This week's "DONKEY OF THE WEEK" is Montana Deleon, the internet full-figured, urban model who has surprisingly not yet been featured in any hip hop videos. With the donkey that she has, I just don't know how she hasn't been in a hip hop video yet. She was born and grew up in Miami, but now lives in Atlanta where she is on a quest to become an author and possibly a love/sex/relationship talk show host. Montana is a fully trained actress as well, which may explain why she is constantly video blogging online for her fans.
You can see more of Montana Deleon on her various websites:
This week's "EMCEE OF THE WEEK" goes to Large Professor, a.k.a. Large Pro or Xtra P, who has been a consistent creator of true hip hop since steppin' on the scene in 1988 as a founding member of the group Main Source. Amazingly, at the age of 37, Large Pro is still rockin' crowds with his beats and his rhymes. He's one of the few producer/rappers who has maintained a consistent high level of skill in the booth and on the boards.
Large Professor is most notably known for debuting Nas on Main Source's "Breaking Atoms" album on the track "Live At The Barbeque." Nas and Large Pro have collaborated several times over the years and it's always on point. What I like about Large Pro is his uncanny ability to make hard yet simple, "boom-bap" style beats and spit hard yet simple rhymes over them without ever being boring. I say simple for lack of a better word, but he truly has maintained an old school style with a new school edge and due to this has remained relevant for over 20 years in the game.
I recently spent two entire days digging through my "virtual crates" in my archives and even had to go out and find a couple joints that I didn't have in a quest to obtain every single track Large Professor ever spit on. After some serious neck crampage from simultaneously staring at my computer screen and bobbing the fuck outta my head, I was able to compile what I believe to be the most extensive "Best Of" Money Mixtape for Large Professor. I laid out 25 of the illest records Large Pro has created throughout his illustrious career in a seamlessly smooth flowing mixtape. Honestly, this mutha fucka should pay me for making the sickest mixtape of all time!!!
For anyone who isn't that familiar with Large Professor go do some research and check this video below:
Since I'm on a Large Pro kick, the "THROWBACK CLASSIC OF THE WEEK" this week is Main Source's record "Fakin' The Funk" from the "White Man Can't Jump" Soundtrack. This shit is one of my favorite old school joints. With Large Pro on the beat and kickin' the first verse, this shit is a classic song. Be sure to peep this video and never fake the funk on a nasty dunk!!!!
The following is a list of new hip hop album releases for Tuesday, December 1, 2009:
R. Kelly: "Untitled"
Juvenile: "Cocky and Confident"
This is a pretty shitty week for hip hop. Despite the fact that I love R. Kelly, that shit ain't hip hop and neither is fuckin' Juvenile. This is why I had to spend an entire weekend diggin' in my virtual crates for any and all tracks that my man Large Professor is on. It's gotten to a point where I gotta spend hours and hours of my time putting together mixtapes of old shit just so I can have something good to listen to on the NY subways. Fuck it. It's worth it if all I have to listen to is Juvenile this week!!!
This is a quick video clip of Ghostface speaking on the recording of his Supreme Clientele album. For those of you mutha fuckas out there who always claimed to know what Ghostface was talking about on this album, GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!! Even Ghost himself said that he was high as shit and just wanted to put words together that sounded ill on a record. Hahaha. He definitely accomplished his goal!!!
Wu-Tang's long time DJ and producer, Allah Mathematics, has a brand new uncensored radio show "Math Files" airing every Wednesday night at 7:00 - 8:00 PM (EST) on AllHipHop Radio. The weekly show will feature new song premiers, remixes, rarities, and in-studio guest appearances, according to Allah Math's Twitter page (www.Twitter.com/MathFiles). This past Wednesday, Mathematics aired the brand new, unreleased track "Mef vs. Chef 2" which is the first track heard from Raekwon, Method-Man and Ghostface's new album "Wu-Massacre."
Be sure to tune into Allah Mathematics' new show "Math Files" every Wednesday at 7:00 PM (EST) on AllHipHop Radio at: www.goomradio.us/radio/allhiphop-radio
Lupe released this FREE mixtape at midnight on Thanksgiving. The more I hear from Lupe, the more I think he sucks, but y'all can decide for yourself. This dude makes some weird shit. I think he has good lyrics, but his delivery is getting worse and worse and his flow is doing the same. Plus, a major pet peeve of mine is when rappers make mixtapes using other famous rappers' beats. Don't rap over Jay-Z's "So Ghetto" or his "Where I'm From." Those tracks are too well known and nobody wants to hear another mutha fucka rap over it. Cut that shit out son!!!
Check out the two videos below from KRS-One & Buckshot's "Survival Skills" album. Both videos are directed by Todd Angkasuwan and are really amazing. These two mutha fuckas are in their 40s and can still go in hard. It's remarkable how much skill these two still have in this rap game.
As I expected, the new Raekwon, Ghostface, and Method Man album has been pushed back from December 22, 2009 to February 9, 2010. I'ma call it right now - this album won't be out until the end of 2010. Wu-Tang never sticks to release dates, EVER. Shit, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 was supposed to come out 4 years ago. Regardless, I'd prefer for them to take their time making this album because I think the quality will be better. We had to wait 4 years for Cuban Linx 2, but it turned out to be the best album of the decade. I have no problem waiting for good shit.
I'm about to listen to the new album from O.C. & A.G. (DITC) titled "Oasis" that just came out today. I wanted to go back with Showbiz & A.G.'s "Soul Clap" but YouTube doesn't have that the embedded code for that video. So my next favorite joint from them dudes is "Next Level" produced by DJ Premier. Peep how fucking real hip hop was back then...
