1. Intro 2. Ghetto - prod by Ski 3. The Oath - prod by Ax Tha Bull 4. Let That Thing Go (skit) 5. 30/30 f/ Uniqua Star - prod by Ben Grim (Now or Laterz) 6. Don’t Start f/ Greg Nice - prod by Cormega 7. You Know Where He’s From (Skit) 8. QU Side f/ Mr. Cheeks - prod by Cormega, J Waxx Garfield, Arnold 9. Sleezo (Skit) 10. Snitch Nigga - prod by Buckwild 11. Stress & Greed prod by Jay Boy 12. Get It - prod by Buckwild 13. Walk Through Heaven - prod by Get Large 14. Hood Legends - prod by J Waxx Garfield 15. Swallow Everything (skit) 16. Miss Everything f/ Kira - prod by J Waxx Garfield 17. No Happy Ending - prod by HotDay 18. Dirty NY f/ Fat Joe - prod by J Waxx Garfield
This looks good on paper, but I'm curious as to why it says "Lake featuring Cormega." Maybe I'm reading too much into the whole thing, but I thought it was a collaborative effort.
They should have anticipated it, seeing as no one was talking about their latest joint, 20/20. I never even saw a video for the "Back Again" single. Peep the Ballerstatus article:
"There's a lot of good people at Capitol," Evidence told BallerStatus.net. "But, sometimes those aren't the people that write the checks. However, I'm not bitter; I'm definitely ready to move forward."
Rakaa is currently working on his as yet untitled solo effort, while DJ Babu is putting together Duck Season Vol.3.
Evidence is readying his solo project The Weatherman, a title referencing the nickname fans gave him in his early career. The album will showcase Evidence's lyrics and production skills alongside guests such as Rakaa, Little Brother, Defari, and DJ Revolution, with additional production by The Alchemist, Jake One, and Babu, among others. It is slated for release on March 20 of 2007 on ABB Records.
Evidence is also collaborating with the Alchemist on The A&E Project, which will feature both artists on the boards and behind the mic. The album is expected to drop after The Weatherman, early next year.
Granted, 20/20 was underwhelming, but damn, this crew is like an gold mine waiting to explode. The Platform was excellent, and Neighborhood Watch was the closest they came to mainstream success. Yet, for some reason, Capitol never went beyond that Kanye single.
Soundbites: The Roots - Bread & Butter (Non-Game Theory Track)
The Roots - Bread & Butter I've been saying for a while that the leaked version of Game Theory is incomplete. At least that's what I think, seeing as there's a particular dark track--where Black Thought talks about the murder of his parents--that didn't make the cut. I don't remember the song title to that one, but I recall one line: "if it brings a tear to your eyes, I apologize."
Back to "Bread and Butter," another track that won't be on the retail version of GT. But, I'm sure you already know that you can cop it from their pre-Game Theory EP on iTunes, along with 3 other joints. My gut tells me that someone left this out in order to keep Tariq from being overshadowed. I mean, "Long Time," "In the Music," "Game Theory"...Riq had to double up on this album.
1.Intro 2.Bossy (featuring Too $hort) 3.What's That Right There 4.Till The Wheels Fall Off 5.Living Proof 6.Blindfold Me 7.Goodbyes 8.Trilogy 9.Circus 10.Weekend (featuring Will.I.Am) 11.Like You 12.Aww S***! (featuring Smoke) 13.Lil Star (featuring Cee-Lo) 14.I Don't Think So 15.Handful 16.Appreciate Me 17.Have A Nice Day
Originally, the Virginia duo were going to fill the album with songs they'd been sitting on for years. But as more and more time passed, the brothers' attitude took a decidedly darker turn, and they wanted that to be reflected in their music.
So they scrapped most of the original record and hit the studio. The MCs feel the music is so harsh, it's only appropriate that they release it on October 31. "It's just fitting. Halloween — let the demons loose," Malice said at Battery Studio.
I'm all for battering up demons and everything, but haven't we been through this Halloween release date thing for 12 years already? Pharrell should have been more concerned with putting out Hell Hath Fury instead of wasting all that time on his listless solo project.
Depending on how people respond to this one, I might start doing weekly/monthly CD giveaways.*
You can now receive a free copy of Rhymefest's Blue Collar CD by simply answering these questions in the comment section. The first person to answer both questions correctly wins the contest.
