When people think of the Golden Era in rap, names like Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane come to mind. I personally appreciate everything they did to pave the way for our generation of entertainers, but I really can't relate to their music and I don't listen to it that much. In my case, the Golden Era was from the 4TH QUARTER of 2002 to the 1ST QUARTER of 2004.
(For those not familiar with the quarter system, releases dates are broken down into 4 quarters, JAN/FEB/MARCH, APRIL/MAY/JUNE, and so on.)
I've been a big fan of rap music since around 1994. It had grown from listening to an artist here & there and basic radio hits to "digging in the crates" and actually buying & listening to a variety of sounds & genres of rap.
At the end of 2002, I was making the transition from High School to College. I was relying heavily on music as an escape from studying/applying to schools and also as a High-Enhancer during my various weed-smoking escapades as a youngster.
Looking back on it, I realize how spoiled I was around that time. The amount of quality CD's that came out during that time is mind-boggling. The following CD's were released from the 4th Quarter of 2002 to the 1st Quarter of 2004:
Jay-Z- The Black Album
Kanye West- College Dropout
State Property- State Property Presents the Chain Gang Vol. 2
Young gunz- Tough Luv
The Diplomats- Diplomatic Immunity
50 Cent- Get Rich or Die Tryin
G-Unit- Beg For Mercy
T.I.- Trap Musik
Three 6 Mafia- Da Unbreakables
Outkast- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Freeway- Philadelphia Freeway
Juelz Santana- From Me to U
Roc-A-Fella- Dame Dash Presents the Dream Team
Ludacris- Chicken & Beer
... and those are just the major releases. Albums like Hi-Teknology by Hi-Tek and Electric Circus by Common also provided some classic tunes. I'm sure im missing others on that list as well.
Out of those albums, I would put AT LEAST 3 of them on my favorite albums of all-time list (Hint- I was a big Roc/SP/Dipset fan around that time). Those albums are, for the most part, each respective artists' best work. I vividly remember riding up on AMTRAK to visit Temple University as a prospective student and playing Diplomatic Immunity over and over. I can remember feeling like Jay really went out with a bang with "My First Song." (Little did I know he would indeed come back like MJ wearin the 4-5). I remember listening to every song on State Prop 2 without skipping one track. I can remember the goosebumps I got the first time I heard "Spaceship" by Kanye West. I was never a huge fan of 50 Cent, but there's no denying the hit-after-hit variety that he provided on Get Rich or Die Tryin. I can remember the whole G-Unit CD being played at house parties when I was a Freshman. T.I. was at his best on Trap Musik, where he was still able to more-than-effectively strattle the line between street and commercial. "Ridin Spinners" captured the fad so perfectly and also provided Lil Flip one last breath before T.I. took his life as a rapper. People were skeptical of Outkast coming out with solo projects, and I think most people liked Andre's LP better, but I liked them both and thought they defied all haters and took a big risk which resulted in two smash hits("Hey Ya" and "The Way You Move"). Freeway had such a new, unique style and although his voice was a bit much at times, I was still a big fan of Philadelphia Freeway. I was a huge fan of Dipset so nuff said bout Juelz lol. And hearin "One for Peedi" and "Home of Philly" made me feel right at home even though I had only recently become a resident in the area. Even Luda, my arch nemesis, had a plethora of bangers on his KFC & Bud Lite LP.
The one thing that all these artists had in common was their collective hunger. Some of the albums above were those artists' first, and that in itself was motivation to put their best product out. Some of the albums were efforts by the artists' to solidify their growing buzz or acknowledge their legitimacy as Hip-hop heavyweights. Some of the albums were an artists'grand finale (or was supposed to be in one artists case) or goodbye to mainstream fans. Other albums were collective efforts by a group of artists who were at the top of their game at that time and were able to co-exist and shine equally on a major stage. Unfortunately, the majority of cliques in the rap game from that time have disbanded for a number of reasons. It's unfortunate because now is when we need their best efforts the most, and barely any of the artists mentioned above still have the fire or skill they once possessed.
With all that being said, here's a playlist I made that has a few tracks from each of the cd's mentioned above. I wasn't able to get all the ones I wanted, but it's still a mix that probably contains more quality tracks over a 1 1/4 year span than the amount of quality songs that have been released in the 5 years since the "Golden Era". Enjoy!!
- J. Todd
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Race Card
"...We are Africans, and we happen to be in America. We are not Americans. We are a people who formerly were Africans who were kidnapped and brought to America. Our forefathers weren't the Pilgrims. We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; the rock was landed on us."
