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Showing posts from December, 2008

Scarface "Emeritus"

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While Texas saw quite a bit of success in recent years, it hasn’t maintained the level of notoriety it looked to achieve and for the most part the “stars” of that year haven’t kept up. Regardless of what it is the younger cats do on a national scale for the lone star state, one man has consistently delivered the country the truest in the form of rap music straight out of the fifth ward. While never gaining the widespread acceptance, Scarface has consistently put out records filled with his own style of violent imagery coupled with a sense of humanity that gives his stories a moral center “gangsta” rap is often, rightly so, criticized for dismissing. When Face talks about these things that go on in communities across the country it isn’t to promote violence, but to offer an honest look at what’s going through the minds in those involved and how something better can come out of even the worst of situations. With Lil Wayne and countless other rappers claiming to be the greatest to ever ro

Clipse "Road to Til The Casket Drops"

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Like the drug they spit numerous bars about, the Clipse make music with a similarly addictive quality. Sneaking the Road Til The Casket Drops onto the internet just as the year had begun to wind down, Malice and Pusha show us once again how they stayed relevant for four years, even with the those crackers at Jive not playing fair. While my memories of their successful We Got it 4 Cheap series are a bit hazy (can you blame me?) they emerge here sounding as good as ever rocking over a variety of beats. Some you will recognize, like their great take on “Pop Champagne” one of two tracks featuring the now only other member of the Re-Up Gang, Ab-Liva. Can anyone hip me to what went down with Sandman? No one disappoints, but Liva sounds especially sweet on this track with both his flow and voice blending well with the minimalist Ron Brownz track. With the tape serving as a promotional tool to their clothing line Play Cloths ("Stop searching for the E cause the O is long, I spell it how

Jay-Z "The Black Album"

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Jay-Z has done it all. While Biggie may have told the ultimate rags to riches story (what up Pomz?) , Shawn Corey Carter has lived it. From record sales, to sold out concerts… As the Dynasty began to crumble leave it to the man who built it to come through with one final (we all knew it was a joke) farewell. It was a great idea, and he gave us a great album that would have served him well in the annals of rap if it had in fact been the last. But it wasn’t and those most recent two are up next, right now it’s time to ask where does The Black Album stand next to the rest? As with any Jay-Z album this has it’s flaws, but they are minimal. DJ Quik contributes a weak track that should have been scrapped when the sample they had intended to use was denied (Why Madonna, why?) and the still unknown Buchannans lace a ridiculous track in “What More Can I Say” but even in all it’s glory it doesn’t do the rhymes Hov delivers justice, and that is a crime. There's never been a nigga this good f

The Music Lounge Podcast, Vol. 6

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Between getting in almost three hours behind schedule to having more tracks than any week yet, time just seemed to be against me today. In todays filled show (no joke, this will just barely make it onto that disc you know you wanted to burn before going out for your evening session)you get more of what you have come to expect from the TML podcast! Stay tuned, one. The Musik Lounge Podcast, Vol. 6

Sundays of Soul, Vol. 6

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Took a break last week, but I'm right back at it with ten soulful jams for your Sunday evening. Mixing it up this week, you'll find a bit of everything in here including some Jazz and a couple modern cuts that have been impressing me as of late. Sundays of Soul, Vol. 6 Eddie Kendricks "My People... Hold On" Rick James "Mary Jane" Barrington Levy "Under Mi Sensei" Joy Denalane "Stranger In This Land" Mandre "Money (Thats What I Want)" Sahib Shihab "S.M.T.W.T.F.S.S. Blues" James Brown "Sometimes" Amnesty "Free Your Mind" Eugene McDaniels "Outlaw" Keyshia Cole ft. Nas "Oh Oh Yeah Yea"

Saturday Spin: Three for 1

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Hello world! It’s the last week of work for me, gotta get on my job hunt game… but yeah – let’s not go there. I kicked it with some of the homies last night, kind of like a reunion of the summertime! Burning that sticky and listening to some tunes, you can’t ever go wrong. The next morning is always good too and this fine morning as I kicked backed before work I put on a few different joints that I’m going to share with y’all! Erick Sermon The Funklord Files Vol. 2 (Courtesy of Jaz @ Cold Rock Da Spot ) Perhaps inspired by my impression with the latest EPMD release , I decided to throw on this collection of Sermon produced tracks – he is rapping on a number of them as well. From his work with Parrish, to the Def Squad crew the Green Eyed Bandit has always cooked up some of the funkiest bangers! Here you get Keith Murray’s “Get Lifted (Remix)” complete with his trademark flow and the voice that always stands out. While listening to these tracks what stands out constantly is the BASS .

