Official Rap/Hip Hop Thread 2.0

[Manhattan Project]

barnett you care for Malik Yusef? If I'm not mistaken your a Chicago guy no?

Yeah, I'm a Chicago guy. Not really up on him though.

Chicago poet that has people split down the middle, he is on Kanye's label.

[Manhattan Project]

http://www.lupefiasco.com/
Words I never said.

[waya]

Damn, Lupe's pushing buttons with this one

[Mecca]

I love Lupe. This song is great.

[Manhattan Project]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv05YDXYb-o&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[TheBluest]

Limbaugh is a racist
Glenbeck is a racist
Ganza strip was getting bombed
Obama didn't say ish
That's why I ain't vote for him
Next one either
I'm part of the problem
The problem is I'm peaceful
And I believe in the people

I wonder if Lupe votes at all from what he's saying here. Sounds like he's saying to me you don't need another man to establish your values and what you should be doing as an individual. I know Lupe is a very learned individual. Pretty on point what he said right there....

The chorus and beat were meh to mediocre but very good lyrically

[mugzi]

Real hip hop below. And to the Cudi haters, he's the best mc to come along in at least the last 5 yrs.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEPgA4ZQf0U[/youtube]

[NBA Fan 1234]

Lupe

AMAZING (again)

[j4remi]

Limbaugh is a racist
Glenbeck is a racist
Ganza strip was getting bombed
Obama didn't say ish
That's why I ain't vote for him
Next one either
I'm part of the problem
The problem is I'm peaceful
And I believe in the people

I wonder if Lupe votes at all from what he's saying here. Sounds like he's saying to me you don't need another man to establish your values and what you should be doing as an individual. I know Lupe is a very learned individual. Pretty on point what he said right there....

The chorus and beat were meh to mediocre but very good lyrically

I get the sense that his whole album will be on some experimental rock/rap merger ish...which I don't necessarily hate, but it won't be as good as Food and Liquor or the Farenheit tapes. Lyrically though, dude looks ready to come with it, which means I'll eat good...a lot of people won't be feeling LASERS though if that's the only strength of the album. I wish Lupe would link up with Kanye and just let Ye be the maestro. Common and Ye have made great music, I don't see why Lupe couldn't get a classic album out of dude.

[j4remi]

I was luke warm on the canadian battle scene at first. But its grown on me. They have so many good battlers now. Charron is a beast with the free's man. Some of the best rebuttals I've heard.

I agree with you on Arcane though. The guy is garbage. He didnt deserve to beat Thesaurus. Pete bodied him. Arcane has such a vanilla flow. He is the Okwerdz of canada. But a lot less successful.

Bender IS a problem though. That was a classic performance put on by him. He just crushed Arcane. Though i do feel he robbed 24/7. Who is slept on big time by the way, but thats a different argument.

My favorite from Canada is Pat Stay. Dude is just nice. Too bad Arsonal got turned back at the border, because he was gonna get crushed. Again.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkTCXS0l0U[/youtube]
One of the best battles I've ever seen.

Right now KODT >>>> GT imho. GT hasn't been able to get the good match-ups and the good ones have been mainly pretty disappointing. KODT gets battles up at reasonable time lapses instead making us sit waiting forever, much less drama behind the scenes and they aren't losing their stars to URL...URL's guys are making moves toward KODT (Arsonal, Tez and Rex for instance). Plus the top notch KODT cats look like they're sticking around. Dumb is taking a break, Hollow/Con go both leagues, DNA/Tez are shaky with GT, Khan is taking a break, Saurus demands big bills to battle, Ok to URL next, DBD travelling the leagues of the world and ****...it's just a lot of these dudes disappearing. Rone seems to be getting a push with that 360 battle and Dirt is getting hype too...not many other up and comers in my eyes except maybe John John.

Pat Stay has huge hype right now and I still haven't checked for him much. I'll peep that video next but honestly, I can't stand Hollohan aka Canadian Diz. Jack Schitt, Sketch and Bender are all pretty nice. Kid Twist is no joke. Loe has bars when he can remember 'em. Charron is really the truth with rebuttals. Look up Amzilla vs Charron for their battle in the back of BOLA...that ish is crazy. Random freestyle battle out of the blue that just keeps going on and on while our favorite battle cats wander over to watch. Love that sorta ish.

24/7 is nice...not great...but really solid.

