DJ Manny Fresh... emphasis on the DJ....

i've always liked Manny Fresh's style. as a person who came up on the notion of the competition of styles, (which is what hip hop is at its heart, whether its graffiti, rappin, dancin, or djing), i always had an appreciation of those who only do it like themselves. so when that "Huh" by Juvenile hit, i was all for it.

Manny Fresh is one of those dudes who always had they own style. and he perfected it. how could you not respect that? as he goes in on this interview, he becomes adamant about callin him a DJ. he doin some producin, aint really thinkin bout rappin, but he all about DJing. thats where he started. and it got me thinkin.

when i was listenin to him, it dawned on me what he tryin to do. he tryin to get back to educating people about the music thru the music. im finishin up the 1st BBoy Cult show/mixtape/podcast (i dont know how to package it yet) and the whole point of that shit is education. if you've ever read Dallas Penn, Tony Grands (Reading and Writing Is For Dumb People) or Combat Jack, you know that their perspectives always revolve around exposing the essence of the culture to those who may not know what it looks like. or more importantly, what it feels like. this is me n $yk all day. if you go thru our catalog (it's a lot of quality content there), you'll see a passion for the culture, but also the intent to share the experience that changed us all. it's like gettin a good piece of pussy... you just got to go tell somebody.

and thats when you can tell its true love. when a person would rather go back to what pays less to enjoy it more. id take hip hop at 22 a year. i'd take that paycut. i know i'd gain happiness by extreme margins.

and for the 3, almost 400 people that stop thru here everyday, i know yall feel the same. i appreciate yall taking the time out your day to check me out. i really do. i just wish yall'd comment more so that i can have the pleasure of meeting you. 

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Thirstin Howl The Third "Live On Forty Duece/Jail Flicks"

make no mistake, Lo- Life niggas is gettin it in! for a lot of you that may not know what that is, i'll put you up on it at a later date. let me just say this... we're the reason hip hop wears Polo. and North Face. and a whole lot of shit. what i want to say is, that this is one of the founders, Vic-Lo, known to most heads as Thirstin Howl. it's a take on the wolfpack days, where cats used to roll deep on 42nd St. in Times Square and have it their way, rushin in spots doin and takin whatever they wanted. *in Edith Bunker voice* those were the days....

this joint right here is crazy. this is a strait up piece of NY history. of course it's told thru sun's perspective, but it still outlines a very critical time that chronicled the transition of hip hop into the modern form. hip hop has always been about gettin money. Big Bank Hank rhymed about having a "Lincoln Continental and a brand new Cadillac". this era watched ghetto kids get fresh and started lookin at the possibilities of having things and not being in poverty all our lives. this is what Lo-Lifes was at it's core. it's what all real street dudes are at their core. all the realest street dudes i ever came across were doing what they were doing to get OUT of their situation. thats why i question all of these dudes that get millions, and THEN catch cases. that's ass backwards. it's disrespectful to everyone in the struggle.

regardless, sun got some fly shit. ill perspectives and a nice flavor about his shit. Lo-Lifes on a whole is starting to bubble on the surface, with guys like Meyhem Lauren (who was featured here previously) making major noise on the underground. don't worry, i'mma put you on... stay tuned...

RIP B-Bill... my nigga forever...

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Tabbi Bonney ft. Murs "Hip Hop & Love"

scrollin thru You Tube and cam across this joint. i like it. and the baw Murs look like whole different dude with the trim!  this was produce by Ski Beats, you know, the same due who did "Dead Presidents" for Jay Z. check it out...

