Archive for the ‘Billy Sunday @ XXL’ Category

RAKIM 2009: More Goat, Less G.O.A.T.

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

rakim
rakim

Rakim is the father to the styles of NaS, Jay, Black Thought, Ice Cube, Raekwon, Prodigy, B.I.G. and Big Pun. And subsequently any other latter and lesser emcee that considers themselves to be lyrically impressive. But the truth is that Rakim’s work over the last ten years doesn’t have the impact to the culture of Hip-Hop that his first ten years tattoed on rap music. Sadly, it’s actually not admissible.

Did Rakim fall off? No. The peloton caught up to him. The wake of the lane that Rakim created allowed rappers with more charisma(B.I.G., Big Pun) and greater stamina(NaS, Jay-Z) to draft this sentient artist back to the Earth. Their metaphors and similes increased our sensations and aided Hip-Hop in transforming the globe, but it was Rakim who gave them the spark of ghetto gangster poetry.

I’m not going to tell you to open up the new Rakim album ‘The 7th Seal’ because you might feel let down that there aren’t any new classics on the disk. Can we fault Rakim for setting the bar as high as he did? Nope. The legacy of music we have from him still rates the consideration for his GOAT status. Is it selfish and unfair to want artists to remain in that box that we first encountered them?


‘Holy Are You’ *(best of the new)

‘I Ain’t No Joke’

‘Follow The Leader’

‘Juice (Know The Ledge)’

‘Microphone Fiend’ *(possibly the greatest rap song of all time)

DP In Training…

Monday, October 12th, 2009

free drinks

I’m getting myself in shape for the College Music Journal week here in NYC in about 10 days or so. Tons of bands and performers. Mostly tons of free alcohol. I’ve been getting back into the obama swing so that my liver will be thoroughly moistened for the CMJ.

I go to so many obamas I should get a Nobel Peace Prize for all the hard work that my liver performs.

If you are in NYC for the CMJ make sure you reach out to me so that we can connect-politic-ditto at a few of the shows.

Sean P x Timeless Truth = Priceless…

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

priceless

Timeless Truth, the hosts of Industry Shakedown Radio are shooting a video today for their track ‘Priceless’ featuring Sean Price. I’ll have some behind the scenes pix to post tomorrow. The lifestyle representatives will be in full effect. One of the messages Solace sent to me was to make sure I came dipped. With Meyhem, Thirstin’ Howl 3rd and Timeless Truth on hand I had better pull some official lifestyle from out the archives.

Here’s a video clip of Ruck going thru some I.T.’s in prep for the shoot.

* BONUS SEAN P! * BONUS SEAN P! * BONUS SEAN P! *


Figure 4

DP Gets Ecstatic…

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

ecstatic

I almost didn’t stick around to see the mighty Mos Def last night at his The Ecstatic tour concert on Governor’s Island. I was wet from the rainshowers earlier in the afternoon. Mos didn’t hit the stage until after midnight. There were some people in the venue that had been there since 8pm. The funny thing is that as soon as Mos showed up all the delays and the less than impressive opening acts were forgotten. Mos Def is charming that way.

Many rap fans have complained that Mos uses his charm on the buyers as well. I don’t say that. I loved Mos Def’s The New Danger. I played that joint riderk. Tru Magic was another story but I still liked it, or better yet, the idea of it. The Ecstatic on the other hand was one of the best CD’s of 2009 and should have a top 25 position for the 2000’s. The key to Mos Def is that he can not be put into a box that says who he is. Just when you think you know him he uses his invisibility super powers.

Just as there has been a movement to state that African Americans are post-Black Mos Def has been charging forward with a pan-Humanism angle. He culls musical styles from every corner of the Earth, particularly Africa and the Caribbean. He jumps into central and south America just to make sure that all Brown people feel at home. That is the true magic of Mos Def. He speaks to all of us that believe we can improve the world. The first step isn’t a two-step tho’. It is a nodding of our collective heads

ecstatic


Quiet Dog Bite Hard

Revelations

Roses

ecstatic


No Hay Nada Mas

Pistola

Casa Bey

ecstatic

The rain finally came back down to wash us off Governor’s Island and back into the subways, highways and byways but for a few hours we were free and it made us happy.

It made me ecstatic.

ecstatic

WASP RAP FTW!

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

wasp rappers

I got to thinking the other day that we(the respective rap fan collective) were witnessing another golden era of Hip-Hop music thanks to the internets. Every sub-genre of rap music is clearly represented at this moment. From old man rap(Rae) to lightsaber rap(Jay(, from fashionista rap(Yeezy) to retard rap(Weezy), from hardbody smashmouth rap(Ruck) to soft silky smooth Reebok rap(Fab) everyone is getting the shit they love to fux with. What more could we ask for?

But then I was watching a web interview that DJ Whoo Kid was having with Ghostface when Whoo Kid mistakenly asked Ghost about the Wu-Tang Killa ‘Wasps’. Maybe Whoo Kid doesn’t know what the fux he was talking about, or maybe Whoo Kid is from the future and he is telling us about a rap sub-genre that we need to recognize. I think Whoo Kid is from the future. Why haven’t we embraced White Anglo-Saxon Protestant rap yet? Who in the rap game would be able to talk that “money ain’t a thing” shit better than a WASP?

Think about that. All that fancy shit that rappers brag about is the standard shit that a WASP sees on the everyday. The Carnegies, the Vanderbilts, the DuPonts and the Rothschilds wipe their asses with dollar bills. They still have slaves for crissakes! How hardbody is that?!? All these rappers that dream about luxurious shit are wearing the WASPs old shoes and hand me downs. I want to hear what the new-new-NEW shit is gonna be. Maison Martin Margiela? Nah nigga, Silver Saturn Spaceship status.

WASPs be having that shit that even regular white ain’t allowed to touch. Like that shit so exclusive that when they check your DNA you will be denied access. That GATTACA fly shit. That shit where all the Uma Thurman clones walk around naked. Not even BeYonce can get up in there. Her shows have to be televised via satellite because her DNA ain’t right. That WASP shit is that exclusive and the rap game needs to hear about it. That’s it, I’m determined to A & R the first WASP rap superstar. I’m going to the campus of Bard College.