50 Cent On Keeping An Aura About Yourself As An Artist

Recently (September 26th), 50 Cent was interviewed on Hot 97's Ebro In The Morning with Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg, and he dropped some jewels about today's artists, as well as being an artist back in his prime, and before that. Another interesting example was used on keeping an aura about yourself as an artist, and being able to "add to your legacy" in the proper manner; that example was Lil Kim.


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

"Don't think they just go home and they're not doing it anymore. They're doing it and just not releasing it as much because they want to make sure it's an appropriate presentation to the public."  -  50 Cent On Lil Kim's lack of new music

Bravo. Encore. No really... SAY IT FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK. 50's history as an artist on the top is well documented, and I mean VERY well documented (lawsuits, fights, jumping other artists, Twitter beef, etc.), but do you ever think that any move or public noise that 50 is making is not in lieu of some promotion for a new album/business venture?  Okay yeah 50 definitely does just like to be the bully for fun a lot, but he makes very valid points on the aura surrounding certain artists and what the people expect from them.

50 also spoke on Jay Z's critically acclaimed 4:44 album, and why it may not have connected to today's core hip hop audience (22:44 mark); "I thought it was too smart. Look... it's (the album) in my car right now. I still like the records. (But) What Jay was doing on the records, there's more maturity in the actual music. He can take that out. Because it's youth culture; hip hop is youth driven. Traditionally, it would have been a quality piece of work, what it is right now for the audience, the kids that are now actively in the culture and decide what's hot and what's not; y'all see how that went quiet quick?  It had the best marketing campaign."

50 Cent, as old as he may seem (42 years old)... knows what's hot and what's not in hip hop. He knows what's going to hit and what's going to miss the intended target in terms of fan interaction, streams, sales, etc. Jay's 4:44 has been argued as the legend's best album (with HIS catalog, that's a landmark achievement), but with the current climate and culture in "meme rap", "mumble rap" or whatever you choose to call it; 4:44 is not turning people up at the clubs or the parties, because it simply does not hit the hot audience at this time. That's not to takeaway from the significance and the quality of the record, but the people decide what works and what doesn't... and though the people decided 4:44 wasn't going to work, that doesn't mean that it didn't.

The gap between Magna Carta Holy Grail and 4:44 was a long one as well; 4 years. At least for today's standards, that's a very long time without releasing a project. 50 was discussing Lil Kim earlier; do you know when her last full length project came out?  2016, and though it was only last year, it's a far cry from releasing an album every month as some artists today do. 50 Cent's last album released over 3 years ago, 2014. All of these veterans in the game have many things in common in how they move and how they calculate each move, but the biggest thing they have in common?  A plan. Which, regardless of what you may think from observing today's hot artists, takes time.              











 

Is 50 Cent "Getting Exposed"? (Also, A Message)

For such a long time (realistically, since about 2003), 50 Cent has been such an intimidating presence in hip hop. He's made some of the heaviest and hardest hitting hip hop songs to date, songs which detailed the life of growing up in the hood, selling drugs, and getting shot. 50 has made his lifestyle apparent even today, getting into constant feuds with just about everybody under the sun. For what reason this may be remains to be seen; does 50 constantly have a need to prove his masculinity to people?  Or does 50 just hate that many people?  A point could be made that 50 just likes to give his controversial (and somewhat disrespectful, at times) opinion whenever he sees fit, but another point could also be made that 50 tries as hard as he possibly can to stay in the limelight for as long as he can without making music. A few things have happened with 50 recently that have peaked my interest about the South Jamaica, Queens, New York rapper. Is 50 Cent a fraud?  You be the judge, but allow me to supply you with some facts of the recent situations 50 Cent has been getting into.

So in case you haven't heard, back in January 50 got into an Instagram beef (ha-ha to this, seeing as it's mostly the only way rappers express their problems and opinions nowadays) with Murda Inc. founder Irv Gotti over the rehashed feud they had back in the day that also ended up including Aftermath, some Shady Records Artists (including Eminem, Obie Trice, etc.) and the original member of the beef with 50, Murda Inc. rapper Ja Rule. Meek Mill had originally tagged Irv in an Instagram post, asking "Can you clarify that he told on y'all? We need answers!" Of course Gotti happily clarified with the post below.

