After Mike Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri the United States Justice Department decided conduct an investigation about the handling of the Mike Brown case. Now after the investigation has been completed the Justice Department is suing the City of Ferguson for violating a host of amendments and civil rights laws. Hopefully this is an example for future rulings and standards of police departments. No Justice, No Peace.
I used to write a lot. I’ve been telling myself it’s time to write again. But now here I am, writing because it’s necessary, because I have a reason at an unfortunate time in my life. This piece is about my Father, my Dad.
My Superman.
My Father is my hero; my Dad is my Superhero. He raised many boys and young men into confident, caring human beings. He shaped me for 55 years on Earth. When I felt lost and a bit off-track, he had some God-given ability to untwist me and put me back into focus.
He was never afraid of dying. He would simply say that everyone goes to the same door of wherever that is. He would say, “well, either you’re gonna go first or me, unless we’re going to be in the same accident which we can make prayer to avoid.” Anyway, he would add, “no parent should face burying their child. So there you have it, son, and FYI you are not that far behind me in age” (he was 22 years older than I am), “so take care of yourself too.”
My father called me and my brother, “son.” He respected religion and God’s practices over them, yet he observed a simple practicality and philosophy for the everyday man and woman. He wanted everyone to have an equal chance.
My Dad was as stand up a man as I ever seen. He championed young fathers, saying that they deserve more credit in today’s society. He stood up for women, wives, and mothers just as strongly. Nearly everyone thinks their parent is amazing; I told my father many times he is my Superhero with a heart. The detailed moments I had have with this man are endless…all the way up to the fantastic night he, my brother, I, my two nephews, and a few friends sat over at his house watching Super Bowl 50.
My Dad was rooting for Cam Newton because his uncle was my Dad’s friend, and Cam is from nearby College Park, Georgia. We were loud – but not overboard – our team has always been the Jets, my brother’s team, the Vikings. We were in my Dad’s den, where four years ago we were all screaming at each other when the Saints got it (my brother has a big voice too: trust me, it was high volume down there). I tweeted several times about my Dad during SB50, saying he wasn’t for all them commercials and the halftime concert. Tweeting the fact if people think I have a powerful voice, it is nothing compared to my Dad’s voice… for real.
As I child, I heard my Dad’s voice thunder off walls. It was reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and so many other famous orators, but my Dad represented a strong family man. I remember as a teen, knowing when he stepped out the front door to call me, my brother, and/or my sister to get inside, no matter how far you were, you couldn’t say you didn’t hear him yell. Because everyone else did. In fact, if my father yelled hard at me, it felt like half my face would melt back.
The “Dad things” my father did, he did so well. And we bragged about him like the gift that he was. In the seventies, we had quite a few rough financial times as a Black family, but he and Mom covered them so well we didn’t notice. The James Evans-John Amos father on Good Times didn’t come close to the very real thing. There are thousands of moments I have to remember. Sometimes we tested our father, and he came back correcting. But I never heard the man curse until I was grown, he kept that side away from us, his kids.
Where other families figured it would cost too much to travel, my father once found a way to take us on vacation. He bought a car that had no reverse, and he drove us to Canada. My parents figured it out with minimum funds
My Dad drove a cab in dangerous 1970s NYC for a few years. I was a teenager and I couldn’t sleep until he came through the door around 3am. I got my first jobs with him at 17-18 years old, working shipping and receiving departments for fabric warehouses. I had 14-15 jobs from 1979-1986, culminating in driving furniture in a U-Haul across NYC, a job all of Public Enemy and The Bomb Squad guys did at one time or another before records.
My dad liked music a lot but he wasn’t into the music, he was a solid NY sports fanatic. Born in Harlem in 1938, Lorenzo Douglas Ridenhour (for which the D in my name comes from) was naturally a Brooklyn Jackie Robinson Dodger fan. My Dad was even scouted as a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, but by then the Marines wouldn’t let him try out. For him, it became the Mets, the Knicks, the Jets, and the Rangers, that was it and understood. We cried sport. I got loud that way.
The music, the cultural side of me comes from my Mom, who also didn’t drive until she was in her forties, which meant my Dad drove all of us everywhere. Eventually he even acted as transportation and stage manager for the Roosevelt Community Theatre.
