Phonte vs Kanye: Let’s Get This Beef Going
I am the first to admit that I am highly entertained by the current rap beef cooking between Joe Budden and Saigon. In fact, even though I was clowning on Saigon for his initial weak response, his latest shot was ill. But I’m moving on to a new rap beef. Ah, hell I’m going to do my best to get this one poppin as quickly as possible: Phonte (of Little Brother) vs your boy Kanye West.
In a recent radio interview, Phonte laid down his thoughts on Kanye’s latest efforts. Props to HipHopDx:
“I heard pretty much most of the Kanye album,” he said. “I didn’t like it. I was just like ‘get the fuck out of here. I honestly thought it was an act of cowardice,” continued Phonte. “I think if you’re gonna make the creative leap to sing, then really sing. Let your voice come out, and let people hear all the eccentricities and all the little idiosyncrasies in your voice. That’s what makes you uniquely you…Imagine if Aretha Franklin used Auto-Tune on ‘Respect.’”
Phonte added that he thought Kanye was “biting T-Pain,” and concluded by saying that 808s and Heartbreak was a “case of the reach extending the grasp.”Now you all
Now you all know Kanye. But for those of who who aren’t familiar with Phonte, he’s 1/2 of a pretty dope-ass group from North Carolina. Here’s a little sample from one of my favorite joints of 2008, “Bless The Child” of Jake One’s LP:
Yeezy has already said that in addition to the time he will be making to dip into the adult film industry, he is getting back into rap. He told MTV: “I gotta get my rap battle. You know, I’m rappin’ again!” Well, here’s your first target ‘Ye.
Here we have two fly rappers who could give heads quite a show. And this could be a good step for Kanye – he says he wants new challenges; and he’s never been known as a battle rap cat. We’ve seen him in ciphers, so its not as if he can’t hold his own in a freestyle setting. He could think of this as another area that he needs to conquer.
And the best part is that based on the personality of the two players, there is very little chance that the beef will spill out from the studio into the streets.
With the lyrical and creative abilities of both, this would be one hell of a battle. They don’t even need to make it personal. They can just do it as a spirited competition between two artists. C’mon, let’s get this beef cookin’!
Tags: Kanye West, Little Brother, Phonte
I don’t see Ye responding. He’s got all these rumors and his collabs with LV taking off, he’ll probably brush dude off.
Actually Kanye didnt say he wanted to do porn. that was a fake account http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=221498_-1__0_~0_-1_1_2009_0_0&em3298=&em3282=&em3281=&em3161= as will be noted by a recent post on his blog.
I hate that it sounds like hating on Phonte cuz he’s one of my fav rappers, along with Kanye, but it feels like HE’s hating on Kanye for gettin that much shine for switchin to half-ass singing, while Phonte switched to no-autotune singing at some point and didn’t get as much credit and attention for it as Kanye did. And now lemme just say that 808′s is a very underestimated record no matter how many copies it’s sold. People still hating on the concept which is not about Kanye singin at all, and that’s the point.
Yeah, but I’m hoping the ego-driven, competitive cat in him can rise meet the challenge. Even jut to prove he can do it.
Yeah, Big Beat I saw that after I posted it. Although he did say he was open to the idea of posing naked.
I agree with both of those comments. I actually wish that Phonte had responded on a record, rather than just spout off on an interview – then the beef would be on! I also agree about 808′s. I wish I could like it more. You know how you look at art and even though you don’t care for it, you know you should? That’s how I feel about Kanye’s joint. I wish I loved it, but I just don’t. Guess I’m lowbrow. But you all knew that already.