I remember hearing this for the first time (around the first week of June) and going "Who the hell is the guy rhyming after Black Thought?" I meant that in a good way. You'd be gassed to think that I don't know what Peedi sounds like by now. The thing is, much of what I've heard from dude is average, so, I never really understood what the hype was all about. Apparently, Peedi realized that he had to bring his A-game to reduce the possibility of being left in the dust by you know who.
From the unnerving organ arrangement to the ethereal bassline, this one's a perfect soul stirrer. 9.5/10
After more than a year on the block, urban music and fashion monthly Vibe is said to have found a buyer. Sources familiar with the deal say Keith Glen Media, the parent company of progressive fashion and culture monthly BlackBook, is expected to take over Vibe magazine, women¹s quarterly Vibe Vixen and Vibe¹s Internet, television and mobile offerings. Keith Glen Media is led by CEO Eric Gertler and president Ari Horowitz.
The strategy behind the acquisition is to step up the Vibe brand, according to a source familiar with the deal. The deal would marry Black Book¹s fashion forward approach with Vibe¹s urban music and culture content and provide significant investment to grow Vibe's global and online properties.
So, that explains the random firing squad that transpired earlier in the week. Thanks to Bitter Vibes and my AOL gang, word has it that Mimi Valdes (Editor-in-Chief), Erik Parker and other big enchiladas have been kicked out of Vibe, with Vice President Kenard Gibbs expected to resign next week. Allegedly, Vibe's circulation and ad pages fell 2.8% and 8.2% respectively. I guess Keith Glen wanted to clean up the house and start on a fresh note. They don't like it unless it's brand new...
Rick Ross - Down & Out(Akon diss) Sounds like someone's starving for attention. I don't know what stirred this lame beef, but, if you're going to battle at all, at least try to 'whip it whip it real good.'
Method Man Puts Jay-Z in Check: "Stop Sittin' in the Office"
He won't be the first to complain about Jay's nonchalant attitude towards business. But, with his upcoming album--4:21...The Day After--billed for an August 22nd release, I wonder if Meth isn't "messing up his promotion" by calling out el presidente Hov, albeit on some justified grounds.
"Whatever happened to artist development? They'll take a Ne-Yo, they'll take a Rihanna and develop them. They don't do that with us rappers. You know why? They look at us as fast food."
"I don't have anything against The Roots or Nas. But, there's a lot of hungry muthaf****s out there that deserve those slots. The Roots had a deal, Nas had a deal and still has a deal. Jay, stop sitting in that office, b. Go out there and find those talents. N***as is mad at you, b. Stop signing all these established acts...
I'm no big fan of the do-your-own-thing approach Dre and Big Boi have been adopting lately. But, hey, if it ain't broke... Both tracks complement each other very well. Intentional or not, Dre's influence bears heavy on his partner as you can tell from the retro blues flava of "Morris Brown," which is almost submerged by a marching band. There's really no need to juxtapose or ramble on about whose single is better. Enjoy 'em both.
Dear 50 Cent, Not only has The Game already massacred you and your brow-plucking corny a--, but, this so-called beef is officially the least interesting thing in hip-hop right now. I'd rather watch The Oprah Winfrey show than desecrate my ears with your speech impediment-laden ghost-written rhymes. Shame on you Curtis for pulling yet another publicity stunt just to keep your name in the press. You almost had me Mr Chicken Little, but, I promise I won't fall for your little stunts again. Now you and your sister Whoo Kid can go back to Lebanon and enjoy your little sleep over with that other Jackson.
I usually leave the soul searching to O-dub, but I'd be selfish not to share this deliciously daft jawn. Get Used to It, recently released on Delicious Vinyl, ranks up with the Brand New Heavies' finest work. Listen to Brand New Heavies' Get Used to It here
Growing up truly must be a beautiful thing. Some of these rappers are finally starting to smile for some reason. Nas is finally crawling out of his shell and attending award shows. Snoop is no longer running off throgh the backstage to avoid po-po. Great call on Harry Bellafonte, it's about damn time. And you say black leadership is currently in extinction? Full Recap, Winners and Nominees
1. "Dilltastic Vol Won(derful)" 2. "False Media" 3. "Game Theory" 4. "Don't Feel Right" 5. "In The Music" 6. "Take It There" 7. "Baby" 8. "Here I Come" 9. "Long Time" 10. "Livin' In A New World" 11. "Clock With No Hands" 12. "Atonement" 13. "Can't Stop This
Guest Features: -Peedi Peedi -Malik B -Rahzel -Dice Raw -J*Davey
Start saving for this sh*t...those Onion Booty DVDs can wait...
