Ok. So I'm not very good at this "blogging" thing. Its been a very hectic summer for the kid. Road trips, a couple of shows here & there, not to mention 3 attention grabbing sons & a beautiful wife to interact with makes for very limited time to blog. My original intentions were to take a month off to gather & write new material but as usual life gets in the way (not to mention a computer that decided to take a shit on me & call in sick) and soon a month turns into the entire summer. But yours truly will be back soon with that good commentary on not only Hip Hop but life in general & I will soon be soliciting you up & coming MC's & producers for music that (if you are brave enough) I will review.
Also be on the look out for "Nuthuggers: The Skinny Jeans Experiment". My first foray into video that I will be posting on this here blog & various other outlets as soon as I can get my wife to cooperate & as soon as I can find the right people to work with me on it. But please don't give up on the kid yet! I'll be back like I never left. Peace to you & yours and enjoy the summer.
One Love
Gargamel Jermel
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Back To New Orleans
Over this past weekend I went back home to New Orleans for a quick visit. Its always great to visit because there's a 100% chance that I will be introduced to whatever is the hottest track on the street out there. But unfortunately due to my absence the music that I "discovered" is pretty much old news to my people. Yet whenever they are thrown on in "The Venue" or "The Duckoff" the club still goes crazy. The first question I usually asks is "Why haven't I heard this? I only live 7 hours away!" which is closely followed by "How come they not pushing this track harder?" The response I always get is "They made it for the city." And its true.
Before Cash Money made it worldwide, The Hot Boys made a song called "Neighborhood Superstars" in which they did the usual braggadochio but contend that they are happy just doing it big at home. That is pretty much the mentality of a lot of the local artists out there. Partners-N-Crime are legends in New Orleans for making great bounce music. Their 1996 album PNC 3 is considered a "monumental classic" in the N.O. bounce scene. They were signed to Juvenile's UTP imprint and released an album called "Club Bangaz" but due to little promo of the album it went nowhere and they parted ways with the label. I was plesantly surprised that they had a "new" single called "So Attracted" (Warning: Auto Tune is being used!)
Another "discovery" I made was a song by a rapper from our old neighborhood whose name is Mugzy. His song "Tear It Down" has made noise beyond the local confines but due to the lack of a deal, the track lives on through the club & street circuit.
Now some of yall have heard this before and some of yall haven't. I know some of you saying "Typical Southern Rap" which is a valid point. But after seeing how the club reacts to these songs proves to me that even though I've been to clubs all over the country, nobody "tears it down" like New Orleans. So feel free to defend your turf, then come on down for Essence Fest, Mardi Gras or any Super Sunday and see if you will feel the same way after.
Huh bruh!
Before Cash Money made it worldwide, The Hot Boys made a song called "Neighborhood Superstars" in which they did the usual braggadochio but contend that they are happy just doing it big at home. That is pretty much the mentality of a lot of the local artists out there. Partners-N-Crime are legends in New Orleans for making great bounce music. Their 1996 album PNC 3 is considered a "monumental classic" in the N.O. bounce scene. They were signed to Juvenile's UTP imprint and released an album called "Club Bangaz" but due to little promo of the album it went nowhere and they parted ways with the label. I was plesantly surprised that they had a "new" single called "So Attracted" (Warning: Auto Tune is being used!)
Another "discovery" I made was a song by a rapper from our old neighborhood whose name is Mugzy. His song "Tear It Down" has made noise beyond the local confines but due to the lack of a deal, the track lives on through the club & street circuit.
Now some of yall have heard this before and some of yall haven't. I know some of you saying "Typical Southern Rap" which is a valid point. But after seeing how the club reacts to these songs proves to me that even though I've been to clubs all over the country, nobody "tears it down" like New Orleans. So feel free to defend your turf, then come on down for Essence Fest, Mardi Gras or any Super Sunday and see if you will feel the same way after.
Huh bruh!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Street Cred May Not Be Necessary
My 23-year old brother is visiting for the next few days and I sat down with him the other night and listened to Rick Ross's "Deeper Than Rap". As we got deeper into the album I found myself truly enjoying the album to which my brother says "Man, that nigga a cop". After I explained to him that many correctional officers are no longer considered law enforcement because most jails in America are now privately owned and operated by outside government agencies, he still was like"I still don't believe him".
