The Source And Pitchfork Both Give Bun B's New Album A "5"
In a victory for subjectivism, the rap music magazine The Source and mostly-rock music website Pitchfork have both awarded Texas rap legend Bun B's new album Trill O.G. a quantitative rating of 5 in their record review sections. But the two ratings mean very different things, as a 5 is The Source's highest rating, while Pitchfork's scale goes up to 10.
A 5-mics rating in The Source was once (and maybe still?) a highly coveted certification of "classic" status from the publication known as "the hip-hop bible." And Pitchfork is very important to white nerds. So which is it, who to trust? I don't know. Though Bun B is a great favorite of mine, I haven't gotten the album yet. It came out the same day last week as the new Arcade Fire album, and I try not to spend my entire salary (ha ha ha!) at iTunes. I do very much like the song "Let 'Em Know," which was produced by DJ Premier. But that appreciation is not universal. Andrew Noz was highly critical of the song (and people who like it) in a thoughtful and nicely written post at the rap site Cocaine Blunts.
"This song will sit comfortably on a full length of adequate Bun B records where he rhymes 'candy car' with 'sippin barre' at least twice, and then it will be added to the recent discography of respectable but forgettable DJ Premier records with a scratched hook and the same drums he has been using since 1998."
Noz also cited The Awl in his post, and recommended that it stop covering rap music, which hurt my feelings. But that's okay. In another victory for subjectivism, Noz apparently thinks the Roots' MC Black Thought is really great. I have always found Black Thought's rhymes to be very, very boring. So, yes, people disagree. But I would never say that Noz should stop covering rap music. Or that he should not do posts about bear videos or write public apologies. In fact, I think he should!
Due to his predilection for dick-riding southern rappers, I once accused Noz of being willing to orally service Robert E Lee if only he put out a single. (via twitter)
What followed was an @ back-and-forth in which I trolled him into submission. Probably the most fun I've ever had with twitter.
I like The Awl covering rap. Do the opposite of what The Awl says and you will have good rap.
Ha! Any way we can be of service!
I imagine he wasn't referring to your reviews, which are generally short and on point, and rather to that "Hip Hop and the Jewish Problem" piece that ran a few weeks back. Unlike your stuff, it demonstrated the sort of willful ignorance of context that he and others of his stature generally find problematic in white rap writing.
I don't like Black Thought very much, either.
The Bun B "teaser" mixtape ahead of this album was pretty terrific. He dropped the line "I shake shit up like Scott Brown" on the awesomely named track "Big Dick Cheney".
Also: please continue covering rap music, Dave Bry. Free Pimp C.
Is this the right place for me to ask why people like the Arcade Fire?
You should probably just assume that it's because the world isn't as knowledgeable as yourself, and then never ever ask anybody that question again.
I'm being sincere! Take off the sass pants!
I think people like them because they have a great sense of theater/sonic atmosphere, and a very canny knack for how to bring Bruce Springsteen (back) to the kids. And like Bruce, by all accounts they bust their asses live.
Noz is a bit of a prickly pear (though of course a brilliant writer). I wouldn't worry about impressing him, it can't be done unless you know what was on side B of a De La Soul 7" that was only sold in Sri Lanka for two and a half weeks in 1994.
Wait, what the fuck? Did you really just say that about Black Thought?
Now I'm thinking maybe Noz was on to something.
Never let someone on the internet tell you some shit about hip hop. You gotta be stubborn out there.
I played "weedman" compulsively after you turned me on to it, so thanks!
In case we are ready to debate subjectivism & music evaluation:
(a)The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" is a pop song.
(b)Katy Perry's "California Gurls" is a pop song.
(c) "I Want You Back" is better than "California Gurls".
1.If Music Cannot be Objectively Reviewed, Then one can not definitively state any song p is better or worse than any song q.
2. (c), (1)
∴ Music Can Be Subjectively Evaluated
QED
why pitchfork continues to bother with trying to "cover" rap music is a mystery to me. if we're to believe them, the only rap worth ink are clipse and the stones throw catalog. they gave up on basically all other genres outside the "indie" net and any reissues that aren't late 70s nigerian disco-funk, why not give up on rap too? they're certainly not good at it.
also, fuck the arcade fire left, right, and center.
People have that perception of Pitchfork but it isn't true. Some of their most-recent best new music is Curren$y and Big Boi, neither of which is backpack rap by a long shot.
But then again I like Tom Breihan, so.
"also, fuck the arcade fire left, right, and center."
..with a splintered broom stick.
Woah, is it true the last album to get Five Mics was Lil' Kim's The Naked Truth back in 2005? Really?
If so then it's kind of no wonder why they don't matter anymore.
Bun B < Bun E
You know… I really kind of love it that the Awl covers rap. I think you're doing a fine job…