9th Wonder Says Without Phonte, There Is No Drake (Audio)

[TheDarceKnight]

I love LB but Drake was going to blow up regardless brehs

I think so too, but he always had Phonte's style from day one. I'm not sure he even would have been inspired to rap if it wasn't for Phonte among a few others. If you go listen to his first mixtapes, he has songs where he raps exactly just like Phonte.

Dont forget that Gangsta Grillz they had too breh

That "Hiding Places" joint with Elzhi on the Minstrel Show was I used to rewind Phonte and Elzhi's verses non stop

Don't compare me to jokes
I'll strangle the air in your throat
Like you jumped from a chair and choked
In mid-air from a rope

 

[TenChambers]

I think so too, but he always had Phonte's style from day one. I'm not sure he even would have been inspired to rap if it wasn't for Phonte among a few others. If you go listen to his first mixtapes, he has songs where he raps exactly just like Phonte.




Don't compare me to jokes
I'll strangle the air in your throat
Like you jumped from a chair and choked
In mid-air from a rope

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Late pass but I wanna say that was the first time I ever heard Elzhi too.

 

[TenChambers]

Late pass but I wanna say that was the first time I ever heard Elzhi too.

I just knew he was "that nikka from Slum Village"

First time I heard that verse I was gonnneeeeee

 

[Abstract83]

Dont forget that Gangsta Grillz they had too breh

That "Hiding Places" joint with Elzhi on the Minstrel Show was I used to rewind Phonte and Elzhi's verses non stop

Cant forget that one.
N1gga u readin my mind I played that joint cruisin this past weekend. I keep saying it Elzhi is the Nas of Detroit.

 

[steadyrighteous]

I have no idea why we can't get an LB reunion. On the Combat Jack interview in the first post of this thread, 9th says he's cool with Phonte and Pooh, and that he'd love to do something for the 10th anniversary of Minstrel Show next year.

Combat Jack gets excited, but 9th still insist that it's not going to happen, and says "I got my peace, and they're both good with me." I mean fukk, I feel like we're finally so close but so far away. On 9th's Jamla album this year, they're on song apart.

Look at tracks 4 and 5. Their names are right on top of each other. Someone please get these men to reconcile.

So basically, the rift is now between Phonte and Pooh.

I've never seen Phonte as one of those "be the bigger man" types, so it all rests with Pooh

 

[Easy-E]

They were at their pinnacle in the age of "Shake that Laffy Taffy"..... soooo...

The biggest thing goin' against them was comin' up in the Napster/Ringtone era.

Labels wasn't seeing money from artists that wasn't goin' pushin' 400K albums out the door.

Shoo', I lived on the East Coast and only heard from them because of the mixtape era was poppin' and I downloaded Mick Boogie's tape of them on their MySpace.

n us

 

[JetLife]

it's unfortunate the two things Little Brother / Justus League coulda done around the Get Back time, they didn't want to do

- Just embrace the fact you have to play the industry game and put out some radio tracks. At the very least spend the budget to get that Lil Wayne track a video/spins. No lasting artist made it without a huge radio record.

- Put out a Phonte solo with 9th, Khrysis (bangers), Nicolay (smooth shyt) production. Try and make the "illmatic" of their crew/area. This coulda captured that J.Cole-i'm-not-radio-i'm-just-an-everyday-guy vibe, but with better production.

Since they refused the industry politics game and since Phonte didn't want to go solo at their peak of interest ... they just all slowly faded away.

 

[TenChambers]

Cant forget that one.
N1gga u readin my mind I played that joint cruisin this past weekend. I keep saying it Elzhi is the Nas of Detroit.

My nikka

 

[Still Benefited]

Word, Drake's older material is basically Phonte mixed with some Budden

Yeah I definitely know i hear Budden in his style,he sharked Buddens style kinda tough...the whole emo/relationship woes,rapping face book philosopher quotes is what got Drake hot.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

So basically, the rift is now between Phonte and Pooh.

