NBA Players That Rap

If there's one thing that I love other than hip-hop, it's NBA basketball. I love to watch it all, if there's a game on ESPN I don't care who it is, I'm always interested because I grew up with the game of basketball (never was that great of a player, obviously since I'm blogging now). If there's one other thing I love more than even basketball it's got to be hip-hop (you might not have known this, but it's true, I promise), and blending the two together is an absolute dream for me. It's funny to think that some NBA players wish they could rap (well), and a lot of rappers had dreams of being ball players. The lifestyle is a lot bigger than what it seems I suppose, and a lot of those NBA players didn't let their current lives or careers stop them from doing what they love (other than basketball). Here's a list of 5 NBA players that have recorded rap songs.

Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest)

Metta World Peace could probably be known for just about anything BUT basketball at this point. With his infamous "Malice at the Palace" fight back in 2004, and of course his raps, it seems Metta is creating quite the image off of the basketball court. Not all of that image has been good, but I believe there is more good in Metta than people give him credit for. Oh I forgot his name isn't Metta World Peace anymore, he now likes to go under the name Panda Friend. How can you think a guy named PANDA FRIEND is a monster?  Give the guy a chance. Definitely some decent rhymes on this song "Champions" though, which was recorded after his 2011 Lakers team won the NBA Title.

Stephen Jackson

Another player involved in that "Malice at the Palace" brawl is also a rapper, former Indiana Pacers forward Stephen Jackson. Here we have a music video for a Stak5 video called "Save The Day." Jackson proceeds to live that lifestyle in this video, doing things like shooting dice, sipping 1800 tequila, and you know... being a BALLER. A day in the life of Stephen Jackson, I suppose.

Kevin Durant

That's right, even the NBA's reigning MVP has spit hot fyah in the booth like Dylan. This song is actually pretty dope considering a guy that's supposedly going in and not knowing what he's doing (you'd assume no NBA player would know how to rap I suppose). This song not only features a decent verse from Durant where he actually talks his shit, but also a nice verse from an up and comer by the name of Privaledge. I haven't heard of Privaledge before, but this is a decent introduction to him.

Steve Francis

Here's a music video for a "finer" cut from Steve Francis, "Finer Things". I'm not understanding how these NBA players have any time whatsoever to shoot music videos. Can anyone answer this question for me?  Granted Steve Francis has been out of the NBA for more than 5 years, there are still current NBA players that do so (I think, once I find out who, I'll let you know.) It is sad to see how Francis' life has turned out since then, if you haven't seen the pictures he looks pretty cracked out. I'm never one to hate or wish ill will on any NBA player, and I hope that Steve only finds success and happiness in his future endeavors.

Allen Iverson

If there is any NBA player that defines a generation of style, that defines hip-hop as a whole, there is no question it is Allen Iverson. This guy made it cool to wear sleeves on your arms playing ball in the park, this guy made dreads popular, and this guy is considered by many (myself included) to be the father of the crossover. Yes there weren't many more players that ever played that were cooler than Allen Iverson, and if you're cool... well of course you rap. This song is supposedly a freestyle from A.I., and he definitely spits that real over a cool beat.

That's not even half of the NBA players who have taken their interest of hip hop to the booth. Some other guys rumored to rap are Lou Williams, Iman Shumpert, Tony Parker, Joe Smith, Delonte West, and even KOBE BRYANT (I only say "rumored" because I didn't look for any of these guys' tracks anywhere). Kobe's rapping career didn't last very long at all, but there is a music video floating around of him out there of a song that is apparently off of an unreleased album. Shaquille O'Neal is probably the first name that comes to mind when you think NBA rappers, but come on... really?  Do you really take Shaq seriously on the mic?  Didn't think so. Let me know if you know any other NBA player rappers that I didn't mention, and let me know if you think any of the ones I mentioned or that you find have any legit skill in this rap thing. Most of these guys should keep their day job, but this sort of thing just proves how much love, happiness, and enjoyment hip hop brings other people once again. Either that or some players just like to brag about their NBA lives and talk shit. I could certainly see it being a mix of both.  

Why Snow Tha Product Is the Best Femcee

It seems like whenever a girl is on the come up in rap, they're never taken seriously at first, if ever. Few chicks in rap today get the attention they deserve (at least because of their music). For whatever reason that may be, this particular femcee (yeah, that's a twist on the phrase "female emcee", do you like it?  I read it somewhere and I'm using it from now on) could be the one to change that. Her name is Snow Tha Product, and if you don't know who she is, you're about to. I had been introduced to her briefly (one feature verse) before, but the Latina femcee definitely earned my attention.

So obviously if you tuned into the BET Awards, and you're like me, the only reason you really watched was because of the cyphers. Of course it's depressing knowing no cypher will measure up to the 2011 edition featuring the monstrous Shady 2.0 cypher, I watch every year just to see if anyone worthy of watching is participating. This year was certainly another disappointment, but there's always that 1 or couple of verses that you hear and you're left wondering:  just how in the hell have I not heard of this artist before?  Well, now knowing Logic is as underrated as it gets, the other verse that caught my attention was Snow's. This chick got on spitting ridiculous, keeping up with the best of the best, even had a point where she got off some Spanish bars!  After I saw this I knew she was the real deal and like a drug, I needed to have more.

And I certainly wasn't disappointed in what I'd found. A datpiff.com search came up with 3 mix tapes, and like the thorough researcher I think I am, I checked out all 3. Her first effort, Run Up Or Shut Up, was the typical first mix tape you'd hear from an artist on the come up. Iffy production, an over saturation of party tracks, and talks of haters and "shwag" (another new word, but one I like to think I've created, it's pretty much the parody of "swag" and the realization of how dumb the word "swag" really is). Her second mix tape, Good Nights & Bad Mornings, was exactly the potential I believed Snow could reach put into musical form. She comes with a more aggressive style, better production, a better quality in music including more topics and subject matter, and her competitive and confident attitude takes full swing. It's safe to say Snow found her voice on this project. Her third mix tape, Good Nights & Bad Mornings 2: The Hangover, is certainly a continuation of the great music she made on the first edition of the series, the only difference being the addition of some big name features including Ty Dolla $ign, Dizzy Wright, Trae The Truth, Cyhi The Prynce and Riff Raff.