Street credibility used to be the end all, be all in Hip-Hop. If you were discovered to be a fraud, your career was over. We've seen thousands of rappers fall victim to inflated egos and phony stories about their pasts. From Vanilla Ice to Boss to Ross (wow the irony), one inconsistency in your life story or piss off a writer doing a piece about you and your next album is dead on arrival in stores.
Over the past few years, thanks to the net, even my 10 year old son can access SouljahBoyTellem's grades in elementary school. There's also the fact that so many more rappers are coming from a pool of a much larger middle class background into receiving more respect from the street that this question may no longer be needed to be asked:
Street credibility used to be the end all, be all in Hip-Hop. If you were discovered to be a fraud, your career was over. We've seen thousands of rappers fall victim to inflated egos and phony stories about their pasts. From Vanilla Ice to Boss to Ross (wow the irony), one inconsistency in your life story or piss off a writer doing a piece about you and your next album is dead on arrival in stores.
Over the past few years, thanks to the net, even my 10 year old son can access SouljahBoyTellem's grades in elementary school. There's also the fact that so many more rappers are coming from a pool of a much larger middle class background into receiving more respect from the street that this question may no longer be needed to be asked:
"Is Street Credibility even needed anymore?"
Now for the sake of full disclosure, I will say that I think Ross's latest album is damn near classic by southern standards. The production is great on nearly every track and at times Ross shows some flashes of good lyricism. Now with that said, can any self respecting Hip Hop fan honestly believe anything he's saying? I mean if you listened to 70% of the stuff out there now could you really believe it? Maybe the movie "CB4" has made me cynical towards alot of these rappers but there's always some truth in jest.
"Only live once and I got 2 kids/ If I need to feed them then I'll get 2 gigs
I'll shovel shit, I'll C.O. / so we can bow our heads and pray over the meatloaf"
-Rick Ross "Valley of Death"
No body's (except Eminem) has ever dissed Will Smith for his style and nonexistence of street cred because he never fronted like he moved kilos or shot anyone. So why after all these years are we getting so wrapped up into whether or not a rapper is real? Remember Wayne didn't get shot, he mistakenly shot himself, but we hold him in high regard as a street credible artist. Don't let lack of credibility hold you back from enjoying dope music.
By the way this is in no way a defense of Rick Ross because I don't believe him for a Wall Street second. I don't see nothing wrong with having a job before rap but if it comes out, man up and admit it. I'll respect you more than if you just deny it when the proof has been shown.
You gotta remember that the streets are watching more than ever. Keep ya nose clean, and keep ya rhymes honest. Hip-Hop is more open minded than ever so there's no need to front. The late MC Breed once said "There ain't no future in ya fronting" and more than a decade later it still rings true.
Well to a certain extent.....
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Statements for 6/1/09
1. Can Spencer Pratt die a miserable death! And yes you can say I'm wrong for saying it but I don't give a f***!!
2. Lebron was dead wrong for not being a good sport so I'm calling it now: CLEVELAND WILL NEVER WIN A TITLE!! Mark it down, you heard it here first!
3. I'm officially joining the unfollow Diddy movement! Don't know why but his tweets and LOCK IN is getting annoying!
4. Prepare your ears for the SUMMER OF DRAKE!! I'm listening to Country for the summer!!
5. Sorry, I got caught up in that weird Prius commercial. I feel like I just took some acid looking at that s***
6. Niggas still drinking Moet? Really? You are not balling!! I can go to the supermarket and buy that s***! It's not '92, live into now!
7. Is there nothing funnier than seeing somebody get tasered? Don't tase me bro!!
8. MTV IS SO WACK!! And who's the black British rapper in the gum commercial? What a douche!!
9. Final Statement: It's amazing how suddenly girls think Wayne is cute, must be the money!
10 Bonus Statement: Nothing would make me happier than to see Wayne & Miley Cyrus hook up and have a children! Now bow your head in prayer!
Any Questions???
2. Lebron was dead wrong for not being a good sport so I'm calling it now: CLEVELAND WILL NEVER WIN A TITLE!! Mark it down, you heard it here first!
3. I'm officially joining the unfollow Diddy movement! Don't know why but his tweets and LOCK IN is getting annoying!
4. Prepare your ears for the SUMMER OF DRAKE!! I'm listening to Country for the summer!!
5. Sorry, I got caught up in that weird Prius commercial. I feel like I just took some acid looking at that s***
6. Niggas still drinking Moet? Really? You are not balling!! I can go to the supermarket and buy that s***! It's not '92, live into now!
