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I've tried to limit my MTV viewing as much as possible but with the only other outlet for music videos being the bootleg replacements for AJ and Free on 106 & Park, beggars can't be choosers. So last night I turned on MTV's Sucker Free, hosted by Cipha Sounds, and was surprised to see that the show had turned into a bigger-budgeted version of the Smack DVD series -- with a decidedly less thugged-out target audience. There were some interesting things I picked up from last night's show, which featured the Clipse and Gillie Da Kid:
1) It is now official that the new Clipse album, Hell Hath No Fury, will be released on Halloween. Unless its delayed again.
2) This will be the album that brings the East Coast boom bap back, according to Malice. I love the Clipse, and I'm inclined to agree with his prediction, but it is a bit disappointing that a group from Virginia is doing a better job of representing NY rap than Busta Rhymes and his New York Ish costars.
3) The Clipse claim that they were able to continue living lavishly during their four year hiatus, not from sales of the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series or from any per diem from the Star Trak or Jive record labels, but from selling drugs on Virginia street corners. I find that hard to believe, but the MTV studio audience seemed to buy into it.
4) The Clipse went out of their way to praise Chad Hugo, the other half of the Neptunes. Whether this is a sign that the relationship between Pharrell and the Clipse is strained, which rumors suggest has happened since lil Skateboard P tried to reuse a Foxxy beat for their album, or just the Clipse trying to give Chad some overdue recognition remains to be seen.
5) Though Malice and Pusha T verbally denied that Mr. Me Too was directed at Lil' Wayne, the smirks and winks that they threw at the camera suggested otherwise. The stage seemed to be set for the inevitable beef with Weezy once the show returned from commercial break and the Clipse brought Wayne's archnemesis Gillie Da Kid out. Weezy did seem to jump on the Bathing Ape bandwagon rather quickly in the past year or so (see: Hustler Musik video), and Gillie has claimed that he was the primary influence behind Cash Money's evolution from Lugz to Bape and Cavalli, so I wouldn't be too surprised if Lil Wayne was the target for Mr. Me Too. In Wayne's defense, he was about 15 years old when the Clipse first came out, so its not too outrageous to expect that his clothing and rapping style would evolve as he grew up.
6) Beefs over fashion seems to be the new trend in rap. Fabolous and Jim Jones argued over jewelry, and now the Clipse are beefing with Lil Wayne over Bape clothing? Don't get me wrong, some of Bathing Ape's clothing is pretty dope, but should hardcore rappers be arguing over who was the first to start wearing $700 powder blue and pink hoodies? Leave that to Foxxy and Kim.
7) Gillie says he is still down with his old group, Major Figgaz, and his money situation is straight. Assuming he didn't rent out the 4 iced-out platinum chains he was rocking on his neck Mr. T style, it does look like he's living ghetto fab. He also says he has no ill will toward Cash Money, who he says paid him well for his time on their label, and yet...
8) Gillie has once again gone back to taking credit for Lil Wayne's rhymes on The Carter album. He claimed that he wrote "all of" Baby and Wayne's lyrics. Gillie ended the show with a freestyle that threw out a few shots at Wayne, Baby and Soulja Slim (R.I.P.). Not since the early days of Yo! MTV Raps have I heard lyrics on that station explicitly refer to rape, murder and guns, but Gillie somehow evaded the 5-second FCC censor rule and fit them all into his freestyle. Impressive.
9) Is it me or does Gillie look like a 5'5 version of Nets legend Kenny Anderson?
10) Gillie has two new mixtapes coming out and a DVD, Marijuana High. Is this why he keeps going out of his way to keep this beef with Wayne going, to sell a few extra mixtapes and homemade dvds? Seems like a lot of effort to sell 5 dollar tapes. I can only assume he's trying to use the buzz to negotiate a solo album deal. One of his upcoming mixtapes is with Aftermath/G-Unit DJ Whoo Kid, so perhaps 50 Cent will sign up yet another rapper off the strength of an ongoing beef.
The whole concept of "Mr. Me Too" started up with a mixtape track Pharrell did last winter ("Don't kid yourself trying to say 'Me Too'"). Here it is:
Pharrell's Message (off of BBICECREAM/Gangsta Grillz Mixtape)
Who knows if Lil Wayne will ever respond, but if he does, I suspect it will sound something like this:
Weezy's Dont Give a Eff (off of The Carter Mixtape)
8/1/2006 8:15:38 AM posted by Fresh