So looking into her music, I was certainly impressed (and I'll be downloading some key tracks from those mix tapes, I'll admit). I cant say I had expectations going in, but if I did Snow has far exceeded them. She definitely made an impression on me with her mix tapes, but an impression being made on me in terms of lyricism, flow, and proving that you're a good rapper is a completely different story. You can make good music without being the "kill you on your own track" type of rapper. To me, this sort of thing shows true ability and the aspect of competitiveness that takes a rapper farther than their abilities alone, and if there was one track I needed to hear to have Snow prove her abilities to me, this would be it.

Ummm... alright. Ms. Tha Product, is it?  You have my full attention. Normally any one rapper (man or woman) being featured on a Crook song doesn't get my attention because, well, I know what Crooked I can do. He's Crooked I. What else need be said?  No other verse I've ever heard on the same song as Crooked I having a verse has come even close lyrically, but if I had to pick one, this one certainly takes the cake.

So who is Snow Tha Product?  If you asked me, I'd simply reply "the best female rapper you haven't heard of yet." The rest of the game has it's Nicki Minaj's, you have your Iggy Azalea's (and people will claim Iggy isn't hip-hop, though it's hard to argue at this point), you even have the proven greats like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lil Kim, etc., but Snow is unlike anything you or I have heard before. To say it isn't hard for a female to come up in the music industry (especially rap) would be a straight up lie, but obviously for the ones that have made it, you give props to them because whether you like their music or not, they've earned that come up. Snow isn't quite there yet, the main reason being she has no studio album out yet, but I believe Snow is the next Nicki Minaj. No, scratch that. I believe Snow has potential to represent every woman in America with strength, dignity, and an unrivaled ability to spit with the best of them all, period. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Snow's cypher verse, spitting alongside Vic Mensa, Treach (Naughty By Nature), King Los and David Banner in the 2014 BET Awards below.

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




    

5 Dope MF Doom Tracks (A Lesson For Me, and Hopefully You Too)

I love hip-hop. I could really talk about it just about all day. And being the lover of hip hop that I am requires loads of research. It can get tiring yes, but when you love something you'll go that much farther to learn more about it or make it happy (at least I don't have to buy it dinner though, that's always a plus). But recently my interest has peaked hearing about this MF DOOM character (just ONE of his characters, I might add), so I had to go back and do a bit of research on him, and I wasn't disappointed with what I found. Here are my 5 stand out MF DOOM tracks.

Rhymes Like Dimes

This was probably the first song from DOOM I heard, and it definitely had me wanting more just from hearing the beat. Highlights from DOOM's flow include lines like "classical slapstick rappers need chap stick", and he makes it all sound so great even without drums. One thing that definitely caught me by surprise though was the Bobbito feature towards the end of the track!  I know nothing of his hip-hop history, but if you're a former PlayStation gamer like me, you know Bobbito from NBA Street Vol. 2!

One Beer

This song is an example of some fantastic sampling from DOOM (I'm not sure if he produced this song, but I do know he has a history of producing, most recently for Joey Bada$$), and he rides the beat effortlessly in his trademark, fast paced, never slowed down flow. I thought this sample had sounded familiar, and realized that Wiz Khalifa had used the same sound on the song "Visions" off of his incredibly successful Kush & Orange Juice mix tape.

America's Most Blunted

This song features a crazy, almost cartoon like beat and great verses from DOOM and the very fittingly trippy voiced Lord Quas. This track is definitely one for the smokers, it's evident by not only the sound of bong hits in the beginning, but the small Easter eggs put in towards the end of the track, sounds from who knows what. If I could say one thing about Madvilliany as a whole, it'd have to be that so far it's my favorite DOOM project to listen to, the beats are fantastic and DOOM is at the top of his game with his rhymes.

Old School Rules

 This shit right here is RAW! Real rap raw (as the legendary Chocolate Droppa would say) is the only way to define this song, and with a beat that is just begging for some hard bars to be spit over it, DOOM and the legendary Talib Kweli do just that on this one. You could almost call this a cypher (certainly better than what we saw at the BET Awards this year)!

A.T.H.F

This is something I have never seen before in rap, and I have to say I like it a lot. I'm not even a big fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but DOOM got them in a couple of skits, and even a song!  Meatwad was spitting some hot rhymes on one of those tracks for a second. This comes from the Danger Doom album The Mouse and The Mask, which if you didn't know is a collaboration of DOOM and Danger Mouse (if you don't know Danger Mouse, he's produced a bunch of stuff for the Gorillaz). The Mouse and The Mask saw a couple of mainstream features for DOOM (like Ghostface Killah, Cee-Lo Green, and Talib Kweli) which is something you don't see a lot of.

So coming from a new DOOM listener, I have to say these tracks are definitely enough to keep me interested and see what else DOOM has to offer (although it's hard to keep track of all of his alias'). I have yet to listen to other great albums of his that were recommended, such as his Viktor Vaughn stuff and Black Bastards. Listening to his MM...FOOD album I feel like I was introduced to some of the core ways of how hip-hop started, with all of the features of samples talking about Doctor Doom and his evil reign of terror. Hip-hop truly is taking something and turning it into something better, and DOOM definitely did that with MM...FOOD, and he continues to do it with even his newer stuff, sticking to the roots of real emceeing and even producing. So if there's one thing I could say is thanks DOOM, maybe you're not so evil after all...





  

"Studio" Remixes: The Complete Collection (So Far)

We all have our guilty pleasures, and being a regular listener of hip hop, the ones that come around can take any shape or form; for me, my guilty pleasure of late definitely has to be this gosh dang Schoolboy Q song "Studio." The guilt in me comes because I'm not a big fan of Schoolboy Q's entire catalog at this point, or even the "Studio" song as a whole, but I cannot STAND to hear that beat and not lean, jig, boogie, insert dance name here, etc. Studio is a banger as I've said in the past, and there are very few beats that come around that can make just about ANY rapper or singer sound good when they record over them (hell, if I had a chance I might even throw some auto tune on and pour my heart out). So I decided to take a look at the approaches that different rappers and singers have taken over this particular beat; introducing, the complete collection of "Studio" remixes (so far). (*Disclaimer: I do not own any of these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them or the artists*)

Schoolboy Q - Studio (Remix) ft. Nas

This remix I actually did an entire article on awhile back. Why?  Um... because Schoolboy Q "Studio" Remix ft. NAS that's why!  Is there really anything else I have to say?  Oh, well, besides the fact that Nas mentions not only leaving his label Def Jam, but he also hints at having a new album AND having a new single dropping soon!  Mr. Jones, please define "soon" though, because this dropped just about a month ago and we've heard NOTHING so far. I guess real G's move in silence. We'll find out soon enough I suppose.

