It's A Rap: My Love Affair With Hip-Hop Music

On Break....

2008-10-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

This blog is on a bit of a break until I get my creative mojo back... Things just ain't the same for gangstas...

For the time being, feel free to browse through the archives...

CAPTION THIS

2007-08-08T07:52:00.000-05:00

Looks like LL doesn't like the view from the back....

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LL COOL J

Public Enemy Comic Books?

2007-08-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

I'm SO late with this post, but I still wanted to give a heads up to the Public Enemy comic books being produced by American Mule. Has anyone purchased one of these joints yet?

"Public Enemy" #0
Exploding onto the American music scene in 1987 with their debut album, "Yo, Bum Rush The Show," Public Enemy quickly became the most important hip-hop act to ever take the stage. The music and lyrics were as hard hitting and biting as the political messages they contained, and the group quickly rose to the top of the rap food chain where they've maintained a presence ever since. With lyrics that name-dropped Marvel Comics characters like Thor and Namor, it was quickly apparent that someone in the group was also a comic book fan. The fan was the founder and front man for the group, Chuck D, a former graphic design student turned rapper/political activist. Now, twenty years since first declaring that he swings a hammer like the Mighty Thor, Chuck, Flava and the rest of Public Enemy are set to be immortalized in comic book form with the first licensed Public Enemy comic dropping this summer.
The series is written by Chuck with I. James Bomb, from the S1W's, and Professor Griff also providing story concepts and editorial support. Art on the series will be handled by by Adam Wallenta. A special #0 preview book that includes a short story as well as character bios will ship to comic shops this June from American Mule Entertainment. The book is 22 pages and retails for $2.99. Issue #1 of the series follows in July, a 40-page giant sized edition for $3.99. From that point forward the team will settle in to a bi-monthly publishing schedule, shipping 22 page full-color books every two months for $2.99. [Read more here]

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Public Enemy

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This Is How I Chill With Souls Of Mischief

2007-08-02T14:55:00.001-05:00

What better way to ease back into my love affair with hip-hop than with Souls of Mischief? These lyrical poets hailing from the East Oakland, CA have me cooling out to their 1993 hit, 93 'til Infinity. There have been times where I've listened to this song over and over, but let's check the history behind this classic hip-hop group...

Souls of Mischief is a four member alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California, that is also part of the hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics. The Souls of Mischief formed in 1993, and comprise rappers A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai.

Oakland native Tajai began rapping with future band mate A-Plus at age 8, while both were in elementary school. Tajai and Phesto met later in junior high school. Tajai later introduced A-Plus and Phesto to the remaining Souls of Mischief member, Opio, and the group informally formed in high school before making their major label debut on Jive Records with their well received album, 93 'til Infinity, in 1993.

93 'til Infinity is the group's highest charting album to date (#17 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums; #85 Billboard 200), and in January, 1998, was named one of the Top 100 Rap albums by The Source magazine.

The group continued with Jive for one more album, 1995's No Man's Land, before being released from the label during that same year.

In 1995, following the release of the group from their major label contract with Jive, the group officially formed the alternative hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics, with rappers Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, Jaybiz, and producer, Domino.[2] The group participated as full members in both Hieroglyphics' studio albums: 1998's 3rd Eye Vision, and 2003's Full Circle.

The group has released two albums on the Hiero's self-owned independent label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings, 1999's Focus, and 2000's Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution.

In an October 30, 2006 Hierocast (Hieroglyphics' official podcast), Del tha Funkee Homosapien reported that the Souls of Mischief were currently working on their next studio album with Prince Paul (De La Soul, Gravediggaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School).[Source]

Wow, fourteen years later and I'm still chillin to this joint...

Souls of Mischief - '93 til infinity

Souls of Mischief - Never No More

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Souls of Mischief

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Ten Years Later... Life After Death: The Movie

2007-07-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

So I'm checking my email (yes, I'm a little behind), but I found this press release about the Life After Death: The Movie, which goes on sale today. Now, first off, I'm thinking, what else could possibly be said about Biggie's death. Then I read the synopsis from the movie's myspace:

Notorious BIG introduces his FAMILY [childhood friends] from Bedstuy, Brooklyn as Junior MAFIA [Lil Kim, Lil Cease, Banger] with their debut album "CONSPIRACY" - BIG's best man, Damion Butler a/k/a D-ROC is the unorthodox manager. Suif Jackson a/k/a C-GUTTA is their confidant.

BIG's murder in 1997 leaves D-ROC to manage Kim, Cease and JM -- the crew live, work and travel the world together as Kim becomes the breadwinner. TEN YEARS LATER, [Kim, D-Roc, Gutta] find themselves co-defendants in a federal indictment over a 2001 shootout at NYC'S HOT 97 radio [resulting from Kim's rival w/ rap nemesis FOXY BROWN.]

Despite only grainy video surveillence tape and NO WEAPONS found, [Kim, D-Roc, Gutta] are sent to prison as Cease and Banger testify against them for the Prosecution. Fact or fiction? Friend or foe?

This is the FACTUAL "story behind the story" of FAMILY, LIES and BETRAYAL told by the most explosive "never-seen" archive footage in New York hip hop history -- FOOTAGE THAT WAS LOST DURING THE TRIAL, WILL FINALLY BE EXPOSED TO THE PUBLIC AND THE SHOCKING TRUTH WILL FINALLY BE REVEALED --

Hmmm, I'm always down for a good documentary and judging from the footage, there's definitely a story here that needs to be told. Check out more video here:

Life After Death Movie Trailer Windows Media Stream

Lil' Kim Quiet Storm Live Performance Windows Media Stream

June Is Black Music Month, But What Does This Mean For Hip Hop?

2007-06-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

Of all the blogs that I like to ramble in, this one is by far, the hardest to maintain. Point blank. I'm stuck! Sometimes, I come here more to read past entries than to create new ones. It's like what can I say about this genre that hasn't been discussed on ten trillion other blogs. Then I think about my own personal experiences with hip hop and there's so much more that I can (and need) to share. Especially considering it's Black Music Month. In the music industry, Hip Hop has gotten all the attention when it comes to radio airplay, but on this here blog, I spin the tunes that I feel should make music history. So who's been rolling around in my mind? (Drum roll please) Pete Rock and CL Smooth. I wrote about them last year, but nothing explains my current mood for hip hop music than their song, Lots of Lovin'. I'm (im)patiently waiting for this current generation of hip hop to give me a tune that I can make love to. And no, I don't mean make love in the physical sense, but more so, love making of the mind. Two people enjoying the excitement of word play, but hey, summer just started so maybe I'll get lucky in love...

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blackmusicmonth

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Jam Master Jay's Murderer Found?

2007-04-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Suspect Named in Jam Master Jay Mystery

Be Sure To Watch This...

2007-01-21T22:35:00.000-05:00

HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes takes an in-depth look at representations of manhood, sexism and homophobia in hip-hop culture. This groundbreaking documentary is a “loving critique” of certain disturbing developments in rap music culture from the point of view of a fan who challenges the art form’s representations of masculinity. Leading rap and hip-hop artists including Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Russell Simmons are interviewed—and pressed—to answer some difficult questions about the violent and sexually explicit content of many hip-hop songs and videos. HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes premieres on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens on February 20, 2007.

Read more about the film here

Watch the trailer here

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hip hop

Dead Prez: It's Bigger Than Hip Hop

2007-01-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

First let's check out these lyrics from Turn Off The Radio:

What's on the radio, propoganda, mind control
And turnin it on is like puttin on a blindfold
Cuz when you bringin the real you don't get ro-tation
Unless you take over the station
And yeah I know it's part of they plans
To make us think it's all about party and dancin
And yo it might sound good when you spittin your rap
But in reality, don't nobody live like that
You wanna know what kinda nigga I am?
Lemme tell you 'bout the nigga I'm not - I don't fuck with the
cops
Platinum don't mean that it gotta be hot
I ain't gotta love it, even if they play it a lot
You can hear it when you walk the streets
How many people they reach, how they use music to teach
A "radio program" ain't a figure of speech
Don't sleep, cuz you could be a radio freak (freak-freak
y'all)

Now let me say that I absolutely HATE the radio. When I get in the car, it's either a CD or the Ipod because like M-1, I believe the radio purposely doesn't play the kind of music that folks need to hear and one of the groups I like to listen to is Dead Prez:

dead prez are a critically acclaimed underground hip hop duo of alternative rappers stic.man and M-1. They have become known largely for their hard-hitting style and politically active lyrics, focusing on racism, critical pedagogy, activism against governmental hypocrisy, and corporate control over the media, especially hip-hop record labels. dead prez made their stance clear on their first album, declaring on the lead song, "I'm a African" that the group is "somewhere between N.W.A. and P.E.".

In 1990, M-1 headed to Tallahassee to attend FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) where he and stic.man met and connected due to their mutual love of music and knowledge. "I was soaking up the Black Panther Party as a whole," M-1 remembers. "I learned about their lives and it helped mold me."

"I realized there's a struggle already going on and I have to try to help ride it out," interjects stic.man. M-1's quest for insight led him to join the International Democratic People’s Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) in Chicago for three years while stic.man remained behind in Florida and started getting into trouble. Burned out by the arduous labor of Uhuru, M-1 decided it was time to focus on music and stic.man agreed.

Dead prez transcribed the political education they acquired into lyrical poetry. Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar discovered them in New York and helped them sign a deal with Loud Records. But being the new kids of the block on a powerhouse label like Loud (home to the Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep) wasn't easy. dead prez wasn't always Loud's top priority but that didn't stop them from building a fan base around their over-the-top performances (they've been known to ignite dollar bills and toss apples into the audiences, declaring that they must eat healthily).

So yeah, I'm gonna have my fun this year (and be all sexy), but I'm also quite aware that I must continue to respectively Walk Like a black queen.

Hip Hop

Turn Off The Radio (as performed at D Chappelle's Block Party)

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Let's Rewind: My Hip Hop Artists of 2006

2007-01-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

What we gonna do right now is go back... Back to the various artists that helped to spark the idea of talking about the different ways their music has affected my life. Even though 2006 wasn't the greatest year for hip hop, I can only hope that things show and prove in 2 double-0 7. Either way, I'll be here to ramble about it. Peace & Blessings ya'll...

