Kanye West done did it this time. I’ve disregarded most of his clownish antics because I loved his music. I’ve even supported some of his wackest music out of respect for the balls it took experiment. But now he undermined what I once thought was an indestructible element of his creative credibility: originality.
In mid August, Kanye launched his GOOD Friday series, in which he’d release a new song every Friday until his next album dropped in November. Another good idea from the trendsetter right? Maybe if he didn’t bite the concept from Crooked I.
Who?
Exactly. You see, even people who don’t listen to hip-hop know Kanye West. But, like most great lyricists, Crooked I doesn’t share that same renown. In his own words: “They try to keep me out the ranks of the greatest rhymers / but I been underground longer than Chilean miners.”
In 2007 Crook started his “
Hip-Hop Weekly,” series. Every week, for 52 consecutive weeks, he released a three to five minute freestyle with unparalleled rhyme skill. He re-launched the series this year with the title “Hip-Hop Weekly Reloaded,” and set it off with a
murderous verse over Gangstar’s Mass Appeal beat in honor of Guru’s passing.
So along comes Kanye to take the weekly concept and claim it as his brainchild because only hip-hop junkies like me know about Crooked I. In the last two installments of HHWR, Crook addresses Yeezy’s jack move. Personally, I love the
week 10 joint because it starts off with the Boardwalk Empire beat. But
week 11 is dope too and features Joell Ortiz, arguably the best lyricist in the game, next to Crook.
I admired Kanye when he voiced my opinion at the infamous
Taylor Swift VMA incident, but right now I agree with what President Obama said about him then. “He’s a jackass.”