Cyhi Da Prynce - Studio (Remix)

Cyhi is still somehow considered one of the most underrated rappers in the game, and his "Studio" remix is more proof to that statement. Of course being signed to GOOD Music it's hard to argue that it isn't difficult to stand out, but Cyhi has been paving his own way into stardom with great mix tapes like his Ivy League series and most recently Black Hystori Project. This remix comes from a mix tape hosted by DJ S. Whit and DJ Base, which consisted of exclusive tracks from Coz, Bas, Bizzy Crook, and more.

Consequence - Studio (Remix)

If you don't know Consequence, it's probably because you don't watch "Love & Hip Hop New York" (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Cons has built a decent reputation even before that point, but his favorite thing to do recently is jump on remixes, and it shows with this one. I'll admit though, on this remix he got my attention with these lines: "So there's a goldmine livin on my hard drive, unreleased masters that might just get you hard time, I got vocals from Pharrell, two tracks from 'Ye, demos from Dilla before he passed away." Being an unreleased music fiend I have 4 words for you Cons; PUT EM OUT ALREADY!

Chinx Drugz - Studio (The Yaymix)

 Chinx Drugs takes a stab at the banging beat on the official "Yaymix". If you're new to Chinx Drugz like I am, he is a member of the French Montana led group Coke Boys, and not having heard much of him before, I must say he lays down a decent verse on this remix. I can't say I'm a fan of the Coke Boys (or anything French Montana), but if I could point out something about his verse that stood out to me, it's probably his quick flow.

Plies - Studio (P-mix)

Plies takes a different approach to the placement of his verse on his Studio "P-Mix", instead of opening up the song with his verse, he takes the normal guest verse route and goes after Schoolboy's first verse. Honestly I can't say I'm feeling Plies' remix of the song, mostly in part of barely being able to understand what he's saying in his verse. I haven't listened to enough of Plies to form an overall opinion, but based on this song I probably wouldn't want to go back and listen to more of his music.

Chris Brown ft. Trey Songz - Studio (Remix)

This is definitely a different twist to Schoolboy's hit song, this time Chris Brown and Trey Songz decide to jump on the beat, and Breezy even customizes and remakes the hook himself. I've really never listened to Chris Brown regularly, but this remix definitely does RnB fans justice, and obviously the beat is always going to be enough to make bass heads tremble. The artwork for the song is also really cool, the way they got both of their faces mixed together into one so perfectly is great, but it's also hard not to notice the "TRGA BRZY" label. Do the two RnB juggernauts plan to release some sort of collaborative project together soon?  Only time will tell I suppose. Anyways, the 3 mixed together (although I personally didn't hear much of Trey Songz on the track) are a perfect blend, and a great tool to get your girl in that certain type of mooooood (*deep radio DJ voice*, I could definitely be a talk show/radio host given the right voice tools).

So that is a brief collection of "Studio" remixes made up until this point (if I've forgotten any other good ones let me know), which one is your favorite?  If there is anyone else who you'd think could make this beat sound any better than it already does (which could be a very hard thing to do at this point) who would it be?  Let me know your answers to these questions on Twitter or Google+.
 

 

 
 

Murda Mook vs. Drake: Drake... What Are You Doing?!

I'm proud to say that I am now a fan of battle rap. I don't know as many battlers as the most avid fan, I probably only know the contestants who participated in the first run of Total Slaughter, but I will say that battle rap has caught my attention enough to tune in to news, battles, and the next Total Slaughter competition. I believe Total Slaughter was a much more special thing than a lot of people made it out to be, its definitely opened up a world of possibilities, and one of the biggest being mainstream rappers wanting to partake in the par-tay. Recently Drake has shown an interest in wanting to step into the battle ring and show his skills. Normally this would be pretty cool for Drake fans, or probably not, everyone has their views, but to me Drake is making a mistake by calling out the king of this battle rap shit right now:  Murda Mook.

If you tuned in to the BET Hip-Hop Awards this past Tuesday, October the 14th, you probably had mixed emotions about it all like I did. We saw an epic Brandy, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo performance, we saw Snoop Dogg and Dougie Fresh absolutely rock the stage after Dougie got honored with the I Am Hip Hop Award, and we saw a new twist to the cyphers (which I can't even begin to describe how disappointed I was, there were maybe 2 rappers I was glad to see in all of them combined). One of the more talked about events also included a live cypher, originally put together by Mook and Snoop, and containing verses from Mook and other battles rappers Arsonal, Calicoe, and Couture.

Before this show aired however, there were rumors floating around of Drake wanting to participate in battle rap, and calling out Mook personally. Obviously Mook didn't take this "calling out" very well, and went and dissed Drake live on his BET cypher verse, with this line: "king of battle rap, comfortable in first place, here, finish line is all mine, heard Drake? How you flashbackin to actin it's real here, cripple your career put it back in a wheelchair, get killed here, ain't no chill here, my demeanor, don't play the field here, de-grass-si, it ain't greener."

In case you don't remember, Murda Mook beat another battle rap great in the first Total Slaughter, Loaded Lux. Mook arguably has the most decorated battle rap resume in the entire game, and for Drake to call that out, I can't say I really agree with him. Drake has a history of coming up with some clever lines don't get me wrong, in songs like "Draft Day" he displays arguably the best of his abilities, but Mook does this for a LIVING. What a lot of mainstream rappers today don't realize (and personally I didn't even realize until starting to watch it a myself) is that battle rap and recording rap songs are two COMPETELY different beasts. It's almost safe to say that battle rappers could record songs and be successful (Eminem anyone?), but the other way around doesn't work out very well. If you have no history of battling and you actually have the balls to get into the ring with somebody who does regularly, there's no question you're going to get smashed.

