Common x Bill Gates = Cha-Ching!
SMOKE BREAK By Gotty™ on October 10, 2008 at 8:49 pm
This past week, part of my weekly watch of all things rap has been occupied by varying opinions on Common’s recent partnership with Microsoft. One particular take by a writer @ Gawker left me with the confused face because I have a hard time understanding why the scribe is so offended by Lonnie Lynn’s decision to accept a check by name-dropping Bill Gates’ products.
Several months ago we passed judgment on “conscious” rapper Common—he’s fundamentally a tool. Not for his music, which is cool enough, but because he merrily goes around selling himself as a pitchman for everything from Smirnoff to GAP, while simultaneously yapping on and on about his true devotion to hip hop and love and art and The Corner and acting like these “brand partnerships” somehow represent something deeper than just a paycheck. It’s incredibly grating. Like his outfits. Well, now Common is speaking out (to Ad Age, appropriately) about how he’s totally keeping it real by selling product placement spots in a video for his new song called—wait for it—”Universal Mind Control.” Tell us, how dead is irony?:
Said writer goes on to quote a few lines from Com’s “I Used To Love H.E.R.” to attempt to portray Mr. Sense as a hypocrite.
I beg to differ.
A few months ago, we poked fun at (read: criticized) Nas for teaming up with Fila. There’s a distinct difference between Fila & Microsoft.
Fila is arse.
Microsoft is cool in it’s own way, the way that includes pervading almost every single household or work day in America. They’re like the tech version of the Yankees.
Common Sense did his bid toiling in the underground, having his artistry virtually ignored by the mainstream. Even though Hov named dropped, essentially proclaiming him as one of the best, no one bothered to listen still. Luckily or as fate would have it, he linked up with Kanye for production, we got Be and things have been on the upswing. And the good thing is that Common’s lyricism or sense of focus haven’t been affected, at least not as music is concerned.
So, yeah, get a check Com.
It is very easy to be moral & wave the “fuck the man, down with the system” flag when contracts & checks oodles of O’s are being flung in your face. Very easy to summon up the bitterness needed. But when you have chances to earn an honest dollar, good chances, you take them. And as much as our artists namedrop & endorse, there are many other companies who’d be wise to follow suit. I can’t tell you how smug I once was @ a Roots concert sponsored by Kools, my drug of choice. They were handing out coupons after the show and you know I was stuffing my pockets with’em.
Once upon a time, Common couldn’t become a doctor because he ain’t have the patients. At this point though, I think it’s fair to say he’s interned, earned his stripes & deserves to get paid like any good physician should.
What the writer should have been harping on was the Erykah epidemic that’s nearly taken under many a good rhymesayer, word to Jay being a vic seems like.
Once-Cool Rapper: Selling Out Is All About The Music [Gawker]
Common, Microsoft Learn to Make Music Together [Ad Age]
Previously Posted — “…Smarten Up, Nas.”
Bun B - Your Everything BW Pop It 4 Pimp Promo CDS
Camp Lo - In Black Hollywood
Mariah Carey - Butterfly
Big Mike And Max B - Wavie Crockett
Biz Markie - All Samples Cleared
Rob Base, DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two
Cam’ron - S.D.E
N.O.R.E. - God’s Favorite
Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises In The East
Domino - Domino
Foxy Brown - Ill Na Na
KRS-One - Return Of The Boom Bap
KRS-One - KRS-One
Posted in SMOKE BREAK, THE NEW MODEL — Tags: Advertisements, Common, Microsoft, Zune
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21 Comments
One Day It’ll All Make Cents
Hey Com…times are bad…Can I Borrow A Dollar?
yea, I totally agree. People said the same thing when he did Gap commercials. Fact is, where were these complaining muhfuckas when “Like Water For Chocolat” and “One Day it’ll all make sense” came out? I mean, he’s putting out the same music! What’s the point of rooting for someone if you don’t want them to succed?
mAYBE wRITERS oN oTHER sITES sHOULD sTICK tO wRITING aBOUT tOPICS tHEY hAVE sOME kNOWLEDGE oN>>>>
You can’t love Hip-Hop and be a spokeperson for a brand at the same time?
I get into arguements when people talk about so and so rapper sold out. Come the fuck on, dudes music is still great and he is making paper, get on your own dick.
LOL
I needed that Ill Na Na
One Day It’ll All Make Cents
Hey Com…times are bad…Can I Borrow A Dollar?
=======================================
That reminds me…. I kinda miss those titles.
DMV folks:
Slick Rick
@ Ned Divine’s
October 18th — 9PM Doors
Talib Kweli • David Banner • B.O.B. w/ Rhythm Roots Allstars
@ 9:30 Club
Monday October 20th — 7PM Doors
$25
Unreal money…..”17 Billionaires lost more than 1 Billion in the past month”
Buffett boosts wealth to top Gates on Forbes list.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is again the richest American, deposing Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, after Forbes magazine recalculated the fortunes of some of the 400 wealthiest Americans.
The magazine took another look at the fortunes of some of the billionaires on its Forbes 400 list to assess the effect of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Depression and released a select list naming some of those hit hard.
But while 17 billionaires on Forbes list lost more than $1 billion in the past month, Buffett managed to boost his wealth by $8 billion to $58 billion, pushing him ahead of Gates, whose fortune fell to $55.5 billion from $57 billion.
Gates had been ranked No. 1 on the Forbes 400 list for the past 15 years with his Microsoft fortune.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4991X720081010
^wish I were rich enough to lose a billi
I don’t see what the fuss is about. Hip Hop sold out a long time ago.
So Common and other hip hop artists aren’t supposed to take the steps to secure their future? This writer is an ass, I hope more artist follow suit.
Who pretending like that STAB was a poke at Nas.
Gotty know he wasn’t feeling that move whatsoever.
LOL
http://rapidshare.com/files/141032913/YJ-TR_1_.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/141033105/YJ-TR_1_.part2.rar
young jeezy - the recession
a lot of purists are quick to hate on com. i think dude is true. accepting endorsement offers should have nothing to do with how we view our artists.
I call it multiplicity and diversity in hip hop and business. There aint no thing like hypocrisy unless you’re hypocritical to yourself! Common is eligible for that, afterall, Who can neglect such props??
i dunno, it makes me feel uncomfortable seeing one of my favourite rappers become a walking billboard. common gotta get his but it just don’t feel “right” to me. maybe im just a jaded old school purist.
also nas been shouting out fila since before illmatic. that partnership makes sense. common and billy gates? come on now.
gotty I sent you that new mick boogie
tape check your email
and i am not talkng about the honor roll….
How can you hate on a man for marketing himself while still making good music? Its self-preservation…hes increasing his own personal brand awareness in the process…why shouldnt he do it?
we like our artists to pour out their hearts
and leave their pockets empty…
that’s a pretty wack concept.
Get cha $$$ Lonnie Lynn
Why not get paid… As long as it’s done cleverly..In television it’s called “product placement” and besides most of these dumb as rappers are name dropping somebody’s shit for nothing already…might as well get paid.