Hip-Hop Style Grows Up

Good stuff from MTV on the new mature dress style is hip-hop. Read all three articles and peep the extra pictures and videos. Writer Shaheem Reid does a great job covering this new trend. I plan to keep my eyes open for his other work.

Here are some article quotes:

"The gentleman's movement is in effect," Dre continues. "I think somewhere along the line in hip-hop and R&B, we lost a lot of class. I think it's time to show these boys how to dress, most definitely."
And...
"Jay is like a walking poster child with anything he says or brings light to," Loon says with a smile. "He brought light to the button-ups and getting suited up. People are hearing that and it's starting to register. We got to start cleaning up our act."
Plus...
"Wearing more adult apparel isn't an entirely new trend. In the 1990 movie "House Party," all the kids looked snazzy as they danced in Play's crib. Who could forget the jiggy explosion that Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy ushered in? People who couldn't even pronounce Versace and Armani were shelling out the dough to keep in step with the labels Big Poppa name-dropped in his music. But in those days, the clothes were more playalistic. Bentley, Kanye and their disciples, on the other hand, are wearing clothes that are truly conservative, even preppy."

But yeah...read the whole thing.

May 1, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Hip-Hop Hates Women

There's a new meme that's been bubbling amongst hip-hop blogs this week. The question was posed by Lizelle:

"...on all these hip hop blogs I go to and read, where is the discourse on gender, patriarchy, sexism, etc? Step up dammit!"

Jay Smooth took up her question and challenged us to answer it in his comments section. It's a long read so I suggest you print it out and absorb it all. For you skimmers out there here are some highlights:

Ian said:

"When women stop buying, dancing to and generally supporting sexist hip hop (is that redundant?), I think that'll grab many male hip hoppers' attention and force the issues of sexism and female exploitation & ojectification onto the table for discussion for real"

Later he wrote on his blog:
"In addition though, I think the principle theme expressed in the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" probably applies as an explanation as to why I and other male bloggers don't feel the need to become more invested in discussing or combating the problems of sexism, feminism or patriarchal social systems etc. not just in hip hop but in society in general."

David agreed with Ian and added:

"The question of how and why women like Lil' Kim and her ilk have been forced to participate in their own exploitation is probably the biggest gender issue we've got"

Before this started he had made a post on his own blog about sexism in hip-hop.

Mark clarified that:

"Sexism is in hip-hop but hip-hop is not sexism. Artists like 50 Cent, Lil' Jon, and Wu-Tang are young, sexualized, black men. Knowing that, they would be horrible feminists. Should the reality of their sexism be silenced or even reversed? Is the problem that sexism is in the art? Or is the problem in the saturation of sexist art? Perhaps there's a problem that there's a bunch of counter-sexist/feminist art that doesn't get play/heard/consumed"
Amen.

There's much more but you just need to read it for yourself.

A few days later Lynne chimed in (by coincidence?) on her blog with a response to an article about the effects of hip-hop's misogynist slant on the kids growing up. She brings up a lot of good points and issues so I won't quote any of it. Just read it all. In her comment section I said:

"Forget what outsiders think of us...where's the voice INSIDE the culture/industry that's keeping us in check? There are too many woman involved in the business side of the music- publicists, journalists, stylists, choreographers, A&R's, managers, promoters, and most importantly the ACTUAL FEMALE BUYERS THEMSELVES for there not to be some sort of awakening concerning the misogyny in hip-hop."

Also, recently Deesha Dyer of Verbalisms wrote about the lack of women at underground hip-hop shows:

"While the females are being fed the 50cent club mixes and remixes, the deep, thought - provoking, true hip-hop is marketed and targeted towards males, as if women don't have the intelligence to be included in this market."

What's my take? I believe that America itself is deeply misogynistic. I could bring up many examples but I'll just stick with this- why was there only one female presidential candidate this year? The Philippines has a female president and we can't even muster two candidates? Hip-hop is a reflection of our flawed values in the U.S., as are other pop culture mediums like movies and magazines. It's just easy for the powers that be to scapegoat rap music.

But that blurs the issue, and I'm not one for letting us off the hook just because we're being attacked from the outside. Like Lizelle, who's complaint started this meme, I think there needs to be more honest critique from the inside, from those who live and love the culture. So here it is and here we are getting the convo started. Hopefully somthing bigger will come from all of this.

The problem is the business of rap music which helps promote not just sexist attitudes, but homophobia, violence, and other ignorant ills. First off, the people who own and control the music have no respect for it. No, I'm not talking about Dame Dash or Dr. Dre. I'm talking about the guy who's two levels above them both, running Universal Music and pushing the green or red button on what gets produced and promoted in hip-hop. If Universal wants to push ant-women type music this year millions of dollars will pumped into the budget of whatever rapper is ignorant enough to write the lyrics. Sure the artists can choose to make something different. They just won't have the backing that others do who agree to play the game.

Let me use movies as an example. When the big studios want to make a White gangster film they get the best in the business- Scorsese directs, DePalma writes, and Pacino stars. It's violent, but it's art. However, when they make a Black gangster film they find the latest hot rappers to play in it, and a music video director to pull it together. More thought goes into the soundtrack than the script.

Same thing for hip-hop. They push artists to make a quick hit with salacious lyrics and a video to match. They go platinum, then try to do it again for the second album. After that they're done with the artist. They don't want him to get more creative, more introspective, more worldly. Artists on their third album like to step out of the box they've been given, and the record labels hate that. And don't try to ask for a bigger share of the financial pie- no, no, no!

