Do I hate a 7 year old?

Recently I've been going through somewhat of an identity crisis. I haven't been able to hate with the fervour and passion I once took so much pride in. I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and don't know who I am anymore. Could it be that my zest for hatred has left? How could this be? I once considered myself a hateologist if you will. Specializing in the ridicule of others (who deserve it) for my own amusement. I used hate like Popeye uses spinach. Children's tears brought me strength, the stupidity of others warms my heart...and not in a hallmark moment kind of way. More like a seething hatred that makes me wanna bust them in the head with a lead pipe or whatever makeshift weapon I can find nearby. It's not that I'm a mean guy, I'm prolly the nicest person you know. But I am a smart ass, and when I see something stupid millions of hateful insults flood my cerebral cortex. I truly feared this trait of my personality had left. Had I misused my power..the gift of hate? over used it perhaps? Had I forsaken it or had it forsaken me? Then suddenly while deep in meditation watching Run's House, my questions were answered.

Rev Run's youngest son is a lil punk. Yes I said it! Not only has my hate returned, it now knows no limitations. Little kids can get it too. I know he's only like 7 or something but allow me to get Alec Baldwin on his punk ass for a minute. I'm sure Russy is a very nice boy, but he is also a brat. What kid breaks his own toys and is punished my receiving new ones and going to anger management classes? I plan on being a psychologist, and do you know what my advice to Rev Run would be during therapy. The next time Russy has a tantrum and breaks his Gameboy, be calm. Don't raise your voice...maybe even smile a bit. Pat him on the head, make him feel safe and secure like he wont be in trouble. Then when he's least expecting it, take what's left of the game boy AND BEAT THE HELL OUT OF HIM WITH IT. That may sound harsh, but a good ass whoopin never hurt anyone. By no means am I advocating the abuse of children, but everyone I know who did receive physical discipline including myself, didn't break their own toys. I knew when I was youngster that if I broke one of my ninja turtles cuz I was salty about missing the last five minutes of Inspector Gadget, there was a strong chance when my parents found out Leonardo would have been lodged in my ass attached to my dads puma's. So Rev in the words of Alec Baldwin..."Straighten him out!"

by the way, Alec Baldwin is a real ass. He got so gangster on his own daughter he forgot how old she was. I mean if you're gonna shit on a kid at least no how many years of their childhood innocence you are stripping away from them when you do it. Folks please remember this hate blog is all said in jest. Degrading children is WRONG! yes it's fun, but its still WRONG. So in the interest of not getting sued, I would like to go ahead and give a half hearted apology to the whole simmons family. and Rev, for what it's worth "Down with the King" is one of my favorite songs ever, and it's in my ipod right now.

How did this happen?

My roommate just put me on to the new Rihanna video, "Umbrella," which you can watch below.



I can't say I'm mad at girlfriend's performance (I have never heard bad singing look so good), but I do take issue with the guest "verse" contributed by a certain Def Jam executive. I put "verse" in quotations because I'm not sure Hov's eight bars of mumbled gibberish even merit that title. The guy seems so lazy, depressed, and uninterested in rapping that it's incredible to think that only two years ago he was widely considered the best all-around emcee in the business. I myself argued as much many times, citing his versatility, his inimitable cool, and his unique ability to tread the line between commercial success and artistic integrity. And yet, here he is, limping his way through a verse that would make Juelz Santana cringe.

It's tempting to blame the whole thing on age, as so many have already done, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let Jay off the hook so easy. After all, there are many emcees his age and older who sound hungry as hell anytime they pick up a mic. I mean, if Rakim can absolutely destroy what is basically just a Nike commercial, then there is no excuse for such a poor performance from Jay. Especially on the lead single of an artist under the Def Jam umbrella (pun intended.) I mean, he wants to help sales, right?

More than likely Jay is just burnt out. Which is understandable of course, but then, isn't that why he retired in the first place? In retrospect, he couldn't have picked a better way to go out—classic album, sold-out show at the Garden, the respect and adoration of a public whose hearts skipped a beat every time he jumped on a remix ("Go Crazy," anyone?) But he just had to come back. I guess they all do eventually, but I really think that decision should be motivated by love of the game, not year-end sales quotas. If the love is gone, then homie by all means get on your yacht with your gorgeous woman and just zone out—Lord knows you deserve it. But it's a sad day indeed when the "best rapper alive" gets out-shined by a Covergirl model who sings.

...

That Barbados accent is hot though, huh?

Another Harlem Renaissance?

All too often I hear murmurs of hip hop as a passing phase, and “music” that will in the greater scheme of things have very little significance in our history. Of course, these murmurs often come from the very same individuals who claim that the Harlem Renaissance will forever be the greatest era in black American art culture. Admittedly, the Harlem Renaissance produced some of the greatest individuals in our history (if you don’t know about the Harlem Renaissance be ashamed and then check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance ). Imagine poetry without the words of Langston Hughes (listen to his classic poem “The Negro Speaks of the River”) or Countee Cullen (check out his poem “Saturday’s Child at http://www.afropoets.net/counteecullen6.html ). Imagine music without the sounds of household names like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and almost every power jazz musician of the early nineties (this list could go on for ages but for a taste go to http://www.jcu.edu/harlem/Performers/Page_1.htm ). To put it plain, America wouldn’t be America without the Harlem Renaissance.

