The Freshmen Get A Dean…

cam vado

Has the XXL mag franchise been in decline since Elliott Wilson left? Sure, but so has every Hip-Hop print magazine and mega-online Hip-Hop entity. I’m not saying that everyone over at XXL is a bum, because that isn’t the case (Byron Crawford), but I should send a kite to my people over there and tell them to fux with that Antenna imprint instead because it’s really more in the essence of Hip-Hop on a higher level. Shouts to the editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten who cursed me the fux out lastnite at the XXL Freshmen showcase. She lost about 1000lbs and got herself a nice little hairstyle. She looks downright effin’ smashable now so if the mag folds their tent maybe she can get her stacks up via the Kat Stacks economic system.

Sheeeeid, I’ve got five on it.

The XXL Freshmen 10 show was for XXL mag to make up some ground for their floundering magazine. XXL contracted Cam’Ron to headline knowing that Cam would bring along his newest protege Vado. This move also allowed XXL to save face and reconnect to the home of Hip-Hop since their magazine has kind’a sort’a forgotten about what happens here in New York City. By all stretches of the imagination the event appeared to be a success. The Highline Ballroom, NYC’s premiere Hip-Hop staging venue, was packed to the rafters, and not just with the usual allotment of industry shitbags(I regretfully include myself in that grouping), but with people who actually bought tickets to the show.

The Highline Ballroom isn’t a small space and I was impressed by how quickly it filled up. The energy was high early on so that usually forecasts a memorable night. What up to VeE from Scritch and Scratch? Your boy Shakespeare hollered at me and we politicked for a few. He’s good peoples. Paul ‘Gooch’ Cantor came thru also. If you want a barometer for how big an event is you can use Gooch who leaves his house for NOTHING. Just as the party was getting underway I had to leave the space and roll with Timeless Truth to NYU’s ‘Halftime Radio’ program. The word is getting out there about The ‘Lo-End Theory and some of the artists that will be doing there thing. I’m going to have to step up my game hardbody tho’ to equal the energy that XXL put into this event.

cam vado

When I got back to the Highline after the radio show the crowd outside of the building was looking as big as the amount of people who were inside earlier. These were the folks who couldn’t get in [ll]. When people can’t get into the building and the list is closed then you know it’s a party. Thankfully I am known to Highline’s security at this point so I didn’t have to go thru changes to get back inside. I was just in time to catch Nipsey Hu$$le’s set. I don’t see how XXL can regard Nipsey Hu$$le as a freshman. I mean, dude is fresh, but he has been grinding for a minute and he isn’t new to anyone who fux with 2DopeBoyz for any length of time. Nipsey, Pac Div, U-N-I and a host of Cali acts have been doing their thing. The homey Diz Gibran could have used that Nipsey slot in the Freshmen 10 list.

It was still sketchy as to whether or not Cam’Ron was going to appear but my dude from XXL(yes, there are still chill MF’s there) let me know that he was setting shit up for Cam to come out. When Cam got on the stage the place erupted. That was a real nice feeling to be in the crowd and sing Cam lyrics with several hundred people. Vado, Cam’s newest jewel(no Juelz) was razor sharp too. They shut down the event properly. It was hype to see Cam play the role of hypeman for Vado. You could tell that Cam was really feeling Vado’s verses. The same applied for Vado when Cam did his mini-montage of joints. Always the showman, Cam’Ron loves to leave the people wanting for more.

XXL may not be able to make a competent list, but they sure as hell know how to throw a party.

17 Responses to “The Freshmen Get A Dean…”

  1. comon man, cam´ron is whack son, dallas you ain´t fellin jay rock?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1ppVqfwV4

    soooo woooo

  2. Yeah, any cat who lives in LA knows about Nipsy, whether they eff with him or not. Dude had his name plastered on telephone poles & empty lot fences for years, before cats even heard him rap.

    Sounds like it was a fun little bash, though. Don’t be surprised if they try to get in on the ‘Lo party. You know how these “corportations” bullyfoot/piggyback what’s hot in the streets.

  3. been putting people on to Vado for a lil while now……Internets is cool, but u still gotta keep an ear to the streets…………….luckily even tho’ I’m not in NY my peeples still keep my ear firmly planted in the boros and Harlem and BK been buzzing about son for a minute…good to see NY supporting.