-Malcolm X
Salutations world,
Normally I try not to touch on topics that deal with race and politics, because there is never any clear cut or correct answer. But I feel like with the recent comments made by Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard about the National Anthem, I started thinking "Does Josh really have a point?" First, lets check out the footage..
Now, before I defend or justify what he says, lets take into account the history of our illustrious nation, as well as the "African American" history in this nation. I started off this post with a well known quote by Malcolm X, in which he says that we cannot be African Americans because we were "Kidnapped and brought to America." So does Josh have a point? Should blacks really embrace things such as the National Anthem or Independence Day when we were brought to this country against our will?..
Of course slavery is a strong reason why many blacks do not feel attached to this nation, and some people would even argue that it is time for blacks to get over that and embrace the patriotism that is exhibited by whites. I then say, even if we try to "forget" the ills of slavery and the civil rights era, what about the state of the black nation now? I currently reside in North Philadelphia, and everyday I see visual proof that blacks are still overlooked and mistreated in this nation. The fact that I can see a 40oz. spot on every corner and kids wandering the streets at all times of night (and even the day when they are suppose to be in school, schools which are severely understaffed and poorly funded) is mind blowing to me. How can I sing a National Anthem, when I am a young black man and I see these crimes committed against my people on a daily basis?
So do I agree with what Josh said? Well, yes and no. Yes in the sense that he is correct. As a young black man, I feel like we are always fighting an uphill battle for equality. But I am not fully sold on the way Josh expressed his feelings. He could have chosen a better avenue to express himself as well as a better choice of words. But hey, sometimes when you feel strongly about something then it has to be said. So, what do you think? Was Josh right? Should black people exhibit love for a country that has historically oppressed and overlooked them?..
"It is necessary to understand that Black Power is a cry of disappointment. The Black Power slogan did not spring full grown from the head of some philosophical Zeus. It was born from the wounds of despair and disappointment. It is a cry of daily hurt and persistent pain."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
-Yeezy
-Malcolm X
Salutations world,
Normally I try not to touch on topics that deal with race and politics, because there is never any clear cut or correct answer. But I feel like with the recent comments made by Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard about the National Anthem, I started thinking "Does Josh really have a point?" First, lets check out the footage..
Now, before I defend or justify what he says, lets take into account the history of our illustrious nation, as well as the "African American" history in this nation. I started off this post with a well known quote by Malcolm X, in which he says that we cannot be African Americans because we were "Kidnapped and brought to America." So does Josh have a point? Should blacks really embrace things such as the National Anthem or Independence Day when we were brought to this country against our will?..
Of course slavery is a strong reason why many blacks do not feel attached to this nation, and some people would even argue that it is time for blacks to get over that and embrace the patriotism that is exhibited by whites. I then say, even if we try to "forget" the ills of slavery and the civil rights era, what about the state of the black nation now? I currently reside in North Philadelphia, and everyday I see visual proof that blacks are still overlooked and mistreated in this nation. The fact that I can see a 40oz. spot on every corner and kids wandering the streets at all times of night (and even the day when they are suppose to be in school, schools which are severely understaffed and poorly funded) is mind blowing to me. How can I sing a National Anthem, when I am a young black man and I see these crimes committed against my people on a daily basis?
So do I agree with what Josh said? Well, yes and no. Yes in the sense that he is correct. As a young black man, I feel like we are always fighting an uphill battle for equality. But I am not fully sold on the way Josh expressed his feelings. He could have chosen a better avenue to express himself as well as a better choice of words. But hey, sometimes when you feel strongly about something then it has to be said. So, what do you think? Was Josh right? Should black people exhibit love for a country that has historically oppressed and overlooked them?..
"It is necessary to understand that Black Power is a cry of disappointment. The Black Power slogan did not spring full grown from the head of some philosophical Zeus. It was born from the wounds of despair and disappointment. It is a cry of daily hurt and persistent pain."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
-Yeezy
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Point "Gods"..
"And y'all scared I can tell, and I'ma get bucks like Milwaukee cuz like Sam I-Can-Sell.."- Jadakiss, "Put Ya Hands Up"
Now normally, this blog is full of opinions centered on hip hop and pop culture. But today is solely dedicated to my first love, BASKETBALL. And with today's NBA being heavily influenced by hip hop, it is only right that Real Talk takes a stab at a heated debate..
And the debate is, WHO IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE?
Now some people would say CP3 and other would say D. Will (people like myself)..
