I really hope this rumor about Jay-Z doing the 'Empire State of Mind' remix with NaS AND 50 Cent isn't true. Think of the possibilities...
Is this where it's headed? 2009 was the year of the emo-rapper, I get that. I kinda figured 2010 would find us with more emo-thugs, like Game. Imagine how I felt when my dude Don McCaine dropped this info on me last night. For the sake of conversation, I'm just going to consider it true, not to mention it's plastered on the interwebs. & we all know everything on the 'Net is factual.
After a less than excited Young Jeezy made amends with an incarcerated Gucci Mane, & "Freeway" Rick Ross wrangled a handful of unimportant Hip Hop "stars" for a peace summit (via telephone--do people still use those things?), I guess I should've expected so much. Well, maybe not something of this magnitude. NaS, I could see him squashing all unnecessary beefs, for the sake of making all the dough he can. Hell, he might want to start making some new friends while he's at it. Just saying. But if this is Jay's way of being the bigger man, I fear it will backfire in a most unattractive way. As much as I'm a fan of Curtis Jackson, I'm aware that he's not to be trusted further than he can be thrown. & Jay's never appeared terribly muscular to me. There are just certain things you can't do, when it comes to disagreements.
My nigga Federal Ranga (www.youtube.com/federalranga) addressed "beefs" on his vlog, & made some good points as to when not to bow down. This, for Jigga Man, is one of those times. Even if, as I read on the grossly misspelled pages of AllHipHop.com, this is for the unification of New York, 50's a bully. This move would be the equivalent of buying your ex-wife's boyfriend lunch, after you found out she was pregnant by him. You're already kind of removed from ground zero, but it still stings enough to where a handshake is about as far as the relationship can go. & as he sips his Ice Tea, & makes small talk about sports, all he's thinking is, "Ha ha, that's my uterus now, punk!". If Jay wants to prove to the fans that he's bigger [||], than have lunch with the nigga at one of the L.A. spots that the paparazzi seem to sleep outside of. But, to put him on a song with you? That's just too close for comfort, no Monroe.
To the outside world, that would just seem like a chump way to go out. Granted, 50 hasn't launched a furious attack on Jay (yet...), but he's made it clear that he takes him for a joke. I applaud Jay for not lowering himself to such standards, but he hasn't responded on wax at all. If you've been on that high road all this time, there's no reason to deviate. Really though, if Beyonce had've kicked Kelly Rowlands' ass the other day at court, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
For the record, I don't believe it to be true, but I also laughed when cats told me that Jay was taking Oprah Windbag to the projects. Imagine my surprise when I saw footage of them sitting on some steps discussing why he smelled so good. It was probably a crack house nearby, & we all know Oprah used to-never mind.
This takes me back to my initial question...is this where it's headed? Is "friendly guy" the new "mad rapper"? I hope not. It's not that I like beef, but put it this way; would you watch football if all the players were buddies, & knew each other's moms' & shit? Hell nah, because than it would be like a flag football game. Same with Hip Hop. If everybody's "cool" with one another, then where's the competitive nature? "Friendly competition" is an actual phrase simply because there's nothing "friendly" about wanting to crush your opponent. & let us not forget Laws of Power #3, #14, & #21, because I'll bet my collection of porn that Curtis hasn't.
[tony's note: yeah, you need to get that book...]
This could set off quite the chain of events, & rest assured Game would be the first link. This collaboration would certainly be enough to set his ADD/Bi-polar disorder into over drive. Dude might kill himself in the vocal booth, while recording a song, just to let niggas know he serious he is about his beef. & Beans would most likely just stop rapping all together, & take it back to the block, literally & figuratively. Them dudes would need MORE security at that point, because I imagine Beanie would be at every show he could, waiting to rob them cats time after time. Like the industry's personal Deebo.
I'm sure we've all heard that LOX are releasing their next album on Bad Boy, after quelling their feud. & Puff & Jay have been hanging out with each other lately. & Puffy Combs is the devil. & Jay-Z worships the devil. If Jay is bringing 50 into this realm, do the math. If Beyonce starts singing Aaliyah songs, I'm getting the fuck out of dodge.
Stay tuned as this drama unfolds.
Showing posts with label NaS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaS. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
small things to a GIANT...
50 Cent's last album, 'Before I Self Destruct', isn't moving Fiddy's usual amount of units. Blame the downloads from the 'Net prelease(c), blame the egregious, self-centered behaviors exhibited by Curtis over the last 5 years, blame the decline of physical record sales for most artists, hell, blame the Hip Hopper's ear finally growing deaf to mediocre lyrics & less than stellar word play--just don't tell Gucci Mane that, because he won't believe you. But, I'll bet there's one thing that no man can possibly blame his current, lackluster status on.
Any. Other. Rapper.
In all seriousness, Curtis Jackson is a giant. Maybe not by Yao Ming implications, but definitely in his presence. People say his name like Candyman. Let it be the wrong nigga doing so, & the after effects would mimic those in the movie of the same name. There's no denying that 50 Cent is arguably the most popular rapper in the world, in the same weight class as Jay-Z, Eminem, & Snoop Dogg. Having such stature avails one's self to copious amounts of high self esteem, at borderline toxic levels. This is evident in his career-long taunting of lesser opponents, starting with Ja Rule who, coincidentally, hasn't been the same since. Those who chose to bite his bait, usually find themselves in a battle that's 20% rap records, 10% aggression, & 70% real-time humiliation. It's not so much that he defeats his enemies, per se, but their lives, played out for the public to nitpick & dissect, implode & cave around them. If there was some type of WBF-esque record, he'd be like 9W, 0L, 1T. That "tie" would go to Rick Ross, just because 50's flailing record sales coincide with their on-going rivalry. Indeed, 50 pulled all the punches in attempts to discredit Ross' existence, like any good bully should, but ultimately, Ross released the better music. & after all, this is the music industry, no?
