Bloggerhouse Hip Hop

Looking back, this was a real good year. I especially had a real hard time narrowing down my top songs to 20, so I went ahead and expanded my songs to 40 (for the price of 20!), and any of the LP’s in my top 5 could easily be #1. I only had about 14 LP’s that I considered for my top 10, but there were a lot of albums that had some really good songs, but just weren’t good enough to make the top 10 LP’s.

I would also like to complain about the auto-spell check function of Microsoft Word that changes Tonedeff to Tone-deaf, Del the Fukee Homosapien to Del the Funkee Homespun and plenty of other annoying crap. So, if you see any weird spellings, that aren’t just a result of your normal hip-hop spelling, please ignore them. Just a rant.

BC’s Top 10 LP’s of 2005

10) Edan – Beauty and the Beat – There might not be a lot of stand-out songs, but listening to it as a whole really makes for a great listen and a solid LP.

9) Dangerdoom – The Mouse and the Mask – I dig this LP and I love all that Adult Swim stuff (well, a lot of it). Dangermouse is a crazy-dope producer and DOOM is one of the greats out there right now (just not live).

Fatlip – The Loneliest Punk – I was pleasantly surprised by Lip’s debut solo LP. It starts to trail off a bit at the end, but the first 75% of the LP is nice. I’d add “What’s Up Fatlip?” to my songs, but it came out back in 1999, but it’s the best song on the LP.

7) Busdriver – Fear of a Black Tangent – Busdriver might not be some people’s speed, but I really like him and his odd, interesting albums. I listened to this straight through numerous times with a large amount of enjoyment.

6) Blueprint – 1988 – Was 1988 the height of hip-hop greatness? I don’t know, but this album from Blueprint is straight dope. Go ahead and buy this if you don’t already have it.

5) Tonedeff – Archetype – I love this album. I think there is one song on here that I don’t like and I can’t wait to get the next Tondeff album.

4) Asamov – And Now… – This one took me a while to get into, and I actually remember posting on www.mastaace.com with Travis about this one. He was digging it, but I hadn’t gotten into it, but gave it another chance and just loved it.

3) CunninLynguists – A Piece of Strange – They came a little more mellow on this album, but it’s a good one. Kno continues to grow as a producer and Deacon, and now Natti, are well above average MC’s.

2) J-Live – The Hear After – Another solid album all the way through from J-Live. I just can’t get enough of Mr. J-Live and you get another classic from The Hear After.

1) Atmoshpere – You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having – This is the first Atmosphere LP that I really just couldn’t get enough of. I liked Atmosphere before this, but wouldn’t call them one of my favorites really, but it was always nice to be able to get some of these local folks here in the Twin Cities to go to a hip-hop show. Everyone wants to claim to be down with big local acts. Anyway, this is their first unskipable album and more than worth the 15 bucks or so it’ll cost you.

BC’s Top 40 Songs of 2005

40) Grand Ol’ Party Crash – Cage – A nice anti-Bush song with Jello Biafra (from Dead Kennedys) playing the part of W.

39) Party Hard – The Perceptionists w/ Guru – The Perceptionists LP was pretty solid and I don’t know if this was the best track on the LP, but it’s a good one and Guru is on it, so you can’t go too wrong.

38) Remember the Name – Fort Minor w/ Ryu and Tak – You have to admit this track is catchy and perfect for all those basketball or baseball ads it was featured in.

37) All in Together – GZA and Muggs – My favorite song from the collaboration from the Wu-Tang and Cypress Hill members. This is an LP that I think I need to back to.

36) Employees of the Year – Felt 2 (Slug and Murs) – A nice song from the second Felt LP. You have to like a song where the first verse starts with an interpolation of one of EPMD’s greatest songs, So Wat’ Cha Sayin’.

35) The Mask – Dangerdoom w/ Ghostface Killah – Hopefully, that DOOM/Ghostface album will come out eventually. It’s an interesting pairing of MC’s and this song gives a little taste of what may come out.

34) Let It Out – Ugly Duckling – Another fun song from UD. Play this one at a party and people will start head nodding from the horn laced beat.

33) Supa Dynamite – Asamov w/ Mr. Lif – This could be higher on the list, but it sits here for now. A real great song from Asamov’s album.

32) Smart Went Crazy – Atmosphere – Atmosphere had some uncharacteristically hard tracks on YCIHMFWH and this is one of them. The beat is a little rugged and Slug, being the versatile MC that he is, kicks a bit of a harder flow than usual.

31) World of Vibrations – Blackalicious – This song kicks off The Craft and is a catcht little diddy, if I can come off sounding like a jackass.

30) Old School – Dangerdoom w/ Talib Kweli – Talib kicks a verse about watching Saturday morning cartoons and being old school and DOOM kicks a verse about his childhood. The beat from Dangermouse creates a great horn induced funky track for them to spit over.

29) Befriend the Friendless Friendster – Busdriver – A speedy beat that has Busdriver kicking his usual unique and speedy flow. “Because you’re an undersexed lady cop.” is one of my favorite lines.

28) Side to Side – Blackalicious w/ Pigeon John and Lateef – Gift of Gab, Lateef and Pigeon John all go to a club and kicks rhymes about their different experiences at said club.

27) Poems 4 Post Modern Decay – Zion I w/ Aesop Rock – I just think Aesop Rock is the rap equivalent of what they call a change of pace back in the NFL (him and Ab Rude). When you add him to a song, he adds a little something different to the other MC(s) on the track.

26) Make Music – Emanon – One of the 3-4 real good songs from The Waiting Room. The beat is real nice and features some vocalization as part of the beat, which I always dig.

25) Birdz – Fly the Coup - Buckshot & 9th Wonder w/ Phonte – A real nice song from the Buckshot/9th Wonder LP.

24) Count Your Blessings – Emanon – Another crazy vocalized beat and Aloe Blacc does his thing, like he always does.

23) Sleepwalking – One.Be.Lo w/ Ka Di – A great song from a great LP. The singer on this track actually adds a lot to the song.

22) Lefty’s Lament – Busdriver – Busdriver kicks some lyrics about race and perception over a dope, mellow beat.

21) Lo-Fi Funk – Blueprint w/ Aesop Rock – A crazy beat with Aesop Rock handling the duties of the chorus. Blueprint does his thing.

20) Hourglass – Cunninlynguists – Again, I have never studied music, so I’m not sure, but I think the beat might feature an organ. Whether it does of not, it’s a dope beat and a real nice song.

19) Help Me Sing – Asamov – Just a great beat and a great song. A bit of a song about the fans.

18) Can’t Hold On – MED – A great back in the day song with a great Madlib beat. MED raps about his younger days and Kool Ade stains on his shirt. Dope track. A live version:

17) Writer’s Block – Fatlip – Fatlip talking about writer’s block, which might explain why it took so long for his solo debut to be released.

