bigted

Well that's his trademark and hate it or love it that's what he's gonna be known for, I don't think releasing "Tell Me Why" is gonna change that overnight after 20 years of club songs, and it probably won't be that popular anyway, "Parter Starter" has the biggest chance to be a big hit, this is not a commercial friendly album, we can't expect it to do "Big Willie Style" numbers, it's a surprise to me that it outsold "Code Red" 'cause that's his other known street cred album, the mainstream public wants him to do songs like "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" and "Summertime", they don't want him to do songs like "Shadow Dreams" and "Tell Me Why", if he released all the club songs on the album like "Pump Ya Brakes" and "If You Can't Dance" then maybe he'd have a chance to sell millions, "Tell Me Why" and "Ms. Holy Roller" won't sell millions but win street cred just like when "So Fresh" was released for "Willenium" it didn't sell anymore, Nas releases serious songs all the time and he don't sell millions, actually when he released that club song with Ginuwine he hit double platinum but "Nastradamous"'s like his least street cred album, you either have popularity or street cred, you can't have both usually, I believe the only reason why "One Mic" had so much success and "Stillmatic" went double platinum was 'cause he was in the middle of battlin' Jay-Z at that moment so maybe if FP releases "Mr. Nice Guy" around the same time as "Tell Me Why" with Eminem and him go back and forth battlin', maybe he'll have success, beef sells, that might be the only hope.

Chuck D: Public Detonator 09/23/05 09:45 Source: www.easternecho.com Hip Hop legend sets precendents on oppression of black Americans By Michael Greenlee / Features Editor Chuck D will speak at Pease Auditorium on Sept. 26 at 8:00 p.m. Student tickets are $5-10. If Chuck D needs an introduction, then the legacy of hip-hop has gone to hell like a Sierra Leone diamond mine. He is a legendary rap artist and cofounder of arguably the greatest hip-hop act of all time, Public Enemy. Public Enemy set precedents with its scathing challenge to white American society at a time when stubborn conservatism pushed black expression, and indeed black livelihood, to dire territory. During the late '80s and early '90s, albums such as "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" (1988), and "Fear Of A Black Planet" (1990) gave black American youth not simply a voice, but a manifesto. Despite the friction his intensity can spark, Chuck D has remained cool in a most enduring way. He has pursued a multifaceted career, which includes work as musician, author, lecturer and political pundit. The ever-diligent Mr. D recently spoke (while in transit) to the Echo about his visit to Eastern. He offered a glimpse of the intellectual flavor of his commentary on race, the force of rage and the inequities of the music industry. Echo: How's it going, Chuck D? Chuck D: Picking up a person from the airport, checking DVDs and going over liner notes. How about that? Echo: Nice of you. First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to talk. That's huge. Chuck D: Well thank you and thank you for giving me this interview at this hectic, crazy time. But then, I wouldn't have it no other way. Echo: Where exactly are you right this very minute? Chuck D: LaGuardia Airport picking somebody up. One of my artists. I have a label called SlamJamz and so we would call ourselves a single A label, almost like minor league baseball teams. We're a single A label, you know? We have performers that can perform, singers that can sing, and rappers that can rap -- simple as that. You know, we develop. Echo: We're very honored to have you visit Eastern Michigan and speak. Would you like to mention briefly what the discussion will focus on? Chuck D: Rap, race, reality and technology. Those are the four standpoints where I've been actually on a lecture circuit for, like, this is my 16th year. So, 16 years that's been pretty much my topic. Echo: You have worked in the past with Moby on a song entitled MKLVFKWR. Chuck D: And I worked with him last year, you know, as we made this track for the theme of the Olympics and now its also going to be on the upcoming Public Enemy album called, "New Whirl Odor", another word for a ball of confusion, right? Echo: Right. And certainly that's where we've been recently. And with Public Enemy you've been very political. In your opinion, has today's rap music has been too shy to attack from a political standpoint? Chuck D: Yeah. Uh, a cop is telling me to move my truck. [indiscernible voice] I'm moving. Echo: Oh. Chuck D: I don't think it's too shy. I think a lot of times when it comes down to rap music today I think record company contracts influence artists to adhere to their contracts by the sales of their records as opposed to the extent of their artistry. A lot of them are kinda fearful of taking chances because if it cuts into their state of being or their way of life then they feel that it's all for naught, you know what I'm saying? Echo: Yes. Chuck D: So I don't think they're shy. I think they're scared. Echo: Certainly Public Enemy has done a lot in freeing the minds of young black men, and indeed people of every race and gender. But there is a problem similar to that of punk music. Where does intellectual rebellion end and untamed male aggression begin? Wouldn't you say that rap music has been partly responsible for letting the male ego run wild? Chuck D: Well in rap music if there's a male ego situation to point at it could actually be answered by the fact that for hundreds of years in this country the [black] male voices were automatically suppressed by society. So in a weird type of way the male voice, as well as the black female voice, is almost yearning to actually come out and say what needs to be said - good or bad - just like the feminist movement. These are voices and minds that have been suppressed. So if it comes out as being egotistic it's only because of the explosion of necessity. Those fragments and that shrapnel that comes out might not always be politically correct but something that needs to be said. Echo: Right. Chuck D: The danger is when a corporate structure gets behind that explosion of necessity and kinda streamlines or strips it down to the lowest common denominator in order for the business to be kept vibrant. Echo: And speaking of stifling creative explosions, Public Enemy recently performed unannounced at a benefit to keep CBGB's from closing. What's the word on that? Will the venue remain open? Chuck D: Well I don't know, I think the situation is trouble because the landlord has definitely not changed his mind. I think CBGB's is an institution that has long allowed artists to actually say something and do something with their music. Echo: You've never been afraid in your music to be honest. In fact, the beauty of hip-hop itself is how blunt it can be. Now, honestly, is Flavor Flav an alien? Chuck D: An alien? Yeah, he's from another world entirely. Echo: You've been involved with so many other artists throughout your career (Moby, Spike Lee, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Sonic Youth). Is there anyone left that you are really aching to work with? Chuck D: Yeah. Bobby Blue Bland. Echo: Bobby Blue Bland? Chuck D: Google him. Echo: All right, one last thing about the work you have done recently. "Power To The People And The Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits" is out already and a brand new record will be released in October. Is that right? Chuck D: Right. You can go to PublicEnemy.com. You'll find everything on that page that you need to finnd. Echo: Well, thanks for your time Mr. D. Chuck D: No, I thank you twice as much all right. So I'll see you then? Echo: Definitely. Chuck D: All right then. By that time you'll know who Bobby Blue Bland is.

