HipHop Talks Podcast
Introducing "Hip-Hop Talks Podcast/Media'' - a captivating experience that immerses hip-hop enthusiasts in the boundless world of the genre and its cultural impact. Join hosts Shawn, Coop, and Adriel as they pay homage to the foundations of hip hop, from its origins to the present day with a diverse take on Hip Hop. Shawn, takes you through the boroughs of New York, while Coop provides a provocative, yet daring take on the South’s stake in the Hip Hop game. Adriel brings the unique perspective of Hip Hop through the lens of those that cling onto the lifeline and purity of Hip Hop. Combining their thoughts and views, is liken to your favorite superhero team assembling to lean into each other’s strengths. Through insightful conversations, passionate debates, and meticulous breakdowns, they explore the intricate fabrics of hip hop, including its powerful lyrics, infectious beats, mesmerizing breakdancing, vibrant graffiti art, skillful DJing, and electrifying MCing. "Hip-Hop Talks" is the ultimate destination for fans seeking to deepen their understanding and appreciation of this influential art form. Tune in and become part of the unified community that celebrates the timeless legacy of hip hop.
HipHop Talks Podcast
More KD3 Talk, Is Jay-Z King of November? - plus Discord Dialogues on Kool G Rap!
What happens when iconic hip-hop legends try to surpass their own legacies? This episode of Hip Hop Talks turns a critical eye on music's heavyweight collaborations, examining the challenges faced by stars like Snoop, Dr. Dre, and Nas as they strive to meet sky-high expectations. We share our candid takes on some of the latest releases, from Gangstar's "Finish Em" to Snoop and Dre's "Gorgeous," and even dive into the often controversial world of Grammy nominations. With a light-hearted mix of debates and predictions, we explore the impact of the industry's biggest awards and the success stories of artists like Kendrick Lamar.
Our adventure in North Carolina reveals more than just southern hospitality. Join us as we recount our unforgettable trip to Shelby to support our friend LT's project, "Spirit vs Flesh." From high heels reminiscent of Prince to thought-provoking reflections on the cultural blend of Shelby, this experience highlights the power of music in transcending racial boundaries and fortifying friendships. We also delve into the significance of classic hip-hop albums, celebrating the legendary influences of Cool G Rap and the enduring legacy of Prodigy, Jay-Z, and more.
In our spirited discussions, we tackle the intricacies of Jay-Z’s "Blueprint" series, Nas's conceptual brilliance, and even the nostalgia of North Carolina's vibrant hip-hop scene. Our debates touch on everything from the chemistry of artist-producer collaborations to the shifting landscapes of regional music support. We cap off the episode with a heartfelt discussion on community and camaraderie, sharing stories of resilience and gratitude within the hip-hop family. Don’t miss this dynamic episode filled with insightful commentary and playful banter, all centered around the evolution and impact of hip-hop culture.
Outro Music.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, I am David Ruffin, eddie Cain and Bobby Brown, and these niggas are the Temptations, the Five Heartbeats and New Edition. Welcome to Hip Hop Talks.
Speaker 1:This guy. So yeah, as you can see, he's David Ruffin and all that stuff. And guess where he's at? In the lobby Coop in the background, singing nights like this.
Speaker 3:I don't wish he's David Ruffin and all of that stuff and guess where he's at In the lobby, coop in the background singing Nights Like this. I don't wish Coop Eddie Kane trying to sing his way back in the group.
Speaker 2:That was great. That was great. You weren't expecting that intro. So just for the people know AG's going to moderate today, but I asked to do the intro and that's why I asked to do the intro. But, ag, it's all yours. Welcome to Hip Hop Talks. Everybody Click, like and subscribe to the page. If you want to hear Eddie Kang sing on his Twitter page, you can follow me at all the things with C-O-P-P. All right, y'all.
Speaker 3:First thing we want to get into man. Alright, y'all.
Speaker 3:First thing we want to get into man yo we actually got to be in the same place at the same time for the first time. You know, this past weekend we pulled up in Shelby, north Carolina and you know event, you know what I'm saying little R&B and hip hop action shout out to the homie LT who put out a project last week called Spirit vs Flesh. You know we wanted to pull up on LT. That stands for Lyrical Talent. We wanted to pull up on LT and his hood and his hometown of Shelby, north Carolina for his homecoming and it was dope to see the bros there. You know what I'm saying. So it was a dual functioning pull up because we all got to be in the same place at the same time and it was, you know, a dope situation where we got to chill with my bros, which I got to say about that.
Speaker 3:Yo it was, it was fun.
Speaker 1:It was fun. Man Shout out to LT, lt hit me up every morning with some good quotes. Man, real good brother, he definitely, definitely was in the hood. It was fun man, small town Shelby, I know. Coop's closest backyard is Charlotte, like 45 minutes from Charlotte. We had some laughing. We had some good laughter. It was some crazy times. Crazy times. We saw some interesting performances. You know, I'm not going to kid you, your homie got on stage with the high heels and the Prince joints them.
Speaker 2:look like the knockoff Prince joints. It's like them was like when Prince was in his peak they was probably selling the knockoff version at Payless or some shit you know what I'm saying. Not the Prince heels, but the knockoff Payless, prince heels.
Speaker 3:Sean had to get the details. Man, you could have left it ambiguous.
Speaker 1:I couldn't help. He had a tail tilted.
Speaker 3:He had the public enemy joint Fight the power joint.
Speaker 2:That was a beret. Let's call it what it is. The nigga was wearing a beret. Let's call it what it is. Nick was wearing a beret.
Speaker 1:He was wearing a beret he wore a beret. It was cool Shout out to Andrew, because we also did dinner with Andrew yes mirror music. We were only three black people inside the joint, but it was great.
Speaker 2:We were definitely the only Negroes in the estate.
Speaker 1:They were looking at like oh, these rappers.
Speaker 2:Look, there was a black woman when we walked in that was getting the food to go and she kind of tried to look like what the hell y'all doing sitting down in here?
Speaker 3:She gave me the look like nigga.
Speaker 2:What is y'all doing?
Speaker 3:The wildest part is like mad country, and then you, like you know, hit a couple of turns and then you, like you know, hit a couple turns and then you're in the middle of the hood. You know, I'm saying so.
Speaker 1:It was, it was kind of wild, it would you know the job, pete the waitress, when she uh slipped andrew that little note, she was like yo, don't do this. No, it was like are you safe? I was like. I was like yo, andrew, don't give us up right now, don't give us up right now, don't give us up right now.
Speaker 2:Don't do that, man. That's wild. That's enough. That's enough I actually had.
Speaker 2:It was a time of duality for me. I'm going to tell you what. First of all, lt hopped out wearing a leopard shirt with a leopard scar. He did I walk, I do what I do best I talk trash. I was like we interviewing Prince today. Guys, what's up? Nice to meet you? That's the first thing, I think.
Speaker 2:What we saw in Shelby and I mean this for good and for bad. When I was in Shelby, I felt like I was home, for better and for worse. It was like, oh no, I know exactly what's going on. It's super country and white, right here at this barbecue place that we're sitting down at with my lifelong friend, who does happen to be white, recommended this establishment and I like the fact that he didn't hesitate to invite us there. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It reminded me some of about who andrew is as a man. You know what I'm saying. As in, andrew don't see color, he see people. That's right, absolutely so. I thought about how fortunate I was to have a friend like him for so long and what a special moment it is to always see him. But you know, to have old friends, meet new friends and meet for the first time um shelby's very country and very hood guys. It's like all that pocketed north carolina. Look at us thinking, nah, king's mountain, like this gas house. Gastonia is like this part of charlotte I grew up in. Mountain like this Gas House Gastonia is like this Part of Charlotte I grew up in is like this. And remember I look at y'all and told you I was like that's why I got to fuck out. Yeah, because even we was talking about just feeling like we were being watched and unwelcomed and uninvited a little bit.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying but that was okay, though, we was good.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, we was good, I ain't stressing, I ain't studying it, you know what I'm saying, but it was one of those things the environment, the feel, that environment that you felt it's like, oh no, that's why I was like hold on, it's like I, until I graduate from high school Okay, 1,053 days, all right, countdown on, because we got to get the fuck up out of here because ain't nothing going on, no doubt, but the ruining you know what I'm saying of the neighborhoods and the projects LT and his people pulled up. It was a great interview. I think it's a great template for us moving forward to use for independent artists that we're going to be pulling up on. I got plans on pulling up on some people. You know one artist and his crew in particular. They already know who they are. You know, sean, we got a pull up schedule. You know what I mean. We show people that we got to work out. So it's like you know, the motion was good, it was good practice, it was fun being the cameraman and letting y'all do the interviewing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was, that was dope. You know what I mean. We wanted to bring back that aesthetic that we grew up on, right. You know remember when, uh, we used to watch yo mtv raps or um mtv jams and they pulled up in um staten island on the wu-tang clan and just walk around shaolin and you know, talk to old dirty and you know speaking of which. Rest in peace 20 years. You know we lost odb but but we just wanted to bring that aesthetic back. So you know, lt showed us around his hood, be on the lookout for that footage. We wanted to bring that aesthetic and everybody was real welcoming, you know LT, his people, his family, when we pulled up to the venue. You know what I'm saying. You know exclusive parking, parking, you know where. We didn't have to be in the crowd, like you know, didn't have to pay for any tickets or anything. Everybody was, you know, real hospitable to us. So you know we appreciate that and look forward to doing something something like that again for real, then you showed us a lot of love.
Speaker 2:People at the venue showed us a lot of love absolutely yo.
Speaker 3:And if anybody's watching now, we handed out a lot of business cards, you know, so people could like tap into what we're doing if they weren't familiar. So if you're new to the channel, thank you for you know tapping in with us, like subscribe and share with other people. You know I'm saying we know this little uptick in our following this past week, so hopefully that has something to do with that.
Speaker 2:And, um, you know we appreciate y'all yeah, subs went up, ag subs went up. Shout out to you and your lady for coming up with the card with the links yeah, no doubt we was working the crowds, we was working the crowds. Look, look here, sean. Funniest shit about when I was there is I walked up to AJ. I was like you got any cards left? He's like man, I ain't got no cards left, I can do this.
Speaker 1:He was walking.
Speaker 2:Look, look, Sean.
Speaker 1:And then he kept on walking past me like he didn't know me after he said it I was like well, all right, he was locked in. Yeah, he was locked in. He was like the predator out there. He had a certain demo that he wanted to get out of the way first. I'm not going to do that one.
Speaker 2:He had a certain demo, he had a certain demographic. Did he hit his?
Speaker 3:demographic.
Speaker 2:So what you're saying is he was a politician about it. He hit his core demographics first Listen, hey connect politics.
Speaker 1:Excuse me, queen. I'm AG for Fox Talks. That's nasty work, so moving on. Excuse me, queen, I'm AG for pop socks. Excuse me.
Speaker 3:Queen. Yo, that's nasty work, so moving on Call me a cop Queen.
Speaker 1:No, no no Excuse me.
Speaker 2:Queen, it's only crazy and nasty work when it's followed by. You look so beautiful, hey Queen.
Speaker 3:I did not say that, Full disclosure. I did not say that. I did not say that Y'all y'all wild, but anyway, you know. Moving on, Shout out to my girl for real. Moving on to new music, Next topic. You know what I'm saying Because I got to rock tonight. We had some stuff that dropped last week, you know. Actually, before we get into a new album in particular, let's go back two weeks ago when we had two singles drop. First one I want to talk about is Gangstar dropping a new single called Finish Em. Did you guys get to check that joint out?
Speaker 1:Yeah, thoughts, dope Lucy. I want to hear more. I think it's a dope Lucy. Nothing to go crazy over, nothing to be like. Oh, gangstar, you know it's a Lucy, right? I want to hear more what you got.
Speaker 3:Coop, it's just alright.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:Does this put you in mind for the Primo and Nas album? Like if it's on this level. You know a lot of the beats. What would you have to say to that?
Speaker 1:It's not going to cut it Sean. It's not going to cut it.
Speaker 3:I agree it was a nice little joint, but that's not the level we need to be operating at. I think Primo knows this. Moving on, we had another.
Speaker 2:That was cute. I Wasn't impressed at all.
Speaker 3:It was alright, it was okay. Alright, it's just alright so we had another single by the combination of Snoop and Dr Dre featuring Jhene Aiko, called Gorgeous, and it's the first single off the Missionary album. So what are you guys' thoughts on that? I want to go to you first, coop.
Speaker 2:First of all, I'm never giving forgiving Big Sean for stealing my woman from me. That's the first thing.
Speaker 3:You can handle that Coop. Don't even act like you could.
Speaker 2:That's right up my alley actually, sir, you should ask about me out here in the Atlanta streets, should ask about me, should check my resume, check my stats, put numbers on the board. Like Pusha T, it was good and I liked the record. But this is what I mean about really not wanting to hear this record and not wanting it to be called Missionary and not really wanting an album from them at this point, because I have nothing else to compare their work to, except for the Chronic Doggystyle and the Chronic 2001. How would you like that to be the barometer by which you are measured as an artist? Because that's what those guys are fighting against, which means they're fighting the most losingness. I don't even know if losingest is a word. They're fighting the most losingest. They're fighting the most losingest battle in the history of rap when they choose to make an album together at this stage in the game.
Speaker 2:This record is just good. It does not hit the mark, for you know what they are renowned for, specifically those three albums with them. You know being the best duo ever Producer-MC. It's the perfect producer-MC pairing. There's something about how he sounds on Dr Dre's beats that's more special than any particular MC over any particular all-time great producer's beats. They're fighting against themselves. They are losing. I said they were going to lose, hence the new word losing-ness. Sean, take it away.
Speaker 1:I agree. I agree, you can't come again. I said this before if you're going to make Missionary, you know the second part, the doggy style. You don't lead off with this, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:You don't lead off with this straight up and, like I said before, even looking at the feature list and look at the direction this album could be going into, you could have had a different name for the album, because now the expectation is to be in the same vein or close to the same vein as Doggystyle. It's no different than when Dre did the Chronic 2001. It was the follow up, you know, from the Chronic and that album was amazing. It was updated because you had different players, you had a different sound, but it was still updated from the Chronic.
Speaker 3:Some people argue that is's better than the original Chronic.
Speaker 1:It's there. It's a great album For what it did, explosive For what it did at that time. It did its job, but again, the lead single is what draws you into the chronic 2001. Right, dre is back. The formula is somewhat there, but it's more updated With this for me. It just doesn't give me excitement, if you will, for a Snoop and Dre album, because the expectations are high. It's been too long, too long.
Speaker 2:The people who think the Chronic 2001 are better are people who are like into the sounds, the mix, the mastering, the engineering. Because the mixing, the mastering, the sound, the soundscape, the engineering, yeah, that's better. It's because they have more money, nigga, stupid.
Speaker 3:And I think you got a good point with that Coop. But I think it's also an age demo too. Last episode you spoke to Stillmatic Babies. Right, we had the original Chronic. I think a certain age demo came up on Chronic 2001,. So that makes the difference as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they didn't watch Rodney King get his ass beat. I get it. We did, we did, we did Put his ass on TV, started a whole riot.
Speaker 3:I thought it was a cool little joint. The production by Dre's standards wasn't all that great, but I think Snoop did his thing, though you know what I'm saying. Snoop sounded good, sounded comfortable, sounded in pocket, but I was more so let down by Dre's production than I was by Snoop's performance on the microphone. So, and Jhene Aiko did her thing with the hook. But, like you said, for a first single expectations for that combination, it's not going to cut it.
Speaker 2:Think about what the prior first singles are when these guys get together. I believe we have Dre Day who Am I? Yep, bill, dre, mm-hmm. And then we have this this, yeah.
Speaker 3:And then the first pairing is Deep Cover.
Speaker 2:That's what they're doing the first time around. You can keep this Keep this Go put it somewhere, put it in your vault, put it in your vault Again Dre's smart.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Never question Dre, right? But come on.
Speaker 3:Come on, man, I'm hoping this is one of those album cuts released as a single that when you hear it in the context of the album it's much better. That's what I'm hoping for. But yeah, we hadn't spoke about those singles, so those came out two weeks ago. But, moving on, we had an album drop a week ago by Ab Soul called Soul Burger. You got Super Chats. Okay, let's hit those real quick. Yo shout out to 007. Queens, get the money with the two dollar super chat double.
Speaker 2:Oh, what up baby, what up man?
Speaker 3:cj with the five dollar. Appreciate you, cj. Uh, bless you guys. I hope you're good and healthy. Also, sean, thank you. I didn't think my stuff would inspire someone like that. I'm gonna do better. That's what's up what up?
Speaker 2:you all heard that cj it was pretty dope hold on real quick. Look here, man. 007 sent me a picture last week, and all I'm saying is Text. 007 told 007 when he sent me the picture when I grow up, I want to be like you, and 007 is a few years younger than me. Alright, keep going, super chat. Yo 007 with the $5 007 on the boat with it.
Speaker 3:Appreciate you, 007, with the $ with it. Appreciate you, 007, with the $5 super chat. Good to see y'all together next time. Meet up in Queens. Sean knows the move Cristo Steakhouse. Yeah, we can do that for sure get out yeah. So next up we got Absol Stolberger. You know what I'm saying. So that was the high profile rap album that dropped last week. Did you guys get a chance to tap into that Coop? I'll start with you.
Speaker 2:I did. It's not good.
Speaker 3:Okay, simply put it's not good Moving on. You got anything else to?
Speaker 2:add. I mean, like I don't know what's going on, like I just feel like this year I keep waiting for a project to impress me, and every time it's an artist that I like. I feel like, even if the project is solid, they just kind of like are letting me down.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I just feel let down by this project, like it's not that good. It's just, you know, he's his name's Absol, so it's abstract, it's a little trippy. You know, Little kid-cutty Wes.
Speaker 1:If you will.
Speaker 2:Yep, sometimes you can just go too far out there and we can't see where the fuck you went. You know what I'm saying and that's what this album is. What are we talking about? What is the album about? What are we doing? Where's the direction? Production is near that best. His delivery is always very. You know he raps the way Virginia Wolf writes it's like, well, there's really no rhyme or reason or necessarily like patternization to it. You know so. He's always all over the place. You know he need an A&R and an executive producer.
Speaker 3:And that's not a typical West Coast aesthetic.
Speaker 2:He needs an A&R and an executive producer. Okay, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do both. You can call Coop, call 1-800-HIP-HOP-TALKS. Coop will help make your shit tighter. I'll put your shit together. We will rework the sequencing. We're going to pull some of these beats. We're going to get some more West Coast sounding ass beats in here. That's what I think it needed. They can ride to. Yeah, what's up with these West Coast artists other than Larry June not making West Coast sounding ass albums? Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'd like a West.
Speaker 2:Coast artist to make a West Coast album not named Larry June? That should be the challenge. That's how it is. West Coast artists, I mean, I don't know, I'm just so tired of being disappointed this year.
Speaker 3:Sean, what's your?
Speaker 1:thoughts bro, I echo Kool moving on.
Speaker 3:I'll just say this real quick about the album. I also thought I like Herbert's album a lot better. I think that was a great effort way better.
Speaker 3:Herbert was a very good album. I was more so happy to see him spend the block so quick, you know, after just a two-year gap, you know, before the herbert album. You know he went through some, you know some things. Um won't really dive into that, but, um, I was glad to see him spend the block. But I was disappointed too. You know. I only found myself going back to about half of the album, like the intro. Yeah, half, and that's not good. Um, nine mile the intro. You know. Once I heard the soul to soul sample going into the mob, I was like, okay, this joint is going to be hard, but it never quite took off. Like I was anticipating something but it never quite took off. Um, I do like Bucko Jr D&D's. Okay, squeeze First, the O to the, you know, squeeze First 2, the O to Jay-Z's, squeeze First off the Dynasty album. I did like that record.
Speaker 2:I think Abso was spitting on that, I got a problem with him remaking a song that wasn't that good to begin with. God damn it.
Speaker 3:That's my problem. I like it. I like it. You remaking the songs. It wasn't that good.
Speaker 2:to begin with, that wasn't a top five song on a bottom five Jay-Z album.
Speaker 3:Bottom five Jay-Z album as well. That's that all over the place I'm talking about. That's that all over the place. The Dynasty is unfair. Hate, crazy with Jay.
Speaker 1:Yes, top of hate.
Speaker 3:Rashawn, we know you hate Jay. You will proclaim Jay hater.
Speaker 2:We'll get to that later, though he does hate, jay, but this out, make that good, we'll get to that later though we'll talk about crazier with JID.
Speaker 3:I think was okay, but for that pairing for a collab I think it could have been a lot better. But I do go back to that. I like song peace, sky's limitless sampling. The sky's the Limit with Vegan 112. That's cool, and then Righteous man is alright. That's about it.
Speaker 2:Are you listening to how you're talking about it out loud? You don't even sound like you're happy with the songs that you just said.
Speaker 1:You can't say shit is good because the shit's not any good.
Speaker 3:I got half man, like Eddie Murphy said half.
