Grandmaster Flash‘s The Message was the first mainstream hip-hop song ever. It marked the genesis of hip-hop’s global domination. It also spoke of a mentally ill, homeless woman who “used to be a fag hag,” and described a victim of prison rape as an “undercover fag.”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince went triple platinum with the lyrics, “All the filthy, stinky, nasty people be quiet, all the homeboys that got AIDS be quiet, all the girls out there that don’t like guys be quiet.” Hall of Famer Ice Cube spat the line, “Dumb-ass hooker ain’t nothin’ but a dyke,” in N.W.A‘s Gangsta Gangsta.
Compared to its alumni, 2017’s class of hip-hop is unrecognisably diverse and accepting. Not only are gay slurs increasingly rare in lyrics, but you’ve got openly gay and bisexual rappers and hip-hop affiliates like Syd, Frank Ocean, Angel Haze, Mykki Blanco, Taylor Bennett (Chance the Rapper‘s brother) and Kaytranada. You’ve got Tyler, The Creator – once a pig rolling in the mud of homophobic, violent, pro-rape lyrics – re-appropriating Nazi symbols for anti-homophobia merchandise. You’ve got Aesop Rock donating profits from his North Carolina concert to an LGBT support group. Last year, Vic Mensa released pro-same-sex marriage track Free Love featuring bisexual singer Halsey and gay rapper Le1f. Trap king Young Thug himself is proudly gender fluid, his frilly, powder blue dress making for perhaps the most talked-about album cover of 2016.
On January 20 this year, Drake-affiliated Atlanta rapper ILoveMakonnen came out. The announcement was warmly welcomed with praise and love from hip-hop artists and most of his fans. This came as no surprise. Tolerance is, for the most part, the norm today.
https://twitter.com/iLoveMakonnen5D/status/822353737146470400
So when rappers-of-the-moment Migos made homophobic comments against ILoveMakonnen in their new Rolling Stone interview, it actually came as a surprise. Not only did they call him “wack”, they appeared baffled by the support he’d received.
Citing Quavo’s love of diversity in Atlanta, including Young Thug and Lil Yachty, the paragraph from Rolling Stone reads: “And so I’m surprised by Migos’ reaction when I mention iLoveMakonnen, the local MC who just came out as gay on Twitter. “Damn, Makonnen!” Quavo bellows after an awkward interlude. I mention support I saw online for Makonnen’s decision. “They supported him?” Quavo asks, raising an eyebrow. “That’s because the world is fucked up,” says Offset. “This world is not right,” Takeoff says. “We ain’t saying it’s nothing wrong with the gays,” says Quavo. But he suggests that Makonnen’s sexuality undermines his credibility, given the fact that “he first came out talking about trapping and selling Molly, doing all that.” He frowns. “That’s wack, bro.””
Frankly, their argument makes such little sense it’s comical: why would being gay, making trap, and selling Molly be necessarily opposing? For starters, the gay community embraced MDMA decades before it was popularised in hip-hop.
Sure, many have been quick to note that Migos aren’t exactly champions of conscious, thoughtful, socially aware music – and they’d be right. More still noted their devotion to Christianity – also true.
But how is that relevant?
Plenty of their ATL contemporaries, like Thugga and Makonnen himself, are just as, if not more lyrically vapid and trap-centric than Migos. Many of their peers are openly religious too, like Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar. Yet they are not homophobic.
Even reddit’s volatile hip-hop community were quick to note how stupid that comment was with some class satire – and that’s saying something:
It’s unfortunate that Migos are making these comments now, given how brightly the spotlight is shining on them in the wake of Bad and Boujee and new album Culture, which debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard charts. It’s unfortunate that they’re spreading a message of intolerance, but more than that, it’s unfortunate for their career – and this fact alone shows how far hip-hop has come.
That they’ve been slammed for these comments demonstrates an seismic shift toward tolerance and against ignorance. Ten, fifteen years ago, those comments would have been overlooked. (Well, ten years ago they wouldn’t have made those comments, because Makonnen wouldn’t have come out in the first place.)
