The argument can be made that all rap is Hip Hop. For all the hate tossed at Gucci Mane for being flawlessly coontastic & an atrocity to the culture, dude is Hip Hop. Many times I've found myself cringing at his comic strip shenanigans, & wondering why people like him. He's fun, that's why. & for the most part, he's harmless, aside from killing a man & leaving his body in the swamp, but that's a post for another day. Point being, Hip Hop is a culture, immersed in self expression, however one sees fit. No matter how horrible the fans think the music is, or how insulting the personality of the artist, all rappers are Hip Hop. Fact. The more entertaining, the better. Generally speaking, name you favorite rap cat & then the one you despise. That's your personal Hip Hop alpha & omega. First to last, & all things between, it's Hip Hop from beginning to end.
Rap, simply put, is a form of music. Yes, even when it's done to the tune of nursery rhymes & simple simon sing-alongs. Hip Hop is the culture that rap was born from. Along with DJing, break dancing, & graffiti writing. Throughout the years, other elements have been thrown into the mix, such as knowledge & fashion, but the general foundation remains. Hip Hop is a way of life. You're either Hip Hop, or you're not. It's the way you walk into a room. The way you wear your hair. The things you teach your kids. The movies you memorize. I know dudes who are the epitome of the lifestyle, & couldn't ride a rhythm if it had Mariah Carey's hind quarters.
Hip Hop culture is an experience. Rap is the soundtrack to it's movement.
Another questionable aspect is the belief that this somewhat new, hybrid of rap & r&b, such as T-Pain, Chris Brown-any act that's obviously a bastard seed of 90's rhythm & bullshit era, isn't Hip Hop. No dice. By the basic parameters that something is judged Hip Hop or not, that form of music is indeed as Hip Hop as skinny jeans, Insane Clown Posse, & Tanya Morgan. Hell, Tracy Morgan for that matter, even though he doesn't rap. Word to Grizz & Dot Com. Fun-loving expression, is just that, even when it's based around the demise of 13 year old girls. Not that I condone that type of thing, I'm just trying to put it in perspective. Sure, I wouldn't want Trey Songz teaching my daughter about the birds & the bees, but if it wasn't for R. Kelly, I might not've lost my virginity mid-day, ditching the only college course I had. & fuck whatcha heard, getting 'tang is Hip Hop, really though...
There's a lot of people with the misconception that because a certain style of Rap isn't suited for them, that it's not Hip Hop. Until we dispel that notion, we can't move forward. Forward, as in, striving for the betterment of a movement that's presently being raped & pillaged by tv commercials, mocked on YouTube as some sort of experimental novelty act, & treated like urban noise, instead of the tribal communication it began as. We can't appreciate Talib Kweli, if we don't recognize the importance of Souljah Boy. Like it or not.
Not to get more philosophical than necessary, but Hip Hop is the soul, & rap is the life, if you understand what I'm saying. There's indeed a difference between the two. Shout out to the homie Rob, who put the bug in my ear.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Villain Wanted
Wanted: the proverbial bad guy-a "villain", to assume all the responsibilities of Hip Hop's requisite antagonist, and fill position of necessary cultural scapegoat. Must be arrogant, ignorant, smug, materialistic, slightly psychotic with glimmers of brilliance and remorse. Must have a violent and/or criminal background (preferably authentic) and suffer from one (1) or more mental illnesses-ideally some form of post traumatic stress disorder. Must be goal-oriented, and possess at least a basic concept of song writing ability and melody recognition. Ability to harmonize optional. Sexual preference will be privatized, unless otherwise suspected by bloggers, paparazzi, etc., in which case, you assume full responsibility of damage control. Apply at your own risk...
Now that 50's been counted out of the runnings, for the most part, Hip Hop is a need of a new nigga we love to hate. Or, hate to love, depending on your vantage point. A bad guy. Thanks to Rick Ross, Clipse, Raekwon, Killa Cam, Ghostface, and a handful of other hot spitters, 2009 saw the reemergence of Cocaine rap, with a vengeance. Well, if you count the brief 'Trap Rap' phenom, it never went anywhere, but I'm just saying. Even still, there's a galaxy's difference between a hustler and a gangster. Granted, the two can occupy the same space simultaneously, but ultimately you're one or the other. Where as hustler's talk slick and attempt to keep their noses clean-no pun intended, gangster's talk loud, and have dirty nails. Which brings us back to the role of the bad guy, a part 50 played so well that by the end of his stint with Interscope, he'd taken shots at both Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Gotta love it.
Who can we look to now, for extreme nigganometry and self righteous egotism, in between making the hoes dance and niggas wanna clap something? Who's voice is strong enough to fill the shoes? This is a necessary balance needed, lest we allow Drake and Kanye West to be in charge of the dispersement of aggression in rap music. No dice. So far the emo-rap community's street cred includes slapping Canadians, slapping paparazzi cameras, & getting slapped by abortion-having, scorned ex-girlfriends. Kid Cudi did get pulled over by the LAPD, but in his defense, cops in my city are so dumb they still haven't caught the dude(s) who killed Christopher Wallace. They sure as fuck caught O.J. pretty quick though, but I digress. Plus, the only person who can wear tight pants & be a bad motherfucker, simultaneously, is dead. Long live Rick James. Plenty of dudes on the rap radar have the ability to deliver grimy stories and gritty tales of street life, but that doesn't necessarily qualify them to be in charge of an entire sub-genre of a culture.
In the movie 'Matrix', how many of you can say that, not only were you rooting for Agent Smith, but you were extra hyped when he returned in the sequel, with upgrades? I knew that the future of the free world was dependent of Neo's victory, but in the interim, I needed to see him get his ass kicked by the bad guy. If it was just Neo flying around & having copious amounts of sex with that chick that looked like a little boy, that movie would've sucked. How important was Superman without Lex Luthor? Scores of bad guys could cross Clark's path, but Lex was the yang to his yin. Really though, cats had equal the amount of super abilities, sometimes even more so, & this little bald headed Jewish guy could eff up Superman's day faster than he could wax his dome piece. Now, rap needs a new yin, or something to that effect, to give us the overstanding of the underview, to balance all the emotional rollercoasters that we're bombarded with on a daily basis.
Without a bad guy, there's just "the good guy," & that's no fun at all.
Otherwise, rest assured, in no less than 5 years, Hip Hop will look like 'Revenge of the Nerds'-the musical. Will we be following Booger, or Ogre?
Now that 50's been counted out of the runnings, for the most part, Hip Hop is a need of a new nigga we love to hate. Or, hate to love, depending on your vantage point. A bad guy. Thanks to Rick Ross, Clipse, Raekwon, Killa Cam, Ghostface, and a handful of other hot spitters, 2009 saw the reemergence of Cocaine rap, with a vengeance. Well, if you count the brief 'Trap Rap' phenom, it never went anywhere, but I'm just saying. Even still, there's a galaxy's difference between a hustler and a gangster. Granted, the two can occupy the same space simultaneously, but ultimately you're one or the other. Where as hustler's talk slick and attempt to keep their noses clean-no pun intended, gangster's talk loud, and have dirty nails. Which brings us back to the role of the bad guy, a part 50 played so well that by the end of his stint with Interscope, he'd taken shots at both Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Gotta love it.
Who can we look to now, for extreme nigganometry and self righteous egotism, in between making the hoes dance and niggas wanna clap something? Who's voice is strong enough to fill the shoes? This is a necessary balance needed, lest we allow Drake and Kanye West to be in charge of the dispersement of aggression in rap music. No dice. So far the emo-rap community's street cred includes slapping Canadians, slapping paparazzi cameras, & getting slapped by abortion-having, scorned ex-girlfriends. Kid Cudi did get pulled over by the LAPD, but in his defense, cops in my city are so dumb they still haven't caught the dude(s) who killed Christopher Wallace. They sure as fuck caught O.J. pretty quick though, but I digress. Plus, the only person who can wear tight pants & be a bad motherfucker, simultaneously, is dead. Long live Rick James. Plenty of dudes on the rap radar have the ability to deliver grimy stories and gritty tales of street life, but that doesn't necessarily qualify them to be in charge of an entire sub-genre of a culture.
In the movie 'Matrix', how many of you can say that, not only were you rooting for Agent Smith, but you were extra hyped when he returned in the sequel, with upgrades? I knew that the future of the free world was dependent of Neo's victory, but in the interim, I needed to see him get his ass kicked by the bad guy. If it was just Neo flying around & having copious amounts of sex with that chick that looked like a little boy, that movie would've sucked. How important was Superman without Lex Luthor? Scores of bad guys could cross Clark's path, but Lex was the yang to his yin. Really though, cats had equal the amount of super abilities, sometimes even more so, & this little bald headed Jewish guy could eff up Superman's day faster than he could wax his dome piece. Now, rap needs a new yin, or something to that effect, to give us the overstanding of the underview, to balance all the emotional rollercoasters that we're bombarded with on a daily basis.
Without a bad guy, there's just "the good guy," & that's no fun at all.
