Finally...

June 16th, The Jack finally drops Tear Gas. The cover art is terrifying.

Jerkin Hits the Jackpot!

Why does this video have no sound? It might be hard to tell, because you're watching an embedded version of the video, but if you go to YouTube, you'll see exactly why.

"This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by WMG. The audio has been disabled."

Just. Like. That. They're signed to Asylum. Something tells me the words "next Soulja Boy" were used in at least one meeting at Warner Music. However, judging from this clip, the New Boyz' first video won't be as self-referential as Soulja Boy's. It actually looks kinda boring.

The saddest part is when they talk to Billboard Magazine about how awesome it was to have fans make videos to their song "Your a Jerk". Lulz. They won't have to worry about that anymore.

I wonder if what the label really wants is rights to the digital distribution of "Your a Jerk" (and on a side note, will they change it to "You're a Jerk"? Or does the grammatical error highlight the grassroots/high schooler charm of Jerkin music, and the label would therefore want to keep it?), because there is no way the New Boyz go platinum, though I wouldn't be surprised if a million people paid 99 cents to download a "high quality" version of the song. So, if they get a video out there, and shut down all the YouTubers, they could probably build some buzz around the song and make a quick buck. But won't Asylum have to worry about that uncleared D4L sample at the end of the song? Hmmmm.

As a Fuck You to Warner, here's the track (again):

New Boyz "Your a Jerk"

Let's see if they take it down!

The Pack: Hoes in this House

Yessssssss! The Pack is still making neo-Miami Bass party rapps. Also, they still wear really cool clothes, and hang out with hot light-skinned teenage girls. So, not much has changed. But who would want it to?

I have to say, though, their outfits take backstage to Lil B's appearance in this video. I have been posting the occasional Lil B track here, but if you want to understand what Little Boss has been up to as of late, you might want to read Noz's breakdown/interpretation of his barrage of "Based Freesyle[s]". Now, is it just me, or do Lil B's eyes look a bit sunken? His cheekbones a little sharper? Don't you get a thousand yard stare kinda vibe from him? Also, does he only rap eight (or so) bars? I'm a big fan of what Lil B is up to these days music-wise, but I wonder if he's entirely in step with his boys in the WolfPack. Also, is he in good health?

On a lighter note, when is the last Pack video you saw where Stunnaman totally out-dressed Young L? One-Eyed-Smiley-Face-Tie-Dye-Fitted >>> Turtleneck Leather Jacket. [||].

The Pack "Hoes in this House"

This kind of song makes me wish I were still in college. Or at least that I had the opportunity to straight cut someone's music off at a party and replace it with my own.

Thoughts on Branding and Gang Affiliation as it Applies to Nipsey Hussle

The longer and longer I pay attention to mainstream (or online-Nah-Right-core) rap, the more I realize that it's much more important to be from Los Angeles, Atlanta or New York than it is to be actually talented at rapping, if you want to be commercially successful. Take Nipsey Hussle, for example. I have recently discovered that he's really good at rapping, actually. With the release of his latest mixtape, Bullets Ain't Got No Names Vol. 2, he looks poised to have some mainstream success. That's all well and good. However, his whole hyper-realistic-gangbanger persona and throwback to early 90's West Coast sound has already been done by a man named Mitchy Slick, from San Diego.

Not only does he - like Mitchy Slick - have what would be a humiliating and emasculating name, that we would consider quite soft, were it not obviously given to him by fellow gang members (we assume, though Nipsey Hussle is also a play on Nipsey Russell, the black comedian). He also posts Youtube videos where he walks around his neighborhood and points out different places where he and his friends have done stuff that is against the law. Like Mitchy, it almost seems like Hussle feels the need to make up for how nice the surrounding housing stock is. To someone from the East Coast, these neighborhoods might look somewhat idyllic. There aren't even bars on the windows. A rapper from Baltimore or Philadelphia would not have to do this. Those cities look hard as fuck as it is.

