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DJ Toomp may co-executive produce Royce’s “Street Hop”


Royce Da 5′9″

According to HipHopGame.com:

Rumors are swirling around Royce’s camp that DJ Toomp (who’s produced for T.I., Kanye West, Young Jeezy and more) may be jumping aboard the “Street Hop” album as a co-executive producer. If this is true, he would be working alongside DJ Premier on the album. There is currently no release date for “Street Hop”.

Why bring in another general when you have a 5-star general in place (Primo)? That would be like having Paul Pierce and trading for Ray Allen. Oh, wait…

We’ll wait and see.

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2007 06 29

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Commentary
Royce Da 5'9"

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If Detroit Rappers were the Wu-Tang Clan


D12

Despite some obvious similarities to the Wu-tang Clan, D12 really didn’t warrant comparison to the 9 man strong team as individuals.

If Detroit emcees were to band together and do a Wu tribute album (purely hypothetical) or form a parallel version of the group, this is how they would form together (like Voltron!).

    RZA - The ring leader - Has to be none other than J Dilla. Aside from fulfilling both emcee/producer capabilities, it’s the actual similarity in the quality of production and the sometimes lacklustre emceeing (see RZA on Ras Kass’ “The End”) that makes this an obvious choice.

    GZA - The wise leader - Another easy one - Less scientific but Phat Kat has been putting in work since the days of 1st Down with his old running mate droppin’ knowledge and schooling cats.

    Method Man - The star - Stole the spotlight on the initial album without necessarily knowing he would (”M-E-T-H-O-D MAN”). That would be Obie Trice. Through all the hype surrounding Eminem and D12, Obie Trice ended up being the most successful of Detroit’s Shady Records recruits. The entire package you would want to see in an emcee.

    Ghostface - If Method Man is “Star A”, Ghostface would be “Star 1A”. In Detroit’s case it would be Royce Da 5′9″. Perhaps the most prolific lyricist with respects due to Eminem, Royce like Ghostface is the underground’s king.

    Ol’ Dirty Bastard - The unpredictable one - Baatin no question. Baatin doesn’t quite have the unintentional comedy of Dirt McGirt down, but maybe that’s something he can exploit.

Wu-tang Clan

The Wu-tang Clan: One of the, if not the best, hip hop groups of all time.

    Raekwon - The storyteller - Big Herk. Easily. Both can whip up grimy tales of crime and street life and paint a picture through their words every time.

    Inspectah Deck - Quiet but deadly. This would be Elzhi. Not the type to jump on award show stages uninvited (“Wu-tang is for the children!”) or constantly seek media attention, but no less deadly on the mic. One of the group’s best emcees and considered very underrated. Hopefully Zhi comes correct on his first solo outing. Deck didn’t quite live up to expectations.

    Masta Killa - The unknown - Not many people could tell you a whole lot about Masta Killa. That fact along with the rhyme style/voice makes me think Billy Nix. The former D-Elite member is a stronger rhymer both lyrically and in flow but the subject matter and overall style are similar.

    U-God - The relatively weaker link out of a strong crew - Not that he couldn’t deliver some fire (”Winter Warz”). He had the voice, but next to some of his group members, he had no choice but to be overlooked. This one’s a hard one. Success wise I would have to say Strike. Again, good lyrical ability but didn’t get the attention his peers did. Still goin strong after his role in 8 Mile, Strike should be alright as long as he doesn’t make bad career moves like U-God did - biting the hand that feeds him (RZA) and making a travesty of hip hop (”Bump” - I won’t even link to the video) a single on your cd.

Other thoughts:

  • T3 could arguably play the role of Cappadonna, the “10th” member of Wu. They both can drop either an underrated or underwhelming verse depending on the song.
  • Proof could have also made a good Method Man. Both have a similar type of voice and could flow for days. But he also had a bit of Ol’ Dirty in him too, so he wasn’t an automatic fit.
  • Eminem just doesn’t fit into any of the Wu. He might have had he gone a different route and joined with Dru Ha and the Boot Camp Clique (another group of emcees that drew comparisons to the Wu).

Your thoughts?

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2007 06 29

Artists and Personalities
Commentary
Eminem
Royce Da 5'9"
Obie Trice
Jay Dee aka J-Dilla
Slum Village
Proof (D12)
D12
Phat Kat, Ronnie Cash
Elzhi
T3
Big Herk
Strike
Baatin

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Benzino talks about working with Eminem; Campaigns for relevancy

Reeling off one ‘L’ after another, Benzino (remember him?) speaks to SOHH.com about controversy, lawsuits and possibly working with Eminem.

“I don’t got no beef with nobody,” he told SOHH. “I just wanna do music. I just wanna keep moving forward.”

You’ve read right. Zino says he doesn’t have beef with anyone, even his longtime nemesis Eminem.