1). Prior to Blue Collar, Rhymefest had released a poorly-received underground album titled_____________ 2). "Fever" is one of the singles from Blue Collar. ___________ produced "Fever"?
Update: A winner has emerged. Damn, that was faster than I expected. Jurassic 5 next week.
1. Intro 2. First Born 3. 4:21…The Day After 4. Ya Mean ft. Fat Joe & Styles P 5. Things They Say ft. Lauryn Hill 6. Muddy Tims ft. Redman 7. M.E.T.H.O.D. 8. Life and Death ft. Killa Sin 9. Stat Bwoy ft. Streetlife 10. Non Alcoholics ft. Tash 11. Rude Awakening 12. Low ft. Ghostface Killah 13. Grab Hold 14. One ft. RZA & Streetlife
That "Ya Mean" track is a-ok, nothing special. Glad to see that Red and Ghost made the cut. I mean, for some odd reason I kept thinking Bobby Brown was going to be on this. Thoughts?
R & B--hell Black Music as a whole--is depressing right now, but I'm willing to give Mya a chance. Moodring was decent sans a few forced collabos (read: Lloyd Banks). She needs to crawl out of her hermittage and join the girl fight: Xtina vs Janet vs Beyonce vs Ciara vs LeToya...Speaking of Toya, she's the reason I'm late for today's post. I'll explain (along with photos) much later. For now, enjoy Mya's promo photos for Liberation--her new album.
Yes kids, it's true that I share my birthday with Mya Harrison.
Little Brother - Step Off I don't know what this is going to be on, but I remember Phonte mentioning on his blog that they're already working on the next album. "Step Off" sounds decent as an album track. The production is a bit sleazy, but Tay and Pooh's sharp lyrics are undeniable. It'll be interesting to see what direction they go with their next release, seeing as they've emptied the vault on The Listening and The Minstrel Show.
AZ - The Animal (produced by DJ Premier) Anthony Cruz is nasty on this Premo beat. It also goes without saying that Premier has finally evolved, tossing out his signature drums and hi-hats for a thumping bassline and flourishing piano licks. That's what real kings do.
I played this for a friend yesterday. She stared at the screen for about 45 seconds, then exclaimed: "Ohhh...I get it. That guy is supposed to be George Bush." While "Work it Out" is definitely far from the magnum opus on Feedback, the video is funny enough to attract a fair amount of feedback (pun intended) , which will probably work in their favor. A well-ordered gambit.
Let this serve as an eye-opener to those of you who tend to assume that police brutality is limited to racial profiling. Dude is a weapons charge suspect, but damn, that attack was clearly unprovoked. Plus, they kept pounding on him even after he was already hugging the ground. Damn shame.
In case you've been living under a cave for the past few years, Esther Baxter's your favorite rapper's favorite video girl. Yeah, she's that jingling chick in Ghostface Killah's horredous "Tush" video. V-Girls run everything these days--magazines, TV shows, etc. And here you were thinking that hip-hop's employment well was completely drained. Hell, professionalgroupies are standing by right now. (Source)
A whole bunch of these tracks were laced by none other than Premo himself. Even though you're more concerned with the thought of Prem possibly 'hitting that' in the studio, try as much as possible to listen to this sampler. The production is more progressive than I expected. Don't sleep on Mark Ronson, who also contributed to this album's soundscape.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one, especially the Nas collabo "Still Dirrty."
Back 2 Basics Tracklist Disc 1 1. "Intro (Back to Basics)" — 1:47 2. "Makes Me Wanna Pray (Featuring Steve Winwood)" — 04:10 3. "Back in the Day" — 04:13 4. "Ain't No Other Man" — 03:49 5. "Understand" — 03:46 6. "Slow Down Baby" — 03:27 7. "Oh Mother" — 03:45 8. "F.U.S.S (Interlude)" — 02:21 9. "On Our Way" — 03:37 10. "Without You" — 03:57 11. "Still Dirrty (Featuring Nas)" — 03:46 12. "Here to Stay" — 03:19 13. "Thank You (Dedication to Fans)" — 04:59
Disc 2 1. "Enter the Circus (Featuring Linda Perry)" — 01:42 2. "Welcome" — 02:42 3. "Candyman" — 03:14 4. "Nasty Naughty Boy" — 04:45 5. "I Got Trouble" — 03:42 6. "Hurt" — 04:03 7. "Mercy on Me" — 04:32 8. "Save Me from Myself" — 03:13 9. "The Right Man" — 03:52 10. "Back to Basics" (video) — 10:07
Speaking of Premo, peep this incisive interview where he bigs up another great producer that people, not who you expected.