There's even more to it than that though. A few aspects of battle rap are different from the mainstream song recording rap. One big one that Slaughterhouse member Joell Ortiz pointed out in an interview with The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 is the performance aspect of battling, which is definitely a point that I saw was key as well. If you're used to performing songs you certainly have a history of performing obviously, but battle rap is more than jumping around and getting the crowd hyped, although getting the crowd on your side is another huge key in being a successful battle rapper.

So what do you think about Drake stepping into the battle rap ring?  Is he cut out for it, or do you believe he is making a mistake?  Be sure to let me know what you think on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover), Google+, or even the comment section below, and be sure to check out the interview where Joell Ortiz discusses Joe Budden's mishaps in his Total Slaughter battle below, that conversation starts around the 6 minute mark.

                     (*I do not own this video, the rights to it, anyone in the video, or Power 105*)

       






            

5 Crazy Crooked I Verses

If there's one aspect of rap that I find particularly fun to listen to, it's great lyricism. Some rappers spit bars so ahead of people that their lines can end up actually going right over people's heads (including myself at times, admittedly), but I believe that's what makes the re-listening experience that much more valuable. It's kind of like re-watching that new episode of your favorite show every week: you're just picking up on what you missed. And if there is one rapper that comes to my mind whose similes, metaphors, punch lines and wordplay are almost unrivaled right now (though criminally underrated to some, even at this point), it's Crooked I. He's built a reputation as one of the best lyricists in rap today (I'd even go as far as putting him in the top 10 all time), and his consistency is incredible considering the thought put into each and every line. Today I'd like to bring to light 5 of his craziest verses (honestly some verses I just thought of rather quickly, there are probably PLENTY more out there that could give even these a run for their money, not because these verses lack, but because Crook is THAT good).

Slaughterhouse - Weight Scale
Craziest Line: "And this bulletproof vest is irrelevant, I'm telling them look at your melon, I'm nailing a shell in it, and the shell is moving right through your melon into your skeleton, then the felon is belling the same pitch the fella was yelling in."

This verse comes from a mix tape (On The House) that precedes what you could say was Slaughterhouse's first real chance at bringing lyricism into the mainstream, their first major label album, Welcome To: Our House. The hunger of each member is sensed immediately in each and every track off of this mix tape, though this track was one of the main stand outs. This beat is fantastic and each member puts their stamp on it despite how crazy and fast paced it is. All 4 rappers are just about at the entire rap game's throat and you can tell they had a message to send from listening to this one, and that message was "NOBODY can out rap us."

Crooked I - Fuck U Pay Me ft. Twista & K Young
Craziest Line: "But if you come lame girl we not that cool, I'm a goddamn fool, I'mma lean my top back and pop that tool, get my guap back you'll, know that I'm that dude, from a top mack school, and a block that rule, read my tattoo."

Crook's Psalm 82:v6 mix tape was his first real solo release after Slaughterhouse's Shady Records debut had came out just earlier that same year, back in 2012. It certainly did not disappoint, and Crook's ability to switch flows from medium sized lines, to short and compact bars mashed together at a rapid pace showed best on the Twista and K Young featured "Fuck You Pay Me". K Young laid down a smooth hook with Twista putting out his typical, in your face fast paced raps on the opening verse. Of course a typical verse doesn't necessarily mean bad either, especially with someone as entertaining as Twista.

Crooked I - No Competition
Craziest Line: "Finish any nigga that thinkin that he gone run upon the general, criminal, on general principle, I'mma give em a bullet the momentum is gonna spin em around, then I'mma give em another round, get rid of em."

No, that's not Twista that you hear from the 2:46-2:52 mark, although it would certainly seem like "Mista Twista" was giving Crook some pointers on this one. Another cool thing about this verse is Crook's reference to Ice Cube's "No Vaseline" diss of, well, pretty much everybody else in NWA at the time. That line goes as follows: "Feelin like Cube in his prime, spittin that gasoline, no Vaseline, name another dude on his grind working like hack machine, go ask your team."

Crooked I - The Shady Dynasty (freestyle)
Craziest Line: "Let me speak into the speaker, starin at the studio walls I'm really just reachin for the ether, when niggas say I'm the best they really just preachin to the preacher, if you're not a fan of me now watch how I seat cha in the bleachers, the beast of Long Beach don't make me feed ya to the creatures, for the dough and cheese the mo G's eat ya like some pizza, eat ya like a piece of quiche and leave you in pieces in the freezer, the streets is opposite Jesus, its all hail like Caesar."

 This freestyle is cool to me because of the Shaq vs. Hakeem reference he makes at the 50 second mark: "when I was flat broke this the vision I seen, I had a dream in a shack like O'Neal vs. Hakeem." If you're a basketball fan, how can you NOT love that?  But aside from the creative double entendres Crook cooks up, this song also has a small message, or a sort of PSA in a way. At the 1:21 mark he discusses a girl by the name of Renisha Mcbride, who apparently got shot and killed by a man after simply knocking on his door (nobody knows why or what for, at least as far as I know). So Crook not only displays his usual lyrical miracle capabilities, but also shows a bit of a socially conscious side that his fans have grown to know on this song.

Slaughterhouse - Sun Doobie
Craziest Line: "Mr. Porter record a piano, producers may wanna order some ammo, I'm a California corner reporter, your boy wasn't born with a with a quarter, bein poor as a whore and now my aura is sorta (Soprano)."

Here's another sweet Slaughterhouse cut that doesn't get a lot of shine. Sun Doobie was supposedly on a small EP that "the Slaughter" released in February of 2011, consisting of 6 tracks (even though it's listed online with a track list, I've yet to find any artwork I believe to be real, I have a hard time finding this official release with details anywhere). A question that "Sub Doobie" brought up with me about Slaughterhouse was "why in the hell doesn't Slaughterhouse get any Mr. Porter production ever?" The guy has a history of some pretty catchy tunes and it'd be sweet to see what him and Slaughterhouse could come up with (or what he could come up with in general, it seems Mr. Porter has disappeared since his D12 days, even with rumors of his own album, whether it be NiNE, tHe mEmO or whatever else, if you're reading this Denaun, we're eager to see what comes next for you).

