Tag: "Nas"

Nobody can talk about grassroots success like Canadian hip-hop artist Classified, who has been blazing his own independent trail since 1995. The emcee and producer has toured with the likes of Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and Busta Rhymes, and has sold over 100,000 albums in Canada alone. Oh, and that awesome song in Madden ’12, “That Ain’t Classy?” Yeah, that was him. We sat down with one of the biggest names in Canadian hip-hop to chat about the Nova Scotian scene, his production styles, and his love/hate relationship with Kanye.

OS: What’s the Nova Scotian hip-hop scene like?

Classified: The scene is very Nova Scotian [laughs]. If you’re down here and you’re involved in the scene, you know what’s going on. You can go to the shows and check it out. But besides me and maybe two other guys, there aren’t many guys getting past just Nova Scotia to even the rest of Canada. We’re very secluded. We don’t get as many shows as they draw in Montreal or Vancouver. But it’s a dope scene. There’s been great artists coming out of here since ’95, when I started. People putting out albums, putting out their viral videos and stuff. It just still seems like a lot of people in the rest of the world haven’t been exposed to it because a lot of the artists aren’t pushing their stuff that hard. But really dope scene, great DJs, breakers, graff writers, emcees. Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Classified Talks Beats, Rhymes, And Life’

• Well, it is a very sad song.
• Why Gaga would want somebody else’s toenails, we’ll never know.
• If Jay–Z asks for your menorah, you say “yes.”
• The 99% feels for you, Nas.
• Mac Miller’s sophomor(ic) album.
• Leona Lewis just needs to leak this track.

The first thing you have to know about TAMPPA is that he loves his hood. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the rapper considers the borough his muse. On “Brownsville Grind,” a nod to one of Brooklyn’s public housing projects, TAMPPA paints a picture of his hustle. The track is a soulful, brassy, hip-hop hot cooker with an intro by none other than Ludacris. TAMPPA’s got connections—his cousin is Anthony Cruz, a.k.a. the rapper and frequent Nas collaborator, AZ. As you can hear, talent runs in the family. TAMPPA’s tracks are filled with lyrical smart bombs. On “Gotta Be More” he talks about rising above his situation and chasing the dream, rapping, “Like the late, great Michael, I gotta go thrill ‘em.” By “Fix Your Face” he’s arrived. Over rattling textures and a fat bass line he proclaims, “We are kings, and ghetto legends.” All hail the next great MC of Kings County.

Bonus update. Tamppa has a personal message about his latest collaboration:

It shouldn’t be necessary to explain the importance of lyricism, historically speaking, in hip-hop. Sure, many could argue that, in today’s rap game, complex wordplay and internal rhyme schemes have taken a back seat to hashtaggable punchlines and atmospheric delivery. They’re basically right. But going back to the ’80s and ’90s, to the cultural conventions that helped birth hip-hop, what you said and how you said it was of upmost importance. So what happens in hip-hop when your words aren’t your own?

Writer dream hampton is deeply ingrained within the New York City hip-hop community. She’s hobnobbed with emcees, producers, and musicians for most of her professional writing career. And not for nothing, but she’s pretty good friends with Jay-Z. Hampton is so close with the second richest man in hip-hop that she co-wrote his quasi-autobiography Decoded in 2010. She’s also written with Q-Tip and filmed Notorious B.I.G. for a project she worked on during her days as a student at NYU. It is safe to say that she is a voice of authority in the hip-hop community. So imagine the fuss she caused when she tweeted a rather incendiary assertion.

In response to a message regarding Jay-Z’s perceived image concerns and rapper Nas‘ 2008 album Untitled, hampton wrote, “I think Jay writes what he believes. Nas’ “Nigger” album was largely written by [stic.man] of dead prez and Jay Electronica.”

Continue reading ‘Hip-Hop’s Verse Problem: Who Is Writing The Rhymes?’

• And they’re probably making a boatload of cash doing it, too.
• Nice playlist, rover.
• Kids got flow.
• Come on, Obama!
• Somehow, “man band” just sounds less appealing.
• That was quick!

Nas is back on top with his latest offering.

Life Is Good, his tenth studio album is full of examples of why Nas is regarded as one of the greatest emcees of all time.  His unrivaled knack for storytelling paints pictures in the way that only he can, making the Queensborough native an essential and integral piece of hip-hop’s fabric.  Honest portrayals of his own life force fans to examine their own outlooks, and fills in holes left by the two decades of tabloid snippets he’s endured as a rap superstar.

A bitter divorce from Kelis in 2009 and an ongoing tax problem with the IRS left fans fearing he had fallen off for good.  Luckily, Nas has rebounded in a big way with his latest release; and managed to clear up some controversy in the meantime.  Even the album’s cover tackles his most trying momentshead on; as he appears in a white suit with his ex-wife’s wedding dress strewn across his lap.

Debuting at No. 1, Life Is Good sold 149,000 copies in its first week, which surpassed its initial projections.  Fans and critics have applauded the 58-minute album as one of his best; and acknowledge the raw, revealing lyricism that permeates the project have been sorely missed during his four-year hiatus.

