Kanye West changed the landscape of Hip-Hop when he dropped his debut album The College Dropout ten years ago this month. It was probably no surprise to Kanye that the album produced five hit singles, landed at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 100 Album’s list, and sold double platinum—it has now sold over four million copies worldwide.
Kanye was able to strike a chord with his listening audience and not just because of the types of production on the album. It was also his ability to relate to listeners and articulate the common struggles people go through on a day-to-day basis, as they attempt to pursue their dreams.
Kanye discussed his magical ingredient for The College Dropout during a rare, 2004 interview with Mass Appeal published on Complex.com.
The ten years that passed humbled Kanye, who stated that The College Dropout was a “true labor of love.” It’s reflected in everything about the album, from the production, to the mix, the guest appearances (a debut album with Jay Z, Twista, Common, Freeway, etc.) and the album cover.
“I am honored and humbled by my fans, for the unwavering support and love over the past ten years. I wake up every day trying to give something back to you that you can rock to and be proud of,” Kanye tweeted.
In honor of its anniversary, we pulled a few of Kanye’s best witty, amusing, or well-written punch lines on The College Dropout.
1. We Don’t Care
The drug game bulimic, it’s hard to get weight A ni**a’s money is h*m*, it’s hard to get straight But we gonna keep baking til the day we get cake
2. Spaceship If my manager insults me again I will be assaulting him After I f**k the manager up Then I’m gonna shorten the register up
3. Jesus Walks Well if this take away from my spins Which will probably take away from my ends Then I hope this take away from my sins
4. Never Let Me Down Now ni**as can’t make it to ballots to choose leadership But we can make it to Jacob’s and to the dealership Swear I hear new music and I just don’t be feeling it Racism’s still alive, they just be concealing it
5. Get ‘Em High My flow is in the pocket like wallets, I got the bounce like hydraulics, I can’t call it, I got the swerve like alcoholics
6. Breathe In, Breathe Out Always said if I rapped I’d say something significant But now I’m rapping bout money, hoes, and rims again And it’s still about the Benjamins Big faced hundreds and whatever other synonyms Strippers named Cinnamon More chips than Pentium
7. School Spirit I got a Jones like Norah for your soror bring more of them girls I’ve seen in The Aurora
8. Two Words Most imitated, Grammy nominated Hotel accommodated, cheerleader prom-dated Barbershop playa-hated, mom-and-pop bootlegged-ed Felt like it rained ’til the roof caved in
9. Through The Wire Unbreakable, what you thought, they’d call me Mr. Glass Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past
10. Family Business You know that one auntie, you don’t mean to be rude But every holiday nobody eating her food And you don’t wanna stay there cause them your worst cousins Got roaches at their crib like them your first cousins Act like you ain’t took a bath with your cousins
Fit three in the bed while it’s six of y’all I’m talking ’bout three by the head and three by the leg But you aint have to tell my girl I used to pee in the bed
(AllHipHop News) Chris Brown has a little clarity in his life now. During a hearing today (February 20th), Chris Brown’s lawyers and the prosecutors have decided on a start date for Brown’s misdemeanor assault trial.
The date was set for April 17th and comes after Brown’s lawyer rejected a plea deal in January. Brown also has a probation violation hearing in Los Angeles on February 28th in regards to the same assault case.
Brown’s sixth solo album X was scheduled to be released in December of 2013, but was subsequently pushed back to later in 2014 after Brown entered a three month rehab program in November.
It seems like Cee-Lo was soon to be fired from “The Voice” or at least he thought so. The Goodie Man was all good and suddenly announced that he would not be returning to the popular show. As you know, Cee-Lo has had some legal issues and it seems like he preempted any moves by NBC to let him go. The word on the street is that Cee-Lo announced his resignation on The Ellen Degeneres Show earlier this week so they could not fire him. Apparently, they wanted to do some mutual parting of ways to make it amicable. Cee-Lo had other ideas. The report also said that Cee-Lo was cracking under the stress of his legal situation. Looks like Usher has another job.
RELATED: Cee Lo Green Cleared Of Sexual Assault Charges, Not Of Drug Possession
RANDOM: Why doesn’t Usher sing anymore?
