The Brokest Writer You Know

Top 10 Adlibs of all Time

2009-07-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

The best adliber ever? "Yeah!"

Alotta cats don't like adlibs...dropping ill lines shows more talent than a lame gimmick adlib, they say. And sure, some adlibs can get annoying after a while. But, generally, I'm a sucka for an ill adlib. They can really have a strong effect on a verse...be it adding humour, emphasing a punchline or just displaying all around swagger. But which artists' adlib phrases are the coolest? Let's explore...

10. Jim Jones "Ballin!" You gotta mention it...cos everyone associates Jim Jones with the phrase. In fact, it's hard to bring him up without impersonating the adlib...it's just too funny for some reason!

9. Joe Budden: Various ("Ill! (Ill!), "Waitaminute", "Ugh!") Budden has some real cool adlibs. The "Ill!" echo thing that appears throughout his Mood Muzik mixtapes is cool (even though I'm pretty sure that's actually not him saying it). His other adlibs are always delivered passionately and add emphasis to the accompanying lyrics.

8. Pusha T: "Yeeuuughh!" This is a great one...often delivered when the beat cuts out for a sec, really grabbing the listener's ear. He spits this adlib with such nastiness that it rightly became Pusha's calling card...at any Clipse show just listen to the crowd join him in the infamous "Yeeuuuughh!" delivery.

7. Master P: "Uhhhhhhhhh!" This is more of an infamous one. Master P ruled the game in the mid-to-late 90s, and this adlib became synonymous with the man. So...it's pretty much historical and shit. And it's real fun to do too...

6. Sandman - "Yeah...cannons!" This one has to be included due to sheer persistence: it appears at the beginning of every Sandman appearance (it sounds pretty awesome over heavy, intense beats like those featured on the Clipse's We Got It 4 Cheap Vol 2 Mixtape). His label, C.A.N.N.O.N.S. Inc., includes a deep list of artists including HouseWife, Lil’ Spazz, Lo’ Pro, Kawshen, Wild Bill, Eddie Somerset, Teflon, Chris Bugz, Cheech Myers, Rush and Filthy Rich. I guess he's trying to get a little more exposure to his project with his ever present adlib. And hey...it worked: here I am giving it some light.

5. Jadakiss: "Eh haa!" This is just a real cool sounding adlib. It is a fun adlib and almost tongue in cheek. It says "Yep...it is me. And I am so fly I can laugh about it but make it sound crazy cos ya'll muthafuckas love me"

4. Rock: *Wierd evil laugh* ("hehehehe") / Ruck (Sean Price): "P!" Heltah Skeltah bring it collectively. Rock has that awesome evil laugh thing going on in most of is verses, right in the background when he drops a quotable. Like his lines, the evil laugh is also tongue in cheek and helps bring you into the whole crazy gangsta shit he does so well.

Then there is Sean Price. His famous "P!" shout is addictive as hell. Hearing the "P!" is unlike anything else in hip-hop. With the holler of that one simple letter, Sean delivers emphasis of a punchline and is also pretty much reminding us he has control of the mic...all attention should be directed towards his verse, if it wasn't already. His lines demand our ears, so listen up to "P!"

3. DMX - *Bark*, *Growl* Nothing really needs to be said here. The whole concept of the bark is crazy...crazy enough that it works almost as well as any adlib in the game. The first time you hear him imitating the sacred canine with barks and growls you almost don't know how to react...all you know is, you want to hear it again. And again.

2. Playboy Tre - Various ("Nah!", "Mayne!", *high pitched wierd laugh*) I just love Playboy Tre's adlibs. The southern veteran doesn't rely on crazy rhymes, word plays and flow, but more on actual content, often emotional. His adlibs therefore are vital to his verses, and they are delivered with such weight and meaning that they become highlights. Then he has this cool little laugh which he does sometimes, which is almost like the antidote for his more angry, passionate adlibs.

1. Young Jeezy - Various ("Yeah!", "Dayum!", "Haha!") Jeezy. Obviously number one. The long "Yeah!" he spits is infectious. Some of my favorite adlib tracks of his are the UGK jawn with Jigga "I'm Throwed" and the T.I. joint "I'm Straight". Also he has my favourite adlib progression of all time, occuring in the song "Don't Get Caught," where he spits (adlibs in brackets):

"Some niggas rob (What?) / Some niggas slang (For real?) / Some niggas stack (Nawh!) / Some niggas bang (Yeh!)"

and the "Yeh!" at the end just cracks me up. It's hard to explain why it's so funny...it's delivered so forcibly when you wouldn't really expect it...it's adlib genius...that's Jeezy.

Top 10 album delays of all time

2009-05-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

Saigon: Release My Album Dammit!

Waddup, it's been a minute. I been at Michigan State Uni studying for a semester, but now I'm back in Melbourne.

So there's been a few projects I been anticipating lately, and they keep getting pushed back (Raekwon, Big Boi, etc.). And it's annoying as hell. It's a familiar story...skilled artist gains following, gets signed to a major label, artist creates music on the creative tip, label wishes for more mainstream material prompting lack of funding to the project, delays and often ultimate non-release of album. You may have recorded a classic, but that shit ain't ever gonna see the light of day. After all, Reasonable Doubt only ever made 23rd on the Billboard charts.... Lupe told us he'd never "dumb it down" but not every rapper is CEO of the label they are signed to.

So what are the top 10 most infamous album delays of all time? Let's have a look...

10. Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana - I Can't Feel My Face. Many heads (myself included) were drooling with anticipation when Juelz and Weezy announced a collab album was in the works back in 2006. However, Juelz was signed to Diplomat Records (owned by Cam'ron); Weezy to Cash Money. Cam wasn't the most encouraging label head when it came to collabarations with artists from other labels...clearly, the project was not going to progress smoothly. However, it is clear that Weezy and Juelz really wanted to pursue the collab...in one interview I remember Weezy was asked "Who else in the game is closest to your level?" to which he responded "Only one cat...Juelz Santana." Juelz wanted to complete a few mixtapes with Weezy to show Cam that Cash Money and Dipset were on the same page. And Weezy himself named two songs on his classic Da Drought 3 mixtape "Dipset" and "Dipset 2". However, this clearly was not enough. Juelz's rights have been sold to Def Jam since, and perhaps the album might yet see the light of day. A leak, My Face Can't be Felt, has hit the streets...it may or may not be the last we hear of the project. Only time will tell...

9. Papoose - The Nacirema Dream. Jive are involved both here and for Number 2 on the list - shame! After gaining popularity in the streets with his many mixtape releases, 'Poose signed a deal in 2006 with Jive for $1.5 million. However, he and favored DJ Kay Slay were apparently the victim of "A&R Hell" at the label and eventually left. Somehow, Papoose managed to keep the $1.5 million (or so he claims). Not bad work if you can get it...anyway, so we are still without a debut album from Papoose. Like Saigon, he might have missed the best time to capitalise on his hype...we'll see what happens.

8. Slum Village - Fantastic Volume 1/2. The new cats out of Detroit were causing a stir in the underground in the mid to late 90s. They signed to A&M Records and had Fan-Tas-Tic, their full-length debut, ready for release in 1997. However, once again, label politics forced the album to be postponed. Bootleg copies circulated first Michigan and then the country and the album gained much praise from many underground heads. SV continued to work on new material, yet with a new album completed in 1998 PolyGram (A&M's parent) was bought by Seagrams and A&M merged into Universal Music Group (most staff were let go and many artists dropped - it essentially folded). After a year or so with no label, the Village decided to put their new material together with some of Fan-Tas-Tic and release Fantastic Vol. 2 under GoodVibe Recordings and Barak Records in 2000. Fan-Tas-Tic in its original form didn't see release until 2005 under Counterflow, and was titled Fantastic Vol. 1.

7. J-Live - The Best Part. This highly talented NY cat came up in the mid 90s, and through 96-97 recorded an album with production from the likes of Premo, Pete Rock and Prince Paul. By all accounts, the album was close to completion in 97. However, problems with label Shack Records forced delays and eventually J-Live left the label. He ended up on Payday Records, which did not improve things at all: Warner Music Group bought London Records (Payday's parent) from Universal Music Group and the project was again scrapped. By this time it was 2001, and high quality bootlegs had begun to circulate (was J-Live himself behind these? Most certainly...yes). Luckily, third time lucky, the album was released later that year on the aptly named label Triple Threat Productions. J-Live had this to say in his liner notes about the album's odyssey: "[it was] built, robbed, destroyed, rebuilt, held up, postponed, cancelled, shelved, bootlegged, analyzed, exploited, slept on, supported, patiently awaited, and appreciated." The end result was a masterpiece, all be it slept on. I recommend everyone to check out this album as soon as possible!

6. Madvillain - Madvillainy II. After the magic of Madvillainy in 2004, everyone wanted a sequel. Everyone but MF Doom, it seems (I guess I should call him by his new name DOOM). Madlib had all the beats ready for a new album, and a joint named "Monkey Suite" appeared on Stones Throw's Chrome Children compilation as a teaser for the sequel with DOOM ripping it up. However, that was the last time we ever heard DOOM on a Madlib beat. By 2008 Madlib eventually got tired of waiting for DOOM, and just remixed Madvillainy. And...that was Madvillainy II. So the album I guess has been released...but not how we ever wanted it.

5. K.M.D. - Bl_ck B_st_rds. Remaining on the Daniel Dumile tip, this album's non-release ultimately created one of the greatest cult followings seen in hip-hop - that of MF Doom. Firstly, DJ Subroc was killed in a car accident shortly before completion of the album in 1993. Elektra dropped the outfit the same week, and to add insult to injury, the next year refused to release the album due to its controversial title and album cover (which featured a caricature of a Sambo figure being hanged). Zev Luv X (Subroc's brother) understandably did not react to this succession of events well, and disappeared into the depths of New York, and then Atlanta. He returned years later, after "recovering from his wounds", as MF Doom: the rest, as they say, is history. As Doom's popularity grew, Bl_ck B_st_rds was finally released in 2001 on Sub Verse Music.

4. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told. An amusingly ironic title, The Greatest Story Never Told, has seen numerous delays since 2005, the year it was originally scheduled for release. The album is supposed to be released by Fort Knocks Entertainment - Just Blaze's label under Atlantic Records. However, it seems Just does not get much input into proceedings...otherwise the album would have surely been released by now. Saigon claimed on his blog in 2007 that Atlanta are the perpatrators and only wanted to release "jingles" that would sell, not straight up real hip-hop (Just claimed it was because a sample could not be cleared...but this turned out to be wrong as even after it was cleared further delays ensued). Later that year he seemingly lost it, blasting the whole rap game and announcing his retirement. He later went back on this decision, but the announcement clearly showed his frustration with the label. Luckily, Saigon has finally got a release from Atlantic and he and Just Blaze have 100% ownership of the album. A new distribution deal is being sorted out now and the album should be released this year...finally!

3. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx II. Initially announced in 2005 (a decade after the release of the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx), this album has still not yet seen the light of day. It was first "finished" in January 2006, with Raekwon bullish over his recent signing to Aftermath Entertainment (Dre had 2 beats on there allegedly). Highly anticipated in 2007, it never dropped. Then, Dre suddenly wasn't "fuckin' with [the album] no more", instead focusing on Eminem's comeback album and presumably his own Detox joint. So Rae had to go and find a different distributing label. Currently it is expected to be released on his own Icewater Records through EMI on August 11, 2009. But, as always, who knows if this is the final story?

2. The Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury. After the succesful release of Lord Willin in 2002 with Arista Records, the Clipse looked to continue their momentum with a second release for the label. However, Sony and BMG merged in '04, forcing Arista to be dissolved into Jive Records. This was a slight hinderance on the progress of the album...but nothing like what would occur over the ensuing years. Jive straight fucked the Clipse...while originally an important label in the history of hip-hop, Jive were by this time completely refocused on pushing pop acts like Britney Spears. This is fair enough...what isn't fair is that they would't release the Clipse from their contract. Jive delayed the album all through the end of 2004 and all through 2005. Then the Clipse (who had already experienced having their first album Exclusive Audio Footage scrapped by Elektra records in 1999) quite rightly sued Jive for not allowing them to leave, which was not resolved until mid-2006. Eventually, the album was released at the end of the year. Perhaps it all ended up for the best...while all this happened the Clipse channeled their anger into some of the hottest shit heard this millenium. And we also got the great "We Got It 4 Cheap" parts 1 and 2 mixtapes while waiting...good things come to those who wait I guess.

1. Dr Dre - Detox. This is obviously number 1. Initially scheduled for a 2005 release, the first delays actually served the project well in my opinion: dude coulda put a cap on his solo career with a release in 2006...that would have made it a perfect 7 years between each of his albums. The hype around this time was also immense. But 2006 eventually came and went. In 2007 cats were still eagerly anticipating the album, but already frustrated by the delays. By 2008 no one really cared about the project anymore. Meanwhile Dre was keeping himself busy producing many a mediocre-to-good beat for other acts and also selling them Beats by Dr Dre Headphones. I think I also heard news that he was working on a movie score. Clearly Detox has been the last thing on his mind. That said, apparently the album will see a release this year, but we've all heard that one before. Dre straight blew it...the longer he waits, the better the album must be to appease fans. Everyone involved claims its some next level shit...but they also said the same of Relapse so it's kinda hard to take their thoughts seriously.

Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2008

2008-12-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

Black Milk: Number 1 in '08

There's been lots of mad non hip-hop albums released this year too...including Raphael Saadiq, Solange, Jazmine Sullivan, TV on the Radio, Cut Copy and the list goes on. But here are my top 10 hip-hop joints...

