In the past three weeks several things have happened that led me to writing this piece. The deaths of Adam “MCA” Yauch, Chuck Brown, Donna Summer and Hal Jackson are among them. It started to make me think about how these changes might subconsciously affect people from my generation given how much things have already changed in the world around us in these exponential times. I call this “Searchin’ 4 Meaning © Laster”.

The initial occurrence that led to me writing this piece was the fact the record store I’d frequented the most and for the longest time (“Looney Tunes” on Boylston St.) is closing it’s doors and relocating after 33 years in my neighborhood. I very vividly remember there being a wealth of great record stores in my immediate area and now I can count them all on one hand. I find myself walking around to this day looking at a random Qdoba, Boloco or UBurger knowing that I used to cop 60’s Canadian garage Rock from there 15 years ago. It hurts my soul and I can never shake the feeling that the world I know is slipping away one piece at a time.

The prevailing attitude is that it’s better to remove a band aid quickly as opposed to dragging out the agony. The problem is since about 1997, the past 15 years or so have resulted in so many quickfire changes that those of us that were born in the late 60’s to late 70’s and remember when the world was different might be developing some sort of syndrome or mental condition that’s yet to be discovered or named. In this relatively new exponential world change happens so rapidly there isn’t even time to assess if or how all this constant wholesale change is affecting us. And I don’t know how it possibly can’t be.

Case in point, I decided to go cop some headphones this weekend. I usually shop online for these kind of items as I can more easily browse and find exactly what I’m looking for. I instead decided to do like I did so much back in the good old days and go out physically with paper money like we oldheads used to do . Yeah, about that…

The neighborhood Best Buy is now closed and filled with trash and debris so I can’t go there. The Urban Outfitters across the street from it only had earbuds for hipsters (if you’re not a hipster your body would reject them). Newbury Comics only carries either Skullcandy or Beats By Dre’s. Even Radio Shack is loaded with mostly Beats By Dre and Skullcandy. The sad part is the specialty electronics stores I used to go to in my neighborhood before are all out of business. This also includes the music stores I used to frequent (Daddy’s Junky Music & E.U. Wurlitzer). I had to trek downtown to find a mom & pop’s store in order to just find something as simple as a pair of Sony MDR-V150’s or MDR-ZX100’s.

Here I am, a 36 year old man who knows this city better than the dead White guy who originally designed it and it took me two hours in a city where everything is 15-30 minutes away to find a place I could pay cash for some basic headphones. I was in the malls near my home earlier (Copley Place & Prudential Center) and it really hit me how quickly a shop will be replaced with another one. If you’re from the younger generation then this won’t affect you at all because it’s common to you. I’m still kinda hung up on the fact that Babbage’s doesn’t exist anymore.

The constant changes in the world and society make us want to grab onto and appreciate the things that we grew up with even more. I believe that’s the reason we oldheads in Hip Hop seem to be so in opposition to many of the new artists and producers we’re presented. Much of it is a subconscious by product of the fact almost nothing we came up with still exists in the same form or is the way we remember it anymore. Which is partly why Lupe Fiasco trying to remake “T.R.O.Y.” was met with such a resounding negative reaction by older heads, I believe.

Shit, MySpace is considered a joke now and it was popping just 5 years ago. Now imagine how I feel when I go back to my old formerly dangerous neighborhood where shit went down just 15 years ago to see a bunch of hipsters, bros and yuppies sitting in sidewalk cafes with iPads and riding down the street on longboards. I can’t rob ‘em all by myself! (I’m just kidding. I totally could). What I’m saying is these feelings of longing for the past and hatred towards the new might not just be nostalgia or an early onset mid life crisis after all.

It wasn’t until relatively recently that the scientific community discovered that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was largely responsible for the problems affecting Vietnam War veterans. It wasn’t until relatively recently that the medical community really began to fully recognize the rate of postpartum depression in mothers shortly after childbirth. What I’m saying is there’s no way that anyone around my age can be around in this era where we’re still relatively young but still feel like it’s “No Country For Old Men” outside and be completely unaffected. It might be subconscious, the exact symptoms might not all be nailed down yet but something is definitely happening to us mentally.

We are currently in a unique space. There hasn’t been this much social upheaval and change across the board since the 1960’s. What’s even stranger is that while the times were a-changin’ pretty quickly back then, they’re changing exponentially now. The same way that everyone was affected then people are (whether they’re recognizing it or not) being affected by what’s happening in the world today.

From the basic/macro level all the way on up. I spent this weekend walking around realizing that I not only couldn’t locate a Best Buy, Circuit City or a Radio Shack near me without doing a damb Google search on my iPhone but I’m only down to three local record stores. Only one of which specializes in old vinyl (Nuggets in Kenmore Square). However, there were six different Sunglass Huts in my immediate area. I’m out here searchin’ 4 meaning…

One.

One thing I’m guilty of (that infuriates my brother to no end) is watching and reading the same things over and over again. My brother doesn’t understand why I’d watch “The Social Network” every time it comes on cable. Or why I’m pissed off that I can’t stream “High Fidelity” or “Almost Famous” on Netflix. My copies of “Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” have certainly seen better days.

It’s about more than simply studying greatness, I like to watch and read certain things because of the tone, pacing and the emotion they elicit so I can drill it into my bring for an aesthetic to aspire to. I’ve done this with film and literature since I was a little kid. It’s the reason why when I was younger people didn’t get why I hated “The Goonies” and “Beetlejuice”. I preferred to watch “Apocalypse Now”, “The Deer Hunter”, “Serpico”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “Mean Streets”, “Taxi Driver” or “Full Metal Jacket” instead. I was watching them all on VHS, mind you. This was before I even had cable.

I read Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Piri Thomas, Hunter S. Thompson, Charles Bukowski, Elmore Leonard and others to give myself different goals and standards to shoot for but it often results in me either envying the words I’m reading or me doubting myself. After all, how can my words compare to theirs? I do not have the same command of the English language as the writers and journalists I admire so much. Nowhere near it.

Less than two weeks ago, there was a blackout in Boston. I passed time by reading a book called “Up South” about the Great Migration that occurred as many Black Americans migrated the the North or West up from the South to escape Jim Crow and seek out better lives. There is an excerpt written by Richard Wright in it called “American Hunger” about Wright moving to Chicago from the South while still in his 20’s from his book “Black Boy”.

These pages were written back in 1944 when Richard Wright was about my age (36). I read these 15 pages about 5 times in row while marveling at how well he could describe his emotions and feelings while being completely honest with the reader about his own faults and shortcomings at that time in his young life. He also described race relations in 1944 Chicago versus race relations in the Jim Crow South but he made things timeless so that his analogies and parallels still resonated in 2012. Did he know how good he was? I just repeated to myself “I can never be this good” but I continued reading it anyways.

