Hugo you crazy? Wu dropping, B-Mack dropping, Freeway dropping, Jigga dropping and you wanna tell them to listen to some nobody from, what's that. Tenstown? Tensington? Well at least you support your own that's for sure. People are gonna think you're a die hard fan to any tune coming out of Sweden, no matter what piece of shit sandwich record that might be.
True story I haven't copped an album from a Swedish artist since I was 13 or 14. I guess the story's in their rhymes was too familiar for it to be interesting. I rather listen to somebody telling stories about cities, crimes, problems far away, that way it seemed sort of like fairytales. Like seeing a movie rather then participating in a movement. Actually that just bogus, I plain and simple didn't feel any of it. Point is I'm not talking about Adam Tensta only cause he's Swedish, he get talked about cause he's really really good. He worth your time, I wouldn't recommend just any rapper, I wouldn't waste your time. I know how precious 1 hour of listening time is now days, with so much to bump it's difficult to choose what to give a listen.
Might be worth mentioning, I'm far from the first to hype Adam up. And somehow I thought he wasn’t going to drop his album till February or sometime spring so I didn’t bother giving him a proper listen till just a week ago or so. About the same time his new video for My Cool (video below) started getting plays and Swedish radio started catching up. And they’re really catching up, I’m not a frequent radio listener so I might be off the wall with this statement but it damn near feels like there hasn’t been a hip hop tune getting this much play since Skeelo was on the radio. Another factor of me writing him up right now is he drops his first solo album tomorrow 11/30, called It’s A Tensta Thing.
First time I heard of this dude I had no idea he was a rapper even. About a year or two ago or so a friend of mine, Johan, told me he for the first time in his life met someone who was a bigger hip hop head then me. He and Adam worked together as phone salesmen selling insurances or oriental tea or some shit like that. Every day they're hustlin. Johan moved to Switzerland for six months and the dude wasn't on any of our minds till Johan suddenly recognized him in the Banging on The System video (video below). That’s fairly uninteresting though. What’s interesting is that song is a god damn jam. The beat is kinda down south sounding and they chop and screw his voice for the chorus. Somewhat works for club DJ’s but it’s mainly something you might bump in your headphones. His talking some political shit on this, mostly finding different ways of saying fuck the system. Works great.
Next song I heard of him was the house music inspired They Wanna Know. It was released as single Too be honest I hated the beat at first, way too clean and it sounded like some techno shit whit rap over it. I wanted some heavy dirty bass drums and a funkier beat. Good rap, but still. The house sound isn’t unexpected though, at least not once you learn the track is produced by house producers Addeboy vs. Cliff (which I never heard of). I probably didn’t give more then one or two listens before disregarding is as crap. Then when the third single My Cool dropped I was truly chocked, damn. I had no choice but to give this guy another chance, and now even They Wanna Know has truly grown on me. It’s helluva club banger, I don’t mind the house thing at all anymore.
Neither My Cool or They Wanna Know really says anything worth remembering, just rhyming too the beat. Don’t really matter for a radio hit now days anyhow does it? And Adam Tensta got other songs with deeper messages and thought threw topics. Like Cry A Little where he talks about close ones passed away, it’s really a heartfull effort. This time the song is built up on some soul sample, it’s a tune a really enjoy and it’s good to see Adam rhyming over something other then house beats.
I’m not going to share the album here. The reason is obvious, I don’t have it. The release day is tomorrow and I haven’t even tried looking for a leaked version. Even if I did have the album I wouldn’t share it though, even though it could be considered morally acceptable since from what I know there’s no plans distributing it in the US. They probably ship it to America if you order it from his myspace (link at the bottom), so if you like the songs cop it. Hopefully it’s a decent effort. I’ll cop at lunch break tomorrow. Once again, Enjoy!
You thought it was over. You thought it was all done. Well you were wrong! Once again, here at WYDU, we track down your favorite bloggers and ask them seemingly ridiculous questions and pester them until they tell us to either go listen to Gerardo for the rest of our lives or they answer our silly questions just to shut us up.
This time around, the infamous Scholar from "Souled On"is our target of affection (no homo). For those of you not in the know, Scholar is a different breed of blogger, the smooth Soul/Funk/Jazz blogger. Not only is the Skiggidy Scholar a pro at posting up tasty morsels of jazz and soul from yesteryear lost, Scholar probably knows just as much about hip-hop as many of the so called "hip-hop bloggers". How this dude keeps all this musical info in his head is mind boggling in its own right. Scholar and I go back over a year now when he dropped a link to WYDU in a post of his. I found my way to Souled On and was "Souled" (corny pun intended) from then on out. The respect I have for dude is very high. Scholar and Souled On are single handedly responsible for getting me into the old soul, jazz and funk music scene. This past year, I've tracked down as much of the old music as I can. The best thing is I can email Scholar and bug him about certain artists, music or sample sources and he always helps and hasn't told me to stop bugging him once. Now that's saying something. Needless to say he was on my short list of bloggers I wanted to sit down with. Join us as I dig deeper into the psyche that is Scholar......
WYDU: Thanks for sitting down with me, it's a pleasure....how's it hanging?
Scholar: Aaaahhh shit...Are we getting that personal already?
W: Haha, shit, thats just a warm up. I'm going to get all Oprahed out before this is done. Some of my hardcore hip-hop visitors might not be familiar with who you are and your site, so why don't you kick the knowledge about who you are and your little blog, "Souled On?"
As far as who I am, I'm content with being a fairly elusive personality. Even people who are part of what I consider to be my internet family don't know me as anything but Scholar. My blog was never meant to be a diary, so I choose to sort of depersonalize myself in favor of focusing my readers' attention on the music. I've been a crate digger since I was a little kid, and Souled On has become my avenue for sharing some of my favorite discoveries. My taste in music actually covers a fairly wide range, but I focus primarily on soul, funk, and hip-hop, with a little bit of jazz, reggae, electronica, and the blues thrown in for good measure.
For your readers who mainly only listen to hip hop, I can't stress how fundamental it is to open your mind to some of these other genres, because hip hop is a culmination and amalgamation of all of these sounds. One of the greatest funk collectors in the world, Tobias Kirmayer, started out as a hip-hop junkie who was initially just searching for samples and breaks. I started the Souled On Samples series largely based on the premise that it was an excellent means of getting people interested in digging deeper into music history.
W: Damn, can't even uncover the mystery in an one on one interview...haha. The knowledge you posses on all those different kinds of music is freaking amazing. Do you just eat, sleep, shit music? Or did your parents just tape a pair of headphones on your head at a young age? I mean, how did you get into all the different genres when some of us are still stuck in just one kind of music?
S: My music education really started with Top 40 radio and just got much deeper from there. That's kinda funny to me, because I never fuck with the radio at all anymore. My parents didn't expose me to much of anything I listen to now, although I have an uncle who owned a record store for a number of years, and he turned me on to a few things. For me, it has a lot to do with readiness to hear different sounds. When I was 10, I wasn't ready to receive jazz yet. Being able to digest an eclectic variety of sounds is an evolutionary process that is still at work in my life. Music plays in the background of my everyday existence like a soundtrack, so when you've lived as many days as I have...well...that's a whole shitload of songs.
W: Yeah, I hear that. Some probably don't realize that "Souled On" has been around for over two years, which in blogging years is more like 25 human years. What made you want to start sharing your thoughts, ideas and feelings via the internet?