Maybe this will just get Cee-Lo back to music, specifically Hip-Hop.
(AllHipHop News) Some people use absentee parents as motivation to venture into crime, others use it as fuel to achieve goals and Lebron James seems to be in the latter. Lebron James posted a photo on his personal Instagram of an excerpt of his GQ interview where he discusses his father’s absence from his life.
Lebron has never met his father and his mother, Gloria Marie James, gave birth to him at the age of 16. In the Instagram post Lebron takes a quote from his GQ interview and thanks his business partner Maverick Carter for being one of the men to take his father’s place in his life:
Wow, Dad, you know what, I don’t know you, I have no idea who you are, but because of you is part of the reason who I am today.’ The fuel that I use—you not being there—it’s part of the reason I grew up to become who I am. It’s part of the reason why I want to be hands-on with my endeavors. And be able to put my guys that’s with me now in position. Like Maverick Carter, my right-hand guy in my business. Rich Paul, my agent. Randy Mims, my friend—he’s my manager, you know. So me in a position allowing people around me to grow, that maybe wouldn’t have happened if I had two parents, two sisters, a dog, and a picket fence, you know?
(AllHipHop News) The end of an era has occurred. 24 hours after Dr. Dre and Eminem recreate the iconic 2002 XXL cover with Jimmy Iovine instead of 50, 50 Cent has announced he and G-Unit Records has left Interscope Records and signs with Caroline/Capitol/UMG.
The deal places 50 Cent and G-Unit Records in Caroline Records, the independent service division of Capitol Records, making 50 Cent an independent artist for the first time in over 13 years. Former boss and current friend Eminem spoke on 50’s new signing in a press release statement:
Both myself and Shady Records are grateful to have had the chance to play a part in 50’s career. Shady simply would not be what it is without 50 Cent. I’ve developed a great friendship with 50 over the years, and that’s not going to change. We know 50 will have success in his new situation, and we remain supporters of both him and G-Unit.
50 Cent’s first project scheduled to be released through his new label will be his highly anticipated and often delayed album Animal Ambition which is set to be released June 3RD. The album can be pre-ordered on March 18th and those who do will receive two new tracks. 50 Cent will release a song and video each week until the June 3rd release date.
50 Cent has a long history with almost signing with Capitol Records. Back in 2001, Capitol Records A&R Joe “3H” Weinberger attempted to sign 50 Cent, but was denied by Capitol Records execs over 50’s aggressive persona. Back in July of 2010, Capitol Records’ National Director of Urban Promotion, Craig Davis announced that 50 Cent and G-Unit Records had already signed to Capitol Records. However, less than a week after that announcement, 50 Cent released a statement calling Davis an “idiot” and saying “out of nowhere he comes out, and you can tell he’s drunk or some sh*t.”
(AllHipHop News) 2014 is relatively young, but not old enough to find out who will be the artists to look out for in the next 12 months. Today (February 20th), New Music Seminar announced their “Class of 2014” which included 100 up and comping artists including 9th Wonder’s artist Rapsody, Bishop Nehru, Smoke DZA and many others.
Also included in the list are The Underachievers, Troy Ave, Taylor Gang’s Chevy Woods and Tree. Past members of the Artists on The Verge include Danny Brown, Joey Bada$$, Macklemore and many others.
Three of the 100 finalists on the list will perform during the New Music Seminar in New York City from June 8-10.
Check out New Music Seminar’s full Artist on the Verge list here.
(AllHipHop News) Forbes magazine has been crowning “Hip Hop Cash Kings” for the past seven years. Some of the heavyweights in the game like Jay Z, Diddy, and Dr. Dre have made the publication’s annual list of top earners in rap.
Forbes is now acknowledging 10 rappers under the age of 30 that are on the cusp of reaching the throne with its new “Hip Hop Cash Princes” list.
“These ten artists are the rising stars with the best chance of vaulting to the next level of commercial viability—and they’re the ones most likely to make the leap to the Cash Kings list in the near future,” states Forbes.
The 2014 Hip Hop Cash Princes list includes A$AP Rocky, Azealia Banks, Big Sean, Chance The Rapper, French Montana, J. Cole, Meek Mill, Travis Scott, Tyga, and Wale.
