Han's Hip-Hop Report is a new twice weekly column in which hip-hop junkie Han O'Connor gives us The Wrap Up on the ever controversial week in hip-hop!
The U.S hip-hop scene is known for its rather incestuous, interconnected nature. Everybody wants to work with the hottest MCs and get the man of the moment on board for their latest project. Well, heading into the 2nd Quarter of 2010 it looks as if the next wave of albums will be no exception; expect the usual overdose of Weezy, Kanye and of course Drake but also plenty of experimentalism and the return of one of hip-hop’s heavyweights...
Having recently made the sport headlines by announcing his interest in purchasing Crystal Palace football club, hip-pop superstar P. Diddy decided to take his focus back to the music by revealing that recently released rapper T.I. would be appearing on his latest project. The Atlanta emcee will be joining the likes of the currently incarcerated Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Drake, who will also be appearing on the record. After delays of over a year and several speculated release dates, the much-hyped ‘Last Train To Paris’ album is reportedly set for US release on June 22nd.
Rap’s golden child Drake has opened up about his forthcoming debut ‘Thank Me Later’, which is probably one of the most highly-anticipated records of 2010. He spoke yesterday with MTV News about his “unconventional” lead single ‘Over’, which premiered on Canadian radio earlier this month, stating that it was a choice he made for himself and that it represented the “calm before the storm.” The charismatic Toronto rapper also spoke about his collaboration with Jay-Z, calling it “real rap” and praising the dynamic of the track. He also mentions that the song represents his relationship with Jigga and the repertoire the two share. Can he live up to the hype? Hopefully we will find out in May, when the album is expected to drop.
No stranger to transgressing the borders of Hip-Hop, Jay-Z has added another Rock collaboration to his already impressive musical CV. Having already worked with Lenny Kravitz, U2’s Bono and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, he has now laced a track with Jack White of the White Stripes. In a recent GQ interview, White explained that he had been in the booth with Jigga and described the result as “unbelievable-sounding” and “incredible.” Unfortunately for Jay-Z fans it could be a while before the next album, as he announced that it will “depend on the music” and confirmed that he had no dates in mind but would be hoping for a 2010/11 release.
Fresh off the disappointment of his last offering ‘Before I Self-Destruct’, rap mogul Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson has begun working on his follow-up project ‘Black Magic’, announcing that he is looking to do a Kanye so to speak and push the boundaries of Hip-Hop. In a recent interview he explained that he had already recorded three records for the experimental new album, after being inspired by “Dance” music he heard in a club and described it as having “a different vibe.” Will Fiddy’s rather Timbaland-esque mainstream approach to this project will be able to shift a few more units without upsetting his original fan-base? Well it’s admittedly a pretty intriguing move to say the least.
Words: Han O'Connor
Online editing: Joseph 'JP' Patterson