It wasn’t simply a matter of being a glutton for punishment or a masochist, it’s more to remind myself to never lose sight of why I write. To not appeal to the lower common denominator but to strive for greatness. To ask myself if I shamed the brilliant writers that came before me by not at least trying to continue to follow their shining examples. I needn’t worry about trying to imitate them because that’s damn near impossible. I can carry their spirit within me and emulate them to a point but there’s no way I can do anything else. I simultaneously realize that it’s alright I’m not as great as they are and that I can be great in my own right by just using my voice and writing the best possible way I know how to.

Whenever I talk to my younger brother about screenwriting and dialogue I always show him examples of quantum leaps in modern film dialogue. I begin with Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs”, “Pulp Fiction” and “Jackie Brown” or Kevin Smith’s “Clerks”, “Mallrats” and “Chasing Amy”. That 5 year stretch from 1992 to 1997 forever changed the way people approached film dialogue and the way it affected the pacing of film. Watch Christopher McQuarrie’s classics “The Usual Suspects” and “The Way Of The Gun” for proof. One was made during the sea change and the other was made after the game had changed.

I make it a point to watch certain films such as “Sleepers”, “Carlito’s Way”, “Heat”, “Do The Right Thing”, “Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels”, “Snatch”, “Malcolm X”, “Walk The Line” and a number of others and I look for things that work much the same way I do when I read books. I often shake my head in disbelief knowing that I can’t do certain things my favorite screenwriters and directors do but I look for ways I could do things differently and what voice, perspective and spin I can bring to the table. What kind of stories can I tell the will resonate with people in the same fashion these stories do with me?

I read “Watchmen” about twice a year up until about 2010. I know that graphic novel inside and out. I know the events that were referenced in it, the original Charlton Comics characters Alan Moore used as models for his book. I first read the X-Men graphic novel “God Loves, Man Kills” back in 1982 and much like a crack addict seeks that same euphoric rush from the first time they freebased I’ve looked for graphic novels to give me the same feeling I had when I read it back when I was 6 or 7.

That being said, the next time my brother wakes up in the morning and catches me watching “Brick” for the 50th time rather than finally watching “50/50” I hope he understands that I enjoy watching things I like because they help to inspire to make or create things that hopefully others will also want to watch or read again and again. After all there is joy in repetition.

One.

Seven months ago I made the conscious decision to write about film again (or at least do a film related post). I felt that by not doing so I was omitting an element that was ever present in my previous blog (As is evident from my old series’ in Poisonous Paragraphs that I began way back in 2007) and it was needed given how much I discuss film in my regular everyday life.

In the past 6 + months I’ve seen a fair share of new or newish films via Netflix, Redbox and the internet to compile a new list consisting of 25 more cult films of the Internet Age (1996-). If you counted correctly, you’d notice that the last list actually contained 52 films rather than just 50. This time I was able to stop at 25. Why waste anymore time? Let’s get to it…

Enter The Void (2009)

The visual style of this film really resonated with many film buffs, including Kanye West who used it as inspiration for his “All Of The Lights” video. I consider this film to be a total mind fuck and is recommended for only advanced film aficionados. Otherwise you don’t absolutely need to see it. It’s hard to describe why but just take me at my word.

The Man From Nowhere (2010)

“The Man From Nowhere” was actually supposed to be on my 2011 list but due to a clerical error it was inexplicably left off. A loner befriends a young girl with a rough home life who lives in his apartment complex. Through a series of surprising events, he’s thrust into a world of violence and vengeance that he seems more than prepared for. You need to see this.

London Boulevard (2010)

A well known hood fresh out of jail comes home and doesn’t want to fall back in with his old crew. What does he do? Look for employment. He gets a job as the bodyguard of a reclusive European film star with serious anxiety problems while trying to avoid getting mixed up in any of the crap that landed him in jail in the first place. Adapted from Ken Bruen’s novel “London Boulevard”.

Hesher (2010)

“Hesher” is a unique film. It’s about a boy and his family that never recovered from an accident in which he lost his mother and a random stranger named Hesher (played by Jospeph Gordon-Levitt) who becomes a part of their lives and ultimately helps them to deal with their grief and loss by doing nothing helpful at all. You should just watch it for yourselves to see what I mean.

The Robber (2010)

This film is an adaptation of a Martin Prinz novel about an Austrian distance runner and bank robber. In this film you see a man newly released from prison live a double life of a marathon runner that seemed rehabilitated and an armed robber that just can’t stop. See what happens.

Fire In Babylon (2010)

This riveting documentary chronicles the rise of the famed West Indies Cricket Team and their dominant run that spanned more than two decades and made them the most feared cricket team on the planet. I gave zero fucks about cricket before seeing this documentary and I was still fully engaged and impressed by the sport the way they played it. Highly recommended.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Tropa De Elite 2) (2010)

The first part of “Tropa De Elite” was about Brazil’s BOPE police force and a mission to raid the favelas and slums of Rio to clear the area of violence to not embarrass the city during a papal visit in 1997. This edition focuses on the corrupt politicians and police that get a stranglehold on the city in the years following the fallout from a bungled operation. If you loved “City of God”, “City Of Men” (the series and the film), “Favela Rising” or “Tropa De Elite” then you need to see this.

The Perfect Host (2010)

David Hyde Pierce might actually be batshit insane in real life. Either that or he’s a fantastic actor. This less I tell you about the actual plot? The better. Just trust me on this…

Submarine (2010)

“Submarine” is one of those artsy, quirky British indie films. It revolves around a shy 15 year old with a crush on a girl who is worried about his parents deteriorating relationship. We watch our protagonist attempt to get the girl and keep his parents together simultaneously.

White Irish Drinkers (2010)

This is the story of what happens the night two Brooklynite brothers decide to knock over a theater the same night of a Rolling Stones concert in 1975. “White Irish Drinkers” is gritty, raw and unapologetic. Find it and see it.

Thunder Soul (2011)

This is a documentary about the legendary Kashmere Stage Band that was an entity in the 70’s, their subsequent dismantling and their reunion 30 years later to give a concert to benefit both the school and the man that brought them together. I was able to get into them thanks to Stones Throw re-issuing their music years ago so this was one music documentary I looked forward to. I was not disappointed in the least.

I Will Follow (2011)

Ava DuVernay accomplished everything that I critique Tyler Perry for failing to do with his films in “I Will Follow”. This writer/director wrote believable characters that you genuinely cared about that possessed depth while employing an ensemble cast of Black actors. I want to be like Ava DuVernay when I grow up. Highly recommended.

