Just K...

Signing Off
written by Just K

The first hip-hop single I ever bought was Elevators by Outkast.

“True I got more fans than the average man but not enough loot to last me
to the end of the week, I live by the beat like you live check to check
If you don't move yo' feet then I don't eat, so we like neck to neck”

I was hooked. I loved hip-hop. What I loved so much about hip-hop - what made me write about this art form, this culture week after week was the ability to hop into another person’s psyche, for better or worse. And sometimes you realize that your situations and thoughts weren’t so far from you favorite rapper’s. To hear Dre and Big Boi rap about progress, but not achieving financial success was deep to me. It was the first time I realized that fame and cash don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. Coincidentally, this song dropped around the same time Hammer filed for bankruptcy.

I live for the stories. I live for the perspectives. C.R.E.A.M. resonated with every possible demographic, more so the demographic that didn’t have any, which was my family at the time. Now, I listen to Little Brother and feel like half the time they’re rapping the soundtrack to my life.

Listening to Pac was like listening to that dude who constantly had that internal struggle to do better, but kept falling back to his old ways. You could hear the intelligence. You could hear the brilliance. You could hear the rebellious nature and the rage inside of him. He reminded me of so many classmates. The ones that could answer a question that no one else in the class could, but he felt so targeted by the teachers that he refused to participate.

And Biggie’s stories were so vivid you would swear you were on the corner with him.

Even braggadocio battle raps put me into the mindset of someone who felt that they were absolutely unbeatable.

“I grab mics and push n****s to the left, so fast their hearts end up on the right side of their chests”

~ Canibus

Unreal.

Then the voices. The hunger in Freeway’s voice on What We Do, the recklessness you could hear from DMX in Stop Being Greedy, or the pain and hatred you could hear from Jay and Beans on Where Have You Been. How about the raw, unguided energy a young Busta Rhymes gave you? The voice of a weary storyteller that’s seen too much is delivered consistently by Scarface. The emotion in a voice just pulls me in.

The beats alone could never do it, but damn does it set the backdrop for magic. Do I still go bonkers for All About the Benjamins? Hell yeah! Remember the first time you heard that beat on Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See? Damn. Electric Relaxation and Bonita Applebum makes me want to get a massage while watching a romantic comedy. I swear I thought about stomping a dude out when Lil’ Jon came on one time, but I was rocking some fresh whites – no blood on the snow whites, son. I dare you to tell me you don’t get hyped when Just Blaze brings that heat with U Don’t Know. I double dare you to tell me a part of you doesn’t feel more aggressive when Thug Luv comes on.

The feelings, man. The feelings I hear in the music, the feelings I get from the music. It’s the feeling. The feelings I see hip-hop invoke. I rapped along to Triumph when I had nothing to cheer about. I spit the words to Victory after winning a track meet. Either way, somehow it felt like I won. Kids with nothing rapped about going from ashy to classy. Girls really think they’re the best when Drake raps. Folks had college flashbacks when Asher Roth dropped his single. I promise I wanted a boo thanks to Mary J. and Meth.

When it’s done right, hip-hop speaks to you. This was just my way of speaking back. Thanks for listening for a while. I guess I had a little something to say.

Thanks.

Hey you...

Congrats
written by Just K

You made it, kid. Congratulations. It’s crazy, ‘cause I can remember when your favorite joints used to come on TV. You’d memorize the rhymes in no time and spit them like you wrote them yourself. And when the videos you loved didn’t come on often enough, you’d call The Box (music television you control – damn that was a long time ago) and request them yourself. Man, your mama whooped your ass for running up that phone bill, but it was worth it to you.

Then you saved up your little money from your gig at Wendy’s and bought yourself a decent microphone. You hopped on Kazaa and downloaded one of those recording programs and you had yourself a lil’ mixtape by senior year. People were bumping it a little bit, too. That joint was horrible in retrospect. Ha ha ha. You had bars all day, but that monotone talking damn near put me to sleep. The potential was there, though, and you had the high school on lock. This hip-hop thing has always been your dream, huh?

You kept working at it, man. You kept recording. You kept putting out material. You picked up a young one along the way. You definitely did the good father thing, but it didn’t slow you down. The mixtapes started getting hotter. You started slaying beats better than the pros. I mean, I guess you considered yourself a pro even though you weren’t signed. In your opinion, you were just doing what you’re supposed to do. Got a little buzz on local radio, even got booked to open gigs when the big dogs came to town. It was a matter of time before the labels got word, dude.

And of course you got picked up. A seven-album deal, but what’s seven albums when you’ve loved this your whole life? You got your advance money, hooked moms up a little something. Got little man some fresh digs and blessed the baby moms with a little bit. Yeah, you upped your wardrobe and threw on a little jewelry, but nothing too frivolous or extravagant. You’ve got some sense after all. More importantly, you’re living in the studio, cranking out the music of a lifetime. You linked up with some local producers who make monster music and you’re making gems. Then you turn in the album to your label heads.

They ask you who produced on the beats. You kick them some names and they look around at each other, whisper a bit, and keep it moving. They don’t really react much to the tracks and you’re a bit confused. Then they get to track six, this joint you did with 8-bar verses and 12-bar hooks. One of your boys made the beat, a club joint that’s heavy on the bass, and a girl is singing about waiting for you to take her shopping or some bull$h!t. You just did the joint to put on for your peoples. Besides, every album needs one club track, right? Of course you weren’t really feeling it like that - but they are. That’s their joint. That’s the one. As far as they’re concerned, that’s the best song so far and you’re wondering if they’re listening to the same album you made.

So they listen to the rest of it and outline a plan. They like three tracks on it. You’ve got about four introspective joints. They let you keep one. The joint with you rapping in double-time flow, that’s crazy. They want that one. The keeper to them is the track with shorty singing on the hook. They consider that the demo version. They want to get a big name on the hook to add hype to it and they want the beat redone by a big name producer. Furthermore, they want you to try to duplicate that song a few times. Not necessarily the young’n on the hook, but that “happy, I want to dance” sort of vibe. WTF.

So what’s it going to be kid? They want you to make the music that you used to turn from when it came on the radio or TV. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with dancing, but a bunch of tracks of the same thing? And why they gotta scrap your people from the track? How are you supposed to tell your peoples that you knew since high school that they’re off a guaranteed hit song? Or maybe you won’t tell them. And maybe you’ll stand your ground and fight for your songs. You’re a damn artist, yo. You don’t make music. You make art. You put your heart and soul into this. You made the best damn music you possibly could. Who are these suits to tell you what will sell and what won’t? Then again, if you fight, there’s a good chance whatever album you make will never see the light of day. Not to mention that advance money’s running low. Damn. Plus you’re already known locally and your songs have been on youtube, allhiphop, and you’ve been mentioned as an up and coming artist on pastthemargin. You’re an MC now, bruh. A nine to five just isn’t in the cards. Not with people being able to recognize you wherever you work. I mean, yeah, it’s art, but this is your livelihood. This is how you feed junior. This is how you live and they already told you what you have to do to live. Decisions, decisions. Hey, at least you made it though. Congratulations.

