodes (although there are many, many more) of his GGN series on YouTube.

Interview with Seth Rogen


This is awesome; the biggest smoker rapper and the biggest smoker actor coming together to rejoice and smoke cross joints while laughing at Seth Rogen's amazingly famous cackle. Snoop and Seth discuss how Rogen got into acting, (including his friendship with James Franco) plus other interesting topics.

Interview with Michael Rappaport

 
This episode with fuck your head up; Michael Rapaport witnessed Snoop and Tupac meet!  Snoop and Rapaport discuss the night that Snoop and Tupac met (also Snoop admits that Tupac was the one that got Snoop into smoking blunts, and they even had a freestyle battle against each other the night of the Poetic Justice wrap party). Legendary stories in this one for sure, the kind that you could listen to for days.

Interview with G-Unit

             (*I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

Absolute GEMS dropped in this interview. Snoop brings on 50 Cent and the rest of G-Unit to talk about what hip hop used to be, and compare it to what it is now. Who better to discuss these things than this group of people (more specifically Snoop and 50)?  They hit the nail right on the head with this conversation, and 50 Cent sounds as intellectual a person he's ever sounded in this interview.

So there's a few dope conversations (because Snoop doesn't interview people, he's very good at conversing with people and making it seem like less of an interview) that should hopefully get you excited about what's to come on Snoop's cable edition of GGN. But what else could we expect?  Probably more weed smoking and (hopefully) Stormy Fronts back on to give us such an awesome view of the weather. Only time will tell, my eyes will be open for the cable edition, and yours should be too! 

    







         

Billboard Listed The 10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time

Recently Billboard listed the 10 greatest rappers of all time, and while I don't necessarily agree with their list (then again who agrees with anyone else's list anymore), I do respect the fact that they laid out these 10 rappers to go along with reasons why they believe these rappers belong on this list. Check out the list below.

10. Lil Wayne
9. Kendrick Lamar
8. Ghostface Killah
7. Lauryn Hill
6. Andre 3000
5. Nas
4. Rakim
3. Eminem
2. Jay Z
1. Notorious B.I.G

 Seeing Lil Wayne being on this list is a surprise, though it's probably due to his incredible run from around 2009-2011. Every other rapper seems to properly hold a place on this list (whether it due to their lyrical abilities, their influence on today's hip hop, or another reason), but what do y'all think of the list?  Let me know what you think of the list in the comment section below or on Google+.      

Sorry For My Tardiness: Dom Kennedy

With hip hop there are so many different (most of the time) talented acts that it can be overwhelming at times to keep up with the newest and hottest. It's amazing how often I get introduced to a new (or sometimes not new at all) artist/rapper that I haven't ever heard before. I love when people bring these artists that I've been sleeping on to light for me, and I'd like to be the guy to bring these artists to light for others. Introducing my newest segment, "Sorry For My Tardiness".

And when it comes to Dom Kennedy, the statement "tardy to the party" would certainly make a lot of sense. Being a Los Angeles born and bred rapper, there is almost certainly a particular sound that Dom Kennedy should hold standard to, and he does just that. When you hear "After School", you'd think that you were driving right down Crenshaw Boulevard while it's packed full of cars.

                                          (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)

Every Dom album sets a tone like you were living in South Central LA; cruising down the street in a candy painted 6-4, hittin' switches and drinking St. Ides 40 oz.'s living the life in 80-90 degree weather. Bass booming, speaker jumping music is Dom's forte, and it's pretty evident when you listen to projects of his like his albums II: From The Westside, With Love (2011), Get Home Safely (2013), and By Dom Kennedy (2015).

My personal favorites from Dom so far have to be "South Central Love", "Dominic", and "After School", which can all be found on Get Home Safely, but Dom also has a couple of sleepers on his newest By Dom Kennedy album which came out earlier this year ("Posted In The Club" is how the kids say, a "wavy banger").

So Dom Kennedy is definitely a dude who's music holds a lot of replay value. You can listen to it when you're partying with your friends, driving to work, or it even qualifies for that "just chillin' and doing laundry" music (I've said this before but I still believe this is a type of music that should be acknowledged). Dom embodies the Cali lifestyle perfectly, which is warm weather, "bad bitches", good drinks, and a good time. You can't listen to Dom's music and not feel like it's summertime, which is probably why Dom aims for summer releases with all of his music (it certainly makes sense). So if you need to take a load off, pop a cold brew and relax, Dom is the guy to add to your playlist.   












       

5 Best NBA Live Tracks

A great thing about hip hop is it's influence on the NBA, and vice versa. You can get on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and see your favorite NBA players posing and taking pictures with your favorite rappers any and every day. But when it comes to rap and basketball colliding at it's absolute finest, you can't do much better than some exclusive NBA Live tracks. This is one thing that you just don't see in gaming anymore, does anybody else remember when rappers used to write exclusive songs for NBA video games about playing ball and how awesome basketball is?  No?  Anyways, in case you don't remember, here's 5 tracks from the greatest video game franchise ever ("ever" meaning "of my childhood"), NBA Live.

