It’s such an easy concept but it’s just as easy to idolize celebrities too. They’re not saviors and in fact most likely will operate in the opposite direction even if they say they are revolutionaries. Malcolm X had critique way back and we just couldn’t listen…
It would be helpful if they didn't cosplay and pretend as if black capitalism is revolutionary. Maybe folks wouldn't fall for it. But then again if they were honest, would we financially support them?
I used to think Rockers were like. Counter culture and sticking it to the man. It's been the man for decades now. If not longer. As soon as we took it from Black folks. :/ Disappointing revelation
Some backstory on how Killer Mike and El-P came together: Killer Mike is good friends with the dude who runs Adult Swim, he was having trouble getting backing for his project, RAP music, and dude at AS said that they could. He was basically like "Really? Well, it's gonna have some raw shit you might not wanna have on it, and as a result might not sell well" And dude at AS basically said "well, we're not a record label so who cares if it's a bad record, say whatever you want." And Mike was down so they came up with the idea to have a different producer every track. Adult swim had already been doing their singles collection that big names like FlyLo and Earl Sweatshirt were on so he said he'd hit up some of the producers and they'd make something happen. Mike records a single w/ a producer, it's cool, he digs it. Then the next day AS brings in El-P, said he's known the dude forever and he's crazy talented. I think Mike said he'd heard some of his stuff here and there and dug it so he was down to get into it. Mike said it was like magic. He's repeatedly said that there are some producers and rappers that are just made for each other and El-P and him were it. He's said he's waited his whole life to find El. They make RAP Music, El-P tours w/ him and they put together a single: Run the Jewels. It's doing REALLY fucking well at shows so they flush it out, touring RAP Music with RTJ material sprinkled through and the rest is pretty much history. It's been the single biggest project of their lives by their own accounts.
@@Vikdeb25502it's one of those things like I grew up loving adult swim. Watched all kinds of shit, core to young me development And then to top that shit off years later results in the rise of some of my favorite hip hop too??
i do think it matters how ppl compartmentalize it tho. like theres ppl who can admit they like "bad" art, not downplaying how harmful it might be but accepting that they like it regardless. and then theres just ignoring the harmful aspects of the art to try to *excuse* why you enjoy it. i think its important to stay critical to an extent, or else youre just condoning bad behavior? thats just how i see it
@@unseenmolee It's true. It's also important because the discussion of "Problematic" and "Non-problematic" media is flawed in the way many see it. All or nearly all media made in capitalism is problematic to some extent due to the system it was made, but it would be unreasonable to expect people to just self-isolate. Instead we need to engage with media knowing where its problems come from and look at it for what it is. Consuming "good" media which isn't really "good" just won't save anyone.
I’ve struggled to listen to his music ever since 2020, just feels like he’s always rapping about being so revolutionary while contradicting that in real life. I kinda regret not being able to love it because musically it is fantastic
This has been my issue too i have to at least believe 80% what you have to say for certain type of rap. But him being so lyrical etc it’s hard for me to repeat the music when the main subject matter contradicts why I see him tweet and act in real life
@@Gr33nPhoenix if you’re talking about breaking down prisons and water boarding people in authority, but then cry for peace and civility when your property investments might suffer, that’s a contradiction. Seeming revolutionary in words, but defending the unjust status quo in deeds is a contradiction
For real, RTJ was the music I listened to before protests knowing things could get dangerous. Finding later on that the dudes just cosplaying what we were out there living was pretty fuckin disappointing
“he has radical inclinations and caplitalist desires “ and in one casual sentence you tear my soul out of my body and show it to me, still bleating. it took 55 years of living to have someone say it so clearly, so…thanks, F.D.
I would actually say it’s the opposite: he has capitalistic inclinations and radical desires. I’m sure he wants to be radical but the capitalist world has beaten him down and he’s become more realistic.
as a white dude i will always give killer mike major props bc around the time of the first BLM upsurge he was posting abt it and i was a white kid like 15-16 in the south, i actually reached out to him in the dms and he no kidding replied to me and set my young head on a much more progressive path. it kinda hurts tho that as ive advanced politically, killer mike has pretty much stood still at black capitalism and enhanced social safety nets, especially when as you point out lyrically mans a fiery revolutionary. thanks for your analysis FD ily
he's also very conservative when it comes to the 2nd-amendment. he even did an interview with the NRA on their online show shortly after the parkland shooting. seems like there's some cognitive dissonance going on there.
@@HandyDandy6 i think it's more of a wholistic view and not necessarily about owning guns. no one's really questioning gun ownership being bad or good in this.
Killa Mike is a business man, like most rappers and always has been. The phrase "I pledge allegiance the grind" says everything you need to know about him and his personal politics and priorities. He wants to be rich/successful which means capitalism fits him nicely. I've personally never taken his politics any more seriously than those of Dame Dash. 💰💰
This is the Leftist version of the Right Wing trope that you need to live a life of poverty to be a Leftist. Sure he is Bourgeoise now. Is he funding things that push things further? Take a man in his totality. Do I look to him as a leader? Absolutely not there are better leaders in my own community.
He believes in "benevolent" Capitalism and tries to hold himself as the standard bearer for that mindset. Not sure what the missing piece of the puzzle is...
makes sense and not that complicated - stop feeling sorry for yourself and take advantage of an unfair game is literally what he talks about. We can hate Elon as much as we like he is still supporting and building better lives for more people then we can imagine regardless of what "we hate". Killer mike's point - This is a beautiful life we lead in spite of whatever things come against us or whatever team loses or wins. ..
Your artist breakdowns don’t miss…This is the difficult part about artists/art, the hunger that made us love them gets replaced with their new circumstances. Most impactful artists lose the IT during albums 2 or 3 as their life circumstances change. So hard not fall into that black excellence mindset when you see success.
The best thing they can do is stop LARPing as revolutionary people with answers. I’ve been signed to labels and I’ve made political songs. But I never ever have or would do Dell to action heavy movement rhetoric. I’ve done activism and I know how hard and draining it is so I do not have illusions about how basic my perspective is lol
This comment is false. So you take a few rappers and modern r&b singers and then say MOST impactful artists lose the IT....stop the pretentious cap my goodness.
@@SmartDave60 In my city(Atlanta) alone, dozens of studios have been built in community centers for black children in low income areas so they could strive for something theyre passionate about. Rappers and Hip Hop artists have enacted dozens of charity and welfare programs in their respective areas. And overall rappers have become another example of the “American dream” of success, the cliche of coming from nothing and becoming wildly successful. Thats like asking what has Jazz done for the black community.
One of the wisest things my dad's ever told me - hypocrisy is the tax vice pays to virtue. Even when the music is more radical than the musician, the music influences others who actually believe it and live it.
Great thought! I have a more simple take: the most basic and yet always forgotten part of arts in art theories is that the consumer and the artist produce together what art is. Which means once the artist makes something, it is out and belongs to anyone. So you can have it an interpret it however you want. Which leads to the thing your pa said. And this is the reason why separate art from the artist is a valid argument.
@@avaDD I love your take! I'm not entirely sold on death of the artist, as another way consumers impact creators is we shape the ecosystems which artists occupy by lending influence/credibility to the artists and the conditions in which a particular work was created by the art we choose to consume - but I think we are allowing capitalism to sneak in unchallenged when we assign ownership of art to any individual, or reduce consumption of art to its commercial aspects. I've been accurately described as being neuro-spicy, and part of that is I'm excessively literal and constitutionally incapable of picking up on subtext. Then I remember having an epiphany about art - I'd heard on the radio about a conceptual artist who had bought a lock of Princess Diana's hair and used it to make a jelly, and I thought "wow, that's viscerally horrific on several different levels - and I'm sorta fascinated why something that on a purely practical level serves no purpose and impacts no one would inspire that kind of reaction" and all of a sudden the concept of art made sense in a way it had never previously, where I had to look inward at my automatic responses to a work of art to find its meaning (and so while we could learn to see new things in art by sharing and exploring the internal changes it inspired in others, what impact the artist hoped to inspire, how the creative process, history, cultural significance behind a work changes how it affects you, etc., ultimately its meaning can only ever be subjective). And so while I'm still drawn towards creating very literal art, I now have special reverence for art that's figurative or works through inspiring inference.
@@silversoulken part of the problem there is Ye brought the shit into the record, even making light of it. It's impossible to separate the art from the artist when the artist is the art.
