On the Sofa: Big Willie Style

This was a review I did on my boys site http://www.bestinthemix.com/. Check it out. Hip Hop reviews and opinions. Pure hotness!!!

How many of ya'll remember "Big Willie Style", Will Smiths first solo album, dropping back in 97'? Personally I was nine and still falling in love with hip hop. Mom dukes was definitely not cool with the raw sounds that pumped out the speakers on Biggie Smalls "Life After Death" or Capone-N-Noreagas "War Report." She thought Missy Elliots "Supa Dupa Fly" was a little vulgar and Busta Rhymes "When Disaster Strikes" was way too much for her. So at the time Will Smith was positive, clean, influential and had some bangers already nodding heads on the radio. Now if you want to talk street and say "Oh, he aint hip hop, thats pop music," you can do so. You wanna go into "Oh, he's an actor. He dont know the real." You can do that as well. But if you're here to talk hip hop, if you're here to talk good music with lyrics that speak truth and hold value...now we in discussion.

Not every man from the hood sold dope. Not every man from the hood went to jail. Nor do we all have tattoos, been shot, been pimps or didn't finish school. That doesn't take away from the truth of the matter that you know where you came from no matter where you go. This album must be reviewed with all these aspects in mind. Plus the fact that he is from West Philly isnt somethin you can just look past.

Now, lets talk numbers. First of all, Will Smith received two Grammy's from the same category for tracks on the topic album! He is the only artist in HISTORY to do so. That fact alone stands as a landslide victory to some great artist. The album as a whole was certified 9X (thats nine times!) platinum by RIAA or Recording Industry Association of America. I mean really...9X!? I personally dont know or follow too many of the platinum ratings. But honestly, I've never heard 9. Heard double and triple, but hell, what is the term for 9 anyway? *LOL* Individual songs from this album broke records and went far beyond what many can't even stand up to. The single "Men In Black," though not released as a single in the U.S., stayed at number one in the U.K. for a month. That made it the 6th biggest single in 1997.

Hip Hop Rater

HH- Say what you please, and many will say it, but Will Smith MAY not be a rapper persay. But he stands with the best of them on this album.

PP- This albums tracks STILL come on the radio this very day. Enough said.

You know what, I can shower yall with facts all day about the man. The Grammys and awards, the charts and the movies but at the end of the day, this album is a true classic. Not enough attention in my eyes. The radio hits were glorified and played world wide. But I listening to the album again for the first time since like 01' there are too many tracks that those who never heard it would never even know about. Half of what they listen to is thrown out the window and doesn't compare next to said tracks. If we are talking creativity, go to track four, "Candy". Bein real and telling people how it is, track seven "Dont Say Nothing." He has something for the ladies besides "Miami" and thats gotta be track five, "Chasing Forever." Theres plenty more to compare and argue points with but you'll only know if you check it out. I'll leave that up to ya'll.

P.S. MIB3 comin' out this summer. Im just sayin'.

THANKS for joinin' me on the Sofa

Poetry and Hip Hop

Welcome to The Sofa. This post has a very interesting discussion to be....well, discussed. I have been approached by some bloggers and asked some questions about my content and chioce of direction within some of my posts. Not the album reviews. Not the personal presentations and dedications. No the focus and questionable entries happened to be the poetry. I have been criticized on the fact that I have created a hip hop blog site and decided to put poetry on some of the posts. I was asked about the connection of the two? Why I chose to place my on poetry up there instead of actual poets? And even was asked do I consider myself a poet, or a rapper. These types of questions I OBVIOUSLY could just laugh off. I could EASILY make a dis track as well. Or I could simply put a post out showing how upsetting the wuestions were and get all emotional. But then that would just take away from my site. That would completely defeat the purpose of the educating factor that this page, and great web pages that glorify hip hop, wants to promote.

Let me first start by saying poetry has a tremendous influence on hip hop. Whether or not the two have the same specific qualites, they are alike more than they are different...

Poetry-  is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning (wikipedia)

Hip Hop-is a form of musical expression and artistic subculture that originated in African-American and Hispanic-American communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx (wikipedia)

Even by definition you can get a few similarities. For starters there is the fact that they are both forms of art. (yes kids, music is a form of art) They also posess the quality of both being a way of expressing feelings or thoughts. Im hoping those with questions are begining to see the true connection and importance even of the prescence of poetry in hip hop. And for those who arent quite there yet. I have a few examples of the truth in the NEED of poetic skill in the hip hop category. And please understand, this is not to take away from any other genre of music.

Everything from metaphors similies and personifications are used and expressed in hip hop. Most of all puns or play on words are used. Its just the smae in poetry. The poems tend to lean more toward fantasy and reality seperation of even connection. Hip hop tells true stories and referances events that are connected to the artist. But still the same format and end result. You know the truth and can almost place yourself in each word and occurance with each sentence.

As to the question of why I have chosen to put my own poetry up...? I like to think Im pretty good at it. There is really no a reason. THANKS for joining me on the Sofa.