While the other Dash is busy complaining that there's no money in rap, cousin Stacey seems to be expanding her hustle by launching a lingerie line in collaboration with Jennifer Issa. I knew all that Playboy hype wasn't for nothing. Apparently, hustlemania spirit runs in the family. (spotted via Concrete Loop)
Update: My friend Bill just hipped me to this helper. Apparently, Fergie simply re-invented "My Humps" after listening to "Hollaback Girl" on repeat for 12 months.
"Hollaback Girl" Release Date - July 19th, 2005 "London Bridge" TRL Premiere Date - July 18th, 2006
You knew this one was coming. It's ironic because this whole mash-up craze started with Danger Mouse--one half of Gnarls Barkley. I haven't heard the whole thing, so let me know what you think.
The Greatest Rappers 1988 - 2005...According to The Source Magazine
When you start seeing folks like Mike Jones, Chingy and Ying Yang Twins on a Best of anything-list, it really shows how much rap has plummeted into utter mediocrity. According to this issue of The Source, the greatest artists between 1988 and 2005: 1988 -P.E - BDP - Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince -Big Daddy Kane - Rakim -Salt N Pepa -Slick Rick -Too Short/Eazy-E -EPMD -Run DMC
1989 -N.W.A -De La Soul -LL Cool J -2 Live Crew -Tone Loc -Big Daddy Kane -The D.O.C. -EpMD -Queen Latifah -Biz Markie
1990 -P.E -Ice Cube -MC Hammer -LL Cool J -Brand Nubian -Digital Underground -BDP -A Tribe Called Quest -Rakim -X-Clan
1991 -Ice Cube -N.W.A. -A Tribe Called Quest -Geto Boyz -De La Soul -Naughty By Nature -Cypress Hill -Black Sheep -DJ Quik -P.E.
1992 -Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg -Das EFX -Redman -Kris Kross -Ice Cube -Arrested Development -Sir Mix-a-lot -Pete Rock & CL Smooth -The Pharcyde -DJ Quik
1993 -Snoop Dogg -Wu-Tang Clan -2Pac -A Tribe Called Quest -Naughty By Nature -Digable Planets -Cypress Hill -Ice Cube -MC Eight -Onyx
1994 -Nas -Biggie -OutKast -Warren G -Method Man -Da Brat -Bone Thugs -Scarface -Common -Jeru The Damaja
1995 -Bone thugs -Wu-Tang -Snoop/ Dog Pound -Biggie -2Pac -Mobb Deep -Goodie Mob -Naughty By Nature -The Pharcyde -Dj Quik
1996 -2Pac -Fugees -Outkast -Westside Connection -Jay-Z -Lil Kim -LL Cool J -Nas -Busta Rhymes -Foxy Brown
1997 -Biggie -P. Diddy/Mase -Wu-Tang -Wyclef -Will Smith -Busta Rhymes -Master P -Bone Thugs -Missy -Rakim
1998 -Lauryn Hill -Jay-Z -Master P/ No Limit -DMX -Outkast -Juvenile -Big Pun -N.O.R.E. -Canibus -Gang Starr
If you thought 50's "Ghetto Q'uran" was a snitch record, how about this: a full-fledged album that eventually gets everyone arrested including the rapper himself. Sez the Washington Times:
New York detectives say a drug dealer and aspiring rap singer outlined his entire criminal enterprise in the liner notes of his CD.
Terrence Jones, nicknamed Big Chef, called himself "the 500-gram cooker" and the "bag twister" in his lyrics, and listed members of his drug-dealing network in the notes, the New York Daily News reported.
"It's like the confessions of a rap star/drug dealer," said Inspector Steven Powers of the Brooklyn North narcotics unit. "We looked at it and said, 'Wow, he's giving a lot of details about his life.'"
Jones and 20 others were arrested after a 16-month investigation at the Bushwick Houses, a housing project in Brooklyn. During what was known as Operation Bushwhack, undercover officers made drug buys in the project, which was allegedly infested with five gangs of dealers. Jones claimed to have sold 1,500 copies of his CD, "Hood Hop."
