Gotta Make It To Heaven

Kanye West has always been a pain in the media’s ass. Just ask King’s Datwon Thomas and Jermaine Hall who remember the time when Donda’s baby boy crashed YN’s office to play him early rough tracks from College Dropout. Back then, he pretty much did the same drill for any journalist he could get in contact with.

I simultaneously edited pages on my desk while I ran through his CD in my Harmon Kardon machine. “‘All Falls Down’ is tight but you can’t clear that Lauryn sample.” Then his piece de resistance “Jesus Walks” filled up my office as Ye told me he wanted it to be the first single off his album. “It’s dope. But they’re not gonna let you put a song about Jesus out as a single,” I mumbled dismissively (I guess I mumble a lot. Under-the-breath-slick-talking yellow niggy!)

He of course proved me wrong and “Jesus Walks” became a single and a huge hit. But the other day I was digging through some other selections from my Def Jam cannon and I came across a tune by LL Cool J. It’s the last tune from the undisputed classic Mama Said Knock You Out. It’s a lil song called “The Power of God.”

Now I’m not saying Kanye swagger-jacked and I may be a lil bias (LL turns 40 on Jan 14th the same day I turn 37) but after a few satisfied listens I say:

The Power of God > Jesus Walks

Peep the first verse:
(Note: The whole song is pretty incredible but then again I promised to keep the audio files out the mix)

A basehead cleaned up his act
He stopped smokin’ crack and took his soul back
Decided, he could find a much better way to live
You know the way—positive
Without all the negative chemicals and drugs
Without all the hangin’ with the envious thugs
Never before was a man so far behind
And came back to rule for a long time
Positive will explode when you light me
My enemies lurked, and they held the dagger tightly
Wanted to taste my blood, but they got scarred
When they felt the power of God.

Sorry Rhymefest, I must confess: You might win some but y’all just lost one. You lost one. One! One!

Ha! Starting to get a lil tired.