1. Black Milk - Tronic
We already knew Detroit boy Black Milk was a talented producer after he gave us his debut Popular Demand last year...hell, many would claim he was the best up and coming producer in the land. But after the release of Tronic there is no question: Milk is the best producer in the land right now, and he is no longer up and coming...he is right here, in his prime. This sophomore effort came quicker than many would have expected, indicating that Milk is just a natural with the beats and can whip 'em out in no time (don't forget he also produced the bulk of Number 6 on this list...Elzhi's The Preface). Adding a more electro synth sound to his already impressive sampling skills and street drums gives this album a unique, and incredibly pleasing sound throughout. And how about his rhymes? They do their job, with a few nice lines here and there...but it is the guests who shine, most noticeably Royce da 5'9 who just sounds so at home over any Black Milk production.

2. Young Jeezy - The Recession
So a mainstream album up at number 2? Yeah...deal with it. This album has been underrated in my opinion. The beats are spectacular...this is Jeezy's best album yet beat-wise. And considering his lyricsm has improved (all be it slightly), that would make this Jeezy's best album yet period. Be it the momentous grand opening intro produced by Toomp, or Drumma Boy's awesome "Put On", the beats knock hard, and mainly feature great sample selection. Jeezy muses about life a little more here than previously, which is always welcome, as his thoughts are generally memorable. But mainly, its more of the same. This is also welcome if, like me, you just enjoy Jeezy's style on a track. The album also features the verse of the year: Kanye's on "Put On". The track is also up there for best track of the year, in my opinion.

3. Shawn Jackson - First of all
The sleeper of the year. If you haven't heard of SJ, you are not alone, but I would recommend you try and hear some of his shit. First of all (pun intended) the dude straight up has "swagger like a dagger" and rips tracks up. Secondly, he works with this mad producer named Mekalek who produces straight masterpieces. 5 or 6 beats on here are just incredible, and never get old. And SJ does to them exactly what should be done...especially on "Feelin' Jack". Tres Records, also behind Blu (one of my favorite cats in the game), are clearly making a name for themselves.

4. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Yeah, you know I'm all about the beats. And this shit features hit after hit...there are some real nice productions on here. And Weezy came pretty nice on this, which was surprising as his other recent shit hasn't been impressive. It really is hard to find a weak track on here...well that's not true, "La La La" is pretty easy to spot as wack, but other than that, this shit is tight. It's also great to hear Juelz on a track again...he straight rips up "You Ain't Got Nothing".

5. T.I. - Paper Trail
A huge improvement from T.I. Vs T.I.P., you gotta give mad props to T.I. for coming back strong. Sure, it's hard to stomach tracks like "Whatever you like", but you can't deny it's a hit. And there are some great tracks scattered throughout this album, including "No Matter What" where T.I. succesfully gets on his inspiring/introspective ish over a dopely-laced Danja beat. The first few tracks on the album are straight fire, especially the insanely positive "On Top of the World", while the middle lacks a little, but picks up strongly towards the end with a couple of slower jawns (including a fine production effort by Justin Timberlake). With far more good tracks than wack ones, this album deserves its spot here at number 5.

6. Elzhi - The Preface
Again, Black Milk produces the majority of this record and the end result is straight fire. The beats are not as consistently strong as Tronic but there are some straight up bangers in here. "Motown 25" is the highlight of the album, with an insane beat, Elzhi's typically expert lyriscm and a guest verse from Royce that straight flattens you.

7. Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T.
You may know, Sean Price is my favorite rapper. On this album he does not dissapoint, nor does his comrade Rock. They both spit that awesome hardcore humour rap that you've all grown to love...but so why is this down at number 7, and not higher? Well, the production feels a little predictable throughout. Like theres always some high pitched synth going on with some lame-ass riff it's almost trying too hard to be gangster in places. When the producers do get it right (for example "Da Beginning of Da End" by 10), the result is hard to beat.

8. The Roots - Rising Down
Mos Def begins this jawn with a stupdendously awesome verse, and shit just continues on from there. Listening to this album will really take your mind away from wherever you are, whatever you are doing. It'll suck you right in, with it's heavy synths and sound. Sometimes the darkness can get a little too much, and more tracks like the excellent closer "Rising Up" would be welcome. But I guess The Roots were probably going for that sound and did exactly what they wanted hear, and you gotta admit, it is pretty cool. And as always, the instrumentation is crazy...word em up ?uestlove.

9. The Game - L.A.X.
This album was solid, and proves an enjoyable listen. However, I was expecting much more from this: Doctor's Advocate was one of my favourite albums of recent times. I didn't mind Game's spitting much...it was more the beats. The straight up heaters from DA were just not present here, excepting "Dope Boys". That's not to say all the beats were bad, just the more laid back style I find does not suit Game as much as the bangers do. Props for the originality behind "Never Can Say Goodbye" though, where duke takes on Tupac, Biggie and Eazy-E's mindset before their respective deaths. Oh yeah, and DMX...wtf?

10. EMC - The Show
This album offers plenty of straight heat lyrics wise: you'd be hard pressed to find four iller spitters (Masta Ace, Stricklin, Punch & Words) together on a record. Unfortunately some of the ideas aren't really hittin' ("Grudge"). And some of the hooks on a couple of tracks I really ain't feelin ("Make it Better","We Alright"). But otherwise, its a solid album, with plenty of ill rhymes and production. And the Sean Price track? FIYAH!!!

Top 10 One-Liners

2008-08-29T09:21:00.001-07:00

Big L: The illest one-line spitter of all time

There is nothing like a dope one-liner. That shit that just makes you wyle out the first time you hear it...and everytime after it never gets old. Sometimes they are humurous, othertimes they are just ill wordplay, or sometimes they just poetic muthafuckas. I reckon Big L was the king of one-liners - just go listen to Lifestylez of da poor and dangerous. Anyways, here are some random ones I picked out:

MC Suffa (Hilltop Hoods) on "Dumb Enough"
"I make origami of your lyrics / (geez that's good Suffa, what is it?)......IT'S A SWAN!"

Sean Price on "Madman"
"I rock, Mecca, Polo, Iceberg, Fubu, but Ecko I rock
Better solo, fight, hurt, shoot you and jet yo [repeat]"

MF Doom on "Meat Grinder"
"Borderline Schizo / Sorta Fine Tits though / Pour the wine, hold the grind, quarter to nine, lets go"

Juelz Santana on "You Ain't Got Nothing"
"I'm a shark, ya'll just koifish / (what else?)...Octupus, (what else?)...Oysters"

Jay-Z on "Dead Presidents II"
"I had near brushes, not to mention / 3 shots close range, never touched me, divine intervention"

Biggie on "Brooklyn's Finest"
"If Faye had twins, she'd probably have two Pacs...get it, Tupac's?"

Talib Kweli on "Hater Players"
"Reverse psychology got em scared to say when shit is wack / Out of fear of being called a hater, imagine that?"

Mos Def on "Mathematics"
"Like I got...16 to 32 bars to rock it / But only 15 percent of profits...ever see my pockets"

Joe Budden on "Family Reunion"
"I flow sickly, ridin' bumpin' old Biggie/ roll with me or lose weight, Nicole Richie"

Prodigy on "Shook Ones Part II"
"Meanwhile back in Queens, the realness and foundation
if I die, I couldn't choose a better location
when the slugs penetrate, feel a burning sensation
getting closer to God...in a tight situation now"

Big L on "Da Graveyard"
"I'm known for snatchin purses and bombin churches /
I get more pussy on accident then most niggas get on purpose"

Big Pun on "Twinz (Deep Cover '98)"
"Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know we’d riddled some middlemen who didn’t do diddly"

GZA on "Gold"
"I'm deep down in the back streets - in the heart of Medina /
About to set off something more deep than a misdemeanor"

Common on "I Used to love H.E.R."
"I'm gonna take her back hoping this shit stop / Cos who I'm talking about ya'll is hip-hop"

New Heltah Skeltah Coming Soon

2008-08-19T16:07:00.001-07:00

Yo, I been real busy at uni but this should keep ya'll smart dumb cats busy for a bit.

Need I say anything more? These guys are fucking sick and D.I.R.T. is gonna be supreme dopeness!

Top 20 Premo Beats

2008-07-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

I feel it's time to get back on my hip-hop tip. Today, I wanted to discuss the greatest beats by one of the greatest producers of all time: DJ Premier. There are so many dope beats by him, I made it a top 20, but still the chances are your favourite is not on this list. I put some links there to some tracks...some are mp3s I uploaded, others are youtube links. I also tried to keep it only one beat per artist just so we can see dude's variety. Let's get this shit cracking...

20. Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man
Don't hate...if this were a beat for a rapper you'd say it's one of Premo's best. Christina comes nice on this anyway. This is just another notch in his belt: Premo can make hits. I even liked that beat he did for Limp Bizkit with Method Man - "N 2 Gether Now" you can't front that shit is ill!

19. Termanology - Watch How it Go Down
Love this shit. Termanology GOES TO WORK on this. Just keeps rapping for the whole track: and the soundscape Premo provides is fucking sick. I love it at the end how he scratches in Jay-Z's "Shit is wicked on these mean streets" from Premo's own "D'Evils". It's a great final touch on a dope track.

18. Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn Dodgers
That bell that comes in after the mad jazz band sample is insane. Chubb Rock is too.

17. Royce Da 5'9 - Hip Hop
Nice strings in here...and then some cool little bell riff. This track is appropriately named cos this beat is straight up hip-hop.

16. Buckshot LeFonque - Music Evolution
Mad jazz shit.

15. Rawkotics - Hard Core Hip-Hop
Some rare older shit...nonetheless take a listen: that is a mad beat.

14. Common - 6th Sense
Premo provides Common with a type of beat you rarely hear Common spit over. That more straight up hip-hop, less soulful cut. And it sounds great. Common + Premo would be a great partnership I reckon. Although they'll probably never collab again...after all Common already "found the new Premo" (Kanye).

13. Mos Def - Mathematics
It's an ill bassline on this one. Premo has some fun here, with an ill breakdown before Mos' second verse. The hook he scratches out is also sick: "Mighty Mos Def" / Fat Joe: "It's simple mathematics" Lady of Rage: "(check it out)" / Ghostface: "I revolve around science" / Ghostbusters sample: "What are we talking about here?" and then Erykah Badu sample "Do Your Math" leading into the breakdown.

12. The Lox - Recognize
Straight up banger.

11. Gangstarr - Above the Clouds
My fav Gangstarr beat. Inspectah Deck rips this up too. I think "Moment of Truth" was Premo's best production with Gangstarr...every beat on there is solid as fuck.

10. Biggie - Ten Crack Commandments
This has Premo all over it. The way he chops shit up, you can easily tell its dude: especially on this joint. This beat here seems impossible to play without nodding your head.

9. Dilated Peoples - Clockwork
Unlike Ten Crack Commandments, this one isn't as obvious Premo. I dunno it just sounds a bit different to his usual style, with just a phat clean bassline being pumped out rather than a dusty old piano sample or whatever. The hit at the end of each loop, is vintage Premo though. However, it is an insane beat, really gets me going. And the intro and outro to the track are awesome too.

8. Capone N Noreaga - Invincible
That's some ill up-tempo shit. Does exactly what a good hip-hop beat should do...create a platform for MCs to reach their full potential. It would be hard to spit anything on this and sound wack.

7. Blaq Poet - Voices
This is not as well known as some of these other joints. Check the link then if you haven't heard it. This is one bad record. Dark. Haunting. Fucking sick...just take a listen.

6. Nas - N.Y. State of Mind
So yeah he is handy with the MPC, chopping shit up. We all know that. But this track showcases just how important your drums are. This track is all about the drums...some of the best I've ever heard on a hip-hop track. Big, dirty, hard hitting joints. This track is pivotal in setting up the album - one that is regarded by many as the greatest hip-hop album ever made. I think it is therefore safe to say it achieved its goal.

5. Fat Joe - The Shit Is Real (Remix)
This is another one of them positive sounding Premo beats with a mad nostalgic type melody looped over his trademark head-nodding drums.

4. Jeru the Damaja - Come Clean
Premo has a distinctive sound, yet still manages to be one of the most creative cats out there. And it's all about the sample: any sound can be flipped and chopped up into a mad beat. Here it is water drops. But I just love the drums on this one. They contrast with the sample perfectly creating an awesome head-nodding rythmn that Jeru rips up. I also give a shout out here to the joint "Supastar" by another Gangstarr affiliate Group Home which is mad, but I haven't found room for on this list.

3. Jaz O and the Immobiliare - Love Is Gone
This is one slept on beat. He uses this mad electronic sounding sample and then incorporates some breath noise sample in there as well, with some guitar stabs. The result is a track that you can just play over and over, cos its so pleasing to the ears. Jaz O fills the track nicely, don't really know who that other cat is though.

2. Jay-Z - D'Evils/Bring It On
I'll give props to two instrumentals here, both from the classic Reasonable Doubt album. D'Evils is some crazy shit. Premo don't give a shit about no west coast/east coast beef shit...he samples Snoop and layers this mad piano riff over the top, setting an incredible mood on the track. Jay-Z absolutely murders the track, spitting some of greatest verses ever spat. Bring it On features a beautiful melancholy orchestral progression. Once Premo gets an ill sample, you know the track is gonna be dope, cos he's always gonna bring those drums.

1. J-Live - The Best Part
This is number one for me. Again, it all comes down to an ill sample. Here we have a mad pan flute type sound. Add some banging drums, an orchestra fill and some incredible scratching in the hook and you have an absolute classic.

Brand off to Sixers; Maggette joins Warriors

2008-07-09T03:48:00.000-07:00

Brand (career high of 25 PPG) and Maggette (career high of 22 PPG): both gone. All I know is this...Al Thornton's fantasy value just went up.

Damn. I guess this just goes to show...never predict a team's future before free-agent season has finished. Everything I wrote about the Clippers the other day is bogus. Without Brand, I don't think they are going anywhere. Baron is great...Brand is greater in my mind. But if I've learned anything today, its as I just said: do not judge before free-agent season has finished. Perhaps in the next couple of days they can manage to lure another big name player their way. Let's not judge them yet...

