Awww shit nigga, that's me!: Consumer X

So, I interviewed someone for the Consumer X segment a while back, and when they were done, they asked if they could interview me for their blog (biter. I'm just sayin'). . . Anywhos © DOOM, they decided to take the interview questions I used for them, and basically chopped and screwed them. This was the result:

1. Who are you? (Name, age, loc, what you do, etc)

Last name: Ever. First name: Bitchiest. Like a girl on her period, boy, I ain’t nothin’ to play with. . . Also, I just recently turned 24, and I domiciliate (dictionary.com it punk) in the Bay. I currently have two jobs, attended grad school full time, and I run a blog, http://www.yourtasteinmusicsucks.com/ - that is all.

2. When did you first fall in love w/ Hip Hop? Describe what happened.

Ummm, Hip Hop was sort of put on me by my brother. He is 6 years older than me, and so, when I was of that ‘starting to do your own thing’ age in terms of music, I saw what he was listening to, and just fed off of it. He was a HUGE 2pac fan. . . still is, and thus, so am I. Our mom would let us listen to KMEL and all that, so I came up on more mainstream rap/Hip Hop. But then, when I was coming up, what was being played on the radio was actually good music. But that’s more of how I started listening to Hip Hop, not when I fell in love with Hip Hop. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Pac, the Geto Boys, Tribe, Digital Underground, Biggie (yeah, I said it. . . as much shit as I talk about Biggie, I love fat ass Frank White), the Wu-Tang Clan, etc, but I don’t think I actually fell in love with Hip Hop until I heard them sounds comin’ out of Detroit. That J Dilla shit. After I heard Slum Village, I thought I was done. . . then I heard Ruff Draft, and it was REALLY over. . . Hip Hop has had my heart ever since. . . and I don’t think any one else will really ever get it because of that. . . it’s like Jay Dee said: “I can’t get in a relationship because I’m still with my first love, which is music. . .”

3. Describe Hip Hop in one word, then explain your word choice.

Love. Hip Hop, in it’s truest, purest, and greatest form is what, if love had a sound, it would sound like. Like. . . how you can see love in the interaction between a parent and child, or how you can feel love when someone you are mad crazy about touches you in that way that makes you feel like you could die right then and be cool with it. . . Hip Hop is what love sounds like. . . The early lyrics that Nas delivered. . . J Dilla instrumentals. . . crazy ass DOOM rhymes. . . 14KT’s whole sound. . . It’s the audible expression of love. . .

4. Favorite MC (Current vs. All Time)?

I just want you to know, I HATE answering these questions. It serves me right because I ask them to others all the time.

All time: Pac, Black Thought, T3, Nas, Dilla
Current: Blu, DOOM, Guilty Simpson, Invincible, Jay Electronica

That was so unfair to even ask me. And DOOM and Guilty and Electrolysis should have gone on the ‘all time’ list. . . fail.

5. What made you start this blog?

I started this blog because. . . well. . . I don’t really know. I guess I just felt like writing about music that particular night, and I had some free time. . . which is rare. . . so I wrote about Blu and Exile’s ‘Below The Heavens’ because that’s just such a great album, and I felt like writing about it. It was really not that. . . exciting. . . or inventive. . . I didn’t have this moment that was like, ‘Hey! I’m gonna start a blog and try and do something with it!’. . . I kinda figured I’d do the one post, and that would be it. . . The next day though, I took like three hours and did a written review of this artist’s, Ro Spit, new project. . . I did a totally honest review, which at times was not exactly complimentary, but overall, I loved the project, and I just wrote everything I felt about it. No holds barred. I sent the review to him via twitter the next day. I honestly halfway thought I was gonna get cussed out, but, not the case. He said he liked the review, and put it out there for other people to read. I thought that was awesome, so, I just kept going with it.

6. Why should your readers care, what qualifies your opinion on music?

Honestly, my readers shouldn’t care, and I don’t know why they do. I’m just one person giving my opinion on music. . . that’s it. If you should happen to agree with it, or think it’s funny, or think it’s vile but just can’t stop reading, cool. But should you care? No. Hopefully you have more important shit to care about. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read what I have to say, especially is you enjoy it and/or relate to it. Or. . . you know. . . if you want to stay on my good side.

