Married to Hip-Hop

A friend of mine who went to the Festival came up to me on the way out the door and said 'I am in love with Hip-Hop again.'
Another friend recently told me he and Hip-Hop had broken up.
The Hip-Hop as a woman metaphor has been used long before 'Used to Love H.E.R' and has become somewhat of a cliche.
However, these two statements have reminded me of how appropriate the metaphor truly is.
All my married men will certainly get my point on this one. Here we go...

I love Hip-Hop so much I married her. I am not sure when or where the ceremony was held but we are married. There was no minister, no justice of the peace. No certificate. But we are married. I have stood up before family and friends and proclaimed my commitment to her. Through good times and bad. For better or worse.
My entire professional has been dedicated to supporting her. I have given all my profits all my savings, all my time and all my love.
The metaphor is appropriate because I have done all of these things to and for my actual wife.

The key here is good times and bad. My love for Hip-Hop allows me to forgive and forget when we have an argument. When times are good she is the music I need to hear. When times are bad she is my anti-depressant. When she gains weight I don't even notice. She is still the beautiful woman I fell in love with. And we are not breaking up. We committed to each other and we will do all we can before we separate.

A lot of people are not married to Hip-Hop.
To far too many, Hip-Hop is still a jumpoff that can be cut at a moment's notice. Some people used to love her, now that just bone her to quote Common.
Some are living with Hip-Hop or may be engaged. But as any married man knows there is a big difference between living together and being married. There is the love but a reluctance to 'pull the trigger.'

So when Hip-Hop decides to sully herself by flirting with sub par MC's and corporate vultures I don't blame her. I wait for her to come back. And she always comes back. Our relationship is nothing that can be ended so easily. We have a special place that when things get hectic we can always return to. Lil Wayne has her now. No worries. Enjoy your time together. This means the radio is not for me right now. I will just pull out the old BDP and EPMD, surf the internets for the new Homeboy Sandman and I will be fine. Hip-Hop has given me too much to cast it aside because I don't like the music right now.

If you and Hip-Hop needs a trial separation right now I can dig it. Take all the time you need. Our door will always be open.
For all those who came out to the Festival and were reminded that Hip-Hop is still that fly 1st year girl from Queens in those killer heels - welcome back.

Parrish Smith 'Im Mad'

My life story I tell straight from the heart.
When suckers tried to crash my shit straight from start.
A young black kid destined for success, no Old Gold, no cocaine, or buddha cess.
One of the best verse ever.

This how I roll:

Straight up hard work. No sleep and no shorts.
Brainstormin' with the skills that Pop Duke taught.
To keep swingin', yeah, and not to quit.
I ride the Benz, you ride the dick, with your punk friends,
straight up pussy from Punk City, my attitude's fucked up and real shitty.
From the backstabbers, yeah my so-called friends,
who swim in my pool. When it's time, flex the Benz,
around town, windows down as the sound pounds, Cool J tape or K-Solo "Spellbound"
With fly girlies dippin, brothers grippin' and sippin'
Old Gold, Red Bull, hands on my dick and
I'm just lampin' with my EK shades, truck-jewels, obviously the man's paid.
But of course not, brother can't get his props
like for instance, when I cruise up the block
in my 560 lampin' on my Metro phone, chrome kit beamin' all off your dome.
But like a sucka, yeah, you looked the other way
That's how I knew you're on my dick kid, but it's okay.
It's normal, relax, your whole head's busted.
Caught in the rap skit, ya couldn't be trusted.
Cuz my sounds pound from here to Okinowi...{kiss peace and I'm ouuuutie!

The death of Queens

Today in stories from the old school we shall discuss the death of Queens Hip-Hop from 1986-1993.
As you all know I hail from the BX but call Brooklyn home. Being from the X (as my man G calls it) and being a 70’s baby I was brought up during the legendary Queensbridge/South Bronx, BDP/Juice Crew, KRS-ONE/MC Shan, Red Alert/Marley Marl battle. Now kids this was a real battle not a silly or deadly beef like Biggie/2Pac or Fiddy vs. Joey Cridack. This beef was legitimate.
A war waged over the fact that Mr. Magic refused to play ‘South Bronx’ on his radio show.

