From the May 8 – May 14, 2003 issue

Music

The Hiphop Tip

50 Cent & Scottie Pippen

Ol' Dirty Bastard, fresh off coming outta the carcel, has signed a contract with Roc-a-Fella Records. Wow. I'm speechless on that one. Speaking of the Roc, though, I finally got a chance to peep Cam'ron's new crew the Diplomats. I must say, their joint work is by far the most amusing effort I've ever heard--and I stress EFFORT. Make no mistake, their debut album, Diplomatic Immunity, is DUNN music. It contains the worst good-sounding rhymes you'll ever hear in your life. If you thought Cam'ron was clownin' with lyrics like, "Van Damme them, Cam will blam blam 'em," just wait until you hear his verse on "I Really Mean It" when he boasts, "Lock my garage, rock my massage/Fuck it, bucket by Osh Kosh B'Gosh/Golly I'm gully, look at his galoshes." This album, my people, is a hiphop classic: classic comedy, and definitely a sign of the times in the stagnant New York City scene. Fifty years down the line, when we question what New York was on, we'll look to this album as an answer. Cam'ron is a DUMMY. I love it.

50 Cent's first single off his recent album Get Rich Or Die Tryin' talked about fake gangsters who front on wax. His follow-up singles touched on partying in the club, good old promiscuity, his relationship status, maintaining that grind-and-hustle work ethic, and questioning whether things would be the same if he were still living like he was before he got signed to Shady Records. With four songs in regular rotation on radio stations and televisions across the country, the first thing anyone can think of when discussing 50 Cent is his gangster image. Explain that? Yeah, he's well-read when it comes to the difference between a 9mm, an Uzi and a Colt .45, but so are Charlton Heston and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yeah, he used to sell crack, but we've heard that before. Yeah, he got shot, but so did Larry Flynt. Can we move on to discussing the music and not just the image--because all they seem to talk about on Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America is "the former drug dealer and rapper who was shot nine times, 50 Cent," and I'm sick and tired of that shit. Let's get back to the substance and stop worrying about the image. I know it's hard because we've been programmed to focus on the latter, but each time you see 50 rock a bulletproof vest, remember that his CD Guess Who's Back is better than GRODT, and that his debut album (which never got released) from Columbia, Power of the Dollar, is even better. Recognize that the gangster hype all comes from a media machine that hasn't been able to fill that void since the deaths of 2Pac and Biggie. And it's not like 50's the hottest thing since Halle Berry in X2. Even 50 said it: "I got the two biggest bodyguards in the music industry in Dr. Dre and Eminem." 50 Cent is the Scottie Pippen of hiphop, and he wouldn't be shit without Jordan. The purpose of all this ain't to hate, but to raise awareness of why things are the way they are rather than just accepting them.

For those of you who couldn't fit in the jam-packed Des Amis for Soul Supreme (big ups to Mr. Supreme for that standing ovation at the end of his set the other week), check out B-Mello and Scene's night in Kirkland, Beautiful Saturdays. I know this is a rhetorical question, but what's the deal with all the Seattleites moving from the Gentrification (Central) District to the Eastside?

In quite possibly the most genius marketing tactic I've seen, those mofos at Light in the Attic came out with the most ridiculous flyer for the Lialeh soundtrack release party last week at the Re-bar: condoms. Lovely. The Sharpshooters album (also on LITA) still bumps on my computer at work, and I haven't heard Lialeh yet, but can we get another Conmen mix tape, please--I've been yearning for some Edwin Birdsong ever since Brian Weber, the dope soundman at the Chop, played it at Circle of Fire's night, Movement, the other week! Further proving that DJ Premier can do no wrong. Y'all don't know about Brian? Peep the Classic Elements CD that K Records put out a few years back. He's the man behind a few Northwest classics. SAMUEL L. CHESNEAU

hiphop@thestranger.com

REQUIRED LISTENING 1. Nobody, "A.N.I.T.A." (K)

2. E-40 feat. 2Pac, Mac Mall, Spice 1, "Dusted 'n' Disgusted" (Sik Wid It)

3. Freeway feat. Twista, "Show Go On" (White)

4. Jay Dee, "Make'em NV" (Mummy)

5. Los Nativos feat. I Self Divine, "Snake in the Mouth" (Rhymesayers)

6. Family Tree, "Horse" (All Natural)

7. Heltah Skeltah, "Letha Brainz Blo" (Duck Down)

8. 2Pac, "Lil' Homies" (Death Row/Amaru)

9. Gang Starr feat. Krumbsnatcha, "Put Up or Shut Up" (Virgin)

10. Freeway feat. Nate Dogg, "All My Life" (Roc-a-Fella)

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