This doesn't happen to White musicians as much. White pop musicians maybe. And here's the problem- all hip-hop is treated as pop music with no artistic value. There's a lack of respect for for our music. The music industry is deeply racist. And I don't say that lightly.

But am I still letting us off the hook by blaming others for what we say? I don't think so. There are plenty of rappers out there who don't objectify women in thier lyrics. They just can't get a deal. It takes a lot for them to find a label who will stick with them past that first single and album. These artists are out there. However, without a good record deal we consumers don't even get the choice of buying their music.

I'm not saying to get rid of the the club bangers, or even the overly violent gangsta rap. I confess- I like it and I buy it. But as I get older I also look for something a little deeper. Not deeper like "positive" or "conscious." I mean deeper like honest and sincere. I find myself turning to reggae and old soul albums for that.

What I am saying is that we need need to open the idea market up. There's 101 non-sexist untold stories that mainstream hip-hop is not touching on. Thank goodness Kanye West has made an album that explores the anxiety he felt trying to finish college. I can relate, and I love it for that reason alone.

If I am downplaying the issue then let me go even further and say that I believe sexism in hip-hop is getting better. Foxy and Kim are out, Missy and Eve are in. The latter pair are both sexy and powerful at the same time. This is an improvement.

What do you think?

March 20, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack

Advice for Farnsworth Bentley

Farnsworth Bentley, the Black metrosexual who became famous by holding umbrellas over P. Diddy's head and baby sitting the Band is now considering a rap career among other ventures. I think that's a big mistake.

He should continue being on MTV, doing skits on Outkast albums, and dancing with legends at the Grammy's. I hope he succeeds in his umbrella business, the movie script he's writing with Andre 3000, the comedy he's working on for Fox, and the promotional gig he landed with Courvoisier.

But Bentley, leave the rapping alone!

Making an album is the most uninspired idea you've had. Show us there's more than one way to hustle in this game. Leave the stunts to those who don't respect the culture and think we will buy whatever garbage they dump on the store shelves. Even an ok effort on may doom your career (think Madd Rapper).

March 20, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Talib Kweli's "The Beautiful Struggle"

Talib Kweli is soft in the head.

Rough versions of his next album "The Beautiful Struggle" were leaked on the net and a message board fan posted links to it. Talib got angry and flipped on the kid. The positive, pro-Black emcee even threatened to hurt him, saying:

"I will find out who you are and you will be dealt with accordingly. This is no threat."

He should be thanking him instead. Doesn't Talib know that obscurity is a bigger problem for artists than piracy and that downloading has been academically proven to not affect record sales? Talib complains that he's never gone gold or platinum like Kanye West and that this bootlegging will harm his record sales. Of course he doesn't realize that Kanye's album was also bootlegged before it came out and rough versions of unreleased songs were on mixtapes almost a year beforehand. I should know. I copped the mixtapes and the bootleg album. I was so impressed by Kanye's soul sample flipping that I bought the album on its second week out.

So should Kanye be beasting on me for stealing money out of his hands? Talib should realize that the real crooks are at his record label, Rawkus Records. I'm sure he doesn't get more than 12% of the profits from his own work. So let's see him threaten Jarret Myer and Bryan Brater next time.

March 15, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (157) | TrackBack

Respect Sampling

I sometimes wonder (but don't really care) what traditional musicians think about hip-hop's habit of sampling in order to create beats. For those that think it's simple Danger Mouse breaks down how hard it was to create The Grey Album.

For those who don't think it's artistic enough to sample should listen to how beautiful Kanye West's College Dropout sounds or Lyrics Born's Later That Day.

UPDATE: Laze adds some thoughts to this.

March 13, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Hip-hop News Sites Suck

On my blog I misspell words and use bad grammar all the time. But this is just a blog, which started as a personal sounding board to work out ideas for future articles. I never intended to have any audience so I don't hold myself to much of a quality standard.

However, unlike my personal blog these professional hip-hop news sites need to be ashamed of the way they report unconfirmed rumors, steal content, and plague users with pop-up ads.

There's a lot of trash out there but I always considered SOHH's news site to be above the fray. Not so anymore. Today I spotted two sophmoric grammar mistakes on the same page. First, Rich Rock in an article about Kevin Liles' departure from Def Jam uses the word "literally" incorrectly. He writes:

"...Liles helped to build the Def Jam brand and was integral in the re-signing of LL Cool J to a new contract when the superstar emcee who literally built the label threatened to leave."

LL may have figuratively built the label, but I'm sure he didn't literally grab his saw and hammer and do work on their offices. On the left side of that same page under "Ya Heard!" it describes Common as a "prolific" artist. This word is commonly misused to mean "profound." Too Short, Tupac, and Jay Z had prolific careers, or in other words they made a lot of music. Period. The word doesn't mean anything else.

I admit these are small slips by SOHH, but dag...they're like the standard of online hip-hop right now yet their writing would only get a B in my English class. I can't wait until my blog fam finally gets this network going. At least then the online hip-hop world will have an alternative to the low quality that's out there.

February 12, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack

The Album Review is Dead?

The wonderfully witty Devon Powers of Popmatters.com reasons that reviews for full length albums will soon disappear because people are choosing the digital single more and more over the complete album. Devon writes:

"When 10,000 songs are available in your pocket, why choose one album at all? ...this problem is compounded insofar as, from a listener's perspective, MP3s do a better job of music criticism than music critics do. Why read about an album's significance when you can simply download a couple of songs and decide for yourself? Why not pop those tunes into your iPod and walk around, see if they stick, and if not, erase 'em, never to think about it again?"

