The Rap Grammys - You Ready?

The week we have all been waiting for - or at least I have been waiting for - has finally arrived. The 2008 Ozone Awards will finally be aired on MTV Jams. Sports fans had the Olympics. Movie fans had Batman. Now Hip Hop heads have the Ozone Awards.

Last summer, the 2007 Ozone Awards was clearly the pinnacle achievement in MTV Jams history. The production quality was mind-blowingly poor - to the point where it seemed that if you just rented out an auditorium and made up a bunch of completely meaningless awards - like Hustler of the Year - you could get all of your Southern hip hop heroes in the same building. Keep in mind this is an event that happens in real life, not in a Chappelle Show skit like the Player Haters Ball, but the Ozone Awards really happen. It's like believing in the tooth fairy and then once a year, every summer, you turn on tv and there she is, making it rain...everywhere.

On the Side: In elementary school it was comic book characters. In middle school it was wrestlers. In high school it was professional athletes. Now it's rappers. I never would've guest this as the evolution of what sorts of characters I idolized but it sort of makes sense.

Comic book characters, for the most part, are all from or live in an alternate galaxy or have some personality trait or power that removes them from the 'real' world. Well, I'd have to say wrestlers, professional athletes, and rappers are all like comic book characters in the way that they don't really experience the same world as we do - hence, we are not the same/i am a martian.

In summation: On the new T-Pain and Lil' Wayne song, Pain sings, I can't believe it/ she all on me/ like she wants me. At the end of the day, the Pain does believe it cause he lives a life somewhat removed from reality and that's why kids wish they could be Wolverine and I wish I could be T- Pain.

More On the Side: Now that comic books have officially gotten the stamp of approval from Hollywood, when are rappers, I'm talking aside from Biggie, going to get their big screen bio-pics? Would you rather see DMX in Karate Kid 6 as a cop or would you rather see The Evolution of Dark Man X - from crack pot to rap legend to crack pot? I mean it's a no brainer.

Last On the Side: I just got the new Game cd LAX. It begins with an intro from DMX. Many people have questioned this move and how Game came to this decision. I think the answer is quite obvious. Game clearly listened to the first line of X's Flesh of My Blood, Blood of My Blood, which like all good opening lines of classic albums, gets you ready for what you are about to deal with, in this case a dog-obsessed murdering necrophiliac. With no further ado: I got blood on my hands and there's no remorse/I got blood on my dick cuz I fucked a corpse. Game, in a moment of lucidity, definitely heard this and said yo, I need this dude to start my shit off right. Also, keep in mind that DMX used to be all over TRL and he still said shit like that to kick off his (multi-platinum) albums. That is not giving a fuck. Might even be Ozone Award Hustler of The Year worthy...maybe.

My favorite moment of the 2007 Ozone Awards:

- Killer Mike being so overcome with emotion after winning Street Album of the Year that it seemed all it really took was an Ozone Award to justify his last three years of independent grinding. Do yourself a favor and watch his acceptance speech GRIND TIME RAP GANG! BANG BANG BANG! Last summer we used to watch his speech over and over again before we went out drinking on weekends. This usually just resulted in the late night screaming of BANG BANG BANG! I FIRED MY BOSS AND BECAME A BOSS! For some reason, girls did not understand what we were referencing, or actually that we were even referencing anything. Also, keep in mind that I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind beat out Da Drought 3 for the award so go cop it.

Now, the Ozone Awards have already occurred and been written about but I have done my best to avoid it. Like the people who DVR'd Olympic USA Men's Basketball Games and spent the following day avoiding the water cooler and internet so that they could come home and watch the game as if it hadn't taken place at 3 AM, I have done my best to stop myself from finding out as much as I can even after learning such amazing tidbits of information like Mike Jones got punched in his face - before the show even started! - and still went on to present an award with DJ Khaled. How does one, in the aftermath of getting punched in the face, go on to stand next to DJ Khaled yelling his bullshit into a microphone and not punch him in the face? I look forward to finding out.

