The Roc Pack

"...I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here, I can make it anywhere. Yea they love me everywhere." Unless you've been hiding in a cave, on Mars, with Bose noise reducing headphones on, for the last six months, you should not only already know what song that's from; but you're probably a little pissed at me for putting Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" back in your head, after you'd finally gotten it out for the umpteenth time.

It's nothing new for a rapper to make some outrageous claim boasting how great he or his social status are not only in the rap game but in pop culture in general. And for the majority of rap's "superstars" their bombastic self horn-tooting is as fake as T-Pain's singing skills, Xzibit's street cred., and Heidi Montag's...everything, combined. But unlike the other's, Hov's claim as this generation's Frank Sinatra actually holds weight. Like "Ol' Blue Eyes", Jay has transcended music and pop culture to reach a level saved for a very special few. Known the world over as not only one of, if not the greatest rapper ever, President Carter has brought rap music and the hip hop community and culture to a level never thought possible by the one-time naysayers, who original considered hip-hop just a passing fad. Like Frank, Jay's music is a hit to the masses far beyond their own specific demographic.

Their status as social figures goes way beyond popular, to flat out Iconic. Both owned the night life and club scene, although Jay took Sinatra's idea of "owning" the club scene a bit literally, throwin' up 40/40's all over the damn place like A-Rod's 1998 season on repeat. (I mean really Hov, do they need one in Macau?) Both greats are known for their ties to both major political as well as crime figures. In fact, I'm pretty sure when Jay say's he's got Obama on speed dial he's dead ass serious. Like they text one another more than Sasha and Malia text their friends; imagine those convos:

Obama: What's good Hov?!
Jay-Z: Me and B just chillin @ the crib, you?
Obama: About 2 go get this $, Bidden owe me from the Cavs/Bulls series.
Jay-Z: Oh word, he took the Bulls?
Obama: Yup, can you believe his dumb ass? I didn't wanna take the bet at 1st, but he kept runnin' his damn mouth like always. I had no choice, so now he's gonna become my personal stimulus package. I mean I'm from the Chi and I still kno better than to go against LeBron.
Jay-Z: Tru, tru. Well b4 I 4get, thx for stoppin by the 40/40 when you came to talk to Wall Street last week, appreciate the look.
Obama: No doubt, BARACK WAS IN THE BUILDIN'!!! lol. We'll certainly have to do it again.
Jay-Z: Mos Def, next time, HOLLA A'CHA BOY!!!

(I know that just pissed off the NAACP, the ACLU, United Negro College Fund, Jesse Jackson and a whole bunch of old black folk, but that was pretty damn funny. At least in my head)

And if all that wasn't enough evidence, "Empire State of Mind" replacing Frank's version of "New York, New York" as the Yankee's theme during their 2009 World Series run should be the icing on the cake (or in this case the olive in the martini). So that's it, debate done - JAY-Z IS THIS GENERATION'S FRANK SINATRA. Haters feel free to sit down and STFU.

Now you may be currently saying to your self "Ken, that was a well put together, comprehensive and somewhat amusing argument; but what in the blue hell does that have to do with a "Roc Pack"?" Good question reader (and thanks for finding me amusing). To complete the Frank connection/comparison, Jay has to assemble a crew. A group of talented individuals that become not just friends but a brand unto themselves. Obviously the "crew" isn't anything new to hip-hop nor Jay-Z for that matter (we all remember the Roc-A-Fella Dynasty), but as Hov has evolved from street corner urban poet to multi-millionaire status symbol and all around MC Messiah, the company he keeps must evolve too. (For Christ sake he got Oprah to chill with him on a stoop in Bed Stuy drinkin quarter waters) In essence, Jay-Z must assemble his own Rat Pack, or in his case THE ROC PACK (c'mon readers all together "Ooooohh, that's what he meant. That's clever") - Thank you.

Now some of the members may seem obvious, Jay's celebrity "friends" span across races, genders, musical genres even business ventures; but you gotta remember, Frank's "pack" weren't just a group of guys in the same profession. Nor were they some schemed up publicity stunt. These 5 guys (Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford) legimately loved and respected each other as entertainers and as men. (Not to mention ain't no way any five guys could party the way they did and not join forces, if for no other reason than to make it that much easier to find a wing man who can pull their own weight re: bringin females to the party). Each man brought something special and specific to the table, thus making them necessary pieces in something greater (gotta have all 5 rings to create Captain Planet). But yeah, Kanye will be involved, just maybe not in connection with the guy most would probably assume (God, I hope he doesn't polish off a bottle of Henn and come interupt me in the middle of writing this blog). And at the end, if you don't agree with my choices by all means feel free to throw you Roc Pack in the comments section (but realize, I reserve the right to put you on blast if you put up something stupid).

