Jul 27, 2016 I've been away on business the last couple days and on the flights I got a chance to read Jensen Karp's book Kanye West Owes Me $300 & Other True Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made it Big. HIGHLY recommend the book, by the way, especially if you want some insight into the hip-hop industry in the early 2000s. For 250 pages he tells hilarious stories from his upbringing, signing to Interscope and having awkward encounters with celebrities such as Rza, Sisqo, Mack 10 and more. Then the label just turns on him abruptly and shelves him. For years following he said he would get calls from different Interscope executives saying that someone in Eminem's camp wanted Jensen's project shut down. It was in 2002, between The Eminem Show and 8 Mile. Now, successful white rappers are a dime a dozen. But back then they rarely made it past an album. Jensen even suspects Interscope set up the second Bubba Sparxxx album for failure by cutting its marketing budget. He seems to have no bad feelings toward Eminem and admits his own music around that time was too angsty and suburban to be taken seriously. It really is, see for yourself: But this isn't a matter of whether or not the music is good (it's not), it's a matter of Shady having such a monopoly on hip-hop at the time that they could and would destroy careers just because those artists had the same skin color and some buzz. Any thoughts? Was this necessary to ensure Em's longevity or just a d-ck move like Paul Rosenberg is known for?
Jul 27, 2016 this guy get shelved because he sounds like someone who would get locked into lockers in high school
Jul 28, 2016 Sounds like a pretty interesting book. But didn't Eminem and Hot Karl even have a track together, that You Must be Crazy joint, or were those just freestyles put together?
Jul 28, 2016 http://tidido.com/a35184373797118/al55d76fe513b521ef22a5d0dc/t55d76fe513b521ef22a5d0f9 from the songs name to the lyrics of the album, pretty sick how similar it is to Eminem material(Eminem material that wasn't even release at the time). makes you wonder if Eminem is really writting all his stuff. A lot of it looks like templates provided by the label.
Jul 28, 2016 Hot Karl was on a song with em where he was kinda shi--ing on interscope, always thought that was funny. It was a song put together by a dj not a proper collab tho
Jul 28, 2016 not similar at all minus the "mom skit" kind of s--- and "brainless"... but even then Em had skits like that way before. whole thing sounds like a plea for attention from a failed rapper. but I don't know the story. two sides to every coin
Jul 28, 2016 Ghostface turned it down. The only people who wanted Kanye beats back then were the rappers who couldn't afford Just Blaze. This is 2ish pages of the book. Not a cry for attention. He doesn't even rap any more, he owns two art galeries. The only reason he wrote it was Howard Stern heard about him and wanted him to share his story.
Jul 28, 2016 Jay using the beat that eventually became Izzo is how he took off. Before that, when Karp met Kanye he was the poor man's Just Blaze. I'm just reporting on what it says in the book.
Jul 28, 2016 yeah because a rapper that looks like John Olivers twin brother, would be so appealing in Rap.
Jul 28, 2016 have you listen to some of the songs man? from the beats to the lyrics ,the similarity is obvious. Eminem is clearly the better of the 2 tho.
