Adventures In Elysian Fields: My Summer Song (2007 Version)

Posted by MSD on 07.18.2007

Every summer has a soundtrack. This is mine.

I told God I'll be back in a second
Man, it's so hard not to act reckless.
To whom much is given, much is tested
Get arrested, guess until he get the message…
* Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

Every summer has a soundtrack. It's personal as much as it's preferential. Anytime in the future you may hear this song, it will be like a tiny time capsule in your mind. Maybe it's a song that just happens to be playing in the background of a euphoric or traumatic moment, and the impact is purely coincidental. Or maybe it's the words to your life written up to this point. When you hear this song you think it was made for you.

It's 2007 and we still at war. At war with the world, at war with the Middle East and at war with ourselves. It's a race for 2nd place and I'm still trying to play catch up. Summer of 2007 finds me getting closer to death, this being my 27th year on the planet. I got a toddler, a wifey, another baby on the way and a brand new pad. I'm working overtime just to stay on the grind. A month or so ago I was on my way home from my second job at 10:00 pm EST, stressing as usual. I heard my joint for the first time on 88.9 @ Nite (Boston's realest radio station). "I feel the pressure – under more scrutiny. And what I do? Act more stupidly". Here am I am stoned as usual; the only way to tread water. I'm free for now but I still feel trapped. In these situations I always find myself drifting towards some unforeseeable future. One that's not clearly defined but promises a silver lining. I mean, it can't get much worse than this can it? A better tomorrow, a sliver of hope. "Wait till I get my money right" I always find myself saying. This song struck a chord in me.

One of the lead singles off his upcoming album Graduation, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" is another in a long line of Kanye instant classics. It drips with bulletproof vulnerability, and gives hope to the impoverished masses without sounding preachy. Nowadays it seems Hip Hop has forgotten its roots, with more and more rappers bragging about trivial materialistic conquests while the rest of us keep struggling for crumbs. I feel disowned by Hip Hop when I hear songs telling me "take your broke ass home". My beautiful wifey – God bless her – has stayed by my side through thick and thin. But it's mostly been thin, and I owe her the world. "Wait till I get my money right" I've always told her. "I'll buy you the moon and stars".

Say what you want about Mr. West personally, but he makes some damn fine music. I could care less about what he wears (unlike Beanie Sigel), I could care less about who he pals around with (Tom Cruise, Prince William). On that night riding home from my second job, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" was the first song on the radio. Fate or coincidence? I took it as a sign that my life was finally on the right track. I started daydreaming again. I can't wait to tell my daytime boss to shove it. Fuck you and your shitty job with no raises or self respect. I refuse to subject myself to your condescending criticism and petty insults any further. "Excuse me, is you saying something? Naaaah, you ain't saying NOTHING!"

So finally, some good news. The week of July 4th I get put on to this OTHER other job that is too good to be true. I seen the paper check potential with my own eyes, so this ain't no "you can make $80 grand your first year!" pipe dream – it's the real deal. I do what I gotta do to nail this job, and suddenly my long time dreams seem right within grasp. It's an inside sales job with limitless potential. It's all incoming calls, so no more of that annoying cold calling shit. My prayers have been answered, my dreams and fantasies of living comfortably suddenly seem within reach. My very first night of training, I'm leaving at 12:00 am EST (that's midnight, after a 17 hour day between both jobs) and the FIRST thing I hear on 88.9 @ Nite is my song. "I'm just saying how I feel man – I ain't one of the Cosbys, I ain't go to Hillman". That's what the fuck I'm talking about – wait till I get my money right. Then you can't tell me NOTHING! I'm tired of my bosses dissing me. I'm tired of my managers telling me I can't find another job for $12 bucks an hour, cuz I'm a muthaphuckkin dropout. Telling me I ain't shit. When I get my money right, these bitches can't tell me NOTHING! I'm on the fast track to success. I've only got to wait another 90 days for my benefits to kick in, and I'm adopting my new second job as my one permanent job.

