Slaughterhouse – Truth or Truth
Slaughterhouse’s sophomore LP hits stores August 28th, but before that is the Gangsta Grillz mixtape. Here’s a new joint off it, a 15 minute track over Rick Ross’ “Tears of Joy”
DJ Khaled – I Wish you Would / Cold Music Video
I guess Epilepsy is what’s in nowadays.
Slaughterhouse – See Dead People (HQ)
A High Quality version of a song coming on Slaughterhouse’s soon-to-be-released mixtape, On the House, titled “See Dead People” has been released. Hear it below.
DJ Khaled – Hip Hop ft Scarface, Nas, DJ Premier
Since Zion I’s “Bird’s Eye View” loads of songs personifying hip hop have come out, and the idea’s really played by now. Yet, even with the now unoriginal idea, these songs tend to still be very enjoyable. And this one, [...]
Busta Rhymes – Year of the Dragon Tracklist and Artwork
Busta Rhymes revealed the tracklist for his upcoming free album Year of the Dragon on twitter, available exclusively through Google Play. Some of the features on the album include Trey Songs, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Lil’ Wayne, Robin Thicke, Reek Da Villain, [...]
August 25th, 2012 
Rap Verse of the Week: Lost Boyz – Renee
I’ve tried to tackle different aspects of emceeing/lyricism in each rap verse of the week so far: Talib Kweli’s verse on “Definition” was conscious rap, Pharoahe Monch’s verse on “Rape” was personification, and Elzhi’s verse on “Motown 25″ was..well, just unbelievable flow over a complicated rhyme scheme. To continue to show different styled tracks, this week’s verse is from “Renee”, a storytelling track speaking on the relationship between the narrator and a girl named Renee. I’ll keep it at that so as to not create any ‘spoilers’.
You’ll notice that I haven’t indicated the multi-syllable or internal rhymes through coloring in the verse below or added a ‘stand out lines’ section; this is because it’s not very complicated by any means. After all, it’s a storytelling track. Most rappers sacrifice having clear, concise ideas in order to over complicate their writings and come up with ‘dope’ quotables (check out my post on Inspectah Deck’s “Triumph” verse for a better explanation of this). There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. But there isn’t anything wrong with keeping it simple while actually having some sort of message in your song, either.
I woke up the next day on the waterbed
A letter’s on the pillow eh
And this what the letter said
It said cheeks, I’ll be home around two
You was deep in your sleep
So I didn’t want to bother you
I left my number for shorty to call me later
Got dressed
Smoked a blunt
And then I bounced towards the elevator
I got a beep around three
I’m asking shorty what’s up with you
She’s asking what’s up with me
And now we been together for weeks
Candlelight dinner with my shorty
Crack a 40 with my naughty freaks
Hey man, I never been in love
But everytime I’m burstin’ in and outta state
It’s shorty that I’m thinking of
I’m hanging out with my crew
I get a beep from Renee
Because Renee uses code too
But yet I’m chattin’ with her mom dukes
She said Renee has been shot
So cheeks, meet me up at St. Lukes
I jumps on the Van Wyck
I gotta make it there quick
A yo , this shit is gettin’ mad thick
Not even thinking about the po nine
I’m doing a buck, who gives a fuck
I’m smokin’ boom and the whole nine
I gotta see what’s going on
But by the time I reach the hospital
They tell me Mr. Cheeks
Renee is gone
I’m pouring beer out for my shorty who ain’t here
I’m from the ghetto
So listen
This is how I shed my tears
Listen to the Rap Verse
Unpopular Opinion: Pharoahe Monch is one of the Best
Whoa, it’s been a minute. I was on vacation and am finally back today, and I thought what way better than to come back than another unpopular opinion piece, this time on Queens rapper Pharoahe Monch, and how I believe he should receive more credit for his MCing skills.
The general quality that Monch possesses is for the most part acknowledged, but I never see his name come up when speaking on the best rappers to ever do it. That might be because he doesn’t have even the slightest commercial appeal barring the attention “Simon Says” got, and other rappers that are generally considered the greatest have, at one point or another, done well commercially. Nas has a handful of number 1 albums, Rakim’s “Paid in Full” went platinum, and 2pac was until recently, the best selling rap artist. Pharoahe Monch doesn’t have any of that, and that is perhaps the reason why he wasn’t even mentioned on Complex’s “30 rappers in their 30s” list, despite clearly deserving to be.
Personally, I don’t believe in a “best rapper”, just rappers with different backgrounds that convey their different styles. But when you speak on well rounded rap artists that can do it all–the ones that demonstrate what rap should attempt to be–you wouldn’t get very far without mentioning Pharoahe Monch. All the aforementioned ‘greatest’ rappers have their weaknesses: Nas suffers from inconsistency in his discography, Rakim suffers from lack of subject matter, and 2pac suffers from overly simple lyrics and easy rhyme schemes. Again, Pharoahe Monch doesn’t have any of that.
Monch has put together some of the most head scratching, rewind-worthy multi syllabic lyrics, some of the most clever punchlines; some of the most innovative stories, and selected some of the best hip hop beats in history, while maintaining one of the most consistent discographies out of any rappers. All this is, of course, a way to say he’s crazy versatile and consistent. He holds a record with very few true greats as a man to have never made a flop, or even a just a ‘good’ album. All his work, solo or with Prince Po in their duo Organized Konfusion, is fantastic.
