Wrote something about Baltimore hip-hop and the XXL Freshman 10 “reader’s poll,” which featured Los and Mullyman. Both of them are the kinds of guys that, being poppy street rappers and all, were being cultivated to be stars a few years ago but wisely avoided label B.S. and kinda “missed” their “chance.” They may get that chance at stardom soon but like, what’s the point? Much of this is probably obvious to readers of this blog and it’s sort of a localized, smooshed-up version of my SPIN article, but I feel like what I’m saying here is probably not so obvious to plenty of Baltimore rappers who still mention “going platinum” and stuff. But if you’re tired of this kind of talk, you should still check out Los and Mullyman, both of whom put out some really good mixtapes this year: Los’ Worth The Wait and Mullyman’s Mullyman Vs. The Machine are pretty good.
XXL ’s annual “Freshman 10 ” issue, wherein the hip-hop magazine declares a group of up-and-coming rappers the next big thing, is a major talking point among rap nerds. The discussion begins with predictions about who will be on the list and, with even more passion, preemptive bitch fits about who should be but totally won’t. Then, once the cover of the issue’s revealed and those 10 newbies are formally introduced, the list is picked apart further. If the list lines up to one’s expectations, then the magazine is safe and predictable. If the list doesn’t correspond to predictions, then the issue is bullshit and they just don’t know real hip-hop, man. It’s perverse fun for rap obsessives.
This year, XXL left one of those spots in the hands of the impossible-to-please hip-hop hoi polloi. Readers got to vote for one of 50 MCs listed in an online reader’s poll. The poll closed on Jan. 1, and the results will be revealed in the April issue. The 50 MCs to choose from represent rap’s increasingly fractured though multitudinous 2011 scene. There are guys about to break on the radio like Don Trip and Future, and there are blog rap phenomenons like Danny Brown and A$AP Rocky. There’s even room for the armpit of internet opportunists like white girl hood wannabe and one-hit wonder Kreayshawn, her friend V-Nasty (best known for being white and unapologetically using the word “nigga”), and frat-rap mega-douches Chris Webby and Sam Adams…
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Merci ma douce amie Samira. Prends-bien soin de toi et joyeuses pâques.
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9 Jun 12 at 4:37 pm