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All Praise Is Due!

clap your hands to this! the rap music legends, Eric B. and Rakim have been nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame! if they should make it, they will be the 3rd rap group to make it, behind Grand Master Flash and RunDMC. also being nominated this year from the rap category is The Beastie Boys. while i got to admit that the Beasties have put in the work to deserve a spot in the academy, i don't think they deserve it before the god, Rakim. they may have came out before him, but they, by far, have not made as much of a contribution to the culture. being the guys that they are, i'm sure they would agree with that statement. they were the first to show exactly how many units could be sold. and i guess they are significant to the white people who love hip hop, cause i guess they showed them that they belong here to. cause they do. what i'm saying is, outside of the business of it, the  Beasties have not added anything to actually change the fabric of hip hop. Rakim did, tho. without a shadow of a doubt.

let's not undermine Eric B's contribution to the group. it was Eric, as i'm told that really made everything happen, from actually getting Rakim into the studio, to finding production. he used to do work for WBLS in NY, and actually came across Rakim when he was taken to Long Island to actually go see Freddy Foxx. Foxx wasnt home so he was taken to see Rakim. he then was the one that took the record, "I Get Over Like A Fat Rat" by Fonda Rae (if u ever wondered what the bassline was in that song, but knew it sounded familiar, there you go) to Marley Marl, who actually put the song together. that song was "Eric B. for President". and music history was made. imagine if Freddy Foxx was home. sheesh.

im just hopeful that the voting body of the RRHF, which i guess is probably predominately white, looks at merit in this case instead of race, or even if that is interpreted as what The Beasties mean to them, instead of what they mean to the culture. 

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Turning Point: "Planet Rock" by The Soul Sonic Force

"Planet Rock" is more than just a song. it is a synthesizing point in the world of music. it's importance in the arena of music in general, and in hip hop in particular, cannot be understated. it's importance and details that contribute to that importance can only be overlooked.

when i 1st heard this blaring out of a neighbor's house, i remember it as the most amazing thing i had ever heard. i often explain to a lot of the new musicians that i can appreciate how the music that they hear now a days affects them.  by that i mean, it'll go on to be a part of the soundtrack of their lives forever. but i always tell them.... imagine hearing something for the 1st time, and before you heard it, IT DID NOT EXIST. that best describes what it felt like to hear this song for the 1st time.

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Bboy Classic: Shannon "Let The Music Play"

if u remember legwarmers, Z.Cavaricci's, and DA's then u was rockin to this here. this was THE shit when it was out. this was at the beginning of the new NY club movement, all on the heels of 'Planet Rock'. it's amazing that that 1 song led to the formation of a number of genre's of music, all over the map... from this, the NY club music movement of the 80s, to the freestyle music with it's heavy Latino influence, to the quad music of Florida. but i guess that's a post for another day. regardless in the middle of all of this transformation, this song was a MONSTER hit.

it's also important to note that the influence of hip hop is not just seen on the music of today, as hip hop has heavily influenced music since it came out. we can look at this from the way songs were changed in the way they were mixed, whereas the bottom (the drums and the bass) were way more prominent in the mix. listen to any older record and you will see a startk constrast betwen the two. disco records had a more emphasized bottom end, but EVERY disco record pales in comparison to the low end on Planet Rock'. i think i'm really gonna have to go in on Planet Rock soon.

this song was back when the breakers (who were NOT exclusively called bboys... more on that another day) were hot in the clubs, and the whole style was about being 'fresh' and progressive, having style. even tho the video looks like an episode of 'Solid Gold', a whole lot more was going on in the streets and in the clubs.

if u remember this, enjoy. if u dont, get hip to a vital piece of music history.

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You got to see this!

i caught this the other day in the inbox. you got to check this out!

now, this is an advertising initiative, but man, it's more than just that. for those of us that do music, or do choreography, i'm sure you can appreciate what it must've taken to do somethin' like this. when i saw it, i was like, damn! i mean, i really expected, especially when i saw the basketball theme, that it's another one of those CGI numbers. not so. this is human ingenuity at work. sorry r-bot4, please don't take it personal.

this is an ad for the "Stage" Talent contest, sponsored by Samsung Mobile. it's another chance to be seen. so i suggest that for all of you looking for an outlet for your talents, or publicity for your music, get involved. you never know. the thing that amazes me is that people are always looking for an opportunity to be seen, and when they get one, they don't move to seize it. if you click the button on the video that says"enter contest", you will be taken to a You Tube page that will give you directions on how to enter. it's as simple as uploading a video. remember, millions of people will see you doing whatever it is that you do, whether it's singing, dancing, rapping, beatboxing, whatever. so be smart and place a web address of some sort on your entry so that other will see it, and generate some traffic for yourself or your band. the other promo video has already a million hits on You Tube. be smart!

so many of you write to me for exposure on this site. well, this is a chance for a lot of exposure! take it! you might make it!

what do you have to lose?

click on the video to enter, or click here.

