FROCAST: Episode #33

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I had to call an audible this week. WAAAY too much went down over the weekend for us to ignore. We talk about the fight, NBA Finals set up, Flex vs. Minaj, The Breakfast Club and Flex get into it, and a few other things including a rapper retiring. Oh, and you DEF don’t want to miss this weeks Hit or Hell Naw! Tune into ya boys, Saule Wright and King Jerm, holdin’ it down for you week after week on the best weekly podcast on the innanets, the frocast. 

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16 Comments

  2. Great episode of the frocast. I’m not a Canibus fan, but I couldn’t believe that nigga pulled out a notepad after admitting he lost to Dizaster, and still going after Eminem, Slaughterhouse before he started messing up during the battle. I agree with y’all about that LL Cool J/Canibus battle. You’re right Saule, that Usher album is trash. And that song is definitely a HELL NAW.

    Reply

  3. Even though it just came out, what do y’all think of Chris Brown and Drake fighting at a NYC club, possibly over Rihanna? Will it be mentioned in a frocast, if not on the next episode?

    Reply

  4. Hey Jerm it’s Car-man-jel-low . I don’t think the problem with the
    artists is whether it is a hit or hell naw but it just aint good enough.
    Like sometimes you shouldn’t make a career out of your hobby, some
    things you enjoy in life are just that… things you enjoy. And Flex is trash.

    Reply

  5. Damn.. It sucks to know that Usher’s album sucks. I was excited when Usher came back back in 08 but everything after Here I Stand has been disappointing. My dude is too old to be making club shit, but I guess his grown man music wasn’t selling.

    I’ll try to post more in the forums, I kind of got out of the habit while I was away at school. I really appreciate all the work yall put into the site and the forums though. Checking this site has been part of my daily routine for about the past 5 years.

    Reply

    1. Yeah, totally agreed on Usher. I’m tellin’ you, it’s the marriage. His female fans turned on him when he got wifed up. lol

      Reply

  6. I have major issues regarding the Summer Jam, King and Queens and Saule’s impression of Hip-Hop culture.

    For the record, besides the setting and the derogatory language, I fully agree with Rosenberg’s premise. Yes, Nikki wasn’t planning to perform “Starships” at Summer Jam, yet people (Minaj stans and the like) believed Rosenberg dissed Minaj directly. That is not accurate; in fact, he only dissed the song (which was said 4+ months earlier), plus his comment is of his own and his alone. People are giving him way too much credit as if his actions were premeditated. So, yeah, he’s a [insert word here] for saying that yet he respects Minaj as an emcee, just not as a pop artist. He even called her to discuss their differences “on a positive tip”. He made his case, waiting for a return. As for FMF, he took that “L”, as in shutout.
    I don’t know why a person/people anoint themselves/others to “royal status” when the said person have/has yet to achieve the highest/greatest award possible? [Keep reading the question until understood]

    So, Saule, Hip-Hop = Pop, huh? I do you one better: MC HAMMER! Any rapper/emcee you want to bring up pre-1984? Hip-Hop/Rap once (believed) to have a distinguished sound, style, and, most importantly, a purpose. After so many changes, what we have now is _____ . And all of your fuss is over Nikki Minaj. #TeamNikki

    Reply

    1. …I don’t really understand what you’re trying to say about my stance. I’m not a Minaj basher by any means so if your final statement is a way of calling me a stan, that’s not accurate either. I haven’t paid a dime for her music…cause I’m not listening to it. It’s not for me to listen to. I hear it, but I don’t bump it. It’s not made for me.

      As far as my stance and your comment, I don’t follow what you are saying…are you agreeing with my point or disagreeing? I think it’s important to note that Hip Hop has been divorced for Rap music for YEARS now. Thus my rap SLASH hip hop talk in my statement. Hip Hop PRE commercial when it was before sponsorship and marketing vices was “pure.” Once you start tempering the culture to promote and push goods that have nothing to do with the culture, it’s rap music and no longer about Hip Hop. Run DMC remained Hip Hop because they rocked adidas and made adidas come to them to get money. The image and everything made from that was about the culture. The culture was profitable. Hammer was NEVER hip hop as a star, he was a pop RAPPER and is a perfect example of the divorce between the culture and the music. So…I’m not sure what you’re getting at but if you care to clarify, I’m listening.

      Reply

      1. To answer your question, I’m disagree, mostly . “So, Saule, Hip-Hop = Pop, huh?” I was curious. “I do you one better: MC HAMMER!” A facetious remark. “Any rapper/emcee you want to bring up pre-1984?” No clarification needed, you got it. “Hip-Hop/Rap once (believed) to have a distinguished sound, style, and, most importantly, a purpose.” I meant to word a better sentence but I think you got that, too. Lastly, “After so many changes, what we have now is _____ .” The “changes” refers to the constant shift through different phases over the years. Most, if not all, were the opposite meaning hip hop, even rap. The blank means whatever you want it to be, maybe just another twist or wrinkle.