In about 70 years some scholar will say, “America wouldn’t be America without the Hip-Hop Renaissance” as well. Many might say that Hip-Hop doesn’t have the poetry that the Harlem Renaissance did. To those I say, “ Shut up and listen to Black Ice for 2 minutes and then talk to me” (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY7pM8k8moY) . To those who say hip hop doesn’t have musical integrity and genius then take one second and go to a record store and pick up anything from Gangstarr to Common , or from Devin the Dude to Andre 3000 ( check out http://www.zshare.net/audio/guru-state_of_clarity_feat-_common_and_bob_james-mp3.html or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T1jdreS6ko ).

Hip Hop is great music, a great culture, and a part of history just like the Harlem Renaissance.

Stop snitchin'...on serial killers.

I really don't know what to say about this clip. It aired on Sunday, so you may have seen it already. If not, you owe it to yourself to check it out. My first impressions upon watching it were that Cam'ron is an idiot, and that Busta needs to retire. However, then I saw this clip of M-1 (of Dead Prez) defending Cam's position. So maybe there's more to it than meets the eye. I mean I get it that snitchin' is bad, and that cops are basically dicks, but you've gotta draw the line somewhere, right? What do you guys think?



Part 2 here.

Props to Onsmash.com and Nahright.com for the videos.

Update: Russell throws in his two cents. This whole thing is starting to seem like exploitation on the part of the media. And Anderson Cooper's ignorance of hip-hop is just embarrassing. Listen to how he refers to Run-DMC as "he."

New CD's Out Today (4/24/07)

These are just a few of the many:

Snoop Dogg - The Big Squeeze
Sa-Ra Creative Partners - The Hollywood Recordings
Joell Ortiz - The Brick
Big Prodeje - Hood 2 Da Good
Dr. John - Trader John's Crawfish Soiree
Artic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare

And the list goes on... but its almost finals and I got three papers to write.

Ra-ta-tat, Make Your Neck Snap Back

I've been into mixtapes, remix albums, and mash-up for a good while now, because I think it often displays hiphop in it's most creative light. I could go on and on about Gangsta Grillz and Southern Smoke, RJD2, and Girl Talk (Which I probably will in the near future). The duo I'm focusing on today is the force to be reckoned with from New York City, Ratatat.

Ratatat is guitarist Mike Straud and synthesizer guru and producer Evan Mast. These ridonkulously talented boy-next-door looking White boys are seriously good at what they do. As 2006 came to a close, they had released 3 studio albums, all of which are solid and very entertaining to listen to. Then, last month, their fourth studio album Ratatat Remixes Vol. 2 leaked onto the internet.

I love it when that happens.

They are so on point on this album. I mean, they made Memphis Bleek sound good. Like, really good. You know, the Memphis Bleek who's boss (Jigga Man) made the claim, "Bleek can be one hit away his whole career/ as long as I'm alive, he's a millionaire." Damn, Hov is one cocky (but always honest) bastard.

But I digress, back to RATATAT. Immediately, I'm drawn in, because the cover of the album is the man, the myth, the legend, Bun-B wearing a "Ratatat" chain. I'm hooked. Standout songs are the Memphis Bleek song I previously mentioned, "Alright", the Southern classic "3 Kings" (Slim Thug, Bun-B, and TIP), and "Party & Bullshit" by The Notorious B.I.G.

It's definitely worth the buy/illegal download/however you get your fix. I guarantee you will have the beat from the Memphis Bleek remix stuck in your head for weeks (I know I have).

Also, they have a great website with tour dates, photos, and exclusive remixes.

Enjoy.

Why Does Swizz Beatz Have A Career?!?!?!?!?

Can somebody explain to me why the hell Swizz Beatz has a career? Like seriously, am I the only person on the planet that realizes he's been makin' the same beat for a decade? How many more tambourines, whistles, handclaps, f***ing bells and casio horns can you put in a damn beat? I mean a lot of ppl make throwaway music, but when I heard that Swizz is responsible for about 92 million records sold, that made me realize that two different factions of ppl are idiots: the artists and the consumers. Wait, I guess I can't go too hard on the artists because they give the people what they want, so if they're askin' for this bullshit, then that's what they gonna get.

So with that bein' said, if you supported a Swizz Beatz produced track past 1998, you're a f***ing idiot. He has successfully G'd you by knowin' that he can give the same track he had for DMX in '99 to Cassidy and your dumb ass won't know there is no difference.

Mind you as I'm writin' this I'm listenin' 2 Beyonce's "Upgrade U". I guess I'm a f***ing idiot too...

