bigted

They're just showin' love to Rakim, that ain't biting, it ain't any different than Jay-Z saying a million Biggie verses in his songs right?

the Rhyme: LL Cool J By Amanda Diva It's no question that presently, lyricism has taken a back seat to bouncing and snapping and "chicken noodle souping" for that matter, but there are still many artists out there old and new, from every region who consider rhymes to be an essential part of what makes a great song and an even greater MC. With Jay-Z coming out of retirement, Nas releasing a new album, and Andre 3000 returning to his flow, it's clear to see that the legends haven't given in to the idea of quitting or changing up what made them legends in the first place. More on the club side of things as of late, LL Cool J has admittedly focused more on making catchy songs than "Hip-Hop quotables." Nevertheless, his lyrical prowess has long been what made him a living legend. The ladies love cool James for many reasons. For some, it's the chiseled body and strong features. For others it's the smooth voice. But for this lady, it's the lyrics. Though he has drawn great praise for his proven ability to not only write clever punchlines and complex verses but to also deliver them with unwavering confidence, in his time LL, has repeatedly been forced to remind fans and fellow MCs over and over again of his skill. On Phenomenon he was forced to jog Canibus' memory and in this latest edition of Amanda Diva's "Rewind the Rhyme" he took time out to go through some of his most well-known and under-appreciated verses to refresh the readers of AllHipHop as to why Mr. Smith still reserves the right to call himself The Greatest of All Time. AllHipHop.com: So I want you to go back in time and tell me where your mind was at when you did this record right here… ["I'm Bad" - Bigger and Deffer (1987)] LL Cool J: I think my mind was just in that I wanted to absolutely, without a doubt, establish myself in the game. This was my second [album]. Rick Rubin had left Def Jam at that point, so it was a scary time for me because I didn’t have that crutch to lean on as a producer. So now here I am in this scenario, in this situation where I have to make some changes. So what you’re really seeing is me. I did what I wanted on my first record, but I had a little more guidance on my second record. I just went for mine. And you know “I’m Bad”, and “I Need Love”, and all of that, was just me, going for mine, ou know what I’m saying? I’m just gonna make it happen by any means necessary. AllHipHop.com: So what did you want, so when you wrote those words, you wanted people to basically just realize like you’re here to stay? LL Cool J: Yeah, I’m here to stay. I’m the best and I’m gonna win no matter what. AllHipHop.com: Was it based on lyrics? LL Cool J: Well, lyrics were part of it for me; style was [another] part of it for me. I actually, over the years, have had to simplify my style in order for people to understand me. I mean with humility [when] I say this: I’m a much more intellectual person than my music kind of says. If you don’t understand me, it doesn’t matter what I said, [or] how fly it is. I notice that a lot of my songs, a lot of the things that I said were going over peoples’ heads. Like a lot of times, that’s why a lot of them ladies were able to gravitate to my music a little quicker than guys, because they listened. There’s a lot of fellas [that] don’t really listen, they’re not hearing it because they want to, you know they only want a certain energy to move them. And if it ain’t that particular type of energy that moves them right away, then they don’t want to take the time, they’re not patient enough to listen and try to understand why it’s so fly. AllHipHop.com: This is like a first. You collaborated with the West Coast on this too. LL Cool J: Yeah, yeah it was, what happened it was Russell actually put me, Bobcat, and the L.A. Posse [together]. They had done some songs for another rapper that sounded like LL-type records, and Russell was like, “Well if these guys are producing records that sound like LL-type records, why don’t we just put them with LL and make some songs.” And we did. And Bob is real talented DJ. You know what I’m saying. Bobcat is still one of my close friends, and you know we got in the studio and we just did our thing - all produced by West Coast. ["Mama Said Knock You Out" - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)] AllHipHop.com: I think obviously people figure it’s like, he’s trying to get up again to remind you like, “Nah, I ain’t a sucka. I still got it.” But you know, lyrics are definitely, lyrics are definitely you know, especially like you said your lyrics are more than just, you know what meets the eye. LL Cool J: Yeah, “Mama Said Knock You Out” was a very frustrating period for me, because that was when I came off of Walking With The Panther. And the stuff that I described to you earlier, you know about the champagne and you know models on the cover and you know just all of that. So there was an underlying frustration here that because I didn’t feel like people really understood, it wasn’t the sales that reflected it was the comments that were made, and the way the critics and the Hip-Hop press and the community received the record that kind of made me real uncomfortable. So I remember kinda sitting on the floor and my grandmother sitting up in the bed, and I was just talking to her about it. And she was like, “You just got get out there and knock ‘em out. You gotta show ‘em that you’re good.” And I just said, “Yeah, all right, cool.” And then my man, Bobcat came in and he had the track, Marley [Marl] added some more beats to it and you know me and Marley made the album, me and Bob made a couple of songs on the album and we just, you know just went for it. And I remember writing it and having ten guys just standing around jumping up and down while I was singing in my condo, it was crazy. They was just, we was just up in the condo like all night singing the chorus, you know it was just crazy, you know. It was a lot of fun, lot of fun. ["4, 3, 2, 1" - Phenomenon (1997)] AllHipHop.com: Some people would be like, “Look, I’m still doing this s**t.” Being a legend in this game, and having young boys trying to get at you, it seemed like your lyrics on this record were a lot more than just trying to show, “I’m, LL.” You basically showed a whole generation of listeners like, “No really, step your game up.” LL Cool J: I’ve learned that it’s harder for a man to conquer himself than it is to conquer a city, you know what I’m saying? So the battling thing is a stage that I went through, you know. But at the same time, you can always tell the level of a man’s self esteem by how easily he gets offended. At the end of the day, the battle and stuff that means a lot of us, all of us have had emotional stuff that we got to work through. You know, I mean Hip-Hop may not want to hear that, but it’s the truth. I don’t know what I would or would not do going forward, but back then, my main thing was just that, you know nobody could see me, and don’t try. That’s what the mentality was. AllHipHop.com: In terms of battle lyrics do you think there’s a limit to how far you can go to get at somebody? LL Cool J: No. I don’t think there’s no limit. I mean you know I use, how we gonna go to war and then you go and tell me where I can drop [bombs]. [in war,] hospitals is getting taken out, you know. The only thing I’m not gonna agree [battling] is the Holy Spirit. Your church is a safe place, places of worship are safe. But other than that and schools, [everybody’s going down]. But you know what, that’s, that’s if you’re in that scenario. So you know, I don’t even want to do those now. AllHipHop.com: That's some grown man stuff… LL Cool J: It’s maturity, yes. Yeah, it is. It’s grown man. It is. Not that I would, I can’t tell you what I would never do, but let me just say that my inclination would not, I don’t want to be involved in that because I think that is a distraction. And I’m much more interested in building my career as opposed to tearing someone else’s down. So you know it’s kinda like one of those things. As far as Nas going to Def Jam, I think it’s a very intelligent business movement. It’s a big decision. And if it better fits his life, then it was the right thing to do. You can’t let your past hold your future hostage. And you know, unless the people that are complaining were going to assign him, maybe they should just chill. ["Droppin Em" Walking With a Panther (1989)] AllHipHop.com: Okay, talking about Walking With A Panther, a lot of people slept on that. But on the album, “Droppin’ ‘Em” was one of my favorite LL records. Was there a particular mind frame you were in on that particular song? LL Cool J: “Droppin’ ‘Em” was one of those songs where, I think I did that, I produced a track, you know so, ‘cause a lot of songs, on a lot of my music I do the beat, you know a lot of people never knew that ‘cause I would either just give the producer all the credit or wouldn’t say anything or you know, I just never took that part of it and embraced it. But I think that was a song where I had did the track and I was like, I was just you know in the zone but it was a little complicated. I think that, in hindsight, that was a very complex song. I had a good time on that record. You know, that album that was absolutely probably one of the wildest moments in my life or ever is in my life, Walking With A Panther ‘cause I was celebrating the success of the first two albums and had come into some cake and was really the wild out. AllHipHop.com: So you’re still bad? LL Cool J: What? AllHipHop.com: So you’re still bad? LL Cool J: Yeah, to a certain extent.