Well, she's right but for the wrong reason. I do agree that music journalism will change this year but not because people are ditching the full length album. Buyers still want to buy a full length something whether it's an artist's album, a compilation like the "Now That's What I Call Music" series, or a mixtape. Even when it's digital fans are still buying the whole album. Apple reported that with the iTunes music store "over half of the songs purchased to date were purchased as albums, further dispelling concerns that selling music on a per-track basis will destroy album sales."

So music journalists don't need to switch their focus to the single, as Devon suggests. Anyway...who would actually read a single review that is longer than two sentences? In the same amount of time it takes to read a magazine's opinion about a song I can actually listen to it and judge for myself.

And that's why music reviews will change.

In the past we relied on journalists to tell us if an album was good or not because we couldn't preview it ourselves. But now there's a big increase in ways we can listen to what an artist has to offer before we buy through means legal (album samplers, official web downloads, radio) and less legal (file sharing, mixtapes, Google's keychain).

I recently bought Lyrics Born's "Later that Day." I wasn't familiar with his other material other than a guest appearace on a Blackalious album. So before I bought the album I went to the guy's website to listen to the samples. I heard two great songs from the disc- Callin Out and Bad Dreams. What did I do next? Cop the singles? No, I bought the whole album. But that's besides my main point.

Music writing can stay relevent by changing it's role from telling us what an album is like, to just announcing that an album worth checking out is available. It will become like the television review- useful but just barely. Television is like what music will become- too available to need a review.

In my example above I first was prompted to listen to Lyrics Born samples by an article I read on MTV.com. Actually their website does a good job of overall of giving me enough info to spark my interest in an artist without loading me with an article that's longer than what I have patience to read.

So is this change a good or bad thing? I don't really care myself, though Oliver Wang has lamented the ever decreasing word count in music publications.

January 22, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Predictions for 2004

I never really liked year end wrap-ups so I didn't spit mine out there or read anyone else's (though if I did I'd be sure to follow the 8 simple rules). So instead of looking back, I'll courageously predict the trends that will shape this new year in hip-hop! I seemed to have gotten the reggae thing right, so maybe I'll get lucky again. Let's go-

1. More Hip-hop Concerts and Tours- especially from the midlevel acts who make great music and almost go gold. Expect mid-sized and small venues who have traditionally booked only rock acts to drop their fears of violent crowds and open their doors to roving hip-hop groups. The untold story of 50 Cent's popularity is that he has been touring incessantly since before "Get Rich..." dropped. He went on the road with the Clipse, then Eminem, then Jay-Z, then his own with G-Unit. Journalist dummies- it's not just the mixtapes and Eminem that made 50 so big last year. But even if the magazine writers haven't caught on I'm sure the artists are paying close attention.

Also, indie groups such as Atmosphere and Blackalicious have sold thousands of units and broke onto MTV through the buzz their live shows created. So in 2004 expect your favorite rapper, underground or otherwise to hop on the bandwagon, literally.

2. The "Regular Dude" is Born or The "Backpacker" Returns - People are buzzin about Kanye West's College Dropout album not because of his flow (which sounds amateurish half the time) or his soulful beats, but because of what he's saying on his debut. He doesn't talk about guns and selling crack, yet he's not a usual "positive" or "conscious" rapper- Kanye admits to enjoying fast cars and going to strip clubs. But he's no p.i.m.p. either. Instead, he has a song about Jesus and lines that confess that he and his industry counter parts stunt not out of confidence but insecurity. He's a regular dude, like me and you. And expect to see more of them signed by record companies this year. Common has already ditched his neo-soul persona and girlfriend and plans to return to his "Can I Borrow a Dollar" days on the next album. Joe Budden was marketed as a hip-hop "everyman" by Def Jam who saw the light on this emerging trend a months ago. Yeah, Joe didn't do well in sales but that was because of his lackluster beats and inability to tour (see prediction 1) due to throat problems.

These guys and others will spark the "regular dude" trend which will resemble the anti-glam, grunge trend in rock years ago. The press will mislabel this as backpacker rap, but it's not.

3. The Mixtape Will Rule- With the album format dying due to digital downloads of single songs, expect to see a (continued) rise in the popularity of mixtapes and bundled hits like the Now That's What I Call Music! series. The first music download store to offer the ability to create your own mixes to share (like Amazon.com's Listmania) will be blessed.

My only hope is that DJ's will get away from the dominance of the DJ Clue style exclusive mixtape and get back to the thematic mix of songs like P Cutta's Street Wars series and Green Lantern's Throwback Classics.

That's it. So what are your predictions?

January 3, 2004 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Jin's "Learn Chinese" Video

Jin, the Asian rapper who landed a record deal with Ruff Ryders while becoming a battle champion on 106th and Park just dropped a new video for his single "Learn Chinese." Oliver Wang posted his thoughts about the video on his weblog. And so begins the culture critiques that will mark Jin's career more than his musical talent.

Oliver aka O-Dub doesn't mention whether the song is any good or not. "I do find the video fascinating," is the most we get. The rest is a break down of the socio-racial implications of what Jin chose to write and display in his first ever video. Yikes. I hope the kid has a degree in something because he's gonna need some learnin just to read his own album reviews!

Here's a part of O-Dub's post that I find kinda funny:

"That said, the video for "Learn Chinese" is rife with problems. One of the biggest and most obvious is Jin's gender politics - women figure in this video like they figure in most rap videos: sex objects desired for nothing more than their bodies."
Rife with problems? When did sexy women in a club, happy-happy video become a problem? I think O-Dub, as an Asain hip-hopper himself is asking too much from the young kid.