"My Rims So Big, I Fucked My Allignment Up"

As the only contributor to this site from the area affectionately known as The Yay (that's Northern California to all you squares), I'm sure you're all expecting me to put up some retarded post about how E-40 is better than Rakim, or some other dumb shit along those lines. Well my friends, in good time. For now though, I've got bigger fish to fry. Tomorrow will mark 4 weeks since Redman released his sixth solo joint, Red Gone Wild: Thee Album, and I have yet to see this video on MTV Jams. And believe me yo, I watch a lot of that shit. I could understand this lack of exposure if Red was on an indie, but he's on fucking DEF JAM, the biggest hip-hop label in the game. And yet, there has been absolutely no promotion for Red's new album, just like there was no promotion for albums by the Roots and Method Man (also Def Jam artists) last year. So what the fuck is going on? Why does a label that promotes itself as a juggernaut in the industry, and one to which rappers still flock in hopes of commercial success, continue to shit on its most established artists?
Sadly, the only explanation I can come up with is that albums like Red Gone Wild are simply seen as tax write-offs by a company that believes its old roster is unmarketable. I guess we should be happy that the label is at least releasing this shit instead of letting it sit in the vault (whaddup Dre), but it's still pretty damn frustrating. Especially when Def Jam will throw millions into building the careers of people like Young Jeezy and this fat fuck. And then, of course, there's the issue of conflict of interest. Method Man, ?uestlove and LL Cool J have all expressed dissatisfaction with "President Hov," and really no one can blame them. After all, he pushed the painfully bad Kingdom Come to platinum status last year, proving once and for all that the right amount of push will sell anything. So why not do the same for other Def Jam releases?! Shit, well, you tell me. All I can say is that I'm profoundly disappointed with Hov's tenure as Pres, and I think he needs to get the fuck out before he ruins his own career along with Redman's (I mean shit, dude used to be my favorite rapper, and here I am bitching him out.) If Koch records can push Jim Jones to 300,000 plus, there is no excuse for Method Man selling so poorly (He was in the fucking Wu-Tang Clan, for God's sake.) The same goes for Redman, The Roots, and even Ghostface. In this case, we've got to blame the label. And, sadly, Mr. Shawn Carter.

It's not like any of us can really reverse these trends, but I do encourage you to check out Red's new album nonetheless. Yes, that means paying for it. As a longtime fan, I can truly say it's some of his best work, and if you like your rappers to be men of the people--rather than blinged out Black Republicans--you couldn't find a better man. After all, this is how he lives.

Bonus: Great Redman interview from The Onion AV Club.

The Game: Live

So there were several performances on USC's campus yesterday worth checking out. However, partly because I am lazy, I was only able to see one and a half. The one and a half being half of Ghostface Killah and The Game. The Game just so happens to be the most confusing name in hip-hop. I noticed this while throughout the day I asked several people when "The Game" was on, they replied "What Game." To which I would reply "No. No. The Game." And like a script they would then preceded to incur to which "Game" I was referring to. A very confusing conversation that happened multiple times.

Anyway, I will not say to much about Ghostface because I was watching the performance from 12 floors up and was more engulfed with the view then the show itself. But I was damn near on the stage for The Game, and I rather enjoyed the performance. However, hip-hop is interesting live show because the rapper isn't really doing much besides standing there. But non the less the man had stage presence, and despite forgetting some of his lines and almost falling off the stage once. He keep the crowd involved, played all his hits and was pretty funny on occasion. Oh yeah, did I mention Snoop and Xzbit came out for the last song. That was not only extremely unexpected, but very much enjoyed. Some people I know, who will remain nameless, foolishly left the show before this most grand finally and they will be ridiculed for many years to come. Basically to summarize this rant, I'll say well done to USC. Either you put on a good concert this year, or I was just drunk enough to enjoy it. Probably both. (this picture is just funny)

"Smokin' weed till my mutha f*ckin' eyes bleed..."

"This is dedicated to the n*ggas that was down from day one. Welcome to Death Row..."

So begins possibly the best gangsta rap album of all time. Those words are so comforting for me to hear, because when they grace my ears I anticipate all the sonic glory that they promise is coming.

When The Chronic dropped in '92, I didn't notice. The reason is simple: I was freakin 6. I was too busy chasing Josh on the wood-chip playground to tag away the utter disgrace of being 'it,' exerting imperial dominance over pog world, and showing the girl I loved Molly Birney that I was her obvious choice. I was obviously real occupied in life.

But when I came of age... I'd say circa '97, I fell in love with the funky-ass gangsta rhythms of Death Row (sorry Molly, I had to move on). I loved everything about it – the hyperbolic hoodness, the Snoop Dogg house-party vibes, and of course, that little detail that screams at you from every angle in his music and his cover art: that good ol’ fashioned dank green ganja weed.

I essentially loved weed before I ever smoked it, or smoked anything for that matter. I loved puffing blunts, getting cottonmouth, and getting lifted before I had ever seen marijuana, all because Dr. Dre told me it was cool.

I eventually got my hands on weed and, you know, I got down with it. But did I really like it? Did I like that half-paranoid, check-out-this-trippy-shit experience? Maybe. Did I really enjoy holding the smoke in my lungs as long as possible before I coughed it out until my eyes teared up? Possibly. Did something inside just tell me that getting high was the shit even if it didn’t feel like that the first few times? Definitely.

Basically, my love affair with weed started because of Dr. Dre’s and other rappers’ endorsement of it. Weed was/is marketed to me not by its dealers or growers, but by hip-hop artists. I just knew that shit was great, before I knew what it smelled or tasted like. It was like Eazy-E, Dre, and Wu-Tang were whispering into my ear in 6th grade saying “you gotta get high man, you gotta see how tight this shit is.”

I’m not saying that I wouldn’t have found the beauty of the ganj had I never listened to The Chronic, but without a doubt hip-hop supports the weed industry and favors people who get down with it. To me, Mary Jane and hip-hop are almost inseparable.

And today, April 21 (that bitch motivation kinda got in the way of writing this yesterday), I feel like starting the day off with a bang. So lemme just put on “Let Me Ride” for a pep-talk and get to it.

We Gon' Make It

Ah, to be white and in Hip-Hop. Lord knows it hasn’t been easy for
white emcees, who’ve had to battle against the legacy of Vanilla Ice, the obligatory comparisons to Eminem, and, quite frequently, their own wackness in order to be recognized as legitimate Hip-Hop artists. Even those deserving of success (R.A. the Rugged Man, Bubba Sparxx, really no one else I can think of) continue to meet with commercial failure, despite the fact that the record buying public is largely white (apparently we prefer our cultural appropriation without the middle man). However, the production side of hip-hop is becoming a white man’s game. I suspect this is because more white people have the money to buy records, samplers, turntables, and music lessons. That, and they know they shouldn’t be rapping. Of all the crackers making slaps right now (Scott “I’m a Gangsta” Storch, the dude from The Runners, that guy who committed suicide) The Alchemist is the one killing it most consistently. On Prodigy’s new “mixtape” (cmon’ dunny, that shit is an album) Return of the Mac, Al laces some of the best production P has seen since The Infamous, giving “Hollywood Hav” a good reason to get back in the studio and cook up some more one-bar loops (ouch). Seriously though, these beats are rich, soulful and grimy as fuck, providing P with the perfect backdrop for his, uh, rhyming (hey, at least his voice is still dope). If Al keeps producing like this, he’s gonna be the next Premier; he’s already beating Preme at his own game (That Nike “Classic” Remix was nice, but let’s be real, it sounds like every other beat dude has produced in the last 10 years). With Preme’s seal of approval, and that of, apparently, all of the QB projects, Al’s gonna be around for a long time (after all, nothing grants legitimacy like the support of the hood.) So maybe there is hope for us crackers in rap after all. We’ve just gotta put down the mics and start paying for those piano lessons.


ps. In case you all were wondering, this is my first post on this site (and on any blog, for that matter). Big ups to Mike for letting me in. Hit me up with your thoughts, good or bad.
"I love the hate, gives me a new purpose."

My dream track just happened

DJ premier. Rakim. Nas. KRS One. Kanye. That sounds like part of a list of the most important actors in hip-hop history. But actually it's a collaboration that I just heard while I was doing some situps at the lovely USC gym. My jaw dropped like a dog panting as the MC's rotated.

My biggest thought during this video is, damn I cannot WAIT for Rakim's new album The Seventh Seal. And hopefully Primo's presence on this track (in vintage Primo form, by the way) means that we will see those two often on the album. He's also said that Timbaland will be on it, and I would expect Dre to contribute at least one track since it was originally slated as "Oh My God," a collab between Dre and Rakim.

Also I question Kanye deserving to be on this track amongst such hip-hop giants. I would have understood if he produced it, but honestly, Kanye just can't hold it down like Rakim or Nas as a rapper. Sandwiched between those two he looks like a novice. In his words I just don't think he has what it takes on the mic to "be classic like Nas is." But he's probably the most sellable of the 5 at the moment.

Nevertheless this is a dope track and a creative video - I like to see them in the studio, Premier working the boards and the graff aspect is dope too. I might be way late on this but if you got beef, eat a pork chop.

My Apologies To Ya'll

I apologize to ya'll out there 'cause I've been ill absentee recently on the blogging, and the truth of the matter is, it's 'cause I haven't been inspired to right about anything. If it was up to me, I would just make comments about all the new/old music that I'm bumpin', but instead the only thing goin' on in mainstream rap music right now is crap like 50 Cent changin' his album name to Curtis and Cam'ron changin' his album name to Courtesy Curtis. By the way, for lack of better phrasin', that's the dumbest shit I've ever seen or heard in my life, but I digress.

Instead of hearin' about the integrity, or lack thereof in the music nowadays, instead I have to sit back at watch stations like CNN and Fox News blame Hip-Hop for recent tragedies as the VA Tech shooting and the ignorant ramblings of "I'm so old lookin' I could die any minute now" Don Imus. I can't believe I sat back and watched CNN try to inform its viewers that since Hip Hop glorifies violence so much that it could have had an influence on the 30 something ppl that unfortunately lost their lives on what could have been the second most tragic day I can really remember since 9/11.

While they have ABSOLUTELY no point about the connection of Hip Hop and VA, I felt bad when I thought that they could have a point about Hip Hop's connection to Don Imus. If we didn't call our own women hoes so much, would he have found it alright to say that on his radio show? Just somethin' to think about...

The Truth is Here...

And, no, it's not the Michelin man... and it's definitely not Paul Pierce.

On a windy Saturday afternoon at Best Buy Electronics, for a mere $7 and 99 little guys, I purchased the most impressive release of 2007 so far: Brother Ali's third record on Rhymesayers Entertainment, The Undisputed Truth. Well, ok, maybe it's not the most impressive -- I kind of expected this to be firey like Malibu mountains during the dry season. But nonetheless this album is heatish.

Brother Ali is an albino black man. He's arguably the most soulful man of his pigment (next to Mike Walbert of course), and it's this complicated perspective that shaped his character. A devout Muslim, Ali is at once self-deprecating, aggressive, clever,
and spiritual. He's one of the only rappers out right now that I can truly say is on his own shit, seemingly not affected by anything anyone else is doing.

