Angled Perspective : The Third Degree Hip-Hop Write Off
Written: Nov 04 '02 (Updated Nov 04 '02)
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The Bottom Line: This is my late entry into Paulyoungotti's Third-Degree Write-Off.
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R.I.P. Jam Master Jay
Q: HIP-HOP TO YOU?
Bear with me here. Hip-hop to me, is like a thin beam of light. And we kind of act like a prism in that we take this focused beam of energy and we fracture it into a million radiant colors. More than Crayola could come up with. Some colors clash, some combine to form new colors, but at the end of the day it still comes down to one love. That to me is hip-hop. Hip-hop is also self-expression - that at the end of the day you've made your mark on the universe and your voice known.
However, there was never this one moment in time that hip-hop came to me enveloped in light. (cue: chorus of angels singing). I had always been into a wide range of music because of my friend's older college brother who had eclectic tastes. I consumed everything from Arrested Development to Frank Zappa. My love for hip-hop was just almost a natural extension of that - in that I felt hip-hop was just absolute freedom. It was the ability to pull all these disparate elements together and make hip-hop my own unique fingerprint.
It wasn't really until I moved to Chicago that I got heavily into hip-hop as any sort of scene. I had begun writing mostly hip-hop columns for the UIC paper last year including an interview with Ice Cube. I quit the paper after the first year and over the summer started up a hip-hop/electronica magazine called Redux with a friend which interviewed such acts as Jean Grae, Mr.Lif, Harrison Crump, and the Pacifics. Due to lack of resources and time, the magazine is no longer a reality - but right now I am involved in mostly production under the psuedonym of Asian Orange. I'm still trying to figure out the MPC 2000 really. I am also helping manage my friend MC - in trying to get his first EP out. I have frequently dabbled in freestyling at ciphers and such, but my voice is wack so I'll leave it at that.
Q: FAVOURITE RAP GENRE?
My tastes tend to lean more towards the post '89 underground but I'll give everything a chance.
Q: YOUR PERSONAL ANTHEM?
Everytime I enter a room, I want "What's Up Fatlip" by Fatlip to be playing. That song is my life encapsulated in a little over three minutes. Set over a downtrodden carnivalesque beat, the lyrics speak for themselves: "I'm far from hard / Emotionally scarred / On Pico Boulevard / I was regarded as a retard / I make myself sick / Get on my own nerves / Immature, insecure, grown up nerd."
Q: QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS
- Favourite three hip-hop songs of all time? (in order)
1. '93 Til Infinity - Souls Of Mischief (from "'93 Til Infinity") With all the spontaniety of a freestyle session in a haze of pot smoke, "'93 Til Infinity" is how we've been chilling since 1993. A beautiful piano provides the backdrop, while a simple classic beat and a snaking vibe sounds like the simmering heat on a East Oakland blacktop. Somehow the Souls Of Mischief captured this euphoric feeling of '93 and sent it in a time capsule for the rest of us. Break out the 40s.
2. I Used To Love H.E.R. - Common (from "Resurrection") Not much needs to be said about Common's allegorical love ode to hip-hop that hasn't been said before. Using a woman as a metaphor for hip-hop (H.E.R. stands for "hip-hop equals rap"), Common takes the listener on a trip through memory lane from the innocent old-school days to her eventual progression/regression. It's moving and powerful - probably one of the finest crafted songs lyrically.
3. Dance With The Devil - Immortal Technique (from "Revolutionary, Vol.1") A recent addition to my list that shot straight up knocking Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's "T.R.O.Y." from its third place position. "Dance With The Devil" is a nine-minute epic - detailing the downfall of thug-wannabe William Jacobs to the twist-ending worthy of a Greek tragedy. Suspended by a sorrow-filled piano, the listener hangs on Immortal Tech's every word as he leads them deeper and deeper into the darkness that lurks in the hearts of man. And when the ending finally reveals itself, its too late to turn back. Absolutely chilling.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: "Passing Me By" - The Pharcyde, "Award Tour" - A Tribe Called Quest, "Shook Ones, Pt.II" - Mobb Deep, "Ice Cream" - Raekwon, "Welcome To The Terrordome" - Public Enemy, "My Philosophy" - Boogie Down Productions, "They Reminsce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, "Patriotism" - Company Flow
- Favourite three artists of all time?
1. Wu-Tang Clan. If there is power in numbers, then Wu-Tang Clan is perhaps the most powerful hip-hop group ever. A tight brotherhood of nine members each with their own unique distinct style - the Wu redefined hip-hop and practically invented a new language with their intoxicating blend of street philosophy, stripmined minimalist beats, and Asian folklore. Even though, the Wu has stumbled through some tough times - after the dust clears - they remain standing above the rest. Simply the coolest group ever.
