Bounce Roc, "Rookie Veteran" Release Party in Hollywood!

If you're in the Los Angeles area this weekend (Saturday, November 7th to be exact)... come stop by Cinespace in Hollywood to celebrate the debut release from my homie Bounce Roc... "ROOKIE VETERAN"! Some of the beats on the album were done by yours truly... not to mention all the graphic design done by Rewind Effect!

Also check out the promo video for "Rookie Veteran". The two tracks Bounce spits here are both my beats.

Battle of the Sequels.

And the return of the Purple Tape smashed BP3. A few months ago, I honestly didn't think I'd be saying that. But OB4CL2 made me feel like it's 1996 again. Do yourself a favor and support true hip hop by buying it on September 8th.

But for those American consumers who were unexplainably denied the bonus tracks... here they are in a convenient zip file. "Walk Wit Me" and "The Badlands"...

http://www.zshare.net/download/6518057595addb74/

(I still think "State of Grace" should've made the cut. But who's complaining.)

Return of the Purple Tape!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing more to say. Preview it here.

[UPDATED AGAIN!!!!]

Okay, all the extended 2 minute snippets are out there. Check them out here.

[UPDATED!!!]

"Catalina", "Surgical Gloves", and "10 Bricks" are all over the web by now. Here's a new snippet... "Ason Jones" produced by J. Dilla. This album is only a week from being released. Where is the damn leak already??

You can download this here.

Download the snippets here.

I can feel it coming in the air tonight.

Yeah, hip hop is still in critical condition. Some say damn near terminal. And of course others say, to borrow a phrase that became worn out all too quickly... hip hop is already dead. Being the elitist hip hop snob I am, I will be the first to take advantage of any opportunity to bemoan the pathetic state hip hop has tragically devolved into. But I have to admit, every so often, there's a breeze that blows through the industry, seemingly coming from nowhere, that is refreshing to even a bitter ol' curmudgeon like myself. So with that, I present to you on this Super Sabado, the Five Tracks I Can't Stop Bumpin'...

Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye, "Run This Town".
Most will listen to this track and complain that Jay still can't rhyme no mo'. And that even Kanye (who once rhymed "Michael Jackson" with "Michael Jackson") is murdering him on his own sh*t. I've been complaining about the same thing since "Kingdom Come" (actually, since the first "Blueprint" if you want to know the truth). That Jay is gone. I've accepted that. Now I'll just be happy if he can make a solid hip hop album. With No ID and Kanye handling the bulk of the production, all signs seem to indicate "Blueprint 3" will deliver.


Eminem, "The Warniing".
Okay, Em going after pop stars is now (or maybe has always been) officially corny. But if it brings out this side of Eminem, I'm all for it. How come he couldn't have went in like this on "Relapse"??? This is Em without the gimmicks or stupid accent... it's just an MC focusing all his lyrical rage on one unlucky victim... and hasn't that what hip hop, in its purest form, been all about? Incorporating the vocal samples of Mariah from his voicemail was just the poisonous frosting on top. It almost makes me disappointed that Nick Cannon took the higher road in choosing not to respond negatively but rather with Bible verses. I was looking forward to the next chapter Em promises in this cut. Well, regardless, it goes without saying, I am looking forward to "Relapse 2".


Raekwon ft. Ghostface, Inspectah Deck, & Method Man, "House of Flying Daggers".
Ah man, after one song, I'm all the sudden ready to declare the Wu is back. I had given up on Wu after the underwhelming "8 Diagrams". I thought there was no way "Cuban Linx 2" could live up to the hype. But after hearing this lead off single, I am back on board the Wu bandwagon. Deck's flow, without explanation, is razor sharp again... Ghost & Rae are back like they never left... and when Meth said, "Let's push this music past the point of no return, 'til they crash and burn, down the ashes then placed inside Ol' Dirty Bastard's urn..." I lost it. September 8th, we get OBFCL2, the 11th Blueprint 3... that's gonna be a good month.


Rakim, "Holy Are You".
The God is back. This is the first time since the news was announced that I feel okay about Rakim's deal on Aftermath not working out. I don't care if you think Ra spits the exact same way he did 15 years ago. I could listen to it for the rest of my life. To me, there is a reason he has been held the standard for so many years. His flow, lyricism, voice, and presence on the mic, for my money, is the make up of the quintissential MC. Add that to a borderline-blasphemous sample on a sinister beat... and I'm hooked. I can only hope this is actually the single. Meaning the album is soon to follow.


Lupe Fiasco, "Shining Down".
My three favorite MC's that have emerged in the last five years would undoubtedly be Saigon, Jay Electronica, and Lupe Fiasco. Since the former two do not seem to be dropping their overdue debuts any time soon, I guess I should be grateful that Lupe has had a prolific career as he has in such a short period of time. I loved his first album for being such a great representation of pure, unadulterated hip hop... and I was feeling the direction he was evolving in on his second (which I cannot say for a lot of other rappers... see: Mos Def). "Shining Down" is a great genre-bending, but still truly hip hop, song and it seems the evolution will continue. I wish Lupe could have been the next Jay, dropping an album consistently every year and giving hip hop heads a holiday to look forward to on a yearly basis... but I will patiently wait for his third. And pray he is not serious about retiring.

