The newest and most refreshing voice that's taking over hip hop, even when not truly being defined by hip hop, is none other than Oxnard, California's own Anderson .Paak. He made noise by being an unknown feature on Dr. Dre's long awaited Compton album, and only got bigger after that with being a feature on Game's Documentary 2 album. But these features were just the warm ups that lead up to .Paak's 2nd studio album Malibu, which has seemingly cemented his very own funky sound and style into mainstream music.
It's hard to say that .Paak is one specific genre; when you hear him featured on Dr. Dre's "Animals", "For The Love Of Money", and "All In A Day's Work" off of Compton; The Soundtrack, you'd probably think that he adds the perfect soulful sound on some banging hip hop tracks with just his voice alone, but when you hear him on his own tracks like "Am I Wrong", "The Bird", or "Lite Weight", you wouldn't know whether to make love to your partner, or to get on the dance floor and show out!
(One of the best examples of the funky sound that .Paak demonstrates all throughout Malibu)
Dr. Dre brought .Paak into the music world perfectly with some heavyweight features on one of the most highly anticipated albums of the last century, and though .Paak just added his signature voice and sound to Dre's songs on Compton, he was finally given his chance to do his own thing with Malibu, and he did it perfectly, not to mention that he's able to feature with some of today's biggest rappers and create his own shine on a track without stealing that person's song. Anderson .Paak's music is a breath of fresh air throwback; this statement may not make sense, but how else can someone make such a classic genre of music sound so new and refreshing? .Paak brings back the funk so hard, it's like he time traveled back to the 70's with today's instruments and musical equipment, recorded the songs, then came back and released them to the public. Yes .Paak is bringing his own signature sound, a sound that is good for dance, jazz, funk, and hip hop fans alike.
(I've been jamming this song so damn hard since it came out in the 2nd half of last year. *I do not own these songs, nor the rights to them*)
Showing posts with label Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Game's Biggest Beefs
Who in God's name would even remotely think it was a good idea to mess with Game? I mean, don't people know at this point? This guy Stitches is apparently living up to his name (not the giving part, mostly the getting, thanks to Game's manager according to some Instagram footage of Stitches getting knocked the FUGG OUT). I mean I suppose at this point Game's got a price on his head, it's like anybody who wants a piece and (somehow) gets one gets some sort of reward; the reward and the respect of having people not wanting to mess with you. But according to Game's history, there aren't many people who have fucked with him and succeeded. Here's 3 of Game's biggest beefs.
Stitches
I don't know if I'd say this is one of Game's biggest beefs, but it's certainly the most recent. The video above is a mash up of all the Instagram posts from rapper Stitches, who claimed that security would not let him into a club because Game said not to let him in. Stitches waited until Game came out, then walked up to Game and his crew and supposedly got knocked out by Game's manager, Wack 100. When will people learn not to mess with Game? The only thing I have to say about this guy is that he looks like a meth'd out ICP member. If he wanted his 15 minutes of fame, they definitely started a few days ago, he better make good use of them.
40 Glocc
Game certainly has a thing for making his beefs public; the video above shows Game beating the crap out of rapper 40 Glocc. I'm not exactly sure where this beef stems from (possibly a G Unit fallout, apparently 40 Glocc is a former G Unit member), but it has been going on from 2012 all the way up to now. Game ended up losing this one ultimately though, because 40 Glocc sued Game for $4.54 million in a lawsuit and won.
Lil Durk
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to any of them*)
This so called "beef" is confusing; apparently it originally started out as beef between Lil Durk and Tyga (reason unknown), so Tyga PAID GAME to come out and diss Durk for him and handle his light work (of course, I mean it's Tyga, what else do you expect?). There is also video of Durk and his crew approaching Game in the club and talking something out, you can clearly hear "let's take it outside" in the video, which only leads you to believe that they fought, though Durk says that the beef was squashed.
With the reputation Game has, he's obviously not a guy you'd want to mess with, though a lot of people are saying that Game talks about a lot of things that happened that aren't true (i.e. his exaggerating beefs and the stories that go along with them). Either way Game is certainly a guy that remains in headlines, both because of his music and his making headlines due to his fights ( you'd think dude would take on Mayweather considering his confidence and the way he handles everything).
