The 4th Quarter is coming .......

I was wondering the other day could this 4th quarter possibly be the most important time period in hip-hop in the 2000's. I can't think of any more important time in this millennium. Well with all the talk that hip-hop is dead and there isnt any more real hip-hop. The list of influential and popular artist's scheduled to release albums this fall reads like a who's who of hip-hop. Usually this time of year is when the TI's of the company bring out the heavy hitters to try and balance out their record sales. This year being which seems like the slowest year ever for rap album sales, means that its more important than any other time I can think of. Conceivably their is any number of albums expected to go platinum or multi-platinum, off the top of my head I can list these

The Clipse- Hell Hath no Fury , Here its says that we can expect the album early December 2006, well if this is true that means that this shit is probably not going to see the light of day in 2006. I have noticed that The Clipse's following seems to be getting bigger with time, especially with the hipster community; these hipsters make it seem like Pusha T and Malice are the best thing since bareback sex. Look I am a fan like the next man, but something seems out of place with them dumb TI's. If I was them I would be pushing the album out while the iron is hot, but what do I know. When they do come out I expect them to go platinum over a years time.

The Game - The Doctors Advocate , He has a lot to prove with the falling out with Aftermath and all. This dude never seems able to keep his mouth shut but whatever he keeps coming out with banging music. I am guessing by the reception that his street single "One Blood" is getting on TV and Radio, that its a wrap. I believe he will sell in the network of 500k to 750k in the first week of his release deserved or not. His album will go about double platinum and therefore further establishing himself as one of the top rappers if not the very best. I am fan of Game ( no homo on being a fan of rappers) but I do expect a 50 Cent like backlash eventually.


Nas - Hip Hop is Dead - He is the most confusing of all. We are about to hit October and no single, promotion(we can expect this from Def Jam) or anything. Nas name alone will sell him 500k but this is make or break time. I believe this album for him is probably his most important one since Stillmatic. I believe his album may get pushed back but then that would look very bad not on Nas but on the President. Nas happens to be one of my favorite rappers ever but I am always a little confused about his decisions with his career. Anyways, point being if he comes out with a great album he can conceivably go double platinum.


Jay-Z- Kingdom Come - The President is coming, promoting himself is what he is good at ( well that's what Method Man, Dmx and LL seem to think; haters). He will probably have an album somewhere in between the Black Album and Blueprint2, which isnt great by any means but definitely better than half the shit that is out right now. I look at in the way that its great he is coming out with an album but he is going to take a hit no matter what. I can hear it now, " Hov is done", "He is not the same anymore" yada yada and then Cam'ron will come out with the proverbial diss of how Hov is like Jordan on the Wizards. I think his album will do around 500k first week out. I think Hov is the greatest rapper to ever touch the mic, but also the most influential when it comes to in his words "I'm not a business man, I am the business, Man". Dude is like the 300 million dollar man, so take the Biggie's and Tupac's out of the equation and he is easily the best. He will also sell in the network of 2-3 million records...


Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Sean Combs, Diddy or whatever the fuck he is calling himself these days- Press Play- Look I actually despise the dude. I can go on and on about why I do i.e., Tupac,Biggie, Mase, the whole Lox situation, Black Rob, G Dep and him "preserving his sexy" but whatever the dude is going to do his numbers so fuck him.


These are just a few of the albums that are coming out in the 4th quarter, so now you know what I mean by saying that its the most important quarter this millennium. There is actually more artist's scheduled to come out in the fall that may do well like Styles, Lloyd Banks, Fat Joe, Slim Thug, to name a few who may come out in the 4th quarter. I expect all the main artist's I listed to do big numbers and bring hip-hop back(whatever the fuck that means, Hip Hop is here and always will be here). I can remember back like in '98 going to the record store every week and buying something. Those days are gone, I have bought five albums this year Fishscale, King, Blue Collar, Best Thang Smokin' and Food & Liquor and not once did I think I may have missed out on an album and you know why because if I really wanted to listen to an album I would download it from LimeWire; if I thought it was dope I would buy it and if it sucked deleted and I have been doing this for the past 3 years. This is the real reason no one is buying CD's anymore. ONE