It's understandably easy to take Irv's words above as "promo" for himself, a way to get some easy publicity, but when you see the first picture above of the "order for protection" put out by Curtis Jackson (50's real name), you start to wonder about 50. Why would he put on like that and claim so confidently to this day that he won the beef against Irv, Ja Rule and Murda Inc.? The real heads that were watching the beef go down and heard about the details on every diss track put out back and forth between Ja Rule and 50 (who also had Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, and the rest of G-Unit backing him up) would think that 50 put Ja to sleep and essentially ended the run of Murda Inc.'s success. But, it'd also be easy to misconstrue the assumption that 50 "won" his beef against Irv, Ja and Murda Inc. seeing as the above document gives off the assumption that 50 was actually, truly scared of Irv, Ja and Murda Inc., and feared for his life. Of course 50 then responded with an outrageously disrespectful Instagram post, saying to Irv, who's 82 year old dad was celebrating a birthday, to "Tell yo daddy I said hurry up and die punk. Let's get to it no more IG." Considering how left field 50 had to go to respond to Irv, this definitely gave off the assumption that what Irv was saying was true, and that 50 felt rattled, and beaten.



Recently, reclusive rapper Jay Electronica hosted a live session on Periscope in which he made headlines for dissing 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar. Jay had much to say about 50 Cent; "50 Cent, at once, he was a good rapper. Right now he got the potential to be a rapper, but he's on some sucker shit... and we will slap 50 Cent's eyeballs loose from his scalp." 50 (as usual, entertaining the bull, though it can be entertaining, somebody grab me some popcorn) responded on Instagram to a fan who asked him about Jay Electronica's comments. 50 Cent wrote in a response, "who is that? I don't even know a song from him LMAO". Because of this, Jay Elec released the song above and tweeted to 50 yesterday, "don't make me expose you as a coward." It will certainly be interesting to see how this 50 and Jay Elec beef will carry on, do you think Jay Elec can hold his own against 50?

Anyways, it's amazing to see that all of this hoopla can keep somebody in the limelight the way that it does 50 Cent (also others who seemingly cant help but offer their 2 cents on any and every situation, such as Kanye West, and the struggling to stay relevant Azalea Banks). It's a lost art to act mature in hip hop these days. It's a sad sight to see, especially when you know 50 Cent at one time was a great rapper who has put out classic albums, and was in the news because of how good his music was, and not because he was popping off on any and everybody who said something about him. It's not always the most entertaining on social media, but it says a lot about one's (rappers specifically) character when they can take all of the allegations, the flack, and the hate, and use it as fuel to inspire and create great music. Kendrick Lamar's message on his "Control" verse is slipping, but it still holds relevance to the ones who still like to actually rap, and competitively at that. Maybe some of these guys should take notes.  

         




           

    

            

Rappers Michael Jackson Should Have Collaborated With

This may be a stretch, but to me it seems hip hop has become more soulful in the 2010s. While hip hop has it's flaws, its strengths are shining through stronger than ever because of its artists that refuse to compromise. Because of this, artists are making some of the most next level music of their careers, plus simply rapping over an instrumental doesn't always do the trick anymore; people want to hear melodies, and even some singing. Which is why I dedicated a post to this topic; Michael Jackson was indeed the King of Pop. If there ever was a master entertainer, and someone to have on your song just to say you HAVE THEM ON YOUR SONG, it would have probably been Michael Jackson. I mean, the guy's added soul to pretty much any song he's been a part of. There are only a few rappers who I feel I could honestly say deserve a Michael Jackson feature, so I decided to name a few here, and (tried to) include one of their more soulful jams, so you could try to picture what it'd sound like for these rappers to collaborate with MJ. Here we go!

J. Cole - Note To Self


In terms of soul, Cole showed the most on his latest album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. On songs like "Intro", "Apparently", and especially the outro "Note To Self", Cole showed not only a decent singing voice, but a soul that would make church goers look like sinners. Cole pours his heart out in some of these songs, and Michael Jackson would only cap off this souled out track with some angelic background vocals, or maybe even a solo (who knows, it's up to you to decide!).

Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst


It should come as no surprise that Kendrick made this list as a "could have been" Michael Jackson collaborator, his music drips soul and his latest album To Pimp A Butterfly is the greatest example of this statement. Michael could have thrown his two cents in on many Kendrick tracks; imagine him on "These Walls", "Kush & Corinthians" off of Section.80 instead of BJ The Chicago Kid (although BJ is amazing) or even the Good Kid Maad City extra "Now Or Never" featuring Mary J. Blige. But the ever-so-perfect collaboration would have to be Michael on Kendrick's "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" because come on; can't you just hear it?

50 Cent - 21 Questions


So this was a tough one, but I had to include 50 Cent simply because of the (little known) fact that Michael Jackson said that he wished to collaborate with 50 Cent before his passing (it's true, look it up). It's really so tough because all of 50's songs are so tough, most include a banging beat with some hard rapping, not something you'd normally hear Michael Jackson on, so 50's classic "21 Questions" seems to be the medium. Could you imagine Michael Jackson on the hook instead of Nate Dogg (R.I.P to the true hook king as well) though?  I guess you'd never know.

