Joaquin Phoenix and Hip-Hop? I Smell Trouble!

Just when you thought hip-hop had revealed all its demons, possibly another one is on its way out the closet. Joaquin Phoenix, a premier hollywood actor (Gladiator, Walk the Line), was spotted on January 19th rocking the mic at club Lavo in Vegas. He apparently dropped three tracks, and I had the honor of listening to the first track. If you know how sensitive my ears are, you would know that it was no need to continue to listen to Phoenix.







In addition, yes, we do have Times Online.com admitting that Phoenix is working on a hip-hop project, and this is coming out of the horses mouth:

“My experience afterward was I had a lot of dudes come up and say, `We really respect you for doing it, putting yourself out there, and going with it.' Because I think true hip-hop heads know that it's hard, it's going to be a hard transition, and people are going to be lining up just to make fun of me."

My discrepancy is that the YouTube video clearly shows that Phoenix is not a rapper. In fact after his performance, he tripped and fell off the stage. And as much as I like to admit that I love Phoenix as an actor, so far, his music sucks.

Meanwhile, I'm more curious with why so many people want to rap and feel that they are competent to represent the art form. Aren't there enough rappers out there already? I meet young and grown folks alike that swear they have the hot skillz. Phoenix exemplifies my point. However, people that aren't passionate or are simply incompetent only bring degradation to any art form.

In the Times Online.com article, Phoenix admits that most people will not take him seriously. In fact, the article's main thesis is that Phoenix is serious though many will ridicule him. I personally think that Phoenix's album at your local music dealer goes to show how far hip-hop has deviated from it's original theme. With our luck (true hip-hop fans), Phoenix's album may take off, go gold, and then we'll see Russell Crowe, Ben Afleck, Denzel Washington, and Al Pacino all release albums (give me a break).

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article5659301.ece

A Few Things About the Hip-Hop Industry.

1)It seems that newbies to the industry have no respect for the men/women who have been doing it while they were in middle school. Even lately, I meet cats that are my age but started rhyming, managing, producing...since 05. They don't realize that experience does count. For me, it's cool to be able to observe it go down in this fashion. Sometimes you have to just see it to believe it.

2) In the end, your product is all you have. If you have flash, have money, have women, and all the other b.s...you BETTER have a dope cd. Why? Because it may look good, but it doesn't sound good. I get tons of demo disc-every year. The problem-1) no brand...random music with no swag 2) "heard it all before" 3) you have literally just wrote your name on a blank disc with a sharpie...and put it in a slim case?

3) To much 8 mile! Is it not clashing of the titans to a degree? Huge egos meeting for the overall betterment of hip-hop. Yet, all these individuals are grown men/women. Just because one disagrees doesn't make it beef or a war.

Business will always be business and great business men are the weirdos whose crazy plan actually worked. Can't you just feel the haters when Russell signed RUN DMC, and LL COOL J, BEASTIE BOYS..etc.? Bottom line, I bet he had major haters, yet he saw past there folly. He stayed focused, and now his business is sought after by citizens and companies alike all around the world.

If we were more unified in thought, all of us could eat off hip-hop, but what are the chances?