Westcoast savior

LAX
written by 4bars

Let me start out by saying that I think The Game is a good rapper. I hate that I can’t hate him, though, because he continues to make good music. I think he name drops WAYYY too much (I don’t think he’s gone one song without mentioning Dr. Dre, either blatantly or subliminally) and has some questionable aspects of his character. Recently, however, I talked to one of my boys who is from out west and is a huge hip hop head and he presented me with an interesting perspective: (“shit,…”) Fellow rappers, particularly older or lesser known rappers, appreciate that Game shouts them out because it keeps them or makes them relevant and they love him for it. I never really considered this and I think that Game does it partly for this reason, but it still doesn’t change my thoughts on the name dropping, although it does make it a little less annoying knowing that somebody does actually appreciate and benefit from it.

Now that you know how I feel about The Game, we can talk about his latest and according to him, his last album. LAX is a very good hip hop album, my two favorite songs: “Angel” and “Dope Boys”. “Angel” samples the legendary yet tragic Gil Scott Heron (who Kanye frequents) song “Angel Dust” which he made when he was really struggling with narcotics. A good friend of mine’s dad, who is musically informed, remarked after hearing the song, “you little niggas have no respect”, to which I laughed a whole lot but understood where he was coming from. Nonetheless, it is an awesome song. “Dope Boys” is the track that I’ve almost crashed my car listening to on a couple of occasions cause I’m bobbin my head and mean mugging so damn hard that I lose sight of the road for brief periods of time. The beat is incredible but the live drums courtesy of Travis Barker really put the song on another level. There are songs that I could’ve done without on the album (Gentleman’s Affair, Touchdown, & the DMX prayer sessions) but I just went back and listened again and it is a very, very good album.

Not only has The Game produced another really good album (I think his first two were very good as well) but he has almost single handedly held down the West Coast hip hop scene, nationally, for the majority of his career. Clearly Snoop and Dr. Dre will always be the names most synonymous with hip hop from California but as far as traditional hip hop goes, Game has held the west coast down (I would usually quote a clever Game line, but I don’t know his shit like that). While I have my differences with him as a “person” due to his constant fits of self doubt, suspect character decisions, comments, authenticity questions, etc. I think he’s a very good artist and he has once again delivered a really good album. The sound of the album is great, it’s what we’ve come to know as that west coast sound but remaining fresh and relevant at the same time. I talk a lot of shit about Game cause I truly think he’s “playing thug” but when it comes to making a good hip hop album, this mf is 3 for 3. Bars

Common Featuring Pharrell -- "Announcement"

Can't wait for that "Invincible Summer" album. Pharrell goes in on this one.
Shouts to G.O.O.D. Music blog for the hookup.

K. Billy


Type rest of the post here

Recycling...

Bite Me
written by Doesn't Matt R'

Originality. Doing something that hasn’t been done before. Sometimes you’re ahead of the curve and people just don’t get it yet. You pave the way and make the road a little smoother for the next one up. Other times you hit the mark. The world happens to be ready and you’re lucky enough to blow up. Timing is everything and it always has been. But once upon a time in hip-hop there was a strict policy that everyone tried to follow. Before the days of “player hating,” there was a sign on the door that said, “No biting allowed.” It’s one thing to be influenced by the ones who came before you, but in previous days, biting would a crime punishable by excommunication. You didn’t jack an M.C.’s rhyme. You didn’t bite a writer’s tag, and if a b-boy crew was performing, you couldn’t recreate somebody’s move.

Lil’ Wayne recently spit, “And that was called recycling/or rereciting/ something cause you just like it/ so you say it just like it. / Some say it’s biting/ But I say it’s enlightening." Now I’ll give credit to Weezy, cause even in his repetition of others, he still puts an original spin on things. But more and more these days I’ve been hearing the same lines on repeat. Wayne also spits, “we are not the same, I am a Martian.” A month later, Game starts a verse the same way. Before Jay-Z could do no wrong, he was severely criticized for having at minimum one Biggie line per song. Now, he’s just biggin’ up his brotha.

Whose to say any of this is wrong? I’d just like to know where the “no biting” ethic went. What happened to the mentality that no matter what, no other man’s lines would show up on your track? Nas was the first to declare that hip-hop is dead. And that shook the community. But now you got multiple artists spitting those lines. Perhaps it wouldn’t even be a debate if artists spent more time coming up with their own concepts and not recycling what somebody else did.

"I hope you got an extra mic and a fire proof booth"

Nyquil Mixtape of the Week – (noun) A group of five (5) songs that you are currently sleeping on. Either you've never heard them or forgot how much you really love them. Regardless, you need to brush the dust off your CD rack and play them or add them to your collection.


1. "The Truth" – Beanie Sigel
Before Ye came on board this was the best non-Jay-Z Roc album and a hellova intro song.

2. "They Want EFX" – Das EFX
I tried to write out a few lines to this song but its hard to spell, "bum skilly bum skilly, bum bum."


3. "Wicked" – Ice Cube
People really forget how much Cube had the game on lock at one point.


4. "Heartbeat" – KRS-ONE ft. Redman & Angie Martinez
Redman is just one of those dudes who finds his way onto dope records.


5. "Déjà vu" – Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz
I don't mess with that Shakira song because of this joint.



Come back every week for a new mixtape!

Swagger Overload...(Shout out to DOT)

picture by sketch.nedwright.com

Swag Like Mine
written by Just K

Swagger is yet another indefinable phrase in a long list of hip-hop slang that has spread throughout the masses. What is swagger? Is it the confidence an MC exudes while performing? Maybe it’s uniqueness in flow and delivery that separates one MC from another. It’s quite possible that swagger is charisma, an indeterminable X-Factor that someone is just born with; some just have it, others don’t. Some believe that swagger is an overall style – fashion, demeanor, and ability to stand out from a crowd.

