Tag: hip hop

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Music

XO takes 88 to MTL

88Camino raps to a sold out crowd at Le National. Photo by Jacob Carey

88GLAM flexes their strengths to a packed crowd at Le National

Derek Wise and 88Camino, better known among attendees as hip hop duo 88GLAM, hit the stage of Le National last Sunday to a full house of screams and applause. Decked in black from head to toe, rocking a Chrome Hearts tee and Montreal-based Malice World cap, the Toronto natives felt at home as they performed their newest tracks to a familiar crowd.

The rap collaborative gained traction after the release of their first eponymous mixtape in 2017, which starred their breakout hit “Bali” featuring Nav. Months later, their mixtape was re-released with four additional songs, along with the news that they had been signed to The Weeknd’s record label, XO. The duo have since released their second project, 88GLAM2, and are nearing the end of their tour with the same name.

Derek Wise pays homage to his record label by throwing up his XO. Photo by Jacob Carey

Following two opening sets by local Montreal rappers Hardbody Jones and Mike Shabb, the Glam boys hit the stage with their lead single, “Lil Boat,” that most recently peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. 88Camino was first on the mic as he began to rap the chorus. The artist’s soft, auto-tuned, sing-song voice is complemented nicely by Wise’s deeper, darker verses. This applies not only to “Lil Boat” specifically, but to the duo’s sound as a whole—which is the core of their catchy and melodic tunes.

On stage, Wise and Camino frequently rotated between songs featured on their first mixtape and their latest one. Older fans sang along to tracks such as “Kyrie” and “Big Tymers,” while “Wet Dreams” and “It’s a Flex” were sung by those in attendance that may have witnessed 88GLAM at Le National for the first time, despite them having frequented Montreal three times in the past year. “It’s a Flex,” another single featuring Nav, recently debuted a music video that led to the Weeknd posting a screenshot of the trio on Instagram and referring to them as “the future of the city.”

Derek Wise going in. Photo by Jacob Carey

As is expected, a mosh pit was requested of the crowd half-way into the show. The performers waited on stage while the crowd opened up a pit that they would soon rush into. Having practiced their moshing skills hours before during Hardbody Jones’s set, the mob of eager, sweaty bodies readied up with a perfectly shaped circle. As the opening notes to “GPS” started playing, the crowd waited for the beat to drop and then unleashed their friendly fury. The performers were pleased with what they started.

At one moment during the night, 88Camino whipped out his phone to take a video of a fan on someone’s shoulders as she lifted up her shirt to show the “XO” tattoo on her ribs.

As their set neared its end, Wise and some affiliates picked up a 24-case of water bottles tucked away behind a curtain to the left of the stage. They began to distribute them to the crowd. They requested that the water bottles not be used until the next song had begun. Then, Wise rapped the familiar words, “Time to turn the heat up like it’s Bali.” Within seconds, more mosh pits broke out, more screams were heard and more energy vibrated the building than any time before. And water. Lots of water. By the time 88Camino’s chorus had begun, the stage, the artists and the crowd were drenched in water. As they wiped a mix of sweat and water from their foreheads, Derek Wise and 88Camino walked off stage with smiles on their faces, knowing that 88GLAM had once again turned up the heat in Montreal.

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Music

No prefix, call them rappers

“My gender expression has nothing to do with my ability to rap,” said Witch Prophet. Photo by Corey Isenor

One student’s argument against the categorization of Femcees

Hip hop has long been considered a boys’ club. While many women have become popular in the genre, there are still more men in mainstream hip hop. In the 90s, during the golden age of the genre, rappers such as Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliot were among the most popular women in hip hop, but that didn’t compare to the number of popular male rappers. Nas, 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., André 3000, and Snoop Dogg are merely some of the biggest names in hip hop, not only from the 90s, but of all time. The women, however, don’t get as much recognition.

In 2018, we saw the two biggest women in hip hop go at it in a feud that was, well, meaningless. But aside from Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, there aren’t any other female mainstream rappers. Sure, Noname, Rapsody, Tierra Whack, and Azealia Banks exist, but they are still considered outside the mainstream.

When a woman sees her career rise, however, people are quick to point out that she’s either the female equivalent of a male rapper or on her way to take the throne from whichever rapper has it.

