Dear Kanye West

Kanye's lucky he makes good music (no pun intended) Name another artist that could insult America's sweetheart on national television, then sell his label to her label...

via Yahoo!

14-time Grammy-winner (and 30-time Grammy nominee) Kanye West's independent record label G.O.O.D. Music, has been signed to an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with the Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG). The announcement was made today by Kanye West, Barry Weiss, Chairman & CEO of Universal Motown Republic Group (UMRG) and Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) and Steve Bartels, President & COO, Island Def Jam Music Group.

The artist vs. the labels. The artists vs. the labels. The artists vs. the labels. That's all we've heard since the New Music Cartel banded together to instigate the 'blog era' in hip-hop. The entity of internet users, companies and artists all in a constant tug of war with the 'Big 4' labels. The internet has allowed for artists to circumvent the distribution tactics of the 'Big 4' by giving artists the means to do it themselves. I suppose that's a cardinal sin with record labels. Who gets over on the consumer is actually the consumer's choice: whether they'll pay 99 cents on iTunes or head to YHTN or 2Dbz or the dearth of other blogs and websites dedicated to sharing music.



#deathto

For hours we could discuss labels clamping down on artists for doing just that. Sicking the RIAA on consumers and artists, removing profile pages and songs, shutting down websites, and adding more restriction to the way the artists operate; all at the expense of means to control how we get our music. Another can be made Lupe out of you and your music can take a cozy seat on the shelf. Even so, artists (and their teams, cliques and sets) do enter in these agreements voluntarily. They want to get paid for their work while controlling it on their journey to the top. Sometimes, they allow their music to get out, sometimes they get extremely aggy and go on Twitter rants. Depends on the artist...

The 'here and now' age sees to it that a rise to stardom is an impatient and difficult one, no matter how talented the artist. Forget Universal and Def Jam. Diddy has enough people in Bad Boy's graveyard to prove that a label can do with you what they want. Yet rather than scale Everest on foot, MCs can take the slightly off-balance, green-eyed helicopter known as the label. The ever-borderline drunk pilots run such a good game in the brochures or on magazine covers, so MCs usually don't have a problem handing over their intellectual property. Can you blame guys like Saigon for staying onboard for that long, even when a label has complete control over your artistic freedom?

Kanye, you know this. You're in a position of power compared to the labels, given all your impressive tenure. They have to bow out to you. Banking on success over failure in music is the labels' business, and you've done it well. Twitter retweets itself stupid when you tweet. From performing at the Democratic National Convention to doing a BET Cypher, straddling the line of rapping to the masses and the internet-savvy comes naturally. Who else has performed at Facebook and Twitter? With GOOD Music's appearance under Def Jam, the blogosphere/internet and labels have reason to coexist. Your imprint has already entranced the labels by spawning the career of grammy-winning John Legend. Those GOOD Friday tracks endeared you to the internet, while KiD CuDi, Big Sean, and Cyhi Da Prynce, endeared your name to it.

Bringing GOOD Music to the masses on Def Jam makes that link official. Yes we've seen internet-borne artists from other imprints link with labels. Drake and Nicki are prime examples of that, yet Cash Money Records had already existed on a label at that point. To boot, internet and blog savvy seem to be driving GOOD Music's first official albums under Def Jam. A good deal of Finally Famous has hit the web, and the same will be true for Fear of God II, Royal Flush II, Watch the Throne and To Be Continuum.

Still the question begs, why Kanye? Does hip-hop actually need the labels, or can artists do without them? Curren$y is doing pretty well for himself without major backing and jokes about it in songs. SlaughterHouse makes decent bank on their records, too. So do we really need that link? Isn't this what hip-hop has preached about for years? (insert lyrics here) The results, while promising, are mixed to say the least. Drake was in the limelight, getting around (YMCMB's label)'s iron fist to some degree with his deal, but even he can incur the wrath of the labels. On the other hand, Wale and J. Cole are having trouble catching on via labels, despite internet fanfare. Ross has a hand in it, but on a lesser scale with Meek and Pill. They have a different following altogether, and Maybach Music is signing so many acts, it's hard to tell who even has a chance to drop.

