So, I got an email from the homie Bem with a new Kilo Ali song. The subject line said "New Kilo (auto-tune warning!). Actually, that warning didn't really deter me from wanting to hear the song. The music that Kilo was making before he went to prison is actually conducive to auto-tune and probably wouldn't sound that bad with it on it. Then I saw all these other comments in the corresponding emails talking about "this is what happens when rappers get on crack and go to prison." That might be the truth, but that's not nice to say.
But yeah about the song. This is Kilo's first song since he got out of prison. I myself, don't really mind the song. It would probably be some vintage Kilo if he would've left the auto-tune off (again, he fresh out and probably didn't know any better) and tightened up some parts of the song...because towards the end, he does kind of go off on a tangent. But like I said, he just got out of prison. No rapper ever sounds good RIGHT after they get out of prison...not 2Pac, not Pimp C, and sure as hell not Shyne ("Roller Song" is growing on me though).
'Pac only sounded good to us when All Eyez On Me came out because he went to the studio with Dr. Dre and Death Row and actually worked for a few months before anything even left the studio and went to the public. If you go back and listen to some of those bootleg Makaveli's you can hear the fresh out the pen 'Pac trying to get his flow and timing back.
But yeah, I'm starting to ramble. According to this website, a new album will be dropping in March 2001. Tell me what ya'll think of the song. Personally, it kinda makes me want to dig out my neon green Braves jersey, clear bottom Reeboks and start ragtopping on ya'll ass.
UPDATE: According to Kilo's twitter this is not a new song, but actually something from 2004 that some folks put out behind his back.
Gonna be busy doing other stuff, so unless its very pressing...not gonna be all'day aan'day. Keep checking back though, gonna have some tickets and other items to give away in the coming weeks.
Is it me or is rap music more eventful than it is meaningful nowadays?
I swear everyday I'm hearing about some new event, or an event disguised as a song. Tip got arrested (again), Kanye is going off on twitter (again). Another dumb ass rapper banged Kat Stacks. Rick Ross has a song with Nicki Minaj, Drake, Puff Daddy and Swizz Beatz did the beat. Drake has a new song with Puff Daddy, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross with Jay-Z on the remix and Kanye doing the beat.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no longer what you would consider a spring chicken. I've been walking to the globe long to "have seeeen some shit now" as Dave Chappelle once quipped. That said, there are plenty of events that got us talking and/or shaped the future of Hip Hop and rap. Ice Cube leaving NWA. KRS-ONE bumrushing PM Dawn off the stage. 'Pac and Biggie. Dr. Dre leaving Death Row.
In addition to that there were plenty of songs that we pretty big deals when they came out, like "The Symphony," "Scenario (remix)," "Who Shot Ya (remix)" or anything DMX breathed on in 1997-98.
But I don't know man, it could be my age bias talking, but it just seemed "different." Matter of fact, I pretty much know it was different. "Events" were once things that mattered, but didn't trump the music itself. When Cube left NWA and Dre left Death Row, in the interviews that followed, the first thing they let you know was they had new music coming out that was gonna change the world (Cube did this immediately, it took Dre a little longer).
Plus, when an event happened, it was really a big deal because most of the time, we'd hear it straight from the horse's (sober, calm, articulate) mouth and it was presented a certain way via magazine or MTV News.
Nowadays an "event" is two of these cats crossing paths at the strip club, sneaker store or VIP section in the club. Sometimes they don't even have to say anything to each other and that will be the event itself. "Gucci didn't speak to Jeezy at the club!" Then when an event like this happens, we get to see the people involved bitch about it on twitter, youtube, WSHH or wherever else that type of behavior is welcome. Or of course hear it from some gossiping bitches.
As far as the "event" songs, I'm not saying nothing new when I say that technology has allowed for cats who never even met, let alone be in the studio at the same time, to make music. In some cases, its great. In others, its just...so the f*ck what? You proved you can record a verse for a guy in Miami while your on tour in L.A. Congratulations, you can work a computer in 2010.
I remember interviewing Busta Rhymes a couple of years ago and we got on the topic of rappers hopping on every damn remix or feature that comes their way. Busta was blunt in his answer saying he has a family to support and that he feels that he is still relevant and talented enough to keep rapping. Bun B gave me a similar answer one of the times I talked with him also. Which I feel them on. Granted, not every Busta feature is my favorite but unlike so many of his peers do from time to time, you can tell Busta came on the song to actually rap and not just do it just to say "yeah, I'm rapping, on this song, too."