2. Public Enemy. Freedom is a road seldom by the multitude. But it was a path traveled by Public Enemy who shifted the paradigm of hip-hop with its dense explosive production and forever changed the fabric of American culture. Production from the Bomb Squad brought a sonic approach crammed to the top with a tapestry of tightly-woven samples and electric guitar squeals to an electrifying effect. Chuck D. came out swinging at issues like media stereotypes, and interracial relationships with a determined fervor that will never be matched.
3. DJ Shadow. DJ Shadow introduced the idea that an instrumental hip-hop album could stand on its own two feet without an MC. Borrowing from the hip-hop aesthetic of sampling, DJ Shadow is a master of texture and mood. His debut album was constructed completely out of samples - validating what many already knew: in the right hands the sampler was a powerful instrument. DJ Shadow took hip-hop seriously as an art-form - so his arty debut "Entroducing..." was adopted more by indie rock kids scared of Mobb Deep than hip-hop heads - still DJ Shadow remains one of my favorite artists of all time.
FAVOURITE THREE RAP ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
1. Illmatic - Nas (Columbia, 1994)
Nine breathtaking tracks - no more no less - all concentrated into one intense focal point: Nasir Jones aka Nasty Nas whose younger incarnation stares from the cover while floating level to the streets of the sepia photograph. Nas is hip-hop's Virgil incarnate - navigating the listener through Queensbridge Hell - where if you listen hard enough you can picture old ghosts gathering in the park to reminsce and faintly hear Little Rob on the corner trying to hustle drugs to all the thugs carrying nines. Nas' narratives pour out like fine wine which only gets better with time. Pete Rock, Large Professor, and DJ Premier lay down warm haunting jazz-laced tracks that still
sound like the caustic heartbeat of the New York streets. Timeless.
2. Three Feet High And Rising - De La Soul (Tommy Boy, 1989)
"Three Feet High And Rising" still remains a curious anachronism in a hip-hop world that moves at the speed of technology. On the surface, it almost seems rudimentary in its style, but its pleasures reveals themselves slowly and surely. Prince Paul's animated Technicolor production is a bright collage of diverse elements - a dazzling psychedelic swirl of flavors. Posdunos, Trugoy, and Mase are soul brothers exploring self-expression, drug use, puppy love, and other subject matter with a quick-witted melodic delivery. "Three Feet High And Rising" is a complex piece of work that proved hip-hop could conquer subject matter without having to be from the streets.
3. Ready To Die - The Notorious B.I.G. (Bad Boy, 1994)
There is the chilling juxtaposition of a innocent baby with the words "Ready To Die" on a clean white vaccuum cover - a foreboding warning of the nihilistic message contained within. "Ready To Die" remains one of the most powerful cathartic messages from one of the best voices of hip-hop - a personal exorcism of hate, anger, and fear for a better tomorrow. Anchored by a young producer hotshot called Puff Daddy back then who had an indelible ear for a pop hook - it was ultimately Christopher Wallace's husky baritone that commanded your attention - exploring a bleak situation with a dark humor that would not go unheard.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: "Fear Of A Black Planet" - Public Enemy, "Midnight Marauders" - A Tribe Called Quest, "Enter The Wu: 36 Chambers" - Wu-Tang Clan, "Entroducing..." - DJ Shadow, "Resurrection" - Common, "The Unseen" - Quasimoto, "Reasonable Doubt" - Jay-Z
Q: HOT, LUKEWARM, OR NOT (0 being Not and 5 being Hot)
P. Diddy: 2
I'll give P.Diddy "Bad Boy 4 Life" - that beat was fantastic. But other than that - "The Saga Continues" and "We Invented The Remix" were both mediocre messes. Plus, he lost Jennifer Lopez to Ben Affleck and he's being a sore loser about it.
Wu-Tang Clan: 4
Ok, "Iron Flag" was a return to form but it wasn't a step forward. RZA can do better and hopefully "Legend Of The Liquid Swords" will return the Wu to their former glory. But haven't we been saying this for a long time?
Dr.Dre: 5
Dre is literally a hip-hop entity unto himself. You want a hit? You know where to go.
The Neptunes: 3
The keyboard synthesizer beats that once sounded exciting are getting tired and formulaic.
Cam'Ron: 1
I admit it - "Hey Ma" was my anthem for a while - blaring out of cars while everyone collectively smiled at each other and bobbed their heads. Too bad "Oh Boy" was the most annoying overplayed beat ever - not to mention the rest of "Come Home With Me" was predictably weak.
Timbaland: 5
Love or hate him. His beats are still more addictive than crack rock.
Bubba Sparxx: 0
...
Chino XL: 3
"I Told You So" was a pretty decent album and Chino XL remains one of the most underrated lyricists in the game. Still he doesn't warrant that much excitement from me.
Ja Rule: 0
Shameless pop commercial "thug ballad" garbage. Ja Rule cannot sing and he cannot rhyme.