Ask Game... do he want it with Hov?

Here is a battle in which, upon first glance, it seems the average hip hop fan might side with Jay-Z.  He's the legend, right?  The Game is no rookie... but is relatively a young'n by comparison.  Jay is the calm, cool, collected veteran who chooses his battles carefully and can brush off the naysayers who he considers beneath him (aside from that whole Deshawn Stevenson debacle).  Essentially, isn't that what Jay said in his recently revealed "Blueprint 3" intro... "I ain't talkin' 'bout Game..."

The Game, on the other hand, has the reputation as the hot-head with the itchy trigger finger who has just been waiting to get into beef with Jay-Z.  Honestly, didn't everyone already think he was going at him on "Westside Story" talking about not wearing button ups or driving Maybachs?  Even with his attempt to diffuse it by claiming he was talking about Ja Rule (as heard on the title track to his debut album), who really believed him?  And even in subsequent interviews, The Game still tried to play it as cool as possible.

It almost seemed like Jay was waiting to spring the trap.  Like he did with Nas in the infamous Summer Jam freestyle which was the prequel to "Takeover".

But would this battle be as one-sided as Jay would make it out to be?

The Game has proven himself as battle-tested.  Even though we got sick of hearing the umpteenth, 500 bar G-Unit diss, the first couple disses were solid.  I don't think The Game was single-handedly responsible for G-Unit's fall from grace like he wants you to believe... but you have to admit that most thought that a guy who holds as much weight in the industry as 50 could crush Game like a cockroach.  And, as such, that was not the case.  As a matter of fact, Game, even without the aid of Dre and the Aftermath machine, has carved out a pretty solid career for himself.

And if you haven't heard the possible preview yet, check out the diss track that leaked awhile back by Game where he goes at 50, Jay-Z, and *gasp* Suge Knight one verse at a time.  The thing about diss tracks is the most lyrical ones are not necessarily the most effective (compare the tracks in the Joe Buddens/Saigon saga).  Sometimes simplicity sells.  And when I first heard this track, it definitely got solid rotation in my ITunes.  Definitely more than Jay-Z's recent diss tracks including his response to Jim Jones.

These days, diss tracks are a dime a dozen and let's face it, we're all sick of it.  Back in the day, a diss track had everyone listening... now they'd hardly make the average rap listener flinch.  But I will say, this one has piqued my interest.  I'm ready to hear more.  And from the sound of it, seems like Game is too.

UPDATE:  Seems like Game has already responded with a freestyle on tour.

Damn this DJ made my day.

DJ Steve Porter?  I never heard of him either... until today.

Doesn't this video prove how stupid autotune is?  That any untalented idiot could use it?

Not that I'm calling the "Sham Wow" guy untaleneted.

And another one for sports fans that was equally entertaining.

There have already been a thousand posts written complaining about the absence about Saigon's long overdue debut, "The Greatest Story Never Told".  There are thousands more would-be journalists and critics who have made much ado about the ironic title of said debut as they not-so-cleverly comment on the nature of self-fulfilling prophecy.  They say he deserves it for daring to compare his album to "Illmatic" before it even sees the light of day.

I'm guilty too.  And in my two decades of being a hip hop fan, I can't recall any album I have anticipated for going on 5 years.  I just want the damn thing.  And as is my nature to wax nostalgic about things that haven't even happened yet, I find myself piecing together whatever fragments of this album I have at my disposal and compulsively listening to them ad nauseum.  Call me neurotic.  Call me obsessive.  Call me pathological.  Call me any combination of these adjectives and whatever else you can come up with.  But if you can relate in any way, or are merely curious as to what can lead to such a condition, I present to you my half-assed rendition of "The Greatest Story Never Told"...

"T.G.S.N.T (The Rewind Effect Edition)".  (Click to download)

Tracklist:

1) JBTV Snippets.

I'm told Just Blaze has removed JBTV from Youtube.  But at the time, he had put together a video and dropped teaser samples of TGSNT throughout.  From what I can tell , these snippets are of "The Invitation", "Friends", the title track, a track I can't identify, and "The War".

2) "Come On Baby" Remix.

I personally like Saigon's verses on the original version better.  But I can see why this made the tracklist.  I mean come on, it's Jay-Z.

3) "The War".

Or at least I think that's what it is.  Judging by the hook at the end.  I think this is one of the tracks Just Blaze post on his blog but I can't remember.

4) "Preacher".

I had heard an early version of this song had dropped on a mixtape.  But I had a hell of a time tracking it down.  I finally did about a year and a half ago.  Supposedly they have updated this song for the final version.  And who the hell is DJ Neptune?

5) "Believe It".