Speaker 2:Nigga, you should have heard how you just talked about the half.
Speaker 1:No enthusiasm. I was like yo, is he reading this thing up? Because he have to? You know what I mean. No enthusiasm.
Speaker 3:So moving on Collectively we wasn't feeling that album that much, but moving on. That's all the new music we got to cover right now. But now we're going to cover what's in the news, which is the Grammy nominations coming up.
Speaker 1:Terrible. Yo, can we get this other super chat real quick? Oh, we got one more.
Speaker 3:Yeah, put it up there, yeah.
Speaker 2:Man, I hope you're not paying AG the same salary you're paying me for him to be all delayed with these super chats when he moderates.
Speaker 3:This is bullshit, whoa man yeah, saying there's a salary involved as well. Um a model with the five dollar super chat peace coop, you still got the bucks being the contender. Laugh out loud hey, don't slip.
Speaker 2:Giannis just had 59 the other night.
Speaker 1:You know what Giannis said.
Speaker 2:You know what Giannis realized. Giannis realized what we already knew. This is all your fault anyway. Better go drop 59 and fix this shit. It's not his fault, it is his fault, look here Look here Coach Bud.
Speaker 2:You got Coach Bud fired. That Phoenix team was a midriff with a skirt on last year and they actually look like championship contenders since they got Coach Bud and it's the same damn roster outside of getting Tyus Jones at point guard. So it's Gianna's fault. It's Gianna's fault, so that's what I think. I think he better go back to ball. So hard university. I think Dane's lost a step too, and I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting this to be more like I'm seeing that as well.
Speaker 3:I'm seeing that.
Speaker 2:I hate to say it yeah, I hate to say it too, because I love Dane. I love Dane more than I love, like a lot of these guys, and I thought yeah, dane is a real one yeah, I thought this is gonna be a rejuvenation year and it's looking like nah, like all those years of carrying portland off his back and his knees and his shoulders and his feet is starting to show a little bit. So yeah.
Speaker 3:So yeah, man, moving on to the uh grammy talk, so, um, what I want to do for this segment, you know, before we get into, like, you know what the grammys means to us and you know all that as a hip-hop culture. I want to read through um a couple of categories and the nominees and I want you guys to tell me who you think will win and who you would like to see win in this category. So, first off, we got best rap album. We got common and pete rock, the auditorium volume one. We got doji alligator bites never heal. Uh m&m, auditorium Volume 1. We got Dolce Alligator Bites, never Heal. Eminem, the Death of Slim Shady, coupe de Gras, future Metro Boomin' we Don't Trust you. And J Cole Might Delete. Later I'm going to kick it to you, sean which one do you want to see win and which one do you think is going to win?
Speaker 1:I want to see Common get it In that category. I would love to see Common get it, but I think M is going to get it regardless. To be honest, I think M is going to get it. You're not beating M, that's a good point yeah, what you got Coop.
Speaker 2:One phrase, two words, three letters in each word. Atl ho. We don't trust you, atl ho.
Speaker 3:That's what you think is going to win, or that's what you want to win?
Speaker 2:You said walk first ATL. Ho. Okay, why are we picking ATL over these hoes? Cool it's not going to happen.
Speaker 1:Sorry, you don't trust me. There's a chance, there's a chance and Kendrick is a chance. I don't trust you Because Kendrick is a big part of that, a big part of that movement.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so is that also who you think is going to win Coop?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They be hating on the ATL if it's not outcasting Andre's flute playing ass. So I'm gonna get to that in a minute how about you don't yeah, how about you don't get to that in a minute we act like it didn't happen, it's not part of the show lineup and keep it going, make some executive decisions as the moderator. I want my job back.
Speaker 3:I'm calling human resources this is not a bad dream. It's a reality.
Speaker 2:Taj Taj human resources. This is not a bad dream, it's a reality. Who's human resources? Andrew or Taj? I'm calling him after the show.
Speaker 3:I'm letting you know now I want my job back. He tried to make Andrew human resources just because he's white.
Speaker 2:That's crazy. The practicality is there and it has nothing to do with his wife.
Speaker 3:Who do you think is going to win Coop? Who do you think is going to win? Eminem's probably winning. I'm with y'all on that, we're all in agreement. We think Eminem's going to win. I would like to see Common get that nod for the win as well. But I'm with Sean, You're not beating Eminem in the rap album category. They don't deserve it. Alright, so next category, best rap song. We got Asteroids by Rhapsody, Carnival by Kanye and Todd Dolla, $ign On Vultures. We got Like that by Future Metro featuring Kendrick. We got Not Like Us by Kendrick and yeah, Glow by Glowrilla. So this time I'm going to kick it to you. This time I'm going to kick it to you. This time I'm going to kick it to you first. Who do you think will win and who do you want to win?
Speaker 2:Who do I think will win?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:What was the first record that you named?
Speaker 3:Asteroids by Rhapsody.
Speaker 2:I have a hard time believing that Not Like Us is not going to win at this point.
Speaker 1:Right, it's going to be sweet.
Speaker 2:I'm believing that.
Speaker 3:A hard time believing who would you like to see win though?
Speaker 2:I don't know. To be honest, you want to know what it's actually going to surprise you. Carnival might be my favorite rap song this year.
Speaker 3:I'm not surprised. Carnival's a banger man.
Speaker 2:Carnival's the best rap song Kanye's made in the last 10 years. It's a Kanye West song. It's the best Kanye West song in the last 10 years. Yeah, carnival's a banger. I'm still playing Carnival. So if we're just talking about quality of record and what I think like I would actually like, want to see win, even though I really don't Want him to win anything, you know, you see you got to follow me. You see I will vote for him for president. I do not want him to win anymore, granted.
Speaker 1:He gets out of control.
Speaker 2:They don't want him to win anything, but Carnival is the best song of all these songs actually.
Speaker 3:I would tend to agree. I'm with you on both of your picks. Coop, I would like to see Carnival win, but I do think it'll be Not Like Us. So, Coop, my bad Sean, what do you got?
Speaker 1:No. I think Not Like Us, is going to win. I don't want to see Kanye win right now, to be honest, to win. I don't want to see Kanye win nothing right now to be, honest, I'm being honest man, because I don't want to see Kanye get up there.
Speaker 3:He's not going to be there first of all.
Speaker 2:No, no, you want to know what I realized. Sean is a born hater because there's just some people.
Speaker 3:You just now figuring this out, kool Look look, look, look, ag, ag.
Speaker 2:Listen. There are some people that when they say hater shit, it just sounds more haterific when they say it. When Sean says hater shit, it comes off real, real strong. It's like it's like. It's like his hater level. It's like his hater level is different.
Speaker 3:It's like you know he's smug as hell Like look at him.
Speaker 2:He's like. He's like he would be like the Phoenix of haters. He would have all the hater powers.
Speaker 3:Right, right, Thank you he would have all the hater powers Right. Look at him. He looks smug right now. Remember when Nas was talking about flex? He was like look at his face.
Speaker 2:You want to know what? Look at Sean's face. He would win the haters ball every year.
Speaker 3:He would he would. He would win the haters ball every year. He would.
Speaker 1:He would. I'm trying to tell you. I was in a place beneath me and I didn't even flinch. I was in show.
Speaker 2:Hold on, Hold on, AJ, I got to tell everybody this. When we all parted ways, Sean Dapp hewed me up and said pleasure for y'all to meet me. I was like yo.
Speaker 1:I was like yo. I don't know why I said that. I don't even know why I said that. I apologize, I didn't say that. I said it to Angel. He was like man, it was. You're so modest, You're so modest, Yo get to the next category Angel All right, this next one Best rap performance.
Speaker 3:We got Cardi B Enough Miami. We got Common and Pete when the Sun Shines Again. We got Dolce, nissan, ultima. We got Eminem, houdini, future and Metro Like that featuring Kendrick. We got Glorilla Yet Again for yeah, glow. And then we got Kendrick Lamar again for Not Like Us that's a tough one, that's tough.
Speaker 2:I feel like it's the same goddamn song from the previous category.
Speaker 3:Pretty much.
Speaker 1:That's more nuanced.
Speaker 3:I would like to see Future and Metro win with Like that for the best rap performance, just off the strength that jumped off the battle with Kendrick's verse. I think they should get credit for that song somewhere.
Speaker 2:That's giving Kendrick another Grammy, and everybody knows that I'm not having that, so I'm going to say no to that. It's ATL ho, when it's just ATL ho.
Speaker 1:It's going to be tough, man, because that's a real tough one, Because I think you got again. You got M, you got two joints from Kendrick.
Speaker 2:That's tough If M is in. It's kind of like you know, since we've been bringing up the Dave Chappelle stuff today with the haters ball it's like in the race draft when they traded LJ and they dapped each other up, like when the Grammys put Eminem in a rap category, all the white people in the back do the little shake. Right quick, I got these niggas.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So it's Eminem until further notice.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I still enjoyed the album and I don't want to knock the album or not. The album was good. The album was good.
Speaker 1:The album was good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because when talking about him and talking about these things, let me clarify this is the best album that he has made in a long-ass time.
Speaker 3:A long time, I agree.
Speaker 2:It's actually good. In my opinion, it is I agree. It's going to make our top 20 list up until this point correct.
Speaker 3:It was towards the bottom, but it was in there.
Speaker 2:It's one of the 20 best rap albums you've heard this year so far.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's there For sure.
Speaker 3:A couple more Grammy questions, then we'll move on. For the Album of the Year category, we got just two notable nominations. We got Beyonce for Cowboy Carter. So I think she switched her c's to the country album when she didn't win last year and got, you know, beat out by the swifties and stuff like that. So I think she switched, switched her c's on on um the strength of that. And then we also got your boy, coop andre 3k, with his flute album nominated for album of the, which we knew was going to happen. We said we would be here. Coop just left the chat, but Sean didn't. We say that we would be here, that it would get nominated for all the Grammys and all that. What happened? So hypothetical, well, two questions Do you think Beyoncé gets a W or do you think no? Do you think Beyoncé gets a W and do you think no, do you think Beyonce gets a W? My second question is what if Andre wins with the flute album?
Speaker 1:It's going to be crazy. It's going to be pandemonium man Like honestly if it's cool, it's going to go crazy. Pandemonium, I don't know man, this is crazy man.
Speaker 3:It's giving credence to it just by it being nominated. It's giving credence to it just by it being nominated. It's crazy bro, it's nasty work.
Speaker 1:It is complete nasty work, honestly yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm not even going to bother you to answer that one, Coop.
Speaker 2:What category is he nominated in?
Speaker 3:This is album of the year.
Speaker 1:Next question.
Speaker 3:The next question I have is about the man of the hour who has so many nominations.
Speaker 1:I just want to put some context to that real quick Okay go ahead, go first.
Speaker 1:He got a song on there called the Night. I Turned Into a Black Panther and I stalked the grounds of Atlanta and realized that I am something special. It's something like that for real. That's what we do. It's something like that for real. That's what Coop, that's ATL ho, atl ho. The night I turned into a Black Panther and walked the streets of Atlanta and realized that I was a flute. God, that's the name of the song. Atl ho, coop's embarrassed.
Speaker 3:You should be Coop Next question.
Speaker 1:Next question I'm doing it. We're having trouble.
Speaker 2:We're having trouble. No, we're having trouble making time with the show, so we're going to have to proceed to the next topic. Please, Yo, look at Sean.
Speaker 3:Sean is what.
Speaker 1:Next year. Sean plays the acoustic guitar.
Speaker 3:It's coming out and I'm going to sing it for the granny. When Sean breaks props, the show goes to another level.
Speaker 2:That's crazy that level's called down AG.
Speaker 3:Next question, that's when the elevator goes down next question I have this is number one, specifically for Coop. Have we seen in the history of music somebody have a year this big when they haven't dropped an album and mostly behind one song, as Kendrick has had this year in 2024? Has had this year in 2024. Never, and it's the second part to that question. What, if not like us, doesn't come out and the battle ends at meet the grams, does he still have this big of a year with this momentum? Absolutely not.
Speaker 2:First of all, I've never seen anything like this before and, quite frankly, I don't want to ever see it again. It is positive that the average person is stupid Proof positive, the average person is stupid. It's baseless, it's foundationless, you pretty much. I mean, I've never seen a clout-chasing move get more glorified than this, like cause. That's essentially what it is. I keep on trying to say this If he's not talking about the person that he's talking about, oh, this doesn't go that far. Like. If he's talking about, like, if him and Lupe are dancing, this doesn't go that far. If he, if not like us, is about Lupe, like it does.
Speaker 3:But it's no hate behind what you're saying, because you're saying this and still recognizing it as the dopest song that came out this year.
Speaker 2:It's a great song. You said that it's a great song. I am on record. Like to say this for all the KKK fans Kung Fu, kenny, crazy motherfuckers, kkk, the other KKK I mean Trump in office of the other KKK. Back in the day it'll probably be it'll probably be a march. It'll probably be a march on racist ass Stone Mountain real, real soon. But um, look at these white men who pillaged and raped black people for centuries. Let's just go ahead and engrave them on a big ass mountain for everybody to see.
Speaker 3:Sean go ahead on screen because Sean's on security detail.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I'd like to apologize for implicating Sean. The opinions of Armad Cooper on Hip Hop Talks are not reflective of Sean, because these comments are good and we all know Sean doesn't give good comments anyway. Now, the record is great, ag, but it's not what people are making it in to be like. This is like do you think this is one of the greatest songs of all time? Because it's getting that type of treatment? Do you understand that?
Speaker 3:people are modern era? Yes, all time no. Do you understand that People are changing Modern era?
Speaker 2:yes, All time? No, okay, so modern era classify that. Give me where modern era starts.
Speaker 3:Like I told you last week, modern era for me starts with Kanye's, my Beautiful Dark Twisted. I was going to say post-2010, the last 15 years.
Speaker 2:So that's what I'm saying. 15 years so that's what I'm saying. So you think this is one of the 20 best slash, most important culturally relevant records of the last 15 years, yeah, okay. So let me ask you another question, because I'm just curious on how you're gauging it. What's the better record, not Like Us, by Kendrick or, if you know, you know, by pusha t if you know, you know.
Speaker 3:But if you know you know don't have the impact that not like us has. So when you're talking about you know, these things, you have to factor in the impact absolutely okay.
Speaker 2:I just wanted to see where you were like scaling it Okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, I can see that. So yeah, like with the Grammy talks, you know, in us as a culture we don't really rock with the Grammys too tough. I really don't plan on watching it like that. I mean we'll report on it. But you know, one of our biggest points of contention is a lot of these boards that make these selections and some of these selections are good, but lot of these boards that make these selections and some of these selections are good, um but, and jay cole even got nominated. It'd be crazy if he won rap album of the year. But anyway, that's another story.
Speaker 3:He doesn't deserve to win either, but um, but my point of contention is we don't know the people that sit on these boards or are they like real hip-hop heads? Because you don't know how really they are invested in the culture and invested in the music. You know what I'm saying. So, but what I want to say to the people is that if you come into us for our product, you don't ever have to wonder you know I'm saying who's sitting behind the content we put out, because we real ones over here granted, we just over here giving our opinions, but it come from a real place. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:And Sean ain't going to say it because he's modest, like you know. He's plugged in. Some of his OGs is Nas' OGs, like Sean's family. You've heard Nas shout out, bark him. You know what I'm saying multiple times. That's Sean's like literal family. You know what I'm saying. So we're really plugged in over here. You know what I mean. And Taj is a extension. She's part of the Nas camp and you know you're getting real opinions that come from a real place. You know what I'm saying. So you want to speak to that a little bit, sean.
Speaker 2:Hold on real quick. It's more about you guys.
Speaker 1:Because you know you got someone like Coop. You know Coop has had interviews with Hit-Boy, has had interviews with the Glove, has shared some really great interviews, great introspection on different things of that nature, even with you, ag, being from West Virginia and just having a different outlook on hip-hop and really being other cultures. Not many people go that far down that line when it comes to hip hop. When you're talking about buying, you know the albums and the vinyls and the merch and the things that come along with it and you know the statues and all the things that coincide with the cultural impact of hip hop that's lost over time Because we're in a streaming era where we forget the relics of hip hop.
Speaker 1:We forget the cassettes, the CDs and the albums, the vinyls, all of those things. We forget all those things and it's always you know we alluded to it earlier the chance that we had a chance to meet up in North Carolina and even that aesthetic that we took for the interview is hip-hop driven, you know. I mean so we live and breathe it. You know we talk about hip-hop all day, every day that we live and breathe it and um, yeah, so to your point, like we don't know who's behind the grammy boards. If they really live and breathe hip-hop and have those kind of ties, they're, they're closing their eyes and throwing a dart at the wall to see whatever lands and who they're going to select. These selections doesn't make an ounce of sense right now. It really doesn't.
Speaker 2:Hey, look here. When AG was talking, I thought he sounded like the podcast version of Suge Knight Yo, we got that uncut crack over here nigga.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying, that's essentially what I was doing.
Speaker 2:You tired of these niggas stepping on your product. Come the hip-hop post nigga.
Speaker 1:Never been stepped on. Still, yo, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I get that butter all night, because most niggas don't know a brick from the key by a hard white White that's right a brick from the key by a hard white.
Speaker 3:That's right, you know what I'm saying. We going to talk about that guy. We going to talk about that guy here in a minute. You know what I'm saying. So we'll move on to the next topic with that. We got any Super Chats to get?
Speaker 1:Yep Super Chats. We got three of them.
Speaker 2:Alright, I've been stripped of my duties. Why don't you read the Super Chats AG chat.
Speaker 1:TG Yo.
Speaker 3:Lord Bacar, I think it is $2. Super chat Killer Mike vs Eagle Remix. I don't know what that's in reference to. I might have missed something.
Speaker 2:Killer Mike vs Eagle Remix.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I got you. Okay, yeah, killer Mike did his thing. He's back with another super chat $5 joint Appreciate it. Did y'all hear Trump's tweet referencing Not Like Us? Yeah, I pretended like that didn't happen. Dangerous CJ the Kid with the $5 Super Chat Bounty Killer sample. Not Like Us for his new song. Does Drake take another L for the sample alone? I don't think so.
Speaker 2:You get what I'm saying. Do you see how much we are talking about not like us, even just from having the conversation during this podcast? Like people are literally super chatting us about somebody sampling not like us. Wah, wah, wah, wah wah.
Speaker 3:And that's kind of weird because it's like too soon. You know what I'm saying. It's just I don't know. That kind of throws me off Sampling that already.
Speaker 2:It's almost like they want the other guy to fall from grace so they can put the other guy up high to win. But we don't know who that guy is, because he really hasn't explained himself, nor has he made a good album in about seven years, getting close to eight.
Speaker 3:We won't let you go off on that tangent Coop Closer to eight and seven. This is why you're not moderating the day, because we're going to keep the itinerary.
Speaker 2:It's November of 2024.
Speaker 3:All right, and we're taking it back to November of 1998 with our next topic, which is album anniversaries. We got the 26th anniversary of Pete Rock's Soul Survivor on November 10th 1998. You know what I'm saying. I think this is a stellar album. It's super dope. Before I pass it to you guys, I just want to say I feel like this is Pete Rock's production magnum opus. I like it better than Mecca and the Soul Brother, but I think that might be a hot take. But this is a great album. My question to you guys is, looking back on this album, usually when a producer gets a star-studded ensemble of rappers, this comes together like a compilation album. Where would you put soul survivor in the pantheon of those type albums by a producer, and would you like to see more of those type albums present day? I'll let you kick it off, sean.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. This album came at the right time in 98 actually, but it's not discussed a lot. I don't know why. I never understood why this album was never discussed as part of that top tiering of 98. Because 98 was heavy, it was. It was a changing of the guard. The sound of 98 was a changing of the guard, but this album really took it back to a soul survivor. In the compilation you could tell the placements of the who's who that was on the actual album itself was intentional because you had some of the best rhymes layers on there some of the best beats, some of the best production, best sequencing, but again, the aesthetics.
Speaker 1:You know it's my November when this album came out. We were heavy, heavy, heavy in the DMX era. Heavy, heavy, heavy in the DMX era. Heavy, heavy heavy in the DMX era and the sound just from the Rough Riders was clashing against something like this. This wasn't loud enough in comparison to Rough Riders. So, that's pretty much my take. I'll kick it to Coop. Get your thoughts, Coop.
Speaker 3:Real quick to that point, coop will echo this segment. I'm sure I love the job that Pete did on this album, but Primo did the job on Moment of Truth the same year. You know what I'm saying Rough Riders rule man.
Speaker 1:Rough Riders.
Speaker 2:So a couple things, man. Yeah, go ahead, you up, coop. First of all, you know what's wrong with this album. It came out too goddamn late, mm late. The sound on this album, november of 98, right, oh, no shit different. By then we live in a different world by then. This album should have came out the year before. If it actually comes out the year before, might be a top five rap album that year. Yeah, could be. How about this? What do you like more? Wyclef Jean's the Carnival or Pete Rock's Soul Survivor?
