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.              











 

4:44; An Ignorant Fan's Understanding Of Jay-Z As A Top 5 Rapper (Also Observations From 4:44)

Before the internet, there was the radio.  Scrolling through your timeline and finding the most outrageously funny pictures possible was nonexistent; a meme wasn't even thought of in "the time before."  Viral videos of pre-pubescent children dancing to the most explicit of hip hop songs weren't even imagined of at the time.  We had computers, but even finding music on these monstrous, prehistoric machines was a chore.  As an innocent adolescent who's views on music were unwillingly shaped by the 2000's pop movement, I found interest in one particular emcee from Detroit who discussed topics and said things in his songs that made people uncomfortable.  At that age, the only thing you hear is what's popular on the radio, and somehow this guy forced his way onto the airwaves with Tom Green impressions; "My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips, and if I'm lucky you might just give it a little kiss, and that's the message that we deliver to little kids, and expect 'em not to know what a woman's clitoris is."

Ridiculous, I know, but most of hip hop was at that time.  Eminem was trying to show people the real him, Nelly was giving a course on "Country Grammar", Outkast was screaming "Hey Ya", and Petey Pablo was making you take your shirt off and swing it around your head "like a helicopter."  These were crazy times.  Whenever I think of this era, these are just a few of the quote unquote "important" songs that pop into my head when I think early 2000's hip hop hits.  Some stuck around and some didn't, and the new millennium was an especially interesting take on music because being a one hit wonder still existed; there was no way one single "hot for the moment" song would reemerge unless the radio airways were going to give it spins.  And this idea; this crazy, now unfathomable thought at one point in time (that I hate to admit and I know will get me scolded at by my loyal HHU readers)... is what I thought of Jay-Z.

Let me get these thought piece bars off before y'all get to sharpening your internet pitch forks and lighting up your torches!  Jay-Z was a hot commodity at the time, yes, but as a strictly RADIO EXPOSED adolescent, I didn't get the exposure to Hov that a self proclaimed hip hop connoisseur probably should have been getting.  Could I go back and do my Jay-Z homework and figure out just how incredible The Blueprint is?  Today, of course I could (even though other album releases today aren't attempts to be anywhere near as calculated as Jay).  But back in an era where there is no album search engine and the best way to even get a glimpse of your favorite music stars was to hope that they put out a music video that made MTV (you know, when they still showed music stuff), buying music was the only available option.

I didn't start this piece this way as a means to save face.  My exposure to Jay-Z, or any type of music today for that matter, is to nobody's fault but my own.  I've had plenty of time to go back and do my "research" if you will on past projects of his.  But there's a disconnect; I've held a spot in my heart for artists and songs that I've grown up listening to, and it's not uncommon for any person to do this; Jay just so happened to not make that list because I was unaccustomed to hearing his music growing up. And after hearing the much speculated and highly anticipated 4:44, I wonder how much of an impact he would have had on my musical tastes growing up.  With all of this being said, and to prevent any more rambling, let's get to MY very own observations on what I believe could be regarded as the best hip hop album of the year; Jay-Z's 4:44.  (Unfortunately, the only available way to stream the album at this time is on TIDAL).


A Humbling Honesty That Jay Has Never Shown Before

The transformation of one of the world's most well known hustlers into a protective, unrelenting family man is only comparable to the opposite of what happened to Walter White.  Jay Z is... Gus Fring (though Gus didn't have his family always in the limelight).  It's as if The Most Interesting man had written a tell-all book on how NOT to act when you have the sauce like that.  From accepting his mother's being gay on "Smile", to realizing what he did was wrong (also ADMITTING TO CHEATING ON BEYONCE, LIKE WHAT?!) on the coming together anthem "Family Feud" (featuring Beyoncé!), Jay makes "being a family man" music fit for a king, and only a king.  The vocal sample on "Family Feud" sounds like nothing short of the world's top family being ripped to shreds by adultery, fueled by rumors to make it worse, then the family walking out of the other side of the flames unscathed, and stronger than ever.  On the gritty and humbling title track "4:44", Jay lays it all out in the open, allowing his fans and critics to finally hear his side of the story, and the opening line makes him sound as remorseful as a straight-edged Catholic man admitting to adultery; "I apologize, off the womanize, took for my child being born, to see through a woman's eyes." The haunting sample of Hannah Williams & The Affirmations almost creates a tear-jerking reaction, painting a vivid picture, almost like imagining Beyoncé taking ol' baby Blu Ivy to stay at her mother's house for awhile.  Thank No I.D.'s genius sampling for that one (which we'll go more in depth on... right now).


Unbelievable Sampling

4:44 is entirely produced by long-time Jay collaborator No I.D., and a better producer could not have been picked for the tall task of Jay's long-awaited 13th studio album.  Jay's idea of having 1 producer for an entire album is almost a lost art nowadays (though not completely lost, thanks to Run The Jewels, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, etc.), and you wonder why based on the chemistry you hear between the two throughout the album.  4:44 could almost be recognized as a grown man's musical; some of the jazziest vibes we've heard in hip hop since Jay Dilla (maybe that's a stretch) force you to imagine Jay performing these songs in small clubs like Frank Sinatra & The Rat Pack; this staggering amount of class on a hip hop album is something never before heard.  We've discussed the incredible sampling on the title track already, and "Smile" is the audio representation of family being full circle, and the sample comes back around just so.  The classic Stevie Wonder "Love's In Need Of Love Today" sample seems to be fitting on a track where Hov does exactly what Hov does best; talk copious amounts of stylistic shit over a soulful, warming track.  "Caught Their Eyes" is an easy listening, "so smooth your grandparents would jig to it" number that features (who doesn't at first sound like) Frank Ocean's lightweight, float-worthy vocals, and the sample on "Moonlight" sounds very eerily similar to the sample on DJ Khaled's Nas-assisted "Nas Album Done" (and it turns out it is the same sample, from The Fugees' "Fu-Gee-La"), and though it doesn't bounce as much, it flips the sample in a day-dreaming vibe that only No I.D. could, and it's made to sound as heavenly as only Jay could make it heard.