Sunday Oct. 2nd Houston at Cincinnati 1PM Indianapolis at Tennessee 1PM Seattle at Washington 1PM Detroit at Tampa Bay 1PM Denver at Jacksonville 1PM San Diego at New England 1PM Buffalo at New Orleans 1PM St. Louis at NY Giants 1PM NY Jets at Baltimore 4PM Minnesota at Atlanta 4PM Philadelphia at Kansas City 4PM Dallas at Oakland 4PM San Francisco at Arizona 8:30PM Monday Oct. 3rd Green Bay at Carolina 9PM My Picks: Bengals Colts Redskins Bucs Jaguars Chargers Saints Rams Ravens Vikings Eagles Raiders 49ers Packers

Kane says that he plans on pursuing an acting career, maybe he should ask FP for some advice, lol: Big Daddy Kane Unlaces Dancing Shoes, Puts On Army Boots For 'Ram-Bro' Role 09.27.2005 After being saluted at VH1 Hip Hop Honors, rapper says he's focusing on film career. Big Daddy Kane at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors Photo: Getty NEW YORK — It was a moment that made grown men yell and jump up and down like girls at a Scream Tour show: Big Daddy Kane, in all his glory, not only leveling a platinum-tongue assault of classic lines, but taking off his cool for a few "I play this military cat that's sent in to kill off the people that's infected. ... They got me playing Ram-bro." — Big Daddy Kane Photos from this story VH1's Hip-Hop Honors Award Shows seconds and dancing at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. The 37-year-old Smooth Operator's brief but potent dance steps were the hands-down highlight of the second-annual awards show, broadcast Monday night (see "Kanye, Snoop, Common Join Ice-T, LL, Big Daddy Kane At VH1 Hip Hop Honors"). He even jumped in the air and landed in a split. "I want to entertain," Kane said last week at the Hammerstein Ballroom while rehearsing for the show. Kane not only performed but was honored by T.I., the Roots' Black Thought and Common. LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash, the Furious Five, Salt-N-Pepa, Notorious B.I.G. and the movie "Boys N the Hood" were also recognized. "I want you to leave there sweating and out-of-breath, saying, 'I enjoyed myself,' " Kane said about performing, whether it be at the VH1 event or on his many dates throughout the year. Kane looks back on his career with a wide grin. He's proven himself to be one of the greatest MCs ever with his lyrical and delivery innovations alone. Add in his style and you have a Hall of Fame-worthy career. "A couple of highlights of my career, looking back ... I had fun working on films," said the rapper, who appeared in 1993's "The Meteor Man" and "Posse." "That's really the direction I would like to go further into. I enjoy all the dancing things with [my backup dancers] Scoob and Scrap. That ain't really my thing, but it's fun to do it, you know." If you're wondering why Scoob was the only original Kane backup dancer to appear at the Hip Hop Honors, Kane said Scrap has been "MIA for about eight years, but I'm sure he's doing fine, and I wish the brother well." Kane said he doesn't have a new LP on the horizon but is open to making one if the right opportunity presents itself. He has laid down vocals for the new Foxy Brown project (see "Jay-Z Jumps On Three Tracks For Foxy Brown's New Album") as well as the new Kay Slay album. The Brooklyn native's wish of delving deeper into movies is also starting to take shape: He just finished a flick called "Dead Heist." "It's an action flick about a bank robbery gone wrong because people inside the bank are infected with this disease," he described. "I play this military cat that's sent in to kill off the people that's infected. ... They got me playing Ram-bro." Kane did not have a release date for "Dead Heist" as of yet.

Well FP is "Mr. Nice Guy", he don't curse in his raps, I mean gangsta rap fans won't accept him unless he starts rapping about blunts and hoes, how many rappers out there that don't curse in all their songs are platinum right now? That's why less people buy LL's albums recently too.

