Saturday, November 8, 2008

The Obama Booty Call


The President-Elect is Barack Obama and as you may have already assumed I'm pleased. I won't bother to do a 'How does it feel?' blog because quite frankly if you've been watching any news channel you've seen the 'crying-black-people-from-all-around-the-world' reel ad nauseum and you already know how I felt.
So, I'd like to take a moment to discuss other matters this afternoon.

Is anyone else familiar with the phenomenon of the Obama Booty Call? or Obooty Call?
Oh, you know what I'm talking about. Someone trying to get at you using the pretense of inspiration and political minded discourse. Maybe, its just my isolated experience but in light of recent events I have been inundated with texts, instant messages, and phone calls from folks I haven't spoke to in years. Most of them are sharing in the excitement. Some of whom are trying to parlay the overwhelming emotions of this era of change and hope into inspiring previously conservative or reluctant ass into bold, bipartisan directions.
Trickin with Hope.

It can come in a variety of forms but it typically begins with Person X* contacting you out of the blue and using the election as an excuse for the interruption. For me, it began election day, getting texts from randoms I had long forgotten about or possibly never knew.
For the purpose of exposition here are some examples of several types of Obooty calls that may or may not be copy and pasted or retyped verbatim. *smh*

.:The Text:.
_: "The Streets Keep Callin'.... I Gotta Change My Number":_

Person X: Ayoo, shawty. Wuts good?

me: ?

Person X: Me, i just voted. U vote?

me: Hell yeah i voted. Yo, who is this?

Person X: Daaaaag ma. its like that? dis ******, yo what u doin this weekend?

me: Ohh...prolly something else

Person X: Huh? but yo get at me. we should do somethin, ta celebrate.
*****The Block Obama '08*****
Git that guap. G unit, D-Block, Birdgang, Dipset, Ay!
text sent via Sidekick.

I discovered there are also exotic variations on this type of text.

_:Political Sex Text:_

Person X: We did it. Obama is the man.

me: Yeah I know, i'm so excited. i can't even believe it

Person X: I know you're excited, I can tell. I can believe it.

me: it was crazy though. I thought it would be closer.

Person X: yeah you can't always tell.. I mean the campaign was so long and so hard...

me: yea

Person X: yeah it was real intense.

me: mmhmm

Person X: But he just kept pushing forward. building so much momentum. he wasn't gonna stop. shit, he prolly couldn't stop even if he wanted to.
they thought they had him when they brought in that white girl

me: Palin?

Person X: yeah. but they should have known a brother could handle that chick. i mean hes too cool to let some jawn like that phase him.

me: Thas true

Person X: Hes very orally skilled. we have alot in common.

me: ...yea

Person X: But toward the end tension kept rising and the polls were tightening. I almost couldn't take it. But i knew my man would come on top. How did it feel for you when it happened?

me: wow, i mean i was just overwhelmed, i was crying a lil bit

Person X: Mmm, I bet I'll have you crying

me: what?

Person X: What you doin tonite?


.:The Instant Message:.
There were quite a bit more of these than texts but I'll just post a few examples...

This is from a random whom I had the good fortune of eventually losing contact with.... Only for Obama to return him to my IM window. He hit me up about an hour before the announcement pretending to be inspired and inquiring about my life. Then 11 pm rolled around....

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008


NOTE THE TIME!!!



This next one, I'm ashamed to say, is from an ex-boy, who after hitting me up with some of the above mentioned Obooty call dialogue was apparently inspired by Obama to redistribute my wealth.

*SMH* 2008



This last one isn't technically a booty call but it's a little election night correspondence that left me feeling satisfied. The character in question is the individual from a previous post who was attempting to convince me that Obama is the antichrist. I mean even if he is, so what?

Luxuriate in the deliciousness, bitch.



The commonality to all of these Obooty calls is that they leave me wanting the real thing. Who wouldn't turn Lewinsky for the 44th President (Sorry, Michelle)? Intelligent, terrible dancer, tragic mullato corniness/sexiness. I'd respond to a late night smiley from him anyday.
I need ;-P I can believe in.

So, you bookworm negroes better step your collective game up and parlay the former Senator from Chicago's success with the ladies into a revolution instead of lazily tacking parts of his speeches on to your pick up lines. Maybe now instead of these young boys pretending to be hood they'll pretend to be college educated to get some trim.
FELLAS, START BRINGING YOUR DEGREE TO THE CLUB. Cause, I want to see it. I want to see it real bad.


*I'll give him the moniker person X because this person usually is an Ex of some sort. Ex-boyfriend, Ex-friend, Ex-jumpoff, Ex-used to buy me sht cause he thought he was gettin the drawls, etc,. I assume Person X is male but I'm sure theres some enterprising females getting they Obama Booty Call on.

**names were changed to protect the ignorant and the irrelevant.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

If I were a Boy

So there's a rumor that one of the dancers in Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) video is some sort of dude. Oh, you know, the darker one. Even if there wasn't a rumor before I'm gonna go with it.


Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

I actually really like this song despite my tense relationship with Mrs. Knowles-Carter. I will say that for what she is and what she does she's very good at it. But I get annoyed when speculation that she is deep or really really creative begins to surface. I'll save the hate for another day however and get back to this business of the male dancer.
Upon reviewing the video a few times in several picture qualities I would have to say the jury is still kind of out but I'm leaning toward 'Oh my God! That's a dude!'
And you know what? More power to him. He's dancing on point, and looks fabulous. it's not beyond the realm of possibility. Sasha Fierce is a diva and as such gets and shows love from the fairy section. I could totally see her being on board with 'homegirl' in her video. And, why not?
Some would say, "Well come on now. How could a man have the phattest ass in a Beyonce video?"
To that I say "Y'all might wanna look a little bit closer at what you're trying to bring home from the club."

I'll leave y'all with some words of wisdom from the great Luenelle:




Go sit in a corner and think on it.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Watch More South Park

South Park Fun

Barack Obama



Michelle Obama

John McCain

Sarah Palin


I couldn't resist making one for that Ashley Todd girl. If this is the thing that sends me to hell, so be it. I'll take one for the team.

America's Best Dance Crew '08


http://view.break.com/592648 - Watch more free videos

Obama and McCain - Battle Dance


Yeah, I think I've reached my exhaustion point on politics for this year. We're all boned either way. This video however is the stuff of fantasies and nightmares.