The former business partner of Jay-Z and co-owner of Roc-A-Fella records, Dame Dash, has been out of the hip hop mix for a little while now. Shit went sour with him and Jay-Z (seems like this happens with Jay-Z quite frequently) and as a result Dame has suffered financially (as far as millionaires go). He kinda fell of the face of the hip hop map, but much to my surprise and delight Dash will return this Friday, Blak Friday, with a new compilation project of his own.
The Black Keys are a blues rock band from Ohio who formed back in 2001. Apparently, they are Dame Dash's favorite band and he insisted on meeting them personally. Upon meeting with them, he brought his boy Jim Jones and hoped to record a track with them. Mos Def ended up interrupting the recording session, liked the music tremendously, and got on the track with Jim Jones. Dash then believed he was on to something and combined the Black Keys' blues influences with his own hip hop influences and formed a hip hop compilation album titled "Blakroc."
Dash assembled quite the cast to join forces with the Black Keys and they recorded an album over the course of 11 days together. Artists included on the album include: RZA, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Billy Danz (of M.O.P.), Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, NOE, and Nicole Wray. Wow.
I just got the album in advance of its release date and it's amazing. Despite the Black Keys being a blues band (and I know there's some hip hop heads that would be skeptical of this), the beats are gritty and grimey. This shit is straight ridin' music and does so much more musically than your run of the mill ring tone, heavy rotation, radio record that our ears are subjected to and tortured by every day on the radio and TV.
The opening song is a beast of a track. It features Ludacris and Ol' Dirty Bastard and is titled "Coochie." I don't think I have to tell you how outlandish this shit is. Dirt Dawg is classic. His verses are never heard before from the locked vault that Dame Dash has kept them in when ODB signed to Roc-A-Fella prior to his death. The track is a certified banger. The strings have an Asian influence over some heavy hitting kicks and snares. The bass line is fucking crisp people!!! Shit is crack, on dogs!!! I'm listening as I write this paragraph - simply amazing.
The next track features Mos Def and is solid, followed by a track featuring this cat NOE. He's on two tracks and absolutely kills all his verses (although he kinda reminds me of a harder, younger, more gritty Jay-Z - I kinda wish Jigga sounded more like NOE actually). We then move into a track titled "Dollaz & Sense" which features the RZA and Pharoahe Monch. WHOA!!! RZA added some of his own Wu-Tang flava to the beat after he smoked a blunt and hit up a guitar on some freestyle shit. The beat is sinister and these two emcees killed it.
Raekwon comes through on a track called "Stay Off The Fuckin' Flowers" and delivers an ill story about none other than baggin' crack and holdin' blocks down. Just make sure you stay off the fuckin' flowers kid!!! Rae walked them dogs and represented Wu to the fullest. Other tracks include collabos with Billy Danz and Q-Tip, Jim Jones and Mos Def, Billy Danz and Jim Jones, NOE and Nicole Wray, and a solo RZA track that had to have been recorded when he was dusted 'cause his shit was FUCKED UP.
This album is so good that the production and creative energy in the studio actually got Jim Jones to rhyme his ass off. He was video taped in the studio talking about how impressed he was and suggested that he was even a little star struck from all the amazing music that was being produced.
BlacRoc is truly something special to listen to. It's a great piece of musical art. Unfortunately, it only has 11 tracks. I wish there were 11 more.
Money Miz gives "BlakRoc" a 4.0 / 5.0 - GO COP THIS SHIT!!!
You can pre-order this album for $9.99 on iTunes and trust me, it's worth every penny!!!
For those of you unfamiliar with the name William Cooper, he has been involved in hip hop since 2001. Most notably, he was an A&R for Loud Records who went on to work on Tragedy Khadafi's "Still Reporting" album in 2003. In addition, William Cooper (aka Booth - like John Wilkes the "Booth" 'cause he kills it with the beats and the rhymes) is a producer of hip hop beats who has serious skills based on what I've heard on his debut album. Another fact that surprised me about Cooper is that he actually formed the Black Market Militia, a Wu-Tang Killa Bee offshoot group consisting of himself, Killah Priest, Hell Razah, Timbo King, and Tragedy Khadafi. Of those of you who haven't copped the Black Market Militia's self-titled album from 2005, I strongly suggest you get on that shit. If you like Sunz of Man and any other Wu-Fam related music, then Black Market Militia will be right up your alley.
If you ARE familiar with Black Market's album, then William Cooper's "Beware of the Pale Horse" will be a pleasant surprise for you in the midst of all the smoke, mirrors, and BULLSHIT we have surrounding us in the game today. Initially, you'll be excited by the track listing which boasts features from some of the illest emcees in the game including: Killah Priest, Hell Razah (of Sunz of Man), 9th Prince (RZA's brother from Killarmy), Nature (of the Firm), Ill Bill (of Non Phixion and La Coka Nostra), and Kool G. Rap. I was very impressed that this Lithuanian, Sicilian, and German emcee from New Jersey was able to collect so many ill rappers to join him on this record.
I was definitely excited about the features, but when I turned the record on and heard the intro track, "The Day of Light," I had a really good feeling about how the album would turn out. Cooper goes in hard on this soulful beat, which he produced. Truly an excellent way to introduce himself on his own record, droppin' knowledge about his current state of mind over a chopped up vocal sample looped over a "roll a blunt and zone out" type of beat. Let's just say that the production rarely let me down as I proceeded through the rest of the album. The beats are truly impressive; hard hitting, crisp, with amazing sampling of soul singing over melodic orchestral loops. I feel like the album had to have been created in the Golden Era during the mid '90s. Surprisingly, this shit was put together recently. GO FIGURE!!!
