You Know What, Nevermind

Hoes Keep Looking

2007-12-09T02:27:00.000-05:00

Gucci Mane f/ Pimp C, Rich Boy & Blaze-1 - "I Know Why"
Back To The Traphouse, 2007

I'm not back yet, but I will be.

The Game Want Me

2007-11-13T01:45:00.000-05:00

Young Dro - "Linkin Park Shit"
Future Legends Vol. 2 Mixtape, 2006

Young Dro - "I'm Rollin"
Future Legends Vol. 2 Mixtape, 2006

"I got so much money my alligators got gators". I haven't even gotten to the new Cam 'cause I've been bumping this fantastic old Dro mixtape. I love the way they double up vocals on "I'm Rollin", with the main vocal growly and the the doubling vocal melodic. It's a great effect. Dro is probably the most likable rapper ever.

Do It In Front Of Cameras

2007-11-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

Federation f/ Tony Hardtimes & Tick - "Bang Bang"
It's Whateva, 2007

Federation - "New Baby Daddy"
It's Whateva, 2007

Isn't it the point of the internet that albums like this don't come and go without attention? What's going on here? Have you heard "Get Naked You Beezy" yet? Rick Rock just goes off on this shit. I mean, this album has it's weaknesses ("Fly Away" is thoroughly embarassing, though even still kind of endearing in it's way), but I have a hard time believing anybody wouldn't enjoy it.

Got Some Issues To Address

2007-11-08T01:36:00.000-05:00

Boyz N Da Hood - "Bite Down"
Back Up N Da Chevy, 2007

I might like rap songs about doing drugs too much. There are some good tracks from this CD.

Hope You're Listening

2007-11-05T20:25:00.000-05:00

Styles, Termanology & Q-Tip - "Stop, Look, Listen"
Statik Selektah's Spell My Name Right: The Album, 2007

My favorite ('cept for maybe the Freeway & Cassidy joint) off Statik Selectah's totally-worth-your-while Spell My Name Right: The Album. It seems like Styles always raps the same verse, and it's always great. Every verse seems to have the same number of punchlines/metaphors (my favorite here, for some reason, "I stay composed like Mozart"), same number of serious life-is-fucked-up lines, same number of completely generic gangster lines. His album from last year was pretty shitty, but I'm definitely checking for his new one. Spell My Name Right often feels like a showcase for Termanology, but I'm a Term fan (ahem) so that's ok. Q-Tip lecture-raps his verse, but it works anyway ("Don't look like a fucking dunce"). The beat is what I love though, it's perfect for this kind of three random dudes rapping type of song.

In That Sucker's Back

2007-11-03T15:09:00.000-05:00

Project Pat - "Finna Start Robbin'"
Walkin' Bank Roll, 2007

Walkin' Bank Roll is a big disappointment, there were at least six songs from Crook By Da Book that were way better than anything off the new one. Shit, I'll even name them, 'cause they are all worth checking out: "What Money Do", "Tell Tell Tell (Stop Snitchin')", "Cause I'm A Playa", "Cocaine", "Purple", "Raised In The Projects". I don't get how Tom Breihan and others can enthuse over the production, it may be interestingly constructed but it's also dull and unvaried, and the hooks are really too lazy (exempting, of course, "Wagon Wheels"). There isn't a single track that jumps out at you, that begs repeat listens. When Pat doesn't get great beats and the hooks lack then it gets hard to pay attention to his singular flow and lyrics. Pretty much I think it's a boring album, and it makes me much less eager for the upcoming Three 6, whenever that comes out.

Duffle Bag Is Just A Seed

2007-11-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

Playaz Cirlce - "Dear Mr. LA Reid"
Supply & Demand, 2007

Playaz Circle f/ Ludacris - "U Can Believe It"
Supply & Demand, 2007

Some tracks I like from the new Playaz Circle CD. I threw a bunch of songs together and made a mix, get it here.

