Hip Hop Discussion/Album Review Thread.

[spanish announce table]

I checked out the new Ghost, and its better than 8 Diagrams. Haven' had a chance to digest the lyrics yet, but the beats are banging. Someone needs to mix the Ghost verse from Yapp City with the same beat Canibus used.

The horns on the kung fu sample before Sunlight are awesome. Dont know why RZA didnt flip that into a beat.

[.invurzion.]

Haven't spent much time with "8 Diagrams" yet other than "Rushing Elephants," but I plan on getting to it this weekend and I'll post a review later.

On the other hand, some other Wu news coming from Ghost:

"Ghostface Killah Calls Wu-Tang Album Bullshit"

*(Spoilered because I didn't want to take up all that damn space!)*

Link: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6041/title.ghostface-killah-calls-wu-tang-album-bullshit

November 30th, 2007 - Andreas Hale

As the day nears for the highly anticipated Wu-Tang reunion album, the controversy behind the making of the album is reaching all time highs. After Raekwon sounded off on his distaste for 8 Diagrams and RZA defended his production shortly after, Ghostface had now opened up and called the album "bullshit." In a recent interview with MTV, Ghost laid his cards on the table unapologetically.

"I feel that the new Wu Tang album is bullshit...real bullshit," Ghost laments as he places all the blame on RZA. "It's not really our fault. RZA chose a certain selection of beats and wanted brothers to get busy off of that. Nobody else makes beats so that's gotta come from him."

"To be so highly anticipated, he shoulda waited and came with the mega bomb and did it right," he continues.

Ghost even acknowledges that there could have been some use for outside producers but RZA wasn't having it. "With RZA he wants everything for himself. We told him he could bring other people in," he says. "He could get a beat from Pharrell or Kanye West or whatever but he just likes to do shit for himself. If a nigga did try to bring a beat in he'd try to co-produce it and fuck up a nigga track adding other shit that didn't need to be added and that's disrespectful."

But in the end, Ghost concedes there was nothing he, or anyone else, could do to save the project.

"It ain't like nobody tried that before to bring some shit to the table. But this is a voting thing. You get outvoted," he says dismissively. "That's why the last 3 or 4 Wu albums were bullshit."

Is 8 Diagrams really "bullshit"? Judge for yourself on December 11th.

And ... You gotta love Ghost for this:

*(Spoilered again for length issues)*

"Ghostface Killah tells Tony Yayo to "Suck a Fat D--k"

Link: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6039/title.ghostface-killah-tells-tony-yayo-to-suck-a-fat-d-k

November 30th, 2007 - Slava Kuperstein

In a July feature of SPIN magazine, Tony Yayo claimed during an interview that Ghostface Killah did not write his acclaimed album, Supreme Clientele.

"He didn't even write that album, man," said Yayo. "He didn't write it. That kid from Far Rockaway -- Superb -- he wrote that record. You know Superb from Far Rock?"

The person Yayo referred to - Superb - was a member of Raekwon's American Cream Tream, who at one point claimed to have written the majority of the album.

During a recent interview with blog.rhapsody.com, Ghostface addressed the rumor:

"Yeah, I was in Europe when I heard [Tony Yayo say] that. That’s just nonsense. I still put mad shit out. ‘Perb was ‘Perb, Ghost was Ghost. ‘Perb is Rae’s man. He been in the studio a few times while we’re doing sh*t. He ain’t write shit.

All ‘Perb contributed was a couple of lines that you could put in the air. When we write, we all do that. “Say this one right here” or “Put this one right here.” We all catch lines with each other ‘cause you in the studio. You got niggas around you that write. Even if he did write a verse, he could never make an album of mine. He couldn’t make an album, you feel me? I made Supreme Clientele what it is. Those are my stories, based around whatever they’re based upon. It’s me...But, Yayo can suck a fat dick. Tell him I said that."

Also in the interview, Ghostface spoke on his displeasure with the newest Wu-Tang album, 8 Diagrams:

"That shit is wack. I heard RZA was changing some of the beats around the last minute. I didn’t hear that. I don’t know what y’all listening to out there. I never heard it. I’m with Raekwon."

In response to RZA saying he had never owed anyone any money, Ghostface said he had just won a court case from, presumably, RZA.

"I don’t see RZA, man," said Ghost of his relationship with the Wu-Tang Abbot. "That nigga’s real sneaky. I love him, though. Ain’t no bad blood. Ain’t nobody doing no bad to him. It’s just that you can’t get money with a nigga."

:yes:

[Stringer Bell]

Damn, sucks to see the Clan going through this, especially when I'm supposed to be seeing them in January. I've already seen Ghost twice, but I'll be pretty disappointed if he pulls a Rock The Bells and isn't there.

That said, I can see where he's coming from. I don't think many people would argue that after all the hype, the new Wu is a bit of a disappointment, and that the new Ghost solo is a better record. That speaks volumes right there, and more or less shows that Ghost has a better creative direction than RZA at the moment. He's gotta be one of the most consistent rappers ever. Bulletproof Wallets is his only LP that gets slack, and I love the majority of it. At least it's no Nastradamus... :lol:

On another note; U-God, and especially Rae and Meth deliver some great verses on both albums. U-God is awesome when he's not making wacked out solo projects, and some of the shit from Meth and Rae is their best in years. Has me a little more hyped for Cuban Linx and hopefully a new Meth album..

[spanish announce table]

U-God has the best verse on Big Doe Rehab and has been on fire ever since his last album tanked.

[QuietStorm]

Sole would never get talked about on here, but his newest effort is fantastic. I'll just leave it at that.

[Restiform]

I think Sole's great. I'll be sure to check out his new shit, thanks for bringing it up.

[Matthew]

New Snoop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-17u8hFgmyE&feature=bz301

Out. Of. Control.

[Hack]

Haha, that is awesome.

[Fro]

Fuck.

Rest in peace Pimp C.

:cry:

[Simon]

Lads, tell me who is good in hip-hop now. Thx.

[spanish announce table]

Some good albums this year you may not have heard:

Killah Priest - The Offering
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Ghostface - Big Doe Rehab
Scarface - Made
Freeway - Free at Last
Wu Tang - 8 Diagrams
Statik Selektah - Spell My Name Right

[Hack]

Thoughts on Big Doe Rehab after 5 or so complete listens:

- I like that there are less skits than there were on, say, Fishscale.

- "The Prayer" is a bit random, but I look at it more as an intro to "I'll Die For You" ... and it's at least something unexpected.

-"!" is awesome

- "White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)" is a lot of fun. Reading reviews about the album, I thought I'd hate this track, but what's to hate? I love how the opening verse start off sounding like its him on an award show mic and then it gets clear as it goes on.

- I don't think there is a single bad song on the album, but there are a few more "average" songs than on most Ghostface releases. "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita," for example ... it just kind of starts and then ends and I feel no need to hear it again.

- Favorite songs: "Yolanda's House," "We Celebrate," "Walk Around" and "Supa GFK"

- On past Ghostface albums, there are always 2 or 3 songs that immediately grab me ... you know, those songs you'll just listen to over and over. "One," "Stroke of Death," "Street Opera," "The Champ," shit like that. I'm not finding anything like that here. Again, I don't think there is a single bad song, just nothing I would call a flat-out classic. But that could change as I listen more. "Supa GFK" could become that song, actually, I've been rocking that one a lot tonight.

- No DOOM beats :( Even if he was just using shit DOOM had made years ago, it was always great hearing him spit over some MF.

- Speaking of DOOM, why the hell is he not mentioned in "White Linen Affair"?!

- This isn't as good as Fishscale, or even More Fish, but I'm probably in the minority with that opinion ... I think I liked More Fish more than most people. I still think it's a really good album, I don't want it to sound like I'm bitching.

What do you bitches thing?

[TapOut]

Fuck.

Rest in peace Pimp C.

:cry:

Just saw this... damn. How sudden.

UGK, Three 6 and old-school No Limit were always my southern rap of choice.

[Restiform]

Hack: Cool review. I pretty much agree with everything you said, for the most part. I think I prefer Big Doe a little bit over More Fish, but not by much. I enjoy both albums, though. At this point, actually, I'd rank Ghost's records like...

Supreme Clientele > Pretty Toney > Fishscale > Ironman > Big Doe > More Fish > Bulletproof Wallets

The thing I agree with you most on would probably be the lack of jump-out tunes. None of the songs were bad, but yeah, none really grabbed me the first time around. Would've loved some Doom production on there as well. Also, loved the minimized number of skits on this one, that was probably my biggest beef with Fishscale.

All said and done, Ghost has delivered again. The man's yet to make a truly bad album, in my eyes. Would Big Doe be considered one of his best? Nah, not to me. But is it still a good album? Definitely.

[Hack]

Hack: Cool review. I pretty much agree with everything you said, for the most part. I think I prefer Big Doe a little bit over More Fish, but not by much. I enjoy both albums, though. At this point, actually, I'd rank Ghost's records like...

Supreme Clientele > Pretty Toney > Fishscale > Ironman > Big Doe > More Fish > Bulletproof Wallets

The thing I agree with you most on would probably be the lack of jump-out tunes. None of the songs were bad, but yeah, none really grabbed me the first time around. Would've loved some Doom production on there as well. Also, loved the minimized number of skits on this one, that was probably my biggest beef with Fishscale.

All said and done, Ghost has delivered again. The man's yet to make a truly bad album, in my eyes. Would Big Doe be considered one of his best? Nah, not to me. But is it still a good album? Definitely.


I think I'd rank them like this:

Fishscale > Supreme Clientele > More Fish > Ironman > Big Doe Rehab > Pretty Toney > Bulletproof Wallets

More Fish is awesome, I'm not quite sure why more people don't love it like I do. In fact, let me count the ways ...

1. "Blue Armor" is possibly the best beat to ever appear on a Ghostface record. You heard me right, kids!

2. "Street Opera" is better than anything on The Big Doe Rehab ... just incredible. Not quite as classic as "Blue Armor," but it is close.

3. "Josephine" and "You Know I'm No Good" are about as good as slow songs get in modern hip-hop

4. "Alex (Stolen Script)" is a brilliant idea for a track

5. "Good," for a radio-friendly Ghostface song, is really good. It's fun.

6. "Block Rock" is Ghostface spitting over a Madlib beat. ENOUGH SAID!

7. "Guns N' Razors" is Ghostface spitting over a DOOM beat. Oh, right, and so is "Alex (Stolen Script)"!

... I'll stop there.

All that sucks about More Fish is the Eamon track. And even that isn't THAT bad.

[Restiform]

Well, I admit I only listened to More Fish a couple times and haven't really touched it since it's release. Your post makes me wanna re-check it out, though. Think I'm gonna do that. Maybe it'll hit me harder this time around. I do remember 'Blue Armor', 'Alex' and 'Josephine' being fantastic.

[Miotch]

More Fish is fucking great.

[Miotch]

http://www.riotsound.com/hip-hop/rap/music/index.php#GZAMixtape

New mixtape from Genius.

I haven't listened yet, but I imagine that the Gza brings the fire.

[spanish announce table]

I liked 2/3 of More Fish. Good and Hold On are awful, and the Back Like That remix is totally unnecessary. However there are some bangers on there, the Doom tracks especially. Blue Armor is dope, but the best Ghost beat ever? I'd put Run, Daytona 500, Fish, Wu Banga 101, Child's Play, One, Biscuits, Guns & Razors, and whole bunch of others ahead of it.

[.invurzion.]

I'm not the Ghostface aficianado like some of the rest of you (I'm looking at you Stringer Bell...), but I'm going to say that I've just listened to the whole album about 2 times through at the moment. "White Linen Affair" is that track for me. Just fucking original ... though I wasn't as big of a fan of the Shawn Wigs verse as I should be.

