*Just so you know, this post is loooong, but I think it's an important one. Thanks in advance for reading a long post by an infant blog. Drop your comments.*
November 12, 2004 marked a new era in rap music. It was the date that marked the beginning of the end for Eminem. Why that date? That's the date that his fourth album, "Encore," came out, a total garbage of an album if I've ever heard one. If I had been stupid enough to pay for it, I would have wiped my ass with that record, cursed it because it would have left some splinters stuck in my ass, then burned it till it melted into nothingness. After that crap, he released more crap with some singles here and there and then eventually "The Re-Up" album which was, you guessed it, more crap. So what has happened since then?
For about 3 weeks in September of this year, 50 Cent and Kanye West's battle royale at the record store saved rap music from having a totally shitty year. The hype helped their sales and the sales of others, but what did it really do? It was like someone cleaning a wound and then forgetting to put a bandage on so that the wound doesn't completely heal. Without trying to sound melodramatic, before Kanye and 50's albums came out rap was like an infected wound needing treatment, and their albums cleansed that wound for a little while, only for it to become infected again. Gross (bad?) metaphors aside, rap music needs some saving right now, and so do its fans. What, really, have we had to look forward to?
Think about it...shortly after "Encore" came Nas' "Street's Disciple" (more on him later) and then in terms of "major" releases in 2005, only The Game's "Doctor's Advocate" (yea I said it), Kanye West's "Late Registration" (more on him later too) and Common's "Be" (more on him later too) held any weight (50 Cent's "The Massacre" came out in 2005 too but c'mon, that was pure shit; needs no explanation). And before you think I'm just another bloggin' 50 Cent hater, his debut was a great album, no doubt about that.
In the last year or so many well-respected rap artists have released albums that received lukewarm receptions at best. Going back to summer 2006, The Roots came out with "Game Theory," which, as much as I wanted it to be the illest shit ever, was just kind of OK (can't say the same thing about their live show though...I've seen them 6 times now and they blow my mind completely every time. I saw them in Philly a few weeks ago with MC Lyte and Big Daddy Kane and they were incredible, one of my best concert experiences ever). I listened to "Game Theory" a bunch of times, but except for a few songs it wouldn't stick.
So skipping ahead to November 2006 we had Jay-Z's "Kingdom Come" which was just kinda ehhh, really disappointing after such a stellar album like "The Black Album" which, I think, should be somewhere on the list of the top 100 rap albums of all time (said it again). He ain't our savior though.
In December 2006 we had Mos Def's "True Magic" and Nas' "Hip-Hop Is Dead." I've actually grown to really like "True Magic" (its reception has been pretty mediocre though) and think there are some dope songs on there. Check "A-ha" and "Murder of a Teenage Life" for proof. So OK, Mos Def is doing his thing, but I don't see him saving us with that album anytime soon. Then there's Nas. I'm a die-hard Nas fan (going to see him on November 10th, expect a review of that), and "Hip-Hop Is Dead" was pretty damn satisfying. He still needs to get better beats though, can't he listen to any of his critics already? I mean shit. Would "Hip Hop Is Dead" save us? Maybe (considering the theme of this article, the irony of Nas' album title is not lost on me).
Skipping the first half of 2007, by mid-2007 we have some quality albums by the likes of Common, who might actually have a good chance of saving rap music from being shitty ("Finding Forever" has sold 405,000 so far, props). Aight, Common's cool, doing well. Next up we have Talib Kweli's "Ear Drum" in August. Disclaimer, I'm a pretty big Talib fan, and will totally defend "The Beautiful Struggle," for the most part. "Ear Drum" was panned overall by fans and the blogosphere (I really hate that term but I'm part of the damn thing so I guess I have to accept it) but I think it's better than people want to admit. It's got a lot of faults, but it's at least a 3 out of 5 stars kind of album and not the total garbage they would have you believe. He had some interesting quotes from a
recent interview with MTV News. Here's a sampling:
"You love the Internet, but you hate it," he said, jokingly."I was listening to 'Move Somethin' ' the other day, which is a song that I still perform to this day," Kweli said. "But I was listening to technically what I did on the record, I was watching the video on YouTube and I'm like, 'Damn, I'm light-years beyond that style of rhyme. I'm so much better than I was then.' But you'll still get that fan who'll say, 'Yo, there's no way he is as good as he was when he was doing Reflection. I'm like, 'Technically, that's just impossible.' It can't be 15 years later."I think the logic of that statement," he continued, "is that people get caught up in a time and what that song represents to them at the time they hear it. And nothing I'm gonna do after that is going to match up to that time period, because they can't get that back. So I have to realize that when I make music, that time is never gonna be back to them."
Talib Kweli is a smart mofo and has always had great things to say in interviews over the years. I agree with his ideas (can't please old and new fans all the time) but I don't know if he's "light-years" beyond the style of rhyme on "Reflection Eternal." If he does get together with Hi-Tek again to do a sequel to the RE album, and it's anything like the first one, we really might have a certified banger on our hands. Ditto if there's another Blackstar album. Talib really might have it in him to save us rap fans, but that won't be anytime soon at least. After the disappointment of "Game Theory," I really wanted "Ear Drum" to be the illest thing ever, but it wasn't meant to be.
