“OUT HERE GRINDIN.COM” – The #1 Source for Hip Hop

“Who’s New York’s biggest star, Jay-Z right?,” Maino asked in an interview. “So you mean to tell me that there is no one capable of becoming a Jay-Z? The problem with New York is that we don’t produce stars no more we still stuck on the old stars. I don’t think that it’s just that n*ggas can’t make good music. Take me for example. I have proved hands down that I make good music right? But when Jay-Z puts out a record its gone be like, the biggest thing since the steering wheel…I’m glad Diddy signed Red Cafe cause nowhere [else] is opening up an avenue for a new n*gga. Instead of concentrating so much on his self, he opening it up for a new n*gga. Murda was signed nothing came out of that…The OG’s school you…So it being no camaraderie and no connection it makes it that much harder for a n*gga to make it to that point to be a Jay-Z.” (Rap Radar) – Maino, New York City Rapper

New York……Is there any truth to this? Yes and No. Yes, New York has lost it’s luster lately but, this point doesn’t seem validated coming from someone as unaccomplished as Maino. He is a okay rapper but, who is he to question the Legends. When Jay-Z, Nas & Biggie came in the game, they didnt beg Kool G. Rap & Rakim to step out of the limelight & help them make moves. They made their force known individually; as the new generation of rappers should do as well. But, as stated above, there is SOME truth to this. Back in 1994, there were no stars on the level of Jay-Z or P.Diddy’s current status. No rapper before them had sold millions of records, sold out concerts & national tours, acquired half a billion dollars in personal net worth or created hundred million dollar incorporations. So Yes, the New York rappers of today have a much tougher fight in stealing attention from Today’s stars than yesteryear’s rookies.

When I listen to music from the south, I always hear Legends/Veterans collaborating with & endorsing artists on the come-up. From Scarface to Andre 3000 to Trick Daddy. Many correlate this as reasoning for their lengthly musical dominance. I can’t say the same for the rappers out of the East Coast. The Rap scene in New York City is at it’s most dismal point in hip hop history; with the stars aging quickly & no heirs in sight. The saddest of which is that with the snap of the finger, New York could be re-born. With ease The Legends could help breathe life back into the culture. The New York Powers That Be (Jay-Z, Diddy & 50 Cent) COULD & SHOULD help out more but, they aren’t OBLIGATED to. They COULD do songs with rising stars, they COULD let some regional acts have more cameos in videos, they COULD actually endorse their own before they do acts from the south, they SHOULD do this as this would only be a betterment for NY hip hop; as all these people had the same treatment early on in their career. As Big/Big Daddy Kane did Jay, as Rakim/MC Serch did Nas & as Jam Master Jay/Nas did 50 Cent. Sadly, we dont live in a fair world. So, oh well.

My only advice to the newcomers in NYC is to do it yourselves. Fuck em, gather who you can & create your own buzz/scene again. All of yall are grown men & should not depend on anyone, nor blame anyone for your lack of success. To those that make it out of this new crop, dont do the same to the next generation. As for now, stop bullshitting & get New York back to it’s rightful position.

We can talk all day about how bad New York is, how good New York was or how underserving The South is. However, the topic should be, how can we move New York forward?

I don’t know if you all know this, but Diddy’s working on a new album. Remember how Diddy got T-Pain’s permission to do the Autotune? Diddy even reportedly gave him a point or half point on the new album. WELL, HERE IS THE ISSUE. Ia m hearing that when Flex and Cee were blasting off Jay-Z new record “DOA,” Diddy had his people to get Jay-Z aka (that n***a) on the phone! From what I am hearing, Diddy’s new album is 95 percent Autotune and this is f**king up the money! Oh boy!

DC-based MC Soulstice, by way of Chicago, recently celebrated the big 3-0, and as he reflect on his career, he penned his piece about how his music has progressed.

Last week, I turned 30. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t be ratting myself out on this one. Ah well, I’ve built my music career on the principle of full disclosure (or at least in the spirit of full disclosure — I don’t tell y’all everything), so here we are.

