Bloggerhouse Hip Hop

!!!!!!!!!!!!!SHAMELESS PLUG!!!!!!!!!!!

For the fellow SneakerHeads like myself out there, I just posted a listing of my kicks up for grabs at EBAY (CLICK to view)…any questions, feel free to gimme a shout!!

“Self Titled”-Intelligent Hoodlum (1990, A & M)

Purchase “Intelligent Hoodlum” via Amazon

Marley Marl is a mastermind, a brilliant wizard, a virtuoso by all means!  Let’s just say the man changed the face of Hip Hop Music emphatically. He introduced various heavyweights like the Big Daddy Kanes, the Craig Gs, the Master Aces, the MC Shans and the Kool G Raps and dropped a compilation album in 1988 on the renown Cold Chillin’-Label called “In Control Volume 1″ (with the ultimate anthem “The Symphony”) to officially present his X-Men-Click the “Juice Crew” to our defunct universe. And then there were two tracks, “The Rebel” and “Live Motivator”, starring a boyish sounding kid called Percy / Tragedy… Now I am indeed very familiar with all the stories that have been told about the man before he became Khadafi: How a 13 year old Percy Chapman had to sleep on Marley’s stoop before the legend gave him a shot and actually started recording with him; how my man had to do 20 months on Rikers Island right after his debut on “In Control Volume 1″, an experience pushing him to his adolescent limits and forcing him to realize how he had to change his ways and what he successfully managed to emphasize on his debut album. But I will tell you a little different story: Back in 1993 when the hype about Nas releasing an album reached uncalled heights and the title of that album “Illmatic” was circulating our airwaves, I told everybody Mr. Jones is a biter!

Yes Sir, your icon of now majestic realm, the Nasty Nas turned Escobar turned God’s Son, had taken the title of his debut-masterpiece off a rhyme Tragedy had delivered back in ‘88 from a song called “The Rebel”: “The rap automatical, the rhymatical / Forget ill, I get illmatical / Biceps pulsating in my lungs / Queensbridge Projects is where I’m from” (later on, Nas told the world that Tragedy’s been one of his idols). It wasn’t really the “illmatical” phrase that’s been buried in my mind for years. It was the graphic line “Biceps pulsating in my lungs” (take a minute to think about the line, it’s stupid folks) that had me going berserk and therefore, I knew right away where Nas had found his “inspiration”. See, both of the songs Tragedy dropped back on “In Control” were overshadowing every house-hold name featured on that album. “The Motivator” used unseen vocabulary and excelled in every branch. But that didn’t seem to help him cause any fanfare when his debut “Intelligent Hoodlum” was released in 1990. For once, his label A&M Records chose to call him Intelligent Hoodlum too and not Tragedy (don’t ask me why!). Then, my man didn’t come out on Cold Chillin’ like everybody else from the “Juice Crew” (and what every fan would have had expected) and the whole project was left nearly unnoticed by the die-hard addicts. Still, the album was everything of a treasure if you ask me.

Starting from the incredibly simple artwork (maybe I should drop a top ten list of best album-covers of all time!?), the mostly dark and gloomy production of Marley Marl that touched a realm of mysticism (and certainly something the man was not known for) and up to the impeccable lyrics delivered, this adventure felt unusual but very “right”. The first song (it was called Intelligent Hoodlum too and somebody from A&M should have felt a little weird) was magic (”I’m the Intelligent Hoodlum – reactor, I cause fear / Writing like Mark Twain, recite like Shakespeare”), “Back To Reality” ingenious, “Black and Proud” bold and “Microphone Check” playful! But the stand-out track had to be “Arrest the President” where he said: “Someone yelled out: Get the hell out / Evil fell out, but I’m no sell-out / Black’s the mineral, white subliminal / Arrest the President, he’s the criminal”. I could go on for days quoting lines form this album but I have to admit, I slept on this initially only to go back and listen to it again right after “In Control Volume 2″ came out in 1991. Still, this is a classic…-Rasul

“Black And Proud”

“Ruff, Rugged & Raw”-Double XX Posse aka Double X (1995, Atlantic)

Purchase “Ruff, Rugged & Raw” via Amazon

Ooooh, it’s about that time folks!! The days of “30 Albums To Get You Thru November” are almost numbered. Believe me, it’s getting hard to meet that quota as well for numerous reasons (not wanting to “double up” on uploads, and never actually taking the time to “sit down” and rank each release numerically). On with today’s last posts! In regards to Double X’s (formerly Double XX Posse) “Ruff, Rugged & Raw, I actually had a real difficult time trying to pick between their 1995 release and “Put Ya Boots On” which featured classic cuts like “Not Gonna Be Able To Do It” and tales of police brutality on “The Headcracker” (no pun intended, ha ha). Lo & behold, I have to go with the more cohesive and better production featured on “Ruff, Rugged & Raw.

With 95% of the production duties handled by Double X themselves (why am I thinking that T-Ray had a heavy involvement in the production as well?) , the album is loaded with East Coast flava‘ from beginning to end. Reliant on echoed horn loops, murky drums and rolling basslines “Ruff….” is one of the golden era’s most slept-on and overlooked gems to ever come outta’ New York. I can remember digging for this one for quite some time in PA, I don’t know if Big Beat distributed very few copies of the album or what, but I had a hard to getting my hands on a copy for the longest. The highlight of this album for me, comes at the expense of the Lord Finesse masterpiece “Money Talks”, which is in my opinion Finesse’s greatest piece of work on the boards…EVER!! You’ll see “Money Talks” pop up on my “Top 25 Beats Of All Time”. On the mic, Sugar Ray is easily distinguishable and carries most of the workload on this one, with BK providing back up from time to time. Sugar Ray was always a dope emcee in my eyes, his lyrics where never “top notch” but his delivery and presence more than compromised his lyrical downside. If you love that “ol New York rap” here’s anotha‘ gem for you…..but why in the hell did I always think that Double X hailed from Jersey. There’s very little info floating around the net’ in regards to Double X Posse, so if I’m incorrect someone give me a shout.

“Money Talks”

“2000″-Grand Puba (1995, Elektra)

Purchase “2000″ via Amazon

Yet another difficult selection for me…believe it or not, I placed Grand Puba’s 1995 release “2000″ ahead of his solo debut “Reel To Reel” on my “Top 100″. The reasoning behind this is fairly simple, the growth that Puba displayed between “Reel To Reel” and “2000” was quite evident. I mean, we all loved “Reel To Reel” but face it….the production was far from polished, but the dusty samples and sparse drum kicks were all part of the attraction. With “2000″ is was clear that Puba packed a few rounds in his holster attempting to crack the urban charts. The most radio friendly track on “Reel To Reel” was more than likely “360 (What Goes Around)”..on “2000″ there are several recognizable instances. For example, let’s take the summer anthem “I Like It” armed with a nice, lighthearted, uptempo beat courtesy of Mark Sparks and a breezy, soulful chorus this track should have actually received more play and received more attention than it actually did. Another notable track would have to be the opener “Very Special” which is yet another Mark Sparks head-nodder..why didn’t this one hit the urban radio charts?…I don’t know.

Overall, the album is much better as a whole than Puba’s previous release. Remember when Treach of Naughty By Nature stated that Puba was “one of the fiercest emcees” on Naughty’s self titled debut? Well, that fierceness is toned down a bit on “2000″ for the listener who’s first exposure to Puba is this sophomore effort. I can remember this album dropped around the time Ace’s “Sittin‘ On Chrome” hit and that was almost anything you heard bumpin‘ out of Jeep Wranglers and Pathfinders during those warm summer months of 1995. The highlight of “2000″ for me is the Minnesota blessed “Amazing”, utilizing the same sample O.C.’s jerked for “Far From Yours” and most recently underground up & comer Danny! supplied it for “Fly” on his third album “Charm”, this track will damn near have you in a neckbrace till’ it’s all said and done. I know it’s gotta’ be difficult for the die hard Puba, Brand Nubian fan to admit “2000″ was a far better album than “Reel To Reel” but face it…..the lyrics were still there and the beats where leaps and bounds ahead of those heard on “Reel…”. Just let it go man!!!!….-Eric

“A Little Of This”

“Soul In The Hole” O.S.T.-Various Artists (1997, Loud)

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Released in 1997, on the label that was responsible for comprising 3/4 of the disc’s roster (Loud Records), “Soul In The Hole” proved to be one of the most impressive compilations ever dropped in Hip Hop. Although, I’ve watched the documentary which entails inner city basketball and the struggles to make it out of the hood and into something good….I don’t think that any song included on the soundtrack actually appeared in the movie for whatever reason. At my old age, my memory tends to fail me at times..if I’m wrong on this this one give a shout. Nevertheless, this is a very solid soundtrack which plays more as a showcase for Loud’s “stacked” roster than as a musical backing for the movie. Without a doubt, I can honestly say that every track on “Soul In The Hole” is solid….no track less being at least a 3 out of a 5.