To me, the merits of your transaction boil down to another age-old battle in hip-hop: the album vs. the mixtape. In the Golden Era and beyond, having an album out meant you made it. Having an album was the equivalent of a hot stock ready to explode. Even if you only had one, an album gave the artist recognition and fame, however short-lived. These days, putting out an internet mixtape is like putting out your hand to shake; everyone does it. Yet, mixtapes today are generating more buzz and acclaim than albums. Lately the mixtape is like the incredible foreplay, while the album is the anti-climactic climax. Given Big Sean's first-up status, he'll be the inaugural internet-borne artist (sorry Drake, you were on Degrassi) to debut on a major label. His mixtapes upload like hotcakes, but will your blessing and quintessential power move sell albums? I'm guessing yes, simply because we're coming to a big impasse in the industry. You've forged a new bridge, it's only right you be able to cross it...

Dear Hip-Hop Collectives

via Billboard.com

Another "Jay" has been added to the Roc Nation roster. It was announced yesterday (Nov. 12) that New Orleans rapper Jay Electronica signed with Jay-Z's personal imprint, joining acts J. Cole and Willow Smith at the recently formed label. And to celebrate, Jay-Z threw a lavish party at New York club The Box that neither Jay E, nor anyone else in attendance, would soon forget.

The event -- which kicked off at about 10:15pm and drew head-turning guests like Beyonce and Omarion -- was a three-ring circus that included sexy burlesque dancers, an aerial gymnast, a Russian hula-hoop master and a girl whose "talent" was having men shoot arrows at balloons that were strategically positioned over her privates. But despite all the eye candy, the Jays still managed to steal the show.

Jay-Z, decked out in a sharp black suit, took the stage and told his guests about his "goal to reintroduce magic back into hip-hop, the love, the wizardry." With that, Jay introduced "Mr. Jay Electronica, the official Roc Nation signee" to the thunderous applause of the audience.

I'm going to go out on a limb in saying this, but it's always been true: Hip-hop is a team sport. From it's inception, rappers have been getting down with crews as a way to not only gain an opportunity in hip-hop, but for a chance to stay relevant and rake in that cash. Crews like the The Sugar Hill Gang, The Furious Five, Juice Crew, Run DMC and N.W.A. and others began the trend of group dominance, but it wasn't until the mid-90s, when hip-hop started becoming corporate, that rappers began finding strength in numbers.

Groups like Death Row, Bad Boy, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Leaders of the New School, based around record labels, showed that a good team could dominate the airwaves better than any one person. Posse cuts were rampant, with tracks like 'Bring Da Ruckus' and'Scenario' giving listeners a maelstrom of flows, lyrics and ideas from different rappers to sink their ears into. The Bad Boy Family, with its huge stable of artists like Biggie, The LOX, Faith Evans, Ma$e, Criag Mack, 112 and others made it so that if you weren't down with a specific team, you weren't getting any play. Towards the end of the 90's teams like Ruff Ryders solidified that tenet, going platinum on behalf of Yonkers. Even the early 2000s saw teams thrive, with the Diplomats, Cash Money and G-Unit dominating the re-emerging mixtape circuit.

Enter 2010, and we are having another resurgence of groups. The middle of this past decade was lukewarm in terms of hip-hop's reach, and for good reason. Headliners were the name of the game, as solo artists looked to regain some of the posture that being in groups had taken away. Ironically, a handful of those solo artists are nowhere to be found, while groups are coming back. Take a look at the most popular songs of the past year or so. $50 says that they came from a Roc-a-fella, Cash Money/Young Money, GOOD Music, 1017 Brick Squad or Slaughterhouse Artist.

