Tue 16 Oct 2012
Life + Times x Elliott Wilson Reviews LL Cool J, Eve and Fat Joe’s Trend Raps #TheTruth
Posted by Miss Info under about miss info , crony-ism , laugh with , new music , old music , videos[10] Comments
My longtime peer Elliott Wilson has a new webseries on the Jay-Z x Life and Times youtube channel called “The Truth” where he addresses some hot topics in hip hop. This one is like a more polite video version of his “You Played Yourself” columns.
In the inaugural ep, he contends that a trio of veteran MCs who have released songs with zeitgeist rap lingo which sounds more tired than trendy. The three songs are LL Cool J’s “Rachet,” Eve’s “She Bad Bad,” and Fat Joe featuring Juicy J and Rick Ross “Instagram That Ho.” All of the choices repping this need to keep in step with the trending topics of the day (well, maybe not Eve’ song…but El calls out the faux-Rihanna production by Jukebox). Personally, the fad lingo of the songs doesn’t bother me so much. LL’s been doing topical slang raps his entire career…Sometimes they’re great documents of what was hot at the time like “Boomin’ System.” Sometimes, with “Headspring,” or “Fatty Girl,”not so much. Meanwhile Fat Joe’s “Instagram that Ho” is just borderline absurd. It’s gotta be purposefully humorous, right? Please? In some ways, songs like this mark the saturation point of a word or trend. The peak, to be followed by the decline. Kind of like….”Swagger Like Us.”
“I can’t really cosign any of these three songs. Eve is the least offensive….Fat Joe, is a minor misstep, Instagram is big but no filters can clean up that one. LL Cool J’s is the most offensive, “Rachet” is the most wretched.” -Elliott.
Watch “The Truth” after the jump
Elliott Wilson “The Truth”
I also really like this other clip called “Road To Brooklyn: Down By The Yards,” which collected thoughts about the controversial Barclay Center and Atlantic Yards development project from Brooklyn locals, including the always colorful Marty Markowitz, our pal Combat Jack, and family DJ Clack Kent. Directed by Danny Lee, CALICOWORKS.
Related:
Jay-Z Rides the Subway to Final Barclays Concert
112’s Q Talks About Forgotten Bad Boy Classics: “Cheat On You,” “Miss You,” & “Jealous Guys”
Miss Info Exclusive: Jim Jones, Juelz and Lil Wayne issue “swagger”* challenge
October 16th, 2012 at 4:36 am
This has really needed to be said!
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October 16th, 2012 at 8:09 am
YN was on point in his evaluation on all three songs. Eve’s is less of a reach than L’s and Joe’s. They feel too trendy or bandwagon-ish to have a connection to their audience. And Joe usually has a great track record for popular singles. Just my opinion..
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October 16th, 2012 at 8:38 am
i think we should just pretend this ll track was not release don’t give him any pr for that
nope
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October 16th, 2012 at 9:01 am
I dont like Elliott Wilson, he is bias, annoying and reminds me of an even older version of Ice T
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October 16th, 2012 at 10:35 am
I loved this video. I embrace being called me a word/slang snob cuz no matter how in or trendy a term becomes if it doesnt sit well with me I dont use it. I’ve hated “Ratchet” from the moment I heard it. I cringe listening to Rosenberg use it so damn much. Slang as ALWAYS been a part of what we do. But today it just seems so forced and contrived. Nothings real anymore. Its just folk trying to make something catch on.
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DJ Chuck NICE Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Agreed….when I use ratchet, best believe, I’m still talking about that pistol….lol.
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Miss Info Reply:
October 16th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
classic slang. in chicago we also called them “swords”
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Nightfall Reply:
October 17th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Exactly.
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October 16th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
LL’s track was a “hell no” from the only first 5 seconds i heard of it. The fact that ppl in high places have resorted to posting thier protest means hiphop is really starting to blossum in the right way. But quite late!!
If this wouldve happened years ago we’d've been able to skip Some of the southern movement, the hipster movement and bunch of other shit along the way.
An “ratchet” is the ill seed of the ‘worldstar’era bcuz the used it constantly in there video decriptions.
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October 16th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Cool video, but I think Jay Smooth would have been a better person for this webseries. Jay’s delivery and body language on those Ill Doctrine videos are classic!
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