Straight for paper, paper chaser...
Gangster gangster, gangster gangster.
Juelz Santana is not the best rapper in the game. He is not the most charismatic (Killa!). He doesn't have the best wordplay, flow, lyrics, delivery. He says things that don't make sense (I've got a whole collection, of my ho collection), he says things that would come off as crass from anyone else (Kill yourself - The entire song).
Yet we listen ever so closely. Connor posted a short memoir of his love for Cam. I could do that. Cam is up there for me, top 3 favorites of all time, top 3 greatest of all time (Yeah I said it. Jay, BIG & Cam). Well, I can talk about Juelz like he's up there. Because although in actuality he SHOULDN'T be up there, when the new tape leaks, or he's on Rap City, the buzz is as tangible as that of a heavyweight's.
I first heard him on the What Means The World Remix. No one remembers that verse, understandably. UGK, Cam, Trina and Luda acted a fool on that track, and money just stayed in the background, happily playing the part of the young protege. Diplomatic Immunity came next. Juelz was Hungry, spitting that raw raw, making us believe in his talent and his ghetto. Hop scotch on niggas' faces' left his ankles bad. He wasn't there yet - Cam kept "I Really Mean It" all to himself, but he was on the come up. From Me 2 U, he showed his softer side. Album could've been harder, no promotional push, Juelz Dip Dipped. The interludes. Guest appearances and a mediocre DI2. Sick freestyles. Three dirty mixtapes (1. Round Here 2. Bandana 3. Pick It Up). Now Juelz is running with the new breed. Talking about an album with Jeezy, having Lil' Wayne pop up on tracks. Doper than actual dope. The album, What The Game's Been Missing has arrived.
I can't talk about the impact of the album. It hasn't hit the streets, hasn't even been leaked for 24 hours. It may flop, it may blow up. But Juelz has cemented himself in my pantheon. He's like the Vince Vaughn of rap, menacing yet friendly - making fantastic guest appearances, and capable of carrying his own album every once in a while. Would any of you NOT want to kick it with Juelz?
I don't want to post any more tracks. Go buy the album. I know I will.
posted by M.A.T.T. at 11:02 AM
18 Comments:
Appropriate title for this blog, because you MUST BE high sayin' that Cam is in the top THREE rappers of all time. I couldn't even believe what I was reading. Seriously, I had to go over it a couple of times before I was convinced that was really what you said! I've been checkin' this blog out on a daily for a long-ass time and haven't heard anything so blatantly wrong as that particular comment, man. I respect your knowledge of the game and generally agree with your criticisms and praises, but saying that Cam'ron is No. 3 is just absurd, maybe even retarded! Maybe you haven't heard of Tupac, Rakim, Nas, KRS-One, or a complete host of other artists who's weakest joint will single-handedly crush the entire portfolio of Cam's works. C'mon, man, don't be lettin' us down out here in internet-land with bogus shit like that.
that's me coming to my conclusions. cam has put out 3 albums that are 5/5 in my book (chwm, diplomatic immunity and purple haze), has a host of other solid albums and continues to improve as he ages. 2pac should be revered as an icon, but not as an MC, i've never thought he had enough lyrical skills to be at the top. as for nas, streets disciple should end his claim for GOAT. and i dont think krs or rakim could compete in todays evolved rhyme style.
im not trying to take anything away from those artists, but killa is up there in my book.
We could all just listen to jazz. Objectively speaking it dwarfs every other genre. Top three rappers? How about top three post-boppers? Then again, it's all a matter of opinion.
The Vince Vaughn thing was great. Keep it up.
i giggle when people mention 2pac among the best cause to me he was an average lyricist AT BEST and produced rather average albulms. i think people get confused because pac was so intense and emotional. i'm pretty confident in saying that people who didn't listen to pac before came out and tapped him as a legend after his death probably without hearing the bulk of his material. and while i enjoy listening to killa, i just can't put him in my top 3/5. btw krs-one is also overrated to me, i never felt his whole steez.
the juelz record is pretty disappointing production wise. there is some pretty lame joints. juelz seems to be suffering from that canibus/nas syndrome about beats on this one. juelz is growing as an mc but maybe he should let cam pick the beats.
^ I think Juelz stuck with his formula, Heatmakerz sample based beats, and I think the beats on this shit are fresh. And you're lieing if you think Cam's gonna pass him the best beats.
With regards to the top 3 thing, I can't propose to be right - it's all opinion anyways. But in my eyes Cam is number 3 all time.
And I'm considering doing a rapper/actor thing along the veins of the college football thing
i dont think you've listened to that much juelz then.
go buy diplomatic immunity and THEN tell me he's wack
Holy shit dude, Clockwork is one of the best Juelz songs to date. And that's not a matter of opinion.
i was talking with my e-friend about them making a clockwork video.
its entirely conceivable to have juelz rapping in big ben in london, then have people doing the robot in a white room. jim jones could look like he hadnt showers in weeks.
i just noticed the last post.. i did like the "rumble young man rumble" joint. i thought the beat to the lil wayne/jeezy track was weak though. i like minimalist beats sometimes but that was just too much of nothing for me.
"It may flop, it may blow up."
Trust me...
It will not blow up.
Juelz will never (ever) reach that status.
(I'll even put money on that.)
Doesn't make him a bad rapper, it just isn't going to ever happen.
why not?
he had two singles with tremendous buzz (mic check & whistle song) and is on one of the countries hottest songs with chris brown. with the right promotional post this album could move some serious units.
He just doesn't have the other half of what it takes to do so.
It's much too much to go into here (it would probably take a small book to explain all of the details - seriously). It doesn't mean that he can't be your favorite rapper, but his demographic is one sided - his success comes from one side - he needs the other.
And that isn't just something you can develop - you either have it or you don't.
Unfortunately (or fortunately - depending upon whom your asking), Juelz just doesn't have it. He could have all of the right promotion in the world, and he just would never sell more than a million copies (and even that's reaching).
well i think 1 million copies would obviously a resounding success for juelz.
merely out of curiousity, what are you basing this information off of? i'd be interested to hear more about what juelz doesn't have to do it.
you can respond here or get at my email - mkustel@yahoo.com
I live in a place full of white suburbanites who listen to Green Day & 50 Cent only. But you would be surprised how much Dipset, especially Camron and Juelz, are getting around here. The movement is definitely moving.
1 million records is kind of a lofty goal.. i think going past gold is realistic though, but 1 mil is a little too much. i'm also not thoroughly surprised that a good number if not majority of dipset fans are suburban white kids. seriously if you ever browsed through message boards like sohh.com you can definitely tell who's speaking on the movement.
true. first day of college i'm blasting the dips through the dorms and this one kid comes up to me and asks me if i like "hoo-elz" santana. i'm like you mean JU-elz? he's like - thats the mic check guy right? i really like him.
suburbs like santana
lol no one said anything about not liking santana...he has the hood locked down thats why were wondering if he has the suburbs to sell a mil
anonoymous writes again: opps my bad aye yo am sorry i thought yall were talkin bout my baby juelz santana bad, but yo dog trust me juelz will have tha suburbs on lock fa sho soon enough
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