[Sunday Coffee Sipper] Reflecting on the BET Hip Hop Awards
On October 16 in Los Angeles, California Rap music's elite showed out for the annual BET Hip Hop Awards, commemorating the best of all things hip-hop in the past year. Kendrick Lamar cleaned up, hauling in five awards including best album and lyricist of the year while Jay-Z, Big Sean and the rest of hip-hop's governing body took turns patting each other on the back. For today's Sunday Coffee Sipper I break down the list of winners from several of the categories and decide who I would have picked from the very small group of nominees that were available for the awards, enjoy!
Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake "Started From The Bottom": I literally thought this was the most bogus video I had seen until Chief Keef's "Love No Thotties" premiered this week. Seriously though, you're not making it any easier to legitimize the "Started From The Bottom" mantra with the opening scene of a Toronto youth soccer game played in a bubble, or perhaps it's the perfect metaphor. The fake snow, all white everything convertible dance scene is just downright goofy, as is the Wal-Mart confetti-strewn dance party. Drake had a lot of dance parties at the bottom. Where is 'here' anyway? Could be anywhere. Ah, Drake, they'll love whatever you do.
Who Should Have Won: Kendrick Lamar – ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’
Reese’s Perfect Combo Award (Best Collabo, Duo or Group): A$AP Rocky f/ 2 Chainz, Drake & Kendrick Lamar "Problems": Of the nominations, this was an easy favorite for the best collaboration of the year. Featuring the top names in hip-hop today and a blistering verse from K Dot it stood head and shoulders above even Ace Hood and Future's summer banger "Bugatti" and J. Cole and Miguel's "Power Trip".
Best Live Performer: Jay-Z: Not sure about the nomination or the win on this one. Jay-Z is certainly a pillar of hip-hop, but there are plenty of better live acts around the country that could have vied for the title, even outside of the nominees. Granted, Jay-Z proved to be a step ahead of the competition in the crafting of a different live set idea with his "Picasso Baby" art installation, a wholly different take on hip-hop as an accepted artform. Regardless, I can't help but feel there was a better choice to be had.
Who Should Have Won: J. Cole/2 Chainz
Lyricist of the Year: Kendrick Lamar: They probably didn't need to announce this one. Between good kid, m.A.A.d. city, the much-talked about verse on Big Sean's "Control" and a host of outstanding features throughout the year, Kendrick cemented himself as the lyricist to match in 2013. The "Control" verse in general, in which he called out the other top names in the game, nestled Kendrick firmly in the upper echelon of hip-hop artists today.
Album of the Year: Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid m.a.a.d. City: Again, a fairly easy choice as the top rap album of 2013. Kendrick finally emerged from Section 80 to the big leagues with his chart-topping album that, as stated earlier, vaulted him from one of the new guys to the forefront of everything happening from here on out.
Producer of the Year: Mike Will Made It: It's hard to be too upset with this decision, Mike Will Made it had some of the year's biggest songs, using his enormous drum ensembles to shake the walls of clubs from coast to coast with songs like"No Lie" by 2 Chainz, "Bandz a Make Her Dance" by Juicy J, "Pour It Up" by Rihanna and "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus. They weren't the best songs of the year, but they topped the charts. I can't forgive him for allowing Cyrus to don a Michael Jordan jersey while twerking in their "23" collaboration, though. In comparison, Pharrell did songs with Jay-z, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Daft Punk.
Who Should Have Won: Pharrell Williams
Track of the Year: "Started From The Bottom," produced by Mike Zombie and Noah "40" Shebib: Can't even lie about it, this song was not the best track of the year, by any means. Drake's attempt at convincing listeners that watched him as Jimmy on Degrassi that he, "started from the bottom" was ill-conceived and uninteresting. Sure, the beat and hook get stuck in your head, but is that all it takes to have a hot track? Of course, you catch more fish with a larger net and most of the nominees for each category were held to roughly the same six characters. That makes for a small net.
