"I thought it was dope how she was on that freestyle shit..

Just having fun,
not worried about anyone
and you could tell, by how her titties hung" - Common Sense

That closing line in the second verse of the epic Common song is meant to harken back to time when Hip-Hop music was less concerned with image and more innocent.

There are a few rappers today who still have fun and keep the topics light and sometimes, comical.

One such rapper is Murs. IF you were trying to stereotype him you would call him an "everyday guy" rapper. He deals with topics such as pre mature ejaculation, falling in love with girls, girls breaking his heart, and walking through his neighborhood. He has much more of a range than I just gave him credit for however I like this song because I can really relate to it. It is about a perpetual screw-up who for whatever reason ends up "gang banging" and is still a clown...just a well protected one. Far too often tales from the hood project the image of stick-up kids, drug dealers, and bangers as naturals, when that is far from the case. I can think of a bunch of dudes from my youth who one day were being laughed off the ball court, or clowned for something else, a week or year later, they are ice grilling tough guys pumping on the block.

This particular joint is short, thoughtful, accurate and funny.

"Excuse me, Tiny T-Bone from the neighborhood gang
Who if his head wasn't screwed on he would lose his brain"

Read while listening




Now there's one in hood off Pico or some shit
Through the years its been the center for alotta dumb shit
Lemme tell you about this one trip to the store
On the early mornin' tip sometime 'round four
I was standing by the magazines readin' a Maxim
When I heard a familiar voice to the the counter dude and ask him
To empty out the register (Naw that can't be Trevor)
Excuse me, Tiny T-Bone from the neighborhood gang
Who if his head wasn't screwed on would lose his brain
He was with two other dudes, never knew their names
I thought great, it was time for me to shake
But as I headed for the door I heard a voice say (Wait)
When I turned around, he recognized me and I knew it
I was about to leave, that's when the nigga blew it
He lifted up his mask and said (Hey Murs it's me Trevor)
I said "You dumb motherfucker do you use your brain, ever?"
Nevermind, I turned around gave the deuce
walkin' to the car feelin like Q in Juice
Remember when he went into the bar and ? let him loose?
Anyway here comes this nigga running, big bag of money
He hoped in ride, I said "You Goddamn dummy
They Got Yo Ass on Tape" (But they didn't see my face)
"Well they got my car and my fuckin license plate
Man get the fuck on" (Murs why you gotta hate)
"Hate nor love got shit to do with this
You better run for the fives come through this bitch
You know you got to strikes, you better use them new Nikes
To dodge all them blue lights" He looked and said (You right)
Then he bolted up the street
once he left my slight I gave a sigh of relief
But that was right before I peeped, this dumb motherfucker
left the bag full of money sitting right there on my passenger seat

Vomitspit - Nas

 

"Lightning hits the top of the church steeple when I'm writtin

Semi-Automatic no hyphen...it's frightenin" - Nas

Nasir Jones on the universal happenings when he employs his writing implement.

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