Dont Blame Hip-Hop (The New York Times)

Hip-hop has been making enemies for as long as it has been winning fans. It has been dismissed as noise, blamed for concert riots, accused of glorifying crime and sexism and greed and Ebonics. From Run-D.M.C. to Sister Souljah to Tupac Shakur to Young Jeezy, the story of hip-hop is partly the story of those who have been irritated, even horrified, by it.

Even so, the anti-hip-hop fervor of the last few weeks has been extraordinary, if not quite unprecedented. SomehowDon Imus’s ill-considered characterization of the Rutgers women’s basketball team — “some nappy-headed hos” — led not only to his firing but also to a discussion of the crude language some rappers use. Mr. Imus and the Rev.Al Sharpton traded words on Mr. Sharpton’s radio show and on “Today,” and soon the hip-hop industry had been pulled into the fray.

Unlike previous hip-hop controversies, this one doesn’t have a villain, or even a villainous song. The current state of hip-hop seems almost irrelevant to the current discussion. The genre has already acquired (and it’s fair to say earned) a reputation for bad language and bad behavior. Soon after Mr. Imus’s firing, The Daily News had Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, splashed on its cover alongside the hip-hop producer Timbaland, whose oeuvre includes some Imusian language. He had helped arrange a fund-raiser for her and apparently was now a liability. Oprah Winfrey organized a two-show “town meeting” on what’s wrong with hip-hop — starting with the ubiquity of the word “ho” and its slipperier cousin, “bitch” — and how to fix it. The hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, who appeared on the show, promised to take action, but last Thursday a planned press conference with hip-hop record label executives was canceled at the last minute, with scant explanation.

On Monday, Mr. Simmons and Ben Chavis, leaders of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, released a statement that said, in part, “We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words ‘bitch’ and ‘ho’ ” and a third term, a common racial epithet. (That already happens on the radio; it seemed the two were suggesting that all albums be censored too.) Mr. Simmons helped create the hip-hop industry, and he has always spoken as a rap insider. Monday’s statement was remarkable partly because he was speaking as a hip-hop outsider, unable (so far) to persuade the executives to go along with him.

A different sort of criticism was voiced in this Sunday’s episode of “60 Minutes”: Anderson Cooper was the host of a segment arguing that hip-hop culture had popularized an anti-snitching ethos that was undermining the police and allowing criminals to operate with relative impunity. The rapper Cam’ron, who was shot in 2005, cheerfully told Mr. Cooper that cooperating with police would hurt his professional reputation and run counter to “the way I was raised.” Asked what he would do if he were living next door to a serial killer, Cam’ron merely shrugged and said he would move. The segment said remarkably little about the fear and anger that might help create such an anti-police culture. Even if Cam’ron is just doing what sells, the question remains: Why is this what sells?

None of these complaints are new exactly. Few rappers have used the words “ho” and “bitch” as enthusiastically — or as effectively — as Snoop Dogg, who has spent 15 years transforming himself into cuddly pop star from a menacing rapper, while remaining as foul-mouthed as ever. And rappers’ hostility toward the police has been a flashpoint since the late 1980s, when the members of N.W.A. stated their position more pithily than this newspaper will allow.

Nowadays, as all but the most intemperate foes of hip-hop readily admit, this is not a debate about freedom of speech; most people agree that rappers have the right to say just about anything. This is, rather, a debate about hip-hop’s vexed position in the American mainstream. On “Oprah,” Diane Weathers, the former editor in chief of Essence magazine, said, “I think Snoop should lose his contract — I don’t think he should be on theJay Leno show.”

On “60 Minutes,” Mr. Cooper kept reminding viewers that hip-hop was “promoted by major corporations,” and he mentioned anti-snitching imagery on album covers. What he showed, though, was a picture taken from a mixtape, not a major label release.

That’s a small quibble, perhaps, but a telling one. In the wake of Mr. Imus’s firing, some commentators talked about a double standard in the media, though “double” seemed like an understatement. Like MySpace users and politicians and reality-television stars and, yes, talk-radio hosts, rappers are trying to negotiate a culture in which the boundaries of public and private space keep changing, along with the multiplying standards that govern them. This means that mainstream culture is becoming less prim (or more crude, if you prefer), and it’s getting harder to keep the sordid stuff on the margins.

This also means that just about nothing flies under the radar: a tossed-off comment on the radio can get you fired, just as a fairly obscure mixtape can find its way onto “60 Minutes” as an exemplar of mainstream hip-hop culture.

You can scoff at Mr. Simmons’s modest proposal, but at the very least, he deserves credit for advancing a workable one, and for endorsing the kind of soft censorship that many of hip-hop’s detractors are too squeamish to mention. Consumers have learned to live with all sorts of semi-voluntary censorship, including the film rating system, the F.C.C.’s regulation of broadcast media and the self-regulation of basic cable networks. Hip-hop fans, in particular, have come to expect that many of their favorite songs will reach radio in expurgated form with curses, epithets, drug references and mentions of violence deleted. Those major corporations that Mr. Cooper mentioned aren’t very good at promoting so-called positivity or wholesome community-mindedness. But give them some words to snip and they’ll diligently (if grudgingly) snip away.

It’s not hard to figure out why some people are upset about the way Mr. Simmons’s three least-favorite words have edged into the mainstream. One of hip-hop’s many antecedents is the venerable African-American oral tradition known as toasting; those toasts are full of those three words. Hip-hop took those rhymes from the street corner to the radio, and those old-fashioned dirty jokes are surely meant to shock people like Ms. Winfrey. Once upon a time, such lyrics (if they had been disseminated) might have been denounced for their moral turpitude, but now they’re more likely to be denounced for their sexism. Both verdicts are probably correct, and each says something about mainstream society’s shifting priorities and taboos. Maybe dirty jokes never change, only the soap does.