Early Organized Konfusion music, in particular, resulted in many tracks that went on to inspire some famous rap songs. 2pac’s “Me and my Girlfriend” and Nas’ “I Gave You Power” copy the idea of personifying a gun that Organized Konfusion implemented in “Stray Bullet”. Nas’ “Fetus” and the Notorious B.I.G’s “Respect” copy the idea of rapping in the perspective of a fetus that Organized Konfusion first used in “Invetro”. Nas’ “Undying Love” also sounds eerily familiar to OK’s “Why”. Nas seemed to be quite the fan of Organized Konfusion.
Rap Verse of the Week: Elzhi – Motown 25
It’s that time of the week again; the time to appreciate a really good rap verse. This week’s verse comes from rapper Elzhi in a collaboration with fellow-Detroit rapper, Royce da 5’9″. With Elzhi, it’s obvious what you’re going to get. He’s not one to come out with some really clever punchlines that’ll having you press the rewind button, but he has a really old 90s east coast style of rapping–one that resembles Nas or Rakim in the sense that he tries to pack as many rhymes as possible in a bar. It’s one of the reasons why I enjoy him so much as it’s always good to hear a nostalgic style of rapping wth a modern twist.
As for the verse, while Elzhi’s verse is the more notable of the two, Royce da 5’9″ also comes with a gem. It’s one of the reasons why this was, in my opinion, the track of the year in 2008. The year was strong for Detroit rap, and this track shows of all the quality that they produced that year.
I end careers, years, pierce ears fierce with spears
They say I’m gifted, get lifted like the beers in Cheers
Catch a thunder bolt
Pockets stay lump from hundred notes
Stunnin’ quotes, make you run ya coat while the sun’s afloat
Prehaps, my skill is real as G Rap’s
It feel as I’ll as concealin’ drills in the knee caps
Your funny style get three snaps in the circle
When off the purple and greens
I’m higher than the jeans on Erkel, then I murk you
Bust techs, the lead sparkin now who be my next head target
I lift up, roll out, like the red carpet
Say my name three times in the mirror
And if I hear ya, I’ll appear clearer
Extend both arms and pull you nearer
Pound for pound I’m, pretty live on the mic
And keep it flooded like Mike, on Motown 25
Put your soul on ice and sold it for a whole known price
I’m nice, keep a knot swole on dice
Grin is sarcastic
The way my pen’ll spark acid on the bar
Whether in the crib or the car, blasted
Son is a
Prob, rob funds from ya publishin’
While his dogs put his guns to ya, like the Punisher
Or the Terminator, flow is harder than a German major midterm paper
The kid burns the saber
Strikin’ cats
How you want it? Gats, spike or bats?
I know you likin’ that, stay sharper than Viking hats
Exhale, blowed mist, served you with a cold dish
Niggas vomitin’, bowels moving, they can’t hold piss
El and Royce, double team, hotter than a cup of steam
Club ya spleen and bury you, just as deep as a submarine
Flawless, should be that very reason you applaud us
You saw us layin’ down a law just as raw as a craw fish
You met your death and although
I took away your breath and I ran
I still left with a Grand like Theft Auto
I’ll tell you what: I probably missed one or two rhymes in that. El absolutely goes in, and what only makes it better is how perfectly he flows over the Detroit producer, Black Milk’s, production. I’m telling you this is a Detroit all star track.
Listen to the Rap Verse
Slaughterhouse – Truth or Truth
Slaughterhouse’s sophomore LP hits stores August 28th, but before that is the Gangsta Grillz mixtape. Here’s a new joint off it, a 15 minute track over Rick Ross’ “Tears of Joy”
The term “Classic” in Hip Hop
In an urban scene, the only word that eclipses “classic” in overuse and misuse is..well, there isn’t one (Kidding of course, I’m sure words like “epic” and “gay” would absolutely run over “classic” in misuse). But it seems like every second rap release is being labeled as a classic. And, even though that isn’t true, it’s difficult to argue because what makes a classic is undefinable. But even though I can not define what a classic is, I can define what a classic is not.
A classic isn’t every album with good lyrics and good production. It isn’t every album that’s enjoyable to listen to and has no filler. Essentially, a classic isn’t the Slim Shady LP, Late Registration, or Food and Liquor. Those albums, while all very good (Food and Liquor, in particular, was very hard to include on this list), are missing some elements to take the work into the next level of a hip hop classic.
Of course, they’re all missing in different departments. I think Slim Shady LP suffers from pointless skits and a few iffy songs (such as “Cum on Everybody”), Late Registration, like most of Kanye’s work, suffers from over-reliance on guest appearances, and Food & Liquor just doesn’t have the influence to compete with genuine hip hop classics. But what they all miss, collectively, is that unexplainable ‘x-factor’ that makes a classic album a classic. The factor that makes it so you can listen to the album 10 years on, and it gives off a nostalgic vibe, sounding as fresh as the day you heard it.
That’s not to discredit those albums, or any others that are being heralded as classics that clearly aren’t. Contrary to what now seems to be the grading system, an album isn’t automatically trash if it isn’t a five star album. Eminem says it best on “The Sauce”, his diss track to Benzino:
When the mics used to mean something, a four was like
You were the shit, now it’s like the least you get
Three and a half now just means you’re a piece of shit
In a genre that hasn’t been around for that long, there aren’t supposed to be too many classics, certainly not one every other week. The influence, originality, unanimous critical acclaim, and standing the test of time (to name just a few characteristics of a classic) aren’t easy to come by.
For my money, the last real classic was The Fix by Scarface. That doesn’t make the last decade in hip hop shitty by any means, though.
What hip hop albums are deserving of being called classics? Leave a comment below if you have thoughts on albums that are, without a shadow of a doubt, classics. I’d love to see which ones are.