A
Audio Two

C
Cee-Lo

D
Da Brat
Dirty Rotten Scroundals
DMX

F
Fugees, The

G
Gang Starr
Goodie Mob

H
Heavy D & The Boyz

J
J Dilla
Jeru The Damaja

K
Kid-N-Play

L
LL Cool J
Lords of the Underground, The

M
Masta Ace
MC Lyte
Mos Def

N
Nas
Notorious B.I.G

P
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Pharcyde, The
Poor Righteous Teachers
Public Enemy

O
Oaktown 357

Q
Queen Latifah
Questionmark Asylum

R
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
Roxanne Shante

S
Salt & Pepa
Self Destruction, The Movement of
Sir Mix-A-Lot

T
Tribe Called Quest, A
Tupac Shakur

W
West Coast All-Stars
Wreckx-N-Effect
Wu-Tang

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hip hop

A Listening Party For Hi-Teknology, Vol. 2: The Chip

2006-12-27T13:25:00.001-05:00

I really wish I had the time to review every single album that I listen to, but I don't. So let's just say that periodically I'll post up tracks to albums that I feel are worthy of a listening party. Up first is Hi-Teknology, Vol. 2: The Chip.

Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star.

Hi-Tek started his rap career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album Doom, which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Talib and Hi-Tek clicked immediately, and Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's Black Star (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released Train of Thought (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Talib Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the singles "The Blast" and "Move Somethin'". The pair have yet to release a follow-up album due to creative differences.

The Chip was pretty dope and showcased a lot of underrated emcees. Check it out...

1. The Oracle (Intro)

2. The Chip

3. Keep It Moving (Feat. Dion, Q-Tip & Kurupt)

4. Think I Got A Beat (Feat. Lil' Tone)

5. Can We Go Back (Feat. Talib Kweli & Ayak)

6. Josephine (Feat. The Willie Cottrell Band, Ghostface Killah & Pretty Ugly)

7. March (Feat. Busta Rhymes)

8. Where It Started At (Ny) (Feat. Dion, Jadakiss, Papoose, Talib Kweli & Raekwon)

9. 1-800-Homicide (Feat. The Game & Dion)

10. Money Don't Make U Rich (Feat. Strong Arm Steady)

11. Baby We Can Do It (Feat. Nok & Haze)

12. Let It Go (Feat. Dion & Talib Kweli)

13. People Going Down (Feat. The Willie Cottrell Band)

14. So Tired (Feat. Dion, Bun B., Devin The Dude & Pretty Ugly)

15. Music For Life (Feat. J. Dilla, Nas, Common, Busta Rhymes & Marsha Ambrosius Of Floetry)

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Random Thoughts On The BET Hip Hop Awards

2006-12-18T19:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, so what I'm really late with this, but I guess that's only fitting considering BET was SO LATE with having a Hip Hop awards show. At any rate here are some video clips and my random thoughts on the show (preshow highlights here)...

Welcome to Atlanta.. How appropriate?
It should have been welcome to New York, considering that's where it all started. But it's cool...

This is the first performance of the BET Hip Hop Awards(2006) with Ludacris Jermaine Dupri and Young Jeezy

Remy Ma: Is this the ONLY female MC they could get? Whatever, but her freestyle was cool...

Papoose, Lupe Fiasco, Styles P Cipher Pt1 Freestyle AND
Saigon, Remy Ma, Rhymefest, & Sway Cipher Pt2 Freestyle

Hip Hop is a $14 Billion dollar industry.

Well, damn!

Everything looks so bootleg.

JimJones & JuelzSantana We Fly High

Lil Wayne and Baby - Stuntin Like My Daddy (Live)

BET should stop having awards shows if they can't afford a REAL sound system and a capable camera team.

The Game perfoming "One Blood(it's okay) and "Let's Ride at the 2006 BET's Hip Hop Awards

How fitting that the use this song to end the show... I'm sure millions of viewers walked out when this shit came on...

Walk It Out (Live) - DJ Unk

BET here's a tip... Move the teleprompter closer, you know folks can't read that far away when they're high or drunk... LOL! But whatever, here's a youtube video of the WHOLE show... You make your own conclusions...

BET First Annual Hip Hop Awards 06 (Full Show)

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BET Hip Hop Awards

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Looking Way Back To Questionmark Asylum

2006-12-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

When I started thinking about doing a blog post on Questionmark Asylum, I got to wondering... Would anyone out there remember these four dudes (besides folks in the DC area) because Questionmark made my 90s quite FUN with their cool song, Hey Lookaway...

Washington, D.C., hasn't produced any breakthrough rap stars, which is why Questionmark Asylum remains unheard by most hip-hop fans. The four members -- Mistafiss (Kenny Jones), Rosta Swan (Marcell Gadson), Digge Dom (Dominick Warren), and Ding-Ding (Douglas Francis) -- lasted long enough to release The Album on RCA before fading away. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide

It was nice seeing these guys make it considering not only were they from the DC area, but two of the group members were also members of the same COGIC church as my husband and I...

Nine out of ten rap fans surveyed could not tell Questionmark Asylum from the Pharcyde in a blind taste test. After all, the D.C.-based quartet possesses mad dance skills, has a uniquely tripped-out rhyme style, and sticks to a primarily positive alt-rap approach. Thankfully, all four MCs have their own unique lyrical flows, and The Album ultimately defies easy comparisons. On "Curse of the Q," which laments the loss of their original major-label record deal, they reveal distinct personalities that make the catchy hook and freaky vocal melody even more memorable, with Mistafiss and Digge Dom assuming drum and keyboard duties, respectively, as sidemen Kevin "KC" Campbell and Jesse "Twin" Blanks add guitar and bass to the ultra-funky mix. On "Love, Peace, Soul," go-go music legend Chuck Brown adds distinctive flavor to the acid jazzy mix, while "Get With You" samples Bootsy Collins' classic "I'd Rather Be With You" for a funky reinvention. An impressive debut from unfairly overlooked hip-hop shoulda-beens. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide

I'm still loving this song...

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Questionmark Asylum

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Video from Jay-Z's Hangar Tour

2006-11-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

On November 18, Jay made DC one of his stops on the Hangar tour and although I didn't get a chance to see him, I believe the following videos give you an idea of what it was like to be there. This dude still gets much love from his fans...

Jay-Z Hangar Tour in NY - Big Pimpin, I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me), Show Me What You Got

Jay-Z Hangar Tour in DC - Show Me What You Got

Jay-Z Hangar Tour in DC - P.S.A

Jay-Z Hangar Tour in DC - Kingdom Come

By the way, I'll have a review of the album soon...

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Jay Z Hangar Tour

Lil' John Performs with Elvis??

2006-11-18T00:33:00.000-05:00

Check out the video here...

I couldn't believe this joint... LMAO!

Rapper 'The Game' Arrested

2006-11-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Rapper 'The Game' Arrested (WNBC)

Here's the story:

"The rapper known as The Game has been arrested for allegedly impersonating an undercover police officer, authorities said.

At around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Jayceon Taylor, the hip-hop star known to his fans as The Game, flagged down a Lincoln Town Car at 56th Street and 7th Avenue, police said.

The driver of the taxi, Muhammed Butt, said that The Game claimed to be an undercover policeman and told him to race through several traffic lights on Lexington Avenue, police said.

Police officers pulled over the taxi at 43rd Street and 6th Avenue for driving erratically, at which point the driver told them that his passenger was an undercover officer. After running a check, the officers found that that was not the case."

Listen To Jay-Z's ENTIRE ALBUM HERE

2006-11-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

Click here to listen to the FULL album of Kingdom Come and let me know what YOU think...

BET Hip Hop Awards Airs Wednesday

2006-11-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Grandmaster Flash, T.I., Honored (WaPo)

If you don't mind spoilers, here's an informative article about what went down in Atlanta at the first annual hip hop award show for BET. I'm definitely going to ~~critique the hell~~ watch the show on Wednesday...

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
The Associated Press
Sunday, November 12, 2006; 11:23 PM

ATLANTA -- Grandmaster Flash breathed a sigh of relief after being recognized for his turntable expertise, and T.I. finally believes the South has gotten some respect.

The Atlanta-based rapper, who was up for eight nominations, was a winner in three of the categories at the first-ever BET Hip Hop Awards on Sunday. T.I. won best hip hop video, CD and MVP of the year honors.

'You can't hate on hard work and talent,' he said. 'This awards show will show people a lot about where I come from.'

Grandmaster Flash was honored with the I Am Hip Hop Icon award. When Flash received the award, he gave recognition to all other disc jockeys who he has met, saying being a DJ was better than rapping.

'To get an award for my technological ability means a whole lot more than anything else I've accomplished in my life,' he said.

When hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs took the stage, he offered brief words for R&B singer Gerald Levert and Ed Bradley, who both died last week. Bradley, the award winning '60 Minutes' correspondent passed away at 65 on Thursday. Levert, who was known for his sensual, romantic songs, died at 40 on Friday.

"Let's celebrate their lives," Diddy said. "People will forever miss y'all."

Rappers Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri and Young Jeezy teamed with super-producer Lil' Jon to kick off the show with the 2001 hit, "Welcome To Atlanta." Dupri, who won best producer, said he felt humbled for having the event in Atlanta.

"For the awards to be in my city and I win something for producing, it's exciting," he said. "The outcome was something I could never imagine."

In his first act as the host, comedian Katt Williams stood in a blue suit and red tie behind a wooden podium with a sign posted on the front that said, "President Of The Hip Hop Nation." He said some jitters set in before the show.

"It's a good thing I was nervous," Williams said. "Being around hip hop helps me though, because there's a type comfort I have around these great artists."

The award show airs Nov. 15.

