Black Music is Back On the Charts

A couple years ago, it seemed that hiphop and r&b had completely taken over the entertainment industry. You couldn't look anywhere without hearing the latest Lil Jon joint. After a while things started to settle down and bubblegum pop resurfaced and took its traditional spot in domination of the airwaves. You'd always see the obligatory hiphop or r&b track in the Billboard 200, but it'd be an apple in an orange basket filled with Hannah Montanahs, Hillary Duffs, and Britney Spears.

But in typical circle of life fashion, black music is back.

The biggest seller as of now is Rick Ross, with his latest album Deeper Than Rap which temporarily dethroned the mega star Hannah Montanah to take the number one spot last week. But Ross has a lot of company from the hiphop arena. Day26's Forever in a Day managed to reach #2 despite Diddy's constant bullshitting of the group on television.

Newcomer Asher Roth is moving units of his major debut Asleep in the Bread Aisle like crazy, as expected from all the recent media hype surrounding him. Jadakiss and Keri Hilson both drop top 20 bangers, and along with them you can find The Dream, Flo Rida, Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, UGK, T.I., and Jennifer Hudson all in the Top 50.

Also in the Billboard 200 are Charlie Wilson, Keyshia Cole, Slim Thug, India.Arie, Ne-Yo, Bow Wow, Jim Jones, Gorilla Zoe, Musiq Soulchild, and Anthony Hamilton.

Even Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Soulja Boy can't seem to be killed as their albums are still holding their spots on the Billboard 200.

What I like most about this development is that there are actually a diverse group of acts that are topping the charts. It's not all hood rap, it's not all pop rap. You have everything from conscious acts like India.Arie and hood rap like Rick Ross to bouncy pop rap like Soulja Boy and stoner rap like Asher Roth.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of these albums could be better, but it's nice to see hip hop making moves, that opens the door for even more hot tracks to be made.

Cam'Ron, Make Good Music ThisTime Please

It's been about 3 years since we've heard anything from Cam'Ron, and I guess he needed to take a sabbatical. He managed to piss off a little bit of everyone. Jay-Z, the CEO of his record label; the other members of his Dipset crew; and even the American people, by claiming in an interview that he wouldn't alert authorities if he knew for a fact that a serial killer lived in his neighborhood. Top this off with his mother's multiple strokes, and you can understand why he took a break.

But, he's back, and planning to release a new album entitled Crime Pays in May. The rapper has personally leaked several of the album's tracks already, including "Cookies and Apple Juice", which is simplistic and raunchy, but less lazy than virtually everything the rapper dropped for Roc-A-Fella. "I Used to Get it in Ohio" (for which there is a music video) is less impressive, but I still have a small amount of hope that Cam'Ron could return to top form with this and future releases.

South Park, the unlikely humbler of Kanye West?

Comedy Central's flagship program South Park is infamous for relentlessly lampooning celebrities. In their latest episode, Kanye West is the next target of Trey and Matt's satire.

In the episode, entitled "Fishsticks", Jimmy comes up with supposedly the funniest joke ever, and everyone in the world seems to get the joke--except Kanye West. West, who believes he's a genius, eventually goes mad under the weight of his frustration at being the only one who doesn't get the joke. I'll save the details and let you watch the episode yourself.

Anyway, as with anytime anyone ever says anything remotely negative about Kanye West, the Grammy winner had something to say about it on his blog. But his comments might surprise you.

SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF "I TOLD YOU SO!!!" IT'S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE'S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I'M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I'M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I'M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I'M SURE THERE'S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS... THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S ME!

http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/

I guess sometimes it takes a little satire to make someone come to their senses.

Busta Rhymes "Ay-Rab Money" Response Track

So, you might know about this by now, especially those of you up north--the news is a few months old, but just in case you haven't:

By now you've probably heard Busta Rhymes' "Arab Money" and/or its remix. If not, I'll fill you in. It's the first official single for Busta's upcoming album "Back on My B.S." With Ron Browz on the hook and beat, it's a definite banger, in the vein of "Touch It" and it's many remixes. The main problem with the song is that it's, well, racist. And people have been quietly grumbling about this since the song's release a few months ago.

The original hook features an auto-tuned Ron Browz bellowing gibberish that's supposed to mimic the Arabic language, not to mention the title of the song is sung in the hook, as expected; except it's pronounced "Ay-Rab" money. Ay-Rab. Like how you'd say it if you didn't take them seriously.

Also, the remix features direct quotes from the Qu'ran, which might be okay, since Busta Rhymes is a Muslim. It just doesn't seem right, though, in a frivolous song about money, jewelry, and women.