The lyrical content is pretty heavy. For those of you Soulja Boy, dance in the club, posing as a thug mutha fuckas, this album just may be over your head. With all the concepts on this album, William Cooper stays true to who he named himself after. Milton William Cooper, the radio host, author and political activist that he named himself after, was best known for his conspiracy theory book titled "Behold A Pale Horse." William Cooper the emcee, consistently challenges societal norms, government policies, and discusses a variety of conspiracy theories throughout this album similar to the writings that ultimately got Milton William Cooper killed by the police in 2001. Amazingly, he has an uncanny ability of maintaining serious, dense subject matter, but not coming off as preachy or overbearing to the listener. This is a feat that is rarely accomplished by rappers (to their detriment), which makes this album quite refreshing despite the nature of his rhymes.
The one downside I found with this album is its length. Fourteen of the eighteen tracks are less than 3 minutes long and the album runs for a total of 44 minutes. I feel like the album was very consistent, with excellent production, quality lyrical content, and great features, but it left me wanting even more because of its short length. In addition, William Cooper's lyrics are on point throughout, but I just wished he had some more inner rhyming patterns to vary or switch up the flow a little on some of the tracks.
At the end of the day, "Beware of the Pale Horse" is a good example that quality, "real" hip hop is still accessible if you just make the effort to find it. Who ever said that you can't have thought provoking lyrical incite over some ill, head-nodding beats??? William Cooper successfully proved that you can be intelligent, hard, and hip hop all at the same time. FUCK WHATCHU HEARD!!!
Money Miz gives William Cooper's "Beware of the Pale Horse" a 3.5 / 5.0
This week's DONKEY OF THE WEEK is none other than Cubana Lust. This hip hop video vixen hales from Little Havana, Florida and was raised by her Cuban parents. Despite being of Cuban descent, Cubana's look is very versatile. She could truly pass for many different ethnicities and nationalities. This probably works very well for her in her line of work. Not to mention the fact that she has a rock solid, rotund, donkey booty!!!
Cubana Lust has graced the pages of all of the major urban magazines including Black Men, Smooth Girl, DJ Kay Slay's Straight Stuntin', Wheels, and Sweets (to name a few).
You can see more of Cubana Lust's donkey on her various official websites:
KRS-One is the new "Emcee of the Week" at Hip-Hop & Bullshit. I don't feel like I really have to justify this decision at all. He is 44 years old and still heavily influences this game we call hip-hop. With his recent album release "Survival Skills" featuring Buckshot and his third book, "The Gospel of Hip Hop," being published last month, KRS-One is 23 years deep as a "Teacha" of hip hop.
The Gospel of Hip Hop is an amazing 832 page "Rap Bible," that I'm currently reading. The book truly inspires its readers to LIVE hip hop, as opposed to just benefit from or be a part of it. (Refer to my previous post on "The Gospel of Hip Hop" http://hiphopandbullshit.blogspot.com/2009/11/gospel-of-hip-hop-by-krs-one.html)
This week the Blast Masta Kris will be aiding the homeless on Thanksgiving day. He will be serving over 3,000 meals at the Bowery Mission from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM this Thursday and will also be providing advise to many of the homeless people in attendance. KRS-One himself used to be homeless prior to taking control of his life and turning his dream of being a hip-hop star into a reality.
Jay Sean: "All Or Nothing" Timbaland: "Shock Value 2"
That O.C. & A.G. album better be off the hook, otherwise this is gonna be one of the worst hip-hop release weeks in as long as I can remember. All the other albums released this week ain't even hip-hop, they just straight BULLSHIT.
On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, New York City hosted the Red Bull BC One B-Boy Championship at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Unfortunately, this shit sold out with the quickness and I couldn't go. Let's just say I wasn't too pleased with that at all. The event was hosted by KRS-One and is a tournament style break dance competition. Sixteen of the nicest B-Boys in the world came to NYC this week to compete in a series of one-on-one break dance battles until one B-Boy was crowned as the champion.
The 2009 Red Bull BC One Champion was Lilou, a Muslim who wore a t-shirt that read: "I'm Muslim, Don't Panic." Haha. Check the video clip below for some of the highlights from this years tournament. Some of these moves look impossible!!!
For those of y'all who never seen Ghostface Killah live, this mutha fucka consistently tears shit down. His live performance is always on point: high intensity, sick delivery and mad energy. This dude clearly knows how to move a crowd.
Peep this quick set from a performance at BB Kings in New York earlier this month:
This week's "Emcee of the Week" here at Hip Hop & Bullshit is Rakim, aka Rakim Allah. Popularly known as one of the greatest emcees of all time, Rakim truly is an icon in the hip hop world. At the age of 41, he has finally released his third solo album titled "The Seventh Seal."
"The Seventh Seal" has taken 10 years to finally come into fruition. His previous album "The Master" came out way back in 1999. Needless to say, Rakim has left his fans with very little music throughout the last decade and their anticipation for this new album is at an indescribable high. Personally, my anticipation peeked and then plummeted years ago. At some point you gotta figure the mutha fucka must have retired quietly.