This article is hilarious for several reasons. It describes the Big Chef fella as a rap singer, more like singer to me. The "Start Snitching" movement has finally kicked in.
For the record, Rizoh is not into syrup-sippin', has no plans of sippin' syrup, has never sap syrup, and will not even consider it if offered. Thank you.
I would pay in order not to hear these again. Ever.
In no particular order...
10 Worst Rap Albums of '06 :
-Cam'ron - Killa Season -Dem Franchize Boyz - On Top of Our Game -Juvenile - Reality Check -Yo Gotti - Back 2 da Basics -Mobb Deep - Blood Money -Bubba Sparxxx - The Charm -Yung Joc - New Joc City -Pimp C - Pimpalation -LL Cool J - Todd Smith -DJ Khaled - Listennn...The Album
10 Worst Rap Songs of '06 -Shoulder Lean - Young Dro -Stick - Rhymefest -Ridin' Rims - Dem Franchize Boyz -Tell Me When to Go - E-40 -It's Goin' Down - Yung Joc -Shake That - Eminem ft. Nate Dogg -Fack - Eminem -Stop Snitching -Ice Cube -Hustlin' - Rick Ross -Control Myself - LL Cool J ft. J-Lo
One of the questions I get asked a lot is "What do you think Nas' next album will sound like?" My response? "No clue." Well, take a look at this unconfirmed tracklist and decide for yourself:
NaS - Hip-Hop Is Dead...The N Tracklist
1. Intro - (N. Jones, C. Martin) 2. The Death - (N. Jones, S. Storch, S. Holman, A. Griffith) 3. War for Zion ft. Damien Marley - (N. Jones, D. Marley, L. Lewis) 4. Yes Yes Y'all - (N. Jones, S. Gibbs) 5. North by Northwest ft. The Game - (N. Jones, J. Taylor, A. Young) 6. Got it Back Like That ft. Michael Jackson - (N. Jones, M. Jackson, R. Hampford, T. Peter, T. Mosley) 7. The Golden Child (N. Jones, C. Martin, H. Ribald) 8. Polo and Guess ft. Jay-Z - (N. Jones, S. Carter, K. West) 9. U.B.K (Unauthorized Biography of KRS-One) - (N. Jones) 10. Just Love It ft. Kelis - (N. Jones, K. Rogers, J. Smith) 11. World's Greatest ft. Pharrell - (N. Jones, P. Williams, C. Hugo) 12. Gods and Earths ft. Rakim - (N. Jones, W. Griffin, C. Martin) 13. We Brave ft. The Bravehearts - (N. Jones, J. Jones, N. Jones, L. Lewis) 14. Sekou Selassie - (N. Jones, S. Jones, L. Lewis) 15. Hip-Hop is Dead - (N. Jones, W. Adams) 16. Kill that Noise ft. Busta Rhymes - (N. Jones, T. Smith, S. Storch) 17. The "N"... - (N. Jones, A. Young, B. Jordan, L. Lewis) 18. Ann Jones - (N. Jones, S. Gibbs) 19. Bonus Track: What Y'all Want - (N. Jones, S. Gibbs)
While NY and LA were busy whining about the southern takeover, Chicago crept in and swaggerjacked everybody. Kanye, Lupe, Rhymefest, and Consequence. The latest rapper from the Windy City probably has her eye on Lauryn Hill's throne.
26-year old Psalm One (born Cristalle Bowen) is neither a putty-tang femcee with occasional flashes of brilliance a la Kim and Fox Boogie, nor an overhyped (albeit creative) purist a la Jean Grae. Still, I was initially skeptical, seeing as she had a couple of rap-chicks-suck-and-i'm-the-truth moments that almost made me cringe. Not that I have a problem with such statements, but because a sizeable portion of today's hip-hop press detests artists who voice out against compacency (read: Soul Position, Little Brother, and The Roots).
Fortunately, there's more to Psalm One's music. A mesh of Chi-City soul and transparent storytelling that's rare these days. No frills. No gimmicks. While she reminds me of Lauryn, her delivery is not as sharp as L'Boogie's. But, whose is anyway?
Psalm One's first full length, Biochemistry, which was later re-released as Biochemistry II: Esters and Essays, is a nod to her college degree in Chemistry. (Believe it or not, Chemistry pays her bills.)Her latest release, The Death of Frequent Flyer, dropped on July 18th, 2006. Check her out now. Thank me later.
Soundscan Charts 7-12-06 - Numbers Don't Make Cents
Billboard 200 - 7/12/2006 [size=2]TWRank--Artist--Title--TWSales--%CHG--LWSales--RTDSales 1 CASH*JOHNNY AMERICAN V: HUNDRED HIGHWAYS 88,336 999 357 88,711 2 FURTADO*NELLY LOOSE 81,369 -18 98,904 399,391 3 INDIA.ARIE TESTIMONY:VOL.1,LIFE & RELATIO 68,769 -57 161,172 230,374 5 GNARLS BARKLEY ST. ELSEWHERE 55,885 -6 59,417 452,411 6 RIHANNA GIRL LIKE ME 55,482 -11 62,294 638,099 11 YUNG JOC NEW JOC CITY 46,968 -5 49,681 365,474 17 BUSTA RHYMES BIG BANG THE 36,648 -37 57,789 372,504 21 NE-YO IN MY OWN WORDS 31,549 -11 35,541 1,062,494 26 ICE CUBE LAUGH NOW CRY LATER 26,625 -25 35,723 310,385 28 CHAMILLIONAIRE SOUND OF REVENGE 25,224 -10 28,051 1,053,064 36 SHAWNNA BLOCK MUSIC 20,860 -56 46,940 67,913 38 T.I. KING 20,704 -21 26,290 1,348,761 48 FIELD MOB LIGHT POLES & PINE TREES 17,585 -35 27,122 108,292 49 BLIGE*MARY J. BREAKTHROUGH 17,351 -30 24,795 2,443,332 55 BAMBINO*HECTOR EL FATHER LOS ROMPE DISCOTEKAS 15,332 -42 26,501 41,988 56 JONES*DONELL JOURNEY OF A GEMINI 15,268 -37 24,071 88,444 69 THA DOGG POUND CALI IZ ACTIVE 13,163 -57 30,300 43,985 72 PAUL*SEAN TRINITY 12,847 -2 13,085 1,096,802 77 ISLEY BROTHERS BABY MAKIN' MUSIC 12,124 -13 13,996 283,964 80 BROWN*CHRIS CHRIS BROWN 11,546 -16 13,732 1,439,022 82 CASH*RAY C.O.D. (CASH ON DELIVERY) 11,260 -53 23,849 35,248 86 BLACK EYED PEAS MONKEY BUSINESS 10,968 -8 11,889 3,870,983 88 E-40 MY GHETTO REPORT CARD 10,415 -1 10,526 328,475 92 FAST & THE FURIOUS TOKYO DRIFT SOUNDTRACK 10,177 -20 12,783 43,547 93 THREE 6 MAFIA MOST KNOWN UNKNOWN 9,937 -13 11,386 888,676
PART II - This is where you'll normally find most hip-hop/r&b artists 101 Eminem Curtain Call 9,206 -6 9,806 2,460,672 103 Fort Minor Rising Tied 8,944 -21 11,299 309,405 110 Cole*keyshia Way It Is 8,293 -14 9,613 1,301,907 111 Dj Khaled Listennn... The Album! 8,023 -24 10,508 98,768 115 Avant Director 7,643 -30 10,906 319,746 116 Dem Franchize Boyz On Top Of Our Game 7,579 -11 8,507 544,002 122 Cam'ron Killa Season 7,018 -9 7,736 228,952 123 Foxx*jamie Unpredictable 6,899 -14 7,989 1,837,142 133 Carey*mariah Emancipation Of Mimi 6,528 -20 8,172 5,660,139 136 Jagged Edge Jagged Edge 6,380 2 6,264 222,839 144 Lil' Wayne Carter Ii 5,905 -3 6,089 990,425 148 Sparxxx*bubba Charm 5,560 -6 5,907 218,834 157 Headley*heather In My Mind 5,125 -10 5,725 472,468 166 Mary Mary Mary Mary 4,907 -19 6,026 435,421 167 Matisyahu Youth 4,877 -13 5,605 446,771 168 Milian*christina So Amazin' 4,847 -14 5,639 122,154 174 Bone Thugs-n-harmony Greatest Hits 4,777 -4 4,952 562,123 175 Prince 3121 4,774 -15 5,647 467,964 180 Mobb Deep Blood Money 4,592 -11 5,140 227,712 194 L.L. Cool J Todd Smith 4,382 -19 5,425 295,619
I wanna know what you guys think. Would you rather have the entire 200 or just the hip-hop/r&b artists on these soundscan posts? Hit up the comments and let me know.
