Ye and Curtis Wrap Up – What Does It All Mean?

I don’t think anybody can be overly surprised by the results: Kanye released a critically well-released album that the majority found artistically pleasing with a persistent minority grading it as less than compelling (re: boring) “hip-pop”. Across the board, Curtis was thought to be derivative, with commentary ranging from pointlessly worthless music to ‘not as bad as some people say’. Ultimately, the music industry won big by getting the most impressive first week numbers from any two albums in recent memory. Ye came through in the head to head battle, bringing in the largest first week sales since T.I.’s King, considerably out-legging Curtis, ultimately causing 50 to furiously back peddle with excuses over his guarantees of outselling the Graduation. In the end, 50 failed to even mention those threats (!?!) of retirement, settling for the more tried and true PR-friendly statement to address matters.

All in all, this made for good theater, but is this the end of 50? While this has been an exercise in public embarrassment for Mr. Jackson, his career will still be dictated by his future work. For better or worse, 50 still has the ear of the music buying public, which is a huge commodity in the record industry. Marketing mistakes were clearly made by a panicky record label, who, fearing the lack of buzz, rushed the unveiling of multiple singles before the album’s actual release. But at the end of the day, it’s on 50 that these singles were basically hot trash: if ‘I Get Money’ had been the first single, things may have played out differently.

However, the one thing ‘Curtis’ did reveal is that he may be falling prey to the same force that has afflicted past chart topping rappers such as Eminem and S. Dot, amongst others: 50 appears to be running out of material. Overcoming adversity has always been a big part of the American Dream and hood posturing has become a slightly twisted take on this ideal, if not a hyperbolized version of its most compelling form. However, the questions always remains of what happens when you leave the hood/trailer park: how long can you rehash that old lifestyle that garnered you all those listeners in the first place, especially when the marketing machine takes away that choice, forcing you to keep it (industry) real. Ironically, 50’s edge in the rap game has always been his impossibly hard image, which would appear impossibly difficult to maintain; Kanye has invented himself as the ostentatious, everyman underdog, and in a celebrity-obsessed age, gives the listener an opportunity to be a witness to his rise to fame through his music. Unfortunately for Curtis, when done right, the ‘Entourage’-rapper has become just as compelling an option as the ‘gangsta’ alternative as far as mass appeal goes, with the bonus of allowing for a much more realistic shot at longevity for the artist.

If there’s anything concrete to be taken from this so-called battle of the ‘hip-hop titans’, it’s that a new business model is now in effect for the record industry. There will be no gimmick too contrived to be used to drum up record sales, and I have a feeling the pseudo-rivalry thing is just a start. As if on cue, Jay-Z has launched the hype machine behind his latest comeback (!?) effort, an album inspired by the movie American Gangster, which will have a joint music-film release in November. Shawn pulls off a double coup, by declaring this effort will be inspired by the notorious drug kingpin depicted in the movie, giving him an excuse to return to his acclaimed Reasonable Doubt hood-tales roots topically, and abandon the less successful President Hov steez that he currently is beholden to (although some would say it was all an act to begin with). The first leaked single is a Pharrell-produced minimalist venture called Blue Magic (yes, a clean version awaits...props to Nah Right for this one), and yes, that’s Skateboard P doing En Vogue on the hook. Funnily enough, Curtis is already promising a competing release to be dropped on the same day Shawn’s project: judging by the first single, he may have a legitimate shot at redemption.

Kanye and Curtis Album Reviews – More Than Musical Alliteration

So it’s a week post-release, but in the name of the most recent epic battle/marketing ploy to have shaken the foundations of the hip hop (cough…rap) world, I’ve decided to make my blogging comeback by reviewing the two albums. Why? Consider this a public service, concerning the edification of worthwhile music…

Graduation

1. Good Morning (Intro) – The track that conceptually introduces the whole Graduation theme of the album. Musically, Kanye establishes his newest beat-making steez: the ‘anthem’. Not a big and fantasical as ‘We Major’ but the vocal sample enhances its grandeur, also aided by a closing Jay-Z ‘Blueprint’ sample.