There are so many jewels and gems to pick from 4:44 that listening to it almost sounds like robbing Jay of his secrets, and ultimately, his multi millions of dollars.  Jay offers things more rare and valuable than a unicorn with his 13th studio effort; quality, and perspective.  The pain throughout the record that Shawn Carter has felt through an immense amount of scrutiny is then brought back around in a momentous and glorious comeback story that only Jay-Z could expound upon.  And not only in Shawn's darkest moments does he shine the brightest, but the significant amount of time he's taken off (with it being 4 years since his last solo effort, Magna Carta Holy Grail) has allowed Jay to plan, coordinate, and drop watermelon sized amounts of wisdom and perspective in abundances.  It's like Jay is inside Truman's Show; except this time Jay is the one who sees the world as opposed to the world seeing him, expounding upon every important topic in the most political and socially conscious music that Jay has released to date.  Jay is rapping as if his "give a fuck" button is broken, speaking with clear cut, "if I said it, I meant it" tones, causing you to rewind a countless number of lines and rhymes in a manner that hip hop (and maybe even the world) needs more than anything else right now.  In a hip hop world where albums have turned into bad sitcoms, Jay's 4:44 is like a blockbuster movie years in the making, and will probably be regarded as the best hip hop album release of 2017 when the year's over.

So what do I think of Jay-Z now?  I think the guy should take out and bring the hyphen back every year.  It's odd how a rapper can be so colossal in stature, in both music and business ventures, and some 90's babies still wouldn't be able to give you one quote from an early Jay-Z album. Admittedly, this was, scratch that, still is the case for me.  The times have changed, and when the times change, the greats adapt to the climate.  Such is the case for Jay-Z.  The flooding of music releases that hip hop has seen over the past 3 years (give or take) has shown a huge hit in it's value, both in theory and in actual price (just think of the countless albums and mixtapes you get from a streaming service for just $9.99 a month... any album, anywhere, any time), but Jay returned like Jordan, except this time wearing the 45, with the most quality hip hop release we've seen in years; fans will still be picking apart messages and lines from this album next year (hopefully they'll still be listening).  Jay set the example again, this time proving that it's okay to take time off between albums and letting the world wonder what your next move is.  As Yoh over at DJ Booth put so eloquently; "Jay Z is a quiet man. He is proof that a giant can walk without making the Earth shake. He is proof that when a giant decides to stomp, the Earth will tremble." Check out the stream of 4:44, which is still only available on TIDAL (with a subscription), but will be available on all streaming services as early as next week, so non-TIDAL subscribers, be on the look out for that.                        












                





            

         













               

Throwback Thursday: Jay Z's "Backstage" Documentary

Rarely nowadays do you get such an in depth behind the scenes look at rappers, whether it be tour life, studio sessions, or just an off day in the life. J. Cole's "Road To Homecoming" documentary series was so fascinating to someone like me because I crave a behind the scenes look; I love knowing how the whole process works and what it looks like. Knowing how these rappers deal with tour life, or meeting recording deadlines, I just can't get enough of it. And if you have Netflix, you could get another seriously cool look at the tour life with "Backstage".

"Backstage" is a tour documentary based on Jay Z's 1999 "Hard Knock Life" tour, and it features some legendary guests. You get to see how hood and terrifying Beanie Siegel really is (I wonder why he never turned out to be big), You get to see Ja Rule in all his du rag rocking glory, you get to see the dynamic duo Method Man and Redman smoke themselves into a coma, and of course you get to see the DOG, DMX bring his weight lifting pit bull on tour and scare people.

This doc is great; it includes Beanie beating on people for fun (because again, Beanie is pretty terrifying), Dame Dash screaming at tour managers for not promoting Roc-A-Fella enough, and quite an amazing behind the scenes look at Jay Z and DMX going bar for bar in a freestyle session backstage. Yes this documentary has it all and if you haven't seen it or don't plan to see it than I have to ask; are you a hip hop fan at all?!  Check out a snippet of the doc below, and if you don't have Netflix, I'm sure you can catch the documentary online somewhere.


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








   

Billboard Listed The 10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time

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

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

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

Rappers That Have Ghostwritten For Dr. Dre

It's crazy how much bigger Dr. Dre has gotten (figuratively and literally, have you seen the guy lately?!  He looks like he could bench press an NBA player), the guy is a rap legend, an even more talented producer, and he's even developed an entire line of headphones and just sold them for $3 billion. But how would you react if I told you the man doesn't write his own rap verses (you know, when a pig flies by on a golden horned unicorn and Dre actually puts out some music, usually these things happen on the same day)?  You may be surprised or you may already know, but I got curious enough one day to actually look into some of Dre's verses and see who wrote them for him.

Kendrick Lamar - Compton

A little known fact about this banging Just Blaze produced masterpiece (also mixed by Dre, talk about a dynamic duo) is that this is actually the very first song that Dr. Dre ad Kendrick Lamar recorded together. What subject better to tackle for your first song together than some common ground; the city that both artists call home. Dre's first verse starts out in a familiar flow; "still I'm at it, peel the plastic off it you can feel the magic, still I'm laughing at the critics talking I can see 'em gagging, when I'm back in the back of my city, back in the 'bach with a batch of them bangin' Dre beats with me," etc. The "still I'm at it" start is in the same vane as "Still D.R.E" featuring Snoop Dogg.

Still D.R.E - Jay Z

Speaking of one of Dr. Dre's biggest tracks ever, Dre's verses on "Still D.R.E." were actually written by Jigga himself, Jay Z. Weird, right?  Someone like me might wonder how in the actual hell this ended up happening. Obviously Dre ends up in the studio with some huge rap heavyweights that you could never see coming (I actually read that Dre reached out to Drake and Lil Wayne to record a few records for Detox, but you know, it's Detox), and Jay Z is just another one of those guys I suppose. It has been said around the industry that Dre is a perfectionist, and it shows that he only reaches out to the best to work with.

The Message - Royce Da 5'9

Slaughterhouse and Bad Meets Evil member Royce Da 5'9 might have some of the sickest pen game in rap, and though sometimes it's hard to tell if a verse is ghostwritten or if the artist actually wrote it themselves, Royce disguises his writing pretty well for Dre in "The Message." As Dre discusses his now deceased brother in the song you'd think that Dre would actually want to write something himself for such a dedication, but Royce does a very nice job of making this one sound like Dre. A little known fact about Royce Da 5'9 and Dr. Dre working together is that Royce actually recorded another hook for the original version of the song "Xxplosive" that did not end up on Dre's The Chronic 2001 album.