Well ain't he almost done filming his movie now? Maybe once he goes out and starts performing it everywhere it'll take off, that's what happened with "Switch" remember, "Switch" didn't get no video play either, it only got popular when he was out performing it a million times, it ain't over yet, I think it could take off once he was out there performing it next month, it's a shame this ain't taking off 'cause this would be the perfect #1 hit that displays FP's classic flow, it's such a great video too, 10 times better than the "Switch" one, I don't understand why they won't play it!

I think it'd be easier for it to get on 106 & Park than TRL, only if they decided to put it on their voting list for us to vote for it! :stickpoke:

Yeah that's such a great album, I don't understand how that could that be the lowest selling JJFP album, what's wrong with people? :hmm: That's easily on the same level as "The Chronic" as the greatest album of the 90s, he just never gets enough props for that album, I wish that sold 13 million instead of "Big Willie Style" or at least sold as much as "Homebase". I think "Lost and Found" seems pretty balanced, you got laid back tracks like "Ms. Holy Roller" and "Could You Love Me" and you got aggressive tracks like "Party Starter" and "Mr. Nice Guy", I like both styles personally but I favor towards his aggressive tracks the most 'cause they display the legendary FP flow the best, I think more people prefer the laid back style since "Big Willie Style" and "Homebase" sold so much from mostly laid back tracks.

Thanks Tim, I'm gonna peep them this weekend! :thumbsup:

Sometimes the haters could piss me off too but there ain't no rapper that doesn't get hate so it don't bother me too much, especially since most of them haven't even heard Will's albums before they dissed him, I try not to criticise somebody that I haven't heard much of before.

Yeah well every album Will's done there's always something that displays his skills, what Big Daddy Kane said in this interview is right on, they don't sign rappers on major labels 'cause of their skills, they sign them 'cause they're marketable for a few albums then dump them, like 50 Cent is signed 'cause he was shot 9 times, Kanye was signed 'cause he rolls with Jay-Z, Nelly 'cause he appeals to the girls, Eminem 'cause he's a white rapper that raps about thug life, etc... "AllHipHop.com: How do you see the game these days? Big Daddy Kane: The labels don’t want a star, a natural-born talent. They want a fly-by-night that will go platinum, sell triple platinum. And, they can fall off and move on. If they do have a really talented artist, they know they are going to have to pay that artist eventually. They don’t want to give that money up. They would rather him have a major-selling album where they can recoup like crazy."

:word: We all know how fast that retirement for FP was, lol, Kane might be secretly working on something on the low.

It was right there on the link: THE BARBERSHOP NOTEBOOKS Why Hip-Hop Sucks, Part 1 [27 May 2005] column archive by Marc Lamont Hill The Yin-Yang Twins -- Afraid of a Hair Cut? Hip-Hop sucks. There, I've said it. After years of ignoring my feelings and hoping that things would change with the next album, video, or artist, I have finally accepted the fact that hip-hop simply isn't good anymore. The swagger is gone. Hip-hop is still cool but it's no longer fly. It's still hot but it's no longer dope. Most important, hip-hop is no longer fun. I can't say for sure when it happened, but somewhere between Wu-Tang's grimy "Protect Ya Neck" and the Ying Yang Twins' disgusting "Whisper Song", hip-hop became boring and predictable. To be sure, my disaffection is likely a natural response to having recently suffered the indignity of turning to the local urban radio station and discovering that one of the songs that I listened to in high school had been relegated to the "old school lunch hour". Consequently, like any newly made hip-hop "old head", I now invoke a degree of nostalgia in order to protect my most precious memories of the recent past from what Stuart Hall calls the "tyranny of the new". As such, I must hate a little on the new stuff in order to keep the old stuff fully relevant and valuable to me. Nevertheless, I maintain that we have reached a low point in hip-hop culture. But unlike most of my friends who have elected for early retirement from hip-hop fandom, I am not content to simply walk away in a self-righteous huff. Instead, I am willing to put my issues on the table in the small hope that things can turn around. After all, unlike Common, I still love H.E.R. I just can't find H.E.R. In this recurring series, I provide some of my explanations for hip-hop's decline. Moving beyond the more frequently discussed issues like wanton materialism, female objectification, or corporate co-optation, I point to some equally critical issues within hip-hop that have pushed me to this point. Here goes: Where my girls at? Although hip-hop has always been a hyper-masculine boys club, quality female representation has dipped to an all-time low. No one has picked up the baton once carried by MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, or Salt n' Pepa and successfully run with it. Even the sex driven (and often ghostwritten) acts of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown have been reproduced as uninteresting caricatures like Khia and Trina. While Missy Elliot's creativity and old school flavor keep the music fun, her lyrical abilities are drastically sub-par. Artists like Bahamadia and Jean Grae keep the underground alive with their top shelf skills, but their lack of selling power makes it difficult for them to start a movement. Our brightest hope was Lauryn Hill before (she became) Unplugged, when she ranked among the illest MCs on the planet, male or female. Word on the street is that she's on the road to personal and lyrical recovery. We'll keep our fingers crossed. They don't freestyle no mo' Not so long ago, freestyling was a centerpiece of hip-hop culture. In order to be considered a complete MC, an individual had to be literally battle tested in the world of improvisational rhyming. Until the mid-'90s, the mixtape market, live shows, and local ciphers all served as fertile sites for freestyle raps from both seasoned veterans and hungry up-and-comers. Today, mixtape and live show "freestyles" are little more than album pre-releases and verses retrieved from the cutting room floor. Even worse, many underground and national rap venues (like BET's Freestyle Friday) privilege predictable one liners, insults, and clearly rehearsed verses over the raw, perfect imperfections of an authentic freestyle. There are exceptions, of course, like Toni Blackman's "Freestyle Union" movement, as well as rappers like Common who aren't scared to drop a verse from the dome in front of thousands. Nevertheless, the future of the freestyle is pretty grim. Manufactured rap wars Like the freestyle, MC battles have been the lifeblood of hip-hop culture since the '80s. LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee, Roxanne Shante vs. Real Roxanne, KRS One vs. MC Shan, and most recently Nas vs. Jay-Z, have all marked highpoints in hip-hop history. While there is certainly no shortage of battles in today's rap world, there has been a dramatic shift in the quality, authenticity, and motivations for the latest rap wars. Since the overwhelming commercial success of the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud, it seems that every new MC must find someone to beef with in order to make his or her mark and boost record sales. Perhaps the most transparent example of this is 50 Cent, who managed to stir controversy with Nas, R. Kelly, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Game right around the time of his album release date. In addition to the WWF-esque feel of the battles, the lyrical quality of the latest feuds has waned considerably. Instead of engaging a spirited game of the dozens filled with personal and professional disses, most rappers use the songs as a space to make personal threats and air dirty laundry. For this reason, it is no surprise that so many of today's beefs have extended beyond the songs and into the streets. The Superproducer While hip-hop has always had its share of elite producers, the last 10 years have given birth to a new breed of "superproducers". Beginning with the ever-present P. Diddy (née Puff Daddy), this group of overexposed hit men has moved from behind the boards and into the videos and songs of their artists. Superproducers like the Neptunes (particularly Pharrell) and Kanye West have become so large and appear so frequently on the songs they produce that they almost always overshadow their artists. Furthermore, superproducers have created sounds so distinctive and, as of late, predictable that the hip-hop Top-40 sounds like one big remix album. For example, even Lil Jon' himself would have difficulty distinguishing between the beats for his 2004 mega-hits "Freek-a-leek" and "Yeah!" Another consequence of this sonic oligarchy has been the construction of barriers for many talented young producers to gain access to the big stage because of their lack of star power or failure to reproduce the sounds de jour. The only viable alternative for many is to serve as a ghostproducer for the giants of the day and patiently wait for a chance to get noticed. The only catch is that the role of ghostproducer requires them to constrain much of their own creativity in order to approximate the sounds of the superproducer. The rich get richer . .