    Say what you will about Cam, but can’t say he doesn’t bring something to the table as far as entertainment.

  4. Fosterakahunter says:

    Cam, for me, woulda been worth the price of admission. Any word on how these “fresh” men handled the crowd? And, for real, I hear the Lo joint is what cats are really talking about. Props

  5. $yk says:

    “Don’t be surprised if they try to get in on the ‘Lo party. You know how these “corportations” bullyfoot/piggyback what’s hot in the streets.”

    ^ Word is bond

    Once Jae Millz went on record speaking about Vado not being on the cover I could see the show was gonna be a Vado thing guest starring Cam.

    Fans ain’t seeing the Young Money/Cash Money-Dipset connection, especially when Wayne & Juelz already did something together (II), and Wayne is locked up in NY listening to a whole lot of NY street rap.

  6. the_dallas says:

    ‘Spekt,
    I was surprised to see how hard the crowd was riding for Vado. Cats at the front of the stage were going line for line with sonn.

    Honestly, the event was a winner for NY rap because of how many people stayed to the end. The industry heads had left by the time Cam and Vado got on stage and the spot was still ram-packed.

    I was on some in-douche-stry shit chilling up top but Vado was burning the mic so hard I had to go down on the floor to catch the rest of dude’s set.

    Oh and yeah, Vado was also rocking some lifestyle from the 2010 Olympics line.

  7. Dallas….

    that’s another thing I’m hearing this kid got Harlem rocking the lifestyle crazy right now,especially the rugby’s, definitely repping the culture

    You know I don’t fux wit everything but between Stop it 5 and these jawns :

    http://www.thegrittycommittee.com/2010/03/vado-no-turning-back.html

    http://www.thegrittycommittee.com/2010/04/vado-large-on-streets.html

    Can’t tell me the Lo Lifestyle ain’t about to bring back the re-emergence of that Grilchy NY Spitting…..

    I hope the weather is with us for the THEORY!!!

    one

  8. “The industry heads had left by the time Cam and Vado got on stage”

    of course cuz them dickheads be the last to know about everything, that’s why I’m glad I follow some of them on twitter just so we have a gauge of how late they are with shit.

    Street love>>>>>>>blog love

    I tell cats all the time the blog love is cool for your ego for a day, but after that day when folks move on with the quickness of a nah right post, what are you left with?

    still clocking in to your job telling cats you made it to a post on a blog a few weeks ago…………FORGOTTEN

    The streets will have people still listening to you and talking about you this summer.

  9. the_dallas says:

    ^ shouts to niggas still buying bootlegg CDs from ahki

  10. $yk says:

    “The streets will have people still listening to you and talking about you this summer.”

    ^ true-eth

  11. getthesenets says:

    just heard that wayne is being released from rikers on a technicality on 1010 wins

  12. M. Respekt-

    “Street love>>>>>blog love”

    ^^co-sign to the full

    http://thetonygrands.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/a-memo-to-the-industry/

  13. Howfresheats says:

    Industry shitbags is correct. I had to wade through 3 hours of fecal matter just to get to Killa because these industry shitbags deemed these no frills cats as the next best. Aside from Donnis with his semi-star power (he brought Estelle and Ryan Leslie to the stage), the rest were blah. But it was worth it. Vado did his thing- Large on the Streets is that craze and Cam let his son shine. DP said it best about Cam- he “loves to leave the people wanting for more.” Listen man, all you need to do is play I Really Mean It and it’s a success. And he did so it was.

    And he didn’t even do Amber Lamps.

  14. getthesenets says:

    oh yeah 4/1 on that wayne story 🙂

  15. getthesenets says:

    pre- pink cam was one of the alltime great spitters……..

    cues magnum p.i. theme

  16. the_dallas says:

    HowFresh what up? Sorry I ain’t have the juice to move you in that spot. I’m lucky that I didn’t get 86’d my damn self.

    The industry holds these vendettas for cats like myself. Many years ago my homegirl told me that because of who i am and my anti-in-douche-tree turrets I would never work for a mag. She was right, technically. I only worked for a mag’s online division.

    I’m sorry I didn’t get to see the show, but for me, Cam’s verse on Dipset anthem was all I needed to get by. All these pix is from the Blaxberry.

  17. Smear says:

    Whats thatv fugly bitch Vanessa Satten’s problem with you D?

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