___

On the Net:

http://www.bet.com

Gang Starr Got Real Mass Appeal

2006-10-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

It's interesting where music will lead you. One moment I was listening to this and the next I was reciting the lyrics to Gang Starr's Mass Appeal:

No way you'll never make it
Come with the weak shit, I break kids
Step into my zone, mad rhymes will stifle ya
Lines like rifles go blast when I kick some ass
A lot of rappers be like one time wondas
Couldn't say a fly rhyme if there was one right under
Their noses, I hate those motherfuckin posers
But I'm so real to them its scary
And with my unique skills nah you cant compare me
And no we dont make wack tracks
And all the suckas get pushed back when I'm kickin real facts
I represent set up shit like a tent boy
You're paranoid cause you're my son like Elroy
And you'd be happy as hell to get a record deal
Maybe your soul you'd sell to have mass appeal...

Aww, damn, now I'm seriously depressed. When you have albums like Full Clip, which is pretty much the musical history of Gang Starr, one can only appreciate what it is they brought to music:

Gang Starr is a hip hop duo composed of MC Guru and DJ Premier based in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 1987 by Guru, DJ 1,2 B Down, Mike Dee and various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on the legendary Wild Pitch label.

In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with DJ Premier (then working under the name Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape which Guru apparently liked. He invited DJ Premier to join the new founded group and in the same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest". With that line up, Gang Starr went on working together for six albums, a 2CD "greatest hits" compilation and numerous singles and soundtrack contributions. As of 2006, another best of compilation is planned by the group's former label EMI for a christmas release, entitled Mass Appeal: The Best Of Gang Starr.

During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York City hip hop sound. The entirety of Gang Starr's catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1991), Daily Operation (1992) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well-respected among critics and hip hop heads alike. Their track "Jazz Thang", featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues, helped establish the sound of jazz rap, although they themselves consider their sound solely straight hardcore hip hop.

Maybe I'm just too emotional, but the lyrics to "Mass Appeal" speak volumes to what's (STILL) going on today in music...

Gang Starr - Mass Appeal

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I've Given Up On Hip-Hop Too...

2006-10-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Why I Gave Up On Hip-Hop (WaPo)

I love Lonnae. She has always been an inspiration to me on my quest to be a journalist and her latest op-ed, which speaks to her own love affair with hip-hop, just proves how dope she really is. Although my sons are 4 and 2, I've already taken steps to 'hide' my love/hate relationship with hip-hop by changing radio stations and blocking BET/MTV on our TV because I fear that they will 'internalize toxic messages' (and yeah, I know what you're thinking -- they are too young to know what they are hearing -- BUT you'd be surprised at the number of kids under 5 who know more rap lyrics (and dance moves) than they know they're ABCs). But enough about me, here's an excerpt:

My 12-year-old daughter, Sydney, and I were in the car not long ago when she turned the radio to a popular urban contemporary station. An unapproved station. A station that might play rap music. "No way, Syd, you know better," I said, so Sydney changed the station, then pouted.

"Mommy, can I just say something?" she asked. "You think every time you hear a black guy's voice it's automatically going to be something bad. Are you against hip-hop?"

Her words slapped me in the face. In a sense, she was right. I haven't listened to radio hip-hop for years. I have no clue who is topping the charts and I can't name a single rap song in play.

But I swear it hasn't always been that way.

My daughter can't know that hip-hop and I have loved harder and fallen out further than I have with any man I've ever known.

That my decision to end our love affair had come only after years of disappointment and punishing abuse. After I could no longer nod my head to the misogyny or keep time to the vapid materialism of another rap song. After I could no longer sacrifice my self-esteem or that of my two daughters on an altar of dope beats and tight rhymes.

No, darling, I'm not anti-hip-hop, I told her. And it's true, I still love hip-hop. It's just that our relationship has gotten very complicated.

When those of us who grew up with rap saw signs that it was turning ugly, we turned away. We premised our denial on a sort of good-black-girl exceptionalism: They came for the skeezers but I didn't speak up because I'm no skeezer, they came for the freaks, but I said nothing because I'm not a freak. They came for the bitches and the hos and the tricks. And by the time we realized they were talking about bitches from 8 to 80, our daughters and our mommas and their own damn mommas, rap music had earned the imprimatur of MTV and Martha Stewart and even the Pillsbury Doughboy.

And sometimes it can seem like now, there is nobody left who is willing to speak up.

Indeed, Lonnae, it is time for us all to speak up. This is one of the reasons why I started this blog, so I could remember how great hip-hop was and to cherry pick current rappers that I feel still make a difference. I am still very hopeful that the future will be brighter for hip-hop... By the way, did you guys catch my review of Lupe Fiasco? He's definitely a rapper worth checking out. You can read that review here.

Woman Says She Didn't Rape DMX!

2006-10-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

DMX & His Wife, Tashera
The Headline Reads: Talk About Your Wildest Dreams (WaPo)

Here's the story:

A Maryland woman whose child was fathered by the rapper sued him yesterday in Prince George's County Circuit Court for his claim in the interview that she had "raped" him in his sleep. Monique Wayne , 25, is seeking $6 million for defamation, false statements and "unreasonable publicity" to her private life, according to a copy of the suit provided by her lawyers.

"Miss Wayne's been completely ostracized," said attorney Stephanie Moran . "She's had to answer questions from friends and family members. You have reporters as far away as Ireland commenting on this." A rep for the 35-year-old rapper (born Earl Simmons ) said last night that he would have to confer with lawyers before commenting.

DMX did not cite Wayne by name in his Q&A with Jamie Foster Brown , but Wayne's 2004 paternity suit -- which Moran said resulted in a $5,000-a-month support agreement -- had been widely reported. Wayne's suit alleges that the conception of her son, now 2, was hardly the passed-out one-night stand DMX described. She says they met in August 2003 at D.C.'s Dream (now Love) nightclub, then spent the night at Hotel Helix, followed by a day together shopping, playing pool and eating crabs at Hains Point. She claims DMX went on to invite her to parties and concerts as recently as this past summer.

"Then DMX turns around and accuses her of being a rapist," said Moran. "That's a serious allegation."

My goodness... All I can say is WHY!?

Is Jay-Z Bringing The Beef Back With Nas?

2006-10-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Jay-Z’s Return KOs Nas (New York Magazine)

As soon as I made my last post, I find this article in the New York Magazine:

Will Jay-Z’s comeback reignite one of the biggest feuds in hip-hop? The Def Jam president and not-so-retired rapper put an end to a long-standing quarrel with revered Queens rapper Nas when he signed him last year. “We’re both excited by what this could potentially mean for hip-hop as a whole,” Nas said at the time. But then the November release of Nas’s hotly anticipated Def Jam debut, tentatively titled Hip-Hop Is Dead … The N, was suddenly delayed until after Jay-Z’s new album, Kingdom Come. Is Nas’s boss bigfooting him to steal his thunder? D.J. Sickamore, an A&R man at Atlantic Records, attributes the delay to Jay-Z. “Nas is talking about how his album is incredible. Nas did not release a press release saying, ‘My album’s not ready.’ ” Anslem Samuel, music editor of the hip-hop magazine XXL, also expressed surprise that Jay-Z would choose to outshine his own artist. “Someone that’s your peer, there should be a priority to do right by him. Especially after the beef.” Reps for Nas and Jay-Z were not available to comment. Nas’s album is expected to be out in mid-December."

Well, damn. What's going on here?

If Nas Ruled The World

2006-10-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

Nas inspires me. I'm not a rapper and I didn't grow up in the 'ghetto' per say, but I've had my hard times and I'm still having problems. Striving in this world ain't easy, so when I'm feeling stressed about it all, I throw on Hate Me Now because, well, I just don't give a damn sometimes and in my opinion, Nas perfected that feeling of not giving a damn with these lyrics:

You wanna hate me then hate me
What can I do?
But keep gettin money
Funny I was just like you
I had to hustle hard never give up
Until I made it
Now y'all sayin that's a clever nigga
Nothing to play with
Hate on me, I blew but I'm the same ol G
People warn me, when you're on top there's envy
Took my niggas out the hood but you doubt on us
Sayin' we left the hood
But can't get it out of us
My bad, should I step out my shoes
Give 'em to you?

Yeah, those are some real motivating words right there, but let's slide into some biographical information about Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones:

Born September 14, 1973, Nas is a prominent American rapper. Raised in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in New York City and the son of a jazz trumpeter, Nas is best known for his 1994 debut album Illmatic, widely considered one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. This album established Nas as one of hip-hop's most profound lyricists, introducing his signature poetic style.

In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of giving in to corporate wishes that compromised the style his fans enamored. Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.

To me, a good rapper is one that can speak to a lot of different situations in this world. He (or she) should be able to speak about power and pain or love and lust, but more than anything a good rapper gives you more than a bunch of bars about tits/ass and from the videos I've selected below, I think Nas is that good rapper who can do it all:

If I Rule The World (Ft Lauryn Hill)

I Can

One Mic

Nas

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JAY-Z RETURNS

2006-10-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Jay-Z exclusive! The world's most powerful rapper returns (EW)

This was a very good ~~and long~~ article, but here are a few snippets:

According to Jay-Z, people should tell the truth, whether they happen to be a multiplatinum-selling rap icon, a major-label president, or a drug dealer. He should know. Born Shawn Carter 36 years ago and raised in Brooklyn's grim Marcy Projects, Jay-Z is the only person on the face of the planet with all three occupations on his résumé. ''In life, anything, just be yourself,'' he says this August evening, largely ignoring the glass of cabernet beside him at the bar of Manhattan's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. ''You don't have to be like that in the record business. You can be conniving and nothing happens to you. But I can't put up a front. On the street, you had to be a straight-up guy, you had to stand by your word. Because something could happen to you...''

Yes, Jay-Z is a man of his word. Except, it seems, when he isn't. In 2002, the rapper declared that his next CD, The Black Album, would also be his last. His future lay not in the beats but in the boardroom. And that ambition became a reality when, in December 2004, he was announced as the new president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. How to explain, then, the news that this fall Jay-Z will release a new CD, Kingdom Come? ''It was the worst retirement, maybe, in history,'' he admits. And then he launches into an impromptu a cappella preview of the title track, which was inspired by a 1996 comic in which Superman comes out of retirement to save the world. The lyrics that effortlessly roll off his tongue may help explain his return: ''Take off the blazer/Loosen up the tie/Step inside the booth/Superman is alive!''