Shots Fired: Method Man Slams Wendy Williams Over Cancer Leak
Meth is mad late on this. Someone should have put Wendy Williams in check a long time. Sez Contactmusic.com:
Clifford Smith [that's Method Man], was horrified when Williams announced on her syndicated show The Wendy Williams Experience that his wife was suffering from the potentially-fatal illness. Speaking to internet hip-hop show The Breakdown, the former WU-TANG CLAN rapper fumes, "You can attack me any way that you want to. But you don't attack my family.
"My wife had nothing to do with that. "Her family members didn't even know she was sick. Everybody looking at her, staring at her. You know how uncomfortable that makes somebody feel? Especially someone that's going through chemo? "Stupid a*s bitch!"
How do you even get to the point where you talk about a person's family, especially when illness is involved?
Hey, do you remember that ?uestlove interview made popular by Clyde, O-dub, Joey, Spine Magazine, Okayplayer, Dork Magazine, and our good friends in Germany (who're now soliciting a reprint copy)? Well, one of the topics that came up during that conversation was the idea of a new Native Tongues movement. Let's take a look at the three artists ?uestlove describes as the new Native Tongues. Get familiar.
1. Georgia Ann Muldrow Label: Stones Throw Official Website Georgia Ann Muldrow's MySpace Page De La Soul of the trio? As an artist, Georgia is multi-faceted, swiftly combining brilliant musicianship with singing duties. Problem is, her crooning takes a back seat to her musicianship. Besides, I'm yet to hear anything from her that makes you wanna get up and groove. Isn't that a priority these days?
2. J*Davey Label: Unsigned Official Website J*Davey's MySpace Page My second favorite out of the group. Jack Davey and Brook D'Leau complement each other beautifully. Their mix of electro-funk-soul and hip-hop yields a winning combination. Look for J*Davey on The Roots' Game Theory album. The new ATCQ?
I've been hearing some good stuff about the August issue of Vibe. If that's the case, is it safe to say that Mimi left with a big bang, assuming she was largely responsible for putting this issue together?
Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha (mp3) Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha (Instrumental) I don't know if this is going to be on Food & Liquor, but I do know that Lupe has a bright future in this business. It's not his best work, but it's worth a listen. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the production is brilliant.
For the farewell episode of Uncut hosted by Jermaine Dupri (Mr. Jackson if you're nasty), they played Boyz II Men's "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye." This video is straight comedy. Yet, it's sad that BET even had a show like this. (No disrespect to those who had to fall back on this show to get through 10 years in the pen).
Black Thought Look-A-Likes Wanted for The Roots Video
Sez Okayplayer: This is not a body double. They will be filmed in a surreal police line-up with Tariq. We really need people who resemble Tariq facially as well as build. He is about 5'9, 175-180 lbs. All submissions should be similar height and weight - No one over 6' please. If you are unfamiliar with the band - please look at pictures of Tariq on his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/blackthought.THIS SHOOTS- 1 DAY- JULY 11/12Reply to info@ejcasting.org
I've said it before and I'll say it again, OutKast needs to go ahead and break up. Sez Starpulse.com:
Andre 3000, real name Andre Benjamin, placed the gigs in jeopardy after revealing he has ditched touring to concentrate on his burgeoning acting career.
But Big Boi, the other half of the duo, confirms he will take the group's hits on the road on his own.
Big Boi says, "I will be going out down the road. My brother (Andre), he's not doing this side of the fence, just chilling. But who knows what the future holds. We're gonna see what happens, 'cause we got the ball and it's first down."
True, Dre needs to make up his mind whether he wants to make this Idlewild stuff happen or not. But, folks also need to grip the fact that 'Kast is no longer "2 dope boys in a Cadillac," and stop looking up to them with outstretched hands. As people grow, they sometimes grow apart. I'm no longer in touch with the same folks I hung out with 10 years ago. It's nothing unusual for Big Boi and Andre to be onto different agendas after 10+ years of dropping gems as a unit. Unfortunately, we tend to continuously view certain great artists in the same light, years after the wheels have fallen off.
