411mania.com: Music - 411 Music Fact Or Fiction 10.08.09: 50, Kanye, DMX, Jay-Z and more!

Round 1

Question: The prospect of another Jay-Z album this year? Eh, spread your work out a bit and give people something to look forward to.

Michael James: FACT.

I'm not exactly sure when it became the cool thing for rappers to pump out as many albums as humanly possible, but I think it traces back to 1998 when DMX received a lot of press headlines for having two #1 albums in the same year. I understand why marginal artists like Plies or Lil Boosie would flood the market with material, since they know that they can only hold the public's attention for so long before said public realizes they suck.

But this is Jay-Z. He's not exactly on the verge of losing his celebrity status. Blueprint 3 was a really strong album, and "Empire State of Mind" is still near the peak of its popularity. I'm sure there are other potential singles on the album (for example, "Off That" was at one point rumored to be the lead single). For someone who prides himself on being a "business, man", it doesn't make much sense for Jigga to step on his own toes.

Jay Carroll: FICTION .

As much as I'm tempted to agree with Mike's argument, I'll play Devil's Advocate on this one. While I don't feel as though The Blueprint 3 is a shining example of Jay-Z being at the top of his game, he might have "pulled some punches," so to speak, when releasing The Blueprint 3, knowing he wanted to come back with another album so soon. Bucking his own trend of waiting one and a half to almost two years between albums and keeping fresh material coming will keep Hov in the public eye, and his Live Nation contract pays him $10 million guaranteed per album. A hustler's mentality is to get money as soon as possible. Therefore, for Jay-z to hurry up and blow through some of his Live Nation commitments while getting his money fits in with the M.O.

Score Card: 0 for 1

Round 2

Question: Method Man should do some time for not paying his income taxes. If we have to suffer through the paperwork, so does he.

Michael James: FACT.

I wasn't sure which way to answer this, since the lawyer in me (what, you thought writing for 411 kept the lights on?) knows that there is no way Meth is going to jail over $33,000. He'll just end up paying some interest and penalties and everyone will move on. That said, of course he should be required to file tax returns and pay taxes like the rest of us. If he doesn't, he should bear the consequences. I don't even know what the counterargument would be. Who does he think he is? Roman Polanski?

The bigger question is why Meth doesn't have an attorney, accountant, manager, or somebody else who isn't a Ticallion Stallion to keep his facts and figures in order. Meth, if you're reading this, holler at me… I can always use another client. …I may require payment in advance, though.

Jay Carroll: FICTION .

Method Man isn't going to actually do a bid because he owes $33,000, especially a 3 year one. Unlike the case against Wesley Snipes, for instance, the government will be willing to settle for restitution (preferably all at once) instead of spending 6 times what Method Man owes them on prisoner costs alone over 4 years.

All that said, this is for the actors, musicians, athletes, and assorted famous people (not to mention people who make money illegally): Stop trying to skate on taxes. The government will find out just how much you really make, and you will pay what you owe. Eliott Ness may have gotten famous for arresting Al Capone, but Scarface only got put away due to tax evasion. Those who fail to learn from history's mistakes are bound to repeat them.

Score Card: 0 for 2

Round 3

Question: 50 Cent calling Kanye West and Lady Gaga's "Fame Kills Tour" "gay" probably wasn't meant as offensive so much as just an off-handed comment, like saying "That's so gay."

Michael James: FICTION.

Of course 50 Cent meant to piss off Kanye when he called his since-cancelled tour with Lady Gaga "the gay tour". The bigger issue is if hip-hop will ever catch up with society as a whole and realize that insulting something by calling it "gay" is always offensive. It's not surprising that Gaga, rather than Kanye responded, since she has developed a huge homosexual following, and she was just on the cover of Out magazine.

The fact that calling the tour "gay" is the best insult 50 could come up with only underscores how uncreative he is. Kanye's had a rough month (of his doing, but still…), so 50's apparently decided the time is ripe to kick him while he's down. A bully does what a bully does, but it still doesn't change the fact that when they went head-to-head, Kanye outsold him by a few hundred thousand.

Jay Carroll: FACT.

Two of the fastest way to start a fight in hip hop? Claim to have had sex with someone's baby mother OR question their heterosexuality. Considering that 50 Cent is a gangsta rapper, he's about as petty as a 7th grade schoolgirl who didn't get the boy she's been stuffing her bra for. In other words, he's trying (and failing) to get some shine off of Kanye's current plight, and it's just sad.

Hey, 50, Kanye outsold you in 2007, and instead of retiring like you threatened, you decided to linger like the stale fart you are.

Score Card: 0 for 3

Round 4

Question: Watching DMX get his ass beat in an MMA fight will be awesome.

Jay Carroll: FICTION.

First of all, who the hell signed off on this? I know that Toughman competitions still occur nationwide, and that any idiot willing to get his ass beat for a participant's fee can get in, but seriously? Second, who the hell is Eric Martinez? I thought this was the celebrity portion of this half-assed MMA show. And third, the only way this could be awesome is if instead of DMX getting thrashed in a MMA fight, he decided to take some of the pit bulls he raises out in Arizona and start a dogfighting ring instead. Not that I'm advocating such behavior...

