West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => West Coast Classics => Topic started by: mellowman on July 30, 2002, 01:05:55 PM
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hello there funk lovers. just wanted to drop by real quick and answer some questions about Rakim's Oh My God album. Every day whenever someone recognizes me I'm being asked about this album, so I want to address some of the more frequent questions I've been getting. I think these are also some of the same questions you guys may be asking. Also, there are a lot of rumors out there and I wanted to squash them. so without further ado, here we go.
Q: When is Rakim's album coming out? i heard it's done, why is Dre sitting on it!!!
A: OH MY GOD IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT DONE!!!!! The album is getting close but there are still things being worked on and holes to fill. A lot of people have asked me about this supposed tracklist that is being circulated. I haven't seen it, nor do I care what it says because the album is not done and no tracklist has been decided on. A few people may have heard some working song titles and ran with it but I assure you nothing is finalized. The album is not done until Dre says its done, takes the album to Jimmy and Jimmy says its good to go. I will tell you that the release date goal is November 12th. I can't guarantee that date but I think there is a good shot we can get it out by that date give or take a few weeks. So NO, Dre is not sitting on a completed album. Oh my god is getting close but it is not done.
Q: Why is Oh My God taking so long? They've been working on it for almost 2 years.
A: Rakim has been signed to Aftermath since the middle of October 2000 but Dre and Ra have not been working on the album since that time. Dre and Ra really didn't start working on the album until early this year. They worked on it a little bit a few times before this year but there were long stretches where nothing got done. Ra was contemplating many things and Dre was pretty busy. Plus, the first few recording sessions were basically dre and ra getting used to each other. they both do things a bit differently. At the beginning Dre was almost afraid to direct and push Ra where he thought he should go. And Ra wasn't used to working with such a perfectionist and orchestrator like Dre. Neither Ra and Dre are easy to work with in a lot of regards, so they clashed a bit early. The clashes were more control than personal. dre and ra have incredible respect for each other and they have become pretty good friends. It takes time for 2 legends to get comfortable with each other. They were both hesitant to put their faith in each other and trust what the other one was doing. But once they put their faith and trust in each other they got into a zone they still are in right now as I speak. I think I can quit music after this cause i feel like I'm at the pinnacle. It's hard to imagine that my music career can get much better than this.
Q: I bet Dre won't do more than a few tracks. How many will he do?
A: Dre will produce at least 7 tracks and possibly up to 12. I think somewhere in the middle is where the final number will be. Rakim wants Dre to produce the majority of the album and Dre doesn't want to just make a good record. Dre wants to make a classic and he knows a true classic can't be reached unless he produces a majority of the tracks.
Q: Who will be the other producers and artists on the album?
A: Dre and Premo are the only producers who are guaranteed to make the cut. We have gotten a lot of submitted tracks and requests to be on the album. There is a lot of begging going on. I think its pretty funny. Ra will only entertain the possibility of working with 4 other producers besideds dre and premo. Sorry but I can't mention names. Ra wants Oh My God to have a distinctive sound and flow. As far as guest appearances only Dre, Em and Truth are guaranteed to be on. The Man who will soon be battling Machines will very likely be on it. Past that i don't expect anyone else. The door has been left open for a select few that could appear. The main focus of the album will be on Rakim and his infinite arsenal of words, wisdom and knowledge.
Q: What is the direction of Oh My God?
A: The direction of the album is what dre and ra have said it would be. The topics, lyrics, and production is all against the grain. Dre will introduce a little of his DETOX sound. It will be mixed with a little of the "2001" sound and some innovations he is using only on Oh My God.
Q: What is left to do for the album to get done?
A: Dre is looking for a few things. One is to tighten up completed songs that he wants to have good enough to put on the album. The second is to add rakim vocals to a few brand new instrumentals we just came up with that are different from anything we've done since I've been here. The third is to come up with the right single to reintroduce Rakim and unleash his most destructive lyrics of fury yet. The fourth is to exhaust every ounce of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice that dre and rakim have in them to create the best possible album.
Q: Is Oh My God going to be as good as we hope?