7. Is there nothing funnier than seeing somebody get tasered? Don't tase me bro!!
8. MTV IS SO WACK!! And who's the black British rapper in the gum commercial? What a douche!!
9. Final Statement: It's amazing how suddenly girls think Wayne is cute, must be the money!
10 Bonus Statement: Nothing would make me happier than to see Wayne & Miley Cyrus hook up and have a children! Now bow your head in prayer!
Any Questions???
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Too Much Positivity Can Be A Negative
Last night, I was sitting in my bedroom with my wife who was watching "So You Think You Can Dance?" (One of the many reality competition shows I loathe) when I said a derogatory comment about the female judges face. My wife turned to me in disgust and said "Why do you always have to so negative?". I didn't say a word. The reason I remained quiet was because we've had this discussion a million times before and it always deteriorates rapidly into an argument. But it did get me to thinking.
Everyday on Twitter we see random quotes from celebrities and wannabes from Diddy to the random rapper who is harassing everybody to download his music to "Believe in Yourself" and "Focus + Drive = Success" or some bulltwit like that. I'm not knocking positive thinking, I encourage positivity in my kids daily. But the problem is when too much positivity makes you blind to everything that's going on in the real world. This thinking is especially prevalent in today's Hip-Hop generation. Of course its easy for Diddy or Russell Simmons to spread a positive message, it worked for them in accomplishing their dreams and the money's already been made. But what about that young kid who wants to be like them but is currently living in a climate where its getting more and more impossible for him to reach their level of success?
Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book "The Outliers" (this is not a direct quote from his book, just my interpretation of it) that every human being on this planet has a basic level of talent. It is those that work extremely hard, and sacrifice everything else in life that makes them successful. We as Americans though feel like success is inevitable, that its only an opportunity away, that we will be rewarded on talent alone. We have been bought and sold on "The American Dream" and that each and everyone of us has success as a right. Since the advent of new media, you don't have to have that much talent to be successful, you just merely need to bullsh*t your way through the interview process, or have a decent sales pitch, and you will have us eating out of the palm of your hand. But just like in your office or at your job you quickly come to realize how completely incompetent and untalented that person is and you feel played for believing them.
THIS is why America and Hip-Hop is in the mess its in now. Too many people trying to be Tony Robbins and are being told to reach for heights above their talents or means if they remain positive about it. "You can afford that house, You can sing, You can rap just be positive, you can achieve anything." But next to nobody wants to put in the hard work to achieve it.
Another problem is no one wants to be the bearer of bad news because its not "politically correct" or "you are just being mean" or "you are just being a hater". One of the reasons I stopped rhyming was because I realized that I wasn't as skilled (despite the fact that I and others that have heard me knew that I'm better than the majority) as some of the people that are doing it but they aren't feeding their kids off it or being successful enough to sustain a living off what they love to do. In realizing that reality was passing me by, if I remained stuck in my "positive thinking" mode, I'm neglecting my kids future and placing myself behind the curve.
I created this blog (despite that there's 10 million other ones) as my way to contribute to the culture. I'm not necessarily looking to get rich and famous from it but if it comes so be it. You have to be realistic in your plans to achieve your goals and dreams. Then when your goals are realized "you will be met with a success unexpected in common hours" (Thoreau).
As my wife went back to watching her show, I leaned over, gave her kiss and told her "I love you". Then I said I'm not negative. I'm positively realistic.
Everyday on Twitter we see random quotes from celebrities and wannabes from Diddy to the random rapper who is harassing everybody to download his music to "Believe in Yourself" and "Focus + Drive = Success" or some bulltwit like that. I'm not knocking positive thinking, I encourage positivity in my kids daily. But the problem is when too much positivity makes you blind to everything that's going on in the real world. This thinking is especially prevalent in today's Hip-Hop generation. Of course its easy for Diddy or Russell Simmons to spread a positive message, it worked for them in accomplishing their dreams and the money's already been made. But what about that young kid who wants to be like them but is currently living in a climate where its getting more and more impossible for him to reach their level of success?
Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book "The Outliers" (this is not a direct quote from his book, just my interpretation of it) that every human being on this planet has a basic level of talent. It is those that work extremely hard, and sacrifice everything else in life that makes them successful. We as Americans though feel like success is inevitable, that its only an opportunity away, that we will be rewarded on talent alone. We have been bought and sold on "The American Dream" and that each and everyone of us has success as a right. Since the advent of new media, you don't have to have that much talent to be successful, you just merely need to bullsh*t your way through the interview process, or have a decent sales pitch, and you will have us eating out of the palm of your hand. But just like in your office or at your job you quickly come to realize how completely incompetent and untalented that person is and you feel played for believing them.
