I BEeN SAYIN THIS....

this is somethin i caught in the inbox today. i was like, ok finally! all these years, with all the Mexicanos on the West Coast, i never heard ( meaning that it might not be true) a rapper use a Mariachi beat in a song. at least not like this. i saw a couple other vids from this dude, Rey Resurreccion, but this one is some stand out shit. and with all the states and the entire country of Mexico and others in Central America that fuck with Mariachi to go tour in, this dude should b doin shows for a minute, just based on this song alone. and this is a Filipino dude! u got to love a pimp when he pimps....

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BBOY PIMPIN

these are gators, mayn! i swear they had me on their mind when they made these. just enuff bboy, just enuff pimp....

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IF THE SHOE FIT?

i know youv ssen this pic at this point somewhere. but bear wit me. it serves my purpose sooo well....
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the industry is a motha fucka, yo. and quite possibly the single most dissappointing place any bonafide music lover to exist. there used to be a time when it almost seemed magical. i mean, in the golden ages, wack shit existed, but even then it had this feeling like it was tryiung to be dope. like it was trying to acheive dopeness. this shit... these dudes... its heartbreaking, yo...

its no surpise tho, talkin to a lot of these dudes that are tryin to participate in it have no imagination. even the approach to their business is rooted and grounded in unoriginal concepts and ideas. monkey see, monkey see. i was talkin to my man Nawdy, (a name he earned, after 8 in the belly), and i was tellin him how i was reminded of a time when dudes listened to the music and gained from it. the country got snmaller as both coasts started to become aware of each other. there was so much information movin around. dudes had an idea of their politics. they had an awareness of them selves that had this type of magical aura that made us totally magnetic to the world. nowadays, these dudes take pride in either being closet faggots (like who can fool us the best), or who can push the line until they get as close to the gay threshold as heteroly possible.

i mean, the new N.E.R.D. record falls into that category for me. i mean, Pharrel, 'cmon son (in this case, that spelling is appropiate). this is a dude that used to challenge the drum rhythms and sonics in the mainstream, to doin an album of Logic sounds and disco drums. i mean, theres nothin wrong with logic sounds, my man Nawdy gets biz wit it, but, goin from a rack of gear and creative patching and instrument use, to this all inclusive solution, while perhaps ergonomic, is outrageously lazy. well, campared to the way their more noteworthy tracks were crafted. it seems like this is the approach to this shit nowadays. no one wants to WORK.

i listen to any Bomb Squad production whenever i feel lazy. the amount of work on just the drum layering to "Welcome To The Terrordome" is enough to make u look at urself in shame for that simple Battery drum pattern. 3 loops, "Sally Walk", "Machine Gun", "Sex Machine", all on loop before they add the main snare and kick and hi hats, plus 808. all of that attention just to the DRUMS. it becomes easy to see after that kind of effort why they are the producers of some of the most profound hip hop productions of all time. i mean, white guys constantly vote Public Enemy to Best of All Time lists, right alongside The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, while PE made a career on callin them DEVILS. the power of the music simply overpowers any reservatiuon based on personal principle. its so powerful that it just makes 'em seem like ur just being petty.

who can u describe today that makes music that even comes close? and u bet not say Dre, specially after hearin these couple of leaks. even he doin disco beats. and i can't speak for none of yall, but i am sick to my stomach with hearin these synths! i mean good gotdamn! like there idnt any other synth sounds that are fly and could still make that slick, i dont wanna/ am incapable/ need to not think of real shit right now songs that rock these clubs nowadays. altho in the club space, i think its probably appropriate. i cant draw a useful conclusion how that has utility during the day. i dont see how music that focuses on lying can be personally empowering.

altho, on some truthful shit, i was listening to "The Infamous" the other day like, 'get the fuck outta here!!!!' these niggas was talkin some real super hero shit. and i couldnt help but think what kind of manic mothafucka would sit down and have an imagination centered around an innumerable amount of gunshots and seemingly senseless killing and violence. well, shit, that sounds like most writers employed in Hollywood! but its still those verses in "Shook Ones' and "Survival of The Fittest" that ring the most true. it is no wonder that these songs are considered classics. these are the songs that wring the MOST TRUE.

i sometimes feel bad for these young niggas nowadays. its like i want them to have the same type of impact that it had on me. it was life changing. it was something that i cared deeply about and defended at every turn. as a graffiti writer, i risked my life on a regular basis, being up in rival neighborhoods, and walking train tracks and subway tunnels while trains were still runnning, all to just express my excellence at the form. all in the selfless name of progression of the art. i know this may seem a little heady for a self professed asshole such as myself, but shit, every asshole will at one point in its existence, wear some really nice pants. and as the ass cheeks said to the toilet bowl, "i only got to take shit from this asshole. u got to take it from everyone else"!

i think the push online is all abuot the search for something new and meaningful, something we can discover and feel like its our own. this is already the greatest resource for every independent musician in the world. it may soon be the home for ONLY independent music, if niggas sites keep gettin seized. and then the entire paradigm must shift. because in my experience with the internet, i see a lot of dissatisfaction. the interesting thing will be when these greedy corprate fucks completely take the independent artist away from the competition that they find themselves in today, due largely due to this insepid and alienating appraoch to content control, that will inadvertantly create a clear lane for independent artist to dominate the attention span of net crawlers, cause all other content will be concentrated in controlled portals. i mean everybody know u cant stop the Africans and the Chinese on the bootleggy, but with the Net Nazi shit, i know sites are gonna be sick wit tryin to make sure the Furor (misspelling intentional) doesnt drop thru their Poland, er, portal.

and i dont give a fuck i'll say it, if no one else will. cause the dudes i looked to for inspiration are letting me DOWN. the Timberlands, the Dre's, The Neptunes, are trading in their forward status for returns on the rear end. sounds kinda gay, dont it?

and imma continue to say it, and thats word to Leon Evans. he aint the man who gave me the hair and the cheekbones, but he damn sure is the man who gave me the back bone. and i use it every time i stand up.

straight.

now air it out...

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ADDIN' ON...

to $yks post NUMB3RS...


WORD!

and thats the truth, all of it. it used to be a time when the RIAA certs were based off of what they SHIPPED, not what was ACTUALLY sold. the thinkin was to sell the fact that other people were buyin in, and therefore you should too. it works more than u think. i dont doubt that in Minaj's case, Baby shipped that amount, and probably actually bought some so that they would b legitimate to the system. in the meantime, he'll keep her lookin good n all that, but no dough... what she's gonna have to recoup is gonna b HEAVY. specially with her havin to pay Baby AND Wayne (she's signed to Young Money/Cash Money).

now heres another place where numbers lie; cause the numbers will show that she sold a million. but in a few years when her payments cycles run out (roayalties, tours, etc, and the cycles of her payouts increase), people will wonder how she can possibly be broke. people will also look at independent cats and the numbers lie to them. they'll say they aint makin no money, selln only 3, 400 thousand. but if they get $5 a record, compared to the roughly $1 labels pay artist (of which they have to pay everything back out of), they actually make more than ur favorite mainstream mothafucka.

speakn of which, they also do it with the earnings reports. these reports are more often than not in GROSS receipts. what they take home after payouts is considerably less.

like there is a larger percentage of black people on welfare. but there are FAR more white people actually on it.