Meeting Evil (2011)

Luke Wilson plays an easily manipulated and weak willed man who is forced by Samuel L. Jackson’s antagonist to fight against his regular nature and become the exact opposite of the man he once was as he sleepwalked through life. At least that’s what I saw. You see it yourself and tell me different.

The Rum Diary (2011)

“The Rum Diary” is based on the Hunter S. Thompson novel/memoir of his time spent in Puerto Rico as a journalist in the late 50’s. Being that I’m huge Hunter S. Thompson fan (not that his influence on me is obvious or anything) and given the sheer amount of obstacles and red tape resulted in the delay of the film I was kind of predisposed to liking it. How about you?

Everyday Sunshine (2011)

“Everyday Sunshine” is a music documentary about the highly influential band Fishbone. Learning their origins, tumultuous history and their current struggles to stay a band in the modern music environment. If you’re into music documentaries then you should definitely seek this one out.

Red State (2011)

Kevin Smith made a film that served a powerful piece of social commentary with “Red State”. As surprising and unlikely as some events that occurred in this film may have seemed given the current anti-terror climate and the interpretation of the Patriot Act and subsequent Homeland Security guidelines and policy changes this shit could easily happen. That’s what makes it all the more engrossing. Watch it.

Take Shelter (2011)

“Take Shelter” is not the typical indie drama. You’ll watch the film and be totally engrossed and captivated from beginning to end wondering how it’s all going to shake out.

Attack The Block (2011)

I first saw this film online then I caught it on Redbox and now it’s on cable so even more people will get a chance to see it stateside. It’s a relatively simple idea that’s well executed. An alien invasion happens but it’s concentrated on a council estate’s tower block in the UK. Ultimately the invaders face formidable resistance from a group of young urban dwellers. Even though the film is low budget it don’t come across as low budget which is a testament to the special effects team. Check it out.

Warrior (2011)

Two estranged brothers, one the younger brother who just come home from a tour with the Marines and the elder is a schoolteacher and an MMA fighter by night are put on a collision course that culminates in a major MMA championship fight with much more on the line than a belt. I was taken surprise by how good this film was. One of the top 5 films of 2011 in my opinion.

The Devil’s Double (2011)

“The Devil’s Double” is a film based on the memoirs of Latif Yahia, the former body double of the sociopathic Uday Hussein. Yahia’s experiences in the House Of Hussein are made all the more sobering when you realize that they weren’t made up accounts dreamt up to scare and terrify viewers. These events actually happened. Dominic Cooper’s performance as the dual roles of Latif Yahia and the sadistic Uday Hussein has to be seen.

Pariah (2011)

Writer/director Dee Rees made “Pariah”, a story about a young woman dealing with familial and societal pressures as she struggles to become the person she is. She doesn’t want to disappoint her family but she also doesn’t want to compromise herself in the process. Between Ava DuVernay and Dee Rees hopefully there will be a resurgence in quality Black film in the coming years. One can only hope…

Drive (2011)

Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” was the best film of 2011. Hands down. No discussion. Enough has been written about it and the influence of this film will be more than apparent in the coming years. If you haven’t seen it yet then do so. If you can, try to see it on Blu-Ray as opposed to regular DVD.

The Raid AKA The Raid: Redemption (2011)

“The Raid” is one of the most dynamic Asian action films I’ve seen since Panom Yeerum AKA Tony Jaa’s “Ong Bak” first opened in Asia close to a decade ago. The film took Asia by storm and invaded the internet to the point the Sony Pictures picked up the film and they’ll put the film in theaters on March 23rd in NY and LA. It should be opening nationwide stateside this Spring but we early adopters saw it already via Asia DVD distributors and online. Watch Hollywood try to copy it.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey (2011)

I was surprised at how well made this documentary was and also surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I’d rate this documentary as inspirational as “Basquiat: The Radiant Child”, “Exit Through The Gift Shop”, “Bill Cunningham New York” or “Still Bill”. To see what Kevin Clash went through to pursue his dreams and how he inspires others to do the same today is well worth it.

1 More Hit (2012)

J-Swift’s struggles with addiction cost him everything. Let’s see if he can fight to get it back. Find it. Watch it.

One.

Today is the sixth anniversary of the passing of James Dewitt Yancey, a man widely acknowledged by many as the greatest Hip Hop producer ever. We knew him as Jay Dee and later on J Dilla to avoid confusion with contemporary Hip Hop & R&B producer Jermaine Dupri. The game hasn’t been the same since Dilla passed away. The first time it really hit me that Jay Dee was actually killing shit was 1996 when I was at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. Back then I was in radio heaven because the Baltimore/DC area had about 4 ridiculous urban radio stations including Morgan State’s station and the fallout from the signing of the Telecommunications Act hadn’t taken full effect yet.

They used to play nothing but heat and they had the habit of playing Tha Pharcyde’s “Runnin’”, “Drop” & “Y?” all back to back to back. They also played tracks from Busta Rhymes “The Coming”, De La Soul’s lead single “Stakes Is High” and album tracks from Mad Skillz “From Where???” often. If you ever perused the liner notes of these albums you may have noticed that Jay Dee’s name came up and made you say “Hold up!” on each jawn.

The release of A Tribe Called Quest “Beats, Rhymes & Life”, “Jay Dee Unreleased EP”, “The Love Movement”, Slum Village’s “Fantastic Vol. 1″, Q-Tip’s “Amplified”, The Roots’ “Things Fall Apart”, Phife Dawg’s “Ventilation: Da LP”, Slum Village’s “Fantastic Vol. 2″, Common’s “Like Water For Chocolate”, J-88 “Best Kept Secret”, Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” and several other remixes (not including numerous other notable projects and his uncredited contributions to several other seminal albums that are universally regarded as classics today) set up his foray into solo work. Now Jay Dee would show the world what he had to offer both musically and lyrically.

J Dilla finally dropped his official BBE debut LP “Welcome 2 Detroit” in February 2001. If you weren’t paying close attention to Dilla’s musical output during this pivotal time period then you missed out honestly. There’s a heartfelt and sincere reason why people were compelled enough to rock shirts that said “J Dilla Changed My Life” after he passed away.

I can’t imagine having gone the past 15+ years of my life being completely oblivious to his work. Much the same way Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Bill Withers, James Brown, Prince, Hunter S. Thompson, Piri Thomas, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, RZA and many others have changed my life by me being exposed to their art, music or writing so did James Yancey. If I had to think about it I could say without any reservation whatsoever that J Dilla DID, in fact change my life.

