The 37th Chamber 05.07.08: First Impressions

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 05.07.2008

Approaching a new artist can be a difficult process, especially if it's someone who a friend has recommended. How should you proceed? Plus: Lyrics Born gets The 37th Chamber treatment and "Crank That"...spoken word style.

I think I may just be the luckiest guy on Earth right about now. Why, just this week, I've won the lottery FOUR times in countries I haven't been to in years, with tickets I don't even remember purchasing! THEN, I got contacted by five different war widows, a Church and the United Bank of Saudi Arabia, all wanting to give me enormous sums of money!

Naturally, with all this money, I'll be able to buy myself some $25,000 "escorts" and I may need help in the bedroom…lo and behold, Viagra tablets for only $10 each! With all this good luck floating around…WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TURN MY BLOODY SPAM FILTER BACK ON!

Before we get into the thick of things, check out yours truly in this weeks Top 5 Embarrassing Albums. I've mentioned a couple of them here before but there's one that's a fairly recent addition to my collection and should be an example to you all about taking jokes too far.

Speaking of jokes, for those that have seen both of these shows, what do you think is better?
For What It's Worth or Killing Them Softly by Dave Chappelle?

Reader Feedback
(May be edited for spelling, grammar etc.)

"Haha that Akon/T-pain video is a classic, I have it on my MySpace page... Corner Store Classic is serious, i haven't gotten around to grabbin the iTunes remix version yet... this whole "retiring" thing is becoming its own gimmick, if rappers aren't talkin about retiring themselves then they're talking about how other rappers *should* retire, has some serious nerve to try to tell somebody when to give up their love... did you grab the new Roots album yesterday? i would have but a dude has to wait till the next check lol" - Guest#3104

Guys! Post a nickname or something, I don't like calling people "Guest#XYZ" etc., makes it feel all very robotic if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I'll be checking out the iTunes remix version…didn't know that was actually out. Retiring really is a gimmick. Look at the WWE, there are "Retirement" matches or "Loser Leaves (insert brand name)" and within a few months or even weeks, the wrestler has turned up on a different brand. In hip-hop, I think it's clearly being used as a marketing ploy in some cases. Lupe and Game are two prime examples of rappers who I think will be back sooner rather than later.

The problem I feel is that the temptation to return is too great. In hip-hop, a lot of emphasis is placed upon a rapper's impact, i.e. what will they be remembered for. Another issue I think is that the rapper's ego won't let them retire, especially if they hail themselves as being the greatest thing since the microwave oven.

"The new Roots album is dope fo sho.

I don't care how long your in the game, just advance your game. If you're 45 and still talking about killin then you need to quit. Rappers should be able to write about different things when they get older. Spittin that gangsta shit gets you nowhere (Mobb Deep anyone?)

Top ten lists are ok, but you should keep t fresh with different ones. Please don't do the top ten best MC's, keep doing shit like the top ten best punchlines, or the top ten most lyrical songs.

Good read this week keep it up." - SYC

I'll be aiming at getting the new Roots album soon, I just have to find a day when I can spare a few hours...probably in a few weeks time unfortunately as I've got two assignments to work on and of course, final exams coming up in June so the panic button is primed and ready.

I agree that maturity on the mic is one of the most important things and is a reason why I can't stand rappers that constantly rap about gangsta topics. There's nothing wrong with making gangsta rap, I'm not going to criticize somebody for their choice in music, but I will get frustrated when 4 albums in, you're still rapping about the same old shit you were in your debut. Change things up, rap about how you've moved ON from that life now that you've gotten on and you're getting paid legit now. There's nothing more embarrassing in my mind than picturing 50 Cent 10 years from now, STILL rapping about the same stuff he is now and yes, I am 99% certain that unless somebody offs him first, he will be.

Ok, no Top 10 MCs list, but you have given me an awesome idea for possibly the week after next once the assignment front calms down. I think it might be hard to get a list out for the best punchlines, but there's a number of guest verses that stick out in my mind so that could make for an interesting read.

