I am really suprised this is the first time that I’ve actually heard anything about this (big up to Analecia and Carson for pointing me to this video). Apparently Fox Searchlight pictures is going to come out with a movie (Bio) about The Notorious B.I.G. (Aka Biggie Smalls, Big Pappa, Biggie) in 2009. I have to admit that I really don’t listen to a ton of Biggie, but I will at the same time admit that I do think he is one of the top lyricists of all time without question. The way that he rhymed influenced so many cats that go out there and do their thing now, the way he spit was like hearing a muder happen; it was totally vicious and you were never the same after you heard it. Ready to Dieis and will always be one of the greatest albums in Hip-Hop history. I personally can not wait to see this movie when it comes out in January of 2009.
I’m truly sorry that I haven’t put anything up yet on the Illadelph crew of Vinnie Paz, Stoupe & Jus Allah formerly known as Jedi Mind Tricks. Violent By Design came out back in 2000 and I didn’t hear the album until I was in 11th grade (which would be 2003) when one of my buddies put the album in his car cd player. I remember hearing the song “Retaliation” and being like this is what hip-hop isall about. Violent by Design changed my whole perspective on Hip-Hop music. I can honestly tell you that I wouldn’t listen to the music that I do if it wasn’t for this album. Hearing Vinnie and Jus destroy the beats that Stoupe put down was like karma being returned to me for listening to Juvenile all those years. JMT has released three albums since then and none of them have featured Jus Allah, for awhile there was rumors that Vinnie and Jus had creative differences. They announced in June (on their blog on MySpace) that Jus Allah, Vinnie and Stoupe were back in the studios “conjuring the viciousness of the Violent By Design days”, that thought alone gives me chills.
Jedi Mind tricks has been a very consistent group, but for the last three albums it just felt like something was missing. I can tell you that I am very excited to hear what JMT has in store for us on the next album. A History of Violence drops November 11th. Jedi Mind Tricks also has a DVD dropping called Divine Fire dropping soon that you need to check out to.
Johnson & Jonson is a group that is comprised of Los Angeles emcee Blu and up-and-coming producer Mainframe. The first thing that I really want you to understand is that this cat Blu can tear apart bars like a prisoner on steroids. I had mentioned in a post that if you hadn’t heard the Blu & Exile project Below the Heavens you needed to. I have no problem with making that statement, it was easily one of the top albums of last year, and I haven’t heard an emcee/DJ duo like that in a long time. The one thing that you need to understand is that Blu is one of those emcees that you totally build tracks around. Blu is so versatile and can rhyme to almost any beat that you provide him with. That’s what I liked about Below the Heavens, you got some of those hard ass hitting beats, and then there were the super soulful beats that were much more calm. Blu is another one of the cats that you really have to watch for, he (along with Evidence, and coincidentally Blu is on the new Evidence EP) is one of the hardest working guys in the game right now. He put out the critically acclaimed Below The Heavens last year, then he put out an album as part of the collective C.R.A.C. Knuckles with Detroit native Ta’Raach, and is now dropping the J&J album.
Right out of the gate Blu has the rhyme thing going on. “J & J” is a great track, and it shows that Blu’s flow has the bite of a pit bull. He rhymes over a beat with thrashing cymbals, bleepy synths and a wicked ass bass line with such ferocity that you would think his next meal depended on it. “Up All Night” is a perfect example of what I mean with Blu switching up his flow. On “J&J” Blu is rapping pretty fast, and then on “Up All Night” Mainframe totally slows down the beat and puts in a nice bass line with some basic drums, but as I said before it sounds like Blu was meant for the beat. I have to say that “Mama Told Me” is one of my favorite highlights of the album. It has a feel good horn driven beat and Blu reminisces on his childhood and the lessons that he learned as a child. The great thing about Blu is that he can bring you the punchlines, similes and metaphors, but he can also tell one hell of a story at the same time.
Another thing that I really have to get into is Mainframe. I hadn’t really heard of him until this project came out, and I’m glad I was exposed to his style. He is one producer who can really switch up a style and still make it sound really good. Mainframe will be one of those producers you really want to look for in the near future. We are talking about a guy that as of right now only has just over 2,000 hits on his MySpace, after this album blows up Mainframe will start getting some bigger projects.
Something I want to point out is that the majority of the tracks on this album are three minutes or less. That means that a lot of these tracks are pretty brief. Shakespear once said “Brevity is the soul of wit”, I think this album might be an exact representation of that quote. Blu & Mainframe tend to keep it brief but boy this album definitely makes its mark. After hearing Johnson & Jonson I know you are going to want to hear more from both of these artists. The album makes for a great listen and the humorous additions to the Johnson family are an added plus (Mainframe rhyming as Jon Johnson, Miguel Jontel as Tell Johnson, Co$$ as Troy Johnson and Bobo Lamb as Jack Johnson).
