Fans may have been surprised that Jay-Z and Kanye West scrapped their idea for a joint EP in favor of a full-length album; but perhaps most surprised of all is Kanye West.
“Sitting here in the studio two hours out of London,” Tweeted Kanye (@kanyewest) on Thursday (October 28). “It’s really setting in on me that I’m actually doing a rap album with JAY-Z.”
Perhaps the most significant revelation is that the studio sessions have already produced a track for the album. “The [beats] and raps are stuuuuuuupid already!!! 1 song down… on to the next!!!” Tweeted ‘Ye, before enthusiastically adding, “I was in the audience at the Hard Knock Life Tour!!!!!!!”
And what sound can fans expect? “I can never get use to this!!!! This shit we doing is so modern so hood so club so hip hop… all of the above!”
I wonder how hood an album made by 2 multimillionaires can sound
co-sign
gonna be hot…one of the hottest duos around…
Jay is one of the nicest MCs of all time, there’s no question about that, but I don’t really wanna hear an album with two obscenely rich fuckers telling each other how great they are…it’s gonna be something like this..
“Yo Jay, you’re the best ever, but I’m the second best/
Yo Ye’, I used to sling Ye Yo in retrospect/
now were both on the pop charts neck and neck/
with every check my checkered past gets harder to recollect/
I used to have a vault in my room to hide my cash in/
now my vault by itself is bigger than a mini-mansion/
Yo Kan’, they say we braggin, nah we just bein’ honest/
matter ‘fact Hov’ I’m holdin’ back, I’m still bein’ modest/
if I really wanted to flash I would show ’em the private plane/
talk slick like Spanish fly ’cause any time I could fly to Spain/
If I hide my chain it’s not because I’m scared of you/
it’s ’cause I’m bein’ polite, these white stones might embarass you…
The gift and the curse of being a ghostwriter is that nobody will ever believe you even if you tell them who you ghostwrite for….as long as I get the check on time I don’t give a rat’s dick.
“…And then it all made Sense.”
Legendary Sensaye
Writer’s Block.
U just convinced me dude. Shiiiit I’ll believe you tell me somethin I dont kno about
Nyce…!
Quick question… Letz Just Say Hypothetically… I Happen To Know The Greatest Ghostwritter In The Entire World…
What Advice Would Be Good For Me To Give Them In Terms Of Them Getting Discovered…?
Dude, you just made me WANT to hear the album now.lol
I don’t mind hearing a rich rapper talk about his riches. I just don’t want to hear everyone do it. Then it’s stale.
Stretch, what do you wanna know? I’ll sum it up by saying this. Any ‘real nigga’, for lack of a better term, would be blown away at how phony most of these rappers are. Not even phony in terms of not doing the things they say they do, we all know they’re lying about all that shit. But I mean phony in even more simple terms, like these niggas are snobby stuck up pricks, even before the money. They’re just herbs. The type of dudes you wouldn’t even have respected in High School. Most of ’em are nerds who are gassed beyond belief.
Nu, let’s just say hypothetically speaking, that there IS a better ghostwriter than myself. My advice for him if he’s trying to get IN the industry would be to write for everyone he can locally, pro-bono (that means for free). One of them is gonna gain some success off a joint he wrote for them, and it’s gonna make him sick to his stomach, but it’s gonna open doors for him. It’s hard to be a ghostwriter if you’re not a performer though. Most times the way people end up being a ghostwriter is because they’re a ill lyricist and they get praised locally, and they open up for some superstar when he comes to town, and the superstar basically says, and not in these words, “Yo man, you’re way better than me, and I’d rather have you on my side than on someone else’s side, but then again I don’t want you to steal my shine, so write these songs for me and don’t tell anyone and I’ll throw you some peanuts and then fly off to Dubai and front like I wrote that shit, and when I get back, I’ll let you go on tour with me and get your career started.” Then the ghostwriter, who’s just happy to quit his weak ass job at Circuit City says “Word!” and then he writes dope shit for the artist, the artist goes all over the world spittin’ YOUR lyrics and getting praised for them, but then he never lets you go on tour with him, but he stays loosely in touch with you, so you keep writing shit for him because you need those bullshit five thousand dollar checks and you’re still clinging to the hopes that he actually will say “Alright man, I’m ready to take you on tour, this is it”, but he never does, and you start getting to the point where you say “Fuck this, I WROTE THIS SHIT!”, and nobody believes you and they think you’re crazy. Oh my bad…I got a little carried away there.
@ Sensaye252
what i never understood about ghost writers is why they stay ghost writers. how come they never write some fly shit for themselves and blow up.
i’d think you’d be a total dumbass to play the backround for peanuts, especially in the era we’re in where you can do alot this shit for yourself, why play the bench?
Much Appreciation 2 You 4 This Insight… It Means More 2 Me (Eh Hem I Mean My Ghostwritter Friend) Then You Can Even Know…
Couple Of Points And Questions About Your Reply Though…
1. If You Write 4 Local Artist & They Achieve Any Type Of Success, Whether Big Or Small, How Does It “Open Doors 4 You” If You’re Just A Ghostwritter.– Sounds Lyke You’re Counting On Them 2 Admit They Wrote 4 U…
2. Not 2 Pretend I Know More About This Industry Then You May So Don’t Take This As Disrespect. But I’ve Heard Of Writers Making Much More Then Just “Peanuts” For Writting For Major Artists. I’ve Actually Heard Some Of Them Actually Make More Then The Artist Does, Through Royalties, Radio Plays, I-Tunes Sales, Performances, Etc.
