Rap Music: May 2004 Archives

The prince of west coast gangster rap is the best way to describe DJ Quik, I think. He just seems very princely, not in a very regal and dapper way (even though he can look good from time to time) but more in the George W. Bush pre presidency way, like cute and a little goofy and you can't believe he will one day be the king. He's not quite as tight of a producer as Dr. Dre, not as cool with his flow as Snoop, not as intimadating as an Xzibit, not as enigmatic and funny as Eazy E, not as tight as Kurupt, but he's almost all those things and that all makes for one really solid rapper/producer.

I'm starting to see a trend in my rap likes. I like someone who can be serious and tough but can also make fun of themselves and the whole tough-guy thing. DJ Quik comes off much more rounded and human on his albums and photos and interviews than many other rappers, and this is likable. This is not to say that Quik is the most charming chap, because there are still mounds of misogyny on Quik's records, but there are always a few tracks that make you just smile and think "this dude is a nice dude." Of course all good rappers have some sort of beef in their career and Quik had a classic one with MC Eiht, though Quik never focused too much on the gangster killing stuff, he was much more of a gangster partying sorta dudes (his best songs being party jams). He was always loyal to a few people, (AMG, Mauseberg, and Debarge) who he seemed to either be really close with or think they were really talented, and that always put them on his records giving them exposure. Bottom line = DJ Quik solid dude (except for that weird thing with beating up his sister)

Quik hit it big with his single "Tonite" and album Quik Is The Name in 1991. He came across as a more legit Eazy E. He's a skinny dude and he had the curls and he has a voice that is somehwat similar to Eazy, but his rapping was like his name implied quick (the c was omitted from his name because he was a blood and he didn't want to rep the crips by using the letter c). His first two albums sold the most of any in his career and with each album he drew more ire from fans and critics for not expanding his west coast gangster funk that always featured laid back beats, and syrupy keyboards. The knocks were that he was not growing as an artist and he wasn't changing with the industry fads. I wholeheatedly disagree because I thought he grew quite a bit as a lyricist and I found his committment to the west coast funk to be "cute" and "loyal". His albums that are most ripped (98's Rhythm-al-ism and 00's Balance & Options) I find to be his most solid and with some of his finest moments. He got dumped by his label but came back in late 02 with Under Tha Influence which did not sell well, but got a lot of his cred back for it's more varied and current sound. Now, focusing mostly on producing hits for other artists (like the great "Addictive" for Truth Hurts, "Buckbounce" for Eightball & MJG and "Justify My Thug" for Jay Z), I think DJ Quik is mostly retired from rapping, but the cute dude with the afro (nee gheri curl, nee corn rolls) will always be remembered as The Greatest Band Of All Time.

The first rap group* to come out with an album entirely produced by super producers The Neptunes was a gift and a curse for Clipse. Their sorta debut**, Lord Willin', came out during the peak of The Neptunes radio dominance (summer 2002) and because of this there was a lot of Neptunes backlash as well. So, it was like people had already made up their mind about Clipse and Lord Willin' before hearing it ('Tunes haters hated, 'Tunes heads were in...HATERS AND HEADS). Due to this, Lord Willin is one of the more slept on rap albums in recent years. Yes, it has terriffic production but it is also features Malice and Pusha T, two of the cutest funniest rappers around. I recently heard Ed Lover (yes, from Yo! MTV Raps) on the radio dissing Clipse for having no personality, and it made me so steamed. I was seriously yelling at the radio, calling Ed Lover a "big dork" and killer comebacks like "why don't.....YOU....like....get....a...personality," and the now classic "Ed Lover....more like Ed Hater." Mr. Lover was bringing the hater heat to a bunch of other dudes as well and that didn't bother me. For some reason these two brothers from Virginia have tunneled their way into my heart. It's sorta weird they don't stand way out like so many other rappers. They don't have the most distinctive personalities like Nelly, or Ludacris. They don't have the razor sharpness of Dizzee Rascal or Twista. They don't speak beauty and truth like Nas or Kanye. They almost exclusively rap about selling cocaine, which doesn't seem very interesting. Yet, there is something lovable about these brothers. They call themselves "Patty Cake Man," they say funny words, and they were trying since 1994 (presumably this 8 year period of trying to make it is when they learned all they now know about selling cocaine) to become famous before finally hitting it big. Their voices are somehow identical, even though the brothers are not twins, and that is really cute. They have this new song i just found called "Eghck," which is this sound, and how cute is that! On the imaginatively titled "Intro" on Lord Willin' one of the dudes is very cutely describing himself as a young man watching Miami Vice! CUTEST DUDES EVER. Me + Malice + Pusha T = TRU LOVE.
No, but seriously, Lord Willin', is totally a thick album all the way through. Everyone probably knows their big hit singles "Grindin'," "When The Last Time," and "Ma, I Don't Love Her," but the album is great all the way through. From the calypso awesomeness of "I'm Not You," to the funk horn laden "Young Boy" you get to know these cute dark drug dudes. Their follow up album, Hell Hath No Fury is coming out soon, after some delays due to a label shakeup in The Neptunes camp, and it is once again completely produced by The Neptunes, which is likely to garner some criticism that Clipse are not versatile rappers and they are really painting themselves into a corner, but it's more like a this is the perfect situation for artist/producer thing sorta like a Mirah/Phil Elverum. So, yeah, haters, lay off my awesome friends who are cute and sell drugs, because they are The Greatest Band Of All Time.

* Kelis previously released an album of only Neptunes production, but she's more a R&B lady than a rap group, you know.
** Clipse recorded an album with the Neptunes that was to be released in 98 (I believe) called Exclusive Audio Footage, but that was shelved by their label. A single, "The Funeral" was released in 98.

To blatantly rip off the their intro to the bio on their record label's web page:
CAN*NI*BAL (noun): one that eats the flesh of its own kind
OX (noun): a slang term used to describe a sharp blade Cannibal Ox, a pair of MC's that devour their own kind with words as sharp as blades
Vast Aire and Vordul Megilah, who make up Cannibal Ox, are two guys of epic proportions, physically and in presence on record. Their debut, and only, album, 2001's The Cold Vein, is an awesomely distinct record, and one of the best rap albums of all time. The Cold Vein combines the perfect production from Def Jux's man in charge El-P and the distinct rapping of Vast Aire and Vordul Megilah. The production is the noisiest and as "minor" sounding as any rap album, which is so refreshing, and works so well with the brilliantly dark and grimy storytelling. The album sounds like it emerged from a primordial soup, it's messiness and darkness truly give you the feel for the New York that Vast Aire and Vordul are describing. The beats feel slow, the rapping is very strong and deliberate. The lyrics are somewhat violent, but never in an over the top way. The boastful rapper's pride is mixed with real self awareness and self deprecation. In one verse Vast Aire points out that he did a big no no of rapping by rhyming a word with itself, and in the same song repeats an entire verse because it starts with "If you can't succeed, try try again." The record is filled with brilliant rhymes, and strangely awesome production.

The Cold Vein garnered a lot of critical acclaim, and big things were expected from Cannibal Ox, but after Vordul broke his collarbone and they cancelled a few tours for different reasons rumors ran rampant that Vast and Vordul didn't even talk and that Can Ox had broken up. Vast Aire, whose solo debut, Look Ma...No Hands, was released this week is saying those rumors are completely false and that Can Ox will be releasing an EP and a full length within the next year. Cannibal Ox's post The Cold Vein career has been a dissapointment, but maybe they will strike back with the force of their first amazing album, and based on that brilliant record Cannibal Ox is The Greatest Band Of All Time.