Or maybe it’s just a load of crap.

As of late, this whole swagger thing has gotten way out of control. The first time I heard it in song was on Jay-Z’s Blueprint album. “Well I guess I got my swagger back,” Jay raps in the opening lines of “All I Need.” I thought it was cool, no big deal. How was I to know that “swagger” would suffer the same fate as countless other urban slang terms such as “all that,” “bomb diggity,” and “fo shizzle?” Its overuse is downright heartbreaking. Even worse, “swagger” has also suffered the same fate as words such as “gay” or “awful.” The original meaning of the word has practically disappeared.

What once began as just another synonym for confidence has gradually become an excuse for half-assed lyrics. Let’s take a look at a typical conversation between a pair of rap fans.

Fan 1: “Yo, that song sucks, yo.”

Fan 2: “Naw, man. His swagger is crazy on that joint. It’s like he’s not even trying.”

Fan 1: “True.”

WHAT IS THAT?! Ladies and gentlemen, there is a difference between something seeming effortless and actual lack of effort. When a rapper says he did a song in 5 minutes and it sounds like he did the song in 5 minutes, that’s not a good thing. It’s not called swagger. It’s called a whack song (or in repetitive instances, a whack rapper). So before you go and call a rapper swaggadocious or swaggalicious or swagtastic – before you get caught up in the swagstravaganza, take a moment to actually think about what you’re listening to. Is it really swagger or is it just whack?

Yours truly,

Just Swag

Swagger...

T.I.: Swagger Like Us ft. Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne

"You ain't gonna sell two copies if you press a double album"

The Challenge
written by JusHH

What’s the hardest thing to do in rap? A hit record? Please, it seems that anyone with a cute gimmick can get one of those. Get a platinum album? Nope. Even with the decline in album sales, every year someone is bound to sell a million records and in many years, multiple artists reach that mark. Get 5 Mics or win a Grammy? Nope and nope. You see, this thing is so hard to do that its only been attempted a handful of times and most of them have failed. When the Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z both failed to accomplish this feat in their respective primes, it tells you just how tough this really is. It’s so rare that it falls below many people’s radar…

I’m talking about the Double Album.

Making a great double album has for some reason, proven to be a low point for many artists’ catalogs. Even those who’ve produced classic albums dropped the ball when they attempted to put 24 songs together at one time. Every time that it is announced that a rapper is releasing a double album, the buzz is almost instantaneous. Months of anticipation builds until you finally get the album, pop it into your deck and 45 to 90 minutes later – disappointment. You say either one of two things to yourself when you finished listening to the album.

One, you say to yourself, “man, if dude would have just took “x” number of songs of disc 1 and “x” number of songs off disc 2, this album would be a classic.” How many people created their own personal playlist for Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse”? Your hindsight is definitely 20/20 as you secretly wished that Jay-Z would have just picked the best 12 songs and forgot about the whole idea to begin with. The same went for Nas and his 2004’s “Street’s Disciple” album. There were just some songs that definitely shouldn’t have made the cut. It’s still a mystery why such great artists can make more than 12 or 13 quality songs at one time but when they attempt to fill two discs, some horrible songs always seem to end up on the list. We’re often told that rappers make 40 or 50 songs per album and just choose the best ones but maybe it’s too difficult to maintain that quality over two discs.

Two, if some of the songs don’t make you cringe, too many will be mediocre which forces you to get bored and you’ll find yourself having trouble finishing the album. You know the signs of this because you don’t play the album a lot and when you do play it a year or two later, you completely forget that certain songs existed. The entire second disc on Wu-Tang’s “Forever” album is a complete blur after “Triumph”. Even if you didn’t bother to listen to both of the CD’s back to back, it is still hard to finish. The sheer monotony just puts you to sleep and you end up skipping over songs. Nelly put forth the best effort by giving each album its own theme. But even that missed the mark as much of those songs left a lot to be desired. I recently listened to the “Art of War”, Bone Thugs’ double album, and I realized that there were some pretty decent songs that I completely blanked on. It was like I was hearing them for the first time. But the only feeling that I had when I finally finished, was that it was too long. With Hip-Hop fans having the attention span of a 4-year old, trying to keep them consistently bumping to your music over a span of 20+ songs.

Nas and Jay-Z both said prior to the release of their double albums, that they felt that having a double album on your resume is required in order to be considered one of the best. Unfortunately their albums were one of the worst in their careers. But they were right about one thing, the Double Album is Hip-Hop’s secret litmus test for a rapper’s greatness. The Double Album shows a rapper’s ability to be versatile, consistent, creative and show a strong control over his own craft. You have to have all of these things not only to keep your audience’s attention for so long, but to have them love it so much that they keep hitting the repeat button. With such a daunting task, it should be no surprise that the only two artists to come up with classic double albums are Biggie and 2Pac.

So to the current stars such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Kanye West, TI and Weezy, the challenge is in front of you. Are you up for it?

DJ gWiz - Dope Boy Fresh...

New mixtape for you, for free to download. Get used to these I got all genres coming on the regular.
DJ gWiz - Dope Boy Fresh (promo only) link 1

djgwiz.blogspot.com

Straight to press...

Tho’d In The Game
written by 4bars

Recently Mos Def’s “wife” published a book about her sexcapades with various musicians and athletes a la Supahead called, “Breaking the Code of Silence”. Alana Wyatt-Smith is a 7th grade dropout who claims that she did not write this tell all book to gain compensation from sales but to help women, who are living similar lifestyles, reevaluate the way in which they live. Now, I don’t know what she could do to prove that this is truly her intent but after listening to the following conversation in which she repeatedly compares her own story to that of the infamous Supahead, I have my doubts.



