The Low End Theory Hip-Hop News Report 11.25.11: The Thanksgiving Edition

Posted by Tony Acero on 11.25.2011

From Kanye West to J. Coll, Tony ranks the Top 5 Things He is Thankful for in Hip Hop! Plus, talk of Too $hort's death rumors, Drake's full album review, Anastasia is our Hip Hop Hottie of the Week and more, all in this week's Low End Theory!



To every American out there that celebrates this particular day of death and eventual rise of the country, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I won't stand on a soapbox and bash those of us who are aware of the true happenings of Thanksgiving but rather extend my open arms to everyone and say thank you. Truly, we are going on our 40th week here soon and this column has stayed strong throughout. Whether there are 20 comments or 2 comments, there's always something intelligent. This is very difficult to pull off on the internet as there are always those who seem to have something negative to say. Here at The Low End Theory, however, we have some of the BEST readers that I could ever have. SS87, Box, TheR, you guys have become staples of the article and even with our disagreements on music, you guys come back every week to talk mutual love for the game. It seriously keeps us going and for that I thank you. With me throwing thanks out left and right, I thought it fitting that we leave the news aside for a week and simply focus on that theme. Today, I will list the top 5 rappers I am thankful for as well as give you guys the (much?) anticipated review of Drake's Take Care. Also, we'll have a Throwback Track of the Week as well as a full pictorial of Anastasia and finally, Hope surprises me by essentially having the same idea I did. Of course, Douche of the Week is present and this week, it's not just one person. Again, thank you all, now let's get to the meat and potatoes of this glorious Thanksgiving Feast of Hip Hop!!!

Today's just not ANY regular LOW END Thursday ladies and gentlemen, it's the THE LOW END THANKSGIVING THEORY Day! Most of you will probably be busy getting your feast on, spending time with family and friends, sipping holiday drinks and getting out of line, or just simply getting in line outside your department store of choice for Black Friday deals, but I'd like to personally tell you I'm thankful that you find yourself somehow reading this through your busy day. Today is a day of giving thanks for the simple pleasures life offers to us, so I'd like to start by sending a big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who supported me in every way possible. Next, I'd like to take the time to show a massive amount of gratitude to my wonderful supportive boyfriend I'm ever so fortunate to have. I'm truly thankful for the amazing love we have been lucky to share amongst each other. Love you! Last but not least, I'd like to thank 411mania, Tony, and our fans, because without you, none of this would be possible! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Video of the Week
Ludacris – Badaboom
Ludacris done put Drake and Big Sean in they place!!






#5: J. Cole

Rarely have I ever been presented with a rapper's debut album that just blew my mind away. In fact, the last person that blew me away on my first listen is #2 on this list. I want to make this clear; I love all music but it takes some time for me to get around to those that are highly gloated. I was told over and over to listen to this kid J. Cole. I was told he had something, he was different, he had a particular sound and a lot of talent, he was 2011's answer to good hip hop. Of course, I'd tell whichever person was touting this line that I'm sure he was and I'd definitely give it a listen. I didn't. I sat on it him for a while. Sure, guest star tracks such as on The Blueprint III and a few other songs I heard him on were alright, but one should never base the talent of a rapper due to his guest starring roles. In comes Cole World: The Sideline Story. This album truly only got better with time, and admittedly, the "time" I'm speaking about is only two months now. J. Cole truly did have something to say and he said it damned well. Rookie of the Year if there ever was one right here. Thank you, J. Cole.


#4: Afrika Bambaataaa

I can't go one week in this column without thanking the pioneers of this game and if I am to thank anyone this particular Thanksgiving Day, it would have to be the man who was perhaps the head runner of creating this CULTURE. Regardless of where Hip Hop is right now, this was the man that helped create it. I wrote my first term paper on the history of Hip Hop a few years ago that centered around this former gang member who, after a trip to Africa, saw the hope that people as humans can and do have. He brought peace and a message of unity into the decrepit city of South Bronx, NY. The ability to take something - music - and use it to bind the severed ties of multi races, the mentality to understand that with a simple bass line or "the perfect beat" he could make the world a smaller and safer place, the capability to make a large warehouse room all move to the same music and not worry about the crumbling buildings outside, THAT is power and THAT is deserving. Seriously, I'm only 25 but I get goosebumps every time I speak about this man. Sure, he wasn't the only one instrumental in Hip Hop's incarnation, but he was an extremely essential piece and every! Single! Time! I hear "Planet Rock," I take a moment to appreciate it for what it is: the first song made to simply enjoy and bring people together in Hip Hop. Thank You, Afrika Bambaataa!


#3 Walter Reyes and A Girl Named Hope

Any column of the past would easily tell that I am the front runner of the column and the one with the most content, but this column would truly be nothing without my TEAM! Yes, TEAM! Walter, a paid comedian that circuits around the state giving laughs for a charge, brings the funny on a weekly basis for free! He does it out of the kindness of his heart and does a damned good job of it! He's never sent me a piece half assed, he's never denied a person that I give him, even when feeling indifferent about it. A true professional and a fucking hilarious guy that I'm glad to call my friend, he is. When I decided that he'd be better at doing the Douche of the Week section, I knew immediately I made the right decision. He's spot on every time and his unique and boisterous attitude within the segment is so powerful I find myself laughing out loud more than once. Walter Reyes, Thank You!

And then we get to the brash, the crazy, the madness that is A Girl Named Hope. We kiss each other's ass so many times in this column, it's sickening, I'm sure. But the truth is, we got a tie that binds, a union that is unbreakable. Hip Hop is what keeps us together and it will most likely never die. From sitting on a park bench, making fun of black tongues to speaking on my adoration for Eminem and her indifference towards the man there was an immediate spark. She has opened my eyes to hip hop I otherwise would have turned my head to. Our conversations are never without two things: Hip Hop and laughter. There's really no other reason for us being put in this wonderful opportunity to write for each of you than fate. Crystal, Thank You!


#2: Kanye West

Oh Kanye, you are such an unabashed, egotistical son of a bitch and there are people I know personally that have boycotted you because of it. People say it everywhere that they'd hate to have you as a friend but still listen and there are those that say they'll go back to listening when you change your attitude. To that, I say fuck em! Kanye, you have shown that being you is alright, even if "you" is an asshole. Aside from your inability to filter your thoughts (something I applaud), you continue to bring such a unique spin on music that scientists really should take your brain and see what we could do about using that talent to solve world problems. Ingenuity, originality and creative prowess are some adjectives that immediately come to mind when I speak of you, but this year you added another layer of greatness in your lyrics. I felt that Watch the Throne was a Kanye West ft. Jay-Z album more than anything and it has a lot to do with how you stepped your game up in the lyrics department. I bow to you, Sir West. Kanye West, Thank You!


#1: Eminem

I can go on for ten pages about this man, and I actually have for a paper. Of all the years in my pre-teen to adult life, one man has been constant. Eminem was the backbone to my adolescence and the structure to the teen years. He motivated me through the early 20's and fucking blew my mind away all over again the last couple of years. I recall the year of 2000, when I had a copy of The Marshall Mathers LP. My mom must have thrown away 5 copies of that album. For whatever reason, she must have never heard when I listened to The Slim Shady LP. It's funny, she's a nut who cusses like a motherfucker but she'll be damned if I ever sing "Cleanin' Out My Closet" to her. I must have gone through ten copies that year as she kept taking the damned thing away. It was a conversation I had with her that allowed me to keep the album. I told her that while I don't always agree with what he says, mom, it's how he says it. Just listen to the way his words flow and how many times he changes his voice (I knew not of words like tempo, cadence, séances, etc). Just listen, I told her! And so she did. Her feelings were that as long as I understood it was just a song and nothing to live by, then go head. And good Lord, did I. Eminem is my motivation, he is muse, he is the way I found poetry and the reason I write. I'm writing a novel, a collection of short stories and a book of poetry all in 2011 and looking to release them in 2012. Eminem is the reason behind it all. To find someone out there, an idol, a motivation, a man to look at and say "I wish I had a fraction of his talent" is hard to do in 2011, and even though he is not the best ROLE MODEL, his depth, his person, his persona, his love for his daughters, just everything about the man who came from nothing into something motivates me to no end. Marshal Mathers III, Thank You! Thank you so much.

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Rumor Starters

Walter Reyes:
On a day when we celebrate genocide and give thanks for whatever we're thankful for I want to give thanks for my fellow writers who make this reading experience enjoyable. I also want to thank you, the reader who takes time out of your day to read what we write, good or bad, agree or disagree and who even shares a thought or two. Thank you for being the life line of free speech.

