Nation of Thizzlam

Video: Team Knoc "Vinnie Mac"

2009-12-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Team Knoc - Vinnie Mac (Feat. Beez) [Music Video] from on Vimeo.

Team Knoc is back at it again, which is nice to see. This one is an ode to some South Berkeley petty weed dealer named Vinnie Mac. I suppose this no longer constitutes dry snitching, unless this is some sort of parable that went over my head. I would love to hear a San Francisco rapper make a song about Speedy Chink (hey, sorry, that's what he/they called himself/themselves), if this is all the sudden OK to do. Those dudes had the avenues sewed up!

The real star of this song, for me, is the beat, which I imagine was produced by Sirealz. It feels like a bit of a throwback, probably because of the keyboard/saxophone combination. It somehow lends a more somber, mature edge to Team Knoc's music that's actually pretty nice. I'm currently harassing Sirealz via email and Twitter to see if we can liberate and mp3 of this, and I'll post if I get anything.

In the meantime, enjoy this new Gucci Mane track, off of The State VS. Radric Davis, which drops today. It's about how all his material possessions are really heavy.

Gucci Mane "Heavy"

Is it another metaphor for the burden of fame and wealth? Most likely not. Go cop Gucci's album today if you want to see him buy another amazing chain. Otherwise, just download it and hate on it, which seems to be the way of things these days.

Lil 4-Tay Keeps Confusing Me

2009-11-24T23:46:00.000-08:00

I'm Up ( The Drug Song ) from Aris Jerome on Vimeo.

That's right partner, this blog ain't dead.

Nation friend Mister Wheeler hit me off with the links to these new Roach Gigz videos, directed by Aris Jerome, who seems to be keeping busy these days. Though he was just trying to be a nice guy, he has really thrown a fucking wrench into my understanding that Lil 4-Tay is, in fact, female, despite all evidence to the contrary. I was willing to believe it not really having seen him/her all that much, but the above video for "I'm Up" with Roach Gigz really suggests that Lil 4-Tay is a dude. Barring some sort of stunt double situation (unlikely), I really have to say Lil 4-Tay sounds and looks like a dude. He/She also raps about "pussy and pills" and how there's no "pussies around here". The latter statement, taken literally, would suggest he is in fact a he.

The point is ultimately somewhat irrelevant but I felt, for the first time in about a month, like I should dust off the old blogger account and commit some words to internet. The blog isn't dead; I'm busy. It's a nice exercise to post short things like this and realize what a small time commitment blogging about rap truly is in my life. I'm sure I waste more time on Twitter. How sad. So, expect to see this blog continue to bring you the best and worst of Bay Area rap. So long as I'm not too busy.

Below is the video for "My Bitch Look Better". Props to Aris and Mr. Gigz for hardly leaving Fillmore for either video shoot.

My Girl Look Better from Aris Jerome on Vimeo.

Mixtape: "I've Been Watching You"

2009-10-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard the Southside Movement's "I've Been Watching You", I was in the family MPV crossing the Bay Bridge. My older brother had actually tracked down the sample source to "Smoke Dope and Rap" and "Scottie 15" and a growing number of songs where I recognized the ominous bass-loop from. For the longest time, I wondered whether Nickatina had been the first to sample Southside Movement and he was ripped off*. I simply believed Dre Dog to be too good to be virtually irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Years later, as my mp3 collection has grown, and the internet has made searching for things like this easier, I have discovered more and more songs that sample the same song, some before '93, some after.

Backing up, what first struck me about "I've Been Watching You" is what a small part the famous-to-us bassline plays in the song. It's only the first two bars of a completely unrelated intro. The rest of the song is about a guy watching some chick he has a crush on give dudes headers (that's my read, anyway), and it's not hardbody in the slightest.

How could this be? That beat is the realest! No matter what rap record you find it on, the rapper comes with it (Cormega probably being the exception). From Nickatina rapping about smoking drugs and kicking it in SF; Brotha Lynch rapping about drinking 40s by himself with the lights off; Peedi rapping about smoking angel dust in heaven; Yuk and Numb trading bars about dealing dope and hitting licks; Scarface letting you know what you can and can't get away with in 5th Ward Houston; even the tales of trying to pick women up at bars that Rae and Ghost trade can't hide the overpowering sadness of the beat.

The West Coast track, I think, are stronger because they let the sample speak for itself. The East Coast tracks all have a piano or violin loop on top of the bassline, as if that were necessary. This is why Dre Dog will always "own" this beat in my mind. TC (I think he produced most of The New Jim Jones) lets the beat speak for itself, in all its creepy glory.

Without further ado, or blathering about "Smoke Dope and Rap", here is a link to the mixtape, and a tracklisting below:

Southside Movement - I've Been Watching You
Dre Dog - Smoke Dope and Rap
Andre Nickatina - Scottie 15
Andre Nickatina - Scottie 15 (Chopped and Screwed)
Brotha Lynch Hung - 24 Deep
Peedi Crakk - Chitty Bang
Luniz - Doin Dirt
Scarface - PD Roll Em
Ghostface Killah, Raekwon - Camay
Cormega - American Beauty
Children of the Corn - Harlem Nights

Please note that this is incomplete. If you can suggest any other rap songs that sample "I've Been Watching You", I'd love to add to my collection. Enjoy.

*(I also wondered if he got ripped off by a young Puff Daddy; The New Jim Jones came out the same year as Ready to Die, but earlier, and samples both "Between the Sheets" ("Lips" for Dre Dog; "Big Poppa" for Biggie) and "Juicy Fruit" ("The Ave" for Dre Dog; "Juicy" for Biggie))

Will Messy Marv Eventually Have Beef With Himself?

2009-09-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Or does he already?

About a year ago, Messy Marv was still down with San Quinn. As we all know, he is no longer. Now, a year later, he's no longer down with Knockout/Click Clack Gang, his own fucking crew.

Messy Marv, Baby Bin Laden "24 Bars of Death"

Typically, when people count the bars on their diss records, they come up with an impressive number (100, maybe 200). But The Boy Boy either knows that brevity is the soul of wit, or he is quite lazy (I'm guessing a combination of both), because 24 bars is nothing to write home - or name a song - about.

Either way, I'm impressed with this public unraveling that is going on in Messy Marv's career. I don't think he's ever been more interesting to listen to. It will truly become artistic when he finally writes a diss song about himself and actually means it.

Also, it was nice to hear from Baby Bin Laden again. Sounds like he's grown up a bit since Disobayish. You really have to wonder if Baby Bin Laden knows, deep down, that he will be at the business end of a lazy Messy Marv diss track in the near future.

On a completely unrelated note, I find it interesting when San Francisco rappers brag about staying in project hallways, as Baby Bin Laden does in the intro. Virtually every housing project in the city that might have had a hallway has been torn down and replaced with townhouse style housing projects, and most of those are painted in pastels. Geneva Towers, Army Street, Valencia Gardens, whatever those Fillmore towers were. Even North Beach. There really aren't any project hallways in San Francisco to speak of. I guess that "I stay in them pastel townhouses" just doesn't sound hardbody enough, even if it technically is. All I'm saying is, pay attention to how certain types of housing stock evoke certain connotations in rap music, and how much rappers lie about their surroundings to sound tough.

Video: Cellski "I Said"

2009-09-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Fresh off holding down the grill at Jacka's celebratory barbecue, Cellski is back in music video-land, holding down the 200 block of Randolph as usual. He manages to make the neighborhood about ten times as interesting as it actually is, which is impressive ("cause in the 'View, there really ain't shit to do").

This will be on his new album, which will be called, in all seriousness, Chef Boy Cellski.

I get the reference, but I do appreciate a little bit more wit when it comes to naming your album the same way you might design a tall t-shirt that turns a cereal (or in this case, canned pasta) mascot into a drug dealer. There really is no play on words here, at all, except that "Ardee" and "Cellski" end in the same sound, almost.

This reminds me of a shirt that my friend Clark claims to have seen, that had Count Chocula on it, and simply read "Count Chocula: The Bay". No play on words, nothing. Just "Count Chocula: The Bay".

Despite not being impressed with the album's title, the cover artwork looks HILARIOUS, and I trust Cellski to put out a few bangers. I just hope he doesn't AutoTune the whole thing.

Nah, Right?

2009-09-21T09:09:00.001-07:00

Don't get my hopes up, Cellski! We all know what happened to that Lil Flip mixtape...

EDIT: Just recalled that Cellski and Stevie Williams have been linked up in a certain sense in the past. Anyone ever watched 411 Volume 36 might remember this Chocolate commercial:

Cellski and Stevie Williams pair nicely. I would really love to see this come together, but I don't have my hopes that high.

Put the Phone on Your Butt...

2009-09-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

...it's a booty call [||].

Click here to download the long-awaited Buckets and Booty Calls mixtape from Mr. Roach Gigz (link courtesy of the man's twitter).

SF Rappers Make Videos at Skatespots, Sometimes

2009-09-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

This is Dorrough (as in "cream on the inside, clean on the outside" Dorrough) and some guy named Young Lot, who appears to be from Sunnydale. The beat is a sort of update of MC Breed's "Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin", and the song itself is nowhere near as good. What I find interesting is that he seems to have filmed a big portion of the video at the Potrero Del Sol skatepark in the Mission. It's not like he's particularly hip or anything; he is clearly too large to skateboard. What is slightly stranger is that he shows no love for SF's true first skatepark (if you don't count that bowl in Hunter's Point), Crocker Amazon's Chilly Bowl. Being from Vis Valley, apparently, it would make more sense for him to just go up the street and film at the neighborhood spot, no matter how much it sucks.

Big Rich, at it again, pretending that he is already popular, despite the fact that he really is not a good rapper. Anyway, in some unfinished rap music video "plot" point, Big Rich meets up with all his buddies at Raoul Wallenberg High School, but it goes nowhere. Maybe Big Rich wanted to get a last shot at ollieing the Big Four (PS - There's a wiki page for the Big Four!?!?)?

Then again, he's much too fat, just like this picture of what is supposedly a Mac Mall Mac To The Future commemorative skateboard, which you can buy, for $85 dollars at RapBay.

You know, none of you guys got me a birthday present, and I did just snap my board...

Video: Jacka and Andre Nickatina "Glamorous Lifestyle"

2009-09-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

This came out maybe two weeks ago, and I missed it. Basically, Jacka rides around the East Bay wearing some obnoxious streetwear, meets up with Andre Nickatina, who is wearing two-thirds of a three-piece suit, and then goes to a barbecue where Cellski mans the grill, and E-40 is playing dominoes. Husalah makes a cameo, too. It actually looks like a great fucking time, which is odd, because I always sensed something dark in that song.

Hella Money...

2009-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

...on Craigslist

Remember when these Bay Area remixes used to be good?

1. Da Oowop "Craigslist Money (Arab Money Remix)"

As you might have guessed, it's about practicing the world's second oldest profession on what is damn near the Internet's oldest website. It also sounds like they had to use some knockoff shareware version of AutoTune. I would have appreciated a mention of the Craigslist Killer making business harder, or referring to dollars as "roses" in those ridiculous postings, but this guy is just awful at rap.

Just like this song, Craigslist is a fucking mess. There was a great article on Wired recently explaining all of CL's problems. Da Oowop is only the tip of the iceberg. I took craigslist's shittiness for granted for too long; it is truly absurd that we depend on this poorly designed spammer's paradise for housing, jobs, and - for some - "love".

