For my taste, 2009 has been an incredible good year for Hip Hop. We have new dudes like Fashawn, Kid Cudi and Wale coming up as the next generation, who all released hot albums, we got some of the Heavyweights like Eminem, Jay-Z and Raekwon who released great albums, some hot ungderground albums like Double Barrel or the Superstar Quamallah album „The Invisible Man“ and we also had huge disappointments, like that Busta Rhymes album, which was really close to garbage. I know a lot of y'all won't agree on these classifications, but that's the way i see it.
An album that doesn't really fit into any of these categories is „Arts & Entertainment“ by Masta Ace & Edo.G. Two legends who are making music for 20 years, uniting to record an album. Of course the expectations have been incredibly high. The first thing I gotta say about the album is, that I love the mixdown. The quality is great, sounds better than Blueprint 3. Filthy Rich and Ace were doing an incredible job on that. Not everybody has an album with a huge sound like that (wink wink Cormega).
The album is a concept album, as usual. It's set up like a TV night and The Bundies, the latest signing of Ace's m3 label, are playing the couple that's guiding you through the album, in a really hilarious way. The Album starts off with a hypnotizing beat by M-Phazes for the track „Hands Up High“. Sounds more like an Edo joint than an Ace joint, sound wise. It's almost Dr. Dre like. Definitely catchy, just like the hook, it's a goodtrack for live shows. The raps are typical battle raps... „Your girl lips cute play the medley on the flute“ (Ace) All in all a really good one! Number 2 features Large Pro and is called „Fans“. Ace starts off and raps like he's talking about his wife, when in fact he's talking about the fans. Large Pro sounds great on this beat and is the perfect feature guest, Edo is coming correct too. Another good one.
The next joint is called „A's & E's“ and it's the first concept song of the album. Ace mostley uses words that start with A and Edo uses words starting with E. HOT! Marsha Ambrosius is on the hook, which sounds a little weird, but in a good way, fits the song perfectly! The melody of the song is really simple, the drums make the track. They sound sick! Next up, the single „Little Young“. I'm sure everybody has heard it, seen the incredible video and loved it. The song has been on BET 106 and Park last week, I think that's a great thing, hope some of these kids listened close!
„Reminds Me“ might be my favorite track of the album, it's Ace's solo joint, Edo is just doing the hook. I love the vibe of the song, a really soulful, relaxed beat and Ace is spitting 2 of his verses that we love him for: „Play this on your jukebox in your bar rooms, who the best who the worst all this arguin won't matter when the smoke clears, Hip Hop's not dead, there's a little hope here...“ Gotta love this!
After this, there is another relaxed joint called „Good Music“ which features Pos of De La Soul. Another favorite. The DJ Spinna beat gives the 3 MC's a lot of room to flow and deliver their message. The hook is very simple but absolutely perfect, Pos is definitely the right feature for a beat like this, and he told me that this is an absolutely great record. Everything fits.
Next up is one I like the least off the album. I don't like the Double-O beat and KRS is coming with lines like „most of y'all pussy, the rest of y'all dickheads“. That is definitely not what you wanna hear from somebody who's always preaching about the temple of Hip Hop...
But the next track saves it. It's Edo's solo joint called “Over There“. Another M-Phazes production, this dude is killing it right now. Not much to say about it, great one. Following is another joint about touring which features DOITALL from the Lords of the Underground. Sounds like someone used the „Juicy Fruit“ drums on here. Solid track, really good one again.
Next up is the grimey peak of the album. This one needs no Hook, „Ei8ght is enuff“, Ace and Ed spit 8 bars back and forth, some really mean lines the beat makes you put on your ugly face. From what I read all over the net this is one of the fan favorites on the album.
Track 11 is called „Here I go“. It has a really nice piano beat and Edo starts talking about his history in the game, Ace is becoming a little more personal with some personal fears that you face when you are an artist. 3rd verse is done by Jamelle Bundy, she's one half of the Bundies and an incredible singer. She doesa great job.