On the side: People always say everything in offices goes down at the water cooler. I, having not spent too much time in an office, have always assumed this is true. In one, of the two, offices I worked in, there wasn't even a water cooler because the company gave out free water bottles. Was this a move of kindness or just an attempt to nip office banter? Anyway, I sat in the back corner of my office, my cubicle next to the communal trash can. All day I would be woken up by people shooting trash in my direction only to come bend over right next to my desk, pick up a dirty wrapper or tissue and say 'I really thought that one was going in.' To which I would say, BANG BANG BANG! From then on they mostly just placed their garbage in the bin.

Summer Jam

From cold winters to hot summers...

i got the intellect and the tech

Reppin the Streets - Freeway

Here's a Freeway track that fits nicely with the feel of the summer.

Styles P - Good for more than just Good Times

Styles P is best known for Good Times.  You know, the song that starts... i get high, i get high, i get high...also known as the song Manny Ramirez used to come out of the dugout to.  Anyways, the man has a ton of other dope songs.  Let's take a look at some of the other tracks on his solo debut, one of my personal favorite albums, A Gangster and A Gentleman.

Daddy Get that Cash ft. Lil Mo

My favorite Styles song.  Probably the best song Lil Mo has ever been a part of.  The beat is ridiculous and Styles rides it perfectly.  To me, it is very important that rappers wrap up verses in recognition of the hook that is about to come.  See Tupac in I Get Around - he ends basicilly every verse with the lyric I Get Around.  Why?  Cause that is a tight way of wrapping up a verse. Anyways, Styles does a nice job here, ending verse 2 with "daddy go and get that cash"/ that's what my honey holla out every time i hit that ass.

The song tells the story of Styles hustling with a woman whom he is also romantically involved.  This tale is by no means new, see Biggie's Gimme da Loot, however, Styles version takes it a step further by discussing the dynamics of the romantic relationship of the hustlers in crime.  

1) She can sleep with another dude/ she gon' tell me where the safe at, the coke at, how to rob his mother too 

At first I thought this meant she definitely cares about Styles more than previously mentioned "other dude" but it could also mean she is just telling Styles so he'll empty the safe and fill her pockets...

2) If I kiss her than her heart will melt/ you don't understand how much work she carryin in the garder belt

Previously rapped in verse 1, this lyric proves her true feelings for Styles, yet only reveals Styles appreciation of her work ethic.  Let us continue...

3) And she said "daddy get that cash" / she knew i would but she didn't know i would skip that fast

So yes, like just about every other rapper, Styles stays too hard-bodied to fall for - or at least admit he has fallen for - his boo.  

Despite the typical ending, Daddy Get that Cash, is anything but, and is well worth a listening.

Get Paid

In the 90's you had to have kids singing the hook on at least one song - see Hard Knock Life - so keeping in line with the theme of Daddy Get that Cash, Styles puts out another dope song about getting guap, this time with kids instead of Lil' Mo on the chorus.  Either way works for me really.

Nobody Believes Me ft. Sheek Louche, Cross, J-Hood

This may be the creative triumph of the album.  Styles anthropomorphizes and has conversations with his gun, his knife, his money, and his weed.  As the story unfolds, Styles realizes despite his love for his weapons and hatred of the power money holds over him, all he wants to do is smoke and write a verse. As for me, I'm glad he did.

The Life

This song is a classic pairing of Pharoahe Monch and Styles.  Dope beat, dope rhymes, what else y'all want?

Bonus Styles tracks:

G Joint

The most divisive Styles song of all time.  You either love the beat or think it's garbage.

The Hardest

Another classic pairing.  

Use Mad Clips

Random song, I just love the beat and the simplicity of the hook.

Locked Up

Now this has to be the best Akon song of all time right?  First of all, it is about being in prison and Akon's whole essence is rooted in the fact that he is a former convict, hence the name A-kon and Konvict records.  Second of all the beat is ridiculous.  Third of all, if this isn't the best Akon song than it has to be Soul Survivor, I mean that one's got Jeezy on it, so you make the call.