To sum up the recording: this chick is out to get hers. Now normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with that cause everybody has to eat and the price one is willing to pay is their own, BUT, it raises the question in my head, are these chicks violating “the game”? If I’m a multi-million dollar athlete or entertainer and I get involved with a chick I’m clearly just trying to have relations with, is it not inherent that we keep our arrangement under wraps unless otherwise instructed? I mean, maybe I’ve got the whole game f’d up but I feel like this is a violation of trust. Some would say that this “forces the media to take a look at the commercial aspects of the Hip Hop industry as it firmly stands in its comfortable nest of greed and misogyny”. But I don’t see how a female further objectifying herself does anything positive besides fattening her own pockets a bit. Is there a problem with rappers and ball players out here tricking relentlessly on these hoes? Yes. Is there rampant misogyny in hip hop? Yes. Is the way to go about combating any of these problems to put on blast the dudes who do foul shit for monetary profit? I think not.

I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with any of these chicks if they were at least honest about what they were doing. If Supahead was just like “I’m tryna get paid, f#%k whatcha heard” I wouldn’t wear any pro-Supahead propaganda, but I would reserve judgment because, at the very least, she was being true to herself. But when chicks like Ms. Smith admit to all kinds of debauchery on a whim but then claim that their tell-all is “a self help book” I have to start questioning not only their intellect but that of the audience they expect to consume this as truth (read: we the people). This shit has got to stop, we gotta do better, we gotta teach the youth better, we just gotta do better, damn….

Rising from the grave...

The Source Re-launch
written by Doesn't Matt R

There was a time in hip-hop when you were stuck out of the loop if you didn’t read The Source. This was before XXL launched. This was before Rolling Stone was putting Diddy on the cover. Vibe was around, but their trim size was too big. You had to read that thing like the newspaper on a crowded subway car. Who didn’t crack open every issue to see what new album came just shy of 5 Mics? Who didn’t have the covers taped up to their wall? It didn’t matter if you were East Coast, West Side, or somewhere in between. And the ads inside were some of the most graphic, hard R-rated masterpieces. Whoever designed those early Dirty South albums, with all the fire, guns, and half-naked girls gets my props for eternity. I’ll never forget the Up and Coming Artist issue with the fold out cover. Big Pun, DMX, Drag-On, Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz! Classic man. And their 50 greatest albums of all time was the syllabus of my hip-hop education.

Then the magazine started hitting some speed bumps. Sexual harassment suits. Shady ownership. Wack records being put out. Beef with the artists they were covering. XXL taking over as the “bible of hip hop.” Well, all of that is in the past my friends. The Source is under new ownership and are planning a huge re-launch. They even got Spike Lee to shoot four separate covers for the 20th anniversary. I guess somebody finally took Stringer Bell’s advice and realized that this is a business, not some shit on the corner, and should be run like one. The new owner L. Londell McMillan, who I think is the lawyer that handled Michael Jackson’s Neverland foreclosure, wants to bring the magazine to a new level. Travel, business, and arts sections. Something like a hip-hop version of Blender.

I personally haven’t purchased a music magazine in about 5 years. I’m sure most of you have copped something more recently. But I’ll probably check this out. The 20th anniversary issue is on sale this week, but they’re still looking for a new editor-in-chief and are redesigning the format, so don’t be discouraged just yet if it looks the same for a while.

Group Edition...

Nyquil Mixtape of the Week – (noun) A group of five (5) songs that you are currently sleeping on. Either you've never heard them or forgot how much you really love them. Regardless, you need to brush the dust off your CD rack and play them or add them to your collection.


1. "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka" – Heltah Skeltah ft. OGC
One of the most underrated duos and Nocturnal was a classic album. Yeah, I said it.


2. "Watch for the Hook" – Cool Breeze ft. Dungeon Family
One. Hit. Wonder…. But this joint was cold (like that lingo Bars?)


3. "Affirmative Action" – Nas, AZ, Cormega & Foxy Brown
Although Foxy's math was a bit off, this is still classic s**t.


4. "It's Like That (My Big Brother)" – Redman & K-Solo
If you don't like this beat, you don't like Hip-Hop music


5. "Throw Ya Gunz" – Onyx
One of the most live songs on earth… I remember when they damn near caused a riot at the Apollo.




Come back every week for a new mixtape!

We all got em...

Guilty Pleasures
written by Just K

It’s ok. I see your struggle. I understand what you’re going through. I, too, have gone through the same inner conflict.

I’ve seen you in your cars, nodding to the beat before you abruptly change the station.

I’ve seen you at the clubs bobbing your heads, but refusing to join the mob on the dance floor.

And why is that? Because you don’t want to give into your guilty pleasures.

Yeah, I know. It’s hard when you hear that song on the radio. The beat is mesmerizing, the hook is infectious, but they ain’t rapping about a damn thing. I know it hurts. Your inner music elitist doesn’t want to like it. Where are the lyrics? Where’s the substance? What about the social awareness and blah blah blah?

Eh, it’s ok. All that has its place, just as the Young Jocs, the Shawty Los, and SouljahBoys have theirs. I know it’s hard, but repeat after me:

“It’s ok to like music that does not have a deeper meaning. Walking it Out does not mean I am walking away from ‘real hip-hop.’ I am not ashamed to Two-Step, rev my pretend motorcycle or point out that David Ruffin-lookin’ boy. I am a three-dimensional person with three-dimensional music tastes. Umma Do Me.”

Intervention over. Until next time…

Im so....