I'm going to have to announce McCain as the winner of this battle. Just because he brought in Sarah Palin who held down her G status and was poppin that ass like a bad chick. Not to mention Barack Obama WISH he could dance like that. I saw him callin himself tryna shake somethin on Ellen a while back. He could have benefited from a few more barbecues with Michelle's peoples.

Obama - 4 McCain - 1

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Why Not



I've been taking in bits of new music here and there to ease my economic woes. I've discovered some new loves (Ms. Jazmine Sullivan) as well as hearing bits and pieces leaked and released from some old favorites.

Marshall- Most of you have probably heard the freestyle 'Relapse'. I suppose it's silly to even pass judgment on something like that, or even Eminem for that matter. I mean he's talking Jamaican again. Vibe magazine has recently announced him the greatest rapper of all time according to an online poll and more fights have broken out over this decree than they do over a spades tables (I had the misfortune of witnessing both disputes occur simultaneously). I think the 'best' title is always going to be impossible to determine particularly in a genre as diverse as hip hop. You can generate a 'top' list but there will always be confounding variables. Are we talking lyricism? Are we talking influence? Are we talking popularity? Hit making ability? Slim Shady has all of these things but he, like most rappers, owes credit to some of them to elements outside of his control. The verdict will forever be out on who the greatest is but if Vibe wants to say its Slim for now I suppose I won't argue too much.

50 Cent - Get Up. Dope meaningless shit from ya boy Curtis. (image unnecessary)

Mr. West- I hear Love Lockdown, I hear Heartless, and most recently I hear Coldest Winter. Well, hmm. His singing has improved between the first and the third. I actually like Coldest Winter a little better than I like Heartless. Not because I prefer singing Kanye to rapping Kanye but I just feel like Ye should be able to make a better rap song than Heartless if he's like, supposed to be a rapper. But, if you want to add an interesting twist to it, he's really supposed to be a producer. But let's not go there.
Coldest Winter has the same strengths and weaknesses as Love Lockdown in my opinion. It sounds more like what it feels like, but his lyrics ring of high school poetry. I suppose he's trying to say something. And I think we all have the right to judge it but I'm reaching the conclusion that this album isn't even for us anyway.
Lack of knowledge or information didn't prevent me from speculating before so why stop now? -On a human level, maybe he just needs to wail and get these things out of his system so that he can progress to something less miserable.
-On another level... I was watching the tube and some pop culture analyst popped up to say that slow meaningful somber songs become hits when the economy is bad whereas upbeat up tempo songs usually don't chart as well when people have no money. Maybe, Mr. West is a marketing genius. In any case, he's bound to have us all depressed and even more broke by the time he gets through with us.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Def Comedy Jam



McCain Roasts Obama
..ignore the propaganda at the end. McCain was funny but all that wasn't necessary.




Obama Roasts McCain



...neither of them wrote any of this shit but it was definitely funny. Funny thing is my verdict on their routines is identical to my opinion of the last debate. McCain made some good points, started off better than I expected but Obama performed a bit better even though he started off weaker, and he spoke more smoothly, and basically delivered.

Obama - 4 , McCain - 0

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Obama on Foodstamps


I'm so broke I would probably use these if it came down to it. I am, alas, but a Dollar Menu-naire.

Yes, there's a story.
Indiana McCain supporter whips this up in a newsletter, claims she's 'not racist'.

PSA: You ever had a white friend and you got into a racial argument with them, or even just a discussion that got out of hand? Then you try to break things down for them, rationally explaining the differences between their experiences and yours. And you call on every African American studies class you took, and very special (insert black family sitcom) episode you seen, or black militant pamphlet you ever read. And instead of just digesting it and understanding it they..they start fucking tearing up and crying. And their all like 'Oh, I never thought about it that way. It must feel terrible to go through (blank) everyday.'
Now, you don't even know how to feel. On the one hand you're glad that you may have made a breakthrough. Then the idea that somebody could start crying just from hearing about your life is like..depressing as shit. Then you get angry that somebody could live in this country and not understand or even consider important aspects of life here that you and many other minorities find inescapable. What the fuck do you mean you 'never thought about it that way'? How is that even possible? So, then you get mad and you hate her for the rest of the day but, you can't act like it because her mom is picking both of you up from the mall.
That story kind of had its own tangent, but the point I was trying to make is that although one may think it's progressive to 'not see race' it's not helpful. At times, I feel I prefer discussions with racists because at least we have the commonality of both seeing race instead of conveniently pretending its not an issue, and getting appalled when it's brought up.


Okay, to end with some levity.



Obama prepares for the debates

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Long time coming...

Former Secretary of Defense, Gen. Colin Powell files paperwork to get his negro card reinstated.

Powell -- who has yet to back a candidate -- told the audience: "I stand before you as an African-American. Many people have said to me you became secretary of state of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African American or that you are black? And I say yes, so that we can remind our children."

"It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history," Powell told the audience. "I didn't just drop out of the sky. People came from my continent in chains."
-Source

I, like most black folks, got mixed feelings about the General but I always felt like one day he would come around. Time will tell what this leads to but this image reminds me of the scene in How High when the Dean gets a hold of the sticky and starts bustin' out to Parliament at some bourghie costume party.
This is like that but better!

As much as I hate to throw the 'election headquarters' at Fox News any ad revenue (even from my insignificant effort on this blog) I have to link the article, just cause they have the pictures, the info, and the most brazenly ignorant, amazing headline to this post that I couldn't even imagine.

Hip-Hop-Dancing Colin Powell Fuels Speculation He'll Endorse Obama

Colin Powell showed off his hip-hop moves at an 'Africa Rising' celebration in London Tuesday, fueling speculation that the former secretary of state is about to endorse Barack Obama for president...

...crimety.

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Weirdo: Kanye (Love Lockdown)




Anyway, I've had an abundance of Ye posts lately most likely because I've been intrigued by Love Lockdown. To be honest I don't really think its the best song ever but I like analyzing shit so that's what ima do. In my last post I was discussing whether or not I felt that Mr. West uses a mask. To cut to the chase I think he does a lot of hiding in plain sight but yes there is a mask. He uses cadence and emphasis to disguise that he's rhyming in platitudes. And it's a technique that makes the mundane seem significant and the personal, impersonal.

As I mentioned before, Kanye has suffered some personal upsets and tragedies this year, the likes of which one would expect an artist like him to discuss. But, anyone with an ego like his is going to have a hard time laying himself completely bare for his audience(remember we want the suit zipped closed.) His verse on 'Put On' was powerful and has been lauded as intimate but what is more interesting is the vocodered smoke screen of it. He starts off silly/obnoxious and then the brief emotional reveal ("Lost the only girl in the world that know me best"), then back to bullshit and in and out. It fits his take on the song which is essentially the reality and art and necessity of fronting. Pretending your good when you're so not.

