I'm thinking about Cimorelli's cover of Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper," and I think to myself: Damn. That was amazing. It was without question one of Cimorelli's best covers. Hell, it WAS their best cover. But the question is, did they do it better than Lovato herself?
Honestly, I don't know personally.
Ask someone this question, and they'll most likely say Lovato. Why? Because she has records out. She's well-known by the mainstream community. Most people don't even know who Cimorelli is. They've only done covers and EPs up to this point. But when is that first LP coming out? It looks like the group is desperately trying to release it by the end of the year. The way I see it, it's September. The Jonas Brothers haven't even released V yet, and two singles ("Pom Poms" and "First Time") came out in the first half of the year. Lady Gaga's ARTPOP and Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 are being released in November. Drake's Nothing Was The Same comes out next week. Where is Cimorelli's debut album in all this craze?
Oddly enough, Lovato released her fourth album Demi earlier this year. But I digress. The point is, people may be quick to answer because they see Cimorelli as upstarts, unproven pretenders. Don't worry, the CimFam will be proving a lot to people when that first album hits. BOOM!
As filming continues for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 2, I can't help but feel like the movie will reflect the past eight years of the show: Not bad overall, but paling in comparison to the first three seasons. Most people split SpongeBob into two shows: The one before the movie, and the one after the movie. Many of those people will tell you that every episode before the movie was excellent and every episode after the movie is either bad or just plain garbage. The fact of the matter is, SpongeBob didn't really get hot until the second season. The first season was pretty good, but it had more ground to cover from there. Many people hold SpongeBob as one of the greatest cartoons of all-time because of those three seasons. Stephen Hillenburg, the show's creator, was showrunner/executive producer in this era, and Derek Drymon was creative director. The movie was supposed to be the series finale. After all, Plankton's biggest scheme is a success, SpongeBob goes through a life-changing emotional journey and becomes manager of the Krusty Krab 2. But Nickelodeon realized how much money SpongeBob was pouring in and how beloved it was. They wanted the show to continue.
It did, but there were major changes. The writing team changed, and Vincent Waller was brought in as creative director. Hillenburg left as showrunner after the fourth season, and gave the job to long-time staff member Paul Tibbitt. Most people can notice a distinct change in the show overall. SpongeBob was way more annoying, Squidward was less sarcastic and more pathetic. Patrick was less of a smart idiot and just a plain idiot. And Waller, who had only worked on The Ren and Stimpy Show before, took that show's trademark gross-out humor and strapped it on SpongeBob. It failed, because gross-out humor was never a big part of SpongeBob. I'm going to remain a SpongeBob fan until worms have consumed my flesh and I've been buried forever. The first three seasons will never be topped. It was intelligent, entertaining, and memorable for almost every possible line in every episode. But this era with Tibbitt and Waller is not the Black Plague like fans make it out to be. Stop pissing on a show you were devoted to at one point and live your damn life. I'm 100% sure the second movie will end the show for good. It's lost a good amount of its popularity during the post-movie seasons. But when SpongeBob ends, people should have it up there as one of the greatest cartoons ever made. It has the first three seasons, the first movie, and plenty of fun post-movie episodes to prove it.
I wonder if Big Time Rush will take the crown from One Direction any time soon. Everybody loves American boy bands. 1D has about a year left the way I see it. Same as Bieber. Who knows? Justin might have less time than that. He's done some stupid stuff over the past year, and he became an international sensation in 2010. Three years? Time's nearly up. BTR is closing in on reaching that level. Nickelodeon is probably going to be more lenient with them now that the show has ended. In a perfect world, 2014 will end with Big Time Rush and Cimorelli as the new tween/teen juggernauts. In a perfect world.....
My cartoon show Thank You, Heavenly is entering its second season in twelve days. You can read the script for the season premiere on September 29. Honestly, check the show out on FanFiction. Yes, the official fan fiction website. That's where the show is. Right there. While you're there, read the script for the 20 Season 1 episodes. It will help you catch up to speed. Anyway, the Season 2 premiere of Thank You, Heavenly. September 29 on FanFiction. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!! Or round........
