Posts tagged Lupe Fiasco
CT State of Mind
"Life is parallel to hell but I must maintain"
What’s Beef?
So much for getting along again. Over the past week or so, we have had a subtle diss and response between Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. Subliminal disses are the shadow game within “the game”.
On H.A.M. Jay-Z raps: “I’m like really half a billion n***a, really you got baby money”
Jay-Z (king of subliminals) is calling out Lil Wayne and Birdman aka baby for even suggesting they make more money than he does.
On the remix to Nicki Minaj’s Roman’s Revenge, Lil Wayne responds: “Haha! Old-ass rappers! I’m still the shit! Old ass pampers”
Lil Wayne is not the first to call Jay-Z old. But Jay-Z is probably the oldest popular mainstream rapper right now.
I personally love when rappers go at each other.
Bonus points for whoever can name the rapper(s) being called out in Lupe’s SLR: “Being dope is more than a pause and a chuckle”
Hint: You don’t have to look far.
Most Anticipated Albums of 2011
Since I’m still in the mood of end of year / beginning of year things, I figured I would make a list of what I think have the potential to be some of the coolest albums this year.
End of Year Awards!
I figured it would be fun to do an end of year awards list with things I find cool/important. To be considered it had to come out in 2010, not be popular in 2010. And when it comes to music, I only considered hip-hop. I listen to other stuff, but hip-hop is the focus of this blog. So hit the jump and enjoy!
Best Sneaker of the Year? LeBron 8 South Beach
http://www.kicksonfire.com/2010/11/11/nike-lebron-8-“south-beach”-footaction-on-1119/
Just check the link to eBay on that page and check the prices and tell me they aren’t in demand. They are exclusive and have a cool Miami Vice inspired colorway not often seen on a sneaker.
Honorable Mentions: Copper Foamposites, Dunk High “Dr. Huxtables”
Movie of the Year? Inception
Awesome mindfuck, plain and simple.
Honorable Mentions: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, and I really didn’t see many movies this year…
Biggest Sports Surprise of the Year? Mike Vick being dominant
I don’t think anyone could have predicted he would be this good. Tom Brady is still better though haha.
Honorable Mentions: Lebron James’ “The Decision”, Cliff Lee returning to the Phillies, The Cowboys & Vikings sucking so much
Hottest “New” Rapper of the Year? Wiz Khalifa
Yes, I know he has been around. Yes, I know he isn’t the most skilled out there. But you can’t deny the buzz he has built and the attention he has gotten, especially after mixtapes and “Black & Yellow”.
Honorable Mentions: J. Cole, Waka Flocka Flame, Kendrick Lamar, Diggy
Douchebag of the Year? Julian Assange aka the Wikileaks dude.
The guy has singlehandedly changed world diplomatic relations. He releases things in snippets, yet cries about the people needing to know stuff. If people need to know so bad, he should release everything. He is an attention whore who doesn’t realize the consequences of his actions.
Honorable Mentions: Kanye West, John Boehner, Rex Ryan
Best Beat of the Year? “Power” co-produced by S1 & Kanye West
Has there ever been a better backdrop for a comeback song? Yes, Kanye made it his own with the lyrics but the beat is what gives him energy. The first time I heard this song it gave me chills.
Honorable Mentions (Producer in parentheses) : Over, (Boi-1da), Right Above It (Kane Beatz), No Love (Just Blaze), B.M.F. (Lex Luger), Kush (Dr. Dre)
Personal Favorite “Punchline” of the year? “Smoking on that headband, call that shit Paul Pierce”
Headband is a potent strain of weed. Weed is green. Paul Pierce wears green headbands as a member of the Celtics basketball team. I think it’s clever, and I’m not a huge Lil Wayne fan.