Speaker 3:For me Soul Survivor. No, man, the Carnival's tough. Yeah, I like the Carnival, Nothing against it, but I'm picking Soul Survivor. I don't know man, the Carnival was tough. Yeah, I like Carnival, Nothing against it, but I'm picking Soul Survivor though.
Speaker 2:Okay, I say that to say, oh no, the Carnival was a top-five rap album in 1997, and so if Soul Survivor is a comparable album, yeah, but by November 98, I mean, let's just go down real quick. Dmx's Dark and hell is hot is out and about and dominating my flesh and blood of my blood is about to drop in a month. Shit's on lock, alright. Volume 2 is also out September 29th, along with the yep. Okay, that's also the year out September 29th, along with Equimini. That's also the year Lauryn Hill drops to Miseducation, is it not? The climate's different? This is a boom bap rap album that is built for 94, 95, 96, 97, not for 98.
Speaker 2:But, would you?
Speaker 3:say, moment of Truth is, but this isn't.
Speaker 2:Moment of Truth is far superior to this album. They're not even in the same stratosphere Production-wise, rhyme-wise not either, because where I find Soul Survivor to be stellar on the first half beat and rhyme-wise, it's not as stellar on the second half. Moment of Truth. Wise, it's not as stellar on the second half. Moment of truth is just stellar Every moment, all the way through, all running. And so part of the problem once again that he's running into and I'm realizing this and this is my hot take you know, pete Rock's biggest problem is print Like a producer because the placements that maybe Pete Rock's biggest problem is Pring like as a producer, because the placements that maybe Pete Rock should have got. It's like Pring got those placements and man, he got those placements and he blasted, yep, all the Big EJ and Nas placements, yeah.
Speaker 2:Boom, boom, boom. Yep, what are your favorite? Each?
Speaker 3:of y'all give your favorite. Oh, coop, you had another point. J-naz placements Boom, boom, boom. Yep, what are your favorite? Each of y'all give your favorite. Oh, coop, you had another point.
Speaker 2:Hold on Now. Here's the thing, though and this is what I'm saying, and here's the biggest problem with this album. Well, there's the DMXJ thing, there's the Equimini thing, there's the Tribe Final album thing, there's the Most Into Live Like. There's a lot of things to point to, but mostly what's wrong with this album is that, well, this is the same type of album that Moment of Truth is but it's far better is what you're saying and Dream is just far better.
Speaker 2:So if you're choosing your hip hop boom bap for 98, you are not choosing this fucking album over Moment of Truth. I don't know nobody out here doing that. And this song, I mean, and this album has great songs on it. Truly Yours 98 with Cool G Rap, yeah.
Speaker 3:But it's low.
Speaker 2:Half Amazing with Meth.
Speaker 3:That's on your heart.
Speaker 2:What is your?
Speaker 3:favorite Out with.
Speaker 2:Lead Off with Deck and Corrupt, oh my God, oh my God.
Speaker 2:There's other stuff on here, but it's not fucking with Moment of Truth. It's a year too late, it's a dollar short and it's really like how his career has really gone. When you think about it, it's like, no, it's too late and because of that it's just okay. And this is what I'm trying to tell you. It's not as classic as people think, because it's not even a top five rap album for its year. I don't even know if it's top seven. It might barely be top ten, it might barely be top ten.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm saying. Aesthetically it doesn't fit.
Speaker 2:Barely top ten.
Speaker 3:I can name about six, seven albums just off of Steam. Why would Pete Rock act like that?
Speaker 2:You think Capital Punishment by Pun. You like Capital Punishment by Pun.
Speaker 3:Oh, of course Classic it's better than this right. Yeah, absolutely like capital punishment by pun?
Speaker 2:oh, of course classic better than this, right? Yeah, absolutely, oh man, capital dark and hell is hot volume two equipment. You know what I'm saying? It is already at at moment of truth, it's already in sixth place at at best. That's just off the top of my head. But I really like sitting down and running down the list of everything else again.
Speaker 3:We established it's not in the top of the food chain, in the top tier of 98, but just to give it a glowing remark before we move on, what's your favorite track on the album?
Speaker 2:it's between truly yours 98 and the deck and corrupt joint that starts off the album true, master.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what you got, sean same.
Speaker 1:I bought this album all because True. Master is still yours, true Master, because of Deck, the other joint I'm looking at right now, strange Fruit with Capadonna, and also that one was personal, personal, yeah, and the other joint I feel like since I made the Capadonna comment, you've been making it a point to wear your Park Hill shit and to make Capadonna comment.
Speaker 2:You've been making it a point to wear your Park Hill shit and to make Capadonna comments every week. What is the last?
Speaker 3:time.
Speaker 2:Capadonna dropped the album Sean. Why are we talking about Capadonna every?
Speaker 3:time. Yeah, I'm with you on the True Master joint. We all three said that I love that deck feature, but I think the game with Ray, ghost and Prodigy is slap boxing with that.
Speaker 2:I love that beat. Here's my thing with that, because that's what I was struggling with. That record is not better than right back at you off the infamous that's right. And so I'm like well, that's not really them at their best together. We've heard them sound better, even.
Speaker 3:It's in the wheelhouse, but it's not better you want to know what the split is.
Speaker 2:Half man Half Amazing. Method man sounds amazing on Half man Half Amazing. Pete Rock really drags that song down with his rhymes.
Speaker 3:I wish somebody else would have split them right time he's a producer first and then the OC joint. Pretty tough too. Oc is tough, but moving on, we got any Super Chats to get All right. Shout out to Michael Williams with the $5 Super Chat. We need to talk about how Gibbs has a better solo catalog than a lot of rappers who would be ranked above him most people's goat list. We actually talked about that a couple shows ago.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's called Kendrick Drake and J Cole. All three of them All better catalog than all three of them.
Speaker 3:Sean disagrees, but we did talk about that.
Speaker 2:One of them hasn't made a good album in almost eight years and everybody's acting like it didn't happen Is that the only super chat, or we got another one. One of them is backing out from battles during their own fucking festival.
Speaker 3:See, this is why Kool Kidz moderate. He got ADHD. Ahmad with a $2 super chat, is Soul Survivor better than the Pillage? No?
Speaker 1:Fuck yeah.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't know, Sean. I think that's a conversation Both separately is better than the.
Speaker 2:Pillage.
Speaker 3:I can't say either one. I'd have to listen to them back to back, but I think it's a conversation. Sean, like man disappointed eh.
Speaker 1:I'm crazy man.
Speaker 2:It's not a conversation.
Speaker 1:No bugging man.
Speaker 2:Alright.
Speaker 3:Crazy man, a lot of conversation. Yo bugging man All right, moving on, get my catalog. Oh, we got one more. My fault, cj, the Kid with the $5 Super Chat Deck on above the clouds is greater than deck on true master. Cj, I agree with you, that is my favorite gangsta song and that's my favorite primo beat of all time.
Speaker 2:And Dexverse is just the icing on the cake. You know what I'm saying? I'm a scientist, mentally scarred, triple, extra large, wild, like rock sounds.
Speaker 3:Like Sean when he smashes acoustic guitar.
Speaker 2:Or when we smash it, when we hear him playing it.
Speaker 1:Can I see that right quick. Can I see that right quick?
Speaker 2:Please put it back up, please put it away.
Speaker 3:Alright. Moving on to our next one. Can I see that right quick? Can I see that right quick? Please put it back up. Please put it away. All right. Moving on to our next one November 14, 2000. We got a 24-year anniversary of Prodigy's HNIC and then I want Sean to take this away. The question I'm going to ask you is do you think that Prodigy lived up to the lofty expectations that he had going into his solo effort? Queens, get the money, sean, what you got.
Speaker 1:Rest in peace. Pete Straight up no, he did not H&I C coming off the heels and I think I said this before coming off the heels of Murder Music and how he was. The momentum was in prodigies, prodigies way man. He had the momentum. You know quiet storm verse. You know definitely verse of the year. I mean it's not about the verse, actually you need to think about it that that verse on quiet storm was what made it solidified, pete, because he was already there. He was already. He had quotables. You know you got the infamous. You know got quotables on that. He got in a. You talked about it before, about Hell on Earth where his prodigy ascended into that pantheon as one of them. And remember we were talking about prodigy in real time as being one of them, like prodigy Nas, about Prodigy in real time as being one of them, prodigy.
Speaker 2:Nas Big Ray, let's not forget about that. As far as New York goes? Yes, Definitely as far as New York goes. 96, New York. Yes 96, new York is Prodigy Ray Nas.
Speaker 1:Big. Yes, let's not forget, prodigy was given to Pop Fitz. Drop a gem on him, yes. Drop a gem on them, yeah, drop a gem on them.
Speaker 2:Drop a gem on them is special they only didn't say names.
Speaker 3:That was the only mistake. That's why it's not talked about special. I think it's not talked about.
Speaker 2:You knew. How about this? Of all the of all the diss records ever made, that's yeah. How about this? Of all of all the um, of all the disc records ever made, that's probably one of the streets is most attached to. It's like I don't know, yes, everybody, everybody in the streets know like the masters may not know. It's not. It's not a not like us or ether, or takeover or no vaseline in terms of like the notoriety, but in terms of the quality, yes, it is quality, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So you got all of that going up into a much anticipated, you know, solo effort. And it was, he was awesome. I mean he was dumping all on Jay on HNIC. You know what I mean. He was dumping on Jay, heavy on HNIC, never said Jay name, but you know he was talking about Jay. If you know him, you know right. But it just the production was the crippler for HNIC Because you had Havoc on Fuego, on Murder Music, right, murder Music to me was Havoc's magnum opus when it came to production To me.
Speaker 1:To me was Havoc's magnum opus when it came to production To me. To me it was Because I felt like by that time he had damn near mastered it, because there's that many songs on Murder Music that we can say, man, the production wasn't, that, wasn't it. It was like from the beginning to the end, and they also went platinum.
Speaker 3:They went platinum right.
Speaker 1:First time going platinum. So now you got H&IC the following year it didn't live up because it only went gold. When Jay saw that, when Jay saw that H&IC didn't go gold and you probably understand this too when Jay saw that, he was like oh, you're not on my level, I'm in, I got you, I on my level, get in, I'm in. Yep, I got you, I got you. Now I'm in Because before Jay wouldn't say much to Prodigy.
Speaker 2:Because he didn't know if he could stunt on him or not and get away with it.
Speaker 1:He didn't know it's too dangerous Prodigy was too dangerous at that time.
Speaker 2:He didn't unpack this. Hold on. First of all, sean, let me ask something. What would you rate the album? Oh man, because the way that you're talking it doesn't sound like you even have it at a four. And I think it's a four.
Speaker 1:I got like a three. I would get like a three points.
Speaker 2:I think it's barely a four, though, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's barely, it's barely a four, though yeah, it's barely Like, barely Like.
Speaker 2:Not a strong four Like. No, I'm barely giving you a four Like it's one of those things that it's like well, keep it thorough. Elevates this project to a four.
Speaker 1:That is the project. That's the project. But it was also. It was too many places. It was a mixtape. It was a mixtape song.
Speaker 2:And it was a little silly. So here's what I think about. Let's talk about the project and where Prodigy is.
Speaker 1:No doubt.
Speaker 2:First of all, I don't think you can talk about Prodigy without talking about Havoc, especially around this time, because the biggest problem to me is a big, big Mobb Deep fan. Like a big Mobb Deep fan yeah, this album has no Mobb Deep feel to it. It doesn't, and that's a problem for me. Yeah, because it is almost like he tried to keep his street aesthetic without the mob sound and I'm like, no, I don't want to hear your street aesthetic without the mob sound. I want to hear you wax poetic on the mob style. Now, I don't agree with you, sean, that murder music is Havoc's manifesto in terms of production, and not that it's not a stellar job. But here is why I feel like the job of a producer, especially when it comes to beat making, is to make a beat, to make a track that fits the artist that is recording the record, and so, although on Hell on Earth those beats are for Prodigy.
Speaker 3:I think that's his magnum opus.
Speaker 2:All those beats on Hell on Earth are for Prodigy.
Speaker 1:All those beats on Hell on Earth are for Prodigy.
Speaker 2:I'll challenge that. Hold on, listen to what I'm saying On murder music. The beats are made for Prodigy to rap with other people. What HNIC needs like those beats are made. Like Havoc is making the beat. It's like no P need to get off on this, but I need to make sure 8-Ball get off. No, no, no. I know P can rap on this, but I need to make sure G-Rap can get off on this. No, no, no P can rap on this, but I need to make sure Ray getting off on this. No, no, no, p can rap on this, but I gotta make sure Mega get off on this. We gotta put Nas on our big boy shit because we having our coming out party, so like he gotta rap on this.
Speaker 2:It feels like Havoc is a better executive producer on murder music to me. I don't know if the beats are more tailored to prodigy like they are on hell on earth. What I was expecting h and I see to be was the beats more tailored to prodigy, hell on earth style. So I wasn't looking for murder music, I was looking for hell on earth prodigy. And so for me, big disappointment, like I was expecting the dark, eerie beats, and here's also why it was crazy to me why I did the way it did.
Speaker 2:This is why rough riders was popping too, so I was expecting him maybe to go get some beats from dane, greece, from pk. You know what I'm saying? Because x is winning with those dark, gritty beats right now, and he's winning big. And also, too and this is gonna be a knock on his career that people don't talk about well, alchemist hit the mark, but he missed a lot of marks because he's not there yet on this project, because he's still early in his production career, and so some of his shit is real hit and miss, and that's the problem it's hit and miss that's what I was gonna ask you.
Speaker 3:That's what I was gonna ask you. Did you feel like it was too alchemist? Because I felt like he was saying that without saying it. So you finally alluded to that.
Speaker 2:No, no, alchemist didn't do a good job of producing this project, but it's because he wasn't. How about this On the Infamous? When you go back and listen to it, you can see where Q-Tip was there for Havoc. When you listen to it now, when you listen to HNIC, does it sound like Havoc was there for Alchemist or did it sound like Prodigy wanted to go do his own thing and maybe Hav had been drinking too much, which is some of the stories behind it and maybe there was some division between the two? So it's really just Prodigy and Alchemist in the studio and Prodigy and Hav have been doing this for so long together that Hav got a way of dealing with P and P got a way of dealing with have.
Speaker 2:That's special. And then that chemistry is a little bit more special than you realize until you're in the booth with somebody new who might be a younger version of havoc, but not havoc yet and doesn't know you the way havoc knows you and doesn't know what levels to put your voice at. The way havoc does doesn't look like there's little things do like the way havoc did some of those drop, like the drops and the beats, the bass lines, even the snares on Hell on Earth are so dark and so dense. It's because he understood what to do with Prodigy's voice after the infamous yes, it's perfect. It's perfect fit for him. Beats like Bloodsport, nighttime Vultures, hell on Earth, apostles Warning no. P sounds great on those beats, not just because he's great, but because the producer knows what type of beat to give the artist, for the artist to give off.
Speaker 3:Yeah it's the perfect marriage.
Speaker 2:Alchemist is just giving Prodigy a beat tape on HNIC guys.
Speaker 3:It's not the same thing, it's the perfect marriage. I do challenge you on one thing, coop, and then I got a question for the both of you before we move on. The thing I challenge you on is about going out and getting Dane Grease beats because X was on fire at the time. A lot of people don't talk about this, but that's exactly what Nas did with Nostradamus. It's a lot of Dane Grease production on Nostradamus and we see how that turned out, so I'm going to just say that that it doesn't look like what you were saying.
Speaker 2:What Prodigy does is way closer to what X does than what Nas does. That's why.
Speaker 3:That's fair, but it's still like just listen to it, just thinking of the beat in and of itself, even Prodigy on those same beats.
Speaker 2:No, nas doesn't do the dark and the eerie thing, unless it's with Havoc actually yeah when he gets with Havoc?
Speaker 3:And the question is yeah when he gets with Havoc?
Speaker 2:That's that bridge shit. That's what I'm saying. It matters who you get in the ring and you box with, who you build with. All those things matter. And all I'm saying is for what Prodigy does vocally and content-wise dark, eerie, moody, yeah.
Speaker 1:But he lacked the energy that X had. Yeah, but he lacked the energy that X had. It's hard to say X's energy was the thing that pushed him over the edge. Well, how about this? It's the bite that he had. Well, hold on.
Speaker 2:Let's put it on some rap shit when the fuck is the primo beats and the large pro beats and the cute shit you know what I'm saying. If you're not gonna go to dark, gloomy street route like, but you from Queens, my nigga, but we're in 2000 though we're going the rap route.
Speaker 3:Then let's stay on Dane Grease for a second. You know what I'm saying. We're in 2000 now. Even even X wasn't going back to Dane Grease. You, you know what I'm saying. After the first album, like that he was messing with P-Killer and Swizz Beatz.
Speaker 2:That wasn't a mistake in my opinion it was. That wasn't a mistake in my opinion, because guess what Everything was changing.
Speaker 1:Think about this what was the big shift in 2000? We started seeing the super producer era come into play.
Speaker 2:Right, Because now you're talking about Timberland, neptune, timbo, all that.
Speaker 1:I knew what you were saying Jay was on that way. Nori started it with the Neptunes and Jay took it to a different level with Neptunes and Timberland, but still keeping the Rockefeller Sun as a small backdrop. This is 2000. This is the latter part of 2000. We're about to get into really the super producer sound clash at this point. He tried that. We had the joke with him and BG. Yeah, but okay.
Speaker 2:But that doesn't work for Prodigy. He doesn't fit in that realm. How about this? He fits in that realm less than Jada Kiss and DMX do. Yes, that's true. That's why you double down on what you got. So HNIC is really missing the double down from Prodigy.
Speaker 1:if you really want to know the truth. He was stuck.
Speaker 2:How about this H&IC needed to sound like Quiet Storm Hell yeah, aesthetically.
Speaker 3:The whole album yeah.
Speaker 2:And it doesn't go down that route.
Speaker 3:If you don't have Havoc the whole album, you can't do that. But it's like you don't have it. You don't have Havoc the whole album. You can't do that. You know to your point.
Speaker 2:But it's like that's the lane that you thrive in. That's what has you in the Nas big. You know J but artists get caught up.
Speaker 3:Like we discount the fact that artists get caught up and they want to try something new. Look at refer to Immobularity. You know what I'm saying? Ray should have been rapping over all RZA beats, but everybody want to try something new. Do you know what I mean? We're missing a point.
Speaker 2:I don't know if he should have been rapping over RZA beats after hearing the Pillage song All right Sean, what you got to say.
Speaker 1:We're missing the point because you got to keep up with the sound. Yes because it was evolving. The sound was evolving like crazy. It was from 99 to 2000 was a big change.
Speaker 3:It was like dog years, though these were single years, but it was like dog years and the sound.
Speaker 1:It was like dog years. Why did you keep up with that?
Speaker 2:sound. See, that's what I'm saying. He's not supposed to, because I mean, for better or for worse, closer to Cool G rap than LL Cool J as far as his queen's brethren.
Speaker 3:You're saying stay in his wheelhouse.
Speaker 2:Cool G rap stayed in the wheelhouse the whole time. Is Cool G rap the star that L is?
Speaker 3:Well, say that Cool G.
Speaker 2:But here's the reality of the matter. In their prime, when Cool G Rap was a superior MC, he wasn't the star that Elle was. That's just not how the cards are dealt. Some fucking time, right, deal with the cards that you got dealt. This is what you do. Well, this is how it's going to go if you do it well, because when we talk about Prodigy, you want to know how you know that what he did is impactful. Well, look at the locks, look at grizelda. Like like his legacy lives on.
Speaker 3:He should have doubled down on his own self on this project right, you know we gotta, we gotta move on, but y'all hit two perfect segues. You know I'm saying poop, um, your, your segue gets to a question. I wanted to ask both of you and then sean, we're going to get to the super producer stuff when we get into this j album. But the question I had who brought up the locks? So the question I have for both of you all. The three most notorious albums that are not classic debut solo albums from people that come from a group are Method Man's To Cal, jada Kidd's, kiss the Game, goodbye, and then Prodigy H&IC. They just missed the mark on all three of those joints. So, given the opportunity, one get to stay and the other two got to go, which album are you taking?
Speaker 2:I was going to ask why the hell is this new moderator asking all these motherfucking questions? That's a great question.
Speaker 3:My questions are fire Coop, Don't hate.
Speaker 2:Your questions have been solid. This question.
Speaker 1:Coop is a real hater. Coop be hating for no reason.
Speaker 3:I'll go ahead and answer. I'm biased. I'm taking Jada.
Speaker 1:I'm taking, jada, I'm taking.
Speaker 3:Jada. So we got two kiss the game.
Speaker 2:Goodbyes what you got, coop you know, as crazy as it may seem, it's actually about to be a three peep, because I actually feel like that is the best album of the three that you named.
Speaker 3:The three is the closest to 4.5 out of the three.
Speaker 2:The most classic songs. It has none. Of y'all better Knock Yourself.
Speaker 1:Out.
