18 years ago today, the music world was blessed by single-named soul siren Aaliyah when she released her critically-acclaimed 2001 album, simply self-titled Aaliyah. The Princess of R&B was well on her way to becoming queen with this project, which unfortunately would be her last due to her death in a plane crash just a month after its release.
One of the last interviews she did ended up also being one of her greatest; an hour-long artist profile for MTV’s hit docuseries Diary. Aaliyah’s episode aired on August 8, 2001, a little over two weeks before the tragic plane crash that took her life after filming the music video for the album’s next single, “Rock The Boat.” It still stands as one of the best looks into the private life of a musician who prided herself on a mysterious appeal that made albums like Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number (1994) and One In A Million (1996) achieve multiplatinum status. As with most shows like this, a lot of b-roll is usually left on the cutting room floor, sometimes hours or even days of footage just sitting in the vault.
Today, MTV proved that they’ve definitely got some rare Aaliyah clips stored away for a celebratory day like, say, the 18th anniversary of the deceased legend’s most heralded body of work. Take a look at the never-before-seen segment below:
This month is the 18th anniversary of #Aaliyah's self-titled final album, and in honor of the legendary late singer, we're throwing it back to our 2001 interview where she talked about putting the LP together, and hoping fans would feel it pic.twitter.com/xgOfIlrE3X
In the clip, Aaliyah reflects on the process of creating her self-titled LP, bigging up many of the producers and writers that helped along the way like Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Tank, J. Dub, Bud’da and the members of Playa, specifically fellow missed music impresario Static Major. It’s an extended version of a clip that made it into the official Diary episode, and even the mere seconds of rare footage where she speaks in a tone that predates the current ASMR craze already has fans demanding that the full unedited version be released as well. Whether or not that happens is entirely up to MTV, but we’re with the fans on this one — give us more Aaliyah!
Watch the extended clip from Aaliyah’s 2001 MTV Diary episode above, and revisit our feature article from last year on why her self-titled album and 15 other Blackground Records LPs deserve to be released on streaming services by clicking here. R.I.P. Baby Girl!
Last month, Ambrosia For Heads revisited a 1997 conversation between LL Cool J, Redman, DMX, Method Man and MTV News’ Abbie Kearse. The interview unpacked the varying definitions of a freestyle, pulling opinions of the MCs from some different eras and backgrounds. As can be seen and heard by the definitions given from these early Rap veterans, the debate over what is and what isn’t a freestyle has been argued over and redefined since the beginning. To better understand the issue at hand, Justin “The Company Man” Hunte, takes a closer look for the first TBD episode of 2019, with some additional input from Papoose, Reason, and others.
Back in ’97, LL Cool J opined, “A lot of times, when people talk about freestyle, it’s interesting, because being a student of Hip-Hop and growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that ‘freestyling’ back in the days, really, was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it.” Next, DMX offered his take, “It’s just talkin’ mess, not talkin’ about any particular subject, just talkin’ about how good you are. That’s freestylin’ to me.” And later, “Freestyle, to me, is a style—not speaking on any particular subject, just on how nice you are.” Although he is in agreement to the previous two MCs, Redman added, “Sometimes it’s off the top of the head, but sometimes it’s just lyrics that can be about anything. You can write a freestyle, just talkin’ about anything, any particular subject. You can jump from subject to subject.”
Even as told some 20 years ago from the genre’s leading artists, freestyling still seems to have multiple definitions. Hunte asks Brooklyn’s Papoose, an artist who has proven himself to be highly capable of keeping the artform alive on mixtapes, by some definitions.
“In my opinion, there are two definitions of the freestyling. Hip-Hop is a culture… When you grow up in that culture, and you’re coming up [as] an MC, you might not be in the industry yet, but you consider yourself an MC – and those who know you, we all know each other. We consider ourselves MCs. Sometimes we have these things called cyphers. That was anytime you ran into another MC that was respected, y’all exchanged verses…Some guys had dope rhymes, and there were some guys who could just speak about what was going on at that current time off the top of they head. We reference them as ‘He’s a freestyler.’ When you’re coming from the core of this sh*t, that’s the definition of freestyling. Freestyle in that sense is coming off the head. Period. That’s one definition of a freestyle.”