In full damage control mode, the trio have now denounced their comments, but it’s too late, and their reply doesn’t really address the quote anyway. There’s no reading between the lines of “the world is not right.” The damage is done. When Rich Homie Quan said he “don’t fuck with no fucking faggots,” Young Thug’s response was to simply joke that his career was now over.
There’s only been a handful of instances lately where hip-hop has been this ignorant. Each time has been received with immense backlash, like when Snoop Dogg and Chris Brown ridiculed Caitlyn Jenner, or when Azealia Banks, herself a bisexual rapper, was repeatedly caught out for aggressive homophobia. So while each of these comments are individual disappointments, their consistent damnation signifies huge, positive change.
Obviously this won’t be the end of Migos’ career, but it’ll be very, very surprising – and damaging – if they make homophobic comments again. Hopefully this will encourage them to rethink their values, ingrained as they are, and to make a positive change in their lives.
Hip-hop still has a long way to go, but incidents like these remind us that we’re getting there.
Image: Theo Wenner
PARTYNEXTDOOR – PARTYNEXTDOOR 3 (P3)
The third of his self-titled serious of releases and highly anticipated sophomore album, PARTNEXTDOOR 3 contains Jahron Anthony Brathwaite’s most engaging and personal material yet. PARTY bares his soul on P3 as he croons about failed relationships and lost love over murky, sparse production that’s become a trademark of his sound.
Taking cues from his mentor Drake, P3 opens with the seven and-a-half epic High Hopes. PARTY’s seductive vocals tell the tale of wanting to get back with an old flame over a menacing beat – including an interloping of Blackstreet’s No Diggity – setting the scene for what is to come. Nothing Easy To Please is a sultry number about how hard it is for PARTY to fall in love, You’ve Been Missed finds him wallowing in self pity when his girl is gone and Problems & Selfless delves into issues PARTY’s encountered in past relationships and how it affected him.
While his early work is heavily autotuned, PARTY strips it back a little on P3, allowing his natural vocals to shine on tracks like Temptations and the atmospheric Spiteful, a track that includes a glorious 80s guitar solo. It’s these moments where PARTY’s unaffected voice gives an added layer of emotion to his lyrics and showcases his diversity.
1942 takes a break from the heartache, with PARTY toasting Don Juilo 1942 tequila, in what is one of the albums more commercial sounding tracks. PARTY also changes things up on a number of other songs, mimicking fellow Toronto native Ramriddlz’s flow on Don’t Run and trying his hand at dancehall on the Controlla-esque Not Nice, and to a lesser-extent on the reggae vibe of Only U. Of course it would’d be a PARTY album without a Drake cameo, with the OVO boss jumping on a classic Noah “40” Shebib beat for the booty call sleeper Come And See Me.
Verdict: One for those late lonely nights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ockhq8E2FrA
iLoveMakonnen – Red Trap Dragon
Having left Drake’s OVO Sound label and announced his retirement, iLoveMakonnen has decided he’s not done just yet, returning with the Danny Wolf produced Red Trap Dragon. As the title suggests, the mixtape’s production is heavy with deep 808s and stinging hi-hats, with Makonnen singing and rapping in his unique, stilted style.
As he declares on No Features, Makkonen doesn’t need any help with his career (a possible dig at Drake?), setting the tone for the tape. Makonnen spends the majority of the album talking himself up and how successful he really is. The Atlanta rapper takes shots at everyone biting his flow on Sound Like Who?, raps about his riches and trading his Hummer for a BMW on Always Countin’, and how he started from the bottom on Came From Nothin.
Of course it’s not all sunshine and lollipops, with Makonnen losing his girl on She Don’t Call No More and rapping about how the drugs help him late at night on Get Me Back Up. Man of the moment Lil Yachty and fellow Atlanta artist Skippa Da Flippa are the tape’s only guests, turning up on final track Loaded Up.
