Co-creator of a small site called 2DopeBoyz.com — you may have heard of it — Meka has been scribing professionally for several years, with his work appearing everywhere from BET to XXL. When the LA native isn’t causing trouble in the streets of New York, he’s enjoying life as a part-time quasi-DJ. If you take anything he says here too seriously, that's a you problem.
Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf: The Future, Or Future Tax Write-Offs?
I hope it’s the former and not the latter.
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I’m sure everybody within earshot has already read the news about Slaughterhouse – the crew of lyrical castaways – and Alabama’s quick-tongued Caucasoid rapper Yelawolf aligning with Shady/Interscope Records the other day. Some folks are lauding the Jimmy Iovine-reared mega-label for giving a well-deserved to a class of emcees long overdue for a chance at the major label spotlight, while some are predicting a changing of the guard in rap; a return to the days when abstract lyricism was placed ahead of elementary bleeps, rhymes and lies. The real question, however, is whether or not the house Curtis currently terrorizes can actually turn these five artists into legitimate (read: money making) machines.
The most glaring obstacle for Shady is how the label can somehow trick today’s Internets-addled, ADHD generation into paying enough attention to Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5’9” and Yelawolf to convince them to buy an album from a bunch of artists who are a lot closer to 40 than they are 20 (or, in rap layman’s terms, over the hill) which would, ideally, emphasize more on dense verbal exercises than simplistic call-and-response chants. Not necessarily the best idea financially in today’s rap contingent, especially since the so-called hip hop purist contingent who have longed for this type of music to once again take center stage also treat the very thought of spending money to actually buy an album as if it were the drunk, loud and ugly woman at a party.
It also doesn’t help that the members of Slaughterhouse were all at one point rapsters signed to major labels who, thanks to various unfortunate circumstances, were unable to take advantage of their opportunities and were thus spurned by the mainstream demographic, eventually finding solace in the neo-underground (read: Internets) world of rap where, despite gaining a huge following and an equally heavy buzz, their self-titled debut album only moving a paltry 31,000 units. But nevermind that.
Yelawolf fares a bit better, however, simply off the strength that, to this day, the public is still fascinated by the idea of a White rapper that can actually rap, despite it being over 20 years since Vanilla Ice was (allegedly) hung out a window by Suge Knight and over a decade since Eminem (who’s now, ironically, Yelawolf’s boss) broke the mold. Despite his rapping ability (and he can actually rap, mind you), Yela was wrongfully labeled as a countrified Slim Shady (or a skinny Bubba Sparxxx, take your pick) as soon as he stepped out of the womb and into rap’s public consciousness. Now that’s he’s actually allied himself with Marshall, those ass-backward comparisons will never stop.
So here we are again with Dr. Dre’s camp scooping up some highly talented artists all at the same time. While parts of me hopes they actually do something while they’re there, the cynic suggests that I’ll be waiting for a Slaughterhouse or Yelawolf album for about as long as I’d waited for albums from Rakim, Truth Hurts, Eve, Busta Rhymes, The Firm, Hittman, King T, Joell Ortiz (see what I did there?), Stat Quo or Raekwon.
Kanye is 33. Slim is 37, Rick Ross didn’t make an impact till 30. I think they could win. Who knows anymore???
age isn’t a factor when you love making music. So your saying Jazz players are too old to play or could it be the other way around, maybe too young…too many dumb fucks in this world. Age is nothing but a number. lol some just listen to music which is you, others understand what its like to live the hip hop life
Real talk Justa Phella
Do you want to experience i-nterra’cial d’a-ting
— Bla ck whi teCu pid * C 0 M —–
It gives you a chance to ma’ke your life bet ter and open opportuni ties for you to me’et the att r’active inte’rra’c ial sin’g’les and treat you like a Qu’een or Ki’ng. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends.
They all suck besides Yelawolf, but I guess Eminem sucks now too, so its just a big group of suck.
You suck.
My question is that how many albums/mixtapes do you have made by Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, Crooked I, Royce da 5’9. I was not a fan of their album together but their is a wealth of great material made by each artist indivually. Why do you hate on these genuinely good artists with no grounds.
yeah…….. you do suck………..
You’re an idiot if you think Em sucks…All he has to do is die to recieve his legend status you ignorant prick.
If he died that would make my day wouldn’t have to hear about his fake ass anymore. Bury him net to Elton John.
I hope for the best but I’m prepared from the worse
who the hell wrote this article
The One needed a bigger promtional push.
White people all over the country would have made it their anthem. I believe they can get a Gold single, if they cant get a Gold album. All they need is a Khalil beat and an Eminem feature.
Yeah, your people would have loved blasting that song at their bar mitzvahs.
Im not white or jewish – but if i was, your weak reply would only serve to prove my point.
LoLz
fam you just passing thru? or you pulling up a chair here…* daps *
Hahahaha!! Harharhar = OWNED
Yeah, Cam did make you look pretty stupid asswipe……..
Yelawolf will be fine – just like every white rapper pushed into the mainstream.
