12.19.2007

The Last Stand & The New Industry


It's been said the last quarter of 2007 would be the music industry's last stand, in the record stores, at least. With such a statement up in the air, the line up of artists did not disappoint. From 50 Cent to Jay-Z to Kanye and Lupe Fiasco, to the return of Wu Tang, there were some amazing and monumental releases these past few months. Regardless, with sales constantly and surely declining, it's simply unreasonable for labels to keep pouring unbelievable amounts of money into projects and printing if the sales are just not there. These labels and artists are at odds, and the industry is definitely at a crossroads.

Major labels have been following the same format and sales routines for the last 20 years, and there are undoubtedly going to be some growing pains. Some labels are adapting though...

T-Pain recently announced that he was starting his own label, called Nappy Boy Records, which would abolish record stores completely. However, his major label is still not up, and it will be upwards of 4 years until he actually kicks this plan into action. Either way, artists and labels have to learn to change with the times...and fast. They simply cannot afford to make shitty music by artists who have no true talent or longevity.

That means no more Hurricane Chris or Lil' Boosie. But this also means a lot more Lupe Fiasco, and artists of the sort. Somehow, I think we'll survive.

12.18.2007

Wale on the Come-Up


DC-bred Wale has recently hit the scene in a major way, with being featured on the cover of URB Magazine and being featured as the single of the week on iTunes. He first came on the scene with a feature on Lily Allen's "Smile." Mark Ronson quickly signed him on his own label, Allido Records, to join hip-hop's hottest sophomore, Rhymefest, young crooner Daniel Merriweather, and world renowned DJ's Jus Ske and Doug Grayson. 

Since the Lily Allen feature, Wale has made an amazingly acclaimed and successful mixtape, in "100 Miles and Runnin'," and has been on tour through Europe for months. After wildly successful tracks like "Nike Boots" and "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.," which he performed at the 2007 MTV VMA Awards, he is on track to make it. 

Wale is definitely a fresh and new sound amidst all the bullshit music being released nowadays. He uses amazing wordplay, intelligent banter, and his extensive knowledge of fashion to capture the listener's earlobes. The debut album truly cannot come soon enough. 


Wale ~ "Nike Boots"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upl2n1EktIU&feature=related

And the Winner is..."The Cool"


Lupe Fiasco's new album dropped in record stores a few hours ago, and I have been losing my mind listening to this album. I feel as if I have not heard good music for decades before today. The album begins with an "Eardrum"-esque spoken word poet on the intro, leading to an inspirational chant-song in "Free Chilly." The album then quickly goes into arguably the three best tracks off the record, "Go-Go Gadget Flow," "The Coolest," and "Superstar." Lupe's flow is in deed quick, smart, creative, and so different from the shit we have been hearing. For the album, Lupe enlists a lot of features, most of whom are not exactly big-name. However, every feature is not forced, rather helps complement every song. Some people say he's the savior of hip-hop, some say he's a defamation to the old-school, but Lupe has undoubtedly made the best album of 2007 with "The Cool."

Rating: 5 Stars ~ Buy it, and Frame it!

Lupe Fiasco ~ "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilbmcUARsqY&watch_response

12.16.2007

Here Comes Lupe


It's the final weekend of the record industry's 2007 calendar year, and one of its newest contenders will be stealing the spotlight in two days with his sophomore album. Lupe is the last heavyweight from the enormous 4th quarter to release an album, and there has been a tremendous amount of controversy and expectation leading up to this album, and everyone's bets are still on Mr. Fiasco. This year alone he has gone through Fiascogate, in which he performed at Hip Hop Honors to honor Tribe Called Quest...and forgot the lines. No one could believe that one of hip-hop's newcomers could so deeply offend the culture and such a legenday group. Regardless, Lupe's singles off the new album sound amazing, from "Dumb it Down" to "Superstar," and the recently released "The Coolest." Lupe is impressing even the nay-sayers, and I don't know about the rest, but I cannot wait for Tuesday to hear the rest.

The New Wu


So there's been a lot of acclaim for the newly released Wu-Tang album. It's been over five years since their last group effort, and die-hard fans of the Wu are definitely disappointed with the latest effort. There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the album's release, from rumors of disagreement between Wu members Raekwon and Ghostface with the Rza. Ghost and 'Kwon claimed that Rza was going his own direction with the project and didn't consult the other members when making critical production decisions. Either way, the album came out pretty good. For new listeners, it's definitely a nice segue from other mainstream hip-hop nowadays into the teachings of the Wu. However, old fans are not pleased, and even go far as to claim the rhymes sound lazy on almost all the tracks. Decide for yourself, and go pick up a copy of "8 Diagrams."

Wu-Tang ~ Heart Gently Weeps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKI8s7NDrhs