Nas gets shut down again

Nas, who at recent concert claimed he has a new CD coming out in December entitled N*gga, was promptly corrected by a label affiliate.

"There is no album release by Nas on the release schedule at this point. And they would be unlikely to release an albumn with that title," a source close to Island Def Jam told FOXNews.com. "How would that look at Wal-Mart?"

The Wal-Mart comment is the worst I've seen in years. Is Def Jam really worried about Wal-Mart? Yeah, like they're such a big player in the explicit rap game, seeing that they only carry clean versions, which Nas could then entitle "Negro" in it's family-friendly form.

Just let artists release songs and albums how they like, and let the fans decide if they want to buy it or not. If it flops, then drop their contract. This is just another reason why hip-hop will meet it's demise, and creativity will be stifled. Not that it takes a lot of genius to say n*gga, but if that's how you really feel, then you should have the right to say it no matter who it offends.

Why do I work in retail? Part 2

I wasn’t even supposed to be at work today, yet I still had to deal with a customer’s bullshit. So, I’m training an associate on how to fill out the daily schedule, when a customer comes to her line. No problem, she'll get this knocked-out, and we can continue training. I notice the customer is taking advantage of our Buy 2, get the 3rd for a penny DVD sale, but has two different stacks. So, the associate starts ringing the first stack up, and I see there’s one in his other pile that qualifies for the sale as well. So, I point it out to her, and she scans it in as a penny, since it's the cheapest. I then explain to the customer that it’s the lesser value one that’s the penny. So, he says, oh, then I’ll get these, and slaps down a 50 dollar bill, and I’ll pay for the others separately (wanting to get the more expensive one for a penny). I said, well, that’s actually cheating the system, and he says, well, I can put the other ones back and just take these (the first three). So, not in the mood to fight, I said, whatever, and told the associate to go ahead and let him do it this time.

Well, he presses the issue, and says no, if that’s not the case, then I won’t get these (the other stack of DVDs). I said, I’m going to give them to you this time, but want you to understand how it’s supposed work. He then says, I spend a lot of money here. I reiterate that the sign says it’s the 3rd lesser value that’s the penny, and doing it any other way is cheating the system. I guess he took that as me saying “You’re a cheater!” because he gets a little more defensive and says, are you the manager? I say, yes. He says something to the effect of, I thought you’d give better service. I thought, why, being the manager means I have to kiss your ass? Instead, I rebutle, it’s still a good deal, no matter how you look at it. He says, you said I’m cheating, blah, blah, blah, and I say, that’s not what I said. He says, you need to quit while you’re ahead, so instead of knocking bis block off, I shut up, and he finishes the transaction (only buying the original three, and a soda). So, as he's leaving, I say, thanks for your business!

I’m like, WTF, dude. Just because you don’t want to drop another 6 bucks on a DVD you thought you should get for a penny, doesn’t give you the right to be an asshole. I'm sure I was a little defensive, but I’ve always been told to treat customers as you’d want to be treated. In this case, if I’d have tried to pull a fast one, and it didn’t work, I’d understand, not proceed to make a stink about it. Boy, he sure showed me! Yeah right, he'll be back! And, the “I spend a lot of money here” card doesn’t work with me. Whether you spend 50 cents or $500, you get the same treatment. And, if you try to pull one over on me, I’ll call your bluff and stand my ground. The only reason I backpedal is if I truly believe I’m in the wrong, or my fear of getting fired. And, it's usually the thought of losing my job that dictates it. It’s a damn shame that I have such little control over my business, but that’s the way it goes in corporate America. I still maintain the philosophy that the customer is NOT always right, but you’re alright until you cross me.

BET Hip-Hop Awards 2007

Did anyone watch the BET Hip-Hop Awards? Katt Williams is one of the funniest comedians in the game right now, so it was well deserved to have him host, and E-40 was a pretty good introducer too, ya smell me?

What’s up with the second coming of Nelly, who performed at this event? Is this cat even relevant today? I’ll give him props for putting St. Louis on the map, but dude is done otherwise. I recently had a friend roll up to me in his Hyundai, and was telling me how he was pimping it out because “no one else in town has done it.” My first thought was, yeah, that’ll be d-o-p-e…uh, N-O-P-E! So, I just nod my head like I too support his dream. Then, right before he drives away, he turns up his stereo and he has Nelly in the deck. Not even newer songs, but Country Grammar. Are you fo’ real? I just shook my head in disbelief and thought, what a dumbass. Might I add, Nelly was also part of the Hip Hop vs. America panel on BET a few week’s ago. Really? He’s one of the leading spokesmen for hip-hop today? If that’s true, then hip-hop’s done gone cray-zay.