I’ve previously written about my days discussing Dilla’s production with my producer & DJ friends going back as far as 1996. I’ve written about how I used to cop the Jay Dee Bling 47 beat CD’s from Sandbox Automatic back in the days. I vividly remember the lukewarm reception Common’s “Electric Circus” had when it first dropped because heads thought it was “too weird” and critics thought it was too much of a sonic departure from Common’s previous output. I’ve discussed on Twitter about the time I went to cop the import vinyl of the original “Ruff Draft EP” back in 2003 and I soon realized there were five other heads there to do the same.

Then there was the megaton bomb known as Jaylib “Champion Sound” that was dropped on the masses around the same time on Stones Throw Records. I can’t recall getting into a friend’s car at any point in time between the winter of 2003 or the summer of 2004 and not hearing that album at some point during the ride. It was around this time that he’d already been established as one of the best to ever do it. I had no idea he wouldn’t be with us too much longer.

I remember seeing those first pictures of Dilla when his health started to deteriorate and being in complete shock. It still hadn’t hit me that he was in danger of not fully recovering and eventually getting back into good health until I saw footage of him doing a show in a wheelchair. He didn’t want to disappoint those that paid money to see him perform so he toughed it out rocked it anyways. That is the kind of selflessness that made his fans love him all the more.

“Donuts”, “The Shining”, the Stones Throw re-release of “Ruff Draft” and “Jay Love Japan” were all still in the works as a bed ridden Dilla would continue to make slaps up until his passing three days after his 32nd birthday. Most humans only begin to scratch the surface of their full potential in life during their 30′s and James Yancey left this mortal coil at 32 as an unadulterated musical genius. My people & I used to joke that if you wanted to make hot shit all you had to do was bite what Dilla was currently doing. We were saying this back around 2000/01, mind you…

J Dilla is hands down the most influential producer of the past 15+ years. This coming from a guy that listens to more beat tapes than any doctor, psychiatrist or record label A&R would recommend for anyone that wants to keep their sanity. The way he chopped samples, the sound and crispness of his drums, even the way he played keys on some of his tracks all stand out in my memory. The man revolutionized how many thought about music production, among these people were legendary music producers.

You can hear Dilla’s influence in hundreds of producers and beatmakers the world over today. I feel for those that never became fans of his or didn’t have the opportunity to have Dilla change their lives as well. In my line of work, I regularly encounter those that have cite him as a major influence and motivation to pursue music production.

Six years later, several posthumous Dilla projects have dropped (the new Ma Dukes endorsed project “The Rebirth Of Detroit” is forthcoming) with the exception of his 2003 MCA LP “Pay Jay” and greats such as Pete Rock, DJ Premier, DJ Scratch, Havoc, Q-Tip, Questlove and Nottz regard him as the greatest Hip Hop producer ever. All I know is had I never heard James Yancey’s music I definitely wouldn’t be the same person I am today with the same appreciation I have for the universal artform of Hip Hop music.

Rest In Eternal Peace, J Dilla 1974-2006

One.

I previously touched on the era that led to the birth of the original backpackers (1990 & 1991) as it was a transition period between the First Golden Era Of Hip Hop (1986-89) and what would eventually become the Second Golden Age Of Hip Hop (1992-96) in a piece called “A B-Boy’s Alpha © Cannibal Ox (The Evolution Of the Backpacker 1991-2011)”. I went into depth about the origins of the backpacker but I didn’t fully explain a phenomenon that occurred between the years 1990 and 1992 that I now refer to as the “Backpacker Uprising”. By 1993, several established emcees would be forced to switch their styles up because of it.

I’ll paint the full picture and explain the climate of the Hip Hop scene at the time to put things all in perspective for this post entitled “Born Into The 90’s © R. Kelly & The Public Announcement”. As I explained before, in urban music between 1990 and 1991 we had R&B (New Jack Swing), House and Hip Hop all occupying the same space and vying for the ears and hearts of listeners. The beginning of the problem really occurred when all of these fans came face to face in a club or party setting and had to interact with each other.

In 1990, a phenomenon occurred that led to the eventual birth of the so-called backpacker. MC Hammer (who had previously dissed Run DMC and was dissed by 3rd Bass) dropped a single “U Can’t Touch This” that crossed over and hit #1 on Billboard which singlehandedly ushered in a new era of Pop Rap. In February 1990, the LP “Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em” dropped and sold like hotcakes made from crack batter. If you say “Hammer”? Proper. Rap is not Pop if you call it that then STOP © Q-Tip, 1991

The backlash against Pop Rap was further fueled by the breakout success of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” (people forget that BET was the first station to play Vanilla Ice’s videos) and his album “To The Extreme” moved like cocaine straight from Bolivia in the Summer of 1990. Both MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice (who were once tourmates) had made Rap music cross over much to the dismay of a particular segment of Hip Hop fans. These less than enthused fans would later be known as “backpackers”.

The proto backpackers were up in arms when Salt N’ Pepa opted for a more Pop orientated, radio friendly sound. Many of the songs on their 1990 album “Black’s Magic” incorporated Club MTV leaning fare that lead to them selling a ton of records and crossing over to a pop audience. In 1991, both Queen Latifah and MC Lyte would follow suit and alienate their original fanbase in hopes of attaining similar success. However,  an anti-Pop Rap sea change had occurred. This gradual switch in Hip Hop’s overall aesthetic was mostly engineered by this new breed of Hip Hop fan, the backpacker.

That being said, you had the more aggressive Hip Hop fans who were becoming more and more infuriated with what they felt like were outside elements watering down Hip Hop music. Two of those elements were New Jack Swing and House which rappers would often use in their songs in hopes of achieving a radio hit from time to time. This led to animosity between Rap fans and the much more respectful clubgoers that belonged to the New Jack Swing or House crowds. Between 1990 and 1991 these clashes began happening so frequently that something had to give.

The House & New Jack Swing heads got along fine and the dancers rarely clashed with each other even though they battled often. The Hip Hop heads of the era frequently clashed with both the House & New Jack Swing fans and the dancers often clashed in battles over dress, style, approach and overall aesthetic. The House & New Jack Swing crowd on average were of college age and the Hip Hop crowd was on average a bit younger so they were still in high school. Since the New Jack Swing and House crowd were older, dressed up when they came to the club and they both got along it was an easy call. Those damb Rap fans had to go…

By 1991, the first uniform dress codes were instituted across the board with the intention of discouraging the younger unruly and problematic Hip Hop fans out of not only the club but from other places of business as well. These “backpackers” were the new undesirables. The new urban underclass even within their own world. What’s crazy is within 18 months time these very same “backpackers” would become the new mainstream and people would be switching up their styles and dress code to avoid being left behind.