Q & A session...

K's Q's
written by Just K

Is Drake really that good or are we just that starved for new talent?

When did hip-hop stop being the voice of the people?

When did the people stop wanting hip-hop to be their voice?

Is Drake really that good or are we just that starved for new talent?

Girls LOVE that Best I Ever had joint from Drake. Were they really supposed to love the video?

Is Wayne cooling off or making room for his protégé?

Will we ever get that Lupe – Common collabo?

Will Joe Budden’s personality be the demise of Slaughterhouse?

Will Budden eventually be the motivation for Wu-Tang to form Voltron once more?

Will this extra time to make an album be beneficial or detrimental to Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3?

Game vs. Jay? Really?

Will Jay stop acting like he’s above dudes and really go in somebody?

50 already took an L on September 11th to Kanye. Is he really going to move his album to compete with Blueprint 3 now?

Does anybody else feel awkward when a major artist is dropping on September 11th and interviewers say stuff like, “It’s the day we’ve been waiting for”?

By the way, what the hell happened to the folks on Roc-a-fella if Jay is signed to a new label and owns a new one himself?

I guess Saigon’s Greatest Story Never Told is really living up to the title, huh?

Remember when we used to joke as young’ns on anyone that had on tight jeans? So, like, has the joke switched to “Aha, yo jeans too loose”?

Will Scarface still do features?

Will Wale get the right push behind him before his CD drops?

What does July 31st really mean?

Not right now...

Time & Place
written by Just K

I’m bumping Drake in the whip. The “Unstoppable” joint was banging in the speakers. Santagold just finished doing her thing on the hook when Weezy came on for his verse.

“she say that I beat that p*$$y better than her gynecologist//

text me any time you want so mo d**k, mo d**k”

This was playing as I pulled into a middle school parking lot. Please believe the volume went way down when I was sliding into that parking spot. It just didn’t feel appropriate to have the volume on high with Wayne speaking that craziness. As much as I love hip-hop and that song, I had to acknowledge that a middle school parking lot wasn’t necessarily the best place to crank that profanity. I had the ability to turn Lil’ Wayne down. I just wish Lil’ Wayne had used that ability on himself during the BET Awards.

Typically I’m not a fan of the BET Awards. This year, however, considering the limited time that BET had to prepare, I think a decent tribute to Michael Jackson was put together. Furthermore, it’s commendable that BET did not fold to the pressure to add Chris Brown to the line-up given his recent guilty plea (I’m not really sure if Don Cornelius should’ve been there either, but that’s another story). Obviously the dark cloud hanging over Chris Breezy would’ve tainted the evening. Why couldn’t BET executives or Lil’ Wayne himself see that a performance of “Every Girl” had that same disastrous potential?

Souljah Boy performing was a bit out of place for the evening, but the song choice was innocent enough. Jay-Z has transcended hip-hop, making his stage show the equivalent of a pop performance. Drake’s brief solo performance started nearing the point of distasteful, but “other hoes ain’t never on it,” so it’s ok. Seriously though, with lyrics like “you can have my heart or we can share it like the last slice” and “sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on// that’s when you’re the prettiest I hope that you don’t take it wrong” things hadn’t gone completely wrong yet. Sadly, when Weezy and crew hit the stage singing “I wish I could f*** every girl in the world” followed by “I always stayed strapped,” a night dedicated to the King of Pop took a horribly wrong turn. Imploring fans to “put your hands up for Michael Jackson in this b!t(#” didn’t help matters at all. The onslaught of curse words, the objectionable song topics, the unkempt appearances of the Young Money crew, and the girls on stage who hadn’t yet hit puberty singing along to “Every Girl” had no place in a night meant to celebrate the life and music of MJ. They could’ve cut the act. They could’ve performed a different song. They could’ve created and performed a dedication song; 50 Cent recorded and put out 2 songs in a day dedicated to Mr. Moonwalker, and 50 still uses pen and pad. They could’ve done anything except what they actually did.

Would I play a techno song at a funeral? Probably not. Would I play a country song at Howard’s homecoming? Sure wouldn’t. Would I play a blues song on a Friday night at your favorite club? Hell naw. All music isn’t meant for every occasion. Maybe Michael Jackson’s is, but clearly “Every Girl” is not.

The Ski Mask Way...

Why Not Rob?
Written by Just K

If I go to the club and hear “Get Money” one more time while my pockets are on E, I might have to rob me a rapper.

I don’t actually advocate robbing, stick-ups, or violence at all (though I do have a friend who responds to “violence is not the answer” with “you’re just asking the wrong question”). But I also don’t encourage flaunting your revenue and bragging on your material possessions during a damn recession. Why do I want to hear about the gold seats and IMAX screen in your 2011 Bentley when I’m struggling to put gas in my Corolla? Should I be excited when you flick open your futuristic thought-activated cell phone in your music video when I had to cut the internet service from my cell phone package? You’ve got Jacob Bernstein-designed Louis Vuitton glasses and my kid has to sit so close to the front of the classroom he’s actually sitting behind the teacher. Damn.

Is the recession depressing? Hell yeah it is. But it’s real. Money is low, funds are tight, and jobs are scarce. Rap advertises itself as the voice box of the people. There aren’t enough songs on the radio (I can’t currently think of any) that accurately depict the hard times that people are currently going through. I’m seeing the broke people everyday. I’m just not hearing about it. The people ain’t popping champagne. The people are popping cans of sardines. The clothes, the jewelry, the cars, the frivolous spending of money on “jumpoffs” – it’s still all over the music. The representation of what’s going on in the real world, not so much. I guess the recession only affects us normal folks.

Actually, that’s not true. The gigantic chains that we’re so used to seeing aren’t what they used to be. It’s been widely reported that your favorite rappers have can’t afford those iced out pieces any more. They’re still coldish, but not iced out. The diamonds have been blended and mixed with cubic-zirconia for all of the look at less of the price. Cubic-zirconia. Yeah, the same stuff your girlfriend made you swear not to get her if you ever proposed. That’s what it’s come to? I mean, what happened to old school perpetrating? You know, when rappers lived in a shoebox of an apartment but had a big ole chain. You’re telling me the chain’s fake too? Damn, homey.

They brag and boast while we struggle and strain. It almost makes you want to snatch a chain off a rapper, but don’t do it. It’s probably not worth the trouble.

Mix it up...

Older Onus
written by Just K

I celebrated when I heard Death of Autone.

Show Me What You Got, not so much.

We Made You from Eminem almost made me depressed.

No Matter What and Dead and Gone were both triumphant moments. Thanks T.I.

You can throw What You Know About That in there too.

Can’t Tell Me Nothing from Kanye was a beautiful thing.

What Them Girls Like and Moneymaker were painful from Ludacris.

Throw It In the Bag? Ewwww.

A Millie made my day, month, and maybe half-year.

Nas – Hero. Yes!

Where am I going with this? Give me a second.

I expect a group by the name of FLY to drop a record called Swag Surfin.

I expect Rich Boy to put out a club banger called Throw Some D’s.