16) Pseudo – Emanon – When I first heard this I went nuts, and I thought they sampled the score from The Frighteners. Turns out it just kind of sounds like something from that score. Anyway, it’s a real nice track with a great beat. The LP had a few real good songs, but the mediocre songs out number the great ones, like Pseudo.

15) Aaw Yeah – J-Live – J-Live being his normal dope self. He just cranks out quality hip-hop on a regular basis with tight beats and lyrics.

14) What U Hear – Zion I w/ Del the Funkee Homosapien – The way the beat switches up when Del kicks hie 2nd verse is just crazy.

13) Porcelain – Tonedeff – A great introspective song from Tonedeff.

12) Brooklyn Public, Pt. 1 – J-Live – J-Live speaking from his experience as a teacher about fictional students in an under-funded inner-city public school.

11) The UNDERground – One.Be.Lo – This song starts off s.o.n.o.g.r.a.m. on a strong note.

10) The Arrival – Atmosphere – This song just comes hard and I love the line “ I’m just a man that loved rap!” It was anice track to be featured on Fight Night 3 (I think it was 3).

9) Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz w/ Dave (De La Soul) aka Trugoy – Again, I love the Gorillaz and this is one of the hip-hop infused tracks from their second LP. A great song.

Where’s Your Girlfriend At? – Blueprint – It’s 10pm, do you know where your girlfriend is at? Blueprint probably does. A throwback song with a sense of humor involving Blueprint entertaining your lady. You have to love an MC that can be both self-deprecating and cocky at the same time. “As long as 2 five’s still add up to ten, then I got options every Friday night., and a team of mediocre broads grabbing my tip.”

7) Git Loose – Asamov w/ Akrobatik – An old-school throwback track featuring Akrobatik. Another well produced Asamov song, Beatrice!

6) Children – Tonedeff – A song about how things can change from a young person to an adult. I dig the singer that is also featured on the song. “One day you’ll look back at your life and wonder, like, what the fuck was I thinking?” That sums it up.

5) Making Planets – Edan w/ Mr. Lif – Edan starts the song nice and slow and he kicks his verse, but the song slows down even more and you can just sense that something dope is coming right before Lif comes in. I’ve found myself telling people to just wait… wait… wait, then the beat switches up and Lif kicks his verse. It’s a real dope song.

4) Give It Up – R.A. the Rugged Man and J-Live (from Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture) – I love the pairing of R.A. and J-Live. The beat is solid and you have 2 top-notch MC’s at the top of their game.

3) Play Hard – Masta Ace (from Sloppy Seconds 2) – Ace and some fellas hit the club and Ace speaks on it over a catchy beat featuring a lot of “oh’s”.

2) Get Fly – Atmosphere – The beat is phenomenal and is piano heavy with a choir feel. It’s a pure head nod song.

1) Hellfire – Cunninlynguists – I looked this up when the song came out, and the song sampled is from someone called Aurthur Brown. To me, it sounded like a song from The Doors, and that’s what others have said as well. Anyway, I remember hearing this song before the LP came out and it got me pumped. The beat is chopped nicely and it’s just a straight forward dope rap song.

Pack Up (remix) – Lyrics Born w/ KRS-One and Evidence
Rocketship – One.Be.Lo
Life Vegas – Felt 2 (Slug and Murs)
Avantcore – Busdriver
Since When – Cunninlynguists
Serious – MED – Oh No produced track
Archetype – Tonedeff
That Night – Atmosphere - A song about the tragic murder of an Atmosphere fan in Albuquerque after an Atmosphere show.
Dirty Harry – Gorillaz w/ Bootie Brown
Big Girls Need Love Too – Blueprint
Zodiaccupuncture – Aesop Rock
After – J-Live
Vats of Urine – Dangerdoom
Ride Off in the Sunset – Haiku d’Etat w/ Zumbi and Deuce Eclipse from Calicomm 2004
Benzie Box – Dangerdoom w/ Cee-Lo
Fat Leezy – Fatlip
Fly That Knot – Talib Kweli

Bonus track: About 6 minutes into Liberated (track 13) of Blueprint’s 1988 is a bonus track (although it’s hidden within a song, there’s about 1 minute of nothing and a new song kicks in). The beat is ill and if you haven’t heard it, check it out.

BC’s Top 10 LP’s of 2002

I have to say that 2002 was like 2001 in retrospect. I didn’t find a whole lot that I was psyched to include on this list as far as LP’s were concerned. My top songs are heavy on songs that aren’t included on a top 10 LP from my list. I guess that’s indicative of what the year was like.

10) The Demigodz – The Godz Must Be Crazy – I liked this EP from the Earplug series, although it is pound for pound filled with the most homophobic lyrics this side of an Eminem LP. The beats are all solid.

9) Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly – Atmosphere keeps getting better and better to me. their last 2 are their best and i really didn’t think this one was that great until I went back and listened to it. Based on what I listened to in ’02, it makes the top 10, but if I keep listening, it could move up (if I were forced to make another list by future BC).

Jurassic 5 – Power in Numbers – When they made good songs, man, they made good songs. But, this LP, like the rest of theirs, just had too many adequate songs to make it a top 5 LP.

7) Mr. Lif – I Phantom – This is a pretty good effort from Lif. I can listen to it all the way through, but there are a few songs that just don’t demand too much attention. Overall, though, it’s worth it.

6) Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow – This LP is like all of their albums, a bit inconsistent. When they make good hip-hop songs, they are right up there with the best, but they always have a few songs that I just don’t like.

5) Camp Lo – Let’s Do It Again – I really like this album from start to finish, with the exception of 1 really, really bad song (8 Moons Ago).

4) MF Grimm – The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera – I still really like this album and it took me a little while to get into, but when I did, I was playing it on a daily basis for a good month or two.

3) Emanon – Anon & On – This is another EP from the Earplug series. There are a couple amazing songs on here and this is high on the list because I ran those into the ground.

2) The Roots – Phrenology – I like this LP a lot, but i didn’t think it would be this high up. But, after looking at what I had in ’02, I had to make this high on my list.

1) J- Live – All of the Above – This LP is solid all the way through, like most of J-Live’s albums. This guy is one of my all-time favorites now and this album was the one that really got me into J-Live.

BC’s Top 20 Songs of 2002

20) Multiply – Xzibit w/ Nate Dogg – A nice commercial song for the masses. The beat is funky and Nate Dogg does his Nate Dogg thang. To me, X to the Z’s music just wasn’t as good when he had Dr. Dre and other’s doing the producing and not the Liks.

19) The CIA is Trying to Kill Me – Non-Phixion – The CIA is trying to kill some paranoid dudes, aka Non-Phixion. This beat is a nice one.

18) Ultimate – Large Professor – I dig this beat and listened to it a lot back in 2002.

17) Whodafuckareyou?!? – C-Rayz Walz – The first time I heard this song, and C-Rayz, I couldn’t stand him (that sounds dumb like Outkast breaking up), but then something happened. His flow just grew on me and he became an MC that I always look for.

16) Together – MF Grimm – The beat features a nice piano loop. The lyrics are about snitches basically, and there are some violent lyrics and the chorus gets a little more violent as it progresses.

