@TheHorvat To me he showed what he'll always be over the course of the playoffs. He's best served as a 3rd or 4th option on a good team. 11 hours ago
Salute to ma favorite bartender, even though I don't drink. :-) 11 hours ago
RT @PeeGeeJay: Chandler was huge for the #Mavs 2 years ago... He made Roy Hibbert look like Olajuwon... If Chandler wasn't hurt he needed t… 11 hours ago
One of the few criticisms you hear about Ice Cube these days is that he’s turned into the figure the early 90′s Ice Cube was so vehemently against ( read: “selling out”). While that accusation is highly debatable (listen to “Stay True to the Game” and decide for yourself how much applies), Cube latest single/video is a reminder the political rage heard on Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate will always be there. The video is directed by T.S. Pfeffer and Robert McHugh.
Killer Mike has amassed a criminally underrated catalogue over the past several years. One of the most impressive things to watch in his creative evolution is how easily he can navigate through and combine issues of philosophy, religion, black nationalism and militant protest. When you listen to “Don’t Die,” a track that’s simultaneously a political manifesto and crime thriller, you’ll feel like you’ve been sucked into a modern-day version of Ice Cube’s classic “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.” El- P’s production is excellent as the beat changes coincide with pivotal points in Mike’s narrative and heighten the tension of hearing a realistic tale of crooked cops setting up an innocent man.
Killer Mike and El-P’s R.A.P. Music drops on May 15.
The BET Hip-Hop Awards are now history. Last night, the telecast debuted all five cyphers which included Kanye West, Common, Royce da 5’9, Vado , Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf, and others. Of course, the only question now is which artist killed the cypher the best? Last year Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj, Black Thought and Eminem all had valid claims. Who gets the nod this year? Enjoy.
CYPHER #1: RAEKWON X WIZ KHALIFA X BONES BRIGANTE X YELAWOLF
CYPHER #2: ROYCE DA 5’9 X TYGA X KUNIVA X DIAMOND
CYPHER #3: ICE CUBE X OMG X DOUGHBOY X DIGGY SIMMONS X JOJO X REV. RUN
CYPHER #4: BUSTA RHYMES X REEK DA VILLIAN X ZAWCAIN X MICKEY FACTZ
CYPHER #5: KANYE WEST X PUSHA T X BIG SEAN X CYHI DA PRYNCE X COMMON
BONUS ONLINE-ONLY CYPHER: VADO X REYCHESTA X FONZWORTH BENTLEY
Certain human endeavors are timeless. Music, for example, can last centuries and well beyond the original creator’s intentions. The late J Dilla’s stature has gone exponentially since his untimely passing in 2006. Every year, there’s more and more music fans being exposed, and consequently inspired by Dilla’s life work.
The latest is the talented trumpet player Farnell “Bleek” Newton. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Portland State University, Newton uses his gift in the genres of Hip-Hop, latin, jazz and R&B music.
This beautiful trumpet rendition of the classic ”Fall In Love” was inspired when Newton heard Flying Lotus’ rendition.
“I fell in love with this song about five years ago when I heard Slum Village Fantastic [Vol. 2],” he explained. “I found out about FLying Lotus from a friend of mines, Byron the Aquarius, who was working with Flying Lotus. So when I heard his version of ‘Fall in Love’ I really wanted to put a solo trumpet ala Miles Davis on it! J Dilla will forever hold a special place in my heart for his arranging and creation of music like the jazz greats Duke Ellington, Miles and Coltrane! I hope that you enjoy!”
Enjoy is understatement. In fact, I zoned out and was left wanting more. For more information on Newton’s music, check out the links below.
Ice Cube Brings Officially Welcomes His Sons to the Game
The Don Mega is keeping it in the family. With all eyes on him via his upcoming I Am the West album, Cube is letting some of that light shine on his two sons, OMG and Doughboy. Cube enlists Bangladesh for the beat, and neither offspring embarrasses himself on the mic. But of course, Cube still had the best verse.
