skillz: 2007 rap up.

I keep getting hits on Google from people looking for the Skillz rap up for 2007, and I feel like it's a total disservice to NOT post about it.

As I said in last year's post, Skillz has been on the hip-hop scene since 1992 hustling all over the place, ghostwriting, freestyling, and dropping an annual rap-up since 2002.

This year's effort comes with a first-- a video, complete with supporting visuals such as an Amy Winehouse lookalike. It features references to...DJ Drama, The White Rapper Show, Cam'ron, 50 Cent, All-Star Weekend, Jennifer Hudson, Mims, Fantasia Barrino, Tony Yayo, Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse (duh), Robin Thicke, Bobby Brown & Whitney Houston, Karrine Steffans, Don Imus, Russell Simmons, Oprah, Anna Nicole Smith, Akon, Three 6 Mafia, ringtone rappers, Virginia Tech, Barry Bonds, Ray J, Diddy, Eve, Rihanna, Paris Hilton, the final episode of The Sopranos, Hurricane Chris, Lupe Fiasco, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, O.J. Simpson, Usher & R. Kelly, Kelly Rowland, Beyonce Knowles, Jena Six, Michael Vick, the iPhone, Foxy Brown, Lil Wayne & T-Pain's omnipresence, Kanye West, Souljah Boy, American Gangster, UGK & Outkast, DJ Khaled, T.I., and Lauren London.

Personally, I think this is a huge step down from the 2006 rap-up. Did he really have to cut out paying his respects to those who passed away? There was no reason to mention Mims, Hurricane Chris, or Souljah Boy. All he needed was the line, "For most of the year, a ringtone rapper would make a hit and his career would disappear." Can we get a holler to Donda West, Ike Turner, Pimp C, Yolanda King...Kurt Vonnegut?

Not to mention that the animal rights activist within me is a little outraged at the line "It's a damn shame what they did to Michael Vick. You can't kill dogs in your own backyard but you can go to Iraq and kill whoever you want." Seriously? I can understand that he's trying to be socially conscious. I can understand that he's trying to make a point about taking a dog's life vs. taking a human life, even if I'm not certain I agree with it. However, I just can't get over the fact that he's trying to JUSTIFY dogfighting. Pssh!

Problems aside, Skillz gets kudos for simply coming up with such a cohesive look at 2007 as a whole. And you can't help but giggle at the line, "Kelly Rowland falls and yall think it's cool, Beyonce falls and yall take it off of youtube." When you put it all into perspective, the reason this rap-up sucks so much probably has more to do with 2007 sucking elephant-balls as a whole.

If anything good came out of 2007, I finally learned how to appreciate Prince. How? I made friends with a cassette tape of Purple Rain while locked away in a studio working on my printmaking senior thesis. Because of this, I direct your ears to the bonus track, which features Skillz rapping over "Darling Nikki."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------d/l: SKILLZ - 2007 Rap Up (YSI)
d/l: SKILLZ - 2007 Rap Up (Jimmy Rose Remix) (YSI)

d/l: SKILLZ - 2006 Rap Up (YSI)
d/l: SKILLZ - 2005 Rap Up (YSI)
d/l: SKILLZ - 2004 Rap Up (YSI)
d/l: SKILLZ - 2003 Rap Up (YSI)
d/l: SKILLZ - 2002 Rap Up (YSI)

BONER TRACK: SKILLZ - Darling Nikki freestyle (YSI)

- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

yo majesty: in this week's new yorker.

Critic’s Notebook
Three on a Match
by Sasha Frere-Jones May 28, 2007

The female hip-hop trio Yo Majesty, from Tampa, Florida, is composed of Shunda-K, Jwl. B, and Shon-B, who bill themselves as “the only openly lesbian rap group.” These days, hip-hop is an increasingly conservative genre, and Yo Majesty’s sexuality—along with their tendency to conclude their performances with some toplessness—will probably be discussed more than their music on the message boards and comment threads that form hip-hop’s online town square. Yo Majesty can take it—their music is a direct descendant of Miami bass, an unapologetically bawdy and rough-minded genre. The infamous 2 Live Crew—the most well-known practitioners of Miami bass—would probably respond to a song like “Kryptonite Pussy” (“Kryptonite” is a positive attribute in Yo Majesty’s world) with something equally filthy. But anybody who has a problem with Yo Majesty’s take on hip-hop will likely be greeted with a lively “Rub on my monkey!” Yo Majesty bring their high-energy, lowbrow rumpus to Irving Plaza on June 1. ♦

Illustration: MAXIMILIAN BODE

siya: even heterosexuals bump her shit.

