As a kid i grew up a huge supporter of Hip Hop music, and as a kid NY rap was the most dominant on tv and radio. I loved everything about it, from Wu to Mobb Deep, from Nas to Rae and Ghost, from Big to Jay to X and so forth. I would always look forward to hearing great collabos with artists from the big apple. Something changed however which tore at the very fabric of what NY Hip Hop was all about. The unity we saw with Self Destruction, hearing Meth and Big spit flames on the same joint, Jay and X airing out a track 2gether was no longer visible or audible. On this topic I speak from direct experience. We created a record combining 3 NY artists paying homage to their city in a time where the city and it’s music itself was going thru a terrible divide. That very same record was used as a tool unfortunately to discourage artists from coming together to make records. It created a terrible rift that put NY artists on opposite sides of the fence. The atmosphere was poisoned with violence between artists spilling out into the streets forcing camps to become isolated within their own crews. In its aftermath, what was left was a city that went from having a multitude of artists to a few big names who were able to navigate above the fray. The dominance of NY music and its influence on the country would suffer. But it also left a vacuum in which artists outside NY would get to see the light of day and more importantly a lot more airtime on NY radio (which in many cases was a positive effect). Unfortunately what was also left was a NY police department hell bent on making it difficult for any hip hop artist to move around the city comfortably. Due to the overzealous and in some instances “racist” views of a few individuals, we have seen some of our biggest artists fall victim to the harassment of NY’s “finest”. One casualty of this poisonous atmosphere is the biggest artist in music having his life put on hold for 8 months. He came to the city to perform and give the fans his all and now must sit for 8 months. There have been other casualties which dig deeper than just jail time. My man Busta lost a friend due to this toxic environment. The power of music extends further than just our speakers and the negative impacts can leave families without a father, brother or son. I long to see the days again where NY rap music is being appreciated on the level it was before 2005, where being shot wasnt a prerequisite for becoming a successful rap star. We (Cool & Dre) have profited from the very same forces that helped tear away at the foundation we love…So i don’t speak with a finger pointed at any1. Just want to put things in perspective. There’s a reason why things are the way they are. We cant just accept it for what it is, we must examine it, define it and understand it so we don’t make the same mistakes again because there will be a day when New York regains it’s national voice. And when that happens i hope there will be a balance of the positive effects that came after 05 and those from years before 05. I want us to remember these past 5 years and use it to build a better future for our music, fans and aspiring artists because the game needs balance. Our music and culture needs balance. Now more than ever it is important for us who love hip hop to raise the bar while our biggest star sits in a jail cell for 8 months. A jail cell located in the birth place of hip hop. A terrible irony but it is what it is. There’s always a lesson to be learned. So on this day after the New Orleans Saints won their 1st Super Bowl in it’s history, we are sending out tremendous love to our brother Lil Wayne. Be safe and see u soon bro. Luv!! Cool & Dre
8 To 10
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lil Wayne ” Die for you” off of REBIRTH Prod by cool & dre
This record is a classic.. I dont give a fuck what anyone thinks!!!!