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Tougher Than Leather 25th Anniversary
1988-The most important year in the history of hip-hop
1988-The year hip-hop proved itself as a commercially viable genre, featuring several new styles, ideas, and game-changing rappers/rap groups
1988-When hip-hop changed for good
What else can I, as a hip-hop connoisseur, say about 1988? This was the year the rap genre exploded. Two years ago, Run-DMC forever launched hip-hop into the stratosphere with their magnum opus Raising Hell. The Beastie Boys, a group of Jewish white knuckleheads, broke through the ceiling that the music industry created for hip-hop with the best-selling rap album of 1986 called Licensed To Ill. Both Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys were heavily instrumental in making hip-hop a commercially viable genre that could stand on its own. Even after the kings of Queens had their self-titled debut in 1984 and their follow-up King of Rock a year later, people were still on the fence about rap. Raising Hell and Licensed To Ill changed that perception a great deal.
Enter 1988. The year Run-DMC releases their fourth album Tougher Than Leather. The day the album dropped was September 16. That was almost unheard of back then. Because hip-hop was still young, the genre could change in an instant. You could release an album in 1987 and drop one almost a year later, no problem. Waiting more than a year to release a hip-hop album was crazy. There was no way Kanye West could drop My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 1986 and then come back three years later with Yeezus. West would have already been phased out by new contenders like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Big Sean, Pusha T, Joey Badass, and Schoolboy Q, amongst others. Nobody would care to pick up Yeezus. The most it would be certified as is Platinum.
That's exactly what happened with Tougher Than Leather.
Truth be told, September 16 wasn't supposed to be the day Run-DMC came back to the hip-hop world. It wasn't even supposed to be 1988. When Raising Hell was busy changing the game and introducing the mainstream to rap, Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and the late Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell were hard at work on Tougher Than Leather. While working on the album, they were at the height of their popularity and adoration. A movie was in the works along with a semi-autobiography by Bill Adler. The plan? Def Jam Records, the label that managed Run-DMC (the group released their albums on Profile Records) would release the album, movie, and book all on the same day in 1987. It would be a media bombardment, and would cement Run-DMC's place amongst the Michael Jacksons and the Madonnas of the world. Tougher Than Leather would have been hailed as a fourth classic by the group, and went quadruple or quintuple-platinum. Imagine that? A hip-hop act going triple-platinum with Raising Hell and going quintuple-platinum with Tougher Than Leather in that era? That's incredible!!! INCREDIBLE!!!
But guess who had to ruin that? Profile.
Run-DMC was going to release a movie soundtrack filled with new material to go with their fourth album. But Profile knew that soundtrack would be a Def Jam soundtrack and did not allow it. This led a reluctant Run-DMC to sue Profile and halt release of the album. The movie wasn't going so hot, either. It was expected to be a Terminator-like thriller. Now all the original plans were falling through.
However, that wasn't the only strike of bad luck for Run-DMC. You see, they started working on Tougher Than Leather in 1986, when they ruled the rap streets. New, hungry contenders were coming for them, but they weren't worried. With the 1987 media bombardment, they could keep their popularity going for another year. But with the Profile lawsuit, the album, movie, and book couldn't be released. Run-DMC were still able to work on the album, but the material they had completed sounded old hat. Eric B. & Rakim, an upstart Long Island DJ/MC duo, built on the underground success of their first song "Eric B. Is President" with their debut album Paid In Full. They changed the game entirely with just one LP-for years! The summer of 1987 belonged to them instead of Run-DMC, the way it should've been. Eric B. introduced soul samples to DJ'ing, and using those samples to its highest potential. And what did Rakim do? He advanced lyricism like never before. He used internal rhyme, polysyllabic rhyming, and imagery extensively. He was the Dizzy Gillespie to Run-DMC's Louis Armstrong. Eric B. & Rakim never became mainstream success stories, but they didn't need to be. They had hip-hop on their toes. Run-DMC finally sounded outdated. They finally had competition. They finally had a reason to keep their crowns off-limits.
