MF Grimm - Book of Daniel

All rappers need to fire their publicists RIGHT NOW! What's the use for a PR when these studio thugs have already figured out the key to publicity in today's rap game?

In the latest episode of Star Wars, (yeah right, neither of the two MF's can boast of a significant spot in the Hip Hop galaxy), MF Grimm has taken a cue from Cam'ron on how to hype up an album (which I won't even dignify with a link) by taking shots at his former friend, MF Doom.

Looks like someone's mad that he's confined to a wheelchair for life while Daniel Dumile's doing records with Ghostface and getting all that Adult Swim cake:

Put yourself in danger runnin with a mouse
Metal turned to braces, punch you in your mouth
Zev Love X used to be merry
The mask took control of you like Jim Carrey

More hater-rade:

Mos Def, De La Soul, Roots cant revive you
When the bullets start flying whos gonna hide you
Rhymesayers, Stones Throw, Nature Sounds signed you
Make peace with you-Zev I tried too

you can hide behind the mask but see through like glass
thought you was the truth but your styles like ass

What a way to keep heads from nodding off to his sleepy tunes. With weak joints like these, however, the effect is counteractive.

Bun B, Pimp C, et al - Get Throwed (Remix) : Fresh out the pen, Pimp C laces a brand new verse on the Jeezy-Jay-Z-featured banger. We want a UGK album damnit! (Allhiphop.com)

The Game - 240 Bars: Jayceon Taylor needs to stop f'real. How can anyone waste an entire career trying to pull another man down!!? Like I always say, it's better to prove yourself right than to prove someone else wrong. Just make music and lay all that G-Unot gimmick to rest.(Thanks Eskay!)

[Props to this Chinese kid]


Encore:
Who Cares About Cam's Press Conference?
Jay-Z Doesn't!
Cassidy Found Guilty of Manslaughter
Bitter Vibes is back. Yes?
Scarface Recording a Live Album
Oprah Tears Into Misleading Author, James Frey
Download Full Length Videos onto Your Gadgets FREE
Al Sharpton Knocks The Boondocks
'Preme Hit with New Murder Charges
Watch What You Write About, You can Get Sued for Your Opinions!

Gone But Not Forgotten:
Chris Penn

So what's next for Houston rap after a year of much heralded hegemony? Will Houston and the south in general continue to ride high in Hip Hop's train of fame or will another region hi-jack the movement from the dirty dirty? I've been asked this question soooo many times. But can you handle the truth?

The truth is that nobody milks a good thing halfway...well at least not in Hip Hop. The corporate honchos are not that nice - they're obligated to sap the hottest artist (or movement in this case) until there's nothing left.

Unfortunately, the southern movement has worn itself out. Our muse ran out the same year people discovered that we had something to muse about.
Thankfully, there are still a few heads that'll keep Houston hazily on the Hip Hop map this year.

But first, allow me to re-introduce you to some of the less-talked about vanguards that helped pave the way in the first place:

The Originators

• South Park Coalition
• DJ Screw/Screwed Up Click
• Geto Boys
• UGK (reppin' P.A. to the teeth but still part of H-Town family)
• Scarface
• Fat Pat
• Z-Ro
  

The Major Players of 2005

• Slim Thug
• Chamillionaire
• Bun B
• Paul Wall
• Mike Jones (unfortunately)

The Future of Texas in 2006

• Godwon - Houston's Undisputed Heavyweight Lyricist
• Bavu Blakes - Austin's Mic Minister
• The G.R.i.T Boys [G.R.i.T. = Ghetto Reality in Texas]
• Steve Austin - He's got the whole dallas on his back
• Aztek Escobar - Proudly championing Jay-Z's Roc La Familia movement
• Rob G - The Rise of the Latin Legend
• Mojoe - Poetic, jazzy, incisive, well-rounded duo
• Money Waters - Urban storyteller
• K-Rino - Fanning the SPC flame, and doing it well
• X-Trct - Product of a melting pot, versatile emcee
• Trae - S.U.C. Veteran

Upcoming Houston Projects (Cd's, Mixtapes, etc)
Scarface - The Product
Scarface - My Homies II
Lil' Flip - I Need Mine
Godwon - The Future in The Present
Pimp C/UGK - TBA
Aztek - The Rise To Power

Kanye West is starting to give 50 a run for his money with all these tired stunts. The sad part is he doesn't even need this conversation-starters to make his mark. Apparently, a disgruntled Howard Stern is chanting reverse racism saying that Rolling Stone denied him a similarly-themed cover 9 years ago because he's jewish. Howard can shove it if he really believes Kanye got the cover because he's black.

As for you Kanye, please stop making us look like some damn Gold Diggers!

*Props to D-Listed for the 2nd pic

Nas: "It's the Roc!"