I've never seen Phonte as one of those "be the bigger man" types, so it all rests with Pooh

See and it's crazy because all along I think a lot of people, myself included, thought there was no rift between Phonte and Pooh and that it was just Phonte and Pooh united on one side and 9th Wonder on the other. Then when 9th and Phonte had their public dispute with the videos and everything Pooh stayed quiet, and when 9th and Phonte made up, Pooh stayed quiet. We're a step in the right direction. At least 9th is producing for Pooh again, and Pooh is working with artists in 9th's camp, Jamla.

it's unfortunate the two things Little Brother / Justus League coulda done around the Get Back time, they didn't want to do

- Just embrace the fact you have to play the industry game and put out some radio tracks. At the very least spend the budget to get that Lil Wayne track a video/spins. No lasting artist made it without a huge radio record.

- Put out a Phonte solo with 9th, Khrysis (bangers), Nicolay (smooth shyt) production. Try and make the "illmatic" of their crew/area. This coulda captured that J.Cole-i'm-not-radio-i'm-just-an-everyday-guy vibe, but with better production.

Since they refused the industry politics game and since Phonte didn't want to go solo at their peak of interest ... they just all slowly faded away.

If it's worth anything, I'm pretty sure Phonte said that he didn't think he really had enough to say as a solo rapper at the time. You're right though, he definitely wasn't interested in a solo rap album I don't think. That would've been crazy. I still love Charity Starts At Home and I hope he follows it up.

 

[Motife43]

They should've tried to capitalize more on this.

Yo @stoplurkinho (why you change your name?) do you remember how much cats on The Lawn hated that song?


I remember one thread in particular, some cat was renouncing his LB fandom and all that. A Lil Wayne collaboration was so left field in late 07 lol

it's unfortunate the two things Little Brother / Justus League coulda done around the Get Back time, they didn't want to do

- Just embrace the fact you have to play the industry game and put out some radio tracks. At the very least spend the budget to get that Lil Wayne track a video/spins. No lasting artist made it without a huge radio record.

- Put out a Phonte solo with 9th, Khrysis (bangers), Nicolay (smooth shyt) production. Try and make the "illmatic" of their crew/area. This coulda captured that J.Cole-i'm-not-radio-i'm-just-an-everyday-guy vibe, but with better production.

Since they refused the industry politics game and since Phonte didn't want to go solo at their peak of interest ... they just all slowly faded away.

From all the things I've heard from and read about Phonte, he's a "my way" type of dude. If he wasn't feeling a solo album at the time he wasn't gonna do it. That same trait is why I'm resigned to the fact we'll never get any type of new LB album with all 3 reunited. He's adamantly said it won't happen numerous times. I really wanna know what's the beef between him and Pooh though, that shyt must be serious, to not talk to your mans for a years.

 

[JetLife]

If it's worth anything, I'm pretty sure Phonte said that he didn't think he really had enough to say as a solo rapper at the time. You're right though, he definitely wasn't interested in a solo rap album I don't think. That would've been crazy. I still love Charity Starts At Home and I hope he follows it up.

Everytime a solo album was brought up, it was almost like fans/media were offending him. It was clear he wouldn't do it "at that time" and he was cemented in as "I'm Little Brother / Foreign Exchange."

It's easy to say this in retrospect, but JL collective needed a heavy hitter solo act to sell well to kick in the doors for the rest of the crew. The only one that coulda done it was Phonte.

From all the things I've heard from and read about Phonte, he's a "my way" type of dude. If he wasn't feeling a solo album at the time he wasn't gonna do it. That same trait is why I'm resigned to the fact we'll never get any type of new LB album with all 3 reunited. He's adamantly said it won't happen numerous times. I really wanna know what's the beef between him and Pooh though, that shyt must be serious, to not talk to your mans for a years.

Yeap, Phonte is clearly a guy who doesn't conform to media/fans/outside influences etc. Ultimately he seems happy doing overseas shows, Foreign Exchange stuff, etc. while maintaining to his word about how the team has shifted over the years.

I can't help but think ... what if?

 

[Ian1362]

LB situation is/was unfortunate given the quality music they produced and how it didn't gel with the powers that be in radio/label politics

I've done my part though, bought tons of Phonte/LB stuff and handed over $ to see them live on a few occasions. Also introduced tons of ppl to their music, very easy to do "Like Drake? Here's his favorite rapper". Gotta support the good ones.

 

[you're NOT "n!ggas"]

Facts only