Showing posts with label Bios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bios. Show all posts

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Check the Bio, Son: Webbie


Welcome to the Tortoise General Blog and our latest review of a rapper's biography. Today we are looking at the official Webbie biography from Trill Entertainment! Who in the heck is Webbie? I have no idea. That's what biographies are for ya meathead. So, what do they have to say about some people's favorite rapper? Let's find out together, but I bet you already know all of this stuff from reading Tiger Beat! You're so smart and well read.

Thankfully, this bio is short and focused. Trill isn't trying to paint a picture of Webbie like some other idiotic record companies, they're just getting down to business. Who? What? Where? When? Why? And some fun trivia! Let's dig in! Thanksgiving!

Who?
Webster Gradney (born September 6, 1985) better known by his stage name Webbie...

What?
...is a rapper...

Where?
...from Baton Rouge, Louisiana

See. Straightforward. Just the facts. I even learned something: I thought the guy's name was Lil' Webbie! But it isn't, that's a fact. You learn something new every day. Good to know. Keep going...

When?
He came into the hip-hop scene in 2005 with "Give Me That Pussy" which featured U.G.K. rapper Bun B and the songs "Bad Bitch" & "Swerve" (Lil' Boosie Feat. Webbie) were featured in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow. Both singles are on Gangsta Musik, his group album with Lil' Boosie, the album was released in December 2003, both songs are on Webbie's debut album Savage Life which was released on July 5, 2005.

Perfect. Specific dates and very inappropriate song titles. At least everyone knows what Webbie wants in life. But wait. Do I see an error? He came on the "hip-hop" scene in 2005, but released an album called "Gangsta Musik" in December 2003 with Lil' Boosie? Which happened first? Let's check the internet for a verdict. The official bio is wrong, I think. Gangsta Musik came out in 2005, not 2003. But an album was released in 2003 called Ghetto Stories. Since I am pretty clost to being the boss here, I'll just say that we won't count this as an error becasue if Webbie doesn't even care about accuracy, why should we. Let us continue.

Before we get to the "why" questions (Why is Webbie a rapper? Why did Webbie become a rapper? Etc.), We need to go back to the "who" question and get a little history. Why not?

Gradney was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Sherwood Forest section of the city. Webbie's upbringing was anything but stable his mother, Jocelyn, died of cancer when he was eight years old . He spent his early teen years shuttling back and forth between the care of his father and grandmother.

That's rough. Terrible. It might be part of "why" questions...

Ever since he was five years old, writing rhymes had been his release. "My big cousin from California taught me how to rap," Webbie recalls, adding that his mother was a music lover who often danced to her favorite songs.

Ah! See. This is a great bio! It might even be too personal. I'm not going to knock it though. We should all be so lucky to have a cousin from California to teach us something great.

Intrigued by music that reflected his rough upbringing, he started listening to "all the gangsta rappers, all that shit that hits hard," including the Geto Boys, 2Pac, Eazy E, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, UGK, and Scarface.

Oh shit! Me and Webbie are on the same page here!!! Look at all of those explanation points I used! I listened to the same stuff (but I also listened to a lot more non gangsta songs). I wonder if Webbie ever sunck off and spun a little Rakim or KRS? Like me? What else was going on with the young Webbie?

"It's HEAAAAVY!!!!" - Webbie

Webbie struggled throughout school, often getting suspended for fights. He attended Broadmoor Middle School, where former math teacher Sean Fluharty described him as "a quiet, respectful student who liked to write lyrics and rap quietly to himself... he never caused me any problems; he did his work and was actually pretty decent at math."

OH SHIT! I ATTENDED BROADMOOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TOO! No I didn't! I didn't even grow up anywhere near Louisiana. Back to this bio, this is kind of a confusing section. First we learn that Webbie "struggled" and was "often" "suspended" for "fights". Okay. That happens to a lot of people. No problem! But then it quotes a teacher who says that Webbie was "quiet" and "respectful". WHAT? Which is it? And what is all of this about math? What does "pretty decent" mean. Trust me, around here NOBODY is decent at math (we went to public school). But this whole math thing is odd to throw in there. You could say that about anything...Webbie was good in school and was also pretty decent at _________.

     a> Tetris
     b> Making Tacos
     c> Woodworking
     d> Slight of Hand
     e> Remaining calm during weather emergencies
     f> math
     g> all of the above

Weird. (the answer is <g>). Let's rap this up...

He played fullback on his middle school football team, but was seen in a bad light by his coach, which sometimes chased Webbie's older brother (known for selling drugs). He went on to attend Woodlawn High School and later Belaire High School but was prevented from playing his favorite sports, football and basketball, due to his poor grades and discipline problems.

Once again, I'm having trouble seeing the connection! He played sports. Cool and normal. His coach didn't like him because of his older brothers reputation. Okay (I guess), and irrelevant. Then he went to high school and wasn't allowed to play sports due to poor grades and discipline problems! Why is that in the bio? Who cares if he played sports or not. Who cares about high school grades and discipline problems? Webbie, what happened to that "quiet" and "respectful" boy from Broadmoor? Oh yeah, all the suspensions from fighting apparently made it up to high school.

IN CONCLUSION: Great Bio? I think not. What is with all the high school stuff? Way too much school stuff. I like the lack of name dropping (except for listing inspirations) and I like how short everything is. I also think I might like Webbie's music based on this bio. Let's find out!



OH NO! I don't like that at all! Does he call Lil' Boosie "Boo"? Good Gravel, people are weird.

BIO SCORE 6/10
I BEEN HERE SCORE 0/10



Full Text of Bio:

Lil' Webbie - Official Bio
http://www.trillent.com/webbie.html

Webster Gradney (born September 6, 1985) better known by his stage name Webbie, is a rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He came into the hip-hop scene in 2005 with "Give Me That Pussy" which featured U.G.K. rapper Bun B and the songs "Bad Bitch" & "Swerve" (Lil' Boosie Feat. Webbie) were featured in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow. Both singles are on Gangsta Musik, his group album with Lil' Boosie, the album was released in December 2003, both songs are on Webbie's debut album Savage Life which was released on July 5, 2005.

Gradney was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Sherwood Forest section of the city. Webbie's upbringing was anything but stable his mother, Jocelyn, died of cancer when he was eight years old . He spent his early teen years shuttling back and forth between the care of his father and grandmother. Ever since he was five years old, writing rhymes had been his release. "My big cousin from California taught me how to rap," Webbie recalls, adding that his mother was a music lover who often danced to her favorite songs. Intrigued by music that reflected his rough upbringing, he started listening to "all the gangsta rappers, all that shit that hits hard," including the Geto Boys, 2Pac, Eazy E, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, UGK, and Scarface. Webbie struggled throughout school, often getting suspended for fights. He attended Broadmoor Middle School, where former math teacher Sean Fluharty described him as "a quiet, respectful student who liked to write lyrics and rap quietly to himself... he never caused me any problems; he did his work and was actually pretty decent at math." He played fullback on his middle school football team, but was seen in a bad light by his coach, which sometimes chased Webbie's older brother (known for selling drugs). He went on to attend Woodlawn High School and later Belaire High School but was prevented from playing his favorite sports, football and basketball, due to his poor grades and discipline problems.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Check the Bio, Son: Chilly Chill


Welcome back to our official biography series where we take a look at the official internet biography of someone from the hip hop world. Today we are looking at West Coaster Chilly Chill from Ice Cube's legendary production house. Let's see what he has to say about himself!

--Official Stats--
Artist: Chilly Chill

Subject: Official Internet Biography
Date: February 20, 2012

Review:



Eh. Not much to say about that. We'll just say that the site looks pretty new and a bio will be coming soon! #Salute. I guess we'll have to look for clues as to when this site was brought to life. 


Well, I don't see a date, so let's move along and see what else Chilly Chill is up to...Oh! Here is a survey!



Boy. Did you ever go for a hike and after a few feet you wish you hadn't? That is how I'm feeling right now. I wish I hadn't opened this can of rap. Holy S! This survey was open for SIX YEARS AND ONLY GOT 31 VOTES! BUT AT LEAST THE REVIEWS ARE SPLIT BETWEEN CLASSIC AND DOPE! You know that at least one of those votes came from Chilly Chill himself. That is just sad. So we have no bio and a depressing survey. Wow. And the site may have been around for like six years. 


Well, there isn't much else to look at or review. So...uh, go spend some money on Chilly Chill's work, it's the least you could do. Give him some feedback. And Chilly Chill: don't be discouraged by whatever is going on with the Internet. It's a brutal lady that we all must endure...keep at it and finish that Bio!


BIO SCORE: BIO SCORE GOES HERE.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Check the Bio, Son: Edo Maajka

The first question you should be asking your self besides, "why am I reading this terrible blog" is "who in the hell is Edo Maajka, and why does he have so many 'A's in his name?". Right. Well let's check out his biography...or I guess I should say his "biografija". Oh boy, this is going to be painful.


Your Emcee for the Night?

"BIOGRAFIJA"


Well, it's all in some foreign language. Uggh. There is no way I'm reading this thing, and Google doesn't even know what language it is to translate it. So i guess we're out of luck. Game over, man. Oh, what about Wikipedia. Well it says he's from "Brčko, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia" That's exactly where I would have guessed. Actually, I'm joking (lol), I don't think that's even a place. SR? SFR? WTF? We'll just go with Bosnia, right? Fine. So next it says "Edin's stage name 'Edo Maajka' literally means 'Edo the Mother'." Of course it does, that's a normal rap name and very street. Actually isn't Bosinia literally a tough place to live or grow up? I don't know. I would have guessed that someone from Bosnia would have a tremendously tough name, not this:


Edo the Mother (seriously)
Edo Maajka apparently has four albums:


   2002: Slušaj mater                           (in english: "Listen to mother")
   2004: No sikiriki                               (no translation)
   2006: Stig'o ćumur                           (no translation)
   2008: Balkansko a naše                  (in english: "Balkan and our")



You can see that those titles don't mean anything to us in America. Some of them don't even translate on a Bosnian website! That's wack! Even if he does win a hundred awards a year (European Awards), he should at least speak a language that Google knows about, right? I'm starting to think that this is going to be harder than it looks. Every barrier is too wide: cultural, language, uh, all of them. I mean he dedicates one of his songs to the coal miners of Breza. WHAT? This is like really far out hip hop. I need to reboot and take a new approach to this bio. Wait! In Wikipedia's description of the hit album "Stig'o ćumur" (lol) they describe what each song is about. Now we're getting somewhere. So let's just write something about that. Tort Team Assemble!!!!!!! (AIR HORN)


"Stig'o ćumur"
(Wikipedia text is bolded, my commentary is not)

1. Uši zatvori
"Listen to folk, dance, house, and the rest of the scene. No one is forcing you to listen to me," is the chorus of this song. Right off the bet, Edo Maajka explains in the mist of tall the criticism about his lyrics that no one is forcing you to play my music."

Right off the bat, I'm confused. But I bet that when someone in Bosnia reads Eminem’s bio they are just as confused.


2. Bomba
"A song about having to pay, literally pay, to keep a beautiful girl around because she's a bomb."


I get this one. I don't know about the term "a bomb" but I get the general idea. Maybe we have a lot in common Edo the Mother (or whatever the name is).


3. Budi i ti
"In this song, Edo and the featured artists are making fun of the American and Balkan music scene and MTV."


Bingo! Me and Edo are again on the same page here apparently. Granted, I've never mede fun of the Balkan music scene (until today), but those toady posers at MTV...I hate 'em.


4. Trpaj
"A dong about being arrested and sent to jail, going through the process, but on more positive side."


Just to be clear, that's not a typo on my part. That's right from Wikipedia, and it might really mean 'dong', I don't know. I don't speak Bosnian or whatever. Also, it's nice to see a song about the positive side of going to jail. I'm sure there are tons of wonderful behind-the-scenes things that happen that we just don't hear about on the outside.


5. Para na paru (uš na fukaru)
"Money on Money. You need money, but cant find a job and dad won't loan you any."


Dads, am I right? They're the worst."Hey old man, why don't you lend me some of your fortune? I've got a Bomba to take care of." No Way. Also, dumb idea for a song. Money on money.


6. Sretno dijete
"a song about young people and their problems. Through two verses he explains the situation of one young male and female and the problems surrounding them."


The older I get, the less I want to hear about young people and their problems. Sure, the problems that young people have in Bosnia are probably a million times worse than our American young people problems, but still, it's all dating, girls, parent's, grown ups, and homework. I don't care about any of those things!


7. To mora da je ljubav
Uh oh, this song had no explination...I guess we'll skip it. I'm sure "To Mora" means "Your Mom" and "da je ljubav" means "put your hands in the air". So, a normal rap song!


8. To što se traži
"An explanation of Edo's thinking what the pop music scene is and his disgust for it."


Something like this makes me think that we could be friends. My thinking for the pop music scene (and all music scenes) is disgust. Another song I could throw my support behind probably.


9. Moj cijeli život
"In am fast tempo song, where he doubled his speed of rapping, Edo talks about how is started rap and became so famous, but in a very positive way."



Whatev's...sounds LAME...but, on the other hand Edo is very famous, so who am I to judge? AND congrats on being (slightly) worse than us on grammar!


10. Za Mirzu
Uh, at this point Wikipedia stopped helping me! Well just go with this: more of the same.


11. Rek'o sam joj
More of the same. I'm pretty sure that JOJ is Bosnia's version of LOL, so this is an internet slang song.


12. Moš' me pljuvat'
Well since there is no translation for this, I'll just make it up! "Moš' me pljuvat'" probably means "Move My Uncle", so this is a song about helping your loved ones move into a new apartment.

13. Stvoren za rep
Okay. Eh, "Rep" definitely translates to "Rap". As for "Stvoren", ah, who cares. You know I wonder if Bosnian rappers purposefully misspell their song titles like American rappers do. If so that explains a lot, like why I can't translate any of this shit. Or maybe these are English song titles, and Edo just took the misspelling to the extreme. Of course that's not it.


14. Blažena tišina
More of the same? I would bet money that this song is about weed. Blaze that tišina.


15. Nikad više
This song is probably about Edo's vice that I am making up: nudity.


16. Severina/Fm Jam (hidden track)
Ah, the concept of the "FM Jam" is well known in America. We have the top eight at eight on Cool 102.9! All of those songs stink as so does this (I'm assuming).

---
Okay! So this was a Biography review that couldn't be accomplished thanks to the language barier, so it became an album review where I didn't even listen to any of the songs, I just read the descriptions from around the internet and reviewed that. What a disaster. How does this even get published? How can we go on after this...this is a new low. Not as bad as Edo Maajka or whatever, but this is baaaaaaad.

Bio Score 0/10
Stig'o ćumur Score 0/10


Are you havin' a laff?






Thursday, September 15, 2011

Check the Bio, Son: Papuh Boss


--Official Stats--
Artist: Papuh Boss
Subject: Official Internet Biography
Date: July 19, 2011

I’m not one to bash up-and-coming rappers (yes I am), but I am one to check out an artist's official biography to learn a little more about who America is listening to...what you're listening to. Today I am checking out Papuh Boss’s biography! If you were wondering, “Papuh” is pronounced “Paper”, I know that because he also calls himself Paper Boss. The spellings are interchangeable, okay. Get off my back. Wait, is he also called “Da Paper Boi”? Well, this might get complicated. So let’s check out his biography and try to sort it out.

I’ve seen Papuh pop up a few times on mixtapes, but I couldn’t pick him out of a rapper lineup or anything like that. He's just a rising rapper who I’ve never listened to, like most of 'em.

Now, I know biographies are tough to write (except at Def Jam where they are high art), and for an independent rapper to write one that doesn’t sound ridiculous is next to impossible. So good luck Papuh Boss, we’ll stick with you through this…

---

Okay, well Papuh takes a very technical (and appreciated) approach to his bio by breaking it down into easy to read (and logical) sections. First we have the “Background”:


BORN IN MIAMI FL. PAPER BOI (LUCIAN MARTIN) NEVER HAD DREAMS OF BECOMING A RAPPER, INSTEAD THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD HE PLAYED BASKETBALL & FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MAKE HIS MOM HAPPY BY BECOMING THE 1ST OF HER 4 SONS TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
Good! Great! I can’t believe it, a bio that actually says where the artist is from! Next we have “Run In With Law”:


AROUND THE AGE OF 10 HE HAD HIS FIRST ARREST IN FT. LAUDERDALE WHICH LEAD HIS MOM TO MOVE HIM TO WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS A BETTER AREA, OCALA, FL.
Once again. Perfect! Then “First Kid”:


SOON AFTER THE MOVE, PAPER HAD HIS FIRST CHILD AT DA AGE OF SEVENTEEN WHICH MADE HIM GROW UP A LITTLE FASTER THEN THE OTHER KIDS AROUND HIM. HE PLAYED BASKET-BALL IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR 2 YEARS UNTIL HE DROPPED OUT AFTER HAVING HIS SON IN THE TENTH GRADE TO RECEIVE HIS (GED). THAT'S WHEN REALITY REALLY KICKED IN FOR THE SOON TO BE RAPPER. WITH SO MANY FINANCIAL PROBLEMS & NOT HAVING MUCH JOB EXPERIENCE PAPER BEGAN LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WAY OUT...MUSIC.
Okay, the name spelling issue is botched for sure. I mean if you can’t nail down your own name spelling how can we take you seriously as an artist? But who cares? You know, this biography is flawless so far, seriously. I get it Papuh…I get it. Next we have “Music Life”:

AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN HE MOVED TO ATLANTA TO BEGIN WORKING ON HIS 1ST MIXTAPE.
(BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.1) ALTHOUGH YOUNG MINDED & FRESH INTO THIS BIG WORLD OF MUSIC, THE MIXTAPE WAS FILLED WITH UN-ORDINARY LYRICS & VERY SOLID STATEMENTS. "PEOPLE CALL ME PAPER THATS WHY HATERS TRY TO LEAD ME UP". "WITH YOUR GIRL SO MUCH YOU SHOULD CALL & ASK FOR ME". BUT NOTHING RAISED EYE BROWS MORE THAN HIM CALLING HIMSELF, THE BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED! IT BROUGHT HIM A LOT OF ATTENTION, & THAT IS HOW HIS FAN BASE BEGAN. REALIZING THAT PEOPLE WERE LISTENING AND WATCHING HIM, PAPER RUSHED INTO HIS 2ND MIXTAPE (BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.2) IN WHICH HE OFFICIALLY MADE HIS MARK AS AN ARTIST. THE CD WAS SOAKED WITH METAPHORS & COLLABS FROM HIS BROTHERS. ALSO THE INFAMOUS "PLIES DISS". PAPER QUICKLY SHOT A VIDEO TO THE DISS & SUBMITTED IT TO YOUTUBE..NOW IT STANDS WITH OVER 600,000 VIEWS IN ONLY A YEAR 1/2.
Again, this is not a bad bio. So far it is doing what it is supposed to be doing. But I’ve got to mention some of the technical stuff. First, I’ve never heard the term “young minded and fresh”, but I like it. Second, I’ve never heard the term “un-ordinary”, but I like that too. Now there is a quote up there: “people call me paper thats why haters try to lead me up”, and I see where you’re going there, pencil lead or whatever, but it’s kind of odd to say. I don’t think they “try to lead you up” because your name is Paper. That sounds like a coincidence. But that’s not a big deal. Finally I see that Papuh had a Plies diss track that made it big! Next we have “The Shoot-Out”!

SHORTLY AFTER THE VIDEO WAS PUT OUT, PAPER WAS INVOLVED IN A SHOOT-OUT WHICH OCCURED IN OCALA FL. IN WHICH HE WAS SHOT TWICE. AFTER SERVING ONLY 2MONTHS IN MARION COUNTY JAIL HE WAS RELEASED ON LACK OF EVIDENCE OF HIM ACTUALLY SHOOTING BACK
Wow! That’s exciting and scary stuff. I’m glad Papuh is okay and thank goodness for lack of evidence. Hey, was this shoot-out somehow associated with that Plies beef? I hope not, beef’s are great ON WAX, but let’s not get physical PLIES. Now, “Back To Music”:

QUICKLY STARTED BACK RECORDING. (BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.3) A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL THEN THE OTHER SEQUELS BUT GREAT NONE THE LESS. WITH TRACKS LIKE "THINKING OF YOU" & "DA SAME GUY" PAPER WAS PROVING TO BE MARKETABLE & CHARMING TO THE LADIES. THAT IS HOW HIS PAPER GYRL CONTEST BEGAN.
Eh, that first sentence kind of jumps out of nowhere. In fact that whole paragraph is very fragmented and tough to read (a result of getting shot perhaps?). But who cares, I’m very interested in this “Paper Gyrl” contest…but we’ll never know what that is because we have to deal with “Run In With The Law PT.II”:

SOON AFTER THAT RELEASE HE WAS ARRESTED ON POSSESSION OF FIREARMS IN GAINESVILLE FL., AFTER LEAVING A CLUB & SPENT TWO MONTHS IN THEIR COUNTY JAIL AFTER BEATING THE CHARGES. A WARRANT IN SUMTER COUNTY KEPT HIM FROM BONDING OUT.
Now you’d think that with all this police talk that Papuh could be labeled a public menace. Nope, the charges aren’t sticking. That’s all street cred buddy. Also, I'm not really understanding how Papuh is spending time in jail after beating charges. What? Whatever, now it’s time for “Creation of a Legend”:

AFTER GETTING HIMSELF TOGETHER, PAPER GOT OUT & HIT THE STREETS WITH HIS 1ST CD ENTITLED - CREATION OF A LEGEND- PRODUCED BY SEXX.
IT DID NO LESS THEN SHOCKED A FEW & BROUGHT HIM NEW FANS FROM ALL OVER. HIS NAME WAS EVERYWHERE! BEING KNOWN AS THE GUY THAT DISSED PLIES WASNT THAT BAD WHEN HE HAD HOT SONGS & MIXTAPES TO BACK IT UP.
Legendary! Actually the most legendary part of this is the producer’s name: Sexx! You know a person with a name like that is just an awesome person to work with and to hang out with. As for this album that “did no less then shocked a few”, it sounds good but WHHUUUTTT? How about shocked a lot! And, hey, dissing Plies is never bad. And we end with a high note with “The Sky Is The Limit”:

HE WORKED WITH A LOT OF ARTISTS AROUND THE U.S. & OPENED FOR MAJOR ARTISTS SUCH AS YOUNG JOC, PRETTY RICKY & HURRICANE CHRIS (PICS ON HIS MYSPACE TO PROVE IT). PAPER HAD FINALLY GOTTEN THE ATTENTION, SUPPORT & FAN BASE HE NEEDED TO MAKE THIS HIS NEW CAREER. NOW WITH OVER 320,000 MYSPACE VIEWS AVERAGING 1200 PLAYS A DAY, OVER A MILLION COMBINED YOUTUBE VIEWS, 27 SHOWS & AN ALBUM TO SOON DROP, THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.
I love that Papuh is so down to earth that he is submitting photos as proof that he has worked with famous rappers. That’s some sincere shit.


Nice job on THE BEST BIO I HAVE READ YET, Papuh. Good luck with your career and if I ever hear your music I hope I like it! We all hope we like it. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT TO YOU TOO.

Bio Score: 10/10





Full Text of bio from http://papuhboss.weebly.com/

(Background)

BORN IN MIAMI FL. PAPER BOI (LUCIAN MARTIN) NEVER HAD DREAMS OF BECOMING A RAPPER, INSTEAD THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD HE PLAYED BASKETBALL & FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MAKE HIS MOM HAPPY BY BECOMING THE 1ST OF HER 4 SONS TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
(Run In With Law)

AROUND THE AGE OF 10 HE HAD HIS FIRST ARREST IN FT. LAUDERDALE WHICH LEAD HIS MOM TO MOVE HIM TO WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS A BETTER AREA, OCALA, FL.
(First Kid)

SOON AFTER THE MOVE, PAPER HAD HIS FIRST CHILD AT DA AGE OF SEVENTEEN WHICH MADE HIM GROW UP A LITTLE FASTER THEN THE OTHER KIDS AROUND HIM. HE PLAYED BASKET-BALL IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR 2 YEARS UNTIL HE DROPPED OUT AFTER HAVING HIS SON IN THE TENTH GRADE TO RECEIVE HIS (GED). THAT'S WHEN REALITY REALLY KICKED IN FOR THE SOON TO BE RAPPER. WITH SO MANY FINANCIAL PROBLEMS & NOT HAVING MUCH JOB EXPERIENCE PAPER BEGAN LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WAY OUT...MUSIC.
(Music Life)

AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN HE MOVED TO ATLANTA TO BEGIN WORKING ON HIS 1ST MIXTAPE.
(BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.1) ALTHOUGH YOUNG MINDED & FRESH INTO THIS BIG WORLD OF MUSIC, THE MIXTAPE WAS FILLED WITH UN-ORDINARY LYRICS & VERY SOLID STATEMENTS. "PEOPLE CALL ME PAPER THATS WHY HATERS TRY TO LEAD ME UP". "WITH YOUR GIRL SO MUCH YOU SHOULD CALL & ASK FOR ME". BUT NOTHING RAISED EYE BROWS MORE THAN HIM CALLING HIMSELF, THE BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED! IT BROUGHT HIM A LOT OF ATTENTION, & THAT IS HOW HIS FAN BASE BEGAN. REALIZING THAT PEOPLE WERE LISTENING AND WATCHING HIM, PAPER RUSHED INTO HIS 2ND MIXTAPE (BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.2) IN WHICH HE OFFICIALLY MADE HIS MARK AS AN ARTIST. THE CD WAS SOAKED WITH METAPHORS & COLLABS FROM HIS BROTHERS. ALSO THE INFAMOUS "PLIES DISS". PAPER QUICKLY SHOT A VIDEO TO THE DISS & SUBMITTED IT TO YOUTUBE..NOW IT STANDS WITH OVER 600,000 VIEWS IN ONLY A YEAR 1/2.
(The Shoot-Out)

SHORTLY AFTER THE VIDEO WAS PUT OUT, PAPER WAS INVOLVED IN A SHOOT-OUT WHICH OCCURED IN OCALA FL. IN WHICH HE WAS SHOT TWICE. AFTER SERVING ONLY 2MONTHS IN MARION COUNTY JAIL HE WAS RELEASED ON LACK OF EVIDENCE OF HIM ACTUALLY SHOOTING BACK
(Back To Music)

QUICKLY STARTED BACK RECORDING. (BEST RAPPER UNSIGNED VOL.3) A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL THEN THE OTHER SEQUELS BUT GREAT NONE THE LESS. WITH TRACKS LIKE "THINKING OF YOU" & "DA SAME GUY" PAPER WAS PROVING TO BE MARKETABLE & CHARMING TO THE LADIES. THAT IS HOW HIS PAPER GYRL CONTEST BEGAN.
(Run In With The Law PT.II)

SOON AFTER THAT RELEASE HE WAS ARRESTED ON POSSESSION OF FIREARMS IN GAINESVILLE FL., AFTER LEAVING A CLUB & SPENT TWO MONTHS IN THEIR COUNTY JAIL AFTER BEATING THE CHARGES. A WARRANT IN SUMTER COUNTY KEPT HIM FROM BONDING OUT.
(Creation Of a Legend)

AFTER GETTING HIMSELF TOGETHER, PAPER GOT OUT & HIT THE STREETS WITH HIS 1ST CD ENTITLED - CREATION OF A LEGEND- PRODUCED BY SEXX.
IT DID NO LESS THEN SHOCKED A FEW & BROUGHT HIM NEW FANS FROM ALL OVER. HIS NAME WAS EVERYWHERE! BEING KNOWN AS THE GUY THAT DISSED PLIES WASNT THAT BAD WHEN HE HAD HOT SONGS & MIXTAPES TO BACK IT UP.
(The Sky Is The Limit)

HE WORKED WITH A LOT OF ARTISTS AROUND THE U.S. & OPENED FOR MAJOR ARTISTS SUCH AS YOUNG JOC, PRETTY RICKY & HURRICANE CHRIS (PICS ON HIS MYSPACE TO PROVE IT). PAPER HAD FINALLY GOTTEN THE ATTENTION, SUPPORT & FAN BASE HE NEEDED TO MAKE THIS HIS NEW CAREER. NOW WITH OVER 320,000 MYSPACE VIEWS AVERAGING 1200 PLAYS A DAY, OVER A MILLION COMBINED YOUTUBE VIEWS, 27 SHOWS & AN ALBUM TO SOON DROP,
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Check the Bio, Son: Ludacris

Check the Bio, Son: Ludacris

Get back to the sex room!

It looks like Def Jam is quickly becoming my favorite place to look at terrible rap artist biographies. Why? They use their artist biographies to market albums (which is dumb), and the person who writes them comes off as some sort of starving artist lowlife...you know big words and grand ideas. So, after “doing” Method Man with an embarrassing bio, Def Jam decided to "do" Ludacirs the same way. Huzzah (well, huzzah for everyone but Ludacris)! The funny thing is that Luda probably doesn't even know about this mess since it's just record company bullshit and nobody would ever look an official bio becasue bio's are stupid and boring. Let's go!

Now, I’m relatively indifferent to Ludacris, I don't like him or hate him, his music has never appealed to me. He comes across as a gimmicky rapper who can throw punchlnes like Mike Tyson but doesn't have much depth. A lot of people do like him though. A whole lot. So nobody can argue with his success. He's sold a ton of records, he's maintained strong sales for over a decade, and he has a dedicated fanbase. He has the ability to change with the times and he's just got a good thing going. Good for him! Now with all that, I’m not saying I don’t like him, I just don’t listen to his music. So let’s see if his official biography can change my mind.

Well, right off things are looking good (bad)! As usual, the record company is using the biography to promote an album, but this time it’s actually a current album, kind of! March of 2010! The album is “Battle of the Sexes”, an album that I haven’t heard (I know! Do I even listen to hip hop?). So the bio says that Luda’s goal for this “spirited” album was to give “men and women equal billing”. Good grief. So, definitely not sexist then? That’s like the CEO of Coors giving a lecture on the evils of alcohol. It just doesn’t make sense. No comprende. I don't even listen to Ludacris and I know that he's talking shit. Prediction: this is a typical chauvinistic rap album.

So Ludacris's biography really starts to dig into the contents the album, and it sounds really awful (like me as a person). The second paragraph describes how there are two sides to every relationship (really?), and that “male artists” tend to give the “male perspective” (do they?). Apparently Luda thought that hip hop needed a balance and “that’s why this album had to come out”. Trust me, this is exactly what hip hop fans want.

Now we get into the shit:
Given his penchant for taking humorous approaches to potentially incendiary topics, Ludacris felt that he needed to address one of the most puzzling double standards between men and women. Enter the feisty "Hey Ho," featuring Lil’ Kim. "Why is it that when men sleep around they’re considered players but when women sleep around they’re considered hoes?" Ludacris says. "It’s just putting that question out there and it’s almost waiting for discussion and debate."
Enter the pompus biographer. Who wrote this? Really? “Perchant” for “humorous approaches” to “potentially incendiary topics”…that’s exactly how I would describe Luda. Apparently Def Jam is trying to impress Luda’s PhD fan base (Dear Def Jam, Nobody talks like that and you’re stupid. Sincerely, Everyone). And that “feisty” song Hey Ho, really sounds good (terrible). Hey Luda, EVERYONE has ALWAYS noticed that promiscuous men are labeled players and honored, while promiscuous women are derided. IT'S NOTHING NEW. IT'S NOT EVEN NEW IN RAP.
There’s no debate that men typically feel a sense of pride regarding their woman. On the muscular, screw-accented "My Chick Bad," Ludacris boasts about his lady’s physical attributes and her ability to bring the ruckus before passing the mic to Nicki Minaj, who energetically trumpets her own super hero-like badness.
Nicki Minaj energetically trumpeting and Luda boasting about a lady's physical attributes? Typical ATL shit! So, Ludacris's biography? Where is Ludacris from? Isn't that what biographys are for? How did he come up in the game? We may never know. But I wouldn't be surprised if this biography started promoting other Def Jam albums or artists. This isn't a biography, it's a biased album review you corporate losers.

"Is the hair in the biography at least?" - Your Hairdresser
It continues…
It’s one thing to be bad, and another to be naughty. Ludacris and longtime collaborator Shawnna create an ultra erotic atmosphere on "Feeling Sexy." Played out like an intense episode of phone sex, the rappers tag-team lines to one another describing the sensuality racing through their minds. For Ludacris, it was the thought that counts.
Ludacris gets ultra erotic with Shawnna?! Finally, a song that everybody can relate too (don’t deny it hater). Don’t we all just love “intense episodes of phone sex"? Yes. And listening to “rappers tag-team lines to one another describing the sensuality racing through their minds”? YES! We all love that. Hip Hop, you’ve finally grown up and become a man, no more baby stuff. Now it's time to step your phone sex game up. But wait, what is this line: “For Ludacris, it was the thought that counts," that makes no sense. We’ll never know what that was supposed to mean.

Well, if I were holding a stack of business papers I would throw them up in the air at this point and walk out of the room. "I'm done with this." Why? Because next Ludacris describes sex itself, it's his bio after all. He can do what he wants:
"The anticipation of sex may be close to or better than actually having sex at certain times," he reveals. "You know why? As a man, what it takes to get us to a point is really what gives us the rush that we need to feed our egos. When you actually do it and are done with it, you’re actually wondering what’s next. You look for the rush that got you to the point to want to do it in the first place. The actual act can be good, but what’s in your mind and your ego telling you that you want to do it is much greater at certain times than the actual act itself. That’s a drug. That is what can drive you insane."
Just like an article from Glamour Magazine! Cool. Great points. Go on "Dr. Drew" as an expert witness for the sexecution! This is a sexy, sexy bio. We’re learning a lot about Luda and our bodies! Let’s go on.

Remember that whole equal voices for men and women thing? Well, in any Battle of the Sexes women need to remember one thing: men play dirty. Want proof? Ludacris drops a song with Flo-Rida, who is definitely NOT A WOMAN! Ha haha double team.
Indeed, the chase is often the most exhilarating portion of the conquest. The playful "Gotta Man" features Ludacris and guest Flo-Rida letting the woman they’re targeting know that they could care less if she’s in a relationship, engaged or married. They simply have to have her. Once the woman is his, Ludacris would surely invite her to his "Sex Room" and see "How Low" she could go. The former unites him with R&B crooner Trey Songz for a sex tutorial, while the latter takes a comical approach to watching a girl shaking what her momma gave her.

Ha haha! Take that, women! These boys don’t care about you at all. Well, except for “how low” you can go in the “sex room”. Any response women? Nope.

SEX ROOM! (AIR HORN)
In fact, "How Low" showcases Ludacris’ dazzling rap skills, as he mixes and matches complex flows and rhyme patterns with remarkable ease over a hyperactive beat. "I have so many different sides of my personality and my artistry and they all came out in that one record," he says. "It was extremely simple for me, which lets me know that that’s me. It’s a fun record."
“Dazzling rap skills”! We all use the word “dazzling” to describe things. It’s common, right? It’s just a dazzling word. And how was the album to make? “Simple”! “It’s a fun record!” Especially for the women confined to the sex room!

WAIT! STOP EVERTHING. STOP THE BIOGRAPHY/ALBUM REVIEW/SEX ROOM. This album also has a serious side:
But Battle Of The Sexes also has a more serious side. The spare, guitar-accented, Swizz Beatz-produced "Tell Me A Secret" with Ne-Yo invites women to release their inhibitions and confide in Ludacris.

Of course, it’s a thin line between love and hate, and "Can’t Live Without You," a smooth duet with Monica, could serve as the soundtrack to that truism. "It’s the craziest thing," he says. "No scientist could ever completely make an understanding of how the human mind works when you want to get rid of a woman but you want to be with her at the same time. There’s no explanation that could ever describe it better than that song can describe it."
By “serious” I mean, MORE POINTS FOR THE MEN IN THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES! HAhaha! With Ludacris women finally have a man they can “confide in” and “release their inhibitions to”. Women need that! They can’t live without men! Ha ahah. But now we get really serious: scientists and neurologists, you can quit your jobs! Ludacris and Monica have finally cracked the question of why, “you want to get rid of a woman but you want to be with her at the same time”. Yep. Take out the trash, Luda, except for what you want to keep. You see, “no scientist could ever completely make an understanding of how the human mind works… There’s no explanation that could ever describe it better than that song can describe it.” Yep, and now no scientist needs to make an understanding of anything ever. Thank you Ludacris and Monica. Response women? NOPE! Swish, one point for the men.

Now I’m going to jump to the last paragraph of the bio for a second. Luda points out that nobody has ever done this type of album before. That’s (not) true (at all). There has never been anything like Battle of the Sexes ever. The album will “create lively debate given its groundbreaking nature”. Sure it will, has the debate ever stopped since this album came out? No. Finally, Luda points out that men and women will never completely understand each other. I’ll give him that. But then the author of the Bio points out that this album will “provide plenty of insight.” I agree, psychologists and marriage counselors take notice, a new authority is here! Just play this album in your counseling sessions and all the problems will be solved (that'll be $700 American).
Ludacris’ career can best be described as remarkable. He has sold more than 12 million albums domestically thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as "Stand Up," "Get Back," "Number One Spot" and "Money Maker," all of which had imaginative videos that accented Ludacris’ far-reaching imagination and his willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like. With an unrivaled match of lyrical acumen, wit and imagery, Ludacris has solidified himself as one of music’s premier entertainers. Although he’s best known for his infectious tunes, Ludacris has shown that he’s equally adept at writing powerful songs with serious subject matter, including runaways on "Runaway Love."

Holy crap. Back to the article and we are just now getting to the part of the biography that is actually about Ludacris (10 paragraphs in). His career is “remarkable”, of course. He has sold “more than 12 million records”, thanks to a lot of huge hit singles, and all the “imaginative videos”, of course. Then there’s this:
“With an unrivaled match of lyrical acumen, wit, and imagery, Ludacris has solidified himself as one of music’s premier entertainers.”
Why not say that? A lot of Ludacris's rivals have lyrical acumen, but none can match him. Now, I’m pretty dumb (really dumb) and I couldn't help but notice all those college words and I hate them. You think you’re so smart Def Jam, M.D.? Well, you are I guess, I'm too dumb to know. Also, who did you write this for anyway?

So, now we get to hear how great Ludacris is at acting thanks to his “artistic complexity”. I guess he’s okay at acting, but I’ve never heard “Hollywood and critics alike buzzing about his increasingly impressive screen resume.” In fact, whaaaat? In the same paragraph we get to read about Luda’s big business ventures: Conjure Cognac and his record label, which are hugely successful companies! Don’t say they’re not. But our boy isn’t all about the business, he also gives away a lot of money to charity and unflinchingly boasts about it. What a hero. He raised $4 million here, $100 thousand there, and he gave away twenty cars. Great! And watch out Oprah!

And we end the biography with even more promotion, this time for “Ludaversal”, Luda’s next album. And don’t forget the “media mogul has grand plans to expand his brand on an increasingly global basis.” That’s exactly what everybody wants. Keep at it Ludacris. We love you.


Name Dropping: Lil’ Kim, Niki Minaj, Shawnna, Flo-Rida, Swizz Beats, Monica, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo

Bio Score: 0/10
Battle of the Sexes Scores:
Men: 10/10
Women: 0/10

"McCain don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed,
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped" - Ludacris




Full Text of biography:
Ludacris knows that rap is essentially a man’s world -- and the three-time Grammy winner is doing something about it. On his eighth album, the multi-platinum rapper wanted to level the playing field a bit, so he crafted Battle Of The Sexes, a spirited collection that gives men and women equal billing.

"Battle Of The Sexes is getting a male and a female perspective all on one album," Ludacris says. "If it’s a male artist, you get a male perspective for the most part. If it’s a female artist, you get a female perspective. That’s why I chose Battle Of The Sexes, because in relationships, there are battles that go on every single day. There are only two types of people in this world: males and females. That’s why this album had to come out, because you’re going to hear from both of them on many different issues."



Given his penchant for taking humorous approaches to potentially incendiary topics, Ludacris felt that he needed to address one of the most puzzling double standards between men and women. Enter the feisty "Hey Ho," featuring Lil’ Kim. "Why is it that when men sleep around they’re considered players but when women sleep around they’re considered hoes?" Ludacris says. "It’s just putting that question out there and it’s almost waiting for discussion and debate."

There’s no debate that men typically feel a sense of pride regarding their woman. On the muscular, screw-accented "My Chick Bad," Ludacris boasts about his lady’s physical attributes and her ability to bring the ruckus before passing the mic to Nicki Minaj, who energetically trumpets her own super hero-like badness.



It’s one thing to be bad, and another to be naughty. Ludacris and longtime collaborator Shawnna create an ultra erotic atmosphere on "Feeling Sexy." Played out like an intense episode of phone sex, the rappers tag-team lines to one another describing the sensuality racing through their minds. For Ludacris, it was the thought that counts.

"The anticipation of sex may be close to or better than actually having sex at certain times," he reveals. "You know why? As a man, what it takes to get us to a point is really what gives us the rush that we need to feed our egos. When you actually do it and are done with it, you’re actually wondering what’s next. You look for the rush that got you to the point to want to do it in the first place. The actual act can be good, but what’s in your mind and your ego telling you that you want to do it is much greater at certain times than the actual act itself. That’s a drug. That is what can drive you insane."



Indeed, the chase is often the most exhilarating portion of the conquest. The playful "Gotta Man" features Ludacris and guest Flo-Rida letting the woman they’re targeting know that they could care less if she’s in a relationship, engaged or married. They simply have to have her. Once the woman is his, Ludacris would surely invite her to his "Sex Room" and see "How Low" she could go. The former unites him with R&B crooner Trey Songz for a sex tutorial, while the latter takes a comical approach to watching a girl shaking what her momma gave her.

In fact, "How Low" showcases Ludacris’ dazzling rap skills, as he mixes and matches complex flows and rhyme patterns with remarkable ease over a hyperactive beat. "I have so many different sides of my personality and my artistry and they all came out in that one record," he says. "It was extremely simple for me, which lets me know that that’s me. It’s a fun record."

But Battle Of The Sexes also has a more serious side. The spare, guitar-accented, Swizz Beatz-produced "Tell Me A Secret" with Ne-Yo invites women to release their inhibitions and confide in Ludacris.

Of course, it’s a thin line between love and hate, and "Can’t Live Without You," a smooth duet with Monica, could serve as the soundtrack to that truism. "It’s the craziest thing," he says. "No scientist could ever completely make an understanding of how the human mind works when you want to get rid of a woman but you want to be with her at the same time. There’s no explanation that could ever describe it better than that song can describe it."


Ludacris’ career can best be described as remarkable. He has sold more than 12 million albums domestically thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as "Stand Up," "Get Back," "Number One Spot" and "Money Maker," all of which had imaginative videos that accented Ludacris’ far-reaching imagination and his willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like. With an unrivaled match of lyrical acumen, wit and imagery, Ludacris has solidified himself as one of music’s premier entertainers. Although he’s best known for his infectious tunes, Ludacris has shown that he’s equally adept at writing powerful songs with serious subject matter, including runaways on "Runaway Love."

This versatility and artistic complexity enabled Ludacris to make a seamless transition to acting. His acclaimed performances in film (Crash, Hustle & Flow) and television (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) have Hollywood and critics alike buzzing about his increasingly impressive screen resume. The recently launched Conjure cognac joins Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace Records as yet another successful venture of the business mogul. It’s not all strictly business for Ludacris, though. Indeed, his philanthropic efforts rival his entertainment accomplishments. He recently partnered with Crash writer-director Paul Haggis and the Artists for Peace and Justice to help raise more than $4 million for Haitian relief efforts. Ludacris has also raised more than $100,000 for Atlanta flood victims through his The Ludacris Foundation and recently partnered with a local Atlanta automobile dealer to give away 20 cars to people who have been adversely affected by the recession.

Of course, it all starts with music for Ludacris. With his next album, Ludaversal, already in the works, the media mogul has grand plans to expand his brand on an increasingly global basis. But for now, though, Battle Of The Sexes stands as a landmark release that should create lively debate given its groundbreaking nature. "This has not been done before," Ludacris says. "There’s only two types of people in this world and for thousands and thousands of years we have tried to understand one another and we still don’t 100 percent understand each other."

Though Battle Of The Sexes does provide plenty of insight.