Battle of the Year - Bout 2: The Cool Kids vs Kidz in the Hall

There have been many duos to hit the rap scene. Most of these two-man tag teams disappear quicker than they come in with only one hit single and a lackluster album. The legendary rap duos consists of Clipse, 8Ball and MJG, Smif-n-Wesson, Mobb Deep, Dogg Pound, UGK, and Outkast. All of these groups have character and more than one good album under their belts. It is difficult for two personalities to meld into a single entity without one of those individuals standing out over the other. Usually, when one rapper is significantly better than the other, the group is marked for destruction.

Well, enter Kidz in the Hall and The Cool Kids. These groups are more mature than any children that I've heard in recent memory. Both groups are comprised of a well-balanced duo. They are trying to avoid the fate that so many rap duos and rap groups meet day in and day out. Kids in the Hall and The Cool Kids want longevity. They want to be relevant. In this week's Battle of the Year, I have compared their relevance to one another. If the general public only allows one dynamic duo to survive the test of time, then which one of these groups live to see another day?

Kidz in the Hall:
The Website.

The KitH are not unknown to studio albums considering that they dropped the unknown School was my Hustle (2006). After coming off a very unseen failure, the Kidz in the Hall rebounded with two stellar mixtapes, Detention (2007) and Geniuses Need Love Too (Valentine's Day 2008). These two albums placed Naledge and Double-0 in the forefront of hipster cool rappers. Detention drifted across subject matter with more ease than a Skyline GTR in the hills of Osaka. The boys addressed women issues, parental issues, lessons from school, life, job security, national security, and crafted a dumbed down party single that isn't that dumb. Lyrically, the Kidz in the Hall are giants. Naledge delivers some of the heaviest lyrical stanzas this side of the Mississsippi. Not to count Double-0 out, he brings a swag to his delivery only reminiscent of Ghostface (without the high pitched whine).

According to their mixtapes, the production isn't original, but their subject matter was fresh enough to hook me. There were a few times that they rapped over the beat versus in the beat. But, isn't that what true lyricists do from time to time? (Side note: Producers just need to make better beats for their artists, and artists need to make better beat selection!) After the two mixtapes hit the circuit, the group rallied enough thought-provoking beats to craft another studio album-- The In Crowd. The album didn't move me like the mixtapes did. Maybe, it was that sense of familiarity I had with the mixtapes' production and the freshness that rolls with it when another rapper crafts a better composition from that production work. The album isn't bad by any means, it is far better than many of the rap albums that are chart toppers. Naledge and Double-0 are skilled lyrically, control the microphone well, and can rap over a beat like butter. They are just missing that differentiator that forces the listening public to see their personalities in verse.

Download Detention




The Cool Kids:
Kidz in the Hall:
The Website.

When I first heard Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish, I was expecting a rollercoaster of difference. It was totally refreshing and exhilirating to hear production that was simply complex and hard hitting. I was actually getting the best of both world with New York's boom-bap and Atlanta's hard bass. It was a marriage only seen in Baltimore House or Chicago house. But, their marriage had slower rpms. I intently listened to Mikey and Chuck spit verse after verse on why they are cool and you are not. Their discography is not reflective of their work as songs go from an EP, Totally Flossed Out, to a mixtape, That's Stupid, to another EP, The Bake Sale. This isn't a bad formula considering these boys are featured all over the place from rappers like Lil' Wayne to DJ Benzi. The production drew me into what they were saying and what they actually said was and is cool. They presented a throwback to a time when rap was a test of wits and fun. Lyrically, they brought wit and swag. Listening to Chuck rap was like watching a sheppard direct his flock. He made the production do what he wanted it to do. Mikey is a spitter. He has the verbal acrobatics to leap from word to word without falling. The Cool Kids actually craft every musical composition for each song. Their music is definitely Hip-Hop.

They bring a balance and commitment to each other like no other group. The Cool Kids support each others verses. It is like the Clipse on some just cool ish to be cool. They compliment one another like Jay-Z and Biggie. They feed off one another. It is like watching Serena and Venus play tennis. The volleys are fierce and you just don't want them to stop. The subject matter isn't brutal and unbelievable. Again, I'll say they are on some cool ish.

