It's been two weeks since the New Year. I know '06 is setting in for everyone. Are you feeling the good vibes along with me yet? It's going to be a big year for hip-hop, for BallerStatus and of course the FRIDAY FIIIIIIIRE!
It's your boy Mark AKA "The Most Ambitious Baby" back at it and broadcasting live for January 13 (Friday the 13th for those that believe in that kind of thing). There's so much on our plate this week. So, ladies and gentlemen, get focused. I bring you the Fire. Let's get it...
Young Jeezy recently told MTV News that he believes him and T.I. "have a chokehold on the game." Chokehold is a strong phrase to use. Like, LL Cool J, Run DMC and the Beastie Boys had a chokehold on the game in the '80s; Wu-Tang, Biggie, Jay-Z and Nas had a chokehold on the game back in the mid-90s. Same can be said about Dre's movement out West. But as strong as the phrase is, I tend to agree with Jeezy. Aside from a few bright albums in between, look at Atlanta's growth from the time T.I. dropped Urban Legend to Jeezy's smash Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101. If Luda's moves kicked in the door for the A-T-L, T.I. and Jeezy combined, burned down the house! As someone who grew up listening to Run DMC, LL and artists of NYC's "Golden Era" (Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas, Wu-Tang), I used to be reluctant in saying the South is getting bigger, better and stronger. But, I would be a fool to stay stubborn like that today. (Almost) gone are the days where East Coast dudes say the South isn't lyrical. We would be playing ourselves saying that today with cats like T.I. and Luda repping hard for the Dirty. Not to mention Scarface has been doing it for years. The only reason I say almost gone is because there are still Southern artists that put dancing and having a good time over skill and we all know who they are. But my hat...scratch that...my NY fitted goes off to the Southern cats that make good hip-hop music. I place, of course, the true King of the South Scarface, T.I., Jeezy, Luda and let's not forget Lil' Wayne among hip-hop's elite class. They bring the heat. Let's give credit when and where it's due. ...
At the same token, I really have respect for the MCs that have kept it New York during the South's rise. One that comes to mind right off the top is Fat Joe. I remember Joe doing a song called "Bust At You" with Scarface and Baby off his Loyalty album. Joe could have switched up his drawl, but nah, he kept it New York. More recently, he had Nelly on the hook of "Get It Poppin'." He let Nelly do his St. Louie thing, but he kept it New York. Though, Joe may never move a huge number of units, he has earned respect by most across the board. The same can be said for Killa Cam and Juelz Santana. They collaborate here and there, but manage to keep it New York. Looking ahead this year, Saigon can be that guy who initially returns a lot of respect to NYC. ...
There seems to be a growing trend with The Source admiring hip-hop figures that have had brushes with the law. I like Lil' Kim, but was her album really worthy of a high mic count? Irv Gotti -- yes, he did get acquitted of all charges, but does that deserve the top spot on the Power list? I don't think so. In no way is this a knock on Irv because he's like a weary fighter in the 12th round and he's still standing, but how can Irv beat out Jay-Z, 50 Cent, f--- it, Mariah Carey!? All of them had great, POWERFUL years. If The Source wanted to go that route, give the top spot to Irv Gotti's lawyers. ... In correlation, MTV.com had a great one-on-one sit-down with the leader of the Inc. Here Gotti talked about how he believes he was blackballed by two individuals at Universal. Furthermore, he says that he has a lot of love for Jay-Z, L.A. Reid and others. The messed up thing when people bring up Irv Gotti in conversation is they tend to immediately bring up his and Ja Rule's beef with 50 Cent. However, in the process they really fail to understand just how crucial Irv Gotti was in the role of mounting the careers of Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule. For a minute, despite what you think of his music, Ja Rule did just that. He ruled the charts. So, more respect should be given to Irv Gotti. ...
Ok, I have to address a quote by Bow Wow: "I'm not tryna be like Will Smith cause Will Smith is not a real rapper. He was more of a bubble gum rapper. The only real rappers out there right now are Me, Kanye, 50, and maybe Jay. But Jay ain't in it like that no more." - Bow Wow, XXL Magazine.
