For those of you who don’t know, if The Source (Yes, The Source is still around) gives an album a 5 Mic rating, that means they consider it “A Hip-Hop Classic.” The magazine recently gave Bun B’s Trill O.G. that honor and a lot of people are questioning it. Trill O.G. is a great album and I love Bun B, but I don’t think its a classic album. The last few albums to receive a 5 Mic rating were Lil Kim’s The Naked Truth, Scarface’s The Fix, Nas’s Stillmatic, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint and Outkast’s Aquemini. Other than Lil Kim’s album, because lets be honest, that wasn’t even her best work, Trill O.G. just can’t compare with those classics. Lyrically Bun B is at is best and the production is pretty good, but you can’t listen to this album without skipping over a few tracks (Countin’ Money All Day and Sext Me specifically.)
So why did The Source give the album such a high rating? Publicity? Am I wrong in my critique? I think it was partly publicity, and a way to make up for the magazines past oversights. Bun B is one of the games vets at 20 years strong. His work with the late Pimp C as U.G.K. helped give the South and identity and I feel that Underground Kingz should have gotten the recognition as a classic album. Giving Trill O.G. the 5 Mic was almost an apology to Bun B for not realizing how great of an MC he really is sooner. Plus it reminded everyone that The Source is still around, even if its not as relevant.
Is Bun B’s latest his greatest? Should everyone have a copy of it? Yes and Yes. Is it a classic? Not quite. My rating: 4.5/5
One of the most anticipated new artists of the summer has finally dropped his debut cd. If you don’t know who I’m talking about it’s none other than Drake himself. It has been debated by many if he would drop a masterpiece based on his success with Young Money. He has some big shoes to fill because not since Kanye has there been this much buzz around a new artist. The leak Thank Me Later a couple weeks early has a few worried but with guest appearances from Jay-Z, T.I., Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Alicia Keys Thank Me Later is sure to move some big numbers. With that being said let’s dive into Drake-Thank Me Later.
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Continue reading ‘Album Review: Drake-Thank Me Later’
When Ludacris first announced he was going to put out a Battle of the Sexes cd my initial reaction was Word! Ludacris’ game plan was to give female mcs the outlet that has been closed for the last few list. Well just by looking at the roster of female artist in the game my initial thought was going to be he’s going to pull in the archieves and we are going to hear some familiar femcee voices that we haven’t heard in a long time. Battle of the Sexes did not live up to the hype that was initially placed around it. Yeah it’s great to hear another Ludacris cd but I got my hopes up to hear some femcees going in hard over air tight production. We’ll let’s get into the Battle of the Sexes.
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Daniel Simmons better known as Diggy has just entered the Hip Hop world with a bang with his new mixtape The First Flight. We have heard his older brother JoJo roc the mic but Diggy is a mic controller. If you don’t know, Daniel Diggy Simmons is also known as Rev Run’s (one third of one of the greatest hip hop groups ever Run DMC) son. Coming from a family of HipHop Royalty we could only hope for the best because it has been proven that sometimes the lyrical skills gene isn’t passed down. Well I believe that Diggy caught the gene. Take a ride with me on Diggy’s The First Flight Mixtape. Continue reading ‘*Album Review* Diggy – First Flight Mixtape’
My first introduction to Obie Trice was the line “Obie Trice Real Name No Gimmick” on Eminem’s The Eminem Show. Obie Trice releases Special Reserve on MoSS Appeal Music. The Moss produced album Special Reserve is a collection of tracks that Obie Trice recorded with Moss Appeal Music from 1997-2000.
Special Reserve opens up with Welcome. On Welcome you can hear Obie displaying his anger over hard hitting drums saying “I walk the blocks in anger, your family’s in danger young black male livin in hell screamin fuck dat shit”. Special Reserve moves on with Got Hungry featuring scratches by DJ Grouch. Rough Neck feat. Duece Wonder is the only feature on the album but can be considered one of the best tracks on Special Reserve. On Cool Cats we find Obie Trice displaying his lyrical skills over an Eminem type production. Obie closes Special Reserve with the track Dope, Jobs, Homeless. On Dope, Jobs, Homeless he describes his struggle and what he had to do to make a dollar before he got on with Eminem.