"Supa GFK" is dope and "Rec-Room Therapy" is my shit at the moment. I didn't think that I would like this album merely because I wasn't that big of a Ghost fan (other than Supreme Clientele...) Now that I've taken the time to listen to this album, I may have to go back and listen to the catalogue to get a better appreciation.

I'll give it a 4/5 just because it lacks that definitive track or two.

"...all you rappers don't steal my ashtrays!" - Line of the album.

[.invurzion.]

I had to post this seperate from my Ghostface review because Pretty Toney deserves his own post...

I just finished listening to that DJ Drama - "Gangsta Grillz - The Album." Dammit ... I am big fan of the south. I think I'm probably a bigger fan than most, although I'm not a fucking sheep about it ... but I have to say that I wasn't impressed like I thought I would be. "5000 Ones" is the current single that I hear the most ... and it seems like I've heard that song before from someone else. The standout track for me is "The Art of Storytellin' Part 4" by Outkast. 3000 stands out as usual. The rest of the album is just fucking "bleh." Drama is the one that I know that I can depend on for some fucking thump ... but I don't get that from the majority of the album. (Keep It Gangsta w/ Yo Gotti, Webbie and Lil' Bossie is an exception.) Just seems like it was put together hastily, when I know that it has been delayed forever and ever ...

2/5 at best. Andre 3000 pretty much holds this album up.



...and on a total seperate subject - I really can't stand Webbie and Lil Boosie - but I can't get that fucking "Independent" single out of my damn brain! That hook is addictive.

...I'm ashamed though. :shame:

[Stringer Bell]

Saw Little Brother (2nd time) and Evidence the other night in Richmond. Helluva show, Evidence tore it down and LB were entertaining as usual. Had the chance to meet Evidence, he was an incredibly chill dude, one of the nicest rappers I've met.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8662/img157bz0.jpg

The Wu album is... interesting. Some parts have grown on me tremendously, and some I still can't stand. It's still a very solid album though, and I gotta give Wu credit for coming with some innovative shit and not just playing into what's hot. I think years down the line, this album will be appreciated much more than it currently is...

Ghost's LP is still crazy, there isn't one mediocre track in my book. Common's album was cheap its first week earlier this year, but Ghost might be the best value of the year at $9.99. "Paisley Darts" is that fucking SHIIIIIT.

It's going to be damn hard to make my top albums of the year list, I can already feel it. It's hard enough just to remember all of the 2007 releases I enjoyed, let alone rank them. Really strong year for hip-hop from beginning to end, and Lupe still has a treasure to unleash. Too bad we won't get another Nas album this year, apparently...


RIP Pimp C. Good luck on that Grammy you oh-so deserve...

[Hack]

Looks like you had fun.

If anyone cares, I've started writing some stuff for www.cratekings.com. My latest piece:

Word by Michael Walter

When a hip-hop artist comes out with a double album, critics and fans alike always end up discussing whether or not it would have been better had some material been cut and it had just been released as a single album. Personally, I think the hip-hop double album is always a mistake. There has never been one that was a true five-star classic, and even those that are solid still contain way too much filler.

This is the first in a series of columns where I’ll look back at various hip-hop double albums and see if I can successfully trim them down to one disc. And I’m kicking things off with one of my favorite rap records of all time …

Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (1997)

Let me first say that I absolutely love Life After Death. In fact, I actually find myself listening to it more than Ready to Die. When I put it on, though, I can never go from “Life After Death Intro” to “You’re Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You)” in one sitting. There are too many lesser songs that need to be skipped just to make it all the way through. So this is my attempt to cut down a hip-hop classic and even make it better. Blasphemy? Perhaps. But it should at least spark some interesting debate.

We begin, of course, at the beginning. It wouldn’t feel like a B.I.G. album without a cinematic opening, so “Life After Death Intro” stays. It does a superb job of setting the death-obsessed tone of the album without wasting too much time.

The first major decision I had to make was figuring out what to do with “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems.” Both were huge hits, but both are also incredibly polarizing. In fact, while doing a little research for this column, I ran across several people online who swore that Life After Death would have been a better record had both songs been left off altogether. I couldn’t disagree more. “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money Mo Problems” may have both been overplayed, but they also happen to be two of the best mainstream rap singles of all time. How can anyone possibly hear “Mo Money Mo Problems” and not crack a smile? “I’m Coming Out” was absolutely begging to be sampled and Puffy and his crew did a fantastic job with it. As Nas and Kanye proved with “Still Dreaming” from last year’s Hip-Hop is Dead, sampling Diana Ross is never a bad idea.

Of course, if you’re keeping the smash singles, you have to keep Biggie’s hard-hitting gangster tales. Cuts like “Somebody’s Gotta Die,” “Kick in the Door,” and “Niggas Bleed” all found B.I.G. proving he hadn’t lost a step since Ready to Die. To this day, I can’t hear “Somebody’s Gotta Die” without my heart racing as he goes to answer the doorbell. This isn’t just a man spitting a few verses, this is storytelling at its very best.

Two personal favorites than I just had to keep are B.I.G.’s collaborations with R. Kelly and Jay-Z. The production on “Fuck You Tonight” sounds so dated that I almost laugh out loud when listening to it, but it’s still a fun song that switches up the tone of the album. I’m a fan of “I Love the Dough” for obvious reasons … who doesn’t want to hear a young Jay?

Of all the great tracks on Life After Death, my favorite is “You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You).” In fact, with all due respect to “Juicy,” I think it is the greatest song B.I.G. ever recorded. The beat is fantastic, the hook is stirring and the verses find the man at his best. I’ve been known to listen to this song on repeat for hours. It just never gets old.

Determining what songs to cut was simple. “Last Day,” for example, has a decent beat, but hearing it always just makes me want to skip ahead to “I Love the Dough.” “Miss U,” “Another” and “Sky’s the Limit” are just plain bad. “Long Kiss Goodnight” has never done anything for me … can’t Puffy just be quiet sometimes?

Anyway, without further ado, I give you my single-disc cut of Life After Death:

1. Life After Death Intro
2. Somebody’s Gotta Die
3. Hypnotize
4. Kick in the Door
5. Fuck You Tonight
6. Notorious Thugs
7. I Love the Dough
8. What’s Beef?
9. Niggas Bleed
10. Ten Crack Commandments
11. Mo Money Mo Problems
12. Playa Hater
13. Going Back to Cali
14. You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)

There it is. I’ve taken a great album and shown how it could have been better. If Life After Death had been released as a single disc, with the songs in an order similar to what I came up with, it would be one of the very best hip-hop albums of all time.

Next time, I’ll be tackling Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. Wish me luck with that one.

[Fro]

I gotta say, if someone took "I Got a Story to Tell", "Long Kiss Goodnight", "Sky's the Limit" and "B.I.G. Interlude" off my copy of Life After Death I'd probably slap the shit out of him. Those are all necessities for me, especially the first - I'm really shocked you wouldn't keep "Story to Tell" on there as it's a truly classic song in my book. I'd keep "Last Day" as well. The Lox members all put in quality verses, then Biggie kills it.

The rest of the songs you took off - "Miss U", "Another", "The World is Filled", "Nasty Boy" and "My Downfall" - I could do without, but none of them are songs I always skip, either. Take them off and the album improves, in fact it makes it one of the best rap albums of all time, but they're still good songs. Not great, but good. Take "Miss U" for example. Fuck, why my nigga couldn't stay in NY?/I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried/I look in the sky and ask God why/Can't look his baby girls in the eye/Damn I miss him... The chorus is a little annoying, but the verses are all real tearjerkers. If unreleased, they'd be songs I'd have to download and keep on my iTunes, you know?

Bottom line I think this album could be improved by cutting some tracks, but it'd be a long ass single disc - 19 tracks if I had it my way. Given that the tracks I'd take off aren't total duds, only mediocre at worst, I probably wouldn't change a thing.

[Stringer Bell]

Nice piece. Gotta be the hardest double-disc to cut down, along with Wu-Tang Forever. I can live without "Last Days", but I agree with Fro, "I Gotta Story To Tell" would have to make my final cut. Same for "Long Kiss Goodnight" and "My Downfall". I probably wouldn't mess with "Miss U" or "Sky's The Limit", either. Really, the only tracks I could see myself cutting without hesitation are "Another" (horrible) and "Nasty Boy". "Playa Hater" is a fun song, but I'd rather have "Story", "Long Kiss", or "Downfall" on my copy...

The one part I flat-out cannot agree with is calling "Sky's The Limit" "plain bad". Maybe I just have a strong connection with the song, I remember the video and owning the CD single like it was yesterday. But I just think it's an incredibly uplifting and motivational song, something you rarely saw from B.I.G. other than on "Juicy". Plus, this is one of my favorite Biggie verses EVER....


After real-izing, to master enterprisin'
I ain't have to be in school by 10, I was in
Began to encounter, with my counter-parts
Of how to burn the block apart
Break it down into sections:
Drugs by the selection, some use pipes, others use injections
Syringe sold separately, Frank The Deputy
Quick to grab my Smith & Wesson like my dick was missin'
To protect my position, my corner, my layer
While we out here, say the hustler's prayer:
If the game shakes be or breaks me, I hope it makes me
A better man, take a better stand
Put money in my mom's hand
Get my daughter this college plan
So she don't need no man
Stay far from timid
Only make moves when your heart's in it
And live the phrase 'sky's the limit'...
Motherfucker... see you chumps on top, beyotch!

[Fro]

That "Sky's the Limit" video was hot as shit considering it was post mortem. I remember taping that shit on VHS and watching it over and over. A really clever idea executed to perfection by Spike Jonze.

Also, this discussion got me thinking - if they did cut the album down to a single disc, Born Again would've been much better as well.

[Hack]

... I probably wouldn't change a thing.




Ultimately, of course, I wouldn't change a thing either. I'm not saying I want to build a time machine and keep these tracks off the record. It is just a really fun way, I think, of discussing an album.

The beauty of the whole thing is that, at the end of the day, I still have the entire album sitting on my CD shelf two feet from where I'm sitting right now.

Except for probably "Another," you can find something good to say about every song on Life After Death. But it can still be fun to think, "would the album have been better or worse if song x or song y had been left off?"

[RuneEdge]

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3593516/The-Jigga-Duets/Product.html#
Is this a compilation of tracks that are already out there or does it have anything exclusive?

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

Obviously ones like Umbrella and Fiesta (Remix) and Frontin' have been singles before, I dunno about half of the other remixes.

Haha You Rock My World the original is sick, I bet MJ murders him on his own shit

[Simon]

Really can't agree with Hack's dismissal of Miss You and Sky's The Limit. SB has already covered why Sky's The Limit is such a great track, but Miss You is fantastic as well. It's almost entirely down to it's use at the end of the Biggie And Tupac documentary, but that goes down as one of the best hip-hop tracks I've ever heard in terms of illiciting emotion from me. The beat is saccharine sweet but it works, and the low-key nature of the whole thing is great.

I'd drop Fucking You Tonight way before either of them, and I like that track. It's good fun, but ultimately it's not got much depth (not just in terms of the theme, the lyricism is beneath Biggie's best by a long shot).

I think Hypnotize and Mo Money Mo Problems are undroppable simply for the sake of history...you can't drop arguably Biggie's biggest two tracks ever. In any case, they're both huge tracks in their own way - I know a lot of mates for whom Hypnotize was the first commercial hip-hop track that wasn't overtly poppy - take away the hook and it's pretty uncommercial in terms of beat and content.

Mo Money Mo Problems was MY track back in the late 90s...the ultimate summer track even now - proof that pop-rap doesn't have to be shit, and can in fact be brilliant. The fact that Puffy and Mace both come with nice enough verses and then get absolutely blown away by Biggie sums up how good both the track and Biggie's performance on it are.

Somebody's Gotta Die, Kick In The Door, What's Beef?, Notorious Thugs and Ten Crack Commandments are all certs for a single disc too, IMO. All great tracks, not much needs to be said where they are concerned.

