crooked i vs. shaq

[love33]

Since Shaq has sold 2 platinum and 2 gold albums, do you think Crooked I will be able to even come close to Shaq's album sales?  I mean Shaq dropped some hit records like "Can We Rock (What's Up Doc?), "Can't Stop The Reign" ft. Notorious B.I.G., "M.V.P.'z" w/ Mr. Short Khop, "The Men of Steel" ft. Ice Cube, and the tracks he did with Peter Gunz and Lord Tariq.

I think Crooked is just like Suge said he was -- a battle rapper and doesn't know how to make a complete album.  I hope that he can prove me wrong but something tells me his best work was in the past.  And those "Say Hi To The Bad Guy" snippets ("Raw Dawgs," Crook Show, etc." were his best work and that unreleased album with Juvenile, Dru Hill, Ja Rule, Too Short, Jadakiss, Eastwood, and Kurupt will be the West Kept Secret.

I think Crook would smash him on a freestyle but not album sales.  What do you all think, can Crooked I match Shaq's album sales or do you think he will get outsold by DJ Khaled?

And no excuses about him not being on a major, this dude has had years and years to secure his deal, so we know that he's had plenty of time to come up with his own situation.

Shaq ft. Ice Cube & B-Real -- Men Of Steel


Shaq ft. Notorious B.I.G. -- "Can't Stop The Reign"

[smegma]

Crooked, tell me how my tastes.

[lost_assassin]

nor shaq nor crooked will reach gold or plat status on these days.... stealin music is the new-ish thing

[D-Stress]

I think Crooked is just like Suge said he was -- a battle rapper and doesn't know how to make a complete album.

thats what i think too, i mean hes fire but hes not a rapper, that you could listen to.

I hope that he can prove me wrong

[h2k4]

Crooked, tell me how my tastes.

LOL!

[Dimos]

I don't understand what you guys are always talking about. And I say always cause thats not the first time I see posts sayin Crooked I can't do songs... Records like "Freedom Pt. 2", "Need A Blessing", "My Life" (part 1 and 2), "Death Row Story (Come With Me)" and his single "Dream Big" prove that he's able to do songs with a purpose, that have a particular subject he can stick to... He's also able to do songs for the clubs and/or on which he reps for his region: "Boom Boom Clap", "New West Anthem", "Cali Boyz" (be on the lookout for a dope remix coming soon)... The concept for his album he unveiled in two different interviews recently shows he's taking this music seriously (he's dividing it in chapters just like a book with different themes).

Please what you guys want if this is not enough? (leave alone that classic 'drop an album already' talk)
I'm not tryin to provoke anybody here, I respect everybody's opinion. I just want  to discuss what is 'being a complete mc' or 'being able to do an album' for you.

[YoungCrookedI]

lol what a dumb asssss thread, anyway shaq is a famous basketball player so everybody knows the dude and crook is bulidin his buzz-.-

lol that love33 is comparing shaq and crook....and it doesn´t matter if crook said in a interview that shaq fucked up, kobye is the best player right now,so fuck shaq..

[Jimmy H.]

If record sales dictate the best rapper/MC then I guess that means artists like Puffy who have other people write their lyrics are the best. Shaq might have sold more records but that don't mean nothing. Talent and record sales are two very different things. Crooked I is way more than just a battle rapper. I think he just caught a raw deal by not coming out when the music business was in better shape. The state of rap music in general is terrible right now and the West has been in rough shape for awhile. Even in the East, it's problems. G-Unit ain't selling big. Wu-Tang has been having trouble with both solo and group sales. Even, Saigon, who has been one of the most hyped new artists since 2004 and has Just Blaze in his corner got dropped from his label before they even put out his debut.  

[BigG]

I agree that crooked cant make "songs"...  he might come out with a good track once in a while but im pretty sure he wouldnt know how to make an album...

Crooked I is a "late 90's, early 2000's" rapper....  He just doesnt fit in, in 2008....

Dream Big's buzz died as soon as it was released...  The song was very average....  It sounded like crooked was just freestylin talkin bout internet bloggers and haters and his 16 bars...  It all just sounded like a mixtape track...

Boom boom clap was very average also...  New west anthem also... Cali Boys also...  These tracks never went no where because they werent really good for clubs or anything else...

There was a couple "new" crooked tracks i was feeling though...  Like that "Straight Bossin" track... That was single material right there...
That "new" track my life part 2 was nice also...

But overall, I aint feeling crooked i no more...  Hes putting himself in a box with alot of rappers like him...

[Sanford - V. President of the Dangerous Crew Movement]

please dont consider shaq a legitimate rapper.  most of his sales was because he was that big ass black dude that tore down a rim.

[love33]

He's also able to do songs for the clubs and/or on which he reps for his region: "Boom Boom Clap", "New West Anthem", "Cali Boyz"

I gotta disagree with that statement.  I don't know what clubs you go to, but I've never ever heard "Boom Boom Clap" "New West Anthem" or "Cali Boyz" in any night club.

