Hip-hop heads have been buzzing about two major releases scheduled for the end of 2008-Kanye West’s “808’s & Heartbreak” (is it really a hip-hop album if Kanye doesn’t rap?) and Jay-Z’s Def Jam finale “Blueprint 3”, which is rumored to have been produced almost in it’s entirety by West.
An alleged tracklisting for BP3 has surfaced on the net, and although its’ validity is being questioned, there might be something to be hopeful about if this track listing *is* in fact real. Namely the fact that the awful first single, “Jockin’ Jay-Z” and the T.I./Kanye/Lil’ Wayne collabo “Swagga Like Us” are NOT on the album (again, allegedly). Could Jay be throwing a red herring at us before hitting us with an album that captures the soulful, mature vibe of the first “Blueprint” album? While I don’t think “BP1” was a super-legendary classic (actually, I don’t even think it’s Jay’s best or even second best album), it would be nice to hear him making music reminiscent of that era. Because “American Gangster”, despite being jocked by everyone else, didn’t exactly move me.
Anyhoo, here’s the (alleged) track listing. Man, I’m using that word so much you’d think I was writing an article about R. Kelly!!
01. Wake Up New York (Intro)
02. Most Kings
03. Hades (Lucifer Pt. II)
04. Eternal Jewels (ft. Jay Electronica) [prod. by Jay Electronica]
05. Blueprint 3
06. Lucy (ft. Chris Martin)
07. The Audacity of Dope
08. Swagger Like Us Pt. 2 (ft. Nas, Andre 3000, and Young Jeezy)
09. Election Night (We believe in Obama)
10. Just Memories
11. Apostate (ft. Eminem) [prod. by Eminem]
12. Oasis
13. My Brothers Keeper (ft. Scarface)
14. Brooklyn Lost
15. Weeds & Concrete
16. Without Rain
No matter who you are, no matter where you are. Pop “Love Shack” into the CD player or onto the iPod and even the paraplegics will start moving. This song screams out “good time” more than any song recorded during the decade. Ironically, “Love Shack” was the first anyone had heard from the B-52’s since the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson four years earlier. They did what anyone should do when faced with the loss of a loved one-continued the party in his memory.
It was the first I’d heard or seen of the band, and you’ve gotta admit that the 52’s are a sight for the eyes and ears. This video is the epitome of controlled chaos (watch out for a RuPaul cameo in the video four years before anyone knew or cared who RuPaul was), and I will always have a spot for the B-52’s as long as Charles Nelson Reilly Fred Schneider is in the band.
OK, so we’re only an hour-20 songs (ed. note, actually, 40 songs…I wrote this Tuesday morning)-into VH-1’s list of the Top 100 rap songs of all time. While I’m absolutely grateful that VH-1 takes the time every year, via its’ Hip-Hop Honors special, to honor the pioneers of hip-hop in a way that the networks you’d EXPECT to be honoring them don’t (hello, BET), I must admit that, as a true school hip-hop fan, some of their choices are severe head-scratchers. I mean, who told VH-1 to honor Missy Elliott before Queen Latifah or Dr. Dre? Hell, Missy’s less qualified to be enshrined in any sort of Hip-Hop Hall of Fame than any of this year’s 5 honorees, who range from “it’s about time” (Slick Rick, De La Soul, Too $hort) to borderline acts like Cypress Hill and Naughty by Nature. Not that I don’t dig either group, but Cypress followed up one absolutely sensational debut with a sea of mediocre albums, while Naughty released a string of excellent singles but never put it together for one truly great album.
Now I’ll admit. I’m a friggin’ sucker for countdowns, and VH-1’s pop culture specials are usually on point. I’ve often fantasized about being a panelist on one of those “I Love the…” specials. Hell, you could give me a lobotomy and I’d be funnier than Mo Rocca. That said, this list of the greatest hip-hop songs leaves me a little cold (so far) for a couple of reasons.
Because of my age and where I grew up, I’m always going to give the stank eye to anyone who claims to be a hip-hop authority. That said, VH-1 has already erred big time with a couple of their choices. I absolutely adore PM Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”, but is that really a hip-hop record? (I do, however, think they missed a golden opportunity by not having KRS-ONE comment on the record). While “Memory Bliss”‘s inclusion is certainly debatable, I don’t think there’s one single person who would agree with the inclusion of L’Trimm’s “Cars That Go Boom”. Miami bass? Certainly. Freestyle? Okay. Hip-hop?? That’s stretchin’ it, folks. Granted, there’s probably a noticeable lack of female emcees on this countdown, which could explain why they shoehorned L’ Trimm in, but any real hip-hop fan who watched that segment had to have at least a little of the taste of disgust swirling around in his or her mouth.
It also seems like some artists were included just for the sake of a broad representation and so certain artists didn’t take up too many spots on the countdown. I don’t know that Eve even makes a list of Top 100 female rappers, so to have one of her songs (and “Who’s That Girl” of all of them) on the countdown is a bit surprising. And where they got some of the artist choices right (nice to see Jungle Brothers on this countdown, although the thought of Baby Bam in glam-rock makeup will haunt me for the next several weeks), their song choices (“What U Waitin’ For?” instead of “I’ll House You”? Really?…) leave much to be desired. Although I think they substituted because “I’ll House You” doesn’t have a video.
Of course, you know the whole opinions are like assholes… theory, and I suppose I should be grateful that the network once considered MTV’s stale cousin is the only TV station doing right by hip-hop these days. However, I still would love to see who the panel is that voted for this countdown, so I can smack the person who said it would be a good idea for “Cars That Go Boom” to be on this list…