S: I started Souled On when I took a leave of absence from work to have a surgery. I was bored and spending a lot of time on the internet, so I started writing about dope stuff that I came across or things that I found interesting. If you look at those old posts, I didn't have a solid sense of direction (thus the exhaustive length of the blog's title) and I didn't know the first thing about HTML language. I thought it might keep me amused for about a month or so until I started being productive again. I had no idea that anyone would read it, let alone that it would last this long.
W: We both know that coming up with ideas for posts can be challenging to say the least. You always seem to have great concepts when it comes to your posts, do you have anything that serves as inspiration?
S: Challenging is a perfect word for it, Trav. I don't think people realize how difficult it is to come up with creative ideas under the circumstances of writing a blog. I've written more than 250 posts in 2 1/2 years, so the demand for fresh ideas is a constant in my life. What makes it even more difficult is that so many people have blogs now that it's virtually impossible to bring entirely original ideas to the table. When I don't have some great thematic concept in mind, I generally just rely on the music speaking for itself...and it does.
W: How long do you take working on the average post?
S: I'm not sure there's a quantifiable measure of time I can offer on that, because even just listening to music is part of what I need to do to keep Souled On vital and continuous. I'll tell you this, though...if I actually tried to come up with an estimate, it'd probably force me into blogger retirement.
W: Haha, I severely under estimate my time spent just for that reason. One of my favorite posts of yours was the interview with Jesus. How is JC these days?
S: Ahhhhh...the Jesus interview was a classic, even if a lot of people didn't understand my intentions. A couple of people thought it was blasphemous, but I also got an invitation to join the Christian Bloggers Association afterwards, so go figure. Jesus was a side character on Souled On for a while...you'd have to read the archives to understand the genesis of the idea.
For the record, it was all a bizarre satire that was never intended to disrepect JC. The Jesus interview itself came out of my frustration with assholes like George Bush using a pseudo-religious stance to promote a hateful and unjust agenda. The so-called moral majority always likes to put words in JC's mouth, so I thought it might be kind of interesting to flip that concept around and depict Jesus as a much cooler guy.
Don't worry though, Trav...Jesus will have a second coming on Souled On one day. Have faith.
W: I'd say something about people taking a joke, but I'll leave it at just that. When you see JC, tell him to throw me down a Lexus is he gets the chance. How about you, do you have a favorite post of yours?
S: Hopefully I haven't written it yet. Striving for something greater is really the only reason I can think of to stick around any longer.
W: Slick! I kick myself for not thinking of "Word From Your Moms" all the time. How did those come about? And where DO you find all those great sayings?
S: Besides music, literature is the other great love of my life. That said, for as many books as I've read, I forget 99.9% of the content. I feel like I primarily read books to discover any grain of truth that speaks to me enough for me to recall it. You can encapsulate great meaning in the space of a line or two...it can actually be life-changing. That's the sort of wisdom I look for when selecting quotes for Word From Your Moms. I look at it this way...if I can encourage people to listen and think, I might actually make a difference once in a while.
W: Wow, make your readers think, who would have ever thought of that? You and I have had previous discussions about the difference between people who visit our sites. There are those that are there for the Soul/Jazz/Funk music and those that are there for the Hip-hop. What do you see in the difference between the two different type of visitors?
S: I guess the most obvious distinction would be generational, although there are always exceptions to the rule. Can't think of too many 16-years-olds who like Otis Redding, or 60-year-olds who are checkin' for Ghostface Killah...ya know? W: Grannies rocking Ghostface, there is a picture for the mind. Why do you think there is, not really animosity, but I think a lack of respect in some ways toward each other?
S: I think it all boils down to a lack of understanding. The worst scenario for hip hop fans is that they don't have any knowledge or respect for artists who helped to lay a foundation for the art form. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you have hard-headed soul and funk enthusiasts who are rigidly against hip hop. Some of these people actually believe that hip hop producers and DJs are just thieving sounds from their favorite records and turning them to absolute shit. It can be sort of confounding to find yourself standing in the middle of those two extremes, both of which are terribly misguided.
W: As a hip hop head, I have a big problem with the youth doesn't do their homework and take the initiative to learn their history. Then, how do you go about catering to the different visitors then since your site has it all in a sense, the jazz, the funk, the soul and hip hop?
S: I don't have a magic formula for bridging the great divide, except trying to earn credibility and respect on both sides of the fence. When people have some appreciation for your taste in music and they begin to trust your perceptions a little, then there's hope that they'll be willing to give something different a try. Almost every post I've ever written features a variety of genres, because I want to give people a chance to experiment with music they might not seek out otherwise.
W: I've noticed that you call visitors to your site "soul children", any particular reason behind that? You are not trying to get a nation of "Juggalos" together, are you?
S: I always strive to create a sense of community, and that's a term of endearment I use for my readers. I've gotten to know a lot of them on an individual basis, and even the ones I've never corresponded with directly share a bond with me in terms of common musical ground. I have a great affection for my readers. Without them, Souled On ain't shit.
W: We both know that the soul/funk bloggers gets way more fans/stalkers than the hip hop bloggers? Whats up with that? You get any panties in the mail?
S: Well, a lot of the music I post is a little more emotional and romantic...ya gotta have something smoother in your collection than Kool G Rap to appeal to the ladies...ha ha. I actually got a marriage proposal once from a woman in Australia, which was a little strange. Mostly, I hear from guys who want to talk about obscure records, so female fans are a nice change of pace. So far the only underwear I've received was that pair of polyester boxers you sent to the crib, Trav...(laughs)
W: Damn, those were meant for your girlfriend. I even signed them....haha. In your opinion, what are the greatest Jazz, Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop albums?
S: I'm never good at deciding on favorites, because I have too many, but here are a few. Jazz: Miles Davis, Kind Of Blue, which is close to my heart because it's the first jazz record I ever bought. I wore the hell out of "Flamenco Sketches". Funk: James Brown, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag...a stone cold classic. Soul: Lee Moses, Time And Place...the one album Lee Moses released remains an all time favorite. Hip Hop: Enter The Wu Tang: 36 Chambers and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt are pretty high on my personal list...not wildly original, but true.
W: Another pointless question then, who are your personal favorite artists in each genre?
S: Even this gets tough to narrow down, so I'll just mention a few. Jazz: John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Nina Simone Funk: Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown Soul: Donny Hathaway, Irma Thomas, Otis Clay, Laura Lee Hip-Hop: Wu-Tang, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Rakim, Slick Rick. My first hip hop idol was undoubtedly Jam Master Jay, and these days I listen to more independent/unsigned hip hop than anything else, so this list is probably a little misleading.
W: Obviously as you have already mentioned, hip hop "borrows" a lot from the old music that you often cover, do you have any problems with the whole sampling issue. Do you agree it's an advantage in some ways to the older artists?
S: It definitely can be advantageous if the samples are credited and paid for, but a lot of times that isn't the case. I understand the plight of a lot of producers who can't afford costly fees, but then again, I have just as much heart for soul and funk artists who never made a dime off of their records. Under the best of circumstances sampling can be beneficial to both parties, but the arrangement definitely has to be handled with some fairness and integrity on both sides.
W: Okay, time for the token question. How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop?
S: People keep seriously pondering the question of whether or not hip-hop is dead, and most of the discussion on the subject has been nonproductive and counter-intuitive. I kind of want to avoid over analyzing the subject, but I will say that I don't personally care for about 99% of the hip hop that's currently being promoted by the major record companies and media outlets. That said, I'm more than willing to keep digging until I find quality material, and it definitely exists. On the surface, it's easy to find hip hop deplorable in '07, but I think it's a common error in thinking to judge the overall state of the art form by the fact that Soulja Boy ain't no Rakim.