Speaker 2:We Gon' Make it Feel Me. Put your Hand. It's like no. The rest of those joints, how about this? Hnic has maybe two classic records on it. Takao maybe has three. Kiss has about five or six on Kiss.
Speaker 3:Look at us agreeing.
Speaker 2:Andrew, edit this and put some different words in my mouth. Make it fly.
Speaker 3:So we got, we got to move on. The next anniversary joint we got is Jay-Z's double album Blueprint 2, celebrating a 22-year anniversary. It was released November 12, 2002.
Speaker 2:Only two, twos.
Speaker 3:That's a lot of twos.
Speaker 2:Fellas.
Speaker 3:I'm going to kick it to you, sean. What's your? I'll take that back, my bad. Let me kick it to you, sean. What's your? No, I take that back, my bad. Let me kick it to Coop first. What's your thoughts on the blueprint too?
Speaker 2:you shouldn't kick it, sean, he's just gonna hate can we get the super chat real quick?
Speaker 3:oh yeah no doubt, no doubt what we got if your moderator would do his job.
Speaker 3:I'm not seeing it, sean. The one that's slipping in and putting it on the screen. There we go. Okay, the raising head with the $5 super. I'm not seeing it, sean. The one that's slipping in and putting it on the screen. There we go. Okay, the Raising Head with the $5 Super Chat. Appreciate you who ranks the highest? All time is not even close, but who ranks higher prom prodigy or prom ghost face? I think we all would agree on that one, wouldn't we guys, would we? That's tough.
Speaker 1:That's tough man.
Speaker 3:Prime Prodigy versus Prime Ghostface? I think the answer is Ghost, I don't Okay. You got Prime P, and when you say Prime P, you mean Hell on Earth. That's tough.
Speaker 2:Infamous Hell on Earth. Murder music Prime P Because Prime Prodigy has more legendary verses in his Prime than Ghost has in his prime.
Speaker 3:He does. But I'm going to give it to Ghost because it's a heavier lift, Because Ghost, with the solo records, did what Prodigy couldn't do as a soloist. We just got through talking about it. Ghost has classics as a solo artist.
Speaker 2:I have Ghost higher all the time. Let's not get it twisted. But if you said peak, oh no, peak Prodigy is rivaling. How about this? He is not the traditional lyricist that a Rakim or a Nas is, or even that a Raekwon is. No, he's not. But when he is at his peak he rivals them on the microphone.
Speaker 3:I'm going to ask you this point-blank question to go to Super Chat? P's mic performance on Hell on Earth or Ghost's mic performances on Supreme?
Speaker 2:P on Hell on Earth. It's not a hesitation for me.
Speaker 3:Okay, what you got, Sean.
Speaker 1:That's the.
Speaker 2:Like Ghost, don't have a nighttimetime. Vultures verse on no uh uh. Iron man and Supreme Plaintail no, as a solo artist he is better. But if we're talking about that's a tough question how about this?
Speaker 1:we just said Prodigy 95, 96. Think about this in 1996.
Speaker 2:We just said prodigy 95, 96 in 1996, even though ghost has a solo album. Ray is rapping next to him on Iron man just as much as Havoc is rapping next to prodigy on Hell on Earth. And P sounds better is a better MC in 96 ghost had to get to that level.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Ghost had to get there.
Speaker 2:But that's Prodigy at his peak.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah, and all I'm saying is Ghost didn't hit his peak until close to Supreme.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry. Them verses on Supreme are not better than the verses on Hell on Earth, though.
Speaker 3:I can give you that, but it's an easier lift on Hell on Earth, like the two verses on Hell on Earth, though, I can give you that, but it's an easier lift on Hell on Earth, like the two verses on Hell on Earth, the verse on Nighttime Vultures, the Apostles' Warning verse, the Still Shining verse.
Speaker 2:No, the Drop a Gym on them verse, the Extortion verse.
Speaker 3:I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm not saying you're wrong, but you said it pretty emphatically, like it wasn't even close, like somebody asked a question on.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. I'm saying it's not even close.
Speaker 3:I think it's real close. I can't go either way. That's like somebody asked on Twitter the other day the same question, but it was AZ and Raekwon and I couldn't decide, like you know, Prodigy.
Speaker 2:Prodigy on the Infamous and on Hell on Earth. Prodigy on the Infamous and Hell on Earth spit some of the greatest rhymes ever spit Ever. I love Supreme. What makes Supreme special is that some albums are special for different reasons. What makes Supreme special is that some albums are special for different reasons. What makes Supreme special to me is that, like as far as worlds exist, ghost did the most masterful job about bringing you into his world and making it understandable. The sequencing is phenomenal, impeccable. The bar work Supreme, but is phenomenal Sometimes Impeccable. The bar work supreme, yeah, but in terms of all-time rhyme saying and slaying, that album is not what. That's not what Supreme Clientele is known for.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I will say this about Prodigy, and I've always Prodigy did more with less. You know his unorthodox style he's not the lyricist that Ghost is but the way he was able to put his words together and find certain pockets and the conviction in which he said things. Prodigy has a better rap voice. I think Prodigy has more intangibles that Ghost have. I think if I'm going to give him the edge, it would go to Prodigy. I do think it's close, but Prodigy has some intangibles that Ghost doesn't have.
Speaker 2:If you're taking the prime version of them and putting them on a track together, Prodigy's going to have the better verse. How about this?
Speaker 3:I think so.
Speaker 2:Think about the Aishatia remix. That's what I'm saying. It's like oh no, no, no Prodigy can take it from everybody.
Speaker 1:We have Prodigy can take it from everybody he had memorable jokes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the only realm that Prodigy can't mess with Ghost on is the storytelling. Yep.
Speaker 2:I was actually thinking that. Ghost is a better storyteller, but everything else leans towards Prodigy as far as peak.
Speaker 1:Emotion too. Ghost got that emotion over him right now.
Speaker 2:That's the thing. I think. P's emotion is that he has none. That's part of what makes it so cold, and such he's a matter of fact, he's actually the opposite of Ghost. If you actually think about it, it's like where Ghost is on 10, prodigy is on sub-zero.
Speaker 3:Yeah, rocking you in your face, you have your brain Prodigy was a small dude, but he sold Wolf tickets better than anybody. It's rap.
Speaker 2:It's rap. That's what you're supposed to do. All these niggas is 5'4". The rest of these niggas is 5'4".
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 3:Moving on to the Blueprint 2. We got more. Okay, that's what's up. Appreciate y'all spending bread. The Raisin had a Again with the $5 Super Chat. Oh, we already had that one. Cj the Kid with the $5 Super Chat. Kiss the Game, goodbye. Better than the Pillage Station. Yes, kiss the Game, goodbye is better than the Pillage CJ. He tried me funny when I call.
Speaker 2:Human Resources. My main complaint is going to be inability to read Super Chats. That's going to be inability to read the Super Chats.
Speaker 3:That's going to be in the email box. I'm reading from a phone right now. Chill out.
Speaker 2:Get an iPad, like I recorded the LTNs with me, if you are ready for this job. The ancillary product and device is necessary.
Speaker 3:Listen, yo, coop's iPad was from 98. It was Windows 98. Yo, yeah, the Windows 98. Yo, the Raz's iPad was from 98. It was Windows 98. Yo, yeah, the Windows 98. Yo, the Razorhead with the 5.0 Super Chat, nas and G-Rap had the best verses on Murder Music with Prime Prodigy Maybe P's first verse on Illustrious. Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 2:Quiet Storm's the best verse on that album. Who said that?
Speaker 3:They did. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know man, what a flirt. I don't know Nah it's not better than that from my lifetime. I ain't giving Nas that.
Speaker 2:I'm the Quiet Storm nigga who fight Ron.
Speaker 3:No, that's not better, and we can't keep giving that to Nas. Nas had the best verse on all of Cuban Link. We can't give him all the murder music too. That's crazy. Yes, who said we can't?
Speaker 2:He definitely had the best verse on Cuban Link. Quiet Storm is the best verse.
Speaker 3:But Nas might have had the second or third best verse on there while you're playing.
Speaker 2:Cool G raps. No, no, no. Cool G raps. Verse on the Realist is better than Nas's verse yeah, corona Queens.
Speaker 3:I forgot about it and we don't get the cool Gs, so hold that thought, Hold that thought. Blueprint 2, double album. What y'all got to say about that? Sean, you spoke to the super producer. Was it too bloated the production, Because we're coming off the cohesive Blueprint 1 to a bloated double album with a lot of different producers, and it didn't feel as like you know, as tight on the production in my opinion. So what do you got to say to that?
Speaker 1:My question is for y'all Like what do y'all hold this album If YD is pure with anything at it? You know?
Speaker 2:I have plenty to say. The production's horrible Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:This is actually probably his worst beat selection album as far as, like his at his peak, as in his first prime, as in everything up until blueprint 3, I think this is the worst selection of beats. This and kingdom come. Aj, you want to jump in? Put your finger up like you had.
Speaker 3:I'll just say, excuse me for one moment, keep cooking this and Kingdom Come AJ, you want to jump in, put your finger up like you had.
Speaker 2:I was just saying, excuse me for one moment, keep cooking Coop. Okay, yeah, I feel like this is his worst selection of beats. It makes me feel like he was scrambling to put a product together about what had happened to him in the battle. There's just a lot about this album that feels rushed, that feels forced, and I'm bringing that up because the thing about jay is his cool pose, and cool pose is a real thing. It's something that's actually talked about in the african-american diaspora. But jay is somebody that would actually fit the motif of cool pose and the archetype of it, but in a positive way. You know what I'm saying. What makes him great is the cool and effortless nature with which he speaks and delivers things. I always go to imaginary players and now you got these young cats acting like they slum cats, all in their dumb raps, talking about how they fun stack. When I see them in the streets, I don't see none of that Damn Playboy like you. Hear how he's talking.
Speaker 2:He's talking cool, effortless, smooth right he is rapping on the blueprint too, like he has a point to prove, and what I've found about him is that he's better when he does that in spurts than when he does that for a whole project, than when he does that for a whole project, because when he does that for a whole project, it really takes away from what he's best at, which is keeping his cool. Like he's the cool guy in the room. He's the charismatic guy in the room. He's the guy that puts other cats up on game and they want to watch and follow and do what he does up on game, and they want to watch and follow and do what he does. On this album it feels like he's playing catch-up because he lost the battle and he doesn't do well at playing catch-up, and so the beat selection is inconsistent and and bad. In my opinion. Um, the rapping is at a very, very high level but sounds forced like he is trying to prove a point that he is the best rapper ever and the best rapper in the game, and that's what happens when you get ethered and overall it's just a solid project.
Speaker 2:There are some moments that I like. Most of the moments that I like are entailed in the rapping, like the rapping on hovey is phenomenal. The beat is fucking terrible and that is really my synopsis of the album. The whole second half, the whole second disc, is forgettable. Outside of a few records, somehow someway Meet the Parents, a couple other joints the whole second half of the project is forgettable. There's stuff that doesn't even fit this song All Around the world is a song. It's like well, I like the record. Where does it fit in this album? Starting off with the is it all a dream thing? You know what I'm saying? Felt like he had a point to prove jealousy got the whole industry mad at me.
Speaker 2:I said he said what I said had been said before. Just keep doing your thing no no, it felt like he had a point to prove. It's like oh, you don't make that record if that guy on that record doesn't point out how you keep using that guy's records. So now you're gonna, you're gonna double down on it and use some more double down like like no, no, no, no, I still get to do this and so it just.
Speaker 2:It just felt forced to me and he's not at his best when he feels forced. It says it's best when it's organic, even when he's doing like his top level rhyme shit. It feels better when it feels natural. Too much west coast dick licking and too many niggas on a mission doing your best. Jay-z rendition. Too many rough motherfuckers. I got my suspicions that you're just a pool of the full of sharks. Nigga, listen, too many bitches want to be ladies. So if you a hoe, I'm gonna call you a hoe. Too many bitches and shady. Too many ladies niggas. Too many chances. Too many brothers want to be lovers. Don't know what romance is when he is rapping like that. Yeah, he, that's when he's at his best because he's saying it's so cool and so smooth. You want to rap it too and embody it and it stays with you. I haven't listened to 22 twos in years and I still know the words he's far removed from that what are you talking about?
Speaker 1:what does that do with BP2?
Speaker 2:no, what I'm saying is his rhyme style on his album. What I'm saying is his rhyme style on this album. No, no, no. What I'm saying is if you had been paying attention instead of just Damn because you drifted off in the sunset.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about.
Speaker 2:No, I'm talking about his rhyme style and what makes his rhyme style effective and what makes it memorable. And I'm bringing up 222s to say, well, no, no, no, that is so memorable. There's nothing memorable about the stuff that he is rapping on Blueprint 2, even though it's high level. Well, you're a fucking hater.
Speaker 1:We know you hate him anyway, so we're going to let you in. I see it's time for me to stop talking. It's time for me to stop talking.
Speaker 2:It's time for me to stop talking, so you can hate, hate, hate, go ahead.
Speaker 3:Listen, I will disagree with you.
Speaker 3:I from the windows 98. I agree with everything. I agree with everything Coop said, with the exception of Hobie baby. That's a hard beat to rap over. I think Jay did one of the better displays of flow on that song. I think he did his thing. But I'm gonna ask y'all this then we gotta move on. You know what I'm he did his thing, but I'm going to ask you all this. Then we got to move on. Shout out to the homie Low. I saw Low tweet the other day. He's a resident Jay-Z fan. Low tweeted that if Blueprint 2 on Anniversary, if it was cut down to 13 tracks, it would be another Jay-Z classic.
Speaker 2:Hold on. Ag cut down from the 35 tracks that's on there, so we just got to shave 20 tracks off. I can say the same thing about Donda. I can say the same thing about all of them.
Speaker 3:Here's the irony. Here's the irony. Jay literally did that For those of you. Some of you might not remember he had the Blueprint 2.1 release a few months later, where he did take 12 of what he thought was the best 12 songs on the album and he did throw a dope bonus track on there. La la la from the bad boy soundtrack is dope. He used his soundtrack formula and he had another bonus track stop. So he added down to 14 tracks and it still wasn't a classic. So I just wanted to um, you know, throw that out there and shout out low because he was wrong.
Speaker 2:First of all, you know what it is. I realized where Sean gets us out. Jay-z is like Sean on the blueprint.
Speaker 3:I mean, his name is Sean, his name is also Sean I mean, I really don't like y'all.
Speaker 2:That's what Sean's fault I really don't like y'all. That's what Sean's fault.
Speaker 1:I really don't like Sean.
Speaker 2:First of all, his name is Sean. The other guy's name is Sean.
Speaker 3:Moving on, because this Blueprint 2 talk is not productive.
Speaker 1:We're going to go into an actual Tom, is that my piece of my Blueprint 2? Y'all just wax poetic around it. Y'all talk around it. Who gave us the soliloquy?
Speaker 2:I thought he was faux.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, go ahead and hate y'all. Go ahead, but it's within reason.
Speaker 1:Is the mic on, the mic on. Y'all missed the whole purpose of Blueprint. 2 anniversary.
Speaker 3:Okay, take the floor. The floor is yours.
Speaker 1:I don't even want the floor, no more.
Speaker 2:Ask for the floor.
Speaker 1:You've been two minutes asking for the floor. Listen, let's keep it a bug man. Blueprint 2,. Jay never saw a loss like this. He just came off a high for Blueprint 1. Blueprint 1 was by far Jay's home run hit. He brought everybody in from the bases.
Speaker 1:The biggest problem with Blueprint 2 is that Jay was so rattled after Ether he rushed out to put together an album. He was all over the place. He tried to come up with a commercial song. He tried to come up with a concept song. He tried to come up with something. Beyonce. He tried to do every single thing except do what Jay does best, because Jay could not talk that braggadocious style anymore. He just took a major L. He was not coping with that major L. Well, damn the whole. Talk about 22 twos and what he did on Reason Without and Volume One and all that stuff that Coop was talking about about 22 twos and what he did on reason without a volume one and all that stuff with cooper talking about. Let's talk about jay in the moment, because at the end of the day he still was the biggest artist in hip-hop at that time. He had never all of that taken at all. He was on, he was on fire from year to year for 96, up until that seven straight years, yeah, three years.
Speaker 1:What happened with Blueprint?
Speaker 3:might not admit it, but nobody in rap did it quite like I did it what happened with.
Speaker 1:Jay in that moment was the fact that everyone that was in that room that he was trying to get off, shout out to Philly, because Philly was part of this project. Shout out to all of those.
Speaker 2:Philly provided the inspiration for all these projects. Bingo this album was so chopped up it sounded like Shout out to all of those Really provided the inspiration for all these projects.
Speaker 1:Bingo. This album was so chopped up. It sounded like you had the aesthetics of the Young Guns. You had Jay rapping like he was on what's the name of the movie that came out that year? The Old Behave like that.
Speaker 3:corny shit, oh come on bro, that shit was whack Blueprint. That was on Austin Powers Austin.
Speaker 2:Powers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, cool, right, he's rattled. He's rattled. By this time Nas eloquently dropped God son, he's dropping Blueprint 2. He's all over the place. At this time he couldn't get it together. Although the HOV joint was dope, he killed it with the actual chorus.
Speaker 3:The blueprint too. Yeah, the bars was dope, but the chorus was too corny.
Speaker 2:That's one of the better records. That's one of the better records on there.
Speaker 1:It was a proper response. Now it's like yo that's a response you're supposed to have against me.
Speaker 2:But he ruined it with the hook Bar-wise, bar-wise, it's a.
Speaker 3:That's the response you're supposed to have against me, but he ruined it with the hook Bar wise it's a dope response.
Speaker 2:Can't you see that he's famous? The rap versions of TV jigs prophesied on your. Cds and tapes.
Speaker 1:He was whining, but he was whining on that. He was whining all over that. No, he's crying, he's crying.
Speaker 2:He's crying on the whole album, the same way you be crying when I be winning all these arguments. That's why the comparison is so valid. It's good to hear you say it out loud.
Speaker 1:You not winning the argument, you trying to revert it because you talking about 22 twos. You talking about blueprint two. I can understand two.
Speaker 3:You saying Coop got the wrong two, he got the wrong two.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. He got 22 twos and then he started doing a rap yeah, 22 in the box and 22. Like no, stay on Blueprint 2, coop, yeah, but before we got to move on, you want to stay hating on Jay.
Speaker 2:That's why you want to stay on Blueprint 2. Don't do it, don't do that.
Speaker 3:Don't do that. Yeah, that's why.
Speaker 2:I hey G, we're not going to get sponsorship with this guy doing that.
Speaker 3:Before we move on, quick thoughts. You brought up the Beyonce single. It caused a lot of problems. You know what I'm saying the Tupac, me and my girlfriend Sample and all that. Oh, that Beyonce, what's your questions on? I mean, what's your answer on the question how do you feel about him taking that song from Kanye, because that was Kanye's record first, Of course that's what you do, what you mean, it's what he does.
Speaker 1:Give me that.
Speaker 3:That was news to me. When I watched the Genius documentary I was like damn, that was Ye's record. First he was wow, he was performing it in front of Dave and a bunch of people and nobody's paid attention to him. Kanye rapping his heart out, nobody listening.
Speaker 2:This nigga done took more records from black artists than fucking Barry Gordy, all right.
Speaker 3:So let's go on to the next. It's actually a great album. You know what I'm saying. Where we could put most of the hate to bed is this album, right here celebrating the anniversary. I want to let you all know when.
Speaker 2:I talk to human resources. The main two things I'm talking about are the moderator and the person controlling the boards, that's you. The moderator is like in the email Show problems.
Speaker 1:Moderator Board control. You don't be a snitch Coop. I'm already telling you, I'm snitching, I'm trying to tell.
Speaker 2:Right now Calling Human Resources. First thing in the morning, nigga, I'm gonna be up at 6.55 because Human Resources opened at 7. 6.55. Write my email up. Email me down by 6.59. 7.03. I'm gonna get a phone call telling on both you niggas.
Speaker 3:You'll get the boom, boom, boom. We're sorry, this number. You'll get the boom, boom, boom, we're sorry. See there the kid with the $2 super chat. Appreciate you so by proxy. Hell on earth is better than supreme. I mean, it's a conversation. It's a conversation.
Speaker 2:I might lean on supreme though supreme, supreme sound special.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it does. Cam porter with the $2 Super Chat.
Speaker 2:Supreme sounds special.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it does. Cam Porter with the $2 Super Chat. Blueprint 2 is to Jay what Scorpion is to Drake. Ooh, that's a good analogy. Yeah, because Drake does come off the loss too. Yeah, that's a great point, hell of a point. Joe Young with the $10 Super Chat. Appreciate you, what's up my peoples, my favorite. Joe Young with the $10 Super Chat. Appreciate you, what's up my people. It's my favorite form 2002 album could be Scarface the Fix. It was a classic Blueprint 2, I always say if it was only one album it's the best. Cooper, you know King Hove Owns November Love. He did put it down to one album he literally did that and it's not, it's not great.
