Chance The Rapper Is Grown (With A Capitol 'G') On Mixtape Number Three

It's been some time, Chance. In the few years (see: an eternity) since 'Acid Rap' dropped in 2013, rap has become even further dominated by millenial microphone fiends; with Drake, the obvious (current) Billboard King...and peers (and competitors) such as Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole leading the charge. What do they all have in common? Besides enormous amounts of talent, that would be the (more) emotional route. Dare I say it, but they're kinda anti-gangster (well, Kendrick raps about gangster rap tropes from an environmental perspective, not actively engaging in street-hardened, "gangster" activities waxed about so unapologetically in time's past...). 

Now, just because emcees these days have less battlefield scars doesn't mean they're delicate. They're just more honest. Even traditionally-viewed "gangster" rappers such as Biggie, Scarface, and (especially), Tupac Shaku paved the way with more emotionally-driven records that just happened to be told in a drug-and-gang warfare-torn atmosphere. But, this sensitive slow bubble had to burst sometime. Now, sensitive emcees aren't even called as-such. They're just accepted as normal. As the status quo. There's no more struggle for the nasally-voiced bookworms and nerds who think to themselves "you know, I wanna try this rap thing, too". There's no better time for an emcee like Chance The Rapper to shine, basically. So, if Acid Rap' was Chance's entrance; then 'Coloring Book' must, too, be his homecoming. 

'Coloring Book' is fourteen-tracks of pure summer-weather music perfection. It's no coincidence that the mixtape was released in May. It's perfect for those late afternoon drives down Lakeshore Ave. (both in Chi-town AND THE Town...) in late July. Fellow Chi-town native and general pop lightning-rod Kanye West shows-up on the opener, 'All We Got' (AND THE FREAKIN' CHICAGO CHILDREN'S CHOIR. NO, REALLY.). Yeezy obviously sees potential in the young artsy kid from West Chicago ("Kanye's best prodigy / he ain't sign me / but he proud of me..."). Moreso, Kanye probably sees himself. The similarities are definitely there - from the already-mentioned lyrical honesty and sensitivity, to similar suburban Chicago upbringing and education. So it's only natural that 'Ye would want to make sure Chance succeeds. 

Where the similarities between Kanye and Chance end, though, is with they're approach to the business side of music. Kanye (quite famously) was adorned with his ROC chain in front of thousands of cheering fans. Chance isn't so keen to make the same type of move. Not that he needs to - Chance's album/ticket/merch sales are strong, yo. Strong enough, that Chance has gone the Joey Badass-approach (another talented, smart, young emcee/entrepreneur) and ditched the majors, completely. 

The guest list for 'Coloring Book' reads like a major label album release, though. Future, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign, even the freakin Biebz makes a (surprisingly, awesome) contribution to tape slow-jam 'Juke Jam' (also featuring newcomer Towkio). All the guests shine. None are wasted. 2Chainz, who seems to be everywhere and nowhere at once these days, comes correct lyrically tag-teaming with best bud Lil Wayne on 'No Problem'. Chance goes the gully-by-association route (made famous by Drake) with lines such as if one more label try to stop me / there'll be some dread-head niggas in the laawby and interpolating              . Wayne spits a (somewhat) inspired, prescription-strength (and laced) verse about (what else?) how Baby should finally released The Carter 5 because "people need the Carter" (if that's actually true in 2016 is sadly debatable) and "I got problems bigger than you boys...only problem is my problems is on steroids". Young Thug helms the somewhat dark track 'Mixtape' alongside Atlanta new jack Lil Yachty over a somber piano-and-bass-thumping beat typical of Atlanta trap these days. It's Chance basically saying "hey! I can do trap too!"...and do it well, he does. 

What Chance always has done well, too, is mixing Gospel undertones into his work - and it's on full display in 'Coloring Book'. Examples such as "I speak to God in public, I speak to God in public..." off 'Blessings (Reprise)'; while the original 'Blessings' that appears early in the mixtape is a definite stand-out track by itself. An obvious song with many spiritual themes, the primary one being that of reaping what you sow. Chance feels that he's now finally being blessed by the Lord for all his hard-work and patience over these past few years.

And he should. 'Coloring Book' is a musical triumph for an artist on the rise. 