2. Champion – One of the few up-tempo joints that bounces to a Steely Dan sample. Feel good music that establishes another trend for the album: Ye’s sampling mostly white folks now.

3. Stronger – You know this. Obvious single material, but even more so for this album. I’m partial here, but apparently some people don’t get the concept of making dance music hip hop.

4. I Wonder – On some “When they reminisce over you” ish, Ye let’s you know what time it is to single and double-time rhyme schemes, over a feed-backing sample which bumps behind the kung fu snares. A different type of soul, which could be hit or miss depending on the listener.

5. Good Life feat. T-Pain – The ‘next’ single, Kanye makes a highly synthesized sounding club anthem with the omnipresent keys over a chipmunk-sounding PYT sample. Certainly far from up tempo, this celebration of ballin’ (similar BPM) has Teddy Pain sanging on the hook who, ironically, doesn’t sound overly altered. Cute Curtis reference, but the ‘snakes on a plane’ line may be the single worst rhyme on the album. Take this for what is it, but as far as MJ-sampled instrumentals go, Good Life > Izzo. Real Talk (No Kells).

6. Can’t Tell Me Nothing – The original buzz single, Ye goes to an outside producer for his underdog rants. If you like this song, you are guaranteed to love this album. Bizarre celebration of the Young Jeezy adlib – I guess this is what the rap game has come to…

7. Barry Bonds feat. Lil Wayne – Believe it or not, this is the joint for the heads: the Graduation’s proverbial ‘Unbelievable’. Ye comes with one of the harder beats on the album and brings the hot spitter of the moment, Weezy for the ride. Funnily enough, Kanye takes it to the other Carter, who decides to bring some sub-mixtape quality verses for this high profile collabo. And you thought kissing Baby on the lips was a bad career decision…

8. Drunk and Hot Girls feat. Mos Def – This one is gonna fly right over folks’ heads. Some may call this self-indulgent, others may deem it entirely unnecessary. Personally, I think this adds depth to the album; call it a view into the other side of the game or the darker side of mission running, appropriately backdropped by a twisted carvinal-esque instrumental. Cuz let’s face it, even tho you have convinced company from the VIP to head back with you to the telly, sometimes it can be still not all good. Those with the most zealous opposition to this track may point out the waste of the Mos Def cameo: listen, ‘Two Words’ Mos has left the building. Nobody knows when he’ll be back. Deal with it.

9. Flashing Lights feat. Dwele – Flat out, the gem of the album. A song that seems like a perfect fit, topically and sonically, for the Late Registration album, it finds K speaking on the entrapments of fame, over lush strings with alternating organ stabs. Dwele on the hook was an inspired decision.

10. Everything I Am – Underdog Ye throws his cape on to make something from nothing, utilizing a down-tempo track that even Common wouldn’t touch. Gets Premier to scratch up the chorus: A-Trak must be pissed.

11. The Glory – A brief taste of the chipmunk soul, as Kanye brings his version of church for this ‘anthem’. Up-lifting song, and really, Ye goes pretty hard on this one lyrically too.

12. Homecoming feat. Chris Martin – So this is the track that has been floating around the internets, got upgraded and then had the dude from Coldplay thrown in on the hook. Even with the dated lyrics, it’s clear that Homecoming > Beach Chair…a little foreshadowing for the final track.

13. Big Brother – Certainly not the best song on the album, but it may be its most important and by far the Graduation’s most defining moment. On the surface, this appears to be about some vegetarian, anti-beef between Ye and Jay (over the dude from Coldplay!!?) but it actually gives a unique insight into the outcast nature of West’s standing in the hip-hop game as a non-conformist outsider before he broke the doors down as a producer. Even his success as a legitimate solo artist seemed unforeseeable by the powers that be, which makes S Dot’s mentor-ish role more dumb luck than anything else. At the end of the day, Kanye distinguishes himself further by making a record so candid and reasonably honest (not a strength in rap) that its content would be irreproducible by virtually any artist out, ‘Big Brother’ included. Ye wins again.

