What tha business is? This is your boy DJ Xcalibur once again, but I'm not here to give you Hip-Hop News. This time I'm going to speak my mind about J Records. Now I have mad love for Clive Davis and what he is doing-Clive Davis has a know track record of making artists into stars...well Alternative and R&B artists that is. J Records has in my opinion made a come up since its start and has recently merged with Arista Records making the label even stronger. Now here is were the drama begins, J Records does not, I repeat does not do Hip-Hop music...POINT BLANK!If you have been paying attention, and I know most of you have not, then you have seen J Records track record with Hip-Hop. The Biggest Hip-Hop record that J has had since it birthing was Genesis by Busta Rhymes and that was what maybe 2 or 3 years ago. If you look in the dictionary the word genesis means origin and the word origin means beginning. Now Busta probably more than likely give this title to his album because it was a new album on a new label and he was ready for a fresh start, but how long does it take milk to spoil after it is first opened and unused...not long. Busta's second album on J Records, It Ain't Safe No More, did very poorly because J Records lost interest in the "milk" and let it spoil. One video, one single and that was it, Busta's business with J was pretty much done at this point, because J Records does not do Hip-hop. Let's continue shall we.
Zip to 2005, where a whole new breed of Rappers and MC's are getting their time to shine. One thing still remains J Records does not do Hip-Hop...Point Blank! The new list of Hip-Hop alumni at J Records is as follows, Cassidy, Boo, Rhymefest, Clyph, and Smitty. Also Swizz Beats' Full Surface label and Rhymefest has a deal through DJ Mark Ronson's Allido Records which is disturbutated by you guessed it-J Records.
Let's talk about the boy Cassidy for a second. After his historic freestyle battle with Freeway it seemed like Cass was on his way to becoming the hottest thing in Hip-Hop. When Swizz landed the deal at J Records, Cassidy's career just seemed to go down hill from there. His first album, Split Personality, did poorly even though it was powered by one of the most annoying, but successful summer anthems of 2003(Hotel). The label decided to put out a single driven for the ladies(Get No Better), and that did not float well with the fans who liked Cassidy the Battle Rapper. Dispite poor sells the first time around, J Records decided to give Cassidy another chance. This time around Cassidy turned to his hustla side to sell records. His second album, I'm A Hustla, was led by the single by the same name. Things were starting to look good for the boy Cass, but many, including myself, spoke to soon. Just as "I'm A Hustla" was reaching full steam, Cassidy was hit with a murder charge and everything came to a holt. The second single, "B-Boy Stance" never picked up because of Cassidy's legal troubles. To make matters worse J Records did not even push the record after that. Yet again letting the "milk" spoil. FREE CASSIDY!!!
Now with two examples to go off of, you can not tell me J Records is built for Hip-Hop. At this point I am glad that LL Cool J decided to stay with Def Jam...who has a known record for being a Hip-Hop label. Here is what I am saying, unless J Records decides to create a seperate label just for Hip-Hop and find some one to properly handle it, the new line-up of artist may as well look for a new deal in the near future. The talent there is going to spoil, because J does not know how to handle them.
That ladies and gentlemen was a piece of my mind and there is more to come. Comment and send us your cereal recipes. I'm O-U-T!
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