This Young Old Soul

"Everybody knows that I'm alotta peoples threat / Biggie Smalls in the flesh / Livin' life after my death"
~Rick Ross, Tears of Joy



So recently professional swagger jacker Rick Ross is claiming to be the Notorious B.I.G.  We can now add Christopher Wallace's name to the list of Big Meech, Larry Hoover, Freeway Ricky Ross, and the unknown number of other identities Ross claims to embody.  A number of people are appalled at the thought that Rick Ross would openly compare himself to the King of New York.  They believe that Ross couldn't walk a mile in Biggie's cream wallabies.  They are absolutely right.  However I also believe that Ross serves as the Biggie Smalls of a snap rap generation.  Allow me to explain...

Rick Ross reflects all the superficial aspects of Biggie and absolutely none of the substance.  From body type to skin tone.  The bass heavy voice.  The cars, clothes, money and women.  The playboy lifestyle.  The not-so-far-behind drugs and guns lifestyle.  The I'm-fat-but-who-cares-because-I'm-still-richer-than-you swagger.  All of that is reminiscent of BIG.  But BIG cared about substance as well.  BIG cared about creativity and delivery.  Not only did he care about the tales from the hood, he cared about how those tales were told.

The thing is, today's rap audience doesn't care how the story is told.  Hell, they likely don't care that there's a story at all.  Whereas in the past, substance was the ingredient that made rap an "artform" and elevated it from being just "noice," it now just gets in the way.  Often the dumber, simpler, or sillier the song, the more likely its popularity quickly increases.  Today's crowd prefers their music like they prefer their world; simple, superficial and easy to digest.  Nothing fancy, nothing deep.  Gimme a heavy beat, an infectious hook, and a lot of simple words about simple things delivered in a simple manner.  Enter The Notorious R.I.C.  He gives you all this.  Everything that made Biggie a cool guy.  Nothing that made him an awesome MC.

Rick Ross will never have the effect on hip-hop as a genre that Biggie did.  But the genre's in another phase now and the things that were important then aren't as important now.  Your image isn't just everything - often times, its the only thing.  You don't even have to be who you claim to be (i.e. Officer Ricky), you can just be somebody you think others might like.  Your image can overshadow your talent to a point that your talent becomes negligible.  Your image can skew the perception of your talent in a way that makes people think you are more talented than you really are.  As a matter of fact, the sheer concept of "talent" has been watered down to a point that it is less a fundamental ingredient and more like the icing on the cake.  Nowadays "talent" is reserved for neo-soul singers, "backpack" rappers and other marginalized sub-genres that get little if any run at all on the BETs of the world.  Completely superficial artist who lack depth are not only accepted but seemingly encouraged.

On the surface, The Notorious B.I.G. was known as a charming, charismatic, larger than life personality.  Rick Ross and, more importantly, the executives for whom he makes money, are trying to embrace this image, hoping it will do for them what it did for Biggie, Puff and Bad Boy.  So far, so good.  Rick Ross doesn't have the depth that Chris Wallace had, but today's rap audience has thrown depth by the wayside.  So when Ross says he's "Biggie Smalls in the flesh," I look at what's valued in rap today and understand why alot of people believe him.

Alabama’s own Antoine Dodson has become quite the overnight celebrity. His “performance” on Huntsville’s WAFF News has swept the internet by storm. Although the situation prompting his appearance is no laughing matter, individuals have been able to mold it into comic gold. The long and short of things is this:

A man broke into a Huntville, Alabama apartment and tried to sexually assault a female resident as she lay sleep inside with her small child. A struggle ensued, alerting the victim’s brother, Dodson, who was downstairs. As the brother joined the fight against the assailant, the would-be rapist escaped from the apartment into the night. The following day, the news media shows up to report on the incident and the result… Well, just look at the actual news report below:



Dodson’s impassioned interview, hallmarked by the now infamous “…hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband, ‘cause they rapin’ everybody out here,” has prompted others to create songs and “remixes” using the soundbite. Arguably the most popular of the Dodson remixes can be found below:




Now, a number of obvious questions could be raised by the treatment of this news story. How appropriate is it to make light of the serious crime of sexual assault? Does the news media intentionally portray Blacks in a not so flattering light? Should Blacks be more concerned with/aware of how we carry ourselves in the media? These are all questions that I’ve heard asked since this story broke. As a matter of fact, in a follow-up piece - the video of which I haven’t posted here - the original reporter addresses complaints received by the station for airing the piece. She attests that Dodson is a victim and that victims have a right to tell their stories. She is absolutely correct. But there is one question that hasn’t been asked and I feel is just as important as the others: Should the news have aired a person openly communicating a threat?

The clear answer is no. Absolutely not. He tells the guy for the world to hear that he doesn’t have to confess because they’re looking for him. “We gon’ find you!” This Jerry Springer style of “journalism” only helps to perpetuate the violence being reported. It’s as if the news is attempting to become self-sustaining, using one violent news story to prompt the next. As an individual instance this may not create a major issue but if widely used enough (which I have no doubt it is), it could be a greater issue than one thinks. This is seemingly a standard tool for WAFF as is apparent in the aforementioned follow-up story. Dodson, while addressing his new found “celebrity” tells the reporter when asked about the perpetrator: “I’ma beat his ass…then call the police and tell them I’m beatin’ his ass.” Really, WAFF? Really? Sadly, I doubt that this small market station is the only one employing this technique. Victims have a right to tell their stories. But “credible” news outlets have the duty to think beyond sensationalism.