Mr. Imus has one thing in common with rappers, after all. Like him, many rappers have negotiated an uneasy relationship with the mainstream: they are corporate entertainers who portray themselves as outspoken mavericks; they are paid to say private things (sometimes offensive things) in public. It’s an inherently volatile arrangement, bound to create blow-ups small and big. Mr. Simmons’s proposal could buy some rappers a few years’ reprieve. But it wouldn’t be surprising if the big record companies eventually decided that brash — and brilliant — rappers like Cam’ron were more trouble than they were worth. (Cam’ron’s last two albums haven’t sold well.) Why not spend that extra money on a clean-cut R&B singer, or a kid-friendly pop group?

The strangest thing about the last few weeks was the fact that hardly any current hip-hop artists were discussed. (All these years later, we’re still talking about Snoop Dogg?) Maybe that’s because hip-hop isn’t in an especially filthy mood right now. It sounds more light-hearted and clean-cut than it has in years. Hip-hop radio is full of cheerful dance tracks like Huey’s “Pop, Lock & Drop It,” Crime Mob’s “Rock Yo Hips,” Mims’s “This Is Why I’m Hot” and Swizz Beatz’s “It’s Me, Snitches.” (The title and song were censored to exclude one of the three inflammatory words — proof that this snipping business can be tricky.)

On BET’s “106 & Park,” one of hip-hop’s definitive television shows, you can watch a fresh-faced audience applaud these songs, cheered on by relentlessly positive hosts. For all the panicky talk about hip-hop lyrics, the current situation suggests a scarier possibility, both for hip-hop’s fans and its detractors. What if hip-hop’s lyrics shifted from tough talk and crude jokes to playful club exhortations — and it didn’t much matter? What if the controversial lyrics quieted down, but the problems didn’t? What if hip-hop didn’t matter that much, after all?

- RICKY STRIKES

Death of the Best Freestyle MC: BIG PROOF

Proof Positive

The murder last month of Eminem's closest friend, the rapper Proof, has been dismissed as just another hip-hop slaying by the Detroit press. In a special investigation, Anthony Bozza, the only journalist with access to the artist's inner circle, reveals the truth about his life and revisits the events of that fateful night

Pioneer of Detroit Hip-Hop Music

Four thousand fans passed through the Fellowship Chapel on West Outer Drive, Detroit, Michigan, to pay their last respects to Proof on 18 April. Queuing by 8.30am, they were sent home over 12 hours later; throughout the day, the stream of human traffic never stopped. The rapper was laid out in a 24-carat gold-plated casket and had been dressed in a beige suit, his trademark Kangol cap and a pair of brown Seamless Edition Air Force 1 trainers; a Detroit Pistons jersey signed by his fans and friends on the basketball team was also draped over his dead body. Floral tributes were gathered around: one arrangement spelled out the word 'Daddy' while another was fashioned into an orange P; another read '8 Mile' in red roses, and another was in the shape of a white heart with a gold ribbon that read 'Spice of Life'.

The next day, the 2,000-capacity chapel was packed, with its car park holding the overflow, the crowd listening to the four-hour service via loudspeaker. Proof's family - blood and musical - filled the front rows of the chapel. Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck of G-Unit, and Treach and Vinnie of Naughty by Nature were there, as well as the remaining members of Proof's group D12 and a host of other local luminaries: members of Slum Village, of 5 Ela, Goon Sqwad, Promatic and more.

Eminem sat between his manager, Paul Rosenberg, and 50 Cent in the second row, just behind Proof's mother, wife, aunts, children and cousins. The loss visibly weighed on the hip-hop superstar. Wearing a black suit and a black T-shirt emblazoned with Proof's likeness, he moved slowly, hunched over, a shadow of his usual self. He repeatedly embraced members of Proof's family - his wife Sharonda, mother Sherallene and grandmother Myra - crying with them, hugging them, and rocking back and forth. Eminem had lost the best friend he had ever known, the only person who had stood by him since his teens, his right-hand man both on and off-stage.

DeShaun Dupree Holton, aka P, Big Proof, Proof or Derty Harry [sic], died at 4.30am on 11 April at the age of 32. That night, he had been at the CCC club, an after-hours establishment on a sketchy stretch of East 8 Mile road in Detroit, where he and a few friends were playing pool after a night of party-hopping. He found himself in an argument with Keith Bender Jr, a 35-year-old Desert Storm veteran, allegedly during a game of pool. An altercation ensued, attracting the attention of the club's bouncer, Mario Etheridge, who is Bender's cousin. Within a few minutes, both Bender and Proof were fatally shot: a bullet to Bender's face took his life eight days later (the same morning that Proof was buried), while Proof was killed instantly by two shots to his back and one to the back of his head.

These are the facts, but the events that led to the twin shootings are not nearly as clear-cut as the Detroit police and press have suggested. From the start, the Detroit Free Press and other local news agencies took initial witness accounts at face value, and portrayed the incident as a thug rapper slaying a war veteran in cold blood. According to their accounts, Proof pistol-whipped Bender, then shot him in the face, at which point, while Proof stood over Bender threatening to shoot him again, Etheridge shot Proof three times.

Etheridge drove Bender to the hospital that night and without revealing his identity, phoned the police en route to report a shooting at the club, but he avoided detectives for several days thereafter. As their investigation slowly drew closer to him, Etheridge opted to turn himself in with his lawyer present, and gave testimony identical to the version of events that had been reported in the local papers. By the time he did, well before any substantive ballistics tests were concluded (as we go to press, they are still being processed), the media, had tried and convicted DeShaun Holton as the man who shot first and received his just deserts.

Nowhere was it reported that, as some witnesses claim, the fight that ensued in the club that night involved more men than Keith Bender and Proof, nor was it reported that others at the scene claim to have seen guns fired by several people. The police initially reported that Proof brandished a gun that was licensed to him - and the media ran with this story. Etheridge has not been charged with murder by the authorities but instead faces two counts of possessing and discharging a weapon without a license. In a preliminary hearing, he pleaded not guilty to these charges. In Michigan if an individual fatally shoots someone while coming to the defence of another, it is not considered murder or manslaughter.