Eminem - Forgot About Dre

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

"Oh woooow, no waaaaay, Eminem wrote for Dr. Dre?" That was me being incredibly sarcastic. OF COURSE EMINEM WROTE FOR DR. DRE, YOU'VE SEEN EVERYONE ELSE THAT DOES DON'T YOU?  WHY WOULDN'T HIS MOST FREQUENT COLLABORATOR (besides Snoop) WRITE FOR HIM?  Dre's first verse has Eminem's fingerprints all over it too, the lyricism and wordplay are signs of a verse that only Eminem could pen, I mean just listen to that first little bit of Dre's first verse; "who you think taught you to smoke trees, who you think brought you the O.G.'s, Eazy-E's, Ice Cube's and D.O.C.'s, and Snoop D-O-double G's, and the group that said mother fuck the police?" Written down this doesn't seem like much, but listen to it rapped and the syllables fall into place perfectly, something Eminem's writing is widely known for.

So yes, you can definitely still classify Dre as a legend behind the boards (or so I hope so, heard some rumors awhile back saying he didn't produce any of the songs on his or Snoop's albums, apparently it was Snoop's cousin Daz Dilinger, so who knows, at least I hope Dre produced all of the stuff he said he did), but writing isn't exactly his specialty. I got all the love and respect in the world for Dr. Dre, but to me the words being spat in a song mean so much more when they're your own. I mean how can you not write your own stuff? If all you have is a voice and no writing or instrumental talents, then you shouldn't be famous. Simply put.

The Battle For Music Streaming Supreme: Who's Your Pick?

Since TIDAL dropped ain't shit been the same... no Drake. Or better yet, no Kendrick cypher verses (sorry, trying to be clever with "punch lines" as the real heads put it, how's that working for me?). Music sales have been down for just under the past 10 years or so, because... the internet. All of the money that artists rake in now is mostly from streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, etc. Music streaming is the move nowadays it seems, more music for a better value is hard to argue, but what kind of value is each of these services giving you, you ask?  Leave that to me. I went through each streaming service (out of the 3 big ones making waves, TIDAL, Spotify and Apple Music) and laid out some details for which ones benefit YOU the consumer the most, because as they say, the music is always right (or something like that).

Spotify
Spotify is my current streaming service of choice, I had an account (non payment, so I deal with all of the advertisement bull) before all of the wars for best streaming service started with TIDAL and Apple Music, but since the latter 2 have started to threaten Spotify's reign on streaming, Spotify has upped it's game to the next level, the biggest plus being it offering 99 cents of premium service (no ads) for 3 months. If you're unfamiliar with Spotify, you can find practically any and every band, group, singer, or rapper's music on it, and they add music as the releases roll out, sometimes the day of said release. If you're unsure of what you'd like to listen to, Spotify builds playlists in the "Genres and Moods" column, if you're out partying with the squad then you can find that party playlist, or if you're at home chilling you can find that "chill out and do laundry" playlist, and everything in between. Spotify has an unlimited service which is 4.99 per month for no ads and unlimited streaming on strictly desktops and laptops, while the premium service is 9.99 per month for unlimited streaming and no ads, available for use on multiple devices (iPad, phone, computers, etc.). The only notable complaint I have as a Spotify user is the disconnecting that sometimes occurs with it, you have to disconnect and reconnect to your internet to get it to work again, but that could just be my crappy internet (middle class problems).

TIDAL
The service that started these wars was TIDAL, and it all started with that crazy commercial that included practically every notable musical artist known today (or most of them). This commercial probably grabbed your attention (as it did mine) when it mentioned something about "bringing music back to the artists" (not a direct quote, but Jay Z mentioned something of that nature). I can see a little of the "benefiting the artists" factor with a couple of upcoming bands and singers being featured with some of their music, which is a cool and different thing to do for a streaming service (it all lies on who has the best EXCLUSIVE content), but finding where this benefits the people is just a bit harder. TIDAL's premium (standard) service starts at 9.99 a month (or 8.49 with 6 months pre paid), which includes the standard music quality, but with high definition music videos. TIDAL's HiFi is a little more on the expensive side at 19.99 per month (or 16.99 with 6 months pre paid), but this includes what TIDAL describes as "lossless High Fidelity sound quality." Now with all of that being said you could make your own judgments about TIDAL, but follow their Twitter account and it shows that the subscribers feedback does not lie. Many people have come out and said that TIDAL's live streaming of concerts (these concerts included Jay Z's "B Sides" concert, another perk of being a TIDAL member I suppose) is given in crystal clear high definition, although the exact resolution was not specified. Sort of expensive to pay, but you're not just paying for the music in TIDAL, in seems, they're stressing quality as a top priority.

Apple Music
Apple Music is another streaming service that had just recently launched (as in within the past week) and was looking to make waves (not necessarily TIDAL waves, but you know.... sorry, I had to). Apple Music hasn't had the huge promo that TIDAL has, but supposedly last night it had aired an exclusive Zane Lowe interview with the one and only Eminem (which I need to find somewhere because, c'mon, Eminem). Not only this, but supposedly Drake is releasing his next album exclusively through Apple Music, and supposedly Dr. Dre is having a big part in the streaming service as well (though it's hard to tell what right now). Apple Music describes its experience as such: "To deepen the connection between artists and fans. To give you personal recommendations from people who know and love music. To reimagine radio with a 24/7 global station." Apple seems to be edging out Spotify as the best price (for right now) with a free 3 month trial, but the subscription entails over 30 million songs for 9.99 a month, or 14.99 for family (who knows what the "family" subscription means, possibly more members? No details on this yet). When you start your subscription all of your already obtained music (somehow) automatically appears in the Apple Music library, and Apple's "experts" (who knows what kind of experts, supposedly actual artists) make suggestions based on what you like. The Beats 1 radio station is "24/7 radio, including music, interviews, and culture" (so it says on the website). The connect aspect seems to be the post interesting of the features, it says fans can "see, comment on, like, and share whatever exciting material an artist chooses to post. Unreleased demo tracks, an acoustic version of the latest hit, a video shot in the studio," etc. This to me sounds like something I'd kill to see, but only for some rappers. I surely wouldn't pay to see behind the scenes material of Taylor Swift, no disrespect to Taylor, but not my cup of tea musically. Lots of dope features, just needs some tampering with just as all musical services do.

So there's a (hopefully quick and helpful) review of what these music services all entail. I included all the details I could about each one down to the prices, now it's on what your preference is. I'm personally a fan of music with no adds, so I like Spotify's premium idea (even though I don't pay, so I do deal with ads), but Apple's idea of taking behind the scenes content to a new level is truly for a die hard rap fan such as myself. The idea of exclusive concerts, interviews and album releases like TIDAL and Apple Music are doing is taking things to a whole new level. For instance, Eminem is God to me, so seeing him do an exclusive interview that I could (hypothetically) only see on Apple Music's website certainly draws me to Apple Music strictly for that factor. I live for behind the scenes content. But I need to know what you think! Let me know which streaming service you'd go with based on the details and why either on Google+ or in the comment section, I'd love to hear what you think. Music streaming is taking over, does this mean death to physical albums?  Hopefully not, but only time will tell.                                 










       

Did Jay Z Really Just Buy Tupac's Unreleased Material?

Word in the rumor mill is that Jay Z just bought all of the rights to Tupac's unreleased material ($384 million worth supposedly, this includes unreleased and unfinished songs, verses, demos, writings, scripts, poems, and more). Now if anyone has the money to do this it'd be Jay Z (or Dr. Dre, and it'd certainly make more sense for Dre to buy the material), but the question is what interest does Jay Z have in buying Tupac's unreleased material?

So before I get in depth about thoughts on this subject I have to say that rumors are not true, as confirmed by a representative from Roc Nation. However, Jam INC's Jeff Jampol (who oversees Tupac's estate) did confirm that there could be some new unheard Tupac material circulating soon. How soon this will be is unsure, but the 20th anniversary of Tupac's death approaches (though it's next September, 2016) and supposedly Pac has new clothing coming out, as well as a Grammy museum showcasing Tupac's writing, and even a biography deal is being finalized for a "very serious writer" to put out a new Tupac biography.

All of this is exciting no doubt, and though the rumors of Jay Z buying Tupac's unreleased material may be far fetched, there is no denying that Mr. Z certainly has the money to buy Tupac's material if he really wanted to. Rumors of a 2016 album of Tupac's unreleased material titled And Now I Rise boasting such features as Snoop Dogg, Nas, Drake, The Dream, DMX, Beyoncé, and Jay Z were also being put out, although the rumors were confirmed false by Billboard. Interesting, to say the least. If you could see anyone buying Tupac's unreleased material today, who do you believe it would be and why?

For me it'd make sense for Dr. Dre to buy Pac's music and finish off what he and Pac had started with Death Row Records in the 90s, even if they didn't get along very well up until Dre's departure from Death Row. Can you imagine a mastered Dre beat with unreleased Tupac verses and even a hook?  With all of the stuff that Dre has in the bag that nobody's heard (way too much stuff that nobody's heard), there definitely has to be something that would fit Tupac's vibe. It'd certainly be a challenge for Dre to fit a beat around a verse as opposed to the opposite normal way of someone writing to a beat, but it'd also be a nice blast from the past and maybe even a new challenge that Dre could take on.

But anyways, even with the news being untrue, there's my two cents on the matter. Who do you think should buy Tupac's unreleased material and why?  Feel free to give me your answers on Google+ or twitter (@SuperNovaRover). Tupac probably has enough unreleased material to make 5 more albums knowing how hard the man worked during his time on our planet Earth, and probably for good reason seeing as how much he "predicted" things with his eerie lyrics. The sad part is his material from 20+ years ago still probably sounds more ahead of its time than Rae Sremmurd's. Can someone please tell me why they're rapping?  Anyways, let me know your thoughts on the subject if you'd like.     








            

Multi Talented Rappers (Actors, Ball Players, Etc.)

Sometimes you hate to see your favorite emcees do anything BUT rap, but it can be a cool thing to see them appear in your favorite TV show, play in the celebrity game at NBA All Star weekend, or even make business deals (focus on your music though guys, *cough cough Dr. Dre, Jay Z, Diddy, etc.). Rappers rap for a living (hence the term "rapper") but this is a new day and age. I put together a small list of some rappers who could probably do other things with their careers and be pretty good at them.

Dizzy Wright - basketball player

Sorry for the crappy picture quality, unfortunately this is how all pictures shown in this post will appear (#TechnologyStruggles). Anyways, Dizzy Wright was quite the baller in his high school days, and he could have even played at UNLV but bad grades prevented him from doing so.

2 Chainz - basketball player

Twooooo Chaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinzz! This dude is just funny period. The last thing you think of when you think of 2 Chainz is smart, intelligent mind building rap (or smart, intelligent, mind building anything), but Chainz was actually a college basketball player, and even graduated as a 4.0 GPA student in only 3 years at a 4 year school (attended Alabama State University on an athletic scholarship, believe it, it's true).

Common - Actor

Common is an easy choice as one of the stand outs because he is very hot right now, especially after coming off winning a Grammy for best original song ("Glory" ft. John Legend). When you think of conscious, thought provoking rappers, Common is the epitome (where do you think the name "Common" originated from? Common Sense of course! [His original rap name]). Common is always in the conversation when it comes to rappers who use their voice effectively, and his role in AMC's original series Hell On Wheels only adds to his already impressive resume of talent.

Childish Gambino - Actor/Comedian

Childish Gambino is the most interesting character on this list (literally a "character"). Gambino has made quite a career as a rapper with his mix tape releases and his debut album Because The Internet, but the "Gambino" I personally got to know wasn't Gambino at all. Donald Glover (his government name) started out as a comedian who even got a couple of stand up specials to air on Comedy Central, and his hilarious takes on race and everyday observation sold me more than any music of his could. Not only does Gambino rap AND do stand up (or did do stand up, no rumors on if he still does or if he will return) but he also has a great resume of acting, and even has appeared on the television show 30 Rock multiple times, and wrote for the show for 3 years (from 2006 to 2009).