Scratch that...it's the Clippers. If you think about it, this is the way things were meant to pan out. After a history of being one of the least winningest franchises in sports history, the Clippers make the play-offs in '06, push Phoenix to 7 games, and give the fans some hope for the future. This is followed up with two lack-lustre, injury-riddled seasons, where it seems as if they are neither challenging nor rebuilding. This all makes perfect sense: the Clippers simply aren't meant to have prolonged success.

But after the Clippers agreed to sign Baron Davis last week, it all seemed perhaps times were indeed changing. "Brand and Davis, with some decent talent to build around? Yes please...Maggette? We aren't concerning ourselves with him anymore!" My whole post below sums up the feelings in Clipperland post-Baron, pre-today's horrible news. Now? Of course, it all makes perfect sense.

So that is twice Clippers fans have been treated with a cause to be optimistic, only to have it taken away. The first time was a longer gruelling process, the second short and sharp. Perhaps third time lucky? Don't count on it...it's the Clippers.

Here come the Clippstars!

2008-07-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

Boom Dizzle: Bringing some style to the Clippers

So it's that time of year again. The championship has been decided. The draft is over. The new season doesn't start for a good 4 months.

Remarkably, there is still plenty to talk about: for one, Baron Davis is a Clipper. I've already made this transaction in NBA 2K8, and, presuming Elton Brand stays, the Clippers are now an incredibly fun team to play with. One can only assume they will be as fun to watch. But will they get anywhere out west? Most people are saying they'll make the play-offs, but probably not achieve much else.

Me? I'm more positive on their potential. I believe they can certainly make some noise in the play-offs. The inside-outside duo of EB and Boom Dizzle will cause many headaches: most people agree this much. However, after finishing 23-59 last year, many do not rate the rest of the Clippers roster. This puzzles me. How short is their memory? The squad is not much different to that which pushed Pheonix to 7 games in the classic Western Conference Semis in 05/06. Sam Cassell and Vladimir Radmanovic are gone, and Maggette looks likely to leave, but otherwise you have Brand, Chris Kaman, Cat Mobley, Shaun Livingston and Quinton Ross who all have experience playing high-intensity play-off games together. Throw in Al Thornton, who looks like atleast a solid starter in this league, Eric Gordon (who could be hit or miss for my money) and Davis and how can you say they won't make any noise in the play-offs? (I should probably mention Tim Thomas is there too...although this is deservedly an afterthought)

40 wins in 06/07 and 23 last season. OK...let's not judge these win totals fully. In 06/07 the Clippers admittedly could have played better. But they were also hit by some injuries. Often they were essentially without a point guard, with Cassell and Livingston injured. And last season? Calling out the Clippers for that win total last year is incredibly harsh in my opinion. Injury-wise, it was a nightmare. Their franchise player (Brand) was out for the whole year. Their other big man, just-turned-German Chris Kaman, showed great improvement until he too missed most of the second half of the season due to injury. Let's also not forget that Livingston missed the whole season too. The Clippers just could not develop a reliable rotation thanks to the horrible run of injuries. Only one player started more than 60 games for the franchise...that was Maggette, and even he only started 65. The player who appeared in the most games for Clips was Thornton, their rookie. With all this in mind, how can you judge that season? Quite simply you cannot.

So how will their roster look next year? Assuming DeAndre Jordan plays in the D-League, Maggette leaves and noting that Dan Dickau, Paul Davis and Smush Parker have not been offered new contracts, it will look something like this (a "u" indicates the player is an unrestricted free agent, and "r" indicates he is a restricted free agent, so all this may obviously change rendering this article pointless):

PG - Baron Davis
SG - Cat Mobley
SF - Al Thornton
PF - Elton Brand (u)
C - Chris Kaman
Bench - Quinton Ross (u), Shaun Livingston (u), Eric Gordon, Tim Thomas, Nick Fazekas (r), Brevin Knight, Josh Powell, Marcus Williams (r)

The Clippers should perhaps look for a veteran wing or big on the free agent market to complete their roster.

Look at that team...not bad at all. Consider these guys a threat in 2009 play-offs!

Horford is Real (as are the Hawks)

2008-04-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I said Horford does not deserve to be this year's Rookie of the Year. By now, everyone pretty much agrees with this.

But that said: this Horford kid...he's got it. You know..."it"! He has it! That thing that elevates a player over others with similar skill and size. That thing that makes players become fan favourites, and that thing that draws the best out of his team-mates. That thing that let's the opposition know you don't take no shit...that thing that helps win games.

Horford, like Durant, has got it...and all of a sudden the Hawks seem to have a starting five with great potential. No, they probably won't win this series against Boston, but they have shown that on some nights they can match it with the best of the best. Give this team another year or so, and they could go places. Let's have a look at the starting 5.

PG - Mike Bibby
If he has an injury free pre-season and can grab some time to fully mesh with his new team-mates, next year could be a great one for the Hawks. He's still young enough to contribute his best to this team for a few seasons.

SG - Joe Johnson
The guy simply can make buckets. Some nights he may go cold, but when he is hot you can ride him for an easy W. Hand in the face? Doesn't matter. Fade-away? Money. When he is on, he can shoot with the best of them. On his off nights, that's when you need your post presence.

SF - Marvin Williams
Sure, he was picked over CP3. But that was hardly his fault, was it? The kid is getting better all the time. Possesing a solid mid-range jumper, nice finishing around the rim and a good Free Throw percentage, Williams is finally showing us what he can do. Not a terrible player to have there at the SF glueing things together. He definetely has another gear to climb, though.

PF - Josh Smith
OK, this guy is my favourite player. But looking past that, what does he bring to the table? He is probably the most athletically gifted player in the league, bar Lebron. Coupled with a natural defensive instinct, you better watch out when you are attempting to finish a fast break, or even in the half-court. Smith will most likely always be hovering. His shooting is a weakness, and incredibly streaky. It does seem however, he posseses enough of a base to improve this into a strength. Much practice will be needed in this area. Add this to his game, and he will be an All-Star, of that there is no doubt. He already fills up the stats sheet...with more PPG added he would be an incredibly useful player to build around.

C - Al Horford
The rather small line-up is completed by Horford. There is a reason he was part of two NCAA championship winning teams. He plays with heart, and confidence. His energy is infectouos. It seems that he will be towards the top of the rebounds per game list for years to come. Obviously he needs to work on his offensive game and lift his FG%. He may struggle at times around the rim, being smaller than your average centre, but must work to make up for this and get easy buckets on the fast break. It also seems he has a few moves that work from time to time which should be developed, as well as a mid-range jumper.

This young starting line-up offers plenty of potential. Childress offers a good option off the bench, but otherwise depth is a weakness in this Atlanta team. A solid veteran or two wouldn't go astray. A genuine 7-footer is also needed, and I would recommend the Hawks do all they can to secure one in the upcoming draft. Complete all these items on the franchise-building check-list and the Hawks could go somewhere real soon...let's see how it pans out.

Silence this Horford talk...Durant is MVP

2008-04-07T03:25:00.001-07:00

All year I have attempted to let my fellow basketball fans know that Durant is for real. I have championed his cause, and even gone so far as to say he will be more effective than Lebron offensively.

I take the same retorts over and over: nah, dude's shooting like 40% and look at Seattle's record. Plus his D is pretty average. They then go on to claim that not only is Durant not "all that", but Atlanta's Al Horford should be MVP. For example, this article.

First of all, lets tackle these claims against Durant. He is actually shooting 42.5% now. This is higher than Lebron shot in his rookie year. No one was ever talking down on Lebron back then, and for good reason: he has blossomed into the most dangerous offensive player in the game. People would be wise to not judge players while they are still in their first year, and still teenagers. And let's look at Durant's recent month of March and early April. He is shooting 50% and consistently scoring 20+ points per game. He is already improving his shot selection and the results are impressive. He is already learning: and that's the thing about Kevin, he really wants to learn. He wants to improve. He is going to get the most out of his potential.

"But Seattle's record is pathetic!" Obviously. They gave away Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, what do you expect. With either of them Durant would be getting easier looks, and the team would be getting more wins. There's no doubt he would be consensus ROY if either of those players had stayed. However, in the long run, this move is great. Why waste time...let Durant learn how to be the primary scorer now. To shoot 42.5% and 20 PPG in your rookie year when you are 19 and drawing the opposition's best defender every night is a very good effort, to me. Watch these numbers rise in coming years, like Lebron's did. Speaking of Lebron, Durant could match him or even eclipse him offensively: he has a better jumper, and seems to be an elite Free Throw Shooter. Rarely will you find a 19 year old shoot 90% from the line. This will allow him to use his height and attack the rim with the defender scared to give up the foul. Back off him? He'll shoot that smooth mid-range jumper...you will be damned either way. Durant will be a hell of match up problem.

"He plays no D!" Well, he is learning. He actually does play D, you can tell he is trying. I've seen coach Carlesimo put him on the premier scorer on the opposition and often Durant does a good job. His length troubles shooters. He currently struggles a little with lateral movement on the quicker, smaller guards...and probably will for the remainder of his career. However, Durant is going to be useful defensively. His long arms will pick off many steals and blocks. It is no secret though, that Durant's biggest asset is his offense. And those who point out that he is 6'9 yet only averages 4.2 boards a game can be quiet...he plays SG. Sure, he is 6'9, but he is out on the perimeter. How is he supposed to grab 7+ boards per game? (Unless his name is Kidd)

Finally, no offense, but if you give Al Horford ROY you are making a big mistake. Dude seems solid. People say he is on a team making a run at the play-offs. His team is winning more than Durant's, so he must therefore get ROY. Um...ok then, how come Bogut didn't win ROY in 2005? He took the Bucks to the play-offs, while Paul couldn't get the Hornets there. Yet it was obvious Paul was a superstar in this game. It is also obvious Durant is a superstar. When it comes to the ROY award, wins shouldn't account for all that much. Of course Durant has less wins...look at the age of his teammates. Does he have a Joe Johnson, Josh Smith or Mike Bibby on his team? Nope, he has no help of that quality. Of course the Hawks are going to win more games. And let's quickly analyse the stats. Sure, he is averaging twice the rebounds of Durant. He looks like a great rebounder. But he is averaging half the points. He is averaging less steals and blocks than Durant. He is the team's 5th scoring option yet only shoots 50% under the rim. No doubt he is the second best rookie of the year. And there are a lot of good rookies this year. I seen him: he runs the floor well, shoots solid Free Throw numbers and will be a very good player. But Durant is in another class as far as I'm concerned.

I will finish my argument pointing to his game tonight against the Nuggets. 37 points? Nice. 9 assists? Word. 8 boards? Not bad. Two clutch threes (the second of which was DEEEEP) to force OT then OT2 before going on to win the game? Priceless!

Ill clips from recent weeks

2008-03-24T02:34:00.000-07:00

Sean P baby! Ya'll know I love this cat...this recent clip gives a sample of what he is capable of.

Nas What it is first listen Dj Khalil
Uploaded by Bounce2dis

Here is DJ Khalil previewing a track from the upcoming Nas album. This shit sounds ill!!!

And this is a vid of this cat named 6th Sense who is a producer/rapper making waves right now...his album "It's Coming Soon" is supposedly ill. I will check it out in due course.

Also there is this cat from NY, Cory Gunz, who I been checking out his stuff recently. Here is a clip of him "freestyling". Dude is signed to Def Jam and was making waves a few years ago (he released 3 "The Apprentice" mixtapes which are worth checking out. He then dropped off a bit, but now he is back - he features on the recently released Lil Wayne - A Millie track. Can't find a link that works for that atm, but if you type in Cory Gunz in isohunt you'll find it for ya'll torrent lovers. Either way, check this cat out. He is fire...

Top 10 Hip-Hop Shows I've Been To

2008-03-22T05:01:00.001-07:00

DJ Dummy...you prolly saw him on Common's "The Food" vid from Chappelle's Show

What is hip-hop without live shows? Nothing at all. Providing experiences that simply cannot be matched by bumping a record in your car or room, hip-hop shows are things I can't get enough of. It cripples me financially, but fuck it...only live once. Here's my top 10 hip-hop shows I've attended:

1. Common
This was the greatest show I've been to...it was, in fact, at Big Day Out (Jan 2006). It was the last session of the day, and the vibe there was just great, even before Common stepped out. DJ Dummy, Common's road DJ, was spinning some classic hip-hop tunes, and I remember he put on Shook Ones Part II and these two cats were reciting every line of Prodigy's verse. I joined in. I fucking love that verse. Every track Dummy put on was just a straight out classic, and it was setting the mood perfectly. Then Common came out, and by then the sun was pretty much set. But it had been a hot day, and the evening was still quite warm. The show was in a tent type thing you see often at these music festivals, so it was a real nice warmish yet outside-fresh feeling in there. Common took the vibe that had established itself and just multiplied it by a million. He connected with the crowd like few do. He mixed it up with some Resurrection, Like Water for Chocolate and Be joints. The DJing was perfect, every word was clear, and what's more, you could tell he was living each song individually, which means the crowd felt it even more. Then Dummy had a 5-10 minute solo scratch session which was fucking incredible. The shit he was doing was crazy. Then Common continued on with his most popular songs, and he picked some fine lady out of the crowd to dance with him for one love-ballad track. Then came everyone's favourite, "I used to love H.E.R.", where he rapped the second half accapella which was sick. I think he finished off with a "Be" joint, although I can't remember what it was cos I was already blown away by the show. But yeh, that was an incredible show...
2. Kanye West
Lol yeah this was later on, some time in Winter 2006, at Festival Hall here in Melbourne. And Common was there again for a brief cameo. But this show was a great achievment by Kanye. A great spectacle...great energy from Ye. There was a 5-piece mini orchestra feat Miri Ben Ari...I assume it was her anyway. Halfway through the show she just started playing random violin riffs that weren't related to Kanye in any way. She played "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and the crowd went off at that. But yeah as I say, Kanye had great energy and the crowd was really feelin it.
3. M.I.A.
Yes I classify this as hip-hop. And she was incredibly charismatic up there on stage. Her lame little dancing was awesome, and she was just so cool! This show was early 2007 I think at Prince of Wales, St Kilda. The lights I remember were awesome. Everything was always pink and purple and shit, which matched the music. M.I.A. bounced her way through the show and this was before Kala, so no "Paper Planes" yet. Even so, it was mad!
4. De La Soul
Word. This was at Prince of Wales again, probably in 2005 sometime. Maseo was getting the crowd going something crazy. And you just gotta love these cats, the way they do it. You talk about personality on stage. These guys had it. Pos just straight out murders his lines live, as they are kinda of conversational like...so he's like talking to the crowd when rapping. Plug 2 comes direct too. It's just dope to watch. So I'm sure every show they do, even though there's no fancy shit, is awesome. Just because of the way they do it...
5. Jay-Z
This was definetely the largest hip-hop show I been to. I believe it was sometime in 2007, and it was at Rod Laver Arena. Plenty of too-young-to-be-wearing-that girls around, which was um...bad. Lol. NeYo opened...and I actually didn't mind his set. Then Rihanna came on and I didn't really enjoy it. Her forehead was huge with the way she had her hair. But anyways, then came Jay. He rocked the house for sure, and Just Blaze was there behind him churning the tunes out. My only gripe was that there wasn't enough old shit. ZERO Reasonable Doubt jawns? Come on dude. I guess all us Australian cats don't really know that shit, and he was doing all the mainstream shit for the young girls and shit. But it was cool when he pointed out random people in the crowd and commented on their fashion sense. My homeboy got a shout out which was cool. Jay liked his hoody or some shit. Then to wrap it up everyone involved with the show came on stage, including Beyonce, and danced. It was a happy moment, and rounded out a real good show.
6. Slum Village
This was at the Espy, late 2007. After a few joints outside, I proceded into the rear ESPY band room for the first time. I liked...it is actually an awesome hip-hop venue. Just the right size for international large-type underground acts. There was a great atmosphere in here yet again, which made it a very enjoyable show. There were a lot of shout outs to Jay Dilla and it was cool to head-nod to his joints with the Slum cats. Those guys came nice live too, I especially took a liking to T3's style. And Elzhi did an acapella freestyle which I recall was incredibly dope with incredible mutli-syllable rhymes. But yeh that was a nice show.
7. Dizzee Rascal
This was at Prince of Wales a month or two ago (2008). Dude came out and just did my 2 of my favourite tracks first, I was fucking amped. I loved how he came out and did that. "I Luv U" got the crowd rocking, following it up with "Where Da G's". Halfway through the show he just says "this is for all the indie heads" and puts on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and just rocks out with the crowd through that, then White Stripe's "7 Nation Army." I never experienced anything like that at a hip-hop show before. It was insane. The crowd ate it up. And then? "Fix Up Look Sharp!" Awesome. But then the last coupla tracks weren't my favs of his...a few of them "Showtime" jawns. And then there was no encore. That also was a first...
8. Talib Kweli + Jean Grae
This was at Good Vibrations...2006. It was barely a day after Jay Dee had died, and Kweli was noticeably not as happy as he good be, but gave a great tribute to him. His voice was kinda not like on his studio recordings...as he had a tough schedule he couldn't deliver the rhymes in that pristine high-pitched voice, but rather in a shouting lower voice that kinda gets the crowd going more anyway. But I prefer the studio voice. Anyways, he spat it real, and the crowd was really feelin it, especially for "Get By". Jean Grae was there too and contributed some mad verses...she really left a positive influence on me and crowd.
9.Masta Ace, Stricklin and Wordsworth
This was just like a few months ago, again at the ESPY, like a couple of weeks after the Slum Village show. And I gotta say, it was definetely the latest show I been to. Those kants started at like 12:40AM, finished up at like 3AM. Cos at like 2:20AM Ace was like "let's just keep going, ya'll are awesome." The crowd was feeling it, that's for sure...it was straight hip-hop. Personally the late thing got to me cos my back was hurting after all that standing. Lol. But yeah the way Ace rocked it, it was like late 80s New York again. And Stricklin really comes nice...his voice translates well to the live stage, and he is very charismatic up there on stage. Wordsworth also rocked out an awesome freestyle which culminated with him walking up to this security guy who was standing there on stage and proclaiming "[something something something rhymes with "friends"] / theres no need for security, these people are all my friends" or something like that and the crowd went crazy. You could also tell he was a veteran of live shows. When Ace did the "Nostalgia", "Brooklyn Masala", "Beautiful" joints, I was loving it, the whole crowd was just vibing out to them. A fair few tracks Ace did I wasn't familiar with, as I only have listened to "Disposable Arts" and "A Long Hot Summer". He said each show he did he chose different tracks at random. But yeh it was a pretty ill show in conclusion.
10. Ugly Duckling + Pigeon John
This was one of the first shows I went to. Would've been 2004 or so probably not long after I turned 18. I remember Pigeon John (who I had no idea who he was) opening for them and then joining them during their set. And we was a fucking funny kant up there on stage. Got the whole crowd laughing and shit. I went home and downloaded his shit immediately, and love Pigeon to this very day. And Ugly Duckling just played a straight out hip-hop-upped show, as UD say themselves, DJ Einstein just rocks loops and Dizzy and Andy just spit some sick lines over it. I remember they got some guy from the crowd to drink a "Meatshake" and obviosuly it looked gross. And Piegon came back on dressed as Pete the cow - remember Pete the Cow from the "Taste the Secret" album? Lol.

Top 10 Guest Verses of all Time

2008-03-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

There's nothing worse than a plethora of featured artists ruining the flow of an album. However, on the flipside, there is also nothing better than a guest who just rips up a track. These performances really can boost an album, if used effectively. Consider it like having a good 6th man on the bench. You don't want him playing the whole game, but you want him to bring energy when required, to keep everyone on their toes. Who is the greatest artist at performing these feats (pun intended)? Probably Busta. That kat comes with energy and spits many of his best verses while featuring on tracks. But what are the greatest individual guest performances in the history of hip-hop? Here are ten that I think are ill, although of course everyone's list would be different. 2 Rules: no R&B jawns with female singers where a rapper is featuring to do the verse/verses; Ghostface appearing on a Raekwon track doesn't count as a guest verse.

1. Busta Rhymes (A Tribe Called Quest - Scenario)
This gotta be number one though, right? Everyone knows this verse. And not only was it hot, it was the first real introduction to many people of Busta Rhymes.
2. AZ (Nas - Life's a Bitch)
Again, everyone knows this shit. He just keeps flowing and spits knowledge after knowledge. For example: "In actuality, fuck whose the baddest / A person's status depends on salary" Oh, you flip-flopped the rhyme pattern in an illmatic way. That is fucking sick.
3. Ghostface (GZA - 4th Chamber)
An ill track, and an ill opening verse to it. "Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? Why did Judas rat to the Romans while Jesus slept?" Who could forget that line? Or when he starts taking us through a history lesson, talking about the dark ages and Ghengis Khan and shit. This verse sets the tone, and the following verses live up to this first one. Mission accomplished.
4. Common (Blackstar - Respiration)
"It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep / Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep" And so ends one of the most amazing verses you'll ever hear. Common wraps up this classic song perfectly. Theres not much more to say other than that if you haven't heard this song you are fucking sleeping and should hear it prompto.
5. Dr Dre (Tupac - California Love)
Dre on a top 10 verses list? Word em up son. I put this here, cos it's hard to ignore. Everyone knows Dre's verse. There must be a reason. It is pretty ill. I don't care if it was ghost-written. Dre rides this beat expertly and really sets it up for Pac's 2nd verse assault.
6. Method Man (Notorious B.I.G. - The What)
You're the only guy to feature on one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time? You better fucking bring the goods. And there were no disappointments. Method Man probably showed Biggie up on this track, if anything...
7. Eminem (Jay-Z - Renegade)
Just like Eminem did on this track. It's just some incredible rhyming, all while really proving a point: fuck all ya'll hypocritical old cunts who lay blame at hip-hop (namely Eminem) for the world's problems. "And I got nothing to do but make you look stupid as parents / You fucking do-gooders: too bad you couldn't do good at marriage (ha-ha!)"
8. M Sayyid (Viktor Vaughn - Never Dead)
This is a great storytellin track. M Sayyid perfectly complements Viktor Vaughn's science-lab themed anecdotes. They tag-team their way through school bullies, time-travel and never-dead roaches in a short-story of epic proportions. And in the end, everything is just as it was at the beginning...my number 1 requirement for an ill short story.
9. Stricklin (Masta Ace - F.A.Y.)
This verse just makes you sit up the first time you hear it. "Wait, is he actually dissing himself? Did he just say the hip-hop lifestyle isn't all that? Um...is he admitting he is broke as fuck?" Yeah. He is. And it's refreshing. And Strick's style makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to.
10. Talib Kweli (Mos Def - Know That)
This is just tag-team fire right here. The beat is just begging for a guest to come and rip it up. And Kweli does just that. "MCs imitate the way we walk, the way we talk / you cats spit lyrically awkward, no spiritual thought / ...plus your flow a little bit off" That's just a line picked at random and it's fucking sick!

Wildcard 1: Nas & Lil Wayne (Rich Boy - Ghetto Rich (Remix))
This one is like double trouble. Or quintuple trouble...Polow da Don provides a stunning soundscape here, Rich Boy laces it quite nicely, John Legend croons out a beautiful hook...and then (on the remix) here comes Lil Wayne. It's one of them serious Weezy verses. "I could never never win an Oscar, cos I don't know how to act / Saw my first million dollars, and I don't know how to act / Then the second million came, then more came after that / then more came after that...hurricane after that...Dayum! / And ya'll saw the aftermath, and in my hood we don't front so I do give back..." etc. And then Nas has an ill verse that just fits the melancholy introspective beat so well. "Then the homies on the block with the stacks of money / Then these beautiful bitches was bending backwards for me / The lames put the rap game in the casket slowly [sound of casket closing] / Man I don't give a fuck...this is rap to me"
Wildcard 2: Outkast (UGK - International Playa's Anthem)
Both Andre and Big Boi bookend this UGK hit, and they both come with some great shit on this track. Andre is genius: "Then I CCed every girl that I'd see see around town." While Big Boi let's it rain on those ladies living nicely off child support: "Better prepare ya for the C support / She supposed to spend it on that baby but we see she don't...Send her in to outer space, I know he wish he could / Cuz he payin' 20K a day, that bitch is eating good"

Top 10 Pimp C Tracks

2007-12-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

R.I.P.

1. UGK - Diamonds and Wood
Even though he never shied away from gangster-boasts on his verses, Pimp C also often offered an incredible insight into the life of a drug-dealer. The final verse of Diamonds and Wood is easily Pimp C's best ever. I won't quote much here, you should just go listen to the track, from "Ridin' Dirty". When he repeats "I'm smokin' skunk and poppin' the trunk to make me feel good" as the hook kicks in for final time, he completes his perfect verse. P.S. It also just happens that the beat is one of greatest southern beats of all time - and yep, it was co-produced by Pimp C himself.

2. UGK - One Day You're Here
Another Pimp C production, this is the stunning opening track to "Ridin' Dirty." The instrumental is incredibly chilled and, coupled with Ron Isley's magical singing, takes you away from whatever is on your mind and transports you to Houston, Texas, where you will remain for the remainder of the album. Pimp also spits another great verse to finish this track.

And then when I got on my knees that night to pray
I asked God why he let these killas live and take my homeboy's son away
Man if you got kids show em you love em cuz God jus might call em home
Cuz one day you here but baby the next day you gone

3. Pimp C - Slow Down feat. Cory Mo
This is another awesomely chilled beat. Perhaps one of my favourites of all time. Pimp plays it perfectly too... "I used to sell weed, then I sold crack / I used to ride in a old-school gold 'llac" he informs us. Word em up...that's hood.

4. UGK - International Players Anthem feat. Outkast
This track, this time produced by Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J and DJ Paul, is many fans' favourite hip-hop single of the year 2007; and for good reason. Andre opens the track with an incredibly inventive verse, and then as the drum beat kicks in over the chorals we hear "Sweet Jones" and C proceeds to absolutely rip up the track:

My bitch a choosin' lover, never fuck without a rubber
Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
Money on the dresser, drive a Kompressor
Top notch hos: get the most, not the lesser

5. UGK - It's Supposed to Bubble
The amount of insanely high quality southern chilled beats Pimp C was involved in is staggering. Seemingly everything he touched, turned to gold. This is another prime example. If we are naming the top hip-hop producers of all time on quantity of quality beats, Pimp C is easily top 5.

6. UGK - Shattered Dreams
This track is also on UGK's latest album "Underground Kingz." Pimp gives a couple of highly positive verses right here, reminding prostitutes that it is never too late to change your ways, and encouraging youngsters to go for their dreams.

7. Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' feat. UGK
This has to be on this list doesn't it? UGK's relationship with Jay-Z (don't forget Jay quoted Pimp C on "99 Problems") was an important relationship in UGK's career and in the history of hip-hop. What you get here from Pimp C is a short verse, but typically Pimpalicious shit.

Uhhh, now what y'all know bout them Texas boys
Comin down in candied toys, smokin weed and talkin noise

8. Pimp C - Swang Down / 10 A Key
On this one Pimp came with a more intense type of track. And it's ill, with Chad flippin the classic "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" hook of Parliament's. Then mid-track the whole beat changes and Pimp starts declaring "Sixteen five, bitch that's too high." Oh shit, you better rethink that...

