Today (July 6) marks the birthday of one of the most rebellious lyricists of Hip-Hop culture, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck. The culture notable turns 53.
The unorthodox approach of Inspectah Deck raised a satisfying hell when he smoked the mic back in 1992 on Wu-Tang’s groundbreaking debut single “Protect Ya Neck.” Amid every single slot of opportunity, Deck proceeds to expose his ability to describe realities in the form of rapping with a style that the average human being cannot detect.
Following the Wu’s debut, the Rebel INS went on to drop persuasive verses on the solo projects of Wu members Method Man, Raekwon, GZA, and Ghostface Killah creating a slew of the collective’s most renowned tracks which are deemed infinite on the classical realm. In 1997, he went on to create history by giving birth to arguably the greatest verse in Hip-Hop history. Featured on Wu-Tang’s second studio album, “Triumph,” Deck left an enormous impression on the masses as he bombed “atomically” which overall triggered a supreme evolution with his outlook upon the Hip-Hop masses.
As his metaphoric mastery and mortal flow set in stone Deck’s emcee stance throughout the ’90s, his own solo debut was longingly anticipated. Finally, in 1999, Deck’s solo debut Uncontrolled Substance was released and Hip-Hop heads were blessed with the opportunity to witness the rebellious lyricist take center with his intricate rhyme patterns and soul bound narratives scattered in street reality.
Most may consider Deck to be one of the Wu’s most underrated emcees, but the truth of the matter is that he is one of Wu-Tang’s strongest lyricists. Not only was this evident during his prime time, but as the Manifesto maker entered the following profound eras of Hip-Hop, which can be proven in his most recent works. That only goes to show you to the truth about how soulful emcees, never stop.
Happy birthday to Hip-Hop’s rebellious lyricist, Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck!
Born on this date in 1975, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most influential forces in the game today. From music to movies to successful business ventures, Fif has always stayed on top of his game ever since he made his unconventional entrance at the end of the last millennium.
What has always kept 50’s name in the people’s mouths is the fact that he always had someone else’s name in his! Not to be confused with the common studio gangster, 50 has not only survived, but remained triumphant and relevant after all of his beefs.
Here’s a short list of some of Fif’s most mentioned beefs in and out of the studio:
1. Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff
This beef between street soldier and kingpin became a story reminiscent of David and Goliath, with 50 Cent battling the most feared gangster in his Jamaica, Queens hometown. This riff was depicted in 50’s blockbuster film Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. The real ending? Fif is a successful businessman and Supreme is currently in a federal supermax correctional facility for life. According to recent reports, however, an appeals court has now forced a federal judge to reconsider Supreme’s appeal for a sentence reduction.
2. Big Pun
On 50’s first widely recognized track “How To Rob” featuring The Madd Rapper, he creatively spits scenarios about him catching several of your favorite rappers and R&B singers slipping. One of them happened to be the Terror Squad top recruit, the late Big Pun, who didn’t take it very lightly. On Pun’s Yeeeaah Baby! album, he tells Fif on one of the tracks, “I’m gonna make a song called ‘How I beat your fuckin ass’…”. Nothing never happened off wax with this beef and Pun passed suddenly on February 7, 2000.
3. The Game
With the G-Unit at the top of the rap tier at the turn of the 21st Century, if you weren’t with them, you and your crew were definitely getting rolled over. The Game, who happened to be the only recruit on the Guerrilla Unit squad that wasn’t from the East Coast, made the mistake by believing that his career would remain afloat without 50. With no help against the barrage of battle records from G-Unit to the unsuccessful “Boycott G-Unit” campaign, it’s safe to say that Fif come out on top of this one.
4. Rick Ross
The Bawse seemed to be the only artist that has even been able to maintain his relevance after beef with Mr. Jackson. Ironically, this beef started over an alleged wrong look at the BET Awards towards Ross. These two traded bars until Fif came out with the “Officer Ricky” track, in which 50 promised told Rozay “Ima fuck your life up for fun’. At the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards in ATL, Gunplay from Ross’ Maybach Music Group allegedly had his chain snatched and Fif was seen wearing the chain days later.