But the part that stuck out to me the most in our conversation was when he admitted that hopping on a DJ Khaled song didn't feel the same as recording a song like "Scenario." Mainly because, when he and the rest of The Leaders of the New School hopped on the song with A Tribe Called Quest, they were all in the studio AT THE SAME TIME. Not just the studio room itself, BUT THE BOOTH. He said, that's why the verses and adlibs were so animated. They did the entire song in full takes, top to bottom, in the booth together...stank weed breath and all.
To further illustrate this point. Really, outside of maybe "I'm So Hood" from a few years ago, "Swagga Like Us" from not to long ago and lets say, "Hello, Good Morning" now...do you feel compelled to listen to any of these super event songs on your own time? Sure, we all listen to it at least once (twice if we actually like it) on whatever blogsite we found it on. But did any of you listen to "Monster" today? Would you go apeshit in the club if the DJ played it tonight? If you answered yes...congrats! You are better than me because I buy none of this stuff.
I know its not far-fetched to think this...but I swear all of these super rappers of today have the same managers and interests so they all just make music with each other and drink Ciroc while doing it.
These folks have succeeded in making Hip Hop a big ass movie packed with events...but not moments. You go to the movies on a Friday night and probably forget about the flim by Sunday unless somebody asks if you saw it. Same thing with alot of the music now. You'll hear it once on Tuesday afternoon and won't think about again unless you follow said artist on twitter.
But yeah...I don't rap or make beats. So I'll never understand "what's going on." All I can do observe and share my thoughts with whoever is listening. What do ya'll think?
This week's Creative Loafing has a feature on Bushwick Bill that explains his current situation that may lead to him being deported back to Jamaica (but may actually end up in Canada or England). This has been on the hearts and minds of a lot of people since Willie D and J Prince revealed the news at the Vh1 Hip Hop Honors when asked why Bill wasn't there.
I knew Bill had be living here but had no idea that he'd been sitting in jail downtown since May. He actually popped up at the Ozone office when I was working there one night. Didn't really want anything, he was just stopping by to chat.
The story also talks about Bill was trying to get his life together and go the spiritual route with his new music. That may explain why he lectured me at the 2008 Ozone Awards when I greeted him "aw man, Bushwick! wassup gah'damn!" He pulled me to the side (well, side and down actually) and said that I shouldn't use such language and queried "why should God be damned?" When I told him I'm moreso saying "got damn" he didn't really buy it.
Here it is, the video everybody has been waiting on. Shoutout to 'Lo for making an actual music video in this day and age. Kinda reminds me of "Roses." Wonder if Bryan Barber did this one too.
"In The Hood" is my favorite song off one of my favorite albums. But yeah, as a fan I'm kinda perplexed. The song is four years old now and the clip itself doesn't really do the song as much justice as it could have, in my opinion. But, Hen's words on this track are so potent and he paints the picture so well verbally that it makes up for it.
The other side of me is happy to see this cat Willie Hen is still being active in a music capacity, because I'd really like to hear some new stuff from him. A birdie whispered in my ear that we could see another The Product album in the future. Whether that future is near or far, I don't know.
Just got this in my email. This group called Riot !n Paris probably has the coolest video out right now. It's an interactive joint where you pick how the video continues and ends.
Remember those Booty Call games on Romp.com from the early 2000's? Well, its kinda like those, except here its actual real people, not cartoons. If you have a few minutes to burn, play with this for a while. It's pretty entertaining.
This Saturday, Cleveland's very own Chip Tha Ripper will be coming to The Loft for the next stop on his Gift Raps tour.
For what's sure to be an entertaining show, MTV Freshman 5 winner Haziq Ali, AquaForce, Grand Hustle's latest signee Wil May and a "Big" special guest will also be on the bill. And its being hosted by yours truly.
Doors open at 9pm, show starts at 10pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. You can get yours at TicketAlternative.com.
Over the weekend I got a chance to catch up with Bilal. Apparently he came right back to Atlanta after his show with Erykah Badu from last Saturday. I was really looking forward to doing this interview after riding around to his new album Airtight's Revenge for the last couple of weeks.
With the current press run he is on right now, Bilal has a gang of (video) interviews on the web right now. But all of them pretty much focus on his past and "how do you feel about Love For Sale." Luckily, I was able to ask him about specific songs from the album after hearing them. Especially "Flying" and my personal favorite, "All Matter" (a more personalized rendition of the song he recorded for Robert Glasper's last album).