Seeing any type of celebrity tackle as many careers/topics/activities as they do could make any person's head spin. When I think about what I'm doing and then compare it with what Jay Z's day might consist of, I start to feel pretty bad about myself (but then I remember I'm just a hip hop writer). But anyways, you should never limit anyone by the way they appear to you. Talent is never fully measured by ones interests, ones career, or even ones demeanor. Sometimes you can tell how great someone is destined to be just by the way they talk to you. If this list isn't even a slight example of what it means to make the sky the limit (or the galaxy [Hip Hop Unlimited], this is what we do now, come on) then maybe you should re-evaluate what you make your limit. The people on this list did, and look at them now.              


   

 

Ranking J. Cole's Albums Worst To Best

Cole World!  If you're a rap fan you've heard a Cole song, and if you're a Cole fan you've DEFINITELY heard at least a whole Cole project before, whether it be one of his fantastic albums or one of his critically acclaimed mix tapes. I find it funny that people honestly compare the two and say that his albums are better than his mix tapes, or his mix tapes are better than his albums (which is the more common argument) when in reality you're almost getting 2 completely different Coles entirely. The creative energy, hype, and hunger as an artist changes entirely when you compare your debut mix tape to your debut album, although unfortunately if your a Cole mix tape fan, you'd be disappointed when I say that we are not here to discuss his mix tapes. This post is strictly for albums: Cole has had 3 major label efforts, each one sounding more different and experimental than the next. Now if you could rank them from worst to best, how would that order go exactly?  That's what we're here to find out. Below, ranked worst to best, along with (arguably) the best song from each album, are J. Cole's 3 albums, ranked.

Cole World:  The Sideline Story

Cole World: The Sideline Story is J. Cole's confusing, yet promising burst onto the music scene. Mix tape Cole fans fell in love with an honest, lyrical, story-telling poet that showed more promise than any emcee that anyone had heard in quite awhile, yet The Sideline Story left a lot to be desired for die hard Cole fans. The Sideline Story is an album that shows every side of Cole that you love to see; the shit talking, the gritty talk of the hood and growing up and becoming a man, along with love and handling pregnancy at a young age. Cole is clearly still hyped at this time because of the recent Roc Nation signing and the bragging rights that come along with saying he's got a Jay-Z cosign, yet the industry's contribution to this album is clear with singles like the Kanye-sampled "Work Out", (which ended up disappointed Nas as Cole talks about later, but we'll get to that in time hip hop nerds).

Born Sinner

Cole's second effort Born Sinner showed a much hungrier, yet experimental Cole than anybody was used to seeing. Cole's rhymes are at the absolute top of his game with his lyrical, compacted flows and clever punch lines, though the song making ability wasn't quite there yet. You can tell that Cole is destined for greatness with this effort, if The Sideline Story didn't do it for you than Born Sinner certainly gives you a good Cole fix in terms of bars, and his respect for the greats is shown on an entire song dedicated to Nas titled "Let Nas Down". Nas even jumped on a remix to the song later to show how much respect he had for Cole and what he was doing for the game. If that's not being given the green light, than what is?  No seriously, I'll wait. Regardless of legendary features, Cole's sophomore effort was good, but you could certainly tell there was something missing, and that there was a part of Cole that fans weren't getting.

2014 Forest Hills Drive

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

Here it goes:  prepare yourselves for this one. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is the best Cole album to date. If I personally could dream up a Cole album myself with all creative control in terms of production, lyricism, flow, writing skills, song topics, etc., this would be the album I'd choose for Cole to make. This is Cole's Illmatic. I can't even believe I just said that. Now many hip hop heads will get uptight about mentioning any Cole projects with Illmatic, or any projects at all for that matter, but in all seriousness, Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive is the best rap album to hit since Good Kid Maad City. It is at least the most complete rap album since then. 2014 Forest Hills Drive has everything a rap fan wants, everything a Cole fan wants, and even more. The emotion emitted in tracks mixed with the controversy and thought it provokes is an absolute perfect blend and it embodies everything you envision a perfect story to be, and the music itself hasn't gotten nearly the recognition it deserves, the only reason being Cole has put out no singles for it. Cole has already been certified Gold by the RIAA, but the recognition is not in the numbers, it shows up in the appreciation for his fans and his conscience voice towards violence in America. Cole has showed up to random fans' houses to sign memorabilia and hang out with them, tweeted people about surprise concerts (and obviously showed up to venues to perform), and he even used his supposed "promo" for the album on Letterman to perform his song dedicated to the victims of Ferguson, Missouri, "Be Free."  Is Cole the new Tupac?  Actions speak louder than words, and Cole's words speak volumes, yet somehow his actions remain greater. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive not only is the best rap album since Good Kid Maad City, not only was it the absolute best of 2014, but it embodies everything Cole represents as not only an artist, but as a person. 2014 Forest Hills Drive allowed me to appreciate music properly again.

Being a J. Cole fan obviously you get a mixed bag between projects (the difference being albums and mix tapes, though I don't truly believe this, I am going off of what the masses believe), but in terms of Cole's albums you truly can't ask for better progression. If the process of growing and becoming a better artist is evident in any rapper, it's J. Cole. The creative process has never been one to give Cole problems, because when you're a real person with real problems and show it through your music, you grow even more. The emotional connection Cole has gained with his fans grew times a thousand with the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive, and that's after they already had a strong enough bond to love  everything he does. It'd be criminal to ask what Cole has planned next after a momentous release like 2014 Forest Hills Drive, but if you're a fan you can't help yourself. It's always exciting to see what Cole has in store for his fans, and if there is a peak moment in Cole's career, it is now. The fans appreciate everything he does because he gives to them, and they give back to him by showing loyalty. Once Cole gives, it is your opportunity and privilege to appreciate what he gives to you. Truly Yours.                



   











   



   

Who's On Your Rap Label? (A Point System Game)

I have a dream... well, I constantly have daydreams of what my perfect rap label would be like (if you were expecting some inspirational MLK shit there, sorry if I disappointed). There are literally so many rappers with so many different types of skills that it's insane to think about what they could all do together (or with different collaborators, you remember my "who are your dream collaborations" article awhile back? this is almost of the same vein). Too many times have I thought about how limited some of my favorite rappers are because of their label, or because of whose in their circle, or even because of who they frequently collaborate with. You never know what could have happened with some artists if their career paths may have went differently, or if they do in the near future (butterfly effects aside). This post is for those like me that think (probably waaay too much) about how things could be if they were different. All I want to know is this:  who's on your rap label?

Now before we start the game I have to lay down some guidelines:  first up is the point system. I tried to make it as simple as possible in terms of what rankings each rapper got, the best rappers get a 5 point ranking while the worst get a 1, and so on. A 5 point ranked rapper is what you would want to lead your label:  in terms of selling records and being the fan favorite, this is your go to artist. A 1 point artist isn't necessarily just a label filler, they could be whatever you want them to be, it is YOUR label after all, although to make it challenging I have given each label a 12 point limit per label, though there is no limit to how many rappers/artists are on your label.

Next up are the label tags (or in NFL terms, the "franchise" tags). These tags basically define what each rapper is and how the public sees them (or at least how I see them, you may see them differently, all I ask is that you follow the guidelines). Some rappers/artists will get tags that others won't because it is all based on how unique that rapper/artist is musically, but these tags include; Chart Topper (CT), Lyrical Miracle (LM), Fan Favorite (FF), New Artist (NA), Party Music (PM), Thought Provoking (TP), Story Teller (ST) and Original Gangsta (OG). The only guidelines I have for the tags is that every label have at least 1 Chart Topper (CT), 1 New Artist (NA), and one Original Gangsta (OG). Every other artist is up to you, there is no limit to how many of each.

The last rule is that there are to be no label heads involved on your label, obviously because you would be taking their place. So this means Eminem, Jay Z, Nas, Diddy, Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, T.I., Rick Ross and Birdman will not make the list. The rest of the rappers, however, are all fair game. I only define label heads as the MAJOR labels (Shady Records, Young Money, Cash Money, GOOD Music, Roc Nation, Mass Appeal, Grand Hustle, Bad Boy, Maybach Music Group), so labels like Drake's OVO and B.o.B's No Genre would not make this list. Whatever you believe the guidelines should be, they have been set and to play the game you must follow them (it's supposed to be a fun challenge as well, I hope to readers follow the guidelines and play the game fairly). Anyways, below is a list of most every rapper that qualifies to make the list, along with their tags and point totals next to them.

5 Points                                                                                                     4 Points
Kendrick Lamar (ST)(CT)(LM)(TP)                                          Logic (ST)(FF)(TP)(LM)(NA)
J. Cole (ST)(CT)(LM)(TP)                                                         Lupe Fiasco (TP)(LM)(FF)
Mac Miller (FF)(TP)(PM)(LM)                                                  Big Sean (PM)(LM)
Tyler The Creator (LM)(PM)(FF)                                              Meek Mill (PM)(LM)
Drake (ST)(PM)(FF)(CT)                                                           Young Jeezy (OG)(ST)(CT)(PM)
Nicki Minaj (LM)(FF)(CT)                                                         Fabolous (OG)(FF)(PM)(TP)
Big K.R.I.T (FF)(PM)(TP)                                                         A$AP Rocky (FF)(PM)
Slaughterhouse (LM)(FF)                                                           Schoolboy Q (PM)(FF)
                                                                                                     Ab-Soul (FF)(TP)(LM)
                                                                                                     Common (OG)(ST)(TP)
                                                                                                     50 Cent (OG)(PM)(FF)(CT)
                                                                                                     Pusha T (LM)(PM)(TP)

3 Points                                                                                                   2 Points                        
Andre 3000 (OG)(ST)(LM)(FF)(TP)                                          Joe Budden (ST)(FF)(LM)(TP) 
Big Boi (OG)(PM)(FF)                                                               Crooked I (LM)(TP)(FF)            
Bun B (OG)(PM)(LM)                                                                Royce Da 5'9 (LM)(TP)(FF)
Dizzy Wright (NA)(PM)                                                             Joell Ortiz (LM)(TP)(FF)
Yelawolf (ST)(LM)(TP)(PM)                                                     Nipsey Hussle (PM)
Tech N9ne (LM)(FF)                                                                  2 Chainz (PM)(FF)
Ludacris (OG)(PM)(FF)                                                              Rittz (ST)(TP)(LM)(PM)(FF)
Earl Sweatshirt (LM)(PM)(FF)                                                   Cyhi The Prynce (TP)(LM)(NA)
Wiz Khalifa (PM)                                                                        Mick Jenkins (NA)(PM)(TP)
B.o.B (LM)(PM)(TP)                                                                  MGK (PM)(LM)
Juicy J (OG)(PM)(FF)                                                                 Ty Dolla $ign (PM)
Game (OG)(ST)(PM)(TP)                                                           Young Thug (PM)
Curren$y (PM)(FF)(TP)                                                              Rich Homie Quan (PM)
Nelly (OG)(PM)(FF)                                                                   DMX (OG)(PM)(FF)
Wale (PM)(TP)                                                                            Trinidad James (PM)(NA)
A$AP Ferg (PM)                                                                          Lil John (OG)(PM)(FF)
Asher Roth (LM)(PM)(TP)                                                          Kirko Bangz (HS)(PM)
Jay Rock (NA)(ST)(PM)(TP)                                                      Usher (HS)(FF)(PM)
French Montana (PM)                                                                  Omarion (HS)(PM)
Kid Cudi (TP)(FF)(PM)                                                               Tyga (PM)
Joey Bada$$ (ST)(NA)(TP)(LM)(PM)                                     Snow Tha Product (NA)(LM)(PM)(TP)Childish Gambino (PM)(TP)(FF)                                                 Rihanna (HS)(CT)(PM)
Jay Electronica (NA)(ST)(LM)(TP)                                             King Chip (PM)(TP)
Chance The Rapper (PM)(TP)(NA)                                             Skyler Grey (HS)
Freddie Gibbs (FF)(PM)                                                               Jeremih (HS)
Action Bronson (PM)(TP)(LM)                                                   T-Pain (HS)
Twista (OG)(FF)(LM)                                                                  Trey Songz (CT)(HS)
Talib Kweli (OG)(ST)(TP)(LM)(FF)                                           Chris Brown (HS)(CT)                       
Mos Def (OG)(ST)(TP)(LM)(FF)                                                 Riff Raff (PM)(HS)                           
YG (PM)                                                                                        Mick Jenkins (PM)(TP)                     
Future (HS)(PM)                                                                           Lil Flip (PM)                                      
Project Pat (OG)(FF)(PM)                                                            Chingy (PM)                                       
Anthony Hamilton (HS)                                                                Akon (HS)                                          
Kevin Gates (PM)(TP)(NA)(IDGT)(SMH)                                  Kurupt (OG)(LM)(PM)                      
Iggy Azalea (CT)(HS)(PM)(FF)                                                   Bow Wow (PM)(FF)                          
Jhene Aiko (HS)(ST)(TP)(PM)                                                     Paul Wall (PM)(FF)                           
Lil Kim (OG)(LM)(PM)                                                                Chevy Woods (LM)(PM)
Busta Rhymes (OG)(LM)(PM)                                                      Obie Trice (OG)(LM)(TP)
Jadakiss (OG)(LM)(TP)                                                                 Tuki Carter (PM)(NA)                    
Trae The Truth (PM)(LM)