I think Crook has a small handful of really good tracks (less than 15) and maybe he should just take those tracks and do an album with them on a major since most people haven't heard his music.  Some of the few that I can think of off the top of my head are "Feels So Good" with Snoop and Lil-C-Style back in 1998, "Bucc Down," "Gangsta's Holiday," "We Ballin" w/ Eastwood, "Baby Remix" w/ Ashanti, and "I Love The Ghetto To Death."  I think over the course of 1998 to 2008 he should just take his best stuff and throw it on an album and release it on Interscope.  I agree with the poster that said he's a late 1990's/early 2000's rapper, and I personally think that's when his best work is.  That "Say Dr. Dre" track that was supposed to be on Dre's 3rd version of Detox was pretty interesting.  But again, people aren't looking for those types of tracks.

The problem with Crooked I is that he is too lyrical if there's such a thing.  His rhymes that he writes are sometimes far too hard for the average fan to comprehend.  His flow is so fast that he doesn't even rap on par with the beat of the track.  For example, go listen to The Game "Game's Pain" and then listen to Crook's "Big Dreams."  Notice how The Game stays on par with the track on his flow.  Crooked is trying to outrun the beat with his flow and it just overwhelms the listener and there's no continuity to his tracks.  Game is lyrical, but he talks about topic that most fans understand.  Crooked I is constantly screamin "C.O.B." and how many people actually know it means Circle Of Bosses?  And who is in C.O.B. that it even deserves mention on a track??  I mean he's done tracks with Nate Dogg and Akon and he still can't get that push.  "So Damn Hood" with Sisqo was probably his best attempt at a club single.

Also, Crooked's rhyme content is way too political for 2008.  People with successful records want to hear fun music on the singles.

[Black Gloves]

He's also able to do songs for the clubs and/or on which he reps for his region: "Boom Boom Clap", "New West Anthem", "Cali Boyz"

Crooked is trying to outrun the beat with his flow and it just overwhelms the listener and there's no continuity to his tracks.

Co-Sign. Im a Crooked I fan but thats real spit.

[Jimmy H.]

It's a shame that the game is in such a poor state that things are "too political" or "too lyrical" to sell. While I agree that a great artist needs a little bit of everything, I would argue that music isn't political enough. There are some real issues in the world that should be addressed. Yes, there should be the club bangers and the feel good music but there needs to be more variety as well. I think Crooked I has plenty of hot tracks but right now, he's just concerned with finding the right outlet to really introduce himself.   

[Dimos]

He's also able to do songs for the clubs and/or on which he reps for his region: "Boom Boom Clap", "New West Anthem", "Cali Boyz"

I gotta disagree with that statement.  I don't know what clubs you go to, but I've never ever heard "Boom Boom Clap" "New West Anthem" or "Cali Boyz" in any night club.

Yeah, I know. Thats not the type of songs I hear when I got to the clubs, although a beat like the one for NWA could be compared to 'In Da Club' for me and that got played out in clubs here in my country when it came out. Clubs only play techno and shit like that nowadays anyway.

BigG >> Come on, how can you say 'Boom Boom Clap' was average? The beat ain't that special but it's still dope music and Crooked I fit perfectly on it...

I agree with some of yall about the fact he's sometimes off beat. Some of the HHW proved you're right and I can't listen too much to his freestyle over 'We ballin' because of that.

Then, I don't see why being political or lyrical makes it impossible for him to make an album. Thats just that not everybody will embrace it, but Crooked would definitely make an impact if he drops an album. He has a fanbase and with a little push he could easily move as many records as some other west artists (im not talking about Snoop Dogg of course, maybe rather someone like Yukmouth).

[love33]

But how many years is it going to take him to find an outlet? On that "New West Anthem" track he puts the blame on Death Row for his album not dropping but last time I checked he left Death Row in early 2003 and now it's 2008.  What has the dude been doing the last 5 years? Rumor was his best offer was to join Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella when it was hot and Irv Gotti gave him an offer a few years back.

As far as Crook as a rapper, the dude lacks charisma.  It's a certain trait that all the greats from Tupac to The Game all have.  If you listen to The Game's first stuff with JT The Bigga Figga he has this boring lackluster flow.  Since he got with Dr. Dre, he is this animated rapper that can paint a picture on a track for the average fan to understand yet still do the fun club music too.  That's a complete rapper right there.  Crooked I has no charisma.

Listen to The Game on "Player's Only" with R. Kelly..when it's his time for his verse he just lights up the whole track.  "Fresh like UGGGGGH/ Impala UGGGGGH/ Dre's young gun still ridin' the bass DRUUUM."  The great ones bring energy to the track and light up the whole song.  You look forward to hearing their verse.

Crooked I's verses all sound the same.  He mentions "C.O.B.," some hard luck story that we've heard on most of his tracks, and tries to outrun the beat with a freestyle.  His stuff is monotone and it all sounds the same.  Look at the tracks where they pay homage -- Crooked did "Respect Your O.G.'s" and Game does "Game's Pain."  Game's track sounds fun and gets you thinkin a little while Crooked's sounds like the most boring track I've ever heard in my life.  It's like Crook's goal is just to mention all the names but there's no fun in the track at all.  And that's who he is as a rapper -- an artist that lacks fun, creativity, and personality and comes off as a dictionary rapper.

"Walk wit me, Walk wit me/ Yeah, Walk wit me, walk wit me -- I'll teach you 'bout your O.G's"

That was about the wackest hook I've ever heard.