#CottonsThoughtProcess PODCAST: “Your Song Isn’t A Hit Yet Homie”

On my latest podcast I tell you what mak3w song or artist “hot.” What do you think?

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“The Origins Of Dab & Hollywood Divorce (Bow Wow Got It All Wrong)” #CottonsThoughtProcess Podcast

I had to break it down for the misinformed on Cotton’s Thought Process.

Bow Wow mad a video incorrectly stating that the popular “dab/dabbin” dance comes from smoking marijuana.
He all sorts of wrong lol. Yeah a “dab” is a type of concentrated THC that ppl smoke.

BUT, the term “dabbin/dab” that the popular dance comes from is ATL lingo for “fresh dressed.” It’s short for “debonair.” Peewee Longway was the first one to really use it. Here he is in an April interview explaining it.

You can listen to his song “Big Homie” to hear how it’s used. The whole song is about fashion,how fresh he dresses & how that makes him attractive to women.

“Bring out all that s**t don’t wanna see it on me/ I get to the mirror I wanna see it on me/ Catch me dabbin out in public you gone see it on me”

Words can mean different things in different places. “Geeked” means crunk/hype at TSU (Tennessee State University), but in Atlanta it means high on pills.

Here’s a video from  song called “Dabbin” by ATL rapper/producer Mr. 2-17 released March 2015. He’s talking about….*gasp* how fresh he is.

Still don’t believe “dabbin” means fashion? Check out this video called “Dabbin” by ATL group Guap Boyz from April 2015. It’s all about how fresh they are.

“Why You Shouldn’t Drop Your Mixtape On A Holiday” (#CottonsThoughtProcess Podcast)

5 mins of your time as I explain why dropping mixtapes on Thanksgiving (all all the other fall/winter holidays) is a bad move.  #CottonsThoughtProcess

After You Watch Straight Outta Compton, Look Here For The Real Story (LINKS INSIDE)

While Straight Outta Compton was a dope movie and got alotta stuff right, it also had many factual inaccuracies & biases towards Dre & Cube. Here are some links you can click on to get a more rounded view of the whole Ruthless/Death Row situation. I did this so you wouldn’t have to waste time hunting around. This isn’t a definitive collection because stuff is steady coming out year by year, but it does cover the story very well.

Cotton’s “Straight Outta Compton” Movie Review

Aight I just left the theater from watching the highly anticipated N.W.A. biopic “Straight Outta Compton.”
Here’s my quick review

COTTON’S THOUGHT PROCESS: Same Things That Helped J. Cole Hurt Nicki Minaj

How ironic. The same promotional machine that is helping J. Cole is the exact same things that is hurting Nicki Minaj. The consumption and enjoyment of music is often directly related to weather and major social issues.  In the whole Michael Brown/ Eric Garner/ Tamir Rice situations and the ensuing #BlackLivesMatter movement have made people more social conscious….for the moment at least. These tragedies, in a weird way, have helped J. Cole with his 3rd album.

By showing up randomly to memorials and protests, J. Cole, in effect, was seen as sort of a poster child for “conscious rap,” especially since he didn’t show up and attempt to use that moniker to shine a spotlight on himself on some “look at me I’m here” type stuff. This made him be seen as “one with the people.” Add this with him going to people’s houses to let them listen to his new album and performing the Michael Brown tribute song “Be Free” on Letterman (instead of any songs from album), 95% of J. Cole’s promotion for this album came from other people

[COTTON THOUGHT PROCESS] Yeah I’ll Say It: Iggy Should’ve Won Over Nicki At The 2014 BET Awards

First things first, I Cotton am not a Iggy Azaela fan. I cant stand how she magically gets a hoodrat accent when rapping that’s not present at all when she speaks. But facts are facts: Iggy got robbed last night at the 2014 BET Awards when she did not receive the Best Female Rapper award.

Iggy, fake rapping accent or not, is the first female, let alone female rapper; to have her first appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 to go #1 and #2 spots simultaneously (her single “Fancy” and her guest feature on Ariane Grande’s “Problem) since the Beatles did it in 1964. Did I mention Iggy’s album has outsold Future’s sophmore album, which was released on the same day as her. She’s smashing all kinds of charts. And, like it or not, she’s actually rapping and not singing. Close your eyes you’d never know she wasn’t from Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj, the winner of BET Best Female Rapper award the last four years straight due to no real competition, is still in the gear-up period for her 4th album, which still doesn’t have a release date at the moment. Her initial single “Lookin Ass” did decent, but there was more talk about the Malcolm X cover controversey than the song, which has all but faded away. Nicki has had some super dope freestyles recently (“Chiraq” and “Danny Glover”) and a club record with “Yass Bitch.” Her new single “Pill N Potions” has potenial and is rising up the charts (#24 on the Hot 100). But all things considered, when Nicki finally has competent competition,  she hasn’t had the attention nor numbers musically this year that Iggy has received. I needed at least a mixtape from Nicki.

I honestly think Iggy may have won but presenter Floyd Mayweather just didn’t want to give his recent rival TI a chance to come on stage (Iggy is T.I.’s artist). Remember,  he didn’t even open the envelope. When have you ever seen thst happen at an awards show?

