"There's a sign on the door - no biting allowed."

Ok people...I have a bone to pick. Yeah, that's right – I'm gonna just put it out there. I have to speak up. Enough is enough. It is my duty as a fellow hip-hop head to bring this issue to the forefront and confront it. Since when did biting become acceptable in hip-hop?! Since when did it become cool to blatantly copy someone's style, fashion or business move?

Remember in middle school when you copped those new pair of sneakers and you rocked them on the first day of school? Couldn't nobody tell you nothin! You knew you were the freshest one in your class! What made it more special was that you were the only one with them, so naturally, people wanted to know where you got em. A week later, you see that same kid sporting the exact same shoes as you, same colors and all. Then they had the nerve to run to you saying, “Hey look, I got the same shoes! We can be twins!” Either that, or they wouldn't say anything all, rocking them as if they were the first ones with them. Regardless, didn't we consider those kids lame, then?

Recently, rapper Consequence came out publicly and accused ex-labelmate Pusha T of biting a line of his on Pusha's song “My God”. Whether or not it is true is debatable, but part of me is happy for Consequence speaking up, if only because it lets me know what school of thought he comes from. There was a time up until about the early 2000's when copying someone's style was off-limits in hip-hop. It was the ultimate no-no. And if you did steal someone's style, you would get called out immediately and most times shunned away. The name of the game was originality. Sure, there is a difference between being inspired by someone and just flat out stealing – but where do we draw that line? Many people accuse Jay-Z of stealing lines earlier in his career. He has used lines from everyone ranging from Biggie to Slick Rick, but he considers it paying homage. Again, where do we draw the line?

I think the straw that broke the camel's back was hearing about Jazzy Pha jumping on the headphone bandwagon. Originally it was Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's creation with the “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones, then Diddy followed suit with “Diddy beats”...then 50 Cent with “Sheek”...now Jazzy Pha. C'MON SON. We've seen this time and time again – whether it be rappers starting clothing lines, coming out with alcohol brands, incorporating the song-a-week marketing scheme, using autotune, wearing pink, incorporating Bangledesh's “A Millie” snare breakdown in beats, etc. Where do we draw the line? 

"Where Is The Love?" Part Uno

My fellow hip-hop heads...what up? What's good?! What's crackin?! What it do?! I know, I know - it's been a minute since I've written and I apologize for that. What can I say? Taking over the world is quite time consuming – ask Pinky and The Brain. Anywho, there are important matters to be discussed in the world of hip-hop. As we've all recently seen just a couple of weeks ago, The Black Eyed Peas performed at the halftime show for Super Bowl XLV, going thru a slew of their hits including “I Got A Feeling”, “Boom Boom Pow”, “Pump It”, “Let's Get It Started”, amongst others. They even brought out Slash from Guns and Roses to play guitar while Fergie sang a cover of their late 1980's smash “Sweet Child of Mine”. If this performance made any statement whatsoever, it was simply that we're living in the age of The Black Eyed Peas – in terms of commercial music. Hate it or love it, they are the poster children for pop/commercial hip-hop music in 2011.

With that said, I found it interesting that there were a wide range of mixed emotions about their performance from the hip-hop community:

"Maaaaaan Black Eyed Peas & Usher Kiiiiiillllleeed the Halftime performance!!!!!! Best one I have seen," Chamillionaire declared.

"My ni99 from the black eye peas outfit was LIT.COM!!! dat ni99a s**t had its own light show..LOL!! #WTFMoment!" tweeted Yukmouth.

"Hate if u want but Black Eye Peas SHUT THAT S**T DOWN!!!!!!!!" Busta Rhymes tweeted.

"Regardless what people wanna say @william is a rapper, thats rap music with a pop feel, so go head and say it was the best eva I LOVE IT !!!" Jermaine Dupri tweeted.

Youtube, facebook and other social media outlets were no different. Many positive, many negative, but regardless of what was said – it is clear that The Black Eyed Peas are in their prime right now.   

