"I was speaking to an acquaintance recently about the so-called state of hip-hop. Personally, I get tired of heads sayin' that it's dying, that its best days are gone, and that there are is no more originality or creativity. Yo, if you're an upcoming lyricist, then no matter what, stick to your guns and be unique. If you are a consumer and you're complaining, well hey, don't buy the damn record! The powers that be will quickly realize that we are no longer interested in color Xeroxes. But J-Live is an original. Last year, he independently dropped "Braggin' Writes," a highly charge, lyrical communique for heads to absorb. It returns on the B-Side of this single, remixed and enhanced with new lyrics. The original was a classic that he didn't have to touch, but he went there anyhow and still manages to surprise you, bringing back that creative, experimental innocence that rap was founded on. J-Live is straight-up and true to honoring the unspoken hip-hop credo: you take from the past, but add your own flavor. A lot of heads keep hip-hop stagnant, but J-Live ... brings it back to what it was and what it should be." - A.L. Dre, Sure Shot Singles, The Source (12/96). My favorite version of "Braggin' Writes" is the "Dome Cracker" (DJ Spinna & Joc Max) Remix, check it out below.
If you'd rather read it directly from the source, or save a copy, check it out below.