They don't even come off as coonish. They rock the 80's wear, but Mikey and Chuck represent Hip-Hop today as it should be versus what it is. They borderline gimmicky.

Download That's Stupid The Mixtape


Verdict:
After listening to both groups, I've decided to run with Kidz In The Hall as the winner. The reason they won was because they reached beyond a gimmick. Not saying the Cool Kids are gimmick rappers, it is just their persona is gimmicky. They are riding the coattails of the 80's craze. What will become of the group once that falls out of style? Are they gonna remain the cool kids or evolve into smooth adults? I appreciate both groups for their contributions to the culture. I love the braggadocio of both groups, but I can relate to the heavy "I'm educated" style of The Kids In The Hall. Time will tell if the Cool Kids will remain cool and the Kidz in the Hall will stay in the halls. I know these two groups are on tour together, so I hope to have a collaboration track called the Cool Kids in the Hall.

TW2AW: Hip-Hop as a Woman

Hip-Hop as a Woman

By Andrea Woo

There is something to be said about a woman whose mere presence can hurtle you to the brink of insanity, yet pull you back before you fall. On good days, you say that you will spend forever with her, and believe it. On bad days, it is as if you don’t know her at all. She is the subject of praise and controversy, the cause of euphoria and rage. You say that you will break free from her, but your history together keeps you bound.

It was in 1994 that Common released “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” arguably the most highly-regarded and seminal song to ever personify hip-hop as a woman. Over a smooth No I.D. beat that is only a step above melancholic, the Chicago emcee waxed poetic about a secular shorty who was once soulful and street-smart, but grew to become a shell of her former self. More than a dozen years later, we ask some of today’s finest: If hip-hop was a woman, what would she look like?

* * * * *

“She’d probably be all fat and beat-up. [Laughs] Nah. If hip-hop was a woman, for real though, she’d be like a real strong grandmother. You know, just taking care of the whole family, just that hard, African look.” – Hi-Tek

“A fucking whore that’s just been ran through. Just— God. A whore that’s past her prime. [Laughs] I’m just being real. A 50-year-old still working in the Red Light district and shit, titties sagging and just been done so wrong. [Laughs].” – Phonte

“Damn. Right now? She would look like Terrance Howard’s girl in Hustle and Flow, because you know she’s supposed to look real bomb but she looks real tired.” – Blu

“At its current state? Well, I think if hip-hop was a woman, she’d have to be quadruplets. It couldn’t just be one woman. One would have to be very afrocentric and very down to earth, and try to keep everything pure, and the righteous one fighting for equality, fighting for what’s good. One would probably have a weave down to the floor and implants and a really tight skirt. One would probably have to be a banker who is very driven, just about being successful, and one of them would probably have on booty shorts and gold fronts.” – DJ Jazzy Jeff

“Probably like she’s on methamphetamine, man. [Laughs] She’d probably look drugged the hell out because she done been so abused. She’d be fly as hell, though, but her facial features and stuff like that would just look worn out. She’d be a fly-ass, abused woman.” – Petey Pablo

“She would have a bangin’ ass body and an ugly ass face…right now, because the face of hip-hop is once you get on mainstream radio…. But the body of hip-hop –– the thing that makes that face be able to walk and hold up, and stand on that head, and make that head stand on that neck, that is keeping hip-hop strong –– is the people who are dope: Outkast, T.I., Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Rhymefest…. You know, the body is bangin’, but the face is a bit ugly. But you know what I’m gonna do, because I care so much about this girl, because I love this girl so much? I’m gonna take her to a plastic surgeon. I’m gonna get her cheeks lifted. I’m gonna show her how to put some ProActive on her face. I’m gonna make her happy, and put a smile on her, make her stop frowning so much. She’s always mad! I’m gonna present to the world a more beautiful woman.” – Rhymefest

“She would probably be a tall, big bitch with big feet or something — a pretty bitch with big feet. I don’t know. Maybe too much cellulite on her ass because of all the bullshit [in hip-hop].” – Raekwon

“She’d look like Halle Berry. Just perfectly put together — when everyone in the game has an opportunity.” – DL Incognito