2. Dorrough "Ice Cream Paint Job"

Unrelated: My current Southern rap guilty pleasure. I'll take a tardy pass on this.

3. From the Inbox

Complex from the 707 writes, in response to the last post:

"Whoever wrote that Murder Dog article is retarted [sic]. Lil' 4-Tay is Rappin' 4-Tay's SON. Also Roach Gigz' mixtape to be released is called "Buckets & Booty Calls" NOT "Buckets Of Booty". Just thought as a Roach/Lil' 4 fan I should straighten that out."

The plot thickens! Still, he is right about that Buckets of Booty nonsense. Though if I were Roach I might wonder whether that might be a better name for a mixtape.

This all has me wishing that I were, somehow, a Gender Studies major at Wellesely, but not really. Think about how much your professors would eat up a paper about a female rapper from San Francisco who blurs gender lines so successfully that no one can even agree on her gender, though no one really cares whether she's a guy or a girl. You could probably get a fucking book deal out of something like this, and Gender Studies majors would have heated debates about it in their discussion groups facilitated by stocky, mustachioed female TAs who go out of their way to use words like "heteronormative" and the gender-neutral pronoun "Ze", and so on and so forth.

Whoever thinks of a good title for my contribution to the ever-growing field of Gender Studies gets the dedication page of my book.

The Real News Here is that Murder Dog is Available For Free Online. Also, New Rap Music

2009-09-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Whoa! I still have a music blog! But do I still have an audience? Time will tell...let's listen to some new Bay Area rap.

The Pack "Kimbo Slice"

Over a classic stripped-down Young L beat, the youngest in charge trade rhymes about pretty much nothing at all. This one will sound great in your car, especially considering it's hook is swacked from Dorrough Music's "Ice Cream Paint Job", a four-verse song about cars by a guy from Dallas (no shit!). Kimbo Slice, for those unfamiliar, is that street fighting dude, who was loosely affiliated with some pr0n websited, and knocked a dude's eye out of his socket once. That's a hard hit.

Young L, OT, Lil B, Boogz Boogetz "Let My Wheels Spin"

Who the fuck are these guys? It's Young Dro's voice on the hook, slowed down. Seeing a pattern? Between Messy Marv and The Pack, I've been hearing a whole lot of Bay Area rappers outsource their hook writing abilities to the South. Now, I know outsourcing labor costs helps your bottom-line, but don't you lose a little bit of authenticity? Also, think about all the great hooks that The Pack has written! Seriously. Their marketing guy tried to get me to post the PREVIEW to the video for this, but I hella ignored him. He can feel free to let me know when the whole thing is out. Looks fresh.

Roach Gigz, Lil 4-Tay "Mainey"

I seriously didn't know that Lil 4-Tay was a girl until last week, while reading the feature in Murder Dog, which I can embed below:

July 2009

.

I still can't tell while listening to this (it's very possible that I don't have the artists right). Anyway, can chicks really be mainey?

Clyde Carson, The Jacka "Popular Thugs"

Clyde Carson just released his Base Rock EP. As I suspected, about half of it was inexcusably softhand, other tracks were just old. This one was news to me. If you want to remember why you were convinced a few years ago that Clyde Carson could have been a household name, check this one out. Just remembered that all those signed Jacka albums are still in a box behind my bedroom door. Whoops...

Stacks On Deck Money Gang "Gucci Louis"

Soulja Boy is a household name. Isn't that something? Still, try to not enjoy this one.

I've Seen More Queso...

2009-08-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

...than a taqueria table

New Roach Gigz! Courtesy of the homey Mikey at Digital Dripped. I just realized that I don't read Nah Right anymore, and I think it's because Digital Dripped is basically the West Coast Nah Right. Is that too much? Anyone else not read Nah Right anymore? It's kinda liberating [||]. I mean, I know I'm missing out on a lot of shitty New York rap, but I haven't missed it. Anyway, on with the music.

In honor of Mikey, I'm gonna limit the editorial content here to DD-style ratings:

Roach Gigz "Gassin Em" (Very Hot GAS!)

Roach Gigz "Booty Call" (Very Hot Andre Nickatina Homage Slapper)

No word on whether these are gonna be on Buckets and Booty Calls. If they are, well, that's probably good news. If you're feeling these, check out Digital Dripped for a few more from Roach.

Messy Marv Flip-Flops on a Key Issue

2009-08-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Please allow for a big preemptive "no homo" on this whole post.

While listening to that new Prices on my Head, Thug Money on Your Family mixtape (which is more or less all I do these days, having been furloughed from work for most of this month), I stumbled across this song where Messy Marv brags about his talent for, uh, cunnilingus. It even has Lil Wayne's sped up voice saying "she bout to get ate" over and over again, for the hook. He never, you know, uses the word cunnilingus or any other recognizable slang for said sex act, but he does talk about "putting [his] mouth on her" a lot. He even, at one point, boasts that women are scared of his mouth, which is quite a claim. Listen for yourself:

The Boy Boy Young Mess "Untitled 8"

That's all well and good, but it got me thinking, "Didn't Messy Marv have a really tasteless song about NEVER going down on women a few years back?" Of course he did. It was called "Neva B Right". It features, instead of a chipmunky Wayne, an incredibly hokey R&B hook where some no name singer crooning about how it will "never be right" to "eat it". E-40 and Yukmouth also chime in about how they get head a lot but don't reciprocate. Bad as most rap-about-sex songs are, this one might actually be my least favorite.

Messy Marv, E-40, Yukmouth "Neva B Right"

Is there a larger significance to this flip-flop? Is this the invasion of the beta-male rap ethos in the Bay Area scene? Did Messy Marv do some soul-searching about his selfishness in "the sack" [||]? Is Messy just a turf-hopping cokehead? Does he remember that he vowed never to do this? On wax, no less? Next thing he's gonna make a song about how much he loves bad breath, the Crips, Obie Trice, and San Quinn.

