Interview With A Blogger III : The Daughter Talks to the Kiwi

It's time for another of our menacing and prying interviews, where WYDU sends harassing emails and pester other fellow bloggers until they agree to talk to us just so we'll leave them alone. This month we have a special guest. As I've mentioned before, I've built rapports with several other fellow bloggers in the game.

The blogger guest this month is kind of different. I knew him before I either of us ever dreamed of doing our own blog. Jaz, from Cold Rock Da Spot, and I first crossed paths on the now infamous Cocaine Blunts forums, which WAS THE SPOT for rare and lost hip hop albums before the blog game took over. We hit it off right off the bat since we were both rap geeks and we both had music the other needed. We stayed in touch over the past couple years during his own Message boards, his move to the "Land Down Under". I knew when he started up his blog that we were all in for a big treat. No disrespect to anyone else, but I'd consider Jaz as one of the smartest and knowledgeable cats when it comes to Hip Hop that I've met on the net, or fuck it, in the every day world. This kid knows his shit.

So when I decided to follow through with this hair brained idea, Jaz was on the short list of people I wanted to interview with in the first few months. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to track him down.....

WYDU: Thanks for this opportunity, how ya feelin'?

Jaz: My pleasure Travis it's an honour to do this interview with you, I'm doing alright thanks man...I'm gonna win all the money...all the money (lol)

W: Do you mind introducing yourself and your blog for those out of the loop?

J: My name is Jaz, I'm from Wellington, New Zealand and I used to run an underground hip hop radio show for over 15 years and spent most of my 20's as a club/bar and radio DJ,I also used to rhyme and recorded a few demos,and used to freestlye on stage with local groups and on radio and I was in a couple of groups but we never had any music released, I have also dabbled in beatmaking, some good, but mostly bad, when I get better equipment I will take it seriously one day. I write articles and music reviews for a local magazine down here (Back 2 Basics) and have written for other magazines and websites in the past. I proudly run the coldrockdaspot.blogspot.com and due to the success and the amount of ill kids I have met through it, I wonder why I didn't start it up sooner

W: You are from New Zealand right? When did Hip-Hop start becoming part of the land scape down there?

J: Yeah, I am from the Capital of New Zealand, Hip Hop trickled down here in 1982 and it was mostly breakers (or boppers as we called them...haha) and bombing, breaking was everywhere and I was in competitions in Primary School and well I was never good at bombing, so I did pieces on paper.

W: You ever been to the US?

J: No, I haven't but I do plan to one day and we will be on the brewskis, believe that

W: What are your earliest memories of hip hop? How did you wind up dedicating a major portion of your life to it?

J: The first would be, hearing Rappers Delight in 1980 on a Solid Gold Hits compilation my Father owned, I had always loved music and knew all of the pop songs and a lot of rock n roll, but this was different and loved the flow and the rhythm, so I took the stylus off and on the record to get all of the lyrics down, my Dad wasn't pleased but I was happy that after a few more spins I knew all of the words (I didn't know they were lyrics then). Later in 1983...there was a cat I met through a neighbour's daughter named Kidd Rocc and I was going past the neighbours home and heard this music and it grabbed me like "Rappers Delight" did so I knocked on the door and asked what was playing, Kidd invited me in and told me it was 'breakdance music' or music for bopping and the 45 that was playing was Patrick Gammon "T.O.P", Kidd and I became friends and he ended up giving me the first Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five tape and the Rock Steady Crew tape, he would often come upstairs to the flat I lived in and would say come downstairs I have something for you, and it was a dub of Hip Hop radio show from the States and I was just amazed, it had (from memory) "Rock It", "Mirda Rock" and some other artists, it was all mixed up and I was just amazed, what was better was when he did me a dub and Kidd said he would get more.

I then started going to the record stores and looking for stuff I heard and got compilations and funk like Prince Charles and The Royal Funk Band (I think) and in 1983 The Uncut Funk Show started on Radio Active 89 FM and every Friday Night I got my fix and taped so many shows (I sadly lost them all in a garage flood once)

W: You have a long history inside the culture, trace back through your past and how you've been involved.

J: This will probably sound dumb, but I feel like I was chosen to love and do what I do, to make this short, I always loved DJ's and radio and music and just followed on from listening and learning to becoming a part of the show I grew up on, see the Uncut Funk Show was what the Wednesday Nite Jam eventually became and the show I was lucky enough to have get passed on to me.(mad love to Big Daddy Cam, Mikey and Vicious)

W: You have to be one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met when it comes to hip-hop, how did that come about?

J: I don't know T, I think it probably originates from when I was in High School and being the second kid in all of my High School with the most rap tapes (the first was a good friend of mine from Washington DC, and he got tapes from the US every few weeks so he was always going to be first), I have a ton of old Rap Pages, The Source,'s, Rap Sheet's, URBS, Elemental's and other magazines from years back and I guess I just took it all in. I was always one of those geeks that would sit and read a tape or CD cover from back to back and knowing more than just the artist and the title was important to me, working in Record Stores expanded my horizons as well and of course the Wednesday Nite Jam show, where I always wanted my shows to be fresh, have the freshest music and be as informative as I could as well as making my shows as soundtracks to a dope party.

W: How was/is working for a radio station?

J: It was dope man, especially the feedback the shows would get after and working with so many different cats and guests over the years, having groups and MC's freestlye live, kids ringing up and saying what the fuck was that last track?, kids ringing up and asking for requests. The fact that I was getting the authentic Hip Hop shit out there made me proud.

W: Got any tasty stories you can share?

J: Gentlemen don't tell Travis...

W: Haha, alrighty then. You've been involved in a lot of shows down there as well. How was that for you?

J: Incredible, aside from being the support DJ for De La Soul in 2006, the other gig I was really proud of was (well what do you know?) a De La Soul, Stakes is High release party I put on, I got over 500 people that night and I had special Native Tongue shakers and I printed out little spiels about the Native Tongues Collective and also what was in the shakers, I had something like 10 different DJ's on that night and the bar raked it in, so the manager let me have a Tribe Called Quest party at the same venue, it was good but not as good as the De La show, I've played at all kinds of shows, some were great, some I don't even remember.

W: Biggest assholes?

J: Ice-T

W: Coolest people to deal with?

J: De La Soul, Flavor Flav, Mr Lif, Aesop Rock Fakts One, most of the local DJ's,my old crew Ebony Beats & The Jam Squad,Mishk, Silent One, DJ Vee, Steve-O, Mu, Mikki-D The Dancehall Dons..the list goes on and on and on and on...

W: What are your thoughts on the current state of hip-hop?

J: I feel that most of the mainstream shit just has no soul and not what Kool Herc and Afrika Bam cried, sweat and bled for. Money brainwashes people and a lot of is just like a poison, there is more to life than money, I think the flashy videos and "lifestyle" shown just creates envy and hatred and look at how many rappers and MC's have died over gangster rap...it's just sickening and it just seems to create clones of clones and clones, in all honest truth I couldn't give a shit about how many 22's you have on you car, or how many diamonds you have in your ear, it's all materialistic bullshit and there is no skill in it, what do you want to be remembered for in Hip Hop?, skills or a fad?

W: Anything you are feeling the last few years?

J: Oh yeah, I'm still and always will be a massive fan of DJ Premier,Marley Marl, EPMD,Pete Rock, Madlib,DJ Mark The 45 King,Blueprint, PUTS,Godather Don, Oh No, J Dilla (R.I.P.),Large Pro,DJ Przm (R.I.P.), Prince Paul,ED O.G, Hobo Junction, RZA, Da Beatminerz,Freestyle Professors, Dooley-O, Screwball, Grap Luva, Kev Brown, Beatnuts, DITC,Edan,Def Jux, Soulsides...oh the list goes on and on

W: You and I first met on the Cocaine Blunts forums, where I think both of us, or least I have, acquired a large amount of material that we both have shared on our blogs. How do you think the internet has played a role in the evolution of hip hop....both as far the history and legacy and the current state?

J: That's true CB's was ill (thanks Noz) I think we are really lucky and I have said it before, but imagine if mp3s were around in the 80's, there is still a lot of lost material still out there, but I love the fact that I can go to a folder that says 1994 and hear classic Hip Hop I only ever had on tape, and also get so much I wanted for years and couldn't afford or could never find. It allows the music to be archived and the Internet will always be around so the good music will always be out there, that's a good thing to me, some of the record companies have now seen how effective file sharing is and really CD's aren't down because of downloading, it's because the quality of music has slumped.

W: What's your thoughts on the quality of Hip-Hop coming out of New Zealand and Australia? How does it differ from the music coming out of US or even Europe?

J: It's just different because we grow up in different surroundings and environments,Hip Hop is seen differently by others and really it's the same as the US and the UK, there is some really dope material, but there is also some bullshit.

W: What made you want to start a blog?

J: Yours and the fact that I was putting up so many compilations at other forums and getting private messages to re up them a lot, but also the fact that us lucky kids can get pretty much anything online and all of the music sitting in my CD folders and on my hard drive (I will get my vinyl back soon) that was just sitting there and needed to be shared for those that might not have heard it before, or for us old heads to take trips down memory lane to.

W: You have a different format than most blogs in that you don't offer full albums, you go with compilations. I always thought that is more challenging since kids are so "completist" when it comes to albums, yet you make it work, why do you think so?

J: I don't know, but I kind of tested it out in a way ,and it was the compilations that were getting the most support, so I thought hey I am on to something here, I love it when I get comments from kids that say...I had never heard so or so or man, I thought I had everything, but thanks to you I now have another 20 gems in my collection, that's a great feeling. All, I want to do is share what I love,what I grew up with, the knowledge I have and give artists their proper due and place in Hip-Hop history.

W: Whats the most rewarding experiences from doing your blog?

J: Pretty much what I mentioned before, the people I meet and the kids that leave great comments and especially when the artists or producers e-mail me personally to thank me, being linked to great websites and blogs and getting mentioned, people appreciating what I upload and the effort I put into my blog, sorry if that comes off as arrogant.

W: Enough about the music, lets talk about you, any wifey, kids?

J: Nope, I have met some great Women in the past, but let's just say I am looking for something special, No kids yet.

W: What do you do when you are not eating, sleeping or shitting hip-hop? Any other hobbies?

J: Haha... I like some TV, I would say The Soup and The Extras and Curb Your Enthusiasm are my favourite shows,I can't stomach brain dead sitcoms or shows like Sunset Tan, Laguna Beach etc... movies, I like movies, going to live shows,helping my Dad re-build a house, going for walks, catching up friends, shooting hoops (in the summer), drinking, travelling...

W: What dreams and goals do you have? Do you want to continue on in the music field?

J: Of course Travis, I want to work and live in New York or maybe even Canada someday, for a magazine or as an A & R (with no electric guitar...lol) or in promotions or something.

I love writing about Hip Hop, I love doing my blog and as far as I can see, I am still breathing and my heart still beats so I will keep on keeping on.

W: Man, it was a great pleasure talking to you. I have the upmost respect for you, it's people like you that have made me strive as much as I have.

J: Travis, the honour was all mine good sir, it's funny how this blog thing can kid of take over your life right?, you get great fans and and you feel like that the next post has to be better than the next one and you just want to keep your fans happy and get more...or something
haha One Love kid

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Are You Ready For Some Football????

Just thinking of football and had to post the greatest football game since....well for a long ass time, if not ever. I hadn't heard Paul J. Schneider, Boise States long time announcer call the win yet, until the wonder that is Youtube

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Sunday Lite: A Swirling Disevolution

There has been a lot said over the state of Hip-Hop lately. Those of us that were around since the '80's are getting up there in age and don't necessarily agree with the direction the art form is taking. Some of the younger kids view us as old and out of touch with what is happening in the music today. It happens in all forms of music, it happened in Jazz, it happened in Rock and its happening in Hip-Hop now. I think its natural for a form of music to grow and develop over its existence. In fact I think you have to have evolution for a form of music to exist as more than a passing fad. An art form will become stale if it never "grows". With that being said, if you venture to far from what the art form "originally" was, then I think you lose the true essence that the art form contained.

One of the most interesting views on this subject that I have read came in the form of the liner notes from People Under The Stairs 2002 release "O.S.T.".

In a world of swirling disevolution, it's nice to know some things never change. This music and its culture, out culture, is older than most of us who carry its torch. Thus, one must question "progression" when it seems to be taking us farther and farther away from the point. Some things are so fundamental to an art form that true-schoolisms, they are the very rules by which we define our music. Sampling is not "old school", it is our medium; as a sculptor uses clay, or a painter uses paint, we use old records to make our music. Lyrics don't necessarily have to be anything. Diamond D still goes on and on like popcorn and it's still classic. Scratching, no matter how fast or turntablist, still sounds best easy and on beat. The rules never change. Thus , we present to you another album, just like the first two: not old school or mid school or underground or breakbeat or true school. Just good old hip hop.

Somewhere along the way it seems most critics decided that just making Hip Hop was not good enough, and praises were hailed upon those who were "experimental" and "progressive". Yet while everyone spun out towards the fringe, a void was created in the center; a timeless origin where dope beats and rhymes are simply good enough. As major artists traded in their DJ's and turntables for backing bands and backup singers, underground hip hop became a symbol of suburban rebellion across the internet. Our hip hop became sterile, timid and tired, weird, conscious, light, sassy, scientific, vegetarian, teenage angst ridden, or whatever - pick your cliche. It rarely is just for the sake of being. We seem to have gone from the Boom Bip to squigadammmm yoink chomp, and worse yet, many of us are patting ourselves on the back for it. It seems that in the infinite pursuit of progression, some have forgotten to acknowledge the past.

There is a third paragraph that I'll just leave out, since its more about the album and not relevant to this discussion. When I first read this, I was in my "Rap Sucks" mode, so at that time I probably agreed with it much more than I do now. I guess I'm split on my feelings of this issue and what PUTS feelings on it are.

On one side, I very much agree with the the thought that hip-hop has certain aspects that just make it hip hop and you can NOT lose those. Just because something is progressive does not always automatically make it good. I see way too many people with that train of thought. There is certain aspects that make something hip-hop. The further the artists get away from that, the more hip hop loses it's identity. You do need to keep those basic elements.