Red Trap Dragon is nothing new from Makonnen, and while I enjoy his voice, I can understand why he’s a divisive figure. The real star of the mixtape is Wolf, who has quickly built a reputation for crafting enticing beats capturing the Atlanta sound and providing a solid platform for Makonnen to showcase his stuff.
Verdict: A decent return from Makonnen but nothing to get overly excited about.
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/277532458
Raye – SECOND
The debut major label release from South London’s Raye, SECOND is a modern take on R&B that justifies the hype surrounding the 18 year old. The five track EP incorporates a number of styles, from the synth-driven, Charli XCX co-written opener I,U, Us to the downtempo 808 slow burner Tell Me, with Raye’s soothing vocals ever present.
To be honest, every song on SECOND is a winner. The electro-meets-pop Shhh has hit written all over it, with Raye telling her former partner, “You can leave, you can leave, I don’t want you to wait,” over a beat that reminds me of 90s R&B. This theme of escaping negative people continues on the spacey, finger-clicking production of Distraction, a track originally released earlier this year as part of her two track Back 2 The Winter EP. Then there’s album closer, Ambition, featuring one of grimes biggest stars in Stormzy. The beat combines elements of hip-hop and electronica and is the perfect foil for Raye’s soulful vocals, with Stormzy reigning in his rapid flow for a more subtle approach.
Verdict: Get around Raye before she blows up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQF416kUVc
The Get Down – Soundtrack
Over the weekend Baz Luhrmann’s new Netflix series, The Get Down, finally premiered to mixed reviews. Centering on the origins of hip-hop and a group of rag-tag kids caught up in the hysteria, the show appears to be a classic Luhrmann production; visually stunning but with a narrative that often loses its way and makes for complicated viewing. Be that the case, similar to the Suicide Squad soundtrack, this compilation is top notch, featuring a wide array of artists and genres influenced by the sounds of the late 70s.
At 24 tracks long, The Get Down has all bases covered when it comes to highlighting the different musical trends during the shows setting. Miguel and Janelle Monáe bring the funk respectively on Cadillac and Hum Along And Dance (Gotta Get Down), C.J. & Co. flirt with disco on Devil’s Gun while disco legend Nile Rodgers lends his skills to the soaring Set Me Free and dance floor thumper Telepathy, a song featuring Christina Aguilera on vocals. Along with Aguilera, there are a number of notable modern performers featured, with Leon Bridges reworking The Temptations Ball Of Confusion, former One Direction star Zayn Malik hooking up with Teddy Pendergrass and Grandmaster Flash on the smooth You Can’t Hide/You Can’t Hide From Yourself (Touch of Class GMF Remix)”, and Michael Kiwanuka pairing with one of the show’s producers, Nas for a couple of old school hip-hop themed tracks.
Along with the big name musicians, the stars of the show also get the chance to flex their voices, with the most recognised being Jaden Smith. He opens the soundtrack with the blistering Welcome To The Get Down and collaborates with Raury on the folk-meets-hip-hop Losing Your Mind. Justice Smith, who plays the show’s lead Ezekiel, has some of his rhymes and poetry included from the show, but it’s Herizen F. Guardolia, who plays female lead and Ezekiel’s love interest Mylene Cruz, whose singing matches her acting. Be That As It May is a high hitting ballad and the aforementioned Nile Rodgers track Set Me Free is something you’d expect to hear when in the famed Studio 54.Verdict: Quality collection of 70s inspired tracks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzEUL_vg56U
Image: HipHopDX
Atlanta rapper ILoveMakonnen has released a statement confirming rumours he’s no longer working with Drake‘s OVO Sound label. The announcement is not surprising considering the rapper didn’t take off as expected after his collaboration with Drake and has expressed doubts about working with the label in several interviews. Rumours started when his latest EP Drink More Water 6 was released on iTunes solely under Warner Bros Records, and have been snowballing ever since.