Who Should Have Won: ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’ – Produced by Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar)
Best Mixtape: Big Sean, Detroit: This one just didn't make sense. In a category that included a host of independent artists including Chance The Rapper and Travi$ Scott, this would have been the perfect opportunity for BET to sway towards the up and coming, essentially the heart of hip-hop today. Instead, the crown for best mixtape was given to Big Sean's Detroit, making for an un-inspirational win for the G.O.O.D. Music star.
Who Should Have Won: Chance The Rapper: Acid Rap
Who New? Rookie of the Year: A$AP Ferg: This is deserved. Trap Lord was easily one of the hottest releases of a packed summer of new music and Ferg showed that the buzz surrounding him and his major debut release was no fluke. With co-signs from just about everyone in the game right now, the award was fitting. Tough competition here, too, with Earl Sweatshirt, Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$ rounding out the nominees.
MVP of the Year: Kendrick Lamar: Honestly, he could have taken most of the awards with the competition BET stacked up against Kendrick. More than anyone else, Lamar and his TDE crew have brought about a sound and a mentality that had been lacking in hip hop as of late. As he made it known on that fateful "Control" verse, this is now Kendrick's game, and everyone has to step up.
[Video] Schoolboy Q calls Kendrick Lamar with Sway
The Black Hippy crew caught some heat after Kendrick's verse mentioned Drake in a not-so-flattering way. Sway has seemingly installed a turnstile in front of his set in New York for CMJs and asked Schoolboy Q whether the TDE cypher at the BET Hip Hop Awards was directed at Drake. Sick of talking about it, Q simply gave Kendrick a call to settle things. Watch what happens next.
[youtube id="DNFO-5v7Q0Y" mode="normal" align="center"]
Future back on tour with Drake
Well, that was quick. Apparently Drake and Future, two single-named overtly-emotional artists got into a bit of a tiff earlier this week when Drake found out that Future had told Billboard he didn't particularly like Drake's latest album Nothing Was The Same. The Toronto native responded by allegedly having Future removed from his Would You Like a Tour? tour. Future allegedly was prepared to respond with a $1.5 million lawsuit, which now appears to have fallen by the wayside, and the two are apparently moving forward with original plans to travel North America singing their songs. Official Future tweet below.
Drake kicks Future off of tour
Maybe it was just too many emotions for one bus. Pitchfork is reporting today that Drake kicked Atlanta-rapper/crooner Future off of his Would You Like a Tour? tour. The issue allegedly stems from comments Future made to Billboard about not being a big fan of Drake's Nothing Was The Same album. The comments, which Future apparently made "off the record" have been omitted from the original story, although writer Erika Ramirez tweeted what he said as well: "They're not possessive; they don't make you feel the way I do." Upon hearing the comments, Drake allegedly ordered a manager to kick Future off the tour or be fired. Future is allegedly suing for $1.5 million in lost wages. Whew! Here's a video teaser for the tour below.
[via Pitchfork]
[Sunday Coffee Sipper] Deciphering Drake
Drake. His name is everywhere these days and the Toronto native finds himself smack dab in the center of pop culture lexicon-sandwiched somewhere between Miley Cyrus and the Geico "Hump Day" camel. For all the headlines, videos, interviews and general content that has been produced around Drake, it is interesting that we know so little about someone who shares so much. With a barrage of music released over the past five years or so, Drizzy still remains one of the biggest enigmas in music today.
To be sure, Drake's discography read like entries in a diary. So Far Gone showed us Drake before the fame, working out his inner feelings, wondering what would come next and who was really true while looking inwards for answers. He posed a lot of questions that may have been answered by now. On Thank Me Later he contradicted himself often, telling listeners to thank him now and generally reminiscing over the onset of fame. Take Care was his masterpiece to date, the album that it all came together in harmony, garnering him critical praise from those in and out of hip-hop.
With his latest project, Nothing Was The Same Drake keeps with the melodramatic soul searching that has become his calling card, while also pushing things forward. Currently, the album sits one spot behind New Zealand native Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine on the iTunes charts. The lead singles from the project, "Started From The Bottom" and "Hold On, We're Going Home" are vastly different, demonstrating the rapper/actor/singer's ability to move seamlessly through his Rolodex of titles with ease.