Last track on the album is called „Dancing like a white girl“ and it features the rock group Chester French and Pav Bundy. I read that people really had mixed feeling about it. Some say this sounds like a lame effort to sound commercial, the others say they love it cause it's so funny. You gotta look at the track as for what it is. There's a reason they put it in the end. It doesn't really fit the rest of the tracks, Ace & Edo knew that, but they wanted to do something different and funny. Now somebody tell me that this ain't hilarious. On tour, they often talk to the people and dance with em afterwards. So imagine em chilling after the show in Europe and some white girls dancing with em completely off rhythm, trying to impress them, you need to make a track about this. And they did. After all this is just a great production, the beat is hot, the Lyrics are funny, so don't complain you fockers...
On this example you can see what's wrong with Hip Hop today. It's like half of the fans are complaining that shit changed and doesn't sound like the early 90's and the other half is complaining that everybody is stuck on the golden age sound. Ace & Edo just did a really entertaining album, it is versatile, it is produced really well, maybe there could have been 3 more tracks on it but overall it's just good music, simple and plain... Everybody who said they didn't like it should give it a chance to grow on them.
Everybody make sure to visit for some exclusive videos, the attempt to reuinite the Juice Crew is super interesting!
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11/15/2009
A & E - Arts & Entertainment
11/14/2009
Classic LP Breakdown - The Lost Boyz, Legal Drug Money
Legal Drug Money was the debut album from The Lost Boyz (Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah, Spigg Nice and Pretty Lou). The vast majority of the MCing was handled by Cheeks and Freaky Tah. Tah was to The Lost Boyz what Sen Dog was/is for Cypress Hill, mostly a hype man in the background of most songs, but kicked a couple verses from time to time. As far as I can tell, Spigg Nice was a DJ and I still have no idea what Pretty Lou did. Neither of them handled any production for this LP.
This LP came out in 1995 and production was mainly provided by Easy Moe Bee, Mr. Sex and Big Dex. Most hip-hop heads know of Easy Moe Bee from his Biggie affiliation, but I don't know much about Sex and Dex, other than their names rhyme. I saw Big Dex has a MySpace page, but there isn't much information there. They seem to have been part of the same production team, Group Home Entertainment.
I remember a lot of hype around them and seem to remember this LP taking forever to come out. Of course, when it did come out, it didn't disappoint. The entire LP is pretty much one that doesn't have any skip worthy songs. LDM also went gold, according to the RIAA.
Unfortunately, Freaky Tah was murdered in 1999 at the age of 27. I never heard what the motive was and I was unable to find any information other than the man that committed the murder was sentenced to a prison term, so at least they caught the guy (and his accomplice driver). Apparently, Spigg Nice is serving a jail sentence for allegedly robbing banks. I say allegedly because he still denies his involvement. I haven't heard much from Mr. Cheeks lately, but he had a pretty successful solo career in the early part of the 00's.
1) Intro - A pretty standard intro.
2) The Yearn - This song was produced by Pete Rock and it's a solid safe sex themed song. It's a pretty good start to the LP.
3) Music Makes Me High - This song starts the most listened to part of the LP for me, ending w/ Renee. That doesn't mean they are the only good songs, just the part I listened to the most. The song has a nice bass heavy beat and is good for repeated plays.
4) Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz - A great track with a solid chorus, which I think The Lost Boyz did well throughout this album.
5) Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless - Another great song chronicling the lives of different characters trying to get by and Cheeks himself in the last verse.
6) Renee - A fictional account of a girl that Cheeks started dating. This was the first single from the group and became a pretty big hit. The lyrics are great as Cheeks paints the story of his relationship with Renee (how they met, hanging out and the tragic end). Another great chorus and arguably the best song on the album.
A ghetto love is the law that we live by
Day by day I wonder why my shorty had to die
I reminisce upon my ghetto princess everyday, give it up for my shorty
This song also proves that the term shorty has been around for quite some time, and even though he pronounces it "shawty", T-Pain did not invent the overall term.
Listen here: http://www.yousendit.com/download/TzY1R0laYUlvQUozZUE9PQ
7) All Right - This song features a nice beat with some catchy "oh's" during the simple chorus. You also get a verse from Freaky Tah, who I think kicks his 2nd verse of the LP at this point. Big Dex kicks a verse here as well.
8) Legal Drug Money - For some reason, back when I first got this album, I didn't listen to this song much, but it's a solid song. It's a song about growing up in the ghetto and features both Cheeks and Tahleek.
9) Get Up - This is a catchy song mostly about the lady's and being Lost Boyz. Kicking game and partying seem to be the biggest themes on this track.
10) Is This Da Part - Cheeks kicks some verses about a girl that he was with that played him. It's another nice song.
11) Straight from the Ghetto - Another street track where cheeks talks about struggles, crooked cops, girls and life. You get another catchy chorus that just sticks in your head for days.
12) Keep It Real - I think this is the weakest song on the album. It's an okay song, but the beat is a little lackluster and the track itself is a little mellow for me.
13) Channel Zero - There's a long intro to the song, but when it kicks in, you get a real nice song. The beat is real nice and Cheeks talks again about his struggles and the struggles and the music industry (he's got the 411 to the ghetto). He also talks about his beef with certain white people, including Marky Mark (which I thought was a pretty dated reference at the time) and his beef with some black people as well.
One of my favorite things about this song is when Cheeks says "My mom dukes is always banging on my door. My musics too loud, I got clothes on the floor." And Tah in the background yells "Pick 'em up!" I always thought that was funny.
14) Da Game - Here's a nice song, but maybe the 2nd weakest on the LP. More of Cheeks talking about struggling, etc.
15) 1,2,3 - Here's Freaky Tah's song. You have to wait a while and listen to a long intro. Tah wasn't the greatest emcee, but he was decent and I really like this song. He raps about living on the streets and Cheeks kicks the chorus. I assume the lyrics are not accurate, as Freaky Tah talks about travelling through the city and the drug game and taking out certain people in the game. We also hear Pretty Lou for a second, maybe he helped write lyrics for the group. Again, I still don't know what he did.
16) Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless (remix) - This is a nice remix with some new lyrics and a similar, but different chorus.
Overall, this is a great album and I often listen to it to this day. If you don't own this, I'd suggest that you go out right now and check it out. The band put out 2 other LP's that I enjoyed, but they weren't even close to being on the same level as LDM.
11/12/2009
WYDU Presents: UllNevaNo - The Color Purple Mixtape
WYDU happily presents the new mixtape from The Equation's UllNevaNo, "The Color Purple". It features UllNevaNo rhyming over strictly Evidence beats, from his colored instrumental series. We've had a few leaks in the past few weeks, so the time has come for the whole project to be unleashed. UllNevaNo combines his raw flow over the Evidence beats and makes the tracks his own. It's a nice way for this B-more MC to showcase his sound and a good way to get some good music - Trav
Cee & Bekah - Soul Movement Vol 3
I have the pleasure of pushing a member of the WYDU family today, with Cee & Bekah dropping their third volume in the Soul Movement trilogy and this one might just be the best of the batch. If you follow WYDU often, you'll know that we've featured the previous two Soul Movement's from the Aussie crew and we've also had them featured in our New Artist Spotlight last year. Their soulful "Soul Hop" music is something definitely unique, with Cee running with the rhymes and the beautiful Bekah bringing an equally beautiful voice to choruses or just plain belting out her own songs. It's also got the stamp of approval by Mick Boogie and Terry Urban, so you know it has to have some clout and quality behind it. Well worth the listen for those of you that like your music with some soul. - Trav
Ladies & Gentlemen,
I'd like to share with you our second major (FREE) release this month on HiPNOTT Records. The long awaited mixtape from Australia's Soul Hip Hop duo, Cee & Bekah. This tape is extra special for us as it has been blessed by the hottest mixtape duo in the game: Mick Boogie & Terry Urban.
