The Festivities Begin

Quite how it has not been mentioned on here previously I am unsure, but I just wanted to comment - how good is the Rhymefest "Blue Collar"!? I mean, forget all the stuff about his friendship with Kanye, the this and that about who did what on "Jesus Walks", the lost verse on the afore mentioned track, the freestyle battles with a young and eager Eminem. All very interesting as a back story, but the point here is the album itself. Sure he sounds like Kanye, but they are boys so you know the humour and style are going to overlap. Sure the Kanye produced "Brand New" is a stomper with a typical catchy hook and lyrical interplay between the two and a surefire radio hit, if not here then in the States. But to me Rhymefest is more than a Kanye protege or imitation as it seems some want to market him as. He has his own flow, and what he has to say about the social ills of America, and the young black man's struggle with capitalism and materialism is pertinent, insightful and sharp. A clever foil to the flagrant blingism that Kanye has come to personify (despite his own confusing mixture of arrogance and humility, social insight and wanton materialism). Blue Collar includes production credits for Mark Ronson, Just Blaze, No I.D and of course one from West himself. But like Fest says, the latter hasn't been broke since H to the I.Z.Z.O!