DJBooth writer Donna-Claire Chesman’s appropriately-titled article, “Stop Calling Rapsody the ‘Female Kendrick’” explains how Rapsody’s most recent album, Laila’s Wisdom, is her own body of work that plays to her own strengths. It is not Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, nor does it intend to be. It’s Rapsody’s album and it should be viewed as such.

Furthermore, such comparisons only boil down artists’ strongest talents to simple correlations of gender, race, and sexuality. By calling so-and-so the new version of this other rapper, it not only discredits their art, but also their personality. Every album an artist puts out is supposed to be a reflection of their life through their eyes, not those of their contemporaries.

“Why can there only be one dominant woman in rap?” asks Kiana Fitzgerald in an article for Complex. That’s a good question. Before Cardi B’s meteoric rise to fame in 2017, Nicki Minaj was the only popular woman in rap for years. Cardi was looking to change that as, up until recently, she had no issue with Nicki Minaj. When they fought at New York Fashion Week, it brought yet another divide among hip hop’s only two popular “female rappers.”

It all boils down to calling women in hip hop “female rappers.” If a woman is a doctor, we don’t call her a “female doctor.” If a woman is a lawyer, we don’t call her a “female lawyer.” Unless there’s a specific need for a woman to be known as such in her line of work, the term should be axed.

“Although I do understand and recognize that hip hop is an industry where the majority is cis males, I still think that the way to change the system isn’t in labeling women in the industry as the ‘male version’ of so-and-so,” says Toronto artist Witch Prophet. “My gender expression has nothing to do with my ability to rap and shouldn’t be the focus when talking about my talent.”

And she’s absolutely right. Some of the best hip hop albums this year have been released by women. Cardi B, Noname, Tierra Whack, and Rico Nasty, among many others, have released gripping bodies of work. Bottom line, these albums are good.

“And y’all thought a bitch couldn’t rap huh? / Maybe this your answer for that good pussy / I know n****s only talk about money and good pussy,” raps Noname on her track “Self,” the intro cut on her newest album, Room 25. On the album, she speaks on her gender, sexuality, and being black in America in a way that is as captivating as it is undeniably Noname. But the fact that she is still referred as a female rapper puts her back into the same box that all women in hip hop end up in.

“By saying ‘female rapper,’ you imply that rappers can only be men and we have an exception on our hands when a woman steps to the mic,” said Chesman. “The greater issue is around breaking down the conception that rap is men-only. That starts with many things, and our language is one of them.”

“When you’re referred to as a female rapper, you’re usually put in a box, and you’re not allowed to do the same things male rappers do without it becoming some sort of thing about women not being able to work together,” said Toronto rapper DijahSB. Hip hop has always been about collaborating, and if the most popular women in rap fight with each other, like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, then DijahSB’s argument only solidifies.

Hip hop is also rampant with ‘biting’ or copying someone else’s sound. Though it might be overlooked in male rappers, female hip hop artists are under more scrutiny if they and share a simple characteristic with another woman in rap.

The past year has seen a few steps forward. Instead of having just one mainstream “female rapper,” there are two. It’s not a lot by any means, but the fact that Nicki can share the proverbial throne with Cardi shows that hip hop is embracing women more than ever.

However, it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. Articles from HotNewHipHop still refer to women in rap as “female rappers,” as seen in a recent piece about Asian Doll. The Billboard Awards have a section dedicated to the “Top Female Rap Artist,” in which they nominate not only established rappers such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, but 15-year-old meme rapper Bhad Bhabie.

Rap Caviar, Spotify’s most popular hip hop playlist, currently has 10 million followers. Out of 54 tracks, only two are by women: “Twerk” by City Girls and “Money” by Cardi B. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are featured on two other songs. Where are all the other women? Spotify needs to rectify this by adding more women to the playlist.

There is a Spotify playlist called “Women in Rap,” however, in order to access it, you would have to search it by name or go into the hip hop section, scroll down, click “see more” in the popular playlists section, and then scroll down further to find it. There is some effort to put these women in the spotlight, but it is half-baked and lazy.

It’s not like there is a lack of women in the industry. Simple searches on the Internet can lead to many great discoveries. However, male rappers continue to dominate the charts. The segregation between men and women in hip hop is a barrier that needs to be broken down. Women can rap and they can rap well.