Honorable Mentions: “Suck my dick on the couch if you want cushion to blow” Eminem
“Call me R. Kelly now you’re/urine trouble” Eminem (same song as previous line haha)
“Even if I was homeless I would have an awesome house, cause the world is mine” Lupe Fiasco
“I told her beauty is why God invented eyeballs and a booty is why God invented my balls” Kanye West
“My shit bananas like a monkey #2” Fabolous
“I came to cockblock like a square fucking male chicken” Eminem
“Catchiest” Song of the Year? “Ice Cream Paint Job” by Dorrough
I have never seen so much done with so little haha
Honorable Mentions: “Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco, “B.M.F.” by Rick Ross, “Black & Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa, “Rap Game” by Young Jeezy, “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne, “Daddy Fat Sax” by Big Boi
Best “Freestyle” Over a Popular Beat? ”Despicable Freestyle” by Eminem
There is absolutely no one close on this one except for maybe Kendrick Lamar’s “Monster” freestyle. In one verse Eminem spits over Drake’s “Over” and then it transitions into Lloyd Banks’ “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley”. Over the course of this freestyle (done in promotion for a then upcoming Recovery album) he absolutely ravages the track lyrics wise, flow wise, charisma wise, etc. It’s Eminem at his best, which is saying a lot.
Honorable Mentions: ”Monster” by Kendrick Lamar, ”Mike Tomlin” by Wale, “No Love” by Busta Rhymes, “Steve Jobs” by Fabolous
Best Guest Verse of the Year? Nick Minaj’s “Monster” verse
She brings much needed charisma coupled with lyrics to an already lyrically beastly song. She makes the song her bitch in the process with crazy voices, uncommon flows, and befitting lyrics. This song gave her the credibility she was lacking after all her other guest appearance hits. She made the song an event.
Honorable Mentions: Jay-Z’s “So Appalled” verse, J. Cole’s “Looking for Trouble” verse, Fabolous’ “Start It Up” verse, Kanye West’s “Start It Up” verse, Snoop Dogg’s “Kush” verse
Best Verse on an individual song? “SLR” second verse by Lupe Fiasco
Lupe with this verse alone annihilated all critics to his style. This verse reminded people that when he is done he might be one of the top 5 best rappers alive. I got chills and did an instant rewind the first time I heard:
“2 man Big Pun, a 1 man Slaughterhouse
A 2 album Jay-Z, a 1 n***a Wu-Tang
Young and hungry Mos Def, a conscious rappin Lil Wayne
I dont care for similarities
Cause Im a pioneer, not a parody
These ain’t bars, this is barbarity”
Honorable Mentions: “The Announcement” by Jay Electronica, “Cold Wind Blows” second verse by Eminem, Despicable Freestyle by Eminem, “Gorgeous” first verse by Kanye West, 6’7’ first verse by Lil Wayne
Best Song of the Year? All of the Lights by Kanye West
Sporting 11 guests, this soon to be smash hit is simply amazing. If you don’t know the song, I suggest you listen to it. It is the type of song that turns music into an event.
Honorable Mentions: “Kush” by Dr. Dre, “No Love” by Eminem, “Monster” by Kanye West, “Start It Up” by Lloyd Banks, “Shutterbugg” by Big Boi, “Over” by Drake
Album of the Year? My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
It really is as good as everyone says it is. Combining the styles of all his previous efforts, Kanye shows an evolutionary path stemming from boom-bap and has stepped up his lyrics immensely. Well chosen guests, a flair for experimentation, and a total cohesiveness to the album gives this album the top spot over other stand outs.
Honorable Mentions: Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty by Big Boi, Thank Me Later by Drake, How I Got Over by The Roots, Pilot Talk by Curren$y, Marcberg by Roc Marciano
Rap 101: Flows
One of the coolest parts about rap is the rhythm associated with how the rap is done. This is also known as flow. They can be slow, or double time and still be inventive. Some flows are just because the person raps in a peculiar way, most of the sickest flows are written into the rap however. What do I mean by written into it? The rhyme scheme of course!