My question is this: Would you consider The Black Eyed Peas hip-hop? By hip-hop, I'm asking if they're credible? Worthy of our respect as hip-hop artists who have taken the game a step further? Do they deserve recognition for all the number one hits, all of the sold out arenas, all of the Grammy awards, etc.?   

Many argue that they are absolutely not hip-hop, they are simply a manufactured group created by a major label to appeal to the masses – in other words, they're sell-outs. Their subject matter go no further than the clubs and the dance floor and their song structure is based off of more sing-songy melodic hooks, than 16 tough bars – which is taboo in hip-hop! Many say that they've sold out by adding Fergie to the group – and argue that “They were hot back when they did 'Joints and Jams'”.

Again...are the Black Eyed Peas hip-hop?

Allow me to play devil's advocate just for a minute. Last time I checked, the clubs were a key part of hip-hop's culture. Where ever the party is, it is the MC's job to move the crowd, right? They have to be the one to keep the party moving when no one else can't. It seems like The Black Eyed Peas are doing a great job of that at the moment. Also, there are four elements in our hip-hop culture: Djing, graffiti, b-boying/breaking, and rapping. How many rap groups have you heard of that also have break-dancers? If you watch their video for “Pump It”, you can see the hip-hop influence in that the entire concept of the video is a b-boy battle. What's the subject matter of the song? “We're the best, we're the shit, etc. - and you're not”. That's hip-hop at its essence. Is there something I'm missing?  

Let's look at their biggest hit to date, “I Got A Feeling” which is more sing songy and melodic, and definitely more of a pop feel because of the beat – which caters to the club-scene instantly. And although, Wil.i.am uses the over-exhausted autotune, the only thing that makes The Black Eyed Peas different from when they recorded “Joints and Jams” (without Fergie, of course) is their image and their choice of beats - but in terms of content and song structure, they've always incorporated melody/singing and their lyrics have always been about getting the party started, getting the crowd hyped, and being dope at it. Check out “Joints and Jams”: 

Yes, I agree that The Black Eyed Peas changed their style up for commercial purposes when they acquired Fergie and changed their sound from their first album, the more hip-hop soul sounding Behind the Front. They saw they had potential to reach a larger demographic, and ran with it. But are we upset with Black Eyed Peas because they're catering to the clubs and not speaking on the plight of the world (even though one of their biggest hits “Where Is The Love” speaks on that exact issue ironically)? Are we upset that they're using autotune, like so many other countless hip-hop artists? Are we upset that Fergie is clearly the difference-maker in their sales and without her they'll always be the “Joints and Jams” guys? Everyone wants hip-hop to be one way, and the fact is that it's not. Black Eyed Peas may not be what you're into, but to say they're not hip-hop is blasphemy, especially when they're the one group who incorporates a little more of the four elements than most other hardcore rappers we champion. They are probably the most well-rounded and talented group that is out right now if for only the fact that they're also gifted dancers and freestyle rappers. Are they intricate lyricists with metaphors, stories and wordplay? No. Are they activists? No. But if you wanna get the party started, you can count on BEP – and there is and always has been a place for that in hip-hop. So stop acting like ya'll don't like dancing! We're living in a time where hip-hop is no longer underground – it's universal. People are influenced by our hip-hop culture all over the world – The Black Eyed Peas are symbolic of that unity. 







Again, I was playing devil's advocate – so let the hate begin!!! 