The album starts off with the uplifting “The Game Of Life (Score)” brought to you by none other than the revolutionary…but gangsta Dead Prez. Kind of a corny story that goes along with “The Game Of Life” (now, keep in mind this was 1997!), I was carrying three jobs at the time (U.P.S., Junior High Basketball coach & part-time DJ) and three nights a week (usually Friday & Saturday nite) I spun the wheels of steel at a local hole in the wall that after it was all said and done turned out to be a pretty good gig. This soundtrack dropped around the Puffy-era where there really wasn’t much quality in Hip Hop, I can remember trying to break “The Game Of Life” almost weekly, simply because I liked it so much. I remember that I always blended it in with get this….Mariah Carey’s “The Roof” (the remix with Mobb Deep, she basically ganked the “Shook Ones Pt.II” instrumental for “The Roof”) and cats never caught on, but I’ll be damned if “The Roof” didn’t get people outta’ there seats!! (makes no sense to me either)….Damn, I loved that record though. Still, plenty of goodness on “Soul In The Hole” for everyone. From the Primo signature sound of Sauce Money’s (an emcee that fell short of his peers expectations) “Against The Grain” to the subtle but poignant No I.D. production found on Common’s “High Expectations”. “High Expectations” remains…in my opinion, one of the best songs Common ever recorded, too bad Common doesn’t put No I.D. back on speed dial for another album….Shit, I even still doubt that would help his lackadaisical performance on “Finding Forever”. From M.O.P. to Xzibit to Big Pun to Smif N Wessun (Cocoa Brovaz) you can find a little something for everybody on “Soul In The Hole”…one of the best soundtracks to ever drop.

“Soul In The Hole”-Wu All-Stars

“Jazzmatazz Vol. I”-Guru of GangStarr (1993, Chrysalis)

Purchase “Jazzmatazz Vol. I” via Amazon

Being one of the first emcees to combine both elements of Hip Hop & Jazz, Guru’s “Jazzmatazz Vol.I” remains one of my favorites when paired against the likes of releases from Buckshot LeFonque, Justice System and Ghetto Phillharmonic to name a few. With an extremely impressive lineup (Roy Ayers, Brandford Marsalis, N’Dea Davenport(Brand New Heavies),etc.)”Jazzmatazz Vol.I” was released in the summer of 1993 influencing numerous acts to try to emulate Guru’s winning formula….”Buhloone Mind State” or “Blowout Comb” anyone?? Of course, Guru has always been heavily Jazz influenced to begin with…for Christ sakes he had Primo on the boards!…plus he was just coming off the heels of “Daily Operation” which was one of the most blunted, dustiest, jazziest Hip Hop albums ever released as far as I’m concerned. I believe that “Trust Me” which also featured the soothing vocal stylings of the Brand New Heavies’ N’Dea Davenport (surprisingly, she co-produced “Trust Me” as well). Man, I remember hearing that (Trust Me) on the box while workin‘ a hot-ass Saturday afternoon at Sunoco on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the summer of my Junior year in High School, I almost fell outta’ my chair!

Overall “Jazzmatazz Vol. I” seemed to keep me in tune a whole lot more than it’s follow up “Vol.2″ (that album could’ve stood to lose just a few tracks), clocking in 12 tracks deep there is not much wastage, but the album (”Vol.I”) is long on quality cuts. I also loved “Transit Ride” which is capped off by a wonderful sax solo by Brandford Marsalis and “Sights In The City”…which for some odd reason has been getting quite a few plays from me as of late. Don’t get it twisted, Guru has never been the dopest on the mic but by his on admission “It’s Mostly Tha‘ Voice” and until some of his more recent solo efforts he had always been one of my favs. Listening to “Jazmatazz Vol.I” yesterday made me wish that Hip Hop would go back to the days off jazz rap when the Digable Planets, GangStarr, and “Buhloone Mind State” where holding down the East Coast instead of seeing the Ying Yang Twins, Dipset & Mims plastered all over the tube’ and polluting every “urban” radio station. Guru’s “Jazzmatazz Vol.I” is far from classic, but it will succeed in providing you & your’s with a dope soundtrack to a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon….especially in the summertime.

“Trust Me”

“Gravity”-Da Bush Babees (1996, Warner Brothers)

Purchase “Gravity” via Amazon

Whether “Gravity” was the only thing that “put the letters together” in their rhymes or the force that constructed their beats, it was clear after one good listen to their sophomore album that “Da” Bush Babees made it a goal to deliver a solid record. “Gravity” extended itself to a mood that appealed to a mass audience of listeners, it seemed to be radio-friendly yet hard. Equipped with mostly introspective lyrics and addictive, inviting beats the album aimed to rescue people that may have been caught in rap’s monotony providing beautiful, harmonizing, ragga flows of compassion with references to the Nubian nation. More or less, they found a great way to reach out to everyone. For instance, on the song “Gravity” you found the Flatbush natives communicating a sort of agony, letting us know that there ain’t “no deceivin’/Illuminati got that ass thinkin’/Yo, should I even rap…? The posing of the question “should I even rap?” is usually no question, although today, as pointed out by the Babees “you can’t even smile in your video” the song may have been an unintentional forecast for the future of Hip Hop. Also, “God Complex” was a song that I rewound several times attempting to decipher the lyrics-in what? Arabic. I also found it interesting to hear the Bush Babees incorporating references to Elohim and the Holy Tabernacle Ministries. The album’s first single “The Love Song” (produced by De La’s Posdonous) had a simple plan: Give love, get love, and everybody “groove to the music”, a message of unity making it refreshing even during it’s “pop-esque” moments. With the exception of……maybe…..”Wax”, the rest of the songs don’t detract from the album’s wholeness and body. With a helping hand from Q-Tip and Ali on the dope “3 MC’s” and energetic interludes, there was little room for disappointment on “Gravitiy”. While, the album showed a maturity in the Bush Babees, far surpassing their debut “Ambushed” in terms of lyrical growth and production, the album was lacking that one true “knockout” punch that would allow it to crack into my “Top 100″. Still, a dope listen from an animated trio whose rap careers all ended way too abruptly….

“The Love Song” f. Mos Def

“School Of Hard Knocks”-Hard Knocks (1992, Wild Pitch)

Purchase “Hard Knocks” via Amazon

Another pick from Wild Pitch Records! All through the years, I’ve come across a chosen few of true music-lovers who knew about “School Of Hard Knocks” and surprisingly, we shared the same appreciation for this masterpiece. Those who haven’t heard about them were bound to hear my praise forever and ever. I’ve been passionate about every single aspect of this joint: The full twelve songs (touching street narratives with socially conscious rhymes), the lyrical artillery (my man was somewhere between Rakim and Kane, but he was way more “street”), the beats (perfect balance) and the appropriate artwork that showcased a certain honesty, humility and maybe even integrity. The only problem was that nobody besides me at that time seemed to really care about that album and I LOVED IT! I somehow created a romantic bond to this chef-d’oeuvre and now that I think about it, this should have made my list of all-time classics.

