Abe Beame’s all time favorite fighters are Bernard Hopkins and LL Cool J. So this happened. I’m guessing the general consensus will be phony internet beef, but I’m intrigued. After all, this one has been percolating for a while. I have a personal link to a producer who was in Hawaii for portions of the […]
| The Ballad of MC Adam | May 14, 2012 |
As the one-time mayor of New York City, Abe Beame would like everyone to take a moment of silence. As a kid, Paul’s Boutique was my favorite record to zone out to. Even more so than the Wu-Tang Multiverse, B.I.G. or Nas and Jay’s debuts, it’s an ALBUM in the classic sense. It remains one […]
| A Story To Tell: Biggie Smalls & Narrative — “Suicidal Thoughts” | October 26, 2011 |
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 […]
| Why Is Big Sean Famous?: An Inquisition | July 12, 2011 |
Follow Abe Beame down the rabbit hole……..(II)……. In the late 90s, prior to Napster and the slightly more meritocratic system of Internet rap, there was a type of album that would drop roughly once a quarter. A rapper you’d never heard of before would suddenly make his presence known in the Source and radio with […]
| People’s History of Hip-Hop: Trey Songz at the Movies | February 11, 2011 |
Abe Beame is really the sixth Winans brother. Admittedly, I took my eye off the ball when it comes to the wacky, wonderful world of R&B impresario Trey Songz. He took shots at the thrown when he dissed my boy (link: ), Rhythm and Blues superhero R.Kelly, talking out of both sides of his mouth. […]
| A People’s History of Hip-Hop: Scarface-Old Joy | November 18, 2010 |
Abe Beame is back. It’s been said that sorrow is nothing but worn out joy. If so, this is the thin line Brad Jordan that has walked for over a decade. Sadness is often overlooked in analysis’s of rap’s history. Granted, its becoming increasingly relevant in contemporary hip-hop, with frequent hang-wringing over the perils of […]
| A People’s History of Hip-Hop: The Diplomats–Native Tongues | October 27, 2010 |
Abe Beame’s previous writing can be be found at A People’s History of Hip-Hop and the late great Oh Word. He knows more about Howard Zinn than Lupe Fiasco. We almost take it for granted now, but when historians look back on the past decade, it’s conceivable that rap’s most significant development was its […]