A few years ago, I was adamant about Hip-Hop staying real. I was almost disillusioned by the fact that I hated what was happening to the music that I loved so much. These days, I'm more open to the fact that shit changes, and it has to in order to survive. I enjoy originality when its done right, I want to hear something progressive. I don't think its healthy if shit stays the same from 1993. I think you need the Roots (I almost got the feeling that part of this was aimed at them for some reason) to bring the live stuff to table. They weren't the first ones to use live instrumentation in Hip-Hop.

I'm getting too preachy and nerdy, so I'll end at that, but I'm interested in hearing what others think. We will never solve anything, the music is what it is right now. We can stay dreaming of the "good old days", but I don't think its healthy to be stuck there. Everyone has their own opinion on the state of the music, but thats exactly what it is, an opinion, people need to remember that.

Change Is In The Air

And I'm not talking about the impending Autumn season coming either. My man Chris and I are fooling around with some ideas for a new design. WYDU will be two years old this coming October and I don't know about all you, but I'm getting kind of bored with the design. It was great while it lasted, but every now and then you just have to change things around. No set date on when we'll unleash the new flavor, probably when ever we get it to where we like it.

Also, I got some other different things up my sleeve in the coming months a long with one monster project that, if it turns out the way I want, could be classic. I also would entertain having someone who is SERIOUS about contributing (no, thats not a dis to any of my current partners, although I haven't heard from phatsoul in ages and Polarity is busy making his skrilla which I can't blame and I know Clap has more than enough on his plate as well right now). If you actually read all the way to this point, then you are probably the type of person I'd be looking for. I'd prefer someone that is familiar with the site obviously and I've had some kind of communication with in the past. I'm not dead set on getting someone else, but if the right person indicated they'd be interested, I'd definitely think about it.

As far as this week is concerned, expect a hefty week. I got all kinds of things lined up (fingers crossed, every time I usually say that, it bites me in the ass), so be sure to check in. After a week of the block, I've have more than enough ideas to get my revitalized once again.

Wu-Tang Interview
http://www.bodog.tv/media/wu-tang-epk#

This is rather interesting to say the least. It goes about 21 minutes and they cover everything from the loss of ODB to how well they work together to their legacy in the hip hop game and even a little blurb on the upcoming album "The 8 Diagrams", which honestly I wasn't believing until this. Some interesting things; Meth looks mad high and still demonstrates why he is still the most charismatic member of the bunch, RZA says some shit that you are waiting for him to say "No homo" after (something about the Wu doing Gang Bangs) and GZA spends half the time looking at RZA like "What the fuck you just say" and rolling his eyes at him. They mention having different producers on this project, not just RZA and other Wu affliated members. Easy Moe Bee and DJ Scratch were the two that stick in my mind, but there were others as well. GZA throws a little barb at G-Unit and they mention that Ghost was almost not on this. U God makes an appearance and acts like nothing ever happened between him and RZA.....so be it.

Trav's Top Spins For The Week

1. Storm Davis - Kegstand Poetry For The Recovering Alcoholic

Yeah, I slept on this for long enough. I wouldn't say this is the greatest album ever but I don't care, I'm really enjoying this album currently. More and more songs are growing on me, so if I can listen to an album for more than a few songs, to me thats a good album and despite being 20 joints long, there is enough quality on this for me play it pretty much all the way through without skipping.

2. Junk Science - Feeding Einstein
This, like the Storm Davis, has been out for awhile, with this project dropping in 2005. And like the Storm Davis, there are more and more songs on this growing on me. And like the above album, some might write off as "nerd rap", but I like it, so I could care less what anyone says. I like it so thats all that really matters to me. Maybe there is some hope for NY after all.

3. Blue Scholars - Bayani
No, still not tired of this album which I would almost consider calling the best album of the year so far. Beats and rhymes are in check. This is some quality ish.

4. Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens
I'd officially call myself an Exile fan now with last years "Dirty Science" making my top 5 and now this album. As I said last week there are some REAL weak spots, but also some GREAT stuff on here as well.

5. Redman Discography (meaning mainly "Whut" and "Dare...")
Every once in a while I need my dose of the sloppy, stankin' funk and what better to get it than to pull out those two albums and dream of the days Red was the shit.


WHY????

Why haven't you heard the new eMC track yet? If you haven't, check it out now

Why do I like this Chamillionare track so damn much? Maybe its because Rickey D is on it with him. Props to Chamillionare for keeping the originators in the game. The Video is pretty dope as well. Check the track out.

Why am I getting excited for this Little Brother joint even though 9th isn't on it? Actually I think it'll be even better without 9th, Check "Good Clothes" out if you haven't heard it yet

Why has Primo been KILLIN' it lately, he even makes the NYG'Z sound good with their track "Ur Dayz R #'d"

Why do I kind of like this joint by Pittsburgh MC Charon Don and DJ Huggy, better known as Hands Down? This type of join isn't normally my thing, but hell, man can't survive off of underground hip-hop alone and this shit would sound great up in the club. CHeck out "Up In Here"

Why do I think I should really like Skyzoo, but the fact is he just puts me to sleep?

Why do I despise Akon so damn much, anytime I hear him I vomit a little bit in my mouth.

Why is that "Beautiful Girls" song just as annoying itself. Radio music really sucks, I need to fix my CD player in my car or just buy a new one.

Why, speaking of shitty radio music, does this summer suck so bad for it. At least year we had "Crazy" or that Young Joc song that was at least listenable and didn't.

Why is it every time I start respecting Kayne as a musician, he goes and opens his mouth and says some stupid shit. This time, he says "I'll rip any mc out there that's really how I feel. Wayne, close your ears. I'll rip everybody out there, discluding Wayne." Give me break, those two could compete for being the worse MC maybe. Get over self Kayne. He won't get any of my dough just because he is an arrogant ass.

Why did I nearly toss a book through the TV last night when I was watching some dude blaming Hip Hop and the culture for the the popularity of dog fighting. He goes on to use DMX as an example. Excuse me, DMX? Has he been relevant in hip hop this decade? Give me a break.

Why when I watched videos of dog fights, did it make me want to throw the book even more at Vick. That was some sick shit.

Why did I laugh my ass when Pimp C from UGK called out one of those "Lil'" rapppers a metrosexual? I'm fairly comfortable in my sexuality, but no way in hell am I kissing another dude, I don't care if its the cheek or whatnot, shit ain't right.

Re-ups

Jungle Brothers - Raw Deluxe (Gee Street, 1997)

01		Jungle Brother (True Blue)
02		Changes
03		Black Man On Track
04		Toe To Toe
05		Moving Along
06		Gettin Money
07		Where You Wanna Go
08		Brain
		Producer - The Roots
09		Handle My Business
10		How Ya Want It We Got It (Native Tongues Remix)
		Featuring - De La Soul
11		Bring It On
12		Jungle Brother (Stereo MC's Mix)
		Remix - Stereo MC's

I forgot who wanted this and I apologize to whoever it was, because I kept forgetting to look for my copy. I bought both this one and the release that came out after this one. Well one was so shitty that I ended up getting rid of it and I never sell my CD's, but I did that one, that's how bad it was. Well "Raw Deluxe" wasn't the bad one and I still had it in my collection. Its not great by any means, but the "How Ya Want It We Got It" Native Tongues Remix with De La is worth downloading this album.


House Party Original Soundtrack (Motown, 1990)

1. Why You Get Funky On Me - Today
2. What A Feeling - Arts & Crafts
3. Jive Time Sucker - Force M.D.'s
4. House Party - Full Force Family
5. This Is Love - Kenny Vaughan And The Art Of Love
6. I Can't Do Nothing For You, Man! - Flavor Flav
7. Fun House - Kid 'N Play
8. To Da Break Of Dawn - L.L. Cool J/Marley Marl
9. Kid Vs Play (The Battle) - Kid 'N Play
10. Surely - Arts & Crafts
11. I Ain't Going Out Like That - Zan

I won't lie, I dug this shit. And I hated most R&B back when this came out. I was down with "Why You Get Funky On Me" by Today (Big Bub was that dude) and some of the other R&B stuff that is found on here. That along with the fact that at the time this was the first time I heard both "To Da Break Of Dawn" and "I Can't Do Nuthin' For You Man" (they showed up on here before their respective albums) then throw on "The Battle" with Kid 'N Play doing their battle that was done in the movie and you have a fairly entertaining soundtrack. I just about wanted to do the kick step listening to this just now.

Bobby Jimmy - Hip Hop Prankster (Priority Music, 1990)

1		Hair Or Weave (4:30)
2		Somebody Farted (4:28)
3		Rap Dirty (4:47)
4		You Pissed Me Off (3:55)
5		Close The Door (You're Letting Flies In) (4:41)
6		Prankster Prankster (4:27)
7		Is She Really Going Out With Him (5:06)
8		Gimme Some Bottom (5:05)
9		Jock Itchin (5:31)
10		I'm Funky (5:03)

Here it is again. I just saved y'all $94 bucks if you bought it on Amazon, so just send any Beers to 710 E Jefferson.......

K-Dee- Ass, Gas, or Grass (Lench Mob Records, 1994)

1		Intro (1:24)
		Producer - D Mac (2) , Lay Law
2		The Best Thing Goin' (5:01)
		Producer - Madness 4 Real
3		Hittin' Corners (4:41)
		Producer - Shaquille
4		The Freshest MC In The World (4:52)
5		Pimpin' And Pandering (Part 1) (0:49)
6		Make The Music (4:42)
		Producer - Vic C
7		Gigalos Get Lonely Too (5:26)
		Vocals - Morris Day
8		Neva Was A Baller (4:31)
		Producer - 88 X Unit
9		Where's That Cat? (0:29)
10		Thought I Saw A Pussy Cat (4:28)
		Featuring - Ice Cube Vocals - Bootsy Collins
11		K-Swinga (4:23)
		Co-producer - Ice Cube Producer - Vic C
12		Pimpin' And Pandering (Part 2) (0:21)
13		Talk Of The Town (4:44)
14		Into You (5:05)
15		Words To The Wise (0:21)
16		Ain't Nothin' Poppin' (4:57)
		Producer - Madness 4 Real Vocals - Snow (2)
17		Assoline (0:12)
18		Ass, Gas Or Cash (5:01)
		Vocals - Bootsy Collins

For some reason, Cube's Lench Mob Records never really took off and its kind of a shame because there was some good music that didn't get heard. This is one of them. I was just starting to get out of the west coast music when this drop and I can't recall if I actually owned this one back in the day (I want to say I did, but it got jacked in a book of CD's I left in my Jimmy and forgot to turn the alarm on). This is some pure west coast shit for those of you into it, if you haven't heard, nows your chance. And since it's going for $67.97 on Amazon, I just saved y'all a gang of money today......

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Mid-Week Lite: Writers Block

For the first time since I started this blog, I'm suffering from a lack of ideas. Sort of. I have a couple ideas in the works, but until I get more time to work on them like I want, they will have to wait on the back burner. I wanted to crank this post out on Monday but didn't have anything really interesting to say. In all honesty, the post I did Monday was a blurb I wrote somewhere else awhile ago, a recycled post of sorts. It sucks too, because I feel like cranking out some quality material, but like a drunk man trying to get his sex on, just can't. So be it......

So I'll go back to my handy backup plan when I'm void of creativity and/or time. Albumbase. Yes, I realize most of you mp3 nerds are already up on Albumbase, but some of you might not be registered or you might not thought to look for the stuff.

This all from albumbase, so I take no credit for any of this.....

Remixes Vol 1 (Not Sure What or Who did it)

1. Positive K & LG - A Good Combination ....Worth the price of admission right here
2. ADOR - Let It All Hang Out (Pete Rock Remix) ....Who doesn't have this track?
3. The A.T.E.E.M. - Yeah (Master Vocal Mix) .....ATEEM was the shit
4. Common - I Used To Love Her (9th Wonder Remix).....umm, kind of hacked up a classic, don't do a remix unless it's as good or better than the original
5. House Of Pain - Jump Around (Pete Rock REmix) ....This track needs the mass confusion of the original, but this beat is smoooooooooth
6. Jungle Brothers - Brain (Da Beatminerz remix).....????
7. Little Indian - One Little Indian (Buckwild Remix) ....I've only ever heard this version
8. Lord Finesse feat Big L, Percee P - Yes You May (Funk Flow Remix) ....love this version as well, listened to it much more than the original
9. Public Enemy - Night Train (Pete Rock Strong Island Mt. Vernon Meltdown Mix) ......not sure how I feel about this one, I think I like it
10. Shyheim - On and On (Primo Remix).....there might be two Primo beats that I dislike.....and this is not one of them
11. ADOR - One For The Trouble (K-Def Remix).....K Def is the shiznit
12. Biggie - Party & Bullshit (Lord Finesse Remix).....never cared for this version
13. 3rd Bass - Products of The Enviroment (Marley Marl Remix) .......better than the original
14. Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Pro Remix) .....MUCH MUCH better than the original
15. Gang Starr - Code of the Streets (Kenny Dope Remix) ....I think this is the first time I've heard this version...not bad
16. ADOR - One For The Trouble (Sam Sever Remix) ......Sam Sever is that dude, I think I like this better than the K Def version
17. Tragedy - Funk Mode (Large Pro Remix) ...I LOVE this version
18. OC - Born To Live (DJ Eclipse Remix).....ehhhh

I feel like I've seen this collection somewhere before. When I played it, it had some of the blog names to them, so obviously homemade, but there is some good stuff on here.

9th Wonder Invented The Remix
No Track Order

Amerie - Why Don't We Fall In Love
Bilal - Love It
Common - I Used To Love HER
Ghostface - Never Be The Same
Nas - Second Childhood
Prodigy - Keep It Thoro
Royce Da 5'9 - Boom
Slum Village - Look Of Love

I used to love anything 9th touched. Not so much anymore. I don't know what it is, but it just seems like he's gotten lazy. I originally found this on soulseek back in the BB days (BB=Before Blogs) It's aigh, nothing to special, but for those 9th fans that might not have heard it yet, here it is. I think he released himself back in '04 or so or just passed it around to folks like he did "Black Album Remix".