Dope episode. Most of us Gen X'ers are centrists despite the radical ideas we may have been raised with -- we were all sceaming F the Po-lice and Don't believe the Hype and now we're trying to support kids in college. RTJ gave us the 00's evolution of those revolutionary hooks that gave hip hop life in the 80's. I'll always rock with Mike for that and the Dungeon Family connection. But I'm surprised you didn't even mention the Brian Kemp isht -- That's was the record scratch moment that took me out. Actually, the combo of that and one of Mike's reality show episodes on Vice set on a mock plantation. Yeah, that happened. There's definitely enough material for a part 2.
I'm a Millennial Centrist with a NOI father and Panther mother, and I'm sorry... these new gen "radicals" are moist weirdos!!! LoL That is the reason why Killer Mike has made such a sharp pivot towards the center Right socially and further embraced economic capitalism. The Leftists refuse to acknowledge and understand how power & influence work. They aren't proposing or progressing an appealing agenda for our community. I'm no fan of Killer Mike, but I can read how and why he's now moving the way he does. Also, he woke up to the neglect & disdain the left has for black boys & men... men in general really. When I saw Vaush get attacked for having the nerve to broach the topic of neglecting men's issues by progressives I knew the leftists were too far gone!!! SMH
I'm Gen X and it's still F the police, it's still ACAB. I just don't have the same energy I did when I was 20 to want to be in the streets with it. Now I am more sitting in the lawn chair drinking beer overall being more meh. It happens.
Bruh you clowns are brainwashed, that's why we never get anywhere. Brian Kemp at least came to hear the people out. Stacy literally said she didn't have to
I found the album hard to get into. I grew up in religion, but being an atheist now, the religious overtures in the lyrics took me out of it. The gospel instrumentation itself didn't bother me and still sounds amazing, but when you see how he coats everything through a religious frame, it reminds me constantly of his biggest flaw and where it comes from: Killer Mike doesn't ever admit he's wrong about anything he says or does, and while Talking that Shit is like my favorite song sonically, the actual message of the song is eye rolling. Rant over
Mike has been on a weird religious bend lately. Although, he has stated he doesn’t believe in god. I do understand the strategy though, especially as he’s true colors of a capitalist come out. He has to pander to the religious right, since that’s who’s bankrolling his projects like the bank. It wouldn’t work the other way around. I doubt Killer Mike believes the religious stuff, but financially, he’s gaining a lot from it.
As a fellow non-believer, I loved it. I still mess with some gospel music. And if I’m not mistaken, Killer Mike isn’t Christian, so I figure it’s for the art and the sonics.
Well, he was heavily influenced by Christianity. It's what he was raised on. Should he leave it out because some people won't like it? Are you inclusive? He's not pushing Jesus on people. He's not even a Christian. Wake the fuxk up
I’m a black atheist and I still fuck with the religious tones in black music. Often times I’m relating to my Christian days or laughing at the claims lol
I was in a local labor union for a hot minute and it was a real bummer to see that (myself included) the vast vast majority of it was white men. the verbiage of the meeting minutes required the referral of the crowd as "brothers and sisters" and even that felt absurd. And like historically that makes sense. Labor unions, especially in the south, were formed with the outspoken condition that black people wouldn't be able to join, and even though I'm not in that region of the US, the attempt to actively reach out and bring in people besides the sons of current union members started a year before last on the national UA level. How long before people who don't look like me feel comfortable joining up to, from what i've seen, the most reliable means for a young person to get a good job that has regular raises, insurance, pension, etc.?
I'm sure there's a lot of good books out there on this topic, but I just wanted to shout out Settlers by J. Sakai as the latter portion of the book I found very eye opening on that topic of race dynamics being used to break union efficacy early on along with the evolving nature of white collar middle management and the social and racial motivations that shaped those developments.
@@joshv.1490 I’ll have to put that on the list! I’ve needed to look more into that. During our first meeting for apprenticeship the guy explaining it to us deadass said “unfortunately-(not unfortunately, that’s fucked up) the UA is moving in a direction of inclusivity in the coming years.” All of those words he said. It was amazing how he didn’t say the quiet part out loud, but he did say the quiet part quietly.
@@EmmisonMike ugh, that's so discouraging. Letting pretty prejudice get in the way is no way to build the solidarity a union requires. Hope you are able to find a copy, friend, and that it proves enlightening. May we learn from the failures of the past so we can stop repeating those mistakes. Keep fighting the good fight!
It's not going to change unless more black men have the skill sets desired and join the unions. There's no magical switch for when things will all of a sudden be nice and then you join.
@@hw6271 one thing I notice is that for a lot of tradesmen, their skill is part of their intergenerational wealth. Many folks only have the skills because their parents taught them, and that puts them ahead further than the kid who took a couple shop classes in high school. The difference is the legislation and intentional cultural movements that interfered with black folk in America in their accumulation of generational wealth. It goes beyond money into the means to make money.
*grabs popcorn* bruh. i know i dont get down on twitter anymore, and dont have tiktok, so besides nebula this is the only place i get to check your stuff, but as a texan, and a hiphop head from waaaaaay back (peace, love, and kwame lol) ive been waitin on this one for a grip.
I got into Killer Mike through a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist rapper named Bambu who's still slept on. Killer Mike featured on his tracks Upset The Setup and Prey'er. Bambu's been dropping solid projects for over a decade but he's still slept on. Like his Exrcising A Demon albums give the same vibes as Kendrick's GKMC. Bambu also grew up deep in gangbanging with Sathanas, and served as a US Marine before he got to where he is. But hey, maybe the fact he's always been slept on gives credence to him being on revolutionary shit.
I mean yea, it kinda does I'd say. Like even RATM isn't as revolutionary as their lyrics would make them out to be. I mean they still hit for me, but fuckin Tom Morello has some real side-eye shit these days
Liked the album a lot for the most part, but heard the line of Nrich about Greenwood and instantly went “Alright, he’s doubling down, this is him, can’t wait to hear if FD has any thoughts” and you didn’t miss. Listened to some Infinity Knives and it’s right up my alley and added the book to my reading list, great breakdown per usual!
Not expecting rappers to be revolutionary is a correct position but I think the discourse you’re dismissing is the political function of a rapper. It’s the revolutionary language and imagery navigating our communities deeper into capitalist delusion. It’s JAY-Z referencing Hampton, Beyoncé in BBP fits at the Super Bowl, Everything Kendrick Cole and Mike pretend to be. The counter revolutionary tactics must be exposed.
makes me think about tupac too, i know about the thuglife project and his ties to the black panther party, how he almost became chair to another up and coming radical black group at the age of 16. but when i hear snoop dogg's inauguration of tupac to the rock n roll hall of fame all i hear about him was buying expensive clothes and cars and all that stuff. keep ya head up is a full-on anthem for black women but in other songs he raps about using women to get back at other people like biggie... im really mixed on him
I don't like it, and he sounds like a tool on a lot of the songs. I used to be disappointed in Mike but now I'm just kind of apathetic to his "growth." After he gloated about being a landlord on this new album I sort of checked out-but even before then I wasn't feeling it.
@@know_no_th3ory128 The production was fine, and Mike obviously is a dope rapper. It's just a lot of the lyrics bothered me. Outside of that, yeah it's well put together. Also, the gospel production seems like a worse version of what JPEG is really nailing at the moment.
I really appreciate the way in which you dig into the meat of your subjects. This was really detailed and helped me to restructure my perspective on how these money growth ventures are generated and guided. I think you would agree when I say that Killer Mike is pushing Greenwood with good intentions. Perhaps more financial education all around is the key.
I feel like this is an obvious answer. He's Mike, a real guy with real experiences (as opposed to the artist who make a fascade that is totally fake down to even the name). He cares about making a difference on some level. He's also a "Killer" meaning he'll do whatever he has to keep the lights on until "the revolution" arrives, which is what i view his music, his businesses and brand as.
Still love a lot of killer mikes music. I think in his Netflix show he still tried to show people (who can) how to buy a farm and own the means of production from farm to table.
Regarding your first point about rap and hip hop songs over the last few years exploring themes of fatherhood, J Cole’s “let go my hand” was one that really resonated with me.
Definitely look forward to the dad rap video. It makes me think about how Andre 3k doesn't think he's able to still move audiences like these verses he drop aren't amazing. Hopefully he surprises us in this lifetime.
