Shots (not) fired:

So people want to know: will you respond to Common?
No. Because despite how it’s been worded by him that situation is not a “hip hop moment” or a “battle for the sake of musical integrity”…it’s a ploy for attention around the release of an album. More than anything it was just disappointing cause what kid isn’t a fan of what Common has done for our genre. A guy who made such an incredible career for himself based off expressing genuine feelings about life and love is now targeting me for sharing my story.

I gotta say, I’m tired of this “beef,” if you can call it one, but much props to Drake for being mature about the entire situation, just like Rick Ross did with 50.

In XXL’s April 2010 issue, Lloyd Banks filled in the blanks to 20 questions. Question No. 8 was, “ ______ career would have been better off if he didn’t bump heads with G-Unit.” Guess whose career he chose to fill in that blank? He chose “Ja Rule’s.” Now, does the same go from Drake when it comes to bumping heads with Common?

Not yet. But it is a warning that cautions “do no repeat.”

According to hearsay, the cause for the whole battle (this is not beef, there is a difference) between Common and Drake is tennis great Serena Williams. In early 2010, Com and Williams ended their lengthy relationship. What’s more, Drizzy was rumored to be involved with Williams, during late 2011. Drake did not shoot down the gossip like Williams did in August of 2010, when she deemed him as just a “close friend.” In the thank you section for his sophomore album Take Care, Drake added fuel to the fire. “Serena Williams (you have given me a very exciting year and I am so grateful to have you in my life…” Come what may, the origin of the battle is not of great import; the music being produced is and the consequences of the battle might be.

“I’m hearing all of the jokes. I know that they trying push me. I know that showing emotion don’t ever mean I’m a p—-. Know that I don’t make music for n—-s who don’t get p—-. So, those are the ones I count on to diss me or overlook me,” Drizzy voiced on his track “Lord Knows.”

Those bars by the Toronto native seemed enough to ward off other, potential detractors besides the ones who did prior to the release of the record, yet who could have ever predicted Common to be one? And, the hip-hop veteran with nine albums under his belt did not only diss him; he almost finished him.

Common jumped on Rick Ross’s “Stay Schemin” that features Drake voicing several indirect bars that are all but surely about him and: rapped about Drake’s father (“Son of a b—-, I imagine what your father is”), expressed the fact that Drizzy stole Big Sean’s flow (“His style, he don’t own it”), questioned Drake’s true grit which many have reservations about (“Everybody know you sweet, what the problem is… Acting all hard when he hardly like that… You a b—-because you cling like a b—- that’s eighteen”), called him out on the fact that he continues spitting allusive bars (“Can’t say my name but rap about a n—-’s wife”) and even casted aspersions on Drake’s bicultural status (“You so black and white, trying to live a n—-’s life”).

Common did all that in one verse, soon after the original “Stay Schemin” dropped, mentioned Drizzy’s name and pointed out how Drake implied how he was going to confront Com with his crew instead of by himself? Game over? Not quite yet. One has to at least revisit Drake’s verse on the track.

“I just ask them ‘when you see me you speak up n—-,’ that’s all,” rapped Drake on the song, which was dope but also was the lone bar that Drake in which case referred to confronting Com by himself, without his crew.

“Me and my G from DC that’s how I roll around. Might look light, but we heavy though. You think Drake will pull some shit like that? You never know,” Drake also added in his verse.

Was Drake talking about being strapped now? Really? Come on. Not only that, he mentioned the fact he would not be alone, which he did multiple times. Then, he started oddly rapping about Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant’s divorce and strayed from what sounded like confidential matters Serena told him about Com, “Shorty wanna tell me secrets about a rap n—-.”

“I’m just hitting my pinnacle. You and p—- identical. You like the f—ing finish line. We can’t wait to run into you,” OVOXO’s czar rapped.

Again, there is another hot part to Drake’s diss to Common, but, similar to the previous part I referred to as being dope, the Canadian-born rapper loses points because he stated he and his crew “can’t wait to run into” Com, instead of him alone.

Still, back to the lesson Drizzy should have learned from the Ja Rule/G-Unit beef, which is basically to avoid bumping heads with rappers’ disses that digress one from the content that they make and is accepted for. Imagine it was not Common, who is not considered the toughest guy by casual hip-hop fans to say the least. Envision this had been Jadakiss or an up-and-comer with 50 Cent’s aggressiveness and Jay-Z’s elite lyricism. Conjure up Drizzy doing a record like “Clap Back” and changing his whole persona similar to how Ja did.
Next time, it will not be Common. And, no Com is not a punk. In 1990s, he battled Ice Cube before Cube’s family movie days. In the early 2000s, Common slapped a heckling fan during a live performance in South Carolina.