Besides, something as small as record sales isn't going to stop Curtis from running his trap about how great he is. He's a "musical" monolith, word to the Washington Monument. The only man surly enough to knock him down to mortal standards isn't responding to his teasing. & rightly so, because as soon as Jay-Z utters the smallest non-subliminal word about 50, there's a more than slight chance that 50 would rip Shawn Carter's personal life to itty bitty pieces, then lay them out, one by one, for the (rap) world to see. I don't care how tough a rap dude believes himself to be, no cat (or kitten) wants all his backyard business sitting on front street. So who then, if anyone is in a position to strike a blow? David, thats who.
"David? Fuck is David, sun?"
I don't mean a nigga named David, unless it's sheer coincidence. I mean "David", as in 'David & Goliath'. A smaller, lesser known, everything to gain, nothing to lose-type guy, who can actually hold their own weight, lyrically, without a closet full of skeletons pining for release. The first name that comes to mind is Drake. Now, I'm the first one to tell you never trust a nigga without a mustache, but in his defense, this fella seems relatively harmless in the real world. What's the worse thing he could've done in his life? Aside from not concentrating on growing said mustache. Broken a few Mulatto hearts in Ottowa? Not answered some 'Degrassi High' fan's emails? He doesn't rap about anything that could be misconstrued as "lies", so where would that leave our protagonist? It would leave him with no choice but to actually have to engage in a rap battles, as opposed to making sitcom's based on celebrity lives like the MTV. Because, contrary to popular belief, if Drizzle puts down the vagina monologue & empty bragging, he can actually string some cool verbiage together. Maybe after it's all said & done, they can co-star in a remake of 'Forrest Gump. Lead role optional. No homo, just in case.
If not him, I've been hearing about this dude from Gary, Indiana. Word is he was addicted to Oxycodone, used to rob trains (yes nigga, trains!), has a few gun charges on his resume, was a certified hustler (which can mean a bevy of things these days), & was honorably discharged from boot camp for selling dope & getting drunk. Oh, & dude can rap a taste, also. His name Freddie Gibbs. Don't let the name fool you. Dude's tearing up the mixtape circuit right now, & the mere fact that he has facial hair makes him a more formidable opponent than Aubrey Graham, before he even starts rapping.
See, Ross went at Fiddy with the weapons he had. Rhymes, however unimpressed. Had he not had the team of producers (J.U.S.T.U.S. League), & instead just some home grown talent, looking to make a name for themselves, I doubt Rick's impact would have been so noticeable. He got "lucky", so to speak. Ross is far from a good MC, but good production is like an expensive weave. That shit can fool you long enough, & by the time you find out how bald her head really is, you're already knee-deep in fornication, so that shit no longer matters anyway.
Plenty of 50's targets either ducked & dodged or plead the fifth. Jadakiss was one of the few who decided to spar with the champ, & after they exchanged a few blows, the "fight" was over. Maybe 50 got scared? Maybe 'Kiss decided it may not be worth it. NaS found himself on the business end of a Curtis dis, & he maintained his solidarity until Fif got bored & found something else to sniff around. Of course, there's more people who had the sheer coconuts to stand up to him, but I think Fif knew when he was realisitcally out-"skilled". Like I've said dozens of times, he's a smart motherfucker.
My big homie Combat Jack wishes for a 50/Jay battle, but I'd love to see a young, up & coming rap cat 50 Cent Curtis Jackson.
[tony's note: see what I just did there...?]
[tony's next note: BISD is a good album. fuck what ya heard...]
Any. Other. Rapper.
In all seriousness, Curtis Jackson is a giant. Maybe not by Yao Ming implications, but definitely in his presence. People say his name like Candyman. Let it be the wrong nigga doing so, & the after effects would mimic those in the movie of the same name. There's no denying that 50 Cent is arguably the most popular rapper in the world, in the same weight class as Jay-Z, Eminem, & Snoop Dogg. Having such stature avails one's self to copious amounts of high self esteem, at borderline toxic levels. This is evident in his career-long taunting of lesser opponents, starting with Ja Rule who, coincidentally, hasn't been the same since. Those who chose to bite his bait, usually find themselves in a battle that's 20% rap records, 10% aggression, & 70% real-time humiliation. It's not so much that he defeats his enemies, per se, but their lives, played out for the public to nitpick & dissect, implode & cave around them. If there was some type of WBF-esque record, he'd be like 9W, 0L, 1T. That "tie" would go to Rick Ross, just because 50's flailing record sales coincide with their on-going rivalry. Indeed, 50 pulled all the punches in attempts to discredit Ross' existence, like any good bully should, but ultimately, Ross released the better music. & after all, this is the music industry, no?
Besides, something as small as record sales isn't going to stop Curtis from running his trap about how great he is. He's a "musical" monolith, word to the Washington Monument. The only man surly enough to knock him down to mortal standards isn't responding to his teasing. & rightly so, because as soon as Jay-Z utters the smallest non-subliminal word about 50, there's a more than slight chance that 50 would rip Shawn Carter's personal life to itty bitty pieces, then lay them out, one by one, for the (rap) world to see. I don't care how tough a rap dude believes himself to be, no cat (or kitten) wants all his backyard business sitting on front street. So who then, if anyone is in a position to strike a blow? David, thats who.
"David? Fuck is David, sun?"
I don't mean a nigga named David, unless it's sheer coincidence. I mean "David", as in 'David & Goliath'. A smaller, lesser known, everything to gain, nothing to lose-type guy, who can actually hold their own weight, lyrically, without a closet full of skeletons pining for release. The first name that comes to mind is Drake. Now, I'm the first one to tell you never trust a nigga without a mustache, but in his defense, this fella seems relatively harmless in the real world. What's the worse thing he could've done in his life? Aside from not concentrating on growing said mustache. Broken a few Mulatto hearts in Ottowa? Not answered some 'Degrassi High' fan's emails? He doesn't rap about anything that could be misconstrued as "lies", so where would that leave our protagonist? It would leave him with no choice but to actually have to engage in a rap battles, as opposed to making sitcom's based on celebrity lives like the MTV. Because, contrary to popular belief, if Drizzle puts down the vagina monologue & empty bragging, he can actually string some cool verbiage together. Maybe after it's all said & done, they can co-star in a remake of 'Forrest Gump. Lead role optional. No homo, just in case.
If not him, I've been hearing about this dude from Gary, Indiana. Word is he was addicted to Oxycodone, used to rob trains (yes nigga, trains!), has a few gun charges on his resume, was a certified hustler (which can mean a bevy of things these days), & was honorably discharged from boot camp for selling dope & getting drunk. Oh, & dude can rap a taste, also. His name Freddie Gibbs. Don't let the name fool you. Dude's tearing up the mixtape circuit right now, & the mere fact that he has facial hair makes him a more formidable opponent than Aubrey Graham, before he even starts rapping.
See, Ross went at Fiddy with the weapons he had. Rhymes, however unimpressed. Had he not had the team of producers (J.U.S.T.U.S. League), & instead just some home grown talent, looking to make a name for themselves, I doubt Rick's impact would have been so noticeable. He got "lucky", so to speak. Ross is far from a good MC, but good production is like an expensive weave. That shit can fool you long enough, & by the time you find out how bald her head really is, you're already knee-deep in fornication, so that shit no longer matters anyway.
Plenty of 50's targets either ducked & dodged or plead the fifth. Jadakiss was one of the few who decided to spar with the champ, & after they exchanged a few blows, the "fight" was over. Maybe 50 got scared? Maybe 'Kiss decided it may not be worth it. NaS found himself on the business end of a Curtis dis, & he maintained his solidarity until Fif got bored & found something else to sniff around. Of course, there's more people who had the sheer coconuts to stand up to him, but I think Fif knew when he was realisitcally out-"skilled". Like I've said dozens of times, he's a smart motherfucker.
My big homie Combat Jack wishes for a 50/Jay battle, but I'd love to see a young, up & coming rap cat 50 Cent Curtis Jackson.
[tony's note: see what I just did there...?]
[tony's next note: BISD is a good album. fuck what ya heard...]
Monday, November 30, 2009
Beanie Sigel: Before He Self Destructs
Damn. It's been about a month or so, & Beanie Sigel is making good on his promise of keeping his "foot on Jay-Z's neck". For all those who say it's for attention/promotion/career jump start, I'd be hard pressed to disagree at this point. Jay-Z has yet to respond, though. It kinda reminds me of the last "argument" I got into with my baby mom's. She yelled & screamed, in front of a church no less, even worked up some tears, telling me I don't do shit for my kids. Even though my daughter was living with me at the time. Odd, no? That type of blind flailing is always indicative of attention seeking melodrama, with little to no substance. Once I didn't respond-just looked as bewildered as I was pissed-she stomped to her car & drove away. Yeah, this Beanie/Jay situation is reminding me a lot like a scorned women's misguided passion...
"I'm looking for a response. I know I'm a bully but it ain't no fun if he don't swing back. Swing back, man."
-Beanie Sigel
I've come across a slew of bullies in my life. I've never heard one say "swing back, man." Bullies lack the nobility it takes to allow said bullying to be competitive. That would be like, instead of him taking your lunch money, he just stands there while you order yours, then tells you want he wants. A bully's sole intention is to discredit your humanity, one "punch" at a time. If Beans was really bullying Jay, he wouldn't want a response. Carusso doesn't slap Chris' books out of his hand, call him "Hambone", then hang around for a rebuttal. Instead he keeps walking, & does the same type shit the next day. Beans wouldn't taunt us with the possibility of information that would change the way Jay's perceived, if he was a true bully. That would've been the concept of the first track. 50's a bully. George H. W. Bush is a bully. Hell, for that matter Judge Judy is a bully. You think 'The Gooch' ever took his foot outta Arnold Jackson's ass & told him to do something back? No dice. Beans may need to watch some 'Everybody Hates Chris' & 'Diff'rent Strokes', respectively, take some notes & rethink his position.
At this juncture, this is really beginning to seem like a one-sided lover's quarrel. Peep the "delusional" factor. Anybody with the displeasure of having a B.M. knows that they have impressive imaginations. Some going as far as alleging abuse, & when DCS finds no tangible evidence to continue the case, the B.M. insists that paid professionals don't know what they're doing. Amazing, right? For the sake of their own "sanity", their irrational thinking must constantly evolve. Delusions, illusions, & fantasies play a large part in fueling their hatred. God forbid they gain some insight to the truth, & realize that maybe, their mind's just playing tricks on them.
"I played music for Jay, when I was working on The Solution album...There were song concepts on there. I had a song on that joint with no hook on it. I told him it didn't need no hook on it. He got a song 'I don't need no hook for this shit.' I had a song on there called 'Prayer,' he got a song called 'Pray.'"
-Beanie Sigel
If I had a nickel for every time some rap dude said something I said or told to somebody else, I'd have enough dough to buy a Bentley. I'd pull up to the lot in a U-Haul, open the cargo door & make it rain loose change. As complex & intricate as music can be, rap seems to gravitate to a limited amount of subjects. Sure, praying isn't that popular on the list, but DMX can say the same thing to Beans, if he wasn't busy continuing his legacy of crack-ish behaviors. & didn't Jermaine Dupri, or St. Lunatics or Nelly come out with a song entitled 'No Hooks' or 'What The Hook Gon' Be?' or something? Now had Beans let Jay hear a song about him losing his virginity, & Jay released a joint called 'My First Time', then that may be grounds for plagerism. Otherwise, it comes off more paranoid schizophrenia, less copyright infringement.