Otherwise, rest assured, in no less than 5 years, Hip Hop will look like 'Revenge of the Nerds'-the musical. Will we be following Booger, or Ogre?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Brains>Brain
Sometimes, you just have to envy the downtrodden. Mo' money, mo' problems, indeed. I imagine life is easiest when you're biggest worry is if you're going to eat later that day. Really though, worst case scenario, you could stand outside of a McDonalds, & look extremely pitiful, & some empathetic douche would buy you a McGriddle, or a McDouble, depending on what time it is. Either way, hunger knows no caloric intake. Tell a hungry man about his cholesterol, & he'll ask you if you're going to finish all of your fries. I make it a habit to give to the less fortunate, however I can. I save my aluminum cans for this homeless lady who trolls the neighborhood garbage cans, I buy this one dude a couple of burgers when I see him near my sons school, hell, if you need .35, & ask correctly, I may give you an entire dollar bill. Fuck what you plan to "really" do with it, as long as I know my heart is in the right place. That's why I try & feed somebody, as opposed to giving them cash. I'll be damned if a crackhead is going to smoke a .99 burrito. & if he does, God bless his lungs & throat lining. Point is, of all the people I come into contact with on a daily basis, the ones without much are usually the happiest. It may just be famine-induced hysteria, or a lack of nutrients has them unable to do much more than smile & nod, but they sure as hell seem content to me. Content beats contrite everyday of the Christian calendar.
As for these guys with assloads of dough, pause, their lives seem to be hell on wheels, floating in gasoline & nitroglycerin. One would assume that, given the opportunity to live life by one's own jurisdiction, that person would be diligent in finding peace & happiness. If a homeless man can do it, sleeping on a bus stop & eating what I throw away, surely it can be done if a man has the means to provide comfortably for himself. Now, I'm not pointing fingers, but I'm going to use two great examples. This has nothing to do with race, or profession. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
Shaquille O'Neal & Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. For all intents & purposes, these niggas are dumber than Katt Williams. For all the smarts that Eldrick seems to exude, he must not have ever read a book, watched a movie, or listened to a rap song. Otherwise, he'd know how counterproductive the wrong women can be. Especially when there's throngs of them, stroking your proverbial ball sack (pron: ego) to their benefit. I'm sure it's just the fact that guys who play Golf appear smarter than common folk, but I'm just saying. The more I watch, the more I see drunken hillbillies swinging sticks. As for Shaq, anything stupid he does, I just chalk up to him not being the curliest fry in the combo meal, per se. Dude may look like a dolphin, but by no means is he as smart as one. I know plenty dudes who play basketball for their respective schools, & not one of them is a math whiz. Or english, science or history for that matter, but again, just saying.
[tony's note: dolphins are mad smart, really though. flipper would kick lassie's ass...]
It's common knowledge that rich guys like toys. Side women, or jump-offs, are no different than a shiny new car or a ginormous television, or what have you. In a lot of cases, the toys can be detrimental. A motorcycle can kill you. A car can kill you. A woman can suck you dry-no pun intended, & drag your name through the mud like a plow mule. When cats get toys, especially real nice ones, they tend to neglect the important things. Now, in the case of inanimate objects, that don't mind the times when you walk away, that's not an issue. But, real-life, silicon/botox filled people? That becomes disastrous on several levels. What begins with wifey asking where you been, quickly becomes fancy plaything asking where are you going, & before you know it, Gloria Allred has you in the figure-four, sodomizing your bank account. Maybe it's my inner-poor person speaking, but that seems like an absolute bummer.
I rarely feel sorry for rich people, even when they're handicapped, but there's always a soft spot in my heart for a fool. When foolish behavior borders on absolute ignorance though, no dice. Even I know when to turn off the video games, & tend to my better half. I actually mean video games, that's not a euphemism.
Money can buy you brain, but it can't buy you brains...
As for these guys with assloads of dough, pause, their lives seem to be hell on wheels, floating in gasoline & nitroglycerin. One would assume that, given the opportunity to live life by one's own jurisdiction, that person would be diligent in finding peace & happiness. If a homeless man can do it, sleeping on a bus stop & eating what I throw away, surely it can be done if a man has the means to provide comfortably for himself. Now, I'm not pointing fingers, but I'm going to use two great examples. This has nothing to do with race, or profession. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
Shaquille O'Neal & Eldrick "Tiger" Woods. For all intents & purposes, these niggas are dumber than Katt Williams. For all the smarts that Eldrick seems to exude, he must not have ever read a book, watched a movie, or listened to a rap song. Otherwise, he'd know how counterproductive the wrong women can be. Especially when there's throngs of them, stroking your proverbial ball sack (pron: ego) to their benefit. I'm sure it's just the fact that guys who play Golf appear smarter than common folk, but I'm just saying. The more I watch, the more I see drunken hillbillies swinging sticks. As for Shaq, anything stupid he does, I just chalk up to him not being the curliest fry in the combo meal, per se. Dude may look like a dolphin, but by no means is he as smart as one. I know plenty dudes who play basketball for their respective schools, & not one of them is a math whiz. Or english, science or history for that matter, but again, just saying.
[tony's note: dolphins are mad smart, really though. flipper would kick lassie's ass...]
It's common knowledge that rich guys like toys. Side women, or jump-offs, are no different than a shiny new car or a ginormous television, or what have you. In a lot of cases, the toys can be detrimental. A motorcycle can kill you. A car can kill you. A woman can suck you dry-no pun intended, & drag your name through the mud like a plow mule. When cats get toys, especially real nice ones, they tend to neglect the important things. Now, in the case of inanimate objects, that don't mind the times when you walk away, that's not an issue. But, real-life, silicon/botox filled people? That becomes disastrous on several levels. What begins with wifey asking where you been, quickly becomes fancy plaything asking where are you going, & before you know it, Gloria Allred has you in the figure-four, sodomizing your bank account. Maybe it's my inner-poor person speaking, but that seems like an absolute bummer.
I rarely feel sorry for rich people, even when they're handicapped, but there's always a soft spot in my heart for a fool. When foolish behavior borders on absolute ignorance though, no dice. Even I know when to turn off the video games, & tend to my better half. I actually mean video games, that's not a euphemism.
Money can buy you brain, but it can't buy you brains...
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Barack Obama Is Blacker Than Rod Blagojevich.
"I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived, I saw it all growing up..."-Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich
"[Obama could be president because] he is light-skinned and has no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."-Nevada Democrat Harry Reid
As soon as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, I predicted an undertone of racism, but not in a bad, per se. America is a country built on race-related opinions, thoughts, & actions as well. There's no denying that. As such, I believe most denizens of the country harbor small amounts of racism that seep into daily life. Not malicious, or harmful by any stretch. In fact, it's the exact thing that both of these men showed when they spoke about the POTUG.
First & foremost, I want to point out that Black isn't a country, anywhere on the planet. This is the reason "we" refer to ourselves as African-Americans. Only in America are we Black. Any other country, we're American. Odd, no? Personally, I'm an American, of African descent. Just saying.
In theory, Blacks are supposed to act a certain way. Sad, but true. No matter how sophisticated, or educated, we're expected to have a certain amount of shuck & jive in our step. Maybe it's a slower stroll, with a slight bop every third step, maybe it's replacing "Hi" with "What's up?", or the more archaic "What's Happenin'?", perhaps we're supposed to use all those phrases that have been ingrained into society's psyche, like "saaaay whaaaat?" or "get back, jack!", or maybe we're supposed to refer to each other as "home slice" & "cool breeze", kna'mean, my brutha? Not to mention the ability to rap & tap dance is a trait we inherit at birth, & should showcase those talents as often as possible. Maybe if President Obama busted a rhyme for the cameras at his inauguration, people would respect his blactivity a little more.
I've always been amused at the reasoning behind Bill Clinton being labeled our "first Black President". Why, because he ate at McDonalds-which targets lower class minority communities, plays a musical instrument for all to see, & has an affinity for sexual deviance? Sadly, yes, those are the reasons.
As a result of them being as woven into American culture as the scent of apple pie, stereotypes don't really bother me. & honestly, I don't think White people can jump or dance. & don't show me Larry Bird or Justin Timberlake, because I never saw Bird dunk, & Justin is an anomaly. Michael Jackson envy will do that to a person. As for Barry O. (a term I first heard from a White reporter...hmmm), he doesn't live up to the stereotypical requirements of being a Black man in America. Aside from the fact that his dad ran off, he's noticeably intelligent & articulate, which doesn't translate to traditional Black persona. What the hell ever. It's like, as a kid, my father was a stickler for proper grammar, my grandfather as well. So, I pronounced & enunciated as I was taught. But, to the kids who didn't have that responsibility, I was less than Black. Often teased. I knew better than to think I was "actin' White", but it did bother me from time to time. Not much though. I'm sure Barack feels the same way. It's like one of those back-handed compliments, like "Oh, she has a nice personality...", or "You're cute for a big girl."
I'd bet money that a fair percentage of voters voted for Barack because he is Black, but not in the "I have a dream" sense. More the, "Black people are cool" aesthetic. Those people are dumb, if that's the case. They must not have heard that gay is the new Black. & Middle-eastern is the new gay. They probably would've done well to watch some more television before they voted.
[tony's note: sorry, I couldn't think of any gay, middle-eastern dudes to use an example of who those type of toolbags should've voted for...]
America needs to take off the jiggaboo-tinted glasses they watch Barack through, really though. Let the record show that he is the quintessential Black man. An American of African descent, who assumes responsibility & takes charge, of his family & beyond. I may not agree with all his political actions, but like it or not, we voted for the man we thought would fufill his agreement. I, for one, believe that by the end of his tenure, he will have achieved & overcome many of his targeted areas. But, that's neither here nor there. I proudly claim that half of who (secretly) smokes Newports & loves to play basketball. For every story that the media circulates that illustrates "the Black man" in a negative light, there's 5 stories that shine light on Barack. Through the muck & mire of political warfare, there's a Black man who, with his wife & daughters by his side, stands tall, even after attempted character assassination. You can't put a color, or a race, on that type of resilience.