All I Got Is This Big House

2007-10-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

Jay-Z f/ Nas - "Success"
American Gangster, 2007

Trae - "The Truth"
Life Goes On, 2007

It's been a good week. I'm so excited about rap music right now I'm uncomfortable with myself. American Gangster is fucking ridiculous. Life Goes On is exactly what I wanted.

Help Build A Brand

2007-10-24T18:07:00.000-05:00

Big Kuntry - "My Muzick"
Respect This Hustle Mixtape, 2007

Macboney - "I'm Coming (March)"
Respect This Hustle Mixtape, 2007

The Grand Hustle stable LOVE horns. I like them too. The Respect This Hustle mixtape is pretty great, the Grand Hustle B-teamers aren't great rappers or anything but they do what they do well, and it's a very consistent listen, even with the Young Dro originals underwhelming (I still got faith he'll bring it with the album). I like how Big Kuntry says his music is like getting shot in the face. I guess that means it's intense. I actually enjoy Big Kuntry as a rapper, he could get more shine. Macboney doesn't really bring much to the table (besides an awesome name), but the "I'm Coming (March)" beat is fantastic, I feel like it could've been used for a hit for a rapper who'll actually release an album. It's completely made by those hollowed tom hits on the chorus repeats. It reminds me of one those awesome aggressive Trick Daddy tracks. Sorry about the DJ drops on these tracks.

Free T.I.! The Constitution needs to be amended to make explicit the right of convicted felons to bear humongous arms. BONUS TRACK:

T.I. - "Cat Like That"
Respect This Hustle Mixtape, 2007

Am I the only one who cringes everytime I hear him mention an assault weapon?

Taking Inventory

2007-10-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

Little Brother - "Can't Win For Losing"
Getback, 2007

Love the first verse on this. Little Brother try to be about making music with purpose (though my favorite tracks from them are just some hang-out casual type stuff, like "The Getup" and "Good Clothes"), and Phonte vents on how frustrating directing the message can be. The point ends up being that you can't worry about that shit, you just gotta make your music. That's a good place to be. I dig the bass drum thump and hand clap shuffle on the beat too, and the way the track starts is pretty cool. Getback is pretty good. It's the first time I've given a Little Brother CD a full, serious listen.

Like It's The End Of The World

2007-10-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

Lil Wayne - "One Night Only"
The Drought Is Over Pt. 4 Mixtape, 2007

"One Night Only" is the rap song equivalent of this. I've heard rappers spit some shit about fucking your girl, but it's always just in the regular stream of shit-talking. Just another way to assert how ill or superior you are. Lil Wayne gives a cinematic treatment, makes it some high-stakes shit, and that's kind of incredible. "I can make you love me forever", he sounds downright evil on this track.

I Think You're A Hater

2007-10-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

B.O.B. f/ Rich Boy - "Haterz Everywhere (Greg Street Mix)"
Internet, 2007

It's like a budget version of "My Love". The hook on this is my shit. I hope B.O.B. releases an album soon, I think he's like 18 years old or something and is way too good a rapper for his age. Rich Boy: "All that hatin' got you smellin' like some sour milk".

Remember That Shit?

2007-10-16T22:24:00.000-05:00

Big Remo and The Great Novej of the A.L.L.I.E.S. - "Reminisce (Take Time)"
9th Wonder's The Dream Merchant Vol. 2, 2007

I'm a real sucker for these type of unfocused nostalgia rap songs. I enjoy it more often when rappers just lazily and discursively bounce around stray details from the past than when they have some focused message or narrative, like how hard life used to be or they used to grind. And every detail carries a little more weight when it's for "the slain and missing ones". I like how they can just slip in lines that are solely addressed to a very few listeners, "And miss you-know-who/was like a mother to the whole crew/Hi Ma, your boy's gone global", it makes the thing sound legitimately intimate. A good hook is kind of needed to tie this thing together, and "Reminisce (Take Time)" has one, it's tough to deny the effectiveness of lines like "Sometimes I wish I could kick it with you/Now more than ever", and the way the vocals are doubled really helps them jump off the track, gives them a little more emotion than either single vocal could. Easily the best song off The Dream Merchant Vol. 2. I have no idea who Big Remo, The Great Novej, or the A.L.L.I.E.S. are, and I don't really care.

