I Am A Hip-Hop Snob Part II

I may be a hip-hop snob, but at least I'm not a hip-hop purist. Hip-hop purist are so set in their ways they think Public Enemy are new school cats. For the purists everything is always in a historical context paying homage to the roots of the music. The definition of what constitutes authentic hip-hop has never changed. They fail to realize the nicest MC's are no longer huddled around park benches in the Boggie Down Bronx spitting rhymes for no paper. Nowadays there's more to rap music than battles and street cred. 2 turntables and a microphone at the playground is a far cry from videos, concerts at Madison Square Garden, and the world wide web. I'll be the first to admit the transition from underground to mainstream has diluted the product. Rappers with great skill and no marketability get buried while rappers with a catchy hook or gimmick go platinum. That doesn't mean hip-hop shouldn't be allowed to change. The purists don't understand that it's a young man's game and very difficult to compare eras. The exposure is greater and the corporate dollars have a great amount of influence. In the end purists are more critical of how hip-hop has evolved while snobs are more selective about what they listen to. I invite the purists to come to the new millennium with us. After all it's 2010 and Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Caz are not walking through that hip-hop door.

I Am A Hip-Hop Snob

I am a self proclaimed hip-hop snob. I don't blame myself, I blame the 90's. During that era (the golden age of hip-hop)the talent level was as deep as it has ever been. Imagine a time when Jay-Z couldn't crack the top 10 nicest mc list. That's how deep it was. Newcomers had to earn their stripes. They had to be spectacular to break through and grab the attention of fans. Wutang, Outkast, Redman, Eminem, Snoop, Nas, Notorious BIG,Tupac, all came out in the 90's. I realized I was a hip-hop snob when I lost the desire to listen to certain artists. Don't get me wrong, I respect the artists trying to make a dollar and riding the wave of success but in truth the music doesn't move me. A few years ago it was Mike Jones and his ice age thing, nowadays it's Gucci Mane. marketing and promotion is not enough to sway my well trained ear. I realize times change and people change but once you've been exposed to greatness it's hard to settle for mediocrity. It's like going from drinking Cristal to drinking Cisco or from driving a Ferrari to driving a Yugo. I won't settle! Now that I've jumped down from my soapbox I feel better. At least I'm not as bad as those hip-hop purists........ I'll address them next Wednesday.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: Alcohol

Icecube got us started with the St. Ides commercials. The DOC took it a step further with a fridge full of 40's in Dr. Dre's Nuthin But a "G" Thang video. E-40 introduced us to Carlo Rossi and hurricanes while Mobb Deep roamed around the projects with Hennessy jerseys on. The connection between rappers and their drink of choice has a long history. From the days of Snoop with his gin and juice or DJ Quik and his OE, hip-hop has had an impact on what the public consumes. As hip-hop has grown so has its influence on what people sip on. Courvossier sales shot through the roof when Busta Rhymes dropped his video by the same name. Clubs used to run out of thug passions. Incredible Hulk no longer referred to a DC comic character. Drinks over the years have almost become a status symbol. Cristal for the ballers, Patron for the crazies, and Alize' for the in between. Corporate America also understands the correlation. Jay-Z pitched Heineken for a while, Dr. Dre endorsed Coors light, and Rick Ross is the poster child for 1800 Tequila. For better or worse alcohol consumption goes with the lifestyle and image rappers project. Until that changes it will continue to be a lucrative combination. We'll worry about all that moral stuff later.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige is the queen of hip-hop. She is not the queen because of her dope lyrics or masterful producing, she is the queen because of her classic hooks and symbolic meaning to the culture. Mary took some of hip-hops greatest beats and turned them into love ballads She gave the music a conscience and became the soul of the streets and the voice of the hustlers. Mary depicts the struggles of urban life, love, and heartbreak with a strength and energy people are drawn to. Her defining moment was the classic song You're All I Need where Mary and Method Man transformed into the modern day Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell. The blend of rugged lyrics with soft sweet melodies made Mary the ultimate ride or die chick. She has also collaborated with such artists as Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Wyclef Jean, Jadakiss, and Ludacris. Mary will be remembered most for her strength and courage to persevere through challenging times, but lets not forget her contributions to hip-hop. This is where Ashanti and Lauren Hill say thank you for my career.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