“I think if me and Eminem ever got together, it would not only be big for hip-hop, it would just be big for society,” Benzino said. “Hip-Hop is a bridge to white and black races. I think there’s still a lot of youth out here confused about race in America and with him being as influential as he is, as far as who he represents and vice versa, I think it would do good for a lot of kids.”

“I think we’ve made a lot of strides as far as race relations in America,” he continued, “but I think we have a long way to go and I think he can be a very important voice to make that happen. If it was to ever happen, I’d be with it.”

Insert your own punchline here.

A Benzino/Eminem collaboration would definitely not be big for hip hop or society. It would only serve as CPR for Benzino’s career. As far as Benzino being an ambassador for race-relations, that bridge has been burned. If he truly had gone at Eminem for his possible racist tendencies and not created a circus in an attempt to advance his own career, he may have gotten some support in that regard. Now without a strongly circulated magazine, Benzino is as desperate as ever.

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2007 05 22

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Commentary
Eminem

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The case against WJLB

This is a 6 year old article by Jacarl Melton detailing “The Case against WJLB”.

It could have very well been written about today’s FM 98, yesterdays 105.9 Jamz, or todays Hot 102.7. The claims of “We are Hip Hop” or “Detroit’s station for hip hop and R&B” evidentally don’t ring true when Detroit’s most successful artists haven’t been introduced by local radio and continue to be shunned for airplay. Sure Bushman had Big Proof do his show intro, Wax-Tax’n-Dre had Royce Da 5′9″ do his, but all of this only adds up to token support from low-level station employees. It seems the only time you hear Slum Village on Detroit radio is during traffic reports. The more things change…

Radio killed the underground star: The case against WJLB

By W. Jacarl Melton
Daily Arts Writer

On the seemingly rare occasions that hip-hop shows occur in Ann Arbor, I make a concerted effort to attend. Last Friday was no different. I, like the other hundred or so people in the audience, was at the Michigan League to see the night’s headliner, Detroit’s Slum Village. Although I enjoyed the show, I left a little discouraged by the crowd. Don’t get me wrong, people were feeling the show. However, interest visibly waned when the crowd didn’t recognize a song. Even worse, I could sense a “who’s that?”-type of vibe from a good portion of the crowd when talented opening acts like S.U.N., Athletic Mic League and Phat Kat graced the stage. I consider myself lucky not to suffer from this syndrome since I’ve seen every performer multiple times and/or own their work. I have to wonder, though, why so many folks are unfamiliar with artists from “around the way” when, especially in Slum Village’s case, they have a national, if not international, following?

The easiest answer points a finger at Detroit radio, especially WJLB 98 FM. WJLB is the target of what I think is a justified protest and boycott by the Detroit Hip-Hop Coalition. The Coalition consists of Michigan hip-hop artists, DJs and promoters, among others, who want to promote the work of local artists and bands. This Friday, the Coalition plans a protest at the WJLB studios to draw attention to the station’s weak on-air support of area artists while also encouraging a boycott presumably of the station’s musical events and programming. The Coalition contends that not only does WJLB stiff local artists by providing little or no airplay and denying phone requests for their music by fans, but WJLB also makes a profit off of these same artists when the station sponsors events at which they perform. All of this happens under WJLB’s proclamation that it’s the “voice of the community.” Obviously, if local artists don’t have a mass venue, like radio, to spread their music, how can the area’s number two station, according to the latest Radio & Records poll, make such a bold claim? My call to WJLB programming director Michael Saunders regarding this question went unreturned.

Before I go any further, I have to make some things clear. When I say “local artist,” I’m excluding Eminem, Aaliyah (yes, you ARE from Detroit) and, at this point in time, Mercedes. These three are getting more than their share of airtime and have the contracts to boot. Also, I’m not taking WJLB to task for its coat drives for kids or other programs of that nature. These are extremely admirable. My beef lies in the fact that I know there are artists in the Detroit area who have talent and are deserving of airplay…

Read the rest of the article at the Michigan Daily.

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2007 05 03

Commentary
Royce Da 5'9"
Back in Time
Slum Village
Detroit Hip Hop History
Proof (D12)
FM 98 WJLB

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Article: Royce Da 5′9″, Detroit’s king returns

One of the most insightful articles on Royce Da 5′9″ finds itself being published in this week’s Real Detroit. The thing that makes this feature stand out is that its author, Tom Matich, recalls his first exposure to 5′9″ with him coming across a Game Records single as well as meeting Royce early in his career. The connection comes full circle with an interview conducted last April.

Royce Da 5′9″

Major media would have you think that there is no positivity to be taken from the hip hop community. Royce however shows maturity and accountability for his actions through the words that he speaks.

Highlights include:

Royce on being incarcerated.

“I felt embarrassment, taking myself away from my family for that amount of time over something so stupid. Everybody was so happy that I was so down to earth and I was like, ‘Shit man, we all in jail. (What the) fuck would I come here actin’ like a star for?’ You make a mistake, you gotta pay for it. I didn’t expect the judge to be lenient. Judge McKenzie and Judge D’Agostini, they taught me a valuable lesson. Don’t drink and drive. It doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you got, you will pay.”