9th Wonder & Spectac - Shake N Beats
Sorry, no track names

Another project I found back in the soulseek days. I found info on this when I looked for it, but I can't remember for certain what was what. I want to say, Spectac was a North Carolina MC that was loosely associated with the Justus League, but as I said I can't recall for certain. I also don't remember if these beats were exclusively for Spectac or if this was kind of an Access Immortal "Clear Album" thing in which AI used recycled beats from 9th's beat tapes that can be found all over the net. Someone that wants to fill in the blanks, feel free.

Trav's Spin For The Week

1. Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens
This album took some hits for this week. It is rather inconsistent in nature, some stuff I love and some of it I don't care for all that much, which leads to a lot of skipping. The stuff I do like though is simply amazin' (pun intended, if you've heard the album, you know which track I'm talking about). It's still top 10 material so far this year (in my opinion of course), but it did lose some luster.

2. Senim Silla - The Name, THe Motto The Outcome
No more "Big Four" since I didn't listen to either Buff1 or Ill Poetic this past week. This joint is still blazing the headphones though as it just feels good to listen to quality hip-hop

3. Storm Davis - Kegstand Poetry For the Recovering Alcoholic
More and more songs are growing on me from this after picking it up again. It really makes me wonder what other quality albums I'm sleeping on just because of the mass quanity of music to listen to out there. I actually got a "thanks" from Storm himself for mentioning the last track of this album in my "top 30 of the first half" post. It still blows me away sometimes that artists of the music I listen to actually visit this site.....crazy.

4. Blue Scholars - Bayani
I always said that my problem with albums now a days is that I don't listen to the album longer than a week or two before I get bored with it. Guess thats not always the case anymore.

5. Jus Def & The X-Town Posse - Vocal Full Contact TIED With Digital Underground Discography
I got something coming on the Jus Def album, so I won't let that out of the bag just yet. I read the Digital Underground piece in "Check The Technique" and it led to me making an MP3 disk of all of DU's material at one in the morning. Truly underrated group in my humble opinion.

WHY???

Why am I boycotting Steroid Bonds run on history? I'm a baseball fan and one that greatly respects the game and its history.....maybe thats why. Fuck Bonds.

Why do I think Lil' Wayne is the worse artist to ever live....

Why does Candyman of "Knocking Boots Fame" feel the desire to dis DJ Drama? What's next, Paperboy dissing Mick Boogie?

Why have still not listened to the new Common? I'm not sure I really want to, but I will for my thirst to have heard every hip hop album made at least once in my life.

Why does Ja Rule feel that he needs to embarrass himself some more? Hang it up dude.

Why has Lauryn Hill went off the deep end? I can't find the link, but I read a concert review from a recent show and chick is bugged.

Why am I digging that new "Sunshine" track off the Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 joint from Atmosphere? Good shit.

Why am I kind of sad to see HipHopSite.com go? Yeah, they were slow as fuck, but they were the first place I ever ordered from. I'll miss them and I'll miss going to their store when I got to Vegas

Why do I have no money to buy shit in their 60% off sale.....grrrrr

Why do I want some after work booty action with this cleaning lady walking around here?
Daaaayum!

Why, why, why why, why why why why would Kayne think that this cover would be good for an album??

Why do I have the feeling Michael Vick is going to have the book thrown at him? That is a pretty fucked up thing though.

Why can't I wait for football season to start? Fuck the Brownies, fuck Cowboys and fuck the Bengals....and fuck the Ravens while I'm at it.

Why haven't I done one of my Used CD shopping trips in awhile. It's about time for one of those again.

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All The Way Live....

I really need to hit up more live shows. In my older age, I guess I just don't really want to deal with all the goofy ass people and such. In my younger years, I was one of those goofy ass people. I didn't go to a show unless I had at least a six pack in my system and was always trying to run around acting like a moron. As I've grown older, I still don't mind an occasional drink or two, but I'd much rather just kick back and enjoy the music. Maybe it's my intolerance of morons in my old age, but I don't care if you go to a Atmosphere concert or a Masta Ace concert, there are always some idiot that just doesn't get it. Some idiot doing some hyro gyro bullshit, or some dumb chick dancing some bullshit dance.

When I went to see Ace last December in Denver, for the most part it was just real hip hop heads enjoying real hip hop music. But of course there were a group of white kids doing this rave dance bullshit....At an Ace concert??? To to top it off, they are getting all pissed cause they don't have room to dance in the front row like a moron with eplispy. I was getting ready to mash someone in the mouth if they bumped into me one more time, but didn't want to ruin a great concert. But YOU'RE IN THE FRONT ROW! Give me a break, of course your not at some tribal drum circle, you idiot, so of course we are not all going to form a circle around you so you can do your tree hugging dance...jackass. Going to shows up in Boulder is always an experience in of itself. Boulder is kind of a liberal tree hugging place to begin with. I saw Little Brother there last year or the year before and the mix of people was amazing. You had your traditional hip-hop people, you had the hippies, you had the neo-soul junkies, you had your normal run of the mill college kids. I had a good time just watching all the different people

Then the girls, we've all seen it, but you have some some tree hugging, hairy, smelly chick doing some wind walking whispering water dance. You've probably all seen it at a show at least a couple times in your life, the beat is rocking, and she is dancing like she is a sloth on an acid trip. This particular chick wasn't at the Ace concert, but I've seen them at Cypress Hill and the Roots before. Then you have the groupies. At the Ace, two chicks were pretty much standing on stage, grabbing either Punch or Ace everytime the got close enough....DURING THE CONCERT....they gave them both some bracelet....those yellow ones (don't get me started on those)...Punch actually put his on, but Ace looked at it and shoved it in his pocket. But every time they walked by, they would grab on them. Fuck, I didn't pay to see you grab on the performer on stage, or see your ugly ass trying to dance on stage....

I bring this up because I'm planning on hitting up the "Rock The Bells" tour that is coming through Denver in August. With groups like Wu, Cypress, Talib Kweli, Nas and Immortal Technique, I'm expecting a little bit of everything. I've seen Cypress back in '97 on the "Smoking Grooves" tour with Parliment and that was an interesting group of people. I'm sure this will be even more strange. Maybe I'll smoke some weed so I'll be a good and mellow mood.

Here is some live shows. One, the KRS I'm pretty sure I've posted up before, but it's been probably over a year

KRS-One - Live at SOB's

Next is an old school joint straight from the Golden Age. I got goose bumps the first time I listened to it. It is LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim and Public Enemy live in Amsterdam. It's almost two hours of golden age goodness.

Public Enemy, LL Cool J, & Eric B & Rakim Live In Amsterdam

Last but not least, a straight up albumbase jack, but just in case I've offended any of the "Sloth on Acid" dancers out there, here is a rip of a Atmosphere/Eyedea show in Souix Falls South Dakota of all places....consider it a peace offering.

Atmosphere and Eyedea & Abilities Live in Souix Falls

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The Re-Up Crew

Not much to write up today. Just waiting for the epic floods that are forecasted to take place this afternoon in Denver. As I figured when I moved the contact info in an more accessible place that I would get more emails and requests, which was the point of moving it I guess. So here is some of the stuff I could find quickly in my stack of CD's laying around in books and boxes in my apartments.

Beatnuts - Unreleased Material EP (1996)

1. Fluid
2. 40 oz.
3. Sandwiches (Remix, extended version)
4. Hellraiser (remix)
5. We Came Here

I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, but for those who have missed it the first time, have at it. The quality is suspect, but it is what it is.....

Boogie Down Productions - Pre Criminal Minded EP

No track numbers
Pussy Is Free (Original Version)
Advance
Crack Attack
D-Nice Rocks
Boogie Down Mega Mix

KRS talks about these tracks in both of Brian Coleman's books, "What Rakim Told Me" and "Check The Technique". Not sure if it was a legit release or not, but they are worth a listen.

Da Ruckus - Episode 1

1. If The Beef...
2. 150 MC's
3. We Shine w/ Eminem
4. No Doubt
5. My Block
6. Paperchase W- Swift
7. Life Is A Gamble
8. Live '98
9. We Came Here To Party

Who I Am? Aka Kokane - Addictive Hip Hop Muzick (Epic, 1991)

1		Would You Die 4 Me?
2		Action
3		Inner City Hoodlum
4		Nickel Slick Nigga
5		Meditation
6		Dope Sound Boy
7		Keep The Flavor
8		Brain On Kane
9		Just A Friend
10		Pure Kane Nigga
11		B.O.P. (Big Old Pimp)
12		Pimp Mentality
13		...Business
14		U.S.C.'s Finest

I've always liked this debut release from "Kokane". He gets some of the boys from Above The Law to help out and is a quality Ruthless release that gets over looked way to often in my book

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Mid-Week Lite: Blog Love, You Know The Scenerio

Wow, this month has been a whirl wind of stuff. Between some crazy stuff going on at work, no home internet, some serious finical woes, daughter being in the hospital, playing too much poker (it's free at a local bar series, so thats not the reason for my finical woes, although I am probably spending more money on food and drink than I should, but I did miss a free trip to Vegas by one place Saturday) and taking the cop out route to forgetting my problems by living out of a bottle the past weekend, I feel like I've really neglected the blog. Also for the first time in I don't know how long, I haven't downloaded a single album in over two weeks. Crazy, I know. I also feel pretty out of touch as far as the blogging circuit is going, only checking a handful of sites over the past couple of weeks. If I haven't been commenting on your blog as much as I have in the past, its nothing personal.

Link Love--------

Since I haven't shown some of the new sites much love lately, I figure it's time to take a trip around the blogging circuit and let everyone know what I've been digging. Admittedly, I've been a little out of touch the past couple of weeks, but I still try to keep up on all the new stuff if someone wants me to look at it. Here are my favorites since the last spotlight I did.

SLurgs "Press Rewind if I Haven't Blown Your Mind", which specializes in posting up old Magazine articles has changed address. The new link can be found here and in the links section. Be sure to update you

Hip Hop Bootleggers have also been updated in the links.

ATTENTION: There was a blog that I ran into while searching for something. I can't remember what I was searching for or the name of the blog, but it had some great writing and low and behold, WYDU was linked on it. I think it was ran by a woman out of New York and some of the stuff I read dealt with a Pharoahe Monch show, the upcoming Jaylib rerelease and some Stones Throw stuff. Like an idiot I forgot to bookmark it. If this is your site or you know which one I'm talking about, hit me up with a link. Thanks.

Edit: Soul Psychadelicyde is the name of the site and its a pretty good read. Kind of reminds me of another favorite blog of mine, Souled On, in that it covers a bit of everything from hip-hop to funk, soul, and jazz and I really get into blogs like that anyway. Thanks to ZK for pointing it out for me.

Living Under Water
My man Fritz the Cat aka Ryan Sommers is back at it again with a blog/wordpress spotlighting all Canadian Hip Hop. Our neighbors to our north have always put out some good music (I've always been a big fan of T Dot hip hop especially) and Fritz and friends have brought it all to the table. They bring everything from Supreme Being Unit, Ground Control, and Swollen Members and some stuff that I wasn't up on. Check it out now, before you mom disowns you.

Time 4 Sum Aksion
This blog is one of my favorite blogs to pop up in the past couple months. The new fad in the blog scene seems to be posting up the old cassette singles and stuff. I used to by cassette singles by the truck load. I always had to have the remixes and b-sides. Unfortunately, I've lost probably 75% of those from moving or having my parents throwing out a couple of full boxes of them when I moved out of their house. This site is single handily responsible me getting a lot of those back (including the "Who Got The Props" 12 inch he just posted up). I do backflips when I see a new post and he was pretty much responsible for the last WYDU classic since I used a lot of those remixes and b-sides on it. He is also responsible for me taking so long to post up a new "link love" post since he has been on vacation for the past month and I wanted ILLustrious to be able to show any new people that I send his way all the goodies he has coming.

Underground For U Neck & Mind
Another blog specializing mostly in cassette singles and 12 inch releases, which is all great to me, since they are mostly the things I'm looking for this day in age. Also a sprinking of a few hard to find albums dot the landscape of this blog as well. Not much writing, but not everyone wants to listen to us rant on and on about shit.

Nisun Day
I've always said I'm a sucka for a blog with good writing. I know some people could give a rats ass about what we have to say, while others really dig that kind of thing. This blog is for the later. One of the better written blog out there with some good insight and commentary. Swiftus is on top of his shit and needs to have the trumpets blow for the arrival of his site. If you enjoy a good read, stop reading this and head over to Nisun.


Other freshly squeezed blogs that are worth pointing out.

Brews Rhymes With Crews
Rubbish Heap
Milk Crate Breaks
Northern Author
Invincible Bully
Efficiency
Good Ole Love
Hip Hop State Of Mind

Camp Lo Tracks From Up Coming "Black Hollywood" LP

I'll admit, I've been looking forward to this release since they dropped that dope mix tape last fall. I know these mp3's will be obsolete whenever the album leaks all over the net (go buy it!), but I haven't seen that happen as of yet, so here are a couple tracks that were slid my way that will hopefully hold you all over. And no, I don't have the album, so don't ask.

Soul Fever
Suga Willie's Revenge
Black Hollywood

NYCUG Hip Hop Series:
For all of those in the New York City area looking for something to do this coming July 27th, NYCUG.com is sponsoring a free show on that date. They also plan on doing a monthly series of Hip Hop shows for the foreseeable future. Any interested artists should contact Michael at hiphopseries@nycug.com

Further info is available at NYCUG

Trav's Top Spins Of The Week

1. Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens
I'm growing to really love this album. With the way shit has been going for me these past couple of weeks, it's been kind of therapeutic.

2. The Big Four (Ill Poetic, Senim Silla, Buff1, and Blue Scholars)
I'm probably going to have to drop the Buff1 from this list since I didn't listen to it nearly as much as the other last week.

3. Junk Science - Feeding Einstein
Its a few years old, but new to me. I'm digging it.

4. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
Another album I drug out and listened to over and over again thanks to "Check The Technique". I don't know why I don't mention Muggs as one of my favorite producers since he sounds like a weeded out Bomb Squad member back in the day.

5. Storm Davis - Kegstand Poetry For The Recovering Alcoholic
I do this from time to time, find an album, listen to it for a couple of weeks, then put it away. Then something will remind of the album and I'll pull it out again and realize it was much better than I originally thought. This is one of those albums. I found it online earlier in the spring. I liked it enough to buy it when I ran into earlier this summer. Then when I posted my favorite first half songs, I pulled out again, after listening to the "Kegstand Poetry" track a few hundred times that night. Its been in steady rotation this past week and I'm enjoying it even more.