W: If you could "x" out any hip hop artist on the scene who would it be?
S: Damn...only one? We can get started with just about anyone who has Lil', Young, or Boy in their name. Most of them suck.
W: So no Lil Young Boy? How do you feel about the retro soul/blues artists that are starting to make a scene, such as Amy Winehouse and some of the others?
S: Well, I'd have to draw some lines of distinction before I could answer that question fairly. There are still some great funk and soul records being released, they just don't do that well as far as SoundScan numbers are concerned. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Sweet Vandals, Leftie's Soul Connection, and El Michels Affair are a few that came to mind right away. The only problem I have with the "neo-soul movement" is that major record companies are more concerned with creating accessible commodities than promoting talent, so they have to rely pretty heavily on generating hype to sell their products. When you start forcing the notion that vocalists like Joss Stone and Lily Allen are the Aretha Franklins of the next generation, a degree of authenticity is lost at that very moment. How can someone release an album or two and seriously hold weight against a legend like Aretha? That kind of bullshit has to be taken with a grain of salt.
As for Amy Winehouse, I actually dig her stuff. I consider her in her proper context, though. She's put out a couple of very cool records, and that's enough for me. She doesn't have to be the next...anything...to capture my my attention. Considering that she's drunk, white, skinny, and pukes a lot, she's almost like the anti-Aretha...ya know?
W: Say its a Saturday night, what does the world famous Scholar do? Hit up the dance clubs? Jazz clubs? Hip Hop clubs?
S: Unfortunately, the live music scene where I live is virtually non-existent, outside of a handful of clubs that occasionally have some good local acts. On weekends I spend most of my time with my friends and family, because I work a ton of hours and devote a lot of time to digging and doing research for Souled On. It's important not to lose my connection to the people in my personal life...I don't want to become one of those lonely, isolated basement blogger types.
W: What other hobbies besides collecting every piece of vinyl ever made?
S: Well I love to knit. Just kidding. In the summer, I like spending a lot of time outdoors...hiking, kayaking, that sort of thing. I used to play basketball, but that shit tires me out now.
W: Alright, little exercise here....I'll say a word, person, group and you tell me what first comes to your mind.....
George W. Bush: Fucktard
Jay-Z: You know this already...the McDonald's of rap
File Sharing: A kinder, gentler term for what the RIAA likes to call "piracy"
Leechers: Ungrateful bastards
Marvin Gaye: The quintessential soul man
Vinyl: The one obsession in my life I don't even try to control
CD's: Boring, but necessary
NWA: Gangstas with Jheri curls (okay...sorry about that one, but I can't control what pops into my mind). One of the most seminal groups in rap music's history.
W: and finally Wake Your Daughter Up...haha
S: The best. Seriously, Trav...I don't call you the hip hop guru for nothin'....
W: Damn, I figure you'd save the "fucktard" for me...haha...alright, thanks for your time!
Luckily enough for you all, Scholar brought along treats to share with the readers. How nice!
Anotha Level’s “What's That Cha Say?” Basement Khemist’s “Correct Technique” Chill Rob G’s “Motivation” Common’s “The Light” Compton's Most Wanted’s “Growin' up in the 'Hood” Dove Shack’s “Bomb Drop” Keith Murray’s “The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World” Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie” LL Cool J’s “Backseat (Of My Jeep)” Main Source’s “Looking at the Front Door” Masta Ace’s “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” MC Lyte’s “Lil Paul” Monica’s “Just One of Those Days” Nas’s “Silent Murder” Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s “Tell Me” Raekwon’s “Incarcerated Scarfaces” Ultra’s “NYC Street Corner Battle”
Alkaholiks’s “Bullshit” Black Moon’s “Who Got the Props?” Camp Lo’s “Cooley High” Craig Mack’s “Real Raw” Da King & I’s “Crack Da Weazel (Dat Other Shit)” Das EFX’s “East Coast” Das EFX’s “Mic Checka” Diamond D’s “Sally Got a One Track Mind” Digable Planets’s “For Corners” DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Twinkle Twinkle” DJ Shadow’s “What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt 3” DJ Spooky’s “Anansi Abstrakt” Dr. Octagon’s “A Visit to the Gynecologyst” Eric B and Rakim’s “Step Back” Erick Sermon’s “Hittin' Switches” Erick Sermon’s “The Ill Shit” GangStarr’s “Take it Personal” Gravediggaz’s “Mommy, What's a Gravedigga?” Guru’s “Choice of Weapons” Heavy D’s “It's a New Day” Hieroglyphics’s “All Things” Illegal’s “If U Want It” Illegal’s “Lights, Camera, Action” Kruder & Dorfmeister’s “Deep Shit pt. 1 & pt. 2” Lords of the Underground’s “Funky Child” Lords of the Underground’s “Keepers of the Funk” Luke Vibert’s “I Hear the Drummer” MadKap’s “Da Whole Kit & Kaboodle” MadKap’s “Irrelevant” MF Doom’s “Who You Think I Am?” Mr. Lif’s “New Man Theme” Naked Funk’s “Pearls of Compassion” Naughty by Nature’s “Knock 'Em out Da Box” Nikki D’s “Your Man is My Man” ODB’s “Hippa to da Hoppa” Onyx’s “Da Mad Face Invasion” Onyx’s “Getdafukout” Organized Konfusion’s “Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken?” Peanut Butter Wolf’s “I Will Always Love H.E.R.” Pharcyde’s “Passin' Me By” Public Enemy’s “How to Kill a Radio Consultant” Redman’s “Watch Yo Nuggets” Rob D’s “Clubbed to Death” Saafir’s “Grab the Train” Shadz of Lingo’s “Ill and Get Clowned” ShowBiz & A.G.’s “Silence of the Lambs” Stezo’s “It's My Turn” Tim Dog’s “I'll Wax Anybody” Ultramagnetic MCs’s “One, Two, One, Two” Ultramagnetic MCs’s “Two Brothers with Checks” Wascals’s “Hard Rhymes” Yaggfu Front’s “My Dick is So Large”
Big Daddy Kane’s “Troubled Man” C.E.B.’s “Fuck 'em Up” Cool C’s “Get Loose Now” Freshco & Miz’s “Ain't U Freshco?” Hostyle’s “Keep on Movin” Insane Poetry’s “Grim Reality” Intelligent Hoodlum’s “Black and Proud” Jaz’s “A Nation Divided” Justin Warfield’s “Cool Like the Blues” JVC Force’s “The Force is the Boss” LA Star’s “Fade to Black” LL Cool J’s “The Bristol Hotel” Lord Tashan & MC Tee’s “Gangster Nine” NWA’s “Approach to Danger” NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” Phase N Rhythm’s “Hook N Sling” Salt-N-Pepa’s “I Desire” Super Cat’s “Ghetto Red Hot”
Once again an album that has the whole net buzzing has leaked. This isn't just any album by any joe blow group out there. This is an album by one of the most important groups in the history of hip hop, the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. The long awaited "8 Diagrams" album has graced the internet with it's presence. The super groups of all super groups. When the Wu come together to release an album as a collective force, its reason enough to get all hip hop heads something to clamor about. If you don't remember how this worked last time I attempted this kind of thing with the Jay-Z album, "American Gangsters", the premonition is simple: I listen to the album for the first time and while I'm listening, I jot my thoughts down. One time through each song, no rewinding (unless the joint is dope and requires another listen, which I'll surely mention). Simple enough. Yeah, not the best way to review an album by any means, but you'll get more than your fair share of "proper" reviews from the masses soon enough. This is just me, thinking out loud for every one to read and snicker at. Seemed to go over well last time.
