Plain & Simple

I think it’s time that I go in about my city of Philadelphia and expose how much the entertainment industry rapes my city of it’s raw talent and refuse to give the credit where it’s due. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plays a HUGE ROLE in the financial gain of the entertainment industry. Our musicians, actors, movie settings, our food, and even our COMEDIANS. Some of the biggest names in entertainment made a HUGE profit and reputation from catch phrases to rhyme styles. When it comes to Philly Hip-Hop, people outside of the East Coast only see Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince. Now it’s my job to shine some light on that….

Before I go in, I just wanna make a BOLD statement that I really don’t care about what kind of scrutiny that comes my way, and I can back it up….

Jay-Z wouldn’t be as big as he is today if it wasn’t for Beanie Sigel and State Property. YEAH I SAID IT!!!!!!

So, when it comes to Philadelphia, the BIRTHPLACE of America, people still see New York City as the poster-child for America. And somehow, Pennsylvania is the #2 state in the country….And I have absolutely no idea why?! Anyway, Philly is well rooted in raw talent in the Arts (theater, music, visual art, and poetry). Yet it goes HIGHLY unrecognized, if it is recognized it goes uncredited. Me personally, I feel HIGHLY offended at this. Because my city needs to get the props that it deserves. 

You ask, what big name in the industry today has taken from a Philadelphian? I’ll gladly answer that question. When it comes to musicians, our local rappers for instance. Lil Wayne would have remained in the same boat with his “Hoy Boyz” clique if he didn’t emulate the rhyme style of Gillie Da Kid (rapper from Major Figgas). Going back to “Da Drought” mixtapes, most of Lil Wayne’s rhyme style came from Gillie. How do you think he was able to create a buzz on the East Coast?

Moving on, the Jay-Z smash hit from The Dynasty album “Give It To Me” the hook (“Gimme dat funk, dat sweet, dat nasty, dat gushy stuff”) came from [State Property] rapper Omillio Sparks, in which he [Sparks] was using for his own single that he was trying to put out. Jay-Z was recording in the studio next door, he heard Sparks’ track, he wanted the hook and Sparks naively gave it to him. That song was the first single on the Dynasty album and it sold MILLIONS…..Sparks never got a dime. When “The Roc” had beef with The Lox, who stepped up to the front lines and kept The Roc’s lyrical reputation alive??? BEANS….that’s right Beanie Sigel, the Broad Street Bully himself. The Roc-a-Fella empire was built on Beanie Sigel. If you think about it, once Beans got on, he held it down with Memphis Bleek, they were like the Batman and Robin of The Roc. But he had the mentality of putting Philly on the Hip-Hop map, so he went back home, and got his squad, with the plans of taken this ISH OVER!!!!! Then it began….Chris and Neef, Peedi Crakk, Freeway, Oschino and Sparks. State Property was on the way to becoming, in my opinion, the Hip-Hop version of the 90s Chicago Bulls. The movies came, State Property was the only hood movie in major theaters and ever to have a sequel….. Cartoons were in the process, more movies, clothing line, sneakers. All of these things were happening and Roc-a-Fella Records were ON TOP, who who was the mainstream frontrunner for The Roc? Jay-Z. He grew more popularity just because of his name. While State Property played the background waiting for their time to shine. Now the breakup happens, Jay tells the guys in State Prop, “I got y’all….” and what does he do…leaves them high and dry, to “partner” with Nas and sign J. Cole. I don’t want this to happen but I’m scared that it will, this might happen with Rick Ross and Meek Mill, but I pray that it doesn’t.

Now, I mentioned something about catch phrases that were stolen and uncredited as well. Wendy Williams….the (super fine, in my opinion) daytime talk show host, once before radio DJ at POWER 99 in PHILLY….has the catch phrase, “How you doin?!” This line originated from Philly comedian, Dee Lee. He used it as a sign of a homosexual male. In which she uses it in the same context as well, but now it’s just her thing for when she comes on the show.

(There’s too much to write, I just may have to turn this into a book…)

pt.2 coming up this afternoon