The Sopranos Theory

It seems like the sure-fire way of knowing that a rap artist is about to release an album these days, is if he/she gets shot a couple of times, then drives off to the studio/radio station/mall/whatever. Cam'Ron, Gravy, and now Beanie Sigel is the latest to use what's becoming a rather alarming promotional method. They even broke it down for us on The Sopranos, where Treach played an aspiring rapper who paid Bobby Bacala to throw a couple of hot ones at him, in order to build more buzz for his album.

I wouldn't doubt that record labels or publicists are offering this to rap artists as part of a promotional package - you get a street team, an appearance on 106 & Park, and for a few extra dollars, a couple of flesh wounds. Maybe if you pay more, you get shot in more dramatic fashion - maybe a home invasion or a dangerous highway chase. If you're too cheap, you get shot on the way out of the bodega.

It's Been a Long Time

So, I haven't been motivated to post in a while but a lot has happened in the hip-hop world. Let's run down some of the highlights:

• Eminem divorced his wife again.

Proof shot a dude and was in turn shot and killed. Eminem's depressed.

• A guy named Big Hawk got shot and killed in Texas.


• A guy named Gravy from Brooklyn got shot in the ass on his way in to do an interview at HOT97.


• T.I. and his crew were shot at on the highway in Cincinnati, with one fatality.


• Jay-Z jumped on the Reggaeton bandwagon (yuck).


• Some dude named Rick Ross made a video.


• Some dude named Young Joc made a video.


• Suge Knight headed to bankruptcy court. Ditto for Dave Mays.

You see where I'm headed with this. Rap sucks these days - it's not even fun making fun of it anymore, because people are dying on practically a daily basis, and the ignorance is becoming too commonplace. Not to say that I'm going to quit doing this, but I'm just sayin'... it's depressing, man.

On a positive note, Gnarls Barkley is the shit.

Oh, and did anyone see that video with Paul Wall, where Fat Joe is wearing a t-shirt that says "hard body"? Is he for real?