don't watch me, watch tv What are our collective expectations for rap albums? As in, how many tracks have to be good, and good as in potential singles or backpacker feud fodder. The new Juelz Santana has six or seven quality cuts, and has been reviewed on the good side of medicore, mostly because neither hip-hop fans or the Diplomats really dedicated to the album format. So let's not fault penguins for not flying, huh? Juelz is not Kanye West, and so I do not expect Jon Brion strings or emotional range. This is not to ignore or discount Santana's charisma or mastery of language, but rather to recognize the commerical drives behind his work. Riff Raff recently said that Juelz is too busy repping the hood and stacking paper to actually rap, and that's okay.

Moving from a description of Santana's place in rap-art-commerce, let's talk about how he raps good. Cowabunga dude will pop your culture like he pop the glock. Relentless flow, personality from here to Harlem riding a speed-up soul sample. On that modernist tip, Juelz is a work to be confronted and understood on his own terms. Heads, you ready for something to get all caught up in you?

Juelz Santana- Oh Yes

I wonder if his producers got inspired by this little baltimore club number. Just goes to show... something about the original, about the fungibility of sixities soul er something.

DJ Technics- Mr. Postman

Buy it, use it, break it, fix it.  ¶ 2:12 PM