Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Big Brother is watching
Kanye Tudda performs "Big Brother" live at a secret concert in England. This song is sposed to be a candid reflection on his relationship with his "big bro" Jay-Z (pause.) I'm sure u all've heard about the whole 'Ye vs 50 Cent "soundscan showdown" on September 11. I'm lookin forward to Graduation, don't care about Curtis--pun intended. But if anything ppl, dead this desperate attempt to keep rap relevant and buy the Kenny Chesney album on September 11 just to prove a point. I'm highly considering it, and the last CD I bought was Black on Both Sides.
Better yet, buy the new street DVD featuring one of Jay-Z's former homeys, De-Haven. This dude useta run the street with Kanye's big brother back in the day and says the Jiggaman abandoned his duties as a friend. It's all interesting considering that ppl been takin shots at Jigga's character for quite some time, but when it was ppl like Cam'ron, we ignored him. (But really, can u blame anyone for ignoring Cam?) Then Jay snatched the Roc from Dame and things seemed a lil fishy, but I trusted that he prolly had good reason. It wasn't his lust for money and status that caused him to do that. It was prolly Dame's fault.
But now, iunno. I'm not ignoring the fact that some people hate, but when a lot of ppl start sayin the same thing, *shrugs* it's time to pay attention. Another one of President Carter's old homeys, Calvin Klein (a Brooklyn drug dealer, not the clothing designer) was on radio a month or so ago making similar claims about Jay's (lack of) character and integrity. He even went as far as to say that Jay has always been a "white boy" on the inside. Interesting. And then around the 3:20 mark in the video up top, 'Ye talks about how Jay went and snatched Coldplay right after Kanye went and told him he was gonna do a song with them. It doesn't take much to connect the dots here, but what does that say for the legacy of one of the most poetic and prolific rappers of all time? It certainly doesn't take away from his work, but legends become legends because, the magnitude of their achievements is fortified in some way by integrity of some sort.
But then again, maybe it just reveals his humanity. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence but owned slaves and banged one of em, Michael Jackson made Thriller but likes to sleep with little boys, R. Kelly... well, you see where I'm going. All great people are still people. They don't transcend their humanity by achieving fame. Still, I feel some type of way about the Jay thing (no homo). Rappers require authenticity. One of the worst ways to diss a rapper isn't to talk about what nasty things you're gonna do to his wife or daughter or how many times ur gonna shoot him and his entire neighborhood up, it's to attack his credibility. To reveal someone as a fraud, as an outsider masquerading as an insider. As someone who says one thing, but lives another. Know why Prodigy still hasn't recovered from Summer Jam 2001? Cuz Jay showed him in a tu-tu. You can't make "Shook Ones" and wear tu-tu's. I don't care how old you were. That's not hip-hop. The day you wear tights is the day you sign off on ever becoming any sort of gangster rapper. Better rap about politics or love nigga. Ain't no gun bustin' hapnin. I will not be robbed by a nigga who wore leotards. Forget half-way crooks, you'll be half-way dead son.
But I digress... (and i'm also kinda kidding. we call it "hyperbole")
People revere Jay because we came to believe that he rapped the truth. What happens if it turns out to be that Jay never lived it, he witnessed it from his folk's pad, scribbled in his notepad, and created his life?
In essence, I doubt that that is the case, but I do realize that the Big Homey is prolly not the nigga you trust. Separate the art from the artist. Look at what he's done. With romanticism comes revisionism (did I just make up a word?). Basically, when you romanticize anything--an event, a person, an object--it is inevitably followed by some sort of revision of that story. The Americans weren't so entitled to invade Mexico in the 19th century; JFK was a womanizer; Chinese toys kill babies with lead paint. Something happens to bring it all back in perspective.
Here's some perspective.
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2 comments:
do i think jay can be foul? hell yeah. do i think he did most of the things he says in his rhymes? yea, probably. why is he leavin his niggas behind? the only time he seems to try to explain is on "D' Evils". but is he still one of the best rappers ever regardless? yes. he is to me. it makes sense for these dudes to stain his name cuz that's the only way they can make money off him. but i'm not sure i'd like most of my favorite rappers' personalitites if i actually met them anyway. i just appreciate the music.
At the end of the day artists of every kind survive though the art of controversy. Most quality artists are not recognized in their own day and age for what they eventually become known for. It is because the point of art is to transcent time and be relevant for the future. It is the very reason why art is recorded and preserved. The true test is how the artist survives the controversy after it is too late for them to do anything about it, which usually comes after the artist has gone on to glory. Or when their art drives them so bananas that they become a recluse from society. Jay-Z has said himself many times that he pimped the game. And from what I've seen and heard from those who oppose President Carter's Administration, the stories seem to fit on top of each other perfectly. So, do I respect Jay as a rapper, business man and actor? Yes. He did what he needed to to be a success in his own time. That was his first goal and responsibility in his own mind. But the ultimate question in the arts is will he survive. If his music looses all integrity (which is what it is kinda doing now with all of these people coming forward) then he will learn the hard way what being an artist is about. Talent with no integrity will not stand that test of time. Art is not about the beautiful piece of work the is produced, but about respect for the process.
This is anonymous...but you know who it is.
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