This is the first single off of the new Foreign Exchange album Leave It All Behind. I have been listening to this album on and off for a little while now, and the only conclusion that I can come to is that it’s definitely different. The last album Connected was a good mixture of Hip-Hop/R&B/Soul. Leave It All Behind is very Soul & R&B influenced with very little Hip-Hop. This album for the most part has Phonte singing, which is something that is definitely different for me but I really enjoy it. It’s nice to hear an artists almost out of his element (not doing what he usually does) and trying something that is a little different. From what I have heard this album is very good. I will have a review up soon enough for you guys to get to.
You can jump over to the Foreign Exchange site and get the Leave It All Behind Sampler to get a taste of what I am talking about.
Pete Rock, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey & Talib Kweli on Dilla Day 2008
So, if you know me, you know that I am a hugeJ Dilla fan/enthusiast. Many people would call me a “poser” Dilla fan because I haven’t been listening since the beginning (when I was like 5). I had listened to a little bit of Tribe, but never knew that Dilla was behind their later stuff. The first time I really actually realized Dilla production was on a Kweli mixtape, and I was completely mesmerized by the beat. I immediately got my hands on everything Dilla I could get and didn’t think twice about it. What Dilla did for my musical taste and outlook on life in general I will never be able to forget. He will always be my inspiration for anything that I do.
It came to my attention awhile ago that the Yancey family was in a huge limbo trying to pay all of Dilla’s outstanding hospital bills, and at the same time keep the “Dilla estate” alive. I just read a few weeks ago that Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey is suffering from the same tragic disease that took her genius son’s life. She needs all of the help she can get and all of you Dilla fans out there really have a chance to make a difference.
Please go over to the Giant Peach’s Website on MySpace and make a contribution. It doesn’t have to be a large amount of money, just do what you can. Every dollar makes a difference. If you don’t want to donate through PayPal, or just want to send a letter to Ma Dukes you can send your contributions to:
Maureen Yancey
8281 E. Brentwood
Detroit, MI 48234
DJ Babu (of the Dilated Peoples) is releasing his new solo album Duck Season Vol. 3 on October 28th, and he was gracious enough to let us hear this masterpiece (featuring MF Doom and Sean Price) which is titled “The Unexpected”. I have to admit that I wasn’t really a big fan of Doom until recently (I haven’t heard anything that great since Madvillain or Danger Doom). He has been doing a lot of projects lately with some of my favorite producers (Dilla, Jake One, Babu), and I have been absolutely loving it. This track is one of them. There are two things that really make this track: 1.) Babu’s beat is absolutely intriguing, and has a great melody that you can just bob your head to. 2.) Doom and Sean Price compliment each other sowell on this track. Sean Price has a line in this track that made me laugh out loud in the middle of a parking lot with my headphones on (I think that people thought I was crazy): “I always throw sixes, return a Ike Turner I always throw bitches”.
This track is really good, and as you can expect Babu’s work on the ones and twos is incredible. Duck Season Vol. 3 promises to be a great addition to the Hip-Hop albums already out this year. There’s nothing better to me, than to see a producer coming out from behind the boards (working on other people’s music) and doing something for themselves.
If you want to see what a real DJ/Producer can do, go out and get Duck Season Vol. 3 on October 28th. Until then listen to the track.
Yet again the folks over at Okayplayer brightened my day after a long day at work. I checked my handy RSS feed to find that Evidence dropped yet another track off The Layover EP. This track is absolutely ridiculous, it’s produced by North Carolina native Khrysis (who has done tracks for Little Brother in the past) and features Phonte, Blu & Will.I.Am. Blu is one of those emcees that you only hear once in your lifetime, and he completely murders his verse on this track (I will have a review of the Blu and Mainframe project Johnson&Jonson later this week). If none of you have ever heard of Blu please go out and get Below the Heavens which was a duo with Dj Exile not to mention one of the best albums of last year. Phonte is great on the track, and Evidence as always kills the beat with that laid back EV sound. I have heard two tracks off of this and am already itching for this EP like crack. I can’t wait for the day of my contentment which will be November 25th when this EP drops. PLEASE go out and get The Layover EP when it comes out, it will NOT disappoint. The Layover EP will be accompanied by a DVD for 6 or 7 videos (still to be determined) out of the 9 songs on the EP.
Well, for all of you Madlib & J Dilla fans out there, this should be a great few months for you. Earlier in October Madlib released part of an instrumental series entitled Beat Konducta Vol. 5 Dil Cosby Suite (which is only available for digital download right now, you can get the vinyl on November 11th). Now this month he is releasing Beat Konducta Vol. 6 Dil Whithers Suite for digital download (the vinyl will be released in December). Both of these Beat Konducta volumes are tributes from Madlib and J-Rocc (of the Beat Junkies crew) to the late great J Dilla. Volumes 5 & 6 will be released in early 2009 as an album (so the two will be combined into one album). I have had the pleasure of listening to both of these beat tapes and I can honestly say that Dilla Dawg would be proud. Each mix is just over 30 minutes (which means they are small packages, most albums are at least 50 minutes long usually), but good things come in small packages.
On top of both of these beat tapes, Madlib will also be releasing a 10″ Vinyl EP with three previously unreleased tracks from his Jazz/alter ego side project Yesterday’s Universe. The 10″ EP that is being released will coincide with the release of an art book by Jason Jägel entitled 73 Funshine. Jägel is best known for his work on album cover art for artists like MF Doom (MM FOOD) and Dudley Perkins.
With the election getting close, it seems as if the Beastie Boys have smoothing to tell us in this political hotbed that we know as Minnesota. Beastie Boys have expanded their “Swing State Awareness 2008” pre-election tour to six of the biggest battleground states just days before the election, including a November 1st show at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, MN.
If aggressiveness of both candidates at the debate last night didn’t show you, we have entered the final stretch of the race and all bets are off. With McCain and Obama viciously trading barbs back-and-forth, the tension between Republicans and Democrats has gotten extremely thick. In support of Barack Obama, the Beastie Boys will be playing several “Get-Out-The-Vote” shows in primary swing states in this years election.
The Beastie Boys have always advocated fighting for your rights, even if they were mainly your partying rights, and these shows are scheduled to let you know that they feel the same way about voting. Come to the show and reaffirm your stance with the classic Beastie Boys. And don’t forget to join the mob next week to push your candidate over the top (especially if you’re a supporting Obama).
The shows are:
10-27 Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend (w/ Sheryl Crow and Santogold)
10-28 Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum (w/ Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, and Santogold)
10-29 Youngstown, OH – Chevrolet Center (w/ Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, and Ben Harper)
10-30 Dayton, OH – Hara Arena (w/ Sheryl Crow and Ben Harper)
11-01 Saint Paul, MN – Roy Wilkins Auditorium (w/ Ben Harper and Tenacious D)
11-02 Milwaukee, WI – U.S. Cellular Arena (w/ Ben Harper, Tenacious D, and Crosby & Nash)
I must preface this post (no pun intended) with the fact that I was looking forward to this album so much before it dropped, and the fact that most people that listen to Hip-Hop sadly probably don’t even know who Elzhi is. Elzhi became a member of the Detroit collective Slum Village after Jay Dee left to seek solo endeavors. This might have been my most anticipated album of the year just because I had heard Europass (an Exclusive Tour CD) earlier in the year (which will easily also be in my top 10 for the year). On Europass, the majority of the beats are done by Detroit monster Black Milk (whom I’ve already had the pleasure of mentioning many times), and that trend continues here where Black does the majority of production, only two other tracks are produced by someone else (DJ Dez is one).
The album starts out with the Intro (The Preface), most people would normally just skip this, but I think it almost foreshadows how the rest of the album is going to be; great beats and a vicious liquid like flow “This is only the beginning, now everything I’ve been in is included though, it’ll be concluded in the ending/ I thank ya’ll for spendin’ your time, your nickel and dime or four quarters to get your pre-store orders.”. “The Leak” is the first track you hear and of course Elzhi comes out spitting razorblades “Everytime I drop something hot you hear the sirens peak/ It’ll make the water in the hose on the hydrants leak” to an incredible Black Milk beat featuring beautiful voice of Ayah. In a lot of the reviews that I’ve read no one seems to mention the song guessing game which puzzles me, because I think it’s one hell of a clever song. Elzhi spits pretty much the whole sentence and leaves a two syllable word unfinished open for interpretation, and then finishes the word with the opposite of what you thought it would be. Colors is one of the most vivid songs on this album and really shows where Elzhi can excel his rhyming and put a brush to the canvas. He uses an array of colors from the spectrum in every line of his rhyme “Now there’s some that’s dead from fightin’ over bread crumbs/Feedin’ head numb it’s a murder we call it RED rum/Got the boys in BLUE jackets lockin’ up the new youth/That sell PURPLES with BLACKberrys with the BLUE tooth.” Brag Swag might be the most lyrically inclined song I’ve ever heard, the first line sets the standard for the rest of the song: “The day that hell snows is the day that El folds/poetry’s well told/ entertainin’ keep niggas trainin’ like the rail road.”
The only problem that I have (if you even consider it one) is that they put the Fire remix on this official release. I think the original version of Fire that was on the Europass cd was actually better. The Fire remix is still very good and features an all-star Detroit cast (it features Black Milk, Guilty Simpson (who has collaborated with Madlib, J Dilla, and Black Milk), Fat Ray (Who already did a project with Black Milk earlier this year), Fatt Father & Danny Down) who spit catchy punchlines and metaphors.
All in all front to back this is an amazing album, I can guarantee that this album will be in my top 5 for the year, possibly even top 3. It is so refreshing for me to be able to hear about all of these guys in Detroit doing big things. I am very much looking forward to hearing more from Elzhi, he is quickly on his way to becoming the top lyricist in Hip-Hop and with a debut like this the top is just over the next ledge.
DJ Babu
With the election getting close, it seems as if the Beastie Boys have smoothing to tell us in this political hotbed that we know as Minnesota. Beastie Boys have expanded their “Swing State Awareness 2008” pre-election tour to six of the biggest battleground states just days before the election, including a November 1st show at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, MN.
MIND INVERSION 