Roundup
This time in Nas-related news:
- Remember how excited you were when you found out about the Nas / DJ Premier Scratch magazine cover? Then remember when the pessimist / realist in you came out, and you figured that the promise of this collaboration would somehow be upended by disappointment? Well, as reported by the swanky DJ Premier blog, in an interview with Taiwan Nights, an Asia-touring Primo mentioned having begun studio work with Nas: "We just started, couple of days ago, the day before I left. He was mad I had to leave, but I just told him that I had to knock off this tour." Thanks to Model Minority for the initial heads-up.
- Are you going to be in the Tri-State area on May 18th or 19th? If so, The Roots will be hosting a special friends concert in anticipation of their forthcoming Def Jam-release Game Theory. On the 19th, big names like Erykah Badu and Mos Def are scheduled to stop by, but the day before might be the headline-stealer, as Nas, Common, and Talib Kweli find themselves all sharing the bill with Black Thought, ?uestlove and 'em. More guests yet to be announced. And if they're not sold out already, tickets are on sale now. I'm sure we'll hear more about this.
- What separates a weed carrier from an understudy? I don't know, but Nashawn (aka Millennium Thug), formerly of Last Words and My Country, is looking to elevate his status with the release of his forthcoming debut, Napalm. Nas should be close by. I only hope it's as good as The Bravehearts album! Moving on . . .
- A Killah Priest interview with Hoodstars.net tells us that while The Offering still hasn't found a label home officially, Nas, amongst others, will be making an appearance. Murmurs have even hinted that maybe KP will be coming to Nas' yet-established Def Jam imprint: "We've been talking! He got his thing going on right now. I don't wanna say too much on that. He's doing his thing, I'm doing my thing. Of course real recognize real and real respect real. We knocked out a couple of things." Let's hope "things" means objects of a positive quality.
- Speaking of Killah Priest, the leaked KP-Nas track, The Saints, where Nas respit his I Am-lost Curse verse, continues to make its rounds on the mixtape circuit. Check out the write-up from earfuzz.com. Also, the jackin' for beats Nasdaq Season Begins '06 and the Papoose-featuring Across The Tracks, both of which have been available for at least a couple months now, get their shine.
- Back in January, during an appearance on LA radio (KDAY), DJ Quik announced that he and Nas had some work lined up. Hopefully, they just stay away from the Madonna samples.
- Know about Lupe Fiasco yet? This is more like Nas' influence-related news, but Lupe Fiasco is a Chicago MC with a set of mixtapes, a handful of buzz, and a debt owed, in part, to the QB MC, by Lupe's own admission. See, Lupe has even admitted that during the making of his forthcoming Food & Liquor debut, he tried to mirror the scheme and sound of Nas' sophomore release, It Was Written, "You know I really tried to go back and recreate It Was Written, you know what I'm saying like that? I would play It Was Written and then I would play my album, and it was like, ‘Do we got this record, do we got that record?’" Kick, Push video premier.
- Back with more Youtube for that ass, here's Mrs. Nas being Bossy and looking the best she ever has? Nas is referenced through a "Mrs. Jones" piece of jewelry, but will show up in person, or rather in voice, on her next LP, The Puppeteer, "it's kind of explosive." Hopefully, it's also kind of better than In Public.
Nas: Nasdaq Season Begins '06Handcuff me to a rusty tec and I still prosper
Hip-Hopper, I do this for love, not 'cause I got ta
To watch ya--is like the making of a phony mobster flick
Behind the scenes on some fake thug shit
posted by Fletch at 7:35 PM
7 Comments:
I'm liking that Lupe vid...its a great song for sure....
his mixtape didn't blow me away though...
Hey and I agree with your assessment of these NY mixtape idiots running around right now. What happened to hype--->classic album formula that guys like
Nas
BIG
OC
Boot camp Clik
Wu-tang
all followed...dropping dope lyrics and great flows. These cats out now all they do is rap punch after punch...they need to learn some complex rhymes and song-writing skills.
Fan-lee...I allways reciprocate on mine.
Good looking on the plug.
I C U.
mm :~
re: Lupe
I know Lupe won't be for everyone. While I'd maintain that his wordplay and creativity is as good as is out there now, because of the direction that it goes in (not everyone wants to hear a dude talk about skateboards and anime), just like (some) people get tired of coke rhymes, he's not their style. And his mixtapes aren't all gold stars. The Gorillaz EP was pretty weak to me, and over the Get Down beat from elsewhere, for instance, he didn't represent too well. That being said, I made the 12 track mix (the Rapidshare link) because it bubbles Lupe's strengths, ideas, stories, sticking to themes, beat selection, etc. into one nice little set.
re: "NY mixtape idiots"
I blame 50 Cent, Big L, and Jay-Z, not necessarily those rappers themselves, but their trail of influence.
I know 50 wasn't the first rapper to make a name off mixtapes, but he was the first to build an empire from 'em. I think that's the moment that record companies, and fans, looked to mixtapes for the next generation. But a mixtape rapper is really just a glorified battle rapper, and both, more often than not, fail at making songs, let alone albums.
Big L was good, I respect him and all, but his standard of punchline double rhymes is a common trait of the Jae Millz' and Cory Gunz'. But Big L was also kinda corny to me, basically the non-fun version of Biggie. So where he did have obvious technical skills, these cats are second-generation copies of something that wasn't all that strong to begin with.
And then Jay-Z made the hustler double-plat. Again, he wasn't the first rapper to meld sales and street cred, but Jay telling folks about 88 money, forever linked this idea in the mainstream of the b-boy-->criminal-->rapper-->millions.
So the new-breed of New York MCs sees 50's rise from mixtapes, Jay's perceived rise from the street, and Big L's punchlines and says "why not me?" Why not them? Because they're not 50 Cent, Jay-Z, or Big L.
Extensive and great work fletch...I'm itching to write sometihng but i need a direction..holla at your homeskillet..
Last week on Rap City (which I do a daily TiVo skim through to keep up with the kids), Mad Linx gave a shoutout to Nas and Primo, who were supposedly "in Headqcourterz Studio as we speak."
But then, Devo Springsteen ("Diamonds from Sierra Leone" producer) also said the GOOD Music camp were in the studio with Nas.
I'm certain we won't get the full DJ Premier-helmed album our Timberland-stitched hearts desire, but I'm hoping for more than one or two Works of Mart on whatever the title of Nas' next record may be.
neo, let me think of something and I'll get back to you.
squeeg, at least it wasn't J-Nicks hosting. But yeah, I never really believed in the all Nas / all Primo album for the simple fact that I like to dominate my life with common sense and rational thought. An Illmatic-sized three would be great though.
I for one will see it to believe it @ anything Nas/Pre'em related.
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