A: I can't answer that question. All I know is that its time to shut up and let the music talk for us. Talk is cheap and Dre wants us to humble ourselves and keep quiet. I've talked for over a year about my passion and enthusiasm for this album. Its time to stop. Too many artists talk shit about how good their shit is but when their music hits the shelves we find out their egos have wrote checks their talent ( or lack thereof) can't cash. Y'all are just gonna have to wait and see. Just sit back, relax and don't say a word. If you listen closely you can hear the rumbling of the tremors in the distance. Just make sure you get as far away from a Richter scale as you possibly can.
I'll be back with a non-Rakim Q and A session in a few weeks.
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Dope, thanks for the update. Im lookin forward to November 12th
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Thanx for the update.
Good and bad news...but nothin' really all that new to me
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cant wait!! Thanks fo' the news Mel...
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some of the most assuring news i've ever heard regarding to hip-hop...and if you ask me, the production should go no further than dre and primo...i think the guest line-up should be cut off at truth, em, x, and dre...no nate dogg or snoop or anything on the east...leave it as is...i absolutely can't wait for this...rakim has never let me down since i've been a fan and i'm not expecting him to anytime soon...mellowman, thanks for this q and a, it was much appreciated...oh yeah, and since you're a member check out the compilation when it drops, peace.
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The main reason i posted this was to squash rumors, address some general questions, and to give you the target release date of the album. Those expecting big developing news will probably be disappointed. Oh My God is being guarded like Fort Knox. We all had to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the album. on that we agreed not to leak anything specific to the press or general public about Oh My God and/or Detox. I'm not allowed to talk about the release date but I had to give you all some light at the end of the tunnell. This is an example of why i have never told you who I am. That way i can tell you some things i shouldn't. However, i think I got through this post without releasing anything that betray's the trust dre gives me. I wanted to tell you about a few things so bad I had to bite my tongue to stay silent. I hope I at least gave you some hope of an impending release date. However, this is my last post about Oh My God till its been shipped to the stores.
I know the anticipations building and your tired of waiting. I wanted you to at least have an idea on how much longer you have to wait. You have no idea how much we thank you for your patience and in most cases , your unwavering support. Dre and Rakim want to make sure they put out the best possible album and give you all a musical experience that you'll never forget. Thanks again everybody.
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man thankx 4 comin bacc mellow i always enjoy readin your post fucc the haters!
Welcome bizzack
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:D
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Damn, I can't fuckin wait for this!
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im really loving that Dre will be producing between 7-12 tracks i really cant wait now especially if Dre is working on that many tracks. i guess this can be like doggystyle back in the days where dre produced the album from the begining to the end of course he had some help but if im not wrong i havent seen dre produce this many songs on a album besides his own since the Marshall Mathers LP i think he did 7 on that one i really really really want that now.
shit i say we raid that fort knox....whos with me.....lol....jk......i really really really really really really hope that this dont get bootlegged or leaked!!!!
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thanks alot Mel. I have not really heard much of Rakim its proberly cos I am from the UK (Liverpool). I cant wait for this album tho, aftermath always drops dope albums and I really really cant wait for this shit. I wanna become a big fan of Rakim cos the cds that I have seen of him in stores where I live I have been pointing out to my friends and saying THIS GUY WILL BE HUGE SOON. They have just been like who is he and what you mean will be huge. I have just been like TRUST ME HE WILL BE HUGE, JUST WAIT.
Thanks for the info man your stuff is always readable and I respect you so much.
Take it easy man,
Bez
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i can't wait for this musical masterpiece
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honestly if i could choose one cd that i'd want to be a double album just for more and more material it'd probably be Oh My God...i wonder what will turn out better, this or Detox?
peace.
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detox will proberly.
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Damn, I can't fuckin wait for this!
thanks mellowman ;)
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I cant wait for this album to drop,its going to be phenominal!!I just wish Dre wasn't such a perfectionist.These days he takes forever to put out an album.I have a strange feeling that we probably wont see Detox until 2004,I have learned not to be very patient with aftermath these days.Its kind of funny because Dre has enough talent that he doesnt have to second guess himself and get things super perfect.Hell at this rate we might not see 50 cent until 2005 who knows.I will always support Dre and aftermath,lets just hope he starts to put albums out faster.