Royce on getting DJ Premier to host his mixtape.

“Me and DJ Premier got together and he said he wanted to host it,” says Royce after a slight, proud smile. “I figured if he was gonna be a part of it, let me do freestyles over Premier beats mostly.”

Royce on studio time and work ethic.

“I wouldn’t put nothing ahead of working out right now,” Royce says. “And I’ve been the total opposite, it just depends on what’s going on. I’m addicted to the studio. It’s always one or the other with me. That’s why I stopped drinking in the studio years ago, because nothing was getting done; once I start drinkin’, it’s a party. So I had to start going to the studio like it’s a real job and I been like that for years. I’m an extremist, I think I need to go see a therapist or talk to a doctor and find out why I’m so off and on.”

And, Royce on being a happily married hip hop artist (an anomaly).

“Being married in hip-hop, it works for me,” Royce says. “I gotta have something to come back to. So living with my wife is like living with my mother — I don’t wanna let her down.”

Read the full article here.

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2007 05 02

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Commentary
Royce Da 5'9"

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Guilty Simpson: The name ain’t what you think

If most of you think remotely similar to the way I do, you probably thought of Guilty Simpson’s name being a play on O.J. Simpson.

We were wrong. Guilty clears up his name at his blog:

Simpson is the name……….

For those that dont know Guilty Simpson is not an O.J. spinoff.Guilty was my rap name and i added Simpson later,(my last name)because i heard somebody took “Guilty”.I added Simpson to make the name more identifiable.My music isnt based off of gimmicks so the Orenthal references are just coincidental.So there ya are people “Guilty Simpson” the emcee,not running back with a knife.Proceed……………………

Guilty Simpson
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2007 04 17

Commentary
Guilty Simpson

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The murder of Proof witnessed

Part of 7 days of Proof at DetroitHipHop.net.

Mudd of 5 Ela recalls that fateful morning when the man known as Big Proof would die and take the life of one other. This XXL exclusive recounts the ordeal months after it happened with a story that is different than what the media and law enforcement have reported.

Despite all the attention paid to the tragedy, there still exists feelings of distrust of all involved. Most on all sides of the story feel that the true story is incomplete. Trick Trick even hints that Mudd’s account of the story is questionable in QD3’s Beef: The Series feature on the tragedy.

Proof and 5 Ela

With the truth about that morning still being up in the air, the one thing that is consistent among all is that this was a tragedy that was consistent with life in Detroit and to prevent such tragedies, things must change.

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2007 04 10

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Commentary
Proof (D12)
Trick Trick

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Royce Da 5′9″: Drinking, Driving and Dr. Dre

Biba Adams hits us with another exclusive, this time a Royce Da 5′9″ feature for the Michigan Citizen.

Royce talks about his drinking problem, his new album and looks back at what runied his relationship with Dr. Dre.

MC: Looking back at those times. When you were with Em, and he was working with Dre, you did a lot of songs for The Chronic 2001. What happened with Dre? What exactly was said? What happened exactly? (Royce wrote numerous songs for Dr. Dre for his comeback album, many of which were scrapped after Royce’s then-manager, Kino Childrey made some comments that were published in a national magazine. Royce’s lyrics remained on one song, The Message. The comments became part of a huge controversy which follows the rapper to this day.)

R59: I was young, Kino was young. We were excited to be around Dre. You gotta understand, we were like 20, 21, and we’re in the studio working with Dre. We went from the Open Mic’s to that. So we were excited and Kino just went a little bit fast. I was doing an interview over the phone and he was on the phone too, he knew the guy that I was doing the interview with. After I got off the phone, they stayed on the phone for a little while. To this day he says he didn’t say it, but the comment that was made was, “I’ve seen Em sit Dre down like a pupil and coach him on rhymes”. The reporter printed it. When it got back to Dre, he got upset. Kino wrote an apology letter and he was sorry, but Dre did what he did which was kinda wash his hands of him.

MC: Do you regret it? Do you feel like it was something you could have done?

R59: Do I regret him saying it? I can’t regret somebody else’s actions. You can ask him, he probably regrets saying it.

The hip hop world likes to look back at the Royce and Dre situation and wonder: “What if?”, however there’s no guarantee that Royce would have been a superstar had he and his manager not angered Dre. Think about the long list of rappers that Dre has taken under his wing who have not flourished. Hittman, Crooked I, Knoc-turnal and others may never see the light of day on a major label.

Without the missteps in his career we wouldn’t have gotten Death is Certain. If Royce sticks to that formula of brutal honesty, accountability and acknowledging his mistakes (prevalent also in this interview), he could have his second classic album to date in Street Hop.

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2007 04 09

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Commentary
Royce Da 5'9"

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