Fly Society: New Orleans Native Finds Life After Lil' Wayne

Fear and Loathing in New Orleans - Curren$y

Editor's Note: Well literally the same day I posted this Curren$y dropped a new mixtape, Super Tecmo Bowl, his 5th in the last five months.  Check it out here.  I won't have an opinion on it til the end of the week. One.  

Curren$y the Hot Spitter was a longtime member of Lil' Wayne's Young Money imprint.  However, after never seeing a release date in sight nor ever capitalizing off the success of his only single, Where Da Cash At, Curren$y sought after and was granted his release.  Now on his own, the New Orleans native has created the Fear and Loathing in New Orleans mixtape series, releasing one new tape each of the last four months.  Today, we are going to take a look at the fourth installment.

First thing of note to me was the names of the tracks: Sky Barz, Lost in Transit, Stealth Technology, and Intergalactic Society.  These tracks, coupled with the title Fear and Loathing, make me wonder what effect Curren$y may have had on Lil' Wayne getting hooked on the styrofoam cup and believing he is a Martian.  What happened on that bus with Weezie that got both of these guys thinking they are other-worldly?  Who knows, but whatever the reason, it is certainly for the best.

Fear and Loathing is a solid mixtape.  I always thought Curren$y had a good smooth voice and now he has the right selection of beats, and lyrics to match.  I always appreciate humility and honesty in rap and Curren$y is the first to tell you the first verse he ever wrote was 5 minutes full of crimes he never committed and girls he never talked to.  

On the side:  Is every first verse a kid writes a run-on of braggadocio lies?  Curren$y's line reminded me of the first line of Aw Naw, my first song was like 48 bars with no hook, which in turn reminded me of the first verse I ever wrote, which was something about liking girls as much as pizza.  

Spitter goes on to rap about taking dates out in a Lambo he borrowed from a famous rapper friend but tells her not to worry, the Chevy in the drive is his, plus he'll be in his own Lambo soon.  Fear and Loathing makes me think he may be right.

On the side: The mixtape has 3 references to the Celtics.  He calls them as his prediction to win (or make? I'm not sure) the finals, he shouts out Jesus Shuttlesworth, and he says he's the truth like Paul Pierce.  Legit.

Someone should sample that...

So yesterday I got some old David Ruffin music to check if there was anything worth sampling on the record. Well turns out Kanye West (and DJ Kayslay) already beat me to it. Here is Common Man, which was turned into the Jay-Z classic Never Change - and the song Double Cross which became Double Crosser by Papoose. Lastly, we have I Believe to My Soul by Donny Hathaway which became I Got Love by Nate Dogg. Classic. Enjoy.

Never Change - Jay Z

Common Man - David Ruffin

Double Cross - David Ruffin

Double Cross - Papoose

I Believe to My Soul - Donny Hathaway

I Got Love - Nate Dogg

Bonus: Both Joell Ortiz and Papoose, amongst others, sample A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke. Which beat do you think is better? I got to go with Papoose but as far as lyricism I think I got to go with Joell and Immortal Technique. What do you think?

Modern Day Slavery - Joell Ortiz ft. Immortal Technique

Change Gone Come - Papoose

A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

If you recognize any samples in any hip hop songs hit up the comment section and let me know.

Good Music that is not the Carter III

Rising Down – The Roots

While this album won’t give any Roots-haters a new reason to reevaluate the Philly crew, it does reward its fans with its ominous tone, truculent disregard of the mainstream, and lyrical dexterity. The title track, Rising Down, features guest spots from Mos Def and Styles P – both fitting in nicely and going in hard (no sasha vujacic). If you are on the border of liking the Roots but are a little put off by Black Thought, take a chance on Rising Down.



