you are absoulutely right.

jokes i got jokes.

i think riq has too much pride to be vulnerable to really state a posotion on any lifestyle. and people in his life know him too well. so it's hard for him to "lie" ("i got a dog, with a solid gold bone") cause of the blue collar mc position that he/we put ourselves in, everyone knows that if any of us would purchase an iced out rollie, we would have to sell our cribs. so i think to a fault tariq is too honest to even create a "lifestyle" for himself.

it's like since he established himself as an "mc's mc" he feels like he has to stick to his guns. i mean come on what kind of lifestyle is he going to offer you that will be interesting? one that he dosn't follow? he has a conscience but i doubt he's gonna be talking bout bucking some pigs now that it's popular to do so.

i mean what is our life anyway? get up at 6, watch a movie on tourbus, sleep, smoke herb, check in hotel, eat, interview, soundcheck, dressing room, show, try to get ass, pack, bus next day......

that is the life of most cats on the road. the weed song has been done before. none of y'all can relate to a modernday middlepassage that transports us from city to city.

female to male ratio at our shows are about 1 to 30 so the whole "i just wanna love you/ female angle/ bitches be throwin themselves at me" thing is out cause we don't attract that type of female (albeit hoochie factor is low, and all righteous females ain't all that....uh righteous but that's another post....) and being as though our lives are filled with real women. it's kinda hard to do the player role thing (would love to fill black sheep's void cause im a smartass) with a clear head because women damn near run our lives. and everybody talks about it.

the whole thug angle is out cause i don't believe in advertising strength because someone is always gonna wanna call your bluff on some underestimate shit. i believe in non violence, but i ain't no fool. and trust me. the few cats who tried to test us almost got some bullets in they ass. i may be old school. but i ain't no old fool.

riches. well, i ain't rich. and who's gonna care that i copped a $400 record this week.


so where do you go? specially when you was raised on 4 of the worlds best braggidocious mc's: kane(pre hand cast player), g-rap (pre drug dealer awol), rakim (pre god), and krs(pre bookworm) (ok...LL too)

that is how riq was raised. kane and g-rap. braggin and boastin. and tariq ain't all BNB either. he does observational shit. and the occasional soundtrack lets him follow the story. but the jazz angle is too cutesy to be taken seriously...thus that's why we killed it after DYWM.

most cats crucify com for a different thing. him being him. he's too soft. or lost edge. or too homophobic. or whatever.

so i think riq has great stage presence (when he's on...i mean in the zone, he's untouchable) he definately a master of words. his voice is his voice. which i think is fine. jigga has a normal voice but he dresses it in sarcasm. so that's his character. dre has an accent so there is his character. i noticed the strength in riq's voice when he did "you got me" with erykah and i was in the audience. he dosn't use his second voice on stage (like big has studio voice, then screamin onstage)
he has an extreamly commanding voice.

so no accent. no external thing going on (ala outkast, or 80's dela) no voice (tip, dre) no easy to spot lifestyle (jigga, dead prez)

and what you have is an mc. in the classic sense of the term "mc"
i mean what is de la talkin bout in "ohh". right. or redman in "ill be that". brag rhymes but in other forms. tariq aint no rah rah nigga so.....

i actually think playing the middle keeps the mystery about him in. sorta like a curious factor goin on.

stay tuned.








the source mic ratings 1990-2001


@@@@@
-edutainment (funny in the annivrsery issue they left this out...but i have the ice cube issue when they first started rating albums)
-people's instintive travels and the paths of rhythm
-amerikkka's most wanted
-let the rhythm hit em
-all for one
-de la soul is dead
-illmatic
-life after death
-aquemini
-niggaz4life* (not reveiwed but in summer issue 92 they mentioned it as a 5mic classic)

@@@@1/2
-sex and violence
-buisiness as usual
-business never personal
-whut thee album
-breaking atoms
-death certifacate
-buhloone mindstate
-the chronic
-enter the 36 chambers
-southernplayerlisticadillacmusic
-life after death
-the infamous
-only built 4 cuban links
-illadelph halflife
-hell on earth
-bow down
-i am
-murder muzick
-life story
-classic limited edition vol 1
-guerilla warfare
-in my lifetime vol.3
-la rock familia
-ecleftic:two sides to a story
-moment of truth
-supreame clientel
-last of a dying breed
-the truth

the gag mics-
fear of a black planet-@@@1/2
da shinin-@@@
stankonia-@@@@
lootpack-@@1/2
ressurection-@@@1/2
the beatnuts-@@@1/2**
mos def and talib kweli are black star-@@@1/2
the love movement-@@@1/2
fantastic vol 2-@@@1/2

*-source never reviewed, but mentioned in summer issue that it was a 5 mic classic.

**-the only record to change a rating after printing. in the next issue they printed (in fine print that it was a @@@@ mic album)

check the resume

organix-93
(from the ground up)-94
do you want more?!!???!-95
illadelph halflife-96
things fall apart-99
(the legendary)-99
the roots come alive-99
phrenology-2002
the tipping point-2004
(the roots present...) 2004
homegrown: the beginne