Who forgot about Dre? The more relevant question here might be, who forgot about T.I.? In Tip's newest release he samples Aaliyah, features Marsha Ambrosius on the hook and Dre on the boards: sounds like a hell of a track to me.
"Dope" is supposedly the first single off of Tip's long awaited 10th studio album, The Dime Trap, which has no set release date as of yet. If you've been paying attention to Tip for the last year and news on his latest album, you'd know that the album had 2 previous titles before Tip settled on The Dime Trap; Trap's Open, and Paperwork; The Return. "This next one's going to be unapologetically gangsta," Tip told HipHopSince1987.com in early 2015. Whose excited to see what T.I.'s returning with?
It's almost too easy nowadays to differentiate the artists with a message from the ones who say things just to promote themselves. Actually, it might not be so much. Scratch that, yes it is. Getting your feelings involved in any situation adds a biased factor to what you end up saying, whether your point is good or bad. Constructive criticism, straight hate and bashing, or even simple props given to someone are all justified at some point no matter how easy it is to see their reasoning. Living life in the industry can only be spoken convincingly by someone living the life themselves (obviously), but until you know about the life yourself, can you really give an opinion anyone truly cares about? I felt an overload of thoughts surrounding this topic, and it starts with Azealia Banks' interview with Ebro in the Morning.
If you haven't seen it, Azealia Banks gave quite the entertaining interview to Ebro in the Morning on Hot 97. If you know Ebro and his interview style, he very easily has a way to warm up his guests then transition into the problems and the gossip people want to know about, and Azealia Banks had a lot to say about her past (and present) problems with Iggy Azalea. Banks goes on to say that she sees it as more of a problem that Iggy is getting more attention than her because of her race and how the industry works and sees blacks as "slaves" more than the fact that her and Iggy have had simple beef because of what Banks' fans see as Iggy stealing her name. Both sides of this have incredibly fascinating points that cannot be ignored.
The point of mentioning the biased views of people is this: people should be able to see both sides of the story fairly and make a judgment based on the facts (I have no intention of turning this into a court case so you don't have to prepare for jury duty, though you may see it as you place). Banks goes on to mention in her interview that she is tired of blogs and magazines like Complex, Bossip, XXL and The Source that entertain these discussions and ideas just to "get your fuckin clicks" and make headlines and money. Reasonable point right? Living the industry lifestyle has shown that you will have to deal with constant publicity, press, pictures and videos you don't want shot of you, and even LEAKED footage and pictures that you don't even plan to be seen (no this isn't about the fappening, perverts). Banks also went on to say that these sites are "creating the bad picture."
Now comes the second side of the story: Banks' known history for beef and problems/disputes being made public. Azealia Banks almost has a catalog of problems and beef with other artists/rappers, Iggy Azalea only being the latest on that list. She goes on to talk about some of these issues in the interview with Ebro, including one with T.I. and his wife Tiny (which I had no idea even was a thing, who knew this "beef" even existed? And to start it with T.I., the king of maturity in rap and focusing on himself and his family, what exactly did Banks plan to accomplish with starting something with T.I.?). Who sounds like the attention seeker during this part of the interview? Relevancy can be obtained in any way you wish (especially as an artist), whether that be the good way or the bad way, then again why would the saying "any publicity is good publicity" exist?
But my points don't stop there. Ebro goes on to mention to Banks that he believes putting the energy into social media (tweeting about her problems) wasn't the right decision in his eyes. "Putting the energy into your music" as Ebro put it, has proven time and time again for artists (Drake, Eminem, anyone who you believe vents about life in their music) to be a successful method, and even if the success doesn't show up in sales, how could it not help your own personal views and mindset? "Putting it all on wax" is almost therapeutic, and has been known to help not only the artists going through the struggles, but even their fan bases to feel better throughout the process (although beefing with T.I. might not have been something you've done lately). So this leads to my next question: why not preach what you say in your music in real life? If you're rapping or singing about it, why don't you talk about it? This isn't always the case for every artist nowadays, so I'll be more specific: WHY HASN'T AZEALIA BANKS VENTED ABOUT THIS BULL IN HER MUSIC?!