On 27 April, 16 days after the incident, the Detroit police announced that Proof did not enter the CCC club with a firearm. They also stated that Etheridge did not arrive with a pistol either, but rather grabbed a gun during the ensuing ruckus.

That may well be true, but according to H. Mack - a very close childhood friend of Proof's who was near enough to the action that night to have been shot in the hand by a stray bullet and treated at the same hospital where Proof was pronounced dead - even the revamped police version of events isn't quite right. 'It was fucked up,' he says. 'The fight wasn't just the two of them, everyone in the club was involved. Guns started goin' off. P hit the guy, and then his cousin Etheridge fired shots into the ceiling. . I do not believe P shot the man - he'd never shoot nobody unless they fired first. That's who he was. Yeah, they were fighting over some bullshit but he would never, ever shoot someone over some bullshit. It was all just fucked up. 'The CCC club is a stout red building with a grey roof, a thick grey steel door and no windows. It is on a barren corner of 8 Mile across from a giant yellow Mega Pawn store. 8 Mile marks the border between the city and its suburbs, between the haves and have-nots, between black and white. The CCC is on the black city side, and has been a hotbed of illegality and violence since 1996. 'Since that year, there have been 18 incidents at the club that have resulted in police reports,' says deputy chief James Tate, spokesman for the Detroit Police Department. 'These incidents range from a fight to a stolen vehicle, and one raid.' In 2005 alone, a total of 337 violations were issued at the club, resulting in 12 felony arrests, 68 towed vehicles and 24 confiscated firearms. In February of this year, a bouncer at the club was shot twice in the torso. 'We've been trying to get the place shut down as of late,' Tate says. 'All we can do is issue tickets. The courts decide the rest. When you have a location that is a magnet for trouble, we do what we can to see the situation resolved. When you have owners operating illegally, they're setting the tone for whatever occurs from that point on.'

It might seem surprising that Proof, a founding member of the million-earning Shady family - the music collective that, second only to Motown, has put Detroit music on the map - was even in such a club. Buoyed by Eminem's success, he had enjoyed huge hits with the D12 albums Devil's Night and last year's D12 World, a number one in both Britain and America. But he wasn't at the CCC to bolster his street credibility - he was there because as countless friends testify, he was Detroit to the core.

Proof was a man who rarely slept: he was either at clubs, in the studio or napping between the two. Long after he didn't need to care for others, he did, helping, guiding and influencing everyone around him and apprenticing local rappers: Hand 2 Hand: Official Mixtape Instruction Manual, the first mixtape release on his Iron Fist label, stars MCs who would never have been heard outside of Detroit if it weren't for Proof. He also used his fame to work for local musicians' benefits, encouraging them to join the Musicians Union, which provides them with healthcare and pensions.

He did not brag about these efforts, nor boast of his guidance of Eminem and Obie Trice's careers. Proof was key in selecting the instrumental tracks that best suited their skills, and inspired Eminem at all times of day and night by text messaging him couplets and rhymed phrases. Proof was a nimble, witty freestyle MC, with a ferociously curious mind. He loved everything from Miles Davis to Jimi Hendrix. He was a gifted and giving anomaly, a rapper who cared for art over materialism, but did all he could to bring wealth to others.

The easiest way to understand Proof is to ask this simple question: what other rapper with the rhyme skills and smarts to pen chart hits, and on the heels of multi-platinum success and the worldwide attention brought through his association with Eminem, would choose to release as his debut solo album an introspective record inspired by the philosophy of the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia - last year's Searching for Jerry Garcia
Proof was represented in two ways in 8 Mile, the 2002 biopic based on Eminem's life. He played the MC that causes 'Rabbit' (Eminem) to choke in the first battle-rap scene of the film. But his true spirit inspired the dreadlocked character 'Future' (played by Mekhi Phifer), the MC who organized and refereed the rap battles. He encourages Rabbit to find his voice as a rapper, just as Proof did for Marshall Mathers. Swift of D12 said it best shortly after hearing that his friend had died, when gathered with Proof's closest friends - a hundred or so strong - at St. Andrew's Hall, the club where he had hosted so many rap battles. 'That nigga P,' Swift announced to everyone, 'he came out of hip hop's pussy.'

DeShaun Holton's father was once involved in the music industry and produced records by acts including Tower of Power. In an interview, however, Proof once referred to his father as a 'crackhead' and it has been alleged that his mother was also involved in drugs. He attended Gesu private school in his youth before enrolling at Osborn High on Detroit's east side. He formed his first rap group, the 5 Ela, with his friends Thyme and Mudd, then the influential Goon Sqwad, which featured Stylz, Trick Trick and DJ OC. He truly left his mark, however, at designer Maurice Malone's Hip Hop Shop, where he MC'd freestyle sessions on Saturday afternoons. Local and national talent, from the Notorious BIG to Redman and Method Man passed through the shop, eager to battle with Detroit's finest.

Proof was the consummate diplomat, charming everyone. He was also the only kid in the neighbourhood to see the potential in a smart-ass white boy named Marshall Mathers. Proof taught Mathers how to hone his wit, and sneaked him into the Osborn High cafeteria to battle rap at lunch hour.

As Mudd of 5 Ela recalled warmly, Proof was always a loyal friend. 'He was my big brother, he taught me how to rap, how to talk to the ladies, he taught me to kick game,' he said. 'This is who he was: when my first child was about to be born, I was telling him one day how worried I was about providing for my family. The very next day, without a word, he dropped off a huge bag full of all his family's old baby clothes.'
As Eminem declared at Proof's funeral, 'Without Proof, there would be a Marshall Mathers, but there would not be an Eminem, there would not be a D12 and there would not be a Slim Shady.' He made it clear that Proof looked out for Marshall when no one else did. 'This is the man I knew,' Eminem said. 'He came to me one day when I was living in my house on the east side and threw a pair of shoes at me and said, "Put 'em on." I said, "Why?" He said, "Put 'em on your feet." I said "Why?" 'Because I'm tired of you wearing those same dirty-ass shoes.'"