"He say he got a house around his neck, guess what?..."

2009-08-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

"...Ni&&a houses hella cheap, the market's so fucked up" - The Boy Boy Young Mess

So goes my favorite Recession Real Estate related rap line ever. Jeezy had a close runner up with his adlibs about how "these ni##as steady building condos!" on "Crazy World", which more or less points out the flip side of the same coin, but it just isn't as funny, nor does it rhyme. Here is the song in question, off of Prices on My Head, Thug Money on Your Family Vol. 2, which actually came out last week. No title on the tracks, either.

"Untitled 2" The Boy Boy Young Mess

He goes on to diss both San Quinn (for not having a chain) and Mistah FAB (for getting his chain snatched constantly). Though, if I recall correctly, Mistah FAB faked a chain snatching by the North Dakota bloods (maybe Nebraska, maybe crips, who cares), and then actually broke his chain when he almost died on I-5. Still, Mistah FAB is hella annoying, so I appreciate the diss.

Aside from the disses, this song also has a hilarious premise: that people will tuck their chain when in Marv's presence out of shame, not out of fear that he will rob them. After all, why would he want your cloudy-ass chain?

"Untitled 10" The Boy Boy Young Mess

This song is just great. Marv describes how white people think it's a real "bummer" that he has so many cars, and how his watch is so large is makes his wrist look like a Samoan. It's typical nihilistic, lazy Messy Marv (which might have been why the Messy Marv macros worked so well, in retrospect), but he even gets a bit self-deprecating at the end. He mimics the voice of vaguely Middle Eastern 7-11 clerk who chews Messy out for constantly asking for free blunts, and even calls him a "faggot". "STOP ASKING ME FOR THINGS! THIS IS 7-11!". Messy has proven himself to be one of Bay Area rap's best comedians when he lets down his guard. This song really showcases his talent.

Husalah "Pray For You (Radio Extended Mix)"

This is Husalah's first song since getting out, which I'm sure you've already heard, but this version has an extra rap on it. Alas, you can't hear him cuss on it, because it's made for the radio. When was the last time you had to really go out of your way for the "dirty" version of a song? This feels so circa-1999, taping-singles-off-the-radio to me. Either way, if you're curious to hear more Hus, check this out.

The Pack "Touch It (Like an iPhone)"

Young rappers' obsession with consumer electronics is starting to get to me. This even extends to the "retro" or "hipster" rappers who differentiate themselves by talking about pagers and brick phones. It's all the same shit. Did 90's rappers ever rap about having MiniDisc players, or an ill LaserDisc setup at the crib? I don't remember it if they did.

All that aside, this song is pretty fucking great. I challenge you not to laugh out loud during Lil B's verse (with him, not at him). Maybe you will even by reading it:

Touch me like an iPhone, play her like an iPod/
brandangdangdang, on like a nite-lite/
yeah she pays my phone bill and she suck my screen (?) too/
oh my god! she bought my ringtone, too!/
I'ma fuck her right now BAM BAM BAM BAM/
Itchy itchy Mitchy Slick; horny like a bopper bitch/
turn my phone on, see all the calls I done missed/
(riiiing) Who is it?/

It kinda goes from there. I'm not sure how I would feel about the "shout-out" if I were Mitchy Slick.

The songs is fun, but I find myself put off at the thought of being touched like an iPhone. If we really take this mean what it sounds like it means, doesn't it sound really upsetting? All the "pinching" and "flicking" does not - to me - seem all that appealing. It almost seems like they should have talked about touching girls like an iPhone? But that, too, is troubling.

"Snitches" AP.9

This one is a few months old, but it seems appropriate to throw it up here. The Bay Area's greatest barber ternt rapper, AP.9, comes through with the eleventyth cover of Too Short's "Dope Fiend Beat" in the last few years. I think that "Dope Fiend Beat" will soon be considered one of the greatest Bay Area rap songs ever made. Despite the fact that it is less well-known than others, it is clearly the rappers' favorite. That's what really matters, right?

Anyway, this song, I also find unsettling because it references well-known lyrics from the Too Short song - which are mostly about getting his dick sucked - and replacing them with lines about violence against informants. It's clever, but weird, considering that we all know the precise lines he's referring to. For example:

"It really ain't a lie, but I just met her/now I'm saying 'Bitch, suck better'" becomes "I really ain't lying, I'm pulling my wetter/now I'm spraying, no matter what the weather".

"I want a blowjob, and I'm not kidding/work it in your mouth til your head starts spinning" becomes "See I don't know y'all, and I'm not kidding/gun up in your mouth until your head starts spinning".

And finally "I just laugh over and over when a bitch drinks sperm like it's a soda" becomes "I just laugh over and over when a snitch starts pointing fingers hanging with the rollers".

AP.9 sat down one day to contemplate how to turn sexually graphic lyrics into violently graphic lyrics, simply because "bitch" rhymes with "snitch". It's just weird to listen to.

Atlas Rapped: Some Thoughts on the Young Cons

2009-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of Ayn Rand, but now that I have the Cliff's Notes version of Atlass Shrugged and The Fountainhead in rap form, I don't think I'll ever need to read either.

Aside from the absurdity of the content in the rap, the video raises a few issues for me as well. For example, why does the taller Young Con (who is mad nicer on the mic than the shorter Young Con) hold a microphone only some of the time, and never at a time that it would make sense for him to be holding a mic (ie, in front of a crowd, or in the "local" booth)? Also, why is there a little dude doing what could only be categorized as Michael Jackson-inspired turf dancing?

I don't know whether it's ironic or fitting that hip-hop - it could be argued - came out of the an environment created in part by the failure of the social welfare programs that the Young Cons hate so much. These are, also, social welfare programs that just don't exist anymore on the scale that they used to (Urban Renewal, things of that nature). Conservatives live in a world where social welfare and taxation is a bigger obstacle to personal prosperity than the corporate welfare that has destroyed the middle class and widened the gap between rich and poor to be wider than it has been in years.