The finalists were chosen by rap music industry insiders Bryan “Birdman” Williams, and Fab 5 Freddy, Kevin Liles along with Forbes reporters Natalie Robehmed and Zack O’Malley Greenburg.
(AllHipHop News) In a lot of ways 2014 is starting off as the year of reconciliation. OutKast has reunited for a series of festival concert dates, Rick Ross and Young Jeezy collaborated f a new track, and now Nas and Cam’ron have apparently buried the hatchet as well.
The Dipset leader and the Queensbridge legend ran into each other at an airport as both emcees were on their way back to New York. The moment was captured in a photograph that Killa Cam posted to his Instagram. The caption for the pic read, “#QB #HARLEM #UwasntThere.”
I’m always leary of writing about beef between guys like these. They actually kill each other in these evil streets. But, Durk vs Keef may not get to that level since they have been going at it for some time. But yesterday, Durk licked a shot and then continued on and on for several tweets to make sure his point was understood.
Heard it’s a sneak diss I’m Finna drop a diss I ain’t gotta sneak
(AllHipHop News) The G-Unit was once one of the most successful crews in Hip Hop with rappers representing the East Coast, West Coast, and the South all on one team. Now, one of the last remaining members of the group has made it clear he is ready to officially move on from his association with G-Unit.
Tony Yayo took to Instagram to voice his feelings that he, 50 Cent, and Lloyd Banks are over as a collective. In a series of comments addressed to fans, Yayo stated that he is “done with the music industry” and he wanted to “try new things and the unit not together.”
via: http://imgur.com/a/rD2RR
“To many b***h ass n***as n***as want you to brown nose all the time homie,” writes Yayo. “50 ain’t rocking with me and Banks the same. I layed my life down for the unit but you live and you learn.”
This comes as a big change from just a week ago when Yayo posted a Throwback Thursday picture of him, 50, and Banks with the caption, “TBT just spoke to Banks we working. And @buckshotz we working the unit.”
Despite 50, Game, and Young Buck all stating that a full G-Unit reunion is not likely to happen, Yayo had shown his support for Buck recently. Buck even suggested that he would be open to working with Yayo again during an interview last month.
While Buck and Yayo may still be on good terms, it now appears the last three G-Unit members reuniting for another run is unlikely.
(AllHipHop News) Hip Hop group Slum Village, Yancey Media Group, and the family of J Dilla have announced that the all proceeds from the new Slum Village single “Yes Yes” will go to the late producer’s children.
Slum Village members Jay Dee, Illa J, Young RJ, and T3 created the Dilla-produced track as part of Dilla Day Detroit 2014. The event, which also featured DJ Premier, Pete Rock, De La Soul, Phife Dawg and Guilty Simpson, was a celebration of the man who crafted songs with award-winning artists like Common, The Roots, and Erykah Badu.
“I would like to thank everyone for the love and support and Slum Village and Yancey Media Group for donating the proceeds from this single to Dilla’s daughters,” stated Joylette, the mother of Dilla’s youngest daughter Ja’ May Yancey.
Dilla passed away from Lupus in 2006 at the age of 32.
Slum Village’s “Yes Yes” is now available on iTunes. Stream the song below.
(AllHipHop News) Soul singer Dwele and the Making It Happen Foundation are launching a new text-to-give fundraiser that will benefit music and arts education programs around the country and particularly Dwele’s hometown of Detroit.
The “Drive the Future” campaign is part of the HEROES (Helping Everyone Reach Opportunities and Elevated Sustainability) initiative. Supporters can text “DRIVETHEFUTURE” to 41444 to donate to the campaign. They will also receive a download of Dwele’s single “Drive the Future.”
“I always look for platforms to help introduce young people to music and technology in ways they can understand and use. I am very proud of the work the Making It Happen Foundation is doing, and am honored to partner with them,” says Dwele. “I love the song – it is basically saying, control your future, be a mover and a shaker. The saying goes – there are those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened. So, we’re telling young people – and everybody – be a driver, not a passenger, in your own future.”