But I understand what's up. When Jin's album drops he'll become the resident hip-hop pundit that will represent the voice of all Asian rap fans out there. Who needs a quote from Oliver Wang or Jeff Chang when you got a Ruff Ryder ready to speak? I'm not saying O-Dub is jealous, but I certainly understand if he's scared. I'm a conservative leaning Black man who has to deal with the stupid things Stanley Crouch writes three times a week. Trust me, I understand.

So even though O-Dub says Jin's video is "disappointing and generic" I think he needs to watch out for the same traps in his own reviews. (And I like his weblog, so don't beast.)

December 18, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Reggae is on the Rise (Update)

Forget about Reggae/Dancehall being on the rise in America. It seems like this new trend in urban music is already here. So good riddins "neo soul" wannabees and Southern rap flavored dummies. Your local A&R is probably now looking to break an act that has at least some Carribean influence in it.

Peep the proof:

The latest cover of Vibe magazine has Sean Paul's face all over it, and features a pretty lengthy article about Dancehall's currently platinum top shotta. See?

And Baz Dreisinger of the Village Voice (the same guy who wrote about hip-hop changing pop culture) mentions the influence Reggae is having on hip-hop/R&B, including Beyonce wearing a red, green and black wrist band during one of her videos.

So the chatting and riddims are here...again. I think that hip-hop may just be able to break down the language barrier and present a mixed form of Reggae the average buyer can relate to. Really, that's for better or for worse.

** Thank-you Eric, Micheal, and Lynne for the helpful comments on the original post.

November 3, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

My Prediction: Reggae is on the Rise

I just noticed that there are three Reggae inspired songs on Hot 97's current playlist (the list changes every week so that link may not show what I mean next week). They are: "Pon The River, Pon the Bank" by Elephant Man, "Baby Boy" by Beyonce f/ Sean Paul, and "Dem Nah Ready" by 50 Cent f/ Sean Paul. What does this all mean? Nothing right now. But my prediction is that next season we will see many more hip-hop and R&B artists lacing their songs with a bit of dancehall flavor.

It makes sense too. We have inherited many of our sonic customs from that Caribbean genre. And our forefather is from Jamaica. The blending of Reggae and Hip-hop is seamless and well tested. Just ask KRS-One.

So listen up all you trendy hip-hop journalists out there- pitch this bleeding edge story to your editor: Neo-soul is out, Southern rap is in, but up next will be Reggea!

October 25, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (29) | TrackBack

Cannibal OX Breaks Up.


First the Fat Boys, then the Fugees, and now this?

Via all hiphop.com a few hours ago- Cannibal OX breaks up and cancels their tour with Jean Grae. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"This is the second tour we canceled this year," former DJ Anthony "Cip One" Cipriani told AllHipHop.com. "Since leaving Def Jux, Vast and Vordul rarely speak to each other any more. Vast just wants to focus on his solo career."

Jean Grae expressed shock at the group members decision to call it quits. Grae was part of the tour, promoting her The Bootleg Of The Bootleg EP.

Jean shouldn't be shocked. These rumors have been floating for over a year. After their incredible first album Vast has been guest listed on tracks around the indie scene and even dropped a solo mixtape, while Vordul has remained relatively MIA.

I'm not happy about this news. I knew Vast was doing a solo joint but I was hoping for at least one more Canox album. These guys got me into indie hip-hop in a big way. They're from my neighborhood (Harlem- what, what!) so I was able to relate to their songs in a way that I hadn't with other artists. Plus, they have a chemistry that doesn't work well when they're apart.

Also, what's wack is that they left Jean Grae hanging at the last minute without a tour. That's disrespect to all the artists, promoters, venues, and especially the fans involved. Cancelling gigs like that plays with a lot of people's money. So right now both Vordul and Vast get the screw face from me.

October 19, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Atmosphere on MTV


MTV Loves Ugly.

It has begun. MTV.com now has a band page for Atmosphere, plus their song "Trying to Find a Balance" is featured as a track on the online version of Advance Warning vol. 3.

Congrats to those Twin City boys for turning down so many major label offers and sticking to their independent roots. Slug even jokes that he allows majors to court him just to get a free meal out of them! And now look...they've smashed onto MTV on their own terms. So indie artists take note: you don't have to sell your soul to be successful in this game.

I have some problems with their MTV coverage though. First off the pictures they have up are all Slug and Mr. Dibbs, yet if I didn't know better I would think I was looking at Slug and Ant. Secondly, both album profiles they have up mention Eminem way too much. What's the connection other than both artists being White? Peep how corny the profile for their album "God Loves Ugly" is:

"Move over Eminem, and tell Slim Shady the news. Not only is Twin Cities white rapper Slug (the voice of Atmosphere) more interested in storytelling than in venting his personal frustrations..."

Not only does this writer stupidly compare Slug to Em, he is also incorrect. Slug is known for "venting his personal frustrations" more than anything else! Even a cursory listen to any of his albums or a quick Google search of any of his interviews would have cleared that up.

Dummies.

October 18, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack

Where in the World is Lauryn Hill?


Toure (the negro Jay loves to hate) wrote a Rolling Stone Magazine cover story that answers one of the big questions that's been on my mind for a minute. What's up with Lauryn Hill?

Here's an excerpt:

In 2000, Hill became close with Brother Anthony, a shadowy spiritual adviser, then abruptly fired her management team and the people around her. In 2001, she recorded her MTV Unplugged 2.0. Few bought the album, but many talked about how she could be heard on the record breaking down in tears and saying, "I'm crazy and deranged. . . . I'm emotionally unstable," and repeatedly rejecting celebrity and the illusions that make it possible. "I used to get dressed for y'all; I don't do that anymore," she said on the album. "I used to be a performer, and I really don't consider myself a performer anymore. . . . I had created this public persona, this public illusion, and it held me hostage. I couldn't be a real person, because you're too afraid of what your public will say. At that point, I had to do some dying."

Her honesty was both touching and confusing. She was rejecting so much of what she'd spent years being. The only thing that was clear was that she was suffering. "Artists do fall apart," a record executive says. "The most commonly held falsity in the game is that they have it all together. They fall apart. Look at Mariah, Whitney, Michael, all the great ones. They all have a moment where you go, 'Are they really all there?' And I think Lauryn chose to expose that to the world."

I don't agree with that anonymous record executive. Lauryn didn't fall apart...she's doing exactly what she wants to do despite what people think. Her album sales "fell apart," which is of course is the only concern any record exec.

October 11, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Ras Kass Open Letter

Ras Kass has released an open letter to all of his fans and frienemies. I love this guy as an artist, but he's very arrogant as a person and this letter only seems to prove it more.

For instance he says:

What I fought against was the systematic undermining of my economic wellbeing. The politics within the racist machine known as Priority/ Capital Records who, for 5 years, binded me in a recording contact but never fulfilled their part-promoting and distributing an album. Now ask yourself, “if I couldn’t get these people to put out an album nor would they agree to allow me to record elsewhere-how do I eat?!”
Yet, based on an article in XXL Priority kept dumping money into his album and he kept coming up with an unfinished product. Then Ras wanted to break the contract and leave but they wouldn't let him unless they got a return for their money. Rule number 1080 is true about all record companies being shady, but this sounds reasonable to me.
Ras goes on:
Ironically, when I expressed concern that I wasn’t being given a fair chance, Priority’s executives branded me “hard to deal with!” then ‘drunk!’ I was even told I was “too smart for my own good”. Whoa!
Ok, it does seem that Priority is blackballing Ras in that same XXL article I mentioned above. They hint that maybe Ras drank away his advance money that was supposed to be used to finish the album. However, he's not helping his case by getting arrested twice for drunk driving and even hitting someone (correct me if I'm wrong).

So yeah...FREE RAS KASS blah blah blah but I'm only saying that because I'm still hoping for a Golden State album

August 5, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

In Defense of Homo-Thugs

Yikes. Frank Leon Roberts carelessly writes an article in defense of Black gay men hiding their sexual status. The new word for these guys are "DL's" because they keep their homosexuality on the down low.

Roberts explains:

African American men who are on the D.L., "down-low," have sex with men unbeknownst to their girlfriends (if they have one) and families. They don't consider themselves gay, and they identify with hip-hop despite the music's homophobia. They've been a source of controversy in the black community.

Ok, cool. Read on...

The controversy swings from seeing the D.L. brother as the primary spreader of AIDS in the "mainstream" black community to an insistence that they "come out of the closet" so they can be "out and proud." But as the brother at the train station told me, he was out, but in a new kind of way. Moreover, he was going to get his groove on at the sex party, safely.
Pause this for a second. Coming out on the "DL" is not really coming out at all. And it's definatley not proud.
...Behind these AIDS fears lies the heterosexist assumption that AIDS is born and bred in gay communities and then venomously spread outward. Much of the anti-D.L. rhetoric from the black media hides the painful fact that many straight black women and men are HIV-positive and spread the disease among themselves, without any help from "evil" gay black men.
"Heterosexist assumption"? Negro please. CNN reported how Black male gays, bisexuals hit hard by HIV. The article cites a study that says gay Black men are "five times more likely to become HIV-infected than their white counterparts" and the CDC's Dr. Helene Gayle says, "Young gay and bisexual men are at the highest risk for HIV in this country." The AIDS epidemic amongst them (and us in general) needs more light to be shed on it, not more secrecy. Roberts continues...
D.L. brothers are often no more insecure about their sexuality than anyone else. They've just embraced a low-key, mellow style that lets them admit to same-sex desires without necessarily coming out in the traditional sense. They "come out" as D.L.
This guy must be really grappling with the shame of his own sexuality. Why would he condone being ashamed of yourself and living a lie? Being gay in the hip-hop community is difficult and even dangerous, yes. But homo-thugs or DL's or whatever they're calling themselves now are not just hiding it from their girlfriends and wives (which is not fair to these women) but also their doctors. They aren't getting the targeted health care advice and treatment as their gay, White, and proud counterparts. And this is dangerous for everyone involved.

**I'm keeping track of this story. Read the giant NY Times article "Double Lives on the Down Low" and great commentary on gay rappers by Trent

July 29, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBack

Burn the Trucker Hats!!

I was at the Rocksteady outdoor concert yesterday and I was surprised and annoyed to see dozens of people rocking those stupid trucker hats. This style has played itself out quickly. Even the New York Times says so (peep page 1 and 2)

Jay took a picture of a random crowd at the event. Look closely. I count 5 trucker hats. 5 trucker hats out of fifteen people! What the heck is wrong with these wannabee Pharell/El-P/Aesop Rock-ers?

Save hip-hop! Burn the trucker hats!!