Back in the days, I wrote ‘south bronx’
The juice crew got stomped, lick two shots
really it was Magic's fault
Always wanna diss somebody, he got put to a halt
It's wack, when a sucker dj babbles on
Soupin up mc's to battle on song
‘Ruff, Ruff’ from Sex and Violence

Ok, this is as trifling as the 50 Beef or old Nas/Jay Z beef but indulge me.

The reality is that the whooping that KRS put on the juice Crew and vis a vis Queens essentially shit Queens Hip-Hop down until Nas resurrected it in 1993 with the 1st single from Illmatic.
The beef was waged on wax and radio before MTV, before Blogger, before the internets, before camera phones. It allowed the conflict to be played in a pure somewhat objective arena. And the victory was as decisive as you can get. Shan lost on all cards and essentially limped away in shame until he bounced back with Snow (for those who don’t remember Snow was essentially a Toronto white cat who hung around a lot of West Indians and became the dancehall version of Robert Winkle aka Vanilla Ice. Not much of a creative bounce back but the checks were probably thick).

Moreover, in that seven year span Queens which had produced Salt N Pepa, Kid N Play and the Herbie Azor era. As well RUN DMC and LL Cool J went quiet. No significant cultural contribution, no one hit wonders, not much of anything. Meanwhile KRS cemented his legendary status and rose to the top of the Hip-Hop pantheon.
It was not until Nas and Mobb Deep resurrected Queensbridge specifically was Shan allowed to remove the mark of shame from his and his borough’s chest.

Unfortunately for the Bronx after KRS the only other Hip-Hop superhero we produced was Bug Pun.
The Bronx is in a slump that has far outlasted the Queens dry period.
In the interim Long Island along with Queens established itself as the creative fountain of New York
Jay, Mos, and Kweli rejuvenated what Kane started – we all know that story
Via the Wu even the forgotten borough of Staten Island held the crown

The moral of the story is … be glad you didn’t rep for Queens in the early 90’s.

Swift Rock…out

We on a run like Logan

So here is another chapter in my attempt to understand the cosmic anomaly known as Lil Wayne aka Weezy F Baby (I like that name much better).
Your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper’s daddy came out and said Weezy was gonna be bigger than not only Hot Hov, but also Frank White, and Tupac. Even you 30 something supporters (you know who you are) must agree they need to pump the brakes now. I am convinced they don’t even believe this sh*t. It’s whatever is in those Styrofoam cups, but it makes us loser bloggers write about him even when we think he is trash. Effective marketing, I must admit.

Here are my latest thoughts on your boy:

-The claim of greatest rapper alive will never stick with me. However, after listening to ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ and ‘Brooklyn 2.0’ I think Weezy does a better job as the 2007 Ja Rule. Off key rapper singing catchy hooks. That ‘Brooklyn 2.0’ joint off of ‘American Gangster’ is hot. Besides the Beasties sample, Weezy on the hook was a great choice. And his verse is tolerable. As a side note, I love how Hov can look past all beef to make a hot song. This, the ‘Get Money’ remix. Is a Dip Set collabo soon come?

-Speaking of that ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ song. Let me get this straight Weezy has been rhyming since he was what? 14? At one point did he become familiar with this crack hustle that is so erroneously lauded? You realize that with Baby as his daddy Wayne is the equivalent of a Hip-Hop trust fund baby. Just like Romeo. He has spent most of his young life far from poverty and certainly far from the corner or duffle bags. It’s fiction folks. Just want to make sure you all remember that.

If any of these dudes are still hustling they are 1) stupid and locked up (Spigg Nice, Steady B) , 2) will be the victim of a Federal probe (Irv Gotti), or 3) desperately trying to beat the charge by claiming they are not that stupid (T.I.)

