I interviewed Rap-A-Lot head honcho J. Prince at NPR, making for what is probably the first time the esteemed public radio institution has run the words cutting a woman’s breasts and f—-ing the dead body. Hopefully it won’t be the last.
Hit the jump for a quick outtake about regional demand and the origins of Scarface’s name.
NPR: J. Prince Interview
Pastor Troy appears on Judge Alex today.
Related: Turf Talk on Judge Joe Brown.
Cocaine Blunts: R-E-U-P G-A-N-G
To show my support for Megaupload founder and political prisoner Kim Dotcom, I’ve reposted several zip file compilations from the heyday of Cocaineblunts.com. Click through for some choice selections of Atlanta Bass, New Orleans Bounce, Based Freestyles, Trenton Rap, West Coast Indies, Crank Dat knockoffs, Pimp C productions, Goodie Mob b-sides and more.
treekeeper asked: Have you heard NO YORK? I find it bizarre that Blu made great record despite being stuck in a Lupe v. Atlantic, yet it received little to no attention when it leaked. Instead of crucifying Lupe for making Lasers to assuage his label, shouldn't the hip-hop community salute Blu for taking the opposite route in the same situation?
Yeah I thought it was pretty good, wrote about it a little at Fader when he leaked it. Blu’s another rapper whose success seems to hinge solely on whether not he’s personally enjoying the act of making music and he clearly was in this case. At the same time it’s a completely inaccessible record and I’m not at all surprised by Sire shelving it or the subsequent lack of attention it received upon leakage. There must be a comfortable middle ground that can be found between his major label approach and Lupe’s.
citiesofdope asked: Lil B is running on fumes, no? Dude sounds like he's done. As much as I hate to say it.
Well he was definitely flying off the hinges with Gold House. It’s just such a sloppy and angry project, in a lot of ways it’s everything that B’s detractors have always accused him of being. It doesn’t sound like he got any joy out of making that tape. And that’s a big problem because, on his best work, he’s been able to compensate for his deficiencies as a rapper by his ability to palpably translate joy. Even when he’s in HATE IN MY HART mode it seems like he’s recording to a cathartic end. When he comes out of it he’s gay (happy).
I don’t totally blame him for being grumpy as of late though, considering the millions of dollars that the industry is throwing at less interesting acts who are so clearly his children while basically writing him off as irrelevant. I wouldn’t count him out completely either, ”Banga Luv” and “Neva Switch” are already two of my favorite songs of the year. I think now might be a good time for him to reel in his eccentricities and focus on making more straight forward rap music (without necessarily going full 9th Wonder boring boom bap like he did on a lot of the stuff he put out last year). I’d love to hear him do a Tonite Show with DJ Fresh or something in that lane.
allaboutjamesbowker asked: what do you think are the chances those fold-up glasses the dude in riff-raff's video become a trend? also, in what sense is do you see him as a "minstrel show." he dresses like vanilla ice in the swag generation reminds me of that friend from high-school who didn't know how to not clown and never took his pills, i don't think there's any racial subtext there...
There’s always a racial subtext when a white person is making black music. There definitely was in the case of Vanilla Ice. I wouldn’t call Riff Raff a “minstrel show” per se, but I also don’t think it would hurt dude to be a little more aware of this subtext when crafting his public persona. In fact, Vanilla Ice is a good point of comparison because they both seem to share that ridiculous obliviousness to the racial issue. Riff Raff probably isn’t as good at rapping or dancing as Vanilla Ice was but he’s a considerably more entertaining writer.
Those fold-up glasses were already a trend twenty years ago.
mconor asked: I've tried Section.80 many times and the high points are really high, but I find it gets too bogged down by the cheesy stuff. I can't get past the fourth song half the time. So, what do you think are the best songs on the album/if the album had to be cut in half what songs would remain?
“Fuck Your Ethnicity” / “Hol Up” / “ADHD” / “Spiteful Chant” / “Rigamortus” / “Kush & Corinthians / “Blow My High” / “Ab Soul’s Outro”
Really though all you need to do is drop “No Make Up” and cut the lame sunburnt lounge singer intro off of “Ronald Regan Era” and you should be good.
fullyvoweledtexts asked: why no vigilante season in your year-end lists?
The short answer is that I forgot it was released in 2011.
But even if I had remembered it I’m not sure if I would’ve included it. It was a solid tape but still pretty far from his best work. Admittedly I was sort of sleeping on Max in his prime and I think pumping up Vigilante Season to compensate for that would be a little like giving Scorcese an Oscar for The Departed or whatever. When scientists finally master time travel my first move will be to go back to 2009 and write in Coke Wave and/or Public Domain 3 on my year end lists.
schnitzelparty asked: Can you please explain Kendrick's appeal or point me in the right direction? He never comes off as more than generic to me personally, but maybe I' mu just missing something?
See.
He’s not a personality driven rapper. He’s an idea driven rapper who is also very good at rapping.
