Ya know what time it is....it's 730 ! 3/17/ 2006
I'm finally starting
to cool off after that panel discussion I did. The responses are below. There
were all great opinions. Thank you to everyone that read and wrote in about
the playing the race card in Hip Hop.
One of the worst
things an artist can do in my opinion is invest money trying to get hot in New
York. Why even bother? What's going to happen when you get hot in New York?
Either fans are going to buy your bootleg or diss you. New York artists need
to take their shit elsewhere. Hit the road. Set up a tour. Bring New York music
to places that actually appreciate New York music, because I think the main
problem is that everyone in New York is making New York music but New York right
now does not appreciate other people's version of New York music. Instead of
paying to press 1,000 mixtapes and dump them to people walking outside of Penn
Station or wherever you go, why not take that same money and build a website,
get some ads, or even pay to have one of the New York DJ's say you're hot. Even
that last option is better than throwing that money down the drain giving out
CD's that will eventually become a coaster, or even worse, the person will take
out your CD and insert and use the case for their CD-R of the Best of John Tesh.
Did you see the
new Source yet? It's dope that UGK is on the cover, because they definitely
earned it. I think a lot of rappers should take note at how Bun-B held Pimp
C down during his incarceration. Bun-B hit mainstream and he looked back. It
would have been very easy for an artist in his position to say, "You know
what, I'm getting older, I'm in a good place right now, I just want to focus
on my solo music and grow as an artist." Whenever someone says they want
to focus on their solo music and find themselves as an artist, that's rapspeak
for "There's more money if I go dolo."
Anyways, back to
the Source. I had a real problem with the way it says "100% Benzino Free."
I am not Benzino's number one fan, but I also have a great deal of respect for
what he's accomplished in this Hip Hop game. As I've said before, HipHopGame
may not have even been possible if Benzino and Dave Mays did not start the Source.
So for Benzino to start the Source and then the minute he's out, they run a
label talking about how great the mag is that he's now gone, that's just disrespectful
to me. Knowing Benzino, that's probably just going to motivate him to get back
in there, and when he does, he should fire anyone that went along with that
decision. He had people working for him and as soon as he's gone, they run that?
Maybe everyone is going to see that a problem at the Source that was hidden
beneath the surface was a lack of loyalty in the writers. Benzino is a popular
guy to hate, and calling Julia Beverly a "slut-monkey" didn't help
his case, but still, I don't think the Source was right at all in printing "100%
Benzino Free" on their cover.
Apparently Bubba
Sparx is in trouble for his song "Ms. New Booty." The haters say that
it's aimed at children. I don't really see that. I think it's definitely aimed
for the male audience, but aimed for kids? If by kids you mean pubescent boys,
then yeah, it's aimed at them as well. Helluva time to start worrying about
messages being sent to kids. And Bubba probably grew up on a farm where he could
only look at horse's asses, so let the guy have some fun.
So Barry Bonds
allegedly has been on the juice. The new book coming out makes him look pretty
guilty. He probably is. Just be glad you're a Hip Hop fan and not a Giants fan.
I mean, how could someone cheat just to hit more home runs? Why, that'd be like
record labels paying radios for more spins…
And now we proceed
to the responses…
Love the site,
column, etc. But, be careful, anti-intellectualism is not helpful. Every interview
I read with the Jay, Nas, De La, etc., they all stress education. I'm sure the
Ph.D. candidates at the forum were complete jackasses, but at the same time
you seem to be forgetting that hip-hop, in large part, is about words. There
are so many branches of the art now that there is a place for all- the street
thug, the awakened disciple, and the Ivy Leaguers. You've profiled all three
on your site. Hip-hop is a way to show people how many words you know. Lauryn
Hill (recently endorsed by Papoose on the Nas/Dirty Harry mixtape) is a good
example of doing it right. Keith Murray (successfully) did it wrong. Canibus
can't decide how to do it. Common, K. Priest, Talib, Mos, R. Kass, all do it
well. Scoop Jackson is a master at this shit. We all know that despite your
site, you yourself are not a thug-street-dude-rider, you just love the music.
You probably know way more words than you use in your writing. Why? It's a good
question, and I'm curious as to the answer.
You should endorse academia's embrace and study of hip-hop. It deserves its
place in the canon of music history, like jazz.
And I agree with you on the white-boy shit. Whatever.
-Diego B.