After all the ice grilling backpackers were finally removed from the club scene in 1991 it really took off. Cats were freely dancing to C & C Music Factory, Black Box, K.L.F, Crystal Waters, Adeva, Guy, Ralph Tresvant, Madonna, Cathy Dennis, Mariah Carey & CeCe Peniston with less worry about physical harm being brought to them by those damb thugs who got pissed off if the DJ didn’t play any Hip Hop for a stretch longer than an hour. They were happier nodding their heads to the beats blaring out of their cars’ tape decks or headphones instead anyways.

I was part of the burgeoning group of backpackers listening to A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Black Sheep, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Showbiz & AG, Del The Funkee Homosapien, EPMD and Leaders Of The New School while doing the East Coast Stomp on tapes by P.M. Dawn and Candyman. We were middle fingering all that “punk smooth shit”, all those bubblegum Pop Rap acts and anyone blatantly trying to cross over by diluting their sound. Little did we know that we were about to bring about a revolution in Hip Hop in 1992. We were just outcasts in the world of urban music (and culture) at the time…

1992 opened with an event that reverberated throughout Hip Hop. The latest Pop Rap act P.M. Dawn was doing a set at Sound Factory. They’d recently become media darlings leading to a number of interviews where Prince Be said some less than flattering (and downright stupid) things about Public Enemy and KRS One. KRS One, BDP and crew rushed the stage, tossed him off and rocked “I’m Still #1”. The backlash against Pop Rap and Alternative Rap had begun. The backpackers had usurped the throne and the underground had become the new mainstream. The cover of issue #39 of The Source declared 1992 “The Year Of The Underground”. From then on? If it wasn’t rough, it wasn’t right.

The new face of crossover Hip Hop success in 1992 was Das EFX. The dread headed emcees spit verses with a new style and an aesthetic that screamed underground outcasts. Morlocks that emerged from the sewer to invade Hip Hop. Their videos were dark and somber. Their style was hoodies, bubble vests, bubble gooses, backpacks, baggy jeans & Timberlands. They rhymed about drinking 40’s and smoking blunts AND THEY WENT PLATINUM DOING IT! Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Young MC, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice had to make radio friendly fare in order to cross over and sell in excess of one million units before. Times had indeed changed.

Everyone had to fall in line with the new Rap aesthetic (which had actually been the aesthetic since about 1991 but whatever) so Young MC switched his style up and dropped “What’s The Flavor”, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince came with “Code Red”, LL Cool J countered with “14 Shots To The Dome”, MC Lyte came out with “Ain’t No Other”, Queen Latifah dropped “Black Reign” , Da Youngstaz released “The Aftermath” and The UMC’s dropped “Unleashed”. It had gotten so real that even MC Hammer dropped “The Funky Headhunter” in 1994 (and returned the MC to his name) while Vanilla Ice became a Rasta and a dropped the Chronic inspired “Mind Blowin’” LP. “Keep it real” and “represent” were the new Hip Hop buzz words.

Beginning in 1994, the NYC club The Tunnel actually began to do a night specifically for these Hip Hop fans or “backpackers” on Sunday nights called ‘Mecca”. Those same cats that got pushed out of the club just three years prior were now being called back to it and there was no House or New Jack Swing popping off from the DJ booth. Also the beef between Hip Hop and House dancing was a wrap because they’d all morphed into a new style every serious dancer was doing. The last became first. The underground became mainstream. The backpackers had conquered Hip Hop. Then a few years later, a piece of paper got signed that eventually turned the whole Rap world upside down…

One.

I’ve grown to abhor doing these end of year lists. I’m currently entering my 6th year of Hip Hop blogging and as opposed to becoming a celebration of the best and often most overlooked Hip Hop releases of the year, it’s merely a long list of albums that were largely ignored by the majority of Hip Hop fans and Rap music listeners. I see these lists differently because of the sheer volume of music I hear yearly, mind you. I’ve heard hundreds of Hip Hop LP’s, EP’s and mixtapes this year.

I’ve heard about 100+ non Hip Hop albums in 2011 and as for instrumental projects and beat tapes? Let’s just say I posted up about 600 beat tapes and instrumental projects on Producers I Know over the 365 days of 2011. Keep in mind that I didn’t even begin to really assert myself on that site and aggressively seek out beat tapes to post until about April. The point I’m making is that I’m deeply immersed in music and I hear so much of it that sitting down and listing it all then paring it down to a top 100 list is more of an undertaking than you can possibly imagine.

I really abhor the whole “post up a list to get a gang of hits and site traffic” game but I overstand that I need to make this list because a fair amount of the projects on my list won’t be on many other people’s list’s. I regret that albums like Hopie Spitshard’s “Raw Gems”, Moka Only x Chief’s “Crickets” or Styles P’s “Master Of Ceremonies” didn’t make the cut. Conversely, I don’t regret that albums like J.Cole’s “Cole World: The Sideline Story”, Big Sean’s “Finally Famous”, Drake’s “Take Care” or Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” didn’t make the cut.

Without any further ado, here’s my damb list. I’ll post up more lists in the near future. Here goes:

9^th Wonder “The Wonder Years”

Action Bronson “Dr. Lecter”

Action Bronson & Statik Selektah “Well-Done”

A.Dd+ “When Pigs Fly”

Apathy “Honkey Kong”

AssociatedMinds x EatGood Records “The Highball EP”

Atmosphere’s “The Family Sign”

The Away Team (Khrysis x Sean Boog) “Scars & Stripes”

B(lu) “J E S U S”

Blu “NOYORK”

Bamboo Bros. (Kurious x Dave Dar) “American Jibaro”

Beneficience “Sidewalk Science”

Big K.R.I.T. “Return Of 4 Eva”

Black Milk & Danny Brown “Black & Brown”

The Black Opera “Overture

The Black Opera ““EnterMission”

Blu x Exile “Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them”

Brutal Music x Blaq Poet “Black Poet Society”

Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah “Lyrical Workout”

Castle “Ditch Effort”

Celph Titled x Buckwild “Nineteen Ninety More”*

City Slick (Decay x Fluent) “The Money And His Fool”

Clan Destined’ “Self Titled”

Common “The Dreamer/The Believer”

Co$$ “Before I Awoke”

CunningLynguists “Oneirology”

Curren$y x Alchemist “Covert Coup”

Danny Brown “XXX”

DJ Quik “The Book Of David”

DJ Revolution presents Malcolm & Martin “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”

The Doppelgangaz “Loan Sharks”

DTMD “Makin’ Dollas”

Edo.G. “A Face In The Crowd”

Elzhi x Will Sessions’ “elmatic”