P.S. — If That Is Correct That Would Explain The Answer To The Next Anonymous Question. — Why Deal With The Pressures Of The Fame, When You Can Just Enjoy The Money From It…
–See– Ne-yo, The Dream, And Trey Songz… They Also Show If You’re Really Good, That You Have The Opportunity To Enjoy The Fame Whenever You Decide To…
Because Anonymous, there’s something to be said for having ‘star quality’. Some dudes, they might have a fucked up sounding voice, they might be a fat disgusting lookin’ nigga, they might just be afraid of being in that lime light. It’s not for everybody. In my case personally, I’m dumb,’cause I DO have that star quality, especially when I was a little younger, I’m 28 now. For me, it’s just more of being wrapped up in too much real life shit for me to put in the foot work to push my own shit. I can’t be slappin’ flyers on power lines, doin’ bullshit gigs in front of 50 people every other night at hole-in-the-wall bars, battlin’ hyper ass niggas, travelin’ out of town to meet with this douchebag. I just don’t have the stomach for that shit anymore. If I left my family for two days they would fall apart. I’m the only Man in my family. I did the Hollywood scene for a while, and it turned me off because it was so fake that it was a disappointment. I thought it was gonna be different. If you wanna be a rapper you’re basically signing up to be a actor, because it’s more frontin’ than anything. Not everybody can fake it like that. I couldn’t. Not for long any way. Now that I got all my excuses out of the way, I will say this. I’m ’bout to give this thing one last push before all my industry connects dissolve. I’m tired of sittin’ on the winning lottery ticket, so to speak. Peace. Hey, Hip-Hop DX, if you’re readin’ this, when I send you some songs, don’t be frontin’ on my shit. I been supportin’ you through all your meaningless articles about Soulja Boy’s new glasses and shit. Peace.
Interesting read, thanks Sensaye252! If you ever need a creative writing partner/right hand man for the job just holla at me;) Been writing songs for around 15 years, but due to various non-musical reasons (location, background etc) I could never be a rapstar myself in America, despite the wordplay skills. And that’s fine with me, I’d rather stay in the background anyway and just write, but I wouldn’t mind selling some of this stock of text/ideas if I could..
basically everything you wrote is on point.
The industry is FAKE FAKE FAKE.
These corny dudes that get on do so because the corporations who sign them want to use them to further manipulate the public.
You are correct what you wrote.
These dudes that the industry pushes are straight up nerds. They are losers. That is why they get the record deal or the contract. And they be stuck up morons as well, who think they are better than the public.
This is exactly what hip hop is NOT about.
Real dudes don’t get on, because that does not appeal to the corporations and the CEO’s and companies. Real dudes appeal to the fans, to the masses and to the public. Fake dudes appeal to the coporations.
I just want people to know that is how it is.
All this bullshit talk about how they want to be this idiot or that idiot on MTV, its fake. Because you don’t want to be that person, because they are not real, and if they were real they wouldn’t have made it that far, because the people behind the scenes who push these garbage products are all about manipulating the public.
Keep writing because you are telling people how it really is.
now that I reread your comments again, not only are your comments real, you remind me alot of myself.
I tried to get involved way back in 1994. Then the way the industry went from 1995-2000, I felt I had no chance and stopped talking to people about it because it was too fake, and not what I wanted to be a part of.
I know what you’re talking about, how people act. I know this one dude who was involved with producing with one of the bigger names, a name you have all heard of who I won’t mention.
We used to talk about hip hop, recording and stuff like that. I had plenty of rhymes and rough drafts of beats. Whenever I talked to this dude about doing something together collaborating, etc, they acted fake as hell. I would spit time after time for him, and also play beats on the keyboard. When I asked him to spit, dude never spit one line, although he wasn’t the rapper signed to a major label.
They wanted no part in actually doing stuff with me, they just wanted to play me and get me all hyped up like I was signing a record contract with them. And that is not what I wanted, I just wanted to get into the recording studio with them and make music, or help me produce what I had already written. It was about music to me, not about the contract/album bullshit. The one dude wasn’t famous, but he was boys with someone who has been around since the late 1980’s.
The point is them dudes were fake. I wanted to make music, so I spit my lines and played my beats and they liked it and acted interested. I just wanted to colloborate with them, not sign a contract or perform.
It never happened.
I’ve never stepped into a recording studio in my life, never even really been close.
Because everytime I tried, dudes acted mad fake.
The bottom line is this.
The music industry has nothing to do with music, art, or talent.
And people who believe that it does are only being fooled and manipulated, which is exactly what the corporations want.
Yo sensaye,
Bro you just make some mixtapes and get it out there on Datpiff and places like that. Get some promotion through HiphopDX, there’s already a bunch of guys here who wanna hear your rhymes. Look at Cudi, as soon as ‘Ye heard his tape he signed him.
You could be the realest rapper out there man,
LMAO sounds like something Affion Crocket would do for a parody!!! shits ill you better copyright that before he steals it for a parody
Not that I’m the all-knowing Grand Wizard of industry knowledge, but I’ll bequeath unto you what I do know.
Nu: Writing for local artists can open doors for you, because you’re not paying them, and they’re not paying you, you’re simply using each other as a stepping stone to get on. For example, say I write a R&B song for some chick, she doesn’t pay me, but it’s known between us that if the song gets exposure or makes money, that’s my product too,’cause we built it together. If that artist is gaining success off the stuff you’re writing for them, trust me, they’re gonna want you to keep writing for them. To people who can’t write songs, it seems like an impossible thing to do, so they’re almost paranoid about not having you around when it’s time to write a song. It’s like if you’re a boxer and you got a trainer, and you make it big time, then your manager says “Yo, we’re gonna use a different trainer for you for the next fight”, the boxer is gonna say “Naw, fuck that, I’ll get my ass whooped if I don’t got my trainer”. You’ll end up being like the dope supplier for a fiend once they see you can write hits for ’em. I know this cat that wrote a song for Jodeci back in like ’94. Next thing you know he was writing for everyone in that camp, Tweet, Playa, Timbaland, Aaliyah, etc. It’s not something everyone can do. Don’t sleep on your gift. Being able to write a song is a strong asset. There’s no machine or computer program that can write a song for someone. The human brain is supreme.