And that's because his whole craft and charisma comes from one untouchable, unusual mind and heart. You know that feeling you get when you listen to a Louis Armstrong, BB King, or Muddy Waters record for the second or third time? That impossible outlet of pain, joy, trauma, and privilege that seems to say everything you've ever realized about human life through just ... some sounds? When Ali speaks, you shut the fuck up and listen like you're in the Principal's office.

He has that authority because you can tell the man's been through a lot. On past albums he has talked about the injustices he's faced in his life, and his level of consciousness is uncontested. When the production is on point, the voice of Brother Ali is unmatched. His life perspective, his truth is ... undisputed.

Listen to some samples on Ali's myspace. Then get off your nappy-headed ho-ass and buy the record. (Go ahead Mike, fire me.)

Imus in the News

I decided to write about this when I was in the gym hoping to watch the Lakers-Phoenix game, when all that was on was the damn Imus story. And the title on the bottom of the screen was something like “Imus Crisis.” (the news is a joke) I don’t know Imus and don’t have any prior negative or positive feelings about him, but now I am just annoyed by him. Here should be the headlines to me… “Race Issues In America Still Exist.” Cause that’s the real issue, right? Not really breaking news. So fire him and get on with it. Not that I don’t think this is a story, but don’t act like this is actually turning the country upside-down… or that it is a “Crisis.” There are several aspects of this story I find interesting, and I’ll break it down.

For those of you who have been in a hole for about 10 days ill break down the happenings. Basically the radio personality Don Imus, referred to the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.” (Poor choice of words)

It didn’t take long for a finger to be pointed at “hip-hop.” Imus said, in his defense, something along the lines of “ho” is said in hip-hop all the time, so why is what he said so different. Well, if you ask me its very different, and here is the top three reasons why.

(Before I begin I would just like to say that I think the world might be a little better off if everyone stopped calling women “hoes” and “bitches” with such easy (myself included). Though you may not mean it… you may not know it, but it does affects the way you, and others around you, think and treat women. You don’t call women you respect (i.e. your mom) a “ho” or “bitch.”)

1) Imus is on public radio, and is not coming out with a CD anytime soon. If he wasn’t on the radio and wanted to come out with a CD with a song called “hos, hos, and hoes,” this would not be a story.
2) Imus was referring to the second place 2007 NCAA women’s team. Do you really need to bad mouth the Cinderella team, who had a great tournament performance… especially after the just lost in the finals? I mean who does that. I am surprised he didn’t bad mouth George Mason last year.
3) Imus didn’t just call them “hos”… he called them “nappy-headed hos.” And this is the real story. This is more of a race issue then a sexist issue, which says something about our culture. We have a long way to go, racism is still a huge issue, and its unfortunate that we don’t need a radio host to say something stupid to address that.

With that said, I am going to turn on the TV and hope to god Imus isn’t on.
Also, don’t use the word “Crisis” loosely, cause when you have a real “Crisis” no one will believe you. And if he contaminates anther one of my PTI’s I’m going to have real problems with this guy. He will have a special place in my heart…right next to Anna Nicole Smith.

Leprachaun in Alabama

Alright, so I am not sure who has already seen this, I might be the last, but I met someone last night who told me about this leprechaun video on youtube. I checked it out and was amazed. Apparently about 3.5 million people have already watched the video, but if you haven’t… check it out. Leprechaun video. From this ridiculous story, someone probably timbaland, came out with a rap video. Its worth spending 2 minutes of your life to Check it out. Here is the og video without the rapping to give you context of what the rap actually means. News Video

This just in...Rap is DANGEROUS, proceed with caution

Rap is a very dangerous profession, especially for this poor bastard. You have to give him credit though for staying with it. I think I might have watched this like 15 times the first time I saw it. It's utterly rediculous.

Watch where you rap!
and from one more angle

As much as I would like to, I cannot take credit for this. Trav and Antwuan y'all got this one.

Weekly Hate Blog

After my hate blog written about Kanye West, many requested that I unleash my hateful wrath upon others no matter how deserving or undeserving they may be. Unfortunately this week I only became disgruntled by two things. The last issue is something I just find incredibly interesting.

Skate Boarders: I'm a big fan of Pharrell, I like Lupe Fiasco, but the next time I see some kid "kick pushing" around campus, I'm gonna "kick push" his ass into a bus. I'm really only talking about one kid specifically, so the rest of you continue to kick push to your hearts delight. I have no qualms with most of you, there is just one kid who really annoys me. He rides his skateboard around everywhere and quite badly I might add. To make matters worse he is built more like a linebacker than a skateboarder. So his tight shirts turn into Tube Tops, and his tight jeans quickly become Capri Pants. This might seem extra hateful, but he almost hit me the other day when I was leaving class, so I have a personal vendetta against him and his skateboard. Granted I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going, and was prolly thinking about that last beer I had in the refrigerator. When I think about it, objectively speaking, I'm totally in the wrong...but I hate him nonetheless.