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Music

After a five-year break, Shad is back with his most complete album yet

Shad coiled the mic cord in his hand as the show went on, looking like a stage tech by the end of his set. Photo by Simon New

After a five-year break, Ontario MC is back with his most complete album yet

“If I’m honest, it’s not exactly what I wanted to do, but at the end of the day I have to do the thing that feels like I’m giving people something real. That’s what this was,” said Shadrach Kabango, a rapper known as Shad. He just released A Short Story About A War, his first album since taking five years off of music to host CBC’s flagship arts interview show, Q, then Hip-Hop Evolution, a Netflix docuseries produced by Russell Peters about the growth of today’s most popular genre.

A Short Story About A War is a concept album that was birthed from a poem Shad wrote about societal inequality. It’s a war metaphor in which snipers represent merciless capitalists, stone-throwers are everyday people, and the central character, the fool, doesn’t believe in the power of bullets. The violence in war stands for social inequality. “What do our governments and corporations do, here and abroad? Violence, really,” Shad said. The album was inspired by his time in Vancouver, where he got a master’s degree in liberal studies from Simon Fraser University. The city has the highest percentage of low-income households in Canada, while the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is the highest in the country, rising above $3,000, about $1,000 more than Toronto, the next highest city. “That’s where that story came from. My subconscious mind trying to grapple with what does it mean to live well in a place like this,” Shad said.

Shad interspersed heavier cuts from his new album with his classic, lighthearted tracks. Photo by Simon New

The album presents a bleak depiction of this war, concluding that fear is at the heart of the conflict. The main character defies this conflict. “There’s many different ways to participate in the violence and the tension that you’re feeling. And there’s an alternative, but it’s very difficult; this fool character,” Shad said. The fool comes to realize that violence stems from fear, and although the album is at times dark, this character leads the listener to look within themselves to find hope. It is a sprawling message packed tightly into a metaphor that is the perfect backbone to A Short Story About A War.

On Friday night, Shad put on a show that was exuberant as often as it was somber and reflective, mixing his new, heavy cuts with the material that got him to where he is. Thoughtful, slick and technically sharp rap that is all too often given the dreaded, trite label of “conscious.” “The bigger part of me loves entertaining people, loves giving people a certain style that they’ve come to know and enjoy with my music,” Shad said. That was certainly apparent when he brought freestyles, call-and-response and quick banter to Le Ministère.

Shad has won a number of awards including an Emmy and a Peabody Award for Hip-Hop Evolution, and snatched the 2011 Juno for Rap Recording of the Year from none other than Drake. As decorated as he is, Shad values consistency over any specific prize, particularly after his 2013 album, the last before his five-year break. “When I finished Flying Colours and that album was well received, for some reason that was significant to me. Because it felt like I wasn’t a fluke,” he said. With A Short Story About A War, he handles complex topics with succinct clarity, all while delivering top-shelf punchlines and metaphors inside of five-star flows. Shad is certainly not a fluke.

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: 88GLAM – 88GLAM2

88GLAM’s eponymous 88GLAM2 reminds the world of the Toronto hip hop duo’s role in solidifying Canada as a superpower in the hip hop world, alongside fellow Canadian artists such as Jazz Cartier, Killy, Nav and Drake.

The project comes one year after their successful debut mixtape 88GLAM, which unveiled the newly formed duo to the music scene.

88GLAM is the journey, and 88GLAM2 is the fame.

In 14 tracks, the project dives into the recent life events and success of 88 Camino and Derek Wise. “I can get used to the treatment, designer got bought every stop on the tour,” raps Wise on the opening track, “Blue Faces.”

While the tracks shift between moody and uplifting vibes, each song demonstrates the duo’s vocal capabilities—an aspect of their sound highlighted by the limited guests on the mixtape.

“Wet Dreams,” produced by superstar producer and fellow Canadian Sevn Thomas, demonstrates the duo’s uncertainty with their newfound fame. “Who did I become? I’m spending 80K on my wrist and that’s for fun,” sings Wise.

With only two features, Toronto rapper Nav and Atlanta rising star Gunna, 88GLAM2 is assertively carried by the project’s hosts. The two guests, with their melodic, slightly autotuned, and often melancholy mood can be compared to the similar, silky singing style of rap displayed by 88GLAM, as well as by many of today’s most popular hip hop artists. Their performances on “It’s a Flex” and “Racks,” respectively, add a spark to the project, while allowing 88GLAM’s talent to shine through.

