Jay-Z Gives J. Cole the Cold Shoulder for the Same Reason CyHi is Feeling the Hate

The first time you heard CyHi The Prynce was probably on "So Appalled", back in 2010, and the next time was a few days ago on Cruel Summer. Maybe you caught his Rosewood-clad freestyle on the BET Cypher. Perhaps you heard him on "Ray Ban Vision", or "100 Bottles". Even less likely, you copped one of his mixtapes. It doesn't really matter. There's a reason his opening salvos have now traveled the spectrum from very bold and attention grabbing ("I'm so outrageous") to frank and a little defeated ("I hope the people is listening"). His G.O.O.D Friday introductory verse and his appearances on Cruel Summer are the only two touchstones of Cydel Young's career, and both of them were handed down to him from El Jefe. That's not exactly the sign of a healthy career. Further, for a guy like Kanye, whose considered by many (including KWT, huuuh) to be something of a visionary, the handling of CyHi's career has been rather old-fashioned.

There was a time when an artist could simply unveil his latest protege to the masses, and watch the money pile-up. It was a simpler time, when fans looked to MTV and magazines to find out what was hot. That was before the Internet, before the floodgates opened and the rap game got democratized. Before your new favorite artist was one click away on some obscure Tumblr or in some barely noticed Youtube video. Choice has never been more firmly planted in the hands of the audience. In the same way "Lil Young Ca$hGrinder, The Prophet" can upload a catchy track and end up trending on Twitter, a major label-affiliated rapper, who's being banked on to provide millions to his Jewish overlords, can get lost in the shuffle. 

It's why labels, for the most part, simply wait for an artist to reach a serviceable of buzzitude, and then pounce with their 360-degrees-of-pocket-pilfering contracts (actual contract title, peep the fine print). Fuck artist development, why not just grab 'em straight off the assembly line and then water their sound down enough to get them on the airwaves? That's that easy money. 

What does all that have to with CyHi? 

Yeezy, who's as close to the epicenter of pop culture as anyone, thought his co-sign would be enough, and fuck, why shouldn't it be, look what it did for Odd Future. Unfortunately, despite his flashy, momentous entrance, CyHi has done little in the way of grabbing the spotlight through his own volition. Unlike his G.O.O.D teammate, there's been no Finally Famous trilogy, no trend-setting flow or huge features, boi. Nope, CyHi's in the limelight when Kanye flicks the switch, and it's caused a backlash.

The fact this camera angle ACTUALLY happened is kinda telling

People don't want to be told what to like, at least not anymore. This has played a big role in why there's been such an outpouring of negativity for CyHi in these last few days, on Twitter, and also in every review I've read. Some people probably just flat-out don't like his style, but for a rapper with a unique sound and a lot of mic presence (and some scene-stealing Cruel Summer verses), the hate and derision seems out of control. We're a culture that doesn't just sip the haterade, we bathe in it. Fans are rejecting a hyped up 3rd stringer being tugged along by his co-signs. Kanye should take a page out of Big Brother's book. That type of shit doesn't fly over at the Roc.

The "Jay doesn't show J. love" notion started out as one of those topics fans moan about on forums, and then fucked around and got so big Cole named an album after it. It's become a subplot in Jermaine's canon, y'know, just another force trying to hold him down, like Sallie Mae, or haters, or dorm supervisors, or people who AREN'T fiending for the return of the Golden Age. (Side Rant: These motherfuckers have taken only rapping about bitches and money so far they've started rapping about how they only rap about bitches and money. Content should be the least of your concern, ideas are fucking LIMITLESS! Seriously, you can rap about anything, just make sure it sounds dope. Rant over.) Clearly Cole puts a lot of time and thought into this perceived slight, but it's actually one of the best A&R choices made by a guy who's got a rather spotty A&R record. 

Not only did Hov link up with Jermaine after he'd built up a following, he's given Cole space and allowed him to grow and create on his own, so no one can accuse him of hand-holding. Or, more importantly, so he doesn't come out of the gate with the full-force of his mentor behind him, drop off a few blazing hot records and then fade into irrelevancy (sup The Game). That's smart business, the result of lessons learned through trial and error with guys no one gives a fuck about, or other dudes who were already going to jail, and then decided to add insult to injury increase their nervous shower time by getting arrested again.

Y'know, these guys...

Maybe Kanye is following in the footsteps of G.O.O.D Music's drug dealing cousin, and CyHi is just a member of the first batch of dudes he's going to guide straight out of rap's conversation and into the slammer. Or, maybe it's time CyHi stepped up to the enormous opportunity he's been given, and shut everyone up. There's a reason he got where he is, and those same skills can bring the limelight when Yeezy won't. I, for one, am completely confident that he can turn the tide. I downloaded that last Royal Flush tape, and if we're being real, CyHi is innovative and fresh, and shits on most of the bum-ass amateurs filling up the scene. He's got the voice, the drug dealing persona, witty bars (that freestyle is actually lava bubbled crack) and the resources (sup Hit-Boy) to get where he needs to go. It's time to create some touchstones, and not the G.O.O.D type.

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