48% of black women have herpes. i smashed a good 40% of that number. i have no bumps. i am, according to the numbers, a lucky mothafucka. tell that to my smashed up Dodge Magnum. well, i guess that took a turn there. however, the number can always tell a different story than a good one...

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Numb3rs

I hope cats out there know Jay was incorrect when he said numbers don't lie, because numbers can be manipulated to lie to you, by and for those same men and women.

Take for example, Soulja Boy's new project sold 13K the 1st week. Well Soulja's never had strong opening numbers for complete projects, but he can sell SINGLES, this is proven fact. Soulja basically is doing his own production, the majority of cameo appearances are actually his buddies, his web site provides him any viral campaign that's needed, so how much money do you think the label is spending? His digital single sales are worth more than his physical album CD sales, so that 13K means nothing. I bet they didn't even press up more than fifty thousand units for distribution.

Nicki Minaj could not have had those opening week numbers. After the 'Massive Attack' debacle, they (Universal) basically went to their heavy hitters (will.i.am, Eminem, Kanye & Puff) for assistance, packaged her album around one of the biggest shopping days of the year, imposed a strong media blitz, discounted the album at retailers to create a larger demand, and voila, she's smelling RIAA certification by the end of the year, thus making her look like a winner.

Ghostface Killah will release 'Apollo Kids' on the 21st of December, and his 1st week numbers may be what the company wants to use as justification that they wish to severe ties. Although considering it will be the "last" week of holiday shopping, it is also the week people start traveling for their holiday vacations.

Manipulating the numbers is a long time label tactic to build and destroy careers. Last year they had Rihanna's album selling for a dollar during the Black Friday weekend. Think of Jay's string of #1 albums. I haven't forgotten about the label buy backs that are used for promo either, whereas Soulja realistically could have only sold 6K. Kanye (who also benefited from the same Minaj formula) went from 400K plus the 1st week to barely over 100K the second week, but the psychological point of this is he is already gold certified, thus a winner. Ross was building his career off of those opening week numbers lies until this year. 50 Cent will always have his career intertwined with numbers.

Men lie, women lie, numbers can lie to you. Even your eyes can fool you. Trust your ears.

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Learn The Rap Alphabets

somebody asked me this question earlier today. and i told them... well i didnt. i told 'em to check our site. then i thought, matter of fact, why not repost this banger from my partner, the illustrious net crawler, Mr. McCaine. no snitchin under pressure tho... ( i know only a few of u are gonna get that...)

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Are you an aspiring rap artist? Do you have skills with the production? You might want to check this out. Now if you just wanna flow over some beats and hopefully get a deal, or sell your street CD's (mixtapes), this info may not be useful to you.

I get people approaching me all of time with a CD. At the store, in the street, especially in the bars. I’m an approachable guy, and hell, free is a good thing. But I always ask while looking at the CD, “which one are you with, ASCAP or BMI?” 95% of the time the answer is “what’s that?” That’s the moment when I return the CD.

“Naw I’m good, I don’t want it.”

“Why not?”

“Your music isn’t protected, anyone can steal it.”

“Naw ain’t nobody gonna steal my sh*t, everybody knows who I am.”

Although ASCAP & BMI do not protect your music from theft, when I do this to rap dudes I have started a conversation with them that makes them reassess what they are truly trying to do with that CD of music, whether it's a demo or a beat tape. Dude might have a couple of good songs, ideas, choruses or very good production on the CD that are ripe for the taking. How many times have we heard about a rapper or a producer who goes public saying so and so artist took that beat or song from me?

“I sent them a beat tape /gave them a CD at one of their shows…that number one song on the radio was my idea/song/beat.”

I feel bad for you homie, but you have to take that loss. Just like inventors have patents to protect their inventions from being stolen, if you truly, truly want your music out in the public it should be copyrighted (Library Of Congress) for protection. There was one incident where one of my homies was in the studio and made a certified banger, and one of his friends begged for an instrumental copy so he could play it in his CD player on the way home and think of some rhymes. That dude disappeared the next week and took my homies song, memorized the chorus and verses. Got signed off of that song and blew up. And another incident where dudes would listen to demos to snatch rhymes and beats from them, under the ‘looking for new talent, send us your music’ cloud of secrecy. Foul sh*t huh?

How many of you remember the Drake/Kia Shine situation? The InterNets were going crazy calling Kia a hater, saying he’s dick-riding Drake for fame, he’s lying because it was Wayne’s song first, Kia’s broke. But Drake backed down from denying it. Applaud Kia Shine for knowing his rap alphabets. Every time ‘Best I Ever Had’ gets played Kia will receive a check.

Now what inspiring artists/producers do not know about ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC is that these companies can help you get your music out there, they are not only about collecting royalties. They have workshops where record label artists and producers get to listen to your music. A lot of ghostwriters (songwriting) are made this way. Movies, TV shows, commercials and video games have music too. You can get a plaque if your music is on ‘Mortal Kombat 39’ and it sells 500,000 copies, music on a video game is classified as a soundtrack. In some instances, being a member of these organizations and being a part of their scheduled activities can get you noticed quicker than passing out a mixtape or demo (do they even call them demos anymore?) in the street. If you’re very active and have good material they can/will showcase you to RSVP’d industry people. Being at these workshops also gives you the opportunity to meet other artists and industry personnel so you can pass the business card around. Every artist should have business cards. It looks more professional than a Sharpie-d CD in a jewel case. And a card with your name, email address, website address where your music is located, label or group logo (do you have a logo? Every company/business has a logo.) is cheaper than making up CD’s.


Do you aspiring music artists know that your publishing catalog is your ultimate bargaining chip in the music industry? Think of Michael Jackson owning The Beatles’ publishing rights (Sony/ATV is the third largest music publisher in the world, owning the rights to songs by Elvis, Willie Nelson, Akon, Bob Dylan, and Eminem) as well as his own Mijac publishing. He was able to always get money by selling percentages of those two music catalogs, and he also had a say in where the music can be played (elevator music, music at sporting events is subject to royalty collection). Perfect example of this is the lack of Beatles music on iTunes. Most ‘blinded by the lights’ artists realize way too late in the game that they gave the label way too much of a percentage of their publishing and recording rights. Most rappers do not own their publishing (you may hear the jargon ‘owning the masters’). A lot of old school artists get pennies on the dollar for some of rap’s classics you hear all the time because of this fatal error. Think of Dr. Dre still suing Death Row for unpaid royalties on ‘The Chronic’, Jay-Z signing that Live Nation deal that included his publishing, The LOX doing D-Block because Puff gets a healthy cut off of anything looking like a LOX (he controls the name too) song or project, Fat Joe eating off of Pun’s catalog.

If you are truly serious about being in the music business you SHOULD treat it like a BUSINESS. There are so many ways to sell your music, and perhaps getting on stage and doing tours and dealing with the industry fukkery may not be in your best interests. Think about the Schoolly D ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ rap theme song. Every time the show comes on, even if it’s a marathon, he gets credit for a spin and is entitled to royalties. My homie has a band that strictly does commercial and TV show music, no musty ass bar shows or MySpace account. He's clocking ducats. All the rappers who have music on NBA Live and Madden know they can get a platinum plaque and some good royalty money off of those games. Don’t forget there's music on the news. Think about the sad violin or climatic horror movie music (remember movies go to DVD). Kid cartoons need music too. Being in the game doesn’t only consist of wearing a fitted with a chain and grabbing the mic to rap about getting money. You can sit home out of the public eye and still get a lot of money off of your raps (songwriting) and production.

Thank me later (no Drake).

The $ykotic Don McCaine

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NSYOSTFU

Are you a true Hip Hop head? Have you REALLY been a part of the music? Tired of cats commenting with no type of music knowledge whatsoever? Here's a soluble solution to reply to these comments with:

NSYOSTFU

Name Songs Yo Or Shut The F^ck Up

Is Gucci THAT man? Flo-Rida is the bomb? Weezy is THE greatest alive? Nicki Minaj is the best female rapper ever?

Name some songs that people can research to relate to in your comment or fall back.

Enough of the media driven assessments. Parade goers booing 'Ye ain't gonna stop me from copping the project, that incident has NOTHING to do with the music.

So & so fell off? Name songs where this is proof. So & so is THAT great? Name songs. No need for links, if one doesn't know how to copy & paste and search on the 'net they should "1 ya'self".

I have seen some comments out there this weekend where I can tell some of these people have no Hip Hop knowledge at all. Like one said the Kim beat on 'Black Friday' was a BIG diss cut on the stash. Or where one said they're a Nas STAN but never heard Mobb Deep. Especially when Mobb Deep was on Nas' 2nd album. This should NOT be acceptable to the Hip Hop head who knows the deal and should be put on blast.

NSYOSTFU, because them comments come off as emotional banter and media driven assessments, and not statements backed with facts for debate from one who truly has listened to the music. And don't name big radio hits as evidence either. My dad always told me a true fan will name b-side songs and album filler as their faves, and THAT's when you can tell a true fan of an artist.

This acronym will be spread out there in 2K11 (y'all can start now if you wish).

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$ykotic Quickstrike: The Streets Are Watching

Have you cats heard about this?

For all that send stuff to Cult and myself, PLEASE make sure all is well.

I HAVE KNOWN THAT THE 'NET IS CLAMPING DOWN...Bing the '12 internet and you will see.

We don't need that over here (e-fluent you good fam...but your collabs may NOT be).

Shouts to all of the other sites that got shut down beyond OnSmash that we don't know about. Hopefully the B.I. is tight so you escape the ramifications.

But now is the time for the system to penalize US for them jumping on the MP3 bandwagon and cutting their own throats. Don't be that guy who gets put on blast.

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IT'S TUFF OUT HERE...

Culture: SERENE! get off of that!
Serene: NO!
Culture: *click*


what up fam! i know its been a while. and the first thing i got to say is that my dude $yk is that baw! he been single handedly holdin this site down since i been gettin other shit situated. along with the site, we have Serene Sound Mixing and Mastering, and the label, TasteMakers Music Group, of which $yk is an executive at. the organizational process has been arduous, especially given the small numbers of the staff. while i'm the principle and chief engineer, im also responsible to other duties as well. since i am NOT rich, its tuff to get it together. but we seein some light. thank ggod for my intern Will.

soon, yall are gonna get introduced to my assistant Nayirah, who will take on a new duty here at the site. she will b posting EVERY submission we get from now on. as $yk can tell you, the inbox stay flooded. and i was thinkin, in our duty to uphold the culture (no pun intended), we get VERY selective about shit. so, i figure we think about it like it's an open mic spot, and aybody get a burn. the difference is is that i want honest opinion and feedback from the family and the lurkers are invited to comment as well (there are a lot of yall). or comment under anonymous names if u dont wanna b spotted like Spuds McKenzie. the thing is, let's open it up a little bit. lets let others walk on this planet of ours.



in the meantime, the studio has progressed lovely. this is a view of the back wall and door. as u can see, from the last update, we changed a few dimensions to make the room accommodate mixing and mastering duties. it's generally not a practice to mix the 2 into a single space, but i've seen the rooms at Bernie Grundman's, and they look like mixing rooms to me (he mastered "The Chronic" in a room like that), and not the common look of mastering rooms these days. my early experiences with mastering were at Masterworks with Peter Humphreys and Albert Oon. their room looked very comfortable and didnt have the obligatory 20 ft. long walls to defeat standing bass waves, and they did most of the Gamble and Huff stuff. shit, they used to be the legendary Franklford/Wayne, the mastering studio that a LOT of early hip hop was mastered at. their room was, to my recollection a very ordinary room. but we moved the back wall back and set the side walls for modern masterin room specs.



we also changed from the all tooo cliche control room glass to these beautiful country doors. they are sealed on all sides, and serve a dual purpose as a way to see the artist as well as a way for them to get into the room. this was all my brother's idea. it was an excellent one.



the ceiling was a challenge. it had a slight bow in it from the weight of the plaster. it was also covered with wallpaper left on it from the 40s. it was EXTREMELY hard to remove. i know cause i did it. my brother made me do it. im not skilled labor like him and our buddy, Billy, who helped with the build. all union labor. so of course, i got stuck with all the menial tasks like this one. he also treated it with satin paint, so as to help buffer reflections from the ceiling. sound and light are similar in that regard, that they respond to surfaces based on the reflective quality of that surface. so u see the big beam across the ceiling (that we took up THREE FLIGHTS). it also has a dual purpose for cutting the area sound can travel above us. if u've ever seen the ceiling of a concert hall or arena, the ceilin alaways have a lot things hangin from it to supress sound from bouncing around at all cost. this is called diffusion.


the studio is actually more progressed than this and is actually in workin order. in fact, the room sounds so good, that it revealed a number of errors in the project that im workin on to correct. not detrimental errors, but those that come from my particular way of reinforcing digital audio. its a new process, the way i do it i mean. i mean there may be similar approaches to it out there, but i only know of me doin it like this. its ALMOST finished. trust me, im tryin to get it finished. my brother wont let me rest! when it drops, bboycult regulars ( i see ALL yall), well, the ones that comment, will get the hook up.

also, the label is proud to announce the coming of a few artist after this first album. its a compilation, but not, sorta like how the Chronic was, where the producer has other people on the album, and they appear on some songs by themselves. it's called "Reputations Move At The Speed Of Sound"". thats some slick shit i used to say on the street, then i'd say, "if mine gotta go that fast, then it got to go first class!" this pimpin is solid, jack.

i have a dude named Goody, aka LooseLeaf, that got that shit for u dudes that love the punch lines. he's like Big L mixed with Mad Skills with a dash of Guru (no homo, or i should say, before homo). with a twist of lemon.

then there's Nile Hardin, a rapper and producer and super Geek. like me. he's Kanye minus the ego. with a bunch of kids. seriously, sun got mad seeds.

then there's Risa, a beautiful songstress that has a mean pen game. imagine if Sade came from the projects. thats Risa.

so, as yall can see, i have a real good excuse for not being around like i should b. i checked in constantly to check stats and to see who was ridin wit us. and to see the absolutely fabulous and outstanding job my partner $yk was doin. this new year should be pretty interesting.

so those thats here wit us, bear wit us. we got somethin we want u to share wit us.

now air it out...

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A Missed Opportunity

I've been listening to 'Maybach Music 3'. Ross missed one with this. He just caught a good crossover buzz with that Erykah remix he did. And I do remember her saying she wanted to film a video for Ross. Check out what I saw him (actually, all of them but it's his brainchild) pass up.

T.I. was home from his bid. By now we all know he actually has a 'Bach, so it's an easy shoot. NYC is a quick trip, he said in his verse to meet him at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Good footage of him CHILLING, enjoying his riches, being chauffeured, kicking his verse. The visual he needed the world to see.

Erykah, who was catching a little flack for that Dallas video, could have directed the whole video, so footage of her lounging in her 'Bach would be easy. Shoot an elegant side of herself that would fan the flames.

Jadakiss plays an integral role. He actually has Style's P riding with him in his 'Bach (I'm not going there). They get 2 different shots for the video. Styles has to get dropped off for 'BMF'. Then Jada meets Puff at 'Fountainbleu'. Ross is there waiting.

They all hit the jet, fly back to meet Tip & Erykah at Avery Fisher Hall, the spot for the NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, because the JUSTICE League are performing that night. Ross NEVER touches the stage, it's not about rapping, it's about living.

A nice good 7 minutes of a visual commercial, displaying rich and privileged jet setting (I could see Birdman in it too, showing off). A lot of things could have been done with this one video. It could've repaired some broken media images, promoted products (Ciroc & Tip's cognac, Erykah's filming skills), created full anticipation for those other 2 Ross songs, and created a marketing strategy for 'Bugatti Boys'. It even could've gave Tip the hint that he should have a driver. Just saying. Look at the picture, the joy is sitting in the backseat and the video would have embedded that in one's brain.

But, it's a missed opportunity.

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Damn yo...

Whoever is feeding this man's vice is PAID.

I would say it's a rumor, but when the heads attending the Narcotics Anonymous meeting at the spot call with the scoop, you gotta give it some type of credibility. I saw you on the BET Awards fiasco, you looked too geeked up to walk up the steps. But I'm glad the weed carriers & lawyers made you go in, at least they're smart enough to not want their cash cow chopped up for consumption. I'm pretty sure returning to penal system was a good sticking point (no pun intended) in the final decision.

But damn yo, give the homies who paid for tickets to the shows you don't show up to their money back. It ain't their fault you're so high as a kite that you can't recite them nursery rhymes.

Heal yo'self brethren. Good luck.

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A Hip Hop Logan's Run...

If you know anything about 'Logan's Run', you lived until 30, then were killed off. If you wanted to live, you had to escape from that bubble society, into a land where none of that society's way of life exists.

Suppose we really followed the "rap stigma", and said anyone 29 and over can't rap anymore. Anyone in the game over 10 years HAD to retire to make room for the new cats. Take today's date for your decision.

Who would you listen too? Would you still even listen to rap music? Kanye would be omitted. Wayne would be omitted. T.I. would be omitted. Jay, Nas, Wu-Tang, Dre, The Roots, Tupac, BIG, Puff, Eminem, Cam'ron, Jeezy, Ross. Many names would be omitted. Who would you listen too? I have on my list...

Pac Div

Skyzoo

Big KRIT

Drake (the new LL, would have to)

J Cole (and the jury's still out)

Nipsey Hussle

Just like the movie, you would have to remove yourself from that society, which means you wouldn't be able to listen to any of the omitted music or have access to it. Anyone still in that society would have to conform to the recent, you wouldn't have access to the old stuff either.

Who would you listen to? Would you listen at all? Because I am scrutinizing that lineup, and it looks thin to start a generation of new rap fans.

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Why Y'all Mad?

How do y'all see this as only being about Taylor Swift, while overlooking that dude was messing with Amber Rose? What about the "taboo"? What happened to the part about rappers needing to get away from the gangster stuff?

First the "portrait", now the "cover". There have been many album covers out there that are way more offensive than this. Like Kanye said, in the 70's there was more nudity than ever. Look at the Ohio Players, the 'Superfly' cover. I even have a cover on here of the Main Ingredient, where I said the album cover unfolds to show honey in her full nudity, without genitalia shots. The inside of that cover did it again.

So I have read people claiming 'Ye is riling up the masses. Well, what about Jay? Didn't he write a verse on a song called 'Free Mason'? What about 'Run This Town' & 'On To The Next One'? And as for the argument that it won't sell in stores, who cares? Hasn't dude just proven thru GOOD Friday's that the new 'net formula is the way to go (No shots to Crooked I, who paved the way)?

Bottom line, I don't see the uproar, just a lot of emotion. Public Enemy has WAY more offensive covers than that one above.

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Kibblez & Bitz

If I see these within reach, it's a wrap-ola.

This was omitted from the House of Harris today:

"Pete Rock floated and CL sunk"

^ this dude be buggin'...

well...

Jigga closes the Roc, Dame loses a lot of equity...

Hov falls back on the casino/horsetrack, Biggs gets pinched...

“Hov had to get the shallow shit up off him…”

^ k



That's a 3 in 1 sneaker...Columbia Sportswear won (yes I know the sneakers are Puma).

If BET was smart, they would kill the freestyle battles and do weekly cyphers for 106th. The same 2 audience members with the 3 "celebrity judges".

Erykah's right. 'Under Pressure'-Dre f/Jay was on target for epic failure. No wonder that went straight to commercial.



When I hear some of Timbaland or NERD's early work, that song comes to mind. It would be nice to hear a new Mantronik track. Jamiroqui too.

Do I think Tip staged that? Naw. Did he try to benefit off of the situation? Perhaps. He knew he was going back. But what's weird is the charge of being with a convicted felon. Who's that, wifey? Wow...take notes Wayne...

The upcoming CD's that Monch & Ghost are dropping will probably be the last ones I cop this year. 'Ye already told me he's rich and all so he won't need any of my support this go round.

* puts on hat with the interlocking NY on front *

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The End Of An Era

Once I saw this happening, I knew it was over.

I hope it's not a hard pill to swallow, but the writing's BEEN on the wall. Even the leak/rumor of LA Reid being fired was a telltale sign. It's a wrap for Def Jam. I knew the big shakeup was coming ever since I heard that there's a new person in Dick Morris' plushy executive seat. Most companies will wait a good year to assess the business before they start tinkering with it. That tinkering time has come people. I've worked 2 different jobs in my lifetime to see the signs that when new management takes over, no matter how much you try to save your job, the fat lady is ready to grab the mic.

Take a glimpse of all of the artists on DJ. Most of them are in the finality of their obligations. Honestly, some of them will get released before we hear that last project. Ghostface & Jeezy have the same release date, December 14. Dropping projects this late in the year without any concrete promotion is more like a tax write off for the label. Redman's album is in limbo. Nas is still waiting. Shyne is still waiting. We'll probably never be treated to another Triple C's album on Def Jam. Newcomer Big KRIT is getting no type of promotion whatsoever. Khaled took his budget busting rants of music to Cash Money. Jay bought his way out of his commitment early. And in addition to these examples, there are rumors of artists being transferred from Def Jam to Interscope, another subsidiary of Def Jam's parent label Universal Records.

We can say all of this is speculation, but if you follow rap, you know that DJ has been doing suspect movements for years. For instance, Jadakiss should have never been allowed to release that sappy last album. Do you remember the title of Fab's last full length album? Exactly. DJ was so thirsty to coattail Raekwon's comeback that they wouldn't even allow the gods to have a little more time to make some songs with their group brethren. I bet a dollar that they spent more on cover art than studio time.

Can we blame LA Reid for all of the shortcomings? No. I don't believe his replacement will be able to bring the label back to it's heyday either. If rap's 2 new stars, Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Flame, can only combine to do a morbid 100K plus in their opening weeks of sales (say what you want about how sales don't matter, but that is a fail for them) when they are supposed to be the future of street approved rap, with someone like Lyor Cohen as their boss (Warner Bros), I don't see a Def Jam resurrection with a new roster pushing out major units.

What I see is a lot of our favorite artists will be dropped, a lot of them, with no other label willing to invest in artists that are selling around 12-50K. Don't be surprised if you see someone like Jada signing with Tech N9ne's label. Or guys knocking on Duck Down Records' door.

But the time of Def Jam being the premier rap label has come to an end. I'm not mad, there's plenty of music they have released over the years that has molded the history of Hip Hop music. Just like Sugarhill Records. And Arista. Do I expect DJ to fold? No, just exist as a shell of their former selves, like Motown. And if anyone remembers, Motown was dead in the water before Rick James injected some life back into them (no drug pun intended).

And to left field it, Drake should have went to Motown, not Cash Money. Think about that one.

Thanks for the memories Def Jam Recordings.

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Warning: 'Lasers' Might Be Wack Juice

After reading about the current Lupe fiasco (pun intended) that's going all the way to the front door of Atlantic Records' HQ in New York in the form of a protest, I'm sitting here thinking, wow. That 'BMF' freestyle was cool, but it was nothing major. That other song that he did for that soundtrack is forgettable unless you are a fan of his and collect all of his music recordings. 'Food & Liquor' is a good album, but so is 'Madvillainy'. I listen to 'Papermill' quite often. See what I did there? That should quell the different and cult following and recent music released that mainstream ain't gonna play debate.

Game's 'R.E.D.' project got pushed back to Nevauary, but I heard a lot of music material from this guy in the last 6 months so I could hear that Game needed to go back in the lab. Wayne's rock album "mysteriously" leaked when Universal wanted it to collect dust on the shelf. In these 2 instances, I think Universal did us a favor (even though people bought 'Rebirth', I have yet to see one embrace it). Plus I'm not going to overlook the fan appreciation towards Lupe to even do this protesting thing, it's quite flattering, but somehow I wish the fans would protest at all of the labels and challenge them on the integrity of the urban music format. This would have a greater impact.

But considering the fickle nature of most music fans, Lupe's very vocal desire to get off of Atlantic, and the covert ways that promotion can be executed, this episode has epic fail written all over it. I don't know about y'all, but I got this feeling that 'Lasers' is straight toilet bowl tapioca, and Atlantic doesn't want to put money behind it. It's weird though, because usually I would be looking at the label sideways too.

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T2LF

Whatever you want to be in life, don't be this guy. Dude has had more losses documented than hit songs. Never in my lifetime have I seen someone happy to be a target, vic, glutton of punishment.

Someone tell this guy to stop buying chains, and hire some security. It's obvious that he doesn't see that the goons showing up at his performances aren't there because they like his music. Can someone explain to fam that he is the preferred entree on a wolf menu? Even bodegas know to secure up when they get robbed often. This guy, not so much. Either someone wake this character up out of his dream, or get this guy a Segway to ride by a cliff.

Meet the poster boy of losses taken, Young Berg.

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Do You See It?

Don't gravitate too fast to the picture...

This guy is killing the game right now. People couldn't comprehend why he was singing at Twitter HQ. Or were wondering why he was walking around in a suit, when in actuality we all see people everyday doing business in a suit. I know he (they) paid a lot for that "portrait", yet I wouldn't be surprised if Hype Williams has seen those type of figures too. Puff reportedly has 2 mil around his neck, but I would rather see the craftsmanship on that Horus necklace. Close Up. 'Ye should museum display that piece.

At the same time, dude is giving out FREE music. Cats are going in the studio and straight uploading music for the fanatics. People are mad at Rae because 'Ye connected him with the teen idol. How can you be mad at Rza because he approves? He made the beat people. This is a great move by Kanye, he could have emailed Justin a Drake throwaway and told him kick rocks. Minaj needed a verse like that to get the rap fans re-interested in her upcoming project (because she has a RuPaul/Lil' Gaga following). He could coach her in a way that Wayne or Birdman wouldn't be able to.

* I think that Jay is the ultimate internet lurker, because he's been touching on a lot of issues lately. I can picture him sitting next to Warren Buffet reading RapRadar's comments *

Basically, I see the manifestation of power that can be achieved by knowing how to become a digital media entertainer, instead of a rapper. Digital media consists of music, videos, and pictures. He can put out a song each week, and get a million plus hits per week, instead of waiting 2 years to see if you can sell a million physical units of music. Or he can provide a visual, it can be anything, so long as it captures the eye. I could have swore I have said this before, somewhere.

I don't know if you can see it, but this digital format fits 'Ye to the T. Because he makes beats and rhymes and enjoys displaying his "art", and where else could you display that all at one time to millions of viewers? Of course you perform live at venues (and somehow I think Facebook will be sponsoring that tour coming up, ready to go with some live streaming capabilities). Why do you need a label? You don't need a budget to join Twitter. Yes, it helps that he is already famous, but all of the work and promo is him. Son is literally saving Def Jam stacks of dollars. And saving Def Jam, literally.

We have a visual of the future of media entertainment. And although Kanye West is not the first, the WAY he is doing it is setting precedent for the smart to follow. Now that I pointed it out, y'all can study it.

Oh, and I forgot, notice how no one is asking/searching for a Kanye album leak (especially when it doesn't even have a name).

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Beef and Broccoli Type of Rap

Yes, The Beastie Boys.

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The $ykotic VMA Quickstrike

No flicks. There's plenty of footage out there for one to manifest. Let's build...

Em ripped that. Clear vocals. I don't know who told Rhi-Rhi to wear that bullsh^t but they should NEVER again be consulted when it comes to fashion. NEVER. AGAIN.

How can Ross have had the album of the year when all he could do was ride a senior citizen scooter to pick up the hostess? They see him as a joke, so that was the job he was hired to do, comedy. Do the knowledge homies.

I would do Chelsea dirty, like nut in the pupil and let her hear the door close while she gets her eyesight in order. "The towels are in the bathroom girl..."

"$yk baby, could you...( click click )"

LEFT FIELD: Why is Souljah trying to sue Miss Info when Kat Stacks "allegedly" set him up?

