Thursday, January 7, 2010
Fraggle Naggle: Meet 9thmatic, the rapper
The Wonder Years LP? Who cares anymore? While we’ve all been impatiently waiting on 9th Wonder to deliver his long-awaited album, we have a surprising new distraction here—9th Wonder as 9thmatic, the emcee. Yes, Mr. “Make-Me-Hot-P,” Pat Douthit, is rapping now. Oh, hell.
When hip hop producers decide to pick up the microphone and start rapping, they’re suggesting, in essence, that they’re just as verbally endowed as their rap peers, or they’ve come to the conclusion that sitting behind the production boards all day and making beats isn’t as thrilling as it used to be for them. The producer-slash-rapper title has become a venerable résumé builder and clout hoarder taken up by famed producers like Diamond D, Madlib and Pete Rock, just to name a few. They’ve all managed to turn emceeing into a mistress they parade around in hip-hop while also maintaining their production duties.
Oftentimes though, these producers have one of their go-to emcees ghostwrite their rhymes for them, which doesn’t really carry the stigma it would if the producer were a full-time emcee. In 9th's case, however, it’s doubtful that anyone else had a hand in writing his verses. 9thmatic raps with the same down-to-earth enthusiasm that the producer offers in person and, at a few spots, his Winston-Salem, N.C. -bred Southern accent is highly effective. Skill-wise, he’s obviously not in the same class as many of the artists that he provides beats for, but at least now, we know that he can at least hop on a track with his favorite emcees without us wanting to skip over his verse.
After the break, you'll find three fairly new tracks with 9thmatic. Also, notice that fellow Justus League producer and one of NC’s premier beatcrafters , Khrysis, picks up the microphone for his own, impressive, “fraggle naggle bullshit”. For now, in 9thmatic's words, “Me and Khrysis are having LOADS of fun....fun fun fun...LOL …. workin on my 'flow' so to speak.....so it's fun and a new challenge.....”
9thmatic & Khrysis, "Make It Big"
Big Remo feat. 9th Wonder, as the Real Rap Athletes, "It's Real"
Comments (5)
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9th, Khrysis...I love y'all to death and look forward to whatever you come up with. But please... DO NOT QUIT YOUR DAY JOBS!
Perhaps its time to start giving underground heads some attention.. If the big timers are busy with ghost writers and using hype as a meal ticket.. What about the cats who stay on the ground? I mean, we all know who 9th Wonder is. Not hard for us to formulate our own opinions on his new stuff. Many Triangle artists are living without the luxury of a label. It doesn't mean they aren't any good. If the big boys are getting predicable. Maybe its time to focus on some cats that could re-invent the game. They really do exist around here.
I have a lot of respect for 9th as a producer but this mid-life crisis (isn't he in his mid-30's?) with rapping he is having is laughable. Instead of helping to groom NC artists with his two labels as planned, he is focusing on rapping himself. I feel almost sorry for those artists. And what happened to the learning curve? He literally starts rapping a few months ago and people are applauding it. That honestly doesn't deserve attention. There are some REAL rappers in this scene who are more deserving. As said before, I respect his efforts as a producer but he seems to be losing focus or spreading himself thin nowadays. I'd like to see some of the other artist on his labels succeed but I'd hate to see their talents overshadowed by 9th Wonder's Diddy/Pete Rock-style rapping (which he isn't even holding a candle to lyrically). This is unwarranted hate. It's just my honest. And personal opinion. 9th Wonder should put aside his ego/celebrity and focus on what he is known to do. Stick to the beats!
thanks for the update. i am always interested in anything coming from the J League or whatever moniker they may be performing under at the time. word
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