As for your second question, some artists do get rich off ghost writing. But it’s hard to do that now, because they used to give contracts to ghostwriters, guaranteeing certain amounts of money and/or work. They would sign you to a label for example, and you would write for everyone in their stable of artists. Nowadays, there ain’t no stables of artists. There ain’t even really any labels anymore. It’s mostly all independent, or dominated by a few super labels that just bully the rest of the industry. They got too much money for you to get any leverage on them. It’s funny, the more money the labels have, the less of it they give out. I’m sure there are some ghostwriters out there who still make a pretty penny, but the labels are so greedy now that they’ll take one of their artists who is already an established artist and MAKE them write for their other artists. That’s one of the reasons all these motherfuckers sound the same. Shit, half of ’em got the same nigga writin’ for ’em, and THAT nigga is already writin’ his own material for his album. Slavin’ these niggas, straight up. Regarding your last question, why wouldn’t you just sit back and be anonymously rich rather than deal with the pressures of fame? Because if you’re a stand-up dude with any kind of discipline and sense, fame is BETTER than money. Fame can do a lot of things for you. You can make a difference in the world with fame, people will listen to you, people will support you and you won’t even need money. Fame is like invisible money, except it’s better, as long as you’re a stand up guy, like I said. Look at someone like Mike Tyson, that nigga is broke, but we all love him, and we would ride for Mike. He can live the rest of his life just off what people give to him because of their admiration for his character. Someone like Donald Trump, nobody gives a fuck about that dude. If he lost all his money, everybody would laugh at him. People kiss his ass ’cause he’s rich, but that kind of attention is not positive attention. If you’re the type of nigga who can be satisfied for the rest of your life just having nice cars and jewelry and shit, then maybe it would be better to have the money without the fame. I happen to be someone who gets more fulfillment out of making a difference in my city, in my country, and in the world. Obviously the ideal situation would be to have both, that goes without saying.
80Morf: Do something with those ideas and concepts kid, imagination and creativity is at a all time low right now, if you got natural creativity that’s like having a oil rig in your back yard.
Other dude: I know exactly what you mean. When I met a lot of these rappers backstage or at studios or what not, I thought it was gonna be like ‘Yeah, I’m ’bout to cypher with these niggas like we do back home, it’s gon’ be ill!’…nope, NONE of these niggas ever wanna rap unless they’re gettin’ paid. Niggas are scared to freestyle. I come from a city of real spitters, nigga we spit off the top of the dome for hours, and I thought that’s how it was with these rappers. These niggas ain’t tryin’ to rap. That’s when I realized that half these niggas don’t even write their own rhymes. Simply put, they’re just fraudulent MCs. Not all of ’em, but most of ’em. I have met some industry rappers who still got the love and enthusiasm to get down in a cypher, but it’s usually the dudes that never really got huge. Guys like Redman, Killah Priest, Cormega. Those guys aren’t hit makers or anything but at least they are real spitters who spit in a real cypher and not look at you like you owe ’em somethin’.
Peace ya’ll.
great post again.
just saying, stay on hiphopdx and keep writing because people do not know what you are talking about.
they really don’t.
they feed off the information the machine pushes to them and dismiss anyone who has anything different to say then the media.
The stuff you are writing about I’ve known about for 10+ years and very few people know the truth.
Get some tracks on hiphopdx if that is possible, if not keep conversating with people.
You know damn I want to get involved in hip hop also because it is so wack nowadays and I have talent and rhymes, etc. I want no part of mainstream media/labels. None. I want direct communication with people who are about hip hip. Even if I never get on, if I can sit back and watch and listen to real people such as yourself spit the truth, that is all I really want. I don’t want this post 1996 hip hop stuff speaking from a fan’s point of view. Its garbage and its not for the people, its for the corporations and the fakeness.
You’re posts are exactly what hip hop is about. I’ve been on this site for years trying to tell folks the same thing you are telling them. I do it in a different way so I don’t get any support. There aren’t that many people doing what we do.
@ Sensaye252
Sounds like you’ve been through a lot, so I thought I’d ask you a broader question – what about (ghost) producers? I know you aren’t a producer and I know that a lot of what applies to writers/MCs (i.e. starpower, image, performing, etc.) doesn’t apply here, but what’s been your experience with producers in the industry? I’m asking this as someone who’s just getting ready to get in the game but who, despite wanting commercial success, values creativity tremendously. I’m asking because I hear statements like yours very often and get discouraged (not to the point of stopping, but it’s enough to make someone really cynical before even going for it).
Hey dude you nice even if you was just poking fun. Those multi syllables were on point you must be a rapper yourself huh?
Do you still record? ill collaborate with you. if youre in ill send you some tracks.
Nick: That’s a great question. There’s a lot of ghost producers in the industry man. Dr. Dre for example, used to have a whole symphony of ghost producers. If you walked in on a Dre session, your first thought back then would have been “Yo, this nigga don’t even DO shit”. He basically would lay down a harmony that would serve as the starting point for the beat, then he’d have this guy play the guitar on it, this guy re-do the bass with a real bass guitar, that guy re-program the drums, this dude stretch out the sample for him, and dude over there will play the piano in the background. By the time it was done, it’s almost like it wasn’t even his beat anymore. Now that he doesn’t have that team of Ghost-producers anymore (and subsequently they’re all starting to file lawsuits against him), his shit sounds bare. Listen to all the beats he made in the past 7 years or so. They all sound the same. Same drums, same piano, same strings. Minor differences in each beat, but they all sound like a remix of each other. Don’t get me wrong man, Dre is a legend and a first ballot Hip-Hop hall of famer, no doubt. But he had A LOT of ghost producers on his team. Rza is another one. True Master and 4th Disciple used to do a lot more than people think. When Rza stopped fucking with them, his beats started soundin’ kinda weak, I can’t front. Producers are often people who don’t want any shine, that’s why they’re behind the boards and not the mic. In a way, it’s easier to make ill beats now because all of the state of the art equipment that everyone has at their fingertips. At the same time, that makes it harder to differentiate yourself, ’cause nowadays any prick with a computer thinks he’s a producer. Being a producer used to mean you made the beat, sequenced the beat, engineered the beat, in some instances even wrote the hook and came up with the concept for the song, and stayed in the studio with the MC ’til the song was done. Now, a nigga just sends some bullshit track through his phone to some dude that’s a thousand miles away, and there’s no intermingling of ideas or anything like that. Producers are like mercinaries now, just show up, drop off the beat, collect the check, and be out. I liked it better when a producer would produce a MCs entire album, and they could form a chemistry together. The rapport between them showed through the music. Don’t get discouraged or cynical about the industry though. The industry is fucked, but it’s gonna take real niggas to revive it. I’d say just fine one or two really dope MCs that you believe in, and make mad tracks for them. I was always the type that would put my producers name on the song right next to mine. It used to be Pete Rock AND CL Smooth, Gangstarr was BOTH the MC and producer, DJ Jazzy Jeff AND the Fresh Prince, Kool G. Rap AND DJ Polo. The producers don’t get props no more, but in some respects they don’t deserve it because they don’t work hard enough. Being a producer is more than just putting together a nice beat, but I’m sure you know that.