So the Summer of 2007, to me, will always be remembered as the summer I finally woke up and got a career – not just another job. Instead of waiting to get my money right, I'm making it happen. My path is set, my goals clearly defined. "Old folks talking about "back in my day"… but homie this is my day…" I can't wait to get my money right, get my girl everything she deserves. Pay the bills on time, maybe even get a few extra things for myself. Feed my family, keep the lights on. I have hope for the future.

But on my second day of training I got fired.

Dirty urine does it again. Damn. Now it's back to the drawing board, and this sinkhole of depression that is my life. And once again I find myself drifting off towards that indefinable future. The one where my prayers are answered and my tensions relieved. "Let the champagne splash, let this man get cash…. La la la laaaaah. Wait till I get my money right.


HOT SAUCE TO GO

Jadakiss and two other men will stand trial for weapons charges stemming from an October arrest, in which police recovered a stolen handgun in the vehicle 32-year-old rap star was traveling in.

Jadakiss, born Jason Phillips, and three others were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in October 2006, when police stopped a 2006 Toyota Camry and were greeted with the smell of marijuana. When police searched the vehicle, they found a stolen .38 caliber handgun in the center console. According to the Journal News, the car belonged to the driver of the Camry's girlfriend.

When police conducted DNA tests on sweat found on the weapon, the results concluded that three unknown individuals had handled the weapon. Still, prosecutors will try the rapper on the gun charges. "He had no knowledge of the gun in the car," Phillips' lawyer, Clement Patti, said. "They're saying that there's a presumption (of possession) ... but with no fingerprints, (others') DNA, in the interest of justice they should dismiss the charges."

The driver of the Camry, Darnell Frazier, 25, faces weapons charges in addition to driving while ability impaired by marijuana. Frazier served three years in prison for stabbing a man to death who insulted his rapping. One of the four occupants testified in front of a grand jury and does not have to stand trial. Jadakiss is due in court in August.


MSD's BOOTLEG MAGAZINE STAND
"I read ‘em so you don't have to!"
Never one to pass up on entertainment literature but one who's alwayz short on cash, I've got your cost-friendly alternative right here. MSD presents to you another Must See Deal. Basically, I figured out an ill scheme to come up on as many free magazines as you can count on your local newsstand. Email me for details. I'll be passing on the savings to you by reading them so you don't have to. This is the part of the show where I put my "Eric Bischoff broadcasting taped RAW results" toupee on. Enjoy.

THE SOURCE
July 2007 has T.I. and DJ Drama on the cover (excuse me – "DJ Dram"). Chingo Bling is dropping They Can't Deport Us All on August 14th and there's a sick ad for Canibus' For Whom The Beat Tolls. Saigon promises completion of his album in the "Back To the Lab Diary Series". The Runners get "Critical Beatdown" and Grund Puba earns "Hip Hop 101". In "Off The Radar", Joell Ortiz, Jay Rock (from Watts, CA) and Hieroglyphic native A Plus all get their shine. Shop Boyz, Baby Boy da Prince and Grafh get full-page write ups in "Microphone Check". In "Keynote Speaker", Talib Kweli talks about being too smart for this industry, while Mike Jones is very "Image Conscious". Bun B holds it down for a conspicuously absent Pimp C in the UGK feature "Thy Kingdom Come" (and the author is pissed Pimp C skipped the interview). In the cover story, T.I. gives "All of Me" while DJ Drama has his own article running horizontally across the bottom half of the article (he's officially "DJ Dram" due to copyright issues). Block Entertainment CEO Russell "Block" Spencer and his roster (Boyz n da Hood, Yung Joc) get burn in "Changing Lanes", Pat's Justice the South Central MC gets "Unsigned Hype" and Kanye's 1st verse from "Can't Tell Me Nothing" rightly earns "Hip Hop Quotable". For record ratings, T.I. gets 3 ½ for T.I. versus T.I.P., while Swizz Beats (One Man Band), Tum Tum (Eat Or Get Ate), Fabolous (From Nothin to Something) and Planet Asia (Jewelry Box Sessions) all get 3. Young Jeezy & USDA only get 2 ½ for Cold Summer and Kia Shine bottoms out with 2 for Due Season. Meanwhile, Pharoahe Monch earns 4 for Desire - the highest rating of this issue.