Thinking Further on The Pharcyde's Two Classic Albums

    THE PHARCYDE. Fucking awesome group. I remember when I was a little schooly diddy bop wop (no really, Im italian AF) ANYWAYS...Pharcyde was there, bro. One of my day one musical dunns. Well, ok, thats not completely true. I first discovered Wu-Tang, Notorious BIG, Nas....then ESPECIALLY the Jigga man Mr. Sean Carter, Jay-Z himself....and then Common and The Roots AND THEN SHIT LIKE THE PHARCYDE. Speaking of day ones; my best bro Albert - shouts to him because he's who truly put me on to the 'cyde. Well, him and some skater punks from 'round the way that were down with this alternative type ish. You gotta realize...back in those days (ok, so my "those days" are different from the actual "those days" from when The Pharcyde actually, you know, RELEASED their shit...). Anyways, this is like 0-2, 0-3. I'm a young buck discovering rap music for the actual first-time; not some "in the background" six-degrees-of-Wu-Tang-via-my-cousin, Kevin Bacon type shit....ANYWAYS....Pharcyde is the shit. 

    So it's been a few years since I've listened to Pharcyde. Like, you know, REALLY listened to Pharcyde. And I'm, well...I'm in a weird place right now. And unlike my moms; who likes to escape to those fantasy Hallmark movies when she's feeling down-and-out / 3-and-2 / strike-out type situation (I STILL LOVE YOU MOM LETS COOK SOME POPCORN AND WATCH 'THE GOOD WITCH'S CHARM' TOMORROW)...well let's just say the best personal coping mechanism for me is some brain chemical modification and a heavy dose of upbeat music. So I somehow stumbled upon Pharcyde, and here we are.
 
    I decided to listen to 'Bizarre Ride' first, because: all the critics jerk-off to it. Plus, they throw 'Labcabincalifornia' in the garbage before they even waste a single Kleenex. And that shit ain't cool with me. BUT...I am open to trying to listen to it again. Maybe a few years of life experience and music-listening maturity will change my opinion on the album. And that opinion is, basically, that....well, 'Labcabincalifornia' is superior to 'Bizarre Ride'. Yes. I'm completely serious. 'Labcabincalifornia', the album that completely dropped the proverbial ball both critically and financially; has stood the test of time better than the very album that launched The Pharcyde into the (15 minute) pop-music stratosphere in the early 90's. 

    Dilla. Yes, THAT Dilla. NO....not a dill pickle (though a dilly with some hot sauce sounds pretty damn good rn, DRUNK HUNGER IS SETTING IN 100% MY DUDES...AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO DUDETTES AT BEST....lets be reeeeal....). J.Dilla is (almost) solely responsible for the production on 'Labcabincalifornia'. In my early rap-music listening (and actual) adolescence, Dilla would play a (somewhat) pivotal role in my rap-music-listening preferences. I didn't even know it at the time, to be completely honest. Albums like Common's 'Like Water For Chocolate' and A Tribe Called Quest's 'Beats, Rhymes, and Life'. 'Labcabincalifornia', of course, played a large influence in my early rap-music upbringing. I can remember, 100%, my old dinosaur 30GB iPod, the 2nd Generation one, that was the size of a cigarette pack and as heavy as a brick (RIP *lighter flame emoji*). Nah, it wasn't THAT bad. And damn, do I miss those days. ANYWAYS. I went mad-crazy on the internet music piracy tip back then (i'm since reformed....) and among the thousands of albums I downloaded onto that ancient piece of my personal music and life history....was 'Labcabincalifornia'. 

   Oh man. 'Splattatorium' is playing. Got DAMN. I love this song. Such a personal track for me. Anytime I was feeling the blues, 'Splattatorium' was there to soothe my woes. That piano drop. Those drums. It's not even a "real" rap song. Like most Pharcyde tracks, 'Splattatorum' doesn't follow the traditional formula. It's basically 2 minutes and 45 seconds of Booty Brown babbling over and over about the things he (and, in turn, we) wants out of life. And wishing he had another buddha sack. Isn't that what every day eventually turns into, at least for the fresh-faced, young hip-hoppers out there? Weed and aspirations. I was so young. So fucking young. 

There's really no contest. It's obvious that both Pharcyde albums 'Bizarre Ride' and 'Labcabincalifornia' are classics. It's undisputed now. 'Labcabincalifornia' has stood the test of time. But 'Bizarre' is (almost) always rated above 'Labcabincalifornia' and, well, it's a total shame. 'Labcabincalifornia' obviously has SO much more soul. The group was dealing with a SHIT ton of struggles with the new-found famedom of 'Bizarre Ride' and it's success. Their record label, Delicious Vinyl, was pressuring Pharcyde to produce another album, and soon. Luckily, their success had created new connections within the industry, including much-respected musical peer, Q-Tip, from the Queens,. NY group A Tribe Called Quest.

   The Pharcyde were basically a West-Coast ATCQ (no disrespect to Hieroglyphics or Souls of Mischief...the almighty dunns outta East Oakland were obviously a West Coast Wu-Tang based on size and ATCQ based in image and scope....). Tip saw the similarities in The Pharcyde, and wanted to help the group square-up for album #2 and avoid the infamous sophomore slump.  Tribe had done it just a few years earlier with 'Low End Theory' (and then straight SKYROCKETED with 'Midnight Marauders', obvs...) and wanted to make-sure that their Los Angeles peers found the same success. At this time, around the end of 9-3, 9-4...Q-Tip had started fucking with this fool from Detroit with the MPC hotness known as James Dewitt Yancey...aka J.Dilla. Or Dilla. Or Jay Dee. What the fuck EVEER. This fool had the 808 hotness and nobody fucking knew about it yet. Well, Q-Tip did. And he was getting this motherfucker exposure all OVER the got damn rap-music map. And The Pharcyde were in a perfect positron to reap the musical benefits of their newfound (musical...and far superior) peer. 

   'Labcabincalifornia' contains only seven Dilla-produced tracks on a twenty-track album; but they form the backbone of 'Labcabincalfornia'. Every singe one of the seven J.Dilla-produced joints is a heavy hitter. Tracks like 'Y?', album-opener 'Bullshit', Beastie Boys-sampling 'Drop', and the already-mentioned 'Splattatorium'. Group members Bootie Brown (who would go-on to produce the majority of the group's future, non-Fatlip era music...) and SlimKid3 produce a majority of the rest of 'Labcabin's tracks (as well as a cat named M-Walk who I'm WAY too drunk and hungry to research rn. 

   Look. 'Labcabincalifornia' is just as good as 'Bizarre Ryde To The Pharcyde'. Let's be REALZ. Maybe it's not. But it is with me, got dammit. Ranking-wise, I'm gonna go with 'Labcabin' being #1. But it's because I have countless personal memories with that album. And you can't get touch someone any stronger than with a personal memory. And 'Labcabincalifornia' is nothing but positives. I listen to the album when I'm feeling great. I listen to the album when I'm feeling down. It's musical Campbell's Chicken Soup For The Soul. And that's fine with me. 'Bizarre ride' is amazing in it's own right, too. What's REALLY sad is that we only can debate between two albums....and that's because Phatrcyde fell (the fuuuuck) off after 'Labcabincalifornia'. Yes, The Pharcyde regrouped, disbanded, regrouped again....several times since that infamous second album (they're "performing" at BottleRock this weekend HOLLA!!! Nah I won't be there...). And they released several other *offical* and nonofficial projects since that mid-90's peak. But The Pharcyde will never be what it once was. Musical group careers are truly like a blooming flower. It blooms, but once it withers and dies....there's just no coming back from that. Fatlip aside, I heard the rest of the group is doing great. Maybe Fatlip is, too. Who knows the actual truth. What I DO know to be true - The Pharcyde released two albums that were (FREAKING) amazing. So let's just enjoy that special space in time from the (very) late 80's to the mid 90's, when Pharcyde Manor was a place, The Pharcyde was a (relevant) group, and everything was right in the hip-hop world. A golden-era indeed. Pass me another brew, and keep the boom bap backpack slaps, ah-comin', 

This is Ego Bloggin'. I'm Casper Ashbury. And let's talk about hip-hop. All of it. And shoes And clothes. And a shitload of other stuff. I'm still (kinda) drunk. This is my first post on the (soon-to-be) spiffy new webspace of mine. KNOW YOUR WORTH MY DUDE /Drake voice 

Diddy Boppin' With Killa: Cam'ron Makes An Early Aughts Rap Classic

  There was a perfect storm on the horizon in New York City in 2002. You couldn't fine any evidence of it on the Weather Channel. The local television news weathermen ain't saying shit. Instead, you had to hit the pavement, the actual streets; if you wanted to bear witness. And it wouldn't be hard - the eye of the storm was wearing bright pink.

