Kings of Rock: What Happens When MCs Trade Beats for Guitars : Rolling Stone

Previous Next Page 1 2

With the announcement that rapper Lil Wayne is following up the biggest record of 2008 with his first rock album, all eyes have been watching his tattooed hands and how they tap a fretboard. Can he play? Will it be good? Will it even come out? The history of rappers promising to make rock albums is littered with botched ideas, abandoned projects and occasionally (but not frequently) bouts of genius. Here's a survey:

We're still waiting for ...

Lil Wayne
Project: His first rock album Rebirth
Release: Due April 7
The Word: The world got its first taste of wheedlin' Weezy when the "Prom Queen" single leaked. The track is a mix of System Of A Down, Bad Brains and Auto Tuned lyrics about fancy underpants. Since the leak, opinions on the track and Wayne's guitar skills have been decidedly mixed, with rap blog Nah Right pointing out, "Lil Wayne's people are stepping the fuck away from this? saying it has nothing to do with the previous Carters."

Lil Jon
Project: Crunk Rock
Release: Summer 2009
The Word: The long-awaited solo debut from the King Of Crunk has been delayed and re-delayed since its crunktacular first single "Snap Yo Fingers" dropped in the beginning of 2006. For the rock half of the album, Jon says he has hooked up with Kid Rock, members of P.O.D. and Floridian punk rock band Whole Wheat Bread. His MySpace boats a release date of summer 2009, just in time for most people to forget what crunk was.

RZA
Project: Achozen
Release: Release date unknown
The Word: Wu-Tang Clan's head-nodding beatmaster RZA and System Of A Down's head-banging baldy bassist Shavo Odadjian have finished recording their "heavy hip-hop" collaboration Achozen, according to Billboard. The record is reported to have contributions from George Clinton, John Frusciante and Wu-Tangers GZA and Killah Priest.

Pastor Troy
Project: TBA
Release: TBA
The Word: In 2007, the Southern rap kingpin told RapGodfathers.com that he was going to drop a rock album starring a "rock character" named Mavado. Since then, dancehall artist Mavado ruined the chance of him using that name.

Bone Crusher
Project: The Onslaught
Release: TBA
The Word: After the "Never Scared" rapper was juiced from losing almost 50 pounds on Celebrity Fit Club, he announced plans to release a rock album from his rock band the Onslaught. He's since released tons more beefy crunk, but no word of the impending Onslaught has come down the pipe. However, his third album, Free, did include some pretty peppy new wave-inspired jams.