Am I surprised at all that B Hamp put out Do the Ricky Bobby? Hell naw.

Nor am I surprised by the Stanky Leg.

I am also not shocked that no one from XXL’s New Class has really blown yet.

They can actually rap.

We really do live in an ADHD ringtone world. In many cases, new artists that have substance but can’t deliver a ringtone-worthy first single fall off before they even get the chance to show the public what they can do. That being said, I blame the proven vets for some of the craziness on the radio. The dudes who have been doing this forever are guaranteed to go at least gold, usually platinum whenever they release an album. Why not give us something a little different? I’m sure they have earned more creative freedom than rookies in the game. On top of that, they’ve been around since a time when being able to really rap was a good thing.

When I hear an artist that’s been successful in rap over the span of many years and many albums deliver a piss poor, contrived radio single it confuses me. It’s your job to set the standard. You’re hot. It’s your job – no, your responsibility to tell us what’ll be the next hot trend. Don’t hop on a whack or corny trend that already exists. And even if you give us a “surefire” hit, do something different and creative with it a la Lollipop from Weezy. As catchy as that song was, there was nothing on the radio like it at the time. He stayed in the box while stepping out of one. Sweet.

The cats that have been around for a while have leeway. Please use it. Push the envelope. Worst case scenario, we’ll send it back and allow you to ship out a new package. More than likely, it’ll change what a lot of people deliver to the radio.

DTW

Death To Whom?
written by Just K

Jay-Z made a song that pretty much echoes the sentiments of the streets. “This autotune bulls#!t is getting out of hand.” Like, remember when we heard rappers’ real voices? Remember when rappers were making hard songs instead of sounding all extra Microsoft? Apparently Jay-Z remembers this time and decided to take it back. Lyrics like “Holdup, this ain’t a number 1 record” and “this ain’t for sing-a-long” are the equivalent of Jay-Z telling MCs to stop trying to make hit records and just make quality music.

Hmmmm…a bit hypocritical much?

As Jus stated earlier this week, this is the same guy that gave us “Can I Get A…” (my raps don’t have melodies, huh?) which is clearly an attempt at making a hit song. “Give it to Me,” “Show Me What You Got,” “Big Pimpin’,” that seizure-inducing video for “Sunshine” and “H to the Izzo” are all definitely strategically planned hit records.



So here’s where things get a bit interesting to me. When Jay debuts the song, he takes time out to let it be known that T-Pain, Lil’ Wayne, and Kanye all have talent. According to the law of Jay-Z, they are allowed to use autotune. Aside from them, it’s just being used to way too much apparently. Again, hmmmmm. Did he just give a pass to the only people that use autotune and then tell us that autotune is being used too much? Aside from Ron Browz (the epitome of horrible autotuning), name another hip-hop artist that had major success off an autotuned single.



It’s cool. I’ll wait.


Now, here’s where Jus and I differ: I think the song is dope. I love it. It’s a declaration that is so bold, so strong, and so loud that the public is duped into thinking it’s completely relevant since the public has been saying for quite some time what Jay is saying now. He’s playing voice box (no pun intended) for the people, albeit a bit after we stopped talking. Regardless, it’s not like we weren’t saying it just yesterday. The beat is on some hard $#!t (no constipation). It’s got a soulful feel to it. The chorus is minimal and irresistibly catchy. Again, way to dupe the people by saying it’s not a hit song and giving it a hit song’s chorus. And recycling a part of Kanye’s “Big Brother” further ensuring that the song will be a hit – genius! The sheer hypocrisy and boldness is wonderful to me. The fact that he’s chosen a concept song for his lead single is even better. Yep. Rap’s Brett Favre is at it again. I think he may have tossed a two-point conversion and tricked the world into thinking it was a touchdown. Either way, dude still scored.

The Kid From TO...

Kid Tested, Adult Approved
written by Just K

Let’s take a look at the current crop of hot MCs.

Of course you’ve got Jay-Z. At the end of the year, Jay-Z will be forty-years-old (40’s the new 30?). His debut album, Reasonable Doubt, dropped in 1996. He’s been making quality music for well over a decade.

Nasir Jones a.k.a. Esco a.k.a. Nasty Nas will be 36 this year. His Illmatic album, arguably the greatest hip-hop release of all time, was released on 1994. Esco’s cranked out songs that display political awareness and social consciousness for over a decade and a half. Geez.

Eminem was already known for battling by the mid-90s, but he really hit the big stage in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP. He’ll be 37 before the year’s out.


Lil’ Wayne, though still in his-mid 20s, has been a part of the rap game since the late 90s with his debut album being released in 1999. In fact, Weezy was three albums deep before the amazing that is “Tha Carter” hit in 2004.

50 Cent dropped in 2003. He’s in his 30s, but the streets have know about him since “How to Rob” in 1999.

Kanye West is also in his 30s and debuted in 2004.

The Game dropped in 05. He turns 30 this year.

Jeezy came out the same year as The Game with Thug Motivation: 101. He hits 32 in the ’09.

I’m Serious, T.I.’s debut album, came out in 2001. He hits 29 before 2010.

About half of these MCs having been giving us hits since the 90s. Durability and longevity are beautiful things. Most of the list is in their 30s. With age comes wisdom I suppose. I personally love almost everyone on this list. I feel like I grew up listening to Jay-Z, Nas, and even Lil’ Wayne. I was in college when Kanye released college dropout. I swear he was rapping a lot of what I was thinking. I remember the hype surrounding 50 when he dropped. I remember thinking The Game was the dude that was going to bring the west back. I was around for the drastic switch in style/flow for T.I. from I’m Serious to Trap Muzik. And I was definitely feeling Jeezy despite his simple lyrics and couldn’t explain why. It was hilarious watching all my people experience this inexplicable phenomenon with me; we chalked it up to authenticity and adlibs. I say all of this to say that anyone under the age of 20 hasn’t really had the chance to experience an MC they can call their own.

For anyone under the age of 20, the only exposure to lyricism they really get from the radio is from artists that were established before their time. The kids never get to see the MC from the beginning to see how their styles have changed and/or evolved or how an artist has grown. The only young buck that’s all over the airwaves now is Soulja Boy, who has admittedly traded in witty rhymes for fun songs. Where are kids getting their fill of lyricism from? Enter Drake.

This is the first artist that folks under 20 can truly claim as an MC. He can put together solid rhyme patterns, impressive and catchy flows, and witty wordplay, not to mention he gives the vibe of being a regular, personable guy. Is he the best thing since sliced bread? Nah, but neither were a lot of the artists I mentioned earlier when they first burst onto the scene. The dude can do something that a lot of young MCs hitting the mainstream can’t do. He can spit. Yes he has hooks. Yes he can sing. I guess the ladies find wheelchair Jimmy attractive. Whatever. He can really rhyme. This current group of kids has not been able to say that about an artist that they were able to follow from day one until Drake’s hype started building. He’ll probably be 23 when his debut drops – a young spitter indeed. This is the guy they get to grow with, root for, celebrate, and truly enjoy for his ability to rhyme as well as make fun songs. So I’m happy for the kids. It seems like they may have finally gotten one. Congratulations.

