Muzman on 2/3/2009 at 00:23

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The mild fuss surrounding the bio-pic of Mr Biggie Smalls reminded me of this titular question. Not that I've seen it btw. They're calling it a hagiography, which is pretty sad. The whole East Coast-West Coast war thing was pretty stupid (the two main opponents/casualties are from the East fer crissakes). Even if you know only passing things about it, that much is plain. The straight story about any of these guys lives is hard enough to find out as it is without pretending it's all smiles in the end. Between him and Tupac though, nobody can get through a sentence about them without saying they're the greatest. The Greatest, ever. Just the best, man. The Best! To which I respond "er, what? Why?". There all comprehension leaves and people start talking about 'flow' and things that make no sense to me at all. So maybe someone can point out what it is that I'm missing.

I'm sort of a rap fan from way back. Between Run DMC and Ton Loc etc everyone my vintage can claim that to some extent. But me and my chums liked all the Hardcore stuff, all the political stuff, extreme funk backing etc . Gangsta was ok for a while but as NWA faded so did my interest (I was off into techno-industrial by that stage, which is partly hip-hop's fault but anyway...). I missed the nu-school altogether. I fucking hated G-funk and Snoop Dogg. And then Dre's minimalism (or whoever's to blame there, I dunno), while interesting that it's popular at all from a socio-musicology perspective, stinks. Jay-Z? Don't know. What snippets I've heard give me little reason to care.
Looking back on it all I noticed if you really want to stick with me you've basically got to be produced by The Bomb Squad.

All of which got me to thinking; what's a rapper supposed to do here? Mostly if you've got a good voice, good rhymes and something interesting to say you're prettymuch ok by me. Chuck D, Ice Cube, Michael Franti. Hell, in more recent times there's Method Man or the GZA who are a lot of fun to listen to in terms of technique at times. None of these guys ever seem to rate all that highly. Not a lot gets said about the experimental scene where some guys seem determined to be rap's Charlie Parker in terms of verbal virtuosity. Everyone's fussing about Nas and Tupac and godknows who.

I'm not really sure if it's just because I largely ceased caring for the music that I can't appreciate the supposed greats of recent times (Nas' Illmatic; fine record. Had a lot of help from DJ Premiere). And I can't see the point in really separating the aspects. The nasal guy who's so fat he can hardly breathe, mumbling along about the usual bitches and bling BS, could very well have the best "flow" known to man. It's still the same old same old over some P Diddy produced bilge.
Is there some flaw in my appreciation? What tracks might convince me of the greatness Biggie and Tupac supposedly posess? (I've tried a fair few).
Mostly I'm ready to chuck this in the same pile with metalheads of yore wanking on about Van Halen's better than Vai (yes:no:yes:no: punch), Vai's better than Malmsteen (Ja:Nein:Ja:Nein:not mein heir!), Mustaine can take all of Metallica in a fist fight etc etc.

june gloom on 2/3/2009 at 04:48

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Ah, nu-jazz.

Might be worth looking into (http://www.radiorewers.pl/) Radio Rewers- I listen to this quite frequently.

henke on 2/3/2009 at 06:54

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Naah, Notorious BIG isn't any better than dozens of other rappers. Dying young is obviously a big boost in any young artists career though. It allows their supporters to be all the more vocal while the haters can't really say shit, out of respect for the dead. Any halfway decent young artist who dies young can gain almost god-like status with the right PR. Same thing with James Dean, Kurt Cobain and Jesus.

henke on 2/3/2009 at 07:54

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I'm so glad you said that, I thought I was the only one. I mean, “Do unto others/as you would have them do unto you”?? What the hell is that? It doesn't rhyme at all!

Scots Taffer on 2/3/2009 at 10:56

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Well, it does if you take the second line into account:
Do unto others/as you would have them do unto you
Take ma pop's name in vain?/I'll bust a cap in yo ass foo'