Slick Rick was one of the originators in rapping about hoes and jewlery too I might add, rappers like 50 Cent and Puffy would tell you that Slick Rick inspired them to make bling bling raps

Ja Rule, Russell Simmons, Irv Gotti Host Celebrity LIFE Camp Benefit By EbenGregory Date: 11/4/2006 5:50 pm Rapper Ja Rule is teaming with Russell Simmons, New York Giants' Michael Strahan and Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo, to put on a Celebrity LIFE Camp Benefit for at risk youth. The benefit will support the year round LIFE Camp program for at risk youth, who are on the fast track to incarceration. The program aims to decrease youth violence by focusing on conflict resolution, self-esteem, goal setting, critical thinking and leadership. "I grew up in Jamaica, Queens and it is through the preservation and dedication of my family and mentors that I was able to make it," Ja Rule said in a statement. "Unfortunately, many of my friends lacked a significant support system and are now incarcerated or deceased." In partnership with York College, Life Camp has educated scores of young people through tutoring, music, athletics, theater, photography, educational and cultural workshops. With the help of over 85 musicians, athletes, community activists, entrepreneurs, educators and formerly incarcerated individuals, LIFE Camp operates seven days a week and facilitates in school, after-school, weekend and summer programs. The Celebrity LIFE Camp benefit will take place on Thursday, November 9, from 6:00pm-10:00pm at Club Lotus in New York City. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the LIFE Camps programs.

I was watching some of that game yesterday, it was a thriller, Redskins kept their season alive with that win yesterday, that NFC East is gonna be a dog fight this year, I think every team got a shot at this point

