Early onset of the forecast Summer Of Compton; The Game ft Meek Mill - The Soundtrack

Following a brief intermission after Kendrick Lamar's, 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' and YG's, 'My Krazy Life', Compton-hailing rappers are building to a summer which promises to see their city back in the public consciousness, not to mention the upper echelons of Rap and Hip-Hop. Second perhaps only to 'Tha Carter V' in hype status, the soon-be-released follow up to Kenrdick's aforementioned masterpiece, is set to be released toward the back end of this month. Throw into the pot the equally anticipated movie release of Straight Outta Compton, and you can expect to see, not so much a resurrection as a revival, of N.W.A's founding of Gangsta Rap and Westcoast Hip-Hop genres from '86-'91. 

Unbeknownst to the reasoning, I came up hooked on the music of the Westcoast. Be it N.W.A, Nate Dogg, Tupac, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Ice Cube, W.C., Westside Connection, Dilated Peoples or any other I haven't named due to a need to end the list somewhere. Hence, what is shaping up to be a rejuvenated Westcoast scene, is, exciting to me, and perhaps has activated some primordial DNA strand of my soul which I'm oblivious to the existence of.

Kicking off far in advance of a meteorologists definition of the summer season, The Game has stepped forward with Meek Mill to cut the metaphorical ribbon with the release of The Soundtrack. Widely received as a one of the hottest from the latest material out, it sees, what I believe to be the return of The Game to his styles from which he grew with The Documentary ('05) and Doctor's Advocate ('06). With the also, hopefully soon-to-be, release of The Documentary 2, after the 10 year anniversary of version 1, this is conceivably somewhat unsurprising, but nonetheless brilliant to my humble self. 

If you caught it first online, it's likely your initial thoughts of it were pertaining to the record cover (also seen below). The kind of photography which endures vividly in the minds eye even with little exposure to it, and is not a shred short of perfect in its representation of the conceptual focus of the tracks content. A young boy with a ski-mask and no snow insight to justify it as innocent. The ski mask being a visual accoutrement of the violent and murderous activities of the gang affiliated faces which they cover. The sheer oversized nature of the disguise conveying the adult age connotations which accompany the life within which the boy finds himself. Yet with enough material for a well fitting t-shirt for the photographed boy, it is evident that his life, if not now then in the future, will likely require it be used as a ski mask, and not so much because of the lack of a need for a t-shirt in the California sunshine. 

Of course, we are dealing here with rappers and so you have to account for a variable degree of exaggeration. The primary message though being the life in which the child is still likely, but not exclusively, to grow into on the streets of Compton. This simply being the way things still are, and portrayed as a trap by many, not only in Compton but across the U.S., and indeed the wider world. 

The lyrics within this packaging are tightly bound to each rappers respective city, Compton and Philadelphia. It's the cities knack for producing 'realness' which is the subject at hand. As stated, the rap/hip-hop industry is littered with rappers who exaggerate to the point of complete fabrication; Game's likening most rappers lives to a Miguel music video. Rap being born through a need to express or share a message, has like most industries been diluted by money. Certified 'Real' by their cities upbringing, they illustrate their stories;

"Politics is usual, them palm trees is beautiful/ Crack rock lingerin', fiends suckin' they cuticles/ Wear the wrong colours round here n***** is shooting you" -The Game

"I fell in love with these streets I lost my n***** to" -Meek Mill

The back and forth of their delivery is a chemistry to behold. Pick any sports analogy you like to communicate it; tennis, basketball, ping pong, many will work. Or perhaps it's most similar to squash. Two guys swinging at the same wall; the wall being the fakers in the industry, as they demonstrate that it doesn't matter which was rapping, the situation was much the same in Compton as in Philly.

Finally but foremost, the music arrangements on this record are so LA I can't help but loop it multiple times. Being signed to Blood Money Entertainment, a subsidiary of Cash Money, and having spent time in Miami under what I believe to be the commercial influences of CEO Birdman, it's so nice to see The Game back in LA. Although still under the same record label, the dawn of the Compton Summer has definitely brought his mindset back. 10 year anniversary celebrations with his mentors, and founders of the Westcoast scene, and on set with the same crew at the filming of Straight Outta Compton, I believe is what we owe it too.

With a desire to capture the same LA vibe in The Documentary 2, you can tell he's looked back for inspiration. This being done primarily through a saxophone. Listening to the track I can't help but think about the theme music to Boyz N The Hood; the quintessential representation of South Central Los Angeles in the 90s. So reminiscent is the saxophone that you can't help but think of the 'Ricky' scene from the film.

After doing a little research, I've discovered that the Boyz N The Hood theme was composed by Stanley Clarke. An American jazz musician and composer, who, like Meek Mill, was a Philadelphia native who helped to represent for LA. 

