You are not a crunk star. Stop it. Stop it now.

Is it just me, or does spending $40,000 to go to school for two years to learn how to make the most cookie-cutter generic crunk beats sound like kind of a waste of money?

Allow me to back up and voice my frustration. Earlier this year, roughly half of my first EP, Peace In Outer Space, was recorded in the studio at the School of Communication Arts in Raleigh, where my friend is an audio student. Long story short, the EP was great and is probably the single greatest record ever released (even at only six tracks) but the people need MORE.

Problem is, it's hard to record a new album when you can't book the studio, and it's hard to book the studio when it's nigh-constantly being used, not by thoughtful, talented artists who have something to say, but by a dozens of wannabe crunk stars who spend the day yelling the most completely obnoxious crunk tripe into microphones that I can't honestly say deserve to be used by them.

Anyone that knows me knows I have a very serious problem with most hip hop that comes out these days. As I've tried to make clear, I love hip hop - rather, I love GOOD hip hop. Talent. Skill. Message. Innovation. The shit the comes out these days just saddens me - this is something I'll save for another rant, because justice must be done to such bitching and moaning on my behalf.

Bottom line: Some people want to book that studio to make art, to say something. Some people want to throw together something where they yell a few words over and over onto a shitty beat crafted from pre-made Fruity Loops with absolutely zero artistry so they can look cool and be the next Soulja Boy.

And for that they should be ashamed, but they never will be.