Knock You Down

Keri Hilson drops the video for 'Knock You Down' to coincide with the album release. Watchin Kanye and Ne-Yo fighting over Keri is like...it might be the funniest thing ever. The tension should have come to blows and then I could have given the whole thing 4 stars. But because that's missing I give it a 'meh'. As a fan of fuckery Kanye's appearance in anything is welcome from me but aside from that and Ne-Yo's face, not a whole lot going on. I did peep her MJ move at Ye's line but she didn't even act out Joe Jackson's part. Now be fair, Keri!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Did You Realize...

Champion from videos222 on Vimeo.

Kanye West - Champion

Yeah so I am a bit late on this one..as you'll come to find will be a pattern for me. But this is the new video for Yeezy's 'Champion' off of Graduation. Basically our hero Ye has ambitions of winning the gold in this pseudo Olympics contest. Alas it is only a dream and he must train and endure in order to make it, because as a puppet he is discriminated against. According to the intro to this video, black men especially hate puppets. Can I also say 'yeaaahh buddy' in reference to the spandex clad track stars parading around in this clip, mmm mmm mm (...its been a min).The video is very cute and between this and that song 'Sugarbaby' by Morningwood I really want my own puppet. Like seriously after I hit publish post I'm going to go Google whether or not I can make that happen. These both came out at the same time too, like two puppet music videos out of nowhere..hmm I wonder if Crank Yankers is having some kind of closeout sale going? Cause I'm down.