So without further ado, let us welcome, and celebrate, the return of Jay-Z, a.k.a. Jigga, a.k.a. Hova. He is, arguably, the most powerful man in the music business — but without his music, well, he's just Clark Kent.

'It wasn't like a defining moment,'' he says of his decision to make another album. ''Something, when you love it, is always tugging at you and itching at you, and I was putting it off and putting it off. I started fumbling around to see if it felt good.''

It did. Later this evening Jay-Z plans to meet up with hit-machine producer Timbaland to work on tracks ''till we're exhausted.'' That explains why the noted clothes fanatic is attired in nothing fancier than a rumpled white T-shirt and dreck-smeared sweatpants (offset, in a style open only to those with a reported $320 million net worth, by his watch, a $70,000 limited-edition Audemars Piguet). The album's still a work in progress, and the mogul in him doesn't want to divulge too much. But soon his obvious enthusiasm for the project overwhelms his better judgment.

''It's more in the vein of The Black Album than The Blueprint,'' he says. ''I've been experimenting with things, different types of music.'' In addition to Timbaland, Jay-Z has called on the production skills of Kanye West and Dr. Dre. He also hopes to reteam with Rick Rubin. ''Oh, and actually, Chris Martin produced a track on there,'' he adds casually. Yes, Coldplay's Chris Martin. ''We met at a charity dinner and just really kept in touch. He sent me these beautiful chords for this song called 'Beach Chair.' I had Dre put some drums on it. It's really, really incredible.''

Kingdom's lyrics, too, come from a wide variety of sources. A track called ''Most Kings'' is inspired by a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting (which he owns). ''Lost Ones'' finds the man who once rapped about his inability to shed tears dealing with the car-crash death of a beloved relative. ''One of the most crushing things that ever happened to me was losing my nephew,'' he says. ''As you mature you realize that being vulnerable isn't weak. You realize that a man is himself.''

Well, I must say I'm interested to see what C.E.O Jay is going to bring back to the game...

In the I.N.C Ride with Masta Ace

2006-10-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

I think you might know this one...

It's the ride y'all, come on we're goin on a ride
It's the ride y'all, come on I know you wanna ride
It's the ride y'all, come on we're goin on a ride
It's the ride y'lla, it's the I.N.C. Ride

Damn, this joint right here is one of my favorite jams and what better way to combine my two favorite genres of music? Yeah, I know the lines have been blurred lately between Hip-Hop and R&B, yet I love how Masta Ace flowed so perfectly over this sampled track from For The Love Of You by The Isley Brothers (sorta like how Ice Cube used Footsteps In The Dark for It Was A Good Day). He made me wish for a car back in 1995, just so I could go riding around town blasting this shit. LOL, but here's some info on the man we know as Masta Ace:

Masta Ace (born Duval Clear) is an African-American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. Appearing on classic 1988 posse cut, "The Symphony", he garnered notoriety as an unsung asset to the Juice Crew posse, and is therefore, widely considered one on the roster, where he released a number of well-respected albums that were nonetheless little-heard outside purist circles. The single that has earned him the most attention has been "Born to Roll" (a remix to the track "Jeep Ass Niguh", which uses a tweaked Moog synthesizer bassline sampled from Kraftwerk.)

His most recent (and reportedly final) album, A Long Hot Summer, gained considerable acclaim in 2004. He is one of a number of rappers to have mulled over the possibility of operating a record label, and his decision whether or not to quit rapping per se is pending.

In the early stages of his career, Masta Ace was very energetic (cf. "Jeep Ass Niguh", where, tongue-in-cheek, he taunts police officers for their knee-jerk predisposition to harass black youth on city streets.) He also recorded material with a six-member supporting entourage, Masta Ace Incorporated. In light of his newly claimed status as a veteran, he has gravitated toward an earnest, matter-of-fact plainspokenness in the new millennium. Many of the songs that have lent newfound heft to his reputation are simple, no-nonsense rumination on feelings and facts of urban American life, including "Soda and Soap", "Brooklyn Masala" (which highlights a budding romance between Ace and a lovely but reserved Pakistani Hindu immigrant), and "Beautiful".

I've also learned that Ace might be coming out with a new group in 2007. You can learn more about that by checking out their website...

The I.N.C Ride

Born To Roll

Back on Broadway with Sir Mix A Lot

2006-10-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

When I'm riding around in My Hooptie, I can't help but to laugh when I hear Sir Mix-A-Lot's Posse on Broadway. Yet, I still love this joint and his way of rapping in that song was totally different than what I've heard before, but lately it has been resurfacing in current music (although I can't remember what rapper/song it was right now) and before I read this, I would have never known that...

A hook from the title song of his 1988 release Swass is finding a new audience with the success of The Pussycat Dolls' Don't Cha.

Well, damn, looks like Mix-A-Lot is still up in the mix... ~~Okay, that was corny!~~

Posse on Broadway

Sir Mix-A-Lot

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Gangsta Leaning With Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

2006-10-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

After my last post, Jeru helped to remind me of some other dirty rotten scoundrels that I used to listen to alot. This 1993 hit, Gangsta Lean, from D.R.S was #1 on Billboard for six weeks and for those six weeks, I swear, I felt like crying every time I heard it. Man, this joint is truly a classic in my book.

DRS - Gangsta Lean

dirty rotten scroundals

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You Better Come Clean With Jeru The Damaja

2006-10-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

I remember Jeru the Damaja's 1993 song, Come Clean, as another one of my attempts at studying an MC's lyrics. I would rewind and fast forward this song over and over again until I could write down every single word I thought he had said. Back then, it wasn't easy finding the words to songs, but these words Jeru wrote are STILL relevant today. Here's one of my favorite parts from Come Clean:

Real rough and rugged, shine like a gold nugget
Every time I pick up the microphone I drug it
Unplug it on chumps with the gangsta babble
Leave your nines at home and bring your skills to the battle
You're rattlin' on and on and ain't sayin nothing...

Yeah, there's still the same saturation of wack MCs who really aren't saying NOTHING, but in case you don't know who I'm talking about, here's some background on Jeru, a brotha who knows how to rhyme:

Jeru The Damaja (born Kendrick Jeru Davis) is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr whom he has known since high school. He spent his early years in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he has been rapping at block parties since the early days of his youth. He first showcased his hardcore Brooklyn style to audiences on "I'm the Man", a track from Gang Starr's 1992 album, Daily Operation. The following year he released his first single "Come Clean", produced by DJ Premier, which became an instant underground hit. His first album The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994 and entirely produced by DJ Premier, is nowadays being considered a classic. As an interesting side note, the album cover shows the World Trade Center on fire, long before September 11, 2001 attacks. Jeru's lyrics are very conscious, however he was strongly criticised by the Fugees for his explicit lyrics particularly in the song Da Bichez.

The following album Wrath of the Math with DJ Premier in 1996 became an instant hit, and another timeless classic. The lyrics were very clever, and Jeru managed to rap about conscious eastern philosophy and eternal truths while using hip hop jargon [Revenge of the Prophet, Pt. 5]. The Heroz4hire album together with Mizmarvel came out in 1999 was his first album without production from DJ Premier and also his first under his then newly created KnowSavage Records. It featured a song 99.9 Pa Cent, which was a verbal attack on his former affilliates, Gang Starr. Heroz4hire was less critically acclaim due mostly to Premier's absence. His latest album Divine Design in 2003 was the first album under his new record label Ashenafi Records.

Come Clean

Ya Playin' Yaself

Jeru The Damaja

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Vh1.com: Hip Hop Honors Presents Freestyle 59!

2006-09-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Freestyle 59 – Vote for the Next Freestyle Winner

Have you cast your vote yet? If not, here are the five finalist:

Well, I'm excited to see this year's Hip Hop Honors! I've already marked my calendar! (Yeah, I'm pressed! So what? LOL!)

Hip Hop Honors

Mos Def's Katrina Klap (Dollar Day)

2006-09-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

I love this dude. Mighty Mos is on the pulse of what REALLY needs to be said in this world. Check out his video for the song, Katrina Klap, which got him arrested in NYC:

Mos Def Katrina Klap Hurricane Katrina

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J Dilla Still Shining!

2006-09-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

This one is gonna hurt...

I've loved J's music before I even knew who J was. I would listen to songs like Find A Way from Tribe Called Quest or Erykah's Didn't Cha Know, not knowing that there was a man behind these sounds who was a prodigy in his own right. It's quite interesting how I finally found out about J...

Earlier this year, I had just joined myspace and I was surfing around trying to add all my favorite music artists. When I FINALLY found Erykah's page, I was so confused. Why did she have a picture of this handsome smiling man as her profile pic and what in the world were Donuts? As I continued to read, Erykah was telling her fans about a great loss in music and I had absolutely no idea who she was talking about? In my confusion, I headed over to J's page and found this:

It is with great sorrow that the Family and Friends of J Dilla announces his spiritual transition on the morning of February 10th, 2006 in the loving arms of his mother, Maureen Yancey.

J Dilla had suffered for over three years with an incurable blood disease, and had also been diagnosed with lupus.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! How is it that I find him NOW, at a time where he is no longer with us? DAMN! Not knowing J made me question my love for hip hop! It had me wondering who else have I missed while grooving so closely to the artist that I forgot the people behind the beats? DAMN!! For real though, I can't even be mad because I mean even in the face of death, he still held onto his passion for music:

J Dilla kept his illness mostly to himself. Friends knew he wasn't well, but only his mother and his doctor knew how bad things really were: he was slowly dying and there was no cure. Dilla showed his true passion for music by completing his last album, Donuts, from his hospital bed. He reportedly worked nearly constantly, breaking only when the process became too painful. He finished most of the album in September 2005.

I went on to learn:

Donuts was released on February 7th, 2006, Dilla's 32nd birthday, and the first one in years he didn't spend in the hospital. Three days later, on February 10th, 2006, J Dilla died at his home in Los Angeles, California.