The artist who released You Can’t Stop Destiny a few years back continues, “But when it comes to the industry [and] the music business, the definition of a freestyle changes. A freestyle can be put on a beat, and I might kick an ill-ass rhyme that you’ve never heard before. Or a freestyle could be, I’m gonna jump on a [DJ] Kay Slay mixtape and do a verse they’ve never heard before – an exclusive verse, a freestyle. Or I might go up to Funkmaster Flex show, and he might throw on a beat and I might freestyle. The definition of freestyling changes when you’re in the streets, and you’re in the industry.”
Later, Hunte receives another definition from a far younger MC in the game. Top Dawg Entertainment’s Reason, who recently released his debut album, There You Have It, gave his thoughts on what a freestyle means to him.
“I consider a freestyle rapping over someone else’s beat, in a cypher format where there’s no specific content. Just rappin’, you can talk about anything, say anything freely, there are no rules.” The Carson, California MC continues, “It used to be it had to be off the top of your head, no prepared material. The Internet, in my opinion, has ruined that because now it’s too risky to do a wack freestyle on camera because it lives forever. So now people prepare material beforehand, but it’s still a cypher type format.”
Hunte also notes the difficulty of a true “off-the-top” rhyme and pays homage to the likes of rappers like King Los, who he remembers spitting off top for nearly 30 minutes straight. Hunte also gets Los’ definition of what a freestyle means to him.
“Words not bound by restriction or imprisonments of other people’s perceptions but your true self personified through sound. As long as they fit the “free” criteria, it doesn’t matter [if they are written]. Many people confused “freestyle” vs. “off the dome” which is just a form of freestyle,” says the Baltimore, Maryland MC who had been signed by Diddy before releasing God, Money, War on RCA Records in 2015.
Hunte later talks to King Los about when he realized that people have been transposing “freestyle” and “off-the-top.” Los responded that people have been doing this “since the beginning of time,” and there may not be any more of an honest look into the confusion over the definition of the freestyle than Los’ realization, right there. As Hunte points out, the answers we received twenty plus years ago from LL, DMX, Redman, and Method Man are little to no different than the answers given by Papoose, Reason, and King Los.
Hunte gives some historical context to add to the discussion. “What stands out most to me out of all of this is the first part of LL Cool J’s answer [from the MTV interview]. LL said, ‘A lotta times when people talk about a freestyle, it’s interesting because being a student of Hip-Hop, growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that freestyling back in the day really was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it,’ which sounds like pretty much any and every kind of Rap—which makes sense if you consider the MC’s original purpose was to hype the DJ. Talkin’ about how great the DJ was. It wasn’t until later that the MC evolved into telling their own narrative, and when they did they found different ways to do so, whether freestyle or off the top. The point is this, as Hip-Hop continues to grow and expand, new generations add their legacy to the talisman of the culture. So, it makes sense that once agreed upon covenants take on new meaning.”
So, which do you find more impressive? A great off-the-top, or a great freestyle? And as Hunte asks in finality, “Does a great freestyler deserve more respect than a great writer, or vice versa?”
Last month, Ambrosia For Heads revisited a 1997 conversation between LL Cool J, Redman, DMX, Method Man and MTV News’ Abbie Kearse. The interview unpacked the varying definitions of a freestyle, pulling opinions of the MCs from some different eras and backgrounds. As can be seen and heard by the definitions given from these early Rap veterans, the debate over what is and what isn’t a freestyle has been argued over and redefined since the beginning. To better understand the issue at hand, Justin “The Company Man” Hunte, takes a closer look for the first TBD episode of 2019, with some additional input from Papoose, Reason, and others.
Back in ’97, LL Cool J opined, “A lot of times, when people talk about freestyle, it’s interesting, because being a student of Hip-Hop and growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that ‘freestyling’ back in the days, really, was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it.” Next, DMX offered his take, “It’s just talkin’ mess, not talkin’ about any particular subject, just talkin’ about how good you are. That’s freestylin’ to me.” And later, “Freestyle, to me, is a style—not speaking on any particular subject, just on how nice you are.” Although he is in agreement to the previous two MCs, Redman added, “Sometimes it’s off the top of the head, but sometimes it’s just lyrics that can be about anything. You can write a freestyle, just talkin’ about anything, any particular subject. You can jump from subject to subject.”
Even as told some 20 years ago from the genre’s leading artists, freestyling still seems to have multiple definitions. Hunte asks Brooklyn’s Papoose, an artist who has proven himself to be highly capable of keeping the artform alive on mixtapes, by some definitions.
“In my opinion, there are two definitions of the freestyling. Hip-Hop is a culture… When you grow up in that culture, and you’re coming up [as] an MC, you might not be in the industry yet, but you consider yourself an MC – and those who know you, we all know each other. We consider ourselves MCs. Sometimes we have these things called cyphers. That was anytime you ran into another MC that was respected, y’all exchanged verses…Some guys had dope rhymes, and there were some guys who could just speak about what was going on at that current time off the top of they head. We reference them as ‘He’s a freestyler.’ When you’re coming from the core of this sh*t, that’s the definition of freestyling. Freestyle in that sense is coming off the head. Period. That’s one definition of a freestyle.”
The artist who released You Can’t Stop Destiny a few years back continues, “But when it comes to the industry [and] the music business, the definition of a freestyle changes. A freestyle can be put on a beat, and I might kick an ill-ass rhyme that you’ve never heard before. Or a freestyle could be, I’m gonna jump on a [DJ] Kay Slay mixtape and do a verse they’ve never heard before – an exclusive verse, a freestyle. Or I might go up to Funkmaster Flex show, and he might throw on a beat and I might freestyle. The definition of freestyling changes when you’re in the streets, and you’re in the industry.”
Later, Hunte receives another definition from a far younger MC in the game. Top Dawg Entertainment’s Reason, who recently released his debut album, There You Have It, gave his thoughts on what a freestyle means to him.
“I consider a freestyle rapping over someone else’s beat, in a cypher format where there’s no specific content. Just rappin’, you can talk about anything, say anything freely, there are no rules.” The Carson, California MC continues, “It used to be it had to be off the top of your head, no prepared material. The Internet, in my opinion, has ruined that because now it’s too risky to do a wack freestyle on camera because it lives forever. So now people prepare material beforehand, but it’s still a cypher type format.”
Hunte also notes the difficulty of a true “off-the-top” rhyme and pays homage to the likes of rappers like King Los, who he remembers spitting off top for nearly 30 minutes straight. Hunte also gets Los’ definition of what a freestyle means to him.
“Words not bound by restriction or imprisonments of other people’s perceptions but your true self personified through sound. As long as they fit the “free” criteria, it doesn’t matter [if they are written]. Many people confused “freestyle” vs. “off the dome” which is just a form of freestyle,” says the Baltimore, Maryland MC who had been signed by Diddy before releasing God, Money, War on RCA Records in 2015.
Hunte later talks to King Los about when he realized that people have been transposing “freestyle” and “off-the-top.” Los responded that people have been doing this “since the beginning of time,” and there may not be any more of an honest look into the confusion over the definition of the freestyle than Los’ realization, right there. As Hunte points out, the answers we received twenty plus years ago from LL, DMX, Redman, and Method Man are little to no different than the answers given by Papoose, Reason, and King Los.
Hunte gives some historical context to add to the discussion. “What stands out most to me out of all of this is the first part of LL Cool J’s answer [from the MTV interview]. LL said, ‘A lotta times when people talk about a freestyle, it’s interesting because being a student of Hip-Hop, growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that freestyling back in the day really was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it,’ which sounds like pretty much any and every kind of Rap—which makes sense if you consider the MC’s original purpose was to hype the DJ. Talkin’ about how great the DJ was. It wasn’t until later that the MC evolved into telling their own narrative, and when they did they found different ways to do so, whether freestyle or off the top. The point is this, as Hip-Hop continues to grow and expand, new generations add their legacy to the talisman of the culture. So, it makes sense that once agreed upon covenants take on new meaning.”
So, which do you find more impressive? A great off-the-top, or a great freestyle? And as Hunte asks in finality, “Does a great freestyler deserve more respect than a great writer, or vice versa?”
Around the time of the song, MTV News‘ Abbie Kearse spoke to LL, Red, Meth, and X together. The interview has some awkward beats but serves as a rare moment in time for four artists at different career points. As a cross-section of East Coast Rap giants from the last 15 years at the time, Kearse asks the four lyricists about the definition of a freestyle, given the cypher-style and retro chorus to “4, 3, 2, 1.” As debates linger today about what is and what isn’t a freestyle, these answers may be surprising.
“A lot of times, when people talk about freestyle, it’s interesting, because being a student of Hip-Hop and growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that ‘freestyling’ back in the days, really, was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it,” says LL Cool J around the 2:30 mark. “What people call ‘freestyling’ now is what people used to call ‘off the top of the head.’ So it kills me when people say ‘freestyle,’ ’cause it’s the wrong definition, but it’s just taken on this ill kind of connotation.”