“Went from Nasty to Nas, Nas to Escobar…”

I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I was ten years old, in my older brother’s room, rummaging through his cassette tapes, when I stumbled upon a blank tape with a worn label on it that read: NAS - ILLMATIC. This tape immediately stuck out to me as I had just recently read a Source Magazine “Year in Review” article where many of hip-hop’s popular artists at the time – none of whom I can remember except Queen Latifah and Kay-Gee from Naughty by Nature – were asked what were the top albums released in 1994, and the vast majority placed Nas’ Illmatic at the #1 slot.  I had just recently been introduced to hip-hop through Method Man’s Tical, Redman’s Dare Iz A Darkside and Common’s Resurrection albums, so my interest was at an all-time high - I had to give it a listen! What was the big deal about this album that made every rapper praise it?  What was all the hype about?  Upon the first few listens, I admit, the only song I could have on repeat was “It Ain’t Hard to Tell”, only because it contained the least amount of curse words of all of the songs.  Remember, I was only ten years old – so I had to be careful of what songs I played at full volume in my house.  “Life’s A Bitch”, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” and “Memory Lane” were also favorites, but more so for the beats, than the lyrics.  Lyrically, “Represent” was a favorite simply because of the lines “This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue/ the school drop-out…never liked that shit from day one!”  With a charismatic flow, undeniable voice and catchy rhythm to his writing, Nas quickly gained my respect as a dope emcee.

A couple of years had passed and he had recently released “If I Ruled The World” featuring Lauryn Hill.  It was at this moment I understood and appreciated the hype behind Illmatic and Nas was soon crowned “Best Rapper” in my eyes.  As a twelve year old, the lines “Imagine smoking weed in the street without cops harassing” were nothing less than brilliant.  He was the truth!  It Was Written was released soon after and I was the first one with a copy – an edited copy of course. With that album as my audio-Bible, I studied it more than any class I’d ever studied for in middle school and began to mimic the same mannerisms, style, fashion and slang (dun language) – addressing friends as “God” and beginning every sentence with “Yo…”  I was proud to be a Queens, NYC native, even though I had only spent four years of my life there.  I began to research his lyrics, looking up any reference he made – thus, sparking my interest in learning about whatever he knew as fact:  black history, women vs. hoes, money, drug dealing, politics, poverty, thug life, etc.  I even started writing my own raps, applying the same cadence and rhyme structure as Esco –the best way an twelve year old could do, at least.  In short, Nas could do no wrong with me.  While I still enjoyed other artists like 2Pac, Biggie, Redman, Keith Murrary, and Prodigy from Mobb Deep– Nas reigned supreme in my eyes.  All the ladies loved him and all the dudes wanted to be him.  Even when he battled Jay-Z, who - so we thought at the time, was at his creative and commercial peak - I was the first one blasting “Ether” and boasting “I told you so” to anyone who thought for a moment that Nas fell off.  Nas was the man!

It is easy to conclude that Nas was a role model of some sort for a period in my life.  He was superman – or as he put it, “half man, half amazing”.  But like every role model we look up to, there comes a point where we grow up and begin to recognize the more human traits of our leaders.  We see their mistakes, faults and short comings.  I admit, it took a long time for me to realize that Nas was not perfect.  Crazy enough, it was shortly after I met him for the first time where I began to question him as an artist.  Although I cannot pin-point exactly when my doubt of him arose, I can say it wasn’t an overnight occurrence.  There were many instances that lead up to it. 

Perhaps it was when a news publication pointed out his inaccurate claims in his song “Our Heroes” from the Street’s Disciple album, where he complains “what ever happened to Weezy? The Red Fox's?/ Never got Emmy's but were real to me”, when actually, Isabel Sanford, the actress he made reference to has won an Emmy in her career.  Where was Nas getting his facts from?  And what other facts did he feed us through his music that was inaccurate? 

Perhaps it was when he made the decision to leave Columbia Records and signed with one-time enemy Jay-Z.  While I understood him leaving Columbia, I was in disbelief that he would even think about signing with his one-time foe.  Sure, the battle was old news, but to me, it sent the wrong message to the masses:  a sign of defeat.  All of the “I told you so” comments I made earlier were irrelevant at that point.  Nas won the battle, but Jay ultimately won the war. 