Well, this justifiably pissed off (among like every other intelligent person of Arabic heritage) Montreal rapper and Iraqi-native The Narcicyst, who responded with a pretty slick response track, called "The Real Arab Money", in which he teaches Busta how to pronounce "Arab": "It ain't Ay-Rab Money/it's called Arab Money".
He also includes actual Arabic, and explains that in today's times, "Arab Money" isn't even what it used to be.

Listen to "The Real Arab Money" here.

In response to this response, Busta personally apologized to Narcicyst via telephone call and has changed the hook to include the proper pronunciation of "Arab" but the song still includes the pseudo-Arabic gibberish and the random generalizations and belittlings of Arabic culture. Take what you can get I guess. Narcicyst has also taken "The Real Arab Money" down from his website. But you can still listen to it at the link above, for now.

This guy The Narcycist is pretty dope though. Check him out.

Throwback Review--Busta Rhymes--E.L.E (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front

Whenever Busta Rhymes decides to retire from rap music, it's probably going to be safe to call him a hiphop legend. He's been on the map since the beginning of the nineties, initially trading verses with the other members of the well-received rap quartet, Leaders of the New School. It didn't take long; however, for everyone to realize that Busta was a dynamic force that simply could not be held down by the Leaders. Busta broke out on his own in 1996, and dropped his platinum-selling debut The Coming, which expanded upon the wildly flamboyant character he originally created for the Leaders. After scoring with the still-bumpable "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check", Busta would go on to create a couple of the most unique and strangely addictive tracks of the nineties, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", and "Dangerous". These songs, with their brilliantly catchy beats and absurd music videos, grounded Busta Rhymes firmly in place as one of the most innovative, talented, and fun acts around. Being "fun" is one thing though. The question that was on some fans' minds was whether or not Busta could rightfully be placed alongside the true East Coast heat-bringers, like Nas and Biggie. Busta responded to the question with Extinction Level Event.

Not to say that Busta started to spit thought-provoking lyrics over mellow east-coast productions or anything. Conveying a profound message has never really been Busta's thing. Busta is all about his hardcore, seamless delivery and his in-your-face intensity. E.L.E. took those aspects and expanded upon them futher than the "party sound" that we were used to from Busta. Those factors, along with absolutely stunning production make E.L.E. Busta's best effort to date. The album tries to stick a vague theme about the apocolypse, but Busta quickly drowns out the theme with his own intensity.

The album opens with "Everybody Rise", a relatively short adrenalin rush of a track that sets the tone for the album, preparing the listener for the upcoming intensity that E.L.E. provides. It's done over a bouncy east-coast beat by the ridiculously underrated producer, Nottz (He's the guy who did Kanye's "Barry Bonds").

After this, the album proceeds to bombard the listener with high-octane tracks, including the title track, "Extinction Level Event (The Song of Salvation)", and the obligatory crew track "Against All Odds", which features the Flipmode Squad--to whom Busta has been surprisingly loyal and supportive througout his career, despite his being inifinitely more successful. "Tear the Roof Off" is similarly upbeat, and reminiscent of past hits such as "Dangerous" due to its formulaic verse structure and catchy beat. The braggadocios lyrics are markedly more poignant and biting than the 90s banger, however.

The most memorable song on the album is also the shortest: the popular single "Gimme Some More", on which Busta flexes his ability to spit lightning fast lyrics with little trouble. The two minute thirty-nine second long track features a genious sample of the frightening violin riff from the classic horror film Psycho. The creepy sound layered with the lively drums and Busta's effortless flow provides an awkward, yet absolutely satisfying sound.

Busta Rhymes and one of the very few guests, Mystikal, trade even faster verses on "Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us?", a supersonic track that's so intense, you might need to come up for air once it's over. He lets you do just that, with the party tracks "Do the Bus-a-Bus" and "Take it Off", which were presumably added for the fans of Busta's ironically harmless and poppy "Dangerous" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" who might have been overwhelmed by the barrage of strange sounds and end-of-the-world talk.

Then, out of nowhere, Busta flips the script on us. In what was probably the most important track to the eventual longevity of his career, Busta shows us that he doesn't have to be a raging, dreadlocked maniac. He can also be...sexy. And he can sell records while doing so. Of course I'm talking about the super hit "What's it Gonna Be", which features a sultry Janet Jackson on the chorus. The mellow, super-sexual track--alongside its notedly expensive computer-animated video--provide Busta with a brand new, important demographic: teenage girls. In true Busta fashion, he again innovates by creating a unique blend of his normal highspeed flow and the mellow R&B sound.

And with that, Busta had firmly planted his feet into hiphop history by creating one of the most well-rounded and intense albums ever. E.L.E. contained a lot of the same catchy material found in Busta's previous two attempts, but he rounded it out with more dark, in-your-face subject matter, more polished flows, and much more masterfully executed production. Many say Busta has since fallen off and devolved into just another bitches-and-hoes rapper, but perhaps he can come back to true Busta form when his new album, Back on My B.S. drops.