In 2002, Rakim signed with the "mighty" Dr. Dre and his Aftermath imprint. I should've known this move would only delay his album by another 10 years 'cause any artist who signs with Dre is a fucking fool. He is so "busy" (aka smoking chronic) making his detox album that he has no time for any artists he signs. So Rakim got pissed and bounced. He made a few tracks with Dre that Rakim himself shelved because of his disgust with Dr. Dre. Finally, this past Tuesday Rakim has dropped a new album of all new music. This shit must be amazing right? Rakim has so much to prove to his fans, the haters, and for his legacy in hip hop. The stakes are too high for him to bullshit, right?
WRONG. "The Seventh Seal" is an utter disappointment. The album has 14 tracks and I can honestly say that I can only listen to five of them (and I'm being very generous here). The album starts off with the track "How To Emcee," but this track should really be titled "How To Emcee AND How NOT To Produce." The beat is so generic that... Fuck it. I can't even talk about it. It makes me sick. The next track sounds like a Dr. Dre knock off and features Maino. The only fuckin' rapping feature on the album is Maino? REALLY RAKIM??? Come on son!!! The entire rest of the album is full of generic beats from bullshit producers with R&B singing in all the choruses. R&B = Rap & Bullshit (as the RZA and GZA stated on Wu-Tang Forever). He even let his daughter sing the chorus of one track. No disrespect, but she shouldn't be singing on your shit Ra.
On top of all of this ridiculousness, Rakim has no production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock or DJ Clark Kent. Something seriously fucked up happened with the making of this album. Rakim stated in a recent interview that he and DJ Premier just simply had scheduling conflicts. GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE. This shit was recorded between 2002 and now. You mean to tell me that in seven years they couldn't get in a studio for a few hours? BULLSHIT. This whole album is straight bullshit.
The only positive thing I can say is that Rakim still can flow and spit. Unfortunately, I can't listen to his rhymes when they're laid on top of production that sounds like it came from the bedroom of a suburban white boy who posts them on MySpace with no shirt on. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiitttt.
On a side note, Talib Kweli flipped on one of his Twitter followers this afternoon who said he didn't like Rakim's album. Kweli basically called the guy stupid and suggested that he didn't know shit about hip hop. Well, Talib. I completely disagree with you. Just because Rakim is a "legend" doesn't mean everything he puts out is gold. This album is a clear example of a rapper half-assing a project and trying to sell it on the strength of his name. Honestly, why should anyone listen to Talib Kweli anyway? He's the dumb mutha fucka who had one of the greatest Emcee/Producer groups of all time and threw it all away to "go solo" creatively. Then this dick head puts out bullshit album after bullshit album with absolutely no replay value. Hip Hop enthusiasts should never buy an album on the strength of a rapper's name. More times than not, you'll get burned doing some stupid shit like that when it comes to this game. I even asked Kweli on Twitter if he actually listened to "The Seventh Seal" because I believe he said what he said just because it is Rakim. I don't think anyone who hears this album would actually think it had any value.
Peep this new video from Raekwon, Xzibit, and Murs for their track "Legacy" off the Ninja Assassin movie soundtrack. All three of these emcees stay killin' it. I need a new Xzibit album ASAP for real!!!
This week's "Donkey of the Week" is Valeria Palov, a 26 year old Bulgarian hip hop video vixen. She's been in videos with Chris Brown, Nina Sky, and Sisqo. In addition, she's blessed the pages of various magazines including: Black Men, The Source, Show, and King.
On October 6, 2009, KRS-One released his third book titled "The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument." I just got it in the mail from Amazon.com and I literally feel like I finally possess MY Bible. I am not a religious person, but if there ever was something in life that I believed in or "worshiped," whether it be a movement, a culture or a following, it would be Hip Hop. Thank God for KRS-One!!!
This book is an 832 page spiritual opus written as a manual for people interested in Hip Hop and wishing to follow Hip Hop culture as a life path. The Gospel of Hip Hop boldly asks its readers to "ask not, "how did Hip Hop happen?" but, "why did Hip Hop happen?"
AllHipHop.com recently asked KRS-One about this book and he stated: "I’m suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth... I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don’t have to go through any religion [or] train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. I respect the Christianity, the Islam, the Judaism but their time is up. ...In a hundred years, everything that I’m saying to you will be common knowledge and people will be like, 'Why did he have to explain this? Wasn’t it obvious?"
Anyone who believes themselves to be engrossed in the Hip Hop way of life must feel obligated to read this book in order to verify whether or not they truly ARE Hip Hop. I started reading the book last night and am already enthralled by the wordplay and incite the Blast Master Kris has layed out for us. Let's be real here, this dude's name stands for: Knowledge Reigns Supreme On N***az Everywhere!!! You better believe I'ma take his word for it.
The following is a list of new hip-hop album releases for Tuesday, November 17, 2009:
50 Cent: "Before I Self Destruct" (In stores now instead of just iTunes)
Kid Sister: "Ultraviolet"
Rakim: "The Seventh Seal"
Felt (Slug & Murs): "Felt Part 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez"
LMNO & Yann Yesz: "Devilish Dandruff With Holy Shampoo"
Ol' Dirty Bastard: "Message To The Other Side: Osirus Part 1"
Edan: "Echo Party"
I've got my hands on Rakim and ODB's new shit on the list this week. Rakim's album is pretty nice, but as always, I have some issues to complain about on this one. I haven't heard ODB's yet, but I believe it's a bunch of old shit. I'll let y'all know what's good in a couple days...