Nas - Bye Baby


Nas is practically the perfect rapper for a Michael Jackson collaboration, I mean could you think of anyone more deserving?  Nas is top 5 dead or alive (debatable, although I believe he is) and quite possibly owns the longest reign at the top, with a career spanning over 20 years. Nas has got the sound for MJ too; spanning from songs like "You Wouldn't Understand", "Reach Out", and "Cherry Wine featuring the late and great Amy Winehouse (R.I.P), and those are just on his last album, Life Is Good. Nas is perfect for a Michael Jackson feature not just because he makes soulful, heartfelt jams, but because he spits the truest and most realistic stories in his rhymes; Michael Jackson would cap off the feeling of a perfect collaboration.

The idea of Michael Jackson collaborating with a rapper might sound crazy to some, but it really shouldn't, especially in 2016. The range of collaborations we've seen over the years has really skyrocketed, even if you think about strictly award show/television show performances (Grammy's or talk shows). I mean Eminem collaborated with Elton John for a performance, wouldn't that put to rest any limitations you have on other possible collaborators?  Mixing genres is a beautiful thing not just because of the great music that can come out of it, but because it shows that different kinds of people can accept each other, no matter what their tastes may be. The power of music is infinite.     



       





                     
 




         

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! 

    







         

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*)








      

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: What Rappers Charge The Most For A Guest Verse?

In a world where artists want to draw attention to their music, it seems it's getting harder and harder to do so these days. Whether it be a name drop on a song, a crazy beat that gets the people moving and dancing, getting a legend to feature on your song, or maybe even just getting somebody who's hot at the moment. All of these things can help, as long you get the people talking. Guest verses always seem to do the trick, is it the idea that outdoing somebody on their own song is so interesting?  Or is it that the two artists on the track have a history of making fantastic music together (a case could be made for Eminem and 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Kanye, or even collaborations of artists fairly new to each other like J. Cole and Kendrick, choose your favorites) and just work well together?  Whatever the case may be, here's a small list of rappers, and what they charge for a feature. (Quick note: all of these verse prices are rumored, not actually confirmed, although Kendrick and Jay Z's are said to be fact.)

Kendrick Lamar - $250,000 per verse (on average)

If you ask me, this is pretty fair for a Kendrick verse. Depending who you are this could be absolutely ridiculous or this could be pocket change, I suppose it depends who is asking. According to Kendrick's recent verse history (or history on verses ever, Big Sean, Eminem, Young Jeezy, etc.), this seems pretty fair, especially considering the attention your song will get just from having the NAME Kendrick Lamar on your song, and that's without people even hearing the song.

Lil Wayne - $100,000 per verse (supposedly)

This is pretty reasonable considering Lil Wayne was the biggest name in hip-hop (or almost all of music, arguably) between the years of 2008-2012, give or take a few years. You honestly couldn't go somewhere without hearing his name or music, you couldn't go to a blog without seeing a post about him, and no matter who was putting out a song during this period, it's almost as if, if your music was good enough or if anyone cared about what you did, you had a Wayne guest verse. And coming from someone who wasn't a huge Wayne fan or never really has been (me), I have to say it was kind of annoying. But I do have to respect the reception he's gotten from fans, and he does occasionally have the power to get me hooked on a song, whether it be his or someone else's. So is $100k worth it now?  I couldn't honestly tell you, but at a certain point in time (2008-2012), you wouldn't be alone if you thought it was.

2 Chainz - $100,000 per verse (confirmed, 2 Chainz said in BBC Radio interview)

Okay, now this particular price I have to say is a bit much considering what you get. I'm not normally one to knock an artist or his music, but 100 G'S FOR A 2 CHAINZ VERSE?!  If you've bought a 2 Chainz verse in the past, did you ever consider what you're actually getting when it comes down to it?  Did you think to anticipate?  I know this sounds like I'm knocking 2 Chainz and everything he stands for, but I must admit I have the upmost respect for 2 Chainz. Granted I'm not a regular listener to 2 Chainz' music, but in my opinion, with a 2 Chainz verse all you get is some energy and a hook added to your track (if Chainz were a half way decent man he'd at least write the hook for you). So depending the approach to this song, maybe 2 Chainz is the answer. That's probably not something you'll read ever again, but if your goal is to make a party banger with a catchy hook, who else to go to but the Chainz man?  Money well spent (I suppose).