I don't know if everyone read this but there's a parody that somebody on the internet made up with KRS and Mephis Bleek are in it too along with O'Reilly, Cam, and Dame :drunk: : Bill O'Reilly: In the Impact Segment the other night, I expressed my opinion about the upcoming Method & Red show. Apparently I offended some members of the hip-hop community. Tonight I'm joined by hip-hop pioneer KRS-One via satellite. In the studio, we have previous guests, Dame Dash and Cam'Ron of the hip-hop label Roc-A-Fella records. Welcome back fellas. Cam: How you doin, no homo. Dame: Bill first, if I can, let me correct you. Roc-a-Fella isn't just a label. We're a half a billion dollar multimedia-- O'Reilly: Whatever, tonight's subject-- hip-hop's influence destroying middle America. KRS: Bill, I have to be honest with you. It is middle America that is destroying hip-hop. Our culture was pure, bursting with creativity, until corporate America decided they could make more money selling negative images of our people. O'Reilly: That's something I hear a lot, but nobody's making these young hip-hopsters talk about popping caps and pimping bitches. Dame: Bill, you're ignoring the grand scheme of things. A lot of these artists come from nothing. KRS: Hip-hop is the tree, the root, the branch, and the leaf. You can climb it, carve your name on it, or swing like a monkey. But a tree can't do your taxes or drain a swimming pool. Dame: ...... O'Reilly: Okay, let's hear from a hip-hoppin pimpin artist. Cam'ron, what goes through your mind when you're writing these negative lyrics? Cam: Sometimes you may have it in you, no homo, and you wanna express what you feelin at that time. O'Reilly: But don't you feel a sense of responsibility? Cam: I'm responsible for my kid's food and clothes, n*gga. You know how much baby J's run now? O'Reilly: No, I'm not sure. Cam: You wanna know how I feel? no homo. O'Reilly: ....uh.. Cam: This n*gga MJ retired, so his shoes should cost less, you feel me? No homo. But it's all good cause I'm rich. O'Reilly: *looks at Cam for 3 seconds, and turns to Dash* Dame, do you think these lyrics have an effect on the youth? Dame: No more than your Terminator movies, and he's Governor. KRS: Hip-hop should run for governor. With time, hip-hop will be president of the United States. Then we can take back control of the artform, and educate the youth. Right now, I have cereal in one pocket and milk in the other. O'Reilly: Dame, there's a clear difference between fictional movies and hip-hop. KRS: Hip-hop is my bowl and spoon. *pulls out a fist full of cereal from his pocket* O'Reilly: People know movies are fake, and hip-hop? Well, whether it's fake or not, the artists try their hardest to make people believe it's real. Cam: Make believe? Yo, *bleep* is real in the streets fam. You watch your mouth or I'll kill you myself. O'Reilly: *looks at Dame with his eyes wide open* See! Dame: Cam's just jokin, look-- O'Reilly: Just joking? He threatened my life! Dame: No he didn't. Anyway, it's obvious that-- O'Reilly: What? Can we roll back a clip of the live feed? Jeff, can you queue it up on that monitor? ( clip plays of Cam'Ron saying "You watch your mouth or I'll kill you myself.") O'Reilly: What do you call that? Cam: Do you believe everything you see on TV? How old are you man? Don't be ridic -no homo- ulous. KRS: That's exactly what I'm talking about, Bill. You wanted to make a point about violence, and the first clip you show is hip-hop making a threat. Violence is everywhere. O'Reilly: I didn't play a clip of hip-hop, I played a clip of Cam'Ron, who's sitting right here. KRS: I saw hip-hop on that clip. O'Reilly: KRS, with all due respect, first you say hip-hop is a culture, then bowl or spoon, and now a person. Which is it? KRS: Bill, are you familiar with gia? O'Reilly: The idea that everything on earth is connected by a mystical life force? KRS: Yes. In ancient times, do you know what Gia was originally called? O'Reilly: What? KRS: hip-hop. O'Reilly: That's absurd. Dame: Why is it absurd Bill? Because hip-hop is black culture? Remember, we were the first humans on the planet. O'Reilly: And look what you did with your head start. Cam: Damn, he tryin to get on you, no homo. Dame: Look what we did? I turned nothing into a 500 million dollar