The song I bitched about before.  The perfect single for Saigon that Atlantic did not get behind.  The song that should've been Saigon's "Live Your Life" or "All of the Above".  Oh well.  At least we got to hear it.

6) "Chilly Boom".

This song no longer seems to be listed on the final track list.  It was originally.  And it's a good song.  So I included it here.

7) "Just Blaze Meets Saigon".

Another song that doesn't seem to be on the final track list.  Unless it has been renamed.  This song dropped on the TGSNT prequel, "Moral of the Story".  It's Saigon on a hot Just Blaze track so it had be included here.

8) "Pain in my Life".

Saigon's ill-fated first single.  I guess that's what he gets for trying to go against the grain and be positive.  It is not my favorite Sai joint... but still a solid, positive song and still listed as a bonus track.

So there you have it.  How much longer do I have to wait?  No word from Sai or Just in awhile.  I guess I'll go back to just bumping this for awhile.  Dammit.

My 10 favorite rhyme spitters ever: Kool G. Rap edition.

In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time.  No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion).  These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective.  Think the Vince Carters of MC'ing.  And with all that considered, next up is...

Kool G. Rap (circa '92).

Let's take it back to "The Symphony" for a second.  Amongst old hip hop heads, maybe the debate will forever linger: who stole the show, Kane or G. Rap?  Kane with his slick lyrics and delivery, or G. Rap the gritty multisyllabic monster? (I like Masta Ace and Craig G. as much as anyone but if you said either of those, sorry, you're wrong).

It seems that Big Daddy Kane gets slightly more acclaim as the "star" of Marley's Juice Crew.  But I was always a bigger Kool G. Rap fan.  For the younger heads, Jay-Z was to Kane as Nas was to G. Rap.  Kane may have had more of the limelight but G. Rap was just pure hip hop for hip hop's sake.  The King Asiatic kind of lost me when he went the whole "Taste of Chocolate" route.  Kool G. Rap, on the other hand, morphed into a Mafia Don.  And being that I liked my hip hop strictly grimy back then, I was instantly hooked.  Yeah, he might've made occasional Al Capone references here and there prior to that... but on his third and final album with DJ Polo, he fully embraced it.  

From the sinister style of beats to the gritty story telling to his awe-inspiring gymnastics of syllables and wordplay, Kool G. Rap truly was the pioneer of Mafia rap.  For those that don't know Escobar, Lex Diamonds, Tony Starks, and a million other mafioso aliases owe a huge debt to this man.  And as ignorant as the music might have seemed at the time, to me (and many others), it was simply mesmerizing.  Not to mention his distinctive lisp only added to the character he played in this cinematic whirlwind of drugs, guns, and money.

The thing was these future stars of hip hop not only borrowed G. Rap's taste in movies.  They all looked up to him as an MC to be emulated also.  As much as Rakim is credited with developing the modern style of multisyllabic rhyming, Kool G. Rap should be given just as much due.  He proved as much on his previous albums.  With "Live or Let Die", he just put a new stylized twist on things.

Why did I only mention one year?  Truth be told, once Rae, Nas, and the rest decided they wanted to play Goodfellas too, they simply did it better.  They took it to another level.  G. Rap, meanwhile, started to sound dated by the very style he birthed.  Don't get me wrong, he could still spit with the best of them.  But frankly, the production that backed him just didn't pack the same punch as his progeny.  Let's face it... Rae had RZA, Nas had Premo, Trackmasters, etc., G. Rap had (let's double check the credits)... T Ray and Naughty Shorts?  Okay, wait, he did have one bonafide classic... "Fast Life".  But maybe that ended up being a passing of the torch to a in-his-prime Nas featured on the song.

Anyways, "Live and Let Die" will always go down as one of the Mafia hip hop classics to me.  In the same way you would mention "Goodfellas" when talking about "Godfather", I will hold his album in the same class as "Cuban Linx" and "It Was Written".  As a matter of fact, G. Rap's album may actually be the one closest to Coppola's masterpiece as it was the one that really set the precedent for the rest.  So for that, I kneel and kiss the ring.

The Evidence.

"On the Run".  "I got a job with the Mob making G's/Doing some pick ups, deliveries, and transporting ki's..."

"Edge of Sanity".  "See I'm irrelevant to 'Help Wanted' signs/And they wonder why n***as commit crimes..."

"Ill Street Blues".  "Ready to put some work in/We're not a lazy crew/We'll do a job or tow/But yo the man can't even stick me with some Crazy Glue..."

"Two to the Head".  "See where I come from the crime rate only rises/The murderers disguise in all ages shapes and sizes/B****es picked up and d**ked up/N****s they getting stuck up/Give up what you got or get your a** shot the f**k up..."

My 10 favorite rhyme spitters ever: Mos Def edition.

In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time.  No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion).  These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective.  Think the Vince Carters of MC'ing.  And with all that considered, next up is...

Mos Def (circa '99-2000).