[j4remi]

I know he's got a lot of fans here
http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2011/01/31/hom ... nt=Twitter

Also Cortez vs Thesaurus was madd hyped and is finally up...I'm not bothering to post the link, I'm that disappointed. I give the edge to Saurus with a bodybag type third round. Tez had slow starts to rounds 1 and 2 but had far better delivery...sounded like recycled ideas from Real Deal's performance though. Saurus was alright the first two but the crowd gave no love. NY bias was pretty weak to witness, I want my city to rep hip hop fairly.

[KingSTAT]

This has to be the funniest **** i have ever seen
http://youtu.be/sxE3E3jA_00

[hobojoe2131]

Lupe's new song is REALLY politically charged. wow. Calling out Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck as racists

[TheBluest]

I know he's got a lot of fans here
http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2011/01/31/hom ... nt=Twitter

Also Cortez vs Thesaurus was madd hyped and is finally up...I'm not bothering to post the link, I'm that disappointed. I give the edge to Saurus with a bodybag type third round. Tez had slow starts to rounds 1 and 2 but had far better delivery...sounded like recycled ideas from Real Deal's performance though. Saurus was alright the first two but the crowd gave no love. NY bias was pretty weak to witness, I want my city to rep hip hop fairly.

The reason you see this scattering of battle scene is because of what I told you SHELF LIFE. You have some in the circuit who have taken on far too many battles(Thesaurus/DBD/Phran/Madness etc etc) and it's either because they need to eat, are bored, or are trying to stay connected to who's the next body bagger. Problem is you see good emcees become very mediocre in battle after battle....TS last few battles have been pretty awful.....some of DBD's last battles have been so I don't know like he really only took it to have fun and nothing else

Then the link to Dirt's battle with the dude in the Celtic Green gear...... really srsly why was he even battling Dirt? He was hot nasty garbage. Another problem just like with the Music Industry in general STOP LETTING EVERYONE TRY TO EAT WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TALENT. You're diluting the Brand/Craft/Art Form and diminishing it's value and entertainment. I'm tired of seeing dweebs in the crowd part of the battle scene in many circuits only for them to surface in an actual battle down the road for a face off. Talk about hand me down, gimmick, pulling cloak over face presentation...I'm exaggerating to an extent here but you get my point.

The Circuits need to be cut down honestly. How many of them are there..... like 6 Majors?

What each Circuit should do is hold maybe 2 tourneys(Summer/Winter) a year and only invite the Crem Della Crem battlers(probably shouldn't go out past 30 cats or so)...... with very High Stakes guaranteed money every round but the figures soar. With unknown opponent bracketology. They can know the participants but not who they'll go against instead of asking guys to take battles on partial/impartial grounds. The judges should be from the different circuits so a GT judge should do judging for Smack battles so on and so forth. And while this might be a downer for those who follow it religiously like yourself preservation keeping it as fresh as possible trumps personal fixes IMO. Then hold 1 2 on 2 tourney without the luxury of choosing a partner(as long as no strong beefs exist)

It's become stagnant, redundant, overkill, stale because too many are popping up in every crevasse imaginable. Corral this mess in..... regroup, restructure, with a more diligent, calculated, platform of unveiling the beasts that creates a genuine thirst for showtime.

I'm glad Solomon is turning down battles unless the cake is pound....that should be a message to the masses

[j4remi]

The reason you see this scattering of battle scene is because of what I told you SHELF LIFE. You have some in the circuit who have taken on far too many battles(Thesaurus/DBD/Phran/Madness etc etc) and it's either because they need to eat, are bored, or are trying to stay connected to who's the next body bagger. Problem is you see good emcees become very mediocre in battle after battle....TS last few battles have been pretty awful.....some of DBD's last battles have been so I don't know like he really only took it to have fun and nothing else

Yeah, these cats either take battles because that's how they eat or are using it for exposure in hopes of building a fanbase. Franco said it best, to paraphrase...on a small tour to venues with 30-50 people, a cat could get the attention of hundreds of people sure...but one major battle on Youtube and worldstarhiphop is worth thousands to even tens of thousands of new viewers. Dumbfoundead literally parlayed the battle scene into becoming one of the most viewed people on youtube...competing with celebrities and all of that. I'll touch on this a little later, but absolutely co-sign...oh and let me just add, there are a few cats who are in the scene still for the love of it. Iron Solomon has absolutely no need for money and has all the exposure he can get from battles. Any battles he's taking are for love of the art form.