At a time when the rap game consisted of killers, gangsters, and drug dealers Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince gave us a rap alternative. For the first time clean cut kids from the suburbs got a chance to tell their story. It wasn't about poverty and crime but rather sneaking out in your parents car or enjoying a hot summer day. Will Smith parlayed his grammy winning music career into a 10 year television stint followed by a successful movie career. This segue opened the door for such rappers as LL Cool J, Icecube, and Queen Latifah. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince pushed the limits of conventional hip-hop and showed us there was a niche for everyone. This dynamic duo was instrumental in giving hip-hop a more universal mainstream audience. They found a way to be true to themselves and true to the art at the same time. The transition from hip-hop artist to actor is seamless and natural thanks to the accomplishments of Will Smith.

My Tribute To Gangstarr

I self Lord and Master shall bring disaster to evil factors, demonic chapters shall be captured by kings. Through the storms of days after, unto the earth from the sun through triple darkness to blast ya. If those lyrics are filed inside your mental rolodex to be retrieved and recited on a rainy day then your musical roots are embedded in the golden age of hip-hop. If the words are somewhat familiar or completely foreign don't feel bad. It is by design you don't know these lyrics by heart. These verses were formulated by a super group seldom heard on the radio. A group with dozens of classics, but no Grammys or BET awards. A group without a lot of critical acclaim, but a permanent place in the history of rap music and in the streets of Urban America. It is not often said to them or about them so I will say it for them. Gangstarr is one of the most influential and respected groups in rap music. They are a talent that isn't marketed to the masses. They may not sell out 25,000 seat arenas but anyone that comes to see them appreciates the fact they are listening to greatness. Their sound is on a higher plane intellectually and spiritually. Guru and Primo go together like peanut butter and jelly, fish and chips, rum and coke, Jordan and Pippen, or milk and cookies. They always seem better in collaboration. Premier, the catalyst of the group has made classic anthems with other artists. I once even argued that Jay-Z sounded better over a Premier beat than Guru. Although I liked the argument (the Jay-Z songs were more popular and Jay-Z is slightly superior lyrically) I didn't truly believe it. Guru, the anointed "king of monotone" has had success in the jazzmatazz genre. His voice blends nicely over the drums, base, and horns and gives him a broader audience to display his skills. He's a refreshing contrast in his jazzy mode, but he's a legend over Primo's melodic, street gutter gully beats. In short, these two are better together than they are apart. The underground is where Gangstarr feels most comfortable refusing to water down or taper their style for the general public. Their sound is an acquired taste for the trained ear. Consider Gangstarr the equivalent of graduate school listening. You can't get your masters without knowing what this group represents in the grand scheme of hip-hop. Guru breaks you down with his articulate, egalitarian demeanor. Instead of calling you a hater or a wankster or a punk he'd rather call you a "puny protozoa". Instead of telling you you're not in his league, he'll "scoop you up out of the muck you wallow in". When he's not in attack mode he's educating. He tells the youth to give up the savage ways and be effective soldiers. He tells them to imagine if each one was teaching one. He tells them to read, study lessons, and build your inner power. Primo has achieved SBM status (Superior Beat Maker) for his years of dedicated service. With classics like Come Clean, Mass Appeal, Check the Technique, A Million, Nas is Like, So Ghetto, Who's Gonna Take the Weight, Superstar, and DWYCK DJ Premier has supplanted himself at the top of hip-hop's Mt. Olympus and is truly an icon for the ages. There's always a moment of truth when the ownerz step in the arena for their daily operation and the respect the manifest is hard to earn.