DMX agrees with L. “It’s just talkin’ mess, not talkin’ about any particular subject, just talkin’ about how good you are. That’s freestylin’ to me.” He adds, “Freestyle, to me, is a style—not speaking on any particular subject, just on how nice you are.” He says that it is a type of track, like a concept record, storytelling, or otherwise. Later in the conversation, DMX—who was an emerging face on MTV’s video rotation at the time, spits a verse. The bars he delivers eventually ended up on “Blackout” from 1998’s Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood.
Redman describes how freestyles are a calling card for hungry MCs. “[There are] not too many artists you can catch freestyling unless you cypher with them [or] if they do a skit on [their] album or something like that. You gotta catch a freestyle artist at a party or something, when he gets the mic and airs it out,” said the Newark, New Jersey MC/producer not long after releasing Muddy Waters. “I’m takin’ it here on a business level, and the record industry level while they’re [doing it in] the streets. So what they’re freestyling about would be way different than [what you will hear from] somebody [in] the industry. So I really vibe off of up-and-coming artists.”
Method Man admits that his first freestyle was based on the theme to Gilligan’s Island. The Staten Island, New Yorker says that it was not the best, but forced him to improve. “They was throwin’ empty crack vials at ni**as and all that sh*t. When we was up in the club, it was bad—up in the rec’ room parties [at] Park Hill.” Meth’ also brings the discussion to monetary terms and levels of respect. “I don’t like somebody to come up to me and ask me to rhyme off the top in the street like that. I don’t care if there’s a camera in my face, [if I am] on radio, whatever. If I came here to do one thing, I came here to do one thing. So when you know you’re gettin’ paid for this, and it’s a job, you’re holdin’ all your stuff.” The comment appears to also suggest to MTV News to not ask on this particular day. However, there is more to it than just disinterest. “It’s like, ‘Man, I ain’t givin’ this out for free no more.’ So when they say ‘freestyle,’ [it] gets funny at times. Freestyle? Ain’t nothin’ for free; that’s why you got pay-styles now.” Method Man adds that freestyling should always be a choice for MCs who have proven themselves. He says he enjoys listening to hungry rappers, who Meth’ has been devoted to helping for much of his career. “[After] the show is over, and you’re in the parking lot or the motel that we’re at, and [MCs are] there, and they’re starting it themselves, but they open it up enough for you to step in and listen, that’s peace right there. ‘Cause they ain’t asking you for nothing. If anything, they’re giving: ‘Check us out; this is how we get down.’ If you feel like you want to join in, join in. [As a Hip-Hop Head] I’ll be out there ’til sun-up.”
LL Cool J builds upon what his collaborator is saying. He likens it to sports. “As good as Michael Jordan is at a playground, the reality is that he probably wouldn’t stop at a playground and risk [his career by] dunking around and soaring over cracks in the asphalt. There’s just certain levels to it.” Years before YouTube, these Rap stars knew that freestyling has casualties. A rapper can be bested by a hungry competitor, which according to many, is what Canibus attempted to do to LL Cool J on “4, 3, 2, 1.” The Rap star can make a public mistake on the big stage when they’ve already proven themselves and arguably should not have to. Meanwhile, as Method Man says, styles can be taken and game can be soaked up for free.
Thirteen years after his first 12″ single, LL continues, “I think freestyling is very important, ’cause it keeps you on your P’s and Q’s, and it makes sure that you are sharp in terms of the way that you articulate what you’re feeling. The reality is, I think you have to constantly grow. There has to be growth there.”
DMX asserts that he is not a new artist, but a new act on the label. Still, as the least familiar face to MTV News in 1997, X delivers the freestyle for the camera. He asks if he can curse, and then spits an incredibly raw and very trademark Dark Man X type of rhyme. It is the perfect moment to show new viewers just what the would-be superstar is about.
The rest of the discussion in the segment deals with the song, embedded below:
Around the time of the song, MTV News‘ Abbie Kearse spoke to LL, Red, Meth, and X together. The interview has some awkward beats but serves as a rare moment in time for four artists at different career points. As a cross-section of East Coast Rap giants from the last 15 years at the time, Kearse asks the four lyricists about the definition of a freestyle, given the cypher-style and retro chorus to “4, 3, 2, 1.” As debates linger today about what is and what isn’t a freestyle, these answers may be surprising.
