What’s happening people? Before I get into my into my usual rantings, I must once again say Rest In Peace to Jam Master Jay and send my condolences to his family and friends. When did human life start meaning so little? Be sure to pick up Run-DMC’s “Greatest Hits” album if you haven’t already done so. It is required listening for any hip hop head, you gotta know where it all started. With that said, onto to some other things that upset me in a different way.
Just when I thought I couldn’t detest him any more, my hatred for the man got taken to a whole new level. My boy had a copy of a Source mag from a couple months ago, the one with Murder Inc on the cover. Just to irritate myself I checked out the cover story, which is accompanied with a picture of Ja Rule that I can’t possibly do justice. He is just trying so hard to look tough and failing so miserably, it is actually quite sad. If I didn’t despise him so much I might have actually felt pity. Then I see the caption where he says something along the lines of; if 50 Cent comes after him he will be forced to take down not only 50 Cent but Em, Dre and the rest of Aftermath as well. I couldn’t believe my eyes. All I could think about was Tupac in “Above The Rim” saying “please, somebody tell me, this is a fucking joke.” I mean, seriously now, who the fuck is he kidding? What is he gonna do? Scream “murda” a few more times? Yeah, that should cut it. Besides the fact that 50 Cent would eat him, imagine what Eminem would do. Eminem might be an MTV icon like Ja Rule but he is still a lyricist first and foremost. People seem to forget that just a few years ago Eminem was an underground phenom known for his battling skills, that is how he came up. Not only did he earn the respect of being an incredible battler, but he did while being white. There are stories of Eminem battling big, scary black men on street corners and tearing them up until they couldn’t help but pay homage. Hence, 8 Mile. Like him or not, you can’t front; the man is a brilliant lyricist and has more venom than a cobra.
Let’s not forget who else is on Aftermath (that is before Ja Rule puts them out of business), Dre, Rakim, Ice Cube, Obie Trice, D-12. Hey Rakim, forget those strips you’ve earned, forget being called the greatest emcee of all-time, Ja Rule is about to step to your camp and end you all, better hang up the mic and call it a career. He has it planned already, he has a booty-ass r&b track hooked up, Ashanti on the hook and Cadillac Tah is doing adlibs, and he is going to blast y’all with that lyrical ability that he doesn’t have and make threats that he can’t back up. Since this beef with DMX has popped up, Ja Rule seems to think he has street credibility and that people should be scared of him, in the studio or on the streets. C’mon now, stick to making songs with Ashanti and J-Lo, you’re not a thug; you’re not hard, you’re not an emcee; you are fucking wack. Except it and don’t try and front like you are anything other than an r&b rapper. Fuckin’ bitch.
You know what else is pissing me off lately? The term ‘sell-out.’ It is a favorite for underground heads and they use it as soon as their favorite artist reaches a fan base past 50,000 people. Apathy has been called a sell-out recently because he signed with a major, HE HASN’T MADE A SONG WITH THEM YET! What happens if he comes out even harder than we was, did he still sell out? At least afford him that opportunity. If you believe that a certain artist is what ‘real hip hop’ is and they sign with a major and continue to make the same music, you should be happy. That way, they can reach a bigger audience, and if you are really a fan, then you should be happy for them. Fans sell-out a lot quicker than emcees do.
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I was quite surprised with how many of you agreed with my list last month, good for you. I did make a huge mistake in forgetting Mars Ill’s “Raw Material,” don’t miss that one either. Next month I will be doing my best of 2002 list, so if there is any particular categories you want in there, let me know. Since everyone seems to love the lists so much, how could I let a month pass without another one. So just to tide you over until next month, here is my top 15 albums from the incredible year that was 1994:
1. Nas – Illmatic
2. Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die
3. Gangstarr – Hard To Earn
4. Outkast – Southernplayalisticadillacmusik
5. Common – Resurrection
6. Jeru The Damaja – The Sun Rises In The East
7. Method Man – Tical
8. Organized Konfusion – Stress: Extinction Agenda
9. Scarface – The Diary
10. The Beatnuts
11. Gravediggaz – 6 Feet Deep
12. Redman – Dare Iz A Darkside
13. 2Pac – Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
14. MC Eiht – We Come Strapped
15. Artifacts – Between A Rock and A Hard Place
Peace y’all. Love me, hate me, feel free to tell me.