Bonus: reminds me of the classic lines from "One Day", "I saw him once before he died/Wish it was twice, man". And 'cause I just came upon it, "Thingz We Use 2 Do".

I'm So Unhappy, Yo

2007-10-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

I broke my iPod. Do me a favor and don't ask me how. Not even sure now if I'm gonna keep blogging. Enjoy the videos.

You Know, Today Look Good

2007-10-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

8Ball & Devius - "Jus' Ridin'"
The Vet And The Rookie, 2007

I think I too often compare hip-hop to the whole of music otherwise in trying to describe why particular songs hit me. "Jus' Ridin'", for instance--8Ball and Devius may spend the track talking up their paper and their status, but that's not really what the song is about, it's about a beautiful sense of summertime, unqualified contentment. Just the thing to listen to repeatedly when walking through today's preview of the impending Binghamton shitstorm. I don't think other kinds of music can match hip-hop's ability to convey this breezy, everything-in-place kind of happiness. Pop music tries, but to me most pop music seems to lack a human face to it, even great pop music seems less expressionistic.

A couple of notes:

-Still amazing. I remember listening to the Rich Boy album the day it leaked, making it nearly the entire way through when "Let's Get This Paper" comes on and being like "Oh". I listened to the whole 9-minute album version like 5 or 6 times that night, completely bugging out. As much as I love rap, there aren't too many moments like that. I think I read a couple times that Rich Boy paid for this whole video out of pocket, which is incredible. That's somebody who cares about their art. To anyone who shit on Rich Boy without ever listening to his album, as I'm sure a lot of people did, go fuck yourself.

-The "Blue Magic" video is dope, and "Roc Boys" is great. My excitement for American Gangster is reaching near-perilous levels. I'll have to break out the Kingdom Come copy to depress and prepare myself.

I Don't See No End

2007-10-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

Special Teamz - "Main Event"
Stereotypez, 2007

Learned about Special Teamz in the Show & Prove section of the new XXL. The group is three Boston rappers, Ed O.G. being the only one I know, and I don't know nearly enough. I downloaded some tracks from his '04 Pete Rock collabo album in the same year, and they were pretty good, but he has a career dating back to at least '91. He's black, Jaysaun is mixed, and Slaine is white, and they're all from different neighborhoods in Boston. Considering Boston's reputation, this is a significant thing, and it plays in some of the songs. You don't even need to think about it for this track, though, this is the simplest of the simple, three interchangably great verses over a dated Primo beat. The whole album plays very much like this, "Main Event" it's best and barest moment, and it's really worth checking out. This seems like an album the internet "real" hip-hop nerds should get behind, I think it's stronger than the Sean Price or Marco Polo albums that seemed to get more love.

On Some Ghetto Giraffe Shit

2007-10-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

Messy Marv & Mitchy Slick f/ Yukmouth - "On The One"
Messy Slick, 2007

Messy Marv & Mitchy Slick f/ 211 - "2 Bombs"
Messy Slick, 2007

Some Bay music that isn't hyphy. Been listening to Messy Slick a lot recently. I think that "2 Bombs" hook is real catchy, and the bass thump is serious.

Shit So Summery

2007-10-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

TI & Young Dro - "I'm Coming Out"
Mixtapes, 2007

TI and Dro over the "Mo' Money Mo' Problems" instrumental. I'm not mad. "I got a lot of potential, all I need is a push". Weird line to close on. Just some regular stream-of-consciousness rhyming bullshit or baring moment of self-assessment? I tend to believe the former, but it don't matter 'cause it sounds dope. TI barely even tries, sounds like he could be rapping from bed, but he still sounds good. That's what being a great rapper is like.

