Labcabincalifornia - The Pharcyde

Labcabincalifornia evokes summer days and a less cynical time in hip hop. That shouldn't be surprising since The Pharcyde come from LA and dropped this album in 1995.

History sees this album as a disappointing second effort. Throughout it you can hear the group trying to come to terms with their initial success, with all the implications it had for them, taking them from virtual homelessness to relative wealth. Songs like 'Bullshit', 'Groupie Therapy', 'Somethin That Means Somethin' and 'Devil Music' all deal with those issues.

"Every time I step to the microphone I put my soul on 2-inch reels that I don't even own" - 'Devil Music'

The thing that strikes me is that album doesn't have a huge range, it maintains the same feel throughout. I guess this is partly why it didn't do very well, there aren't any songs that really stand out from the rest, musically or content-wise. The three singles, 'Runnin', 'Drop' and 'She Said' along with 'Somethin That Means Somethin' are all very good songs but don't quite take it to another level. However, it's not a bad zone to be in and the album is strong.

J.Dilla produced most of the album and gives it a consistent feel. The beats are tight, plenty of jazzy keys and easy to listen to. You're not really allowed to say anything bad about Dilla but this album doesn't give me anything bad to say. He's amazing.

Labcabincalifornia is a fun album. It doesn't start explosively or reach the heights of their first album but it rewards effort.


(Whenever I hear 'Drop' I want to walk along the street like they do in the video.)

Big Shug - My Boston

I first heard Big Shug on 'The Militia' with Freddie Foxxx and Gangstarr. He has a great presence on songs.

Big Shug ft. Singapore Kane, Termanology - My Boston

Supernatural doing what he does

If you've heard of Supernatural you know he's a crazy freestyler. If you don't you need to check this video of him rapping about stuff people in the crowd hold up:


Crazy.

Talib Kweli f. KRS One - The Perfect Beat

In contrast to Shai Linne:

Shai Linne - The Atonement

Shai Linne's words from the outro give an idea of what The Atonement is all about:

"What we've attempted to do with this project The Atonement, is by God's grace, through the medium of hip hop, bring to you that which is of first importance."

And that's what he does, starting with original sin on 'In Adam All Die' and moving through the crucifixion, resurrection, limited atonement and through to praise with 'Triune Praise'.

When it comes to words the dude's a beast. He's at his best when ripping a verse on theology of which 'Mission Accomplished' (a song about limited atonement!) and 'Were You There' are good examples. Shai goes in hard lyrically and that's the thing I appreciated most about the album.

"The way they treat the Lord of Glory is debased and it's vile
But you missed the point if you don't see your face in the crowd" - Were You There

But there are a couple of songs on the album that miss the mark for me. 'School Daze' and 'Jesus is Alive' jar a bit, 'Jesus is Alive' would be great with a different chorus because the current one gives it the wrong tone.

The album is also very heavy with interludes. Without them the 19 track album weighs in at 11 songs. These 11 provide more than enough content for a full album. Interludes were included for reflection but there's plenty of room for reflection once the album is finished. I want the straight rapping, that's where Shai is so powerful.

The production helps create the right mood for the album, it particularly works on 'Through My Eyes', 'Were You There' and 'Jesus is Alive'. For the most part it isn't amazing or adventurous but is solid and fitting.

I really dig this album. Not because it's flawless or I can listen to it from start to finish but because of what Shai is doing with it. It's beautiful to see hip hop used to honour God when it's mostly used to parade our disgrace. There's some profound stuff on this album which is more than you can say about most. He's already working on a new one and I'm looking forward to it.

A Public Service Announcement Concerning Cypress Hill

Let me say this and get it off my chest. Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom is way underrated. Sure, it's got none of the Hill's hits on it but it's brooding and eerie and paranoid and just works. It may have been a commercial failure and nearly seen the end of the group but I put this album on to listen to all the way through, which I don't for the others.

By the way, B-Real has signed a solo deal and is planning to release his first solo album early next year.

