Who Should Be “Rocking” The Mic?
(Recreated from YFWB 1.0) With a gang of rappers from Lil Wayne to Kanye West to Lupe Fiasco all taking large steps towards creating a *snicker* rock/pop career for themselves, it got me thinking about who we as hip-hop enthusiasts might want to poach from the world of guitar heroes to try and make a go of it on the m-i-c.
I think there may be some hidden talent that is just waiting to be exploited and that could ultimately be good for this thing called hip-hop. You know that with the skulls on t-shirts, the giant belt buckles and the skinny jeans that hip-hop has never been more rock & roll. So maybe the time is right for rap to take back the initiative and recruit some of the heavy hitters of the arena set to start making appearances on World Star Hip Hop. My recommendations:
Madonna
The original “Boss B*tch”, Madge has the vision and the drive (and the marketing mind) to take the rap world the same way she has dominated the pop universe. Straight up, Madge could single-handedly bring back that female rap game. We saw her bust some bars on “Vogue,” and we know she can already ride over a Timbo track, so she’s halfway to the Source Awards.
Axl Rose
If anyone has the fiery, anti-establishment attitude that embodies hip-hop, its got to be the G’n'R front man. The guy just seething with the rage of the misunderstood, and with his dreads and football jerseys, he won’t face the same drastic fashion changes as others. Plus, he is already well-versed on waiting years to drop an album, so he won’t be offended when he gets pushed back. In fact, he’d be a good fit in the Aftermath camp.
Chris Martin (Coldplay)
The dude already produced a track for Jay-Z and you know that he’s down. Viva La Hova was just a taste, bitches. Like Jeezy, he’s shown that he can be in a band but still outshine the rest of his crew. As a bonus, he’s political enough to give Mos Def a run for his money, so you know he’s bringing those conscious lyrics.
Frank Sinatra
Although he can’t be officially included for obvious reasons, I had to include him on this list. The original Chairman of the Board, this guy defined swagger. You didn’t need Frank to snatch your chain right off you to know that he is not to be trifled with. Who needs a Gambino crime family stage name when you’re already mobbed up? Plus, he had a movie career Common would kill for.
At least Will Farrell had the foresight to see the crossover potential that exists. Here Will gives us a visioning exercise on the potential sales juggernaut that could be created when someone with born swagger like Robert Goulet drops a hot 16:
I’m telling you people – we need some rock crossovers immediately. Because Lil Wayne can’t be the only rap dude on a guitar.
Tags: Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco
