+10

In the video for Machine Gun Kelly’s “Wild Boy,” MGK asks Waka Flocka Flame if he’s a good rapper. “Fuck no,” Waka replies. It’s not an admission or confession, but rather a boast—he is proud not to be a “good” rapper. And the Waka Flocka verse is, as he admits, not great, at least by traditional standards. It’s more passion than precision, in contrast to Kells’ Twista-styled technical tightness. “Cobain’s back!” MGK repeats after Waka Flocka’s verse. It is a fitting refrain. It was Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana who was most responsible for bringing the punk esthetic back to rock music in the early 90s, inaugurating a new era in which sloppiness and error was as valuable as proficiency and perfection.Jay-Z even claims in Pharrell’s upcoming book that the “rebellious spirit of youth” and iconoclastic rawness of Nirvana and early 90s grunge music articulated the zeitgeist and “stopped [hip-hop] for a second.”

After decades of increasing polish and precision in rap music, a new tendency toward sloppiness is emerging, reminiscent of punk rock. At its most extreme, the trend treads the line between expertise and seeming incompetence. We might call it “Slip-hop,” a new wave that excuses the mistake in pursuit of capturing the immediacy of passion and, at its more radical fringes, revels in error and experiments in the wreckage.

Очень интересная статья. Вкратце суть в том, что в нулевые рэпперы слишком гнались за перфекционизмом, и в итоге весь лакированно-блестящий радийно-форматный хип-хоп стал скучным и однообразным. И сейчас культура делает эдакий панк-поворот, где энергия важнее качества, а ошибки (сознательные или нет) имеют самостоятельную художественную ценность, причем предвестником этого процесса можно назвать... Jay-Z с песней "D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)".

Но в целом отличная аналитика, подробная, наглядная, с конкретными примерами. Почитайте обязательно.

Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney (Epic Rap Battles Of History Season 2)
+7

Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney (Epic Rap Battles Of History Season 2) (показать)



18 октября, 2012, 14:32


Я надеюсь, у всех сайт в избранном, а все баттлы выучены наизусть?
+2

DJ Khaled's sixth album, Kiss the Ring, is out today, which means that rap fans can expect to hear one message repeated over and over for the foreseeable future: We The Best. There's no arguing with success. DJ Khaled is the best—at something. The question is: exactly what is it that he does?

[...]

But with no production credits and minimal vocal appearances on any of those records, the question remains: What does DJ Khaled actually do?



23 августа, 2012, 00:39


Правильный ответ в конце статьи: See, Khaled’s not just some loudmouth yapping over the hottest record in the club. He’s the reason the record exists. If music were sports, he’d be a general manager, coach, and player all in one.
Важно это понимать, я считаю.
+1

Hip Hop and journalism are in an interesting space.

Once upon a time, being a hip hop journalist was not something that everyone could do. You had to have the knowledge, skill and ability to network in the unique realm of hip hop culture. Not everyone was trusted and you couldn’t live in your mother’s basement to do it. Things have changed over the last decade. The average Joe (or Jill) can become a blogger and somehow be just as significant as a someone who has been documenting the culture for years. Thanks to social media, anybody can find out anything about anyone at anytime. You don’t have to possess an extensive contact list nor do you have to work for a major website or publication. It used to be an honor to hear an album early and have the opportunity to review it before everyone else. Nowadays, hearing an album before its release date is expected. Everyone is a part of this information culture but few are actually “in” it.
 
[...]
 
Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean that you are an expert in hip-hop culture. You just enjoy writing about it.
 
Be careful of what and you believe and disregard, stop speculating and be patient for the truth. Rather than be a blogger that adds fuel to the fire, sit back and watch the story as it unfolds.
 
That is, if you care.
 


17 августа, 2012, 05:57


Очень интересный текст. Имейте в виду, тема "Nas и гострайтеры" здесь отнюдь не главная: в основном речь идет о том, как блоги и твиттер уничтожают журналистику, размывая грань между информацией и слухами, и что все это кармически неправильно.

Что же касается того, как был написан "Untitled", вывод таков: на данный момент ничего конкретного утверждать нельзя - кроме того, что в работе принимали участие разные люди.
+6

"Dope Sick" выходит 28 августа.



10 августа, 2012, 23:39


лучший.
+2

2 новых видео с дебютного альбома Caxton Press "Shame The Devil".

 

Caxton Press "Big Buck Star" (показать)

Caxton Press "Touch The Sun" (показать)

PS

0

DJ MUGGS vs ILL BILL - "Cult Assassin" Official Video (Directed by MoreFrames) - DJ MUGGS & ILL BILL are back... from the past! Hidden in a dusty basement and trapped on Betamax tape for the last 35 years, "Kill Devil Hills" has returned with a vengeance! Uncle Howie, Soul Assassins and MoreFrames present you with the most electrifying old school Saturday morning series that never was. Prepare to be hit with 4 all-new episodes, featuring new tracks from the upcoming DJ MUGGS vs ILL BILL record. "Kill Devil Hills" is an original retro saga on an epic scale that no one else could deliver! Episode 1 - Cult Assassin - check out www.moreframes.com - DJ MUGGS vs ILL BILL "KILL DEVIL HILLS' IN STORES AUG 24TH 2010