Great analysis of the album. I would also suggest reading The Spook That Sat By the Door. It really explains a lot on his political perspective that I think is shared by many black men that grew up in that era.
I'm neutral on Killer Mike...I feel that he doesn't mean any harm to the community. He's just strongly opinionated. He reminds me of that uncle at the family reunion you know is going to get triggered about anything socio economic/political. There are some nuggets of truth in there..but mostly just let him speak until he's tired..lol.
Love your analysis man. I actually first ran into Killer Mike while listening to an IHeartRadio Nujabes channel of all things. I was walking to college when Nobody Speak starts playing and I love it immediately. Didn't think too much of it until a few months later I decide to explore the song and it's artists more and the second song with Killer Mike I heard was Reagan and I was hooked from there
Been a Killer Mike fan since that verse on Whole World. Had all Pledge albums. Loved R.A.P. and the RTJs. But that man hit that 'don't riot guys, buy up the block' hard after Bernie lost.
Absolutely blown away by Infinity Knives. Thanks for the suggestion. King Cobra is real AF. Damn, that was incredible - so much in that to unpack. Guaranteed, I'll be thinking about this for days. (edit: love the NIN touches! Immediately recognized these sounds! I grew up a huge NIN-head!)
I’m a longtime fan of, but not really a student of, hip hop so stuff like this is invaluable to me. And of course having this all told through a critical leftist lens is invaluable too - so much media analysis takes capitalism as a given or even as a symbol of human nature, like it’s an innate part of us. So important to have takes like this out there.
I've grown up with Mike. I was in the middle of my childhood when R.A.P. Music came out, and my dad's always been big on Mike. He has a bunch of unreleased tracks downloaded to his phone, stuff like Ric Flair. He's been into Mike for years and passed it down to me which I thank him all the time for. RTJ changed the game, my dad literally showed me the video the day it came out and was like a giddy little kid about it. Talkin about "this is real hip hop", "you don't know nothin' bout this", and from then on I picked it up and ran with it. I've got plenty of core memories soundtracked to either RTJ or Mike and I even have R.A.P. Music and RTJ4 on vinyl. I'm gonna see Mike soon and I can't wait bc as an adult more than ever this music speaks to me. I've seen the stuff he talks about on SLUMMER, the stuff he talks about on SOMETHING FOR JUNKIES, all of these songs are beautiful and dark at the same time and I've always loved songs that have that quality. This is easily my front runner for Album of the Year and I'm grateful to have grown up knowing such an underrated emcee.
Also all those pledge albums belong on spotify i hate that he's never brought them back because those albums are also incredible, I faintly remember on either one of those albums or a different one that he'd literally rap bible stories and that was always something crazy to me bc instead of some Jesus Walks stuff my dad went all the way (even though hes so atheist) to bible verses and all this amazing stuff and I really just wish all those albums were released to streaming platforms
@signifiedbsides1129 don't take this the wrong way, but you have a very surface understanding of "Hip-hop" and its "History. You should consult with more in-depth people before making alot of the statements you will probably make in the future. You can tell you are ignorant to a lot of past whos and whys. KRS ONE, El-p, Talib Kweli, RA the Rugged Man, immortal technique, MC Esoteric of Czarface, Method Man, Ras Kass, Planet Asia and Evidence are definitely some of the most honest and notable "Historians" today. I'm sure one of these guys would be more than happy to help a bigger channel like yours have a way better understanding of Hip-hop all around.
I see Mike as a man with radical politics that understands Kill Your Masters aint gonna set his family up for longevity within the system we currently operate. There is nothing contradictory to me about understanding that the system is jacked, while also giving game about how to make it work in your favor. RTJ Mike speaks his true politics while his other music is a conversation with black folks. Regardless of whether or not we can all run successful LLC's, we all know there are elements at the forefront of black culture, currently, that hold us back, collectively. He speaks frequently about the positive black examples and influences that inspired him growing up. I think thats what he's trying to do in his conversations with black people in particular. America, the system is trash; black people, this is how we survive. It's a difficult line to walk
100% agree with you. Whether we like him or not, he's actually putting the time in to put us on game and learn about wealth, businesses, and so much more. We all know the system is rigged against us, but hell, even an ounce of knowledge can change someone's life, so I respect that about him. I can't name many rappers (or people in general) that's this committed to trying to be a voice for helping the his community out in his own way.
Lost me on REPARATIONS. The debt is owed, has been for Centuries and the idea of "waiting" is outta pocket. Nobody has told other groups to wait on what's been due but there is always a reason to put off what is owed us, sadly even from our own.
So speaking about this from a colonial point of view, lets say the former colonizers pay reparations back to countries that were colonized like in Africa and the Caribbean, what would happen is the upper class of those nations will just keep the money while everyone else’s material conditions stay more or less the same. I think FD is making a similar point with regards to reparations for African Americans. However that money gets distributed back, it’s gonna end up in the hands of a few people and won’t change the material conditions of the many in any kinda substantial way. Until there’s some form of class consciousness and solidarity, just throwing money at the issue isn’t gonna solve it. It’s sucks to say we missed the boat in the 60s but it really was a pivotal decade for oppressed black people all over the world and the capitalists won. They didn’t win by playing fair or because they had the better ideology but by brutality and small compromises, sad really.
The Jared Ball book sounds like an interesting read. Seems like an updated version of The Black Bourgeoisie which was written in 1955 and offers similar sobering realities.
What JD is saying about killer mike and greenwood being a plus for a select group of black people with the resources to capitalize off of it is how I felt about jay z’s 444 album. His wealth talk wasn’t for the majority of us. It was for the hundred thousandaire drug dealers. If I listen to that album with that in mind I can appreciate it a lot more.
I love the music RTJ, killer mike, el -p def jux etc have released. Their music is really inspiring to me, but at the end of the day they're just rappers, listenng to them is not "revolutionary", consumption does not challenge capital in any meaningful way.
@@steppinrzr8396 Revolutionary action is not spontaneous, it takes a LOT of disciplined mass organisation. Yes songs can spread class concsious messaging but that alone doesnt make real revolutionary action possible.
@@sunflowersamurai10exactly. It’s like let’s say you’re at a soccer match. People will yell and sing to support their team. That isn’t going to win the match. Sure it’ll motivate, but what actually gets it done is the coordination between the players and their cohesion. Same thing with revolutionary work.
16:06 Man listen! Lol that’s the realest take I’ve heard on reparations in a minute and it’s so true! Also thank you for calling out them earn your leisure clowns! Shout out to Dr. Ball and Black Power Media for trying to counter their BS too! ✊🏾🔥
First off, big fan of yours FD, keep the content coming. Secondly, what did you mean by “that ship has sailed” in regards to black capitalism not working? Were you suggesting that at one point earlier in history that it could have worked?? Or was it more like saying “we tried that already?” Lastly, I gotta listen to the album, see if I agree with its quality. Peace ✌🏾
Just in case he doesn't get to you, i think i can sum up his point decently enough. Based on his videos, what FD means by "the ship had sailed" is that black capitalism or black excellence being the liberation of our people was never really an option and history has been our evidence for that. the talented ten has been a concept that's been preached since probably W.E.B Dubois, but it ignores the fact that white supremacy will always end up hamstringing any efforts towards that goal on our part, whether it's thru violence, political action, or any other means. the combined wealth and power of all the richest black people just pales in comparison to the combined wealth and power of old money capitalists and the governments that they manipulate to enrich themselves
And fundamental to capitalism is the idea that there have to be losers. Even when individuals meet extraordinary success they do it by becoming part of or useful to that system. It’s a system that can only get a vanishingly small portion of the population out of hardship. Bc the unit of capitalism is the individual and the corporation, not the community. It’s not a true solution even if it did “work”.
I appreciate the neutrality in this discourse because I too had to measure Mike in a certain manner particularly when I noticed him being more political. I hear glitches in his messages.
I think we can now add Ice Cube into that Black Capitalist grift label. He came from FTP to working with the powers that be in order to get his bag bigger. SMH
@@bklyncrook which I guess makes sense now for him since he isn't broke. Although I think he'll stop short of saying he's Republican. He has no problems critiquing Democrats, deservedly so but working with Steve Bannon and Trump on that platinum plan looks horrible. I'm sure that label and word use of "platinum" is strategic too.