I truly believe had Mos followed up his Black Star album and first solo joint with another classic, he would be in my top five, dead or alive.  Legend even has it that the one and only Mr. Iovine told Mos that if he could deliver another album of the caliber of "Black on Both Sides", he would "take him to the moon".

Mos had a way of flowing that sounded so effortless, even non-hip hop heads liked it (check this entry of the always brilliant blog Stuff White People Like for further proof).  In fact, he eventually evolved (or devolved, depending on your perspective) into a badge of cool for the hipster crowd... before the phrase "hipster" was even coined.

But where hipsters embraced Mos for his aura of bohemian-hip-hop-chic, rap fans appreciated the purity of his Native-Tongues-esque style combined with his damn near unparalleled ability to put words together in a way few could do.  Call him conscious or backpacker if you must... but if he was spitting, we were listening.  Talib, his Black Star counterpart, may have had the impressive metaphors or vocabulary.  But Mos' style painted pictures.

Then, alas, he decided he wanted to be a singer.  Or a rock star.  And go back to acting.  Yes, I liked "Umi Says".  And "The Italian Job" was entertaining.  But let's face it.  When he was straight spitting on a hip hop beat, he was a god.

It seems like with his new material, he is going back to his roots and give hip hop fans what they really need.  Which is not another movie with Bruce Willis.  Let's just hope not so much time has passed that it's too late.

The Evidence.

"Definition".  "From the first to the last of it/Delivery is passionate/The whole and not the half of it/Vocab and not the math of it..."

"Respiration".  THE WHOLE DAMN FIRST VERSE.  Brilliant.

"B-Boy Document '99".  "It's the high powered original/B-boy traditional/Raw base material/Crooklyn individual..."

"Travellin' Man".  "'Cause this thing called rhymin' no different from coal mining/We all on assignment to unearth the diamond..."

"Hip Hop".  "Hip hop will simply amaze/Praise you/Pay you/Do whatever you say do/But black it can't save you..."

"Brooklyn".  "Thugs mobbin' it/Form partnership/Increase armorment/Street pharmacist/Deep consequence when you seek sleek ornaments..."

I miss Slim Shady.

Okay, so the new album is out.  And everywhere all over the world, thousands of writers (and hundreds of thousands of bloggers) are already, ad nauseam, proclaiming the brilliant return of or deriding the ungraceful fall of the one and only Marshall Mathers.  So in case you're one review away from slitting your own wrists, I'll just focus my attention on one point.  

I definitely don't hate the album... but I was, at the very least, underwhelmed.  Throughout "Relapse", we seem to get Marshall-Mathers-era content, Eminem-Show-era flow, and bits of the reviled Encore-era delivery.  Save for one track.  On the final song, "Underground", we get a glimpse of what I had personally been anticipating for the last half decade, the return of Slim Shady.

It is all the more frustrating because, strictly off the strength of that one track, Eminem proves he still has it.  The skills that made him the respected MC to begin with... and set him apart from the Vanilla Ices, the Kains, the Asher Roths, and every other white MC who was thrown at us by the industry.  And in some ways, it seems as if Eminem did it intentionally.  Maybe just to lift a middle finger to all the naysayers and hip hop snobs such as myself... who claim he fell off, that he had become the very gimmick he had been mocking since the beginning of his career.  But the whole song still screams old school, classic Slim Shady.  Apart from the song itself, it is preceded by a Steve Berman skit, opened by his traditional "A lot of people ask me..." intro (a la "Still Don't Give a F**k and "Criminal"), and followed by the triumphant return of Ken Kaniff. Coincidence?  I think not.

With "Relapse 2" supposedly to follow, what I would like to believe is that this is an intro to the second disc.  Wasn't there supposed to be a collab with Premo in there somewhere?  Anyways, call me Stan, but I'm crossing my fingers and still hoping Slim Shady is back.

My favorite rhyme spitters ever: Ice Cube edition.

In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time.  No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion).  These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective.  Think the Vince Carters of MC'ing.  And with all that considered, next up is...

ICE CUBE (circa '88-'92).

Back when people used to believe rappers really did what they said on wax, this former architectural student personified America's definition of the "scary ass rapper".  He had the sneer, the curse words, and FBI threats to back it up.  Not to mention lyrically fronted a crew who dared incorporate a vilified ethnic slur as a part of their group name.

But beyond all that, Cube just delivered his lyrics in a way that made you believe what he said.  Throughout his first group album and subsequent solo efforts (well, at least the first few and the EP), he convinced you he was the true gangsta's gangsta, the hood's political commentator, the prophet of the L.A. riots, and the most overzealous Muslim you had ever seen.  

These days, you're more likely to see a suburban family of four in a minivan on their way to see Cube at their local multiplex than you are to hear a '64 Impala on 'lo 'lo's cruising Crenshaw Boulevard bumping his latest album.  But at least for those four years (I'm personally not the biggest fan of "Lethal Injection" but I guess you can make it five years by throwing that in there), Cube had an unprecedented run as an MC that is nearly unmatched in hip hop history.  Not only did he make compelling music.  He set trends and constantly grew as an artist from album to album.  He never settled for the status quo.  He tore right through that map of Compton on his first video and kept on stompin'.