    Cameron Ezike Giles was born to be a star. Truly, if anyone had the charisma; that"it" factor - it was most definitely Cam. He knew it, too. "They say beauty's in the eye of the beholder / thats why I look in the mirror every morning / and realize how fly I am" ("Get Em Daddy"). His level of confidence - ok, arrogance - as he navigated himself thru the rap game from his start in the early 90's; to his and fellow Dipset crew members' peak success in the early aughts; was simply astounding. Cam'ron had a sense of style and swagger that was pure Harlem - but it was a package deal. The arrogance was part of that package. So was a literally colorful style, from fashion to lingo, that had a classy touch. That was Harlem. Fools did things different there. It was the gulliness of Brooklyn and Queens; but with the sense and sophistication of Manhattan. ASAP Mob holds the current reigns of top rap group from there. But in the early aughts, Cam'ron and his crew The Diplomats (Dipset, for short) ruled Harlem with a (bejeweled) iron fist. And Killa Cam wore the crown. 

    If Cam'ron is king, then 'Come Home With Me' is his *ahem* crowning achievement. 2002 was a time in rap music where NY rap was still (somewhat) relevant. Indeed, the South had been bubbling for some time (Cash Money vs No Limit arguments on the playground in 9-8, holla!) and was starting to blow. But the soon-to-be financial top dawgs of hip-hop were positioning themselves into those roles in 0-2. And one of them was the Jigga Man.

   But Jay-Z didn't run his Rocafella kingdom alone. No, there was Dame Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke to co-run shit. Dame and Biggs knew their roles and played them well - they were the living definition of loud-and-quiet, with Dame running his mouth sometimes more than the company itself. He was boisterous, to be sure. Guess where he grew up. 

    It only makes sense, then, that one Harlem native son would help the other, especially as they were both on the rise. Cam'ron had actually ran in similar circles to Rocabella crew members via the Notorious BIG, who wanted to sign Cam to a deal in 9-4 (but was shut-down by Diddy so he gave Cam to friend Steve Stoute) and even more-so, fellow Harlem native, Mase. Cam went on tour with Mase and learned the ropes of the rap game for real; and with two heavy hitters in his corner in Dash and Mase, he learned a lot. Cut to the year 200 moving forward. Cam'ron is needing a new record deal and wants to put-on his friends via the rap new Diplomats. Diddy Bop. Bang. Boom...Dame Dash comes to the rescue. 

   Cam got his ROC chain coronation - now it was time to come thru with that first solo album. This is where the perfect storm begins to surface. Due to his newly-signed deal with the R.O.C., Cam'ron now had access to the Roc's in-house crew of producers, including a young Kanye West. And, even more so, a young video game, sneaker, rap nerd enthusiast named Just Blaze. 

   Just Blaze, like Cam'ron, had been sharpening his craft for the past few years and was ready to show it off to the world in 2002. Unknown at the time, Just was hitting his peak and the beats created during this early Aughts time period would go-down as some of his best work to date. Probably ever. And all Cam had to do was, you know, actually show-up at the Hit Factory and Quad Studios, peak in the rooms for Just, and ask for a beat. True - people were beginning to notice that Just was heating up. Most importantly, Jay-Z had noticed and wanted Just's best beats for himself. Naturally. But Jay was used to being the alpha rap artist at Rocabella. Sure, rappers like Beanie Siegel could hold their own lyrically and (somewhat) sales-wise. But not really. Not compared to Jay. Well, Cam'ron had that charisma, "it" factor ish like Jay-Z, and it was potentially just as strong. Classic Cam'ron hustler moves happened. But check the interwebs for those stories (the Red Bull Music Academy interview series with Dipset, for starters). What matters is that Killa was miraculously able to finagle a few classic tracks out of Jay's long-and-gangly fingers. 

    Tracks like 'Losing Weight Part Two', 'Welcome To New York City', and album single 'Oh Boy'  - which still receives daily spins on the rap classic radio station here in the Bay Area (Q102.1 what! WHAT!). Unlike most-all of Cam'ron (and Dipset) albums, 'Come Home With Me' sounds concise, like there's an intentional patterns and not just a bunch of hopefully will-be hit singles and street bangers. Half of the album's production is handled by already-mentioned Just Blaze and somewhat-unknown Ty Fyffe. The rest of the tracks, like album single 'Hey Ma' (DR Period, Mafia Boy) and 'Live My Life (Leave Me Alone)' (Precision) blend well-enough with the stand-out Just Blaze bangers. Just's tracks truly form the glue that holds the album together.

    Cam'ron never reached the lofty heights that fans like myself thought he'd ascend to. His image and charisma was just so unique and magnetic - truly an example of the fact that to be a successful album, your personality must match your lyrical skill (and sometimes be better than...especially these days smh). Unfortunately, by the end of the Aughts in 2009; Cam'ron had started to put-out infrequent m,material which was lukewarm at best. Sometimes, some individual tracks - that old Cam would be back. You'd hear a joint that would amaze you, make you nod oil you break your neck, and give you belly laughs. All in one. Well, 'Come Home With Me' was an entire album of those classic Cam'ron tracks. 