9. Pimp C - Young Prostitute
Word em up. C lays down his shit here, telling us "I need a prostitute". So you'd think it would be a dark track huh? Nah, he then adds that it needs to be a "clean" prostitute...and the almost inconceivably celebratory beat continues on its merry way. This is how Pimp C always did it. Turning a negative into a positive. Dude was a hedonistic mutherfucker.

10. UGK - Heaven
I wonder if there is a heaven up there for real Gs. I fucking hope so...Rest In Peace.

Watch out for GAP!!!

2007-08-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Probably the coolest guy in the NBA. In my opinion, anyway...

So KG is at the Celtics now. This really is a good news story. The East is stronger. Long suffering Celtics fans have a reason to follow basketball again. The ref scandal can be forgotten. Sagging TV ratings can be boosted.

And hey you, Minnesota fan, cheer up. You know for a fact that this team was going nowhere. Since a follow-up assault after the 03/04 regular season domination never materialized, this team has really needed to start afresh. And no, that doesn't mean putting a new group of players around the Big Ticket. It means starting from scratch...something they should have done last off-season. Wolves owner Glen Taylor has a lot of explaining to do...after two extremely disappointing seasons it was obvious to everyone that the current system was not working and never would. They weren't one signing away from it all clicking again. They needed to blow it up then and there...they would've got much more for Garnett than they have just received for him. But oh yeah, I'm telling you fans to cheer up, aren't I? Let's forget about those past franchise failures and focus on the future. (Do I have to remind you that, trade him or not, sometime down the track you would have to say goodbye to him. All players, Garnett included, have to retire sometime. And be happy for him. See how happy he looks at Boston? You owe him that, at least.)

Reasons Wolves fans should smile:

Al Jefferson: this guy has some great post moves...and not just in the low post. He can find ways to score from all over the paint. His rebounding is also on the verge of being beastly. He had a breakout year last year and is still young enough for continued improvement to seem likely.
Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes: here are a couple of team guys that will really keep the passion KG showed out on the court alive.
A fresh start: players who have reneged on their initial promise like Rashad McCants and Marco Jaric can now maybe try and find something new to work with and become the players many hoped they would.
Gerald Green: you may know that he won the Dunk Comp...but you may not have known that this guy can shoot. He has a really great jumper to work with, and coupled with his athleticism could really turn out to be a very useful 2/3. I'm just waiting for him to explode...
Randy Foye and Craig Smith: These guys showed that they will both be long-time NBA players last year. Craig Smith looks like a steal and its these type of draft decisions that can really help a franchise. Juwan Howard and Ricky D's presence can't hurt any of the youngster's on the team progression either.
No more Troy Hudson: Thank God for that. Buying out his contract will free up more cap space for further experience to help the young team.
Future first round picks: This will no doubt hopefully help make the team a threat in future years.

All in all, looking at all that, you guys would seem to have a better chance of going further than you ever did with KG. It all depends on the right lessons having being learned. If the Wolves office starts to make some sensible decisions from here on in then their incoming trade assets received for KG really can put them above other building Western teams. Think about it...how many other teams are able to trade a player as huge as Garnett? Maybe getting Garnett all those years ago will benefit the team now...

But let's not forget the Celtic's fans. Reasons they can smile:

They got GAP action - Garnett, Allen, Pierce. Rondo and Perkins are also by far not the worst in their starting positions either...depth will be the real key.

Worst 10 Dr. Dre Tracks of All Time

2007-07-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Constructive Criticism? That's all...

Ok, Dre is at least top 3 producers of all time no matter who you ask. Dude is a living legend. I have already done a post about his top ten tracks. But dude is human after all. I thought I'd look at his worst tracks...

10. Eve - That's What It Is

The production qualities on this track are superb. I mean, Dre produced it, come on! Unfortunately though, it feels like it was just "mailed in". It's too obvious. You could pick that this a Dre track from a mile away...sometimes that can be a good thing but in this case it is not.

9. 50 Cent - Straight to the Bank

This new track from 50 Cent has kinda again a "mailed in" feel. Although this time, the beat is worse. Nice bass line though. But how many 4/4 Synth Orchestras do we need? Here he can't even give us a Orchestra Chord...just a solitary note repeated over and over. Then he brings in that cool sounding "Ass Like That" string instrument but the damage has been done already...

8. Jay-Z - Thirty Something

This track is pretty terrible. Hand claps. Check. Bass line. Check. Orchestra progression at end of ever loop. Check. Dope beat...uhm, nah. It just doesn't sound that good. And Jay-Z trying to prove he is still fresh by telling us how grown up he is (?) isn't really helping.

7. Busta Rhymes - Don't Get Carried Away

Nah, its not working. Dre goes for simplicity...one heavy bass "d-d-d-duh" then raise the tone "d-d-d-duh." Add, oh yeah, a handclap again. Add some creepy chords over it and even a female keyboard choir "Ah Ah Ah!" Argh indeed...

6. The Firm - Firm Family

This one I'll excuse. Dre was obviously trying something here and it didn't really work out. At all. That is a real weak beat...

5. D-12 - Ain't Nuthin But Music

Yeah this beat ain't really doing anything. It's just...there. On an album. And with D-12 over it. I don't think Dre was trying anything here and he didn't really achieve anything.

4. Eminem - My Daddy's Gone Crazy

This is just a stupid song. It's not really Dre's fault. He probably gave Eminem exactly what he wanted. He probably should've avoided getting his name on that beat, though. Maybe coulda said Eminem produced it...wouldn't be too far fetched.

3. Xzibit - Choke Me, Spank Me, Pull My Hair

What the fuck happened here? Club bangers can be dope. But if they fail, they can be absolutely horrible. Ok...so this is a failed club banger.

2. Dr. Dre - Pause 4 Porno

Lol. Do I really need to listen to this? Props to him for trying to bring porn away from the screen and into the speakers. But I prefer just watching the fly babes in your music videos to get a hard on.

1. Eminem - Just Lose It

This was just a ridiculously bad beat. I don't know how Dre managed to produce this one. What's worse, is that it is a lead-off single for an album. Actually, I really just don't want to talk about this beat...

Common - Finding Forever (Review)

2007-07-25T04:27:00.000-07:00

First Classic of the year!

Hey what's up all. I thought I'd drop by and drop in another blog post here. It seems this place is finally getting some hits...

So without further ado, hot off the press, I present my review for Common's new joint "Finding Forever." Common is sort of in a new phase of his career. Since Kanye's star started to shine bright, Common kinda got immersed in some of the surrounding glow."Be", the first album in this new G.O.O.D. music era for Common, made number 2 on the Billboard charts. Over Kanye's sometimes inconsistent soul offerings, Common was sounding as he had been for a few years: very mature. The album was almost even contemporary adult R&B rather than hip-hop. The album was good...but not great. Too short, and all too similar. Maybe even too "old."

From the instrumental intro to Common's Pop talking at end, "Finding Forever" is very much the sequel to "Be". But it's one of those rare sequels that improves on the original. Again with Kanye executive producing, soul is the order of the day. This time however, there are no weak productions. In fact, some of the soul tracks on here are incredibly strong. With chilled out, warm instrumentals prevalent, the hook melodies are consistently memorable and varied ("The People", "Black Maybe", "Break My Heart"). Will.I.Am brings some great drums again to another R&B infused jam on "I Want You". However, there is also room for straight up hip-hop. On the raw street gem "The Game" Common is pleasingly more aggressive and even youthful on the mic. Premo providing cuts for the song just elevates it to instant classic status. When Common says "This fist is like a symbol for black" you can't help but get caught up in it all.

And yes, this is noticeable throughout the whole album. Common seems less mature, which is great. Sometimes he is just putting in word plays and rhyming for the fun of it, which is a great compliment to his deeper thoughts ("She had some D's on her, but they weren't fake though..." is followed with "They say it's hard for a pimp, but extra hard for these h-" on "Driving Me Wild.")

The album has these consistent soul gems just littered throughout. It seems pointless listing the great tracks as I can just say "every track is dope". Again, there is an epic finish featuring Common's Pop with "Forever Begins" which, must like most of this album, manages to improve on "Be".

All in all, Common comes nicer, Kanye's productions are better, J-Dilla's production is better and Will.I.Am's production is dope. It is indeed a superior product to "Be" and up there with "Resurrection" as Common's best album. It is hard to say which is better, as those two are completely different styles: one is heavily soul and R&B influenced while the other is strictly hip-hop. But the fact that both quality albums come from different ends of his career should not be lost. Common has made great music, and continues to do so. While recently sounding very mature, it has been his willingness to add a bit more of his earlier style of just "spitting" back into the mix which has elevated this album high above his other recent offerings. Now he is again as fresh as he was at the beginning of his career. A little more hip-hop style jawns would push this rating even higher.

9.3/10

Greatest Hip-Hop Songs

2007-05-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

If it's gritty street shit, the chances are I like it.

It's kinda in a rough order...but that said, most songs here just came to my head so no doubt I would've missed a few of my favourites. The human brain has a habit of forgetting shit so yeah...

1. Shook Ones, Part II

In this list I'm putting songs here that just are hip-hop. Like KRS-One reckons he is hip-hop, I reckon these songs are hip-hop. This is the most hip-hop song. The piano sends chills down your spine. Dunno why. There's something about a melancholy piano line that does it for me (see Dead Presidents II). For that matter, theres something about songs with "II" in the title that does it for me too...

But anyways, fuck KRS...Prodigy and Havoc are hip-hop on this.

"Meanwhile back in Queens the realness and foundation / if I die, I couldn't choose a better location / when the slugs penetrate, feel a burning sensation / getting closer to God...in a tight situation now..."

Wow...the whole song is like that.

2. I Used to Love H.E.R.

Over a minimalist, eerie beat, Common drops an incredible tale, seemingly about a girl. He goes into incredible detail in this girls history. As we all know, turns out this "girl" is hip-hop. When you find out at the end of the song, you're like "NO SHIT!" and it's an amazing feeling you will never ever get back. That's it. Once you know, you know...

The thing is, listening to the lyrics you realise that, even though the title of the song says Common "used to love her," he actually he still does love her. He always will, no matter what happens. This positivity is what we should all try and grasp on to. It is now well over a decade since this song dropped, but it is still topical. No matter where hip-hop is, or goes in the future, let's try and remember Common's last line and remain positive...

"But I'm a take her back hoping that this shit stop - cos who I'm talking about ya'll is hip-hop"

3. Respiration

Common on another song here. With Mos Def, Kweli and Hi-Tek. This is an amazing beat right here. Hi-Tek really does convey the image of the city breathing. And Mos, Kweli and Common drop some of their best ever verses over the stunning instrumental.

There's Mos: "Skyscrapers' is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous / stay alive, you play or die, no options / No Batman and Robin, can't tell between the cops and the robbers / they both partners, they all heartless...with no conscience"

There's Talib: "Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing / Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in / For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted / I'm asking if y'all feel me AND THE CROWD LEFT ME STRANDED"

There's Common Sense: "Ask my God how he thought travellin the world sound / Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown / It's deep...I hear the city breathe in its sleep / Of reality I touch, bot for me it's hard to keep"

Poetry.

4. Dead Presidents II

This joint doesn't feature life-changing lyrics. But Jay-Z comes so damn nice on this. His word play is insane. The cat was on top of his game back here. And Ski came up with such a mad beat again. Yes, a melancholy piano riff again! Here's a video of how he laced up the beat. Sampling Nas on the hook is also just cool as...

When Jay drops lines like this throughout, you know its over: "My doe flip like Taek-won / Jay-Z the icon / Baby you like Dom / Maybe these cristals'll change your life, huh? "

5. South Bronx

Is KRS-One hip-hop? If he says he is, I understand what he is saying. It's like, it's a culture. You can't define it with just words. It's a whole culture. KRS-One could be seen as an example of that culture. So he is hip-hop in a way...cos he helped define it with songs like this. Just that first trumpet "dun" that Scott La Rock and Ced Gee cued up and repeated throughout the song, when you hear it, that short sound could actually represent hip-hop itself.

You talking about the history of hip-hop - the culture of it...you talking about this song. KRS-One represents his hood, his people. The Juice Crew didn't actually mean Queensbridge started hip-hop - it was a misunderstanding. But that doesn't matter. This was expression through song...a response through song: one of the first. Add some James Brown samples over the top and you have the epitome of hip-hop.

"Many people tell me this style is terrific / it is kinda different, but lets get specific / KRS-One: specialise in music / I only use this style of music when I choose it"

6. C.R.E.A.M.

Two ill verses. First Raekwon, then Inspectah Deck. Again, when MCs are telling me about the streets, I'm definitely listening. This is actually about the streets. No, not those streets you hear everyone these days claiming they're from. The real streets. And the ease with which these two MCs share their tales is incredible.

Deck: "Though I don't know why I chose to smoke sess / I guess that's the time when I'm not depressed"

7. One Love

Again, a rapper really lets us into their world. Through an open-letter in this case - that is some real shit. Q-Tip laces up a truly ill beat here that is perfect for Nas to exhibit his street-concerned ramblings to an unfortunate friend in jail over. Sometimes, you feel like you are that friend in jail, and appreciate Nas for his "One Love" sign-offs. The way Nas tells his anecdotes effortlessly through street slang is a testament to language in itself.

"So I comes back home, nobody's out but shorty doo-wop / Rollin two phillies together in the Bridge we called 'em oowops"

8. Nuthin but a G Thang

Illest beat ever. I've said it before. Most chilled beat ever. And most chilled song ever. A quite simply perfect song. Sometimes those deep songs are too much, and you need songs like this.

9. Time's Up

I'll throw an obscure one in here. O.C. came direct on this incredible beat. A beat made for hip-hop. Made from hip-hop. Give Buckwild credit for that one. The song is directed at fake gangsters and thus is appropriate to consider when talking about real hip-hop songs. O.C. really just keeps coming on this. Line after line is hard felt and directed at these posers. He has many great lines here. The Slick Rick sample in there is really cool too!

