“Bueller?…..Bueller?……Bueller?”
It came to my attention perusing the “factual resource” known as the internets that the XXL Freshman class this year had a few no shows. Being that I pretty much get all of my news online I’m putting 100% faith in this claim because well, I’m not going to take the time to find out how true it all is. After all I, spend a bulk of my time creating personal theologies in the rap blog comments sections.
*tilts tin foil fitted*
But I digress….
The three names bought up in particular as being too cool for school were internet and wheel chair basketball phenom Drizzy Drake, Speak and Spell spitter Nicki Minaj and prophetic journeyman Jay Electramadan Mohamad Asalam….(you listened to Exhibit C as much as I did so you know the rest). I understand that in their absence three other apt pupils were eligible to enroll and to whomever those three are, congrats. For the life of me I though internets I’m not sure as to why these three would decline.
I wouldn’t be right if my first post of the day wasn’t on the late great Dilla. I’m sure there will be plenty more today but I just wanted to say Happy Birthday sir and may your music and your spirit continue to bless us throughout eternity. I never had the honor of meeting Dilla myself but from good friends of mine who did they say that everything you read about him is true, that he was a kind good hearted dude who simply loved music above anything else. The song above is the first song that I realized how genius he truly is. When I first heard him with the Pharcyde I liked his beats, the cleanness of his production impressed me even then, but I was a huge J-Swift fan so it took me a second to warm up to his replacement. When he got with Tribe and The Ummah I liked the work they did together, but once again I felt like Dilla had followed a classic album so whatever they put out would be not up to snuff.
I remember when Analyze brought me the white label of Raise It Up. Doubles to be in fact. I put them on the turntable and from the opening kick and snare I was hooked. Clean and loud like Dr. Dre drums with one of the illest keyboard riff or sample, I wasn’t sure then, that I had ever heard. Turns out it is a sample of Thomas Bangaleter’s Extra Dry. It reminded me of vintage Rza but cleaned up like Chronic 2001. He took what I loved about the Neptunes and made it grimey in a way that Nore spitting over their beats never could. I was an instant stan, going back to hear the Slum Village albums and pretty much anything he ever did. I listened to old Tribe and Pharcyde with a new appreciation. When he passed I knew that we had lost our generation’s Quincy Jones, or even more apt Shuggie Otis. Like Shuggie Dilla is a genius that is unrecognized amongst those outside of the circle we call Hip-Hop. You can’t bring his name up to people not versed in production or Hip-Hop and expect a reaction, which is really a crying shame. Hopefully this post and many others like it today and in the future will continue to bring more light to Dilla’s music, and with the continued release of new and old music I’m sure that his legacy will only continue to grow and prosper. Traveling Mercies Mr. Yancey.
Bonus: After the break the original sample to Raise It Up. Listen to that and tell me Dilla isn’t genius. Top it off that’s nowhere near his most complicated flip. Probably one of the easiest, but also one of the funkiest.
I’m listening to Jay Electronica’s latest tune Exhibit C Produced by Just Blaze. It is so good. I think it’s lyrical and the production is solid. Reminds me of some early Nas stuff,Then I ask my self : Why is it not spinning on the radio? At least during my time slot? Is it because there’s no dance tied to it? Is it because it’s not yet on BET’s Top Ten Countdown? Does it have to be a Club Banger? The radio isn’t a club. So why not Good solid Hip Hop? I have it on my website. I battle myself all the time when it comes to the radio. The job I love so much. I could make it the Heavy Hitter Pick of the week with no problem. Then what? I need HELP with this one. Any Suggestions Re: Real Hip Hop is Fading – Posted in: DJ Enuff
Isnt it too late for this? Has radio (Hot97, Power etc) dug itself into a hole it cant get out of? Never hurts to try, the people should decide what we listen to, not “suits“.
Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill Thursday that could define President Barack Obama’s legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country’s history.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. #letobamabegreat
Well no there’s a lot more to the movie than that, with some of the most incredible visuals and action since….um well probably Terminator 2. Cameron outdid himself with the 3-D effects, and I’m going to give him some more of my money when I go back and see it again in IMAX. The images of Pandora and the action sequences will be burned into my retinas for a long time coming. I swear I even think I had dreams about Avatar.
According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the disc landed at the no. 21 spot, with 28,100 units sold. With all the hype surrounding the release, a guest spot on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 tour and a gig fronting the official house band of the 2009 MTV VMAs, many believed the Interscope rapper would have a bigger first week.
XXLMag.com spoke with Wale’s manager, Daniel Weisman, who claims that the label under shipped the disc to stores, much like what happened to fellow “Class of 09″ MC Asher Roth. ”Wale’s the type of artist who is bigger than the metrics (radio) say he is,” Weisman said. “That puts the label in a tough position in terms of physical distribution and because of twitter we are able to hear direct feedback from the fans about the problems they had actually finding the CD. But 64% of Wale’s sales came from digital outlets which makes sense for Wale. It’s a testament to Interscope and their confidence in Wale’s brand that they put the record out without a big single.”
I know it took me the better part of the week to get my copy, and I wasn’t the only one that’s for sure. Top it off I live in Maryland where you would think you should be able to find a copy. Not one copy in all of the Targets in the DMV?
I remember when someone first asked me if I made Screw tapes. Here I am thinking that they were asking me to make a mixtape they could eff to. You know Screw? Anyway little did I know that Mr. Davis was creating an empire on the southside of Houston just by slanging tapes out of his house. Just in case the youngins think that Drake came up with November 18th on his own peep the video above and the one below. Notice anything?
