THE BORN TO REIGN COMPLEX

[JumpinJack AJ]

What is it that makes emcees who have become a staple in Hip-Hop hisory take extreem risks with their music. Hip-Hop has always been a genre based around no rules and no limits. Lyric formulas, subject matter, and the sound of the music have always varied, but a handful of artists has taken matters into their own hands leaving their fans very confused. In the next few paragraphs, lets reflect on the experimental albums that some of Hip-Hop's most respectable talents have put out.

LL Cool J started the trend of multi-flavored albums in a small way with the 1997 album Phenomenon. The jiggy, flashy, commercial 1st single was soon followed up with the gutter posse cut featuring DMX, Method Man, Redman, and Canibus. The rest of the album mixed old school inspired party jams like "Starsky + Hutch" featuring Busta Rhymes, with soulful R-N-B songs "Don't Be Late, Don't Come To Soon" featuring Tamia, next to current jiggy-styled tracks like "Nobody Can Freak You" and "Hot Hot Hot." Good music, yes...strange overall mix, absolutly. LL returned years later with a street album re-establishing his gritty side, and in recent years, taking it back 2 the early days of respectable lyrics, party club bangers, and his staple love songs.

1998 brought to experimental albums from two of Hip-Hop's female alumni. Hip-Hop's reigning queen, Queen Latifah released her album "Order In The Court." Latifah was always known for singing hooks on her albums and even full songs from 1993's Black Reign. However, "Order In The Court" broght more soulful moments from the Queen. However, it was the 80's influenced "Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and lead single, 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' interpertating Pras-produced "Paper" which displayed out-of-character from the Queen. The overall quality of the music was still high, but the various experimantal sounds made the album feel like a hodge-podge of styles that didn't amount 2 a big picture. 'Order In The Court' however was just a warm-up for her 2004 head-turning 'The Dana Owens Album' which didn't contain one hot verse from her. The entire album was peiced together with soul, jazz, and pop cover songs.

MC Lyte's 1998 album, like Latifah's peiced various styles together equaling up to a confusing album, tossed between abstract Hip-Hop, old school Hip-Hop, and R-N-B funk grooves. Still quality music, but she didn't need a 'Ruff Neck' or have any 'Ice Cream Dreams' on this album. Like LL, after an experimental album, Lyte returned in 2003 with 'Lytro', and street-heavy album.

Hip-Hop and Rap music stayed on the straight and narrow for a few years, then rapper/actor Will Smith turned heads with 2002's Born To Reign. The album opened with a strong title track and into a club banging song called "Act Like You Know." From there, the album took off an various tangents like the latin flavored "I Can't Stop," the retro sample-heavy "1,000 Kisses," and the reggae sprinkled "I Gotta Go Home" all wrapped in between Fresh Prince styled songs like "How Da Beat Goes," "Block Party," "Give Me Tonite," and "Momma Knows." The domination of guitars came as a surpise to many. The album went gold, an accomplishment, but disappointing to the 10 million plus sales of his album Big Willie Style just years before. This album also introduced the idea of guest artists participating on the full album which featured the R-N-B trio Tra-Knox's, one of the groups signed to Smith's Overbrook Entertainment.

2002 also brought a left-feild album from The Roots. The Roots have always been known for their jazzy, live band sound. Their prevoius album from 1998 featuring the megahit "You Got Me" featuring Erykah Badu. The album 'Phrenology' introduced a new sound to the group featuring abstract sounds nothing like their past work. Less acoustic, most energy, and most electronic sounds popped up on this album, taking away a signature style many fans depending on. The misleading 1st single "Break You Off" featuring Musiq pleased many fans, however, the lack of soul on the album disappointed many. Insead of soulful grooves, scattered beats filled much of the album, some even with rock tendencies.

