The week in review

As most of you net freaks already know, it’s not been a good week in rap news. At all. I’m about this close to penning an “it’s not me, it’s you” breakup letter to hip-hop. Here’s a few reasons why:

1. Boring beef alert. (I know I slang-jacked someone on that. So Many Shrimp?) What’s up with Cam’s latest wack-ass diss record?

2. Apparently you can’t go anywhere in hip-hop anymore without someone getting shot. Seriously. Things are getting way outta control, and I for one find it deeply disturbing. In the last little while, it’s been: Gravy, Beanie Sigel, Proof (R.I.P.), Philant Johnson (R.I.P.), Israel Ramirez (R.I.P.). Plus, shootings at some BBQ in Queens that Lloyd Banks was at, and at Yo Gotti’s album release/birthday party. What’s going on? Why is everyone getting shot at? Where is KRS when you need him? I think I'm going to start rocking one of those Stop Shooting tees.

3. Paris Hilton is about to drop her “hip-hop/reggae” debut album. I have no words for this.

4. Cowboy chic is the next big hip-hop trend. Don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m not feeling that swag at all. Give me a man in baggy jeans, a button-up, and crisp new sneakers any day of the week.

5. It appears that Slim Thug felt it necessary to email his HIV test/clean bill of health to allhiphop. (The result? Not Positive. Still, not a good look.)

6. Did anyone else find this Lloyd Banks quote massively depressing?

“It’s crazy because 2:30 this morning, I just got a phone call telling me one of my own boys got murdered. The shit don’t change for me. People [ask], What keeps you motivated? That shit keeps me motivated. It’s bigger than me just rapping. It’s me rapping and keeping me off the street and keeping all my niggas off the street. I’m tired of having to pay for funerals. I actually have a tattoo on my arm of the Statue of Liberty and she’s kinda covering her face like she’s scared. That’s because I got shot the same day the buildings fell down, so I woke up in the hospital watching the towers. I was going through my own life and death situation at the same time. These are things people just need to know and identify with, man.”

However, since I can’t stay cup-half-empty girl all day long, big up to T-dot rapper Isis for calling out the multicultural myth in Canada in a recent Shot Gun Review article (shout out to up-and-coming journo Angelica LeMinh):

“Multi-culti in Canada is like crack to pregnant women. It's an illusion that feels good but it's killing us, and we don't know how to see that.”

Writer/blogger Laina Dawes raised similar issues in an excellent Toronto Star article a while back. T.O. ladies: stand up.