But 'Love Lockdown' is supposed to be a heightened level of intimacy. It sounds like the monotone forlorn depression, interspersed with the racing thoughts one has when watching their relationship slip through their fingers but, the lyrics don't say much or reveal much even to that effect. Obviously rhyming is not Ye's strong suit but the generic vagueness of the lyrics in my opinion reveal that Kanye isn't able to be revealing about the topic. Reading the song lyrics is like reading a teenager's Myspace Blog entry about a breakup. The author has a lot to say, a lot of emotions, but doesn't want to say anything specific because to do so would leave them feeling naked...and because the person the entry is about probably still reads their shit. So they try to use metaphors and flowery language that captures the essence of how they feel while disguising the reality of what they mean. This song must have made Kanye feel very naked because he cloaks the actual meaning in turnarounds and obscure metaphors and of course, the fucking vocoder. Anyone who has heard the original studio version knows he even went as far as to mumble the chorus (I was not amused.)

So, I really do like the song, and I even like the video even though it does the same trick of feeling like something but not saying anything. But, it seems like Yeezy doesn't have enough cognitive dissonance between his person and his persona to go too deep without hurting himself.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Got em!

I know that Keith Olberman has fantasies of Obama draped in nothing but the American flag but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying him discuss Sarah Palin and her recent remarks on the Bill Ayers terrorist nonsense.




I'm so fuckin fair and balanced!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Happy Birthday to me!



Shit, even I'm a day late in congratulating myself.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The Weirdo: Kanye




"We're all actors. Don't fear no rappers, they're all weirdos, DeNiros in practice, so don't believe everything your earlobe captures..." -Jay-Z

Hip hop is genre that is authentic and false all at once. Lately, as mainstream rap has become more commodified the falseness of it has prevailed (as it has in almost every other form of music). That is not to say that there isn't excellence and creativity in the fiction of it. You can liken a rap persona to that of a superhero's alter ego. (I know I'm treading in foreign territory here but, whatever.) It's a means of elevation and separation. You can be gorier, grittier, flashier, sexier, even more clever or pseudo intelligent from behind a mask because its a filter that protects the ego. These masks can be as concealing as full body armor or the disguise can be as minimalist as a pair of spectacles but they do the job of creating a curious but at times necessary barrier between the artist and the audience.

We think we want to see whats behind the facade but we also don't. It's like watching an action movie. You're excited to see whether or not the hero will be unmasked and the anticipation and wonder grows as some horrific circumstance leaves him in a situation where his guise begins to crack or shred or tatter. Our interest is piqued by those cracks and glimpses of flesh beneath the hard exterior but if some circumstance forced our hero to spill out of his suit to reveal that all along he was a regular- ass guy, we would be roundly disappointed (Note: When I say regular-ass guy I don't just mean not superhuman, I mean not even above average human. Think 'Joe Sixpack' or whoever the fuck that bitch was talking about the other night.) For perspective, think of how you felt when you listened to Young Buck plead uncomfortably with 50 Cent (textbook rap superhero) for financial relief. Even those who were admittedly sensitive to his predicament were decidedly uncomfortable with the whole business. No one wants to see Bruce Banner taken out with a round to the back of the head while he's taking a shit and reading the newspaper. Most artists realize this and their work tends to be a balancing act of projection interspersed with brief introspective turns. The talented among them can mine their pasts and present for stirring emotion to make the art piece complete.

Then there are the others. They tend to fall into the category of conscious rapper but there are variables to this rule as there are for anything else. Even if they have a rap name they appear plain by comparison to their armored, roided, counterparts (eg: Common, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, etc.,) However, despite their perceived normalcy these artists also exist fictionally and can be known to demonstrate character plasticity and lyrical prowess in the form of mild misogyny or violence the likes of which no Wasalu or Lonnie would ever involve themselves with (allegedly). "Murder niggas/step on my shoes I hurt a nigga/Kill a nigga/Fill a nigga with holes/Call women hoes" -Lupe on 'Switch: Science Project' *

This brings me to Kanye West. It would seem as though Mr. West had no mask or costume. Yes, there's a knack for bombast and primadonna drama but it also is accompanied by a heightened sense of his own flaws and insecurities. His alter ego is to a costume as your mood is to when you put on a nice suit. You look good, you feel good and important, you may even spend more, laugh more, and be more charming/obnoxious, but you're still you. You can walk into the building feeling like a million bucks but in the back of your mind your wondering if those P.Y.T's in the corner would still be winking at you if they could see your credit score. I believe it is this perceived lack of filter that makes Kanye interesting, and the fact that he may actually have one that makes him Kanye. His rap mask is similar to the one he uses in real life. He grew up as a member of the average middle class and on his debut College Dropout most, if not all, of his stories were about relatable aspects of everyday life, hating your job, swiping your vulnerabilities on your charge card, being pitifully flawed and jubilantly human and wildly inappropriate. But despite that, Ye seems as though he is something not quite like us.

Kanye, by his own explanation, is often misunderstood. Most assholes are. And the cause and effect of what comes first can be 'chicken and egged' ad nauseum. I briefly brought up this concept of the awkward genius/outcast in my Ryan Leslie post but I can revisit it here. Ye has a drive and talent that is above average, and also a uniqueness and sensitivity that has most likely made him different throughout his life. Ryan Leslie falls in this category as well however he seems to be struggling against his own personality to be received the way Ye had been. To try to understand the difference, and since I love analogies, we can liken the industry dynamics to high school dynamics. Kanye and Leslie are basically outcasts with symbiotic relationships to the in crowd. They are not respected for physical prowess, nor are they necessarily poetically attractive, and being bullied remains a threatening possibility (see Beanie Siegel). But they both know that if the star athletes want to play on the team this season they're gonna need someone to help them do their math homework. Using this leverage they got exposure to the popular lifestyle that more traditional talents will get you and they have managed to turn the benefits of their arrangements into something of their own. Here is where Ye and R. Les differ. Leslie feels he is better than the varsity in crowd and does not really bother himself with attempting to fit into their click. He wants popularity outside of what they can offer him and views them as a platform. It reads as disdain for them and their world. So whether it be a reaction to his inability to fit in or the cause of it he operates on an isolated wavelength and he does not make an effort to assign himself a role in their circles or begin humbly and move up their ranks. He feels he is superior and can not or will not pretend to be anything other than. He is more the elitist nerd.