15) Captivate/Deactivate – The Demigodz – This beat is sick and you just have a couple MC’s bragging on the mic. I just dig this song.

14) Modern Man’s Hustle – Atmosphere – I think the best track off of God Loves Ugly. Live performance:

13) A Glimpse at the Struggle – Mr. Lif – Mr. Lif as a man that needs some money and robs a store. The last 30 seconds is Fakts-One cutting Cannibal Ox, “Imma live life after this one crime.”

12) Rolling With Heat – The Roots w/ Talib Kweli – Mostly some raw drums from Questo on the beat and Kweli and Black Thought wreck the mic on some hardcore.

11) Celly – Extended Famm – This is a track that is destined to be crazy outdated someday, and kind of is now. But, it’s a funny song about bad cell service and misunderstandings over a dope track.

10) Bad Babysitter – Princess Superstar – I was curious about Princess Superstar and checked out the LP this song is on. This is a funny song with a horn heavy beat. If Lady Gaga needs an emcee to kick a verse, she should pick the Princess. Whatever, I like this song.

9) It’s Going Down – Blackalicious w/ Lateef – The beat is hot and Lateef and Gab work off each other well. Even the R&B chorus is nice.

Let’s Do It Again – Camp Lo – I feel like this track fits in where they left off on Uptown Saturday Night. If you threw this on there, you wouldn’t have any idea that it wasn’t part of their classic debut.

7) High Fidelity – Jurassic 5 – I just love this beat. Jurassic 5 doing what they do best, kicking old-school rhymes.

6) One For the Griot – J-Live – J-Live kicks 3 similar verses with varying outcomes from a one night stand.

5) React – Erick Sermon w/ Redman – I had high hopes when I heard this song. I never really got into the LP, but this song is a good one.

4) Life and Death – MF Grimm – Grimm possibly getting a bit personal about good and evil. Life and Death are women in his life that he goes back and forth with, along with his girl Coma. He talks about Life wanting him to do the right things, but Death is crazy fun to hang out with and just seems to be more fun for whatever reason. I don’t know, it’s deeper than I am. Can’t vouch for the image, but you can listen to the song:

3) Listen – Yaggfu Front w/ Esau the Anti Emcee- I loved Yaggfu’s debut in high school and it took years upon years for anything else to be released. This comes from their The Secret Tapes that has mostly older unreleased material and this dope track. The beat is sick and the guest MC, Esau, drops a crazy ass verse about the music industry that includes the line, “That’s why Atmosphere ain’t selling shit, but Ludacris is.” And, that’s from 2002. Future Shock from this release is another more than worthy listen.

2) The Seed – The Roots w/ Cody Chestnut – I love this song. Watch/listen:

1) Blind Love – Emanon – This is a song you need to hear if you haven’t. Exile produces a crazy beat and Aloe Blacc speaks on trying to get girls. His friends tell him that “…she look good but she ain’t all that, her behind is fat, but her mind is wack.” You don’t hear about a girl’s mind all that much in hip-hop.

A couple honorable mentions because I had some extra songs that almost made the cut:

Frontline – El da Sensai w/ Pharoahe Monch, Prince Po, Mike Zoot and F.T.

The Lyricist – J-Live

How U Walkin‘ – Camp Lo – A crazy tribalish beat and some masochistic lyrics, but a great song.

Home of the Brave – Mr. Lif – Can’t say that I always agree with the man’s politics, and I’m a liberal ass dude (I’m not the conspiracy theorist that I once was as a teen). This is a scathing track about the Bush administration and 9/11 from Lif’s Emergency Rations EP.

By now, you’ve met two or the three new people we have here on WYDU. Owen (O-Snap) is helping with some behind the scenes things and tossing up some posts. He posted the PDA post on Friday along with the Souls of Mischief post. Then my man BC, who I’ve been cool with for awhile now and is part of the MA.com fam (masta ace) that is basically the main reason for the exsistence of this blog to begin with. BC is an old school head that is sure to bring back some of that old school loving which we always need more of. You’ll meet Sean here this week hopefully. They are the dudes helping me while I try to scale back a bit more and enjoy life, while also trying to move the blog forward some more. So drop a line and welcome them aboard if you have the chance….

I stayed home last week sick with the flu (yes, it was the swine flu, at least I don’t have to worry about it again), and got a little bored. When I get bored, I do a few things; of course there is Madden, but I can only play so long. I can write, which I did some of, mostly some interview questions and transcribing a couple that I’ve been meaning to do for waaaaay too long. I also tagged some mp3s and keep plugging away on the seemingly never ending task of cataloging my music collection. But after all that, I still make “mixtapes”, or I guess they would be classified as “playlists” these days, since it’ll probably never see a tape or a CD for that matter, but it’ll be on the iPod.

What did I come up with you ask? Actually, I started this little project strictly for myself and my personal enjoyment with no intention of ever putting it up on WYDU. I also started the original one earlier in the year, when one of my favorite artists, Slug of Atmosphere, was starting to pop up as a guest artist on several projects this year. I hadn’t added any tracks to the five or six I had in there already and decided I needed to catch up with his recent guest appearances. But before I had the chance to do that, I started throwing some Masta Ace guest shots in a folder as well. We all know that I’m a virtual Ace “stan”, and he has been popping up on several projects the past couple years. I started tossing tracks in folder and decided I’d go back to the year 2007 and realized Ace has had his share of guest appearances the past couple years. Once I got all the tracks that I could recall and find, I had a rather nice collection of Ace tracks. I then did the same for Slug, from the year 2007 until present. Being the sharing guy that I am, I thought if I liked this and wanted this kind of thing, surely two or three of you out there would enjoy this as well. And “BOOM”, here we are.

01 Marco Polo – Nostaligia ft. Masta Ace
From: Marco Polo – Port Authority (2007)

02 Bekay - Brooklyn Bridge ft. Masta Ace
From: Bekay – Hunger Pains (2009)

03 Marco Polo and Torae - Hold Up ft. Masta Ace and Sean Price
From: Marco Polo & Toroe – Double Barrell (2009)

04 Wu Tang Clan - Kill Too Hard ft. Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Ace
From: Wu-Tang Clan – Chamber Music (2009)

05 Wildchild – The League ft. Special Ed, Masta Ace, Percee P, MC Lyte
From: Wildchild – Jack of All Trades (2007)

06 DJ KO – Ladder of Success ft. Masta Ace, Phonte and Wordsworth
From: DJ K.O. - Picture This… (2008)

07 Rise and The Avid Record Collector – WRA Cypher ft. Wordsworth & Masta Ace
From: Rise & The Avid Record Collector - Risen (2009)