WTF?! his jeans are baggy, start recognizing. i hope ur not one of those people who thinks that people have to dress a certain way to be a certain way. fake gangstas are the ones who wear oversized baggy pants off their asses and can't walk right. Will's style and fashion and style is very good right now, his jeans are loose enough, he doesnt need to act all fake gangsta and stuff. if u wear pants like this in real life because u think it makes u look cool, u should reconsider your perceptions on things. I think JusticeKnight is joking, at least I hope! :stickpoke:

LL said in an interview that there'll probably be 70-year old hip-hop fans one day so there'll be an audience for them still, that's when we could truely call rappers ol' school, there'll be an oldies hip-hop tour one day, like KRS said, "50 years down the line you could start this/then we'll be the ol' school artists/even in that time/ i'll say a rhyme/ruthless and wild"

Yeah Kane still got skills, skills is knowledge when it comes to being an mc, it's not like sports where your muscles wear down, LL said something like that in an interview about how hip-hop isn't sports it's more of a game of wits, Big Daddy Kane might retire from the buisiness side but he'll still be active in the hip-hop community, he does a lot of performing still and he showed the world that he's still the top mc the way he performed at hip-hop honors, he's definately one of the few mcs I'd like to see perform live during my lifetime, he's in a class of his own, "Long Live The Kane", I think maybe if the buisiness side of hip-hop becomes less shady, maybe we might see Kane release some albums, I just don't see that in the immediate future. btw, I think the r&b chick he was probably trying to hit on was probably Janet, lol, he did hit on Madonna though back in the days which is not a bad consolation prize, Big Daddy Kane is a pimp!

Yeah it didn't make it again, well there's no TRL until next week now!

I'm watchin' now, I voted quite a bit myself!

There was rumors going around that he was gonna work on a new album later this year, he had a single circulated through the internet a couple months ago, I think Rakim had a single floating around too, I guess their ain't no comp worthy for them to drop anything right now. :hmm: btw, I never knew that they had beef with each other, that'd be entertaining battle, maybe ol' school rappers should battle with each other since there's nobody out now worth battling!

