Before I get into that I would like to discuss how tough it is for me to decide which album is best so far in 2008. I'm already afraid of the clusterf*ck which will be my 08 in review. What album really stood out? I'd say The Carter III sticks out the most solely from a sales / marketing perspective. He thought he was the best, and he convinced everyone else by appearing everywhere. However, his album isn't a classic to me. A chorus that's literally "wee-o-wee-o-wee" on "Mrs. Officer" doesn't get classic status in my book.
The Roots came through with another great album. Maybe I'm just jaded, but Game Theory was so much better and recently released that maybe I expected a bit more. Nas ham, d a dope album but it kinda played itself out. Do I listen to it much? Not really. I think truly great albums are ones that force you to listen to it. Like you are trying to get with a girl and you have Marvin Gaye playing and you have the unbelievable urge to switch it to that new Premo track. I guess the CD I've listened to the most is Gnarles Barkley The Odd Couple. I mess with Danger Mouse production and it's required listening for road trips these days. But that's my album of the year? Normally for me, it's something more boom-bap, east-coast Hip-Hop.
So the album I think that will shock me to the point of AOTY status is Black Milk's Tronic. Recognize I have no idea what it sounds like but if these are his beats that have to be as hot if not hotter than the stuff he gave Elzhi, we are in for a real treat. Look at the tracklist: TRONIC
1. Long Story Short ft. Dwele
2. Bounce
3. Give the Drummer Sum
4. Without U ft. Colin Munroe
5. Hold it Down
6. Losen Out ft. Royce 5'9
7. Overdose
8. Repin for U ft. AB
9. Hell Yeah
10. The Matrix ft. PharoaheMonch, Sean Price, Dj Premiere
11. Try
12. Tronic Summer
13. Bond 4 Life (Music) ft. Melanie Rutherford
14. Elec (Outro)
"The Matrix" looks like a song a younger, more geeky Big R would masturbate to. And hopefully, a more mature, educated Big R will like it enough to do the same. Mad filthy, but this album looks bonkers on the solid collabos he is getting. Colin Munroe you'll recognize from that DOPE rock version of Flashing lights. It looks like Black Milk is reaching out to the right people which makes me feel his mind is in a good place for this album.
What do ya'll think will end up being the album of the year?
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Hip-Hop Republicans and Hip-Hop for Obama
Written by Big R
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Hip-Hop for McCain - http://www.theroot.com/id/47687 for an article about Hip-Hop Republicans. The author, a self-described Hip-Hop Republican, describes the group as Black Republicans who grew up on Hip-Hop. He looks at Hip-Hop's ascension the mainstream as a reason of increased political diversity. I assumed this guy would be into some really poppy sh*t, if he is going to be a Republican. I was slightly surprised as he shouts out Public Enemy as an influence. That strikes me as confusing, because I know Chuck D and Hip-Hop Republicans will have very different views on say Bush's presidency for example. So maybe Hip-Hop Republicans are selective believers.
I mean, not that I'm going to call the dude an Uncle Tom (clearly thats out of line), but I think there has to be some sort of self-hatred for dude to overlook Bush's abysmal attempts to help New Orleans during Katrina. That's an example of something I'd have to overlook. Also the majority of Hip-Hop...I doubt this dude can listen to any new album without cringing as they mock his beliefs. Even Young Jeezy is waxing politic real proper with joints like "My President is Black." A sidenote on that track; I'm impressed as hell that Jeezy can make strong political statements directly next to a random, unnerving lyric about materialism. Duality baby, be about it!
Hip-Hop for Obama: Ludacris has been said to be shocked that the world paid attention to his freestyle where he referred to Hillary as a b*tch and McCain as paralyzed. I think Ludacris completely forgot how tedious this battle is. The littlelest thing like a picture between the two, can be used to tie some "strong relationship", and therefore Obama will be seen as endorsing everything Luda has done. It's absurd, but Americans are really dumb. Millions of people are more focused on the results of American Idol rather than the Iraq War. Remember the Jeremiah Wright scandal? Obama doesn't need this kind of help, period.
I am loving what Ice Cube and Scarface have been saying about the situation. They say rappers like Luda need to shut the f*ck up. Real talk. No rapper can do any help by dropping verses that will alienate people who don't understand Hip-Hop. Yeah you can drop positive music for Obama, just leave anything that can be taken as controversial at the door. Is that so difficult?