Anyways, that's a small list of Crooked I murdered instrumentals. The list goes on for A LOT longer than just 5 tracks, but like I said, these 5 are just me thinking quickly. Crooked I is one mean dude on the track, and a lot of them weren't even his own tracks. His die hard fans will tell you all about his famous Hip-Hop weekly series, which (if you don't know about it already) was a 52 week series running from April 4th, 2007 to April 3rd, 2008, and entailed Crook getting requests from his fans to rap over an instrumental of a fan's choice. Every week he rapped over a new instrumental and gave shout outs to fans (who asked him on Myspace). If there was any better way to connect with your fans than this, obviously nobody knew about it at the time. This got so much attention that Crook ended up landing an XXL cover in December of 2007. History lessons aside, there aren't many rappers in the industry who have skill quite like Crook, and any verse of his is certainly one that will  probably end up needing a couple of listens to fully digest. Let me know your favorite Crook verses on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) or Google+, and be sure to check out the playlist I've made of crazy Crooked verses on my sound cloud account (GeoffreyGuyHHU) as well.               


           

      
 


  

 
 

Curren$y's More Saturday Night Car Tunes Mixtape Review

Admittedly, I've never truly gotten into Curren$y as heavily as I'd thought I might. Don't get me wrong he's always interested me, being a former huge Wiz fan obviously you couldn't NOT hear a track with the two every now and then, but I never looked into him as much as I thought I would. Well, until now that is. One thing I am aware of with Curren$y is how hard he works to constantly put out music, and that's a pretty good reason to be a fan. It seems you're always getting new material.  A 7 track mix tape seems the perfect introduction to someone fairly new to a rapper as I am to him, so what is there to lose?  Curren$y you sly dog you.

The intro on More Saturday Night Car Tunes is something I admit I haven't heard anything quite like before. Simply named "Intro", this song comes with almost a zapping form of production from constant hit maker Cardo. If you've heard of Cardo before it's probably because of his production on a good selection of Joe Budden and Slaughterhouse songs, I also happened to feature him in my "5 Producers You Should Know" article a while back. Anyways, back to Curren$y. The weirdest thing about this song is he doesn't rap over it at all, and you wish he would. He pretty much just talks over the beat, and even has a point where he says "I know a couple mother fuckers new to this shit, thought I was about to rap. A lot of us already know that I had, like, 5 more tracks to that." He goes on to mention tweeting the producer of the song, Cardo, and almost prepares the listeners for what they're about to experience it seems. The crazy part about it is when listening to just the music portion of the beat, this intro is actually good. I have to say I've never seen this done before, but it fits, knowing Curren$y and how "chill" of a vibe he wishes to create for the listeners.

"Champaign Reign" is built around a piano based beat (don't worry, he actually raps in this song) that surprised me because of what seems like at first a lack of drums.  Of course I figured out shortly after putting on headphones that this song doesn't contain real drums, but some wavy sounding 808s that add a nice vibe to the song. The next cut, "Countin Money" ft. Wiz Khalifa seems like the first real dose of music on the mix tape, and it doesn't disappoint. Wiz lays down a typical Wiz verse, flexing about his money and weed intake as usual, but what got me jigging a bit was the catchy hook Curren$y lays down.

"Money Shot" is the perfect mixture between Mac Miller and Curren$y's conflicting rap styles. Mac's verse contains the usual entertaining, keep you on your toes type of verse. It's decent, but definitely seems that he's holding back a bit considering the song and the style. Mac's usual raps are filled with a different lyrical style and picture painting capabilities, but he slows himself down, almost seemingly taking meds on this track, and part of the slow down seems to be the slow, somewhat jazzy instrumental holding Mac back. Curren$y sounds as good on this track as you'd like him to sound, to quote some lyrics in the song, he's almost "comfortably dressed" in the instrumental. My favorite part of the song is the last 10 seconds, where the beat slows down into this other worldly place with a really cool ending hook to finish.

If there's any song on this tape that actually surprised me a bit, it had to be "Drug Prescription". You expect a lot different from Curren$y, but this is a very cool change of pace. I've never heard of any sort of story telling ability from the New Orleans rapper, but this track proceeded to open my eyes a bit. He actually goes at other industry rappers a little, with lines like "these other rappers out ain't half as sick, all that half ass shit will get your whole ass whipped." This is certainly a surprise to me, a guy who got used to song types from Curren$y like "Rollin Up" with Wiz Khalifa, and their joint mix tape Live In Concert, all strictly weed mixes. It's always a great thing to see the competitive aspect of the game live in a rapper and show through his music, even if it's only every now and then.

So Curren$y is certainly a talented act to tune into, and More Saturday Night Car Tunes is just another example of why. What this tape opened me up to is Curren$y's great rapping ability mixed with a desire to make great music. It's hard to find rappers with the mix of both types of music, and while Curren$y prefers and certainly shines on calming, chill, bumping car tunes that he usually makes, you definitely better not mistake him for a rapper that has no lyrical content. For some reason I can't get past the "Saturday night cartoons" way of hearing the title of the tape (Wabbit season! Duck season! You know what, never mind.) But anyways, I personally would love to see a K.R.I.T and Curren$y collaboration, hopefully some time in the future. Yes ladies and gents, this is me giving the okay to put Curren$y's tape in the CD player, or tape deck if you're going old school, and just riiiiiide out.     

           



            

   

The B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray Argument: How Artists Change Over Time (My Theory)

So maybe I'm just in that argumentative, debating type of mood today. Have you ever started liking an artist before they got big, expected them to do great things, and got excited to say that you (in this case, "could have been") have been a "day 1 fan"?  Then long after this artist has been through their come up, including the glitz and the glam, making all of that music that brags about the glitz and the glam, you get mad that they're bragging about all of their glitz and glam because you thought they could be someone else entirely?  Am I really already rambling just 3 sentences in?  Hopefully not, but there is a point to be made here. Fans get frustrated with their favorite artists and the music they're making, in a lot of cases even with the lifestyle they're living, and speaking as a fan that did (does) both of these things, I feel I've had a change of heart (kind of, but not really) towards these artists who have changed the way they do things for the worse, and hopefully I'll have a few points as to why you should have a little bit of sympathy towards these artists as well.