My Dad always knew my artistic side, but was surprised by the music thing. He prided himself as a Black Man; he demanded and gave Respect without effort. He went fearlessly into places where the average head of a family would question. Regardless of whatever I chose to do, my Father knew he’d raised a man in me, who found a way and a means to bark back at the same hypocrisy he saw every day in so many different forms. So my Dad didn’t come to the award shows, very few concerts, and couldn’t tell you the names of my albums and songs. In fact we didn’t talk about much music at all – ever. I’m not sure if he noticed the recent LeBron James-Terrordome spot I had, a commercial playing in the middle of all his games…perhaps he did.
But HE IS the lyrics.
My brother E says he was THE epitome of 100. I agree,
My dad was a very solid 100 straight up. No bullsht.
He drove everywhere like a road metronome, and even when I was fortunate enough to help with flights to a few countries, he and my step-Mom drove that turf too. My father met all people as equals was very stand up and gave everybody a chance to come right. In 1979 we drove a Buick 225 across the country to San Francisco and back. We blew a water pump on I-80 at midnight in Lincoln, Nebraska. A town mechanic fixed it because of a conversation my dad had with a state trooper. Dad said people are people but the system tricks ’em. We repeated half that drive in 2012 in a truck. I picked him up in Dallas and we talked and drove all the way into Georgia.
Alas. The details of the times with my father are endless to remember and perhaps they will attack my mind like black blizzard flakes, and I will find a patch of road to weep at the wheel. In recent years with my Dad in retirement, I made it my obligation to get to Atlanta once a month no matter what. He’d pick me up, take me to the crib and to my car. And after the trip was done, he’d drop me off back at the airport after we did breakfast. I recently ordered the same NBA game package that I’d initially gotten for him 3 years ago, all so we could call each other on a play.
Recently, there was something calling in me. After I spoke at UPenn on 2.6.16 I went to sit all day in my Dad’s den to watch Super Bowl 50. It was the grandest of times. After the game I offered to take my nephew and long-time PE founding member and SIW, James Norman, to their respective homes. Before we left, my Dad told us how in 1956, while he was in Marine Camp Lejeune, the nearby restaurant told him they wouldn’t serve Negroes. He laughed, remembering when Dick Gregory, recalling a similar experience, retorted that he didn’t eat Negroes either. My Dad also talked about how much he dug President Obama and never dug all the criticism about him. My Dad proceeded to tell some other jokes he’d heard on one of Dick Gregory’s 1960s albums. We laughed so much. I kissed my Dad on both sides of his face, rubbed his back, and said I loved him much and he told me the same. I was out the door.
My Dad passed away alone at home the next afternoon, while I was taking my mom to lunch with my sister and brother-in-law. My Superhero….real father …real man and more…I never had no need for any cartoon-, sports-, singer-, avatar-, or film-figure. I had the real thing.
In these millennial times, my Dad saluted fathers. Especially young black fathers where he said the props were not enough and society cast a bad one-sided light against them. He would continuously praise me as the best father he knew; I always shook my head and told him I was a chip off the block of the greatest. He’d pour it on me: “Fathers matter.” Yes, Black fathers matter more than ever.
I’m missing his voice bellowing my name through my house. Missing our get-together breakfast-to-the-airport ritual. It’s a painful absence that can never be overstated…
Peace, resPEct, Love… Forever
Daddy
Your son and family,
Chuck
This op-ed piece was originally published on PublicEnemy.com.
Seems like everything Gates’ touches turns to street gold as this Louisiana bred rapper has received rave reviews for his Islah project. Here Gates’ re-visits the project with his song “Pride” generating over 50,000 views in one day.
Check it out as the New York Times gets Tinashe, Dej Loaf And SZA to cover the great Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” While many in this new generation remeber The Fugees cover of the song, this one will be one to remember as well. If you are a big fan of female Hip-Hop and supporting the cause check out some of these other up and comers, Jean Deaux, Abra, Lord Narf and Empress Of.
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(AllHipHop News) OutKast, Future and Diddy are just a few of the artists set to be featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary based on the Atlanta production group, Organized Noize.
Rico Wade, Ray Murray, and Sleepy Brown developed Organized Noize back in 1992 and produced tons of Hip-Hop and R&B hits in the 90’s. They were responsible for the sounds of OutKast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik album, Ludacris’ Saturday and a few tracks for Puff Daddy himself.