It is an understatement to say that Eminem was hit hard by the loss - it was the latest in a string of hardships that has befallen him. Following a six-week spell in rehab for addiction to the sleeping pill Ambien, in the first five months of 2006 he has re-married his ex-wife Kim and then divorced her for a second time after only 82 days together, while his mother's health has also drastically degenerated. Before Proof's killing, Eminem's friend Obie Trice also came close to death; on New Year's Eve, the Shady Records artist most-likely-to-break-out-big-this-year, was shot in the head, while driving himself and his girlfriend home from a party. Trice steered his car safely off the highway, let his girlfriend take the wheel and two days later was found doing push-ups in his hospital room.

At Proof's funeral, Trice echoed a theme that ran throughout the proceedings - that violence in Detroit, and every black community in America is needlessly ending lives. 'I want to talk to the black men in here,' he said, choking back tears. 'We been comin' up in this struggle and we killin' each other. Yeah, I know - you 'hood, you gangsta. We all from the 'hood. Detroit is the 'hood. We are killin' each other, dawg, and it's about nothin'. We are leaving our kids, our mamas, our grandmamas over nothin'.'

Proof's casket was led by a white horse-drawn carriage to Woodlawn Cemetery, a two-hour trip that tied up traffic across town. His final resting place is beautiful - more a park than a collection of gravestones, complete with lush, manicured foliage, a pond, ducks and geese. The coffin was opened for his nearest and dearest to see him once more. They kissed his cheek or forehead and said their last goodbyes, as a flock of white doves was released in his honour. Afterwards, they gathered at the Good Life Lounge, to do what more than a few felt would be his wish for them that day - to have a party. A huge D-town soul-food spread was laid out: barbeque, mashed potatoes, greens, mac and cheese, biscuits. Old school hip hop was in the house, everything from Eric B and Rakim to NWA boomed from the system. The occasion was grim, but Proof's legacy prevailed - he had brought everyone together once more, and the lust for living that informed his life was tangible. As the night wore on and the dance floor filled, songs like D12's 'Purple Pills' (later re-titled 'Purple Hills') and Proof's solo work inspired hoots, hollers, and the joyous spraying of beer.

'He gave me my name,' Obie Trice said of his friend and mentor. 'When I met him at the Hip Hop Shop, my name was Obie 1. Proof was about to introduce me and he looked at me for a while and said, "What's your name? Your real name, no gimmicks." He introduced me as Obie Trice. He gave me my name. He did all that shit, man. He was the pioneer of Detroit hip-hop music.'

Mike D, manager of St. Andrew's Hall, knew Proof for years and saw money and fame have little effect on him. He recalled the night not long ago when Proof drove up to the club in a new BMW 750 - a gift from Eminem. 'It was not the kind of car he'd roll in,' Mike says. 'I was like, "Nice car." He threw me the keys and said, "Take it for a ride. You know I don't care about material shit." He didn't - he'd drive anything.' Proof cared far more for people - by the end of an average night, going from place to place, he'd accumulate a posse of 20 or more, hosting a roving party rooted by his magnetic spirit. 'I've never met anyone like him,' Mike D says. 'He'd be at our club nearly every night that he went out. He didn't care what kind of band was on, he just wanted to see the music. He used to take my entire staff at St. Andrew's out to breakfast when he'd be there at closing time. I'm talking 30, 50 people - all of the employees, the DJs, everyone.'

Over the course of the night of the wake, within many circles of conversation, talk inevitably turned to the circumstances of Proof's death. Those who knew Proof were quick to point out how he rolled: he liked to drink and when necessary, had no problem throwing a punch. But he was no gun-toting killer. Proof's police record best tells the tale: it reveals several tickets for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, including an incident in which he swung at a police officer. None of his run-ins with the law involved weapons. Proof was a man with many sides - warm and charming, mischievous and sly, sometimes a brawler, but never a gang-banging braggart.

A close friend who was at the CCC but asked to remain anonymous has his own version of what went down that night. 'Once Etheridge started shooting in the air, we all got down on the floor behind the pool table,' he alleges. 'We were just trying to get out of there, but Proof and Bender started fighting again.' According to this witness, the club was cleared while Proof's lifeless body lay on the floor. A few minutes later, he was deposited outside the club's back door, his jewellery and money gone.

There is much left unanswered about the circumstances surrounding Proof's death. This incident is a senseless tragedy that should inspire change, not blame. In the end, ballistic science will reveal whether the bullet that killed Keith Bender was shot from the same gun that killed DeShaun Holton. If that is the case, perhaps the city of Detroit and the rest of America will search beyond the knee-jerk headlines that portrayed Proof as the gun-slinging thug who killed the war hero. If the initial reports are true, perhaps, in time, how he died will not obscure how he lived. When the dust settles, Proof should be seen truthfully, as the authentic voice of Detroit that he was: complex, angry, sarcastic, earnest, loyal, and proud of his roots. He should be remembered as the artist that he was - a man consumed with supporting the place that weaned him; a man, who was, ultimately, consumed by the very same.

A history of violence

Steve Yates

When KRS-One penned 'Stop The Violence' in response to the 1987 shooting of his partner Scott La Rock he ushered in what, in retrospect, looks like hip hop's age of chivalry, with gunplay largely confined to the records rappers made. A decade later Black Star re-worked the song as 'Definition', with the chorus 'one, two, three, it's kinda dangerous to be an MC', in response to the murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. What should have been an epitaph for an era now looks like prophecy, with names like Big L, Soulja Slim and Run DMC's producer Jam Master Jay among the fallen.