Game felt the need to respond. "G-Unit got a new mixtape out, got me dressed up like a stripper, it looked kinda cute," Game told the crowd of fans. "But, the motherf---in' Game don't do no stripping. The Game will strip one of them f----- ass n----s butt naked and rob they punk ass."
Has anyone heard the mixtape yet? The three songs I checked definitely don't scream "great," but I'll wait till I've listened to the whole thing before passing judgement. I have a feeling "300 Bars pt. 2" is on the way though. Maybe "1000 Bars" this time?
Speaking of Game, this G-Unot East website had me cracking up a bit. Damn, the G-Unot movement is deeper than I thought.
Ludacris - Tell It Like It Is Honestly, I'm impressed with Luda lately. I think he found his rhythm by making records that actually address issues instead of just striving to entertain. You know when you're interviewing an artist and you ask "what word of advice do you have for people coming up in the game?" this song tackles that question head-on. He gets at Chingy, declares support for Hov, and doles out more subliminals to T.I.
And now, in today's episode of "Only in America," a man's suing Michael Jordan and Nike founder Phil Knight for a combined $832 million. I almost died when I heard about this ludicrous lawsuit:
“I'm constantly being accused of looking like Michael and it makes it very uncomfortable for me,” said Heckard. Heckard is suing Jordan for defamation and permanent injury and emotional pain and suffering. He’s suing Knight for defamation and permanent injury for promoting Jordan and making him one of the most recognized men in the world.
“Even when I go to the gym I'm being accused of playing ball like him (Jordan), said Heckard."
Dressed in blue Air Jordan tennis shoes, Heckard might seem to be actually trying to look like Jordan but Heckard doesn’t see it that way. "They're very comfortable shoes to play ball in,” said Heckard. “I play a lot of basketball and any other shoes I try to play in tend to hurt the bottom of my feet."
This potato head just needs to concede the fact that he's secretly obsessed with Jordan. I hope Michael Jordan countersues him for defamation and for looking like him as well.
Like I said in Clyde's comment section, I still can't believe NAACP and others fell for the plot. This was clearly Sony's free publicity ticket...a way to stirr up some controversial discussion. Still, that doesn't make it any less repulsive.
Here's Sony's weak defense:
"The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new Ceramic white PSP model. A variety of different treatments have been created as a campaign to either highlight the whiteness of the new model or contrast the black and the white models. Central to this campaign has been the creation of some stunningly photographed imagery, that has been used on large billboards throughout Holland."
Clearly pre-meditated.
Isn't it interesting how media outlets singled out the first image, and ignored the rest? Forget racist, this ad is, in fact, 'hot and sexist.' (DallasPenn)
Apparently, this Gillie Da Kid guy is really bent on blowing up the wrong way. He started off by claiming he was ghostwriting for Lil' Wayne and other Cash Money artists prior to Tha Carter II. Now, he's accusing Birdman and Birdman Jr. of engaging in homosexual activities.
Upon Wendy questioning Gillie further as to whether or not he witnessed any improprieties between Lil Wayne and Baby of Cash Money or any homosexual activity between the two, Gillie dropped a bomb shell by matter-of-factly replying, “But of course, how you gonna kiss a nigga in the mouth? I don’t even kiss my own son in the mouth…Real nigga’s kiss each other on the cheek, that’s what you see people in the Mob do.” (Source)
I could care less if Baby has dreams of sodomizing his son. What's really amusing is that this Gillie Da kid (whoever he is) must be lyrically challenged just like his client. If dude was really responsible for all those listless albums Wayne put out in the past, then I'm not eager to hear what he sounds like. I 'm no big fan of Weezy or anything, but I have to admit Tha Carter II was one of the best southern rap albums of '05, and Gillie says that's the only one he didn't ghostwrite.
I don't mean to be on a video roll lately, but this new Rhymefest album is a must-grab. Granted, 90% of the songs on Blue Collar had been circulating the streets of the internets for decades, but that's not taking away from his creativity for the most part. That said, I can only complain about 3 tracks. "Fever" is not one of them. (Spotted via Spinemagazine.com)
I can't wait to see what this looks like in high quality. Not necessarily a bad concept, but all this yapping about Gnarls Barkley's enigma is better left on the pages of their press release. No grown man is gon' be falling for that shit. That said, here's what I think of St. Elsewhere.