The Roots' 'Illadelph Half-life': Rap Music In-Flux In 9-6

Whenever hip-hop fans discuss The Roots' discography, the cream-of-the-crop at the top of everyone's Best Of... list is usually either their (and ONLY their first release too!) street-rap-jazz hybrid 'Do You Want More!?!' or Neo-soul/rap hybrid and Grammy-darling 'Things Fall Apart'. But there was an album in the middle of those two rap album triumphs (and many, many more excellent albums after...). That album is 'lladelph Half-life'. And it's equally amazing - if not better than it's siblings.

1996 was a pretty epic year for hip-hop culture and the music it gave birth to. It was rap music's peak, yet also a time of transition. Rap had been bursting at pop music's collective seams for years, and it was finally time to shine in 9-6. But commercial music demands a formula to follow. That (usually) means repeating what works - over and over again until it's repetition turns redundant, and the source material becomes completely watered-down. But not all artists were down for the sell-out. De La Soul famously released 'Stakes Is High' in a direct attack on the commercialism of hip-hop. Likewise, fellow "alternative" rap artists' The Roots decided to join the fray, producing what would become 'Illadelpo Half-life'.

They were riding high on the well-deserved critical success of 'Do You Want More!!?!"; and The Roots' label, Geffen Records, wanted them to avoid the slump that so many artists'  sophomore albums fall victim to. Just because The Roots' emcees' Black Thought and Malik B. didn't rap about  cars, hoes, and clothes much at all, doesn't mean they still can't fall victim to formulaic redundancy. Indeed, when 'DYWM!??" was released, jazz rap was a burgeoning subgenera of hip-hop music and The Roots did kinda ride it's coattails to (somewhat) success...moreso critical than sales-wise. This would be a trend that The Roots would fall prey to time and time again, but in 1996 group co-leaders Questlove and Black Thought were still young and (somewhat) fresh on the scene, eager to impress and take their group in new, unexplored directions. Questo saw that jazz-rap was on it's way OUT in Top 40 success terms, and that his group needed to explore something new.


Fortunately, Black Thought was thinking the exact same thing. And his tongue was as sharp as fucking ever. Probably the best it ever would be. Black Thought goes track-for-track, bar-for-bar, for complete broke-ness. He was telling every other emcee to run their jewels, and run them fast. And nobody else was fast enough for him. Tracks like album-opener 'Respond / React', 'Push Up Ya Lighter', and Q-Tip-assisted 'Ital' are evidence of Thought's wordplay prowress. 'The Hypnotic' is basically a sequel to 'DYWM!?!?' stand-out 'Silent Treatment'. Both are Black Thought at his most romantic introspective, and we're lucky enough to be able to experience a small dose of it again.

Malik B. does his best to keep lyrical pace - and what he produces is impressive. No, it's not in the same league as Thought, but it's damn close. Basically, Black Thought and Malik B. are like the Steph Curry-Klay Thompson tandem; with Black Thought being Curry, obviously. It's not a diss to Malik B.'s abilities on the mic - dude can spit. Honestly, there's very few Steph Currys out there in the world, and to be their sidekick means that you can compete in their arena - and that alone is a great accomplishment. Every great leader needs a great sidekick - and Malik B. is that person for Black Thought. He's the Robin to Thought's Batman. And they go track-for-track; slaughtering vowels, verbs, nouns and adjectives; and twisting them with wordplay that rates a hard 100 on the complete bonkers scale.

