“…Took a shower kinda sour cause my
favorite group ain't comin with it/
But I'm witcha/ cause you probably goin'
through it anyway/But anyhow, when in doubt went on out and bought it/Cause I thought it
would be jammin' /but examine all the flawsky-wawsky
/ Awfully sad and it's costly, but that's all she wrote.”
-Andre 3000 “Rosa Parks”
In the past I’ve written about how the
quality of work had piqued (if not declined) in almost all genres of popular
culture and entertainment.
I basically argued that everything that
transpired or was produced in the 80’/90’s era was the last time we witnessed something
organically unique and creative.
Evidently that theory applies to the very
same people that created said classic material in that era, at least musically. There’s a bevy of reasons to attribute for
such an unfortunate fall off: dissension,
ego, money, usually plays the main role and at times cats just lose “it.”
Sometimes artists just lose touch with their
core audience and try to blend in with what’s trending in contemporary times. Progression and adjusting your styles is a
part of the game but when artists totally conform their style just to be
relevant, that’s when I walk away from supporting artists in a present tense.
I’ll support their past work and remember
them at their pinnacle, but miss me with that Washington Wizard, shell of their
former self work that they’re doing now, case in point:
WU TANG CLAN
The Wu Tang is one of my favorite groups of
all time (Wu, Public Enemy, OutKast, Mobb Deep, NWA, & EPMD). When they first hit the scene, or when I
discovered them in 1993, I was deeply influenced, intrigued and impressed by
their whole movement. I was open off of
the kung fu samples, the themes, the teachings, the knowledge, and the message
of brotherhood.
That brotherhood has been fractured
throughout the years to the point where their 20 year anniversary and final
album was postponed because of monetary discrepancies (mainly Ghost and
Rae).
The irony of that statement is that nobody is
waiting for a Wu Tang Album! What is Rae
and Ghost holding up? Ever since the Wu
started to have guest features on their albums (i.e. Snoop Dogg on
“Conditioner” for the “W” album), it’s been a decline for the Wu.
RZA started to decrease his production
responsibilities during that period (The Wu element suffered and sounded
different without the Abbott’s fingerprints on it) and simultaneously if not as
a result, the RZAs skills started to regress.
Plus my man said when rappers get on VH1 they become musically
wack. I guess it’s a sign of the times
and appro po to see GhostFace on “Couples Therapy.”
Wu
Tang Cut Off Line: The W---I couldn’t
make it to Iron Flag.
50 CENT
I won’t beat up on 50 Cent, and when I say “I
respect him but I just don’t rock with him musically,” I don’t say that in the
same vain as I would for say, Nelly, Ludacris, Master P or Akon. I actually was a fan of 50s music for a
while.
But the thing that made 50s music so ill was
that it was a live war report from his life, which at the time was filled with
plenty of street action. He was also the
savior to Murder Inc.’s love song radio dominance.
Everything 50 touched turned to gold in the
beginning, but that bully music, calling out rappers and beefing with them is
kind of old. And when he’s not trying to
bait other artists to beef, his street tale rap is kind of recycled and tired,
especially when we know you’re sitting on 350 milly.
You’re paid 50, you don’t have anything else
to prove. Get your money in Hollywood, SMS Headphones and promoting boxing.
50
Cent Cut-Off Line: The
Massacre---Couldn’t make it to “Curtis” (ever since 50 challenged Kanye it’s
been downhill for your boy record sales wise).
Listened to “Before I Self-Destruct” and was amazed at the lack of 50’s progression, lyrical content wise.
DIPSET
The once kings of neo-Harlem, the DipSet are
apparently in the studio to make an album.
But why? Core Dip-Set fans have
long ago mentally accepted the unfortunate dissension and demise of Dip Set,
specifically the Cam-Jim Jones fall out.
In addition they’re selling Dip Set
merchandise now? I can’t lie, the ish
would’ve been fly during that 2000-04 wave, but now it’s a day late and a
dollar short. Their whole reuniting
appears contrived and only for the money.
“Only for the money” albums aren’t as dope as organic albums when all
members are in sync, but time will tell.
DIPSET
Cut-Off Line: Whenever Cam and Jim had issues and Jim Jones
publically sided with G-Unit/50 Cent.
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