Lord Jamar (Kanye West Diss Track) "Lift Up Your Skirt" [MP3 Stream]

First off - let me start by saying that this whole matter in it's essence, is funny.  Lord Jamar, of the group Brand Nubian, has decided to turn an interview he did about his personal opinion on Kanye's wardrobe choice into a "diss track".  "Lift Up Your Shirt" has been released today and is cause for online heads from all sides of the spectrum to chime in their thoughts.  I should add that this really isn't a "diss track"...it's more like an interview over a beat, as the track is only 18 bars of verses.  It's mostly a Boondocks sample and an interview he did about Kanye West.  In my opinion, if you're gonna go in on an artist, especially one of Kanye West's stature, you need to go all the way in.  Jamar falls short by that account.

Kanye's decision to wear the leather kilt at the 12.12.12 Sandy Benefit Show was hilarious.  What else would you expect from Kanye?  This is what he do.  I'm always amused when people take so seriously the choices made by others that don't directly affect them.  Who gives a fuck what Kanye West wears?  We are far too concerned with things like this.  Let him wear a skirt...some will accept it, others won't.  That's fine.  But when you disagree with the choice that someone makes, and in the process you disrespect a group of people - you've put yourself in the wrong.  Calling Kanye West a "fag" just makes Jamar look bitter and foolish.  Kanye West has impregnated one of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that he is straight.  Furthermore, it's just mad ignorant to slander homosexuality like that.  That type of behavior runs rampant in the hip hop community and it's just not cool.

I guess I should be personally offended that Lord Jamar has an issue with skinny jeans, me being a avid supporter of fitted clothing.  I'm not, though, because unlike Lord Jamar - I recognize how diverse Hip Hop is and always has been.  He calls to "arrogance" as being the catalyst for someone expressing their individually through clothing.  He claims that it's not "Hip Hop".  I'm sorry, I know Brand Nubian did it's thing back in the day, but who are you say what Hip Hop IS?  No one person creates or defines the parameters of Hip Hop's existence.  That sounds pretty fucking arrogant is you ask me.  Seems like he forgot how rappers dressed in the 80's.  I guess he meant "that's not Hop Hop" anymore, because it certainly was in the past.

I do think that Lord Jamar truly feels a little bit of what he is trying so hard to put forth here.  I just wish he'd do something like this for the right reasons.  Don't try to aim at a top dog just for soundcloud plays.  Where as, the marketing aspect of this is brilliant - don't then claim that this is "all real".  Over a year of his having a souncloud page, not one of his tracks or beats had over 200 plays...now he uses Kanye's name and he has 6,000 plays in one day.  Again, I got love and respect for what Brand Nubian represented in the past but come on, son.  Bring out a better diss track than that, and next time leave that homophobic shit out of it.  You made some hot music in the past, but Don't Let It Go To Your Head.

Check out the track below, and judge for yourself.  Drop me a comment if you agree, disagree or just don't care either way.