R.I.P. Guru

Hip-hop innovator and pioneer of the jazzmatazz sound Keith "Guru" Elam passed away April 19th at the age of 43. As a fan of Gangstarr since their beginning I was surprised to find the details of his life are much more revealing in his death. For starters, I had no idea that Guru and Primo were not as close as their music would indicate. I always saw them as the equivalent of Snoop and Dre or Eric B and Rakim. They just seemed to go together. It's unfortunate that the lines between friendship and business often become blurred and tangled. It's a difficult task to maintain them both. I also had no idea that Guru was gay. I can imagine an environment as homophobic as the rap game must have been extremely difficult to endure. Some people will feel differently about him knowing he was gay, but I'm keeping my Gangstarr collection intact. It doesn't take away from the group's accomplishments in my mind. It's a sad day in the world of hip-hop but the king of monotone will live forever through his timeless classics, in our hearts and in our minds. Here's a few of my personal favorites about the group:

Favorite CD: Moment of Truth (although Step in the Arena is a close, close, close 2nd)

Favorite song: Check the Technique

Favorite song title: Soliloquy of Chaos

Favorite song lyric: You puny protozoa, you're so minute you didn't know the Gang has been watchin you but instead of just squashing you I'm scoopin you up out of the muck you wallow in like a chief chemist....

Hip-Hop Game Changer: Hard Knock Life

From standing on the corners boppin to driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen for dropping some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard... Hard Knock Life is the song that started Jay-Z on his ascent to power. It was the first time a street legend made it to the suburbs. Before the song Corporate America had been reluctant to embrace gangsters and admitted drug dealers for fear of the negative influence they would have on society. After the Annie chorus hit the airwaves the money making potential was evident and they changed their tune. They even went so far as to put the song Can I get a fu*k you on the radio by changing the words to Can I get a what what. Because the Run DMC/Aerosmith collaboration, The Beastie Boys, and Vanilla Ice made it cool for suburbans to listen to rap music it was easier for Jay-Z to tap into that demographic. J followed the blueprint to super stardom and the rest is history.

The Roger Troutman 5

I watched a Bud Light commercial the other night featuring T-Pain and one question came to mind. Is Roger Troutman in the hip-hop hall of fame? Not only is his style emulated by the likes of Kanye, Diddy, and relentlessly by the aforementioned T-Pain, his songs are among the most sampled in the history of rap music. His mastery of the talk box and his influence on west coast hip-hop should not be overlooked. Here's my 5 favorite Roger Troutman samples.

5. Ditty - Paper Boy. I'll be honest, I really don't like this song, but Ditty hit #10 on the pop charts and the album went gold on the strength of using Roger in his hook. Impressive.

4. I had to gat ya - Brotha Lynch Hung. Don't feel bad if you don't know this one. It's an underground classic with an occult following. A very creative use of more bounce to the ounce.

3. How to survive in South Central - Icecube. This song anchors the Boyz in the Hood soundtrack and features Icecube in his prime. Nuff said.

2. You gots to chill - EPMD. Relax your mind, let your conscience be free and get down to the sounds of EPMD!

1. Ain't no future in yo' frontin - MC Breed & DFC. Not saying he was a one hit wonder, but this song defined his career from beginning to end. R.I.P. MC Breed.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: KRS ONE Disses Nelly

It started out innocently enough, KRS ONE dissing Nelly on a song called Prophets vs. Profits. After all, KRS ONE was the unofficial spokesman and protector of all things hip-hop. Why wouldn't he call out a rapper with sup par lyrics and overzealous promotion. It was his job to govern the hip-hop universe and react to threats to its authenticity. He could not have possibly predicted the response. Instead of heeding the words of the Blastmaster a new, younger generation of fans sided with the imposter. They labeled KRS as a hater and jealous of the success Nelly was able to achieve. It was the first time we would see the evolution of hip-hop. No longer would the nicest MC come out of the projects with a ball cap and a starter jacket. The nicest MC would be the one making the most money. The movement from the street corners to Wall St. symbolized the transition into the bling era and KRS ONE was no longer the voice and conscience of hip-hop. Without a conscience, hip-hop went astray and fell into the hands of greedy, corporate marketing execs. Subsequently we ended up with the likes of the Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, and Gucci Mane. When the all mighty dollar is the barometer for what's good and what's bad, content and substance will suffer. With one song KRS ONE lost his influence. Hip-hop greatness is now measured in dollars and cents, not lyrics and beats. Pity.