"Jean Grae is a different situation than Lupe and the Game. She has 2 albums sitting on the shelf, she can't buy a release date. It's a shame she can't get a guy like Talib Kweli to release her music, she really doesn't have a chance to succeed." - Guest

Honestly, if Talib can't wrangle a release date for her under his own imprint, I don't know what will. She has had a number of mixtape-y albums released and I think I saw one at a shop once and thought it must have been somebody else I was thinking of (and naturally, the next time I was at the shop it was gone). There's quite a lot of material available on the net, including an early bootleg version of the collaboration album with 9th Wonder she was working on (and is a damn fine listen). I think she'll be back though, as she doesn't have enough external ventures to keep her occupied, and people like her truly LOVE the hip-hop game.

Take Jay-Z for example. If he was to retire, and actually, STAY retired, he's got his vodka, nightclubs, record label and Beyonce etc. all to keep him occupied. Jean Grae…doesn't really have anything.

"This by far has got to be one of the dumbest idiots that walks around on this planet right now. In the midst of everything that has taken place involving Sean Bell and the authorities, the best thing that this IDIOT Shamel Mackie could come up with is, "I'll put that ass in the back of that ambulance".

Shamel, I hope you read this. You are an absolute stupid, immature, uneducated, brainless retard. I really hope their comes a time when idiots like you can grow up. I mean, does it take a complete whole generation before you act as though you are not total retards??? I guess its true what they say. Common sense is not common. And to all those that don't know, the idiots real name is Shamel Mackie...So I am damn sure not callin him no damn Papoose...Damn loser....Man...don't you just love freedom of speech???" - Jay Rock

When I first started reading this, I thought you were talking about me and I was thinking "that's a bit harsh…it's not even an opinion-based piece I'm writing…it's news" then I finished the second line and felt a lot better.

It really is stupid for Pap to be talking about the Sean Bell case, then making a song like "Ambulance". It's sad, because Papoose, to me, displays many of the elements that made Big L so entertaining. To hear him then contradict himself and make other outlandish statements (which he's done in the past) makes me frustrated that he can't seem to focus on anything for too long. It IS called "freedom" of speech though so he's entitled to his opinions, even if they are extremely confusing at times.

"Samuel Jackson WAS in Iron Man. It's a bonus ending after the credits, my friend." - Jamal

Jamal, you made my day when I read this. I'm going to catch Iron Man as soon as I can, probably on the same day as when I get the new Roots album as the cinemas are but a stones throw away from the CD store.

Taking It Underground

Week before last I got an email from a reader named CJ who asked me to check out an album by a guy called Lyrics Born titled Same Shit Different Day (SSDD). I've mentioned a couple of times that if anybody wants something reviewed, I'm more than happy to give it a listen and either write up a proper review for 411 (if it's a new release) or talk about it here if it's a bit older.

If you read the Top 5 feature from last week (Top 5 Favorite Artists), you'll notice that I was put onto my favorite artist after reading a review by Aaron Cameron who used to write here. I emailed him about Canibus and he convinced me to give his work a listen and I haven't looked back since. Since I got into hip-hop, I've found a lot of my favorite artists end up being the result of a suggestion or recommendation from another person.

I've just checked my Inbox (after deleting an email from a Russian girl looking for love) and discovered he's sent me a long list of some more artists, some I've heard of and been meaning to check out for some time. Remember a couple of months back I was running an ongoing spotlight of sorts and then it kind of fizzled out? I think it's time to "unretire" it.

SSDD was released in 2005 and mainly contains remixed tracks with a few original pieces thrown in. I haven't listened to any of the original tracks of those that are remixed, so this was a nice fresh experience.

For those who love the glossy production styles of Danja or Dr. Dre, look elsewhere. For those who love the old-school sounding DJ Premier style scratches, you'll love the production on this album. Believe it or not though, there's not one Premier beat to be found on the album but I had to frequently double check to make sure. Yes, the scratch work is done that well.

LB has an energetic style (and actually reminds me a lot of Brother Ali) and the best tracks on the album reflect that. There were a couple of tracks that were slower and I didn't end up liking them as much. "Over You" was way too slow for my liking and "I Can't Wait For Your Love" was brought down by the production a little as it didn't really hit you like a lot of the other stuff does.

That said, I loved pretty much everything else. "Hello [Remix]" is a great introduction to LB if you're unfamiliar with him and it's a straight up showcase of his skills. Following that is my favorite track, "Pack Up [Remix]" as KRS, Evidence (of Dilated Peoples) and LB rip into the mic about what else, MC-ing. "The Last Trumpet" is a more politically charged track, but doesn't drift into the "I'll beat you over the head with my opinion until you believe what I say" territory that a lot of other political rap does. Lateef and LB step up their flows, not quite triple-cadence, but definitely a lot faster than their normal style and it's another standout track.