Questlove doesn't slack on the instrumentals that accompany Black Thought and Malik B.'s verbal showmanship, either. ''Illadelph Half-life'  goes in a musical direction that is a complete predecessor to the net-soul movement that Questo would lead into the pop-music spectrum just a couple years later with releases by artists such as D'Angelo (Voodoo) and Erykah Badu (Baduizm) as well as The Roots' own album, 'Things Fall Apart'. Quest love uses instruments and samples unknown to The Roots' music thus-far. Things such as classic music strings on 'Concerto Of The Desperado' and exploring the use of group member Rahzel's beatboxing abilities. Cymbals, horns, piano keys, even freakin' tambourines are all used to full-effect on gems such as 'The Great Pretender', 'One Shine', and 'No Alibi'. Questlove's use of drums is bananas as well. Every single track features hard-hitting snares and bass that vibrates and trembles out of my speakers in epic proportions. Being a boom-bap fanatic, I devoured every single second. 'UNIverse At War', 'Clones', 'Push Up Ya Lighter', 'Panic!!!!'...all smack with intensity not seen before on previous releases 'Organix' and 'DYWM!!?''. Every great hip-hop producer has a signature drumline, Quest knows this. And his is most-effective, especially here.
As stated before, hip-hop was in-flux in 9-6. Bad Boy Records, with Puff Daddy at it's helm; was literally adding a gloss and shine to the rap music produced on Billboard charts. And he was having enormous financial success. Obviously, everyone else followed suit. Well, the artists concerned with their bank account numbers did, anyway. And thus, hip-hop split into two groups. The eternal divide between what was deemed "authentic" and what, well, wasn't. Basically, anything making oodles of zero's was inauthentic, watered-down music and should be avoided at all costs. And, to a certain extant, this was (kinda) true.

Now, in 2016, the debate on rap's authenticity still rages-on, but ironically the underground rap fan's argument is just as watered-down and formulaic in approach as their opponent's. But it wasn't so in 1996. No, this debate was just beginning. So artists like De La Soul and The Roots' pleas for rap music to stay focused on creativity and originality was pure and had an especially strong sense of urgency. They were literally seeing rap music change before their very eyes. And artists didn't know how to react. This is showcased on tracks such as 'Clones', 'UNIverse At War' featuring emcee Common on a warpath, and (especially) album single 'What They Do' and it's accompanying, and definite-classic, music video.  Did The Roots' pleas eventually get heard? Thats honestly a matter of debate. Though Im sure it seemed at the time that hip-hop was heading to hell in a hand-basket - it survived. Rap music is just as big as before; it's if what's being produced as gotten better is the ultimate question. And probably a relative one, as everyone's tastes are different. But one thing did survive intact - and that's 'Illadelph Half-life', in all it's glory. Like fine wine, this album has only gotten better with age. But so has 'Do You Want More??!' and 'Things Fall Apart', which (sadly) centers the attention on themselves instead of 'Illadelph'. And it's a shame.

Drake Is Me aka Dude Bro Drizzy aka The One About White Guys Who Love Drake Too

Doin' the classic Cacausian Chicken-Wing Arm Flap, giving absolutely no fucks. You go, Drake. 

You can track the roots of Aubrey Graham's superstardom back to at least 2008. That was the year that fellow alpha it-factor's 50 Cent and Kanye West had their infamous, massively publicized "beef" in the press. 50 Cent, who's entire celebrity and musical subject matter is based off the uber-popular "street thug, gangsta rapper" subset - claimed that he would retire if Kanye West sold more copies of his (same-day releasing) new album than him. Kanye was going on album #3 in 0-8, 'Graduation'. His entire image was based off the very antithesis of Fiddy. 'Ye wasn't rockin' pink Ralph polos anymore (BUT THE FACT THAT HE ROCKED PINK RALPH POLOS AT ALL, YO) - he'd toned-down the soon-to-be personal trademark, "anti-gangsta rap" status; but was still super into fashion, super into being sensitive AF. So ,this so-called beef (I still hold claim that the entire thing was staged for sales, 'cuz duh) was pretty damn interesting because it was positioning the very ying and yang of modern-day Top 40 hip-hop. It was machismo verse emo, truly.

Well we all know how that battle ended. Kanye surpassed 50 Cent, but even more-so it was 100% a sign o' the times, to borrow fellow gender role-bender, Prince's album title. The era of 90's thru (most-of) the 00's reign of hardcore, street, gangster-rap was over. A new sheriff was in town, and he liked to wear his heart on his sleeve (or cardigan, if your 808's-era Yeezy). 

It's simple to see how it happened. The majority of the ACTUAL music-buying public was, well, hella white, bro. Like 80%, some sources have claimed (and it's probably exaggerated...but not by much). And they finally realized their purchasing power. So it's only fitting that the majority group of music-buyers would be attracted to, dare I say, desire, someone like themselves. And no, I'm not talking in terms of skin color - although that has proven itself an effective marketing tool, for obvious reasons. I'm talking about how white people are inside, not out. You know. The feels.

Let's play a game of "Who Doesn't Belong In This Picture?"...basically me if I was taking a snap with  Bron Bron and Dwyane Wade (idk if that's good or bad...probably bad but whatevs).

