A thread about hiphop...

[afterroots]

On an aside, afterroots, did Joe happen to let out when the single was going to drop.

He didn't. It's not certain either whether the track is meant for Relapse 2 or the next Slaughterhouse album. Speaking of Slaughterhouse, Joell Ortiz has an album dropping in April named The Free Agent for anyone interested.

[Horus Ex Machina]

He didn't. It's not certain either whether the track is meant for Relapse 2 or the next Slaughterhouse album. Speaking of Slaughterhouse, Joell Ortiz has an album dropping in April named The Free Agent for anyone interested.

Hmm. Perhaps the Shady deal might be holding this track up as well. I truly think that the timing of Slaughterhouse's next album might be the big wildcard here. They may even be waiting until after their next album is released to sign. Plus there's also the individual deals that they might want to make with other labels. They likely want the same freedom that Wu Tang has had to sign with other labels individually while still being with RCA.

I'll definitely be checking out Joell's next offering although I don't appreciate his solo work as much as the other 3 members of Slaughterhouse. I think with the group he's one of the better members but there's something about the production that he's been exposed to, and just his style by itself over a 3 or 4 minute track that doesn't really appeal to me as much. Royce for example could carry a 10 minute track if he was asked to. Joell is off the charts in supercharged 30 second bursts. He's kinda like Ghostface Killah, although I'm really into Ghostface's solo work, other rappers in Wu Tang do it better than he does, but he does the group verses better than most of it's members did. Or maybe a better comparison would be Bizzy Bone. I remember listening to all of BTNH's albums and thinking that it was a no-brainer who would have the best solo career and that it would be Bizzy. But solo-wize Krazy and Layzie (or at least his Thug Brothers tracks which is what I've heard) have been alot easier on the ear.

[afterroots]

I understand what your saying in that some MC's work better in a group dynamic than as solo artists but for me Joell has some incredible solo material. Have you heard his first album Brick? He had on there 125pt1,2,3&4 which were all straight 5 minute no hook tracks and they were what got people so hyped on him in the first place because their honestly just amazing.

Have you heard the Slaughterhouse D.O.A freestyle? Joell goes off for about 5 minutes and kills Royce & Crooked (Budden had an excellent verse as well). In case you haven't heard it here's the link for it:

http//www.thatshiphop.com/playvideo.php?video=2973_874

That is probably their best track imo along with Move On which was a track they released before the album.

[Horus Ex Machina]

just ran across me on Pandora. Why can't Southern hip-hop still be this good? Agh, makes me sad sometimes to remember how good mainstream hip-hop used to be. I've heard that TD has lupus too.

The closest we have today is Chamillionaire, but he's fallen out of favor with the mainstream. I'd put him close to the top of my list of Southern rappers today.

[Darkostar]

Just heard 89.3 (The Current)'s live track of Savion Glover, by P.O.S. Tasty track, lyrically speaking.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

Agh, makes me sad sometimes to remember how good mainstream hip-hop used to be.

Amen. Most mainstream hip hop is terrible. Underground hip hop sometimes has shoddy production but the effort and wordmanship is there.

Mainstrem hip hop is so lazy right now.

[afterroots]

If your looking for the best southern rapper right now Jay Electronica puts them all to shame. Listen to Exhibit C and you'll be blown away.

Also there's a large amount of underground Hip-Hop with fantastic production. Just in the last year there was:

Raekwon - OB4CLII

CunningLinguists - Strange Journey Vol 1

Fashawn - Boy Meets World

Royce Da 5'9 - Street Hop

Rakim - Seventh Seal

K'naan - Troubadour

and i could keep going. Hip-Hop has not fallen off at all, just in the mainstream. You just have to dig a bit harder to find it.

[Horus Ex Machina]

It's so much easier for underground artists to get into quality studios and you see so many mainstream producers doing work for underground artists these days, the connections run so deep, it's hard to tell the difference in the quality of an underground track and one coming from a big studio. Really the only difference between underground and big labels is distribution and promotion. Period.

And considering that Slaughterhouse's album sold something like 25K in the first week on the E1/Koch print even that's starting to become less of an issue these days. Underground labels are getting better and better at doing the things necessary to create and distribute work mostly bc bigger and bigger talent is being forced into that route so the system is starting to compensate and reap the rewards.

[Relic]

Just read that Guru is in a coma following a heart attack. Here's hoping he recovers.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Just read that Guru is in a coma following a heart attack. Here's hoping he recovers.

Damn. It says here he's going into surgery. Doesn't sound good. Hope he can pull through.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Some chatter on Jay-Z's D.O.A. on the Rap Up. I'm diggin the song, and the idea behind it, it's the messenger that mixes up my opinions. Jay-Z is legendary, but he's shown instances of losing focus on the content for big paydays too. I won't go so far as to say that he's part of the problem, bc there have been bigger examples of that, but I'd like to hope that he heeds his own advice in the future.

