Loop Diggin’ Thursdays, News & Rants 03.09.06
Posted by Phil Watts, Jr on 03.09.2006
The Rebuilding of the Source and the Juice Crew. Plus, new projects from Median, L.E.G.A.C.Y., and Common. Oh...and KRS GOES BONKERS!
"The reports you've heard are true! Right now we are in the beginning stages of a new era at your favorite magazine. The old CEO (Dave Mays), as usual, followed the old president (you know, the wannabe rapper) up outta here when they were unceremoniously shown the door. And with them leaves the overabundance of self-promoting ads, one-sided agendas, and, of course, the beef.
So for those that stuck with us through the hard times and focused on the book's positives, I thank you. And for those of our readership that the mag somehow offended with its missteps, I speak for everyone here when I offer a sincere apology. Now, let me take a second to welcome you to...the NEW/OLD Source.
By (‘NEW/OLD Source') what I mean is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel. In fact, the format and formula were well established long ago. It's probably the reason that you fell in love with the 'little magazine that could' in the first place. But through recent years, a lot of changes took place and quite frankly, many of them were for the worse. So in ushering the new era of the Source Magazine, my dedicated staff of Hip-Hop ridahs are simply calling on the past to help shape the future. We reminisce in order to revitalize. It's really a beautiful concept if you think about it. The Source, as you once knew it, is back!" (Jeremy "J-Mills" Miller, former Source MindSquad member and current Source CEO and President.)
These were the opening paragraphs to the ALL NEW POST-BENZINO-ERA SOURCE MAGAZINE (in stores now, with the UnderGround Kings on the cover). Since J-Mills was a part of the Source MindSquad, the collective of writers and editors that helped make the Source the great magazine that it once was, I do have some hope that they'll get the magic back. But like I said months ago, it's going to be an uphill battle to get there. Remember, the Source is still millions in depth (and still pretty thin as well), and still has a bad stigma to shake off...not to mention a certain washed-up never-was-shit rapper threatening to come back to the Source offices ("Call me 'ZINO THE GREAT', cuz I'm coming ON A FUCKIN' HORSE!!")
Aside from all that, the new issue does have to decent stuff in it. Cam'Ron is still yappin' about Jigga (Look man...you don't have to deal with Jigga no more. Just move on, Cam! PLEASE?), Chino XL's new album POISON PEN, DMC's upcoming album CHECKS, THUGS, AND ROCK & ROLL (I know he can't do the old school shit no more because of voice problems, but if that 'sitting on the lawn' shit is the best he can do, he needs to lay off!), The UGK speaks on their struggles with the FBI and Jive Records, and reviews on El the Sensei, Dilated Peoples (they must not have heard the same CD I did), Tek of Smif N Wessun, and the Public Enemy/Paris colabo.
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Speaking of rebuilding past glories...
MC Shan and Roxanne Shante plan on rebuilding the ALMIGHTY JUICE CREW. For those not in the know, The Juice Crew is probably the illest collective of MC's ever assembled, who's members included:
BIG DADDY KANE
KOOL G. RAP
BIZ MARKIE
CRAIG G
MASTER ACE
TRAGEDY THE INTELLIGENT HOODLUM
All under the production backing of DJ MARLEY MARL, the GODFATHER of modern-day beatmaking.
Since all of these guys have pretty much moved on, Shan and Shante are looking to rebuild the Juice Crew with young fresh talent. Shan was in an interview with Davey D (DaveyD.com) and told him the following about the new Juice crew:
"We can make it any ole' crew, but we want to make it something people know so it can carry on the legacy of the original crew. The new Juice Crew will be something different; not the 'I slang drugs, I got jewelry' rhymes; it'll be more talented artists."
Uh...Shan? I don't know if your memory is working right...but you do know that Kool G Rap did talk about slangin' rock a lot on his old records, right? And you do know that Kane did rock mad jewelry, right?
So to all you young hopefuls who want to be a part of something big, I advise you to take ONE LONG LOOK at all those names I listed up there and realize that you will have some MASSIVE PAIRS OF SHOES TO FILL. If you feel that you are up to the challenge, then send your submissions to TheJuiceCrew@hotmail.com.
GOOD LUCK...you are going to need it.
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Common, nearly a year after the release of one of his most successful albums to date (BE) is returning to the studio to work on his next album...FINDING FOREVER.
"The title is about creating music that can be here forever, music that can last," he told Billboard. "I'm just trying to find that place. I find that, with the albums, they just start shaping themselves.The sky's the limit," he said. "With this album, I feel like I can have a million records sold, Grammys, BET Awards and some top 10 singles. There are no limitations. I just gotta make the music from the heart and let the rest take its course."
For this album, Common is still working with the man that helped make his last album a success, Kanye West (and hopefully, he will STAY OUT OF THE VOCAL BOOTH this time! His verse in "They Say" is pure shit.) He also wants to work with Dr. Dre:
"I would love to work with Dr. Dre because it'll be something fresh for me because I feel like he's someone who is a classic producer. I like people who can consistently do it throughout time and be great and I feel that Dr. Dre is one of those individuals."