This topic of conversation has been, is, and always will be a slippery slope. You don't know about making music unless you do it, and you definitely don't know about making music in the industry unless you do it (the difference in numbers between the 2 is astounding, believe it or not, going from mix tape rapper to platinum seller is a lot harder than some make it look, though I can't speak from experience). The key seems to be finding balance. (In my opinion) Azealia Banks is too often found in the spotlight for her beef and social media rants than she is for her music, so I only see this latest rant as her craving more attention than really trying to make a point. These interviews certainly make for some entertainment if you don't get your daily fix, but the fact that this is making news might be an example of a bigger problem. Shortly after this interview made waves online Banks got into some Twitter arguments (surprise) with rapper Action Bronson, be sure to check out those tweets if you can find them, and definitely be sure to check out Banks' interview discussing all of these things with Hot 97 below (Banks' views on Iggy and her rant begin at the 8:20 mark).
I certainly got into Big K.R.I.T a lot later than I could have hoped. My first listen of him being his 2013 mix tape King Remembered In Time, and as I listened on to a mix tape that had every type of song, and sounded like he definitely could have sold in stores based on the quality of the songs, one of my select favorites from the tape was one by the name of "Shine On", featuring fellow Houston emcee Bun B. Now I've always been one to get into those heavily slept on rappers very late (probably because they're so heavily slept on), but this K.R.I.T tape led me to buy his debut album Live From The Underground, and I noticed another Bun feature on a song by the name of "Pull Up", also featuring Big SANT. I had never heard a rapper with such a distinguishable voice before, and by that I mean I had never heard someone demand such a presence on a microphone, I was almost sensing the power through the speakers, it was like Bun was in my house rapping along to the beat of these songs, and his style demanded just as much attention as his voice did. After hearing these tracks, I knew I had to hear more, and was moved by what I had found.
Bun B is his name. I really hope you already know, but it's okay if you don't because I can do my best to give the proper introduction. The only way you can properly describe Bernard Freeman is that he is the absolute trillest of them all. He is so trill in fact that he even had the word copyrighted (that's right, the word "trill" has been copyrighted by Bun himself, does it get more trill than that?). Many have debated what the word "trill" means, or who it represents, but the idea behind it has always been a sort of cool and laid back style, and when Rolling Stone magazine asked Bun what it means to be trill, Bun replied "just look at me." It's debatable that southern rap is almost nothing without it's originator, and his influence on rap is just about unmatched, you can hear it almost anywhere you turn on a radio to your local rap station. Bun's influence on not just southern rap, but rap as a whole is clear when you listen to big names like B.o.B, Big K.R.I.T, Trae Tha Truth, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Ludacris, T.I., Slim Thug, Nelly, and one of the biggest being Toronto's very own (also, October's) Drake (I mention his being from Toronto because even being from an entirely different country you can hear the influence and the homage paid to Bun in his music).
(Seems to be the most Houston-influenced song in Drake's catalog even to this day, especially when you hear him detail a night in Houston towards the end of the track.)(*I do not own this song or the rights to it*)
So what has Bun B really done for hip hop? How has one man defined an entire subgenre inside a genre that is getting more and more broad every day (if you say rap isn't expanding, you're either hating, or you don't listen to it, period.)? While the best place to start to explain this is in the influence you hear in the rappers I listed above, a certain style has been originated by Houston rap as a whole (and many would probably argue that Bun was indeed the originator), and it's called "chopped and screwed". If you haven't heard of this style it's done very heavily by DJ's and most commonly found on remakes of mix tapes. To "chop and screw" a song or a project is to slow it down, make the bass line bump just a little more than it did before, and make it proper for those who "sip on sizzurp" and "lean", and to put it in layman's terms, the people who like to move "just as slowly as the music".