Overall as a collection of tracks created from 1997-2000 Special Delivery shows why Obie Trice will go down in history as one of the dopest MCs out of Detroit. After departing from Shady Records and being shot in 2008 many thought we would not hear from Obie Trice. Special Reserve leads way to his new cd Bottom’s Up scheduled to drop in 2010. If you are a fan or just like Hip Hop you will definitely love Special Reserve.
Stand Out Track- Cool Cats- “I’m a cool nigga first but it can get real grimey, especially when the pussy type niggas wanna try me I try to let the shit fly by me but it’s kinda hard like when you right behind me like a bitch eyin me. “
Special Reserve In Stores Now!!
Young Money has been the most talked about group since EveryGirl dropped during the summer. Lil Wayne went and got some of the dopest emcees from the east to the west to the south and put them in what most would call a “SuperGroup”. Drake, Niki Minaj, Mac Maine, J. Mills, Tyga, Guda Guda, Lil G, Lil Chuckie, Lil Twist, The Streets. Like most groups there are a couple artists that stand out and in the case the most know mcs are Drake and Niki Minaj. Well let’s get into Young Money-We are Young Money.
Continue reading ‘*Album Review* Young Money – We Are Young Money’
With the buzz of the Hotboys possibly reuniting after almost a 7 year hiatus BG releases his latest effort To Hood to Be Hollywood. With guest appearances from Trey Songs, Lil Wayne, Juvenile and T.I., Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood does not go far from BG roots. Let’s get into To Hood 2 Be Hollywood.
To Hood 2 Be Hollywood starts off with the track Fuck the Game Up with BG declaring “I’m here to clear my name”. BG is reunited with Mannie Fresh on the single My Hood. In true Cash Money fashion my hood will definitely be a club banger. The best surprise on To Hood 2 Be Hollywood is re long awaited reunion of the Hot Boyz. Many didn’t think they could pull it off but they did. Juvenile is still a force to be recognied with on the track You Heard Me Feat. Lil Wayne, Juvenile and Trey Songz. With Lil Wayne and Trey Songz on the hook and Juvenile’s smooth flow this will be a favorite on the cd. 4 A Minute feat. T.I. should definitely be a single. With a co-sign from the King himself it’s hot! T.I. dropped a hot 16. Free T.I.!
Standout Track: Ya Heard Me (Feat. Lil Wayne, Juvenile & Trey Songz)-You can catch 3 of the Hot Boyz going in hard on this track. “I’m not a fan of fools that’s why I got attitude Runnin your mouth to me, I’m a try to get at a dude Don’t even have a tool, what is you tryna prove Go ahead and choose ya can die with them designer shoes”- Juvenile
Overall: To Hood 2 be Hollywood is definitely a hood classic. But with subpar lyrics and decent production I’m not seeing it as a Hip Hop classic. BG failed to show that he is growing on many of the tracks but one can only talk about what one knows. If you’re a BG fan and even if you aren’t go and cop the album I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
To Hood 2 Be Hollywood In Stores NOW!
There has always been an argument in hip hop if white boys can hang in a game full of swag that is unique to the African American culture. Eminem is the exception to that rule. The days of Vanilla Ice are long gone. If you are a lover of lyricism, storytelling, and Hip Hop, look no further Eminem has it in his re-release of Relapse, Relapse: Refill.
Eminem opens up Relapse: Refill with the radio favorite Forever feat. Drake, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. His verse completely steals the show amongst some of the dopest mcs in the game. It only gets better from here. Em rides the beat on the cryptic track Buffalo Bill. Relapse moves forward with more storytelling and my personal favorite track Music Box. Refill is closed with the Drop Da Bomb On Em. Perfectly fitting for a very solid 8 track re-release of Relapse.