Ok, random tangents:
I feel like if you take out the name-dropping from The Game's lyrics, it'd be like removing all the water from Earth. You are just left with a little bit of dry material. By the way, I sweat LAX. The Game knows how to make dope albums, period. I still hold that The Documentary is damn near classic. Dude has mad flow and declarative lyrics, I just get annoyed when he depends on discussion of rappers and jacking-of-flows when an artist is featured with him.
I still haven't heard that new Pacewon but all his shout outs remind me of the classic "I Declare War", where Eminem and him were boys. I really need to check that Mr. Green collab effort.
More Ghostface the better. Here he is on a Mariah Carey track. One way for LL Cool J to recognize he isn't "the Goat" is for him to listen to his verse right next to Ghost's...mirked!!
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Michael Phelps is amazing, probably not the greatest and how it relates to Hip-Hop
Written by Big R
Monday, 18 August 2008
I think Hip-Hop suffers from what mainstream America suffers from; an obsession with the now. Figures of the past rarely transcend our "what's hot now" infatuation. Look at Michael Phelps. He packs so much gold on the neck, you know it has rappers out there insecure as hell. Is he the greatest Olympian? Well he has the gold medal record, period. However, people are so soon to forget the boy Carl Lewis. While he never got close to 8 golds at one Olympics, dude rocked 3 Olympics (missed the 1980 one since it was in Moscow), and amassed a healthy amount of Gold in two very DIFFERENT events. Phelps's amazing success was based in the pool, with the only changes in events based on length and style of swimming stroke. Speed is still his M.O. Carl Lewis got Gold running and in long jump. So to me, while he less Golds, he showed more versatility which makes him the greatest Olympian in my mind. HOWEVER, don't take this argument as Anti-Phelpian. The kid was hella fun too root for. When's the last time you chanted U-S-A and really meant it? After watching the ridiculous Opening Ceremony where China essentially declared world supremacy, it's good to see the red, white, and blue kick some ass.
And to Hip-Hop:
Every IT rapper who comes out every two to three years (Ja Rule, 50 Cent, The Game (to a lesser extent), Lil Wayne) seems to always be nauseously overexposed. Everyone thinks they are the greatest rappers ever. Don't front 19 year olds, when you were 13 or so, you thought 50 was the greatest. It's hard not to love these rappers though, when the hype machine that is their marketing crews have you eating out of their hands with whatever they bring you. While I think it's positive to see Hip-Hop succeed with huge pushes behind these guys, I think it takes away from two things, the past and the future.
What I mean by the past is that fans get so focused on what Weezy is doing, they tend to forget the past unless Weezy mentions it. Hip-Hop seems to always forget the classics because they get put in that "Old School" box. Fuck that. Illmatic isn't Old School, it's just one of the greatest musical achievements ever. In reference to the future, we lose sight of all the amazing artists making dope music now. People get so gassed up on these artists, it's not surprising they all have a downfall. I predicted 50's a while back, people put so much hope into these rappers and then they just get sick of them. It happens. There are artists who obviously transcend this problem like Kanye. However, the obsession of the "one artist" I think hurts Hip-Hop as a whole.
P.S. - I think this site is going to go back to a literary style. Notice I don't use the word blog. I have a job and am in grad school, and don't have time to troll the sites to get all the music links up. If the site was my job, I'd be updating this sh*t like it was YouPorn. I think I'll stick to writing and now just linking joints I like. Saves time and gives credits to those who update so frequently.
And now fun music links!
Kno absolutely lets MF Doom have it for his terrible Lip-synching ways.
People are going ape shit over the New Game LP, which makes sense. However, how did "Superman" not make the cut?!
Lupe with Kanye that didn't make any albums. "The Birds and the Bees."
More Blu for you and your crew.
RIP and REP D. Ellis
They'll be jocking Jay-Z
Written by Big R
Thursday, 07 August 2008
I'm out on a conference for the weekend, I'll be back to ya'll shortly.
My biggest problem with Hip-Hop say the last 10 years is its obsessiveness to be gangster to appease the white public. If you are about it, you are about it and people just know. Fans don't need to be beat in the head with your drug-dealing past to respect your rhyme pattern. I don't think Jay-Z would be any less respected if he came up with the same music (albeit very different topic matter, but he'd find something else to rap about). This recent Rick Ross fuckery has been bothering me as of late.