5. Ja Rule
His battle with 50 Cent should’ve been a warning to the rest of the artist who came after him with a problem with the Queens MC. These two were from the same hood, which made the beef that much more personal. While 50 claims that Rule hid behind the protection of “Supreme” McGriff, who was suspected of facilitating the unsuccessful hit on Jackson, Rule maintained a successful career until the continuous physical confrontations and vicious shots proved to be too much for certified platinum Murder Inc. artist. Last year, these two bumped heads on a flight, but time must have healed old wounds because the two just greeted each other with a “what’s up” as they flew together.
Born July 5th, Detroit rapper/songwriter Royce Da 5’9” has kicked down doors in the music industry and demanded a spot in the most talked about ‘Top Emcees List’. Known for his strategic lyrical layout and clever word rhyme, he also has a knack for vividly telling stories through song. Best known as one half of the rap duo Bad Meets Evil with Eminem and one half of the hip hop duo PRhyme with DJ Premier. He was also one quarter of the hip hop group Slaughterhouse with Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked. Recently he added producer to his repertoire with his first two producer placements on Eminem’s new album, Music to Be Murdered By.
His recent album, The Allegory touched on several topics promoting the advancement of black businesses, family as well as mental health in urban communities. Easily one of this generation’s greatest minds, Royce continues to grow and share his ideology unapologetically with the world. With an extensive discography of classics, each project Royce puts out offers a different outlook laced with bars. His keen sense of worldly topics spills all over his lyrics and now his social media platforms. Whether he is speaking on hip hop or respecting the Black Lives Matter movement, his passion for humanity is undeniable. His friend and longtime collaborator Eminem recently announced that Royce joined his Marshall Mathers Foundation as the director of community engagement and social justice initiatives to provide privilege for the underprivileged.
On this day in Hip Hop history, one of the culture’s most influential musical masterminds was born. Wu-Tang Clan frontman Robert Fitzgerald Diggs a.k.a. RZA was born today (July 5) in Brooklyn, New York, 49 years ago. Since stepping on the scene in 1989, RZA has done more than just create an outrageously successful career for himself and his affiliates but has also forever shaped and changed the way a lot of things are handled in the music industry. From branding to merchandising to mastery of one’s craft, RZA stands as a pillar example of how someone given nothing but their own mind can rise to be a titan in the entertainment industry.
In honor of his birthday, we’ve compiled a list of five of RZA’s most important power moves that helped to build and strengthen his empire. Spanning from music to video games, RZA’s influence can be felt across culture, color lines and international borders.
-Signing With Tommy Boy Records
RZA signed with the famous Tommy Boy Records in 1991 under the moniker Prince Rakeem and released one EP, Ooh I Love You Rakeem. Although this may not have been the most eventful or productive period of RZA’s career, his tumultuous relationship with Tommy Boy is what helped RZA to formulate his own plan to monopolize Hip Hop. His time at Tommy Boy allowed him to build vital connections with artists and executives that can been seen lasting throughout the remainder of his career. Tommy Boy gave RZA a necessary first glimpse of how the music industry works as a whole, which helped him to finesse it into something that worked for him.
-The Five-Year-Plan
In his autobiography The Tao of Wu, RZA detailed a majority of the events surrounding the ridiculous success of Wu-Tang Clan, the most prominent of these being his “Five Year Plan.” This plan, enacted in 1992 following the success of the RZA-produced Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, was RZA’s scheme for his group to become the most powerful figures in Hip Hop as a whole and individually. In an analogy, RZA explains, “I want all of y’all [Wu-Tang] to get on this bus. And be passengers. And I’m the driver. And nobody can ask me where we going. I’m taking us to No. 1. Give me five years, and I promise that I’ll get us there.”
At the end of the five year period, Wu-Tang Clan had released the Grammy Award-winning, number one Wu-Tang Forever LP (which sold four million copies in its first six months on shelves), GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, ODB and Ghostface Killah all had Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and Wu-Tang Clan had a successful comic book, clothing line and video game under their belt.
