Once upon a time in a universe far, far away, HipHopDX used to host blogs. Through Meka, Brillyance, Aliya Ewing and others, readers got unfiltered opinions on the most current topics in and beyond Hip Hop. After a few years, a couple redesigns and the collective vision of three different Editors-In-Chief, blogs are back. Well, sort of. Since our blog section went the way of two-way pagers and physical mixtapes, Twitter, Instagram and Ustream have further accelerated the pace of current events in Hip Hop. Rappers beef with each other 140 characters at a time, entire mixtapes (and their associated artwork) can be released via Instagram, and sometimes these events require a rapid reaction.
As such, we’re reserving this space for a weekly reaction to Hip Hop’s current events. Or whatever else we deem worthy. And the “we” in question is I, Andre Grant, and the one-and-only Ural Garrett. Collectively, we serve as HipHopDX’s Features Staff. Aside from tackling stray topics, we may invite artists and other personalities in Hip Hop to join the conversation. Without further delay, here’s this week’s “Stray Shots.”
Folding Yeezus Into His Normal Production Work
Andre: Look, whatever you think of Yeezusas a project, the production work was undeniable. Each beat felt sprawling and cinematic, whether it mimicked gears grinding themselves to dust or robots from a dystopian Borg-like future. And we want him to keep that. Kanye’s amazing when he’s raging against something, but, this time, it seems he’ll be raging against himself. So as we see that inner candle of his brew and rage into maelstrom on this new album, we can’t help but want him slathered in beats a mixture of his Yeezus minimalism and MBDTF luxury.
AD LOADING...
“Real Friends” & “No Parties In L.A.” > “Facts”
https://youtu.be/hk2H4FN-8YA
Ural: Facts was an uninspired mess outside of Hypebeast kids who treat “Yeezy Jumped Over Jumpman” like religious dogma. Besides the “me-too” production from Southside and Metroboomin, Ye sounded (as Andre wrote in our First Listen) like a jealous ex-boyfriend as he rhymed about his accomplishments with Adidas. “Real Friends” was honest and real. Having Ty Dolla $ign along for the ride lent more emotional weight. Meanwhile, the production felt more like a blend of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’s lush soundscape and Yeezus’ sparse ambiance. “No Parties In L.A.” sounds like Mr. West is totally dedicated to making less experimental rap this time. While many look at the Kendrick Lamar feature, having Madlib assist in production is the real treat.
Continuing To Rap His Ass Off Like He Did In 2015
Andre: Kanye has been rapping his ass off in 2015. He absolutely bodied the guest spots he held hostage. In my world, “Smuckers” was the verse of the year for Ye as he croons, “Why, oh why, why, why don’t they like me? / Nike gave a lot of niggas checks, but I’m the only nigga to ever check Nike.” You hear his voice trail off and then explodes with, “Richer than white people with black kids / Scarier than black people with ideas / Nobody can tell me where I’m headin’ / But I feel like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen at my wedding.” Add that to standout verses on A$AP’s “Jukebox Joints,” and Big Sean’s “Blessings” as well as his poignant new track “Real Friends” and you have someone who has been low-key providing moments of real joy. We need him to continue that.
AD LOADING...
Show Us Why You’re Still The King
Andre: When Vince Staples said, “The 90s didn’t even have Kanye!” We all sort of chuckled, but, seriously, the 90s didn’t have Kanye. Tell me another emcee who has gone from backpack rapper to bonafide your-mother-knows-who-Kanye-is star in this era? I would be surprised if you could. He’s a living bridge between the late 90s native tongues movement and the pop rap of the 2000s and he’s done it with David Bowie like reinvention. Who is Kanye West? Is he as Bowie called himself, an actor whose greatest role is that of a rock star? Or is he something else entirely? Either way, Kanye West is the litmus test for what a Hip Hop superstar is, and, I dare to say, he will continue to be for as long as Hip Hop continues to capture the human imagination. Still, we need him to show us here, again, why he’s the best at what he does.
More Honest Anecdotes About Personal Life & His Ideologies
Ural: From “If my manager insults me again” line on College Dropoutjam “Spaceships” to “New Slaves” attack on the prison industrial complex, Ye has proven time and time again his ability to touch various parts of his mind. Hell, remember the “Yeezy taught me” closer to “Blame Game?” The positive response to “Real Friends” not only came from the amazing production and Dolla $ign’s assistance. West became 100 percent honest. Who knew Chicago’s champion had to pay a relative $250K after being blackmailed for laptop featuring various sex acts? The issue of coming from nothing and having vast amounts of money around those still without is a very real issue. Thankfully, Ye is articulating those issues better than ever.
Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
AD LOADING...
Ural Garrett is a Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