08 Iller Than Theirs – The Same ft. Masta Ace
From: Iller Than Theirs – Iller Than Theirs (2007)

09 The Problemaddicts – Hurting ft. Masta Ace
From: The Problemaddicts - The First Step (2007) & The Guest List (2009)

10 Masta Ace - The Start of Things ft. Minus
From: Masta Ace – Hits U Missed Vol. 5 (2008)*

11 Scribbling Idiots - Told You So ft. Masta Ace
From: The Scribbling Idiots – The Have Nots (2007)

12 Nefew – Admit It ft. Wordsworth and Masta Ace
From: Nefew – Off The Cuff (2007)

13 Tommy Tee – What Is It ft. Masta Ace
From: "font-weight: bold;">Tommy Tee - No Studio No Time: The Wait (2007)

14 Masta Ace – Twos And Threes
From: The Sound Chronicles Vol 1 (2007)

15 Copperpot - Art of Rap ft. Masta Ace and Edo G
From: Copperpot - WYLA? (2007)

16 MC Esoteric - Aces Take ft. Masta Ace
From: MC Esoteric - Saving Seamus Ryan (2009)

17 The Funkoars – This Is How ft. Masta Ace
From: The Funkoars - The Hangover (2008)

18 DJ JS-1 - I Knew A Girl ft. Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth, Strick
From: DJ JS-1 – No Sellout (2009)

19 Dragon Fli Empire - Rise ft. Masta Ace
From: Dragon Fli Empire - Redefine (2008)

20 Master Ace – Revolutions Bout To Start
From: Top Shelf 8/8/88 (2007)

21 Wildchild – The League Remix ft. Special Ed, Masta Ace, Percee P, MC Lyte
From: Wildchild – Jack of All Trades (2007)

*Not sure of the original source

01 Domingo - Fuck You Mean ft. PackFM, Slug, & Brother Ali
From: Domingo – The Underrated (2007)

02 The Grouch & Eligh – Boom ft. Slug
From: The Grouch & Eligh – Say G&E (2009)

03 Luckyiam.PSC – Borrowedtime ft. Slug and Aesop Rock
From: Luckyiam.PSC – Most Likely To Succeed (2007)

04 CunninLynguists - Don’t Leave ft. Slug
From: Cunninlynguists - Strange Journey Vol. 1 (2009)

05 C Rayz Walz – In Your Soul ft. Slug, Samuel & Sum In 16
From: C Ryaz Walz - Who The F%@* Are You? (2009)

06 KRS-One and Buckshot – We Made It ft. Slug
From: Krs-One & Buckshot - Survival Skills (2009)

07 Jake One - Oh Really ft. Posdnuos and Slug
From: Jake One – White Van Music (2008)

08 Evidence - Line Of Scrimmage ft. Slug
From: Evidence - The Weatherman LP (2007)

09 BK-One – Blood Drive ft. Slug
From: BK-One – Radio Do Canibal (2009)

10 Aesop Fables - Moving at the Speed of Life ft. Slug
From: Aesop Fables – Living The Dream While Awake (2009)

11 Eligh & Jo Wilkinson - Safe ft. Slug & Pigeon John
From: Eligh & Jo Wilkinson - On Sacred Ground (2009)

12 Brother Ali - The Believers ft. Slug
From: Brother Ali - The Truth Is Here EP (2009)

13 Z-Trip – On My Side ft. Lateef and Slug
From: Z-Trip – All Pro (2007)

14 Hangar 18 - Dance With Me ft. Slug
From: Hangar 18 - Sweep The Leg (2007)

15 ="font-weight: bold;">Themselves - The Medicine ft. Slug
From: Themselves - TheFREEhoudini (2009)

16 MF Doom – Supervillainz ft. Slug, Kurious, and Mobionix
From: MF DOOM – Born Like This (2009)

17 Grayskul – The Office ft. Slug and Aseop Rock
From: GraySkul - Bloody Radio (2007)

18 BK-One – Gititit ft. Slug and Brother Ali
From: BK-One – Radio Do Canibal (2009)

19 Mac Lethal - H Overtkill ft. Slug
From: ????

1  1

It’s Monday morning, which means a lot of you are dreading another work week. I know I am. Hip hop artists apparently also dread the office job and work weeks. Here are my top five favorite “work sucks” related hip hop songs.

Somebody has a case of the Mondays….

1.Amad Jamal - Goin’ Postal (From the upcoming album Barely Hanging on: The Chronicles of a Nigga Like Rodney King)

Sure it’s a new track, but it captures the pure despair of working in an office and maybe with even more of a flair than I can relate to as it brings in office politics and race relations into the whole thing as well. Big ups to my man Kurt Fagan, who is part of Amad’s band, The Solution and in the video.

2. Louis Logic - Postal (Remix) (From 2003′s Sin-A-Matic)

May be the original “Work Sucks” track. Lou was always good at turning stories and making interesting songs out of his tales. This is the version that appeared first on his “Listen To My Demo” collection, then made another appearance on his excellent Sin-A-Matic album.

3. Tribal Jam – 925 (From the KGB 12 inch release from 1994)

I stumbled across this joint last year after reading Ed Catto’s review on another website. It quickly became one of my favorites, with it’s jazzy flavor on the beats. I’m a lover of beats, but they also come correct with the lyrics as well as they detail the hell that us office drones have to experience working the “9 To 5″. Also nice little scratched in choruses from well known lines add more recognition to the track.

4. De La Soul - Bitties In The BK Lounge (From “De La Soul Is Dead”)

I’ve never had the unfortunate experience of working in a fast food joint, but I’ve worked my share of food service type jobs (read: waiting tables) so I can relate in some strange way. Working with the public is faaaaar worse than any office job that I’ve ever had. De La captures the essence of being on both ends of the stick when it comes to the fast food joints. And damn, there are some hotties in some of those places…..

5. Atmosphere – Cashier In a Convenience Store (From Sad Clown Bad Dub 7)

Another job I’ve never had to do, thankfully. As I said, working with the public is a shameless and thankless job and I hope I never have to do it, cause lets face, we suck. Sean aka Slug covers it quite well, so well that I NEVER want to do it.

Honorable Mentions

Biz Markie & Canibus – Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee
Cunninlynguists – Falling Down (simply for the second and third verses from Kno)
Atmosphere – 66th Street

And if your woman is free loading off your ass, play her this

Little Bastards – Bitch, Get A Job

It took me awhile to get the second part of this. It was originally scheduled to go up over the weekend, but no dice. Then the last two weeks I planned on getting up, but MLB All-Star festivities on TV put a damper on that, including the five plus hour All-Star game last night. Oh well, you should be out enjoying the summer weather instead of reading this damn blog anyway. Speaking of which, I’m off to my old stomping grounds of Denver, Colorado this weekend (Fri-Mon), so I doubt you’ll see much of me this weekend and if you do, it’ll probably be in a drunken state. I love summer.