And then there was Public Enemy, Run-DMC's heir apparent.
Creepy how the guys who wound up taking the crown were big fans of the guys who wore them. Frontman and MC Chuck D believed Raising Hell was the best rap release of all-time. He understood how influential the Hollis boys were. Public Enemy's first album Yo! Bum Rush The Show was released in the spring of 1987. Despite positive reviews in the hip-hop community, it sold little compared to fellow Def Jam acts like the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, and Russell Simmons (Def Jam President) wasn't sold on the Long Island group at all. After hearing Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul," Public Enemy knew they had to top it. Their first album sounded old now. They needed to update their sound entirely, and the new P.E. made good on that declaration with "Rebel Without A Pause," a game-changing masterpiece. The amount of bass drums piled onto James Brown's "Funky Drummer." The scary, ear-infesting trumpet glissando from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" that sounded like a tea kettle having sex with a whistle. It represented everything the new Public Enemy was: Noisy, uncompromising, political. "Rebel Without A Pause" was dark and ominous. As if it was foreshadowing events which would have a negative impact on Run-DMC's lives.
Sure enough, that's what happened.
The old songs were damn near ancient now. Run-DMC had a lot of ground to cover. Public Enemy was nearly finished with their magnum opus It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions was taking on a more socially-conscious approach after the murder of his DJ Scott La Rock. And Run-DMC could no longer stick to drum machines and guitar riffs anymore. The new style was breakbeats and samples galore. Rhymes that showed off lyrical dexterity and had a statement, not just party jams and braggadocio. Material like "Soul To Rock And Roll" and "They Call Us Run-D.M.C." proved that this is all the kings from Queens could do to stay relevant and atop their peak.
Even the new material started to sound played-out because the lawsuit showed no signs of ending. Finally, Jam-Master Jay had enough. He couldn't let the group wait any longer. He gave the master tapes of Tougher Than Leather to Cory Robbins, president of Profile. He also signed with the label, officially becoming a member of Run-DMC and not just the DJ. The original media bombardment plan still unfolded, but too late. Run-DMC was no longer a big deal, not even in the hip-hop community. Fans had a lot of new, exciting artists to listen to besides Run, D, and Jay. September 16, 1988. 25 years ago, the ruckus ended and Run-DMC was officially back. But how would they stack up against these LPs?
Life Is.....Too Short by Too Short
Goin' Off by Biz Markie
The World's Greatest Entertainer by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
By All Means Necessary by Boogie Down Productions
In Full Gear by Stetsasonic
Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MC's
Long Live The Kane by Big Daddy Kane
Follow The Leader by Eric B. & Rakim
Strictly Business by EPMD
Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.
Power by Ice-T
Lyte As A Rock by MC Lyte
Eazy-Duz-It by Eazy-E
The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick by Slick Rick
Against a smorgasbord of new jacks, Run-DMC added Tougher Than Leather to the party that was 1988. The result? Not so good. "Run's House" and "Beats To The Rhyme" were praised by critics and fans. If only the rest of the album got that same reaction. People were hesitant to Run-DMC's new stuff. They knew the group was trying to play catch-up with the younger, rawer guys. Run-DMC no longer set trends or changed the game. They followed trends. They were merely players. They were no longer the kings. That crown was personally given to Public Enemy. They were just common folk now. Their mainstream success lasted as long as fame for most people: 15 minutes. Most people saw this as Run-DMC's decent follow-up to Raising Hell and not much else. You know how many copies Tougher Than Leather sold? About 1.25 million. Although that seems incredible compared to how other rappers/rap groups were doing commercially, it was a huge step down for Run-DMC. Run went into a depression shortly after release. DMC's drinking habits would soon escalate. Jay was negligent with the I.R.S. It was no fun anymore.