May Madness...

Sweet Sixteen
written by Just K

At first I refused to do it just off the strength of the bull$#!t@$$ setup. I’m looking at the Tupac Bracket and I’m completely bugging off the fact that Fat Joe, Raekwon, and Joe Budden are ranked lower than Flo Rida. SERIOUSLY?! I slide over to the Biggie Bracket only to see Lil Mama ranked higher than Foxy, Juelz, Cassidy, and Q-Tip. I love Lil Mama, don’t get me wrong, but ranking her higher than The Abstract is just painful to see. I won’t even get into the rest of these. Long story short, I tried to boycott the joint. For some odd reason I couldn’t throw the damn paper away, though. And so it sat there, taunting me, calling me, begging me to fill it out. I swear it started showing up in places that I didn’t even put it. It was waiting on my pillow before I went to sleep. It was sitting on top the Wii when I was ‘bout to put in Mario Kart to make my millionth attempt at mastering Rainbow Road. I dropped the soap once during a shower and it snuck up behind me. Couldn’t really ignore it after that.

So here it is: Just K’s Vibe Bracket.

First off, for the play-in game, I actually have Diddy taking out Jim Jones. I’m not sleeping on Jimmy Slim Jeans, but I don’t think Jimmy should sleep on whoever Diddy’s ghostwriter is. Sadly, Diddy’s taking an L to Jay-Z because I got Jay writing Diddy’s rhymes. I just don’t see Jay out-writing himself. Eh.

Out of the first round in the Biggie Bracket there’s no real surprise except maybe Lil Mama taking out Missy. The shocker out of Pac’s bracket is Killer Mike taking Big Boi out. I don’t know. Killer Mike just got this energy to him that’s prime for ripping rappers apart. And as much as I like Joe Budden, c’mon, man – it’s Esco. I feel bad for betraying Pimp C’s partner, but Devin over Bun B. I’m aware that Jeezy’s evolved beyond ad-libs, but I think Rick Ross is the better pure lyricist. Big Pun’s got a sick bracket. Red takes out Meth, Black Thought over Common, Busta takes Twista, and Crooked I eats Game alive.

The Sweet Sixteen

Jay squeaked by L-Boogie to make it. Fab, Lupe and Mos Def get there comfortably. Em Ghostface, and Killer Mike are in. Nas had to put in the work to get by Beans. Wayne will meet Face and Luda will meet T.I. (surprise, surprise) out of Pimp C’s bracket. 3Stacks will be seeing Black Thought and Crooked I will be bumping heads with Cube.

Elite 8

This is where it started getting real. Jay and Lupe make it in – yeah, I got Lupe taking out Mos Def. As difficult as it was, I had to pick Wayne over Face only because Wayne’s style is more built for competition than Face. Damn. That one hurt me. Hurt me bad. Luda over T.I. for the same reason as Wayne over Face. Surprise! Ghostface over Eminem to make it to the 8. Esco gets by Killer Mike. Crooked I over Cube (damn, the underdog is doing big things) and 3Stacks over Thought.

Final Four

Luda over Wayne was kind of a no-brainer for me. Nas vs. Ghost…hmmmm. Tough call. Crooked I against Andre 3000 was all sorts of difficult. If you’ve heard Crooked I go in, you already know. Jay vs. Lupe was my most difficult decision. Obviously Jay’s got a body of work and he still spits heat, but Lupe is unreal. He’s got that once in a lifetime lyrical ability. Decisions, decisions.

The Championship Match

Lupe, representing the Biggie Bracket took Luda (from Pimp C’s Bracket) out and Andre 3000 (Big Pun Bracket) took out Nas (Tupac Bracket).

Andre 3000 vs. Lupe Fiasco in the grand finale.

AND THE BEST RAPPER ALIVE IS: Lupe Fiasco ( ¬ highlight)

Surprised? Yeah, me too. What your bracket look like?

My Thoughts...

Just My Opinions
written by Just K

I’ll keep it very simple. Sometimes I don’t think the way a lot of hip-hop fans do.

1. To be top 5, you’ve got to have at least one classic album under your belt. With that said, as of now, Jadakiss cannot be considered top 5.

2. I’m amazed that people can’t have opinions anymore. Joe Budden simply stated that if he and Meth were to go at it bar for bar right now, Method Man would not come out victorious. Out of nowhere everyone starts calling Joey out of line. Budden believes he’s the best. Shouldn’t every MC?

3. Jay-Z’s not really that great of a live performer. He’s carried by his hits and that’s about it. He doesn’t really add anything. It’s kind of like watching a compilation of your favorite Jay-Z songs.

4. By the way, did anyone else notice that most of Jay-Z’s biggest hits don’t feature Jay-Z alone on the hooks?

5. There hasn’t been a buzz in the industry as big as Drake’s since right before 50 Cent’s debut album.

6. Eminem never would’ve been as popular as he is if he was black. It’s has nothing to do with skill, though. Eminem is definitely one of the most skilled MCs. It’s his subject matter. I’m pretty sure America wouldn’t have been as excited about a black guy saying the same kind of things Eminem does. Either that, or they wouldn’t have been as shocked.

7. The only thing separating Phonte’s ego from Kanye’s is album sales.

8. If you never want to release an album, sign to Aftermath. If you don’t want any promotion for your second album, sign to Roc-a-fella.

9. Older rappers (Ice Cube, Redman, Method Man, The Roots, etc.) should go independent. It’s not like the major labels are going to promote them properly anyway, but they’ll always have very loyal fanbases. Why not put the work in and get more money off the sales?

10. Some people think that Biggie’s overrated. I completely understand where they’re coming from, but I disagree. His style, delivery, and even the way his albums were put together have been mimicked so much; the impact he had on the game when he arrived is just – you had to be paying attention to hip-hop to really understand what he did to hip-hop. Don’t let the fact that Puffy overhyped Biggie (and Biggie’s millions of bandwagon fans that can’t even quote a few bars) take away from the fact that Big was really great.

11. When fast flowing is your niche, there’s no hope of you being considered a lyricist, which is a shame. A couple of those Bone dudes and Twista can actually spit.

12. Q-Tip is an ill producer. If you don’t know, do the research.

13. Pimp C was far from a lyricist. I’d even go so far as to say that his bars were average at best. However, there’s this feeling of sincerity and authenticity you hear when he raps (and the fact that he was solid on the beats) that made him so beloved.

14. In general, the flow of a southern MC is more ready for the mainstream than that of a cat from up north.

15. I can’t believe Cam’ron got a song called Cookies n’ Apple Juice. The hook alone is priceless.

Take that, take that...

Name That Tune
Written by Just K

Reasonable Doubt

The Getback

The Marshall Mathers LP

Untitled

American Gangster

Aquemini

The Score

That’s a list of some of my favorite albums. Albums like these are few and far in between as of late and I blame Puff Daddy for that.

