No one on the corner got...

Swagger like Puff??
written by D.O.T

In today's declining rap game "swagger" has taken over lyricism. Before you had to either be a dope MC or lyricist to be considered one of the best. On the new T.I. track "Swagger" P. Diddy was left out. The funny part is I didn't even notice. I'm sure you didn't either! Anyways, Diddy himself didn't hesitate to let the public know he wasn't feeling' the fact that he was left off of the track. Besides the gunshots and Diddy saying bitch and motherF#$*#$ too many times for me to count, I'm not too surprised by Diddy's rendition. Lol.

I wonder if Diddy is directly sending shots at the artists on the original "Swagger" track or just everyone in the industry. Nonetheless Diddy's "Swagger like Puff" is extremely entertaining to me. Diddy had so much time on his hands that he made 2 versions of his video. One in the studio, then one riding around in his jeep! (immediately after leaving the studio)

Either way, I actually agree with Puff. No one FROM the corner has a swagger like Puff. You already know that no one ON the corner has a swagger like Puff, or any other rapper cause if they did they would be OFF the corner! I was talking with some friends about who has more money, Diddy or Jay? We couldn't come to an agreement…Anyone have the answer???

Check out the video and you be the judge...

"They see me in the streets they be like yo he..."

Nice
written by JusHH

“Switch” had my boy saying this about Lupe.

I said this when I heard Canibus rip “Beasts from the East”.

When I heard Illmatic for the first time I proclaimed this about Nas.

I said this about Big L after “MVP” dropped.

Lil’ Wayne, Eminem and Common have all been given this title.

Most recently, I was in the whip listening to Wale’s mixtape and in my New York vernacular I said, “son, dude is nice.”

Remember being nice? For those that are unfamiliar, if a rapper is considered “nice”, he or she has shown exceptional lyrical skill. While nice is not limited to rappers – Lebron James is nice on the court – we will just talk about this in Hip-Hop terms. It’s funny, with all of the phrases and words that have lived and died, Nice somehow kept its magic. Calling a rapper nice today, means exactly what it did 15 years ago. The word never got overused and I never really saw it get applied to rappers that didn’t deserve it. Perhaps, being called nice is the highest remaining compliment that a rapper can receive.

There was a time where being nice was the only pre-requisite for success. This is before the marketing, ringtones and politics that go on today. When a new rapper came onto the scene, people only cared about one thing, “is he nice?” That time period spoke to purity in the game that I feel is lacking today. I know I get labeled as a “dinosaur” when I start talking like this but I believe that your status as an emcee should be based on some kind of meritocracy. I’m not talking about any financial or SoundScan status. Joell Ortiz wouldn’t have went triple-platinum in ’94 either but at least back then he would have gotten his proper respect as a talented emcee rather than just some dude who can’t get a hit club record. There used to be a higher value placed on pure talent. No one expects Joell to get more airplay than that new Jeezy anymore than they expected Tribe to get more spins than Hammer. The difference was Tribe still got on the radio whereas Joell is limited to random internet streams and downloads. We now live in a world where your swagger or material accomplishments have trumped your skills on the mic. Just being nice on the mic isn’t enough anymore for a person to want to hear your music. You need an image. You need a gimmick. You need an arrest record.

So yeah, the demand for being nice may have changed but what it means to be nice and what it takes to be called it hasn’t. And because of this exclusivity, you’ll notice that the nice one’s never truly go away. It’s why people will still discuss Joe Budden’s potential comeback and never utter the name of Young Dro. It’s why The Roots still get shows till this day but Mike Jones probably couldn’t sell out his High School gym. See when you’re known for an image or gimmick, as soon as it wears out - people leave. As soon as someone else comes with a better image or gimmick – people leave. But when you are nice, you will always have fans. You will always have that core base that will never leave your side because they still anticipate what you might say next. It’s why despite making poor studio albums, Jadakiss still has a career.

True greatness can never dissipate. It can’t be marketed. Hell, it can’t even be beaten by time. Rakim will always be mentioned, no matter who’s currently on top and selling records. Platinum sales and million dollar videos never meant much to me. I never bought an album because I figured that 999,999 others would. I buy albums because I want to hear what you gotta say next. I want to be amazed and entertained. I want that fanatic moment and deep down, we all do. Those moments stick with you. When you heard Jay-Z on “Brooklyn’s Finest” or Mos Def on “Definition”, it never leaves you. I promise, 10 years from now Lupe Fiasco will be mentioned and Rick Ross will not. Because someone somewhere will talk about the moment they got put on to Lupe and say…

Dude was nice.

Thugged out....

Thuglife Worldwide
written by 4bars

I thought I wasn’t gonna have a post this week cause I’m in Puerto Rico (“Oh you mad cause I’m styyyylin on you…”) but my vacation has served as inspiration. Daddy Yankee recently made headlines with a surprising endorsement of John McCain in the upcoming presidential election but his video for “Pose” clued me into to something I wasn’t fully aware of: the hip-hop “thug” image has spread world wide.

I kind of ignored it before but the signs have always been there. During Wu-Tang tours in the 90’s, Method Man proclaimed that the Asian hip-hop fans were more down than those in the US. The domination of suburbanites on dance competitions like “Best Hip Hop Dance Crew” further shows the infiltration of hip hop but I always wonder how the lifestyle has not just been mimicked but also improved upon.

The “Pose” video has constant images of “gang members” united behind Yankee and the featured artists on the song. They all wear white tees, red tees, black tees; honestly if you mute it, it looks like you dropped Daddy Yankee in a Young Jeezy video with light-skinned extras, it blew my mind. My girlfriend remarked, “thug life Puerto Rico huh?” and all I could do is laugh because it honestly looked just like the “New York” video with Ja Rule and Co. from a few years ago. From the iced out chains, tats, dark shades, tees, doo-rags, right down to the stuntin on rimmed out 4 wheelers a la Ruff Ryders, my question is simply, is this healthy?