If Kanye feels his brand of talent is superior to that of the jock he does not make that apparent. In gaining popularity he used his 'in' to gain a title. He could have just been the weirdo but he used the 'class clown' persona to gain their good graces and deflect some of the expected negative attention (she got a light skinned friend/ look like Michael Jackson...) For all of Kanye's bombast he is self deprecating and silly, especially in his introduction, College Dropout. He points out his flaws to prevent you from pointing them out as well as to make you more comfortable with his uniqueness. He has maintained this technique and it adds to his intriguing fragility. His ability to emphasize his relationship to the average despite being an 'other' is what got him his honorary letters (R.O.C.) and from there he developed a following of his own. As his popularity grows he no longer has to impress the jocks but can push himself and his own expression. He in fact, must do this, in order to get into the good graces of the next crowd, the eclectic Chris and Gwyneth, Karl Lagerfeld circles.

I'm gonna stop here for now and continue later when I feel like it (probably soon though). I had intended to end with my review of 'Love Lockdown' but I'll make that it's own post.


*used as an example because it makes me giggle.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

God shed your grace on thee



Politics is something that I have been into in varying degrees for the past couple years. I liken it to a spectator sport. CNN and ESPN aren't altogether that different. It's show after show about alleged authorities on the subject, as well as talking heads, spewing opinion after opinion and attempting to speculate the shit out of whats going to happen in the next event based on the statistics and data they have available, when they totally don't really know. Also, the actual events for that matter only make up 10% of the programming so what you get is masturbatory droning interspersed with episodes of absolute live and realtime excitement and/or horror. So, you pick a team and you root for it. Brag about their accomplishments and blame the ref or the coach/advisor when they don't perform well, depending whether your fandom is obsessive or pragmatic. I know it's stupid, and in some ways pointless, but I am a fan, especially now that I have an MVP I can really get behind.

I just returned from a third world country. It gave me a nice tall glass of perspective and made me really realize what a wealthy country we live in and how much other nations, that we don't even think about, depend on us. I felt an enormous amount of pride in my country, at our ability to get things done and have a system and philosophy in place that facilitates the growth of our nation as well as the distribution of wealth to as many people as it manages. I wondered what set us apart. Was it the original settlers? The architects of the Declaration of Independence, or the minds that set the current legislative and governing systems in place?
But every time I watch the news I see more and more dumb shit. It's usually hilarious, and then sad because you realize your laughing at the state of the country, and that means you're fucked.
Then yesterday, I had the day off. So, since I had the house to myself, I picked up some lunch and sat down on the couch and clicked on one of the news channels. I am not ashamed to admit my naivety, and what I saw damn near broke my heart. I saw some grown ass men, in suits and ties no less, come on television and say that they were planning on reluctantly voting for the 700 billion dollar bailout package, but that they changed their minds because they felt some type of way about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's gutter ass speech. That bailout package was questionable in it's own right. I have no idea what it really means for America but I was assuming that the people voting on that shit did, and at the very least, if they didn't agree with it it would be for a more mature reason than that they had their feelings hurt.

Then I remembered, the United States doesn't owe it's greatness the systems in place and possibly not even because of our cultural and structural philosophies. The excesses, the celebrities, the skyscrapers, the technology: WE OWE ALL THAT SHIT TO THE SLAVES. We should have a slave appreciation month. Because, quite frankly if it wasn't for those hundreds of years of free labor, we would've been fucked, wrestling with some Native Americans over some dusty ass ears of corn to this fucking day.
So, next time your sipping a hot latte in an air conditioned venue filled with computers, ya know, just in case you feel like using one, thank your lucky stars for the slaves.

Thank you, Slaves
Love,
Ms. Shai

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I'm not here right now, Leave a message...


There has been no shortage of dumb shit going on not only in my personal life but in life in general. I been out of the country also so now that i'm back I'll attempt to get back in the swing of things. In the meantime, y'all can watch this Josh Groban guy make an ass of himself at the Emmy's. It's both music and fuckery related, which is becoming a prerequisite. Plus, he does South Park, Baywatch, and The Jefferson's.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Damn, these niggas got me...



...I hate these niggas more than the Nazi's.

Story: Kanye West attacks the paparazzi, arrested

I'm not a news source but I thought a post on this was fitting given the nature of the last one.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Lost my momma, lost my mind...


The news that I am actually excited about comes from Kanye. There will be a new Kanye West album this year with the release date set at 12/9. The title: 808's and Heartbreak.
Here' why I'm excited...
Some people have been chattering and bitching about the title. Apparently, it was supposed to be 'Good Ass Job'. But, I think there's something superficial about following his initial trajectory of College Dropout >Freshman Adjustment?>Late Registration> Career Services? >Graduation>>>Good Ass Job, in spite of the life changing events that have happened to him over the past year. I think it's pretty evident that as bombastic as Ye' is he is a lot more sincere and personal than a lot of other rappers because he basically is his persona, flaws and all. He got engaged, his mother passed away, and then he called off the engagement to his fiance all in the same chaotic year. For an artist as intimate as Ye, the title really shouldn't be a surprise. There's also the threat of a 90's new jack era sound to the album (I'm basing this off of the tone of Love Lockdown) and I don't think I could be more enthused about it. Obviously, I'm over here speculating my ass off but I think that the combination 808 and heartbreak is something that's so far up my alley i'm pregnant already.

Dyson...


Dyson goes to a Nas Concert

You ever see Michael Eric Dyson bust some phat rhymes? Well, here's your opportunity.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Love Lockdown

I can't do a full recap of the VMA's because as much of a fuckery enthusiast as I am I ...I just ..I can't. All I'll say is that Wayne's enthusiasm for music is infectious and him kissing the older white lady before going on stage to accept his award was a wtf highlight for me (it warmed my heart, and made me forgive that he was rockin a plaid vest I almost picked up at Forever 21). I also think I liked this 'Love Locked Down' song that Ye' debuted at the close of the show but it's one of those things that will sound better recorded than live. So I can't call whether it's simplicity is endearing or pretentious. The simple suit and pulsing glow heart was a cute touch though. But, his shaky vocoder work is distracting, even more so than this odd brittish cat hosting the show and his Amy Winehouse do. So i'm awaiting more. Also, I am actually more excited about this French Revolution inspired rap battle Tag commercial than I am about the VMA's as a whole so..theres that.