Usher what was popping with them Sunday Holy Ghost dance moves? But you killed it fam.

Word is bond, 40 oz. bottles are made better than those moon man awards. BELIEVE THIS.

My girl, my homie and his wife and I were trying to remember the name of the last Justin Beiber. See the jewel in this.

Bet a stack there were plenty of Petey Pablo jokes that were deemed too sensitive to broadcast. The T.I. joke was lizzame.

50 should have presented an award as Pimpin' Curly, word is bond. And who was that red headed MILF in the nightgown curtain on the spinning platter?

C'mon Pharrell, Ciara had the spandex on spreading the legs and you look TOTALLY disinterested. #cutitoutyo

And again, Chelsea calling the little guy her "Mexican nugget (a lil too loose with it)" is a good reason reason I would infect the eyeball. No one stamped your pass.

While y'all adore Jigga, AKON IS THE MAN. The shim Gaga is HIS artist.

Y'ALL DON'T KNOW SH^T ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT. THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 5 OTHER PEOPLE, HER PEERS WHO HAVE CALLED HER OUT SAYING SHE AIN'T SH^T AND NO ONE HAS SAID A DAMN THING. That song was early morning alcohol sh^t water.

Yo Drake, w/o Mary J rocking with you, that would have been after school special boring kid. You need to tell your team to let you rehearse for like 6 months or hire some help, because your live show sucks ostrich balls. Swizz, you need no microphone dog.

All hail Mary J Blige.

Can I presume Minaj didn't have the performance shine like they said months ago because SHE CAN'T PERFORM? No wonder she couldn't tour with Rhianna. You killed will.i.am's shine girl.

B.o.B. needs some breathing lessons, and to calm down. Word. I thought that broad was gonna sing 'You Light Up My Life 2010'.

Kanye? 'Nuff said. I won't talk about how he snatched Araabmusik's M.O., but that was $ worthy. Pusha has something going for his future.

Now that I think about it, it probably was a prelude to some type of Dipset action that's gonna happen on one of these Fridays. Stay tuned.

All in all, talent shines thru, gimmicks fall short. I haven't watched award shows in years, and most likely will not after this.

Shouts to Sterling wine, purple haze, and shrimp Parmesan.

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$ykoticWordz

So getting back to the music, I want to let all know who have submitted music, that I have heard all. Listened real well. Expected to witness more diversity, yet I am pleased with the level of talent. As well as minds. I had the same format as XXL did with the DJ's giving the pros and cons, so I fell back to the drawing board. Maybe I wanted the presentation too immaculate, perhaps I should just let it breathe, let those out there bear testimony to the ionospheric waves.

'Politikkkz'-B Eazy by sykoticdonmccaine

I enjoy B Eazy's music. He has a story to tell. To me, he sounds like he's reborn again when he gets into the booth. The love for man and music, so he doesn't want to waste time, he insists on bring a dish to the table. His polishing requires he study the craft to speak craftier (absorb the double meaning), refine his persona, and search for a in-house producer with the same vision, for his word and voice require it's own sound. I will be honest, I have been listening to B at the same time I found out about Big K.R.I.T. Them two with Skyzoo too? I'm listening and copping.

Y'all out there in lurkdom, drop a line on homie. Let's work...e-fluent on deck.

Bonus Beats:

We did this in 10 minutes. I'm #2. When Hip Hop was fun, and not about getting a check. Which was a bonus, b.

'BRIGADETRUST' by sykoticdonmccaine

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A 4 Billi Add-On

This is exactly what I'm saying. While these elite rap stars flaunt their wealth, places like this, of true wealth, are left for other people to swipe up. Cats out of Boston at that, considering that many of rap's wealthy reside in NY or are close to it. Who's buying this place? People who most likely aren't even associated with the music industry. People who see the wealth in this historic site. Didn't Mr. Carter try his hand in some real estate deal? How did this opportunity slip by?

The last time I heard, they give you money to help in the upkeep of a historical landmark. Watch these people come in and make something of this building while we argue and quarrel over who represents "real Hip Hop". Even at this very moment, we are discussing Fab v Souljah Boy in a battle.

SMDH

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Home of The 4 Billi Burger

I wanted to switch up from the TI/Tiny fiasco. Somewhere down the line TI will get tired of retainers and fees. And fines.

Honestly, I haven't patronized Burger King in years. I can't say I crave anything on their menu. Could it be that I live close to a Burgerville? Could be. Because I've tasted the likes of Inn-N-Out Burger to know that I'm wasting money on a Whopper? Perhaps. Usually I create my own $ykotic Burga:

2 double quarter pounder patties (from McD's)
7 slices of cooked turkey bacon
4 pastrami slices
4 slices of corned beef (or roast beef, depending on my mood)
2 slices of Tillamook cheddar cheese (no Kraft eastcoasters)
sliced pickles
thousand island dressing
handful of McD's french fries(on the burga)

And this is a monthly recipe I switch up on, but mainly stay with the basic ingredients. And I'm still a lanky 180 lbs (hooray for metabolism). If you can, try it out, figuring that this weekend is "supposed" to be that last weekend to BBQ. We BBQ all the time over here, it saves money on the electric bill.

But back to the subject at hand. BK is going private again. Some investors are buying it for close to 4 billion dollars. I'm thinking, Blackman, where's YOUR 4 billi business at? For all the flack we get over chicken, why don't we have a majority stake in the world's largest fast food joint, KFC? We can ride around in Maybachs, smoking and bullsh^t, but what are we REALLY doing?

Nightclubs ain't enough. Limited edition shirts and sneakers mean nothing. A garage full of expensive cars is foolish if you don't have your own gas pump.

Where's the big business at Blackmen? Where's the 4 billie business that can provide food and jobs for thousands of us trying to succeed in life? That can even provide scholarships and sponsorship money to help the less fortunate than you "successful" guys? I've heard of E-40's venture. None of these guys can invest in it to make it national, better yet, international?

But a cat will spend 2 mil on a chain (Puff), or a car (Birdman), or a vacation (Jay). Excuse me "ballers", but rich guys buy businesses. Poor people buy luxurious items to say/show they are rich.

Call me when Bill Gates buys some diamond encrusted fronts with the company logo, and I'll forgive you rapper dudes.

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To My East Coast Brethren...

Good luck with that. Hopefully you have been reading my survival series notations to have a bag ready.

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$ykotic Quickstrike:The e-Drunk

Side note: I was going for Ned The Wino, but it wasn't a good look.

Hare E Nutz says:

Fuck you an yo mamma bitch

SwaggzDaGreat1 says:

mayn fuck bwah be a yo are we be gettin it ova her bloc zone58 house4 cum holla

^ Cats giving out coordinates

B says:

nigga yous a fucktard

^ ??? When did fucktard become hood lingo?

Don't worry....i know that you're says:

gay

^ took some time to create that one, huh?

I can't say e-Thug, because even the thought of trying to beat someone down, on and through the world wide web is inane. Those crazy ass comments remind me of them corner winos, those Thunderbird style cats. You could be talking to someone, or even crossing the street, and they just come over and start yelling slurred words of emotional banter, and be loud as hell too.

Cats be drunk commenting. If people can drunk text, they can drunk comment.

Yeah we can blame it on the kids, trolling around the sites getting laughs because they're bored. But at the same time some of their content is realistic thought. You can tell that they consumed too much of the media flavored kool-aid, and they are speaking in that slurred, drunken manner.

Check this out. Face(the)book being through at you for updating your status when you know you've got a warrant.

You have followers, like stalkers and "inquirers" being updated of your personal movements. "Bout to smoke with the homie Moe...Ribeye Gang stay winning"

Newsflash: "So and so rapper was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana last night as the police raided a drug safe house at..."

I always remember Benny Hill calling that old, bald cat Jackie Wright, a "twit".

"So you like the idea? What should we call it?"

"I can't stop laughing! People are dumb twits, huh?"

"Twits huh?"

Doesn't the law always use blue?

This blog made me think about this wino dude back in the day in Brooklyn, who was well known, but one day he got out of pocket and got clapped. The crazy part is dude had serious pocket change. He was just caught up in the hype. The label had him mesmerized to where all he just wanted to do was have fun (see what I did there "just for entertainment" lurkers).



4LOKO ain't got nothing on these bottles. I've seen these labels kill more people than guns. Word to the various original Kat Stacks' still out there tricking for a bottle of this sh^t.

Call me when cats get sober.

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My Xtra Xtra Large Response

To this right here.

It's too late. She's already influencing the young women, look at the above comments.

Young, impressionable ladies out there, DO NOT be fooled by this girl's "success". The media and people LOVE to see a glutton for punishment. IT MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEIR LIVES. People only want to know WHY she's doing this, and what she's gonna do next, the "HOT SCOOP". No one cares about her to step in and warn her of the consequences of what she's doing. They are only around to get PAID OFF OF HER.

There is no future in what she's doing. Ask all of the porno chicks out of work, who can't get a real gig because dudes remember them in the magazines and movies. Ask all of the models who have shown their ass and did things for work and STILL don't have a good modeling job.

Ask all the versions of Kat Stacks in your neighborhoods, who are burned out/turned out with no type of life, still hanging out by the liquor store trying to get something. Look at them old chicks with the tacky cloth and horrible makeup, getting drunk on the corner with the old heads, flirting for a meal, a fix, or some of the OG's SSI money, while they leave their kids at home hungry and unclean.

Ask the broads who borrow clothes to go clubbing every weekend to meet a "baller", only to get dug out and sent home (if that) if they REALLY have a future in what they are doing. If they did, they wouldn't be there every weekend.

This woman is NOT a role model. The Black woman on the international space station is a role model.

And I will respect the Black woman on the train or bus coming home from work, with her shoes off because her feet hurt, with groceries in her hand or clothes for her children WWWWAAAAAYYYYY before I respect this little girl.

* drops mic *

Kibblez N Bitz:

What ever happened to that Shakur "Nada Hoe" chick? The one who thought she was gonna blow up because she was in that Drake video, had will.i.am make a beat for her, and blogged on XXL? Where is she?

Exactly.

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T2LF

Damn, she got you shorty. I didn't even believe it until I saw it. That broad is NOT playing fair. You're not even smart enough to have the chick sit between your legs so you can watch HER, or go home and take a shower, so you don't have this chick going thru all of your pockets and stuff. Son, it's Kat Stacks, your guard is supposed to be up.

To keep it real, a lot of entertainers do blow, although I'm not advocating the youngin' doing it. Cats are too quick to say you're a hater, and he got his money let him do him. And besides that, I didn't see him do it. But homegirl is sitting there rubbing his chest, making him feel like a man, while she's plotting his destruction for her benefit. Y'all still like this chick, calling her the "Queen Of Media", giving her write-ups in major publications, and paying her to host events like she's actually a true celebrity?

Savages in the pursuit of happiness, I tell ya.

The bad part is, son sounds like he's really feeling this chick. And you ain't even smart enough to confiscate her phone/camera. SMMFGDH

Take the L fam. Don't know how the label is gonna view you now, as a young kid who's major hit was eons ago, and fresh off of a scandal with a professed hooker/media whore in a hotel with lines on the table. Good luck with that.

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Survival Series:The Five Fingers

One of my biggest fears is that if/when any type of ish goes down, I don't want to be caught out there in the wilderness of North America without shoes. Slippers and sandals won't serve any real justice if I need to run.

Vibram, the company who IMO makes the best soles ever, came up with this idea. I'm not gonna get into the conversation on how other footwear may be too cushion-y to where it actually makes you feet weaker, or the fact that most likely the majority of us are too used to that type of cushion-y footwear to where we won't patronize this product.

But this here, is something I can use. I wouldn't rock them to/from work like how cats switch up footwear in NYC, nor would I do any running or trail walking in them, although they can be used in these capacities. No I'm not gonna rock them with jeans and a v-neck tee. I would use them at the crib, in the car (OK, maybe they will get worn w/jeans & a tee), at the beach (those Coney Island, Rockaway, and Brighton beach goers could definitely use these), or place them in the luggage when I travel (a plus at the airport). They might even push the boots inside the REAL survival bag.

But some of you dudes may have to grind that marble off of your feet and clip the talons to wear these.



Check them out at REI.

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$ykotic Quickstrike:Kibblez And Bitz

Need these to compliment the black ones I own.

I kinda like that new Dre cut, 'Turn Me On'. After hearing 'Under Pressure' on that HP ad, you can clearly hear that that song wasn't gonna move the crowd, so he probably used it for his endorsement venture, kinda like that Dr. Pepper song I don't even remember.

Ross vs Jeezy shows that Khaled is running out of ideas. And SMGDH at these fickle ass fans saying it's a wrap for Jeezy, who just so happens to have a big hit summer song playing at various kinds of entertainment venues and social gatherings as we speak/read.

People hate what LeBron did on TV, but wait for Farve to pull the same stunt every year, on TV.

If oil doesn't evaporate as fast as water does and therefore doesn't get released in the atmosphere quickly, how did it evaporate so fast in the body of water? Is it because of the detergent they used? Won't that evaporate within the water into the atmosphere?

Anyone notice after 'Ye put out his portrait(Power), Jay-Z announced his memoir?

I was hoping for a Roc Marciano video for 'Marcberg', in case any of the Dallas Penn collective check in over here. And that Sean P verse on 'Snow'.

Do them spam comments count as hits?

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Leftovers

The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip hop group that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1995.-Wiki

So don't be mad when they start calling them the greatest rap group of all time.

So while most of the sites are concentrating on Young Buck's financial situation, and whatever Drake thinks about his first album, I'm reading this. I totally understand why this would be in the non-news section, the US recording industry NEEDS that album. Sony needs that album. MJ wasn't a household brand name, he was an industry. Hundreds of people around the world worked for this man.

I guess their ribs are touching right now, because it seems like they have defrosted some leftovers to eat off of.