This is a mixtape that I just happened to stumble upon.  I didn't notice a great deal of hype surrounding it - twitter wasn't all a buzz, homeboys weren't saying its the next hot thing.  I just heard mention of it on a couple of sites and decided to give it shot.  And it turned out to be a damn good decision.  I really think alot of Wale's debut album Attention Deficit.  The lead single "Pretty Girls" gets the club rockin' and "World Tour" might be my favorite song on the album, featuring the lovely voice of Ms. Jazmine Sullivan.  Sidenote: We need another album from her.  Right now.  But I digress...  As I hold Attention Deficit in high regard, so do I hold Wale's latest mixtape.  This joint is better than most studio albums I hear today.  A friend of mine, DJ Emuneee (check him out at http://www.emuneee.com/) tweeted today that he would actually buy the mixtape if it weren't free and I agree with him 100%.

The entire album is themed around the sitcom Seinfeld, the "show about nothing," hence the title.  Unbeknownst to me, this is the follow-up to Wale's first Seinfeld-themed mixtape, 2008's The Mixtape About Nothing.  Wale inserts excerpts from the show that seem to fit seemlessly.  Many of the songs appear to have been written with these Seinfeld moments in mind.  He even goes so far as to start the title of each song with "The" just like all Seinfeld episodes.  The beats are dope - the DC go-go influence keeps heads bobbing.  The subject matter ranges from relationships, "The Break-up Song," to hood reppin', "The Posse Cut," to the struggles of becoming successful, "The Number Won."  More About Nothing hits all the ABCs that make for good music- Attitude (Delivery), Beat Selection, and Content.  Check it out and download for free at http://www.datpiff.com/ .

Cameos: Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash, and a quick drop by DC native Kevin Durant.
Highlights: 3 nice samples: Stevie Wonder's "All I Do," Debarge's "All This Love" and SWV's "Downtown."  There's also "The Eyes of the Tiger," where Wale tackles the serious side of the Tiger Woods scandal, rapping as Tiger himself- very cool track.
Personal Favorite: "The Break Up Song"

Here's "The Break Up Song" for your listening pleasure...

So I haven't blogged in over 2 months and quite honestly, I missed it.  It's been a crazy, lazy summer - a summer that is FAR from over - and I haven't had the time nor motivation to blog it up like I'd like.  To get back into the swing of things I want to share a couple of YouTube videos that have had me laughing lately.  Sticking to my musical roots, both of these selections are music videos, though I use the term loosely.  One took a great deal of foresight and diligent work to assemble.  The other could have been done by me, 2 friends and a Flip cam.  One is a striking indication of the state of our culture today.  The other is "It's So Cold in the D."  Enjoy friends...








So I just went back and watched "It's So Cold in the D" again for like the 50th time.  This thing needs its own post... So many things wrong... Oh so many...

Now they got my trafficking, racketeering, audio crack/ they call me Dopeman, Dopeman/ I try to tell ‘em I’m where hope floats man, ghetto spokesman.
~Jay-Z, Dopeman

I’m riding in the car with one of my co-workers yesterday and a report comes on the radio about the phenomenon that is “digital drugs.” For those like I who are totally unfamiliar, there are internet sites selling audio files (called “doses”) that alleged cause the listener to experience the effects of drugs and alcohol. And we’re not just talking weed – these sites claim to give listeners LSD-, cocaine-, even heroin-like effects. The science behind these digital drugs (“idozers” is their street name) is the concept of binaural beats. This excerpt from an article by Kim Komando sums it up well:

“It is incorrect to call binaural beats music. They're really ambient sounds designed to affect your brain waves. For binaural beats to work, you must use headphones. Different sounds are played in each ear. The sounds combine in your brain to create a new frequency. This frequency corresponds to brain wave frequencies. There are different brain wave frequencies. These frequencies are related to different states like relaxation and alertness. Digital drugs supposedly synchronize your brain waves with the sound. Hence, they allegedly alter your mental state.”

From what I’ve read there are YouTube videos showing people experimenting with these digital drugs – and they appear to be GONE. My boss said there was even a story about it on the news last night and they showed some teens idozing. “They looked…stoned,” my boss said in a rather startled tone. A gentleman called the radio station to tell of a friend of his who used binaural beats to combat chronic migraines. He says the beats have an effect – maybe not to the degree that many sites claim, but an effect nonetheless. The media is saying that, although these sounds appear to be harmless (and possibly ineffective), digital crystal meth may peak kids’ curiosity in real, mess-ya-world-up, have-you-stealing-from-ya-mama, crystal meth and they are therefore dangerous. The radio report yesterday (on an uber-conservative radio station) questioned what else could be banned if we start to ban sounds. Digital drugs have created some very interesting banter. My question is, when will we start to hear this used in rap to serve up “real-life” audio crack?