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thanx for posting
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Thx a lot for the information!
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;D 8) ;D
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the great mellowman strikes again ;D
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Ahhhh Theres Nothing Better Than Waking Up And Seeing A Mellow Post! ;)
Thanks For The Q&A - Roll On November! ;D
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cant wait!! Thanks fo' the news Mel...
LMAO ;D
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word...
Thanx Mellow 8)
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yeah this newz iz gr8....thats a realistic date, but it seems as if dre or rakim wont dare complete the album until they have the best work comin out of both of themselves which means an album that should b one for the ages of all ages of hip-hop.......the newz that was off the fuckin hizzy was that dre(the best in da west) and primo(the beast in da east) are the only producers on it......damn......im very happy with the heart thier putting in the album to make it a gr8 one......for example i like how thier takin thier time and choosin very carefully a hot single to throw on the radio to reintroduce rakim to the public.....and if the main focus for oh my god is lyrics, wisdom and knowledge then all other mc's better either watch the fuck out or step the game of rap up a couple levels.......bangin newz....holllllllllllllllla back
peace
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NOV 12............my birthday. that would be a hell of a present
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LMAO ;D
whats funny...AM I missing something?
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hey thanx for the news. I think that snoop should on the album instead of xzibit.
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hey thanx for the news. I think that snoop should on the album instead of xzibit.
Man you stupid :D
Thx for the info Mellow!!
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why the hell would u put snoop on a rakim album....xzibit destroys snoops in lyrics and is a lot more closer to rakim's lecel then snoop fool.....dont get it twisted.....just cause a cat has personal favorites doesnt mean they have the right to roc da mic wit ra.....if your gonna b on a record wit ra you gotta to bring everything plus the kitchen sink.....i mean on any of rakim's albums including eric b, hes never featured another rapper with the ecxeption of rhazel and he didnt rap......holllllllllla back
peace
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hey thanx for the news. I think that snoop should on the album instead of xzibit.
Im a Snoop fan, but this album should be strickly MC's...Now if snoop was rappin like doggystyle dayz, it might be a different story. ??? Naw fuck that, I dont wanna c snoop ruin Ra's album. 8)
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hey but y'all are forgetting that snoop is better when featured in someone else's song
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whats funny...AM I missing something?
yeah.. lol.. I dont get it either! ;D
Anywayz, thanx for the info mellowman, i cant wait for this album to drop.
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Snoop, X, Em, Dre...fuck, none of them should be on his album. By doing that your just taking a verse or two away from from Ra. Why give up the mic to someone can't do the job as good as you can. He proved he can make classic albums rockin' the mic alone. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
No guest spots, no skits, 10-14 tracks, Dre & Primo only = a masterpiece
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The XXL rules ;D
hehe just joking... :P
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detox will proberly.
I would agree with you, were it not for the fact this is Rakim (aka GOD!) that we're talking about. From what I've read detox sounds like it could potentially be one of the most important albums hip hops seen (and this is coming from somebody who's not a Dre fan), but damn! Rakim!
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i have thought about it and i also think that there should be no featurings on this album as well...snoop should be nowhere near this project...xzibit and em is alright i guess if they are really on it but i think it'd be better to leave them off, peace.
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OH MY GOD! THIS IS THE NEWS I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! IM EXCITIED DAT THE ALBUM IS NOT DONE! I WANT THIS ALBUM TO BE NOT JUS A HIP HOP MASTERPIECE, BUT A MASTERPIECE FOR EVERY GENRE! DRE, RAKIM & PRIMO, HIP HOP DONT GET NO BETTER THAN THAT! RAKIM IS GONNA SHOW EVERY BODY WHAT HIP HOP IS! MAYBE PUT NAS ON IT SINCE HE IS TAKING HIP HOP BACK TO THE ESSENCE. OH MY GOD, OTHER MCS ARE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO STEP UP LYRICALLY WHEN OH MY GOD COMES OUT. I CANT WAIT! HOPEFULLY NAS WILL BE ON OH MY GOD! ;D
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IMHO, I don't think that Snoop should even be allowed near this project. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Snoop fan, but let's face it, he currently sucks at rapping (especially compared to Rakim).
