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Melle Mel Believes Ja Rule Tried To “Sound Hard” Like 50 Cent

March 17, 2023 by newhiphopnews

His sit down with The Art of Dialogue has stirred many Hip Hop pots, and another clip has Melle Mel back in the center of controversy. For decades, there has been a Hip Hop beef that just doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. 50 Cent and Ja Rule have co-existed within the culture without too many dust-ups, but when they arrive, the spats command attention. Whether they’re trading verbal shots or issuing disses in interviews, Fif and Ja remain foes.

Music legend Melle Mel has seen the ebbs and flows of Rap since its inception. The Hip Hop pioneer is quite opinionated about the genre, considering he watched it take shape in real-time, and in his latest interview, he offered a few thoughts about 50 Cent and Ja Rule. He noted that many rappers could be better if they didn’t attempt to emulate their peers. “What is it that you need to say? You could be the n*gga that made a song about a pool party, but you f*cked around and listened to Meek Mill. And you f*cked around and did some dumb sh*t.”

Melle Mel Uses Ja & 50 As An Example

To emphasize his point, Mel mentioned the two warring rappers. “It’s just like when 50 Cent was doing this sh*t. And then when Ja Rule…and that was probably one of his last big records.” He was referencing Ja’s hit classic, “New York.” Melle continued, “If he woulda just made that record a pure New York record, it would have been a way bigger record. But he went the route of trying to sound hard because 50 Cent sound hard. And it was still a good record, but I’m just saying. If he woulda just made it a pure New York record like how Jay-Z did with his New York record. See what I’m saying? If he woulda went along the same lines as that.”

Elsewhere in the clip, Melle Mel discussed how the street life is a detriment to Hip Hop. He argued that “consciousness does have its place in Hip Hop, but everybody is too scared about not being hard. And that’s the destruction of the whole game.” Watch the video of Melle Mel on The Art of Dialogue discussing Hip Hop, 50 Cent, and Ja Rule above.

Melle Mel Says Ja Rule Tried Too Hard To Copy 50 Cent: ‘That’s The Destruction Of The Whole Game’

March 17, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Melle Mel Calls Nicki Minaj Being Ranked Ahead of Rakim 'Blaspehmy' and 'BS'

Clips from Melle Mel’s recent interview on the Art Of Dialogue podcast have been released and have brought a lot of attention to the legendary rapper. First for saying that Eminem wouldn’t be a top-five rapper if he wasn’t white, and now, for saying that Ja Rule was trying too hard to be 50 Cent.

Melle Mel first talked about how rappers today are trying too hard to sound like other rappers, thus ruining their sound in the process.

“A lot of rappers could be better rappers if they stopped rapping like everybody else,” Mel said. “What is it that you need to say? You could be the n-gga that made a song about a pool party, but you fucked around and listened to Meek Mill and went and you fucked around and did some dumb shit.”

He then compared it to 50 Cent and Ja Rule’s legendary beef, saying that Ja Rule tried to copy 50 Cent’s gangsta sound when he made his record “New York.” “It’s just like when 50 Cent was doing this shit and then when Ja Rule and that was probably one of his last big records.”

Mel continued: “If he woulda just made that record a pure New York record, it would have been a way bigger record. But he went the route of trying to sound hard because 50 Cent sound hard. And it was still a good record but I’m just saying, if he woulda just made it a pure New York record like how Jay-Z did with his New York record. See what I’m saying? If he woulda went along the same lines as that.”

“So the point [I’m] saying is that consciousness does have its place in Hip Hop, but everybody is too scared about not being hard. And that’s the destruction of the whole game.”

You can watch the clip below.

The post Melle Mel Says Ja Rule Tried Too Hard To Copy 50 Cent: ‘That’s The Destruction Of The Whole Game’ appeared first on The Source.

Melle Mel Says DMX & Tupac Were Better Actors Than Rappers

March 12, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Melle Mel recently said that he believes DMX and Tupac were better actors that they were rappers. Moreover, this comes from the same The Art Of Dialogue interview that held some other hot takes from the Furious Five legend. For example, readers may remember that, while referring to Billboard‘s best rappers of all time list, he said Busta Rhymes is better than Jay-Z. However, this most recently released take might be the most controversial of them all. While a lot of people might feel a bit more strongly about his Eminem takes, this is certainly another level of skill assessment.

“I thought Tupac was a better actor than he was a rapper,” the 61-year-old began. ” I thought DMX was a better actor than he was a rapper. Because it’s that persona and when you take a guy like that and you put them in front of a camera… I mean, DMX, he was a pretty good actor. He could have just stayed within himself and been more dedicated to what he was doing.

Melle Mel Says Tupac & DMX Are Better Actors Than Rappers

“Method Man, he’s a good actor,” he continued. “Ludacris a good actor. Because it’s almost the same thing. If you got a persona it’s almost like you acting anyway. So, when you put that same guy in front of the camera, there you go! Mos Def, I thought he was a hell of an actor.” Even though he showered these figures with praise, many thought he downplayed their importance on the mic. Still, it wouldn’t be the first time people disagreed with his takes. The one that really set people off was his claim that Eminem is only considered a top five rapper because he’s white. After backlash ensued, he responded to the outrage.

“We’re responsible for the genre,” he stated. “We’re the biggest influences in the genre, and if you ask anybody that knows anything about true Hip Hop, they will tell you that. If you ask anybody that calls themselves an MC, they will be the first to tell you that there is no modern day rap or Hip Hop of that nature if it wasn’t for Grandmaster Flash, if it wasn’t for the Furious Five, if it wasn’t for Melle Mel, if it wasn’t for [Keef] Cowboy.” Regardless of your take, return to HNHH for the latest on Melle Mel, DMX, and Tupac Shakur.

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Melle Mel Praises Pusha T’s “White Lines” Remix

March 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Melle Mel’s had a whole lot to say about some of hip-hop’s most cherished MCs in recent times. The Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five member’s interview with the Art Of Dialogue led to hot takes. Artists like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar felt the wrath of his criticism the most. Despite Em’s high ranking in Billboard and Vibe’s top 50 greatest rappers list, Mel said the Detroit rapper wouldn’t have been as big if he wasn’t white – a comment that earned a response from 50 Cent.

Shortly after, he said that Kendrick Lamar wasn’t an influential rapper – another take that many disagreed with. Chuck D later came to his defense. He explained Mel’s been critical of the rappers that came after him, it seems as though the rap pioneer has a few artists he appreciates in modern rap. Pusha T, who recently remixed Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s “The Message,” is apparently one of the few rappers in the game who’ve earned Mel’s respect.

Melle Mel & Scorpio Applaud Pusha T

Pusha T debuted his remix of “The Message,” titled “White Lines,” for the Cocaine Bear soundtrack. Though Push is an embodiment of the antithesis to the iconic 1982 anthem, Melle Mel praised the Clipse member for flipping the song. “I think it’s just a great testament to the legacy of the group and myself to make a record that’s 40 years old that can still be relevant,” he told All Hip Hop. “Mobb Deep used it, too. Even up to right now with it being in Cocaine Bear and Pusha T doing the remake, it’s a testament to how powerful our music was and the imprint that it left and is still leaving within the music business.”

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five member Scorpio echoed a similar sentiment. He explained that it’s “an honor” to see so many artists take influence from them forty years later. “To see this after all of the years is just incredible,” Scorpio added. “We’re talking 40 years. For it to stand the test of time and to see all the artists like Duran Duran, Mobb Deep, and Pusha T who keep recycling it is just an honor.” What are your thoughts on Pusha T’s record? Press play above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.

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Melle Mel: “Blasphemy” Nicki Minaj Is Higher Than Rakim On Top Rappers List

March 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

As Melle Mel’s reactions filter in, we aren’t yet out from under a cloud of Billboard and Vibe‘s Top Greatest Rappers of All Time list. The Hip Hop icon has been a hot topic in Rap conversations following his appearance on The Art of Dialogue. The platform often talks with veteran artists and industry professionals, and often they weigh in on the current state of Hip Hop. Melle’s recent chat has caused a stir, especially as he shares thoughts on that controversial Top 50 list.

This clip of his interview opened by the Top 20 being reviewed. Rakim took the 13th spot, LL Cool J followed at 14, and Big Daddy Kane came in at No. 20. It was noted that Nicki Minaj arrived at No. 10, which didn’t sit well with Melle Mel. “You know that’s some bullsh*t,” he said. The interviewer laughed. “C’mon, now. Kane and them and Rakim and them, they done put in 40 [years]. C’mon, now.”

Melle Mel Calls It “Blasphemy”

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 12: Nicki Minaj arrives to the Marc Jacobs fashion show at Park Avenue Armory on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

Before giving his complete thoughts, Melle noted that he “actually likes Nicki Minaj.” However, he reiterated that those placements were “bullsh*t.” Mel added, “You gotta understand what Hip Hop really, really is past whoever made what record. You see what I’m sayin’? Rakim should never be 14, because his style changed the game. The average rapper, from a certain point to a certain point, you had to rap like Rakim. That was the only time that cats from my era, that we had to alter our style to be more up to date with what he was doing and what was going on.”

Mel then detailed Rakim’s delivery. “How could you disrespect the game like that?” he further said about ranking Rakim at 13. “He’s easily—if you’re just talkin’ about the pure rappers—Rakim and somebody like Kool G Rap. Those are basically the top rappers of the game. Pure rappers. Records aside and all that, just a pure rapper. Rakim, he should never be 14. If you’re talkin’ records and allt hat, he would be closer to No. 1 because of what he did for the game and the culture. That’s the angle where I’m comin’ from.”

