Dwindling CD sales getting you down? Wondering why the rap game can’t buy you a pack of gum? Then take a leaf out of the video game industry’s book of rip-off’s tricks – the Collector’s Edition. Why settle for selling your new album for $15 when you can make a $150 version? Here are some suggested ‘Limited Edition’ sets for soon to be released rap albums:
Raekwon The Chef -Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II – 38th Chamber Collector’s Set
Not only do you get the long-awaited sequel to one of rap’s greatest albums in a hand-engraved metal CD tin, this essential package also includes purple triple-vinyl, a purple cassette, a mini version of Ghostface‘s Gold Eagle bracelet, a razor and a DVD with exclusive footage of Joe Budden getting punched in his eye. (more…)
Everyone over the age of 15 would have bought records, CD’s and tapes at some point in their lives, and as a result most of us have a few bargains which we nabbed for next-to-nothing (not counting shit you stole). Whether it was a couple of copies of Raw Dope Posse for $5.99, that Barsha CD for under a dollar or a tape for 20 cents, now your chance to claim bragging rights on your best bargains.
Less than 24 hours after it was reported that DJ AM was found dead in his apartment, some douchebags have already started selling ‘tribute’ clothing, featuring played-out designs (the Run-DMC logo, AC/DC) and even quoting his final Twitter entry. As you can see from the pics, they’ve simply thrown the ‘design’ over a blank tee.
It’s not even like the money is going toward a worthy cause (such as his mother’s leukemia treatment), so let me send a big ‘Fuck you’ to Nice Tee Tee‘s and to the three people cocksuckers who have already bought these shirts.
Even though I posted this track already, this album has been getting constant attention in the car all week, and I couldn’t help but notice Prodigy‘s verbal swipe at his former boss at the start of his verse:
‘You outta your mind, you’re not feeling this hot shit/ Who got rich and stopped trying? You must be dumb – son, look at what I’ve done, I get bags fulla stacks for the shit I does’
Remember when 50 had that brief phase where he tried to get as many respected NY veterans on his team as possible in a bid to snatch back some street-level credibility? And all that resulted was Mobb‘s most hated album and more shelf time for Bill and Fame? Neither does Curtis, obviously.
All those Sprite TV spots were cool but the St. Ides spots that DJ Pooh put together remain as the finest examples of rapsloitation ever. Were these MC’s selling their souls for some free booze or just hustling smarter? Who cares, the shit bangs!
Rakim - ‘Get Some’
The 18th Letter over ‘Nautilus’? He could convince me to drink a fuckin’ Corona with promo as good as this! (more…)
Over the course of his extensive career being the boards, DJ Premier has served-up some knockin’ tracks to a handful of chick rappers. Here are a selection of the best and worst of these (Heather Hunter gets a pass, obviously).
Is there anybody over the age of twelve who’s actually willing to admit to being a fan (or, in the more extreme cases, a Stan) of any rappers these days? Now that everyone is a producer, MC, DJ, blogger and CEO of their own ‘entertainment group’, is there still room for those of us who aren’t teenage girls to be fans of the music? Personally, I don’t mind admitting that I’m a fan of certain artists (and nearing Stan status with a couple), but at the same time no one wants to come off like a groupie…it can be a fine line.
But what exactly is it that defines a fan? To hear Ghostface tell it, you have to cop his latest album and produce it on demand when he performs in your town. If so, does that mean that Slaughterhouse only have 18,000 fans, based on their first week record sales? Or is everyone who gets mad in blog comment section and message boards when Joey‘s name is typed in vain? Could the problem be the term ‘fan’ itself? Or would you rather be called a ‘supporter’?
Who are you proud to say you’re a fan of? And have you ever had anything signed by you’re favorite artist?
1. Is it just me or is it weird that the Rae snippets use the beats/loops from Pete Rock & Royal Flush‘s ‘Questions’, Tragedy‘s ‘The Message’, OC‘s ‘Jewelz’ and an M.O.P. song that I can’t place right now? [back]
Tony Prince (DMC founder), talking about the 1990 world finals at Wembley Arena in the UK (7000 capacity), and some ram-raiders trying to get in by driving a car through the stage door:
“I’m just about to go on stage and introduce somebody and two of our guys came running up to me saying, ‘There’s some ram-raiding going on in the back, we’re gonna go and help.’
“I said, ‘You’re not, you’re gonna stay here,’ but they ran off and left me to it. It was the Boo-Ya Tribe that stopped it in the end. They went down and pushed the doors shut and saved the day. You wouldn’t want to break the door down and find them on the other side of it! We were glad they were there that night, I can tell you.”
Apparently Wembley Arena refused to let ‘em stage the finals there again the next year.
This is my shit right now – Big TwinsThe Project Kid is nothing but anti-social Bridge music with Alchemist, Sid Roams, Havoc and Jake One providing the soundtrack for the guy with “a voice like I just swallowed sand”.
Back when you actually had to pay for new music, a trip to your local record spot was fraught with danger. Not so much in the sense of getting your new Nikes snatched off of your feet, but something much more serious – wasting you’re dough on a bullshit tape! Before the internets allowed us to download, listen and delete every two-bit rap release, you were flying blind for the most part, with only a handful of record reviews and the production credits on the back to guide you as to what to cop. And as a result, I ended-up with a fair few albums that can only be described as hot garbage. Allow me to open the shame file: (more…)