Also, a cat like DBD who has so many battles that he clearly isn't taking some seriously, is an exposure head but doing it brilliantly. He has now battled on multiple continents and for just about every race of people. He's broadcast himself LITERALLY to the world using battles. This is why I consider he and Madness just brilliant dudes. They did Australia, UK, Hawaii tours not to mention Canadian and US views. Then DBD took it a step further and went to the filipines where flip top is apparently the most viewed battle circuit around nowadays. They're making money to advertise themselves and building a revenue income from fans all over for their independent works. Some of these cats are eating off rap and parlayed it to clothing lines (Ok, Fredo) and other extensions (Dumb's webshows)...21st century hip hop avoiding the machine...and you know how I hate the machine.

Then the link to Dirt's battle with the dude in the Celtic Green gear...... really srsly why was he even battling Dirt? He was hot nasty garbage. Another problem just like with the Music Industry in general STOP LETTING EVERYONE TRY TO EAT WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TALENT. You're diluting the Brand/Craft/Art Form and diminishing it's value and entertainment. I'm tired of seeing dweebs in the crowd part of the battle scene in many circuits only for them to surface in an actual battle down the road for a face off. Talk about hand me down, gimmick, pulling cloak over face presentation...I'm exaggerating to an extent here but you get my point.

Yep, and here's the sad thing...this isn't corporate suits that are watering down the game. It's just supply and demand reducing the CEO's to supplying constant barrages of wackness. Look at Dirt's list of opponents and maybe two of them belonged in the same room as him...not even the same battle. This has become a gold rush scene, all these cats think they can become the next Dumbfoundead or Conceited...not happening. They come in with little or no experience and never find their niche. For a hardcore fan like myself, if they suck the first time but come back and show improvement, I'll keep watching but so many of them are content with just being part of the venue that it's sickening. No improvement...no nothing...just a bunch of posers who copy a blueprint and try to cake off someone else's style. Thesaurus has literally dozens of copy cats if not more and his style has lost all of it's luster.

The Circuits need to be cut down honestly. How many of them are there..... like 6 Majors?

Right now I can name GT, KOTD, URL, Don't Flop, Flip Top, The Aussy one, and KOTDC...as the ones with big names in 'em. Although I'd hardly call KOTDC a major, it's just a fun side game for these dudes to let loose without being too serious. I like it actually. BUT There's also Goldenstate Bullies, Assault and Battling, Queen of the Ring...and a a ton of off chutes that all gather more battlers and most are backed by known names in the battle scene. Now, the majors are fine by me because only North America has multiple majors and you need a Smack Battle league and a GT here...the style is totally different...but what we need is for them to lock their rosters up and use the off chutes more effectively. It'll create profits for both the majors and the underlings...instead these cats are greedy and trying to cake off of oversaturation which will likely lead to the decline of the whole scene. GT already feels like it's slipping. URL slipped imo and it's resurgence is largely thanks to GT upstarts (DNA, Cortez, Swave, Hollow, Con..all from GT and Arsonal battled GT after Lion's Den).

What each Circuit should do is hold maybe 2 tourneys(Summer/Winter) a year and only invite the Crem Della Crem battlers(probably shouldn't go out past 30 cats or so...... with very High Stakes guaranteed money every round but the figures soar. With unknown opponent bracketology. They can know the participants but not who they'll go against instead of asking guys to take battles on partial/impartial grounds. The judges should be from the different circuits so a GT judge should do judging for Smack battles so on and so forth. And while this might be a downer for those who follow it religiously like yourself preservation keeping it as fresh as possible trumps personal fixes IMO. Then hold 1 2 on 2 tourney without the luxury of choosing a partner(as long as no strong beefs exist)

I don't mind having multiple events if the leagues invest right. Major circuit events DEFINITELY need to cut back though for sure. Save that paper and put on one or two major events a year and each circuit would have guaranteed great events and those battlers would have more time to focus on good products each and every time out. The smaller venues could then help establish a Dirt or a Rone so that they can make a push for the major events...but those should be handled by the aforementioned off chutes. Right now, everything is a grindtime event and puts a label on it that sucks. I don't mind preplanning the cards, which is one fundamental point we disagree on though.

It's become stagnant, redundant, overkill, stale because too many are popping up in every crevasse imaginable. Corral this mess in..... regroup, restructure, with a more diligent, calculated, platform of unveiling the beasts that creates a genuine thirst for showtime.

INDEED...but that won't happen sadly. GT is dropping imo. Still as it falls off, KOTD has really stepped up. URL is getting stronger again. It'll just be a series of ups and downs I hope.

I'm glad Solomon is turning down battles unless the cake is pound....that should be a message to the masses

Exactly! Great post, I never really put much thought into this ish but it's worthy of a good discussion.

[TrueWarrior]

Lupe's new song is right up my conspiracy alley .

PREACH!!!

[TheBluest]

Yeah, these cats either take battles because that's how they eat or are using it for exposure in hopes of building a fanbase. Franco said it best, to paraphrase...on a small tour to venues with 30-50 people, a cat could get the attention of hundreds of people sure...but one major battle on Youtube and worldstarhiphop is worth thousands to even tens of thousands of new viewers. Dumbfoundead literally parlayed the battle scene into becoming one of the most viewed people on youtube...competing with celebrities and all of that. I'll touch on this a little later, but absolutely co-sign...oh and let me just add, there are a few cats who are in the scene still for the love of it. Iron Solomon has absolutely no need for money and has all the exposure he can get from battles. Any battles he's taking are for love of the art form.

Also, a cat like DBD who has so many battles that he clearly isn't taking some seriously, is an exposure head but doing it brilliantly. He has now battled on multiple continents and for just about every race of people. He's broadcast himself LITERALLY to the world using battles. This is why I consider he and Madness just brilliant dudes. They did Australia, UK, Hawaii tours not to mention Canadian and US views. Then DBD took it a step further and went to the filipines where flip top is apparently the most viewed battle circuit around nowadays. They're making money to advertise themselves and building a revenue income from fans all over for their independent works. Some of these cats are eating off rap and parlayed it to clothing lines (Ok, Fredo) and other extensions (Dumb's webshows)...21st century hip hop avoiding the machine...and you know how I hate the machine.

True I should have touched on the parlay especially what you said about DBD not to mention certain cats carrying coasts and regions. They feel more duty to rep and not worry about if they hit 10 or 7 come 11 on a performance because they put their people on the map. At the end of the day only the select few benefit but the Art Form takes a major dent. You're right it's fast money and money usually ruins everything ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Yep, and here's the sad thing...this isn't corporate suits that are watering down the game. It's just supply and demand reducing the CEO's to supplying constant barrages of wackness. Look at Dirt's list of opponents and maybe two of them belonged in the same room as him...not even the same battle. This has become a gold rush scene, all these cats think they can become the next Dumbfoundead or Conceited...not happening. They come in with little or no experience and never find their niche. For a hardcore fan like myself, if they suck the first time but come back and show improvement, I'll keep watching but so many of them are content with just being part of the venue that it's sickening. No improvement...no nothing...just a bunch of posers who copy a blueprint and try to cake off someone else's style. Thesaurus has literally dozens of copy cats if not more and his style has lost all of it's luster.

Maybe this is what's happening to TS because his performances have been headscratchers. Too much exposure can hurt you. Watching some of these past battles in particular the overseas one I see some knuckleheads literally not reacting to anything but staring at every nuance from both battlers taking mental notes knowing they go home practicing and practicing and practicing and practicing. Like watching a Bruce Lee Flick Enter The Dragon and then thinking you can kick anyone arse thereafter who gives you some buffer....Uhhhhhh No dweeb stay in your lane.

Right now I can name GT, KOTD, URL, Don't Flop, Flip Top, The Aussy one, and KOTDC...as the ones with big names in 'em. Although I'd hardly call KOTDC a major, it's just a fun side game for these dudes to let loose without being too serious. I like it actually. BUT There's also Goldenstate Bullies, Assault and Battling, Queen of the Ring...and a a ton of off chutes that all gather more battlers and most are backed by known names in the battle scene. Now, the majors are fine by me because only North America has multiple majors and you need a Smack Battle league and a GT here...the style is totally different...but what we need is for them to lock their rosters up and use the off chutes more effectively. It'll create profits for both the majors and the underlings...instead these cats are greedy and trying to cake off of oversaturation which will likely lead to the decline of the whole scene. GT already feels like it's slipping. URL slipped imo and it's resurgence is largely thanks to GT upstarts (DNA, Cortez, Swave, Hollow, Con..all from GT and Arsonal battled GT after Lion's Den).

Like a Farm System (NBDL/Minors) but even then it needs major condensing. For crying out loud they're staging scenes at shows in the sticks(off chutes) after say a Gucci Mane performance. It has to stop. A precedent needs to be set so that all onlookers know this isn't for a passing of time because hey I was there let me whip out my Smart Phone and Vidayo this. You can throw BET in there. Don't hold Free Style Friday every week....Hold a Free Style Jan/Feb/Mar and extend the showtime on the day held a couple rounds of a dual set go getters.

