Drake Covers Billboard Magazine
 
The man Drake graces the cover of Billboard Mag.¬† Good for him.¬† I don’t know if I agree 100% with the cover’s statement, but it’s a start.¬† The game is so diversified right now that one man could not assume ultimate leadership of a whole genre (besides Hov).¬† But the media needs someone to latch on to, and it might as well be the MC-crooner from the north.
Good look from Nah
Welcome our new site!
What’s up everyone? As you can see, we now have a new sleeker looking website here at The Higher Plane. Many thanks to our Brazilian friend Rodrigo Jazinski for help with the design. I think you will find things are laid out more clearly allowing everyone to see how much we offer.
I am going to update with our most recent posts later tonight. Big thanks to Jay Up for keeping the site up while our team has been working on this B.o.B. show. I am also in Amalfi, Italy right now on vacation, so when time allots I will clean a few things up here. We will also be adding features soon that everyone should love.
I hope everyone likes the new site. We are really excited about it and everything we have going on with The Higher Plane. Thanks for all the support. It is greatly appreciated.
Ciao.
R.I.P. Guru
Another one taken by cancer too soon. One half of one of the greatest groups of all-time. Things had been tumultuous between him and Preemo in recent years, but they created some absolutely classic shit as Gang Starr. Sucks though.
Nick Carey??
Nick Cannon will be gracing the cover of the April 12th edition of the Jet coming soon. In it, Nick will be addressing some of his haters…which would include me. Just kidding.
Yo, I’m not even mad at you Nick. You’re obviously an opportunist. That’s a quality I can admire. Now, I just need you to couple that quality with a…well…backbone. I mean c’mon dog, just a minute ago you were “wild’n out”…now you got suspenders on everytime I see you. I mean, its cool if thats what you’re on now….I’m just hoping Mimi didn’t put you up to it thats all!!
But do you Nicholas!
Hmm…
Interesting. I like the name though. LoL. Allegedly, this crew is getting together for at the very least a remix of some kind. At most, an entire project.
India Arie vs. Gaga & B.
Watch the video.
I guess neo-soul R&B artist India Arie has some issues with the new Lady Gaga and Beyonce video “Telephone.” I watched the video and I personally didn’t think it was anything crazier than the usual videos with chicks dancing around in their bra’s and panties, oiled up and ready to go. But what do I know?…. I’m a guy. Well….India Arie, on the other hand, was so appalled by the video that she had released a tweet statement regarding the video:
“I agree gaga is being her image .. I dig her creative mind But still ‚Ķ There‚Äôs a such thing as socially irresponsible‚Ķ I‚Äôm just sayin.Its not long before somebody does a straight NAKED video. Not like Alanis morrisette ‚Äúthank you india‚Äù like NAKED dancing around. LOL hahaha. Let‚Äôs be CLEAR! I know it gaga M.O. ‚Äì I don‚Äôt live under a rock. And I get that a lot of work put into it. I‚Äôm talking social responsibility. There‚Äôs an artist ever 10 years who pushes the envelope ‚Ķ but its bout to fall off the Table. When is it too far? I respect the creative mind but disagree with the ‚Äúchoices‚Äù as a dish meant to be served for mass consumption ....Crazy to me that the Dark, underbelly, so shock at all cost thing is a TREND like asymetrical hair and big shoulder jackets .Slippery slope!“
You be the judge. How far is too far? Can we ever answer that question? Should we ever answer that question? I mean if opinions are relative to each individual thinker, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, then maybe we don’t even have the right to answer that question. Is India Arie a hero, or a communist in this scenario? It’s funny how life and time have a way of shaping the opinions of us all. A few years ago, I would have watched that video and saw nothing wrong with it. I watch it now and I see it in a different light. You see I have a daughter now, and in light of that fact, I know that I wouldn’t want her to look at this video and think that it’s cool to be like either one of those babes. But on the other hand, its my job to raise my kid to know what’s right and what’s wrong, not either one of those babes. One things for sure….It’s a “slippery slope” indeed Ms. Arie….a slippery slope indeed.
Mind Over Matter
I’m confused. I listen to Drake and I enjoy his music. Why am I confused, you ask? I’m confused because I have yet to figure out why I enjoy his music to the extent that I do. I think about other artist like Lupe, 3000, Nas, Jay-Z, Common and plenty others, and its obvious to me why I am huge fans of those artists. I listen to them for lyrics…intricate, creative, thought-provoking, rewind-three-times-before-you-can-get-it-all…. LYRICS.
I listen to other artists like Ludacris, Snoop, Gucci, T.I., Young Joc, ect… and its mainly because I like the melody, beat, and overall layout of the song. It feels good when I’m riding in my car or when Im partying. Im not taking anything away from these artists as individual lyricists in their own right, I’m merely stating what I generally listen for when listening to this second group of artists.
Now back to Drake. Drake has placed himself into quite and interesting category…but in a good way. He has found a space in the industry that makes himself very marketable to a wide variety of people. I have always considered myself to be one that listens and focuses on lyrics first and everything else like the beat and melody is secondary. I subconsciously separate the two when I listen to rap. I guess thats why I put certain artists in to separate categories. It’s not their fault. It’s actually shame-on-me. It’s that I have never been able to fully appreciate them both simultaneously…..that is until Drake.
You see Drake is not overwhelmingly lyrical or intricate, but he does put things together in a way that he has to be recognized as legitimate lyricist. He also has a great feel for melody, as he can sing on a hook or sing his acual rap verses. At times the dude goes back in forth from singing to rapping in the same bar. It’s catchy, but its not Nelly. He’s found and interesting space. Drake is good for the game right now, simply because I don’t have a box to put him in. He has a destinctive edge on the competition right now….”see what he do with it.” (Jay -Z on the boy Drizzy)
New World Order
By MK
Living in England, and specifically London, can be an interesting experience for a multitude of reasons. You see people dressed like they don’t own a mirror. You see men dressed as women (see Exhibit A below). These ones literally think they are women, and not just metro or hipster dudes dressing and acting effeminate. You hear languages all around you that you do not understand at all. You have Brits who keep their head down and block out the world day in and day out. I often am told by English people, ‘I can’t stand Americans because they are too friendly and positive.’ Yikes. I guess I forgot to drink the Kool-Aid…I mean battery acid.
Our neighborhood something or other…
And then there is this odd love for soccer…err…football that Americans have a truly hard time understanding.
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