Speaker 2:Call it what it is. He put it there on the one and it's still submitted. Somebody need to tell Lo Be like Lo they made that one album and it was still submitted.
Speaker 3:I just did. I'm calling HR and telling them you're not paying attention.
Speaker 2:I'm raising him with a five on the signature. I can't call you man, I'm never, having ADD.
Speaker 1:Don't call human resources on me for having ADD.
Speaker 3:I'll put that somewhere at Coop no, no, no Time out. Coop just said I can't call human resources on him because he got a disability.
Speaker 1:That's wild, that's crazy.
Speaker 3:He said he got ADD, so I can't say nothing.
Speaker 2:I'll actually fire you for picking on the disabled person.
Speaker 3:That is crazy, coop Yo, that's wild Yo the razorhead with the $5 super chat I work at the airport.
Speaker 2:Trust me, nigga Trust me. Coop be dazing off while they're going with the carousel you know, come on, look, look, look, when I walk through my job, when I walk through my job at the airport. Now they be like nigga, they let you back in here. I'd be like, well, technically I was on fire. They'd be like how did you make this happen?
Speaker 3:They'd be like you are not allowed back in here. I'd be like hey, hey, hey, this is nasty, that's why they don't allow you. On traffic control, you'd be drifting off.
Speaker 2:The EEOC said I could come back in here. The EEOC said I oh man, that is wild.
Speaker 3:The Razorhead with a $5 super chat. Every hip-hop double album is overrated. All would have been better as a single disc. Jay only had one true classic before Blueprint, and that is Reasonable Doubt. I don't think all double albums are overrated. But moving on. Jay Young with the $2 super chat. You correct Adriel, he did do that too. Point one wasn't good, Wasn't good, Was not Commit, Commit. So so move it on.
Speaker 2:This is how bad the blueprint too was Tried to make it into a good album.
Speaker 3:He still like he tried to make it into a good album. You telling on yourself when you do that? Essentially, yeah, but he did. He did blame it on the team. He said it was everybody that Rockefeller that made him do that. He did blame it on everybody around him.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. You want to know what this album really sounds like. It sounds like Dame ain't helping your ass no more because you on that bullshit. All right next, but next.
Speaker 1:That one came up. That one came up. I'm sorry. This is a good thing, right.
Speaker 3:See, we can't appreciate you Fight our chat. Negligent moderator Jay still taught Raggedocious old blueprint to. Only two in heaven can be mentioned in the same breath as him. This is after Nas mutilated his soul. Word, yeah, he was trying to convince himself, but let's be more respectful. Put some respect on this classic right here. The Black Album. Solidified as his third best.
Speaker 2:What was the bar seminar? Did we pick my shit? Did we pick your shit?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, because if not, I was calling HR about that shit too.
Speaker 1:It's like how are we going to have this shit called?
Speaker 2:and be picking AG shit for the bar seminar. I was just making sure. Okay, I'm going to take that off the list. Hold on one second, I'm going to grab my pen.
Speaker 3:I don't know what's wrong with this guy.
Speaker 1:Therefore, tomorrow I'll be like yo man. I think this kid over there is stealing the extra peanuts and everything off the line. He's stealing the Biscoff cookies.
Speaker 2:First of all, I got the Biscoff, and I got the Biscoff Butter who said I couldn't report them because of the spectrum.
Speaker 3:That's crazy.
Speaker 2:I'll have them, I'll have them. Get that Biscoff. I got that Biscoff and that Biscoff Cookie Butter for the low okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thoughts on the Black Album. Do y'all both have a third? You know solidifies as third best.
Speaker 2:In a lot of ways, it's his second best album, AJ.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:When people talk about the Blueprint, people are talking about how the album feels. Yes, we're actually pulling out and going song for song. The Black Album is actually his second best album, if we're going song for song.
Speaker 3:He's a better rapper on the Black Album than he is on the Blueprint.
Speaker 2:I don't know if he's a better rapper. He's got a better delivery and pocket of flows, like the versatility. How about this? The blueprint and people don't talk about this much the blueprint, because I think he recorded so much of it in a few sessions. Well, flow wise and delivery wise it is frighteningly the same, which is strange coming from him, because other than being in park, nobody really switch up they flow as much as jay switches up his flow. The flows on the blueprint oh no, he's not really vacillating that much. He only goes into about four different pockets of flows. Jay going into four different. How about this? Your average mc going into four different pockets of flows? Legendary jay going into four different pockets of flows. Legendary jay going into four different pockets of flows? Yeah, just all right.
Speaker 2:The pockets of flows on the black album, guys I mean he has different flows and different delivery, sometimes within the same song. I mean he pulled out about like he pulled out all his flows on the back album is what I'm saying each one did so the black album has a mic performance, is actually a better album in terms of classic song. Nature actually has more classic song. What it lacks is the cohesion and classic feel that the blueprint has but the production is comparable but it just doesn't come together.
Speaker 3:It doesn't mix in the pot like gumbo is good, as a blueprint does the sequencing is not as good as the sequencing on the blueprint right, I would change quite a few things in the sequencing actually and the feel of the album, feels of albums matter.
Speaker 2:So when cj is asking, well, hell on earth is supreme, it's like, no, like I actually think the beats on hell on earth might be better, I think the rhymes might actually be better, but Supreme feels better to listen to and that matters when listening to an album. So I tell you that if it's third, oh, it's third by like, because in a lot of ways it's better than the Blueprint.
Speaker 3:I like that you brought up the sequencing, though, because that's one of my takes. I think what More Can I say should be the last song should be the biggest problem with the album.
Speaker 2:No, I don't have a problem with what more can I say? Not being the last song, because my first song, I think, is an appropriate ending. But if that, if you're gonna do a song like my first song, I actually think you could have kept december 4th and just started off with what more can I say? That's good. Imagine, imagine it going into that and then the first thing you hear is never been a nigga this good for this long. This hood, this hot, this pop this strong. Oh, the album's starting off like that. That's a way better start off than december 4th. So I would submit to you that what More Can I Say? Should start off the album and you can keep December 4th for the mixtapes or for Jay's personal collection, because, although a good story, one of the weaker songs on the album, but on a great album. So saying it's one of the weaker songs on a great album, it's like there's only two songs that's like like Moment of Clarity and Justify my Thugs are the only songs that are weaker than December 4th.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's skips on there, but I still think that the album has a classic feel. Like you talked about Coop, it's all about the feel of the album. Man, those are a couple skips, but still a classic feel throughout. Sean, I'm going to let you go last because I know you got a lot to say on this topic. I think the album is a classic.
Speaker 3:But the only complaint that I would have about the album and I said this in real time uh, I thought it was phenomenal production, phenomenal rapping. I just didn't like jay-z's tone on the album. Y'all said he was crying on the blueprint too, but I think it was more so evident here on the black album. You know what I'm saying where. Where he says you know, if you can't respect that, your whole perspective is back. Maybe you'll love me when I fade to Black. You know what I'm saying and then talking about. You know we'll see what happens when I no longer exist. You know what I mean. He was. It's almost like he was threatening his retirement, like y'all don't love me and appreciate me. You said the other guy was better, so it was on some like I'm gonna quit and I'm gonna take my ball and go home, type shit. That's how I looked at it at the time.
Speaker 2:I hear what you're saying, AG and Sean, I don't mean to cut you short, because I want you to jump in for that, I'm actually fascinated by what you have to say, ag.
Speaker 2:What I all cries are built the same Correct. So on the blueprint two, it kind of feels like, nigga, you just crying because you got your ass beat. Alright, you just crying because you got your ass whooped and you're not used to getting your ass whooped. The rest of us have had our ass whooped before. You're going to have to deal with it like the rest of us and move on, nigga.
Speaker 3:I personally never have.
Speaker 2:First of all. You haven't been in many fights, coop.
Speaker 3:Oh no, I'm undefeated. On the record, I've put people to sleep before so speak for yourself, Coop, Take your 7-0 record.
Speaker 2:okay, Well me, I've been in a lot of fights.
Speaker 3:You know what I believe it? Coop. I totally believe it.
Speaker 1:I bet your mom got you in a lot of trouble, a lot of trouble me and my big mom.
Speaker 2:Right right, I haven't won every fight I've been in and I don't walk around like I'm some nigga that's won every fight that I've been in either.
Speaker 3:I hate those niggas, ag you report that to H2 also anyway, yeah, yeah, niggas never took an L.
Speaker 2:They don't know what it's like. But what I'm saying is is that jay-z comes off as somebody that took an l on the blueprint too and doesn't know how to deal with it. Yeah, the shit that he's talking on the black album. It's a complaint, but it's more of a complaint about him being the victim of his level of success. No doubt, and I don't mind that complaint as much, I mind the complaint, I mind you complaining. When you just got your ass whooped. Do what you do. See, he didn't know what to do. The rest of us have had our ass whooped before. We just went and fucked a nigga again until we won.
Speaker 3:He don't know what that's like, but you're missing the key caveat, like threatening to retire and no longer be.
Speaker 2:when we knew that was cap, he came back the next year he threatened to retire because 50 was taking over the game and his ego couldn't take it. That's my take on that, like plain and simple. It's that simple. 50 was taking new york. He could hear, see and watch 50 taking new york and he didn't deal with it like an og did. I don't think naz dealt with it well either, because saying hip-hop is dead isn't the way to fucking go either. So I don't think either one of them dealt with 50s comeuppance well, just truthfully for me personally.
Speaker 2:But this Black Album, the shit that he talks where he complains, it sounds like a man that's more in an established place and resting on his laurels and trying to elevate somewhere than it is a guy complaining about getting his ass whooped. So I don't mind the complaints on the Black Album. They actually are entertaining to me because it's like it makes you realize, oh no, the shit that he talking at that point, that he was talking it. He was the only person that was existing in that space, and so the perspective is sincere and very hard to come by. You know what I'm saying? He was the only person existing in that space, so when he's talking about what he saw, never been a nigga this good for this long.
Speaker 2:It's one of those things when he's saying it, it's like, well, hold on. It's like, oh, he's got a point. He might be might be right. When he's saying that you know what I'm saying. Oh, I got the hottest chick in the game. It's like, oh, he might be right when he's saying a lot of shit that he's talking on this album is valid and I like the fact that he got back in his rapping-ass rapper bag on this album and so.
Speaker 3:Yes, sir, what you got Sean.
Speaker 1:Y'all finished, y'all good. Oh God, no, I'm not. I'm not, you got it. You got it, queens get them.
Speaker 3:Please don't do it. Take them through the renaissance.
Speaker 1:Renaissance. It's the rock man. You know what I mean. Turn it upside down. No, don't do it. Don't do that. You're not a style speech.
Speaker 2:See, it starts already, my bad.
Speaker 1:No real talk. The Black Album I don't have it as a classic, personally.
Speaker 2:I can appreciate so many things.
Speaker 1:Not a classic.
Speaker 2:Not to me. You don't think the Black Album's a classic.
Speaker 1:Not to me, not to me. I can appreciate you all saying that it's a classic. It's eight new levels, yeah, but it's not to me. I felt like the Black Album. The weird thing about the Black Album was the fact that Jay talked about his retirement, right I?
Speaker 3:can't with you what came out in.
Speaker 1:February of 2003? 50. 50, right Get Rich or Die 20.
Speaker 2:I can't with you.
Speaker 1:I don't think the Black Album's a classic. It's my opinion.
Speaker 3:Let him get his point off, Coop.
Speaker 2:Of all the wild shit that I've heard. It's my opinion.
Speaker 1:Go ahead. No, no, no.
Speaker 2:I want to hear you rationalize the Black Album, not me and the classic. This is my opinion, you're not qualified to go against my opinion.
Speaker 1:All I'm saying is, to me it wasn't a classic. I can appreciate anyone saying that it's a classic. I can appreciate you all saying it's a classic. What I'm saying is we got to stop calling everything a classic, first and foremost. That's a different conversation, different day.
Speaker 2:This ain't everything. This is the Black Album by Jay-Z Sean.
Speaker 1:This ain't everything. You're right. Right, you're absolutely right. It's a black album by jay-z and it's still, to me, not a classic. But, like I was saying, the thing about this album, the, the draw to this album, was to talk about him on retiring. That was a draw to this album, right, and we lined up for it. You're talking about the era renaissance, if you will, of hip hop was shifting. 2003 was a shift in hip hop completely and Jay rounded out with the Black Album.
Speaker 1:The reason why I think the Black Album is very important again to me. I don't hold it as high as a classic, but I hold it higher in importance because to me it was the closing chapter of New York hip hop renaissance. Because from the early 90s up until 2003, new York was the cornerstone of hip hop, the lead dog of hip hop, the stone of hip-hop, the lead dog of hip-hop. When you start thinking about what the Black Cabin was doing, it was shifting everything and it pretty much put everything in a capsule for New York, because after that we went into the whole Atlanta, the South rising. You got everything going into the 50 Cent wave, which was a little bit different because it really wasn't so much as a New York thing. It was just a New York Queens guy that was actually coming through with a West Coast feel and a West Coast aesthetic.
Speaker 3:A little bit of South too, and a Southern accent and a.
Speaker 1:Southern draw and all of that. You know what I mean. So I'm saying I'm giving the props to the Black Album, right? I'm saying that this album, to me it captured the last renaissance of New York hip hop in its true essence, its true form, and I'm appreciative of Jay being able to do that, to round it out, because the years that came after that now you're talking about, you know, the South coming.
Speaker 1:You're talking about Kanye coming, the South coming. You're talking about Kanye coming. You're talking about a total shift where the landscape is no longer in New York's possession, it's everywhere now, because you got the Game, who came out with a phenomenal album a couple of years after that. You're talking about Kanye Ascension, who actually leapfrogged Jay, if you want to be completely honest about it, in that time frame. So now music is changing and New York is no longer at the forefront. So to me, when I heard the Black Album and I'm looking back in hindsight at that time I'm like, okay, this was the end of the New York Renaissance and the Black Album was the last album that represented the Renaissance of New York.
Speaker 3:So again I'm seeing the vision, sean, I'm seeing where you're taking it, but I'm still missing where.
Speaker 2:If it's that, maybe I need to get a stronger prescription because I don't see shit.
Speaker 3:Sean is saying, if you're holding it that in that high regard?
Speaker 1:I'm holding it high.
Speaker 3:I'm still holding it high, but it's not a classic.
Speaker 1:To me, it's not because I think.
Speaker 3:So is it that classic moment but not classic album discussion? Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 1:That's how I feel about it. I don't have it over Blueprint. Personally, I feel that Blueprint moment classic, all of that. To me, blueprint is a true classic. That album to me, with the exception of one joint on there that should not have been on there. That album to me, with the exception of one joint on there that should not have been on there. That's the. What is it the?
Speaker 3:Jigga, jigga Trackmaster.
Speaker 1:That shouldn't have been on there. Reasonable Doubt it's not on the level of Reasonable Doubt. It's not on the level of Blueprint.
Speaker 2:Steve's style punk ass snuck his way into the session.
Speaker 1:He messed it up.
Speaker 2:The non-session went to a J session.
Speaker 1:If y'all saying that it's parallel with Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt, you're saying the Black album is parallel to those, I don't see it that way. I see it one notch below both of those albums. That's just my opinion. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you something Hold on hold.
Speaker 1:On hold on.
Speaker 2:With you saying that and stating your opinion as it is. Yeah, let me ask you a couple of questions. Yeah, what's the best mic performance on the Blueprint? For a song, not a verse, but for a song. What's the best mic performance?
Speaker 1:You don't know.
Speaker 2:Okay, you think you don't know is the best mic performance. Yes, so as far as mic performances are concerned, yeah, and I agree with you because I believe, you don't know, in lyrical exercise, of the two best mic performance on there, I would actually take lyrical exercise first, yeah, but I personally take all I need, but all I need is my favorite song on the blueprint.
Speaker 2:I'm with you on that in terms of completion of thought. You don't think that, lyrically speaking, you don't know is a closer fit and comp on the Black Album than on the blueprint? As far as the bar work I do, I think the bar work on. You Don't Know. Lyrical Exercise, specifically, is more Black Album inclined than Blueprint inclined. But that wasn't the intent?
Speaker 1:The intent for Blueprint was to be an easy listening album. That's why Blueprint is one of the most quotable albums under Jay's catalog because it's easy listening. How about this?
Speaker 2:Okay so let me submit something to you. What if I told you that we were doing a versus with Jay?
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And everybody wants to pick Nas. No, no, no.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Let's say he has to go up against Snoop or Tupac.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, what records from the blueprint are you pulling out? Because that's my thing with the blueprint and why I say, well, it's his second best album. But if you want to put it at three, you can. Because actually, sean, and this is just my take on the blueprint Well, the stuff on there that's classic is classic, but the stuff that's not is not. And the Black Album has more, has just as many classic songs, if not more classic songs in the Blueprint, and it has more good songs in the Blueprint.
Speaker 3:The Black Album has songs that's more of a hit feel to them.
Speaker 1:I disagree. I think the production gap between the Blueprint and the Black Album is wide. It's a wide gap between the production. Production on Blueprint is better than the production on the Black Album.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, it's more cohesive. I don't know if it's better.
Speaker 3:It came together better, but it's very comparable as far as the actual beat Right right, let's go down then.
Speaker 2:Hold on, when do you have the Black Album in his catalog man.
Speaker 1:Is it third? I have it third, I have it third.
Speaker 3:So you're just saying he has two classics and not three? Yes, I said two in a possible. So you think there's a gap. Two in a possible.
Speaker 2:You think there's a gap between the Blueprint and the Black Album.
Speaker 3:That's what he's saying. I don't think there's a gap.
Speaker 1:I think they're on the same level. I think it's a gap, I think it's total body. And again, I get what you're saying Lyrically. He's going crazy on the Black Album Style-wise. He gets style points on the Black Album because he's got his confident ways. He's confident again on the.
Speaker 3:Black Album, the version of himself that we love the most.
Speaker 2:How about this? Where is the 99 problems on the blueprint? And listen to what I'm saying. Where's the 99 problems? Where's the guy who's confident with the bravado, meets the lyricist and tells the story and uses the entendres and is still entertaining and charismatic like he's doing a lot of shit on the black album he is doing a lot, he's doing a lot, doing a lot, and I and I mean that.
Speaker 2:I mean that in terms of how he is performing on the mic it is. It is one of the better mic performance. Like how about this? The black album, the blackbum, might be a top 20 mic performance all time, like top 20, like I know, reasonable Doubt is a top 10 mic performance in my opinion. But you could argue that the Black Album, like on the mic, top 20, top 25. He's like that on the mic. You know the type, loud as a motorbike but wouldn't bust a grape in the fruit fight. The only thing that's gonna happen is I'm going to get to clapping and he and his boys are going to be yapping to the captain.
Speaker 2:When he's rapping like that dude, it is like, oh, it's all great.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be honest, it's all great. He left it all in the field, in the blackout. I just feel like, if I'm going to compare it to the reason of a doubt, it falls short of reason of a doubt. To me, it falls short of blueprint. That doesn't mean that it's not a phenomenal album. Straight up, straight up, I mean.
Speaker 2:I don't know how many people that don't think it's a classic, Sean. I mean, I feel that I've always went against that.
Speaker 1:I always went against that. I just felt like some songs on there just to me wasn't riding for me.
Speaker 3:I think it's the premise of it. What Sean is talking about, like the whole premise behind the album, was him retiring. And even if he wasn't, you know, even if he was pump faking on the retirement, it's like a player doing their farewell tour and you know they have a hell of a season. They have a hell of a season. Uh, they have a hell of a season. People ain't guarding them as tight, letting them drop like 40, 50 points in the game because they're like yo, we want them to. You know I'm saying go out riding to the sunset and then you know I'm saying the next season they decide to come back anyway. So he was kind of pumped. I think that's taken away from the classic feel for you, sean, because you're looking at the whole album is predicated behind. You know him stepping away from the game so he's doing crazy bar work, but you think it's like veiled in something that's like a farce it's a lot going on around it.
Speaker 1:Again, I'm not. My debate is not to debate y'all to say you're wrong for saying it's a classic no, I'm asking you because I'm trying to understand it.
Speaker 3:Like is that, what? Is that what? Your problem with it is Somewhat.
Speaker 2:We know he's a hustler. Yeah, we know. It's like those things you were explaining, Sean. It's like oh no, yeah, I know that he's a hustler, we get you. Look, he will lie to his business partner in a heartbeat and go and take the name and take the album and take everything and make the other guy look like the other guy is crazy. He will do that.
Speaker 2:So it's like, yeah of course we're not talking about if we should trust this nigga. Of course we don't trust this nigga. You see how this nigga move. I don't trust this nigga.
Speaker 3:We don't trust you, brett, but if he wrapping his ass, he be rapping his ass?
Speaker 2:I don't think he's rapping his ass.
Speaker 1:Here's the thing.
Speaker 2:That is a rapping ass nigga on the Black Album.
Speaker 1:I'm not disagreeing with any of that. I'm just saying me personally. Even if someone tells me, yo, the Black Album is a classic album, okay, that's your opinion, I get you. I won't argue that because I don't have an argument for it. I'm just saying for me, for my music that I use.