I Am the West drops on September 28. Check out those suits they’re rocking (it ain’t like you can miss them).
On the Come Up: Open
Atlanta is one of the most diverse cities for Hip-Hop on the planet. Whether its mainstream, underground or soul, the city offers something for your musical taste. A benefit of being a writer is sometimes you don’t have to search for the music, it’ll find you.
The latest new emcee I got put up on is Open, who’s going at independent via Stay Tuned Entertainment. Check out these this anti-materialism track ”Take It Off.” Future star or future bust? You decide. If you’re feeling Open, hit him at his contact info after the drop.
Tanya Morgan’s Von Pea will be releasing his own solo set on October 12, entitled Von Pea’s Gotta Have It. This track features Buckwild protegé Brizzio on the beat, and guest spots from fellow Lessondary members Che Grand and Elucid.
It’s a solid track that Pea lucked out on. Originally, Brizzio had made the beat for Che Grand. But due to Pea’s pending release date, Grand was gracious enough to step aside.
Video game distributor Konami has revealed more names and songs for its anticipated “Def Jam Rapstar” title.
The game, which was first announced last year and displayed at the 2010 E3 conference, puts a microphone in the player’s hand and allows them to give their best karaoke rendition of classic and current Hip-Hop tracks. The title also utilizes Playstation’s Eye and Xbox’s Live Vision cameras to ensure the entire performance is evaluated before a score is determined.
The developers 4mm Studios and Terminal Reality have placed a huge focus on the game’s social networking aspects. Other gamers will be allowed to vote on your performances which will be chronicled on a Billboard-styled chart. The stat prize feature awards badges that can be sported on a player’s profile. In addition, theses accolades will be viewable by area code to allow players to verify the best performers in their region.
“Def Jam Rapstar” boasts 45 songs spanning Hip-Hop history from artists such as Ice Cube (“It Was a Good Day”), Nas (“Hate Me Now”), Public Enemy (“Fight the Power”), Diddy (“It’s All About the Benjamins”), Pete Rock & CL Smooth (“T.R.O.Y.”) and Drake (“Best I Ever Had”). Original instrumentals from producers DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Danja and others will be available for gamers to record original rhymes over.
Gangsta rap pioneer Ice Cube made a recent stop on Jamie Foxx’s radio show to address “selling out” criticism, Dr. Dre’s early days, and the importance of privacy in his personal life.
In the early 90s, Cube launched his movie career in 1991 with the Oscar-nominated Boyz N the Hood. Since then, Cube has starred and executive-produced in over 40 films.
After transitioning to more family oriented work such as the Barbershop and Are We There Yet series, some critics and fans have accused Cube of selling out and betraying his earlier gangsta rap roots to assimilate into Hollywood.
The 25 year music veteran counters that his film evolution is a natural progression for a married man in his 40s whose original fans now share those same realities in their personal lives.
“Most of those people don’t know how to get money. If you know how to get money you do what you do to get that money,” Cube told Foxxhole Radio. “It was a good look because my fans now have kids. I don’t want nobody telling their kids that Cube used to be the shit, y’all just don’t know. I’d rather for them to be a part of what I’m doing, too. And it’s fucked up when you got a six-year-old coming up to you quoting Friday lines. It’s like alright let me do something for your little ass because you shouldn’t be watching Friday. It was something for all my fanbase.”
Following N.W.A.’s dissolution his former band mates Eazy-E and Dr. Dre became embroiled in a heated rivalry in 1993. Over the next two years their respective labels Ruthless and Death Row would join the fray and release several diss records. Eazy used 80s pictures of Dre sporting lip gloss and sequence outfits to support his stance that his former friend was fabricating his gangsta rap image on the seminal The Chronic album.
Ice Cube recalled the photos, and stated both Dr. Dre and DJ Yella used to argue with World Class Wreckin’ Cru leader Lonzo Williams about wearing the gaudy outfits. Williams adhered to funk and soul music traditions, and looked at Hip-Hop as fad cash-in instead of a legitimate art form.
“[World Class Wreckin' Cru founder] Lonzo was a Con Funk Shun type of dude,” he noted. “He thought rap was going to be in and out. That’s who they worked for…They used to argue about that [with him].”
The recent public divorces of Nas and DMX have been cited as examples of the difficulty artists have in making a marriage work in the music industry. Cube, who’s been married for 17 years and has four children, believes maintaining privacy is the #1 reason his marriage has lasted.
“Keep everybody out your business, that’s how you do it. And I mean everybody. It ain’t about having a relationship outside of the house. It’s about having a relationship within each other,” he explained. “When something go down don’t be calling your sister or your mother; I’m not gonna be calling my brother or uncles. We’re gonna work it out.”
Ice Cube’s ninth studio album I Am the West will be released on September 28. The latest single is “Drink the Kool Aid.”
Fans can also see Cube weekly on his TBS sitcom series “Are We There Yet?,” which debuted in June.
When you’re making moves there’ s always going to be someone who criticizes. That’s not just true in Hip-Hop but the world in general. But only in the wacky world of Hip-Hop could a 41-year-old married man with four kids be called a sell-out for not keeping the same gangsta-rap image of his 20s. What’s even more ironic is that Cube’s music still retains the street knowledge of his earlier albums, but just from a more mature and seasoned perspective.
Let’s be real. If artists like Cube, Nas and Jay-Z were still approaching their music now the same way this did 15 years ago, they wouldn’t be as revered and respected. In fact, they probably wouldn’t be here period. Those three are examples of emcees who took the challenge of growing with their audience. Sure, there were some growing pains and missteps, but their efforts have resulted in careers that show dynamic, three-dimensional musicians.
Take a look at someone like 50 Cent and you see the exact opposite. Since 2003 the G Unit mogul has essentially remade the same album with little artistic growth. And even outside the booth, people have grown tired of the publicity-focused “beef” antics. That is why Nas and Damian Marley can sell out nearly all their tour stops around the country while 50 is canceling his U.S. tour due to low ticket sales.
People claim they want Hip-Hop to mature but are afraid to mature with it. Ice Cube is a perfect example of why we don’t have to abandon the Hip-Hop culture that raised us just because we hit the other side of 30. In fact, you can retain your integrity and still handle business in the corporate world on your own terms. Nothing more gangsta than that.
A legend like Ice Cube needs no introduction. For over 20 years, he’s done everything a Hip-Hop artist could hope for. He’s dropped classic albums, engaged in epic battles, and crossed his brand over into film and TV. Back in 2008, Cube was in the midst of promoting his newly released LPRaw Footage. Pay close attention to what Cube says about a potential collaboration album with Nas and Scarface!
Ismael AbduSalaam: Congratulations on a very good album with Raw Footage. There’s a more distinct political edge on this one than Laugh Now, Cry Later. Was that something you planned on being that the presidential election was coming up?
Ice Cube: Thank you. I knew with Laugh Now, Cry Later it was more of a reintroduction. I had to make a record to show I could more or less still rap on that tip. On the next one I could more of that street knowledge that I’ve been known. It was more of a conscious effort The election just fell into place, I wasn’t even thinking about all that when I started the record. I started at the end 2007, so it all just fell into place.
Ismael: A lot of people like the “Why Me” track off the album. Was there any difficulty in translating the power of that song into a visual?
Cube: What I wanted to do was use real people, not a whole bunch of actors. I wanted to show people who were really victims of this kind of violence. So once I knew I was gonna do that I knew the video had the ability to be powerful once we tied it together. We had different scenes of the hood, Somalia, and the Middle East to show it wasn’t a hood issue, but a world problem. And with Benny Boom it would be hard to miss that concept up. [laughs].
Ismael: With Raw Footage you’re set to have you second consecutive #1 independent album. When you look at the Hip-Hop landscape, do you think major labels will eventually get pushed completely out? Cube: As more people get comfortable with buying off the net and artists developing their sites, it’ll come to a point where you’ll get the music directly from the artist. There’ll be nowhere else to get it. To me that’s the future.
But for now, the majors are gonna deal with the biggest artists with there 360 deals to prolong their life and take money from their shows and sponsorships; pretty much all that external money artists get. The record company are gonna find a way to cut themselves in. And if you don’t have the money to push your shit independent, it’s hard to play ball.
Ismael: Even going back to your first album Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, your music has always had a strong sense of personal accountability. And that’s even with songs now like “Tomorrow” and “Stand Tall.” Why do you think we’re so quick to shift blame to others in our culture? Cube: Take a show like Oprah Winfrey where every victim of everything gets up there and cries about who’s fault it is that they’re this way. We just became a culture of ‘I don’t have to take responsibility, let me just pass the buck.’ You can do anything in America once you apologize. Just having that attitude eroded the pride in saying “this is my balls and my word.” Men used to say they were going to do something then they’d do it. Now, you don’t know if he’s gonna do it or not. It’s too much TV and looking at other people’s lives and not worrying about their own.
Ismael: You’ve always been willing to work with younger emcees like Game, Killer Mike, and Young Jeezy. Out of the new breed, who impresses you the most?
Cube: You gotta be impressed with Kanye. Even though his style ain’t my style, you can tell he practices his art and puts in the time. 50 and the Game. I always liked Andre 3000, and Luda’s dope. Gotta mention the Roots. There’s people out there that are fire. Out West I like Jayo Felony and Kurupt. I love to hear spitting. I [even] like some Lil Wayne songs, when he’s in MC mode.
Ismael: Lench Mob Record’s last album in the 90′s was Kaushion’s debut before you brought in back in 2006 with Laugh Now, Cry Later. How hard was it to get the infrastructure back together for the label, and what are your future plans with it?
Cube: We’re just gonna cultivate what we got. There’s a few people in the wings but they’re not ready to be mentioned yet. To me you gotta be ready, I can’t show you how to do this. You either have it or you don’t. Until we fidn that we’re going to continue to do our records. I stopped because I felt niggas was ungrateful and didn’t know how to take the ball and run with it. It wasn’t hard to start backup, I just took the five smartest people I knew when it came to independent records. It ain’t no big-ass overhead with a bunch of secretaries running around doing nothing. It’s lean, mean and five smart motherfuckers that put and plan together and executed. And it works so far, but you got to have the music behind it.
Ismael: Everybody knows the classic battle records on your resume. Out of those battles, who would you say was your most formidable opponent? This would be the one that made you really work the pen for.
Cube: Nobody! [laughs] I felt none of those battles I got into, that they should’ve even got into it with me. I pulled punches sometimes just because it was the right thing to do. But I never felt like “aw shit, damn this is gonna be a grueling one.” Because I felt like yo, we’ll do as many songs as we need to back and forth. That’s how I seen LL and Kool Moe Dee do it. So when I get into some shit like that I’m always prepared to do multiple tracks to make it happen. That’s the essence of Hip-hop, until it started getting crazy with entourages and shit that don’t know how to handle it. But for the most part it’s fun.
Ismael: What are you verified movie projects at this time?
Cube: Just finished a funny ass movie with Mike Epps called “Jackin’ Promoters.” Jeezy is in it. We play two shady ass rap promoters who bring acts to town and we ain’t got the money. Definitely funny shit for those in the industry. A lot of people go to shows but don’t know all the work that goes into it.
Ismael: I wanted to commend you on the Ice Cube scholarship you’ve been giving out. What are the requirements with it?
Cube: We’re basically giving out two scholarships. We put the kids in a contest. I give them a bottom beat, hook, and tell them to create a song around it. Whoever creates the best song wins the scholarship. 50-60 kids always enter and we usually end up with the best 10 and pick the best.
Ismael: One last question which will kind of put you on the spot. You worked with Scarface on the “Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It Remix” and The Diary. A few days ago he announced he would be retiring and not making any further albums…
Cube: Aw man, for real?
Ismael: Yes but he did give himself an out. He said he would consider coming back for another album, but it woud have to be collaborative album between himself, Nas, and you. Of course you guys are on different labels, but if the money was right and it could be done, would you be interested in it?
Cube: Of course! I wouldn’t even think twice about doing that…hell yeah! [laughs] I think the album would be crazy, lyrics would be sick,a dn Hip-Hop would love it. It’s just making that business happen, that’s the part that gets funky. I ain’t never really turned down these kind of projects, they just don’t happen for whatever business reasons. But I’m up for some shit like that because I know we can make a dope record. And to me that is the most important thing.
This interview happened by accident. Funkmaster Flex was in Atlanta in Summer 2008 to help promote a new Scion vehicle. Primarily, he was answering questions about the car, and I could tell be his demeanor that he was as equally bored as I was. So when we switched gears to Hip-Hop (we both asked simultaneously “let’s do something Hip-Hop questions”), I ended having one of my best interviews to date.
Ironically, his comments about Method Man sparked off a brief feud which I’m not sure has been resolved. Even though Flex explicitly told me repeatedly I could print everything he said, he may have thought better of it later on, as he ignored my calls in regards to a part 2. Nonetheless, I thank Flex for his honesty in this piece. Enjoy, readers.
If you want to explore Hip-Hop history, ask a DJ. The chosen few with clout who man the ones and twos see the greats come and go, witness movements soar then crumble, and still provide a one a kind Hip-Hop soundtrack. In the case of Funkmaster Flex, sometimes a DJ can create trends and become great themselves.
Starting as an understudy of the legendary Chuck Chillout, Flex has gone on to redefine the power of the DJ over the last 20 years. And despite all of his success, the revered NY legend still holds a special place in his heart for the 90′s.
With his trademark zeal, Funk Flex breaks down why he ranks LL over Jay-Z, the hypocrisy of Nas critiques, Ross’ C.O. ghosts, and why a period like the 90′s will never be seen again.
Ismael AbduSalaam: As a DJ you lived through the many eras of Hip-Hop from the 80s until now, but you’ve always showed a strong affinity for Hip-Hop music from the 90′s. For example, you did a memorable five-hour set of 90′s Hip-Hop last year for Hot 97 on the Fourth of July. What about that decade appeals to you so much?
Funkmaster Flex: In 1991 [you had] Naughty By Nature, Cypress Hill, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Main Source, Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Onyx, Redman, Wu Tang Clan…and I stop at Wu Tang for a reason. [They] made records because they wanted to stand out in front of their house and be hot with their boys.
The records just happened to go national. They didn’t know at the time the East Coast was the best coast. To be fair, whose those guys that did “93 ‘Til Infinity?”
Ismael: Souls of Mischief.
Flex: Them, Snoop, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, NWA, Tupac, Dogg Pound, D.O.C. made records like that. Only a handful of rappers can make a single with a marketing plan and everything in mind. Like Jay-Z and 50 Cent. I’m not going to say Lil Wayne because we all know he doesn’t have [a] marketing plan in mind, [but] makes great music though.
Everybody’s not on that level. And the successes of the 50′s and Jay-Z’s of the world put pressure of the Tribe Called Quest’s and De La Soul’s to try to be more national and commercial. So if you’re a group looking up to them and they’re trying to be national, as a rookie you’re going to try that as well.
KRS-One never loses himself in his music. He may lose himself for one album, but who doesn’t?
I know I keep saying 50 and Jay, but that’s when I feel that 90′s sh*t, but in a current state. [But] LL Cool J is the Muhammad Ali and the Jordan. Not to take anything away from Jay or even 50, but they had a blueprint. LL never had a blueprint, and still doesn’t. LL Cool J is very important to the music. He’s 25 years deep. I love gangsta rap, [but] LL’s longevity [is untouched].
I was at an all-star game and people like Sarah Jessica Parker, Celine Dion, and Derek Jeter were there. I saw LL walk in. A 60-year-old lady said to me “I don’t know if you know but that’s LL Cool J.”
The fact that she knew he was a rapper and associated nothing negative with him is big. I don’t think he aimed for it, but it’s happened. That’s not to slight to gangsta rappers, but we need more of that.
Ismael: LL had that period where everyone hated him before Mama Said Knock You Out shut a lot of that down. 50 is kinda in that same position now. Do you think he can make a similar comeback?
Flex: Remember as a barometer, we’re using a dude who sold a million in a week. 50 Cent’s [problem] is the G-Unit [brand] had been diluted. The recent project had Young Buck on it. But think, when you have a Game album, that’s a G-Unit album. Same with Young Buck. It’s the same brand.
I don’t think it’s over for them, they’re approaching gold. When you read the blogs you’d think he’s dead.
I’m gonna tell you the slept on rapper for 2008…
Ismael: Who?
Flex: David Banner. He has talent, is involved in issues, and has one of the top four albums of the year.
Going back, I like rappers like Soulja Boy and Lil Wayne. But I have a different respect for the Dr. Dre’s, LL Cool J’s, Puffy’s and 50 Cent’s because they made hot records while conducting business. Wayne may be that businessman, we’ll see.
Ismael: What’s your take on the Rick Ross situation that played out over the summer?
Flex: Let’s talk on that. I like Ross a lot. I don’t feel he’s ever talked erratically tough on his records. He’s not saying he’s out here shooting and killing. I know how hard it is to make a hit record. I don’t think it was tough street talk that sold his records.
Ismael: Much of the backlash from the fans seemed to come because they felt Ross was lying after the facts came out. Also, the original Freeway Ricky Ross condemned him as well.
Flex: There’s a part of my heart that feels for him. But why is it any different from the guy who says Jay-Z’s persona is him [Calvin Klein]? Same thing with 50 and the dude [original 50 Cent Kelvin Martin] that’s dead?
Ismael: Could it be the problem arose because there wasn’t a distinct separation between Ross’ persona and real life? When the lying came in about his past that’s when the big backlash started. He may have been clowned for a little bit if he had just admitted the truth initially. But adamantly playing the kingpin figure backed him into a corner.
Flex: That’s a good point, there is that space with Jay and 50. The lying seems to be giving people a bad rub across the board. If he was a C.O. in ’97, he still grinded on record and got himself a deal. He didn’t have a big backing, Khaled just believed in him.
Yes, I too wish if it is true that he would’ve broke it down for me to understand.
Ismael: Are you for or against the growing trend of dance music that is dominating Hip-Hop?
Flex: When people say enough of the dance records, as a DJ that means it’s the domain of people like Soulja Boy and Lil Jon. We don’t want any new artists coming into the mix with that.
Give it to me from SB, Jon, and Hurricane Chris. No more.
Ismael: What’s your take on Nas’ Untitled album?
Flex: My copy didn’t have a track-listing, but I liked those tracks more than the singles.
Ismael: People may recall at one point over the summer, Nas and Wayne had the 1 and 2 albums in the country. That was two drastically different albums from two MCs entrenched in different eras thriving in today’s market. Do you think that speaks well for the health of Hip-Hop?
Flex: Wow, you’re right and nobody even wrote about that. Nas doesn’t have to be Puff, doesn’t choose to. People are funny, I hear people say things about Nas that’s crazy. People get mad at Nas because if he wanted to be Puff, he could. But they get mad because he didn’t choose that lane. Who are we to judge?
I have no doubt in my mind that Nas could find talent, run a label, but he chooses not to. Are we going to continue to be mad about that? Me and 50 had that argument a couple of times. Nas doesn’t have to do that to be great.
Ismael: It appears with him there’s always someone who has a problem with his music post-Illmatic.
Flex: I never understood that myself. Nas gets critiqued too much for a rapper that doesn’t judge people! People really judge him. You know what, it’s because people know he won’t answer back. Not rappers, but the press.
[With that said] I don’t want gimmicks from Nas anymore. I didn’t like the Nigger promotion. I don’t know if it was the label. There was something gimmicky with the last album too, what was it?
Ismael: The Hip Hop is Dead theme.
Flex: Yeah! But people can’t use that to define him. It’s a small piece of what Nas is. People annoy me when they talk about him. What do you want? Do you want 4 million, 500k, street clothes, what do you want from him? He makes good records.
I don’t want to offend anyone, but Nas is the first real lyricist to sell a lot of records. Biggie would be the second. Snoop, maybe. Now let me know, has the last five years made us feel like Snoop isn’t as lyrical as we thought he was?
Nas is the first though. Who sold millions before him? And he was and is lyrical! LL too, but he didn’t have the competition for the first eight years of his career, so I looked at him more as a trailblazer.
Ismael: How about Kool Moe Dee and their feud?
Flex: I’m biased to L on that one. It’s like asking me about Fantastic Five and Cold Crush, I’m biased to Cold Crush. LL was Queens and Bronx, Moe Dee was Harlem. So me being from the Bronx, and there being a wedge with Harlem, there’s a territorial thing.
Moe Dee sold a couple of records. He might have went gold or platinum, but if you didn’t sell a lot sometimes you couldn’t compete against your last hit.
What’s Jay-Z’s first album?
Ismael: Reasonable Doubt.
Flex: That, Illmatic, and I’m going to tell you the most slept on the album from that era…the first Black Moon album! It’s in the same category as Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Straight Outta Compton, and Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. I felt a lot of those 90′s Too Short records, too.
Ismael: Even without the remixes Enta da Stage is still in that class.
Flex: You know they put that Tribe Called Quest boom-bap to sleep when they dropped. Buckshot had the crown for a summer.
You know who I was feeling? I can’t remember his name, he was on Jive. He never made it East but he was hard. Kinda like a Mystical, but real street…
Ismael: Spice-1?
Flex: Yeah! He never made it up this way. Do you remember the summer of ’95 when Raekwon and Biggie were neck and neck for the crown?
Ismael: Oh yeah, wasn’t that was before “Who Shot Ya” dropped?
Flex: That’s what separated them. I’ll tell you the talk before that dropped. “Yo Flex, don’t Biggie always be rhyming on R&B sh*t? Your man ain’t street he’s losing it. He can’t hit without the remixes. Why aren’t the remixes on the album?”
(Yells beginning of “Who Shot Ya”) As we proceed! That had niggas pumping their fists. I never seen a rapper respond to what niggas was whispering! That song was so gully and street, I didn’t even understand it.
“Incarcerated Scarfaces” was like that. The lines in it, the fact he shouted out Connecticut was real, as they’re harder than Brooklyn believe it or not. They’ll fight each other just to show New York dudes they ain’t soft.
I’ve lived every era of Hip-Hop. I went to the park to see Grandmaster Flash and Bambaataa. The separation back then was either you were in front of the rope or behind it. Back then either you were with the DJ or you weren’t.
Now we’re approaching 2010. But for some reason the 90′s were like free agency in major league baseball, anybody could pop. I’ve been dying to speak about a rapper that’s been overrated…
Ismael: Who’s that?
Flex: Method Man is the most overrated rapper I’ve experienced in my career.
Ismael: Hmmm Now are you using the Wu solo albums as the main criteria for that opinion?
Flex: Oh hell yeah. Let’s list them.
Ismael: Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Flex: Stop there. Rae’s joint wasn’t the first Wu album, but Ghost and Rae were like Batman and Batman. There was no Robin! “Verbal Intercourse,” “Ice Cream,” “Glaciers of Ice,” damn. But Rae don’t like me no more.
Ismael: What happened?
Flex: Rae feels I didn’t support his career all the way through. I see him [and] we talk, and I feel like he wants to talk about it with me. Me and him were the tightest because we were on the same label and traveled a bit together.
It’s not that he didn’t have decent records but he didn’t have records on Cuban Linx’s level. Meth, too. We came up around the same time in the club circuit.
Sidebar though, I wanna put The Infamous up there as well. Granted, it’s not Illmatic level but I wanna place it somewhere…
Ismael: Where do you stand on Hell On Earth? Many feel that it’s more cohesive and is superior lyrically and production-wise.
Flex: True, it made more sense. But most of that is due to very good A&R work. No slight to the Mobb on that.
Ismael: Now we’ve went through other rapper’s catalogues, let’s put the discerning eye on your own work. Which albums do you feel are the strongest and the weakest?
Flex: People say The Tunnel and [60 Minutes of Funk] Volumes 1 and 2 are my best albums. Volume 3 is the worst. I’m realistic, I’m not just here bashing rappers, I gotta get grilled too (laughs).
Ismael: Those records had a gang of artists on there. How did you manage to get all of them together?
Flex: I never told anyone this before but a lot of my album freestyles like Fugees, Fat, Joe, Pun, Mobb Deep, Rae, and Redman happened with all of them in the same room. People were doing their freestyles while the other rappers were looking through the glass. Kinda fucking bananas.
That why Volume 1 and 2 are my best because rappers were going in under a different kind of pressure.
Remember the Fugees had the best freestyle but when I put them on I had them in the waiting room for a couple of hours. At the time all they had out was their first album Blunted on Reality. Wyclef bring that up to this day about how he was waiting and they still came in and crushed all the big hitters.
Ismael: Speaking of Wyclef, I’m sure you recall when he interjected himself in the LL Cool J-Canibus beef with the diss “What’s Clef Got to Do With It.” An underrated diss people rarely mention is when LL came back with “Rasta Impasta”….
Flex: Over the EPMD “It’s My Thing” instrumental! [That was] fucking crazy. I felt I was the only one playing that record. What happened was they squashed it, so L was like, “Yo you gotta stop [playing it].” But I was like, “Yo, this shit is hard.”
Canibus went hard in that [battle], too.
Ismael: To close, you were the first DJ to put together a team to develop and push new people to the forefront. Did you use anyone as a blueprint for that? I know the first official team was the Flip Squad.
Flex: Flip Squad was first and really Jessica Rosenblum handled that. I picked a few. But the Pitbulls was more mine handpicked. I saw some great solo careers from Flash, Chuck Chillout, Red Alert, Marley Marl and Kid Capri. Still, I felt great DJs weren’t coming as fast as great rappers. Deep down I wanted to extend myself to good DJs. Instead of looking at me as an enemy, I wanted to say, “I can help you.”
From there I got Big Kap, Cypha Soundz, and Mister Cee. Chuck Chillout extended his hand to me so I wanted to do that for others. I didn’t know until I got older how much he really helped me.
[VIDEO] Ice Cube – “Everything’s Corrupt”
Posted: November 1, 2012 in Music NewsTags: 2012, entertainment, Ice Cube, political commentary, politics, social commentary, video
One of the few criticisms you hear about Ice Cube these days is that he’s turned into the figure the early 90′s Ice Cube was so vehemently against ( read: “selling out”). While that accusation is highly debatable (listen to “Stay True to the Game” and decide for yourself how much applies), Cube latest single/video is a reminder the political rage heard on Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate will always be there. The video is directed by T.S. Pfeffer and Robert McHugh.
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