-he’s still wack, lol

-this is not related but I saw Sway interviewing Cassidy who is going after my fellow old fart, the S Dot. He made a statement that ‘Hov was like 40!’ My question is does that mean you have to stop rhyming at a certain age. Is Hip-Hop like Logan’s Run? (Google it. Wiki it. IMDB it). I am now closer to 40 than not. You, Cassidy and Weez, are closer to 30. Just as it is unwise to think 16 year olds will bang Slick Rick or the JB’s, it equally foolish to think I want to hear about duffle bags and Patron all day. Just as I need to stop forcing you young’uns to tighten up on the classics stop expecting me to recognize these teenagers at the GOAT.

You do you and live out your suburban fantasies of romantic drug dealing and AK 47’s.
I will sit on my ass after the kids are sleep and listen to ’30 is the new 20’, ‘The Moment I feared’, and Common vs. Lily Allen.

And I will see you at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival.

The R was on my mind this morning

Maybe it was listening to that sick Funk Flex 4th of July mix.
The R may be Hip-Hop's Coltrane.

From wiki-wiki-wiki-wiki

In 1985 he formed a musical partnership. Eric B. and Rakim subsequently became one of the most well-known and influential groups in hip hop history. Prior to Rakim's arrival on the scene, hip hop rhyming still exhibited strong ties to rapping's roots in improvisatory toasting, in very regular meter and rhyme scheme (Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, and others), with simple lyrics and a steady and heavily prounounced rhythm. Rakim, in contrast, says he tried to model his flow after the saxophone's instrumentation in a jazz song. The All Music Guide's Steve Huey wrote in the early 2000s that "Rakim's flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he's not even breaking a sweat. He raised the bar for MC technique higher than it had ever been".

We need a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame

Hall of Famer?

Apologies if there already is one. I remember talk of one in the Vernon years back.

We need a Hip-Hop hall of fame on par to the Rock and Roll Hall in Cleveland. A place where our culture would be documented and celebrated. Fully funded and nationally recognized.

VH1's Hip-Hop Honors is the closest thing we have but that is not their mission. And this year's honorees prove it. I respect them all but clearly Missy is not a Hall Of Famer. To many she is at the edge of the definition of Hip-Hop. I think she will go down as one of the best but not a Hall Of Famer.

I recently had a conversation with Eb about how under appreciated Teddy Riley is. The New Jack Swing dominated Hip-Hop like crunk and snap are now. I think it's great he is being highlighted. TR is a Hall Of Famer but not yet.

Before these cats go in the Hall we need to admit Nas, Too $hort, Geto Boys, Kool G Rap, Biz, Marley, Red Alert and several others.

Wild Style is however a no brainer

I am not sure about Snoop. He is an eventual Hall of Famer but not before the aforementioned.

But Hip-Hop Honors is not the Hall of Fame so I can’t be mad at them.

We need to do it for ourselves

Daddy don't you know...

...things go in cycles

I think I have written about this before but it occurred to me again today about the wonderful cyclical nature of Hip-Hop. I like to romanticize the past as much as anyone but remember:

- The Scream Tour is the New Edition Tour
- just as many people hated EPMD as hate Young Joc
- my dad hated RUN DMC because they called people 'Sucker MC's'
- Just as it seems anyone from Atlanta and the South can fart and make a hit record it was the same way after NWA. Everyone was from Compton and South Central after "F*ck Da Police"
- Slick Rick rocked more gold than R. Kelly has ice on the 'Double Up' cover
- My man Giggy used to tell me how Cold Crush was the real shit just as I tell young'uns KRS is the best ever
- Remember when KRS said 'we'll be the old school artists'
- LL vs Moe Dee is Jay vs Wayne (generation wise)
- 'Chicken Noodle Soup' is 'Pee Wee's Dance'
- Lil Mama is Antoinette
- El Michels Affair is The Brand New Heavies
- Dave Chapelle is Eddie Murphy
- Stones Throw is Cold Chillin'
- the iPod is the Walkman
- New Era is Kangol
- Nike is still Nike, however

and the list goes on...