empire, employing hundreds of people from my community. Do you know in the last year, we-- O'Reilly: Okay, time for a commercial break. We'll be right back. --- 3 minutes later --- O'Reilly: We're back, with Dame Dash, Cam'Ron and live via satellite...KRS-One. KRS? ( Satellite camera shows an empty chair ) O'Reilly: Okay, KRS had to step out for a moment. Dame, how can you deny the link of hip-hop and violence when your own artists stay in and out of jail? Gangster rapper Beanie Sigel is on trial for-- Dame: See, that's your problem. You think everyone who raps about the realities of the street is in a gang. Beanie Sigel is not a gangsta rapper. He just happened to grow up in conditions that-- O'Reilly: Not a gangster? Oh really? *quotes lyrics from Sigel's "Gangsta, Gangsta" * Dame: .....as I was saying, Beans grew up in a situation where-- O'Reilly: And what's this? Bang. Bang. Sigel Street Gaaang. *O'Reilly stretches out the word 'gang' in a condescending tone, while staring at Dame* State Property Chain GAAANG. GAAANG? Dame: Excellent research, Bill. But getting a pimple-faced intern to google lyrics doesn't make you qualified to speak on the harsh realities of urban- O'Reilly: It makes me qualified to call you a hypocrite, Damon. Dame: Bill... *flustered, but refusing to lose his cool* We're not on a first name basis, Bill. O'Reilly: ..... Dame: If I can for a minute, let me get back to my original point. O'Reilly: Yes, let's see your point. Cam: No homo. O'Reilly: Why does he keep saying that? Dame: It's nothin. Look Bill...we have a lot of new companies we're building and-- O'Reilly: Isn't it true you guys fund a lot of these ventures with drug money? Dame: Where did you hear that? O'Reilly: I have my sources. Dame: Well corporate America was funded with slave blood and nobody was arrested. Where there's a fortune there's a crime. O'Reilly: Sounds like the name of one of your albums. Cam: You know who you look like? *snaps fingers* What's that n*gga name? George Bush dad? O'Reilly: George Bush Senior? Cam: YEAH NIGGA! You look just like him son. Dame: Damn, he does. Cam: I bet you pull a lot of them conservative hoes. O'Reilly: We're getting off subject here. Dame: Bill... you hit Ann Coulter, didn't you? Biiiiill? O'Reilly: What? I would never hit a woman! Cam: Oh yeah, he definitely hit that. Look how red his face got! Dame: Now it matches his neck. KRS: *hops back in the chair, now wearing mask made out of newspaper, and a garbage bag cape* I had a vision! Hip-hop spoke to me! O'Reilly: Holy mother of God. Cam: *speechless grin* KRS: Hip-Hop says that there is no light without dark. If the human soul had a color, it would have to be a rainbow. Jesus was the first emcee. I swear to God I had milk in my left pocket this morning and now it's not there. Did you take my milk? Dame: Bill, I don't see you talking about boycotting Pepsi when they have Ozzy Osborne on commercials. But a hip-hop artist? Boycott. I don't see you boycotting Fox when they have people throwing away their dignity for money. But a show with 2 rappers? Boycott! You're really boycotting rappers making money. Cam: You need to boycott that sports drink with Fat Joe in the commercial. Dame: Wait a second-- Cam: How the *bleep* you gonna have a Fat Joe be your spokesman for a SPORTS drink? He need redbull just to sit up. Then that *bleep* supposed to make you throw up bees? That ain't hip-hop. KRS: Did you say HIP-HOP? I remember in 1974, before we had videos and radio play, hip-hop would push children on the swings and build sand castles. Then we would put graffiti on them, and you know what hip-hop would say? Dame: Bill, did you-- KRS: Koolaaaaid! Cam: You wildin son. And your nostrils makin me wanna *bleep* no homo. KRS: Who wants koolaid? *reaches into his garbage bag cape* Dame: Bill, did you boycott Men in Black because of Will Smith? O'Reilly: No, of course not. Dame: Did you boycott Nickelodean when they hired Coolio? O'Reilly: Coolio's a rapper? Cam: Word? Dame: Did you boycott the Superbowl when Nelly performed? KRS: Did someone say Nelly? This is the real issue threatening hip-hop! I had a dream that Nelly was a lion-headed dragon and hip-hop was my sword. Dame: Why don't you just boycott everything and sit your old ass at home? Hip-hop is taking over. O'Reilly: Nigger please. Dame: ....... Cam: ........ KRS: ........ Dame: *in complete shock* Cam: *mouth gaped open like a kindergardener hearing someone curse in class* Dame: I don't believe this. Cam: Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! Dame: First of all... Cam: Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! Dame: Cam, I got this. First of all... O'Reilly: What? You guys say it on records all the time. Cam: Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! Dame: Cam, quiet. First of all... I don't even rap. So you never heard me say that on no song. Second-- O'Reilly: C'mon. Dame: Secondly, for you to even use that word just proves my point. You're a damn racist Bill. O'Reilly: Racist? I was just joking. Cam's been calling me that all night and you weren't so offended. Dame: Cam'Ron isn't protesting against black people getting paid. How can you call for a boycott on Fox, of all networks, for airing something immoral? Fox Bill! KRS: *gets on his knees* Oh mother hip-hop.. as we suck on thy teat, of thine ample bosom, please guide us through all of life's trials. You know, adult diapers are more comfortable than underwear. O'Reilly: Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and take a break right here. We'll be back. --- 3 minutes later --- (The show resumes in mid-argument) Cam: *bleep bleep bleep* O'Reilly: How could you even allow something like that to come out of your mouth? Cam: NO HOMO O'Reilly: How can you people deny-- Dame: What do you mean "you people"? First "n*gger," now this. O'Reilly: YOU PEOPLE AS IN YOU PEOPLE SITTING DOWN RIGHT HERE. YOU, DAME AND CAM'RON. YOU PEOPLE! Cam: AAAHA You maad! You maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad! Dame: So hostile...he must listen to hip-hop. O'Reilly: Please. KRS: Please what? Hip-hop is the fruit of the loom! The alpha and omega. The quaaaaaan. *spins around, covering his body in the garbage bag cape* O'Reilly: Uh...anyway, how can you people, Dame and Cam, deny that your records pollute society? Cam: What about Fox? O'Reilly: I have no control over what Fox does. Cam: You on Fox though. Your show is on the same-- O'Reilly: That's just business. Cam: So wait, hold up-- Dame: Bill-- Cam: No Dame, I got this. *excited* Hold up! O'Reilly: It's irrelevant. My show isn't-- Dame: Biiiiill-- Cam: You sayin when Fox airs all that negative programmin' with dudes marryin midgets and transvestites, no homo, it's just business. But when some young black entreprenuers from the hood blow, no homo, we pollutin' society? Is that whatchu sayin Bill? O'Reilly: No, what I'm saying is my opinion on-- Cam: Hold up Bill. This is what I think of your opinion. O'Reilly: Now you wait just a minute there-- ( Cam'ron climbs on top of Bill O'Reilly's desk and crawls towards him. O'Reilly, both confused and apprehensive, leans back and tries to calm Cam'Ron down, but it's too late. Cam turns around, puts his ass in Bill O'Reilly's face and passes gas. ) O'Reilly: ...... ( Cam and Dame laugh uncontrollably like school girls ) O'Reilly: Oh for the love of God. KRS: That reminds me of my battle with MC Shan. O'Reilly: Can we take a commercial break? Dame: No homo on the ass in the face, by the way. Cam: Oh yeah, negative homo! Dame: No means No. Homo. O'Reilly: Jesus Christ Cam: Caged homo! Dame: Mime homo trapped in a box. Cam: *taps his throat with his index finger* No-o-o-o-ho-o-o-o-o-o-m-o-o-o-o. ( The credits roll as Cam and Dame try to out "no homo" each other. Hours after the show is over and the lights & cameras are gone, KRS-One is still preaching about hip-hop's foundation and future. ) -- Back in his dressing room, O'Reilly hands Memphis Bleek a $20 bill. -- O'Reilly: Thanks for giving me the dirt on Roc-A-Fella and digging up those song lyrics. Bleek: Hey man, we agreed on $50... and you said you'd humiliate them. O'Reilly: I think I did a good job. Bleek: Where's my other $30? O'Reilly: I don't have anymore cash on me. Bleek: *pulls out his gun* O'Reilly: Wait... here, give me back that 20 and I'll have my assistant write you a check for a 100. His office is right through that door. ( Bleek hands O'Reilly the 20 and walks through the door ) Bleek: Hello? ( He hears the door lock behind him, just before realizing he's in an alley. )