88GLAM co-signed with one of Canada’s biggest superstars, The Weeknd, after he signed them to his record label, but it’s clear that they’re not stopping there.

8/10

Trial Track: “Purple Baguettes”

Star Bar: Rather be out on the road makin’ figures, ask me how / All the years I scraped the plate, can’t afford to fuck around – Wise on “Lil Boat”

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Music

Lou Phelps gets higher

Lou Phelps uses his catchy rap verses and vibrant stage presence to mesmerize a packed dance floor at Le Belmont on Friday night. Photo by Louis Pavlakos

Montreal rapper is ready to break out with his brother Kaytranada

Previously, Louis-Philippe Celestin may have simply been known as Montreal producer Kaytranada’s brother. Now, he is a standalone artist known as Lou Phelps.

On Friday evening, Le Belmont hosted Montreal hip hop fans for a memorable night of local talent. Montreal West Island rapper Maky Lavender first took the stage at 11 p.m., sipping from a straw in his bottle of Tanqueray gin. Beginning his set with “Fairview Term,” Lavender’s charisma and vibrant presence set the precedent for the hours of lively hip hop to come.

While DJ NMK may have initiated a “SIP! SIP! SIP!” chant for Maky to sip from the bottle, it was the crowd that quickly turned this request into “CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!” at the end of every song.

“Y’all are absolutely crazy. It’s like you want me to die,” Maky said with a smile on his face.

Gin in one hand and mic in another, Maky Lavender spits while he sips on stage. Photo by Louis Pavlakos

Tony Stone of Planet Giza hopped on stage to perform his feature on their crowd-pleasing song, “Keep Up.” Maky went on to sing “Ukannafo (The Susan Song)” with fans hollering the chorus right back at him. Hours later, Maky could be seen standing on top of the DJ booth at Apt. 200, still sipping.

After a brief intermission, Phelps opened up with “Uptempo,” a collaboration song by him and his brother, Kaytranada, under the name The Celestics. Calm and collected, Phelps’s stage presence was a mix of cocky and humble, flawlessly delivering his verses to a packed venue. Stone was called back on stage to perform the Planet Giza-featured tracks, “Fun N Games” and “2 Seater,” off of Phelp’s newest album, 002 / LOVE ME. The two performers showed off their chemistry and crowd swaying abilities throughout the set.

Phelps’s track “Average” off his first album 001: Experiments showed the first signs of a mosh pit within the crowd. He was able to temporarily calm this down by requesting that the audience squat down for his intro to “Want To (For the Youth),” but the chorus drop found the crowd right back where it left off. The energy only escalated from there when “Miss Phatty” came through the speakers, one of the lead singles from his sophomore album.

Continuing with his most recent hits, Phelps performed “Squeeze” and then called artist Pony to the mic to sing their collaboration song, “Tasty.” Yet, the reaction to “Come Inside” made it clear that it was one of the songs the audience was waiting for. Phelps played “Higher” after asking “Montreal, you trying to get higher?,” and went on to close his set with “Come Inside” for the second time. This time, he had a different guest to accompany him. After walking on stage to cheers and applause, Kaytranada hugged his brother and got behind the DJ booth to spin the track that he produced.

Phelps and his brother in the zone. Photo by Louis Pavlakos

Phelps thanked the crowd for their love and support and exited the stage. However, Kaytranada was the DJ for the rest of the night and played a variety of mixes, both his own and other artists’s. This treat kept fans on the dance floor and the vibes up all night long.

For a man who has played at international festivals with crowds of thousands, and collaborated with huge artists, it is admirable that one can still catch Kaytranada spinning for 100 people at Le Belmont on a Friday night. If only passerbys walking down St. Laurent knew who was playing inside.

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Music

Jazz Cartier wows crowd through the flu

Cartier going hard. Photo by Chris Carpenter. @cb43media

Toronto rapper performs upon the release of four new songs.

Jazz Cartier is one of Toronto’s biggest names in hip hop, but on the fourth stop of his Fleurever Yours tour at Le Belmont on Nov. 8, it felt as though there were no barriers between the crowd and the rising star.

Cartier’s latest show marked his fourth time performing in the city. Cartier, also known as Jacuzzi LaFleur, was on Post Malone’s tour when he passed through the city back in 2016. He also had a show with J. Cole signee J.I.D. at Le Belmont in June 2017.