I actually enjoyed the track "Callin Out" despite an E-40 appearance! Those that know me, know my hate for E-40 so I was pretty skeptical going into this track, but the appearance is kept short and sweet and E-40 doesn't mention Jesus' choice of hairstyle at any point so I was content.

If you're a fan of Brother Ali you'll definitely enjoy this album. I've found that's a bit more accessible than most underground albums you'll come across too so if you're slightly put off by that stigma, then I'd advise you to let go of those inhibitions and give this a listen. Using our 411-review scale, it's a solid 8.5, brought down only slightly by that one aforementioned track, and the production on a couple of the songs.

So in closing this week, thanks CJ as LB has another new fan!

The Rant

I think it's a good time to look at some of the reasons I come across when talking to other people as to why they're reluctant on two fronts: 1) reluctance to listen to artists suggested by others and 2) reluctance to listen to ‘underground' albums.

First off, you have to remember that nobody is forcing you to listen to anything but most importantly, if you DO decide to listen to something, don't be an ass if you don't like it. There's nothing worse than getting really excited about a new artist or album, only to have somebody slam it in front of you without any justifiable reason.

Justifiable reason in my opinion is CLEARLY stating, using proper justification (not "it sucked cause it doesn't sound like Scott Storch's beats") WHY you didn't like something. It's what makes reviewing difficult as you have to ensure that people reading will be able to walk away feeling content that you still have a respect for the music despite your criticisms.

I still respect Soulja Boy as he's only 17 and rapping about topics that would be fairly synonymous with a 17 yr old's life and he isn't trying to be a thug or a gangsta. I respect the fact that whilst the beats he produced were fairly repetitive and a bit bland, he actually took the time to produce them himself. I couldn't stand the album after listening to it three times though.

So, with all this in mind, let's go over some tactics you can use if you have a friend suggest something to you that you either don't want to listen to, or having listened to, didn't like.

First scenario: Somebody recommends some random-ass artist you've never heard of.

Well, the Internet is your best friend in this case. If the artist is remotely known, there's a damn good chance that they will have a page or two on Wikipedia. Whilst the information on Wikipedia isn't always 100% accurate, usually the albums released and musical style mentioned will be. You'll probably also see artists that the rapper has collaborated with or if they produce/write on the side, artists they've performed those services for. You never know, they might have written your favorite Dr. Dre track!

At this point, you still either hate the sound of the artist, or want to check out more from them.

Your next step either way, should be Amazon.com or some other site that will allow streaming of songs. I say Amazon.com as it usually has a short snippet and won't take forever to download on a slower connection speed, plus the song is usually what it says it will be as you can come across tracks that aren't titled correctly.

This is really your final step at this point as you'll now either hate the rapper or you'll be encouraged to check out more from them.

If you hate the rapper, the best way to approach your friend who's recommended them ISN'T to come out saying "man that was CRAP! What the hell made you think I'd like that?" Rather, you should say something along the lines of "I didn't really like their lyrical style/the production they used/their lyrical content" and you can say this with confidence as you HAVE actually listened to some of their work and found it not to your liking.

I love Eazy-E's work, but many people I know have a problem with his voice, and I'll admit, it is a little comical when it comes to gangsta rap. Another artist is Twista as 9 times out of 10 you get bombarded with words at 100 miles an hour and you have no idea if what he was saying was the lyrical equivalent of the Mona Lisa, or a detailed account of taking a crap at 4 in the morning.

By this point, it's usually good to name an artist that YOU like or a musical style you appreciate as this gives your friend an idea as to what kind of artists you may like in the future. For example, somebody thought I might like the Insane Clown Posse because they appear on ONE friggin track on this compilation album called "Rapped In Plaztik" I bought a couple of years back. I HATE the ICP because I find their style irritating, their lyrical content ridiculous and their makeup plain stupid, but that's just my opinion after all. Anyway, I failed to mention an artist that I DID like after this conversation such as Common, Cypress Hill or Biggie and as a result, I got a mix CD with ICP AFFILIATES and MORE ICP stuff the next week. Seriously, the ICP have many affiliates, some I could have happily died having not heard, not quite as many as Wu-Tang but yeah…a lot.