Back to the list, in case you missed 11-20, this is what you missed

11 Raashan Ahmad – The Push
12 Kids In The Hall – The In Crowd
13 Ill Poetic – Joe Budden Meets Portishead Mood Musik
14 Jean Grae – The Jeanius
15 One Be Lo – The R.E.B.I.R.T.H
16 Akrobatik – Absolute Value
17 All Natural – Elements
18 Substantial – Sacrifice
19 Weapon X – Portrait Of a Starvin Artist
20 The Camp – The Campaign

As I’ve said before, this were MY personal favorites of the first half of the year, so while you are more than welcome to drop your input, arguing with me much is probably going to be futile, since it’s my opinion we are talking about here. No, there is no Immortal Technique, which wasn’t horrible, but I didn’t listen to it until after July 1st, no Nas, which again, I don’t think I listened to until after July 1st, but I doubt that it would make the list if I had. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Nas has no concept of what a good beat is even if it bit him on the ass. All these albums are albums I can listen to from front to back and the top seven especially are complete albums that are solid in all areas. You may agree with me on these, you may not. You may find something you haven’t heard yet, and truly, that is the reason I’m doing this, hopefully to turn you all on to something you might have missed. Here we go, the top 10…..

Top 20 Albums for the First Half of 2008: 1-10

10. Archetype - Unfolding

Sounds Like: It’s kind of difficult to put a “sound” on this duo, coming out of Kansas, they sound like Atmosphere crossed with some Living Legends. Or not….

Summary: This might be cheating in some sense. For those of you that haven’t been around WYDU for any length of time, Archetype’s U.S. label submitted their Bleed For Them, album for review purposes last year and I simply fell in love with that album. Not a knock on anyone who sent me music, but Bleed For Them is my favorite music I’ve ever recieved for review purposes. It was a great album with melodic beats provided by Nezbeat and strong lyrics from iD. Unfolding is basically Bleed For Them, packaged for overseas, most notably Japan. It is armed with seven new songs (so half the album is new), four of which are as equally dope or more so than anything found on Bleed For Them. Only reason this probably isn’t higher is that half of the album has been getting play since September of last year, not bad for a couple kids from Kansas.

Favorite Tracks: (Of the new tracks) “Blocked Up”, “Unfolding”, “Live It Up”

9. Guilty Simpson – Ode To The Ghetto

Sounds Like: That slowly defining Detroit sound, commonly attributed to J-Dilla and passed on to Black Milk. Lyrically and vocally, Guilty reminds me of Beanie Seigel.

Summary: At first I was rather disappointed with this album. Not in the way I’m disappointed with the new Nas album, but in a way I expected a near classic from Guilty Simpson after the Stray Bullets mixtape and the success of Detroit artists of late. While I didn’t dislike it, I guess I expected more. Over the past few months though, this album has steadily grown on me, including a drunken birthday weekend, in which we cruised around in my man’s Mustang from place to place, blasting my newly purchased Ode To The Ghetto CD. I love the sound of this album, sparse, hard as fuck beats and ruff-n-rugged rhymes from Guilty. Shit, I even dig the Madlib tracks, and I’m not a big Madlib fan. I think I have to say Detroit is my favorite locale for music as of late.

Favorite Tracks: “Pigs“, “I Must Love You”, “My Moment”

8. Little Brother – And Justus For All

Sounds Like: If you don’t know who Little Brother is, you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog. Add traditional North sounds (Native Tongue) crossed with the swagger of the South.

Summary: Yes, this dropped last year as well, but this version of And Justus For All is the trimmed down version with a handful of new songs. I was pretty vocal with my dislike of The Get Back, last year, mainly because I consider LB one of my favorite groups. It’s true that they seem to make better mixtapes than albums (the two Chitlin’ Circuits shit on anything in their catalog not named The Listening) and this is an example of that. I enjoy this album more than anything found on The Get Back, LB is that shit, fuck what anyone else might think. Plus, I’ve used Phonte’s opening line on “Life Of The Party”, so much I should be giving him royalties (of course I change it to blogger, which makes it even worse….haha “Girl, whatcha mean you don’t recognize me? I’m only the biggest blogger star in your apartment complex…”)

Favorite Tracks: “Life Of The Party (Remix)”, “Cross That Line (Remix)”, “Stylin”

7. Shawn Jackson – First Of All….

Sounds Like: Reminds me of a Murs of sorts…strong lyrical MC

Summary: One of the surprising “out of nowhere” albums, Shawn Jackson’s First Of All did catch some fire among the bloggers, such as my cohorts Eric of When They Reminisce and the one who first start pushing his music, Dart Adams of Poisonous Paragraphs. This album is a pure, solid and cohesive project that comes with thirteen quality tracks. Everything on this album is up to par, the lyrics, the hooks, the beats, they are all combine to make a great album that will undoubtedly gain more momentum and could very well be this year’s Below The Heavens. If you haven’t heard this album yet, you need it in your life…

Favorite Tracks: “Fix Ya Face”, “Feelin’ Jack”, “Gold Medal Kids”

6. Pacewon & Mr. Green – The Only Color That Matters is Green

Sounds Like: Back in the day hardcore east coast hip hop….

Summary: I’ll probably always be biased toward the artists that I grew up on when they drop a quality album. That’s the case with Pacewon and his new producer, Mr. Green. I was a hardcore Outsidaz fan from back in the day and have always picked up anything with Pacewon’s name on it. “The Only Color That Matters…”, is one of those albums that I probably favor more due to Pace’s “back in the day” ties, but don’t let that fool you. Mr. Green brings a sound that….it’s hard to put my finger on, but it’s a sound that I’ve always liked. That’s saying, it’s nothing ground breaking, nothing that hasn’t been heard before, he just takes a sound and does it to the best of his ability. A rugged sound with lots of strings and dusty drums combine to offer the PERFECT backdrop for Pace to drop his raw, yet smooth, rhymes. Trying to find this album on CD is kind of a bitch, but you can order one from Mr. Green’s myspace page

Favorite Tracks: “Hip Hop”, “Four Quarters”, “Children Sing”

5. Dagha – The Divorce

Sounds Like: A lot like his label mate, Dooley O….

Summary: In what could very well go down as the most creative album of the year, Dagha dropped The Divorce, in which is about what it sounds like, a shitty divorce. Now, I’ve never been through a divorce, but any man who has been through a break-up after a long term relationship can relate as well. Dagha raps for a whole album about, what I’m assuming, his divorce. Without sounding whiny or turning it into a long bitch session, Dagha brings a cohesive album that flows together quite nicely. The beats are on point and the story telling style of Dagha makes this album a fav of mine this year (obviously).

Favorite Tracks: “Scat”, “My Luck”, “Devil’s Work”

4. Grip Grand - Brokelore

Sounds Like: quality underground/backpacker (I hate that term), maybe Grouch? I’m not sure I have a good comparison.