Purple City: Purple City single handedly managed to encompass all the negative stereotypes of rap in one song. "Knick Knack", takes a childs nursery rhyme and turns it into something much different. and I quote..."Knick Knack Paddy Wack, Give a dog a bone...Murda!", not only is this unnecessarily violent, it makes no F&*$ing sense! which is the part that pisses me off. How do you even sit down to write that, then after coming up with it decide it's a good idea, or for that matter possibly think that's a rational sequence of thought. Childhood memories - Nursery Rhymes - Topped off with a little a murder?...sounds like a classic to me! Of course Purple City is connected to Dipset, which explains the lack of forethought, creativity, and lyricism. Or as Jim Jones has called it "Lyricalism".

Charlie Brown: Yes that's right, and as for how it relates to Hip-Hop I'll get to that when I please. For those of you who know me, Charlie Brown cartoons are prolly the one thing I never grew out of. That round headed son of a bitch still cracks me up. The one question I always had though was where is Franklin? I know what you're thinking , who the hell is Franklin? you don't know Franklin because he was the only black kid of the peanuts gang and was rarely used in story lines. I often wondered where he was when Linus, Charlie Brown and Lucy were out flying kites, playing baseball, or going to school. Then a few weeks back I was watching an old charlie brown special from the 80's entitled "Flash Beagle" and got my answer. While other 7 year olds are in bed, Franklin is out at night break dancing in front of a club. So understandably only being 7, the next day he is too tired to go to school, fly kites, or play baseball the next day. I'm much older than 7 and find it hard to make my only Friday class after a Thursday night out. On top of all that there was another black kid, who I had never seen before makin a beat for Franklin by clapping. This by no means makes me hate Charlie Brown but I was kinda weirded out by it and didn't know what to think. Obviously the short film "Flash Beagle" was created during the height of break dancing, but damn.

New CD's Out Today (4/10/07)

Rappin' 4-tay - That's What You Thought
Mr. Shadow - A Name You Kan't Touch
Konu - Coco Shack
Cap D - Return of The Renegade
Bozo - Free Bozo
B.T.H. - All Systems Go
Mad Dog - The Next Chapter
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga

I am not endorsing any of these, and haven't heard them yet. But they are new none the less. If you check one out and like it, let us know.

Melodesiac smashin' all cliches

For the past two years, the 9 piece Hip Hop band Melodesiac has been laying it down on the Boston music scene, and now it only gets better with the release of their debut album "Hands High". Twelve tracks of genre bending music, if you are looking for music that is breaking the norm and trying to bring something innovative to the Hip Hop scene, then this is the album you need to look for.

The album will be on iTunes in a few weeks (be on the lookout for that), but in the mean time you can get a copy directly from one of the band members if you are in direct contact with them, or you can have a CD sent to you through www.cdfreedom.com (link here). This link also has clips of the songs so you can preview and see what's good with the band.

Be sure to continually check the Myspace Page and www.melodesiac.com for more details.

The Strange Fruit Project

As an avid follower of "backpack rap" or as I call it "Music by Negroes with Brains", I find myself listening to a group called The Strange Fruit Project. At first glance the name may seem a little odd, but its pure unadulterated hip-hop. "Strange Fruit" was a song by Billy Holliday that spoke out against the horrific crimes being committed against african americans in the south. Holliday's song speaks to you and has a message much like the group that shares the same name. Isn't that what Hip-Hop and all music for that matter is supposed to be about anyway? Music is supposed to speak to us. It's supposed to make us feel, make us think, help us to act, and serve as inspiration.

Will this group ever be #1 on Billboards charts? More than likely they won't. Sadly the market really isn't demanding Hip-Hop like this, atleast in terms of record sales. At the same time if you look beneath the Soundscan numbers, it's crying out for it. Hip-Hop for me is a living, breathing entity. Its not necessarily tangible as much as people try to make it seem that way. You can't pinpoint where it begins and where it ends, you can't even put a face to it, but its always there. It's continuously growing and evolving. I guess I'm trying to say that Hip-Hop is art, and art lives. For some time it's been flashy, overtly violent, too sexual and materialstic. Yet in still, throughout its development no matter what path it chooses, lyricsim, creativity, and honesty are it's life blood. You can't place numbers or dollar signs on that. You can't package that, it just is. Strange Fruit Project is Hip-Hop, they couldn't help but be anything else. You can tell they live it and breathe it through their words. They aren't trying to be anything except who they are, which is Hip-Hop. With that said enough talking about it, I think I'd better let you hear it for yourself.

The Strange Fruit Project - In the Sun
The Strange Fruit Project - Love is
The Strange Fruit Project - Special

Lyrical Genius

I would like to take a minute to appreciate a lyrical masterpiece written by the great Gucci Mane, in 2006. I recently discovered this song not too long ago on a long car ride and it goes without saying that we replayed the song several times…and it quickly became someone’s new ring tone. The song I speak of is Gucci Mane’s “My Chain.” If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing this song, take a second to read these lyrics and you might find yourself running to the nearest CD store to pick up a copy of the single (or not).

Some Highlights:
First Verse:
“My Chain Is Off The Chain”

Second verse:
“My Chain Hang To My Shoe String/
Like My Watch And Ring But I Know You Love My Chain/
My Chain Hang To My Ding-A-Ling/
I Do My Thug Thing When Im In The Club Mane”

(Note: its much better listening to it)

If your anything like me then the first thing that comes into your mind after you read this is…What the fuck was he thinking when he wrote that. Then shortly after that you think, who the fuck heard that and thought it would make for a good song. And then finally “what the fuck is the world coming to when shit like this is on the radio and selling in stores.”