While Cam'ron is busy taking cheap shots at Jay to hype up his Killa Season album, el presidente caliente Hov is more concerned with making powerful business moves. His latest sees Nas officially signing to Def Jam in a joint deal with Sony.

According to The New York Times:

The rap superstars Jay-Z and Nas, who hurled bitter insults at each other in
rhyme for years in one of rap's most prominent feuds, have reached a deal
that would formalize their much-publicized recent truce and transform the
two onetime foes into business partners, according to music industry
executives involved in the arrangement

The music biz is like the NBA trade-off's - out with DMX, in with NaS.

For its part, Def Jam and its corporate parent, Universal Music Group, add a
respected artist to their ranks at a time when the label is trying to refresh
its roster. (Def Jam also recently negotiated the exit of one of its veteran
acts, DMX, who signed a reported three-album deal with Sony.)

SONY wants to be a part of NaS' legacy for life:

As part of the deal, Nas's longtime record company, Sony Music, and Def Jam
will split the profits - or any loss - from his next two albums, the sources
said. Def Jam is expected to lay out the cost of producing and marketing the
recordings, and to divide the profits after recovering its expenses. The two
music companies will jointly plan and oversee the albums' marketing campaigns.

Sony also retains the right to release a Nas greatest hits album, they
added

Hopefully, the combo of two power machines will help get NaS the shine he deserves. I'm sure stans are gonna come out of everywhere swearing they've been down with NaS since "Live at The BBQ"

And, since everything Jay had been tight-lipped in the past has ended up happening (including this deal), I'll jump ahead of myself and say that a collabo between these two lovebirds is in the works. Just make sure Premo is producing.

Scarface ft Beanie Sigel & The Game - I Never Snitch (Remix)
Scarface - I Never Snitch (Original)

This joint has been making rounds lately, but with everyone asking me about it, I decided to add more shine to the cut. There's a reason for that.

First, let me state that I wasn't ready for a collabo between Scarface and The Game in this lifetime. In the same vein, I couldn't forsee Hurricane Game sharing mic time with Beans after he insulted every Roc-a-fella/semi-Roc-a-fella artist in existence, last year.

Regardless, there's nothing undermining about this take-no-prisoners plexus of three undeterred MC's, who firmly profess a common cause - may all rats and rattresses rot in hell.

I said it before: another anti-snitch cut from 'Face borders on redundancy and it won't be too long before the word "unpredictability" disappears completely from his vocabulary.

Thankfully, though, this remix is not wack.

In fact, I'll go out of my way and confess that this is the most cohesive collaboration I've heard all year (yeah, yeah I know, '06 is only three weeks old).

Beans rhymes with so much precision I'm concerned he's starting to morph into Rakim. Scarface does everything but rhyme like any other Houston rapper you've extolled in the past. As for Chuck Taylor, well he seems to overwhelm when surrounded by heavyweights. Unfortunately, he's the only one here without a damn clue that the song was meant to be subliminal dis.

"Niggas come in all shapes, some snitches wear Reeboks" - The Game

So you thought Jay-Z was the only rapper that bites bacon-sized rhymes from artists before him. Well, it turns out your favorite rapper's least favorite rapper 50 Cent borrowed the "Go go go shorty" part of "In Da Club" from the nastiest where-they-be-at group, 2 Live Crew. Seriously, Uncle Luke needs to Get A day Job or Die Tryin' instead of striving to retire on 50's G-Unit cake.

Edit: Thanks to the anonymous commenter below. I've been rightly informed that it wasn't Luke who actually filed the copyright infringement lawsuit. In fact, it was his 'dubious' lawyer Joseph Weinberger. Uncle Luke wants no parts of the case, since the same lawyer was partly responsible for the rapper's bankruptcy in the firtst place. Mr. Attorney needs to get a day job or die tryin'.

Encore:
-AZ Finally Responds to 50's Diss
-Dave Mays, Benzino Facing Permanent Removal From The Source
-Beyond Beats & Rhymes: Manhood In Hip Hop
-The Next Rakim?
-Cell Phones Become Movie Tickets
-Internet Music Sales Hit $1.1 Billion
-Soul Singer Wilson Pickett Dies at 64

You Got To Love It - Cam'ron

The beef between Cam and Jay-Z has been brewing for a long time, but, those two ex-labelmates had managed to restrain going the route of a full-fledged diss song before now.
Even if you can't stand Cam's homotional outfit and rap style, you've got to give the man credit for his wit and charisma. Finally, someone had the nerve to echo what I've been saying for years: Jay-Z makes money off biting B.I.G.'s rhymes "...got it, but your publishing should go to Miss Wallace, artist stealing BIG's shit"

This one's sprinkled with humorous one-liners!

"How's the King of New York rocking sandals with jeans and he 42 years old?"

"I know he 40 years old, I don't respect my elders"

"Beyonce
fiancee, check my 2nd LP"

"I wanted war and he stabbed Un over
Baltimore, sucka for love?..."