Chingy - Right Thurr (NBA Live Remix)(NBA Live 2004)

WHO REMEMBERS CHINGY THOUGH?! NBA Live fans would not only remember Chingy, but they'd also remember that Chingy took his greatest hit and remade it into an exclusive NBA Live 2004 track with all new lyrics about basketball!  The hook was legendary; "I'm bout to shake and bake ya right thurr (right thurr), from the 3 point line, I don't curr (don't curr), I'm bout to shake and bake ya right thurr (right thurr), cross over, make the whole crowd stir (crowd stir)". Chingy and his lyrics were made famous by the early 2000s trend of slurred words and accents, but if you were to ask me about how wrong his English were back in the day, I'd respond simply; "I don't curr."

Fabolous - It's In The Game (NBA Live 2003)

My absolute favorite NBA Live exclusive track goes to Fabolous. Is there a more cool rapper in the game, even to this day?  12 years later and the guy is still rocking the freshest NBA throwback jerseys (check his Instagram) and making them seem as in style as ever. Fabo set the tone for NBA Live 2003 with this perfect intro (which might also be my favorite NBA Live intro video ever). What better song to use for the NBA Live franchise when it was at it's peak?  E-A Sports... IT'S IN THE GAME!

Nomb ft. Anthony Hamilton (NBA Live 2005)

Now I'm unsure if this track is actually an NBA Live exclusive, but given the impact this song had on my NBA Live experience (life), I could not care less. Being born in Carolina and taking pride in it growing up wanting to ball like Jordan, this song had special meaning. I mean, whose more known for basketball than those Chapel Hill boys?  Nobody I tell ya! Favorite lyrics; brand new sweater, brand new leather, everything brand new no matter the weather, DVD play-a, CD change-a, spinnin through the kac', dudes kickin in the back, fresh white tee, pinky ring gold blow, fresh white sneaks, whole team gettin dough, who hot as this, the (?) is kit, I rock my wrist, the block is lit." When people ask you who came up with "it's lit"... you better tell 'em Nomb did it first!

Chamillionaire - Grind Time (NBA Live 2006)

Seems like more often than not, some of the bigger one hits wonders of this era ended up making their way onto an NBA Live soundtrack. Chamillionaire was known obviously for his ginormous 2005 hit "Ridin Dirty", but I suppose after that old Chamillionaire seemed to blend his way into the crowd of rappers that didn't last. Chamillionaire's short lived reign aside, "Grind Time" was certainly a jam you could use to pump yourself up on the court, or in the weight room.

Joell Ortiz - Mean Business (NBA Live 2005)

                                         (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)

Okay, so probably another track that wasn't exactly made exclusively for an NBA Live soundtrack, but is still one of the harder tracks to make a soundtrack, and is definitely a funny throwback if you look at Joell Ortiz's career then and now. The then solo emcee was probably just looking to make a name for himself rising out of the underground scene around this era, what better way to get your name out there than have a song make an NBA Live soundtrack?  There weren't many back then, that's for sure. I stumbled upon this gem playing NBA Live 2005 not long ago (yeah I still play it, judge me if you want) and couldn't help but marvel how Joell went from that, to Slaughterhouse. Crazy thought.

So there's a list of some NBA Live songs that were a part of my life growing up with the now struggling to sell NBA Live franchise (it's sad to see honestly, considering how they reigned over NBA 2K in the late 1990s/early 2000s). NBA Live for 90s kids is what NBA 2K is for kids today, though I believe people appreciated games more back then. We didn't appreciate it then, but looking back for NBA Live players, it was always amazing to see rappers and artists make exclusive tracks for these video games every year. NBA Live was rounded out every year with some sweet new dribble moves, new and updated dunks, Franchise modes, and most of all; some of the greatest video game soundtracks ever made. Don't sleep NBA 2K players, don't sleep!  


 

    




















      

Songs That Make Me Feel: Vol. 1; Joe Budden

So I've wanted to incorporate this little mini section into the blog for awhile; Every day I'm somehow reminded of some old(er) hip hop that reminds me of an exact feeling I had at the time of it's release, whether that feeling be love, hate, depression, power, or anything and everything in between. Joe Budden (being the mood god himself) has always been highly touted as the one NOT to listen to when facing life's struggles, such as depression or a relationship (also, see Drake for "relationship issues 101"), because who knows, you could actually probably (not) risk committing suicide listening to such real and honest music.

Budden has been putting out music that tells his (often depressing) life story for his entire 13 year career, and by the looks of the tweets on his timeline, he takes pride in what he does. Who better than a player that knows his role in the game?  Budden takes you places, into almost entirely different worlds with the press of a play button, and those places can lead you to end up in many, many different other places; an ex's house, on the floor of a bathroom, in a club throwing one's on a stripper, Joe's range has truly broadened, especially over the last 5 years or so.