Will doesn't have to release albums every year, look at those that do, most of them suck at it, Jay-Z released 9 albums in 9 years and only like 2 or 3 of them got credability and he's supposed to be the best at it, Will's 9 albums are easily better 'cause he took more time to do them in between, quality counts the most not quanity, Rakim doesn't have to make albums every year either 'cause nobody's touching "Paid In Full", at this point it's just doing it for the love of the game not that he has to, there isn't really anybody worthy on the scene right now that could compete with Will either so there's no need to drop so much at once, that's why Nas and LL release albums every other year now too, they're in a class of their own, don't hate the player hate the game, if there was comp for Will he'd drop something more often, "Lost and Found" is easily one of the best of the decade already and a message to other mcs that Will's one of the best who's ever done it, he could drop one more classic this decade, do tours, and try to win an Oscar with nobody coming close to him, other rappers and most full-time actors for that matter who do movies ain't successful as Will either at that so I think he has a good chance of winning one before Ice Cube does, Will's only competiting with himself right now.

I agree on the most part but I don't think Chuck D, Eazy-E, and Guru are sub-par mcs, they're some of the greatest to ever do it, they're all better than anybody now. Kanye West is kinda average though I agree with that, he only looks great when you compare him to 50 Cent and Mike Jones but if you compare him to LL, FP, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D, Slick Rick, KRS, Pac, Biggie, etc. he's average, if he came out in the 90s you'd see that, he might have some great lyrics in between but he got average flow, you could see it yourself from watching hip-hop honors, he had the worst performance, all the ol' school mcs outshined him, I think that's fair criticism, not a diss, I think the Source is a piece of garbage to be called a magazine, they actually helped Em's overrated career even more after that since beef sells, and now to give Lil' Kim 5 mics proves that they got no credability!

Beastie Boys Join Hilary, ODB's Ranks With Greatest-Hits LP Despite Solid Gold Hits, veteran group says it's not breaking up. by James Montgomery Beastie Boys speak with MTV News on Tuesday (Photo: MTV News) The Beastie Boys would like to let you know they're not breaking up. Never mind that they recently celebrated their 24th anniversary — which means it's really time for them to drop the "Boys" tag, don'tcha think? — and despite the fact that their last album, 2004's To the 5 Boroughs, failed to make a massive commercial splash, the B-Boys have no intention of calling it quits. But now they're faced with the prospect of doing press for an honest-to-goodness greatest-hits package, Solid Gold Hits, a career-spanning retrospective that's similar to 1999's The Sounds of Science except that it's one disc and reeks a whole lot more like a farewell release from a band just itching to let go. Which is probably why the press release that accompanies Solid Gold ends its first paragraph by asserting, "No, the group is not breaking up." "We just figured that since we're putting out the greatest-hits album, people would say, 'That's it, they're breaking up,' " Mike D laughed. "So we figured we'd just cut to the chase and put that in the press release, but people just ask us about it anyway. It's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't kind of thing." And that's a pretty fair assessment of the Beasties' current situation too. In today's musical landscape, dominated by beefy MCs, raccoon-eyed punk rockers and nubile pre-teen popsters, the Beastie Boys' salt-and-pepper hair, old-school tag-team rap style and blatant nostalgia trips — brought to the forefront on 5 Boroughs (see "A Beastie Boys Lyrical Guide To The 5 Boroughs And Beyond") — make them look positively Paleozoic. But it's not like they're going to change their flow almost a quarter-century into the game. In fact, if anything, their longevity has left them in a rather odd position as rap godfathers who can still count on an army of loyal fans to buy their new albums — 5 Boroughs, 1998's Hello Nasty and 1994's Ill Communication all debuted atop the Billboard albums chart — but with enough classic cuts to necessitate a greatest-hits record. "Yeah, but the whole industry is pretty weird now, because like Hilary Duff has a greatest-hits album out," D said. "ODB had a greatest-hits [album] before he died. So all the kids are doing it these days. You can just put out one album and then you can have a greatest-hits record too." "Kenny Loggins has a greatest-hits album, so does Gordon Lightfoot," MCA added. "So we figured if those guys have greatest-hits albums out ... we'd get in business with those dudes." Fair enough. But as Beastie fans prepare to snap up Solid Gold Hits, which is due in stores November 8, there's still one question on all their minds: Just when will the B-Boys drop a new album? It's a rather demanding query, especially since they seem to spit out new albums roughly every 4.5 years, but in light of today's political climate — the Boys are not shy with their criticisms of President Bush (see "Beastie Boys Take On Bush With First Song In Three Years") — they're bound to release a new disc soon. And besides, it'd be a great way to dispel all those nasty retirement rumors. "We don't put out records too often, and we've been doing it for a while, so that puts us in a high-risk category for rumors," Mike D sighed. "So here's what I'm going to do. I'm issuing a challenge to Madonna. She's coming out with an album soon [Confessions on a Dancefloor, due November 15], and we can't compete with that, but we're going to compete with the one after that. We're going to go head-to-head with the next Madonna album. By that time we'll be ready. Maybe." This report is provided by MTV News