The Wu have been one of the most respected groups on the scene since the Wu released "Protect Your Neck b/w Method Man" back in '93. They then blessed the world with "Enter the 36 Chambers", easily a classic in most any rap fan's opinion. In '97, the double album, "Wu-Tang Forever", came blessed the hip hop nation with its arrival. While not as memorable as "...36 Chambers", the Wu came just as hard and dropped arguably one of the best double albums in hip hop history. People, such as myself were initially disappointed in the effort, but when I look back it now, it has what I call the "Nas Syndrome". Because of nearly a perfect debut release, just about anything that follows it up was going to be a tad bit disappointing. Looking back on the album now, it's a great album when compared to other things coming out during that time period. In 2000, the Wu released their third album "The W", a joint that in some circles, started spelling the end of their rule. Some of their solo ventures had already tarnished some of the shine of the Wu family by this time with lackluster efforts coming from Method Man, Raekwon and Inspector Deck. The Wu would turn around a year later and drop "Iron Flag", an album which I won't lie, I didn't pick up until a year later just because I was not impressed in the least with it. Neither were the majority of hip hop fans. The album, which is their last studio effort, left fans with a bitter taste in their collective mouths and wondering where the Wu would go from there.
It's been six long years since we last heard from Wu-Tang as a collective effort. Some wondered if they would ever release another album as a group ever again. Myself, I'm sort of shocked that all the rumors became actual reality, that a group effort has came together once again. In my lack of a lot of time to troll the internet like I have in the past, I have not read any opinions of the album as of yet, so I'm opinion has not been swayed either way as of yet. The only opinions I have heard as of yet were within minutes apart from each other. Saturday morning, while still trying to shake the cob webs from the night before, Eric from When They Reminisce text me and said something to the effect that "the new Wu album is great!". Only minutes later, my long time confidant and fellow hip hop head, Dino text me with a message that paraphrased said something like "The new Wu album sucks!" and something to the effect its the worst album he's heard all year. Harsh. This is all I have to go on so far. Well, that and the three songs I've heard so far like most any other internet junkie, "Watch Your Mouth", "My Heart Gently Weeps" and "Life Changes".
My personal opinions of the Wu are like many of the hip hop junkies out there that are close to my age. I feel they are one of the most important groups in the history of the music. I love a good Wu joint, so my first impulse is to want to like this project. I was excited to hear when they announced a release date(s). The time is here, and one has to ask the question: Is the Wu-Tang Clan still relevant in this time and age? Let's see, shall we....?
Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams 1. Campfire (Produced by RZA)
The movie intro creeps in to start shit off. More than likely a Kung-Fu flick, talking about honesty, patience and mastering anything. I guess that's the message to start shit off. This leads into some singing. My boy Dino told me to beware of the singing. Method Man (my favorite Wu member) leads it off on the mic over an ill Wu beat that reminds me of why RZA is considered one of the greats (I kind of forgot why). Meth sounds like the Meth I grew to love on "36 Chambers" and not the deodorant slangin' pop star we've gotten lately. Ghost comes next, which is good to hear after rumors of him not being on this project. The violins are always a welcome sound on a Wu album. Looks like they got Cappadonna out of the cab and into the studio for a short verse. Nice effort to lead off the album, although its kind of short.
2. Take It Back (Produced by Easy Moe Bee & RZA)
I'll admit, hearing Easy Moe Bee was going to be on this album was good news to my ears. I always thought he was kind of a father to RZA's style or at least related. When the track started, the sample is familiar as fuck, but I'm horrible at naming shit or where I've heard it before. The beat is kind of simple and somewhat disappointing in the first few seconds. Maybe it's the familiarity of the whole thing, like I've heard it before. Rae drops the first verse and then the MC Ren (read: most underrated of the group) of the crew comes second, which is Inspectah Deck and drops a nice verse. The chorus is kind of simple and uninspired (or maybe thats just U-God) like the beat. Ghost gets mean with his verse then U-God comes and doesn't dis RZA.....Not a bad song, but nothing great either.
3. Get Them Out Ya Way Pa (Produced by RZA)
Hmm, a bassline, a cymbal, some claps. Yawn. Method Man again, not that I'm bitching. I'm not feeling this at all right now. Rae & Ghost grace the chorus which doesn't do anything to change my mind at all. U God again? Wow, I figured he'd be in RZA's doghouse. I could see this joint maybe growing on me in the future although I'm starting to wonder if my expectations were a little to high going into this listening session. The chorus continues to be kind of annoying but the beat does have a nice little "mood enhancer" to it that makes me bob my head a bit by the end of the joint.
4. Rushing Elephants (Produced by RZA)
This sounds more like something I want to hear. I'm digging this right off the bat and its got me pumped. RZA loops a short 16 bar sample, but damn its dope! Rae sounds golden on this shit. FINALLY, GZA comes next. By far the best song so far. I'm not writing much because I'm to entranced with the song. RZA comes on third. Not the most lyrical, but I always enjoy hearing him on a track, I guess it's his voice. The change up a bit for Masta Killa's verse, which is nice, you don't want too much of a good thing. A higher pitch, not much of a difference, but enough not to grow bored with it. No chorus', just straight up dope beats and lyrics. Good shit.
5. Unpredictable (Produced by RZA)
After the high of the last song, I hope the momentum continues. At first listen, hmmm...Yeah, I kind of like this. Some stabbing strings and horns are the highlight of the track and Deck sounds good. Lots of sounds going on on the track, which I kind of like. Reminds my of some calmer Bomb Squad type of stuff. Some different dude on the chorus, Dexter Wiggins? Nice touch. The song is chaotic in nature, so of course RZA sounds good on it. Cool shit, I like it.
6. The Heart Gently Weeps feat Erykah Badu, Dhani Harrison & John Frusciante (Produced by RZA) Ah yes, the infamous Beatles sample. While I like the Beatles and I think there is some cool stuff to sample in their catalog, this isn't necessarily something I'd put first on a list of Beatles tunes to sample. It's not much different from Ghost's "My Guitar Gently Weeps" track he did awhile ago. Of course of heard this song a few times by now and I'll admit, I'm not much of a fan of this track. To pop-ish in my mind, I guess it is the use of the sample that gives it that feeling. None the less I'm not overly impressed with it and I'm not about to call it "genius in nature" like I've been seen the song being heralded as in some other sites. This listen does nothing really to change my mind, but listening to Ghost sing is kind of fun.
7. Wolves feat George Clinton (Produced by RZA) I see the "Feat George Clinton" and automatically have flashbacks to the mediocre track that was on "The W". Of course we have George speaking about dogs right off the bat and that leads into U-God. Kind of a cool vocal sample in this track. I'm not sure if hearing Clinton on this is what I want to hear. It just doesn't fit. Method comes in after another chorus. Meth sounds up to par so far on this album. Good to hear. No your typical Wu beat and I'm not sure it'll sound good in a few more listens but right now I'm kind of digging this. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of replay value the track holds. Once again, they switch shit up when Masta Killa drops his shit. Wonder why that is? He is rhyming over a simple bassline for the first few seconds before it switches into the same vocal sample and some flutes or some shit. Again, the beat isn't very "Wu-like", which is starting to become something of a pattern. Almost has a "mariachi" feeling to it. Different, but kind of cool.