The documentary aims to provide a detailed view of the influence the group had on today’s hip hop sound. It is also slated to cover their reported $21 million deal with Interscope records and their struggle making it in the music business.
Aside from Future, Outkast, and Puff, Metro Boomin and 2 Chainz will also be featured in the project, discussing their experiences working with the group and how they were personally influenced by their work.
Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit will be producing the project, which will be released on March 22nd. The film hints at a possible “comeback” for the group but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, you can catch the trailer for The Art of Organized Noize below.
(AllHipHop News) After weeks of name changes and guessing games, fans can finally rest knowing the title of Kanye’s upcoming album. With only hours until it’s debut, Kanye took to Twitter to finally answer the question people have been waiting for….. What does T.L.O.P stand for?
“Final tracklist for ‘The Life Of Pablo’,” Kanye said in a tweet accompanied by a fresh sheet of loose leaf paper containing a list of 10 tracks. Now the question is, which infamous Pablo is Mr. West referring too? He could mean famous artist, Pablo Picasso, since Kanye did openly idolize his status. “My goal, if I was going to do art, fine art, would have been to become [Pablo] Picasso or greater,” Kanye West said.
Now that we got a title for the album, what cover art could he be pairing it with? Guess we just have to wait and see. The Life of Pablo drops tomorrow, so sit tight!
E-Bro carefully shares his thoughts about the new T.L.O.P. project by Kanye that he heard last night. Apparently the GOOD Music fam was in the building including Kim, North West, A$AP Rocky, Tyga and others. The Electric Lady studio session was rich with libations aka beverages and apparently everyone was feeling right.
“We was having some beverages in there!” E-Bro said. “I was really into the music.”
When speaking about what Kanye wanted to be remembered from the project, he paraphrased Kanye words saying, “I want you to talk about how amazing the music is, the drums, the bass lines and the song structure.”
E-Bro also went on to talk about how Kanye had some pretty funny lines on the project. One particular line was about Ray J of all people, who was frequently brought up during the recent Wiz beef.
According to E-Bro Kanye said, “Me and Ray J would be friends if we wasn’t in love with the same b####. You might have hit it first, but I’m rich though.”
“It’s not serious its funny,” E-Bro recalled as he paraphrased rap.
What else will Kanye say? Who knows, but we will be eagerly waiting to hear every word of Swish, Waves, T.L.O.P.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West is allowing his fans across the world to experience the Yeezy Season 3 fashion event in NYC. The show will stream live on the entertainment platform Tidal on Thursday, February 11.
According to reports, the Madison Square Garden showcase will also premiere Ye’s latest album T.L.O.P. (formerly So Help Me God, Swish, and Waves). The Yeezy Season 3 live stream can viewed here at 4 pm ET.
YEEZY Season 3. 2/11 4PM ET. @TheGarden. Livestream for ALL on TIDAL. https://t.co/flkoN5t26q
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 10, 2016
Photo Credit: YouTube
(AllHipHop News) Any time Hip-Hop’s greatest MCs are debated Big Pun’s name is brought up. Pun’s lyrical legacy continues to challenge time. The Bronx native is still touted as one of the best to ever pick up a mic. It’s no surprise that tonight (Feb. 10), in New York City, many respected wordsmiths will gather at S.O.B.’s to honor Big Pun.
Talib Kweli is set to headline this legendary line-up. Golden Era giants like EPMD’s Parish Smith, D.I.T.C.’s AG, The Beatnuts, and Cuban Link are set to rock the mic. In total, 14 acts — along with other special surprise guests — will be featured.
In addition to these slated guests, Big Pun’s son, Chris Rivers, will also be center stage. The Capital Punishment MC’s genetic protégé spoke exclusively to AllHipHop about tonight’s 9P event. “I think the show is wonderful. It gives me and many others the privilege to not only be a part of his legacy but also further keep it alive,” expressed Pun’s son.
Chris — who himself, is emerging as a respected wordsmith — continued to reflect on his father’s impact on the genre. He then offered, “My father made himself immortal through his own achievements. It just feels like a blessing, that I’m able to touch to the stage to honor, and pay my respects in the way that he lived his life.”
