So I was around a lot of inner city young black males the past three days at a basketball camp and I observed what I perceive as our “future” and had a few issues. Now I know you’re asking “Bars, the f does this have to do with Hip-Hop” and my response, as usual is: everything.
Hoops and Hip-Hop are intertwined forever; there is no way around it. This is mostly because the audience/creators/artists are interested/dominated/deeply invested in both of them. I constantly would hear the kids with heavy Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York accents loudly and publicly rap lyrics of everybody from Wayne to Gucci Mane to Nas and I couldn’t help but think, what are they getting/learning from all this?
I know this is the same ish I’m always on, but a recent chat with my man D made me think about our “future” and what it will be made up of. Hip-Hop is commercially and monetarily driven and besides feeding the inner circles and families (distant and immediate) of the artists, what is the music actually building within the culture?
The emphasis on money and getting paid or whatever variation of this mantra is engrained in each popular rapper’s lyrics are disturbing not just because of their shallow nature, but because the kids aren’t being taught anything different. I’ve touched on this before but after seeing it reflected daily in the youth that will represent our culture in the future, I cringe. It parallels a site like PTM with sayyy Bossip. Now I’m not trying to compare these two because they are in COMPLETELY different lanes, but what I do notice is that the masses are much more concerned with a tabloid site about the latest dirt on black celebrities, mostly Hip-Hop entities, yet a site like PTM, where thought provoking questions are asked, there is minimal love. Now, I know there are a lot of other factors involved but this dynamic is similar to what the kids are getting from Hip-Hop.
It’s not what they are listening “to” it’s what they’re listening “for”. Hip-Hop once “taught” its listeners. Whether it be simple social commentary or the addressing of major issues in the hood (Brenda’s Got a Baby, 9-1-1 is a Joke, etc) Hip-Hop was more than just music, it was a positive representation of culture. And don’t get me wrong it’s still a representation, but now it represents a culture that says “I don’t give a f#$k, I’m trying to get paid” (more cringing).
With all that said, there is a still a persevering spirit that remains and is shown daily from the “nothing to something” stories we continue to get. This is why I will continue to listen to, be critical of, and hope for the best from Hip-Hop; I just hope it’s not in vain.
Friday, July 10, 2009
4 Bars- Scurred
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
What's beef?
Game dissed Jay-Z again the other day in France. Again this leads me to a few thoughts...
First of all, why does Game only diss Jay-Z on international tours? A few years back he told Hov to suck his "member" in Amsterdam.
Second, why won't he just make a diss record already and get it over with? I'm tired of this new kind of dissing, complete with youtube videos and interviews about how "x rapper don't really want it or isnt built for it". Say what you want about 50 but at least you gonna get a song.
Third (from my boy D), is calling Hov old a diss when he's still better and more popular than you are? I'm sorry, did Game perform at the BET awards last week?
Fourth, i think he's scared of Jay because when he beefed with 50, he made like 3 mixtapes worth of diss records.
I guess the Game changed.
Monday, July 6, 2009
They spinnin' n***a, they spinnin'!!!!
Written by JusHH
I think we can all agree that Hip-Hop is the most materialistic music genre since, well, music was created. You can’t turn on any song without hearing about some item that said rapper is either flaunting or chasing. It’s so bad that, MTV cribs is practically a 30 minute Hip-Hop video. Aside from Ice, the most coveted thing to floss has to be the car. I promise you, Henry Ford never foresaw 20” rims, TV’s in the headrest and “removing the roof” when he created his Ford. But I’m not here to bash my rappers. I’m here to celebrate their love for the automobile and determine which is the greatest Whip, Wheels, Ride, V, Car in Hip-Hop history.
From worst to best…
Toyota
Keep in mind that the Toyota Camry is the most used car in the country. I am sure that most if not all rappers have either owned or have been in a Toyota Camry. Yet I can’t even think of a rhyme that has either word in it. Now that I think of it, I’d probably call dude a cornball if he talked about picking up girls in his “Toyota C”. Haha.
Porche
The Porche was always a fly car to have. But it wasn’t that rare and luxurious compared to others and frankly rappers didn’t really flaunt them.
Lamborghini, Ferrari (tie)
This is a tricky one to call. If either of these cars are brought out, they beat just about everything else on the list. But they are kind of like Unicorns, people would mention them from time to time but you never saw them. Very few have even been seen riding in either one of these two cars. They were part of some dope lines but they definitely aren’t Hip-Hop.