Summary: I absolutely LOVE Grip Grand’s Brokelore album. I could listen to this album every day for the rest of the year and be okay with that. I wasn’t familiar Grip Grand until about April, when in the same day, two people who’s opinions I value and also know my tastes said I had to check out the album. Eric from WTR and my homie Scholar from Souled On both told me I needed to check this album out. I’ve been bumping it since then. There is only one track that I don’t care for (“Handle That”), the rest are all great tracks. The beauty of the album is there is a lot of variety in the terms of subject matter and sounds, yet it still comes in as a cohesive album. Grip has everything from straight up braggadocio hip hop, to dissing himself, he talks on the social ills, to braggin’ about “Poppin’ Pockets”. He has two classic guest apperances in the form of Percee P and A.G., but he is more than capable of handling the rest of the album on his own. I can’t brag about this album enough. If you are someone that has similar tastes as me in the past, then this album is a must.

Favorite Tracks: It’s hard to pick three, but right now, I’d say “But Anyway”, “Love/Drama”, “Remember The Time”.

3. Atmosphere – When Live Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold

Sounds Like: Lil Wayne meets Master P

Summary: After putting on one of the most interesting promotional pre-album release events ever seen, Slug and Ant delivered on the goods, with When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold, which might be the best since Lucy Ford, if not of all their catalog. It’s a different sound for them, in some ways, Ant has returned back to his earlier sound. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like or not, but after hearing the project as a whole, I’ve grown to really get down with this album. It’s a more mature Atmosphere, as Sean delivers a loosely themed album, talking about the common man’s struggle. I can see this dropping a few slots as the replay value isn’t as strong as some of the albums behind it, but still, this is a great album for established Atmosphere fans and I’ve already heard of heads who weren’t fans of them before this get on board.

Favorite Tracks: “Puppets”, “You”, “Me”

2. Nicolay & Kay – Time Line

Sounds Like: Nicolay has his own sound for sure….as a whole, this album is similar in feel to the Phonte and Nicolay Connected project.

Summary: Nic & Kay hooked up to drop an early gem on us back in February. I’ve been playing Time Line since then. I know Kay got some knocks on not being the best MC, but truthfully, I’ve never had a problem with his MC skills. The beats on this album or amazing, as Nic comes with an interesting sound that matches the albums theme perfectly. The album starts with “birth”, goes through a life cycle, with the music fitting each theme, and goes to the death. It’s one of those albums that should be listened to as a whole, but nothing wrong with spending a solid 45 minutes with quality hip hop.

Favorite Tracks: “Tight Eyes”, “Blizzard”, “I’ve Seen Rivers”

1. eMC – The Show

Sounds Like: Good Hip Hop Music

Summary: Did you really think I’d have anything but The Show? Yes, I’m a border line Ace stan, but that doesn’t mean that this doesn’t deserve the number one slot. Words, Punch, Strick also show up with Ace to deliver an album that is a well constructed concept album (what did you expect from Ace?. The came wit
h some great beats and work their magic lyrically, as they take you through a day of eMC starting with getting picked up in the airport to the after party. Yes, it could have been cut down by about 15 minutes, yes, a couple beats were lacking and yes, a couple hooks could have been better, but they still bring the heat, that you can ignore that.

Favorite Tracks: “Winds Of Change”, “Leak It Out”, “We Alright”

Honorable Mentions: Albums that were on my radar, and are worth checking out, but didn’t quite make the list…

Presto – State of the Art
Astonish – From Now Until Forever
The Roots – Rising Down
Prolyphic & Reanimator – The Ugly Truth
Yameen – Never Knows Best
J-Live – Then What Happened
Foul Mouth Jerk – Street Light music
Lazerus Jackson – Filthy
Prodigy – HNIC 2
Praverb – Center Of Attention
Tha 4rce – Mind The Gap Anthems
Silent Knight - Restoration
Braile – The IV
Craig G – Operation Take Hip Hop Back Trav Williams – The Trickle Down

Can you believe that we are half way through the year 2008? Seems like just yesterday I was cussing under my breath as I was diggin’ off the drive way for the third day in the row after a big snow storm. Now I’m sweating my ass off in 100 degree weather. Go figure. What do you all think about 2008 so far musically? Personally myself, I thought we got off to somewhat of a slow start, but it has picked up nicely since our 1st quarter report that dropped back in April. Nothing that has totally amazed me like “Below The Heavens” did last year, but still some damn solid offerings that have been served up warm dish style.

If you know me and have read this blog for any amount of time, you know I’m always looking for a reason to put up a list of some sort. I have some sort of list fetish, so a half way report is as good of any reason to do a list as any. The next few days, we’ll be going over my favorite songs, mixtapes, instrumental releases, and albums. Notice I said MY favorite, not what I think was the best,although, I’ll always say my opinions are among the best of the batch, because my tastes are so impeccable…ease up, I’m just kidding, plus I’ve been looking for a reason to use the word “impeccable” for awhile now.

Today we’ll cover 10 EP’s that I think people should hear. A top 10 list of sorts. You are probably saying to yourself right now, “EPs? What the hell is this cracker smoking now?” Well, in this age of shortened attention spans and the heavy promotion of music on the internet, EP’s have really taken off this year so far. In compliling my list of EPs worthy of consideration, I had 19 projects that I felt were good enough to be included on this list. One, Joe Beats & Blak’s “Strategy”, I would later find out was dropped in 2007, which is unfortunate, because it was dwindled down into the top 10 list, until I found out it was released over a year ago. I still recommend tracking it down, especially if you are a Joe Beats fan. A lot of this EP’s were free releases, so I’ll be including links for them as well. There is enough dope listening to keep you guys going for a day or two.

10 MUST HEAR EPs: The Top 10 EPs of Jan-July 08

10. Baje One – Weightless

Sounds Like: Those Junk Science cats, minus one dude….oh, and maybe Iller Than Theirs, Cool Calm Pete….but not your typical Def Jux music.

Summary: Junk Science is a group I’ve pushed on this site before. They bring a different sound and vibe to the game. They are not the most lyrical, nor the hottest beats, but the whole package is something that I’ve been able to relate to. This is EP, Weightless, is from Junk Science’s Baje One, the MC, for those of you not on the up and up. It’s a short little six track EP, that serves as Baje One’s vehicle for his own music without having to check in with a group member. This is some grown folks music, and the track, Mission Statment, has my favorite verse of the year.

From the start, from the jump, from the get go grabbed the micphone, swore I’d never let go when I was sixteen, woulda gotten a tattoo like, this is not a stage, not just going to pass through In the middle of the rottenest apple Kings of hip hop sat on top of the castle dayum, I was barely a rapper then came with good intentions on the train with a pad and pen and that kid, I don’t know where he went to and truth, I can’t remember half the shit he went through I see the pictures and all that I think is its not me I ran from that person, buck naked and scott free (?) He and I, we don’t share the same vision the same spectrum, the same prism He was black and white friction and non fiction I understand now life is contradiction Like life is wonderful, but life will punish you life is beautiful, sometimes there is funerals……

And it goes on. It’s not necessarily the lyrics themselves, but the meaning behind them. The love/hate relationship with hip hop and life in general. The lyrics have been my “soundtrack” for the year. “Mission Statement” is easily one of my favorite tracks of the year. The rest of the album is very good as well, worth checking out.

Favorite Tracks: “Mission Statement”, “I (No) O U”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bajeone

9. Solo X aka Solo For Dolo – Black September EP

Sounds Like: A Rhymesayers MC met up with a female version of Chino XL and had children, the offspring would be SoloX.

Summary: Every so often, listening to something you see posted on a forum pays off. I found SoloX’s, Black September, on the Philaflava forum (which really does have some talented musicians on it) and felt they were five strong tracks found on the EP. SoloX is a hungry MC, and you can tell by the way he attacks to tracks on this EP. Most of it is just him flexing his lyrical skills, but the beats are also quality as well. Nice first impression, the kid is on my radar for the future.

Favorite Tracks: “Just To Let You Know”, >“Black September”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/solofordolo

8. Pillowtalk Politiks – Pillowtalk Politiks

Sounds Like: A midwestern version of a poorman’s Tribe. Not saying Pillowtalk Politiks are like Tribe, but they got that same vibe, mellow, smooth, jazzy shit.

Summary: I’d rank Pillowtalks Politiks self titled EP right up there of favorite things I had sent to me this year. This Minneapolis crew sent me this unmixed version of their EP back in January, and it’s held on to get played every other week or so still. The beats are laid back, on the mellow tip, it’s a great EP to sit back and relax to. I’m waiting to hear more from this crew in the upcoming future.

Favorite Tracks: “Ezer Is Never Was”, “Not Preaching”.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pillowtalkpolitiks

7. Blueprint – Blueprint Vs. Funkadelic

Sounds Like: The Funkadelic Monster puked all over Blueprint’s studio…don’t worry, it’s a better thing than it sounds.

Summary: Weightless Records is kind of like QN5 for me, they always provide dope releases nine times out of ten. Blueprint has always been pretty dope, whether he does his own solo thing, or he was rhyming over RJD2 beats, ‘Print is one of the better MC’s out there that probably doesn’t get his just due. I’m a BIG fan of funk production, like the old Redman, Keith Murray, and Erick Sermon albums from back in the day. Blueprint’s Blueprint Vs. Funkadelic is like those, but on GHB, Anabolic Steriods and heroin. It’s supercharged, but it’s funkin’ dope. Sorry pun on words, but for free, you can’t go wrong with this release.

Best Songs: “The Day To Day”, “Don’t Make Me Laugh”

myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blueprint

6. Little Vic – Each Dawn I Die (no Link)

The Exorcist (Prod By DJ Premier)
The Evil That Men Do (Produced By Buckwild)
Caked Up feat Kool G Rap

Sounds Like: Vic sounds like someone that would have been in the Mobb Deep crew about 10 years ago. He comes with the classic, raw NYC sound.

Summary: I wouldn’t have called “Each Dawn I Die” an EP if Little Vic himself said in an interview with WYDU earlier this year that he calls it an EP….or an shortened LP? We’ll save face, and since three of the tracks were already released, we’ll call it an EP, and a damn good one at that. I slept on this initially, until I had to interview him. After that, I listened to this EP/Shortened LP quite often for the next couple months. Dude stepped his game up and I look forward to more from this NYC MC, New York hip hop isn’t dead yet.

Best Songs: “Sister Morphine”, “The Exorcist”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/littlevicc

5. Atmophere – Sad Clown Bad Spring 12

Sounds Like: Sounds like Slug & Ant

Summary: Bring your hate, I could care less. Slug and Ant drop their fourth of four EP’s, spanning the four seasons. I would give my nod for the best with Sad Clown, Bad Summer, but Bad Spring might be my second favorite of the batch. The beat for the lead off track, “Less One”, is more than just a bit ill and would have sounded great on ….Paint That Shit Gold. The EP sounds a lot more like some of the material found on that full length release, the same sound, the same mood and the same style. A nice companion EP.

Best Songs: “Less One”, “Carry Me Home”.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/atmosphere

4. Analogic & Rashid Hadee – Serenade For The Moment (sorry, no link)

Sounds Like: Rashid Hadee sounds like….I can’t really compare him to anyone. Not that he is truly original, but he does have his own sound. Analogic sounds like a cross between M-Phazes and Khrysis of JL and another New Jers producer, K-Def .

Summary: I’ve long been aware of Rashid Hadee from his appearances with his group, Chapter 13 and his Neblina Records releases. His not the most lyrical MC, but he is a entertaining MC, one that can hold my ADD attention span fairly well for an MC. This pairing was a great idea, as these are some of the best beats I’ve heard Hadee over. Analogic is a newer producer on the scene. In the vein of soul producers, but he has grown beyond that in my opinion. A very talented producer and one to keep your eye on in the future. Serenade For The Moment contains seven dope tracks, that will appease hip hop fans.

Favorite Tracks: “Explode”, “Serenade For The Moment”.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/rashidhadee
http://www.myspace.com/analogic

3. Has-Lo & Small Professor – Fuck Has Day: Remixed But Still Fucked

Sounds Like: Has-Lo sounds like Elmer Fudd on the mic and Small Professor’s beats sound like Howler Monkeys trapped in a garbage can being beat with a baseball bat…otherwise, download it and find out for yourselves.

Summary: What do you get when you combine WYDU’s favorite “new artist” with our favorite “new producer”? You get Remixed But Still Fucked. Small Professor first made noise last year with winning our “Best Free Album” of the year award with his version of Jay-Z’s American Gangster, better known as Crooklyn Gangster. I wrote all about the original and the remixed version earlier in the year, so I won’t rehash it. I will say that I look forward to hearing a lot more from both of these artists, and hopefully this won’t be their only co-effort together. Something tells me it won’t be. Something tells me this won’t be the last we see from either artists on these lists this week as well.

Favorite Tracks: “Hands”, “Molotov Cocktails”

Myspace: Has-Lo - http://www.myspace.com/loreso,
Small Professor: http://www.myspace.com/smallprofessor

2. Kooley High – Summer Sessions EP (Sorry, no Link)

Sounds Like: They got that North Kakalak sound…..(See Interview Coming Tomorrow)

Summary: One of the guys, or associates of Kooley High (I’m still not sure which one or who…haha) sent me this EP back in February or so. It’s still getting play four months later. That should say something about the quality of this EP. If you are into the Justus League sound and the overall sound coming out from North Carolina, then you should be checking out this EP. Consisting of six members, including a female MC, Kooley High should be the next thing to come out of North Carolina when they drop their full length later this year. Y’all been warned.

Favorite Tracks: “There You Go”, “Water”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kooleyhigh

1. Has-Lo – Fuck Has Day

Sounds Like: A dash of Wu-Tang, a smidgen of Prodigy (pre-50 Days), with a sprinkle of all raw east coast MC’s.

