It's been a minute since we've heard from talented Stone Mountain, Georgia emcee Cyhi The Prynce, but tonight we got a nice refresher. Earlier tonight, Cyhi dropped a new banger featuring his G.O.O.D. Music boss Kanye West titled "Dat Side". We've been waiting on Cyhi's debut album, titled No Dope On Sundays for awhile now,and thoughthere's still no set release date for it, "Dat Side" is rumored to be featured on the project, along with a slew of other songs Cyhi has released in the past months ("Legend", "Movin' Around" featuring Schoolboy Q, and "Nu Africa"). Cyhi has tweeted out that the album has been turned in and that fans should be hearing it shortly.
On yesterday's episode of Everyday Struggle, Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks finally (somewhat) tackled the ongoing beef between Birdman and Lil Wayne over the unpaid royalties and lack of Wayne's music being released, and they had an interesting announcement to make.
(*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)
Whoa. If this statement that Joe has made about the Birdman phone call is true, then we could finally be getting some clear perspective and information about the Wayne/Birdman legal battle, though I (and you shouldn't either) will not be getting my hopes up. If we think about the last time some hip hop personalities attempted to question Birdman about Wayne, well... we could only hope this time it goes a little smoother. Although Joe is a truly outspoken individual in his opinions, could we see him act much more respectful and quiet if Birdman comes through Everyday Struggle? Will Akademiks be able to get his questions off without getting rattled? Lord knows it would be amazing to finally get some clarity about Wayne's indefinitely shelved music, but it all seems to depend on how Birdman is feeling that day. Until then, we can only speculate.
As I sat back and watched in awe at Eminem's scolding onslaught of Trump in his 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher, I couldn't help but wonder what had brought him this far in such a storied, yet battered, bruised and beaten down career from fans, Stan's, and hip hop critics alike. The criticism for rape, assault, murder and every hot button issue dating back to Columbine that he's touched upon has been rightfully voiced, yet for some reason the idea of free speech still being a "thing" never seemed to cross the minds of MTV, VH1, or anybody covering Em for the sake of getting a news story out. No shade of course (though the forecast is looking rather Shady for the coming months), but all in all, the idea of Eminem ever "maturing" (whether it be in his mindset or in his content) never seemed to be a topic that people would ever touch upon or care enough about... it's sort of like a Family Guy or a South Park; people just started shrugging him off and chalking it up to "oh that's just who he is." But the line in the sand might have been drawn, and I'm not talking about the line Eminem addresses in his freestyle; is Eminem bringing us more mature content on his upcoming, yet to be titled album?
With Em's much talked about (and in most people's opinion, probably TOO MUCH) BET freestyle dropping, there wasn't really any sort of speculation as to what Em was going to address in terms of topics or subject matter, but since it's arrival, peoplecan't stop talking about it. In fact, to say that the freestyle was unexpected is an understatement. Em's track record in terms of political topics and hot button issues dates back to 2004 on his 5th studio album, Encore, on a track aimed entirely at then president Bush titled "Mosh", but that seemed to be the last of his political voice (minus a few Obama mentions in songs and cyphers that didn't hold any weight minus some ammo for a bar/rhyme). Knowing the meticulousness of a rapper of Em's stature, there really aren't many who plan out as carefully as Em; album releases given, even albums RELEASED without a care, music videos given with no sort of warning or preparation for, and tours merely tweeted/posted out with no sort of presentation or show; Em is the furthest thing from this type of rapper. Em is unleashing a full on, Battlefield sort of presentation for an album that people, whether they want to or not... SHOULD be paying very close attention to. And if you don't believe me... give a listen to what some (one) of hip hop's veterans (not to mention, somewhat of a Shady insider) thinks about Em's new "marketing strategy."
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)
And if that doesn't convince you (as if the next bit of information is going to sell it), check out my Google Plus post from earlier this year, dating back to July 6th!
Well that settles it! No, obviously I'm just kidding, but Joe's speculation did (in my opinion) bring a bit of validity to my statement from July. With Eminem's history of having used his platform to make political statements (though few and far in between), I do believe that 2017 is the year that Shady gets people (who normally wouldn't) talking again about the current state of the world... it's only a shame that it took Donald Trump being president to do it (yikes). Em's inspiration usually and seemingly comes from other great hip hop albums and songs that have impacted the world in some way, but looking around at the current state of the world, it's hard not to think that Trump would have impacted his upcoming album in some way, especially considering the history the two have. Eminem growing a beard for the first time in his illustrious 18 years in the spotlight is just because... he got lazy shaving? Casual fans may think so, but knowledgeable Em fans know better. The return of the blond hair for the Marshall Mathers LP 2 promorun in 2013 wasn't because Em was going through a midlife crisis (or maybe it was, but his hair is back to black again, so you can't tell me shit otherwise). Be on the look out, and pay VERY close attention to Em's next moves (unless it's another Pink feature, as Joe spoke about in Everyday Struggle, because that's just for business).