I'll go a little controversial and say that I never quite got the love for Going Back To Cali - the beat annoyed me and I didn't think Biggie was all that hot on it. Boring attempt at a party banger, for me.

Line-up would go something like...

1. Life After Death (Intro)
2. Somebody's Gotta Die
3. Hypnotize
4. Kick In The Door
5. Fucking You Tonight
6. What's Beef?
7. Mo Money Mo Problems
8. Notorious Thugs
9. Miss You
10. Ten Crack Commandments
11. Sky's The Limit
12. Long Kiss Goodnight

I'm sure there would be plenty of room for three, maybe even four more tracks on that CD...but those are the only dead cert tracks for me. To be honest I think it's a pretty overrated album - some absolute quality and a couple of tracks that are among the best few tracks Biggie ever did, but there's a lot of stuff that I don't think is too hot. At a guess I'd probably stick You're Nobody and I Got A Story To Tell on there, other than that I dunno.

I don't think you could put any combination of songs from LAD onto one disc and make a better album than Ready To Die.

[RuneEdge]

"5000 Ones" is the current single that I hear the most ... and it seems like I've heard that song before from someone else.
The beat sounds too similar to "Hurt" from T.I. Not sure if thats what you're thinking of though.

[Stringer Bell]

Edit: Nevermind

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

Goin' Back to Cali is sick mang

[Hack]

Holy shit, "Campfire" might be better than anything off Iron Flag. Talk about starting the new album with a bang ...

[TRO]

The one I give the most shits about hasn't leaked yet. FnF Up.

Have you heard "Dumb it Down"? That song is fucking great. Actually I have no clue if that's supposed to be on the album or not, but it's the only new Lupe I've heard recently. I think I posted a link in here a few months ago.

[Ringo]

Yeah, it's on the album. Also heard 'The Coolest' which is great as well. Can't wait.

[spanish announce table]

Got 8 Diagrams today. The packaging and booklet is very well done. The DVD is kinda pointless though. It has some clips from the Bodog interview mixed with live footage. After watching it, you could tell Rae was fuckin' pissed off to be in the studio!

[Stringer Bell]

I still need to cop that and Ghost. Probably grab them with Xmas money seeing as I'm dead broke.

http://www.mtv.com/music/the_leak/lupe_fiasco/the_cool/#

Hasn't leaked yet, but this is better than nothing. Sounds damn good :yes:

[Ringo]

Any fans of Pharoahe Monch's release from this year, 'Desire'?

[spanish announce table]

Any fans of Pharoahe Monch's release from this year, 'Desire'?

Hell yes. Its not as good as Internal Affairs, but its still a dope album. Its similar to 8 Diagrams in that its different from what the artist's are usually known for. 'Trilogy' is phenomenal.

[Stringer Bell]

Co-sign. Desire is a quality album from an EXCELLENT emcee.

[QuietStorm]

The Cool is very cool.

[Stringer Bell]

http://www.mediafire.com/?bmtgtt34gjx

Lupe

How the hell did he top his debut? I'm loving this album...

[Simon]

I asked this before but got no response...any of you into Mr. J. Medeiros? I don't know how big he is, but I heard a track of his called Constance about the child sex slavery problem, and it's fantastic.

Vocally he sounds like a cross between Talib Kweli and Lupe...off the back of this one track I'd love to hear more of him, but the usual P2Ps show nothing and the torrent of his album refuses to download, it's been sitting in my Azureus for three weeks and hasn't downloaded a thing.

Anyone?

[Ringo]

Don't know him, but if he does indeed sound like a cross between Kweli and Lupe, I'll have to check him out.

[TRO]

I like Mr. J, he's a member of the Procussions. He's not famous at all, he's just a cool mc. Here's another track. (http://morebounce-oz.com/audio/HalfADream.mp3)

And he's on this Ohmega Watts remix. (http://cubikmusik.typepad.com/cubikmusik/files/05_that_sound_that_sound_quantic_so.mp3)

[TRO]

God I love Lupe.

[JIJ]

Lupe is awesome.

Dumb It Down is fucking amazing :yesyes:

[Billmatic]

I'm definitely loving the new Lupe. Thanks, Mr. Bell. I just got around to hearing Eardrum (How the shit did I sleep on that?) and Big Doe Rehab. All extremely enjoyable albums.

Also, just realized it was your birthday today, Hack :cheers:

[spanish announce table]

Deck joins Ghost and Rae as another Clan member who hates 8 Diagrams. Check out the interview at hiphopgame. I can totally understand why someone would not be into the album, but about 80% of the reviews I've seen have been positive. Deck says 'Shaolin vs Wu Tang' may come out as early as next year, and they're looking at getting production from Alchemist, Q-Tip, and Havoc.

[Fro]

Good looks, that's a really great read. If that album materializes it could be the Wu classic we've been waiting for. I just wish they could do that and have RZA produce a handful of tracks too... seems like it's all or nothing with him.

[Restiform]

Thanks for the Lupe upload, Stringer. It's a great album, I already prefer it to Food & Liquor. Lupe's a killer emcee, I'm really impressed with his skill.

Favourite tracks: Free Chilly (short, but the production is beautiful), Go Go Gadget Flow, Superstar, Little Weapon, Dumb it Down, Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)

[Hack]

Deck joins Ghost and Rae as another Clan member who hates 8 Diagrams. Check out the interview at hiphopgame. I can totally understand why someone would not be into the album, but about 80% of the reviews I've seen have been positive. Deck says 'Shaolin vs Wu Tang' may come out as early as next year, and they're looking at getting production from Alchemist, Q-Tip, and Havoc.


Rae is being so retarded about this whole thing. Hiphopdx had this ridiculous interview with him where he was talking about how they are going to "teach RZA a lesson" and he goes on and on about how RZA isn't at the top of his game. Are you kidding me? Where would you be without that man Rae? And what have you ever done without him? Your verses on 8 Diagrams aren't even that fucking good.

I think Ghost is being ridiculous as well, but at least he can point at all the things he's done without the clan.

When you think of all the time RZA put into the album ... I'd just be so pissed at these guys if I was him.

[TRO]

Lupe is awesome.

Dumb It Down is fucking amazing :yesyes:

Yeah, for sure. That was the first leaked track I heard, months ago, and I love it. A girl from my work asked me to make a her a mix cd and I threw "Dumb it Down" on there because it's such GOLD. His flow on that track is the best I've ever heard from him, and the hook is excellent. Not just the hook, but the way it evolves from "we don't care about the weather nigga" to the record exec saying "I'll tell you what you should do" to "robots and skateboard, nigga?!?" It's a spectacular song, and a timely indictment of the "let's get retarded in here"/hyphy/Clearchannel attitude about rap.

I mean, the whole album is great, but especially "Dumb it Down", not only is it the kind of hip-hop that you can listen to without being embarrassed, but he explicitly rejects that Mims, Paul Wall, Solja Boy, Chicken Noodle Soup crap that is filling up the airwaves and teaching kids that it's profitable to be an idiot. Thank you, Lupe Fiasco. It's about fucking time someone said something about the state of commercial rap music.

[Stringer Bell]

:heart: "Gold Watch" and "Paris, Tokyo"..

The whole album, really. Every track has a concept and serves a purpose. And I'm liking the production so much more than F&L. None of that spaced out, over-produced shit. Not that F&L was bad whatsoever, but some of the beats just didn't fit his style. This album has a more laid back, genuine feel on most beats.. I'm loving it. "Gold Watch" sounds like something Kanye made for Common, but it's a baaaanger..

[Simon]

I like Mr. J, he's a member of the Procussions. He's not famous at all, he's just a cool mc. Here's another track. (http://morebounce-oz.com/audio/HalfADream.mp3)

And he's on this Ohmega Watts remix. (http://cubikmusik.typepad.com/cubikmusik/files/05_that_sound_that_sound_quantic_so.mp3)

Cheers for those, any idea how I would go about procuring his album? :angelic:

I'll upload it when I get the chance, but everyone should listen to Constance if they get a chance...fantastic track, with a great sample of Eva Cassidy's "Fields Of Gold".

[Hack]

After listening to 8 Diagrams all week, I think I've finally really figured out where I stand on it. Some songs I originally loved grew a bit old after repeated listens while songs I wasn't sure about at first have become favorites.

Anyway, I think "Campfire," "Wolves" and "Stick Me For My Riches" will go down as being three of my absolute favorite Wu-Tang tracks. "Take it Back," "Rushing Elephants," "Unpredictable" and "Weak Spot" are other favorites.

As much shit as the album gets, I think there are only two really bad moments ... a lot of RZA's spitting on "Sunlight" and pretty much everything about "Starter." Oh, and small complaints that you can't really do anything about, like Ghost not showing up for "Life Changes," etc.

:heart: Wu :heart:

[TRO]

I'm surprised about all the controversy. If you're gonna attack RZA for not making a good album, do it during the fucking Iron Flag sessions. 8 Diagrams is good music, classic Wu. They're never going to make another 36 Chambers or Liquid Swords, because it's been 13 years since that sound was so fresh, and because it's not quite the same without ODB. If it's impossible for them to top their old stuff, they should focus on just making good music and not even attempt "the mega-bomb." I want to hear another volume of Wu vs. Indie, for example, that would be sweet.

[TRO]

Cheers for those, any idea how I would go about procuring his album? :angelic:

I'll upload it when I get the chance, but everyone should listen to Constance if they get a chance...fantastic track, with a great sample of Eva Cassidy's "Fields Of Gold".

Took me a while with this modem, but since you're so enthusiastic:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/h7pukl

Everyone should check it out. Medeiros has the same vibe as Ohmega Watts, Braille, Little Brother, that kind of stuff.

[Matthew]

the way i shine is like a zillion dolla light bill

[Billmatic]

Anybody else a little irked at AMG lately?

It's a great resource for older stuff, but I just saw that they gave The Cool three stars, which would mean that, within the realm of hip-hop, T.I. vs T.I.P. is just as good, and Soulja Boy's album is better. That's just one example out of many, but they pretty much suck when it comes to anything post-2000.

[Simon]

Took me a while with this modem, but since you're so enthusiastic:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/h7pukl

Everyone should check it out. Medeiros has the same vibe as Ohmega Watts, Braille, Little Brother, that kind of stuff.
I love you ever so much. :heart:

[Hack]

Anybody else a little irked at AMG lately?

It's a great resource for older stuff, but I just saw that they gave The Cool three stars, which would mean that, within the realm of hip-hop, T.I. vs T.I.P. is just as good, and Soulja Boy's album is better. That's just one example out of many, but they pretty much suck when it comes to anything post-2000.


Word. I have noticed what you are talking about. They were pretty hard on Big Doe Rehab too. It is still probably the best music site on the Web though. Stephen Thomas Elderwhateveritis is my Jesus. And Rolling "Hi, my name is Rob Sheffield and I give everything 4 stars" Stone is the devil.

[Billmatic]

I'm convinced that the folks at Rolling Stone don't listen to half of what they review. That can really be the only explanation for how fucking dumb some of the shit they write is.

[Adamy]

They gave the second Liars album one star, and then wrote a positive review of it.

[Jobber to the stars]

:heart: "Gold Watch" and "Paris, Tokyo"..

The whole album, really. Every track has a concept and serves a purpose. And I'm liking the production so much more than F&L. None of that spaced out, over-produced shit. Not that F&L was bad whatsoever, but some of the beats just didn't fit his style. This album has a more laid back, genuine feel on most beats.. I'm loving it. "Gold Watch" sounds like something Kanye made for Common, but it's a baaaanger..

The street fighter II reference is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. And I agree with your and TRO's assessment. I love the Cool and can't stop listening to it, it's ridiculous.

[spanish announce table]

U-God's "Soul Dazzle", and his 8 Diagrams tracks are the only thing I'm playing these days. Awesome stuff.