So lets start with Mr. Bojangles himself, Sammy Davis Jr. Singer, dancer, actor and all around BAMF. Davis was a vaudville performer as just a little kid with his father and uncle and would grow to be the premiere definition of a "Triple Threat". The choice for his modern day upgrade into The Roc Pack, could seem a little daunting at first glance. There are tons of R&B singers who fit the "Sammy mold" (not to say that anyone can do what Sammy did, you can trust me on that babe). There's Usher - tremendous singer and constantly put in the list as the "next Michael Jackson" for his skills as a dancer. Trey Songz who recently went out on tour with Jay, and has stepped his music and celeb status up considerably over the last year. Ne-Yo who has written and recorded with Hov on both of their albums, slowly making a name for himself as an actor with roles in Stomp the Yard and Save the Last Dance 2 (stop laughing). Of course there's Chris Brown - ok well maybe not really but I'm sure Jay would have no problem making it so C. Breezy only has one eye like Sammy. All of these guys make sense and could be an option for the Sammy Spot in the Roc Pack, but if you really think about the best option is as simple and clear as Sammy's glass eye. Successful child star - check; went on to have a massively successful music carreer as an adult - 2 multi-platinum solo records I'd have to say check; budding acting career with a range covering serious drama and side splitting comedy - I'll put a check in a box. That's right, I'm talkin' about Justin "Motherlovin'" Timberlake. And if the points above weren't enough, he's one of the coolest "white boys" in urban culture. He's got the black guy co-signed, John Mayer "hood pass", but still enough white southern guilt to not actually say nigger (or any spelling variation - still smh about that one John). So just like Sammy did for Franks crew in the 60's, the men of the Roc Pack can help further improve race relations with all their group shots looking like some sort of hip-hop United Colors of Benetton ad.

Next up, Joey Bishop. Joey was the comedian of the group. While he could sing and did so from time to time, Joey was far more known for his stand up and acting. So much so that he guest hosted The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson more times than anyone else, and even had his own comedy series and late night talk show. So who should be his 2K doppleganger? Well think about it: known and established comedian, well versed actor able to easily navigate roles in comedic and non-comedic genres, known for his own hit comedy series, as well as his ability to take over hosting duties, and of course the under the radar secondary talent of being a hell of a singer. Any thoughts? Coming up with any names? Still need more time? Let me stop this here cuz realistically your opinion on this is irrelevent seeing as I already figured out my choice and that's Academy Award Winner, Jamie Foxx. I'm pretty sure the "Blame It" video would be exactly what a night out with the Roc Pack would look like (including Ron Howard making it rain on some skantilly clad gorgeous 20-something).

Third is probably the least known member of Frank's pack, certainly by my generation, Peter Lawford. Lawford was a British-American actor and also brother-in-law to the John, Robert and Ted Kennedy (and all the other siblings in that family I suppose). While Peter was viewed as a world renowned actor with incredible talent, as he got older and his career got longer he started to become famous far more for his "performances" off screen than on it. Between his late night boozefests (this should be taken w/ a Mohave deserts worth of salt, I mean look who he was rollin with) and multiple marriages I'll just say that if there were a TMZ back then they'd develop a spin-off network just to cover him. So, who fills his shoes? What incredibly talented entertainer can spend just as much explaining and apologizing for the dumb shit he did or said...or tweeted as they do showing their world their brilliance? It was once rumored that Lawford threatened to walk out on a movie he was going to be shooting with Frank b/c he felt the part wasn't big enough for his talents. Does Jay-Z even know or hang out with someone so narcissistic that they would threaten to pull out of an engagement (like, lets say a music video awards show) because they feel their talent wasn't receiving the due he felt it deserved (only to not pull the trigger in the end b/c they knew they'd have to deal w/ Jay/Frank setting they ass straight)? Who could take these reigns..."children, ladies, MR. WEST IS THE BUILDIN'!!!"