I’ve been making music for a while now. I’ve been writing lyrics since I was 14, recording songs since I was 18, and releasing albums since I was 24. In fact, I’m feeling a little nostalgic … let’s take a peek at young SoulStice circa 1998. This is a link to a snippet of “Rapid Fire,” the first solo song I ever recorded. I’ve never released this song, so until now only my friends have heard it:

(Listen and/or download the MP3 for “Rapid Fire” here )

OK, the production quality is pretty poor — my long-time friend BJ and I actually drove from Chicago to Indianapolis for that particular recording session. Other than that though, your boy had lyrics! Delivery was still a little shaky though, and what was up with that chorus? “Chi Worldwide” (circa 2009) from “Beyond Borders” makes an interesting point of comparison:

(Listen and/or download the MP3 for “Chi Worldwide” here )

Thinking about the songs I’ve written since “Rapid Fire,” it’s clear to me that the two major creative impulses driving my songwriting have been reflection (on myself, the world, life) and self-affirmation. The degree to which each of these impulses has driven my creative process has changed over the years. “Rapid Fire” was all about self-affirmation. I was still relatively early in my transition from the nerdy, high school Valedictorian to the slightly less nerdy engineer and musician whose albums you listen to, whose shows you attend and whose emails you read. My latest work, “Beyond Borders,” is mostly motivated by the reflection impulse. If you listen through the songs, I do very little of the bravado thing. That’s an accomplishment in my book, as it’s always tempting to use the blank canvas of an instrumental to let the world know that you’re not to be f***ed with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not done writing those kind of lyrics — let’s face it, they’re fun to write and fun to listen to. But this collection of songs is mostly reflective (note that “reflective” doesn’t necessarily mean “soft”).

The path between and including “Rapid Fire” and “Beyond Borders” is full of stories, many of which you’ve heard if you’ve been on this list for long enough, some of which you haven’t. At 20, I figured I’d have hung it up by 30. At 30, my insight is this:

Being a 30-year old rapper isn’t so bad as long as your music isn’t indistinguishable from that of a 20-year old.

Peace & Longevity,
SoulStice

First, let me admit that I am not a fan of Drake’s, at least not in the traditional sense.

I downloaded his last mixtape and was told the last one was better. I appreciate this one, but I haven’t felt compelled to get the first one. I figure I’ll hear it when I hear it. I don’t have the urge to go see him live either. I am not particularly interested in his background, aside from the funny fact that he was “Wheelchair Jimmy” on that show “Degrassi High.” (Weird!) That typically should signify his downfall in Hip-Hop…acting. Go figure. I think he is talented, but prefer that he not sing so much.

Nevertheless, my views aside, Drake is here and he’s the hottest thing out.

And, in true contemporary Hip-Hop fashion…the hate has swelled and runneth over. 
 

Two major mixtapes, an affiliation with Lil Wayne, some ghostwriting, shows across the nation and a bidding war with a pair of major labels. With all tha going for him, Drake is still face to face with the scorn of the Hip-Hop nation.

Now, I have to wonder where we have gone wrong where we resolved to tear our young talents down before they even get up. I know that the crabs-in-a-barrel mentality has always been present, but we are talking about fans and critics, not peers. In Hip-Hop, there is a tradition of hoisting the artist on our collective shoulders and pushing the best to the top. And “best” doesn’t always mean best – it means those that resonate with us. We’ve done that regardless of their talent. Look at Young Jeezy, Maino and Gucci Mane and look at Jay-Z, Wayne, Eminem and others. Varying degrees of talent with one thing in common.

Hating for no reason – when did this become fashionable?

Hip-Hop is gradually turning into a Nation of Haters – hating just to hate. This means investing a lot of energy in hating some rapper like Drake when you should put time in supporting that rapper you love. That is assuming you love anybody. It’s probably time to rechristen the term fan into something else like “people that ruin people before they reach their potential.” Fan is short for “fanatic,” which means one that has “excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.” This idea of fanaticism is rare in 2009.

This editorial isn’t about Drake, even though he is the centerpiece. The hate towards him is puzzling considering what he’s achieving before our eyes. Is there loathing because he’s got a shot with Rihanna? Or that he is a fair-skinned, half Jewish Canadian and not from the South Bronx or the Dirty South? Perhaps the hate stems from his close link with another “detested” (and million-in-one-week-selling) rapper in Lil Wayne? I am open to any and all reasonable answers, but I think people just hate.

