Everyday, A Star Is Born

“Grand opening, grand closing
God damn, your man Hov cracked the can open again
Who you gon’ find doper than him with no pen
Just draw off inspiration
Soon you gon’ see you can’t replace him
With cheap imitations for these generations…”

– Jay-Z, Encore

Even after Jay-Z’s first “official” retirement, these lyrics remained true.

For seven summers, he released multiple hits and classic material, giving his listeners the perfect balance of substance and entertainment in a way that no rapper after him has been able to replicate. During his 20-plus year career, there have been a handful of artists worthy of accepting the “torch”, but they were always missing something.

Eminem was present, but his output, as well as the quality of music he’s released recently, has declined as it has been able to line up with the times of evolvement. During the mid-to-late 2000’s, Lil’ Wayne also made a strong case for the best rapper alive; his delivery, punch lines and metaphors were second-to-none, but a large part of his music lacked the content needed to propel him past the other Mr. Carter. One can say that Drake has been the closest to Jay in terms of his consistency; even though he’s an amazing lyricist, many say that he’s shifted his sound more towards the pop genre and has focused less on music with the traditional hip-hop feel. Out of all the people who have touched the microphone since Reasonable Doubt; Hov has found the first suitable successor… and he goes by the name of Kendrick Lamar.

At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Jay-Z had a total of eight nominations, which led all artists. Unfortunately, he lost all categories that he was up for; four of which were awarded to Kendrick Lamar. This year’s Grammys was supposed to be Mr. Carter’s “swan song”, but I viewed it as an unofficial changing of the guard. That evening, Kendrick took home awards for “Best Rap Album”, “Best Rap Song”, “Best Rap Performance” and “Best Rap/Song Collaboration”, with Rihanna. All three of his studio releases have received high praise from fans and critics alike, as well as staying true to his craft. However, what sets him apart from his contemporaries (J. Cole, Drake), is his ability to merge lyricism with popular music, on top of receiving acclaim from those award academies that have eluded our culture for so long.

Since the release of Section.80 in 2011, Kendrick has had a DAMN. near flawless discography. With each of his projects, he has pushed the envelope, but are we honestly ready to call him the new king? Jay-Z has flirted with retirement since his return to releasing solo music in 2006; and some feel that his decision to keep making records was by choice, not by chance.

On The Blueprint 3’s “A Star Is Born”, Hov, like a sovereignty with the arduous decision between a progeny of worthy successors, asserted lines such as “Wayne scorching, I’ll applaud him; If he keep going, pass the torch to him…” and “Drake’s up next, see what he do with it”. The song also featured an up-and-coming young rapper from Fayetteville, North Carolina with the mark of merit; J. Cole has amassed a cult-like following and is also considered arguably the best lyricist in the game, today. He, along with Kendrick have solidified their positions at the top of the game in recent years, but the disparity in their latest albums caused a slight shift in the “…who’s better?” conversation, for many.

Hip-hop has really evolved as a culture. Although it has many facets, it’s heartbeat is the music. The sounds of hip-hop that we enjoyed in our formative years molded a lot of us into the people that we are today, and for almost 20 years, Shawn Carter reigned as it’s Caesar. Next winter, he will be a 50-year-old, father of three, so this would be as good a time as any to make the transition into a new era in rap.

In my opinion, the integrity of hip-hop was never seriously in question; because with every mumble-rapper with low quality records, there were also lyricists and artists who protected the purity of the music with their lives. This amazing genre will continue to grow with each passing year, and with Kendrick Lamar, I feel that it is in good hands.

Until next time,

– Okla

"2017: Oh, What A Year..."

Via: The RapFest; Jan. 2018

Celebrate what you want to see more of…” – Thomas Peters

With the turn of new year now in full affect, the affirmation is that there are many things to look forward to in 2018. 2017 was a great one for hip-hop; from the quality of music that was released, to the many highlights that were produced in media. We saw a few of the artists we were familiar with solidify their place in mainstream culture, while also seeing some of the newer musicians come of age. Due to its massive streaming numbers in 2017, hip-hop “officially” became the most popular music genre in the world. While one should marvel at the promise that this new year holds, we should also reflect on the amazing year that was, 2017.

There were many highs, lows and everything in between throughout 2017 in media. We saw the unlikely emergence of the rapper Joe Budden as a exceptional media personality; his podcast as well as the popular Everyday Struggle show achieved much success in 2017.

Unfortunately, one of the hottest names in the lane of podcasting, Taxstone  was sentenced to prison; and we also lost the legendary Combat Jack to cancer during the final days of the fourth quarter. We all enjoyed some of the interviews that Charlamagne Tha God, N.O.R.E., and Angie Martinez conducted, while Everyday Struggle provided us with a multitude of viral moments for the public’s consumption. The digital age is the best time in history for a media personality to flourish. Social media, as well as sites like YouTube (and many others…) have given DIY’ers the platform to create, produce and release content without being restricted to the conventional ways of thinking.

Musically, it has been quite some time since hip-hop had an output of albums and mixtapes with this level of quality and consistency. Rap heavyweights such as Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar released amazing projects, while the raw, new acts like J.I.D. and Belly provided a refreshing reminder that the culture will remain in good hands for years to come. In 2017, some of those highly-anticipated albums that have evaded us for so long finally came to fruition. CyHi The Prynce and Big K.R.I.T both dropped bodies of work that were well worth the wait, and hopefully they will be able to release on a more frequent basis for the time being. Meek Mill, Big Sean, 2Chainz, Future, Tyler The Creator along with a bevy of others made their presence felt last year; and with Nas, Drake and Pusha T all slated for new music, 2018 will be an amazing year for any hip-hop enthusiast.

Hip-Hop also garnered heavy attention in television and film during 2017 as Donald Glover p.k.a. Childish Gambino received awards for his work on the unforeseen hit show Atlanta, while Lena Waithe was heralded for her performance on the Netflix original, Master of None. Lena and the incomparable Issa Rae and her unprecedented Insecure HBO series aren’t tied to hip-hop in the traditional sense, but they exude the culture and let that fact be known with every given opportunity. With all the accolades that the hit show Atlanta received during awards season, the anticipation of it’s second season has reached a fever pitch.

The year 2017 truly proved to be a roller coaster in every sense of the word. We all experienced the tragedies and triumphs associated with life as the top of 2017 rang in a new POTUS that we still disapprove of, but what this year showed was that regardless of how bad something seems, you can always get through it if you possess a positive mindset. Hip-hop reigned supreme in 2017 through it’s innovation in media, it’s content in film and television, along with its variety in music. With that being said, if this year is anything like the last, then we have plenty to look forward to in 2018.

With claiming week two to be in the bag, as such the other 50, as always, continue to assist in pushing the culture forward.

Have an amazing new year, folks.

- Okla