It's no secret that white people are a sensitive bunch. I should know. Yeah, there's still some John Wayne and Chuck Norris MF's out there. But for the most part, we're pretty emotional. And we're not good at hiding it. I think the word I'm looking for is...awkward.  Yeah, white people can definitely be pretty awkward. Basically, we're not known for being street-hard, hardcore fools. That's why we invented guns. And And conquered entire continents. (Yay, Imperialism!) Really though, for a decade-plus, white people (see: males) had spent their (probably easily earned, see: stereotype) money on music by artists who represented what they wanted to be. Now, in 2009 moving forward - they wanted to buy music from artists who represented what they truly were. 

And Drake's only gotten bigger with time. But it's lazy man logic to claim that Drizzy was uber-successful simply because of his upbringing in a white, lower-class household. He's obviously got raw talent, to boot (eh, Canada!). Melodies for days, flows, wordplay (when he wants to try....hate hate hate). There's a lot of ingredients to the recipe for Drake's success, let's be completely honest. But his upbringing definitely helps. 

Now, I'm a 100% Drake Stan - I can't lie. I'm obviously a little biased. But that's the entire point. You see, and it might sound completely crazy, but when I listen to Drake - I feel like he's ME. That already-mentioned lower-class white upbringing? Me. Those crewneck sweaters and cardigans? Me, too. Those awkward dance moves? Again, me. Drake's me, homie. And I'm not alone. It doesn't even need to be a white thing. Let's talk about all the sensitive MFer's worldwide. Millions of suburban, nerdy kids; fitted from Diamond Supply and J's to Abercrombie and Vans; fux with the dude. 

It might sound weird, but whenever Drake succeeds - I feel like it's ME who's succeeding. When he's out there in the 'Hotline Bling' music video, dancing super weird-style ands straight feeling himself? Oh yeah - that's most definitely me, too. When Drake's snapped by paparazzi courtside at the Raptors game in his latest OVO J's. When gossip spreads that Drizzy's dating Rihanna again - I'm right there sideline cheering him on, vicariously livin' it up. I chalk it up to just another notch on the success post for all the sensitive dudes out there. And if that's you, too; then grab a pom pom, my dude. Drake probably would (indeed, I just ended on a male cheerleader joke!). 

MY PERSONAL RE-'VIEWS' (if you think that's a bad pun, wait 'til you hear the album...)

Here's Drake being introspective on top of a building in downtown Toronto...

So, to use a current Drakeism, some-ting happened this past Friday. Nothing too major. Just global superstar and the living, breathing, walking embodiment of an internet meme, Drake, dropped his fourth studio album. You might've heard about it. It WAS called 'Views From The 6'. Now it's simply 'VIEWS' because, as Drake states on the album, he "turned the 6 upside down / that's a 9 now...". And turn "the Six" (wait, are we capitalizing it now? Is it a number? Or do we spell it out?), or Toronto (or "T-Dot" if your a Nineties head), upside down is indeed what Drake has done as of late. More so the entire continent of North America. Possibly the world.

The numbers are already out, and 'Views' is looking to clear platinum in first-week sales, easily. Birdman, the man of many internet memes including current "Respeck my name" 15-minute fame status, is grinning through his diamond-encrusted grill somewhere right now. Probably Miami. Getting a pedicure and a tattoo AT THE SAME DAMN TIME PLAYBWOY (and don't forget that Blood Red fingernail polish, yawhhurrd). Baby is just one of many "handlers" of the Drake/OVO cash cow, though. And, per usual, Drake takes to his songs to air-out greviences regarding such people who see him only as a paycheck. Or a career come-up. Or exposure. Or romantic interest. Or all of that - and then some more. That's not even his REAL circle of friends and family; who Drake famously keeps close at all times.

Regarding that same Drake/OVO cash cow - you can't expect someone to switch-up a winning gameplan. As the old adage goes; if it ain't broke, don't fix it - and Drake's hardly ever needed a tune-up, let alone actual repairs. It's eerie the amount of success he's had; and Drake will be the first to let us know, that he knows, that we know. He's possibly the most "meta" rapper, ever. Definitely of the millenial generation. So, of course, Drake and his camp are self-conscious of the OVO brand and realized the recipe for success and stuck to it. That recipe - from the seemingly-random release of Soundcloud track looses, using internet memes (and it's coinciding social media effect) to their full advantage promotion-wise, the specific collaborations and extensions of OVO-branded artists and influencers; to the ambient, empty-space sounds and infectious melodies and hooks, mixed-in with self-referential, over-sharing lyrics. Oliver North, the defecto second-in-charge of October's Very Own, has it all down to a science. And the results, well as the Jigga man would say, "numbers don't lie". They really don't. And when your name is being mentioned in the same rarefied air (sales/chart-wise, anyways) as musical artist legends like Elvis and The Beatles; well, YOU KEEP MAKING MORE OF THAT SHIT MY DUDE.