[TRO]

I kept skipping straight from "Paris, Tokyo" to "Gold Watch", but man, "Hi-Definition" is such a great track. Snoop's verse is so right for the sound of this album, and he's not a guest artist I would have expected to see. Lupe is really talented at finding the best people to make music with: Kanye, Jay-Z, the Neptunes, Joy Denalane, Musiq, Mike Shinoda, Evidence, Snoop, Jill Scott, etc.

[Stringer Bell]

Just finished writing a little 2007 wrap-up. I thought this was such a damn good year for hip-hop, I've never struggled with a list as much as I did this one. Then I could keep rattling off honorable mentions all night, there's just too much good stuff to cover everything.


Top 20

1. Jay-Z - American Gangster
2. Talib Kweli - Eardrum
3. Little Brother - Getback
4. Kanye West - Graduation
5. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
6. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
7. Ghostface - The Big Doe Rehab
8. Panacea - The Scenic Route
9. Killah Priest - The Offering
10. Cunninlynguists - Dirty Acres
11. Black Milk - Popular Demand
12. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
13. Evidence - The Weatherman LP
14. Phat Kat - Carte Blanche
15. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
16. Sean Price - Jesus Price Superstar
17. UGK - Underground Kingz
18. Common - Finding Forever
19. Statik Selektah - Spell My Name Right: The Album
20. Pharoahe Monch - Desire


Honorable Mentions: Scarface - M.A.D.E., Devin The Dude - Waiting To Inhale, Canibus - For Whom The Beat Tolls, Wisemen - Wisemen Approaching, Oh No - Dr. No's Oxperiment, Marco Polo - Port Authority, Chamillionaire - The Ulatimate Victory, Brother Ali - the Undisputed Truth, Median - Median's Relief, Blue Scholars - Bayani, Snowgoons - German Lugders, 9th Wonder - The Dream Merchant 2, many more... it was a verrrry gooooood yeaaaar.

Criminally Slept-On: Talib Kweli - Eardrum, Little Brother - Getback, Panacea - The Scenic Route, Black Milk - Popular Demand, Evidence - The Weatherman LP, Phat Kat - Carte Blanche, Coughee Brothaz - Waitin' Our Turn, NYG'z - Welcome 2 G-Dom, Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens

Biggest Surprise/Improvement: Jay-Z - American Gangster, Talib Kweli - Eardrum, Killah Priest - The Offering, Chamillionaire - The Ultimate Victory, Evidence - The Weatherman LP

Quality Yet Disappointing: Redman - Red Gone Wild, T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P., Camp Lo - In Black Hollywood, Consequence - Don't Quit Your Day Job!, Boot Camp Clik - Casualties of War, Pharoahe Monch - Desire, Madlib - Beat Konducta 2: India, KRS One and Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives

Albums Most Likely To Be Regarded As 5* Classics Years Down the Line: Jay-Z - American Gangster, Lupe Fiasco - The Cool, and then it's a toss up between Kweli/Kanye/Ghostface/Wu

Best Production: Jay-Z - American Gangster, Talib Kweil - Eardrum, Kanye - Graduation, Wu Tang - 8 Diagrams, Black Milk - Popular Demand, El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead

Best Mainstream Singles: UGK feat. Outkast "International Player's Anthem", Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothin", Chamillionaire "Hip-Hop Police", Lil Wayne "Gossip", Lupe Fiasco "Superstar"

Best Underground Singles: Evidence "Mr. Slow Flow", Little Brother "Good Clothes", Aesop Rock "None Shall Pass", Talib Kweli "Everything Man"

Watch For in 2008: Cage, Evidence, Black Milk, Rhymefest

Supposed to Drop This Year, Now Dropping Tentatively in 2020: Detox, Cuban Linx 2, Nas - The N


I'll be posting my favorite verses/lines of the year next... that was fun last year :yes: Lupe's "if a Muslim woman strapped with a bomb on a bus with the seconds runnin gives you the jitters......" still lingers in my head to this very day.

[RuneEdge]

I thought Detox is definately confirmed for 2008 now.

[N.E.R.F.]

The Cool is brilliant. Go Baby is one of the best beats on there but you can't really knock any of them. Quality right the way through.

[TRO]

Are there many better MCs in the world than Lupe right now? Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye, Ghost, Talib? Is that the whole list? Pretty incredible for a guy who I had never heard of a couple years ago. For me, at least, he's gone from a nobody to classic, overnight.

Buck: Who is Panacea and why is their album so good? I read Braille's top 5 list today and it was on there too. Worth downloading, I assume?

[Hack]

I've been listening to The W a lot lately ("Hollow Bones" ... best Wu song since Wu Tang Forever?), and giving that a good listen after digesting 8 Diagrams helps you realize how similar the two really are. Rae is retarded. Like someone else in this thread said, Iron Flag is the one he should have been bitching about ...

[Fro]

Yeah, I think the only thing they can gripe about is the way it was marketed with "Heart Gently Weeps" being the first single/most talked about song, because I agree that overall the album is produced very similarly to their last two, and is arguably superior.

By the way, my stance on that song hasn't changed: it's really good except that Erykah Badu sounds like shit. Also, the way RZA and GZA go back-to-back and absolutely KILL "Stick Me for My Riches" is my favorite part of the album.

And "I Can't Go to Sleep" is clearly the highlight of "The W" :cool:

[Hack]

Stick Me For My Riches is my favorite song on the album, for sure. It's incredible. When I put the album in, I like to start there and THEN go to the first track and listen to the whole thing.

I know I'm a week or two late, but I've finally bought The Cool. I like it a lot. Hip-Hop Saved My Life is the best song on the whole thing in my eyes ... it's perfect.

I also found a used copy of Buhloone Mind State yesterday ... holy shit, I love it. I almost have every De La album now ... glad I finally picked this one up. :yes:

[spanish announce table]

Top 10 of 2007

1. Talib Kweli - Eardrum
- Albums from guys like Fabolous, Jada, and Cassidy tend to try to have something for everybody, but because of that nobody ends up liking the whole album. On Eardrum, Kweli has songs that appeal to everyone, but they also form a cohesive whole. Best songs: Everything Man & Eat To Live

2. Killah Priest - The Offering
- Priest called this his best album since Heavy Mental and I have to agree. Lyrically, it may even be better, as his flow and story telling have improved greatly. Best songs: Salvation & Happy

3. Hell Razah & Blue Sky Black Death - Razah's Ladder
- He had a great year, and his two albums this year are better than the two Ghost put out last year IMO. BSBD's production matches perfectly with Razah's style, and all guests drop excellent verses. Best songs: Razah's Ladder & Project Prophecy

4. Canibus - For Whom The Beat Tolls
- This is probably Bis' most diverse album, with topics ranging from 2012 to fucking CNN news anchors. The production is on point and he sounds like he's in the lyrical shape of his life. Best songs: Secrets Among Cosmonauts & One Ought Not To Think

5. Ghostface - The Big Doe Rehab
- The hardest working man in the game today. 3 albums, plus a Clan album all in less than 2 years. This loses a few points for a whole bunch of re-hashed beats, but lyrically Ghost delivers. Best songs: Yolanda's House & Rec Room Therapy

6. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
- A very misunderstood album that was marred by Ghost, Rae, and now Deck calling it a piece of crap and saying that RZA lost his touch. RZA's always been over people's heads, and you either get it or you dont. Meth and U-God sound particularly good here. Best songs: Weak Spot & Rushing Elephants

7. Wisemen - Wisemen Approaching
- The Great Migration was one of the best albums of '06, and Bronze delivers again. The production is very well done, and you learn to find the gems within their abstract rhyming styles. Best songs: No Matter How & Associated

8. Sean Price - Jesus Price Supastar
- Sean P has a found his niche working with 9th & Khrysis. His subject matter may all be the same, but he's just so damn entertaining. Best songs: King Kong & Violent

9. Hell Razah - Renaissance Child
- Razah's 'official' solo album saw him getting outshined by most of his guests, but he still held his own lyrically. Best songs: Project Jazz & Los Pepes

10. Pharoahe Monch - Desire
- The long-awaited follow up to Internal Affairs may be viewed as a let down to some, but I loved this album. Monch's flow is better than ever, and the beats have a good mix of sampling and live instrumentation. Best songs: Trilogy & When The Gun Draws

Common - Finding Forever
- I couldn't leave this out of the top 10, so consider this one tied with Desire. Kanye and Common combine to form another incredible album. Some of the tracks (Break My Heart, I Want You) dont do much for me, but the rest of it is excellently crafted.

[Ringo]

Fucking hell The Cool is amazing.

The strings on Go Go Gadget Flow, the crowd in Superstar, the fucking amazing wordplay in The Coolest, DUMB IT DOWN, GOLD WATCH, the excellent positioning of the tracks later on which just fit together perfectly, everything. Omg briliant amazin.

[Ringo]

No one for Akala's Freedom Lasso? It's got to be my hip-hop album of the year, quite a distance over the likes of The Cool, AG, Ear Drum etc, all of which I adore.

Fantastic stuff.

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

See my post from the Album of the Year thread.

[Ringo]

:yes: Respect.

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

seen ye

Oi Comedy Tragedy History is actually fucking sick. Wasn't that big on it at first but fuck knows why. The way the beat cuts up in the 3rd (?) verse is crazy bollocks

[Ringo]

Oh yeah, that song is immense. One of my favourites on the album.

[Hack]

Hey all you Wu-Tang fans out there, GFK shows up in Walk Hard and it is hilarious.

[Morrison]

Speaking of Wu-Tang, the Philly show has been cancelled. Kinda glad, cause now I won't have to feel gutted that I wouldn't of been able to afford a ticket.

[TRO]

Apparently the Portland show is cancelled too. I guess I'd rather they cancel than have Ghost do another no-show, but damn.

[Adamy]

I heard the new "Year In Review" tonight. The T-Pain part is hilarious.

[Stringer Bell]

My show is still on, miraculously. Now it's just a matter of scooping up tickets in time...

Adamy, assuming you meant the new Skillz "Wrap Up".. it is indeed great. Skillz is frustrating though, I can't think of anything he's released in the last few years other than those. He has all the tools to be a great emcee, but something seems to be holding him back... oh well, VA rep!

I'm going to be making an mp3 CD of all my favorite songs from 2007 here soon. Did one last year and it was awesome to look back over the year's best stuff. It's surely going to be missing some quality shit, since a disc only fits about 150 songs, but I can post it here when I'm done if anyone's interested. Give you some new things to search out, if nothing else.

[Morrison]

Apparently the Portland show is cancelled too. I guess I'd rather they cancel than have Ghost do another no-show, but damn.

Well, it looks like the show was canceled at the one venue, and moved up a few days at another venue. So they'll still be in Philly. And I'll still be to poor to go.

:(

[Ringo]

So then.. what's everyone looking forward to in 2008?

Obviously you've got Nas' 'Nigger', new albums from the likes of DMX and Lil Wayne, but what's really getting you excited?

Personally, two albums in particular top my list. There's the possibility of Madvillainy 2.. whether we'll get to hear it this year I don't know. The other is 'Swift & Changeable', featuring two of my very favourite MC's, Ghostface and MF Doom. :hyper:

[Stringer Bell]

Really looking forward to the Nas. I think he's the nicest in the game, so I expect big thangs.

DMX will probably be blah. He hasn't be relevant for what seems like a decade.

I'm actually excited to hear the Lil Wayne record, simply to see if it delivers. Kanye's executive producing apparently, so the beats should be ace. Wayne just needs some more subject matter. "Georgia Bush" is the only song I can think of where he's actually said something. You can't be the greatest rapper alive if you only talk about bitches, drugs, and money, no matter how fun his delivery/wordplay may be.

Definitely Madvillain 2 and Ghost/Doom. Those 3 guys can do no wrong, simple as. They should do one big collaboration, that would be even better.

Cuban Linx 2. Something tells me we'll actually hear it this year. Probably just wishful thinking though...

Not even worth mentioning Detox..