So, while trying to be as arbitrary as possible, lets break down both cats.
First, CP3..
Of course, CP is what many would look for in a Point "God". Quick, amazing vision and creativity are all things that define his game (also a 2nd Place MVP finish, shout out to AG). But on to my pick..
D. Will
First and foremost, check the first clip in this video where a certain someone gives CP3 a few moves. But yes, I feel D. Will is the best point guard in the league. He posses the same qualities as Paul, while also having a excellent jumper and size that allows him to put smaller point guards (Such as Paul)in the post and score at his discretion. Now they were the class of a rather weak 2005 Draft, D. Will being selected third and Paul forth. And I am not knocking either ones accomplishments, but lets just be honest with ourselves for a minute..
So, my idea was to keep this simple so that it would leave room for a heated discussion with all my fellow basketball lovers. Let the Debate begin!!
"Fuck y'all mean, handlin' since a teen, like LeBron or Sebastian High school graduates, straight to the league.."- Jay-Z, "Dead Presidents III"
-Yeezy
Now normally, this blog is full of opinions centered on hip hop and pop culture. But today is solely dedicated to my first love, BASKETBALL. And with today's NBA being heavily influenced by hip hop, it is only right that Real Talk takes a stab at a heated debate..
And the debate is, WHO IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE?
Now some people would say CP3 and other would say D. Will (people like myself)..
So, while trying to be as arbitrary as possible, lets break down both cats.
First, CP3..
Of course, CP is what many would look for in a Point "God". Quick, amazing vision and creativity are all things that define his game (also a 2nd Place MVP finish, shout out to AG). But on to my pick..
D. Will
First and foremost, check the first clip in this video where a certain someone gives CP3 a few moves. But yes, I feel D. Will is the best point guard in the league. He posses the same qualities as Paul, while also having a excellent jumper and size that allows him to put smaller point guards (Such as Paul)in the post and score at his discretion. Now they were the class of a rather weak 2005 Draft, D. Will being selected third and Paul forth. And I am not knocking either ones accomplishments, but lets just be honest with ourselves for a minute..
So, my idea was to keep this simple so that it would leave room for a heated discussion with all my fellow basketball lovers. Let the Debate begin!!
"Fuck y'all mean, handlin' since a teen, like LeBron or Sebastian High school graduates, straight to the league.."- Jay-Z, "Dead Presidents III"
-Yeezy
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Top 5 Worst Videos of All Time
Sometimes there's a music video that comes along that makes you question one's existence, state of mind and/or level of sobriety when deciding to go ahead and shoot their masterpiece-of-shit. Below are 5 of those videos that will make you shake your head in disgust/vomit/break your tv/etc.
#5 Mase- Welcome Back
Mason Betha.... Boy oh Boy. People were already skeptical of your comeback to rap after leaving the game to become a holy man in Atlanta, the home of faulty pastors. Then he unretires to make this. He opens up the video with a horrible Mr. Rodgers impersonation and then spends the rest of the video practicing his horribly outdated dance moves. Nice Comeback, Mase. Come to think of it, where is Mase? I'll save that for another post
#4 V.I.C- Wobble
This video premiered fairly recently, but was so horrible that it's already made the list of all-time visual bricks. Not only is the concept for the song deeply awful, but the video takes it deeper in the depths of garbage. He starts off sitting in his dressing room, only to put on an African tribal mask that happens to be hanging up next to his mirror, which magically takes him back to a speakeasy-like 1940's environment. Then the camera cuts to Mr. Collipark in full Coon Mode, doo-woppin and skippin around the stage. The rest of the video consists of various horrible dance steps by V.I.C and every 10 seconds cuts to Collipark cheesing or doing something resembling Sambo. Simply Unacceptable.
#3 Ludacris- Get Back
I'm not the biggest Luda fan, so my opinion may be a bit biased. Is it just me, or is Luda by far the corniest dude in the rap game. I'm not sayin he can't spit, but all that hyperbole and stretching out his words just doesn't do it for me. Unfortunately, this video looks like it was all Luda's idea. He spends the intro and the first verse in a dimly lit bathroom beating up some loser with his popeye forearms. I didn't crack a smirk. I was ready to try crack by the end of the video. He spends the second verse walking down the street with a posse of overweight women wearing what looks like old-school flight attendant outfits. He proceeds to tell various animals and girls with animal fur boots to get back. video over. Good show, Luda, you bamma ass dude. I wonder if it's a coincidence that the Album "Get Back" was on was his weakest album sales-wise and in every other regard.