I miss the old Ice Cube but I can't front on his recent success as an actor.  My only regrets I blame on the shady practices of the business.  Could you imagine what NWA's second album would have been like with Cube around?  While Cube's falling out with his former group produced entertaining material ("No Vaseline" is still one of the greatest diss records of all time), I would've traded it all in to hear Amerikkka's Most Wanted Cube on Efil4Zaggin Dre beats for just a few songs.  And it seemed like we came oh-so-close when Cube made his cameo in the "Let Me Ride" video and we were promised "Helter Skelter" on the "Doggystyle" insert.  Well, I guess we had "Natural Born Killaz".  Then we were teased once again with the proposed reunion of NWA.  But after the lukewarm response to "Chin Check" and  "Hello", the plans were quickly axed. (I've also heard "D**k Tease" from the "Laugh Now Cry Later" sessions was produced by Dre but I've never had that confirmed).  Since Cube is strictly on the independent tip now when it comes to music, I guess we'll never get to hear a Dre/Cube album.

As it stands, Cube could never release a song again and his place in hip-hop history (not to mention music history in general) would be more than cemented.  So get that money movie, Cube, and thanks for the memories.  A lot of suburban kids owe their entire knowledge of the Compton hood to you.

The Evidence.

"Dope Man". "To be a dopeman/you must qualify/don't get high off your own supply..."

"The Grand Finale".  "Muthaf**kas I'll slaughter/Blow 'em out the water/Word to me/F**k the father..."

"The N***a Ya Love To Hate".  "Kickin' s**t called street knowledge/Why more n***as in the pen than in college?"

"Jackin' For Beats".  "Gimme that beat fool/It's a full time jack move..."

"A Bird in the Hand".  "I'll never get love again/But blacks are too f**king broke to be Republicans..."

"Steady Mobbin'".  "Rather be judged by twelve than carried by six..."

"When Will They Shoot?".  "They killed JFK in '63/So what the f**k you think they'll do to me?"

"We Had To Tear This Muthaf**ka Up".  "I told you it would happen and you heard it/Read it/And all you could call me was anti-Semetic..."

Not from Houston, but I rap a lot...

Taking a momentary break from my "favorite rhymes spitters" posts, I found this interesting thread on SOHH.  I understand people can hide under the anonymity of the internet and claim to be whoever they want... but this sounds legit.  Regardless, this is an entertaining thread...

"Ask a former Rap-A-Lot employee anything..."

When I first started getting into hip-hip (late 80's/early 90's), I liked my hip hop violent, nihilistic, and controversial as possible.  So it goes without saying I immediately took a liking to the Geto Boys and Rap-A-Lot artists.  And while hip hop always feuded on a bi-coastal level, this independent powerhouse in Houston were making their own brand of raw music on its own terms.  In the process, they pioneered styles that both coasts would liberally borrow from in years to come.

Production-wise alone, I always felt the East Coast owed a huge debt to RAL.  A few a examples...

Geto Boys, "City Under Siege".

Lil Kim, "No Time".

Geto Boys, "No Nuts No Glory".

State Property, "No Glory".

Geto Boys, "Six Feet Deep".

Cam'Ron, "Hey Ma".

Anyways, I understand producers use the same samples all the time.  But I always felt RAL were ahead of their time in the way they used soul samples.  And from a lyrical standpoint, Scarface had suicidal tendencies on record before Biggie ever dropped.  Ganksta Nip had horrorcore on lock before the Gravediggaz were around.  J. Prince was the original independent label don before Master P., Baby, or Suge Knight has even conceived their labels.  Countless artists have named Scarface as one of their favorite rappers and biggest influences ever.  I could go on and on.

My point being, it's always been a favorite pastime of hip hop to sh*t on the South... so it's about high time we paid our respects.

My favorite rhyme spitters ever: Canibus edtion.

In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time.  No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion).  These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective.  Think the Vince Carters of MC'ing.  And with all that considered, next up is...

CANIBUS (circa '98-2000)

Once upon a time, an intern for the Lost Boyz (or office manager or something or other, who knows) was asked to spit a verse on one of their songs.  And within those 30 seconds of unadulterated lyrical wizardry, a monster was born.

From then on, Canibus was being heralded as hip hop's savior from the Shiny Suit era.  He would return hip hop to its essence, where lyrics mattered more than the size of your diamonds or the price tag on your champagne.  Every time I heard 'Bis spit on a Clue mixtape or drop a guest verse on a track, I ate it up and was feenin' for the next one.  It's not even that his metaphors were that amazing.  It's that he spit them with such unabashed ferocity that he made you believe words could kill.  And oh, the number of MC's he left in his wake.  There was even a story circulating that on some legendary night, he battled each of the Wu-Tang MC's and took them out one by one.