But more than anything, I'm looking forward to the new Cage record. He's probably my favorite rapper, and his last album was the best thing of 2005 to me. Yak Ballz new album too...

[Simon]

:lol: is Detox STILL being mentioned as an album that might get released? Dre will have finished work on MY debut album before he releases that fucking CD.

[Ringo]

June apparently.. :\

[TRO]

It would be so cool if Nas actually releases an album titled "Nigger." What would the record company do? Which stores would choose to stock it? Will the "clean" version be called "N*gger" or something equally dumb? I'm very interested to see what happens with that, not just because of the inevitable faux-outrage from the media, but just to see the logistics of getting that album into stores.

[Billmatic]

Def Jam's already come out in support of it, and Al Sharpton has already condemned it.

[RuneEdge]

Can't really blame Dre for delaying Detox. Its his last album before he retires so he'd obviously want it to be as good as his last two.

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

It would be so cool if Nas actually releases an album titled "Nigger." What would the record company do? Which stores would choose to stock it? Will the "clean" version be called "N*gger" or something equally dumb? I'm very interested to see what happens with that, not just because of the inevitable faux-outrage from the media, but just to see the logistics of getting that album into stores.

Download only?

[spanish announce table]

I don't see how Nas' album title is any more outrageous than ODB's 'Nigga Please'. I dont recall any media outrage over that album, but it may have to do with the whole '-a' versus '-er' debate.

GZA is supposed to come out on the 8th, with guest appearances from Rae, RZA, Priest, Bronze, Mos Def, and Sean P, with extra production by Muggs and Bink. Considering that this is 5 days away, I highly doubt this is coming out.

[Fro]

Dre can take as long as he wants considering how outstanding his first two "solo" albums were. Honestly, how good was 2001? I don't think there's a hip hop album that has come out since it that has been as good. Maybe The Blueprint. I'd rather him take extra time to try and match the quality of his previous classics than drop on time and have it be a letdown. Just finish it while you're still in your 40s, Dre.

[jakeb]

Well, Nas' album was originally titled "Nigga". But they jumped on him about it, so he changed it.

[Ringo]

To 'Nigger'? :wtf:

[Billmatic]

I think he was referring to Hip Hop Is Dead. I know that was originally supposed to be called Nigger/Nigga and then The N before it was given its title.

[Ringo]

Ah, fair enough.

Wiki says 'Nigger' is scheduled for a Feb release.. :dunno:

[Billmatic]

It really can't come soon enough.

[Mr. Boombastic]

Hey, I finally picked up Lupe Fiasco's "Food and Liquor" a few days ago after hearing everybody rave over him for the past 2 years and being a bit intrigued.

I gotta say, I am very impressed and glad to have finally picked it up. Thanks for the good reviews that urged me to get it.

Great lyricist and beats, just a great cd. Thanks guys.

[Morrison]

Cool. Now wait another two years then get The Cool.

[son_of_foley]

Cant wait for the cool It's getting it's uk release next monday. Whoop

[TRO]

The Cool is easily the best rap album of the year. And I say that in spite of American Gangster, Ghostface, Talib, Common, and any other challengers.

[Ringo]

It's ridiculously good.

AMG can go a bit mental at times, but their reviews are generally better than the Pitchforks and Rolling Stones of this world, yet they gave it ***. What a bunch of wankers they are.

[spanish announce table]

I was reading through the Chronic 2001 liner notes, and most of the beats are done with guitars and keyboards, which makes me wonder how Dre actually makes beats. Does he make a beat with samples, and then bring in guitar players to re-play it?

[Ringo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dre#Musical_influences_and_style

Wiki first.

[Adamy]

I was reading through the Chronic 2001 liner notes, and most of the beats are done with guitars and keyboards, which makes me wonder how Dre actually makes beats. Does he make a beat with samples, and then bring in guitar players to re-play it?

Pretty much. A lot of Dre's vintage beats (e.g. "Nuthin But A G Thang") are exactly the same as you hear them on the source material, except that someone just sat down and plunked them out on a synth, so it's not technically a sample. Saves you a lot in licensing fees to do it that way, too.

Although, buzz in the biz is that he hasn't really made beats for a while now; he just puts his name on other people's work in exchange for getting that producer's foot in the door.

[Billmatic]

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/47921-rhymefest-and-lupe-fiasco-debate-politics-online

WHY, LUPE, WHY?!

[TRO]

Well, here's the important thing to remember:
Lupe Fiasco doesnt even support the system as a whole so what he thinks of the candidates who are running to head it up isnt even relevant

I don't really care who's elected high school president; they're all clones of each other.

But man, so Lupe did a show in Portland Thursday night, and I didn't hear about it until after it happened. No advertisements, no flyers, no writeups in the paper. Weak.

[Hack]

Well, here's the important thing to remember:

I don't really care who's elected high school president; they're all clones of each other.

But man, so Lupe did a show in Portland Thursday night, and I didn't hear about it until after it happened. No advertisements, no flyers, no writeups in the paper. Weak.


Holy balls. You saying that made me check it out and Lupe is in Dallas in just a few weeks. I had no idea.

I'm going ... this means I'm seeing DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist and then Lupe in a span of a week.

[Billmatic]

I hate you guys.

The closest he's coming to Ohio is Norfolk, which is like a five hour drive. He's one of the very few that I would actually shell out money to see these days, being poor and all.

[Ringo]

Well he's not coming within 3000 miles of me, so think yourself lucky. :grumpy:

[spanish announce table]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dre#Musical_influences_and_style

Wiki first.

Thanks. Raekwon must have shit a brick when Mike Elizondo pulled a guitar out for the CL2 sessions.

New Jazzmatazz
http://www.megaupload.com/nl/?d=RFXTPREC

[Hack]

Free Damu the Fudgemunk album over at CrateKings.com. It is pretty much all I've listened to the last few days. Incredible. :yes:

[Hack]

If you kids don't download that Damu, you are missing out.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/columns/article/52864/101-hip-hop-albums-of-2007/

The above is a great article about 2007.

[Stringer Bell]

Awesome list, but they're seriously sleeping on Black Milk, Killah Priest, Cunninlynguists, and Blue Scholars. Nice to see Blu & Exile and El-P getting some props, though.


64. Andre 3000, Class of 3000 (LaFace)

What is this album?

Hey Hack, interested in that Damu, but Megaupload doesn't work for me. Any chance you could up it to Rapidshare, sendspace, or something?

[Hack]

It's the soundtrack to that show he made for Cartoon Network.

I'll see what I can do. :yes:

[TRO]

Here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/td4jny

Thanks, Hack, great album. Reminds me a lot of Dr. Who Dat.

[Stringer Bell]

Thanks a lot fellas :yes: Looking forward to this..


Here's some goodies from spinemagazine. Some unreleased videos for older tracks, but I'm sure they'll be appreciated...

Madvillain - Accordian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpaonSDPw7Y)

Nas - UBR (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qox4gLYpWxE)

Nas - There Are Our Heroes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBweEJJ_vmU)

God, Street's Disciple was so slept on in my opinion. I remember arguing with people in here (jesus sucks most notably) who said it was complete shit. I love it. Not one of rap's best double discs, but Nas had a lot to say on it..

[spanish announce table]

Rockness Monstah, is he for real, it can't be...

Via Missinfo.tv, Rock's lawyer Kenneth J. Montgomery has released the following statement:

“Jamal Bush a.k.a Roc from Helter Skelter was formally arraigned on attempted murder in the second degree and related charges. The Brooklyn District attorney’s office allege that Mr. Bush shot a known pimp and bloods gang member in the neck paralyzing him. They also allege that Mr. Bush is a pimp and this was a dispute over an alleged lady of the night. Mr. Bush categorically and unequivocally deny all charges. We eagerly look forward to trial and proving his innocence.”

[Hack]

What's the best of the two Pancea albums? I never got around to checking them out and I want to.

I ordered Y Society's latest today. That's the group Damu is in. Shit yeah.

[TRO]

God, Street's Disciple was so slept on in my opinion. I remember arguing with people in here (jesus sucks most notably) who said it was complete shit. I love it. Not one of rap's best double discs, but Nas had a lot to say on it..

I just didn't like Street's Disciple! I think he chose better beats for God's Son. The two discs just made it too hard to digest everything, and the special disc especially seemed kind of thrown together randomly. Compared to an album like Hip Hop Is Dead, which has a clear beginning, middle and end, it was just frustrating to listen to. Maybe I need to listen to it again, but I have high expectations for Nas, and he was just treading water with that album.

[Stringer Bell]

Oh man... I love so many tracks on it.

A Message To The Feds
Nazareth Savage
There Are Our Heroes
Disciple
Live Now
Just A Moment
You Know My Style (probably the only radio-friendly song on it)
Suicide Bounce
Street's Disciple
Virgo
UBR
Getting Married :$
Bridging The Gap
War (one of my favorite Nas songs EVER)
Thief's Theme


Sure, there's filler.. but something about that album really clicked with me. I'd personally rank it above Jay's Blueprint 2. But yeah, Hip-Hop Is Dead is a better album, I can't argue with that..


Hack -- I honestly can't say which Panacea album I like more. I've probably listened to their newest one more though, it's an amazing record. I'll hook you up.

[Mr. Boombastic]

I am with stringer on this one, it seems a lot of people hated on Street Disciple and I never understood why. I will agree that there is not a great flow to the album (like just about any other double cd), but that still doesnt mean that there are not a plethera of great tracks on it.

I gotta agree with pretty much all of stringers picks of standout tracks too, except I would add "American Way" to the list.

I totally forgot about "War" that was a great track with a nice beat and great flow by Nas, I loved the chorus too,

"There's a war in the streets tonight
And nobody's really feelin' alright
I got a blunt for a chronic, a juice for my tonic
I know now that I'm feelin' right if it goes down
'Cause my third eye sees the lowdown
And I know it's not my time to go now
'Cause God's got my back in this showdown
So I know we'll be alright"

[Fro]

My buddy was playing some J-Live for me today and I want more. Embarrassed to say I've only got one track of his on my computer (Braggin' Writes). Dude reminds me of Black Thought. Reading up on him it seems like I should start with The Best Part. How you fellas feel about him?

Also if anyone has it and can upload it I would be much obliged.

[TRO]

J-Live! He's the man! I just referenced one of his songs in the mix cd thread. I think my favorite track of his ever is "Satisfied", what a dope beat and he says such smart shit in that song. He does have a lot in common with Black Thought, not to mention The Coup and Dead Prez. He really wants his audience to use their brains. He did a song on that Wu vs. Indie joint from a couple years back with RA The Rugged Man, I think.

J-Live has a special place in my heart for giving the Lifesavas debut album some credibility with his guest appearance.

[TRO]

But yeah, Hip-Hop Is Dead is a better album, I can't argue with that..

Well, do you agree with me that God's Son is a better album than Street's Disciple? ;) Because that could be a good argument, sometime.

[Hack]

God's Son had some real shit on it ... that Alicia Keys song, that Braveheartz song or whatever ... and I have no problem with I Am, but it wasn't really a fun song, you know? Of course, it has been years since I listened to that album as a whole ...

Random question: How did I see the Girl Talk album at a Virgin last night? Are all of these artists just leaving him alone? So confused. I get that you can just not clear samples and have your fingers crossed, but seeing the disc on display at a major retail confused m a bit ...

[Ringo]

It's an odd one. He does credit them all in his liner notes. Does he definitely not have permission then?

That Damu album is excellent. Cheers for that.. :yes:

[Mr. Boombastic]

Streets Disciple is far superior to God's Son in my opinion.

God's Son has some of my favorite Nas songs like Get Down, Book of Rhymes, Made You Look, Thugs Mansion and Heaven, but it also has alot of filler crap ala: Zone Out, Hey Nas, The Cross.

I would just say that Streets Disciple is far more consistent. God's Son is a very good album, it just seems that the cd as a whole is really melancholy and a downer (being made right after his mother's death) that I just dont enjoy it as much.

