Other than the fact that I’m not a black millionaire greatest rapper alive married to Beyonce, it turns out that Jay-Z and I actually have a lot in common. Just like yours truly, Hova came out today and said that we was shocked to see Eminem left off MTV’s “10 Hottest Rappers” list.
In a statement released to the press today, Jay began by thanking MTV for the recognition, but quickly moved into criticism mode:
“Sidebar: Kanye moment if I may ... Eminem?!?! I think you do the credibility of this list a disservice if you don’t thoroughly explain his omission. As of this second, he has the highest selling rap album of the year and a scene stealing verse on the best ‘posse’ cut of the year.”
What can I say, great minds think alike. Having been thoroughly called out by their own selection for hottest rapper alive, MTVHip-Hop Editor Shaheem Reid tried to respond:
“Eminem’s ranking was one of the most discussed topics at the Roundtable. His hotly anticipated return to hip-hop after a long absence drove first-week sales of over 600,000 — the highest first-week sales of the year so far. He granted a handful of select interviews here and abroad, and was part of a massive moment with Sacha Baron Cohen at the MTV Movie Awards.
“But then Em retreated to the lab, where he spent the summer crafting Relapse 2. From June to September, Em all but took himself out of the public eye, while other MCs generated week-to-week heat with mixtapes, guest appearances, performances and Web activity.
“Eminem is one of the best ever on the mic. His track record is undeniable. The Hottest list deals with right now, though.”
First and foremost, I’d like to thank Reid for making this such an easy argument to ridicule. If he had simply said, “Listen, we just didn’t feel comfortable giving a “hottest” spot to a man whose albums primarily dealt with serial killer fantasies and child rape,” I would have gone “fair enough.” but this whole “he wasn’t around in the summer” thing? Ridiculousness.
Actually, I was going to launch into an extended breakdown of Reid’s claims, but you know what? I can make this all much easier. So here’s the scenario:
As of right now, you’re a rapper and you want someone to guest on your track (we’re assuming that people would only want the “hottest” rappers to appear on their records, right?). You want someone who’s not only going to drop an ill verse, but garner your record as much attention and sales as possible. You’re telling me that Eminem isn’t one of the first ten people you call? You’re calling Loso and Gucci Mane before you try to get Slim Shady on the record? Really? I didn’t think so.
I would have loved to have seen MTV take the Letterman approach and just take full responsibility for what was an obvious mistake, but that’s obviously not going to happen. So it looks like I’ll just have to console myself with the fact that, at the very least, motherf**king Jay-Z totally agrees with me. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Read more: Features
| lzfreshtadeath |
Thanks for fighting it with a passion Nathan. I think once Relapse 2 drops, MTV will be begging him for play and luckily I don't think Em really gives a s**t. Just like he said in Real Slim Shady. |
| Posted on Oct 11, 2009 |
Public Enemy said it best: don’t believe the hype. Urban music and culture has found a home online, but with the explosion of new content appearing online everyday, it’s become difficult to separate what’s real with what’s just hype.
RefinedHype gathers everything that’s new in urban culture and refines it for a discriminating audience. From exclusive new music to the latest in entertainment, fashion, events and more, we give you the high quality content you demand.
