Sometimes you hate to see your favorite emcees do anything BUT rap, but it can be a cool thing to see them appear in your favorite TV show, play in the celebrity game at NBA All Star weekend, or even make business deals (focus on your music though guys, *cough cough Dr. Dre, Jay Z, Diddy, etc.). Rappers rap for a living (hence the term "rapper") but this is a new day and age. I put together a small list of some rappers who could probably do other things with their careers and be pretty good at them.
Dizzy Wright - basketball player
Sorry for the crappy picture quality, unfortunately this is how all pictures shown in this post will appear (#TechnologyStruggles). Anyways, Dizzy Wright was quite the baller in his high school days, and he could have even played at UNLV but bad grades prevented him from doing so.
2 Chainz - basketball player
Twooooo Chaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinzz! This dude is just funny period. The last thing you think of when you think of 2 Chainz is smart, intelligent mind building rap (or smart, intelligent, mind building anything), but Chainz was actually a college basketball player, and even graduated as a 4.0 GPA student in only 3 years at a 4 year school (attended Alabama State University on an athletic scholarship, believe it, it's true).
Common - Actor
Common is an easy choice as one of the stand outs because he is very hot right now, especially after coming off winning a Grammy for best original song ("Glory" ft. John Legend). When you think of conscious, thought provoking rappers, Common is the epitome (where do you think the name "Common" originated from? Common Sense of course! [His original rap name]). Common is always in the conversation when it comes to rappers who use their voice effectively, and his role in AMC's original series Hell On Wheels only adds to his already impressive resume of talent.
Childish Gambino - Actor/Comedian
Childish Gambino is the most interesting character on this list (literally a "character"). Gambino has made quite a career as a rapper with his mix tape releases and his debut album Because The Internet, but the "Gambino" I personally got to know wasn't Gambino at all. Donald Glover (his government name) started out as a comedian who even got a couple of stand up specials to air on Comedy Central, and his hilarious takes on race and everyday observation sold me more than any music of his could. Not only does Gambino rap AND do stand up (or did do stand up, no rumors on if he still does or if he will return) but he also has a great resume of acting, and even has appeared on the television show 30 Rock multiple times, and wrote for the show for 3 years (from 2006 to 2009).
Seeing any type of celebrity tackle as many careers/topics/activities as they do could make any person's head spin. When I think about what I'm doing and then compare it with what Jay Z's day might consist of, I start to feel pretty bad about myself (but then I remember I'm just a hip hop writer). But anyways, you should never limit anyone by the way they appear to you. Talent is never fully measured by ones interests, ones career, or even ones demeanor. Sometimes you can tell how great someone is destined to be just by the way they talk to you. If this list isn't even a slight example of what it means to make the sky the limit (or the galaxy [Hip Hop Unlimited], this is what we do now, come on) then maybe you should re-evaluate what you make your limit. The people on this list did, and look at them now.
Rumors have recently circulated that the freshest prince of them all could possibly be returning to music very soon! This is exciting news! So exciting in fact that I may have to, how does one say, get jiggy wit' it? But seriously, the rapper of "Getting Jiggy With It", "Miami", "Wild Wild West", "Parents Just Don't Understand", and countless others is trying to make a comeback! Hopefully you all feel as good about this as I do, but if not, oh well because here are some details on the actor (but really, rapper) from Philly's return.
Will's performance on "The Late Show" with David Letterman was followed by some friendly back and forth between Will and David, but the thing that stood out the most was David asking if Will was interested in doing any new music, and Will answered back with "whenever there's a microphone (around) it really gets me excited." This would lead you to believe that Will is feeling inspired and wanting to rap again, but if that doesn't do it for you then this next interview bit certainly will.
(*I do not own any of these videos or the rights to them*)
Will Smith in the studio with KANYE WEST?! Will should have known that this itty bitty little bit of information was going to blow up the internet, but the way he is talking about music lately he seems to be excited enough to put some work in. Could this possibly mean a new album from the Fresh Prince? Could this mean Kanye production? Does Will have any wishes to work with any current artists in the game? I suppose we'll find out when that time comes... be on the look out for more news on Big Willy's (I know, such an awful, just wrong nickname) return to rap.