"I don’t think she could just be one woman. It’d have to be a couple different women. [Laughs] It’s gotta be funky, it’s gotta be freaky. It’s definitely gotta be something stimulating, so it just depends on what’s stimulating to the people.... She definitely – definitely – gotta have that wideness to her, but it’s gotta be shaped up right, and the boom gotta hit right, but she’s also gotta be intelligent. That’s first and foremost; you gotta stimulate that mind, too. [Interviewer: "She gon have on some glasses."] Yeah, that’s all she’ll be wearing. Everything else, she’ll be naked. How you love that?" - Big Boi

“She's that one beautiful girl you'll never get over — your destructive first love. No matter where you are in your life or who you're with, you always end up in bed with her. She makes you feel like the luckiest man on earth when you're together but she flaunts her cheating ways for the world to see, rarely returns your calls and never says thank you when you look out for her best interests or dedicate mixtapes to her. You love her too much for your own good, but those fleeting moments of her direct attention are too much to ever let go of.” – Tonedeff

“She would probably have the features of every culture on the planet, because hip-hop is universal, worldwide. She would definitely have on, you know, a hoodie, a cool-ass hat, maybe some Timbs.” – Masta Ace

“She’d have a strong body and she’d have a pretty face, but it would be one of those male/female faces, you know, but a nice face. She would look good, but she would be strong-looking, like a Black Panther. [Laughs] It would definitely be a strong-looking woman.” – Eve

“I think she would be a beautiful, unique person. I think she’d be like a melting pot of different races, different religions, different cultures. When I think of hip-hop, that’s the thing I think of more than anything, because you got all different types of skin color, cultures, religions involved. Me, I’m a little bit white, a little bit Asian and then I look like a little bit Spanish. That’s my whole thing when I think of hip-hop, so I would say that: Multi-cultural.” – DJ Smallz

“She would be hood — definitely hood. Bourgeois though, you know? She would want the best hand bag, the dopest Gucci boots. She’d probably be mixed…because hip-hop is full of totally different cultures. She’d be eclectic. She’d be a whole collage. She’d be very colorful. I think she’d be dope. She wouldn’t be scared to talk to nobody. Kind of arrogant, but fly. You couldn’t hate. You’d want to be down. That’s the way that hip-hop is: You get in where you fit in.” – Shawnna

“She would have the body of a goddess. Very healthy, like Serena Williams type body, and intelligent, and able to understand me, understand my moods. It would be, like, the thickest girl in the world with the nicest body — very attractive, and able to understand me.” – Motion Man

“I think, right now, hip-hop would be a prostitute — beautiful looking, but she will sell herself to get what she wants. She’s lost that intelligence, but sometimes it kicks in. When she’s standing at the corner of the street, that intelligence kicks in sometimes and she doesn’t sell herself cheap. [Laughs]” – Zuluboy (South Africa)

“Right now, it’d be a really classy — Well, no, not classy, but a really dressed-up girl that’s out for the shine. She just wants to shine for the night.” – Classified

“Aw, man. She would be a B-student. You know, not perfect at everything, but good enough at everything. So she would be, like, a B. She would cook good enough, she would clean good enough. She wouldn’t necessarily be perfect, because hip-hop is not perfect, but it does the job.” – Bobby Creekwater

“She’d be beautiful. I think she’d be coloured. And she would have eyes that would make you feel like a complete retard every time she looked at you.” – Moses of Sweatshop Union

“Right now? She’d be a very ugly woman. Hip-hop is ugly right now.... It’s very negative right now, [and] negativity, to me, equals ugliness. [Pause] And a very stupid woman, too.” – Lupe Fiasco

“Well, there’s a lot of bass, so she’d be big on the bottom. She’d be loud; maybe she’d look like she’d be wearing loud colors. She would always be moving — and a member of several 12-step programs.” – Boots Riley of the Coup

“She would have a caramel complexion and long hair. I guess the eyes would be like kaleidoscopes; they can change different colours. The body would be like, that Coke bottle shape –– perfect. The lips would be crazy. The lips would be beautiful –– full lips. And she’d have some headphones on.” – Wordsworth

“Hip-hop would be the flyest chick ever. She’d be mixed and exotic looking and dress with mad style — a down-ass chick who ain’t afraid to break a nail if she gotta handle her biz. And she'd be dope as hell in bed, the type that even when you’re makin’ love, you’re still fuckin. Yeah, I fucks with hip-hop.” – PackFM