Quite the contrary, Drake last had a rap feud with Kardinal Offishall. Yes, Kardinal Offishall. And, what is Drizzy known for doing live? Saying he loves Rihanna and briefly ranting about how he is not a b—- because he sings. Further, Drake can wear Carhartt and all black as much as he wants to, but now it’s time he responds directly. He got leeway since Common’s “Sweet” was indirect, even though Com stated it was not specifically for Drake and that Drake “embraced” it on his own. But now, Drake replied with “Stay Schemin” and has no choice but to reply or people will forever think he is indeed “sweet.” Still, he should make sure to avoid replying to most disses from here on or his career could end up like Ja’s and people will likely just shake their head and say “look what you’ve done.”

Drake, it’s your turn.

Download

I consider myself to be a pretty big Lenny Kravitz fan. “Let Love Rule”,  “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over”, “Believe”,  “If You Can’t Say No”,  “I Belong to You” – one or more of his song will likely pop up on my iPod on any given day.

Fast forward to 2011 and my enthusiasm for Lenny has unfortunately lost some of its steam. While I dug a couple of tracks from his 2004 Baptism album – I can barely recall a song title from 2008′s It Is Time for a Love Revolution. And now with his latest, Black and White America, set to drop August 22, I have to wonder if my love affair with the sexy rocker has officially come to an end. I was highly underwhelmed with the first single, “Stand” , so when I came across his latest “Sunflower” featuring Drake of all people, I can honestly say that I was    not at all. Curious? Maybe. Confused? Definitely.

Well, I don’t hate it…  it’s much better and far less contrived than Stand … but I don’t like or love it either (yet?). #Sigh… What do y’all think? Hot or not?

Drake – Dreams Money Can Buy

Back before rappers rapping over hipster beats were popular, Drake was doing it better than anyone else. The Canadian MC always feels like he’s in his lame when he spits, where as other rappers just look corny and trying to hard to be cool. His execution with Lykke Li on his flip of “Little Bit,” is almost considered a gold standard. So it’s no surprised Drizzy is jumping back on the indie train for his latest track, “Dreams Money Can Buy.”

Lyrically, Drake is a beast. Forget what you heard, Drizzy’s rhyme style and cadence are still tops in the game, and pretty much has been copied by every new rapper since. I look at you Childish Gambino. But with this track we realize that a year or so away from the mic (in the studio) has not made the MC rusty. In fact, Drake’s lyrics have gotten more agressive and potent. Yes, he rhymes about the same old things (dosen’t every rapper?), but at least he keeps his lyrics fresh, and with his beat choices, always throws the crowd a curveball.

Having that said, Noah “40″ Shebib (apart of Drake’s go-to production crew) tries to mix in UK blog sensation Jai Pauls’s BTSTU, but it sounds slightly disjointed. I love the juxtaposition of Jai’s emo low murky vocals, the less swagged “Don’t Fuck With Me” chorus versus the swagged out vocals, but the pairing seems a bit forced. It’s not 40s best work, and Drake admits it’s a throwaway track (and nowhere as strong as his previous effots), but it gives us a peak in the general direction of his next project Take Care, which is slated to drop this year.

4 out of 5

I think I’m the only writer/blogger/etc that was excited for a Drake R&B project. Let’s face it, the dude has hooks and melodies for days, and since he has no street cred as a hip-hop artist, the move to R&B was a natural one for sure.

But the industry has other plans unfortunately, and two of Drake’s songs on the project have been handed off to other singers. The hit single “Fall For Your Type” is dope, but you can almost tell that Jamie Foxx is uncomfortable singing a song so emo in nature. And now, the brillant (but also emo) I Get Lonely Too gets handed off to Jeremih (Jeremy? Jeremiah?) with sub-par results.

It’s not that Jeremih does a bad job on this track. It’s just that Drake has found a lane in his production style, thanks to Toronto-based cohorts Boi-1da and Noah “40? Shebib. When that sound is handed off to someone it lacks the trademark Drake style, and so far no artsist has been able to recreate that.

Don’t be mad for Drake though. He get’s writing credits for both projects, which is at times more valuable than just being a singer on a track. So even if we never hear this R&B project, Drizzy is singing all the way to the bank. Tracks via Hypetrak.

What do y’all think?

Original

Drake – I Get Lonely Too by Hypetrak

Jeremih version

Jeremih featuring Drake – I Get Lonely Too by Hypetrak

Recent history might suggest otherwise, but Drake is not the only Canadian rapper to have existed. In fact, we have tons of them: some good, some bad, many forgettable. Since the early ‘80s, Canada has produced a few dozen hip hop artists who’ve reached moderate levels of success across the Great White North. But few of them have made it out of Canada, and even fewer have sustained a fan base overseas. Drizzy is, of course, the notable exception.

To be sure, I’m wary of measuring success based on album sales and the frequency with which the song blares out of random cars; we can probably agree that most of the best music out there isn’t what you’d typically describe as commercially successful. But by the standards of popular music, Canada has failed to produce many commercially viable hip hop acts. It has, though, been more successful in exporting artists in other genres. Here are a few possible explanations as to why Canadian hip hop has yet to blow up.

1. Authenticity

Since its beginnings, hip hop has been as much about authenticity as it’s been about skill. That is, we’ve wanted our rappers to be authentic as much as we’ve wanted them to be good. Canadian rappers, however, seem to have missed that memo. While there are certainly exceptions, much Canadian hip hop simply emulates East Coast/New York rap in a supremely…well, not-authentic way. And, sure, that may be because New York is the birthplace of hip hop and because the genre arrived in Canada in part through college radio stations in upstate New York. But some 30 years into its existence, there’s no justification for rappers who straight up copy New York rap.
There have been a handful few Canadian hip hop artists who’ve developed their own styles—for instance, Kardinal Offishall, K-OS and K’Naan—and they’ve been the most successful. While their music stays true to some of the sonic elements of hip hop, these artists also incorporate an authentically Torontonian sound and culture. And, most importantly, they don’t put on those irritating fake American accents that pretty much characterizes most Canadian hip hop.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. National Identity
It’s not as though Canadian hip hop artists are out there rhyming about beavers and maple syrup. But the country’s reputation for good manners and all-around softness makes it tough for people to take us seriously, especially in a genre that has tended to be on the gritty side. Canada is viewed as a joke; and Snow, our biggest hip hop export pre-Drake, certainly didn’t help us counter that assumption. Plus, the lack of authenticity in Canadian hip hop, as discussed above, has made it all the worse.

Hip-Hop artist Maisa One

3. Local community
As the likes of Oakland, Houston and the DMV have proven, it takes a local community to help elevate a city (or region) towards hip hop success. And while there are hip hop scenes across the country, Toronto is generally regarded as the home of hip hop in Canada. Yet, Toronto still lacks a clearly defined hip hop a community. Rather, it’s made up of individual rappers working on their own. And while there’s nothing wrong with competition, the absence of support for fellow artists in Toronto’s hip hop scene is certainly holding that city, and the entire country, back.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Investment and resources
Canada’s population is only 10 percent that of our brethren to the south. And so, much as is the case in Canadian film and television, we can’t afford to invest as much as Americans do. The inevitable result? Low-budget, low-quality media. It’s way cheaper to import media from the US than it is to invest properly in the production of high-quality Canadian goods. And that’s exactly hip hop’s case; with the Canadian market so heavily saturated with Americans, local audiences could care less about their own hometown heroes. I suspect, though, that Drake’s mega-stardom might have the world paying more attention to Canada.

Fingers crossed.

The rise of Drizzy Drake has been spectacular. Going from child star to mixtape rapper to having his image on a plane (all while doing it his way) needs to be documented. And even though his debut album, Thank Me Later, has been getting mixed reviews, he’s still dropping fire as demonstrated by this track Paris Morton Music named after the model. (via Herfection)

I know way too many people here right now
That I didn’t know last year, who the fuck are y’all?
I swear it feels like the last few nights
We been everywhere and back
But I just can’t remember it all
- Drake, “Over”

Drake’s the first superstar of the second decade of the 21st century. Of course, given that this decade is driven by a here yesterday, gone today, forgotten tomorrow mentality, the nature of his drive to being a superstar PRIOR to releasing his debut album is a story unto itself. A young man with the right look, pedigree and style for mainstream acceptance hasn’t existed in hip hop since Will Smith, except in 2010 it’s going to take a little bit more than mainstream acceptable cartoon rhymes and humor tracks to get over. Drake was not shot nine times. Nor has he gone to prison and been released holding a #1 rap album and a mainstream record deal. No, Drake also hasn’t sold drugs and laundered his success into a wildly successful imprint. Aubrey Graham sat in a wheelchair and was a passable teen actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation. His intellect and witticism as a budding lyricist apparently led him to Lil Wayne, who mentored, developed, and maybe even borrowed the notepad on occasion of the young Canadian from the T Dot. However, a lauded mixtape turned EP turned legendary debut single “Best I Ever Had,” and turn as the most visible rising public face of Young Money Entertainment later, and we’re here. The young man that blends the best elements of Smith, LL Cool J and yes, Kanye West and Lil Wayne has become the LeBron James of hip hop without even playing a full season in the big leagues. Debut album Thank Me Later is a reflection on Drake’s cognizance of his bizarre rise, and his ambition to enjoy success and preserve it, even in the face of immense hate given his unique career to date.