Entrenched metaphors, cunning wordplay, and near-faultless delivery are reasons why Hip-Hop has immortalized Big Pun. The reminiscent Chris Rivers finally added, “It’s awesome to see that after 16 years of him being gone, he still has such an impact on people and a dedicated fan base that loves him.”
A Tribute To BIG PUN***** pic.twitter.com/gUy6kfmpGI
— Parish Smith (@PMDofEPMD) February 5, 2016
To purchase tickets for the 9P showtime click here.
Photo Credit: Instagram
(AllHipHop News) Recently, Stalley sat down and exclusively revealed to AllHipHop who he predicted to win Super Bowl 50. The MMG musician also explained in detail his thoughts on Beyoncé’s half-time performance. He also broke down and the powerful symbolism in her latest video “Formation.”
In the past Stalley has maintained a neutral stance concerning his labelmates social media beefs. When it comes to the Orange Crush Stalley had a lot to say. “I’m a big Broncos fan; I’ve been that for a while,” admits the Ohio native. Childhood memories of the legendary John Elway came up before the discussion focused on Peyton Manning.
With his loyalty already invested into the Denver Broncos he then matter-of-factly stated, “I’m a big–big Peyton Manning fan. He’s probably my favorite player of all time. I’m very happy for him,” revealed the “Fountain Of Youth” rapper. A maintained respect was then extended to Cam Newton’s athletic prowess. Stalley explained that he isn’t “anti-Cam Newton.” He just does not condone people becoming “sheeps” and mindlessly following internet fads.
When the discussion delved into Beyonce’s “Formation” Stalley said, “It’s a great song.” With San Francisco as the global setting — Bey boldly paid homage to the Black Panther Party — which originated Oakland. “I just love that she did that. Because, we need more people in her position doing things like that…And on that stage it’s very powerful.”
Check out the full clip:
Freddie Gibbs announces the Shadow Of A Doubt Tour which will take him across the Unites States on a 38 date run. To coincide with the announcement, Gibbs is sharing a stream of new track “Money, Cash, Hoes”. Proving yet again that he is one of the most versatile and consistent rappers, Gibbs’ Shadow Of A Doubt mixtape finds him developing his style across a varied set of beats from Mike Dean, Boi-1da, Kaytranada, and more. Cop the album now on iTunes!
Listen to “Money Cash H*es” below.
After releasing multiple street anthems over the past few weeks and accompanying G Herbo on his “Ballin Like I’m Kobe” Tour, Jacksonville’s Mobsquad Nard releases his debut project “Everything Clean But Da Ashtray” today. The project includes features and production from Big K.R.I.T, G Herbo, 21 Savage, Trae the Truth, Fki, Zaytoven, & more.
After building his buzz over the past few years in Duval County, Nard is emerging at the forefront of the hip-hop movement in Florida. Nard’s visuals for “Right Ni”, “Jungle”, and “Did Dat”, have given fans an up close and personal look at the grittiness of life in Jacksonville.
Listen below.
(AllHipHop News) WGN America has unveiled the key art and a featurette for the network’s upcoming television program Underground. “The Music of ‘Underground’” goes behind-the-scenes with executive producer John Legend, Emmy Award winning composer Laura Karpman, and singer-songwriter/producer Raphael Saadiq.
The 10-episode series follows a group of men and women as they attempt to escape slavery on the Underground Railroad. The cast includes Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Christopher Melon, Alano Miller, Jessica de Gouw, Marc Blucas, Adina Porter, Mykelti Williamson, and Jussie Smollett.
Underground is scheduled to premiere Wednesday, March 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on WGN America.
Check out the key art and “The Music of ‘Underground’” featurette for Underground below.
(AllHipHop News) Within Hip-Hop who are destined to become the next richest rappers? A host of tastemakers were challenged by that question. Lovebug Starski, Charlamagne Tha God, Craig Kallman (Atlantic Records CEO), Hit-Boy — along with a few Forbes‘ staffers — assembled to answer that inquiry.
In addition to MCs and rappers, the parameters were expanded to also include producers. It was quickly agreed upon that Fetty Wap’s record-breaking year has earned him the list’s top spot. The “Trap Queen” connoisseur has been dominating mainstream radio. Despite being largely ignored by the mainstream media, Logic also earned a spot on the list.