I been workin hard! Every day! To give the people the posts they deserve (sorry I'm a tad loopy after listening to this Juicy tape)! Juicy has been working very hard as of late with the release of his newest mix tape Blue Dream & Lean 2, and now the Three 6 Mafia OG has plans for a new album to be released this July! But Juicy's album is not the focal point right now, because right now I want to talk about his latest mix tape release Blue Dream & Lean 2.
Juicy starts out the tape on a very high (no pun intended) note with "Stoners Night." If you drink a lot and enjoy blazing some of that green that Wiz Khalifa (whom is sampled on the hook) and Juicy J himself are so fond of, then "Stoners Night" is probably a stand out track on this tape to you. It's low, down, dirty, and it's bass heavy. You get similar feels from tracks like "Smoked Out Dabbed Out" and the Wiz Khalifa assisted "Whole Thang".
Juicy keeps the party vibes going as usual all throughout Blue Dream And Lean 2, but also changes up the party sound a bit and substitutes it with a bit of venting on "I'm Sicka". This Mike Will Made It produced track details Juicy expressing his hate towards dudes that pretend to be ballers and pretend to be rich (even has a line in the hook that sounds like it could ultimately be aimed at label-mate Wiz Khalifa; "pussy buying ass nigga, lying ass nigga, you married a hoe and you a side nigga." It's very unlikely that this line was aimed at Wiz, but listening to the line you certainly would think it was when you put 2 and 2 together.
Juicy vents a bit more on "Throw Dem Racks", a track where Juicy basically tries to prove the point that men and women are all alike in the fact that the money changes them, and the hook is no silent jab; "throw them racks, watch how they react, watch them break their back, throw that ass back, they act a fool for them damn racks." "Already" is another slick turn up track featuring the currently hot Rae Sremmurd that has laser like vibes when the melody first hits and of course features some hard hitting drums that would knock in the car.
One of the stand out tracks on the tape (though not because of the track itself) is "Don't Trust", the reason being that Juicy announces his next solo LP in the intro of the track, THC: The Hustle Continues. He goes on to say that the album drops in July, but he could get really high and drop it sooner? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the beauty of free music (and apparently weed, thank you Blue Dream strand). A new Juicy J album is indeed in the works and is apparently coming out in July or sooner!
Juicy is continuing his reign of southern party music with his newest release, and is showing no signs of letting up any time soon. Is there anything better than an old rap OG not only STILL putting out music, but STILL having the ability to put out dope music as well? You almost have to think Juicy's music would be nothing short of dope considering how much dope he has been smoking (I personally can't tell if it's Wiz's influence on him or if Juicy is still partying hard, though it's probably a mix of both). This tape is simply a warm up for Juicy's newest release THC: The Hustle Continues, set to drop in July and will be no shortage of dopeness for sure.
This saddens me. There aren't many things musically that can really make me sit back and think "damn", but if there was one thing, this would be it. You could ask anybody and they'd probably have the same answer, seeing your favorite artists crumble and fade into obscurity is one of the most heart breaking things you could see (and seeing one attempt a comeback and fail miserably is even worse). I grew up when Eminem was ruling the charts and the news headlines, and all throughout my high school years all you heard anyone play on their phones or iPod's was Lil Wayne (dude practically made a remix to every rap song made from 2008-2012). But reign's come to an end for everyone unfortunately, as hard as it is to admit, even for the biggest Stan. Times are a changing as much as old heads don't want to admit it, and though some good music is still coming out today, seeing the ones you grew up with fall is never easy. This discussion is not for just 1 specific artist however, because this argument even hurts me to be a part of, let alone begin the conversation; and that's because Eminem and Lil Wayne are nearing a close on both of their careers. I'm as big a Stan as it gets, but the similarities between the current state in both Eminem's and Wayne's career are eerie.