This is by no stretch a great album. It is a debut, fraught with the issues of which many debuts are waylaid. At 61 minutes, given much of the subject matter, the album may run a bit long, and may at times appear tedious. Also, the release has eight guest appearances that in literally every case expose the emcee as not remotely close on a lyrical level to likely any of the top ten emcees in the game. Tracks like “Miss Me” featuring Drizzy’s lyrical hero Lil Wayne and “Unforgettable” featuring trap superstar Young Jeezy are noticeably better when in the hands of veterans, while Jay-Z on “Miss Me” does a tremendous job in appearing to be a wizened grandfather of the game and delivers a solid, yet effortless sixteen bars, cosigning without overshadowing.

Drake is a success and at best when flossin’. There’s no better way to put it, no different way to state it. Drake shines as an emcee when he’s himself, a very young man of very considerable means, as B.I.G. says famously in “Big Poppa,” “money, hoes and clothes” is all this brother seems to know right now. Given that he was raised in a broken home, having material gain as the second half of a foundation equation for his life is a popular life circumstance for many rappers these days, but none has ever taken the time to describe it as Drake does here. Album opener “Fireworks” handles this eloquently in the metaphorical, possibly the best discussion of young wealth and fame, a song that the Waka Flockas of the world should consider in the face of the frivolousness of Fozzy Bear chains, an endless supply of open nightclubs and loose women.

Drake has decided to adopt and strive to be adept at the principles of hip hop storytelling espoused by the likes of Nas and Andre 3000. He’s only adept at telling one story right now, but he tells that story with a precision and depth that it warrants both mention and praise. Producers 40 and Boi-1da, the Canadian tandem responsible for “Best I Ever Had” and much of the wildly successful So Far Gone mixtape/EP shine here, brighter than veterans Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Kanye West, who in attempting to match the intensely thoughtful tableau, fall short of the standard set by those who know Drake best. While rookies like Nicki Minaj are less than skilled at Drake’s level of reflection, tracks like “Resistance,” “Shut It Down,” “Up All Night” and “Fancy” are great showpieces for what will make Drake a name of importance in the industry.

In final, this album is merely the beginning for Drake. It is not perfect, but it shows the foundation for perfection. If Drake remains intensely thoughtful and develops his skill to craft metaphorical anthems with catchy adlibs, he’ll truly be the definition of “Successful” that he so desperately wants to be. At the end of the album he wants us to “Thank Me Now.” That’s quite the audacious statement firmly couched in the naivete of youth. Drake is a top contender, but yet to be the champion. Soon, he will be. “Thank Me Later?” Sounds about right.

Drake lends more than background vocals to this remix of Alicia Keys’  R&B banger “Unthinkable”. Although I’m still on the fence with Drake, I  find his paring with Alicia to be very compatible. I would definitely be interested in hearing more of the two together. Peep out the song below.

To be honest, I don’t want to be in Drake’s shoes right now. After essentially killing the game with his mixtape– spawning 2 hit singles in addition to his contributions to Young Money–there are huge expectations for his album release. Even though we’re convinced that he should not release an album, Thank Me Later is still set to drop this summer. So far, the lukewarm response to his hit “Over,” and the Kanye-produced track “Find Your Love” has Drizzy in a corner, but as long time supporters of the dude, I hope he defies expectations.

Filmed in Jamaica, the video for Find Your Love is a step in the right direction, and the Anthony Mandler-directed piece might rank as Drake’s second best video so far. (Nothing tops the song or the video for Successful IMO)

Speaking of his mixtape, I had to dig this Drake x Lykke Li cut from 2008:

Birdman – Money To Blow (DJ Dials Joy Orbison Hyph Mingo edit)

Hat tip to my homie Lennis Tomb from TGRI for this one.

One of the things I love about the EDM community is that they tend to do rather amazing remixes of top 40 hip-hop albums. While the current notion of “remix” in the hip-hop community tends to focus on a couple “of the moment” rappers” phoning in a verse or two, EDM artists have completely re-worked songs, hearkening back to the days when a hip-hop b-side would have a couple of house remixes on them.

Take DJ Dial’s vocal edit of Birdman’s “Money To Blow”. Dials makes some subtle edits to Joy Orbison’s excellent Hyph Mingo, removing the broken beat and adding a more hip-hop 4/4 backbone and understated horns. The Bay Area DJ completely reworks the track, by changing relatively little.

If you don’t know, Joy Orbison is the look. The dude, who went from working the mailroom to becoming a UK dubstep sensation, and his track has already been voted as one of the top 100 tracks of the 2000s by Resident Advisor. I posted the original track below as well as the original non vocal edit.

Hyph Mngo (dj dials remix) by dj_dials

Joy Orbison – Hyph Mingo

I’m still not liking this single as good as “Successful,” or “Best I Ever Had,” but it’s growing on me. What do y’all think?