July 10, 2004
Rhymes and Ammo
Since I long ago obliterated any intention of "updating" my Spins, Flicks and Words section on a regular basis I thought going back to it would seem anticlimatic and insincere, sort of like admitting my failure to stay true to the original Pizzle ideals. But I have returned, with head hanging and hat in hand (it's summertime and I REALLY miss my "not-Yankees" NY bucket hat, oh well) to ask for forgiveness. Hopefully time-served has been penance enough.
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In the spirit of the times (new cities and new people and all the hope and enthusiasm for clean slates and fresh starts that that entails), the Spins section has been updated! Also, in anticipation of the new Roots album coming out on July 13 (see Spins section) I've gone back to an old tagline (and really, it was always my favorite) from "Thought at Work" on the Phrenology album. "My brain unstable and I'm just too handsome" Who knew back then what a prescient and pretentious statement that would turn out to be?
Before we get to anything new though, I do have some old business to clear up. My thoughts on Kanye West (while being made clear through all the quotes) never made it to Publish status, because like the AI stuff, it was never complete. So to inagurate the new Spins section and to add another entry to Greatest Misses category here you go:
(Just for the record I put Kanye up on the Spins section about a year and a half ago waaay before he caught all the hype as being the future of hip-hop. Back then, I wasn't ready to go that far but just wanted to introduce everyone to someone who was helping to define a new sound as a producer and had just started to hit the mixtapes as an MC. I held off on putting this out there partly because I wasn't exactly hitting on what I wanted to say, but also because I didn't want to put it out there and then watch him flop. The lesson, of course, is that I'm an idiot.)
Over the past two years Kanye West has become one of the most popular and versatile producers in hip-hop. In 2001, he (along with Just Blaze, another hot as hell producer at the moment) helped redefine Jay-Z's sound on The Blueprint. West infused his beats with a warmth and a soulfulness to provide an almost wistful atmosphere for Jay's street hustler stories (the best example is "Never Change"). By sampling soul sounds from the 70's, West has injected hip-hop with a refreshing yet familiar and uplifting sense of melody. His proclivity towards speeding up the vocals on the sample (the "Chipmunk" effect) as well as his liberal use of strings recalls the sound that Wu-Tang Clan helped to establish in the late 90's (listen to "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" from the College Dropout Mixtape and "Guerilla Monsoon Rap" from Talib Kweli's Quality ). In alot of ways Kanye is the evolutionary RZA, taking soul sampling and orchestration to the next level.
The most remarkable aspects about West are his versatility and his willingness to be completely open and personal. I didn't know it at the time, but the first beat he sold to Roc-a-Fella was Beanie Seigel's "The Truth", a simple organ and pounding bass (and sample-free) fire and brimstone romp, and one of my favorite songs. He's also produced for acts as far left as Dead Prez and as far bling as Ludacris (the hit single "Stand Up") and Trina. He even worked with the Goddess Alicia Keys on the opening single from her latest album, "You Don't Know my Name", a sultry 70's throwback that makes you want to curl up next to the fire with your girl (or guy) and make sweet love all night.
The way Kanye straddles the line between the conscious side of hip-hop (the Okayplayer, neo-soul, backpack rapper crowd) and the party-crunk world of club and radio hits is perhaps his most unique quality.
"Whether you say it Kwali or Kweli, I put him on tracks with Jay-Z/I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy"
He makes this possible by embracing and expressing the conflicting drives in all of us to be successful and have all the things we want, while at the same time retain legitimacy as serious and intellectual members of society.
"We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it".
As a rapper, Kanye is simple and direct and knows his limitations. At the same time, he is often disarmingly clever and very subtly funny.
"some of them dislexic/They favorite 50 Cent song's 12 Questions"
The key to Kanye's success is that he combines the personal accessibility in his lyrics with an uncanny sense of melody and atmosphere in his beats. This combination is on full display on Kanye's first solo LP "The College Dropout". He candidly tackles subjects such as his own brush with death ("Through the Wire" where he is literally rapping through the wire that held his jaw shut for a while), his struggles to find success ("Spaceship" and "Last Call") and his spirituality ("Jesus Walks"). Kanye approaches his music with a sense of humor and creativity that people will respond to. My personal favorites from the album include "Spaceship" and "Through the Wire" as well as the superb "Family Business" and "Never Let Me Down" built around, of all things a Michael Bolton sample. Kanye's music has no fakeness and just a little pretention, but it is all sincere and his ability to perfectly match the atmosphere of a strong, catchy beat to the mood and theme of the lyrics should ensure that Kanye will remain at the forefront of hip-hop for years to come.
Read more about Kanye in two Rolling Stones articles here and here
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Currently, Kanye is absolutely ubiquitous. He's working with EVERYONE. D12, Brandy, Monica, Maroon 5, Janet and reportedly J Lo. Let's hope that he doesn't burn out and we don't start to get a diluted version of Kanye.
July 02, 2004
I'm going going back back to Cali Cali
Moving sucks even though I'm pretty damn used to it. New places suck in that you have to readjust to new surroundings, new people, new everything. But its also really really exciting. There's a special pleasure in knowing that each day you wake up, something is going to happen to you that's never happened before. Also, I'm going to a place where I get to look at this....
every day for the next year. Come to think of it....moving rules.
In my weaker moments I may say that rootlessness is a quite the burden. It hurts to miss people, and it's scary to adjust to new places. But for better or for worse, this is the hand I've been dealt and I'm going to make the best of it. Sunny skies, perfect weather, and hot chicks will no doubt make this task alot easier. WESTSIIIIIDE!
"This is the life I chose or rather the life that chose me,
If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is wack
I bet they love me when I fade to black..."
----Jay-Z