Lil' Wayne started it. By signing Nicki Minaj, Drake and a host of other up-and-comers, it made the market a little bit harder to break into. The Young Money label has thrived ever since. Even if their group releases have been sub-par, the solo releases under that imprint have come out to tremendous publicity and accolade. The same can be said about Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint. Before the summer was over, most people couldn't name an artist on that team besides Ye, Common and Big Sean. A few months later, with the signings of Pusha T and Cyhi the Prynce, Ye has put together a formidable starting 5. Even Ye's big homie Jay-Z has taken part in hip-hop's arms race, signing J. Cole, Wale and now Jay Electronica. Today, success in hip-hop is just as much about who you're rapping with as it is what you're rapping about. By being part of a team, you give yourself more access to resources such as producers, studios, features and better promotion. Just ask artists who are unaffiliated how many units they honestly see themselves pushing and it will become clear.

This team-building in hip-hop doesn't come without it's caveats. First of all, it's evident that among these teams, there is always a star player. For Young Money it's Wayne, for GOOD Music it's Kanye and for Roc Nation it is Jay-Z. These designations open the group up to a power struggle, especially when the student can be, or is, better than the teacher. When it comes to label dynamics, no matter how talented one is, the bigger name always gets the press. J. Cole, Wale and Jay Electronica, while they will get a good deal of the spotlight, will always be under Jay-Z. Drake and Nicki Minaj will always be Lil' Wayne's younger siblings (ironic, considering his status and Baby's 'son'). Pusha T will now be considered Kanye's protege, even if he's been in the game longer. What happens if the subordinates are unhappy with that position, a la Juelz Santana circa 2006? Will it be a situation where their musical career is siphoned off to the highest bidder, or will they just have to find their own way out from Big Brother's watch?

The hip-hop arms race is clearly a result of labels being hesitant to take chances on one person. Artists are quick to latch on to a 'movement' in the hopes that it will take them to another level of success. The problem is, how to balance one's individual aspiration with the success of the team. Every team in hip-hop history has broken up because of egos and money, and nothing more. How do artists know whether they are in it for the right reasons? Better yet, if they aren't, how can they work together? Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Young Buck and Beanie Sigel are all examples of artists who were excommunicated because their wishes outreached that of the group. Will the groups of today be destined for that same fate?

My final concern with you, oh great hip-hop collective is whether this era of collaboration will last. As much as I have my questions, there is no question as to whether hip-hop music has thrived because of it. One look at the success of Kanye's GOOD Fridays is enough proof. Ye brought together artist upon artist upon artist to make some of the biggest records of the past year. Will that be the formula for success in the near future? Whatever the case, it seems like the hip-hop collective is back and will be for a while. As commemoration for the hip-hop collectives of the past, check out some of my favorite posse cuts in hip-hop history (not in chronological order):

Kanye West - So Appalled (ft. RZA, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz & Cyhi The Prince)

Kanye West - So Appalled (ft. Rza, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz & Cyhi The Prince)

Another Friday, and another Kanye track for the fans. This week, Ye brings Jay, Swizz, Pusha T, the RZA and newcomer Cyhi the Prynce for a whack at a darker type of beat. The song 'So Appalled' made its first appearance on a Big Mike mixtape, then was unleashed on Hot 97 by DJ Camilo. Kanye makes a few jabs at MTV, as well as some slick punchlines and braggodocious verse with some introspective thoughts too. The premise of the song is the things in life that just make one 'appalled' or just completely offend each of the MC's featured. If I had to pick one verse, it would definitely be Pusha, though. The younger Thornton needs to be on your radar if you weren't already a fan of the Clipse MC's work already. He has a way with words that belies his persona as your average coke-pusher. If there was any GOOD Friday track I've dug, it's this one. Check it out and keep a lookout for 'Watch For the Throne'...

