photo courtesy of Jon Caranaica / New York Times
via New York Times
“Forever Harlem” by Juelz Santana, Jim Jones and the singer Tobb Cobain — a remake of “Forever,” last year’s song by Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem — is the rare mixtape version of “Forever” that challenges the original in audacity.
Tuesday night (February 9) at the Studio at Webster Hall, both Mr. Jones and Mr. Santana were performing, though the amiable show didn’t pick up until the music dropped out altogether, and Mr. Santana, cocky, delivered his “Forever Harlem” verse a cappella:
This is my movie, you an extra/B-roll
Your girl insist I got a very big/Ego
I’m here to take the game from these lames/Deebo
And I got chips, cheese/Doritos
There were other words rhymed too — kilos, Speedos, cee-lo, repo’d — each one delivered like a haymaker. When Mr. Santana was younger, a protégé of the flamboyant technical rapper Cam’ron, his exclamatory style came off as a sort of rap Tourette’s, barking that was awkward and difficult to control.
But in the last year, especially, he’s polished the idiosyncratic style to high gloss, in turn becoming a rapper approaching his moment of greatness. He’s still struggling to form an identity of his own — most of his hits have come with other people, either alongside Cam’ron (from whom he’s now estranged) or Mr. Jones, or with R&B singers, like the recent “Back to the Crib” with Chris Brown.
At Tuesday’s concert — a benefit for the American Red Cross, sponsored by the hip-hop magazine XXL (Styles P also performed) — he was in top form, arrogantly charismatic and effortlessly intricate. Mr. Jones, who performed before him, then split once they did their handful of collaborations, was, as ever, convivial, sauntering through hits in mushmouth fashion: “Na Na NaNa Na Na,” “Plenty Money (remix),” “Baby Girl.”
He didn’t mumble on “Forever Harlem,” though. “I’m a vampire, True Blood like Sookie,” Mr. Jones rapped, nestling a gang shout-out in the middle of his TV show name-drop. “We turn the whole situation ugly/Whoopi.”
Even though Mr. Jones has been the more successful of the two men, Mr. Santana, in his ascendance, was far more entrancing to watch. Surrounded by a cluster of hype men and hangers-on — the best one shrouded in a do rag, Haiti bandana and Gucci ski goggles combination — he was a small glimpse of what might yet be to come.
As if to prove the point, he was joined toward the end of his set by the 50 Cent protégé Lloyd Banks. Seven years ago Mr. Banks was to 50 Cent what Mr. Santana was to Cam’ron: a punch-line-happy sidekick who motivated street loyalists even as the boss went off on flights of fancy. But Mr. Banks lacked Mr. Santana’s natural charm, never appearing to be more than a glorified infantryman. He’s still affiliated with 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records but no longer signed to its distributor, Interscope — a gruff MC settling back into semi-obscurity.
Last week he released a new song with Mr. Santana, the sinister “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.” Here his verse was delivered in his characteristic raspy groan, dexterous but depressive. But when Mr. Santana dived in for his verse — “Making movies, Tom Cruisin’/If it’s action, then I’m shooting” — he sounded sharp and eager, as if he were gingerly stepping over Mr. Banks and continuing to climb.
(video courtesy of jaood10, This Is 50)
more fan shot footage below
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