What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Week?

Action Bronson performed live in a nursing home, Drake dropped a new song, and more.

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Image via Complex Original
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It's already August. That means we've already had two full months of summer music, your favorite rapper's return, and a ton of other fuckery. Summer's always hot.

It's looking like the end of the season will bring another big day for big rap album releases. (Just like the start of it, on June 18.) September 17 is the date now slated for both Drake's Nothing Was The Same, MMG's Self Made 3.

But this week, Jay Z finally dropped the video/full art performance for "Picasso Baby," which was filmed at NYC's Pace Gallery last month. He went on Bill Maher's show Friday night, too. But we imagine that he had a hard time fully enjoying himself because he was still sore from that scathing review his new album got in The New Yorker. (In fact, just as we were going to press, Jay sent us an email about it, an open letter to the author of The New Yorker review, Sasha Frere-Jones. Just so there is no misunderstanding, this letter is 100 percent legitimate and definitely not written by Complex music editor Dave Bry. Okay? Just so we're clear on that. Definitely NOT written by Dave Bry.) 

Queens rapper Action Bronson took his talents overseas to England where he performed in an old age home. And then there's Childish Gambino, who just released a new song, "Centipede," and followed it days later with a trailer to a weird-looking, but rather compelling, short film with lots of sort-of famous people in it.

All that and more in What The Hell Just Happened in Music This Week? 

RELATED: What The Hell Just Happened in Music During The First Quarter of 2013?

Sasha Frere-Jones scolded Jay Z in "The New Yorker."

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Sasha Frere-Jones scolded Jay Z in "The New Yorker." And we got an email from Jay, an open letter in response. (No, we did not. What follows is a fake open letter written by Complex music editor Dave Bry.)

Date: July 29

Dear Sasha Frere-Jones,

I read your review of my new album in the New Yorker this week and it hurt my feelings. First of all, thanks for all the nice things you said about me in the preface. And the piece makes lots of good, valuable points that I will take to heart. But there was some really nasty stuff in the meat of it. Some things that I think it were unfair. Your insistance that I address the Trayvon verdict in my art is, I think, bullshit. But that will be another letter. This letter will be about your branding me a misogynist. You cited one line from one song, "La Familia." Here's what you wrote:

“Tell these niggas pull they fuckin’ skirt down, I could see they ovaries.” That’s not as directly dismissive as 'bitches ain’t shit,' but it’s textbook misogyny. If these words simply strike you as evergreen trash talk, daily sports bravado, all the more reason to pause. This is how we get norms we can’t unhinge, prejudices that yield body counts and restraining orders. In the context of the song, skirts and ovaries are, quite clearly, bad things that signal weakness and deficiency. Women have ovaries. His wife used hers to make Blue, who sure does come in handy as a dramatic foil when Jay needs her."

Slow down, pa. That's a little too much right there.

As I know you know, because you are one of the most learned people writing about music in the world today, rap has a long tradition of battling. As I wrote in my book, Decoded, in many ways, competition is the essence of the form. When we rap we are are trying to attack our competition, insult them, and yes, when the competition is another man, emasculate them. The emasculation of one's male opponent is a cornerstone tradition in rap. (There is maybe a problem here in general. Related to embracing or not embracing traditional ideals of masculinity. I could see how that could have its own detrimental societal effects. But it's a slightly different thing than misogyny...)

But emasculating a man is not the same thing as saying, "Women are inferior." It is saying, "This man, my opponent, is less of a man than me." I think for a woman to wear a skirt and have ovaries is fine. In fact, I celebrate the skirts my wife wears. I think she looks great in them. And I celebrate the fact that she has ovaries. Her ovaries made it possible for the existence of my daughter, who I love very much. What I'm saying in my rhyme is that my rivals, other rival males, are weak. Not because it is weak for a HUMAN to have female attributes. But it is weak for a MAN to have female attributes. A man should be a man. A woman should be a woman. If I was trying to insult a woman, I might say she wears combat boots and she has a penis. This is, again, maybe not very nice. It's certainly not PC, it's insisting that people conform to traditional gender roles. And that might bother some people. In fact, I know that is does bother my close personal friend Dave Bry. We were emailing about it last night. But even he, as much of a simpy nancy-boy as he is, even he realizes that this is something different from "textbook" misogyny. And for you, Sasha Frere-Jones to say that expressing those ideas in a RAP SONG, contributes to "body counts and restraining orders." Come on, man. Give me a break. That's too much of stretch. I realize you are upset about the Trayvon Martin verdict, we all are. But you're lashing out too wildly, you've widened your focus to the point where you've lost clear sight of your target. You're drawing connections between things that don't really exist. Well, except in a very abstract way, sure. But you know what else contributes to the existence of body counts and restraining orders? Food. If there were no food, humans could not survive. And if there were no humans, there would be no death or violence. So we wouldn't need body counts or restraining orders.Following your logic about "how we get norms we can't unhinge," we should be attacking:

1) The fact that most men in Western society do not wear skirts
2) So, fashion
3) Beer commercials featuring women in bikinies
4) Make-up
3) World religion
4) The sad unfair truth that men tend to be physically stronger than women 
5) The sad unfair truth that women need to bear the pain of bearing children and men do not
6) The sad unfair truth, in fact, that the act of sex involves the penetration of a woman's body by a man's body—an essential key to human nature to that I think is difficult to avoid once we start going down these paths. This is sad and unfair. The world would better if there were, in fact, no physical differences between the genders. If the man was not built in this way, as the natural "aggressor" and the woman the natural "receiver." I'm serious. I wish it was like that. It would solve a lot of the world's problems. But that's not the way we find the world.

Does this line of argument start to brush up a bit too closely to an embrace of "natural law?" Maybe, yes. Especially for sensitive flower-sniffing liberals like my close personal friend Dave Bry. This shit's not easy. It's complicated and multifaceted and I think there are legitimate points to a variety of angles with which to approach it. But, hey, I'm kinda conservative. That's why I wrote that song Black Republicans with Nas.

Anyway, Sasha: there are a lot better places to start trying to dismantle the damaging and difficult-to-unhinge norms we find in society than rap lyrics. I know, I know, that complaint is an old trope. You are a critic, and it's your job to criticize the problems you see with the world, and you write about music, so as you said, you chose me, you tried to "fix me." I guess that's your prerogative, now matter how ugly the gaul of the idea of trying to "fix" another person. (My man Chris Martin from Coldplay wrote an extremely self-aggrandizing song about this same topica few years ago. I still tease that dude about that.) But for you to then make the leap to calling into question my relationship with my WIFE and my DAUGHTER? Man, that's just fucked up. You don't say that kinda shit to people.

Okay. Well, I still think you're a great writer. Please keep thinking about music the way you do, and writing so beautifully. But like you said, yeah, sometimes people who don't even need fixing need... well, I'll say, "checking."

Peace.
Jay

[ED NOTE: AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THIS, I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR: THE ABOVE LETTER WAS NOT WRITTEN BY JAY Z. IT WAS WRITTEN BY ME, DAVE BRY, IN A FAKE SIMULATION OF JAY Z'S VOICE. IT REPRESENTS WHAT I THINK JAY Z MIGHT HAVE FELT UPON READING THE NEW YORKER REVIEW. BUT ONLY THAT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT JAY Z ACTUALLY FEELS ABOUT THE REVIEW OR WHETHER OR NOT HE HAS READ IT. I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONFUSION AND REGRET IT.]

RELATED: This Charming Man (The New Yorker Review) 
RELATED: Video: Jay Z "Picasso Baby" 

We were reminded again that we should not feed the trolls.

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We were reminded again that we should not feed the trolls.

Date: July 29

Day Above Ground's “Asian Girlz” video got me about as riled up as a racist comment under a Yahoo! news post—meaning not-at-fucking-all. I barely watched a minute of the video before Men-In-Blacking it out of my mind forever. The outrage the clip was met with was both predictable and pointless, unless the point was to make the band hot on Google Trends. In which case, yeah: Great protest, Internet. The band told TMZ on Saturday that they were pulling the video “for the safety of ourselves and for everybody we know.” (It’s still on YouTube as I write this.) They’ll rocket back into irrelevance soon enough.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to be way more offended by this album cover. Bronson should know better.—Donnie Kwak

RELATED: Racist Band Thinks Racist Song Somehow Not Racist

Diplo beefed with Flo Rida over the intellectual property rights.

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Diplo beefed with Flo Rida over intellectual property rights.

Date: July 29

Lots of music snobs turn their noses up at Flo Rida. This week, Diplo took it a step further. It happened after Flo Rida ("Flo?" "Rida?" It's always so difficult to know how to shorten that one) released the video for his new song with Pitbull, "Can't Believe It," which is an ode to the beautiful booties in the world. Surprisingly enough, the video features a whole lotta ass. But also, styling and cinematography notably similar to the video for Diplo's Gent & Jawns-collaboration "Butter's Theme." When Diplo saw this, he went on a Twitter tirade, not only calling Flo Rida a "fuck ass fuckboi" for "ripping off" his video, but telling Flo Rida to meet him in Ft. Lauterdale on Saturday afternoon to shoot the fair one. Diplo admited that he expected to come out on the losing end of any fisticuffs with the always-buff Flo Rida, but he's down to fight for what he believes in. (Complex, for the record does not condone physical violence, especially not between Floridian pop-rap stars and dance music super-producers named after dinosaurs.)