Evidence “Cats & Dogs”

Fortilive “I vs. I”

The Four Owls “Nature’s Greatest Mystery”

Gangrene x Roc Marciano’s “Greneberg EP”

Grap Luva “Neva Done EP”

Haassan Mackey x Apollo Brown “Daily Bread”

Has-Lo “In Case I Don’t Make It”

Has-Lo “Conversation B”

IMAKEMADBEATS “IMAKEMADBEATS”

J-Live’s “S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability)”

J The S “The Sky Is Falling”

Jedi Mind Tricks “Violence Begets Violence”

K-Def “Night Shift”

Kaimbr x Kev Brown “Alexander Green Project”

Kendrick Lamar “Section.80”

Kooley High “David Thompson”

M.E.D “Classic”

M.O.P. x Snowgoons “Sparta

Maffew Ragazino “Rhyme Pays”

MarQ Spekt x Kno “MacheteVision”

Median “The Sender”

Meyhem Lauren “Self Induced Illness”

Mr. J. Medeiros “Saudade”

Murs x Ski Beatz “Love And Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation”

Neek The Exotic x Large Professor “Still On The Hustle”

Oddisee “Odd Seasons”

Oddisee “Rock Creek Park”

Pac Div “The Div”

Paul White “Rapping With Paul White”

People Under The Stairs “Highlighter”

Pete Rock x Smif N’ Wessun “Monumental”

Pharaohe Monch “W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)”

Phonte “Charity Starts At Home”

The Primeredian x Tall Black Guy “Darling Lure”

Prometheus Brown & Bambu “Walk Into A Bar”

Quelle Chris “Shotgun & Sleek Rifle”

Raekwon “Shaolin vs. Wu Tang”

Rapper Big Pooh “Dirty Little Things”

Rashad & Confidence “The Element Of Surprise”

Rasheed Chappell “Future Before Nostalgia”

Reef The Lost Cauze x Snowgoons “Your Favorite MC”

REKS “Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme”

Roc C “Stoned Genius”

The Roots “undun”

Royce Da 5’9” “Success Is Certain”

Saigon “The Greatest Story Never Told”

Sean Price x Guilty Simpson x Black Milk’s “Random Axe”

Self Scientific “Trials Of The Blackhearted”

Senor Kaos “The Kaos Effect

Shabazz Palaces “Black Up”

Sykzoo “The Great Debater”

Slaine “A World Without Skies 2.0”

SONNYJIM “The Psychonaut LP”

SoulKhan “Pursuance”

Statik Selektah “Population Control”

Strange Fruit Project “A Dreamer’s Journey”

Talib Kweli “Gutter Rainbows”

Tanya Morgan “You & What Army EP”

Thurz “L.A. Riot”

TiRon & Ayomari “A Sucker For Pumps”

Torae “For The Record”

Trek Life “Wouldn’t Change Nothing”

TzariZM “[DAY] Dream EP”

Vakill “Armor Of God”

Vandalyzm “The Proposal”

Willie Evans Jr. “Introducin’”

yU “The Earn”

 *Technically a bonus edition but it’s too good to leave off this list

One.

This particular post was inspired by my younger brother and I watching the documentary “The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” yesterday with his sister (my niece) yesterday afternoon. While I was born in 1975 & he was born in 1978 we were well aware of this era and what happened through our mom and older siblings (our eldest sister was born in 1967 and our eldest brother was born in 1969).

As I watched this documentary I saw how the world looked. How the cities looked. The cars. Street signs. Store awnings. Old logos on different products. I remembered all of these things because with the urban blight of the Reaganomic era few of them changed until the early 80’s. Since I was born in 1975 and my brother was born in 1978, pretty much all the TV reruns we watched still contained images or content from this time. Whether it be the films we say on TV, the TV shows that were in syndication at the time or even the educational shows we watched on PBS.

We regularly watched “Sesame Street” and “Electric Company” segments that were from the late 60’s and early 70’s. Even though we weren’t there to witness the era ourselves, our parents and older relatives told us more than enough stories about what happened and how it affected them.

I remember the late 70’s pretty clearly but I grew up in the 80’s. That being the case I also recall how completely different things were in my community between when I first entered Kindergarten (back then you had Kindergarten 1 & Kindergarten 2) in 1978 versus when I went to middle school/junior high in 1986. Whereas we’d come out of the turmoil and uprisings of the Civil Rights/Black Power Era where awareness was raised, we’d entered the “Me Decade” where Jimmy Carter was supplanted by Ronald Wilson Reagan. During this time, the inner cities and urban communities of America would suffer tremendously.

As a little kid growing up in South End/Lower Roxbury, Boston I remember the sense of community that once existed. Parents would look out for each other’s kids. If Lil’ Hakim & Deron were doing something they shouldn’t have been doing over on Lenox, then Miss Wilson was going to get a call from Miss Ruiz about it. By the time crack hit, if Miss Ruiz made that same call, there would be a gun in her face or her kid’s lives would be threatened later because she wasn’t minding her own business and stopping Hak & D’s money.

I still remember heroin fiends on the cracked sidewalks of Boston and the collection of winos that used to hang out in front of the Harriet Tubman House when I lived on Mass Ave. in the South End as a little kid. I remember sitting in the welfare office with my mom in the late 70’s and noticing that the girl sitting across from us had the shakes then she started scratching herself. Mom told me that she was a heroin addict and explained what it was in detail when we finally got home a few hours later.

I remember the parties the adults had around that same time when they’d be smoking weed and slide into the bathroom to do some coke. I also remember when those parties stopped. There’s a reason those scenes were in “Menace II Society”, we mid to late 70’s babies remember all of that shit. It all gradually changed somewhere between 1982 and 1984. This is also when crack first hit the streets and inner cities of urban America.

Those were transformative years for the Black community in general. The music on the radio went from mostly being traditional instruments played by musicians to synthesizers and drum machines. The Hip Hop & Rap the kids listened to went from being a nuisance and what was once thought to be a fad to the leading youth culture/movement in the United States (then later on Earth itself). Once heroin was flooding the streets but now crack had turned the inner city into a warzone. Those Blaxploitation film era heroes were nowhere to be found. COINTELPRO had all but wiped out our real life heroes. Who was going to save us now?

As it turns out the way we mid to late 70’s babies learned to survive the 80’s was thanks to the kids that were born just before or during the era of 1967-1975. Chuck D was born in 1960. KRS One was born in 1965. Most of the emcees and artists that helped us weather this tumultuous time and instilled pride in us while making music that stuck with us for life were actually kids and impressionable youth during the Civil Rights/Black Power Era.