The Cool
written by JusHH

Hip-Hop is just so damn cool. I mean really, really cool. It’s no wonder why white kids in the suburbs, and people all over South America, Europe and Asia are getting in on this “Hip-Hop” thing. The only explanation for someone who doesn’t understand English or has never been to the South Bronx falling in love with Hip-Hop is that it is so “bleeping” cool.

I fell in love with Hip-Hop because I thought Nas looked so cool in the “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” video.

How cool was it to see a dude just pop-lock and spin on his head to “Planet Rock”?

I still wear my white-on-white Uptowns not completely laced up. I think it’s cool that I didn’t know the real name to those sneakers until Nelly came out with that song.

When Hov asks us to “re-introduce himself” and then the stage explodes… that is the coolest s**t ever!

I think its so cool how we create and re-create slang every three months. I mean think about how many phrases we’ve either invented or changed. I think it’s cool that I’m still cool enough to be up on it… and that it takes the rest of America like 18 months to catch on.

I didn’t like Belly but that opening scene at the club was so cool.

How cool was it when you bought a new album and it had the words in the booklet?

I don’t care when it happens, who is doing it or where I’m at… Freestyling is cool. I think it’s cool that I kinda freestyled this post. lol.

I think it’s so cool when a girl loves Hip-Hop. It’s even cooler when she can spit a Biggie rap to me without hesitation… And it’s crazy sexy cool when she can rap like Lauryn.

How cool is it when your DJ finally puts that song on in the club that you’ve been waiting for all night?

How dudes can find the craziest color Jordans and some how find the exact same Yankee fitted to match is cool.

Snoop Dogg is and will always be cool. How cool was it when he said, “It’s like one, two, three and to the four”? How cool was his “Murder was the Case” performance at the MTV awards (“I’m innocent, I’m innocent)?

The fact that some poor black kids can start something that led to become a worldwide phenomenon is so very cool.

How cool is Hip-Hop? And since we are all Hip-Hop…

How cool is it being cool?

Angel

New music off The Game's upcoming L.A.X. LP. This one is called "Angel" and Common is thrown on the track for added "smoothness." So far, most of the music I've heard off of this album has been pretty dope. Don't know about you guys, but I am certainly looking forward to this album. Listen and download after the jump. Shout out to G.O.O.D. Music blog for the hookup.

The Game Featuring Common -- "Angel" (Clean)

Newness!

You guys know how much we feel The Cool Kids over here. Two new dope tracks with the Chicago duo on it. "Pennies" and a track from a brand new Chicago artist named Que B.I.L.L.A.H. called "Colors." Tracks available for listen and download after the jump!!!


Que B.I.L.L.A.H. Featuring The Cool Kids -- "Colors"

The Cool Kids -- "Pennies"

PTM

“The Game is to be sold, not to be told"

“What Is We Gon Do?”
written by 4 Bars

I’m watching “Game Over”, the true story of the movie Paid In Full, and at the beginning of the movie there are several random NY street cats and even an appearance by DJ Kay Slay in which he says the most potent quote of the DVD to me. He said that the rap game now is like WWF, “niggas are jumpin off the top turnbuckles….”

Slay’s words followed the same random streets cats speaking on how today’s rappers are imitating the drug dealers and talking about things they don’t have, that drug dealers in the 80s actually had. There is clear animosity, yet my question is, what do we do about it?

My immediate thoughts were of the southern rappers who really have no ties to the NY drug game that so vehemently proclaim to be “the biggest bosses” or other silly ass monikers.

“The Game is to be sold, not to be told” was the name of one of Snoop’s albums but also a quote used in this video to denounce today’s rappers and their fabricated fairy tales of the drug game and violent acts. I know we’ve discussed it a lot but I guess I was always under the impression that hood cats embraced this “coonery” when from this video, it seems as if they actually have a problem with the farce that is today’s hip hop artists. Not being an actual hood cat, I can’t speak for em directly, but I gotta think that I’m united with em on this front. I’ve always said I just want some authenticity, it makes me feel real good to know I’m not alone.

Flicks...

The Wackness: A White Boy’s Hip-Hop Dream
written by Doesn't Matt R'

So this is a hip-hop site and I figure in a summer full of huge blockbuster movies, I’ll give a quick shout out to a small little flick that may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Mostly because it has one of the sickest hip-hop soundtracks in recent years, but also because I just saw the damn thing about 2 hours ago, so it’s still fresh in my head.

Part of the reason the soundtrack is so hot is because it sounds like the illest mixtape would have made in ’94, when the movie takes place. Yeah, it’s about a white, middle class drug dealer in Manhattan. And yes it does seem to glorify the business. We’re not talking the Wire here. But what good is nostalgia if you can’t look back at an important time in your life and only remember the good parts?

Alright, alright. So in the summer ’94 I was only just recently graduated from elementary school. But I had The Box, so the music was there for me. Go check out this movie. You’ll have all the same flashbacks I did, regardless of where you’re from; the awkward high school parties, the first time you were alone with a girl you really sweated, throwing a up a shitty tag on some wall for the hell of it.

It’s worth it just to see Method Man (as the kid’s supplier, with a HORRIBLE Jamaican accent) throw on Biggie for the first time. It’ll give you chills to hear what song this guy is acting the scene to, 14 years later. Remember the first time you heard Ready to Die? But mostly it’s worth it to see Ben Kingsley playing his wildest role yet. The laughs are there. Plus he makes out with an Olsen twin, about 50 years younger than him.

If you need a break from all the CGI-heavy flicks, and it’s playing near you (it’s got a small release right now) go check it out. I guarantee you’ll come home and wish you still had a tape deck to throw together a Tribe heavy mix, with Wu-Tang interludes.