        There is Minaj and then there is.. who? Female emcees in hip hop is scarce, the field lacks diversity and adequate competition. We need to promote more solid, positive, effective female emcee(s) to not only add a variety of female emcees, but also balance masculine and feminine vibes in the music. We can still do better.

        You do not buy her music, yet you SUPPORT her regardless. On what grounds, exactly? I hear you going too hard on the subject since you do not bump her music. Fan, supporter, or neither, there is no reason or excuse to throw hip hop “under the bus” to champion Minaj’s (or anyone’s) talent and style. Especially when thousands of forums exist to discuss what truly hip hop is or is not.

        Reply

        1. Yeah, I mean, as I stated before…my stance on calling Hip Hop / RAP (the slash is REALLY important) as Pop is because the culture of Hip Hop is split from Rap music largely. I think your statement pretty much says the same thing. I think when folks talk about pop as a sound, they exclude pop as a genre pertaining to anything that is popular for the most most part. Pop = popular music and if a pop station picks up your song, it will be on the pop charts. That doesn’t mean that rap isn’t pop or popular.

          As far as Nicki and Female emcees. “WE” can’t really promote shit outside of youtube and or a mixtape. The problem with female emcees in the game is the folks that actually own media don’t want to promote them. Prime examples are Nitty Scott MC, Medusa, Rapsody, Jean Grae, etc. There are several options and diversity out there, but labels aren’t checkin’ for them unless you sounding like what’s popular and that, right now, is Nicki Minaj.

          That leads directly to my support of Nicki. Let me go on record to say I don’t support her regardless, if she makes some shitty music, says something stupid or does something otherwise that isn’t good…I’ll make no bones about calling it what it is. I didn’t like Starships nor most of the back half of the album. But she didn’t make her album for a 35 year old married man to bump…that’s why I don’t bump it. But I can appreciate what she does and respect her grind. What she’s doing for the game is this, providing us with conversation AND an ear and an eye out for the next female emcee. She came in and proved that hey, women can be viable in this market and there are girls out there that need to identify with a female star (who raps?) I “go too hard” because I beleive that Nicki gets shit on for the same shit that men do and they get a pass. 50 Cent is a singing ass nigga, but he’s NEVER told he’s pop. Nelly cut a country song but he’s still considered a rapper. Jay Z made several songs that were made simply to get airplay but he’s not called pop. Heavy D rapped mostly over pop records but was clearly a Hip Hop icon. ODB, Busta Rhymes, Slick Rick, Dana Dane, etc. all rapped with different voices and animation and were never told they weren’t listenable or that they were too animated to be taken seriously. Yet, Nicki does this shit and she’s declared a pariah to the game. Not to mention that when she first came into the game and her music was a LOT more sexually explicit, she took notice of that and changed her content and look up a lot. I don’t think she gets nearly enough credit for recognizing her own impact and influence and making a decision to modify her presentation from what it once was.

          Also, I’ve never thrown Hip Hop under the bus to justify anything she did. I’m calling a spade a spade. I have yet to say anything derogatory about the culture that wasn’t true especially as it pertains to her.

          So lemme make sure this point is clear. When I say Hip Hop is pop…I’m speaking about the Hip Hop we have now (which is labeled hip hop but is clearly the bastard child of the culture that is now just rap). I say that because we use rap and hip hop interchangeably when I don’t think it should be. Since that IS the case, Hip Hop = rap and rap = pop music today. Therefore, by todays standards, Hip Hop = Pop. I have done far too much on this site to have my loyalty or respect for Hip Hop to come into question over one issue that me and you may not see eye to eye on. You don’t have to agree with my stance, but I ain’t said shit wrong. lol.

          I KNOW what hip hop is and isn’t and it’s not the shit we hear on the radio for the most part….and that said, a LOT of “rappers/emcees” ain’t Hip Hop..nor is the rap music they create.

          Reply

          1. As I said prior, your whole rant (yes, rant) originated from your disapproval of others negatively commenting on Nikki Minaj. Your opinion came off as biased. In order to state your case against the obvious, your statement disgrace the Hip hop and Rap, as a variation of pop music — with the “but other people have done it” argument. Where was this grand, over-the-top defense when Drake started singing? Both took similar paths, like the other artist you mentioned. All of them, however, make up a small portion of Hip Hop/Rap, respectively, history. You can keep the mannerisms.

            Rap was used exclusively in Hip Hop, and still is, to provide a voice. Thus neither was pop (popular) music at that time. Things begin to change for the worse when the emcee and/or his/her rap skills were COPIED (not divorced) off, promoted beyond the other aspects of the Hip Hop, then was tuned to gain mass appeal. Eventually, the music became tenderized enough for easy digestion. I understand your point about the current state of affairs in the mainstream, that’s about it.