I recently put in an order for this, should receive it in the mail next week, I don't like how that review had to go out to disrespect FP like that, that wasn't necessary

Having big collaborations like this is good for hip-hop, much props to Game

What a lineup :mygod:

O'Reilly comes off very idiotic a lot of times too

Uh why do like Slick Rick then if you don't like storytellin'?

Well life isn't sugar coated Lerkot, gangsta rap potrays the way life really is, Ice-T is the definition of true gangsta rap, he puts reality into his raps

A lot of these hip-hop fans are too damn picky, they come up with all these exuses to hate on an artist when they make good music, they want to yell out sell out all the time, making good music should be what matters most, Nas has put out a lot of good music since "Illmatic", sure some of it is mainstream but it's still good music, that's what should be the bottomline, there are some people that hate no matter what

I don't know, I kind of feel he's got to have resentment for other rappers getting more attention for raps that don't have much meaning. Sure he's done stuff to stay mainstream, but I don't believe at all he's sold out, he's different than any of those rappers out there today. NOW Jay-z, having a budweiser commercial endorse his ablum, THAT is selling out completely. I love Jay, but like, he get's more respect from media (like MTV that named him #1 all time rapper) because of his sellout. Nas has done alot to get his name out there, but the fact he isn't looked at too much from mainstream says something for him NOT willing to sell-out. Everything he raps about has meaning. I gotta agree with a lot of what you said there, I think Nas wants to have success for all the right reasons, the truth is that if he never did any of those mainstream songs Columbia would've dropped him and he'd never be that known but he still puts a lot of meaningful raps out there, he'd be slept on as much as Hieroglyphics are if he didn't do any mainstream songs, he had to do some to keep his career afloat, he put out "Illmatic" which is one of the realest albums ever and it didn't sell, the truth is if more people went out and supported that album when it came out then he probably wouldn't have went mainstream, I mean come on now I could feel the artists there when people call them for selling out, the fans complain about how artists don't keep it real but they don't buy the albums when they do keep it real, it's just like when Will did "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" and "Miami", if he did another "Code Red" album Columbia wouldn't release it... Yeah you could read the article on mtv.com talking about why Jay-Z' considered the #1 rapper and they list a bunch of things that he does like owning the Nets and being president of Def Jam, being the #1 rapper should be about mic skills and performance and there are many that have more of both than he does, and the truth is with the stage of a career that Jay-Z is at he should be using his power to choose more of what he wants to do, doing beer commercials is not sending a good message to the audience, he should know better than to do that like I said earlier, there are other tasteful ways to promote yourself

Kanye sore loser? Nah it can't be.... :sipread:

Ice-T's a legend, why all the hate for, I'm sure his album's probably more decent than most crap out today

yeah nas really wants to sell millions of albums like i said earlier, he ain't really that much different than other rappers when it comes to that, and i remember on "god's son" he had a song on there dissin' r&b rappers and then he went to do a song with ja rule around that time who's known to be an r&b rapper, nas is like krs-one in the sense that sometimes he comes off as hypocritical even though i like his music a lot, sometimes sending mixed signals to the audience, i personally don't let it bother me though 'cause i like their music but i could understand why some might not want to be their fans, and i really don't think hip-hop needs him to save it, hip-hop doesn't revolve around one rapper respectfully speaking

