Boombox, V18

It's been a while since I threw some tracks out there. Here is a taste of what I've been bumpin' lately:

Kali - Move On

Kanye West - All of the Lights

DJ Kay Slay - 60 Second Assassins (Busta Rhymes, Layzie Bone, Twista, Jaz-O)

Yelawolf - I Just Wanna Party (Feat. Gucci Mane)

David Banner - Be With You (Feat. Ludacris)

OutKast - Git Up, Git Out (Feat. Goodie Mob)

Ahmad - Back in the Day

Gang Starr - Royalty

The Notorious B.I.G. - Party & Bullshit

Fabolous - Into You

ENJOI!

I'm Back & 100 Proof: The Hangover

Hi there! Long time no see. How are you? I've been good. I started to miss writing on this ol' thing so I figured why not try and get back at it?

Not a whole lot has changed around here. Still a hip-hop enthusiast. Still watching basketball every night. Still skating. So with that being said I don't think I'll have any shortage of updates in the future.

For now, and I know this isn't entirely new, I will leave you with a link to an album that came out earlier this year by DJ, producer and CEO of Showoff Records, Static Selektah. It is called 100 Proof: The Hangover. His style of production is outstanding, sharing certain characteristics with the great 9th Wonder. How can you deny that? He has worked with legendary artists like NaS, Souls of Mischief, Styles P, AZ, Q-Tip and M.O.P. and is also acclaimed in the underground and bangin' out beats for up and comers.

Get the album 100 Proof: The Hangover.

Static Selektah production credits:

Crux Crusader

Hey y'all. Some of you might know, but for those that don't, I started contributing to my boy Kellen Barrett's latest project, Crux Crusader, which covers a wider range of topics, however, my contributions will most likely similar to what I've been doing here. I'm not gonna stop updating this, although it will be slower than usual.

Check out the Crux Crusader website, just tossed up a Sire Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty review. More to come from some fine writers.

Scal Says

Wow is pretty much all I have to say.

It's a few years old, but it has gotten a little more popular since the weekend when Lebron was officially sent to Miami.

Irrelevant

I came across this Jay-Z and Chris Brown diss today by Charles Hamilton. Seriously though? He even brings out "how much better Kanye's part on 'Run This Town' was than Jay's." That shit old! Check it out - you can add this to your 2010 list of irrelevant disses that most likely won't even be addressed.

The track appears on one of Hamilton's six mixtapes that were released a few days ago. He has really been pumping em out the ass, but I don't think a diss was a good call. Oh, what an attention seeker.

PS. Yeah, that's Charles below getting punked.

Ghettosocks x Muneshine

For those in the Moncton area that enjoy some good hip-hop, I advise you to check out the poster above.

Matt Johnson a.k.a. DJ Matty Jay sent me this posted via facebook and I think it is something you should consider. I saw Ghettosocks live twice and both shows were great, plus the show is free and drink specials will ensue (who can say no to that?). So, again, refer to the poster above for all the info, the show is less than a week away. Twin Peaks is a collaboration between Ghettosocks and Muneshine, check em out here.

The Haps, Volume 2

Alright, out of boredom I thought I'd do another blog post, so here we go.

I am currently writing from Old Orchard Beach, Maine, just minutes south of Portland. I am watching the BET Awards, which is nice since I never get a chance to watch TV at home, let alone the simple fact that we don't even have BET. I am actually watching the awards with my parents, which is kind of funny because I learned a lot about my mom's musical taste on this vacation. On the way to my uncle's house in Quebec City she asked me to lend her one of my hip-hop mixes... more specifically "the one that I listen to everyday on the way to work." She then proceeded to tell me how much she loves a few of the Three 6 Mafia, Jay-Z and Hell Rell tracks on it. Yeah, seriously. Tonight she told me how much she loved Drake. Now, this is nowhere near as impressive as her liking old Jay-Z (I'm talking Brooklyn's Finest shit) and some grimey East Coast Rugger Rell, but nonetheless, I think I know where I get my passion for hip-hop from.

Anyways... like I usually do when on vacation here is my most played playlist. Check out some of these tracks.

Click to enlarge.

The Haps

I've been on the road for a few days. Ended up in Quebec City on Wednesday, which, coincidentally was Saint Jean de Baptiste day, Quebec's "national holiday," and I must say it is the biggest and probably best celebration a person can attend. I left my uncles house in Beauport, Quebec City towards the downtown area by old Quebec with my cousin and his friend. The first thing we did was fill our backpacks with liquor. Before I even had the chance to ask if it was legal or allowed to drink in public downtown I saw a city bus filled with Quebecers, mostly late teens early twenties dressed completely in white and blue (Quebec's flags colors) with open liquor chanting. Obviously drinking in public is not legal, but on Fete Saint Jean anything goes... honestly. Once we arrived downtown, coming off a jam packed bus of at least 70 drunk, patriotic Quebecers I witnessed a party like I've never seen, and it was in the city's business district. We cracked open our beer and walked up the street, passing cops, who's job was to only maintain order, not prevent people from drinking and having a good time. Can you imagine this kind of leniency? I was shocked, but nonetheless excited and amazed. There was point where my cousin and I were urinating on a building, drinking a beer and chatting with a male and female police officer all in good humour. Saint Jean was one of the most amazing sights I've ever witnessed. Well over 150,000 people crowding several blocks of downtown Quebec City, all colorful, mostly between the age group of 16 and 30 chanting, wishing everyone a "Bonne Fete Saint Jean." I do think I was the only English person there, but regardless, my family comes from Quebec City. I even saw where my first ancestor in North America lived. Ballin' pad, too bad it's a Caisse Populaire now.

After spending a few nights in Quebec City I made my way to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It kind of looks like a Jersey Shore style town, maybe a little smaller and toned down, but still packed with tourists. Here I did some shopping in Kittery, which holds a number of outlets, and checked out the local scenery here on Old Orchard Beach. The beach is in fact very nice, but nowhere near as busy as the beach back home (Parlee Beach, Shediac) even though the consumerist aspect of it definitely beats it fifty-fold.

Anyways, that's enough about that. I am really only writing this out of boredom. I am a little upset that I am missing one of my good friend Ryan's birthday celebrations back in Sackville. Happy Birthday Ryan "Tipsy Dragon" Wareham.

A Potpourri of Basketball, Me and The Roots

Wow I'm getting lazy. I guess that's fair though, I mean, it is summer and there are far better things than sitting around at my computer.

