Or is DJ Khaled the Swizz Beatz of the South? I'm just wondering because I remember a few years back when all the ATL artists would be on each others songs or doing crew tracks, and now it seems like that's what the Miami/Florida rappers are doing.
And I'm not saying that DJ Khaled makes hot beats or rocks a party like Swizz (Khaled does NOT do the former but he may be able to do the latter). But I am saying that everyone in that region (Miami) seems to love him and do songs with him just like everybody in NYC seems to love Swizzy and do songs with him.
DJ Khaled has even taken it a step further by somehow developing relationships with most (if not all) the relevant ATL hip-hop artists (i.e. - Young Jeezy, T.I., etc.). Think about it, he has (what is probably) the two hottest regions in rap right now showing him love and doing colloborative records for his albums. Nevermind the fact that he doesn't even do the production on these albums (that I know of) and that the albums are on Koch Records (an independent label). Not to knock Koch because they're a VERY strong independent label in hip-hop right now. But for a guy who does not rap and only does voice-overs on songs, Khaled is bringing together not only Florida artists, but bringing Florida artists together with ATL artists and other popular southern artists like Lil Wayne. Kudos to Khaled for bringing these guys together!The latest from DJ Khaled (and various artists): I'm So Hood/Brown Paper Bag
I enjoy all of these crew tracks that end up being hood anthems and/or club bangers. I think collaboration is great for hip-hop in general because a lot of these artists seem to step their lyrical games up when they're on a track with a lot of other rappers. That competitive spirit in all of them seems to come out but not outweigh the love they have for their regions and the other artists in their regions. That's good ish!
So hopefully there's more southern collaborations to come and maybe Swizzy can help make performances like this a regular occurrence.
6 comments:
A) "I'm So Hood"--saw the video...made me sick to my stomach. I do give them props for collaborating with each other--love that. BUT the video got to me. I reminds me that artists and labels are shoveling 3.5 minutes of crap to the consumers...and we're eating it right up. Commerial hip hop: it's a circus, a charade.
B)I'm going to need dj khaled to say something other than "we the best."
C)I have a love/hate relationship with T-Pain. Meaning, I hate to love him. Something about that voice synthesizer really works for him....
D)and about the brown paper bag, dough boy, coffee shop songs...I believe that people should use their fame as a platform to do good. I could care less if selling dope is the only thing these rappers know. Come up with some new material. I don't believe in censorship but I do believe in spreading messages that can inspire ppl to do better.
Good points. I can't say that I agree with everything you mentioned though.
Here's a song from one of the guys (Plies) in that I'm So Hood video/song and he's addressing an issue that affects a lot of poorer blacks. Yet, the language he uses is quite harsh and could definitely be considered negative. But at the same time he's addressing an issue that will probably cause some discussion and provoke thought among those affected.
Plies - 100 Years
What do you think?
I think the song has some good points. It addresses some aspects of the problem with the justice system--rich v.s. poor defendant, unfair conviction, and racism.
"100 Years", however, is only one song from his new album. The rest of the songs (albeit "Running My Momma Crazy") have no critical content--just more of the same things we've heard before. Pliers is FAR from a concious rapper--not does he claim to be.
I see that Plies claims to be a rapper strickly for the hustlas and those who are locked up, but if he is TRULY for them, he needs to be their light. Plies only reinforces the status quo--that there is for no real hope in life; just make money in the streets, go to the club, get some from some hoes, and then either die or go to prison. Yeah, it's real life for many--but that's too easy.
What I meant by commercial hip hop being a circus/charade are the millions of dollars being funneled into cd projects and music videos like "I'm So Hood." We don't need sets, lights, smoke machines, props, actors, models, and fake rappers selling us glamorized images of the ghetto--it's free; all some people need to do is look outside their window and it's there. Thus, the mystique of hood life, as sold to us on BET or MTV is reinforced and the cycle continues. Which is why I don't spend my money on those artists. Why give more ammunition to these frauds who are trying poison the kids' minds? A TRUE talent can talk about his past lifestyle, the struggles, the women, the crime without glorifying it. Hey, a true rapper can spit about anything! And if the artist is not concious enough to realize the need to grow, then he/she needs to sit down and let someone else take the spotlight.