Anyway, so Common and Kanye both take 2 awards. I wonder if BET felt obligated to give Mr. West one, in fear of getting bashed like MTV. Granted, he does have a pretty tight album, and probably does deserve something, but it looked a little rigged. And, T.I., although a great rapper, snuck in to TIE with Common for CD of the Year. Did that have anything to do with their compassion for his recent misfortunes? I think so, someone just didn’t want to be the asshole and put one over the other. Weezy takes 1.

I liked the hype performance of "Hurt" with Busta Rhymes and Alfamega, but couldn’t understand a damn thing they said. Too bad T.I. wasn’t there to help with his own song. So, I guess I’m back on the T.I. tip. I do have a little bit of compassion for the brutha, but if he really did what was said, ie. buying illegal firearms, and having been a convicted felon, then it’s his own damn fault and he should get punished like everyone else! Shit, Shyne, Slick Rick, and C-Murder all dropped albums in the joint.

KRS-One received the “I Am Hip-Hop” award. What’s up, South Bronx, South, South, Bronx. Yeah, dude deserves it.

I still wonder why everyone’s on Weezy’s dick. He’s has a few bangin rhymes, but when did he become the premiere rapper? Might I add, it was Gillie the Kid who ghost wrote most of The Carter. Okay, so he’s one of the youngest dudes in the game to hold mad stakes in a record company, does that automatically crown him king-negro? He still has yet to impress me.

Kanye saves face by forfeiting his 2nd award to Outkast and UGK, who he felt had a better video, but they give it back saying he earned it. Aw, a true hip-hop moment, HUGS.

Anyway, the show ends with Soulja Boy doing “his dance.” Yet another awards show that fails to entertain me, and also fails to be a true reflection of hip-hop. Who’s really calling the shots? The labels, the radio stations, the fans? If this is what the game has become (Weezy, Common, and Kanye), then it may have met it’s doom.

Give it up to Bootsy Collins and his date for representing:

MAXED OUT-a documentary that tells the truth

Maxed Out is a great documentary about how American’s continue to live in debt, and how credit card companies and financial lenders feed off that, to help us grow even more debt. We also can’t forget how Bush and prior presidents haven’t helped our national debt situation, and have borrowed out of the social security fund to pay-off interest rates so we would not default. And, to save money, the government continues to cut federally-funded programs, rather than getting to the root of the problem, which is ridiculous govt spending, and trying to bail out other countries.

Yeah, we want to be the dominant power, but why do we have to put our noses in everyone’s business? Let the world deal with their problems, and we only get involved when our own freedom is at risk.

So, as interest rates rise, and our eyes get bigger than our pocket books, we increase our personal debt, which can take two lifetimes or more to get paid off. Overall rating is a 4. The only other thing I would liked to have seen is how we compare to other countries, and what their relief programs are.

Chamillionaire-Ultimate Victory

I'm not going to get on my soapbox and preach how Chamillionaire is stupid for deciding to release a non-explicit-only version of his new CD, Ultimate Victory. I think what Cham wanted to do is prove to the record label that he could still move units without cursing. He even fronted all the money for the album's artwork, as to help sway the label's doubt and out-of-pocket expense. So, maybe it doesn't live up to the Sound of Revenge and it's platinum selling ringtone, Dirty, but hey, it's still a good album, with nice beats and a lot to say.

What I will ridicule, however, is that in several instances, Cham and guests, wrote lyrics that had cursing and the N-bomb in them, yet when rhyming, only insinuated that's what they meant, by using Shhhh, Fuuuu, etc. If that's what you feel, just say it, and don't beat around the bush. Don't hold back your true feelings and expressions, just to make a family-friendly album. If you believe you're teaching white suburbia to use the N-word, because they're the ones buying your music (and not the hood), then allow them to learn the hard way if they choose to mimic you in the wrong crowd.

I've listened to explicit rap since junior high (1987-89), maybe even earlier, with little regulation from my parents, and appear to have turned out fine. I understood that the music I was listening to was not my reality as a white, middle-class kid, but it was entertaining and edgy and drew me in.

So, I say, leave it up to the fan, no matter what age or race, to choose their direction and fate, but please stay true to yourself and music. If you want to do a kiddie album, fine, but don't imply that you want to drop an F-bomb and not do it just to keep a certain rating.

Let the vacation commence

Starting today, I'm on a week's vacation. Time to head to "The Field" (Springfield), catch up with a few friends, pay homage to a dead homie, and hang out with family. Then, back to Hutch to catch up on sleep, movie watchin, and sideshow reviewin. And, maybe a little cleaning too. I can't guarantee I won't work a little, as it's in my blood, but I do have the option to walk away and not look back this week. Here's to a relaxing and movie-filled week!

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R.I.P. G-Mack

A homie from back in the day, Gary McCormack, recently died in a car accident. Yes, it's a shame his life was taken so early, but I'm sure God has a plan for us all. So, Gary, thanks for all the fond memories and your homie-ship through high school and college. May you never have another worry in the next life.