Before Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. came into prominence, there was Big Daddy Kane. A product of Brooklyn, Kane and others like him marked the era of the super emcee. However, Kane, a dark-skinned brother, was decidedly different that most emcees before and after him. Kane was able to astound males with his lyrical ferocity, yet effortlessly woe the ladies with a suave ‘hood elegance comprised of truck jewelry, silk shirts other accessories. But Kane was more than a rhyme-spewing ladies man. It was common for him to rap about the state of affairs in the community, injustice, racial pride and other topics of depth and substance. With Long Live the Kane(1987), It's a Big Daddy Thing (1989), A Taste of Chocolate (1990), Kane reigned superior and, when America began its infatuation with gangster rap, he maintained a superior standard of lyricism. On the day of Jam Master Jay’s death (October 31, 2002), AllHipHop.com spoke to Big Daddy Kane and the rap scholar would eventually go stage to tell the rabid crowd inside New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom that “something happened” to JMJ. In the windfall after Jay’s death, the conversation was lost, but is relevant once again as Kane is honored by VH1 and its Hip-Hop Honors show. The Honors show, taped inside of the Hammerstein, proved that all of Big Daddy Kane’s charisma and skills have been preserved over the course time. AllHipHop.com: Now, Kane we all know you inspired a generation, but who inspired you to rhyme? Big Daddy Kane: Once I heard Grand Master Caz and like that Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy B battle in ’82, that really influenced me to like start writing because they were spittin’ lyrics. At that time, there was like Randy C, Disco Richie. What you heard on records wasn’t like what they were spittin,’ they were spittin’ some real lyrics. I said, “I like this,” and then I really started writing. Then, I linked up with Biz in like ’84, I started doing it like for real, like believing something could really happen. AllHipHop.com: The Juice Crew is arguably the greatest Rap crew ever. How’d you get down? Big Daddy Kane: The Juice Crew existed way before I was down. Shante was the first member, I believe. Then, Shan came. Prior to my arrival there was Shante, Shan, Kool G Rap, Tragedy, Craig G, then Biz got down, then I got down, then I think Masta Ace got down. AllHipHop.com: You and G were considered the best lyricists in the crew. How are you guys? Big Daddy Kane: G is my man. Me and G used to be on the phone until two in the morning, looking forward to our stuff coming out. Biz was the one that introduced me to Marley, but it was really G Rap. Biz was looked at as the star of the Juice Crew, but G Rap was definitely the lyricist. Like when it was time to battle, if it was gonna be on, they had G Rap. And G was the one telling Marley, “Yo, this n***a Kane is hot. He’s got it.” And that really made Marley tell me to come over, vibe and do some stuff with him. That was from G basically giving him the okay. Me and G used to be on the corner at two in the morning spittin’ lyrics back and forth. I’d be on the phone like, “Check this out, check this out.” He’d call me back two days later like “Okay, check this out.” AllHipHop.com: That’s tight that you kept each other on point. Big Daddy Kane: G used to write rhymes so damn long, when we did “The Symphony,” the tape ran off. He rapped until the end of the beat, the tape ran out. And he got mad that Marley wanted to cut his rhyme. He got so made that he changed his rhyme . He didn’t want to change his rhyme. AllHipHop.com: How does it feel to come up in the Golden Era of Rap, where some feel lyricists were they finest? Big Daddy Kane: As always in the business, people are looking for “that artist.” Back then, “that artist” was whoever was nicest. It was hard as hell to get a deal if you couldn’t spit. Cats that were nice on the mic were the once that got deals. If you came in there with some old lame lyrics, you could forget about it. It was real competitive back then. AllHipHop.com: What is your fondest memory? Big Daddy Kane: My best memories were from my “Chocolate City” tour in 1990. I had Queen Latifah, Digital Underground, 3rd Bass, MC Lyte, and I think that’s it. Digital Underground declared war on us. They passed out flyers and they were running around shooting us with water guns, water balloons, the nine-millimeter looking water guns. And we had serious war during the day. Latifah used to play dirty. They would put scorching hot water in their guns. This is when Tupac used to dance with Digital. Latifah’s crew when out and wet Tupac and Money B all up – right on stage as they were performing. AllHipHop.com: How did Tupac and Biggie’s deaths affect Hip-Hop? Big Daddy Kane: How it is affected, I really don’t know. I don’t really see too much of a change. I thought it would. Here you have two great stars that are no longer with us over nonsense and a lack of love in this Hip-Hop thing. Also, my thing is, if you don’t do it, don’t promote it. If Just Ice makes a million and one thug records, so be it. Duke did bids and you heard about how he dealt with cats at labels. Everything he talked about, he had been through. But, if you ain’t been through it, why talk about it? Don’t put that in nobody else’s head either. AllHipHop.com: How do you see the game these days? Big Daddy Kane: The labels don’t want a star, a natural-born talent. They want a fly-by-night that will go platinum, sell triple platinum. And, they can fall off and move on. If they do have a really talented artist, they know they are going to have to pay that artist eventually. They don’t want to give that money up. They would rather him have a major-selling album where they can recoup like crazy. AllHipHop.com: What do you think about the state of Hip-Hop right now? Big Daddy Kane: I don’t necessarily care about what’s going on with Hip-Hop right now. But as far as Rap has grown, I like how it’s so international. Because of the commercial success of Rap music, I don’t think that the Hip-Hop artist is able to get the same play on the radio. It’s a lot of artists that represent Hip-Hop and people should have to wait until Friday and Saturday night to hear it. Rap, I don’t see no new trends. AllHipHop.com: You took a lot of criticism in the past for being commercial, but the same things you were getting flack for, they are doing. Big Daddy Kane: Maybe I was . Maybe society wasn’t ready for that at that time. Maybe they are ready for it now, I don’t know. AllHipHop.com: Aside from Jaz-O, you are credited for inspiring Jay-Z. Big Daddy Kane: When Jay-Z used to open up shows for me, for about a year and a half, we tried to get Jay a deal. It just wasn’t happening. And he switched to that whole hustling rap, and he got himself a deal like that. Its nothing I would do, I would never switch up like that, especially because I don’t hustle. As far as Jay-Z goes, spittin’ raw lyrics wasn’t poppin’ for him so he went with what’s poppin’ now. He used to spit and he’s still nice. AllHipHop.com: To you, what makes an ill lyricist. Big Daddy Kane: Vocabulary and a real way of connecting words. AllHipHop.com: How do you want to be remembered? Big Daddy Kane: I would like to be remembered for my lyrics. That is how I would like to be remembered. AllHipHop.com: There was strong rumor back in the day that you and Rakim had secret records dissing each other. His Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em supposedly had a song called “Candy Kane” that never made it. We also heard of a song called “Riff the Raff…” Big Daddy Kane: You heard Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em … AllHipHop.com: For an artist trying to get into the game today, what advice would you give them? Big Daddy Kane: Be true to yourself. Artists need to be what they are and make people respect them for who they are – that’s if you do have talent. AllHipHop.com: You have retired from making albums, but your skills are intact. Why? Big Daddy Kane: I got tired of the business side. It’s a headache. Before I f**k around and be Suge Knight’s roommate, I’ma get my a** out of it. For a while, I saw what Biggie was doing and decided to do it again. AllHipHop.com: Why? Big Daddy Kane: I saw Biggie making it cool to spit that player s**t, making it cool to come on stage in gators and s**t. AllHipHop.com: Do you have any regrets in your career? Big Daddy Kane: To protect the innocent, I’m not gonna mention no names, but…there is a certain R&B singer that I had the opportunity to hit that and I passed on it. This was a couple years ago. If I could change things, she could of got it. AllHipHop.com: What do you want to do these days? Big Daddy Kane: I want to go sit on a porch in Raleigh, North Carolina drinking some corn liquor talking to my boys about the good old days. I want to have some Al Green or Curtis Mayfield playing in the background. That’s what I want…