Now that I have gotten that mushy shit off my chest, I want to say in a loud and authoritative tone, fuck all who dare share rumors without checking the source!!! You are a reflection of what it is wrong with, not just the media, but the world. It is something that, in Latin America is referred to as, "comadriando." Comadriando is a word used to describe a group of women who sit around and gossip based on what they heard through the grapevine and they do so like there is no way that what they are sharing is false. As a fan of art and the artist that put it out there it is unbelievable that there would be media outlets, blogs, articles and even normally reliable sources who would dare report anything to the masses without confirming the truth of its content!!!

Recently some have fallen victim to stories of death. Rick Ross and most recently Too Short were reported dead and thousands were distraught over such news. Despite it being negligibly false various sources spread such nonsense. How anyone would dare spread such shit without checking the facts is beyond me. They should fucking kill themselves after choking themselves with a giant donkey dick and after that lets go Casino on their fucking fingers so they may never EVA EVA EVA type that kind of shit up again!!! Its FREE SPEECH douche bags but when you miss use it, it can cost a lot of people unnecessary distress. With that said it is also your responsibility to check what you read. Don't believe everything you hear and read. Some people are evil and enjoy spreading auditory and visual disease. They pray that you become infected, they count on your laziness and they pray that you fail to use protection as you ear fuck your peers. Don't be easy prey and do your homework people. With that said, go eat some more, enjoy who ever your with and if you have a DUI don't drink and drive...make someone who has never gotten one drive...you haven't lived until you get one!!! I kid I kid...be safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Anastasia Flores
Add Anastasia on Facebook
Favorite Song Of All Time: 2pac and Dr. Dre - California Love It's a classic! It almost guaranteed then whenever that song is played people get a little bit more pumped up.
Favorite Current Rapper: Immortal Technique. I like that he raps about real issues instead of just money and girls all the time
Three Things You Dislike About Hip Hop: 1) The negative stigma. People think that just because you listen to hip hop, you're uneducated or dumb. 2) Over-Auto-tuned voices. It just bugs the crap out of me! 3) Lyrics with no real depth. If you're going to rap and have millions of people listen, make what you have to say important.
Is Graffiti art?: Graffiti is most definitely art!! My boy Syn Tek does graffiti art and I love his stuff. Also, when I did a shoot for the Body Art Bus we shot in a warehouse in downtown La and what made the place so amazing was the graffiti. Here's a picture of my and one of my gf-s standing in front of the wall.

A hip hop and jazz dancer since the age of 8, she was approached at the age of 16 to make a name for herself. Of course, being such a young age hindered that as she didn't dance at her first event until the age of 20 at an underground rave. Since then, opportunities have been tossed her way left and right! She is currently a part of Femme Fatale, FingerPOP Dime Pieces and Perish's Hollywood Klowns who work Insomniac events as well as upscale clubs in Hollywood. Her passion is dance, but she won't turn down a modeling gig if offered as proven by her work with Chronic Candy, Body Art Bus, and YayLifeTribe.com. If you want to see her live and are in the Los Angeles area, be sure to head over to Adultcon on December 9th and visit her at the Chronic Candy booth! Tell her Tony and The Low End Theory sent ya!!! Ladies and gents, meet Anastasia!

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Take Care

1. Over My Dead Body
2. Shot For Me
3. Headlines
4. Crew Love (Feat. The Weeknd)
5. Take Care (Feat. Rihanna)
6. Marvin's Room / Buried Alive Interlude (ft Kendrick Lamar)
7. Under Ground Kings
8. We'll Be Fine
9. Make Me Proud (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
10. Lord Knows (Feat. Rick Ross)
11. Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude
12. Doing It Wrong
13. The Real Her (Feat. Lil Wayne & Andre 3000)
14. HYFR (Hell Ya Fuckin Right) (Feat. Lil Wayne)
15. Look What You've Done
16. Practice
17. The Ride

It's been roughly ten days since Drake released his album, Take Care and I've had quite a few listens. My initial listen left much to be desired, so I gave it some time to sink in before immediately bashing it here in The Low End Theory. I've never been big on Drake as I feel a lot of artificialness and I don't take kindly to that. It has been said that this album is much different than his previous because he had a lot of his own input on it in terms of songs chosen and watching over the album as a whole. Let's see if 2011 was better to him and if Take Care changed my mind about the kid from Degrassi.