I think the reason why Lupe's album didn't sell as well as they thought it'd is 'cause I heard some people say that they liked the leaked version better so hopefully Nas don't have to push his album back and record new material 'cause it might not be as good as what leaked, that's the bad thing about having an album leak early like this, btw I heard Game's album leaked too, it's only 2 weeks away so it's not too bad

Yeah that's true but a month and a half early is not good, hopefully it don't get delayed now, they need to push that release date up so his sales won't be affected

Nobody takes G-Unit seriously anymore, when Nas' album drops it'll be the nail in the coffin for them

Was this before or after Nas announced the title of his album in May? Pretty soon it will be "G-Unit Is Dead" It happened after of course, 50's trying to piss off Nas I guess but really 50's digging his own grave :stickpoke:

Nas wouldn't sign to Def Jam if he wasn't worried about selling records, let's be real, he knows that all the big name artists sign there and sell the most records in hip-hop, he'd go to Koch with KRS-ONE if he didn't worry about sales, but even KRS would go to a big record label if they gave him a good offer, mostly every artist wants to sell records and have success, there was people out there that considered "Street's Disciple" a flop when his previous 2 albums "Stillmatic" and "God's Son" were multiplatinum and "Street's Disciple" shipped platinum, he was selling as much as the big name artists were during that time, only people like Jay-Z and DMX were selling more then, there's a big drop off between selling 2 million with "Stillmatic" and selling 600,000 with "Street's Disciple", and there are some people that criticise Nas for going to Def Jam and working for Jay-Z, I could understand why too 'cause a couple years ago he was calling Def Jam a slaveship and now he signs there where Def Jam don't really look that much better today either, it's just as understandable to see people criticising Nas for going to Def Jam as it is to see people criticising LL for working with 50 Cent, in fact even more so 'cause LL never criticised 50 Cent but Nas was very vocal about how he didn't like Def Jam, I don't think there's anything wrong with Nas squashing beef with Jay-Z but going around acting like he's best friends with him like nothing went wrong before is gonna send mixed feelings to fans, it's looking like he's just trying to ride off of Jay-Z' success now rather than keep it real, Jay-Z ain't the realest rapper... It'll be interesting to see how many people check for Nas this time around but other than that there's no doubt about what he's gonna do musically, he's a consistant artist, it'd be nice to see a real artist sell for a change these days, that's why people are saying "hip-hop is dead" 'cause the real albums don't sell as much as the garbage polluting the airwaves but real hip-hop never has been about sales, btw the reason why I mentioned Lupe leaking earlier is 'cause he was hyped up as the future star of hip-hop but then his album leaked many weeks before and his sales were affected, Nas' album has been highly anticipated for a while and if it leaks this earlier it might not sell, downloading is killing the music industry...

There don't seem to be that much real hip-hop fans for Lupe, 15 year olds make up the majority of the buying public and that's why real hip-hop don't sell, and with all those big name rappers on Hi-Tek's album I'm surprised that it's only selling 28,000 copies, but the good news is that at least Lloyd Banks, Young Dro, and Chingy are flopping too instead of selling millions like it could be, it could be a lot worse

Wow it seems music is like movies now, if you don't sell a lot in the first week you ain't gonna do that well, you really gotta go gold or platinum in first week to have big sales these days, only people like Justin and Beyonce do that while everyone else struggles, Diddy had a huge drop from last week(so I guess this'll really be his final album since nobody wants to hear him anymore, lol), Lupe had a respectable start selling 80,000 in the first week but it seemed like it ran out of steam fast, I actually hear "Daydreamin'" on the radio though, kinda odd that it ain't doing better, I thought that album would have legs from word of mouth since it's so good, that's how Lyfe Jennings' last album went platinum, it just stayed on the charts for a long time from word of mouth, even though it only sold like 5,000 copies in the first week, he got off to a better start too this time but it seems like that ain't gonna happen this time for him either, that seems to be once in a lifetime to sell well without a big first week

I think that already happened when Dr. Dre was dancin' to an orchestra in a music video 10 years ago, "Been There, Done That"