Happy Halloween boys and girls. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, because I didn't. However, I did score some candy that will keep my mouth occupied for at least a month straight (no 'pause' needed).
Not really too much on the noggin this week, but I didn't do A Case Of The Monday's last week. So I had to give a little something for y'all to debate me on this week...
Just a little talk on some recent music, nothing special. But I think you will all be interested on my take on A$AP Rocky...
But I'm sure that most of you were really looking forward to only one of the many mixtapes that dropped today; A$AP Rocky's LiveLoveA$AP project. I wouldn't say the same for myself, but whatevs...
I love when a newbie drops in the game and makes a name for himself, BY himself. Coming out of Harlem, A$AP is one of the few to blow up nationally without the help of a Dipset member...NO disrespect at all to Vado. That is something that I can truly respect about his campaign, plus the fact that he seems like a real ass dude (based off of interviews I've watched). I can't knock this guy at all; he has support from some of the biggest names in the game, so it's apparent that he will be around for a good amount of time. So even though I'm not really feeling his music, I'm sure I will have plenty of time to come around to him...
"Wait B, you don't like A$AP Rocky?"
Naw, not foreal. I know some of y'all question my music selection, but I have legitimate reasoning behind why I listen to the artists I do. To me, A$AP Rocky seems to be blowing up towards the tail end of that "weed and bitches" genre of music. And if I'm wrong, PLEASE send me at LEAST 3 tracks where he's talking about something otherwise. I mean, nothing is wrong with it because a lot of people have blown up off of those subjects. Wiz, Smoke DZA, Michael Rocks and a bunch of other cats are on that same tip. Shit, Curren$y is one of my favorite rappers ever, but that's damn near all he used to rap about.
But there comes a time where you just get sick of the era, due to other up and comers trying to follow the same footsteps. If music about chillin', blowing doobies and fuckin' bitches is all that's getting played nowadays, then so be it. Join along and do what you love, but don't expect to stand out, unless you're bringing something new to the table.
A rapper that comes with a new style of rap and gets love from all over is a real artist in my book.
In my generation of rap (90's-present)...
Wayne started to punchline trend.
Jeezy started that trap music (the REAL trap music though)
Wiz x Curren$y started that marijuana music.
And Tyler The Creator started...whatever the fuck it is he makes.
I don't know, maybe it's me. But I just don't see all the hype quite yet. I'm sure I will soon though because as I said, this cat is getting love from everybody in the game right now. Cosigns left and right from artists like Drake to Bun B. But to me, cosigns don't mean shit at all. Especially after the amount of cosigning Lil' B was receiving this year...where you at now 9th Wonder, Diddy?
Anyways, I still respect his hustle, music and fresh. Maybe once he begins to stand out from the new crops of music. The ONLY reason why he gets as much love as he does is because significant names are behind his music. All I know is that he isn't quite worth the $3 Million that Polo Grounds gave him. We'll see though...
But as I said, I am not hating. I got too much respect for his come up to "hate" his music, plus I don't have time to "hate" on rappers. I just don't like what he's bringing to the table, honestly. I would LOVE for your reasoning behind listening to him, and maybe I'll change mine for not riding with him. But what I eat doesn't make you shit, and vice versa.
I did however get a chance to listen to Wale's Ambition album. And man, I take back my twitter rant from a few months back when I thought he was too trapped in that MMG life. This album was FAR from the whole Maybach Music mentality. I was hoping that Wale would come back to his Attention Deficit roots on his sophomore album, but he's seemed to outgrown that phase. Wale has learned how to actually make music now.
Besides Big Sean, no major features were thrown on the album (aside from his MMG team and some R&B hooks), so Wale had the spotlight on this one. We all know Wale for his intellectual lyrics, but with MMG, he's learned to integrate that with some fun. Because although Attention Deficit was a masterpiece (to me), it felt like he reached out a little bit as far as trying to be motivational.
There's nothing wrong with bringing a positive style to your music, but in realization, the average hip-hop fan wants to hear that (please note the emphasis on 'average'). Basic minds can't handle all that intellect, so sometimes you have to dumb it down.
But instead of dumbing the Ambition album down for more play, Wale took advantage of his talent and his MMG resources, and he created an all around solid project that can be enjoyed by both dudes and chicks. Between the Eleven One Eleven Theory, More About Nothing and his 2009 debut album, who knew where Wale was going with this one. I couldn't even compare those projects to each other if I tried.
Honestly, I thought he was gonna take the sell-out route (like Wiz, Big Sean), but I really feel like Rick Ross helped him with the construction of this album. And Wale has a great ear for beats, so that helped out a good portion of the album.
Overall, he did it the right way with the whole Ambition thing being a movement, let alone just an album. He had basic bitches all over screaming that shit, but it helped his buzz leading up to the album. This was a hell of a follow up to his Attention Deficit debut a couple of years ago, and he may have set himself up for an even more solid project once the third time comes around.
Hats off to Mr. Folarin....from a critical fan.
Get at me @WhatUpBP for all rebuttles, debates and slander. Or leave it on the blog. Until next Monday, enjoy your week!
Bp