Jay-Z - $1,500,000 per verse

1.5 mil. for a Jay-Z verse. Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about this. Die hard Jay-Z fans everywhere probably say that's about right, or it's "well deserved," but compared to some verses I personally had heard off of Magna Carta Holy Grail or Watch The Throne, I can't say I think this is worth it. To be honest, compared to ANY Jay-Z I've ever heard, I don't know if this is worth it. Coming from an ignorant Jay-Z listener, don't take my opinion seriously. I know he probably does deserve this payout for a verse (or not, because you know, phone deals, owning the Nets and a sports agency now), but I haven't heard anything that personally catches my ear enough to say he deserves this payout. Then again a lot of people say Reasonable Doubt is his best work, and I haven't heard any of that either. So he probably does deserve 1.5 million a verse, I would just expect him to go all "We Made It freestyle" on it with Jay Electronica every time out just for the sake of doing it.

So there's 4 rappers who have made their verse charges public. Now the reasoning for no other rappers talking about their charges remains to be seen (although I see no real consequence to making it public, besides maybe some fan hate/debate), but it certainly is an interesting topic of discussion. I myself would love to know the cost of Eminem, or maybe the cost of an old head like Rakim, Kool G Rap, or to see if a Snoop verse is worth it (anymore at least). If you have any knowledge on what other rappers charge for a verse, let me know in the comment section, Google+, or on twitter(@SuperNovaRover), and if you think it'd be worth it. I'd love to hear any other amounts, no matter how ridiculous or how much a good investment you think they may be! 

Kendrick Lamar Says "i" Love Myself: An Explanation Of His Genius

Were you part of a few (probably) million people in the world this morning at 8 am sharp slowly twiddling your thumbs waiting what seemed like your entire life for this new Kendrick track?  In this regard (obviously) you wouldn't have been alone. It's been almost 2 full years since Kendrick's (debated) classic album Good Kid Maad City dropped and the people are more than ready to jump back on the Kendrick horse and see what he has to offer us next, although this new single might not have been what Kendrick fans had in mind.

Rumors circulated that the sample for said song would be instantly recognizable, and those rumors certainly had that part right. Producer Rahki took a page out of the Isley Brothers book and went all "Who's That Lady" on us. Now if you don't know Rahki (like me), he certainly isn't new to the rap production game, but he's new to the spotlight. He is known as being uncredited for co-production on a banger from Eminem's 2010 Recovery album, "Won't Back Down" featuring singer Pink, but he also has full credit for beat production from other stars like Game, 50 Cent, Curren$y, Ab-Soul, and has even produced for Kendrick before on GKMC.

But back to the lecture at hand. The internet is all over the place about what to think of this new Kendrick:  a lot of people are glad that he's back to releasing music again, while others were expecting a lot more from a lead single from the Compton emcee. But if you know the deal with releasing music nowadays (especially from monster artists such as Kendrick), you'd understand exactly what Kendrick is doing. He is now considered "elite" in this thing we call rap, maybe even music as a whole, and that's where this new Isley Brothers-sampled jam comes into play. Kendrick wants to release great music to be known to all music fans around the world, not just hip hop heads like you and I. This song is a nice, catchy radio-friendly change of pace that could catch anyone's ears.

The approach is explainable, though. Going back to this "elite" argument, he definitely is, and he knows it. By this statement I mean he knows exactly how to use his power. When you think of the true elites in the game and the strategies they use to release their music, for example the Eminems, Kanyes, Waynes, Drakes, etc., they all use this EXACT same strategy when starting to push for an album release. Eminem with that at-first insane sounding "Berzerk", Kanye with the questionable "Black Skinhead", and even Drake with "Started From The Bottom". Do you notice the trend?  Artists NEVER play it safe on the first single, and you should NEVER base your opinion on what you believe the album will sound like on 1 SONG.

So do I love this new Kendrick?  No. Will I play it over and over again to figure out exactly what his plan is?  Of course I will. And so will you if you listen to Kendrick's music. Although if you're planning to listen to "i" to try and figure out what the entire album is going to sound like based off of this 1 song, you're (we're) probably wasting your (our) time. Kendrick has too many things planned for this new album for us to hang our heads on the first single (rumors circulated of Kendrick working with Pete Rock on the new album, and maybe even some DR. DRE PRODUCTION?!?!). So I say sit back, relax, and enjoy the takeover, because we'll be seeing it shortly. I'll be posting a link to SoundCloud for the official audio on my twitter (@SuperNovaRover) shortly.