& just like my B.M. screaming "Bloody Murder!" in front of the Lord's duplex, Beans now wants to air out their differences for the world to see. Why? Nobody at the church stopped what they were doing to pay closer attention, even though I know for a fact that those folks were nosier than a motherfucker. Of the fist full of people who know about this "beef", probably only half of them are genuinely interested in it. It's one thing to have something to talk about via the 'Net on a boring Thursday afternoon, but it's something totally different to tune in & watch two grown men discuss why one is so miffed at the other, let alone settle their differences. According to Beans though, this is the only way this dispute can be settled:
"We gotta do it televised now. [The beef]'ll be over but our face to face conversation gotta be televised because the public wanna know. They deserve to know. The people wanna know. You gotta understand, there was people across the world that were putting up that dynasty sign, who believed in that Roc La Familia."
-Beanie Sigel
The only people who'd watch that shit, even if it were on public access television, are the same people who go to Ross or Marshall's to bulk up their already intense State Property wardrobe collection. & maybe Memphis Bleek. That same delusion has Beans pulling other niggas into the fray, but not even for his defense! He's literally finding Jay reinforcements.
"They say he got a record [that's] supposed to come out, the remix to that "New York" ['Empire State of Mind'] shit. He poppin' shots at me. He poppin' shots at 50. But, he put Nas on the record hoping that a nigga will respond to it and come at Nas. Nas gon' come right back. He's not gonna hold no punches. He's gon' come right back. He should come right back, but look at the moves. I seen it."
-Beanie Sigel
What the fuck is he talking about? Out of Jay, 50, Beanie, & NaS, NaS is probably the most likely to go all out. Why invite him to the party? Dude's in a real low place right now, between his ex-wife & bad career choices, & since we know pain births creativity, I'd expect nothing less than NaS laying a mushroom cloud the size of Texas at Beans' doorstep. We all know NaS' personal business already, so he literally has nothing to lose from a neo-digital rap beef. I wouldn't be surprised if he secretly offered up the goods on Kelis, in hopes of Beans taking her down a couple of pegs in the process. I would. But, like a baby momma, Beans obviously isn't thinking clearly. Jay-Z might be too far removed from the hunger of Hip Hip to respond, but NaS is in the same position Beans is in; in need of a career boost. The difference is that NaS is talented & has a legacy to uphold. Maybe Beanie should've named HIS album 'Before I Self Destruct'...
I doubt this whole fiasco will make it's way to TMZ any time soon, but for those of us Hip Hop heads who have a vested interest in the bruhaha, we'll be staying tuned. I'm sure this will pass, but I hope for Beans' sake that he takes this chance & mediocre buzz to get his name back out on the rap curcuit. As far as I can see it, 50 is winning. Getting his best "Don King" impersonation on, & keeping his name in our mouths as usual. I'm never mad at capitalizing, even when it's a bully doing it.
"I'm looking for a response. I know I'm a bully but it ain't no fun if he don't swing back. Swing back, man."
-Beanie Sigel
I've come across a slew of bullies in my life. I've never heard one say "swing back, man." Bullies lack the nobility it takes to allow said bullying to be competitive. That would be like, instead of him taking your lunch money, he just stands there while you order yours, then tells you want he wants. A bully's sole intention is to discredit your humanity, one "punch" at a time. If Beans was really bullying Jay, he wouldn't want a response. Carusso doesn't slap Chris' books out of his hand, call him "Hambone", then hang around for a rebuttal. Instead he keeps walking, & does the same type shit the next day. Beans wouldn't taunt us with the possibility of information that would change the way Jay's perceived, if he was a true bully. That would've been the concept of the first track. 50's a bully. George H. W. Bush is a bully. Hell, for that matter Judge Judy is a bully. You think 'The Gooch' ever took his foot outta Arnold Jackson's ass & told him to do something back? No dice. Beans may need to watch some 'Everybody Hates Chris' & 'Diff'rent Strokes', respectively, take some notes & rethink his position.
At this juncture, this is really beginning to seem like a one-sided lover's quarrel. Peep the "delusional" factor. Anybody with the displeasure of having a B.M. knows that they have impressive imaginations. Some going as far as alleging abuse, & when DCS finds no tangible evidence to continue the case, the B.M. insists that paid professionals don't know what they're doing. Amazing, right? For the sake of their own "sanity", their irrational thinking must constantly evolve. Delusions, illusions, & fantasies play a large part in fueling their hatred. God forbid they gain some insight to the truth, & realize that maybe, their mind's just playing tricks on them.
"I played music for Jay, when I was working on The Solution album...There were song concepts on there. I had a song on that joint with no hook on it. I told him it didn't need no hook on it. He got a song 'I don't need no hook for this shit.' I had a song on there called 'Prayer,' he got a song called 'Pray.'"
-Beanie Sigel
If I had a nickel for every time some rap dude said something I said or told to somebody else, I'd have enough dough to buy a Bentley. I'd pull up to the lot in a U-Haul, open the cargo door & make it rain loose change. As complex & intricate as music can be, rap seems to gravitate to a limited amount of subjects. Sure, praying isn't that popular on the list, but DMX can say the same thing to Beans, if he wasn't busy continuing his legacy of crack-ish behaviors. & didn't Jermaine Dupri, or St. Lunatics or Nelly come out with a song entitled 'No Hooks' or 'What The Hook Gon' Be?' or something? Now had Beans let Jay hear a song about him losing his virginity, & Jay released a joint called 'My First Time', then that may be grounds for plagerism. Otherwise, it comes off more paranoid schizophrenia, less copyright infringement.