Rappers have clearly become worldwide stars allowing them to tour in places as far away as Nigeria. But has hip-hop had the same effect on foreigners as the constant bling images that are plastered on MTV have on suburban kids who have little or no interaction with African Americans themselves. Is this what the world sees as hip-hop? (sigh) I hope not. Bars

Daddy Yankee - Pose

You sucker mcs...

“D” is Never Dirty, “MC” is Mostly Clean
written by Doesn't Matt R'

Run DMC was added to the ballot this year for the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame. If they are voted in, they will be only the second hip-hop act after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to be inducted. Obviously, this is a big honor. It’s nice when people finally get their due. I hope they get in. I wish them nothing but success. Hopefully, they sell a ton more of their records and some kids will know “Dumb Girl” without having to learn it from Jigga. But is this as positive as it seems at first glance?

Nowadays the idea of Run DMC seems pretty tame. After years of gangster rap, their shtick may seem soft. Every group from that era tried to get in on the new gangsta attitude (including Hammer) and their “Never let a punk get away with murder, gunshots, gunshots, all you heard-a—OOOH, whatchu gonna do” was a far reach from their classic tracks. But these guys were the sh*t. Today, Run is not known as the bad motherf’er whose house we’re always in, rockin' Adidas, and Walking This Way. He’s the semi-goofy, reverend/reality show Cosby carbon copy, who is constantly engaged in some sort of shenanigan. He’s a good role model, so let him stay on TV and make his money. But hip-hop is a counter-culture. Or was one.

Is there anything more mainstream than a Hall of Fame? The very essence of it revolves around the approval of so-called experts. The problem with experts in these genres is that they mistake the ability to catalog music (or movies, or art, etc.) with the idea that their taste is more valid than somebody else. Yes, it is impressive that you can commit facts to memory, but it does not make an opinion any more valid on an aesthetic level. I’d much rather listen to an album myself, than listen to someone else’s reaction. Especially since these days it is common practice for reviewers to “skim” an album for their review. But that is a story for another day.

Hip-hop’s initial appeal was that it didn’t have the mainstream approval and didn’t seek it out. It gets very sad when in later years it can appear that the only reason it didn’t care about approval was because it wasn’t getting it, whereas had it received a thumbs up immediately, it would have been a lot more forgiving of Hammer’s actions (aka Selling Out). It seems like there are more and more artists who are celebrated for the same practices that Hammer was crucified for. Endorsement deals, getting paid vast sums of money for “popular music” over true hip-hop, novelty soundtrack songs. And don’t tell me that it’s a quality issue, because there wasn’t much change in the overall quality of his music before and after. It was just easier to like him before the mainstream reaction was to reject him.

Where is the artist who is going to stand up to the approval and not be afraid to look ungracious? Some of these guys aren’t afraid to look ignorant, uneducated, perpetuate a criminal lifestyle. So why is it so hard to say, “f- you mainstream. I’m not being ungrateful here because I worked damn hard for this. And I’ll be damned if I let you make my art form a commodity. I’m still gonna get paid, but not on your terms.”

Punk rock started off the same way. It was a counter culture that became an industry. And what happened? People sold out, others “bought in.” The true artists declared it dead because it no longer stood for the values of which it was formed. A new generation took over, uneducated in its true meaning and corrupted it to their own agenda (racism, hatred, neo-Nazism). Now today, it isn’t totally gone. There’s a small underground scene and every once in a while a new band will come out with “punk influences.” The new hip show will make it cool for high school kids in 2008 to listen to 70’s punk, totally invoking the spinning in graves of anyone involved in the actual original scene. Is this where we are heading? Are we there already?

Congratulations to Run DMC though. It’s just important to keep in mind that there is always more than one way to look at any given situation. We write the history of these events after they have already unfolded, once the outcome has been established. Then most of the other plausible outcomes slowly drift out of memory.

Remember who started this Nyquil thing...PTM!

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. "Beasts from the East" – Lost Boyz ft. A+, Redman, Canibus
Do I need a reason?


2. "Draped Up" – Bun-B
Not always a fan of the screwed up sound, but this is how you do it.


3. "Playboy" – Lloyd Banks
He had so much promise at this point in his career. Gravity is ill.


4. "Mr. Slow Flow" – Evidence
One of the best albums of 2007.


5. "Get Money" – Sheek Louch ft. Jadakiss
I just dig the feel of this track.


Come back every week for a new mixtape!

The Fiasco...

Lupe the Great...Mostly
written by Just K

In terms of raw talent and ability, I can’t really think of anything Lupe Fiasco is incapable of doing. The MC out of Chi-town has taken time to go way over the general listener’s head (see: Dumb it Down), then was kind enough to come back to Earth to allow us to process his music (see: Intruder Alert or Hip Hop Saved My Life). He can do the braggadocio, he can tell stories, he can make social commentary, and he can do things in song that I probably can’t even fathom. His lyrics are filled with intricate wordplay and well-placed metaphors while never losing focus of the actual song topic. As for flow, put him on any beat and he’ll ride it like it came with handlebars. He can do it all. Lupe Fiasco is like a rapping machine.

Therein lies the problem.

Aside from Rosie on the Jetsons, Johnny 5, and the Terminator (and that wasn’t even until the sequel), when was the last time we really fell in love with a robot? Wall-E didn’t even do as well as most Pixar flicks. The one thing that Lupe lacks is emotion in his voice and delivery. He’s a far cry from being the hip-hop version of Ben Stein (see: Lloyd Banks or Fabolous), but I’ve never actually felt anything from a Lupe song other than wow, he can spit or cool, that’s a different topic. Evoking a real feeling is what separates the huge superstars such as Jay, Kanye, Wayne or T.I. from young Fiasco. Even on a song like Fighters, it was his lyrics and not his actual presence on the song that brought us to what he was going through.

Everybody’s had that moment with their favorite artist when they can say yeah, they were really feeling this song when they recorded it. For me it’s Jay – Soon You’ll Understand or Where Have You Been, Eminem – The Way I Am and anything about Kim or Ms. Mathers, Andre 3K – Return of the Gangsta, Kanye – he’s emotional all the time so you can pick a song, Nas – One Mic, and the list goes on. I just can’t find THAT song for Lupe.