Don't believe me? Here's what others think:
1. Magyar: "Trucker Hats Are No Longer Cool"
2. The Sneeze: "Trucker Hat Timeline- the rise and fall of the Ironic Trucker Hat trend"
3. Guff: "non-truckers wearing trucker hats, no matter what's printed on them, was never cool"
4. reliancedamages: "trucker f***er"
4. Jackie D comments at miscellaneousetc "trucker hats, have started to catch on here now...Puke"
5. J: "trucker hats (see hatred, stupid fashion trends)"
6. knowitallgirl: "reliable sources tell me that trucker hats are already out"
7. stereolabrat via Treacher: "Dear Everyone Who Sucks, Please stop wearing those trucker hats"

July 27, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (29) | TrackBack

James Davis, a Friend to Hip-hop Remembered

Many of you have heard about the tragic shooting of New York City Councilman James Davis yesterday.

I work by City Hall and when I heard what what going on I turned to Google News and found that the story, only 45 minutes old, had spread far and wide on the internet. Most articles were filled with reports that were later found to be rumors and half-truths (as usual). Amist all the nonsense I found one good article of interest to us. So props to Newsday staff writer Curtis Taylor for writing about Councilman Davis' life from with the point of view of the hip-hop community (we mourn our heroes too, y'know). Excerpt:

To honor the slain councilman, Charles Fisher, founder and chairman of the Jamaica-based Hip Hop Summit Youth Council, said the hip-hop community would rally around Davis' dream to build a Stop the Violence center in Brooklyn by helping to raise funds with local elected officials.

"It is my hope that in his memory we can continue the Stop the Violence movement, and build the center that he so much talked about," Fisher said...

..."James Davis considered himself a true hip-hop politician and could relate to the culture," Fisher said. "He was committed to using the positive influence of hip-hop for the social, economic and political empowerment of our youth.

"He felt that by bringing hip-hop artists, and the sports communities together they would be able to deal with the violence that plagues urban communities across the country," said Fisher, who said he cried when he heard the news.

Hip-hop Mogul Russell Simmons, slated to participate in the August rally, said Davis' death was a blow to the hip-hop community and all New Yorkers....


R.I.P.

July 25, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The Problem With Mixtapes These Days

Oliver Wang breaks down the history and current role of the mixtape in hip-hop. His critique at the end is on point:

A bigger concern is that, while mixtapes are aspiring to be more like albums, they've become less like . . . mixtapes.

Prior to Clue and company changing the proverbial game in the mid '90s, it was DJs like Kid Capri and Ron G who defined the genre. Their tapes made the performative a transformative experience, which could be Capri's party style mixing of new rap tunes with classic B-boy breaks or Ron G's blends of r&b a cappellas over hip-hop beats. The DJs aspired to create unique musical moments that suggested the music used wasn't any more important then how it was used. The irony of Clue's mixtape model, since copied by scores of DJs, is that there's no actual mixing. Whereas DJs once spoke with their hands, now they just use their mouths as they play songs, sans segues, all the while yelling during intervals to promote tracks or themselves. Though the practical upside is that all that bellowing discourages others from bootlegging the exclusives for their own tapes, this style effectively removes the DJ as an audio alchemist and makes him a circus barker instead.
Check out Wang's weblog. I knew their was something official about this guy. He didn't seem like just another fake hip-hop journalist hired by a web company that has no clue about our culture.

July 22, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Props to Hip-hop Artists Who Last

Jego R. Armstrong of SOHH has a great feature article profiling 5 emcees who showed staying power during the 90's. Here's the intro:

"The new breed of rap featuring Eminem, 50 Cent, Ja Rule and Nelly have taken hip-hop to unforeseen heights in the music industry, but their legacy will ultimately be determined by their longevity. Five artists from the '90s golden era of hip-hop have proven staying power despite the continuous influx of hot, new talent. With a combined 40 albums to date, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z have solidified their position in history by being Hip-Hop's Top 5 most durable emcees..."

Jego, what about Gangstarr?? And personally I would have also mentioned the king of longevity- LL Cool J (though since he didnt start in the 90's I guess he doesn't fit in)

July 18, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Hip-hop Goes to Harvard

Harvard just hired Marcyliena Morgan and other faculty to teach classes on hip-hop. Yawn.. I went through all this trouble prepping the links just to realize that I really don't care about our acceptance at Harvard. They need us to keep them relevent. We don't need their validation. The New York Times reported on it:

With the new appointments, the African and African-American studies department has 25 faculty members. As an associate professor, Ms. Morgan will teach classes on hip-hop and linguistics and be the director of the hip-hop archives, which includes T-shirts, videotapes of the early hip-hop artists practicing their art in basements in the Bronx and an extensive collection of CD's by rappers like Tupac Shakur and Public Enemy.

"While I'm not especially a fan of hip-hop — perhaps I'm too old — there can be no doubt that it is one of the most important cultural phenomenons in the second half of the 20th century," said Professor Gates, who is 52. "We would be remiss if we did not treat it accordingly."

July 17, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Rakim leaves Aftermath

I've been scooped. Usually I love linking people to Jay because he runs what many consider the best hip-hop blog out there. However, this time it hurts because I knew about Rakim leaving Aftermath yesterday but at the time it seemed like a rumor from an unreliable website. Plus, MTV reported on Rakim's album dropping "soon" just last week! How could things change so quickly? So I sat on the story and decided to write about it later. What a mistake.

So here's an excerpt of the entry from Jay:

Rakim Finally Gives Up on Aftermath
And thus Rakim joins the club of high profile Dr. Dre signings (Eve, Last Emperor, King T, who else?) who wound up languishing on the shelf for years, and finally dropped with nothing whatsoever to show for their time.