Dwele will be participating in a case study documentary sponsored by T-Mobile as well. The film will follow the Grammy nominated performer as he works with students who are a part of the Music Technology Innovation (MTI) program at Detroit’s Early College of Excellence High School. Dwele will teach students how to remix their own version of the song “Drive the Future” using iPad minis, music production apps, and T-Mobile’s 4G connection services.
“By partnering with schools and non-traditional community leaders such as Dwele, we can engage youth and give them exposure to skill sets that incorporate technology,” says Chetrice Gillon, President of Making It Happen Foundation. “Dwele is the perfect ambassador for this program because he is a product of the Detroit Public School System and has always been active in drive students to the next level by providing exposure to industry skill sets in a class room setting utilizing current technology tools.”
Listen to Dwele’s “Drive The Future” single below.
(AllHipHop News) The daily line-up for the third annual BUKU Music + Art Project Festival has been announced. Artists from several genres will hit New Orleans on March 21st and March 22nd for the 18 and over event set along the Mississippi River.
Hip Hop stars such as Nas, Pusha T, Tyler, the Creator, Schoolboy Q, Chance The Rapper, and Danny Brown will be among the acts to perform across five different stages that weekend.
(AllHipHop News) Kanye West and Bonnaroo have made peace and he will be apart of a 2014 Bonaroo Festival jam packed lineup. Kanye West will join Elton John, Frank Ocean, Lionel Richie, Jack White and more to headline this year’s Bonaroo Festival.
The festival will include performances from Skrillex, Wiz Khalifa, Lauryn Hill, Ice Cube, Janelle Monae and a myriad of other talents spanning rock, R&B, soul, Hip Hop and EDM. Noticably absent from the lineup is Outkast who announced they would be performing at 40 festival dates starting with their performance at this year’s Coachella Music Festival in April.
Another caveat of this year’s Bonnaroo Festival is that it marks Kanye West’s 1st performance at Bonnaroo since he voiced his displeasure at the Coachella organizers following his extremely delayed 2008 performance. Originally scheduled for 8:45 P.M., Kanye did not appear on stage until 4:45 a.m. for his last performance at Bonnaroo in 2008 and blamed his erratic performance on the organizers in a blog post:
WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH F*CKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN’T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY. THEY TRIED 2 GIVE ME A TIME SLOT WHERE IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE … I HAVE A F*CKING LIGHT SHOW DUMB A*S, IT’S NOT CALLED GLOW IN THE DARK FOR NO REASON SQUID BRAINS!
Over 150 performers are set to perform on ten stages at Bonnaroo, which is set to take place between June 12th and June 15th in Manchester, Tennessee. Check out the full list of performers at this year’s Bonnaroo Festival at the event’s official website.
I saw this on Facebook but didn’t funny understand the gravity of the situation until people started to email me about it. I was like DAMN…Drizzy $hitted on Diddy! I’m sure a lot of you saw it, but I have to put it on the record in the rumors. Basically, Drake got super amped while performing “Worst Behavior” during All Star, but his mic wasn’t working right. He literally SNATCHED the mic from Diddy and then put the other mic on the floor. THEN, Diddy picked up the mic off the floor.
It was just crazy!
Look at it.
In all reality, ain’t no beef here. Drake just got hype on his revenge song.
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
You know, it may take the old heads to bring NYC back. I don’t know if the young boys want it like that. Back in the day, the New York scene was fiercely competitive and a lot of times, these dudes ended up tearing themselves apart. Well great news…earlier today (February 19), Cam’ron posted a pic of him and Nas in peaceful times. I know a lot has changed, but I think these dudes can spark i stuff if they actually do a record.
What do you think of this? Does it matter?
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
This is pretty weird, but Russell Simmons has taken to twitter to shoot down the rumor that his ex-wife Kimora is doing anything with Baby. Now, I’m not sure how he knows since she is a couple dudes removed from her. But, he jumped in the conversation despite the lovey dovey assertion to the contrary.
All of us love @OfficialKimora but the fact is she is happily married. . Tim is has been family for a while now. #gossipcop….
GET INTERACTIVE WITH ALLHIPHOP.COM!