Q: YOUR OPINIONS ON EMINEM, PLEASE
Eminem is at a fork in the road. He's explored different facets of his persona over the course of three albums brilliantly. From a Freudian viewpoint, "The Slim Shady LP" could have represented his id, "The Marshall Mathers LP" - his ego, and "The Eminem Show" - his superego. As an MC, Eminem is undeniably talented - no matter how much trash he talks it belies a razor sharp wit and charm underneath. Eminem has played his "crazy white guy / middle America scapegoat" shtick out though. He has the potential to stand with the greatest of all time in the same sentence - but he needs to expand lyrically and artistically or else he'll fade out. He seems to be stuck in a perpetual angry twelve-year old state and he's becoming a parody of himself. In the long run however, Eminem will prove to be one of the most influential and important artists of our time.
Q: TUPAC OR BIGGIE, AND WHY?
The Notorious B.I.G. without a doubt. Biggie possessed a versatile and unique voice - a thick-tongued deep command which could sound menancing at one second and heartfelt the next. Even while, Biggie's songs centered around his unhealthy obession with death - he imbued them with humor and color of everyday life. We rolled with him through the best of times - "hanging pictures on the wall and letting the tape rock until it popped" and the worst of times - "Crime after crime, from drugs to extortion / I know my mother wished she got a f*ckin' abortion." But no matter what, we felt Biggie right down to his large presence, his deep chuckle, his lazy eye, and his nonchalant attitude. Even while Tupac becomes this iconic martyr figure - Biggie will always remain closer to my heart.
Q: WHO'S THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Rakim. With that inimitable smooth voice, Rakim remains one of the best MCs to this day - his lyrics move with eloquent ease. His solo releases "The 18th Letter" and "The Master" reveal an artist still reaching the height of his career. His influence is unmeasurable and the only threat to this title is probably KRS-One. But while KRS-One has been more prolific, Rakim has never yet failed to disappoint.
Q: HIP-HOP'S MOST ANNOYING PREJUDICE
We all know that hip-hop gets unfairly pegged with stereotypes from ignorant people who happened to watch two videos on MTV. Let people talk sh*t. That doesn't stress me out as much as the prejudices that come internally in the hip-hop community.
One of hip-hop's most annoying prejudices, I believe (and apologies if I offend anyone) - is this idea that KRS-One is infallible or this ultimate authority. Don't get me wrong - I revere "The Teacher" as much as the next head - but he's not the Almighty God of hip-hop. (lightning strikes) The entire Nelly war was pathetic - it was like a college teacher picking on a drop-out. Doesn't he have something better to do - like figuring out why "Spiritual Minded" was about as fun as a Sunday Church sermon? But then again, I'm an atheist.
Another internal prejudice is when certain people equate true hip-hop with the underground and fake hip-hop with the mainstream. Both the mainstream and underground have put out their fair share of quality material and sh*t - and just becaue a song has a commercial appeal does not necessarily make it bad.
Q: YOUR DREAM RAP ALBUM?
This has been done before with albums like Deltron 3030 and Handsome Boy Modeling School, but my dream rap album would similarly be a conceptual album in that it has a theme tying its songs together with hip-hop artists playing different roles. I would put production in the hands of a RZA and RJD2 collaboration for that mixture of eerie dusty soul, while enlisting MCs Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Boots Riley, Ras Kass, Common, Jay-Z, and Ol' Dirty Bastard as the comedic foil. While we're at it - we'll add Beth Gibbons from Portishead for background vocals and Kid Koala on the turntables.
Q: FAVOURITE 'STYLE' OF RAPPING
Honestly, I really don't have a favorite "style" of rapping. I enjoy the fact that there are so many different MCs with such distinct and unique styles. There are styles that I don't like - but for the most part I don't have a favorite. It all just depends on how I'm feeling that day. If I feel like just relaxing, Q-Tip's abstract cerebral style hits the spot but other times, when I feel energetic - Ghostface Killah's stream-of-conscious flow gives me a headrush.
Q: YOUR HIP-HOP UTOPIA: WHAT IS IT?
Any hip-hop utopia will eventually disentegrate into a hip-hop dystopia for me. You need the good, the bad, and the ugly. I could say - I want to destroy all the commercial trash, I want control of music television airwaves to be taken away from MTV, I want Suge Knight to be wiped off the face of the planet - but ultimately I think that's paradox to a utopia. I would have liked to put a stop to the East/West cycle of violence from taking the life of two great artists - but I also would have liked to put a stop to the Holocaust - but both have happened so what can you do but learn from it.
Q: FAVOURITE RAP LYRIC OF ALL TIME?
"It drops deep as it does in my breath I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death." - Nas, N.Y. State Of Mind
Other writers who participated in this Write-Off:
Cletta1201
DVON
Ekidd911
GamblinFamily
Konspirator01
Madtheory
MagnumForce
Paulyoungotti
Roheblius
Speeddemon571
Recommended:
Yes
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e-kleptic
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Location: Chicago, IL
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I haven't posted for more than a month - but I'll be back. I promise.
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