They saw firsthand how the Civil Rights movement lead into the Black Power movement and they lived during the end of the Vietnam War and the fallout of it. All of the things that were covered in “The Black Power Mixtape” they got to experience firsthand. This was the same generation that would help empower the younger generation through their words, actions and music. They were the ones that told us to stay off crack, be proud of our heritage and to aspire to greatness in the 80’s just like James Brown did back in the 60’s and 70’s.

This same generation would continue to help us well into the 90’s until of course artists from younger generations who grew up with those same influences came into prominence. I’ve heard the voices of Huey Newton, Fred Hampton, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Toure), The Last Poets, Gil Scot Heron, Gylan Kain and several more all through Hip Hop albums during my younger years. I was introduced to literature that changed my life by these same emcees through their music and interviews. They continued the grand tradition of leadership that these slain, exiled and imprisoned leaders began so many years ago.

So here we are in the Post Telecommunications Act Era where any trace of consciousness or dissension has been systemically erased from mainstream urban music. Where I had Brand Nubian and Poor Righteous Teachers during my teen years alongside acts like Kid N’ Play and Kwame & A New Beginning there’s no real balance in today’s Hip Hop scene. Sadly enough, it’s been that way for more than a decade.

It’s almost as if the musical equivalent of COINTELPRO came into the industry and made sure that no revolutionary or conscious voices would exist on major labels past Dead Prez signing to Loud/RCA in 1998 or get burn on urban radio. So whom exactly is instilling pride, teaching and leading the youth of today through their music? Lil’ Wayne? Nicki Minaj? Drake? Big Sean? Wiz Khalifa? Mac Miller? B.o.B? Tyga? J.Cole? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

One.

Twas the weekend before “undun” dropped and all through the Hip Hop bloggerverse sites are posting videos from it and Twitter is alight with talk of the album, including shining review after shining review of it. However, on some of these sites, not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. This is odd given that when other major label album dropped these same sites either heavily promoted each of these albums to the point of what could consider “dickriding”.

In the case of most albums that the majority of music sites and Hip Hop bloggers will consider album of the year in a few weeks these same sites turned a deaf ear to each of these releases. Look back to their coverage of releases like Big Sean’s “Finally Famous” or Wale’s “Ambition”. Them only promoting J.Cole’s “Cole World” on a day when a dozen Hip Hop releases dropped and J. Cole’s wasn’t even the best one to drop out of North Carolina that day (Phonte’s “Charity Starts At Home” and 9th Wonder’s “The Wonder Years” were each miles better)!

The most glaring example being the Rap Radar coverage surrounding the release of “Watch The Throne”. I sure hope those dudes used lube because if not there should’ve been a lot of chafing from all the dickriding that was going on. Where was all this coverage when scores of better albums dropped in 2011? Where was this enthusiasm when other albums by legends came out on previous Tuesdays? Where were the twitpics of THOSE albums being purchased on iTunes or via Best Buy and Wal Mart? They don’t exist. They had nothing to say. Nothing to write. Not a peep from them. Oh word?

Clan Destined’s “Self Titled”? Silence. IMAKEMADBEATS “IMAKEMADBEATS”? Silence. Talib Kweli’s “Gutter Rainbows”? Silence. Malcolm & Martin’s “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me”? Silence. Meyhem Lauren’s “Self Induced Illness”? Silence. Kaimbr & Kev Brown’s “Alexander Green Project”? Silence. Has-Lo’s “In Case I Don’t Make It”? Silence. Self Scientific’s “Trials Of The Blackhearted”? Silence. CunningLynguists’ “Oneirology”? Silence. Oddisee’s “Odd Seasons” & “Rock Creek Park”? Silence. Raekwon’s Shaolin vs. Wu Tang? I think I heard a faint noise.

REKS’ “Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme”? Silence. Beneficience’s “Sidewalk Science”? Silence. Action Bronson’s “Dr. Lecter”? Silence. Pharaohe Monch’s “W.A.R. (We Are Renegades”? Silence. Atmosphere’s “The Family Sign”? Silence. DJ Quik’s “The Book Of David”? Silence. Sean Price x Guilty Simpson x Black Milk’s “Random Axe”? Silence. Vakill’s “Armor Of God”? Silence. Apathy’s “Honkey Kong”? Silence. Curren$y & Alchemist’s “Covert Coup”? Silence. Haassan Mackey & Apollo Brown’s “Daily Bread”? Silence. Gangrene x Roc Marciano’s “Greneberg EP”? Silence.

Elzhi x Will Sessions’ “elmatic”? More silence. Evidence’s “Cats & Dogs”? Silence. DTMD’s “Makin’ Dollas”? Silence. Rapper Big Pooh’s “Dirty Little Things”? Silence. Torae’s “For The Record”? Silence. Senor Kaos’ “The Kaos Effect”? Silence. The Black Opera’s “Overture”? Silence. Paul White’s “Rapping With Paul White”? Silence. Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah’s “Lyrical Workout”? Silence. Brutal Music x Blaq Poet “Black Poet Society”? Silence. M.O.P. x Snowgoon’s “Sparta”? Silence. Statik Selektah’s “Population Control”? Silence. Quelle Chris’ “Shotgun & Sleek Rifle”? Nary a fuckin’ peep from ‘em…

Hold up. These muhfuckas didn’t even bat an eyelash when Willie Evans Jr.’s “Introducin’” dropped? How is that even possible? Are we in an alternate universe or some shit? If these asshats were a command away from making mouth love to the entire Maybach Music Group after “Self Made” dropped then what would they have done if J-Live’s “S.P.T.A. (Said Person Of That Ability)” dropped on the same label? People Under The Stairs’ “Highlighter” never made their iPods. M.E.D’s “Classic” was completely lost on them. Danny Brown & Black Milk’s “Black & Brown” got drowned out by the 6th encore of “Niggas In Paris”. That shit cray…

I’ve dealt with 11 full months of this halfway Hip Hop coverage bullshit and I’m already fed up. As I see album like Action Bronson & Statik Selektah’s “Well-Done” get ignored in favor of whatever mediocre major label drek just dropped I’m not having it. In December too many excellent albums are going to drop and if cats try to front on them I’m straight up pulling ho cards out this bish for real.

If these same cats don’t at least give The Roots’ “undun” the same exact attention, fanfare and coverage they gave Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne” I’m gonna be heated. It’s a masterpiece of an album. It’s from one of the most important groups in Hip Hop history. It’s executed flawlessly. DO YOU WANT MORE???!!! Forget that there’s no monetary gain in actually promoting the culture over the bottom line for once and do it anyways.