Unfortunately, fate did not (or has it ever) looked too kindly upon the Battle MC.  After harmlessly (and rather creatively) mentioning LL's tattoo on a posse track, Mr. Mama Said Knock You Out was on a mission of vengeance (Eminem was right, that is possibly the dumbest reason to start a battle ever).  But let's be honest.  LL didn't knock Canibus out.  And despite the bold proclamation of knocking out a legendaryr rapper (still one of the best diss tracks ever), Canibus knocked himself the f**k out.  By letting Wyclef produce his debut.

After the debacle that was his first album (which I still think is overcriticized), he was banished to the abyss of the underground, where only backpackers dare to tread.  The scientific metaphors and vocabulary came line after line until he had scared off almost every hip hop fan, leaving only the cultists standing in the aftermath (and no, they don't understand a damn thing he's saying either).

The demise of Canibus' once promising career stands as one of my personal, biggest, hip-hop-related disappoinments ever.  Back then, when someone was proclaimed to be the next one, it meant something.  And as materialistic hip hop began to run rampant at the time, I just wanted someone to bring that true school hip hop back.  Canibus was supposed to be it.  Who would've thought that from the Class of '98, Canibus truly would be "the difference Harvard and DeVry"?  Just not on the side of his own metaphor that he expected.

The Evidence.

"Beasts From the East".  "F**k y'all/You don't impress me/And no one can test me/An MC so ill I got AIDS scared to catch me..."

"4,3,2,1".   "Who's the God of rap you saying is nice/I beat a n***a to death and a dead n***a to life..."

"Music Makes Me High" Remix.   "Rhymes ricochet off the inner walls of my lungs/And go past the tongue faster than bullets come out of guns..."

"Desperados".  "At a thousand degrees celsius/I make MC's melt/F**k a record label/I appear courtesy of myself..."

Funkmaster Flex Freestyle.  "For all you n***as saying my s**t is sick/Just imagine the 90 percent of my brain that I ain't even used yet..."

Tony Touch Freestyle.  "I'm the greatest scientifically inclined mind since Einstein..."

My 10 favorite rhyme spitters ever.

In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time.  No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion).  These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective.  Think Vince Carter.  And with all that considered, here is...

INSPECTAH DECK.

When Wu-mania invaded America with a fury in the mid-90's, some Wu members definitely reaped the ensuing benefits better than others.  Meth had the mainstream fame, Rza instantly became a legendary producer, ODB had the notoriety, Rae and GZA had the backpackers (before the phrase devolved into an insult) going wild.

And then there was Deck.  The Rebel INS.  He was the straight spitter of the group.  The MC's MC.  No overt kung fu references.  No overblown coked-out alter ego.  And especially after his opening verse on "Triumph", hip hop head thoughts they had another true lyricist to be reckoned with on their hands.  Which they did.  But something happened along the way.  What was it?

His solo joint (rumored to be called "Assassination Day") was long delayed.  Urban legend has it that it was to be entirely produced by the RZA (in his hey day, no less) but all the beats originally slated for the album got lost in a basement flood (when will these producers learn that when the flood comes, gravity will lead it to the lowest floor first?  Q-Tip anyone?).  And when the album finally dropped, it dropped with a thud.  Not that the album was terrible, mind you.  Deck was still as lyrically sharp as ever.  And unlike your average super-freestyler,  he even seemed to be able to diversify his content rather than drop track after track of 100-bar marathons.  He just seemed to have caught the Canibus-itis... The beats (no longer exclusively RZA's) just didn't seem to pack the same punch as Deck's lyrical prowess and ability.

With Wu-Tang's popularity starting to wane by then, Deck seemed to fade further into obscurity.  If Meth, Rae, and GZA's follow ups had trouble finding the same audience as before, what chance did Deck have?  Regardless, to this day, I still enjoy putting on those 90's Wu albums as much as any hip hop head.  And Deck's verses will always remain highlights... not to mention reminders of what could have been.

The Evidence.

"C.R.E.A.M."  "But as the world turned I learned life is hell/Living in the world no different from a cell..."

"Guillotine (Swordz)"  "Poisonous paragraphs/smash ya phonograph in half/It be the Inspectah Deck on the warpath..."

"Triumph"  "I bomb atomically/Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses/Can't define how I be droppin' these..."

"Cold World"  "Extortions for portions of streets/Causes beef/Having followers of Indians tryin' to play chief..."

"It's Yourz" "It's only natural/Actual facts are throwin' at you/The impact'll blow tress back and crack statues..."

"Above the Clouds" "The maker/owner/plus soul controller/The Ayatollah rest in the sky/The clouds' my sofa..."

"Tru Master" "I bang with the big boys/Those who hold game/Amateurs get hung with their own gold chains..."

What's the difference between me and you?

The s**t is just frustrating.