Some label owners (Death Row's Suge Knight the most notorious) have been forced to deny murdering their own artists, while some stars are becoming victims of their own entourage: Lil' Kim was jailed for perjury last year after claiming her 'magic sunglasses' prevented her seeing her friends exchange shots with a rival rap crew outside New York radio station Hot 97. The days when KRS could claim 'real bad boys move in silence' seem like a quaint relic of a bygone time.

- RICKY STRIKES

RAP GOD: Fastest by EMIN3M

RAP GOD

"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube, on October 14, 2013 and was released in the US on October 15, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). It contains references to previous conflicts in Eminem's career, as well as to other rappers' conduct. The song received positive reviews, with critics praising Eminem's lyrical ability and rapping speed.

Composition

The song references a line from the first Marshall Mathers LP, on the song "I'm Back", where he talks about the Columbine High School massacre, rapping "Seven kids from Columbine; Put 'em all in a line, add an AK-47, a revolver, a nine." The verse was censored when originally released, and is included in "Rap God" to test public reaction. Eminem references the Lewinsky scandal in order to demonstrate his longevity as a dominant force in the rap industry, thus establishing himself as an "immortal god".

Additional references include a conflict between Fabolous and Ray J, Heavy D & the Boyz, planking, The Walking Dead, J. J. Fad's 1988 song "Supersonic", Tupac Shakur, Pharaohe Monch, Rakim, N.W.A, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Lakim Shabazz and the 2007 Hotstylz song "Lookin Boy"

In the verse that begins at 4:26, Eminem raps 97 words in 15 seconds — an average of 6.5 words per second — which he describes as "supersonic speed"

Uh, sama lamaa duma lamaa you assuming I'm a human,
What I gotta do to get it through to you I'm superhuman,
Innovative and I'm made of rubber,
So that anything you say is ricocheting off of me and it'll glue to you,
I'm devastating, more than ever demonstrating,
How to give a motherfuckin' audience a feeling like it's levitating,
Never fading, and I know the haters are forever waiting,
For the day that they can say I fell off, they'd be celebrating,
Cause I know the way to get 'em motivated,
I make elevating music, you make elevator music...
—Eminem, "Rap God"

The song's production was handled by American hip hop producer Bigram Zayas, professionally known as Develop or DVLP; he has produced songs for rappers such as The Diplomats, Rick Ross and most notably Lil Wayne. The song was co-produced with Matthew "Filthy" Delgiorno. The song's recording session took place at Effigy Studios in Michigan, with brothers Mike and Joe Strange working with Eminem on mixing and engineering the record. Joe Strange also contributed additional keyboarding and programming. On October 14, 2013, DVLP tweeted that the beat was two years old, made in November 2011, and that Eminem recorded the song in 2012.

Music Video

On November 21, 2013, Eminem tweeted the trailer for the music video and announced it would be released on November 27, 2013. On November 27, 2013 as scheduled, the music video was released on Vevo at 12:00pm ET. Eminem parodied Max Headroom in the music video. There are also references to The Matrix in the video.

Critical Reception

"Rap God" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Critics praised the song's lyrical content and rapping speed. Per Lijas of Time gave the song a positive review, stating that "the world can expect an immortal recording" based on "Rap God" and the album's lead single, "Berzerk". Jim Farber of the Daily News compared the song to The Marshall Mathers LP, stating that the song "revives the super-sick humor of that era, which comes as a relief after all the internalizations and ruminating of Em’s more recent work". Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also gave the song a positive review, praising that instead of "giving his chorus to an R&B crooner like Rihanna or the New Royales' Liz Rodrigues", "he instead delivers a straight rap refrain about feeling like a rap deity. His verses recall hip-hop history ... as much as his own history". Nick Hill of Contact Music praised the song's rhyming and lyrical content. He exclaimed that the verse beginning at 4:20 best displays Eminem's rapping abilities.

Conversely, Consequence of Sound stated that, although the flow of the verses are impressive, the lyricism "falls victim to dated references [...] and the tired technique of using other rapper’s monikers to complete rhymes." They also noted that beat is "pedestrian at best", and that altogether the song "[lacks] the commercial appeal" of "Berzerk". Complex ranked the song number 14 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013.

Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013.

Commercial Performance

The song debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart and at number one on the UK R&B Chart, despite its late release. It replaced "Berzerk", his first single from the album at that position. In the United States, it debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. When the R&B component is removed is debuted at number one on the Rap Songs chart. It also debuted at number one on the Digital Songs chart, with over 270,000 downloads sold. "Rap God" is Eminem's seventh top 10 start on the Hot 100, pushing him past Lil Wayne (six) for the most among men in the chart's 55-year history.

Source: Wikipedia

-Ricky Strikes

West Coast? East Coast? Hip Hop Explained

Twice a month we revisit some of our reader favorite posts from throughout the history of Audiotuts+. This tutorial was first published in December 2008.
Perhaps no genre has been as popular in recent years as Hip Hop. However, Hip Hop is hardly a new phenomenon, so in this article, we’re going to take an in-depth look at its history and try to make sense of it all.

A Brief History Lesson

As it was originally known, hip hop was a movement in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It revolved around four key areas: MCing (now known as rapping), DJing, graffiti art and b-boying (breakdancing).

While all four areas were important, the two that we will focus on are MCing and DJing, as they have the most relevance to both to audio and hip hop.

Hip hop’s roots come from a DJ scratching a record to create a looped beat while an MC raps along to the beat. While much has changed over the years, the essential idea of rapping to a looped beat is still the foundation for most hip hop songs. Many music producers still follow these old techniques, loading up an old soul record and creating a new track.

However, hip hop advanced beyond this in 1983 when Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force began using synthesizers and drum machines to create entirely new tracks.

While there is much that took place along with this, and many artists such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J and others helped to define the genre, let’s fast-forward to 1987.