Hey Rod, don't you have some pressing legal issues to be more worried about? Just asking.
"[Obama could be president because] he is light-skinned and has no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."-Nevada Democrat Harry Reid
As soon as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, I predicted an undertone of racism, but not in a bad, per se. America is a country built on race-related opinions, thoughts, & actions as well. There's no denying that. As such, I believe most denizens of the country harbor small amounts of racism that seep into daily life. Not malicious, or harmful by any stretch. In fact, it's the exact thing that both of these men showed when they spoke about the POTUG.
First & foremost, I want to point out that Black isn't a country, anywhere on the planet. This is the reason "we" refer to ourselves as African-Americans. Only in America are we Black. Any other country, we're American. Odd, no? Personally, I'm an American, of African descent. Just saying.
In theory, Blacks are supposed to act a certain way. Sad, but true. No matter how sophisticated, or educated, we're expected to have a certain amount of shuck & jive in our step. Maybe it's a slower stroll, with a slight bop every third step, maybe it's replacing "Hi" with "What's up?", or the more archaic "What's Happenin'?", perhaps we're supposed to use all those phrases that have been ingrained into society's psyche, like "saaaay whaaaat?" or "get back, jack!", or maybe we're supposed to refer to each other as "home slice" & "cool breeze", kna'mean, my brutha? Not to mention the ability to rap & tap dance is a trait we inherit at birth, & should showcase those talents as often as possible. Maybe if President Obama busted a rhyme for the cameras at his inauguration, people would respect his blactivity a little more.
I've always been amused at the reasoning behind Bill Clinton being labeled our "first Black President". Why, because he ate at McDonalds-which targets lower class minority communities, plays a musical instrument for all to see, & has an affinity for sexual deviance? Sadly, yes, those are the reasons.
As a result of them being as woven into American culture as the scent of apple pie, stereotypes don't really bother me. & honestly, I don't think White people can jump or dance. & don't show me Larry Bird or Justin Timberlake, because I never saw Bird dunk, & Justin is an anomaly. Michael Jackson envy will do that to a person. As for Barry O. (a term I first heard from a White reporter...hmmm), he doesn't live up to the stereotypical requirements of being a Black man in America. Aside from the fact that his dad ran off, he's noticeably intelligent & articulate, which doesn't translate to traditional Black persona. What the hell ever. It's like, as a kid, my father was a stickler for proper grammar, my grandfather as well. So, I pronounced & enunciated as I was taught. But, to the kids who didn't have that responsibility, I was less than Black. Often teased. I knew better than to think I was "actin' White", but it did bother me from time to time. Not much though. I'm sure Barack feels the same way. It's like one of those back-handed compliments, like "Oh, she has a nice personality...", or "You're cute for a big girl."
I'd bet money that a fair percentage of voters voted for Barack because he is Black, but not in the "I have a dream" sense. More the, "Black people are cool" aesthetic. Those people are dumb, if that's the case. They must not have heard that gay is the new Black. & Middle-eastern is the new gay. They probably would've done well to watch some more television before they voted.
[tony's note: sorry, I couldn't think of any gay, middle-eastern dudes to use an example of who those type of toolbags should've voted for...]
America needs to take off the jiggaboo-tinted glasses they watch Barack through, really though. Let the record show that he is the quintessential Black man. An American of African descent, who assumes responsibility & takes charge, of his family & beyond. I may not agree with all his political actions, but like it or not, we voted for the man we thought would fufill his agreement. I, for one, believe that by the end of his tenure, he will have achieved & overcome many of his targeted areas. But, that's neither here nor there. I proudly claim that half of who (secretly) smokes Newports & loves to play basketball. For every story that the media circulates that illustrates "the Black man" in a negative light, there's 5 stories that shine light on Barack. Through the muck & mire of political warfare, there's a Black man who, with his wife & daughters by his side, stands tall, even after attempted character assassination. You can't put a color, or a race, on that type of resilience.
Hey Rod, don't you have some pressing legal issues to be more worried about? Just asking.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Lloyd Banks Clan Aint Nuttin' Ta Fuck Wit!
"Rapper Lloyd Banks and three associates were arrested in Ontario, Canada this weekend for assaulting a promoter. According to reports, Banks and the three other men assaulted Hines in a hotel room near Kitchener, when Hines reportedly refused to pay Banks for the performance. Banks was allegedly late to the venue and only performed one song and walked off the stage, further inciting an already agitated crowd. The four men will be charged with assault, robbery and forced confinement."-AllHipHop.com
Canada must be way more hardbody than we give it credit for. Remind me to go back & listen to see if DJ Quik said it was 'Jus Lyke Compton.' Maybe they just don't like Americans, & all that weed smoke in the air has created a society with no inhibitions, thusly, rappers get shit thrown at them on stage, prostitution is legal, etc. Personally, I wouldn't fuck around in a place where the cops ride horses, moose-shooting is a pastime, & hockey is the most popular sport. Where else do they let you beat the hell out of each other, sit down & rest as a "penalty", only to come back with a stick & an even worse disposition? Mayweather's playing around with this supposed Pac-man fight, when he should be trying out for the Toronto Maple Leaf's, really though. Although, thanks to Gilbert Arenas, the NBA is slowly making it's way back up the totem pole of gulliness. No shots-pun intended.
After all the verbiage thrown his way, you'd think Lloyd Banks would've staked out every Arby's below the Mason-Dixon by now, in hopes of running across Rick Ross the rapper, or every dope spot, on the chance that Young Buck may be trolling in or out. No dice. I don't condone violence, but once Ross the rapper put it out there that Banks was a gay porn star, & videos emerged of a dude that really did look a lot like him humping another man in the keister, I'da had to run up on homie. Even if it meant cutting my knuckles to the white meat on bulletproof beard. But that's not the point...
[tony's note: the gay, lloyd banks-look-alike-porn star took his new found fame, & released a rap song. that was an awkward, but smart move. just saying...]
The point is that, these rappers kill me with the way they handle their business. If I didn't sell a whole hell of a lot of records, & yet people still wanted to pay me to perform, there's no way on Earth I'd be late. Maybe I'm the silly one for thinking "rapping" is a legitimate job. There was nothing between a dwindling Lloyd Banks & his pay day but air & opportunity. That's like, all I have to eat at home is Cup O' Noodles, & Wienerschnitzel's is offering me all-you-can eat corn dogs as long as I eat them there, for people to see me. No question; corn dogs, FTW! & if I was late for the wiener buffet, pause, I can't be mad at the manager, much less have my weed carriers stomp him out. I would've politely asked for an extra large chili fries, with onions, & went on about my merry way.
You know Hip Hop is getting disrespectful when the weed carrier's weed carriers are handing out ass whippings.
At the least, Banks could've just got at the man one-on-one, with carriers on stand-by, so if he started losing, they could've stepped in & minimalized the damage. Makes sense to me. But then again, I'm not a rapper. At the most, Judge Mathis seems to be a pretty fair cat. He could've took dude on the show to sue him, got his money plus extra compensation, AND been on T.V. Instead, the niggas in jail, with his crew in tow. & the lawsuit shoe will most definitely be on the other foot now.
I sort of feel sorry for Banks, because as talented as he is, he never fully reached his potential. I'm sure standing behind 50 Cent in all the promo shots, & doing his ad-libs at every performance sounded like a good idea at first. Now it's probably clear that such a "career" move may have stifled him a bit. This whole episode reeks of a bitter rapper & his band of henchmen taking out their hunger pangs on a man that's just trying to make an honest buck. I would argue that his arrest might help him realize that being a rap cat doesn't make one above the law, but apparently rappers think going to jail is good for publicity these days, so, yeah. For all we know, the promoter guy may have been ready to work out an agreement with Banks, & Banks, needing a popularity boost, screamed "G-G-G-G-G-G-Unit!" at the top of his lungs & chopped him in the throat. Rappers seem to have a backwards sense of productivity these days. Even the irrelevant ones.
Without Interscope on his back, Lloyd is free to make major moves, & he's arguably one of the better free agents out there right now. Assuming this case goes to trial, & he faces time behind bars, this is the perfect time to drop that new mixtape. Jail time is the new magazine advertisement, & I wouldn't put it past Lloyd to have done this shit on purpose, word to Gucci Mane.
Canada must be way more hardbody than we give it credit for. Remind me to go back & listen to see if DJ Quik said it was 'Jus Lyke Compton.' Maybe they just don't like Americans, & all that weed smoke in the air has created a society with no inhibitions, thusly, rappers get shit thrown at them on stage, prostitution is legal, etc. Personally, I wouldn't fuck around in a place where the cops ride horses, moose-shooting is a pastime, & hockey is the most popular sport. Where else do they let you beat the hell out of each other, sit down & rest as a "penalty", only to come back with a stick & an even worse disposition? Mayweather's playing around with this supposed Pac-man fight, when he should be trying out for the Toronto Maple Leaf's, really though. Although, thanks to Gilbert Arenas, the NBA is slowly making it's way back up the totem pole of gulliness. No shots-pun intended.
