Bleak.
That’s the only word for the week in Hip Hop. I’ll put it to you
this way…The charts start of with Colbie Caillat at number one and
end with Taylor Swift at the ten spot. Somewhere in the there
the Black Eyed Peas make the only representation for Hip Hop (Although
according to the poll last week 75% of you guys think they are pop.)
Things aren’t that bad though. We have new music in “Dropping
This Week” and of course Only Built for Cuban Linx II and Blueprint
3 will be here shortly. Something tells me that some of you are
listening to some of Jigga and Rae’s songs already. For those
select few I have two things to say – 1. The RIAA frowns on you from
above and 2. How are the albums? (But for real, be careful
because the RIAA is suing everyone and their Grandma. The last
girl that fought owes $675,000…for 30 songs). So let’s run
through this horrible week in music and hopefully the next few should
be more promising.
The
charts go Colbie Caillat, Miley Cyrus, Skillet (yes Skillet), Michael
Jackson, Kings of Leon, Imogen Heap, Reba Mcentire, George Strait, Black
Eyed Peas, and Taylor Swift. That’s the chart from one to ten.
Does anybody want me to go through and talk about who each of these
people are and what their albums are about? Anybody? You
sure? Cool, you guys are just making my job a lot easier.
(For those fans that read each week and know that we throw some of the
hip hop that made it in the top 50 don’t be mad. I didn’t forget
you. Eminem is at number 32 with Relapse selling another
16,400 copies. That is followed by Fabolous at number 33 with
his latest album, Loso’s Way. He moved 15,000 copies
this last week.) On to “Dropping.”
DROPPING THIS WEEK
First
up we have a compilation by Definitive Jux. Definitive Jux
Presents, vol 4 features songs by Aesop Rock, El-P, Cage, and Rob
Sonic just to name a few. If you know anything about Definitive
Jux then you know they are constantly pushing musical bounds.
You may like on song and hate the next but you can never deny the creativity
that is being put out by the label. In typical underground Hip
Hop fashion the album is being released on vinyl as well so DJ’s and
record aficionados can appreciate the music in their preferred form.
Next
up is a new one from out of Philly. Beanie Sigel releases The
Broad Street Bully. Now, it’s not with Roc Nation or State
Property but it does have a lot of familiar faces. The album features
Omilio Sparks, Freeway, Young Chris, and Murda Mil. Beanie Sigel
has put out some quality albums in the past so f you’re a fan you
should be looking out for this one.
It’s been almost two decades since Bone Thugs-N-Harmony came onto
the scene (Faces of Death came out around 1991 before you guys
start leaving comments saying their first album was in ’94) and one
of its more controversial members is dropping an album. Bizzy
Bone has been in and out of the group over the years but his shaky status
hasn’t affected his work output. His latest album, Thug Pound,
is his fourteenth studio album. (Fourteenth! I knew he had
released a few but not that many). As if that wasn’t enough,
the album is a collaborative effort between the Bone Thug MC and Dog
Pound rapper Bad Azz. (Get it? Bone Thug. Dog Pound.
Thug Pound. Moving on). Both of these artists have a cult
following but it should be interesting to see how their sounds will
mesh together on a full album. Be on the lookout for this one.
Speaking of artists with a cult following, The Insane Clown Posse comes
out with a new one this week. Their latest album is called
Bang! Pow! Boom! If you are a fan then you should already know about
this group. I only really know about them in connection to their
beef with Eminem. I don’t think I have to tell their fans to
pick this one up.
Next
up we have an artist who, in my opinion, is seriously underrated.
Atlanta representative Killer Mike returns with his latest Underground
Atlanta
and it is everything the title states. The doubledisc album showcases Killer Mike, OJ da Juiceman, S.L. Jones, Rich Kids,
Trillville and a few of the Atlanta’s other underground representatives.
Killer Mike’s Plede Alligence to the Grind series was solid
so fans should probably plan on picking this one up.
Next
up is “Mr. 305.” Pitbull drops his latest album Rebelution.
The album features Akon, B.O.B, and the man that helped to bring Pitbull
to the music world, Lil Jon. The Miami rapper is known for his
fast paced sound so fans should already know what kind of album he is
delivering. His single has been moving on the charts for awhile
now so hopefully that should boost his album sales.
That
does it for this week. Next week….Jay-Z….Raekwon….well see.