Fast-forward a quarter-century later. Tougher Than Leather, one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever released. It sounded like it belonged in 1988. It felt like it belonged in 1988. And it deserved to belong in 1988. Run, DMC, and Jay were in the prime of their lives in that year. However, in rap years, they were old. This was their fourth album. 95% of the acts in 1988 were either wide-eyed freshmen or assured sophomores ready for takeover. Run-DMC were seniors about to graduate from high school. They had to write an essay that would help them pass English class and move on to college. Run-DMC was Wilt Chamberlain after his 100-point game. They just had the best game of their, or any other career. How could they top the 100-point Raising Hell?
They couldn't. And that's the point. Tougher Than Leather was, as Chuck D put it, scoring 97 points in a playoff game and your team still loses. You just had another amazing game. But the team lost. Run-DMC couldn't compete in 1988. There were too many acts on their back trying to overthrow them. And sure enough, by the time Public Enemy released their signature song "Fight The Power," the crown had been snatched away with authority. It wasn't fair. Run-DMC had everything planned for 1987. Then, they watched their plans fall to shambles and their stranglehold on rap get released in a flash. Tougher Than Leather WAS the convincing knockout blow. It was a knockout to critics who believed they were finished and done. It was a knockout blow to the new jacks who so desperately wanted to be at the top. And it was a knockout blow to the fans who ditched Run-DMC when times got tough for the new jacks. Tougher Than Leather showed those young boys how the real players play. Obviously, it wasn't the group's best work and never will be. Their attempts to be like everyone else failed. But 25 years later, this is an album that once again epitomizes what 1988 represented. In fact, the only album better than this one is Nation Of Millions. That one is just so damn beautiful.
Tougher Than Leather is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time. And as we look back on it 25 years later on the silver anniversary, we'll not compare it to anything else that came out that year. Let's compare it to itself. This was Run-DMC's fourth classic and their best work not named Raising Hell. Yeah, I said it. The group's fourth album showed that the kings from Queens were far from done. It sent a message to the young guns of rap: We're still here so step back and thanks for keeping our throne warm.
4/5 Stars
POSITIVES: Top-notch production, Run's second verse on "Radio Station," showcased how versatile the group really was by constantly changing up their style, sounded like it was meant to be in 1988 despite obvious following of trends
NEGATIVES: Obvious following of trends, DMC's laziness on some songs, confusion over messages in the songs, blatant attempt to compete with lyricists like Rakim, KRS-One, and Big Daddy Kane
STANDOUT TRACKS: "Run's House," "Beats To The Rhyme," "Tougher Than Leather," "I'm Not Going Out Like That," "They Call Us Run-D.M.C.," "Radio Station," "Soul To Rock And Roll"
1988-The year hip-hop proved itself as a commercially viable genre, featuring several new styles, ideas, and game-changing rappers/rap groups
1988-When hip-hop changed for good
What else can I, as a hip-hop connoisseur, say about 1988? This was the year the rap genre exploded. Two years ago, Run-DMC forever launched hip-hop into the stratosphere with their magnum opus Raising Hell. The Beastie Boys, a group of Jewish white knuckleheads, broke through the ceiling that the music industry created for hip-hop with the best-selling rap album of 1986 called Licensed To Ill. Both Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys were heavily instrumental in making hip-hop a commercially viable genre that could stand on its own. Even after the kings of Queens had their self-titled debut in 1984 and their follow-up King of Rock a year later, people were still on the fence about rap. Raising Hell and Licensed To Ill changed that perception a great deal.
Enter 1988. The year Run-DMC releases their fourth album Tougher Than Leather. The day the album dropped was September 16. That was almost unheard of back then. Because hip-hop was still young, the genre could change in an instant. You could release an album in 1987 and drop one almost a year later, no problem. Waiting more than a year to release a hip-hop album was crazy. There was no way Kanye West could drop My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 1986 and then come back three years later with Yeezus. West would have already been phased out by new contenders like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Big Sean, Pusha T, Joey Badass, and Schoolboy Q, amongst others. Nobody would care to pick up Yeezus. The most it would be certified as is Platinum.
