The Hip Hop Government Dream Team - Part 2

By KNL

Department of Labour: Lupe Fiasco

Looking after the people is important, and currently Lupe seems to be in touch with the masses making him an ideal candidate for this position. His blend of touching rhymes designed to appeal to everyone (not just ballers and gangsters) makes him perfect for protectiong the rights of the working man. He is not only a spokesperson for the unheard, he is a breath of fresh air in a Cabinet mostly occupied with fatcats who look like they may have lost touch.

Department of Health and Human Services: James Todd Smith

Despite many believing he was one of the major components when forming the basic Cabinet, politics and a lack of support have pushed James to managing Health issues. Dedicated to keeping himself in tip top shape, Smith is responsible for ensuring that hip hop remains as healthy as possible. Whilst his past work cannot be disputed, his more recent efforts have shown that the emphasis on health has become more superficial; his demanding ego and internal issue with Carter means he is unlikely to find himself playing a major role in the future, unfortunately it looks as if that time has passed.

Department of Housing and Urban Development: Reginald Noble

If you known Reggie, you remember MTV Cribs and the dump he called home. So who better to help improve the state of housing and urban development than Red Man?! With objectives such as ensuring every front door actually features a piece of glass and that everyone’s freezer is stocked with frozen fish gourmet meals; Reggie ensures that hip hop followers will live in better environments. Going back on his previous slogan of “Smash something” and “Dirty”, Reggie is now concentrating on how to clean up properties, instead of breaking them.

Department of Transportation: Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner

This one is a given, now that he’s done with Pimp My Ride, he’s definitely going to be the one in charge when it comes to pimping the Cabinets cars. Highlights include a marijuana farm in Calvin Braudus’ limo, a diamond mine complete with slave workers in Paul Wall’s Escalade and a mini Police HQ in Rick Ross’s Maybach. Some say his transportation aims miss the true hip hop followers and appeal to a lucky few; but with keen support from surrounding officials he is unlikely to go anytime soon.


Department of Energy: Christopher Bridges

This may be seen as a “ludacris” appointment but in reality few names bring as much energy and pump when they release new material. So it was only natural when Chris was handed over the reigns in ensuring the energy is kept running and healthy in the world of hip hop, with successful commercial ties to all of the big names; Chris has ensured his loyal followers are never left behind. Thanks to his worldwide appeal, he’s bringing worldwide energy to the Cabinet.


Department of Education: Nasir Jones

Whilst this was a sure spot for Lauryn Hill, her willingess to hide away from the spotlight brings Nasir Jones into the picture. With an aim of teaching kids the truth behind America’s success and motives, Nasir aims to bring a curriculum rather different from what white America would want. Nasir’s objectives include introducing Advanced Beef Production and Conscious Commercial Success into the curriculum; he is backed by the biggest names but many once loyal followers question his credibility. Can he teach like he used to?

The Hip Hop Government Dream Team - Part 1

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By KNL

With Barack Obama taking over office, I’ve been meaning to do this for a long, long time. Now it’s here; the answer I’m sure you’ve all been looking for...what would happen if Hip Hop’s royalty decided to take the step for a Presidential race?! Well folks, here it is!

Department of State: Shawn Corey Carter

With previous experience in seeing Roc-A-Fella elevate to hip hop stardom, and a breif stint in the Def Jam hot seat; Shawn is not short of experience when it comes to leadership. He is just short of leading the campaign due to his knack of annoying certain sections of hip hop’s elite factions ensuring there is never enough support for him to take the higest throne. Positive attributes include a good relationship with important people both inside and outside the hip hop community, crossover appeal and an ability to fatten the party’s pockets through unlimited ventures. Controversies include the fact he is constantly accused of quoting a certain deceased central figure; and his ability to break strong ties with some of his strongest fans leaving some with the opinion that he should be kept at arm’s length only. Internal power stuggles between him and other members of the Cabinet have also increased jealousy among his rivals.

Department of the Treasury: Sean Combs

Sean Combs comes with not only a wealth of experience and important historical consensus thanks to his previous ties with Sir Wallace; he also comes with an ability to look after money better than most of his associates. Who better to look after the economy than one of hip hop’s richest? Known to be extravagant, close sources suggest that Mr Combs will strengthen the budget with some eyebrow raising commercial ventures. Often inviting some of the world’s elite to his famous parties, Sean Combs is reportedly in friendly competition with Secretary of State Carter; however recent popularity stakes have made him less electable and so he has to stick with running hip hop’s economy.

Department of Defense: Curtis Jackson

Young, fresh and relatively new to the game. Curtis’ ability to tie down enemies through good old American repression and threats of violence have made him famous as a force to be reckoned with. Surely rogue nations will think twice before launching those test nukes with Curtis calling the shots? His cocky attitude has had its moments of brilliance, but he is not shy of controversy and confrontation both in and out of the cabinet. He will surely smile for the cameras, and many outsiders may not know it, but in the back of Curtis’ mind is a surefire plan to oust Combs and Carter for the future big spot; watch this space.

Department of Justice: Russel Simmons

With a huge wealth of experience behind him, and one of the very beginners in hip hop’s world domination, Russel is now a famously inept peacemaker and a firm beleiver in honest and peaceful resolutions. His running of the justice department includes famously recruiting Curtis Jackson in his Yoga program to help calm his war starting instincts and hanging up leadership of a powerful venture only to find it slowly dying in the wake of competition. Famous for bringing Todd Smith into the hip hop’s elite, he has since lost his strong ties with many of his once close associates including Todd Smith and Clifford Smith.

Department of the Interior: DMC

Looking after the interior means looking after the indigenous people of hip hop, and who better than one of the freshest originals to grace our ears. DMC’s responsibilities include maintaining a healthy relationship with the original fans of hip hop and trying to make sure the hip hop ideology doesn’t exclude this endagoured minority; his strong relationships with much of the hip hop elite and an all-round respect put him on a plateu unmatched by his peers. Perhaps not feared, but he is definitely respected.

Department of Agriculture: Bubba Sparxxx

Rarely focussed on by the hip hop cabinet, the suprise appointment of Bubba Sparxxx was fuelled mostly by the fact there was not much competition for the job. Roles include ensuring hip hop’s appeal doesn’t escape the countryside and ensuring a healthy crop of future country-rap talent. His close ties with Timothy in the Cabinet mean he is often respected despite his humble and unconventional origins.

Department of Commerce: Pharrell Williams

Focussing on future growth of hip hop, Pharrell is constantly bringing a new sound and nurturing new talent to ensure the genre expands and grows as far as possible. With his respective group the Neptunes, we have witnessed not only 5-star quality but brilliant album releases designed to appeal to the masses. Whilst some purists disagree with the tactics, Williams is an integral piece of the puzzle; not only is he respected by Carter, Combs and Young, he’s also seen as a huge pinnacle in the music industry as a whole.

Part 2 coming soon...

The 8 Most Unlikely Hip Hop Albums

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TheRapBuzz is back, yes, yes , yes. It's been a crazy few months of mad random chaos for our hungry team of writers...but the excruciatingly long wait is finally over (aight) and good ol' KNL is riding our pages again with another one of his sparkiling written gems...The 8 Most Unlikely Hip Hop Albums....word people, more to come. Over to KNL...

With the ludicrous acts that seem to pop up every single day in the world of urban music, this post, was, kind of...inevitable.

50 Cent and Ja Rule – Curtis Atkins (The Duet Edition)

Following their troubled past and their heated battle, 50 Cent finally reaches out to his Southside native resident and decides to form a Jay & Nas like truce to end the long standing feelings and resurrect Ja Rule’s career. With Ja signed to G-Unit, 50 Cent pushes this album forward and comes up with something for the ladies with this auto-tune free album. The cleverly named “Curtis Atkins” Duet Edition features the pair singing like they’ve never quite sang before...