Pacewon & Mr Green - The Only Color That Matters is Green

Pacewon hasn't lost the ability to flip a rhyme or tell a story, throughout The Only Color That Matters is Green he breezes along without breaking a sweat. There are some great lines throughout the album, Pace still has words for wack rappers:

I wanna pack they cds up and sell 'em back
I paid $12, just gimme $7 back
I'll even take it back to the store and get it wrapped

Songs like 'The Eye of the Needle' show that he's not just the cocky young rapper he was on 'Cowboys' and 'I Declare War', he's older, faced struggles and it shows on the best few songs on the album.

It's been a long time comin', I seen a lot of evil,
Felt a lot of pain, and I lost a lot of people,
Did a couple of things I really didn't need to,
Hurt a couple people that I really didn't mean to.
If I could turn time back, I would treat em regal.
Matter fact, I'd treat everybody equal.
Then my world might just be so peaceful
And I wouldn't view it through the eye of a needle.

What dissappoints about the album is that it mostly dwells in the past. Pace too easily slips into his old groove, he could almost have written some of the songs 10 years ago. Lots of the other songs are filled with reminisces, some of them work but the total effect is to make him sound old. Then there's 'The Joker', a diss of Eminem, one of his friends in the early days. He dissed him before with 'Rap Music' which was a strong track. However, 'The Joker' just makes Pace come off bitter. It's not a great note to end the album on and it stands in contrast with some of the better songs which show Pace moving on and growing. Mr Green's beats are solid but owe too much to DJ Premier and the early-mid 90s.

Overall, The Only Color That Matters is Green is an album that looks back more than forward both in content and style. It's solid but it could have been much more.

Stand out tracks: 'She Can Be So Cold' (with the White Stripes), 'The Eye of the Needle', 'Hip-Hop'.

De La Soul article part 2

Reconstructing the De La Soul years with Prince Paul. This is a very cool interview, worth checking out.

Jay-Z, the Game and Beef

Apparently Jay-Z said something about The Game to a fan at Wimbledon. Then it turned out that he probably didn't. Whatever, The Game is up for beef anyway, he has an album to promote:

Now, if the man wants to wage a war of words or get into some type of beef, I’m all for it. It would be an honor to beef with Jay-Z. That’s one of the reasons I try to bait him, but he won’t bite.

The whole idea of battling someone has become a marketing strategy. The thing is, it's almost taken it back round to where it started, a test of who's the best rapper.

Alternatively, they could take it to the xbox.

De La Soul article

The Smoking Section has a cool article on De La Soul you should check out:

Forbes' Top Earners in Hip Hop of 2008

You can check out the article here.

The list:

1. 50 Cent - $150 million
2. Jay-Z - $82 million
3. P Diddy - $35 million
4. Kanye West - $30 million
5. Timbaland - $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams - $20 million
7. Swizz Beatz - $17 million
8. Snoop Dogg - $16 million
9. Dr. Dre - $15 million
10. Ludacris - $14 million
11. T.I. - $13 million
12. Lil’ Wayne - $13 million
13. Eminem - $12 million
14. Common - $12 million
15. Akon - $12 million
16. Jermaine Dupri - $11 million
17. Lil Jon - $11 million
18. OutKast - $10 million
19. Chamillionaire - $10 million
20. The Game - $10 million

I just missed out, must've come in at 21 or 22.

Mixtape Monday - Pharoahe Monch

This is Pharoahe Monch's mixtape from last year in anticipation of his album Desire. Check out Agent Orange, Let's Go and Gun Draws.

Download Mixtape | Provided by DatPiff.com

De La Soul Interview

A new album?!

"I be the most incredible, alphabetical, unforgettable..."

Yes you are Busta. This is awesome. Check it.

Busta Rhymes - Packin Them Things

Blueprint - The Weightroom

The first mixtape cd I got came free with a cd I ordered online. The cd is long since lost but based on songs from that cd I bought De La Soul's Grind Date, Prince Paul's Politics of the Business and just the other day Blueprint's The Weightroom. The Weightroom has a track on it called 'Time Management' which Simon will remember because we both loved it. It was the first we'd heard of Blueprint and his ridiculous braggadocio. We loved lines like:

'temporary insanity was the fuel behind my fury
I threw the book at the judge and got rushed by security'

That song was what first made me check for Blueprint who is part of a group called The Greenhouse Effect, you can download their album Columbus or Bust and you totally should. Anyway, I've finally gotten The Weightroom after all these years and I'm enjoying it.