So I call this the "B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray Argument" for a reason:  although you could use similar points to describe several other artists and how they've changed, B.o.B seems to be the artist in which these points hit closest to home for me. When you think about B.o.B and his music, whether its one of the 3 studio albums he's released, or one of his 9 mix tapes ( which arguably build more of a buzz than an album of his at this point), there is one stand out aspect of his music:  his versatility. There's virtually no one who transforms their sound as much as B.o.B, or anyone who can do it with as much success as he has. You can almost name his sound after one of his mix tapes or albums, for example:  that's Fuck Em We Ball B.o.B, or I miss B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray B.o.B, or something like "I think No Genre B.o.B is the best B.o.B (Admittedly B.o.B fans are pretty much never satisfied, or so it seems). So in Bob's case it's certainly different, but there are MANY more cases for different artists.

You can practically name any rapper today who hasn't had 2 projects sound the same since their very first. Eminem screamed his lyrics at people on Recovery, Kanye doesn't want to make rap music anymore (at least from hearing "Black Skinhead", or people's opinions on Yeezus), and Magna Carta Holy Grail showed Jay Z obsessed with his money. While all of these examples are big ones, the changes in the music itself can be explained. In Eminem's case for Recovery, just coming off of a brutal drug abuse stint that almost took his life, it certainly seems to me that this would not only affect your personal life, but when you rap about your personal life, it'd probably have a pretty big impact on that too.

So does a rapper's personal life affect their music making process?  I believe there's no question it does. It would certainly affect their brains and how they think, so when it comes to the music and the subject matter and what they talk about, you can only assume it would change. When rappers talk about things that seem to happen all the time (or that happen more than you or they would like them to) like the hood life, getting shot at, selling drugs and living around gangs, if that were you, you'd certainly want to vent in some way, right?  And when it comes to things like family troubles (or even building a family, such as Eminem raising his daughters or Kanye and Kim raising baby North), that's another topic that would be on your mind just about 24/7, depending your priorities.

Another example of someone who's music is fueled by his life in general is Drake. Seriously though when you think about it, when ISN'T this guy talking about his life in his music?  Break ups, partying, his come up, meeting Lil Wayne, meeting Jay Z, getting robbed with 2 guns in his face during a stick up (supposedly, as he says in "The Resistance" off of Thank Me Later), he talks about EVERTHING. It seems we know the inspiration for Drake's music in general (if you didn't already know, which I hope you would if you listen to Drake regularly). So does Drake's music change, or has it changed?  Everyone has their opinion, but I say no because he's had the same influences since he started.

I used to be a pretty big Wiz Khalifa fan (as much as I hate to admit it, yes it's true). Starting from his Flight School mix tape and going on until about Cabin Fever 2, I have to definitely say there was a change in his style (as hard as that is to believe). I loved Flight School and just about every song on there, but I feel what I enjoyed most about Wiz was his different and unique style that was so new that it drew me in. Even seeing how he dressed and his style in pictures from back then, the sweatshirt wearing, backpacking, hat-wearing, tatted up version of Wiz was certainly my favorite (whether there was an influence from "that grass" or not). Maybe that's why I don't find it so appealing to listen to now, it seems he's sold out completely from who he came up as. You can tell the difference in his hunger in the music game from his start up until this point because it shows in his music (granted I haven't listened to really any of ONIFC, Blacc Hollywood, or anything in between these projects). My question is how does Wiz respond to not only having a kid, but also the cheating on Amber Rose allegations?  Do you believe his music will change in this process?  His previous history says no, but I'd like to hear what your opinions on the subject are (let me know on Google+ or Twitter @SuperNovaRover).

Anyways, it's probably about time to wrap this one up, though I must admit it feels good to vent how I feel about some of my favorite artists. I used to love Wiz, but it's safe to say I've given up hope for any growth in his music. For B.o.B it's a different story, and almost worse in a way, because I expect him to talk about the money and the fame and the lifestyle now, but then he shows me signs of hope and the old B.o.B in his newer stuff, so I'm just like "MAKE UP YOUR MIND BOB!" If there's anything I've learned about rap and my expectations for my favorites, it's probably that having any sort of expectation only worsens your own attitude about the music, and ultimately makes it harder to enjoy. Fan's expectations of upcoming music ends up disappointing nobody but themselves. Rap fans have a tendency to want or expect the same things from their favorite artists over and over again, which is unrealistic, and in a way unfair. If you were a rapper, wouldn't you think it'd be a bit more exciting to talk about some different stuff from time to time?  As a rapper, if you had some life changing events happen to you (like starting a family, having a kid, or having a close friend or family member die), wouldn't it only be right to talk about them?  Hopefully you understand not just as a fan, but as a person. Let me know your thoughts on my thoughts (Twitter = @SuperNovaRover, or Google+), and how you feel about these same things. Have we underestimated the power of music once again?             

  

       

            

What are your rap DREAM COLLABORATIONS?

I'll admit, Shady XV has got me feeling all types of dreamy and wondering what to expect from it, and admittedly some of these thoughts have expanded into bigger ones. Things like when are they releasing a track list, who's going to be featured on the album, and why are they making me wait are just a few questions I had at first about the anniversary compilation. But then I got to thinking about bigger things, outside of Shady, outside of compilations, anniversaries, or any sort of other reasonable rap theories. So the same questions I asked myself, I ask you, rap readers; what are your DREAM rap collaborations?

So obviously there have to be a few terms and conditions to what these dream collaborative tracks will consist of, and I've come up with 3 possible song types defining what type of track I personally would like to hear (although you can come up with your own, these just happen to be 3 song types I could think of at the moment): story telling tracks, lyrical onslaughts, and party songs. Now normally you would think there would be a bit more of a broad selection of types of tracks, but if you REALLY got to hear what you wanted to hear, would it really matter?  My point exactly. Now if you're still confused on the details or the ramifications of these mythical dream tracks, allow me to give a few examples of what I would like to hear on my very own "If I died and could make songs in my own personal version of afterlife" playlist.

Eminem + Nas / Storytelling Track

This song would be absolutely insane. I honestly have to ask... WHY HASNT THIS SONG BEEN MADE YET?!?!  Both of these emcees are practically the lyrical masters of what they do, and the weirdest thing to me is that Eminem & Jay-Z have been on a song together (once, as far as we know, "Renegades"), Eminem & The Notorious B.I.G have been on a song ("Dead Wrong"), and Nas has been on a song with Jay-Z ("Black Republican", "Success", also including multiple other tracks with other rappers), and hasn't been on a song with B.I.G, but apparently was in discussions with Biggie about a Tupac diss track back in the day that never happened. So it probably doesn't add up "statistically" to fans or any sort of logical way like that, but the history of each emcee is highly storied, which only makes sense for them to tell a story on this song!  But of course how can you make a Nas/Eminem collaboration without adding in their trademark lyricism and legendary flows into the picture?  You certainly can't. And that is why this collaboration needs to happen.. like... NOW!