Overall : Relapse: Refill is definitely lyricism at it’s finest. There are only a few mcs that have beefed with Em and he has come out on top without a scratch on him. He has definitely gained his respect in the game. Relapse: Refill in stores on 12/21/09.
Standout Tracks: Drop Da Bomb On Em – This is what he does. Reading the lyrics alone makes you wonder who would come after Slim Shady. Not many. “I’m hard as Kenard, the little boy who shot Omar in The Wire, tie a whore up with barbed wire, nothing but a broad boy, I’m the real deal, and char-broiler on the bonfire and Bon Voyage bitch, I’m like Chef Boyar- -dee in this bitch; send a bomb to my moms lawyer Im a problem for ya, boy you think your Tom Sawyer, til I pull you out the f-cking story book and stomp on ya, f-cking fictitional characters and fariytales, prepare yourself for Captain America on Ferris Wheels, but it aint fiction its fact boy beware its real”
Quotable: “There’s thunder, I wonder how come it rains but the sun is out
The devils upset with his wife, they must be sluggin’ it out
I must be buggin’ the fuck out, but what the fuck about?” –Music Box
I think Notorious B.I.G. said it best “Money, clothes, and hoes is all a nigga knows”. He also said it’s time to move on and talk about something different. You know get creative. Well Baby didn’t get the last memo. Priceless is filled with bragging, Lil Wayne on just about every hook and gang calls. Enough said let’s get into Priceless.
Priceless opens with Baby rapping about the lifestyle of the rich and famous. He discusses his life from the beginning to now. It’s interesting that we never heard about his mother leaving him as a child (not sure how true that is). The next stand out track is the radio favorite Money to Blow feat Drake and Lil Wayne. The last verse Wayne says “we gon be ok if we put Drake on every hook” well he wasn’t lying but Baby put Wayne on every hook instead. Priceless continues to flow but never matches the quality of Money to Blow.
Fast forward to 4 My Town (play ball) feat. Drake and Lil Wayne, more bragging but the production is tight. Baby closes Priceless out with the radio favorite Always Strapped feat. Lil Wayne.
Standout Track :4 My Town (Play Ball) feat. Drake and Lil Wayne
4 My Town (Play Ball) feat. Drake and Lil Wayne- “The peace sign is just the trigger finger and the middle finger whatcha know bout it. . ” -Lil Wayne
Overall Priceless is in the realm best described by Kanye “In a land where niggas praise shoes, cars and getting paid.” Irresponsible gang calls and constant flaunting shows that Hip Hop may not be as grown as we thought. (We’ll decide that on a case by case basis.) Priceless is not a lyrical masterpiece but it is definitely a great opportunity to hear new music from Cash Money’s finest.
Priceless In Stores Now!!!
Fresh out of DC, Wale give us his debut album on Jay-Z’s RocNation label, Attention Deficit. Wale displays a metaphoric rhyming style that hasn’t been heard since Kanye West’s debuted with College Dropout.
Wale opens with horns on the first track “Truimph” saying “I asked Mr. West for a lil bit of help but realized us new niggas gotta get it ourself”. “Shades” discusses race and what it means in the black community.
Overall: With tight production and killer lyrics Wale is sure to be here for years. Attention Deficit is worth the purchase. Don’t get caught sleeping because I told ya what it is! Attention Deficit drops November 10th.
Quotable: Beautiful Bliss: “Whoever though a nigga from the ville could get a deal A tell them niggas at the top we want your spot yeah we are for real And yeah we heard you got it locked but like some socks we on your heels so you best be on your toes”
Standout Track: Prescription- Wale is “the young soul the vets believe in”. At the end of the Prescription Wale gives us a taste of his spoken word background. Prescription is an excellent track to close Attention Deficit.