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't need a review to tell me that he murdered it. But, damn, this good synopsis of the whole thing made me change my mind.
Ludacris - War with God (T.I. diss) Well, I'm not sure whether to call 'beef' or 'battle' on this one. But, this is what I like to hear from Luda. The man has some enormous potential that never translates into a solid album. T.I. may have all the industry clout and sales right now, but, when it comes down to the basics (I aint talking about shooting and stabbing either), Luda has the upper hand. Listen to the track and let me know if you think this is strong enough to 'ether' the self-proclaimed King.
"I’m universal Luda never limits hisself to the South"
The Source Magazine 200th Issue Featuring Ice Cube
-If the year was '98, this Ice Cube impersonation of Suge Knight would still be laughable. -That said, I think The Source is making giant strides towards recovery path despite all the negative criticism. -Still, last I checked, Scratch was still running this mag sh*t. -The sad part is, with all the hullabaloo surrounding Cube's plausible comeback, only JET-- yeah, that Ebony supplemental that's sold separately--opted to show him some cover love. -On the other hand, Busta Rhymes' rebound clinched him cover spots on all three major hip-hop publications at the drop of a hat. -Yet, people are running around applauding Busta for selling 216,000 on Interscope? -You ever wonder if those numbers actually signal a flop in commensuration with the hype and promotion; the BET Rap city hosting opportunities, the plethora of radio sit-ins, that questionable Flipmode News coverage that had Youtubers going nuts, the 291 "Touch It" remixes, not to mention the death of Busta's bodyguard...? -Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt concert slated for June 25th (exactly 10 years from the release date) reportedly sold out in 3 minutes. Well, here's a slew of circa RD vids for those of us who'd rather get a toe massage than fork out thousands of dollars for ebay tickets.
Pre-Reasonable Doubt Videos:
Jay-Z - I Can't Get with That (Doin' the tongue-twist-iggidy thing)
The Originators - The Jaz (The dance at the end is the best part)
Original Flavor - Can I Get Open (Strictly for laughs)
Jaz - Hawaiian Sophie (Nas must have seen this like 200 times)
Reasonable Doubt Videos
Can't Knock the Hustle ft. Mary J. Blige (Before Mary J features became a cliche)
Dead Presidents (Jay-Z and Cristal go Wayyy Back)
Feelin' It (Yet another free ad for Cristal)
Ain't No Nigga (You gotta do the "Dame Dash" this one)
Friend or Foe (Classic Premo sh*t)
Some Notable Post-Reasonable Doubt Videos
Friend or Foe '98 (starring Dame Dash as Jay-Z's butler)
You Must Love Me (The Jay-Z we all love)
Hard Knock Life (The Jay-Z we all miss)
Bonus Cuts:
Jay-Z vs. DMX Freestyle Backstage (The real reason DMX fled from Def Jam)
BET Freestyle w Free & AJ (The diss that ended R.Kelly's career...j/k)
Jay-Z and 50 Cent Reebok Commercial (Jigga just can't resist the tendency to collaborate with potential rivals, can he?)
Jay-Z+Linkin Park - Numb-Core (Even though they tried to sell us the same sh*t twice, "Numb/Encore" was worth the time they wasted on the collabo. I hear you Kanye.)
Jay-Z - What More Can I Say/Fade to Black (If the Nets had this guy as their announcer, they might actually win a game or two.)
Tip: For maximum output, do not play all the videos at the same time
I know someone will have today's RD concert footage somewhere on the internets even before the show gets started. So, holla at me with the update when it goes down like Yung Joc.
Hip-Hop Is Dead: Nas Goes all Nastradamus on Us Again
In the next couple of days, this Rolling Stone In the Studio article on Nas will become a blogosphere favorite. Decide for yourself if this is bs or bt (bitter truth).
Nas Hip-Hop Is Dead Due Out: September Recorded in New York
"For his eighth studio album, Queensbridge MC Nas is taking it to the clubs. "I want it to be bangin'," he says. "And if you want it bangin', you call the dudes with the bangers." In this case, the dudes are Timbaland, Pharrell, Scott Storch, Dr. Dre and hip hop's newest "it" producer, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. "This one is gonna broaden my audience back up to where it needs to be," says Nas. It doesn't hurt that he's got rap's reigning king, Jay-Z, behind him; the former foes buried the hatchet and Hova signed Nas to Def Jam in January. Hard drums and crowd chants rull the Will.i.am-produced title track. On "War," a song about the politics of warfare, Nas trades verses with Damian Marley. "It has the head nod and that rocka bump," says Nas' co-manager Mark Pitts, who also confirms that Nas has been in touch with Michael Jackson in hopes of recording with him. "It's gonna show Nas' potential to cross over from hip hop to pop," says Pitts." (RS#1003)
I call bullsh*t. Hell, this could even be Def Jam's ploy to get us all amped up for a pop Nas album when he's, in fact, attempting another stillmatic feat.