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Jay-Z - The black album - Pete Rock Remixes

I didn't listen to all the remix albums that came out, cause none of those that I heard could even be close to the original. Usually I'm not a big fan of remix albums, besides God's stepson by 9th Wonder... But this here is pretty nice,the usual Pete Rock sound is nice in combination with Jigga's raps. 99 Problems might be the outstanding remix on this one. Have fun!
Black Album - Pete Rock remixes


SoulClap

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Superstar Quamallah - Love has made us

The readers from this site might know that I'm a huge Superstar Quamallah Fan! I posted thet Don't call me John EP from 98 some weeks ago, and now he is about to release his debut album. You can check him out on myspace---> Superstars Myspace

He got a video on there, which I personally love. I already watched it around 30 times today,lol, I'm really not kidding. You should definitely check it out, it's totally worth it!


He made that with his sony cam, I think he did a really good job!
Enjoy!

DJ SoulClap

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WYDU's Guide To Cheap Summer Drinking

Its a rough economy out there these days. Unemployment is up, the interest rates are going through the roof, and the price of hookers is steadily rising. Maybe you are not on top of your pimpin' game or the dime bag sales are down. It happens to the best of us. We here at WYDU are all struggling to make ends meet. We feel your pain. Everyone, including pseudo internet celebrities, go through tough economic times sometimes.

When the wallet is empty and that Alize bottle is dry and you still feel the need to "drink away the pain", there are some cheap alcoholic substitutions that can be found at your local gully liquor store. When you need more bang for the buck and you could give a shit less what people think when you approach the counter with some cheap ass whino brew, just follow this handy little guide that will contain everything from the cheap frat boy beers to the ghetto ass brews from the inner cities.

Cheap Frat Boy Beers

Pabst Blue Ribbon
Price: $6.29 a 12 pack

This is the ultimate frat boy/broke ass beer. Pabst is easily found anywhere and usually cheap as hell. I'm not a big fan of this stuff out of cans, it tastes like it was distilled through tin foil, but luckily enough Pabst is found in abundance in dive bars and neighborhood swill spots for cheap, sometimes $1 to $1.50 a pint, which is about 10 rolls of pennies and its not all that bad out of the tap. I highly suggest grabbing a pint or two at the bar when you are on a budget.

Milwaukee's Best

price: $6.29/12 $1.59 for 32oz bottle

Ahhhh, yes, the "Beast". I have fond memories of this college lager. We used to have a beer bong (what college frat boy didn't?) named Mr. Whitmore after our high school Spanish teacher that we nearly drove to retirement. Before we turned 21, we'd throw three "Beasts" in Whitmore and chug-a-lug before going to the horse track, just in case we couldn't find some vendor to sell us beer there. It would be the only way I'd be able to drink the "Beast" for a long time. We used to take it camping with us as well and it wouldn't taste decent until about the fourth one. These days, it's not all that bad. I even bought a 32 oz bottle in the grocery store here not long ago on a Sunday when I wanted a beer and the liquor stores were closed. Most of the grocery stores in Denver at least, carry the 32 oz bottles for fairly cheap. I'd buy a 12 pack of this before I bought a twelver of PBR. They are both watered down shit, so does it really matter?

Miller High Life
price: $1.99 for a 40 oz

The "Champagne Of Bottled Beers", the official motto of this piss water. I've never been a big fan of the "High Life", but it seems to go over pretty good in certain circles during certain times. The last time I tasted one, I thought it tasted similar to a malt liquor, without the kick. If I'm going to drink something that tastes like malt liquor, it better kick me on my ass. I'll mention it, although you can find some stuff cheaper with more kick....we are talking value for the buck after all.

Keystone & Keystone Ice
price: $6.99 for a 12 of Keystone, $1.00 for 24 oz Tallboys for both Keystone and Key Ice

This is my personal favorite. Keystone is like water and a Coors product, so it's all good to me. You can drink a lot for a long time and not feel any ill effects. Keystone Ice on the other hand comes in at 5.9% alcohol content and is best bought in the tallboys. They are a little rougher to swallow, but down about 6 of those Key Ice tall boys and you'll be feeling it, and all for six bucks.

Malt Liquors aka 40's

Okay, if you are hell bent on getting bent and only have couch change to spend, your best best is swallowing your pride and grab a forty or two of Malt Liquor. You are not drinking these for taste and thats a good thing, because most of these taste like the sweat off an elephants ball sack (not that I would know what that tastes like).

Colt 45
price: Not sure...it's been awhile, but it's cheap

The malt liquor of choice for Billy Dee Williams. How can you go wrong with that? I think I've only had one of these bad boys my entire life so I can't tell you if its any good or not. Coming in at only 5.7% alcohol content, you can do much better than this.

Evil Eye
price: $2.25(?)

At a walloping 10% alcohol content, this stuff will grow hair in places on your body that you never knew you could. The buzz will be needed to get through this concoction of what tastes like water that old pennies have been soaking in for a couple of days. It's truly some nasty shit, but you are a broke bitch that is only concerned about getting your drink on, so no bitching. But be warned, you better be a seasoned drinker to tackle this stuff which means no rookies allowed.

Funny story concerning this stuff. I had just moved to Denver and didn't really know anyone. I was working as a merchandiser for Dreyer's Ice Cream (Edy's for you east coast cats). My driver took me to lunch/dinner after our shift and we had a couple of pitchers of beer. I went home and was flat broke for the most part and had been fighting with my g/f. I decided I just wanted to get good and fucked up. I went to the corner liquor store and purchased a couple of bottles of this. My first time I ever tried it. It pretty much sucked but it got the job done. It also caused one hell of a black out. I woke the next morning in my boxer shorts, sprawled out across the kitchen floor with my cell phone laying next to me. Apparently, I drunk dialed just about everyone I knew from back home. Drink with caution.

Olde English 800
price $2.59ish

The malt liquor drank by your favorite rapper's favorite rapper. Its famous, face it. I've had my fair share of run ins with this bad boy. It tastes like a piece of charcoal wood floating around in water, but it works. The OG version is only 5.9% but the newer Olde English 800 HG (High Gravity for you novices) packs an 8.0% punch that is more bang for the same price, although I've heard some people say it tastes much worse than the original.

When I was in my "white rapper wannabe" stage in my life, I'd drink quite a few of these. Usually one would do the trick. I sat out my third semester of college after having back surgery. I was only working about 20 hours a week, so I'd go over to my buddy's place and we'd play pool in his garage, drink a couple of 40's of OE while listening to 2pac....those were the days.

Steel Reserve 211 High Gravity Lager

I was introduced to this brew until I started hanging out with this big black dude from Washington DC who I used to work with and play madden with. It was the only shit he would drink. I personally don't mind the stuff and it has like a 7.5% alcohol content, so it will do the trick. You can buy this stuff in 40's, tall boy cans or a regular 12 pack.

Little music to get your drink on.....

Vell Bakardy - Genuine Liquor Hits (1995)

1.	Intro
2.	Drink Wit' Me
3.	Playa Shit
4.	Drunk Biches - AMG, Vell Bakardy
5.	Fantasy (It's Reality)
6.	Up in the Hood
7.	Deep Shit
8.	Forever
9.	F.A.T.H.A.
10.	Liqua Ndustry - AMG, Vell Bakardy
11.	Daddy's Lil Angel
12.	Typical Day
13.	Little Kids (Who's the Man With the Master Plan?)
14.	Life's So Hard
15.	Came Up

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Free Stuff From All Corners Of The Internet

My internet time was been greatly reduced with the onslaught of summer and a fairly crazy couple weeks at work. Combine that with my everlasting problems with my home internet connection and I'm not nearly wasting as much time on the internet as I used to. No fear though, I got my geek on yesterday and ran into some LEGAL (like any of you care) free downloads during my internet journeys. Since I'm one hellava nice guy, I'll share them with the rest of you...plus its a cheap way to come up with a post without much time or thinking involved.

-Louis Logic has a track, "Mean Streak" for download on his myspace with some Danish producers Beatman & Rockin' that sounds new for me.

-No downloads, but Sam Sever of Downtown Science fame has some new material to listen to on his myspace page. Worth a listen for those of you down with "SCHOOL 'EM" Sam. Also check out his website as well

-Ski is a legend that doesn't nearly get the fame he deserves. From the Bizzie Boys as MC Willski to Original Flavor to producing such classics as "Dead Presidents" and Camp Lo's debut album,
Ski is making moves in the game once again, with some upcoming production on Camp Lo's upcoming album and other projects. There is a mixtape out highlighting Ski's career

Beats, Rhymes, & Samples: Ski Beatz



- A WYDU favorite, J-Zone is doing a monthly mixshow called "Gator$ N Fur$" which his posting up on his myspace page on the regular. Zone has impeccable taste along with his humor, it's worth giving these a listen for sure! Here the description in his own words:

What up, and welcome to my monthly mixshow Gator$-N-Fur$. Now that I've stepped away from the mic to focus on production and DJing, its only right I kick it off with a lil monthly mixshow for fun. Goin back to my roots as a college DJ -where I got kicked off the air a few times for playing NWA's "I'd Rather Fuck You"- was inevitable. Every show will have a different theme to keep shit fun, versatile and cohesive. Somehow, I'll find a way to cram funk, miami bass, gangsta rap, golden age hiphop, St. Ides commercials, hip house, pop, soul, rock and new wave into my repitoire. Somehow... The theme of the first edition is the soundtrack to my life if it were a movie (and if I were famous enough to have my life made into a movie, haha). Influential songs, personal faves and background music for my life events...the songs that created the J-Zone we all love/hate. I even threw in a bonus for this first show. For those of you who wondered what a 16 year old J-Zone sounded like, I put my first hiphop demo I ever did in the mix (beats, rhymes and cuts by me) and I was straight trash! Y'all think I'm wack now? Ha. Fuck it, embarrassment ain't shit new. I put the first record I ever produced (the Preacher Earl joint) on there too

June's Gator$ N Fur$

July's Gator$ N Fur$

-This mix tape, from Don Cerino an up and coming NY MC, comes on the recommendation of DJ Hyphen, someone who's opinion I hold value to. I personally haven't listened to it, but with a guest list consisting of Phonte, Reef The Lost Cauze, Silent Knight, Emilio Rojas, L.E.G.A.C.Y., NapsNdreds, and Tunji (of Inverse) and production from DJ Premier, Croup, Realson, Statik Selektah, Domingo, Illmind, Incise, and Amplifya. I'll give it a gamble.

Don Cerino Presents Nothing In Life Is Free Mixtape

-From Spitkickers myspace, another reliable source, Diablo Archer Presents the Wake Up Call mixtape. Diablo Archer is an affiliate of the Spitkicker family. If you are not familiar with Spitkickers, it's basically De La Souls brainchild. That should give you some idea what he sounds like that.

Diablo Archer Presents The Wake Up Call Mixtape


-Al Fatz & Mick Boogie - Expect The Unexpected
1) Intro: Revenue Rich (Dreamlife/LRMR)
2) Al Fatz: Takin' Over
3) Interlude: Al Fatz
4) Al Fatz: Came Down
5) Al Fatz: All Eyes On Me
6) Al Fatz and Royal Camp: Known As A Star
7) Interlude: Chris Paul / New Orleans Hornets
8) Al Fatz f/ Lil Wayne: Got It Up
9) Interlude: Steph Floss / The League Crew
10) Al Fatz: Craziest
11) Neo Da Gift and Skean: What A Real Nigga Go Thru
12) Al Fatz and Paul Wall: Callin' All The Shots
13) Interlude: Taz / Lovetheclub.com
14) Tae: 100 Stacks
15) Royal Camp f/ Neek: Stylin' On You
16) Interlude: Jesse Itzler / Marquis Jets
17) Mike Ivey: Corner
18) Al Fatz: House Party
19) Interlude: Phatty Banks / Engineer Extraordinaire
20) Al Fatz: Swang My Doors
21) Al Fatz: I'ma Ride
22) Royal Camp: Throwed In The Game
23) Interlude: Eddie Bauer / Radio One
24) Al Fatz: Came Down (Mick Boogie Mix)
25) Dreamlife Allstars: Dreamlife Soldiers
26) Royal Camp f/ Neek and Chip Da Ripper: Bumper Kick Drag
27) Royal Camp f/ Revenue Rich: Hot Boys

Admittedly, probably not my kind of music, but hey, it's Mick Boogie. Worth checking just for the heck of it.

-I know most of you blog heads have probably ran across this already, but in case you missed it. Courtesy of Marco Polo's myspace.

