A few weeks ago, I went to see Big Daddy Kane at Prospect Park. Needless to say, the experience brought to mind many thoughts about Hiphop......and Brooklyn......past, present, and future. The show itself was cool. Kane performed with a live band and I guess he was trying to put on a show, so to speak. But the experience paled in comparison to seeing him perform last year at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, with just two turntables and a mic. It probably had something to do with the differing crowds. In Harlem, in attendance was the hood, who got a chance to relive their Hiphop heyday. In Prospect Park, it was a mix of people who were there during Kane's peak, white boys who wished they were, and out of towners who were just happy to be there......at Prospect Park.....way in the bac. Regardless, when you see Kane and hear those classics, you can't help but remember Kane at his pinnacle. For those who don't know, Big Daddy Kane is the blueprint for Brooklyn MCs, such as, The Notorious B.I.G and Jay-Z.
His combination of, topical versatility (conscious lyrics, battle rhymes), overall lyricism, hit songs, and ability to appeal to the ladies and dudes, all especially evident on his 1989 classic album, "It's Big Daddy Thing", were at the time unmatched. Not to mention, he could cut a rug with his two dancers, Scoob and Scrap. The only thing Kane couldn't do was Hiphop/Reggae, but hey, at least he tried, and that was 1989. With his early 70s musical backdrops, Kane culturally would channel the ghetto of Blacc New York, and his persona gave him the aura of a Blaxploitation character, a cross between Shaft and Blacc Ceasar.
Kane was an organic MC, meaning he came up from and was created by the streets of Brooklyn and Hiphop culture. This is important because, within Hiphop at that time, there was some sort of quality control. Only the nicest would get that street cosign and consequently acceptance, into the Hiphop fraternity. This is the same process that birthed the great Brooklyn MCs that followed Kane. Kane brought Jay-z out on tour with him in 1990 and Kane's DJ Mister Cee, discovered The Notorious B.I.G. Big Daddy's dominance is the reason why any MC considered to be the best in Brooklyn is almost automatically proclaimed as the Best MC in New York by default.
But 20 years later, there seems to have been a stalling in the pipeline of the next GREAT Brooklyn MC. After The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, I would be hard-pressed to find that next dominant figure. Jay-Z is still active of course, and the impression is that there have not been any MCs who have been able to reach his level, because, he is simply, the best rapper alive. The best MCs would reflect and personify the consciousness of the people. So does a Billionaire Jay-Z reflect the consciousness of the people of Brooklyn, "D.O.A" notwithstanding? I guess that would depend on WHO are the people? And What is their SELF-consciousness?
Since the days of Kane, one of the byproducts of Hiphop's popularity has been the separation, for marketing reasons, of the socially conscious MC, from the MC who represents and reflects the aesthetics of the Street....That's why Brooklyn MCs such as Fabolous and Papoose would be placed in a different category than say Mos Def and Talib Kweli.... But daily experience in Brooklyn as a member of the Hiphop generation would ultimately cause you to become aware of the fact that the street and social consciousness are linked. Now being able to represent both as an MC, that's one thing. To do so and also be able to craft the MANDATORY HITS necessary for those clubs and radio and ultimately, the crown? That's a different story. Many have tried......and failed.
The failure to crown a new King of Brooklyn has also resulted in the failure to crown a new clear-cut King of New York. The decrease in the price of Hiphop means of Production (e.g. Protools) and the Internet, has allowed many aspiring artists to be able to enter Hiphop as both creators and distributors, through the mixtape, street DVD and, now social networking sites and blogs. Some would say that this has created a clutter of mediocrity on the way to the throne. But it also has allowed a means for people to get heard, where one was not readily available, due to the consolidation of mainstream media and the politics of the music industry. Even so, access to the mainstream media has perpetuated the illusion that the late 90s and early 2000s Hiphop stars of New York are still on top, even though record sales have declined steadily since 2000.
Jim Jones, who emerged from the Dipset, parlayed his initial mass media exposure, utilizing the changing media landscape and music industry model, into concurrent independent record deals and eventually into a major label joint venture. Jimmy was in prime position for the New York crown, but Jimmy lacced the basic requirement needed to be the King and that is FEARSOME SKILLS. Consequently, we're left with the usual suspects, as far as King Of New York is concerned, Jay-Z and 50 Cent. Even on the so-called underground level, it seems to be the same cats being mentioned over and over, your Mos Def and Kweli's, or dead prez....Throw in some Early to mid 90s legends in the mix and a changing of the New York guard seems unlikely for the time being.
But there is a new breed of MCs who are fighting for their time among the elite of Hiphop and the next attackers are Slaughterhouse. Slaughterhouse consists of 4 MCs who banned together in an attempt to lyrically blast their way to the Hiphop promised land. Collectively, Slaughterhouse has had its share of experiences with major labels. Joe Budden with Def Jam, Royce Da 5"9 with Tommy Boy (He has also been affiliated with Eminem), Joell Ortiz with Aftermath, and Crooked I with Death Row. They don't exactly fit the description of "outsiders" to the industry and one can argue that their inability to make mainstream hits....which I consider to be a SKILL.....could be the reason why they haven't received their just due, after so many years in the Business. However, Slaughterhouse's album despite its reliance on hardcore lyricism does have songs that COULD play on the radio and do very well. So in effect, their album does give support to the group's unspoken opinion that it is music industry politics, which has prevented each member from reaching that elite status in the Hiphop pantheon.
Slaughterhouse's Internet business model (spearheaded by Joe Budden), combined with Independent distribution, Joe Budden's beef with the Method Man, on some, "your time has passed" shit, and their hardcore anti-ringtone Rap lyricism might end up having a revolutionary impact on Hiphop. The Slaughterhouse movement is a signal that the patience of the next generation of hardcore Hiphop lyricists, has grown thin and that they want their spot in the Hiphop limelight and the accolades and monetary benefits it affords, and they want it now, by any means necessary. At the very least, Slaughterhouse has proved that there is a viable alternative to the mainstream business model, so much so, that, Joe Budden, recently at some point, has been the leading vote-getter, in the Hottest MCs in the game poll, on MTV. Slaughterhouse as a collective, their individual stories and the timing of their movement has each member functioning along the lines of what I define to be a TRUE MC......What is that?.........maybe for my next blog......and it's not just some rappin ass nigga.
When placed alongside newcomer Drake, Slaughterhouse creates a striking dichotomy. 4 battle tested Hiphop MCs, with years of grinding in the business, compared to a rapper from Toronto, who seemingly came out of nowhere and whose claim to fame is having appeared on Degrassi High. Drake has had the red carpet rolled out for him in the Hiphop music industry, the likes I have never seen. No jail, No gunshots, not even a car accident. Just a passport.....first class, no stopover. Now Drake has some skills, but I remember watching Degrassi Junior High bac in the day and I couldn't imagine Big Daddy Kane being on it. I guess that's what comes with Hiphop becoming mainstream. But watch for an all-out attack for control of Hiphop, by who I call, the "Hiphop Fundamentalists".......The ones who in the spirit of Big Daddy Kane, and the era that created him, champion beats and rhymes BEFORE, music industry politics, and appearances on Entertainment Tonight. 2010......Hiphop Jihad.......a.k.a..... The Wrath of Kane.