Da: I wrote that lil’ rap in 2 minutes man. It was one step above a freestyle. That’s nothin’ compared to the shit I really write. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the love.
LV: Yeah, I still record. I haven’t for about a year, but I’m gathering myself again after a rough year and gettin’ back in the lab. My producer is back in town, so it’s on. I wouldn’t be opposed to collaborating on a track, but like I already mentioned, I’m the type of dude that needs to be in the studio WITH the nigga I’m recording with. I believe in chemistry, and vibes, and all those invisible things people don’t think matter. Trust me, they matter. The feeling you have while you’re making a song has a huge effect on the song itself. An insincere collaboration is like writing a letter for someone else. Even if it’s beautifully written, it’s gonna lack sincerity and realness. Peace.
You’re right.
People don’t colloborate like they should that is why the music always sounds weak.
You need diversity and variety to produce a quality album or quality tracks.
Too many dudes nowadays are more interested in insulting and dissing everyone acting like they don’t need nobody.
That mentality is stupid, that is what led to music industry demise, people acting sheisty over one another.
If you rap, produce, rhyme, go into the studio whatever you should be taken for face value.
Everybody deserves their chance.
@ Sensaye252
Appreciate your response man, I feel exactly the same way. The challenge these days seems to be finding like-minded people who want to actually spend some time in the studio with you to create something special (keyword CREATE). I’m sick of the ‘production-line’, ‘beatmaker’ model people seem to have fallen into.
This shit is going to sound so poppy is gonna be terrible like best of both worlds. I don’t wanna hear this shit right now. How about some hardcore or a real true hiphop sound.
co-sign
Album is going to stink.
I wonder if they’ll take naked photos together and release em to build publicity for this album.
HAHAHA.
yo Sensaye252…Your well spoken in your comments….sound like a real dude. Like u said its hard to believe that u write for superstar rappers but your best bet would be to get ahold of websites like this and get your shit poppin cuz your rhymes are sick. I think this is the first time on Dx that I really enjoyed reading the comments.
Yo, I appreciate the good word. That’s the type of shit that can light a fire under somebody. Peace kid.
yo that whole dick thing with kanye is super homo like this niggas a super star how does some like that get leaked i think it was on purpose !!
it seem like to me jay z using kanye as a crutch ..
it seem to me that you dead on. co-sign 100%. kanye gay ass has more creativity than jay these days. sigh. movin on fuck roc nation. wat has j. cole really done for y’all. really not tryin to hate, but dude average as piss. and where the album? nowhere.
first time Jay-Z has me excited for a project since The Black Album
who u wrote 4
im the best lyricist eva 4 real at 15
@Sensaye, 80morf, Ecossto, etc
Peace to y’all man! I haven’t commented on a hiphopdx post in like 2 years but this post has enlightened me for three reasons. One, is it’s not flooded with these immature shoutouts screaming “Free wayne” or “Soulja Boy shits on jay-z” because that shit is getting old. Two, because this is really an insiders look at how staged and crooked the industry is. And three, because it involves real hip hop heads giving their own opinions, not what they are being spoon-fed by the media.
I grew up listening to hip hop in the early 90’s. I remember wu-tang hitting the scene, waiting in line for Nas’ illmatic and finally popping it in my walkman and just amazed at how real and concrete that album was to hip hop. I remember AZ and Biggie dropping, it was phenomenal. What was so unique was that every rapper brought a new flavor to the table, nobody sounded alike. Those songs form those days live on forever and can be forever played, hence the word “Classic” which is now being overused. Nowadays you get ringtone anthems that stay relevant for up to a month and they all sound the same. Jay-z, Kanye, all mainstream sounds the same because they live in a copycat industry. Let’s switch up our flow to sound like the hottest rapper now and then flip the script and say that “I’m the hottest rapper.” Or lets use autotone because that’s what’s selling. I mean c’mon, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the big picture from the outside in, and Sensaye pretty much explained it to you all, it is an “act” that is stagewrote by the corporations and fed to the public like a bunch of sheep. What I miss the most about the golden era is the strength in ones own personal opinion. Everyone had their own opinion of who’s hot and who was the greatest rapper and everyone else respected it because back then, a lot of people were nice as hell on the mic. Nowadays, everyone follows the lead of what the media says is hot and its just pure disgusting. I’ll give you guys an in depth example of this:
I used to work at a high school as a teacher and in between lectures I would always overhear kids talking about how Lil Wayne’s the greatest rapper ever and how Soulja Boy is insane. I understood that some of the 15-18 year olds grew up in a different era and so I offered them to listen to some “Real hip hop” like Nas, Biggie, DMX, Wu-tang, Buckshot, Gangstarr,Big L etc and they didn’t even know who I was talking about. I told them to not knock it before you listen to it so I made them a cd to listen to full of all the rappers I just listed and they brought it to me a few hours later and laughed at me saying that “This shit is weak!” They laughed at DMX saying “Why the fuck does that guy bark all the time, what a fag” I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked if they really took the time to listen to the lyrics, they said they didn’t even bother and half didn’t even understand it. I just couldn’t believe how brainwashed these kids were by the media and how dumbed down they were by the music that the “Machine” is feeding them right now. To say that soulja boy is way better than dmx and to laugh at dmx really just churns my stomach in this day and age. I was born in the 80’s and I didn’t witness Run DMC, Beastie Boys, MC Shan, and Rakim in those days but I got those albums on my ipod and I still knock them joints to this day because I got mad respect for the level of creativity and what those dudes had to offer in that time period. Although some of the beats are outdated, the words are still relevant and that’s the downfall of modern hip hop, nobody pays attention to lyricism, nobody cares.