Continuing with the comparison, Hussle is also very (perhaps overly) open about the precise set he claims. Mitchy's, as we know, is the Lincoln Park Bloods from Southeast San Diego. Nipsey's is the 6-0 Crips, from South Central LA. But here's one difference. In the picture above, and the video I linked to, Hussle is actually wearing a shirt that reads "6 Owe CRIPS". This, to me, seems patently absurd. Part of our collective fascination with Southern California street gangs is all the code, the insider knowledge that these guys use to differentiate themselves from one another. The signs, the colors, the bandanas, the cryptic graffiti, the SOO-WOOPs and so on (For Northern Californians, isn't this why it's so much fun to look up at the street sign on 24th and Mission to find the two s's crossed out, and know exactly why?). A picture of Hussle wearing a blue Dickies shirt, khakis with a blue rag hanging out, and blue Chuck Taylors would have gotten the same message across - this dude is a Crip, or he's out of his fucking mind. There's something overly explicit about that shirt, which gets right to the heart of why something about Nipsey Hussle's recent buzz troubles me.

It seems clear to me that the Marketing Geniuses at Sony (Hussle is signed to Sony, it seems) have seized upon his actual gang affiliation as a way of branding Hussle as something fresh and authentic. Unlike The Game, who we were told was actually actually gang affiliated, Nipsey Hussle is actually, actually, ACTUALLY STILL IN A STREET GANG OKAY!. Look at the shirt!

But these heavy-handed attempts to prove Nipsey's authenticity completely destroy his authenticity, and make it incredibly apparent to anyone paying attention that his image (despite the fact that I don't doubt he is or was a 6-0 Crip. To quote Mitchy Slick, "Imagine what'd happen to a West Coast MC/that got rich off lying about a gang history") is manufactured by a corporation trying to improve their bottom line.

That, or I've been reading too much David Foster Wallace as of late (apologies to anyone who has read Up, Simba!). The really important question is this: Can Nipsey rap? Fortunately, the answer is Yes. He can rap pretty well, and he's got quite a production team behind him (thanks Sony!). But, for my taste, Mitchy Slick is ten times better. He has certainly branded himself in the same way as Sony has branded Nipsey, but the fact that Mitchy recognized this vacancy in West Coast rap himself and aimed to fill it makes him a much more compelling character, in my mind. Nipsey Hussle, despite the fact that I like him, feels more packaged, because he is. It's too bad, because it's not his fault. On the other hand, he'll enjoy a great degree more commercial success (if he can recoup his advance!) than Mitchy ever will, most likely because he's from Los Angeles, and not San Diego.

With no further bullshitting, here are a few of my favorite tracks off of Nipsey's new mixtape:

Nipsey Hussle, Sean Kingston "She Said Stop"

You KNOW the Crips fuxx with Sean Kingston!

Nipsey Hussle, The Game "Bullets (Ain't Got No Name) Rmx"

And, they fuxx with the Bloods, too! Smart marketing!

Nipsey Hussle "Piss Poor"

Also, word is Mitchy Slick has a new album coming out called Deep in the Yay. As in, both knee-deep in cocaine, and neck-deep in The Bay. Lots of Bay Area artists to be featured. I'm tardy on sharing that tidbit, but trust that I will keep my eyes open for this one.

Bay Bridges 2....Coming Soon

Remember when Bay Area rap was still really exciting to people, on a national level? Droop-E put out a compilation of songs by up-and-coming Bay artists, and produced all the tracks. It was called the Bay Bridges Compilation, cause like, there's two sides to the Bay, or something. With much of the hype surrounding Bay Area rap gone (in no small part due to his father's surprisingly disappointing Ghetto Report Card), Droop-E is set to release a second Bay Bridges compilation (according to both his Twitter and his Myspace, it will be released "SOON"). The biggest difference, I imagine will be how much better Droop-E has gotten at producing rap records.

