It is nostalgically meaningful when you are able to commemorate an emcee that has been recognized for providing quality head-nodders for years. Cormega has been an urban legend since the late 90’s. Establishing himself amongst the streets of Queensbridge, he’s etched himself into the hip-hop timeline alongside distinguished Queens names like Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown. He’s been busy doing some self-renovating musically, coming out with a studio album last month with a very uplifting and lecturing message that opposes his earlier days of “being a street nigga first”. With the release of transformation like Mega Philosophy, we’re excited to see the energy that Mega will bring to his next events and projects, especially his performance this year’s A3C Festival.
Although memory of Cormega usually follows a path to his beef with Nas, this was only a portion to the larger picture of his lyrical focus. There is no question that one of Cormega’s main values was to be unmistakably honest in his rhymes about the immediate situation in his community. He was overshadowed from the mainstream spotlight, however, after his forced exit from The Firm, a hip-hop coagulate featuring Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and later Nature. His earliest albums such as The Realness and The True Meaning in the early 2000’s gave him the opportunity to expose that honesty to the public, and he has given quality albums consistently since.
http://youtu.be/ogwisWHdPRg
His newest installment addresses a state of his present reality through his own philosophy. Produced entirely by Large Professor, it comes packed with his own standpoint from issues with the industry and his trademark negative approval of personality inconsistencies and contradictions, this time aiming towards rappers in the game now. It is apparent that he is in a more comfortable place in his career as a local icon, showing through his willingness to address the youth’s tendency to practice character-staining activity.
http://youtu.be/LB4zKtaDkt0
Mega Philosophy is the re-introduction to his passion for making great music for his fans. In an interview DJ Eclipse and Torae on the Rap Is Outta Control Sirius radio channel, he reveals that his passion for making music derives from the love that he receives from his fans during performances. This love is arguably more authentic than some of his mainstream peers, on account of the unconditional attention it takes to be a fan of an underground artist. Be sure to check out his set this year at the A3C Festival and give some of his older works a chance to spin to make up for some precious lost time.