Now I know why I didn't know much about what was going on? While wrapped in my own mess dealing with my 27th birthday, J had moved into the spiritual realm a day before. It's funny how all this came to be. Yet with the release of my fellow Aquarian's new album, The Shining, I've made sure that I was on top of my musical game. I attacked all 12 songs with a hunger that can only exist from being starved of good hip-hop music. I devoured songs like Baby (feat. Guilty Simpson & Madlib), Dime Piece (Remix) (feat. Dwele), and So Far To Go (feat. Common & D'Angelo). But for real, the WHOLE ALBUM is tight and like his myspace page says:

He leaves behind a body of work which will be loved and rediscovered for years to come.

Yup, there's no doubt that I have a whole lifetime to savor the flavor of J's Donuts, now that I know what they are...

God Rest Yo Soul, J Dilla!

Learn more about J here
Listen to a Rhapsody sampler of his work here
Due to Dilla's incredible medical expenses, a fund has been set up to provide financial relief for Dilla's mother. You can donate here

Madlib and J Dilla - Spinning Live

J Dilla Tribute ft JOC MAX, Josh Powers, and Miles Bonny

Jay Dee J's Donuts

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Mos Def Arrested!

2006-09-02T11:45:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: MTV News - Mos Def Arrested After Impromptu Performance Outside VMAs

Here's a snippet:

Mos Def was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct Thursday night after an unauthorized performance outside Radio City Music Hall during the Video Music Awards, police confirmed to MTV News. He was released early Friday (September 1)morning.

According to authorities, the rapper pulled up in front of the venue in a flatbed truck at around 10 p.m. for an impromptu show for the people gathered outside. An NYPD spokesperson said officers asked Mos Def and members of his entourage to shut down their operation due to crowd conditions and the overall safety of everyone involved.

(See John Norris' video on Mos Def's arrest here.)

It wasn't clear whether Mos Def (real name: Dante Smith) ignored or refused the orders, the police spokesperson continued.

Sources close to the rapper said Mos Def was performing "Katrina Clap," a freestyle indictment of the Bush administration's slow response to last year's hurricane victims in New Orleans.

Well, alright now! See this is why I LOVE Mos! I was surprised at all the folks ONSTAGE at the awards, who didn't even bring any attention to the suffering that is still going on down there. Big props to Mos for this one!

DMX: The Soul Of A Man

2006-08-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

I was working at Checkers (Damn, I miss the free food!) when I first heard about this new rapper from Yonkers, named DMX. My manager would come through the parking lot pumping X's newest single, Get At Me Dog, and as soon as he stepped into the building you would catch him saying:

What must I go through to show you shit is real
And I ain't really never gave a fuck how niggaz feel...

After a while, it became so common place to hear DMX that we would open the store, cleaning and preparing the place, to the sounds of his music. Nothing really stood out to me until I heard track 17 on It's Dark And Hell Is Hot. I knew then that this man was something different...

I come to you hungry and tired
you give me food and let me sleep
I come to you weak
you give me strength and that's deep
you call me a sheep and lead me to green pastures
only asking that I keep the focus in-between the chapters
You give me the word and only ask that I interpret
And give me the eyes that I may recognize the serpent
You know I ain't perfect,but you'd like me to try
Unlike the devil who just wants me to lie
till I die
Lord why is it that,I go through so much pain
All I saw was black,all I felt was rain
I come to you because its you who knows
you showed me that everything was black because my eyes were closed
You gave me the light and let me bask in your glory
So it was only right that when you ask for this story
I put it together to do our dogs some good
our dogs being,brothers and sisters in the hood
Plenty of times you sent help my way,but i hid
and I remember once you held me close,but i slid
There was something that I just had to see
that you wanted me to see so I can be what you wanted me to be
And I think I've seen it,but I don't feel the same
Matter of fact I know I've seen it,I can feel the change
and it's strange almost got me beating down your door
But I have never known a love like this before
It's a wonderful feeling to get away from the pain
and up under the ceiling I get away from the rain
And the strain that I feel when I'm here is gone
I know real so I wipe away the tears with a song
and I almost lost faith when you took my man Monty,Paso,and Jay's brother Dan
and I fear that what I'm saying won't be heard until I'm gone
but it's all good,cause I really didn't expect to live long
So if it takes for me to suffer,for my brother to see the light
Give me pain till I die,but please Lord treat him right

Lately, I've spent just about every single morning bumpin his new track, Lord Give Me A Sign, on my way to work. This song just puts me in this zone, contemplating over lyrics like these:

In the name of Jesus
Devil I rebuke you
For what I go through
And trying to make me do what I used to
But all that stops right here
As long as the Lord in my life
I will have no fear
I will know no pain from the light to the dark
I will show no shame spit it right from the heart
Cause it's trife from the start
But You held me down
And there's nothing they can tell me now

Yeah, I'm feeling those kinda lyrics, especially with how I've been feeling with regards to the Hurricane Katrina anniversary. It seems as though DMX knew that his song told a bit of how folks were feeling down in the Gulf considering the images he used in the video. Yup, this brotha IS different...

DMX The Soul of a Man

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Crazy Over Gnarls Barkley, But In Love Wit Cee-Lo

2006-08-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

Heads up, this is going to be a long post because of one fact - I simply love Thomas Callaway aka Suga Baby aka Eldorado Lo aka Ralo Eight aka Lorilla aka Cee-Lo Sinatra aka HenniCee-Lo aka Car Belly aka Lil' Buddah aka Cookie Monster aka Cee-Lo Green and when he teamed up with Dangermouse, he added one more alias to this list - Gnarls Barkley. Cee-Lo is to the southern hip hop scene as Nate Dogg is to the west-coast hip hop scene as his voice as appeared on numerous songs, but I first fell in love with his sound when I heard In Due Time, a song he did with Outkast for the soundtrack for the Soul Food movie. With all the sensitivity and motivation that this song gave me, I still didn't feel the impact of this man until I heard One For The Road:

Yeah, mmm mmm mmm, yeah that sho' feel good.
Hello! I go by the name of simply Cee-Lo Green - how do you do?
Welcome. I thought I'd seize this opportunity to tell you a little
bit more about myself if you don't mind. This is my vision.
YouknowhatI'msaying? Check me out now. Uhh

I have millenniums of material and rivers of rhythm
An entire ocean of emotion that's enlightening to swim in
Also a forest of feeling, beaten paths of peace
Trapped inside my silhouette I have to speak to release
Demanding more from the pen than I whore from the pen
The line between playing to win and sin is thin
But I walk it with grace and I talk it with taste
I am that raw, simply put, and I rest my case; it's elementary
Yet far more than resources to pay the rent for me
Everything that I've done is divine
Ask God, he'll tell ya, yeah, he mine
So, you see, you don't need another thug out of me
That is the last thing I plan to be on this LP
But I'ma go slip into something mo' comfortable and continue the lesson
No inconvenience at all, I insist on leaving an impression

So relax, and ride out. Relax, okay, and ride out
Just relax, and ride out. Players, relax, and ride out

I also solicit visual verbalism worth a visit
Intensely exquisite artism inquire all. Who is it?
It's a deliciously daring delicacy I eat to exist
Oh, he's way with those words, I want seconds and thirds
Oh, hush. That's awful kind of you, you're making me blush
I could use some competition, but they not making me much
Man, this beat is like my master, it's making me bust
Hip-hop is suffering, meaning I'm a necessity, if nothing
But you like every other rapper - cornrows and a bandana
But I get a hundred and fifty thousand dollar check
Every three months off Santana
Don't you fuck up, though, my family is the whole side of Atlanta
Now, how can I say? Okay, let me just put it this way
If anyone ever contests my conquest my gun best
Yo son just, takes one time to be one less
Til you run and tell the rest that I'm the best
I sang sweet, but brang heat to bang meat
We all on the same street
And it's not that often I verbalize the essential element of surprise
I am not one of these thug rapper guys
But this one will help you realize, and use both eyes to recognize
The type of action that this amount of money buys
Now listen son, let me drop some shit on you man
I can just "do-do-do-do-do-do-do" and put a hit on you man
With hot heat that will make your heart beat quit on you man
And Mr. Dawson'll find a pretty box to fit on you man

So relax, and ride out. Just relax, young man, and ride out
Hey, you better relax, and ride out. Okay? Just relax, and ride out

I could take that shit all day
But if I only had sixteen more bars to live
I'd get high, and hopefully O.D. on an alternative
I'd give a dim lit dream, a colour scheme
And I'd swim for the sun (so far) no matter how impossible that may seem
I'd bury my feet in the foundation of a forest Becoming one with
everything there
I would be long. I would be right and wrong. But I'd be rare
And then I would pretend I didn't care. Use my fear
And pray that my forever would be fair.
And I love you all, unconditional, I get misty already missing y'all
And then I forgive those who rhyme to kill the time
While mine cultivate the consciousness and
Chill the spine, heal the mind, yet still sublime

So relax, and ride out. Just relax, young man, and ride out
Hey, you better relax, and ride out. Okay? Just relax, and ride out

Hot damn, this song is B-A-D and boy did Cee-Lo kill it over this beat! I love how he shows all sides of himself, from being the family man on Gettin' Growin' to laying it down on 'freaky' jams like Closet Freak, Spend The Night In Your Mind, and Suga Baby. Oh yeah, you can't forget Young Man:

Hey there young man it seems like your sight's been blinded
Oh how I wish you could see
The very life that you're lived been tailored by many and mixed in ability
Oh I wish you'd do more than just keepin it real
Why don't you try being true?
One song could save the life of the young ones dependin on you
Hey young man

Hey young man I understand why you so angry
I grew up exactly the same
Daddy was gone so you had to find your own way
And he's convenient to blame
Despite those circumstances don't you stop standin
Don't Give up whatever you do
Cause just like you once were now your son's dependin on you
Hey young man

Hey there young man why degrade your only sister
And call them bitches and whores?
What if one day someone feels the same way
About that daughter of yours?
Oh if you had one inkling of an idea
Of what they had to go through
Of course she's strong but she's still depending on you
Hey young man, hey young man

Well, I've ran my mouth long enough about this dude, now check out some of his videos...