"Of course we gotta pay rent, so money connects, but uhh / I'd rather be broke and have a whole lot of respect"

10. T.R.O.Y.

A typically souled out Pete Rock beat here with those horns. And CL Smooth proves he actually is smooth on this. He reminisces about his fallen comrade "Trouble" T-Roy from Heavy D and the Boyz and his love for his family. An extremely positive song: very important, considering it is concerned with death.

"Positive over negative for the woman and master / Mother Queen's risein a chapter / Deja Vu, tell you what I'm gonna do / When they reminisce over you..."

Imagine!

2007-05-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

A deadly pace of pace and experience: and he's only your third bets player.

While I, like most, was rooting for the Suns, you gotta give props where props is due. Spurs were the better team in this series. The Suns are a really good team: probably the 2nd best in the league. Unfortunately, the Spurs are number 1. They have a great wealth of experience.

Tony Parker is only just 25. Yet he has bucketloads of play-off experience already. Imagine having that pace coupled with that experience. When the cat decides to drive in on the basket, you gotta watch out. He needs special attention...unfortunately, if you give him special attention there are two better players on his team you might be letting in!

Imagine having Ginobli on your bench...on your team. He's quick too. If you give him respect on that outside shot which is released so quickly and Michael Redd-like (word to them lefties - I'm one myself!) then he may just take you to the hole as well. And this guy can finish. He feeds off the energy of the crowd and can go on amazing runs where everything he touches turns to gold...or diamond rings...

Imagine that you have those two players on your team...and they come no where near to your best player. Big Tim. The opposition cannot forget about him, ever. Offensively and defensively he is going to hold you accountable. If you double team the cat, he will kick out to the aforementioned stars who will make you pay. Let him go one-on-one, and your even more likely to suffer: he is unstoppable on the low block one-on-one. No one has ever used the glass better. He can do it from either side too...with either hand. When he gets the ball, there is no premeditation. He'll feel you out and go with the flow. He'll take you left. If you bite, he'll go back. If you don't, he'll continue. If you're up on him too hard, he'll spin, and dunk. Either way the guy is more than likely to score above 20 points and shoot about 55% from the field. And then there is his defense, which is even better.

Imagine you had all them on your team. PLUS a defensive specialist. A cat who will shut down the opposition's perimeter star. No matter how good they are. Bruce Bowen: some might say he is dirty. That could be true. But it doesn't mean he isn't an exceptional defender. And then imagine you could get quality help off the bench like Michael Finley, who never seems to miss a clutch 3. And Robert Horry who can defend all positions and who is also known for his clutchness. An Elson and Oberto defensive presence to help big Tim. Imagine you had all this...it's not too hard to imagine...after all it is reality!

But then imagine, not winning a championship with this team.

That is unimaginable. I just can't see the Spurs losing the Conference Finals or NBA Finals. Every aspect is covered.

Top Ten Dr. Dre Tracks

2007-05-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Dre: likes nothing more than being behind the boards

It's time for another top 10 post. I was just listening to all the tracks I have produced by Dr. Dre. So I thought I'd do a top 10 Dre-produced tracks.

10. My Name Is
I'll put this here cos it was a completely new style for a new artist. On every album Eminem has released, he always has a lead single like this, with playful Dre production, where Em is just crazy. Tracks like this show Dre's versatility and show that he can change up his style depending on what the artist is attempting to achieve.

9. Break Ya Neck
Just a fucking great production. Creative and banging...perfect for some ill Busta-ness over.

8. How We Do
Word. A slower jam, it bumps nonetheless. 100% pristine production. 100%.

7. Family Affair
What? R&B?!?! Of course this has to be here. Get the fuck out of here if you disagree. That beat is mad. The orchestra notes fit in so well and are catchy as hell. Really gives a nice bounce to an R&B song which I find is too rare these days. You can't help but nod your head to this shit. Really set it up for some ill singing from Mary J.

6. In Da Club
I'll put this here cos it's probably the biggest song of the millenium. It launched not only a career, but a whole Unit's career. Simplicity at its best. Dre defined the new millenium club banger right here with this one song. Others have tried to duplicate this template. But the original is the best. Again, Dre utilizes Orchestra instruments extremely well.

5. Still D.R.E.
Over a keyboard riff kindly supplied by Scott Storch and a funky bassline from Mike Elizondo, what did Dre really do here? Well, first he recognised that shit could be a worldwide hit. Then he added those cool little guitar lines at the end of every stanza, and made the drums bang. Bang...a classic beat is produced.

4. California Love
Perhaps the best known song in the current era of music to utilize the Talk Box, Dre enlisted Roger Troutman (R.I.P.) of Zapp to sing this one. Yeah yeah EPMD already used Joe Cocker's "Woman to Woman" but come on...Dre made it a worldwide hit. The synths and shit he added on top...and the Talk Box effect, are what set this song apart. Peace to EPMD though, but that's what Dre does.

3. Who Am I? (What's My Name)
The incredible synth bass line in this track is impossible not to love. Originally created by Funkadelic, it was seemingly genetically engineered to get people grooving. Add some hand claps, some Snoop and some Atomic Dog and you got the best track on one of the best albums of the decade. Not bad, that...

2. Fuck Tha Police
This song will always be remembered. DJ Yella and Dre produced this for N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. I think it was way ahead of it's time, production wise. The bass hits hard. For that era, the sampling quality is crazy. It was not uncommon to sample James Brown's "Funky President" at the time butDre used it better than anyone else...

1. Nuthin but a G Thang
Number 1, without a doubt. It's too chilled. It affects you know matter if its the 1st, 10th or 1000th time you've heard it. Snoop comes effortless on this...and it's hard not too, so chilled is the beat. Just reminds of the beach...reminds you of L.A. Dre really captured a mood here and this will forever be one of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time.

Stars align for biggest upset in NBA history

2007-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Baron of Davis!

It's the biggest upset in NBA playoff history - yet some people saw it coming. (Personally, in my playoff preview I predicted that the Warriors could pull off an upset - but that the Mavs would most likely get through.)

There is a reason people saw this coming. A 3-0 record against the defending Western Conference champs is a good start. While the first win in the regular season came during Dallas' horrid 0-4 start, and the third win came against the Dallas Reserve Team, it was the second win which should have acted as a hint of a possible upset. Let's take a look at that game:

It came in mid-March, a few months after a risky deal bringing Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to the Warriors for Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu. The trade only increased the smallness factor (or should that be decreased (?!?!)) for Don Nelson's team. Since the trade, the Pacers and Warriors had both been patchy. More recently the Warriors had been playing a pathetic brand of Basketball through the end of February and early March, losing six straight games while seemingly not bothering to play defense at all. And we all know how poor the Pacers were playing at that time too (11 straight losses). In other words, the big trade seemed to have helped neither team.

However, the Warriors were finally getting out of their rut and had just gone 3-1 in the last 4 games and traveled to Dallas (51-10) to see what they could do.

They won 117-100. Dirk shot 3/11 (sound familiar?). In fact no one in the Dallas team scored more than 5 Field Goals. By contrast, the Warriors had 4 players score over 5 field goals. The one starter who didn't score in double digits? Baron Davis (9 points). So the Warriors beat a full strength Mavs away without their best player even playing that well...and convincingly. Something interesting from the game was that the Mavericks grabbed 50 rebounds compared to 28 for the Warriors. That is a huge difference. Indeed, the Mavericks scored 100 points. However, the Warriors were too quick. They turned 28 boards into 117 points...thats great efficiency. Get people down the court, and if your "bigs" get the board feed it to the streaming smalls immediately. If the Mavs big men end up getting the Offensive board (they ended up with 20) then so be it...let them. They might score a few 2nd chance buckets - but in the end we'll outscore them with many easy baskets on the fast break.

If I was Avery Johnson after this loss, I would have started planning for a possible rematch in the playoffs immediately. Because it was obvious this team could pose the Mavericks problems.

This win was Golden State's 4th win on the way to a finishing run of 16-5. They finished that run very strongly going 9-1 And then ran into...the Mavericks in the 1st round. By contrast, the Mavericks proceeded to play some poor basketball. They were like rabbits caught in headlights. They had been so used to winning that they didn't handle the first loss at home and a different style of basketball well at all. Dirk shot too many jumpers - GET TO THE HOOP! It's gonna be embarrassing as hell when David Stern hands him that MVP trophy next week. It'll be like "Here you go.........[silence]........by the way, you suck." But they didn't play that poorly. It was a mismatch of style. And B-Diddy playing at that level is so tough to beat, even
Josh Howard couldn't save them (he scored 20+ points in each game).

Mavericks ran into a hot team that had recent previous experience in beating them. It wasn't such a huge upset after all, was it? Make up your own mind...but no matter what, it has been a great series for Basketball, providing plenty of drama and adding much interest to the play-offs. The Baron of Davis and Stephen Jackson have really stepped up now and earned much respect. And the Warriors home crowd? Crazy!

Consequence

2007-04-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

Don't Quit Your Day Job!

Aite yeah I just been listening to a heap load of new music lately. Something that has been banged constantly over the past week or so is that debut Consequence album "Don't Quit Your Day Job!" Dude has been around a while but it is a joy to hear him on every track on an album, rather than the odd Kanye or A Tribe Called Quest Track track here and there.

Quence (originating from Queens) immediately sets himself apart from other rappers with his unique voice and flow. It's not surprising he is Q-Tip's cousin. He has that kinda higher-pitched voice but his flow is real cool too: very laid back. He kinda rhymes in a similar style to that with which he speaks (you here him speak on the rather amusing skits in the album). It's kinda like he is here, but his mind is elsewhere. And he can't really be bothered articulating what he is saying much, cos he's not really thinking about it anyway. Maybe he is thinking of the next line...cos cat keeps streaming onto the next line. He rarely pauses. And all this combines for a real cool, different rapping style.

As for the album, its dope how it has a bit of a theme. I like an album with a theme. It sorta means, if your feeling a certain way, you could return to a certain album that speaks to you in that area. For example, with this album, it's about weighing up pursuing the dream of making hip-hop music, or staying realistic and following more subdued work choices. At the start of the album Quence decides to put "pride to the side/Go get a 9 to 5" over a deliciously laid back beat on the track "Job Song." Throughout the remainder of the disc he touches on other subjects along the way (like "Sexy Mamas"), but ultimately gets fed up with that job and decides to quit and focus on music, despite his mother's nagging. So you could easily have similar frustrating periods in your life (I know I have) and just kick back and play this album and chill. The final track culminates everything nicely: "Who New My Luck Would Change." Who indeed?

While some lament the inclusion of the 4 year old "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly," I applaud it. It is a strong track, and this is after all Consequence's debut album. Artists should put all their best songs they have created on their first release, no matter how long ago they may have been made. Another not-so-new track is DJ Khaled's "Grammy Family." But is again a solid, laid back track and really fits in on the album so I have no qualms with that. The seagull in the beat, while cliched, is cool.

On "Callin Me" Quence puts out some of his best work on the album. He sounds completely disinterested when letting some guy know about a girl who keeps calling him, and it works perfectly. As for production on other tracks on the joint, the preceding track, "Feel this way" featuring John Legend, is another chilled beat, as is the following track "Disperse" featuring GLC and Really Doe. You may have noticed I mentioned that a lot of these tracks have nice soulful chilled beats. Its true. The production on this album is top-notch, for the most part.

Where the album doesn't work is when cat Consequence tries to do that normal rapper bravado stuff...most noticeably on the track "Night Night". Cat just doesn't sound fierce enough to be getting away with all that shit. I don't really think he is gonna smack me and make me go "Night, night." He might make me some tea and then tell me "Night, night."

Still, its a small blip on an otherwise dope album. I'd recommend ya'll check this album out some time soon. Its the 2nd best album this year after Sean Price: Jesus Price Superstar, so word that up.

Night, night!

Playoffs Preview

2007-04-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

13 Years!

Ok so the NBA Playoffs are here. Everyone seems to be glad the regular season is over and many even labeling it one of the most uninteresting campaigns ever. I cannot understand such negativity. Maybe it makes analysts feel better about themselves when they globally criticize a whole competition. As their always has been, and always will be, there were plenty of talking points throughout the season. New ball V Old ball, Amaechi being gay, Iversen to Nuggets, Knicks Nuggets "fight" etc. Their have also been some great basketball performances...Amare's comeback, Boozer's big year, Kobe's 4 games of 50+,Goldenstate's late season surge to grab a spot in the playoffs and the Mavs incredible win-loss record after losing their first four. Ok so they were all in the West. Just because the East didn't do so well, doesn't mean the regular season was disappointing. The Pistons had a great year again, Toronto's rise was a feel-good story and Cleveland, in spite of continuing criticism over its lack of chemistry on the offensive end, managed to equal last year's impressive win total of 50. There are great match-ups everywhere in the play-offs. Let's have a look at some of the more intriguing ones.

Miami V Chicago

I read recently that in recent play-off history the Number 5 actually wins more first round match-ups than then Number 4 seed. In this case, Miami is the number 4 seed...but Chicago actually has a far superior win-loss record. So who knows what will happen? Most are predicting Miami to go through here, due to their play-off experience. While Miami is one of my favourite teams in the league, I am not unaware of Chicago's strengths. This team can light up. One of Benny Gordon, Luol, Kirk or Nocioni could light up each night. Often more than one. This is what happens with a jump-shooting team. The fact that they get Nocioni back just gives an extra scoring threat. Then defensively, the whole unit will shut you down. Say what you want about Tyson Chandler putting up numbers similar to Big Ben at a lower salary and younger age...yo can't tell me Tyson has the effect Big Ben does on defense. Ben it just geared for defense. He was born with a gift for it. He'll just stop plays happening half-way through their conception with his positioning. The match-up he has with Shaq could definitely decide this match-up. While Wade has shown how clutch he is, everyone knows he struggles against Kirk. This could well come down to the battle of inside...the Bulls won't score much in there but if they restrict Heat's inside scoring I believe they can come out on top.

