Narkworthy: April 8th edition

I have mostly complained about the rap/hip-hop game (or the lack there of) for the past year. Some of my peers have even claimed I have given up on what I used to be known for: Pushing new bass-thumping rap onto anyone who will listen in the form of "Nark" mixtapes.

To give a brief history, the "Nark" mixtape was originated by my friend Gutter and he aptly titled it, "The Nark Out Remix: Vol. 1". This blockbuster disc featured the latest and greatest in the Spring of 2006 (Drama, Big Tymers to name a few). As for the name "Nark" (not to be confused with the DEA-affiliated "Narc"), I'm pretty sure it simply sounded funny at the time and made no sense, so why not? I inherited the franchise with the next installment on my newly purchased Roxio, external CD drive and tried to drop hits every 4-6 weeks. I pretty much scoured any file sharing avenue possible (Napster, Limewire, mIRC, etc.), in search of the newest and most exclusive songs rap had to offer.

As of April 2008, there have been over 40 "Narks", many "classics" ("Narked Out Reloaded", at least in my eyes), and plenty of ridiculous titles ("Raiders of the Lost Nark", "Jurassic Nark"). Since I don't make those mixtapes that often, I'm going to try to post a few songs per week that I would deem "Narkworthy". Eventually, when I have enough tracks, I'll then turn these into traditional "Narks", but this should satisfy those that need a rap "fix" instantly. I'll also post "Narked Up", my most recent collection.

1. Paper Route Gangstaz "'Bama Gettin' Money" (Diplo Remix)
Their name is pretty laughable, but I'm not sure I have heard anything like them in awhile. Hailing from Hunstville, Alabama, this crew has a hungry sound that is reminiscent of Three Six Mafia's early days. With the help of producer Diplo, they manage to make a George Michael sample drenched in swampy bass and southern drawl, sound very eerie.

Paper Route Gangstaz - 'Bama Gettin' Money (Diplo Remix)

2. Jay-Z "Ain't I"
After Young Hov got his artistic angst out of his system (last year's amazing, American Gangster), he decided to show youngn's how to flow on any beat. DJ Clue released it and originally claimed it was from S. Carter's next opus. Later, Jay-Z said "Ain't I" was supposed to be on Timbaland's Shock Value, but just missed deadline.

Jay-Z - Ain't I

3. Wyclef Jean ft Lupe Fiasco "Fast Car" remix
Though I haven't checked out Clef's new album, Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, I probably should if his 1st two singles ("Sweetest Girl", "Slow Down") are any indication. The former leader of The Fugees seems to paint pictures with troubled characters over catchy beats with ease consistently and the remix to "Fast Car" is no exception. Substituting Paul Simon for Lupe Fiasco brings another great storyteller to the table on a solid remix.

Wyclef Jean ft Lupe Fiasco - Fast Car remix

Narked Up - featuring Jay Rock, Lil' Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, 9th Wonder, Kanye West, and more.

Kanye West: "Graduation" with Honors

Kanye West - Graduation 4/5 Narks

With the massive anticipation for Kanye West's third opus, Graduation, many people wondered if he could rise to the top of the class. In the past 2 years, since Late Registration, Kanye has injected his larger than life persona into popular culture by a public displeasure with George Bush, unleashed tirades at various award shows, successfully launched his G.O.O.D. Music label with the help of John Legend and Common, and engaged in a sales competition with 50 Cent. Needless to say, these events gave Kanye plenty of material to create a colorful and inventive new album.

Kanye West continues his flavor of digging in the crates for classic samples on Graduation, but this time he infuses his penchant for soul with a futuristic/new wave sound. T-Pain assists with his trademark vocal distortion over a sample from Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." and synthesizers on the party driven next single, "Good Life". "Stronger" may not be the first time a hip-hop producer has sampled Daft Punk (see Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" helmed by Swizz Beatz), but it certainly is the best. The futuristic drum beat reverberates through the speakers while Kanye confidently rhymes his way in to space.

While most of West's best raps are boastful, bravado filled with fashion-sense and pop references (see "The Glory"), he usually includes a few tracks that give a more personal look at the inner demons of Kanye West. "Everything I Am" shines as a laid back piano sampled track featuring turntable work courtesy of DJ Premier. He addresses naysayers who chastise his actions and simply states "everything i'm not, made me everything i am". "Big Brother" gives a personal account of West's rise in the Roc-a-Fella crew and his admiration for idol/label head Jay-Z. From being too star struck to speak with 'Hova to trying to match Jay-Z's success and being humbled by Def Jam's president at Madison Square Garden, it shows West's vulnerable side.

