After being wildly-ecstatic about the Jay Z song that was on in her debut single as Miley Cyrus “Party in the USA”(Hannah Montana's eulogy could've been given at the video shoot), the former Disney starlet recently found herself being referred to on Hov's recent MCHG. One could say the tables, like the teacups at OC's beloved theme park, have turned. With her much publicized image shift, Miley has found herself not only on a freeway overpass in L.A., but also firmly aboard the train that is contemporary hip-hop.
While we've all witnessed the twerk movement's mainstream come up, (hello Diplo's “express yourself” fad), it's been more or less baffling to watch the former Disney damsel who was once off limits to Young Money's Mack Maine (refer to the outro of “Every Girl) back her booty up into a raunchier brand of commercial success than she is accustomed to. Cyrus' much-discussed VMA performance was nothing more than the drying of the cement illustrating that twerking is now totally hip-hop.
Miley haters –girls on the Internet who are mad that they'll have never have the chance to dance on ol' Robin Thicke to the uptight officials at the Parents Television Council who are now “urging” Congress to step– can't fight the fact that Cyrus is making a lot of money off of the VMA scandal. Two of Miley's songs are currently on iTunes' Top 10 singles chart. But how has the former Hannah Montana managed to barge her way into hip-hop? Easy. A little ass shaking combined with finding the right clique.
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In March, not long after Miley shaved off the majority of her hair, she also seemed to stop giving any of the shits long associated with the Disney franchise she once belonged to. Blogs everywhere scurried to feed us footage of the 20 year old in her first public twerk demonstration, during which, of course, she wore a unicorn outfit. Our mutual “Miley did what?!” reaction would be exponentially overshadowed by forthcoming events that have ushered her into front row of the rap game.
The next stage of hip-hop stardom came via a Juicy J show in June. Spectators at the Sunset Strip House of Blues, including Wiz Khalifa, bore witness to the dancing that almost immediately became Internet lore. With hands on a table and her back to the crowd, Miley gave a pop-lock-and-dropping performance, before grinding on Juicy himself. It was as riveting a first move that one could make (or, uh, shake) towards becoming a relevant figure in the booty-loving genre and also a promotion of status in the rap community.
Before the digitized smoke could clear, Miley dropped “We Can't Stop”, a collaboration with producer Mike Will Made It, the man also behind 2 Chainz's “No Lie”, Juicy's “Bandz A Make Her Dance”, and Rihanna's “Pour It Up”. With the Atlanta-based producer lending both beats and lyrics to “We Can't Stop”, the song has gone double platinum in less than three months. Cyrus, Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa all have verses on Mike Will's new single “23”, and yes, you read that correctly. She's also rapping now.
Dropping just days ago, “23” features Juicy J and Khalifa engaging in their usual kush-infused content. Miley trudges on some new territory.
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“In the club, high off purp, with some shades on”, she intimates on the hook of her first rap song before going into a verse about her Jordan Wolf Grey kicks. Quite frankly, she is living the rap dream.
As “23” is currently at number three on the iTunes' hip-hop charts, Miley's hip-hop stock is only rising. It appears she will evolve into the next biggest white rapper since Eminem, alongside Hip-Hop's upcoming royalty Big Sean, who tapped her to appear in his latest video, and Bad Boy's French Montana called her a genius in response to the hate she's accrued since that fateful VMA performance.
Next up for the young MC (get it?!) is a feature on the remix of Kanye's “Black Skinhead”. Who gon' stop her, huh?
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