Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Despite the fact I laid down some hot shit Friday night, I'm finding that when it comes to your lyricism as an emcee nowadays you're basically Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't.

So many words are spilled about stagnation in lyrics these days...whether mainstream or underground. Rapping about thuggin', rims, money and girls will have you labeled as "ringtone rap", and if you're underground pretty much everyone who actively participates in this culture has heard every punchline, and seen so many "wack emcees get slayed" it's become hard to make anyone care.

Say you go the opposite route, and eschew speaking on the popular topics of hip-hop in either:

a) an earnest attempt to do something different

or

b) being weird for the sake of being weird (i.e. hipsters)

then stuffy heads are gonna say "Nah son, that's not hip-hop." So if I wanna make an asinine fucking song about Orange Juice, I'm violating some sort of unwritten rule of Hip-Hop? Whereas if I came out rhyming about battle rapping, or wack emcees or staying true to hip-hop...I would be "not breaking new ground."

(Speaking of which, if Hip-Hop is gonna have some standard code of ethics in which we're expected to abide by, why is there no Bible, Qur'an, Torah, etc. to spell it out clearly for us? Because heads will ever be able to get on the same page...just like organized religion!)

I don't really care if you're "mainstream" or "underground", if you're "simple" or "deep" with your lyrics, I just wanna hear some well-executed music. I don't want the same thing all the time (my mood changes almost hourly) so I really feel there is room for everybody who's dope. THAT should be the standard...Dope or Wack. I can enjoy Master P with the same ears I enjoy Madlib.

Frankly, I don't even know what the fuck is or isn't hip-hop anymore...and I find myself caring less and less. I'm gonna make the music I'm gonna make. I personally feel it IS hip-hop. If you feel the same, come on board; I'll bust my ass to entertain and educate you cause I appreciate the hell out of you. If my brand of music isn't your cup of tea...keep this blog as our free gift to you.

Just quit sniping back-and-forth about "This is hip-hop" or "This ain't hip-hop"...Hip-Hop will not loan you $10 when you're broke, or come to your funeral...so who ultimately really gives a shit? Get off your ass and MAKE some music that you enjoy, and let your fans decide if they like it or not.

If you'll excuse me, I need to do just that.

So what the fuck have you been doing?

Does anyone still read this blog? Do I still write it? Am I alive, or am I the undead? I'm still in my 20's, correct? Is Jake Palumbo still in the business of beats and rapping? Am I still collecting unemployment checks? Yes, lots of them. Thank you. Is my income tax situation some bullshit? Yep. Have I stayed on my pledge to get in shape in '09? Not really. I've tried to keep my libido excersized 7 to 36 times per week, however and that helps. Senator Strom Thurmond called the other day asking if I could still get him nose candy...I told him I don't do that anymore. I'm eating alot more peanut butter sandwiches, sushi, whole grains and White Castle, and guzzling He-Brew Kosher beer for refreshment. I'm improving my health while killing myself at the same time. I'm watching alot of classic wrestling from 1985-1997. I'm losing my fucking mind. I'm having the time of my life. Really, seriously.

But what you people - the fans - reallly want to know though, is this perpetual under/over-achiever gonna actually drop some product in '09 and "go on these national tewrs" and actually pretend to be the Boss he claims to be so vehemently? Yall elected me, am I gonna deliver in these punishing economic times when the music industry is a broken-down meth whore....?

Well, that remains to be seen and we have "Top Men" working on it, however here are some things on the horizon...

Rapping Is Stupid Instrumental Album: Finished. Done. Good to Go. Dropping on iTunes this Spring. Good music. Instrumental music. Blunted Music. Stupid Music. You're Stupid. I'm Stupid. Rapping Is Stupid.

Archaeology, Vol. 1 Best of Rarities Collection: To hold you people over while I attempt to regroup and await the stimulus package, I'm assembling a compilation of some Jake Palumbo rarities, B-sides, freestyles, collabs and remixes that have for whatever reason made the cutting room floor over the years. Almost done, just gotta remix a few joints and master the thing.

I'd be a real dummy to speak on things that aren't official, but I'm currently shopping some tracks to a couple major-type-situations, and focusing more energy on "things" that might amount to "some bigger things."

And before I head out on the TO-BE-ANNOUNCED-FALL-WORLD-TOUR, I'm gonna some-how poop out the next solo album (and the fricking point of this blog), the totally not-worth-your-dowload Unfocused 3rd Album which will have guest appearances from Reef The Lost Cauze and other heavy hitters. I promise - as the highest-decorated Webelo in the history of Hamblen County - it will be a great listening experience and if you liked me before, you'll at least hate me a little less with this album.

So....the original purpose of this blog was to document my day-to-day goings-on in the studio as I crafted my (stupid, lame, cliched) banger of an album. I'm gonna start doing more of that. The new studio is built and I'm back to my old "burning" habits. Expect a bunch of short, stupid pointless posts. I have no idea what I'm doing. I know exactly what I'm doing.

Palumbo yaps about his instrumental record...

90 Minutes Searching for a Record

Brief weekend re-cap.

Got some song ideas. Realized some songs I already have are probably OK to be on the record. Made another beat. Kicked it with the honey dips after work each night. Chiefed Dutches until I was a clueless retard. Finally ate fried chicken with string beans and want to sleep now. But I have a session from 3-11.

I've been getting steady side work as an engineer this week, which has provided some much needed guap before my unemployment benefits kick in (whooo...I'm interested to see how a check every week is going to kick-start my writing). However, one of the artists was a no-show, and one cat in particular I had to record, was the musical equivalent of getting kicked in the balls repeatedly.

The thangs I do for money....

Underwhelmed

I didn't accomplish shit last night. Totally un-focused. Tweaked the mix of a few beats, that's it. I'm gonna try to write tonight and relax tomorrow (Thanksgiving), in hopes that when I go into the studio on Friday I'll actually yield results.

Welcome To Unfocused 3rd Album...

I'm attempting to write, produce and record my third album. Because I obviously have a hole in my head or Downs Syndrome. Did I not learn my lesson last time? I'm going to attempt to keep a real journal of sorts showing my (lack of) progress on this record. I have no idea what this album is going to sound like. I know exactly what this album is going to sound like. Hip-Hop heads will love this record. I'm hoping Rolling Stone and major media publications will describe this record as "unfocused" or "inconsistent." The world will get to see me in all my brilliant genius as I create a masterpiece. The world will get to see a clueless procrastinator who attempts to be "artistic" while high on cough syrup. There is no money in rapping. Hip-Hop heads will hate this record.