Now with the absolutely humongoid, gigantic, mammoth, Andre The Giant-esque list I just gave you (with the exception of a few, let me know if I left any names off or if there are any others that you would include in your label), you should definitely have fun putting together your label. Now I want to see what the people come up with!  Honestly I can't even tell you who I'd put on my label with the point limit at the moment, it may even take me a couple days before I can come up with my list. But just remember the guidelines/rules, and just have fun with it, it's all about the discussion!  We can talk over who you put on your label and why on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) or Google+ when you make your decisions, you important label heads you. Now go and do big things with your artists.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  








 

























     

Jay Z Talks Of The Race Relations In Hip Hop

Too often in hip hop it seems that race is brought into the picture, even today. Has hip hop not advanced past a point where the love of it can be shared with people of all colors, sizes and shapes?  It's deeper than color and the people that don't realize it right now will never realize it (I feel like I've said a lot of this before, but it's a big enough point to be reiterated). The great thing about hip hop is that it starts a conversation that many people are afraid to touch, because rappers just do that stuff. Like, every day. Whether it be through song lyrics, documentaries, or just plain old interviews, nobody can really stir the pot or create a conversation like a rapper can. Which is fucking awesome because who else would have the balls?  Jay Z probably has the most credibility out of anyone to say what he chooses or how he feels about what hip hop has done, because come on now, look what it has done for him (and what he has done for it). It's like listening to Bill Gates tell you how to be a billionaire, you can't say you wouldn't at least listen to what he has to say.

Recently, multi millionaire Shawn Carter had a sit down conversation with Oprah's OWN network and discussed the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and he had quite the opinion on what hip hop and it's spokespeople have done for many different cultures of people since it's inception. Check out what he says below.

If I were to ride a unicorn over a rainbow leading to a sea of gold one day, then today would be the day I belly flopped in some gold water. I never thought I'd ever agree with Jay Z on anything at all, seeing as we have nothing in common about pretty much anything, but his views on hip hop definitely have to bring up an interest you saw in him when you first heard him (if you're an old head who loves classic Jay Z). His comparing rap and it's "creating a common bond in people of all colors" type of talk is something a hip hop head just loves to listen to, especially from someone of Jay Z's stature because he normally doesn't bring that type of attitude into interviews anymore. Can you honestly say that you think great music and hip hop culture when you think of Jay Z anymore?  He's way too focused on the Brooklyn Nets, phone company deals, and conquering the world to even give this the light of day, which is why it makes this interview ten times more awesome to listen to. You can't forget where you came from, and Jay Z definitely hasn't (at least not yet). Let me know what you think of Jay's comments on Google+ or Twitter (@SuperNovaRover).










     

The Year In Rap: 2014

Another year goes by, another roller coaster ride of rappity rap is put in the books, and more New Years resolutions are going to be made that probably won't pan out to be followed as planned (I however am planning to listen to little to no amount of music from Rae Sremmurd, so far I've kept my promise and it's not even the new year, isn't that amazing?). From elevator fights over who knows what to the incredible rise of one of the hottest new rappers out, to rap reaching new levels of fan interaction and battle rap pummeling it's way into the mainstream, 2014 was absolutely filled with excitement. Where do we even begin?

In terms of albums being released, J. Cole has seemingly owned the year, and just within the last month of it all. Cole had only announced his 2014 Forrest Hills Drive this November and it has without a doubt been the most interesting story in rap, quite possibly in all of music this year. With little to no promotion for the actual album itself, Cole still made headlines over the incredibly humble moves he made involving his fans this year, hosting events like album listening sessions at his own house, random stops at events and performing for fans, and there was even one instance where Cole showed up to a fan's house to give out signed copies of the album, take pictures and even hang out with the fan for a little bit. To top it all off Cole's newest release has just recently been certified gold by the RIAA, and it's certainly well deserved. Other successful album releases included Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Royce Da 5'9, and Kevin Gates even charted with a specially released mix tape.

(Cole performed his song "Be Free" on Letterman to promote not the new album, but the recent Ferguson violence and Erick Sermon's death by chokehold. His sweatshirt reads "Fuck Money Spread Love" in logos. Is Cole the new Tupac?)

Another huge story that took over headlines the time it had happened was the famed Beyoncé, Jay Z and Solange Knowles elevator incident. This led to jokes, memes, interview questions, and even (alleged) song lyrics talking about the matter. The story is that supposedly Solange got very angry at Jay Z (why, nobody knows, she might have been drunk) and the surveillance video shows Solange continuously punching and kicking Jay Z while he just stood there and took it (like a man should of course). Was Solange trying to stand up for her sister?  Could Jay really have cheated on Beyoncé?  Was Solange in need of money and did Jay just tell her to go start her own label?  All of these could have been plausible questions that still nobody has any answers for. Check out the surveillance video below.

Iggy Azalea had an absolutely huge year as well, and it's hard to deny that she got massive attention even if you don't like her music, but the attention was hot one second then cold the next. Her constant beef and involvement with other rappers/celebrities on social media probably wasn't the attention she was looking for, but the saying "any press is good press" comes to mind when you think of Iggy (maybe not if you're really a fan). I'm not exactly a super fan of Iggy myself, but you have to respect what she is doing and how much of a following she's built in such a short period of time. I do know that she can rap given the chance, even though The New Classic isn't the best evidence of that claim. Her huge year was more evidence of how the Grammy's overlook other truly great music though, and in terms of rap Macklemore definitely wasn't the most deserving candidate for best rap album (he even admitted it and put out an apology to Kendrick).

