The New Faces of Rap

On November fourth (election day), XXL Magazine’s newest issue called “The Freshmen 10” will be released. Just when Rap was heading for a downfall, XXL showcases newcomers who are taking the world (not just America) by storm. The covers are the best I have seen so far in my lifetime. I’m glad that Wale, B.o.B, Charles Hamilton, Mickey Factz and KiD CuDi are getting their shine. These artists are the definition of the future of Rap.

I just started to get into Wale (http://www.myspace.com/wale). I’m not going to lie. When I first heard him, I thought he was wack. The Mixtape About Nothing (download it here: http://www.zshare.net/download/12770681c4ad01f5/) won me over.

B.o.B grabbed me with just his chorus from “On Top of the World” on T.I.’s Paper Trail. It made me reflect on my life and see how I feel that I’m sitting on top of the world. I wanted to hear more from him. I download the Hi! My Name Is BoB Mixtape (download it at his MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bobatl) and thought to myself when was the last time I enjoyed a 30+ track project? I was not disappointed.

I don’t even know how I came across Charles Hamilton (http://www.myspace.com/hamiltonsmusic), but I do know I picked up his Outside Looking mixtape (download it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?wui9hcfmqbt). It was a solid project, but “Brooklyn Girls” and “November 10th” were the standout tracks for me because I could relate. His bi-weekly mixtapes are waves of highs and lows. It amazes me that we are both 20 years old, and I am 9 days older than him (yes, my birthday is this Saturday).

It was one song posted on Nah Right that got me into Mickey Factz (http://www.myspace.com/itzmickey). It was “I'm Sean (50 Shots More)” (http://hiphoponmymind.blogspot.com/2008/04/it-really-is-sad-day.html). He really made me feel what Sean Bell felt that night. After that, I followed his The Leak series. His 9 minute track called “The Inspiration” was the stand out for me. It made me think a lot about what makes me keep going in my life. It made my elite list of favorite songs of all time which consist of only four songs. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to interview him on my radio show (http://hiphoponmymind.blogspot.com/2008/04/mickey-factz-interview.html). He is a really humble and cool person.

I usually don’t pay attention to newcomers and KiD CuDi (http://www.myspace.com/kidcudi) was one of them. One day, about a week or so after his mixtape a KiD named CuDi dropped, I decided to download the mixtape because I wanted to listen to something new. I heard about him being signed to Kanye West’s label. So, I figured why not download it? Playing the mixtape was like a journey of my emotions for the past 10 years of my life. “Man On The Moon (The Anthem)” spoke to me. It was as if I was Rapping it. Every single line consisted of the thoughts I currently have today. Just in the beginning of it he says,

I guess if I was boring, they would love me more. Guess if I was simple in the mind, everything would be fine. Maybe if I was a jerk to girls instead of being nice and speaking kind words then maybe it would be OK to say then I wasn’t a good guy to began with. But, my mind is all crazy. They got me thinking I ain’t human like I came from above. Feeling like an airplane in the sky.

The track made me feel like I was not alone. It was another track that made my elite list of favorite songs of all time. He did something for me that my favorite MC NaS could never do. The mixtape as a whole played like an album. I really don’t know how he is going to top that with his debut album Man on the Moon: The Guardians.

I find it crazy that people are being disrespectful towards XXL for their great efforts. If they put Lil Wayne on the cover, people complain. If they put NaS, people complain. If they put Jay-Z, people complain. There seems to be no winning at all for XXL. I really thought the internet would love this issue since most of these artists made their fan base on the internet. I don’t think there is anything wrong with getting known on the internet because after all the internet does consist of real people.

If you ask me, the internet is better than the “real world” because the internet is the whole world. Having a fan base all around the world overshadows a fan base just from a block or city. It is not like these artists did not try to get their people behind them. Their own people turned their backs to them. It is almost as if they don’t want one of their own to succeed unless they are the ones succeeding. The radio and music video shows are irrelevant these days anyway. Blogs are the voice of the people. The radio does not speak for the people. You won’t hear most of these artists on major stations. The people have control of the blogs not the radio.

If these artists are “running the blog posting scene,” then it means that the people want to hear them. Top blogs like 2 Dope Boyz and Nah Right do not post stuff the people will not feel. It is funny how bloggers complain about this issue and more. One issue is how artists who go away for a few years and get overlooked. Last time I checked, this issue was about newcomers. Even if artists who produce more music faster get praised, they should if the music is great. It takes skill to drop a dope track every week or a dope mixtape every two weeks. Another thing that is funny about bloggers is how they say well I’m not talking about so and so. That is respectable, but when they give praise to an artist in another post who they dissed in their newest post, that does not make sense. Some bloggers should not even have a blog especially if they contradict their selves within the matter of a week.

XXL would be wrong not to recognize these artists. The magazine would be of corporate interest if they did not. XXL wants to be for the people. A lot goes into the completion of one issue. A major issue like this is worked on many months before. If that was true for this issue, some of these artists did not even have the buzz at the time, but they were out there unlike others. The issue happens to be timely which is hard for print media to do. I can go on and on about the construction of print media, but that is another blog. I also want to respect those journalists who I look up to at all of these print media outlets. Let’s just say the main goal of these outlets is what will sell? There is also the issue of being timely, which is a hard thing to do in the internet age. The way I see it, it is in the hands of the people who go out and buy the issues. If they don't, the same artists appear on various covers because that is going to sell.

XXL took a risk with last year’s issue “Leaders of the New School.” They are taking a bigger risk now because as compared to the first issue all of these artists are not well-known by a good amount of people. Most of last year’s “leaders” had hit records. I do tap my hat to XXL for doing this issue. I look forward to buying and reading it. And I think others should do the same. Most of “The Freshmen 10” will make an impact that will last forever. They will be known as my generation’s NaS, Jay-Z, Chuck D and more.

Check out a preview of it here: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=28844
Mixtape coming soon.