 

Memphis Bleak – Greatest Hits

Enough said really. An album ready for the bargain bin at your nearest supermarket. Is there even a solo ‘hit’ to put on there? (ah harsh KNL, harsh - editor's note of the day)

 

Lil Wayne and Baby – Lick my Lollipop

After the runaway success that was the auto-tune crazed Lollipop, Weezy decides that it just simply isn’t enough and claims in an online interview that, “Even after our kiss….even after we did that shit on screen, even after that Lollipop tune…enough people still didn’t get that the song was about me wanting to get on a Lollipop…it puzzles me how y’all so thick these days…” Following these comments, Weezy quickly released The Carter 19.5 and then announced a follow up album that would be a Homo-Rock-Pop-Singing-Rnb-HipHop-Album featuring mentor Baby. The witty titled Lick my Lollipop album featured hits such as “A Millie (before taxes Remix)” and “Don’t get too Comfortable (in my tight jeans)”.

 

LL Cool J and Dr. Dre – Botox

Following the superb Detox album, and the rather shit Exit 13 album from Dre and LL respectively, the duo decided to pair up and make a joint effort due to their shared love of fitness regimes, pills and questionable alterations in physique/facial attributes. The Botox album features Dre mostly behind the boards, but not without a few LL ghostwritten tracks, however it’s mostly LL who graces the mic. Hits on this album include “I’m Still D.R.E (even though you don’t recognise me)”, “Let’s Get Botox” and “Calling Dr. Dre to Surgery (for LL’s Botox)”.

 

DMX – Who Am I?

DMX has had his fair share of shit to deal with over the past year or so, but his return to form has been marked by this credible album aptly named “Who Am I?”. Whilst the name at first enchanted and attracted fans into a possible insight of why DMX had been acting as he had; it was in fact just an album with 12 tracks featuring DMX asking who he was. With great lyrics such as “Who Am I (WHAT!) Am I a Man, Am I a Dog? (WHAT!) I don’t know who I am. But I know that I can bark (ARGH!)” 11 Songs all questioning Damian’s identity must have been puzzling for fans, but there are some gems such as “Who Am I?” “Where Am I?” “How Did I Get Here” and “I’m Arrested Again.”

 

Rick Ross – Diary of a Correctional Officer / Big Time Drug Dealer Guy

Following much of the controversy around Ross’s troubled past, Ricky decided to market the whole thing and document it on an album. Diary of shows Rick Ross’s life story moving as a humble correctional officer onto a drug kingpin with ties to the most powerful people in the game. Hot cuts include “Everyday I’m Struggling”, “I’m Still Fat, no Lying” and “Thug Dietician (feat. Young Jeezy)”

 

Young Jeezy – Global Warming

Quick to grab the latest trends, Jeezy knew where he was going with this one. Having heard enough bout the Recession and naming his last album after it, Jeezy releases “Global Warming” in an effort to raise awareness on the issue. Hot tracks include “My President is Black, My Lambo Pollutes” and “Pricey (Gasoline remix)” and the club anthem “I Put Out” featuring and aptly named by Kanye West in his attempt to finally push the final boundaries of homophobia in Hip Hop.

 

Fat Joe & R Kelly – Elephant in the Closet

Thanks to recent successes on both parts, Fat Joe teams up with Kells on this surefire hit album featuring Joey spitting rhymes and Kelly singing hooks. Reminiscent of the Best of Both Worlds album, Fat Joe seeks to take his storytelling abilities to the levels possessed by R Kelly. The title track, Elephant in the Closet was hyped to involve a story revolving around Joey watching drama unfold from behind a closer door. It was in fact, a story of how Fat Joe walked into a closet but could not get out; R Kelly puts it so well in his verse “So I said what the hell you doing in there…Joey said he was stuck…I said why did you go in there…Joey said, what the fuck? Why you asking all these damn questions mayne…just hurry up and call the Fire Brigade…."

The Squeeze and The Struggle

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This blog exists to spread the word about the best hip hop music out there and the most buzzworthy news. But most importantly, it’s a way for two beatmakers and friends to share their thoughts and enthusiasm for great kick ass music.

Now, because we love music very much (and actually make it and sell it) we follow very closely all the latest developments in the record labels vs the internet struggle. It all kicked off with Napster nearly ten years ago, and in 2009 we are still trying to figure out how the hell we’re going to make this work for everyone.