& just like my B.M. screaming "Bloody Murder!" in front of the Lord's duplex, Beans now wants to air out their differences for the world to see. Why? Nobody at the church stopped what they were doing to pay closer attention, even though I know for a fact that those folks were nosier than a motherfucker. Of the fist full of people who know about this "beef", probably only half of them are genuinely interested in it. It's one thing to have something to talk about via the 'Net on a boring Thursday afternoon, but it's something totally different to tune in & watch two grown men discuss why one is so miffed at the other, let alone settle their differences. According to Beans though, this is the only way this dispute can be settled:
"We gotta do it televised now. [The beef]'ll be over but our face to face conversation gotta be televised because the public wanna know. They deserve to know. The people wanna know. You gotta understand, there was people across the world that were putting up that dynasty sign, who believed in that Roc La Familia."
-Beanie Sigel
The only people who'd watch that shit, even if it were on public access television, are the same people who go to Ross or Marshall's to bulk up their already intense State Property wardrobe collection. & maybe Memphis Bleek. That same delusion has Beans pulling other niggas into the fray, but not even for his defense! He's literally finding Jay reinforcements.
"They say he got a record [that's] supposed to come out, the remix to that "New York" ['Empire State of Mind'] shit. He poppin' shots at me. He poppin' shots at 50. But, he put Nas on the record hoping that a nigga will respond to it and come at Nas. Nas gon' come right back. He's not gonna hold no punches. He's gon' come right back. He should come right back, but look at the moves. I seen it."
-Beanie Sigel
What the fuck is he talking about? Out of Jay, 50, Beanie, & NaS, NaS is probably the most likely to go all out. Why invite him to the party? Dude's in a real low place right now, between his ex-wife & bad career choices, & since we know pain births creativity, I'd expect nothing less than NaS laying a mushroom cloud the size of Texas at Beans' doorstep. We all know NaS' personal business already, so he literally has nothing to lose from a neo-digital rap beef. I wouldn't be surprised if he secretly offered up the goods on Kelis, in hopes of Beans taking her down a couple of pegs in the process. I would. But, like a baby momma, Beans obviously isn't thinking clearly. Jay-Z might be too far removed from the hunger of Hip Hip to respond, but NaS is in the same position Beans is in; in need of a career boost. The difference is that NaS is talented & has a legacy to uphold. Maybe Beanie should've named HIS album 'Before I Self Destruct'...
I doubt this whole fiasco will make it's way to TMZ any time soon, but for those of us Hip Hop heads who have a vested interest in the bruhaha, we'll be staying tuned. I'm sure this will pass, but I hope for Beans' sake that he takes this chance & mediocre buzz to get his name back out on the rap curcuit. As far as I can see it, 50 is winning. Getting his best "Don King" impersonation on, & keeping his name in our mouths as usual. I'm never mad at capitalizing, even when it's a bully doing it.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I Do (not)........
Damn....
Another one bites the dust. Reports have it that Usher & his mom, I mean wife are severing ties after a couple of years & a couple of babies. Seems like there's an email going around that these successful young millionaires can do better than the crumbs they settled for. I'll admit, I'd seen some pictures of NaS' wife Kelis that made her look pretty okay. But, upon further research, I retract my statement. There's a lot of pics on the 'Net.
NaS' wife supposedly left him for cheating. Men do that, so I understand. He's a little too old to be chasing chickens if you ask me, but to each his own. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if Usher Raymond did the same thing. Not because he's terribly attractive [||], but because he's young & rich, while his wife is young-ish & rich by association. Not that there's anything wrong with marrying down. Its kind of like social charity. But if that is the case, one should be allowed to dip out occasion. Like, if you donate so much cash to a school, they name a library or something after you. Same difference.
The one's I can't understand are the Mel Gibson-type cats. They have a thousand kids, 62 years of marriage (however stale), grandchildren, history, basically have the person that they might as well grow old & die with. Yet, he decides at the ripe age of 124 to find a more youthful BRIDE & impregnate her immediately. Isn't the point of divorcing to get out of the game? Especially if/when you have a woman that sticks by you through crappy movies & anti-semitic tirades? In that case, the same thing can be said for Usher & NaS' wives. Their last albums were okay at best.
I'm not quite sure what the deal was with Russell & Kimora. Personally, I think she got tired of the lisp. Although, a heavy african accent should be equally as annoying, unless one's shopping for jewelry or incense. I had thought that Russell was pimping his Rush Card so hard because he was a money hungry jerk with no regard for the "people" he represents & no one buys his clothes any longer. No Dice. Kimora is a money hungry jerk with the multiple children by different fathers to prove it. Russell just happened to be one of the sperm donors. I'm sure in a few of years Kimora will get tired of Djimon & call INS on him. Or give him back the 12 goats his father offered her as a ransom & tell him to pack his mule & start swimming.
Cat's talk that pre-nup stuff, but women found a way around that, & it's been working great for years. It's called gloveless love. Not only does a baby override any binding legal contracts, but it gives the woman full access to your personal life, making it that much easier for them to torment you until the day you stroke [||] & die during an argument. I'm a firm believer in the theory that women are put on the planet to drive men to the court house, the poor house, the crazy house & the funeral, umm, house. In that order.
If any young dudes reading this have doubts, don't. Love still exists & good woman are still around. Just don't go looking for them at TGIF's. Or the Swapmeet. Or liquor store parking lots. Or any place where skin-tight pants & muffin-top exposing shirts are mandatory.
Another one bites the dust. Reports have it that Usher & his mom, I mean wife are severing ties after a couple of years & a couple of babies. Seems like there's an email going around that these successful young millionaires can do better than the crumbs they settled for. I'll admit, I'd seen some pictures of NaS' wife Kelis that made her look pretty okay. But, upon further research, I retract my statement. There's a lot of pics on the 'Net.
NaS' wife supposedly left him for cheating. Men do that, so I understand. He's a little too old to be chasing chickens if you ask me, but to each his own. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if Usher Raymond did the same thing. Not because he's terribly attractive [||], but because he's young & rich, while his wife is young-ish & rich by association. Not that there's anything wrong with marrying down. Its kind of like social charity. But if that is the case, one should be allowed to dip out occasion. Like, if you donate so much cash to a school, they name a library or something after you. Same difference.