PEOPLE
The July 16th issue flaunts a photo of Chris Benoit on the cover, with a small inset of his son Daniel. The caption reads "FAMILY SECRETS – A son's health mystery, a rocky marriage, a looming drug scandal. Inside the wrestler's troubled world". The article itself is 6 pages long and full of photos. The information however, is nothing new to those of us who have scoured the internet since the case developed. Eddie Guerrero, Rick Rood and Curt Hennig have picture captions for their "Down for the Count" sidebar, and on old black-n-white photo of Benoit with Owen Hart from their Calgary days is shown. In another sidebar, a wrestlers life is summarized as thus – "Brutal hours, burnout but big rewards". WWE wrestler Matt Kaye is quoted as saying "we define the term "labor of love".


TWISTED, PARANOID CONSPIRACY THEORIES
This is the part of the show where I mix Rap & Ravenloft (along with copious amounts of high-grade marijuana) to formulate some off-the-wall conspiracy theories concerning the industry. Remember, in no way are these stories factual, news-worthy or even particularly sane. It just gives me an excuse to puff more weed and wonder "What If?"...

TIGHT

"Then the big thing happened, the real incident that made me separate myself from that business to the point where we became enemies. A situation happened where he (Fat Joe) swung on me. He raised his hand to me and punched me. I got up and I punched him back, and then I got sliced in my face. That was the end right there between Cuban Link and Terror Squad. That really put a punctuation mark on our relationship…
• Cuban Link interview from 2005.

For years Fat Joe has cemented his reputation as one of the "realest" characters in the rap game. And as is most usual in this Dark Powers-driven reality, the "realest gangstas" make the worst rappers. He struggled with archaic, profane lyrics that were rudimentary in their execution and failed to hit big on any of his early releases. But Joe still managed to find ways to survive in an industry that usually doesn't allow more than one miss. The best thing to ever happen to him was Big Punisher. The 900 pound rapping behemoth helped reinvent Joe once again after his street corner hood to Don Cartagena transformation failed to catch fire. Pun helped get Joe into the dance clubs and JLo remixes the mainstream had to offer. It wasn't till after Pun died that Joe went sympathy platinum with J.O.S.E. (like Diddy with No Way Out). He's been treading water ever since.

With Pun, Joe had found a kindred spirit. They were both merciless, ruthless killers who organized those around them through fear and intimidation. Even without hit records, Joe was able to maintain his lock on the rap industry. So when Pun finally came with some real heat, it strengthened their grip around the throat of Hip Hop. But when Pun died, Terror Squad did too. Slowly the group disbanded with each member going their own way, some fading into the abyss never to be seen again. Cuban Link recorded an album that was pushed back for years until he demanded his release. Joe doesn't like affronts to his power, and was disgusted by Links insubordination. He told the fledgling rapper "Cuban, you're wack, the only reason why I got you is because Pun left you in my charge…". Soon thereafter, Joe made his personal mission to stifle Cuban's career, successfully blackmailing him from the industry and burying his career. Even worse, Link was assaulted by Joe and his goons and caught a box cutter to the face.

Years later the same story played out again. After repeated album delays, Terror Squad bricks and low album sales, Remy Ma let her frustrations be known. She publicly complimented sworn enemies the G-Unit on their musical talents, earning Joe's wrath and ire. He set about creating many industry roadblocks in Remy's career, preventing her from ever recording with anybody in the G-Unit camp. The plot thickened when Remy Ma was formally dropped from Terror Squad and set adrift into industry exile. But this wasn't the end of Remy Ma. At least not yet. This is where the story gets interesting.

In the early morning hours of July 14th, there was a shooting in Manhattan. Details remain scarce, just as they should. But their comes a time in everybody's life when they either fight back or get punked. Remy Ma chose the former. Industry acquaintances of hers – planted by Fat Joe himself – have been extorting Remy for years. Outside the Pizza Bar on 8th Ave and 14th street, they came again to collect. Drunk off Moet and Henny, this time Remy balked at their $2Grand demand. Joe's bagwoman swore she'd back to collect, and skirted off into her Maxima to drum up the troops. With back-up arriving on the scene shortly thereafter, Remy Ma reacted. She bounded out of her SUV, peeled open the Maxima door and let off two shots – both plugging the driver in her gut. The remaining vehicles gave chase, zooming through the NYC like scenes from The Fast & The Furious while exchanging gunfire at high velocity. Remy's Escalade escaped their pursuers, but wound up crashing itself in all the excitement. The survivors fled the scene on foot, lucky to be alive but facing an even bigger darkness.