In a more than confused time (1991 ’till 1992 when the album dropped) where everybody was openly dooming the usage of the “N-Word” (who am I to judge anyway?), Hard Knock’s first single “Nigga For Hire” seemed bold and challenging, criticizing the social system designed in the United States to keep minorities in check. The song “Thoughts Of A Negro” gave a more detailed explanation of my man’s state of mind as it opens with the soundbite: “problem with ‘negro’ was not the word itself/ It was that a stereotype had been attached to that word ‘negro’ and that people were forced to live in accords to that stereotype”. My favorite cut on the album “Ghetto Love” was a benign gesture of affection for your friends. Now I know how we’ve been force-fed with mediocre attempts to romanticize the rapper’s willingness to “always ride” for his homies, but I have never heard a “real” love-song to underline that besides “Ghetto Love”. I will not quote anything from this song (you really have to listen to the whole song) or I will kindly ask everyone to hit up ohhla.com and read the lyrics to this joint to understand what I’m trying to say. Regardless, this is my ish people because it was and still is a perfect album…-Rasul

“Opposite Side”

“Greatest Hits”-The Wascals (Delicious Vinyl) PW: www.rhhb.blogspot.com (Thank You)

Purchase “Greatest Hits” via Amazon

The Wascals chose the wrong name. The funky four-Buc Whead,, A.L.Phie, St. Imey and Spit-anky-plus one, producer J Swift could have just as easily beat the Lost Boyz to the punch, sharing a moniker that seems more applicable to the shelved release of The Wascals “Greatest Hits” LP. In a career that was held back more than once, these L.A. youngsters, at one time, appeared to be destined for greatness. Buckwhead shined twice on The Pharcyde’s “Bizzare Ride 2 The Pharcyde” debut, kickin’ memorable verses on “On The DL”, and after their “delay of game”, the fellas even dropped their own single, “Dips”, a few years thereafter. But then, unfortunately, The Wascals also dropped…..off the face of Hip Hop. However, this year, like loose change in the cushions of your couch came the aptly titled “The Wascals Greatest Hits”. Rather than an introspection about coming up in the rap game, this tardy album is simply the joint that should have come out years ago but didn’t. This all seems painfully ironic when considering that The Pharcyde’s other buddy, TV actor Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210) released his own full-length in 1996. The majority of the material found on “..Greatest Hits” sounds outdated judging by references to “Liquid TV” and “Jeffry Dahmer”. Notables such as “Big Booty Rap” sampled Fat Lip’s “I dig dips who got hips that are gigantic” line from “Soul Power” and deals with the subject of nice round derrieres. “Doggy Style” utilizes the Isley’s “Between The Sheets” and features J Swift on the mic and also deals with the aforementioned subject of…..what else…..phat assess. Musically and content-wise there’s not much variety either. Risky winning moves such as Swift’s integration of big band sounds on “Hard Rhymes” are few and far between. And minus the intro, a remix and a reprise, the album really isn’t that long. Ultimately, “…Greatest Hits” plays like an album that may have had a chance to shine had it been released on it’s actual “release” date. Still, a great collector’s item to possess for the avid underground Hip Hop listener.

“The Dips”

“Fadanuf Fa Erybody”-Odd Squad (1994, Rap-A-Lot)

Purchase “Fadanuf…” via Amazon

From Ego Trip’s “Book Of Rap Lists”: “The only hip hop group to showcase a blind emcee (Rob Quest), Houston’s Odd Squad also featured foul-mouthed emcee/crooner, Devin. Scarface has called “Fadanuf…” the best album ever released on Rap-A-L0. A-ight, then.”

From Eric: Scarface said the best album ever released on Rap-A-Lot….Damn!! You don’t know how relieved I am to finally put in my two cents regarding an album that I actually like today. I initially posted this album when I first started up W.T.R., but you lucky suckas‘ get the remastered version which I picked up last week! I can remember purchasing this album along with Kurious‘ “A Constipated Monkey” (which also, oddly enough is being re-released) during the winter of my Senior Year in High School and let me tell ya’ it was hard to put those two albums down for about a month. Rap-A-Lot’s reign in Hip Hop was similar to the firm hold that Death Row had on the industry (minus all the violence) shortly thereafter. To hear an album like “Fadanuf…” coming from the South’s most notorious record label actually caught me a bit off guard at first. On the Odd Squad’s debut, it’s puzzling to hear East Coast, sample laden rhythms, basslines and “shout outs” to DJ Premier and Showbiz on “Jazz Rendition”. It’s also a “welcome” surprise to hear the echoing horns that back the album’s highlight “Can’t See It”, which finds blind emcee Rob Quest
offering his take on what it’s like bein‘ “the blind emcee”. Plus, you can’t go wrong with Devin…..plain and simple, you just can’t! With sing songy hooks such as “smokin‘ that weed, feelin‘ fine, got me a forty and a phat ass dime” this album is just one big party. Quite frankly, the album’s title couldn’t be more appropriate….for the Odd Squad’s debut is truly “Fadanuf Fa Erybody” (and you cats or lucky enough to get the re-mastered version..must be nice!)

“Can’t See It”

“Ism & Blues”-Hard 2 Obtain (1994, Atlantic)

Purchase “Ism & Blues” via Amazon

By now, I’m sure that the majority of you devout Hip-Hop fanatics have either heard the first single released from “Ism and Blues”, “L.I. Groove” or can at least remember the video from back in the nine-quad. I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t extremely impressed with the debut track from the album, especially when you considered that the trio of Taste, DL and Six Seven all hailed from Strong Island, which at the time was home to the likes of De La Soul, Leaders Of The New School and Public Enemy,to name a few. So any crew that emerged from Long Island had to be on some ol’ next iddish. Sadly, Hard 2 Obtain were well above average lyricists, but not exactly “ground-breakers” by any means.

However, at least they had good taste in production-the Stimulated Dummies or “SD50’s) were eminently on “some ol’ next sh*t” for sure! Unfortunately, the majority of the album’s cuts all sounded distinctly similar, due to the repetitive choruses, production and gravel-voiced flows. Yet, throughout the LP, there are a few tracks that are sure to reach out and pull you in, namely “Heels Without Souls” which was an eloquent diss aimed at the proverbial “bad seed”, the dude who always acted out of place until he was locked up or killed. Be sure to peep the Monk Higgin’s “Black Fox” loop on the track as well. The DJ Nastee produced banger, “Ghetto Diamond” was another sure-fire standout cut about all the dips who inhabited the “12 Block” (H20’s dwelling). Bouncing lyrics back and forth, the emcees even stole a page from the Minnie Ripperton classic, “Lovin You”. Plus, the strictly freestyle joint, “Babble On”, added a much needed sugary dessert to your ears. But, in the end, the album just contained a bit much “filler”.

It seemed historically unusual that talented lyricists, who sold their souls to a major label, would deliver an LP with mediocre tracks that outweighed the “good stuff”, even when representing the Strong Isle. I guess it’s like Rakim stated best, “It ain’t where you’re from/it’s where you’re at”.

“L.I. Groove”

Got this from my man Hus from Tha Connection. I’m not completely on the up & up about the story behind this project, but it seems to contain some of Tha Connection’s homies. I’m just now going through it and so far so good. Mellow music with crisp basslines and drums. Not every MC is a star, but still well worth the listen

Trapeze drops Nov 28th and Moon Water drops Dec 3rd, but yo check this out! http://sharebee.com/93820cd8

One of the first reviews I ever did on this site (and first submitted CDs I ever got) was from former Def Poetry Jam participate, Dahlak. Coming out of the Bay Area, Dahlak brings a little bit of everything to the table in the form of consciousness, partying, and love stories. A well rounded MC, Dahlak just released his newest mixtape, a Kanye West tribute in the form of “Commencement”. There are some interesting tracks on this project and well worth the listen for those who enjoy projects such as this. He puts his stamps on certain Kanye songs and also comes with totally original materail.

Download Here: (It’s easy) http://www.thisisdahlak.com/

First and foremost, happy “Black Friday” to all!! If you’re anything like me, you ate waaay too much yesterday and are somewhat “recovering” today. I swear, my wife, the girls and I haven’t even made it out of the living room today, I haven’t chilled this much in at least two years it seems. We were able to track down a “sitter” to watch the girls tonite, but hell….I don’t even now if I can make it the the shower to shave..HAHA! While nearly everyone has been out in the cold today waiting in long lines since 4am trying to cop the newest Jordan Quickstrikes or get their hands on the latest gaming console, I was FORTUNATELY hipped to a pretty sweet deal (from a “seller”, nevertheless) goin’ on until the end of December and was able to take care of my X-mas shopping in a few hours. As you’ll see below my Christmas gift to myself came very early and went very quickly.

