8 years since the renaissance. IIRC, the last zulu was supposed to come out in late 2014. oops...

when dre said tribe and outkast were talking about puting an album out, i didn't believe for one second that anything would ever come of it.

the funny thing, in interviews, tip always talks about being a studio rat, living and breathing the music, and into this until the day he dies. i understand he has the occasional feature or co-production credit. but seriously, not a single solo track, ep, much less new album in 8 years? you would think he'd put music out more often. talib kweli style. on his own terms.

now tip has an excellent body of work (minus some questionable cuts from amplified and his open sessions, if you ask me). there are legends who continue to put music out to this day, and those who don't, despite talking it up all the time.

are they afraid to taint their legacy with a mediocre release?


-----------------------------
http://www.shenzhenphotos.com

They make music for fun. For the love of it. They don't owe us shit fam. De La better drop this album though. They've been quiet as hell lately with no updates since super bowl weekend. Smells like bullshit to me.

I don't think the question is be asked because the OP feels he is owed something.

It's more of a question into the mind of an artist.

I wonder the same thing all the time. But it's not because I feel I'm owed.

It's because people don't understand that an artist who lives and breathes music and is constantly in the studio has no material to put out.

Look at artists like Neil Young, they just released music non-stop. Some is great, some isn't so good.

But they're artists so they're experimenting and recording.

Only reason to not release the music is if you're over-protective of your track record I guess.

It's different for Black artists. They don't have the same support system as white artists. Neil Young still on a major regardless of how many records he sells. Shit don't work like that for us.

So you're telling me an artist like Outkast can't release as much material as an artist like Oddisee?

There are so many outlets in 2016, they don't even need backing at this point.

An independent Kast album could sell just as much as a major label Kast album at this point.

>So you're telling me an artist like Outkast can't release as
>much material as an artist like Oddisee?
>

They can but they have different fans. Kast can't slip up with a lukewarm album due to how large they were at one point. some people consider them THE greatest group in hip hop. They already got slammed for the Idlewild soundtrack. Oddisee is dope but has never been to the top of the mountain. He has his cult following so a disappointing album would not hurt his legacy as much.

>There are so many outlets in 2016, they don't even need
>backing at this point.
>

Even De La used Kickstarter. That's the best way to go for the OGs. See how many people are really interested in your music and go from there. No point in putting that effort, time and money from your own pocket to release a new album to little fanfare. Just tour the old classics and KIM.

>An independent Kast album could sell just as much as a major
>label Kast album at this point.
>

Which is probably why they haven't done a Kast album. These kids don't care about Kast and Kast aren't gonna do an album for the die-hard fans. Look at Quest. Dude just doesn't want to go the indie route. If The Roots ever get dropped from a major I don't think we'd ever get another album.

>Which is probably why they haven't done a Kast album. These
>kids don't care about Kast and Kast aren't gonna do an album
>for the die-hard fans. Look at Quest. Dude just doesn't want
>to go the indie route. If The Roots ever get dropped from a
>major I don't think we'd ever get another album.

Hip-Hop needs to get over this ignorant mind set of having to be popular or else not doing anything.

That's why I mentioned Oddisee. I know he's not at Kast level. But there is nothing that says Kast and older acts can't operate accordingly. If they're artists and need to make music then it should be about the music not about if it's going to sell or how it may hurt their legacy.

All those bullshit Neil Young albums haven't hurt his legacy.

Hip-Hop really needs to mature past this mind set. Not very thing is about sales and popularity.

>Hip-Hop needs to get over this ignorant mind set of having to
>be popular or else not doing anything.
>

I agree fam but it's not me thinking that. It's the artists. Rap is ego driven and some cats can't live with the fact that they aren't THE shit anymore. They'll put out an album that's not received well and make excuses instead of just saying "I'm proud of the album. I'm not in my prime so I didn't expect the sells of my glory days." Nas is an elder statesmen who hasn't had a gold album since 2008 but he continues making solid albums and stands behind them regardless of commercial performance. He's one of the few.

>That's why I mentioned Oddisee. I know he's not at Kast
>level. But there is nothing that says Kast and older acts
>can't operate accordingly. If they're artists and need to
>make music then it should be about the music not about if it's
>going to sell or how it may hurt their legacy.
>

True but some people are happy just making music. They don't always make music for the public to hear. They make music solely for themselves. That's something that we fans have to accept.

>All those bullshit Neil Young albums haven't hurt his legacy.
>

Like I said, it's different for white artists. Those shitty KRS albums def hurt his legacy a bit. LL Cool J? Yep, shitty albums hurt him too. Rap is a different animal that can't be compared to other genres.

>
>Hip-Hop really needs to mature past this mind set. Not very
>thing is about sales and popularity.
>

Maybe not for us but for the casual fans it is and the casual fans are the majority unfortunately.

Conversations about LL Cool J are far more likely to forget Exit 13 was even a thing than pontificate on its failures


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

People were shitting on LL long before exit 13

fallen off which is a fair question.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

They probably just don't feel the need to release new music or haven't found the proper channel to release it. I know we say "just release it independent" but I don't see a cat like Tip going that route. He never gave a release date so I'm not mad at him. Cats like De La on the other hand have given us a release date and have been silent ever sense February 3rd after giving us updates on a regular basis. April 29th is right around the corner.

tip is only on the label of arguably the biggest celebrity of the current age. in fact i just read an interview where he was signed with GOOD and said the last zulu was coming by the end of 2013. there has to be a reason why it hasn't come out yet despite all that talk.

-----------------------------
http://www.shenzhenphotos.com

Yes, physical format, digital only or Apple exclusive, etc. No telling how he plans on releasing this album if/when it's released. Guess I could have worded it better.

I stand corrected. Forgot all about that interview in 2013

It pays well & takes less effort

why play it up, talking about albums, leaving fans hanging? if you're not going to put anything out, don't talk it up.

-----------------------------
http://www.shenzhenphotos.com

Honestly I don't care if any of these fools put out more music, there's plenty to enjoy without them but if they want to at some point I'm happy for them

Just like artists owe us nothing as fans we owe them nothing as well

3 dope albums 20 years ago doesn't mean igaf about a new Q tip record

he constantly rewrites and revises his music. I've known people like that and they have problems sticking to deadlines because they always hear something else when working on something.

In the age we're in now, a guy like him having nothing to prove is in a good place to work at their own pace and let the music be what it's supposed to be.


The idea that artists find making new music to be a hassle or less rewarding somehow is both offensive and ridiculous as a broad statement. I'm sure there are people that operate this way, but I'd neglect to call them "artists." Of course I'd like to see less of the premature announcements and more of "I'm working on an album now but not sure about when it will be finished" or even not saying anything at all until it's in the can. But I'm not cynical enough to justify thinking someone like Tip just doesn't want to make new stuff because his old stuff is popular still.

happy birthday kamaal. please put out some new music. a mixtape of old unreleased beats for crying out loud.

-----------------------------
http://www.shenzhenphotos.com

...from constantly working on his beats because he's such a perfectionist. They would have to tell him that the beat is already dope or else they would be delaying the album. With Tip not having anyone to stop him nowadays, he's probably always thinking that he needs to improve what he's been working on, thus delaying/limiting his output.



Since 1976

He also said he would try to get better about it.

I think it's different reasons for different folks.

I think Abstract is a perfectionist who keeps on tweaking stuff. His track record says that he does right by himself when it's all said and done.

Kast...at least Dre...is prolly scurred. It's a shame because I have a strong feeling that his rap stuff would jam like crazy and his cooing would be fine as well since it isn't a crazy thing to have rappers singing now.

But that weirdness plus the Idlewild thoughts plus the time since then plus these dudes not sacking up and doing it years ago has put sooooo much pressure on anything they drop. Dre can make a verse or two that will easily go over well. But he's scurred about an album. That and it is super possible that him and Twan aren't on the same page enough to put together an album TOGETHER. Stankonia was a long time ago.

D'Angelo was both. But some folks went to work on getting him to drop that thing and it went well. Very well. But that album was so good that maybe the cats like Dre 3k are even more scared since they probably don't have anything laying around on a hard drive that is at that level.

Whatever it is, I hope dudes end up putting out something. Anything. An Ep. A few verses. Something.

>8 years since the renaissance. IIRC, the last zulu was
>supposed to come out in late 2014. oops...
>
>when dre said tribe and outkast were talking about puting an
>album out, i didn't believe for one second that anything would
>ever come of it.
>
>the funny thing, in interviews, tip always talks about being a
>studio rat, living and breathing the music, and into this
>until the day he dies. i understand he has the occasional
>feature or co-production credit. but seriously, not a single
>solo track, ep, much less new album in 8 years? you would
>think he'd put music out more often. talib kweli style. on his
>own terms.
>
>now tip has an excellent body of work (minus some questionable
>cuts from amplified and his open sessions, if you ask me).
>there are legends who continue to put music out to this day,
>and those who don't, despite talking it up all the time.
>
>are they afraid to taint their legacy with a mediocre release?
>
>
>
>-----------------------------
>http://www.shenzhenphotos.com

The Last Zulu is still not out and it's been years. I knew it was trouble when he announced he's be doing choruses in different languages for different releases of the album. Just doesn't seem like something that'll come together easily at all, added to Tip's slow speed and we might not see this thing for another couple of years. Damn shame, as we all know he can drop an album worth of dope cuts right now if he wanted.

My hope is that Phife's passing and the seemingly good natured reunion of sorts that occurred during/after his service will spark something in Tip (and maybe even 3000) to get it done. That picture of Tip/Pos/Andre3000/ChrisRock/Latifah in Tip's studio has me hopeful.

They likely take a look around and feel old as shit. I know I do. These guys still have the mentality of stars, rightfully so. Rap is 20 years dead at this point. It would be nice if they just did what felt right and let us heae it though. I respect Premier, Pete, Paul etc. on that front.


Like what Tip gace Roc Marc on 'Reloaded' was so far beyond any other beat on that album...but then he turned around and gave an audio abortion to Pusha T most likely because...Pusha T.


Square pegs. Listen to Moke.

he has somewhere around 500 songs in the stash, 200 of which have vocals. seems like hes kinda like prince...constantly makin music, but more for himself as opposed to for the public, although prince does release stuff on a somewhat regular basis, regardless of the reception