Now when I say there are similarities between Eminem and Lil Wayne your first reaction is probably a big fat Chris Griffin "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT", but once I explain these similarities things should make more sense. The similarities between Eminem and Lil Wayne's music are few and far between, but in terms of the state of both of their careers now, it's almost uncanny (though a fan of neither rapper would admit it), and the comparisons lie mostly in both rappers' latest projects, Shady XV and Sorry For The Wait 2.
The first question I asked myself in this comparison is simply "does either rapper have the ability to come up with great concepts for songs anymore?" Now the comparison between mix tape and album is definitely a completely different concept when it comes to the types of songs and actual concepts, but I'm only using each rappers' latest body of work seeing as they'd be the most relevant. Anyways, when it comes to Wayne's Sorry For The Wait 2, it's not hard to tell that he doesn't have anything to talk about. The concepts behind the songs are the same Wayne rhymes that we've been hearing since about 2009; lots of lean, bitches, robberies, money and choppers. You'd appreciate hearing Wayne grow a little bit in his time as a rapper (or more importantly his time in the industry), even though a lot of fans like when their favorites don't change. The biggest issue with Wayne seems to be his concepts and content have not changed a bit.
Eminem's case, though not far off from Wayne's, is different, however. In his latest release Shady XV, though a compilation album, contained 3 brand new Eminem records that showed a different side to Em that no one had ever seen before. In the song "Fine Line", Eminem discussed how he came up and the difference between that time period and what it's like for him now, and it's almost shocking to hear from the Detroit emcee. Rap listeners (even his most die hard fans) got so used to hearing Eminem being a controversial rapper that talked about "Britney Spears needing to get her clit re-pierced and I can see her tits from here" types of stuff that this new subject matter is almost scary. A threat from Eminem to retire? Many people would celebrate the day that it finally came, but as many as there are that say they would love it, there are probably three times as many people who would wipe their eyes with their Eminem shirts while listening to "Stan" and staring at pictures of him online. Like it or not, there are still Eminem fans out there, but like Wayne, sometimes Em has a problem coming up with concepts for songs. Are they bored with what they're doing?
(Eminem at times seems to rap just to rap, which you can't hate, but at the same time you want something more. Is he really running out of things to talk about? His song "Fine Line" is a good point that he can be conscious at times, though.) (*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)
Wayne is in the same boat when it comes to bars and being able to rap; he certainly can still rap well, but what does it mean if he's not saying anything in these raps? Another big thing that isn't hard to point out on Wayne's Sorry For The Wait 2 is that he has seemingly auto-tuned out the fact that he can still use his actual voice to rap (see what I did there? Oh, puns). Wayne has a very distinct voice that almost anyone can recognize, yet he chooses to chop it up and robot himself into some (at times) very unclear raps (at least it seems like it's auto tune, that can't be Wayne's regular rapping voice). This can get annoying for any regular rap music listener that isn't on lean on a daily basis.
Voice is certainly something Eminem's fans have worried about for quite awhile now as well. If you listened to Eminem from 95 and on you got used to it, and when Recovery came out you probably didn't like what you heard. Slim Shady came up on the high pitched parody-type of rapping voice that everyone loved, and when he changed this around 2002 for his album The Eminem Show it was a nice change of pace, but after Recovery people got fed up with all of the yelling. Eminem toned down the yelling again with Marshall Mathers LP 2, however, and many fans were very happy with this change (though some hardcore fans always find something to hate about the music, typical). Eminem doesn't seem crazy into auto tune like Wayne seems to be lately (or ever), but like Wayne, voice isn't exactly something that Eminem had perfected on his first try.
So hopefully this post points out some similarities in Wayne and Eminem and how their careers aren't so different (we're not so different, you and I, *cue Dr. Evil voice*). You certainly hope that Eminem and Wayne's careers both aren't on the downward spiral that they seem to be, but if they are you know they'll both go out with a bang, and seeing as Eminem has mentored Slaughterhouse and Wayne has mentored Nicki and Drake into the game, you certainly wouldn't expect either of them to leave the game completely (possibly executive producing albums, Eminem's history of producing, both could be great studio presences, etc.) Nothing is for certain as of right now though, so keeping your eyes and ears open is the name of the game it seems for both, arguably 2 of the greatest to ever do it.