EPMD "We Mean Business"

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With Hip Hop seeing an explosion of new artists (who are almost exclusively found throughout this here internet) and a shift in sound that is progressing with the times, artists from the previous era or two are looking to remain relevant and continue to deliver to their fans what they have come to expect. EPMD may have taken some time off, but with their recent reunification leading to the release of We Mean Business it seems Erik and Parrish are serious about continuing their legacy into a fourth decade – this year marks their twentieth year in the industry, spanning three decades. While the title is an obvious continuation from the always business minded pair , it suits the quick hitting album incredibly well. From the opening track Sermon never lets the beats mellow out as everything remains up tempo along with his trademark funk samples that knock hard. EPMD ft. Raekwon “Puttin’ Work In” Raekwon joins them for the opening cut “Puttin’ Work In” where they walk a line between discu

Memphis Bleek "Eat off The Land"

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If my Jay-Z series hasn’t given you any indication, I’m a Roc-A-Fella fan. Yes, part of this is because of my memories associated with their reign at the top (when do you think the dynasty ended? After the split with Dame? Or was it the signing of Cam’Ron and Dipset’s arrival?) but it’s hard to deny the amount of great music they dropped . Memphis Bleek was always the rapper that should of done better from the Roc being Jay’s boy since day one. He lacked the charisma to charm the world, but the same skills that impressed Jay proved to be enough for some to ride with Memphis. I won’t claim he is on the same level as his benefactor, but Bleek has a smooth flow and can spit rhymes about smoking weed, chilling on the streets with his boys and impressing the ladies – this really is the formula for any one of his albums, along with some of the hottest beats from the streets of NY, the area his solo’s falter at times. While he won’t ever have to worry about being broke again (“Bleek can be

The Musik Lounge Podcast, Vol. 5

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Coming with it a day early this week, it's The Musik Lounge podcast! While it opens with a quick verse from Jada, mellowness ensues with some great piano work across a number of tracks (thus this weeks pic) before ramping the energy up with some new street bangers. Like Defari says "burn one before the wake up call" and let his play. The Musik Lounge, Vol. 5

Ras G "Beats of Mind"

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Any album that’s first words spoken is “first blunt of the day, time to make a beat” I’m fucking with! Ras G would be one of the current new crop of beat musicians coming out of LA. While new is a relative term, his teammate Flying Lotus has been making waves for awhile now and hopefully leading more to discover Ras. Regardless of when you enter the mans world, I imagine he has been conquering record bins for years and will be filling them up with his own creations in the years to come. Originally dropped on wax courtesy of the Poohbah label as a 6 track EP, here we find his Beats of Mind flushed out to a full 21 tracks of selector goodness. Drawing on numerous sounds from throughout the universe you are bound to hear a few you might be familiar with… and many you aren’t. Using clips from the classic Sun Ra flick Space is the Place Ras G and his Afrikan Space Program rock out! As a big fan of Sun Ra, you hear the influence come through as the disc plays out sometimes slow and hypnot

Sabac "The Ritual"

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“Everyone’s talking about Hip Hop is gangster, I ain’t no gangster. It’s about being true to yourself.” -An emcee in the trailer to South Coast (If you aren’t up on that joint, check it !) Sabac has been on his grind for a minute. Making a name for himself as part of the much loved Non Phixion and then dropping his solo debut exclusively produced by Necro he has always delivered his own brand of political commentary. With the release of his long awaited follow up The Ritual now out we are invited to hear where he is today and what is on his mind in these uncertain times. “Americas A Business” Leaving his hometown several years ago for the Bay area, to work with the school systems, Sabac has gone through some heavy changes which come to light throughout the album. Sabac has always had the gift to come across as a genuine person, caring about what he is saying and concerned with using his art to give knowledge, if change is too much for one man to achieve? On “A Children’s Cry” he pulls

Jay-Z "Unplugged"

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It's that time once again... So I took a little break from the Jigga man but what better way to return than with his Unplugged project which found him backed by The Roots band for the MTV show. Turning out as a pretty good greatest hits package was probably just an added bonus, but over the course of the fourteen tracks here you will be treated to the biggest songs of Jay’s career plus those classics even the Reasonable Doubt heads respect. Coming out on the heels of The Blueprint (I know, I messed up the chronology) the disc is a little heavy on songs from there, but it’s all good – you all know what I thought about that joint ! While it’s easy to get nervous about a band backing a Hip Hop artist The Roots aren’t just any band and ?uest and company do a great job of giving these tracks the live treatment, it’s only on originally synth heavy songs that things sound a little unfortunate – but these are few and far between. For the most part you are treated to a selection of beats

Lil Wayne "Dedication 3" or "The Reincarnation"

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Lil Wayne has used the mixtape as a tool that has got a large portion of people quick to claim he is the greatest rapper alive. He has skill and his passion and love for this culture is without a doubt as serious as anyone, but he still makes music for the masses and too often that means music of the moment - try giving The Carter III a listen right now, I think you might be unpleasantly suprised at how old it already feels, or maybe that is just me. Perhaps this is why he keeps the mixtapes steadily streaming out? Just after reteaming with DJ Drama for the third volume of their succesful Dedication series Tapemasters Inc. dropped off The Drought Is Over Pt. 6: The Reincarnation , which one should you be listening too? Everyone knows the old cliche "if it ain't broke don't fix it." The Dedication volumes one and two were largly solo affairs (this is based on my memory of them, looking at a tracklist I see that guests were present) that felt like coheisive projects