Um…what?

What in the Samuel L. Hill is going on? Kanye West just announced the most unlikely Tweet in the history of Twitter. Everyone wondered what the ramifications of @KanyeWest joining Twitter would be. We have our early answer: unlikely collaborations between Kanye and whoever pops up in the “Who To Follow” section of his page.

Next he’s going to shoot a pilot to a sitcom starring Ashton Kutcher and Noreaga. Apparently this isn’t an instance of Kanye talking out of his arse as Raekwon has recently corroborated the claims. He recently spoke with Satan’s favorite magazine and gave them the scoop.

“It’s definitely gonna happen,” he said over the phone. “When you got these kinda talents merging together to do something exciting, I think it’s something that’s gonna make the fans check it out. I’m big fans of both of these guys. I think, at the end of the day, shorty is a sensation. And [for him] to acknowledge me it makes me feel good that the young generation is checkin’ me out like that. And at the same time it gives me a position to play a big brother in the game. He wants my assistance or whatever he can get it. I respect him, I like his style.”

How has Justin Bieber been able to transcend his age, demographic and corniness to link up with all of these rappers without anyone batting an eye? When Common did a song with the Jonas Brothers, everyone (myself included) wrote it off as the final nail in his UMC-crafted coffin. But Bieber has more Hip-Hop collaborations under his belt than Teflon Don and it’s all good. And, for some reason, none of the rappers that link up with him come out with a tarnished reputation.

I mean, we’re talking about Raekwon here! Just last year he put out the grittiest album we’ve seen in years. And now he’s doing songs with Bieber and it’s cool? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t particularly see anything wrong with it either. But, I feel like I should for some reason. Has Hip-Hop finally reached that point where no collaboration is off-limits? Fans and critics have already softened their stance on commercials – once chastising stars for promoting sodas, now reciting lyrics where rappers brag about Pepsi endorsements – but these Disney/Hip-Hop unions go unpunished as well.

Raekwon, a last bastion of uncompromising street-hop from the ’90s is now doing a song with a little white kid that was barely alive when the Purple Tape came out. Is it just that Raekwon has earned enough real estate with his fans that he’s now above reproach? Or is Kanye West the pop/rap link, softening the blow and uniting the two polar opposites?

This all begs another bigger question if it’s become impossible to “sell out” anymore?

And is this good or bad for Hip-Hop?

I’m curious on your thoughts. Talk amongst yourselves © Linda Richman.

Related– Raekwon Talks To Complex About The Collab