-Wu-Tang Clan Record Deals
As Wu-Tang’s popularity continued to grow exponentially, major labels were breaking down the door to get a piece of the action. For a short while there was a question of where the group and its members would sign. In an attempt to divide and conquer the corporate music world, RZA came up with the idea to have the majority of the members sign with competing record labels. Although from the outside this plan may seem risky and convoluted, RZA was again right on the money with this decision. Having Method Man sign with Def Jam, Raekwon sign with Loud, Ghostface Killah sign with Sony, ODB sign with Elektra and GZA sign with Geffen/MCA allowed for maximum promotion of each artist. No one company had to divvy out the funds to try and support the promo of each of these rap icon’s solo work. This also allowed record labels to work together like never before when pushing Wu-Tang Clan (who remained under Razor Sharp Records) albums because of the number of companies involved with its production. Never before or since has there been a group to sign a deal of this nature.
-Wu-Wear
In 1995 Wu-Tang released their clothing line Wu Wear, which quickly became one of Hip Hop’s most coveted streetwear brands. The brand’s importance, however, doesn’t come from its popularity but its pioneering. With Wu Wear, Wu-Tang became the first rap group to be laced from head to toe in their own gear. This again gave the group another step ahead of their competition. Even today, Wu Wear is international worn and recognized as a prominent Hip Hop streetwear brand and can be found in stores across the globe and online on various outlets.
-Hollywood Takeover
RZA’s most recent and ambitious endeavor to date is his dabbling in acting and filmmaking. As an actor, RZA has appeared in 21 films and has written and directed three. His popular The Man With The Iron Fists Kung-Fu series has proven he can successfully take his love for traditional Asian martial arts films and put his own spin on them to create something of his own. His partnership with famed director Quentin Tarantino only further validates his abilities and potential as a filmmaker and opens the door to the possibility of future projects.
RZA has yet to stop shaping Hip Hop’s culture and sound over the years, although he may not be as visibly active as he once was. His prominence in this culture is known and felt by anyone with knowledge of Hip Hop, its origins and its success as a genre. From everyone here at The Source, happy born day RZA, thank you for building such a godly culture.
Last night marked the sensational kickoff of Alicia Keys’ highly anticipated KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In a groundbreaking move, the 15-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist performed in a unique 360-degree “in the round” production setup, providing fans with an unprecedented and immersive concert experience. Working closely with Creative Director Diane Martel and production designer Chiara Stephenson, known for their work with renowned artists, Keys crafted a visually stunning concept and stage design for the tour.
In a show of technological innovation, Keys has partnered with Shazam to offer her devoted “AK Fam” exclusive content throughout her global tour. By scanning a QR code, fans attending her concerts worldwide can access curated exclusives, including backstage videos, set lists, tour photos, watch faces, wallpapers, and more. This collaboration marks the first time an artist has joined forces with Shazam to deliver content across an entire worldwide tour.
Following her spectacular opener, Alicia Keys will continue to captivate audiences on the KEYS TO THE SUMMER TOUR, with upcoming stops in Tampa, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, and more, culminating in a grand finale at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on August 2nd.
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KEYS TO THE SUMMER 2023 TOUR DATES: June 28 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena June 30 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena July 2 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center July 3 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena July 5 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum July 7 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena July 9 – Boston, MA – TD Garden July 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center July 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center July 14 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena July 15 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse July 17 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena July 18 – Chicago, IL – United Center July 20 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center July 21 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center July 23 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center July 24 – Austin, TX – Moody Center July 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena July 28 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center July 30 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena August 1 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena August 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The KIA Forum
In the summer of 1993, a young record exec who was known as “Puff Daddy” started a label called Bad Boy Records which premiered two records to launch the label; the first being the premier track from the legendary Notorious B.I.G. called “Party & Bullshit”. The song appeared on the soundtrack of Who’s The Man, a movie with Hip Hop’s who’s who starring Yo! MTV Raps‘ Ed Lover & Dr. Dre.
Biggie Smalls became one of the most prolific MCs in the history of the culture and is arguably one of the best that the game has ever seen. Before B.I.G. became “Notorious”, Biggie and Junior Mafia were only about “Party & Bullshit”. Salute to B.I.G., Diddy, Bad Boy, and the whole Brooklyn.
On this date in 1988, Public Enemy released their second LP It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back following up their debut album, which was released just a little over a year earlier.
