The Hip Hop Thread

[RockSP]

Porter's production is his strength.

 

[Nightmare]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBQ-QRowBZg

15 seconds snippet of eminem's new "not afraid" music video

 

[KenK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBQ-QRowBZg

15 seconds snippet of eminem's new "not afraid" music video

Whole Vid's here.

I'm also liking Rah Digga's new song.

Going to see her when I go to the Spill Con in Austin.

 

[ComicChick]

Rah is back? Yay

 

[TheAQU4M4N]

Recovery defintely ****s on anything Em has done since 8 mile.

 

[Firm18]

Recovery - Eargasm.

Perfect.

 

[Bunker]

This is definitely Em's most personal album in a while. ****ing LOVING it.

 

[Nightmare]

Been hearing Recovery since last night. ****'s crazyyy, amazing.

 

[Crook]

I'm on my third listen to Recovery, initial impressions are that this is Em's most complete and focused album since TES. His last two efforts definitely seemed like he wasn't really comfortable as an artist. Encore was some lame attempt at a record while on drugs, and Relapse was proving to the hip-hop heads that he could still spit, but was full of random raps. I've never heard someone trash their work so much as he just did on this entire album ("the last two didn't count" and "f**k my last CD, that s**t is in the trash").

Recovery has a theme and an Eminem with a clear head. I think it's safe to say we can say goodbye to the SS/MM rapper, as this is clearly someone who has evolved past that. The production is nothing, NOTHING, like the Eminem of old. He's changed up the entire scale and direction of his songs. If anyone has been tired of Em for the last few years, I'd recommend checking this one out to see if he can recapture their ears again. His distinct style is spread throughout; the angry flow, the constant singing (his most in his career), the crazy multi's. But the introduction of a new production crew delivers a fresh, even melodically-inclined Eminem. This is no doubt his most mainstream friendly, yet most personal record to date.

This is the type of album I'll have to give multiple listens and a lot of time to really gauge where in his catalogue this rates as. But for the first time in a long time I feel like Eminem isn't confused anymore. He's an artist of a new-age now, and a comparison to post-Black Album Jay isn't unfounded. They're past their primes, but they haven't gone on a steep decline and instead are coasting on a comfortable pace that puts most of today's rapper to shame.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Finally listened to Recovery... that is a damn solid album.

 

[Firm18]

The great thing about this album is, that there isn't any skip-thru songs.
I don't mind his singing at all.....but, You're Never Over is just too much, the chorus is bad.

 

[Crook]

As solid as it is, I feel like there are no milestone moments on the album. There's no "Rock Bottom", "Stan", "Till I Collapse", or "Lose Yourself". The best he has here is very good, but nothing exceptional that will be remembered in a few years. I guess that's where a little of my disappointment is.

 

[Firm18]

Hmm I kinda agree, but this might be because I love every single song, and I find the whole album to be so good that I don't skip nothing. I guess time will tell.

 

[TheAQU4M4N]

after a few listens i have to say the stand out track are "25 to Life", "Love The Way You Lie", "Talkin' To Myself" and probably "So Bad"

 

[CrypticOne]

The great thing about this album is, that there isn't any skip-thru songs.
I don't mind his singing at all.....but, You're Never Over is just too much, the chorus is bad.

You're Never Over is probably my favorite track on the album. Dope.

 

[Cmill216]

So here's my problem with Drake:

Is the dude talented? Absolutely. While his wordplay isn't overly complex, and he's not much of a technical wizard, the dude can flow with the best of them. No question.

But the problem I have with this cat is that he really has absolutely nothing to say. And ultimately, it makes Thank Me Later an uneven listening experience.

Hip hop is about a specific individual struggle. An angle. But Drake doesn't have one. His entire record is devoted solely to his sudden fame, to the point that it's almost too self-aware. And it begs the question: what is this dude going to be rapping about two albums from now?

No matter how many sparse, dark backdrops the dude has on his record, the melancholy derived from his purported struggles with women feels artificial. I understand the concept of the trials and tribulations of fame, but is that really a tangible subject for your debut release? Is that really how you're going to announce yourself to the world?

You intentionally go out of your way to achieve success, and then you spend the entirety of your first record complaining about it. How does that make any sense?

At the end of the day, Drake's gonna have a great career because he can flat out ride a beat. But if he wants to attain the level of respect and status of the legends he believes he can hang with (and subsequently whine about being amongst) the dude needs to find a sense of focus outside of his surface level here and now.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Watching the video for "**** **** Stack" by Reggie Watts has me asking who this is:

 

[Colossal Spoons]

So here's my problem with Drake:

Is the dude talented? Absolutely. While his wordplay isn't overly complex, and he's not much of a technical wizard, the dude can flow with the best of them. No question.

But the problem I have with this cat is that he really has absolutely nothing to say. And ultimately, it makes Thank Me Later an uneven listening experience.

Hip hop is about a specific individual struggle. An angle. But Drake doesn't have one. His entire record is devoted solely to his sudden fame, to the point that it's almost too self-aware. And it begs the question: what is this dude going to be rapping about two albums from now?