The Mixtape About Nothing – Wale

Wonderful interplay between Seinfeld sound-bites and concept related songs. My initial question when I got the mixtape was how is Wale going to address the Michael Richards situation? My second thought was can you be a fan of a character yet dislike the actor? The answers: 1) The song The Kramer begins with Richard’s infamous comedy club rant, followed by verses centering on the issue of racism and self-hatred. The mixtape, and this particular song, are well executed and definitely worth downloading. As for liking a character while discarding the actor I think you can separate the two, take the character and leave the actor. What do you think?

Speaking of self-hatred: I recently woke up ridiculously hung-over and stood brushing my teeth before my bathroom mirror. My stream of thought…this sucks, why do I do this to myself…followed by…god, I am hating on myself right now…followed by singing to my reflection – not out loud but in my head – I see you, hiiii hater! ... followed by laughing and thinking…rock bottom.

On the Side: I am not a big fan of web talk acronyms such as LOL or LMAO or SMH but I also don’t think they will lead to the demise of the English language. However, what I do think, is that the acronym SFRS – short for so fucking rock show – should be used for declaring that something or someone is rock bottom.

Example: Did you see Mike grinding on all those dumpy looking girls last night? SFRS.

The In Crowd – Kidz in the Hall

Kidz in the Hall have not only managed to avoid a sophmore slump but have actually crafted a much better album than their debut disc. The UPenn duo offers dope rhymes over dope beats and I mean that’s pretty much all you can ask for. Standouts are Paper Trail and The Pledge ft. Buckshot and Sean Price aka The Brokest Rapper You Know. The In Crowd is definitely worth downloading or buying - if you still do that.

On the Side: Do people still buy music? I haven’t bought a rap cd in a really longtime. It never even crossed my mind to buy Carter III – I’m talking over the whole two years we waited for it I always said shit, I’m going to download CIII the minute it leaks. But this Tuesday two cd’s came out that I plan on purchasing as soon as I get my new credit card – I left the old at a bar in NYC (after paying $15 a drink and being deaded by a girl for which I stupidly purchased a $15 drink I was too rock bottom to walk back inside once I realized I left my tab open. In a way I almost feel like some people subconsciously leave tabs open to avoid facing the misery of realizing how much cash you wasted on essentially nothing…anyways, back to music…) So the two cd’s I plan on purchasing are both “Indie” Rock – yes “indie” is a stupid label so it is put in quotation marks – and it got me thinking what makes people who download music choose what to download and what to buy? My initial rule when I started downloading music was if I like two cd’s I downloaded from a band/rapper I will buy the third. However, CIII made me realize I don’t stick to that rule at all. Thinking about it more I realized I am much more willing to give money to “indie” artists simply because they sell less records and need the support of their fans. Thinking about more I realized it’s not just about the artist – purchasing a cd in the digital age is more of a statement about yourself, you making your declaration that yes I like this and am paying for something that I don’t have to because I want to affiliate myself with this band/rapper product…I might be totally off with this but I think some would agree or at least see where I’m coming from. Anyways…

The title the In Crowd inherently brings to mind Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool. Both albums question what it is to be cool and why we value bullshit. In terms of hip hop’s history of determining what is cool I always hold Mobb Deep’s line -to all my killers and my $100 billers/ to all my real n—gas that ain’t got no feelings – to be the defining take on what makes a person cool.

The first line makes killing cool because it associates murder with money -think Stringer Bell’s board-meetings in the funeral home - meaning death is just part of business, and cash rules.

The second line associates being real/cool with being void of emotion.

Now, what Kidz in the Hall and Lupe deem cool is being able to not let the context of your situation define what you believe to be cool ie don’t have to be gangster in the ghetto and you don’t have to be a bookworm in a family full of scholars. Be you. While this seems pretty preachy, both Lupe and Kidz in the Hall come off as well intentioned take it or leave it this is what I think aka way less preachy than Weezie on the end of Misunderstood.

So there you have it, two good albums and a mixtape, all of which are not the Carter III. Download – or buy? – and enjoy.