[Relic]

Some chatter on Jay-Z's D.O.A. on the Rap Up. I'm diggin the song, and the idea behind it, it's the messenger that mixes up my opinions. Jay-Z is legendary, but he's shown instances of losing focus on the content for big paydays too. I won't go so far as to say that he's part of the problem, bc there have been bigger examples of that, but I'd like to hope that he heeds his own advice in the future.

I was talking about this with a friend the other night. My friend considers Jay-Z to be a pop rapper, and one without any substance. I used to agree with this sentiment. But by my count Jay-Z has 4 great albums under his belt. How many rappers can say that?

[Horus Ex Machina]

In the continuing debate on how to "save hiphop", I came across this editorial on allhiphop.com concerning whether or not rich kids have a right to rap. While the author makes some decent points questioning whether a life's experiences can inform the content of a true mc, it doesn't seem right to say that we wanted this artform to reach the masses yet now we're going to pick and choose who's allowed to be an mc and base on something other than talent. And the author seems to forget that Damian Marley didn't exactly grow up poor either.

Now I definitely didn't grow up rich, but didn't grow up poor either. And there are alot of ppl like me. Rap doesn't just speak to one socio-economic class and it shouldn't. Can a rich kid understand what it was like for me growing up? I don't know, but that doesn't mean that he can't come up with a set of ideas that spark some commonality with some of my own. Since when did true hip-hop become the one-trick pony act of talking about growing up poor. Whatever happened political observation? Whatever happened to expressions of culture?

Enjolie Esteve from the Nevada Sagebrush had a pretty good read on the subject here.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

In the continuing debate on how to "save hiphop", I came across this editorial on allhiphop.com concerning whether or not rich kids have a right to rap. While the author makes some decent points questioning whether a life's experiences can inform the content of a true mc, it doesn't seem right to say that we wanted this artform to reach the masses yet now we're going to pick and choose who's allowed to be an mc and base on something other than talent. And the author seems to forget that Damian Marley didn't exactly grow up poor either.

Now I definitely didn't grow up rich, but didn't grow up poor either. And there are alot of ppl like me. Rap doesn't just speak to one socio-economic class and it shouldn't. Can a rich kid understand what it was like for me growing up? I don't know, but that doesn't mean that he can't come up with a set of ideas that spark some commonality with some of my own. Since when did true hip-hop become the one-trick pony act of talking about growing up poor. Whatever happened political observation? Whatever happened to expressions of culture?

Enjolie Esteve from the Nevada Sagebrush had a pretty good read on the subject here.

It's ridiculous to suggest that an individuals socioeconomic background should preclude them from becoming a MC. However, I do take umbrage with dishonest MCs. Don't rap about the ghetto if you've never been there. As KRS-One said "It's all about describing the reality that's grabbin me accurately."

[Horus Ex Machina]

It's ridiculous to suggest that an individuals socioeconomic background should preclude them from becoming a MC. However, I do take umbrage with dishonest MCs. Don't rap about the ghetto if you've never been there. As KRS-One said "It's all about describing the reality that's grabbin me accurately."

Definitely. Before Kanye went to shit he was a great example of this bc, he wasn't poor, but still had a head for speaking social conscience when he wanted to. It would be nice if he put out more tracks like 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone' these days.

I want to listen to Nicki Minaj bc ppl have been telling me that she's good, but first off Shyne just released his new single 'Messiah'. A bit underwhelming. He seems to be just sticking his toes in the water with this one. The beat's alright but he sounds like he's trying to be someone else with this one. Really disappointed with the content and the sound. It sounds like this Def Jam deal has him trying to reinvent himself. If he wanted to do that, then he should have gone to Dre. Dre's old school and can at least put down some beats that would have complemented him. I'm starting to worry about this Def Jam deal.

[StarkTheWolf]

What Drake was for rap last year is what B.O.B./Bobby Ray is gonna be this year. The difference is that B.O.B. is actually talented and doesn't just spit about making it big without any help. He is one of the most talented artists I've heard in a long time and actually got Eminem (!!!) to drop a verse on his new song. The song is called Airplanes; Part I has been released and features Hayley Williams from Paramore. Part II will drop and have Eminem. When you score Shady, you know you're doing pretty well for yourself.

Here's Airplanes Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-20inKxm08w

If you guys want more stuff by him, I have a lot.

[Relic]

Guru died =(

R.I.P.

Bumpin some Mass Appeal right now.

[Xray the Enforcer]

damn. :(

RIP

[BLU-RAY]

Guru died =(

R.I.P.

Bumpin some Mass Appeal right now.

RIP. I knew he'd been sick, I was just listening to some Gang Starr stuff and caught a couple of YouTube comments, saw a bunch of RIPs. Sad day.

[Horus Ex Machina]

One of the last true emcees. R.I.P. Guru.