That's exactly what happened with Tougher Than Leather.
Truth be told, September 16 wasn't supposed to be the day Run-DMC came back to the hip-hop world. It wasn't even supposed to be 1988. When Raising Hell was busy changing the game and introducing the mainstream to rap, Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and the late Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell were hard at work on Tougher Than Leather. While working on the album, they were at the height of their popularity and adoration. A movie was in the works along with a semi-autobiography by Bill Adler. The plan? Def Jam Records, the label that managed Run-DMC (the group released their albums on Profile Records) would release the album, movie, and book all on the same day in 1987. It would be a media bombardment, and would cement Run-DMC's place amongst the Michael Jacksons and the Madonnas of the world. Tougher Than Leather would have been hailed as a fourth classic by the group, and went quadruple or quintuple-platinum. Imagine that? A hip-hop act going triple-platinum with Raising Hell and going quintuple-platinum with Tougher Than Leather in that era? That's incredible!!! INCREDIBLE!!!
But guess who had to ruin that? Profile.
Run-DMC was going to release a movie soundtrack filled with new material to go with their fourth album. But Profile knew that soundtrack would be a Def Jam soundtrack and did not allow it. This led a reluctant Run-DMC to sue Profile and halt release of the album. The movie wasn't going so hot, either. It was expected to be a Terminator-like thriller. Now all the original plans were falling through.
However, that wasn't the only strike of bad luck for Run-DMC. You see, they started working on Tougher Than Leather in 1986, when they ruled the rap streets. New, hungry contenders were coming for them, but they weren't worried. With the 1987 media bombardment, they could keep their popularity going for another year. But with the Profile lawsuit, the album, movie, and book couldn't be released. Run-DMC were still able to work on the album, but the material they had completed sounded old hat. Eric B. & Rakim, an upstart Long Island DJ/MC duo, built on the underground success of their first song "Eric B. Is President" with their debut album Paid In Full. They changed the game entirely with just one LP-for years! The summer of 1987 belonged to them instead of Run-DMC, the way it should've been. Eric B. introduced soul samples to DJ'ing, and using those samples to its highest potential. And what did Rakim do? He advanced lyricism like never before. He used internal rhyme, polysyllabic rhyming, and imagery extensively. He was the Dizzy Gillespie to Run-DMC's Louis Armstrong. Eric B. & Rakim never became mainstream success stories, but they didn't need to be. They had hip-hop on their toes. Run-DMC finally sounded outdated. They finally had competition. They finally had a reason to keep their crowns off-limits.
And then there was Public Enemy, Run-DMC's heir apparent.
Creepy how the guys who wound up taking the crown were big fans of the guys who wore them. Frontman and MC Chuck D believed Raising Hell was the best rap release of all-time. He understood how influential the Hollis boys were. Public Enemy's first album Yo! Bum Rush The Show was released in the spring of 1987. Despite positive reviews in the hip-hop community, it sold little compared to fellow Def Jam acts like the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, and Russell Simmons (Def Jam President) wasn't sold on the Long Island group at all. After hearing Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul," Public Enemy knew they had to top it. Their first album sounded old now. They needed to update their sound entirely, and the new P.E. made good on that declaration with "Rebel Without A Pause," a game-changing masterpiece. The amount of bass drums piled onto James Brown's "Funky Drummer." The scary, ear-infesting trumpet glissando from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" that sounded like a tea kettle having sex with a whistle. It represented everything the new Public Enemy was: Noisy, uncompromising, political. "Rebel Without A Pause" was dark and ominous. As if it was foreshadowing events which would have a negative impact on Run-DMC's lives.
Sure enough, that's what happened.
The old songs were damn near ancient now. Run-DMC had a lot of ground to cover. Public Enemy was nearly finished with their magnum opus It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions was taking on a more socially-conscious approach after the murder of his DJ Scott La Rock. And Run-DMC could no longer stick to drum machines and guitar riffs anymore. The new style was breakbeats and samples galore. Rhymes that showed off lyrical dexterity and had a statement, not just party jams and braggadocio. Material like "Soul To Rock And Roll" and "They Call Us Run-D.M.C." proved that this is all the kings from Queens could do to stay relevant and atop their peak.