Cartier’s last show in Montreal was that same month, as part of Fool’s Gold DAY OFF, a one-day festival put on by A-Trak’s Brooklyn label. That day, Cartier shared the stage with Speng Squire for the first time, a Montreal rapper who opened for him this past Thursday.

Speng has been making noise in the city’s hip hop scene for some years now. The 23-year-old rapper has a wide array of remixes and original tracks, posted on his YouTube channel, where he’s garnered thousands of views. Earlier this year, he released his debut album, Expressions of Now, gaining recognition from media outlets such as Complex and the Montreal Gazette.

Speng brought out TGEMarx, a member of up-and-coming Montreal hip hop collective The Grey Era as a guest on his set. They performed the unreleased track “My Dreams,” a collaboration between the two LaSalle natives.

“I mess with [TGEMarx’s] energy,” said Speng. “You can tell a lot by the energy you feel from someone. They don’t even need to say anything, you just feel it.”

As the opening act came to a close, the crowd slowly grew. The tight quarters of the venue began to feel increasingly cramped.

The intermission couldn’t have been more than half an hour, though it felt like more, thanks to the growing blend of anticipation and excitement that filled the air. While the show was originally planned to be held at MTELUS, a last minute switch to Le Belmont provided a more intimate night.

Finally, Cartier came on stage and the crowd erupted. Those furthest from the stage couldn’t have been more than 40 feet away from him, close proximity considering the level of fame Cartier boasts.

After performing a few of the most popular songs from his first mixtape, Marauding in Paradise, Cartier removed his sunglasses and took a moment in between tracks to address his “flowers,” the name he gave to his fan base some years ago—all members of a community of supports, which he calls “Petal Garden.”

“I got the flu and I haven’t been feeling the best, but there was no way I would cancel on you guys,” Cartier said. “I had to come perform tonight.”

The 200-something person crowd immediately erupted in cheers—Cartier’s determination filled them with excitement.

After performing some of his most popular tracks, including “Godflower,” “Tempted” and “Right Now,” accompanied by colourful anime-style graphics on a screen behind the DJ booth and dim, basement party-vibe lighting, an unfamiliar song began to play. For the first time of the night, no one sang along with Cartier’s melodic, slightly auto-tuned vocals. Then, the music stopped.

“No one knew this, but I’m actually dropping four new songs tonight,” Cartier said. “Here’s one of them.”

The crowd erupted in cheers as he performed “Cuzzi Relax,” one of the four new songs which formed the deluxe version of his album, Fleurever. The attendees swung their heads and hands as if he was performing one of their favourite songs.

Cartier’s set time came to the 60-minute mark, and shouts of “another one” were heard throughout the crowd as they began to anticipate the show’s end. Cartier, sensing the sudden dispiritedness, addressed the crowd.

“I love this city, man. I’m reppin’ Toronto, you’re reppin’, Montreal but we’re all from Canada. We’re all a family, fleurever,” he said.

As the crowd hollered in loving approval, Cartier’s DJ began playing his song “Dead or Alive,” a fan-favourite for its catchy, menacing chorus and organ-heavy beat. The crowd rapped along, word for word, jumping to the beat in sync with Cartier.

The show came to an end and distinct looks of approval were visible all around. Before stepping off the stage, Cartier had his own way of showing love for the night.

“Before I leave, I want to take a picture with every single one of you in this crowd,” Cartier said. “Thank you guys so much, for everything.”

Cartier jumped down from the stage and walked through the crowd with security, stopping to shake hands with anyone who sought his. He walked into the next room and took a seat as a line formed at the door.

LaFleur awaited his garden.

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Metro Boomin – NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

After a month of silence, Metro Boomin tweeted “METRO BOOMIN PRESENTS: NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES.” Less than 48 hours later, the album popped up on streaming platforms everywhere.

Metro Boomin has made it clear that he is here to stay after announcing his retirement in April. In his first release of the year, Metro grabs the likes of Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Young Thug and many more of rap’s top talent to collaborate on a trap album with enough features to satisfy any hip hop head. Gucci Mane’s intro blends flawlessly into Scott’s  Astroworld–esque track “Overdue,” yet this smooth transitioning can be heard between every song on the album. Gunna and Swae Lee’s singing voices provide appreciated downtime from heavy trap verses by the album’s more aggressive rappers. And of course, an essential Drake feature to send us off.