      



    

Kendrick Lamar And Dr. Dre's "Detox": An Insane, Not So Insane Theory

Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly in the top five hottest emcees out right now, and really has been a giant on the scene since he became known roughly around 2010-2011. It's amazing what he can do on the microphone, and as a guest verse on ANYONE's song seemingly (see rap song catalog 2011-now). Dr. Dre is, well... he's Dr. Dre. A rap producer (a pretty damn good one at that, at least he was), and mentor to a strong list of established artists, along with being a headphone aficionado of a line that just sold for $3 billion. The two of these men together have the ability to make timeless hip hop, a sound, almost a certain type of hip hop branded by one coast:  the west. A bond of being from a troubled "hood" and knowing the struggles of the "streets" can take you a long way, or so they've shown to this point. But a certain idea was brought to my attention not too long ago that is just crazy enough to believe.

And now I propose to you...a question if you will:  Is Kendrick Lamar Dr. Dre's long awaited Detox?  Now hear me out here, this might not make sense to you like, at ALL, but then I really got to thinking about hip hop's best kept secret, and the ones keeping it. I know that Detox at this point is nearly a myth, the best album that no one has ever heard, incredible production, insane feature verses only from the best of the best in the game, production value rivaled by NO ONE, maybe even a few unheard Tupac verses?  The ideas for Detox are endless at this point, but I don't think Detox is what people think it is.

Now when it comes to Dre being the mentor that he is so well known to be, the list of names is a pretty good one. It's not far off to say that Dre is responsible for the come up of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Game, NWA, the list goes on (besides Slim The Mobster, whatever happened to that dude?). But the latest protégé taken under Dre's wing has been none other than fellow Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar. It wouldn't be wrong to think that Kendrick is just another successful artist, but it seems to me there is more to this...and now let me tell you why.

It is known that Kendrick Lamar is a clean, sober rapper that stays away from even the every-so-often beer. Yes Kendrick is 100% sober and has even rapped about overdosing on a laced blunt in Compton in the song "Maad City." The line is as follows: "Cocaine laced in marijuana and they wonder why I rarely smoke now, imagine if your first blunt had you foaming at the mouth." So its obviously safe to say that Kendrick is far out of the norm for a rapper/producer like Dr. Dre:  for God's sake Dre's first two albums are named The Chronic and The Chronic 2001, but the idea of Detox is to push Dre toward a new path. Whether he's sober or not nobody but Dre knows, but he has come out to say that Detox would be his final album.

Not only does Kendrick fit the "detox" theme that Dre is aimed for, but believe it or not, there is even more to this!  Obviously with both Dre and Kendrick being from Compton, there is (what you'd think) a certain chemistry between the two, you know, with seeing what they saw in Compton and all that. A bond had to be made with not only growing up with the hard ships of living in Compton, but with the music as well. It's like Dre is the king and Kendrick is the prince, he's still learning it all and has a way to go, but its like its set in stone:  Kendrick will carry on the tradition of west coast hip hop when Dre decides to call it a career. The torch will be passed, and in good measure, it's almost like Kendrick's come up was meant to be, seeing as its a known fact that Kendrick was ON SET of Dre and Tupac's California Love music video. That's right, the video was shot near his house in California. And on top of everything else, Dre and Kendrick even attended the same high school (Centennial High) in Compton!  Now it's starting to make a lot more sense that Kendrick has a song called "Look Out For Detox".

So when you think about things that are meant to be, this entire scenario is nothing less. It was pretty insane when I got to thinking about it I'll admit, but conspiracy theories be damned I had to address this. As reclusive as Dre is with everything nowadays (don't get me started on new music, or even something as simple as that incredibly dope Beats commercial with Dre and Kendrick in it. Can we at least get some official audio?), it didn't seem far off to assume that there was a bigger idea behind it all. Although the idea's insane, can you blame me for dreaming?  In case you didn't see the incredibly dope Beats commercial featuring the two, check out the director's cut below.

 

     *I do not own this video or the rights to it. I do not own Beats or the rights to them*



      




 

Producing Greatness: Rappers Who Produce for Themselves & Others

Rappers over the years have been seen as ignorant, braggadocios, and even in some cases untalented. While some of these claims may be true, I disagree with untalented, at least for most rappers. Rap has changed since the days of long gold chains and wearing all ADIDAS brand clothes and shoes. Although style is not the point here, I'm talking about the transcending of talent with every rapper you hear today. Each of them is different from the next, some may have a born singing voice, some may be fantastic writers, and so on. But if a rapper needs one thing to rap, its beats. The talent in the producing pool of rappers these days is more phenomenal than its ever been. Shall we discuss? 