Sorry for the huge rant but I felt obligated on behalf of the small handful of real hip hop heads out there to speak the truth and pay respect to ones like Sensaye who spoke his mind on the subject of the industry. Props to you man.
As far as the Jay-Z and Kanye collab, I already know how that will sound so I’m not interested in it but I will get that Lost Tapes 2 on december 21st! Go Cop That!
I totally disagree with you. You are what is wrong with Hip Hop. Hip Hop as a genre is growing and you are stuck. Yes the 90’s was the golden era… but this is with everything. Its a fact of life that people yearn for anything nostalgic. I started listening to hip hop in 93-94 but my older brother started in the mid eighties and in 96 (AZ, WU-TANG, B.I.G) He told me how wack hip hop had become. It led me to believe that we don’t want things to change.
No, All hip hop today does not sound the same. Jay-Z does not sound like Rick Ross, Like Snoop, Like Lil Wayne, Like B.O.B, Like 50 Cent. Obviously there are some artists i dont listen to (read Wocka Flocka) but there where some artists I didn’t listen to 15 years ago either (read the WHOLE NO LIMIT).
There is nothing wrong with HIP HOP. Just like all genres its expanded to things you relate to and things that you don’t. Kenny Rogers fans don’t like Taylor Swift so why would you think Wu-tang fans will like Tyga?
ohshi- someone likes other artists
The reason they like the type of music (nowadays) is because ‘In da Club’ is old school to them
Stuck in the past ass nigga. i know dudes like you. yeah, yall listen to dope 90s classics, but refuse to believe anything coming out today could be better than 36 chambers.
Hip Hop gets better all the time. its true the 90s mainstream was better than todays mainstream. but if you listen elsewhere, youll see how much hiphop has evolved for the better. see Joe Budden, Royce da 5’9, Elzhi, Black Thought, Reks, Freddie Gibbs, Kutt Calhoun, even Canibus and Eminem are better than ever. Its nice dudes paved the way for ingenuity, but these dudes are the sickest that have changed with the times.
great post.
you told it the way it is.
I’m going to dissect for you, the first 3 responses that you got because they do not make sense.
1.Right off the bat, what the_truth wrote is incorrect. You are what is right with hip hop because you explained your opinion in detail. So automatically you are correct because even if everyone overlooks what you wrote and still disagrees, you are right in that you explained what you think. Lots of people don’t do that nowadays, because either the comment is automated or fake, or because they just got involved with hip hop or music and the english language.
2.If “In da club” is old school to someone they are too new to the game to understand what is really going on. This stuff is complex, its not understood immediately by the new generation. You have to understand the best of both worlds. Pre internet Pre 1995 and Post internet Post 1995. You have to be an adult and into the club/bar/hiphip/culture/movie/tv scene whatever you want to call it for both.
3.You’re not stuck in the past whatsoever. These dudes today they lost in the future. Ya’ll understand that? This new shit doesn’t make sense either so by you going into detail about the mid 1990’s stuff and how the kids in your class thought it was wack, you at least make reference to when the game was real for a much wider range of people.
@Chad
What you were writing about was the industry. Yet these 3 responses to you ignored that topic completely. They tried to relate your post to the new generation of artists again and they failed to note that the artists today are much more orchestrated puppets. They live and breath labels, they answer to their corporate director and CEO like they job is on the line 24/7. Yes man, Yes man. That’s how they talk to their superiors. That is not how artist in the 1990’s were. They had no superiors, they ran the game themselves. They didn’t listen to no bullshit from anybody. So you have a point in what you wrote.
Notice how the 3 reponses ignored that.Because they don’t want you to think like you do. They don’t want hip hop. They want fake automated industry iron fist bullshit.
They may write garbage to me to too.
It won’t involve logic if they do, I can tell you that much.
@anonymous who posted above this
Thanks man for the reply. I also noticed that the other 3 responders did not fully comprehend the message that I was trying to convey in my comment. I tried to explain what how the “Media” has changed hip hop in a way where every artist is doing what the next hot artist is doing. Ever wonder why all these new albums sound the same? It’s because the labels want the artists using the same producers that are making hits for other artists or else if the artists doesn’t like the producers and wants someone else, then the label pushes back the album or totally cancels the album and calls it “creative differences.” If people really took the time to look at the other era’s of hip hop and look at todays hip hop, you can apparently see the lack of creativity today. That’s the problem I have, nobody is man enough to step outside their shell or else they won’t get no radio play. It’s all club-bangers for a quick buck these days, no classic material. That’s what I’m saying.
@Truth
I’m not stuck in the past man, I respect different eras but back in the 90’s and 80’s, hip hop stood for something, it had a message attached to it, it had the streets as the backdrop to all the music videos, and it related to the public. Now I want you to tell me what the hip hop today stands for? What is the message being conveyed by these young artists? Go ahead and tell me something I don’t know because what I do know is that all I here from todays artists is “get money, get bitches, swag, and get more money” that pretty much sums up what you hear on the radio over Swizz beatz and kanye. There is no youth upliftment and there is no sense of society in the raps today. All I hear in hip hop today is “I’m better than you and I’m spitting it over a hot beat” that’s it. And the albums have waayyy too many features these days, and who are the features? The same damn people you hear on everybody elses album! It’s because that’s what the industry wants, it wants to milk the success off of the last man until that shit dries up. I’m just speaking from opinion man
Chad, I’m wit’ you fam. It’s delicate ground to walk on though, because the younger generation doesn’t understand what they’re missing, therefore they don’t miss it. What they don’t understand is that Hip-Hop used to be like medicine, but now it’s like poison. It used to be uplifting, even when it wasn’t necessarily positive, because it was creative and inspirational in it’s creativity alone. Now, it has the opposite effect. People don’t feel like they’re a part of it anymore. It’s like this entity that is above the people instead of with the people and for the people. It’s like this untouchable fraternity of rich pricks that look down on their own listeners. They don’t understand what was so special about waiting excitedely for a release date. Back then, when a album came out, it was a big deal because you might have only heard one song from the album, if that. Before internet, when shit wasn’t getting leaked, artists had time to actually work on the album as a piece of art, rather than some rushed bullshit to feed their braindead fans.