#2 Big Pun- How we Roll
First off, RIP Big Pun. He was one of the most slept-on, underrated artists of all-time. With that being said, he would be spinning or turning as much as he could in his grave (pun was a big dude) if he saw this video. Never have I ever seen such horrible animation. It looks like something off the first season of South Park or a game on Atari, maybe Nintendo, but thats being generous. This had to be Fat Joe's work. I say that because I noticed it had Pun wearing Fat Joe's now-defunct "FJ-560" clothing line, which was in stores for about 19 days. I would've been more than happy with an old footage/image collage of Pun, not this High School Computer Applications Project, which I would've given an F- if I was the teacher.
Drumroll please.......
#1 P. Diddy ft. Hurricane G(whoever that is)- Public Enemy #1
Oh Man. This was a really dark time in Puff's career/life. I want to date this video around 2000, approximately 3 years after The Notorious B.I.G passed. Mase had left to become T.D. Jakes. Black Rob went to jail. His crew that he proclaimed had arrived with his song "we aint goin nowhere" had careers that were doing exactly that. Going Nowhere. So it's understandable that he was a bit disoriented and felt he had to put Bad Boy on his back with this single "public enemy 2000" from the cd Victory.
With that being said, where do I start?! The video starts off with him Driving a lambo down some street in what looks like LA with Flava Flav riding shotgun. This is before Flavor of Love popped so Flav was definately unpopular at this time. He then has some random broad start poppin wild shit and droppin catch phrases about how "nice" he is. LOL. Nice (which im guessing is referring to his lyrical abillty) and Diddy just don't go together. Viewers are then introduced to a shimmering Puffy on his circular dance stage. He begins his painful-to-watch dance moves, but the video moves on pretty averagely until around 2:50 into the clip. The beat drops, the camera zooms in, and Puffy starts spinning around. The "Planet Rock" beat drops, and Puffy proceeds to make an absolute fool of himself. He performs a combination of washed up dance moves with the camera man seemingly putting in more work than him rotating around him at high speeds. While watching this debauchery, I couldn't decide whether I didn't want it to end because it was so funny or if I just wanted to end as soon as possible because it was so bad. Fortunately it does end, and then his third verse takes place outside Southern Fried Chicken, a popular NY food spot. He's posted on his bentley with some Daunte Culpepper Look-a-like and a crew in the back with 0 recognizable people. He then ends the song with the same chick poppin some more shit and then thankfully the video is over. Puffy obviously has deleted this video from his memory, because it's impossible to have the swagger and confidence he possesses with this song and/or video ever crossing his thoughts.
P.S. He did a an all-spanish version and a rock version too, which im sure are equally horrible.
Honorable Mentions:
Field Mob- Sick of Being Lonely
- I like the song. The video's not that bad either, just an excessive amount of cooning throughout the clip.
Ja Rule ft. Ashanti- Mesmerized
- A horrible attempt at a re-make of Grease. Ja-Rule's only fan left probably gave up on him after this one.
Ja-Rule Ft. Bobby Brown- Thug Lovin
- Another half-way decent video, but it's obvious that Bobby Brown was high on Crack the whole time. His Fiend Mouth was quite crooked in this video. Shout out to Anee for that one.
Refugee Camp All Stars- Stayin alive
- Another pitiful attempt at re-creation. This one was supposed to be "Saturday Night Fever." I feel Lauren for jumping ship when she did. It probably made Wyclef but on his life vest.
If you have any other suggestions for bad videos, feel free to provide input in the comment section.
-J. Todd
#5 Mase- Welcome Back
Mason Betha.... Boy oh Boy. People were already skeptical of your comeback to rap after leaving the game to become a holy man in Atlanta, the home of faulty pastors. Then he unretires to make this. He opens up the video with a horrible Mr. Rodgers impersonation and then spends the rest of the video practicing his horribly outdated dance moves. Nice Comeback, Mase. Come to think of it, where is Mase? I'll save that for another post
#4 V.I.C- Wobble
This video premiered fairly recently, but was so horrible that it's already made the list of all-time visual bricks. Not only is the concept for the song deeply awful, but the video takes it deeper in the depths of garbage. He starts off sitting in his dressing room, only to put on an African tribal mask that happens to be hanging up next to his mirror, which magically takes him back to a speakeasy-like 1940's environment. Then the camera cuts to Mr. Collipark in full Coon Mode, doo-woppin and skippin around the stage. The rest of the video consists of various horrible dance steps by V.I.C and every 10 seconds cuts to Collipark cheesing or doing something resembling Sambo. Simply Unacceptable.