http://popmatters.com/columns/hill/050926.shtml THE BARBERSHOP NOTEBOOKS: Why Hip-Hop Sucks Part 2: Naming Names It may be getting louder, but it ain't getting any better... by Marc Lamont Hill Since writing the cathartic piece, "Why Hip-Hop Sucks Part 1" a few months ago, I have received a constant flurry of e-mails, phone calls, and letters from a wide range of hip-hop critics, fans, and artists who have responded in a variety of interesting ways to my lamentation. While many people, including prominent artists (shout out to Common and Nas!) shared my sense of sadness about the state of hip-hop, others criticized me for my pessimism, romanticism, and failure to acknowledge the extra-musical dimensions of hip-hop culture like b-boying and graffiti. Some, like the several members of the Zulu Nation who wrote angry rejoinders to the piece, even questioned the authenticity of my connection to hip-hop culture. After a few months of reflection, I've come to some conclusions. First of all, hip-hop still sucks. Nonetheless, I am not pessimistic about its future. On the contrary, I am quite hopeful that we will be able to find our way. Am I admittedly and unavoidably romantic about the hip-hop of the past? Yes. But, like Chris Rock said after first listening to "Get Low" and "Move Bitch", it's getting hard to defend this new ****. Why do I focus on the music and not the other dimensions of hip-hop? Three reasons: 1) the other stuff doesn't suck nearly as badly; 2) the other stuff matters largely because of the status of the music; and 3) no disrespect to the other elements, but hip-hop music is what I care about the most. In part two of this recurring series, I provide further explication of my position by not only describing problematic trends in hip-hop, but also identifying the key figures in the culture who embody them. To be clear (both for journalistic purposes and as a disclaimer for desperate and crazed backpacker zealots), I am not suggesting that these individuals are the cause of hip-hop's ills. Rather, they are but symptoms of much larger problems that demand serious attention. The Source Since its inception in 1988, The Source magazine has been the New York Times of the hip-hop community, updating its readers on the latest news, trends, and up-and-coming artists. No magazine in hip-hop history has had the ability to make or break a career like The Source, whose "mics" are the unit of measurement not only for its own rating system, but also the critical shorthand for the entire hip-hop community. While a five mic album can virtually certify an album's success and assure legendary status for the artist, a low rating (below three mics) can end a career before it starts. In recent years, coinciding with co-owner Raymond "Benzino" Scott's increasing public role with the magazine, The Source has come under considerable scrutiny for its questionable editorial practices. While there have always been questionable reviews and "money for mics" rumors surrounding The Source, as well as other music magazines, a series of events over the past five years have drastically and permanently tarnished its reputation. Despite being commercial flops, Benzino and his untalented rap crew Made Men (formerly the Almighty RSO) have been given extraordinary attention from The Source. Despite selling only 14,000 copies of his Redemption album, Benzino has graced the cover of the magazine while Made Men, who received only scant media attention, have been nominated for the magazine's annual awards. In 1999, editor-in-chief Selwyn Hinds resigned from his position after being forced to change the magazine's Made Men rating from 3.5 (fairly average) to 4.5 (nearly classic) mics. More recently, in August 2005, Joshua "Fahiem" Ratcliffe resigned after being forced to lower Little Brother's rating from 4.5 to 4.0 mics. Word on the street is that Lil Kim's upcoming pre-jail LP, The Naked Truth, will receive 5 mics. This questionable call will do nothing to stop the rumors. In addition to its questionable music criticism, The Source has become increasingly focused on courting commercial advertising dollars and disseminating hip-hop gossip. In doing this, The Source has essentially ignored many substantive political issues affecting the hip-hop generation and the larger black and Latino communities. The most notable exception to this has been The Source's crusade against Eminem in a series of articles, and through Benzino's kamikaze rap battle with the white lyricist. In addition to critiquing his privileged industry position, The Source released a CD of Eminem's disturbing and racist teenage rants against black women. Given their historic indifference to the treatment of black women, as evidenced by the magazine's nearly pornographic ads and photo spreads, as well as its blind eye towards the remainder of hip-hop misogyny, it appears that Benzino and The Source were fighting for exclusive rights to call and