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You’re Killin’ Me: Features

November 6, 2012 · Posted in editorial, you're killin me · 16 Comments 

Features used to be cool. I used to get excited when I saw different rappers working together. Some of my favorite hip-hop tracks have had features. “Amerikaz Most Wanted” featuring Snoop, the countless Nate Dogg features, Game’s work with 50, and Jay’s collabos with Pharrell are all great features. Recently, features have gotten straight boring and repetitive. Not that authentic features don’t exist anymore, but most tracks nowadays are a bunch of verses glued to a beat. Then to get attention, rappers always feature a mix of what seems to be the same cast. French Montana, Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, and A$AP Rocky are currently hot feature commodities. Rappers need to switch it up. You’re killin’ me.


When an artist is big enough, I’ll listen to him regardless of his features. Game is a perfect example. There’s no doubt that Jayceon can carry a track all by himself. I mean, he can carry albums all by himself. He doesn’t need help. So I’m disappointed with what we’ll see on his upcoming album, Jesus Piece. According to Game, JP is going to be a collection of features. In essence, it’s going to be Game & friends talking about Jesus. Just because Dj Khaled has had a successful career featuring a ton of artists doesn’t mean that every rapper out there should show off their Dj Khaled skills. Game isn’t the only rapper suffering from feature-happy-syndrome, but he’s one of the most unfortunate ones. The only person I want to see Game work with is 50 Cent. Other than that, I don’t care who he works with. If I buy a Game CD, I want to hear Game, not 2 Chainz or Ross. Just Game. Is that too much to ask?

Maybe I would like features more if every song didn’t feature a mix of the same rappers. How many times have we seen the same mix of rappers on the same tracks? Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, French Montana, Drake, Rick Ross, and A$AP Rocky. This is mostly due to the fact that the feature has turned into a business move instead of a musical move. Rappers want the attention that comes with their feature instead of the quality of the track. “Ball” with T.I. and Lil Wayne is a horrible collaboration, but hey, it features Wayne so it got people talking. Artists need to focus on the musical aspect of their music instead of the impact it’ll have on their money. Crappy collabos are killin’ me.

It’s always good to have a feature here and there. But there are artists that have features on every song they release. Sometimes it’s because they can’t carry a song, and sometimes it’s because they’re huge Dj Khaled fanatics. If a rapper ever feels the need to work with someone else, they better make sure that it makes sense. I hate it when a group of rappers just throw random 16’s together. Y’all are killin’ me.

Written by @QuezKHH, like me on facebook.

Comments

16 Responses to “You’re Killin’ Me: Features”

  1. Joaquin on November 6th, 2012 1:09 pm

    well said!!!!

  2. sampz on November 6th, 2012 1:54 pm

    If you don’t like it don’t listen to it.

  3. Tab on November 6th, 2012 1:58 pm

    Amen.

  4. christopher on November 6th, 2012 3:42 pm

    i disagree with game . its his 5th album god damned , he had 4 dope albums to me , like you said he doesnt need help , when you really know games skills you really know he doesnt , listen to that new holy water track , nigga still got it. i think we first gotta listen to that album before we judge , if you think red or his previous albums had a lot of feats then look at carter 4 an them albums , they had almost the same amount. i am not a big game fan but damn , ricky , born in da trap, big dreams , lets ride ,dreams , put you on the game ..the list goes on , nigga has enough dope tracks by hisself , if he chooses to have more features this time its fine with me .

    i have more problems with dudes like french montana , who choose to have features by artists who are hot right now on their singles to get some hype ..i mean damn , its his debut album and he has drake , weezy and ross on his first single ..fuck outta here .

  5. Listen To Charlie on November 6th, 2012 10:43 pm

    @christopher,

    “i have more problems with dudes like FRENCH MONTANA , who choose to have features by artists who are hot right now on their singles to get some hype ..i mean damn , ITS HIS DEBUT ALBUM AND HE HAS DRAKE, WEEZY AND ROSS ON HIS FIRST SINGLE ..fuck outta here”

    WORD TO THAT!

  6. princesteez on November 6th, 2012 3:50 pm

    soo fuckin rite i get tired too especially when the feautures is made of rappers whu cant even spit proper 16s…

  7. no on November 6th, 2012 4:26 pm

    exactly, whenever I see those names(except for Rocky) on 1 track I already know what to expect. Off course it has nothing to do with art, it’s just the business side.

    But if I were a succesful rapper I wouldn’t want to see any of my albums full of features who aren’t good, don’t make sense & probably aren’t relevant anymore after like 2 years

  8. SSK327 on November 6th, 2012 5:38 pm

    50 is the only nigga that gets that that’s why is its 50 vs the whole industry.. game as well as fat Joe need the whole industry to make records FAIL

  9. lyte on November 6th, 2012 7:17 pm

    @SSK327,
    you crazy dude ..

  10. Listen To Charlie on November 6th, 2012 10:41 pm

    WORD!
    + the only feats I want haven’t occurred.
    Dee-1 Feat. Hopsin and Kendrick Lamar
    Hopsin Feat. EMINEM
    Kendrick Lamar Feat. EMINEM
    EMINEM Feat. Nas

  11. Victor on November 6th, 2012 11:53 pm

    @Listen To Charlie,
    Word !!!

  12. The Royal One on November 7th, 2012 5:30 am

    I been campaigning this message every time a tracklist is released on this website. I don’t like a bunch of one song or a bunch of features on an album.

    On an album there shouldn’t be more than 3 features.

  13. fuckyou on November 7th, 2012 8:54 am

    I dissagree features are better !! Quezzz your one stupid muddafuckaaa!

  14. thenumber88 on November 7th, 2012 10:22 am

    It always used to be that way. Check ‘Esoteric – No Features’, it is related

  15. verbst on November 7th, 2012 12:06 pm

    YES! It’s such a relieve to know there are other people who think the same way. Great article!

  16. Mr. Tv Reference on November 8th, 2012 4:06 am

    I understand it from unproven artists like french montan but look at it in wayne’s perspective features got him where he is and if someone offers you 100k for 16 bars would you turn it down??? I didnt think so so dont complain

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