Hundreds of miles removed, Summer Jam wasn’t of much consequence for me. But with no major fireworks or expected controversies slated like previous years, it was hard to even feign attention. If you want them, you’ll be bombarded with them across the net (or you could just make your way to Cipha Sounds Youtube page).

Let’s just hit the highlight, which would be T-Pain making his way on stage as Jay-Z performs “D.O.A.”

1. Jay’s song was not revolutionary. It’s what the listening public has been clamoring for.

2. As the one who originally rode the current wave of Auto Tuning to fame, Pain gets a pass, even appearing on stage (minus his “Big Ass Chain” which would’ve been a highlight for me). “You rappers singing too much/ Get back to rap, you T-Pain-ing too much/ I’m a multi-millionaire/ So how am I the hardest nigga here?”

What “D.O.A.” did on Friday was end yet another small era in rap. And it left me thinking: Does Jay officially usher in/exit out every trend in rap? Read the rest of this entry »