Can you do a video looking at the career and views of Paris? I feel like he is criminally overlooked in discussions of rappers and radical politics. Probably because he has changed his focus artistically for the most part. Idc what he believes nowadays but I still appreciate his collection of ripped breakbeats he released under another name back in the 90s.
el-p production made the best of killer mikes style change up the fission of two styles. BEST ALBUM EVER Fantastic Damage years ahead of its time. RIP DEF JUX
Working in addiction services, I feel like it is a very primal and human thing for people to firmly believe if a certain method worked for themselves, it should work for everyone else.
Love the vid. Love your work. Gotta say tho, Atmosphere has always been making age-relevant music. 4:44 was a dope record and I dig when older guys just make shit from their life instead of sounding or trying to sound like they young dudes.
I'm writing a little paper on one of WEB DuBois' reflections on his concept of the talented 10th, and I immediately thought of Killer Mike. I'd like to thank you for introducing me to that concept when I was in high school. I've read this GQ interview before, and I figured that interview along with some of your videos would be good sources to reference. This was supposed to be a one page paper, but it's something I'm really passionate about so I think I'm going to write a whole lot more than that.
Killer Mike is low key a rap God. He's underrated but he can hold his own lyrically with the best of em. He's older so he really taps into his soul on this one. If your from the south or you have roots in the south, you feel this album. Bottom line!
Finally someone gives the allegiance to the grind series love. I was such a fan back then and was disappointed by his r.a.p. album, because i wasnˋt into that sound back then.
Killer Mike grew up in a Middle Class society but wanted to be hood. Once he started getting into that 1 percent, he went back to his childhood ways. What I mean is, he went back to what he grew up in. He goes on shows and speaks like an angel to the white folks. Once he get around black people during interviews, it's NGA this NGA that.
I can’t wait for the video about white rappers. El Producto has created one of the most high concept albums with “Cancer 4 Cure”. He has been doing albums since “Funcrusher+”, also “Fantastic Damage” and “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” are wildly underrated. His establishment of DefJux (Definitive Jux) led to every white guy’s secret favorite rapper, Aesop Rock. Not ASAP Rocky. Aesop Rock is God.
El-p! Bruh, I thought I was the only one who really know. Big respect for that shout out. He is hands down the most important white figure in hip hop... and literally nobody knows it
I agree with Mike's disapproval of black people burning up and rioting in Atlanta. It's the community he belongs to and it has a large number of black business owners.
i would love to see you guys have a level headed discussion. i feel like mike would alpha you and just be the one talking for most of it but if he felt confident in his views to just agree to let you both take turns expressing your viewpoints it would be a really useful discourse because although as a canadian i dont know shit about any of this lol i follow your channel and i own 3 RTJ albums on vinyl and right or wrong at certain moments im quite sure you are both very genuine people who believe what they say - those are the most interesting discourses
I agree with you on the fact that the whole black excellence is blown out of proportion and over simplified. However, your viewpoint that capitalism is bad and a zero sum game is insidiously incorrect . Yes, the filthy versions have rotted out different parts of society, such as cronyism and nepotism capitalism but the concept of capitalism itself is a very useful tool and amoral it not being good or bad. It is just merely a tool, and to denounce ALL of it is just plain stupid. Yes, those with the power have treated our people horribly in the past and continue to do so to this day however, that system also has lifted us out of poverty, and we have made significant gains itself, and by ignoring that you’re spitting in the face of our predecessors, efforts and achievements . Killer Mike’s message is to stop giving all your money to the white man and build your community. You don’t have to be a millionaire but if you have significant enough influence you can help out and that you come in many shapes and sizes but to oversimplify it to a false dichotomy (black and white)way of viewing it is just plain asinine and you no better than you opps.
Why are people acting like he’s never said anything like this before? Like he hasn’t changed a bit, I think people are just paying more attention to him
![MV วิถีชีวิตใต้ - ผา อัยย๊ะ [Official MV HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nODlkOUu9B0/mqdefault.jpg)
“I don’t expect successful rappers to be revolutionaries” oooof I needed to hear that
It’s such an easy concept but it’s just as easy to idolize celebrities too. They’re not saviors and in fact most likely will operate in the opposite direction even if they say they are revolutionaries. Malcolm X had critique way back and we just couldn’t listen…
It would be helpful if they didn't cosplay and pretend as if black capitalism is revolutionary. Maybe folks wouldn't fall for it. But then again if they were honest, would we financially support them?
@@pitpride1220 there have been great "leftist" rappers like bambu and akala who point this out bluntly. Its just a brand, we are the consumers
I used to think Rockers were like. Counter culture and sticking it to the man.
It's been the man for decades now.
If not longer. As soon as we took it from Black folks.
:/ Disappointing revelation
@@sunflowersamurai10 Immortal Technique and Rebel Diaz also
Mike went from "Kill Your Masters" to "Pay Your Rent" pretty damn quick...
Money do that 🤦🏾♀️😂
😭😭
@@juicyparsonsyou ain't ever lie.
@@AuraysTimelessChannelsocialism
Pay your masters 🙃🥸
Some backstory on how Killer Mike and El-P came together:
Killer Mike is good friends with the dude who runs Adult Swim, he was having trouble getting backing for his project, RAP music, and dude at AS said that they could. He was basically like "Really? Well, it's gonna have some raw shit you might not wanna have on it, and as a result might not sell well" And dude at AS basically said "well, we're not a record label so who cares if it's a bad record, say whatever you want." And Mike was down so they came up with the idea to have a different producer every track. Adult swim had already been doing their singles collection that big names like FlyLo and Earl Sweatshirt were on so he said he'd hit up some of the producers and they'd make something happen.
Mike records a single w/ a producer, it's cool, he digs it. Then the next day AS brings in El-P, said he's known the dude forever and he's crazy talented. I think Mike said he'd heard some of his stuff here and there and dug it so he was down to get into it.
Mike said it was like magic. He's repeatedly said that there are some producers and rappers that are just made for each other and El-P and him were it. He's said he's waited his whole life to find El.
They make RAP Music, El-P tours w/ him and they put together a single: Run the Jewels. It's doing REALLY fucking well at shows so they flush it out, touring RAP Music with RTJ material sprinkled through and the rest is pretty much history. It's been the single biggest project of their lives by their own accounts.
Jason Demarco is the dude’s name. He co created Toonami and I’m almost certain he’s responsible for the DOOM adult swim collab
@tropojay1 I believe you're right about DOOM, I think he also setup the FlyLo/Earl/DOOM single
As a massive ElP and RTJ stan this story warms my heart.
Ahhhh one of my own in fds community
@@Vikdeb25502it's one of those things like I grew up loving adult swim. Watched all kinds of shit, core to young me development
And then to top that shit off years later results in the rise of some of my favorite hip hop too??
The whole "Don't be beholden to your media consumption" thing is what I really feel a lot of folks need to hear
I’m not listening to r Kelly
Thank you. Everything is a movement, everybody is a wanna be psychologist/therapist/political activist.
Wow do profound
i do think it matters how ppl compartmentalize it tho. like theres ppl who can admit they like "bad" art, not downplaying how harmful it might be but accepting that they like it regardless. and then theres just ignoring the harmful aspects of the art to try to *excuse* why you enjoy it. i think its important to stay critical to an extent, or else youre just condoning bad behavior? thats just how i see it
@@unseenmolee It's true. It's also important because the discussion of "Problematic" and "Non-problematic" media is flawed in the way many see it. All or nearly all media made in capitalism is problematic to some extent due to the system it was made, but it would be unreasonable to expect people to just self-isolate. Instead we need to engage with media knowing where its problems come from and look at it for what it is. Consuming "good" media which isn't really "good" just won't save anyone.
“Capitalists posing as activists, be offending me” - K. Dot
Savior one of my fav songs from k dot
Who also loves killer mike, so what is your point
@@cm9241 Loves his rapping, not his message.
@@cm9241loved*
@gkay8889 cringe
I’ve struggled to listen to his music ever since 2020, just feels like he’s always rapping about being so revolutionary while contradicting that in real life. I kinda regret not being able to love it because musically it is fantastic
This has been my issue too i have to at least believe 80% what you have to say for certain type of rap. But him being so lyrical etc it’s hard for me to repeat the music when the main subject matter contradicts why I see him tweet and act in real life
Word. I used to listen to Run the Jewels 3 all the time pre-pandemic. Now, while the music is still dope, I can't listen to it without feeling dirty.
@@christophersimmons7784hey so as somebody who doesn't know of him well outside of rap, what kind of contradictions are we talking here?
@@Gr33nPhoenix if you’re talking about breaking down prisons and water boarding people in authority, but then cry for peace and civility when your property investments might suffer, that’s a contradiction. Seeming revolutionary in words, but defending the unjust status quo in deeds is a contradiction
For real, RTJ was the music I listened to before protests knowing things could get dangerous. Finding later on that the dudes just cosplaying what we were out there living was pretty fuckin disappointing
“he has radical inclinations and caplitalist desires “ and in one casual sentence you tear my soul out of my body and show it to me, still bleating. it took 55 years of living to have someone say it so clearly, so…thanks, F.D.
I would actually say it’s the opposite: he has capitalistic inclinations and radical desires. I’m sure he wants to be radical but the capitalist world has beaten him down and he’s become more realistic.
as a white dude i will always give killer mike major props bc around the time of the first BLM upsurge he was posting abt it and i was a white kid like 15-16 in the south, i actually reached out to him in the dms and he no kidding replied to me and set my young head on a much more progressive path. it kinda hurts tho that as ive advanced politically, killer mike has pretty much stood still at black capitalism and enhanced social safety nets, especially when as you point out lyrically mans a fiery revolutionary. thanks for your analysis FD ily
he's also very conservative when it comes to the 2nd-amendment. he even did an interview with the NRA on their online show shortly after the parkland shooting. seems like there's some cognitive dissonance going on there.
it doesn't matter that you're white, dude.
@@3-meo-2-oxo-pcenothing wrong with supping gun use as far as I'm concerned. Would you trust cops to protect you and your family?
@@HandyDandy6 i think it's more of a wholistic view and not necessarily about owning guns. no one's really questioning gun ownership being bad or good in this.
@@3-meo-2-oxo-pceI’ll give Mike big props on that though, as a big pro 2A guy myself
Killa Mike is a business man, like most rappers and always has been. The phrase "I pledge allegiance the grind" says everything you need to know about him and his personal politics and priorities. He wants to be rich/successful which means capitalism fits him nicely. I've personally never taken his politics any more seriously than those of Dame Dash. 💰💰
This is the Leftist version of the Right Wing trope that you need to live a life of poverty to be a Leftist. Sure he is Bourgeoise now. Is he funding things that push things further? Take a man in his totality. Do I look to him as a leader? Absolutely not there are better leaders in my own community.
He believes in "benevolent" Capitalism and tries to hold himself as the standard bearer for that mindset. Not sure what the missing piece of the puzzle is...
Yeah he has always been a hustler from the start, that's the Killer Mike i grew with
makes sense and not that complicated - stop feeling sorry for yourself and take advantage of an unfair game is literally what he talks about. We can hate Elon as much as we like he is still supporting and building better lives for more people then we can imagine regardless of what "we hate". Killer mike's point - This is a beautiful life we lead in spite of whatever things come against us or whatever team loses or wins. ..
Why diss dame dash for no reason this is insane
Your artist breakdowns don’t miss…This is the difficult part about artists/art, the hunger that made us love them gets replaced with their new circumstances. Most impactful artists lose the IT during albums 2 or 3 as their life circumstances change. So hard not fall into that black excellence mindset when you see success.
The best thing they can do is stop LARPing as revolutionary people with answers. I’ve been signed to labels and I’ve made political songs. But I never ever have or would do Dell to action heavy movement rhetoric. I’ve done activism and I know how hard and draining it is so I do not have illusions about how basic my perspective is lol
This comment is false. So you take a few rappers and modern r&b singers and then say MOST impactful artists lose the IT....stop the pretentious cap my goodness.
America doesn’t mind individual black success, just not group success.
Just look at any race riot in American history, to see that truth.
To serve as examples that "the system works" when it absolutely does not
So what do you call Hip Hop😂😂😂🤷🏽♂️ just a series of individual success
@@Someone_Unknown90 how has hip hop improved the economic conditions of blacks as a group.
@@SmartDave60 In my city(Atlanta) alone, dozens of studios have been built in community centers for black children in low income areas so they could strive for something theyre passionate about. Rappers and Hip Hop artists have enacted dozens of charity and welfare programs in their respective areas. And overall rappers have become another example of the “American dream” of success, the cliche of coming from nothing and becoming wildly successful. Thats like asking what has Jazz done for the black community.
One of the wisest things my dad's ever told me - hypocrisy is the tax vice pays to virtue. Even when the music is more radical than the musician, the music influences others who actually believe it and live it.
I love that quote but I don’t understand what it has to do with music
Great thought!
I have a more simple take: the most basic and yet always forgotten part of arts in art theories is that the consumer and the artist produce together what art is. Which means once the artist makes something, it is out and belongs to anyone. So you can have it an interpret it however you want. Which leads to the thing your pa said.
And this is the reason why separate art from the artist is a valid argument.
@@avaDD I love your take! I'm not entirely sold on death of the artist, as another way consumers impact creators is we shape the ecosystems which artists occupy by lending influence/credibility to the artists and the conditions in which a particular work was created by the art we choose to consume - but I think we are allowing capitalism to sneak in unchallenged when we assign ownership of art to any individual, or reduce consumption of art to its commercial aspects.
I've been accurately described as being neuro-spicy, and part of that is I'm excessively literal and constitutionally incapable of picking up on subtext. Then I remember having an epiphany about art - I'd heard on the radio about a conceptual artist who had bought a lock of Princess Diana's hair and used it to make a jelly, and I thought "wow, that's viscerally horrific on several different levels - and I'm sorta fascinated why something that on a purely practical level serves no purpose and impacts no one would inspire that kind of reaction" and all of a sudden the concept of art made sense in a way it had never previously, where I had to look inward at my automatic responses to a work of art to find its meaning (and so while we could learn to see new things in art by sharing and exploring the internal changes it inspired in others, what impact the artist hoped to inspire, how the creative process, history, cultural significance behind a work changes how it affects you, etc., ultimately its meaning can only ever be subjective). And so while I'm still drawn towards creating very literal art, I now have special reverence for art that's figurative or works through inspiring inference.
@@avaDD I mean unless you’re Kanye with Vultures lol
@@silversoulken part of the problem there is Ye brought the shit into the record, even making light of it. It's impossible to separate the art from the artist when the artist is the art.
Dope episode. Most of us Gen X'ers are centrists despite the radical ideas we may have been raised with -- we were all sceaming F the Po-lice and Don't believe the Hype and now we're trying to support kids in college. RTJ gave us the 00's evolution of those revolutionary hooks that gave hip hop life in the 80's. I'll always rock with Mike for that and the Dungeon Family connection. But I'm surprised you didn't even mention the Brian Kemp isht -- That's was the record scratch moment that took me out. Actually, the combo of that and one of Mike's reality show episodes on Vice set on a mock plantation. Yeah, that happened. There's definitely enough material for a part 2.
And him working with Hershal Walker. Just straight up "kill your masters (with kindness)"
I'm a Millennial Centrist with a NOI father and Panther mother, and I'm sorry... these new gen "radicals" are moist weirdos!!! LoL
That is the reason why Killer Mike has made such a sharp pivot towards the center Right socially and further embraced economic capitalism. The Leftists refuse to acknowledge and understand how power & influence work. They aren't proposing or progressing an appealing agenda for our community.
I'm no fan of Killer Mike, but I can read how and why he's now moving the way he does. Also, he woke up to the neglect & disdain the left has for black boys & men... men in general really.
When I saw Vaush get attacked for having the nerve to broach the topic of neglecting men's issues by progressives I knew the leftists were too far gone!!! SMH
I'm Gen X and it's still F the police, it's still ACAB. I just don't have the same energy I did when I was 20 to want to be in the streets with it. Now I am more sitting in the lawn chair drinking beer overall being more meh. It happens.
@@sargerules20 _"...working with Hershell Walker"?!?_ 😳
Bruh you clowns are brainwashed, that's why we never get anywhere. Brian Kemp at least came to hear the people out. Stacy literally said she didn't have to
No other Rap group has more royalties than RTJ, those dudes are in every movie and series it's crazy.