Infinity
For a period in time, the Infinity Q45 was the car to have. Everyone seemed to rap about their Q-4-5. It fit well with punchlines and if you saw one on the street, they definitely caught your eye.
Bentley, Phantom (tie)
Very similar to the Ferrari, Lambo argument. These cars quickly became the “flavor of the month” vehicle. While both blew up for a short period of time, neither dominated long enough to really have any kind of long term impact.
Acura
The best thing about this car was how it was used in raps. Shortened to “Ack”, it rhymed with everything. Who will ever forget Pun’s “packing a Mac in the back of the Ack”? And all Raekwon needed on the purple tape was, “house my gat, my Ack. Bank Account fat, its going down like that.” In the early 90’s you could see the low sitting Acura’s (with the kit – although I never knew what that meant) on streets all over the hood.
Lexus
Its hard not to be near the top of this list when you are most closely connected to the greatest rapper (Jay-Z) during the creation of his greatest album (Reasonable Doubt). In the 90’s there was no better flossing than behind the wheel of a Lexus. Appropriately shortened, to come through in a “Lex” meant you were somebody. The problem is that by 2000, no one really cared about that car. It was like the Wu-Tang Clan of cars.
BMW
When Mr. Cheeks gave props to the Beemer back in the day, he was just stating the obvious – BMW’s are dope. Also called the “BM”, the car fit well in many raps and were driven by many artists and people in the hood. It would be higher but it kind of has the little brother syndrome going for it as it never reached the level of its big brother (fyi… it’s the #1 car on the list).
Cadillac
It is hard to top when one car can represent an entire region. While everyone pretty much had it, no one rode in a Caddy like people from the south. The rims, the candy paint, the booming system in the trunk – nothing screamed Houston or Atlanta more. The longevity speaks volumes too. Back in ’94, Outkast named their debut album after the Caddy and you can still hear Bun-B rep it in his verses. And with the South pretty much dictating what’s hot in Hip-Hop, its only fitting that their signature ride is celebrated.
SUV/ Trucks (all models)
If pimping your car out was the flame, than SUV’s were no doubt the gasoline that turned them into forrest fires. The rims which were great at 18 suddenly ballooned to 24 and 26 inches! TV’s, Xboxes and just about anything else you can look at on a screen were inserted any and every where there was room. Speakers the size of Honda Civics were placed in the trunks. And this was all before someone decided to put Lamborghini style doors on them. The race to try to one up the next man got so outrageous and it went right in line with rappers outlandish tales in their verses. But as Hip-Hop as these behemoths were, they were the only runner up.
Mercedes Benz
The grand daddy of all Hip-Hop whips, rides and cars were made in Germany. The Mercedes Benz was the perfect combination of luxury and practicality. While you did see them on the street, you never saw them in the wrong hands. (those who couldn’t get a Benz, got a BM) They stand the test of time. They were as hot in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s as they are today. Roll through in a Benz, and you are somebody – period. In terms of the music, they were the car to rap about. They were called “Benzes”, “Big Body” and they got so cool at one point that only a single number was sufficient. Jay-Z, “had more 6’s than first grade” and Fab had a “6 ever since the 5 retired.” You even had the option to pimp them out or not – it didn’t make a difference. A Benz was a Benz and it was always dope and is Hip-Hop’s #1 vehicle of choice.
I know what some of you are thinking, “Jus, you forgot about the Maybach.”
No I didn’t, Mercedes makes those too.
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Friday, July 3, 2009
What Happens When...
With the bursting success of Drizzy Drake’s career, I am constantly reminded of a line he used on “Ignant Shit” where he says “me doin a show is getting everybody nervous cause them hipsters gon have to get along with them hood niggas…” This line really made me think, “you know what, he’s right…” What does a Drake concert look like and how exactly do the hipsters with their tight ass jeans, loud colors, and vintage Nikes get along with the baggy jeaned, white tee & Jordan wearin hood cats?
I feel like black people (like pretty much everybody else) have long since been infected with this self-segregating gene that is inherited genetically where human beings just have to differentiate and group accordingly. But isn’t music a uniting force? A Lil’ Wayne concert (or any other mega-star rapper) has to have an even greater spectrum and they seem to go off without a hitch, but you know how nigg#*$ get: “Say bruh, you just gon step on my shoe?”