Playboy is officially the go-to mag for ladies desperately in need of career CPR. First, it was Vida Guerra, now Stacey Dash is set to heat up your summer with a feature on Playboy. Not much information is available at this time, but, the news comes from an authentic source-Stacy Dash's official website.
So, you thought it was just Lloyd Banks? Curtis just came out of the closet and confessed that he likes sharing in bed. Sez The Bosh:
50 insists the easiest way to have an orgy or a threesome is to get the women you are with drunk. He revealed to Britain's Loaded magazine: "Everyone should be allowed to drink at whatever hours they feel they want to do it. "Man, I've had some good times and parties in pubs after 11pm. "England's drinking laws are definitely going to cause more threesomes and if you're out that late, you gotta feed the girl the champagne. They love that stuff." However, despite encouraging sexual freedom, 50 insists he always practices safe sex. He said: "Everyone should use a condom, because more dinking will also cause more baby population."
So, Fif is saying that the only reason to protect yourself is to avoid making babies?
I hope they ask her some tough questions like "What does it feel like to take a bath in bottles of Cristal when there's a hungry kid somewhere in Indonesia?" Spotted via (BV)
I never thought I'd ever say this, especially since Kris is one of my favorite emcees. But, please do check this album when it drops so you can help me tell KRS-One to bow out gracefully before the shit gets monotonous.
KRS-One - Life 1. Bling Blung 2. Way We Live 3. Woke Up 4. Mr. Percy - KRS-One, Triune 5. F-cked Up 6. Freedom - Ishues, KRS-One 7. I'm on the Mic 8. Gimme Da Gun - KRS-One, Raphi 9. Life Interlude 10. I Ain't Leavin' - KRS-One, 11. Organ Break 12. I Am There 13. Still Slippin' 14. My Life
Here's a July 4th sonic bbq for you Rap Up loyalists...
I normally make these mix tapes for my personal use, and this is the first time I'm sharing. So...cop...enjoy...and...lemmeknowwhatchuthink. (Link will disabled after 2 days)
Rizoh's Radio 9: A Tribute to Fela Kuti 1. Salud (intro) 2. Pharoahe Monch - Let's Go 3. Rob G - Houston Got a Problem 4. Lake & Cormega ft. Fat Joe - Dirty NY 5. Gnarls Barkley ft. Joe Budden - Crazy (Remix) 6. Obie Trice - Cry Now 7. AZ - The Format 8. DJ Khaled ft. Kanye West & Consequence - Grammy Family 9. Outkast - Morris Brown 10. Eve & T.I. - Cash Flow 11. NaS - Where Y'all At 12. Jay-Z - 44 Fours 13. Mary J Blige ft Jay-Z - Turn off the Lights (wtf!) 14. Skit 15. Ludacris - War with God 16. Trae ft. Pimp C - Swang (Remix) 17. Chino XL ft. Snoop Dogg - Don't Run from Me 18. Beanie Sigel - Wouldn't I 19. Method Man ft. Lauryn Hill - Say 20. Lupe Fiasco - Kick Push II 21. De La Soul - Voodoo Circles 22. OutKast - Idlewild Blues
I guess the new 'cool' nowadays is to glorify jailed celebrities. No questions about their alleged crimes need be asked. Lil' Kim is lucky her ass gets to celebrate Independence Day outside the confines of jail, but is it worth all the publicity? She lied about a shootout and here we are doing the happy dance for Kimberly "I 'bought' 5 mics from The Source" Jones. She was carrying a bouquet of white roses and waving at the crowd like a homecoming queen.
Cassidy is a hero, too? They said he had a hand in someone's death y'all. Yet, he's our homecoming King. A hero.
And who can forget last year's 'Free Pimp C!!' campaign? Dude violated the terms of his probabtion and normal people get nabbed for that. But, Pimp C being Pimp C, deserves to be freed on a crime that others are sitting in jail for?
And, DMX? Well, the man's going to need more than BET's Soul of A Man to get his act together. In fact, at the rate he's been going lately, y'all better start getting your 'Free DMX' tees ready.
Audio files on this site are for promotional/evaluation purposes only. All photos are copyrighted to their respective owners. If you'd like your audio/photo removed from The Rap Up, please contact me at rizoh1@gmail.com.