The track then is great. And great things are coming for Compton which anybody who loves Hip-Hop can enjoy. Hopefully 'The Soundtrack' will be the first single off The Documentary 2, and will go along way in catching the overall style of the album. With so much newness coming for one city in one year though, I can't help but think it was planned. And being as the city is Compton, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if all this fresh art was individual master strokes from an Artist who calls himself a Dr. The same Dr. who is really a producer. And the same producer who is The rap mogul. Dr. Dre. The man affiliated in some way with all that is good from the C.P.T. (with the exception of the Williams sisters), yet still originally from The Worlds Most Dangerous Group...

Wu-Tang Clan calls Play-Action on Download Misappropriation

Once Upon A Time In Shaolin might just have afforded Wu-Tang Clan the accolade of best title for a debut rap album ever. As it was, their debut was of course the universally deemed classic, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) way back in 1993. So now their story from Shaolin will mark their final act after 22 years, 8 albums (including Once Upon A Time), countless singles, EP's, compilations, and the untimely demise of 'Ol Dirty Bastard; they will exit the recording studios of Staten Island, and take their place in rap history.  

The Clan never really was a body that cared for conforming though. Be it their running through Fred Flintstones neighbourhood for the Gravel Pit video, their voluminous audio cuts from the 1981 movie Shaolin vs Wu-Tang, from which they would derive their name or The RZA's writings of The Tao of Wu; a book which patiently sits on my desk, soon to monopolise my thoughts. 

So in keeping with this tradition of breaking tradition, they have just one copy of the new album. No digital back-ups, just a regular disc similar to those most of us have. Just as susceptible to scratches, and the resultant broken up audio, as any other. Although perhaps not so at this current time as it's sits locked away in what RZA calls the "illest album cover ever". Also known as a very fancy looking box to you and I, by British-Morocan artist, Yahya. The same box which was held for three hours at JFK airport because somebody lost the key and could not confirm what was inside..

Think of it like this. The Denver Broncos are down in the Super Bowl. 4th quarter with a buck 12 to go, and in need of 88 yards to hit a touchdown. Peyton Manning in his final season steps up, not liking what he sees on the defensive set, only instead of yelling his signature audible, Omaha, to the rest of his team he initiates the play. Going for the hand off to his running back as planned, he instead holds onto the ball, creates a play-action situation and tosses up an 88 yard Hail Mary to one lucky & unsuspecting receiver for the win. 

RZA is your hip-hop Peyton. The smartest man on the field, split-second-analysing intricacies you have no idea exist. Thinking he was going to hand off the album to the fans, but throwing it up to one, with 88 years of copyright.

As the auction is still going ahead, one assumes they found the key. But whilst the physical existence of the 31-track LP which is said to feature Redman, Cher and even members of FC Barcelona, and which is shrouded in mystery and a grade of secrecy which is nothing short of monumental in a world full of internet leaks, the reasoning behind this move is no less shrouded in befuddlement. 

With online outlaws illegally downloading every minute, it's been justified as an attempt to bring back value to music. If you win the bid, (RZA has already been offered $5mill so don't go raiding that piggy just yet) you own the album, yes, but it is subject to Wu-Tang's copyright which won't run out for 88 years so one can't simply copy it and sell it to two...or 7...billon. 

You could however share it for free, and this is where befuddlement meets contradiction. The successful bidder will of course be buying into imminent pressure to share. But to share it for free, would that not stand in conflict with the original reason for such a stunt? To add value. Unless there is a preempting of a sense of profound blessing which will consume each being who hears the album. This being induced due to the sharing of the album for free in defiance of the odds which currently are being built against its release.

Perhaps we are simply not wise enough to understand the wisest man in hip-hop. Perhaps once I've consumed, digested and embodied the Tao of Wu I will be enlightened to an understanding. As an opinion devoid of the specific circumstantial activity of this case, it's certainly refreshing to see some artists innovating. Be it RZA and the Wu, Beyoncé, J.Cole & Drake releasing albums without telling a sole or Macklemore and the two Ryan's (Lewis and Leslie) repping for the independent hustler. Where downloading outlaws are concerned, the pinstriped suit adorned boardmembers of the record labels are plainly failing to deal, and so to the artist experimentation I salute.

To the Shaolin story, it is mine to opine that perhaps Wu-Tang will just sell the most expensive record in history. And in doing so, will accumulate the same revenue as they would have accumulated had they sold the album the old fashioned way. And the album will be shared, free of charge. And the owner will be a hero to Wu and Hip-Hop fans everywhere. And the Wu-Tang Clan will have a final album that will, like themselves, be remembered in history, as conforming to their own tradition of breaking tradition. 

Just one final word. Please nobody inform Dr. Dre of this concept of an 88 year copyright, because I'm still trying to get to hear Detox. We don't want him getting ideas...