I woke up this morning with Frank Ocean songs running through my head. I did the dishes and made coffee singing “Novacaine.”
But now, its all about “There will be tears.” “Hide my face, hide my face, can’t let him see me crying, ‘cuz these boys didn’t have no fathers neither, and they weren’t crying.”
If you don’t have Nostalgia, Ultra — go get it!
I chilled with a rap/producer guy who came through Humboldt a few times — Myster DL. I always thought he was a nice guy with a gooooood ear for beats. Howzabout this beat and video by DL . . . featuring Sean P!
Filed under hip hop
I cheer for a couple of rappers who have successfully avoided beef. I know that a lot of people still make money through simple controversy, but I wanted to acknowledge a couple of rappers who took the classy road.
I’ve been listening to Big K.R.I.T.’s Return to 4eva all day long. Check out “Sookie Now,” the spicy track that K.R.I.T. rocks with fellow Mississippian David Banner.
You might remember David Banner back when he was rapping and scaring folks as a Southern political rapper. Or perhaps you are one of those liberals who remembers him as the rapper who drove a tractor trailer of water and supplies to New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. Either way, he is an absolute boss, and for a rapper coming up in Mississippi he had to be the paragon.
K.R.I.T. invites him on the track, gives him props in interviews — does what a gracious up-and-comer should do with an elder. Pay his damn respect. The result on “Sookie Now” is just awesome. Banner’s verse is blood-chilling.
Today, the big hip hop news is that Curren$y and Lil Wayne have a collaboration — “Smoke sum’n” — a track released on the 110% badass DJ Drama mixtape Verde Terrace. (Actually Curren$y’s verse is on Verde Terrace, Lil’ Wayne sent in his verse a week later, whoops!).
(Thanks and props to The Smoking Section one of the best hip hop blogs running.)
Curren$y spent time on a couple of labels before meeting up with an appreciative audience. His time with Lil’ Wayne and Young Money resulted in some great tracks. “Poppin’ bottles” and “Where the cash at?” on Dedication 2 are standouts. Despite leaving the label and setting up his own projects, Curren$y passed on every opportunity to attack Lil Wayne and his folks.
I hear some bitterness on the tracks of “Independence day,” but they aren’t explicit Lil’ Wayne slams — they are complaints about the industry.
I guess I’ll add Gucci and Waka to this conversation and note that despite various potential provocation they have never turned on each other that I know about it. Ferarri Boyz get’s a solid 3.5 from this fan — it’s a solid undertaking. But kudos to continuing to build with each other.
Respect to the emcees who take the high road. Those emcees who simply step past the petty bullshit and make good music.
Hey folks, you should respect the Boot Camp Clik. You might not like the BCC, but you should respect.
The breakout album for the crew (even before there was a Clik) was Black Moon’s Enta da stage. Hip hop is Read has run down the beatminer’s great sample hits here. I vote for the Ronnie Laws flip . . . but I’m a sucker for the Laws bros.
Recorded at NYC’s famed D&D Studios, Enta Da Stage’s soundscape is basement rap at its finest. The album epitomizes the aesthetic of raw boom bap, with DJ Evil Dee (and Mr. Walt) truly mastering the art of hard drums, snapping snares and low, deep basslines which can only be described as “subterranean”. Enta Da Stage was Da Beatminerz’ introduction to the world – and what a great first impression they made! The brothers’ crate digging skills are hoisted up for display, well represented by some impressive gems provided by the likes of Lee Michaels, Ten Wheel Drive, John Klemmer, The 9th Creation, Donald Byrd and Ronnie Laws – just to name a few. You can imagine it was quite a pleasure scooping these tracks up for Sample Set #172.
Filed under funk & soul, hip hop
GQ: If you discovered that there were aliens controlling your brain and they were reason why you rapped so well, then…
Gucci: What would I do? Well, I don’t know, what could I do? What are my options?
Filed under communication, hip hop
Someone is paying attention . . . oh yeah, the Guardian. Thanks.
The most extraordinary of the bunch is also the most full-on. They Will Not Control Us, a snarling litany of dispossesion and rage against politicians, police and the media, will be a bit strong for some stomachs – and not only because of the wailing chorus lifted from the Muse track Uprising. By a little-known rapper called 2 K Olderz, it’s nothing if not direct. “Dear Mr Prime Minister …” it begins, “was you travelling on London transport the day the bombs went off?/ How about you go and pay rent to the landlord, earn shit money doing a labouring job?/ We’re living like shit in this country, while you’ve got your feet up living nice and comfy/ Well we know where the problem is, the people acknowledge this: stand up to the politics.”
via Rap responds to the riots: ‘They have to take us seriously’ | Music | guardian.co.uk.
Filed under colonialism, documentary, hip hop, protest
Eli Porter is a disabled emcee whose high school battle video has become a key hip hop trope. Here is the documentary about the actual footage. Complete with commentary from the internets celebrities.
Filed under academics, disability, documentary, hip hop, homophobia, learning, media
I missed polemic rap.
Killer Mike brings it back. “That’s about as dumb as a donkey pulling a tractor/Yes, that’s a democrat diss, I’m a detractor.”
The song is” That’s life II.” Thanks to 2dopeboyz — consistent quality insight.
Filed under hip hop
I’m feeling Immortal technique on this rant. From the discussion of exploitation of musicians to the geo-politics of Bin Laden (Bin Ashcroft?). Don’t forget the vocabulary lesson.
Thanks to 2dopeboyz for the link.
Filed under colonialism, hip hop, media
Life of refinement 