We’ve been hyping this release for the past month and it is officially ready for download… The Movement Fam & HiPNOTT Records are proud to present Cee & Bekah – The Soul Movement, Vol 3: The Final Chapter, hosted and mixed by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban. Whew… that’s a mouthful, but so is this mixtape. 23 tracks, clocking in at just about 80 minutes long as one continuous mix, including original material as well as Cee & Bekah going in over some of their favorite industry hip hop beats.
Check the complete artwork, courtesy of OKPants Design, as well as the link to preview and download on Cee & Bekah’s Bandcamp page, where you can also download the first two volumes of their Soul Movement mixtape series. If you’re diggin’ the original material, we will be releasing The Soul Movement Originals (comprising of all the original songs from Vol 1, 2, and 3) in January on HiPNOTT Records. Stay tuned for more in 2010… the Movement is here!
http://ceeandbekah.bandcamp.com/
From the Inbox - Deal the Villain
I grabbed this from the WYDU inbox. It's a couple tracks from a nice MC by the name of Deal the Villain from his upcoming debut EPic (available soon digitally on RTD Records). His flow is tight and his voice reminds me a little of Milk D. Definitely worth your time, so check out the tracks below.
Free downloads from the upcoming EPic:
Deal - The Villain "This Ain't (Love)" (prod. by Deal - The Villain)
download: Download Here
Deal - The Villain "Don't Matter" (prod. by Sincere)
download: Download Here
http://twitter.com/deal_thevillain
http://www.rockthedub.com/
www.myspace.com/rockthedublimited
Bio:
Deal The Villain
DTV
Deal The Villain, born in the year of Rapper's Delight’s commercial release. Raised by a mother who incorporated music from day’s beginning to end & early exposure to Hip Hop “turntablism” introduced DTV to the fundamentals of Hip Hop early on. With the correlation of his ever present affinity of Jazz to Hip Hop made through rap groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, Deal had all he would need to recognize, produce, & write monumental music. Influenced by Jay Dilla's production & MF Doom's style and content, DTV can sample the sweetest songs into gutter anthems or create ballads from scratch to create “boom-bap” in a contemporary form.
Armed with a wealth of knowledge, self-taught know how, and stature to match his as his talent, ambition, determination, & personality, Deal the Villain is gearing up to release his Epic, his debut solo project.
You can hear DTV's production on Brokn.Englsh's R.E.M. & PreWreck mixtapes, Myk Dyaleks' Chilla Than a Caterpilla mixtape & the underground smash Bodybag feat. Fresh Daily, 8thW1, & Homeboy Sandman. Deal's writing prowess can be heard on The World Class Wrecking Crew tracks Guillotine, 5 Rings, & March Madness, Tom Chase (of St. Joe Louis’) Catalina Wine Mixer, and lead production & lyricist from the 12 man NJ/NY conglomerate Elite Assembly.
Recent shows include:
- Performed & hosted Meet the Producers’ Beat Battle Invitational, Platinum Studios in Newark, NJ
- PVC’s Invitational Beat Battle, Park Studios in Montclair, NJ
- IconoHop, Sputnik in Brooklyn, NY
- Liberator Magazine’s Live from Planet Earth, Lazy Catfish in Brooklyn, NY
- Various featured slots at Bowery Poetry Club & Voodoo Lounge both in Manhattan, NY
For more information, booking, & press please contact K. Desireé Milwood of KDManagement at kdmilwood@aol.com.
11/11/2009
Midweek Offbeat
So for this weeks edition of "Midweek Offbeat" I figured I would share with you some of my current favorite random Youtube's.
I love this video, i think its some dope shit that they are able to cool a computer with mineral oil without getting the shit electrocuted out of them.
Ruka Ruka Ali is a pretty funny dude, you can check more of his shit out on his myspace. www.myspace.com/ruckaruckaali
I caught this video while i was sniping goodies at Woot.com (they were having a woot off) and this video came up on the error page.
This last video is not for weak stomachs!!!