Now obviously the first rapper/producer that comes to mind is the one that started it all:  Dr. Dre. Since his start with World Class Wreckin Cru, Dre has only moved his way up the hip hop corporate ladder. Not only producing for himself and NWA back in the day, he's produced not only music for, but started the careers of hip hop legends like Tupac and Eminem, as well as other mega stars 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and too many more to name. Not only being a producer for some of hip hop's biggest hits of all time, Dre has recently become known for selling his famous Beats headphone line for over a billion dollars, historically becoming hip hop's first billionaire (the importance of this event is monumental, but that discussion shall be saved for another day, by the way Dre, can we get Detox now?).

Nowadays its not rare to find another rapper that produces for not only themselves, but other rappers as well. Huge names in hip hop today such as Eminem, Mac Miller, J. Cole, Kanye West, Big K.R.I.T, Kid Cudi, B.o.B, and many more have dabbled in producing beats. Clearly to me Eminem has been taking production tips from Dr. Dre over the years, producing select songs from the first Marshall Mathers LP all the way down to his latest release Marshall Mathers LP 2. Em has even gone on to produce for Slaughterhouse on their major label debut album "Welcome To: Our House."

Mac Miller to me has absolutely been one of the most hard working men in the music business to date, not only rapping but producing as well. If you keep up with Mac you know he's constantly in the studio, having a huge year in 2013 not only releasing a mix tape of all his very own self produced instrumentals titled Run On Sentences Vol. 1 under the moniker Larry Fisherman, another self produced mix tape titled Delusional Thomas, his first live album Live From Space in December of 2013, but also his second studio album Watching Movies With The Sound Off. If you don't consider Mac to be one of the most consistent in the game, you might want to re-evaluate your list, or maybe even your life.

When people talk about Big K.R.I.T, they usually talk very heavily on his southern brand of bumping music heavily considered to be influenced by the likes of Bun B, UGK and all types of slow Houston type hip hop. But if you know anything about K.R.I.T, you know that he produces all of his music too, and he is very, VERY good at what he does. Not only did he produce his entire debut album Live From The Underground, meaning EVERY single song off of it, but he also produced almost every song off of his very successful 2013 mix tape King Remembered In Time. If you haven't listened to K.R.I.T yet, you're truly missing out, and that's coming from a fan that has only listened to him since the beginning of 2013, and is incredibly eager to hear what he has in store with his upcoming sophomore album Cadillactica, supposed to be hitting store shelves before the end of 2014.

Now J. Cole is a lesser known producer and more known for his rap, though it is hard to overlook his fantastic lyrical miracle efforts along with his blend of real, emotional, venting type of music. But Cole is a fantastic producer who doesn't really get the credit you'd think he deserves on his production. Not only has he produced such great songs for Kendrick Lamar such as "HiiPoWeR" and "The Jig Is Up," but he's also produced his entire Born Sinner album minus a couple songs, along with songs off of his debut album like "Work Out", "Can't Get Enough", "Nobody's Perfect" and many more from other rappers as well.

So you get the point, or you should by now. Rappers are more talented than you think!  Producing is getting to be more and more of a hands on thing now for rappers, whether they be making their own beats or beats for other rappers. When you think about it, doesn't it make it much more simple to rap over a beat you know all the ins and outs to?  In this sense, these guys probably deserve a lot more credit than they're all getting. All that work is being done so us the fans can love and appreciate true rap greatness the right way!  Get back to me with your thoughts on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) or Google+, y'all know the drill.     







 

      



      

Internet Video Blogs: Why People Love a Day in the Life of a Superstar

I'll admit, whenever I get online to do my check ups, (songs, videos, mix tapes, etc.) I do have the guilty pleasure of watching the occasional Wiz Khalifa DayToday blog. I haven't even listened to any of his new music since after Cabin Fever 2 came out. I'll tell you what though, when it comes to watching that man live his life there's just something sweet about those videos that make me tune in for the next one, and I can't be the only one. Is anyone else guilty of getting caught up in the life of a superstar in his/her/their internet vlog?

In a generation where the internet basically rules the world, musicians and artists (mostly rappers that I've seen, I don't know if Taylor Swift does the occasional "look at me and how awesome I'm living" video, although I'm sure people would watch) know how to keep up in this young and hip day and age. What's the saying, if you can't beat em, join em?  Not to mention all the fans that tune in, if these artists give a day for when the next one airs they'll be waiting by their computer like Eminem and 50 Cent (although probably not as patiently, who knows).

But really when you look at it, who isn't doing this nowadays?  Internet vlogs are the new thing so to speak, such artists as Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Action Bronson, Slaughterhouse, and many more love to keep their fans updated with things like tour vlogs, a simple day in the life, or even traveling and just trying new foods (Bronson's "Fuck That's Delicious," I'd imagine watching it I'd just get hungry). But speaking as a fan of them myself, I have to admit I love the idea. I've watched Wiz's DayToday's basically since season 1, I've seen almost every episode (regrettably), and when it comes down to it, some of these videos really do give fans what they wish to see; a day in the life of a superstar.