Looks like someone's trying to un-retire Jay-Z, once again.

Cam'ron pulls Jay-Z's Biter Card...

And, if anyone else is still looking for evidence Hov bites other artists' lyrics at will, look no further than this song "Not A Writer"which was made popular by a relatively unknown, but creative DJ two years ago. This is the furnished version with Cam playing Narrator. It chronicles Jay's biter history going all the way back to Big Daddy Kane, Big L, BIG, Pac, Snoop, Slick Rick, Rakim, and, to paraphrase Cam his new best buddy: NaS.

I know what you're thinking: Where has Riz been lately? The pictures below will honestly attempt to answer that question.

My ears were desecrated last Friday. My colleagues at ENVY Magazine were celebrating the big 2 year anniversary/issue release party for ENVY issue #23 (which your boy heartily contributed to). I'm more of a once-in-a-green-moon partier than a club addict because i don't like the idea of being shot at. Besides, I never really understand what everybody seems to be celebrating at parties.

Anyway, some of you know that there's this one song that I've heard so many evil things about that I swore to never put myself in a position where I'd have to listen to it. While listening to urban radio, I often pray for God to replace the said song with some horrendous snap music instead of subjecting me to the evil-ness of that one song. Well, you can plan a pretty picnic, as they say, but you can't predict the weather.

At first, it sounded like something from the 80's before it finally struck me that the DJ had just started spinning the tabboolicious waste of studio time that is My Humps! I came close to dying.


Real partiers





D & D




That's C.C. and um, Tipsy, yes?




Metal Finger Riz (honestly i don't even remember striking that pose)




the booty-checker

i

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have never yet engaged in a direct action movement that was "well timed," according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has almost always meant "never." We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." - MLK

After reading Low-Key's All Hip Hop interview with Lil' Wayne, it dawned on me how much trite gangsterisms has distorted the Rap game. Drawing the line between records and reality seems to be more challenging than advanced calculus for some of these rappers. Granted, Weezy made a solid, albeit overrated, album lazily-titled Tha Carter II, but that barely gives him the license to run off the mouth like a chick demanding back payments on child support.

Birdman jr. seems to take this whole "Shooter" thing a little more seriously than Robin Thicke, threatening to drop Juvenile and adorn another tattoo tear in jubilation. But when asked about 50's Katrina comments, Weezy preferred not to speak up against Mr. Interscope, since it might be deleterious to his career (a la Ja Rule). C'mon man.

I liked your album, dawg. Just leave that other BS in the trunk.

Highlights of the interview:

• Clearly admits to biting Jay-Z's delivery and style
• Says F...k B.G., Juvenile, Mannie Fresh
• Wants no beef with 50 Cent for backing the government on the New Orleans debacle
• Discredits Andre 3000 as a co-pioneer of southern lyricism
• Gives props to UGK and Scarface for anchoring the southern rap movement

Cassidy - Cassidy Anthem (mp3)
Factoids: Length - 4:16/Album - Unknown (Full Surface/J)


Cassidy is like Joe Budden's Hip Hop cousin. Both have great enough potential to be mentioned among the avant garde of Hip Hop, but are not. Both always seem to restrict their most adorable joints to the mixtape circuit, while their albums suffer from unecessary attempts to please all.

"Cassidy Anthem" is a thin-veiled evidence of the ever-flowing street poetic juices that Swizz Beatz' protege seems to never run out of. Once you get past the insipid hook ("Who da sickest in the game, man(Cassidy!)/Who be flippin' on the 'caine, man (Cassidy)"); corny metaphors ("I see you n****s sweet like Hi-C"), and redundant script ("I was wild as a child, and got worse at ten"), you'll get to enjoy the abrasive and truly anthemic banger.

Now if that alleged murder accusation doesn't help Cassidy's album sales, nothing else will.

One of my homeboys called me up to warn me that Bizarre was on Celebrity Fit Club 3, just in case I had planned on doing some channel hopping lest i come across the yawn-inducing show. Unfortunately, I forgot what channel my cable provider had marked down as VH-1 and eventually stumbled on the show (on my way to Discovery Channel) and its B-rate celebri...(wait! Bizarre is a celebrity?). Based on what? His position as Eminem's sidekicks' sidekick or his styrofoam-certified Hanni Cap Circus album?

The highlight of the show to me was former Moesha and The Parkers actress Countess Vaughn who admitted on getting some implants "to help her butt". I don't know much about plastic surgery(except that it's whatever makes Michael Jackson look like a character in Zombie) but c'mon lie to me, Countess! Lie to me! Tell me it was liposuction. Butt implants for a young black female? That's only going to make you the butt of all jokes from here on.

Heads are Rapping About:
Who Shot Obie Trice?
Guess how much they want you to pay for digital downloads?
Post Music Critic Passes Away
Gucci Mane's Charges Dropped