Has this kid gone bananas!? I let him slide on the comment about him and Omarion being the Best of Both Worlds, but enough is enough! I think Ciara's goodies may be too much for the kid. Only a true veteran of the game can say a quote like that. Not Bow Wow. He hasn't done anything to spit some stuff like that. I listen to a lot of what's out there and I'll say that Bow Wow has shown improvement, but not enough to be mouthing off like that. The kid slaps some tats on his arms and has a lady, so now he's tough!? Before all he wanted to do was make us bounce with him. Then he asked to hold the ladies. The nerve of this cat to say, "Maybe Jay." Hov can spit a line that's more significant than your albums, homie! You can't mention your name in the same breath as Jay, Kanye and 50. They're next level. I don't care what kind of numbers Bow Wow moves. Little girls buy his sh--. I'm not trying to make an example out of him, but even as a hip-hop journalist, I have to remind him to respect the game. Be happy with your fame and work hard to keep improving. No ill will towards you. I wish you the best, but since you want to mention your name alongside Hova, I'll quote the President like this: "Disrespecting the game, no home training or manners, I was doing this sh-- when you was shi---- Pampers." Lesson learned ... I hope. ...
My take on a couple of television shows out there:
"The Flavor of Love" on VH1 is poised to be one of the funniest shows on television today. All I seen were scenes from a future episode showing Flava Flav bringing in his old flame Bridgette Nielson to give the ladies supposedly in love with him a lie-detector test. Air some of these chicks out Flav. ... On another note; MTV's casting directors don't ever want to see me on an episode of "Room Raiders." For those unaware, "Room Raiders" is a show in which a young man or woman chooses his or her date by searching through their rooms. MTV gives them a suitcase equipped with tongs, rubber gloves and other Inspector Gadget type sh--. Maan, I'm from New York City. I get in! If I was on that show, I wouldn't even bother with the suitcase. You would see me razor blading the carpet, leaving that room like Customs went through it. Mark my words on that. ...
Is there a bigger gangster alive than Brad Pitt!? Here we have a cat that leaves his wife to impregnate arguably the flyest lady of them all in Angelina Jolie. I'm not advocating infidelity, but Brad Pitt is a gangster. Anywhere he lays his fitted, that's his home...
I can't believe Zab Judah lost to Carlos Bandomir! You know how many millions he lost in a potential blockbuster fight with Floyd Mayweather!? At best, Bandomir is a journeyman, but it just goes to show you that anyone can be beat on any given night. Super has all the tools necessary, but he's going to have to prove he's not a victim to the following boxing adage: "Those who are strong in the body are weak in the mind." ...
I have no comment about how the New York Giants ended their season. But the Knicks are doing better, so much so that Jadakiss and Cam'ron made an appearance at the Garden in support. ...
In album talk, Mary J. Blige has hit the platinum mark with her Breakthrough album. Congrats. She's an artist that can really do no wrong. That voice, that pain, that soul -- all hail the queen. Also, in album talk, the Notorious B.I.G.'s Duets: The Final Chapter has registered 650,000 scans and counting. No surprise New York City has accounted for the most sales of the album. B.I.G was and will forever be our Babe Ruth. He brought the crown to the Big Apple, baby! Interestingly enough, Washington D.C., Boston, Atlanta and Miami accounted for high sales as well. ...
Tomorrow morning while you're avoiding the bossman and reading the Fire, I'll be attending a DMX press conference in New York City regarding his official signing with Sony. I just hope DMX isn't driving there. Nah, I'm just playing X. ...
Just as I was about to put a final stamp on this week's Fire, I got an email from fellow BallerStatus.net writer Larry DeGale. He had a very unique way of viewing the current state of hip-hop that I just thought my Fire readers would find interesting. So, here's what Larry said:
"I've been writing for about 4 years now, but am in a funk when it comes to Hip-Hop. It's simply dying a slow, miserable death. Do you know what bothers me most? It's the fact that while she lies on the ground dying, someone comes in and performs CPR and gives her some life, only to neglect and hurt her down the road, therefore prolonging her (our) suffering. I do think that we should KILL Hip-Hop and then birth something new. The new child should be kept away from television, away from corny magazines, she should not hang out in jewelry stores and definitely not be caught in car lots..."
I know where you're coming from on that Larry. I think we all do. Hip-hop today definitely has its bright moments, but there's a lot that can be done to improve it. Sadly, a lot of the showmanship, materialism and just plain bullshit have been placed above and beyond skills, storylines, concepts and overall messages. In sports, an athlete can have that swagger all he or she wants, but eventually there's going to be a time in which he or she has to show and prove on the field, on the court or else will be publicly exposed. Some way, many MCs today have been able to pull the covers over hip-hop fans. How serious does one take his craft if he spends more time researching the watch he's about to cop instead of sweating it out in the booth? Killing hip-hop is extreme to say (even though I know what you mean Larry), but a fresh breath of life into the game is needed. I sincerely hope '06 is the year that the age old adage -- "Change The Game" -- finally returns. The aforementioned is not for the MCs out there making good music because there are plenty. Instead it's for the negative trends that hip-hop seems to flock to. Somebody step up, please...
As always, Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds. Peace.