Macklemore's apology to Kendrick seemed to get mixed opinions and views from people, some people said Macklemore shouldn't have apologized seeing as it takes away the competitive aspect of rap, while some others gained a newfound respect for Macklemore and saw it as him "seeing the unfairness to hip hop from the Grammys." This unfairness has been a thing for quite some time now, and it became even more of a thing when Kendrick's album, Good Kid Maad City, which some people highly consider the best hip hop album of the past 20 years or so (although the word "classic" has been thrown around many more times than it should), got snubbed at the Grammy's and lost to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' The Heist. To many people The Heist wasn't even as good as any of the other nominees, which included Drake's Nothing Was The Same, Jay Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail, and Kanye West's Yeezus.

The mix tape circuit has been almost as exciting as the album circuit this year, if not more so. There are many that stand out among the best, a few that got a bunch of attention were ones like Mick Jenkins' The Waters, Kevin Gates' By Any Means, Lil B's 05 Fuck Em, and many more, but the one that garnered my attention the most had to be Mac Miller's Faces. Being a Mac hater (admittedly) since his mix tape days of course I saw this mix tape and didn't bat an eye at it at first, but I had a friend introduce me to Faces and I have to say I was immediately impressed by not just the skill, but the musical range of Mac as well. What he can do with a song is truly amazing, his production skills are almost as good as his rapping abilities, and he know how to truly entertain someone with his abstract writing ability and topics, and Faces is the absolute pinnacle of Mac's abilities. Faces doesn't seem like a mix tape at all, it seems more like an album to me, I mean why else would it not have any DJ tags?  The rumors of his being on drugs during the entire process is certainly plausible (I mean come on, have you LISTENED to it?), and his mental state is something you'd certainly worry about if what he raps about is true, it almost seems as if Mac has entered this sort of "Slim Shady" phase where he feels like he has to do drugs to draw the influence and become great. The music is great and the fans are happy, but when it comes to Mac being healthy, you have to wonder.

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

So with the elevator fights, the crazy amount of good music, the snubbing of rap at awards shows (as usual) and so much beef you could cut it with a knife, you have to wonder what 2015 will bring. Rumors are there will be new albums from Kendrick, Drake, Kanye, Mac Miller and too many more to name, the anticipation is always there but you never know how the year will turn out until it's actually happening (or if you're like me and you really don't think about it at all until just now). Rap is constantly on the move in terms of advancement of the culture and how people see it and how seriously they take it, and I feel like there will always be that certain audience who can't take it seriously just because of the egos involved, but if you're not confident and can't take pride in what you do, then how can you say you love it?  The competition will only get better (especially as Kendrick continues to slowly slither his way back into the music scene), the music will only be top notch, and the rhymes will be so much farther ahead of us than we even know. So to end the last post of the year, allow me to leave you with some advice:  take time to enjoy your music, the times in your life, the people in your life, and the ride of what's to come. As Weezy said:  life is like a fuckin roller coaster then it drops!  Be ready for your next hill.     
         








  

Songs You Didn't Know Had Different Versions (Not Remixes)

The music industry is something a lot of people will never understand. While some constantly wonder about the dynamic behind it all, and how albums are narrowed down to which songs make the album, which songs are made the single, and how artists determine what songs fit and don't fit the concept of an album (or maybe that's just my crazy ass), the fans are usually stuck in the dark about the behind the scenes aspect of it. I've always been interested in how things come about in the making of an album or the recording of different songs, and a lot of that is the fact that there is so much evidence that some ideas don't pan out how rappers (or artists in general) originally planned them to. So to show my interest (and hopefully have you express yours as well) I put together a small list of songs that have other lesser known versions.

Royce Da 5'9 ft. Big Sean - My Own Planet (other version features Joe Budden, Royce's Success Is Certain album)

This version of Royce Da 5'9's "My Own Planet" you would know if you listened to his The Bar Exam 3 mix tape. The Success Is Certain album version of this song features Royce's fellow Slaughterhouse group member Joe Budden. It's hard to distinguish why Royce would choose to switch out Sean's verse with Joe's, or even why he would want to put the song on his album, but both are great mixes. Royce has made it known in the past that he doesn't appreciate Sean's getting big and forgetting to show other Detroit rappers love (though the new Shady XV leaks would say differently), but you wouldn't be able to tell from this jam.

Eminem ft. Royce Da 5'9 - Renegade (original is a Jay-Z song featured on Jay's The Blueprint album)

Bad Meets Evil fans are sure to love this one (if you don't know about it already). Eminem's Renegade verse is already hailed as one of the best guest verses ever (and one of the first and only cases of someone outshining Jay-Z on his own song), but did you know that Bad Meets Evil did the original version to the now Jay-Z claimed song?  Yep it's true, I couldn't tell you how I stumbled across this, but while Eminem keeps the same verses he had in the Jay-Z version, it's very interesting to hear Royce's approach to his first verse because he keeps almost the exact same rhyme scheme that Eminem used for his guest verse on Notorious B.I.G's "Dead Wrong", listen to them both and compare if you don't believe me!  Little facts and gems like this are what make me love what I do that much more, and they certainly display the conceptual talents of Royce and Eminem.

Drake ft. Bun B - Miss Me (original version features Lil Wayne and makes Drake's Thank Me Later album)

This is certainly a sweet mix if you're a Bun B fan (which you should be, check out my Bun B's influence article if you haven't yet), and it makes sense to include a Bun verse since he was already featured in the song, even in the Lil Wayne version (29 second mark). It's no surprise that Drake felt it was right to have a Bun B feature at some point, considering his being featured twice on Bun's Trill O.G. album, and especially considering Drake's praise of Houston and it's part in shaping him.

Knowing there are little known different versions of songs out there just makes you feel so special doesn't it?  I know it makes me feel good, shit I feel like I work for Interscope. Of course the label doesn't leak music, that's certainly the last thing they would want to happen, but still. Having access to these little known tracks is a pretty cool and special thing, and really puts that thought in your mind: "what other versions of songs have been made that haven't been put out?" The thought of it all is too much to process right now, but be sure to let me know if you know any more little known alternate versions of songs that didn't end up on albums/mixtapes on Google+ or Twitter (@SuperNovaRover).