What To Watch Tonight? Alicia Keys Live On YouTube!

These live broadcasts on YouTube are the next big thing in bringing in viewers and money back into the music industry. We don’t watch TV anymore guys!!! Nothing like a charity concert by Ms. Keys on World AIDS Day to showcase the viral value of a YouTube concert. Viral value was a bad pun, but you know what I mean, if the industry wants to make money off the next generation, you have to go to their rooms and speak to THEM! In this case the room is YouTube, and they’re waiting.

AIDS Ain’t Easy

As of last night U.S. restrictions on visits by foreigners with HIV are to be lifted. Yeah, I’d say now is just as good a time as any to talk about AIDS. Oh, it’s also World AIDS Day today, happy AIDS Day? The problem is I don’t really feel like talking about this subject, AIDS is so overbearing and disconnected from my daily reality. I mean, there are so many tributaries off the AIDS delta that it can seem like a lost cause to combat the deadly disease. Specious to even talk about it really. I do know it was Easy-E’s death that introduced me to the concept of HIV and AIDS, followed shortly with the Magic Johnson revelation. What up with Magic anyways, last I heard he didn’t have a trace of HIV in his blood, does that mean he’s cured? Medical students, help me out on that one.

Sometimes when you stand on the ignorant side of the tracks, it’s best to spare the world your unnecessary thoughts on a matter, rather it’s best to wait until something blatant and external justifies your propensity to pass comment with judgement. On the topic of HIV and AIDS, I shamefully have stood in the back of the club, doing my 2 step, waiting for the disease to die off, literally. My blatant sign to critique came with the announcement of new legislation being passed by the Ugandan government. A dangerous combination of American evangelism and African ignorance has resulted in Uganda’s “Homosexuality Bill 2009.”

The new law would sentence anyone to death who had gay sex with a partner who had a disability, or while they were HIV positive, or if their partner was under the age of 18.

Undoubtedly, the section of the bill that has drawn the most heat is a provision that members of the public are required to report any homosexual activity they witness to police within 24 hours or face the a prison sentence of up tp three years. Snitch or/and Die! Pretty absurd ladies and gentlemen. For decades the African continent has been plagued by a lack of valid information regarding diseases, and have had lies propagated in their stead. One such lie that certainly inspires bills such as this Ugandan one, is the notion that AIDS is a punishment from God for homosexual practices. Fucked up isn’t it?

I wish this was all so simple, as if all it took to educate was revealing to hip hop fans in Africa that Eazy-E of the infamous N.W.A was consumed by AIDS, and he was no homo. Just remember, when you feel like you haven’t spoken on a topic out of ignorance, pat yourself on the back, but the minute you come across a piece of information that acts like a S.W.A.T team flash bang grenade, you speak up. Speak loud, damn you.

Falside’s Winter Brew

Winter in Rhode Island can be a lonely and crude experience. Out here in L.A. winter is synonymous with nothing, just another month in the plastic city. Either way, winter can depress us, it does depress us. Now, I’m not saying Falside’s winter beat tape titled Cold Feat* is going to keep Jack Frost out of your living room, but it will inspire some of your dormant neurons to fire off, and God knows you need that you dumb bastard. Peep the tracks below, but download the link to check my personal favorite on the tape, Well Another Day.

Falside – Growing Tomatos with Fire

Falside – Art of Chase

Falside – Street Lights, Knife Fights

Download the winter collection in it’s entirety right here son.

* Shout out to Falside for the early heads up on this tape, always a pleasure to drop dope shit “first”

Miniscule Clipse

So Clipse are dropping a new album, and I stumbled across some leaked tracks. Having already released the viral music video for “Popular Demand” with Cam’Ron, I assume these leaks were strategic, it’s hype week, Till The Casket Drops is set for a December 8th release. The smallest handgun in the world they may not be, but for a group that’s been backed by The Neptunes for this long, and been crowned the princes of cocaine rap, their inability to recapture the sound and hype of 2002’s Lord Willin’ is all whimper and no bang.

Clipse – Freedom – (Produced by Sean C & LV)

Clipse – Footsteps (Produced by DJ Khalil)

Clipse – Showin Out feat. Yo Gotti (Produced by The Neptunes)

Chubby Raps

I’m pretty much all about this banger from Chip tha Ripper’s forthcoming mixtape. It’s good to see Chuck Inglish keep his relevance alive (honestly, the guy has been yielding some dope beats lately). It’s also good to see Curren$y apply a little focus; for a good while, it seemed as if he was tweeting every thirty seconds and every update had two parts: 1. what type of weed he was puffing and 2. what TV show he was watching. Since he’s gotten a little focus and linked up with Jay Electronica, I swear his verses have reacquired their punch. Oh yeah, Chip tha Ripper’s verse is pretty alright, too. Download the track here