Jockin' Jay-Z

It didn't take long, you can listen to the whole song now.

Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)

It's Weezy, baby

The hardest working rapper in the business finally dropped this album a few weeks ago. It sold one million copies in its first week - the first album (of any type) to do that since 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005 (Kanye's Graduation did 957,000 in 2007).

So yeah, I got a copy. And it's great. 'Mr Carter', feat. Jay-Z is fun, and Weezy continues the vibe throughout the album. 'Dr Carter', where Lil Wayne plays the part of a doctor who tries to resurrect the careers of crap rappers is great, while the production is surprisingly lush on a number of other tracks. Lil Wayne told Rolling Stone he didn't pick the tracks for the album - the record company did. So that probably explains why a large number of them have crossover appeal. And why the album sold so well. 'Dontgetit' is a nine-minute random rant, and it's where Weezy's sizzurp-sipping side comes across the strongest.

Anyway, I enjoyed it, and it's got heaps of replay value. My version came with the bonus disc, which I haven't checked out yet.

Blueprint 3

Jay-Z's been making comments about a Blueprint 3 album. Mick Boogie's been on the case, apparently:

+ Kanye will indeed be producing most, if not all, of the album. Remember back in the day when an artist would do a whole album with one producer for cohesiveness? Think classic Snoop or Jeru with Primo... and fast forward it to 2008.

+ Jay will be leaking the finished version of "Jockin" as soon as he adds a new 3rd verse to the song.

+ Tracks to look for include the aforementioned "Jockin' Jay-Z" and a new track entitled "Victory" that the rumor mill says is simply amazing.

Here's the video from Kanye's NY concert:

surplus xs and high-level coarse language

nick's last post regarding freddie foxxx reminded me of the only foxxx track i know
it's the last track on the 2001 album 'art-official intelligence: mosaic thump' by de la soul

take this (at your own risk) for what it is





this is freddie venting

and i certainly don't wanna b.d.s. right now

there's something about the aggressive delivery and the constant cursing that makes it strangely appealling. i, only occasionally, swear like this in my head

king tim

Freddie Foxxx ft. Tupac - Killa

From Freddie Foxxx's shelved 1994 debut album which is finally about to be released.

Freddie Foxxx ft. Tupac - Killa

Jay Smooth on Obama and Ludacris

He's always worth checking.



This is what's been going on.

Favourite DJ Premier Beats

This dude made a video of his favourite Primo beats. There are so many that are so good! Check the video and then go and buy Gangstarr's Moment of Truth, KRS One's KRS ONE, or Nas' Illmatic.



25 Mc Lyte - Wonder Years
24 Guru - The Anthem
23 Nas - Come Get Me
22 AZ - The Come Up
21 Das EFX - Real Hip Hop
20 GangStarr - Royalty
19 Jeru Tha Damaja - Ain't The Devil Happy
18 KRS-One - Outta Here
17 Crooklyn Dodgers '95 - Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers
16 Royce Da 5' 9 - Boom
15 Group Home - Living Proof
14 Fat Joe - Shit Is Real (Dj Premier Remix)
13 Nas -Represent
12 Gangstarr - The Militia
11 Lox - Recognize
10 Gang Starr - Code Of The Streets
09 CNN - Invincible
08 Gangstarr - Moment of truth
07 Gangstarr - Take it Personal
06 Nas - Memory Lane
05 Gangstarr - Full Clip
04 Pitch Black - It's All Real
03 Nas - Nas Is Like
02 Gangstarr - Mass Appeal
01 Nas - N.Y. State of Mind

Two of my favourites are #1 NY State of Mind and #18 Outta Here and also MCs Act Like They Don't Know

Check out Part II

Return of the King

First GZA, now KRS-One? Not the enemies I'd want to make in rap. Looks like 50 dismissing GZA as old pissed Kris off.

KRS-One - Rider Freestyle