Common is old and positive and it is annoying (and other rap news), 09/24/09

1.
Common tells CNN there's less talk of rims and chains in the rap music these days because President Dreamboat is in charge and fools are more conscious now, y'all. Ostentatious lyrical talk is “super played-out,” he says, but everybody knows if you're from Chicago it's bogus. OH COM. You're so out of touch.

He “hopes more rappers abandon vacuous materialistic ideals and the glorification of vices plaguing American communities -- ‘and whatever MC doesn't, I will,’ he warned.’” Then he gave us all a copy of Manchild in the Promised Land and asked if we wanted a ride to the co-op for groceries (nothing over-processed and nothing that once had a face, obviously).

Sigh. Happens to all of 'em eventually. Nobody I know and love has cared about this dude since Be (OMG, remember how good Be was? JESUS), but it's still annoying to see a classic '90s action hero cross over into Old-Mans-ville. The sun rises and sets, children grow older, and rappers do Gap commercials then date the tennis star then give quotes to CNN about the state of hip-hop. To everything, turn, turn, turn.

It's finally time for me to move on, I suppose, from 1992. HA. I kid! NEVER moving on from '92! Have we just met?? Here's Com in his glory days, when we loved him the best, talking about some lady who won't let him hit it.

“Breaker 1-9”

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2. Les and JuJu are starring in a play, says XXL. Bob Fosse and Leonard Bernstein, watch out now!

I believe the term you're thinking of here is “subtle imagery.”

The Beatnuts will be starring in a play written and conceived by journalist/His Holy Ego Trip-ness/my ex-boyfriend Sacha Jenkins called Deez Nuts, because evidently nobody could think of a better pun (?).

According to Jenkins, Deez Nuts follows a journalist as he interviews founding members Psycho Les and JuJu outside of a Bodega in their shared hometown of Corona, Queens. It will feature live performances by the group as well as a full cast of actors.

3. Rae, in a rare misstep, wants old rappers to do remakes of their classics. That's great. Really great. Hey, you know what? I want a pony, access to the Def Jam masters (hi Russ!), and Britt Eklund's whole appearance and bearing. Let's keep each other posted on our respective goals, what do you say, Rae.


“I'd like to see Nas do another Illmatic. See Snoop do another [Doggystyle]. I'd like to see Hov do another Reasonable Doubt. I'd like to Slick Rick come back with the another Great Adventures of Slick Rick. I'd like to see Rakim do another Paid in Full. ... I'm hip-hop for real. We could go on for days. I would like to see another Criminal Minded.” (MTV News)


The only things I have to say are 1) NO, 2) um, hello, I didn't see Hustler's P.O.M.E. on that list, and 3) BABY RAE IN A YELLOW SHIRT, so epic.



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