In the final weeks of this year several excellent albums are going to drop in addition to The Roots’ “undun”. They include Kooley High’s “David Thompson”, yU’s “The Earn” and K-Def’s “Night Shift”. I’m more than sure that each of these releases will end up on most Hip hop album of year/end of the year lists on music blogs worldwide. However, I KNOW they’ll by and large go ignored by most supposed “Hip Hop” blogs that claim to keep you abreast of everything related to the culture. BULLSHIT. They ain’t gon’ say shit like Deebo’s standing right next to them. Watch, son. Watch! © J-Live

One.

In the world of graf writing as in the world of blogging there are different philosophies as how to go from being a toy to becoming All City or attaining the title of King. In graf you can bomb relentlessly with tags displaying your your unique handstyle opt for throwups to save time and get up quicker and more frequently and when time and space are no issue, put effort towards banging out a piece or undertaking a fully planned out production.

In the past, in order to truly attain full King status you had to be able to do all the above. In blogging? Not so much. The ironic part is that when I was a writer I specialized in doing tags & throwups but I simply wasn’t gifted enough artistically to pull off full lush production like the ones my favorite writers were capable of. I’m the complete opposite at blogging. This is as close to a quick post as I get, B….



The tag or sticker with a tag on it posted all over the place in graf is akin to posting up a pic/pics or an imbedded video on your blog with a couple of sentences to go along with it. You can do this multiple times daily and draw a gang of eyes to your site provided you get it up early enough and have people link to it. Difference being that if you’re a big enough site then everyone else will begin posting exactly what you just posted. Not possible in graf where you’re supposed to have your own individual style and not copy others…that kinda shit will get you fucked up if you ever get caught (in some cases even bodied).



Next comes the throw up. It’s a mini piece that doesn’t take much time or paint to do and in one night you can do a gang of them to get up whereas someone would spend all night and use up a gang of paint just to do one huge piece or full production. The throw up is analogous to posting up an mp3 or video along with a paragraph to describe or comment on it. This is similar to what I do on Producers I Know when I post a Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Vimeo or YouTube link with a short explanation of what I posted.

Oftentimes these kinds of posts on other blogs consist of quick commentary on something that happened recently in pop culture along with a picture on a video link. You give the appearance of putting in serious work without doing the often time consuming research and writing that a full blog/piece would require. Some blogs post between 1-5 times a week and others can post between 25-50. It all depends on what you want to do, what audience you’re looking to attract or what style best fits you.



The piece/burner or full production usually requires scouting a time and location to execute, careful planning, a team to finish, a disgusting amount of paint of various colors and a sizable chunk of time not to mention serious physical exertion and supreme effort to pull off successfully. For that reason alone this is hailed as the gold standard of how to determine who is truly a King or not. If you get busy in EVERY imaginable way I’ve listed in both disciplines you’ll be considered an All Out King.

You can bomb mercilessly with tags, stickers and throwups all over the place but if you can back that up with ill pieces to go along with them? Respect is undeniable. The blog equivalent are these long, well thought out pieces that people link to all over Twitter and others post a TL: DR on. That’s my personal chamber, hence me naming my first blog Poisonous Paragraphs and this one Bastard Swordsman. While we all have different approaches to blogging we must remember that we’re all under the same umbrella and to keep respect of the culture(s) at the forefront.

One.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from heads that can recall the two previous Golden Eras of Hip Hop is that mainstream/major label Rap/Hip Hop has strayed too far from what made many of us initially fall in love with it. Now, it’s almost 2012 and things still aren’t getting any better. If anything it seems things may be getting exponentially worse for Rap music quality wise. For those of us that remember better times this is hard to stomach and/or accept.

There were many of us (myself included) that pretty much abandoned mainstream Rap altogether circa 1997 instead opting to listen to underground or indie Hip Hop while waiting for things to “get back to normal” or for “that real shit” to return to prominence once that era ended. Going on 15 years later not only have things continued to deteriorate but the rift between the underground and mainstream that first began to open after the signing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has also managed to widen exponentially with the passage of time until it has become a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.

At one point in time the underground actually helped to fuel the mainstream and major label Rap industry and spur it on. The competition created by up and comers in the Rap game kept those in the spotlight on point for fear they’d get outshined by a hungrier young emcee or producer. Steel sharpened steel. Problem is, nowadays the dull knives in the drawer are the shiniest ones thus attracting the most attention and those with superior lyrical prowess or a higher syllable count are looked down upon. Boom bap production is cast aside as people gravitate towards Pop leaning Electro or Techno beats with weak, filtered out drums. This can’t be life! © Shawn Corey Carter

Since Hip Hop has turned into two separate scenes instead of just one with many different aspects, the old natural checks and balances that were once in place are all but gone completely. The industry has taken complete control of the mainstream Rap game and has all but removed the skill, artistic or innovative aspects from the music. Now only but 5 artists move any significant number of units or are even allowed to do anything remotely smacking of being “different”.

Since the mainstream or casual Rap fan is completely oblivious to any rappers or emcees that aren’t currently on the radio or getting spins at the club they stay in the dark. Since none of the more substance based artists with advanced lyrical content ever get heard next to the current crop of Short Bus Rap that’s all the rage nowadays there’s no direct competition between these emcees for the fan’s ears. Without that balance and that much needed direct competition between these artists there’s no chance we’ll ever see another Golden Era in Hip Hop.

In any profession, no matter what it may be you get better at it when you’re constantly pit against competition or forced to compete against the best in a particular field. Sink or swim. In each Golden Era of Hip Hop not only was the competition at the highest level between emcees, DJ’s and producers in terms of skill and innovation but to gain the hearts and minds of the fans. For the most part the best and the most respected in Hip Hop were the most relevant in each era. What a coincidence! Relevance depended on the quality of your music which in turn dictated the level of attention you got from music outlets (radio and video) and the Hip Hop press.



In conclusion, with the current status quo in place and given the current trajectory of the industry and the present mainstream Rap aesthetic there will never be another Golden Era in Hip Hop. Due to the fact that not only is there no balance at the major label level in terms of the lyrical content, subject matter or skill level of the rappers that get airplay or media attention while the entire underground Rap scene goes all but completely ignored by the majority of potential Rap listeners and purchasers.

Without both sides coexisting (like they did during the last two Golden Eras from 1986-1989 and 1992-1996) instead of this “separate but equal” Rap Apartheid/Jim Crow situation we have today nothing will ever get better. Emcees will never be forced to have to step their bars up. Producers won’t have to stop doing the same damn drum roll at the beginnings of songs for fear of being overshadowed by other producers that were once kept under wraps. Fans will never discover that lyricism actually isn’t dead and Rap publications will never be forced to stop putting mediocre rappers on their damb covers.

One.