It’s Not About Your Taste

Melle Mel also stated that he doesn’t rank according to who he likes because he doesn’t listen to music like that. “But to say LL and Rakim is 14 and 15, but Nicki Minaj is No. 10. Based on what? That’s where it don’t make sense. Nicki Minaj being on—that’s blasphemy. And I don’t got nothing wrong with Nicki, actually I like Nicki Minaj. She can write, decent looking chick. Even if she was better than Rakim, you don’t put her over no goddamn Rakim.” Check it out above.

Melle Mel Says Lil Wayne Can’t Be The Best Rapper Ever Because He Uses Auto-tune

March 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Melle Mel has definitely been letting his opinions on rappers be known ever since Billboard released its list of the top 50 rappers. First, he said that Eminem wouldn’t be a top 5 rapper if he was white, and now he’s refuting Lil Wayne’s “best rapper of all time” claim because of his use of auto-tune.

The revelation came from a recent interview with Art Of Dialogue where he said that Wayne can’t be the rest rapper of all time because “people don’t even know his real voice.”

“How could you know. How?” he said of Wayne, who bagged the No.7 spot on the list.

Mel continued: “If his voice is on autotune, was something wrong with his voice for them to put the autotune on his voice? Or is it just something that they did in the studio to give it that rawness? But how could you know?”

He added that if Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 had used auto-tune to record “The Message,” nobody would have taken them seriously.

“It would’ve made the record sound a little bit more cheesier,” he said. “If you have five capable ‘so-called great rappers’ on a panel, I guarantee you, Lil Wayne would not be No.1,” he added.

Melle Mel says Lil Wayne is not the greatest rapper ever because he uses autotune. pic.twitter.com/NsV5jPYuTl

— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) March 4, 2023

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Weezy said that his no. 7 spot on Billboard’s top 50 rappers list was inaccurate and he should be at no. 1.

“Man, who the hell is before me?” Weezy said after Lowe asked him about his thoughts about the list. “Was the list including ALL Hip Hop, like before and after as well? I can deal with that.” Weezy added: “I will tell you that I am a muthafuckin’ one. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”

The post Melle Mel Says Lil Wayne Can’t Be The Best Rapper Ever Because He Uses Auto-tune appeared first on The Source.

Melle Mel Believes Busta Rhymes Is Better Than Jay-Z

March 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Melle Mel continues his rap hot takes, as he said that Busta Rhymes is better than Jay-Z. Moreover, it seems like those comments came from the same interview in which he said Eminem is only considered a top five rapper because he’s white. Of course, that assessment set the Internet on fire for a bit, but this take seems a bit more nuanced. Furthermore, it sounds as if the Furious Five member spoke primarily of both’s abilities as MCs. At the end of the day, he sided with Busta for his magnanimous stage presence and his intangible yet hard-hitting talent.

“But now my point is, could he go up against Busta Rhymes?” Mel said of Jay-Z referring to Billboard‘s greatest rappers of all time list. “Could Busta take Jay-Z, yes or no? I don’t have no fear of getting on stage with anybody and crossing mics with anybody. Busta’s a hard draw. That would probably be the hardest draw in the game. He got all the intangibles. It’s a certain thing that Busta got that a lot of MCs don’t got. When he comin’ on that stage, if you out in the crowd, you know something is about to happen. It ain’t just the regular run of the mill ‘I can’t wait for him to do so-and-so song. It’s that magnetism. It’s like a different level that all MCs don’t have that he got. I’ll ride with Busta. If you got the list in front of you, where is Busta on that list?

Melle Mell Says Busta Rhymes Is Better Than Jay-Z

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“On an overall 360 of an MC: the pen game, the studio game, the rap game, but the stage presence, that’s got to be in the equation,” he continued. “And absolutely, Busta’s stage presence is better than Jay-Z. Absolutely. I mean, it’s no denying that. Did you see where Busta is on that list? 33. Now, it ain’t [32] guys that can take the guy. That’s my point. Now if he’s 33, it’s not [32] guys that’s gonna say, ‘I want Busta, I wanna do the Verzuz.’ Don’t nobody want him. It ain’t gon’ happen. He could call dudes out. It’s not gonna happen. The type of MC that Busta is is more along the lines of what we was trying to do back in the day. You take your lunch pail to work, you go to work, and you work hard.

“It’s not like, as time went along, the industry kind of guy, the entrepreneur kind of guy, the guy that can do three or four things, he makin’ all different kind of money,” he concluded. “You know what I mean? And there’s a place for those guys and there is greatness in that. But I’m talking about 24/7, 365 days a year, wake Busta up out his sleep, wake Melle Mel up out his sleep, wake Caz up out his sleep, give this n***a a mic. Something gon’ happen. That’s my opinion of MCing, and my opinion should count more that the guy from the Vibe. ‘Cause there’s no way that Busta Rhymes is 33 in the greatest rappers of all time when, who’s gonna rap with the guy?” Let us know your take in the comments and return to HNHH for more hot takes in the rap game.