Kanye West - Lord, Lord, Lord (ft. Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon & Charlie Wilson)

Kanye West - Lord, Lord, Lord (ft. Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon & Charlie Wilson)

Didn't post last week's GOOD Friday track (or the week before that, I think), but this week I'm on my job. Kanye waited until the wee hours of the night to release this cut. Mos Def, Swizzy, Raekwon and Charlie Wilson joined him for this smooth, jazzy cut. I'm not sure what Swizz was thinking with this verse, or what he was talking about, nor am I clear about what the song was about, but it sure sounds good. I think this track just deserves a few more listens. I suppose Yeezy has calmed down a bit with his original fervor. Whatever the case, this is definitely a track to vibe out to and relax. Check it out and stay tuned for more GOOD Friday tracks...

Dear Kanye (re: the VMA's)

I didn't watch most of the VMA's. The Washington - Dallas game had my attention because it was as captivating as an opening game as I've ever seen (word to DC). That said, I tuned in to MTV's yearly ode to the music video late, only to catch one thing: your performance Ye. I Youtube'd Taylor Swift's performance, and it was lame at best. She tried to make an underhanded acceptance of your antics last year (which I thoroughly lambasted you for), which came off sounding preachy and quick to capitalize on a year's worth of free publicity. You rose above her by not even directing any attention to her, or allowing MTV to pan to her anorexic-looking behind. But that's neither here nor there. Taylor's performance sucked because it was bad. Your performance, on the other hand, was masterful.

Rather than come back with a Taylor Swift apology song or try to make amends for what some would perceive as an off year for you, you decided to thumb your nose at all the douchebags, *ssholes and what have you. Now, that may sound ridiculous on the surface, but when taking a look at the performance as a whole, one can't help but think you're one of the best musicians out right now. First of all, you came out there dressed in a bright red suit. At first I was clowning it, thinking about Eddie Murphy in Delirious, but then looking at the stage from the aerial view, your aim (pun intended) was obvious. Ye, you were the target, the red dot that everyone had been aiming at over the past year because of your antics. Visually, that made the 'Runaway' performance a symbolic spectacle. Ironically, the song is about you poking fun at yourself for 'finding what (you) don't like the most' in everything and broadcasting it. That message hearkens back to your town hall-esque meetings at Rolling Stone, Twitter and Facebook where you're trying to make music from a position of happiness rather than sadness. I suppose one of those positions is one where you can poke fun at yourself and the people who've been chucking darts at you over the past year. You made yourself the target for yourself and for everyone else.

The second reason the performance was dope was that you brought out Pusha T. Plus, it seems as if the younger Thornton brother has something to prove, much like you do. Of all the heads you have lined up on GOOD Music, Pusha is my favorite. He's got the charisma, attitude and BARS for a nice crossover, though most of white America let out a collective 'Who's that?' when he stepped on stage. It was one of the only highlights to what I heard (better yet, read, thanks to Twitter) was a pretty lame MTV Video Music Awards.

SIDENOTE: The VMA's are officially dead, by the way. There really was no reason for half of the show aside from the performances. Chelsea Handler (who is comedic gold on her show) fumbled through three hours of celebrity jokes and a Rick Ross ride, and still couldn't get a genuine laugh from the dead-silent crowd. MTV completely lost its appeal when she jumped into a hot-tub with the Dirty Jersey crew, and died when she came out 'pregnant'. RIP to MTV.

Your performance was trill for one more reason: it means hip-hop is the IT now. Along with Drake, Eminem and Nicki Minaj, your feature on MTV, a (canonized) world stage, was a testament to the idea that rap music is here to stay. Ye, you solidified yourself as a heavy-hitter again with the this performance and kept it oh-so-funky with Taylor Swift by not even mentioning that squeaky-clean pop martyr. While she tried to milk last year's folly again, you were looking a year ahead to a gang of awards. Regardless of America's sweetheart, Ye, you were masterful last night, putting an emphatic exclamation mark on one hell of a statement to the music industry over the past few months. Your next album is sounding damn near classical, and we have no clue what's even going to be on it. That's enough holding your pocket, though Ye. Let's hear a few more GOOD Friday's before we crown you again, though somehow we might not even need it after that performance...