#3 Ludacris- Get Back
I'm not the biggest Luda fan, so my opinion may be a bit biased. Is it just me, or is Luda by far the corniest dude in the rap game. I'm not sayin he can't spit, but all that hyperbole and stretching out his words just doesn't do it for me. Unfortunately, this video looks like it was all Luda's idea. He spends the intro and the first verse in a dimly lit bathroom beating up some loser with his popeye forearms. I didn't crack a smirk. I was ready to try crack by the end of the video. He spends the second verse walking down the street with a posse of overweight women wearing what looks like old-school flight attendant outfits. He proceeds to tell various animals and girls with animal fur boots to get back. video over. Good show, Luda, you bamma ass dude. I wonder if it's a coincidence that the Album "Get Back" was on was his weakest album sales-wise and in every other regard.
#2 Big Pun- How we Roll
First off, RIP Big Pun. He was one of the most slept-on, underrated artists of all-time. With that being said, he would be spinning or turning as much as he could in his grave (pun was a big dude) if he saw this video. Never have I ever seen such horrible animation. It looks like something off the first season of South Park or a game on Atari, maybe Nintendo, but thats being generous. This had to be Fat Joe's work. I say that because I noticed it had Pun wearing Fat Joe's now-defunct "FJ-560" clothing line, which was in stores for about 19 days. I would've been more than happy with an old footage/image collage of Pun, not this High School Computer Applications Project, which I would've given an F- if I was the teacher.
Drumroll please.......
#1 P. Diddy ft. Hurricane G(whoever that is)- Public Enemy #1
Oh Man. This was a really dark time in Puff's career/life. I want to date this video around 2000, approximately 3 years after The Notorious B.I.G passed. Mase had left to become T.D. Jakes. Black Rob went to jail. His crew that he proclaimed had arrived with his song "we aint goin nowhere" had careers that were doing exactly that. Going Nowhere. So it's understandable that he was a bit disoriented and felt he had to put Bad Boy on his back with this single "public enemy 2000" from the cd Victory.
With that being said, where do I start?! The video starts off with him Driving a lambo down some street in what looks like LA with Flava Flav riding shotgun. This is before Flavor of Love popped so Flav was definately unpopular at this time. He then has some random broad start poppin wild shit and droppin catch phrases about how "nice" he is. LOL. Nice (which im guessing is referring to his lyrical abillty) and Diddy just don't go together. Viewers are then introduced to a shimmering Puffy on his circular dance stage. He begins his painful-to-watch dance moves, but the video moves on pretty averagely until around 2:50 into the clip. The beat drops, the camera zooms in, and Puffy starts spinning around. The "Planet Rock" beat drops, and Puffy proceeds to make an absolute fool of himself. He performs a combination of washed up dance moves with the camera man seemingly putting in more work than him rotating around him at high speeds. While watching this debauchery, I couldn't decide whether I didn't want it to end because it was so funny or if I just wanted to end as soon as possible because it was so bad. Fortunately it does end, and then his third verse takes place outside Southern Fried Chicken, a popular NY food spot. He's posted on his bentley with some Daunte Culpepper Look-a-like and a crew in the back with 0 recognizable people. He then ends the song with the same chick poppin some more shit and then thankfully the video is over. Puffy obviously has deleted this video from his memory, because it's impossible to have the swagger and confidence he possesses with this song and/or video ever crossing his thoughts.
P.S. He did a an all-spanish version and a rock version too, which im sure are equally horrible.
Honorable Mentions:
Field Mob- Sick of Being Lonely
- I like the song. The video's not that bad either, just an excessive amount of cooning throughout the clip.
Ja Rule ft. Ashanti- Mesmerized
- A horrible attempt at a re-make of Grease. Ja-Rule's only fan left probably gave up on him after this one.
Ja-Rule Ft. Bobby Brown- Thug Lovin
- Another half-way decent video, but it's obvious that Bobby Brown was high on Crack the whole time. His Fiend Mouth was quite crooked in this video. Shout out to Anee for that one.
Refugee Camp All Stars- Stayin alive
- Another pitiful attempt at re-creation. This one was supposed to be "Saturday Night Fever." I feel Lauren for jumping ship when she did. It probably made Wyclef but on his life vest.
If you have any other suggestions for bad videos, feel free to provide input in the comment section.
-J. Todd
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