Personally, I think that only a select few MCs should even be considered for Rakim's album, such as: Common, Del The Funky Homosapien, Eminem, J-Live, KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Nas, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, & Xzibit. Also, I'd prefer it if only Dr. Dre did production on this album, but if there must be more than one producer, then I'd consider DJ Premier, DJ Hi-Tek, Pete Rock, Jay Dee, or Mel-Man.
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Tight update dawg
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Rakim narrowed it down perfect...
Guests should be Eminem, Xzibit, Truth Hurts for a Hook (and add Ras Kass in there also)...
Producers should be only Primo and Dre...Dre 80%, Primo 20%...
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Rakim narrowed it down perfect...
Guests should be Eminem, Xzibit, Truth Hurts for a Hook (and add Ras Kass in there also)...
Producers should be only Primo and Dre...Dre 80%, Primo 20%...
what about a bit of nate Dogg, or do I still belong in Anything Go's.
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what about a bit of nate Dogg, or do I still belong in Anything Go's.
cosign.
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What about The Al Chemist? Some of his shit is tighter than primo. And no disrespect to Em but he shouldn't be on the album as his style is too different to Ra's, instead he should use ras kass & Defari.
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instead he should use ras kass.
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Thanks Mellow. Can't wait for this shit.
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while i have a few minutes to burn just after lunch I wanted to add a few quick comments. one, Dre would love to have Rakim deliver every single verse all the way through the album, but it just isn't possible. a lot of young cats had never heard of Rakim before they heard him on addictive. a lot of other young cats may have heard of Rakim but had no idea who he was and had never listened to his music before. rakim was THE household name back in the late 80's but things have changed as it has been a long time since Rakim's "prime". over the last 12 to 13 years he has only done a couple albums. While Rakims amazing wordplay never dropped, his sales and presence in the game have steadily declined because the record buying audience basically forgot about him and the albums were not promoted properly. We need to market him in the best way possible. when I say market I don't mean advertising (which interscope needs to work very hard at) I mean getting people to get interested in his album. to do that we have to make the best album possible, drop a game changing single and include a few collabarations that will peak interest. While we want to make sure Oh My God is artistically brilliant the name of the game is still to sell albums. To give Rakim as great chance to do that means to use resources that Rakim has available to him. Those resources include the single most popular artist in music today - Eminem. Besides doing a collab in an attempt to bring Em's millions of fans to Oh My God, the collab will be a lyrical showcase for a legend and one soon to be legend to show why they are just that.
Hopefully this answers some peoples dissapointment at not have the entire album be strictly rakim. However, I assure you that the album will be mostly rakim. there will be no skits per se, and there will be precious few guest appearances. Truth hurts contribution most likely will only be a hook. Em will appear on one track (there is a tiny possiblity that he will be on 2 but i highly doubt it). I mentioned Xzibit and I still believe he will be on it, but that is not set in stone. There are 3 other possible mc's and another singer that may make it on but those songs will have to be especially brilliant to make the cut. And no at this point Snoop is not one of them. Dre will be rap on at least one track. Why? because Dre signed Rakim and it has always been a dream of his to do a duet with Rakim. Ra has and will write any Dre verse that makes the album. And Dre will be a huge reason why Rakim blows back up again. Dre is working REALLY HARD to make Oh My God a classic. Dre is pushing rakim to take his lyrics and delivery to the top of the atmosphere. In turn, Ra is pushing Dre to make some of the best beats of his career. So yes there will be some collabs but over 90% of the rhymes on the album will be Rakim. Hopefully this appeases both sides of the collabs/no collabs argument. No matter which side your on just wait til you go buy the record to make any judgments. I still plan on doing another Q and A thread about some other things in a few weeks. til then keep the funk alive and keep the music playin.
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While Rakims amazing wordplay never dropped, his sales and presence in the game have steadily declined because the record buying audience basically forgot about him and the albums were not promoted properly. We need to market him in the best way possible. when I say market I don't mean advertising (which interscope needs to work very hard at) I mean getting people to get interested in his album. to do that we have to make the best album possible, drop a game changing single and include a few collabarations that will peak interest. While we want to make sure Oh My God is artistically brilliant the name of the game is still to sell albums. To give Rakim as great chance to do that means to use resources that Rakim has available to him.