Next up we have 50 Cent with "Curtis." Can I get a....Yaaaaaaaaaaaawn. No one expected much from the guy, but "Curtis" really is just plain awful. He sounds like he doesn't even want to be on the record, and save for a few beats, most of the production is equally terrible. For some reason he decided to go with a bunch of unknown producers. That was the wrong move, Mr. Curtis "Look At Me I Got Shot Nine Times!" Jackson. You are officially done as a rap artist now. You said that you would retire from rap if Kanye outsold you, then recanted your statement. I really wish you hadn't. You're definitely not saving us, just retreat to your Connecticut mansion and never come out. Ass.
Kanye West's "Graduation" had probably the best chance to save rap and its fans, even if it was really just going to be a band-aid. "Graduation" is a pretty good album, no doubt, but out of his three it's got to be the worst one. I'm all for reinventing yourself as an artist, but the Eurotrash synthesizer tip he was on on that album went south. Sure, it's got a few really great tracks (if you don't like "Stronger" I think I'd have to call you a liar), but we want albums, man, albums! Forget a single. "College Dropout" and "Late Registration" were both great albums from beginning to end, but "Graduation" is one of those albums that's "good with flashes of brilliance." So be it Kanye. "Jesus" may "Walk" but you're not it.
Next.Alright, now we're up to the present, still in need of some saving. Who's it gonna be? For the rest of the year we have albums coming out from some high-profile artists. Birdman? yea right. Lupe Fiasco? He's got a chance, but after his
idiotic comments about A Tribe Called Quest recently, he may have shot himself in the foot with that.
Side note: Ya'll other bloggers dubbed that shit "Fiascogate?!" What is this world coming to? Wyclef Jean? Who really cares about him anymore? If he's not getting back together with The Fugees I'm not interested. And after he called T.I. a "prophet" and compared him to Malcolm X
in a recent interview, I think I threw up in my mouth a little: "
When he speaks, it moves a whole generation." Are you serious Wyclef? Do you even know what you're saying? And talking all high and mighty about someone who has a small arsenal in his house (who're you hunting T.I., Osama?) makes me think you're taking that comparison to Malcolm X a little too literally. Uhh...
......The Wu-Tang Clan's new album, "8 Diagrams?" It's a nice thought, but I think by now its
individual members are greater than the sum of its parts. I saw them twice over the summer at the Rock the Bells festival in New York City (it had probably one of the best lineups of any hip hop festival ever, and yes, the aforementioned Talib Kweli, Mos Def and The Roots were all there) and they were still killin' it for the most part. If their album can save us rap fans remains to be seen. The first two leaked tracks, "Watch Your Mouth"
(download) and "The Heart Gently Weeps"
(download) show some promise, but for one of the first times anyone has successfully sampled or
interpolated The Beatles, I thought it would be a lot iller (the keys had me vibing though by the time Method Man gets on the mic). It IS The Wu though, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt until "8 Diagrams" actually drops on December 4th. Ya'll got potential! We also have an LL Cool J album coming out (I don't know the title or release date nor do I care), but if it's LL Cool J music coming out after the mid-90's, then fuggedabout it. Lastly, Lil' Wayne decided to get his shit together and release "Tha Carter III" on December 18th, not in 2008 as previously reported. Say what you want about mainstream rap and that Lil' Wayne seems to be one of its worst offenders, but the dude can rap. "Tha Carter III" is highly anticipated, and for good reason.
So a few artists attempted and failed to save rap fans and hip-hop, and in the Wu and Lil' Wayne (can't believe I'm including the latter in this myself) we have two serious contenders.
But wait...didn't two hip-hop heavyweights just announce within the last month that they'd be coming out with new albums by the end of the year?
Unless you've been living under a rock (or just been outside way too much), you probably know that Jay-Z is releasing "American Gangster" on November 6th and Nas is releasing "Nigger" (not "Nigga") on December 11th. That's right ya'll, we've come full circle in this article, started with The Jigga Man and Nasty Nas and now we end with 'em.
Jay-Z regrets "retiring" from rap a couple years ago (there's a shocker) and Nas has caused a huge uproar in the hip-hop community and beyond since first announcing an album called "Nigga" and now "Nigger." Jay-Z claims he was trying to emulate Rakim in his first single "Blue Magic" (
download) but I just don't see it. Track isn't bad though. Nas could be making a serious mistake calling his album that (are all the big retailers really going to carry that? Parents will flip), but if there's anyone you should give the benefit of the doubt to, it's Nasir Jones. Apparently we'll be seeing the first single from the album drop shortly after his "Greatest Hits" LP drops on November 6th.
There you have it. If you made it this far, thanks (or maybe you're just nuts). So basically we are riding on The Wu-Tang Clan, Lil' Wayne, Nas or Jay-Z to blow our fuckin' minds and save our sorry asses. I realize I ignored underground shit, but c'mon, they're not gonna revolutionize anything massive right now, so work with me here.
So The Wu, Lil' Wayne, Nas and Jay, I'm on my knees right now. One of ya'll please start having us flip our shits after your albums come out. We really need that. We're fiending for it. Do we really have to crawl into a hole and retreat to our Eric B. & Rakim, Mic Geronimo and Pete Rock & INI albums? We can't take the wackness anymore. The lack of quality is seriously sucking the life out of us. You may have some real depressed fans pretty soon if things don't go well. The next step beyond that would be going postal. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?
