Hearing Sway Calloway introduce his radio show's centerpiece, the "Five Fingers Of Death" challenge, is truly something to behold. Abruptly switching gears from his softer interview tone, he'll adopt an Ali-esque swagger and go off the top to hype up the segment, saying things like, "There ain't no smoke, there's no mirrors, this ain't Hollywood." It's theatrical, yes, but the challenge, which asks rappers to freestyle over five random (and often very eclectic) beats selected by DJ Wonder, is one of the most difficult in the industry. Read More...
MusicReview(Def Jam/Mercury)Whatever you think of Kanye West - genius, prat, prattish genius - chances are he has thought it first. You can't imagine any other rapper uttering a line as candid as I Wonder's "You think I get on your fucking nerves." Much is made of West's elephantine ego, but what makes him far more interesting than your standard rap blowhard is the anxiety and doubt that inflate it. It is not so much arrogance as a mind game: if he says enough times that he's great, then the self-imposed pressure will goad him to be great. Read More...