Yes indeed Houston's brand of hip hop is one of the most known yet different types of hip hop there is out there, and Bun B and Pimp C were at the helm of it before Pimp C's unfortunate passing in 2007. That certainly hasn't stopped Bun's hustle though, as he has released 3 albums since then, II Trill in 2008, Trill OG in 2010, and Trill OG: The Epilogue in 2013. Oh yes lots of research went into this, how could I do an entire article on Bun without listening to any more of his music? I certainly enjoyed everything I found. His first album Trill in 2005 was a huge blast from the past listening to, and reminded me of when I first had gotten into hip hop and some of the first artists I remembered hearing on the radio. Yes this album came at a time when southern hip hop reigned supreme, and boasted features from big names like Jeezy, T.I., Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins, Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, and basically every southern rapper you could imagine was at the top in 2005.
Overall, Trill OG has to be my favorite Bun album. His hard sound really shines through, and the features fit very well on every track, it's basically Bun's version of The Chronic 2001. A couple of stand out cuts are the Drake features "It's Been A Pleasure" and 'Shut It Down", with Drake doing hooks on both songs and even giving a verse on "Shut It Down," very interesting to hear these tracks as they were right around Drake's come up in 2010 right after his debut album Thank Me Later. Those aren't the only stand out features on the album though, Bun also got an unreleased Tupac verse for the song "Right Now", which also features Trey Songz and Pimp C. Every featured rapper sounds good in perspective of the album, but Bun is no slouch on songs without features, and he proves it on bangers like "Lights, Camera, Action" and "I Git Down 4 Mine". The production is banging in proper Bun fashion as well, perfect to bump in the trunk of your car, and even features a DJ Premier beat on the song "Let Em Know". (Wow, certainly didn't expect to basically just give you an album review there, but if I had to recommend any albums for new Bun fans, Trill OG would certainly be it.)
So needless to say, Bun B makes some pretty great music and his influence on today's generation of rap still shines through strong. Listening to him brings me back, especially his first album, because his style was basically what epitomized rap in the early 2000s, and the younger side of me gets all nostalgic, but saying Bun has made the same music since his debut would be unfair, and pretty inaccurate. Though the concept of his Trill O.G. (which I'm also just realizing means trilogy, clever work Bun) series remained the same throughout all 3 albums, his growth as a rapper and as a person can't be denied, and how could you not change after the death of a close friend, and former Scottie Pippen to his Michael Jordan? No, Bun certainly hasn't been one dimensional at all throughout his career, but I believe there is only one word that could describe him, and I believe we all already know what it is.
Iggy Azalea has built a reputation as one of the biggest names in pop today (at this moment right now, actually). Her music is practically everywhere, you'll hear it on radios, in the club, the bar, wherever you go you're bound to hear Iggy. You're also bound to hear any and every bit of news that surrounds Iggy (is there really an Iggy sex tape somewhere? Whoever has it, just do us all a favor and put it out, bless your heart). In this great thing we call hip hop, one thing that differentiates it from other musical genres is the freedom to express your opinion and have it seen not as hate, not as competition (sometimes), but as exactly that: a mere opinion. Although when it comes to publicity, especially for someone whose opinion might matter, it may mean more than just a "mere opinion".
Rah Digga came out to an interview with This Is 50 radio to talk about Iggy and how she feels about her and her association with hip hop, and had this to say: "Iggy Azalea, I can't get into her, because it's just not real to me. There is a white girl from Australia that spits in an Australian accent, and her name is Chelsea Jane. That I can get into. Teach me Australian hip hop culture. Don't come to America and try to convince me that you're Gangsta Boo. Personally, I don't consider her hip hop. I listen to her album. Everything that I hear on there is everything but that. And I feel like hip hop is hip hop."
So is Rah Digga hating on Iggy? At first glance you might say yes, but she does have a point. By definition (yeah, we're getting into the unwritten hip hop rule book on this one) Iggy isn't necessarily hip hop, but as far as new Iggy fans go (new meaning The New Classic Iggy fans, and not before that, although some "fans" probably didn't even buy the album) Iggy would probably be the closest thing to an influential woman figure in hip hop (unless you think Nicki Minaj is a real influence, but that's debatable).
Iggy isn't necessarily defined as inside-and-out hip hop. She has a history of being able to rap, and keeping up with the big boys even, but the deciding factor (to me, at least) is this The New Classic album. I didn't listen to the album so I can't say I gave Iggy an honest opinion on this post, but with singles like "Fancy" ft. Charli XCX, "Work", and "Change Your Life" ft. T.I., to some she could have a voice for rapping, but you really wouldn't know unless you heard her actually rap. Luckily, that's what I'm here for.