On "Different Love" (off of his 2014 EP Some Love Lost, prelude to his 2015 solo LP All Love Lost) Budden was at his absolute most emotional. Budden got to talking about past relationships and his seemingly usual way of sabotaging them, along with problems of family and friends. Some of the biggest stand out lines from this emotional masterpiece include the following; "So I don't ever say what I can't do, if he can be happy with life then nigga I can too, while Jose wanna die, ain't tell nobody but eyeing his eyes feel I should probably identify, I said every day he lives with pain and wanna end it, something's wired wrong in your brain you gotta mend it, had a bad break up and let it expose dude, but if she was getting you high then she would get you low too."

Powerful. Some of the most meaningful lines I've heard in rap in a minute, and Joe's cadence tells it all throughout this track, because every line is not only heard, but felt. It just goes to show that your biggest enemies couldn't make you feel anywhere near as bad as you could yourself. Joe's battle with depression has been known throughout his entire career, and has been made known mostly through his music. We actually probably have Joe's music to thank that Joe is still here with us today; if Joe didn't have his raps and music to vent through, then would he still be here?  That's some crazy food for thought for you right there. In case you haven't heard this amazing emotional journey of a song before, then you can check it out below.

                                              (*I do not own this song, or the rights to it*)








            

Hey Meek... You Might Want To Stay Off of Social Media For Awhile (Wale interview, Meek instagram post)

Meek Mill and Wale make news again... and not in a good way (surprise!). Meek took to Instagram today to fire back at Wale for some comments he made in an interview with Power 105.1 about MMG and Meek, and Wale was not bashful speaking about the very much publicized (and meme'd) beef between Drake and Meek Mill. Here's what Wale had to say;

“I honestly feel like [Meek] brought a pencil to a gun fight," said Wale. "You can’t compete with somebody who has those types of relationship. I’m telling everyone who thought Meek lost just off the strength of losing, it doesn’t matter what he made, he could have made ‘Ether 3.0’, the opinions of the people would have been that of the kid from Toronto waxed him. Drake went to Apple and my man went to Funk Flex–and there’s nothing wrong with Flex–but we talking about Apple, breh.”

Interesting comments, they seem honest enough, especially considering all the flack Meek has gotten during the Drake beef drama (all the diamond, and now pencil emoji's fans/trolls have littered Meek's Instagram posts with), though Meek took these comments to heart and started spewing off of the dome (which is probably how he got himself into all of this so called "beef" in the first place). Meek's response to Wale's comments can be seen below;

 "U not MMG NOMORE! This why u can't get my number you a hoe! ???? and u dead cracked right now @wale foh nuttttt! I wasn't even mad at you Fam u got some real issues with yaself and you jealous! Broke rapper! I don't speak on Mmg in interviews unless it's good! U a clown ... We don't wanna hear you nomore Fam! Go jump off a roof like u been tryna do chump! He not MMG IM MAKING THAT CALL ... He been tryna call me saying Rozay owe us money... He don't owe me shit and if he do I'll get it later .... Go that away!"

So... I guess you could say they're working it out. Naw... probably not. Wale's original interview with Power 105.1 can be seen below.

                                             (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)

 

Fuck Future: Feeling In Music Is Not Gone Yet (My Review on the Current State Of Hip Hop)

I know too many people that speak about their issues with no real human emotion. Too many times I've seen cases where people "cut you off" because of a minor disagreement, or a small fight that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. People grow up, they lose friends, they may no longer speak to family members because of a fight, and don't really care if they do or don't speak to people who have been in their lives for the entirety of it. What that says about these certain people is no matter, but I've always believed that the people in your life who truly mean something will always find a way to stay in it, and these people always hold relevance in your life.

The same exact thing can be said about music. It's amazing how people forget the power that music holds over one's life, it's a known fact that music changes people's perception of the world, and perception is everything. Allow me to say that again; perception is EVERYTHING!  How you perceive something is how you see it, and if something allows you to change your perception on something you see, then that can mean an array of different things (though we won't get into that). Perception is how you see something that scares the living shit out of you, how you see someone you've loved your entire life, how you see your goals and your future, or it can be something as simple as what a song means to you.

This past Wednesday, Joe Budden's very much anticipated album All Love Lost leaked, and if you were a fan scrolling through one of your favorite hip hop blogs looking for new releases, you could have scrolled right by the album stream and thought nothing of it, but I've always taken a liking to Budden's music and his ability to rap (beats on ALL are crazy, though some people will argue that Budden talks about depression/past relationships too much). I pressed play on the "All Love Lost Intro" and was immediately sucked into the world of Joe Budden, but the song that truly made me feel was "Immortal."