About 2 hours ago, Nanuet, New York wordsmith Bishop Nehru dropped some new heat on SoundCloud. Check out "Roam4AHome" below, produced by Ohbliv. No word on if the new song is off of any upcoming project from Nehru, though the description listed under the "information" on SoundCloud says the following; "Witness The Emperor. Prepare for the Reign." Is this a sign for a new project for Bishop?
In case you some how missed the talk of hip hop for the past 24 hours, Eminem appeared on the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards last night, and absolutely went IN on Trump with a standalone freestyle that ran for roughly 4 and a half minutes. Em addressed the Donald's Twitter antics, his lack of effort into helping Puerto Rico, gun reform and many other topics, but it seemed Em was not done promoting new things.
Earlier today, Shady Records announced on Twitter and on their website (Shadyrecords.com) that they had just signed up and coming Compton talent Boogie, who has been an HHU favorite since his project The Reach was released in 2015. Shady Records and Boogie even celebrated their new deal with a freestyle that is only watchable online, and which you can view in the link below.
As far as the rumors for what to expect from Eminem's upcoming album, this cypher verse might be just a small preview of what to expect; will we be getting more political bars from the Detroit legend? The album is reportedly set for a November 17th release date, though nothing has been confirmed. You can check out Em's cypher verse below, as well as Boogie's cypher verse here.
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)
It's been 3 long years since Big K.R.I.T.'s last solo LP (unless you count It's Better This Way which dropped in 2016, but I certainly don't consider it an album if I can't find it on Apple Music), and fans have been frothing at the mouth at the thought of what K.R.I.T. is going to do next. And now with the release of the upcoming album's (titled 4eva Is a Might Long Time, keeping with the "4eva" theme that K.R.I.T started in 2012 with his album/mixtape 4eva N a Day) 2 lead singles, "Confetti" and "Keep the devil Off", it's harder than ever to know what to expect from the Mississippi native. Will he keep with the funk-infused, "trunk music" narrative that we've come to know and love him for? Or will K.R.I.T. find a new calling? 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time indeed, and I think K.R.I.T is already dropping signals to the people that they should take any past information of what they THINK they know about K.R.I.T... and throw it out the window. Regardless of what I expect (or think we'll hear) from K.R.I.T.'s album... below I'll be listing what *I* would LIKE TO HEAR on the project.
Classic, Sub-Utilizing K.R.I.T. Production
If it ain't broke, why make an attempt at fixing it? K.R.I.T has flourished in the trunk banging sub-genre (no pun intended) since his inception in 2010 (Krit Wuz Here), and since then K.R.I.T. has been a go-to rapper/artist for people to listen to for guaranteed, quality trunk thumpers and head bobbing. And the most impressive part of it all? K.R.I.T. produces every. Single. Track. He produced every track on his major label debut LP Live From The Underground, as well as 10 out of 15 songs on his sophomore effort Cadillactica, so at this point it's probably safe to say that K.R.I.T. has solidified himself as one of the most potent and underrated producers in the game. K.R.I.T's producer prowess and love of the "wah wah" effect is what has kept his music held to the high standard that it is, and pushed him to the tier of rapper that he is considered today. Although K.R.I.T.'s reputation as a producer is solidified, it might be safe to say that he is leaning towards more outside help on the production side of things. With Raphael Saadiq having assisted on Cadillactica, which had it's quick hits of soul and funk-infused vibes, is 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time the album in which K.R.I.T broadens his horizons into territories much larger than just hip hop? Only time will tell.
Hip Hop Titan Responsibilities & Actions; Calling Out The Bullshit
At this stage in K.R.I.T.'s career, as multi faceted and layered as he is, people should expect nothing less than K.R.I.T. broadening his horizons and taking a completely different lane in an attempt to escape his musical comfort zone (I'm not saying he needs to go full out Kanye, of course). But K.R.I.T also holds responsibilities in holding hip hop to a much higher standard, not to mention a much higher standard than it has been as of the "mumble rap" era. On his emphatic response to Kendrick's now infamous "Control" verse "Mount Olympus", Big K.R.I.T claimed the crown with a song, then made his case to snatch it up, with the release of Cadillactica shortly after that in 2014. J. Cole did it on "Everybody Dies", Kendrick (allegedly, and sort of subliminally) did it before the release of DAMN, and now it's K.R.I.T.'s turn to talk his shit again. As little as you see or hear his name mentioned in best "current" rapper lists, and as little as people speak of K.R.I.T in general, one thing is for sure... K.R.I.T. is never NOT taken seriously as an artist, but more importantly, as an emcee. K.R.I.T raps with the best of them, and he's proven that he can time and time again.