Slaughterhouse + D12 / Lyrical Onslaught

This "dream collaboration" might have been a result of thinking about Shady XV and the possibilities of what will happen on the compilation album, but does that make it any less exciting to think of the possibilities of it?  I'd like to think not. Your attention span would have to be an extra 10 times bigger listening to this song (that's IF all of the remaining D12 members agree to get back together), but it certainly would be one for the ages. This song would be (including Eminem) a 9 person vocabulary-flexing track that you would have trouble ignoring even if you weren't a fan of Eminem, Slaughterhouse, or D12 (although you'd probably avoid it if you didn't like any one of the rappers included, in that case, I say good riddance, who needs you anyways!). The best thing about this "dream collab" is that our dreams could possibly become a reality when it's time for that Shady XV compilation album to drop. An "alleged" track list of the album leaked not too long ago, and the list included a track of not only Slaughterhouse and D12, but also Shady label mates Eminem and Yelawolf as well!  I wouldn't get too excited until an official track list is given, but the idea of this collab is certainly a possibility.

Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole / Story Telling + Lyrical Capabilities

Maybe I had to include these guys just because I'm still obsessed with the idea of this album happening (and it will, I have faith), but honestly, is there a better pairing in hip hop today than these 2?  When you have the possibility to make a perfect track, starting from lyrical capabilities (two of the best) leading to story telling abilities (again, two of the best), while also thinking about social power and speaking on issues (AGAIN, two of the BEST), and also thinking about just making good music in general (do I have to say it again?), who REALLY is better than these 2 right now?  Putting them on one song together would blow up the internet, let alone an entire album (which we've discussed before, do I really have to come back to this discussion?  Doesn't matter, I'm willing to anyways). We've seen tiny little previews of what these two can do together (production on songs from one and hooks on songs from the other), but the fans will always crave more, and I can almost say that's a fact, because I'm a contributor to the discussion!

So these are just a few of the examples of collaboration ideas that are constantly on my mind that would blow the music world up (and step up its game particularly if you ask me, another reason why I need to be an "idea man" for those guys over at Interscope, but that's a discussion for another day). Some other dream collaboration ideas I've recently come up with are Drake & Big K.R.I.T (Houston influence would play a big key with a slow, bumping track, you'd definitely need subs for that one), and even something like an ASAP Mob and TDE collaboration might not be too bad (the discussions of a TDE and Slaughterhouse battle came up in an interview with Ab-Soul recently). The ideas are certainly endless, and this is where the real fun comes into play!  I want to hear about your wildest and biggest dream collaboration tracks. Be sure to give me the type of song you believe it would be (again, no limit to the types I've listed, you can mention your own type of track), and the reason you believe your collab would be so awesome. Make sure to hit me up on twitter (@SuperNovaRover), Google+, or even just leave a comment on this post detailing your dream collab. I can't wait to see the ideas for this one!  





      













             

Joey Bada$$ is Living With A "Christ Conscious": What I Personally Expect From His Debut

There are many heavily slept on hip hop acts that really don't get the shine they deserve until the point and time comes around when a project drops. I'm saying this not only as an avid observer of hip-hop, but as another example of one of those sleepers (as much as I hate to admit it myself). Joey Bada$$ has been all over the internet since about 2012, and he really got big after his acclaimed mix tape 1999 dropped in June of the same year. Joey has built a following of loyal fans based on his "trapped in the 90s" style and his impressive lyrical capabilities, which is even more impressive because of his incredibly young age of 19 (that's right, born in 1995, I'm starting to wonder what I'm doing with my life). Joey's debut album B4.DA.$$ is set for release in early 2015, and I'm having good feelings about it even as new of a fan as I am, and I'm about to tell you why.

Joey Bada$$ is keeping the real hip-hop alive (this is me speaking as an old time, OG type of old man who discusses hip hop as "it was only good back in the day." I've never actually done it myself, but I'll assume it's a lot more fun to do than to listen to). His sound is unlike many other rappers that you'll hear today, and my first guess is because of his New York influence (I'd also like to go on record to say that Joey's sound reminds me so much of Nas). Now I'm not going to get into what New York has done for hip hop (even though it's practically the mecca and the birth place of it all), you can research that on your own, but being an up and coming rapper from New York, there is definitely more pressure on your music and your sound than the average rapper, mostly due to the legendary history of New York hip-hop.

Now I mentioned that I'm a fairly new Joey listener myself, my interest peaked when I first gave his 2013 mix tape Summer Knights a listen, and I was certainly impressed. It doesn't get more hip-hop than tracks like "Word Is Bond", "95 Til Infinity", or "47 Goonz", and I'll admit "47 Goonz" makes me feel like I have the street cred to go out and do some dirty deeds myself. Not to mention the elite production featured on this tape, including one track from DJ Premier, another from Statik Selektah, and one from DOOM. And this track isn't on the tape, but Joey also went over a beat from the legendary J Dilla (I don't know how you become cool enough to do that at age 19, or get the qualifications to do so, but obviously Joey is cool enough). Joey is a refreshing product of the 90s. A very young one, but certainly refreshing, yet familiar on his take on life in the streets. And no matter how hard I try, I can NOT get this song's beat out of my head. If I get reminded of it, it's over.

 By far my favorite Joey track (at least until "Christ Conscious" came out). All of Joey's music seems to have that "sitting around the house and chilling, maybe I'll do some laundry" type of vibe to it, although I personally can listen to it doing practically anything. Anyways, what do I expect from Joey's album you might ask?  Aside from some more story-telling and personal songs, I'd say a bit of the same of what he's already put out. Normally this would be a bad thing, for anybody else a change of pace is good, but for Joey, staying true to his sound is what his fans need. You could go as far as saying it's what HIP-HOP NEEDS. To be able to say that the 90s (which to many is the golden age of it all) can still live through an emcee as young (and not to mention downright talented) as Joey Bada$$, I think the old heads can still live with a bit of hope. There is no word on who will be producing Joey's debut album, although I wouldn't be surprised to see some from heavyweights like DOOM and DJ Premier, and the producer that handles most of Joey's beats, Kirk Knight (give or take a few more names). So until that day comes, enjoy the supposed first leak off of B4.DA.$$, "Christ Conscious", and the music video accompanying it.

