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

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