File sharing has its pros and cons, and numerous academic studies (yeah, people who know what they’re talking about) have shown how the impact on music sales is minimal, while others say the opposite. So no agreement there. It really depends on the artist and what relationship they have with their fans (is the fact that you’re downloading my music a sure sign you love my stuff, or are you killing my only source of income by stealing my stuff?) It’s a very complex debate, and I’m not going to get into it here.

What I will talk about instead is how some very clever internet people have worked hard to actually find an alternative that makes everyone happy: fans, record labels and artists. In the last few years, we have seen the rise of Pandora, Last.fm, Imeem, Lala, music videos on YouTube and very recently, the excellent Spotify.

Everything started going wrong when Pandora was forced to stop streaming in the UK (one of its biggest markets) and only focus on the US. The record labels (and their performance rights associations) squeezed harder and Pandora simply couldn’t afford to make music fans all over the world happy anymore. That was a sad day.

About a month ago Warner decides to remove all of its music from YouTube. Why? They couldn’t reach a financial agreement with Google, who owns YouTube. The same Warner who offered us a glimmer of hope in 2006 when they signed a revolutionary rev share deal with YouTube allowing their videos to be streamed and mashed up freely. So in 2009 it doesn't seem to matter that both the fans and artists themselves are actually against the removal decision... And so here we go, the little fun activity of watching videos and enjoying music via the world’s most popular video site (and sharing, like we do on this blog), is over for all Warner artist fans.

And last, this week Spotify feels the squeeze. Spotify is one of the most innovative free legal music services out there; via an itunes-like interface they stream cd quality music from a gigantic catalogue…and in return, all you get is audio ads (in between songs only) every 30 mins and banners, or you pay £10 a month for an ad free version. Perfect, fair and makes everyone happy (email us at info @ lacantinaproductions.com for free invites)

Well apparently not. On the 28th of Jan the Spotify team announces that they will start removing tracks from their catalogue due to licensing restrictions that record labels and artists now want to enforce. What this means is that there are artists out there who don’t want their music to be on services such as Spotify (absolutely no clue why considering they get paid for it as well) and there are record labels who are upset by the fact that if an album was meant to be US only, no one in Europe should be allowed to enjoy it. Hmm.

So the countdown has begun, day by day our banging Spotify playlists are going to get thinner. I’m praying to the hip hop gods out there that the artists who make the music we love are not so daft to be part of this music massacre. Some unfortunately already are, won’t name and shame as we don’t know the background to exactly how and why, but I do hope the list doesn’t get any longer.

In conclusion, fans deserve their music and artists deserve an income from their hard work and passion. But it seems crazy that now that we have a wonderful channel for sharing music, the internet, no solution appears to be good enough. We have come a long way from the renegade days of Napster, yet the struggle continues. Yes, It’s a difficult one to crack and there are many different sides to the story, but squeezing the life out of services who are at least trying to make it work is just insane…and frustrating like few other things in life.

Ah man…what do y’all think?

Hip Hop from...China

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Something a bit out of the norm now people. This probably isn't a topic that gets special mentions in hop hop mags all year round...but it caught our (and the NYT's) attention, and most importantly shows the global essence of hip hop (and that's cool).

Chinese hip hop (or "shuochang" as it's called in Chinese) appears to be going though an "underground" struggle to emerge from the darkness. Government censorship, pop stars claiming to be rappers and a desire for free self expression are some of the elements of the Chinese hip hop saga.

It's interesting, and it does remind me of the early days of hip hop in other countries. It is debatable whether the Chinese language works in rapped verses, but everyone has the right to drop rhymes in their own language...(and we've heard all kinds of stuff, from Finnish to Croatian).

Below is the track that kicked off Chinese underground hip hop, "In Beijing" by Yin Ts'ang. A very very simple yet catchy beat with energetic rhymes over it. Unfortunately, no idea about the lyrics, and it's miles away from world class hip hop. Some will hate, some will love...but I definitely can't say it's not a good start...

What next?