DJ Polo - Newport Authority Mixtape

Tracklist
1. Newport Authority Intro
2. Skoob (of Das Efx) “How I Get Down” REMIX (Cuts by Jayceseoh)
3. Special Teamz “1 Call” (Cuts By Jayceeoh)
4. Masta Ace Interlude
5. Masta Ace f. Big Noyd “Do It Man”
6. Large Professor “The Radar” (Cuts By DJ Revolution) *PORT AUTHORITY EXCLUSIVE
7. Grand Daddy I.U. “Veteran” (Cuts by DJ Linx)
8. Torae “Good God” Interlude
9. Kool G. Rap & D.V. Alias Khryst “Hood Tales” *PORT AUTHORITY EXCLUSIVE
10. Boot Camp Clik “He Gave His Life”
11. Boot Camp Clik “Hate All You Want”
12. Brooklyn Academy “The Growler”
13. O.C. Interlude
14. Skyzoo “Block Sh*t” (Cuts By DJ Linx)
15. Kardinal Offishall “War” *PORT AUTHORITY EXCLUSIVE
16. O Dot Allstars f. Catalyst, Copywrite, Tage & Kingdom “U Must”
17. Torae “Casuality”
18. Supernatural Interlude
19. Rasco “What Happened To The Game”
20. Not A f*cking Game Interlude
21. Block McCloud f. Jean Grae “All A Game” (Cuts By DJ Linx)
22. Brand Nubian Interlude
23. Sadat X f. Boss Money “If You”
24. Pumpkinhead f. Roc Marciano (of The UN) “Swordfish” REMIX
25. Boot Camp Clik “Yeah”
26. Pumpinkhead f. Arch Rival “Swordfish”

-This one comes from Von Pea, of Tanya Morgan fame. That Tonya Morgan album was one of my favorites from last year. I have listened to this, although only briefly. It consists of Von kicking rhymes over Kayne beats....interesting

Von Pea - The Grand Vonye
1. Introduction featuring Ilyas
2. We Need To Know
3. We Out There
4. Progess Report featuring Donwill
5. Critical Beatdown
6. Brooklyn Spirit
7. Voodoo featuring Jermiside
8. I Don’t Wanna Do (performed by Jack Benson)
9. Explosive featuring Donwill
10. Change featuring Che Grand
11. Living A Movie
12. Call The Cops featuring Spec Boogie



DJ Pump - Jeepney Sound Vol 6

1. Boomin In Your Jeepney Intro
2. Common – Resurrection (fantastic remix)
3. Be Break
4. Ahmad Jamal – Ghetto Child
5. The Light (dj pump break)
6. Lupe Fiasco – Kick Push (handle it version)
7. Linda Clifford – Never Gonna Stop
8. The Sylvers – Stay Away From Me
9. Rottin Razcals – Oh Yeah (be easy mix)
10. Slum Village – Get Dis Money (dilla fix)
11. J Dilla - Say It! (feat. Ta'Raach & DJ Exile)
12. Nicolay – I Love The Way You Love (feat. Darien Brockington)
13. Method Man – Method Man (dj pump remix)
14. Zhane – Hey Mr. DJ (dj pump version)
15. Zhane – Request Line (beatapella)
16. Dwele - I think I Love You
17. Musiq – ForTheNight
18. Q-tip – Official
19. Yesterday's New Quintet – Uno Esta
20. Bobbi Humphrey – Uno Esta
21. Quantic Soul Orchestra – We Got Soul (rob life remix)
22. El Michels Affair – Glaciers of Ice
23. Jimi Hendrix – Little Miss Lover
24. Sly & The Family Stone – Life Of Fortune & Fame
25. The Roots – Game Theory (feat. Malik B)
26. Junkyard Band – Sardines
27. Pharaoh Monch – Body Baby
28. Consequence – Callin Me
29. Consequence – The Consequence (feat. Q-tip)
30. Jazzy Jeff – Whatever U Want (feat. Little Brother)
31. The Free Design – Don't Turn Away (sharpshooters mix)
32. Giorgio Moroder – E=Mc2
33. DILLA FOREVER – DJ Pump
34. Kanye West On J Dilla
35. J Dilla – Dilla's World (still bangin' in your jeep)
36. The Trammps – Rubber Band
37. Kool & The Gang – Fruitman
38. Martha Reeves - Sweet Misery
39. A Tribe Called Quest – 1nce Again (dj pump BKS remix)
40. J Dilla – Won't Do
41. Kanye West – I Still Love H.E.R.
42. Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One, Rakim – Classic (dj premier remix)
43. Styles P – Testify
44. Talib Kweli & Madlib – Happy Home
45. Black Milk – So Gone
46. Nas feat. Snoop Dogg – Play On Playa
47. Marvin Gaye – After The Dance
48. Once You Get it Break
49. Steve Arrington – Nobody Can Be You
50. One Way – Don't Fight The Feeling
51. Zapp – Heartbreaker
52. Slum Village – Give This Nigga
53. Musiq – Miss You
54. War – Sing A Happy Song
55. Ghostface Killah feat. Amy Winehouse – You Know I'm No Good
56. Common /Will I Am – I Have A Dream
57. Common – Geto Heaven (dj pump remix)
58. Richard Holmes – Onsaya Joy
59. Weldon Irvine – We Gettin' Down
60. Incredible Bongo Band – In A Gadda Da Vida

BONUS TRACK *
61. Linda Lewis – Old Smokey

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Summary only...

Re-Ups and Stuff To That Effect

I got an interesting email the other day. I think I'm a pretty nice guy, for the most part and try to help others if they ask for it, but I'm also intolerable of idiots and the "suburban gangsta douchebags". I remember picking fights with kids in high school that didn't have a clue what hip-hop was, but still did all that gangsta shit....it just pissed me off. I've mellowed a bit in my older age, but its still something that gets under my skin the quickest

Douchebag who writes me to wonder why his link isn't on my site:
Yo wHaTUP?? ThIS P DaWG. IZ WonDErin WhY UZ doNT hAVe A lINk to mY BloG? I goT u LiNKeD. ShOW A HomIE SuM LoVe BRo!!!

Immediately, my "poser" radar goes off. Maybe it's the fucked up typing (just doing that up there was a pain in the ass, but I guess thats GANGSTA!!!), or the slaughtering of the English language, one of my big pet peeves, but I'm immediately thinking "oh dear god". But being the nice guy that I am, I reply back:

What's the site name? I'll take a look at it and if it's something I'll check out on the norm, I'll link it up. Thanks, Travis

Gangsta Douchebag writes back:

YO! DaTS KinDA fUCked UP ThAt U WoNt LiNk mY BloG uP. I puT A LinK Up To URZ. FuCk YoU!

At first I'm thinking "Someone has to be fucking with me", but then I realize thef internet brings out all kinds of people who don't get out nearly enough and I just chalk it up to a moron being a moron. I had a laugh and sent the email to a couple of friends just for the laugh factor. I haven't heard from Gangsta douchebag boy in while. I still don't know what blog it was, but if it's run by someone like that, I'm guessing I'm probably better off not knowing.

Re-Ups and the such.......

Some one wanted all the top first half 2007 songs
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UT1TNXBL

DJ Spinna - Strange Games & Things (BBE, 2001)
Buy Here
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HJ1RB1RV

1. 90% of Me Is You [DJ Spinna Mix] - Gwen McCrae
2. Reasons [DJ Spinna Mix] - Minnie Riperton
3. Mademoiselle [DJ Spinna Mix] - Foxy
4. Save Their Souls [DJ Spinna Mix] - Bohannon
5. Elevate Your Mind [DJ Spinna Mix] - Linda Williams
6. Another Day [DJ Spinna Mix] - Al Goodman
7. You Can't Run Away [DJ Spinna Mix]
8. How Could You Break My Heart? [DJ Spinna Mix] - Bobby Womack, Bobby Womack
9. Strange Games and Things [DJ Spinna Mix] - Love Unlimited Orchestra
10. Hollywood Dreaming [DJ Spinna Mix] - Father's Children
11. Mary Jane [DJ Spinna Mix] - Rick James
12. Easy Money [DJ Spinna Mix] - Dee Dee Sharp
13. If I Can't Stop You [DJ Spinna Mix] - Johnny Bristol
14. Can't Hide Love [DJ Spinna Mix] - Creative Source
15. Passion Play [DJ Spinna Mix] - The Sugarhill Gang
16. Wind Parade [DJ Spinna Mix] - Donald Byrd
17. Keep It Up [DJ Spinna Mix] - Milton Wright, Jr.
18. Lucky Fellow [DJ Spinna Mix] - Leroy Hutson
19. Secret Rendezvous [DJ Spinna Mix] - René & Angela
20. Girl You Need a Change of Mind [DJ Spinna Mix] - Eddie Kendricks
21. Hunk of Heaven [DJ Spinna Mix] - Lemuria
22. Magic Ride [DJ Spinna Mix] - Bobby Lyle
23. Life Is Just a Moment, Pts. 1 & 2 [DJ Spinna Mix] - Roy Ayers
24. Heart's Desire [DJ Spinna Mix] - Don Blackman
25. Bring Your Sweet Loving Back [DJ Spinna Mix] - Starpoint
26. California Dreaming [DJ Spinna Mix] - José Feliciano
27. It's a Desperate Situation [DJ Spinna Mix] - Marvin Gaye

Sorry for the half-assed post, but it is what it is...

Derek B - Bullet From A Gun (fuck zshare)

1. Bullet From A Gun

2. Goodgroove

3. Power Move

4. Bad Young Brother

5. We Got The Juice

6. Def Beat Boy

7. All City

8. Rock The Beat

9. Human Time Bomb

10. Get Down

11. Success

12. It's Alright Now

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Summary only...

Sunday/Monday Lite

Summertime is in full effect and we are officially entering the second half of the year. It’s crazy how fast time seems to go when you get older. I hope all my American cronies had a great Fourth of July. I spent the day drinking a 12 pack of Coors Light and eating a small cow worth of hamburgers. The first month of summer has been uneventful, which is either good or bad. The Slushy Gutter Summer challenge has kept things some what interesting and made for some loooong Friday nights, but nothing horribly exciting you expect from summer yet. No crazy ass camping trips resulting in staying up until 7am. No 32-hour drinking binges resulting in one hell of a game of mud volleyball or drunken float trips down the Boise river, like pictured up above. Still two months left though and a couple out of town trips coming up, so I’m not too worried.

Top 30 Songs for the First Half Of ‘07

I never pass up a chance to be the blogger nerd that I am and put together a list. This one is probably a month late, but I’ve been sitting on it for awhile, mainly because I either forget about it or didn’t have the time to properly post it up. There have been some quality songs this year, I will say that about the year. I had a tough time putting this list together and the top three songs are good enough to be number one in many of the past years.

30. Closer – Ty featuring Maceo
I first listened to this song after Glenn aka Yeedo (where you at?) told me I had to hear this song. Admittedly, it’s a great song although I know next to nothing about the artist. I did notice that another blog had something about Ty and the album this joint appeared on, but I can’t remember which one, but I think I might need to hear the whole album if it is anything like this song.

29. Time Flies – OK Cobra
I have this theory that it’s tougher to objectively judge music when you have personal connections with the artist, even if it is only a few emails every month or so. This joint is from one such person, Ryan Sommers aka Fritz the Cat and his group OK Cobra. I listened to his album, which good in its own right, but after I was done, this song stuck in my head for the next three days. It’s not a traditional hip-hop song, but it sounds like something you would expect from someone who idolizes Divine Styler. It has a certain alternative rock feel to it, which might be why I like it so much. It’s not for everyone, but for those of you with more of an open mind when it comes to their music, you might like this one.

28. Keep It Coming – Senim Silla
I’ve sang praises about this album for the past month or so, it’s one of my “big four”, a group of four albums I’ve been playing the shit out of this year. This was the second song that I fell in love with, the first being “For The Record” which made my list for ’06. Certain songs just stick out to me, maybe it’s a certain “type” and this one fits that “type”. Silla comes hard on the mic, the beat is simple and so is the chorus, but maybe that’s why I like it so much.

27. Let Me Hear U Clap – DJ Jazzy Jeff feat Pos
This track is sort of like “Smile A Lil’ Bit “ from one of my favorite albums last year, Oh No’s “The Exodus of Unheard Rhythms”. The track features a solo Posdnus from De La. Pos is an ill ass MC, that I think some people forget simply because of the greatness that is De La as a group. The song employs a bouncy beat while Pos basically praises the greatness that is DJ Jazzy Jeff.

26. Weapon X – X Clan
Forget that I lost all respect for this group for touring with ICP (who I despise with all the good taste I have in my body), I love this joint. The song is definitely a throw back and probably nothing groundbreaking, but anytime you have a fuzzy bassline and an organ in a beat, you are going to catch my attention.

25. Headsense – Polyrythym Addicts

I think this album sucked worse than their first album (may lightning for the hip-hop gods strike me down now), but this joint is just some good ole boom bap hip hop. If only the rest of the album sounded like this.

24. Whatcha’ Got – Brother Ali
As much as Brother Ali’s voice grates on my ear drums after awhile, his first song on an album always sounds the best. Throw in a dope Ant beat and I like this song a lot. If you ever want to make a song that Trav likes, throw some guitars (use them wisely) and you’ll usually have me hooked.

23. Loyalty – Blue Scholars
As you’ll soon see, this album had a huge impact on me. There a lot of songs on it that I love, including the three on this list and a new song from that album that has been in my play a lot this week (The Distance). I know Eric at WTR has this ranked higher and give it more props than I have, but I still think it’s great, although I think 9^th Wonder freaked the sample better.

22. Brooklyn Bullshit – Joell Ortiz
I guess when I piss and moan about the state of hip-hop, I’m bitching about the straight up from the inner-city New York hip-hop. Let’s face it, a lot of the New York hip-hop isn’t what it used to be. I hate saying that, because to me, a raw New York beat by a dope New York MC is hip-hop and nothing will ever be like that. It’s the CENTER or the starting point that all other hip-hop originates from. It’s great to have hip-hop being diverse and having different kinds of music, but if you lose the recipe for the original, soon the music loses its identity. This is what I’m talking about when I mention straight up raw New York hip-hop. It’s great to hear that some MC’s from NY still have that hunger and desire and are not trying to be from the south or whatever is hot out. Keep that NY flavor, it’s birthplace of the culture and the music.

21. Mac 10 Handle – Prodigy
I was a little put off by the unoriginal beat for this at first. As much as I tried to dismiss it, Prodigy fits this track so well. It’s another example of quality NY hip-hop. I still don’t care for the rest of the album/mix tape though.

20. Smithereens – El-P
As much as I’ve declared my love for the El-P album, this is the only song that made the list. It’s more of an album that is best heard as a complete project other than its individual pieces. I know a lot of visitors to this site think El-P sucks, and I used to, or maybe I still do, but just like the album. Chaos and mayhem for a beat and a catchy hook, and this comes in as my favorite from the album.

19. Y’all Should Get Lynched – Nyoil
Regardless if it’s Kool Kim or not or if it was released at the end of last year or the controversial message, this is a ballsy song that sounds good doing it. I know some artists would do a song like this simply for the shock value, but the feeling I get from it is that Nyoil actually truly feels this way, which I’ve thought many times, at least when it comes to the musical topics. It’s just good that someone had the courage to come out and say it. Makes me curious to hear the album.

18. I Can’t Win – Pack FM
I slept so hard on this album last year. It wasn’t until this past spring that I really got into it. I really like the QN5 family, which Pack is apart of. I also tend to follow the careers of MC’s that I’ve seen live, which I saw Pack open for Masta Ace a couple years ago. I can’t remember who produced this track, but it got stuck in my head. I also dig the message Pack delivers since, it basically sounds like the last 10 years of my life or so.

