9th Wonder sparked a huge "debate piece" by posting on Twitter:
"This Common and Pete Rock album begs the conversation I’ve been having with folks for at least 20 years now. Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop needs its own category. Word to DO IT ALL from Lords of The Underground….we’ve been said this homie!!!"
Basically, 9th is stating the duo should not be in the same category as say....
Future, 21 Savage, etc.. and I agree. However, Q-Tip's "Traditional Hip-Hop" subgenre rebuttal is no better.
To be frank (pause), there should be no need to create extra categories for "REAL" Hip Hop to fit in. Common and Pete have been around since the golden era. Future, 21 Savage and 'nem are the "johnny come latelys". A category needs to be created for THEM to fit in.
Trap and Drill are not "Hip Hop" and Trap and Drill shouldn't be just a description of a sound, it should be actual categories in and of itself, separate from Hip Hop.
There has been a resurgence of "golden era" hip hop artists who are creating beautiful music, that's age appropriate for the 40+ hip hop heads. Nas had been on a several year run with Hit Boy, delivering quality gems, Black Thought has been getting busy, Statik Selektah stays present, DJ Premier is always working and even several years ago, Jay-Z turned the "street hustling" corner and displayed his growth with 4:44, just to name a few.
The timing is right for that REAL and a Baltimore duo are taking their turn to carry the Hip Hop torch. UNK, two legendary Hip Hop figures from the Baltimore music scene collaborate for an instant classic. KMack and Jay Funk had been working nearly three years to complete the anticipated, self-titled project, UNK. KMack (recording artist) and Jay Funk (producer) are another artist/producer duo in Hip-Hop that has united to create much needed, "good music".
UNK joins Common/Pete Rock, Nas/Hitboy, Black Thought/Madlib, Statik Selektah/Bun B, amongst others who have shown that "golden era" artists can still shine with quality music.
Musically, their roots run deep, as KMack was a member of the popular 90's Baltimore crew, Annexx Click. Meanwhile, Jay Funk had seen greatness at an early age, as his father was a drummer for the legendary Teddy Pendergrass. Jay Funk is a drummer and musician himself. Jay have also produced/engineered for many Baltimore well-knowns, which have included KMack, L Fli, Da Ghetto Connect and the legendary R&B group Dru Hill.
Recently UNK took over the airwaves on Live 97.5 FM, as ItzYourzRadio, the #1 rated radio show, gave an on-air listening party for the entire album. UNK touches the very core of true Hip-Hop heads both lyrically and sonically. The sample heavy project has a 90's "feel", yet it still sounds fresh and very relevant.
During their interview, many things were discussed including, the origin of their group name, their thoughts on the state of the Hip-Hop culture, as well as choosing between some of their favorites such as, De La Soul or A Tribe Called Quest, Eazy E or The Notorious B.I.G, Camp Lo or Little Brother.
UNK appearance with ItzYourzRadio on Live 97.5 FM
Stream / Download UNK on all digital streaming platforms.
Comments