As you've probably heard by now, Maino has a mainstream hit out, "All of the Above".  It is produced by Just Blaze and features T-Pain autotuning the chorus to his heart's content.  Now I don't begrudge the man any success.  God bless him.  It seems like so few mixtape rappers make it out of the starting gates these days, any of them that get a chance to release a hit single (much less, an album) should be lauded.

The song itself though sounds vaguely familiar to a song that was a hit sometime last year and continues to get radio spins on the regular... T.I.'s "Live Your Life".  That joint was also produced by (surprise, surprise) Just Blaze and features Rihanna in full autotune mode on the chorus (T-Pain must've been booked).

Now I have nothing against T.I. either.  And this post is definitely not a rant against Just Blaze (whom I have immense respect for as a producer, even though he seems to be going to the well one too many times with his new found formula for mainstream success).

No, this post is about the now-proven-to-be-gutless Atlantic Records.  Both of these artists are on Atlantic.  And yet there was only one artist on this label who I've been dying to hear from.  That would be SAIGON.  And guess what?  Before either of the above-mentioned songs had even been conceived, Saigon ALSO had a potential hit single on his hands called, "Believe It".  It was ALSO produced by Just Blaze.  It ALSO incorporates a catchy synth melody as its foundation.  It ALSO featured an autotune chorus (sung by Just Blaze but he later revealed they were originally reference vocals for T-Pain).  Yet two of the artists pictured above have hit singles and one got booted from the label.

Saigon tried to do what Atlantic asked him by delivering a hit single.  Which he would've had.  And we would've had "The Greatest Story Never Told" finally in record stores.

I can understand backing a proven hit maker like T.I.  I can even understand giving Maino another single and video since "Hi Hater" was a modest hit.  What I can't understand is if we are to believe that music companies actually LISTEN to the music they try to put out, could not ONE person have seen that "Believe It" was just as commercially viable as the other two songs and given it at a chance?  Do they truly believe that the listeners will blindly flock to names they may have heard on the radio before without actually listening to the music?

The more frustrating part may be I can't definitely answer that last question.

Countdown to "Relapse": 12 days left.

I guess someone out there has "Relapse".  It's just a matter of when they want to leak it.

It's amazing what the internet has done to the music industry these days, for better or for worse. It's seriously got people running around like fiends. It's only appropriate that the new album is called "Relapse".   So for those who find themselves scratching themselves like Tyrone Biggums, here's another couple quick fixes.  New snippets floating around the net...

"Underground" snippet.

"Stay Wide Awake" snippet.

Once again, the beats sound pretty good, flow's on point, lyrics are solid... but THAT ANNOYING ACCENT is still around.  I just hope it doesn't ruin an otherwise good album.

"If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hatin'."

Countdown to "Relapse": 2 weeks left.

Now the Interscope machine is going full steam ahead with the promotion of Eminem's "Relapse".  This week we have...

Eminem's new music video for "3 AM".  This song is a solid one.  And despite the slightly obnoxious delivery (still can't stand that accent), the song itself is reminiscent of the "Slim Shady" Eminem.  The accompanying video is really good though.  I love the old school horror flick feel it has.  Given all the copious amount of blood present in the video and violent theme, I doubt this plays on MTV (I don't watch MTV so I can't confirm that).  No wonder it debuted on Cinemax.

Eminem, "3 AM".

Then next up, we have the new song "Old Times Sake", featuring Dr. Dre.  The song itself is also solid... not amazing, but good.  It's a "Business"-type album cut backed by Dre production (also not amazing, but good).  I've always felt Dr. Dre gave better beats to other artists.  A lot of Dre's beats on Eminem's album have always seemed a little below Dre standards to me.  Maybe it's just the way Eminem sounds on Dre's beats.  Or maybe he doesn't want to overwhelm Eminem's already-over-the-top style.  

In any case, I still don't feel blown away by anything Eminem has released from "Relapse" thus far.  Yet I still am highly anticipating it.  Have my expectations for good hip hop just fallen this far?  Or do I just believe Eminem is saving his best stuff for the album to make us believe cohesive albums (as opposed to random collections of hit-or-miss singles) still exist?  I am hoping for the latter.

The come up.

I don't get hyped too often about new artists these days.  Part of it is the sheer oversaturation of the market these days (who doesn't have a mixtape out?) and part of it is, well, the music just sucks.  

But I've been listening to this cat J. Cole lately who is supposedly Jay-z first signee to his new label, Roc Nation.  I have to admit I'm catching on a little late... but this guy does have skills.  Drake seems to be getting all the love (not undeserved but probably also) from his association with Lil' Wayne.  J. Cole also has that seemingly effortless flow... sounding smooth but street-rugged at the same time.  And maybe that's what I like about him versus the rest of these up-and-comers.  I don't care about the Kid Cudi's, the Wale's, the Charles Hamilton's.  Maybe I'm guilty of just lumping them all in together with that hipster-hop scene (and to think of it, I am because I can't recite one single Charles Hamilton lyric... but he reps Sonic the Hedgehog for god's sake).  I just want that to-the-point, lyrics-no-chaser hip hop back.