Charlamagne broke down his perspective on the Def Jam wordsmith. The Breakfast Club host offered, “Logic is interesting because he doesn’t get radio play, but he has one of those cult-like followings fueled by social media and they actually support him when his album drops.”
Fetty Wap
Boi-1da
DeJ Loaf
G-Eazy
Joey Bada$$
Lil Dicky
Little Simz
Logic
Metro Boomin
Young Dolph
In a quick video filmed outside a studio session in NYC, a TMZ camera guy grabs a quick few questions from Kanye about his Yeezy shoes and the MSG show that is coming up. Kanye talks about making the product cheaper while still being able to express himself artistically. Quick but some insight about whats going on.
Photo Credit: Instagram
Yesterday, Future was hit with a defamation lawsuit which seeks tremendous monetary damages. His ex-fiancée, Ciara, alleges that Future has worked to tarnish her image. So now, the “Goodies” singer wants $15 M to help repair the damage.
Since their engagement fell through, in different ways the former couple has expressed its angst. Back in 2015, Ciara penned down her pain and released the platinum-selling track, “I Bet.” Of course, the subject of the song is presumed to be none other than, Future.
After Mr. Hendrix received the news of CiCi’s pending lawsuit, on his behalf, a source has spoken out about pending legal showdown. The EVOL rapper believes that Ciara is behaving in an immature and “petty” manner, this according to TMZ.
That same insider has also reported that Future has yet to be properly served with Ciara’s court documents. Previously, a process server tried unsuccessfully to pass off the docs at LAX.
Mr. Freebandz is said to be weighing his legal options. He may even counter and file a lawsuit against Ciara.
People are salty about the Super Bowl! The Panthers should have won! There were definitely some super questionable calls by the refs, but would the Illuminati come in and change the outcome to a football game!?
Were they looking to stop the rise of a Black Messiah?
WTF?
Read this: Cam Newton And Beyoncé’s Super Bowl Sunday Was A Black Panther Party Dream Deferred
Photo Credit: Instagram
(AllHipHop News) Last month, yet again, Bobby Shmurda experienced the agony of having his bail denied for the seventh time. The incarcerated Epic rapper has been jailed since mid-December of 2014. Thus far, Bobby has been locked away from the booth for 419 days for drug, conspiracy, and gun charges.
Yesterday (Feb. 9), the New York’s Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor announced that Shmurda’s trail has been postponed. Its Director of Public Information, Kati Cornell, went on to explain that Bobby’s trial will commence on May 11, this according to XXL. Bobby, along with three other member of his GS9 squad, were given the same court date.
As it stands Bobby has been hit with a $2 M dollar bond and an extended wait to go to trail. Is this an accurate reflection of the American justice system?
West Coast meets East Coast on the forthcoming collaborative album Statik KXNG. The 10-track project features California lyricist Kxng Crooked delivering rhymes over production by Massachusetts board master Statik Selektah.
Of course this is not the first time the two Hip Hop representatives partnered with other artists for a joint musical effort. Statik’s discography includes complete bodies of work with Termanology, Freddie Gibbs, and Action Bronson. Crooked joined forces with Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Royce da 5’9” to form the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse.
While Royce recently linked up with DJ Premier for PRhyme and Joell collaborated with Illmind for Human, the rapper-producer tandem of Crooked and Statik has created its own unique presentation. Statik KXNG is rooted in a traditional Hip Hop soundbed with superior bars about the traps of fame, confronting social injustice, and other topics viewed through the eyes of the Long Beach wordsmith.
Kxng Crooked spoke with AllHipHop.com about his new LP with Statik Selektah. Part one of the conversation also includes the “Dead Or In Jail” spitter sharing his thoughts on modern-day battles, his home state’s rap scene, and current Hip Hop culture.
Whose idea was it to team up for a full joint album?
Statik hit me with the idea. We always talk about doing some sh*t. One day we were at the PRhyme concert, and we said, “Yeah, it might be that time.”
Knowing how Hip Hop fans are, it’s likely Statik KXNG is going to get compared to what Royce and Premo did with PRhyme or what Joell and Illmind did with Human. I know that’s your team, but is there ever any friendly competition when it comes to these collaborative projects?
I told Statik we should start a beef with PRhyme. [laughs] You know how it goes. The fans and supporters will have their opinions, and they’ll be vocal about it online. For us, it’s just about making a dope project that makes an impact. I would actually like to do a tour with PRhyme, Joell & Illmind, and ourselves.