THIS is why America and Hip-Hop is in the mess its in now. Too many people trying to be Tony Robbins and are being told to reach for heights above their talents or means if they remain positive about it. "You can afford that house, You can sing, You can rap just be positive, you can achieve anything." But next to nobody wants to put in the hard work to achieve it.
Another problem is no one wants to be the bearer of bad news because its not "politically correct" or "you are just being mean" or "you are just being a hater". One of the reasons I stopped rhyming was because I realized that I wasn't as skilled (despite the fact that I and others that have heard me knew that I'm better than the majority) as some of the people that are doing it but they aren't feeding their kids off it or being successful enough to sustain a living off what they love to do. In realizing that reality was passing me by, if I remained stuck in my "positive thinking" mode, I'm neglecting my kids future and placing myself behind the curve.
I created this blog (despite that there's 10 million other ones) as my way to contribute to the culture. I'm not necessarily looking to get rich and famous from it but if it comes so be it. You have to be realistic in your plans to achieve your goals and dreams. Then when your goals are realized "you will be met with a success unexpected in common hours" (Thoreau).
As my wife went back to watching her show, I leaned over, gave her kiss and told her "I love you". Then I said I'm not negative. I'm positively realistic.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Realest Shit I Ever Twit!! (This Weeks Statements via Twitter)
1. I too would love to F*** every girl in the world! (if I wasn't married and the girls would have to be weight & height proportionate)
2. I keep the trap bunkin, its bunkin like a summa bitch!
3. I love Springer because it showcases the ignorance that is all over WHITE America.
4. If your mom got a Myspace or Facebook page, would you be mad if she hooked up with somebody from it?
5. Dick Cheney needs to lay down and take a nap and not wake up from it!
6. I might go to the club tonight, anybody know where I can pick up a pair of Nut Hugger Denim jeans so I can get in?
7. If you have this in your kitchen in this size you will die of a heart attack in less than 5 years.
http://twitpic.com/5oxdc
8. What is a twibe & why should I join it?
9. And if I do join one do we get to block each other out of it week after week?
10. 98% of you rappers still can't touch Eminem with a 10 foot pole standing 2 feet next to him!
Drunk Statements Edition!!
1. Threesomes= too many limbs = too much trouble
2. If your girl wants an OPEN relationship, she will catch more dick than you can imagine! Don't do it!
3. E & J is a good drink!!
4. I got a list, here's the order of my list that its in, it goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2 Pac, and Biggie, Andre from Outkast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas and then me. -Eminem
5. If ALL your girls weigh more than 250 lbs. you are not pimpin, pimpin!
6. If you got all gray hair, don't do braids.
7. The streets need me!!.............(not now though I'm drunk)
8. Final Drunk Statement! Somebody explain to me why a woman should get vaginamony?
2. I keep the trap bunkin, its bunkin like a summa bitch!
3. I love Springer because it showcases the ignorance that is all over WHITE America.
4. If your mom got a Myspace or Facebook page, would you be mad if she hooked up with somebody from it?
5. Dick Cheney needs to lay down and take a nap and not wake up from it!
6. I might go to the club tonight, anybody know where I can pick up a pair of Nut Hugger Denim jeans so I can get in?
7. If you have this in your kitchen in this size you will die of a heart attack in less than 5 years.
http://twitpic.com/5oxdc
8. What is a twibe & why should I join it?
9. And if I do join one do we get to block each other out of it week after week?
10. 98% of you rappers still can't touch Eminem with a 10 foot pole standing 2 feet next to him!
Drunk Statements Edition!!
1. Threesomes= too many limbs = too much trouble
2. If your girl wants an OPEN relationship, she will catch more dick than you can imagine! Don't do it!
3. E & J is a good drink!!
4. I got a list, here's the order of my list that its in, it goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2 Pac, and Biggie, Andre from Outkast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas and then me. -Eminem
5. If ALL your girls weigh more than 250 lbs. you are not pimpin, pimpin!
6. If you got all gray hair, don't do braids.
7. The streets need me!!.............(not now though I'm drunk)
8. Final Drunk Statement! Somebody explain to me why a woman should get vaginamony?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Lost Art Of The Slow Jam
About 2 weeks ago, I went to the club with my wife and some friends of ours. I was already inebriated and enjoying watching Rush Hour take place. As I pointed out the many characters I've described in my earlier post, the unthinkable occurred. Keith Sweat's "Nobody" began to blare out of the speakers. And for the first time in close to a decade I actually saw people slow dancing and grinding on the (now nearly empty) dance floor. After I picked my jaw and drink up from the floor I said to my wife "I can't believe what I'm seeing!" Here we are in 2009 during "Rush Hour" of all times and the DJ was playing a slow jam. The world as I knew it was turned upside down (or maybe the Henny shots made it look that way).
