Recently, Maybach Music Group released the first remix to their hit single “Bag of Money”. Aside from multiple MMG members, the song features Mempis favorite Yo Gotti, music superstar Lil’ Wayne and interestingly, Wale affiliate Black Cobain.
Around the same time, veteran DC producer and occasional Wale collaborator Judah (pictured above, right) complained about the DC Hip Hop scene in an excellent, enlightening Washington City Paper interview. The interview showcased Judah’s continuing pessimism (see his 2010 conversation with Jon Powell) about music in the area around Washington DC ever expanding and improving. This opinion is strong, despite increased coverage of many DC rappers, and problems that are essentially nation-wide, not local. Judah hits home on two main fronts. First, he is willing to criticize Fat Trel and other younger artists when necessary, without outright “hating”. Second, he points out where Wale has failed to carry the torch for other artists On the subject of the MMG rapper shedding light on others from the DC area, Judah said:
“I mean, he does when it’s advantageous to him. He does when it’s advantageous to something that he’s doing. Prime example: He had an album that came out, he has an affiliation with Board Administration, correct? But he had nobody from that label on his album. You could’ve got an artist some publishing, you could’ve got an artist a national look, hey could’ve been part of a gold album, its things like that, that you see. Ya know, when Mike Jones came out, Paul Wall was on his album, Chamillionaire, like, they really did things for each other. They really put publishing in people’s pockets and get ’em national attention. It’s kind of odd, that that’s your team, but yet, your artist ”Black Cobain”is not on your album?”
What Judah may not have known is that Cobain was on Wale’s album. The song “DC Or Nothing” featured Cobain, while he didn’t make the final track listing, he appears on the song. But, maybe “Bag Of Money” is another move in the right direction. The Smoking Section notes that this may be the start of big things and a lot of push for Black Cobain, a move towards the limelight that seems especially necessary when The Fader barely acknowledges Cobain’s existence on the “Bag of Money” remix or when some listeners seem to think he’s Wale. More exposure will of course benefit more than Black Cobain himself, if he is received positively. If he is pushed well, maybe he won’t have to do things like freestyle while hiking anymore.
It could be easy to wonder whether Wale is just trying to appear like the elder statesmen. His recent pairing with Shy Glizzy seemed to be hopping on the DC rapper who was known for his beef with the former BOA member Fat Trel. This elder statesmen status was solidified recently, with the notoriously touchy Wale helping to end the disagreements between Fat Trel and Shy Glizzy, putting aside his past with Trel to broker a peace treaty after threats of violence nearly turned to actual violence. So perhaps there is hope for “the DMV after all.