Anyway, the Young Cons use rap as their means of conveying their message against taxation and social welfare, and they don't even use it properly. It is clear from their video, flow, and dancing, that they didn't bother to learn much about rap before taking part in it (the "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" reference is the only evidence to suggest otherwise). So, in the free market of ideas here on the internet, these guys should be buried, because they suck. And yet, due to the farcical nature of their whole "project", they end up on rap blogs, and due to the convenient timing with regards to the debate in the Senate over Health Care (and a Democratic majority in general), they end up on Huckabee's show and Hannity and Colmes, and whatever other nonsense people watch. So, the irony here being that they use rap - a medium in which they are not talented - to tell people that the government should leave people alone and let them live up to their full potential, by being beautifully industrious capitalists: entrepreneurs in what they are good at. However, they aren't good at rapping, yet their raps remain popular for reasons mentioned above.

I would suggest to the Young Cons that they consider employing what their seventh-grade teachers called "show-not-tell", in their raps. So, guys, listen to these Ice Cube songs, and understand what good "political" rap sounds like. You don't have to explicitly "tell" your philosophy in a bullet-point list. That is incredibly boring (except for when it is so absurd, which is the only reason you guys are "successful") Tell me an illustrative story; your point will become clear if the story is good.

Ice Cube "A Bird in the Hand"

Ice Cube "What Can I Do? (Remix)"

Incidentally, Cube is also annoyed with Uncle Sam fucking with his industry, and imprisoning him for taking part in a lucrative business. In this case, however, Ice Cube was talking about selling crack-cocaine. If you ignore your moralistic reflex to point out that crack-cocaine is an illegal substance because it destroys peoples' lives, leads to crime, &c, you can see that Ice Cube and the Young Cons make - more or less - the same point (though Ice Cube's is more nuanced and insightful. "What Can I Do?", for instance, in its name, points out the lack of personal agency that Ice Cube - and others like him - actually have in a "failing society", despite any talk about "Power of the Individual". Really, what can he do when the whole system is designed to put him in prison for life?). Still, they agree that the government should step out of the way of entrepreneurs, so the Young Cons' whole thesis has good precedent in rap music, it's just that their delivery is terrible, and they need work.

However, it would be unimaginable for them to go on Mike Huckabee's show and when he asked them who they listen to they said "Well, Governor, we really like what Ice Cube had to say about how he wanted to kill Uncle Sam on Death Certificate, and how he wishes he could be a productive, beautiful member of society by selling crack-cocaine to whoever could afford it, and - hey - who is the government to tell us what we can and cannot sell? If there was a market for crack-cocaine in South Central Los Angeles in the early 90's, you would have to be a foolish, weak individual to not capitalize on it. So yeah, I'd say Ice Cube is one of our biggest influences. He also had some really interesting things to say about Jews." This would never happen.

Basically, Fox News and all the blowhards who love the Young Cons are the same people who were all flipped out about Gangster Rap in the early 90's. I just think the similarities are funny. Granted, the Young Cons don't talk about wantonly killing a whole lot of people, police, etc, but their line of thinking can certainly be linked to the Right Wing extremist rhetoric that has been gaining ground as of late - and has cost us a number of American lives in recent weeks - with Glenn Beck probably at the forefront. So, let's not say that the Young Cons aren't dangerous in the same way.

The higher irony, perhaps, is that now that we have a black president, it is white rappers who are speaking out against him.

Micromeme: Adding Messy Marv to Photographs

2009-07-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

While I was biding my time online, seeing if there is an official Messy Marv Facebook Page (there is), I stumbled across a fascinating Facebook Group called "Any picture can be improved by adding Messy Marv to it." The creator is a young man named Alex Evans, who attends Bishop of Llandaff High School, which according to my brief research is in Wales, United Kingdom. Perhaps the distance - and general British squareness - leads them to refer to The Boy Boy as a "low-rated rapper". Either way, these Welsh high schoolers seem to think it's hilarious to use MS Paint to insert Messy Marv into various situations, and famous historical scenes. (It seems, this is based on some other (probably 4chan) internet meme called "Any picture can be improved by adding immortal to it" where people add some Black Metal dude into pictures in the same fashion)

Whether witnessing Saddam Hussein's fall, a deadly tsunami, or RFK's death, Messy Marv is made to always seem casually indifferent. Somehow this really makes sense to me, as a Messy Marv fan. Things like this make the internet a worthwhile place. Let's just hope that Alex Evans doesn't get Thug Money on [His] Muh-Futtin Family! To see the rest of the images, check out the Group's page.

The Boy Boy Young Mess "Ask Yourself"

This is off of Prices on My Head, Thug Money on Your Family, Volume 2, which is actually coming out in two weeks. I can't wait.

Attention Music Marketers

2009-07-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Literally every day of my life I receive emails from Music Marketers who try to tell me that I should listen to this artist or that one (Skyzoo? Carlito Rossi? Ashy L Bowz?), or that I should attend a conference on "BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE STREETS AND THE NEW MUSIC INDUSTRY" (seriously), or that I should really be paying attention to what they're trying to tell me, and that unlike the Mainstream Artists everyone reads about on blogs, these guys are the Real Underground, despite the fact that they have the money to hire people to send out E-blasts. which is, for the record, the proper nomenclature for these emails I receive.

Aside from being obnoxious and poorly targeted marketing, a lot of these dudes have terrible copywriting skills. I mean, if it's your job, how are you gonna end up with stuff like this:

"My name is Damien, President of **** ******, a new record label dedicated to making different, cool again. After reading your blog it is obvious that you have not only an ear, but a voice on the street."