This week I'm showin' love to the God, Rakim Allah. With his new album "The Seventh Seal" dropping this Tuesday, Rakim truly is a living legend. He's been in the game since 1986 and is an elder 41 years old. I feel as though a lot of people really don't recognize that he was the first MC in the '80s to actually rhyme quickly with tons of inner rhyme patterns and an interwoven flow style. He made rappers grow up from their old school, Dr. Suess primitive rhyme structures to a much more mature complex rhyme style. He truly was the game's first MC, a master of rhyme who controlled the crowd with two turntables and a mic.
Peep his music video for the track "Guess Who's Back" off of his album "The 18th Letter."
This post has nothing to do with hip-hop or bullshit. I apologize for this post in advance to all my hip-hop heads, but this is something that is simply remarkable. People who know me, know that I am a huge Celtics fan and that I hate Anderson Verajao with a passion. Webster's Dictionary defines the word faggot as a bundle of sticks or when used disparagingly to refer to someone who is a homosexual. I strongly believe that the word faggot has been used for too long as a derogatory comment against gay men and that usage of the word is just getting old at this point. I believe that the dictionary should officially change the definition of faggot to someone who looks like, acts like or actually is Anderson Verajao.
Watch this video below and thank you Dwyane Wade for fucking this faggot right in his face!!!!
I hate to say this, but 50 Cent's new album "Before i Self Destruct" is the best deal ever on iTunes right now. The shit is $9.99 for a limited time (because it officially drops on 11/17) and you get some amazing shit with it. I downloaded it off iTunes at midnight last night when it was initially released not even realizing what I was getting for my 10 bucks.
The album comes with 18 tracks (two of which are bonus tracks exclusive to iTunes), but it also comes with two movies!!! The first one is 50's own movie by the same title as the album and runs 1 hour and 20 minutes. The second one is the brand new documentary "2 Turntables and a Microphone: The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay" which runs 1 hour and 34 minutes. For 10 fuckin' dollars you get his album and two movies, one of which is a documentary about Jam Master Jay, which makes this purchase worth every penny. I've got to say this is one of the best music deals I've ever come across.
Plus there's some other special features, videos and interviews. I just don't see how you can go wrong with this purchase. Even if you don't like 50 Cent, the JMJ documentary is worth the $9.99. SHIIIIIIIITTT.
On a music note, the album isn't bad. It's definitely better than his last release "Curtis," but not as good as his Aftermath debut "Get Rich or Die Tryin." The first track is produced by DJ Premier, so I was a little impressed right off the bat. I'd say the album is 50/50 - pun definitely intended. Haha.
On Thursday, November 5th, I was fortunate enough to attend the "She's So Fresh Showcase II" at the Karma Lounge in NYC. The event was held to display strictly female hip-hop talent all night and I must say that these emcees tore it down. (I wanna call them "Femcees" 'cause I think it sounds cool, but I don't know if that's OK or not!)
The show was hosted by TastyKeish, who is most notably known for hosting WBAI 99.5 FM's "Rise Up Radio" on Friday nights that airs throughout the New York metropolitan and tri-state area. (For more info on TastyKeish visit her website at http://tastykeish.com/site/ and her Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/TastyKeish.)
Being at the show that night, I couldn't help but feel the amazing vibe of true school hip-hop that was in the air. This small venue was packed with hip-hop heads that were put into the right mood by the smooth cuts and mixes performed by DJ Chela. Prior to this night I had never seen DJ Chela perform live. I was two feet away from her booth all night and watching her chop shit up was off the hook. Chela ripped through classics like Tribe's "Check The Rhyme" and Showbiz & AG's "Soul Clap" which really got the crowd in a perfect mood for some hip-hop. The funny thing about DJ Chela is that I immediately told my peoples that she was ill and wondered what kind of reputation she had. Little did I know that she was nominated for "Best Female Mixtape DJ" in the 2005 Justo's Mixtape Awards. Shiiiiit, Saigon has gone so far as to say that she is "the hottest female DJ in the country." Well, last Thursday night at the "She's So Fresh Showcase," Chela proved to me how sick she really is. (For more info on DJ Chela visit her website at http://www.chelaonline.com/index.html and her Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/DJChela.)
The first act during the showcase was a group named "Misnomer(S)" comprised of two sisters, Knewdles (the MC) and Sos (the violinist). Knewdles is an acronym for "Kickin New Elevation When Daily Life Expects Sobs" and Sos is an acronym for "Sis On Strings," and this girl can kill it live on the violin. As most of my blog followers know, I'm a huge Wu-Tang head. My favorite album of all time is "Wu-Tang Forever" because of the highly string influenced production from the RZA. These ladies put me into a zone with the first song they performed over Wu-Tang Forever's "Bells of War" beat with Sos performing all the strings live on stage. For anyone who is a fan of Miri Ben-Ari's violin contributions to any of Kanye West's beats, then you'll love the shit that Misnomer(S) has created. Sos has contributed to the production of some big name hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, DJ Green Lantern, Immortal Technique, and Hasan Salaam. The combination of Knewdles' aggressive delivery and Sos's sinister melodies, made for an excellent performance that was highlighted by someone accidentally turning the power off of the record spinning, which forced Knewdles to spontaneously slow down her flow to match the dwindling beat in a "Matrix" style exhibit for the crowd. Needless to say, that shit was ILL. (For more info on Misnomer(S) visit their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/hiphopmisnomers and their Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/Misnomers.)