Recently Remy Ma turned herself in and has been charged with attempted murder. But at least she'll be safe in custody. She defied Fat Joe and Don Cartagena doesn't take disobedience lightly. If he ever gets his hands on her again, she'll wish she was staring down 25-to-life instead of a mausberg pump. Knowing nothing in life but to be legit. But don't quote me boy, cuz I ain't said shit. I've said enough already. We all know how kindly Fat Joe takes to unfounded rumors about him (just ask Elliot Wilson in the XXL offices).


A MILLION DOLLAR DEAL
One month ago, felony charges were brought against Illinois based rapper Blaxican, following a $1.3 million scam. The scam involved conning investors by falsely informing them that the funds would be used to produce an Adam Sandler movie.

Allegations by the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that the rapper, Eric Jaglicic, along with Brian Falatovich, his partner, met 27 counts of theft, deception, security and wire fraud in front a grand jury. Investigations have been on-going since November, following the re-possession of Blaxican's mansion home. The money used to buy the house and to purchase goods for the home, including a home cinema system, recording studio, games arcade, and even a pair of alligators, was all via the scam. 'The Record Deal' is the name of the film which he invented, and accusations have been made that he was actually stalking Adam Sandler. He faces 30 years imprisonment if the jury finds him guilty.


LOST in the LAB
This is the part of our show where I dig into my archives and unearth some of rap's hidden jewels. These album or song choices may be shrouded in obscurity, or on the top of everybody's "Heard Of" list. They could be a few months young, or 25 years old. But one thing is sure - it's all HIP HOP MUSIC, and it's comin live and direct from Elysian Fields!



P Cutta & DJ Drama
Street Wars Volume 18: Go Hard or Go Home
Special DJ Edition
2007

It's like DJ Drama (excuse me – "DJ Dram") says in the "Street Wars Intro" – "this is volume 18 – most of y'all other n****z don't even get to Volume 5". Longtime P-Cutta collaborator Illandise gets two verses to come off in "Feds Taking Pictures" which follows the Street Wars trend of having an underground artist start the disc. 50 Cent sets it off properly by infinitely trying to recapture his 2002 hurricane season with "Fully Loaded Clip", a song taking aim at Jay-Z, Nas, Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne for having chicks in the public eye. Shocking for the fact that he's trying to isolate himself from the Hip Hop community further, but it also seems like a forced effort to bring the oft-delayed CURTIS project back to the streets. He follows the same formula every album ("Fully Loaded Clip" is "Piggy Bank" 2007 – and both are just weak imitations of "Life on the Line"). He also lies a lot. "I'm in the streets" and "I don't smoke PCP I smoke weed" he says. Yeah right. Immediately after, Uncle Murder has a brief spoken word interlude before launching into "Got Yaself A Gun", a brutal stab at everybody from 50 Cent to Nas over the SOPRANOS-themed Nas instrumental of the same name. With lines like "I heard Cam get at Jay, it done started. The streets said it's on – Brooklyn versus Harlem/ No it ain't, it's Jay vs. Dame and the Dip Set. It ain't a borough thing, well not at least yet…" shows Uncle Murder got both feet planted deep in the streets and is taking the same route 50 Cent took four years ago. "Let's see who gonna respond, let's see who got some heart – I'mma end a niggas career and mine gonna start". It's a pretty hot track, but a Ma$e diss in 2007? Played.