I’m not a Soulja Boy fan by any stretch of the human imagination, but I sit back and I laugh for that young man. I laugh because he made it through somehow. I would have bet money that he would be a failure after his first album, banished forever as a wack one hit wonder. But, through all the hate he got, he survived another outing. Now, lyrically Drake does laps around Soulja Boy, but they share the same hate in the hearts of fans. Does anybody remember the HYPE – I mean, sheer, unbridled HYPE surrounding Nas when he first emerged? Imagine what would become of Nas has he just gotten started in 2009.

Does it seem even remotely familiar in concept?

Here is a news flash: Redman, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent – these talented individuals are not going to be around forever. It is high time we stop the hating and draft some new, fresh faces into the game. The League of Hip-Hop is already a difficult sport to rise in, why are the fans the ones blocking the young rap talents’ shots when all they want to do is dunk for your entertainment?

PS: This is not a PSA for letting wack people in the game so don’t try it!

Why do I need to keep in contact with someone I barely talked to in high school.

Why do I need to know everything that is going on in your life every 4 seconds.

Do I really need to know that your going grocery shopping or getting drunk @ a random college party

Do you really expect people to look through all 98998 photos you have of YOURSELF

As if this was bad enough for one site, people do this on more than one network….shit is ridicolous

Im not hating……just a tad annoyed

Both of these men chose to forgo college, both of these men are considered by many to be the next “Hall of Famers/Legends”. Both of these men are players who can dominate at will, anytime, anygame. Both of these men are the faces of their respective clubs & arguably the two most favorite players in the NBA. However, this is where the comparison stops.

After Jordan retired, there’s been an increasingly amount of public desire to fill those shoes. While we may never have a player of that magnitude…….we couldn’t get any closer than we have with Kobe. While Lebron is a great young player, he is the FACE OF THE FUTURE. Kobe Bryant is TODAY. We can talk all day about how Lebron is younger than Kobe, moving at a faster rate than any player before him, dominating like no player ever has at his age; without a ring, it doesn’t matter. His scoring doesn’t matter, technically he is nothing more than a bigger version of Allen Iverson. If one could remember, years ago when Iverson was in his prime, he was a scoring machine. But, like many know, he never got a championship. I do think Lebron will win a ring; just not this year. What I do know is, as long as Kobe is playing the way he is playing, Lebron is not the best player in the league. However, if Lebron continues to get better he COULD be the best to ever do it. But, in the NBA Future/Potential doesn’t mean $h@+. It is about Today, This Second, Now. Grant Hill had Potential. Jerry Stackhouse had Potential. Kwame Brown had Potential. Vince Carter was supposed to be the reincarnation of Jesus with hops. As you see, potential isn’t worth much.

Kobe on the other hand, has proven himself time & time again. He can score/dominate at will, he can score various ways & has few/virtually no weak parts of his game. Played a key part in one of the most talented dynasties. Has 3 Championship Rings. Too many awards/records to name. Literally carried his team to the playoffs for years following Shaq Trade; in the notoriously tougher Western Conference. The only knock on Kobe is that he hasn’t won since the Shaq-Kobe dynasty.

Lebron can also dominate at will but, has a few holes in his game. His shooting is no where near Kobes, doesn’t have the same knowledge about the game. His ball handling skills & free-throw percentage could be better as well. Kobe is 6″6, slender build while Lebron is 6″8-6″9 & built like a linebacker; I just dont believe he would be as dominant if it weren’t for his size. When Kobe has the ball, you never know whether he is driving, dishing, slamming it down or just pulling up right there. After watching Lebron, it seems 85% of the time he has the ball, he is driving to the rim, using his size to his advantage aka relying on it like it was all god gave him. When its said & done, if your team was down 2 with 5 seconds to play, who would you want taking the last shot.

Someone who is just developing an outside shot.

or

Someone who has more experience in closing, scored more than 81 points in one game, scored 50+ points 4 games in a row & has experience in winning championship/big games.