I AM AN ADDICT…I love Jordans (these Fusions need to cease though), Air Max 95s, 97s and 90s. Aside from the trio of Jordans XXIIIs that dropped today (THANK YOU DEREK!!), would you believe that I copped the remainder of the kicks pictured for under a G?? Believe it, here’s how (no BS!!):

Before I let you in on a little secret, there’s a catch…you must purchase from EBay (this is applicable to most any product, I copped a Wii for the girls this morning as well), you must exercise the “Buy It Now” feature and you MUST have a valid PayPal account. Is this hassle worth 25% savings to you? Damn Skimpy!! I saved over 700.00 this morning alone. Of course, you NEED to be extra careful when shopping for retros…or any kicks on Ebay for that matter…there’s an overabundance of fakes out there. I always check the seller’s “background”, and if it looks to good to be true (for instance, if a pair of Air Max 95 Grey/Neon joints are listed for 67.00)…it usually is. Like I said, be extra careful, I’ve only been burned once and that was more than enough for me. So here goes, just follow the instructions very carefully and some of you XBOX LIVE gamers will be very familiar with “LIVE.COM” already as this is a necessity for online gaming. P.S. If anyone wants to step up to the plate for some “NBALIVE 09″ my gamertag is “FOYESDAMAN”…yeah right, my record is like……2 wins and 10 losses. Well, at least after you play me you’ll feel a little better about yourself.

So here’s your ticket for savings of at least 25%: CLICK HERE. Oh, and the total for all the kicks purchased today..again, minus the quickstrikes (which I had a MAJOR hook-up for) was 867.00. To quote Dres of Black Sheep “Ya’ can’t beat that with a bat”. Happy spending!! Don’t make fun of the Agassi joints either!!

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Hey people! Today we got a special interview with a lot of Goodies for y’all. K. Sparks is an MC from New York and one of the hardest working men I ever met. His work ethic is exemplary… he even sent this interview back in half a day.
“At the age of 15 he started performing in various talent venues and began to create a buzz for himself within the Queens area. After a while K. Sparks later began recording several original songs. To date he has released 4 mixtapes, 3 Underground albums, and 1 self titled promotional CD. K. Sparks’ second mixtape generated such a buzz over seas that he was nominated for the best new mixtape release of the year award in London.” He’s a good guy what made us want to shine some light on him on our blog!

WYDU: For those who dont know you, please introduce yourself!

K.Sparks: My name is K. Sparks aka The Future Problem. I am an emcee from Queens New York that makes an eclectic range of music from traditional Hip Hop to Jazz Hip Hop fusion. I am a ghost writer that has written several songs and verses for artist while selling thousands of mixtapes and winning several awards in the process. Lastly, aside from being an artist I am also the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Record Company Double Up Entertainment.

WYDU: Let’s start from the very beginning. When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?

K.Sparks: I first fell in love with Hip Hop during the time period of what I like to call the “Golden Era” of Hip Hip. That era was when artist actually
put more effort into the lyrics that they write. I remember when I first heard LL Cool J rhyming and I said “damn, this is what I want to do”. After that I kept up with any and everything that was Hip Hop. The artist after that I listened to were cats like Nas, The Bush Babies, Chino XL, Ras Kass and others. Those dudes were actually true “Spittaz”. I would rewind their music just to catch the metaphors and phrases. Not to mention the wordplay was sick with those cats, it made me want to be an even better emcee. As the years progressed my passion and appreciation for the art form grew even stronger. Due to the fact that I have a lot of passion for the art form it pisses me off to hear a lot of the garbage that “artist” are putting out. The way I feel is that if an individual does not have passion for this they should step the fuck off. I’m tired of hearing garbage ass songs on the radio just because they have million dollar budgets behind them. I want to start hearing more talented cats that may not have the huge marketing dollars behind them but instead they have the talent.

WYDU: You are a really hard working man, you released many projects within
the last three months. Please tell us something about them.

K.Sparks: I stay on my grind constantly because in this industry you have to constantly stay competitive and consistent. That’s why within a period of three months I have released a total of 6 mixtapes. The first project was “When The Smoke Clears Mixed By DJ Killa P and Mixtape Assassin”. That project really wasn’t a mixtape because it consisted of a lot of dope original music that we wanted to get the people familiar with. The second project was a joint album project with Pajozo from Sweden entitled Definition. I took a lot of pride in making that project because it gave me the opportunity to make a solid album over those traditional true sounding Hip Hop beats. Pajozo has a real soulful Pete Rock sound that really brought the best out of me musically. We put that project straight to the internet for free download and it has gained an over whelming amount of praise. Right now we are working on our follow up album. The third project was a mixtape called “International Affairs” blended by DJ Ophax. I did that mixtape with Dipset artist Prince, and it was cool because half of the mixtape was in French while the other was in English. The fourth project was entitled “Call The Boss” Blended By DJ Pimp. The fifth mixtape was “The Camera Never Lies” blended by DJ Lee Majors. And the sixth was a mixtape entitled “Queens to Germany” Blended by DJ Easy. I have a lot more mixtapes coming out very soon as well. My work ethic is non stop because I have to work twice as hard as the artist that has a big name producer, big name DJ, or big name label behind him. My pops always told me that “persistence wears down resistence”. In order to achieve what you want you have to stay persistent until you achieve what you want.

WYDU: What do you have on the table for 2009? What are your goals?

K.Sparks: In terms of 2009 there are a lot of things on the table. I will be releasing Four album projects. The first is a project entitled “The Blue Tape”. It is a Hip Hop Jazz Fusion EP that will be entirely produced By Moe Productions. The entire feel of the EP will be very laid back and chill with a Hip Hop Jazz twist. The project will be released on the Independent level through my label Double Up Entertainment. The second project will be myself and Pajozo’s follow up album to Definition. We have not yet solidified a set release date for the project because we are still in the creative mode in terms of concepts and production, but I promise everyone it will be a classic. The third project will be an album project I am working on with a talented producer named T-Mos. We have yet to name the proect yet but it will be a classic. Once it is done that will also be an Independent release. The fourth album project will be entitled “Q.U.E.E.N.S” and the album will be produced By Skrazey. Skrazey is a dope producer that has worked with several talented artist. However, before 2008 ends I will release another album before New Years entitled “The Red Tape” with France Producer Kurser. Kurser will do all of the production and the project in one word is no less than crazy. It’s actually 96 percent complete at this time. All we need to do is wrap up two more songs and it will be ready.
In terms of goals for myself, I have achieved what I wanted for 2008. At the top of 2008 it was a new year and new opportunity for me because previously in 2007 I was under terrible management. I left behind that management in 2008 and took on a new grind. My goal was to brand K. Sparks within the music industry. I feel that I have done what I set out to do because all someone has to do is simply Google K. Sparks and my music is everywhere. For 2009 my ultimate goal has shifted towards branding K. Sparks even deeper within the music industry and to secure major distribution. I have a talented roster of artist that the world needs to hear so that is the next logical business move.

WYDU: You shot a video for your joint called “Trill”. It looks really
professional and is very nice, can you tell us
something about that?

K.Sparks: Trill is a song that tells a story about an individual that get’s caught up in the drug game. The individual previously went to college and attempted to earn a living the honest way but later realized that he could not earn much with a BA from college. As a result of this he decided to start selling drugs as a way of earning a fast source of income. We had fun shooting the video because it came out exactly the way I invisioned it would. It was important to me that the video came out the way it did because at the end of the day I always expect a high standard for anything I do. The brand K. Sparks must always exceed people’s expectations. Most Indie artist feel that because they are on the independent level that sub standard performance videos, mixtapes and etc are acceptable due to a lack of budget. Therefore they start putting out bootleg videos. The bottom line is if you can’t do something right don’t do it all. I teamed up with some cats that shared my vision and direction for quality so the video came out dope.

WYDU: How did you come up with the idea for the Manic Mondays?