Disappointing but not surprising, after seeing the project drag on for so long


July 17, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Eminem's Lawsuits

Jon of hiphopanonymous.net lists Eminem's past lawsuits including this new one:

Eminem is fighting a civil lawsuit over the Shady Ltd. name that is featured on his new clothing line.

Shady Inc., a small Nevada based company, filed the lawsuit in Nevada federal court, claiming that they have been using the name since for their clothing since late 1999.

Shady Inc. did not register the trademark until 2001.

Shady Inc. targets the sports apparel market, selling T-Shirts and hats in Nevada stores and through the Internet and mail order.

Eminem's lawyers contend that the Shady name is associated with Eminem so frequently, that it should have never been granted to the Nevada company in the first place.

"We were first and we used it in good faith," co-owner Thomas Hession told the Detroit Free Press. "We did not know at the time that Eminem was planning clothes."

Eminem's lawyer, Manny Pokotilow, said that Eminem has been using the name since 1999 on record and that the rapper registered the Slim Shady trademark in 1999.

Next Eminem should also tell 50 Cent's DJ Whoo Kid to stop using a name that sounds like his.

July 15, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Coming soon: Hip-hop Condoms

CNN reports on Hip-hop Condoms to Hit Stores. Excerpt:

But this is no marketing ploy designed to line the pockets of executives, says Harry Terrell, CEO of Common Ground USA, the condom's manufacturer. "It's a full blown effort on our part to save our community."

Terrell says he was inspired to start the grass-roots campaign when he was coaching high school baseball and one of his students got infected with HIV.

...Out of that came the birth of his company. "I took all my money out of my 401k plan. Family members and friends have invested in the company," Terrell says.

...Terrell explains that until he saw the statistics, he was under the impression that HIV and AIDS was "a white man's disease." He says "I went to the Center for Disease Control Web site and I looked at the numbers. The numbers were staggering."

...His Jimmy Hatz Web site posts the latest information: "The CDC says the number of AIDS and HIV cases is increasing at alarming rate and shows no sign of decline. African-Americans represent the highest number followed by Hispanics. In 2000, the last year for which national facts are available, more African Americans were reported with AIDS than any other racial/ethinc group."

Terrell says he wanted to make wearing condoms "cool or the 'in' thing to do."


Much respect to Harry Terrell for risking his savings to make a change in his community. Hip-hop has far too many idle talkers who sit on the sidelines talking and debating yet never follow up with actions. With that said, I do have to give Mr. Terrell some advice- those condoms are crazy corny. Just look at the picture of the package. I can't imagine any of my 3 brothers (who are the Jimmie Hatz target audience) being caught with one of those immature looking condoms in their wallets.

I think a better idea would be to have a professional understated design and name. Still market it for the hip-hop crowd, but don't make it look cheesy with graphitti graphics and such.

July 14, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Rakim's Album to Drop Soon

FORGET WHAT THIS POST SAYS AND PEEP THIS UPDATE



MTV reports that Rakim says his album will drop soon.

"Me and Dre, we about to do full-steam on it, [and] hopefully we should have a single out towards the end of the summer and the album will follow shortly after that," Rakim said two weeks ago at the BET Awards. "We finally got everything on track like we wanted."

Rakim has logged 16 songs with the producer and hopes to finish seven more

This project is three years old which shouldn't be considered that long. The hip-hop audience has been spoiled with the DMX's and the Jay-z's dropping a complete album every year. My advice to Ra- take your time and craft a classic. The older heads will appreciate it.

July 14, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Jean Grae Signs to Baby Grande

Jean Grae, who is Jon's "greatest-bestest-I-worship-the-ground-she-walks-on-dopest female rapper" has signed to Baby Grande. Here's the press release :

Jean Grae's critically acclaimed 2002 debut album, Attack of the Attacking Things, made big noise in the underground--ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE proclaimed her as "The best kept secret on New York's Indie Scene" and Entertainment Weekly recently named her as one of America's top 10 artists on the brink of super-stardom.

"Jean Grae is certainly one of the top MC's out there and she already ranks among the top female MC's of all time," says Babygrande CEO Chuck Wilson.

Babygrande and Orchestral Productions have joined forces to release Jean Grae's as yet untitled second album. Look out for the first single early this Fall. Until then, make sure you check out her blazing track MY CREW on the EBC/Rucker Park soundtrack dropping July 15th on Melee/Dreamworks.

Good luck Jean!

July 11, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Mixtape Shouting

Ever wonder why mixtape dj's shout their name over tracks? Is it just to annoy the heck out of a listener? Nope. Pete from RMHH breaks it down on this thread

July 10, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists

For some comedy check out VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists. They really try hard to make a good list by adding alot of old school names to it and crowning Run-DMC as #1. But as someone at RMHH asks:

Ja Rule??? Ahead of Gang Starr? Kool Moe Dee??

Lil Kim and Master P ahead of MC Lyte and the Biz???????

DMX ahead of Ice Cube??!!?

Puffy ahead of Nas AND RAKIM!!

July 10, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Mobilizing the Hip-Hop Generation

Hip-hop doesn't need to get more political, political movements need to get more hip-hop. So I don't agree with all of the complaining in this "Mobilizing the Hip-Hop Generation" article but this is a good quote:

...there are many philanthropists and large foundations out there scratching their heads trying to figure out how to fund movements of social change at the street or grassroots level. The problem is that because of invisible barriers like age, race, and class, the philanthropic world has been historically cut off from the underground world of hip-hop, a situation that hurts both the activists and the funders. "The people who are giving out the funding tend to be pretty conservative," said James Kass, founder of YouthSpeaks. "Once they’re set in their ways, it takes some time for them to change. There is a gap between the foundations and the organizations they want to support."
Word up.

July 10, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Joe Budden Throat Problems

Just hours after I blog that Joe Budden is the future I find out that he may need throat surgery. Man, I feel for this guy. This is like the D.O.C. all over again. Here's an excerpt:

Just as Joe Budden’s success has soared with his single “Pump It Up,” “Focus” and his upcoming self-titled set on Def Jam Records, the rapper has hit a sudden obstacle, he charges.

“I’m having voice problems. I have a polyp on my right vocal cord,” Budden told AllHipHop.com. “I’m not even supposed to rap.” A polyp is a non-cancerous tumor that protrudes from the lining of an organ..

Budden said a doctor has recommended that he stop spitting his popular rhymes to allow his throat time to repair and, still, he may have to go under a surgeon’s knife to mend the damage.

“I might have to get surgery to get my voice back. I got some swelling going on back there. It just comes from a lot of acid. I drink a lot of acidy sh*t. You’ll never see me without a beverage,” he said. “Even now, my voice is a whole lot deeper than normal. You can hear something is going on.”


I said a prayer for you, homie. Get well.

July 10, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

From the Bronx to Isreal Hip-hop Unites

Even though the media focuses on the violence in rap, any true school historian will tell you that hip-hop was formed as a way to ease gang violence and create unity amongst Black and Latinos in New York. It seems that our music/culture is doing the same in Isreal for the Isreali and Palenstinian youth. Props to Rolling Stone and Loolwa Khazzoom for reporting that "Hip-hop Thrives in Israel
"

...Israeli hip-hop cuts across lines of ethnicity not only between Arabs and Jews, but within the Jewish community itself -- featuring artists from Ethiopian, Mizrahi (Middle Eastern/North African), Sephardic (Spanish-Portuguese and Latin), and Ashkenazi (Central/Eastern European) backgrounds. And though Israeli rappers are overwhelmingly male, young women are beginning to take center stage, such as MC Shiri, who performed at the event.

"It's very exciting to see female rappers," gushes sixteen-year-old Alma Ne'eman, who attended the concert with her gal pals. "It really got us going to see MC Shiri up on stage."

Among artists performing were three Arab hip-hop groups, MWR (standing for Mahmoud, Waseem and Richard), Dam and Tammer, who sang in a mix of Hebrew and Arabic. "We talk about our problems," Mahmoud says of MWR's message. "As Israeli Arabs, we get it from all sides. To Arabs outside Israel, we're traitors. To Israeli Jews, we're dangerous Arabs. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Everyone hates us."

Hip-hop concerts, these artists feel, provide a place where they can be recognized for who they are. "When we come, and the audience sees artists standing before them," Richard says, "they see the positive side of being Arabs."

"Hip-hop is a great tool for building bridges between Jews and Arabs," agree Gabby Baruch and Shani Alder, two young women who attended the concert. "We hear each other's music and message, and we feel closer to each other."

...


July 8, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (2)

Reignman

The MTV M.C. Battle is finished and Def Jam gets another "man" next to Red and Meth. Reignman deserved to win it all so I give MTV props on that.

July 8, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Hip-hop has Changed Pop Culture

Baz Dreisinger writes about how hip-hop has changed the face of pop culture. He mentions the influence of our art form on not just music, but also movies, politics, and higher education. The article only scratches the surface and doesn't begin to examine the history of America embracing and popularizing Black arts until they either destroy it or claim it as their own (think rock and jazz).

July 8, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hip-hop Takes Over Fashion

"All us Blacks got is sports and entertainment..." Jay-Z on Can't Knock the Hustle.

Well, Jigga now we got fashion. But can we please take over the book industry?

July 2, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Russell Simmons Is In Hot Water

Carl Chery reports that Russell Simmons Is In Hot Water Over Alleged Illegal Gifts To Politicians

Though scoring a small victory in his fight against the Rockerfeller Drug Laws weeks ago, Russell Simmons now faces a criminal probe into alleged illegal gifts made to powerful state politicians in conjunction with his lobbying for their support in Albany to eliminate the harsh and biased law.

The probe was launched after The NY Post disclosed yesterday that secretary of state Randy Daniels flew to Albany for a drug-law meeting with NY Governor Pataki and legislative leaders on a helicopter chartered by Simmons.

The investigation of the helicopter ride, valued at more than the maximum $75 gift donation allowed by lobbyist, comes 24 hours after the Commission commenced a "formal investigation" on Simmons over whether he should have been officially registered as a lobbyist for the high profile campaign. Simmons would have to cough up to $100,000 if found guilty of violating the lobbying law, which requires anyone spending more than $2,000 to persuade a state legistlator to register as a "lobbyist."

Daniels states that no ethical mandate was broken as the ride was not a gift and Simmons would be reimbursed. Lobbying law forbids registered lobbyists from offering gifts worth more than $75 to senior state officials, whether they provide reimbursement or not.

"If it is determined that Mr. Simmons should have registered as a lobbyist then a trip like this would constitute an illegal gift under the Lobbying Act and would subject Mr. Simmons to a fine of up to $25,000 and a possible conviction for a Class A misdemeanor," said Commission Executive Director David Grandeau.

I'm sure this type of illegal lobbying happens all of the time. Russell just needs to become as shrewd as the White folks in covering it up.

June 27, 2003 in Commentary | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack