And Then There was One...

Pay homage to the rap legends. These guys have started trends, sold millions of records, restructured the way group members can earn some cash individually, put a NY borough on the rap map, and are still able to retain and conduct business ventures like a newcomer starting a rap career. This is very, very hard to do in the world of Hip Hop. These guys have seen so much of the industry from it’s inner and outer functions that when they say something, you should lend an ear for minute right? If you haven’t heard this you might want to take some time out to. Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon are speaking about the state that rap music is in these days. But since I included a Worldstarhiphop link you know you have to read the comments, because no matter how absurd they may be sometimes over there, you know they are still actual thoughts of people.

Now a lot of what Meth (primary speaker on this one) and Ghost are saying is actual fact. Why would you go on a track with other rappers, good, talented rappers with mediocre material? Correct me if I’m wrong but that’s the moment when you WANT to bring your A game, because this show of skill could open other doors for your career as a rapper. I can’t see “swag” on a MP3, can you? I could be the richest man on the planet and drop horrible 16’s on songs with other rappers who want to be ME, super rich, but I rap like a gerbil taking a hard shit. Am I the GOAT because of this monetary wealth I have but can’t buy a rap skill?

No shots at anybody. Just saying.

You can’t be a lawyer if you don’t know law, no matter how much ‘gift of gab’ you have or ‘look the part’ with a solid connect in the practice. You may be able to fool a couple of people, but once your skills are put to the test and you fail, you’re done. You have to constantly prove your law knowledge superiority to win cases. Yet there are certain levels of lawyers, what they call their specialties. The criminal lawyer is high profile, most of the time is going against government, a lot of times end up the government’s lawyer, the DA. The ambulance chaser is the crackhead lawyer, looking for the quick buck. Looking like rap isn’t it? The ambulance chaser lawyer knows he can’t do criminal or tax law, doesn’t even bother to, and stays within his boundaries. The ‘ambulance chaser’ rapper acts like the rap DA, even though they have never done the due diligence to even be in the conversation of a past or present rap DA. Wacka Flocka Flame has only done one song that a few of the vast American population would know and was publicly assaulted all within an Earth hiccup. I don’t think he should be or is qualified to specify what rappers need or don’t, even for himself. He just got in the door (regardless of his mama’s job), how much could he really know about how the game works? But of course he has his own opinion. If he chooses to put himself in a very small space with no chance of growth, then let him, because that’s exactly what he did, imposed a limitation on his career growth when he stated “I don’t need lyrics”. What happens when the rap climate changes, like it always does, and it calls for something with lyrics and true expression? He’s done, just like the ambulance chaser lawyer trying a death penalty case. Check for reference the video out there with Diddy and Ross doing their verses to Wacka’s song. Where was he? Wouldn’t that have been a hell of a good look for him to grace the same stage as them? Look at how they know what Ghost was saying to be fact, and they are running with the young boi’s song. If he had lyrics it would have been a requirement to get him to appear.

You have to show and prove you are qualified for any job out there, a D-boy, mail clerk, receptionist, college student, fry man, assistant manager, lookout. If you are garbage at your job you get fired, right? Soooo, why not a rapper? A MAJOR rapper qualification is you have to have some type of lyrics, or find something else to do for the crew (DJ, dance, hold/roll the weed, staple the posters, beer runs, etc). Now let’s realize that having lyrics is WAY DIFFERENT than being a ‘conscious’ rapper, this is a big misconception in rap music. Sir Mix-A-Lot had some lyrics, he wrote in a crafty way “look at that fat ass” and to this day is STILL getting paid for his lyrics. Who really remembers the beat? People recite the lyrics with ease. Public Enemy is conscious, but I never saw anyone break out a dictionary to recite a Chuck D verse, he used simple English to get his point across.

The most frequently used excuse for bad rappers & fans is “I don’t wanna hear no one kick knowledge”. “My fans don’t wanna hear me kick knowledge”. Telling people how to split the brick, serve the customers, hold down the trap, specify versions of diamond cuts, or how to do a dance step is kicking knowledge fam. You have to ask yourself what TYPE of knowledge do you want to hear or speak upon. Conscious rap is for the rap fan that wants uplifting content in their music, so let’s not ignore that 2pac’s “Keep Your Head Up” is a conscious song because of your connection to Pac’s inner thug. Another excuse is “I wanna dance in the club”. So do I. Wacka don’t make songs for the club. A rap night at a club where a song comes on and everybody goes into click mode and starts to posture for a melee is not dancing. Putting on the Prada’s to go to the club for r&b/house music night is dancing. Did you hear the Hammer example Meth gave in the interview? When it comes to Mr. Dance MC (lol), you probably won’t be able to do it bigger or better than Hammer when it comes to dance & rap, but we all know he crashed badly when he tried to come out of his lane and merge with gangster rap. He’s never recovered from that, even to this day. He boxed himself in with dance, and NO LYRICS. Someone recite “Can’t Touch This” without the WTF? face and you win ridiculous bragging points. Bet you have to do the ‘Hammer-time’ dance too, but you can leave the pants home. See how the gimmick has outlived the artist that has no lyrical content?

Now the regional topic Meth used about southern rap is moot, wackness is everywhere. I do understand the reference that is used, because that is the ‘prototype’ of today’s successful rap, and believe it or not, a lot of it is from the southern region of the US. The Nelly example was a good point. Nelly was the DA, Chingy was the ambulance chaser. The labels have manufactured so many failures that they refrain from acquiring raw talent to mold into a true artist. They invest in your already done hard work and take large percentages like they did all of the work. So you know they’re not setting rappers up for the long run by teaching them how to talk to the media, giving music lessons, seeing if you can play an instrument. Now it’s actually better for them to let you fall off, after all Mr/Miss rapper dude, you signed a 360 deal didn’t you? No reason to wait for a recoup from sales, they’re getting their investment back NOW while you commit career suicide going to jail and burning your money on lawyer fees, pills, costume jewelry or whatever. Does this scenario sound familiar?

I found this Wu interview quite informative because they are teaching a class that is not being taught these days. Especially the part early on when Meth says “watch, there’s only going to be ONE LABEL…” A perfect example of this is the bouncing around of Game’s contract on Interscope. The way sales are going now how long before Koch/E1 closes the doors? Universal is the largest (Def Jam the most rap), Warner Bros (Atlantic), Sony/Columbia hardly has anyone, Virgin? Nope. This is why I can’t understand why cats laugh at an Amalgam Digital, they’re pretty much the only ones left on the new artists’ side, doing the digital thing, serving the Gen Now rappers who pay them no mind. So you can’t say Meth was lying, Universal is the only entity set up to outlast the others. Cash Money, Bad Boy, Aftermath, Shady, Maybach, CTE, Roc Nation, Disturbing Tha Peace, and more all reside on Universal. Warner has So Icey and Grand Hustle, and whoever else doesn’t want to work for Universal, but for how much longer? If Lyor Cohen & Kevin Liles (now @ Warner Bros) left you on DJ to rot, shelved you, you get released and go try to get put on at Warner, think they're gonna sign you? Your name is not Jay-Z. And with the one label thought, what type of music do you think Universal would put out for the people? Wouldn’t they really control what the masses hear and like? Do not forget this part, COMCAST owns NBC/Universal. Yes the cable channel now owns the record label, TV and movie studio empire. Expect changes, it is imminent.

These Wu-Tang men don’t sound old and bitter to me, they are doing what OG’s are supposed to do, put that bug in the youngin’s ear to help them get to the next step. We are trying to warn y’all that your time is running out with this Gen Now rap. Step back and re-learn the basics if you still want to be an emcee, go back to trying to churn out cohesive music for the ages to cherish and leave the fly-by-night swag and guap guys to die in their own iniquity. And I don’t mean literally either.

The $ykotic Don McCaine

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