Rockets V Jazz

People are writing off Jazz already. While I predict Houston will go through, Jazz are no easy-beats. Sure, their end of season form has not been what they would have liked...but they still got Boozer in there. They still got Deron Williams who could decide the fate of this series if he exploits one of Houston's weaker links, Rafer Alston. I love Rafer. But dude might struggle against Deron. I hope not. While Boozer and Yao have had similarly dominating seasons, I predict T-Mac to tip the ledger in Houston's favour. He has been playing great of late. He's never made it out of the first round but I think this year he will...

Dallas V Warriors

Peep this match-up. Dallas dominate inside with Dampier and Diop. Ok so you got B-Diddy and Monta Ellis up against Jet and Harris. and Jackson and J-Rich versus Josh Howard. But Nellie will often play Al Harrington at center. Shit, can't play Dampier and Diop on him. Um...inside dominance reduced...luckily Dallas have Dirk spare to help and get em through this tricky match-up.

Raptors V Nets

Nets have experience. However, Chris Bosh is ready to show the world what he can do in the playoffs. Theres gonna be a bit of mismatch inside, to be honest. I expect Bosh to dominate this series. And I expect the Raps to go to Round 2.

Suns V Lakers

Cool. Rematch. Should be dope to watch. But Lakers got no chance this time...Amare is back so that settles that.

Spurs V Nuggets

Here I can see an upset happening. Denver are in fine form. Sure, Spurs have experience. But man, its not just Carmelo and Iversen clicking...its the whole team. Camby is fit...which is a scary sight. Nene has become a beast. Those two could be a handful around the rim for the Spurs. Tim can't do everything down there. Its no secret Tony Parker will want to drive in on Steve Blake...he'll have to remember Camby is waiting in the key. He'll have to dish it out. And if the Spurs can light up from outside, which is a possibility as the Nuggets exterior defense is pretty lackluster...then you'd back the Spurs.

All that's left so say is, "Will you be watching when..."

Top 10 Producers of All Time

2007-04-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry Quik...your Number 11 on my list!

Waddup ya'll. Here check this here post out I'm about to make. I was thinking, "What to write about?" Yeah why not list my top 10 hip-hop producers of all-time.

10. Just Blaze

The dude sneaks into the top 10. Top effort for a young cat. Man this guy can produce some bangers. Most recently he has produced some fire with "The Second Coming" for Juelz and Nike. But the cat has produced some real nice tracks in this century: "Breathe", "Flipside" and "Pump It Up" being just a few examples. Cat likes the MPC and can whip shit up bloody quick on that. Always brings that big sound.

9. Pete Rock

Ok so some people might have him higher. Yeh, maybe as far as contribution to hip-hop goes, this guy should be higher. But the 8 guys above him on this list, I just enjoy their music more. Ya dig? That said, I really dig Pete's shit. There are producers who wouldn't even be in my top 20 producers who I still enjoy. So this is a pretty high position anyway. But chances are you know all about Pete Rock. Mr Soul Man. The Soul Survivor. This dude produced straight up classic shit for CL Smooth in the early 90s. The music he created, fusing Jazz and Hip-hop, seemed to fit CL Smooth's style perfect. Then, after falling out with dude CL, his solo "Soul Survivor" LPs proved that he can produce that quality with all kind of cats. A living legend.

8. The Neptunes

Hugo and Pharrel are quite a match made in heaven. They have been making music together since high school, which is quite remarkable if you think about it. Two talents of that magnitude ending up together by chance is akin to the four Beatles ending up together by chance in Liverpool. Or all the Wu-Tang Clan fools ending up around each other. Anyways, point is, these guys are fucking talented. They're a collective hit-factory, but can stay critically acclaimed at the same time as they manage to sell records without compromising quality. That is a rare gift. They have a real ear for interesting sounds and have no hesitation in sharing their ideas with the mainstream public. Sometimes it fails. Mainly it works...My favourite joints are the two Clipse albums they produced, "Hollaback Girl", Lupe's "I Gotcha", Noreaga's"Superthug" and T.I.'s "Goodlife".

7. Timbaland

There was a time where I didn't really dig Timbo that much. But recently dude has won me over with an incredible amount of quality productions. The guy's drum programming is quite simply the best I have ever heard. The percussion he brings to his songs can be varied...but always sounds immaculate and interesting. He is very creative with sounds. Not afraid to use his own vocal chords to bring you the sound he's thinking of, he remains ahead of the game creativity wise. His production for Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is the best he has done pop wise, and some of the best pop production I've ever heard. And then you realise he released Nelly Furtado's "Loose" in the same time it's astonishing the quality and quantity he keeps up. Other classic cuts of his are Ginuwine's "Pony", Aaliyah's "Try Again", Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and Jeezy's booming "3 A.M."

6. Kanye West

Kanye just brings his heart and soul to the production table. His perfectionism is matched only by Dr Dre of producers on this list. He always brings a nice feel to his songs. His strength is definitely in utilizing soul samples extremely well and incorporating memorable melodies into his songs. My fav productions of his are Kweli's "Get By", his own "Never Let Me Down" "Two Words" and "Heard em Say", Jay-Z's "Lucifer" and "Heart of the City" and Keyshia Cole's "I Changed My Mind". Kanye can do it with strings, piano, anything.

5. J Dilla

The late Detroit producer was really making strides before his death in early 06. The thing is, if it wasn't for his illness, "Donuts" might not have been so personal, so special, so beautiful. Without the illness he may have never looked within himself so deeply and never unlocked such inspiration and shared it with us so candidly. Or maybe he would have...who knows. Its a shame we will never know. We are lucky that J Dilla made such dope music. We are all blessed with many great recordings thanks to him and should be thankful not just for him, but every artist on this list. Dope cuts he produced for other artists are "Verbal Clap" for De La, the album "Fantastic Vol 2" for Slum Village, Kweli's "Stand to the Side" and Common's "The Light."

4. Madlib

Madlib will just put anything down on the MPC and loop it up. Anything. Any type of sample. The result is a shit load of recordings...some of which are shit. However, a high proportion are brilliant. Fucking creative cunt. I guess that's what happens when you smoke weed all day. He is the first one to remind us that weed brings out creativity, either telling us through rap or inserting samples regarding the matter. The guy can sometimes go overboard with the vocal samples, disrupting songs halfway through by stopping the music and playing the sample, sometimes multiple times. This puts some people off, but I love it. He does it so it actually fits in if you think about. If your on weed...

Lol anyway the shit on Quasimoto's first record "The Unseen" is straight up classic jazz hip-hop style shit. One of the best collection of beats I've ever heard. Madvillain with MF Doom is on the same level. Other dope cuts are "Shopping Bags" for De La, "Nightlife" for MED, and "What Can I Do?" for Kweli.

3. Dr Dre

Dre! The most famous hip-hop producer of all time no doubt. This guy just lives by his music. He wants to make high quality shit. It all starts in the drums for him. Everyone knows Dre has the best drums. But on top of that, he just keeps it real chill. Guitars are popular. Synths. Anything chilled. "Nuthin But a G Thang" is one of greatest hip-hop songs of all time, and easily the most chilled. Then he just brings out stupidly simple classic shit like "Still D.R.E." - yeh Scott Storch came up with the chords but the fact is, Dre brought it all together. You can come up with some dope shit when Dre is around. He doesn't just make the music - he produces. He'll make you a hit. He'll make sure you bring what's appropriate. Recently I have enjoyed his laid-back Piano Chord jams "Lost Ones" for Jay-Z and Young Buck's "U Ain't Going Nowhere" although others haven't been impressed. Don't worry...Detox is gonna be so hot you'll forgive him for the years of delays. His track record suggests so anyway...

2. DJ Premier

This is New York hip-hop right here. Premo always brings it raw. Using his trusty MPC 60 this guy will give you a great platform for you to rhyme over...always. It all starts with those Boom Bap drums. It's real hip-hop...the beat doesn't dominate and allows you to listen to what is being said...but you will always be nodding your head regardless. Check out all them Gangstarr cuts. Or Jeru's shit. Dude fucking sampled water drops on "Come Clean." Ridiculous. Other 5 star shit he produced is Nas' "NY State of Mind," J-Live's "The Best Part", Jay-Z's "Bring It On" and recently Termanology's "Watch how it go down." All allow the MC to shine while being incredibly hot beats...that is no mean feat.

1. RZA

Just can't help it. Can't resist those beats he made back in the mid 90s. Can't help but be seduced by those minimalistic gems. GZA, Raekwon, Method Man and Wu-Tang Clan are always at the top of my most played list. While the lyrics are often dope, the main reason is RZA's production. That's real production - producing whole albums. That's where you can bring that real shit. You can create a whole MOOD. On Wu-Tang's debut, shit was incredibly raw. Straight from the streets. Just a gritty, tinny beat, and some hardcore spitting over it. The use of samples was ingenious too. "C.R.E.A.M." is just an impeccable track. The nursery rhyme piano line just stays in your head, and Deck and Raekwon brought some real shit over that - the point is yet again, its a dope beat without taking away the lyrics of the MC. When he progressed in the next few albums, he didn't really progress at all. He'd bring in some dirty bass lines maybe. But he'd keep that shit simple, on his Ensoniq keyboard. The debut full-length GZA and Raekwon albums are just all perfectly produced in addition to his classic shit on the Wu-Tang debut. The other albums he produced in full are also high quality (when the name Bobby Digital was not involved lol).

This guy is thus my number 1 producer. A combination of quality and quantity which is hard to beat. Ask me tomorrow I migth say Premo again those two are neck and neck to me. Shout out to cats like DJ Quik, 9th Wonder, Prince Paul, Hi-Tek, Alchemist, Eric B, Havoc, Large Professor, Bomb Squad, Pimp C, Oh No, Black Milk, Muggs, DangerMouse, Will.I.AM, DJ Toomp and Scott Storch who would be on the next level down.

MVP Thoughts

2007-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Two friends...one MVP award. Who will get it?

The NBA regular season is almost over, and major attention turns to the announcement of individual awards. In this day and age, when a player's legacy can oddly seem more important than a team's, everyone starts talking about the MVP award. History shows that it goes to a key player on an elite team. That would make there 3 candidates...Dallas' Dirk, Suns' Nash and Spurs' Timmy. Sorry Kobe, if last year's efforts couldn't win you the MVP, I don't think this year's slightly less amazing numbers (only just) will win it for you. Your team just doesn't win enough, it seems. Also special shout-out to Carlos Boozer, whose numbers have been phenomenal. Your team hasn't won enough either...also everyone mentioned already happens to be from the West. My east coast MVP would goto Chris Bosh.

Tim: Big Tim has had yet another great year. The consistency he has shown throughout his career is nothing short of amazing. He never really improved his numbers that much cos they started so high anyway. And while his minutes have been down a bit in recent years he has still kept up the high production. Its no wonder his Spurs just keep having winning seasons. The guy is a top-5 shot blocker, top-5 rebounder, top-20 scorer and top-10 FG%. He'll also through in the most assists of any centre in the league (truthfully this year Brad Miller averages 0.1 assists per game more, but he has played far less games). Oh yeah and the Big Fundamental has started every game this year too. Your damn right he should be considered for the MVP. All that said, the Spurs have only really clicked since after the Rodeo Trip. They have not had it all their own way this year. This thus puts Duncan below the other two.
Dirk: The best player in the best team, Dirk is probably favourite for the award right now. The guy has advanced his reputation as a match-up nightmare even further this year. He does everything in balance. He will drive-in on you, OR shoot the mid-range jumper on you OR post you up OR pop a 3 on you (less these days which has improved his variety) OR dish to a team-mate in a better position. His opponent would rarely have any clue what he'll do each time he gets the ball. He has great trust in his supporting cast. More often than not, he, and they, deliver. That is why they were pushing 70 wins this year. Oh, and those people who say "call him Irk cos he has no D"? You wish you had D like Dirk.
Nash: While all of the above is true, there is this guy Nash. Sure, in 2005 Shaq deserved the MVP. Last year, it was Kobe who deserved it. Nash scooped both. This year though, Nash fully deserves the title. His numbers are this year pushing into the unheard-of category. While some marvel that he increases his team-mates stats, I marvel at his very own stats. The guy dishes out 2 more assists per game than the league's second best-assisting player, the excellent MIP-candidate Deron Williams. He averages 3 more assists per 48 minutes (15.6) than second best TJ Ford. He is clearly the best passer in the game: no one would deny that. But then if you add his shooting skills on top of this, it makes for a simply perfect Point Guard. He shoots 53% from the field, 47% from behind the arc, and pours in 19 PPG. Oh yeah, let's not forget his exemplary foul shooting too.

"Yeh, but his D sucks!" That is far from true. Its not as good as his offense, true, but Nash is no slouch on the defensive end. Sure, he isn't as athletic as many of his opponents but he does put everything in on defense which is a lot more than can be said of many other players in the league. This year I have seen him make many clutch defensive plays. Pheonix have improved their D big time this year and Nash is no different.

So why Nash over Dirk?

Well, first off, I believe his numbers are more impressive than Dirk's. Secondly, the dude is clutch. That is very important to me. I have seen Dirk hit some clutch shots. I have also seen Dirk pass the ball at the end of games and rely on someone else to make the big play. With Pheonix, you know Nash will be involved somehow when it counts...with a killer pass, a huge 3, or even a defensive stop. Adding it all up, Nash is a real leader and has been more valuable to his team's success this year than Dirk has...

All this said, I believe Dirk will be named the MVP. And good luck to him. If I was casting a vote however, I would go with his former team-mate and good friend Nash. I'm sure both will be happy whoever wins it.

Top 50 NBA-related commercials

2007-04-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

I don't even care if you don't follow the NBA. You'll still appreciate watching some of these.

Special shout out to Number 37!