No matter how many sparse, dark backdrops the dude has on his record, the melancholy derived from his purported struggles with women feels artificial. I understand the concept of the trials and tribulations of fame, but is that really a tangible subject for your debut release? Is that really how you're going to announce yourself to the world?

You intentionally go out of your way to achieve success, and then you spend the entirety of your first record complaining about it. How does that make any sense?

At the end of the day, Drake's gonna have a great career because he can flat out ride a beat. But if he wants to attain the level of respect and status of the legends he believes he can hang with (and subsequently whine about being amongst) the dude needs to find a sense of focus outside of his surface level here and now.

Amen. Although, you give his talent more credit than I do. Glad little homie made his paper when he did, but I'm ready for his 15 mins to be up.

Flocka!

 

[Aesop Rocks]

So I finally got around to hearing REVOFEV by Cudi.

Yeah, it's amazing.

 

[Crook]

Is the dude talented? Absolutely. While his wordplay isn't overly complex, and he's not much of a technical wizard, the dude can flow with the best of them. No question.

Well I'm most definitely going to object to this.

Dude has gone on a track with some pretty great rappers, but by no means would I ever group him with them based on his flow. Especially now. His fame has gotten to his head so bad that he doesn't even switch it up now. Listen to his freestyles or his songs, it's exactly the same. And it's not even an ill flow either! Rap a few bars, follow it up with another bar that stretches out the last word:

Everybody in my city know I run the town,
b*tches get crazy every time a n***a come arrrrooooooouuuunnddddd



His entire scheme is:

Bar 1 rhyme A
Bar 2 rhyme A
Bar 3 rhyme B
Bar 4 rhyme B

C'mon fella, this isn't the late 80s of rap. You've gotta try harder than that.

I used to f**k with Drake, but dude has gotten so corny to me now. I would not be surprised at all if he has the 50 syndrome, where he'll be hot s**t now, but simply does not have the talent or unique ability to outlast the burst of popularity.

*goes back to bumpin' Recovery*

 

[Cmill216]

Well I'm most definitely going to object to this.

Dude has gone on a track with some pretty great rappers, but by no means would I ever group him with them based on his flow. Especially now. His fame has gotten to his head so bad that he doesn't even switch it up now. Listen to his freestyles or his songs, it's exactly the same. And it's not even an ill flow either! Rap a few bars, follow it up with another bar that stretches out the last word

And I'm not gonna disagree with that. I never said the dude had diversity. But I will give him credit that when compared to most of the cats who've come up in the mainstream over the last few years, he can actually ride a beat.

I could relate to kids going straight to the league
When they recognize that you got what it takes to succeed
And that's around the time that your idols become your rivals
You make friends with Mike, but gotta AI him for your survival
Damn, I swear sports and music are so synonymous
'Cause we wanna be them, and they wanna be us

But his flaws as a lyricist are exposed for the world to see on "Light Up". Again, he rides the beat nearly flawlessly, but then you listen to Jay's verse where Jay is KILLING it metaphorically, and it's night and day:

Drake:

Yeah, and I'm just filling up this daily planner
Getting busy 'cause I'm a star, no spangled banner
Jealous dudes get to talking in their music
And I just say I wrote it for your girlfriends
Kelsey Grammar

Jay:
I ain't gotta scar yet,
You f***ing 'round with me and my dogs is far fetched

And to these n***as I'm like Windows 7
You let 'em tell it and they swear that they invented you

I once was, cool as the Fonz was,
But these bright lights turned me into a Munster

Dudes can hate on Hova all they want, and rightfully so when he puts out garbage like The Blueprint 3. But every now and then Jay drops a verse that reminds you why he deserves the legend status.

 

[Crook]

And I'm not gonna disagree with that. I never said the dude had diversity. But I will give him credit that when compared to most of the cats who've come up in the mainstream over the last few years, he can actually ride a beat.

Eh, but mainstream rappers are pretty wack for the most part, so being slightly above average in this respect is no high compliment. He has a very good ear for what makes a song, that is his biggest talent. As far as raps go though, he's exactly what he's trying to be: a poor man's Kanye/Weezy.

But his flaws as a lyricist are exposed for the world to see on "Light Up". Again, he rides the beat nearly flawlessly, but then you listen to Jay's verse where Jay is KILLING it metaphorically, and it's night and day

There's a difference with those 2 on the track. They both take on the "less is more" approach with their bars and slow delivery, but Jay is actually saying something. It confuses me how someone who cites Nas and Jay as huge influences, can be so blatantly weak with the pen.

Dudes can hate on Hova all they want, and rightfully so when he puts out garbage like The Blueprint 3. But every now and then Jay drops a verse that reminds you why he deserves the legend status.

Can you take those dudes seriously though? At this point it's straight-up hater-status to undermine Hov. People were questioning his comeback from retirement and yet he's the most relevant and popular rapper in the game as of now.

 

[bunk]

Drake is a waste of space. J Cole or Wale deserve that kind of exposure, not him.

 

[RockSP]

Drake is a waste of space. J Cole or Wale deserve that kind of exposure, not him.

"I'm on another level, I'm on top of nose bleeds"

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Drake is a waste of space. J Cole or Wale deserve that kind of exposure, not him.

Replace Wale with Jay Electronica and I'm with ya