Seriously though, I'd very much appreciate to live this type of life style.  Who wouldn't?  I'm low key jealous watching Wiz's DayToday's. All you see this man doing is living his life; he smokes weed, he drinks, goes on tour and performs, occasionally hits the jewelry store for a new chain, I mean come on. Not only is this sort of thing just TOO cool for people to watch, it benefits the artist that much more. That gives much more head room for artists to not only promote themselves, but other artists and friends as well. As a die hard hip hop fan, admittedly I really do like to be the first one to let people know the news on not only my favorite artists, but theirs as well.

Isn't it amazing how simply watching videos of people living can cause so much envy for fans?  Could they maybe even be motivation for some people to do better to a point?  I suppose we'll see the next big artist on the come up documenting it all themselves soon enough. Watching Wiz that early in his career back in 2009 and 2010 and thinking about it all now is crazy. He sold out a little too much for my liking, but even just thinking about that time period is a crazy, yet wonderful thing. Artists on the come up surely should be taking notes if they haven't been already. Maybe there's something to letting people get to know you and your journey to "the top." Or maybe people just can't help but succumb to artists' insane vlogs and rich lifestyle. I'm not sure which one I'm more drawn to yet. Well, maybe I am, but just scared to admit it... 





 

   

G-Unit and the Comeback: What Should We Think?

50 Cent, along with Eminem, led an era of hard hitting, chart topping, heart stopping rap. Maybe not so much heart stopping, I just thought it sounded cool to rhyme. Now I don't want to sound old, but this is the 50 I miss. Not just 50 Cent, but being backed by as powerful of a group as there was back in their heyday, G-Unit was the group to take out of the number one spot for a decent number of years in the early 2000s. Now it seems they want to recapture the times that they once enjoyed at the top...but is it too late for them to do so?

The hip-hop world has been abuzz with a number of G-Unit tracks leaking as of late, all remixes up until the most recent track "Come Up." Their track record since the beginning of the year has led to remixes of Chris Brown's "Loyal," YG and Drake's "Who Do You Love," Future's "Move That Dope" and a few more. The crowd reaction up to this point has been pretty good, but will they be able to keep up the buzz in time for their projects' release this year?

Yes, I said projects' as in plural, supposedly the Unit has plans for not only a comeback album, but also a mix tape to come shortly before the album as well. The first place they really made noise with their reunion if you remember was during Hot 97's Summer Jam of this year back in the beginning of June. They took the attention of over 50,000 people in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and even though many fans believe the rest of G-Unit to have just been "hype men" to 50 Cent during his performance, they certainly stole the show from a very star studded line up that included other names like Nas, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne, Jhene Aiko, and many more.

Game has also voiced his opinion on the reunion. He recently stated in an interview this year that he thought the reunion was "cool" and is "very happy for them," especially for his still long time friend in the group, Young Buck. He also said this about the reunion in an interview with Power 106 FM; "With all the money he got, he (50 Cent) don't need music no more. He's giving Banks, Yayo, and definitely Buck, because that's my partner, a chance to get back out there and do shows and make more money. G-Unit the name will pack a building and they get to split that up and I think that's cool. That was my first and only thought about it."

So it sounds as if Game is happy for the reunion, but probably doesn't want anything to do with the group after his and 50's falling out awhile back. I'm sure if the fans had a choice, Game would be there with all of them sharing the glory, but if we know Game is going to do one thing, it's voice his opinion rather clearly. So what do you think of the reunion?  Do you think it's for real, or is it just another scheme for 50, Yayo, Banks and Buck to get together and make more money off of each other?  I'd personally love to see them share more success together and make good music once again, but the opinion of the masses is what counts!  Let me know what you think of the reunion on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) or Google+ (Geoffrey Guy). G-g-g-g-g-g-g- u-NIT!   