8. Gun Will Go (Produced by RZA)
Starts kind of cool, like an old funk sample that I've heard before, but then it slows down a bunch. Rae is rhyming slow flow style over a simplistic beat.....then the singing my boy Dino warned me about rears its ugly head on the chorus. Not my thing. Meth coooooommmmmesss zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, oops sorry, this track is causing narcoleptic seizures. I could do without this track. It started so promising. Again, maybe this is something I could get used to, but on the first listen, it kind of kills the flow of the album something serious. Next.
9. Sunlight (Produced by RZA)
A Kung-Fu sample discussing the chief, then low and behold RZA starts kicking it. Another slow as two slugs fucking track. I'm not feeling this either. These two tracks together just killed all the momentum the album had going, at least for me. On the positive side, the beat is better than the last one, but it just drags as well. I guess its the vocal sample used with it. RZA is still rambling about something. I guess this is going to be a RZA solo track as the Kung Fu sample comes back in toward the end. Good riddance.
10. Stick Me for My Riches (Produced by Mathamatics & RZA)
After a decent start, the last two tracks have caused the album to come to a screeching halt. This one starts off with singing.....dammit. The beat is kind of cool, but I can't handle the singing. And we're not talking about just a little singing, we're talking about the first minute and twenty seconds. Just as Method Man comes on, my dinner is starting to move in my stomach, but with just someone spitting over the beat it's kind of a cool joint. Even when the singing comes on with Meth still spitting it works. I just don't want to dude go another minute singing. Cut off the first minute of the track and this is actually kind of a cool track. It's a very cinematic track, I could see a video going with this track very easy.
11. Starter feat Streetlife (Produced by RZA)
OH DEAR GOD! The first twenty seconds of this are HORRID! Sounds like some crap I'd hear on the radio back in 1995 with more of the syrupy R&B singing crap. Once Streetlife comes on, it gets better and the beat is actually kind of nice. Cool little sax sample going on that sounds liked it was swiped from a Doo-Wop record, which I have always kind of liked. Some other weird shit going on in the beat as well, but it works. Just don't do the singing crap on the chorus....and fuck they do it. Wow, I really hate this chorus, but I really like the verses and the beat. I could probably get used to the chorus....then again, maybe not. Lots of conflicts on this track for me. The beat and the verses are great, the chorus and the singing suck.
12. Windmill (Produced by RZA)
Nice start to this. I notice RZA doesn't get very deep with the beats on this, lots of short little loops that just play over and over. Nice sounds, but shit gets repetitive. This track is kind of that way, although, he throws different sounds in here and there. Still doesn't sound very "Wu-like", but I'm trying to keep an open mind concerning that. It's a simple beat but it works. The verses are all pretty nice, from what I can tell. Seems like the most complete track when it comes to all the members showing up it. Deck's verse seems to stand out the most to me, not particular reason, it just seems to be the one I like the most so far. It gets getting the head noddin' so thats a good sign. I think I counted six or seven members on this one when its all said and done.
13. Weak Spot (Produced by RZA)
The trademark Kung-Fu sample leads off. At first, this sounds the most Wu like track so far. Deep drum track, some horns, yeah, I'm feeling this track. This is by far the most Wu sounding track that I've heard so far on this album. GZA bats clean up on the track. He needs to be on this project more than I've heard so far. Oooh, kettle drums, you don't hear that used much in hip hop. Good track, I'm feeling it.
14. Life Changes (Produced by RZA)
Another track I've heard a few times in the past week. I think my homie Scholar over at Souled On hooked me up with the sample of this before in the past, or he put it up on the site before. This track also features the majority of the group and was my favorite out of the three tracks I had the pleasure of hearing before the album. Meth leads off like he does on most of the album, the Wu's Rickey Henderson. This track is an example of something being slow, but still being dope and not taking away from the overall flow of the album. It's a nice tribute track. RIP Ol' Dirty.
15. Tar Pit feat George Clinton (Produced by RZA)
A horn sample, some weird ass sounds, some chanting, more trumpet, some old school shouting. Not a bad start. Then it kind of fizzles. Not bad, just kind of boring. Maybe more of the horn, maybe some more of the chanting, it just needs some spicing up. It's like bland chili, it has the potential to be tasty, but it's missing that one special ingredient. At least Uncle George isn't talking about dogs, its monkeys now. Nothing special on this track.
16. 16th Chamber (ODB Special) (Produced by RZA) This album is missing Dirty. We can't blame that on Wu, but ODB was the comical and rawness that this album is lacking. He was the one that broke the seriousness. I'm excited to hear this track and as it starts off it sounds like its from '93 and that's definitely NOT a bad thing. Sounds like a demo cut and I notice Method uses some old verses or variations of old verses. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be something from back in the day (it'd have to be with ODB on it), but this shit is nice. Sounds like it was left off of "Return To The 36 Chambers". Good to hear Ol' Dirty one last time. Makes you really miss what he brought to the mic, because there was only one Ol' Dirty. Nice way to end the album.
First Listen Opinion: Of course with only one listen behind me, its hard to give a very serious opinion about the album, but one word comes to mind: inconsistent. There are a couple bomb ass tracks (Rushing Elephants, Unpredictable) some straight shitty tracks (Gun Will Go, Sunlight), one track that is both dope and shitty (Starter) and some tracks that could go either way in the future after a few more listens (Campfire, Tar Pit, Stick Me for My Riches, Wolves). Was it what I was expecting? I'm not sure. I had mixed feelings going into this, kind of like the two opinions I got from friends on Saturday. I wanted to have high hopes for this, but I new that I'd probably be lucky if I wasn't disappointed. I'm not going to say I'm disappointed. In some ways, its better than what I expected. In other ways, its what I expected. One thing for certain, its earned the right to be heard a few more times and if nothing else, it'll be stripped of its good songs, which will become regular spins on a mix cd of mine sometime in the future.
I just found this new Mick Boogie Mixtape. the info text says: "The homie Busta Rhymes called me the other day following up on an idea I gave him months and months ago. So long ago that I actually forgot about it. He called me with four very specific words: “Check your inbox, son!” When I opened it, I found song after song of unreleased craziness from Busta and the late, legendary J Dilla. So after a week of figuring out our strategy, it’s done. Mick Boogie + Busta + Dilla = Dillagence. The album of the year…and it’s not even an album!"
I just dowbloaded it and it's really cool, plus it's FREE. I recommend y'all to check it out...
You can check out this Lebron James Mixtape too, it's a little commercial, didn''t listen to it yet... It's the Nike mixtape for his new shoe!
It feels weird setting up a post about Christian hip hop when all I'm thinking about is getting started on my all day bender session of drinking, playing Madden and watching the Boise State University lay the smack down on the Hawaiian Rainbow Warriors (I still snicker every time I mention their mascot, sounds like some marchers in a gay pride parade) on ESPN 2 and just general partying the rest of the night. This is kind of my "welcome back" weekend since I've been busy since my arrival back. Back to the post, first off let me mention that I am NOT religious. In fact, I'm pretty much against religion. I like to say I'm spiritual...enuff said. I always try to stay away from the topics of religion and politics on this blog, because, well I have strong feelings on both but I figure you all hear enough of that from other angles and you already have to have my opinions on music forced on you enough as it is.