I found the album hard to get into. I grew up in religion, but being an atheist now, the religious overtures in the lyrics took me out of it. The gospel instrumentation itself didn't bother me and still sounds amazing, but when you see how he coats everything through a religious frame, it reminds me constantly of his biggest flaw and where it comes from: Killer Mike doesn't ever admit he's wrong about anything he says or does, and while Talking that Shit is like my favorite song sonically, the actual message of the song is eye rolling. Rant over
Mike has been on a weird religious bend lately. Although, he has stated he doesn’t believe in god. I do understand the strategy though, especially as he’s true colors of a capitalist come out. He has to pander to the religious right, since that’s who’s bankrolling his projects like the bank. It wouldn’t work the other way around. I doubt Killer Mike believes the religious stuff, but financially, he’s gaining a lot from it.
As a fellow non-believer, I loved it. I still mess with some gospel music. And if I’m not mistaken, Killer Mike isn’t Christian, so I figure it’s for the art and the sonics.
I love most of the album sonically but.... lyrically its hella questionable
Well, he was heavily influenced by Christianity. It's what he was raised on. Should he leave it out because some people won't like it? Are you inclusive? He's not pushing Jesus on people. He's not even a Christian. Wake the fuxk up
I’m a black atheist and I still fuck with the religious tones in black music. Often times I’m relating to my Christian days or laughing at the claims lol
I was in a local labor union for a hot minute and it was a real bummer to see that (myself included) the vast vast majority of it was white men. the verbiage of the meeting minutes required the referral of the crowd as "brothers and sisters" and even that felt absurd.
And like historically that makes sense. Labor unions, especially in the south, were formed with the outspoken condition that black people wouldn't be able to join, and even though I'm not in that region of the US, the attempt to actively reach out and bring in people besides the sons of current union members started a year before last on the national UA level. How long before people who don't look like me feel comfortable joining up to, from what i've seen, the most reliable means for a young person to get a good job that has regular raises, insurance, pension, etc.?
I'm sure there's a lot of good books out there on this topic, but I just wanted to shout out Settlers by J. Sakai as the latter portion of the book I found very eye opening on that topic of race dynamics being used to break union efficacy early on along with the evolving nature of white collar middle management and the social and racial motivations that shaped those developments.
@@joshv.1490 I’ll have to put that on the list! I’ve needed to look more into that. During our first meeting for apprenticeship the guy explaining it to us deadass said “unfortunately-(not unfortunately, that’s fucked up) the UA is moving in a direction of inclusivity in the coming years.” All of those words he said. It was amazing how he didn’t say the quiet part out loud, but he did say the quiet part quietly.
@@EmmisonMike ugh, that's so discouraging. Letting pretty prejudice get in the way is no way to build the solidarity a union requires. Hope you are able to find a copy, friend, and that it proves enlightening. May we learn from the failures of the past so we can stop repeating those mistakes. Keep fighting the good fight!
It's not going to change unless more black men have the skill sets desired and join the unions.
There's no magical switch for when things will all of a sudden be nice and then you join.
@@hw6271 one thing I notice is that for a lot of tradesmen, their skill is part of their intergenerational wealth. Many folks only have the skills because their parents taught them, and that puts them ahead further than the kid who took a couple shop classes in high school. The difference is the legislation and intentional cultural movements that interfered with black folk in America in their accumulation of generational wealth. It goes beyond money into the means to make money.
Jay-Z didn’t start that “Dad rap” trend. gotta give credit to Nas who did it 5 years earlier with “Life is Good”
Lots of food for thought. Thanks for your perspective as always.
Reagan! that's my go-to song to start arguements n hurt feelings in the shop. El-P been on another level since Funcrusher Plus
"El-P is the greatest white rapper"
My brain in El-P's voice: "I'M THE DUMBEST"
😂😂
*grabs popcorn*
bruh. i know i dont get down on twitter anymore, and dont have tiktok, so besides nebula this is the only place i get to check your stuff, but as a texan, and a hiphop head from waaaaaay back (peace, love, and kwame lol) ive been waitin on this one for a grip.
I got into Killer Mike through a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist rapper named Bambu who's still slept on. Killer Mike featured on his tracks Upset The Setup and Prey'er. Bambu's been dropping solid projects for over a decade but he's still slept on. Like his Exrcising A Demon albums give the same vibes as Kendrick's GKMC. Bambu also grew up deep in gangbanging with Sathanas, and served as a US Marine before he got to where he is. But hey, maybe the fact he's always been slept on gives credence to him being on revolutionary shit.
Never heard of Bambu, checking him out now. Thanks!
Yes!!! Bambu is my favorite rapper. Not even close.
Bambu is one of my favorite MC’ definitely underrated
I mean yea, it kinda does I'd say. Like even RATM isn't as revolutionary as their lyrics would make them out to be. I mean they still hit for me, but fuckin Tom Morello has some real side-eye shit these days
Bambu 🔥🔥🔥
Liked the album a lot for the most part, but heard the line of Nrich about Greenwood and instantly went “Alright, he’s doubling down, this is him, can’t wait to hear if FD has any thoughts” and you didn’t miss. Listened to some Infinity Knives and it’s right up my alley and added the book to my reading list, great breakdown per usual!
So you listen to music then think of a TH-camrs reaction....pretty corny
Not expecting rappers to be revolutionary is a correct position but I think the discourse you’re dismissing is the political function of a rapper. It’s the revolutionary language and imagery navigating our communities deeper into capitalist delusion. It’s JAY-Z referencing Hampton, Beyoncé in BBP fits at the Super Bowl, Everything Kendrick Cole and Mike pretend to be. The counter revolutionary tactics must be exposed.
Uphold Bootsist/Rileyism
Perfomative activism is running rampant. It's all just classist capitalism wrapped up in old activist language
Jay-Z said “Capitalist” is a slur. He’s a full on class traitor, now.
makes me think about tupac too, i know about the thuglife project and his ties to the black panther party, how he almost became chair to another up and coming radical black group at the age of 16. but when i hear snoop dogg's inauguration of tupac to the rock n roll hall of fame all i hear about him was buying expensive clothes and cars and all that stuff. keep ya head up is a full-on anthem for black women but in other songs he raps about using women to get back at other people like biggie... im really mixed on him
I don't like it, and he sounds like a tool on a lot of the songs. I used to be disappointed in Mike but now I'm just kind of apathetic to his "growth." After he gloated about being a landlord on this new album I sort of checked out-but even before then I wasn't feeling it.
Even musically tho? I thought the music slapped. Especially on the second half.
@@know_no_th3ory128I agree Mike musically is really good. I think it’s a scenario of separating the art from the artist type of thing.
@@juvedoo99I feel you.
@@know_no_th3ory128 The production was fine, and Mike obviously is a dope rapper. It's just a lot of the lyrics bothered me. Outside of that, yeah it's well put together. Also, the gospel production seems like a worse version of what JPEG is really nailing at the moment.
Ya I can’t say I ever really fucked with Killer Mike
I really appreciate the way in which you dig into the meat of your subjects. This was really detailed and helped me to restructure my perspective on how these money growth ventures are generated and guided. I think you would agree when I say that Killer Mike is pushing Greenwood with good intentions. Perhaps more financial education all around is the key.
I feel like this is an obvious answer. He's Mike, a real guy with real experiences (as opposed to the artist who make a fascade that is totally fake down to even the name). He cares about making a difference on some level. He's also a "Killer" meaning he'll do whatever he has to keep the lights on until "the revolution" arrives, which is what i view his music, his businesses and brand as.
I've been saying this about him for YEARS! Glad I just came across this video..... Good work brother
Still love a lot of killer mikes music. I think in his Netflix show he still tried to show people (who can) how to buy a farm and own the means of production from farm to table.
Regarding your first point about rap and hip hop songs over the last few years exploring themes of fatherhood, J Cole’s “let go my hand” was one that really resonated with me.
Cole corny
Definitely look forward to the dad rap video. It makes me think about how Andre 3k doesn't think he's able to still move audiences like these verses he drop aren't amazing. Hopefully he surprises us in this lifetime.
Great analysis of the album. I would also suggest reading The Spook That Sat By the Door. It really explains a lot on his political perspective that I think is shared by many black men that grew up in that era.
Important read for anyone working in their community. Highly recommended.
third reference to this book i’ve heard in two days. the universe clearly is telling me to read it.