On "Immortal", Budden talks of his past drug addiction and getting through it, and if you know about Joe Budden, you know he's abused drugs for almost his entire career. Things like pills (from what Budden mentions is many, many types of pills including Percocet, and he even mentions some heroin use at points in his career) are things Budden abused constantly. But there is a line that makes you think in the song, and though hearing the line itself doesn't hit the ear right, Budden sounds so sure in a line leading up to the hook; "you can't kill something that's ready to die." This line is heavy in it's own right, but that line is followed up by a steroid-like strength hook (probably the wrong expression to use in this case, but oh well); "they say I'm in my own way, own way, and that's fine, I'm just living my own way, own way, like I can't die, they can remove my heart, my soul, might take it's toll, the air I breathe and the ground below, but no way, no way, let 'em all try, that's how it feels to be immortal, immortal, that's how it feels to be immortal, immortal, and that's how it feels to be immortal."

There's too much I have to say about that particular song, but Budden's entire album (All Love Lost) is something that hits you "right in the feels" as the kids say these days. Now what does the rest of hip hop have to combat that with?  Listen to this.

                                          (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)

Hmm... I don't uhm... Fuck up some... commas?  Excuse me for not being as hip as I'm supposed to be (and granted I don't listen to any Future on the regular, and for good reason), but how does one "fuck up some commas"?  I'm curious, really, more than anything. What is the attraction to this?  Fuck up some commas that most hip hop listeners do not have to "fuck up." "Trap niggas" is definitely a title that people wish to attain; right?  It's so relatable to people to listen to "blow a bag" nowadays, huh?  I believe people have forgotten what quality hip hop music sounds like (something that you're able to listen to timelessly, and able to relate to forever).

So... what do I think?  I think the hottest rappers in the game right now should not be the hottest rappers in the game right now. Do you see yourself listening to Future's Dirty Sprite 2, 56 Nights, or even his Drake collaboration What A Time To Be Alive next year?  How about 10 years from now?  Do any of those projects still hold weight?  The incredible flood of hip hop music that has taken over this millennium needs to stop, and now (and not just Future, a lot of one hit wonders are killing hip hop, that goes for Rae Sremmurd, Bobby Shmurda, Migos, and almost the entire sub genre of "trap music"). I find it amazing that "Slim Jesus" is one of the most talked about acts in hip hop right now. What meaning does music have if you don't see yourself listening to it in the future (no pun intended, though I believe he chose the wrong name)?  Fix rap by putting out quality music, and not by putting out loads and loads of albums and mix tapes that will mean nothing in a year. Fix it by competing with the best, not because you want to make your money, but because you want to be BETTER than the best. If you're not rapping to become the best, then what are you doing it for?  Those are my thoughts on the current state of hip hop.           

         




   

 







      

I Can't Stop Listening To Michael Christmas' 'Shadows"

I know this dude has been on the come up for a second, I know this guy has been featured on other blogs during his current come up, but I never knew this guy had a sound that was so addicting. As far as Michael Christmas goes, this is the first song of his I have heard, but if his newest album What A Weird Day is going to sound anything like this song, then you better believe I'm tuning in for it.

If you don't know about Michael Christmas, he has another album out by the name of Is This Art? that released in 2014 with no huge named features, so it seems he is looking to earn his own come up, a strategy that would earn my respect any day. His newest album What A Weird Day is set for release on October 23rd, and will feature some big names like Mac Miller, D.R.A.M., Logic, and more. His latest single I'm currently raving about (Shadows, produced by Logic's own producer 6ix) is available on iTunes via free download if you pre order the album. You can listen to "Shadows" below.

                                               (*I do not own this song, or the rights to it*)    

Paul Wall's Slab God Album Review

It's been 10 years since Paul Wall dropped his classic "Sittin Sideways" hit, and a lot has changed since then. Eminem dyed his hair black (then back to blonde again), Lil Wayne became a hot commodity in the later 2000s and early 2010s, and then Drake suddenly became the (not so official) face of what people thought of when people thought of Houston's hip hop scene. As much as that may or may not be true, Paul Wall took a few years off from the mainstream music scene, but stayed making music for die hard listeners. He made a point for his newest album Slab God to be a big release when it hit; do you think it's measured up to it's hype?

Paul starts off the album on a slow, chilled out note with "Swangin in the Rain". Some heavy bass, jazzy piano and quick high hats help this track set the tone for the rest of what's to come on the album; heavy hitting, slow moving (heavy "drank" and syrup inspired) bangers that make it easy to move to. Other stand out tracks of this nature are the Curren$y and Devin The Dude assisted "Crumble the Satellite", "Ridin Homie" featuring Houston's own Trae The Truth, and "R.I.P Act" featuring C. Stone. Paul featured a wide variety of rappers while staying true to his Houston roots.