Now it may not be fair to pick on Gucci Mane, because lets face it, there are copious amount of crap lyrics in rap music today. But for some reason these lyrics really hit home, as absolutely terrible. Anytime a grown man refers to his dick as a ding-a-ling, just for rhyming sake, I would say he and the song suck. Gucci Mane should get a court ordered restriction from coming within 200 yards of a studio or microphone, if he does anything like this again. Someone needs to put a stop to this, and if record companies don’t then I say the government should.

Note: I haven’t heard the rest of the CD, who knows it might be fantastic.

What are the worst lyrics you have ever heard? POST IN THE COMMENTS

Don't pee on my leg and tell me its raining

What is it with prominent figures in hip-hop and urine? I just dont get it. These pee freaks are out of control. First it was Mr. golden Shower himself, the self proclaimed Pied piper of R&B R. Kelly, now Ray J or as many of you know him Brandy's Brother has joined the ranks too. First off let me say that whatever you choose to do behind closed doors in your own bedroom is your business. Unless you are pee'n on people! thats just nasty and you need to be reprimanded. I'm not one to advocate violence against women, infact I hate it and the guys who do it. But let it be known right now, that if a chick EVER pee'd on me she better start running. Even if it was by accident she should assume whats coming next, tiptoe out the room, and hope I dont notice.

Ray J and former girlfriend Kim Kardashian apparently have a sex tape in which such a scene takes place. Which raises other questions. Why do celebrities keep makin sex tapes in the first place, and if you absolutely must make a sex tape why pee on someone in it? is that really necessary? Shouldn't Ray J have learned something from his predacessor in the urinary arts? Doesn't he know what happens when you pee on someone and tape it? Men are disgusting by nature, its what we do, and what we do best, especially when we see an attractive woman. Fellas you know what I'm talkin about, you're out with your boys and see a good lookin woman and someone will categorically always say something like..."Damn she's fine", another guy will say "yea she can get it". Now imagaine your boy Ray J pops up and says "I'd love to piss on her forehead". You see where im going with this? Friends don't let friends pee on people, so if you know someone that does make them stop.

These guys really need help and honestly I think the best way is by not supporting them. Don't go to their shows, don't buy their music, dont even steal it for free. Let them sit in their own piss for a change, and see how it feels. Maybe only then will they learn from their mistakes and keep urine where it belongs. In a toilet, the woods, or on Lloyd Banks first album. I'm still mad I paid for that crap.

Now you can Watch the newest Hip-Hop Videos HERE!!!

thats right I am as suprised as you are. this blog is quickly become the worlds best blog. You can watch videos of music, freestyles, remixes, poetry and the like here. Just a few days after we offer free music you can now watch videos. Soon you will be able to visit our blog and get free food directly from the screen (i can't garentee that, but at this rate anything is possible).

Enjoy this new feature, for it might be the best feature ever.

CD Releases 3/4/07

Paul Wall – Get Money, Stay True
Turf Talk – West Coast Vaccine
Timbaland – Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Run DMC – Live at Montreux 2001
Ray Ricky Rivera – Neighborhood Fame
Mims – Music Is My Savior
Mista Madd – Still Standing
Mr. Knightowl – El Padrino
Beyonce – B’Day

Just to let you know.

Another Potent Remix

Devin the Dude gets the best from the East and West coast (Snoop and Andre 3000) to remix "What a Job"

Just another remix worth checking out. Enjoy!

Outkast Remix UGK's "Players Anthem"

If you like outkast then check out "Players Anthem"

They are clearly getting ready for an album, as they can be spotted rapping on almost everyones Remix.

(thanks for the heads up E)

Do I hate Kanye West?

Do I hate Kanye West? Its a question I think we all ask ourselves from time to time. Some might say hate is a strong word, well I am a hateful person so I enjoy it. And I dont mean hate as in crap on other peoples accomplishments, I mean hate as in a disdain that burns within my heart. Why hate Kanye? you might ask. My simple response is watch him for five minutes. I have come up with a simple point system I will use to evaluate my hate for kanye on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the strongest hate of all hates. We will start calculating my hate at 5 to be fair to Mr. West. I will add and subtract points for things I like and dislike about him accordingly. In the interest fairness I will try to be as impartial as possible, who knows I might even surprise myself at the end of this, although I doubt it.

1. " George Bush hates black people": -3, for keepin it honest, besides Clinton I challenge you to find one president that hasn't, but now that Clintons side hoe (his wife) is running against Barack I bet Clinton's love for the brother man will be stretched to its end.

2. His style of dress: + 5, this reason is of a personal nature as I think of myself as a well dressed black man. Since Mr. Wests arrival in the public eye, I have been called Kanye on the street by heathens, and mangy scalywags even old dirty bastard wouldn't associate with . For those of you who may not know, let me let you in on a secret. Kanye west is NOT the first black man to wear a polo shirt, sport coat, tie, pants that fit, Dress Shirt (what you might call a "button up"), or read a book. Shocking I know, but alas it is true and I have been living proof of it for sometime.