I didn't get as much time as I would've liked but I think it still came out pretty cool. I have an extended version of this interview with stuff about him growing up in Philadelphia, growing up as a Jazz guy in a Hip Hop generation and how his early days as a songwriter almost had him ready to jump off a cliff...but its kinda lengthy and we all know folks don't have the longest attention span on the internet. If ya'll want me to post it later, I will.
But yeah, check this clip out and let me know what you think. Airtight's Revenge in stores September 14th.
Besides "is it supposed to rain?" the biggest question in Atlanta this past Friday was "are you going to the Lil B show." When some people asked it, they had intentions on going and just wanted to know if they'd run into you there. When others asked it, it came off as if they were asking you "are you sure you want to eat that?"
I didn't go get "based" last Friday. Not a fan or follower of dude, so I wasn't really pressed on going. Wasn't going to be covering it for any outlet in particular, so wouldn't be "working." I "get" what's going on and what he's doing, so I really didn't need any baffling questions to get answered. Plus I had some personal obligations that night and it started raining...so yeah, didn't bend over backwards for it.
But a couple of folks did, so figured I let ya'll see what they had to say. The video above was shot by the homie Jeron Ward. The accompanying reviews were done by Nadine Graham and Shannon Barbour. Read after the jump...
On Friday, August 20th, Lil’ B of the California rap group, The Pack (“Vans”), performed a live concert at the Loft in Atlanta. For weeks, the show, which was opened by anti-hipster, Gripplyaz and FKi Music, had been tirelessly promoted and the Internet was flooded with the news of the upcoming arrival of the “Based God.”
For Lil’ B to be such an online phenom (he’s already garnered attention from Rolling Stone, The New York Times and The Village Voice) you would think that his more of his fans would’ve braved the rainy elements to attend the show; however, the crowd was underwhelming. Still, the skinny jean wearing, colored Vans sporting, “cookin” dancing teenagers made up in enthusiasm what they lacked in numbers. And Lil’ B didn’t disappoint, immediately adding to the weirded-out vibe of the evening with his zany antics.
Case in point: when the 21 year-old sauntered onto the small stage donning a cream t-shirt and dark glasses, he had a silk scarf veiling his face and cryptically announced, “Ya’ll know I don’t show my face.” Then he laughed, and the crowd laughed too.
Thankfully, after a few songs, he withdrew his announcement and went ahead and discarded the scarf. As he rolled through his “catalogue” (which basically consists of viral videos and song leaks) the crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch. He breathlessly sped through the almost comical “Pretty B-tch,” “Suck My D-ck Ho” and “Violate That B-tch,” showcasing that there are apparently an infinite number of ways to rap about receiving oral sex.
Regardless, he was able to strike an honest rapport with his fans, thanking one for the snapback hat he was rocking, before fittingly asking, “Who all in here be Tweeting me?”
He also took the time between songs to vehemently deny the online whispers of him being “a Down South music biter,” stating that he was merely influenced by the South. The audience gave hoots of approval. He went on to deny the gay rumors as well—which were initially sparked by his constant references to himself as a being a “princess” and a “pretty b-tch.”
Then he performed his most outrageous track, “Look Like Jesus.” Of course, this song came after he’d already again referred to himself as a “pretty bitch” and strangely declared that he looked like 80’s TV icon, Matlock. The crowd, however, ate it up, singing along with unbridled enthusiasm as he bounced across the stage like he was on a sugar rush. Panting every few bars, he wore himself out by the song’s end.
No doubt, the internet-bred celebrity of Lil’ B, is extreme, even a sign of the times—an era when kids looking to declare themselves as “different” latch onto anything that seems weird, even if it makes no sense, and journalist clamor to be the first to find the next Internet phenom, no matter how bizarre the act is. But, even with that said, Lil’ B has definitely created a movement. He has stage presence and is obviously smarter than his outlandish lyrics suggests. Like it or not, Lil’ B has made the machine work for him, and you can’t help but respect that. Show Grade: C
The young crowd waiting to get into the Loft for Friday’s Lil’ B Live in Atlanta presented by Fadia Kader/Broke & Boujee show were a part of Atlanta’s rising hood-hipster hybrid. The Internet-fed fans of Berkeley, Calif.-based Pack member, Lil’ B, exemplified the power of social media to advance the careers of rising rappers and wannabes — who become virtually indistinguishable with each new YouTube video.
Like the explicit content advisory stickers of the past, an endorsement from the infamous Soulja Boy should also serve as a warning. It’s like saying, “this motherfucker is a gimmick.” Lil’ B’s loyal followers, however, remained undeterred. It may be the sense of belonging he gives them through shout outs via Twitter and Facebook. Or maybe it’s his uncanny ability to sound sincere with every profane utterance, such as “Y’all inspire the fuck outta me.”