                          (*I do not own this video, this song, the song above, or the rights to either*)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rah Digga says Iggy Azalea Isn't Hip Hop: Is She Right?

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!   


   

Jay Electronica's Album Delay (Also A Brief Case For Why You Should Pay Attention, My Theory)

If there is one thing that compares to Dr. Dre's mythical Detox album (update: not considered "Detox" anymore) in the rap game today (or maybe even the entire music game, probably not but you know) it is probably Jay Electronica's debut album, Act II: The Pledge. This album has been talked about on and off since about 2010, and many Jay fans (some not even Jay fans, rap fans in general) have given up hope on the long-awaited debut. In any other case, I'd say it's hard to argue with the fans that have given up hope. But in this case, to me it's a little different, and let me explain why.

Jay Electronica might be the biggest tease on earth at this point, but it'd be smart to bear with him and see what he has to offer. I'm not saying be a Jay "Stan" and wait for every single release to drop (nobody has that kind of time anyways), but to pay attention to what he does, because when he does do something, it is more than likely a game changer and records like "Exhibit C" and "Better In Tune With Infinite" prove it. The problem is it's hard to tell when we can expect a new record from him, but I'd almost explain him as the Dos Equis man of hip hop (He has a following of fans, without releasing any music [Dos Equis guy voice]. Right? Anybody?).

And that is what I believe the twist with Jay Electronica is, it's an ear/desire to make good music mixed with a fear of releasing bad music (that and the mix of Jay's drug use holding him back, as he said recently in an interview attending the BET Hip-Hop Awards). Jay is such a "game changer" that he wants people to see the difference in him and your every day average rapper. You'd be blind or deaf to say there isn't a difference, but based on today's standards of music (especially rap today, and the mix tape era) and it's listeners, people just don't have the patience to wait. With the availability of music today, whether it be free or not, Jay is asking a lot in what he wants from his fan base. Or is he?

What makes Jay different from the rest of the rap pack?  No I didn't say ratt pack (sorry Logic fans), but if people really cared and maybe you were forced to ask me of my opinion, I'd say it's that Jay is trying to do something different, yet bring rap music back to a simpler, more enjoyable period in time. Jay is pretty old (just turned 38 a few days ago actually) to be considered the every day average XXL freshman, so for him to appreciate the old rap and mix that with his brand of music making, that probably wouldn't give him the every day average "young rapper trying to make it" persona (especially the young part). So the generational gap in not only beliefs, but style comes into play. Not to mention his rumored affiliation with Nas (rumors of his ghostwriting for Nas are insane to me, but a co sign from Nas would NEVER be a bad thing, in fact quite the opposite). And being signed by Jay Z and having your music produced by the legendary Just Blaze isn't a bad case either (has anyone ever noticed the weird "Jay connection" with Roc Nation?  I mean Jay Z, J. Cole, Jay Electronica, seriously what's the deal?).

So should you be interested in what Jay Electronica's next move is?  I say yes. My explanation would probably be a mix between "his music is great and differentiates from the pack" to "I can't describe the fascination with the aura around him." So needless to say I'll be waiting for the next release from him, but the problem is being able to tell when that release is going to be. The man has played his cards pretty close to the chest at this point, so he only draws more interest with that aura already placed around him. An example of this is how often he puts out music. All of his music seems to get a fantastic response from fans, but is that because he so seldom releases music, or because it is really that good?  The fan boy in me can't tell the difference between the 2 (a reason being I've been fascinated with the idea of Detox and it not being released since I first heard about it, I'll go as far as putting Guns N Roses' Chinese Democracy into the equation). All I can hope for for Jay fans everywhere is that you (we) get some sort of answer soon, but the fact that he is performing at the B.E.T Awards in October is certainly a good start.      


  

        
 
      



 

Royce Da 5'9 & DJ Premier's "PRhyme": Why You Should Be Excited

It seems Royce Da 5'9 is taking it to the next level with this one. Earlier this week a short video surfaced of DJ Premier joining alongside Royce rapping in a video over what you could only assume was some choice Premo production. People of the internet were rather excited about what this could possibly mean, but since then no further details were released...until now.

PRhyme is going to be a full length Royce Da 5'9 LP with DJ Premier taking the reigns handling production. It's hard to tell where Premo is going to take the production with on this one, whether or not he chooses to sample certain artists or keep the sampling to a minimum. He did have this to say about the album recently; "I've never sampled just one artist, I'm known for my reputation and my creativity. I wanted it to be my traditional thing where I sample everything I find, but I am really proud of how the project came out and Royce is one hell of a pusher."  From the sounds of this it seems there is a minimum of sampling from Premo, but time will tell what we see in terms of production on the album.

PRhyme will boast some MONSTER features, however. It is confirmed that the project will feature Dwele, Killer Mike, Common, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller, of course his fellow group mates Slaughterhouse, and Royce and Premo even managed to grab Jay Electronica for a feature. Are you excited yet?!  PRhyme has not been given a release date yet, but is rumored to be put out before the end of the year.

The route the Slaughterhouse members have been taking for their music releases has been an interesting one to say the least. Crooked I's last release Apex Predator was put out about halfway through last year, Joell Ortiz's House Slippers saw a release a bit more than a week ago, while Joe Budden has plans for his EP Some Love Lost in November and the release date for the album All Love Lost has yet to be determined.

Being that it is almost October already, so far it seems like these releases from Joe and Royce will spill into next year, while Slaughterhouse as a whole will supposedly be featured on the anniversary project Shady XV and also have their album Glass House coming (no release date given) as well. So far it seems next year will be a very exciting year for Slaughterhouse and Shady fans alike, but all you can do now is wait. Check out the teaser video for Royce and Premo's PRhyme below.

              (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it, Royce Da 5'9, DJ Premier, or PRhyme*)











                  

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

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

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

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

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

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