Featuring Pac...

Nyquil Mixtape of the Week – (noun) A group of five (5) songs that you are currently sleeping on. Either you've never heard them or forgot how much you really love them. Regardless, you need to brush the dust off your CD rack and play them or add them to your collection.


1. "The Realest Killas" – 50 Cent & 2Pac
He did one with Biggie, it was only right…


2. "Thug Luv" – Bone Thugs N Harmony & 2Pac
How crazy was this beat?


3. "Smile" – Scarface & 2Pac
Remember the controversy surrounding the video? With the 2Pac look a like


4. "Deadly Combination" – Big L & 2Pac
No one is sure if they both worked on this while they were alive but OMG is this a great record.


5. "Freestyle" – Biggie & 2Pac @ The Tunnel
Could this be the greatest moment in Hip-Hop history? I can't imagine being in that room that night.



Come back every week for a new mixtape!

Lupe + Wale + Kardinal = Dope Boyz (Remix)

This is real right here, folks. Love the Pete Rock and CL sample. Lupe is the truth!!!! Big ups to 2Dopeboyz for the hookup.

Lupe, Wale and Kardinal Offishall -- Dope Boyz (Remix)

K. Billy

Jockin' Jay-Z

New Hov off BP3

Jay-Z - Jockin Jay-Z(dope boy fresh) Produced by Kanye West

Welcome...

Ahem, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Just K.

I’ll be borrowing the JusHH blueprint to give the good people of the PTM community a little insight as to who I am. (Double shout to Scoop Jackson).


I believe that Luke was one of the best and worst things to happen to hip-hop.

I believe that rap would be completely different without video girls.

I believe that video girls would be completely different without Luke or Sir Mix-a-Lot.

I believe that a lot of people really didn’t understand NWA.

I believe that Lil’ Wayne has substantially decreased his intake of lyrical HGH since The Dedication 2.

I believe that Bang ‘Em Smurf sounds like the name of an animated porno flick.

I believe that Devin the Dude is horribly underrated; humor doesn’t get enough appreciation.

I believe that Scarface doesn’t get enough credit as a pioneer.

I believe that Lauryn Hill, D’Angelou, Maxwell, and Elvis are working on a sick collabo album as we speak.

I believe that Papoose, Saigon, Stat Quo, Hot Rod, E. Ness, Babs, Chopper, and Spliff Star are also in the process of making a sick collabo album (that no one will hear)

I believe that lyrics are nothing without a strong delivery; if you can’t deliver, do poetry or ghostwrite.

I believe that American Gangster was Jay-Z’s best work.

I believe that the Untitled album was Nas’s best work.

I believe that freestyling is painfully overrated.

I believe that Guru is almost as overrated as freestyling.

I believe that writing without writing is more overrated than Guru, but slightly less than freestyling.

I believe that the word “classic” gets tossed around quite carelessly.

I believe that the Midwest is the best place to find quality hip-hop right now.

I believe that hip-hop isn’t prepared for Barack Obama.

I believe that almost anyone, with training and polishing, can become a rapper.

I believe that few were born to be great MCs.

I believe that Lupe Fiasco debuted in the wrong decade.

I believe that Big Daddy Kane was a better MC than Rakim.

I believe that Diddy delivered two really good albums in Press Play and No Way Out.

I believe that Belly was a classic movie.

I believe that hip-hop works in cycles.

I believe that quality hip-hop is always being produced; you just have to look a little harder for it.

I believe in PTM.

Leaking....

New leaks off T.I.'s upcoming "Paper Trail" and Ludacris' "Theater of the Mind"

T.I. "Like I Do" Feat. The Dream and Jazze Pha

Ludacris "Wish You Would" Feat. T.I.

Former rivals, now they're doing a song together. Music cures all!

Role Model?

Formula 50
written by JusHH

In efforts of full disclosure, I had 4/5 of a post already written about 50 Cent. It was chronicling his career from the perspective of his beefs with other artists. As I was reading it I realized that everyone talks about how 50 stays in beef and well, that’s just not PTM. So I thought to myself, what can be said about 50 that hasn’t been said before…

He’s a role model.

That’s right, your little boys and girls can learn a lot from America’s favorite rap gangster.

“Many men, wish death ‘pon me. Lord I don’t cry no more, don’t look to the sky no more. Have mercy on me.”

This gritty line from “Many Men” sums up why 50 has been so successful in such a short period of time. Most people haven’t been in a fight let alone a situation with any real danger so they couldn’t imagine what its like to be ambushed and have your body riddled with nine bullets, including one in your face. This isn’t a movie; Curtis Jackson was almost murdered outside of his grandmother’s house. So to be that close to death and survive is a miracle beyond words. In an interview, 50 said that after being shot he stopped caring about the consequences of his actions because he had already survived the worst of the worst. Truthfully, that’s the way that we should all live. How many times do we not do something because we’re afraid of failure or rejection? Successful people don’t let fear of failure get in the way and we can learn from that. Being shot also taught 50 that tomorrow isn’t promised. It’s why he had the work ethic to put out all of those mixtapes that eventually got him signed by Em and Dre and it is why that he’s taken advantage of every opportunity that has crossed his path since 2003 and hasn’t looked back. We should all live everyday like it was our last.

G-G-G-G-Genius.

Every rapper that gets signed to a major label gets an advance - a lump sum of money given to you that has to be repaid through future album sales. For most, this is the first time that they’ve ever seen real money so they go out and buy a car or a chain. So what was the first thing that he bought with his $1 million dollar advance? 50 bought an international trademark for G-Unit for $110,000. Let me repeat that. Mr. I Get Money who talks about all the flashy things that he does with his money spent over 10% of his advance on a trademark. Keep in mind this is 2002 when no one outside of South Jamaica Queens had ever really heard of G-Unit, and he was protecting the rights internationally. When everyone else in the industry was spending their money on things that lose value, 50 established his brand and company first. Now the G-Unit brand brings him in way more than the $110,000 that he originally paid to protect it. To have the vision that your crew would go global before your first album is released is to be admired.

“I took Quarter Waters, sold ‘em in bottles for two bucks. Then Coca-Cola came and bought ‘em for billions. That’s what’s up.”

50 once said that he likes when people underestimate his intelligence. It’s easy to listen to some of his rhymes and thing that he’s a mindless thug. But you would be wrong, and he will laugh all the way to the bank. You see, when people think that you aren’t smart, you can get what you want without people realizing. 50 Cent negotiated a multi-million dollar sneaker deal with Reebok, a video game deal with Vivendi Universal and a movie with Paramount Pictures. But that’s not the most impressive thing. In 2004 a small company named Glaceau wanted to get their product more exposure but couldn’t afford to pay a celebrity. So 50 decided not to take money but accepted equity in the small start-up. Again, let me repeat. He chose not to get paid and accepted a piece of ownership that could have ended up being worth nothing. Well that company’s product was Vitamin Water and it was bought by Coke in 2007 for $4.1 billion dollars. 50’s estimated take from that sale? $400 million. This is Harvard Business Review kinda stuff. He even bought Mike Tyson’s house at a $20 million dollar discount. 50 definitely doesn’t need to show he’s the smartest in the room, just the one with the biggest pockets.

“Yayo goes back to jail and his first question is, “Yo, you think son mad?”

Loyalty. Sure Game got kicked out of the group but apparently that was more of a business transaction than a friendship. Buck got thrown out but after the details surfaced, we found out that he shot himself in the foot. But Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo have rode with 50 from the start. They were spittin’ verses along side 50 before they knew they would make any money off of it. And for that, 50 has reciprocated this loyalty and has set them up for life. You don’t have to like them, but you have to respect their friendship and we should all want a friend like 50.

“I’m in the music business.”

50 was asked if he would ever switch it up and make love songs and he replied that “it’s not what the people want from him.” And he’s right, America sees him as the bad guy and that’s exactly what they are going to get from him. He is an incredible song writer (although he dropped the ball on Curtis) and that has led to over 20 million albums sold. 50 knows that in order for people to buy his albums, they need to be talking about him - even if that means making a diss record going at 5 emcees at once. 50 never cared about a rap battle, he just knows that as long as Kiss, Fat Joe or Game are talking about him, he’s getting publicity. Even people who can’t stand 50 and see through the stunts, fall for the trap anyway because they can’t stop talking about him either. No matter what’s going on in the industry, 50 finds a way to make himself relevant. 50 sets a goal and focuses on it. He wanted to make money selling albums and everything that he does helps him do just that. Most of us get distracted when it comes to our own jobs or business ventures and fail to reach our goals. The best have a core vision and never deviates from it.

Hate it or Love it

Hate him or love him, cop his albums or leave ‘em on the shelf, you can’t deny 50 Cent’s impact on the game and this country in such a short period of time. You may also despise his “gangster” persona but remember that with all the rappers getting into real trouble, 50 isn’t one of them. He doesn’t smoke blunts or drink syrup – he just makes hit records and business transactions. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone, inside or outside of Hip-Hop, who has ascended faster than 50. He was living in his grandmother’s house 6 years ago. His accomplishments should be applauded and we can all learn a lot from it.

R.I.P Isaac Hayes.

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008)

Big Sean is here!!!!

Kanye discovered this kid and he has been generating a lot of buzz in lots of music circles across the country.




He reps Detroit. When's the last time we had a dope artist out of there???? This happens to just be a freestyle he kicked at random, but I've been blasting his mixtape (which you can find below) since I listened to this. This guy has potential for real. He's got a single out on the circuits called "Get'cha Some." Hit up imeem for that one folks. Be on the lookout for a full write-up of this kid in the coming days. Shout out to G.O.O.D. Music blog for the hookup.

Check out the mixtape here: http://www.zshare.net/download/124844086d62ad4b/

K. Billy

Respect...

Where Respect is Due
written by K Billy

I don’t mind 4 Bars at all. Yes, his opinions get lots of discussion on the message boards here, but usually for good reason. His post today was just as brave as Monday’s and while they – both posts – represent two different schools of thought, one can’t deny the relevancy of both, especially considering the climate of today’s hip-hop.

That being said, it’s tough to vouch for everything that comes out of the south. Much of it represents lots of things that hip-hop, let’s call them, “purists” abhor in their music and it’s been that way for a while (look up “Uncle Luke,” for example). Lots of it gets plenty of radio spins because people like to party, but one can’t ignore the gems present as well and it must serve to remind us of why the south cannot be forgotten in the foundation of hip-hop.

I just had the pleasure of watching a video for the Bun B ensemble track “You’re Everything.” It is, at once, and ode to the hometowns of the rappers present on the track (Rick Ross, 8-Ball, MJG and David Banner make appearances) and a nod at what they believe the south truly represents: a strong familial quality and to deep rooted pride in the strength of togetherness.

The soul-drenched chorus is a sonic feast (the sample is classic Jodeci track: “Cry For You.” Heavy!) and really lends itself to the meaning of the track. I have to take a minute to talk about that choice. Mr. Lee pulls out a classic ballad about longing, love and an unrestrained passion for the supposed female object of the song and flips it to represent the same thing, but about the South; an inspired choice, to be sure.

Bun B starts the song off with a verbal lashing to those who don’t give the bottom of the map its due in the hip-hop landscape and proceeds to do his absolute best to murder the Mr. Lee-produced offering and he succeeds. Launching himself into a dissertation on what the “Dirty South” really is, Bun B rhymes:

15s bammin’
and the base keep kickin/Cadillac do slammin’
on dem 4-4’s tippin/We ain't trippin just flippin’/these haters dip when they see us (when they see us)/Cause they can neva’ beat us, best us, or be us.

Truly makes me long for the days of songs like Biggie and Jay’s “Brooklyn’s Finest.” Hell, even “Déjà Vu (Uptown Baby)” from Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, would do. I say that because just from the way that Bun feels his city, Port Arthur, Texas, you can understand his passion with his region, a passion that I’m sure all of us has felt at one point or another. It doesn’t end there, however, because Officer Rick Ross smothers the cut as well with his molassess-like baritone.

The highlights are in the bars that David Banner and the 8-Ball, MJG tandem serve. While Mr. Bannes growls:

Mississippi's my home/’Til I'm dead and I'm gone/I know I put it on my back, held dat bitch up alone/With no label b-backin’/Pride split into fractions

The Memphis duo give their own monologues that invoke that love and dignity that the south really does reperesent. 8-Ball’s verse is not so much a verse as it is a nod at ever southern artist that has made a significant mark in the game as we know it: UGK, OutKast, the Geto Boys, Lil Wayne, T.I. Three 6, So So Def and Jermaine Dupri, Chamillionaire, Rap-A-Lot records; the list goes on and on and MJG then throws himself right in with a dirty south grammar/history lesson :

Everything that I been raised to love/The wheels that my grandmamma gave to us/ racial profilin’, police harass are regular days to us/You say door, we say do’
You say four, we say fo’/
You say whore, we say ho’
You want more, but we want mo’

The dialogue will never end between the northerners and southerners over who is doing more and why the other isn’t and it’s a good dialogue. What all us fathful listners must not forget to do is appreciate all the good about what hip-hop is and what it’s become: a multi-coastal, multi-lingual (if you can understand 100% of southern slang and you’re not from there, then kudos to you), beast of a phenomenon. Songs like this one remind me of how much good does come out of the area below the Mason Dixon.

Sometimes you have to listen just a little harder to appreciate it.

{I thought I would throw on the Jodeci sample as well, for good measure.}

Ashkay Kumar ft. Snoop Dogg - Sing Is Kinng (video)

I thought I saw it all from snoop, guess not...

THE SOUTH HAS RISEN AGAIN!!

The Confederacy
written by 4Bars

Over the past 10 years, the hottest rappers, by far, have been from the south. The most original sounds (Outkast, Timbaland, Neptunes, etc), the most ingenious musical ideas (Whisper Song, T-Paining ur voice, Dance/Hit Song Combo) and honestly, the best hip hop music has come from either Texas, Atlanta, Louisiana, or Florida. Not saying that the north (read: New York) hasn’t had their share of good music: Nas, Hov, Joe Budden, Kiss, 50 sold some records, etc, but New York has been lackluster when it comes to hip hop. There are two phrases that have been resounding in my head over and over while writing this post: “The South will rise again!!” and “Hip Hop is Dead”. I now see that the latter statement was made out of jealousy and envy; or maybe it was only referring to New York, cause as Lil Wayne and T.I. have made a point of maintaining, Hip-Hop is alive and living quite well.

Hip-Hop started in New York and no one can ever take that away from the Big Apple, but a lot of things have originated there, left, and evolved once out of the confines of the concrete jungle. Whether it’s G-Unit falling flat, Dipset in turmoil, or Hov holding on to New York’s claim by his fingertips, what’s now clear is that people wanna enjoy what they listen to. You can talk about Soulja Boy being stupid, but there is a huge demographic of people that want to and like to hear his songs. Don’t get that confused with “purchase” his songs, cause while they do that too, that’s not what I’m getting at. People are tired of the thug image, even down south, and NY has been doin it for a loooong time.

Hip hop has made its new home in the south. And it’s not some fad or changing trend, we’ve had those (reggaeton, reggae, Hyphy movement) in past summers and they’ve been short lived. But the longevity that artists like T.I., Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Outkast, and Scarface (to name a few) have had and the huge success that artists like T-Pain, Rick Ross, and Soulja Boy are having makes it clear that hip hop is here to stay in the south. New York rappers’ continued quest for the crown has made it a hostile Hip-Hop environment and the focus is no longer on the music. Hip-Hop is art, not a competition. There are clear competitive aspects, even from the beginning, but without the art, it’s meaningless. What’s the solution? Who knows, but the way Kanye, Common, Lupe, and the kids (Cool and In the Hall) are doing it, the south may have to share the spotlight, but the question is when (if ever) will New York reclaim its share?

"I leave you riddled with basics..."

“He Just Said What?”
written by Doesn't Matt R'

As hip-hop heads we all can stand on common ground despite the differences of race, wealth, geography, gender…all the factors that serve to keep us a part. But a love for the culture brings us all together. Sometimes it’s the only thing you have in common with someone. Bonds are formed and friendships reaffirmed over the shared appreciation of a hot track. You know the scene. It’s high school and you’re sitting in someone’s basement, with a bunch of friends of friends and acquaintances. Some mixtape is on, pumping the current hot tracks—Biggie, Busta Rhymes, early Eminem, DMX, or some Big Pun. Then all of a sudden DWYCK by Gangstarr comes on and your head jerks up. You look around the room and nobody seems to notice. But then there’s one person in the opposite corner of the room mouthing out, “You say Muhammad Ali, I say Cassius Clay. You say butter, I say Parkay.” And that’s that.