The one's I can't understand are the Mel Gibson-type cats. They have a thousand kids, 62 years of marriage (however stale), grandchildren, history, basically have the person that they might as well grow old & die with. Yet, he decides at the ripe age of 124 to find a more youthful BRIDE & impregnate her immediately. Isn't the point of divorcing to get out of the game? Especially if/when you have a woman that sticks by you through crappy movies & anti-semitic tirades? In that case, the same thing can be said for Usher & NaS' wives. Their last albums were okay at best.
I'm not quite sure what the deal was with Russell & Kimora. Personally, I think she got tired of the lisp. Although, a heavy african accent should be equally as annoying, unless one's shopping for jewelry or incense. I had thought that Russell was pimping his Rush Card so hard because he was a money hungry jerk with no regard for the "people" he represents & no one buys his clothes any longer. No Dice. Kimora is a money hungry jerk with the multiple children by different fathers to prove it. Russell just happened to be one of the sperm donors. I'm sure in a few of years Kimora will get tired of Djimon & call INS on him. Or give him back the 12 goats his father offered her as a ransom & tell him to pack his mule & start swimming.
Cat's talk that pre-nup stuff, but women found a way around that, & it's been working great for years. It's called gloveless love. Not only does a baby override any binding legal contracts, but it gives the woman full access to your personal life, making it that much easier for them to torment you until the day you stroke [||] & die during an argument. I'm a firm believer in the theory that women are put on the planet to drive men to the court house, the poor house, the crazy house & the funeral, umm, house. In that order.
If any young dudes reading this have doubts, don't. Love still exists & good woman are still around. Just don't go looking for them at TGIF's. Or the Swapmeet. Or liquor store parking lots. Or any place where skin-tight pants & muffin-top exposing shirts are mandatory.
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Other Woman's Milkshake>Kelis'
Twitter is at it again. First, it made rapper Asher Roth seem like a racist douche nozzle, then it caused legal woes for baseball legend Tony La Russa, now it's helping R&B singer Kelis spread her message of anti-cheating, at the expense of her soon-to-be ex hubby/rapper Nasir "NaS" Jones.
Actually, this has nothing to do with Twitter; that's like the dude's on "Cheaters" who blame Joey Greco for bringing the wife to the other woman's jacuzzi party, only to catch her man on the down stroke of another chick's upside. Twitter was as much an innocent bystander to the melodrama as the couple's unborn son.
Simply put, the pair fell victim to statistics. Most couples do, so there's no reason fame & "fortune" would exclude them from the club. I've heard that it had to do with a sex tape Kelis had floating around, but that's never been proven, per se. If anyone has it though, please provide link, for research & things. I've also heard that NaS cheated, which I can totally believe. That's one of the things men do; cheat, move heavy furniture & kill spiders.
Kelis' tweet was something to the effect of "I hate cheaters", or "I hate the sluts who participate", but whatever it was, the thousands of folks that read it got her insinuation. Hell hath no fury like a (black) woman scorned. I can read between the lines, it really said "Yeah, that n*gga cheated, & I'm tellin' all y'all he ain't sh*t!" If it weren't for Twitter, that kind of banter would have only been heard by her numerous, manless gf's, before making it's way into the Globe or Page Six or her next song. Now, society is so "plugged-in", that all she had to do was type less than 145 characters to put all of their business on Front Street. Bet she wouldn't have done that if she was married to Chris Brown. Milkshakes in the emergency room, indeed.
I never have understood the whole marriage thing. On many levels, it appears to be as pointless as it is beneficial & I assume there was an aspect of actual love at one point in history, but now, it just seems like a good business deal. Tax-wise, health insurance purposes, minimizing living expenses, in-house sex, round-the-clock child supervision; at first glance it's a veritable win-win. Throw love & respect in the mix & the phrase "happily ever after" just materializes on it's own. Problem is, people do it for the wrong reasons, then sit perplexed when it all falls down.
Sans any corniness, I got married out of love, & assuming my wife did the same, this could very well be why our almost 7 year marriage is still in full swing. Now, don't get me wrong, we've had our share of ups 'n' downs. & I've done my share of really, really stupid things, but I was a different, less compassionate person those many years ago. I've long since cleaned up my act, & the fact that she rode that rollercoaster with me is a testimony to her feelings regarding me. I can't rightly speak for her, but the fact that I've never gotten cut or caught hot grits to the face says we have a pretty solid marriage, built on a stern foundation. As opposed to just getting hitched for our son's sake.
The fact that NaS & Kelis were married for almost two years before she became pregnant dispels the "married for our kid" mantra. They had some time to learn each other's personas, with breastfeeding or diaper changing interruptions. I also heard they dated for quite awhile before the wedding, as opposed to meeting at the club & (him) moving in (to her aaprtment), like the story usually goes. I was surprised too; I thought "dating" was just for White folks nowadays.
You'd have to figure, NaS is approaching mid-30's. This is usually around the time where a dude has had all his fun, broad-wise. Now would be the time to enjoy the spoils of conquest. Been there, done that, as they say. Its not like Kelis is a bad looking lady, although the grass is always greener, especially if you continue to look over the fence, without watering your own. Realistically, NaS probably has more than enough groupies willing to drop trou at a moments notice, but so do I. So, there's no excuse for how strong the weakness of the flesh is.
More importantly, in the grand scheme, it's not that serious. A sack toss, that couldn't have lasted all that long, unless he's like Diddy, caused all this commotion in his life. Now, the rhetorical question of the day; Was it worth it? Maybe it was to him, but to me, only few things can bring the level of happiness that a family can. Plus, it's going to be real embarrasing when NaS tells his son that his parents divorced because he couldn't turn down some trim.
I'm just saying. If you're going to go through all the trouble, might as well make the most out of it. Life is too short to make commitments to people (& God) that you either can't or won't keep. True, none of us are perfect, but we all want happiness. Said happiness is closer than you think. Usually, to get it, you have to sacrifice something. That's kind of how God designed the whole gratification thing.
Good luck.
*Editor's note: Sorry for the lack of Milkshake jokes....*
Actually, this has nothing to do with Twitter; that's like the dude's on "Cheaters" who blame Joey Greco for bringing the wife to the other woman's jacuzzi party, only to catch her man on the down stroke of another chick's upside. Twitter was as much an innocent bystander to the melodrama as the couple's unborn son.
Simply put, the pair fell victim to statistics. Most couples do, so there's no reason fame & "fortune" would exclude them from the club. I've heard that it had to do with a sex tape Kelis had floating around, but that's never been proven, per se. If anyone has it though, please provide link, for research & things. I've also heard that NaS cheated, which I can totally believe. That's one of the things men do; cheat, move heavy furniture & kill spiders.
Kelis' tweet was something to the effect of "I hate cheaters", or "I hate the sluts who participate", but whatever it was, the thousands of folks that read it got her insinuation. Hell hath no fury like a (black) woman scorned. I can read between the lines, it really said "Yeah, that n*gga cheated, & I'm tellin' all y'all he ain't sh*t!" If it weren't for Twitter, that kind of banter would have only been heard by her numerous, manless gf's, before making it's way into the Globe or Page Six or her next song. Now, society is so "plugged-in", that all she had to do was type less than 145 characters to put all of their business on Front Street. Bet she wouldn't have done that if she was married to Chris Brown. Milkshakes in the emergency room, indeed.
I never have understood the whole marriage thing. On many levels, it appears to be as pointless as it is beneficial & I assume there was an aspect of actual love at one point in history, but now, it just seems like a good business deal. Tax-wise, health insurance purposes, minimizing living expenses, in-house sex, round-the-clock child supervision; at first glance it's a veritable win-win. Throw love & respect in the mix & the phrase "happily ever after" just materializes on it's own. Problem is, people do it for the wrong reasons, then sit perplexed when it all falls down.
Sans any corniness, I got married out of love, & assuming my wife did the same, this could very well be why our almost 7 year marriage is still in full swing. Now, don't get me wrong, we've had our share of ups 'n' downs. & I've done my share of really, really stupid things, but I was a different, less compassionate person those many years ago. I've long since cleaned up my act, & the fact that she rode that rollercoaster with me is a testimony to her feelings regarding me. I can't rightly speak for her, but the fact that I've never gotten cut or caught hot grits to the face says we have a pretty solid marriage, built on a stern foundation. As opposed to just getting hitched for our son's sake.
The fact that NaS & Kelis were married for almost two years before she became pregnant dispels the "married for our kid" mantra. They had some time to learn each other's personas, with breastfeeding or diaper changing interruptions. I also heard they dated for quite awhile before the wedding, as opposed to meeting at the club & (him) moving in (to her aaprtment), like the story usually goes. I was surprised too; I thought "dating" was just for White folks nowadays.
You'd have to figure, NaS is approaching mid-30's. This is usually around the time where a dude has had all his fun, broad-wise. Now would be the time to enjoy the spoils of conquest. Been there, done that, as they say. Its not like Kelis is a bad looking lady, although the grass is always greener, especially if you continue to look over the fence, without watering your own. Realistically, NaS probably has more than enough groupies willing to drop trou at a moments notice, but so do I. So, there's no excuse for how strong the weakness of the flesh is.
More importantly, in the grand scheme, it's not that serious. A sack toss, that couldn't have lasted all that long, unless he's like Diddy, caused all this commotion in his life. Now, the rhetorical question of the day; Was it worth it? Maybe it was to him, but to me, only few things can bring the level of happiness that a family can. Plus, it's going to be real embarrasing when NaS tells his son that his parents divorced because he couldn't turn down some trim.
I'm just saying. If you're going to go through all the trouble, might as well make the most out of it. Life is too short to make commitments to people (& God) that you either can't or won't keep. True, none of us are perfect, but we all want happiness. Said happiness is closer than you think. Usually, to get it, you have to sacrifice something. That's kind of how God designed the whole gratification thing.
Good luck.
*Editor's note: Sorry for the lack of Milkshake jokes....*
Friday, May 29, 2009
...our heroes.
"Let's hear it, one for the coons, on UPN 9 & WB. Who "yes massa" on TV.........Let's hear it, two for the spooks, who do cart wheels. 'Cuz they said they played their parts well."
- NaS, "These Are Our Heroes" from Street's Disciple, 2004
First of all, to hell with "Flavor of Love". If you've never witnessed Flav's show "Under One Roof" (a UPN show, btw), you are missing a lifetime's worth of coontrocity at it's most epic. The basis is as follows: Flav is a felon who, upon his release, moves in with his rich, white-washed, douche-nozzle brother. His brother, who is married to a pasty, money hungry, lazy broad, is the total opposite of Flav's character, Calvester.
Yeah, dude's name is Cal-Ves-Ter.
He's a 40-something year old nigga (sorry, it fits too well) with braids, tarnished gold teeth (not make-up; those are his), & a habit of still wearing those night gown t-shirts that went out of style with throwback basketball jerseys. Like 50 years ago. When people listened to CD players. & rappers sold millions of albums purely off skills. & only rich folk sent e-mails.