Speaker 2:No, the way that you were explaining it. You feel the way about the Black album, the way that I feel about Tribe's first album. It's like, oh no, I know it's great and if you call it a classic, you can call it a classic. When people say they have three classics, I'd be like it's like I know they got two. Say they have three classics, I'd be like it's like I know they got two. I know they got two for sure. And for you your two for sure is reasonable doubt in the blueprint, even though you understand why other people call it a classic. I'm that way about Tribe's first album.
Speaker 3:He said the possible, he acknowledged it, but we really got to move on. Jay-z is evidently the king of dropping joints in November. He's the fourth quarter guy. November December releases.
Speaker 2:Jay-Z owns that. We're going to call him Fourth Quarter Hole and give him a new nickname guys Fourth Quarter Hole.
Speaker 3:We got any super chats before we go on to the next thing.
Speaker 1:We got several.
Speaker 3:Okay, jay Young with the $10 super chat.
Speaker 2:Oh, we already read that one. Where'd you find? This guy Sean.
Speaker 3:Yo, I don't see him until Sean put him up there.
Speaker 2:So I mean, so you're saying there's poor production going on too? Man, Wait till Human Resources gets a hand of you two niggas on.
Speaker 1:Monday morning he's using a phone. He doesn't even have a laptop.
Speaker 3:He doesn't.
Speaker 2:I feel like you're doing this because you know HR is not going to respond to my call on Friday. I do know that.
Speaker 3:CJ with the $5 super chat. Jay still talk braggadocio and blueprints. Oh, we already read this one CJ the kid with the $5 super chat. November 14th 3 for my generation is what November 9th 93 was for you guys. On that day we got the Black Album and Beg for Mercy on the same day and we didn't even talk about Beg for Mercy. But that's a solid album from the G-Unit crew Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Black Album Superior.
Speaker 3:But we got to handle some business after this super chat from 007. Appreciate it. Blueprint is a classic Jay-Z, not a classic album. The Black Album is better and is a classic. We had this combo Coop when we were comparing to Stillmatic Coop, do you recall?
Speaker 2:that I can neither confirm nor deny that this conversation took place. See all conversations with 007 are sealed or confidential.
Speaker 3:All conversations with 007 are sealed or confidential. I mean he doesn't remember.
Speaker 2:All conversations with 007 are sealed. They're confidential. You can neither confirm nor deny these things Michael.
Speaker 3:Williams with the Five Nights Super Chat. Sean, you're saying a black album isn't a classic. Do you consider KD3 and Magic classics? What about? Life is good.
Speaker 1:Ooh Michael, first of all, you can go to hell. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:No, that's the question.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Y'all love Jay that much. Kd3 is a classic. Magic is a classic. Life is Good is a classic. Queens get the money. Next question Yo Jay Young with the $ get the money?
Speaker 3:Next question Yo J-Yo with the $10 Super Chat Great show. The Black Album is great Five-mic performance. Hov is killing them with threats. It's high MC performance. It outsold G-Unit album that year's songs the Black Album. A lot of people hold this album high, perfectly like Mike.
Speaker 1:No problems with that.
Speaker 3:So yeah, we got another one. Shout out to Uncle Fran with Super Chat my man Sean going hard for Queens. Only hardcore Nas fans from Queens can find a way to not see the back album as a classic Hard. Hard, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:Like you got your Queens Day shirt on right now. Yeah, michael Williams, you got your Queens Day shirt on.
Speaker 3:Michael Williams following up. He says Sean, haven't you spoken about how Magic 3 can become a classic in the future? So that basically means Magic 3 can be better than the Black Album? No way.
Speaker 1:Yes, way, queens get the money.
Speaker 2:Sean about to do his award tour through Queens. He about to shoot Dice and Left Rack. Go record a verse in the bridge dope and Corona. This is some bullshit.
Speaker 3:So, speaking of Queens, get the money. We have some unfinished business. From our last show we got YouTube. You know what I'm saying. Cut us off. You know what I mean. Hopefully they don't do that tonight. You know, shout out to YouTube.
Speaker 2:Can I talk about YouTube right quick KG.
Speaker 3:No, we ain't got time.
Speaker 2:Isn't it enough that you take?
Speaker 3:30%. Move it on. You know what I'm saying. We're trying to get demonetized. They already cut our show off you take 30% of our money you going to cut us off?
Speaker 3:motherfucker. We did a KD show last time, on KD3, actually and we were going through it track for track and we were almost finishing up, so we had a few more tracks to get through because the fans were asking for it. Where was the rest of that content? So we want to give that to him tonight. We left off. Actually, coop, you were waxing poetic about WTF, smh and Nas and his socioeconomic messaging on the second verse and then the production of that song when our stream cut off. So you want to pick it up there.
Speaker 2:Yes. So that's a consistent theme for him as an artist. I was going back and listening to just a couple of his records that were pulling up randomly. Nas tends to close songs out and this is one of those things, and you have to understand it. When somebody has repeated habits, it's a reflection of what their consciousness looks like, like, and so one of the things that he always discusses that I believe is effortless for him is the socioeconomic status of Blacks. It is one of those things that comes with ease for him. I believe his ability to discuss the socioeconomic status of Black people in America, in terms of his ability, is only superseded by his storytelling ability and his nostalgic ability, which I feel like is tied into the storytelling. So when he talks socioeconomics, he's gifted like how about this? Y'all know this record.
Speaker 2:Remember the third verse on where y'all at? I love that verse. Yeah, that's the language of our, our Latin ancestors on the back of a sign. You get what I'm saying. So he talks that shit effortlessly.
Speaker 2:Wtfsmh is the concentrated effort of it. Like you're gonna get that out of him inherently on an album. Like when he says on at the end of legit. You know, have your own, come up with a name, start a business. It's like that's great Brunch on Sunday. Hip hop talks Thanks, nigga. Shout out to Taj. It's like take your name. It's like, how about this? I'm going to take the name of one of your songs. I'm going to take the name of one of your songs, nigga, I'm paying attention to listening. Got one of your songs, nigga. It's a whole fucking podcast now Take that. Those are the things that he stresses, and so what I like about WTF SMH is that he is actually talking about the socioeconomic status of us as black people. He talks about how he's helping the process, but he also talks about how he's being torn down through the process, and he also talks about how we tear down others on their comeuppance through the process and about those things. I feel like it's the best verse on the album because it's him in his effortless wheelhouse.
Speaker 3:Yeah, community love providing jobs. Why would you try to come for me? Why you ain't proud of Nas. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:My favorite bars on the album because you want to know what. It's a relevant question to ask, like think about all the empowering things this black man has done for not just his community, because obviously the focus is Queens. We know the focus is Queens. We are all sitting here together because he employed a woman for Queens and eventually bought us all together, so we know the power of what he does. Think about that, guys. Does hip hop talks exist If he does not employ this young woman for Queens?
Speaker 1:Right, right, I'll pay a courtesy of myself.
Speaker 2:Nobody asked for that. Sean, can you stay on message please?
Speaker 3:Cannabis. If I'm working a label, I'll pay a courtesy of myself, right? That is hilarious. You got anything you want to add, sean Look here.
Speaker 2:Hold on, hold on. I'm pretty certain I'm not David Ruffin. Look at this, where I got a point, where I got a point to point at Sean, where I got a point to point at Wow.
Speaker 3:But shout out to Jensport J on the second half of the beat.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying no, but I say this, all jokes aside, to say, well, that's him in his bag he's always been in that bag and to hear how the bag has evolved right to the point that he is literally the person that is actually really responsible for providing jobs in his community. You know what I'm saying. Like that's not the same as pulling up on the block. He's literally pulling up and buying the blocks now, buying spaces in the community, employing people for tours, for social media, for restaurants, for Silicon Valley, like tech in the like. You know what I'm saying. He's literally doing this. And so when he's saying, why would you try to come for me? Why you ain't proud of Nas, it makes you think do we still have a self-hate problem in this community? Because that's him addressing the deeper level of it while still being super lyrical socioeconomic, bar work, thought process, goat talk. And that's why it's the best verse. It's goat talk, it's got everything in the verse.
Speaker 3:Yeah, one of the strongest songs on the album, for sure. Moving on to the next one, this one has a special place for me because it hits different. Once a man, twice a child, dealing with your own self-mortality and I personally used to. You know I'm a physical therapist, I used to work in a nursing home at one point and seeing the circle of life and the stages that you know I'm a physical therapist, I used to work in a nursing home at one point and seeing the circle of life and the stages that you know people go through. Or if you ever had to care for an elderly family member, I had to, you know, help care for my grandmother, you know, before she transitioned. You know God bless her soul. But this is one that really hits home man. That really hits home man.
Speaker 3:You listen to it and it strikes a chord with you because you know we we've lost a lot of hip hop. You know um giants. You know in our, in our um sphere, so we talk about health and taking care of ourselves and all this and that you know what I mean. So we're in our mid forties. So listening to this song, it makes you realize that you likely have more years behind you than you got in front of you. You know what I mean, and that's a tough pill to swallow sometimes. And this track really is different For me. It has Tupac vibes. This is a track that I can hear Tupac coming out with. Hip-boy said he particularly did the Johnny J-style production. Yeah, man, this is the type of track that hits you in your feels when you listen to it. Um, you got anything to say about this one, sean?
Speaker 1:no, you on. You ex-poetic with that man. That's a great point, you know. Yeah, we are now in our 40s, man. Um, you ain't cool. Look more you know in y'all 40s than I do, but to the point that you made me, we do look like me in our 40s. Both of y'all bald and got gray hair and everything. Look crazy.
Speaker 2:First of all, I never hear that. And we can color our hair just like you and try to lie, I don't color my hair.
Speaker 1:It's just good genes, the midnight couple. Don't color my hair, baby.
Speaker 2:Nobody will For real though, For real though.
Speaker 1:This is one of the reflection songs, because Nas does that a lot, the songs that he make, a lot of them. They hit home, especially for us who grew up on Nas right, you know you're talking about our most performative years and also our most impressionable years that we came up, Right Since going back to Illmatic. I was 13 when Illmatic came out.
Speaker 1:I just turned 13 when Illmatic came out. Actually, I'm sorry, 14 when Illmatic came out and now I'm 44 and he's still speaking to me, you know, still speaking to me from an artistic way for me to understand. And this song is one of those songs that make you feel like how many more you have on the other side of that number, right, how many more good years you have. You know, I played ball Monday and Tuesday night before court and I was like man, I'm tired, you know what I mean. And Coop, I had the basketball and the whip and you saw it and you ain't said nothing. You were like I gotta go take a leak. You see the basketball in the front seat. So I'm really about that. But now, it just.
Speaker 2:I feel like it wasa prop, I felt like it was for sure. I felt like it was for sure.
Speaker 1:It felt a little prop.
Speaker 3:We had all kind of props that day. No, no, no. You all had all kind of props that day. Oh yeah, Coop didn't Allegedly Coop saw that and screamed.
Speaker 2:We allegedly had props. Say whatever you want. I'd like the county of Cobb to know I didn't have anything. Cobb County didn't have anything. I don't know. County of Cobb to know Cobb County didn't have anything.
Speaker 3:I don't know what these guys are talking about. At any rate, this is a tough song to listen to. Love it, it's a great concept, but at times it's tough to listen to.
Speaker 2:I feel like this is Second Childhood Redone, but better.
Speaker 3:It's the sequel. It's the sequel to it. I think it's. This is Second Childhood redone, but better it's the sequel.
Speaker 2:It's the sequel to it, and I think it's better than Second Childhood, though.
Speaker 3:I would agree. Only thing is that other one got Primo Production. That might be the only edge.
Speaker 2:I think that might be the weakest Primo Production job on a Nas project, though that's right SAG Super Chats. Gotta remind you guys about, about super chats and stuff, man because he has a phone on he has a phone he's on his phone maybe he should get my 90 98 windows iPad with the super chat.
Speaker 3:I thought you would argue beg for mercy better than the black album just for laughs alone. Station head, that nobody's Sean. I thought you would argue Beg for Mercy better than the Black Album just for laughs alone Stacia had that.
Speaker 2:Ain't nobody doing that. It's like I'm burying Beg for Mercy. I like Beg for Mercy.
Speaker 3:Yo CJ the Kid's spending bread with another $2 Super Chat. Why do so many people hate?
Speaker 1:Aguilar.
Speaker 3:Aguilar yeah.
Speaker 1:Nobody hate Aguilar. Nobody was just paying, no attention. I mean I really hate. It's not hate, just don't acknowledge your existence. You're right. Sorry, cj.
Speaker 3:Next up, we got Get Light. What do y'all think about this? I personally think that this should have been all over the radio.
Speaker 1:It should have been. It should have been, it should have been. Yeah, new York radio dropped the ball on this one.
Speaker 2:How about this? This was the record.
Speaker 2:When I didn't hear this record getting played in New York specifically, I said, yeah, something's wrong with the climate and how they're supporting their artists and I say that because, well, it was playing in coffee shops and speakeasies down here in Atlanta, like I was hearing it down here in little after-hours spots, little speakeasies, little spots. Little Midtown, little Buckhead flow. You know what I'm saying. Little Midtown flow. And I'm like talking to my people up top. I'm like y'all not playing this on the radio every day. I'm like because it's getting spins in Atlanta Like on the Humble, like the DJs are playing it. It's one of those records that the DJs fuck with. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Because it fits so many vibes. It fits so many environments. It's such a good record. In my opinion it is one of the five best records on this album. I'll probably have it at five, Maybe six. It might not be a top five record.
Speaker 3:With that said Coop. Just hearing it for the first time, my initial thoughts was and later on, after it didn't get played, was this has had the potential If it would have got a push behind radio to be our modern day. It Takes Two by Rob Bass, but Nas is rapping, rapping on there.
Speaker 2:I don't know if it's that big in terms of what the cultural relevancy and impact it will be, but here's what I think, but it has a similar feel though.
Speaker 2:Similar feel. How about this? When I listen to this record and I don't mean this as a slight, this is just to kind of give you something to go off of when I heard this record, I'm like this type of record is as great of a record as common will make you, and common is a top 15 mc all time. Okay, this is as dope as a record as a common will make you, and that's exactly what I thought it's like. Oh, this is commons peak right here. And so when I thought about that, I'm like no, this record should get played. The way the light gets played, the way come close gets played. Like all his big records that get played.
Speaker 2:I'm like no, this record is at that level being rotation, yeah which means it should be in rotation, and that's one of those things it's like. Well, when I say that he's the greatest MC of all time, this is what I'm talking about. Like, this is the level and the fact that New York radio did not recognize the level. It's egregious. It's one of the more egregious like hip-hop moments, because everything about this record says play me. Yeah, everything about the record says play me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sean's from New York, so it's his fault. I mean it's his people. So if they're acting like him, I mean it's his people. So if they're acting like him, I mean, when I was.
Speaker 1:The crazy thing is I had a conversation with Sylvie and because I was asking about some stuff that you know, our shows are also on Apple as well, and I was talking to Sylvie just kind of getting some algorithmic information, and I asked her about this during that time, like yo, why is Get Light not in more rotation? And she said very quick, like and Sylvie is an older white woman who knows hip hop very, very well and she said, sean, if this album came out spring summertime, new York, it would have been totally different, because the vibe that it gives I ain't trying to hear that. I am not trying to hear that, can I?
Speaker 2:finish, can I finish. I hate when they make those excuses. Sean, can I finish, though, can I finish?
Speaker 1:though she said that the vibration was more of a one-two step in the city during that time she said there are winter and fall songs, but there are also summer and spring songs. That rings off a little bit different. She said when you think about a song like that, that song should have been played in a lot of different spaces outside of that, it should have been played in a lot of different spaces outside of that it should have been played in different spaces with more light. With more light, not dreary. New.
Speaker 1:York in this time of the year.
Speaker 3:Songs are seasonal. It's a fact.
Speaker 1:That's what you were saying. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. It's one of those things where it's a thing. This time of the year. What are people wearing in New York? Coats, hoodies, sweatsuits, whatever, whatever.
Speaker 3:Nobody really doing that much dancing right now.
Speaker 1:Everybody trying to find some place to get warm or some place just to walk around with the Timbs and everything dragging, but in the spring and summertime that's when people are more so outside. You got your car, you got your window down, you're driving around the city and you're playing something fresh.
Speaker 3:So it's always a different vibration. Right and to your point, sean, this current era stuff is not conducive because it's like here today, gone tomorrow. It's not conducive to keep traction going into the spring. Months when it dropped in the fall, because everything is here today and forgot about tomorrow. Months when it dropped in the fall, because everything was here today and forgot about tomorrow. Like if you take this back to the 90s it might would have made it to the, you know the um spring and summer months. We haven't seen a record do that this year other than not like us I hear what you are in the, where it's at, regional wise right, I hear what you were saying.
Speaker 2:Can I submit a couple things to you, if I may? First of all, I'd like to quote my fifth grade science teacher, mr Wayne Bright, who pulled me outside one day and said Armand, excuses only satisfy the maker. So everything that she is explaining is built to satisfy the people that she has to satisfy. It's nothing personal. Ok, excuse to satisfy the people that she has to satisfy, it's nothing personal. Okay, excuses satisfy the maker. Because all those things that she explained to you, they sound like excuses to a brother like me. Because here's why Is KD3 a classic?
Speaker 3:Absolutely it came out in November, correct?
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, November 11th that means they could have held this till March and played it then, and it would have been just fine. So who dropped the ball? Did Nas' people drop the ball or did people like Sylvie drop the ball? I just want to know who dropped the ball. Somebody dropped the ball now. Did Nas' people drop the ball?
Speaker 3:well, the album came out when it came out. No, no, no, the album came out when it came out.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, the album came out when it came out. It's a classic album, is it not Right? What was the first single? Because it wasn't this.
Speaker 3:No, the first single was Michael and Quincy. It was the only single released, I believe.
Speaker 2:I believe 30 was released.
Speaker 3:No 30 was next. Yeah, after Michael and Quincy.
Speaker 2:Michael and Quincy in 30 got released. Right we can't hold it until March, april, may, when it starts to warm up, but you missed what I just said.
Speaker 3:This climate is not conducive to that.
Speaker 1:Climate's not conducive to that Cool. So I hear what you said, what your science teacher told you.
Speaker 2:You have a classic album. It is no cool.
Speaker 3:Not in 2024.
Speaker 1:No cool, Not in 2024. No right, oh cool. You know these things Shout out to the science.
Speaker 2:I don't know these things, because here's what I'm saying the way that things work now, you can give stuff shelf life when you feel like it. That's the way that it really works, fellas, you give it shelf life.
Speaker 1:When you feel like giving it shelf life. The consumer behavior is different now. The attention span is different. Cool, your science teacher is absolutely right, but my sergeant major told me quantifiable facts wins everything. Quantifiable facts we quantify things and we put them in this right perspective. No disrespect to your science teacher. I'm pretty sure he or she was a great person, but what I'm saying is quantifiable facts tells us the consumer behavior. They don't have a strong tension span.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Coop, you got to reference back to when you was in fifth grade. How long ago was that?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, I get what you were saying. You got to count the years.
Speaker 3:That you repeated too, and then add that to carry them.
Speaker 2:First of all my family's not from West Virginia. We don't repeat grades. We actually have the necessary books materials. We have everything we need to succeed. We're not three years behind on the curriculum.
Speaker 3:I could have graduated early. I graduated with honors. I have mad stashes and roses.
Speaker 2:I'm saying what he said to emanate the fact that it's like well, here's the reality of the matter. There might have been people that didn't even know kd3 dropped in november. If he releases this in april, they would have been privy to it. That's why I'm saying it still feels like somebody dropped the ball, because the record has all the components for airplay. So if you're saying, based on what you were told, that well, he released this album at a time where that song wasn't going to get circulation, based on how the behavior and the people go in New York during those months, if it's a classic album, we can't tuck till April and drop. No, that's not a possibility. No, I'm asking. No, I'm legitimately asking, I'm not being funny.
Speaker 1:Can't you do? No, I'm asking, I'm legitimately asking, I'm not being funny, I'm giving you an answer. It's not the 90s and 2000s anymore. Stuff moves too fast, it moves too fast.
Speaker 3:I don't agree with it.
Speaker 2:When did Kendrick drop the video to Not Like Us?
Speaker 1:I'm not speaking on it, I'm agreeing with it.
Speaker 2:When did Kendrick drop the video to Not Like Us?
Speaker 3:Get Like is not like us.
Speaker 2:I'm asking a question. We're talking about how things are working, right.
Speaker 3:That's an anomaly, bro. Not Like Us is an anomaly.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, Don't try to change anything. Tell me when Not Like Us came out and then tell me when the video dropped it was a few months later.
Speaker 3:It was a three-month gap.
Speaker 2:So three-month gap.
Speaker 3:Name another song that's had that kind of traction.
Speaker 2:If it's a three month gap, you don't get to tell me that it can't be done. You understand that Because I'm watching it be done.