First of all, Puff Daddy’s a genius. How many others moguls can you think of that can get paid (both monetarily and through exposure) to put together a band and market that band on national television? This is the guy that introduced arguably the greatest MC of all time to the world. And if he’s not the arguably the greatest off the strength of pure skill, Biggie clearly had the greatest hype machine behind him. This is the dude that not only acknowledged that he had ghostwriters, but he actually used this fact to market his album.

And now the problem. Diddy is the dude that came up with the formula for CDs. Now no one makes cohesive projects anymore. Nope. Now people just throw together a collection of songs. As soon as that rnb singer come on, you already know it’s the girl song. When that 808 starts thumping – actually, forget the 808. As soon as the club song comes on, the rapper doesn’t even have to talk and you know it’s the club song. The beat says it all. When that typically mediocre beat comes on and there’s no hook to the song (or a depressingly pathetic excuse for a hook), you already know it’s the by-the-way, I-can-rap, let-me-prove-it song. Let’s not forget the slow, melancholy beat that automatically signals the introspective/autobiography song. It’s horribly predictable. Play the beat and you know what kind of song it is.

Where are all of the cohesive projects? On many classic albums, you can’t pick out the girl track or the club track or whatever. All you hear is good music. Good, quality music that usually carries a consistent theme. Puff was lucky in scoring Biggie, an MC that actually has the ability to pull off the formula well. Most MCs are not. Most MCs didn’t get that memo.

Rappers, I beg of you, just step in the studio and make a quality song. Then make a CD full of them. If it’s really that good, you’ll get play (or at least a cult following). ‘Cause if I’m listening to the radio, as soon as the beat drops, that’s usually when I put in a CD.

Split personalities...

Real Talk
written by Just K

I’ve seen a lot of movies. I’ve lived in a rough neighborhood. I own a pencil and a notebook. I own a car. I can find a studio. If I wrote some lyrics with my pencil in my pad, hopped in my car, drove down to a studio, and rapped about the things I saw in the movies and in my neighborhood would that be wrong? Ok. What if I rapped it in a first person point of view? After all, who wants to hear a whole CD about “I saw?” Ok. What if the beats were crazy, the rhymes were on point and I dropped a classic album? Would you buy my album or would you be caught up in the fact that I didn’t technically live any of it? Should it really matter as long as it’s hot? Depends on who you ask, but realistically speaking, I actually hope most of it’s fabricated.

What fans fail to realize is that anyone that’s listened to rap, watched movies, lived in a bad neighborhood, and/or has access to a Google search engine has enough information to drop a CD about drugs, hoes, prison life, or anything. Malice of The Clipse/Re-Up Gang recently released a video stating that rappers (including himself, much to his fanbase’s chagrin) don’t live what they talk about. Rap is just another form of entertainment in which you can fabricate any lifestyle, good or bad. You can be a drug kingpin, a hitman, a dude that hops on planes that haven’t been invented yet, a ladies man, whatever. Why not take advantage of such freedom? Why not escape reality? When white America is the greatest consumer of hip-hop, it’s not like people are buying the music in hopes of relating to it. People buy music for the same reasons they read a novel or go to the movies. They want entertainment. If that entertainment happens to be reality, that’s a bonus. It’s the equivalent to seeing a movie that’s based on a true story, and even then some of the details are altered or simply invented for the sake of making things more exciting. Do we really want to argue over who is the “realest?”

If these MCs all live what they talk about, we ALL have a problem. First of all, they’d be snitching on themselves on a regular basis. It’s like having the authorities eavesdrop without even needing to bug the room. It gets funnier if/when the MCs go to court and say that nothing they said in their music is true. On top of that, we’re supporting big time drug dealers, homicidal maniacs, and admitted rapists just because they’re “nice.” If that isn’t enough, many consumers buy music from no-talent rappers who put little work into their craft based on the belief that these individuals are real.

In the end, if you’re being honest with yourself, your favorite MC didn’t kill anyone. He may have sold a little weed to support his love of buying Jordans. He may have even sold a few other drugs, but I doubt he spent a lot of time at some boating dock waiting for the next shipment of kilos to come in. Hey, at least his music’s entertaining. Besides, when you get a backlash like Malice did for telling the truth, who wants to keep it real anyway? Keys open doors, even if you never held the keys yourself

The Situation Room...

Crisis Management
written by Just K

Rap artists are often famous for reasons other than their music. Outside of prison sentences, I’ve always wondered how they dealt with these surprise situations. I’ve never been there, but as you know, I sure can speculate. So, this is Just K’s take on hip-hop crisis management.

Situation #1

PRPerson: Dwayne, we’ve –

Lil’ Wayne: Weezy F Baby.

PRPerson: Fine. Weezy, we’ve got –

Lil’ Wayne: Please say the baby.

PRPerson: (sigh) Weezy, baby, we’ve got a problem.

Lil’ Wayne: Gangsters don’t have problems. We got situations. We handle situations. What’s the situation?

PRPerson: Supposedly pictures have surfaced on the internet of you and Baby in a
mouth-to-mouth kiss.

Lil’ Wayne: Yeah.

PRPerson: Do you kiss Baby on the mouth?

Lil’ Wayne: Damn right I kiss my daddy. Yeah.

PRPerson: Ok. Alright. Wow. Ok. Fine. What are we gonna do about this situation?

Lil’ Wayne: What situation?

PRPerson: The pictures of you two kissing?

Lil’ Wayne: Gangsters kiss they daddy. Martians kiss they daddy, ya dig?

PRPerson: Ummm…not really, but whatever. Do you want to release a statement
about this? Do you want to scale back the number of interviews?

Lil’ Wayne: Naw. I don’t wanna do sh*t. I’m good.

PRPerson: Nothing?

Lil’ Wayne: Nothing.

PRPerson: Nothing?

Lil’ Wayne: (takes a sip from a white cup and gives PRPerson a blank stare)

PRPerson: Ok, nothing. One question. What does the ‘F’ in Weezy F Baby stand for?

Lil’ Wayne: F***ing

PRPerson: Wait. So you’re Weezy F***ing Baby?!

Lil’ Wayne: Yeah.

PRPerson: Wow. Glad they only got the kissing pictures.

Situation #2

PRPerson: William, we’ve got –

Rick Ross: BAWSE!

PRPerson: Come again?

Rick Ross: BAWSE!

PRPerson: Whatever. William, we have –

Rick Ross: RAWSE!

PRPerson: Man, f***. I’m trying to talk to you, man. Can you take off the sunglasses?

Rick Ross: (removes glasses) You looking at a boss now.

PRPerson: Yeah. Pictures surfaced of you as a cop. What’s going on, man?

Rick Ross: (pauses to contemplate) Ross wasn’t no cop.

PRPerson: Do you mean you or the real Rick Ross?

Rick Ross: I’m just saying, bruh. Ross wasn’t no cop.

PRPerson: You just said the same thing twice. What happened to knowing Noreaga?
The real Noreaga?

Rick Ross: I do. I used to slide him cigarettes while I was watching him in the pen.

PRPerson: You were a C.O?