In 1987, in Compton, CA, an important move was taking place. Where previously hip hop had been politically and socially motivated, a new sub-genre was forming: gangsta rap. A group known as N.W.A., consisting of Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Ice Cube and Eazy-E released an album titled “Straight Outta Compton.” Dr. Dre provided the production for the album, consisting almost entirely of rolling basslines and drums.

Straight Outta Compton was a smashing hit, despite (or perhaps because of) lyrics dealing with police brutality, drug dealing, gang-banging, and racial profiling. While the group eventually disbanded over financial disputes, N.W.A.’s legacy would help shape the future.

Dr. Dre would later sign with Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, along with an up-and coming rapper named 2Pac Shakur, ushering in the era of West Coast Gangsta Rap. Dre remains quite influential in the industry today, widely recognized as a pioneer in hip hop and music production.

Meanwhile, back on the East Coast, a similar movement was happening. Perhaps most notable was Sean “Puffy” Combs’ departure from Uptown Records, taking newly signed rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie) with him to found Bad Boy Records. Now competing with Suge Knight’s West Coast powerhouse Death Row, the industry would be shaken when 2Pac and Biggie were both violently murdered.

This, while not immediately, would lead to the downfall of gangsta rap as a genre, and move hip hop into the popular music genre where it remains today.

Let’s end the history lesson here. There is much more that could be said, with artists along the way that I have overlooked, but this is just meant to be a brief outline to provide context. Additionally, the closer we move to our present time, the harder it becomes to analyze the music from a historical standpoint.

Musical Elements

In hip hop, there is remarkable freedom when making music. However, there are some fundamental elements that are found in nearly every hip hop song. The first, and far-and-away most important element is drums. The drums lay the foundation for the track, and give the artist a rhythm to work with. Many of the top producers have their own drum libraries that they swear by, giving them their unique sound. Producers such as Timbaland, and The Neptunes are famous for their unorthodox drum sounds and rhythms.

The second most important part of hip hop is the use of loops. As with much of popular music (as opposed to classical music), the both musical components and structural elements are looped or repeated in patterns, giving hip hop a coherent feel. This is quite important, and it’s the main reason that sampling works with hip hop so well.

Taking a previous song, using turntables or a sampler to take a piece from that song, and then replaying it, is one of the foundations for hip hop.

Those are really the two key pieces for hip hop. There have been points in hip hop’s history where some element popular at the time was expected, but over the years, the genre has expanded greatly and now it includes any of the following (and more):

• Traditional instruments (Piano, Strings, Brass)
• Synthesized instruments
• Basslines
• Vocal samples
• Some other notable producers have made important contributions to the genre. Here’s a quick rundown of some famous producers and their contributions.
• Dr. Dre is most famous for his use of rolling basslines with synthesizers on top of them.
• Timbaland is most famous for his use of synthesized instruments on top of rhythmically irregular beats.
• The Neptunes are most famous for their use of the Korg Triton’s instruments, coupled with unique drum sounds. They also blend rock with hip hop quite often.
• Scott Storch is perhaps most notable for his use of Arabic instruments in his songs.
• Kanye West is famous for using vocal samples from other songs to form a new one.

There are many other producers who deserve a mention, but these are a few that I feel have the most unique sound to them. Hip hop has always been a genre to borrow from other genres such as techno, latin and reggae, and thus is much more accepting of new ideas.

Regional Breakdown

East Coast is probably the hardest to broadly define these days, as the underground movement in NYC is still quite prominent, and they rely largely on sampling. Much of their music is produced using an MPC. As far as more popular sound goes, they definitely aim far more for up tempo, more dance style tracks.

South is all about two things. The first, is dirty south style music, relying heavily on horns and snare rolls. This style of music is probably best heard through artists like Young Jeezy, giving the music

a slow, southern drawl.

The second style from the south is the simple club song. Differing from East Coast sound, the South’s club sound is much more simplistic, and usually has a certain dance that is meant to be associated with it. Songs like “Walk it Out”, “2 Step”, “Crank Dat”, etc, show this style.

The Midwest is more of a newcomer into the mainstream music scene for hip hop. It relied originally on a large underground following, although many of those artists have branched into mainstream. Not to say the music is more meaningful, but there is often a much clearer message to the song. The beats also vary widely, with artists like Kanye West relying totally on sampling, and other artists like Common, Lupe Fiasco, Twista and others using various elements from other styles.

The West Coast style is about chilling out and partying, and being tough on the streets, drawing from the gangsta rap genre. Probably most notable with artists like The Game, but also with the deceased 2Pac Shakur, the style of music is different than the rest of hip hop. Perhaps most prevalent in the ‘90’s, although still popular today, West Coast music came to define the use of bass in hip hop. Led by Dr. Dre’s innovations in the studio with using synthesizer lines on top of rolling basslines, West Coast songs like “California Love” illustrate the West Coast’s style to the fullest.

Wrap-Up

Wrapping up our overview of the hip hop genre, let’s summarize some key points:

Drums are important! If you spend most of your time on one part of the track, focus on your drums. There are many songs that don’t have anything but drums and vocals, so give them their due attention.

Looping is the backbone of hip hop. It gives the music a coherent feel and helps form your track.

Experiment with various instruments. There are many instruments out there, so don’t just stick to the same ones for each track.

While I didn’t mention this above, it’s also important to note that the less dynamic your rapper (or singer) is, the more you will probably have to compensate with instrumentation. For example, if you have a singer (or a rapper and a singer) for a track, odds are you can skimp on the instrumentals, as the singing will add most of the flavor to your track.

However, if you only have a rapper, whose vocals are somewhat dry, you’ll have to add more instrumentation to make the song full.

Happy recording!

8 Steps to Survive a Battle Rap

Question: HOW TO SURVIVE A RAP BATTLE?

