I’m eager to hear this. I’m anxious to listen to it and see how I feel, see what it will do, and see how it will grow. I love rap music, (deceiving, I know) but not much present-day rap. Biggies my boy, Slick and Snoop are wicked (and always have been), Big L’s freestyle was insane, and every 90’s group killed it. I love Wu and N-N, dub-dubba you ay-ay. (That was said to the beat at the beginning of “Chin Check”…in case nobody caught that). I’m really protective of rap. I know, I know, I’m a teenage white girl from Canada, but I’m not going to apologize for liking good music and wanting to preserve it. I’m protective of the history of rap, what it was, how it started, and what it was meant to be.There are certain things that  should define what rap music and hip hop are, and they shouldn’t be compromised. Rap music today is all so wishy washy, sing songy, and too catchy. The few raw, amazing and pure rap artists I know in this day are all underground and local. The rap artists that receive all the focus in our time are the fame monsters with catchy hooks (that have been written for them) and fancy clothes. Like seriously, since when has every rap song had a course?! Sorry everyone, but Drake just sucks.

However, if I put my negativity aside for a second, there have been a known few to survive this transition in rap music, that arised from the 90’s and have managed to stay true. Like Snoop, he’s still kickin’ it. Yeah, he did that whole “Sensual Seduction” thing, but he managed to pull it off and still feels like true Snoop. He’s grown, but he hasn’t changed. Eminem, he’s still in the game, and louder than ever. He single-handedly made countless comebacks, each one more epic than the last, without anyone turning their backs. There’s endless support for Em, and it’s unheard of for any artist to have that. It’s because we trust him, and that’s where Jay comes in.

I consider Jay-Z to be one of the few who hasn’t fallen. Already, he’s been named alongside Biggie, Pac, and others as legendary artists. He knows his way around this game, he’s been in it since the 90’s (with his own record label at that), risen through the 2000’s, and giving us hope for today’s music. He’s one of the few fighting through this genre that’s drowning beneath audio tune and unoriginality. Jay-Z has managed to keep us on our toes, but he’s never crossed the line. He respects the history that is rap music, has even played a slight part in it, as well as understanding what it takes to grow in today’s game. He’s cool and collective, and always will be. I trust Jay-Z with this collaboration because he’s shown us the abilities that aren’t known to present day, one-hit-wonder artists: balacing respect and consistency, alongside creativity. That’s nearly impossible to pull off.

Then there’s Mr. West. I don’t know what it is, but I love the guy. I know it might seem contradictory to the respects I’ve paid to other artists, and I agree with that contradiction. It’s no secret that many die-hard rap fans don’t, and will never list Kanye’s name among Biggie, Pac, and others as artists that “changed the rap game forever”. I’m still unsure if I agree with that or not. Our relationship with Kanye is a complicated love-hate, isn’t it? I mean, don’t tell me you all were anything but impressed when you first heard “Through the Wire”. This guy is so fast and hard in that song-it’s unreal. Kanye provided a bright light of hope at first, yet was quickly on the watch to becoming a market sell out. He’s walked that fine line ever since. Then came Graduation a few albums later…and that blew us all away. I couldn’t decide at first if it was nothing special, and just marketed extremely well…but it gave me a good feeling. I feel that each time I listen to it I know exactly what to expect, yet am left surprisingly impressed every single time. That feeling has never gone away. Shortly after that, came 808’s and Heartbreak. Which is where our hate part of the relationship starts with Kanye. Seriously, what WAS that?! To some, it could be seen as exploration of musical creativity, but to most, it was straight conformity. This is when Kanye was really on watch to become a market sell-out, and it seemed only a matter of time. Kanye has bits and pieces of the tendencies other great artists have shown. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy promised quite the comeback, Eminem style. Sadly for Kanye, he didn’t have quite the support Em had (and will always have) but he did sucker us back in a bit. The guys got talent, he’s pretty smart, and he markets the shit out of himself. In this day, in this game, whether we like it or not-selling is all part of it. You have to be able to rise above all the clutter and use your outlets strategically. I think we struggle with Kanye because since there are so many media outlets available, (youtube, myspace, blogs, etc.) lots of brutal artists are leaking their way into fame. It has become difficult to decide if someone is just a marketing phenomenon, or someone who is going to make a difference. Maybe Kanye is the master of the present day game, which requires uniqueness, creativity, ability to sell and make a mark, and we are just scared of the unfamiliar. Either way, whether he’s tricked us into liking him or not-it’s working and I’m not fully against him yet.

It’ll be really cool to see the combination of Jay’s calm yet piercing style with Kanye’s aggressive and passionate nature. I truly do think it’s something to celebrate, (whether we’re iffy about it or not) because it will be marked and it will be referenced. This will be one of the few things the stars of our time will contribute to the history of rap, and it will be a tool of reference for artists to come. I think this collaborative album will help define what has been altered and added to the rap game in our time, and assist in defining the guidelines. It’ll be extremely difficult for future artists to balance creativity and the much needed respect to the past, and I’m really hoping this album accomplishes just that.

Well, here I go, come at me Jay and Kanye. I’m ready, I think?