Gnarls Barkley Goodie Mob Visit their official website

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Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - It's Oaktown 357

2006-08-09T12:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's a given that the lyrics these chicas dished out - or should I say the lyrics that MC Hammer dished out because it's rumored that he wrote them considering he produced the album as well - weren't the absolute greatest, but in the 80s, I didn't know much about lyrical wordplay. I was more concerned with making sure I had the flyest biking shorts and matching shirts. LOL! So naturally when I saw these girls from Oaktown 357, I immediately identified with their flavor and their fly girl attitude...

Oaktown 357

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Runnin With The Pharcyde

2006-08-08T09:05:00.000-05:00

When you've been Runnin' for so long, it's really refreshing to hear a song that matches exactly how you feel inside. Enter The Pharcyde with their alternative outlook on the world of rap. Their history reads like this...

After a live performance of their song "Ya Mama" for Delicious Vinyl record execs, The Pharcyde signed a record deal with the label. "Ya Mama" was released as their debut single in 1991. The foursome, with producer J-Swift, recorded their debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, released in November 1992. The album has highly acclaimed, and became one of the most praised and influential Alternative hip hop albums of the 90's. Sales were moderate-to-good, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1996. Their second single "Passing Me By" became a big Billboard hit, peaking at #52 on the Hot 100. The song was later featured in the hit movie Big Daddy. Problems between the group and producer J-Swift began during the recording of the debut. Swift split from the group before completion of the album [which is why the final recording, "Otha Fish", is the only song not produced by J-Swift]. Swift started a Crack habit, which he is still trying to recover from.

Although Pharcyde has some new material here, I really can't stop listening to their previous songs like Passin Me By and Ya Mama...

The Pharcyde

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The Words & Music of Mr. Tupac Shakur

2006-07-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

I've found myself deep in the world of Tupac tonight. I heard that Only God Can Judge Me tonight. Deep within, it's a hard pill to shallow that this man isn't here. Tonight, I wonder what the rap game would be like if he was here... Tonight, this post is for Mr. Shakur, his poetry and music videos are and will always be relevant in music history...

Can You See the Pride In the Panther

Can You See the Pride In the Panther
As he grows in splendor and grace
Topling obstacles placed in the way,
of the progression of his race.
Can You See the Pride In the Panther
as she nurtures her young all alone
The seed must grow regardless
of the fact that it is planted in stone.
Can You See the Pride In the Panthers
as they unify as one.
The flower blooms with brilliance,
and outshines the rays of the sun.

Fallen Star

They could never understand
what u set out 2 do
instead they chose 2
ridicule u
when u got weak
they loved the sight
of your dimming
and flickering starlight
How could they understand what was so intricate
2 be loved by so many, so intimate
they wanted 2 c your lifeless corpse
this way u could not alter the course
of ignorance that they have set
2 make my people forget
what they have done for much 2 long
2 just forget and carry on
I had loved u forever because of who u r
and now I mourn our fallen star

And 2Morrow

Today is filled with anger
fueled with hidden hate
scared of being outcast
afraid of common fate
Today is built on tragedies
which no one wants 2 face
nightmares 2 humanities
and morally disgraced
Tonight is filled with rage
violence in the air
children bred with ruthlessness
because no one at home cares
Tonight I lay my head down
but the pressure never stops
knawing at my sanity
content when I am dropped
But 2morrow I c change
a chance 2 build a new
Built on spirit intent of Heart
and ideals
based on truth
and tomorrow I wake with second wind
and strong because of pride
2 know I fought with all my heart 2 keep my
dream alive

Poetry copyright © 1999 by The Estate of Tupac Shakur. From the book The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur. Published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

poetry Tupac

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Reminiscing with Pete Rock & CL Smooth

2006-07-10T22:13:00.001-05:00

First, let's toast to a bit of Hip Hop history...

Hailing from Mount Vernon, New York, this DJ-MC duo first made noise in the rap world on the 1991 EP, All Souled Out. It sold moderately well enough to justify Elektra Records clearing the way for 1992's Mecca and the Soul Brother LP. As a producer, DJ Pete Rock (Peter Phillips) tended to prefer obscure soul and jazz sides for sample sources, frequently making use of horn-driven hooks. Lead vocalist CL Smooth (Corey Penn) tended to be philosophical in his raps, and he mostly avoided profanity. Their signature hit was They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”, a dirge for fallen friends.

1994's The Main Ingredient was the follow up, and they appeared on a string of guest appearances for remixes, soundtracks, and other works. Public Enemy, EPMD, Heavy D and Johnny Gill were among the artists they collaborated with, and they can also claim credit for producing (and performing on) Run-DMC's 1993 comeback single '“Down with the King'. Despite all this, the duo failed to go gold on any of their own releases.

Separating in 1995 (shortly after a well-received Sprite TV commercial), they eventually reunited on a handful of cuts from Pete Rock's solo recordings: Soul Survivor (1998), PeteStrumentals (2001) and Soul Survivor II (2004). They also went on a brief reunion tour as a warm up for their then-anticipated new album, which ended with a show at London's famous Jazz Cafe. Despite these intermittent collaborations, the pair has exchanged dismissive comments toward each other in separate interviews, disavowing plans for a full-fledged reunion.

I've got Lots Of Lovin' for these two guys. They stepped into my life back in 1992 and showed me how funky and soulful rap music could be. Their song, Lots Of Lovin' even played for a backdrop to an interesting story...

I just knew I was in love. X and I had been dating for about three weeks and the time had come to complete the ultimate test of young love - he wanted me to skip school and hang out. I was a bit nervous, but the allure of having a whole day with my 'one true love' was too great, so it was on! My boyfriend along with my PIC (partner in crime), LD, came up with the perfect scheme. So the next day came and instead of jumping on the yellow bus as usual, I was hiding in bushes near the METRO bus stop waiting to be taken to my baby.

When I met up with him, we spent the whole day together with friends, riding around to different malls. It was funny how fast that day went because as the sky turned black, my ass was so avoiding the trip back home. I knew my parents had been looking for me because word got around to them from school that I hadn't attended and when the other middle school kids arrived home, I was nowhere in the bunch. Now the time had come to face them because skipping school I could do, but spending the night somewhere other than my house at 14 years old - WAS NOT AN OPTION. I wanted to have fun, not be killed! Walking through our neighborhood that night, I could see the flashing lights of police cars crowding the front of my parent's condo (they had reported me as a missing kid). Damn, this wasn't going to be easy!!! I finally dragged my scared self through the front door at 11pm after pacing back and forth a few blocks away. I don't even need to write what happened next... I mean, I have parents who were both born with southern switches in their hands... OUCH!

After it was all said and done, I spent the next three weeks grounded in my room reminiscing on my preteen adventures, while listening to Pete Rock and CL Smooth's song over and over again... I just knew I was grown...

Pete Rock CL Smooth preteen adventures skipping school

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In Roc-A-Fella News: Jay-Z Holds Online Chat

2006-07-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

Jay-Z, rapper and CEO of Def Jam, answered questions from fans last Tuesday on just about everything in an online chat at Rocfella's company site. In case you missed it, here's an excerpt:

JFB web miss: Why are you doing an international tour?

Jay-Z: First, I really wanted to visit a lot of places I hadn't been. Why not go there and bring the music people have been listening to for 10 years and let them experience that and then see how they react to the music?

greeneyesmami06: What's your favorite part of your job?

Jay-Z: I guess working alongside new artists in the case of Rihanna. That was a year or so process. She came in really green to the industry, and to see her grow and actually become a superstar or to see how big Kanye has gotten is just great.

JDSmallz: Any news on Foxy Brown?

Jay-Z: Foxy Brown has completely recovered and got her hearing back. She will be back in the studio next month

mainy_org:Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Jay-Z: That's hard to say. There are so many opportunities out there, but with every move I make, I always have the culture in mind--so whatever I do is going to open doors for the next generation.

Continue reading part one here

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Jay-Z Def Jam

Will.i.am Questioned in Nightclub Brawl

2006-07-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: Will.i.am Questioned in Nightclub Brawl

Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am was being investigated by authorities in a nightclub brawl that broke out at an after-show party, police said Friday.

Will.i.am, whose real name is William Adams, was allegedly part of a fracas that broke out early Thursday at Berlin's downtown 40seconds club, said police spokesman Ronny Frank.

From what police know, a fight broke out about 1:30 a.m. Thursday between the club's doorman and the group's bodyguard, Frank said.

'A champagne bottle was used, but as far as what the singer did, there are various reports that contradict one another, and it's not yet clear what happened,' Frank said.

All three men were taken into custody for statements and contact details and then released, he said. Police were investigating all three on possible charges of causing bodily injury and causing serious bodily injury.

Police did not release the names of the doorman and the bodyguard.

There was no immediate comment from the Black Eyed Peas, and no statement was posted on their Web site Friday, tabloid newspaper B-Z reported. The Black Eyed Peas were scheduled to play in Montreux, Switzerland, on Saturday, and it wasn't clear where they could be contacted for comment.

Continue reading story [here]

Traffic Violations Land DMX In Jail

2006-06-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

A city court judge in White Plains, New York, ordered the Ruff Ryder back behind bars a day after he failed to show up for a hearing stemming from his arrest earlier this month for a slew of traffic violations.

"As of right now, he's in lockup," a court clerk tells E! Online. Bail has been set at $25,000.

