Rapospective
Rapospective is a media platform that produces documentary-style reviews and video essays on rap music throughout its existence: from rap's foundations as an element of hip hop culture, through its formative years and the much-lionized Golden Age, and to its commercial accomplishments and cultural and global domination.
Rapospective’s founder, Dayo Akinwande, has a Bachelor’s degree in history from UMBC and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Georgetown University. He started covering rap music as a reviewer under the moniker “Balogun” at the now-defunct Epinions.com from 2006 to 2010, and he also worked as a beat reporter on the Washington, D.C. area’s rap scene for the Post Express. After a few years as a full-time political editor, Akinwande transitioned into tech, eventually founding his own consulting firm with IT architecture and technical documentation as areas of expertise.
Rapospective
It's a year to the day when I decided to create a YouTube channel as the first step toward creating a media platform for my favorite genre in the entire world: hip-hop. It's been the best decision I've made in quite a while.
Right now, I'm busy creating videos and forming a queue of content for a continuation of the Ice-T, DJ Quik, and Geto Boys series, as well as the first entries in the SHELVED!, DISS BLISS, and THE G.O.A.T. series. There's also going to be a twice-a-week schedule (about 8 videos a month). So, if you don't hear from me in a while, I've got my hands full. But more uploads will be arriving toward the end of this month.
To everyone who has commented, shared, and liked my videos, as well as shared suggestions and offered me feedback, you have no idea how appreciative I am for such support. On some days, it's the only thing that keeps me going.
Have a great day!
4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 42
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Rapospective
Before 2Pac vs. C. Delores Tucker, there was Ice-T vs. Rev. Calvin Butts. #icet #icetseries #returnofthereal
1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 32
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Rapospective
By 1996, with Ice-T healing from the “Cop Killer” fiasco, the MC and actor’s career was turning out to be brighter in other sectors of entertainment. That wouldn’t stop him, though, from returning to what made him famous (and notorious) to begin with: hip-hop. With VI: RETURN OF THE REAL, Ice-T attempted to refresh his sound while lyrically returning to the “reality rap” aesthetic that he introduced in the mid-’80s. However, he had to contend with where his overall career was indeed headed.
“An O.G. Struggling with Reality,” the video for Ice-T’s VI: RETURN OF THE REAL, will be here soon...
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 85
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Rapospective
#firstimpression: Joey Bada$$ - LONELY AT THE TOP
The momentum lost after he “won” that otherwise forgettable 20 v. 1 battle. That boring “Breakfast Club” interview, plus the lackluster promo run. The lack of buzz for the pre-album songs and singles. The conflict with distributor Columbia Records regarding the release of the album.
I’m willing to bet that weeks from now, most of us will begin to see LONELY AT THE TOP as Joey Bada$$’s last gasp. For relevance. For redemption. For any chance of pulling himself out of the crowded field of 2010s also-rans. It’s a fumbled opportunity that probably wouldn’t even see itself anywhere on the Billboard 200 about a week from now. (A big congrats, though, if it miraculously does debut on there.)
The crazy part is, LONELY AT THE TOP is not a bad album per se. “Dark Aura” has this dark soulful … aura. “Supaflee” is a 2000s Pharrell-esque club throwback, and “Ready to Love” takes you back to mid-‘90s R&B. Griselda and Pro Era join forces for “BK’s Finest.” “Speedin’ Through the Rain” is a beautiful metaphorical whistler of a track. The dark cascading-piano-helmed “Still” has a star verse from Ab-Soul. (Why didn’t Rapsody rap on this?) And nice flip of Gang Starr’s “Moment of Truth” hook as the linchpin for the title crack and album closer.
But Joey Bada$$ doesn’t have “it,” ironic for a guy yearning to be "King of New York." And that deficit hampers his output, including his best stuff. The beat work is okay but unspectacular. Considering all that has transpired over the past several months, there’s no sense of urgency or a certain level of artistry required for making anyone care about Joey’s resurgence, let alone a full return to being a musical artist.
LONELY AT THE TOP should have been a crowning achievement after igniting a bi-coastal feud with “The Ruler’s Back.” Instead, all we get is a merely okay full-length project that doesn’t distinguish itself enough from previous albums.
Don’t quit your day job, Joey.
2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 7
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The anatomy of a rap song ... "[...] with Evil E scratching Flavor Flav’s vocals after every second verse."
#icet #homeinvasion
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 16
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Rapospective
This might be the longest video I have made for Rapospective so far. The crazy part is ... I never anticipated it to be this long. But when you have so much juicy material around the review itself, it's hard to trim the fat.
"Career Ender...?", the video on Ice-T's 1993 turning-point album, HOME INVASION, is up next...
3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 37
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Rapospective
Looks like my "Supreme Clientele 2" video will have to wait until tomorrow. I got on a roll with the first entry in the SHELVED series, then the script for GRIP IT! ON THAT OTHER LEVEL/THE GETO BOYS, and it was mentally hard to re-route. Don't worry, though...
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 39
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Rapospective
While I finish up my Geto Boys, Ice-T, and Temporary Insanity videos, I might get on camera this weekend and give my "first impression" thoughts on the, ahem, "sequel" to one of my favorite hip-hop albums of all time. Who's up for it?
4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 26
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NEXT: Even before they became Southern legends, the Geto Boys had always been a hodgepodge of personalities. Initially a vehicle to straighten out his wayward brother, local entrepreneur J. Prince unwittingly began to create his hometown of Houston as one of the epicenters of Southern hip-hop through his label Rap-A-Lot Records. 1988’s MAKING TROUBLE became the first of the dozens of albums that J. Prince’s label released. It was far from the Geto Boys we all know, but it was a pretty significant start for an act that ended up making Houston’s Fifth Ward notoriously famous.
1 month ago | [YT] | 36
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Listening to Cardi B's latest attempt to become relevant in the rap world again only made me revisit the album from which her latest single draws inspiration. Jay-Z's IN MY LIFETIME, Vol. 1 seems to sound fresher than when it first came out. Did I think it was a bit too radio-pandering and try-hard due to the passing of Biggie and the involvement of Bad Boy? Yes. But it's interesting to hear how self-assured AND cocky Jay is even as he's yet to truly fill that void left in the absence of someone who was technically his superior rather than his peer.
For all it's worth, at least Cardi B nailed the "cocky" part.
1 month ago | [YT] | 30
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