Or subject lines like this:

"Tone Trump - "Wifey" (THIS IS THIS SMASH HIT OF THE SUMMER!)"

Aside from being factually inaccurate, that is some hopelessly careless marketing copy. I mean, the subject line is the hook, and it has that glaring an error in ALL CAPS?

Well, I'm here to present an alternative strategy to music marketers that more accurately reflects the realities of the internets, circa 2009. If you want your song to be featured on a blog, you might consider learning how to type properly, but you'd be better off stroking [||] the blogger's ego, instead of telling them what's hot on the streets. Soulja Boy is hot on the streets. But this is not the streets; this is the internets, and the internets is all about self-promotion. So, you need your artist to get ahead, but you can't forget that Music Bloggers are self-important assholes, too. Self-important assholes who, for the most part, don't do this for a living. So, you really have to work hard to get our attention.

For an example of a surefire way to get your music featured on a music blog, watch this new Slap Factory video. Specifically, the shot at 2:08.

People who diss Byron Crawford get their music featured on his blog. It's a smart move for both, because the artists get their music out there, and Byron is able to convince himself and others that his writing has significance outside of the internet. People who shout out the NoT get featured here for the same reason. Keep that in mind, music marketers!

For the record, though, I, too, would love to feature anyone making a diss record on the NoT. Where's Swag Squad at?

NEW HUSALAH!

2009-07-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Produced by Traxamillion (thankfully, he doesn't rap on it!).

Husalah "Pray For You"

Initially, I thought this had some R & B singer on the hook, but that seems to be Husalah himself, which is interesting. In fact, it sounds like he might have spent more time working on his singing voice than writing new raps while he was locked up.

"I don't even gotta rap, that's how dope I am" he claims on the outgoing adlibs, which start at about three minutes into the six minute track. That's true. I just want to listen to new Husalah, regardless. But I want to actually listen to him rap. At least we know there will be more to come.

As far as the production is concerned, it's good, but I worry that Bay Area production is softening up while it's getting more polished. Check out this new Lil B song produced by Clams Casino.

Lil B "I'm God"

Again, Lil B toes the line between coherence and complete stream of consciousness craziness. But the production, by Clams Casino (for those unaware, this is what Clams Casino look like) is on some Enya shit. It's good, but I fear that there's a trend towards softer production in the Bay Area? Like, can you really say this slaps? Just sayin.

Some Muh-futtin Rap Songs

2009-07-01T11:01:00.001-07:00

This man will turn your face into $50,000

The Boy Boy Young Mess "Don't You Think I'm Handsome?"

If you haven't listened to the Bay Area's best-named mixtape this year, Prices on My Head, Thug Money on Ya Family Vol 1 yet, you should reconsider. I always assume Messy is gonna come washed-up, considering all the shit he's put himself through these last few years, but he's always fucking great to listen to. He hasn't changed a goddam thing since Disobayish, and I mean that in a good way. I wonder if he even writes new rhymes anymore.

This one samples Gucci Mane's lyrics from "Freaky Girl" on the hook, and in true Bay Area mixtape hustling fashion, Mess credits Gucci Mane with a feature. Ha! I thought Cellski was the last one to get away with that move. Though, last time I was in SF, at Rasputin's, I think I remember that PoMH,TMoYF was the top seller. It's kinda beautiful that Bay Area rappers can intentionally hustle their listeners and still have a loyal following.

The Boy Boy Young Mess "My Charm, My Chain"

Many rappers have claimed that women only have sex with them for their material wealth, and have even gone as far as to say that women are actually, in a sense, having sex with inanimate objects when they have sex with said rapper (see "Fuck My Car" by Too Short, or "Fuck My Car" by UGK for examples of this phenomenon). Messy goes as far as to say that women actually call his phone asking to speak with his chain on this track. Also, he claims that some women forget to put a condom on his chain when they have sex with it. This is troublesome in a few regards. Is he talking about himself? Is he talking about the chain? Sounds like he's in a messy situation - so to speak! - either way. No matter your interpretation, Messy manages to make it OK to refer to his jewelry as a "charm", which you really have to respect.

New Boyz "Colors"

This song is fun, but at the same time, it says so much about the downfall of hip-hop as an artform (am I getting old?) that it has to kinda make you sad. It's not a cover of Ice-T's "Colors", but they reference it heavily in the hook. However, instead of making a song about the horrors of gang warfare in Los Angeles, the New Boyz rap about how they wear a whole lot of different colors - colors they claim aren't even in the visible spectrum - when they dance in their cul-de-sac. Ice-T's rap career is spinning in its grave, I'm certain.

Philthy Rich "Funk or Die"

This, I assume is the eponymous track off of Philthy's newest album. "Funk or Die", to me, seems a bit confused. Doesn't funk lead to death? Still, Philthy Rich, keeps it really gully here, and his album sounds like it's shaping up to be pretty good.

Roach Gigz "Watch Me Gas (Remastered)"

Roach emailed me a little while back to have me take down the older version of "Watch Me Gas" I had posted. He said it was hella poorly mastered and he had a new version with some new lyrics, and better mixing. He was kind enough to hook it up here.

Mistah FAB "2010 Til Infinity"

Mistah FAB really is better at being a backpack rapper. Why didn't he make this song in 2003 (or wait until 2010?)? Was he too busy trying to bridge the unbridgeable gap between backpack rap and Hyphy? Whoops!

Don't Worry!

2009-06-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

Husalah is alive and well. This is a picture of him with some dude named Gary Archer (who kinda looks like Krondon, but actually white).

Starting on Saturday, there was a rumor circulating around the 'nets, as well as text messages, that Husalah had been stabbed six times in the head, and had died in jail. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, according to NoT friend Floyd (of Anti-Labs) he was recently released from prison, and is now at a halfway house in the Sacto area.