On Wednesday, a ticked-off Judge Barbara Leak issued an arrest warrant for DMX, known on the court docket as Earl Simmons, after his tardiness forced her to put off the proceedings for a second time. [source]

DMX Earl Simmons

Lil Kim To Be Set Free

2006-06-30T19:32:00.000-05:00

Queen Bee Entertainment released an official release today to confirm the various media reports and rumors that Kimberly Jones, aka Lil’ Kim will be released from Philadelphia Federal Detention Center on Monday, July 3rd at 6 AM. She will remain under house arrest for a 30 day period. "I am thrilled to be coming home,” states Lil’ Kim. I thank all my fans for all their letters, as well as my family and friends for all their support throughout the past ten months.” "We are pleased that Kim is coming home to start the next phase of her life. She has accepted responsibility and handled herself in an exemplary manner," says L. Londell McMillan, Entertainment Attorney for Lil’ Kim. [source]

Kimberly Jones
Lil Kim

The Video Tour Of A Tribe Called Quest

2006-06-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

***Warning: A RANT AHEAD.....***

I ab-so-lutely love this group! Quest is what we need right now in music and it's a DAM SHAME that they aren't around to produce any new albums lately! Yeah, I know about the past money issues that brought this group to an end, but goodness, WHY DOES SOMETHING BAD ALWAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO THE GOOD ONES? Okay, okay, I know, I'm lunchin, but everyone knows what these guys offered... SUBSTANCE!

At the time of their inception, A Tribe Called Quest was unique within the hip hop community for eschewing gangsta rap and macho posturing. Their lyrics focused on abstract and social issues such as the word "nigger", date rape and consumerism. Musically, the group helped pioneer the jazz rap style (along with groups such as Gang Starr and De La Soul).

Just about every song out now talks of dealing and pimping and I feel like we need these dudes to come back and break all this up. Quest gave us variety (which is something I know I need right now in hip hop music), they made us dance, they made us think, they made us laugh, but just like that, OVER! Now, what?

A Tribe Called Quest

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Wreckx-N-Effect: Hard or Smooth

2006-06-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

To me, there was something tasteful about the way Wreckx-N-Effect rapped their song, Rump Shaker, which could've been done in such a way that even the craziest video on BET unCut would've blushed. Seriously, how offensive is "all I wanna do is zoom-a-zoom-zoom-zoom
and a poom-poom" compared to the songs today that just cut to the chase with lines like "gimme dat..." Yet, these fellas along with Teddy Riley made me really want to get up and dance. Their 1992 release, Hard or Smooth was constantly in my tape deck! I wonder where they are now?

Wreckx-N-Effect

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Young Jeezy Gets No Love?

2006-06-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

The Headline Reads: They say I can't rhyme -- I don't got to! - Young Jeezy

It seems as though our Jeezy didn't receive that much love at Love this past weekend....

With his hype men doing the heavy lifting on "Go Crazy" and "Trap or Die," Jeezy rapped only when needed, seasoning his stanzas with a quick "Jyeah!" a bemused "Hah-haaahh!" or maybe a smug "That's riiiiiiight!" Sound like a cop-out? No way. Those little signatures are a huge part of his appeal, acting as logos on your ears. But they didn't help the show's momentum. Neither did Jeezy's overzealous DJ, who spent the set ceaselessly tinkering with the backing tracks. It was annoying. It was monotonous. It was exhausting. After 15 songs, our hero sounded exhausted too. That wonderful, gravelly voice had withered from coarse to hoarse.

Personally, I need to see more from this dude before I declare him to be anywhere near Jay-Z's level.

Kid-N-Play: Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody

2006-06-25T02:09:00.000-05:00

Well, my lovely folks at Rhapsody have no tracks available for my guys, Kid and Play, but it's cool. I did find the video to one of my favorite joints - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody!!! Now any fan of Hip Hop music has definitely got to be a fan of the House Party movies and by the looks of this video - It's a Pajama Jam! Gosh, watching this video takes me back to some happy times! ENJOY!

Kid-N-Play house party

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Ready Or Not It's The Fugees

2006-06-23T23:58:00.000-05:00

What can I say? You know the name, you know what they've done, and you know where they're going... Lauryn, Pras, and Wyclef made me so hype when they first came out with Fu-Gee-La. Who knew you could make Teena Marie's "Oh La La" into something so fresh? Only they could do that! They hit me hard with their songs, Killing Me Softly With His Song, No Woman, No Cry, and Cowboys. With living like there ain't no tomorrow, The Fugees never ceased to amaze me. So you better Take It Easy (Radio Edit)...

The Fugees

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Nuttin But Love For Heavy D & The Boyz

2006-06-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

In the 80s, Heavy D declared he was "the greatest entertainer since porno flicks"... Well, Heavy D & The Boyz have surely made it known that they've got their own thang. Hailing from money earnin Mt. Vernon, I found love with their style, delivery, and the dope way they always made their love songs, especially the Got Me Waiting remix! Oh my goodness, I could sing that joint ALL DAY long! These brothas will always be legends in my book!

Heavy D & The Boyz

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Goodie Mob: Bringing Beats For You're Mind & Soul

2006-06-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

Goodie Mob is one of the premiere hip hop acts to come out of the Dirty South. Members Cee-Lo (Thomas Burton), Khujo (Will Knighton), T-Mo (Robert Barnett), and Big Gipp (Cameron Gipp) have all made up the group collectively in different combinations since 1995. All of the members were born in Atlanta, Georgia and the group is based there with the rest of the Dungeon Family, the collective which they co-founded with OutKast and P.A. (Parental Advisory). [SOURCE]

When I think of Goodie Mob, I can't even front, the first line that comes to mind is: Who's that peepin in my window? Pow! Nobody now! from their 1995 hit, Cell Therapy, which came along with a simple drum beat and weird looking video. Since then, this group has given me some crazy hits to learn from and bump to. Such songs as Thought Process, Black Ice, Beautiful Skin, Still Standing, Soul Food, and Inshallah to name a few, but their take on the Serenity Prayer will always be in my Ipod until I'm old and gray....

UPDATED 8/26/06 with Soul Food by Goodie Mob

Goodie Mob

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Rob Base & DJ EZ ROCK: Damn It Only Takes Two...

2006-05-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

It's been almost two months since my last post, but it's not my fault! Hip-hop let me down. Hip-hop made me want to say F-it all and throw all my cds out the window. I've been having some issues with the latest rappers out these days and I just can't shake the fact that hip-hop is changing on me or hell, maybe I'm just getting older and with two little men stomping around, I can't just blast my love for hip-hop all hours of the night. Then again, maybe I can? Chilling in my bedroom, thinking of the good ole days, this song came to me through the R&B fog... I wanna rock right now... What? Who was that? I'm Rob Base and I came to get down... Okay, I think I'm losing my mind. I'm not internationally known, but I'm known to rock a microphone. Damn, It Takes Two! I hadn't heard this song in ages! Then the video began to play in my head... It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it out of sight... Yeah, yeah, yeah, now this is the type of stuff I need to get me back in the groove....

Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock Joy and Pain

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Still Rockin the PRT

2006-03-31T16:09:00.000-05:00

A three-man crew from Trenton, New Jersey, Poor Righteous Teachers are best known for their conscious/Afrocentric message, unique beatscapes, and raggamuffin-influenced rhymes. Their first LP, 1990's Holy Intellect sported the breakout single "Rock Dis Funky Joint," and paved the way for subsequent albums like Pure Poverty and Black Business. Loved by heads and critics worldwide, their distinct sound won them a large and loyal fanbase. Frontman Wise Intelligent dropped an excellent solo record Killin' U For Fun in '96, and a "best-of" compilation called Righteous Grooves appeared in '99. After several years of silence, PRT regrouped in 2001 for the little-heard Declaration of Independance
- Brolin Winning, for Rhapsody

I am still stuck on PRT's first single, Rock Dis Funky Joint, which often slides in between Jay-Z and MFSB on my Ipod, taking me back to a time when rap had a lot more to say then it does today. As I matter of fact, I was watching Ghostface on BET the other day and he was sharing the same sentiments about missing the old days of hip hop. Well, Ghostface, I totally agree with you...

PRT Ghostface

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I Am The Lyte

2006-03-31T15:13:00.000-05:00

Just like that! MC Lyte stepped on the scene in 1988 with her first album Lyte As A Rock and I was thrown into a side-to-side head bop! When you say you love me, it doesn't matter it goes inside my head as just chit chatter.. Ahh man, that's an all time favorite line for me. I leaned over my boombox eagerly trying to learn every word to Paper Thin, thinking of the day when I would be a grown woman, throwing my 10% dis at guys. LOL! Oh the 80s, full of fresh to def beats and gold hoop earrings that my mother wouldn't let me wear, but it was cool, I still had my own music to take me away to the club in my mind and Lyte keep me dancing hard to all her songs. You can Cha Cha Cha to this mardi gra! And I can't forget how it was all about the Ruffneck in 1993! Got who, got a have a what? Yes, Lyte is a certified classic rapper in my book!

MC Lyte

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West Coast All-Stars Tellin It Like It Is

2006-03-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

"Don't you know we got to put our hands together..." I couldn't leave this video out of my blog. The coming together of all these all-stars, MC Hammer, Digital Underground, MC Ren, Dre, Michel'le, Ice-T, Ice Cube, 357, (I think that was them, lol!), and more was cool to see. Also, it was great how they brought a realness to the video by connecting all the point of the video through this little boy who takes a big boy stance, "cuz we're all in the same gang"!

West Coast

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You're Headed For Self Destruction!

2006-03-10T23:56:00.000-05:00

This is the album that needs no introduction. An all-star cast of 1980s hip hop artists, KRS-ONE, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Stetsasonic, BDP, Just Ice, Heavy D, Doug E Fresh and Public Enemy (did I miss anybody?) that came together to try and bring unity to the crime affecting black communities. I love singing along with this song and I appreciate the message now more than ever! Even today, this song is current and important! I can only hope that there are more songs like it! STOP THE VIOLENCE & KICK THE SCIENCE!!!

Stop The Violence

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No...No... No... Notorious

2006-03-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Today is a date in hip-hop history that few should ever forget. Today is the date the voice of Biggie Smalls was silenced. Although B.I.G's music lives on in new releases, there's still something missing, like the swagger of his confidence or the crooked smile he gave while rapping about how hard he was. There is a lot about B.I.G that one could reminisce over, and even though he considered himself, "black and ugly as ever, however", he was one of the rappers I watched grow into such a larger than life icon. The first time I saw Biggie was on Super cat's video Dolly My Baby (remix) and he instantly stood out to me as guy to watch in the rap game... He told about how the Sky's The Limit, kept it real with me when he talked about "weak ass MFs" on My Downfall, or questioned me to really consider What's Beef?. Thinkin' back on it, when I heard Going Back To Cali, I felt something bad was going to happen soon because I knew the West Coast were going to consider that song to be a direct diss track, but IT WASN'T! It was B.I.G having fun, releasing the stress, and showing love for the coast, yet things didn't work out right. But what I know? However I do know, years later, I can't began to fathom all the time that has gone by, how the landscape of rappers out now and days has changed, maybe for better, but most likely for worse, still none will compare to B.I.G. So here's a long kiss goodnight for Frank White... you will always be somebody regardless of the cowards who killed you!

