Photo: WENN.com
Welcome to the first of a weekly round up of what’s going on in the world of Hip Hop. I’ll be looking at current events, new music, videos, and anything else that might have caught my ear during the past week. So in the words of Trey Songz: “Leggo...”
Easily the most talked about news item of the week: the two Kanye West radio interviews that had the internet going nuts (shout out to Paul Wall). While the first, held at New York’s Power 105 on The Breakfast Club show, had listeners excited, due mostly to the match up between Yeezy and host Charlamagne Tha God, whose public criticism of the rapper has been highly publicised over the past year (he coined the term Kanye Kardashian), it was his interview with Sway (of MTV fame) on his Sway In The Morning Show that had people talking.
The Breakfast Club interview saw Yeezy compare himself to Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. He believes Kim Kardashian is the new Marilyn Monroe. He even admitted that ‘Bound 2’ wasn’t a great video. With some worried for his well being, there were even a few quotables that just didn’t make any sense - “I want to stop using the term fashion because Eve made Adam bite an apple and since then it’s been illegal to be naked.” However, going on one of his famous rants (or “visionary streams of consciousness as he puts them), in his interview with Sway he went off at his longtime friend with uncontrollable rage - “You ain’t got the answers Sway!”
While there’s no doubt that Kanye West is a genius in the musical sense (perhaps not as far as his new album goes), he’s in a frame of mind right now that finds him angry and frustrated. Does he need help? With his life so much in the public eye we’ll see soon enough. Besides the drama, following his announcement on The Breakfast Club that he quit his partnership with Nike it came to light this week that he’s signed a new deal with Adidas worth $10 million. Nice work ‘Ye. But are the new shoes going to be as sought after as the Air Yeezys?
R. Kelly has been in the news plenty recently thanks to his appearance on Lady Gaga’s recent single ‘Do What U Want’. Back with his 12th album Black Panties, fans were given the opportunity to stream the album in anticipation of its December 9th release. With everyone from 2 Chainz and Young Jeezy to Kelly Rowland and Future featured, it’s a mixed bag with something for everyone, but long gone have the days of the Kelz cohesive masterpieces his fans were once used to. What I wouldn’t give for another 12 Play.
Other releases to pick up include [free] mixtapes from R&B newbie Emanny, a regular collaborator with Joe Budden, whose SLV presented EP Songs About You, not to be mistaken for his previous long play of the same name, is a certified R&B work of art. Production, dope. Story lines, detailed. Vocals, perfect.
On the rap front, T.I.’s Hustle Gang signee Trae Tha Truth unleashed his much anticipated King tape. Featuring the likes of Diddy, Floyd Mayweather, and Snoop Dogg, fans of hardcore rap won’t want to turn it off.
G-Unit fans will be delighted to hear that their lyrical boy wonder Lloyd Banks is back on the scene and putting in that work. Having just recently released his DJ Drama hosted mixtape F.N.O. (Failure’s No Option), which was incredible to say the least, he put out some animated cover art this week signalling that he’ll be adding the third chapter to his Cold Corner series sooner rather than later. Fans of lyricism it’s time to get excited.
The best of the best as far as new tracks this week: Kendrick Lamar jumped on ‘Two Presidents’ alongside YG Hootie. Lil’ Kim took on a Scarface persona and aimed some tough talk at the females in rap today on ‘I Am Kimmy Blanco’ - where on earth is the frequently pushed back mixtape Kim? J. Cole, who is currently in the UK on his What Dreams May Come tour, finally hit back at Kendrick Lamar after his ‘Control’ verse, on the Black Friday Remix to Justin Timberlake’s ‘TKO’ alongside Pusha T and A$AP Rocky.
Signing off by briefly going back to Kanye, producer Halo made my week by putting together a blend track that features parts of Yeezy’s screamathon with Sway laced with an original slice of production. Check it out for a chuckle, but in all honesty... it’s actually pretty good.
(Will “ill Will” Lavin is a Hip Hop music and lifestyle specialist who has been writing about Hip Hop culture for the past 10 years. With published works both nationally and internationally, he has written for publications such as VIBE, Complex, XXL, KING, Blues & Soul, MOBO, Soul Culture, and is one of the longest standing contributors to Gigwise having been writing since the site’s conception. You can follow him on Twitter @333illWill333, see him host The Authentic Series, and come January visit his website illWill.co.uk.)
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