Photos are leaked with a younger Ross who looks like he was a Prison Guard for sometime. Yes, this ain't the most "Trill" of professions especially the way Rick Ross boasts his drug-dealing past. In fact, he denied he ever worked in a prison and had to freestyle to reaffirm his free-wheelin' drug-pushing past. Wow, I just feel like that stupidity should be rewarded with some sort of sentence right?
I just get worried thinking that this backwards thinking is not only the norm, it's celebrated. What's so wrong with Rick Ross having a brief stint as a Prison Guard? There is no evidence of "snitchin'", just a dude with an honest paycheck. Takes more balls to go legit when there are illegitimate options that reap higher rewards. That lifestyle of work ethic and responsibility is not just dismissed, it's spat upon. Rick Ross is running away from these photos like he was touching a little boy inappropriately in them. Not that everyone looks at rappers as role model, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried that the culture is so easy to knock an honest past as something to hide like a skeleton in the closet.
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Disappearing Acts
Written by Big R
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
I was just listening to Black on Both Sides and I was thinking about some rappers who have kinda fell of the face of the rapping planet recently. Here's a brief list of rappers I miss, pause.
Mos Def - Remember "Mathematics"? Makes sense since I just mentioned his classic solo debut right? Mr. Mos has made some music as of late, but Tru3 Magic was truly boring. While that cliche was possibly weak, it doesn't match the lackluster effort from Mos Def on this record. It's obvious he has been a busier movie guy with his roles in The Italian Job, Be Kind Rewind, and upcoming The Brazilian Job. Still, acting shouldn't completely take you away from the peak of your game. (Ask Andre 3k, he stay hungry like a fasting Buddhist). Mos Def did steal the show on the 9th Wonder produced "Crooklyn Dodgers" track, but still, he hasn't really shown and prove his worth since like 1999. Can you believe it's almost been a decade since Black on Both Sides?! I just felt hella old all of a sudden...
Canibus - Remember his verse on "Beasts of the East?" [he drops like a freaking 3 minute verse!] - Before you ridicule me and mention like the last 4 albums he has dropped (some I'm sure I've defended for absolutely no good reason), recognize I don't even remember them now. The whole "Stan" shit off of C! True Hollywood Stories... god awful. That has to be one of the worst album titles ever. It's not very clever and really makes no sense. What's so relevant about that show? Anyhow, he kinda lost his mind and went super scientific nerd-core. Worst of all he had bad beats. Rip the Jacker hit in 2003, and I remember writing a huge post on how dope it was. Man, I was just a gassed up kid. The lyrics are super over-the-top which is cool and Stoupe laced the beats...but it isn't some shit you can really ride to. Talking about super philosophical, astronomical stuff, Canibus went from a hardcore rapper to a fucking Dungeons & Dragon veteran. Remember "Spartibus"? I'd call Dave and randomly yell Spartibus, and we'd bust up laughing. Your songs shouldn't promote spontaneous laugher.
"2nd Round KO" was the hardest joint a kid could hear in 7th grade. I remember leaving Hot 97 on just waiting for that diss track to hit, he had me unbelievably hype and hating LL Cool J for no good reason. Those days which got me invested in Can-I are long gone. I remember getting this ridiculous Canibus phone card which had like 10 minutes so I could make one phone call to Paul Walker or someone about how dope the CD was. You know how those phone cards had like 5 minute "intro charges", useless piece of plastic. Although, you got to hear Canibus go "YO THANKS FOR BUYING THE ALBUM!" when you used it, so I guess it had some value. Anyway back to the point, hopefully Canibus and that DJ Premier collabos will hit. There was a few news bits on that, but I'll believe it when I see it like the Nas & DJ Premier collabo.
LL Cool J - Remember unnhhh (has to scratch head and go back like 10 or so years)... "The Boomin' System" - LL Cool J is kind of like the kid in high school who thinks he is cool and he has to yell he is the coolest to prove it. Of course, that shows real insecurity and proves he really ain't that cool. His GOAT babble is what I'm referring to. His last 3 or so albums have been pretty trash. His newest single "Baby" has a catchy beat, but it's just club fodder. LL Cool J used to be NICE like 20 years ago. I know he wants to sell albums, but ask Weezy, people are okay with lyricism here and there.