Michael James: FICTION.

Well, maybe if you're the type of guy who thinks bum fights are awesome. This really isn't any different than that MTV show Bully Beatdown, except at least those douchebags had it coming. If you've been paying any attention to DMX over the past few years, it's pretty evident that he (a) has a major drug problem; and (b) probably has severe mental health issues. I'm really not that interested in watching someone bottom out, particularly where that bottoming out involves him getting beat repeatedly about the head. I honestly don't follow MMA, so I don't know who Eric Martinez is, but if he's a legit fighter, this should be really ugly.

Editor's Note: Okay, I don't know who Eric Martinez is, either. Minus 1000 points to both writers for not utilizing Google or Wikipedia before answering.

According to the internet, Eric Martinez is an up-and-coming actor and person of interest in the music world. You can read what looks to be his IMDB Bio here.

Score Card: 1 for 4

Round 5

Question: An Eminem/50 Cent rap face-off track on Eminem's Relapse II just sounds like a horrible idea.

Jay Carroll: FACT.

Against my better judgment, I'm gonna take the high road on this. If Dr. Dre produces said record and 50 enlists a ghostwriter (or Em does 50's lyrics himself) this could turn out to be salvageable and somewhat decent. Otherwise, Em's quick flow and 50's syrup slow flow aren't going to mesh very well, as evidenced on past tracks. Replace "50 Cent" with "Dr. Dre", and I'd be 100% behind this.

Michael James: FICTION.

50 may not be on the top of his lyrical game these days, but he and Eminem have done some decent tracks together in the past. "Encore" was one of the best tracks off of the Encore album. "Patiently Waiting" was fire. There's no reason this track can't be decent, but it all depends on the concept. Let's be honest. Em could rap circles around Dre on a track, but "Guilty Conscience" was hot because of the concept and execution.

There was a Ludacris/Moochie Mack track about 5 or 6 years ago called "Jack N the Jacker," where Ludacris carjacked some suburban housedad, and the housedad turned the tables. Something like that could work here: 50 Cent plays a thug who tries to mug Eminem, who proceeds to get all Slim Shady with it…. But if it's a straight "battle track", it will probably be an "epic fail" as they say.

Score Card: 1 for 5

Round 6

Question: If Kanye really did go berserk over some chicken, he's really on the path for career suicide...Or at least a meltdown.

Jay Carroll: FACT.

Ever since Kanye's epic heel-turn at the VMA's, stories of him being a male diva and an assclown have piled up quickly. I don't want to think there's any truth to this, but it's beginning to look like Kanye might be venturing into Britney Spears/Suge Knight/Michael Jackson territory. Basically it's gotten to the point where you could play Mad-Libs and make up a story about Kanye doing anything and people will buy into it. So, for his sake, I hope the path he's been travelling since the "Glow In The Dark Tour" is just Kanye pulling publicity stunts out of boredom, because this can't end well.

Michael James: FACT .

Kanye's always been a sensitive dude. He flipped out in 2005 over Katrina. He lost it in 2007 because the VMAs didn't ask him to perform or give him an award. In 2008, he ranted and raved because Pearl Jam ran long at Bonnaroo and ruined his light show. In 2009, he flipped his shit because he disagreed with who MTV gave an award to. Now he's insulted because he missed out on a KFC run. The alarming trend here is that over time the things that have set him off have gotten more and more trivial. I don't know if losing his mother sent him off the deep end or what. All I know is he really needs to go lay on a beach somewhere and let Amber Rose spend some more of his bank on HeadBlades and snake skin body suits.

Score Card: 2 for 6

Question: 50 Cent calling Kanye West and Lady Gaga's "Fame Kills Tour" "gay" probably wasn't meant as offensive so much as just an off-handed comment, like saying "That's so gay."
Michael James: FICTION.

Of course 50 Cent meant to piss off Kanye when he called his since-cancelled tour with Lady Gaga "the gay tour". The bigger issue is if hip-hop will ever catch up with society as a whole and realize that insulting something by calling it "gay" is always offensive. It's not surprising that Gaga, rather than Kanye responded, since she has developed a huge homosexual following, and she was just on the cover of Out magazine.

The fact that calling the tour "gay" is the best insult 50 could come up with only underscores how uncreative he is. Kanye's had a rough month (of his doing, but still…), so 50's apparently decided the time is ripe to kick him while he's down. A bully does what a bully does, but it still doesn't change the fact that when they went head-to-head, Kanye outsold him by a few hundred thousand.

Jay Carroll: FACT.

Two of the fastest way to start a fight in hip hop? Claim to have had sex with someone's baby mother OR question their heterosexuality. Considering that 50 Cent is a gangsta rapper, he's about as petty as a 7th grade schoolgirl who didn't get the boy she's been stuffing her bra for. In other words, he's trying (and failing) to get some shine off of Kanye's current plight, and it's just sad.

Hey, 50, Kanye outsold you in 2007, and instead of retiring like you threatened, you decided to linger like the stale fart you are.

Score Card: 0 for 3

You guys are gay.

Posted By: Showster (Guest) on October 08, 2009 at 07:06 PM