Perhaps it was when he made an appearance on The Colbert Report to promote his Untitled album, which had just recently been changed from Nigger, thus adding to the hype of its release.  Steven Colbert cleverly set up Nas to explain the meaning behind his controversial Fox News diss, “Sly Fox”.  Steven Colbert gave Nas the platform, all Nas had to do was explain.  And while Nas didn’t stray away from the topic, he was less than convincing in articulately expressing his thoughts to Mr. Colbert, and America.  Non-descriptive phrases such as “They do a lot of bad things…” did nothing to support the strong claims and accusations he made on his record.  Why couldn’t he explain himself?  Was he really down for the cause or was this all just a publicity stunt to sell records?

Whatever situation it was, it was clear that I was having a love/hate relationship with my one-time hero.  Nevermind the overly public divorce with Kelis.  Nevermind the IRS coming after him.  Nevermind the scathing letter to Def Jam, voicing his dissatisfaction with the label, only exposing his poor business decisions.  I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, by not allowing his blunders in real life sway my opinion of him as an artist, but it seemed like he was making it difficult for me to take up for him.  Street’s Disciple, in my opinion, should have been one disk.  And what happened to Quan?  For Nas to “pass the baton” to him was very questionable, seeing how he had yet to prove himself worthy of longevity.  Hip-Hop Is Dead, while a very relevant and thought-provoking issue at the time, failed to live up to the hype as an entire album.  Reusing the Incredible Bongo Band "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" sample twice wasn’t a good look either.  In short, “Black Republicans” saved it.

Make no mistake, Nas is arguably our generation’s greatest writer.  He’s been able to express thoughts and tell stories in ways we can only wish we could do.  My problem with Nas is his inconsistency.  One minute he’s on fire, the next minute he’s lack luster.  One minute he’s shouting “Murder Inc!” the next its “Braaaaaveheaaaarts!”.  It is clear that he is the type of artist who needs a fire lit from underneath him in order to get him going.  At this moment, I think he is having a great run with his Untitled album and his collaborative effort with Damien Marley Distant Relatives (although there were more factual inaccuracies found on this project as well), but how long will this hold up?  Recent internet releases lead me to believe that his next project will be a solid one, but you can never be too sure with Nas. 

My question is this…how will we remember Nas?  Will he go down as one of our greatest artists?  Or will he be mentioned as a great artist that once was?  Did we put too much pressure on him since Illmatic and It Was Written to have a flawless track record?  Was Jay-Z right when he said he “Went from top 10 to not mentioned at all…”?  It’s difficult to speak on Nas because we all know he is creative as much as he is talented.  We cannot forget that this is the man who crafted Illmatic, arguably hip-hop’s greatest album.  We cannot forget that this is the man who wrote “Verbal Intercourse”, arguably hip-hop’s greatest guest verse.  We cannot forget that this is the man who made “Ether”, arguably hip-hop’s greatest diss record and comeback.  One thing is for sure, only time will tell where he land on our top 5 and 10 list. 

2010 RAP-UP!!!

Yooooooo!  Ok...I gotta say - I’m curious to see what 2011 has in store because 2010 was an AWESOME year for music, hip-hop specifically.  This was the first year in a long time where there were several releases, all of which were of outstanding quality.  It feels good to know that even though there is still a certain "type" of song dominating the mainstream, it hasn't effected the artist’s approach with taking their time and making quality material.   2010 is also a great representation of how far hip-hop has come, since the beginning.  One could argue that it is highly over-saturated now, but it is that same over-saturation that has brought about so many sub genres within this genre alone - there is truly something for everyone, if you search hard enough.  This is completely different, even if we're just talking 10 years ago.  There are so many options now.  It is also this over-saturation that has forced artists to make better music because record sales have dwindled - Gold is the new Platinum.  Honestly, I think 2010 is the first of many great years to come.  With no further ado, here are the year’s best and worst.  


I figured I’d get the worst outta the way...