Right away, it’s obvious that Nas is going there. And he does. “The tales you hear is the truth on me/Who wasn’t the most faithful husband/Reveal my life, you’ll forgive me/You will love me, hate me, judge me, relate to me.”

Singles like “Daughters” and “Bye Baby” tug at the heartstrings with introspective lyrics on fatherhood, love, and heartbreak. With equal conviction, tracks like “No Introduction” and “The Don” (produced by the late Heavy D) remind us that even at 40, Nas ain’t no punk.

He seems to have found his sweet spot when it comes to production on this album.  Aside from a few cameos by the likes of Swizz Beatz and Rick Ross, the sound is much more classic, controlled, and appropriate for the heavy lines contained by smooth beats from veterans like No I.D., Saleem Reed, and Large Professor. While there aren’t too many collaborations on this album, he did make room for the track “Cherry Wine”, which features fallen favorite Amy Winehouse .

In his twenty-year career, Nas has managed to stay relevant and real, no easy fete in the world of hip-hop.  He has delivered an album as powerful as his groundbreaking, 1994 debut, Illmatic; and as impactful as his 2008 offering, Untitled.

Now that he has reclaimed his rightful spot on top of the rap charts, there’s no telling what’s next for Nas.

One week after his groundbreaking admission that he is gay, Frank Ocean is making headlines for a different reason. HDD predicts he’ll move more than 125,000 copies of his Def Jam debut in its first week out based on digital album sales alone.  Thealbum, Channel Orange hits stores (sans Target) today.

Jermaine Dupri posted an open letter on his website last week,  “When I saw the # that Frank Ocean is suppose to hit next week, I got extremely Happy, I said I need to get in my car and and listen to this album, by the time I got to “Sweet Life” I was even more happy, finally!! a RnB album that’s hip, without having the same 5 rappers on every song… I actually hope he hits 200k, for the sake of RnB, it’s in the worst position it’s ever been since I started making music, The Record company’s don’t believe in it, Radio won’t play it if it don’t have a rapper, and a majority of the artist that are labeled RnB, are confused and lost, so I repeat, I hope Ocean sells more than the 125k that he’s on pace for, maybe these executives u’ll wake the fuck up, or at least try to copy what he’s doing, like they always do, by the way, the end of “Pyramids” jammin like a mufucka.”

Continue reading ‘Frank Ocean Drops Def Jam Debut’

The 2012 BET Awards were held Sunday night in Los Angeles, setting the tone for a sizzling summer of new music from some of hip-hop’s biggest names. Beyoncé took home the trophy for Best Female R&B Artist while Nicki Minaj nabbed Best Female Hip Hop Artist for the third year in a row.

Whitney Houston was given one final farewell from a group of very talented loved ones including her mother, Cissy Houston, who sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to a sobbing crowd. Mariah Carey and Angela Bassett, along with the rest of Houston’s Waiting To Exhale cast mates, also delivered heartfelt tributes.

Performances from Chris Brown, D’Angelo, and Kanye West provided previews for some of this season’s most anticipated releases. Brown’s album, Fortune, was just released on July 3.  Last weekend, Brown was honored at the 2012 BET Awards winning Best Male R&B Artist after he gave a power-packed performance of “Turn Up The Music” and “Don’t Wake Me Up” to a turned up crowd who can’t help but be mesmerized by his unrivaled dance moves and brightly painted bare chest. His newest singles dropped last week and included one Drake diss and two crazy collaborations; “ Mirage” featuring Nas and “Get Down” featuring B.o.B., as well as one stellar solo offering, “Trumpet Lights”.  Continue reading ‘Soundcheck: Hot Summer Hip-Hop’

Nas is back on the mic in a big way.  The Queens, NY native is readying his tenth studio album, Life Is Good for its July 17 release date.  Armed with an arsenal of new material, the most celebrated lyricist in the game in coming for his crown.

Last week, he dropped his latest single, “Daughters” produced by No I.D. and inspired by his own daughter, Destiny. In it, he grapples with the realities of raising a teenaged girl through heartfelt accounts of their more difficult moments, like when she tweeted a photo of a box of condoms in February.

“She’s so important to me and she always has been. They grow so fast and time flies, man. Before you know it, you’re looking at a little lady,” he told XXL. “She’s my first kid, my first time watching a child become a teen and a little adult before my eyes. That’s one of the most important things in my life. She is. I can’t get away from talking about it. It’s actually one of the first songs I recorded for this album.”

While fans and industry insiders praised his prose; his infamous ex, Carmen Bryan was not so pleased about his depiction of their daughter.  She quickly took to Twitter to heir her grievances with her ex’s latest revelations.

“Just heard ‘Daughters’ by Nas. What a disappointment! He had nothing positive to say about our daughter and his depiction of her is false,” she posted Thursday. “She’s extremely talented, caring and has a huge heart, none of those things were mentioned. I’m proud of her,” she blasted. She also insisted that Destiny herself was not a fan of the song either.

Continue reading ‘Soundcheck: Life Is Good For Nas, Despite Baby Mama Drama’