Stitches
I don't know if I'd say this is one of Game's biggest beefs, but it's certainly the most recent. The video above is a mash up of all the Instagram posts from rapper Stitches, who claimed that security would not let him into a club because Game said not to let him in. Stitches waited until Game came out, then walked up to Game and his crew and supposedly got knocked out by Game's manager, Wack 100. When will people learn not to mess with Game? The only thing I have to say about this guy is that he looks like a meth'd out ICP member. If he wanted his 15 minutes of fame, they definitely started a few days ago, he better make good use of them.
40 Glocc
Game certainly has a thing for making his beefs public; the video above shows Game beating the crap out of rapper 40 Glocc. I'm not exactly sure where this beef stems from (possibly a G Unit fallout, apparently 40 Glocc is a former G Unit member), but it has been going on from 2012 all the way up to now. Game ended up losing this one ultimately though, because 40 Glocc sued Game for $4.54 million in a lawsuit and won.
Lil Durk
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to any of them*)
This so called "beef" is confusing; apparently it originally started out as beef between Lil Durk and Tyga (reason unknown), so Tyga PAID GAME to come out and diss Durk for him and handle his light work (of course, I mean it's Tyga, what else do you expect?). There is also video of Durk and his crew approaching Game in the club and talking something out, you can clearly hear "let's take it outside" in the video, which only leads you to believe that they fought, though Durk says that the beef was squashed.
With the reputation Game has, he's obviously not a guy you'd want to mess with, though a lot of people are saying that Game talks about a lot of things that happened that aren't true (i.e. his exaggerating beefs and the stories that go along with them). Either way Game is certainly a guy that remains in headlines, both because of his music and his making headlines due to his fights ( you'd think dude would take on Mayweather considering his confidence and the way he handles everything).
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
3 Dope Samples On Beats
Sampling has taken over as one of the most effective forms of producing in hip hop. In fact, it might actually be safe to say that it's part of the creative process in which hip hop was created upon. Hip hop was started from producers and DJ's creating their own music from previously made music, taking older music and flipping it into a catchy drum beat that everybody can groove to in an urban form. Am I dropping knowledge now (just agree with me, it'd make me feel good)? Anyways, I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and find 5 dope beats that include samples (which can very easily be done considering the amount of samples on beats nowadays). We'll just consider this piece "5 Dope Samples On Beats, Vol. 1".
Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn't Get Far
I heard this song for the first time in a VERY long time last year and my God I downloaded it and played it until I couldn't anymore. The samples included in Game's 2007 hit include Creative Source's "I'd Find You Anywhere" (which makes sense considering the lyrics in the hook) and "Long Red (Live)" from Mountain. Creative Source was a big R&B group from the 70s with many funk and disco hits, so it's wouldn't be surprising to hear their samples on other big hip hop jams. In other words, you wouldn't get far without hearing them sampled by another hip hop star.
Lupe Fiasco - Mural
It's amazing the amount of songs this sample has been in, but I figured the most relevant and recent song using it would be Lupe Fiasco's near 9 minute onslaught "Mural", released from his album that came out in January of this year Tetsuo & Youth. The sample included in this song is the song "Huit Octobre 1971" by Cortex, and can be found in Wiz Khalifa's "Visions", MF DOOM's "One Beer", and many, many more.
Drake - Draft Day
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-draft-day
(*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)
Interesting way I found out what the sample was in Drake's "Draft Day"; NBA 2K15 (and they say video games are bad for you, the nerve of old folks). Lauryn Hill's classic "Doo-Wop (That Thing)" is featured in NBA 2K15, and towards the end the familiar singing is heard that Drake puts in the beginning of "Draft Day".
So there's 3 dope samples on beats. Hip hop producers are some of the best in the world at flipping old songs into catchy or banging jams that hip hop fans love (that's probably why they do what they do). Samples can be found on nearly any and every hip hop song nowadays, it's actually harder not to hear a song that's sampled. It's definitely interesting to hear a familiar old classic in a beat, so here's Geoffrey's suggestion of the day; go out and buy some physical copies, peep the production credits and pay homage!
Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn't Get Far
I heard this song for the first time in a VERY long time last year and my God I downloaded it and played it until I couldn't anymore. The samples included in Game's 2007 hit include Creative Source's "I'd Find You Anywhere" (which makes sense considering the lyrics in the hook) and "Long Red (Live)" from Mountain. Creative Source was a big R&B group from the 70s with many funk and disco hits, so it's wouldn't be surprising to hear their samples on other big hip hop jams. In other words, you wouldn't get far without hearing them sampled by another hip hop star.
Lupe Fiasco - Mural
It's amazing the amount of songs this sample has been in, but I figured the most relevant and recent song using it would be Lupe Fiasco's near 9 minute onslaught "Mural", released from his album that came out in January of this year Tetsuo & Youth. The sample included in this song is the song "Huit Octobre 1971" by Cortex, and can be found in Wiz Khalifa's "Visions", MF DOOM's "One Beer", and many, many more.
Drake - Draft Day
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-draft-day
(*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)
Interesting way I found out what the sample was in Drake's "Draft Day"; NBA 2K15 (and they say video games are bad for you, the nerve of old folks). Lauryn Hill's classic "Doo-Wop (That Thing)" is featured in NBA 2K15, and towards the end the familiar singing is heard that Drake puts in the beginning of "Draft Day".
So there's 3 dope samples on beats. Hip hop producers are some of the best in the world at flipping old songs into catchy or banging jams that hip hop fans love (that's probably why they do what they do). Samples can be found on nearly any and every hip hop song nowadays, it's actually harder not to hear a song that's sampled. It's definitely interesting to hear a familiar old classic in a beat, so here's Geoffrey's suggestion of the day; go out and buy some physical copies, peep the production credits and pay homage!
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Sneakerhead Rappers
So other than my love for hip hop, I have an absolutely tremendous love for sneakers. Nikes, Jordans, Adidas', I really don't discriminate style. When it comes to shoes, I'm always looking at peoples feet when I first meet them, and everybody does it, whether they want to admit it or not! What shoes somebody wears says a lot about their character (or maybe you'd think so). So I figured I'd put together a post of some of the biggest rap sneaker heads, and there are certainly a lot of them out there for sure. So let's get started, shall we?
Wale
Wale is a huge sneaker head. He rocks some of the most exclusive kicks you could find anywhere, I've seen him with some never before seen stuff before (how he gets them I don't know, you have to be tight with Nike headquarters to be able to get some of these kicks). Anyways, in the pictures above Wale is seen rocking a couple of pairs of LeBron 9s.
Stalley
Stalley is an Ohioan who has just as much love for sneakers as the next rapper. He's been involved in some big sneaker sites and interviews, including nicekicks.com, where he discussed his 25 favorite sneakers. In the pictures above Stalley is seen rocking the famous Jordan Retro 3s, along with some other retro Nikes, along with some Jordan boxes and what looks like they could be Durant's in the second picture.
Rick Ross
Rick Ross is a HUGE (literally) sneaker head and has been known to rock all types of big expensive and rare sneakers. Ross is actually a known endorser of Reebok, although there was a rumor some time ago that he lost his Reebok endorsement due to some lyrics he got in trouble for included in one of his songs "U.O.E.N.O" awhile back. In the pictures above Ross is seen rocking some cool grey Jordan retro 11 lows and some reeboks along with another big Reebok endorser, producer/hype man Swiss Beatz.
Game
Game is always on his "game" (corny? probably) when it comes to sneakers, and you can almost always see him rocking some special pairs of Jordans or Nikes when you catch him out. If you've seen his fight video against his usual nemesis 40 Glocc, Game actually says to his phone camera that he got some of 40 Glocc's blood on his retro sixes during the fight. Not a man you want to mess with, but discussing sneakers could be an interesting topic of conversation with Game. In the pics above Game is seen rocking some pretty exclusive LeBron 11s and some always fly looking retro 4s with the Bulls color way.