Hip-Hop Needs To Be More Like Wrestling

As hip-hop has become more corporate and image driven I feel the time has come for artists to embrace the idea of playing the role as opposed to living the lie. If you listen to the lyrics of most hip-hop songs or watch the videos you know that rappers aren't trully living the lifestyle they are portraying. The problem is they still feel the need to perpetuate the lie, an act that is extremely insulting to the hip-hop audience. Industry rule #4,080 dictates that less than 1/2 of 1/2 of 1/2 of 1% of rappers can really afford their own plane, their own 200 foot yacht, their own villa on a private island, or $5,000,000 in jewelry. Hip-hop needs to take a page out of the WWE playbook. Remember when wrestling decided to stop pretending that the holds and punches were real? Wrestling took off because it no longer had to hide behind the facade of realism. It could simply be enjoyed as ENTERTAINMENT! It's ok to pretend to be a drug dealer, or a hitman, or a gangster, or that you have 13 cars in your driveway. It's ok to get into character. Mariah Carey has fake boobs and Bruce Willis doesn't do his own stunts yet we still love them all the same. Once hip-hop rids itself of the notion you have to do what you say on a record, the industry and the fans will be much better off.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: Big Daddy Kane

A taste of chocolate, the smooth operator, the prince of darkness. The Big Daddy Kane changed the landscape of hip-hop with his smooth lyrics and sophisticated style. At a time when most MC's were sporting hoodies, ball caps, shell toed Adidas, cut off khaki's, and house shoes BDK gave us 3 pice suits and Now N' Later Gators. He was Brooklyn's finest before Biggie or Jay-z and had just the right blend of dance and dope vocals. The high top fade and the four finger ring define an era when hip-hop was becoming more self conscious and less confrontational. Ain't no half steppin, The Wrath of Kane, and The Symphony (parts I and II) are classics that will never be forgotten. If the Big Daddy Kane's not in your top 20 all time you need to re-think your list.

The 5 Greatest Diss Songs of the Last 25 Years

Diss records do more harm than good. They hurt feelings, ruin careers, and start feuds that sometimes last for years. That being said, you can't help but love these songs for their sheer entertainment value. Instigating on wax never goes out of style. Here are the top 5 of the last 20 years:

Honorable Mention: The Warning - Eminem. Mariah, it ever occur to you that I still have pictures? Something tells me Marshall Mathers doesn't make veiled threats. If this was a warning I shudder to think what a full on onslaught would sound like. Listening to this song is like watching Roy Jones Jr. transform into the "RJ" against Montell Griffin. To see the best at their best is a rare privelige.

5. Dollaz and Sense - DJ Quik. E-I-H-T, now shall I continue? Yeah you left out the G cause the G aint in you. Whatever career Eight had left before this song came to an abrupt end. I'm not sure what provoked Quik into this tirade, but for 4 minutes he gave Eiht a verbal ass whipping.

4. I see the bitch in yoo - Common. I'm filling out your death certificate slanging bean pies and St. Ides in the same sentence. I'm gonna call self defense on this one. Cube and Mack 10 couldn't have possibly anticipated a retaliation of this magnitude when they provoked him. It was clear after this song Wes' Side Connection had bitten off a little more than they could chew.

3. Come Clean - Jeru tha Damaja. Bought a tool and didn't learn how to use it. Got lost in Brooklyn so you had to lose it. Just for frontin you got that ass waxed. Taking on a whole sub category of hip-hop was unprecedented at the time. Calling out the entire gangsta rap community was risky at best. Kudos to DJ Premier for giving him that water dripping, head nodding beat.

2. 300 Bars - The Game. You ain't 50 Cent, he went out like a gangsta. You went out with Vivica 3 months after Wangsta. From a content standpoint this is the number one diss song of the last 20 years. The Game clearly had an out of body experience on this one. No one has ever maintained that level of lyrical wizardry for that long. How can you even think of something to say about someone for 15 minutes straight?

1. No Vaseline - Icecube. God damn I'm glad ya'll set it off. Used to be hard, now you're just wet and soft. Already in his prime and sitting atop the hip-hop world, Icecube took out his frustration individually and collectively on NWA. Not only did the song validate Cube's departure from the world's most dangerous group, it was a prophetic look into the future. Dr. Dre would leave months later to start Death Row and the rest is history.