The Truth: You couldn’t be more wrong. Just like Canibus said “There’s a misconception that a movement in any direction is progression”. Hip-Hop is not growing at all. It’s withering away and dying, and being pissed on. Hip-Hop was very important for the ‘hood, not just because of the music, but because of the way it was inspiring people in the ‘hood to think outside of the box. Now, it’s the opposite, they don’t want you to think outside of the box. In fact, they do everything to keep you in the box, then call you a hater if you attempt to actually think with some objectivity. Kids don’t listen to lyrics anymore because they don’t have the patience for it. They’ve grown up in a world where they can have immediate satisfaction at all times, and anything that’s not immediate, they don’t want it. That’s why they don’t read. It takes too long. It’s a reflection on American society as a whole. But what used to be so special about Hip-Hop was that it was it’s own society that seperated itself from the government machine, and even opposed it. Now, Hip-Hop cowars to the powers that be. You cut these clowns a check and they’ll rap about raping their own Mother. There’s no morals, or standards, or dignity. It’s just a free-for-all of dumb motherfuckers that would suck each other’s dick for the right price. It’s a cesspool of ignorance, and it’s what the powers that be have always wanted. Hip-Hop was like the last line of defense protecting young people from the deception of the American government. Since that vanguard has been destroyed, these young motherfuckers are susceptible to all kinds of dangers, and they’re falling victim to all of them, the main one being ignorance. Peace.
who u wrote 4 sensaye
I know.
I don’t know what the hell is wrong with these motherfuckers today.
As far as the comments go, you can always tell what is real by how it is written and that real people actually write.
A comment like this, the people who work for the industry and send out fake ones, they don’t have the bandwith to send a comment like this.
Its true.
Check youtube when some of this pop bullshit they called hip hop gets released. Generic one-liners all over the place, that’s not real. Its computer generated they hook it up through a router and send out like 15 fake comments at once. You tube them views are fake, its not a real number. Its computer generated.
Back in 1988 dudes were real, they knew what life was about. Nowadays 2010 everbody thinks they Tony Montana on crack, the biggest baddest don’t fuck with me attitude, like they can go about they life stepping over everybody expecting to get somewhere. That mentality is fake. I never understood it and I watched it unfold.
Back in 1994 I thought rap would explode by 2000, and lots of people would be involved. I started rhyming, making beats because I felt I would have to represent.
Didn’t realize this would happen. But I seen dudes how they started acting fake followin that bullshit followin that media bullshit, then boom everybody turned into puppets.
Almost every hip hop artist post 1996 is fake, becuase they cater to the industry. I’m don’t give a fuck what robots say, all these dudes out today Jay, Wayne, Em etc. I’ll shit on those dudes lyrically I don’t give a flying fuck.
What real hip hop needs is a Wu Tang like colloboration where we pull in someone from Seattle, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Minnesota, NYC, Tri-State, 305 Miami, Sac Town & Detroit and form at the head like Voltron shit on the industry. Damn we’ll go worldwide if we can pull in emcees from Europe, South America, Indonesia etc. Its possible we have to organize.
Personally, I play my role. Have been for years. Haven’t bought 1 album since 1995, no movie ticket since 1998. Ya’ll stupid to purchase that shit. I don’t fork over my money to the devil fuck that bullshit.
I spend my money on restuaraunts, that good good, gyms, go out to the clubs hook up with hot chicks etc, hotels, I make money son plain and simple. I get with hotter girls than the morons you see on stage and that’s a fact. And when other people are in need and stuff I help them out straight up, I ain’t no money counting coward like the phony wannabe stars you see on TV. I hand that shit out, don’t give a flying fuck about no post 1995 robot hip hop tellin me I’m supposed to be out for myself. Fuck that shit.
NO DIS, HOWEVER SOME OF THESE COMMENTS AND LECTURES SOUND LIKE A HIPHOP ARTIST THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT OR IS JUST BITTER FROM NO EXPOSURE….QUIT HATIN…THESE HIPHOPDX LECTURES ARE LAUGHABLE AT BEST…PEACE KID IN MY 90’S CLASSIC HIPHOP VOICE.
this one is fake too.
notice, all caps.
they aren’t writing anything themselves.
they are just insulting what you wrote.
its fake.
its made by the industry.
Wow Chad, are you so ignorant as to think that nobody is looking forward to this album and that your opinion is the only correct one? I’m anticipating it too, does that make me a Roc-a-fella employee? Hell no it doesn’t. Calm down.
you’re not ignorant whatsoever.
You are correct.
Nobody real is looking foward to that album.
They’ve already heard those dudes.
People don’t want that, they want new artists, and new styles.
Only these fake automated comments will make it seem like there is anticipation to hear dudes we’ve quite frankly had enough of in the past 10 years.
You can call Jay-Z and Kanye whatever you want, but this Album will go down in History and i can not wait to go to the Store and pick it up.
this is a fake comment made above.
its automated.
they won’t respond.
only the people who are actually trying to sell this album will produce this kind of comment.
Over 420 exclusive hip hop beats – best
quality. Prices – $99-$249.
http://www.donbeats.com – online since
2005. Don’t spend Rolls Royces for
your album.
This album will go down as the biggest in history. These guys are legends. I’m going to buy the album.
if this doesn’t prove all the fake comments on here I don’t know what does.