He released the following statement today: “I cannot thank OVO, 40, Oliver, Future & Mr. Morgan, enough for all that they have done for my career. No words can express how much I appreciate Drake for being a part of the success of Tuesday. I’m sure the haters will have something negative to say, but all in all my choice to be solely on Warner Bros Records was the right thing for me and for my best interest. Sorry there’s no beef to report, DRINK MORE WATER.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=TXqwZzB_T9M
ILoveMakonnen joined with OVO in September 2014 after the launch of his self-titled EP and Drake’s chart-topping remix of Tuesday. He looked to be on the rise but hasn’t really blown up since then despite releasing the ILoveMakonnen 2 EP and a series of Drink More Water mixtapes.
The departure from OVO isn’t big news for ILoveMakonnen who has been incredibly active on social media letting fans know he’s busy with a bunch of projects. A couple of days ago he dropped a new collaboration with Lil B and has announced an upcoming Red Dragon Based God tour on Instagram.
You can buy Drink More Water 6 here
Image: Fader
iLoveMakonnen has been hinting at recording an album with Lil B on social media these past few weeks, and today we finally have a taste of what to expect from the two in the form of Can’t Let It Go.
Produced by Jae Marley, Can’t Let It Go is six minutes of Makonnen and the Based God spitting bars about others “out they really tryna be us” and stealing their swag. Makonnen drops two verses and handles the hook, but it’s Lil B who steals the show on this one. Known for his off-kilter flow, Lil B takes things back a notch with Can’t Let It Go. While his raps are fairly basic, it’s his laid-back flow that offers another side to Lil B and sits well alongside Makonnen’s auto-tune warble.
While there is no confirmation about an album between the two, if it does eventuate, I’m very interested to hear what these two can conjure up after hearing Can’t Let It Go. Makonnen has a unique style that I think deserves more recognition, while you never know what you’re going to get with Lil B, so it’s always worth checking out his material.
Makonnen also hinted on Twitter that he and the Based God will tour later this year.
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IMAGE: BeatBlah
Today is a historic day for the NBA. Not only did the Golden State Warriors beat the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ long standing record for most wins in a season (73), but Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketballers to ever grace the court bowed out with 60 points and a five point win over the Utah Jazz.
Praise for Bryant’s achievements has been universal and come from all corners of the media and celebrity circles, including the hip-hop world. Anyone who’s a fan of either knows the close association basketball and hip-hop has. While basketball has always been huge in the States, the sport went up another level in the 1980s as hip-hop culture began to take shape. The popularity of the two wasn’t the only similarity, with basketball and hip-hop both originating from the streets and focusing on individual talent, often within a team or group environment.
As basketball and hip-hop grew into multi-million dollar industries during the 1990s, it was seen as a way out for members of the black community struggling to make ends meet while surrounded by rising gang violence. These days, the two are intertwined, with your favourite rapper’s and basketball player’s often seen hanging out together in nightclub VIP sections. Stars like Drake (the official ambassador for the Toronto Raptors) and Jay Z (an integral part of the Brooklyn Nets move from New Jersey back to Brooklyn) have become heavily involved with their home clubs. History lesson aside, Bryant’s retirement is a special event that’s led to numerous tributes from high profile hip-hop stars that you can view below.
Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z & SchoolBoyQ
As an L.A. native, Kendrick Lamar is an obvious Bryant fan, and the Compton rapper recorded a tribute to 37-year-old entitled Kobe Bryant: Fade To Black. With Lamar’s untitled 7 playing the background, K-Dot speaks on not only the impact Bryant had on him, but also his city and the wider NBA community.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JFcdpB-GWU]
Lamar was also joined at the game by good friend and Black Hippy member SchoolBoy Q and New York mogul Jay Z, with the there posing together for a picture on the NBA’s official Instagram page. Jay looks particularly stoked to be at the game.