Even the new material started to sound played-out because the lawsuit showed no signs of ending. Finally, Jam-Master Jay had enough. He couldn't let the group wait any longer. He gave the master tapes of Tougher Than Leather to Cory Robbins, president of Profile. He also signed with the label, officially becoming a member of Run-DMC and not just the DJ. The original media bombardment plan still unfolded, but too late. Run-DMC was no longer a big deal, not even in the hip-hop community. Fans had a lot of new, exciting artists to listen to besides Run, D, and Jay. September 16, 1988. 25 years ago, the ruckus ended and Run-DMC was officially back. But how would they stack up against these LPs?
Life Is.....Too Short by Too Short
Goin' Off by Biz Markie
The World's Greatest Entertainer by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
By All Means Necessary by Boogie Down Productions
In Full Gear by Stetsasonic
Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MC's
Long Live The Kane by Big Daddy Kane
Follow The Leader by Eric B. & Rakim
Strictly Business by EPMD
Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.
Power by Ice-T
Lyte As A Rock by MC Lyte
Eazy-Duz-It by Eazy-E
The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick by Slick Rick
Against a smorgasbord of new jacks, Run-DMC added Tougher Than Leather to the party that was 1988. The result? Not so good. "Run's House" and "Beats To The Rhyme" were praised by critics and fans. If only the rest of the album got that same reaction. People were hesitant to Run-DMC's new stuff. They knew the group was trying to play catch-up with the younger, rawer guys. Run-DMC no longer set trends or changed the game. They followed trends. They were merely players. They were no longer the kings. That crown was personally given to Public Enemy. They were just common folk now. Their mainstream success lasted as long as fame for most people: 15 minutes. Most people saw this as Run-DMC's decent follow-up to Raising Hell and not much else. You know how many copies Tougher Than Leather sold? About 1.25 million. Although that seems incredible compared to how other rappers/rap groups were doing commercially, it was a huge step down for Run-DMC. Run went into a depression shortly after release. DMC's drinking habits would soon escalate. Jay was negligent with the I.R.S. It was no fun anymore.
Fast-forward a quarter-century later. Tougher Than Leather, one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever released. It sounded like it belonged in 1988. It felt like it belonged in 1988. And it deserved to belong in 1988. Run, DMC, and Jay were in the prime of their lives in that year. However, in rap years, they were old. This was their fourth album. 95% of the acts in 1988 were either wide-eyed freshmen or assured sophomores ready for takeover. Run-DMC were seniors about to graduate from high school. They had to write an essay that would help them pass English class and move on to college. Run-DMC was Wilt Chamberlain after his 100-point game. They just had the best game of their, or any other career. How could they top the 100-point Raising Hell?
They couldn't. And that's the point. Tougher Than Leather was, as Chuck D put it, scoring 97 points in a playoff game and your team still loses. You just had another amazing game. But the team lost. Run-DMC couldn't compete in 1988. There were too many acts on their back trying to overthrow them. And sure enough, by the time Public Enemy released their signature song "Fight The Power," the crown had been snatched away with authority. It wasn't fair. Run-DMC had everything planned for 1987. Then, they watched their plans fall to shambles and their stranglehold on rap get released in a flash. Tougher Than Leather WAS the convincing knockout blow. It was a knockout to critics who believed they were finished and done. It was a knockout blow to the new jacks who so desperately wanted to be at the top. And it was a knockout blow to the fans who ditched Run-DMC when times got tough for the new jacks. Tougher Than Leather showed those young boys how the real players play. Obviously, it wasn't the group's best work and never will be. Their attempts to be like everyone else failed. But 25 years later, this is an album that once again epitomizes what 1988 represented. In fact, the only album better than this one is Nation Of Millions. That one is just so damn beautiful.