17. Sound the Alarm – Black Milk feat Guilty Simpson
I would swear that J Dilla produced this track. It was beats like this that made me love Dilla so much, so naturally although it’s a Black Milk beat (supposedly) it was my favorite track from the “Popular Demand” album. Is it just me, or does Guilty Simpson sound like Beanie Seigel to anyone elese?

16. Kegstand Poetry – Storm Davis
This was released last year, but I like this song too much to not including on this year’s list since I just discovered the album this spring. It will probably be written off as white hipster music (read Sage Francis wannabe), but I’ve sung a long with this joint way too much not to fall in love with it. Any song that I can learn the words to now a days deserves some love. Plus it involves two of my favorite things, baseball (the original Storm Davis was a pitcher for the Orioles and Royals in the 80’s) and drinking.

15. Maps – The Pacifics & Illmind
I gave this EP/album some spins for a couple of weeks, and while I liked it, it never went longer than that. About a month ago, I had a beat and a chorus going through my head, but couldn’t figure out what it was for the life of me. At first I thought it was a Kanye joint, but no dice. Then I was playing some albums and played this again and this song came on and I realized it had been this song that had been stuck in my mind. Ever since then, I’ve been playing this song daily.

14. Fuck You Mean – Pack FM, Slug & Brother Ali
“Nerd Rap” lovers rejoice! Not many people mentioned Domingo’s album, which isn’t all that bad, but the horn sample on this joint is freakin’ amazing! If this doesn’t get you out of your seat, nothing will.

13. Still Got Love – Blue Scholars
This is the second song from the “Bayani” album. Good message, good beat, just a great song that get stuck in your head for a long time.

12. Leon Phelps – Juggaknots
We all know this was the album that I’ve pimped harder than most other bloggers. It’s release date and the fact I slept on it until earlier this year leaves all the songs to be grouped in this years list. I’m not even sure who Leon Phelps was, but this beat just catches me. The fact that Breezly Brewin’ has one of my favorite flows in hip-hop and this song, along with the whole album was in my headphones for a long time.

11. Home – Ill Poetic
All I know is Ill Poetic should hire Eric at WTR to be his publicist or promoter, because I probably would have missed this album and song all together if wasn’t for him. The first song from his album is my favorite, “Home” (not to be confused with “Hoe” that it’s labeled as on the album I downloaded to check out the album) is more “grown folk” music that is great to throw on while I write or try to clean the apartment.

10. Classic (Nike Air Force One) – Kanye, Nas & Krs One
This was the hot shit on the internet for about a week, then I haven’t heard it mentioned again. Regardless, it’s always stuck on my playlists. I could do without the Kanye verse, but Primo more than makes up for that miscue along with Nas, who always sounds 100x better on a Primo beat than he does on anyone elses and this is just a great cut. To bad they didn’t kick off Kanye and put Rakim on this one.

9. Best Kept Secret – Little Brother
The prime example why I’m not worried about Phonte and Pooh not having 9^th Wonder in their corner is this cut right here. It’s produced by RJD2, who for the most part, I can’t stand. But every once in awhile he’ll drop a beat like “Seasons” and shock the fuck out of me. He did it here. Sure it’s a simple drum battern and a guitar sample, but it makes Phonte sound hungry as fuck on it.

8. Second Chapter – Blue Scholars
It might be an overgrown intro, but since it contains one of the illest beats I’ve EVER heard, it gets a nod for the list. It’s a great way to lead into an album, because this catches your attention and will make you drop whatever you are doing to take notice.

7. Pretty Baby – Buff1
I’m not sure where the sample is from, maybe someone like Scholar or one of the wax diggers can fill me in, but it works well in a song. Again, a good message makes a song that I played 4-5 times a day for 3 weeks straight.

6. 30 Something – Juggaknots

This is my new theme song. I love the sprinkling of piano keys this song contains. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve closed my head and nodded away to this joint. The only thing though, I always felt that Sadat X was kind of out of place on this track.

5. Marquee – Marco Polo feat OC
Some more of that classic NY hip-hop I was talking about earlier. This is a classic joint to me. Those chimes are straight out of Buckwild’s book, Marco does a hellva impression. OC is the epitome of an MC as he just straight rushes right through the track. Sounds like it could have came out in 94 to me, I miss shit like this.

4. Hit ‘Em! – Royce Da 5’9
Primo brings out the best in MC’s like Bigge, Nas, Jay and Royce. I think Royce is one of the best when he is crushing MC’s over a Primo beat. More of the “Real Hip-Hop” flavor even if Royce is outta D-Town (Detroit). Number one song last year, number four song far this year…hmmmmm.

3. Mr. Slow Flow – Evidence
Organs? Check. A fuzzy and dirty bassline? Check. How can I not like this song then? Evidence isn’t the best MC, but he can sound pretty ill over the right beats and this is one. Thanks to whoever pointed out that Sid Roams is Joey Chavez, makes a little more sense.

2. Can’t Forget About You – Nas
Looking back at “Hip Hop Is Dead”, it’s actually not all that bad. I know, I bitc

hed and moaned about it, but I enjoyed more than his past few releases. “Can’t Forget About You” is by far the best joint from the album though. I’m usually against singing on the chorus on any rap song, but it works from time to time and it works really well with this joint. Sure, maybe the concept is a little played out by now, but it’s the best “Hip-Hop is/was someone” joint since “I Used To Love HER”.

1. Nostalgia – Marco Polo Feat Masta Ace
Did you really think it would be anything but this song? I mean, c’mon, did you really? You had to know before you even got to the number one spot that this song had to be number one. It’s Ace for one, secondly, it’s just a great song.

Big Thanks….

Goes out to guys at Lord of Vice Wear for the dope Geto Boys T-Shirt they sent to me last week. The shirt has an image of the “We Can’t Be Stopped” album cover on the front, the one with Bill holding in his eye more or less. It’s not one of those thr own together shirts, but a quality t-shirt with a quality image on it. Good stuff. For those into the darker side of hip-hop should defiantly check out their site and their Tees.

New EMC Track & Video EXPERTS MAKIN' CLASSICS!!!!

My most anticipated album of the year has to be the eMC project that is supposed to drop sometime this year (fingers crossed). For those of you out of the loop, eMC consists of Wordsworth, Punchline, Strick and the Masta himself, Masta Ace. Well the quintet is dropping a mix tape in the near future being mixed by someone close to WYDU itself and a prelude to that mix tape is a couple of new tracks on the groups Myspace page. This is some quality stuff, so check it out with the quickness! WHAT IT STAND FOR!!! The Video is also up there, and the track is there for download as well, so get that shit!

Trav’s Top Spins For The Week

1. Blu & Exile – Below The Heavens

I gave this album a listen when the advance was leaked. Although I liked it, for whatever reason, I kind of forgot about it. That was until the official release was finally out and an internet/blog buzz surrounded it again. I gave it another listen and low and behold, some of the songs really stuck to me. Exile’s “Dirty Science” was a top 5 album for me last year and one of my favorite songs on that album was the one with Blu, so I guess I should have paid more attention to this release originally. I’m really diggin’ it more the second time around, with “My World Is…”, “Cold Hearted”, “No Greater Love”, “Blu Colla Worker” and “Soul Amazin’” being my favorites so far on the album.

2. Junk Science – Feeding Einstein

This is an album from 2005 that I had only heard one song from, but finally tracked down a copy of it and have been enjoying it ever since. It’s not the greatest thing ever, but it’s good enough to contain some songs that catch my ear and make me crave to hear them everyday, so I can’t complain.

3. My Big Four (Senim Silla, Buff1, Blue Scholars, and Ill Poetic)

I’ll just list them as this from now one since they are always getting play these days, although the Buff1 has cooled down a little.

4. Brand Nubian – One For All

The Brian Coleman book “Check The Technique” strikes

again and makes me pull out an album from my boxes to reminisce about. Last week it was “Enta Da Stage”, this week it’s Brand Nu’s “One For All”. I’ve always kind of slept on this album in some ways. I remember I didn’t buy it for a while after it was released for some reason, I guess because I wasn’t crazy about “Slow Down” and the Edie Bickell sample used (I like the song now). It wasn’t until The Source magazine named it on it’s year-end list and it was one of two albums I didn’t own that I went out and bought it. Well, I also bought “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing” by Black Sheep at the same time. Needless to say, Black Sheep won out in the struggle for walkmen time. I would later revisit the album and came to appreciate its greatness. This time I pulled out and gave it some good listens and really came to love the production on the album, which I would dare to stay was almost ground breaking at the time and kind of leads into the transformation of the 92-94 part of the Golden Age.

5. Decompoze – Decomposition
This another album that I revisited that might have even been on this list before. Decompoze is down with One Be Lo and Senim Silla and that whole clique and even had a song that made my top 100 list last year (Brand Nu). Since I’ve been fascinated with the Senim Silla album, which Decompoze did a lot of the production for, I figured I better pull this little gem out again. People who like that whole Binary flavor will dig this as well.

WHY??????

Why am I excited to see the Home Run contest during the MLB all-star break more so than usual? Anything with Vlad Guerrero, Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard in it sounds good to me.

Why, speaking of baseball, did I pull out MLB 2K5 over the weekend and have a great time playing it? Make me think I probably should have bought a copy of the new one.

Why did I finally kick the soda pop habit? After polishing off 5 cans or more of pop (usually Coke) at work (we get it for free), I’ve finally got it to a couple cans a week after I discovered Lipton Cold Brew Ice Tea bags. Now I’m drinking ice tea like its going out of style with no sugar, but it’s a lot healthier than Coke. I’m still a caffeine junky though.

Why, although blondes are not really my type, I’d throw it in Jenny McCarthy with the quickness.

Why are they going to need an EPA permit if they ever have to cremate the remains of Pamela Anderson…stupid whore.

Why is formatting blogger a bitch sometimes? I still don't have rhyme or reason why it does what it does half the time

Why do I always forget about early DJ Muggs stuff when it comes to dope producers? The self titled Cypress album sounds like the Bomb Squad smoked a bunch of spliffs or something.

Why do I have the feeling we won't be seeing the new Raekwon anytime soon?

Why don't I believe that the new Wu is coming out this summer...yeah right.

Why do I hate that Gym Class Hero song so damn much?

Why does Jay Z sound soooo out of place on the "Rehab" remix with Amy Winehouse?

Why did I hear the for mentioned song on an adult contemporary local radio station and the 50 something DJ praising how great the song is?

Why do I keep getting beat down when trying to play pocket Aces during my local poker binges?

Why is it everytime I think Andre from Outkast is coming back to his roots that he conjures up some bullshit like a soundtrack for a Cartoon Network show?

Why did the Philadelphia Phillies run out on to the field Sunday at Coors Field to help the grounds crew put the tarp on the field during strong winds and a rain delay while the Rockies were nowhere to be found?

Why did I laugh during the rain delay when a grounds crew member was drug across the field like he was being pulled by a speeding vehicle?

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Requests

It's been a crazy week. The holiday in the middle of the week meant I had a hangover most of yesterday, that on top of network/computer problems at work the first two days of the week meant yesterday (with a hangover) and today have been freaking nuts. I'm going on 10 hours at work today, so I don't have much time to write, just a couple of requests that people asked for over the week. Have at 'em and have a great weekend....

Rasco - The Birth (Copasetik Recordings, 1999)

1		Intro
2		Back On The Scene
3		Dues And Dont's
4		Blood Brothaz
		Rap [Featuring] - Planet Asia
5		Return Of The MC
6		Sophisticated Mic Pro's
7		Final Destination
		Rap [Featuring] - Flii , Planet Asia
8		Outro

Delicious Vinyl - Prime Cuts VOL 1

1. Smoker's Emporium

2. Used to Be My Lover

3. Sometimes [Remix] - The Brand New Heavies, Q-Tip,

4. All My Love

5. New World - Basscut

6. Say a Little Prayer - AJA

7. Jealousy - The Pharcyde

8. Saturday Nite - The Brand New Heavies, Mos Def

9. Millennium Jump

10. Observations - Masta Ace

11. Too Many - Apocalypse

12. What's up Fatlip? - Fatlip

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A Change Of Pace

I'm gonna change it up for a minute. Rap and sports pretty much go hand-in-hand. I would say NBA is the most ties to hip-hop. I am a huge baseball fan and Ohio State football fan as well but not so much for the NBA since Jordan, Magic, Bird etc have all retired. I know Trav is a huge Pittsburgh fan. I just wanted him to see this if he already hasn't. It's his team's kicker, Jeff Reed, looking like an idiot!. Check out this picture and more like the John Daly one below at
www.drunkathlete.com



Another image from the site tells it all:


Is anyone else getting a kick out of this whole Elijah Dukes saga? I am loving it. If you have been living under a rock, Elijah plays baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The guy is a straight loser. He is on the same wave length as PacMan Jones. He recently had a huge blow up with his wife and baby momma #5 (?) and sent her a text message saying he was going to kill her and a text pic of a hand gun.


Here is an interview from last year:
Prospect Q&A: Elijah Dukes
By Chris Kline
April 25, 2006

Editor's note: Baseball America recently ran a story on Devil Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes that delved into his troubled background and whether he'd be able to put his past behind him. We heard that Dukes wasn't happy with one passage from the story that talked about him attending four high schools in four years prior to being a third-round pick in 2002 out of Hillsborough High in Tampa.

Because Dukes is just down the street from Baseball America HQ at Triple-A Durham this season, we had the opportunity to talk to him about the story and give him a chance to fully discuss his perspective on it. So Chris Kline, who wrote the original Dukes feature, interviewed him before a recent home game:

Kline: So I understand you were saying that you getting kicked out of one high school simply isn't true, but in all my research, I came to the conclusion that you had indeed been expelled. You said before if we wanted the truth about you to come to the horse's mouth, so what is the truth?

Elijah Dukes: I got suspended probably five times (through high school) and all that stuff comes from goofing off--never fighting--goofing off.

Kline: But in my research, I found that there was an expulsion.

Dukes: See, what happened was, a teacher said I hit him, but then they found out I didn't hit him because everybody wrote a letter saying, "Hey, this guy didn't do nothing. The teacher bumped into Elijah, you know?" So it was just people taking the teacher's word over the student's word. They went ahead and did a whole investigation and found out I didn't do it. I had to make up four classes in two weeks (after being suspended) and I passed all of them and finally ended up graduating.