The Report Card

Production: A+
The production on this album is absolutely marvelous. The album features a mix of very different sounds, from the epic "Extinction Level Event" to the eerie "Gimme Some More" or the poppy "Do The Bus-a-Bus". Really, every track is bumpable, and the best productions, like "Gimme Some More" make you want to replay the track over and over again.

Flow/Lyrics: A-
Busta has one of the best voices in hiphop, and one of the smoothest flows, and this album is the best example of that. His voice flows so well along the rhythm that it almost acts as just another instrument in the composition. Busta Rhymes has never had particularly interesting lyrics, although his word choice and rhyme schemes are definitely top-notch.

Originality: A+
This album is one in a million. Busta Rhymes established himself as a unique voice that could not be duplicated, and this album, with its great mix of sounds, will never be duplicated either.

Overall: A+
Extinction Level Event is definitely Busta Rhyme's best album. Is it his masterpiece? I don't know if I can say that. Busta has definitely gotten lazy over the years, but I think he could use his new-found sophistication to his benefit and crank out an album even more well-rounded and significant. But even if he never does, E.L.E. will do just fine in my collection.

So Far Gone- a great way to launch a career

Canadian rapper Drake has been building a steady fan-base since the 2006 release of his first mixtape Room for Improvement. This buzz reached dizzying heights this past Friday with the release his latest So Far Gone. Fans waited with baited breath till the wee hours of the morning to get their hands on this zip file. Seriously, there were tales of folks only getting a couple of hours of sleep and hitting the refresh button hundreds on top of hundreds of times littered throughout the comment section of his official blog. The finished product is a cohesive yet eclectic mix of music showcasing Drake's versatility as an artist that also features some pretty big names.

So Far Gone opens up with "Lust For Life" a sparse, interpolated version of a Tears for Fears track that sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape. Drake reflects on his drive for success in the music game which is pretty much the basis for the rest of the lyrical content on Gone. "Lust For Life" quickly blends into the ethereal sounding "Houstatlantavegas" where Drake puts his considerable singing talents on display reflecting on a pretty, party hopping pretty girl. Both songs are reminiscent of Kanye's 808's and Heartbreak minus the auto-tune and the,well, heartache. "Successful" features frequent collaborator Trey Songz and Lil' Wayne makes his first of a few appearances.

Around "November 18" is where things start to get interesting. Produced by the late and legendary DJ Screw, Drake shows off his ability to adopt different regional styles without awkwardness. Elements of Houston and down south hip-hop culture sound natural coming from the Toronto bred rapper.

Drake's version of Jay-z's Ignorant Shit is just as enjoyable as the original. Over the Isley Brothers sampled Just Blaze beat, the chemistry between Drake and Lil Wayne is undeniable. Both come with some good quotables and neither outshines the other. The screwed ending is unexpected. Producer 40 flips Ignorant Shit back into the slow jam that "Between the Sheets" was originally. (So I guess that makes it a sample within a sample. Confusing, but a damn good idea.) Only this time, it's almost unrecognizable but no less sexy as "A Night Off"featuring Lloyd. The rest of the mixtape continues to straddle the line between great lyricism that the biggest of hip-hop snobs can appreciate and the jams that the most die hard R&B fans can rock with.

Drake has the ability to take the antithesis of typical hip-hop and make it into his own. Perfect examples are a very 60's rock influenced "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and a remix of Swede songstress Lykke Li's "A Little Bit." Honestly, So Far Gone feels more like an great debut album than a mixtape. It has something for everyone with enough diversity but not so far left that it alienates. If this is any indication of where he's heading, Drake's buzz is definitely not a passing fad.


The Report Card:

Production: A
One of the highlight of this mixtape is that even though some of it is recycled, there is a lot of original production courtesy of Producer 40. Even the samples are used in refreshing and new ways. Also, on deck are beats from master producers Kanye West and Just Blaze.

Flow/Lyrics: A
Compared to a lot of newer rappers out, Drake probably the top of the heap when it comes to lyricism. He exudes confidence and for good reason. The fact the he can stand with and even outshine veterans like Lil Wayne and Bun B is a testament to his talent as a rapper. Even on tracks where he sings the lyrics don't suffer. They aren't riddled with cliche.

Originality: B-
For the most part, the content is nothing new. Most of the themes: partying, money and success have been prominent in hip-hop since its birth. But the MC that can actually sing well is something rarely seen. Most rappers try but almost all fail. The honesty of So Far Gone is also refreshing. Drake doesn't pretend to be a drug kingpin or the hardest of the hard. He just speaks his truth.

Overall: A-
Musically, this mixtape has a lot things going on. But oddly, it works. It's a diverse but well put together effort. It's the perfect launch pad for a long career.