Wu-Tang Forever > Young Forever…

wu tang forever

Who among us doesn’t know that these are bees? Forget the fact that I have assembled them for the photo, are you telling me that the American education system is no longer providing student the tools to recognize one of the hardworking animals within this planet’s ecosystem? Unless that is LatinoHeat was educated abroad and then I can understand shit. People with foreign education generally consider the Americas to be one continent and they totally disregard Antartica.

And speaking of education I imagine that all the Jigga fans watched their boy on the Bill Maher show last weekend? Jay-Z came off as bright and a bit effusive while noticing that Bill Maher obviously didn’t know a damn thing about him or his work. I like that Bill Maher had an intern transcribe all of Jay-Z’s lyrics and place them in a leather bound book. Jay-Z looked totally surprised that he had created that many lyrics. I think Jay-Z judges the volume of his efforts by the things he acquires with them. There simply a collection of songs that has allowed him to buy a Maybach or ten.

I remember when I was the only dude on the web that criticized Jay-Z for not writing down his lyrics. Tons f Jay fans rushed to defend his creative process as one where the editing benefits of the paper and pen were negligible against the outcome of songs that made them dance and go to the mall to buy shirts that were “button ups”. It was the end result that made all the difference and not the journey it took to get there that mattered. Who was I, a broke ass writer, to condemn someone who was wealthy beyond all imagination for not writing. If anything, being a rich non-writer does seem to be better than being a fiscally challenged writer. Sheeeeeeid, I can even agree with that logic.

My argument wasn’t really about Jay-Z not being a writer as much as it was about the process that one takes to achieve their maximun potential. There is no way that Shawn Carter could have ever become Jay-Z without accumulating volumes of rhymebooks. For him to deny that is the heresy. And now we have a generation of artists that have come after him that don’t recognize the benefits of being able to visually and physically edit themselves so that their content can match their mind’s eye. I’m sure Lil’ Wayne would be a decent rapper if he used a pad and pen. For crissakes, the dude was signed to Ca$h Money when he was 9yrs old.

When I was 9yrs old I was hell’a into comicbooks. I was always hoping to find a character that I felt like I could embody. Black characters in comics used to suck back in the days. Everyone had to be called ‘Black’ something, even if there wasn’t a white counterpart. I always wondered what would have happened if Misty Knight decided to become an international spy like Natasha Romanova. Would they have called her Black Black Widow? I ask the questions that no one else asks mainly because no one else really gives a fux. Shout to iFux. But I digress…

Jay-Z is officially Jordan in the Wizard’s jersey. The Hall of Fame nomination was secured a long time ago. During the Dynasty period in my opinion. It has been past the time for the torch to be properly passed to the next one. At least Jordan in the Wizards era knew this and was busy seeking to draft and cultivate young talent to help his team win. He wasn’t hogging the ball or taking too many ill-advised shots. Jordan was definitely a mortal without his homey Scottie Pippen to take some of the pressure from him. Blueprint 3 won’t be the last Jay-Z album but I hope its the last one that he decides to record without the assistance of the pad and the pen, or even the Blaxberry.

Even Jay-Z can’t be young forever.

8 Responses to “Wu-Tang Forever > Young Forever…”

  1. VEe says:

    I didn’t hear the CD yet but the reviews, quips and tweets show that his presence is still felt.

    I still can’t believe people still rep “Black” something. Although I occasionally here the equally odd “White” something from time to time.

    Aziz Ansari – Hate featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West
    http://azizisbored.tumblr.com/post/177389632/jay-z-feat-aziz-ansari-and-kanye-west-hate-dj

    What up D!

  2. Stevemega says:

    Damn, I just listened to Duck Seazon yesterday too. A hungry Rae (a la both of his verses on that track) > (your so aptly titled) “Wizards” Jay. (Or most other incarnations of Jay, IMO)

    You was born to be a pawn but I’m a bishop

  3. amanda says:

    I saw that book on Bill Maher’s show. Shit looked like an unabridged encyclopedia. Good grief, Hov.

    I do wonder what the font and margin size was lookin like on those pages, though.

    I wonder how long a book would be if it consisted of every post you’ve ever done?

    DP vs. Jay-Z, multisyllabic battle of the century. May the wordiest person win.

  4. mercilesz says:

    relax ur mind let ur conscience be free get down to the sounds of the roc…..pretty clever lyric right there…neva heard that be4.

  5. mercilesz says:

    All he had for chicks was hard dick and bubble gum too as i remember….Big L had the same problem 1st as I remember

  6. Tony Grands says:

    Don’t worry DP, @ least we know you have folks quoting you, not vice versa. If I’m not mistaken, some years back, people’s biggest gripe about Jay-Z was his “borrowing”, right? *nods sarcastically*

    Like I said earlier, I agree with you on the pad & pen aspect. Maybe Jay doesn’t fancy himself a writer who happens to write songs, but rather a rapper’s rapper, through & through.

    Well see on this next “experimental” project he’s talking about these days…

  7. VEe says:

    Oh yeah, as far as Jay-Z not writing his verses down, that’s his process. I’m not mad at that. KRS-1 wrote many of his rhymes without jotting them down in a pad, that’s a real skill as far as emceeing goes.

  8. the_dallas says:

    VeE,
    Jay-Z’s process may have been great for him when he was writing hits for Dr.Dre and LL Cool J (believe that), but at this point and juncture it does him a disservice. The great sports philosopher Y. Berra stated that half of baseball was physical and the other 90% percent was mental. Jay-Z need to pay more attention to the 90%.

    The brain is the most illest futuristic muscle ever. The neurons that have to fire through those chambers constantly could use some help as we get older. Shit, they could use some help when we are younger too. You may have a design in your mind but if you don’t commit that joint to paper at some point don’t you think details get lost in the ethers?

    Did I just say ethers?

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