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The Gushie!

based on this alone, i was just gonna give this post just to Maya. my lord... the waistline/back/stomach to waistline/hips/ASS/thigh ratio is outrageously squirty. i mean, i did could get off on this alone.

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Father Of Your Style

its really a thing about perspectives. in a sense, being in NY at the time, it was the illest shit ever that Slick Rick bust his gun. i mean of all those that talk that murder shit, he was the only one actually with proof that he ‘could just kill a maaaan!’ the fly guy. imagine that. but Rick is also Jamaican, so a different set of rules also come into play. remember, that was him in the ‘Teenage Love’ video ready to bust Kane (Kane was byitchin!) with some sort of click clack in that lil Fendi bag.


same wit 50. his circumstances was some real street shit that caught up to him. i am gonna identify that as the moment gettin shot and goin to jail became important to rappers. cause of the numbers that album did. most cats heard it and was like, ‘i can rhyme better than that’. and prolly could. but it was the TRUTH of the things he was saying thats missin from a lot of these dudes who try to make what they imagine to be their actual reality. in any therapy session, that’ll get u medicated.


as a person who been thru a couple things i can tell u this; no real street dude is in it to go to jail. that’s a consequence of the actions, not the goal. most will accept their circumstances if so dealt, but most are actually trying to find a WAY OUT. it’s become a staple of the wanna be generation (Generation W) to go to jail, almost on purpose. my mans n them tell me some outrageous stories of the shit dudes do now a days. there was an incident out here in Philly where a girl smacks the baby in the face, a guy says “hey that aint right”, sis calls her brother n nem, and these fools come n shoot up the bus. instead of waiting for the dude, who was by hisself, to get off!!! in broad daylight!!! with nearly 60 witnesses!!! this type of shit, in any generation is called nut shit. and these niggers (not none of my niggas) do it all the time. now a days. these are the streets these nut ass rappers come from.


when West Coasts heads started talkin bout they reality, it was successful cause it was TRUE. by the time NWA got to Niggas 4 Life, they became a parody of themselves, a real cartoon, CB4 for real, cause they stopped tellin the truth and started tellin lies about theyselves. Too Short, who i just dapped last month, was spittin REAL shit, way before East Coast dudes. Even Schooly D, from Philly, whom Ice T admits was his inspiration for ’6 In The Mornin”, was talkin real street shit, but in a comedic fashion. Ice spun it with some real gangster shit, and history was made. but all of em knew that what went on in the street was SEPARATE from the rap shit. cause thats REALLY the code of the street. all dirt is done in silence. so that should tell you who these rappers really are. shit, if u recall, Ricky D was caught in a high speed chase. he was tryin to get away! these dudes now a days TURN THEYSELVES IN. with the cameras flashin.


who in the streets catches cases AFTER they get rich? dum niggas. fake niggas. niggas with somethin to prove. and Tupac, with all his talent, with all his passion, with all of his conviction, is the father of that style.

now air it out…

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I'm just sayin', tho'...

i mean, as a single parent, tryin to run a business and feed the baby, tryin to figure this online thing out (people are on here changin their lives), y'know, im guilty of turnin on the tv for my daughter, so that i can focus on what i think is important for us. one of my favorite channels for that is Nick, Jr., cause they show a lot of educational shit. but some shit just pops out at me when i watch it. i'm just sayin...

...why is Dora the Explorer, the only Spanish language show, the one that's bound to attract young Latino viewers, is the only cartoon that feels it needs to teach kids not to steal? young LATINO kids? it's the only cartoon on the channel where the principal character lives in a climate of crime. look at them... scared of the fox dipped in blue, with his flag wrapped around his head? is he a Crip? i'm just sayin...



this is Kai Lan. she teaches kids words and phrases in the Chinese language. my daughter has already impressed the dry cleaner with her command of Mandarin. but because she's Chinese, did they have to OVERSTATE the fact that her eyes are not little slits? but her grandfather on the show eyes are? and whats up with the eyes anyway? look at them long enuff and really tell me if they dont make you feel like she's peering thru u? psychological attention grabber? subliminal message sender? i'm just sayin...



this is from 'Yo Gabba Gabba', where the creator, or at least the maintainer of this universe is a black man (the black man is god, yo), who happens to be a DJ, by the name of DJ Lance. as a real bboy, the dj has controlled my world for some time now. not a bad message for my daughter. but...

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? SERIOUSLY?

and imma leave it at that. im just sayin....

this is Widget from 'Wow Wow Wubzy'. believe it or not, this is a female character. she fixes cars and trucks and is always inventing new machines and gadgets for the whole team to use. a good lesson for any little girl, i think, to be creative and to challenge what's considered to be a 'man's job' if she's better qualified for it. i teach my daughter all the time that she's capable of anything. but i mean, come on, look at her. she looks about as girlie as Ellen DeGeneres's early stand up outfits. what else is a feminine indicator besides the color pink? now a days, that dont mean shit. these dudes wear fuschia. sneakers. and still try to look hard. i dont know... i aint got nothin against the gays, i mean, they make the hottest clothes. what i'm sayin is, i think maybe she's been to a couple of parties where Bert n Ernie are probably well known regulars. and Perez Hilton. and Mitt Romney (watch). i'm just sayin...

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Devin the Dude: 'What a Job This Is'

oh yeah, we mess wit Devin, make no mistake. i fucks wit good music, period, no matter where it comes from. and this joint is flowin! all 3 get it in correctly. if u fux wit it, let me know. if u dont wanna leave a comment, just check the 'good lookin' or 'thats fresh' button at the bottom of this post.

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Andre 3000- Chronomentrophobia

i dont know nothin bout this track except that i like it. i came across it and had to share wit yall. you know 3 Stacks gets daps round here. so here it is. enjoy...

ironic... i was just listenin to "Aquemini" yesterday wit that Cali-flower, and was like DAM, this is a good fuckin album. i also couldnt help but notice that they the 1st ones to do a song named after a person as a metaphor for the song. 'Rosa Parks' was before all these 'Hallie Berry''s, 'Bill Bellamy''s (

BONUS: 3 Stacks verse on this joint is crazy... he really styled on these dudes.... all while making good sense. remember that? good sense?

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Who's playing who?

i know what i be talkin bout, fam. and if u think i was buggin when i was talkin about somebody pullin the strings on a HAARP, take a look at this video and tell me if u see some fingers...

now you tell ME if that is a NATURAL cloud formation...



i mean, sometimes we look at white people like u guys are a little throwed for putting animal fur and yoga ahead of hungry people on ur list of causes. but it's times like this^ that i appreciate yall for your 'varied' interests...

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We wit that Pimpin round here, jack...

WE

i came across this video and i had to post it. man, this shit brings back some memories! i mean, i hear these boys talkin bout keepin they pimpin up, but i dont think they really understand the drive, exactly how much mental, psychological, emotional and sexual control one must have over theyself in order to really deal wit some pimpin. im talkin bout some real pimpin jack. not that consignment u get from the bitch on stilts in that circus you run. i mean from a down ass broad out for bread. and when she bleed red, hit the backdoor instead! keep it P.I. mayn!

now that's focus!

legend in the game...

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There is a such thing as a silver lining...

this is the dude Rick Ross is pretending paying homage to. this is 'Freeway' Ricky Ross, from outta Los Angeles, California. his story is amazing. the fact that he made it to this point is a miracle in itself. and after all he has been thru, dude is ready to get PAID all over again. this time legally. and his life does deserve a movie being made. it's the ultimate reality show. and the ultimate payback to some of the people in his past who are either still incarcerated or broke. what a story. they say that if u adjust what he made in the 80s to todays currency, baw made over 3 BILLION dollars on the streets. u rap niggas will never see that again. stop tryin...

a real kingpin

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Pharrell: Tokyo Rising

this is a mini movie of Pharrell visiting Japan after the earthquake and tsunami on 3/11. it's very interesting, on a couple different levels. i reserve judgement. take a peek urself, come back, and lets discuss it...

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Erik Sermon feat. Rick Ross 'Music Video'

i almost posted this under the gushie banner! almost. til it became apparent that it was just them, no changes. but still, this a nice lil ditty. The E Double always made some fly shit. Ross on it made it somethin else, brought it home. i fuxx wit it... i mean shit, how could you go wrong with that sample?

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NOT the same damn 'Lo sweater...

i had this...

and i didnt really care for this shit that much. like i said, i used to rock the real ski wear and have them girls open. 'specially them college jawns that really came from that life. this shit for me was just to put on in the rain or some shit. but guess what baw askin...

$1200.

lookin on ebay got me wishin i woulda stayed wit my shit. i had a LOT of 'Lo shit, sun. but it was just clothes, y'mean? our attitude was we could always get that shit.

my dude B-Bill?!? oh my god... im not even gonna go into that... he had shit i didnt even know Ralph made...

RIP Boostin Billy...

who woulda known that this shit would be collectors items?

this joint is a circle ski vest from 1992. given the age, its in great condition. what im buggin on? it just went for $4000 on ebay. no typo. see for yourself.

i had MAD shit. i wish i woulda held onto that shit. a lot of that shit, y'know? i mean dudes is even collecting vintage spray paint cans. i had a lot of them shits still in my moms basement, and threw em out. 

i had a bunch of shit that i coulda caked offa now...

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Martians VS Goblins

i had to say it. Game shit is hot. well, this song that is. it seems like baw is really starting to settle into a real space. he may've just found himself as an artist. cause he sure was a confused baw fpr a while now. now, imma reserve judgement and wait to hear the rest of his shit. cause this one is right. peep it. i fuxx wit it.

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Look At This Dude!

i saw this on youtube and had to post it. i was like 'ILL!!!!" first of all, the studio, the Hit Factory is legendary. the amount of hit records made in that studio is crazy. the long hallway with all the plaques would take you a good half to read em all.  my first time in there was a real experience. back then there was still a mystique to making records. and i felt like somebody pulled back the veil and showed me the wizard. i'll never forget it.

but this was also ill cause here you got Big in the studio with Lord Finese, who we gave a salute to a while back. i was just lookin at the fact that REAL hip hop used to rule the airwaves. i mean it was what the large record companies was into. most of these niggas nowadays are all doin P.M. Dawn shit, without the beads in their heads. think about it. but it was ill for me to see these dudes do it lke this in their element.

sometimes i try not to be on that shit where it seems like im not growing with the times. but i dont really see where growing aptly describes whats goin down these days. the ill shit was the other day, i was playin beats for some people and they was like 'what do you use?' i said 'MPC2000XL'. baw was like 'it sounds like old skool.' i was like 'what do you mean?' dude was like, 'naw, its bangin. it just dont sound like a program. the instruments sound real'. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!? music shouldnt sound like music anymore, but computer generated representations of music? i sweasr to god, its soundin like science fiction movies out here these days...

RIP Biggie Smalls, one of the best to ever do it. and i mean, if u listen to how much growth went on between album one and two... whew...

#Salute.

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Sattelite Feed: Meyhem Lauren

if u ever visit Dallas Penn's site, i'm sure you've seen dude on there once or twice. i got familiar with him cause i mastered the Infamous mag mixtape which featured this joint right here. yall know i'm real bboy, so the graff shit had me from 1st of all. the trak is some strait classic hip hop shit. sun is from Queens and from what i hear is an official Lo-Life. it's only one way to claim that title. and u should know by now.




this joint with Maffew Ragazino is ill. Maff gets ill wit the lyrics, and seems like he gets Meyhem to up the ante with his verse on this which is one of his best. all of this is classic New York flavor, not swag, which is what New York should safeguard and keep alive and consistent. i mean, Queens got 2 million people in it by itself. they could support artists very well locally (including the tri-state), if they would just learn to love what it is they do. but it seems sometimes that the originators bore of their own creations. and in the quest to create newness, sometimes forget tradition. Meyhem is an example of tradition being carried respectfully and honorably. on all fronts. check out the rest of his shit.

#Salute.

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