"Hold On, We're Going Home" itself is a bit departure of style for the former Degrassi: Next Generation star. Without any bars on the record, it is one of the few tracks that Drake exclusively sings on, one that is likely to be played at weddings for a long time. The video for the song also plays into the Drizzy "renaissance" man aesthetic, a cinematic, gun-crazy feature of a visual that gave viewers a look at Drake from many angles at once.
He was criticized for "Wu Tang Forever," as "die hard" rap fans condemned the reference to the iconic group. Talking to U-God in an interview awhile back he spoke of Wu-Babies, descendants of theirs that came up on Wu Tang. Drake, at 26, was certainly the product of listening to RZA, GZA and the like, but the song falls short of doing them justice. It is J. Cole's "Let Nas Down" without the understanding and worldview that made Cole's song an instant classic.
Careful features, like that of Sampha, of electronic duo SBTRKT on "Too Much", as well as 2 Chainz, Birdman and Big Sean are paired with lesser-known features such as Jhene Aiko, Majid Jordan and Detail and continue to demonstrate Drake's innate ability to recognize solid work from a variety of avenues. Drake alleges to have "Started From the Bottom" but even at the top, isn't afraid to shine a wide light on exceptional talent.
Aubrey Graham is a complicated guy who makes uncomplicated music. It is easily digestible, readily relatable and consistent enough for listeners to know what to expect in most regards. For this reason, it's almost impossible to turn on the radio or walk into a party without his voice present. Nothing Was The Same is a continuation of the narrative that Drake has developed since emerging on the scene in 2009. The biggest compliment to an album is it's ability to be listened through as an entirety. The latest offering from the Toronto crooner is no Take Care, but shows development and talent that can't be ignored.
http://youtu.be/GxgqpCdOKak
Drake Named Toronto Raptors' Global Ambassador
It's normal to see some of your favorite rappers sitting courtside at any NBA game. If you're a rapper of Jay Z's caliber, you probably have had ownership in a team and started a sports agency. If you're a rapper along the lines of Drake, well then you can become the global brand ambassador for the Toronto Raptors.
"The position serves various roles including franchise host, business partner, and consultant," which makes sense since Toronto is set to host the NBA All-Star Game for the first time ever in 2016. One thing's for sure: it should be one hell of an All-Star weekend when that time rolls around, and it will be interesting to see what Drake has planned. Until then, check out what he has to say about his new position in the video below.
http://youtu.be/JxP7N2cnvZU
[Via HypeTrak]
Lupe Fiasco: "Pound of Flesh/Paris Tokyo 2"
If you've been following the site lately then you may have noticed my growing disdain for Lupe Fiasco. His actions on Twitter and general sidelines view of the hip hop game has pushed me away from the Food & Liquor artist in a hurry. As of late, Lupe has offered his own versions of other artists tracks ala Lil Wayne No Ceilings or Dedication without the forethought. This time, Drake's "Pound of Cake/Pars Morton Music 2". It's another Lupe track for the most part, until Fiasco does a roll call of who's who in Chicago, ala Kendrick Lamar and "Control". At the end of the track he recites: "Everyone in Bull City eating like a pig, let's do it: Durk, Mouse, Paris, Keef, Boolu, Dub, Pharris, Drama, Common, Flict, Ye, Chance; Illinois, Lupe
[Video] Drake: "Hold On We're Going Home"
Drake takes a cinematic approach to his latest visual "Hold On We're Going Home" off his newly released album, Nothing Was The Same. Directed by Bill Pope, the mini-movie is set in 1985 with Drizzy taking the protagonist role as he tries to rescue his girl from a rival mafioso alongside his crew Majid Jordan, Johnny Simmons and A$AP Rocky. The film has it all: explosions, romance, plot-twists and everything in-between can be seen below. Check it out and be sure to cop the album which just hit retail and online stores today.
http://vimeo.com/75317284