7. If you had to define Hip Hop in just three albums, what would they be? Explain.

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu (36 Chambers): This album was an introduction to Hip Hop, and/or ‘hardcore’ Hip Hop for a lot of people. The 9 man killing squad known as the Wu-Tang Clan came to work on this album, and people recognized it. This album is an example of what I used to love about Hip Hop. . . when GOOD music was recognized and went mainstream. This album exposed a lot of people to this whole new genre of music (to them), not to mention that fact that it’s just a great fucking album. It has hit after hit on it, and it’s still legitimate. I guess that was a 90’s thing. I dare you to find one person that doesn’t love this album. I fucking dare you.

N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton: This album was the birth of gangsta rap. Some say that’s only the case for the mainstream, but who cares, in my opinion, which clearly means. . . the truth, this album gave birth to gangsta rap. N.W.A. came out with some shit that a lot of people had never seen or heard before. . . shit, a lot of people didn’t WANT to see it or hear it, but they came with it anyway, knowing full well that it wasn’t going to be received well by many people. This album also snatched attention away from the East coast in terms of Hip Hop, and gave the West a voice. . . and a fucking loud one at that. Also, and I don’t know how the fuck they pulled this off, but the shit blew up with no real mainstream support. . . the album went double platinum. . . all while the radio wasn’t really playing N.W.A. and their videos were getting’ yanked shortly after being put out. . . not to mention the fact that they were banned from playing at several locations because of their ‘dangerous content’. N.W.A. put the nation on it’s ass, changed Hip Hop, took the spotlight away from what was popular at the time, and did it all with one great, solidly produced, well rapped on album.

J Dilla – Ruff Draft: Perhaps this album didn’t ‘change the game’ as much as my other two choices, but it’s just a down right amazing piece of mastery, and unlike anything else anyone has ever done. This album is a Hip Hop lovers album. . . That’s the thing I love about it. . . it’s not made for everyone. This isn’t an album you can just throw at the average person walking down the street and expect for them to understand it, and love it. . . this is an album for Hip Hop. . . for people who live, love, and are Hip Hop. Let me try to clarify. We have all heard people say things like ‘he was a producers producer’ or ‘she is a writers writer’, meaning, the shit that person creates is for people in the know, people who understand and love and create (whatever they are being compared to) themselves. . . so much like Dilla was a ‘producers producer’, Ruff Draft was an album for Hip Hop. . . it WAS Hip Hop, but it was FOR Hip Hop (and it's conglomerates) as well. . . I hope that makes sense.

8. How do you feel about radio Hip Hop?

I love this question. I ask people this question, A. because I legitimately want to know the answer, and B. because I want to see if they will pick up on the reference. So far no winners. Anywhos © DOOM, I have mixed feelings about radio Hip Hop. There is a rather large part of me that feels like its total garbage, and everyone should throw their radios out the window and into a pit of fire. . . I can’t say that I am a huge fan of hearing the same 6 Trey Songz tracks in rotation for 12 hours straight. . . cause I would be lying. . . or very stupid. . . or both. . . that being said, I occasionally turn on the radio, and hear something I like. . . and those moments are amazing. . . granted, it’s usually from the 90’s. . . you know those throwback hours or whatever, but still, I love that shit. So I can’t just say all radio Hip Hop is bad. A lot of it is. Most of the new shit REALLY is. But, it serves a purpose, and you never know. . . it might improve some day. . . soon. . . hopefully. . .

9. Press play on your iPod/Zune/MP3 Player and list the first 10 artists/songs

DOOM – Vomitspit
Hi-Tek – Music For Life
Invincible – Sledgehammer!
Guilty Simpson – Get Bitches
The White Stripes – We’re Going To Be Friends
Jay Electronica – Exhibit A
Drake – Think Good Thoughts (DON’T JUDGE ME)
Lifesavas – No Surprise
Slum Village – Dirty
Weezer – My Name Is Jonas

10. Favorite Producer (Current vs. All Time)?

Current: 14KT
All time: J Dilla

(easiest question to answer so far)