But yeah, the teacher was trying to say that I pushed him, but everyone knew he bumped into me and it started this whole mess. They had to interview a ton of students, investigated it and found out I didn't do anything. They apologized for it and the teacher ended up quitting, but I kind of had to go through the wringer with everything.

You said I got kicked out of every school and when I read that, I couldn't believe it because I never got kicked out. If anything, it was other schools recruiting me to go there. That's why I went to four schools in four years. They want the best guys at their schools and they do all kinds of things to get coaches to get you there.

Kline: It kind of seems like all of this stuff in your background seems to have gotten a little overblown--like it's become bigger than you.

Dukes: I think it definitely has and I want people to know what I'm all about because this whole image thing has gotten out of hand. It's probably always going to be there, though, and I'm just trying to go out, play baseball and get to the next level and stay there for a long time.

Kline: So have you been settling in here in Durham?

Dukes: This is great, we have a nice team here and everything. Unfortunately I got off to a little shaky start and I've been battling up there trying to get settled in. I haven't really got settled in yet. It's coming along. I'm not doing too bad, but I'm not doing as well as I should be doing. I'm going to start working extra to get back to where I was in spring training.

Kline: Is it something where you feel like you need to change your approach, or is it adjusting to Triple-A for the first time?

Dukes: I'm getting a little too aggressive again instead of being more selective. I'm not being calm and selective, I'm getting aggressive up there every time and it's almost getting the best of me consistently. I'm throwing my hands out there so quick and I'm not even really seeing the pitches. I just need to get up there and get back to being where I was in the spring.

Kline: What's one thing you want to accomplish off the field this season?

Dukes: I'm all in-house during the season, so I haven't really been able to check out the city at all. Eventually I'm going to try to get a vehicle up here and I like to try to visit some of the schools where kids aren't as fortunate as other kids. I like to go visit with them, tell them stuff about me and where I came from, visit the Boys and Girls Clubs and play ping-pong with them, stuff like that so they see that people in my situation are people too. That's definitely one thing I really like to do.

Kline: Anything else you want to clear the record on?

Dukes: The thing about my mom. (According to Tampa police, Elijah's father fatally shot a man who sold $100 of fake crack cocaine to Elijah's mother.) I mean, maybe the police wrote it or whatever, but when I ask people about it, it's always a different story every time. No one really knows the truth about what happened that night. So I don't think that should really be in any stories when it comes down to my family history. You get so many stories and the police people put it in there--they're going to put the story in there that makes it easy, make it easier for them to indict somebody. They're going to flip the story a little bit.

Kline: You were saying earlier that your approach at the plate was aggressive, but if that's aggressive, then your approach on the bases is even more so. I think anyone can see that when you're barreling down on a second baseman trying to break up a double play . . .

Dukes: That's the only way I go is hard. I don't soften up for nobody and there's no reason to let up or give in. I don't care if you're short or tall, big or slim--I'm going in there hard. If you're man enough to stand in there, you're probably going to get a lot of body over the top by the time the play's over. That's just how I play. My game is similar to Pete Rose when it comes to sliding--you slide in hard and something's going to happen. Guys are going to move out of the way or umpires might not see the tag. When you slide in hard, things are going to happen.

Kline: How are things dealing with the Blue Monster (at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park) in left field?

Dukes: It's been a process. I'm missing some of the assists I should be getting that I normally would get if we were playing in a normal depth outfield. But I've been getting out there to take more balls off the wall to learn it a little better. Right now I'm short-handing balls, coming up short a little bit on my throws. And it's tough judging balls off that wall with all of the spin. I'm going to be taking balls off there during BP every day and take it a little more seriously than I have been taking it.

Kline: Just from seeing you interacting with (Rays farm director) Mitch Lukevics, it seems like the two of you have a pretty good relationship. What kind of role does he play in your life and career?

Dukes: Mitch is like a father from home. Ever since I came into this organization, Mitch has been one of the guys that I call all season, call him on Father's Day, call him on Christmas. Guys like that you just have to keep in touch with. He doesn't care what the situation is, he's going to view you just like anybody else. Like he always told me, yeah, I've made mistakes, but if he had to put his size 11½ shoe up my butt to get me to listen and get me on the right path, it was going to happen. Once he said that, I knew that he was one of the guys for me. Mitch is one of the greatest guys in baseball.

Kline: You've said before you weren't a big music guy and you thought you were the only player in the organization that didn't have an iPod. Is there anything you do listen to at all?

Dukes: I listen to Neo a lot. I'm an R&B type of guy right now. I listen to a lot of slow jams, but I'm still not big on music, really. All these guys have iPods. They have like 3,000 songs in them, but it's not 3,000 good songs. There aren't 3,000 good songs out there. All those jokers (who have them) are just trying to catch somebody's eye or something. I'll probably just keep the CD player for a long time.

Kline: So what else do you do in any kind of downtime you have?

Dukes: I play with the guys sometimes, but it's really been my PSP (Playstation Portable) this season and of course, Tiger Woods. I just play the PSP because I'm more of a loner. Mostly everybody hangs out all the time and I just sit in there, play the PSP or watch ESPN, that's it.


MORE ELIJAH:

I have the whole "I'm going to kill you" saga layed out for you here. Below are all the links to all the interview with Elijah's family members. If you have about 1 hour to burn while you are reading this at work, checks these out for a good laugh at the loser this guy is.
The best line is from the 5th part, the second interview with Duke's wife, where she says that Duke's pick up line is "I want you to have my baby. Can I be your first baby daddy?" All these calls started with Dukes texting a picture of a gun to his wife and saying he was going to kill her.

1st up is Duke's Wife

2nd is Duke's sister:

3rd is Duke's Sister-in-law & Brother:


4th up is Dukes Himself:


5th up is Duke's wife for a second time:


6th up, Wrapping this up is Duke's mom:




Additionally, I have been wondering why the Milwaukee Bucks slected a player that isn't going to sign with them. I guess they will be able to trade him. Yi Jianlian's agent told Milwaukee not to select the player and they wouldn't even allow Yi to work out for the team. The owner never even saw him play and they selected him #6. Yi's agent said he wanted him to go to a city where there was a large Asian population. Yi has stated he wants to be in LA. He has been to a few big Hoolywood movie premiers already (see above picture of Yi on the red carpet) Is a trade to the Clippers possible? In the interview I posted here he is saying all the right things. I just don't seeing him playing for the Bucks:



The Chris Benoit tragedy has been very interesting. Sad but interesting. I feel worst for his 7 year old son. This is all very confusing to me and disturbing. Hopefully some news will come out regarding Benoit's reason for all this. I read a story that said he even talked to his neighbor most likely after he killed his son and wife. He told the neighbor that they were both very sick with food poisoning. Below is a radio show where a guy names "Ray" calls in and says he had some dealings with Benoit:


Finally I am going to wrap this sports experiment up with brings ya'll in the first place. I know athletes becoming rappers has been happenin' for a while now. I put a small file togther for you all. I put in a few treats of some of the stuff that isn't commercially released.

FOOTBALL RAP SONGS
1.University of Miami - 7th Floor Crew
2.Terrell Ownes - I'm Back
3.Vince Young & Kiotti - Freestyle

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Philaflava & The Fourth

Happy Fourth!

Well the week of no work continues. I won't be around tomorrow and in fact I plan on starting my holiday in about 2 hours at noon and go from there. I already have a little poker game lined up tonight which usually consists in some beers and fun. I've been on a poker kick lately, playing twice last week including Friday night then playing last night (Ace Ace no good) and tonight. It's just a local free tourney they play in bars and around town, but its kind of fun.

NPR's (National Public Radio) Month In Hip-Hop

I already posted one week from the month long coverage. I started listening to some of the other shows in the series and found some very educational and interesting discussions that I think some people might find useful. Topics such as "Does Violent Music Beget Violence", "Inside Los Angeles Hip Hop" with Stones Throw Peanut Butter Wold, "Picturing Hip Hop" with famous hip-hop photographer Ernie Paniccioli, "History and Legality of Mix Tapes" and others, if you are at all interested in self education I suggest taking the time to listen to some of these.

Links to all show can be found here:

Hip Hop Month On NPR

Philaflava’s Greatest 80’s Song: Round One Group Four

Just Ice – Cold Getting Dumb Vs Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde – Genius Rap

The Match Up
Just Ice used to scare the fuck outta of me when I was a kid just getting into hip-hop. I remember seeing that album with his gold covered grill on the cover waaaaay before any of these southern cats and it was scary. With that being said, when I heard this song for the first time, I knew it was some raw authentic NY hip-hop, which is exactly what it is. This track just makes you want to grab the nearest herb and box his ears in with the quickness then show him your five fingered ring up close incase he wants to act up.

I thought Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde were on soft sissy shit back in the day, somewhere in between Whodini and Boogie Boys, which I guess is kind of what they are, a poor man’s Whodini. Regardless this “Genius Rap” track was enough to make you want to get up and shake your ass or do the “kick step” with Kid N’ Play or some shit like that. Mariah Carey kind of ruined this for me though, which sucks.

Trav’s Pick: I wouldn’t mind seeing “Genius Rap” move on, but not against something as raw as “Cold Getting’ Dumb”. Seeing it lose to something that Mariah Carey sang over would be one of the biggest injustices of the world.

Prediction: Just Ice would come beat everyone and their mother if they didn’t vote for him, so “Cold Getting’ Dumb” will win out.

Bizzie Boys – Droppin’ It Vs Geto Boys – Gangster Of Love

The Match Up
I’ll say first that I’m a big Ski fan. For those of you not familiar with the Bizzie Boys, it was Ski’s original group, before Original Flavor and before his classic production on “Reasonable Doubt”. As far as my history with this album, it’s kind of shady. I want to say I remember seeing this tape in the record store back in the day. But then again, there were so many “boys” back then, it was what rappers named “lil” are today. It wasn’t until about four years ago, on soulseek that I ran across “Bizzie Boys” and an album for them. They sounded familiar so I downloaded it, the only bad thing it wasn’t the whole album. I was immediately entranced by the beats and Ski’s enjoyable flow. “Droppin’ It” became one of my personal favorites, I just wish I would have had the last 17 years to enjoy this album and “Droppin’ It”.

On the other hand though, “Gangsta Of Love” goes waaaaay back for me. Being a snot nosed high school kid, stuff like 2 Live Crew, NWA and Geto Boys was our music of choice. It was offensive, violent, and sexist and we loved it. I remember buying the tapes with the shitty ass covers and they were still spelling it the “Ghetto Boys”. Then somehow they got associated with Def American and released the self-titled Geto Boys album, which was basically an accumulation of their earlier stuff. This song and “Assassins” were our personal favorites. It’s good to see the original version up here instead of the one that appeared later on the re-release. I guess Steve Miller wasn’t fond of his song being used in this song, so they jacked The Eagles instead, but the Steve Miller version is much better. I had a Volkswagen Jetta that had two twelve’s in the trunk being pushed by a Fosgate Punch 150 and this song absolutely BOOMED in that car, which was another reason we played the shit out this song.

Trav’s Pick: Maybe three years ago, I would have easily went with “Gangsta Of Love” just for all the history associated with the track. But in my older years and adding in how much I love “Droppin’ It”, the match up is much closer. I’m afraid I’m going to have to go with “Droppin’ It” since I feel it’s over all a better song, or maybe closer to what I think is classic hip-hop now a days.

Prediction: It seems to me that Philaflava is kind of east coast biased, not that I’m complaining since I probably am as well, so I think Bizzie Boys win out on this one.

Big Daddy Kane – Ain’t No Half Steppin’ Vs Steady B feat Roxanne Shante – Just Call Us Def

The Match Up
First off, as much as I like “Ain’t No Half Steppin’”, I’m more partial to “Raw” myself and I made that known in the nomination process, but oh well. I’m also one of those people that would say that Kane might be a more well rounded MC than Rakim and that I enjoy “Long Live The Kane” more than any album Rakim did as well. So yeah, I am a fan of early Kane material and this was him in his prime. There are so many lines in this song that are worthy of “rhyme of the month” that it’s just fucking ridiculous. That tied together with a beat that no one could forget and you have a classic.

I probably haven’t sang my praises enough for Steady B, but I’m a big fan of his work, as corny as it could be sometime. If I remember right, this would be one of his first tracks, when the early Juice Crew was still fucking with Pop Art, before Cold Chillin’ started up, but I could be wrong. The song is just a raw drum break and Steady get rhyme after rhyme. If I would have heard it when it was originally released, I probably would have flipped out. I didn’t hear this until a few years later, so it didn’t stick with me as well, but it’s still a dope jam.

Trav’s Pick: I’d love to pick Steady in this, but not going against a song that is probably going to make it to the final four. Kane takes it

Prediction: Kane is like a god to some people and not many people are up on Steady, so King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal, including Steady.

Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew – La Di Da Di Vs Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock

The Match Up
I remember being enamoured by this single in the late 80’s. Backed with “The Show” this is probably one of the greatest singles ever released. The track is simple, but so memorable that once you hear it a few times, you never forget the song. Rick spitting rhymes and Doug E on the beatbox and you have a classic story rhyme.

“Planet Rock” is important in many ways. First off it’s one of the building blocks for all of hip-hop. It’s also a key cog in the 808/Miami bass sound. Also the fact it comes from one of the members of the three holy trinity of hip-hop makes this song up there with “The Message” in terms of importance in hip hop history.

Trav’s Pick: Do I pick the song I like better or do I pick the song that I think is more important in the overall grand scheme of things? I’m not saying “La Di Da Di” isn’t important. I’ve long believed that the “La Di Da Di” b/w “The Show” single was important in the transition from the Old School drum machine hip-hop to the more advanced (in a lyrical sense and in a beat sense when referring to “The Show”) “new school” or “now school”. I’m not sure what I’ll do….probably Planet Rock.

Prediction: So far, they’ve stuck with the old school classics on the site when the old school classics deserved it and I think it’ll be close, but Planet Rock wins out.

Word Of Mouth Feat DJ Cheese – King Kut Vs Boogie Down Productions – My Philosophy

The Match Up
The first time I remember hearing “King Kut” was on a K-Tel compilation or some bullshit like that I bought for “La Di Da Di” and I always thought it was kind of cool. I can’t say I thought it to be classic, but it does earn a lot of props, so who am I to argue about it? The track, surprisingly enough, is a DJ track more or less, with some dope scratches and some catchy little nursery rhyme stuff going on for the beat. I want to say Cheese was one of those great DJ’s from Philly that made a name for himself in DJ battles, but I’m not totally confident on coming right on out and saying that.