That being said, I'm not naive enough to think that my opinion is the only one and the right one. Religion is all over the world and Christianity is a major player still in the world community. Even in hip hop, religion has played a role in the music. One such facet is Christian hip hop, which has been around for a good while now. I admit, I know next to nothing about Christian hip hop. I like some Piegon John and LA Symphony, but I've always felt like they weren't forcing it down the listeners throat. I had two major goals when I really started getting into this blog, 1) Be ORIGINAL...it's hard to do in the current over saturated blogosphere. 2) Be DIVERSE....cover a little of everything, even if it isn't necessarily my kind of thing. When Nathan Smart sent me an email pitching and idea about doing a post on Christian hip hop, despite my views on religion, I was open ears to it. I know preachy hip hop gets kind of frowned upon, but as I've mentioned, I'm not going to dictate what people should and shouldn't hear on here, people need to think for themselves. I know next to nothing about the genre, but I'm always opened to learning new things and I think many of the readers might be open to it as well....
That being said, I'd like to welcome the newest member to the WYDU family, Nathan Smart...
Christian hip hop sucks. You're right. I just can't stick up, at all, for stuff like DC Talk. I'm sure there's more that you've heard coming from your Christian friends who pushed all that junk in your face, promising that you would love it as much as they had fooled themselves into loving it. I was one of those guys. I remember my first Christian rap tape. It was called Extreme Rap and it was a compilation full of stuff like DC Talk, JC and the Boyz (you can guess what JC meant) and P.I.D. (Preachers in Disguise). I loved it too because when you're a kid who loves rap music but isn't really allowed to partake in it, you suck up anything you can get. And boy did I suck it up. I couldn't get enough of "Don't Bow" by P.I.D., a song retelling the story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego and how they didn't bow before a false god. I loved "Heavenbound," a song explaining the end result of becoming a Christian as told (and sung) by DC Talk. I tried to get all my friends into it but they just ridiculed me (and they were right to). But it's all I had - that and my love of Cleveland's own Power 108 and Yo! MTV Raps.
I grew to love so much stuff that you see posted on this blog but I noticed that the Christian side of things didn't advance as fast. That's normally the case with all Christian music. The Christian music industry's usual game is to find a popular genre (right at the tail-end of its popularity), release a bunch of bad impersonation records and then keep on going while everyone else in the world has moved on. It's sad and hip hop has been no different. At some point though, a bunch of guys from the West Coast decided they had enough and tried to make music that was relevant and something they would listen to themselves. For some reason, these guys were all friends - I don't know if they went to the same church or what - and they just started releasing really good albums. The lyrics, on some, were definitely wanting, but when your goal is more gospel-centric and less wack MC bashing, that's bound to happen.
Everything changed for the good. All of the sudden, around '94, a stream of really good rap records starting coming out - nothing on MTV, of course. Christian hip hop had its own little underground scene. Guys like SFC (if follow bustthefacts, you might recognize his Illumination album), Freedom of Soul, Gospel Gangstas, LPG, Future Shock, Brainwash Projects (starring a certain Pigeon John) etc., all put out albums that really stood up to the secular side of things. It was our golden age.
And with that, I bring you Christian Hip Hop's shining star - Christian Hip Hop's messiah. In 1995, a couple of old b-boys from LA dropped an album that hit so hard it changed the game. Jurny and Theory, two members of a group called LPG (Living Proof of Grace), who were fed up with the current state of Christian hip hop and the way it was treated in churches at the time, put out The Earthworm, an eleven track album that talked about everything from the 4 pillars of hip hop and wack MCs to the gospel and church conduct. It was such a good album that I can remember even seeing talk of it on the net in secular circles, which was unheard of, at least in my world.
On first listen I was immediately drawn in and it mostly reminded me of similar stuff from the west, mainly stuff like Saafir and the Hobo Junction. The way they didn't always rhyme every bar or the way they would jump in and out of the beat. They even had their own little Hobo Junction called the Tunnel Rats. The beats were really interesting as well with some unconventional breaks and really dope jazz loops. A Place Called Hip Hop (produced by Peace 586 of Freedom of Soul) takes the Chuck Mangione sample that Nas used for Suspect on It Was Written and, in my opinion, did so much more with it than L.E.S. ever did. The lyrics were up to par as well with lines like, "Caroling through ghettos singing hardcore hymns/ and trying not to hit my head on Heavy D's Tims," and "And human circles are signs of rhymes, there's no clocks here/ but I guarantee you ask anybody, they'll know the time." For the first time in my high school life, I wasn't ashamed to show someone a Christian hip hop tape.
01. A place called hiphop 02. Hour glass 03. Worst enemy, greatest allie 04. Earthworm (listen) 05. To late 06. Judge not (feat.Pigeon John) 07. Deafening silence 08. Slaughter (feat. Raphi) 09. Great to be dead 10. Then came dawn 11. I wonder
In my attempt to get things back on track when it comes to WYDU, we'll hammer another post. I'm not completely sure when it will be done, but I'm starting this one Friday, we'll seen when I actually finish it and post it (Edit Note, It's Wednesday....). Being off the internet more than usual (quitting a job that you spend more time on the internet than working will do that to you), I'm not on the up and up with what's going on in the wide world of hip-hop. I feel pretty out of the loop and lacking any real direction right now with the blog. I need to get back into some what of a routine. I like to say I'm a creature of habit, but part of that habit includes moving to a different state every three to four years, whether I need to or not and jumbling everything up.
I had to go headphone shopping this week. Any true hip hopper knows the value of a good pair of headphones. I always have my phones on, whether I'm playing Madden, riding the train to school (in Denver) or just walking around. Needless to say, I go through headphones fairly quickly and for that reason I'm looking at buying new headphones every six months or so. I don't know why I just don't put the money out for a quality pair of phones although they might be a little spendy, but are higher quality and sound better. I am rather picky on what I buy though, usually sticking to Sony's and I tend to go after the DJ style headphones. They probably don't as cool when you are walking around the park with them, but they sound better than those "in the ear" shits and stuff like that. Without a "for sure" job on the horizon, I gotta watch my last paycheck I'm living off of until I find work. I had two pairs of headphones I've been using to get me through tough times. One was the Sony DJ style headphone, the lower end kind of course. The right arm that held the ear cup was busted and you had to wiggle around the wires to get it to work. The right ear cup would pop out of it's holder. Basically they were a piece of shit. I'd use them for work, because basically I only kept one cup over my ear while leaving the open in case someone wanted to talk to me. The other pair of headphones I was using came with my "ghetto MP3" player, the discman that plays MP3 disks. They weren't bad, they were your traditional headphones with clips that went over your ears. But they were falling apart. Wires were starting show on the cords and one of the cushions for the ear phones were falling off.
I decided it was time to get some a new pair of headphones. I was in Hastings doing some used CD shopping (more on that to come) and went to check out what they had for headphones. One important thing with headphones, they have to half way comfortable, especially since I usually put them on when I go to bed and fall asleep with them on. After looking at the selection, I decided to try some I haven't tried before. I'm not riding the train any more since the move, so I figured I'd wouldn't be wearing headphones as much. I ended up buying the kind of little clips that going over your ears. They don't have the traditional head piece thing. I figured these would be easier to sleep with. Man, what a mistake. I get these shits and I get back and throw them into my computer to listen to some music. First, you need to bend your ears all fucked style to get them to fit on. I have normal, moderately sized ears, so I know it wasn't my ears causing the problem. No dumbo ears here. I press play and I had to look and make sure my speakers and sound was set the way I had it, cause it sounded like shit. There is no bass with this shit. It sounds like I'm listening through a tin can. They are Phillips brand, which I'd never tried before. They advertised "turbo bass" on the front. Turbo bass my ass. I then plug them into my ghetto mp3 player and give a listen. Still sound like shit. Not bad to sleep in, but it just bugged the shit out of me. So if anyone has any suggestions for inexpensive (under $30) headphones that sound GOOD, let me know.