Tougher Than Leather is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time. And as we look back on it 25 years later on the silver anniversary, we'll not compare it to anything else that came out that year. Let's compare it to itself. This was Run-DMC's fourth classic and their best work not named Raising Hell. Yeah, I said it. The group's fourth album showed that the kings from Queens were far from done. It sent a message to the young guns of rap: We're still here so step back and thanks for keeping our throne warm.
4/5 Stars
POSITIVES: Top-notch production, Run's second verse on "Radio Station," showcased how versatile the group really was by constantly changing up their style, sounded like it was meant to be in 1988 despite obvious following of trends
NEGATIVES: Obvious following of trends, DMC's laziness on some songs, confusion over messages in the songs, blatant attempt to compete with lyricists like Rakim, KRS-One, and Big Daddy Kane
STANDOUT TRACKS: "Run's House," "Beats To The Rhyme," "Tougher Than Leather," "I'm Not Going Out Like That," "They Call Us Run-D.M.C.," "Radio Station," "Soul To Rock And Roll"
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Welcome To #2
This was just a little script I wrote last year. It's the pilot for a cartoon show called Thank You, Heavenly. In a nutshell, I'd say it combines Family Guy, South Park, and Arthur.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8247626/1/The-RK-Feline-Fiasco
TV networks tend to air a double premiere for new shows, so I'm adding the script for the second episode.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8269356/1/Isn-t-Summer-The-Worst
Just looking for some thoughts.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8247626/1/The-RK-Feline-Fiasco
TV networks tend to air a double premiere for new shows, so I'm adding the script for the second episode.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8269356/1/Isn-t-Summer-The-Worst
Just looking for some thoughts.
Friday, May 24, 2013
The Introduction
DEVIL WITHOUT A PAUSE-BLOG POST #1
"What's the point of talking if nobody ever learns?"-Huey Freeman
Hello, everybody. My name is Mike Anderson. I am 15 years old, and this blog is my own personal diary for the world to see. My goal in life is not to be what people want, but what they need.
So this is how things are going to go down. I'm pretty much blogging about my life and what I think is interesting or unfair. Most of the time, I'll be posting about various songs, musicians, or TV shows. This is my blog, so it's going to be under my singular rule and control.
At times, I'll blog my own personal creations, such as rap songs (rapping is one of my two hobbies, the other is writing) among other things. My humor is hit-or-miss, but you will be able to appreciate it (well, the older generation).
Here are three things you should know:
-I am an avid drinker (juice and soda, not alcohol)
-I am a huge fan of wrestling, but the WWE for the most part.
-I am in love with Alyssa Milano, the world's most beautiful woman. :)
OK, so that's it for now. One more thing: The title is a play off of the old saying "Rebel without a cause." In this case, the "devil" is a metaphor for a bad person, who never seems to take a "pause" and understand why they act like such a bad person.
Here's the closing song for this post-"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, off their 1988 album Vivid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0
"What's the point of talking if nobody ever learns?"-Huey Freeman
Hello, everybody. My name is Mike Anderson. I am 15 years old, and this blog is my own personal diary for the world to see. My goal in life is not to be what people want, but what they need.
So this is how things are going to go down. I'm pretty much blogging about my life and what I think is interesting or unfair. Most of the time, I'll be posting about various songs, musicians, or TV shows. This is my blog, so it's going to be under my singular rule and control.
At times, I'll blog my own personal creations, such as rap songs (rapping is one of my two hobbies, the other is writing) among other things. My humor is hit-or-miss, but you will be able to appreciate it (well, the older generation).
Here are three things you should know:
-I am an avid drinker (juice and soda, not alcohol)
-I am a huge fan of wrestling, but the WWE for the most part.
-I am in love with Alyssa Milano, the world's most beautiful woman. :)
OK, so that's it for now. One more thing: The title is a play off of the old saying "Rebel without a cause." In this case, the "devil" is a metaphor for a bad person, who never seems to take a "pause" and understand why they act like such a bad person.
Here's the closing song for this post-"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, off their 1988 album Vivid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)