“My Philosophy” was essentially my introduction to Boogie Down Productions. I’d missed out on “Criminal Minded” when it originally dropped but caught this single before “By All Means Necessary” dropped. It would be the video that hipped me to the song. I taped it on one of the original “Yo! MTV Raps” episodes and would listen to this every morning before school. I remember on the video, he does the first verse acapella and it would just get my blood flowing.

Trav’s Pick: No way am I going against “My Philosophy” on this one.

Prediction: Do I smell a shutout brewing? “My Philosophy” in a land slide.

Krown Rulers – Paper Chase Vs Super 3 – Standing On Top

The Match Up
I wasn’t introduced to Krown Rulers or this track until the mid 90’s for some reason. Some DJ dude I met in college had this on wax and I thought he was pretty fuckin’ cool to have this old school shit that I had never heard of. I loved this track, but could only hear when I went over to his crib and hi-jacked his tables (one of the only times I’ve fucked with turntables in my life) and I’d play this joint over and over. I wouldn’t hear it again until the almighty Cocaine Blunts boards were in full effect. I was so happy to finally get this album down on a form I could use. The track is sweet; hard beat, nice scratching and straight in your face rhymes. Any b-boys dream.

I’m not going to pretend like I know what I’m talking about with this next song, “Standing On Top”. I had heard it a few times before on some old school tapes, but I didn’t know the title until now. It’s hard for me to get too geeked up for something I don’t really know much about it, but it does have some cool congo/drum breaks in it and I can see where it probably would be a hit in the late 70’s/early 80’s. I’m going to have to do my homework on this one.

Trav’s Pick: I can’t vote for something I’ve only heard a few times in my life plus “Paper Chase” has some fond memories for me, although not nearly as old as the song itself.

Prediction: Since I don’t know much about “Standing On Top” it’s card to hard to gauge the people’s feelings toward, but I’m guessing if I don’t know much about it, neither do a lot of other people, lending them to vote for something they are familiar with.

Mantronix feat MC Tee – Fresh Is The Word Vs Schoolly D – PSK (What Does It Mean)

The Match Up
I thought Mantronix was some weird ass shit the first time I heard him. I’ve warmed up gradually to his music, but I’ve never been huge on any of his projects, but I know the man loved his cowbell. I’m not even sure what to say about this. I recognize it’s place in hip-hop lore, but I’ve never into it all that much. All I can say is give it a listen if you haven’t heard of it.

Then you have another one of my personal favorite artists in Schoolly D. Schoolly was the original gangster, regardless what anyone else says and it’s because of “PSK” (Park Side Killers). You new jacks will probably recognize this as a short rhyme on Biggie’s “Life After Death” LP, but that’s how much respect Schoolly gets from his peer. If you didn’t like a drum machine and a wicked 808 kick drum, you wouldn’t like much of Schoolly’s earlier work, including this song, but to me it’s what early hip-hop was about. Schoolly also had a charisma and flow that always drew me to his work.

Trav’s Pick: Is there any question who I’m going to vote for?

Prediction: I know there are some people that consider Mantronix on a level as Ced Gee or Paul C, but I’ve never gotten that. I think there are enough Schoolly fans out there that he’ll win out.

Too Short – Cusswords Vs Audio Two – Top Billin’

The Match Up
Too Short’s second album “Life Is…” was another album that I played a lot of in high school and this song probably had a lot to do with it. Bass, bitches and cuss words, what else does a 16 year kid want in his hip-hop music? Short was a favorite, especially on the left side of the country and in the Pac Northwest where I resided. I realize that Short’s earlier works, including this album, doesn’t get its rightful due by the rest of the country, which is unfortunate. I remember sitting in my room with my headphones on listening to it just so my parents wouldn’t hear it. Cuss words, just let ‘em roll…..

“MILK IS CHILLIN’ GIZ IS CHILLIN’ WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?!?!! TOP BILLIN’!!!!!” I still get goose bumps when I hear that. Any fan that reads this blog knows that I’m an Audio Two fiend and a lot of that is due to this song. To me it’s hip-hop in its purest form. I’ve even went as far as saying this is my all-time favorite song earlier this year. That drum track is classic, the chorus is classic, even Milk’s nasal flow is classic. I don’t know what else I need in a hip-hop song than this song. The first “real” (I don’t count MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice haha) hip-hop show I ever went to was Ice T back in like ’91 or ’92. Before the show, Evil Dee was spinning and he threw on this record and even in my little white college hometown, the kids started jumping up and down screaming along with the record. Great stuff, not many songs make people do that.

Trav’s Pick: I really wish Cusswords was against something else, because it holds some memories for me, but going against the track that I hope wins the whole damn thing, it isn’t going to happen.

Predictions: I don’t think other people love “Top Billin’” as much as I did (Biggie did though, if you listen to the intro to “Ready To Die”) but I think it holds enough weight to go deep, we’ll see.

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Early Week Lite: WYDU Classics July 07

I'm sure this is bound to be a most unproductive work week for us American workers. We have a national holiday smack dab in the middle of the work week (Independence Day) so not much is going to get done before or after. I have gotten absolutely nothing done today and probably won't either. Who said American work ethic was gone?

I picked up Brian Coleman's "Check The Technique" book on Thursday and I must say, I love shit like that. I didn't get too far, only up to Black Moon's "Enta Da Stage", but I take my time going through the chapters, listening to the album as I go. Then of course I get side tracked listening to remixes, sample sources and the such. It even inspired me to bust open my fruity loops and play make believe producer for a few hours last night. Kind of fun and the beat I'm working doesn't even sound all that bad, if I have to say so myself.

I suggest anyone that is a "hip-hop nerd" to grab that book.

The State of Hip-Hop Journalism

I got this link from my mom of all people. It's a interview with Complex mag editor Noah Callahan-Bever, freelance write and former Source editor Dream Hampton, Source magazine editor Soren Baker on NPR (National Public Radio). They discuss the current state of Hip-Hop in print and how journalism must change to keep up with the times. As you would think, Dream Hampton comes off as the smart one. Worth a listen if you are into that kind of thing.

On a similar subject, I see that Noah Callahan-Bever has a book out called "The Music Libary: The History of Rap & Hip-Hop". Wonder if anyone had read this? I looked on Amazon and didn't see any reviews on it what so ever. I'd be down to read it if it wasn't the same ole same ole story we've heard a million times.

WYDU Classics July 07

As usual, I make these with myself in mind and everyone else second. I found a lot of sites that have been posting some cool 12 inch singles and maxi cassette singels that I used to have, so you'll see some of that stuff that has been seen on other sites. So props go out to those who have originally posted this stuff elsewhere and a big thank you as well. Enjoy.....

WYDU Classics July 07

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime (Jazzy Jeff Mix)
2. Pharcyde - Soul Flower (Wrong Tree Mix)
3. Master Ace - Go Where I Send Thee
4. Heavy D - Gyrlz, They Love Me
5. Def Jef - Give It Here
6. Afro Rican - Give It All You Got
7. DJ Laz - Mami El Negro
8. Nemesis - Ali English & The 40 Oz. Theives
9. Hi-C - Fuck a 40 Oz.
10. Native Nuttz - 40 Oz. (Original)
11. Raw Breed - Jimmy Crack Corn
12. Lord Finesse - Fuck 'Em
13. Intelligent Hoodlum - Mad Brothas Know His Name
14. Brand Nubian - All For One (Tramp Remix)
15. Positive K - Nightshift (Remix)
16. Method Man - The Riddler
17. Downtown Science - The Topic Drift (Remix)
18. Nikki D - Lettin' Off Steam

Re-Up

First Priority Music Family Basement Music

Trav's Spins For The Week

1. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage

This shit is HIP HOP. I read the chapter in "Check The Technique" and had this album going. Just reading what went into the album makes you appreciate the album even more. Dirty sound, raw as fuck vocals. Damn, what was I thinking not having this in my top 25 albums earlier this year?

2. Master Ace - Take A Look Around Deluxe Version

Me listening to an Ace album??? Crazy, I know, but here is another album that is better than I originally gave credit for. The beats are up there with Biz and Kane's releases and in a way, Ace makes a more "complete" album. I'm not going to say I like this better than either one of those, but it's better than I thought when it was released.

3. My Big Four (Senim Silla, Ill Poetic, Buff 1, and Blue Scholars)

Enough said, I can't say anymore about this.

4. Mr. J - The New Album (too lazy and strapped for time to look it up)

I'm not sure what I think about this album yet. I like some of it, other parts I'm....not sure. I give it some listens though.

5. T.I. - TI Vs. TIP

I'm not much on mainstream or southern hip-hop, but I'm also not much into labeling stuff, if shit sounds good, it's good, I don't give a fuck it's from antarctica and I've liked his last two albums, so I had to check this. Not sure what to think. I get kind of bored about half way through it, so we'll see

WHY???

Why is A-Rod's wife stupid enough to wear a shirt to a game that says "Fuck You" on the back of it....classy, real classy.

Why do some new cats not appreciate the importance and greatness that was Run DMC, like them or not, give them their rightful due as probably the most important group ever in hip-hop.

Why did I have my first "Rock" aka Non Hip-Hop day as far music goes in probably two years

Why did I go right back to hip-hop the next day

Why is this some of the funniest shit, fuckin' poser....told ya, don't mess with C.C.

Why can't I think of anything else to bitch about.....

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I Can't Stay Away

ok, so i told Trav that I didn't want to write for his site, or anyones site. Not that anyone is clamoring for me anywhere anyway. Then Trav didn't respond to my email when i tired to quit his blog (update: he did write me back and was his normal great self) and Alley Al wrote a note to me in the c-box. So, my sporadic and seemingly unstable personality (as it would probably appear to Trav) has made me feel downright guilty and I can't stop thinking about it. So here I am again. Back to writing again for Trav's blog. Why? cause I think Trav's blog is GREAT and I have been lucky enough to be someone that he has asked to write for him.

First, I would like to saw that, yes I am totally 100% mental and it is due to the fact that I am not mature enough to wrap my head around the new hip hop of today. I have listened to the White Stripes "Icky Thump" more times that any hip-hop made after 1996 combined!



I digress.....so I walked out my door this morning to go to work at 7:30 am and its 90 fucking degrees already. And naturally the first word out of my mouth is, "Fuck." Here is the part where you all can hate me, I work literally 1 mile from home. So, tell us Brian where in THE hell are you going with this story? Well, I always want some thing to listen to that can get me fired up for the day. So I literally have one song chance to set the tone of the day. So, I popped in a CD I found under my seat and low and behold I had MC Ren's lost CD laying in my car.

It is from early 2000's and it's called "Reincarnated" with John Doe. I like it it isn't much different than any of his other solo work other than "Shock of the Hour" which was largely Muslim influenced. But, this was never put out commercially. I honestly think that Ren may be THE hardest dude on wax. His booming voice and harcore tales of gangsa-dom just always got me fired up, "Yeah fuck the man!". Anyway here ya go...enjoy.
check it out here:Reincarnated


Did anyone else see the re-airing "...And You Don't Stop" on VH1 last week/ They aired all 5 episodes again. I know that opinions are like assholes. But, I almost cried watching that show. I love that old school shit so much! It means so much to me. Hip hop was there for me when no one else was. Eazy-E's tales of 8-Ball's and OE and neighborhood bitches got me through with plenty of laughs and anger to make me think I was tough.

anyway check this dude out, please, he just made the post of a lifetime recently:
Time 4 Sum Aksion


For anyone who cares. I am receiving my professional grade VCR this week and hopefully purchasing my 1TB hard drive next week. (Even though I have to pay my final $200 on my court case that I actually got framed for doing nothing. Which involved a cop coming to my house 2 hours after the alleged incident, a $800 lawyer and 4 points on my driving record). I am going to concentrate on converting my old VHS to video. Would you guys like to get your hands on some rarer videos? So far the more rare vids I have, Masta Ace "Jeep Ass Niggah", Willie Dee"Bald Headed Hoes", X-Clan "A.D.A.M.", Def Jef "Black To the Future and a few others. I also have the 6 segments of a Rap City episode when Black Moon hosted and they talked about what they were up to and introduced videos. Let me know if this is something that your guys are in to.


finally I was feeling extra guilty so I put together another mega mix. Some of these remixes were ripped from cassette so i can't help about the quality.
Track list:
1)DOC - Return of the Living Dead (Remix)
2)D'Angelo (feat. Kool G Rap) - Brown Sugar (Remix)
3)Da Youngstas - Hip Hop Ride mellow Mix
4)Del - Made in America (Stimulated Dummies B-Boy Mix)
5)EPMD - Crossover (Color Me badd Remix)
6)Muro (feat. Lord Finesse & A.G.) - The Vinyl Athletes (Lord Finesse Remix)
7)Nemesis - Temple of Boom (Remix)
8)Nice & Smooth - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow (Stay Faithful Mix)
9)PMD - Shade Business (Beatnuts Remix)
10)Prefuse 73 (feat. Ghostface & El-P) - Hideyaface (OG Mix)
11)Private Investigators - Mash Up The Mic (Remix)
12)Rolling Stones - Miss You (Dr. Dre Remix 2002)
13)Run DMC (feat. Ice Cube & Chuck D) - Back from Hell (Remix)
14)Sadat X (feat. Grand Puba & Lord Jamar) - The Lump Lump (Nubian Mix)
15)Sam Sneed (feat. Dr. Dre) - U Better Recognize (Remix)
16)Volume 10 - Sunbeams (Remix)
17)W.C. And The Maad Circle - Caught N Fad (Reggae Version)
GET IT HERE--->Mega Mix 2




And since I am so geeked up that the Wascal's Greatest Hits was finally released. I am giving you the Source review from the April 1997 issue:
(IF YOU RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE THE PICTURE OF THE SOURCE REVIEW TO YOUR HARD DRIVE YOU CAN READ THE WHOLE THING. THE BLOG TEMPLATE IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH FOR IT HERE AND I MAKE IT SMALLER YOU WONT BE ABLE TO READ IT.)

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