I'm a sucker for "celebrities" starting their own blogs. When I say "celebrity", I don't mean the Hollywood folk, I mean the hip hop players that I tend to follow. Just Blaze, Stretch Armstrong and Paul Rosenberg already have their own blogs going and the next player to join the ruckus is mixtape great, Mick Boogie. I know just about everyone reading this blog has downloaded a mixtape that the Cleveland Commish has partaken in its creation. The great thing about Mick Boogie, he has his hands in everything from Jay-Z mixtapes to Kids In The Hall, a very wide variety of music, which I find incredible in this day in age. This diversity is also shown on his blog as everything from fashion, to Davy D, to Sprite Commercials (courtesy of WYDU..haha) are covered.
The editors at Rhapsody.com are coming with an excellent blog that is chock full of interviews with hip hop artists and not just your Joe Schmoo flash in the pan artist. Everyone from Phonte of Little Brother to Ghostface bless the site with interviews that are conducted well and a good read. Check them out.
Alright, so it has nothing to do with hip hop, but I know some of you got more that interests you other than hip hop....like BEER! If you read this blog enough, you know that I love me a good beer or 18. A friend of mine and some of his cronies have started their own blog on Beer and home brewing. Your likely not going to find anything on OE 800 High Gravity, but if you have some refined tastes when it comes to your hops and barley, you might actually enjoy this site. I thought I was a beer connoisseur (I guess Coors Extra Gold isn't a micro brew), but I learned quite a bit from these home brewing nitwits (joke, just a joke). Check out for the refined B-boys out there.
T-Shirts Anyone??? First off, my apologies to my man for not mentioning this back when he hit me up about his shirts back in late October, as I've said, moving is a bitch (I figure I can milk this excuse for another couple weeks, haha). Anyway, Nawledge has been a visitor to WYDU for a long time now so I was more than happy to help him out a bit and plus he has some dope T-Shirts.
Checkity check out his blog for some of his shirt styles, which are very original and one of a kind or you can hit up my man's myspace page as well for all the flavors he has going on. Dope styles to be had by all. Be a rebel, a cool kid, and a hit up the site.
I'm going to jump right into what I have sitting in my inbox. Since I haven't done one of these in a couple weeks, we are some what backed up. I'm sure some of this stuff have popped up on other sites, since I'm lagging lately. But it is what it is.....
Charles Barkley Impersonation
Someone sent this to me this morning that gave me a little chuckle. You can see the whole thing on TBS 11/10c
If you haven't checked out Chi-Town's Pugz Atomz albumConversations With A Chamelion then you give it a listen. Solid album that has gone under the radars. The rest you should probably have heard of in some facet or another if you are into underground hip hop. Nice little concert footage that is worth a look.
It's Sean Peeee! "Goodfellas" and "Jackass Number 2" off his "Master P" Mixtape
Making of "King Kong" Video (funny clips in here depicting Sean Price's parenting style and a time where he almost got arrested for picking his nose in the airport and wiping it on the wall):
Witchdoctor - Best Year Video
Infamous Mobb - Betsy Bye Bye
Some Harmless Advertising.....
STIC.MAN of DEAD PREZ drops solo debut
Stic.Man is one half of the revolutionary conscious minded rap duo Dead Prez and his debut solo release, "Manhood", has fans eagerly awaiting. Manhood blends rapping, soulful singing, diverse hard core beats, live instrumentation, style and substance. Official Press Release Below.
Join Stic.Man and M1of Dead Prezon Thursday, November 29, for the inaugural J.A.M. Awards in an effort to commemorate the life and legacy of legendary Run-DMC spin doctor Jam Master Jay and the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music.
The awards show, whose name is an acronym for justice, arts and music, will take place on at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City and will feature a who's who list of hip-hop personalities including Snoop Dogg, Marley Marl, Mobb Deep, De La Soul, Papoose, Raekwon, Q-Tip, DMC, Kid Capri, EPMD, Lord Finesse, Bumpy Knuckles, DJ Kay Slay and Jim Jones, among others. The J.A.M. Awards were set up in memory of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay, to support music and arts education among urban schools, and will honor those displaying outstanding efforts in the areas of social justice, arts and music. Chuck D, Dr. Cornell West and Will Smith are the nominees in the Justice Award category, while Spike Lee, Robert L. Johnson and Lee Quinones are up for the Arts Award. Meanwhile Nelly, Wyclef Jean and Kanye West will compete for the third award of the night, the Music Award.
Stic.Man of Dead Prez, one of the most conscious street-respected, internationally-successful, rap duos in the world, releases his highly-anticipated solo debut album MANHOOD, Nov 2007.
MANHOOD, explores the mind of a self-determined, conscious, and committed family man on the grind.
Atlanta, GA Nov 10, 2007 - Following the success of his partner, M1's solo project "Confidential" is the highly anticipated solo release MANHOODby Stic.Man of Dead Prez. Officially releasing for stores November 30, eager fans are able to pre-purchase the album online at Dead Prez’s own WWW.BOSSUPBU.COM, the official one-stop, online shop into the world of Dead Prez for new music, videos, exclusive merchandise, .AMMO Magazine, books and news.
Alongside rappers Khujo Goodie, Dead Prez' M1, Young Noble, and vocalist Crystal Johnsonand others, MANHOOD blends rapping, soulful singing, diverse hard core beats, live instrumentation, style and substance. MANHOOD delivers a mature and refreshing vibe and inspiring voice to what some may consider a "lost generation". The album contains 16 substantial tracks and includes production from Hi-Tek (Snoop Dogg, The Game, G-Unit, Mos Def), Sol Messiah (Chamillionaire, David Banner, Scarface) and Jwells (Snoop Dogg, Dogg Pound, Alkoholiks) and Stic.Man.
The CD takes listeners through an array of aspects of what manhood means to the diverse rapper. MANHOOD shows Stic.Man's compassionate, soulful side with cuts like "Whatever Daddy Wants" and "Black Girl Shine" then finds complete balance by grinding into the gritty side of the streets on cuts like "Do It Big" with Khujo Goodie & "Year of the Tiger" with Young Noble. "Anything that we do, is inspired by life, and being able to make songs to inspire others is truly a labor of love," says rapper, entrepreneur, and activist, Stic.Man.
Click here to listen to the MANHOOD Track listing and click here to purchase.
01. Year Of The Tiger feat. Young Noble 02:33 02. Do It Big feat. Khujo Goodie 04:03 03. Hold Up (Skit) 00:08 04. Get Yo Hustle Up 02:21 05. Black Girl Shine 03:20 06. That's What Men Do 03:32 07. Ball Or Fall feat. M1 03:47 08. Traffic Jam feat. Crystal Johnson 04:58 09. It's Nice Outside 02:06 10. Reparations feat. Taj 04:33 11. Coming Home 05:15 12. Whatever Daddy Wants feat. Maimouna 03:55 13. So Focused 04:58 14. Independent Hustler feat. Mykel 03:11 15. Boss Up feat. Mr. Sonshyne 01:34 16. Traffic Jam feat. Crystal Johnson (Radio Mix) 04:29 17. 68. Silence 18. Faithful Lover feat. Maimouna (Bonus) 04:00
Free Shit A new mixtape from the well respected Chicago label, All Natural, from Femcee, Rita J. Rita has been around the Chi-town scene for awhile now, but this is her first mixtape that is setting up her debut album that should be dropped in April sometime. I haven't had a chance to listen to it myself yet, but anything that drops on All Natural is usually pretty dope.