Top Three Albums of the Quarter

2007-04-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

Time flies huh. Yep, 3 months of 2007 have already passed us by. I thought I'd mark the occasion by providing my top 3 releases of this period. Musically, the year has started very well, as far I'm concerned.

3. Devin the Dude - Waitin' to Inhale

"I pick you up I look you up and down...you so fine / In my mind I'm saying now how can i make this ho mine?"

I've still only listened to this a few times, cos its newly released. But it sounds real nice. Real chilled beats once again. These south cats have a nice sound going on when they get a guitar nonchalantly strumming chords and adding a hip-hop beat over that. Then you put one of the coolest voices in hip-hop over it, and you got yourself a real nice sound. Devin is always fun to listen to cos he always will take a song down a path you may not have been expecting (see "Just Because") Also noteworthy on this release is Andre 3000's stellar work on "What a job."

2. Talib Kweli & Madlib - Liberation

"Our music went from tap dance to the lap dance / try to get me to sell out and thats a fat chance"

Peace to the Libs for putting this release out for free. They didn't wanna mess with sample-clearing so just put it out for free. Madlib has some real nice beats here, in the mold of that Movie Scenes Beat-CD he released last year. So yeh, lots of soul singing and melodious flutes but also nice dirty bass lines. All the beats are adventurous and extremely replayable. Kweli also shows he is returning to form on this release. Just always on point. Watch out on "The Function" Kweli does something pretty new for him...he starts rapping in that voice that you only hear at his live shows (IE he shouts and projects from his chest rather than that more nasal voice we love). In fact, he switches up his style much on this joint. This is welcome, as it is a free release so I don't mind if your trying out some new directions. You just gave me the music for free so do whatever you want.

1. Sean Price - Jesus Price Superstar

I posted about Sean P below. Everything said then still stands. This guy is sick.

COULD BE DOPES: I ain't gonna lie, but I haven't listened to that Consequence album yet. I hear its pretty fire. I also hear Black Milk, that crazy producer/rapper from Detroit, has released a dope album entitled "Popular Demand" which I must check. El-P's joint "I'll sleep when your dead" I must also check.

FUTURE CUTS: There are some potentially dope releases I'm really looking forward to coming out soon. From underground type ish like Marco Polo, Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli to more mainstream stuff like Raekwon, Dr Dre, Joe Budden, Common, UGK and Young Buck this is set to be a great year for hip-hop. EDIT: The Young Buck was actually finally released this week. Its selling very strongly - and with that mix of producers its no surprise. I am about to listen to it now...

Final Four - Quit your whinging!

2007-03-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

Defense!

Cool. We got some final four action going on here and no one could begrudge the team that eventually wins the Tourney. All four remaining teams have had great seasons.

When high seeds dominate the tournament as they have this year, many people start complaining. Cries of "No Cinderella story? Then no interest from me whatsoever!" or "The results are too predictable and most games short on drama" are heard.

Sorry. I didn't realise the NCAA tournament was all about you. I didn't realise the main goal of the NCAA tournament was to entertain you. The whole system must be flawed simply because you weren't given a regular dosage of upsets. It was all so much better "back in the day."

Um...last year George Mason made one of the most incredible runs ever. Remember? If it wasn't for years like 2007, when the top schools dominate, runs like last year's would be nowhere near as impressive. And no where near as memorable.

And who's to say theres no entertainment? In the final four we have:

A true character of the game trying to go Repeat and create a true hoops legacy (Florida's Noah)
A future hall of famer awakening from his slumber and reminding everyone big man defense can be title-deciding (Ohio State's Oden). The thing is, he's going up against another big man who's doing exactly the same thing in Georgetown (Roy Hibbert).
An incredibly well oiled UCLA team out for revenge over Florida after last year's events.

And already in the tourney we've seen some incredible comebacks and great-escapes (Ohio State's and Georgetown's being the most memorable). If people say those games weren't drama filled, then I don't know what is.

We have four top notch teams playing top quality basketball. The NCAA tournament is about rewarding the teams who play the best basketball. To achieve this players need to exhibit great teamwork, incredible skills honed by years of practice and hustle spurred on by the fans and passion felt for their college. It's not about entertaining you...but if you keep an open mind you can bet your bottom dollar that it will.

P.S. For those who want to see my Bracket, here it is.

First name Sean, last name Price

2007-03-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

So this is how it goes. I named this blog after the Brokest Rapper you know, Sean Price. So it's only natural I make a post about him.

When it comes to Sean P, you either love him, or clearly haven't heard him yet. Cos its impossible to listen to this cat and hate him. The dude comes fucking charismatic on the mic. He is a veteran MC, formerly part of the duo Heltah Skeltah as Ruck with colleague Rock. This was back in the 90s and these guys were at the forefront of Boot Camp Clik, a hip-hop supergroup from Brooklyn. A couple of years ago dude released his first solo joint: Monkey Barz. Shit was fire - mad lyrics and mad beats. This year he is back with yet more dopeness. The new album is entitled "Jesus Price Supastar"

But why do I love P so much? Aside from his charisma on the mic, its just those mad word plays he comes up with. He is truly hardcore in that Wu-Tang style where its all tongue in cheek but still way more hardcore than those fake ass clowns you see on the screen these days like Mims. He is also hilariously self-depreciating. But yeh, about his word plays: them shits are dope. Shit like "Call dude at the radio / 'Listen could you play me yo?' / 'Yeh i'm a play it', he didn't play it, but he played me though"

That shit right there is dope as fuck. But its just par for the course with Sean P. And he is creative too. How about "Words can't explain the way I feel / ***Starts whistling***" Lots of rappers just stick to that 16 bars shit. And they are generic. If P comes up with an idea he is not afraid to try it. More often than not, it works. Fuck it: it always works. Here's 3 tracks that should help you understand dude is dope.

Onion Head feat. Tek
Fly line: "Gotta dime bitch that live in Japan / Black belt, suck dick, chop bricks with her hand"

I could quote any line from this track. But I'll let you listen to it. The beat by Khrysis just screams for some hot shit to be spat over it. Really gets you going. But when you think about it - when was the last time you heard a wack Khrysis beat? I might do a post on that cat soon.

Jedi Mind Tricks - Beyond the Gates of Pain feat. Sean Price
Fly line: "Rockin and Rollin...Guns N Roses / Pocket is Swollen...Son is Holding, Sean P!"

This beat suits P nicely. Although actually any beat suits P. Ok maybe I should stop praising son and get off his dick.

Violent
Fly line: "Word bond, ya'll niggas can't rap worth a damn / The Nine burst blam and earthslam your fam"

Ok here's another P track, produced by 9th Wonder this time. 9th produces a heap of P's shit. It's typical Sean at the start of the track when he says "this beat is just so cool, you know you just wanna relax and, say some old cool shit...but that's not me" and proceeds to bring "Violence" to a beat most rappers would be rhyming about some "ole cool shit."

"The beat is smooth, the rap is hard..." Damn right.

BONUS BEATS!!!

Strick: Mad skills from Milwaukee

2007-03-14T03:28:00.000-07:00

Ok ya'll. In case you didn't know, I support the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. This year hasn't been the best for us, quite simply cos injuries have taken their toll. However, when the team has been fully healthy and Michael Redd in the starting line up, we have been playing very well and beaten some real good teams. You got my boy Bogut establishing himself as one of the best passing centres in the game, Charlie Bell improving at a rate of notts, Charlie V putting up some good numbers as a big man who can shoot the ball and Mo Williams really maturing as a point guard. This, coupled with Michael Redd's exquisite shooting, experience and physicality provided by the reborn Ruben Patterson, a returning Bobby Simmons next year and maybe a nice player in this year's draft (a small forward would be ideal) we can and will win the Eastern Conference in a few years. Its not too far away.

Anyways, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post, is that the town of Milwaukee has a mad rapper in its midst too. He goes by the name of Stricklin, or Strick for short.

This cat is real nice on the mic. He is kinda a throwback to that mid 90s style when skills were still important. He will boast, not with empty repetitive gangster phrases, but with great stanzas. This is the best way to boast: actually show you have skills. You leave the listener sure you are dope.

Dude started rolling with Masta Ace after his deal with Tommy Boy fell through. He appeared on a few Masta Ace tracks on "Disposable Arts" and then "A Long Hot Summer" and that's where I first heard him. I was immediately impressed. I got his album "The Resume" and it is indeed dope. He also roles with Royce Da 5'9 sometimes and has done a few tracks with him. Here is a couple of tracks you might like to check...

Stricklin - Rest Assured It feat. Skoob
Fly line: "As for you, youse a bitch, and your man is your clone / Talk shit but freeze up when them cameras is on / don't articulate, and when you do, your grammar is wrong / so please back the fuck up before I damage your dome"

This track has a real nice beat. I just like that chilled beat. But with Stricklin its more about the lyrics. Its just real hip-hop. If you are wondering who he is on the track - its pretty obvious he is the guy NOT saying "diggity etc" that's Skoob of Das Efx.

Stricklin - 4 Brothaz feat. Masta Ace, Punch & Words
Fly line: "You faggots really can't rhyme - you just yellin / And i ain't ate, you look like a plate of fresh melon / And i gotta huge appetite / you dudes ain't rapping right / and i ain't rap to tight / and you might get clapped To-Nite"

This is Strick with Masta Ace and Punchline and Wordsworth. Word em up, this quartet actually are recording a whole lot of shit together under the name "eMC" and they have an album coming out soon. That will be fire. Lots of talent in that quartet right there, no weak link. This track will give you an idea of what to expect...Strick got first...

Masta Ace - F.A.Y. feat. Stricklin
Fly Line: "Nobody knows me / no record label chose me / but tommy boy did, and look where that got me / a bad attitude and a reason not to be cocky"

This is my fav Strick track. He has the last verse and it's fucking awesome. Both Ace and Strick are just on the negative tip on this track in regards to the whole hip-hop industry and even life itself. Ace is very often on this tip, and I like hearing it. Dude speaks some truth. Anyway Strick just comes hella nice on this track. He is on a mad negative tip. Which is very different for a hip-hop song, but also very listenable, somehow. Listen to it, figure it out yourself...

March Madness

2007-03-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hey waddup ya'll. I thought I'd just write a bit here about March Madness. This is one of the best times of year for basketball mad cats like me. You got the NBA regular season coming to an end, so all the talk is about playoff spots and seeds. But you also got College Hoops' most important month! We got championship week at the moment. And soon its time for the NCAA tourney and I can't wait for this shit.

So who do I like? Well, Greg Oden and his Buckeyes are just kicking into gear now. It's like Oden has heard everyone saying "Hang on, this Durant kid is putting up huge numbers. Maybe he should be number 1 pick in the draft" and decided to remind everyone why he is so highly rated (although neither are locks to be in the draft people keep forgetting). He has started using his right hand again - and that means problems for all the opposition.

Kansas are also up there. They got a nicely balanced team and many of their players can give you double digit games. Then in my opinion there are a host of teams below these two who could still go all the way. Right down to Georgetown who could indeed go deep. Also, any team with Kevin Durant in it, has got to be a chance. This guy is crazy talented. Texas will therefore be a must-watch this month.

But the team I'll be rooting for to go as far as possible? Virginia. I just like the back court: Singletary and Reynolds. Sick cunts. Although they just lost in the ACC tournament to North Carolina State. Reynolds shot like a bitch (3-15).

Anyways I hope ya'll will be getting into it. Peace.

Little known songs...

2007-03-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna make my first real post be about those songs that you love, but no one seems to have even heard of them. Everyone has a few of these. I must have a few hundred.

Here: I'll give you three today. The first is by Houston cat Devin the Dude. You know; that guy on Dr Dre's song "Fuck You"? He got that mad chilled higher-pitched type of voice. And this song, "Right Now," has just one of the most chilled beats you'll hear. The two go hand in hand. This song just really makes me feel good and its hedonistic nature helps remind me life is pretty fucking good.

Devin the Dude - Right Now
Fly line: "I'm like 'I know its kinda scary, it's a long way down / You shoulda had your shit together when you was on the ground' "

The second is kinda similar in that it makes me feel good. It's by Will.I.Am of Black Eyed Peas together with Long Beach Dub All Stars. It's just got mad lyrics, mad melody and mad instrumental. If you don't end up thinking more positive for a few minutes after listening to this song, you probably never will/do think positive. Brighten up!

Long Beach Dub All Stars feat. Will.I.Am - Sunny Hours
Fly line: "Tell me why I'm not dead with them in the valley down below / I give thanks everyday, for these words that save my soul"

Lastly I'll hook you up with a song that is probably the most well known of these three mentioned. But still, many of this guy's fans have never even heard of this song. It is my favourite song by Lupe Fiasco, and it's from his mixtape "Fahrenheit 1/15 Part I" and it's called "Failure." That is some raw lyrical shit right here. This song made me salivate for over 12 months waiting for his debut album "Food & Liquor." The album was dope but nothing matched his consistent brilliance throughout the verses of this cut. The beat is hella nice too. This is just real hip-hop with mad word plays and great rhyming throughout. This reminds you why you ain't a rapper. P.S. Does anyone else think he looks a lot like Steve Francis? (that's Lupe above if you weren't sure).

Lupe Fiasco - Failure
Fly line: "Please don't Interscope...its gon be a whole lotta Iovine and respiratin’ if I lean out this window with Irene."

Ok that's it for now. Like some foreigner in California once said, I'll be back.

The Brokest Writer You Know

2007-03-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

That's right fools. The Brokest Writer You Know is here. Word em up. But this is a great day for all you hip-hop fans out there, cos I'm gonna hook you up with some of the flyest tracks you ever heard. I'll upload them for a limited time on yousendit.com or something similar. And I'll explain why it is that I like them.

It's real late cos I was trying to think of a name for this blog. (Bloggystyle, Strictly 4 My Feeders and 3 kb/s High and Rising all just missed out). So tomorrow I'll upload the first hot ish for this blog.