R.I.P B.I.G.

christopher wallace frank March 9th biggie B.I.G

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Here Come The Lords...

2006-03-09T19:44:00.000-05:00

"Lords of the Underground -- Doitall, Mr. Funke, K-Def, and DJ Lord Jazz, along with legendary Queens producer Marley Marl -- released three wildly successful singles, "Chief Rocka," "Psycho," and "Funky Child" in 1992-93, paving the way for their much anticipated debut Here Come The Lords. With diverse, high-energy rhyme styles, razor-sharp cutting, and stellar, sample-based production, the album was a sure-fire hit; however, like many acts who blow up early in their careers, the Lords never fully recaptured their youthful glory. Their 1994 follow-up Keeper of the Funk failed to make much of an impact, and they quietly disappeared. In 1999 they returned with Resurrection, which showcased a more danceable, club-ready sound" - Brolin Winning for Rhapsody.

As I write this post, I'm starting to come to the realization that I'm getting old. LOL! At any rate, LOTU are in my rap history books for being really fast, yet comical with their rhymes. I rocked along with Keep It Underground, Funky Child, and their title track, Here Comes The Lords from their 1992-1993 album, which I STILL listen to today! Boom-Shock-A-Locka, yo here comes the Chief Rockas...

LOTU

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Enter The Wu

2006-03-09T17:23:00.000-05:00

"I bomb atomically..." Wu-Tang got me through some interesting times as a teenager and an adult. When I'm under a lot of stress, who better to relieve it then these guys. From listening to Can It Be.. to Triumph(featuring CappaDonna), I've felt a sense of connection with their work. Maybe it's the brotherhood that all of these fellas share, the love of karate flicks, or maybe it was Da Mystery of Chessboxin... I'm just not sure, but one thing I do know these dudes have created some great music, together and independantly, so Protect Ya Neck because Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit...

The WU

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Roxanne Shante: A Classic Female Emcee...

2006-03-02T15:52:00.000-05:00

"One of the most skilled and popular early female emcees, Roxanne Shante dropped a bomb on the hip-hop world with her classic 1984 debut single "Roxanne's Revenge." Produced by Marley Marl and recorded when she was just fourteen years old, the track was a response to U.T.F.O.'s "Roxanne Roxanne." It sparked more than a hundred "answer records" from various rappers. She became a member of the original Juice Crew alongside Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, and MC Shan. Other hit singles including "Have A Nice Day" led to several solo albums, though none of them blew up as much as her debut. In the early '90s Roxanne retired from rapping to pursue a successful career in criminal psychology. She re-emerged in 2000 to collaborate with U.K. Wall Of Sound producer Mekon, and also spit a rugged verse on "We Live This" from the QB Finest compilation." - Brolin Winning for Rhapsody

Come one, come all, and peep the lady who educated all the fellas about loose women on the track Skeezer, which was part of the Lean on Me movie soundtrack. O Fair Eastside High! I loved that movie and I also enjoyed Shante's revenge on UTFO, proving that the ladies bring much game to the rap world.

Roxanne's Revenge

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Audio Two: What More Can I Say?

2006-03-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

Milk is chillin, Gizmo's chillin, what more can I say, TOP BILLIN, that's what we got, got it good, and since you undastood... Damn, this was my jam. No doubt about it. What more can I say except I didn't care about my sister trying to get some sleep, when I was bumpin this song. I loved what they did to the "Impeach the President" break, and who could forget that they are both related to MC Lyte, yet this album is a real classic for me, taking me back to a time when it was okay to wear my whitewash denim jeans.

Top Billin Audio Two

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Da Brat: Sooo Sooo Sooo Funkdafied

2006-03-02T14:26:00.000-05:00

It's Da B-R-A-T and she still blowin it up! What Chu Like about Da Brat? For me, it's her in your face attitude. She slide right onto the scene with her funkdafied flow, reppin the Chi-Town fa all of ya'll to hear. I remember watching her first video wondering if she was somehow related to JD, because they had the whole “long shirts/baggy jeans” look of the 90s going on. In the 00s, Brat changed the game and came out with a whole new look. It took some time for me to get used to the tight clothes and no braids, but once she kicked her rhymes, the look didn't even matter anymore. This chick is one who gave my girl Mariah her flava, proving it ain't no thang for her to churn out some of the greatest remixes for Ms. Mimi. Da Brat has solidified her place in my book of faves.

So So Def Da Brat

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Public Enemy: Fear of A Black Planet

2006-03-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

Get up, get, get, get down - 911 is a joke in yo town! Big props to the man, Flavor Flav, for doing his thing to hype up the revolutionary lyrics of the infamous Chuck D... Who could forget the crazy spasms that went through your body when you heard Fight The Power??

Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherfuk him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

I remember that summer I went down to Disney World with my family and the entire ride was filled with PE’s Fear of A Black Planet and I think Jane Child(anybody remember her??). I enjoyed looking to PE to bring their sound to the musical, yet social commentary which was so valuable to that time period. And even today PE is speaking out with songs like
Son of a Bush and their song HELL NO WE AIN'T ALL RIGHT, which outlined the travesties of Hurricane Katrina! So don't believe the hype because PE is still public enemy #1!

Public Enemy

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All Hail The Queen...

2006-03-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

It's not just another day when listening to the Queen, it's more of a musical experience with royalty. The year was 1989 and Ladies First was blowing up my tape player and I knew what I wanted to do... I wanted to go outside and stomp all over the fellas with my new queendom. Make them understand that I was more than their bicycle buddy, I was a Lady! Boy was I such the tomboy back then and even now with my two sons, I tend to play rough with them. I believe the Queen had a lot to do with this. She was one of those sisters that made it cool to be rough around the edges, yet delicate like raw silk. She's doing her thing now in movies, commericals, and TV shows. It was such a sad time when Living Single went off the air and wasn't Taxi funny!? Wow, the Queen's Black Reign still knows no boundaries...

Updated 8/11/06 - Here's A video from the Queen!

The Queen

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MOS DEFinitely

2006-02-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

I love the music Mos makes. It takes me to the heart of a hip hop head and at the next minute he's hitting me in the gut with thoughts of a soldier. Especially Umi Says. Black People! My People! Come on and unite! That's what I like! Yeah, that's some real music right there. I believe there was a time when I drove to work and listened to that song over and over again. So mellow, yet hip enough to keep you awake. Other songs I enjoyed were Climb, Mr. Nigga, War, Rock N Roll, and I can't forget The Beggar. I hope him and Talib can do another BlackStar album soon! Mos has such a nice voice too, a singing voice, unlike other rappers I've heard who've yelled their way through "singing". Mos has it, the creativity, the street, the knowledge, and who BETTER to host Def Poetry Jam then this cat! Surely he is another brotha to watch in 06, especially with his new movie, 16 Blocks. Mos will always be on my list of faves!

Mos Def

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PIMP C IS FREE

2006-02-21T23:57:00.000-05:00

Headline Reads: Free & Clear

While doing some late night novel writing, I came across this story in my RSS feeds. Funny that I don't recall hearing anything about this on TV, radio, or nothing! But hey I do tend to sometimes live like a hermit with all this writing...

Salt & Pepa: Still Hot, Cool, & Vicious

2006-02-18T22:15:00.000-05:00

These ladies are the true pioneers of the female rappers. Yes, I know there were others, but these are my girls! Rockin to my mike sounds nice gives me the chance to do my "go-go mickey" dance and I can't forget about I'll Take Your Man! I loved this album, but since then S&Ps albums have yet to move me as much as this first one. Their album Very Necessary was okay, but Hot, Cool, & Vicious is always going to be the smoker for me. I like the way I feel listening to these songs, wrestling with a groove that moves me to Shake My Thang!

Salt & Pepa

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LL Cool J: Nobody Can Rap Quite Like I Can...

2006-02-18T21:29:00.000-05:00

There are so many rappers I could start this blog off with, but I'm going to start with where I began my love affair...And that's with LL COOL J and his 1985 album, Radio. It's amazing how music can be such the connector in your life and even at such a young age, I flowed with Rock The Bells like it was nobody's business. Crazy that Foxy Brown did a remix of this song, but nothing will ever compare to the original! Yet, with his unprecedented legacy of 10+ albums, I will forever consider I’M BAD to be my LL song of choice!! You want a hit, give him an hour plus a pen and a pad! LOL! I still know all the freaking words! Need to get amped, feeling down? This song is the one to throw on and watch all your issues melt away. Forget Oreo, eat Cool J cookies! Today, he has a new ablum coming out called,Todd Smith, but LL, I still can’t live without my radio or should I say IPOD… LOL!

LL Cool J

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It's All About The Raps

2006-02-18T16:34:00.000-05:00

KRS-ONE was once quoted with saying:

"Rap is something you do, Hip-Hop is something you live."

Since 1985-86, I've loved the music, the culture, the sound of Hip-Hop. I can remember watching movies like Breakin and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo wanting to move my body just like them. Even at 6yrs old, I can remember stealing my sisters’ Right On! Magazines to read the latest news on the world of rap music. Today, I am living my life with Hip Hop, feeling a kinship with the force of this music, witnessing it move from the radio to the red carpet at the Oscars, even though how I wish it were for more of a credible reason than Whup That Trick... But still I feel a longing to rediscover all the artists who made me want to "pop-lock", "do the butt", or "brush my shoulders off", so I've created this blog to do just that, to relive some of the moments of hip-hop’s past and its’ even greater future...

Come with me as we walk this way...

Hip Hop KRS ONE