I'm not saying all hip-hop needs to be cerebral or deep. I'm from Texas, I enjoy mind-less, feel good music with a good beat and ridiculous bass. BUT--it's getting to be too much crap (misogyny, violence, greed, etc. ) and not enough substance.....And that's where most hip hop debates break down. People get defensive and retort that it's not just hip hop, those types of lyrics are present in other genres. My response, "Ok. And? I'm talking about hip hop, though." We should take ownership of the problem and demand better music, so that the quality of this particular art form will not degraded.
I think, I'll leave it at that. I could clearly debate about this for hours.
Very good points. I want to make it clear though, that I wasn't necessarily trying to debate, but more so playing devil's advocate. I agree with most of what you said.
At the same time, I feel like a rapper should be able to say whatever he/she wants. I may not necessarily like it or think it's uplifting or helpful, but that's their right as an American. Moral obligation and social responsibility don't necessarily go hand-in-hand with the right to free speech. And just like they have a choice as to what they speak on, we have a choice as to what we listen to. I don't think real hip-hop will ever die no matter how many cRAPPERs there are or how many negative images are put forth.
That's actually one of the things I like most about hip-hop. Within this single genre of music, you have lots of sub-genres to choose from. You can listen to Willie D. talk ish about white folks for a whole album or Scarface talk about God. You can listen to snap music, crunk music, hyphy music, conscious music, gangsta music, spiritual music, ballerific music, and so on. There are so many different flavors of hip-hop to choose from.
There will always be diversity within hip-hop music but it's just that this crap they shove down our ears everyday on the radio and via videos and in the club is what people end up being brainwashed to buy. If the consumer demanded better then more artists would make better music. But when the only demographic left that's truly going out and buying CDs is 12-17 year olds (the kids you see on 106 & Park) living at home with their parents, what do you expect?
In the end, it's your choice as a consumer as to whether you want to purchase/listen. And in the case of children, it's up to their parents to monitor what they listen to as much as possible up to a certain age and when their kids are old enough to understand or start understanding, to explain some of the things they know their children are going to be exposed to.
"Why give more ammunition to these frauds who are trying poison the kids' minds? A TRUE talent can talk about his past lifestyle, the struggles, the women, the crime without glorifying it." Good point.
Like you, I could talk about this stuff all day. LOL.
a couple of comments and then I'm done dicing up this post. LOL ;)
Oh, I don't believe in censorship either. Free Speech all the way. I want rappers to realize the power that they have. For 3.5 - 4 minutes they have millions of eyes and hears focused on them. So, yeah, at least 50% of the time, can you have something worthwhile to say?
Agree with you on the 12-17 yr old point.
And the diversity in hip-hop is beautiful, however, subgenres have nothing to do with crap v.s. quality. I'm saying it's getting even harder to like listening to the radio, harder to roll to record store or itunes and just pick up an album. Like when you go to the grocery store and there's no packages of 85% lean beef, only 20%. Please cut the fat out of hip hop....
Well I think cutting the fat out is up to the individual consumer. In a market driven by dance-themed songs, party-anthems, and image over art...AND it appears to be the only stuff that's selling (to 12-17 yr olds who actually buy the albums), why would record companies stop allowing this type of music to be shoved down our ears in favor of the latest Talib, Mos, or Dead Prez CD? It doesn't make sense for their business model.
In the end, hip-hop is a billion dollar business and the people who control it aren't the ones that necessarily have a vested interest in the messages and who those messages affect. Their interest is in making money. The artist is pretty much a pawn in this game.
Seemingly, the only way global change can be affected is if people stop buying the crap that's shoved down our ears on radio. Personally, I haven't listened to the radio more than 1 time per month in like the last 5 years. So I don't really care what's on the radio. And I don't buy shyt that I don't like or cannot relate to. I will buy an ignorant azz rapper's record if I can relate to it and I will buy a conscious rapper's album if I relate to that. But that's a product of the environment I grew up in and where I am now in life.
Nevertheless, while I do believe there's a social responsibility that goes along with being a hip-hop artist, I realize that is not necessarily the standpoint of many of the artists and I can't really get mad at them. Not everyone is the same and not everyone cares about the same things. These guys have their stories and they want to tell them. Even if they've been told a zillion times already. So if that's what they want to talk about with no recognition or care for the fact that they may be putting negative stuff out there, so be it. I don't have to listen and I don't have to buy it for my kids or allow them to listen. Or I can explain it to my kids if they are old enough to understand me.
I agree that there needs to be better music being put out via mainstream outlets, but I think that it's the responsibility of the consumers and the artists to make that happen.
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