First thing first - I hate the L.A. Lakers. How the Celtics can blow a 3rd quarter 13 point lead is unbearably disappointing... it is the Lakers, I know, but you think all of the terrible off balance attempts for field goals in the 4th would have stopped acting stupid after so many scoreless possessions... I guess not. Also, I wish Doc Rovers would have elaborated more on his "be very physical" quote so that the Celts wouldn't have fouled Gasol or Kobe on every single Lakers possession in the last three or four minutes. Anyways, enough about that - it's done and there is nothing they can do now. I am proud of the Celtics and am definitely not ashamed of their season. They played well as a team in the playoffs, even though the "Big 3" had its inconsistencies they still managed to take Orlando and Cleveland in 6 games. Not to mention that they are still the most winningest team, ring-wise, in NBA history.

Otherwise, things are going decent. Typical summer stuff. Hanging out with friends, skateboarding, basketball, brews and the beach. I am off to Quebec City Wednesday to visit some of my family and celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day (I think that's what it's called...). Afterwards I'm off to New Hampshire and Portland, Maine to spend some cash on what I hope to be cheap outlet stores. Might have some road updates, might not.

I also bought my Rock the Bells ticket yesterday, so that's super exciting. My boy Kellen bought his as well, so far us two are "officially conformed" but we have a list of friends that are potentially coming to see some amazing and legendary hip-hop acts... they would be fools not to.

Finally, The Roots' album How I Got Over leaked on to the internet. I'm listening to it right now and am so far very impressed. Kellen told me it was the best since Things Fall Apart. I really enjoyed Game Theory, Phrenology and The Tipping Point, so I'll definitely have to get back to him on my thoughts but his statement doesn't seem like a long shot.

Anyway, that's all for me now. I'm off to bed, but I will leave you with this:

Rock The Bells

Rock the Bells. New York City. August 28.

Check it... not missing this for the world.

Check Out: Juggaknots - Clear Blue Skies EP

I was browsing through The Main Ingredient and came across a link to download an EP by Juggaknots, an underground New York City rap group. I was kind of skeptical at first having never heard of these guys (and girl) but out of boredom I clicked the link and loaded it up to my iTunes. Probably the best decision I've made in a long time.

Clear Blue Skies EP came out in 1996. Oh those were the days. The New York City rap scene was on fire in the mid-nineties with releases like Illmatic, Ready to Die, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), The Infamous, Doe or Die and countless classics from the five boroughs. With these artists dominating the charts, there was little room for groups like Juggaknots, with their muffled, distorted, acidic, jazzy beats - not to mention being signed by an independent label.

Perhaps the lyrics were never meant for the mainstream. The double sided nine track EP explores subject matter from a white kid loving a black girl at his racist fathers disapproval to less radio friendly verses on tracks like "Troubleman" and "I'm Going to Kill You." Regardless, the group flows flawlessly over these not so usual beats.

The EP was never released on CD apparently - only vinyl, and is most likely hard to come across. Nonetheless it was praised as an underground classic by many New York heads and has been enjoyed by hip-hop fans from all over the globe. That being said, download it here and enjoy this hidden gem.

Some New Ish Ish

This is my 200th blog post! Pretty serious. Never thought I'd keep 'er going for this long, but what d'ya know?

I've been working quite frantically lately for that paycheck, and when I'm not working I'm skateboarding, so sorry for lacking in the updates department. It could be worse and I could be like my friend Kellen who hasn't touched the Mock Turtle in over a month! Yikes bro!

Alright, before I get into it, who else is pumped for the Lakers VS. Celtics NBA Final? That is going be quite the spectacle. Hopefully Rondo stays healthy (looked like he was nursing his back last game against the Magic) and tears up the floor like he has been this playoffs. Kobe is on fire, but what else is new... fuck the Lakers, really. I'm gonna be watching the game tomorrow with my Celts jersey in full effect.

Now on to the main event: some new music.

A Roots track featuring Chitown's John Legend leaked the other day titled "Doin' It Again," pretty nice track. I always like John Legend, and as usual, he drops a nice hook between Black Thought's verses. Pretty much sounds like a classic Roots track with ?uestlove on the drums and I'm only assuming Legend on the keys. Check the link above for a download link, and if that doesn't work then google search the track, I'm sure it'll come up. The Roots' album How I Got Over comes out on June 22nd, get hyped.

Anyone remember Capone N Noreaga? After starting out in the nineties then going solo for a bit they dropped an album titled Channel 10 last year, which was decent, none of the tracks really stuck to me. However, I just heard "Hood Pride" from The War Report 2 and must say that I was really feelin' it. I always felt that N.O.R.E. had one of the strongest voices in hip-hop, so to hear him go off on a solid beat with a lot of energy was pretty exciting - reminded me of old Capone N Noreaga. Faith Evans on the feature!

Royce and the gang from Slaughterhouse have been killing it lately... well, forever, really. Royce's Bar Exam 3 dropped not too long ago and goes hard. The track "Nobody Fuckin' With Us" features Texas legend Bun B, Joe Budden and Crooked I. Budden flows real nice on this one. (Side note: Can't find the version I have with Budden's verse, which is a damn shame)

That's about it for now, enjoy some of these new(ish) tracks and maybe check out Royce da 5'9"'s Bar Exam 3 mixtape while you wait for The Roots' latest to drop.

Boombox, V17

What's good? Not too much new over here. Boardertech Skateshop in Moncton had its grand opening in its new location on Saturday, which was awesome. The shop is now at 465 Main Street instead of 581 Main (it only moved a block away). I urge anyone either from Moncton, or visiting the area, to check it out. Tons of new stock, plus the place is a massive.

Also, since I don't have too much to say at the moment, let me recommend you some tracks:

French Montana - I'm On It (Feat. Nipsey Hu$$le, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean)

Bone Thugs N Harmony - Mo' Murda

The Game - Hustler's Dream (Feat. Anthony Hamilton)

Sean Price - Bye Bye (Feat. Buckshot)

Check Out: The Originators

You know Bone Thugs N Harmony right? I definitely talk about them enough that if you've been on this blog you'd know I love 'em.

Bone Thugs hail from the Joakim Noah hated city, Cleveland, Ohio. These five thugs have been ripping into the game for nearly two decades, spitting hard, fast, and as their name claims, doing it harmoniously. After a few hiatuses and the imprisonment of Flesh Bone the group still manages to enjoy a decent amount of airtime on the radio, and certainly much playtime in my CD players and iTunes.

All of this being said, I would like to recommend to you one of my favorite albums, E. 1999 Eternal, released in 1995 under Eazy-E's Ruthless Label. The album consists of seventeen tracks, all produced by DJ Uneek while Eazy-E handled the executive direction of the album. The album was released just months after Eazy's untimely death to AIDS. This remains the group's best selling album, perhaps not surprising under the direction and influence of Eazy-E himself, combined with the unique, melodic style of lyricism and consistent, mellow beats that sound like a fusion of south meets west.