Besides Eminem, what other white rappers have been pushed into the mainstream AND been successful?? Bubba Sparxx and Eminem are the ony ones I can think of, and that’s still debatable.
Busta Rhymes did come out, but I get the point…
One of Busta’s Aftermath albums came out, he had to switch labels to put out the other.
Half of these comments on here are irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact that you got 5 dope emcees on an already very successful emcees label in an industry that is in need of REAL HIP HOP…..NOT made up fake, imaginative fairytale raps based on nothing…..It ain’t always about money…..With change comes success and we already now success breeds envy.
Tha fuck you think slaughter house raps about? I say people like you are fuckin delirious. You bitches live in a bubble and don’t accept what it is. REAL HIPHOP is only REAL to whoever perceives it as that. Technically “REAL” HIPHOP is what it was back in the 80′s, not this “I’ll murder your daughter with a balled up fist full of barbwire to the vagina” Slaughter House has always been raw in terms of lyrical content, if you think what they spit they do then that’s up to you but it all boils down to personal preference, stop pushin that “REAL” HIPHOP fantasy on people, you dudes delirious, and ignorant to facts and change.
EMANDEM | January 13, 2011 8:26 pm
“You bitches live in a bubble and don’t accept what it is. Slaughter House has always been raw in terms of lyrical content, if you think what they spit they do then that’s up to you but it all boils down to personal preference, stop pushin that “REAL” HIPHOP fantasy on people, you dudes delirious, and ignorant to facts and change”
Yo homie…You completely twisted what I was trying to say. I’m happy that a group Like Slaughterhouse and a dude like Yelawolf can actually get their shine.
By “Real” I mean the gritty beats with the lyricism brought about. “Real” in the sense of being “Real Lyrics”….Lyrics based on just the art of rhyming….NOT “Real” in the sense
of me believing what they are saying.
Living in a bubble? Naw bro…..
LOLOL Nigga, he aint TWIST ANYTHING…its what the fuck YOU said
“REAL HIP HOP…..NOT made up fake, imaginative fairytale raps based on nothing”
What did that have to do with technical lyricism? Plus, All LaughterHouse spits are “fake, imaginative fairytale raps based on nothing”..so go take your “real hip hop” rhetoric and go jump off a fucking bridge, cus you must be delusional if you’re even in denial about the words YOU typed…lol..fuckin rap fans…dumb as bricks..
OK….
While I am confused in my rap fan bubble…. I will try and elaborate everything on my post.
I agree completely with the fact that most, if not all hip hop artist make up stories and fairytales…It’s all part of the image.
However, When I said, ” Not fake imaginative, blazay blah…..”, I meant the hip hop you hear from rappers talking about all this dope they sell, all the expensive cars they got, and so and so on…but in reality they live in the burbs, driving, at most a lexus or a beamer….
I am not one to hate, cause I say get it how you can..
When I say “Real Hip Hop” , TO ME, I mean hip hop that I like, which is artist rhyming to just rhyme….lyrics twisting syllables and dropping cold metaphors just cause it’s ill.
If I still am in a bubble then my bad homie……….Someone let me out!!! Hahaha.
I think I’m on the same page as you guys but not all the words and points I am trying to get across are going to come out clear or how I ‘d like them……
So…..It’s cool……ALREADY! pEACE!
i agree with what you said man. All these other dumb fucks still stuck on weezy’s lollipop…Slaughterhouse are on a League of their own…Eminem is a smart dude. I think you guys are Lame to repect Eminem as an MC but talk shit to him because of his choices in who he signs. Ill keep it simple for people. Slim signed these kats because their the only one’s on an Eminem Level of Lyricism…
I’m excited just for the fact that theyre getting some shine right now… I’ve been a fan of Joe Budden since his debut, and because of Slaughterhouse, I’m now a fan of all four, with Crooked being my favorite, except for when Budden is lol. But I say fuck it, get the money while they can… Nobody makes money off record sales anymore anyways, you make doe on the road.
Slaughterhouse and Yela on tour with Em will certainly make more money for dude, as I’m sure more heads are checkin for Buddens than Bizarre for example ( At least I hope so lol)
Like I said earlier… it will be interesting to see if he can break Slaughterhouse through to a more mainstream audience… these dudes are vets who have paid their dues and are lyrical monsters… Plus it would be ill to see a group catch wreck and blow up again…
Yall ever notice the death of the Hip-Hop Group??? Duos and crews are a dying breed thats for sure…
Eminem has made it pretty clear he has no plans nor any desire to do a tour. He only wants to do spot dates at large events.
That could certainly change though now that he has made these big moves….wait and see homey
I highly doubt it. They are signed to Paul, not Eminem. Shady Records is Paul’s Eminem is just the face of it he doesn’t own it. I’m sure Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf were promised that, though.
I could see that changing. If those acts somehow do really well on the charts They will go on tour trust. Even if they do just a few exclusive shows and not an all out tour like the ballpark shit with Hov in September, Em’s obviously gonna bring the whole fam.
Could also see it going the other way though. Em has said he plans on falling back eventually as he is nearing his 40′s. Maybe he’s gonna mold Yela into the next great white hope cat…