So continue on, you phenomenal MC, you. ‘Cause every song you do I feel you, I just don’t feel you.

Easy Access...

www.Wackness.com
written by JusHH

Not too long ago I talked about how downloading music on the internet ruined the experience that I used to have on the Tuesday’s that albums were released. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a 65 year old grandfather – I love the internet. Surfing the net is one of the first things that I do when I wake up and one of the last before I go to sleep. It’s hard to remember how it was before I got my first taste of the internet through my AOL dial-up account. Hell, without the net, there is no JusHH. Having said that, I’m debating as to whether Hip-Hop would have been better off without the internet.

It’s no doubt that the internet has given us fans unlimited access to artists and their music. With only a few clicks we can listen to their latest song, read an interview and watch that video on YouTube. The problem is this unlimited access has officially blurred the line between fan and artist. With today’s technology, it’s just too damn easy for anyone with a computer to effectively become a rapper. Before the internet, in order to get heard, you had to get put on by someone with connections. This meant you had to show and prove just to get in the door. And if you couldn’t rap, well then, you just didn’t get heard. Today, everyone is a f**king rapper – everyone! Everyone has a myspace page that you just have to listen to. Everyone has a ridiculously hot fire mixtape that you just have to buy off them on the train for $5.00. Everyone has their own rap video/ DVD combo. It’s out of control how bad it is because 90% of these guys suck. Now I have to spend 10 minutes sifting through the garbage on Allhiphop.com just to find a decent song by an artist. It’s been said ad nauseam that Hip-Hop is dying because there is no more quality music. I say the problem is different, Hip-Hop is dying because it’s flooded with all these horrible rappers who would normally be fans but the internet allows them to put their music in front of us. Without this access, these dudes would be relegated back to their proper places of rapping their sub-par rhymes in the shower or over their instrumental CD in the car. Everyone isn’t meant to rap. Period.

But the internet doesn’t just annoy me with the wack rappers; it also makes me dislike emcees that I actually enjoy listening to. Rappers used to make albums and if they did other songs, it was usually features on other people’s albums. Now with the internet, you can make a song and within 24 hours it can be in front of thousands of people. And these songs can be produced, mixed, mastered and put out at rapid speed. So what do you get? Rappers you like putting out 50-100 songs a year. I don’t care how much you enjoy a rapper, eventually you’re going to get tired of hearing him. Chicken Alfredo might be your favorite food but if you ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday for a year, eventually it will make you sick. It takes the exclusivity out of each rapper’s verse. Then when the album finally drops, there’s no anticipation, no urgency because you just heard 12 new rhymes from the dude two weeks prior. How many times have you said to yourself, “damn why couldn’t the song on XYZ mixtape been on the album?” (c. Lil’ Wayne) Or how mad do you get when you cop said rapper’s official studio album only to realize that his mixtape that you just got was way better? (c. Fabolous, Jadakiss, Cassidy, Jeezy, etc.)

The internet is great when it comes to getting new information on the newest artists. Without it I wouldn’t have been able to see that ridiculous video of Kanye and Hov doing that one verse of “Jockin’ Jay-Z” or laughed my ass off at “Lookin’ Ass N***a” by Hot Stylz. I just wish I could develop some kind of spam protector to help eliminate all of the rappers and their respective songs who should be working at UPS. I need to be able to tell the difference between The Cool Kids and Ace Hood. Seriously, it’s a shame that I know I’m missing some quality out there because I just don’t have the time to deal with MC Such and Such’s version of “A Millie” or Lil’ Murder Mo Pete’s latest “Snap, Drop and Stop.” And for rappers that I love, just slow down. Do a few features to keep your name out there but save those high quality verses for your albums.

So the next time I go online, and go to one of the 10,000 Hip-Hop websites out there, you will now know why I sometimes hold my breath and peek through one eye as I click on the “new audio” section to see what’s out in the streets.

Same ish, Different toilet...

When “thugs” get desperate
written by 4bars

50 Cent is an awesome business man and a good rapper too. Kanye West is an outstanding artist. These two met in a historic “competition” a year ago before each of their third albums were released where their careers were put up on the line. Retirement was to be the fate of the loser yet as we all know, the loser did not follow through claiming a (ahem) technicality.

I can’t be too mad at 50 for that though, cause if I lost a competition I thought for sure I’d win, I wouldn’t want to give up my gravy train either, besides, there were no contracts signed, sue me (haha). But I must say that like most, he lost a lot of credibility and was left with egg on his face. Fast forward to this week, Curtis decides it’s time to reopen old wounds.



It’d be one thing if he hadn’t already lost once, but this is just reaching. The worst part of the whole thing is his desperate yet arrogant plea for people to buy his album, “See what I am? Stop f*%kin wit me and see what happens, see what you stuck with?” Stuck with? Really? Not sure if anybody has Curtis’ cell phone or screen name but he needs to get the memo that the G-Unit album not only flopped but people are tired of the minstrel show. Fittingly, he sneers “let’s get back to work” as DJ Whoo Kid cues up the provocative smash “I Like The Way She Do It” (sigh). In the illustrious words of Cam’ron (can’t believe I’m quoting Cam) “need some courtesy Curtis”. This is desperation at its worst, first Ciara is butt naked on Vibe tryna sell records (and make Bow Wow jealous) and now 50 is f’n delusional, “WHAT IS WE GON DOOOO?”

Salute..

The Hottest Track of All
written by Doesn't Matt R'

I’m sitting around watching my daily dose of sports television and PTI (Pardon the Interruption) has a story about a basketball player, Josh Howard, making some comments on a camera phone about how he doesn’t celebrate the national anthem. “I don’t celebrate that sh*t. Cause I’m black.” I’m not even going to take the time to argue with him about his views. Free country. Free speech. Free thought. That’s a pretty good deal. Yeah, this guy makes his living playing a game. He earns more money in a year than most do in a lifetime. He has openly admitted to smoking weed. He got arrested for drag racing. And he threw himself a birthday party after a playoff loss in the middle of the series. This is not about being black. It’s about being stupid. Not to insult anyone’s intelligence. Stupidity is a relative term. For example, it is not a smart move to say things you may or may not mean on a camera phone. It’s also not a good idea to come off as another spoiled athlete when the country is hurting financially. Yes, the video is old (from July), but gas prices were up, mortgages were being foreclosed upon, and the people who buy the tickets to see these NBA players were certainly hurting in the wallet way before the stock market hit today’s low.

This isn’t about Josh Howard. With all the talk on here about craving intelligent music. About the importance of lyrics. Of taking the time to think out your concepts and write your rhymes, I just wanted to take a moment to salute the hottest track of all. The Star Spangled Banner is like listening to Grandmaster Flash’s The Message. The beat is a little old fashioned. The performance is slightly outdated. And today’s audiences have probably heard it, accepted it as a classic, and never paid much attention to it after that. But it stands for something real and important. The birth of a new era. A proclamation that no matter how bad the times are, we will make it through the night. That although we may be close to the edge we’re not there yet, but don’t even try to test that. So while we can argue about politics, personal beliefs, injustices (and yes, there are plenty of those), or whether or not tracks based on dances should be hits, one thing is for certain: the intelligent ones amongst us in society can be thankful that we have the rights to do so, even if other people take them for granted.

Make you bling like the Neptune sound...

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. "What Happened to that Boy" – Baby ft. The Clipse
When we learned that a Neptune can make any rapper sound better


2. "It Blows my Mind" – Neptunes ft. Snoop Dogg
When we learned that a bangin' bassline will never get old


3. "Grindin'" – The Clipse
When we realized they might make the best beats in town



4. "Give it 2 Me" – Jay-Z
When we learned what the Neptune sounded like


5. "Superthug" – N.O.R.E.
Before you knew what a Neptune even was.

Can you tell me..

How many fools...
written by Just K

does it take to allow a completely worthless song to make it to the radio? Have you ever heard a totally pathetic excuse for music and wondered, who let this happen?! Well, I have no way of actually finding out, but I sure can speculate. So here’s the scenario:

Young Blinga is working on what’s supposed to be his next hit single entitled “Shinin’ at Nite (Moon on My Chain). Convinced that this song is gonna be the bomb diggity off the title alone, he calls in a favor to get a fellow rapper, J3W3L$ (sadly, pronounced jewels) on the track. The two rappers get together at a studio owned by the song’s producer in order to create magic. Let’s see how many people OK this track before we hear it on our favorite radio stations.

First of all, there are two rappers in the studio - 2

Don’t forget the producer… - 1

And the recording engineer manning the boards – 1

And the random chick on background vocals – 1

With names like Young Blinga and J3W3L$, I have to assume that these jokers each have their own entourage in the studio with them – 10

Of course the producer has a couple of his homeboys with him – 2

After realizing that the track is hot fiya, J3W3L$ decided that he also wanted the song on his CD. That means that J3W3L$ and Young Blinga both have to play the song for:

The label’s marketing and promotion heads – 13 x2 = 26

The label president – 1 x2 = 2

The label chairman – 1 x2 = 2

The executive producer of the album – 1 x2 = 2

The management team heads – 5 x2 = 10

Young Blinga and J3W3L$ got mad hoes, but they only trust their lifetime bust it babies with their music – 1 x2 = 2

Matter of fact, nevermind. Let the hoes dance – 5 x2 = 10

Bodyguards – 2 x2 = 4

You know how club videos seem to have a million random people that all know the rapper? Well, it’s ‘cause they do. “That’s my peoples, fam.” - 50 x2 = 100

Moms was the only family member that wasn’t in the video; whenever the video drops, if you look closely you can see Pops doing a mean two-step in the background. Moms gets her own listening session. What mother wouldn’t be proud? 1 x2 = 2

And finally, the radio personalities, interns, and program directors at the radio station that gets first access to Young Blinga and J3W3L$’s new hit single “Shinin’ at Nite (Moon on my Chain) – 10

That’s a lot of fools. 187 fools! With any given song, there could be 187 fools, give or take a fool, who hear a song before it gets anywhere near the ears of the general audience. 187, the same number for homicide - career homicide. Not one of these fools has the power to intervene and say, “Hey. Young Blinga, man. Your song is some booty. Don’t do that to yourself, dawg.” So the next time you hear the whackness come out of your speakers, just think Damn! 187 Fools.

Don’t Get Gassed:

Being Conscious doesn’t mean you’re Good
written by JusHH

I know I spend a lot of time writing about how I dislike artists like Rick Ross and Shawty Lo because of their lack of substance in their rhymes. All the talk about the guns, drugs and sex can just go too far. There’s this growing sentiment that music that glorifies these negative aspects are life are somehow bad music. Well don’t just beat up on all the thugs and gangsters because there’s an equally fallacious statement going around on the other side of town. Don’t get gassed, just because you spit that “conscious” music, it doesn’t mean that it’s good.

This past summer I taught a Hip-Hop class to a group of High School kids. (Another notch on my self-proclaimed resume next to fledgling rap superstar and greatest blogger ever. lol.) We talked about everything from the images of women and the use of the word nigger in people’s lyrics. And coming into the first class, I had the same prejudices about this newer generations view and treatment of Hip-Hop as many of you. I thought they didn’t truly respect the history of the culture, didn’t put any value in lyrics and only cared about the material aspects of Hip-Hop. I was wrong about them. They really did care about Hip-Hop – they all identified with it and said that it helped give them a voice. It wasn’t that they didn’t care about the history, they just didn’t have anyone to teach them (that’s our fault). But when it came to the music, they all had one pre-requisite – it had to be entertaining.

Hmm, entertainment huh? The concept that they presented was so simple that my first reaction was to dismiss it. But I realized that they enjoyed “Superstar” just as much as “Low” even though they are polar opposites in terms of content. They knew that Flo Rida isn’t a talented rapper or that Rick Ross isn’t the best but they made music that was entertaining and fun to listen to. So as I talked to them about the importance of quality lyrics and being more conscious of the messages in the music, they taught me something very valuable. It wasn’t that they chose the negative over the positive as much as they chose the most entertaining music and took it from there. And you know what? Most conscious music sucks because it’s not entertaining.

You know why? Because a text book sucks. Because sitting in class is boring. And that’s what many of these “conscious” songs sound like, a college lecture. Like my man D said, “I don’t put on music to feel like I’m in school.” Seriously, who would want to anyway? No one wants to spend all day at work or in class only to come home and put on a song that reminds them of that. Music is supposed to be fun, entertaining and provide an escape from all the boring crap that we face daily. Conscious rappers will have you believe that it’s your fault why they don’t sell or aren’t popular. But that’s just their defense mechanisms kicking in because they don’t want to see the truth; their music is boring and puts their audience to sleep like 1st period English.

I own the “Let’s Get Free” album by Dead Prez and in the 8 years that I’ve owned the album, I’ve listened to it all the way through less than 5 times. Except for a few songs, the rest of the album is just too hard to listen to. That album makes me feel like I’m at a black militant meeting and frankly, I don’t spend most of my life being that angry - especially while on the train going to work. Immortal Technique might have a lot of great stuff to say but you’ll never know it because his monotone voice and delivery are just terrible. And no, I’m not going to feel bad or guilty about not checking his new album.

Now this is not to say that music can’t teach, be educational and have a deep message. “Nature of the Threat”, “Get By”, “I Can”, “All Falls Down” and the aforementioned “Superstar” all have one thing in common, they are dope as hell thus making them entertaining to listen to. It is important, maybe now more than ever, to help promote better things in our community but we have to keep in mind the fundamental reasons why we listen to music. Say what you want but those Akon-T-Pain-Khaled songs but they are fun and you can listen to them at any time. And there is no reason why rappers can’t take the same beat and melody and rap about getting out of the hood, or promoting fatherhood. But you have to take into account what the Akon’s of the world are doing because what’s the point of being conscious if you can’t get anyone to listen?

These 16 year olds that you think are just mindless knuckleheads, want to learn more and want diversity, they just aren’t willing to add another class onto their schedule to do it.

Entertain first. Then educate.

"Pinky ring worth about fifty..."

Bling Bling?
written by 4bars

"About seven years ago, University of Chicago economists Kerwin Kofi Charles and Erik Hurst were researching the “wealth gap” between black and white Americans when they noticed something striking. African Americans not only had less wealth than whites with similar incomes, they also had significantly more of their assets tied up in cars. The statistic fit a stereotype reinforced by countless bling-filled hip-hop videos: that African Americans spend a lot on cars, clothes, and jewelry—highly visible goods that tell the world the owner has money."

Continue reading article - Inconspicuous Consumption

Take a few minutes to read the above article. "Stop, think about it..." My constant questions about "why are rappers/our generation so consumed with buying 'things'?" have finally been answered, scientifically! This socioeconomically accurate article really does shed a lot of light on the fact that its not just hip hop that makes people spend ridiculous amounts of money on trivial things (cars, clothes, jewelry, "guns and butta baby...") it's actually socially ingrained in us. While I'm not letting hip hop off the hook that easy because the imagery certainly perpetuates the problem (a la "dope boy rap") I think it's noteworthy that once again, hip hop is actually just a symptom of a larger problem and not the problem itself. Personally, I gave up impressing these niggas/hoes long ago, but I still get that itch to stunt, apparently I’m genetically/socially predisposed. Bars

Travis Barker & DJ AM - Fix Your Face

Download The Fix Your Face Mixtape here

Remember when...

Am I That Guy?
written by Doesn't Matt' R

Recently there was a posting on PTM that dealt with certain fan characteristics in the hip-hop community. Now normally it can be dangerous to group a large bunch of people together based on stereotypes. But everyone seemed to be able to relate to one of them, or at least know somebody who fit that mold. That got me thinking. Back in the day there was always some older cat telling me how good things used to be. “Rakim was the greatest M.C. of all time.” “The music was better before it was about all that flashy Bad Boy, 90’s jiggy nonsense. “ “Wu-Tang ‘s got nothing on the original Juice Crew.” Etc.

So, yeah, in my opinion 97-98 is my all around favorite year for hip-hop. Life After Death dropped in March, but Biggie was dead and Puff turned his album, No Way Out, into a tribute to his homeboy and it was ill.. DMX put out two classic albums in under 6 months. Volume 2 dropped. Doc’s da Name, Moment of Truth, Aquemeni, Capital Punishment, N.O.R.E. The list goes on and on.

Back then you could still buy a CD single in the stores. For 99 cents You could have an entire album sent to your email, track by track, on AOL from a chat room. And they weren’t suing you for downloading it. I think if you got caught, your account got suspended. Concerts weren’t filled with 12 year-old girls from Long Island. Man things were so much better back then.

Oh sh*t. Am I that guy now? Putting the industry on blast. Guilty. Talking about how great things used to be. Guilty. Doubting anyone who feels today’s music. Guilty. The messed up part is that things really aren’t that bad. Could be hip-hop is on the rise again. American Gangster blew my mind. Kanye’s 3rd album was the only thing I listened to for months. Weezy’s new joint showed you could still have a hot album that sells like crazy. Bun B put out a classic. Nas did it again. T.I. killed it before getting locked up. Legends and up-and-comers all put out killer tracks. The Cool Kids look like the future. Big Sean has a buzz. There’s new talent out there. And yeah, I Walked it Out, watched the girl’s Pop, Lock, and Drop It, and put my shoulder bounce on when Soldier Boy started playing. But I feel the same way when Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz comes on. Uptown Baby, Uptown (* doesn’t matt r. raises roof).

I know it’s fun to reminisce on the good old days, but we can’t get too caught up in the past. It’s never going to be what it was for whatever reason. Maybe it was newer then. Maybe we cared more. Maybe the music really was better. Who knows? I’m just trying to make sure I’m not that guy, all us “young kids” hated to have around.

Love LockDown (CD QUALITY)

This is Past The Margin
Kanye West - Love LockDown

I Got A Story to Tell...

image by Tstart Gallery

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. "Children's Story" – Slick Rick


2. " Stan" – Eminem


3. "Rewind" – Nas


4. "Soopaman Luva 3" – Redman


5. "Niggas Bleed" – Notorious B.I.G.



Come back every week for a new mixtape!

Nevertember 9th...

Neverland
written by Just K

I’ve stopped waiting for Detox only because I know it doesn’t exist. It’s hilarious reading interviews from Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and anybody else who claims to have had a hand in crafting the greatest rap album of all time. Right. If that’s the case, where’s the album, bruh? Is it in Harry Potter’s Chamber of Secrets? Will it drop on February 30th?

Maybe I’m being a little extra, but at this point it’s about self-preservation. I don’t want to get my feelings hurt. Time and time again I’ve been let down and left heartbroken. Repeatedly I was told to wait for highly patiently for anticipated CDs to drop. I’ve seen the projected release dates. I’ve seen those release dates turn into “coming soon.” I’ve read the interviews with featured artists and producers. I even heard about the surprise guests. I think the surprise came when the CDs never did. So, this is my ode to the albums that never were.

Eve

“Here I Am”

Maybe there wasn’t enough money for any instruments on the CD besides the Tambourine. Funny enough, you can still pre-order her CD at Amazon.com despite the listed 2007 release date. Tough.

Joe Budden

“The Growth”

It’s hard to have a Gangsta Party with no CD to jam to. Maybe it was the Pump It Up battle with Jay-Z. Maybe he really couldn’t deliver another single as big as the one that earned him a Grammy nomination. If my first album went gold and dropped in ’03 and I haven’t been able to release an album since, I’d be making depressed Mood Muzik as well. Maybe “The Growth” is locked in the “Padded Room.”

Ja Rule

“The Mirror”

Say what you want about Ja, but Venni Vetti Vecci was a great album. Vowing to return to the formula that first brought him success, “The Mirror” was supposed to be a throwback to the Ja Rule of 1999. Well, if you’re looking for the Ja from ’99, your best bet is to pick up the CD he released in ’99. Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose disc hasn’t dropped at all?

Jay-Z, Ja Rule, DMX

“Murda Inc”

Ok, this one really hurt my heart. One song on the Streets is Watching Soundtrack. One song on Ja Rule’s debut album. That was the end of Murda Inc. With Jay in another stratosphere, Ja stuck in the mirror, and DMX barking up all the wrong trees as of late, this one’s looking all sorts of bleek (pun intended).

Timbaland, Dr. Dre

“Chairmen of the Board”

Ah!! Two of the greatest hip-hop producers announced that they would do a joint CD. Their beats would serve as the backdrop to showcase their artists. Timbo and Dre beats…as backdrop? Right. Backdrop, frontdrop, whatever. The album never dropped.


Doesn’t this list make you wanna play some of this great nonexistent music? I know I’m jamming to all of the nothing on this list right now. Shout out to Saigon, Papoose, Tru Life, and anyone that’s signed to Aftermath. We’ll be looking for your disc around Y3K.

Have you seen them?

“That Guy”
written by JusHH

One of the best things about Hip-Hop is its diversity. You’ll see people from all walks of life adding their little bit to the culture and making it that much better. So many different characters with so many great styles get thrown in the melting pot and it’s great.

One of the worst things about Hip-Hop is its diversity. You’ll get these people from all over the place who just bother you and you wished they’d go away. So many different ways that they would annoy you – it’s horrible.

We all know about these people, we can spot them a mile away and although you may never mention it to everyone else, it burns you up and you just want these people to get excommunicated from Hip-Hop Island.

The Incense Guy

This is the dude that only listens to “conscious” music and completely despises anything “popluar or commercial”. This guy usually wears a Che Gueverra T-Shirt and usually rocks the dreads. (the women also tend to rock dreads and a lot of beads) But sometimes he doesn’t wear the uniform and you can get tricked into a conversation with him. He’ll ask you who you listen to and you’ll say that you’re a fan of guys like Jay-Z and he’ll give you that snobbish “well I don’t listen to that pop music” look. You just want to slap him not just because he somehow thinks he’s better than you because he likes Mos Def but probably because you could probably recite the New Danger album better than he can.

The New, Old School Guy

This guy was born sometime after 1981. He doesn’t wear any notable clothing so you can’t tell by just looking at him. He’s the guy who didn’t get into Hip-Hop until well into his teens and might have been a complete dork until his final year in High School. Anyway, he ends up finding Hip-Hop and like many of us, falls in love with it. Then he starts listening to all of the music from the past 20 years. You get into a conversation with this guy and he tries to make it seem that he’s a bigger fan of Hip-Hop than you are because he knows all of the words to “I Know you Got Soul” on the Paid In Full album. And you say to yourself, “aww shut up, that album came out when I was 6 years old. And you know for a damn fact you just listened to that song for the first time last month.”

The Gangsta Guy

Probably one of the most annoying because you can’t hold any type of intelligent Hip-Hop conversation with him. You can easily spot this guy because he wears whatever the hottest gangster rapper is wearing at the time. So basically he’s worn a rag around his neck, big sunglasses and a skull on his belt all in the same calendar year. He only uses clichéd lines that he hears on these songs. What’s the most frustrating is that he rates rappers solely based on their criminal background. Its why to him, “Jim Jones ate Hov because Hov ain’t in the streets no more, ya heard me? Byrd gang early.” He has absolutely no concept for lyrical skill, he just listens for key phrases about guns or drugs. He’s also the guy that tries to school you on what the rapper means when he talks about “17.5” as if he’s actually done it.

The Now 25 Guy

This “guy” is more likely to be a girl. You can’t exactly spot her from a distance but she usually has a name like Courtney or Bridgette. Now she truly loves Hip-Hop music but has never actually grown up around it so its really on a superficial level. For example she only knows songs that play on the radio or has a video on MTV so forget about any Little Brother conversations. Even for rappers that she may know, she only knows about the songs that are currently hot. So you may say something like, “Kanye came a long way lyrically since his first album. I mean “Get ‘Em High” was crazy but he’s so much better now.” And she’ll respond with something like this. “Oh, I don’t have any of his old stuff, I only have “Flashing Lights” and “Stronger” on my iTunes.”

The Inside Scoop Guy

This guy is competing with the Gangsta guy for the title. You can spot this guy 1) because he is always trying to dress trendy and 2) he never ever shuts up. He’s always the loudest at the barbershop and he will never hesitate to take an opportunity to name drop or brag about somewhere he’s been. He usually knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows the cousin of that particular rapper. Every song that is played in his vicinity, he has a 3rd person back story about who it is subliminally dissing or when we could expect to hear their next (and currently unannounced) album. He feels like who he thinks is the best rapper is fact because he’s “connected” to the industry. Out of nowhere, he’s the type to say something asinine like, “nah I don’t mess with Nas cuz back in the day, AZ used to write all his rhymes, word.”

The Mad Rapper Guy

Easy to spot and easy to avoid. You can’t have a conversation because he hates everyone and everything. Everyone who has a deal is a sell out and no one can rap. He’ll say things like, “Jay-Z’s rhymes are like pre-school rhymes.” Conversations go fast because he’ll quickly talk about how he’s trying to rap and try and get you to listen to his stuff. Once you decline, he’ll leave you alone.

If you see any of these people, please call 1-800-555-4PTM. We can help.

From the bottom of the map...

Jizzle
written by 4bars

Young Jeezy's third album came out this past Tuesday and while I bought his first one (it got me through each day at my terrible ass job) I have yet to decide whether this one will be purchased or not. Before I gave it a thorough listen, "Put On" and "My President" were standout tracks to me and a good friend of mine was convinced that this was the "album of the year" and also described it as "phenomenal", but I wasn't about to give a Young Jeezy album that kind of praise.

Jeezy, for what he is, isn't that bad of a rapper. If you're looking for a guy to be talked about amongst the great rappers of all time, or even current times, though, you're setting the bar WAY too high; You don't go into a Will Ferrell movie hoping to see an Academy Award winning performance nor do you listen to a Young Jeezy album hoping to be blown away lyrically. The formula for this album is much of the same: bangin ass Shawty Redd beats with Jeezy’s typical flow and subject matter, and we can’t forget those adlibs (“EEEYYYYY…”). I will give Jeezy credit for two things though: adlibs were noticeably reduced and he attempted to put a bit more social commentary in his usually shallow lyrics. I mean, he did name the album “The Recession” and I’d say that’s pretty pertinent at this juncture. Will I buy this album? prolly not. Do I suggest you buy it? See previous answer. Will I crank my car stereo up real real loud whenever one of the cuts off this joint pops up on my iPod? “YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH…” Bars

New Kanye album...

New Kanye West Album on the way, supposedly this December...http://djsemtex.com

Check it...

You are probably asking, who the hell is this weird looking kid? His name is Ronald Jenkees, 4bars pointed him out to me and dude is just talented, as crazy as he looks haha. Check more of his music out here www.ronaldjenkees.com

Go cop son, cop...

CONsumerism
written by Doesn't Matt R'

Back in the mid-90’s I don’t recall how I ever had money in my pocket. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have an allowance. I didn’t have an older girlfriend who bought me things. I guess my parents must have been giving me lunch money here and there. Or maybe birthday gifts just add up a lot more when you don’t have any bills to pay. Either way, every Tuesday, I was at the Wall in Bayside, Queens for the newest album drop. Later on, Bulldog Records on Francis Lewis Blvd. would put out the Tuesday releases over the weekend, so you could really be the first one with some new stuff. I didn’t hear about downloading until 1997, so there were a lot of years in there where Tuesday was THE day. And it was these years that made me the wizened consumer that I am today. For every Ready to Die I bought, there was a Junior Mafia- Conspiracy. For each Legal Drug Money there was a Bootcamp Clik album. And for every Power of the Dollar, I had the Mad Rapper LP. Shoot, I even bought Jay-Z’s Streets is Watching on video tape. But then again, I also bought Master P’s I Got the Hookup.

I tried to cop all of the Jordan’s when they came out. But then I went overboard and got a pair of Team Jordan’s. And so today there are many new ways to try out products before we put money down, especially when it comes to music. Certain big websites will play entire new albums as long as you listen to them straight through. There’s downloading and satellite radio, and the ever classic: straight up stealing from your boy who had to cop it the first day. I don’t always buy the albums that I like. But I’m going to try to, so I can support the artists. And because I need my rappers to push nice whips and rock ice. Not for them but for me. In case I ever go to Japan, they will think I do the same, and treat me like royalty for just one week. But I will not pay money for any of that whack sh*t, ever again.

Rock Hop...

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. "Numb/Encore" – Jay-Z & Linkin Park
I don't know what rap and rock song could blend better together.


2. "N 2 Gether Now" – Limp Bizkit ft. Method Man
Cool video. The energy is crazy on the song.


3. "Cameltosis" – Korn ft. The Pharcyde
This beat is absolutely sick. Jonathan Davis voice is so ill – don't sleep on Korn


4. "This Ain't a Scene…" – Fall Out Boy ft. Kanye West
With songs like this and artists like Lupe and Gym Class, the line between rap and rock is starting to blurr.


5. "Walk This Way" – Run-DMC ft. Aerosmith
Come on, this joint started it all.



Come back every week for a new mixtape!

GP 2...

written by Just K

In our last installment of Guilty Pleasures, we learned that it was ok to enjoy music that wasn’t necessarily up to our lyrical standards as long as we could vibe to it somehow. Remember, I didn’t tell you to download the ringtone or buy the album for one song. Just don’t feel pressured to turn the station if your head is nodding.

Today, we identify the source of our inner struggle. Why does it hurt us to sing along to the chorus when the verses are craptacular? Why do we love the beat, but force ourselves to turn off the radio as a show of allegiance to “real lyricists?”

Well, the answer lies in suppressed guilt.

The truth is when we were younger we listened to different versions of the same whack songs we hear on the radio now. It’s a painful trip down memory lane with each path leading towards whackness, but I’ll start where it all began for me. Damn you, Kris Kross.

Ok, Kris Kross had the closest spelling to my first name that I had ever seen dudes have. Every other Kris was a girl. I was sold off that alone. Everything else was a bonus. They were young, they had their own style (including the cuts in the eyebrow), and they made songs I could relate to at that age. Sound like anybody we know today? Moving along - it was hard as hell to go to the bathroom wearing my clothes like that, but I was willing to sacrifice for the sake of coolness. Furthermore, it taught me amazing bladder control. Kris Kross could do no wrong. And you know what? Wearing my clothes backwards was all sorts of dumb and the music wasn’t that good, but it was there and I loved it.

Was Tootsie Roll truly a work of art? Going a little further back, was The Humpty Dance really a lyrical masterpiece? There are no words to properly describe the supreme whackness that was Da Dip by Freak Nasty (yup, that was his name), but I was still getting my dip on. As for the phenomenon known as copycat syndrome, there is actually a “Whoomp! (There It Is)” and a “Whoot, There It Is.” People were trying to create replicas of a formula even back then.

We had guilty pleasures when we were younger. We just weren’t old enough to feel guilty for listening to them. So don’t knock the youngsters for enjoying less than profound music. After all, we were them not too long ago. And if you happen to find yourself rocking to a song that sounds like it was written by Dr. Seuss, it’s ok. Don’t fight the feeling. I mean, you have been here before.

Intervention over.

R&B Killa Vol. 1

More free music Click here to download

If you missed the other mixtape visit djgwiz.blogspot.com to download it.

Sincerely Yours...

To Whom It May Concern:

I just wanted to write this open letter to address some of the rumors that have swirled around the last couple of years. No, I am not dead. I’ve never died, and don’t plan on dying anytime soon. I am however, very pissed off. I’ve been taking a lot of heat and had my name dragged through the mud for some s**t that just isn’t my fault. It’s like everywhere I turn, I hear about how bad I got or how I’m to blame for everything wrong with this world.

So yeah, I’m mad. But I’m not mad at Don Imus or Shawty Lo. I’m not even mad at those suits who run the labels (well, maybe a little). But I’m most upset with all of you who claim to be my fans and supporters. If you love me so much, how could you let these things happen to me? I might not be dead but that doesn’t seem to stop you guys from reloading the clip and then emptying it again.

First of all, the last time I checked music is an art form that should require some skill in order to do it. But its like anyone can be a rapper nowadays and you guys just let it happen. Sure there were always the Vanilla Ice’s of the world, no talent gimmicks that sold a bunch of records. But they always got clowned by the real rappers and never, ever got respect from true Hip-Hop fans. Today its like the complete opposite; rappers who admittedly don’t put 100% effort into writing rhymes but sell records through gimmicks get all the respect and guys who actually bring deep, thought-provoking raps are seen as corny. Fine. So image is everything now. If you got a good story, you don’t need to have skills on the mic to be hot. Fine. But then why the f**k is Rick Ross still hot? The biggest boss that we’ve seen thus far who claims that he knows the real Noriega, and makes $10 million annually from “non-rap” money was found that he made $22,000 a year as, a corrections officer. Where the f**k are your standards? This is why everyone is talking about the lack of quality; you guys are letting no talent hacks dictate the sound of my music.

While we are on the subject of image, why is it that my image has been limited to murderers, drug dealers and hustlers? Yeah the area that I grew up in was tough, I mean really tough. But I was created to give kids in the hood a way to express themselves, something that they can relate to. I’m supposed to be a positive outlet that will help you out of the hood so you don’t have to hit the block. When Melly Mel spit “The Message” and NWA got on the mic, it wasn’t about glorifying negative lifestyles as much as it was about giving a voice to the voiceless and forcing the rest of the country to pay attention to us. So what do we do now that we’ve got everyone’s attention? Compete to see who can be the next Tony Montana. Y’all n***as aren’t even trying to elevate yourselves and you s**t on anyone who attempts to do so. Why is selling weed more “real” than busting your ass to go to college? Why is Ice Cube looked at as a sell-out because he decided to use his power to make positive movies for young black kids? I’m sorry but I just don’t get it. You guys literally support drug dealing and violence above all else and you wonder why I’m getting attacked everywhere from Fox News to the Oprah Winfrey show.

But all of those things aside, that’s not what’s really killing my name. You want to know when it all went to hell? The day you motherf**kers decided that you didn’t need to pay for music anymore. It was cool when you downloaded that old classic from a few years back but when you started getting entire albums before they were released in the store, it was a wrap. The record industry always sucked but when they started loosing so much money, they panicked. Before, all kinds of artists could get deals because labels could at least break even if they sold a few thousand records. But now that we’re not paying for our Lupe Fiasco and Little Brother CD’s, labels don’t even want to give deals to anyone that can’t sell a million ringtones. So now you have young talented artists forced to put out horrible formulaic music just to get in the game. How much good music are we missing because we won’t give $10 to rappers that deserve it? You sick of hearing Plies and Shawty Lo dominate, get off you’re a** and go buy that Kids In The Hall album that you opted to download instead. I’m tellin’ y’all if you thought it’s bad now, wait to see what happens a few years from now.

I love you all because you are the ones that made me. You made me national and then brought me to every country on the planet. But I can’t take it anymore. I’ve heard a lot in my day but this is ridiculous. I feel like you guys don’t care what happens to me anymore. It can’t just be about the money. Hell, we ate the best before y’all started trippin’. I’m not asking you to hit the streets and start marching, I’m just asking you guys to give a s**t. Bring back those standards that made us the most creative and fastest-growing culture on earth. Try to remember why you fell in love with me in the first place and then require that everyone lives up to that. I’m tired of this s**t. I’m tired of dealing with all of this because of you guys. I’ve dodged a lot of bullets but I can only do my Matrix thing for so long. Eventually one of those are going to land and I’m not gonna be here anymore.

Peace,

Hip-Hop


P.S. And stop saying that I hate the South. I love the South. I’ve been riding w/ Face and ‘Kast since day one. Plus I hate Mims just as much as I hate Mike Jones.