Rating: 8/10

Trial Track: Space Cadet (feat. Gunna)

Star Bar: “At 17, I wanted everything that was in store. At 23, I bought it all just to make sure.” – Drake on “No Complaints (feat. Drake & Offset)”

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Smino – Noir

Smino’s sophomore album, Noir, can be described as musical soul food. The newest project from the St. Louis native is filled with the sing-songy flow that he mastered on his debut project, blkswn. Smino’s voice transitions eloquently from Future-esque falsettos on “KLINK,” to his hard hitting flow on “KRUSHED ICE.” The production is handled mainly by Monte Booker, Sango and Smino himself. The beats mix funk, soul and trap together to create a sound that stands out at the end of a year crowded with new releases. “TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD” also sees Smino experimenting with Spanish-influenced sounds that could make for a fantastic single. While a bit long, Noir is certainly worth listening to in its entirety. It’s an album crafted with care and originality and should not be overlooked.

Rating: 8/10

Trial Track: TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD

Star Bar: “Who dat boy? He from the Lou’, he is a animal / Keep me some ice in my hands / Yeah, I got a burr wrist, think I’m Hannibal” – Smino on “VERIZON”

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Music

Why beef is unique to hip hop… or is it?

A look at music beef beyond hip-hop

The prevalence of feuds in the rap world has existed since its beginning and shows no sign of slowing down as 2018 nears its end.

The past year has reminded us why it is so hard to take our eyes off of hip hop and why rap has overtaken rock as the most popular music genre. The spontaneous album releases, the frequent guest features and no shortage of new music keeps fans on their toes at all times. Lest we forget, the rivalries.

Drake and Pusha T’s back-and-forth diss tracks about deadbeat dads and poking fun at the diseased had listeners debating whether there was such a thing as lines not to be crossed in rap battles. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj’s physical altercation at New York Fashion Week reignited the beef between the queens of rap that began last year and is likely to continue into the new year. 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd got personal over popularity and women via Instagram Live. Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly traded lyrical disses after Em rekindled the flame with a subliminal shot towards MGK on his surprise album, Kamikaze. 50 Cent has used Instagram as his platform to poke fun at… well, just about everyone.

This is not to say that rivalries do not exist in other genres. Kurt Cobain hated Pearl Jam, his grunge rival. It was virtually forbidden to be both a Beatles fan and a Rolling Stones fan. Lynyrd Skynyrd called out Neil Young by name on “Sweet Home Alabama,” and Taylor Swift probably still hates Kanye West.

Yet why do rivalries seem to be so much more prevalent in rap than any other genre?

One reason may be that the majority of rap music is predominantly driven by hypermasculine rappers with something to prove. As everyone strives to be called the greatest, any threat to them is a threat to their manhood. Violence and ego are often the genre’s primary subject matter, and verbal attacks are commonly the weapon of choice. As such, diss tracks have become a public outlet to be used as a battlefield.

Additionally, the popularity of many rappers today can be attributed to their rise to prominence on social media. With thousands or millions of followers keeping tabs on them, one call-out or comment about another artist can be blown out of proportion and easily turned into something more. Rappers can also use social platforms to directly fuel controversies that build on their personas. Social media apps and streaming sites have been responsible for many SoundCloud rappers-turned-more whose personalities are widely broadcast for everyone to see.

Rappers also tend to be solo artists. This means any fight they find themselves in within the industry is with other artists, making it more likely to be heard of in the media. The type of fights rock bands have tend to be internal, while rap beefs end up on Instagram. Disputes among band members are the reason why the Beatles broke up and why Liam and Noel Gallagher won’t be having an Oasis reunion any time soon.

Rap battles and diss tracks will be around as long as the genre exists. As long as it remains verbal, beef is perhaps what makes the genre so enticing because it forces artists to flex their hardest and outdo their opponent. After all, there’s only room for one winner.

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Music

Hip hop and basketball go hand-in-hand

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

The culture of rap music is felt, even in sport

Basketball has always had a strong connection to the hip hop community, beginning all the way back in 1979, when Big Bank Hank of the Sugarhill Gang bragged about watching the New York Knicks on his colour TV in “Rapper’s Delight.”