WORST, OVERRATED AND DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS

TI - No Mercy - Perhaps going to prison again put a monkey-wrench in Tip's plans for King Uncaged.  Nonetheless, one should not base their opinion of TI off of No Mercy alone.  While No Mercy does have some outstanding moments, they are far overshadowed by the many features and lackluster songs throughout.  It was painfully obvious this album was not only rushed, but there was no serious thought put behind it, not even in the tracklisting.  As a loyal TI fan, I felt misled.  I was had.  I'd been took.  Hood winked.  Bamboozled.  Led astray.   Run a muck.  Hopefully he can deliver a quality album when he finishes his bid.  Hold ya head, Tip. 


Ludacris - Battle of the Sexes - Big ol' wah wah.   Although  “How Low” and “My Chick Bad” proved that Luda has some staying-power in the game, he’s yet to make that solid and cohesive album.  One could argue Back For the First Time and Chicken & Beer - but c’mon son - Luda is ten years deep into the game with no classic album under his belt.  


Ice Cube - I Am The West - Some people didn’t even know this album dropped.  I know it’s tough to follow up stellar albums like Laugh Now, Cry Later and Raw Footage, but I Am The West did not represent the West well.............at all.   


DJ Khalid - Victory - There’s not too much to say about this album that hasn’t already been said about Afghanistan.  While “All I Do Is Win” saved this album as far as sales go, there was honestly only one other song that could’ve made this album worth getting and that was the title track featuring Nas and John Legend.  But even then, that’s two (and a possible) out of twelve songs.  That’s a “one-hot-track, every-six-song” average and that’s so LAAAAAAAAAAAAME.    


Young Money - We Are Young Money - Has there ever been a successful compilation album?  I could be mistaken, but I’d say no.  Jay-Z’s Dynasty album could be the closest, but even that had more than its fair share of hiccups.  We Are Young Money is no different.  Honestly, this album came and went.  “Every Girl” and  “Bedrock” went hard and “Roger That” was one of the dopest beats this year, but that’s where it stops.  

VERSE OF THE YEAR

1. Royce Da 5'9 - "Remember the Titans" - For anybody that ever doubted Royce Da 5’9” as one of the game’s top lyricists:  this oughta shut you up, at least for the time being.  Loyal Royce fans know that this track-slaying was nothing out of the ordinary for him, but this was important in that he stood out amongst industry heavyweights like Fabolous and Lloyd Banks.  When you heard this song, there was no doubt in your mind who stood out.  





2. Nas - "Victory" 


3. Nicki Minaj - "Monster"  


4. Joell Ortiz - "Battle Cry" 


5. J. Cole - "Shade 45 Freestyle" from Jermaine is Here mixtape

Honorable Mentions - 

Joe Budden "Unthinkable Freestyle" 

Royce Da 5'9" - "Deadly Medley" 

Jay Electronica - "Ghost of Christopher Wallace"

FAVORITE PERSONAL SONGS  

These songs weren't necessarily singles, just some of my favorites released that I had on rotation.   

1. Kanye West - "Lost In The World" 


2. Rick Ross - "Tears of Joy"





3. Lupe Fiasco - "The Show Must Go On"


4. John Legend and The Roots - "Little Ghetto Boy"


5. Nas & Damien Marley - "Africa Must Wake Up"

Honorable Mentions - 

Kanye West - "Joy" 

Curren$y - "Audio Dope" (and "Example")

Reflection Eternal feat. Jay Electronica, J. Cole and Mos Def - "Just Begun"

J. Cole - "Autograph"

Lloyd Banks - "Take Em To War"
David Banner and 9th Wonder - "Be With You"

FAVORITE PERSONAL NON-RAP SONGS 

Non rap songs that I bumped all year. 