What's A Goon to a Goblin? A Look at the Carter III

Next time you mention Pac, Biggie, and Jay-Z don't forget Weezy
-Lil Wayne, Mr. Carter/Carter III

This was supposed to be the album that cemented Lil Wayne’s legacy as one of the G.O.A.T.s. This was supposed to be the culmination of countless mixtapes and leaks that teased you with the idea that maybe Lil Wayne is what he says he is – this was supposed to be the coronation of a new king.

But is that what Weezie really wanted? Or was he setting out to prove he has a place at the table with rap’s mainstream giants? Regardless of what the Carter III was supposed to be, it is the worst of the Carter series while still being a thoroughly solid and marketable album.

To look at the Carter III I will give a brief overview of its major players:

50 Cent and DJ Khaled: I mentioned in a previous post about Lollipop how I reasoned it to be the result of 50 Cent challenging Lil Wayne’s ability as a song writer and potential to capture a mainstream audience. Now, in my book being a successful mainstream rapper today means taking no risks, leaving out the grime and sordidness reserved for mixtapes in favor of gimmicky simplistic hooks and vocoders. That being said – that is exactly what the Carter III is. Wayne never really goes in, never fully embraces the playfulness and hard-bodiness that set the tone of the Dedications, the Droughts, and the Carters.

As far as Khaled goes, I have become convinced that there has been a transition of the meaning of Best Rapper Alive – what was once a statement threatening every MC in the game has a completely new meaning. What Best Rapper Alive now means to Weezie – post 50 Cent’s challenge - is Best Rapper on a DJ Khaled song. Why? Those are the MC’s that matter to the radio stations and record labels, those are the MC’s that form the group Wayne so badly wanted to be a part of – successful mainstream rappers. Well guess what? When Wayne wanted to genuinely be the Best Rapper Alive – taking on the world in his mixtapes – he was. When Wayne wants to be the Best Rapper on a Khaled Song – settling for mediocrity – he is.

Note: If you are thinking - wait Wayne has gone platinum before and already was a mainstream rapper, that is not the point.  With Carter III he is aiming at superstar (which he has never been until now).  Go back to Don't Die on Like Father Like Son and I quote: "shit I guess I'm one sellout record away from being famous/shit I guess I ain't it."  Well he is now. 

The Styrofoam Cup: A lot has been made of Wayne’s drug use and justifiably so. The cup facilitated and catalyzed Wayne’s descent into the depths of his creative well resulting in some of the most clever free flowing word association verses that came to define Wayne’s style. However, when you rely on your ability to flow extemporaneously off the top you must be confident you will continue to catch lightning in a bottle every time you pull on a blunt and exhale a verse into the mic. On the Carter I and the Carter II, Wayne arguably caught that lightning every track – as for the Carter III his leather may still be so soft but he sure as hell never goes so hard.

The Vocoder: To me the vocoder is the fake tits of the rap game. Say you have a naturally pretty girl, I’m talking doesn’t even need to wear make-up if she doesn’t want to. But all of a sudden she starts noticing other girls getting what she wants. So what does she go and do? Thows some D’s on her chest and paints a mask on her face - now she looks like a pornstar and is enjoying everything she always dreamed would be hers - but at what price? Lil Wayne was that pretty young girl – where the hell am I going with this? – but as soon as he threw that vocoder on Lollipop he accepted mediocrity and all the splendors that buys you in the twisted world of the rap game.

The Leak: Over the past two years Wayne has seemingly favored quantity over quality and released countless mixtapes (whether or not he actually released the material or it was stolen still being a topic of debate). A bunch of the materialthat was initially intended for and should have been on the Carter III, ended up being released prematurely on mixtapes such as The Leak. Songs like I’m Me, I Feel Like Dying, and La La all would have been wonderful additions to the Carter III.

Mannie Fresh: Where the fuck is Mannie Fresh? The absence of Mannie Fresh on the Carter III may be the single biggest reason the album never recaptures the fire of the first and best installment of the Carter series. Now, maybe I was too hopeful to think even for a second that Mannie and Weezie would realize that they made and could make way more history together if only they could suck it up and resolve their differences. Listen to Go DJ and This is the Carter off the Carter I – this is Lil Wayne and the great Mannie Fresh at their finest -this is the foundation of the Lil Wayne movement that birthed the belief that Wayne could be one of the greats.