Update: Ok so obviously this whole show was some kind of Britney Spears marketing vehicle but can you get over Sway talking to Cee-Lo backstage and spending the entire interview asking him what he thinks of Ms. Spears recovering from adversity and K. Fed and then when they finally get to some interesting shit like what he thought of Ye's new music they cut him off. smh

So, lemme find out I got you Amy Win'd out...


Ryan Leslie - Addiction

The video for 'Addiction' has dropped and i'm posting this because I love the song and I am intrigued by Ryan Leslie. He's undoubtedly extremely talented. But, he suffers from this genius complex. Meaning he's someone who is so far advanced past his peers his whole life that he can't really relate to them...so he doesn't really learn social norms and comes off like a repulsive asshole from time to time. However, I think in spite of that its flat out egregious how much this guy has been getting ignored by the mainstream. Fabolous too for that matter, he's definitely the main one making up for Leslie's curious lack of charm in this video. In R.Les' video for 'Diamond Girl' he was definitely weird. He's not a great looking guy and even his crooning has a nasal, textbook nerd, tonality attached to it but his old school tight suited exhuberance made it an interesting video. This video on the other hand is more typical as far as rap videos go. I noted the use of darker skinned models and I thought that was a cool and interestingly/sadly a good way to make your video stand out (but wheres Cassie?...being Ma$e hehehe). Leslie is stiff and almost nervous and uncomfortable looking. Maybe i'm reading too much into his posture but he's posing like someone whose trying to look cool and the obviousness of that endears me to him even further. However, Loso brings out the groupie in me in a way Les can only dream about. Yow!

Also, if you want to read something better than this and a writeup about the song check out this post at No Trivia.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

There is fiction in the space between...



...the lines on the page, and your memories. Write it down but it doesn't mean, that you're not just tellin' stories." -T.C.


I just heard some of the greatest news today. Tracy Chapman is coming out with an album this November. I absolutely love her. And 'Fast Car' is one of the first songs that made me feel something, and think about how evocative and pretty and complex music and poetry is... even though my mom had to sit me down and explain that it wasn't Gary Coleman singing in the video (I thought little Arnold was too deep).

Look up Marlon. Say Cheese!

Matter of fact, the first time I fell in love was in a fast car scenario and if I hadn't been lucky enough to get dropped off a couple blocks from my house my storyline might have panned out alot like the one in the song. Here's to you Ms. Chapman, I can see why Alice Walker was so sweet on ya. Beautiful soul and songstress. I wanted to close the post with video of the "Making of a Tracy Chapman Song" sketch that aired on In Living Color, however hours of searching have told me the internets are rather unyielding tonight. But, regardless I have to post the classic.



Tracy Chapman- Fast Car

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

My President is Black?



I don't mean to make this a political blog. But frankly if i'm going to be talking about what I like I might as well toss this in the blender. An article discussing what everyone wants to know: What if **** were black?


What If Bristol Palin Were Black? by Cenk Uygur
Christian-right leaders and conservative stalwarts have praised the decision of Bristol Palin, the daughter of Governor Sarah Palin, to carry her child to term. She is 17 and conceived this child out of wedlock. Now imagine she wasn't the daughter of a prominent Republican politician but an average person. Now imagine she was black.

What do you think conservatives would have to say about her? "Typical, urban youth with no sense of responsibility raised with loose morals who plans to depend on the state to take care of her child." You know it. It's not within dispute. That's exactly what they would say.

Barack Obama has told everyone to lay off this because it is a personal, family matter. Yes, but it also has public policy ramifications. Governor Palin is for abstinence only education. Well, that obviously didn't work.
(continue reading)

And in conclusion an excerpt from the all too short lived Chappelle's Show: Black President Bush. This episode was genius in its simplicity. Our president becomes explicitly indefensible when portrayed as a black man. Even though this black man does and says the exact same things as our president. What if? indeed.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

The Entire DNC in One Minute!



Yeah, so I, like many of you (including my dumbassed "Obama is the Antichrist" friend from a few posts ago,) have been watching the DNC enthused and mesmerized. If I were to rank the speeches as far as meaningfulness to me I would say.
1. Michelle Obama - strong, thoughtful woman, tugged on the heartstrings
2. Barack Obama - good as always, more attacky, and promisy
3. Hilary Clinton - I give her props for reigning it in and showing genuine support
4. Bill Clinton - Bill Clinton
5. Joe Biden - Beau Biden lolz

I don't really know what my criteria was for that particular sequence but that's just how I calls it.

I, like many of you (except my dumbassed Obama/Antichrist friend, who is mesmerized by her nerdy hotness)am bemused and horrified by Senator McCain's choice of Vice President. I like to write out the word Vice President when discussing Governor Sarah Palin, because I think it puts into perspective the fact that this broad would become the acting president in the unlikely event that a 73 year old former POW, dies in office. Alaska! And what frightens me is not that she was chosen but that theres a possibility she will win. I mean genuinely frightened. She has 5 kids, one still in diapers, she has never expressed any interest in even dealing with the responsibilities of a Vice President. It's like if I was chosen. And I can't even be trusted to update my site everyday (or know what day it is).

Update: The Scariest Thing I Have seen this week...Sarah Palin

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Bonus!

And just because it's Friday!



T-Pain and Lil Wayne - Can't Believe It

...aah fuck, its not Friday.

Can I see some I.D.?


The above is pop singer Jesse "You and Your Beautiful Soul" McCartney doing a cover of T-Pain's 'Buy You A Drank'. He prefaces his rendition by saying it has a "nasty groove", and then they launch into it, snaps and all. At the :49 second mark you get to hear this sweet blond child say 'Konvict Music, Nappy Boy, Oohwee'. It is my strong belief that any time a black people directly or indirectly inspire fuckery of this caliber in white people, an angel gets its wings, and a 40 oz. You don't have to understand my religious convictions, I have long been persecuted for my beliefs. Apparently, Young Money Jesse has been performing this rendition at his concerts because video of that is the first thing to come up when you type 'Buy You A Drink' in youtube as opposed to Teddy Bendherassdown's version. What do you call gentrification as it applies to music? Oh yes, I remember: Elvis, I believe was the term.

Hearing this boy, who I am just now understanding is in fact not Aaron Carter, croon this song reminds me of two things. The first being what an amazing song that is. I didn't think I would be able to bear listening to this song as interpreted by someone without pubic hair but the tune is so good and simple that it just reminds me of its goodness. I roll in a clique of music elitists who wanted to act like T-Pain was not that piff but I begged to differ. T-Pain is far past unfortunate looking. I've heard of him bearing a resemblance to one of the animatronic gorillas that perform at the Chuck-E-Cheese stage show. And his vocoder schtik has become a rap cliche but I have always tipped my hat to him as far as originality goes. He's a weird motherfucker and he makes music that sounds good. I would hasten to call him a genius but I am appreciative of his otherness and I anticipate his next album (and a Pain/Wayne collaboration disc would be sweet) even though sometimes I wish he would 'Take off that silly ass hat!'© Chris Rock.

