Okay, let’s get one thing straight. I love me some Nicki Minaj. So does Nico. Dahlak likes to debate, but in the end I know he feels her too. Is George Clinton my idol? Yes. Does my body react uncontrollably to Fela Kuti? Yes Do I hold all emcees to the standards of André 3000? Yes. Do I think Janelle Monáe is the future? Si. Does being a huge fan of Nicki Minaj contradict all that? Absolutely not.
There was a point in high school where I allowed myself to equate all things pop to bad. You can’t blame me, that was the period when Wobble Wobble was hot. These days, I’m less mad at the so-called “mainstream” than I am with those who are fundamentally against things that are pop just because they’re popular. That’s not called criticism, that’s called cynicism. Nicki is a beast on the mic. Her cadences are CRAZY!! She implements theatrics into her delivery, and her music is fun to listen to. When her mixtape dropped last year, it was the most listenable one out of all the other “freshman” ones that dropped that year. Any criticisms of the hypersexualization of her image is based on gendered double standards. Compare her raunchiest rhymes to how today’s top male emcees describe their “stroke” and you realize the only reason some people mind find offense is because of how much weight and speculation is put on the voice of the only female emcee the world is paying attention to today.
Find me a verse where ANY rapper today seamlessly switches up their flow this many times. I’m just sayin.
Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj “Bottoms Up”
PS: I know we’re all dudes these days, so if you must, take it from a lady.
The video for “Cold War,” one of my favorite tracks from Janelle Monáe‘s The ArchAndroid. Is this our generation’s version of “Waiting to Exhale?” If so, I am not mad at all.
is it not just all of your favorite people on one song in one video?!? b.o.b goes in super tough, and then it’s lupe, and then janelle monae is like ummm, this is my song. yeah.
Is Dungeon Family having a big year or what?? For the first time since taking off with the Gnarls Barkley project, one of my favorite soulmen Cee-Lo Green leaks two new solo tracks…and they are funkier than ever!!!! Here’s one featuring the Menahan St. Band from the upcoming Lady Killer album:
So with this, Big Boi‘s upcoming album, André‘s Beatles cover, the OutKast DeepKuts circulating, and Janelle‘s The ArchAndroid, are we seeing a resurgence of Atlanta funk??? Pleeeeeeeeaseprettyplease that would be quite glorious.
So with Spike Lee endorsing Absolut, Janelle Monáe pubbing Coca-Cola, and Saul Williams promoting Nike, how am I supposed to hate on these giant corporations?? I have no mind of my own when it comes to my wallet and I need my favorite artists to tell me what to buy! Well here’s another delicious soundtrack to capitalism — Andre 3000 doing “All Together Now” by the Beatles. Can I really hate on any company that pulls this guy out of the dungeon even if only for a minute?
THE DAY HAS ARRIVED!! Yes, by now there is no hiding from the fact that iLL-Lit is comprised of Janelle Monáe fanboys, headed by leader fanboy the Drizzletron. Look at me taking the time to actually type in the “´” in Janelle Monáe. Now that’s respect. But yes. Jane’s second album rests in my iTunes at this very moment, and I’m just waiting to finish off the rest of this work and surf the subway with my headphones for a good hour or two. Where will I be headed? Why, to Highline Ballroom with the rest of the iLLs to catch Jane for her album release party, of course! Told you we were fanboys. Here’s a taste:
Okay, I’ll admit that B.o.B. collaborating with Janelle Monáe for a Vampire Weekend cover is a very specific thing to say “FINALLY!” for, but I was talking more about the “B.o.B. collaborating with Janelle Monáe” part. Atlanta has long been my favorite musical hub in America, and though I’m feeling a lot of their new artists, these two are definitely my favorites. I can only imagine what kind of craziness these two imaginative musicians would create if they were to actually put together an original song, but in the meantime Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids” isn’t a bad starting point!
Dude, I cannot WAITTTT for this new Janelle Monáe jawn to drop! With this, Badu, and NERD all dropping in the same season (aaaaand touring together!!) it’s difficult for me to believe that music’s going down the drain. If anything, we’re reaching a point where all the highs are higher and the lows are lower. And isn’t today a day to be hiiiiiiigher?
And since I love smart synopses, click the jump for Wondaland’s description of the ArchAndroid Crown.
How happy is this boy that he gets a Dâm-Funk AAAAAAND Janelle Monáe video within 24 hours???? (Answer: VERY)
Maybe I just love artists with little accents over their names. Or maybe I love the Funk. Regardless, this little morsel of joy is the only imaginable thing that would keep me indoors during this gloriously beautiful sunny warm Brooklyn day. I gotta get out and get some Vitamin D, but not without sharing with you the other light of my life that is Jane. Oh, alas. Alas.
It’s no secret that I’m quite into this Janelle Monáe lady. Back in ’07 it was her EP Metropolis: The Chase that soundtracked iLL-Lit’s first “tour” (which consisted of like 4 dates in a row in Southern California so we were like “6 hours away for more than one night? TOUR!” And besides her music displaying a sound that was fresh and much-needed, I was quickly drawn in by the philosophy held by her and her crew, the Wondaland Arts Society. “Imagination Inspires Nations,” read the hundreds of campaign posters wildly waved around at her first shows. And like a good campaign, the word spread and two years later she returns with Metropolis: The ArchAngel, now armed with a Grammy nomination, major label support, a much richer live show, and an exponentially larger fanbase. Even still, what I admire most is her steadfast commitment to her message, in spite of the dramatic changes that have occurred around her. Shortly after she was signed to Bad Boy, her Wondaland colleague Mitchell A. Martian told me that it was only after being sure that she maintained full creative control over her work that she agreed to the record deal – Wondaland takes care of virtually everything artistic, even down to the mastering and marketing ideas. And so last week with the release of not one but two new tracks, I was pleased to be greeted by my inbox with a familiar piece from Wondaland that serves more as a call to action than a commercial:
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