K.Sparks: I got the idea for Manic Mondays from my Crooked I. Everyone is aware that Crooked I started The Hip Hop Weekly. After that Mickey Factz did The Leak. I spoke it over with my team and we decided as a collective that this is something that I should do. We decided that every Monday for an entire year I would release a dope original record. I have so many talented producers around me that it is an easy task to do weekly. I’m competitive naturally so every week I push myself to out do what I did the week before. Now we are up to week 13 and the response has been amazing. The Hip Hop web sites and blog sites have been very receptive to my movement. I appreciate all of the support that they continue to show. For Manic Mondays I have a lot of dope collabs and classic records on the way. However, the only down side to starting a series is that you start to notice the dick riders following suit. I see a lot of artist nowadays with series and this shit is like auto tune cuz everybody has one nowadays. If an artist has solid quality music then it’s cool, but if you are just another artist jumpin on the weekly band wagon just because you feel it is a fad you should step the fuck off. I hear alotta series music comin out that is subpar. But at the end of the day to each his own. As long as they aren’t on Double Up Entertainment who cares right?

WYDU: How important are connections for you? Connections are very important.

K.Sparks: I have a lot of solid relationships with real individuals in the music industry. I think it is imperative to surround yourself with true individuals that have your best interest at heart. The music industry is like the NBA, you can be the most talented player in the world but if no talent scouts from the NBA ever see you play it’s a wrap. Same shit with the music, it’s not enough to be a dope emcee because you need the right connections to open certain doors. My connections are very solid and I have great relationships with everyone. A lot of my connections came from writing for artist as well.

WYDU: What do you know about the Hip Hop scene overseas?

K.Sparks: To be honest I have heard only positive things about Hip Hop over seas. I’m always told that overseas there is a different appreciation for the music. In the U.S. The mainstream no longer has a genuine appreciation for Hip Hop. It is watered down and commercialized.

WYDU: In the end… Any last words?

K.Sparks: Thank you for building with me, shout out to Wake Your Daughter Up, DJ SoulClap, all of my fans, and the entire Double Up Entertainment family.

WYDU: Thank you, it was a pleasure. Good luck in the future!

For additional Info you can check his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/ksparksmusic

Check out these free downloads!

SOUHILLA ARMY / DOUBLE UP ENT Presents DJ OPHAX, K. SPARKS & PRINCE
“International Affairs”

Download Here

The album: K. SPARKS AND PAJOZO “DEFINITION”

Download here

K. SPARKS DJ KILLA P AND MIXTAPE ASSASSIN “WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS” MIXTAPE

Download Here

K. SPARKS AND DJ EASY MIXTAPE “QUEENS TO GERMANY”

Download here

I guarantee y’all that this is excellent music, you should download all of these mixtapes!

Much Love as always!

Clap

“Miss U (For The Lost Loved Ones)”

“The Waiting Room” (Main Theme)

“Tick Tock Hustle”

Purchase “The Golden Hour” via Asideworldwide.com

Purchase “The Golden Hour” via Itunes

Let’s not beat around the bush, everyone knows I’m a beat fanatic. Make no bones about it though, for an “instrumental” album to even be considered as my “Album Of The Year” is a tough feat to accomplish. However, if there’s any production team (and label, ASIDEWORLDWIDE) that’s been absolutely murdering the underground this year it’s gotta’ be Ann Arbor’s LabTechs. Comprised of Haircut, Vaughan T, Forekast and last but certainly not least….14KT, this production team has quite possibly had a hand in..well….three of the best albums to grace the underground this year: Buff 1′s “There’s Only One”, Now On’s “Tomorrow Already” and KT’s instrumental opus “The Golden Hour”. Think I’m kiddin’? I dare you to bump the three aforementioned albums in succession and tell me you’re not absolutely blown away by the extra crisp production that fuels each respective release! I’m big on clarity, the simple things please me like being able to bump an album in the ride and it plays just as it did in the club. The bass knocks are crisp and each album, sonically, is heads and tails above everything that I’ve heard over the last few years…aside of Ill Poetic’s “The World Is Ours” and possibly Blue Scholars “Bayani”.

It is really a difficult task to differentiate a clear cut favorite amongst the three, but if you twisted my arm (not too much though) I’m gonna’ have to go with 14KT’s “The Golden Hour”. “Blown Away” is an understatement, when describing the feeling I get with each passing listen to KT’s phenomenal solo effort. What’s funny is that fellow LabTechs member Vaughan T is listed as one of my friends on MySpace, underneath Vaughan T’s “tag” it reads: “Now On & KT got classics”…a very accurate statement, I’d have to agree. First Buff punched us in the guts with “There’s Only One”, secondly it was Now On delivering an uppercut with “Tomorrow Already” and finally KT has delivered the final knock-out blow. And after diving deep into “…Only One” and “Tomorrow..”, I’d have to say that my anticipation meter for the release of KT’s album was at an all-time high. Matter of fact, amongst all the releases the goodness that has dropped over the last few months, I was looking forward to getting my hands “The Golden Hour” more so than any other album that has leaked this year.

Funny Story: When I was contacting the 30 or so respective artists for their “OK” to appear on the forthcoming “Preservation” mixtape, no one was more cordial or helpful then 14KT. I actually contacted KT stating that the biggest problem that I’d run into was deciding whether to include “The Inside” or “Miss U” (For Lost Loved Ones) on the compilation. Much to my pleasure, KT hit me back with “That’s easy…use em’ both!”. And while previewing the track listing for the mixtape, DJ Ragz (Jazz Addixx) was also “wowed” by KT’s production. After hearing both “Miss U” (For Lost Loved Ones) and “The Inside”, Ragz was emphatic: “Who is this KT cat, and WHY have I never heard of him….dude’s beats are AMAZING!!”. After serving as the “Soundtrack” to my anniversary vacation in Negril with my Wife, “The Golden Hour” is already “CLASSIC” status to me, with the Buff 1 and Now On albums both quickly approaching that same plateau…not trailing too far behind. From start to finish, the album plays as KT put it: “the soundtrack to his life”, and it’s easy to see why it has also served the same purpose in my life as well.

What I love most about “The Golden Hour” is that KT made “songs”, he didn’t just take the easy way out and compile a bunch of throwaway tracks that the Athletic Mic League may have shyed away from earlier, just for the sake of putting a solo album out. From the get-go, KT takes you on an emotional roller-coaster starting with the spacey, futuristic “The Waiting Room” (The Main Theme), which also happens to be my current “flavor of the week” from the album. Near the tracks ending the question is posed by a certain female: “In time..will I..survive or die?”, I don’t know but if this question is in reference to KT’s tenure as a thriving producer in Hip Hop the answer is simple…a resounding YES!! What’s crazy is that I’ve had this album since the day prior to it’s release (thanks KT!) but I haven’t really had ample to truly sit down and give this album it’s due propers, so when Beads of Kevin Nottingham.com beat me to his punch with his analysis of “The Golden Hour” I wanted to kick myself in the ass! Especially when Beads stated that “The Waiting Room”, “sounds like it was made specifically for Andre 3000″….damn! I share those same sentiments each time I listen to the track, and you can actually hear the Organized Noize influence in many of KT’s productions. Yet, don’t get it twisted KT’s beats truly have their own unique identity.

Of course, there’s also “Tick Tock Hustle” with it’s escalating bassline and sharp string plucks which supply the track with a bouncy, somewhat light-hearted, care free feel, but still remains hard and funky enough to make the hardest of the hardrock’s neck snap.  Shortly thereafter KT dims the lights with “Trust Issues”, which clocking in at over 5 minutes is also the lengthiest track that appears on “The Golden Hour”.  An emotional and heartfelt cut, “Trust Issues” truly showcases KT’s talent as a producer, proving that not everything he blesses has to be sonically infused and bass-laden to get the point across.  The highlight of “The Golden Hour” is delivered in the form of the previously mentioned “Miss U”, this track is….for lack of better wording, CRAZY!  Emotional and funky (yeah, you don’t see those two words together quite often, ehh?), “Miss U” has garnered more spins on my Ipod over the last two months than any other track has the whole YEAR!  Finally, “Illustrious”, which could have just as easily been titled “Planet Rock 2K9″ due to it’s high BPMs and pulsing bass, serves as a pleasant departure from an extremely smooth flight.  I mean, really I could sit here all day and rave about the greatness that is “The Golden Hour” but the turkey and sweet potato pie is callin’ me….Damn Tara!!(being it is Thanksgiving and all)

So in closing, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!  In these turbulent times there still is soo much to be thankful for in this life.  I mean, I’ve got my health, a beautiful wife, two amazing little girls…oh, and thank you 14KT or the genius that is “The Golden Hour”, Dilla would be proud!!

14 KT’s MySpace

I haven’t done one of my Fav Trackslists lately, in fact for over a month or two at least. I wanted to do this like one of my “old school” aka “so last year” type of thing with some free shit that I’ve been bombarded with lately, the spins, the tracks and the return of “Why?”, but as with a lot of things concerning the blog lately, I just ran out of time, so the rest of it will pop up at a later time (Thanksgiving maybe?).

None the less, grab whatever and leave some comments, I’m starting to wonder I’m just typing to myself, although the hits contiue to go up….talk people! This blog works a lot better with some discussion and that was something I never felt we had problems with until recently.

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DJ Concept – Jimi Hendrix: A Tribute To ExperienceWith the passing of Mitch Mitchell, we officially say goodbye to The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The legacy of the band will live on through their music and I felt the need to mix up, just a small portion, of their catalog. Thanks to J-Zone & Jake from Rhymesayers. Turn the volume loud for this one…

DOWNLOAD HERE: http://www.execute1200.com/hendrix

An Introduction
Star Spangled Banner
Stone Free
Gypsy Eyes
Nit N Run // prod by: J-Zone
Purple Haze
Castles Made Of Sand
Spanish Castle Music
A House Burning Down
Interlude One
Foxy Lady
Midnight Dirt f. Jay-Z
Midnight
Pimp Palace Magic // prod by: J-Zone
Lover Man (Live)
Today’s Encore f. Jay-Z
I Don’t Live Today
Interlude Two
All Along The Watchtower
Izabella
The Wind Crys Mary
Crazy Mary prod // by: J-Zone
Bold As Love
Fire (Live)

http://www.divshare.com/download/5906891-722

Please visit Weightless Records for physical copies and instrumentals…

“Sometimes an emcee comes that changes the way that one listens to hip-hop. An emcee that manhandles the English vocabulary to a point where one can almost forget all that’s been heard and said before. We have had a few Poets in our generation, Nas, Rakim, who have clearly shaken up the hip-hop community with their visually enticing lyrics and polished intonation. Those such as Nas and Rakim have been heard before, but the name Illogic may not quite ring a bell to the average hip-hop head…as of yet.” – hiphopsite.com

Born and raised in Columbus Ohio, Illogic honed his mic skills at an early age in hallway ciphers during high school. Nearly a decade and six studio albums later, through constant nationwide touring, Illogic has shared stages with Rakim, Casual, Atmosphere, Eyedea, Brother Ali, The Roots, Common, and many many more. Most in the underground circle might remember Illogic for his classic debut, “Unforseen Shadows”, the first release of now legendary Weightless Records. Following that was the nationally acclaimed “Got Lyrics” and cult-classic “Celestial Clockwork”, all sonically molded by the deft hands of Blueprint (of Soul Position and Rhymesayers noteriety).

Between constant touring and raising a family, Illogic has been preparing his return to Weightless Records, as well as his return to the spotlight after a nearly three year hiatus. In Spring of 2009, Illogic will release “Diabolical Fun”, a lyrics and melody driven record that balances the poetic nature of a classic Illogic verse with the soulful and “out-there” melodies of album producer Ill Poetic (The World is Ours, Budden/Portishead & NIN/Outkast mash-ups).
In anticipation of this release, Illogic has cooked up the upcoming EP, “One Bar Left” as an appetizer, so-to-speak. The EP will be available for free download on Tuesday, November 25th, and will also be available for digital purchase, with the inclusion of all EP instrumentals.

The Illogic One Bar Left EP is here! After a 4-year hiatus, Illogic has returned with this FREE EP titled One Bar Left, produced entirely by up and coming producer and Ohio native Ill Poetic. Get it now! Illogic’s full-length album Diabolical Fun will be released on Weightless Recordings on March 24th. Support the movement!
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Keelay & Zaire – The Times (Video & Mp3)

New video from my dudes Keelay & Zaire, featuring vocals from Blu, Fortlive and Nino Moschella – premiering live on MTVU all day today. You can grab the video and embed code below. There are also links to the mp3 below, along with the b side to the single, “Addicts For Real,” featuring yours truly. Let me know if you can post the video!

Keelay & Zaire feat. Blu, Fortilive & Nino Moschella – “The Times” (mp3):

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Free Download: Tha Connection “Trapeze” album sampler

The most raw and soulful duo never heard! Hailing from Hempstead, NY, Tha Connection (Hus and SmooVth) come with their debut via Domination Recordings entitled “Trapeze” for a digital release this November. Filled with undiscovered gems to keep the underground boom bap and love soul alive. First appearing on 12bits Rawkus 50 release “Stranded On Planet Rock“, Tha Connection represented 11 out the 23 tracks on the Rawkus album. With a recent vinyl appearance via Germany’s Melting Pot Music that was released in August 2008, on Fella Vaughns produced “Love Song” and another release via Swedens Peakaboo Music entitled “SmooVth and Drums EP”, these young men with old souls are on the uprise. “Trapeze” is kept in the true underground classic form, dope Beats and dope rhymes all the way through!

Free Download: Tha Connection “Trapeze” album sampler MP3

Buy it Here: http://www.emusic.com/album/Tha-Connection-Trapeze-MP3-Download/11336713.html

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Big Pooh Video Blog

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RHYMEZWELL PRESENTS

My man Rhymezwell is going to be ticked at me. He sent me this about a month ago, which I ended up losing on the blackhole that is my computer. Then he sent another link last week for it. It didn’t work (Z-share is a piece of crap lately) so then he sent me another. I’ve been so backed up with material that I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I did let a friend listen to it and he said it was cool, so I’ll take his opinion on it and I have time with it coming up either tonight or tomorrow. I imagine you’ll see this cat again in the near future. – Trav

Its Been Two Years in the making!!! Bostons own RhymeZweLL is Finally set to Release his much anticipated Mix-Album Just The Words Vol. 1
Blended and Mixed by Nashville’s Number 1 DJ, DJ Wick-it
Download Free Here:
CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD!!!!!

–
www.RhymeZweLL.com
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Top 10 Spins

13. Q-Tip – Gettin’ Up

I know a lot of hip hop heads have been hating on the new Q-Tip and I can’t defend it a whole lot. I do however really dig “Gettin’ Up”. It’s one of those songs that I think has a very infectious sound to it. The beat and lyrics are both chilled, but very memorable, almost on that “anthem” level.

12. Count Bass D – Can We Hang Out Tonight?

After listening to the first two tracks of our “Top 13″, you can see the vibe I’ve been on this past month or so. The Count drops an amazing track that is in traditional Count Bass D flavor. I know some cats won’t get it, but that’s okay. Just move on to the next track and let the rest of us enjoy Count’s mellow guitar licks and horn stabs as he successfully pulls off what Phonte was trying to accomplish on the last Foreign Exchange album.

11. DJ Design w/ Oh No & Roc C – Play

Oh No and Roc C on the same track? Dizamn! This beat is kind of weird, in the fact that it’s heavy on synths, but the hook and the ill bass line all make it work real well together. Of course all Oh No & Roc C do their jobs well and add that Stones Throw that y’all seem to like so much.

10. Now On – The A

I’ve always been a sucka for strings and subtle vocal samples and “The A” from D-town’s Now On packs those just right for a mellow track for the MCs to get loose over. I wasn’t as crazy about this album as Eric from WTR was, but it’s still good and this is bar far my favorite track from it.

9. Castor Pollux – 1979

I don’t know much about this cat, but Castor Pollux dropped an album “In Name of the Father” with Ariano and then dropped a collection of loose ends, entitled “Guts & Garbage: A Collection of Shit”, both of which are really good. This track, “1979″, is a busy track (one of the few on the list) which gets embedded in your subconscious. Castor reminds me another MC, but I’m having a trouble placing it. He’s a strong MC that attacks the track. The beat itself is a thing of beauty, with strong littering the soundscape and an uptempo feel comes rushing at the listener. A great track which is among my favorite of the year.

8. U-N-I – Yesterday

I’m probably guilty of lumping together a bunch of the new wave of LA acts. I don’t always pay attention to the Pac Div stuff or this group, U-N-I. A couple weeks ago, I was listening to a mixtape or a radio show and this track came on. I had to do a little searching to see who it was from, so when I found it was from U-N-I, I was pleasantly surprised. Musically, this track is a whirling of strings with a harp like sample that gives it an almost angelic texture. Lyrically, U-N-I who consists of Thurzday & Y-O, are quite efficient on the mic as well, taking the song to the heights it needs to be. I’ll be looking forward to their future material and dig out the Fried Chicken & Watermelon lp that I’ve been ignoring on my computer.

7. Zilla Rocca – Flow God Zilla

Give me a track with a well placed rock sample in it, and you have me. Zilla comes off as the lost fourth member of the 1986 Beastie Boys with this deliciously hard edged track with a electric guitar twinge ruling the beat. That’s me BITCHES!!! There is so much attitude brought to the mic by Zilla, you’d swear he is going to jump out of the track and slap, only to pull his hand away at the last second and run his hand through his slicked back hair. This needs to be some UFC fighters entry music like right now!

6. The Gent$ – Cold

Armed with a hollow sounding drum sample, th
is Gent$ track offers the unorthodox sound that I tend to gravitate from time to time when done right. It’s a simple track, with the bucket drum acting as the tracks backbone then with some synth sounds and vocal samples thrown in for good measure. I can’t help but to nod my head while listening to this track.

5. The P-Brothers feat Roc Marciano – Outta Control

You have to dig Roc Marciano, especially on this track which is dominated by the thickest fuckin’ bassline that sounds like it got straight jacked from one of the DITC producers back in their hayday. The bass can do it’s job on any stereo, good or bad, exemplified by my little stock system in my ride. Traditional hip hop in all it’s beauty.

4. Blu & Mainframe – Wow!

At first I thought this song sounded like a shampoo commercial, but the shit is catchy as fuck. Blu is Blu on this track lyrically, as he spits rhymes like an 9mm. Beatwise, as I said, it reminds me of something from an old episode of Charlie’s Angels, that straight out of the 70′s funk type of vibe.

3. Black Milk – Hold It Down

I already know someone is going to say “I like so & so track better from the album.” Even when I talked to Black Milk himself (interview coming soon) he was surprised when I said it was my favorite track from his album. I guess it’s the bouncy beat that just kind of hypnotizes me as my head bobs from side to side with the beat. This could be an album though that sees multiple favorite tracks as time goes on.

2. Tha Connection – Take It Higher (Revamped)

If I had actually done this list weekly like I have always planned on doing instead of the two months it’s been since I last done it, this track would have been in the number one slot for a long ass time. Armed with an unknown producer, Vans Cal, the duo of Hus & Smoovth ride this beautiful beat all the way to the finish line. My grown ass could listen to this magical beat for next five years everyday, it’s just that good. I can’t pick out the sample, but the strings and muted horn just takes the track to uncharted territories. Yes, it’s that good.

1. Ludacris – MVP

Never in a MILLION years did I think Ludacris would be number one on ANY list I ever could conjure up. What changed? A fuckin’ INSANE DJ Premier beat. It’s not that Luda is bad, but he’s never been my favorite, but once again, Primo brings out the best in an MC, as he did with Biggie, Jay, and Jeru. This is classic Primo in all it’s golden goodness. Fuck, stop reading this and just listen to it.

You know I’m sometimes a little counterpart of Travis, to have a good balance on this blog. I was really surprised when I read that he likes 808s. When I heard Love Lockdown for the first time I was a little shocked cause I thought it was plain wack! That was at the MTV whatever awards (can’t remember which one) Then a couple of days later I heard he will do a whole album singing with autotune, and I was like, damnit, I’m a huge fan of him but that will be horrible. I mean the beat for love lockdown was aight, definitely something innovative or different, but the autotune killed it for me. I wasn’t really paying attention to the tracks that leaked one after another. I was listening to them once and thought there were aight. But for some reason I was checking the blogs everyday to check for the retail album. Then, last week I found it and directly downloaded it early in the morning and put it on my mobile phone so I could listen to it on my way to university and I was slammed. In a positive way. This guy always manages to stay innovative and bringing frsh music… you can say what you want about his skills as a rapper, but his beats are always the shit! This whole album has such a different vibe to what I normally listen to, I even like the Jeezy and Weezy features, the album as a whole is a piece of art. “Heartless” has a nice monotone beat where he’s rapping a little and singing. The cool thing is, that he didn’t overuse the autotune effect on most of the joints, which makes em a lot better. On the tracks where that effect is more present, it fits. My very favorites have to be “Robocop” and “Streetlights”. Robocop has this totally distorted snare that kinda sounds like an explosion. CRAZY!!! The melody is super hot and the violins on the hook are crazy, kinda sounds like christmas to me with those additional bells, but it just sounds very dope! Streetlights has a great vibe to me. You can bang that in your headphones while going through the cold at night or while driving in the car.
The album is definitely an inspiration for me. It made me do 3 new beats without samples right away. My midi keyboard is finally paying off… All I hope for right now is that they will put the album out on wax, cause I had to buy Graduation on CD which sucked major balls. I just didn’t get too mad because they put out 4 songles on picture vinyl. I can just give you the advice to at least listen to the album around 4 times to get used to it, it’s just refreshing!

Much Love, Clap

My inbox got slammed the past four days, so lots of stuff to catch up. Since I was out of town, I didn’t have any time to really listen to some of this stuff, but I went with the stuff I thought I would normally download myself. Hopefully it’s up to par, so give it a listen, and if you like, drop a little comment and maybe you’ll help someone else that might be on the fence on whether to download something. I didn’t get it all out there, so I’ll finish the rest of it later

Before we jump off into it, one of my favorite blogs and favorite bloggers, Scholar from Souled On, hooked up with one of my favorite MC’s, fellow WYDU member Has-Lo. Has dropped a nice little write up (first of two parts) for some of the samples that he used on his dope second EP, Small Metal Objects. So all you sample geeks and Has-Lo groupies need to head over to Souled On and check it out!

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Dub MD presents the brand new exclusive mixtape project entitled “Hip Hop Renatus” with some of the most slept on and underrated emcees featuring the likes of Supastition, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, Mr. Live, 6th Sense, Sic Osyrus, Fred Knuxx, Karneige, Access Immortal, Donny Goines, Diablo Archer, Emilio Rojas, D.V. Alias Khryst, Wordsmith and many more, doing what they do best over some of the greatest producers in the Hip Hop’s “New, Rare, Classic & Unreleased” instrumentals including J Dilla, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, ?uestlove, Large Professor, Oddisee, Illmind, Marley Marl, Madlib and 9th Wonder just to list a few.

Renatus in old Latin meaning Born Again/Reborn: 44 emcees over 34 handpicked beats! Thirty four tracks of that raw, authentic, no apologises Hip Hop music for the purest, 100% EXCLUSIVE from the emcee to this project, with a classic intro by the genius that is DJ Unexpected. This new mixtape is available for exclusive FREE DOWNLOAD right here, so pass it around, throw it on your iPod or burn it to CD-R, its yours! Thanks to everyone for all the continued support!

http://www.mediafire.com/?m1ntu2mnydm

01.) The Genesis (Intro By DJ Unexpected)
02.) 6th Sense – Hip Hop Renatus (Produced By Erick Sermon)
03.) Mr. Live feat. Earl Blaize – The Bitch That You Are (Produced By Oddisee)
04.) Sic Osyrus & Donny Goines – Why Lord? (Middle Fingers Up) (Produced By Khrysis)
05.) Karniege – The Kush (Produced By Jake One)
06.) Skyzoo – Bang This (Produced By The Alchemist)
07.) Dominique Larue – Role Play (Produced By 9th Wonder)
08.) Emilio Rojas – E To The M-I-L-I-O (Produced By J Dilla)
09.) Access Immortal – Stay Strapped (Produced By DJ Premier)
10.) Melodiq feat. Nikal Fieldz – Bottom Of The 9th (Produced By 4th Disciple)
11.) Diablo Archer feat. Myk Dyaleks (of BrokN.English) – We The New Era (Produced By Domingo)
12.) Sha Stimuli – Today We Living (Produced By Nottz)
13.) Fred Knuxx – Air ‘Em Out (Produced By Hi-Tek)
14.) Laelo Hood – Extra, Extra! (Produced By DJ Khalil)
15.) Supastition – Sound Of Reform School (Produced By Black Milk)
16.) Black ELement – Feel The Hunger (Produced By DJ Scratch)
17.) Droppin’ A Message (Interlude)
18.) Zero Star – On My Backpack Shit (Produced By Large Professor)
19.) Little Vic – Let The Dollar Circulate (Produced By Ayatollah)
20.) Cymarshall Law – This Is The End (Produced By Salaam Remi)
21.) Donnan Linkz – Buzz Kill (Produced By Oh No)
22.) Cy Yung aka Cyrano – OK Corral (Produced By Madlib)
23.) Tislam The Great – Once Again (Produced By Questlove)
24.) Faro – Love Me Or Hate Me (Produced By Scram Jones)
25.) Arsun F!st – I’m In Here (Produced By Marco Polo)
26.) Sense-I – Sense-I’s The Name (Produced By Nicolay)
27.) Wordsmith feat. Kontact & Black Knight – Signing Day (Produced By Pete Rock)
28.) Journalist 103 – Til’ The Trumpets Blow (Produced By Illmind)
29.) Clap Cognac feat. Jedi Knight – Chosen Ones (Produced By Havoc)
30.) City Scholar – The Rebirth (Produced By Evidence)
31.) Detroit Red – Hip Hop Redefined (Produced By Buckwild)
32.) D.V. Alias Khryst feat. Retsam Da Prince – It’s Da Govarmynt (Produced By Marley Marl)
33.) Nametag – Champagne Bottle Flow (Produced By Ski Beatz)
34.) Panama aka Da Spanish Kid – Born Ready (Produced By RZA)
35.) Hi-Coup feat. Spectacula – My Father Told Me (Produced By M-Phazes)
36.) Preach Jacobs feat. N’telligence – Mic Check (Produced By Rockwilder)
37.) The Exodus (Outro By DJ Unexpected)

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Fresh from Good Music: GLC feat Kanye West – Big Screen

I know I’ll get hate for this, but I like 808′s & Heartbreaks. Call me crazy, but I do. Anyway, this is another Kanye produced joint (I assume) by one of his long time proteges, GLC. It’s more of that 808 type of flavor for those of you who do like it.

GLC feat Kanye West – Big Screen
http://www.zshare.net/audio/51817963709e975b/

Here is the duo in the studio creating the track……

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Minutes After Midnight

Donny Goines Unleashes New Album
Minute After Midnight Available December 16th
New York, NY

Having achieved considerable notoriety with a vast collection of street albums and mixtapes, independent artist Donny Goines and Same Plate Management are proud to announce the release of Donny’s official debut, Minute After Midnight. The album which boasts Dame Grease as Executive Producer will be available through Amalgam (famed for projects from Joe Budden, Dame Grease, El Da Sensei) on December 16th 2008.

Minute After Midnight, is simply a seamless confirmation that Donny Goines is one of the most prolific artists to watch out for in 2009. An abundance of soulful and unparalleled production selected by the Manhattan lyricist is featured on the album
and is laced with Donny’s heart-felt, naturalistic and legitimate experiences and stories.

Always exuding originality in his efforts both as an entertainer and a man, Donny is the first to comment on how hard he works to maintain such individuality and relevance.

In his usual style Donny opts to ride out this opus alone. Not one to clutter his projects with features and collaborations, Donny has very much earned his reputation through his hard work and his creativity and upon hearing his unique piece of work it affirms that for some the right producers and a story is all that is needed to create a masterpiece.

Tracklisting
1) Intro Prod. by Dub Z (1:52)
2) The Triumph Prod. by M Phazes (3:14)
3) Ghetto U.S.A Prod. by Beatnik & K Salaam Ft. Tess (3:13)
4) What I Am Prod. By Apple Juice Kid (3:45)
5) What Happened Prod. By Dub Z (3:22)
6) Ricky’s Story Prod. By Statik Selektah (2:55)
7) I am Moving Prod. by Dame Grease (4:15)
MLK Prod. By Dame Grease Ft. Tess (3:34)
9) Can’t Fit in My Shoes Prod. By DJ Snips (2:43)
10) Can you Hear Me Prod. By Dub Z Ft. Tess (3:52)
11) The Look Prod. By Dame Grease (2:24)
12) As the World Turns Prod. by Dub Z (3:46)
13) Heaven is With You Prod. by DJ Static (4:27)

Donny’s video for the Dame Grease single I am Moving, the first single from the album. The video produced by Don Hankins and Justin M Miller was recently featured on The Freshman, mtvU’s video show.

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Amad Jamal Show In L.A.

I’m a huge Amad Jamal fan, and him and his crew are playing a show this Friday with his band The Solution at the Airliner. It’s also my man Kurt Fagan’s (the Drummer in the Solution) birthday (Happy b-day man!) So if you are in the L.A. area this Friday, stop by and check out Amad and the gang and say “Happy Birthday” to Kurt and give them out before the drop the new album (about time already!)

http://www.amad-jamal.com/
www.myspace.com/amadjamal

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Quad Almighty

Former Artist Spotlight alumni is dropping a new album which I’ve had the pleasure of hearing, and it’s rather dope. Straight up dope hip hop along with some food for thought. Consciousness in full effect!

Quad Almighty – Quad Almighty
http://www.zshare.net/audio/51819760b56afac7/

Buy Album Here: http://www.soundstation.com/quadalmighty.aspx

The Royal Parchment: The Indoktrination of Dynastik Rationalizm

As the legend goes……Long, long ago, before the world as we know it was conceived, the righteous King and Queen of creation, in all of their wisdom and glory, embedded a set of provisional instructions in the fabric of space and time in order to maintain the balance of freedom, justice, and equality throughout the universe. This set of instructions is known as the Royal Parchment.
It is during the most tumultuous epochs in history, that the Royal Par chment is made manifest into the fabric of our reality. During these trying times, by way of a stream of cosmic consciousness, The Royal Parchment unlocks a vast reservoir of ancestral wisdom and we see major advances in the arts and sciences throughout various cultures of the world. This creates a shift in the intellectual and moral state of the era, resurrects righteous ruler ship, and restores order and balance in the world.

The current zeitgeist is framed by what is called the “ information age,” a period that has produced bold advancements in the fields of biotechnology and interplanetary travel. Yet war, disease, and famine have engulfed the face of the earth. The world’s religious, political and military leadership lack intellectual integrity. As history tends to repeat itself, a cataclysmic fate seems to be an inevitable,
self-fulfilling prophecy. Yet, some remain vigilant.

Over the last 30 years, we have seen the emergence of Hip Hop, a set of art forms that have pervaded every society and civilization around the globe, bridging the gaps between the nations and ushering in the existence of a universal culture. In the midst of this revolutionary shift Quad Almighty presents, The Royal Parchment: The Indoktrination of Dynastik Rationalizm.

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MIDIMarc Beats…..

The “Mad” black beat maker is back at it again…..

Yeah yeah I know……I’ve been getting the phone calls. “Man…when are you putting the next produce up”…….”Can you let me check the joints out before you post em”. Well….I’m on CP time, but I’m here. Since its the 10th week, I’ve prepared 10 Beats. I’m getting more and more in the groove of the new equipment, so here we go.

http://midimarc.blogspot.com/2008/11/fresh-produce-week-10-special-edition.html

1. Watch Us Ride
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?d1yddyzjayt

2. Betcha Cant
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?e4yintjonvi

3. Wah Out
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jtmymnjnz2j

4. There Is No Greater
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?gznjjm3zozm

5. Step It Up
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zg2yem2mq0t

6. Open Might
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?14ny4f2dg3m

7. Its All Over
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ktzdj3gd3mv

8. Flippah 1
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?myizqyzly2m

9. Cloverfield
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ntk0no2zg2n

10. BJ Cash Track
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zxnenxz5dyt


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Joe Budden & The Game – The Future

Joe Budden featuring The Game “The Future” (Amalgam Digital)

Lead single taken from Joe Budden’s forthcoming sophomore album “Padded Room” available on CD & Digital FEB 24th 2009

“The Future” is here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/5182012736778646/

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