A couple days later, during an appearance on Power 105's Sway in the Morning show, Flo Rida brushed off the controversy, saying that he'd taken Diplo's tweets "as a joke" and that he'd never even seen the "Butter's Theme" video. Hmm. I guess we'll have to take him on his word. But we know he's been keeping his ear to the dance music scene, as "Can't Believe It" features a sample of house group Infinity Ink's huge single "Infinity." In any case, Flo Rida said that the video pays more of a tribute to Sir Mix-A-Lot's classic clip for "Baby Got Back" than anything else.

There are lots of obvious references to Godard's early work in there, too, but we don't know how he feels about it because he's not on Twitter. —khal

RELATED: Did Flo Rida Bite Diplo's "Butter's Theme" Video Concept?

Childish Gambino released the trailer to a very strange-looking short film.

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Childish Gambino released the trailer to a very strange-looking short film.

Date: July 30

Childish Gambino has taken a break from his television career to focus on his music. But not before filming what looks to be (if the trailer is any indication) a strange and compelling short film. He wrote the project, Hiro Murai (who made videos for Earl Sweatshirt's "Chum" and Frank Ocean's Grammy performance, among other things) directed it, and a number of hand-picked and varied pop culture reference points make up the cast. The trailer itself gives little of the plot away, as it cuts from one seemingly unrelated scene to the next, but surely, like Common said, one day it will all make sense.

Okay here’s the play-by-play: Enter Donald Glover. He’s bouncing a basketball up the stairs in his underwear. Cut. He opens his eyes. Cut. He scratches his head. Cut. Unidentified object submerged in a pool. Cut. Naked Donald showering in the fetal position. Are you still reading? Cut. Topanga? Cut. More dribbling. Cut. Donald in the mirror. Nose bleeding. Is that the grey Kanye sweatshirt? Nah, it has sleeves. Cut. Sad campfire? Cut. So much San Pellegrino in the fridge. And in such a perfectly organized lattice. Cut. Donald struggles with unidentified submerged pool object. Cut. Donald spars with black-belt under palm trees? Cut. Flying Lotus mentions something about “patterns” to Donald in a home movie theater. Cut. Someone wading in the pool with SCUBA equipment. Cut. Abella Anderson walks by. Who is that? I don’t know, I don’t know anything about adult films or anything of that nature I definitely did not know who that was when I watched this clip I had to find out through scholarly, family-friendly internet research, I promise. Cut. Chance The Rapper yells “Dammit!” It appears that he was just defeated in a game of Connect Four by Trinidad James, who, as we all know, is the Bobby Fischer of Connect Four. Even better than Beyonce. Cut. Basketball bounces down the stairs sans dribbler. Damn Donald, this shit is getting entirely too symbolic and I can’t fully comprehend, or, really, handle the implications of this shot. Cut. Donald puts a landline phone receiver to his ear. The other end speaks: “Hello, who is this?” Donald hangs up with conviction. Cut. The title, Clapping For The Wrong Reasons, appears on the screen. Sounds like the sequel to (and a potential consequence of) “Watching Movies With The Sound Off.” Roll credits.—Alexander Gleckman

RELATED: What Is Happening In This Weird Childish Gambino Video Clip?

Action Bronson told an audience of octogenarians they "need to slow down, baby" while performing at an old age home.

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Action Bronson told an audience of octogenarians they "need to slow down, baby" while performing at an old age home.

Date: July 31

Danny Brown named his new album Old. His pal Action Bronson just did him one better. Famous for his slamming live shows, Bronson decided to perform his single “Strictly For My Jeeps” for the residents of St. Hilda’s Community Center nursing home in the UK. Filmed by the folks at Noisey, the rotund rapper moved gracefully around the room, making sure to address every man and woman in the place directly, and gave out candy at the end of the set. (Drake liked that part.) "I tore down the building just now with the most electrifying performance of my career,” Bronson said afterwards.

His audience was less impressed, rating him a 5.2 out of ten him in a post-concert poll. (Granted, he was opening-up for an arts-n-crafts class, always a tough gig.) Wu-Tang is for the children. Action Bronson, the old and infirm—Dharmic X

RELATED: Action Bronson Performs Live In a Nursing Home

Busta Rhymes announced an all-star dancehall "Twerk It" remix.

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Busta Rhymes announced an all-star dancehall "Twerk It" remix.