This would be considered my "counter point" to you Ms. Rah Digga (all respect due of course, I loved you on Talib Kweli's "Art Imitates Life" song)! Saying Iggy isn't hip hop is a stretch to me, but defining hip hop as a whole is a completely different argument. In that case, Iggy isn't hip hop at all, but the girl can definitely rap given the chance. Rah Digga might not have heard the best of Iggy to give her an honest opinion, so you can't knock her for that. But I would like to hear what the people think! Does Iggy have true rapping ability? Let me know in the comment section, on twitter (@SuperNovaRover), or on my Google+ page!
Grand Hustle has been slipping a bit on its rap cred, or its "street credentials" if you will. Well maybe not so much it's street cred, but more for it's pull in the rap game and their rights to say that they're still a juggernaut label, or a force to be reckoned with. T.I. isn't quite the hip-hop heavyweight he once was when it comes to selling records, or even being a top 5 emcee in the popular opinion. So that leaves the rest of the label: Iggy Azalea, B.o.B, Trae Tha Truth, Travi$ Scott, Young Dro, etc., to help carry the load in sales, and "street cred". Their first G.D.O.D mix tape saw a bit of success, but could they keep it rolling with G.D.O.D 2?
Now before this review gets going I HAVE to ask: why is it Grand Hustle is the only label that's had the time or desire to release any type of compilation project? With all the talent of other rosters that people would pay serious (or probably more, granted many people don't pay at all these days) money to hear like Shady Records (even though they're in the midst with Shady XV), G.O.O.D Music, Roc Nation, Young Money (though I believe they recently did it too?), why is it that Grand Hustle is the only label that has had the balls to do so? Could it possibly be for fear of incredibly high expectations? Surely not a far off notion. Anyways, back to this review thing.
Any project worth hearing has to have an intro that keeps you wanting more, and Grand Hustle did not too shabby with this one... "Welcome To My City" is that king-me type of banger that you love to bump in your 6-4 (word to Big K.R.I.T) riding around your... well... your "city". A sweet beat that includes some banging 808s and horns that are fit for a king's arrival, this song is a great way to start off any project. Not to mention the hella-catchy hook.
The general differentiation between albums and mix tapes you might normally say is substance vs. free bangers, and that's exactly what this tape is all about. Songs like "Brand New Choppa", "UM HMM", "What You Gon' Do Bout It", "Ain't Both (MLK)", and "I Do The Most" solidify a nice round up of bass-filled tracks that can become best friends with your car speakers. I don't listen to much of Young Thug myself, but hearing him on the hook of "I Need War" with T.I. does it some justice, and adds a bit of energy to the track. "By Any Means" with Watch The Duck (haven't heard of him until this tape, interesting name to say the least), T.I., Spodee, and Shad Da God adds a different vibe to the tape, but the crazy, gibberish-spewed hook is hard to understand and takes away from the song a bit, although its quite hilarious to hear if you like hearing fast talking "rappers" who mix groaning with a nice hit of crack. Check out this track if you want a laugh.
One thing that bothered me about this tape was the lack of B.o.B verses. Ol Bobby Ray has to be number 2 in line behind Tip in terms of who pulls the most weight, and to me he's the best rapper on Grand Hustle lyrically. Not only that, but 1 SONG with Iggy on it?! What's the deal there? You would think you'd try to get the biggest star in pop today on your mix tape more, ESPECIALLY if she's on your label! Not sure what the deal is there, but Iggy's sold out a bit to me anyways. They like to call it longevity, or versatility, but she's gone pop and strayed away from her rap roots a bit it seems.
Altogether a decent tape, but definitely one for strictly party use or car bumping. Lacking a bit in versatility, you don't hear a lot of RNB songs (minus "Champaign Room"), or straight "hip hop" songs where these guys like to show their ability, so it's a bit one dimensional. Highlights are the decent production, and appearances from practically EVERY relevant Grand Hustle rapper still around (Young Dro especially, it's nice to hear he's still got some skill on tracks like "Who We Is [OG]", and Trae Tha Truth is underrated as well, he's always reminded me of Bun B). So if you're looking to numb your body and your speakers a bit as well, give GDOD 2 a listen yourself, and make sure your speakers are heavy!
Nowadays in hip hop, its gotten harder and harder to find the ones that are truly different from your every day average rapper. Money, cars, clothes and hoes are all very nice things (word to T.I.), but at the end of the day people love music that relates to them, along with original, refreshing topics and subject matter. And if there are two rappers in the entire genre that provide this type of music to their listeners, they are Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Kendrick is arguably one of the top 5 lyricists in the game, and Cole's not too far behind. Putting that together with both of their amazing story-telling abilities, what would we have? An album for the ages. But where is this album that they have been teasing us about for 3 years?
Now when you think of Kendrick and J. Cole as rappers by themselves, you know what you get from each for the most part. Two very good, lyrical rappers with distinctive voices, writing abilities, and mass appeal like Gang Starr. Both are huge deals in the main stream rap music media, reaching gold and platinum selling status on albums like "Good Kid Maad City," "Cole World: The Sideline Story," and "Born Sinner." Not only on albums, but singles for each artist hit gold and platinum status as well. For Cole some of these songs were "Work Out," "Crooked Smile," and "Power Trip." For Kendrick, "Poetic Justice" and "Swimming Pools" have gone gold and platinum, respectively.
Now there isn't much work the two have done together, but from what we have gotten from the two collaborating, it surely didn't disappoint. Cole has produced two songs for Kendrick, the first being a single from his "Section.80" album, "HiiiPoWeR." The second cut is "The Jig Is Up," which if you recall came out shortly after "Good Kid Maad City" dropped in 2012, and includes Kendrick name-dropping Shyne, mainly because of Shyne voicing his opinion on how much he didn't like Kendrick's album publicly. To return the favor, Kendrick has featured on Cole's latest album, "Born Sinner," specifically on the hook of the song "Forbidden Fruit." Just a couple of small teases of work from the two emcees, but are they hints at what's to come?
Fans of both can only hope so, although there hasn't been much talk of the project from either rapper since last year. Kendrick has stated in an interview that the project will have no release date, and will "drop out of the sky" when they see fit. I suppose this method will stop heart attacks everywhere, or at least limit them, but the day I get online and find out a J. Cole/Kendrick Lamar album has dropped? I'll need an inhaler, and I don't even have asthma! But regardless of my medical issues, the fans are ready for a J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar collaborative album. But is hip-hop ready?
The only real reasons for delays of the album (according to Cole) has been that both rappers have had their own projects to release and promote, Kendrick with "GKMC," and Cole with "Born Sinner." Cole has spoken on the album in early 2013, a few months before "Born Sinner" came out. He says the collaboration is "still happening," and speaks on the competitiveness between the two in the studio with writing verses and going back and forth; "it's mad competitive, there's pride to who has a better verse on each song, but we also wanna focus on making better songs." He also had this to say on the challenges of working with another rapper with different ideas on a project: "mentally it's hard because both artists at times can have their minds set on different stuff."
So hopefully the two wordsmiths can come together and make time for something bigger. Just the mere rumor of this possible collaboration has the hip hop world in a frenzy, although not since last year. The expectations for this project would be higher than Wiz Khalifa on a plane, but if they do focus on making quality songs and having their ideas come together as one, I'm sure they'll have no problem living up to them. Quality songs with a message and a great beat behind it are just a couple ways to make a song, but I'm sure if this project did happen we'd be seeing some good old fashion going back and forth with the lyrical, energetic, punch line filled brand of rap that these two can provide just as well as anyone in rap. Now us impatient, not-so-fond-of-games type of fans have to sit and play the waiting game. Hopefully you see the problem in this...