11. What's your guilty pleasure in terms of music? The stuff you wouldn't want ANYONE to hear you listening to.

I don’t have anything that I really don’t want people to know I am listening to. . . I mean, I may hate on a lot of artists, but even the worst of the worst probably have a song or two that get’s some play from me. . . maybe. . . sometimes. . . But I would say the shit that probably baffles me the most that I like. . . hmmm, Pink. I LOVE Pink. Part of me feels like it makes sense that I love Pink, because she is just a chick that don’t give a fuck. . . kinda like someone else I know. . . not gonna mention any names. . . Anywhos © DOOM, for that reason, it makes sense that I like her and vibe with her music, but on the other hand, her music can be very feminine. . . not really in how it sounds, but more so what it actually is. I am none for my more ‘male interests, like sports, video games, Hip Hop, etc. . . She come from the perspective of a female in every sense of the way. . . sometimes it’s from the perspective of a damaged female, a jilted female, a lovelorn female, a sad, inescapably pained female, an empowered female, a sexual female, etc. . . This seems odd because many people are under the strange impression that I have no feelings. . . which is why I am such a bitch. Little do they know, it’s quite the opposite. I feel EVERYTHING. Which. . . is why I am such a bitch. I’m just sayin’. I love Pink. I love her music, I love her attitude, I love the fact that she is not afraid to be herself, even when it makes her look less than ideal. I love how real she is, and she is my favorite none Hip Hop artist. Granted. . . songs like ‘Get The Party Started’ annoy me, because it’s too. . . well, I just don’t like it, and a lot of people who don’t listen to Pink think of that song when I mention her. . . but songs like ‘Like A Pill’, ‘Sober’, and ‘Please Don’t Leave’ are so. . . amazingly well written, sung, and. . . shit, they’re just good. Perhaps I love her so because I relate so much, but I really do feel like she is an amazing artist.

“I can be so mean when I want to be. . . I am capable of really anything. . . I can cut you into pieces. . . when my heart is. . . broken. . .” –Pink

12. Who is the one rapper out right now that you feel does not deserve the success they have? Why.

Man. . . I could give 30 answers to this question. But I am gonna narrow it down to one. . . I think I am going to go with Gucci Mane. I just feel like. . . what the fuck do you people see in him? I mean. . . honestly. He raps like he is literally retarded. The shit he says just. . . it doesn’t make sense. I really honestly feel like people like it because it’s mindless. Which I think is really sad. One of the things I love most about Hip Hop is the lyrical content, so when someone is just. . . lyrically irrelevant, I am annoyed when people like them. . . ESPECIALLY if they ain’t got beats. . . you HAVE to have beats or rhymes. . . both is ideal, but neither is unacceptable.

13. Who is the one rapper out right now that deserves more success than they have currently? Why.

Jay Electronica. There is nan a rapper that I find quite as interesting as him. When I talk to people about him I always get the same response. “Oh, yeah. . . the weird guy?”. Honestly, that response makes me like him even more. He is weird. And I like that. A lot of people don’t know this (even those who claim to be fans), but he is from the South, and he is doing something TOTALLY different than any other Southern rapper. Shit, he is doing something totally different than any other rapper, period. He is dark, verbose, and. . . well, not what people are used to, which is why I think a lot of people don’t listen to him, but those are the things I love about him. He is someone that is truly a better rapper, no bullshit, than 90% of cats out right now. He just raps well. No games, no gimmicks, just talent. He deserves more popularity than he has. . . I am just not entirely sure he even wants it though. . . Runner up in this category is Invincible. That girl single handedly changed my opinion about female MCs. Fuck a Barbie bitch, Invincible is a real bitch and deserves x10,000 the recognition.

14. It seems lately that everyone is saying Hip Hop is dead or dying. What's your opinion on this?

I think to say that Hip Hop is dead or dying is just plain silly. I think what they mean is MAINSTREAM Hip Hop is dead or dying. . . but as long as there are artists out there that are coming with real shit, then Hip Hop is not dead. Not even close. Disco is dead. Because no one makes disco anymore. . . EVERYONE makes Hip Hop. Or what they think is Hip Hop. Hip Hop is not dead, it’s just sick. . . it’s got gangrene, and we need to cut the infected shit off so that the rest of it can live and be healthy. . . but it’s still alive. . . and you’re a hater, punk, mothafuckin’ bitch if you honestly believe Hip Hop is dead. . . even if you’re Nas. . . and I love Nas. I’m just sayin’.

15. What makes your taste in music better than everyone else?

Ha. Cause I said so. . . and if you like Jay-z, you can’t disagree with the logic on that one.

Blogger commentary: You can find this post also floating around the net at http://blog.okizoo.com