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Oct 31, 2007

Mind Control : 7 small rants · by Sach O


Just in case you want to know what to think.

1.Jay-Z’s American Gangster is dope. Really dope. While Jay won’t win any point for originality (what is the album is not his version of Biggie’s rags-to-riches-to-R.I.P morality tale?), it’s rare that a modern rap album is executed with so much flair and precision. Jay’s work has always had a certain high-brow elegance to it but while that became a flaw on the terribly insecure and lifeless Kingdom Come, it becomes the perfect counterbalance to the street-life tales he kicks on American Gangster. Plus it’s hard to fuck up over beats this dope.

2.On the subject of the Roc, while I’d love to be gung-ho for Beanie Sigel’s upcoming album everything I’ve heard so far feels like filler compared to the stressed out paranoia of The B. Coming. All of Sigel’s albums so far have been dope, but all of them falter when Beans concentrates on empty threats and battle raps rather than storytelling and confessionals. Let’s hope that most of the material that’s leaked is mixtape bound.

3.The final version of “The Heart Gently Weeps” fixes all of the problems that the original leak had and makes you wonder why Loud would send out a crappy demo-version that dampened everyone’s expectations. The only thing that could improve the track now is a final Rza/Gza or Deck verse. Great Beatles cover guys, but it’s still a rap song.

4.Cam’ron disappearing was a great career move, by bailing while we were in Dipsett-overload he let the heat die down and judging by the hilarious material leaking from his upcoming mixtape, he took the time to sit down and step his rap game up. Meanwhile I don’t care if Jimmy signs with Rick Rubin, Phil Spector or Berry Gordy: he still sucks.

5.Okay, so MF Doom’s not dead…so what gives with the lack of recorded material? This guy straight went Cormega on us after a couple years of non-stop releases. I’m guessing Ghost-Doom will never happen but what about the other 50 projects he had lined up? And while we’re on the subject of Ghost, am I the only one worried that The Big Doe Rehab is just a contract-filler? That production list seems spotty as hell.

6.I try to avoid talking about rapper-arrests and such but you gotta feel bad for Prodigy and T.I. No one gives a fuck when Beanie or Hell Rell has to do a bid but these guys better get on the Dr. Dre training regimen ASAP. On second thought, Prodigy needs to stay in the studio, I need HNIC2 before that up north trip…

7.…and who is Saigon going to smack around like a piñata now that Balerina-P is gone? In a perfect world, the music would sell itself but Sai’s on his way to going double styrofoam. Dope album cover though.

Holla.

Comments for "Mind Control : 7 small rants"

  1. sucks yo, i heard p only has a few weeks before going away. i doubt he’ll rush an album beforehand. damn, just when he was getting hot. that mixtape left people fiendin. but yo, at least he has a sense of humour about it, you saw his halloween costume?


    g    Oct 31, 05:16 PM   
  2. yo

    where’d you hear a final version of “my guitar”? is that the one on their myspace or no?


    Colin C.    Oct 31, 08:22 PM   
  3. Pretty much all of this is on point, but the MF DOOM shit doesn’t surprise me really, he’s taken rather large breaks before and he always comes back raw. From what I’ve heard he’s been recording and stuff so I think we’ll see some shit next year probably.

    Ballerina P and TI better be recording like crazy. It’s gonna be a long time before they get back out.


    B. Ware tha Siniq    Oct 31, 09:03 PM   
  4. I thought I could trust you guys at least to pan American Gangster… but then again you liked Return Of The Mac and that had a lot of the same problems (rappers who can’t rap anymore, forced retro beats).


    Tray    Nov 1, 09:25 PM   
  5. rants like these can save hip hop


    nation    Nov 2, 02:31 AM   
  6. P says feburary for HNIC2.
    http://nahright.com/news/2007/11/01/video-banana-clip-p-talking-about-his-bid/


    dead dog AIDS    Nov 2, 02:52 AM   
  7. Am I the only one who thing “The Heart Gently Weeps” still sucks, cleaned up or not?


    Renato Pagnani    Nov 2, 06:03 PM   
  8. uOgWCN


    NgDomzzlY    Dec 19, 10:07 PM