"You're not artistic, and you have no intergrity!" Jerry Seinfeld

 Sometimes I randomly come up with lines or songs that I think are post worthy. Other times I'm more intentional. I have a playlist that I drop post worthy songs into. The other day an early Wale song came on, and it reminded me of just how skilled of an MC he was is. Soon thereafter, my joy turned into disappointment, then sadness. While he has grown in terms of fame, notoriety, and finances, his overall craft has suffered. It's selfish, but I feel cheated of his talents. 
Wale crafts some of the dopest sports metaphors in rap so I am going to try and use one here. Billy Owens was a dominant college player, who's game just never developed once he made it to the NBA. Once Wale signed to a major label he regressed as an MC. 

"People ask how music is goin’ I heard it pays...

I just came off makin’ 2 million in 30 days" - Drake

So, um, I like Drake. I really do. So far gone got major play from me. I also did not buy his album. In fact, I have tried to avoid reviews of his album. Sort of like I blogged about Wale, I get scared to hear these "studio" releases because most studio people are stupid. They are ruining hip hop. The look to sell a product and not help to create art. And unless you are Kanye, you don't have the pull to be able to shape the album in the way that you want.

Anyway, I like this joint from Drizzy, but I have a sneaky suspicion his album sounds nothing like this.

Yeah.... uh........ yeah
These are my one St Thomas flows
Me and my n-ggas and some madonna hoes
That look just like virgins but trust they down to go
Discussin’ life and all our common goals
Smart kids that smoke weed, honor roll
Look how the champagne diamonds flow
Find dining, pour another another glass when the wine is low
Im in the crib stackin’ money from here to the ceilin’
Whatever it is I got is clearly appealin’
These other rappers gettin’ that inferior feelin
I hope you feel it in your soul, spiritual healin’
Take a look at yourself the mirror’s revealin’
If you ain’t got it you ain’t got it the theory is brilliant
People ask how music is goin’ I heard it pays
I just came off makin’ 2 million in 30 days
Damn I guess it does what the message was
Sometimes I feel I be spendin’ my money just because
But weezy im just out here reppin’ us
Till I get to shake the hand of the man that’s blessin’ us
Yeah, I know these n-ggas miss the mean lyrics
Kush got the room smellin’ like teen spirit
I asked kindly if no-one out here would bring there feet up
Until I lose for now I’m the game’s single leader
I fly private so no-one tells me to bring my seat up
And book a suite when me and your favorite singer meet up
Who you like, tell me who it is
Imma make sure that that women is the next one on my list
I should call it a night but f-ck it I can’t resist
This one is for all the n-ggas from my city tryin to diss
Without a responce from me you really fail to exist
And I love to see you fail that feelin’ there is the sh-t
I swear, aghh, p-ssy n-gga get your bread up
Enjoy the seat that the steward just forced your ass to let up
Why your scary ass lookin’ down pick your head up
No-one told you your disguise is the most ridiculous gettup
With nose plugs in now I can smell a set up
So your just wastin your time your just only makin me better
Yeah I try to tell them don’t judge me because you heard stuff
Chasin’ cash that’s my brother from the surf club
Damn that n-gga always kept it so hood
Back when we would smoke good at the oakwoods
And have girls fall through like coins in a couch
Now we just f-ckin all the b-tches they warned us about
Scared for the first time everything has clicked
What if I dont really do the numbers they predict
Considerin the fact that im the one that they just picked
To write a chapter in history this sh-t has got me sick
But if I really do it dont expect to get a split
Cause this truly is some sh-t I don’t expect you all to get
Im nervous but im about to kill it cause they about to let the realist team in
Throwin up in a huddle n-gga Willie Beamin
Were still throwin touchdown passes
And tortoise frame glasses
Hopin that someone catch it
People say that oh drake we started to miss it
But they need to be a little more specific man is this what yall want?
And my best chris tucker impression
Ducking your questions
F-ck your suggestions
Money gets all of my love and affection
Cars all black like the cover of essence
I’m allergic to comin in second
But I never sneeze
N-gga YMOE n-gga yeeah
Uh, yeah, this want yall want
Octobers Very Own
Young Money
ATF
Thank me later in this b-tch wasssup
Free Weezy in this b-tch wasup
June 15th in this b-tch wasup

Tuesday's used to matter, now the only thing that happens is...

you, you and you sayin' "shit I been had that, shit I been heard that, niggas been workin, hurricane clappin lyracism aint workin..." - Wale

Before I get into the post let me just say how much the above line resonated with me when I first heard it. Like many die hard hip-hop music fans pre -i Tunes singles, Tuesday's indeed mattered. I can remember countless releases that I trekked up to the old Tower Records on Mass Ave to cop the dopest new release. Standing outside in line with fellow hip-hop heads was a source of real pride and genuine excitement. I couldn't wait to get rip the tape covering off, press play, and spark.

Anyway, enough old man talk. When I first heard Wale's, The Mixtape about Nothing I was unbelievably impressed. Originality, dope flow, lyrics, and a real DC/Go Go vibe. Dude seemed to have all of the tools. I remember hyping him to all that would listen. Then I read that he signed with a major label and I got sad. My gut told me that those ass hats would have no idea what to do with a talented young cat with all of his tools (charisma, skill, originality, etc) I feared that they would dumb down his product and attempt to make him into a character.

As he generated more mainstream buzz and prepped for a release of a major album I just closed my eyes, hoped for the best and bumped his mixtape stuff. In my gut I knew they were gonna market him on some ol' funny shit, and turn him into what they thought would sell, as opposed to cultivate his clear and apparent talent.

One day my man said, "Dog, I coped that new Wale...you might have been right" My worse fears were confirmed.

I coped the Wale album on the strength however, to this day, I have yet to muster up the courage listen to it...

SMH @ fucking major labels....ruin everything

"And my, my, my

Admire what I write

Cuz hype will get you Rick Mirer'd every single time...

Check it, so, my chin's high like a Japanese pilot

They frontin', they Charles S. Dutton movin' garbage

And what you callin' that so-called hard shit?

Nun like me, like I, founded a convent

To contend my content I'm on ends meet like a vegetable omelet, see?

So the more you see, it's few niggas speakin' like me

So they put me in the box with he, and he

And them which is more of a circus than a fair

They work to get there so to work to get theirs

I'll be nothin' but a replica lookin' in the mirror

Respect still there but ya boy's right here

We apples and oranges but everybody pears/pair us

They say I'm Lupe, they say I'm Lil' Wayne

They say I'm too Jay to portray new-Le

They say I'm too nice to be a rapper

The prerequisite is gun clappin' so what happened?

They label me a backpackin' nigga on fashion

I laugh at 'em, though Mr. West I ain't mad at ya

See, he in his soul mode, I'm in my go go

Only thing in common is these fuckin' Matsumotos

Yeah live from the SoHo, and Hov told me I'd blow Joe

See I rap like a lifetime blown nose

All I know is I'm merely ??

Meaning I'm lesser than a god but higher up than ya'll

A Lion in form, Matt Leinart when firing the ball

Pause Maya Angelou spawn, abandoned and raised by Nas

Raised by the sharks but I'm swimming with the prawns

I found my own lane, meet Mr. Folarin