Speaker 3:Get light is not like us, bro. As much as I love Nas, they are not the same.
Speaker 2:Here's the reality of the matter. My whole point is that you really can do what you want in these days and times. Kendrick could take three months to release it. Not about it being hot, because everything is free. Bands now. There is no organization, guys, there is no structure, there is no format. So don't tell me that Nas couldn't have dropped this record in April. Like don't tell me that there's no organization, guys, there is no structure, there is no format. So don't tell me that Nas couldn't have dropped this record in April.
Speaker 3:Like, don't tell me that You're saying Nas should have held it and dropped it in April, or the radio stations and people should have held on to it and pushed it in April. No, no, no, because that's two totally different arguments.
Speaker 2:That's why I asked you who dropped the ball, because one of those two things should have happened.
Speaker 1:The consumer dropped the ball.
Speaker 3:There you go. Sean the consumer dropped the ball Because if people would have got behind it, it would have lasted. Dave.
Speaker 1:Think about it. Remember, we had the Get Like Challenge. The Get Like Challenge was there, it was trending, it was some spark to it. The consumer didn't keep it going, they didn't continue to thrust it.
Speaker 1:The radios are only going to do what the consumer asks them to do, meaning requesting, pushing it, getting into the algorithm. It's the consumer. You can hold whatever you want to hold. It's the consumer that drives it regardless. I don't like it, it's not my rule, but that's what it is. The consumer got behind. Like you said. You mentioned Kendrick joint, not like us. Look who all got behind it.
Speaker 3:It's concerted effort.
Speaker 1:It was concerted effort. Yeah, new York got behind getting life for the most part and had the challenge going on. You know what I'm saying. We got behind Get Light for the most part and had the challenge going on. You know what I'm saying. We got behind 30.
Speaker 3:30 rang off 30 was at one.
Speaker 2:Got behind 30. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah it just, you need more. You need more the fans be saying oh, we want the Primo Nas out, we want this, we want that, when it comes, we don't show up. Nope, that was one of our biggest problems. That's one of our biggest things. It's like yo.
Speaker 2:Oh no, that's why I don't want a Nas-Primo album, because all those dudes that say they want a Nas-Primo album, nas and Primo, do some modern day shit. They don't show up at all. Yeah, they ain't going to mobilize, they ain't going to mobilize, still playing New York State of Mind and Memory Lane. They played those records today.
Speaker 3:But yeah, we got to move on. Next track is First Time. This is like a continuation of Moments from KD2. What's your thoughts on First Time, the subject matter and the concept that Nas covered on this track?
Speaker 1:Only he can do that. There's certain rappers that can do certain things, and he's one of those that can do something like that. That's my art.
Speaker 2:That's plain and simple for me you realize when you listen to this album that and this is what makes Hit's production so special he provided the type of production that put Nas in his special bags. This album is him in his Rhymesayers bag, his socioeconomic bag, his storytelling bag and his nostalgic bag. Those are his four big bags. His production has him in his bags. That's why this album sounds so good. As a writer, the beat incites you to write. A certain way. Hit is making the type of beats on this album that are perfect for what his bag is, a la A Havoc for Prodigy on Hell on Earth. This bag of beats is made for naz. This is one of those records that seals that deal for you where it's like man, this is for naz. Like, because the stuff that hit is doing production wise is bringing this out and this is what he does best and that's what makes some of this music so classic on here, and this is a prime example of it.
Speaker 3:It's Taylor. It's Taylor made for him. It's Taylor made for him, Absolutely. Next we got the track beef.
Speaker 3:And what I find fascinating about this concept record, it said in an interview that he had to push Nas to even include it on the album. Nas didn't want to include this on the album because he felt like it couldn't live up to what fans' expectations of it would be, because they would compare it to his other concept works. So, with that said, where do you think Beef, as a personification concept record, stacks up in his catalog? Because he has a slew of songs like this right. So where does that land Me personally, before I let y'all talk, I think people get lost on comparing it to those other works, but for me it satisfied that version of naz on here because, like you said, coop, he checked every other box that he has in his wheelhouse.
Speaker 3:But as far as that Nas concept record where he does a personification or something like that, we hadn't really had any of that throughout the whole KD series or magic series. So for me that satisfied that. You know checking off that box, so I didn't really get too caught up in comparing it to you know, I gave you power and stuff like that. I was just more so happy that we got that version of him again see Jarv in the chat getting it on what up, jarv?
Speaker 2:I'm somewhere in the middle on this record. I don't love this record. I can't lie. Okay, I do feel like I am one of those people that is holding him hostage, potentially about his prior works, because I do go to him for the conceptual stories. I am somebody that has bloviated over and over and over and over again about the brilliance of the setup and how the setup is even inspired. Is the inspiration for biggie to do niggas bleed on life after death? I gave you powers on that same album. So is the message show is shootouts. It's not that, it's not even close to that, and that would be the biggest problem that you may have with that. He had some of that Tom Brady, lebron James going on.
Speaker 2:Well, it's like well, you're really a victim of what you did early. You're a victim of making rewind.
Speaker 3:But this is still the 40-year-old dropping 40.
Speaker 2:Okay. So, respectfully, this ain't 40, though If you want to say it's 35, I'll give you that. Hey, this ain't 40. Dropping 40 though this ain't. How about this? This ain't what LeBron just did dropping three straight triple doubles at 39 years old, going on 40. It's not that level. It's the next level down, but here's what it does, and this is one of those things where Hit deserves more credit, fits well within the scheme of the album. It fills the gap and checks a box of something that's not on the album. It still is highly entertaining and insightful and thought-provoking. It is just not at the level of a Blaze of 50.
Speaker 2:The setup I Gave you Power Rewind. These are the highest highs that we know of storytelling outside of the greatest adventures of slick rick and some scarface and ghostface, ice cube stuff. Anyway, you know what I'm saying. So it's like he's he's operating against his own peak, right. So those are, those are 60 point games, and so it's like, well, when you watch him get 35, it's like well, he didn't get 60, it's like we can't get 60 but here's the irony if j cole makes this exact track, we're saying he dropped 60.
Speaker 3:You see what I'm saying? Like if they executed on this level.
Speaker 2:If j cole or j cole makes this record, it's um album of the uh song of the year. If kendrick makes it, it's the best rap song of all time. That's my point.
Speaker 3:You know, if kendrick makes it, it's the best rap song of all time. That's my point.
Speaker 2:If Kendrick makes this song, it's the greatest rap song of all time.
Speaker 3:Right, you know, nas got to compete against himself. You got anything on this one, sean.
Speaker 1:No, I think I heard you guys I mean listen you guys talking about the other concept records and I think about the beats that accompany those records. I think that the beat is not the right beat for beef. Okay, I really don't. I think that when you hear I Give you Power, that's preem at its finest, right, even Fetus, it doesn't give you shock and awe.
Speaker 2:It's not even fetus, you're right.
Speaker 3:Fetus is not talked about enough.
Speaker 1:Right Fetus is crazy. It's in that top tier. It's in that top tier when I hear beef. When I read the concept before I heard the song, I was excited. But then, when I heard the beat, I was like I was under, but then, when I heard the beat, I was like I was underwhelmed that's fair.
Speaker 3:It's not one of the stronger beats on the album. That's fair.
Speaker 1:I don't know why. I still can't figure it out let me ask you something, sean.
Speaker 2:Do you think it's better than Small World off?
Speaker 1:I Am damn, that's a good question, cool, I don't so so from Maryland.
Speaker 3:She's Lady Carolyn. That shit's crazy.
Speaker 2:For me Small World would be his A minus B plus work.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Bingo.
Speaker 3:I love that song, though man I'm biased Small World's my shit. Emma Men's Way she read the eulogy.
Speaker 2:What about this? What about this? What about Undying Love? I love.
Speaker 3:Undying Love. That's top tier. That's a movie. That's Scorsese level. I like Small.
Speaker 2:World better than Undying Love. But I'm just doing it to gauge, okay. So Beef is not one of those two records.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:That's not his A-plus game, in my opinion. Undying love and beat uh, undying love and small world is not his a plus, because a plus is rewind. I gave you power, the setup, shootouts, the message. That's a plus. So what we're saying is is that beef is just a, b? Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, it's what it is.
Speaker 1:It's a b minus.
Speaker 2:It's a b it's a B-, but if it was Kendrick or Cole, it would be an A+, and that's why he's the GOAT, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Next, we got One last thing, one last thing Go ahead, you think about beef and you think about the attack that it has on the community. What he's talking about, the content of that, the message the messaging Content's where it's winning. It's winning, but it challenges everything that we're up against right now.
Speaker 3:It challenges everything that you're hearing being other songs as well, and he took it back to the Bible Like. I mean, what he did was masterful on there, if we're being honest.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna go listen again. It's still a B on there, if we're being honest. I'm going to go listen again. It's still a B-.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but next we got Don't Shoot. I think this is one of the weaker tracks on the album, but it's still a decent album closer.
Speaker 1:Which one Don't Shoot. I love Don't Shoot, actually Don't Shoot.
Speaker 3:I like the beat. I like the eerie sentiment of the beat, but it's okay.
Speaker 2:Really Least favorite records Album opener, album closer Love everything in between.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wasn't a big fan of Don't Shoot.
Speaker 2:I believe the two weakest moments on here for me are the album opener and the album closer. I've always felt that way about this album. It's what's preventing me from taking it up into that next-tier classic too, because I do feel like it is a classic, but I feel like it's a modern-day. Yes, I feel like it is a modern-day classic and maybe not an all-time classic. And it is about those two records, the beginning and the ending. Because it matters, Because this the beginning and the ending. Because it matters, because this is a guy that we're used to starting off albums with the message and ending with we're going to get to that in a second.
Speaker 3:But you say like gotta finish and start both strong yeah, I thought man.
Speaker 2:I love, don't Shoot shootouts and live nigga rap and if I rule, the world. Well, like you said earlier, sean, that's your opinion it ain't hard to tell Wow, Money is my bitch Undying love. His album endings are stunning and this is not it. His album endings are stunning and this is not it.
Speaker 3:But that's not the complete end.
Speaker 2:It ain't hard to tell Ended a rap album nigga.
Speaker 1:Listen to what he's saying on Don't Shoot though.
Speaker 3:The messaging is there. Don't get me wrong, the messaging is there.
Speaker 1:The pocket he was in.
Speaker 3:Oh, that last verse is crazy. Show you how to maneuver when the coups yeah he was going crazy right there.
Speaker 2:The closer is better than the opener.
Speaker 3:to me, we're going to get to that. Hold that thought, hold that thought. But that doesn't end the album totally. We do have a bonus track.
Speaker 2:You know how I feel about bonus tracks. Everybody that knows Coop. No, coop don't count. No bonus tracks towards no album.
Speaker 3:But we don't care. That's why I was going to ask Sean, queen Coop, get the money? You got the Mets representing on that last track, sean, did you like that joint representing the Mets, even though you are a Yankees fan? That's why they're on In the streets.
Speaker 1:You know the crazy thing I didn't appreciate this song more until we did the station head of the night, the sample right and kind of stripped it down, because I feel like this song did not fit the aesthetic of the entire album. And I do lean towards what Coop is saying about bonus tracks, because it does really sound like a bonus track. It really really sounds like a bonus track it did. I didn't appreciate it more until I actually heard it. It's like ugh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't appreciate it more until. I actually heard it. It's like. It's like. It's like I got sick. Like when Ty was calling me, she was like you know, that's the Met song. I was like I'm like don't tell me that it was.
Speaker 3:It was alright it was alright. It was alright that joint sound like it was made to circulate in some different areas. You know what I'm saying, but it was all right. So that wraps up the KD talk. But we was going back to our previous show and I was reading the comments and Koop was getting a lot of flack for his thoughts on ghetto reporter because a lot of people think that that intro is pretty dope. So that brought to my attention that we should rank I think we need to push that one.
Speaker 3:Okay, we can do that, our own separate joint. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, okay, yeah, because we was going to do that anyway. All right, we'll hold that thought because Coop was getting cooked.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed it. I actually started throwing gasoline on the fire. I'm like what y'all really think about. Coop, First of all, falls right in line with your hater tendencies.
Speaker 2:I keep trying to tell you AG, these people don't know shit.
Speaker 3:We're going to revisit that Coop. You're not off the hook. We're going to revisit that Coop. You're not off the hook. We're going to revisit this conversation, but we got to move on.
Speaker 2:They are watching Coop because they are lacking knowledge. This information is the knowledge.
Speaker 3:We'll revisit this Coop. You're not off the hook yet. We'll revisit this. Moving on, we'll skip that one. We're going to go on to our next segment. You know, before we get to our final segment is our discord dialogues, where we like to highlight our discord chat, where we vote every week on a artist or artist group, producer or whatever to talk about, who may not get a lot of love, and we get the opportunity to give them their flowers. This week's winner, who actually came up early in the show, was the legendary Cool G Rap. Coop is really excited about it, but I'm going to let Sean lead off, since it's Queens get the money.
Speaker 1:No, y'all go. I'm about to go into the chat so I can. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm about to go back into the session so I can send out all our socials, discord Dialogues, Coop and AG moment.
Speaker 3:Alright, coop you up. What do you got on Coop G?
Speaker 1:You got to do it right, though, because Corona looking at you right now.
Speaker 2:So you got to do it right.
Speaker 3:Can somebody ask you to get?
Speaker 1:off the screen. Yes, sir Right.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:This is what I mean about talking to HR about how the show's being ran.
Speaker 3:You do need to report him on that Joy, and I ain't gonna hold you.
Speaker 2:I got a human resources claim, don't I?
Speaker 3:You do. You got a legit one this time. Coop.
Speaker 2:No, this guy is still probably the most underrated MC of all time. Ag.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:He is the author and the father, in my opinion, to the mafioso style that's embodied by Raekwon by Proud of Me, by Nas, by Big AZ Jay-Z. When people talk about Nas' rom style being comparable to Rakim, I do not find that to be true. I think people do not know what the fuck they are talking about. More G-Rap yeah, he's always been more G-Rap, that's why.
Speaker 3:Russell wouldn't find him.
Speaker 2:With the content and the verbiage he was always more cool. G-rap yes, he is just a thinker and poetically inclined like Rakim, but the stuff that he is saying and this is what I try to tell people and I feel like sometimes it's the first record that he made which took the Rakim sample from Mahogany. But if you listen to Nas rap on New York State of Mind and you close your eyes, you can't tell me that's not cool. G rap Pick the Mac up. Told brothers back up the Mac's fit. Let was hit and niggas went ran. I made them back flip. Heard a few chicks scream. My arms shook, couldn't look, gave another squeeze, heard it click yo, my shit. That's Cool. G rap, that's G.
Speaker 1:That's not Rock M.
Speaker 2:RockM doesn't talk like that. Rock M has never talked like that AG Never. And so so for all of us that think that nas is the greatest mc of all time, well, cool g rap is where he really birthed most of his style from right, and so did big, so did jay. My favorite j line on the black album is yeah, hearing me rap is like hearing crime, because I knew that there were people who didn't know who cool G rap was. That we're going to go look and dig and find out. Based on what Jay said, he's the most underrated MC of all time. If we're talking bar for bar, he's still a top 10 MC. His three run album stretch might be the most underrated album run by an all time Great MC too, because road to riches um one of dead or alive and rest of PCJ album run by an all-time great MC too, because Road to Riches.
Speaker 2:Wanted Dead or Alive. Rest in Peace to Polo. Rest in Peace to Polo. Passed this year. Oh, all those three of those albums, no, no, no. Classic, classic, classic.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:So he, in my opinion, has three rap classics in his bag, on top of the influence, on top of the sphere, and this is what it goes down to at the end of the day. Ag well, the subject matter is what hurt. Then you start seeing why Nas is more versatile and poetically inclined because he had to watch his idol, not get his due Right, and keep in mind Cool G Rap.
Speaker 2:Think about the lineage of this. Cool G Rap finds DJ Polo through Eric B. Cool G Rap knows Eric B before rap Outside of rap. You feel me? Everybody watch what I'm saying. You know Eric B outside of rap. Everybody up there in New York know him. Yeah, he's outside of rap. Everybody up there in New York knows.
Speaker 3:Eric B outside of rap. Yeah, he's outside.
Speaker 2:Alright, he's trying to legitimize Eric B. Puts him on the DJ Polo. They're recording at fucking Marley Morrow's house Like this is rap history with Cool G Rap. Marley likes it's a Demo. Likes it's a Demo because it's a Demo. The demo is getting recorded at his place. He's like no, this guy needs to be on my team, based on the stuff that he is hearing him and Polo do, which is, I think it's a Demo and one other song, maybe two or three other songs puts him in the entire Juice crew with Biz Markie Roxanne Shante, big Bang Off the. Puts him in the entire Juice crew with Biz Markie Roxanne Shantae, big Bang like off the rip. So let's take that to modern day times. For us, marley Maul, putting G-Rap in the crew in the Juice crew on one song is the equivalent to AZ getting a record deal for the verse on Life's a Bitch, absolutely the modern day equivalent to that.
Speaker 2:So that's how big and how good he was. Marley only needed to hear him one time Eric B was trying to find him a DJ. This is why Eric B's running around with Rakim. These guys obviously think something of Cool G Rap. This is Eric B and Marley Marle putting Cool G Rap in the game, A special, special MC whose story doesn't get told often enough and when the story did get told too often about the negative things and yeah, there's some negative things, but bar for bar. You know, I can only put a handful of guys ahead of him and those guys are Rakim and Nas and Black Thought, and after that I can't give you definitively and tell you anybody's lyrically better after those three. So those are my thoughts about Cool G rap.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you act poetic about that, bro, I mean. And the influence is crazy. Like Cool G has so much influence and he's the least lauded of those legends Like you know Kane, rakim, krs, slick, rick, that era, cool G rap. Yeah, cool G is the least lauded and you know, remember the Juice crew. You covered his three-album run. That was classics at the very minimum, two and a possible. But we'd be remiss if he, like he, had a whole solo career after. You know, parting ways with DJ Polo, Like 4-5-6, is a very good album.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying and I'm a big fan of the g and connor story too. Like g rap got joints out there and um, what I love about g rap, you know. I'm saying they won't move on because you covered everything that needed to be covered. I I like that, the fact that his signature like list, that was something that became his like superpower. You know what I mean, because that's something that you would think he took a minus and made it a plus right, because you would think that would be something that would hold somebody back.
Speaker 3:But G-Rap is not G-Rap. If he doesn't have that, the flow would be different. It's kind of like 50 after getting shot you know what I'm saying in the mouth, like he had that drawl or whatever. You know, it became g-rap's signature and I think that became his superpower and I think that's so dope man. And g-rap is just a legend in this game. He doesn't get praised enough, man you want to know what.
Speaker 2:The dopest things that he did with his list, pagey, is that he actually started using more words that involved his list when he realized Right, multi-syllable schemes and stuff. So when you listen to him on the symphony Marley gives the slights I get nice and I'm twice as horrifying as Vincent Price. No, that's intentional, because he's.
Speaker 3:He embraced it.
Speaker 2:Yes, when he embraced it, he embraced the crisp list. Yeah, d-rap man, we salute you he embraced the crisp list.
Speaker 3:Yeah, g-rap man, we salute you, one of the pioneers and the legends of this game. Man, you know what I'm saying. We want to give you your flowers. So appreciate the Discord for voting G-Rap as the Discord Dialogues winner for this week. So that'll take us into our next segment, which is the Press Play segment.
Speaker 1:Corona, queens, queens, get the money to OG. Appreciate y'all doing that. Appreciate y'all doing that. Y'all did a phenomenal job with that. Appreciate y'all.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. We got the press play segment next, where we give our individual playlists of what we've been listening to throughout the week. I'm going to let Coop start it off. He disappeared for a second.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, I'm here, I'm here. I just needed to do something right quick.
Speaker 3:Okay, sorry, you got the floor, coop. Let the people know what you've been listening to this past week.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what I was trying to do. I was trying to pull up my list. I sent it to Sean, but I forgot to take it down, I got it for you.
Speaker 1:You need it, I got it.
Speaker 2:Yep, I need my list.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I didn't have a chance because, ah yes. So my list for press play this week is going to be what I feel like are Cool G Raps' seven best features. First we have his actual and people don't understand this outside of the symphony. This is his first guest appearance and so the symphony really doesn't count as a guest appearance, because he's part of the juice crew, but with heavy d, big daddy, cane, pete rock, don't curse, oh, and grand poobah's on here too. This is actually one of the most underrated posse cuts of all time. But do you know how hard it is to have a song called Don't Curse and to ask Cool G Rap to be on it and not curse? Right? This is one of the most special guest appearances in rap history. It's the only time that you will not find G Rap calling a bitch, a hoe, pimping hoes, shooting dice, shooting niggas selling dope, talking shit. Talking like sex Rockers Island. Next song Selling dope, talking shit. Talking like sex Rockers Island. Next song MOP Fitch and Cool G Rap 60 Guns.