RapRadar just dropped this new joint by him today:

But if you want some more help catching up like I did, check out his mixtape, "The Come Up".

Thank me later.

It's mostly the voice.

Maybe the Eminem that was introduced to us in the late nineties is gone for good.  And maybe it's time I (along with a plethora of other elitist hip hop snobs) should learn to accept that.

This past week, we heard the third Eminem joint that may or may not be on his long overdue comeback album, "Relapse".  First, the Relapse Freestyle.  Then the first single, We Made You.  And now, 3 A.M.  So I'll just ask the same question that's been on everyone's minds...

WHERE THE HELL DID THAT ACCENT COME FROM AND WHAT IS HIS OBSESSION WITH IT?

When I heard it on "Encore", I thought perhaps Marshall was so bored of being light years ahead of the average MC (not to mention the overabundance of garbage that was being peddled as hip hop) that he was merely trying to amuse himself.  And rub it in our collective faces.  And STILL sell millions of records at the same time (I remember hip hop nerds trying to convince themselves Canibus was doing the same with with "C True Hollywood Stories"... except that album sold only a few albums, not a few million).  An elaborate social experiment that could only be concocted by the mind of Marshall Mathers (not to mention one of the few who would have the ability to conduct said experiment with his access to Interscope money).

But now... after all this time away from the limelight... away from the distractions and unwanted attention that comes with the superstar lifestyle... after being able to retreat from it all and just focus on the MUSIC again... he decided to bring that damn accent back along with him.

Don't get me wrong.  Eminem's flow is still on point.  He still has ridiculous amounts of ability.  And 3 A.M. is a solid hip hop joint.

But something about just hearing that accent just reminds me that I have to let go of the music I loved and try to compromise with what's out now.  There is no more Get You Mad.  No more Just Don't Give A F***.  Or Kill You.  Or Locked Up Tonight.  Except on my IPod.  So for now, I'll add 3 A.M. to them and just be grateful that at least Em hasn't resorted to autotune yet.  For now.

FINALLY...

Okay, so it's not "The Greatest Story Never Told".  And it's not over Just Blaze production.  But Saigon has finally dropped an album.  "All In A Day's Work".

Like a lot of people, I first heard Saigon on the "Yardfather" mixtapes (in 2004?  When was that?  I don't even remember) and was instantly hooked.  He had the lyrics, flow, delivery, content... plus had a knack for picking the right beats to compliment his style.  Honestly, the last time I heard a rapper with that kind of potential was 50 Cent in his pre-Shady mixtape days.  Then the buzz grew.  He linked with Just Blaze.  Signed with Atlantic.  Appeared on "Entourage".  The table had been set.  He was being groomed to be the next rap superstar.

Then everything began to crumble.  One album delay after another.  Then the Prodigy fiasco.  Then he claims retirement.  Then he claims it was a ploy to get out of his deal with Atlantic.  Then he's left label-less.  Then we don't hear anything for awhile.  Just Blaze is off making hits with T.I. and the like while the rest of wonder, "What the hell happened to Saigon?"

Then the Joe Budden beef pops off, et cetera et cetera, fast forward to now... we finally have a Saigon album.  And of course I (as many others) am still waiting on his much-vaunted (mostly by himself) proper debut album.  But until then, we have this maybe-not-classic-but-still-very-good "street album" to tide us over.  Statik Selektah's stock has been on the rise as a producer lately... and his gritty beats are an excellent compliment to Saigon's rugged-but-intricate flow.  For all those who constantly bitch and moan about the death of hip hop (myself not excluded), do yourself a favor, visit Itunes or Amalgam Digital's website, and go cop a real hip hop album.

(Here's one freebie to entice you.  Listen to how good just the intro is.)

Rewind Effect, Spring '09

WHERE MY KILLER TAPE AT?

"Yo, Meth... where my Killer tape at??!"  This shirt was inspired by the infamous skit featured on the Wu-Tang Clan's seminal debut album, "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (which was, in turn, inspired by John Woo's cinematic masterpiece, "The Killer" starring Chow Yun-Fat.)  This original design depicts a famous scene from "The Killer" on top of Raekwon's classic quote.

COP ONE BY CLICKING HERE.

TROUBLESOME

"Let it be known, I'm troublesome..."  Love him or hate him, you can't dispute the legendary status of 2Pac's legacy.  In his later years, his off-wax persona almost garnered him as much notoriety as his passionate lyrics.  This shirt features a famous image of Pac spitting on reporters just as he emerged from court, set against a backdrop of his lyrics from one of his greatest unreleased songs.

COP ONE BY CLICKING HERE.

I BELIEVE

"I believe the children are the future..."  The superstars leading the way in the rap game were once just kids with dreams too.  This collage incorporates well-known youthful images of now-legendary hip hop icons emblazoned with an inspirational quote from a classic 80's R&B tune.  (If you can't recognize 'em, you just ain't hip hop.)

COP ONE BY CLICKING HERE.