The album, which was released by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin’s Def Jam Recordings, was recorded primarily in the legendary Chung King Studios, while other sessions included Greene St. and Sabella Studios in NYC. Production was done exclusively by Hank Shocklee and The Bomb Squad. By August of 1999, the album went platinum and ranks among the top 500 albums of all time, according to Rolling Stone magazine.
Public Enemy, which includes frontman Chuck D., Flavor Flav, Terminator X, Professor Griff and the S1Ws, were pioneers of the revolutionary rap sound, making songs like “Rebel Without A Pause”, “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos”, and “Rebel Without A Pause” prototype tracks for the conscious movement in Hip Hop.
Salute to Chuck D., Flav, Professor Griff, and the rest of the crew for bringing Hip Hop fans this classic that will forever hold a place in the illustrious history of this culture.
Check out the video below that was in heavy rotation during the album’s apex. It even features a special guest appearance from MC Lyte as an investigative reporter. Check it out!
On this day in Hip Hop history, Big Daddy Kane released his debut LP Long Live The Kane. Released by Cold Chillin’ Records and produced by Marley Marl, this album is one of Hip Hop’s earliest successes. Through this project, Big Daddy Kane was able to craft one of the most desirable brand in Hip Hop of the time. His ability to touch on a plethora of subjects ranging from sex to Afrocentrism made him universally appealing and easily marketable.
This album can be credited as one of the most influential LPs of the golden age of Hip Hop. Nas, Pete Rock, AZ, Gang Starr, RZA, Biggie Smalls and MF DOOM are among some of the acclaimed artists who have made directed references to either this album or Big Daddy Kane in general throughout their music. In 1998, The Source Magazine ranked this project as one of the 1000 Greatest Albums in Hip Hop. The album was certified gold in the year of its release and serves as one of the two projects from Big Daddy Kane that has sold over 500,000 copies.
On this day in Hip Hop history, St. Louis rap icon Nelly released his Grammy debut LP Country Grammar. Released by Universal Records, the unique pop-rap-country sound of this project struck well with consumers and critics alike peaking at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
Whether it was intended or not, this album set the bar high for all other summertime albums to come in the new millennium. This mixture of Jason “Jay E” Epperson’s production and Nelly’s Missouri slang proved to be the perfect formula for a high energy album hosting some of the decade’s hottest party tracks.
The sing-along appeal of this project is what brought it so much commercial success. Along with topping the US music charts, this album also made chart appearances in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, France, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. The album was also certified platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and of course the United States (where it sold 9,000,000 copies).
The album contained hit singles “Country Grammar” (which was nominated for a Grammy), “E.I.,” “Ride Wit Me” and “Batter Up” which all made international music chart appearances. Critics across the board hailed this album as a breakthrough in Hip Hop, never before had a project come from the Midwest with so much appeal to other regions of the country.
Following this album, Nelly grew to be one of the brightest stars of the 2000’s putting out multiple multi-platinum albums and winning a plethora of awards for his musical ability. He has also since had a successful career on-screen both in films and on television.
The Microphone Fiend and his silent cohort drop their fourth and final album together on this date.
On this hot summer day in 1992, Rakim, who is widely recognized by some as the greatest MC of all time, released his fourth studio LP with William “Eric B.” Barrier entitled Don’t Sweat The Technique. This was the long-awaited follow-up to Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em, which was a critically acclaimed album, but that was not reflective in record sales.
This album was also the last LP that Eric B. & Rakim recorded together as a duo. Produced by Eric B. with some production assistance from an up-and-coming producer by the name of Large Professor, Don’t Sweat The Technique solidified Rakim as THE best lyricist in Hip Hop.
Tracks such as “What’s On Your Mind”, which appeared on the House Party II soundtrack, “Know The Ledge”(theme from Juice), and the title track are eternal lyrical masterpieces that are unparalleled to this day. Even songs like “Casualties Of War” depicting the mentality of a conscious Black male during the era of Operation Desert Storm and the war in Iraq were instructive as well as entertaining, while virtually predicting the 9/11 tragedy almost a decade before it happened.
Salute to Rakim Allah and Eric B. for this classic album!