The other thing this video reminds me of is the sanitation of nigger music for the consumption of the masses. Now, at this point I hesitate to cry foul on this poor white boy. After all the sanitation process does not seem to be working nor necessary because white girls have been upsetting their parents out in the clubs shaking it to the original long enough for the RIAA to figure out how to get a cut from the dark and nasty version without manufacturing a white washed copy *deep breath*. BUT, still I'll close the post with the Cadillac Car scene from *Dreamgirls where the point I was clumsily trying to make is illustrated through song and dance.



* copyright laws man, ignore the spanish unless se habla..lo.

These fuckers...



So it starts. I'm talkin with my mom about the Democratic National Convention and the last thing she says of course is, what else: I hope nobody tries to kill him. Well, we laughed nervously and I said that no one would try to kill him. I only half believed myself. My rationale being that the powers that be know at this point that when you assassinate a figure that is well liked they become a martyr and such. I felt that damage to Obama would be more surreptitious, like he mysteriously develops a crack habit or something (word to COINTELPRO). But butter my biscuits I forgot al l about the conspiracy meth heads- i.e. rednecks. I'm strugggling to find the quote exactly but a federal official remarked something to the affect of 'these are just some crackheads, dont worry. We got this.' Well obviously I hope so but, I never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. I read that on a T-shirt once and it saved my life on numerous occasions and also at a Rutgersfest.

On a waaaay doper note I'll leave you with Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC last night. Those babies, are so cute.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Swagger Like Us



In general, I am typically content with my life and my belongings but the moments where I am frustrated at my situation mostly revolve around my minimalist old school European car and the fact that it doesn't have an AUX jack and truck speakers. And songs like Swagger Like Us only serve to augment my grief because the shit is so absolutely dope. An M.I.A. sample from 'Paper Planes' loops in the background, her vacuous delivery being the perfect match up for this dense futuristic sounding track. I like M.I.A. but she can be annoying and that was my knee jerk reaction to hearing her sample repeated at the top of the song but then the drums race in and the sonic spaces are filled and the tracks are laid for Yeezy, Weezy, Jay-Z and Clifford Harris to ride the beat like a runaway subway train through Swaggerville. Everyone really holds their own on this song, I guess they were inspired by the topic (lol). The only problem is that Jiggaman's flow is more of the homeless guy in the back of the train variety than an actual paying passenger. He thinks he owns the train because he's been living on it for years but he doesn't have anything important to say. He continues to repeat himself and randomly blurts out random sing song things like 'HOO-OOVAAH' and generally annoying everyone. C'mon Jay, Not Again! As I previously mentioned, on Dope Boy Fresh the beat was fuckin terrible so I could excuse your not being inspired by it. But dude, this shit knocks, and this is supposed to be your forte. Matter fact you had the worst flow in the whole fucking song (you have no idea how much that pained me to type). Maybe this isn't the best song ever and maybe Jay wasn't that bad but I'm not gonna lie, when I first heard the news that this track was being put together I went from excited to depressed because I remembered what a let down Dope Boy Fresh had been for me. So upon hearing it I will allow myself to get excited about it in spite of Jay-Z's lazy shit. The following is for all five of you to enjoy!

Swagger Like Us - T.I., Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne

Friday, August 22, 2008

You Know I Won't Leave You But Won't Wait Forever


So I'm just getting into this new track from Wasalu Fiasco and i'm feeling it enough to make me hope for some more good shit. Although I don't know if this is supposed to go on an album or was left off another one. I'm not that kind of music person, that knows that type of shit. Ask someone else. I like that Lupe entered hip hop by unzipping and climbing out the backpack. it gives him the freedom to talk about shit that he obviously doesn't really know about. However, this track is basically about how young minded boys can really stress out a female. What else is new. I'll buy that he's stressed out his old lady, if he's still with her. But then again I'll say he still has the capacity to surprise me. Like that time he allegedly choked a bitch for throwing her drink in his face. Is there something sick about me that made me more interested in him after he did that? I might have to return my purple Domestic Violence Awareness ribbon. Although I won't lie I have been off and on his jock for a minute. Back when I would religiously listen to the FnF podcast on Mondays started it all. So now here's a track with Ye' on production. It's typical Kanye, a chipmunk soul loop and friendly guitar strums. It's good story telling music. But what this reminds me of is that what I really am hoping for is a CSR album. All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom!! I think that would absolutely take me to glory. Pharell, Kanye, and Lupe make an excellent team. Fresh out the backpack, Pharell brings the highlighters, Ye brings the LV trapperkeeper, and Lupe brings a thesaurus. If they work hard enough they all get D's or DD's if they put in that extra credit. Please make it happen boys.

Lupe Fiasco - The Birds and the Bees

Thursday, August 21, 2008

You Just A Baby Boy



I have to discuss an issue that randomly concerns me this afternoon. Chris Brown. Who does this guy think he is? If you want me to be perfectly honest I was not really paying attention to anything he was doing until that song 'Poppin' got a remix with Juelz Santana (Ay!) and Lil Wayne a few summers ago. It was too funny not to enjoy, oh what with lines like "I'm about my dough and cheese just call me a slice of pizza (Ay!)/ I'll be your pizza guy/ deliver your pizza pie(Ay!)" There was fun to be had for all. Chris Brown to me represented the crop of popular entertainers that were actually younger than me. More specifically sex symbols that were younger than me. Chris Breezy never really did it for me in my panty area like how he seems to do it for these young girls. In fact, I actually did have one dream about him *smoke and glitter fade in* It involved myself and my then boyfriend (who actually secretly digs CB despite allegedly being from the block or something) and Chris all on an outing to the movies. Breezy ruined the movie by laughing and talking and eating popcorn with his mouth open, and all around being immature. We wondered who invited him - End Scene.
But something about him always piqued my curiosity. He reminded me of one of those kids that was cute but not as popular in high school as you would think he should be. He never dated any of the girls that liked him because he was too busy going down on his mom's friends. That's his back story as far as I'm concerned. So I passed on whatever his first album was called but I did decide to pick up Exclusive. And blimey, it was not half bad. It had a lot of catchy production and it played to his strengths. His voice at best sounds like amateur night at the Apollo. So he largely stayed away from ballads. Even 'With You' the only song on the album that could be mistaken for a ballad is saved by its midtempo beat. 'Take You Down' is the other ballad and I love the throwback to the nasty R&B era of days long past. To me that song captures the intensity and perverted anxiety of your pubescent hormones and your heartbeat during your first time (or at least how you imagine it) and again the fact that its this young bwoy singin it fits and takes you there (or back). And on what I can only assume is Chris Brown's lazy attempt at a stripper love track 'Gimme What You Got', Weezy drops by again to say "let's get high and make love on Venus." Maybe its trite but I like it. I like it when Wayne talks about sex, love , and drugs. These are the topics for which I'll allow he has some authority. In any case my point was that EXclusive was a solid album for what it was however apparently it didn't do so well.