   

Mr. Wall has never been one to NOT shine on these hoes, either. "Shine on Fo's" is a great example of Paul's shining and his ever so enviable glistening lifestyle. The grills, the girls, the syrup and the jewelry all come along with that Houston rapper lifestyle, and Paul makes it sound as good as it ever has on Slab God. You can also hear about Paul's "checklist" of fancy things on the song "Checklist" (who would have thought?).

Paul also pours his heart out into a couple of songs on Slab God. On "Steady Mobbin", Paul discusses a fallen comrade and you can tell by the start of the song which direction Paul is going to take the song in; "This for all the fallen soldiers in the game. Sip in peace. We gone ride for your memory. We steady mobbin." Paul also gives quite a chilling, yet thought provoking line on shootings and the people's perceptions of them; "I wonder if it was worth, whatever they were shooting fo', and to be honest if the cops would had did it we'd be protestin' and lootin' bro." Surely makes you think, doesn't it?  "R.I.P Act" is also a nice, slow, soulful jam dedicated to a fallen comrade (or former girlfriend, it's hard to tell).

                                         (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)


So overall, Paul Wall's album proves that he just might be the true "Slab God". Slab God bangs, has some great features that fit in well where they're asked, and makes you want to "swang" with some "Muddy Cups on Sunset" and "Shine On Fo's" (I thought I was pretty damn cool already, I might just have to move to Houston and check out the scene). Houston's rap scene remains somewhat underground (maybe not underground, but not so much commercial), but Paul's album proves that not only is Houston's hip hop scene timeless, but it proves that Paul Wall is another one of those rare rappers who's music can withstand the test of time.   
   




    









 

Throwback Thursday: I Guess Ja Rule Was Okaaaaaay

Does anyone remember that Ja Rule actually existed?  No?  Well then this post might actually blow your mind. Ja Rule once was a successful rapper in the early 2000s (an era that I'm particularly fond of), and had a couple of really big hits with some star studded features (some big RnB singers Ja had featured on his albums were big names like Jennifer Lopez, R. Kelly, and Ashanti multiple times). Respect is due where it is earned, and it'd be wrong of me to shun Ja for some great memories Ja has created for me through his music.

(this one brings back fantastic memories, even though at the time being so young it's hard to believe now that it was Ja Rule that was making me jig)

I'm a huge Eminem fan (I believe I've stated before), so for me to even mention Ja's name is like summoning Voldemort, but I can't deny the fact that Ja had some soulful hits back in the day. It's unfortunate that Ja's career had to be shortened due to 50 Cent and Eminem's dismantling of him in the early 2000s (come on now, you know it's true, everyone on Shady AND on G Unit got involved), but when Ja made music and didn't get involved in beef with anybody, he always did pretty damn good for himself. Ja had 2 albums that topped the U.S. billboard 200 (Rule 3:36 in 2000 and Pain Is Love in 2001), he earned 4 Grammy nominations and even had six top 10 albums under  his belt.

Is a Ja Rule comeback possible?  Who knows, but what we do know is that Ja is keeping his name in headlines, even today. Earlier this year his beef with 50 Cent was reignited when the 2 started going back and forth on Twitter and Instagram over a comment Ja made when a fan asked a question about the feud on Twitter. Not only exciting beefs being reignited, but apparently in May of this year, Ja made his first known attempt at business and entrepreneurship by partnering with Billy McFarland, the CEO of Magnises, (a credit card service company) to become the "creative head and spokesman" of the company. Will it work out for Ja?  Only time will tell, but until then, we can sit back and enjoy some of his biggest hits, some being the perfect blend of RnB soul singing and a strong hip hop voice.

                                        (*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)








      

5 Awesome Wiz Khalifa DayToday Vlogs

The rapper lifestyle is literally always a luxurious one. Like, it's pretty unfair actually. Why can't I live like that?  Anyways, sometimes your favorite rappers give you awesome day to day (DayToday) and behind the scenes looks at what it's like to live that rapper lifestyle. It's been said that the lifestyle itself is addicting, but I'll tell you what's even more addicting than the lifestyle itself; is sitting back and watching someone live that lifestyle. Wiz Khalifa has been doing his DayToday's web series since back in his mix tape days (I believe the first season was around 2009/2010), and has kept the now very popular series going up to this year. I'm not the Wiz Khalifa fan I once was (not just because I don't smoke pot anymore), but every now and then, I can admittedly find myself gawking at the rich and famous lifestyle Wiz flaunts in his DayToday web series, even now. So I decided to chronicle 5 of Wiz's most entertaining DayToday videos below.

Season 3 Episode 5

Season 3 is a goldmine of the alleged rapper lifestyle and how it is lived, and who better to show you how it's lived than Wiz Khalifa?  In this episode a few well known radio DJs make some celebrity appearances, like DJ Drama, DJ Clue and DJ Envy, and Wiz even gives a decent little freestyle on Funk Flex's show.

Season 3 Episode 6

Episode 6 of season 3 is definitely my favorite episode of any DayToday ever made, and if you watch it you'll see why. This episode features classic Wiz doing Wiz things, smoking doobies, rapping classic Snoop songs and partying on the "Puff Bus". Tour life is said to be grueling by other rappers/artists who go through it, but Wiz makes it look like the best lifestyle anybody could live in this classic episode.

Season 3 Episode 8

    
Season 3 episode 8 of Wiz's DayToday series is part 2 of a 3 part mini series that includes Wiz coming home to Pittsburgh, and it begins with Wiz's discussion of his set list he's going to play coming home to the Taylors, and also shows him going through a rather hilarious sound check before the concert. The ending is the best part however, as it ends with an appearance from the legendary Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J.

Season 3 Episode 9

   
The conclusion of the mini 3 part series in season 3 (and also the season 3 finale) starts with Wiz accepting a plaque commemorating his sold out 2011 62 show Waken Baken tour, then continuing to party with the gang and Juicy J for the remainder of the episode. It was only right that Wiz ended the tour in Pittsburgh, and they also got some great footage of Wiz's electric homecoming performance to round out the end of the tour. The rest of the episode shows Wiz partying with Juicy and the gang, and even shows an appearance from then up and coming Pittsburgh emcee Mac Miller. It's funny how time flies isn't it?

Season 4 Episode 2

                                         (*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)

I included a lot of season 3 in the post (because it is pretty much the golden age of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's), but I figured I'd branch out a little for the last video. In the beginning of season 4 episode 2, Wiz is seen hanging out with the squad doing the usual lighting up a bowl, but the episode gets more exciting later on when Wiz performs at MTV Spring Break, and even later on as Drake makes an appearance and kicks it with Wiz, Juicy J, and the rest of the Taylor Gang. You can tell how particular Drake is about his career when everyone around him is drinking and smoking, and he remains sober and doesn't touch a joint or a drink (I guess he's Drake-ing).

Those are just 5 episodes of hundreds of available videos you can find and watch of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's on YouTube. There are a lot of vlogs online that flourish in the internet age (seemingly anybody who can record a video and upload it to YouTube can be successful, but it's not always good) but these sorts of videos can open up thoughts about an entirely different world to those not familiar with it, and who knows, they can even inspire people to be successful, so they can live this sort of lifestyle themselves. Wiz may just be a chain smoking partyer who raps, but to others, he's an inspiration towards a glamorous lifestyle.       
    


















 

Promoting Love & Positivity In Hip Hop

The stereotype of some people's opinions of hip hop is getting old. To say it all "promotes violence and drugs", and "glorifies disrespecting women", and that all rappers talk about is "money, clothes and hoes" is just too played out. Where's the love?  In hip hop it seems hard to find (at least at first), but a lot of people who judge rap on it's negative topics and stereotypes don't search deep enough to find the artists that do promote love and positivity. I would love more than anything to be a part of that promotion, so here is a list of rap's most positive, and love promoting artists. It's time for hip hop to stop getting all the bad (w)rap!


J. Cole

Cole is one of the 2 prime examples of rappers who promote love, positivity, and happiness in not only his music, but his way of living. He doesn't just talk about making the world a better place, he sets the example on being a good person overall. In case you didn't hear about his campaign for his last album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole used his old house (at 2014 Forest Hills Drive) to rent out to families in need for one whole year, so the man literally has been putting roof's over peoples heads. Not only this, but one of Cole's friends from North Carolina also told a story about J. Cole paying for a FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP for a girl (named Cierra Bosarge) to attend college (although no word on what school she's attending). Word is that Bosarge wrote a letter to Cole talking about the struggles of school and how Cole's music inspired her, so Cole promised to attend her graduation if she got into a 4 year university. Cole not only attended Bosarge's graduation, but is paying for all of her books and her tuition for all 4 years. If that's not a heartwarming story, I don't know what is.

Kendrick Lamar

https://twitter.com/DailyRapFacts/status/638973428515520512
(*Saw this video on Twitter so I posted a link, if it doesn't show up, let me know in the comment section below, Facebook, or on Google+ and I'll re share the video)

Kendrick Lamar is the other prime example of positivity and love in hip hop. In the link above, Kendrick talks about his thoughts on the real reason people are put here on Earth, and his answer is very Tupac-esque; nothing short of compassion and understanding. Funny how a kid from Compton is more for peace and love than say, the government (*Cue Kermit the frog and coffee cup emoji's*). Kendrick Lamar sits back and lets his music tell a socially conscious message, attacking the flaws of mankind and pushing for better, while remaining cool, calm, and collected in interviews (sort of the opposite of Kanye West... Kanye does drop some knowledge every now and then, but because he's so out of control about it, people pass it off as him being crazy).

Jhene Aiko

                                    (*Jhene begins to discuss her message at the 5:18 mark*)

Jhene's ENTIRE LIFE MESSAGE is love. No, seriously. In the interview above Jhene talks about what she feels her goals in life are and the message she feels she needs to spread to the world. How can you hate someone who preaches love all of the time (plus she's just so damn cute, but that's another conversation for another day)?  Jhene is known to be very into horoscopes and spiritual readings of that nature, so for her to preach love and positivity is no surprise (especially when you see what she posts on her Twitter and Tumblr pages). I know Jhene isn't exactly what you call hip hop, but she is always associated with hip hop acts, plus her message is too strong not to include.

Logic

                                        (*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)

Logic has been a fantastic example of positivity, and (dare I say it) is one of the few artists that represents rap in a truly respectable, and mature fashion. The interview above was given by DJ Booth (an incredibly dope website, shout out to their great writers Brendan Varan, Yoh, and Nathan Slavik, who gave this interview), and Logic discusses his lifestyle, his adjusting to rap stardom, and how many people he has in his close circle, and basically sums it all up in one perfect sentence; "I don't fuck with nobody." That message may not be so positive, but Logic is not only expressing his views on how stardom has changed how people see him, in a way he's also giving an important life lesson that many other people need to know; people change.

Hip hop has evolved, and if you don't think so, you probably haven't listened recently. Most people who believe it hasn't evolved simply haven't given it the chance it deserves. I preach a lot about hip hop and what's best for it I know, but this time I'm not talking about the actual music; I'm talking about the way it's "constituents" make it look as a genre. Listen to Jhene Aiko sing a soulful hook on a hip hop song (or listen to her love anthem "In Love We Trust"), listen to the way Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole talks about society today, or hell, even listen to the way Logic talks about the perception of life. It's all about perception, and these amazing artists not only show us why it is so important, but they set an example for how people should live their lives; filled with nothing but love and positivity.    





      










                 

Did Drake Really Let Someone Pee On Him? (T.I. Interview on Ebro In The Morning)

Drake and Meek's beef has seemed to die down just enough to let Drake's (rumored) joint mix tape with Future actually break the internet (even though any new Drake music breaks the internet already, Future would just be icing on the cake). The feud between the 2 had died down almost enough for Meek to put out music and not have rabid die hard fans at his neck in Instagram or Twitter comment sections talking about how Drake has ended his career. The two had almost gotten to the point where they could go about their careers and not care about headlines concerning their supposed "beef"; until Ebro pushed the agenda with his recent interview on "Ebro In The Morning" with T.I.

With Ebro being the always controversial, yet somehow balanced enough to see both sides of the story type of interviewer that he is, he continued to ask Tip the question that everybody wants to know about Drake vs. Meek; did Drake really get peed on in a movie theater as Meek said in his diss track "Wanna Know"? T.I. dodges the question just as a G rightfully does when faced with a tough question (because Tip is just that cool), but is his question dodging to avoid getting involved in the beef, or is it because he doesn't want to expose Drake?  Peep the full interview below.

                                             (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)   

(Late) Throwback Thursday: Just Blaze Discusses the Making Of Exhibit C

I have this philosophy when it comes to posting that basically goes like this; it's never a bad time to show appreciation to greatness. It was over 6 years ago that Jay Electronica dropped his ground breaking Just Blaze produced song "Exhibit C". (And because it's Jay Elec) There's always some sort of aura that surrounds the song (not to mention Jay Electronica himself) and many questions are always asked when his name comes up (like who is Jay Elec, where did he come from, why did Jay Z sign him and when is the album dropping just to name a few that come straight to mind), but somehow whenever a story about Jay Electronica is given from someone close to him (such as Jay Z, or his legendary producer Just Blaze) we feel at ease at least for a little bit. So, I thought this little interview with Just Blaze about the making of "Exhibit C" could hold you over just a little longer while you wait for Jay Electronica to start taking his music seriously. Enjoy.

                                              (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)     

Watching Movies With The Moon Man: My Infatuation With "Weird" Hip Hop

I put quotes around the word "weird' in the title because many people's definition of the word is not always self explanatory. A person's definition of weird is only explainable when you truly don't understand what the fuck they are talking about. Weird can be defined by something you don't understand, weird can be defined by something you don't find okay to talk about normally, or it can be defined simply by opposing the norm; the abnormal. Other synonyms include uncanny, eerie, unnatural, supernatural, unearthly, otherworldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, or unusual. So what is weird to you?  Probably a lot of different things; some people don't like insects, others don't understand the thought of supernatural beings (see "weird" synonyms) such as aliens, and then when it comes to music, you probably wouldn't be surprised how many people are afraid to exit the comfort zone that they call "my playlist."  I've been one of these people for so long, I've become a robot where the only music that is visual to me is from my favorite artists, whether I feel they're going in the right direction or not (see B.o.B or Slaughterhouse, shaking my head at both for different reasons). But when someone puts out a project that draws a lot of criticism for how "weird" it sounds, you truly need to ask yourself why you call it weird; is it because the music, or because you're not used to what they're saying?  Is it because the artist has changed, or is it because you're not ready for this certain artist's transcendence as a human being?  It's time for music fans to understand the differences.