Rick Ross: Ross wasn’t no cop, bruh.

PRPerson: What happened to selling coke and moving kilos and all that?

Rick Ross: I’m a boss. I did that. Run with me or run from me. RAWSE!

PRPerson: So you did both? You sold drugs and you were a C.O.

Rick Ross: I did what I had to do.

PRPerson: So what do you want to do?

Rick Ross: Ride in my Maybach.

PRPerson: I mean about the pictures!

Rick Ross: I wasn’t no cop.

PRPerson: (shakes his head, leaves the room)

Rick Ross: RAWSE!

Without a doubt...

Do My Ladies Run This?
written by Just K

Hell yeah, they do. If women stopped to think about their influence on hip-hop music they would understand just how much power they hold. Who do you think was responsible for LL Cool J even being allowed to drop records after the 90s? I can promise you I didn’t have a post-90s LL joint, nor did any of my homeboys. However, I can say I recall “Imagine That” pumping out of some girl’s car long after the single left radio. On behalf of LL, thanks for holding his career down, ladies.

Don’t forget THE GIRL SONG. Yup. Every rapper is obligated to have at least one THE GIRL SONG per disc. Something indescribably raunchy that women inexplicably enjoy. Either that, or a song that completely overuses the words “baby” and “shawty.” I don’t know when Plies became a heartthrob, but women everywhere wanted to be his Bust it Baby. Ewwwwww. Fat Joe and J. Holiday, Jadakiss and Mariah Carey, Lil’ Wayne and Bobby Valentino, Fabolous and Tamia, 2 Pistols (?) and T-Pain, any rapper and any R&B singer. Hell, ya’ll gave Diddy two separate hits with “I Need a Girl.” You’re an audience that MCs go out of their way to cater, too.

And if it’s not THE GIRL SONG, it’s THE BE A FREAK song. Yes ma’am. Women managed to give the Ying Yang Twins a few hits. Luke made a whole career of that in the south. Back That Azz Up by Juvenile still gets it poppin’. Though I’m not certain, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that the term Booty Shake Music has nothing to do with guys dancing. And speaking of guys dancing, there’s a reason THE BE A FREAK songs do so well. It’s because it brings you to the club. And we, the fellas, will pay good money just to hang out with ya’ll as you slide freely past the velvet rope.

So far, female support there are fewer THE GIRL SONG songs, less Booty Shake Music, THE BE A FREAK song, and no clubs.

We can’t forget music videos. Without video girls, MCs would either have to make really creative or really homoerotic videos.

As if all this weren’t enough, Debra Lee is the Chairman and CEO of BET, consequently making her the Chairman and CEO of “urban” music videos. President of Motown and Executive Vice President of Universal Records is Sylvia Rhone. Julie Greenwald is definitely President of Atlantic Records. I’m sure there are many other women in positions of importance and influence.

The point is, women have a great deal of power. Hip-hop caters to, makes songs for, neglects, and disrespects you. Wild, right? Women have managed to change hip-hop in interesting ways. If they wanted to, they could change it again. Ahem, only if they wanted to.

Stay in your...

Life in the _________ Lane
written by Just K

The most important thing about the hip-hop game is authenticity. You’ve got to do you. You’ve got to be yourself. Whatever you are, whatever you know, put it in a song and we’ll buy into it if it’s interesting enough. That’s how you create your own niche. That is how you make your own lane. See, this where it gets interesting. What happens when someone else is doing you before you get to it?

Vanilla Ice’s rap star faded into obscurity by like 1992. Eminem didn’t surface until 1998. Seriously, were there no white MCs that possessed skills greater than Vanilla Ice’s between the years 1993 and ’98? I’m sure there were. The public just wasn’t ready to see the white rapper lane filled for a while. And Eminem literally had to disappear for years before this Asher Roth guy popped up. And if you check the countless blog comments about him, you already know who he’s being compared to. Hell, you probably compare him to the other white guy, too.

Maybe the white guy lane was a little too easy. How about that rap group from the Midwest with the sing-songy rapid fire flows? No, I’m not talking about Bone Thugs N’ Harmony. Am I talking about Crucial Conflict? Possibly. What about Do or Die? Possibly. See, once Bone Thugs N’ Harmony blew up, it was curtains for both Chi-town groups before they even touched a microphone. When you look at rappers from the Chi, it seems as though most of them have the ability to rap quickly, so I doubt these groups just decided to jack Bone’s style. They were probably just doing them. Bone just did it first. The fast rapping group lane was already occupied. The end.

It happens all the time. When Kris Kross dropped, was there room for another kid act? How many years did it take for a Bow Wow to show up? Remember Angelous, the dude that sounded like Jay? Lmao. If so, you already know how things played out for him. If not, you already know how things played out for him. Ok, yeah he swaggerjacked Jay, but he was done from the time he left the womb with those vocal chords. Gucci Mane and Jeezy always had similar styles. Anyone want to bet Gucci has as many hits or as much longevity as Jeezy? Right. Best of luck to B.O.B. in advance because the kid’s got talent, but his first single sounds like a leftover from The Love Below. Remember how many people couldn’t stand Magoo because his voice is similar to Q-Tip? There are way too many examples to mention in this one post. Sad. It’s hard to make a lane for yourself when someone’s parked in it already.

Im calling you out..

Makes My Cypher Complete
written by Just K

So I’m cruising the net, looking at some more internet home videos. Sadly, that’s where a lot of the news in the hip-hop world comes from. Anyway, I came across this video of Mos Def issuing a challenge to any rapper that would dare hold a microphone on the same stage as he. The dude wants a real life, superstar filled cipher. Wow. And you know what? It’s a damn good idea.

Before I even get into it, I’m very aware of how impossible this event is. We’re talking about established acts possibly losing core fans and record sales by risking everything in a huge battle. Also, we have to take egos into account. Some rappers would be either too cocky or too afraid to take part. Understandable. Even if they wanted to participate, sensible managers will try to talk them out of it. Scheduling - all sorts of painful. The financial aspect - absolutely ridiculous. We won’t even talk about a venue big enough to hold this event. You’d have to hold it on the moon or something and charge a boatload per ticket. Then there’s this problem and that problem and…whatever. Let the games begin!

First, I propose a list of 32 rappers – established talents in the mainstream and MCs that bubble below the surface in a single elimination battle royale. Personally, (give or take a couple MCs) this is the list I think would draw the most attention:

Phonte Lupe Fiasco GZA Nas

Kanye West Andre 3000 MF Doom Tech N9ne

Crooked I Ludacris Lil’ Wayne Mos Def

Joe Budden Method Man Jadakiss Common

Black Thought Beanie Sigel Eminem LL Cool J

Juelz Santana Busta Rhymes Pusha T Fabolous

Cassidy Chino XL Pharaoh Monch T.I.