E. 1999 Eternal was well received by critics, which is quite a respectable for a horror core style album in the mid nineties. Lyrically, the album sticks to the midwest/horror core fundamentals... if you don't know what that is, I'd say it's something along the lines of Mo Murda which even has a screw hook (one of the more earlier songs with a screw hook from the midwest). There are also tons of lifestyle tracks about weed, payin' bills, getting welfare checks and being broke in the slums - what else is new in 1990's hip-hop?

There really isn't much more to say about Bone Thugs. If haven't heard them on the radio, on DJ Khaled's We The Best album, or on Chamillionaire's Ridin' Dirty then I don't know what to tell you except check out E. 1999 Eternal. I can listen to it through and through and not get bored. It's good ridin' music, it's good chillin' music, it's... just good music.

Check out:

Crossroads (Remix)

First of the Month

East 1999

Budsmokers Only

Convocation Weekend

I can now gladly say that I am a university graduate. Even though people my age had already graduated two years ago, through discipline changes and years off I can thankfully say that I finally made it through undergrad and am nothing short of satisfied with how my undergraduate "career" unfolded. Graduating is bittersweet. I definitely am not the first to say and think that, but I had to throw it out there because that was the first thing to ever come to mind after finishing my final class in mid-April. After meeting so many amazing friends in such a small, welcoming atmosphere, it is hard to think that I won't be there for next year to enjoy all of the fun and enjoy the company of the many people that made the past few years so amazing.

That being said, Convocation weekend just ended today and it was incredible to have so many friends, graduating or not, all in the same place with no agenda or schedule, just enjoying each others company over some beers (some is an understatement by the way). My room mates from last year all moved into a spot, which turned out to be one of the best houses in Sackville in my opinion. So we spent a significant amount of time either there, or at my friend Chris' house, all in good company.

On Friday night a group of us were directed to a 1990 Alumni party in Edwards House. We figured why the hell not... That is a prime example of the random and unexpected fun you can have on Con. weekend. Everybody was in good spirits, willing to chat about past experiences, catch up, and drop the good ol' "back in our day..." Basically could not have predicted that I would have had such a fun evening.

Saturday was much of the same. A group of us showed up at Chris Clements' place for a BBQ, and before you knew it there was full fledged party going on by 2PM. As you can guess, Saturday turned out to be a great evening as well. What really surprised me was how willing everyone was to continue partying on Sunday night. I honestly thought it was going to be one of those mellow nights at Ducky's pub, but it was almost as foolish as the two previous nights. But if you looked around at how people were acting, you'd know that they were worn out from the weekend.

Today felt like a collective hangover from the entire weekend, which wasn't that great since today was the actual graduation, but it wasn't too hard to stomach. The worst part was saying good bye to Sackville and a lot of friends that are moving onwards and elsewhere. I felt privileged to have such a great group of friends at Mt. A, so that was hard. The ceremony itself was amazing. Peter Mansbridge, easily one of Canada's most distinguished public figures, became Mount Allison's Chancellor. What that position fully entitles I don't know, but I got to shake the mans hand while he congratulated me in Latin, then English. I simply replied nervously with a "THANKS MAN!"

Unfortunately the moment I dreaded all weekend had arrived. Leaving. Con. weekend was easily one of the best weekends of my life. I'm not trying to sound like an alcoholic or anything, because what made it so amazing was the reunion of friends just having fun. And, of course, on top of that actually graduating.

I guess I'll stop there. I'm not even sure if people read my posts that aren't about hip-hop anyways. I just needed to stress how fun Con. weekend was, and will be for future grads out there. I know for a fact that I'll be up for the next one.

Check Out: Bone Thugs N Harmony - Uni5: The World's Enemy

On 4 May Bone Thugs N Harmony dropped their ninth studio album titled Uni5: The World's Enemy. I've always loved Bone Thugs - E 1999 Eternal is easily one of my favorite hip-hop albums and, arguably, Bone Thugs have not been able to rematch that kind of caliber and chemistry on tracks since that 1995 release.

The album comes over half a year after the release of the first single "See Me Shine," which I posted and often praised over the past seven-odd months. Between now and then a few other singles and leaks hit the net - some around equal quality, some not so much. "Rebirth" became the second single, which I feel obliged to praise as a solid first quarter release in 2010 hip-hop. More recently "Gone" and "Meet Me In The Sky" were released officially as singles. These two tracks, and I guess "Rebirth" are a clear step away from any old Bone Thugs ruggish thuggish horror-core rap to a more mainstream synth-pop inspired sound. Those that have followed Bone Thugs since the early nineties will most likely understand the progression and shift in style of the group, however, those banking on a classic Bone Thugs record will most likely be disappointed.

DJ Uneek handles a handful of the albums production, although not exclusively. Uneek has produced some of Bone Thugs most notorious and successful tracks, so this was obviously a nice treat to Bone Thug fans. A number of the beats, as mentioned earlier, are much different than usual for the group, however, their flow and lyricism is nothing new, maybe a little catchier than before, but now that's expected. Their style is what made them hot, why change that, right? Perhaps, you can argue, this album is more personal, in the sense that it is not as street oriented but more focused on addressing personal problems, getting rid of those devils inside, fame, recognition and what-have-you. I'm not saying this is bad. I mean, these guys have been around for over seventeen years. They don't need to bring horror-core Midwest hip-hop back. They've endeared hardship, struggle and came up in the game hard as hell, seeing jail time and putting out some of the most influential tracks in rap.

In the end, this is a good album. Nothing crazy, groundbreaking, overly influential, and I feel like Bone Thugs knew this. They put out an album filled with above par tracks, to say the least. It's no E 1999 Eternal or Creepin on ah Come Up, but it is enough to give Bone Thugs fans something fresh and new to listen to. All five members of Bone Thugs N Harmony on the same album, spittin' fast.

Skatemoncton.com

Almost six years ago I started a website called skatemoncton.com showcasing skateboard media from my friends in the Greater Moncton Area. The site was popular, at least, on a local level, and was updated quite frequently. But like a lot of things, the novelty and interest wore off and I eventually sold my camera and called it quits on the site after a five year run of constant updates. For the past year there hasn't been any real outlet displaying local skateboarding in Moncton except for the odd YouTube clip. Thankfully, two of my friends, Jeff Pineau and Dustin Seca teamed up to recreate the site with help from web designer Andre Banville. Jeff films and Dustin shoots photos, so the site is frequently updated whether it be snaps from a session or one of the weekly Hump Day clips, those boys are doing it up and keeping the scene going. So really, the point of this post is to promote the work of my friends and to congratulate them on a job well done. It always helped to tighten up the community by having some source of media on display.

Check out the all new Skatemoncton.com.

See Me Shine [Official Video]

Since I've first heard the Bone Thugs track "See Me Shine" last fall I've been pretty fond of it. It was easily one of my favorites of 2009, actually. The video was released not too long ago, but they left one of my favorite parts out! Nah, they didn't cut anyone out of the track - they got rid of the epic outro. It might have been too long on the leaked version, but this one does not do it justice at all.

Here is the video anyway:

... and here is the extended version that I'm sure will be on the album. The difference is at the end, probably around 4:20 in.

Heart and Soul of New York City

I came across this today.

Red Cafe - Heart and Soul of New York City by K1X from K1X on Vimeo.

It is a video for Red Cafe's "Heart and Soul of New York City" (read the author description of the video on that link) that will surely educate you on not only the city that never sleeps, but its street ball community. The track is produced by the legendary NY producer Pete Rock so you know it's good. Check it out for yourself.

Boombox, V16

Since I haven't done much lately, here are a few tracks to check out.

Jeru The Damaja - Me or the Papes

Black Star - Definition: RE

The Roots - The Next Movement

The Spinners - The Rubberband Man

Three 6 Mafia - Side 2 Side (Feat. Kanye West & Project Pat)

Sayin'?

What up world. Sorry for being neglectful, I spent the last few nights drinking to the end of my undergraduate career at Mount Allison, I must say it is bittersweet. Obviously at a small place like Mount A you meet so many people and feel super connected to everyone and pretty much every aspect of that small town life, I'm definitely going to miss that.

I just got home a few hours ago to find that my room is actually completely demolished. In the words of my good friend Jared Walsh my room got "dummied." So I'm going to be spending some of my first nights of the summer sleeping on a sofa - like sleeping on a futon all year wasn't bad enough.

There really isn't a point to all of this. I am home now, have $200, no job, a shit load of stuff to unpack with no room to unload all of this garbage - should be an interesting first few days back.

On the music front. I feel bad for not writing or touching up more on the passing of Guru, as you can imagine it is quite an important moment in hip-hop. He truly was "one of the best yet." I've been bumping some Gang Starr and solo Guru to tribute the man. I've also been really into Consequence's GOOD Music track (thanks to my boy Chris Clements for the link).

I guess that is all for now. I hope you all have a good summer and to my friends from Mount A that I might not see for a while: Have a great summer and good luck either finishing up school and all the best in the future. Bye boys.

R.I.P. Guru

I posted a month and half back that Guru, half of Gang Starr, feel into a cardiac arrest. It was announced today that Guru passed away from cancer yesterday (April 19).

Rest in Peace to one of the best.

Girls, Girls, Girls

I'm pretty sure that everyone can relate to this: there are some songs you can listen to over and over, for years, know all the words, and never, ever get sick of it. For me, one of those songs are "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Jay-Z, from the Blueprint album. Other than the fact the track has a nice, mellow beat and a nice sample, the lyrics are just incredibly entertaining. There are, of course, a lot of stereotypes, but what else is new in hip-hop? If you've been living under a rock, or just never paid attention to this one, peep it, and pay attention to the lyrics... it just might be the most genius song ever.

I got this Spanish chica, she don't like me to roam
So she call me cabron plus marricon
Said she likes to cook rice so she likes me home
I'm like, "Un momento" mami, slow up your tempo
I got this black chick, she don't know how to act
Always talkin out her neck, makin her fingers snap
She like "Listen Jigga Man, I don't care if you rap
You better "R-E-S-P-E-C-T me"
I got this French chick that love to french kiss
She thinks she's Bo Derek, wear her hair in a twist
My, cherie amor, tu est belle
Merci, you fine as fuck but you givin me hell
I got this Indian squaw the day that I met her
Asked her what tribe she with, red dot or feather
She said all you need to know is I'm not a ho
And to get with me you better be Chief Lots-a-Dough
Now that's Spanish chick, French chick, Indian and black
That's fried chicken, curry chicken, damn I'm gettin fat
Arroz con pollo, french fries and crepe
An appetitite for destruction but I scrape the plate
I love

[Tip] Girls, girls, girls, girls (uh-huh)
Girls, I do adore
[Jay] Yo put your number on this paper cause I would love to date ya
Holla at ya when I come off tour
[Tip] I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls all over the globe
[Jay] I come scoop you in that Coupe, sittin on deuce-zeroes
Fix your hair in the mirror, let's roll - c'mon

I got this young chick, she so immature
She like, "Why you don't buy me Reeboks no more?"
Like to show out in public, throw tantrums on the floor
Gotta toss a couple dollars, just to shut up her holla
Got a project chick, that plays her part
And if it goes down y'all that's my heart
Baby girl so thorough she been with me from the start
Hid my drugs from the NARCs, hid my guns by the parts
I got this model chick that don't cook or clean
But she dress her ass off and her walk is mean
Only thing wrong with ma she's always on the scene
God damn she's fine but she parties all the time
I get frequent flier mileage from my stewardess chick
She look right in that tight blue dress, she's thick
She gives me extra pillows and seat back love
So I had to introduce her to the Mile High Club
Now that's young chick, stewardess, project and model
That means I fly rough early, plus I know Tahoe
That means I'm new school, pop pills and stay in beef
But I never have a problem with my first class seat
I love

[Rick] Girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls, I do adore
[Jay] Yo put your number on this paper cause I would love to date ya
Holla at ya when I come off tour
[Rick] I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls all over the globe
[Jay] I come scoop you in that Coupe, sittin on deuce-zeroes
Fix your hair in the mirror, let's roll

I got this paranoid chick, she's scared to come to the house
A hypochondriac who says ouch before I whip it out
Got a chick from Peru, that sniff Peru
She got a cousin at customs that get shit through
Got this weedhead chick, she always catch me doin shit
Crazy girl wanna leave me but she always forgets
Got this Chinese chick, had to leave her quick'
Cause she kept bootleggin my shit - man
I got this African chick with Eddie Murphy on her skull
She like, "Jigga Man, why you treat me like animal?"
I'm like excuse me Ms. Fufu, but when I met your ass
you was dead broke and naked, and now you want half
I got this ho that after twelve million sold
Mami's a narcolyptic, always sleepin on Hov'
Gotta tie the back of her head like Deuce Bigalow
I got so many girls across the globe..

[Biz] I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls, I do adore
[Jay] Yo put your number on this paper cause I would love to date ya
Holla at ya when I come off tour
[Tip] I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls all over the globe
[Jay] I come scoop you in that Coupe, sittin on deuce-zeroes
Fix your hair in the mirror, let's roll
[Rick] I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls, I do adore
[Jay] Yo put your number on this paper cause I would love to date ya
Holla at ya when I come off tour

I love girls, girls, girls, girls
Girls, girls...

I'm a Sad, Sad Man

I've pretty much lost all faith in humanity.

Well, not really. I'm sure you Canadians out there have heard of this wonderful sports betting lottery called Pro Line. You basically have to select a minimum of three games (maybe it's two now?), and choose who is going to win, or tie. The odds are put right in front of you, but in the wonderful world of sports, you sometimes need to go with your gut feeling.

Now, I used to play Pro Line a few years back with my buddies Lorne and Skylar during the 2006 World Cup in soccer. I spent roughly $30 in total and probably broke even with some rookie ass bets. Whatever. Took a nice long breather from the gambling world where I spent my money on finer things: clothes, food, skateboards, CDs, traveling and so on and so forth.

The other day my friends, who will remain nameless because I'm not sure how public or private this need be, won a nice sum of money. Nice enough to make me want to take part in this good ol' gambling process again. So myself, Skylar, and my room mate Nic set out to our local convenience store to buy a Pro Line. We are all avid Basketball fans so we figured we would place some bets. The lineup was bleak that night. No real tight games, the odds were pretty balanced for a certain team in every single game. No biggie, I just wanted to come up a few bucks since I'm a poor ass college student. We all chip in $5 each and choose our teams: Miami over Philly, Orlando over Indiana, Charlotte over New Jersey and finally Atlanta over Milwaukee. Not bad. No real surprises, maybe a close Hawks/Bucks game, but nothing to fret. We're off. Ticket paid. Our payout is roughly $300.00 if these teams win. I was confident. Why wouldn't I be, none of those games would be upsets, and there was a $300 payout! Damn, son.

Fast forward me being at the library studying, but unable to focus due to excitement of watching basketball all night and more than likely coming up victorious. I am home, games are all in progress. All are going right except the Miami/Philly game. It's a little close. In fact, tied with 24 seconds left. I am frantically refreshing the TSN.ca scores page. Finally, its done. Miami 107, Philly 105. I've officially won all my games that I bet on. How nice. Oh, wait a second. Pro Line's rules are so fucky that you need to win a basketball game by more than five points in order to for to count as a "Pro Line win." All of the other games met this five point criteria, but not Miami. Why? Why did you fail me Dwayne Wade, after all the times I said "You are the fucking man!" or "You see that? That's why he is the best in the NBA!". Wade put up 30, very nice, why couldn't you have put up 34? Why couldn't Arroyo, Beasley, Haslem or O'Neal toss up a few extra or made all their free throws. Oh the endless excuses and "Whys????"

So basically, the moral of this story is don't get your hopes up, there are countless upsets every day, and, obviously, that Pro Lines fly by night rules suck (and are virtually unknown until you're caught with your dick out at the convenience store, thinking you won but come to find out your "winning" ticket is an epic fail). I had to call my mother today to ask for some money to buy groceries because I spent my last $20 gambling in the past few days. The opposite of dignity. I didn't win once - I've come close, but close isn't worth shit.

Two of my room mates are back at it tonight. I have decided to sit this play out.

Check Out: People Under The Stairs

I've been a strong advocate for these guys since I first heard them in a 411 Video Magazine (skateboard video) around ten years ago. My boy Kellen Barrett recently had an interview with none other than Del Tha Funky Homosapien and asked him a question about his popularity amongst the "extreme sport" crowd. This immediately made me realize that People Under The Stairs are a similar case - well respected amongst fellow skateboarders, but virtually unknown by a lot of my hip-hop loving friends. So, for your pleasure, I introduce you to one of hip-hops best kept secrets.

Hailing from the city of angels, People Under the Stairs, or P.U.T.S. for short, is Thes One and Double K, not only talented on the microphone but also renowned in the underground for their DJing/production skills, which favour jazz and soul sampling for its breaks.

Their first album is titled The Next Step (1998), which is personally one of my favorites because of its laid back beats (which is actually not an exclusive feature to this album) like on tracks like San Francisco Knights, which pretty much sounds like acid hip-hop, and of course the albums most popular track The Next Step II, which was features in a Tony Hawk game... can't remember which one.

P.U.T.S. have stayed true to their roots, spittin' over mellow tracks about anything from girls to brown baggin' and smoking splifs. The group is easily relatable to both the underground hip-hop community and urban street hop teenagers living a more lax lifestyle - not only because of lyrical content, but the overall sound and approach of the group.

The group is still active, having released an album titled Carried Away last year. I cannot recommend these guys enough. Seriously. You can listen to them in any mood, but I recommend on a nice summer night, sittin' on a porch with a brew - that's what I'll be doing this summer.

"Check it out people I'm so glad you're here, I want my peoples in the front, my peoples in the rear, to let go of your troubles, grab a chair and cool out, turn up the stereo light up the blunt and crack the Guinness stout."

Check out some tracks:

Youth Explosion

We'll Be There

The L.A. Song

The Wiz

Easter Playlist

I unfortunately don't have much to update with today. Had a busy Easter weekend, enjoyed some nice ass weather and got to see some family from far far away. I guess one thing I can do, since I feel bad that Kellen has been updating at a nice pace lately and I clearly have not, is post my favorite playlist from the drives I took to get from point A to point B this weekend.

Check it (and click to enlarge)

That is all for now. Give me a break schools almost over!

PS. Don't mind the play count there. These songs have been tossed around on random playlists, or not at all, so its kind of inaccurate.

Styles P - Street Life

I've been feeling Styles P a lot more than usual as of late. Since the release of the Green Ghost Project especially. Here is a new track I just caught on XXL titled "Street Life". Sounds like Lyfe Jennings on the feature... if someone knows for sure please let me know.

Check out the track here on XXL.

Or download it here.

Chin Checkin'

I'm not usually for mash-ups... I mean, some are good, but they don't usually stand out (and Girl Talk is incredibly played now). Here is a remix of N.W.A.'s "Chin Check," which is from the Next Friday soundtrack. Heard the song in a European skate video a few years ago and thought I'd share it with y'all.

Dj Mighty Mi - Chin Checkin' on a Starship:

More Wu Massacre Album Art

In light of Wu Massacre dropping in 5-6 days, I managed to find three different album covers from both Rae, Ghost and Meth. Here they are:

In order: Method Man, Ghostface then Raekwon. The Raekwon cover is budget as hell, but these are some of the coolest album covers I've seen in a while.

Boombox, V15

I've been lazy as of late, but first off I'd like to shout out to my man Kellen Barrett for getting his first article published on The Smoking Section website. Check it here.

Also, I got some recommendations. To be honest with you I got a few of these from my friend Kyle's facebook. He knows what's up.

Lost Boyz - Renee

Spice 1 - Ain't No Love

And a few from my collection:

Masta Ace - Good Ol Love

Fabolous - Breathe

Bun-B - Get Throwed Feat. Pimp C, Jay-Z & Young Jeezy

Kurupt - Trylogy

I Need A Dollar...

Aye... sorry I've been neglecting the blog... I got some shit going on and have been busy (same old excuse).

I feel the need to share this track with y'all.

Southern Hospitality

I don't really have that much to say right now, I did find some old playlists so on that note here is one I had titled "Southern Hospitality" which is a compilation of some of my favorite tracks from rappers in the south. I'm usually pretty critical on southern rap, since in a number of instances there is little content and depth to some rappers lyrics. Nevertheless, here are some I like. (Click the image to enlarge)

Check out some of these tracks... you'll find something you like.

Notorious B.I.G. - 13 Years

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Notorious B.I.G.'s death after being shot in Los Angeles, California.

Rest in Peace to one of the best.

Potpourri

For starters, I'm not even gonna comment on this: DJ Khaled McDonalds commercial.

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XXL put out its first Freshman Mixtape from the top 10 of 2010. I haven't checked it out yet, but I'll toss up the link for y'all.

Download Link (Direct)

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That's about it for now. Now get out there and enjoy this nice weather.

New York, Jersey, Philly

Half of Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden & Royce 5'9") jumped on the Lloyd Banks' single Beamer, Benz or Bentley and made their own version. Feelin' it!

Joe Budden feat. Royce 5'9" - New York, Jersey, Philly

Boombox, V14

Not much to say on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, so here are a few tracks I've been feeling lately that you should check out as well.

Styles P & DJ Green Lantern - Legal Money

Q-Tip - Breathe and Stop

Nas - Make The World Go Round (Feat. Chris Brown)

MF Doom - Figaro

MF Grimm - Book of Daniel

Pimp C - Knockin' Doors Down (Feat. P.O.P. & Lil' Keke)

I can't say enough how much I enjoy Styles P & Green Lanterns collab on The Green Ghost Project, so essentially, I recommend the whole album. The MF Grimm track I posted is an MF Doom diss, and a hard one at that. "The mask took control of you, like Jim Carey." Check out some more Grimm, he's from New York and has a pretty serious background - check for yourself.

Wu Massacre / Three The Hard Way

This is going to be dropping in less than a month (March 30) and looks crazy! One of the best album covers in years. The album features production from Mathematics, RZA, Scram Jones and more.

Also, here is a track list. (So far, and as far as I know subject to change)

01. Criminology 2.5
02. Mef vs. Chef
03. Ya Moms (Skit)
04. Smooth Sailing (Remix) (feat. Solomon Childs)
05. Our Dreams
06. Gunshowers (feat. Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna)
07. Dangerous
08. Pimpin’ Chipp
09. How To Pay Rent (Skit) (feat. Tracy Morgan)
10. Miranda
11. Youngtown Heist
12. Break Breaka (It’s That Wu Shit)
13. Made Men (Bonus)

This should be promising... I mean look: Ghostface, The Chef and Method Man.

Check Out: The Green Ghost Project

I really don't know how I totally missed this one, but DJ Green Lantern and Styles P teamed up to create The Green Ghost Project which was released on 2 February 2010. The album stars Styles P a.k.a. The Ghost and features his D-Block mates Sheek Louch and Jadakiss and also Tre Williams, Raekwon, Noreaga and more. Big shouts to Seanny Mac for the recommendation.

Green Lantern handles a handful of the production, but you will also get some beats from Dame Grease, Vinny Idol, Alchemist, Buckwild and more. The production is very well done and gives a nice East Coast vibe with some sampling, piano riffs and so on. Green Lantern's beats also bring a whole new element of sound to the album ranging from hard as fuck, like Nothing To Lose, to mellowed out and sadder, like Send A Kite. Green also characteristically tosses in a few vocal samples in some of the tracks instead of an actually sung hook (also like in Nothing To Lose). Basically, if you've heard a Green Lantern mixtape or album before, this one wont toss you too many curve balls.

If you've ever listened to Styles P then you know what he is about. The Green Ghost Project does not veer too far away from P's usual lyrical gangster content, although their are a few tracks that help throw some variety to the track list. There are a few softer songs with soulful hooks, but the majority of the album sticks to the D-Block and L.O.X. Styles P hard as fuck attitude. That is how Ghost has been satisfying the streets since day one, and that seems to be how he'll keep doing it.

Any fan of Green Lantern or the L.O.X. should definitely cop this one. Green Lantern usually has a successful formula to create excellent collaborations with rappers all over the States, and this is absolutely no exception. Styles P and Green have worked together before on tracks, so their are no awkward first time on the track jitters here. Overall, as a fan of Styles P and Green Lantern, I must say that this album is a successful collaboration worthy of listening to.

Aside from the linked tracks above, check out these tracks:

Legal Money

Shadows

That's Me

Bad News

I heard last night that Gang Starr's Guru had a heart attack and slipped into a coma. This was confirmed by long time friend and group member DJ Premier. Lets hope for the best for Guru.

Check Out: Cappadonna

Any avid Wu-Tang Clan fan knows of Cappadonna [Darryl Hill]. He is basically an unofficial member of the clan and has appeared on countless Wu tracks. Perhaps one of his biggest features was on Triumph, which features every single member of the clan. I've always been a fan of Cappa, although there is the odd time where he delivers a verse I'm not feeling. Regardless, Cappa has proven himself at equal caliber to certain clan members (I'm not gonna name names here...) and grew up with some of the Clan members in Staten Island, New York.

You can find Cappa on numerous Ghostface Killah tracks, but he also has five official studio albums under his belt, most notably, to me, is The Pillage, Cappa's debut album featuring production from the RZA, True Master, Goldfingaz and more producers in the Wu camp. The album also features Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon and U-God from the Clan.

Cappadonna has always been an interesting artist for me since he hasn't really been in the spotlight - yet he shines on the countless Wu tracks he is features on, especially on the Forever album. Check out the tracks For Heaven's Sake, Little Ghetto Boys and Heaterz for examples (he is the last one to rap in all three songs). Most notably, Cappa absolutely destroys his verse in Ghostface Killah's Winter Warz off of the Ironman album. I urge you to check it out immediately - he starts at 2:28 and finishes the second the track cuts.

What also interests me about Cappa is his lifestyle choices. He was once in a dispute with RZA, which temporarily cut him out of Clan involvement. During his hiatus from hip-hop Cappa moved to Baltimore, Maryland, gave away all his belongings, and drove cabs for eight months. In a Ghostface track titled 9 Milli Bros Cappa raps "Diggler AKA the cab driver, drop 'em off in the middle of fire" which, correct me if I'm wrong, was one of Cappa's first features after his hiatus.

This all being said, I hope that people find a new appreciation for Wu's unofficial tenth member. Cappa has been spittin for years and for the most part never got the recognition he deserved. Whether you're listening to Oh Donna from The Pillage or Dogs of War off of Ghostface's Fishscale, you can always get some extremely underrated and unknown material from Cappachino the great.

"I'm Going In, Son."

I'm not sure how recent this clip is, but it sure made me laugh.

Can anyone understand the RZA?

Hip Hope Turns ONE!

I almost forgot that today is the blogs first birthday! I don't really have anything planned to update the site with... I've been pretty much busy and on the go this week since it is my spring break. I'll try and get something going tonight for an update. Sit tight.

Everything is Everything

Anyone remember Lauryn Hill's third single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest written hip-hop songs off all-time. Check out the track and lyrics (which I had to jack from a lyrics site - there was no way I was writting it all).

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Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

I wrote these words for everyone
Who struggles in their youth
Who won't accept deception
Instead of what is truth
It seems we lose the game,
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules? We're so confused
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

I philosophy
Possibly speak tongues
Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist
Rap this in fine linen
From the beginning
My practice extending across the atlas
I begat this
Flippin' in the ghetto on a dirty mattress
You can't match this rapper / actress
More powerful than two Cleopatras
Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti
MCs ain't ready to take it to the Serengeti
My rhymes is heavy like the mind of Sister Betty
L. Boogie spars with stars and constellations
Then came down for a little conversation
Adjacent to the king, fear no human being
Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum
Now hear this mixture
Where hip hop meets scripture
Develop a negative into a positive picture

Now, everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

Sometimes it seems
We'll touch that dream
But things come slow or not at all
And the ones on top, won't make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let's love ourselves then we can't fail
To make a better situation
Tomorrow, our seeds will grow
All we need is dedication

Let me tell ya that,
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

---

The Intros That Didn't Make It...

This is basically an honorable mention post, so check it.

The Roots - Star/Pointro - This one is the intro to The Tipping Point, which was a solid album - Star might actually be my fave track from the album, and hearing it live twice doesn't effect my decision. "The Tipping Point is here..."

Warren G - Regulate (Featuring Nate Dogg) - Classic West Coast G funk era right here. The intro and the major hit from this album, but it sets the stage for a nice LBC street jam. "Just hit the east-side of the LBC on a mission tryin' to find Mr. Warren G..." ... I can picture it right now.

Akon - Shake Down - Who ever thought Akon would do something like this? This actually be one of the biggest hype songs I've ever heard. If you've never heard it then do yourself a favor and check it. You'll understand then.

PS. Another song I've heard live and basically lost my shit.

Brand Nubian - All For One - Off of the classic album titled One for All, I just can't deny Sadat's voice.

I'm going to stop here because I only realized today that I had this saved as a draft and meant to finish a more extensive "honorable mention" list earlier, but flat out forgot. There are tons of classic intros out there I wanted to add or I just flat out forgot, regardless, I hope you enjoyed some of these tracks.

The Top 10 Intros to Hip-Hop Albums

An intro song to a hip-hop album is, for the most part, a short vocal disclaimer or some kind of song that lays out the foundation of what is to come for the next thirty plus minutes that it takes to complete the album. To me, the best intro tracks come through hard, not only giving me a taste of what is to come, but gets me extremely hyped - like saying "damn, that's just the intro!" Throughout my years of listening to hip-hop I recently got the idea to have a top list for my favorite introductions into a hip-hop album. I'm shoving aside quick, beat-less skits from people like Cedric the Entertainer, the thuggish ramblings of Clyde Smith and the quick "interludesque" style songs that last half a minute. This list pays tribute to those intro songs that can explain the album, go hard lyrically and be an all-round banger.

A usual disclaimer - these songs are picked by personal preference, this list is in no way supposed to explain the most influential intros or anything along those lines, however, I still feel like you could find some interesting points here, and also some classic tracks.

Here we go:

10. Common - Be - Off the album with the same name, Be is a classic intro because of its build up to the song - not that it is epic, but relaxing and wonderful - and the smooth, observational lyrics from Common.

9. N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton - From the album Straight Outta Compton, this track introduces the group and the album. For starters, every verse begins with the rapper stating their name and a quick fun fact.

Dr. Dre: "Eazy is his name and the boy is coming..."

Eazy-E: "Straight outta Compton, is a brotha that'll smotha your motha, and make your sister think I love her..."

... and I don't think I need to recite Ice Cube's legendary introduction to that track. This intro track sets the stage for this police-hating group from the city of Compton.

8. Blu & Exile - My World Is... - I'll admit that I haven't heard of Blu that long ago, my friend Kellen actually introduced me to him and its been nothing but good music ever since. This track comes off the album titled Below The Heavens, which is a collaboration between Blu and producer Exile. It makes the list because 1) it is an intro! and 2) Blu is introducing himself like no one has ever heard of him - it is too good. The sample, which is "My Love is Blue" by Dells has also been sampled by Ghostface Killah in the track "Shakey Dog".

7. Ludacris - Coming 2 America - Off of Word of Mouf, an intro could not hype me up and make me laugh at all the hilarious analogies and metaphors as much as a Ludacris intro. Check out the lyrics online somewhere and you will see what I mean.

6. Busta Rhymes - Everybody Rise - From the E.L.E. (The Extinction Level Event), Busta comes through flowing nicely with an extremely hyped east coast banger of a beat (also sampled by Jay Electronica for Exhibit A). This is the kind of song you don't just want to open up your album... imagine this opening up a Busta concert!

5. Kanye West - Good Morning - I'm sure everyone knows this one from Kanye's Graduation. This is Kanye's first intro song that was actually a song, if that makes sense. He even starts it out by saying "Wake up Mr. West" which is what his intro for Late Registration is called. He doesn't only tie that in there, Good Morning is also, besides Homecoming, the only track on the album that addresses the whole analogy of progression and graduating from hip-hop with references to college.

"You got D's motherfucker, D's, Rosie Perez. And yes barely passed, any and every class, looking at every ass, cheated on every test, I guess, this is my dissertation, homie this shit is basic, welcome to Graduation."

4. Big L - Big Picture (Intro) - The first time I heard this I lost my shit. Big L is renowned for his raw, amazing lyricism and this into song displays it on a classic DJ Premier beat.

"We never bring luggage we go shopping when the plane lands..."

In this track Big L will tell how what the game would be like without him in it, so listen attentively.

"Big L rest in peace." (May 30, 1974 - February 15, 1999) - 11 years today.

3. Nas - Stillmatic (Intro) - I know my friends around Mount A will agree with this one. This line sums up all that really needed to be said aside from the Jay-Z feud:

"...they thought I'd make another Illmatic, but its always forward I'm moving, never backwards stupid heres another classic..."

2. EPMD - Intro (Out of Business) - Classic beat for starters. E (Erick Sermon) and PMD (Parrish Smith) spit hot shit on one of their not-so-acclaimed albums, but still well respected.