“H-Dub” just posted the same exact line.
“um” just posted something completely different and not in caps.
Fake as hell
The major labels buy their own songs on itunes just to top the charts (fact) so having them come & leave posts like this to sell albums isn’t at all surprising.
DEFINITELY NOT CHECKIN’ FOR THIS.
I aint gonna buy this bullshit. I know what it’s gonna be like already- Braggin, Braggin, Braggin, Some devil talk, More Braggin, More devil talk and some masonic references. Neither of these dudes interest me. Jay aint had it for years now and knaye is a straight up bitch who lost his mind after graduation ..
why is kanye fanning out on jay so much? he’s worked with him before. wasn’t bp3 almost entirely produced by kanye?
kanye did not produce anymore tracks on the bp3 than puff did on american gangster.. jay-z is marketing kanye by putting as co-executive producer..
kanye is spazzing because he is rapping bar for bar with jay-z now.. he’s no longer a producer-rapper.. he’s a rapper and a producer.. his skills have come way up, and his lyrics are dope as well..
hence the title “watch the throne”
who u wrote 4 sensaye n do u think lil wayne eva wrote his own stuff
You can find me here on hiphopdx.
Not sure where else to go right now, because most of the websites are fake.
This one has a decent connect, I like the format so I am reading and posting here and there.
Don’t want to tell anyone exactly where I’m from, but I’ll put it this way.
If JayZ was man enough to walk out his damn house I’d be right there waiting to punch the dude in his face.
So take it how you want to take it.
diz album iz gon b 2 fuckin nice. kanye and jay-z! r mastermindz and they can make n-e-thing great. can’t wait 2 pick diz shit up in da store when it comez out. rite now my site is on MBDTF on nov 22! buy dat shit u bitch niggaz and leave nickgay minaj-a-tois and lloyd bankz on da shelf. MBDTF and watch da throne>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>cum money.
oh and look out 4 cole world in da future niggaz!
@Sensaye… Appreciate The Wisdom… If You Believe In Karma This Will Go A Long Way 4 U… And I’m Not Sure Of Your Location But If You’re Serious About Potential Collabs With Anyone I Know 4 A Fact I Have Music U’ll Have Interest In…
But A Point I Have 2 Make To You And All The Other True “Hip Hop” Fans I See Posting…!
Am I The Only One That See’s The Type Of Hip Hop You All Are Discussing Making It’s Comeback?.?
Back Then It Was a bunch of MC’s that all had they’re own unique style, substance, own views and opinions, they made they’re music from their own eyes of what they saw in everyday life. They were just themselves and not what the industry made them.
Does That Entire Paragraph Not Apply To Drake?.? If Not J.Cole?.? Kid Cudi?.? Wale?.? Wiz Khalifa…
Honestly I Don’t Listen To The Last 3 Enuff To Have A Feel 4 If They Are “Real” Or Not. But I’ve Heard Enuff To Know That They All Do Have They’re Own Unique Sound/Style…
So I Personally Think Hip-Hop Is Attempting To Make That Comeback… However Slowly But Surely…
What Do You All Think… (particularly interested in thoughts on J.Cole)
Nu, I think all those dudes you mentioned are talented, some more than others. But it’s not so much the lack of talent that is hurting Hip-Hop as it is the lack of strong characters and stand-up people. Those dudes are all talented, but they’re all way too safe. In other words, they would never speak out against anything that might jeopardize their paycheck. It’s shallow, even when it’s deep. It’s a lie, even when they’re telling the truth. There’s a certain insincerity about it. None of them strike me as ‘leaders’. They’re just kind of walking their path carefully, making sure they’re on everyone’s good side. On some Tiger Woods shit. There’s no passion in their words. Yeah, they got slick rhymes and shit, but there’s nothing behind it. It’s like watching an entertaining action movie. You can watch it and enjoy it and be entertained for a couple hours, but it’s not really gonna leave you with anything. It’s not gonna ‘move’ you, because it’s not a movement. It’s just well put together songs, by a bunch of dudes who are just doing their job. It’s fast food. Really good fast food. But it’s not a home cooked meal, ya digg? It’s frustrating, because these dudes DO have the potential to really ‘bring Hip-Hop back’, for lack of a better term. But none of them are willing to really step up and speak up, because quite honestly I don’t think any of them really care. Money dilutes passion. When rappers weren’t getting paid a lot, it was worth it to them to take risks and be themselves. Now, they got so much money, that they’re being bought. There’s a gag order on realness, and anyone who breaches it is shunned by the industry and by the fairweather fans. A dude like Drake, I’m sorry, but I don’t care how witty he is, I have no desire to hear some rich jewish kid who grew up in a private community in Toronto talk about how he has so much money to blow. That music is not for the ‘hood. That music is for pop culture. Now, I’m not knocking anyone who likes that stuff, but me personally, I wanna hear stuff I can relate to, and Hip-Hop used to provide that, and it doesn’t anymore. Now, there’s really NO voice out there for the ‘hood. I don’t mean I want every song to be about depressing ghetto struggles, but I wanna hear songs that are from people I can relate to. Whether the song is about a girl, a cook-out, a murder, their mother, or just walking down the street. I want it to ‘feel’ like Hip-Hop, not like pop with a hip-hop twist to it. As far as J.Cole, he’s nice. I can’t say much more than that. His rhymes are dope, his beats are dope. He’s clever, and his songs have some substance. I like him. I don’t think he’s the next coming of Christ like a lot of niggas think, but I think he’s definitely one of the shining stars. My knock against him is pretty much the same knock I have against all the new rappers though…he’s just not an intersting guy. I mean, he just doesn’t have any character. He doesn’t have an edge. I’m not sayin’ the nigga has to come out with a mask and cape on, but it just feels like these rappers are all the same guy. They don’t seem like Men, they seem like kids, ya know?