So, in case you're still curious, now you know. Maybe you never knew. Lucky you. Now, let's get back to worrying about when he's putting out an ALBUM, and drop Husalah-related rumors. And I mean all of them!

Here's the only Hus song I could think of that has any MJ going on in it. Seemed appropriate. It's also one of my favorite Husalah tracks that people rarely mention. He definitely gets his Poetry Student flow going on this one with all that talk about the breeze in the hood being his homey's last breath, but it actually works. Give this one a listen if you haven't.

Husalah "Rainman"

Husalah, as it turns out, is OK. Let's be glad.

UPDATE: Husalah took the time out to speak with VladTV. Looks like he doesn't go far from that shitty looking fourplex, which I assume is the halfway home. Watch:

Whoa

2009-06-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

That came out of nowhere.

Michael Jackson "Billie Jean (Chopped & Screwed)"

I always thought that "Billie Jean" sounded better slowed down. Something about the uptempo version just doesn't make sense once you've heard it slowed and thowed. The subject matter is actually dark and heavy shit that just doesn't sound right over a dancey beat - except, of course, the parts about dancing. Check out the slowed version. Rest in Peace to the man.

Does Seminary Go Ham?

2009-06-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Or, more importantly, would we want East Oakland to go as ham as Atlanta appears to go? I raise the question, because Philthy Rich's latest video "Dope Boy" came out the same week as this video, "Trap Goin Ham" by a rapper named Pill (hey!), that has managed to really get the attention/scare the shit out of a whole lot of music bloggers. See for yourself:

Compare that with Philthy's newest video:

Now, I'm not saying Pill made a better video. He certainly didn't have Mitchy Slick in his video (side note: Mitchy appears to be having trouble adjusting to the Bay Area climate. What is up with that crewneck?). But, they did, more or less, make the same video. And Pill's is far more shocking; by comparison Philthy's is kinda boring. Even his dopefiends are less convincing.

But, this brings me back to what makes me most uncomfortable about Pill's video. It is a well-produced piece of work; this isn't some flip-cam nonsense. So, when you see some fat, old alcoholic woman dancing around like a fool, you know she didn't just walk on set, she was most likely invited on set, and encouraged to act like an idiot. I'm not trying to suggest that Atlanta doesn't go that ham, I'm just saying that it's no coincidence it was going so ham when the cameras were rolling. And, further, that Pill more or less humiliated a bunch of elderly addicts in order to benefit his career, which is essentially what the whole enterprise of drug dealing consists of anyway. Guess the rap game is a lot like the crack game, after all.

Philthy showed greater restraint, but he was also limited - as I have pointed out numerous times - by the higher quality of Oakland's housing stock. Sorry, West Coast rappers, you probably can't make a video this shocking. I guess that's the price we pay for being able to speak English with virtually no accent. Sorry, South. You are hard to understand sometimes.

Video: Lil B "Oprah Winfrey"

2009-06-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Lil B's latest song is downright amazing. He jacks Hurricane Chris' "Halle Berry" beat, and makes it about the real dream woman: the richest woman alive. Also, a woman with an influential book club, of which Lil B claims to be a member.

Not only is the rap hilarious, B accompanies it with a slideshow of all the young ass broads who send him semi-nude pics of themselves with his name written on their body (making this quite NSFW, by the way). The irony here is that I am sure Oprah has had a show - or two! - about the perils of "sexting" with mother's horror stories and the whole nine. Here, by broadcasting these semi-private photos (but not really THAT private, considering they make up the bulk of his main Myspace page) all over the 'nets, Lil B makes Oprah and Co's worst fearmongering about "sexting" come true. Brilliant!

Also, here's more evidence that Lil B's bizarre experiment is over, and that he's moving back into Coherent Rap territory, having expanded his mind with those hundreds of Myspace pages.

PS - Check out my Muxtape, hosted by Anti-Labs. I will try to update this thing weekly. Here's my first mix.

Recent Bay Classic: Mob Figaz and Nick Peace Mob Trial

2009-06-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Look at how off-brand this fucking album cover looks. What a joke! Why is Husalah's head bandaged? Nick Peace still produces beats? Those were the thoughts that I had when my older brother Adam (better known to you guys as "big brother") gave me this CD - along with C-Bo's Tales From the Crypt! - for Christmas a few years back.

Boy was I wrong. This album, without really trying to be anything special, is probably one of the best Bay Area albums to come out in recent memory. It occurred to me today that I've never written about the album, nor have I even seen anything written about it, despite how much people write about rap music on The Internet. Maybe if it was called Asher Roth and J. Cole and Drake and Mickey Factz and Cory Gunz and Charles Hamilton and Eskay Present Mob Trial it would have gotten better coverage. Then again, none of those guys (Eskay excluded) were even around a whole two and a half years ago. In another two years, they'll probably be on Nah Right Records, a subdivision of Warner Music Group, where they'll get paid 30 cents a click, or some shit. But I digress.

Why is this album so good? I, for one, think that this album shows what good independent artists are capable of when their albums are more curated, and they aren't a clusterfuck of throwaway verses, recycled verses, and features from bum-ass rappers who you owe a favor to. This album succeeds by giving each Husalah, Jacka and AP.9 (who, despite being a 'lesser' Mob Figa, kills it on this record) a chance to do a few songs entirely solo, instead of with Lee Majors. Or even each other. And, the production is from a seasoned Bay Area producer who never made a Hyphy record, to my knowledge. Aside from this album, Nick Peace has had - to my knowledge - nothing to do with Bay Area rap since Hell's Kitchen came out. That album has Saafir on it. Think about that.

AP.9, Husalah, Jacka "Going 4 Blood"

Classic Nick Peace production on the second track, here. Is that a harp and a synth? Does it sound like you're playing Zelda? Then it's probably Nick Peace. But it makes a nice accompaniment to the hook, where the Mob Figaz flip of LL Cool J's opening lines to "I Need Love":

"When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall/
and in the back of my mind I can hear my rifle call"

I am all for sick gallows humor on rap records, and this album has no shortage of creepy shit, including the titles to the songs.