Lord knows people love them some Drake (see what I did there?), and they just got some new music from the 6 God himself. I didn't want to believe these rumors when I had first heard them, but things slowly piled up and it looks like there is in fact a new Drake album! And what better time to drop it than on the 6 year anniversary of his legendary So Far Gone mix tape? There isn't one that's for sure. This new surprise album could be because of a number of things, and I want to detail them a little bit right here.
So... the title to this project (If You're Reading This It's Too Late) definitely says it all. There is no question that Drake is taking Wayne's side in this whole Wayne vs. Birdman battle and who knows why. It could be because Drake is tighter with Wayne than he is Birdman, could be because he finds Wayne's situation unfair, it could really be for a number of things, but it definitely sticks out due to the very poorly planned and handwritten album cover (which you can see below).
Oh yes it seems that Drake is definitely involving himself in the Wayne vs. Birdman drama, and it's clear whose side he is taking. Now many questions arise with this newest release, the first one being is this the album that Drake was originally planning to drop in 2015? Headlines (there's another one) are saying that this album (or mix tape, though he is selling it on iTunes, so technically it constitutes as an album) is only a prelude to his originally planned Views From The 6 album set to drop later this year. Some of these songs definitely slap, but it's easy to say that some of them could just be throwaways that Drake had wanted to use just to get a new project out to clear himself from his Cash Money Records contract, in which he was signed to make 4 albums. If You're Reading This It's Too Late could pass as an album for anyone else but for Drake it's light work and it's evident that he is moving on from what once was with Birdman and Cash Money Records.
So what does this mean for Drake's future? Does this mean that he is completely done with Cash Money and is joining alongside Wayne wherever he decides to go? How will this effect Drake's Views From The 6 being released, if at all? And will Nicki join alongside Drake and Wayne and decide to leave Birdman with presumably nothing? Too many questions to answer right now it seems, so until we find out the answers I'd recommend you sit back and enjoy yourself some new Drake! The project can be bought on iTunes or streamed on HotNewHipHop, DJ Booth, or mostly any other hip hop blog, and you can check out a short film Drake released shortly before the album called "Jungle" below.
(*I do not own this video, or the rights to it, or any images used in this post*)
It's been an incredibly, unbearably, excruciatingly long 3 years (almost 3 years, trust me, I've been counting) since Kendrick's last full length studio album. Good Kid Maad City was (and still is) a landmark in hip hop history and not only Kendrick's fans, but hip hop fans in general have been waiting for Kendrick's next move. How is Kendrick going to follow such a "classic" (I use quotations because the term "classic" is heavily overused and underappreciated)? What is Kendrick going to talk about on the new project? And how much does Dr. Dre have to do with the new project? All of these are questions that I can hopefully answer for you right now (besides Dr. Dre, who the fuck knows what he's doing).
Kendrick's newest single "The Blacker The Berry" is a statement. Period. Not only does this song have a message that unfortunately still has to be stressed today, but it couldn't have dropped at a better time. The Grammy's are widely known to be very white-biased and white music friendly (though Kendrick snagged 2 of them this past weekend) and Kendrick knows that. So allow me to explain the genius of Kendrick Lamar while (hopefully accurately) predicting the direction his still untitled next album will go. Oh, and in case you haven't heard it yet, check out "The Blacker The Berry" below.
(*I do not own this song or the rights to it*)
So... what did y'all think? It seems the main point Kendrick is looking to send home is that blacks and black music should be taken seriously. For too long black music has been shunned, shrugged off, and not given the props it deserves, and Kendrick is attacking this issue head on. But why now? Why put out this song shining a spotlight on white entertainment and everyone in/supporting it? Bingo; the Grammys. Even though Kanye attacked that already (if anyone chooses to listen to him), Kendrick is doing it the more effective way. Kendrick is putting it into his music and letting his voice be heard by allowing fans to be able to discuss what he says over a hard beat and some creepy, yet fitting vocals. I mean come on, its second nature for hip hop fans to discuss what these artists are REALLY saying over these records (*guiltily raises hand*). This right here... is Kendrick's socially conscious version of "Control."
To call Kendrick the new Tupac would be a stretch, but not because Tupac is too big of a comparison for Kendrick to handle. It's because Kendrick is attacking issues in his own way. Menacingly. Terrifyingly. Quietly. There's not a more effective way to do it. Make the music, draw the masses in, let them debate and *THINK* about what it means, then sit back and marvel at what you've done. This might be a bit of a black and white statement (not to be ironic), but Kendrick is silently making people smarter. And "i" love it.
Oh Kanye Kanye Kanye....why do I love you so much? This is a simple answer; your media persona is priceless. It's literally like...impossible to ignore. I don't even listen to your music as much as I'd like to say I do, but when it comes to "Kanye on TMZ" I just can't ignore clicking. In case you haven't heard, the Grammys were yesterday (I really hope you knew this), and Kanye had returned for the first time in 6 years (since the Taylor Swift incident, but apparently it's cool because Kanye and Taylor are tight now), and in true Kanye fashion (in multiple meanings of the word). The red carpet was obsessed with Kim's crazy dress as usual and of course the man himself never disappoints when it comes to his wardrobe (at least doesn't disappoint rich people, or sponsors for that matter). But the focus wasn't on Kimye's wardrobe, or Kimye as a whole for that matter; because Sunday February 8th was Kanye West's night and he made sure people knew it.
First off, this happened. Kanye just about had a (probably drunken) flashback and walked up on stage like it was his job and ALMOST told Beck who he believed deserved this award. Of course afterwards during the Grammy after party Kanye was interviewed along with Kim and Khloe Kardashian and spewed his true thoughts on the matter, but at least this time he didn't snatch the mic. Baby steps Kanye. I hate to make this comparison, but Kanye is a real modern day Charles Manson. His thoughts get heard no matter what, he makes sense to some but is crazy to most, and his following is probably a bunch of crazy psychopathic murderers (no I'm kidding of course on the murderers part, my true beliefs on being crazy don't define one person, they define what these people think of this one person, not everyone is going to be on the same page all of the time, not saying Charles Manson is a great guy of course, but crazy people like to try and change the way things are).
So that was really funny, and Kanye at any award show draws any type of attention no matter the case, I find this hilarious because most people will hate it and say he's a jackass and is too opinionated for his own good, yet the Grammys and E Entertainment Network continues to invite him and give him the time of day to show up. What does that say? I'm too into other things at the moment to give this a full breakdown (or else I really would), so until the next post enjoy Kanye's Grammy after party comments along with Kim and Khloe in the interview below. No matter how crazy Kanye seems to be (or at least looks to the public) you certainly can't deny that he brings up points that others are afraid to. I couldn't find the full Grammy after party interview online, but it shouldn't be a hard Google search if you'd really like to see it.
Okay so before I get going on this post I feel like I should explain myself to any Beatles fan, old hard rock fan, or any old head music fan for that matter: this post is in no way comparing the accomplishments, the influence, or the threshold that the Beatles have held on music to ANY other artist of the last 50 years (even more than that, actually). There is no comparison to them even in the slightest. Their accomplishments and influence is unrivaled, no artist or band has had such a lasting impact on music for generations (and generations to come) as much as the Beatles have. John Lennon and Paul McCartney remain 2 of the top 10 greatest song writers of all time (I'd even put George Harrison up there with them, though he'd probably disagree), and numbers will never lie. However, I would like to use this post to simply point out the comparisons and concepts that may mimic the Beatles (in rap you say? It can't be done! Don't belee me juuuu watch). If anything, this post will show the continued influence the Beatles have on music (yes, even rap, a lot of rappers are smarter than you think and they do in fact respect their elders). So read on and enjoy the comparisons of writing styles in rap vs. the Beatles.
Quotable lyrics: "And if God was a human it'd be yours truly watching horror movies with some foreign groupies thinking this décor suits me, I do drugs get more loopy, I'm in tune to ancient jiu jitsu's spirituals it's blissful, looking out as far as eyes can see, I'm glad that me and this elevation could finally meet, I think I'm JFK's final speech, they try assassinating all of my beliefs."