If you ARE interested in the artist, say so! You'll find that it's human nature to share something you have an interest in with somebody that has a genuine interest in it. Chances are, if this person is a dedicated fan, they'll not only have official studio work, but possibly mixtapes, unreleased or demo tracks as well as collaborations with other artists (who you may end up liking. One example for me would be Little Brother and Darien Brockington).

Second scenario: Somebody recommends you an underground album.

Underground albums have an unfair stigma attached to them as being poor-quality (in terms of production) with repetitive lyrical content or no lyrical content (the album is solid battle or brag-rapping only).

This is true of say, 1 or 2 out of 10 albums that you could classify as ‘underground'. We've discussed the different concepts of underground albums, but to me, an underground album is one that doesn't deal with the glossy lifestyle, isn't widely known (or the artist isn't) and is usually released on one of the minor independent labels (even Koch records that is an independent album has quite a roster). That being said, there's almost ‘levels' of underground you can go through. There's the mainstream underground acts that have a significant following (MF Doom, Little Brother) and artists that people have heard of, but haven't achieved a great deal of success (Skyzoo). The further down you go, you come across artists that are just getting on in terms of securing a record deal (Percee P) and then artists that are only really known locally or in their hometown state.

If you like the glossy lifestyle rap, that's cool, but for me, hearing about how many Bentley's somebody has pisses me off after the fourth time I've heard it so I like a little variety in my tracks. I don't mean variety as in "braggadocio track, ghetto track, ladies track, club track, bling track, thug track" etc., I mean dealing with everyday life. Word to artists, not everybody who doesn't own a Bentley lives in the ghetto you know. That's a reason why I love Little Brother, they rap about everyday topics, dressing good, meeting a girl at the club, looking for a job…the list goes on.

Most of the time, you'll find that underground artists are more than willing to share their experiences with you, both in person and on track. This can make some truly compelling and inspirational music as it deals with them trying to secure a record deal, getting booed out of venues in favor of the headlining act, dealing with trying to pay bills (we can ALL relate) and even having to work a 9-5 in order to support this search.

Hopefully by now I've managed to convince you that not all underground albums will sound the same and that some can be hidden gems amongst the mainstream world. So, how do you go about approaching one when somebody recommends it?

Firstly, you need time to LISTEN to them. Underground albums have a greater significance placed on lyrics than a lot of mainstream albums and often the production will take a back seat to the artist (as it should in theory). I've tried to listen to Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens album on the bus and I couldn't understand a word that was being said over the noise of the bus engine. The production, which I could hear, was spectacular though and convinced me to give it another listen. It's not music that you can have in the background as you do something else for two reasons. One, you'll be concentrating elsewhere and miss entire songs or two, you'll want to stop and listen to what's being said if you catch a snippet of it.

Of course, once the artist has been recommended, and you've somewhat determined that it's an underground artist, you may have trouble finding information about them from the usual websites like Amazon.com or Wikipedia. Your best bet is to find a page through Google that a fan has set up or the official homepage, which usually has tracks available for streaming.

I think when it comes down to it, when dealing with recommendations in music, you have to be careful you don't step on any toes if you need to decline. Feelings can get hurt of something as simple as music, most people are quite passionate about either one particular genre over another, or about a single artist/group and criticizing them can actually be hurtful to that person.

So next time somebody recommends you an artist or an underground album, keep an open mind. Do some research, listen to a track or two, then, once you feel you've adequately listened to what that artist has to offer, you can constructively criticize why you didn't like them. You never know, you may actually like them and discover a completely new genre of music or style that you were previously unaware of. I kicked myself once I fully heard what Common had to offer as I'd be shunning his music based on what I'd heard about Electric Circus and the fact that he didn't fit the usual mold of rappers I'd listen to.

10 Things…

Will return in a couple of weeks as mentioned above with the Top 10 Guest Appearance Rappers (GAR ha!).

Stupid-Ass YouTube Of The Week

Sam Harris Reads "Crank That"

If you've ever wondered what "Crank That" would sound when performed in spoken word poetry style, all capped off with an English accent, well here you go. Enjoy!



Before We Go…

Oh my gosh I've won the Spanish lottery! And this one could actually be legit, as I've visited Spain before…
For real...this is getting painful now.