The Bieb does it again, and on Hot97 of all places. Hot97’s still got some influence in a lot of circles, so with their endorsement, I’ve got to say that I think Bieber’s rap career may be a little bit closer to actually happening.
Plus, props for a Tim Hortons reference.
In a recent interview with MTV, Timbaland announced he is leaving hip-hop. Apparently, he’s switching genres to satisfy his fans, most of whom are more likely to listen to Madonna or John Mayer than Nas or Jay-Z. As he explained to MTV:
“After my last album, I know where my bread and butter is at. I know 75 percent [of the people who buy my album] are women who love Timbaland and most are the women who watch ‘Desperate Housewives’ and all those others. I did this research. It’s the women who watch ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Desperate Housewives’ — all the real go-to-the-bar women like Timbaland, and mostly European women. It lets me know that my fanbase is mostly women and they are from all cultures. So it’s not a person who loves mostly hip-hop. It’s a person who loves everything besides hip-hop.”
At least he’s being honest. Plus, Timbaland’s been churning out radio-friendly pop jams for a minute now, so I doubt his musical transition will be a radical one.
Anyways, to commemorate his departure, here’s Wale freestyling over a Timbaland beat, courtesty of 2dopeboyz: Wale – Say Something (freestyle)
Damn, Doomsday is sick.
Rhyme Spitters is a sick documentary series chronicling dope freestylers from all over the place. I’ve got all four of them for you listed below, so check ‘em out if you’ve got some time when you’re bored. The best part? It’s free and streamable online.
That’s a lie, the best part of Rhyme Spitters 3 has to be “You get booed worse than R. Kelly standing in front of a pre school.” Cold.
Rhyme Spitters 3 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.
Rhyme Spitters 1 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.
Rhyme Spitters 2 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.
Rhyme Spitters 4 from Rhyme Spitters on Vimeo.
The Telegraph reports that an American Professor is claiming rap music, specifically freestyle battles, actually originated in Scotland centuries ago. The Scottish tradition of flyting is, as Professor Ferenc Szasz claims, a battle of “verbal jousting” that was done in verse.
Szasz claims that Scottish slaveowners brought the practice over to the US and that slaves there adopted it and it lead to, ultimately, the birth of hip hop.
Frankly, I think that’s a bit of a stretch. There are some similiarities between rap and flyting, mainly that both consist of a verbal tussle where individuals take turns and marks are given for the most clever lyrics and disses. Even with these similiarities, I think rap had a way different progression to get where it is now.
Still, it’s an interesting little analysis by a little-known academic, and a connection I had never heard of. So it is entirely possible there is at least some Scottish influence on the contemporary freestyle.
In a quick follow-up to our last post about Shaq dropping a brutal freestyle, apparently I wasn’t the only one unimpressed with his rap.
Shaq was stripped of his honourary Sheriff’s deputy badge, which I guess is a sad thing?
“Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns centre’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in January and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse earlier this month.”
I’ve never heard of a freestyle costing someone their job, but I guess I shouldn’t be particularly surprised. Poor Shaq!
[Source: Toronto Star]
This is a terribly entertaining and awful freestyle by Shaquille O’Neal, that giant pro basketball player. We all know he had beef with Kobe Bryant, but you can hear him mock Kobe for this whole little verse he spits. Nothing says lyrical genius like the chorus “Kobe, tell me how my ass taste.” Someone get this man a Pulitzer.
Youtube has served some fresh battles in the past, and I just wanted to take a quick chance to present this Kanye/Mos friendly freestyle backstage.
Let us know who you think won.
Part 1
Part 2
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