“She would look like Beyonce. Nah, no she wouldn’t. If hip-hop was a woman, she’d probably be a video girl that’s in the hip-hop videos because they’re the ladies of hip-hop. They the vision of hip-hop: Video girls.” – Soulja Boy

“Wow. She’d probably be real sexy. She’d be intellectual. She’d like to party, and at the same time be very conscious, aware of social and political issues. She’d just be a well rounded— she’d be the perfect woman! Well, not the perfect woman, because hip-hop is not perfect, so if it was a woman she wouldn’t be. She’d have her flaws, yeah. She’d probably like a lot of jewelry, name-brand clothes, phat cars and stuff. But you’d still have to love her though — have to love her.” – Jin

“Right now, she’d be a hood rat. It’s like what Common said. I used to love her, now they pimpin’ her. Let’s put it that way.” – Method Man

The Wonderful World of Andrea Woo

I was graced with the presence of Andrea Woo about a year and a half ago. It was in IHOP after a Cunninlynguist show in Los Angeles. Andrea, a Vancouver native, is Hip-Hop. Talking with Andrea, I learned that she was as passionate about the culture more than your average fan or fanatic. Andrea lived Hip-Hop. She talked with a natural swagger never mincing her words together. She spoke with the sirens' clarity. Every idea was a complete odyssey through one of her life's experiences. As she would talk about her crush on Kanye to telling you how Ghostface was kicking it with some Chinese cats in Japan (???), Andrea's words gracefully rolled off her tongue with a sting of brutal honesty. I crushed on her. The night at IHOP made me feel like I was having breakfast at Tiffany's. Andrea's world is filled with wondrous adventure.

Andrea is wonderful. She is the personification of Hip-Hop's struggle. She is socially conscious, cosmopolitan, brashly sophisticated, and shyly human. If you read through her words, you will hear her emotions speak about Hip-Hop and how it has changed for the better and for the worse. Common said he used to love her. But, Andrea still loves him. She loves Hip-Hop like a battered wife that remains loyal to her husband's potential to achieve greatness after he falls from God's grace. If Hip-Hop is the savior to us, sinners, then Andrea is its Mary Magdalene.

Andrea has blessed me with the honor of publishing her thoughts and war stories with Hip-Hop. As I crushed on her, you will soon crush on her. She is one of the reasons, I still love Hip-Hop and all the ills that come with it.

Welcome to The Wonderful World of Andrea Woo (TW2AW). If you see the TW2AW abbreviation, prepare your soul for a feast.

Battle of the Year - Bout 1: Kid Cudi vs Charles Hamilton

In the pink corner, we have the Cleveland born, Harlem raised hypersonic emcee, Charles Hamilton.


In the red corner, we have the Cleveland native extraterrestrial rapper, Kid Cudi.


I chose to kick this series off with two young men that came from the shadows to the forefront with their brand of life. Yes, life. Both of these guys drop introspective lyrics on their mixtapes. Even with the introspective lyrics, they are able to maintain my interest and make me appreciate their musical compositions.

Charles Hamilton:
What can I say about Charles. His mixtape hit the ground with a sonic boom. At first listen, I wasn't sure what to think of the tape. From the opening, I wanted Charles Hamilton to win in this world of popcorn rap. As I listened, he brought the cockiness of a rock star and the heart of a soul singer. His potential to mature into a wonderful and memorable rapper is evident. His fluidity over production is like the smoothness of a young Billy Dee Williams in a lizard lounge. Even with limited subject matter, Charles exposes many dimensions of himself. The compositions of the songs come together in a well-crafted concerto. They do not beat me over the head with repetitive production nor do they drag my mind into no man's land of pseudo-originality. This boy flips flows like flapjacks without missing a beat. Then, there are the freestyles. Wow! He is an actual freestyler. You won't hear his freestyles on his album and you won't hear his freestyles on other radio shows or TV shows. I don't have a problem with dropping a couple of nice written bars into your freestyle, but too many rappers are dropping entire songs into their freestyle sessions. Come on, Hip-Hop heads complain about that bullsh!t.