So, for those of you who know your Rat Pack history (or can count and realized I said there were 4 additional members and I've only listed 3), we're missing one final Rat (Roc...?). If Frank was the Rat Pack President, Dean Martin was most certainly his Vice. Of all the late 50's/early 60's Rat Pack movies the two were in most of them together. Just like Frank, Dean was a throwback crooner, with a silky smooth voice and Playboy good looks to go with it. Singing, acting, comedy, showmanship, Dean pulled it all off seamlessly. But unlike Frank, Dean never could garner the same mass popularity "The Chairman" was able to get. Some say it was due to Frank having a little something extra that Dean lacked, others link it to Dean just having an apathetic nature to the whole notion of being a "celebrity". In any case, his 2K upgrade has to be a name and personality that can stand and shine on its own, but won't need to steal the spotlight from Jay. I spent the most time tryin to figure out who should take over this role as Jay's right hand man. Since I had already decided Kanye would be the Peter Lawford, the obvious choice was thrown out the window. I considered Nas, but could you really see Escoe suitin up and runnin the Vegas strip with the rest of these guys? Me neither. I thought about another hip-hop heavyweight in his own right Common, whose acting career continues to hit new peaks, but after going over it with my mother (again I'd like to remind you, I'm living with my folks for the time being while recovering from knee surgery - I'm not one of those "Mama's basement bloggers", lets get that shit straight now) she'd got me to realize that Common doesn't have nearly the same global recognition necessary. In the end I came to the conclusion that Dean2K could only be realistically one of three people: Diddy, Pharrell or Will Smith.
Upon further review we come to the conclusion that Diddy LOVES the spotlight. Damn sure way too much to not wanna be (or at the very least assume he is) the Frank Sinatra in this situation. Not to mention the fact that Jay and Diddy are technically competing to be viewed as hip-hop's most successful mogul.
Pharrell would work, he's certainly successful in the music biz as one of the biggest producers in music, and I don't just mean hip-hop. But like Common, I don't know that he's got the appeal to reach the variety of demographics the way Dean did. I mean obviously Pharrell is HUGE amongst us 80's babies and younger, but do people outside of our generation, know, get, or enjoy Pharrell? I'm not 100% sure that they do.
So in the end we're left with only one real choice, Big Will himself, and to be honest he makes the most sense. Like Mr. Carter, Mr. Smith really is a hip-hop pioneer (again, stop laughing). Say what you will about his actual lyrical content and how corny it may be (REALLY FUCKING CORNY), The Fresh Prince (and of course DJ Jazzy Jeff - can't forget the DJ) was a pivotal figure in hip-hop's crossing over into main stream society with him winning the first televised Best Rap Grammy for "Parents Just Don't Understand". In addition, nearly 20 years after it was initially released, "Summertime" is still a classic Summer anthem, from the block to the burbs. Not to go all SAT prep on the argument but: Jay-Z is to rap album sales as Will Smith is to...summer blockbusters (aka they make a FUCKLOAD of money). Will is one of the few peers Jay-Z has in the entertainment industry on a popularity, politcal and social level. I can see them hitting the campaign trail in 2012 working to get President Obama re-elected just as easily as I could see them stumbling out of a club at 8 AM, $500 ties casually loosened around their necks, $800 silk shirts untucked, jackets missing from their $10,000 Armani suits, as they grin at each other sharing sorted tales of the crazy shit they just got through doing no more than an hour ago, between puffs of $150 hand-rolled Cuban cigars. Ain't nobody ballin' like this, but if you closed your eyes and thought about it, couldn't you picture them doing it? And if all that doesn't convince you that Will would fit the Dean spot, "In West Philadelphia, born and raised. On the playground is where I spent most of my days. Chillin out, maxin' and relaxin' all cool..."
(EXACTLY! feel free to finish the song before moving on to the next paragraph, don't worry I'll wait).

We good? Alright. So there it is if Jay really wants us to believe that he's the new Sinatra, he's gotta get his Roc Pack together. Not just a couple guys he has hang around him that are "signed to his label", but a collective crew he can coordinate his style of living with. A conglomerate of talent, with a social status and power the likes of which hasn't been seen in two generations. A group of leer jet flyin, limosine ridin, wheelin, dealin, kiss stealin SOB's that would leave the paparazzi not knowing whether they should shit, wet or cream themselves. Jay-Z, Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Jamie Foxx; ladies and gentlemen I give you... The Roc Pack!


Peace Up, Peace Out