Image: NBA Official Instagram
iLoveMakonnen
iLoveMakonnen has been dropping tunes like it’s going out of fashion this week, and today he paid homage to Bryant in the form of the thumping Black Mamba Freestyle. Produced by regular collaborator Danny Wolf, Makonnen drops references about Bryant’s illustrious career, including the famous three-peat (2001-2003) and his five championship rings.
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Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne has always been an admirer of Bryant for many years and was one of many celebrities in attendance at the game. Wayne took to Twitter to announce the L.A. legend as his “Favourite player forever!” and posted a picture of him and Bryant holding one of the Laker’s five title winning trophies from the Black Mamba era. But this isn’t the first time Weezy’s professed his respect for the sporting titan, having released tribute track Kobe Bryant from 2009 mixtape Tear Drop Tune 2.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCH-owsrC-A]
Kanye West
Chicago native Kanye West made sure he was centre of attention with his custom made “I Feel Like Kobe” long sleeve tee, inspired by his The Life Of Pablo merchandise. The back of the yellow tribute tee was emblazoned with the phrases, “Los Angeles Lakers”, “Mamba Day 4.13.16.,” and “Kobe Bryant Lower Merion’s Finest,” in Old-English font. Hopefully these will be available soon because I want one.
Image: NBA Instagram
For more information on the rich history hip-hop and basketball share, check out fellow writer Alex Osbourne’s great piece, Hip-Hop: A Basketball Soundtrack.
Image: YoungMoney.com
Earlier this week, Atlanta crooner and rapper iLoveMakonnen dropped the introspective I Remember Makonnen freestyle as a celebration of his impending 27th birthday. Now, having commemorated his special day, Makonnen has released a further five new songs alongside a video for Solo, a track taken from his Drink More Water 6 EP.
The video for Solo is pretty hilarious, although I don’t think that’s intentional. Makonnen, shirtless and wearing a cowboy hat, dances amongst a team of horses. I’m not sure how it relates to the song but it had me compelled so it did the job.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXqwZzB_T9M]
Now for the Soundcloud tracks. The Sonny Digital produced Stay With Me Tonight has all the hallmarks of a classic Makonnen track, while Swimming In The Money has dance undertones, Start A New Wave strikes with crips hi-hats, and She Don’t Call No More features Makonnen’s off-kilter flow over another hard beat. Final release Sometimes is produced by Makonnen and finds the October’s Very Own signee in a reflective mood, accompanied the message; “i wanted to share this song with you, wanted to tell you all thank u so much for supporting me and letting me live my dreams. i wanted to take this time to share my last track with u before my 27th birthday. this is for when u have some time for yourself and can think cry rejoice and enjoy. stay strong out there and drink more water always.”
While I can understand Makonnen’s an acquired taste, some of the tracks he’s released are album worthy, and I wonder if- along with celebrating his name day- uploading these tracks for free is another jab at his label. Having signed to Drake‘s OVO since exploding into the mainstream with Tuesday, Makonnen has struggled to keep the momentum flowing, despite a string of top notch projects. Hopefully once Drizzy’s done with Views From The 6 he can concentrate on supporting his labels second most talented individual.
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Image: Fader
SremmLife Crew – Trail Mix
As is customary in hip-hop circles, when you make it big you bring your crew with you, and that’s exactly what brothers Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown and Aaquil “Slim Jxmmi” Brown have down. The duo, better known as Rae Sremmurd, blew up last year with their Southern style hit laden debut, SremmLife, and are looking to give their SremmLife Crew a chance to shine on mixtape Trail Mix.
Unfortunately, Trail Mix is a misogynistic mess that barely passes as an enjoyable listen. Are You Ready? kicks the tape off with a song about the Sremmurd brothers trying to get laid before it all goes down hill with Doggin. The first single released from the tape, the track features Rae Sremmurd and new signee Riff x3, rapping, “I’m back to tossing these bitches / I’m back to doggin these hoes,” over and over. The song is condemning the women using the lad’s for their money, but is followed by They Love Us, a song glorifying women (the word hoe is actually used 22 times) who want to party with them for being rich. I don’t get it either.