Those are just a few of my wishes from K.R.I.T's new album, if I had listed all of them we'd probably be here for a couple more hours. Just off of a few listens from the singles, you'd think K.R.I.T was headed in the general direction of a K.R.I.T album; real emotion and feelings mixed with smooth funk and as the kids say, "baller ass etiquette" made to sound crisper and cooler than the crack of a Sprite on a hot summer day (just kidding, the kids don't say that, probably). To the average non-conspiracy theorist, the title 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time probably wouldn't mean anything besides keeping the narrative going with K.R.I.T's history of the "4eva" story, but I believe there's more to it. Could the album title lead to K.R.I.T's wishes of fulfilling his past claims of wanting to make "timeless music" and ultimately push him to be one of the greats? It's no secret that K.R.I.T's goal in music is to make music that people believe can withstand the test of time (after all, K.R.I.T is an acronym for "King Remembered In Time"). Who's to say that K.R.I.T's new album isn't a play in the complete opposite direction of the "microwave era"?
Also addressing the double album track list (which is available on Apple Music and online everywhere); the intro song of the first album is titled "Big K.R.I.T". The intro song of the second album's title? "Justin Scott"; K.R.I.T's real name. Is the album a representation of who Big K.R.I.T is as a rapper, but also a representation of who Justin Scott, the person, is? I can't answer these questions until we hear the album, which is set to arrive on October 27th. You can enjoy both of the lead singles below, and be sure to comment and connect with me about what you think the album will bring.
(*I do not own these songs, videos, or the rights to them*)
Ever since Kendrick's groundbreaking 2015 (possibly) magnum opus project To Pimp A Butterfly, the name Rapsody has been ringing bells and making ears perk up around hip hop blogs and internet publishers alike. Not a lot is known about the Snow Hill, North Carolina femcee, though she has made comparisons to many of rap's elite in her intricate rhyme styles, flows and patterns (many call her the female Kendrick), and she has gained respect from the likes of hip hop giants, even signing to Jay Z's Roc Nation record label in 2013. Since breaking off from her fellow North Carolina bred rap group Kooley High (or at least, putting them on hold), Rapsody has made a name for herself as a true gatekeeper and torch bearer of the original elements of hip hop, while living by one motto; "culture is everything." As suspect as it is to trust another random rapper that has suddenly risen from the ashes of a culture that uses memes, SoundCloud, and an overdose of the 808 drum bass to profit off of (and probably buy syrup and re-up on Xanax, for the new young ones)... putting our trust in Rapsody for the future of hip hop for empowering women and competitive lyricism (for EVERYONE, not just females)... well, I'd probably say our trust is in good hands. here's a couple of dope observations from Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom.
Rapsody Brings Back 90's Boom Bap, Refined
Very much like her friend from Compton, Rapsody holds the roots of hip hop very near and dear to her heart. A certain comfort and smoothness is heard all throughout Laila's Wisdom, like having the T.V. on for the dog while you're not home; though Laila's Wisdom is far from background noise. The production plays a huge roll in complimenting Rapsody's ability to connect to the audience with familiar love stories, cockiness meeting confidence, and a regular Joe (or maybe, regular... Joanna?) attitude that is perfect for the drive to work, folding laundry (which is a compliment, if you've read any of my past work), or chilling and having the boo thang over for a night cap. The transition from the Anderson .Paak assisted '"Nobody", to the soulful offering from BJ The Chicago Kid, 'Black & Ugly" (Rapsody's line "black and ugly as ever, but still nobody fine as me" seems to hit home a little harder now, more than ever), all the way down to the head bobbing trip that is "A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love" and afterwards, the nostalgia is present in this one, and if we're lucky, Rapsody will continue to make the boom bap the bar (no pun intended) with her street smarts.
A Failed Love Story Turned Triumphant
(*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)
There's a reason that some inspiration's flames burn so bright, and in Rapsody's case, that inspiration (or part of it, anyway) seems to come from tragic, lost love stories. In "U Used 2 Love Me", a heart wrenching poem of how things used to be start off the tune, from a painful, auto-tuned out voice that transitions effortlessly into Rapsody pouring her heart out on how things used to be. The second part, however, transitions into her knocking onto a lover's door (for the aptly titled track, "Knock On My Door"), and detailing her love and affection for her neighbor in a deep and intricate manner that tells a story of a tragedy that once wasn't a tragedy. Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, and Rapsody uses that newfound knowledge and experience to vent on reminiscent tracks like 'A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love", "U Used 2 Love Me", and "Knock On My Door". Rapsody's inspiration isn't all found in past love though, as made clear on bar-filled exercises like "OooWee", "Power" (which features another noteworthy Kendrick verse), and "You Should Know" featuring an always entertaining Busta Rhymes. Rapsody's biggest flaunt comes in her ability to showcase emotion in ways now uncommon, and actually rap pure bars filled with punchlines, and wordplay.
Whoever Laila is, she has dropped one giant nuclear bomb of knowledge on Rapsody, who by the sounds of Laila's Wisdom, is eager to share her lessons with the world. Rapsody takes it back with a retro, yet refreshing sound that breathes life and the art of rapped poetry into the current hip hop landscape, an interesting twist like Oliver. Rapsody puts her best foot forward, unafraid to shine light on her life and allow her fans to understand and grow with her, while also showcasing writing talents in metaphors, wordplay, and love letter-esque concepts that tie together a story, though still in progress, beautifully.
