DJ Premier, one of Hip Hop's greatest DJ's and producers!
Down The Street are guest posts by other bloggers, writers or anyone who has an interesting view on Hip Hop music or the culture as a whole; that could even be you if you post something significant in the comments, or even email me! — In the first post kicking off this brand new category, I have a long time friend and reader of LostMoniker.Com, Michael Telemaque, discussing his take on the role of the DJ in modern Hip Hop culture. Definitely not one to be a missed, and sincerely an excellent post by Michael. Also, be sure to leave comments and feedback!
The DJ Is King… Again?
By: Michael Telemaque
I’ma throw this premise out there: they say history and societal trends are cyclical, and in the early days of hip hop, the DJ was the star and the MC played more of a host role, and we both know how that evolution went and now we have the dynamic today of the MC as star and DJ/Producer as an after thought. In some cases DJ/Producers are considered down right replaceable, but I ask this: are we now coming full circle ?
With the desire for lyrical uniqueness either in delivery, cadence or complexity , rappers are now more archetypes or characters we can identify with than the more traditional versions of the original MC. Has the hip hop community slowly started a march towards marginalizing the MC and giving due to the musical muscle behind many acts? Its no coincidence that more rappers are doing collaborations with House Producers and with a euro pop sound finding way on many club records, that the fans now are starting to idolize the DJ much like they do in House Music.
Oh. Hey, you’ve made it this far! We’ve moved from learning how to write basic rhymes, to freestyling… NOW we’re going to add some fire to your otherwise uncooked stake, yup, you’ve guessed right, we’re going to learn about metaphors and similes. When learning these concepts, you’ll definitely want to take notes, while they may seem basic to some, it’s ok to feel a bit overwhelmed. I was when I first learned and understood these ideas, but don’t worry, I’m with you a long the way, and if you have ANY questions, feel free to ask me in the comments section below. Now, on with your journey.
Metaphors And The Simile Misconception
There is a common misconception that metaphors are metaphors when like or as is used. That is wrong, and it is continuously misused in Hip Hop most. Like or as statements ARE similes, NOT metaphors. Now, normally political correctness isn’t my thing, and I’m not trying to sound like some sort of elitist, but I find it easiest to teach these concepts by clearing up the confusion.
They didn't find the Weezy jokes that funny... Workaholics I tell'ya!
Oh. Sorry about that interruption, but back to our regular posts! LETS GO!
Oh… and:
I know last time I preached that I wouldn’t do anything like this, but school took a toll on me. I have more free time than before and am working my ass off to deliver some crazy new articles! Sorry about that hiatus and I hope you guys enjoyed the april fools genius provided by site manager Astroblakk and myself. Now, enjoy the NEW shit (which will be posted five minute, above, after you’ve read this!). Bye.
Posted by LostMoniker on April 30th, 2011 :: Filed under Moniker's Minute
Every now and again I can say that an album changed my life. The first of which being Kid ‘n Play’s 2 Hype, and more recently Lil’ Waynes Tha Carter trilogy. I understand, that is not a single album that changed my life, but a collection. That is exactly right. Never has an artist created such a strong offering that I actually dug ALL three albums in their trilogy. It goes to show that crafting a trilogy of albums has a lot of pressure and that only a talented soul can pull off such a feat… To be fair, it would be an understatement to say that Lil’ Wayne isn’t the best lyricist of our time, and that Tha Carter series is only a drop in the bucket of brilliance that is Lil’ Wayne’s album catologue.
Everything about these albums is genius. You have top notch production meshed with Lil’ Wayne gorgeous vocals. While not completely perfect – I would say that out of all of these albums ninety-eight percent of it is flawless with two percent leaving some room for improvement on Wayne’s part – Lil’ Wayne goes hard on every song his voice angelically graces.
