Tag Archives: rap is not pop

Kid Cudi, Eminem and the Perils of Addiction

Posted on November 17, 2010 by plugoneboss

Rap Is Not Pop: Kid Cudi, Eminem and the Perils of Addiction This post is inspired by a commenter on my recent piece about Eminem and his album Recovery. â€œSomebodyâ€™s finally on the radio talking about NOT doing drugs. Thatâ€™s … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Andre 3000, coke rap, Eminem, Kid Cudi, OutKast, Prodigy, Raekwon, rap is not pop, Rhapsody | 1 Comment

The Foreign Exchange and the Soul Revival

Posted on November 8, 2010 by plugoneboss

Rap Is Not Pop: The Foreign Exchange and the Soul Revival Earlier this year, the Foreign Exchange earned a Grammy nomination for â€œDaykeeper,â€ a dreamy ballad filled with soft percussion and cooed phrasings of â€œShe Loves Me.â€ Cited for Best … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Aloe Blacc, Foreign Exchange, hip hop is dead, indie-soul, Little Brother, Mayer Hawthorne, rap is not pop, Rhapsody | Leave a comment

The wonderful world of Gucci Mane

Posted on October 11, 2010 by plugoneboss

Rap Is Not Pop: The Wonderful World Of Gucci Mane Several years ago, I interviewed Radric â€œGucci Maneâ€ Davis at the office of his former label, Atlanta indie upstart Big Cat Records. He had just finished a six-month bid for … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Dirty South, gangsta rap, Gucci Mane, mainstream rap, rap is not pop, Rhapsody | Leave a comment

Why Eminem still matters

Posted on September 29, 2010 by plugoneboss

This post represents a shift from how I programmed Plug One in the past. Before, I wouldn’t imagine adding a piece about a mainstream artist. But times have changed. Plug One isn’t designed to represent everything I write, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Eminem, mainstream rap, popapocalypse, rap is not pop, Rhapsody, when dinosaurs walked the earth | 2 Comments

Rap’s new generation

Posted on August 15, 2010 by plugoneboss

When I posted my article on the so-called “Blog Rap’s Second Wave” yesterday, I realized I haven’t posted other entries from my Rap Is Not Pop column for Rhapsody. Actually, I didn’t re-post this one because I wasn’t happy with … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged B.o.B, blog stars, Drake, hipster rappers, mainstream rap, popapocalypse, rap is not pop, Rhapsody | Leave a comment

Blog rap’s second wave

Posted on August 14, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay on the latest crop of street rappers was posted August 10 on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. I freely admit that I don’t specialize in breaking new artists. … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Big K.R.I.T., blog stars, Freddie Gibbs, Lil B, rap is not pop, Rhapsody, Shabazz Palaces, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf | Leave a comment

The Roots’ lost paradise

Posted on July 14, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay on the Roots’ How I Got Over was posted July 14 on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. Last week, I promised that I would abandon the concepts that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Def Jam, post-silver age, rap is not pop, The Roots | Leave a comment

Dungeon Familyâ€™s Future: Big Boi

Posted on July 8, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay on new-era Dungeon Fam was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place on July 7. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. Prince once sang, “All The Critics Love You In New York,” mock-celebrating the rock-crit … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Andre 3000, Big Boi, Cee-Lo, Dirty South, Dungeon Family, Janelle Monae, Khujo Goodie, mainstream rap, OutKast, rap is not pop, Willie Isz | Leave a comment

A Brief History of Rap and Bullshit: Drake

Posted on June 17, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay on Drake was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog on June 15. It analyzes Thank Me Later‘s mix of hip-hop and R&B. Obviously there’s a lot more to be said about Drake’s rap and vocal performance, the … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged auto-tunin', Drake, it's all Diddy's fault, mainstream rap, R&B vs. soul, rap and bullshit, rap is not pop, Rhapsody, urban radio, Young Money | Leave a comment

Lies, Relatives and Revolutions: Nas, Talib Kweli and Sage Francis

Posted on May 28, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog on May 25. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. ————————————- Rap Is Not Pop: Lies, Relatives And Revolutions Do rappers even rap anymore? When B.o.Bâ€™s The … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Damian Marley, Hi-Tek, lyrics to go, Nas, rap is not pop, Reflection Eternal, Rhapsody, Sage Francis, Talib Kweli, true school | Leave a comment

R.I.P. Keith “Guru” Elam

Posted on April 20, 2010 by plugoneboss

I wrote this tribute to Guru for my weekly Rhapsody column, Rap is Not Pop. It was posted posted earlier today on the Rhapsody Music Stuff Place blog and its new Rhapsody Hip-Hop Blog. ————————————– Rap Is Not Pop: R.I.P. … Continue reading →

Posted in Hip-Hop Heaven, News | Tagged 7 Grand Records, DJ Premier, DJ Solar, Gang Starr, golden-age hip-hop, Guru, rap is not pop | 2 Comments

Why Duck Down matters: Duck Down’s 15th anniversary

Posted on April 10, 2010 by plugoneboss

This essay on Duck Down Records’ 15th anniversary was posted April 9 on the Rhapsody Music Stuff Place blog and its new Rhapsody Hip-Hop Blog. I have a weekly column called Rap is Not Pop. ————————————– Rap is Not Pop: … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged anniversaries, Boot Camp Clik, Buckshot, Dru Ha, Duck Down, indie rap labels, rap is not pop, Rhapsody, Stakes is High era, street rap | Leave a comment