You just like my Wild Style

The Library where the lies are buried

Word to lil Steph - let’s not romanticize the past. There were plenty of garbage groups who we thought were bring the Hip-Hop Apocalypse with them. And now we love Hammer, who would have thunk it?

Conscious Rappers are not very conscious. Ever listen to ‘De La Orgee”?

LL Cool J was Lil Wayne and look at James Todd now

There is no better editor than sands of the hourglass. Old school channels like The Rhyme 65 on XM Radio are dope because time has weeded out the wack Jay Z songs, the wack Tupac songs, the wack Too $hort, the wack Tribe and on and on. If all you heard were ‘Friend Or Foe’ and ‘Dead Presidents’ you would think Jay-Z is an absolute genius. Maybe a better example is KRS. Today I heard ‘The Bridge Is Over’ ‘My Philosophy’ and ‘I’m Still #1.’ The Hip-Hop Gospel album, the last Jive records and the Koch stuff was noticeably absent so of course he looks like the champ that he is.

Turn on The City and you have to suffer through every saccharine pop tune to get to something good like ‘Entourage’ or that Lloyd song I said I liked or the occasional Kanye joint

Then people like me write the history books and I’ll have you believe in 1992 Hip-Hop was the proverbial land of milk and honey that you whippersnappers are f****ing up. Good old revisionist history – gotta love it.

The history books will also say I had a handle like Hot Sauce, hops like Amare, was diesel like Dwight Howard, and a left hand like Kobe. All true, by the way.

hip-hop Curbain

Pretty Ricky circa 1980-something

I spent some time with an industry vet the other day who gave me an interesting take on the current state of Hip-Hop.
He said that Hip-Hop is currently in its hair band stage. T&A with no real value on innovation or content. Party. Enjoy yourself and move on.

Now this wasn’t some big mouth blogger with no chops or some Hip-Hop Nazi with a chip on his/her shoulder. This was a real dude who is responsible for classics from the golden age, the most bubble gum pop you can imagine, and in some small way the Pussycat Dolls. I am not going to blow him up but if you know me and follow those hints it ain’t that hard to figure out.

Anyway, I thought he made a good point. No matter how you cut it we can all agree that no one is out here is trying to be the next Rakim. Crime Mob are no cultural innovators. It’s probably not anywhere on their agenda. Getting paid is first, second and last. Now in each era in hip-hop you can find the blood thirsty capitalist, for sure. And even your favorite underground artist on some level is dying to floss. But what we are seeing is relatively unprecedented. What we are seeing is Hip-Hop’s version of Whitesnake, Poison, Motley Crue, and Cinderella.

From wikipedia - you make the call:
Generally, glam metal has hedonistic lyrics, often focuses on sex, alcohol, and drugs. Many glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles, long, teased hair (hence the alternative hair metal tag) and use of make-up, gaudy clothing (chiefly consisting of tight denim jeans, spandex, leather and headbands), and accessories
The visual aspects of some glam metal bands became thought of as appealing to music television, particularly MTV when it was launched. During the mid-to-late 1980s, glam metal tracks were in heavy rotation on the channel.

Lose the tight denim jeans and spandex and there you have it.

What also strikes me is these hyper masculine figures in both genres with these feminine characteristics that defy their macho image. Spandex and hair spray then, giant women’s earrings and purple furs now.

But old farts (like me) take solace. Our Kurt Cobain is coming. The Hip-Hop equivalent of Grunge is bubbling somewhere in the South Bronx, or Raleigh or Tulsa. If I have learned anything as that as Q-Tip said “Daddy, don’t you know things go in cycles. Bobby Brown is amping like Michael.”



More from wiki, wiki, wiki:
In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after over a decade of success…Bands who were termed "grunge" such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains (who, ironically, started as a glam metal band) started supplanting glam metal's popularity in 1992. As grunge grew to greater success, many glam metal bands discovered that their labels were no longer supportive. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by the somewhat surprise success of Nirvana's Nevermind, and had begun turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in "alternative" music.

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now we are not Jive Records with 5 top five records but we will have some goodies for you old farts

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