After all the verbiage thrown his way, you'd think Lloyd Banks would've staked out every Arby's below the Mason-Dixon by now, in hopes of running across Rick Ross the rapper, or every dope spot, on the chance that Young Buck may be trolling in or out. No dice. I don't condone violence, but once Ross the rapper put it out there that Banks was a gay porn star, & videos emerged of a dude that really did look a lot like him humping another man in the keister, I'da had to run up on homie. Even if it meant cutting my knuckles to the white meat on bulletproof beard. But that's not the point...
[tony's note: the gay, lloyd banks-look-alike-porn star took his new found fame, & released a rap song. that was an awkward, but smart move. just saying...]
The point is that, these rappers kill me with the way they handle their business. If I didn't sell a whole hell of a lot of records, & yet people still wanted to pay me to perform, there's no way on Earth I'd be late. Maybe I'm the silly one for thinking "rapping" is a legitimate job. There was nothing between a dwindling Lloyd Banks & his pay day but air & opportunity. That's like, all I have to eat at home is Cup O' Noodles, & Wienerschnitzel's is offering me all-you-can eat corn dogs as long as I eat them there, for people to see me. No question; corn dogs, FTW! & if I was late for the wiener buffet, pause, I can't be mad at the manager, much less have my weed carriers stomp him out. I would've politely asked for an extra large chili fries, with onions, & went on about my merry way.
You know Hip Hop is getting disrespectful when the weed carrier's weed carriers are handing out ass whippings.
At the least, Banks could've just got at the man one-on-one, with carriers on stand-by, so if he started losing, they could've stepped in & minimalized the damage. Makes sense to me. But then again, I'm not a rapper. At the most, Judge Mathis seems to be a pretty fair cat. He could've took dude on the show to sue him, got his money plus extra compensation, AND been on T.V. Instead, the niggas in jail, with his crew in tow. & the lawsuit shoe will most definitely be on the other foot now.
I sort of feel sorry for Banks, because as talented as he is, he never fully reached his potential. I'm sure standing behind 50 Cent in all the promo shots, & doing his ad-libs at every performance sounded like a good idea at first. Now it's probably clear that such a "career" move may have stifled him a bit. This whole episode reeks of a bitter rapper & his band of henchmen taking out their hunger pangs on a man that's just trying to make an honest buck. I would argue that his arrest might help him realize that being a rap cat doesn't make one above the law, but apparently rappers think going to jail is good for publicity these days, so, yeah. For all we know, the promoter guy may have been ready to work out an agreement with Banks, & Banks, needing a popularity boost, screamed "G-G-G-G-G-G-Unit!" at the top of his lungs & chopped him in the throat. Rappers seem to have a backwards sense of productivity these days. Even the irrelevant ones.
Without Interscope on his back, Lloyd is free to make major moves, & he's arguably one of the better free agents out there right now. Assuming this case goes to trial, & he faces time behind bars, this is the perfect time to drop that new mixtape. Jail time is the new magazine advertisement, & I wouldn't put it past Lloyd to have done this shit on purpose, word to Gucci Mane.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Hi. My name is Tony.
"Prosecutors are prepared to indict Michael Jackson's doctor for involuntary manslaughter in the death of the pop star, ABC News has learned. Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas-based cardiologist who was with Jackson when the pop singer died after receiving a lethal cocktail of painkillers and anesthetics June 25, has long been the focus of a homicide investigation."-via ABCnews.com
I don't claim to be an expert in a lot of things in life. A few things, I just know a lot of stuff about, other things I know enough to sprinkle some big words around & appear like I know more than I actually do, & sometimes, I'm just smart enough to know when to shut the hell up, & soak up some knowledge. More people should learn that "shut up & soak" method. I'm positive the world would be a much better place. Funny thing about that though is, the older I get, the more I learn, & the more I learn, the more I see that I don't really know a whole hell of a lot about anything. Go figure. Then again, I've heard that a wise man knows that in actuality, he doesn't know shit. & that, in essence, makes him wiser than most. So, yeah.
Unfortunately, if I had to say I had any actual field of expertise, it would be in addiction. Mine was one of alcohol, but I learned in rehab & therapy that addiction knows no preference. Crack, heroin, crystal meth, beer, it's all the same to addiction. It doesn't base it's target on any specific attributes. It's very flexible & open-ended, like bisexuality. No shots. Addiction is a disease, like AIDS. & I mean that as in, you may or may not be born with it, but once you've got it, only with tender care & education can it be controlled. If you treat it with cavalier abandon, it will destroy you.
[tony's note: im not comparing anything to aids, because that's in a horrible class by itself. god bless anyone who's had to deal with it. that was just for illustration purposes...]
Of course, there are those who seem to magically alleviate the disease, like Earvin Johnson appears to have done with "The Monster," but those people are far & few between. For the most part, it's a sickness that must be treated as soon as the symptom's re-occur. Like a psychological herpes outbreak, except it can kill you.
Now, pardon me as I do a little character assassination. The faint of heart my want to close their eyes. Michael Jackson was a drug addict. I know drug addicts. I'm related to drug addicts. I'm an alcohol addict. Hell, I know quite a few people addicted to food. Point is, the symptoms are the same, & one addict can see another one a mile away. I remember in my rehab classes, the majority of us were alcoholics. I was the worst off, with mild cirrohsis, pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, & a host of other ailments that tried their hardest to murder me. The other booze hounds were a lighter grade of addict, & for all intents & purposes, you wouldn't know they drank constantly. Except for one lady who was dark pink; a shade of pink that says she probably poured wine in her breakfast cereal. Aside from us bottle jockeys, there were a few crackheads, & one dude who was obviously riding the "white horse." No bullshit, the first day he came is, he admitted he'd been snorting cocaine all night, & fell asleep in the middle of talking. Snoring & all. I've never seen a person do that. After about 5 seconds of sounding like he was choking on his tongue, he opened his eyes, pulled on his nose, & kept talking. Even our counselor roffled. One guy had a gambling problem, but he was mostly there on a court mandate for drug trafficking. His twin brother was there too, but it was because he smoked way too much weed. Niggas call themselves potheads? No dice. This guy was a pothead. He was basically a cartoon character with flesh. There was this real cool little Asian dude who was in there for huffing. Huffing is inhaling man-made chemicals like paints, cleaners, or solvents. His choice was computer keyboard cleaner. Dude passed out & hit his head on the computer he was supposed to be cleaning one day. That's how his girlfriend found out about his problem, & she threatened to leave him if he didn't get help. He thought the whole ordeal was humorous. & so did we. Funny thing about honest addicts; we laugh at ourselves. When we're away from the judgment of the "normies," & alone with others who understand us, man, that shit's fucking beautiful. It's just horrible that we all develop such intimate relationships behind such atrocious circumstances. Believe me when I say, some of the coolest people I've come across in my life were addicts.
Of about 25 people who were there my entire nine month stint, I'd say 5 relapsed, 2 just never came back, & the others, like me, were determined not to let this addiction get the best of us. I couldn't have left if I wanted, because my legs were painfully swollen due to bodily fluid distribution as a result of my blood transfusion & salt intake, liver swelling, or something like that, & I needed a walker to get around. Yeah, the kid was down for the count. But, unlike a lot of addicts, being so close to death really gave me a renewed outlook on what was important. I'd given over a decade of my life to hardcore, care-free liquor consumption, & fuck that shit. What kind of a punk would I be to die from alcoholism? I'm not saying I'm a punk for having a problem. I'm saying I'd be a punk for laying down & giving up on myself. My wife. My kids. Nah, fuck that shit.
After I was released from the hospital, & started regaining my health, life was a brand new experience. Literally, I left Kaiser a completely different man. I appreciated everything. My first dip back into reality, & off of the "pink cloud" (google that), was when I'd learned, from my wife, that my mother had pulled her to the side, at some point during my hospitalization, & blamed her for my drinking. Wow. I hadn't been mad like that in years. I didn't know the meaning of the word 'livid' until I was livid. How the fuck is she blaming anybody? If she wanted to lay blame, real type, she should've started in the mirror, but that's a post for another day.
There wasn't one single, solitary time in my addiction that anyone made me drink. Unless you count Satan, because we should all know by now that he has the whole world in his hands. Even still, it was my choice, my doing, & I'd never cop out to blaming someone else. Had I died in that hospital bed, like the doctors had told me I probably would, it would have been completely my fault. Granted, most of the individuals in my immediate circle didn't try & stop me, but that had more to do with me being so adamant about drowning my liver in the sauce that they let me be, rather than argue with a lethargic, incoherent fool. The further I sank into my depression, as the disease accelerated, I'd blame myself in various, inexplicable ways (another post, I promise), but never would I stoop to a level of unfiltered cowardice, & blame anyone else.
Conrad Murray, while he was wrong for helping, is not to blame for the mental shortcomings of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was addicted to various substances before he even meet Dr. Murray. Just because he was the "King of Pop" doesn't warrant a witch hunt. That's bullshit. Even if Murray administered the last amount of drugs that ultimately killed Michael Jackson, he didn't wander into Jackson's home, off of the street, & attack him with a needle. Michael opened that window long ago, when whatever bothered him got so bad that he needed unnatural disconnect to make it better. I speak from experience. For this man to be the fall guy is absurd, especially with Mike being a 50 year old rich dude, more than capable of making his own decisions. If he was cognizant enough to tell Dr. Murray what drugs he needed, he was also cognitive enough to tell someone that he needed help. Really though.
On April 1, it will have been 2 years since I've had a drink. Hooray for me!
I don't claim to be an expert in a lot of things in life. A few things, I just know a lot of stuff about, other things I know enough to sprinkle some big words around & appear like I know more than I actually do, & sometimes, I'm just smart enough to know when to shut the hell up, & soak up some knowledge. More people should learn that "shut up & soak" method. I'm positive the world would be a much better place. Funny thing about that though is, the older I get, the more I learn, & the more I learn, the more I see that I don't really know a whole hell of a lot about anything. Go figure. Then again, I've heard that a wise man knows that in actuality, he doesn't know shit. & that, in essence, makes him wiser than most. So, yeah.
Unfortunately, if I had to say I had any actual field of expertise, it would be in addiction. Mine was one of alcohol, but I learned in rehab & therapy that addiction knows no preference. Crack, heroin, crystal meth, beer, it's all the same to addiction. It doesn't base it's target on any specific attributes. It's very flexible & open-ended, like bisexuality. No shots. Addiction is a disease, like AIDS. & I mean that as in, you may or may not be born with it, but once you've got it, only with tender care & education can it be controlled. If you treat it with cavalier abandon, it will destroy you.
[tony's note: im not comparing anything to aids, because that's in a horrible class by itself. god bless anyone who's had to deal with it. that was just for illustration purposes...]
Of course, there are those who seem to magically alleviate the disease, like Earvin Johnson appears to have done with "The Monster," but those people are far & few between. For the most part, it's a sickness that must be treated as soon as the symptom's re-occur. Like a psychological herpes outbreak, except it can kill you.
Now, pardon me as I do a little character assassination. The faint of heart my want to close their eyes. Michael Jackson was a drug addict. I know drug addicts. I'm related to drug addicts. I'm an alcohol addict. Hell, I know quite a few people addicted to food. Point is, the symptoms are the same, & one addict can see another one a mile away. I remember in my rehab classes, the majority of us were alcoholics. I was the worst off, with mild cirrohsis, pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, & a host of other ailments that tried their hardest to murder me. The other booze hounds were a lighter grade of addict, & for all intents & purposes, you wouldn't know they drank constantly. Except for one lady who was dark pink; a shade of pink that says she probably poured wine in her breakfast cereal. Aside from us bottle jockeys, there were a few crackheads, & one dude who was obviously riding the "white horse." No bullshit, the first day he came is, he admitted he'd been snorting cocaine all night, & fell asleep in the middle of talking. Snoring & all. I've never seen a person do that. After about 5 seconds of sounding like he was choking on his tongue, he opened his eyes, pulled on his nose, & kept talking. Even our counselor roffled. One guy had a gambling problem, but he was mostly there on a court mandate for drug trafficking. His twin brother was there too, but it was because he smoked way too much weed. Niggas call themselves potheads? No dice. This guy was a pothead. He was basically a cartoon character with flesh. There was this real cool little Asian dude who was in there for huffing. Huffing is inhaling man-made chemicals like paints, cleaners, or solvents. His choice was computer keyboard cleaner. Dude passed out & hit his head on the computer he was supposed to be cleaning one day. That's how his girlfriend found out about his problem, & she threatened to leave him if he didn't get help. He thought the whole ordeal was humorous. & so did we. Funny thing about honest addicts; we laugh at ourselves. When we're away from the judgment of the "normies," & alone with others who understand us, man, that shit's fucking beautiful. It's just horrible that we all develop such intimate relationships behind such atrocious circumstances. Believe me when I say, some of the coolest people I've come across in my life were addicts.
Of about 25 people who were there my entire nine month stint, I'd say 5 relapsed, 2 just never came back, & the others, like me, were determined not to let this addiction get the best of us. I couldn't have left if I wanted, because my legs were painfully swollen due to bodily fluid distribution as a result of my blood transfusion & salt intake, liver swelling, or something like that, & I needed a walker to get around. Yeah, the kid was down for the count. But, unlike a lot of addicts, being so close to death really gave me a renewed outlook on what was important. I'd given over a decade of my life to hardcore, care-free liquor consumption, & fuck that shit. What kind of a punk would I be to die from alcoholism? I'm not saying I'm a punk for having a problem. I'm saying I'd be a punk for laying down & giving up on myself. My wife. My kids. Nah, fuck that shit.
After I was released from the hospital, & started regaining my health, life was a brand new experience. Literally, I left Kaiser a completely different man. I appreciated everything. My first dip back into reality, & off of the "pink cloud" (google that), was when I'd learned, from my wife, that my mother had pulled her to the side, at some point during my hospitalization, & blamed her for my drinking. Wow. I hadn't been mad like that in years. I didn't know the meaning of the word 'livid' until I was livid. How the fuck is she blaming anybody? If she wanted to lay blame, real type, she should've started in the mirror, but that's a post for another day.
There wasn't one single, solitary time in my addiction that anyone made me drink. Unless you count Satan, because we should all know by now that he has the whole world in his hands. Even still, it was my choice, my doing, & I'd never cop out to blaming someone else. Had I died in that hospital bed, like the doctors had told me I probably would, it would have been completely my fault. Granted, most of the individuals in my immediate circle didn't try & stop me, but that had more to do with me being so adamant about drowning my liver in the sauce that they let me be, rather than argue with a lethargic, incoherent fool. The further I sank into my depression, as the disease accelerated, I'd blame myself in various, inexplicable ways (another post, I promise), but never would I stoop to a level of unfiltered cowardice, & blame anyone else.
Conrad Murray, while he was wrong for helping, is not to blame for the mental shortcomings of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was addicted to various substances before he even meet Dr. Murray. Just because he was the "King of Pop" doesn't warrant a witch hunt. That's bullshit. Even if Murray administered the last amount of drugs that ultimately killed Michael Jackson, he didn't wander into Jackson's home, off of the street, & attack him with a needle. Michael opened that window long ago, when whatever bothered him got so bad that he needed unnatural disconnect to make it better. I speak from experience. For this man to be the fall guy is absurd, especially with Mike being a 50 year old rich dude, more than capable of making his own decisions. If he was cognizant enough to tell Dr. Murray what drugs he needed, he was also cognitive enough to tell someone that he needed help. Really though.
On April 1, it will have been 2 years since I've had a drink. Hooray for me!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Farewell, 50...
I'm undeniably, unapologetically a 50 Cent fan. When I say "fan", I don't mean I like his latest album, or enjoy his Internet antics. I mean I listen to his music, almost daily. & not in the "I might pull up his joints on the i-Pod sometimes" sense, I mean all of my ring tones on the Blackberry are set to 50 songs, really though. In fact, when you leave your comment (stop lurking & holler at your boy!), 'Window Shopper' will blare from my hip to alert me. He may have been the most pivotal rapper of the decade. Hate me if you will, but I stand firm on my ground. Before you get your fingers ready to dig my proverbial comment section grave site, let me make myself clear.
Dude's lyrics, meh at best. His beat selection has gotten progressively more mediocre with each studio album's release, from 'The Massacre', to 'BISD'. He flosses to much. He literally rode the "street credibility" wagon until the wheels fell off, then watched them bounce off into the sunset. He treats most people like shit, in front of an audience. He doesn't do any of his music for the betterment of Hip Hop, or rap music in general, for that matter. For all intents and purposes, he's the biggest Douche in entertainment since Spencer Pratt was on that "I'm a celebrity!" game show with John Salley. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you why I think he's awesome.
50 cent, according to General Combat Jack, never set out to be a rapper. It was bigger than that, deeper than rap (no pun intended & [||]). He decided long ago that he wanted to take over the industry. That's forward thinking, beyond setting Billboard chart goals and plans on moving units through Soundscan. Which was probably why he attacked the streets with his mixtapes first & foremost, which guaranteed that his key demographic would have his shit meet them where it should; the streets. This man may possibly be the reason for record companies no longer really needing A&R's. Granted, the position still exists, but the glamour once attached is no more. The 'Net is the new A&R. Obviously Curtis Jackson wasn't the first dude to use this grass roots platform to boost his celebrity, but he worked it like a fat girl in hooker boots. Before cats were bumping 'Wanksta', cats were bumping 'Wanksta', if you smell my cologne.
No matter what battles have ensued throughout the years, Curtis Jackson gave new meaning to the word "beef". He made it a viable marketing tool. He turned it into a weapon. He made it a reason to tune in to the 'Nets. Hell, he might even be the driving force behind e-thuggery reaching meteoric heights in the last couple of years. No longer was it battles on wax, punch lines, & mild discrediting. Thanks to F-50, it became skeleton exposure, video footage, court papers, & character assassination that we haven't seen since the 1960's. Not that it was/is a good look for the culture, but let's give credit where it's due. I learned in 2nd grade; if you're going to be an asshole, you might as well go balls out. Like swimming trunks with no underwear. I'm one of those who say he didn't "end" Ja Rule's career, per se, but when was the last time Jeffrey Atkins made you dance? Just saying.
Curtis Jackson's last offering, 'Before I Self Destruct' was a very important album. Not lyrically, because in all honesty, his first and best album, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'', even contained meager rhymes with the occasional cool verse. We were willing to over look that short-coming due to his vivid story telling, brute honesty, and trunk-rattle factor, but if an acapella version of 'GRODT' had been given away to the public, I imagine the Frisbee industry would've faced a large decrease in stock value. Even still, 50 Cent changed the game. Where the west coast fizzled, after Suge Knight sabotaged an entire coastline of music, 50, from Queens, New York, did what many artists, regardless of region or race, could not do--revive gangsta rap. It was the veritable height of Hip Hop glamour and glitz when Curtis stepped out with 'How To Rob An Industry Nigga', and thus hardcore street music was back on the rise. Coast to coast, niggas tossed their shiny shirts and expensive eye wear to the side for thigh length white t-shirts, wave caps and eye-covering fitted hats. Grimey was back in style. This was before emo-rap brought emotion & semi-sensitivity back to the forefront, when heartless thug life reigned supreme. And damn, it felt good to be a gangsta.
Truth be told, Tupac had to die for all of this to take place, but that's a drop for another day.
As Kanye West began to gain momentum in the early 2000's though, the (Hip Hop) world began to see that it was okay to be a normal cat. It was nothing wrong with admitting one's faults and poking fun at one's self sometimes, instead of others constantly. Just like in high school, bullies only last for a certain amount of time, before people stop taking them seriously, & start treating them realistically. Being a hoodlum was all to the good, but being nerdy was becoming cool again. What was once Carhartt and Dickies was now Gucci and Louis V. & it's not that Kanye spearheaded the movement, but he became the poster boy for the alternative Hip Hop lifestyle, and folks were feeling it. So much so, that over-sized became the "new" too small. Loud colors became the "new" white tee. Man-bags became the, well, them shits were still man-bags, but that's neither here nor there.
Fast track to 2009's release of 'Before I Self Destruct', and one would be hard pressed not to notice the amount of weight that album shouldered. More than just 50's last obligatory album for Jimmy Iovine, it marked the measuring stick for his rap career, and more importantly, the green mile march of gangsta music as we came to know it.
Although selling a modest amount of records amidst a declining recording industry, 50's album was labeled a failure by many, and wack by most. At the same time, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Drake, and Lupe Fiasco emerged victorious as the emo-rap wave washed ashore. With 50 Cent's next move in limbo, Hip Hop is now devoid of a true "bad guy", & metrosexual thugs are running this rap shit. Chances are he'll never reign atop the charts ever again, so who's the next knucklehead nigga we can love to hate, hate to love, and try to keep our kids from listening to?
Think about every movie conflict you've ever watched. In most instances, cats root for the bad guy, even if they know his demise is imminent. Hip Hop is no different. We NEED a successful, "I don't give a fuck about none of y'all"-type guy to hate on. That's the reason people drop hundreds of monies on Pit Bulls instead of majestic German Shepards. If that Pit Bull gets loose and eats someone's infant, we know he'll be euthanized, and we might get arrested, but until that day comes, we tote that motherfucking dog around like he's our best friend. American culture loves a bad guy. If not, we wouldn't have re-elected George W. Bush, & Hollywood wouldn't keep giving Samuel L. Jackson the same parts in different movies. &, when we can't find a bad guy, we make one up. Just ask Barack Obama.
50's presence in Hip Hop will surely be missed. If not for lyrics & antagonistic narcissism, then for the sheer magnitude of his asshole behavior, & the coconuts it took to be a moving target for so long. All hail the bad guy.
Farewell, 50...
Dude's lyrics, meh at best. His beat selection has gotten progressively more mediocre with each studio album's release, from 'The Massacre', to 'BISD'. He flosses to much. He literally rode the "street credibility" wagon until the wheels fell off, then watched them bounce off into the sunset. He treats most people like shit, in front of an audience. He doesn't do any of his music for the betterment of Hip Hop, or rap music in general, for that matter. For all intents and purposes, he's the biggest Douche in entertainment since Spencer Pratt was on that "I'm a celebrity!" game show with John Salley. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you why I think he's awesome.
50 cent, according to General Combat Jack, never set out to be a rapper. It was bigger than that, deeper than rap (no pun intended & [||]). He decided long ago that he wanted to take over the industry. That's forward thinking, beyond setting Billboard chart goals and plans on moving units through Soundscan. Which was probably why he attacked the streets with his mixtapes first & foremost, which guaranteed that his key demographic would have his shit meet them where it should; the streets. This man may possibly be the reason for record companies no longer really needing A&R's. Granted, the position still exists, but the glamour once attached is no more. The 'Net is the new A&R. Obviously Curtis Jackson wasn't the first dude to use this grass roots platform to boost his celebrity, but he worked it like a fat girl in hooker boots. Before cats were bumping 'Wanksta', cats were bumping 'Wanksta', if you smell my cologne.
No matter what battles have ensued throughout the years, Curtis Jackson gave new meaning to the word "beef". He made it a viable marketing tool. He turned it into a weapon. He made it a reason to tune in to the 'Nets. Hell, he might even be the driving force behind e-thuggery reaching meteoric heights in the last couple of years. No longer was it battles on wax, punch lines, & mild discrediting. Thanks to F-50, it became skeleton exposure, video footage, court papers, & character assassination that we haven't seen since the 1960's. Not that it was/is a good look for the culture, but let's give credit where it's due. I learned in 2nd grade; if you're going to be an asshole, you might as well go balls out. Like swimming trunks with no underwear. I'm one of those who say he didn't "end" Ja Rule's career, per se, but when was the last time Jeffrey Atkins made you dance? Just saying.
Curtis Jackson's last offering, 'Before I Self Destruct' was a very important album. Not lyrically, because in all honesty, his first and best album, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'', even contained meager rhymes with the occasional cool verse. We were willing to over look that short-coming due to his vivid story telling, brute honesty, and trunk-rattle factor, but if an acapella version of 'GRODT' had been given away to the public, I imagine the Frisbee industry would've faced a large decrease in stock value. Even still, 50 Cent changed the game. Where the west coast fizzled, after Suge Knight sabotaged an entire coastline of music, 50, from Queens, New York, did what many artists, regardless of region or race, could not do--revive gangsta rap. It was the veritable height of Hip Hop glamour and glitz when Curtis stepped out with 'How To Rob An Industry Nigga', and thus hardcore street music was back on the rise. Coast to coast, niggas tossed their shiny shirts and expensive eye wear to the side for thigh length white t-shirts, wave caps and eye-covering fitted hats. Grimey was back in style. This was before emo-rap brought emotion & semi-sensitivity back to the forefront, when heartless thug life reigned supreme. And damn, it felt good to be a gangsta.
Truth be told, Tupac had to die for all of this to take place, but that's a drop for another day.
As Kanye West began to gain momentum in the early 2000's though, the (Hip Hop) world began to see that it was okay to be a normal cat. It was nothing wrong with admitting one's faults and poking fun at one's self sometimes, instead of others constantly. Just like in high school, bullies only last for a certain amount of time, before people stop taking them seriously, & start treating them realistically. Being a hoodlum was all to the good, but being nerdy was becoming cool again. What was once Carhartt and Dickies was now Gucci and Louis V. & it's not that Kanye spearheaded the movement, but he became the poster boy for the alternative Hip Hop lifestyle, and folks were feeling it. So much so, that over-sized became the "new" too small. Loud colors became the "new" white tee. Man-bags became the, well, them shits were still man-bags, but that's neither here nor there.
Fast track to 2009's release of 'Before I Self Destruct', and one would be hard pressed not to notice the amount of weight that album shouldered. More than just 50's last obligatory album for Jimmy Iovine, it marked the measuring stick for his rap career, and more importantly, the green mile march of gangsta music as we came to know it.
Although selling a modest amount of records amidst a declining recording industry, 50's album was labeled a failure by many, and wack by most. At the same time, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Drake, and Lupe Fiasco emerged victorious as the emo-rap wave washed ashore. With 50 Cent's next move in limbo, Hip Hop is now devoid of a true "bad guy", & metrosexual thugs are running this rap shit. Chances are he'll never reign atop the charts ever again, so who's the next knucklehead nigga we can love to hate, hate to love, and try to keep our kids from listening to?
Think about every movie conflict you've ever watched. In most instances, cats root for the bad guy, even if they know his demise is imminent. Hip Hop is no different. We NEED a successful, "I don't give a fuck about none of y'all"-type guy to hate on. That's the reason people drop hundreds of monies on Pit Bulls instead of majestic German Shepards. If that Pit Bull gets loose and eats someone's infant, we know he'll be euthanized, and we might get arrested, but until that day comes, we tote that motherfucking dog around like he's our best friend. American culture loves a bad guy. If not, we wouldn't have re-elected George W. Bush, & Hollywood wouldn't keep giving Samuel L. Jackson the same parts in different movies. &, when we can't find a bad guy, we make one up. Just ask Barack Obama.
50's presence in Hip Hop will surely be missed. If not for lyrics & antagonistic narcissism, then for the sheer magnitude of his asshole behavior, & the coconuts it took to be a moving target for so long. All hail the bad guy.
Farewell, 50...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Playing With Fire(Power)
I like guns. Like most dudes, there's something about them that just draws my attention. Dr. Francis Cress-Welsing wrote in her book 'The Isis Papers', they're phallic, symbolic of our penises, an extension-if you will, & we know that niggas love grabbing their junk for what the reason. Perhaps that's why whenever the opportunity presents itself to take pictures holding one, authentic or not, dudes jump on it. Really though, we all have flicks holding somebody's piece, mean-mugging, praying that shit doesn't go off. Fuck a manslaughter charge. My love affair with firearms started with my grand pops. He fought in WWII, & killed a german dude, took his pistol & brought it back to the states. He presented it to my dad like a trophy of his awesomeness. My dad still has it, & I'm sure one day he'll give it to me. He probably would've given it to me years ago, but you all know, I'm barely about 2 years into my recovery, so, yeah. God forbid I relapse with an old ass gun, & decide I don't appreciate some people as much as I think I do in sobriety. So, I understand. Hell, it's not even registered in this country. Just saying.
The infamous Ray Benzino has started a rather juvenile beef with Royce the 5'9", of the group Slaughterhouse, as of last week. Now normally, a couple of grown men exchanging insults via songs & Internet footage wouldn't be a reason to look twice. I mean, that's what Hip Hop is about these days, right? Too much testosterone, with a hint of misplaced emotional outbursts, & a twinge of personal attack, thanks to Curtis Jackson & company. What makes this incident a little more special than usual, is the fact that it didn't transpire to this point over the course of, say, a few months, or after a run-in somewhere, giving both of their weed carriers a chance to hoop & holler at one another as they "shoved" rent-a-cops out of the way. On the contrary, Benzino hit up the web, & immediately started talking guns, showing guns, & made several references to niggas getting killed. Rappers tossing empty threats around is common place. We should all be used to the requisite tough-talk that goes along with the music. Royce, being a veteran MC, should know the rules. Benzino is an attention-seeker. One of those dudes who goes out of his way to be seen, if only because without a gimmick, he'd be ignored, or heckled. The type of guy who the neighborhood kids throw rocks at his car, just because. Really though, I compare a lot of rap cats behaviors to that of my 6 year old son, & it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who fares higher on the maturity scale.
Royce displayed a massive amount of nigganometry, by not only responding to a Z-list rap guy, who's been chasing fame since 1973, but doing so, on camera, while brandishing a weapon. Not just any weapon, though. A. Rocket. Launcher. I've heard about Royce's battles with alcoholism, & maybe they should let home skillet play so much 'Call Of Duty', while he's drunk off his ass. Not only is he lining himself up for numerous legal repercussions, on top of telling on himself ahead of time, like this was the movie 'Minority Report', but, is it really that serious? Worst case scenario: Benzino goes to Detroit, to confront Royce face-to-face, & Royce-feeling as though there's something to prove-LAUNCHES A ROCKET at him, clearing out 1/3 of a city block, which may or may not be rife with people. WTF? Are we so far gone as a society, that grenades & rocket launchers are the new sticks & stones?
Sure, this is America, & we have the right to bare arms, but, let's be real about what's being protected? Our lives or our manhood(s). I wonder how long before one of these moronic Hip Hop stars kills somebody, or gets killed for the sake of "keepin' it real." Truth be told, I had my money on Young Jeezy & Gucci Mane. I still haven't taken my bet off the table for that one. I miss the good ol' days when a threat of violence was just that; words spoken out of frustration. Word to Biggie, things done changed. & shame on World Star Hip Hop for being the conduit for ignorance. Niggas always yelling about how Hip Hop deserves respect, then we get on camera & point guns at the lens. Backwards hustling, indeed.
The infamous Ray Benzino has started a rather juvenile beef with Royce the 5'9", of the group Slaughterhouse, as of last week. Now normally, a couple of grown men exchanging insults via songs & Internet footage wouldn't be a reason to look twice. I mean, that's what Hip Hop is about these days, right? Too much testosterone, with a hint of misplaced emotional outbursts, & a twinge of personal attack, thanks to Curtis Jackson & company. What makes this incident a little more special than usual, is the fact that it didn't transpire to this point over the course of, say, a few months, or after a run-in somewhere, giving both of their weed carriers a chance to hoop & holler at one another as they "shoved" rent-a-cops out of the way. On the contrary, Benzino hit up the web, & immediately started talking guns, showing guns, & made several references to niggas getting killed. Rappers tossing empty threats around is common place. We should all be used to the requisite tough-talk that goes along with the music. Royce, being a veteran MC, should know the rules. Benzino is an attention-seeker. One of those dudes who goes out of his way to be seen, if only because without a gimmick, he'd be ignored, or heckled. The type of guy who the neighborhood kids throw rocks at his car, just because. Really though, I compare a lot of rap cats behaviors to that of my 6 year old son, & it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who fares higher on the maturity scale.
Royce displayed a massive amount of nigganometry, by not only responding to a Z-list rap guy, who's been chasing fame since 1973, but doing so, on camera, while brandishing a weapon. Not just any weapon, though. A. Rocket. Launcher. I've heard about Royce's battles with alcoholism, & maybe they should let home skillet play so much 'Call Of Duty', while he's drunk off his ass. Not only is he lining himself up for numerous legal repercussions, on top of telling on himself ahead of time, like this was the movie 'Minority Report', but, is it really that serious? Worst case scenario: Benzino goes to Detroit, to confront Royce face-to-face, & Royce-feeling as though there's something to prove-LAUNCHES A ROCKET at him, clearing out 1/3 of a city block, which may or may not be rife with people. WTF? Are we so far gone as a society, that grenades & rocket launchers are the new sticks & stones?
Sure, this is America, & we have the right to bare arms, but, let's be real about what's being protected? Our lives or our manhood(s). I wonder how long before one of these moronic Hip Hop stars kills somebody, or gets killed for the sake of "keepin' it real." Truth be told, I had my money on Young Jeezy & Gucci Mane. I still haven't taken my bet off the table for that one. I miss the good ol' days when a threat of violence was just that; words spoken out of frustration. Word to Biggie, things done changed. & shame on World Star Hip Hop for being the conduit for ignorance. Niggas always yelling about how Hip Hop deserves respect, then we get on camera & point guns at the lens. Backwards hustling, indeed.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Open Letter To Young Buck
::::In the blogosphere, it's our duties to spread love, & shine light, & provide commentary for all willing to partake. Simultaneously, if at all possible. My dude $ykotic Don McCaine, whom I build with heavy, like construction workers, had something to say. Why not say it here?::::::::
WTF Buck???
I’m pretty sure by now most of you have heard the 3 diss records aimed at 50 Cent by his previous weed carrier Young Buck. Although “Happy New Year”, “Steroidz”, and “Do It For Ya” will never reach the upper echelon of the Billboard charts, these songs have scathing lyrics aimed at 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. If anyone has followed the G-Unit collective lately you should know that they have heard these songs in their entirety.
So I ask, WTF Buck? Is it because you have a resentment that 50 decided to help Beanie Sigel with his situation with Jay-Z? We all know Fif likes to talk, and he clearly said during his viral campaign of promoting Before I Self Destruct that he would put your album out if it were a good album. From my perspective you just wasted 3 opportunities. The beats on these diss records are good enough to start a mixtape project to get back into the fold of things in the rap game. It’s the content that’s makes me wonder what the hell is really going on in Young Buck’s mind.
I mean wouldn’t it be easier to hop on to the bike, stay balanced, ride up to NY to 50’s office with a PowerPoint presentation? Show the man you are serious about wiping the slate clean? From the outside looking in my vision can see that all 50 wants is his tax investment. You could’ve even sweetened the deal by walking in the office with some of 50’s Power cologne on. I think you Buck, have a better advantage than Beans does of righting this wrong. To my knowledge Jay-Z doesn’t have an office in the city that everybody knows of. If all of these “B” rappers can go there and do interviews I’m pretty sure you can schedule a meeting.
And also, what is the next move Buck? Did you not forget that 50 Cent plays chess with drama? Okay I don’t expect much from Yayo, but Banks and 50? Are you thinking of rook and bishop moves Buck? Or are you stuck on pushing the pawns? Beans said he wants nothing but a conversation with Jay (and IMO, an apology for that cop calling incident in PA). 50 said he wants his money back.
What do you want Buck? A release from your G-Unit contract obligation? You’re not going to get it like this brougham. Recognition? I think more people are recognizing that you have no business savvy and minimal brain axioms to get your business in order.
Figure it out soon Buck. You know the reaction because of your actions is coming at any moment now. And oh yeah, don’t be surprised if Vanessa (XXL EIC) hollers at you for that line in “Steroidz”.
Good luck Buck.
WTF Buck???
I’m pretty sure by now most of you have heard the 3 diss records aimed at 50 Cent by his previous weed carrier Young Buck. Although “Happy New Year”, “Steroidz”, and “Do It For Ya” will never reach the upper echelon of the Billboard charts, these songs have scathing lyrics aimed at 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. If anyone has followed the G-Unit collective lately you should know that they have heard these songs in their entirety.
So I ask, WTF Buck? Is it because you have a resentment that 50 decided to help Beanie Sigel with his situation with Jay-Z? We all know Fif likes to talk, and he clearly said during his viral campaign of promoting Before I Self Destruct that he would put your album out if it were a good album. From my perspective you just wasted 3 opportunities. The beats on these diss records are good enough to start a mixtape project to get back into the fold of things in the rap game. It’s the content that’s makes me wonder what the hell is really going on in Young Buck’s mind.
I mean wouldn’t it be easier to hop on to the bike, stay balanced, ride up to NY to 50’s office with a PowerPoint presentation? Show the man you are serious about wiping the slate clean? From the outside looking in my vision can see that all 50 wants is his tax investment. You could’ve even sweetened the deal by walking in the office with some of 50’s Power cologne on. I think you Buck, have a better advantage than Beans does of righting this wrong. To my knowledge Jay-Z doesn’t have an office in the city that everybody knows of. If all of these “B” rappers can go there and do interviews I’m pretty sure you can schedule a meeting.
And also, what is the next move Buck? Did you not forget that 50 Cent plays chess with drama? Okay I don’t expect much from Yayo, but Banks and 50? Are you thinking of rook and bishop moves Buck? Or are you stuck on pushing the pawns? Beans said he wants nothing but a conversation with Jay (and IMO, an apology for that cop calling incident in PA). 50 said he wants his money back.
What do you want Buck? A release from your G-Unit contract obligation? You’re not going to get it like this brougham. Recognition? I think more people are recognizing that you have no business savvy and minimal brain axioms to get your business in order.
Figure it out soon Buck. You know the reaction because of your actions is coming at any moment now. And oh yeah, don’t be surprised if Vanessa (XXL EIC) hollers at you for that line in “Steroidz”.
Good luck Buck.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Bow Wow?!?...Wow.
I'm not really one to go in on dudes[||], unless I see them as a walking ass load of jokes (pause?), or a pathetic douche nozzle who's adamantly asking for it. But occasionally, some cats are targets for all the wrong reasons. Today is Bow Wow's turn. Plus, fuck it, he could use the publicity. I guess he knows it, too, & has aligned his "star power" with Chris Brown's. Bow Wow's effervescent mom should've told him that straddling the domestic violence poster boy would help his career about as much as naming his last album after a movie where the highlight was a hot, young Christopher Williams ([||]x1,000) getting stabbed through the hand for being light skinned (I took that as a personal slight, BTW). Oh shit, I forgot Chris Rock smoked crack in that piece! Okay, a movie where the highlight was Chris Rock smoking a rock, word to Alanis Morrissette.
Anyway...I won't say that Bow Weezy is a failure. Hell, I'm almost positive he has a watch, cuff link, or toothbrush that costs more money than I can make in a year. & that includes being a sperm donor and selling my piss to people who know I don't smoke weed anymore. But, as the big homie Ron Mexico says, money does not equate intelligence. Even when your mother's in charge of both. FTR, I liked 'Like Mike', but for the life of me, I can't name one Bow Wow song right now. I can sing Da Brat's 'Funkdafied' word for word, though. Just saying.
For some strange reason, despite missteps, bad fortune, &/or an obvious lack of any "grown folk" life direction, Big Bow Wow is still in the public eye. Blame Twitter if you must, although Myspace & FaceBook couldn't have hurt none. Probably the one aspect of Twitter that I truly can stomach is that it gives niggas something to read, & a reason to write, even if 90% of the contents are so grossly mispelled that it doesn't qualify as 'shorthand'. & judging by the majority of dogs & cats that swear by it, reading & writing really is for dumb people. Get it? & to think, I had no idea that I can see the future, like Nostradamus.
On New Year's Eve, in what I take to be an oddly humorous attempt to garner some fresh-out-the-box, 2010 publicity, Bow Wow used the reliable self-snitch machine, a/k/a Twitter, to let the world know that he's light years beyond the stupidity we came to know & love him for:
"Face numb. im whippin the lambo. Tispy as fuck. Just left @livmiami."
"I'm fucked up!!! Ohhhh damn. Y i drive the lambo. Chris might have to drive after next spot."
Apparently, young 'Shad was tweeting while drunk driving in a Lamborgini, a move that can only be pulled off by the most skilled douche nozzles. Think tying a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue, on a trampoline, while getting your sister's best friend pregnant. Yeah, like that.
&, he spelled "tipsy" wrong.
I'm at a loss for what was more saddening; the fact that he felt he had to advise all 300 of his followers that he's driving the same type of car that Rihanna's face beat up Chris Brown's fists (& career) in, or that he thought somebody actually cared. That's just a sign as to his thought process lacking the maturity needed to be the man he claims to be. Although, I guess hanging out with Omarion would make any dude feel a bit more masculine than they really are. Femininity aside though, as an adored public scapegoat, Shad should've known better. God forbid a drunken, pissed off Chris Brown had've been in the Lambo with him. A couple of flashbacks on Brown's part, & them niggas might have been tweeting between open-handed slaps to each other's mouths.
There's a pretty good chance that the majority of Bow Wow's followers are sexually confused teenage girls & impressionable young men who've been looking for father figures since their father figured it was time to blow town.
[tony's note:^^swish!! 2 points!]
Now matter how you slice it, that shit is just irresponsible. Even though he eventually apologized & deleted the original message, any possible damage was done.
"Apologize for that tweet. it was stupid and immature. not a way i want to kick my #2010 year off. i got too much good stuff lined up. my bad."
"Good stuff lined up..." Yeah, Shawty Redd had good stuff lined up too, if you smell my cologne. Even though it's hard for us adults to fathom, a lot of kids love this clown, despite the fact that he looks like the son that Lil Mama & Raja Rondo never had. Really though, Jermaine Dupri needs to step off that Black, male version of 'The View', & go back to mentoring young, misguided entertainment niggas, like he used to. Although, the last time I heard somebody say the phrase "so, so def" was on a television special about the life of Helen Keller. Actually, I would like to think he's old enough to facilitate his own post-teeny bopper career, especially if he's old enough to drive small fortunates while intoxicated. To let a virtual community know you're commiting a felony in real-time takes balls the size of dinner plates, or the same amount of stupidity that Tiger Woods had as he left his name on jump-off message centers. Either way, if it was attention he wanted, now he's got it.
Maybe he has a song coming out. Yeah, & it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who'll be doing the hook. No pun intended. Chris Brown & Bow Wow are easily the OJ Simpson & Al Cowlins of the Hip Pop universe. Damn, so many parallels to illustrate there that I'd rather just leave it up to you.
Consider it homework.
Anyway...I won't say that Bow Weezy is a failure. Hell, I'm almost positive he has a watch, cuff link, or toothbrush that costs more money than I can make in a year. & that includes being a sperm donor and selling my piss to people who know I don't smoke weed anymore. But, as the big homie Ron Mexico says, money does not equate intelligence. Even when your mother's in charge of both. FTR, I liked 'Like Mike', but for the life of me, I can't name one Bow Wow song right now. I can sing Da Brat's 'Funkdafied' word for word, though. Just saying.
For some strange reason, despite missteps, bad fortune, &/or an obvious lack of any "grown folk" life direction, Big Bow Wow is still in the public eye. Blame Twitter if you must, although Myspace & FaceBook couldn't have hurt none. Probably the one aspect of Twitter that I truly can stomach is that it gives niggas something to read, & a reason to write, even if 90% of the contents are so grossly mispelled that it doesn't qualify as 'shorthand'. & judging by the majority of dogs & cats that swear by it, reading & writing really is for dumb people. Get it? & to think, I had no idea that I can see the future, like Nostradamus.
On New Year's Eve, in what I take to be an oddly humorous attempt to garner some fresh-out-the-box, 2010 publicity, Bow Wow used the reliable self-snitch machine, a/k/a Twitter, to let the world know that he's light years beyond the stupidity we came to know & love him for:
"Face numb. im whippin the lambo. Tispy as fuck. Just left @livmiami."
"I'm fucked up!!! Ohhhh damn. Y i drive the lambo. Chris might have to drive after next spot."
Apparently, young 'Shad was tweeting while drunk driving in a Lamborgini, a move that can only be pulled off by the most skilled douche nozzles. Think tying a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue, on a trampoline, while getting your sister's best friend pregnant. Yeah, like that.
&, he spelled "tipsy" wrong.
I'm at a loss for what was more saddening; the fact that he felt he had to advise all 300 of his followers that he's driving the same type of car that Rihanna's face beat up Chris Brown's fists (& career) in, or that he thought somebody actually cared. That's just a sign as to his thought process lacking the maturity needed to be the man he claims to be. Although, I guess hanging out with Omarion would make any dude feel a bit more masculine than they really are. Femininity aside though, as an adored public scapegoat, Shad should've known better. God forbid a drunken, pissed off Chris Brown had've been in the Lambo with him. A couple of flashbacks on Brown's part, & them niggas might have been tweeting between open-handed slaps to each other's mouths.
There's a pretty good chance that the majority of Bow Wow's followers are sexually confused teenage girls & impressionable young men who've been looking for father figures since their father figured it was time to blow town.
[tony's note:^^swish!! 2 points!]
Now matter how you slice it, that shit is just irresponsible. Even though he eventually apologized & deleted the original message, any possible damage was done.
"Apologize for that tweet. it was stupid and immature. not a way i want to kick my #2010 year off. i got too much good stuff lined up. my bad."
"Good stuff lined up..." Yeah, Shawty Redd had good stuff lined up too, if you smell my cologne. Even though it's hard for us adults to fathom, a lot of kids love this clown, despite the fact that he looks like the son that Lil Mama & Raja Rondo never had. Really though, Jermaine Dupri needs to step off that Black, male version of 'The View', & go back to mentoring young, misguided entertainment niggas, like he used to. Although, the last time I heard somebody say the phrase "so, so def" was on a television special about the life of Helen Keller. Actually, I would like to think he's old enough to facilitate his own post-teeny bopper career, especially if he's old enough to drive small fortunates while intoxicated. To let a virtual community know you're commiting a felony in real-time takes balls the size of dinner plates, or the same amount of stupidity that Tiger Woods had as he left his name on jump-off message centers. Either way, if it was attention he wanted, now he's got it.
Maybe he has a song coming out. Yeah, & it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who'll be doing the hook. No pun intended. Chris Brown & Bow Wow are easily the OJ Simpson & Al Cowlins of the Hip Pop universe. Damn, so many parallels to illustrate there that I'd rather just leave it up to you.
Consider it homework.
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