Uh...I don't know about that one. There is only ONE WAY, and I mean ONE WAY a Common/Dre colab would work. If this was the 100 MILES AND RUNNIN'/NIGGAZ4LIFE Dr. Dre of the early 90's and Common makes another song like his "Stolen Moments" series (ONE DAY IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE), this shit would be ill ass fuck! THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE! Think of some of those beats that he did before the Death Row era. A less-conscious Com would've been a perfect fit over them. Too bad that Dr. Dre found his inner Mozart and thinks he's Dr. ORCHESTRATER, and since then, his beats ranged from ‘just okay' (Game's DOCUMENTARY; Dre‘s CHRONIC 2001) to ‘downright awful' (most of his shit with Eminem)...which will translate to ‘FILLER' on a Common album.
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Last year around this time, Median of the Justus League released his EP, THE PATH TO RELIEF. On the last song of the EP, he asks the question, "Will the MEDIAN'S RELIEF album ever hit the streets?" One year later, he gets signed to Halftooth Records, the label which is also the home of Low Budget Entertainment, the crew that features Kenn Starr, Oddisee, and Kev Brown. David Schrager, president of Halftooth Records, had this to say about his new acquisition:
"Median brings his own unique sound and vibe, he is a perfect fit for Halftooth Records. Low Budget and The Justus League are two of the most talented and groundbreaking Hip-Hop crews to emerge since the legendary Native Tongues in the early ‘90s, and we are very happy to now be a part of both of these growing movements of incredible artists."
In other words, "Yes."
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Speaking of Justus League, L.E.G.A.C.Y. was recently interviewed by B-Moore on his website (B-Moore.net). Weird thing is, this came about when B-Moore wrote a rather scathing review of L.E.G.A.C.Y.'s album, PROJECT MAYHEM, and Leg wasn't too happy about it. After a bunch of bitching from both parties on TheJustusLeague.com message board, cooler heads prevailed...resulting in this interview.
If you remember, his album was released last year by 6 Hole Records as part of a 3-album bundle pack, right along with The Away Team's NATIONAL ANTHEM and 9th Wonder's DREAM MERCHANT VOL. 1. While I thought it was a nifty idea, obviously, LEG wasn't too crazy about it:
"They dropped the ball as far as promotion and push. I mean my album came out the first time as a triple pack, ok, cute whatever. I had to tell people when my album came out by itself a couple months later. I never got my own posters, nothing. I have a following, they just fucked up. The triple pack joint, I was never behind that. It seemed like a good idea at the time but I was never wit it. You got to look at it, there are people that fuck with Away Team but don't fuck with me and vice versa. No one really wanted that old 9th Wonder shit (DREAM MERCHANT VOL 1), lets be real. It was a good idea man, but it is what it is. 6 Hole, they done to me. They been done with me. I got the utmost for Desi Relaford (president of 6 Hole Records); make sure you put that in. He's the financier. But you got these two dudes who were handling business transactions with HOJ (Hall Of Justus Records) but they fucked up so fuck them and I'll always stick with that."
He's also not to happy about the fact that critics have preconceived notions about his just because he's connected to the trio Little Brother, when his style is different: "I got painted into a wall because Little Brother popped off first. A lot people looked for more of a Little Brother style. We are two different kinds of music. I'm a lot darker. I'm more abrasive. I felt disrespected, disrespected is a better word than slighted. That's just how it is. It's just because LB popped off first so [fans] think that we all are supposed to sound alike."
He also talks about his upcoming colab project with fellow Leaguer Chaundon to form THE EMBASSY, as well as a new LEG mixtape called WHUTT THE MIXTAPE which are slated for April. Oh...and he's thinking about getting into acting, too.
You can check out the rest of the Interview at B-Moore.net.
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This past weekend, a Hip-Hop panel discussion was held at Stamford University. Many Hip-Hop artists (most of them being pioneers) as well as many journalists took part in this event...one of the participants being, KRS One. Unfortunately, in an event that was supposed to promote the free exchange of thoughts and ideas, as well as peace in the hip-hop community, became the scene of another NIGGA MOMENT...
Writer Adisa Banjoko, who also participated in this discussion, Had a few altercations with KRS stemming from a piece that he wrote questioning KRS and his whole "Hip-Hop is a culture" philosophy, which could be read at LyricalSwords.com. KRS, who has had a history of finding peaceful, thought-provoking ways of dealing with people that question his iron-clad philosophies, handles the situation the best way he knows how:
"What I want to do...
...is JUMP ACROSS THIS TABLE AND BEAT YOUR FUCKIN' ASS!!!!!!!"
WOW...just....WOW.
Damn, Kris. What the fuck?!
It's like this. I don't know the circumstances behind this outburst, and frankly, I DON'T CARE. I don't give a shit what Adisa wrote about him, KRS knew GODDAMN WELL he could've handled it better than that! If Kris wants to know why nobody takes his viewpoints seriously anymore, THIS is a perfect example! I remember this interview with Freddie Foxxx (a.k.a. Bumpy Knuckles), who once colabbed with KRS, and even HE doesn't agree with some of KRS's bullshit. I think it's time Bumpy stepped to him about that shit. I DARE Kris try to tell HIM he's gonna beat his ass!
Damn, Kris....how low can you go!
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And that's it for this week. I definitely need some time to compose myself after that one.