So now, whenever Chris gets a moment to tear himself away from Rihanna's asshole (I'm not hatin, I'm just sayin'), he has been popping up on confusing collabo's and making techno like tracks that I guess are supposed to give him more 'crossover ' appeal (in my opinion heavy metal needs more crossover help than pop r&b these days, but whatev's). On Exclusive's re-release theres the song 'Forever' that has been getting airplay inexplicably. I mean I am not opposed to the disco/club music revival that has been going on lately but I only like it when it's done in a way that is...oh i don't know, sonically appealing? For instance, Ne-Yo's 'Closer' in my opinion hits the right pace, Ne-Yo has always been into these kind of beat patterns and his zesty persona melds with this white nightclub beat in a way I can get into. However in my opinion Rihanna's 'Disturbia' is pretty terrible. Maybe it isn't if you're some kind of glowstick kid and automatically like this kind of music but to me it doesn't hit the mark. I'm not really mad at Rihanna for this though, just because she has been fortunate enough to be a weird artist that can do weird things with her weird voice and get away with it. Chris' 'Forever' however, just seems forced...and a lot like an ad for Doublemint Gum, I mean, did he get a check for that line, cause it didn't even make sense, its just thrown in there. Now he is on some songs with artist Dre and one of them is called 'Hologram' and its pretty bad. The "boom boom chika boom boom" line is repeated over a boring crunchy synth while Dre and Chris talk about God knows what. Basically I am trying to say I don't want to see Chris Brown anywhere he's not supposed to be. Singing while Lil Wayne raps - sure why not (they basically the same age, mentally). Talkin about toasting gangstas with Nas - I don't think so (although I think Nas bodied himself on that track without Chris' help, smh). Nickelodeon Choice Awards- certainly. Anymore of this techno garbage - No more for me please. I'm sorry your last album didn't do so well, but thats because 'Wall to Wall' was a stupid song and you put it out as your lead single. That was the first mistake. There's good shit on that album that no one really got to hear. So instead of jumping on an 'A Milli' freestyle or trying to surf this disco/techno wave you should be doing something that sounds good. And unfortunately, Rihanna doesn't count, kiddo.

When will the Death Stop?



Most of the time when people ask me what my favorite film is I like to give ambiguous answers. I can't take all of the pressure, got off my back damn it. But in all honesty one of the movies that I could deem a favorite (favorite status determined by my ability to watch it whenever its on, I'm a film snob) would be the movie of all movies, Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon.
This movie was one of those films that came out in the 80's and had finally made their rotation to basic cable by the 90's, just in time for my childhood. These leftover videos from the 80's is what I consider mostly responsible for the reason why a person who was still in diapers for the parts of the eighties they were around for can still remember that era with so much nostalgia. In any case, I have discovered that the films star Sho'Nuff has passed away of pancreatic cancer.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

He Put Onnnn...



I wasn't going to post this because I wanted my next post to be music related but how excited was I when I realized this gem was, particularly relevant to my last post on Jay-Z. Angel Pantoja Medina of San Juan was embalmed standing up so that he could be on his feet during his wake. Fresh to death with Dolce & Gabbanna glasses on as well as what else.. a yankee fitted.

Refer yourselves to the verse Jigga spits at the end of Jeezy's 'Put On'.
"I put on for my city so when I’m dead and gone I got one last wish, put my Yankees hat on."

So you see kids? Fuckery only begets more fuckery.

However I gotta say I'm not mad at Angel. Everybody say they wanna go out in style but he had peoples that helped him get what he wanted, even in the afterlife. And now that I see how he's gone out of this world don't it make you wish you knew his crazy ass when he was alive? I think i've lost one of my brethren.



(Source)

Obama, Wolverine, and the Antichrist



On Sunday night I was all settled in to watch the fake debate (at Saddleback Ranch with Ricky Gervais or whoever) that the news channels had been broadcasting regarding the religious perspectives of McCain and Obama. I caught most of Obama's portion of the forum before I had to interrupt viewing to...sin, I won't get specific. Every time I watch Obama speak I'm holding my breath, its like watching someone on a tight rope, but that's how it always is when you have someone that represents your people addressing hot button concerns. And with all this talk about him being evil the ante is upped because now stupid people think the fate of the souls of the world depends upon it. I was preparing myself to write a post about all of it but I suppose I'll save the fire for next time. Or possibly for a real debate.

However the debate isn't exactly what I wanted to discuss this afternoon. I want to talk about some of the more ignorant and logically tenuous elements of politics. I should begin by saying that the ecosystem of my social environment is fragile. This means that most of the people I talk to on a regular basis have opinions that run somewhere along the spectrum of my own. So this guy I know somehow went and infiltrated that ecosystem and we begin having this pseudo - political conversation. I began with my own factually unfounded (but probably true) accusation that Bush has Illuminati- like influence over the oil industry and can be blamed for these crippling gas prices. No, I don't completely know what I'm talking about and I'll accept that I could be wrong but that's just one of my conspiracy moments, all great thinkers have them.

So then this reggin (word to Stephen Colbert) goes and says that he has a bad feeling about Obama because he just came out of nowhere. I attempt to stop him right there, because "he just came out of nowhere" is almost 98% of the time a preface to the accusation that Barack Obama is the Antichrist, and I think that hearing that kind of craziness come out of the mouth of an educated, young, black male would be too much for me to take. I'm all for open minded discussions and fuckery of sorts though so I let him speak his mind and as I suspected he believes that theres a reasonable possibility that Obama is the Antichrist (this young man also voted for Bush in '04, not based on policy, but on the sketches a Bush impersonator, whom he mistook for the President, does on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.*smh*). I thought he would direct me to several of the youtube videos one might stumble across if one happened to type in obama + antichrist in the search engine. But instead I got a treat. Apparently more support for the argument that Obama's popularity represents the end of days comes from our friends at Marvel and my favorite 90's childhood cartoon of all times: X-Men!