What's Beef? Not What It Used To Be; Hip Hop's Attitude

Why is hip-hop so awesome?  I'm asking because I want to know what the eyes of the people who listen to the music see. But it doesn't just come down to the music. Hip hop really is a culture as a whole. People who live it come in all different types of  shapes and sizes. Not even a specific city or state can define how you will see people act, or define what they listen to. In hip hop it is argued that your area does define who you're listening to to a point. Sometimes, in the minds of the people psychologically, where you're from is what you listen to. Anyone who showed respect to these other areas are cool with them because they paid homage. But to those who didn't.....well something needed to happen. This is how it was. But how is it now?  Has hip hop lost some of its attitude because the people aren't real enough anymore?  Let's examine this point, because I believe the people (myself included) have it screwed up to where someone's life being put in danger makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Now what is beef really?  No not the meat smart asses, the rap kind. How does it start out and where does it stem from?  If you asked 20 different rappers, you'd probably get 20 different answers. Ultimately when it comes down to it, beef is problems that other rappers have with each other. But beef has evolved since the days of before. If you really think about beef on a grand scale, you probably think Tupac vs. Biggie. Not one other hip hop beef has shook the media, along with the east and west coasts both as much as this beef did. The publicity was unheard of, something that rap hadn't gotten much of up to that point, but for the wrong reasons. Both of these men died because of rumors circulating about each one of them. Merely rumors and pride is all that this beef came down to, in layman's terms. Today beef is much different of course, not as much bloodshed (unless you're 40 Glocc), but ultimately it is better because lives aren't put at risk. At least, we'd like to think so.

Now there's a lot of different types of beef in hip hop today, if we started from about the year 2000 and came all the way up to 2014, you would definitely notice the differences with beef in the past. Social media sites like twitter make things a little more clear, but also complicates things at the same time. When you talk about something as little as the Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj "beef," (and that may be putting it heavily even describing it as that) social media sites and blogs and web sites of all kinds blew this out of proportion about 5 times more than what it actually was. The headlines were hilarious: "Nicki Minaj throws shade at Iggy Azalea with her acceptance speech?" People and their imaginations are wild. But the blogs and the web sites have it correct in this sense:  PEOPLE LOVE BEEF.

As bad as this may sound, any publicity is good publicity, especially to a rapper or singer. Standing up for yourself sometimes is all you can do. But it's the opinions of the people that get the stories incorrect. I grew up in an era of Eminem and 50 Cent dominating the webs and album sales (yeah, so I'm young, what of it?), so even in my opinion, it's just like Drake says; nothing was the same. Even with 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule, Shady Records vs. Murda Inc. in the early to mid 2000s it was different. Without social media how do we all last?  (The sad part is some people wouldn't have an answer for you, but I don't know if I have a right to talk, trying to make a living on the internet and all.)

An interesting aspect of beef itself is that only hip hop really deals with it, no matter how big or how small the problem may be (word to Meek Mill and Wale, grow up you two before we get Rozay on you). I believe a lot of this stems from rappers not being afraid to voice their opinions about others. Some may call it being thirsty for attention, which you wouldn't be wrong some of the time, but rappers certainly like to "keep it 100" with people when it comes to talking about being cool or having a problem with someone else. But the fact of the matter is, no one really knows what happens in beef between 2 people except for those 2 people!

I believe there are certain types of beef, 2 in particular. The first beef is having a problem with somebody outside of the music itself. If a rapper gets disrespected, most of the time, they will let not only that person, but sometimes will even let the entire country know about this problem (which can lead back to social media). That is the first type, and not too many people care about these issues too much. They usually resolve themselves, and are forgotten in a couple months (less if something bigger happens). But the second type of beef is musically. Verse-wise, when you get disrespected in a song, it isn't uncommon for this rapper to go back at the person throwing shots with some shots of their own. In rap, clearly how your rap is perceived is something that people buy, something that you can sell to willing customers. If your abilities get disrespected, you go back at this person questioning their abilities as well, sort of like a more main stream form of battle rapping. In my opinion this is what I love to see, this is what makes hip hop entertaining, and this is what adds to the competitive nature of hip hop. It has sort of been this way since Kendrick dropped "Control." Now I know, I know, "Control" doesn't deserve any more attention than its already gotten, but there is a point to it. Let me ask you some questions; since "Control" dropped, have you not been more entertained with rappers at each others throats going bar for bar and showing some of the best rap capabilities we've seen in a decade or more?  Hasn't rap finally gotten back to a competitive state where each rapper is rapping their tail off to prove they're the best?  I'll let you mull these questions over yourselves (get back to me on Twitter @SuperNovaRover, or Google+ Geoffrey Guy with your opinion).

So how would you define beef?  I can truly say it's nowhere near where it used to be on the entertainment side of things. But as a whole, this could be better for the publicity it gets. Rappers have to be cocky and confident to keep up appearances and make themselves look like they're the best, but the violence is lowering. The day when people focus more on the competitive aspect of rapping and not the killing part of it is the day they can say "we made it." Isn't it more entertaining to hear rappers go bar for bar instead of them going bullet for bullet?  If people understood the fun in hearing a fire verse as opposed to hearing a hollow point, then they would understand. If you get disrespected, do what you do best to prove it wrong: rap about it. Take it to the booth.