Redman The Game Jay-Z 50 Cent

Rappers would be ranked based on their overall combined record sales. This would put fan favorites like Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, and Lil’ Wayne in the higher seeds and underdogs like Joe Budden, Phonte, Crooked I, and Pusha T near the bottom; 1 vs. 32, 2 vs. 31, so on and so forth. Battles consist of a 45-second round and a one-minute round. A coin flip determines who goes first. There would be a four-judge panel comprised of well-respected, impartial individuals (Sway, Mick Boogie, and Tigger are a few decent candidates). After each battle, judges would cast their votes, as would the live audience; the audience vote would be equivalent to a judge’s vote. If for some crazy reason there’s a tie – a 50/50 split on the judges and a 50/50 live audience vote – there’d be an extra 45-second round.

Ok. We’re looking at a two-day event. The first and second rounds would take place on day one. The three final rounds happen on day two. Obviously it would have to be aired either on HBO or PPV. Either way, the event definitely has the potential to really boost hip-hop. MCs that would otherwise go unnoticed by the masses would get serious exposure. Established acts would prove that they are still hip-hop purists no matter how many albums they’ve sold. Younger viewers would see that just because an artist did well on Billboard doesn’t mean he is necessarily the greatest MC. It’d be a wonderful, beautiful, spectacular event filled with parties, celebrities, hip-hop, and armed security. People everywhere would be glued to TVs. I can’t even imagine what the bets in Vegas would be like, much less the bets at the local barbershop, high school, or hood. So, who’s your money on?

And what seemed like forever is a mighty long time...

The Dynasty
written by Just K

It’s really odd timing for the self-proclaimed best rapper alive to drop a rock album, especially when he is currently supposed to be prepping the Young Money album. And in a time when attention spans are shorter than a four-minute song, releasing a single that’s almost 5 minutes in length with 5 different artists (not to mention the need for a great deal of editing) is an interesting choice. There is a very noticeable void in rap and I believe that Weezy’s Young Money crew is poised to fill it. Wayne is currently the most popular rapper, possibly artist, performing right now and he’s got a roster full of talent. If he takes his fame, adds their abilities, and properly capitalizes on the wide-open door of opportunity, Young Money Records could end up being the next big dynasty. Whether he makes those moves or not remains to be seen, but think back a bit.

When was the last time a record label really dominated the airwaves for an extended period of time? What was the last hip-hop Dynasty?

The last I remember was Roc-a-fella Records at the beginning of the millennium. They had album after album of heat from 2000 to 2003. In that time span you had The Blueprint, The Truth and The Reason from Sigel, both State Property albums, Freeway’s debut, and then came the surprise signing of Cam’ron and The Diplomats. And believe it or not, somewhere in there Amil managed to drop a platinum album. Bleek dropped a couple decent joints and there were a whole lot of hit singles that came out of that Roc-a-fella crew. By the way, don’t forget Just Blaze and Kanye were in house producers at the time. Sick.

And before that, don’t forget the Ruff Ryders. X was killing EVERYTHING. Eve was the newest femcee on the block and she was the real deal; the Pitbull in a Skirt was nothing to play with. And The Lox were given the freedom to make the hood joints they wanted to. And Swizz Beatz was dishing out hits left and right.

And there was Def Jam in general. Jay-Z was Roc-a-fella/Def Jam. DMX was Ruff Ryders/Def Jam. Method and Red – Def Jam. Ja Rule and his arguably classic debut was Murda Inc/Def Jam. Foxy Brown and her unforgettable “I’m nice around mics like Pippen” line came out of Def Jam. LL Cool J and Onyx…you guessed it. Honorable mention goes to the sick Belly Soundtrack, which was released on Def Jam. Oh yeah, and the first mixtape to go platinum with The Professional. Damn.

Around that same time period you can throw in Cash Money and No Limit as well. The freaks still drop it like it’s hot for Back That Azz Up. Middle-aged white people still think Bling Bling is a hip new term. I still get hyped when Make Em Say Uhhhhh or Hot Boys & Hot Girls comes on (I’m the lightning in bad weather//I’m the n***a in the picture on your girlfriend’s dresser). These two labels foreshadowed the eventual vice grip southern rap music would have on hip-hop.

And now we have…a big gaping hole. I wonder if Young Money has it in them to fill it. They’ve got the star, the females (one MC, one singer), the south, the north, the way north (Drizzy) and a decent chance. Let’s see what they do with it.

Please take your seats...

Welcome to The Just K Awards. Tonight we’re gathered together to honor some rappers for no particular reason what so ever. Lyricist of the year? Best rap album of the year? Best new artist? Nah. We don’ have any of those categories. If we did, I wouldn’t be Just K and this wouldn’t be PTM. This year’s Just K Awards will include performances by no one (we’re in a recession; what’d you expect?). Presenters include – let’s not worry about presenters, or performers for that matter. Let’s just get these awards out. And now I present without further ado…

The Just K Awards
(created, directed, and hosted by Just K
produced by DJ GWIZ and the good
people of www.pastthemargin.com)
(highlight to see winners)

Least Likely to Earn Street Cred:
Lil’ Fizz
Bow Wow
Young Berg

And the “winner” is: YOUNG BERG Obviously this was a tough decision. Lil’ Fizz and Bow Wow have both collaborated with Omarion, which is fine. Collaborating with RnB dudes is nothing new. Fizz hasn’t dropped anything in a while, so he might be in the streets earning cred right now. Bow Wow, no one really takes seriously despite his abundance of tattoos. It’s not a question of whether or not he has street cred. It’s more like no one really cares. Now Young Berg…wow. Just take a look at his ’08. Getting beat down and relieved of his Transformers chain in Detroit and get whooped in a fair one by Master P’s nephew. What really hurts him are his attempts to get a reputation by putting himself in rather perilous situations. And the results have earned him this award. Congrats, I guess.

Most Likely to Succeed:
Mickey Factz
Drake
B.O.B.
Asher Roth
Wale
Kid Cudi

And the winner is: ASHER ROTH Yes, my “I called it” on Drake is well documented, but Asher Roth is the guy I think will be most likely to succeed. He found a very special lane with the college crowd. On top of that, when he grows as an artist, the college kids will probably be growing with him. He’s got a unique style and flow, even though his voice is a bit similar to Mr. Shady. Regardless, the kid can rap and his audience is tuning in. Success is imminent. Drake is a strong runner up.

Most Likely to Never Drop a Debut Album:
Status Quo
True Life
Saigon
Papoose
Curren$y
Spliff Star
Jae Millz

And the “winner” is: SPLIFF STAR Does anybody else have the “When Disaster Strikes” album from Busta Rhymes? Do you remember the song in which Spliff Star was spazzing out over a beat, then Busta said something to the effect of “Yo, chill god. Don’t kill ‘em on my album. N****z know your joint is coming soon.” That was back in ’97. A decade and change later…nada. Some of these artists will go independent. Maybe even go the digital label route (see: Saigon), but Lieutenant Spliff is going to stick by General Busta. Tough.

Most Likely to Make a Fan Overdose:
Lil’ Wayne
The Clipse

And the winner is: THE CLIPSE Again, a tough call. Lil’ Wayne sounds so high that fans can practically catch contact through the speakers. But those boys from VA talk about that pure white like none other. Even more impressive, they rarely take time off to address different subject matter. A smooth 90% or more if their material is focused on drugs, drug dealing, drug paraphernalia, drug fiends, forgiveness for selling drugs, drug money, things drug money can buy - you get the picture. Forget contact. Listening to their CDs and mixtapes is equivalent to snorting a line.