With discussion of the distribution of narcotics so integral in rap culture, analogies and metaphors often involve rappers (many of whom claim to sell/have sold real drugs) as lyrical drug dealers – their lyrics the crack cocaine and their fans the junkies, clamoring for another fix. Wouldn’t it be fitting – and possibly very profitable – to claim listeners can actually get high off your music. Producers would constantly be jockeying for the title of “DJ with the ‘Purest’ Dope.” Regions would develop their own brands of digital contraband; “That Down South aint got nothin’ on that MidWest,” or “That West Coast have you throwed, mane.”

Even though these sounds play more like pulsing beats, it is said that other sounds can be laid over them to make them more appealing. Layering sounds is the cornerstone of production making these binaural beats a perfect fit. Society would see a lot of the same issues they saw in the 60’s with the alleged subliminal messages in rock-n-roll albums – the whole play-Black-Sabbath-backwards-and-you-can-hear-a-prayer-to-Satan thing. I’m interested to see where this thing will go. Many feel like it will fade quickly but maybe, the right people haven’t gotten hold of the idea. If I see the potential, I’m sure the Swizzs, Dres, and Khaleds of the world may too. I'm extremely leery of the potency of these digital drugs, but the placebo effect could have kids believing they're trippin' just because they want to believe it - and that's all these record labels really need to make major bank off of this.  Additionally, will the government intervene if this catches on? If so, how? The new-millennium war on drugs will not be televised – it will be available at the iTunes store.

*I’d like to dedicate this blog post to The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die which is banging in my speakers right now. No real purpose for that shoutout but…whatever.

Magic = Lakers. Bird = Celtics. Jordan = Bulls. Although it is far from a requirement, many if not most of the greats are associated (if not synonymous) with a particular team. Kids (and many adults) continue to wear their jerseys long after they shoot their last free throw and in many of these arenas, shrines of accolades and achievements are displayed as the city shows their undying love for their heroes. Today, in an era of free agency, where players may make several team stops throughout the course of their careers, this is not so much the case. However, it still occurs: Kobe = Lakers; Duncan = Spurs; Nowitzki = Mavericks (for now – the LeBron James sweepstakes opens July 8 and Mavs owner Mark Cuban has already openly (and illegally) shown interest). The fact is when a superstar leaves his imprint on a franchise, he and that franchise are forever associated with one another. Any would-be superstar who comes to said franchise with a comparable position/skill set will undoubtably be compared to former superstar and how things were in the good ol’ days. And there is no bigger superstar in basketball than one Michael Jordan. His team was, and to a great degree, IS the Chicago Bulls (there’s a statue of the man outside the arena). And that’s exactly why LeBron shouldn’t go to Chicago.

I know that LeBron isn’t the “next Jordan.” That’s Kobe’s cross to bear. The more accurate label/comparison is the “next Magic.” But LeBron is still considered to be basketball’s golden child. He is the immediate future of the game (Kobe entered the league in ’96 – he’s in his early thirties. LeBron is 25). He is globally known and, before it’s all said and done, wants to be a globally respected brand unto himself – a la MJ. And as much charisma and “star power” as James has, it all precipitates from his performance on the court. How he is viewed as a basketball player. Up to this point in his career, he doesn’t have much to show for it. A conference finals appearance here. A finals appearance there. Part of Jordan’s celebrity is that he was a tremendous talent and has 6 championship rings to show for it. LeBron will have to win, and win big, to take it to the next level. Winning is much harder when you are placed in (Jordan brand) shoes that are nearly impossible to fill.

The comparisons will begin immediately and will not stop. No, Chicago’s media is not quite as relentless and cold as say New York or Los Angeles, but they are easier top 8. If LeBron doesn’t win, and win immediately, he will be crushed in the media – and that could translate to pour performance on the court. James is accustom to criticism, but this will be criticism like he has never seen. LeBron IS the Michael Jordan of Cleveland, OH. They can be critical but only to a certain degree. He is the best thing to ever happen to their franchise. In Chicago, they are used to winning and, just a decade or so ago, witnessed the best thing to happen to the game of basketball. It’s way bigger than LeBron.

I know that Chicago “has the pieces in place,” and that winning should come rather easy, although I’m not sure what Chicago would have to give up to afford him. But, Chicago is Jordan’s team. Its easy for a very good player to succeed there – no one is expecting Derrick Rose to be the next MJ. But, for a great player, for a player who is predicted to go down as one of the best to play the game, LeBron will be expected to BE Jordan. And I’m not sure that’s fair, even for someone of his obvious talent. I don’t think he should remain a Cavalier – they haven’t proven to do enough to give him the complementary pieces needed to win in the pros – but I think he should avoid the Bulls, Clippers (LA is Kobe’s town) or any other team/market that he may have trouble making his own. If LeBron wants to take his *celebrilete status to the next level and stay out of the shadow of Jordan, I suggest he not make his attempt in a Bull’s jersey.

*Celebrilete
- noun
1. What an athelete becomes when he/she reaches celebrity level popularity. See Alex Rodriguez, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, etc.
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