It’s a real slice of heaven to throw out some obscure track and have someone eavesdropping fill in a line. I thought I was one of three people who was on to Smoothed a Hustla’s Broken Language until JusHH started spitting lines from it back in the day.

So here’s a few of those tracks that brought people together in my life. Maybe you heard them before.

Cunninglynguists - 616 Rewind



This may be the hottest underground track I’ve ever heard. You want to talk about lyrics, these guys have punchlines like Tyson’s competition in the 80’s. “I make headlines like a courderoy pillow” Come On?

Eyedea - Pushing Buttons



I first heard of this kid right when Em first got signed and I found out what a hip-hop battle was. This was the only track he had out.

Del tha Funkee Homosapien - Mr. Dobbalina



I bought the Source that had the 50 greatest albums of all time and tried to buy all of them. Del’s was on there and this track stood out like Dan Quayle at a spelling bee.

And for those of who never heard it before:

Smoothe da Hustla - Broken Language



These aren’t top 10 tracks on any list except songs that are important in my life. So enjoy and shout em out if you know them.

Hump day = Nyquil Mixtape

Nyquil Mixtape of the Week – (noun) A group of five (5) songs that you are currently sleeping on. Either you've never heard them or forgot how much you really love them. Regardless, you need to brush the dust off your CD rack and play them or add them to your collection.

1. "When Thugs Cry" – Bizzy Bone
This is before Bizzy went crazy. His best song ever made.


2. "Smile (I'm Leavin)" – 50 Cent
Talk about a mistake. This joint should have been on Curtis.


3. "Oh No" – Lil' Wayne
My personal favorite off the Carter 2.


4. "The Becoming" – Little Brother
Phon-tigga-lo the show ripper – one of the most underrated in the game


5. "Bring the Pain" – Method Man
Just Because


Come back every week for a new mixtape!

Lil Wayne ft. Jay-Z - Mr. Carter Spoof (video)

my face still hurts from laughing at this, this is classic material!

Keeps me going...

Wack Inspiration
written by gWiz

Whats my inspiration? Is it fair or correct to say I am inspired by stuff that is wack? When i first started making beats hearing something that was wack or just not that good made me make something that was just that hotter. When i started rapping hearing a song with no content that sounded like everything else on the radio, just made me make something everybody would love and still be different. When I started DJing I would go to the club and just chill by the booth and watch the other DJ's. If they were wack, for some reason I would get hype for the next time I would be be spinning somewhere haha. Weird? I don't know, I think we all get inspired by the "wackness" that is spread around every now and then.

Chico vs. 3 Stacks...

Outkast’s Outcast.
written by JusHH

My man 4 Bars is going to love me and hate me at the same time for this post…

I was listening to Andre 3000’s verse on “The Art of Storytellin’ Pt. 4” on DJ Drama’s album, you know the verse:

So I’m watchin’ her fine ass/ walk to my bedroom/ and thought to myself/ that’s the shape of things to come…

Yeah that verse.

Every time that song comes through my headphones, I have a “fanatic” moment. Then I realized that after the 50th time hearing the song, I only heard Big Boi’s verse a few times and wouldn’t recognize it if you played it for me right now. Next I realized that I’ve only listened to Big Boi’s verse on “Royal Flush” so many times because I was waiting for Dre to come on and rip it up.

Now don’t get me wrong. I like Big Boi, I think he’s dope and has put out quality music for like 15 years.

But he can’t hold a candle to Three Stacks.

I’m now convinced that Andre Ben is one of the greatest to pick up a mic.

The problem is he’ll never, ever be considered a candidate for G.O.A.T. status because he’s in a group.

If you check most peoples Top 5 or Top 10 lists, you’ll be hard pressed to find a member of a group on that list. There’s a few reasons why. 1) As a group member you are “limited” to a verse or two on each song and 2) You can’t put out that “classic” album that people can refer to when defending your G.O.A.T. status. I think that was why for so long, 3000 flew under the radar for me because I always associated him as part of a group first. But when he technically went “solo” and his Love Below album completely carried its weaker Speakerboxx counterpart, my eyes opened up.

When I got that first “Ah ha” moment, I noticed that all my favorite Outkast verses, all of them, came from Three Stacks. I remember when I had the Aquemini album; I was upset that Dre didn’t have more rhymes. And since he’s gone solo, Dre has decided to guest appear on few songs and did more with those verses than most rappers did on their entire albums. I can’t tell you how many songs I have on my computer just because he’s on it. “Walk it Out (remix)” are you serious? That’s the only way DJ Unk is making my collection.

So before he got a chance to “CC’d every girl that he see see ‘round town”, I said to myself, dude is one of the best. And if back in 1994, Andre Benjamin decided to pick up the microphone and spit three verses instead of one; his spot at the top would be a lock.

Again, I’m not saying that Big Boi can’t rap. Most of his verses are dope; his performance on “Royal Flush” and what I could remember from “The Art Pt. 4” was solid. Daddy Fat Sacks being a talented emcee isn’t in question. That fact however, really speaks to just how damn good his partner is. And I wonder with all the G.O.A.T. talk beginning to surround Dre if in the back of his mind, he ever wonders what it would have been like had he been on his own from the start. Or maybe he’s considering a fresh start as an “old” new solo act and is willing to indirectly tell Big Boi, “you are the weakest link…”

Good-Bye.

Looking to work?

PTM is looking for new writers:

-If you have a fresh perspective

-Think outside the box

-Can meet deadlines

-Write because you love to

Send me an email. only serious apply.
gWiz

"Us Placers" by Lupe, Kanye & Pharrell (CRS)