hot sparks

R. Kelly Gives a Master Class on Addressing Haters

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:36:23 -0500

R. Kelly Gives a Master Class on Addressing Haters:

This is entertaining and all, but let’s keep it funky. Ready > Untitled, no question.

In fact, “D.O.A. Kellz” > anything on Untitled.

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Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:55:28 -0500

Just saying

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:33:54 -0500

The Gucci leaks got me feeling myself. They keep getting better. I’m feeling hyped. I’m surprised, especially after “Spotlight.” I don’t care now. “Lemonade” is perfect. “Heavy” goes hard. And now we get that Weezy/KFC track WITH THE BANGLADESH BEAT? I’m going to buy this CD when it drops. That still says something.

Burrrr

"It would be like a Viking on fire as he drifts out to sea for the last time. And if that metaphor..."

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:18:52 -0500

“It would be like a Viking on fire as he drifts out to sea for the last time. And if that metaphor doesn’t stick with you, then you never understood the man or his Sixers.”

- Shoals on AI’s possible return to Philly (via noz1)

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Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:33:45 -0500

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Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:06:50 -0500

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Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:53:23 -0500

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Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:33:32 -0500

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Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:55:51 -0500

Where Did the Ceilings Go? — 'Swag Surfin''

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:30:32 -0500

There’s a nice No Ceilings discussion going on at somanyshrimp right now (I contributed to the comments). Jordan wrote a thoughtful slam of the mixtape (the title “The Power of Diminished Expectations” particularly stings) and brings up good points: “groan-worthy lines”; “he no longer bothers to construct images” and “the Wayne on No Ceilings and the Wayne on DD3 are worlds apart.” I’m with some of the criticism and not with a good part of it. It’s early, but No Ceilings feels like a real keeper: a contemporary, radio-friendly set list gets flipped by one of rap’s most unique voices. It’s not as good as Da Drought 3, which will probably define Wayne’s mixtape career, but it’s up there with Dedication 2, Lil Weezyana Vol. 1, and flat-out better than Hottest N—-a Under the Sun, Dedication and any of the … And Friends and Drought Is Over series.

Whether you believe Wayne is “selling his lines” or not, there’s little debate Wayne is in a zone for most, if not all, of No Ceilings. This zone may not interest everyone, but it has held my attention since the tape dropped. “Swag Surfin’” is a perfect example of what makes the tape so exhilarating, so drink-the-Slurpee-as-fast-as-you-can, so caught in the moment, so FUN. Wayne refuses to stop spitting, as if the drag from his blunt was the proper — and only — catalyst to such a liberation of stream-of-consciousness shit-talking. There’s nothing Earth-shattering about KE On The Track’s “Swag Surfin’” beat, but it sounds wholly appropriate when Wayne drops his first lines. “OK, I GOT THIS CHROME ON THIS BUGATTI, I’M STRONG IN THIS BUGATTI / 2 V-8’s, AIN’T NO SUCH THING AS DRIVING CALM IN THIS BUGATTI” —- Wayne is smitten with Bugatti (“I Can Transform Ya” mentions it, too), more for its strong consonant-vowel relationship than the fact it’s a badass car. He doesn’t use the company name as a jumping-off point; he’s merely excited to dedicate a few lines to the sound of it. The song snowballs from this point, and it’s indicative of whether you’re going to feel No Ceilings or not. The flow is battering-ram straight forward and the topics are usual fare — guns, girls, Blood repping, I’m the shit (with plenty of those references), whatever. If that doesn’t excite you, I get why, but is he not providing a good enough time? It’s not for lack of trying. Peep game: “Young Money motherfucka / You think we gonna do our thing? / Well ain’t it sunny in the summer?” “Take the brain off the whip now it don’t make no sense” “My flow is like rubbing two logs” “Bullet in you boys’ memories / Now you act like you don’t know.”