Chip Tha Ripper feat. Curren_y _ Big Sean – Fat Raps _prod. Chuck Inglish_

Louis XIII or E&J’s? A Review of Obie Trice’s Special Reserve

* shout out to Duck Down Records for the advance listen

I’ve never been to Detroit, but I imagine it being colder than a polar bear’s toe nail (god I love Mac Dre) and quite a decrepit place, largely due to the United States’ inability to maintain it’s position as a manufacturing power house. Yet while business and happiness may be dead in the D, often times death breeds new life, and that is the case with Detroit’s Hip-Hop scene. While the Hip-Hop community has never embraced Detroit like it did with New York, L.A., and Atlanta, the hardships of living in a forgotten city has produced some of the illest MC’s and producers to ever touch the mic or MPC. Off top, people will mention Eminem, the whole D12 click (R.I.P. Proof), Royce, Slum Village (R.I.P. Baatin and Dilla), Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, and Black Milk. Yet someone who rarely makes the list these days, despite going platinum in 2003, is Obie Trice. After blowing up way bigger than could have been expected with his debut album Cheers, Obie’s career quickly took a turn for the worse. In 2005, while driving, he caught two bullets including one to the dome, 2006’s Second Round On Me received minimal press and did poorly in stores, and in 2008 he ended his professional relationship with Eminem’s Shady Records. It was a long fall for Obie, but in 2009 he hopes to ascend a few rungs up the ladder with his newest LP, Special Reserve.

Despite a continuation of the drinking themed titles, Special Reserve is a step in a new direction for Detroit’s Well Known Asshole. Unlike his previous two albums, which featured production from some of the hottest beat makers at the time, Special Reserve is a result of Obie solely teaming up with MoSS, someone practically unknown to the public, yet the first producer to sign with the legendary DJ Premier’s new label, Works of Mart Entertainment. Additionally on Special Reserve, Obie takes the path less traveled and has zero features from other MC’s. Who knows if this is a result of lack of funds, or a desire to prove himself, but either way Special Reserve is a great way for fans to see how the past couple of years has affected Obie, as well as get an early glimpse of someone who arguably the most respected producer of all time has given the stamp of approval.

The Lady Who Makes Me Gag(a)

An 18 year old employee of mine asked me the most ridiculous question today, she rudely put forth, ” you don’t like Lady Gaga?” This young lass asked this question with such audacity and awe that I was forced to ponder the question, call it mental rendition. I answered with a pathetic “I guess she’s OK.” Complete fail, she’s OK? She’s agitating, she’s trendy, she’s terribly untalented, she’s somewhat sexy in the bestiality kind of way, but she’s not “OK.” After hitting up Natural High to peep Karma tonight I knew my preference for substance was not music nerdy or socially elite, it was a simple dismissal of terrible radio junk. Lady Gaga is the type of artist that ends up in a figurative garbage can, considering it’s Gaga, she may end up in a physical one to boot. I can’t think of a reasonable historic example to exemplify my point here, but 4 Non Blondes and Milli Vanilli come to mind for some reason. Either way, this YouTube character, Lord Gaga, is the kind of viral identity I would usually dismiss with a passive glance and a wave of the mouse. But this character hammers my proverbial nails in Lady Gaga’s coffin, I can’t help but stare awhile, and yes, free my mind from an unknown interrogation cell in Syria.

Check this video of Lady Gaga while she was still human and a student at NYU.

Chase Nicki Minaj Status

Chase & Status – Saxon ft. Nicki Minaj

So Dubstep kings Chase & Status are really taking this U.S. remix/collaborative effort to heart. So far they’re 2 for 2, they got that Snoop joint, and that Jay-Z D.O.A. remix. Nicki Minaj hasn’t been covered really at all on our site, and now that I’m pondering, I’m really not sure why. She meets all the stringent criteria that we place on covered artists. She’s hella hot, she rhymes better than Asher Roth, and she’s hot shit, killing the blogs. Peep the video, Wale is totally kicking that elementary school game, you know, when you spit in a girls face because you like her but don’t want her to know it.

Redone Soul Classics

Outkast aside, De La Soul is probably my favorite hip-hop group of all time. Call it a chicken-and-egg complex, but even now, when I listen to 3 Feet High and Rising I still remember pretty much everything about the day I bought that album: girl problems, algebra tests, etc. The esoteric quirks on each subsequent De La album are exactly the same in terms of stimulating elephant-like memories.

Mick Boogie and Co. have just dropped  Le Da Soul: 20 Years of De La Soul with remakes of some of the classics De La has dropped for the past 20 years.  Click the De La Soul sneaker below to download the mixtape:

Break It Down Alicia!

Remember when people would say “break it down” when referring to somebody really going buck wild on a track? “Break it down MJ!” I realize now that a “broken down” version is a little less vague. Peep Alicia Key’s “breakdown” of Empire State of Mind, Part Deux.

Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Pt.2 (Broken Down!)

50 Cent v. Taco Bell

In the warm memories of Dragnet , I say this story is best delivered with concise and accurate brevity. Just the facts m’am, just the facts.