Speaker 2:I picked this record. I don't think people even Remember this record. This right here MOP, cool G Rap 60 Guns. This is some New York B-Boy shit. Right here, like MOP. This is one of my top five MOP records and I love that they pulled G Rap for this record because, even though different styles kind of embodying a lot of the same thing, like MOP embodies a lot of the New York struggle. I feel like G Rap embodies the New York hustle, the new york struggle. I feel like g-rap embodies the new york hustle. So this is like the struggle meeting the hustle. That's why I chose this record.
Speaker 2:Next record no doubt yeah, I love that record. Pick this record. It's one of my favorite g-rap performances. But I also knew we were covering soul survivor. What would we be to cover soul survivor and talk about cool g Rap in the same episode, but not discussing Cool G Rap's guest appearance on Soul Survivor, which is actually a remake of his Truly Yours off his classic album Road to Riches? Yeah, verse on here is great. Large Pro sounds good On this record. You can tell there are two producers on here and there's one rapper. The rapper is Cool G Rap. He's definitely busting their ass on here. Nothing against Large Pro and Pete Rock. They cannot rap with Cool G Rap. Next song Papoose, featuring Cool G Rap, thug Connection. Funny thing I found out about Papoose through this song. This song came out when I used to work at the record store Manifest in Charlotte. The only reason that I listen to this song who the fuck is this weird nigga rapping with Cool G Rap?
Speaker 1:Because when I saw the name Papoose.
Speaker 2:I'm like what the fuck is a Papoose? I'm like who the fuck is this nigga? I'm like Cool G Rap's on there. I'm in People don't realize. I think this song came out a little bit after Cool G Rap had dropped Roots of Evil and so he was kind of back on the scene as a solo artist and fully, fully in his bag, and papoose was an up-and-coming artist. This was one of my favorite records in high school. This might be the most unparalleled rap song that nobody talks about. Class of of 87, with Big Daddy Kane, krs-one and Cool G Rap. Big Daddy Kane I realized too from doing my research Big Daddy Kane is Cool G Rap's most frequent collaborator. Yeah, I did a lot of drinks yeah.
Speaker 2:But that's juice foam stuff. Listen to what I'm saying. Big Daddy Kane and Cool G Rap actually have more songs together than Nas and AZ have together. How about that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wouldn't have thought that. But yeah, that's dope.
Speaker 2:Go check. If you actually go look at all the stuff that they've done together. It's been recent because they've done a couple joints together in the past couple weeks.
Speaker 3:They have.
Speaker 2:But Big Daddy Kane is on Don't Curse on Heavy D's album, the Symphony. Yeah, tony Touch, class of 87. Kane and G-Rap have been getting it on and boxing with each other literally since they were in their 20s. If you don't know about Class of 87 record on the Tony Touch mixtape, you need to check out Class of 87. That's a gem. Dope Good, pull Coop. These last two records. You know this is Cool G-Rap on the realest on Murder Music. I don't think You'll have to explain this record to people. I think all the heads know, we all know about the realest.
Speaker 3:One of my favorite beats of all time too, I might add.
Speaker 2:Okay, didn't Havoc do this beat, or is this Alchemist?
Speaker 3:I believe it's Havoc. This was Havoc.
Speaker 2:I'm with you, ag. How about this? This is his most underrated beat. Yeah, this beat is crazy. It's crazy what he did with this beat. But what's even crazier is how he slowed this beat down and somehow Cool G rap still found a way to rap fast on it.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:He's like oh, you slowed the BPMs down. He's like that doesn't matter. Still gonna machine gun funk, the beat? Yeah, still gonna machine gun funk the beat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it speaks crazy.
Speaker 2:Oh, also too, you know, shout out to Mobb Deep for doing songs with Rakim and Cool G Rap when they started their solo careers without their DJ, because they got the Rakim joint with Hoodlum and they got the realest with Cool G Rap. Shout out to Mobb Deep for actually making those classic moments happen. And last but not least, guys, I mean I think we all know that Cool G Raps best guest appearance the showdown with Kane, it's the symphony. I mean, in my opinion it is still I mean Cool G Rapping Kane on the symphony to close it out. That is still the best ending to a posse cut of all time. In my opinion, it is still the most legendary ending. It is a legendary showdown that is still taking place for years. And if you were to tell me that the symphony is still rap's best posse cut, I would not believe you. Kane and G-Rap are so supreme on this that people forget that Mass Ace and Craig G killed shit on this record. It's just cool G-Rap and Kane left earth.
Speaker 2:And I actually think, technically speaking, g-rap actually has the better verse. Kane is the charismatic guy. And so what you actually see in G-Rap is you got your super lyrical guy and in Kane you have the charismatic guy. Well, you got one guy from Queens that's super lyrical and you got one guy from Brooklyn that's super charismatic. Sounds familiar? Yeah, yeah, right, well, understand where it came from, because those guys didn't grow on trees, they grew off these trees that's a big fact.
Speaker 3:That's a big fact. Oh g-rap, these guys didn't grow on trees, they grew off those trees, yeah dope list cool that was dope concept g-rap love, g-rap love. I'd love to see it you want to go next, y'all yeah, I can go next.
Speaker 1:Okay, uh, for me I wanted to stay within the theme of all my katie three run, so definitely want to start off with done. Don't have to talk about you know what it is queens, get the money done. Kid cove, all of that had to start there. Um, I also want to go with 30. I felt like I always say 30 is to me that's not superhero music right there, that's the stadium flow that we always wanted. We got it and, uh, it represents well knoxville. Yep, I want to go to recession proof, one of my favorite joints off of kd3. Love that song. Love that song. Love the story, love the jungle story, part of it. I love all of this, but it's on. The beat is dope, everything you know I mean. I mean love that song.
Speaker 2:Oh, first two playlists. Is Queens get the money? Huh, that's right.
Speaker 1:Right, oh, my next one, of course, is what more can I say? I love this song. This is one of those songs that during that time I was on recruiting duty and for the Marine Corps and it was crazy, it was tough, I was killing it out there. There was doubters. This was one of my go-to records. I needed something to motivate me. This was that.
Speaker 3:I feel like that was an addendum to your list, because I think you just put that in there to beat the allegations. But go ahead.
Speaker 1:Nah, because I got the visuals and everything all ramped up.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about helping beat the case. Aj, he's still leaving the town?
Speaker 1:Nah, not at all Encore. Encore is my other joint.
Speaker 3:I mean, I love Encore.
Speaker 1:I don't love Encore. I think Encore was the first song I heard off of the album before the album came out. I heard Encore on the mixtape before I heard the album and I was like he's doing this, he might be back. I was hoping he was going to come back. Talk about stadium flow. I was hoping he never comes back.
Speaker 2:I just never loved it. I've always liked it. I never loved it.
Speaker 3:Really Encore.
Speaker 2:I don't know why when I hear it, I hear everything about it. That's great, that makes it great. It just don't hit me like it. Should you know how some records you know they're great, but it just don't hit you. Encore is one of those records because I know Encore is great. It just never hit me like that it's that Kanye magic man.
Speaker 3:Kanye was in his bag on that. That's going down.
Speaker 2:That's what's keeping me awake. It's the Kanye repellent that I've been putting on the album was a classic Also.
Speaker 1:Public service announcement Love. Public service announcement. I think this might be the second song I heard off of the Black album before it actually came out and I was like, oh my goodness, this guy might be back. You know what I mean? He might be back.
Speaker 2:I think all his shows should start with PSA yeah.
Speaker 3:Absolutely 100% the vibe of it. Unless you're performing for Tom Brady, they don't care in that crowd. Quick question on that PSA, or you Don't Know.
Speaker 2:You Don't Know.
Speaker 3:I'm with y'all. We agree three for three. Something about you Don't Know, you Don't Know. I'm with y'all. We agree three for three.
Speaker 1:Something about you Don't Know, man.
Speaker 2:I only have imaginary players ahead of. You Don't Know the evils in imaginary players are the only records better than you Don't Know.
Speaker 3:Dead Presidents maybe.
Speaker 2:Dead Presidents lyrically.
Speaker 3:I don't know if overall and I think when I'm From is close- A million and one questions, that's the height.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's all there. It's all there for y'all. So, the country of belief, I rock with the Black Album. I'm proud of you, sean whatever man, my last one, my last one is Esco, let's Go.
Speaker 3:Jim, a lot of people don't know about this one Slept on.
Speaker 1:Slept on Esco, let's Go. He went crazy on every single verse.
Speaker 2:And the reason why how many Nas songs do we Hold on, Think about this, Sean. How many Nas songs do we have like that, where it's like man, he went crazy on every verse. It's like well, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's expectation. The reason why I did this and this is the genius behind who I am, if you think about it I started out with three Nas joints for KD3, and I had three Jay joints from the Black Album, if y'all remember when Jay first brought Nas out, when they actually got together.
Speaker 1:I'll be the vision. Yo Esco, let's go. At the concert he was like Esco, let's go, and that was the first time him and Jay actually was on stage together. After the beef and everything, nas turned around and they had a song Yo Esco, let's go. What it is turned around and it had a song yo Esco let's go Ba-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, what it is. What it is. Yeah, yeah. So the genius of me and you know the layers y'all know, what it is, but it is anyhow.
Speaker 2:that's my list H. Please start your list. Oh my God, yo, for those that were wondering.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay, so we're not going to get you started on that, coop. So, alright, my press playlist. I want to. This is for you, coop, this is for you. So you know I wanted to pay an ode to North Carolina. You know, since you know the bros, we hooked up and got to chill in North Carolina last weekend. We linked up with LT like we said at the top, of the show was in Shelby, so I wanted to do some of my favorite tracks coming out of North Carolina for my press play segment. So, coop, I hope you approve.
Speaker 3:So, to start it off, I got Under the Sun, which was from oh no, damn, already. It's like yo, that's crazy. Under the Sun is a beggar man, you know, on the Revenge of the Dreamers 3 compilation album, you got, you know, j Cole representing Fayetteville, but you also got Luke and DaBaby representing Charlotte. This is a dope collab. I mean they all three killed the record. I had this in constant rotation when this song came out. Love the record. The second joint I got is Middle Child. Middle Child is my favorite J j cole song by far. Um t minus on the production. Everything that j cole did lyrically, and maybe even more impressive than the verses is the hook is just classic. You know song, yeah, the song is classic from top to bottom. My favorite j song, j song. So I had to include that. Then, transitioning from those two joints, you say Sleepyville.
Speaker 1:See, I don't know. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't hate on North Carolina.
Speaker 3:Yeah, don't hate on North Carolina. Next I got Back in my Bag off the recent Please, please, don't cry. Album by rhapsody. It's one of my favorite joints on that record. I revisited a lot when I played rhapsody's album. I just you know she's going crazy on that go ahead.
Speaker 2:What little brother record you picking ag?
Speaker 3:I'll get to it. I'll get to it. Okay, you know what I'm saying, I'll get to it. Um, so next, you know I'm saying sean, sean wanted to talk about his genius and how he tied in the Jay-Z and Nas thing. I just named some J Cole records and then I named a Rhapsody record. So now I got Sojourner you know what I'm saying which is off the Eve album where J Cole and Rhapsody both spaz on that track, you know what I'm saying. Shout out to Knife Wonder, who's also North Carolina on the production. So Sean is not the biggest genius of hip hop talks. In fact I am.
Speaker 2:So moving on. He takes time. That's a banger right there, ag, that's a.
Speaker 3:North.
Speaker 2:Carolina banger right there, through and through.
Speaker 3:Sean takes the low hanging fruit, the easy ones. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So moving on, what do you mean? You didn't know Eskwell existed. Come on, don't do you mean? Come on, though, don't do that to Coop. He didn't know, he just texted me. Like yo, I didn't know that. Where can I find that?
Speaker 3:Sean Capnett Alright, so now we're here. Now Coop, where you was asking about Little Brother songs. We're going to finish out the playlist with my personal three favorite Little Brother songs. I got Speed off of hey. You knew it was coming. Coop Pause, but Speed from the listening, 9th Wonder, kill this Beat. You know what I'm saying. Love this record. So the listening is the classic album. I don't care what Coop says, listening is the classic. So, moving on, next one, I got Slow it Down, ironically enough coming after Speed, you know, because once again I went for the pun. Like I said, sean thinks you're the smartest one in the room, but he's not. But Slow it Down, though right Off the minstrel show, fonte's second verse is one of the realest verses that I've ever heard.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. If you're a guy in a relationship, moving certain ways and stuff, it's like it's real talk. And that's what I love about Fonte. He relates to the everyman. You know what I'm saying. So if you hear that song and been in a relationship and has struggles within that relationship, fonte got some real talk. The whole record, you know, comes from a real place. And then you know, just fonte just took it somewhere else and spit some real truth. You know being a man in a relationship a lot of times. So that was dope song and from my last joint I got loving it. Also off the minstrel show featuring joe scudder. Um, that arguably is their biggest. You know, they never really made it big but that's their biggest like hit, quote-unquote hit or single, and I think that's just a great record that I revisit often and it might be my favorite um little brother song overall. So I just want to play tribute to north atlanta. Hope Cooper proves being from there. That's my press play.
Speaker 2:I love the list, except for Speed.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm good with that. That's my favorite song off the listening.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm not big on the listening, like I am. The minstrel show. Slow it down.
Speaker 3:I tell you what I almost didn't put Speed because I wanted to put something off of Chitlin' Circuit 1.5, but a lot of people ain't up on that.
Speaker 2:That's crazy, loving. It is taking the easy way out, ag, but it's taking the appropriate easy way out, so I'm going to let you have it because it is arguably the best song.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the best and the biggest song. How?
Speaker 2:about this. In combination of being biggest, it's their best song. Yes.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. So before we get out of here, real quick, coop, you had something you wanted to say real quick.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I've been talking to some people behind the scenes and some people think that they are sneakerheads, and I tell them it's like no, no, no, I'm crewed up, I have a crew, we have real sneaker heads, and so what I'd actually like you and Sean to do before we leave AG is stone on these hoes. Break the night, sir. Break the night, sir. Hold on.
Speaker 3:We'll see what we got on today. You know what I'm saying Got the Supreme Jordan 5. Limited edition. You know what I'm saying? The Desert Camo. You see it.
Speaker 2:NBA Jam. He's on fire.
Speaker 3:I don't know if y'all really know about the Supreme like that. Sean New York, so he know about the Supreme. If y'all ain't up on that, a lot of people can't get those, don't got those, can't afford those. But yeah, desert camo.
Speaker 2:Shot the fire that you broke, niggas.
Speaker 3:Desert Camo Supreme 5s. You know what I'm saying, at least, probably about 400 to 500 on the feet. But yeah, that's what I got on today.
Speaker 2:AG said I got a PhD and I got the pay rate to match it.
Speaker 1:The word yeah, but Cooper told us about that connect that he was talking about. I had to take it back to the vintage yeah the connect.
Speaker 2:The connect wanted to see the shoes. I was like you do not want to fuck with my guys.
Speaker 1:I'm like, okay, you know, ag had to do the Supreme joint, which is that was cute, did you?
Speaker 2:call the Supreme camo joints cute.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he just did.
Speaker 2:Sean, you need to that fire shit for you.
Speaker 1:He missed the Assamu because you got Nike watching. We have to talk about the shoes that got Nike back on the map. The silhouette was the Jordan 1 silhouette that actually got them on the map. I did not get a chance to get the dunks the Wu dunks. I will be getting them, probably by next week. This is the actual pollen joints right here and this is one of the original silhouettes of Nike. So Nike needed a shoe to get them back on track and the silhouette ones was the one that got them back on track. They also needed something to carry them over, so they ended up having an Air Max silhouette as well which is one of the silhouettes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tinker did his thing. Tinker did his thing. Shout out to Tinker Tinker did his thing. This one is an exclusive one. As you guys can see, there is a date in there so they're not going to release these again. I haven't worn these, probably more Air Max Day. Air Max Day that's when I got these off of Air Max Day. So, yeah, the summit was to show Nike that we are sneakerheads, but I wanted to show the two shoes that got Nike from being bankrupt and actually kind of bought them in the 80s.
Speaker 3:But real talk. That was cute what Sean did, because I actually have the Paul and Jordan ones in my closet, but he don't have these Supreme 5s in my closet. But I'm man enough to admit that I don't have those Air Maxes, so I guess we won for one.
Speaker 2:Well, now I'm going to be man enough to admit something to both of you. Please don't do that ever again Before we go. I have a confession to make Now for those who know me. I used to be like you guys. I used to be a sneakerhead, I was an a**hole, I had a problem, it is a problem, and I gave most of my shoes away.
Speaker 1:It's a problem.
Speaker 2:Dealing with you, two uppity ass niggas. Why are you getting me uppity? Yeah, you're very uppity. No, it's uppity After meeting you in person. Take it from an uppity nigga you some two uppity ass niggas.
Speaker 3:Yeah, aj, aj, you is yeah no, it's levels, because, let me tell you this, I hit on those Jordan 3 Black Cement 3's today and I texted Sean and Sean didn't answer. Like I had to send him like 5 texts in a row, I didn't think they was going through.
Speaker 2:Sean wouldn't even answer me because he was mad because I hit and he didn't first of all, but I want to let you know, I tried to get the Wu-Tang Dunks behind y'all back too, and I failed. I was like I'm a stupid thing.
Speaker 1:I tried to get the Wu-Tang Dunks behind you. That's some hate right there. I tried to get the Dunks behind you back.
Speaker 2:I ain't hitting on front. I just had to let it out. So he was like I lost the sneakers too. I just didn't tell you I put a beard on the dunks. I lost the dunks too. Fellas, Y'all got me back in the sneakerhead conversation. Just don't Gotta keep it down.
Speaker 3:I respect you admitting it Coop.
Speaker 2:I told my daughter all these materialistic shoes don't matter after she bought Air Force Air Max pair number 30. I was like these shoes do not matter. Those were lies Kupak's back on the shoe game.
Speaker 3:Let's do it, man. It's contagious.
Speaker 2:I'm back up. 98 and 2001, air Max is coming soon. Niggas 98 and 2001 is coming soon. Best years this is the show. We appreciate everybody for coming out tonight. I know we ran a little bit over. We've been having some good shows, having fun. We appreciate all y'all for the love and support. As we're wrapping up the year, be tuned in for all the things we have coming down the pipeline with our merchandising, new shows, business cars. We won't just pull up in Shelby, we will pull up in your neighborhood. Shout out to LT for showing us much love and Shout out to LT for showing us much love. And this is Hip Hop Talks AG Sean Like, subscribe, share.
Speaker 1:Subscribe, share All of that stuff in the chat. I saw some people just got on Discord. Join the Discord. We got some prizes coming real soon. Holidays we're going to be giving away. We're going to be giving back to the people. During the holidays we got some stuff lined up. Station head is back in full effect as well. We had a station head show. We had two this week. We did the nas kd3 sample series and we did the kd3 one through. So we got some battles lined up. The discord got some battles lining up as well. We actually have a new feature in the discord where now we can all actually get together online. We can actually get together like a FaceTime thing and we can play all music, not just stream music. We can play all music on that feature.
Speaker 2:Hold on. People in the chat are asking what sneaks I have on my feet today. I'd like to show you. These are called the Polo House Shoes, part 43. This is what 43 your old niggas wear in their house at night. It's called the Polo 43s.
Speaker 3:I'd be sacrificing comfort to be fly at work I ain't even gonna hold you Polo 43s.
Speaker 2:need to get you some Polo 43s for the crib. Polo 43s for the crib. Give me a little height too. They make me taller than AG.
Speaker 3:I thought Kuba was going to be a shorter person, but he's actually the same height.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why the fuck does everybody think I'm like 5'2"? Rappers from Queens are 5'2".
Speaker 3:Here's why I thought LT was going to be taller and I thought Kuba was going to be taller you know what I'm saying. And I thought Coop was going to be shorter, but it was the opposite.
Speaker 2:LT looked like a rapper from Queens. I do not know.
Speaker 1:LT about 5'2", 5'3" Rapper from Queens. I was like he's tiny, he's some tiny guys, but shout out to Eppins. Me and LP had a conversation today. Queens get the money. Good, dude man. We had a real good conversation.
Speaker 3:Yo shout out to Eppins for real, and yo shout out to my son, jordan, for setting that joint up in the Discord for a week or so. Shout out to Jordan yeah, he's doing his thing.
Speaker 2:I have a family full of criminals. I will have my fucking secret collection restocked in no time. This is about to take like three or four months. These niggas take everything in the streets.
Speaker 3:Coop didn't want to be involved in our activity earlier, but now he's talking about he got a family full of criminals. That's crazy, almost off probation. Coop wasn't moving, how he was moving.
Speaker 2:No, I wasn't moving how you were moving. I'm almost off probation.
Speaker 1:Yes, we like wolves out there. I like wolves out there, less than 30 days.
Speaker 2:Less than 30 days. Can't wait. Less than 30 days.
Speaker 3:No doubt y'all, we appreciate y'all. Man, everybody in the chat, you know what I'm saying. Tuning in, you know, stay tuned, we got more coming your way.