1. 30 Seconds to Mars - "Kings and Queens"


2. Travie McCoy - "I Need You"


3. The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"


4. Lyfe Jennings - "Statistics" 


5. Janelle Monae - "Cold War" 

Honorable Mentions - 

B.o.B. - "Lovelier Than You" 
Paramore - "Brick By Boring Brick" (late 2009)
John Mayer - "Assassin" 

Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West - "Erase Me" 

R. Kelly - "When A Woman Loves" 

Kings of Leon - "The Face" 

NON-RAP ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

(Alternative, R&B or Hip Hop Influenced)

 1. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid 

2. Cee-Lo - The Lady Killer 

3. The Black Keys - Brothers

4. Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown

5. Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union

Honorable Mentions - 
Travie McCoy - Lazarus 

Bruno Mars - Doo Wops and Hooligans 

Robert Plant - Band of Joy

MIXTAPES OF THE YEAR

 1. J. Cole - Friday Night Lights 

2. Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4

3. Wiz Khalifa - Kush and Orange Juice

4. Fabolous - There Is No Competition 2

5. Big KRIT - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here 

Honorable Mentions - 

Maino - The Art of War 

Wale - More About Nothing 

Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik 

SINGLES OF THE YEAR

1. B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothin On You"


2. Rick Ross - "BMF"


3. Eminem - "Love the Way You Lie"


4. Kanye West - "Power"


5. Wiz Khalifa - "Black and Yellow" 

Honorable Mentions - 

The Roots - "How I Got Over"

DJ Khalid - "All I Do Is Win" 

Ludacris - "How Low"
Joe Budden - "Follow My Lead"
Big Boi - "Shutterbug"

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - If anything, Kanye should definitely go down as having one of the best comebacks we’ve ever seen.  Just a year ago he was the world’s most hated celebrity.  This year, he once again raised the bar not only for himself, but for music in general.  Production-wise, this album is flawless.  Seamlessly incorporating many of the elements from his previous albums - live orchestration, autotune, soul samples, heavy synthesizers, and unorthodox drum patterns, song structures and arrangements, Kanye was able to create something new, different and exciting.  The other phenomenon about this album is that there were no traditional radio singles.  None.  Perhaps “All of the Lights”, but not really.  And for those who follow Kanye’s career as a lyricist, few would argue the fact that he’s come a long way since College Dropout.  Perhaps his genius “Good Friday’s” marketing strategy ruined the surprise element of the album’s release, but there is no doubt that he made an instant classic that can and will be played and studied for years to come.  Kanye takes the #1 spot for many reasons, but for me - I find it remarkable that even with three (arguable) classics under his belt, he hasn’t lost a step.  Making one classic album is difficult, ask Ludacris. But try making a second.  Then a third.  Then a fourth.  Not to say that it’s impossible, but you have to be of some extraordinary talent to maintain that level of creativity on a consistent basis.  Thank you Kanye, for once again for taking creativity a step further and showing us how to make G.O.O.D. Music.  Standout songs - “Dark Fantasy”, “All of the Lights”, “Devil in a New Dress”,  “Hell of a Life”, “Lost in the World”  


2. Rick Ross - Teflon Don - Call him what you want, but Rick Ross knows how to make an album.  Honestly, I thought he hit his creative peak with Deeper Than Rap - and so it is with this review that I’d like to eat my words.  Rick Ross made a certified classic with Teflon Don.  Musically, he’s always had a sophisticated approach to his production, especially with the Justice League-laced “Maybach Music” series.   While Deeper Than Rap was a solid project in its own right, Teflon Don is his monumental album where everything came together perfectly: production/arrangement, lyrics, and style.  You can hear a certain confidence in his voice that was missing on his previous three albums.  If there is one thing we all can learn from Rick Ross, it’s that it pays to know a thing or two about music.  Good music will always prevail.  Even when your street credibility is on the line because people are labeling you the worst name you can be called as a gangsta rapper - “The Police”.  He also made one of my favorite songs this year with “Tears of Joy”, featuring Cee-Lo.  BAWSE!!! Standout songs - “BMF”, “Free Mason”, “Tears of Joy”, “MC Hammer”


