Kanye West feat. Raekwon & Kid Cudi-Gorgeous

I've played basketball for most of my life and I remember when I was young and watching Michael Jordan during some of his biggest games. Jordan played a level of basketball that not only was incredible to watch, but also one that was inspiring. I vividly remember times after watching Jordan put up 30 on a helpless defense going out to my basketball hoop and shooting hoops till the last light faded. The only cement that my "court" had was a small sliver of sidewalk that ran in front of the hoop, the rest was grass and dirt. Didn't matter. I was inspired.

Kanye's new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is like an epic Jordan performance. It's not only great to listen to, it's also a wakeup call to other rappers, saying hey fellas, time to go shoot some more jumpers. Kanye's verses have a hunger to them that I've never heard before from him, perhaps indicating a desire to be considered one of the best rappers in the game, rather than just as a great entertainer. Some of his best G.O.O.D. Friday tracks are on the album, but all are reworked and redone. Like expected, the production on the album is stellar, and many of the songs have a multidimensionality that I've never heard before (see "Blame Game"). My favorite track so far is "Gorgeous" featuring Kid Cudi on the hook (and sounding way more comfortable than he does on parts of his new album) and Raekwon coming in the 9th inning of the song and hitting a walk off homer. "Gorgeous" has three verses (three!) from Kanye and clocks in at almost 6 minutes, a quick indication from Kanye on the second track of his album that he's back to rapping, and is coming for the crown. As far as I'm concerned, it's his.

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Q-Tip feat. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, & Lil' Wayne-Renaissance Rap (Remix)

Turn this song up and imagine yourself walking down the street, turning the corner, and stumbling on a rap cypher by four of the greatest rappers alive. With a syncopated flow that only gets better with age, Q-Tip starts off the festivities, rapping about coming up in New York, honing his skills, rapping on the A train, and battling other rappers for days. Probably the most technical of the four, Q-Tip ends his verse with a gem:

When in the heat of the cipher, I was not libel
For all the casualties of the dutty MCs'
I split the train car like Moses did the Red Sea
Get it in ya head, we gon' rock the dead
Night of the living MCs', the weak ones fled

Busta Rhymes is next. With his trademark energy and vigor, Busta throws in enough animal noises for a screening of Planet Earth. Like a silver-back gorilla puffing out his chest, Busta's verse is him trying to prove that he's the hardest around. Raekwon follows Busta, doing what he does best: storytelling with a mix of flash and grit. His gruff voice sounds just as at home rapping about looking fly at the Golden Globes as it does rapping about a thousand and one goons. Lil' Wayne, by far the baby of the group, finishes it up. With a goofy flow, Wayne's talent shines even though his verse is probably the least lyrical of the four. But its hard to deny that he seems to be having the most fun. 

With four different flows, four different approaches, and four different subjects, this song  showcases the diversity of rap. With no hooks and no choruses, just four rappers and a hype man, this song takes it back to the simpler times, when being the hardest rapper on the block was enough. 

Lyrics

 Q-Tip-Renaissance Rap remix feat. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Lil' Wayne (Jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2