[Matthew]

J-Live! He's the man! I just referenced one of his songs in the mix cd thread. I think my favorite track of his ever is "Satisfied", what a dope beat and he says such smart shit in that song. He does have a lot in common with Black Thought, not to mention The Coup and Dead Prez. He really wants his audience to use their brains. He did a song on that Wu vs. Indie joint from a couple years back with RA The Rugged Man, I think.

J-Live has a special place in my heart for giving the Lifesavas debut album some credibility with his guest appearance.Experienced! :yes::yes:

[Hack]

Is "So(ul) Amazin' (Steel Blazin')" the beat of 2007? It might be.

Sorry friends, I slept on this Blu & Exile album big time ... I kept reading great reviews, but I could never find it in stores and I don't download stuff all that much.

But damn, now that I've heard it ... amazing.

You the man, Stringer. :yes:

[Stringer Bell]

Glad you're digging it, sorry I slacked off on Panacea.. I'll get you those this week.

Free new Atmosphere mixtape: http://www.rhymesayers.com/atmosphere

As for God's Son vs. SD, I gotta go with SD. Especially if you trim out some of the fat, like the Maxwell song. God's Son is a great album, but some of the production flat-out bores me to be honest. Interesting, since you (TRO) said you liked the beats more. Hard to argue really, because I do love both albums. GS had some GEMS and a hell of a street single, but overall I'd take SD's beats and lyrics. Nas had a lot to say on that album, it reminds me of Talib's Eardrum the way he covers so many styles and topics lyrically. I feel this this whole paragraph is a pretty poor analysis, but I just have a hard time comparing his work. I mean shit, other than the obvious best and worst albums (Illmatic; Nastradamus), his remaining body of work is consistently dope minus a few bad song concepts, but no emcee's perfect...

Enough rambling, let me attempt to rank these... this line-up is strictly at the moment, since I always seem to go back to Nas albums and fall back in love with them.

Illmatic > It Was Written > Hip-Hop Is Dead > Stillmatic > The Lost Tapes > Street's Disciple > I Am > God's Son >>>>> Nastradamus

Tough shit... Illmatic, IWW, and Nastradamus pretty much have those spots on lock, but the rest could rotate at any time for me. God's Son and Street's Disciple look a bit lowly down there after all my praise, but that's only because Nas is a top of the line MC.

Thinking that through made me come to realize that he's more consistent than Jay-Z, and right up there with Ghostface. To me, all of those albums, barring Nastradamus, are easily 4/5, with most pushing towards 4.5/5.

[Mr. Boombastic]

Thinking that through made me come to realize that he's more consistent than Jay-Z, and right up there with Ghostface. To me, all of those albums, barring Nastradamus, are easily 4/5, with most pushing towards 4.5/5.

I agree, I would have to say that Vol. 1: In My Lifetime, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, and Kingdome Come were all worse than any album Nas has ever done. Just atrocious albums barring a few tracks on each of those.

[Simon]

Am I the only person who loves It Was Written? Maybe a little biased because it has my favourite Nas track ever, Small World, and no one else seems to even know it exists...but I just think that album is great. Two of his best singles in Hate Me Now and Nas Is Like, also.

For UKers, you can get a triple-CD of Illmatic, I Am... and It Was Written (http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3476902/Illmatic-It-Was-Written-I-Am/Product.html) for £7.99 at the moment, mad deal. If you don't already have the three of them you're probably too stupid to think that's a good deal anyway, but there you go.

[RuneEdge]

Fat Joe - 300 Brolic
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EZZJoXkO_DY

Seriously, what the fuck was he thinking?
"I'm in the greatest shape of my life" :lol:

[JIJ]

I Won't Tell is a quality tune.

[RuneEdge]

IMO, its only good because of J. Holiday.

[JIJ]

I dunno, I'm starting to quite like Joe aswell.

[Adamy]

Rick Ross' new video is spectacular. Not quite "Make It Rain (Remix)", but it's that same kind of unintentionally intentionally hilarious.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jNCWqIoi1JY

Khaled, Diddy, and Fat Joe are in it. The ending is the best part: "Boss."

[Fro]

Am I the only person who loves It Was Written? Maybe a little biased because it has my favourite Nas track ever, Small World, and no one else seems to even know it exists...but I just think that album is great. Two of his best singles in Hate Me Now and Nas Is Like, also.

You mean I Am, not It Was Written. Small World is fantastic, it's always been one of my favorites. Ditto for Nas Is Like- Nas over a DJ Premier beat is pretty much a guaranteed classic. But other than a few more good tracks- NY State of Mind 2, Undying Love, Hate Me Now (quality single though I wish Puffy wasn't on it), and Dr. Knockboot (anyone else dig this one?), the album doesn't do much for me.

As for GS vs. SD... Get Down is one of my favorite Nas tracks ever, probably in my top 6 or 7, but I agree with Bell that Street's Disciple is a stronger album. Surprised you put I Am above God's Son though.

[.invurzion.]

Rick Ross' new video is spectacular. Not quite "Make It Rain (Remix)", but it's that same kind of unintentionally intentionally hilarious.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jNCWqIoi1JY

Khaled, Diddy, and Fat Joe are in it. The ending is the best part: "Boss."



Fuck that ... the remix is even better. Plies, Birdman, Khaled, Gorilla Zoe, Fat Joe, Flo-Rida, Weezy, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes. Fuck!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=upJ8au6du7g

[Ricky]

I'm listening to The Cool, at the moment. It's all quality except for Gold Watch, which has one of the worst backgrounds I've ever heard.

What the hell is with that lady yelling?

[Stringer Bell]

"Gold Watch" is one of the best songs on there, if not the. The sample? I don't hear anyone yelling.

[.invurzion.]

Gold Watch is the best track on that album, arguably. Love it.

[Ricky]

Yeah, the sample, it absolutely annoys me.

I'd go over my favorites, but I'm a bit too lazy to re-open WMP so I can remember what I thought, so maybe tomorrow.

[Hack]

"Gold Watch" is fucking incredible. Reminds me of something Prince Paul would have done on an early De La album.

So the Lupe show was a few nights ago ... just incredible. Maybe the best hip-hop show I've ever seen.

He played at least an hour and fifteen minutes of nothing but stuff from his first album, with "Touch the Sky" mixed in for fun ... then another hour of nothing but stuff from The Cool. Amazing stuff.

[TRO]

Right now, "Hi-Definition" is my favorite song on The Cool. Best Snoop verse in literally years, and "dressed in something so fresh and wonderful, F n' F and S-N-Double O-P", best hook ever. Man, what an album. You could spend months with "Dumb it Down" on repeat without even thinking about "Superstar" or "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" or "Gold Watch" or "The Cool", and my god, I didn't think anything could be catchier than the "kunk-ka-kunk-ka-kunk" off "Kick, Push", but even the mexican guys at my restaurant sing along with "I got my go go go go go go go go gadget flow I got my etc", for fucks sake.

I was arguing in a bar with some guy who thought Food & Liquor was better, but while I agreed with him that it was a great, classic album, The Cool reaches new unheard-of heights. Lupe is one of, if not THE, best rappers alive.

[Ringo]

i'mfromacityinthemidwestbestcityinthewholewidewide worldsayitnow

I probably sing that to myself on average about three times a day every day.

[TRO]

Between that song, "kick, push, cooooasssst", and "hah ha ha ha haa" on Superstar, Lupe has come out with the catchiest lines of any pop artist in the past two years.

[Ricky]

don't get me wrong when I say I didn't like Gold Watch. I'm still a huge fan of Lupe.

Makes me sad that LupEND is going to be his last album.

[Fro]

Dude's 25, why the hell would he stop making albums? That's stupid.

The Cool is good but far from the classic you guys are making it out to be. 8/10 for me. Much like his first album I'm not feeling it nearly as much as everyone else.

[Ringo]

I know. Lupe said in an interview that he thought LupEND would be a cool name for his final album.

Wiki says it's going to be released this year.

I don't really know how true that is, but I'm sure nothing is set in stone.

[Ricky]

Dude's 25, why the hell would he stop making albums? That's stupid.

The Cool is good but far from the classic you guys are making it out to be. 8/10 for me. Much like his first album I'm not feeling it nearly as much as everyone else.

Like Ringo said, I'm only going by what Lupe himself said.

[Restiform]

The Cool is good but far from the classic you guys are making it out to be. 8/10 for me. Much like his first album I'm not feeling it nearly as much as everyone else.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure I'd call either classics, or that The Cool has reached unheard-of heights. Lupe is a fantastic rapper, though. One of the top out there right now.

[.invurzion.]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Lupe fanboy and this album is great ... but it's not my favorite. I have to admit that it is growing on me and is in that 8-9/10 range ... but hardly in my classics column - which I probably don't have the time nor memory to fucking list.

Just finished listening to Pitbull's "The Boatlift." Different sound, mostly hip-hop but he does venture out there with a dance track and a couple of acapella tracks ... nothing spectacular. Although I can tell you that if you haven't heard it already in a club (primarily in reggaeton or clubs that play some latin hip hop) "The Anthem" is fucking huge!

[RuneEdge]

"The Anthem" is just "Destination Unknown" with different lyrics.

[TRO]

The Cool is good but far from the classic you guys are making it out to be. 8/10 for me. Much like his first album I'm not feeling it nearly as much as everyone else.

I disagree, although I respect your opinion because you've said so many smart things in this thread, time and time again. But The Cool is 10/10, one of the few albums I can listen to over and over again for months without skipping a track. Ditto with Food & Liquor, but The Cool is a step up. I said this last year, but Lupe is the first legit Gen Y rapper, and he has made albums that redefine what a rap album is supposed to be: no clear singles, just greatness from start to finish. Between Lupe's rap verses and the excellent beats that he chooses to rap over, no one in his generation comes close. He's the new kid on the block, and he's already decided that the block ain't all that. Revolutionary.

[Ringo]

The Cool is just awesome on so many levels.

The beats, the lyrics, the hooks.

It's immensely intelligent, while retaining the mass appeal.

It's a fantastic pop album. It's a fantastic hip-hop album. It's a particularly intriguing concept album.

The subject matter is a hell of a lot more worthwhile than Lil Wayne and his ego, or David Banner and his bitches.

It's got variation. It's got consistency. It's sure as hell got 'the cool'.

[Fro]

Hip-Hop Saved My Life is the best song on the whole thing in my eyes ... it's perfect.

:yes:

Agreed. It might just be my favorite song of 2007. Little Weapon, The Coolest and Dumb It Down are my other favorites.

[spanish announce table]

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6930711f0d86b8/

Someone finally mixed Deck's verse from 'Common Denominator' on Pac's 'Got My Mind Up'.

[Stringer Bell]

For all my Clipse heads... especially Hack. This one's a ZIP file and ready for ya :D Haven't heard it yet, but it's got the net buzzzzzzzzing.

http://www.zshare.net/download/71725387a07db3/

[Adamy]

For all my Clipse heads... especially Hack. This one's a ZIP file and ready for ya :D Haven't heard it yet, but it's got the net buzzzzzzzzing.

http://www.zshare.net/download/71725387a07db3/




I am interested to hear this. "20 K Niggas Dealin On The Corner" or whatever the fuck it was called was a pretty dank jam.

And speaking of dank jams, that new Shorty Lo joint is blowing my mind. Even more so than "Blow My Mind", which somehow turned into a Lox reunion track.

[Stringer Bell]

I still don't have a good version of the "Blow My Mind" remix, only heard it on TV. :heart: The Lox as a unit.

You talking about "They Know" or whatever?

Just a forewarning, seems like some of the tracks are tagged incorrectly on that Clipse mixtape. Not a big deal, but it's obvious which songs "Roc Boys" and "Good Morning" are supposed to be..

[Adamy]

"Dey Know", and I'd buy a shirt that says it.