At this point in time, Kobe Bryant is better while Lebron has more upside. We know what we get with Bryant while we don’t with James. Hopefully we will get to see them face each other in the big game once & for all this year. I truly believe Kobe can play for maybe 6-8 more years & add a few more rings & further cement his status in the hall of fame. Lebron isn’t even at his prime yet, he WILL win championships but, he wont DOMINATE until Kobe is on his way out. Everytime they’ve played against each other, Kobe has got the best of him. I Don’t Understand how anyone knowlegable of this game can say Lebron AT THIS POINT is a better player than Bryant. Kobe has argually the best shot in the NBA, high level of basketball IQ, speed, handle, ability to stretch the floor, mental-toughness, ability to score at will/anyway/anytime & has shown this year he can elevate the play of his teammates. Lebron has loads of god-given talent but, is terribly unexperienced. He doesn’t elevate the play of his teammates, he plays so well you dont notice the lack there of. Lebron cannot score from anywhere on the court….he relies on his size to bully his opponent. Eventually there will be players as strong, big & fast as him…..He needs to learn to utilize everything. Even Jordan didn’t become “Jordan” until he learned to perfect his game all around. Until Lebron does this, when he meets more experienced players, he will get exposed like he was by The Spurs in his first Finals appearance.

If anything, people should compare Dwayne Wade to Kobe…..atleast he has a ring.

Rick Ross was the lone Rap star in the Top 5 urban acts this week. Deeper Than Rap sold another 35,000 copies, securing its way, just about half, to Gold status.

Neo-Soul songstress Chrisette Michele shocked many, beating out the household name Ciara in a close debut-week race. The Def Jam star’s Epiphany inched out Fantasy Ride, by a margin of approximately 2,000 units.

Like Jamie Foxx the week before, Beyonce made a surprise return-visit to the Top 20. Her twice-platinum I Am…Sasha Fierce continues to sell strongly with critical acclaim and lots of radio exposure. Perhaps protege of the sassy Pop-Soul princess, Keri Hilson’s In A Perfect World swiped another 22,000 units, as Timbaland and Polow’s star heads halfway to Gold in her own right.

* please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandeth.

Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)

Jadakiss fell out the Top 20 for the first time with his The Last Kiss. The album has market analyists and critics alike talking. The approximately 246,000 units pairs Jada against Keri Hilson and Rick Ross closely, in overall units sold.

Asher Roth and his Asleep At The Bread Aisle cracked 100,000 units, as predicted in its third week of sales. After three years of delays, Mike Jones surprised many with a Top 15 debut. Having moved from Warner Brothers to Asylum, the Houston star did fall 45 slots with Voice, but did sell another 9,000 units, approximately.

Two debuts in Hip Hop made the charts this week. Juelz Santana’s Skull Gang self-titled effort, sold over 4,200 copies. The release was rumored to have problems at retail, and sold exclusively through digital. E1 Records has yet to confirm whether Skull Gang or the label plans on a traditional release for the Harlem group. Oscar-winner and famed producer for hits for his group, Three-6-Mafia and others, DJ Paul closed out the debut in Hip Hop, selling approximately 300 less units than Santana and friends, with his independent Scale-A-Ton.

Other Notables

Can Killa Cam’ron get a #1 spot from an independent? Stay on HipHopDX to know.

Well, It must be…..just by looking at the situation, it seems that way.

I may be speaking a little too soon because anything is still fair game. But, after all the hysteria the media/government has created since the spread of the virus; only one person has died. A 24 month baby in Texas. Like every other epidemic that was supposed to wipe humanity clear from existence, this one came & it passed. Not one freaking American died yet we received all of this doomsday, last of days, end of the world bullshit. The baby that died in Texas wasn’t even from here, it was from Mexico & traveled here to get better Healthcare. The point of this blog is not to discredit any of the deaths in Mexico or to downplay the virus. Because, it is common knowledge that viruses usually mutate & come back stronger. The point of it however is to show the idiocracy of modern man.

Swine Flu – 150 deaths = a week of media coverage, sold out stock of face masks, school closings, business closings, worldwide fear, cure already being developed

HIV – 21.8 million deaths = …………………………………………

?????????