Memphis Bleek never really was one-hit away.
Jay was just buggin, trying to gas us up, sell his product and secure returns on his retirement investment.
But the truth of the matter is Bleek’s close association with Jay has been both his blessing and curse simulataneously. The blessing is that son will always be taken of whether he ever creates a high-selling album or not. The curse being that he’ll forever be in Jay’s shadow, similar to how I never expect Spliff Star to outshine Busta. Bleek simply doesn’t have the persona or skills to step in front of the spotlight created for him by the one before him. He’s no Snoop. He’s no Pun.
But he’s Bleek.
And he’s created consistent albums. M.A.D.E. pretty much flew under the radar because everyone focused on him breaking into the radio ranks after “Round Here” got a buzz. Not his steez and while he was good @ making a track that could have commercial appeal, he’s more comfortable on the park benches or maybe being that older dude who bootlegs & fences goods. Not neccessarily still doing the hand to hand hustle, but just one of the many parts of the hood.
My favorite Bleek tracks…
“Murda Murda” – Even though Jay and Beans run slightly ahead, Bleek holds his own.
“Understand Me Still” and “My Life” – Both tracks are slow and braced by crooning hooks, but it’s Bleek’s ability to show the lesser seen, darker side of living Roc La Familia, especially after the never fatal crash of his brother took him out the studio for a prolonged period.
“First, Last & Only” – Featuring M.O.P., Bleek is @ home with some more gruff motherfuckers over the heavy bassline and horns that really carry this track. While you can’t put him in the same league as Billy & Fame, Memphis manages to hold his own.
“Remember The Roc” – A mixtape track that didn’t make an album, but Bleek does his mid-tempo flow just ahead of the beat, showcasing his spit.
“Regular Cat” – “…some aggin hit me with consigment/shit I settled with that…”…and that’s Bleek’s role. That steady dude who knows who he is and his position behind the king.
Memphis Bleek
Memphis Bleek – Coming Of Age (1999)
Memphis Bleek – The Understanding (2000)
Memphis Bleek – M.A.D.E. (2003)
Memphis Bleek – 534 (Album) (2005)
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No mention of how T.I. and Trick killed Bleek on his own track?
With all that support, you thought he would have been something. Bleek was weak from the first cd on. He had good songs, but never a good album.
Bleek’s career is exactly that bleak. Dude’s career could have been much better. So much for Weak, I mean Bleek.
not a big fan of him at all. only because he’s with Jay-Z his albums went gold. He had some good singles though.
I don’t know if son pulled Jay’s moms out of a burning building or something, but why Jigga keeps co-signing this cat is beyond me. I’ve never met anyone that was actually a Bleek fan. I believe that most people that purchased his albums were really buying a Roc-A-Fella album, not necessarily a Bleek album. Dude’s been blessed with a nod from one of Hip-Hop’s greatest, had the best production and promotion budgets, still couldn’t sell significant units and DIDN’T ever get dropped from his label?? There’s rappers with no skills that get by on personality/charm/character…whatever, but Bleek has none. Weed carriers of the world, this is your inspiration.
Coming of Age
At least Bleek got to make an album tho, wasn’t Spliff’s shit supposed to come out in ’98, according to When Disaster Strikes?
Who???
Memphis Bleek is actually a good rapper to me. But its been said right already: he was always in Jigga’s shadow. He didn’t really have solid albums either. But hey, he could hold his own.
Ya’ll are crazy, every Bleek album has been hot!
Bleek is like GOTTY says, playing his part. And Bleek’s part is to make a hot album that doesn’t go out unless Jay approves it. Just because Bleek isn’t Jay, doesn’t make him wack, it makes him different. Honestly, I think Bleek is what Jay would like to be on a record but can’t because he knows that when he hit that switch to mainstream that it was over for making an album he truly enjoys. I guarantee you that Bleek likes listening to his own albums (all the way through) and I’m not sure that Jay can say that. Maybe this reason is why the loyalty is so strong, Bleek keeps Jay on the music grind and Jay keeps Bleek rich. Listen to “The Understanding” again, that shit will get you pumped for the club, chilling with your boys, or about to play some ball.
The Real Hot Tracks List:
Memphis Bleek Is…
What You Think Of That
M***a For Life
Stay Alive In NYC (HOT)
Everybody
My Hood To Your Hood
Why You Wanna Hate For
Regular Cat
I’m not even gonna keep going. I think I proved my point – and for you slow minded cats, I’ll break it down for you: (This is 8 hot joints from one album, name any dude within the last year or two that’s made at least 8 hot songs on their album.)
This is why we call him consistent. I personally will always be one of the 500 thousand that buys his album – because I know I’m gonna get a quality album and not some trash with two or three decent songs.
“Only show respect when it’s due.” — Me
“Coming Of Age”… its a Jay track, but everyone that loved Reasonable Doubt knows that this joint wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Any of you guys heard the track called “Him Or Me” featuring 112? I had that on a triple disc Kay Slay Mixtape like in the summer of ’01. Now that sh*t was fire! If anyone has that track, pass that along. I miss that Kay Slay!
I beg to differ on the production side… while Bleek has had some major producers contribute to his album, he hasn’t really gotten their top shelf beats from them. 2nd rate production and a decent lyricist has always equaled a GOLD record. We all know that.
“Hypnotic” featuring Beans & Hov. The flute on that track was real.
I don’t believe Bleek’s lack of major success is a direct affect of being in Jay’s shadow. I believe that Bleek is lacking in areas that could push him over the top. He sounds like any other rapper I’ve heard before that doesn’t quite stand out. He’s had some solid singles, decent albums, but nothing that I believe he deserves accolades for.
P.S. If you make an album and I don’t care who you are as an artist, you better love listening to your own shit!!! So he better feel good about his own shit, if he doesn’t how does he expect us to?
bleek is just a hyp man… and a good one too!
I like Memphis Bleek’s style. He’s more rugged and rough. One of my favorite songs I always knocc is My Life by Tru Life feat. Memphis Bleek.
People always sleep on Bleek. I believe it’s because he’s always gonna play second fiddle to Jay. Bleek is nice with his shit(except for MADE) 534 had maybe 3 or 4 singles that could have blown up.wonder why JAY
I always thought 534 was a solid album and Gotty…I always thought Bleek had the best verse on “First, Last, Only”. Track as a whole is crazy though.
Bleek is a solid rapper who knows his role, just like everyone said. His major problem is lack of real life experience. He’s been with Jay forever living, the life. He’s gotten some stuff through the unfortunate event with his brother’s accident, but he’s far from wack. It’s not his fault Jay pumped him up and keeps putting out cd’s. He hit his ceiling on M.A.D.E in terms of progression, but I’d rather listen to a rapper stay in his lane, than one who strives higher than capable and fails.
also, I was wondering when someone was gonna mention Hypnotic. He held his own.
& Coming of Age (album) stayed in rotation, in what was my senior year of high school.
‘you short with my ones? you short one thumb, you cant, come up short where the fuck im from/ we got dues to pay, new tools to spray, whos to say… bleek wont make news today, you know the uz’ll spray, if you refuse to pay, and we move D.A nigga day by day .. Holla’
Bleek definitely has his moments to me. He’s jus never had the huge single to push him over the top to the crossover audience, and he’s never had the big critically acclaimed album which creates the ride or die fans who will stay down for him.
I’ll have to agree with D Howser. What has killed Bleek’s albums was the production. I’ve been a fan of his since “Coming of Age” and saw what should have been a great artist. I have always anticipated Bleek’s albums to see if maybe this time he’ll have the beats to back the rhymes. But time and time again he got weak ass beats.
OMY F*CKING G.
I HAVE A POST FOR EARLIER THIS WEEK CALLED MEMPH BLEEK CAN GET IT OR THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MEMPH BLEEK.
STAY OUT MY HEAD GOTTY.
DAMMIT.