We start with Drake addressing his haters in "Over My Dead Body." The beat is slow and piano laden which you would think sets the tone for the rest of the album as we get a slow-engineered song with a fast paced rap over it. Boy was I wrong. This juxtaposition works sometimes, in this case it's shoddy. You can also see this in a majority of the tracks on the album such as "Underground Kings," "Shot for Me" and "HYFR." The instrumentals are better served for an R&B album and a lot of times, this album seems to try to be just that; an R&B album.

We hit a highlight in "Headlines," the first single with some tight knit production from Boi-1da where the Drake that I know (and admittedly, the one I like the best) is full force. The man who knows where he's at with lines like "I know I exaggerated things, now I got it like that/Tuck my napkin in my shirt cuz I'm just mobbin like that." Arrogance is essential in this game, and it works out so well with Drake because it fits. It's when he goes soft on the remaining tracks that is upsetting. Even the cover boasts a man surrounded by riches and a relatively lofty setting, but is sad. It begs for us to feel sorry for this young guy who is surrounded by success. We just can't buy it, Drake.

There is a place for songs like "Take Care" where Rihanna gets chorus duty and they create a song that, I feel, is pretty strong all things considered. But it's the fact that the entire album, with a few noticeable exceptions, is this and unfortunately for Drake, Rihanna is not on all of them. Drake takes chorus duty on more than half the tracks where he sings more than he raps in some cases. Drake doesn't need to be singing because when he does, it feels forced. Stick to rapping and guest spots such as in "Crew Love" with The Weeknd, which just worked.
In terms of guest spots, Nicki helps him out on a track with some average Minaj lyrics, Wayne shows up on two tracks, but only barely and Birdman shows up to shout, quite possibly, the most asinine statements at the end of "We'll Be Fine." Tell me, Birdman, which song on this album can be considered "Gangsta Shit?" Seriously, that bugged me.

All in all, this album is far too confused to make any long lasting impact. Drake said that he wanted to drop the club bangers and focus more on story-telling, but the stories he's telling have no depth to it whatsoever. They are all very cliché and seem fraudulent above all else. I feel that women are going to love this album, and men will play a couple of tracks at a relatively low volume in their car or whenever a group of ladies come to the crib, but by and large this will be forgotten. Come for "Headlines," stay for the bad ass Interlude from Kendrick Lamar, "Buried Alive" and give The Weeknd some respect with "Crew Love." Other than that, wait till you get dumped or have a self-esteem complex to throw this album on it its entirety.

Overall Rating: 6.0



Now the funny thing about today's segment is that usually Tony and I don't talk about what we have in store for The Low End Theory until maybe the day before or even the day of. Sometimes we'll surprise each other with the same idea! We have this weird co-writer connection that allows us to write about the very same exact thing! It's happened more than once and we've had to switch up a bit and it's happening more frequently! So here it is, MY top 5 names in hip hop I'm EVER SO THANKFUL FOR!


#5: MURS

Definitely gotta give it up to my first true love, when it came to underground hip hop. Ever since I heard him I knew my passion for underground hip was bound to skyrocket, somewhat like his career. Thank you MURS, for opening the gateway to my love for underground hip hop and inspiring me to make something of MY career!


#4: A Tribe Called Quest

Hell, where do you think we got our column name from? These men, ladies and gentlemen, are the epitome of
HIP HOP. Need I say more?


#3: J. Dilla

Without this man and his production, I feel not a lot of hip hop would be where it is today. His unique beats give any artist's lyrical content life, and give me ultimate happiness. So with this I say…THANK YOU, JAY DEE.


#2: Lauryn Hill

Yet another inspirational artist I definitely have to pay a massive amount of gratitude to. Without the lovely Ms. Hill, I would have never known the principles of empowerment, and inspiration. I thank her for the times I used to be down and out and she'd provide the comfort and words to pick me right back up again. She taught me to love myself before I could love anyone else, and also to make sure no one ever stood in the way of what I believed in. Truly mad mad crazy stupid love for this woman. Thank you Ms. Hill.


#1: Notorious BIG

Considering that we live in a Tupac vs. Biggie world, I have to give it up to my initial inspiration for loving the hip hop game right here and right now. Now when I say initial, I mean like listening to this man at the mere age of 7. I'm pretty sure at that time I had Barbies & Biggie under the same category on my Xmas List. I'm thankful for the inspiration and love for hip hop I have that just keeps growing today, and it wouldn't have been possible without him today.

I'd like to thank everyone for joining us yet again over at The Low End Theory and for Walter Reyes and Hop, this is Tony Acero wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!