3. Degrades women: +20, Some of you may or may not know that in an essence magazine artice a few months back Kanye referred to women of mixed race as "mutts" and without them, and other light skinned women of color there would be no video vixens. The stupidity of this statement goes without saying, however what makes it worse is Kanye acts as if he is a progressive, and insightful voice in rap. Cut from the same cloth as tribe and De La Soul. This totally contradicts that image! Just cuz you wrote a song about Jesus, and believe me I love me some Jesus, doesn't let you off the hook for this one

4. Musical Skill: -6, although he as a person is easy to hate, and his music and lyrical ability is becoming predictable to say the least, he is still pretty damn good at times.

5. Depicting himself as Christ on RollingStone: + 2,978, Really Kanye?, do I need to say anything else.

6. Dissin Gretchen Wilson: +8, I'm not a huge fan of hers but calling someone elses music "Bulls#@*" on one of the biggest nights of their career just cuz you can't take a loss like a man is inexcusable.

7. Other erroneous boastful comments to numerous to mention: +9, he's a cocky jerk. Confidence is one thing, saying "what would the grammy's be without golddigger" is another. My answer to you Kanye is, it would still be the greatest show in music, just as it will be when your career is over.

Let's tally it up: Although he started off strong with a solid -3 bringing my hate level down to 2, things ended predictably as my hate was off the charts, finally subsiding around +3,016. So just as I thought I hate Kanye West, and you all know it. Hopefully he will read this and know it too.

Should have said this long ago

Mick Boogie presents "AND Justus For All" the last Little Brother album that will feature production of any kind from 9th wonder. So before the debate begins about if the group will sink or swim without 9th's beats, let's enjoy this last project. Besides ITS FREE!. No two sweeter words to jaded music fans cheapskate ears. Let me repeat this again. This album is 100% on that buy one get one tip at Sam Goody, except you ain't gotta buy S*%#! what could be better?

To me the best song on the album is the "Let it go remix", originally featured on the groups last mixtape with DJ DRAMA. This time though Talib spits a verse along with Mos Def. Phonte, Pook and 9th are on the top of their game, and to me this track alone allows this trio to ride off into the sunset with my respect. The group samples Jay-Z's "Bring it on" from "Reasonable Doubt" on a track with the same name. Ray Cash is a guest on this track, and despite popular belief he is more than a serviceable mc. Before you judge Ray listen to him on "pay Back" which was featured on his last album.

For Little Brother featuring artists on tracks with the lyrically diabolical duo is only a sign of things to come. I personally have mixed feelings about this. Its great to hear Talib, Ray Cash and others rap along side Pooh and Phonte, however part of what made them great was that only Phonte, Pooh, or another member of Justus League had verses on tracks. The fact that they kept everything so in house was respectable to me. They also did it in a fashion unlike the widely accepted marketing strategy of todays crews. The Justus League artists promoted themselves with their own lyrical content and skill. If you liked them great, if not then your loss. You weren't told who was rapping with a voice over from a screaming Camron (e.g. J.R. Writer), and you never heard 9th yelling over his beats with cliched DJ vernacular (E.G. DJ Clue, Funk Flex, even my man Drama). AZ is also featured on the album and because I am a big fan of his, I risk appearing hypocrtitcal as my personal bias keeps me from seeing any problem here whatsoever. Its about time AZ got some real shine although I doubt it will come from getting on this album. Still its nice to know he's still alive.

If you heard Chitlin Circuit, Connected (Foreign Exchange), Minstel Show, or any of their tracks for Okay Player this album might leave you wanting more, especially since its the last interaction 9th will have with the group. In the end it does its job though. Folks its a mixtape, its purpose by nature is to generate interest in an upcoming project, while not bringing out every trick up an artists sleeve. The next Album "The Get Back" will not feature 9th, people will be even more interested simply to see if the group falls on their face or not without him. So with that said "And Justus for all" gets the job done.

In my opinion the album by no means is their best work, but I still appreciate it nonetheless, cuz simply put its better than most music out now. Yet another testament to what the group was all about. To quote Joe Scudda on "Lovin It", " Cuz our worst days we better than your best year". Their myspace page has two places you can download the album. Feel free to choose which suits you best

You Can Now Listen To New Music HERE!!!

What is a hip-hop blog without music?... what our blog used to be. What is a hip-hop blog with 45 full length (relitively new) songs that you can listen to... a fantastic blog (this blog) that can entertain you (and anyone else in the world) for hours on end.

This is the new!!! and improved blog. For new music and shit, check back frequently for new playlists and new posts.

much love

Rich Boy - Rich Boy (CD Review)

Couple weeks ago this Alabama boy came out with his first album properly titled Rich Boy. He started out making beats in college, and put out a CD hoping to get his beats out there… it turned out that everyone kept asking who the rapper was… so he made a legit CD. Anyway, I bought the album about a week ago (on discount), and was pleasantly surprised almost immediately. I expected the same southern CD, where almost all the tracks sound alike. However, almost all the tracks on this CD have a very distinct and unique sound. Guests like Big Boi and Andre 3000, add a lot, and spit the best two verses on the CD. If you like throwing D’s on that bitch (though it might be one of the best songs on the CD) you will probably enjoy the rest of the CD. So in closing, Rich Boy’s Rich Boy is worth buying… even if not on discount.