B.o.B started his career with incredible promise. Bringing in a sound like no one had heard before, the talent of a real musician and the writing skills to rap and hang with the best of them. His first album, the Adventures of Bobby Ray, brought in a lot of publicity for its music alone, but pulling an Eminem verse on your first album isn't exactly a bad thing either. Transitioning to his mix tapes, many would argue they are miles ahead of his album material. His albums have left a lot to be desired to this point, at least to fans of the theAdventures of Bobby Ray or the "Generation Lost" B.o.B. His mix tapes usually seem to contain a lot more of those fire verses and beats, as we know Bob is no slouch on the production side of things either. No Genre was arguably the best of all of his mix tapes. It's a bold move to follow it up, but No Genre 2 certainly brought us a new, yet familiar sounding B.o.B.
Now we've always known Bobby Ray to be that guy to sort of go against the grain, speaking out on issues of people, the world, and the people of the world rather comfortably. Songs like "Mission Statement" and "Many Rivers" are nice reminders of the old B.o.B, the one that spoke out against something he didn't like or something that wasn't right. This B.o.B I believe is the one people were looking for for quite some time, and you can definitely tell that even with the issues he's speaking on, he seems to be having fun making music.
The thing I find so interesting with Bob is his range. You can have fun listening to any of his songs, no matter the topic or the theme behind the song. The problem with his last mix tape, Fuck Em We Ball, seemed to be a surplus of party songs, but not many real thought provoking tracks. No Genre 2 certainly has a great mix of both. B.o.B shows us he still can make a banger or a nice party track when he wants to with songs like "Get Right," "Lambo," and "Drunk AF." The guitar being played throughout "Lambo" shows that he appreciates real musical instruments as he always has, as opposed to just the normal bass and synth heavy instrumental.
Bob's production really does shine throughout the tape as well. With great sampling on "Many Rivers," he puts nice 808s and drums behind a real jazzy sounding tune. My personal favorite track on the tape is "Swing My Way" featuring the beautiful R&B vocals of Sevyn Streeter. I haven't heard much of Sevyn before this song, but she certainly drew my attention with her smooth, dare I say Aaliyah like voice. Certainly catchy, just as much as his also self-produced "Follow Me," which also features more smooth guitar as B.o.B talks about more of the struggles, a lot of lying awake and getting no sleep, but learning to take things one day at a time. He certainly does encourage you to "follow" him down a path of what some call crazy, and others call greatness; but you can form your own opinion about it.
B.o.B's features can usually be a hit or miss on tracks it seems, on both his mix tapes and his albums. Sevyn Streeter provides a great hook for "Swing My Way," Mila J's vocals are used on "So What," while Victoria Monet's talents are used on "Lean On Me" and "The Nation." A great woman who can sing a nice hook has always been a weak spot for me, so maybe that's why I like these songs so much. As far as rap and feature verses go, Jake Lambo gives a couple of decent verses on the songs "The Nation" and "Lambo." Of course he had to be featured on "Lambo!" Would he really be Jake Lambo if he wasn't featured on a song called "Lambo?" This is another unanswered rap question I suppose. Anyways, seeing as its B.o.B, you know he had to pull a T.I. verse somewhere on this tape. "Chosen" is another great song and T.I. does exactly what Tip does on this one (wait, which is which?). The bottom line is that "Chosen" is a real nice trunk music type banger that puts B.o.B on a really catchy hook.
So are you not entertained? Is B.o.B finally doing right by his die hard fans? Being a fan of him since the "the Adventures of Bobby Ray" days, I'd like to believe that he is. Bob has always been arguably one of the most versatile rappers out there. With talk of rock albums, a history of singing, but also an ability to kill your favorite rapper on his own song, it seems B.o.B is doing whatever he chooses at this point in his career. You would be hard pressed to compare one B.o.B project to another, and this includes both his mix tapes and his albums. Too many people like to say that he "changed," or that he "sold out," and I used to be one of these people, but this project certainly turned me on to the perfect mix of the old B.o.B with the new. Is his music experimental? Some may call it that. I couldn't argue that it wasn't. Is B.o.B a musician trying to pose as a rapper? Of course not. B.o.B's roots come from rapping, but having the talent to play a nice piano or guitar riff doesn't hurt your range either. Does anybody really know what to call B.o.B anymore? They will call him what they will. But if you're being realistic about it all, all you can really say about him is that his artistry does not have a genre. No Genre, to be exact.