AP.9 "A Friend of Ours"

AP.9 "Mob Hit"

The rest of the album has AP.9 rapping over crazy bass-heavy, high-BPM bangers, and are some of the more Hyphy-influenced tracks on the album. Still, this production suits AP.9's less lyrical, less religious, less introspective style of rapping much better than the softer Zelda-sounding stuff on this album. The production on "A Friend of Ours" could practically be a Ratatat song. And AP.9 manages to ride them perfectly [||].

Jacka "A Gangsta's Gangsta"

Jacka "Thrones and Crowns"

Again, is that a harp on "Thrones and Crowns"? But what production could better suit a rap song about regretting becoming a rapper? It's really interesting to hear a rapper talk about rap a just another gig, without getting into how selling tapes and selling drugs is really the same thing. It isn't. Of course "Thrones and Crowns" does turn into a somewhat standard gangster rap song towards the end, but there's always that Conflicted Muslim side of Jacka that comes out that makes it all OK.

"A Gangsta's Gansta" is just pure California driving music. I think part of the reason I never posted this music was because this CD never left my car when I lived in San Diego. Also, Mike Motherfucking Marshall is on the hook, so you can ignore the fruitiness of the title. This shit goes.

Husalah "Murder on My Mind"

Husalah "Ways and Means (This is Dope)"

Husalah "Sleep With the Fishes (Boom Clack)"

And finally we get to the three highlights of the album, the Husalah tracks. Hustlin Since the 80's and Dope, Guns, and Religion were both solid albums, but if I were stuck on a desert island, I would rather have these three songs than either of those albums. Maybe not.

"Murder on my Mind" and "Ways and Means" have the same approach to gangster rap that I haven't heard much of since the Geto Boys. The approach is this: I am rapping about killing people over the pettiest things; I must be clinically insane, or a monster. It's rare these days to hear rappers get into the psychology of how sick most of the subject matter is in rap music. He never gets Bushwick Bill-level crazy on the mic, but he says some weird shit.

"I'm not in my right mind, turn animal at nighttime/
fangs grow out my mouth; rifles come out the house/
your life is about your spouse; mine is about the block/
soon as the pipe come out, I'ma just light your knot/
I Shock G's, so you can "Do Whatcha Like"/
go toe-to-toe, but know I bring the pump to fights/
I'll hump your wife, crush your life, fuck I'm nice!/
Emperor Hu-Sellasie-ah, or just Husalah Christ"

The production on "Sleep With the Fishes" is truly next level. I consider it to be meta-production. Postmodernist production. The bassline is the sound of a trunk rattling, and a dude saying "Boom Clack", imitating the bassline that already makes reference to the experience of listening to rap music in your car. Also, this is Hus at his most charismatic. Tons of stolen Too Short lines, and tons of misogyny. His adlibbed speech at the end about how you don't want to be like him - even though he knows you do - is brilliant: "You could be a doctor. You could be a lawyer. Something like that. You don't wanna be no kingpin dope dealer man, getting money man, knockin bitches, candy painted cars."

Anyway, there's my summary of what makes this album a classic for those who haven't heard it. It's hard for me to write about music I really actually like, so bear [||] with me [||]. I'm still waiting on my package of Jacka goods. I hope they actually send it! After that, I will contact the winners of the contest.

Jacka Tear Gas Giveaway

2009-06-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

So I have 5 CDs and 5 posters to give away here, courtesy of the fine people at Stratus Digital Music Marketing. I'm gonna give away a poster AND CD to the first five winners, because I discovered from the fine people at Stratus Digital Music Marketing that I am, in fact, paying for the postage on the return trip. I figured it would be that way, but I'm not trying to send out 10 packages. Have you ever been to the Post Office in Bushwick, Brooklyn? It is a uniquely unpleasant experience. Shit, even in Midtown, some old Chinese lady totally cut me in line by pretending to look at the insurance forms, then jumping into line directly in front of me. I was her mark; she was an old Chinese lady. There was nothing I could do. But I digress.

I decided that a quiz would be the best way to settle this. The fine people at Stratus Digital Music Marketing even offered to have The Jack answer some of my questions, but the only one I could think of was this: My favorite track off of Tear Gas is "Get Ya Top Cooked", what do you think is The Jacka's favorite thing to cook, aside from your top?

And, needless to say, I didn't really feel like troubling The Jacka with my snarky bullshit. He's probably pretty busy right now. So, feel free to answer that as a bonus, and maybe we can get something from The Jacka (maybe even a recipe? I am actually talking about food here) to settle the debate. Here is the actual trivia contest:

THE JACKA TEAR GAS GIVEAWAY QUIZ

1. Pittsburg, CA is actually named for Pittsburgh, PA. Why?

2. Jacka talked about this album a lot before it came out, but it had a different working title. What is it? (Hint: There is a track on the album with the working title)

3. On one of his finest songs, "Never Blink", Jacka raps "got the eyes of a snake, never blink, never cry". Why is it that snakes cannot blink?

4. Husalah makes a cameo in the video for "Never Blink". What does his shirt say?

5. Name three (3) Jacka songs with the word "girl" in the title. Remixes don't count.

6. In the video for "Barney (More Crime)/Feel This Clip", we see a creatively modded steering wheel. What unlikely car accessory has replaced the steering wheel in question?

Alright, that's that. Email your responses to nationofthizz [at] gmail [dot] com ASAPalously to try and win a free copy of Tear Gas along with an autographed poster. First five win, so be quick. This isn't the crossword; I don't care if you Google the answer.

Also, if you don't win, remember that you can buy the album today! Cheah!