Peep a clip of Misnomer(S)'s performance at the Karma Lounge below:
Following Misnomer(S) were Nemiss, Eagle Nebula, Bless Roxwell, and RA the MC. All of which tore the Karma Lounge down. Peep some of the footage of their performances below:
Ali Vegas just dropped a new mixtape titled "Wise Young Man" that's pretty ill. I've always like Ali Vegas, a cousin of Lamar Odom, who came on the hip-hop scene in the late '90s through an affiliation with AZ. I liked his material back then better than his more recent shit, but this mixtape is pretty dope (for a mixtape).
Click the link below and press the download button at the bottom of the page to get the new mixtape:
This is from the 2009 BET Awards and it's a little freestyle cypher featuring Nicki Minaj, Buckshot, Crown Royal, and Joe Budden. I'm a little late on this one, but can you fucking blame me? This shit was on the BET Awards. WHO THE FUCK WATCHES THE BET AWARDS FOR SOME REAL HIP-HOP??? I would usually assume that show to consist of pure BULLSHIT as opposed to real hip-hop.
Anyway, definitely peep Joe Budden's verse at the end. This dude killed it and you can tell he wasn't even trying. He had a few ill lines in there...
Shyheim is Hip-Hop & Bullshit's "Emcee of the Week" this week, so I'm gonna bring it back to 1996 with his single "Shit Iz Real" off his 2nd album "The Lost Generation." This kid was 17 when he put this album out and he began recording it when he was 15. You can even see a change in his voice throughout the album because his shit got deeper between the ages of 15 and 17. Shyheim very well may have been the hardest teenage rapper ever in the hip-hop game.
I can't come to terms with the fact that there have been so many unsolved murders in the hip-hop world. Either the police are part of the conspiracies or they are just plain stupid to get duped by some hood hustlers every time. I just don't know what it is that makes solving murders of rappers so difficult. If anything, it should be easy because of their fame and the fact that there should be so many witnesses. Shit just doesn't add up. From 2Pac to Biggie to Big L, mutha fuckas just can't solve the crimes.
The worst of all is the murder of Jam Master Jay. This guy got gunned down in his recording studio in NY with 5 of his associates present. The studio is secured tightly with cameras and a locked entrance that people must be buzzed into. How the fuck do two masked gunmen roll through that studio in front of everyone and murder JMJ and nobody knows what the fuck happened? How the fuck was this not an inside job? And how the fuck have all the people in the studio that night not been arrested as suspects? This shit is fucking retarded if you ask me. Something bigger than we know of is going on here. A murder like that, with cameras, mad witnesses and of such a high profile HAS to get solved. Yet here we are more than 7 years later and nobody knows shit!!!
Raekwon has finally released his music video for the Dr. Dre produced track "Catalina" off of his critically acclaimed LP "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II." I personally would like for Rae o release videos for some of the better tracks on the album like "Surgical Gloves" or "10 Bricks," but I'll take what I can get in this fucked up rap game!!! Haha.
Peep the video below. Raekwon's always cookin' some shit up...
Well, I have to admit, I missed this shit comin' out on October 27th. This was a release that fell way under my radar. Luckily, my man Khamal filled me in today about this new official album from Shyheim titled "Disrespectfully Speaking." I can't even believe right now that the "Rugged Child" will turn 31 years-old on November 14th this year. That shit makes me feel mad old, 'cause this dude was around 14 when RZA put him on back in the day. His third album, "Manchild," was slept on for the most part, but was one of the illest albums released in 1999. Shyheim has always been on top of his dart game, so I always will respect his skills.
This release is a little difficult for me to back fully do to the fact that Shyheim has a serious personal beef with Raekwon the Chef. Shyheim is not bashful about dissing Rae on several of the songs on his new album and he leaked a track earlier this year titled "Only Built 4 Sausage Linx (Hold That Thought)" which is a diss track directed straight at Raekwon. You can peep this track at: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.4122/title.shyheim-hold-that-thought-fatboy-raekwon-diss
"Disrespectfully Speaking" is a true underground, hardcore, hip-hop album. Shyheim spits his darts with the same harsh, raspy flow he always has. In this regard, he hasn't lost a step. The album's production I believe is mainly from his long-time producer RNS and the beats are not as good as the beats he had on "Manchild," however, this is a solid album regardless. The features on the album are all his boys from his new Bottom Up Label.
As many of y'all know, I'll listen to just about any hip-hop comin' from Staten Island. There's just a special feel to this breed of hip-hop. I've always liked Shyheim, but he definitely should've waited on pulling the trigger on his Raekwon diss track until hearing "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II" because a lot of his disses are way off base now due to how good OB4CLII turned out. "Disrespectfully Speaking" has a second Raekwon diss record titled "Look At Me" where he continues to call Raekwon fat. I'll have to side with Raekwon when it comes to who's album was better this year, but never-the-less, Shyheim always has held his own.
Despite my Raekwon bias, Shyheim is still that dude and still creates that real hip-hop (none of that BULLSHIT). I strongly feel that he's one of the most underrated emcees from the '90s and, as you can see, he's my "Emcee of the Week" this week. If you haven't heard his 2nd and 3rd albums, "The Lost Generation" and "Manchild" respectively, then you need to get on that shit hasta pronto!!!
The Donkey of the Week this week goes to Bubbles. She was recently nominated twice for the Urban Model Awards. She's also been featured in three issues of Straight Stuntin' Magazine and was on the cover with DJ Kay Slay. Currently, she is one of the models in Straight Stuntin's calendar. In addition, she was featured on the cover of Smooth Girl Magazine Issue #16. Bubbles is half Jamaican and half Italian, half woman and half amazing. Her name was given to her by DJ Kay Slay and I think it's fitting, considering how rotund her booty is!!!