"Allow me to introduce my DJ Scratch the black balboa, I'm Erick Sermon, the dope rhyme flowa.."

You can still see elements of their old school roots.

1. Jay-Z - Intro (Dynasty) - Too amazing. A Just Blaze production - one of the best beats I can think of. The album came out in 2000, so obviously Jay has a similar mindset to Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint.

"This is food for thought you do the dishes."

NBA All-Star Weekend

As some of you know, this weekend is the NBA All-Star weekend, which around here is overshadowed by the Olympics, but whatever, they're both huge events in my opinion, I was just more excited to watch some of the NBA's finest take charge in Dallas, TX.

The Rookie vs. Sophomore game was on Friday. I didn't get the chance to watch it, but the rooks took it 140-128 under the coaching of Kevin Durant.

The skills competition yesterday was decent. We basically got to watch Kevin Durant make normal shots from all over the court, and out of bounds in the H.O.R.S.E. challenge. Time was eventually an issue in the challenge and it resorted to Durant and the Celtic's Rajon Rondo going shot for show from the 3-point line until they missed. Durant took it effortlessly. Steve Nash took the skills challenge with a flawless run through the course of lay-ups, passing, shooting and dribbling. Paul Pierce won the 3-point contest, luckily nailing all five two-point money balls for a grand total of 20 points. The biggest disappointment, and actually my only major complaint was the dunk competition. If you watched it you know what I mean. Gerard Wallace did nothing. Not literally, but you know... Shannon Brown unfortunately did not deliver either... so it was up to DeMar DeRozan and Nate Robinson in the final round. Nate took it because of fan voting - 51% in favor of Nate, 49% for DeMar. Needless to say, DeRozan deserved it, and if it came down to the actual judges deciding on the winner then DeRozan woulda took it.

That is basically all that I saw. I missed a few events on Friday and I think I'm going to end up missing the All-Star game tonight. I'll just catch the TSN highlights tomorrow I guess.

Stussy X Stones Throw Records

Instead of recycling what someone else said, here is a pic of a Stussy X Stones Throw collaborations commemorating the late great J Dilla.

"In an all-L.A. joint venture, Stones throw records and Stussy have collaborated to produce this tribute to the late hip-hop producer, J-Dilla. The graphic on the front shows Jay sport a Stussy tee and is taken from Raph Rashid’s 2005 book, “The Beat: Hip-Hop Home Studios” which photographed a series of hip hop producers. Both a black and a white version will available, on February 13 (February 10, being the 3rd anniversary of J-Dilla’s passing)."

-Hypebeast.com

Check Out: Tha Carter II

In light of the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl last night, I felt like showcasing a New Orleans artist somehow. That being said, I present to you one of the most hated on rappers alive: Lil' Wayne.

Why Lil' Wayne? Well, old Lil' Wayne is surprisingly really good. Maybe it's not so surprising, actually. I think it is just that everyone is quick to judge him by his latest mainstream releases: Tha Carter III, a more mainstream approach by Wayne, and The Rebirth, which was a drastic shift from rap to a rock album... I know, right?

Unlike my other "Critical Release" albums featured, this one is a lot more recent. Tha Carter II was released in the late quarter of 2005 under the Cash Money/Universal label. It is Lil' Wayne's first album that does not feature production from fellow New Orleans MC and producer Mannie Fresh, who, in my opinion, gave Lil' Wayne a trademark southern sound.

What makes this album stand out? To me, it is that although it achieved mainstream success with singles like Fireman, Hustler Musik and Shooter, it was also, and this could be argued, Lil' Wayne's last studio album where he just flat out spits hard consistently. I say this could be argued because of Tha Carter III, but really, his style changed, and to me it sounds a lot lazier.

Lyrically, Tha Carter II sticks to the fundamentals. That is, talk about the streets, talk about the love, the struggle, and some fame. And as you would expect, his lyrics are loaded with metaphors and similes - original, yet not overly complicated to decipher - that undoubtedly makes his music easier to relate to. Production, like I said, does not include Mannie Fresh, which is perhaps one of my only complaints about this album. Nevertheless, Heatmakerz, T-Mix & Batman, The Runners, Robin Thicke and company do a solid job on a variety of different style beats. Some well sampled tracks by Heatmakerz, who have done a lot of work for the Dipset squad, also, one of my favorite beats coming from the south by T-Mix & Batman on Hustler Musik.

I know it is easy to hate on Lil' Wayne. However, a lot of this hate is post-Carter III (among a few other mainstream singles and features), which leads some to hate Wayne blindly, without giving his older material a chance. I chose Tha Carter II today because this, and the original Carter got me into Lil' Wayne, and I really enjoyed his older studio releases and mixtapes like Da Drought 3 and DJ Drama's Dedication series.

Check out some tracks from Tha Carter II:

Carter II (including intro & outro)

Receipt

Tha Mobb

And don't forget the singles I linked above.

B.o.B - May 25th

I know I am around a week late with this one, but DJ Drama, DJ Sense and B.o.B released a mixtape to hype up his upcoming album The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which is due out May 25th. Some production by B.o.B himself, Kanye West and Alchemist to name a few. It can't do no harm.

Download

Greatest Hits, V4: Booba

"Who the fuck is Booba?" You might be asking. Well... Booba is a rapper from Boulonge-Billancourt, part of the greater Paris metropolis in France, who gets shit done in French. Now, admittedly, I am not a French rap connoisseur, but I think it is safe to say that he is one of France's most popular solo hip-hop acts. He rose to fame while rapping with his friend Ali in the duo "Lunatic". Booba released his first solo album in 2002 titled Temps mort, followed by Pantheon (2004), Ouest Side (2006) then 0.9 (2008). Perhaps his most successful release came from the Pantheon album, the song was titled "Numero 10" - the beat was recycled in numerous mash-ups and remixes on mixtapes. Although his latest release, 0.9, did not fair so well, as fans believed his music was becoming to "Americanized" and mainstream, Booba is renowned as one of France's most appreciated, and in my opinion has one of the best hip-hop voices, in a while. If you're like me and know French fluently, Booba is a must listen to. If you're like a number of my friends and have no idea what the hell is going on, chances are you're still going to enjoy his stuff - a lot of my friends appreciate his work, it is a nice, refreshing step away from the whole North American scene.


This list will also include some work done under the Lunatic duo:


1. Les Vrais Savent (Lunatic)
2. Groupe Sanguin (Lunatic)
3. Numero 10
4. Le Duc de Boulonge
5. Ouais Ouais
6. Au Bout Des Reves
7. Garde La Peche
8. Mon Son
9. Illegal
10. Garcimore
11. Tallac
12. Gun In Hand Feat. Akon


Do yourself a favor and check his stuff out. He is France's best kept secret and a hidden gem to those that don't know of him.
PS. Don't mind the words that should be accented.