“A lot of times, when people talk about freestyle, it’s interesting, because being a student of Hip-Hop and growing up on Hip-Hop, I learned that ‘freestyling’ back in the days, really, was when you write a rhyme, and then you say it,” says LL Cool J around the 2:30 mark. “What people call ‘freestyling’ now is what people used to call ‘off the top of the head.’ So it kills me when people say ‘freestyle,’ ’cause it’s the wrong definition, but it’s just taken on this ill kind of connotation.”
DMX agrees with L. “It’s just talkin’ mess, not talkin’ about any particular subject, just talkin’ about how good you are. That’s freestylin’ to me.” He adds, “Freestyle, to me, is a style—not speaking on any particular subject, just on how nice you are.” He says that it is a type of track, like a concept record, storytelling, or otherwise. Later in the conversation, DMX—who was an emerging face on MTV’s video rotation at the time, spits a verse. The bars he delivers eventually ended up on “Blackout” from 1998’s Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood.
Redman describes how freestyles are a calling card for hungry MCs. “[There are] not too many artists you can catch freestyling unless you cypher with them [or] if they do a skit on [their] album or something like that. You gotta catch a freestyle artist at a party or something, when he gets the mic and airs it out,” said the Newark, New Jersey MC/producer not long after releasing Muddy Waters. “I’m takin’ it here on a business level, and the record industry level while they’re [doing it in] the streets. So what they’re freestyling about would be way different than [what you will hear from] somebody [in] the industry. So I really vibe off of up-and-coming artists.”
Method Man admits that his first freestyle was based on the theme to Gilligan’s Island. The Staten Island, New Yorker says that it was not the best, but forced him to improve. “They was throwin’ empty crack vials at ni**as and all that sh*t. When we was up in the club, it was bad—up in the rec’ room parties [at] Park Hill.” Meth’ also brings the discussion to monetary terms and levels of respect. “I don’t like somebody to come up to me and ask me to rhyme off the top in the street like that. I don’t care if there’s a camera in my face, [if I am] on radio, whatever. If I came here to do one thing, I came here to do one thing. So when you know you’re gettin’ paid for this, and it’s a job, you’re holdin’ all your stuff.” The comment appears to also suggest to MTV News to not ask on this particular day. However, there is more to it than just disinterest. “It’s like, ‘Man, I ain’t givin’ this out for free no more.’ So when they say ‘freestyle,’ [it] gets funny at times. Freestyle? Ain’t nothin’ for free; that’s why you got pay-styles now.” Method Man adds that freestyling should always be a choice for MCs who have proven themselves. He says he enjoys listening to hungry rappers, who Meth’ has been devoted to helping for much of his career. “[After] the show is over, and you’re in the parking lot or the motel that we’re at, and [MCs are] there, and they’re starting it themselves, but they open it up enough for you to step in and listen, that’s peace right there. ‘Cause they ain’t asking you for nothing. If anything, they’re giving: ‘Check us out; this is how we get down.’ If you feel like you want to join in, join in. [As a Hip-Hop Head] I’ll be out there ’til sun-up.”
LL Cool J builds upon what his collaborator is saying. He likens it to sports. “As good as Michael Jordan is at a playground, the reality is that he probably wouldn’t stop at a playground and risk [his career by] dunking around and soaring over cracks in the asphalt. There’s just certain levels to it.” Years before YouTube, these Rap stars knew that freestyling has casualties. A rapper can be bested by a hungry competitor, which according to many, is what Canibus attempted to do to LL Cool J on “4, 3, 2, 1.” The Rap star can make a public mistake on the big stage when they’ve already proven themselves and arguably should not have to. Meanwhile, as Method Man says, styles can be taken and game can be soaked up for free.
Thirteen years after his first 12″ single, LL continues, “I think freestyling is very important, ’cause it keeps you on your P’s and Q’s, and it makes sure that you are sharp in terms of the way that you articulate what you’re feeling. The reality is, I think you have to constantly grow. There has to be growth there.”
DMX asserts that he is not a new artist, but a new act on the label. Still, as the least familiar face to MTV News in 1997, X delivers the freestyle for the camera. He asks if he can curse, and then spits an incredibly raw and very trademark Dark Man X type of rhyme. It is the perfect moment to show new viewers just what the would-be superstar is about.
The rest of the discussion in the segment deals with the song, embedded below:
pic.twitter.com/xgOfIlrE3X