It doesn’t get much better from there. Lyrically, Rae Sremmurd run rings around Riff x3, Bobo Swae, Impxct and Jace, while the beats are standard trap fare, with Sonny Digital’s I Don’t Blame Ya the only production I really dug, although it was overshadowed by more terrible lyrics.
While misogyny is rampant throughout hip-hop (I’m a huge fan of the new Kanye even though there are some questionable lyrics), songs like Doggin are too much even for me. I don’t have the answers on how to fix misogyny in hip-hop and the wider music scene, but like the issue of cultural appropriation – a subject that finally came to light last year – there needs to be a strong and continued discourse by the wider music community about how we can stamp it out.
Verdict: Pass.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7M5nGC3Fc]
Gwen Stefani – This Is What The Truth Feels Like
A lot has happened in the 10 years since Gwen Stefani’s last solo album. The Hollaback Girl reunited with No Doubt for the so-so album Push And Shove, become a host on successful talent show The Voice, got divorced from Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale after 13 years of marriage, then announced she was dating country singer Blake Shelton a month later. That’s more than I’ve done in my entire life. Moving on…
Listening to the album, it’s easy to hear Stefani has been inspired by both her marriage break-down and new romance. While she’s claimed TIWTTFL is a break-up album, tracks like opener Misery, Make Me Love You and the tropical Rare are more like celebrations of her new life with new beau Shelton. Even the tracks that deal with the end of her relationship to Rossdale (Used To Love You, Naughty) are upbeat pop numbers that suit Stefani’s bubbly vocals. The majority of tracks have a modern, synth-pop feel, although Where Would I Be? has a bridge that’s a throw back to her Love. Angel. Music. Baby. sound.
For some reason Fetty Wap turns up on the finger clicking Asking 4 It, while the five bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are more filler than anything.
Verdict: There’s nothing new or exciting with TIWTTFL, but it feels good having Stefani back making music.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uljUDtv1Kw]
iLoveMakonnen – Drink More Water 6
iLoveMakonnen hasn’t really hit the heights many expected after Drake got hold of his smash single Tuesday. Last year’s projects iLoveMakonnen 2, Drink Water 5 and Whip It Up, didn’t really crossover, with the man himself telling Fader he doesn’t think he’s “blown up.” DMW 6 isn’t likely to change that, but it does continue Makonnen’s fascinating evolution as an artist and his slow ascent to the top.
The 11 track tape (his first to be made available commercially) has no features with production handled by a number of low key beat makers. Lyrically, Makonnen’s still crooning about selling drugs (Sellin, Pushin’) and girls (I Only Trip With You, Back Again, Want You), although it must be said he’s refined his sing-rap delivery so it’s no where near as annoying as when he first burst onto the scene.
Verdict: This is another worthy release from Makonnen as fans await his debut album that’ll hopefully see him finally crossover.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLWmUd9-nqk]
I also love Makonnen, so earlier in August when he ambiguously tweeted that “10/2015” might hold ILoveMakonnen2,
10/2015 bye
— Red Dragon Makonnen (@iLoveMakonnen5D) August 13, 2015
ILoveMakonnen 2
— Red Dragon Makonnen (@iLoveMakonnen5D) August 13, 2015
I found myself adding it to my birthday wish list (my birthday conveniently also being in October). At the Billboard Hot 100 Festival this past Sunday, Makonnen confirmed that the album will indeed be dropped this October.
For those of you unfamiliar with Makonnen, you may at some point in the last year have heard his song Tuesday:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFq9errZCk&w=560&h=315]
He released Tuesday on the iLoveMakonnen mix-tape last July. In the following December, Drake remixed Tuesday and signed Makonnen to OVO Sound, shooting him into the spotlight. Despite this, he doesn’t seem to have thanked him much, saying on Twitter that “Drake is mad corny.” Regardless of his comments, both should be happy if iLoveMakonnen2 is as good as the first.