1. Geek Down (with Busta Rhymes) 2. E=Mc2 (with Common) 3. Love Jones 4. Love (with Pharoahe Monch) 5. Baby (with Guilty Simpson, Madlib 6. So Far to Go (with Common, D’Angelo 7. Jungle Love (with MED, Guilty Simpson) 8. Over The Breaks 9. Body Movin’ (with J. Rocc, Karriem Riggins) 10. Dime Piece (with Dwele) 11. Love Movin’ (with Black Thought) 12. Won't Do
Jay Dee was able to complete over 90% of The Shining prior to his passing on 02-10-06. Karriem Riggins, a long time associate of Dilla, assisted with the final touches. Hopefully, this here isn't yet another attempt to cash in. The Shining drops on August 22nd, 2006 on BBE.
They say you never know where you're going until you know where you're coming from. Here's a rundown of what was happening in the hip-hop world while your parents were still in diapers. I first wrote this for About.com but I'm going to make weekly (or monthly) installations here as well, with little alterations. Now, no one's claiming this to be the hip-hop gospel. So, if you find that some notable events are missing from the timeline, feel free to point them out. Major props to Davey D for posting up the full version on his site. It took me an awful long time to compile.
Here we go:
Hip-Hop Timeline 1925 - 1975
1925: Earl Tucker (aka Snake Hips), a performer at the Cotton Club invents a dance style similar to today’s hip-hop dance moves including floats and slides. Similar moves would later inspire an element of hip-hop culture known as breakdancing.
1940:Tom the Great (Thomas Wong) uses a booming sound system to please the crowd. Wong also used American records to swindle music-lovers from local bands.
1950: The Soundclash contest between Coxsone Dodd’s “Downbeat” and Duke Reid’s “Trojan” gives birth to DJ Battling.
1956:Clive Campbell is born in Kingston, Jamaica. Campbell would later become the father of hip-hop.
1959: Parks Commissioner Robert Moses starts building an expressway in the Bronx. Consequently, middle class Germans, Irish, Italians, and Jewish neighborhoods disappear in no time. Businesses relocate away from the borough only to be replaced by impoverished black and Hispanic families. Along with these poor people came addiction, crime, gang-related activities, and unemployment.
1962:James Brown records Live At The Apollo. Brown’s drummer Clayton Fillyau popularizes a sound that is now known as the break beat. The break beat would later inspire the b-boy movement, as breakers danced to these beats at block parties.
1965: In a historic boxing bout, Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) defeats Sonny Liston in the 6th round. Before the bout, however, Ali recited one of the earliest known rhymes:
Clay comes out to meet Liston And Liston starts to retreat If Liston goes back any further He'll end up in a ringside seat. Clay swings with a left, Clay swings with a right, Look at young Cassius Carry the fight. Liston keeps backing But there's not enough room It's a matter of time...
1967: Clive Campbell migrates to the United States at the age of 11. He would later become a graff writer and change his name to Clyde As Kool. Because of his size, kids at Alfred E. Smith High School nicknamed him Hercules. He didn't like the name so he decided to go with the shortened form, Herc. Herc later became Kool Herc, a renowned hip-hop DJ that would help inspire a global culture.
1968: A gang named Savage Seven would hit the streets of the East Bronx. Savage Seven later transforms into Black Spades, before eventually becoming an organization known as Zulu Nation.
1969: James Brown records two songs that would further influence the drum programming in today’s rap – “Sex Machines” with John Starks playing the drums and “Funky Drummer” with Clyde Stubblefield on the drums.
1970: DJ U-Roy invades Jamaican pop chart with three top ten songs using a style referred to as toasting. The Last Poets release their self-titled debut album on Douglas Records combining jazz instrumentations with heartfelt spoken word. (The Last Poets were featured on Common’s 2005 rap anthem, “The Corner").
1971:Aretha Franklin records a well-known b-boy song “Rock Steady.” The Rock Steady Crew would go on to rule in the world of break-dancing, with members all across the globe.
1972: The Black Messengers (a group that staged performances for The Black Panthers and rallies relating to the black power movement) feature on The Gong Show. However, they are only allowed to perform under the alias “Mechanical Devices,” because of their controversial name.