SIYA is short for "Mesiah". Siya is a Brooklyn rapper. Siya is also a lesbian.

A friend sent me Siya's song "So Crazy" a few days ago and I haven't stopped analyzing it since. Sure, I've heard lesbian rappers before. It's not a foreign concept that we should gasp and "ooh-ah" at. Homo-hop has been around for a while, even if it's not in the mainstream eye.

However, ,most rappers of the homo-hop variety are content with staying underground and speaking to their own communities, but Siya isn't. Her goal is to be accepted as the first openly gay female rapper in history to be fully accepted into the mainstream. Given her skills, accessible flow, and general swagger, this wouldn't be that difficult to accomplish...but she's not content with us forgetting she's a lesbian, mentioning it in nearly every song she performs. While America may be ready to accept a lesbian MC, I don't know if they're ready to hear a lesbian MC continually referring to herself as a "dyke". Beyond that, Siya isn't a typical sexy femme porno lesbian that some heterosexual men would drop their tongues out for. She's an AG, or aggressive, a subculture of lesbian culture which is heavily influenced by hip-hop culture. As Eric Parker of sohh.com stated, "Female rappers are marketed to sell sex, and their target audience is largely men. And the males in hip-hop, or outside of hip-hop for that matter, find femme lesbians appealing, rather than a more masculine female who challenges their personal ideals of masculinity." In short, Siya could probably throw on a skirt, rap about her vagina, and get a contract after a little bit of hustling her demo around. But I don't think she's going to do that any time soon. She's going to have to deal with close-minded labels who assume she'll only appeal to a small demographic, and I can only hope that her skills will help her overcome this hurdle.

In the past, I've argued that hip-hop is dying merely because voices are being silenced. You can't blame the south. The south is just what's marketable, and the death of hip-hop is this constant concern over what is marketable. The industry isn't taking risks, and each song that comes out is more forgettable than the next. I may hate him, but what would have happened if Eminem never got signed because he's white? What would have happened if Elton John was never marketed because he's gay? What if someone told Chuck Berry that a black man can't play the guitar? If the latter happened, we wouldn't have The Beach Boys and The Beatles. Rock and roll would have been supremely different. Hip-hop is suffocating because it needs a new direction. It needs to start taking risks. And who knows? Maybe Siya, the lesbian MC, is a risk worth taking.

d/l: SIYA- So Crazy (YSI)
d/l: SIYA- Call Me (YSI)
(Lesbian rapper tracks)
- space it - glee it -

BLOGWATCH: Bigstereo hypes an amazing Yo Majesty remix brought to us by scattermish. Chazology brings us a collection of Bjork remixes, including a mash-up of "Innocence" and Spank Rock's "Backyard Betty". Idolator has a track by Sisqo dissing R. Kelly and Usher for stealing his style.

copperpot: come back home.

COPPERPOT, born Daniel Kuypers, is a Chicago hip-hop producer. He produces what some people call "real hip-hop". I just call it hip-hop. Either way, it's all good.

The latest Copperpot album, WYLA? (What're You Looking At?), marks the first time that Kuypers has pulled in outside musicians to bring his music to life.

WYLA? also boasts two original songs featuring one of "the greatest rappers to hold the mic" KRS-One. "Come Back Home" is the lead track of the album, in which KRS-One states, "Hip-hop, I think it's time for you to come back home". It arguably comes off as grumpy and didactic as the last release from Nas, but...well, there's something a bit more organic about his verses. He closes the song by saying, "Don't be afraid to come back home". I'd like to support this message, but I'm not sure if Hip-hop knows where to find it's home. I'm not even sure if KRS-One knows where Hip-hop's home is. And if he does, he certainly didn't deliver the address in this song. Also, where did Hip-hop go that it needs to come back home? Why is it afraid to come home? I'm confused, but it's a good confusion. KRS-One has me thinking. And I think that's his point...sort of. Hip-hop isn't making us think like we used to. Knowledge Reigns Supremely Over Nearly Everyone. In the world of hip-hop, knowledge isn't reigning anymore, and KRS-One has every reason to be pissed.

Beyond the music, Kuypers is an intriguing individual. From 2000-2003 he spun records with the Phonograph Scientists, suffering from terrible stage-fright and anxiety. In 2005, he started a small gig in Chicago which soon became large. Apparently fans would approach him and say things like, "Hey man, I am going to sit right here and watch you deejay." This still scared the shit out of him, and my assumption is that it probably would still scare the shit out of him.