Eminem - Remember "Dead Wrong" - I got into a discussion about Eminem's verse on "Dead Wrong" and how he kinda mirked Biggie on his own shit after he died. Mind you Biggie came correct, albeit sometimes ridiculously violent without logic, but he came strong. That beat was fucking evil, and while Biggie came at you like a shotgun-totin' gangster, Eminem came in like Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker. I'm sorry, you can't convince me Eminem didn't absolutely steal this track. I was saying it was okay for him to go as hard as he did (pause), because it's the first posthumous single for Biggie, you just gotta step up. Since then, Eminem's name is still unbelievably huge. However, Encore was kinda soft overall. His best friend passed and his wife left him, so dude is kinda in a rut right now. However, there is still rumors that he will drop a CD either called King Mathers or The Funeral. We all know he can still rap, it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with for us.
Oh yeah some songs to peep
Ski Beatz ft. Buff 1 "Back It Up"
The Knux "Bang Bang"
Two DOPE tracks from Muneshine which featurues Sean Price, Termanalogy, Skyzoo, Kenn Starr, among others!
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Hysterical!! + Get that new Murs & 9th
Written by Big R
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Murs and 9th Wonder are releasing their latest collab "Sweet Lord" a track at a time over at AlwaysHustle.
Oooh, a Gza diss track on 50?! Personally, I thought Nas ethered 50 on "Queens Get The Money" but Gza goes in mad precise. Gza does the diss track justice, by just going off for 3 minutes. Most of what he is saying is kinda over my head at first listen, but when you really analyze what he is saying it kinda blows you away. He is still up to his content-dense lyrical steez, and hopefully this track is the shape of things to come from the veteran Wu emcee.
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Exclusive: Film Skool Rejekts "FS Carry the R" ... Make sure to pass it around!!
Written by Big R
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
FSR "FS Carry the R" [left click, zshare]
Cyrus tha Great's MYSPACE to download the WORKPRINT Mixtape. You need that if you haven't downloaded it already...
Remember that very dope Workprint mixtape I posted a few months ago? Well the official single from Film Skool Rejekts (Two Mc's: Sheen Phillips, Future Joyner and Producer: Cyrus tha Great) is "FS Carry the R", and Cyrus is nice enough to let me post it for ya'll. Big ups to the homie Cyrus, he is straight up gamma-ray beasted this track. The beat is mad epic, and I like the formula of one short chorus and two long-ass verses. It really introduces us to the emcees, who me and the homie Anomaly have talked about as the some of the hungriest out there. Future Joyner and Sheen Phillips balance each other out with their different styles. Future is more of a swagger-filled lyricist and Sheen gets at joints with surgeon-style precision. I've been bumping this track since the one minute preview on the mixtape, and I know I'm gonna do the same with the Midnight Movie album.
Why you need to post this on forums: Cyrus was mentioning how other websites out there haven't even listened to the joint to post. Their official first single will feature Skyzoo, and it's unfair that it takes someone else's name to get FSR some internet press. My problem with most blogs out there is that they only post sh*t that's popular and have literally nothing on the dudes on the come-up. I guess it's easier to serve the masses without really digging-deep and liking a song on your own. I'm going to likely post it on OKP, a haven for "real Hip-Hop heads",
and get no love because I didn't mention someone they already know. Whether or not FSR has a popular feature is irrelevant; the most important fact is that they make incredible music.
So pass it on friends!
RIP and REP D. Ellis
Big R vs. Obligatory Nas loving because the album is political in nature
Written by Big R
Sunday, 13 July 2008
First: This Joe Budden track "Who Pt. 1", is one of the dopest industry analytical cuts period. I've always slept on Joey because of his inability to really drop an album to match his hype (remember, I'm from Jersey where his hype was stupendous). He's quickly become a favorite rapper just because he's so on-point. Although his ad-libs are so annoying with the Ya-OHHH and AH MAN! over everything.