I know you were joking about beefing, but that’s been in the news a lot recently. The Game put up a post where he suggested battles in Hip Hop have become too much of a thing that happens on social media as opposed to being a lyrical competition. Do you think the culture will ever go back to focusing on lyrics when talking about who’s the best or who came out the winner in a battle?
Unfortunately, it’s almost like if you can make the best meme, you won the battle. It needs to get back to [being about lyrics]. I think that the power is in the people’s hands. This new generation of fans need to really understand the history of Hip Hop. I think once they open their minds to the way the culture started, they can begin to understand why a meme shouldn’t decide the battle.
You would think that in today’s industry, where you have the reemergence of battle rap, you would think it would be, “Okay, let’s listen to the lyrics. Who has the best lyrics?” You have all these dudes out here – Loaded Lux, Murda Mook, Arsonal – all these guys out here battling and getting millions of views on YouTube.
It’s almost like that’s a totally separate world then when two guys are beefing on wax. It’s really not. It comes from the same place. I just want to hear some dope sh*t. I’m hearing people’s diss records, and the sh*t sounds horrible.
What did you think about Funk Volume’s response to Horseshoe Gang?
I think they did a cool job. At the end of the day, Horseshoe Gang is hungry. We are all. We pride ourselves on being hungary lyricists. Horseshoe was ready to go in and do a whole mixtape. I was like, “Nah, y’all ain’t got to do that.” But that’s just how hungry they are, they don’t give a f*ck. If you call them to make a Funk Volume diss for tomorrow, you’d have that sh*t tonight.
I thought the Hopsin sh*t was cool. Right now, I’m tripping on the fact that Hopsin and Funk Volume is supposedly breaking up. I don’t know if I really believe it. I don’t know what the issue really is. But if it’s not too crazy, if I’m Hopsin, then I would just try to get past it.
[Funk Volume co-founder] Dame [Ritter] is a very smart and savvy dude. I think they made a good team. Hop might check out of there, and it could be hard to find another partner like that.
The West Coast movement is really rising. What are your thoughts about what’s happening in the Hip Hop scene out there right now?
It’s cool. I see people doing their thing. I went to the A$AP Yams Day event, and I saw my homie Joey Fatts from Long Beach there. It’s always good to see people move around and leave the city.
I know so many underground lyricists that my challenge is how do we get the spotlight on these dudes. The guys we got going – great, you’re doing your thing, feeding your families, living your dreams. That’s dope. But what about all these cats in the underground that are ridiculous with rhymes? It’s always part of my fight to bring those people to the spotlight, because I don’t think the world has seen the best of the West Coast yet.
You talked before about how the fans need to take a bit more control over the direction of the culture. When it comes to the type of rap music that’s currently being promoted the most, do you think that promotion is mostly because of what’s happening with the labels, the media, the fans, or the artists themselves?
I think we all share a little blame. For a corporation, it’s great for them. Eighty percent of the major labels’ music is going to be some sh*t that’s not thought provoking at all. When you have people turning up and living in this haze of clubbing, getting high, f*cking b*tches, and repeat – they’re not keeping their eyes on everything going on in the business. For the labels, that’s cool. They love that type of sh*t.
On a conspiracy theory level, are they trying to keep the music dumbed down so they can control a generation of Hip Hop fans and keep them distracted? That could be. On a fan level, it’s all good to turn up. I alway say when I go into a strip club, I don’t want to hear Slaughterhouse.
At the end of the day, artists are supposed to have some sort of voice, and the music is supposed to reflect the times. So when you have all these protests over kids getting killed by police officers, the terrorism, and all this sh*t going on, and none of the Hip Hop music reflects the times – if you put it in a time capsule, no one would know what the f*ck was going on in 2015-2016.
If they just listened to today’s music, they wouldn’t know what the f*ck was really happening in the world at this point. So yeah, I think the fans got to take control. We can’t lean on labels to do sh*t, because all they care about is the numbers. I get that, that’s business.
We got to take control of this sh*t. But from an artist standpoint, we got to refuse to do certain things. I refuse to do certain sh*t. I’ve been offered all types of songs with crazy Auto-Tune hooks and sh*t that would probably make me more relevant to a certain crowd. But I turned that sh*t down.