This week there really isn't much to talk about. I love Crooked I, but "Mr. Pigface Weapon Waist" is a 7 track EP and it's weak compared to what I'm used to from him. I'm interested in hearing Wale's first official album, but my expectations are low. He's got Lady Gag on his first single, which leads me to believe that this album ain't hip-hip - it's probably more like BULLSHIT. We'll see though. I'll make sure I get a hold of these and let y'all know what's up...
OK here is part 2 of "The Wu-Massacre." This time the culprit is a different member of the Wu-Trio. Raekwon, Ghostface and Method Man are putting together an album that is going to be hard as fuck. I recently heard Ghostface say in an interview that he came out with "The Wizard of Poetry" for the chicks and now they are working on some hardcore street shit. The RZA has told MTV that he's on board with the project. Supposedly it drops December 22, 2009, but this is Wu-Tang. They've never met a single release date in their whole career. Whether or not it comes out this year is truly no concern of mine. I waited for four years for "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II" and it was well worth the wait. If I have to wait a while for this album to drop, I'm perfectly OK with that as long as it's on the level of Cuban Linx 2.
On September 15, 2009, Vlad Yudin put out a tribute documentary to Big Pun titled "Big Pun: The Legacy." I finally got around to watching this documentary this past week and it was excellent. It brought back so many memories of "the good ol' days" in hip-hop. It was also very emotional and sad as most of you would expect.
The documentary focuses on Big Pun's entire life, from growing up in the Soundview Projects in the Bronx and dealing with an abusive step-father and a heroin addicted mother to him reaching double platinum as a world famous hip-hop artist. It also focuses on Pun's addiction to food once he began to make money. When you see pictures of him as a teenager, you won't believe your eyes. Pun was a muscular, in-shape dude who played basketball with Cuban Link and the rest of his boys from the "Full-a-clips" crew.
"Big Pun: The Legacy" also contains a lot of footage of Big Pun himself in interviews and live performances. You get to see him freestyle in a huge cypher with some other famous rappers and you get to see him perform many different songs live. It disturbed me to an extent to see him performing live while sitting down on a chair on stage. Remarkably, Pun could spit his verses sitting down better than most emcees can do it standing up. There are also interviews with dozens of rappers who reflect on Big Pun and his legacy in the rap game including: Method Man, Raekwon, Prodigy, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Xzibit, Steve Rifkind, Cuban Link, Armageddon, DJ Skribble, and many more.
In addition, Vlad Yudin shed light on Pun's criminal past and obsession with guns. Pun used to walk around with 4 guns in his waist band and constantly pull them out threatening people. Most of the shit he rhymed about was actually for real, unlike 90% of the rappers out there.
I highly recommend coppin' this DVD, especially if you weren't into Big Pun back in the day. After witnessing his skills in this documentary, nobody can deny his talent and impact he had on hip-hop. For me personally, if you don't consider Big Pun to be in your top 5 dead or alive list of greatest rappers of all time, then you absolutely do not know what the fuck you're talking about. Heads that don't recognize him as one of the best ever simply aren't real hip-hop fans. WORD LIFE!!!!
For those of y'all that haven't seen this shit, Ghostface does a little segment on Jimmy Kimmel where he tell Ghost Stories to the crowd. This shit right here is mad funny. Who better to tell a ghost story than Ghostface Killah???
Raekwon (www.Twitter.com/RAEKWONICEWATER) just tweeted this trailer for his new album with Method Man and Ghostface Killah. I don't even know what to say. If this is the way they are hyping the album, this is gonna be the hardest shit ever. Rae's coming off of putting out a certified classic with Cuban Linx 2 and it looks like him and his boys are trying to make some more history on December 22, 2009.
The following is a list of new hip-hop album to be released on Tuesday, November 3, 2009:
Crooked I Presents: Horseshoe G.A.N.G.: "Gangsta MC"
Cunnynlinguists: "Strange Journey Volume 2"
A&E (Masta Ace & EDO.G): "Arts & Entertainment"
Hell Rell: "Live From Hell"
Gift of Gab: "Escape 2 Mars"
I'ma be checkin' for the Horseshoe G.A.N.G. album this week. Crooked I and his crew are pretty damn good for West Coast rappers (or any rappers for that matter). If I get around to it, maybe I'll even let you know how it is. Haha.
VH1 recently honored Def Jam as a record label for its 2009 Hip-Hop Honors program. They showed the world how much of an impact Def Jam had on the hip-hop community from the mid '80s until the present. What they didn't show or discuss is how Def Jam, in many ways, also contributed to the demise of the integrity of hip-hop and its culture. (See my post titled "KRS-One Droppin' Knowledge On Def Jam" which was posted on 9/27/09.) I'm not even gonna get into all of that right here because I feel like there is another label from the '90s that should have been honored for the profound impact it had on hip-hop. That label is Loud Records, founded by Steve Rifkind (www.Twitter.com/SteveRifkind).
Loud Records started in 1992 and I truly believe that Steve Rifkind elevated hip-hop music to a level that we will never see again. His mission was to design a bi-coastal label that produced hardcore, street hip-hop or, dare I say, REAL HIP-HOP. The hip-hop I refer to in the title of my blog, if you will.
Steve Rifkind signed, promoted and exposed to the world some of the greatest hip-hop artists and groups of all time. In the mid '90s, Loud Records put out 6 of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made. Let me just give you a list of who was signed to Loud Records back then: The Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Raekwon (as a solo artist), The RZA (as a solo artist), Dead Prez, Xzibit, Tha Alkaholiks, M.O.P., The Beatnuts, Pete Rock (as a solo artist), The X-ecutioners, Twista, Krayzie Bone, and The Three 6 Mafia. Are you fucking kidding me???