So these are just a few of the big rapper sneaker heads out there, and we barely even scratched the surface when it comes to rare and expensive sneaker finds, but I will have many more rapper-associated sneaker posts coming in the future. As I said above I am a huge sneaker fan and I'm always looking to cop some retros or fly Nikes when I get my chance (though they are insanely expensive and hard to find). I'll also be posting some pictures of a few of my pairs of sneaks that I have on my Google+ page, be sure to check them out if you get the chance, and definitely let me know your favorite finds and your "grails" as the sneaker heads call them. I'd love it if you tagged me in pictures of your newest pickups, and I'll be sure to do the same in other posts. So get at me on Google+ and Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) and lets talk sneakers!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Is Young Money Falling Apart?
When you think of labels in rap that are at the absolute top, many people's first answer would be Young Money Cash Money Records. At the top of his game Lil Wayne was once considered the best rapper alive, and his upbringing of Drake and Nicki Minaj certified the label's status as one of the most elite in rap. While these 3 are some of the best selling rappers of the last decade, the label doesn't seem to be in the best shape as of late. Is this the beginning of the end for YMCMB?
In case you haven't heard, recently fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Tyga have been getting into some beef (Instagram beef, although that's pretty much what beef in rap has come down to nowadays, unless you're unlucky enough to have a problem with Game... yikes) over an interview Tyga did with Vibe. When asked if any of Young Money is part of the creative process that comes with making an album, he said this: "Nah. I try to distance myself from them." To stir up the pot even more, he then stated that he doesn't get along with Drake or Nicki very well, then elaborated on why: "I don't like Drake as a person. He's just fake to me. I like his music; you know what I'm saying? I think his music is good, but we're all different people. We were forced together and it was kinda like we were forcing relationships together. I think being signed to Young Money, everybody felt like they had to force a relationship 'cause Wayne put us together. At the end of the day, the reason why I signed to Young Money is because of Wayne. Not because of Drake, not because of Nicki. It was because of Wayne and my relationship with him. I try to be cool with everybody but sometimes, everybody just has different personalities, motives, and different characters. When you realize that, you realize that's not a place where you want to continue to grow."
Wow. Couldn't have seen him wanting to go independent, a complete bomb just dropped by Tyga. Although you have to love his honesty, the bigger wonder would be what does this do to the relationships between the artists on the label? Drake certainly responded to Tyga's interview, apparently liking a couple of Blac Chyna's selfies on Instagram. In case you didn't know, Blac Chyna and Tyga were a thing not too long ago (not entirely sure what Blac Chyna does, if she's a stripper or porn star) so that is certainly going to ruffle some feathers of Tyga's. So the short story is this led to some back and forth with not only Drake and Blac Chyna trading pics and likes on Instagram, but Kylie Jenner even got involved (not sure why, besides the rumors of her and Tyga dating) by liking some of Drake's pics.
So all of the high school, he said she said Instagram jargon aside, that almost makes it a definite answer that Tyga wants out of Young Money. Lil Wayne has yet to comment on the matter, though I can't say for sure if he will even get involved seeing as it's a matter between Drake and Tyga, although this could be a major turning point in Tyga's staying or leaving. Wayne certainly has his own problems to worry about as well, when just under a month ago he was hit with a lawsuit from Signature Group LLC of Miami (who if you don't know is private jet company) accusing Wayne of not paying his private jet fees for rides given to him and the Young Money camp. This could spell bad news for Wayne and Young Money as far as not having any means of transportation to events could mean a huge loss of money (as if the $1 million Signature Group LLC of Miami is slapping Wayne with isn't enough of a loss as it is).
