Jan
30

Fat Tape – January 2012

Abe Beame’s quest to transform The Passion into The Source circa 94 continues……. Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?emtegaxfd85dsve This will possibly be a recurring feature, but if nothing else, here is a selection of tracks curated and commented on by myself from January in this year of our Lord, 2012. Nicki Minaj- Stupid Hoe: Great stuff, mainly because… Continue reading »

Jan
12

A Story to Tell: Biggie Smalls and Narrative – “Somebody’s Gotta Die”

Image via Up North Trips You can guess what Abe Beame’s Spotify looks like. A natural progression for great young writers often includes an apprenticeship based on autobiographical material and intense emotion. As the writer matures and spends his personal capital, the focus centers on craft: ironing out dialogue, developing character and story. It’s hard… Continue reading »

Jan
11

A Story to Tell: Biggie Smalls and Narrative – “N***** Bleed”

Abe Beame knows Captain Ron too. Consider everything you know about Arizona Ron. We know what part of Arizona he’s from, what kind of car he drives, the crew he used to run with, that he has a predilection for the Isley Brothers, he’s bilingual, the motto he has tattooed around his gun wounds, how… Continue reading »

Jan
06

The 15 Greatest Internet Rap Lists

Abe Beame is talking square biz. It’s hard to keep up with the internet in 2011. Both music and its criticism changes faster than truths can even be registered. By the time you figure out what’s happening, the herd has already moved on. So it should come as no surprise that since I started writing… Continue reading »

Jan
04

A Love Bizarre: R. Kelly and Experimentation

Abe Beame is a lover and a fighter. DOWNLOAD: A Love Bizarre (Disc 1) What did “Let’s Get It On” sound like in 1973? Today, it’s a golden oldie, something a cotton-stuffed Jack Black can croon with adorable affectation to close out romantic comedies. But when it first came out, how did it feel and… Continue reading »

Nov
23

The Feminine Mystique: Lil Kim- Hardcore

Abe Beame interrupts his series of obsessive nerding out to bring you a think piece on “Hardcore.” It’s difficult to gauge how responsible Biggie was for its composition. He executive produced the album, shows up with small, perfectly placed touches, lends Kim his delivery and cadence, but gets no explicit writing credits. But to ignore… Continue reading »

Nov
01

A Story to Tell: Biggie Smalls & Narrative – “Get Money”

Abe Beame beat Cease-A-Leo at Tecmo Bowl Biggie followed Ready to Die with Junior Mafia’s Conspiracy—a spotty album with two great singles, but one notable for being one of the first times a crew got a deal exclusively due to their friendship with a talented, successful rapper. Ultimately, Junior Mafia birthed one decent personality in… Continue reading »

Oct
26

A Story To Tell: Biggie Smalls & Narrative — “Suicidal Thoughts”

Abe Beame likes black Tim’s and black hoodies. Ready to Die ends with a bang. After an album of unbridled aggression and desperation, the climax is delivered through a quiet, inverted moment of reflection. Throughout his masterpiece, there are demons chasing the protagonists of Biggie’s songs. Though we never hear their deaths explicitly, we can… Continue reading »

Oct
19

A Story To Tell: Biggie Smalls and Narrative
 — “Friend of Mine”

Abe Beame does the blunts and brews thing, knocking that Wu-Tang. My favorite moment on Ready to Die comes at the end of the “Fuck Me” interlude. Biggie and Lil Kim simulate sex on a chair in the studio. As the skit reaches its climax, Kim intentionally or unintentionally falls off. Biggie immediately apologizes, and… Continue reading »

Oct
13

A Story to Tell: Biggie Smalls & Narrative — “Respect
”

Abe Beame hollers respect to all the con men. There’s a hypnotic quality to the bounce that anchors Poke and Puffy’s brilliant flip of George Mccrae’s “I Get Lifted.” Understandably, the beat and Biggie’s effortless wordplay have always mesmerized me on more casual listens. As a fan, it can drain the fun from a song… Continue reading »

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