I felt like one of the themes presented on Statik KXNG was the idea of you not being willing to sell your soul. Can you explain what the idea of selling your soul means to you?
I think you sell your soul when you do something that goes against everything you believed in for money or fame. That’s when your soul is gone. That’s when you’ve sold it.
I believe in raw rhymes, raw beats, b-boying, graffiti, the pillars of Hip Hop. These are things I grew up wanting to be part of. I believe in studying your craft, because that’s what the founding fathers did. It means something to be good.
I hate when people say “I’m not a rapper” or “I’m just a street dude with a talent.” Well, if you’re not a rapper then get the f*ck out of Hip Hop. I won’t compromise those things I believe in and stand for when I’m making music, even to my own detriment sometimes. But it is what it is. I’m not going to do it.
Statik KXNG is like, “Yo, we got to stop being so sensitive out here in Hip Hop.” It’s a lot of wack sh*t. Everybody’s trying to be super sensitive when they’re doing interviews or speaking their minds on the current state of Hip Hop.
I do believe in focusing on the positive. I don’t like being the bearer of bad news. But guess what? It’s a lot of wack sh*t that’s going to spawn new wack sh*t, because the kids listening to the wack sh*t thinks this is the way to craft his own sh*t. So now I’m listening to 16 and 17 year olds’ Soundcloud pages, and they sound wack. It’s a domino effect that needs to be stopped.
Kxng Crooked & Statik Selektah’s Statik KXNG album is scheduled for release on February 12. Pre-order the album on iTunes.
Follow Kxng Crooked on Twitter @CrookedIntriago and Instagram @kxngcrooked.
Check out the cover art and tracklist for Statik KXNG below.
1. I Hear Voices
2. Magic & Bird
3. Lost A Fan
4. Everybody Know
5. Dead Or In Jail
6. Stop Playing
7. Good Gone Bad
8. Lets Go featuring Termanology
9. B*tch Got Me F*cked Up
10. Brand New Sh*t
(AllHipHop News) On February 15 Kendrick Lamar will have the opportunity to join Lauryn Hill and OutKast as the only Hip Hop acts to ever win the coveted Grammy award for Album Of The Year. Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly is competing against The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness, Taylor Swift’s 1989, Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color, and Chris Stapleton’s Traveller.
With a universally acclaimed project and a Hip Hop record-setting 11 Grammy nominations, Kendrick is favored by some observers to take home the AOTY trophy, the night’s biggest prize. The TDE emcee is also up for Song Of The Year, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and more.
Grammy.com spoke with several of the people that worked on To Pimp A Butterfly for an extensive oral history of the LP. Read some of the quotes from the article below.
Kendrick Lamar:
The title grasped the entire concept of the record. [I wanted to] break down the idea of being pimped in the industry, in the community and out of all the knowledge that you thought you had known, then discovering new life and wanting to share it.
Thundercat (producer):
[“Wesley’s Theory”] started with Flying Lotus and I sitting on the couch in front of the computer analyzing George Clinton. He became the fuel for creating. I was really blown away that Kendrick was so into that song.
Sounwave (producer):
When we first did “King Kunta,” the beat was the jazziest thing ever with pretty flutes. Kendrick said he liked it but to “make it nasty.” He referenced a DJ Quik record with Mausberg [“Get Nekkid”] and he told me what to do with it. I added different drums to it, simplified it, got Thundercat on the bass, and it was a wrap.
Terrace Martin (co-producer):
If you dig deeper you hear the lineage of James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Mahalia Jackson, the sounds of Africa, and our people when they started over here. I hear something different every time. I heard Cuban elements in it the other day.
Rapsody (artist):
I was in New York the first time I got the call. [It was] the day after [Lamar’s] “Control” verse dropped. Everybody was talking about the verse and Kendrick was in Africa. I went about a year before him so I knew what that trip does to you, especially as a black person.
Derek “MixedByAli” Ali (engineer):
[The] session [for “U”] was very uncomfortable. [Lamar] wrote it in the booth. The mic was on and I could hear him walking back and forth and having these super angry vocals. Then he’d start recording with the lights off and it was super emotional. I never asked what got into him that day.
The 58th Annual Grammy Awards broadcast is scheduled to air on Monday, February 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. Read the entire “The Oral History Of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly” at grammy.com.