3. The Roots - How I Got Over - It was tough putting The Roots at #3.  I went back and forth with this one all year.  In my opinion, this is The Roots’ best work since Game Theory - and honestly, I think this blows Game Theory out the water.  It could be the consistency in production that most Roots albums lack.  It could be the content, intelligence and overall delivery of Black Thought.  It could be the overall feel of the album and how appropriate it is to the current times. Whatever it is, The Roots nailed it on this one.  My only wish was that it was promoted better, because it should’ve been a top-selling album.  More people need to hear this project - especially those who cry that real music is dead.  Standout songs - “Now or Never”, “How I Got Over”, “The Day”, “Doin It Again”, “The Fire” 


4. Nas & Damien Marley - Distant Relatives - I can’t lie, this album had to grow on me.  Perhaps it was because I was turned off to the African theme about it - not because I don't wanna hear about Africa,  but because I didn’t wanna to get preached to.  If it's about Africa, trust me, I’ve heard it and seen it before.  I get it, we know that everything and everyone comes from Africa and that it is the motherland.  My question was - how are you going to present this in a way we’ve never seen?  It was just “ok” when I first listened through it, but I found myself always going back to throughout the year.  The beauty of Distant Relatives is that it incorporates many of the same universal themes that made Bob Marley such a historic icon:  Peace, love, friendship, betrayal, leadership, unity, religion, grief, motivation vs. despair.  This album isn’t simply about Africa, at least not entirely.  This album is more about bringing different cultures together and accepting each other for our differences.  Africa just serves as the common denominator between everyone.  Standout songs - “Strong Will Continue”, “Leaders”, “Count Your Blessings”, “Africa Must Wake Up”, “My Generation”

5. B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray - Many argue that this isn’t a hip-hop album, but I’ve been listening to B.o.B. since “Cloud 9” and “Haterz” so he’ll always be a rapper in my eyes.  The Adventures of Bobby Ray is a breath of fresh air: fun, eclectic, different, youthful, lyrical, thought provoking and most of all - universal.  The Adventures of Bobby Ray is one of the most innovative (and slept-on: creatively not commercially) albums we’ve heard for many reasons, but one in particular: it is the first true alternative hip-hop album.  B.o.B. was able to incorporate rock and alternative music in a way that has been tried by others in the past, but never perfected.  It doesn’t hurt that he has a decent singing voice and plays the guitar.  There is an energy behind this project that is missing in most hip-hop projects released.  An energy reminiscent of The Pharcyde.  I enjoyed the fact that B.o.B was able to have fun and show that it is ok to be a nice guy.  Furthermore, he was finally able do away with the Andre 3000 comparisons and establish his own lane with this album.  Standout songs - “Airplanes”, “Past My Shades”, “Ghost in the Machine”, “Fame”, “Lovelier Than You”

Honorable Mentions - 

Curren$y - Pilot Talk, 

Drake - Thank Me Later 

Bun B - Trill OG

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot

See ya in 2011! 

“If I don't know where I'm comin' from, where will I go?”

What up hip hop heads!!! Sooooooo in the middle of my last blog, my sister Affry (short for Afriika) raised an interesting question - “Where are hip-hop's John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Janis Joplin, etc??”......I had to let that one marinate for a bit....then a little bit longer...

At first I didn't understand where she was coming from. To me, this question was no different than the cliche statement “hip-hop ain't what it used to be”, which makes me cringe inside. While I am someone who cherishes everything about the past, I feel that what was done in the past is...well...in the past. What about now? I mean, the past was great, but I always like to see what can we do in the present to improve our future.

Why do we study our past? In hopes to learn something from it so we don't make the same mistakes, right? After thinking about her question more, I still felt unsettled because deep down I knew there was, in fact, something special about the artists she mentioned that was missing in many of today's artists. Something bigger than talent. Bigger than the music itself. I decided to listen to the artists she mentioned with her question in mind. I listened to these artists with a fresh ear and thought about exactly what was going on during the time in which that music was released, and how was the art reflecting that? After all, art is supposed to imitate life, right? I realized the art is just one part of the bigger picture. The same way we look to our athletes to be role models on and off the field – we look to our musicians to do the same thing, for the greater good of the world and our future. This made me wonder, what legacy will our current artists leave once their time is up? How will we remember them?