The song isn’t perfect. Didn’t love the Nomar Garciaparra reference (a perfect example of Jordan’s placeholder argument). The pussy’s “micro soft like Windows Vista” lacks imagination, creativity. But the song seems perfectly paced, like it’s an extended basketball drill for LeBron. We marvel at the smooth delivery, watching him turn it on, the ease of it all. It’s a wonderful opening track. Plus, there’s small aspects that transcend “whoa this sounds sweet” — “T.I. hold your head, Mack hold your head” feels weirdly dated but appropriate with Wayne’s recent legal trouble. “I love my Baby Mommas … gotta take care of them kids, I know you heard Obama” cuts into the Bossip-reader in us, as we may have wondered if this guy is a good Dad or what his relationships with his women/mothers are like. No Ceilings and “Swag Surfin’” are a declaration: He’s still the beast. Feed him beats. We know how this story ends, and it’s with a greater appreciation of a rapper attempting to maintain his street/mixtape credibility while he drops radio gems like “Bedrock” and hops on Shakira’s new single.

Funkmaster Flex was disarmingly honest about Wayne in a recent interview, saying, “We put too much pressure on Lil Wayne to make us feel good again. … You want to feel that way again. We’re looking to him again to save us, and save our feelings, and make us feel like, Rawrrrr, there’s that feeling again. … He doesn’t get the credit … that he’s making us feel that way again…” There are plenty of us that feel that Rawrrrr when we hear Wayne dismantle a beat, and that’s why we have, and love, No Ceilings. We want to feel that way again.

Strong arm rap / I rock an iron sleeve

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:33:10 -0500

Coming soon.

Not a very original idea (Brandon has done it, so has Breihan - RIP S.A.H.), but no tape has had me this excited in a long time. Gucci’s recent run has been impressive, and there’s plenty to listen/enjoy, but this trumps it. Planning on breaking down each song; hoping to find the right words to accurately pinpoint my enthusiasm. It won’t be easy.

“The latter is a reference to Lil Wayne, who publicly...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:00 -0400

“The latter is a reference to Lil Wayne, who publicly claimed the title of “greatest rapper alive,” while also stipulating that it used to belong to Jay-Z. Wayne was right, for a while, and then went weirdly silent, save for a few odd rock tracks.” — S/FJ

PAY ATTENTION

“Experts”

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:48:41 -0400

“Experts”

CRAZY

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:57:42 -0400

CRAZY

"On good days, if you trust life, life has to answer you."

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:41:04 -0400

“On good days, if you trust life, life has to answer you.”

- “A Happy Death,” Camus

Not sure how long this is going to last (Vimeo already took down...

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:16:19 -0400

Not sure how long this is going to last (Vimeo already took down a higher quality), but YO:

- What’s up with the chick with the diamonds on her lips? Not really into that.

- Drake is clearly learning as he goes, video-performance wise. He’s catching a lot of flack but this pop star thing is a new fit, so put the pitchforks down.

- Flashing euros is still cool.

- Drake has the best verse but I still fuck with Wayne’s coasting. “And we gonna be all right if we put Drake on every hook” is such a hilarious middle finger to critics, as if Wayne knows damn well the key to YM’s success rides on Drake’s ability to cross over like he did. It’s working, dummies.

- Did Hype do this shit? (If so) Man, what happened?

I’m watched this about 10 times and it still doesn’t...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:07:35 -0400

I’m watched this about 10 times and it still doesn’t need an explanation.

DRO!

Why Kid Cudi Should Shut Up Already

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:56:10 -0400

If you can watch the above interview and still give a fuck but the end of it, congratulations. You’re better than me.

Kid Cudi’s answer (to such a loaded question - “What don’t you like about hip-hop right now?) isn’t surprising. In fact, it’s typical of the Cleveland MC — bloated, trying too hard and boring. Taking shots at “ringtone rappers.” (Which is dated in itself — Soulja Boy isn’t Mr. “Crank Dat” anymore. Plus, I’m sure there’s people buying Cudi’s “Make Her Say” for their cells.) Name-dropping Band of Horses (“I SAMPLED THEM ON MY MIX TAPE!!!”). Reaffirming that he is one of the few rappers “saying something,” whatever the hell that means (even going so far to say he’s Top 5 “saying something”). It’s sickening.