@@robertogreen it’s a great book. I definitely recommend
I'm neutral on Killer Mike...I feel that he doesn't mean any harm to the community. He's just strongly opinionated. He reminds me of that uncle at the family reunion you know is going to get triggered about anything socio economic/political. There are some nuggets of truth in there..but mostly just let him speak until he's tired..lol.
😂😂😂😂
Love your analysis man. I actually first ran into Killer Mike while listening to an IHeartRadio Nujabes channel of all things. I was walking to college when Nobody Speak starts playing and I love it immediately. Didn't think too much of it until a few months later I decide to explore the song and it's artists more and the second song with Killer Mike I heard was Reagan and I was hooked from there
Been a Killer Mike fan since that verse on Whole World. Had all Pledge albums. Loved R.A.P. and the RTJs. But that man hit that 'don't riot guys, buy up the block' hard after Bernie lost.
I'm so glad you touched on this brotha. Because most don't read between the fine lines.
Specially when the lines are fine and the rhymes are tight...
@afrosamourai400 Mmmmm!.. that was mean bars bro. 💯
@@afrosamourai400 mmmmmmmm
Been saying that about El-P for years now!
One of my fav rapppers of all time
Absolutely blown away by Infinity Knives. Thanks for the suggestion. King Cobra is real AF. Damn, that was incredible - so much in that to unpack. Guaranteed, I'll be thinking about this for days. (edit: love the NIN touches! Immediately recognized these sounds! I grew up a huge NIN-head!)
I AM HERE FOR THIS DIALOGUE!
Don’t speak to me about ending currency via “Ooh La La” while also chasing that money, Mike!
I’m a longtime fan of, but not really a student of, hip hop so stuff like this is invaluable to me. And of course having this all told through a critical leftist lens is invaluable too - so much media analysis takes capitalism as a given or even as a symbol of human nature, like it’s an innate part of us. So important to have takes like this out there.
I've grown up with Mike. I was in the middle of my childhood when R.A.P. Music came out, and my dad's always been big on Mike. He has a bunch of unreleased tracks downloaded to his phone, stuff like Ric Flair. He's been into Mike for years and passed it down to me which I thank him all the time for. RTJ changed the game, my dad literally showed me the video the day it came out and was like a giddy little kid about it. Talkin about "this is real hip hop", "you don't know nothin' bout this", and from then on I picked it up and ran with it. I've got plenty of core memories soundtracked to either RTJ or Mike and I even have R.A.P. Music and RTJ4 on vinyl. I'm gonna see Mike soon and I can't wait bc as an adult more than ever this music speaks to me. I've seen the stuff he talks about on SLUMMER, the stuff he talks about on SOMETHING FOR JUNKIES, all of these songs are beautiful and dark at the same time and I've always loved songs that have that quality. This is easily my front runner for Album of the Year and I'm grateful to have grown up knowing such an underrated emcee.
Also all those pledge albums belong on spotify i hate that he's never brought them back because those albums are also incredible, I faintly remember on either one of those albums or a different one that he'd literally rap bible stories and that was always something crazy to me bc instead of some Jesus Walks stuff my dad went all the way (even though hes so atheist) to bible verses and all this amazing stuff and I really just wish all those albums were released to streaming platforms
For real, for real...
I'm anticipating FD's white rappers video.... hopefully it's sooner than later.
I'm considering ending the year with it
@@signifiedbsides1129
That's what's up. 💯
No rush.
@@signifiedbsides1129I'm eagerly terrified
El-P is totally the best white rapper. The rest of the video will be an interesting experience though ha
@signifiedbsides1129 don't take this the wrong way, but you have a very surface understanding of "Hip-hop" and its "History. You should consult with more in-depth people before making alot of the statements you will probably make in the future. You can tell you are ignorant to a lot of past whos and whys. KRS ONE, El-p, Talib Kweli, RA the Rugged Man, immortal technique, MC Esoteric of Czarface, Method Man, Ras Kass, Planet Asia and Evidence are definitely some of the most honest and notable "Historians" today. I'm sure one of these guys would be more than happy to help a bigger channel like yours have a way better understanding of Hip-hop all around.
None of the L's in LLC stand for Liberation.
🎯
Damn!!! That's bar!!!
One of them even stands for "limited"
Great video. Love the little nod to Mike & the aforementioned hip-hop nerds with the Hood Politics beat.
I see Mike as a man with radical politics that understands Kill Your Masters aint gonna set his family up for longevity within the system we currently operate.
There is nothing contradictory to me about understanding that the system is jacked, while also giving game about how to make it work in your favor.
RTJ Mike speaks his true politics while his other music is a conversation with black folks. Regardless of whether or not we can all run successful LLC's, we all know there are elements at the forefront of black culture, currently, that hold us back, collectively.
He speaks frequently about the positive black examples and influences that inspired him growing up. I think thats what he's trying to do in his conversations with black people in particular.
America, the system is trash; black people, this is how we survive.
It's a difficult line to walk
100% agree with you. Whether we like him or not, he's actually putting the time in to put us on game and learn about wealth, businesses, and so much more. We all know the system is rigged against us, but hell, even an ounce of knowledge can change someone's life, so I respect that about him. I can't name many rappers (or people in general) that's this committed to trying to be a voice for helping the his community out in his own way.
Facts.
Him being a landlord really hurts him though.
EXCELLENT analysis my guy. Couldn’t agree more with virtually all that was discussed
I'd dig hearing your take on Dead Prez.
Hell yeah and on saul williams, billy woods too..
Dead prez are entirely slept on, Lets Get Free is genuinely one of the best albums of all time and its never brought up at all.
Hell yeah! Cos it's bigger than hip hop, hip hop 🎶
El-P blended just enough buzz-and-rattle from his own sound to the trappier elements of "Stankonia" and it worked perfectly.
Lost me on REPARATIONS.
The debt is owed, has been for Centuries and the idea of "waiting" is outta pocket.
Nobody has told other groups to wait on what's been due but there is always a reason to put off what is owed us, sadly even from our own.
Reparations without a populus that isn't properly politically educated is nonsense
So speaking about this from a colonial point of view, lets say the former colonizers pay reparations back to countries that were colonized like in Africa and the Caribbean, what would happen is the upper class of those nations will just keep the money while everyone else’s material conditions stay more or less the same. I think FD is making a similar point with regards to reparations for African Americans. However that money gets distributed back, it’s gonna end up in the hands of a few people and won’t change the material conditions of the many in any kinda substantial way.
Until there’s some form of class consciousness and solidarity, just throwing money at the issue isn’t gonna solve it. It’s sucks to say we missed the boat in the 60s but it really was a pivotal decade for oppressed black people all over the world and the capitalists won. They didn’t win by playing fair or because they had the better ideology but by brutality and small compromises, sad really.
@@PeterEhikwhy is the opinion only held towards giving black people money? No other group goes through this
The Jared Ball book sounds like an interesting read. Seems like an updated version of The Black Bourgeoisie which was written in 1955 and offers similar sobering realities.
I'm at the start of this video and I just want to pause and say how much I appreciate the El-P love
I just want to thank you for putting me on to Infinity Knives OMG 🤯🔥🔥🔥 And communicating way better what I been trying to tell my people for years.
FD needs to go on This is Revolution for real since He’s been going harder on the Marxism. It’d be a dope conversation.
I’ll second that
He rocks!
I love when you talk about music. I came to your channel for the poltiical takes but the music talk has been a treat as a music nerd.
What JD is saying about killer mike and greenwood being a plus for a select group of black people with the resources to capitalize off of it is how I felt about jay z’s 444 album. His wealth talk wasn’t for the majority of us. It was for the hundred thousandaire drug dealers. If I listen to that album with that in mind I can appreciate it a lot more.
looking forward to the dad-rap video. You have to include Phonte and Little Brother on that, they keep it 100 on the dad tip lol.
Major fact!
I love the music RTJ, killer mike, el -p def jux etc have released. Their music is really inspiring to me, but at the end of the day they're just rappers, listenng to them is not "revolutionary", consumption does not challenge capital in any meaningful way.
Maybe it can be revolutionary if it inspires revolutionary action despite that not being the goal of the artist
@@steppinrzr8396 Revolutionary action is not spontaneous, it takes a LOT of disciplined mass organisation. Yes songs can spread class concsious messaging but that alone doesnt make real revolutionary action possible.
@@sunflowersamurai10exactly. It’s like let’s say you’re at a soccer match. People will yell and sing to support their team. That isn’t going to win the match. Sure it’ll motivate, but what actually gets it done is the coordination between the players and their cohesion. Same thing with revolutionary work.