Big Sean - What I Do x I Go Hard (ft. Pat Piff)

Big Sean - I Go Hard (ft. Pat Piff)


Big Sean - What I Do

One thing I can never deny about Big Sean is that he's damn near impossible to not nod your head to the GOOD Music member. His rhymes roll of his tongue well and he can ride a beat as well as anyone of the young bucks in the game. I'll admit I slept on Sean, though sometimes he can get more repetitive than Waka Flocka's ad-libs. Finally Famous Vol. 3 is upcoming, but without a release date at this moment. I can't say whether I'm going to like the third and final installment on the interweb-loved mixtape series. Yet, Sean's charisma and trademark slow-flow pique the ears' interest more and more. These are the newest leaks from the tape, with the Pat Piff-assisted track boasting a bass-heavy beat and Sean waxing prophetic about how good he is. You can say the exact thing about the second one. I guess if hip-hop has to evolve into a huge boasting contest, the way rappers do it should set them apart. Sean might not be Wordsworth, but he'll be able to (relatively) hold his own against his labelmates Cudder and Ye, come September...

BONUS: Completely forgot to post this up, but Sean's trailer for Finally Famous: Volume 3 is definitely worth seeing...

Dear Kanye West

It takes a lot for someone to 'change the game'. By that, I mean someone operating in a way that goes against the grain of the time, and makes everyone else reconsider and reevaluate how they're going about their business. When someone changes the game, the status quo takes a hit. Not necessarily a hit that will rearrange everything, but just enough for the rest of the world to take notice. Over the past 4 years, blogs have begun a steady coup of the hip-hop game. Whether through internet labels preparing digital-only releases or the online mixtape phenomena, blogs now have a considerable amount of control over who's 'next' or who's time it is to shine. Chances are, if you've got a huge blog following, then you have pull in the hip-hop industry. That said, it's gotten to the point of over-saturation, where there are so many rappers on the scene, that no one knows who to listen to anymore! Go on any hip-hop blog today, and you'll find a different cast of characters than you did the previous day. That's not a bad thing; it's simply the state of the industry. It's hard for people to stand out. That is why your recent tour of... everywhere, is so mind-blowing, Kanye.

Over the past week, you've visited the offices of Twitter, Facebook, Rolling Stone, at each, speaking on not only the state of the music industry, but your own state. The way you presented yourself was damn near classic, Ye. You were professional, coming dressed in a simple black suit, black tie and donning the 'cool guy' sunglasses so we knew you weren't a corporate drone like the people in the audience. All of the speeches you gave were impeccable. I've yet to hear an artist admit that the places where most get their musical inspiration from are dark, morbid, depressed ones. That you want to bring your music out of joy and hope is a breath of fresh air for the industry. In fact, it's a rarity that you spope on it at all. Artists are notorious for keeping their personal lives chambered after they blow up (their first works may be raw and emotional), so to have you being open about the feelings that went into 'Good Ass Job' (apparently that might not be the album title anymore) is incredible.



A huge point in these visits was when you mentioned being a truth-teller in your music. I find that so groundbreaking. Everyone says that their album is the truth, but few artists actually purvey truth in their music, whether personal or public. 'Truth,' as most artists use it is a way to say you've lived something, not necessarily that you've learned from it or grown as a person (or artist) from it. Kanye, we can see such growth from you in these videos. Whereas last year, you had your mouth glued to a Henny bottle and your hands to Amber Rose's butt, now you seem to be as clear as day. Back to the music, though. The verses you spit at these places were too dope. 'Chain Heavy' had the makings of a track that would ruin the jewelry industry, 'Mama's Boyfriend' tells the story that every child with a single mother will vibe with, and the third one (no title, I suppose) has introspection written all over it. If those three songs are any indication of your album, this should be one of the greatest musical works in a WHILE. I guess when you write from a position of contentment, everything you put out there flows so much better. There's no need to gloss it over with auto-tune or unnecessary features. Labels and whoever else can't put the brakes on your work because you're doing it from such a good place that it automatically sounds good. People can feel the difference in your the beat, your words, your delivery and everything in between.

Kanye, if these sightings signal anything, they show that personal semantics, intimate theatrics, and simply going to the people are the way things should be done. The days when a person could showcase their talents from behind a keyboard are slowly dwindling (ironic that I'm writing this on a blog; sue me). It's not enough to shoot bloggers and tastemakers (I really hate that term, but that's a different blog post) press releases, leaks, random freestyle videos, and mixtapes. As a musician, you have to show why your work is the best, especially in hip-hop, where everyone claims they're the best. You're taking the game away from the computers (though you visited two social networking sites) and back to the (hypothetical) streets. It's very grass roots-esque, and different from anything we're seeing today. Your efforts seem duly poised to change the game Ye. Whether the album is a Good Ass Job (you see what I did there?) or something beyond that, we'll see in September...

Kanye West - Power (ft. Dwele)

Kanye West - Power

After being spotted in Soho this week in the photo above (when Kanye wants to disappear, he literally vanishes), it was only natural that Mr. West comes through with some new music, definitely for his new album, 'Good Ass Job'. I'm not going to try and evoke 'The College Dropout' or 'Late Registration', because doing so would be beating a dead horse with a nuke and then destroying the planet. Instead, let's focus on the new. Ye spits about the influence he's been given in the industry and states that 'no man should have that kind of power,' which is true. No artist should be able to catapult another, completely different artist by a hating act. Then again, Kanye did it. I guess the rules don't apply to him...

Outasight - Further (LP)

Outasight – Further (Free LP)

If you are looking for a strictly hip-hop mixtape or just lyrics, please STOP HERE. Outasight is not a rapper or a singer, though he raps and sings. At this juncture of music, it's impossible to classify an act like Outasight. He draws from entirely too many facets of music to be placed in a box. Whether it's rock, R&B, rap, funk, folk, or electronic, Outasight touches all of them. The man is a MUSICIAN. I'd rather compare this to a Pharrell compilation than to any rap release. In terms of lyrics (if you're still interested in that), OU is like a blur. His lyrics are so slick that if you go for a drink in between songs, you're liable to miss a snippet of sonic mastery. I don't say this about any artist because, quite frankly, most artists wouldn't know their way around live music if they were already in a concert. Outasight is simply amazing. The LP 'Further' is a step towards a genre-free existence in music, and should be heard. Check the tracklist (back cover), my picks, and of course, some videos...

PS. Outasight is yet ANOTHER Notherground artist that's really hitting hard. Make sure you check out him, 6th Sense, The Kid Daytona, and Harlem's Cash out...



Cream of the Crop:
Catch Me if You Can
Don't Say Anything
Brand New Day
Downtown in My Mind
Stranger than Fiction

Cream of the Crap:
Everyone Gets Laid (weird concept; I don't think he pulled it off well)

Whatever U Want (Remix) - Consequence, Kanye West, KiD CuDi, Big Sean & Common

Whatever U Want (Remix) - Consequence, Kanye West, KiD CuDi, Big Sean, Common & John Legend

Sometimes I think Kanye and GOOD Music just like to mess with their fans. Otherwise, they wouldn't make us wait this long between features. If you remember 2006, then you should remember the song "Grammy Family" as one of the first introductions of Consequence. He's certainly improved, and having this roster on your debut single doesn't hurt either. Check out the remix for 'Whatever U Want' and throw it back to '06 with the video for 'Grammy Family'...