I don't mind having multiple events if the leagues invest right. Major circuit events DEFINITELY need to cut back though for sure. Save that paper and put on one or two major events a year and each circuit would have guaranteed great events and those battlers would have more time to focus on good products each and every time out. The smaller venues could then help establish a Dirt or a Rone so that they can make a push for the major events...but those should be handled by the aforementioned off chutes. Right now, everything is a grindtime event and puts a label on it that sucks. I don't mind preplanning the cards, which is one fundamental point we disagree on though.

They all have a formula... if you know the field you shouldn't have a couple weeks on end to prepare/spar for a known FS. Look at the playing field and prepare the formula accordingly. If I battle this cat I know what to expect and I'll proceed as such, if him then make this adjustment etc etc. I mean they pretty much know who should and shouldn't advance. What I don't like is when they bring in material from the very last(recent) battle of who they're battling against. It's like come on if that battle hadn't taken place you had nothing to go off of when work has been put in for some time from Brodie?

INDEED...but that won't happen sadly. GT is dropping imo. Still as it falls off, KOTD has really stepped up. URL is getting stronger again. It'll just be a series of ups and downs I hope.

Is K the problem with GT? Shouldn't he have more command on the pulse of the players? It clearly is the best when they're on IMO

Exactly! Great post, I never really put much thought into this ish but it's worthy of a good discussion.

Art form can't be suffocated/choked out by Mr. George Washington. The sad thing too..... stop letting the following dictate the flow and let the talents dictate the flow. Some cats should be shown more(promoted by the events). I don't care how many masses follow Diz/TS/Hollow who for the most part will not turn down no battle. Stop showing them and tell them to give it 50ft and take a deep breath. It would also be cool to do interview segments about these guys, let people get to know them on a more personal level and figure out to a degree without revealing too much secrets how they do what they do. Of course they'd have to be cool with it and they could still parlay. Sitdown time equals free promotion.

[j4remi]

Starting to get busy at work but Bluest, you're on point up and down. I think the best change for battles is that Redbull Battle Rap tournament, very original outlook. For NY'ers interested in that style, End of the Weak has some really cool format battles.

Also, the getting to know battle rappers...you're psychic or some ish, this just dropped on GT's site last night.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzI3u5c3t-A[/youtube]

Also, just for everyone who is true hip hop fans...
via Okwerdz twitter
In attempts to help raise money i will be dontaing 50% of Shop.Okwerdz.com sales to Kool Herc, so if u need a shirt nows the time.

I REALLY respect this in light of the major cats talking about how they don't have as much money as we think and how they can't help. Okwerdz is a successful cat who battles only top cats and has turned profit as a musician, battle rapper, and business man. This could be a business move but if it means helping out one of the key figures of hip hop, who cares.

[NBA Fan 1234]

Lupe's new song is right up my conspiracy alley .

PREACH!!!

I completely agree...it's amazing though lol. His cd is going to be INSANE.

If you like conspiracy songs you should listen to this song.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppn0REaZU1g[/youtube]

[TrueWarrior]

Lupe's new song is right up my conspiracy alley .

PREACH!!!

I completely agree...it's amazing though lol. His cd is going to be INSANE.

If you like conspiracy songs you should listen to this song.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppn0REaZU1g[/youtube]

Good sh*t right there. I've chilled out on that conspiracy stuff not because I dont believe in some of them or think they're very interesting, but because they can drive you insane . Most people dont even wanna hear this stuff though. See the "Lupe" thread that was just created getting on Lupe's building 7 line as if hes not speaking truth. Oh well.

Ill just leave you with a few of my favs. I figured u all already posted the other rappers I listen to. White boys dont get much love here besides Yelawolf or some sh*t so this will be my contribution again ha.

El-P
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8syeks9XmS4[/youtube]

NY's Ra the Rugged Man. Real life Agent Orange victim.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGZsGX3B_BY[/youtube]

Slug
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aZJasbTXn0[/youtube]

Ill Bill feat DJ Premier
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjNmGsQ16Vg[/youtube]

RI's Sage Francis
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2tpwjcDb_Y[/youtube]

Aesop
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKgEZhfXZMw[/youtube]

Philly's Jedi Mind blowin ya mind.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nadnRMURick[/youtube]