Answer: Its a very common question from all the rap-freaks I meet when they meet me battling other Rappers.
Well, Here are the 8 tips for You All who don't know this:

1. Watch videos online of battles, or try to go to rap battles near your hometown. Check out websites like rapt.fm. Study some freestyle raps done by accomplished artists who are well known for their rap battles. You can learn a lot from rappers like Eyedea, Atmosphere, Tech N9ne, AMB, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, Jin and Biggie. Good battles to look up include the Blaze Battles from HBO, Scribble Jam, among others. There is also a scene in the movie 8 Mile that is a good representation of what a freestyle rap battle is really like. Pay careful attention to the techniques those artists use to battle, and try to mirror them which will help you enhance your own techniques.

2. Start writing rap songs. Write down anything that comes to mind and try to rhyme it.Write rap lyrics and then choose the best rhymes to go with them. Consider getting a rhyming dictionary. The ability to write an effective battle rhyme will aid you when it comes to the battle. (Note: Some rappers don't write everything down, they keep everything in their head so that they can only talk about what's “real.”) Don't try to force rhymes all the time, though. Just let it come naturally and try your best.

3. Practice freestyling. Rapping without pre-written lyrics on the spot or impromptu should be done anytime, anywhere, as much as you can. While you’re at it, practice freestyling battle rhymes. Even if it means looking at a photo, thinking about an ex, or imagining a future opponent, do whatever you can to come up with clever new ways to insult. Whenever you think you’ve run out of things to freestyle about, just keep going; the longer you force yourself to rap without giving up, the stronger and more flexible you'll become mentally.

4. Start freestyle battling. The best way to start battling is to find opponents just for fun.Have rap battles with friends that don't care if you insult them – or mess up, for that matter. Battle as often as you can, especially if you can find a friend who is actually good at it and can help you improve. Once you’re confident that you’re good at it, try your skills at house parties and rap concerts, which are also good places to practice your techniques before actually entering a stage battle.

5. Relax. Staying calm will not only help you keep your cool while your opponent disses you, but also allow you to focus on coming up with a good response. Not only that, but keeping calm will improve your delivery, which can make or break an insult: since the hallmark of good delivery is timing, allowing your mind (and mouth) to race in panic can cripple the best diss

( i ) Breathe deeply. Deep breathing stimulates the Vagus nerve, which has a calming effect on the body and mind.[1] In fact, some researchers believe that making a habit of relaxing and breathing deeply can change the way that your genes express themselves, making you calmer person all around.
( ii ) Have key words that you can return to. These words will help you out if you’re drawing blanks. Know what words rhyme with your key words, allowing you to use them more often because you know what flows with them.



6. If you’re first to spit, make the most of it. Though it may seem harder to go first because it gives your opponent lots of opportunities to make comebacks, you can take that ability away by being self-deprecating. Self-criticism can be very unexpected for the opponent trying to find your flaws. In 8 Mile's final battle, for example, B-Rabbit was put to spit first and decided to insult himself before Papa Doc got a chance (Yes, I'm white, I'm a bum, I live in a trailer, my mum's a drug addict...So what?), leaving Papa nothing to retaliate with.

7. Use humor in your rhymes, especially if your opponent is dead serious. Humor can be deadly; getting the audience to laugh at an opponent is a great way to deflate them – especially if (s)he ends up cracking up too. If you can get your opponent to agree with you during your battle verse, you are making great strides towards a win.

8. Don't worry if you lose your first few real battles. The point is to constantly practice freestyling and writing. The longer you do it the better you'll become, so keep it up till you've got it down.

- RICKY STRIKES
(rapper)

20 reasons why TUPAC SHAKUR faked his DEATH

Below are the top 20 reasons why 2Pac is still alive. I have heard over 50 reasons to prove he is alive, but I decided on the top 20, and posted them here! I have included some other info that may prove some reasons wrong as well... Even some reasons that prove Suge Knight killed him... I suggest printing out this page so you can show everyone! If you think 2Pac is dead or there's no kind of scandal in his death, prepare to be convinced otherwise!

Tupac Amaru Shakur AKA Makaveli

1. 2Pac now calls himself Makaveli... Machiavelli was an Italian war strategist who advocated faking one's death to fool their enemies... 2Pac was a fan of his and had read his books several times. Perhaps 2Pac is taking his advice... (But that is not all Machiavelli did... Nicolo Machiavelli was a political, military theorist, historian, playwright, diplomat, and military planner. He is well known today. Some of his works are "The Prince" (1513), and The Art of War (1521). NOTE: Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony's new double album which features 2Pac rather Makaveli is called just that. "The Art Of War". Coincedence Or Not???)

2. 2Pac was cremated the day after he died... Since when does some one get cremated the day after a murder? There was no autopsy. Plus, no one can ask to dig up his grave like they wanted to do with Elvis and like they did with Abraham Lincoln. (In the new book entitled "Death Of Tupac Shakur" there is a picture of 2Pac receiving an autopsy. This may prove this reason to be false, or it's a fake (edited) picture. To my knowledge, 2Pac did not reveive an autopsy though. I don't know about this picture...)

3. 2Pac has completed 2 movies, 3 LP's, and keeps on appearing on new artist's albums... (Many of the unheard songs 2Pac has completed are unreleased and not on any albums) Why would he do so much at one time??? With so many people upset about 2Pac's death, literally anything connected with him is bound to net a whole lot of cash... (Yet, 2Pac had big plans for 'Makaveli Records'. This may be why he's completed so many songs. Makaveli Records is the the new record company 2Pac planned on doing with "Tha Outlaw Immortalz". He was leaving Death Row Records. Suge Knight could have killed 2Pac so they could get all the money. 2Pac's mother is currently suing Death Row Records for this money.)