Untitled should be my favorite CD of the year. It's Nas, the father of Illmatic, getting as political and controversial as ever. That's the perfect storm for your boy Big R. In fact, he really does have some poignant points on "Sly Fox" attacking Fox News with that Bush-y tail. "Testify" is the song that will really "blow people away." I think attacking the suburban white base for not "testifying" is an interesting point, but moot. If he didn't really care, would he have really recorded "Make The World Go Round" for the same album?! I just feel like he is dropping knowledge for the sake of it and he doesn't even believe it himself.
The Nas marketing tactic has recently been "shock and awe." Last record was Hip-Hop is dead, and that conversation was just interesting on the least. The "N" concept of a race-heavy conscious album really got all of us talking. He's done a great job. Does this album really analyze race issues though? You can't pay me to say this is at the level of Public Enemy's It takes a Nation of Millions...
Overall, the album is a good/great listen. The best of the year? Probably Not. "Fried Chicken", "Untitled", "Project Roach" is a dope 3-track suite. What have I been telling folks about Mark Ronson, he merks that beat on "Fried Chicken." However, per usual, Nas's production never matches his lyrical hunger. Let's not lie, the tracks are synth-heavy/more poppy than you'd expect. I'm excited to hear remix albums once the accapella's hit. The dude who produced "Untitled / Louis Farrakhan" should have really helmed the entire project. Either him or DJ Premier like they promised in that Scratch magazine.
I'll cop the album, but it don't move me like it should.
Yes the N / Untitled album has hit the net with foece of tsunamis. The internets is wyling, I haven't quite given it a listen yet. I notice no Premo, so there is anger. I still have that Scratch mag (which must have been released YEARS ago by now) with Premo and Nas on the cover talking about a collabo LP. I hate being lied to. Anyhow, let me listen to this before I talk about it in detail.
RIP and REP D. Ellis
The long overdue Weezy post
Written by Big R
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
I've been Captain excusetron the past few weeks with the lack of updates.
Truth is, when you sit on the computer and write all day; coming home and
writing about HIp-hop has lost a little bit of its allure. I really just go
home and either or vegetate until its time to pass out. Anyhow, I'm going to
try to psych myself up to write more, because damnit, the poeple deserve it.
Here is a little recap of mine behind Weezymania.
The Carter 3 selling a million records in a week is in a word,
Amazing - I've stated here how I think Lil'
Wayne gets gorilla-sized props as the next Pac
undeservingly, but what he does deserve is those props in respects to his
marketing. Thank his marketing team, his unbelievable hustle, his similes, and
luck for the way people think he is the next coming of Lyrical God. That point
will be debated later, but selling a million out the gate is so impressive.
Kanye sold close to a milli, but that's Kanye. Although it's like his fourth or
fifth release, this is really LilWayne's coming out party since people declared him
the greatest rapper ever. A million in today's music economy is outlandish.
Going gold became the new multi-platinum, and Wayne
is proving that Hip-Hop is still a genre that will continue to thrive. And
while 50 Cent rode to mega-stardom based on club hits and a gangster story,
LilWayne climbed in
notoreity mostly on his wordplay. His wordplay out lasted the make out
scandal with Baby, that's powerful! People think he is the sickest lyricist out
there, which is arguable, but that's a fantastic reason to like an artist. So
that's good news for Hip-Hop in general that his lyrical ability is why people
out there Stan him so hard. So to start this post, props to Weezy for the
amazing sales feat.
Lil' Wayne has it in him to drop a
classic, but this isn't it - I should start this by stating I think
there are some straight up, dope songs on the album. That includes "Dr.
Carter", "Don't Shoot Me Down", "Tie My Hands", "A Milli", "Mr. Carter", and
"Comfortable." Some of the production was kinda off, and I don't know,
LilWayne just lacks
content. Simile this, metaphor that isn't that great at all the time. It fits
great within a concept, as shown in the Katrina-inspired "Tie my Hands" and "Dr.
Carter." "Dr. Carter" has a really fresh, organic beat that rises to the
occassion when necessary...Swizz killed that one! And the concept was
entertaining and purposeful, I don't know if I can say that abotu his singles or
a lot of the filler on the record. However, LilWayne with content has shown flashes of briliance.
For the most part, he really has no content and I get kinda bored. Thankfully
for him, a million people likely disagree. To put it plainly, do you see this
album on the level of "illmatic"? That answer is likely no, and might be an
unfair comparison. Still when I think classic and hopefully when most people
throw that around, this album will not come to mind. However,
Wayne has shown that he can spit bars. The whole
"To the left, to the left. Fine you can step, thinking you are irreplacable
listening to beyonce, I put your ass out on your B-day" (not perfectly quoted),
is just fire.