1973:DJ Kool Herc throws his first block party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, NY. Herc would often buy two copies of a record and stretch the break parts by using two turntables and mixing in both records before the break ends. The Zulu Nation is officially formed by a student of Stevenson High school named Kahyan Asim (aka Afrika Bambaataa).
1974: After seeing Kool Herc perform at block parties, Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa start playing at parties all over the Bronx neighborhoods. Around this time, DJ/MC/Crowd Pleaser Lovebug Starski starts referring to this culture as “hip-hop."
1975: [Herc is hired as a DJ at the Hevalo Club. He later gets Coke La Rock to spit crowd pleaser rhymes at parties (e.g.“DJ Henry is in the house and he'll turn it out without a doubt”). Coke La Rock and Clark Kent form the first emcee team known as Kool Herc & The Herculoids. DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invents ‘the scratch’ by accident. Legend has it that while trying to hold a spinning record in place in order to listen to his mom, Grand Wizard accidentally caused the record to produce the “shigi-shigi” sound that is now known as the scratch.
"On the kid from the project bench/ That went--Sony BMG// To that new conglomerate/ Island Def Jam// Guess how many dollars was spent/ To get the best man...In the Rolls Royce like the king of Nigeria"
This joint has been making rounds for about a week now, hence my reluctance to post it. But I'm curious as to what people think of Nas' current lyrical potency. Most of his guest features as a Def Jam artist have been forgettable (read: his verse on Da Backwudz' "You Gon' Luv Me Remix" and DJ Busta Rhymes' "Don't Get Carried Away." ) But this here harkens to the good ol' Nasty ferocity. Production is solid (sounds like Salaam Remi) but the voice sample could use some Premo-esque tweaking. Love it though. Rating: 8/10
I'll gladly take this over that Beyonce & Jay-Z jawn anyday. Looks like all the ladies are trying to make a comeback this summer. Between Janet, Beyond-Say, and Chrissy, I'll take _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin Broadus, was performing at Birmingham's City Stages festival on Saturday when the Alabama native joined him for a surprise duet.
The silver-haired soul singer played the harmonica during the song and performed some of his famous dance moves later in the rapper's set.
Here's a video of Busta Rhymes investigating that May 2006 auto crash that ocurred right on Scott Storch's lawn. Busta starts 'nutting up'® T.I. towards the end and eventually gets kicked out of the scene by police.
How else do you explain these two hip-hop chieftains making appearances on Lloyd Banks' upcoming Rotten Apple LP.Lloyd Banks must have kidnapped 'Face and Ra, and locked them up in a basement for the collaborations?
"Outside the crew, I got Scarface on the album, 8Ball, Rakim," he revealed. "I'm going in on this project. I'm going to show them my lyrical capability. It doesn't hurt to have those legends stand beside me. I been listening to Rakim since I was a baby, as well as Scarface and 8ball. I was in junior high school, elementary school listening to these artists."
Isn't it funny how these rappers claim they've been listening to Rakim, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, etc and still end up with a half-ass album everytime?
Janet Jackson & Nelly - Call on Me(mp3) Not very good quality. No, literally. This is miles and miles away from vintage Janet. Whatever happened to JJ & TL?
$5 says that's apple juice in a bottle of 'Cris. By the way, isn't he supposed to be somewhere changing poo-poo diapers and babysitting right now? Happy Father's Day y'all. (Thanks Dlisted)
Jay-Z & Beyonce - Deja Vu It's summer, so, naturally everyone's pairing up for...who am I kidding? This is Hov and Beyonce yo, not an everyday thing. Unfortunately, this song lacks the instant smash vintage of, say, "Crazy in Love." I can envisage it being a concert favorite nonetheless.
I really hate to get all preachy and shit but this is something that really has to be addressed, seeing as legal threats are now involved.
An interview I held with a certain hip-hop enthusiast has been causing some bad blood here and there. Turns out a CEO of a label that shall remain nameless was not too happy with the content of the interview and decided to email me about it.
About two weeks after I declined the CEO's request for me to script an article counteracting the content of the interview, they're now demanding that I delete the interview entirely from my site. Not happening potna. That was 1 hour 45 minutes worth of conversation, 4 hours worth of typing and transcribing, and an additional 2 hours spent formatting and publishing that shit. If you don't like the statements made, why don't you address the interviewee about it. Need I remind you that I'm only a journalist doing my job, and I've got my voice recorder handy to back it up.
More than the effort exerted towards making that interview accessible to the 12,000 + people who have now read it, is the troubling anti-freedom-of-speech sentiment displayed by this CEO. Hip-hop was established as a form of expression, so, watching people shove some sort of suppression down its conduits is utterly depressing.