Spend A Rack At The Fairfield Mall

2007-09-30T21:35:00.000-05:00

Federation - "Get Naked You Beezy"
It's Whateva, 2007

Federation f/ E-40 - "Scraper 2 A Benz"
It's Whateva, 2007

To quote Turf Talk: "If you ain't with this hyphy movement, fuck you". I'll probably write about this album after I give it a full listen, obviously it will be reviewed favorably. These songs start good and become awesome by the end.

Uplifted

2007-09-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

Coughee Brothaz - "Don't Get Me Wrong"
Waitin' Our Turn, 2007

This is barely even a song. Devin spits one verse, bizarre chorus, some mumbling and intermittent singing, even more bizarre chorus, cut. I've been listening to it a lot lately though. It's a very simple, real premise. Devin's girl wants him to quit smoking weed, and he thinks that's just some dumb shit. That's good enough to make a song. It works better, I think, in the context of the CD. All the production on the Coughee Brothaz is noticeably low-budget, but it works entirely to their advantage, it sounds like a very natural and casual album, and that's a likable sound.

A Nice Corpse

2007-09-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

Gorilla Zoe f/ Lil Wayne - "Get Money"
Internet, 2007

This song doesn't appear on Zoe's new album, but it is way better than every other song that does (exempting "Hood N****"). Welcome To The Zoo is a big disappointment for me; I thought Zoe showed some real potential on tracks I had heard pre-album, including "Get Money", but it turns out he really wants to be a growly-voiced version of Yung Joc. Awesome. The Lil Wayne verse on this song is pretty shitty, his guest spots have been conspicuously weak recently (and by recently I only mean like the last 3 weeks).

Name Of The Game Is Survival

2007-09-23T23:18:00.000-05:00

WC - "This Is Los Angeles"
Guilty By Affiliation, 2007

WC f/ Snoop Dogg & Butch Cassidy - "Dodgeball"
Guilty By Affiliation, 2007

I'm surprised how good this album is. WC is an LA legend, he's been putting out music since the 80s, been in and out of different groups, and still apparently making great music. I've never taken the time or effort to listen to any of his music but now it is more of a priority. Guilty By Association is West Coast gangsta rap in it's purest, this album has a single sound and tone that it achieves with total success. The production is the most standard kind of West Coast bangers, the beats come from a variety of dudes but conceivably it could be the work of one guy. I like that unified sound. It's so consistent in quality and aesthetic that it nearly feels monotonous. It's maybe saved from that fate by mostly memorable hooks (on one song WC and Ice Cube claim each chorus that "if you was born in the 80s than I'm probably your papa/'cause nine times out of ten I fucked your mama". It's hilarious, mostly 'cause the entire song is performed in total earnestness) and WC's energized delivery of each verse. I love on "Dodgeball" the slight pause there after the chorus, before Snoop's verse. As poor a rapper Snoop is now there is still a little jolt when his voice comes in after that pause. This album gets a full recommendation for anyone with any interest in West Coast rap.

This Is Pretty Embarassing

2007-09-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

Chamillionaire f/ K-Ci - "Won't Let You Down"
Ultimate Victory, 2007

Gorilla Zoe f/ Jody Breeze & JC - "Count On Me"
Welcome To The Zoo, 2007

Resold hook?

What It Takes To Be Number One

2007-09-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

Kanye West f/ Akon - "Champion"
Graduation, 2007

Who the kids gonna listen to? STEELY MOTHERFUCKIN' DAN. AND AKON. Yeah, it may not sound like a good idea, but what the fuck do you know? It goes 1. College Dropout, 2. Graduation, 3. Late Registration. Kanye makes great albums.

From The Booth To My Roots

2007-09-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

Young Bleed f/ Money Waters & Ol' Mann - "Bac' Road Mississippi"
Once Upon A Time In Amedica, 2007

This song is my new point of obsession. I can't stop listening to it. Have you ever heard a rapper's voice match a beat so perfectly? No, you probably haven't. There's never been a clearer example that actual striking or original content in a rap song is completely unnecessary for it to be affecting, just like any other kind of song. Money Waters may be one of the worst rapper names I've ever heard, but his verse is pretty ill.