Summary: There is no favoritism going on here. Yes, Has does some work at WYDU, but I’ve been trumpeting the greatness of the his Fuck Has Day EP before that ever came down. This EP brings quality raw hip hop to the table. Has’ slow, drawn on rhyme style fits well over his somewhat sparse, yet complex beats. It’s proof that you can hip hop can sound both old school, with a new school spin on the sound. Has’ rhymes encompass everything from humor of “Fuck Has Day”, to an ill concept on “Hands”, in which his hands take over. He even touches on lost love on, “All’s Fair”, for all the grown folks that have been through that same shit. It’s an excellent EP and I’ll keep telling everyone that hasn’t heard yet to get off their ass and give this a listen.

Favorite Tracks: “The Usual Way”, “Prelude”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/loreso

One thing I haven’t done much of lately is out and out writing, and I kind of miss it. The main reason I started doing this blog was to write down what ever crazy thought I may have as well to talk about the music I’ve been posting. I was always about quality over quantity and in some ways I’ve turned this into one of things I was against. Since starting this new job, 11 of my daily hours is spent either at work or in commute, Monday through Friday. When I get home, I take a couple hours to unwind, play softball, jog or ride my bike, and usually get something to eat. By the time I sit down at the computer to type something out, it’s 9:00 or 10:00 pm and often I’ve stayed up past midnight or even as late as 2:00 AM typing something so I can post it the next morning before going to work. And for some reason, I’ve gotten this crazy idea that I need to post something everyday and lately it’s been twice a day. Of course, I’ve been taking the weekends off, simply so I can do something other than working on a blog….but then of course, I end up trying to stockpile posts, typing up interviews, conducting interviews or trying to conjure up some kind of idea. Then of course lately, I’ve gotten this bright idea to have a post at night AND one in the morning. Then to top it off, I have some other side projects, working with other artists and just simply trying to make this into something bigger, whatever that might be. Just like tonight, I told myself I was going to sit down and play some MLB2008 and go to bed at a decent time, yet here I am, yammering on about who the fuck knows what

I’m kind of torn whether to do posts three times a week or so, with more write ups, or continue the way I’m going. It might come off as I’m some kind of work-aholic, which anyone that really knows me knows that isn’t the case. I actually lean toward the lazy side, even if I have to say so myself. I guess that I have a lot of love toward this blog and toward the music. I haven’t really been this motivated toward something in….well, probably ever. Regardless, I’m got somethings that involve more writing coming in the near future. It just takes some time, so if you want your old WYDU back, there will be some fall backs here and there. I tell people I’d get burnt out….if I had the time. Alright, enough of the pointless dribble. Actually this post doesn’t contain a lot, at least not yet, but somehow I bet by the time I get done, I’ll have posted this and that.

Random Ramblings…….

Peak Street Magazine

One thing that happened recently, WYDU with Polarity and myself are writing a monthly article for new Australian hip hop magazine, Peak Street.

We are writing our own monthly column entitled appropriately “Wake Your Daughter Up”. The debut issue was on the Knucklehedz, which will probably look REAL familiar to the heads that have been with us for awhile, since we jacked it from what we wrote here almost two years ago and built on that. I also have my first published interview with…..well I won’t say who just yet, but I’ll just say it’s someone from the indie boom of the mid/late 90′s that should be in the newest issue of Peak Street that should be hitting news stands soon. If you are the Southern hemisphere, be sure to check out Peak Street. It’s a real nice mag, one of the better ones I’ve seen in a LOOOOONG while, and I’m not just saying that because I’m associated with it.

Kidz In The Hall – Drivin’ Down The Block Video

I’m not sure what to think of this. First off, I’m wasn’t a big fan of the Kidz debut album. It wasn’t horrible, but I never got into it. Secondly, haven’t I heard this before? First the Clipse, then the Cool Kids and now Kidz In The Hall…..is this the new thing? I kind of dig the vibe, but I don’t need this to take off into the next fad, which it kind of looks like its doing. BUT, the positives, I think, is that MTV has apparently latched on to this video as it debuted at the #6 slog on TRL. I guess that counts for something since I’ve heard a lot worse….and I mean A LOT worse on TRL before. It’s also another reason that leads me to think this isn’t the last we see of this simplistic, neo-Miami Bass, hipster music.

Did They Finally Get a Clue?

I don’t know how much some of you pay attention to the the industry shenanigans, but Clive Davis , the head dude at SonyBMG got ass canned this week. Why am I mentioning this? Well, simply put, Clive, what to be fair was great at what he did at one time, was a “good ole boy” in the music industry. He was an example of how things USED to be done. Anyone that buys music, owns an iPod or surf’s the internet knows that the recording industry hasn’t been the same for at least three or four years. What worked in the 70′s to sell albums and artists does NOT work now. The major labels, such as Sony has been fighting this tooth and nail since it all started happening, but I see this as a sign that they finally figured out that it’s never going to be the same and are going to try to adapt. We’ll see, but the fact is the industry will shift with or without them.

New Killarmy Related Music

Atmosphere in Da House….or On The TV

I’m a big fan of the new Atmosphere album, so it’s good to see that Slug and Ant are getting some of the national attention that the deserve. I’m a few days late on this, but in case anyone sits around this weekend watching TV, check them out on MTV as well.

HIP-HOP DUO ATMOSPHERE IS MTV’S “52 BANDS/52 WEEKS” FEATURED ARTIST

Who: Atmosphere formed in Minneapolis , Minnesota in 1993. Members include Slug (Sean Daley), the rhymer, and Ant (Anthony Davis), the producer. The duo has received much critical acclaim throughout the years, with Rolling Stone commenting, “One can feel Atmosphere loosening modern hip-hop from its moorings and yanking it into some weirder and far more interesting place.”

Atmosphere’s most recent album, When L if e Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, was released on April 22. The album sold 36,000 copies in its first week and landed at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200. Atmosphere is currently on a US tour throughout the end of May, and will play a number of European dates in June.

What: Atmosphere is MTV’s “52 Bands/52 Weeks” featured artist for the week of May 5. Atmosphere will receive 11-hours of exposure on MTV through a series of video promotions, a few of which feature a lemonade stand—a play on the group’s newly-released album title. The video clips can also be seen on MTV.com, and an exclusive clip
of Atmosphere performing “You” is available here.

When: Atmosphere on-air promotions will run on MTV throughout the week of May 5.

Reminder

The task is quite simple, remix the Smile Rays track “Chicken”. The contest is aimed at some of those trying to get their name out there. Sorry no MPC’s or new tables, but we do have a few things hopefully worth competing for.

The rules are as follows…..

– Any kind of equipment can be used.
– Must be for the FULL song…need more than just one verse with a beat.
– Submit all beats by MIDNIGHT EST the morning of May 18th (Friday/Saturday).
– Send all beats to travglave@yahoo.com, include your name (what you go by), what equipment you used to make the beat and the email address you’d like to be reached by if you are not already using it.
– Try to make beats be between 256kpbs and 128kpbs.

Prizes Include:

– Winning remix will be played on both the Smile Rays myspace page and website (exposure).
– A feature piece on WYDU in the future (more exposure).
– A Smile Rays prize pack which would include a CD, shirt, Vinyl, and stickers.

Chicken Accapella
http://www.zshare.net/audio/116989811f119c44/