I definitely agree
with what you said. Why don't I use big words in my writing? For one, I'm not
as comfortable using them, and two, I really don't think there's a need for
me to do it in this column. This column is more to express how I feel about
the good and bad things going on in the Hip Hop game (not the industry, because
I'm not trying to be in that). KRS has a huge vocabulary but it doesn't always
come out in his music. I'm a fan of Scoop Jackson and I'm an even bigger fan
of rappers promoting education. I am all for academia's embrace and study of
Hip Hop. I think it's sorely needed. However, if it's going to be done, it has
to be done right. You can't have a bunch of losers who read the thesaurus trying
to tell us why Eminem is a thief but they can't name three songs by him. I really
don't even think Hip Hop is ready to be studied in college. I don't think that
the people making the decisions on what courses to teach at college take Hip
Hop seriously enough to consider making it a program of study. The only way
I see it existing in college now is as a novelty; something "different"
and "cultural." Hip Hop is different and cultural, but until it's
seen as a serious art form in the eyes of the older generation, I really don't
see it being taught in college.
Good article, i
look forward to your shit every week. As for as those "big-word" dudes,
I think there just compensating for now living hip-hop, next time make up your
own slang and then look at them them as idiots if they dont understand. They
only this they can do is talk more and feel like the nerds they were in school.
B easy bruh and do u. One!
-Justin C.
yo man its about
time you start writing on the regular i'm happy that your back kid 1
-Barbara L.
Whattup man, I
have to agree with you on that race shit that people are tripping out and going
all out about trying to prove stupid points. Seems like people just want to
run their mouths just so they can hear themselves speak. Honestly tho, trying
to claim that white people are jacking black music is hella stupid. Are you
that content on trying to set the world back 50 years? Shit know we aren't perfect
now but hell we are better then the 60s and shit before that. Anyways I really
respect your grind and the shit you put down for HHG its always a dope read
keep up the good stuff man. Hope to see more articles from you in the future.
One Love
- D.J.
What's up man
I check ya page frequently and I agree with a lot of the stuff your
sayin. This whole thing where you were talkin about hip hop 2 me is
like most people don't know the history of this like in around boston
where I'm from a lot of the rich white kids jus b sweatin dip set like
camrons god. Like don't get me wrong I can respect the whole dip set
movment and feelin a lot of this shit they put out but I think we all
kno lyrically if jay got at cam it b a wrap? These cats tell me nah cam
will eat jay lol come on now. I think we need to have more of a balance
like u needa have ur hard shit and u needa have ya 50 cent candy shop
club shit but then u needa have cats like common and talib kweli. I
don't think enuff people look outside of 1 style. Its almost like if
people are feelin dip set then its fuck every1 els like they a part of
the crew or sum shit like wen did people stop being fans and induct
themselves in the crew of choice. 2 me biggie was the greatest but that
don't mean I'm sayin fuck pac I think there's room in hip hop for every1
2 rep what they wanna rep. I hate laffy taffy jus like you lol but
chicks like it d4l aint hurtin nobody let them do they thing they'll b
gone soon enuff. Bottom line cats needa stop hatin let this whole down
south snap music play ppl may hate but 2 me its bringin back hip hop 2
its roots jus cats havin fun same thing wit hyphy that's what we need
man more ppl jus havin fun. When dudes where hatin on Nelly he said how
aint I keepin it real hip hop started in the parks ppl gatherin and
having fun this thug shit came after that. Hip hop is 2 me the most
personal music out everything els is jus love songs or songs bout girlz
u can go any direction with hip hop and that's what makes all cultures
relate. You can't do that shit wit no techno lol by the way def jam
needs 2 put joe budden he's right on wen he says nicest dude out since
reasonable doubt... Aitte man stay up
-DJ JOEY C
I actually never
thought about D4L like that…I'm still not a fan, but I guess a positive
about them is that they aren't shooting anybody in "Laffy Taffy"…
730 Wat's good..........I
think any1 that is apart of the purity of the
culture already knows that hiphop could give a fuck about race
anymore.......The discussion questions and the arguements are played
out....it is what it is....I'm sick of reading and watching about
it.......I'm half white so I struggle with this shit everyday..........I
live in a small town and people look at me everyday like i'm a fucken idiot
for having tattoos and a yankees fitted............I'd say more then the
majority of the kids around here that listen to hip hop are
clowns.............Laffy Taffy clowns..............Don't get me wrong I like
Lil' Wayne, T.I., just as much as the next........but it seems like that's
all anyone listens 2.....I mention the Minstrel Show and they don't know
what the fuck i'm talking about......anyways i'll make it short..just
thought i'd hit you up.....feels like i'm an outcast up here in the North
West...............keep writing ill columns..................peace!
-Tyson W.
That's it for now…I
would try to say something clever but I'm so mad at CBS and their wack coverage
of the tournament that I think I'm not going to say anything.
05/13 - 
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