Your Favorite White Boy

You are taking your life and your career into your hands when you decide that you want to put your own stamp on classic material.  It is fraught with risk – not only do you have to showcase your own creativity, you need to show proper respect to the original content.  So I was admittedly skeptical when I heard that remix crew Cookin Soul would be putting their unique spin on the legacy of Biggie Smalls.That skepticism was well-founded.

The best word for this particular effort is “unworthy”.  Its unworthy of the Biggie legacy; its unworthy of Cookin Soul’s previous work with artists such as Jay-Z and Nas; its unworthy of all the hype it garnered leading up to its release.  While listening to this mixtape, I wondered if there was a certain irony that this “tribute” was released on one of hip-hop’s darkest days, rather than when Notorious actually came into this world.

Nevertheless, from start to finish this tribute disappoints.  This is largely by design: Cookin Soul is attempting to execute an impossible task by measuring up contemporary artists to the incredible wordplay and unstoppable flow of B.I.G.  Even with a much larger budget, a personal connection to Wallace himself and direct access to some of the game’s biggest stars, Diddy could not pull off a proper tribute with Born Again.  Cookin Soul doesn’t stand a chance.  

The guest spots clearly illustrate the huge vacuum Biggie has left in his absence.   When put face-to-face with the inherent talent of a Notorious B.I.G., the guests who appear on Tribute fall decidedly short.  In fact, I found myself wondering what exactly the criteria was for being offered a spot.  Maybe some of the more talented MCs wisely declined.

LA the Darkman?  Willie the Kid? Freekey Zekey for god’s sakes?  These were the artist chosen to pay tribute to a legend?  They only proved to showcase the mediocrity that exists in the culture we all love. The individuals responsible should be run out of the hip-hop kingdom forever.  Only on the CL Smooth and Skyzoo supported “Big Poppa” does one hear anything approaching something that belongs on a B.I.G. tribute.  Emilio Rojas, Amanda Diva and Jean Grae make valuable contributions as well.

The same mistake is replicated in the attempt to rethink the beats that accompanied Frank White on his two classic albums.  The Cookin Soul collective must have realized that they were trying to re-engineering some of the most well-known and loved beats ever created.  While I fully appreciate the love this crew clearly has for hip-hop, redoing a Primo track is pretty much a hand-delivered invitation for ridicule.   Nevertheless, depsite laying hands on material that really should just be left alone, I should say that as someone who does not dig for samples it was interesting to hear the original beats in a more natural state.  The one true bright spot.

In reviewing any new material, I always try to keep an open mind and provide a balanced perspective.  But I also believe it is necessary to give an accurate accounting of my true opinion, even if I run the risk of being labeled a “hater”.   If you want a proper tribute, there are much better projects in which you can invest your time and effort.  Tribute is undoubtedly worth of neither.

The one thing I will take away from listening to Tribute is that I now fully understand what Budden meant when he said:  “If rap was alive/we would be trying to be the greatest rappers ever/not the best rapper alive”.  Tribute unintentionally yet perfectly exposed the inherent weaknesses in today’s artists – content to live in Biggie’s shadow rather than explore new ways to take this game to a new level.

Maybe Biggie was wrong when he spoke on your favorite rapper’s motivations at the end of “Things Done Changed”:  “No one comes into this game to make mediocre money and just live average”.   All evidence to the contrary, B.  And Tribute is Exhibit A.

Tags: Cookin Soul, DJ Drama, Notorious BIG, Tribute