            But as you stated in the Frocast re: real Hip Hop, “…that’s been gone since the genre started…”, that is an exaggeration no matter how you rationalize it. Even reaching all the way back to Heavy D!? You really what to make your point. I honestly cannot take you serious enough to reply any further.

            By the way, I leave you to this article.
            http://front-free.com/kill-your-radio-pots-kettles-nicki-minaj-flex-peter-rosenberg/

          2. My comment, and again, let me be clear because I don’t remember how it was stated nor IF it was stated as you’re commenting but as I’ve tried to explain, Hip Hop, as a culture has been gone from commercial radio (and this is what I’ve been focused on, thus the inclusion of pop into the convo) since there has been a monetary interest and influence into it. So now, I’m not saying that the culture of Hip Hop is dead. I’ve recently championed Krit, Phonte, Monch, etc. for giving us real Hip Hop music (mostly not played on radio as well, imagine that.)

            As far as Hip Hop = rap = pop music, and the Heavy D mention, I didn’t make that up. Russel Simmons AND Andre Harrell talk about how Heavy D was found and put over a pop record to be a commercial hit. “Mr. Big Stuff” is commercial as fuck. Biggie Smalls rapping on “Juicy” is commercial as fuck. You want to know what the line between commercial rap and commercial pop is…it’s who plays the music. Don’t believe me, even Flex said the same thing on his interview with Nicki. Soon as Kiss 102.3 the chill puts you on their predominately pop/rock/soft rock/etc station, you have a pop record and your music will be listed on the pop charts (the magic of the crossover). Just the same as when Justin Bieber drops his mostly rap album (whenever that happens) that shit will be nominated for rap categories. So you don’t have to believe Hev was conceived with an eye towards pop music, that’s fine, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. When rappers started making money, the CULTURE of Hip Hop was pushed away to move rap and keep pushing rap music COMMERCIALLY. That’s when the DJ started to be less and less important and when the guy on the mic was the star. That’s when the breakdancers were abandoned and replaced with women.

            When was the last time you heard some legit scratching and break beats on commercial radio (sans a Premo or Krit track)…because it used to be there on damn near every song. When was the last time you heard a DJ get time on a record like Rakim used to give Eric B or like Magic Mike or Fresh Prince used to let Jazzy Jeff burn. The culture of Hip Hop, is largely missing from Rap music. Today’s rap music (as you’ve even agreed) is some other animal. However, that doesn’t stop folks from saying that today’s rap IS hip hop.

            Now, today’s rap music is also pop. Destiny’s child “rapped” on Bills Bills Bills in the same manner that Nelly raps on his songs or the way 50 Cent raps on all his records…with harmony and talking…a blend of sorts. Rock groups are cutting lyrics that are spoken in rhythm over beats a.k.a. rapped on rock songs and pop songs. So the difference between a Rap song and a Pop song is the package. 50 Cent can sing his entire song with harmony and background harmonies and it’s still labeled rap. Why? Because 50 looks like a rapper. However, Nicki sings on her songs, but she wears bright colors, colorful wigs, etc. so she must be pop. I’m not
            making this up, it is what it is. So, in context, what I’m saying is
            that if they are doing the same thing, and there are TONS of examples, but it’s called one thing because of how someone looks or because of how someone is perceived, then the difference has nothing to do with the music. Thus, Rap = pop and since we say Rap = Hip Hop today, then Hip Hop = Pop IN this context that I’m mentioning now. I’m not saying that fucking NWA is pop music. But if pop music is short for popular, it’s hard to find a style of music more popular than rap.

            You also say that you didn’t hear me defending Drake with his singing like I defend Nicki? Okay, I’ve said on a frocast that Drake is the only nigga that does rap cameos on his own songs. At the same damn time, he’s not called a POP artist. Nicki IS. Drake gets played on crossover stations but his rapper category is never in question. If Drake was doing summer jam, they wouldn’t say don’t do “Marvin’s Room” here or “We’re not talking about that Marvin’s Room” shit like they did Nicki. It’s not an opinion, it is what it is. Just the same, I named several examples of MALE artists that have done stuff similar to Nicki and have not had their rap chops questioned.

            I’d like to ALSO point out that while I think Drake is more R&B than Hip Hop as it pertains to his albums, I’d never go as far as to say that he’s not a rapper. Just the same, I feel that way about Nicki. She makes a lot of pop music, but she’s no less of a rapper than any of her male counterparts that do the same shit. THIS is the entire point of my statement and defense of Nicki.

            So yeah, there’s that. But I appreciate the comments, the support of the site and all that shit.

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