treat black women like bitches and hos -- no white man was gonna do it for 'em. Lil' Jon A relative once told me "Never eat watermelon in front of white people!" His advice was based on the belief that if white people saw black people doing stereotypical things, it would serve to reinforce racism and somehow justify continued unequal treatment. This same ideology causes me to look around for white people whenever I see Lil' Jon on television, and internally cringe when my white colleagues ask me to explain his antics. Lil' Jon's image, which amounts to postmodern minstrelsy or what Jeff Chang calls "crunkface". serves as a brutal reminder of the poverty of black representation in the mass media. While Lil' Jon is certainly not the first Stepin Fetchit throwback that hip-hop has seen — figures like Flava Flav and Ol' Dirty Bastard can certainly claim OC (original coon) status — Lil' Jon somehow manages to strip his identity of any self awareness and complexity that his predecessors possessed. In place of Flav's musical activism and ODB's Five Percenter allusions is Lil' Jon's lyrically impoverished rants that are just plain "ign'ant", even under hip-hop standards. Bishop Don "Magic" Juan For the past few years, the "reformed" pimp has been a fixture on the hip-hop scene, accompanying Snoop Dogg on videos, interviews, and award shows. While hip-hop has never been short on misogyny, "Don Juan" presence marks a depressing downward shift in hip-hop's gender politics. The term, which refers to the practice of manipulating and dehumanizing women through rape, beatings, and the use of their bodies for sexual commerce, has become a staple of both mainstream and underground hip-hop discourse. Consequently, the sex industry that largely exploits poor black and Latino women is, at best, an afterthought to suburban white MTV viewers who want their rides pimped, energy deprived urban professionals in desperate need of pimp juice, and pseudo-revolutionaries who follow "conscious" MCs like Dead Prez's exhortations to pimp the system. Some intellectuals, like my dear friend Michael Eric Dyson, have argued that "pimp" is merely a metaphor that has been appropriated by the hip-hop generation and given a new and redemptive meaning. This wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility if the people historically designated as "hoes" were refashioning the pimp, as black people have done with "nigger". But how can the very people who enable and benefit from the hateful practices that normalize pimping (in this case, the male-driven hip-hop industry) suddenly decide to separate it from its vicious history? That's like George W. Bush saying, "Nigger, no longer means what it used to mean to blacks. Okay niggers?" Kanye West Given his recent courageous statements about the Bush Administration's response to the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, I am willing to give Kanye a pass for the arrogant, childish, and narcissistic characteristics have turned him into hip-hop's first full-fledged diva. Nevertheless, every time that I listen to a track from Kanye West's two "classic" albums, I find myself wondering "Am I the only person on the planet that realizes that this guy can't rap?" While no one can doubt Kanye's genius behind the boards, or his ambition and creativity on the mic, his lyrical frailty becomes apparent whenever he shares a track with real MCs like Common, Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Nas, or even Cam'ron. Of course, hip-hop has always had its share of compelling but sub-par MCs like Chuck D, Eazy E, and Guru, but none of them were billed as top-flight lyricists. On the contrary, Kanye has been positioned as a hip-hop heavyweight in spite of his average skills. More importantly, Kanye represents a disturbing trend in hip-hop lyricism. Complex rhyme schemes, clever allusions, and poetic flows are slowly falling to the wayside in favor of predictable punch lines, wack similes, and uninventive interpolations of earlier songs. At least part of the blame for this pattern goes to Jay-Z, who has often bragged that he never writes his lyrics down. This type of statement — which is the equivalent of Michael Jordan confessing to a young hoopster that he never really practiced over the summer — does an extraordinary disservice to the other 99.9% of the rappers who cannot create quality rhymes without the benefit of a pen. Marion "Suge" Knight Who said that I had a problem with Suge Knight? Somebody has a problem with Suge Knight? I ain't got no problems with Suge Knight. To Be Continued...

Same here! Don't get me wrong I like his movies! But sometimes it looks like he puts movies over Hip Hop! What about Ice Cube and Queen Latifah? It's dissapointing to see them making 10 movies and no albums over the last decade, Ice Cube could be shutting down these fake gangstas and Queen Latifah could still be a top female mc, that spot hasn't been filled yet.