The easiest choice (to me) would be easy mac with the cheesy raps. If his latest album Watching Movies With The Sound Off or his latest mix tape Faces says anything about him, it's that he has truly transformed himself as not only a rapper, but an incredibly diverse artist. It takes many drugs to reach a level where you feel making a song like "The Star Room" is acceptable to rap culture (which it's not, and that's what makes it great). The best thing about this song isn't even the quoted lyrics above: it's the fact that Mac's alternate personality Delusional Thomas takes over with crazy lyrics that you could only truly understand on drugs, and maybe not even then. Mac is known to take on many personalities in his raps, other than the usual rapping Mac Miller there is Delusional Thomas and Mac even has a producing side to him that he's named Larry Fisherman. It is said that only geniuses get bored with their lives and make up alternate personalities for themselves, and this certainly makes sense with Mac Miller given his musical history; Mac in 2010 compared to Mac in 2014 is almost a completely different artist.
The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" might be a tad for the more experimental types: the song writing is questionable, but the picture it paints for you is incomparable to almost any other song ever written. Actually, it's probably safe to say that the only songs that could ever come close to it in terms of imaginative song writing would just be more Beatles songs. I'd say if you wanted to listen to this you certainly shouldn't do it sober, you'd have to be on something stronger than alcohol or weed to truly be amazed by this song (and probably sit there debating what the hell John is really talking about), but even sober you can't help but sit and marvel at how the hell this guy John Lennon came up with this. Mac Miller and John Lennon may not have been writing about the same concepts when you compare "The Star Room" to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", but it'd be hard to argue that they weren't under the influence of the same thing.
Big K.R.I.T probably isn't the first guy you think of when you think "imaginative song writing" or "genre changing music" (second one is debatable), but his latest album Cadillactica is certainly one that could change your perspective on him as an artist. In case you haven't gotten the concept of Cadillactica, I'll fill you in; long story short, K.R.I.T created his own planet and the music on this planet is fucking insane. The beats on this album are almost futuristic (although it includes those bumping bangers you love K.R.I.T so much for), and it fits so well because not only did K.R.I.T evolve himself as an artist, but he stepped up his game by replying to "Control" by basically saying "fuck you, I reside on my own planet with no other artist." Game changing rap, this is, young sky walker.
The Beatles were so ahead of their time at one point in their careers that they got bored with being so good. They got so bored of being good in fact, that they wanted to make a concept album describing what it's like to be the average band (hard to describe average nowadays, at least during this time period it was average). Although the Beatles were never considered average, could it be possible that the Beatles are really the first band/artists to make a concept album? Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered the first "concept" album, the main reason being because the Beatles were not being themselves; they were taking on a different persona as a completely different band altogether. This "concept" album concept (mind = blown) is still used today, and is definitely what you could say K.R.I.T used to make Cadillactica, and the double personas concept is applied to Mac with Delusional Thomas, and even one of the greatest hip hop groups in history (debatably) used to describe their personas in their lyrics, D12 (Eminem as Slim Shady, Proof as Dirty Harry, etc.). Are you seeing the way the Beatles maybe paved some ways for hip hop yet?
It's pretty damn hard to observe music nowadays and not see/hear something that the Beatles didn't inspire. Like, seriously. If you're a youngin like me (the fresh, crisp age of 21, in my prime I might add), then you might not have really understood the impact that the Beatles have had on music until now. Hopefully you have too because the Beatles' fingerprint on music is in stone and it shall forever be, but the point is that their influence hits home for every genre, not just rock. The influence of the Beatles lies in all of rap music, not just the examples I shared, and some of these artists don't even realize how inspired they've been by the Beatles, which is the amazing part, because that's the impact and the altitude of which the Beatles have had on music altogether. The Beatles even rhymed in some of their work, you could practically say the Beatles were rap pioneers (not really, but in a sense)! The point here is that if you think you know music, you probably really don't know music until you've started at the roots of the ever growing tree that music is; The Beatles.