I'm not sure, but didn't The 18th Letter go platinum, with one video and no guest spots. I could be mistaken. I hope Rakim and Dre fully agree with eathother on their decisions and Dre doesn't make Ra do anything that he doesn't want to do.
Rakim should Set 'Em Straight
I came to set em straight, and let em know
Whoever's holdin the best, just let him go
Cause here's the inside scoop on the fiend
They wanna know why I'm seldom seen
Cause who needs the TV screens and magazines
or shootin through the city in fly limousines
There's one thing I don't like, it's the spotlight
.. cause I already got light
Fuck sales and the people who don't know him, the true heads know the deal, that's who they should be thinking of.
If he's alone I'll buy five copies, if not I'm burning it.
Oh My God will be dope regardless. Thanx Mellowman.
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While we want to make sure Oh My God is artistically brilliant the name of the game is still to sell albums. To give Rakim as great chance to do that means to use resources that Rakim has available to him. Those resources include the single most popular artist in music today - Eminem. Besides doing a collab in an attempt to bring Em's millions of fans to Oh My God, the collab will be a lyrical showcase for a legend and one soon to be legend to show why they are just that.
exactly.
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I've said as far back as 1986 that Rakim is the best lyricist out there. I stand by that. I've also said that Dre is the most consistent and thus the best producer out there. I still stand by that. Together, this album has no choice but to be a classic. I hope they take their time so it reaches its fullest potential.
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C2knuckles, you are your own man and you make your own decisions but you are not a true Rakim fan if you do what you just said you would - "IF HE'S ALONE I'LL BUY FIVE COPIES. IF NOT I'M BURNING IT". i don't understand why you would make a comment like that. Put a little faith in what Rakim is doing. A few guest verses will not ruin this album. In fact the collabs that have been done so far are making it better. Rakim is the main focus and he will deliver. C2, you raised some good points. But a few of your comments weren't fair. It seems like you think Ra may be allowing Dre to tell him what to do. Believe me, Rakim doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. The small number of guest spots on Oh My God are all Rakim's choice. The producers are all Rakim's choice. It's also unfair to think that Rakim shouldn't be concered about selling records. His primary and main goal is to make the best album EVER. But he wants people, young and old, white and black, new and long time fans to buy his album. I can guarantee you, even if you love doing whatever it is your doing for a living that you still want to make money. Rakim doesn't want the spotlight, he doesn't even like it. He wants to be respected. He doesn't give a fuck about material things and getting attention in the media. Does Rakim care if he sells 5 million copies? NO. He's not in this game for the purpose of being a millionaire. However, he still has to make a living, pay the bills and wants to live comfortably. Just listen to Paid in Full. Record sales are secondary but yes Rakim wants to sell some records, too. He is human. Yes, true heads do know the deal, and yes that is the type of fan who Ra is making the album for. But true heads aren't gonna pay the bills if the true heads do what c2knuckles threatened to do, which is to not buy the album.