John Lennon is someone who represented peace and nonviolence, the same way Martin Luther King did. During the time when our country was at war in Vietnam, John Lennon was one of the biggest voices in entertainment to speak out against it. He was so influential, former Senator Strom Thurmond sent a secret memo to deport Lennon from America by taking away his visa, because he was seen as a danger to Richard Nixon's reelection in 1972.

Janis Joplin was that rebellious spirit who played a key role, artistically, in the Women's Liberation Movement. Prior to this period of time, women were denied rights and discriminated against – in addition to being looked at as simply sexual objects who should just “cook and clean” around the house. Janis Joplin represented the free and liberated women.

I look at these artists and compare them to today's. How will we remember today's popular artists? What is their overall message? While it's not fair to to compare today's artists to yesterday's based on their specific actions because we are living in a different era, something can be said about the rebellious nature these artists had. There will always be something to fight for: in the 1960s and 70s there was racism and sexism so that brought about the Black Power Movement and the Women's Liberation Movement. In the 2000's we still have racism and sexism in addition to prominent issues like political corruption, freedom of religion and gay rights. 

Right now, most artists are afraid. Afraid to speak out. Afraid to be different. Afraid of criticism. Afraid to do what's unpopular. Afraid of gossip and rumors about us. Afraid of what people think about us. And most of all - afraid of the consequences if they act out against opposing forces. It's easier to play it safe. Think about it like having a best friend that see's you getting bullied and beat up for no reason, but instead of jumping in the fight to help out or break it up, he (or she) runs the opposite direction, in fear of getting hurt themselves. It's easier to run. But like the old saying goes, you gotta stand up for something or else you will fall for anything. Afraid should never be in an artist's vocabulary.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying every artist has the responsibility to be a martyr – everyone isn't that strong. What I am saying is that every artist has the responsibility to be creative, innovative and thought-provoking in their own right. Every artist has the responsibility to push the envelope just a little. Whether with your words, with your message, or with your image – every artist should have their legacy in mind every time they touch the mic or put an album out. If not, then why do it?

To answer Affry's question – Where are hip-hop's John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Janis Joplin (among others)? I can't tell you because only time will. We're talking about musicians who have made an impact and spoke for an entire culture and generation. We're talking about musicians who were fearless and spoke their minds regardless of the consequences. Musicians who are passionate about their craft – with or without money and fame. NWA. Public Enemy. 2 Live Crew (freedom of speech!). Rakim. A Tribe Called Quest. I feel like 2Pac and B.I.G were probably the last artists of that caliber. We have many artists who have made an impact on our culture in the 2000's and have the potential of being legendary in that right: Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. I think the problem we're having nowadays is that we've seen everything, so no one is impressed by much anymore – or we're automatically skeptical. So when Kanye West says on national television “George Bush doesn't care about black people.”, we brush it off as a publicity stunt. When Jay-Z, who was once known as a party rapper, writes a song called “Minority Report”, it's overlooked because people say “he's trying too hard to be taken seriously.” When Young Jeezy makes “My President is Black”, all people hear is “...my Lambo's blue...” and miss the entire point of the song. When Nas names his album Nigger, we look at it as a publicity stunt even though that was the exact same title of Dick Gregory's autobiography written in 1964. When Eminem writes a song like “K.I.M.”, we think it's simply for shock value.

My point is maybe it's too soon to tell who our legends will be because we're still in the moment. Yes, we have our opinions on our popular artists right now, but when you're able to step back after all is said and done, you can give a more accurate view on who were the most influential. The same way Berry Gordy and Motown were looked at as “too commercial” and “crossover” during their time – now their legacy speaks for itself.

I think we'll be able to answer that question in 10 or 15 years when we look back at the 2000's and see what was going on in the world – and how did the music reflect it.