Over the last decade the frequency of slow jams being played in the club has dropped off a cliff. The 90's was the last great decade that R&B (as well as Hip-Hop) was a dominant factor in music. Boyz II Men, SWV, Joe, Jade, among many others ruled not only R&B but the pop charts as well. The formula was usually the same, the first single would be a collabo with a hot rap artist or just a hip-hop beat over their singing, but the second single would be the slow jam. I was in high school during this period and thanks to this music, I was able to rid myself of the stresses of virginity and my awkward teenage shyness when dealing with the ladies. Many a homecoming, Sadie Hawkins, sweetheart, and formal dances went from evacuating to the bleachers to a mad scramble for the hand of the most gorgeous girl to grind on when a slow jam came on.
Since that night a few weeks ago I've been trying to find the disconnect. Maybe its STD's and other communicable diseases that has us afraid to get close? No because then all clubs would be shut down. Maybe the rise of teenage pregnancies which I know was on the rise during my generation? It can't be that either because some of yall still getting knocked up. Maybe its the litigious state of our country that has caused a cutback in people wanting to get close? Hell Nah! The way some of yall dance to "Booty Doo" makes me swear that yall exchanging fluids! Maybe its because the ratio of guys to girls in the club forces the DJ to play more music suited to guys?
I HOPE NOT!!!
Let me make my argument a little more clear for yall! Ladies here are 5 reasons why you should want more slow jams played in the club:
Over the last decade the frequency of slow jams being played in the club has dropped off a cliff. The 90's was the last great decade that R&B (as well as Hip-Hop) was a dominant factor in music. Boyz II Men, SWV, Joe, Jade, among many others ruled not only R&B but the pop charts as well. The formula was usually the same, the first single would be a collabo with a hot rap artist or just a hip-hop beat over their singing, but the second single would be the slow jam. I was in high school during this period and thanks to this music, I was able to rid myself of the stresses of virginity and my awkward teenage shyness when dealing with the ladies. Many a homecoming, Sadie Hawkins, sweetheart, and formal dances went from evacuating to the bleachers to a mad scramble for the hand of the most gorgeous girl to grind on when a slow jam came on.
Since that night a few weeks ago I've been trying to find the disconnect. Maybe its STD's and other communicable diseases that has us afraid to get close? No because then all clubs would be shut down. Maybe the rise of teenage pregnancies which I know was on the rise during my generation? It can't be that either because some of yall still getting knocked up. Maybe its the litigious state of our country that has caused a cutback in people wanting to get close? Hell Nah! The way some of yall dance to "Booty Doo" makes me swear that yall exchanging fluids! Maybe its because the ratio of guys to girls in the club forces the DJ to play more music suited to guys?
I HOPE NOT!!!
Let me make my argument a little more clear for yall! Ladies here are 5 reasons why you should want more slow jams played in the club:
1. Your feet can relax from being in those stilettos.
2. You can use that moment to fix your makeup.
3. You can hear yourself think.
4. You can sing along as loud as you want to Keyshia Cole's "Love" and no one will know that you cant sing nor will they care.
5. Most Important: You can get close to that guy you've been digging all night and lock him down for yourself!!
Fellas, I know this is a tough one but peep the advantages:
1. Gives you time to scope the room and decipher who's taken and who's not.\
2. Even if you don't have game, let the song do the talking for you! (depending on the song)
3. Aren't you tired of bumping into dudes all night and all the mean mugging?
4. You too can hear what she's saying which gives a chance to think & respond.
5. Most Important: You can actually touch a woman without charges being filed (Hopefully)!
So DJ's whether you are playing to thousands in Vegas or just a house party on the block, I urge you and I'm quite sure the ladies will agree with me, to cutback on the elbow throwing, making the trap say AYE, making it rain, joints and for a little while give us a chance to breathe.
Get close to someone and regain the lost art of the slow jam!
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