Rifkind literally signed the realest rappers he could find. He had the balls to sign a nine member group of 5% Nation students who got high on woolies and almost all had prior run-ins with the law including attempted murder, robbery, and distribution or narcotics. He signed Big Pun, a 450 pound Puerto Rican from the Bronx who he never heard rhyme before, because his assistant (who never arrived on time to meetings) showed up 15 minutes early insisting that Pun was a lyrical phenom. Big Pun turned out to be arguably one of the top 5 greatest emcees in the history of hip-hop. Steve Rifkind signed Dead Prez, a militant, pro-black, anti-white group of modern day black panthers whose album cover had to be censored in stores because it showed a group of black slaves holding guns high in the air. Dead Prez's first album "Let's Get Free" pushed a lot of limits and is one of the better hip-hop albums to ever be made. He signed Mobb Deep when they were little teenagers from Queensbridge. Let's face it, Loud Records released "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," "Wu-Tang Forever," "The Infamous," "Capital Punishment," "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...," "Let's Get Free," "At The Speed of Life," and "40 Dayz & 40 Nightz."
Loud Records was and always will be the best record label in hip-hop music. While Puffy was gettin' dressed up in silver space suits with Ma$e, Ja Rule was singing instead of rapping on tracks, LL Cool J was catering his music to women, and 2Pac and Biggie were beefing over nonsense, Loud Records was slappin' the industry up-side the head with raw, unadulterated hip-hop. They boldly told the world that the Wu-Tang Clan wasn't nothin' to fuck with, that just because you weighed 450 pounds didn't mean that you couldn't fuck a lot, and that there ain't no such thing as half-way crooks 'cause they shook, scared to death and scared to look!!!
Loud Records embodied what true hip-hop was and should always be. Not R&B a.k.a. Rap and Bullshit. Just HIP-HOP...
NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PEEP THIS REAL SHIT FROM LOUD RECORDS BELOW...
It's been hard for me to not acknowledge Jay-Z's reign at the top of the hip-hop world this week. God knows how much I hate on him, but at the same time I really can't deny him the credit he's due on certain songs and albums he's made throughout his career. I strongly believe that Jigga has made some of the worst hip-hop to ever come out. I also think that because of his status in the game, those horrible songs he's put out into the mainstream have done a lot of harm to hip-hop in general. On the flip side, Jay's put out some of the most incredible hip-hop ever as well. It still boggles my mind how he can be so good, yet simultaneously suck so bad.
Regardless, Jay-Z is currently running the game again because of his World Series performance with Alicia Keys last week and his new beef with Beanie Sigel. I almost believe this beef is being staged to occur at the same time as the World Series. You've got the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees competing and you've got Jay-Z (reppin' New York) and Beanie Sigel (reppin' Philadelphia). It's almost too much of a coincidence for my liking.
Jay has managed to go platinum again and remain relevant at the age of 39 (soon to be 40 next month) which is quite the accomplishment considering the way the hip-hop consumer is as of late. Tracks become "old" after being leaked for one day now and if you aren't a brand new artist in your early twenties, then you ain't cool at all. I give Jay credit for this. I also give him all the credit for putting out the piece of shit that is the Blueprint 3. Ah well, what can ya do???
Peep the throwback of the week this week - Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents":
Something happened to me this afternoon that has actually happened to me on several occasions throughout my life. It's nothing serious and I usually think nothing of it when it does occur, but today I finally realized that it's actually quite special. While walking down Smith Street in Brooklyn after eating brunch with my girlfriend and two thugged-out dogs, a black man walked right up to me (a Caucasian man) and simply said "Wu-Tang"!!! He made the comment because he saw the Wu-Tang winter hat I was wearing on my head. I responded, "all day, every day." He then extended his hand giving me dap, said "peace," and continued walking in the opposite direction that I was. A simple interaction between two men who know nothing about each other.
What is special about what happened today, is that hip-hop and specifically the Wu-Tang Clan and their music somehow is able to connect people who otherwise would have absolutely no connection. I would imagine the RZA would describe us as "A-alikes" (a 5% Nation belief). We are A-alikes because we B-alike and C-alike. In other words, two strangers who can have a mutual respect for one another because of their like-mindedness.
For a hip-hop group that promotes the teachings of the 5% Nation of Islam (which clearly state that the white man is the Devil and the black man is God, or has God within himself) in all of their music, they have had an uncanny way of uniting black, white, and Asian people across the world through their music. The Wu-Tang Clan probably has the most diverse group of fans out of any hip-hop group or solo artist. I think this is true because, despite their music being very gritty, raw, graphicly violent, and what may appear to be ignorant to the untrained ear, their music is much, much more. Their music uniquely preaches knowledge, wisdom, and understanding through describing hardships that black men deal with growing up in America and specifically the projects. Hardships of any kind are appealing because everyone can go through difficulties and everyone can learn from others' experiences.
A lot of what I'm writing is better explained and deciphered by the RZA in his new book "The Tao of Wu." I just finished it today and was thoroughly impressed by his incites and his willingness to discuss some very personal experiences he's gone through in his own life. Wu-Tang hasn't put out a platinum selling album in some years now, but based on my experience on Smith Street today, I think the RZA was really on to something when he asked, "how can hip-hop be dead when Wu-Tang is forever?"
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