X-Men: The Animated Series -Time Fugitives (Part 2)
The episode synopsis is such that some mysterious techno virus is wiping out humans, everyone thinks its the mutants fault of course, and Cable and Bishop travel back and forth in time to either kill whose responsible and find an antidote, blah blah blah, nerd nerd nerd. The point is at around the 5:50 mark a mysterious leader makes an appearance and he bares a vague resemblance to the light skinneded incumbent, and then before u know it..dun Dun DUNN...Apocalypse is upon us!! I feel like this 'proof' is no stronger than any of the other things that are being thrown around the internets so I toss this into the ring as well. Also who doesn't miss this show! I won't lie, when framed in all this context it gave me the creeps but then i realized I'm not a freakin idiot like my homeboy.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

My roots are showing...



I can't say I have been intently following the Olympics. I'm glad that people are interested in it because I think it's a great concept and the idea that people can come together in the spirit of lively competition is very dope to me. Swimmer Michael Phelps announcing that he listens to Weezy before winning the gold rocking the shit and breaking Olympic history with 8 gold medals is also a very cool thing to me. Although I'm always excited when USA wins anything there's another country I root for in these games and its JA *lawdamercy!*. Jamaica kicks ass in the Olympics. The kind of people that would live on a hot ass island and decide to participate in winter sports and achieve any kind of success at it is just a testament to the people, in spite of that silly ass movie. But in any case check out the 100 m sweep.

BEIJING--Shelly-Ann Fraser led the other two Jamaicans to win all the women's 100 meters medals on Sunday evening at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Fraser clocked her personal best in 10.78 seconds before Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart finished, both in 10.98, and shared the silver.

Simpson said, "We made history. Just like yesterday Bolt set a new world record. We are all great athletes and I'm very excited about the tremendous achievement we've made for our country."

"Today's victory boosts my confidence to win the 200m. We will also do well in the 4x100m. I believe we can beat the Americans," she said.

Commenting on Jamaica's medals sweep, Stewart said, "I don't know if I should cry, smile, jump. I think this is a fabulous thing for the three of us to win the medals and for Jamaica to get one, two, three. What else can you say?"

The Jamaican squad smashed the American fleet joined by Lauryn Williams, Muna Lee and Torri Edwards, who were hot candidates for the title before the Games.

The Jamaican women replayed the legend created by their countryman Usain Bolt on Saturday night on the same track in the Olympic main venue. Bolt sliced the men's 100m world record by three hundredths of a second to a stunning 9.69 seconds.

Great job ladies!
-China Daily.com

Thursday, August 14, 2008

'Cause I Like MONEY, Bitch!



Let me take a moment out to discuss our friend, Jay Z. There are a few schools of thought when it comes to Hov and the first of which, or the one that I hear most frequently is that he is the undeniable messiah of rap and if he puts out some shit that you may feel is trash, its because you are "too simple minded to appreciate the complexit you're just a fuckin hater, HI HATER, STOP HATIN ON HOV!!" *gnarling noises, foaming at the mouth* Then there is the side that is still sour about the Great Nas - Jay Rap War of 2001 that persisted throughout the first half of the millennium according to Wikipedia (
does it not tickle you that this type of shit is in something that calls itself an encyclopedia? Love it!) They feel that Nas was the undisputed victor because 'ether' is now a common colloquialism while 'super ugly' hasn't quite caught on as well, or whatever jackass rationale they have to decide that. I have my own opinions about which blows were the heaviest, and when I develop the courage to address things analytically and thoughtfully I will provide a post on it, but I think we can all agree on who came out on top financially, Sir Camel of Brooklyn doth reign supreme (sorry I been watchin Elizabeth I on HBO again and that shit is superugly, yow!).

In any case, it goes without saying that Jay-Z has been the People's Champion of hip hop for quite sometime now, and barring the way Kingdom Come put a lot of his fans to sleep there are still tons of people that still want to hear from Mr. Carter, myself included. So when that Shade 45 interview hit the net, and the news that the Blueprint 3 was on its way came out I was excited, but apprehensive, and I found some of my apprehensions were justified when I heard Dope Boy Fresh (Jockin Jay-Z).




Jockin Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh) - Jay-Z

So I forced myself to give this song a couple of listens because quite frankly the first time I heard it it left a sour taste in my mouth and left me with this question: Yeezy produced this? What the hell is going on boys? The beat is just not what it is in my opinion and the hook is lazy to me. The beat sounds like a watered down, poor man's version of '99 Problems'. That was a song that utilized Jay's flow over hard guitar and every verse mowed through the track in a way that made you feel like you were strapped to the front of a bus barreling through the NY in Jigga's mind, making occasional stops to show you some shit of varying importance. This song doesn't inspire any of that. It has an old school feel but a repetitive sound, and Jay does manage to flow reasonably well but its all dragged down by the beat which has no force, no surprises and ultimately leading me to hope that he doesn't let us down with this album...whenever it decides to come out. I know he's a millionaire and he's allowed to do different things if that's where the breeze takes him, but some of the verses he's tacked on to other artists songs have left me scratching my head.


Put On (Official Remix) (Feat. Jay-Z) - Young Jeezy


I mean his verse on the end of Jeezy's Put On Remix was either an inside joke or a grave misjudgement. First he talks about wanting the T-Pain vocoder on his voice but then at the last minute declares he doesn't need it and dives into a min or so of rambling moronically about putting various things in various places. Maybe I'm being harsh but I expect better considering Ye's powerhouse of a verse, maybe he should have left the 'T-Pain' as he calls it, on his voice and that would have distracted me from that ridiculous ass verse. When Kanye raps slow and deliberately it works for him because that's who he is. His rap bravado has always had an undercurrent of insecurity and sincerity. So when he enunciates its meaningful, and at the very least interesting, because the presumption is that you wouldn't really listen to him otherwise. Jay is not that. Maybe there is an insecure and vulnerable Jay that we don't know about but those themes don't play to his current stage persona so his spaced out flow on the end of this track sounds at best like mimicry and at worst like fuckin retarded garbage that I don't ever want to hear again coming from between the big ass lips of my beloved Jay-Z. In any case i'm going to keep hope alive for this Blueprint 3 and pray that Jay was just joshing when he talked about handing the throne over to Lil Weezy.