"been hot since the days of cassette tapes..."

I haven't listened to a lot of Nas so this evening I strapped on some headphones that were pumping out his 'Hip hop is dead mixtape'. To complement the experience I consulted Wikipedia on the life and career of Kid Wave. (It seems to me that wikipedia might even make leaning about 50 Cent bearable - in the biz that's what they call a dis.)

I learned about his early life growing up living in the Queensbridge Housing projects. His dad played jazz trumpet and featured on more than one of his albums. I discovered that he was the first non-Wu Tang member to feature on any of their albums following the critical success of his debut album 'Illmatic'. I found out that his battle with Jay-Z started rather innocuously with a no-show at a recording session and with the big mouth of Jay-Z's protege Memphis Bleek. And as a result Nas career was reborn with the release of his album 'Stillmatic.'

So now I have two 'new' albums to check out, Illmatic and Stillmatic. Judging from the mixtape, which is still playing through my headphones, I might enjoy hearing them.

"Rappers want to be actors so they play the Jesse James character..."

DMX is going to be in a new movie called 'The Bleeding'.

Story centers on an ex-Army Ranger searching for the killer of his parents who discovers a family of vampires in a former chemical weapons factory-turned-nightclub.

Ex-army rangers, vampires, chemical weapons factory-turned-nightclub, all the ingredients for a great movie.

What springs to my mind is: 'Ima tell this n***a when I see him, “Stop that bullshit. Stop that bullshit”'

Check the Technique: A Sample (part 2)

Black Moon - I Got Cha Opin



Black Moon has two mcs (Buckshot and 5FT) but only Buckshot is on this song. "Buck worked fast and 5 would take his time, and basically Buck just outworked him. If 5 wrote faster, it would have been a nicer balance. 5 was definitely pissed, but it was no one's fault but his." Check out another song from the album, How Many MCs.

EPMD - You Gots to Chill



EPMD are huge. Also, they produced and managed Redman, K-Solo and DAS EFX.

Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me



Great concept! You should check out their album cover too. It isn't fake at all. Bushwick Bill got shot in a fight with his girlfriend, the photo is from a few days later at the hospital.

Check the Technique: A Sample (part 1)

In my exile from the internet I turned to reading. Shocking, I know. Check the Technique, which I mentioned before, has been inspiring. Here's the first part of a selection of artists it covers:

Beastie Boys - So What'cha Want



Mario C said "That was the last song, the one that sealed the deal and let us know that the album was ready." Nice way to finish a three-and-a-half-years-in-the-making album. I'm not a huge fan of the Beasties but this song is cool and they make the best hip hop videos. Also, the chapter on Check the Technique is one of the best ones in the book.

Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'



"Brain cells are lit, ideas start to hit
Next the formation of words that fit
At the table I sit, making it legit
And when my pen hits the paper, ahh shit!"

DAS EFX - Mic Checka



Check this one of theirs out too.

Don't call it a comeback...

Ok, maybe you can. It's been a while but I'm back on my grizzly. Things have been crazy with moving and college and we've only just gotten interwebs access.

Apparently 50 Cent is into Holden Commodore utes although he thinks they need more chrome.

Bouncing of Tim's post, here's KRS One's latest, Criminal Minded 2008 with DJ Premier:



Not his best work but better than last year's effort with Marley Marl.

"y'all pop like when the cork is out"

"You can’t be serious. Barack Obama."

DMX is a favourite of mine because of his harsh voice, strong lyrics and the possibility he might actually pistol whip someone at any time.

Here is a classic interview with XXL where Dark Man X is typically noncommunicative and fairly difficult to deal with. And then the interviewer asks about Barack Obama...

Are you following the presidential race?
Not at all.
You’re not? You know there’s a Black guy running, Barack Obama and then there’s Hillary Clinton.
His name is Barack?!
Barack Obama, yeah.
Barack?!
Barack.
What the f*** is a Barack?! Barack Obama. Where he from, Africa?
Yeah, his dad is from Kenya.
Barack Obama?
Yeah.
What the f***?! That ain’t no f***in’ name, yo. That ain’t that n***a’s name. You can’t be serious. Barack Obama. Get the f*** outta here.
You’re telling me you haven’t heard about him before.
I ain’t really paying much attention.
I mean, it’s pretty big if a Black…
Wow, Barack! The n***a’s name is Barack. Barack? N***a named Barack Obama. What the f***, man?! Is he serious? That ain’t his f***in’ name. Ima tell this n***a when I see him, “Stop that bullshit. Stop that bullshit” [laughs] “That ain’t your f***in’ name.” Your momma ain’t name you no damn Barack.

Read the rest here

2Pac2dead

A new article from the LA Times alleges Sean Puffy/Puff/P Diddy/Diddy Combs and the Notorious B.I.G were behind the attack on Tupac in New York in 1994.

Read the full story here

'the realness': or 'the real hip hop is over here' (part 2)

krs-one - hot

this is from the album 'the sneak attack'



what i love about krs (apart from his rhyme skills) is that you just can't argue with him
he's so brash and forceful, and he just tells it like it is

like when he says on 'step into a world' that he's not #1, he's numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
i mean, props for that

anyway, i love how this track just explodes at the beginning, has the killer string hook and is just relentless
check it out, and respect the teacher

king tim