Press Release Custom Made is back once again with the third mixtape from their critically acclaimed Street Cinema series. Custom Made has become notorious in the streets for their brutally honest depiction of street life and Los Angeles lifestyle. This shit is fresh out the lab and showcases more of the lyrical hardcore Custom Made is well known for. Without a doubt, Custom Made is the future of Los Angeles hip-hop. For a limited time you can download the entire mixtape from the link below. Don't sleep....22 tracks of uncut raw hip-hop.
I don't know how long they've been airing this, but, I saw it for the first time while watching Dallas whip the sh*t out of Miami last night. I understand why they would want Hov on this, and the concepts are decent enough. But, the other one (with the white kid) was much more convincing.
The Roots Interview: ?uestlove Talks Game Theory, Jay-Z's Expectations, J Dilla, etc
I don't even know how to describe this interview, but, one word comes to mind. Classic. ?uestlove's articulation. Classic. Game Theory. Classic. Jay-Z's Reaction to Game Theory. Classic.
Interview Highlights:
Black Thought goes 'left' on Game Theory, raps about some personal stuff including the murder of his parents.
?uestlove talks about his desire to record a powerful 'duets' album but not in a Biggie Duets manner.
?uest recalls playing 'Blind Olympics' with J Dilla(R.I.P.) in the presence of Proof(R.I.P.)
The three artists that may become the next Native Tongues
Jay-Z's 'threat' to kick them off Def Jam?
Why Phrenology sounded the way it did
And, have you ever wondered how many more albums The Roots plan on recording before they call it quits?
The Game Theory Preview After picking Ahmir's brain for about 2 hours, he realized he had to go get ready for their concert with Talib Kweli and Blackalicious. (Concert review coming soon!). The concert was excellent, but, my day was crowned with a Game Theory listening session. I plan on doing a full 'preview' type article on the album, but, here are some note-worthy points for now:
It's a 14-track CD with no hidden song. "No more hidden surprises," says Ahmir
There's a 10-minute long dedication to J Dilla. Dilla's brother gave ?uest the master to an already classic instrumental. The Roots transformed it into a tediously elongated tribute jam.
Some erstwhile members of The Roots are featured on the album. I'll leave it up to you to guess which ones.
Scott Storch is missing for the first time ever (but, you'll hardly miss him)
There's a joint with J*Davey (if you don't know who J*Davey is by now, please "get familiar". That's what I sleep to these days.)
Sorry, no Jay-Z on the album
My prediction: Like I've always said, the album is unmastered so it's hard to place a label on it. Regardless, it'll probably take an appearance by Chingy or Three-6-Mafia to ruin this album. Definitely a strong contender for album of the year.
RL of NEXT needed a career CPR. So, he took a page from his boss 50 Cent's book and hauled a curveball at Jagged Edge and 112. It's not that RL can't sing, it's what he sings about that's got me cracking up: "G-G-G-unnniiiit..." (Props Roberto)
An average loose change will be quick to point out that the couple isn't black. Just because their skin color is parallel to yours doesn't mean their struggle isn't. Rappers, please leave Oprah the f**k alone and go fight Bill O'Reilly. That's the real anti-hip-hop, anti-Black, anti-everything you suckers pretend to defend.
And, shame on all you self-indulgent mofos who also criticize this lady for helping out impoverished South African girls. Again, just because their background is parallel to yours doesn't necessarily mean that their struggle isn't.
[Huey] Put on your thinking caps people. Damn! [/Huey]
I kinda like this Boost Mobile Rock Corps idea. Instead of paying cutthroat rates to see your favorite artists perform live, you render some volunteer work for four hours and get a free ticket. Our generation consists of a lazy bunch anyway, so, this is a good nudge in the right direction.
If you're into this kind of stuff, then go sign up before it ends.
More artists have been added to the event, including: Young Jeezy Big Boi Paul Wall Slim Thug, & Lil Jon
Block Music (Def Jam) 1. Can't Do It Like Me 2. Block Music (Bang) 3. Damn 4. Gettin' Some Remix (featuring Ludacris, Lil' Wayne, and Too Short) 5. Candy Coated 6. Roll Wit Me 7. In Tha Chi 8. Take It Slow 9. Can't Break Me 10. Ghetto Fairy Tales
Other tracks rumored to be on Block Music: -Stop Em Out -Hit the Back/Slide -Chicago
Once again, the X-man is back on the news because of his driving antics. Sez WBSCT.com
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was stopped on Friday afternoon for driving his 2001 Chevy Suburban at unreasonable speeds and making unsafe lane changes, Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson of the White Plains police said Monday.
Once he was stopped, police found he was not wearing a seat belt and did not have a driver's license, Jackson said.
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