@@juvedoo99 good analogy
Big fan of your thoughtfulness in regards to hip-hop breakdowns. Love all your music pieces. Checking for that Dad Rap video.
16:06 Man listen! Lol that’s the realest take I’ve heard on reparations in a minute and it’s so true! Also thank you for calling out them earn your leisure clowns! Shout out to Dr. Ball and Black Power Media for trying to counter their BS too! ✊🏾🔥
Protect this brotha at all costs
Sidenote: Salute to El-P and Company Flow. Funcrusher Plus and Cannibal Ox guy right here
the cold vein is definitely one of the albums that turned me onto what hip hop is really capable of.
His dad is police. What did you expect
This live stream was great. When he said he went to school with Pinky, we were like we were like 👀
I was like 🤯😼
Say word
Wtf is pinky?
@@afrosamourai400 bro... 😢
@@DuperSoupera young man he is bro
First off, big fan of yours FD, keep the content coming.
Secondly, what did you mean by “that ship has sailed” in regards to black capitalism not working? Were you suggesting that at one point earlier in history that it could have worked?? Or was it more like saying “we tried that already?”
Lastly, I gotta listen to the album, see if I agree with its quality.
Peace ✌🏾
Just in case he doesn't get to you, i think i can sum up his point decently enough. Based on his videos, what FD means by "the ship had sailed" is that black capitalism or black excellence being the liberation of our people was never really an option and history has been our evidence for that. the talented ten has been a concept that's been preached since probably W.E.B Dubois, but it ignores the fact that white supremacy will always end up hamstringing any efforts towards that goal on our part, whether it's thru violence, political action, or any other means. the combined wealth and power of all the richest black people just pales in comparison to the combined wealth and power of old money capitalists and the governments that they manipulate to enrich themselves
And fundamental to capitalism is the idea that there have to be losers. Even when individuals meet extraordinary success they do it by becoming part of or useful to that system. It’s a system that can only get a vanishingly small portion of the population out of hardship. Bc the unit of capitalism is the individual and the corporation, not the community. It’s not a true solution even if it did “work”.
I appreciate the neutrality in this discourse because I too had to measure Mike in a certain manner particularly when I noticed him being more political. I hear glitches in his messages.
Well made observations, I really enjoyed the video.
FD saying he cannot share his true thoughts on suggestions here on YT is showing his hand that he is hiding his true power level.
It’s a lil iffy at times but it was a solid project, that Andre feature was goated
You had me in the first half with Pinky....
I think we can now add Ice Cube into that Black Capitalist grift label.
He came from FTP to working with the powers that be in order to get his bag bigger. SMH
From the guy that rapped, "Black is too fucking broke to be Republicans."
Capitalism is the only reason you get to type on your little phone, you ungrateful whiners.
@@bklyncrook which I guess makes sense now for him since he isn't broke.
Although I think he'll stop short of saying he's Republican. He has no problems critiquing Democrats, deservedly so but working with Steve Bannon and Trump on that platinum plan looks horrible. I'm sure that label and word use of "platinum" is strategic too.
@@forthesnowflakes7691 Not like the Democrats were willing to "work" with him before the election.
Oh he absolutely got played by the republicans
Can you do a video looking at the career and views of Paris? I feel like he is criminally overlooked in discussions of rappers and radical politics. Probably because he has changed his focus artistically for the most part. Idc what he believes nowadays but I still appreciate his collection of ripped breakbeats he released under another name back in the 90s.
Paris was criminally slept on in the 90's too. Definitely worth a deep dive.
el-p production made the best of killer mikes style change up the fission of two styles. BEST ALBUM EVER Fantastic Damage years ahead of its time. RIP DEF JUX
Working in addiction services, I feel like it is a very primal and human thing for people to firmly believe if a certain method worked for themselves, it should work for everyone else.
ignorance is primal? not sure about that
Love the vid. Love your work. Gotta say tho, Atmosphere has always been making age-relevant music. 4:44 was a dope record and I dig when older guys just make shit from their life instead of sounding or trying to sound like they young dudes.
12:10
I'm from Brazil and this has always been a reality in my country
I'm writing a little paper on one of WEB DuBois' reflections on his concept of the talented 10th, and I immediately thought of Killer Mike. I'd like to thank you for introducing me to that concept when I was in high school. I've read this GQ interview before, and I figured that interview along with some of your videos would be good sources to reference. This was supposed to be a one page paper, but it's something I'm really passionate about so I think I'm going to write a whole lot more than that.
Killer Mike is low key a rap God. He's underrated but he can hold his own lyrically with the best of em. He's older so he really taps into his soul on this one. If your from the south or you have roots in the south, you feel this album. Bottom line!
Finally someone gives the allegiance to the grind series love. I was such a fan back then and was disappointed by his r.a.p. album, because i wasnˋt into that sound back then.
Tryna pay the rent, but that's not black empowеrment
That's you tryna pay the rent - billy woods
I'VE BE WAITING ON THIS!
Ghais guevara is probably the most revolutionary rapper
Just commented about him too
Try immortal Technique
that dude is so fucking good it hurts
Love that kendrick instrumental in the back, brings the whole video together for me 🤌🏿
I think its really hard to tell someone that it doesn't work when it lifts them, and their families and homies out of poverty.
And he was featured on Bambu's Prey for the Devil. Wild how he switched up so quick. Great insights, Sig.
FD: "Shout out to Pinky!"
Chat: 😏
For future reference F.D. when ya mention shiny suit rap, just say Puff. And outside of ATL, the average ninja can't name a Killer Mike album. IJS
🎶Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a Coupe🎶
I love you calling out your peers especially with Trina still my jam.
“Reparations in the Sixties would’ve been dope!”
That is NO 👏🏾CAP👏🏾
Killer Mike grew up in a Middle Class society but wanted to be hood. Once he started getting into that 1 percent, he went back to his childhood ways. What I mean is, he went back to what he grew up in. He goes on shows and speaks like an angel to the white folks. Once he get around black people during interviews, it's NGA this NGA that.
All fax on El P
Hey thanks for the shout out! This is our biggest one !
Roc Marciano 🐐💯
I absolutely love listening to you talk Rap tho... Like I always agree FD
I can’t wait for the video about white rappers. El Producto has created one of the most high concept albums with “Cancer 4 Cure”. He has been doing albums since “Funcrusher+”, also “Fantastic Damage” and “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” are wildly underrated. His establishment of DefJux (Definitive Jux) led to every white guy’s secret favorite rapper, Aesop Rock. Not ASAP Rocky. Aesop Rock is God.
Aesop Rock deserves way more respect on his name.
El-p! Bruh, I thought I was the only one who really know. Big respect for that shout out. He is hands down the most important white figure in hip hop... and literally nobody knows it
I agree with Mike's disapproval of black people burning up and rioting in Atlanta. It's the community he belongs to and it has a large number of black business owners.
i would love to see you guys have a level headed discussion. i feel like mike would alpha you and just be the one talking for most of it but if he felt confident in his views to just agree to let you both take turns expressing your viewpoints it would be a really useful discourse because although as a canadian i dont know shit about any of this lol i follow your channel and i own 3 RTJ albums on vinyl and right or wrong at certain moments im quite sure you are both very genuine people who believe what they say - those are the most interesting discourses
I agree with you on the fact that the whole black excellence is blown out of proportion and over simplified.
However, your viewpoint that capitalism is bad and a zero sum game is insidiously incorrect . Yes, the filthy versions have rotted out different parts of society, such as cronyism and nepotism capitalism but the concept of capitalism itself is a very useful tool and amoral it not being good or bad. It is just merely a tool, and to denounce ALL of it is just plain stupid.
Yes, those with the power have treated our people horribly in the past and continue to do so to this day however, that system also has lifted us out of poverty, and we have made significant gains itself, and by ignoring that you’re spitting in the face of our predecessors, efforts and achievements .
Killer Mike’s message is to stop giving all your money to the white man and build your community. You don’t have to be a millionaire but if you have significant enough influence you can help out and that you come in many shapes and sizes but to oversimplify it to a false dichotomy (black and white)way of viewing it is just plain asinine and you no better than you opps.
Why are people acting like he’s never said anything like this before?
Like he hasn’t changed a bit, I think people are just paying more attention to him