We are all human. Every human being on this planet is from a different city or state (for the most part), born on a different date, at a different time, in a different country, in a different hospital, we're all different. Artists are human beings that go through rough patches, different time periods, people, places, and things just as you and me go through, and some people forget that. Some people (such as myself, the angry rap nerd that I am) criticize their favorite artists constantly because one project doesn't sound like the last, or one song isn't as catchy as the last, or because their favorite artist isn't talking about the same things that he/she did on the last project. People create memories with certain music which could be a huge reason why they get so defensive and angry about the "new" music, but these people don't take into account that their favorite musicians have to move on, and tackle the next obstacle... whether that be the next allegation, the next interview, or the next instrumental.

                                           (*The real conversation starts at the 1:09 mark*)

Here's a test (watch the video above on Kid Cudi's comments); what do you think about this?  Are Cudi's comments, is his topic of conversation "weird" to you?  Forget that Cudi has made a staple in this game and has been one of the most influential "rappers" (parenthesis because he truly is an artist, in every sense of the word) of this generation. Forget about Cudi's music and pretend it doesn't exist for a second; if Jay-Z, Lil Wayne or even 50 Cent were to make these exact same comments, would you still think of them as the hard kings of "the rap lifestyle"?  Would they still be as influential to you?  Do you view your favorite rapper as a person, or a persona?

(You'd have to be on drugs to understand some things Mac says in this song, then again he says some not-so-crazy things in his verses as well. *I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

 

 Mac Miller (as I've posted about a few days prior and whom has been the biggest inspiration for this post) has become one of the most different rap artists out there. Is that good, or is that bad?  I've been listening to Watching Movies With The Sound Off a lot lately, another project I slept on during the time of its release, and I couldn't help but connect to Mac, no matter how drugged up, drugged out, high, low, or drunk he was. Mac talks about doing literally every drug in the book if you've seen some of his recent interviews, and most of it seems to be the inspiration for projects like Watching Movies With The Sound Off and his 2014 mix tape Faces (because who could write or rap like this sober?). Why I connect with this Mac Miller (is not because I'm on drugs) is because he's making himself vulnerable. He needed drugs to do it, but would it be bad to say that drugs have made Mac Miller relatable, or even great?  The music is insane on WMWTSO, but the album got rave reviews from fans, and commercially has been Mac's most successful album, (debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200 and selling 101k copies first week). Forget the album sales and the Billboard charting... Did Mac not make himself more relatable to you when you listened to WMWTSO?  Mac (like Kid Cudi) is his own, fantastic form of WEIRD, and I love it. Weird works in music, and it's not because 100,000 people out there think that it's weird, but because 10,000 people out there connected to it, and it has somehow changed their lives. This is how albums, music, and artists become unforgettable.

 

Weird can be the type of person that annoys you, it can be when you don't understand someone's thoughts or actions, weird can be when you don't have a clue what the fuck someone is talking about, or weird can be defined by opposing the norm; doing, saying, or being something that is not seen or heard every day. But a lot of "weird" things happen every day, a lot of not so normal things occur on the daily, and people say and do things every day that are not set to the "politically correct" standards that society holds. So does that really make it all weird at the end of the day?  Weird is awesome, weird is a change of pace from the same crap you hear from the same people.Weird is not always going to make an appearance at the interviewer's table, but weird is another weird way of saying that you exist. Weird is not so bad after all, because weird is genuine. We need more weird people in the world, let alone weird artists.              

 

                     

          






        

          

Kanye West; Enough Said

Nicki tried to steal the internet away with her (definitely fake) Miley Cyrus hate (which I didn't oppose, because Miley killed these VMA's and not in a good way), but did she REALLY think she was going to take the spotlight away from Kanye West?  Not even if Kanye had booty shots. Posting for Kanye West appreciation; currently I'm sitting (about an hour after the actual speech) re-watching Kanye's 2015's VMA speech. I'm almost in tears (again) at how awesome this shit is (don't judge me, sometimes I cry at awesomeness). I'll admit, I don't listen to Kanye's music willingly, and I don't like to say Kanye is one to rant just for the sake of ranting, I've always listened to what Kanye has had to say. I don't like to say I'm a fan of Kanye West because of his "artistry", I don't preach about how "deep" Kanye is, and I will never kiss the ground that a man wearing a fucking ADIDAS YEEZY BOOST walks on... don't get it twisted. Kanye fucked up with "New Slaves", and lot of other shit, I'm not going to suck up. But when it come to genuine people, when it comes to appreciating the art of it all, and when it comes to putting rap on the map (whether good attention or bad attention), Kanye NEVER disappoints, and his 2015 VMA's speech might be the realest I have ever heard. Nothing else to say here, full screen it and enjoy.

                                              (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)