Most Likely to be Overlooked as a Legend:
Scarface
AZ
E-40
Busta Rhymes
Cee-lo

And the “winner” is: AZ This was an easy call. The others have had more mainstream success. Anthony Cruz has some of the most impressive flows, word play, concepts, breath control and pure lyricism in the rap game. People just seem to forget him. Shame. If you don’t know, check out Serious by Nas & AZ (still one of the best tag teams to ever do it). That’s just a glimpse of the guy’s talent. With almost 10 quality albums under his belt, it’s a crime that he’s so slept on.

Least Likely to Put Down the Mic:
Snoop Doggy Dogg
Jay-Z
Fat Joe
KRS-One
Busta Rhymes

And the winner is: KRS-ONE The original Mr. I am Hip-Hop. Dude’s 44 and can still smash shows and MCs. He’s going nowhere. In about 20 years, I can put money on who will be wrecking the talent shows at the retirement home.

Best Female Rapper On the Billboard 100: ??????????

And the winner is: BEYONCE? Damn. The closest thing we got is Beyonce for “Diva.” It’s a cold world for female rappers.

Most Likely to Create Their Own Language:
Lil’ Wayne
E-40
Snoop Dogg
Cam’ron
Jim Jones

And the winner is: E-40 http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/500244/19980811/e_forty.jhtml It didn’t quite happen, but dude had big dreams.

Most Likely to Take the Biggest L in Ross vs. 50:
Rick Ross
DJ Khaled
50 Cent
Rick Ross’s baby mama

And the “winner” is: Rick Ross’s kid In a surprise turn of events, it turns out Rick Ross’s kid is going to take the biggest L on this one. Whoever the poor kid is, video of his moms getting piped down (featuring an accompanying narration by 50 Cent) got streamed all over the world. Damn. Uncool.

That’s the end of our show ladies and gentlemen. We do hope you’ve enjoyed the Just K Awards Show. Feel free to invent your own awards show or add on to Just K’s. This is Just K signing off. Thanks for coming out. God Bless. Good night. All proceeds from this evening’s event will go directly to AIG bonuses.

FA-BO...LO-US

Fabolous: The Walking Dilemma
written by Just K

Aside from Joey Jumpoff, I’d have to say that Fabolous is my favorite mixtape artist. Though you won’t hear a world of emotion in Fab’s voice, please believe (it, believe it please) the guy’s got a way with words and a way with flows. His ability to put together multi-syllable rhymes is just absurd; ain’t too many dudes that can rhyme whole lines. And don’t even talk to me about punchlines - “You won’t even raise the heat if your chilly motherf***er.” Furthermore, I dare you to name a posse joint that Fabolous got smashed on. Probably not going to happen. Hell, he probably smashed one of your favorite artists at some point in his career. Lose the gun/drug/braggadocio talk specialist is arguably one of the sickest rhymes sayers.

So it’s kind of crazy to me that every time I hear Fabolous on the radio it’s for songs like “Into You,” “Baby,” “Trade it All” or something else that’s the equivalent of a Color Me Badd song. What gives?

You. Yeah, you. The one reading this post right now. You’ve got a job, right? If you were doing things at your job one way, and someone told you you’d make much more money doing things another way, would you change methods? Would you adjust your strategy? What if you could make more money by putting in less effort? Uh-huh. Yep.

Make no mistake about it folks. Rapping is an MC’s J-O-B. This is how they make money. Sure, doing it for the love of the art form is all fine and dandy, but when that paycheck comes up slim it probably makes an MC reevaluate his approach to the art. I personally loved “Breathe” by Fabolous. I thought it was the best single he ever released. Moreover, I thought it was the best representation of the real Fabolous that we’ve heard on countless mixtapes. Imagine my shock when I heard Fabolous himself in an interview say that “Breathe,” in terms of radio spins, was one of his worst performing singles. Sure it played on “urban” stations, but it never became a crossover hit that reached different demographics. You couldn’t dance to it. Actually, if the song came on in the club, that’s when you’d see the dudes in the back of the club that still had their winter coats on maneuver to the middle of the dance floor and rap along word-for-word while everyone else just sat around. The album with “Breathe” did worse than all of his previous releases. In the end, at least for Fabolous’s pockets, “Breathe” was nothing more than a good rap song.

And there we have it. Fabolous becomes a walking representation of an artist’s dilemma. Do you put the work in to come up with the most creative and witty rhymes possible? Or should you come up with rhymes that are easy to rap along to that will guarantee money? Based on his last big single (you know, the one featuring Ne-Yo) I think he’s made a decision, but can you really blame him?

Is This The End...

Career Enders?
written by Just K

I wonder if Rick Ross knows what he’s up against by going toe-to-toe with Pimpin’ Curly. Everybody knows that 50 Cent ended Ja Rule’s career. Didn’t even take him that long to be honest. I can’t even remember the last time a Ja Rule album release was even worth mentioning. In some people’s minds, 50 Cent wrapped up Fat Joe’s career as well. This is what happens when you come out the public loser of a beef: you go away. Jay-Z took Mobb Deep out when he put Prodigy on the screen. LL took Canibus out. If Rick Ross knows what’s good for him…umm…

If Rick Ross knows what’s good for him he’ll make a good CD regardless of what happens with the rap beef. A battle doesn’t end careers. Bad music after a battle does.

We’ll start with Ja Rule. This’ll be rather quick. His lead singles from “The Last Temptation” (the album that was out during the 50 – Ja feud) were Thug Lovin’ featuring Bobby Brown and Mesmerize featuring Ashanti. And as bad as the song was, the video to Mesmerize was actually worse. Those songs alone were enough for people to turn away from Jeffrey Atkins. 50 was nothing more than something else to look at once people had already started turning their heads.

As for Fat Joe – Fat Joe usually doesn’t do big numbers. During the commercial peak of his career (and back when albums were selling) his best selling CD went platinum after like five months. No knock on his music at all, but he’s never really been a big unit pusher. He’s not going selling a billion records post-50 and he wasn’t selling a billion pre-50.

The Jay and Nas beef didn’t end anyone’s careers. If you throw Mobb Deep into the mix, they still went gold after the ballerina pic, which was ok considering they had just started moving toward commercial territory (never thought I would’ve seen a Mobb Deep song featuring 112, but it was there). And, again, Mobb Deep wasn’t a group that went platinum regularly. A gold album was kind of their norm. After that, record label and stylistic changes really held them back (recall the random song with Lil’ Jon). Toss in the fact they signed to 50 Cent after the infamous “do your lil’ ass like Jay did Mobb Deep” line and there you have it. Reduced sales.

I refuse to discuss Canibus any further. It takes me to an emotional place that I rather not revisit at this time.

Long story short, the best way to survive a beef is to do exactly what you were doing before the beef: making good music. The end.