this is what i'm talking about when i say that today's American Gangsta rap is castrated. this harkens back to the era when gangster rappers were scary, because they represented the monstrous truth of inner-city frustration. they were the chickens coming home to roost. When Ice Cube dropped Amerikkka's Most Wanted, under the influence of Public Enemy and BDP but retaining that gang-soaked dope-man swagger as the soul of NWA, Cube was the most terrifying rapper alive (this was before he figured out there was more money for him in entertaining white people than scaring them...). Killer Mike has called the real Cube back for this one fam! what ya'll think? -gM
But yeah I miss Ice Cube Death Certificate/Amerikkka's Most Wanted/Kill at Will. I won't front I didn't know the REAL truth behind those words when I listened to them (and I have debates on if I really know that now) but I know they had purpose.
"the most terrifying rapper" Cube was/is just a dope rapper. The hip hop rags and media was just trying to sell articles by painting him as this mean-angry black guy. The entertainment industry has ran with that depiction often in many forms, coincidentally the angry-scary-black label is being applied to black women. People just buy into these stereotypes and rehash them often. And sadly enough, if you're not viewed as angry or bitter, you may be labeled as "not black enough" or not real. Sadly that effects many brothers in television and film, because there are many writers that will tell them how to be a real black man. Just saying.
The real Cube? This is not Killer Mike's first collaboration with Cube. And I guess you haven't heard Cube's recent solo offerings because his skills never left him, nor the anger.
i have been bored with Ice Cube for some time... in his defense, i haven't really listened to his new albums, only heard what other people were playing (admittedly, not the best way to experience any rapper).
cube was swept up in the east vs. west stuff back in the nineties, and associating with emcees (in my opinion anyways) that were not up to his level, and it was bringing his music down.
although i'm sort of familiar with Killer Mike, he's a rapper whose music is relatively new to me. i get my hip hop the old-fashioned way (from other hip hoppers), so i just started checking for him in the last year or so (thanks Jacinta!)
and i mean he scares people with his ideas. many "conscious" rappers are not scary, no matter how radical their ideas, because you don't believe they will do anything at the end of the day...
when you start putting consciousness into gangster stuff, you get cats that will go through you to get things done. if you're invested in a system, and this dude wants to tear it down (and you with it), that's scary.
i mean, i'm not laying awake at night in fear of Ice Cube, Killer Mike, Immortal Technique, etc... but there are definitely people who are concerned that we are listening to them.
that's what you call a death grip
ReplyDeleteI think the scariest of that video was Malcom.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah I miss Ice Cube Death Certificate/Amerikkka's Most Wanted/Kill at Will. I won't front I didn't know the REAL truth behind those words when I listened to them (and I have debates on if I really know that now) but I know they had purpose.
word.
ReplyDeletewhen i was a kid, that PE and Ice Cube had me runnin' around with a scowl on. then i saw Malcom X, and it was on...
you had me at "Killer Mike"...
ReplyDelete"the most terrifying rapper"
ReplyDeleteCube was/is just a dope rapper. The hip hop rags and media was just trying to sell articles by painting him as this mean-angry black guy. The entertainment industry has ran with that depiction often in many forms, coincidentally the angry-scary-black label is being applied to black women.
People just buy into these stereotypes and rehash them often. And sadly enough, if you're not viewed as angry or bitter, you may be labeled as "not black enough" or not real. Sadly that effects many brothers in television and film, because there are many writers that will tell them how to be a real black man. Just saying.
The real Cube? This is not Killer Mike's first collaboration with Cube. And I guess you haven't heard Cube's recent solo offerings because his skills never left him, nor the anger.
i have been bored with Ice Cube for some time...
ReplyDeletein his defense, i haven't really listened to his new albums, only heard what other people were playing (admittedly, not the best way to experience any rapper).
cube was swept up in the east vs. west stuff back in the nineties, and associating with emcees (in my opinion anyways) that were not up to his level, and it was bringing his music down.
although i'm sort of familiar with Killer Mike, he's a rapper whose music is relatively new to me. i get my hip hop the old-fashioned way (from other hip hoppers), so i just started checking for him in the last year or so (thanks Jacinta!)
and i mean he scares people with his ideas. many "conscious" rappers are not scary, no matter how radical their ideas, because you don't believe they will do anything at the end of the day...
when you start putting consciousness into gangster stuff, you get cats that will go through you to get things done. if you're invested in a system, and this dude wants to tear it down (and you with it), that's scary.
i mean, i'm not laying awake at night in fear of Ice Cube, Killer Mike, Immortal Technique, etc...
but there are definitely people who are concerned that we are listening to them.