Dre is not forcing Ra to do anything he doesn't want to. Rakim wants to have only a few collabs and has fully agreed to all of the artists that will appear on Oh My God. He wanted to work with Em, because of Em's skills and the fact that Em doesn't focus on bling-bling shit either. Helping record sales wasn't the reason, but Ra is a smart man and a business man and realizes it will help introduce him to more people. Oh My God is not about money. It is about breaking rap music out of the jail its currently in. Oh My God is about lyrics, intelligence, skills and hopefully teaching people that rappers can talk about things other than money, cars, bling bling, bad mouthing women and forgetting about what hip-hop is really about. rakim didn't have to join forces with Dre. Rakim joined Dre because he knew that Dre would give 150% to the project and would not stab him in the back like so many had done throughout his career. Rakim has been ripped off by people his whole carrer. Record labels, friends and other artists all took advantage of ra's skill and his good heart. They also took more than advantage of his financial well being. Rakim lost his trust in people. Dre is giving him his trust back. In return rakim is delivering the hip hop album of the new millenium. Who fuckin cares if there are a small number of guest appearances. True fans will buy Rakim's album NO MATTER WHAT. If you don't you are not a fan. Rakim will never sell out and he would be hurt than someone would insinuate that since he is having 2 or 3 guest appearances on his album that he is selling out for the money. If you don't buy the album thats your choice. But If you decide not to buy it and you just burn it don't come here claiming to be a true fan. Cause if you don't care enough about Rakim enough to trust his judgement and support him in whatever he does than Ra doesn't want you as a fan. C2knuckes or anyone else - We don't expect you to buy 5 copies. Buying 5 albums makes you a super fan. If you do that we may invite you to the studio. But not even buying one copy of Oh My God would make you the worst kind a fan. A fan that claims to be a fan but yet doesn't support the artist enough to even buy one copy of their album. Just think about it. I trust that in the end even with 3 or 4 verses by other mc's it will not deter you from buying Oh My God. Cause when you hear it you will be so amazed that it will be impossible not to have your own copy of the once in a lifetime album Rakim and Dre are putting together. peace. its time to go home and take my queen out on the date I promised. Talk to you guys in a few weeks.
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damn those are some good words there mellow i always say that about dre cause everyone seems to start hating on him cause he takes so long but shit i say just wait til his shit drops and then you will be all over it...it will be imposible to not pick it up thats what i always say about dre and thats what i feel thats gonna happen with rakim....i never have really known him too much but i have been listening to a few tracks here and there and his verse on addictive is a confirmation that i will defenitally buy this album no matter what
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Buying 5 albums makes you a super fan. If you do that we may invite you to the studio.
HOLLY SHIT!!! I'm buying 300 copies...
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THX Mellowman
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Thanks Mellowman, your posts are so worth reading. Hope you ad a good nite with the Mrs. Laters
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Thanks for the info, mellow man.
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i can't wait, i think i said that before though, peace.
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HOLLY SHIT!!! I'm buying 300 copies...
My sentiments exactly. I'd give my right arm to be in the studio with Dre or any of the Aftermath roster. Same goes for Timbaland.
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Fuck sales and the people who don't know him, the true heads know the deal, that's who they should be thinking of.
If he's alone I'll buy five copies, if not I'm burning it.
Believe it or not I was joking, I'm at the record store on that Tuesday morning breaking down the door to get my copy. If he's alone I'll buy one copy, if not I'm buying one copy. Really, why the hell would I buy FIVE copies. But if that could get me to the studio, I'll make him got fucking platinum. The only albums I burn are the expensive imports, or the rare ones that I can't find.
I have the more confidence in Rakim than anyone else in the game. And it's a no brainer that these two will make a masterpiece. I'm confident the best producer and best emcee know what they are doing. I would love to hear a Em/Ra track or a Nas/Ra track, with Dre or Primo behind the boards, that would be unreal. However, I personnally would like to see Rakim with seven album rocking them all alone. Who else would or could do that? It just think it would dope for someone to do that cause no one now a days has a true solo album. I just want to see the greatest hip-hop album ever. I've had a hard on for this since the day I heard Ra signed to Aftermath. And I'm praying that it doesn't get leaked and bootlegging fucks up the album and release date.
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thanks alot mellowman!
This album will be so fuckin dope...
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I'd give my right arm to be in the studio with Dre or any of the Aftermath roster. Same goes for Timbaland.
Not me! (I'd only give my left arm ;)). But seriously, I had planned on only buying two copies, but if buying five would literally get me into the studio, I will!
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I think this will indeed be great, but all this talk about it being mind blowing CAN hurt the response when it comes out. That happened for Em's album for me. It was great, but all the hype created a much larger expectation in my mind.
I wasn't feelin' Em's subject matter, but Ra's subjects are something I am thirsting for: skill, knowledge, intelligence... I'm tired of being talked down to with this nursery-school shit on the radio.
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I think this will indeed be great, but all this talk about it being mind blowing CAN hurt the response when it comes out. That happened for Em's album for me. It was great, but all the hype created a much larger expectation in my mind.
I totally agree. i was expecting tha last meal to be good but instead it was a snoop dogg and kokane album and i think that tha doggfather was better than it