Now, the show is so richly based off of stereotypes (including the Asian housekeeper with that nail shop-n-day-hood attitude), that just watching it sets racial equility back about 40 years. Probably the same way our parents felt when they watched James Evans, Jr. & Arnold Jackson shuck & jive their way through lines like "Dy-no-miiiiiite" & "Whatchutawkinbout?", respectively. But, Flavor has no catchy one-liners. He just has him. & That's all he needs. I'm not sure how far removed the character is from Flavor's actual being, but I'm just waiting for some Redneck with a flashlight, a pack of dogs & a double-barrel shotgun to claim ownership to his ass. I try not to use the term "jigaboo", but, well, you get my point.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty "average joe" type guy. I enjoy the subtle, racial humor & unspoken nuances on T.V. for entertainment purposes, just like any other American. But, at a time where they are no visible heroes, this kind of malarky shouldn't be tolerated. Its bad enough that Hip Hop, the proverbial bridge between "us" & "them"*, is rife with ignorance & self-hatred. Now, instead of 3 1/2 minute videos depicting such idiocy, we get 30 minute television programs who can afford to go even MORE in-depth with the stupidity. Heaven help us......
Let's do the math. 3/4 of kids nowadays (pick a social divide; any will do) don't have an immediate positive male role model. The lucky ones have mom's smart enough to end up with a decent guy who chooses to give a damn about them. The unlucky one's are forced to fend for themselves, seeking that greater influence that helps children become adults. That influence lurks, be it good or bad. But without the proper guidance, intentions are overpowered by availability. I can go out on my porch right now & throw three rocks. One will hit a crackhead, one will hit a criminal & the last one will just land quietly in the street. See where I'm going with this?
Al Sharpton's old, Jesse Jackson's bitter, Barack Obama's got better things to do. So where are our heroes? Even better, I'll tell you where they aren't.
They aren't making rap songs. They aren't starring in prime-time TV. shows. There's a pretty good chance that they aren't even living yet.
Regardless to the consensus, heroes aren't manufactured today like they were in our grandparents' heyday. Now, they're home grown wildflowers, like dandelions, all willy-nilly without a purpose. It's time for "us" to reclaim our nation, to right the wrongs & stop following the lead of every flash-in-the-pan noisemaker that thinks they have a point to prove. The blind have been leading the blind for going on two generations now. I can't speak for others, but Stevie Wonder can't keep telling me to trust him because he's pretty sure he knows where he's going.
Maybe I'm just getting older, but with age comes wisdom, so in that case, I should be even more convincing.
Think about it.
--
*"us" vs. "them" is the moral vs. the immoral, the ignorant vs. the educated, the good vs. the bad, just to clarify. It's not a race issue, it's a Human Race problem.
- NaS, "These Are Our Heroes" from Street's Disciple, 2004
First of all, to hell with "Flavor of Love". If you've never witnessed Flav's show "Under One Roof" (a UPN show, btw), you are missing a lifetime's worth of coontrocity at it's most epic. The basis is as follows: Flav is a felon who, upon his release, moves in with his rich, white-washed, douche-nozzle brother. His brother, who is married to a pasty, money hungry, lazy broad, is the total opposite of Flav's character, Calvester.
Yeah, dude's name is Cal-Ves-Ter.
He's a 40-something year old nigga (sorry, it fits too well) with braids, tarnished gold teeth (not make-up; those are his), & a habit of still wearing those night gown t-shirts that went out of style with throwback basketball jerseys. Like 50 years ago. When people listened to CD players. & rappers sold millions of albums purely off skills. & only rich folk sent e-mails.
Now, the show is so richly based off of stereotypes (including the Asian housekeeper with that nail shop-n-day-hood attitude), that just watching it sets racial equility back about 40 years. Probably the same way our parents felt when they watched James Evans, Jr. & Arnold Jackson shuck & jive their way through lines like "Dy-no-miiiiiite" & "Whatchutawkinbout?", respectively. But, Flavor has no catchy one-liners. He just has him. & That's all he needs. I'm not sure how far removed the character is from Flavor's actual being, but I'm just waiting for some Redneck with a flashlight, a pack of dogs & a double-barrel shotgun to claim ownership to his ass. I try not to use the term "jigaboo", but, well, you get my point.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty "average joe" type guy. I enjoy the subtle, racial humor & unspoken nuances on T.V. for entertainment purposes, just like any other American. But, at a time where they are no visible heroes, this kind of malarky shouldn't be tolerated. Its bad enough that Hip Hop, the proverbial bridge between "us" & "them"*, is rife with ignorance & self-hatred. Now, instead of 3 1/2 minute videos depicting such idiocy, we get 30 minute television programs who can afford to go even MORE in-depth with the stupidity. Heaven help us......
Let's do the math. 3/4 of kids nowadays (pick a social divide; any will do) don't have an immediate positive male role model. The lucky ones have mom's smart enough to end up with a decent guy who chooses to give a damn about them. The unlucky one's are forced to fend for themselves, seeking that greater influence that helps children become adults. That influence lurks, be it good or bad. But without the proper guidance, intentions are overpowered by availability. I can go out on my porch right now & throw three rocks. One will hit a crackhead, one will hit a criminal & the last one will just land quietly in the street. See where I'm going with this?
Al Sharpton's old, Jesse Jackson's bitter, Barack Obama's got better things to do. So where are our heroes? Even better, I'll tell you where they aren't.
They aren't making rap songs. They aren't starring in prime-time TV. shows. There's a pretty good chance that they aren't even living yet.
Regardless to the consensus, heroes aren't manufactured today like they were in our grandparents' heyday. Now, they're home grown wildflowers, like dandelions, all willy-nilly without a purpose. It's time for "us" to reclaim our nation, to right the wrongs & stop following the lead of every flash-in-the-pan noisemaker that thinks they have a point to prove. The blind have been leading the blind for going on two generations now. I can't speak for others, but Stevie Wonder can't keep telling me to trust him because he's pretty sure he knows where he's going.
Maybe I'm just getting older, but with age comes wisdom, so in that case, I should be even more convincing.
Think about it.
--
*"us" vs. "them" is the moral vs. the immoral, the ignorant vs. the educated, the good vs. the bad, just to clarify. It's not a race issue, it's a Human Race problem.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)