While West earns many A's on Graduation, there are still a few spots where you can see he has a few more things to learn from the "Best Rapper Alive". "Drunk and Hot Girls" follows late night exploits of the rich and famous with promiscuous ladies with a lazy, annoying flow. "Barry Bonds" would suffice as a mixtape cut (Lil' Wayne continues his streak of hit guest appearances), but seems out of place with the sonic-soul feel of the album.

Kanye West has quickly risen to the top of the hip-hop A-list with spit fire rhymes paired with innovative production. Graduation continues the tradition with West's earnest, unapologetic approach and catchy, but soulful beats.

BTW, Curtis lost....

Kanye West - The Glory


Kanye West - Everything I Am


Kanye West - Bittersweet ft John Mayer (Bonus Track)

Kanye vs. Curtis: The Heavyweight Matchup

Everyone else has an opinion about it, why not me? Two rap superstars. 1 day. 1 winner. Kanye vs. 50 Cent. Graduation vs. Curtis. The hype surrounding the rap album showdown on Tuesday, September 11th is about to bubble over. Though my interest in today's rap game is waning (can you blame me?), this feud caught my attention. Even my favorite indie rock journal, My Old Kentucky Blog, commented on it. If you have been living under a rock, here's the run down:

50 Cent was set to release Before I Self Destruct earlier this summer. After releasing the lackluster, "Candy Shop" leftover, "Amusement Park" and street single "Straight to the Bank", 50 decided to head back to the studio. After a hilarious feud with rapper Cam'ron, where Killa Cam tried to belittle 50 by calling him by his real first name, 50 changed the name of the album to Curtis. He recruited Akon, JT, Timbaland, Nicole Scherzinger and usual contributors Eminem and Dr. Dre to beef up his lukewarm reception. These changes pushed the album back to September 11th.

Meanwhile, Kanye West had been in the lab crafting his third disc, Graduation, hoping for an August release date. Just when the street single, "Can Tell Me Nothing" was gaining steam, Def Jam decided to delay the disc until September 11th. Even though Curtis was already scheduled to drop, he had the gall to say "I hope that they see and understand what’s getting ready to happen."

What 50 didn't know, was the fire-starter single Kanye had in his back pocket. The Daft Punk sampled single, "Stronger" generated enough buzz to burn G-Unit offices down, getting love from the indie set and mainstream fans. 50 came back with his own scorcher, "I Get Money", but its success has paled in comparison to Kanye's first. Even the release of the JT & Timbaland assisted "AYO Technology" hasn't propelled 50 back to his lofty perch. The latest Billboard Hot 100 singles charts has "Stronger" at #2 and "AYO" at #20. "I Get Money" has made some noise in radio play, but it still can't match Kanye's heat. For those counting, 50 released 4 singles to Kanye's 2. Just wait 'til Kanye drops "Good Life" with T-Pain...

The biggest headline of the story though, is 50's claim that he will retire if Kanye sells more than him the first week. He claims that he won't release any new solo material, but will appear on other artists' records from the G-Unit camp. If that were true, he might as well start looking for a resting spot in Florida now, because Kanye's presales are already beating him.

What do I think? I definitely think Graduation will sell more than Curtis, though they will both hit big numbers. 50 Cent had his time to shine and while his fan base used to be as wide as Eminem's and Dr. Dre's, his arrogance and rap's overall sales decline will take a chunk out of his Soundscan numbers. Kanye West is very arrogant as well, but he still has the hunger to want to be #1 that 50 lost after "In the Club". 50 Cent is a marketing genius, from books to Vitamin Water to clothing. I don't even doubt the possibility that he could have met with Kanye earlier this summer and set this whole charade up. Other labels saw the opportunity and now Kenny Chesney will drop the same day. 50 just isn't as musically innovative and lyrically gifted as Kanye to remain relevant. Kanye might call himself the Louis Vuitton Don, but when he gets respected from backpackers and hip-hop heads for his beats and rhyme skills.

Winner = Kanye West Graduation

Kanye West - Stronger


Kanye West - Good Life ft T-Pain


50 Cent - I Get Money


50 Cent - AYO Technology ft JT & Timbaland


..and Kenny Chesney - Never Wanted Nothin More