4. In a 1994 interview with Tupac, he said before he went to prison that if he was ever sent to prison when he came out he would be worse than before. He was. He also said when he came out it would be like he was reborn. Was he speaking literally? He already died and he was worse when he came out of jail, plus Tupac switched his rapping name from 2Pac to Makaveli, that could be considered a rebirth, all that's left is a physical rebirth (A sighting) and so far he's already completed more than half of this prophecy.

5. The cover of 2Pac's latest album, Makaveli has 2Pac looking like Jesus Christ... Could he be planning a resurrection? (I am almost sure Death Row Records did this themselves for the publicity. It just adds to the whole 2Pac alive stuff which has been getting the album more sales.)

6. Las Vegas is a payoff city, meaning all sorts of folks have been known to be on the take. That means doctors, press, lawyers, etc. (This works both ways... The payoff city Las Vegas could be a factor in either 2Pac faking his death OR Suge Knight killing him.)

7. The producer on the new Makaveli album is simply "SIMON." This was the apostle who helped Jesus carry the cross and one of the first to witness his resurrection. Could Suge be SIMON?

8. There are many numerological coincidences. Tupac was gunned down exactly seven months after All Eyez On Me was released. The number seven keeps coming up too. He was shot on September 7th and survived on 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and died the 13th. This could explain the title of his new album.... "The Don Killuminati: The 7 day theory." 2pac was 25. His age adds up to 7 (2 + 5). Even his time of death, 4:03, adds up to 7 (4 + 0 + 3). Also, on track five on the Makaveli album the voice at the begining says "And if the Lord returns in the coming seven days, then we'll see ya next time." He even talks about the number 7 on his album! There are more 'coincidences' too.. The newest is on his brand new double album entitled "R U Still Down?". This album was released on November 25th. 2 + 5 = 7. The 7 day theory continues! What's with this?

9. Inside the cover of 2Pac's newest album, it reads "Exit: 2pac, Enter: Makaveli" as if 2pac has died and Makaveli born. There is also that statement by 2Pac saying when he came out it would be like he was reborn. (Refer to #4)

10. 2Pac's video 'I Ain't Mad At Ya' foretold his death .... 2Pac dies in that video. Then a new video came out under the name "Makaveli". Its just like 2Pac died in "I Ain't Mad At Cha", and Makaveli was born in "Toss It Up". Exit 2Pac Enter: Makaveli. It all makes sense!



11. In the video "Toss It Up", 2Pac is supposedly wearing some Penny Hardaway sneakers which were not available at the time of his death!!!! Also, some say in the video "Live & Die In LA" when 2Pac jumps in the car you see that he is wearing some Michael Jordan sneakers which were not available at the time of his death! (If 2pac is dead, then his double is doing his new videos... So, that explains tha shoes!)

12. In Tupac's song "Life of an Outlaw" on the album The 7 Day Theory, he says "All for the street fame on how to be managed, 6 months in advance to what we plotted, approved to go on swole and now I got it"-Life Of An Outlaw. This implies that Tupac planned his "death" in advance and now he is enjoying the success of his plan.

13. 2Pac always wore a bulletproof vest but for some strange reason he didn't wear one this time.. why not? (I've heard Suge Knight was caught on surveilance cameras at the fight telling 2Pac to take off the vest 'cause it was hot in there. If this is true, why would Suge Knight not want 2Pac wearing his vest???)

14. The memorial services that were open to the public were canceled in both Los Angeles and Atlanta... (This could be in the request of family or friends. It's quite possible.)

15. 2Pac's vehicle got shot 12 times and Suge didn't get hit once.. He was 'grazed' by a bullet.. Why did 2Pac get shot all those times and Suge not get hit?

16. The white Cadillac containing the assailants was never found... How could this be when Vegas is in the middle of a desert?

17. Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert. How come there was no helicopter chase? If some one were to rob a casino, the LVPD would've chased you down with some helicopters.. . How come this didn't happen with 2Pac shooting?

18. A shooting involving Snoop Doggy Dogg occurred close to the release of his album Doggystyle which made Snoop appear more "real" and showed that he really was a gangsta. The shooting gave him respect because everyone that bought his album believed what he was talking about. Within one week of its release, Doggystyle went platinum. Snoop is signed to the same label as Tupac which is Death Row Records.

19. Suge said he drove 2Pac to the hospital and they had a coherent conversation? How bad was 2Pac hit? In addition to all this .. there are conflicting stories claiming that Quincy Jone's daughter was in the back of the car.. and then she wasn't.. what's the deal for real?

20. Have you seen the video of the song "Smile" by Scarface, and Makaveli?? I have heard it is not 2Pac in that video. It is the look-alike from Ohio. (That's why '2Pac' never looks at the camera) The video starts out showing a car just like the one 2Pac got shot in, and the car of course has bullet holes in it! You then hear garbled words which I am currently decoding. Then, they show 2Pac (Makaveli) up posing as Jesus Christ again! That's Twice! Once on the album & now in this video!?

The Untold Story of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations

 

Two of the most notorious unsolved cases in the annals of American crime, the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls have been the subject of exhaustive investigations, relentless speculation and a tangled web of rampant rumors, crackpot conspiracies and dark secrets.

Murder Rap

Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur

Now, for the first time, the truth behind these sensational cases is laid bare
in Murder Rap, a raw and riveting account of how a dedicated and driven
police detective spearheaded the task force that finally exposed the shocking
facts behind the deaths of these two rap music icons.

Told by Greg Kading, a much-decorated LAPD officer assigned to solve
the homicides, Murder Rap unravels a twisted tale of music, money and
murder, finally answering the question of who killed Biggie and Tupac
and why. With access to never-before-seen material, including the
confessions of those directly involved in the killings, Kading's spellbinding
saga takes readers directly inside the four-year resurrected investigation,
introduces a cast of unforgettable characters and provides compelling new
evidence for its explosive conclusions.

A torn-from-the-headline true crime blockbuster, the scathing
revelations of Murder Rap are sure to make headlines all their own.

-  RICKY STRIKES
(rapper)