[Stringer Bell]

You have the remix with Weezy and co. by any chance? I only have the "East Coast Remix" with Lil Kim, Busta, and Maino.

[Adamy]

Is that the one where he gets bored and starts rapping through a vocalizer? I get my Wayne remixes confused sometimes...

[Stringer Bell]

Possibly, I haven't actually heard it, just seen it hyped up. Yet for some reason none of the southern mixtapes I download seem to have it..

[Adamy]

Possibly, I haven't actually heard it, just seen it hyped up. Yet for some reason none of the southern mixtapes I download seem to have it..

It's a pretty typical posse track, except Wayne does his verse through the T-Pain machine. "All my kicks fly like Liu Kang" is a hot line though.

I'll up it to Rapidshare if you want.

[Stringer Bell]

I swear I've heard someone else use that line recently, unless I have actually heard the song..

Please do :D

[Adamy]

http://rapidshare.com/files/89029683/Shorty_Lo_-_Dey_Know_Remix.mp3.html

You might've heard it before; the night DJs at all my local hip hop radio stations play it all the time, and according to Cipha Sounds (I think) it's like the bangingest song in Atlanta right now.

[Stringer Bell]

Thanks. :lol: I actually heard Cipha Sounds say the same thing on Pete Rosenberg's Jaun Epstein show.

[Adamy]

I love Pete Rosenberg because he is so completely out of touch with current rap music. Cipha trying to explain Flo Rida to him was great.

[Ringo]

Cheers for posting that Clipse mixtape, Stringer.

:yes:

[son_of_foley]

I am loving The Cool. Fiasco gone smashed it again.

Brilliance.

In terms of favoured songs atm its superstar, go go go gadget flow, go baby, gold watch, dumb it down and little weapon. Honestly I think this album is sensational there isn't a bad song on it.

[Adamy]

That Clipse mixtape is really good. They sound a lot looser this time, like they're just clowning in the studio. Hearing them over epic beats like "Dey Know" and "Rock Boys" puts everything in an entirely new context.

[spanish announce table]

Been bumping Clipse and Kool G Rap non stop today. Pusha T is becoming one of the best around.

"Now I must turn daddy's little girl to an orphan/
Which mean I gotta kill Baby like abortions/"

[Morrison]

Guessing this is from a recent Wu concert, with RZA setting up an ODB tribute when some hilarity ensues...

This nigga just touched my dick, WAPISH. (http://poststuff5.entensity.net/020408/media.php?media=dick.wmv)

[Ringo]

Loving the Clipse mixtape and the Yak Ballz album at the moment. Really, really good. :yes:

[I steal cable]

hello

Short time reader, first time poster. Anyway, I haven't read through the 7000 posts in this thread so this may of already been covered, if that's the case can you just point me in the right direction.

Can anyone recommend me some foreign hip hop artists or tunes?

From M.C. Solaar to groups like Looptroop, any recommendations would be appreciated. I don't speak french or nothing, I just like the way it sounds.

[spanish announce table]

I dont know if you consider Canada foreign, but check out Classified, K-Os, Checkmate, and The Rascalz.

[TRO]

Might be worth checking out Dr. No's Oxperiment by Oh No -- he turned old Turkish psych-funk records into hip-hop. :dunno:

[Stringer Bell]

Your price is low, but I bet my number shorty lower!

[Dubya]

I dont know if you consider Canada foreign, but check out Classified, K-Os, Checkmate, and The Rascalz.
i don't know most of them, but K-OS is amazing. i saw him on St.Patty's day with EL-P and it was one of the funnest shows i've ever been to.

[Morrison]

Dizzee Rascal is foreign to me, but not to you...

[Adamy]

Ill Mitch is Russian...

[Billmatic]

So, a buddy of mine passed this along to me, and I thought I'd share it:

Possible Nas - Nigger tracklist


01.Intro
02.Black Legends
03.Rest In Peace
04.You A Nigger Too
05.The Fear Of A Black Man's Dick
06.I'm Black
07.The Truth
08.Realise
09.Just Memories
10.This Way (featuring Jay-Z)
11.Kisses & Hugs (featuring Kelis)
12.Based on a True Story (featuring Dead Prez)
13.Take A While
14.Nigger
15.Publicity (bonus track)

For those who doubt the authenticity...

“I have a song called ‘The Fear,’ ” he said. “The full title of the record is ‘The Fear of the Black Man’s D—.’ That’s some sh– you can get comedy [from], or you can get some seriousness from it when you talk about the barbaric castrations that happened in our past — which is very serious, nothing to laugh at.”(November 29th, 2007)
http://www.defsounds.com/rumors/Nas_nigger_track_list

It's making the rounds through hip-hop forums for a while and apparently he heard it on the radio earlier too.

Needless to say, I hope to god it's real. Nas sounds pissed, and he's always at his best when he's pissed. Not to mention the fact that "The Fear of a Black Man's Dick" is obviously the best song title ever.

[TRO]

Wow, I'm really excited about this. I know Nas has his ups and downs, but if he calls his album "Nigger", it HAS to be good. If it's a bad album, the whole conceit will be pointless. Dead Prez and Jay-Z guest spots look great. I have really high expectations for this, after how amazing Hip-Hop Is Dead was, and knowing that the coming media backlash is just going to fire Nas up more.

Also, I think it's great that he's putting the word Nigger on the front of his album. Taboos are stupid.

[Morrison]

Another Nas and Jay-Z collab is mouth-wateringly good news. And definitely am excited for that Dead Prez one, too.

[Dubya]

Wow, I'm really excited about this. I know Nas has his ups and downs, but if he calls his album "Nigger", it HAS to be good. If it's a bad album, the whole conceit will be pointless. Dead Prez and Jay-Z guest spots look great. I have really high expectations for this, after how amazing Hip-Hop Is Dead was, and knowing that the coming media backlash is just going to fire Nas up more.

Also, I think it's great that he's putting the word Nigger on the front of his album. Taboos are stupid.

yea, but what sux is that you know that the cover will be covered (that sounds funny) with some kinda sleeve or something. which kinda defeats the purpose. they always do that shit (at least in america). they did it to Marilyn Manson because he wore a fake woman body suit (that didn't even show anything) on the cover. there's no way it will be released without a sleeve over it. stupid moms with nothing better to do will shit a fuckin brick if they're out buying cds and see the word 'nigger' in big letters in front of their face.


Another Nas and Jay-Z collab is mouth-wateringly good news. And definitely am excited for that Dead Prez one, too.

agreed.

[TRO]

I guess it depends on where you shop for records. Best Buy might be afraid of complaints, but I've never seen my local stores censor outrageous album art ( i.e. nudity, profanity, Matchbox Twenty albums), and I shop exclusively at independently owned stores. Anyone who shops at Wal-Mart of whatever deserves to be treated like a child and have their shit censored.

[Adamy]

Just copped a leak of the new Rick Ross, and I have to say, he's gotten better at rapping. He's still afraid to actually talk about himself, or say anything relevant, but at least the beats are tremendous and there isn't anything like: "Chatting with a bitch/Like we on MySpace/'Cept she in my face/Take her to a fly place/With a fly fireplace".

Rick Ross is more of a cartoon character than a human being, and I have a growing suspicion that his beard is fake, but if you share my fixation on the brotha, you might as well check this out. "Speedin" is great.

http://rs326.rapidshare.com/files/87721160/RICK-ROSS---Trilla-_Advance_-2008.zip

[Adamy]

And, while we're on the topic, this always makes me laugh:

http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/9/4/6/6/10466649-10466652-slarge.jpg

Dig the drawn-on tuxedo:

http://www.mixtapetorrent.com/system/files/rossfather.jpg

[Hack]

New Badu sounds like it could be doooooooope. The track on her MySpace with Madlib is incredible.

[Hack]

Not feeling that Ross at all my man.

[raymondjackso25]

Been bumping Clipse and Kool G Rap non stop today. Pusha T is becoming one of the best around.

"Now I must turn daddy's little girl to an orphan/
Which mean I gotta kill Baby like abortions/"

Is that Kool G Rap, more on the lyrical wordplay type of shit or gangster talk?

edit: also here are a couple of songs from my favorite rapper, K-Rino. I chose these because they really show off his creativity. He's probably the most slept on rapper that I know of.

Valley of Decision
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k72E1GmV3tk

Amnesia
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_dkA_jV7ULA

the end of "Amnesia" brings the whole song together.

[spanish announce table]

Is that Kool G Rap, more on the lyrical wordplay type of shit or gangster talk?

edit: also here are a couple of songs from my favorite rapper, K-Rino. I chose these because they really show off his creativity. He's probably the most slept on rapper that I know of.

Valley of Decision
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k72E1GmV3tk

Amnesia
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_dkA_jV7ULA

the end of "Amnesia" brings the whole song together.


It's a bit of both. "Rising Up" is a straight up classic.

[Adamy]

Not feeling that Ross at all my man.

That's unerstandable. "Drought" and "Money Make Me Cum" both suck. But I still think "Speedin" is great, "Boss" is not unenjoyable, and the song with Fab and Freeway is growing on me.

Ross is definitely at his best when he gets lost in posse tracks. I think expectations have a lot to do with that.

[Hack]

I still worship "Hustlin'," don't get me wrong.

[Beer-Belly]

New Roots track...

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/48878-the-roots-75-bars-blacks-reconstruction-stream

[Restiform]

Brutal track, I loved it. Great stripped down, raw sound. Wonder how many times Black actually says nigga on there.

[Stringer Bell]

Incredibly dope. Props to SAT for linking me to that.

[Adamy]

So I mistakenly referred to Shorty Lo as "Shortly Lo" earlier tonight, and it was hilarious.

[Stringer Bell]

Anyone going to see Kanye on the Glow In The Dark Tour? They have yet to announce Virginia dates, but I'd be willing to drop cash on VIP tickets if they did...

[Hack]

Going to the Dallas show with a big group of people. Should be fun. It'll be cool seeing Lupe again. That and Radiohead are like a week apart.

[Stringer Bell]

Lucky ass! Radiohead is stopping through here, and as much as I'd like to see them, Kanye's my priority at the moment. Live hip-hop shows have DIED in my town, no one's come through since Del and Devin The Dude last October.

Pretty surprised Kanye doesn't have SOME sort of Virginia date. I really hope they add one soon, I'd be down for just about anywhere..

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

I heard some shit today about Jay-Z profiting from slavery :lol:

I ain't put any new hip hop on my ipod for fucking ages, wha gwan??

[Stringer Bell]

Couple new tracks...

Jay/Mary J/Swizz Beatz - You're Welcome
http://www.zshare.net/audio/82356628db9fc3/

Method Man & Redman - Broken Language 08
http://sharebee.com/a62d3af7

[Flow (Ice Cold) 3000]

safe man I'll give them a bash

[son_of_foley]

Anyone going to see Kanye on the Glow In The Dark Tour? They have yet to announce Virginia dates, but I'd be willing to drop cash on VIP tickets if they did...

I went to see it in belfast he had common and GLC with him. Cant believe you guys are getting LUPE!
RAGE

[Stringer Bell]

New albums

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple (http://rs90.rapidshare.com/files/97129506/Odd.rar)

Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin (http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=2D8GI1YT)

[Matthew]

Gnarls is forbidden to share

[TRO]

Gnarls Darwin and the Evilution of the Soul

[Stringer Bell]

Gnizzarls..

http://rapidshare.com/files/97292516/gb2008.rar

More stuff... (shit might be a more descriptive term for these albums)..

http://lix.in/23b1bc18 - Rick Ross retail. Please, stay in your seat.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z8elqy - Fat Joe

[Adamy]

More stuff... (shit might be a more descriptive term for these albums)..

http://lix.in/23b1bc18 - Rick Ross retail. Please, stay in your seat.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Weird how only one song other than the singles from that advance that was circulating made it onto the album. "Trilla", which is technically the song the album is named for, isn't even on there according to Amazon.