If you’ve been to a concert like this, where several demographics are represented and have to coexist inside a space smaller than the arenas and stadiums that the likes of Jay-Z or Kanye play, holla with some of your best stories. I think my best story is when I went to the Glow in the Dark concert in Philly (technically Jersey) and there was a white dad with his three sons that were ages (approximately) 10, 13, and 14 clearly there to see Kanye and they had NO clue who N.E.R.D. was (naturally) but proceeded to stare at me like a f’n unicorn as I spazzed during, well “Spazz”. I almost wanted to scare the hell out of em by making some loud and threatening gesture so that they would stop staring and try to take in the genius that was occurring on stage, but of course I kept it peaceful and peeped with my peripherals, but I’m sure there are better stories out there, please share.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Not right now...
written by Just K
I’m bumping Drake in the whip. The “Unstoppable” joint was banging in the speakers. Santagold just finished doing her thing on the hook when Weezy came on for his verse.
“she say that I beat that p*$$y better than her gynecologist//
text me any time you want so mo d**k, mo d**k”
This was playing as I pulled into a middle school parking lot. Please believe the volume went way down when I was sliding into that parking spot. It just didn’t feel appropriate to have the volume on high with Wayne speaking that craziness. As much as I love hip-hop and that song, I had to acknowledge that a middle school parking lot wasn’t necessarily the best place to crank that profanity. I had the ability to turn Lil’ Wayne down. I just wish Lil’ Wayne had used that ability on himself during the BET Awards.
Typically I’m not a fan of the BET Awards. This year, however, considering the limited time that BET had to prepare, I think a decent tribute to Michael Jackson was put together. Furthermore, it’s commendable that BET did not fold to the pressure to add Chris Brown to the line-up given his recent guilty plea (I’m not really sure if Don Cornelius should’ve been there either, but that’s another story). Obviously the dark cloud hanging over Chris Breezy would’ve tainted the evening. Why couldn’t BET executives or Lil’ Wayne himself see that a performance of “Every Girl” had that same disastrous potential?
Souljah Boy performing was a bit out of place for the evening, but the song choice was innocent enough. Jay-Z has transcended hip-hop, making his stage show the equivalent of a pop performance. Drake’s brief solo performance started nearing the point of distasteful, but “other hoes ain’t never on it,” so it’s ok. Seriously though, with lyrics like “you can have my heart or we can share it like the last slice” and “sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on// that’s when you’re the prettiest I hope that you don’t take it wrong” things hadn’t gone completely wrong yet. Sadly, when Weezy and crew hit the stage singing “I wish I could f*** every girl in the world” followed by “I always stayed strapped,” a night dedicated to the King of Pop took a horribly wrong turn. Imploring fans to “put your hands up for Michael Jackson in this b!t(#” didn’t help matters at all. The onslaught of curse words, the objectionable song topics, the unkempt appearances of the Young Money crew, and the girls on stage who hadn’t yet hit puberty singing along to “Every Girl” had no place in a night meant to celebrate the life and music of MJ. They could’ve cut the act. They could’ve performed a different song. They could’ve created and performed a dedication song; 50 Cent recorded and put out 2 songs in a day dedicated to Mr. Moonwalker, and 50 still uses pen and pad. They could’ve done anything except what they actually did.
Would I play a techno song at a funeral? Probably not. Would I play a country song at Howard’s homecoming? Sure wouldn’t. Would I play a blues song on a Friday night at your favorite club? Hell naw. All music isn’t meant for every occasion. Maybe Michael Jackson’s is, but clearly “Every Girl” is not.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Is there even a 37th Chamber? Who cares the 1st 36 rock!!
People tend to forget the impact that the Wu had when they came out back in 1993. (Note: I even underestimated them. I originally wrote 1995. Didn't even know they held it down for that damn long).
There's so many reasons why they are legends...
1) They were a group where everyone can rap. (Well U-God tried but they were smart enough to only give him like 4 bars at a time.
2) Their style caught on like the plague. Everyone after them started with all the crazy nicknames.
3) C.R.E.A.M - changed our language - nuff said
4) Managed to get seperate solo deals for each artist so that they can put extra food on the plate. A genius of an idea at the time. As significant as ringtone deals are today.
Love em!!!!!
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