The production on the Carter III is solid but never able to stir the demons that lurk in Wayne’s mind – the beats never bring out the Wayne that makes you wonder if he truly may be from Mars like he claims on Phone Home.

Kanye offers up three beats – the Irreplaceable-esque “Comfortable”, the Robin Thick assisted “Tie Me Down” – which is not even close to Carter II’s Shooter – and my personal favorite Carter III track, “Let the Beat Build.” All in all, Kanye’s beats embody the essence of the Carter III – mundane yet enjoyable.

Even with all of the aforementioned critiques, the Carter III still holds up as a solid piece of work. After every listen I walk away with a new song in my head – no check that, a new hook in my head. It used to be you listened to Weezie and came away with couplets from verses that either blew you away with their intricacy or humor. Now Wayne - like the rest of the radio rappers he was so eager to join – leaves you with two bar hooks, both catchy and meaningless.

The main difference between the Carter III and its predecessors can be told from the stories of their opening tracks. Wayne set the tone of the Carter I and II with Walk In and Tha Mobb – two tracks, both with no hook, just pure lyricism set to ominous synth lines. You listen to Walk In and Tha Mobb and you are prepared to deal with a monster. You listen to 3pete and its that same old goon you will hear in the song before and after on your favorite “hip hop” radio station. So on A Millie, when Wayne asks what’s a goon to a goblin? Answer right along with him, nothing.

Highlights: In general, there is no one song that stands out to me as drastically better than the rest of em. But here are some scattered highlights of the Carter III.

Mr. Carter – solid beat, solid hook, okay Wayne, solid Jigga.

A Millie – The track most reminiscent of an old Wayne mixtape song.

Comfortable/Mrs. Officer – Two light and funny R&B songs. At first I thought Mrs. Officer was stupid but then realized the concept of literally fucking the police, in handcuffs and heals no less, is pretty funny (and so is the siren hook sung by Bobby Valentino).

Phone Home – We are not the same I am a Martian – that intro makes me think of Aesop Rock’s Mars Attacks every time. What is it with rappers and Mars? Anyhow, this is probably my least favorite track on the album but it still consistently gets stuck in my head.

Tie My Hands – I crack up with every listen of Robin Thicke’s spoken word intro – we are at war with the universe/the sky is falling/and the only thing that can save us now is sensitivity…wow. Really? I like the song but can’t take any song with that intro seriously.

Shoot Me Down – The beat reminds me of a stoned/mellowed out Takeover, mostly cause of the bass. The hook is solid and the song is a good drug song – I think it’s a drug song? – but as far as drug songs go, it’s no I Feel Like Dying. This is definitely one of the better songs on the album though.

Lollipop – Said it before, will say it again – best song all time or just of our generation? Oh, also, the remix at the end of the cd is sick but isn’t as good as the Kanye remix.

La La – Started out hustling/ended up ballin. Dope Hook.

Nothin On Me – This song is Wayne’s chance to rap with his New York friends and he doesn’t even come close to seizing the moment. Both Fab and Juelz outshine Weezie on a really solid Alchemist beat. This song could have been classic but the hook is just way too simple and uninspired.

On the Side: Fabolous references Major Payne in his verse. I feel like after a rapper or singer has already executed a pop culture reference perfectly – see R. Kelly in Make it Rain Remix, ‘I be drillin these chicks like Major Payne’ – than the reference should be retired.

Let the Beat Build – I really like Weezie rapping over “soul” loops and this might be my favorite song on the album. I feel like a remix with Bun B would be dope.

Misunderstood – the song is good but the rant at the end is amazing. Weezie says Al Sharpton is Don King with a perm and then he says some shit about sex offenders and drug users. Wayne being preachy is just funny to me.

All in all, like I said, it’s a solid album - listenable throughout, but as for legendary? No. Wayne came close to being a legend but I think it’s safe to say that day will most likely never come.