1. The People's Introduction 2. Might Be Down 3. Perserverence Track 4. Fourtwenty 5. Some Say 6. Murder Route (feat. Arablak) 7. Generation 8. BIG 9. White Clouds 10. Dead Famous
Every now and then, I get something in the inbox that really grabs me. This project happened to be one of them. I'm not sure if it was my mood when I sat down and listened to it, but I really enjoyed this release. Very fluid, but a complete project at the same time. A strong project that just contains 10 dope cuts of hip hop.
The WYDU Singles Chart.
I'm have this weird fascination for lists and charts for some damn reason. Don't ask me why, but I always have. I remember sitting in English class my junior year in high school and making a weekly hip hop singles and albums charts back in 1990 (that explains my fucked up writing style haha). I have no clue why I haven't done something like this, but I guess I'm kind of jacking Eric's at WTR and DJ Low Key's chart idea. Links coming soon, I'm bogged down on sloooowww as shit internet right now and want to get okays from some of the artists (aiming for Friday). This is going to be a new weekly feature. This one is actually a couple weeks old....hope to see a new one for this week up this weekend.
10. Dev Rocka feat New York Rhyme Exchange & Reef The Lost Cauze - Dutches & Phillies Remix (From the "Night Shift" LP)
Lex, from NYRE, is my boy, so its good to see him get some shine on this project. Besides that, I'm digging this LP, its gotten multiple spins from me this year. Quality hip hop, just as this song is a strong example of.
9. Kanye West - Stronger (From the
I genuinely like Kanye's album. I mean I really like it. Like as in one of the best releases of the year kind of like. Weird, I know, especially someone like me who spends more and more time listening to off the wall obscure underground shit these days. Hell, you might even heard me trash this song on this site in the past. I hated it, and I mean really hated it. But, something happened to me during my first phase of my move. Pulling out of Denver, with the skyline in my rear view mirror this song came on the radio (I don't have a working CD player, which SUCKS) and I started listening to the words. Low and behold, it fit perfect for what I was feeling. In my old age, I need and want music I can relate to. I was relating to this song at the moment and now it will always have some kind of meaning in my life.
8. Sly MC - Beautiful (from SoulClap's Promo EP)
More of my internet "crew" of sorts. This comes from SoulClap's EP (CHECK IT OUT!) and is from one of my favorite "unheard of" MC's out there, Sly MC. Sly and I have been trying to hammer out some kind of mixtape to be featured here for a while with no success, but he hit me up saying he is trying to drop an album by the years end. Something about dude's voice (I guess I'm supposed to say "no homo" here) that is ill. I have a lot of his older works on my computer and dude has some bangers. He had a track featured on my "Top 100 Tracks of 2006" last year. This is one cat that I hope makes some noise in the year to come. Oh yeah, Clap has a great beat on this as well....haha.
7. Kanye West - Good Life (from the Graduation LP)
More Kanye??? I wasn't lying when I said I liked his album. Another example of what 14 hours in a car with no CD player listening only to radio stations will do to you. I didn't care much for this song either when I first heard the album. The lyrics are kind of booty on this, but for some damn reason, I know them by heart now. Don't know how in the hell that happened.
6. Joel Ortiz - 125 (Finale) (From "The Brick: Bodega Chronicles")
Another album that I'm sure will see on my year end list. This album single handedly gave me hope for the New York hip hop scene that has been lacking this year in my eyes and ears. This is just some smoothed out NY shit. You know what I mean, that smooth shit with the rough edges. I love this shit.
5. Public Enemy - How You Sell Soul To Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? (From the LP with the same name)
I think Public Enemy is the second most important group in hip hop history after Run DMC. That being said, I'd be lying if I said I'd checked out many of their releases since "There Is A Poison..." dropped. This track though sounds like the PE I know and love. Well, at least "Apocalypse 91'" PE, which isn't a bad thing as I loved that album. Gary G-Wiz produced this track, which is just some hard shit with Chuck spitting in his trademarked gruff voice and the fucked up society we live in.
4. (tie) Jay- Z - Fallin (From the "American Gangster" LP) & Atmosphere - Lyndale Avenue User's Manual (From the "Sad Clown, Bad Fall Vol 10" EP)
Seems like people either love or hate the new Jay album. I'm somewhere in between. I like it, but I don't love it. "Fallin" from the LP is my favorite track from it, I can bang it anytime, any day and just bob my head along to it.
I pull no punches when I say I like Atmosphere. Again, it goes back to that music I can relate to thing. I guess my mid 30's, drunken attitude, with horrible luck with woman lifestyle fits right into their music, so much so that shit might as be a sound track to my life at times. That being said, I didn't care for this track all that much when I first heard it and posted a video for it up on here. But those damn EP's he has released this summer and autumn is some addictive music.
3. Iller Than Theirs feat Masta Ace - The Same (from their self-titled LP)
I know what your thinking, it has Masta Ace, so of course Trav is going to have this in his top 10. Well, yeah, I love a good Masta Ace cameo, but this beat is pretty damn ill. This LP is one of the pleasant surprises of the last couple months. From the same camp as Junk Science, Iller Than Theirs possibly beats on the new Junk Science in terms of playablity in book. The track itself is armed with some killer horns and of course Ace does his thing as well.
2. Archetype - Think Of Me (from their "Bleed For Them" LP)
I'm sung my praises for this releases more than enough already. This track is just one of many that has made its rounds as my favorite off of it. I played it a lot when I was getting ready to leave Denver and gave it to a few people as a "token" of remembrance. My boy Dino and I tracked down the sample (more like he did and played it for me) which always adds to the enjoyment of the track as well.
1. Donny Goines - Do It For Hip Hop (from his "The Excerpt Pg. 1" LP)
The former "The Source Unsigned Hype" artist, Donny Goines, drops a DOPE single that I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of until it was sent to me. I have a review coming on the album, so I'll save that. Donny is another cat that gives me hope for the future of New York hip hop. The production sounds something like a Primo beat and Donny rhymes rugged, yet smooth that gives me the head nods on head nods seizure. To top it off, my limited dealings with Donny and seeing him on other sites, dude is geniunely a nice dude, the kind of guy you want good things to happen to. With music like this, I don't think he'll have to worry about it too much. You can learn more about Donny by jumping over to my homey Scholar's Souled On and check out his guest post.
Hugo you crazy? Wu dropping, B-Mack dropping, Freeway dropping, Jigga dropping and you wanna tell them to listen to some nobody from, what's that. Tenstown? Tensington? Well at least you support your own that's for sure. People are gonna think you're a die hard fan to any tune coming out of Sweden, no matter what piece of shit sandwich record that might be.
lling stories about cities, crimes, problems far away, that way it seemed sort of like fairytales. Like seeing a movie rather then participating in a movement. Actually that just bogus, I plain and simple didn't feel any of it. Point is I'm not talking about Adam Tensta only cause he's Swedish, he get talked about cause he's really really good. He worth your time, I wouldn't recommend just any rapper, I wouldn't waste your time. I know how precious 1 hour of listening time is now days, with so much to bump it's difficult to choose what to give a listen.
Johan suddenly recognized him in the Banging on The System video (video below). That’s fairly uninteresting though. What’s interesting is that song is a god damn jam. The beat is kinda down south sounding and they chop and screw his voice for the chorus. Somewhat works for club DJ’s but it’s mainly something you might bump in your headphones. His talking some political shit on this, mostly finding different ways of saying fuck the system. Works great.
