Peace On That

My Friday’s Top Ten: Worst Rappers have garnered a few complaints because I dogged E40 and a couple of other west coast rappers. What I notice is that west coast hiphop heads have an inferiority complex. Somehow, E40 being on the list has elicited a couple of shots at me. Of course they posted comments anonymously so they lost some points in the weight of their arguments. I’ve decided to respond to these hurt feelings, primarily for the sake of my own entertainment.

The Comments to me:

Anonymous said...
That Captain-Save-A-Hoe track from E-40 must've pushed some of your buttons. You sound like one of them types... Did you try to save a hoe and get burned :(

Is that why you got E-40 on your list....?

One Love.

-XYZ

Anonymous said...
WESTCOAST HATER ALERT you cant feel the raps unless you can relate maybe you need to listen to britney spears?

I think its time that the west accept the fact that west coast rappers as a whole - are not on par witht the east. Sure, some great ones have come from the west. Pac, NWA, Ice T, Snoop and Too Short are the first to come to mind. But when guys start commenting on blogs… my blog especially defending E40, then you have lost any credibility with me. I couldn’t even place E40 in the top 100 of rappers. Face it, the guy has never done anything outside of California and the south – and we know what kind of crap is coming out of the south.

The problem with rap music is that it has moved away from its roots of being a lyrical form of art to a “sound”. E40 has some decent songs but as a rapper… please. A coworker actually told me that E40 was better than Beanie. Now, I don’t know where he’s from, but he hasn’t listened to Beanie. Lets just compare the two on a lyrical tip.

E40: It's pimpin'
Tryin to have a stable full of, gregarious, clear b******
Professional wonderful ladies of leisure, merrylicious
That'll get undressed at the drop of a dime at my request
And believe that, e'rytang i tell her to do is for the best
Hoe you in violation, you in the red, wait a minute hoe
You mean to tell me you tryin to jump camp
After a big ol' player like me done buttered yo' bread?
You free to go, i ain't gon' tell you no mo'
I told you twice, you'll be back cause you need, pimpin in yo' life
That's how you gotta get at these broads, you gotta check 'em
Man a hoe'll walk all over ya if you let 'em
I give her a chinese name (what?) won gone
Then i stab out, with my ham sandwich, fleetwood brougham
Break a b****, pimp s***, l-r-p's
Long range pimpin hoe, overseas
Whites blacks filipinos, viet-ma-nese
Atlantic city, vegas, reno nigga please believe

Beanie: Mom Praying
Eight decades and four years and gran still kickin
Look at ma, still whippin
Still keep a strap, won't hesitate to give the kids whippins
Tryin to make it to heaven, still livin
Make a visit, stop by the weed spot grab a dub
I know grams gon' have me a grub
I hit the front door, smell aroma of her food cookin
My favorite, a pot of rice and her stewed chicken
Hit the basement, holla at Uncle Doc
Nephew, wit Snu kickin
Where dudes, what's your new mission
We bust it up he cold frontin
I know this nigga wanna hold somethin
I know grams upstairs preppin for church
Matchin up her hat, shoes, pocketbooks and skirts
I break her off some dubs, so she can go see the preacher man
Even though I know he false teachin, damn

I know the songs are completely different in content but what I’m looking at is depth. E40 is at best using the vernacular of an eighth grader. And this is what he does in every song. The problem with the west is that there is no range of topics with most of its artist. Many are still stuck on using R&B and funk tracks – we can thank Dr. Dre for that. The rap industry as a whole is going this way but west coast rap today doesn’t sound much different than it did ten years ago when I was living in San Diego. I think its time to stop trying to be like Pac and make some rap that a brother can get into. I say the same thing for southern rappers but for some reason, only west coast folks get their panties in a knot when you talk about their rappers. Southern cats know Lil’ Wayne is garbage and they don’t try to defend him. Maybe if I put Big Boi or Mike Jones up there they would have responded. But you west coast girls need to learn to accept constructive criticism and stop thinking everyone on is “hating” on you, because I’m not trying to hear that or E40. Nuff said.