Apparently Taco Bell has a marketing department with a creative way of looking at viral opportunities. They decided to “address” a letter “to” 50 Cent, kindly asking him if he would change his name to 79 cents or perhaps 89 cents. I’m really not sure why, perhaps they had a 50 cent taco coming out, or something disgusting like that. Either way, the problem with the letter is that it was delivered to media outlets across the country and not Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. So when the press released the story about Taco Bell’s letter to Fitty, plenty of fans cried a foul. SELLOUT! SELLOUT! 50 Cent is a G however, and he took it to the corporate gorditos with blue blooded power attorneys, sued for 4 million. Today, that suit got settled, Curtis was paid an undisclosed amount. Perhaps the boys in the TB marketing division should go find another Chihuahua, a little less abrasive than 50.

ZIF Video Of The Week: Survival Skills

In case you missed it, ZIF gave the two thumbs up to this album. I recommend copping it, if you’re into that sort of thing, if not Google that bitch and listen for “free” (your soul pays later). Some call KRS-One a legend, and Buckshot an indie equivalent. But really, they’re just a couple of benchmarks, namely ones mind you. I respect this album greatly, but that whole KRS is a God and Buckshot is unsung shit has been tired for a decade. By the way Kris, I’m no longer vegetarian, I wasn’t raised one like you, that’s cheating.

Rappers Gone Muslim

So for those of who you know of Loon, the Harlem Bad Boy who’s more boy than bad really, you may find these clips interesting. Loon recently became a follower of Islam, a practicing Muslim. Apart from an obvious draw to acclaimed Muslim rapper Freeway, there is some substance to this spiritual development. These guys actually went to Saudi Arabia and a whole slew of other Arab countries. And yes I understand Arab doesn’t equal Muslim, but these were Arab Muslim countries, so chill. Many bloggers are finding this story relatively fascinating, I am among them. Not for the feel good reasons either. I’m pretty interested in the possibility that the increasingly growing trend of American rappers turning towards Islam will have a pragmatic effect on U.S. stigmas about Muslims. And not a necessarily positive one either, it’s not like rappers have an inherent ability to convey spiritual thoughts through a social platform that is a mic and a stage, oh wait…

Peep a list of Islamic Rappers after the jump.

Did you happen to hear that last Loon track? Yikes…

Loon feat. Christopher – What You Say

The Clearance Rack: Ya Boy – Rookie Of The Year

After four years in Los Angeles, I am finally back home in The Bay. In my opinion, The Bay Area is simultaneously one of the most under and overrated locations for all of hip-hop. On the one hand, the hyphy “movement” has unfortunately given most outsiders an image of bay area rap that consists of a bunch of ignant ass dreaded motherfuckers, dancing outside of their moving cars while yelling about being so stupid doo doo dumb, that they need to bust out their bike helmets. This has resulted in a strong belief that Bay Area music is cornier than Nebraskan shit, and is unworthy of seasoned ears. While I see where some of y’all are coming from, it’s just wrong. The Bay has birthed the careers of great commercial and underground MC’s, Producers, and DJ’s. Anyone who claims that E-40, Mac Dre, Too $hort, Hieroglyphics, Blackalicious, The Living Legends, Zion I, Rick Rock, E-A-Ski, Traxamillion, Dan The Automater, DJ Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, and Peanut Butter Wolf has nothing to offer to the world of hip-hop, has absolutely no clue what the fuck they’re talking about. At the same time, there are many Northern Californians who exclusively listen to Bay Area music, which I also think is ridiculous. They may have never heard a verse from Royce Da 5’9”, but they would treat you like a four year old speaking out of turn if you didn’t thoroughly believe that The Jacka’s Tear Gas was one of, if not the best album of 2009. Jaka’s shit was dope, and I strongly believe that you should proudly rep where you’re from on a regular basis, but only listening to artists from a specific geographical region is just way too limiting.

Now that I’m once again living in the birthplace of independent rap, thank you Too $hort, I am trying to get back into the local music scene, and see who from The Yay has the skills to impress hip-hop fans regardless of where they are from. While chances are the clearance rack won’t give you something completely up to date, it is a really good, low risk way of giving some local MC’s and Producers a chance. That’s why when I saw Ya Boy’s 2005 debut album, Rookie Of The Year, for $2.99, I went for it.

Ya Boy – Bad Company ft. Bailey (Produced by Sean T)

Attention Deficit

As any rapper should, Wale is proving fairly divisive–with people people hating, disliking, not caring, feeling and loving, I guess he’s doing something right? His debut full length is certainly different then his mixtapes. Here is my review, courtesy of Treblezine.

Despite the clever appropriations of things like tofurky, soyrizo and other animal-friendly re-workings, fledgling vegetarians are eventually forced to accept the fact that it’s unquestionably impossible–even with advanced gastronomical technology–to make these meat-free substitutions taste identical to the bloody nectar of the cows, pigs and chickens. Two years ago, various mixtape DJs were hurling beats at Wale like a zookeeper would wildebeest legs to a hungry lion. And, like the lion, the D.C.-bred rapper tore into them with famished abandon. Wale triumphantly gutted these beats of all of their original intent and replaced them with his own stampede of polysyllabic equivocations and rapid-fire metaphors. A prolific streak of mixtapes established Wale as a rapper’s rapper.