And…Curtis

1. Intro – Going to the gun talk well, while further reinforcing Irish stereotypes…
2. My Guns – Giving the audience what they want/expect? Or just what he thinks they want/expect. Adequate track.
3. Man Down – Instead of speaking on guns, it’s on to the actual act of murder. It’s called progression as artist. Piano-loop dominated instrumental is superior to the previous joint.
4. I’ll Still Kill feat. Akon – Muuuurder? I don’t believe you! Murder! Murder! Your life’s on the line! Beginning of the end of this album; very generic synthesizer-dominated track that might not have made the playlist of those old 50 mixtapes that were so hot in the street way back when.
5. I Get Money – The album’s saving grace: slowed down ‘I’m a Hustla’ drums with the NYC grimey organ and hypnotizing Audio Two sample. Does it matter that a plethora of artists have dropped freestyles that make 50’s verses look pale in comparison? He’s stanky rich. Uh…Vitamin Water, bitch!?
6. Come and Go feat. Young Buck – I feel like I’ve heard this already, but the synthesizer stabs possess more urgency than the previous numbers. Someone in Dre’s camp did this, cuz they repeatedly shout out Dr. Dre. Buck adds very little, but I’m sure he’ll be back.
7. Ayo Technology feat. Justin Timberlake – With all due respect to Naeel, this joint cements the ‘L’ for Curtis. A Timbaland track that would be buried on his own album, really screams disappointment: needed to do better than this as a single. Plus, JT provides the least gangsta ‘Aaaaayo’ in the history of recorded music.
8. Follow My Lead feat. Robin Thicke – 21 Questions, part 2. Curtis brings the other blue-eyed popular soul singer for another forgettable track. Just calling a square a square and circle a circle…If you’re gonna make a ‘woo ya, do ya’ track, maybe talk more about stuff women are actually feeling…like, say, shoes. Formulas can be complicated sometimes.
9. Movin’ On Up – A little more interesting of a track here provided by Jake One, kinda like a “If I Can’t” light. 50 even sings on the hook, which will no doubt have Ja Rule punching a wall somewhere.
10. Straight to the Bank – Another failed single. It’s another adequate track, with a catchy, bumping bass line, but again, covers all too familiar ground. It’s the weak hook that really sinks this one to mediocrity.
11. Amusement Park – This is just a stanky joint: I mean, its one thing to try and redo “If I Can’t” or even “21 Questions”, but “Candy Shop”? Don’t worry Ja, pain is love…
12. Fully Loaded Clip – This was actually a mixtape buzz joint made by Havoc, with the intent of ruffling some feathers by mentioning names and capitalizing on the fall out. Was this even supposed to be on the album?
13. Peep Show feat. Eminem – Em? Where you been? Uh huh. So this is where you at? Alright. You can go back now…
14. Fire feat. Young Buck and Nicole Scherzinger – Allegedly Dr. Dre put his name to this: he was probably in the gym when this was made. It must have seemed like a good idea to put the Pussy Cat Doll on this…to someone. What that person should really be doing is banning her from talking/speaking/hissing or any other form of non-singing on a record. Really. Oh, there you are Buck. That was quick. Why is this on the album?
15. All of Me feat. Mary J Blige – Jake One comes through again with a pretty decent track. Then again, maybe I’m just done with the synthesizers. But this is a passable song, even if Mary is reduced to her most derivative form.
16. Curtis 187 – Synonyms for murder. Betcha forgot about 187. Curtis didn’t.
17. Touch the Sky feat. Tony Yayo – 50 ends of the album in a blaze of the predictable and mediocre. Sorta reminiscent of “Ain’t No Click” in feel, with the exception that Yayo drops a painfully sub par verse on this. Again, you figure career suicide is relative for a guy that publicly roughs up the 14 year son of a rival music executive, but he’ll always have his dance.

At the end of the day, Kanye's the Graduation brings to mind some classic De La Soul records, with the idea of putting out a consistently strong, conceptually cohesive piece of work that may lack more traditionally-minded singles. Curtis appears to be a collection of B-Sides and lost material that didn't make his more successful releases - unfortunately 50 has included some pretty high profile flops in this mix. I feel like I'll have one last say on this, a wrap up of the aftermath of their relative successes from an industry standpoint; but really, there is a 'What's 50 gonna do now' element to all this. How about this. Big brother at it again...sigh.