Take for example the song I uploaded, a mixtape track by Lupe Fiasco. Lyrically he really isn’t saying much, he is just paying homage to Chicago rappers he grew up on. The flow, however, is stupiddddd (in a good way). Upon first listen you might just think it’s because he raps fast. If so, how come all raps don’t sound smooth when rapped faster? This flow focuses on assonant rhymes with an end couplet that also contains the assonant rhyme. I will bold all the assonant rhymes (the sound of “O”) and italicize the end couplets (sound of “N”). Here:
From the M-A…D-I to the S to the O-N
Po’in, to getcha open
Move like a nigga’s supposed to get the dough
It’ll go with the flow that I’m holdin’
Joe’n’em, they ownin’ up - up on enough
Stay in the zone, that I go in
That I go in, when I go in and go in
Of the po’ins, and the rope man
Crucial conflict was smokin’
But a nigga like me, I don’t be chokin’
So I proceed at low speed, low key
Like a OG in a ‘03 Loc-in’
Rollin’, like a OZ in a B-league
Both pins, like a bowlin’ ball when I ball
But I never fall for the oki-dokin’
White walls, with the slow-speed motion
Stash-box for the police pokin’
Rolie showin, shorty showin, Hokey Pokin’
Turnin it around with me to bust em down cuz they know he golden
(Then he goes into a different flow for the rest of the song)
There are also internal rhymes that don’t fall into the rhyme scheme I was highlighting, but these also add to the rapidity at which the flow operates.
Catch up post…
http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/04/03/b-o-b-the-adventures-of-bobby-ray-official-tracklist/
Tracklist for B.o.B.’s upcoming album…#3 looks awesome
This sounds like all sorts of awesome
http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/04/02/just-blaze-talks-relapse-2-video/
Interesting
http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/04/02/nas-talks-beat-selection-video/
Glad someone has the balls to ask him…
New Lupe…
http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/02/10/lupe-fiasco-what-u-want/
Supposedly off Lasers.
Update: Supposedly it isn’t finished
holy shit holy shit holy shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2010/01/26/jay-electronica-x-lupe-fiacso/
If you have read this site, you have probably realized I am a HUGE Lupe stan. That being said, this news is incredibly awesome. I mean, it might amount to nothing…but the chance of Lupe working with Jay Electronica and reuniting Child Rebel Soldier all in the same year? Might need to change my pants…
5 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010
1. Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
Lupe has always been an amazing lyricist, but he has gotten better and better at crafting full songs. This leak off of Lasers, I’m Beamin’, is a sign of good things to come. The positive messages of Lupe coupled with his awesome technical abilities sets him up to do great things this year.
2. Damian Marley & Nas - Distant Relatives
I have Road to Zion. It’s a great song. Just because they made one great song, however, doesn’t mean that a full album would be good. I can say though that from the two leaked songs I have that this album will be very special if the rest of the album is as good.
3. J. Cole - TBA
J. Cole has been generating quite the buzz lately. He had, in my opinion, the best mixtape of the year, a guest verse on a Jay-Z song, and awesome guest verses all around. I haven’t heard a bad verse yet, and I am very excited to see what this guy can cook up.
4. Drake - Thank Me Later
After So Far Gone and the buzz it generated, the bar is set exceptionally high. This is supposed to be the album that all the blogs and all of my friends will like. We will see.
5. Eminem - Relapse 2
I didn’t love the first installment, but one thing got me excited for Relapse 2: Eminem is working with Just Blaze on several songs. Just Blaze is one of my if not my favorite producer, so I am excited to see what they can cook up.
Catching up
So I haven’t posted regularly lately because I am still getting used to my new schedule for the semester. Once this week is past and I have handed in my application to go abroad next year, I will be able to get this blog running more or less. Until then, unless it’s some major music news I will not be posting.
http://www.musicforrelief.org/
Song by Lupe Fiasco on there. I haven’t had a chance to listen, but I encourage people to donate given the circumstances.
Dope artwork