Download Outside Looking

Kid Cudi:
This kid came out of no where on me. I have yet to let go of his mixtape. I felt Kid Cudi when my eardrum was pierced by Embrace The Martian. At that moment, I wanted to embrace Kid Cudi into the monochromatic world of rap. His colorful delivery and word usage channels a new light through his mental prism. Kid Cudi inspired me to term these "hipster" rappers into a more accurate category. I call these guys "AnMonye" or "ComDrYe" rappers. You know rappers composed of the Andre 3000, Common, and Kanye mixture. Kid Cudi moves over a beat like Jim Carey as the Mask in the bar scene macking on Cameron Diaz. (Check the reference). He openly expresses his differences in comparison to other rappers. He doesn't acknowledge that they are average; he just iterates his difference is what makes him better than those other guys. They can be great, but they don't stand out. I agree Kid Cudi is not only different with lots of talent, but his difference is so well executed that it heightens his rankings in my book.


Download A Kid Named Cudi

Prescription for Greatness:
I want to see these guys bring their worlds together for a mixtape. Apart they are good, together they could be dynamic. In a world of over saturated features and horribly collaborated mixtapes (Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne! Does anyone want to defend this album?), these two guys could bring back The Purple Tape phenomenon?.

Verdict:
I actually cannot decide between these two lyricists. Both are skillful with wit, artful with storytelling, and cockier than Ringo Star combined with Jimi Hendrix. Cudi and Charles will become members of the Extraordinary League of Rappers as long as they continue to make meaningful bars, verses, and songs.

FRESH CLASSICS: AINT NO FUTURE/GOTTA GET MINE

Short on an extensive catalog of timeless material, we decided to dedicate "the best of" MC Breed in one block. These are our two pics...Flint stand up...

Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin
Although it looks like the video was filmed with a camera-phone, this hypnotic party joint still bangs from F.L.I.N.T to L.A....*Classic*

Gotta Get Mine
With a bigger bank, Breed was doing bigger things for the Midwest...with a ft. from Pac and better video quality, he came a long way from "No Future In Yo Frontin'". Nothing deep lyrically, but the exchange between Breed and Pac over this soulful track is infectious. This is HustleNomics 101 years before Jeezy's motivational speaking...A straight Street-Anthem that makes you want to wanna get yours...*Classic*

The Battles of The Year.

Remember when battling was the ultimate determinant on who was a better rapper? Battle rapping is the duel of wits and words or battle royale of syntax and style. Today, rappers are unwilling to battle with rap verses for numerous reasons. (1) Defeat in a battle that is high profile could possibly end your career. (2) Rappers do not want to alienate themselves from other rappers that they would collaborate with in making songs. Never know where people's loyalties lay. (3) They just don't see how the battle is financially rewarding. (4) Battle rapping exposes the lyrical ability of a rapper. If a rapper's skill is measured on how well he flows over a beat with lyrical complexity, then battle rapping probably wouldn't be beneficial for him.

There have been many newcomers or soon-to-be challengers to the crown in rap. I am appreciating them all for what they bring to the table. However, they are making it difficult for me to decide who should be the top dog in their pack. These rappers rise to the occasion at different times. They exude real personality. They are cats that would probably battle if provoked, but they won't battle because of their humility.

For the next few weeks, I am going to place them in a battle royale of skills. This battle royale will allow me to expose them based on their past and present works. I will not grade them on hard to define categories. I am only going to grade them on feel.

We negate feelings when we usually do comparisons. We make them clinical and scientific. With art, you cannot leave out feeling in your comparisons. Of course, I will dissect their works and give my opinion on their skill level and potential. I will even include my recommendations for what they will need to do to make it in rap.

Let the battles begin.

UNDERGROUND LIVE: COMMON

Bonus Freestyle:



Devoid of special effects and extra filling, Common focuses on the basics of a great live show and delivers them with superior craftsmanship and an ultimate level of mastery. With Common, it's more about the tailoring and less about the accessories when rockin' a show. I've seen this cat several times and he consistently delivers Raw Energy...Exclusive Lyrics...Live Intrstruments...and "Off-the-Top-of-the-Dome" Freestyles. When his right arm starts swinging, you know he's about to go in. Hands down one of the top live performers in Hip Hop...