The last confusing Hip-Hop installment of 2002 would be Common (aka Common Sense)'s album Electric Circus. This album followed his 2000 album which contained the smash "The Light." This albums first single "Come Close" featuring Mary J. Blige gave fans a taste of another soulful love song. However, the rest of the album contained mostly abstract music not totally unlike The Roots (much of Electric Circus waz produced by The Roots' ?uestlove). Gone was the true school Hip-Hop sound, which waz replaced with rock guitars, trance sounds, and unique beats. It's unexplainable why some of today's greatest producers like Jay Dee (aka J-Dilla) and James Poyser would create such a sound. The album didn't live on past the 1st single, as did The Roots.'

2003 brought a sound change from the west coast Hip-Hop crew Black Eyed Peas. Along with a new member (R-N-B singer Fergie, formally Stacy Ferguson of the R-N-B/Pop group Wild Orchid and kid-show Kids Incorporated) the Peas brought more live instruments and tons of funk into their music, shunning some of the laidback sounds and Hip-Hop heavy vibes from their previous albums. Unlike other experimental albums, Elephunk turned into a huge success, releasing four hit singles, millions in sales, and briging them to a whole new audience.

Most recently, in 2004, Mos Def released his own complex album titled "The New Danger." On this album, just like with Queen Latifah and Will Smith, Mos Def takes a stab at singing. Not-unlike 'Born To Reign' and 'Electric Circus,' rock-inspired tracks can be found on this album. The album's opening intro, "The Boogie Man Song," is Mos Def akwardly singing which leads in2 the rock-heavy "Freaky Black Greetings." Followed by yet another rock track, "Ghetto Rock."

What is it that inspires these legendary artists to take such musical risks? Maybe it's the pressure to hold the world of Hip-Hop on their shoulders since current radio main-players aren't. Maybe it's that their work in films distorts their judgement on the music they make. Whatever it is, this crazy bug has been traveling all through the world of Hip-Hop making artists want to step outside the box and dedicate full albums or the majority of the work on them to try new and crazy things.

[DevilsJim89]

thats pretty fly AJ, where you find that?

[JumpinJack AJ]

I wrote it. I recnetly picked up Mos Def's new album and i'm here pulling my hair out cuz he's a true talent and he's got all this singing and rock stuff on the album. Only one track is truely ill ("Sunshine"). A few others are alright but i expected stuff on that next level. The rock stuff and the singing stuff is just confusing. I just took that confusion and typed it up 2 remind some people that FP isn't the only one 2 make crazy moves in his career.

[Guest Guest_kylie]

that was pretty inpressive.how did u fing out about that sort of imformation. aj

[bigted]

Hey AJ u should seriously look into being a writer for a hip-hop magazine, that's a nice article there! :thumb:

[JumpinJack AJ]

Thanx 4 the feedback. I really just threw that 2gether in like 20 minutes as a joke. After being disappointed in Mos Def's direction on The New Danger, it made me think about all the highly anticipated Hip-Hop albums that took all kinds of twists and turns that left fans scratching their heads.

[kbfprince]

I wrote it. I recnetly picked up Mos Def's new album and i'm here pulling my hair out cuz he's a true talent and he's got all this singing and rock stuff on the album. Only one track is truely ill ("Sunshine"). A few others are alright but i expected stuff on that next level. The rock stuff and the singing stuff is just confusing. I just took that confusion and typed it up 2 remind some people that FP isn't the only one 2 make crazy moves in his career.

i got Mos Def's album too. I'm a fan of hip hop, rock, rnb, pop, and basically anything else and i liked The new danger cause it was a good mix of all a lot of genres. it perfectly suited my tastes. :thumb:

[bigted]

Andre 3000 also had a different sound on "The Love Below" that we wouldn't expect on an Outkast album. I don't think that there's anything wrong with mcs experimenting with their music instead of doing the same ol' thing all the time, when you're creative with your music that's what makes you a hip-hop artist rather than just a rapper. :werd:

[JumpinJack AJ]

I totally support experementing...but it waz Mos Def's 2nd official album, i just thought it waz a bit early 4 an album like that. Andre's kinda turned me off a lil', i've probably only listened 2 it like 15 times since i got it over a year ago. I really wanted alot more Hip-Hop/Rap on it. I like when an artist gets creative with it...but when they leave us wanting more, it's kinda disappointing.