Regardless, some couldn’t wait to see him.
As a result, the opening acts got lukewarm love. Especially Grip Plyaz, who was practically booed, as if his biggest song, “Fuck Dat Hipster Shit,” was a personal attack against those in attendance. Retro Sushi got some bounce from a version of “Black Boy, White Boy Swag,” built on the sound of Soulja's “Pretty Boy Swag.” Honestly, FKI was the highlight of the evening with their rendition of Gucci Mane’s “I Think I Love Her,” where their guitarist, Ricky, strummed on the strings behind his head.
Fortunately, the show moved quickly, so by the time Lil’ B came onstage, his face covered with a T-shirt, the excitement level was still high. He finally revealed himself and launched into “Pretty Bitch” and several other mindless tirades that make up the most recent of his approximately 1,500 songs on the web.
By the time he got to his “hit,” “Look like Jesus,” the scene was sick, but not in the good way. The “BasedGod” is baseless. Some left the show early, but a scant few stayed, hanging on his every word.
At that point, I wondered if the force of social media was really enough to propel his career into legitimacy. Who knows. I, like many others at the show, had enough.
A friend and I joked that if we took a shot every time he Lil B said the word "dick," we would have had alcohol poisoning.
Here are some other choice quotes: "I was in church, but I don't give a fuck about shit." "I look fruity, but I like girls." "Suck my dick ho" — this was just shouted randomly throughout the performance, not necessarily as part of a song. "If you can't fit Magnums, that's o.k., just wear Trojans."
So, there you have it. Did any of you go to the show? Feel free to leave your thoughts. I've heard everything from "he has great personality" to "he is the Black Male version of Lady Gaga."
Imagine waking up to an email with the subject "F*ck You From Cee-Lo Green." Yo...I'm not lying, I was about make some phone calls and see what was really good, I don't appreciate being talked to like that.
But it was just a new Cee-Lo song.
Sounds like 'Lo is really taking it there on this Lady Killer album. This song is kinda funny though.
Be on the look out for another version of this video (with actual people in it, I'm assuming) to drop next month. Lady Killer in stores October 4th.
Caught up with Aleon Craft the other day at Solar Sound Studios to get him to talk about some choice cuts from The Stargazing Soundtrack and what this project means at this point in his career. Previously: Aleon Craft: The Stargazing Soundtrack
Grady Homes, Capital Homes, Bowen Homes, Herndon Homes, Thomasville Heights, Hollywood Courts, Bankhead Courts...all torn down over the last 5 years.
I, like so many of you, have asked, "where is the government sending these people?" Well, one of the answers is Riverdale and Clayton County, which explains the current conditions down there. The other answer came yesterday as thousands of people mobbed the complex where Central Station is located, just to get Section 8 applications...that will put them on a waiting list...to be approved.
Like the homie D said over at his site, "expect much worst."
Internet phenomenon Lil B is going to be in Atlanta at the Loft this Friday. I'm going to go to see what all the fuss is about. Right now the homie Noz is looking like he needs to change his name to Noztradamus for calling this early.
I came across this video earlier this morning and found it interesting so I figured I'd share it with ya'll. It reminded me of when I used to tape songs, freestyles and interviews off the radio and when I used to record videos from off Rap City and Yo! MTV Raps. Obviously I wasn't the only one doing that because you look up just about anything on YouTube now.
But it seems our elders from the Jazz generation are still catching up to technology...or finally deciding to share some of their hidden treasures.
It also reminded me of one of my favorite posts from StuffWhitePeopleLike.com: "Black Music That Black People Don't Don't Listen To Anymore." I'm not saying that Black folks don't listen to Jazz at all anymore...but I sure as hell can count on my hand the ones that do.
As you can see the video, our White brothers still seem to be enthralled by the discovery of old jazz music. Hell it was a White cat that recorded all of this stuff. Over the last few years I've been starting to adopt the idea that Black folks don't record/preserve/protect as much of their own musical or cultural history because they are too busy living it or creating something new.
Which is a catch 22 because it leaves it up to folks from other backgrounds to record it and then ultimately control it and control how it is promoted and presented. Which usually leads to people feeling a certain way about "our" songs being copied, critiqued, ridiculed or used in paper towel commercials.
But yeah. Beyond all of that, I thought this was a cool clip. I know these recordings will be put in the museum when completed, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens after that.