"My Bitch" is Game's rendition of "I Used to Love H.E.R." with a gangsta twist. It's all subliminal metaphors, so you can make a case for him dissing anybody but most people seem to think he's talking about 50 Cent or Jay-Z. Lloyd Banks comes out of hiding with "Go Hard Or Go Home", a thunderous track with chainsaw buzz. He doesn't name names, but it's more of that "we coming to reclaim the streets" rap. The Hot 97 interview with 50 Cent discussing the Young Buck situation airs next over the previous Lloyd Banks instrumental. If you haven't heard yet, he basically disowns Buck for wanting to work with known Fiddy adversaries. He repeats the same sentiments in the newest issue of XXL as well. Game comes back again with the high-octane banger "Body Bags" which could've grown to be a West Coast anthem if it weren't just another rehash of his 50 Cent feud. But lines like "naaa we don't get down like that – but 50's mamma, we'll put you in the ground like that!" are some of the dirtiest blows yet in their years-long battle. This song is a few months old now, but still fresh in the STREET WARS rotation.

DJ Drama speaks briefly on the STREET WARS legacy before Young Buck tears into "Teach em Bout Playing", a song that addresses the fractures in G-Unit without taking it to the point of no return. Afterwards, the recorded radio conversation of Young Buck offering to fight Game at a club is replayed. Next up underground veteran Ankh Amen Ra reminds us "Hip Hop Is Outta Control (part 2)" while Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne conjure up hype for their I Can't Feel My Face project by tackling the "Black Republicans" theme. Memphis Bleek keeps the same beat playing immediately after with his own version of the Jay-Z/Nas collaboration. Hell Rell spits fiya on "Cock A Fella", taking shots at Tru Life and Jigga (while asking Memphis why he keeps getting robbed in Brooklyn).

Beanie Sigel is up next with a throwback to his old DPG collaboration with "Creep Low", still holding it down for the R-O-C. Illanoise shows up again with "Eat Em Alive", which revolves around a 50 Cent sample from "What Up Gangsta" ("I'll cut ‘ya, gun butt ya or buck ya – you getting money, I can't get none with ya then fuck ya"). Immediately after, they run the 50 Cent/Cam'Ron volley with "Funeral Music" and "Curtis" respectively. Oldies but goodies. Five hits with "Some N****s", Ankh Amen Ra is back with another reminder that "Hip Hop Is Outta Control" and DJ Drama speaks on the January 16th raid that threatened to shut down his operations ("Hip Hop wouldn't be Hip Hop without mixtapes"). Speaking of Hip Hop, Jay-Z vocals get teamed up with Styles P and 2Pac for "Good Old Days" over a very familiar beat that I know I've heard before but can't think of the title right now. But Pac's verse is from "Old School" off Me Against The World. Cassidy helps "Get Retarded", Massachusetts own Terminology sprays "55 DJ's" by naming DJs like GZA lit up record labels on "Labels". The LOX tell the streets "We're Back" with some old school shit, while Papoose brings the "Black Republican" beat BACK for the third time on this disc with his "Black Democrat" freestyle. Uncle Murder loads another one in the chamber with "Boy Looka Here", Joe Buddens freestyles for the hell of it over the same beat as "Boy Looka Here" and Lord Finesse teams up with Grand Puba for the beautiful "Real Talk (Legends)". They do not sound out of place in 2007, believe me. Willie da Kid gives a "Warning" and Ca$hmere wraps it all up with "Fake Friends"

Some of the tracks are old already, but the novelty of having P-Cutta team with DJ Drama for a "Special DJ Edition" of the popular street series is worth the price of admission alone. But aside from a few general pieces here and there, the actual heart of the disc (the actual "beefs") are more of the same old same old from the usual cast and crew. G-Unit/Game, Dip Set/Roc a Fella, 50 Cent/Cam'Ron. Heard it all before. And did we really need to hear the "Black Republicans" beat THREE times on this CD? Overkill. My favorite tracks are the Uncle Murder freestyle "Got Yaself A Gun", "Real Talk (Legends)" by Lord Finesse & Grand Puba and the creative "50 DJs" by my boy Terminology. As usual, STREET WARS is a very entertaining product from beginning to end, but very low in replay value. Bump it once or twice and gawk at the gunplay that makes rap both so exciting and mundane at the same time. By discs end you'll be ready for some muthaphuckkin broccoli or something. Overall I give it 6.5 grams on the old digital scale. Not phat, but worth it for a quick high.