Panties coming off in 5...4...3...2....

So when people complain that Drake's doing nothing new on 'VIEWS', I simply ignore them. I happen to really, reeeeally enjoy everything that Drake's put-out so far. I like that I can expect the same type of subject matter and sounds with each new release. Drake's always talking about knowing his worth - but it's his limits that Drizzy possibly knows best. He's always leaned more towards the R.Kelly side of urban music, instead of the Jay-Z side. At least, musically. When Drake was first introduced to the masses, his lyrical prowess was on full display. He collaborated with fellow up-and-coming wordsmiths like J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar frequently. But as Drake released major project after major project, the "6AM In Dallas" songs became less and less frequent - while the "Housatlantavegas" joints moved to the forefront. Unfortunately, early-Drake lyrical habits like Disney-level cheesy wordplay ("wear so many chains / they call me Chaining Tatum") have survived on 'Views', but only to an extent. Still, you can expect to have a couple cringe-worthy listening moments with 'Views'. Thankfully, #hastag rap is nowhere to be found.

Speaking-of Jay-Z, Drake only moved-away from his lyrical influence - the Jigga man's business acumen was, still is, and always will be Drake's primary role model. And with one billion dollars in the bank (including his Bey-Bey, obviously) - I think Drake's made the right mentor choice. Jay-Z has also, quite famously, refused to stray from his core subject matter (I label it in my mind under "Jay's Pyrex Fantasies"). Ten-plus albums, Jay's still spitting' verses about cooking crack and wearing expensively-gaudy AF watches. And he's touted as a lyrical genius. Granted, this is a debate that deserves it's own think piece. The short-end, though, is that both artists have realized their core subject matter - and they work within the space created by that subject matter.

Both Jay and Drake have found "different ways of saying the same thing", pretty much. 'So Far Gone' was Drake at his most "awh, shucks" moment - the purest "fame freak-out" that he's ever been. It was Drizzy's most-innocent album, for sure. 'Thank Me Later' was Drake worried about being successful, living up to the MAJOR amount of hype that was created around him. Which meant a LOT of "safe" records. Let's just say that 'Thank Me Later' is the album you'll have the best chance of hearing at the super-market next time you're out buying groceries. 'Take Care' was Drake maturing. The growing pains were over, and he'd started to realize his potential. This was the time period where Drake truly took-over the rap game...and pop music to an extant. Drake continued this theme of Andy Warhol-ish "art-pop" with a 90's rap-baby twist on 'Nothing Was The Same'. Then there's the 'IYRTITL' and 'WATTBA' mixtape releases. The dual-emotion records of pain & anguish, success & excess.  Drake was growing-up. He wasn't the new kid on the block anymore. And now, there's 'Views'. What this album will be remembered in the Drake discography remains to be seen. But as of right now, it's an artist celebrating continued financial and musical success, while struggling with continuing to remain in possession of the elusive "musical Midas touch", so-to-speak. Drake seemingly handled one of the biggest attempts at chinking his armor, "Rap Ghostwriter-gate", with ease. It's a different era of rap-listener - one who's experienced the smoke-and-mirrors and realizes that one musically successful man is not an island. I mean, OF COURSE Drake has help with his records. Astoundingly, and probably causing a few old rap-heads to choke on their dinner, the music-buying public hardly batted an eye. Or maybe it was the art of mis-direction. Drake's definitely a magician; regardless of wether it's because he distracts against his haters with the lightning-fast rate of sold-gold releases ('Hotline Bling' , the biggest song of Drake's carrier thus far, WAS A SOUNDCLOUD THROWAWAY TRACK PEOPLE) or if he's truly just THAT damn talented.

Basically, the millions of people listening to 'Views' this weekend are in for more of the same ambient, oversharing and emotional Drake. Which is goddamn delicious the way it is. It's just a little older. And with a reeeeally well-manicured beard.  So don't get your musical panties in a bunch when I expect to order the same damn thing next time.

Here's Drake being introspective in A GODDAMN ROLLS ROYCE MY DUDE. There's a box of Kleenex right outside the camera lens' frame. It projects nifty stars too.