Pardon me for rambling, but I remember when Shyne’s first album came out, and nobody knew what to expect. Then we put the CD in, the eerie piano and strings played, and then all of a sudden in this grizzly booming pain-filled voice, “Dear America…I’m only what you made me…young, black, and FUCKIN’ CRAZY…please save me..” And the feeling was like “Oh shit, he’s serious about what he’s talking about, he MEANS it.” The album was about a lot of things, politics, girls, drugs, crime stories, parties…but it was all HIS take on these things and his ideas and outlook on these things. There wasn’t one guest appearance on that album. No adlibs. No bullshit interludes and subliminal advertisements. Maybe you’re not a Shyne fan, and I can hardly blame you after the recent stuff he put out, but my point is, 12 paragraphs later, is that 10 years ago, niggas carried their album on their own. Their personality and their words were enough to carry a whole album, so when you listened to it, whether you liked it or not, you were getting to know the artist. You knew where he stood. What he believed in. Who he was and where he was from. I don’t feel that with those artists you mentioned. They stay in their lane and never leave it. You know Wiz is gonna talk about weed and material bullshit. You know Drake is gonna talk about how hard it is to be hated and young and rich in that same nasally psuedo-Lil’ Wayne voice. I don’t consider them lyricists or even talented ‘writers’…they’re just rhymers and rappers. Their music isn’t timeless.
Sorry, I know that shit was dumb long. Peace.
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Get @ me leaving.carter@gmail.com
@sensaye
props for starting some of the realest convo i’ve ever seen posted in the comments on this site…had some brief run-ins with industry-types myself…fake aint even the word….
all i gotta say is…i gave up on tryin to “make it big” and now i just focus on my real job/life and use hiphop as a side hustle to have fun and just make a few bucks here and there..little shows, parties and cds u kno? not bad making a bit of cash while having fun…but thats as far as i really take it these days…hip hop itself is just too disappointing and risky to fully invest myself, but good luck with your ventures, you seem like an intelligent/ down to earth guy, and its always cool to see one of the good guys win…
@sensaye
Mad respect for dropping some ACTUAL knowledge in the comments section. Not even sure why I clicked on this particular article (I don’t listen to Jay or Ye), but I’m glad I did.
You don’t sound jaded & bitter because you didn’t “make it” in the industry. You know that it’s a fraudulent game that isn’t worth playing. Other people need to wake up & realize the same thing.
It’s 2010 & indie is the way to go. There is no need for a middle man anymore (skeezy A&R’s, major labels, etc.). We’ve got the technology & opportunity to produce, mix, master, package, sell & distribute our own music without any help. You can make a comfortable living with only 1000 fans & still enjoy a reasonable amount of privacy.
Youtube is the new television & blogs are the new magazines. We can utilize these outlets for free. The quality of music overall is lacking, but it just creates more opportunity for those of us who are innovative, creative & willing to take chances.
Jimi Hendrix played a right-handed guitar upside down because he was left-handed. Nowadays, muthafuckers are scared to do ANYTHING different no matter how small.
On the other hand, I can relate to Lsn22s as well. Music is supposed to be about having fun. I’m almost at that point as well (getting a real job/life & just ENJOYING music).
Either way you choose to look at it, there is much reason to be optimistic. Even tho the clones make up the majority/mainstream, there are still millions of people who think for themselves. We just gotta find each other & not be afraid to speak out/do something different.
Nice to see some actual intelligent dialogue in the comments section for once. Peace.
No doubt, Hip-Hop is supposed to be fun. But it also has to be relateable. I mean, there’s something wrong with a club full of broke ass people singing about popping Cristal bottles and cruising on yachts. It’s delusional and I think it has a negative effect on people. When I talk to young dudes from around my way, all they ever wanna talk about is money and material things. And in my head I’m like “Nigga, you don’t got none of that stuff, so why are you so concerned with it?”. But it’s because that’s all they hear from rappers. It’s weak to say “Well, rappers aren’t role models, these kids shouldn’t be following them”. Rappers ARE role models whether they like it or not, and it shouldn’t be too much to ask for these niggas to sprinkle in some realness and positivity in between their bars about Martini’s and Lamborghini’s. When Pac died, we cried in the ‘hood because we felt like we lost our leader. People put up banners on their houses, painted murals, wrote R.I.P. Pac on their whips, etc. Because we felt like we lost a leader and a friend, someone who was WITH us and FOR us. When Big died, we cried because we felt like we lost our homeboy. We could allrelate to Big, because he was like that fat nigga in every hood with mad game, a great sense of humor, and crazy skills and ‘swag’ who just liked to party and bullshit. We related to these guys. These rappers now, if they died, no tears will fall. Because we don’t KNOW these niggas. They’re like characters in a movie that aren’t real. They entertain us, but we don’t have any connection to them, and that’s their own fault because they constantly remind everyone that they are better than them and above them. It makes the music less fun. It’s hard to root for niggas who aren’t rooting for you, you feel me? And these rappers are not rooting for you and me, believe me, these niggas are rooting for themselves. So fuck these cats. I might listen to their music, but there’s no allegiance to them. I don’t feel bad about pirating their music, because these niggas don’t feel bad about shitting on my people. These rappers are not on the side of the people, they are on the side of the industry. That alone takes a lot of fun out of the music for me.
Word up man. I fully agree. When I barely got enough money for my next meal, not only can I not relate to these rappers, but it actually pisses me off to hear them flaunt their riches in our faces. It makes me even more upset to see people support these “artists” & put them on a pedestal.
If you got enough money for all these boats, cars, jewels, houses, etc., you should be starting businesses that provide employment opportunities, start charitable organizations & use your status as a role model/icon to raise awareness about important issues.
Pop music & TV are literally warping people’s minds. & I’m not one of those conspiracy cats either rambling on about illuminati & all that shit. I just think as a culture we need to wake the fuck up.
These days I mostly listen to instrumental music, jazz, funk & some of the more intelligent underground stuff coming out that is real dope. There’s lots of great stuff out there, it’s just not mass marketed.
A few more years & I think the independent labels/artists will stronger than ever & things will be a lot different. Until then we can only keep doing what we do.
Props for the thought-provoking discussion.
PEACE