Most of the stand-out tracks on 40's latest work has been produced by Droop-E, and rumor has it that Droop-E will be producing all of his dad's next effort. Here's an example of what this might sound like (via That Drip):

E-40 (prod by Droop-E) "On Oil (Turned Up)"

The production on this one is nasty. It's reminiscent of the truly "sinister mob" type music 40 was doing in the 90's, but the synths get all stressed out and tweaked in the background. Hear that? Almost sound like a electric cello constantly hitting the wrong note. That's what makes Droop-E fun as a producer.

As for E-40's rap, it's good. It's not that good, considering this is his son's album. You have to wonder if he's trying to teach his son a lesson: No matter what, successful rappers will not give you good verses on a small-time compilation, even if they're your father. There's something to that.

Bonus Jerkin Post:

Twin Boyz "Your [sic] a Bitch"

What if the Roxanne wars were just between teenage boys who were all from Hesperia, CA? This is what it might sound like, but this isn't a diss song, just kinda related to "Your [sic] a Jerk", thematically and grammatically.

Main Attrakionz [sic, they don't even have a "t" in there] "Swine Flu"

This song is no good, but I thought you'd like to know that it exists. Welcome to rap in the 21st century where people are incapable of giving a shit about anything for more than a week. Swine Flu scare is over, though the disease isn't (is it?), and the Main Attraktionz' career never even started anyway, nor will it. Just think this is an interesting cultural artifact.

"Drunk Bus" > Asher Roth

I had forgotten about this song entirely (it's probably a couple years old now) until I looked through my old shared links on Facebook, and found it again. I have no idea how it never ended up here on the NoT. It's the best college-oriented rap song I am aware of, and easily the best MS Paint music video EVAR.



So, take that, Asher Roth! College rap can actually be pretty tyt. Let's get this guy a multi-million dollar deal!

Weekend Slaps: Iceland, Liberated!

I can't think of a harder to find Bay Area recording than Cold World Hustlers' Iceland, released in 1995, not that I'm much of a crate digger. Cocaine Raps Vol. 1 comes to mind, but you can find every single track on that album on Raven in My Eyes, which is also rare, now that I think about it. I used to have Coke Raps on cassette tape ($4, used at Amoeba, no joke), but lost it, and I used to have Raven in my Eyes on CD, but it got stolen from a house party. But I digress.

Iceland is the type of shit that you go to the Alemany Flea Market hoping to find, but you never do. It's a San Francisco classic, but it's fucking impossible to find, for me anyway. Until now.

There's this place called The Internets, and you can find damn near any album EVAR made there for free. Pretty tyt place, when you think about it. Still, as long as this place has been around, I've been looking for this album, on occasion, with no luck. I would sometimes stumble across one of those European Bay Area rap blogs where they show off their incredible collection of 80's and 90's rarities that I didn't even know exist - nor do I understand how someone in France could get their filthy hands on, say, Fly Mar's first album, on cassette - to find a dead link to this album. Or I'd download it and the password didn't work. It was my white whale! My Rocket 00000! It really killed me that I couldn't find this goddam thing. Not that I gave it much thought, but when I did, it bothered me.

I mean, I could've bought it for $130-odd dollars off of Amazon, but then I'd be a chump. Or, I could've searched more thoroughly on The Internets, and probably come up with something. But, that would take away from the narrative here, anyway, which I should probably wrap up.

My roommmate, and former NoT correspondent, Chocobot discovered a Bay Area rap channel on IRC (some hax0r shit I cannot be bothered with), and told me. The first thing I asked is "Do they have Iceland?". They did! Chris was kind enough to re-up it for me, and I'm passing it on to you guys now. Password free. Drop.io-ed, so it won't die.

I never post albums here, for the obvious ethical complications involved (being a total hater and posting mp3s, in my mind, is OK), but this just feels right. If all of us bought the album from some dickhead on Discogs, 4-1-So-Sic-Ass-Rell, E-Sic and Big Ric wouldn't see a penny anyway. Might as well enjoy it now that I've found it. So, here it is, internets. Iceland.

Have a good weekend.