Date: August 1

He may have trimmed his locks years ago, but word on the street has it that Busta Rhymes' forthcoming debut album on Cash Money Records will reflect his West Indian heritage. If his single "Twerkit" featuring Nicki Minaj is any indication, there should be a fair amount of dancehall flavor. This week Busta appeared on MTV Rapfix Live and informed Sway that he will be releasing a "Twerk It" remix featuring Vybz Kartel, Jeremih, Ne-Yo, T.I., and French Montana. No word on how Vybz Kartel will be recording his verse, since he's still in a Jamaican prison. —Rob Kenner 

RELATED: The Sexiest GIFs From Busta Rhymes f/ Nicki Minaj's "Twerk It" Video

Flavor Flav said Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Drake and more aren't "real hip-hop."

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Flavor Flav said Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Drake and Jay Z aren't "real hip-hop."

Date: August 1

This sounded way more dramatic than it actually was. While on tour overseas, Public Enemy was asked what they thought of the younger generation of hip-hop and Jay Z’s new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. Chuck D, in typical fashion, gave a thoughtful, articulate response. His ideas about "the-king-versus-the-masses" recall some of Jay’s own rhymes on Magna Carta (“No sympathy for the king, huh?”) Flavor Flav, meanwhile, declared that there’s a lot of great rap music being made, just not great hip-hop. The difference, he explained, has to do with tempo. You can’t breakdance to today's rap music, he said.

I don't fully understand what he meant, because I don't breakdance, but let me take a moment to address a personal pet peeve: The distinction between "hip-hop" and "rap" is often used incorrectly, and usually self-servingly, because most people who bring it up define it like, “Whatever I like is hip-hop and whatever I don’t like is rap.”

I’m tired of this ridiculous argument. The two words mean two diferent things. Hip-hop is a broader term—it refers to a whole culture, encompassing style of dance, art, fashion, tone, etc. Rap is hip-hop music. Simple as that. (I see you angry commenter, furiously typing away about how I don’t know shit about hip-hop and should quit my job or die a painful death or something. Please my friend, chillax.) As sad it might make me to disagree with Flavor Flav, I think he is wrong. Whether its Lil Wayne or Rakim, the guys in Migos or Chuck D up on stage, you know what those guys are doing? They’re rapping. Not "hip-hopping," rapping. Call them MCs or rappers, whichever you choose, what they're doing is making rap music. Drawing a distinction between "rap" and "hip-hop music" is damaging because it says one incarnation of hip-hop more “real” than another form, which sounds quite like Sarah Palin calling middle America “real America” because we all know New York isn’t actually a part of America.

Flavor, my man, don't be like Sarah Palin. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Flavor Flav Claims Music From Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar & Drake Is "Not Hip-Hop"

Drake dropped "All Me," declaring himself the light-skinned Keith Sweat, among other things.

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Drake dropped "All Me," declaring himself the light-skinned Keith Sweat, among other things.

Date: August 1

Who but Drake could drop a song bragging about not ever needing anyone's help—after being the beneficiary of such an extraordinary amount help over the course of his career? And not just a song about not needing anyone's help, but one assisted by a clip of Aziz Ansari dialogue from Judd Apatow's Funny People (did Drake pay for permission to use? I'm guessing it was granted gratis) and guest verses from 2Chainz and Big Sean. Who but the same Drake who was helped get his rap stardom off the ground by a prior career in teen TV drama, and then given another leg up by Lil Wayne, and Birdman, and 40, and everyone else who he osentsibly started from the bottom with? But that's the Aubrey Drake Shaolin Charm Technique, in full effect: On one hand, keep reiterating, like a mantra, just how important your close crew and family are. On the other, deliver entire songs based around the idea that you've never gotten any help, from anyone, at any point in your life. It's not Drake's strongest song of 2013, nor would it be considered 2 Chainz's finest moment. ("From the A to Toronto, we let the metal go off/And my dick so hard it make the metal detector go off" won't help the case for his fledgling poet laurete status). But there are moments of uncut Drake splendor here worth noting. Mainly: That Drake has reiterated his ambition for Nothing Was The Same to be the rap game Thriller ("My latest shit is like my greatest hits...") That he has had sex with a former babysitter as well as, apparently, more than what would constitute a well-moderated amount of women from the Greater Miami Area. And also, that he's the light-skinned Keith Sweat. (Something Keith Sweat has some thoughts on himself). The track's much in line with his more upbeat output this Summer, in that it's a genuinely fun, exciting holdover until the album arrives. But mostly that.

All of this goes without bringing up the matter of that eye-opening Big Sean verse. One could settle at reviewing it by simply repeating its opening line back to him, but that would be unfair to how cool it is that Sean brags about his girlfriend making more money than him (and she really might!) or the way the entirety of the verse is beginning to win over any anti-Big Sean holdouts. Still: "Ho. Shut the. Fuck. Up." All you, indeed. —Foster Kamer

RELATED: Listen: Drake f/ Big Sean and 2 Chainz "All Me" 

RELATED: Keith Sweat Says He's Flattered By Drake's Shoutout on "All Me" 

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