"Phone Home" is absolutely absurd -
Wayne, who wins award for rapper most likely to play Gollum in the new
Hobbit movie, has always been known to be a bit weird. "Phone Home" is an
exercise in this as he claims to be a martian and spits over an awkwardly loud
track. While Wayne gives it up to Andre 3k, his
emulations of Andre are kinda subpar. He should stick to being Mr. Swagger,
which he is rather good at.
Not to be outmatched, his monlogue which includes
a diatribe against Al Sharpton at the end of the album is even more absurd
- Wow, I was speechless at Professor Weezy's remarks at the end of the album.
Traversing from the prison-industry complex to Al Sharpton,
LilWayne just kinda goes off. While it is a
reasonable argument to think Sharpton benefits off the pain of others, what
position does Lilwayne
have to knock him? Sharpton at least did something and
Wayne is profitting making mysognistic and poor
singles. What's really worse again? Does Al Sharpton even point his finger at
LilWayne, I mean there
is no real controversy there. I don't know, Al Sharpton puts it on himself to
represent the African-American community during times of tragedy (Bell shooting
for example), while it may not be the right thing to do, it seems he has good
intentions. Wayne is from New Orleans and has
dropped a few songs or two about it. What is he really up to that gives him
this pedestal? He really does sound like he is taking all of those drugs he
brags about.
He needs to lay off the cough syrup / codeine / coke / whatever
- Not that anyone links Kurt Cobain's talents to his drug abusive tendencies, we
do know it likely inspired some of his dope music. That can be held likely true
for Wayne. We know how the story ended with Cobain,
and how many train wrecks really pull it together before it's too late? Not to
say Wayne is close to that, but he does seem
teetering on the edge of insanity as compared to most emcees. Hopefully he'll
get his act right, or die and be hailed as the greatest emcee ever.
"A Milli" a great song, but he didn't merk it like
Jay-Z - Honestly, what is a goon to a goblin? It just sounds like the
quintessential question of our timse. However, the comparison between
Wayne and Jay on this track is real interesting. "A
Billi" is hotter in my opinion, even though Lil'
Wayne did fine on it. Most of the time he is just
kinda mumbling on what he says is a "freestyle." The beat is fierce, but
people need to calm down with how hot it is. "Grindin'" still outdoes this beat
ten to one in my opinion.
Click HERE for Buff1's myspace, to get more joints download and a preview of other tracks off his 2008 release, There's Only One
Buff1, member of Athletic Mic League, has some heat right now. I can't say I'm familiar with his solo work, but I have always been a fan of Athletic Mic League's material. The beat is provided by Black Milk, which is guaranteed success like the Oil bidness. Black is also featured on the lyrics, and man, it reminds me how great his solo was. He got kinda killed with the hype of being the next J-Dilla, but we all know that kind of pressure is not fair to anyone. Back to Buff1 though, he has some bars. Peep this track and more and you'll see what I mean.
On a random note, Con Air is on TV as I write this. One of Dave Chappelle's least known, yet more hysterical roles. When he burns the Native American character you hear his signature high-pitch squeal of "The Last of the Mohicans is burning!"
More writing soon, mostly on Lil Wayne's astronomical sales feat last week.
I don't know when I missed this, but Adult Swim puts together DOPE compilations. Each track is downloadable as mp3. My favorite jawn on this mix is the Diverse "Escape Earth" track. Perfect loopy kinda beat for the escapist them Diverse drops. I apologize for the lack of substance in these posts, it's been crazy this summer workwise. I'm still here with ya'll though!!
RIP and REP D. Ellis
I had no idea Simon Rex was a real rapper.
Written by Big R
Monday, 16 June 2008
This song which is pretty old I hear, is of that hyphy ilk. It features former MTV VJ Simon Rex. Most of it plays mad inappropriate like with drugs and strippers, but honestly my favorite part is his intro as a nerd rapper. He goes like "4th level of Gondor"; he also slayed me with the line about doing yay in the bay looking gay. Half comedy / rapping, and truth is...Simon ain't half bad! A real substantive post comes later tonight folks, but enjoy this for now.