Have you seen the video for "Boss"? OMG it's so good. Some broad has a giant tramp stamp that says "RO$$" in Old English and T-Pain is dressed like a leprechaun.

[Stringer Bell]

Could have most likely been your typical internet "advance" where some person throws random new/unreleased tracks together and calls it an advance copy. Happens far too often with hyped releases.

My problem with Rick Ross is that he's just a flat-out bad rapper. When he's paired with someone like Jay-Z, or even Weezy, it's nearly laughable. Sure, the guy's got a silly, over-the-top persona that makes him hard to hate, but I just can't get into him. He does get some decent production, though. I remember I saw Lupe live and he opened with an awesome freestyle to "Hustlin". Didn't know it was a Ross song at the time, but he needs to do more anthem-esque shit like that. "Speedin" and "The Boss" are boring to me. R. Kelly hasn't been good for about a decade now, and T-Pain on a single's hook is about as exciting as a Great Khali match. I didn't really mind T-Pain at first, but that Flo-Rida song makes me realize how much I miss Nate Dogg... fuck, Akon even.

Fat Joe decides a couple years too late to make an album (mostly) about crack. What's better than one of rap's most tired emcees doing a whole album about rap's most tired subject? Yeah, a whole lot of things. DJ Premier attempts to save the album with a BANGER of a beat to close things out ("That White"), but I honestly prefer his work with Christina Aguilera over this shit. The Elephant In The Room? Joe, you ARE the fucking elephant in the room! [/lame joke]. Seriously though, just not a good record. Of course, it'll probably have some huge single and end up outselling Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury, which should be the modern blueprint for what the Rick Ross's and Fat Joe's of the game aspire to be. In other Joey Crack ramblings, he and Papoose reportedly got into a fight recently. I was going to post a picture floating around with Joe looking beat up, but realized it's fake. Whatever the case, I wouldn't be stirring up shit with Joe unless I was 50 Cent himself. Papoose is a lanky fuck, and considering the fact things started physically and not on record, it'll be interesting to see where it goes. I'm not a Papoose fan, but I would kinda like to hear him tear Joe to pieces on a song. A good old fashion diss record, not just random threats and tough-talk (see: most recent "diss" songs that mention no one in particular and lack subliminals, can't STAND them)...

Onto the better albums..

I haven't given Gnarls a fair listen yet (the first version I got was mistagged), but it sounds like DM and Cee-Lo have done it again. Who would have ever thought those two would explode as a pair? Hopefully this album is as successful as their debut, both guys deserve it.

I'm split on the Snoop album so far. I've talked to some friends and people who are loving it, but it hasn't impressed me all that much yet. It's definitely worth a few more listens, and it's MUCH better than that ridiculous single ("Sexual Eruption/Sensual Seduction") will lead you to believe. But I've seen someone call it his best since Doggystyle, which is just absurd. I'm not sure yet if I like it more than The Blue Carpet Treatment, where Snoop really surprised me with his return to form. Basically, I need to give this a few more spins. Definitely worth checking out.

[Morrison]

"Sexual Eruption" was fucking awesome, you.

[Stringer Bell]

It's sorta awesome in its own right, I just wish I could smoke the same weed he did before he made it. I don't hate it, and it's better than most shit on the radio. It just makes me kinda sad to see him go from..


Creep with me as I crawl through the hood,
Maniac, lunatic, call 'em Snoop Eastwood
Kickin dust as I bust fuck peace
And, the mothafuckin drug police
You already know I gives a fuck about a cop
So why in the fuck would you think that it would stop
Plot, yeah, that's what we's about to do
Take your ass on a mission with the boys in blue
Dre, (whatup, Snoop) yo I got the feelin
Tonight's the night like Betty Wright, and I'm chillin
Killin, feelin, no remorse, yeah
So lets go straight to the motherfuckin' source
And see what we can find
Crooked ass cops that be gettin niggaz a gang of times
And now they wanna make a deal with me
Scoop me up and put me on they team and chill with me
And make my pockets bigger
They want to meet with me tonight at 7:00, so whassup nigger?
What you wanna do? (What you wanna do?)
I got the gauge, a uzi and the mothafuckin 22
so if you wanna blast, nigga we can buck 'em
If we stick 'em then we stuck 'em so fuck 'em!"to this...


She might be with him
But she's thinkin' 'bout
Me
Me
Me
We don't go to the malls
We don't go out to
Eat
Eat
Eat
All that we ever do
Is play in the
Sheets
Sheets
Sheets
Smoke us a cigarette
Then go back to Sleep
Sleep
Sleep


Still though, good album. Just a misleading single.

[Ringo]

So has anyone heard the new Cadence Weapon, Afterparty Babies?

If so, thoughts?

If not, do.

EDIT:

Here's the end of AMG's (Yes, I know) review of the album. It sums up what it's really all about pretty well.


Afterparty Babies is hipster rap that isn't trying too hard to be hip (instead of bragging about living in Brooklyn, for example, he asks why all his friends have moved from Edmonton), smart hip-hop that isn't pretentious or condescending, genre-bending music that knows a good beat is universal, an album that accepts its imperfections as a part of its charm, and, all things considered, a pretty irresistible release.

[Stringer Bell]

I'll have to check that out, I liked Akala. Link by any chance?

New Sheek Louch album -- Silverback Gorilla
http://rapidshare.com/files/98844704/sl-sg-by_killa_kid.rar.html

News is that Eminem has recorded a track with DJ Premier on the beat. I gotta say, I'm pretty hyped to hear that. I've always wanted to hear Em over some of Primo's boom-bap, golden age shit. Preem says Eminem is coming with some really dope shit, and since it's Primo, it's kinda hard to doubt him. I don't know just how confident I am in Em, but this could really be the 360 his rap career is in need of.

He's also reconciled with Royce Da 5'9", apparently. This can only lead to good things.

DC rapper Wale, who has been building a decent amount of hype, just recently signed to a major. He apparently wants Just Blaze to be involved, which will be a good thing. Wale is cool. Hardly an amazing lyricist, but he's fairly refreshing and I have to rep DC.

[Adamy]

New Sheek Louch album -- Silverback Gorilla
http://rapidshare.com/files/98844704/sl-sg-by_killa_kid.rar.html

My roommate has been playing "Good Love" at least three times a day for the past month. Song of the summer.

[TRO]

DC rapper Wale, who has been building a decent amount of hype, just recently signed to a major. He apparently wants Just Blaze to be involved, which will be a good thing. Wale is cool. Hardly an amazing lyricist, but he's fairly refreshing and I have to rep DC.

Wale Oyejide?

[spanish announce table]

An Em/Royce album produced by Primo and Dre would make my head explode.

The new Pete Rock album is solid. That whole 'move ya bumbaclot' skit gets me every time.

[TRO]

I'm still listening to Damu the Fudgemunk. A friend of mine asked me to make a cd of instrumental hip-hop so I'm all getting back into Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow, Dr. Who Dat?, Special Herbs, J Dilla, Mathematics, RJD2, Blockhead...

Also that Busta Rhymes/Dilla mixtape (Dillagence) is good stuff, but it would be better if it were instrumentals. Which I guess is pretty damning criticism of an MC like Busta, but it's true. Heartfelt eulogy for a fallen friend, or morbid exploitation of a death cult? You decide! Actually "Step Up" is such a banger, who cares??

[Stringer Bell]

Wale Oyejide?

Nah, just Wale. I've heard things about Oyejide, not familiar with his music though.

I need to get my hands on that Y Society album.

[TRO]

So they are different people, I guess. I have only listened to Oyejide because MF Doom was on one of his tracks, and then someone made a sick remix of it.

"This goes out to DJs, MCs, beat boys, all around with world
This goes out to Pete Rock, KRS, Roots crew, Tribe Called Quest
This goes out to Black Star, Black Moon, J-Live, MF Doom, this goes out to hip hop..."

I just assume that all Doom fans are aware of this track and the Mikee and the Whiz remix.

[Fro]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v192/sirthugs/Rising-Down-with-spine.jpg

Can't fucking wait. Looking at the tracklist, they've got a lot of guest spots this go-round: Mos Def, Styles P, Kweli, Saigon, Common being the most notable. :hyper:

[Adamy]

Anyone know when Kidz In The Hall drop their full-length? "Drivin Down The Block" is fantastic.

[spanish announce table]

What did you guys think of Madlib In India? I thought this album was sheer genius and so entertaining to listen to. Being Indian myself, but absolutely hating Indian movies, it was awesome to hear how he flipped the samples.

[Stringer Bell]

I thought it was cool, but not as good as the first Beat Konducta.

Not sure about Kidz In the Hall. The single is fun, though.

The Roots and AZ in April :heart:

[TRO]

I liked the Madlib India album, but it was thoroughly overshadowed by Oh No's Dr. No's Oxperiment, which is a fucking great album and produced the #1 best song of the year. I think it will take a couple years for everyone's mind to stop being blown by Oh No and come to appreciate Beat Konducta vol. 3-4.

[Ringo]

best song being?

[TRO]

"Heavy." Not even two minutes long, but it's one of those songs you have to listen to over and over again.

[Ringo]

Ah, thought so.

Play count is at about 40 on my iTunes alone.

[TRO]

Well it's basically the best sample ever. Play count on my ipod is probably 400x. He should never have placed it at track 01 though; there's no way the rest of the album can compare to that awesomeness. Should have saved it for the end.

[Ringo]

Aye, on my actual iPod I must have listened to it a couple of hundred times now. I rarely listen to music on the computer with all my songs on.

[Adamy]

Grip Grand just dropped a new album. If you don't know Grip Grand, he started as a white guy who raps about how broke he is, but has grown into one of my favorite unknown MCs. Somehow he gets great production despite his low profile. This one is coming highly recommended.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tau1i6

pw: wtorek



"I'm just tryin to make miracles/I'm also tryin to get a new car/If Jesus Walks then I don't wanna make spirituals." Man I love this guy.

[Hack]

I'll have to check that out. Shit, you make everyone else look bad Adam/y, always posting links.

Anyway, I'm pumped about this new Guilty Simpson album. Digging this track ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY-sYtxcUSo Milk does get a little samey, doesn't he?

[spanish announce table]

http://download.yousendit.com/80B0F2351337BF05

The best track from Cilvaringz "3rd Chamber" instrumental album

[Hack]

New Guilty Simpson. I bought it, now you bitches benefit. I :heart: all of you.



http://www.sendspace.com/file/hyewo8

[spanish announce table]

http://131.104.85.70:85/mp3log/t1207000794.mp3

I made my radio debut this past Monday at a nearby university. I did a roughly 40 bar verse over "Kick, Push". You'll have to forward about halfway through the file to hear it. I had a second verse, but it got cut off from the archived file on the station's website because it went over the alloted time for the show. Any feedback is much appreciated!

[Miotch]

As you all will likely appreciate this, a good friend of mine transformed the mythical Wu Tang spiked bat into a reality. Check it. Rad.

http://peskyhumans.blogs.com/./photos/uncategorized/2008/01/16/img_5189.jpg

[spanish announce table]

Damn. Dont ever lay your nuts on the dresser, just your nuts, when that guy's around.

[Fro]

http://131.104.85.70:85/mp3log/t1207000794.mp3

I made my radio debut this past Monday at a nearby university. I did a roughly 40 bar verse over "Kick, Push". You'll have to forward about halfway through the file to hear it. I had a second verse, but it got cut off from the archived file on the station's website because it went over the alloted time for the show. Any feedback is much appreciated!

that was dope as hell man, real nice lyricism. what do you go by?

[Dubya]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v192/sirthugs/Rising-Down-with-spine.jpg

Can't fucking wait. Looking at the tracklist, they've got a lot of guest spots this go-round: Mos Def, Styles P, Kweli, Saigon, Common being the most notable. :hyper:

Whats the release date on that one, Fro?

[Fro]

April 29