So what happens with Young Money? Has the rule come to a screeching halt? If the problems between Drake and Tyga continue, does it slowly lead to the dissolving of relationships on the label? There could be a lot of problems with Young Money's financial situation that we haven't even heard about yet, is the private jet bill just the beginning? Knowing Birdman and how he handles his business it seems unlikely, but anything can happen. And with Wayne rumored to be on the verge on retirement, how would they handle being able to carry sales if Drake and Nicki got fed up and left? Drake and Nicki certainly are powerful enough names by themselves to go off and do their own thing, although there are no rumors that either will leave. It's been reported that Young Money recently signed former YMCMB artist Juvenile. This signing comes at an odd time with all the issues with Tyga, does this mean that Young Money was expecting Tyga to leave the entire time? Too many questions are up in the air right now to be able to answer them all, but with Tyga's album currently being held by the label and given no release date, it certainly seems his future with Young Money is getting more and more dull. Let me know what you think happens with Young Money as a whole and if they can stay afloat on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover), Google+, or in the comment section below.
In case you haven't heard, recently fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Tyga have been getting into some beef (Instagram beef, although that's pretty much what beef in rap has come down to nowadays, unless you're unlucky enough to have a problem with Game... yikes) over an interview Tyga did with Vibe. When asked if any of Young Money is part of the creative process that comes with making an album, he said this: "Nah. I try to distance myself from them." To stir up the pot even more, he then stated that he doesn't get along with Drake or Nicki very well, then elaborated on why: "I don't like Drake as a person. He's just fake to me. I like his music; you know what I'm saying? I think his music is good, but we're all different people. We were forced together and it was kinda like we were forcing relationships together. I think being signed to Young Money, everybody felt like they had to force a relationship 'cause Wayne put us together. At the end of the day, the reason why I signed to Young Money is because of Wayne. Not because of Drake, not because of Nicki. It was because of Wayne and my relationship with him. I try to be cool with everybody but sometimes, everybody just has different personalities, motives, and different characters. When you realize that, you realize that's not a place where you want to continue to grow."
Wow. Couldn't have seen him wanting to go independent, a complete bomb just dropped by Tyga. Although you have to love his honesty, the bigger wonder would be what does this do to the relationships between the artists on the label? Drake certainly responded to Tyga's interview, apparently liking a couple of Blac Chyna's selfies on Instagram. In case you didn't know, Blac Chyna and Tyga were a thing not too long ago (not entirely sure what Blac Chyna does, if she's a stripper or porn star) so that is certainly going to ruffle some feathers of Tyga's. So the short story is this led to some back and forth with not only Drake and Blac Chyna trading pics and likes on Instagram, but Kylie Jenner even got involved (not sure why, besides the rumors of her and Tyga dating) by liking some of Drake's pics.
So all of the high school, he said she said Instagram jargon aside, that almost makes it a definite answer that Tyga wants out of Young Money. Lil Wayne has yet to comment on the matter, though I can't say for sure if he will even get involved seeing as it's a matter between Drake and Tyga, although this could be a major turning point in Tyga's staying or leaving. Wayne certainly has his own problems to worry about as well, when just under a month ago he was hit with a lawsuit from Signature Group LLC of Miami (who if you don't know is private jet company) accusing Wayne of not paying his private jet fees for rides given to him and the Young Money camp. This could spell bad news for Wayne and Young Money as far as not having any means of transportation to events could mean a huge loss of money (as if the $1 million Signature Group LLC of Miami is slapping Wayne with isn't enough of a loss as it is).
So what happens with Young Money? Has the rule come to a screeching halt? If the problems between Drake and Tyga continue, does it slowly lead to the dissolving of relationships on the label? There could be a lot of problems with Young Money's financial situation that we haven't even heard about yet, is the private jet bill just the beginning? Knowing Birdman and how he handles his business it seems unlikely, but anything can happen. And with Wayne rumored to be on the verge on retirement, how would they handle being able to carry sales if Drake and Nicki got fed up and left? Drake and Nicki certainly are powerful enough names by themselves to go off and do their own thing, although there are no rumors that either will leave. It's been reported that Young Money recently signed former YMCMB artist Juvenile. This signing comes at an odd time with all the issues with Tyga, does this mean that Young Money was expecting Tyga to leave the entire time? Too many questions are up in the air right now to be able to answer them all, but with Tyga's album currently being held by the label and given no release date, it certainly seems his future with Young Money is getting more and more dull. Let me know what you think happens with Young Money as a whole and if they can stay afloat on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover), Google+, or in the comment section below.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, August 15, 2014
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*
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*
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