On what basis can you say Nicki outperformed Iggy this year? She doesn’t even have an album out. Now we all know she gets the extra attention similar to Macklemore & Eminem, but you cant deny her numbers and Nicki’s lack of during the last 365 days. Is it really any fun to receive any award by default instead of actually winning it?

[COTTON THOUGHT PROCESS] “Explaining The South’s Love/Hate Relationship With New York Hip-Hop” Pt. 1

I absolutely hated this portrayal in Belly, but it is a good example of how many New Yorkers saw “outsiders.”

With Trinidad James’ recent outburst in New York City and Troy Ave’s response, the spotlight is again on the South’s place in hip-hop.  I decided to kinda breakdown the roots on the South’s weird relationship with New York hip-hop.

 “I thought that they ain’t gonna hear me in Memphis/ It was like a time they looked over Tennessee and didn’t think hip-hop was in us.” – MJG (“Paid Dues”)

Almost every 70’s & 80’s Baby born in the South that was a hip-hop fan secretly wanted to be from New York.  I mean who didn’t imagine that they could rep when Biggie yelled “is Brooklyn in the house?” at every awards show? Or wish they could throw their hands up when you heard  Mase say “Harlem World” on a record?  That was some of the coolest stuff ever to an 1984 baby like myself and it was just a dream to think I’d someday see someone from Tennessee or anywhere else in the South get to represent and spread that love on a nationwide platform.

COTTON THOUGHT PROCESS: Why August Alsina Had Every Right To Cut A Shine On The 106 Host

I’m sure you’ve heard about singer August Alsina cursing out on of BET’s 106 & Park hosts yesterday (April 15) after she asked him about his “beef” with fellow singer Trey Songz.  It was apparent that that subject was agreed upon to be off-limits between then, yet she asked about it live anyway.

Be clear, I’m not condoning Alsina’s language, but he actually had a valid reason to be mad about the blatant disrespect that the host, Keisha Chante, showed him.  Too many reporters now are trying to take the Wendy Williams route trying to bully artists into answering questions because it’s being recorded live. It’s about time somebody put these interviewers in their place. Alsina’s label spent good money on 106 promoting his album the past seven days with 3 minute mini-profiles of him.  So to do this on the day his album dropped is just shameful.

People criticizing August for “not being professional,” yet the one really being unprofessional was Keisha Chante.  It’s a 99% chance that his publicist told them beforehand what not to ask. The host went ahead and disrespectfully asked him not once, but twice, even after he was clearly agitated.  An artist doesn’t have to answer every question, especially when it’s just gossip.  It’s the same way an artist isn’t obliged to give every autograph and take every picture.  Even if you have financially supported them, you supported them as a music artist and that doesn’t give anyone an all-access pass to their personal space and life.

It’s funny that last week I was listening to one of New York’s Hot 97’s Juan Epstein podcasts from last year where the station’s general manager, Ebro, was schooling one of his on-air personalites for going into an interview blind without knowing any of the questions and, consequently, being hit with prodding question after question about their rivals, Power 105’s The Breakfast Club.  Here’s what he had to say:

“We live in a world where everyone thinks they’re entitled . “I have a blog” and “I have a Twitter so I should get an interview.” No you shouldn’t! Who the f___ are you!? When the New York Times emails me about a interview: send me your questions. I don’t know you. You’re trying to do your job. I don’t know what you got planned for me.  And I know your job as a journalist is to get me on the phone and to get me off my game. Or to say something to poke and pry.  Send me your questions, I’ll give you some good stuff so you have a compelling interview. I don’t want you to NOT have a compelling interview. I’m just not going to let you control the interview. YOU NEVER LET A INTERVIEWER CONTROL YOU! We’re in this business.  Mutha_____s out here trying to make a name for themselves, that’s what they do. That’s what they’re supposed to be doing. When you go into a interview, you gotta know what you’re dealing with and not over talk.”

 

Proof Beyonce’s Suprise Internet Release Was Planned Over A Decade Ago By Jay-Z

Live from my Galaxy…

Beyonce shocked the world by dropping a self-titled album out of the blue (see what I did there) exclusively on iTunes this past week. Crazy how, if you look at the bottom paragraph of this clip from a September 2002 The Source article on Roc-A-Fella, you’ll see that her husband Jay-Z  described how he (later she) would drop a surprise “black album” and, without a single or video prior, be quickly promoted for free using fans’ word of mouth virally.  This was back when MTV & BET still actually played music videos kiddos and three years before YouTube was available.  Sean Carter correctly predicted 11 years ago the power that the internet would have in music distribution & promotion.  Back then, few in the music industry saw the internet as nothing but a haven for high-tech bootlegging (see: Napster).  Fast-forward to now: when’s the last time you didn’t find out about a new release from the internet? Keep in mind that in 2002, it wasnt “cool” to be on the internet like it is now. You’d likely be considered to be a dork if you were on the net a lot. And heavens forbid you *gasp*… posted on a message board lol. I mean they were still offering typewriting in high schools when Jay said this. We came a mighty long way haha.

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