From then on, the connection strengthened as hip hop’s popularity grew in the 1990s. That era saw the “Fab Five” Michigan Wolverines basketball team adopt personas similar to rappers for the first time, wearing loose and baggy basketball shorts and black socks. Allegedly, they would end timeouts by quoting the Geto Boys’s “Gotta Let Your Nuts Hang.” This era also saw basketball players such as Shaquille O’Neal making rap albums.

Today, both the rap and hip hop communities are highly intertwined, with players like Damian Lillard being recognized for their musical abilities. Lonzo Ball also releases music inspired by the artists he listens to and enjoys the most, namely Migos and Drake. Jay-Z became the first rapper to co-own an NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets, and Drake is currently the Toronto Raptors’s “Global Ambassador.”

Countless NBA players and teams have been referenced in rap songs. Today, the influence of hip hop culture in the NBA is more widely accepted, but this was not always the case. In the dark ages of former NBA commissioner David Stern’s seemingly endless tenure, there was an attempt to majorly distance the league from this hip hop image, as he believed it tarnished the league’s reputation.

As the era of gangster rap led to the rap industry growing even more popular, NBA players followed the inspiration of prominent rappers of the time. As baggy pants, oversized T-shirts, chains and do-rags became the style in rap, players followed suit. This was not well-received by most NBA league management, owners or coaches.

Legendary coach Phil Jackson commented in 2005: “The players have been dressing in prison garb for the last five or six years.” Opinions like this caused the NBA to throw the hammer down on Dec. 17, 2005, and completely overhaul the NBA dress code. Headgear, T-shirts, sunglasses, chains and many more hip hop related items were banned in favour of “business casual” attire.

Just like that, the NBA was the first professional sports league to have a dress code. This was largely used to target one player in particular, Allen Iverson, especially during his prominence in the early 2000s. He was an NBA superstar who was seen by many as the first person to bring this style to the league. As a player, Iverson was exceptional, but off the court, Stern did not like the way he dressed, his tattoos and especially his attempted gangster rap career under the name Jewelz. Stern described his music as “coarse, offensive and anti-social.”

It is apparent now that the dress code backfired on Stern, because in the years since, players such as Russell Westbrook have taken style to a level unimaginable by Stern back in the early 2000s. Westbrook mixes and matches business attire with more traditional hip-hop street wear, a style several NBA players have adopted since. The NBA dress code administered by Stern still stands today, but the rules apply to an outdated era of hip hop style.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

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Quickspins

Wiki – No Mountains in Manhattan

Wiki – No Mountains in Manhattan (XL Recordings)

After first breaking onto the scene as one-third of the New York-based alternative hip-hop group Ratking, Wiki finally released his debut solo album, No Mountains in Manhattan. The album is, in a few words, a love letter to Wiki’s hometown, New York City. This is captured in a sound that is both completely unique to Wiki and in line with New York hip-hop conventions. No Mountains in Manhattan is full of highlights, starting with the tone-setting opener “Islander.” The song sees Wiki displaying his skills over two fantastic instrumentals in under two minutes. “Mayor” finds Wiki boasting about his music being for his hometown, not for the commercialism of radio or the pop charts. “Baby Girl” is an ode to the woman in Wiki’s life and the love they share, placed over some beautiful production  work from Montreal’s own Kaytranada. The album is among the year’s best hip-hop releases, with Wiki continuing to show growth while remaining one of the genre’s most unique voices.

Trial Track: “Mayor”

8.5/10

 

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XXXTentacion – 17

XXXTentacion – 17 (EMPIRE Distribution)

You know that edgy kid in high school who wears all black clothing, eyeliner, spiked bracelets and speaks in tongues at the back of the classroom? Well they probably love this XXXTentacion album. Ever since the Florida rapper came onto the scene with his breakthrough hit “Look at Me,” XXXTentacion has become a parody of himself, trading in his hard-hitting rap style for a “too edgy for you” grunge style that no one wanted. Each song features DIY guitar and drum instrumentals that sound like they were mixed inside of a can of SpaghettiOs, while XXXTentacion croons his way through the tracks. What’s unfortunate about 17 is that the songs themselves have potential. The album addresses themes of suicide and depression—topics that need to be talked about. However, the surface level lyrics and disrespectfully bad performances make this one of the worst albums of 2017.

 

Trial Track: “Revenge”

Score: 1.5/10

 

 

 

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