If you're in New York City and you'd like to hear Copperpot play some tunes, be sure to check him out at Shebeen (located in Soho, 202 Mott St. btw Spring & Kenmare) tomorrow night (May 15, 2007). Have a listen, but be sure not to scare the shit out of him.

d/l: COPPERPOT f/ KRS-ONE- Come Back Home (YSI)
d/l: COPPERPOT f/ ANG13- Ain't Goin' Down (YSI)
(Two Chicago hip-hop tracks)
- buy it - site it - space it -

BLOGWATCH: Deaf Indie Elephants has a new tune by the Go! Team. That's all that matters to me right now.

betty harris: music for feedback.

DOWNLOAD: BETTY HARRIS- Show It
(super-rare recording by a 1960s New Orleans soul goddess)
- buy it - read up -

I wish I owned this suit. Just finished up this cardboard cut last night, though it had been on hold for a while. This image is the unfinished version, because you KNOW I'm too lazy to take a new one.

I'm still in the process of figuring out how to format these posts. I'll keep 'em coming as long as I can.

WHAT IS THIS? WHERE ARE THE REGULAR POSTS?

skillz: rap it up 2002-2006.

EDIT: If you are looking for the "2007 Rap-Up" as well as active links for the rap-ups from 2002-2007, please see this post!
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SKILLZ has been on the hip-hop scene since around 1992, but has yet to become a household name despite brushing shoulders with some of hip-hop's hottest (and not so hottest) stars.

You may know him by his previous name "Mad Skillz", changed with his 2002 LP I Ain't Mad No More. Perhaps you've heard one of his freestyles, or you remember him from his verse on the remix of Aaliyah's 1998 hit "Are You That Somebody?" when he talks about others crying like the baby in the background.

If that doesn't ring a bell, perhaps you have heard his words...but not his voice. Skillz is notorious as a ghostwriter for the hip-hop community. In his 2000 single "Ghostwriter" he claims to have written hits for Foxy Brown, Jermaine Dupri, Ma$e, and Diddy. If you've ever heard any of those artists rap, you'd understand why they need a ghostwriter. Diddy is the only artist who has acknowledged that Skillz has written for him in the past.

With that out of the way, let's talk about his rap-ups. Skillz has been lyrically re-capping current events in hip-hop, R&B, pop culture, and beyond since 2002. The 2006 rap-up includes such prized lines as "Gnarls Barkley dropped 'Crazy' to the web on purpose, that song was everywhere even Foxy heard it" and "Nas said 'hip hop was dead' but northern cats spit all year tryin' to bring New York back. Yall need to lighten up son, get a hug. The only time New York came back was on Flavor of Love." He delivers his flow over Dr. Dre's instrumental for Jay-Z's "Lost Ones" referencing The Stealers, Eminem, Obie Trice, Dave Chapelle, Cam'ron, Jay-Z, Three Six Mafia, Terrell Owens, Shawnna, DMX, T.I., Yung Joc, Nitti, Tom Cruise, Dick Cheney, myspace, DJ Webstar & Young B's "Chicken Noodle Soup", Russell & Kimora, Dallas Austin, youtube, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Christina Milian, Cool & Dre, Janet Jackson & Jermaine Dupri, Gnarls Barkley, Foxy Brown, Young Dro, Lil Kim, Cassie, LeToya, Wyclef, Ludacris, Ne-Yo, Bobby Brown & Whitney Houston, Kevin Federline & Britney Spears, Nas, New York of Flavor of Love, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne & Baby, Mel Gibson, Playstation 3, Beyonce, Carmen Bryan, Unk, Michael Richards, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, J. Dilla, Gerald Levert, and others. All is tightly packaged into 4 minutes and 55 seconds of memories. Skillz keeps it real for the most part, showing props and dissing as necessary, but he throws in a tiny bit of gossip to remind us what had people talking.

I don't really intend to compile a "best of 2006" list, so this will have to do.

DOWNLOAD: SKILLZ- 2006 Rap-Up

DOWNLOAD: SKILLZ- 2005 Rap-Up
DOWNLOAD: SKILLZ- 2004 Rap-Up
DOWNLOAD: SKILLZ- 2003 Rap-Up
DOWNLOAD: SKILLZ- 2002 Rap-Up

BONUS TRACK: SKILLZ- Hip Hop Died

BUY Confessions of a Ghostwriter

BLOGWATCH: Cable & Tweed pays tribute to the great musicians we have lost this past year. The Blue Walrus has all the remixes you need to pretend you are a huge Hot Chip fan. I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS promotes giving in the spirit of the season while bringing us back to "We Are the World". Lil Mike's Last Known Thoughts & Random Revelations gives you a complete listing of New Years gigs to check out.
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EDIT: If you are looking for the "2007 Rap-Up" as well as active links for the rap-ups from 2002-2007, please see this post!