I totally agree with what will.i.am is saying. Anyone who has attempted to do music professionally can pretty much agree with will. If these were such "gems", why did Mike hold on to them for so long? If anyone, he had the power to drop anything whenever, shut radio down for like an hour or 2. Albeit there may be some good songs he held back on, but I don't see the 'Detox' effect, like he purposely held them back, with this project.

BTW has anyone else noticed the 1st song on the archaeological Dre project was made like 6 months ago?

I'm just glad someone on Sony's staff hinted that it would have been distasteful to release this MJ project on the year anniversary, so I won't speak on how it will be released in the holiday quarter of the year. But songs as far back as 'Bad'? I hope thus is not foretelling. Who's picking these cuts, Janet or a Sony suit? Randy? The kids? JD?

I have been saying since MJ's passing, we will see the greed of men unfold. They are about to push those MJ leftovers at a premium cost, and if the first dish is received well, behold the floodgates. Family included.

Not too many people like black eye peas because of the taste and the association of it (slave food). Ironic isn't it? A lot of people don't like leftovers either.

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Ras Kass feat. Killa Priest, Canibus& Kurupt- This Sh!t Right Here

i was just sayin yesterday when i was goin thru the more recent posts g\that its mostly old skool shit. i dont mind that, i love history. but it made me think that i really aint came across nothin that made me feel like thats that shit from no current niggas in a while. til i came across this.

i couldnt help but notice that Kurupt was really on some shit on this one. i mean, Ras killed it. what im sayin is, i aint heard the baw put in that much effort in years. and i really appreciate it. cause as talented as he is, he been soundin like a real lazy dude for the last past couple. no shots. but no shit.

this is reminds me of what i remember hip hop to be. now wheres that crazy comical dude? Biz Markie, Fresh Prince (dont get it fucked up, that baw was a WRITER) or even fly funny like Slick Rick? niggas scared to be funny these days too. even Eminem hardcore now. its room for it all. imagine eating peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, lunch and dinner. thats called RADIO these days.

well, these niggas fixed a real good meal for you.

enjoy...

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BREAKBEAT TUESDAY

Breakbeat Tuesday: I have so much going on right now that I can't get into a full in-depth thing about this next record. All I know is that it's a MONSTER, and that I played it somewhere and sometime in my set on Sunday to thunderous effect. I first heard this in the form of Kool G Rap's "Untouchable Remix" of "On The Run." Someone told me it was a Ray Bryant record so I spent the next 6 months buying every record by dude I could find, until I copped "Up Above The Rock." Like so many soul jazz records of the late 60s it was chock-filled with tepid standards of the time like "Little Green Apples" and Burt Barcharach jawns. But the title cut? Damn... So ill, and it's been a favorite ever since in my sets. The production is very unique in it's sound, as it's on Cadet and they had a very distinctive sound and feel to their records at the time, courtesy of producer Richard Evans. The composition of the song is very cinematic and matched perfectly for the storytelling prowess of G. Rap's mafia fairytales. And to me this was one of the first productions that made me think the Trackmasters had taken their shit to the next level. Anyway, a Philly DJ living in Brooklyn plays a jazz song by a Philly pianist sampled by a Queens MC at a party in Los Angeles, and all because of that, it being give to you.


Ray Bryant "Up Above The Rock" (Cadet, 1968)



And for good measure,


Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "On The Run (Untouchable Version)" (Cold Chillin', 1992)


Yeah I've been slacking on the posts. Whatever, man. It's summer. Who cares? Shouldn't you be outside instead of reading this? Anyway, if you've gotten this far, let me take the time to let you know I'm about to hit the road for a few days. Tomorrow I will be in Calgary rocking with DJ Fashen and the Smalltown DJs. Friday I will be at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver. Saturday I return to Seattle to rock at HG Lodge (formerly known as War Room) with the homie Fourcolorzack. Then Sunday, I'm off to Los Angeles for a few days, starting with me DOING a special top-secret daytime event in Hollywood. Whatcha Want To Do? Hit me on Sunday to find out... And peep the Events Page for all the details of the trip. Other than that, I am "this much closer" to the launch of the new site. Like probably to 4 weeks from now. Super psyched. The new site is crazy and going to change the game.


In the meantime me and The Rub crew have been full steam ahead with our History Of Hip-Hop series. We started chronicling our favorite rap songs for each year in hip-hop starting from 1979 and going all the way to 1999. 20 mixes in all, and we've just relaunched the series to tackle the first decade of the 21st Century. So peep us at www.itstherub.com for a new year every Thursday, and check out the archive of past years here.

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Yeah He Went There

These dudes. Before you continue to read this, if you haven't checked this out, you may want to. When I saw the tracklist to 'Teflon Don' and saw 'Free Mason', I was like, is he gonna go there? I agree with the homie DV8, he should have said nada. The grumbling was dying down. But since he did...

No one told Jay to do those visuals for 'Run This Town' and 'On To The Next One'. If Jay couldn't see what was materializing in those videos to stop and say "I ain't feeling this, let's go in a different direction", then we are giving him more credit for his intelligence than he is due. Jay himself said he's reading Crowley. We all saw Jay wearing the hoody. You could have just wore button ups and slacks instead of all black Jay, you know, the apparel that people have successfully associated with the occult. I won't go into how someone who's "blacked-out" has an all white cover for their last project, bright as hell, called a blueprint in it's third installment, with 3 stripes. Jay you have spewing countless forms of symbolism, and many rap fans know you deal with subliminal tactics.

What Jay didn't expect is for people to catch on to these symbols. A lot of people are home now because of the economic strife. They actually have time to take closer looks, study, and even fact find.

See there are a lot of things you don't get close to in this game unless you submit. Yes, there are plenty and many of 'Indecent Proposals' that occur for many people to be even remotely successful in the entertainment industry. What you have to understand is that for a rapper, a supposedly former drug rapper, who gets uber millions, to now sit next to politicians, especially when said rapper has done nothing political, you gotta expect a red flag to go up somewhere down the line. How did you get there? Paul McCartney was caking way before Hov, I don't see him breaking bread like that. And I bet you they know more about Paul's music than Jay's. But Jay is known to cool out with Sting.

Jay may not be a mason, but he damn sure is a pawn for them masons. They know he has a large following, what better way to incorporate these new ideas? Get one of their "heroes" to tell them it's cool to do it, show them it's OK that it's happening. They know he will bring some people in, ready to submit, like Ross, who clearly wants to be in that group. Yeah Jay, you are amazin', if you think we can't see what you did to get paper. You know about the math, you grew up in Marcy. You know about the Ansaar ways too, you and Jaz recorded on Bushwick Avenue back in the day, you couldn't be in that midst without them speaking to you. You became a Muslim son, the ten percent who blood suck off of the underprivileged and not knowing any better. And you know they call Muslim sons masons. Wordplay is deadly (see Nas with "godson". Can you see a little clearer with what Griff was saying?).

And I'm not buying that when you get successful people wanna associate you with certain things excuse. No one's associating Dave Chappelle, Aaron McGruder, or 50 Cent with being in that space. Just Hov.

* If you readers will notice, those I named above pretty much said no. *

At the end of the day, it's all about the agenda, and profit. If you don't back the agenda, your profit decreases.

Ross suckered you in Jay, he's dying to get membership.

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