No other “Freshman” rapper irks me as much as Cudi. Every interview is a blaring reminder of his struggle, his greatness, his importance. He’s called his lone hit (and best song) “Day ‘N’ Nite” a classic. Regarding his forthcoming album, he told Prefix: “Everybody is going to be blown away. Quote me: This will be the most magnificent album that people will hear for some time. The amount of creativeness and storyline, the vibe and intensity: People aren’t going to be ready.” I understand being proud is a part of the game, but I can’t get behind Cudi’s arrogance and entitlement. “Day ‘N’ Nite” is great, but it’s only made him a one-hit wonder (IN THE BLOG WORLD!). “Getting a head of himself” is an understatement when it comes to dude. And it doesn’t make me want to listen to his music.

(Also, RE: “Make Her Say”: While it is gaining steam, the sunny song (about facefucking, by the way) might as well be a Kanye song since A) his production is the best part and B) Cudi’s verse is forgettable.)

The mix tape that garnered Cudi his praise, A Kid Named Cudi, is overrated and rarely (if ever) gets spins in my iTunes. It’s a lot of grandstanding about being “different,” which is just as big of a hip-hop cliche as saying you have “swag.” Journalism and storytelling 101: Show, don’t tell. I listened to the tape a bunch of times when it first dropped, but now the only songs I come back to are “Day ‘N’ Nite” and the lonely “Man On the Moon.” I’m still perplexed why it has so many supporters.

If this rant seems all over the place, I apologize. It just seems that every interview I hear/see with this guy was seemingly meant to turn me off. And the worst part? Cudi’s album, Man On the Moon: The End of Day (horrible title, by the way … Did Michael Bay executive produce?), will be OK, but could very likely choke on its own attempts of “saying something” important. I mean, fuck, man, he has Common narrating the damn thing. Talk about things I don’t want to hear.

If there’s one thing I’m trying to say with this, it’s this: Cudi needs to shut up. Fall back on the self-aggrandizing interviews, the talks of retirement (ANOTHER CLICHE), and anything else that spews from his mouth. When (if) his album drops, I’ll give it a fair spin. But it’s not something I’m looking forward to or rooting for.

Once a week, I write a quick blurb about a No. 1 song on a...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:37:00 -0400

Once a week, I write a quick blurb about a No. 1 song on a Baltimore radio station. This week’s was New Boyz’s “You’re a Jerk,” which was the top song on 92Q Jams. Here’s what I said:

It’s almost clockwork: Every year, a regional hit extends its reach to the rest of us — usually with help of an infectious beat or an unshakable vocal tick. “You’re a Jerk” has both, and it’s a hell of a time. The Los Angeles duo’s breakthrough song is an ode to jerkin’ — a style of West Coast dancing that combines old-school breaking and New York’s Get Lite movement. (Confused? There’s YouTube videos on how to jerk, but be careful.) Luckily, you don’t have to be an ultra-flexible teen to enjoy the single; it’s perfectly fine as a summer trunk rattler. Unfortunately for the Boyz, Legacy and Ben J, the track’s minimalist beat overshadows their whispered raps. It seems rap history repeats itself, as The Pack faced the same problem in 2006 with sneaker anthem “Vans.”

I think “You’re a Jerk” is pure fun, just like the video. I’m kind of concerned with such young rappers rhyming about being “geeked up” (unless that term’s meaning has changed) but hey, that’s me. The thing that bothers me most about “You’re a Jerk” is its aesthetics. The group and video’s emphasis on flashy, bright, ugly Hot Topic clothes is distracting, corny and should be filed under “TRYING TOO HARD.” The fact that New Boyz are naming their album Skinny Jeans and a Mic is not a red flag, it’s a white one. My advice? Enjoy the limelight from this single, boyz. It won’t always be so neon.

thisrecording: James Baldwin No. 62 on The Greatest 100 Writers...

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:36:30 -0400

thisrecording:

James Baldwin

No. 62 on The Greatest 100 Writers of All Time

This Recording is counting down its greatest writers ever. I’m a sucker for lists and the need to declare “YES. THIS IS THE BEST.” I like when sites take on huge topics like writers. That takes balls. And at the very least, it’s going to introduce me to some people I need to consider for my own canon.