So the XXL Freshmen list for 2013 came out and in terms of talent top to bottom they definitely did 100,000,000,000,000 X 3 times better than last year's list. For those who havn't checked the list yet it's: Ab Soul, Kirko Bangz, Trinidad Jame$, Dizzy Wright, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, Angel Haze, Schoolboy Q, Travi$ Scott, Logic, and Chief Keef bang bang. Only person that i'm mad who wasn't on there was Chance the Rapper. And all those people complaining about XV should just accept the fact he will never be on the cover. Now i have no idea what the standards are for making the list. Is it based on talent or ones they think will break through to the mainstream? So they need to get more specific on that so readers understand why choices were made. Right out the gate i never heard of/listened to Angel Haze or Travis Scott so XXL did their job their because now i'm bouta check them out. Plus Angel Haze did an interview with Nardwuar and i know the Human Serviette doesn't fuck with nobodies. Ima try to break it down the best i could now on the other people.
Puzzling choices are Q, Bronsolinio, and Ab Soul because them three are already upperclassmen. They're damn near graduation with the quality of work they've put in and for the time they've been relevant. I mean shit they each got their own tours and shit already. If anything them three should have made it last year. Joey Bada$$, Trinidad James, Chief Keef, and Kirko Bangz definitely blew up in the past year and if that's a qualification for making the list then they fit the bill for sure. Dizzy and Logic both have their loyal fanbases that claim how they're the future of hip hop/top five lyricist in the game right now on every dam one of their youtube videos so they are the internet darlings and if i'm not mistaken Dizzy was the final choice that was voted on. I'm guessing Hopsin voted like a million times because he seems like he has no life. Wassup Hop i don't do anything all day either. That being said other then Kirko and Trinidad and Sosa who already have their feet in radio, the only other one i see with mainstream appeal is Schoolboy and Logic. Schoolboy because he got radio play already with Hands On The Wheel and he seems to be aiming for that radio play. He is going to be the guy that is played at parties that everyone can agree is not a wack motherfucker. Logic because he is white. Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, and Ab Soul have styles that is not radio friendly and definitely isn't the type to be played in clubs or stuff like that. Plus they already have fanbases that fully support what they do and they don't seem like the guys that would sell out but who knows.
If you guys read my Rap Crews post you already know i fuck with the whole Black Hippy Crew and i think it's significant that each member has been on the cover. Jay Rock never made the splash but Kendrick made up for it. Like i stated earlier i feel Soul Brother #3 will follow his big brother Jay Rock's path while Q goes the road of Kendrick in terms of mainstream recognition. Other ones i fuck with are Bronson, Dizzy Wright, Joey B (although Lil B killed him), and Trinidad James. Now Trinidad is nothing special but c'mon, Females Welcome and All Gold Everything are hilarious. I don't have to speak much on why they're good and if you don't know about them check them out, their material isn't hard to find at all. The three i don't fuck are Chief Keef, Kirko Bangz, and Logic. Chief Keef just is in the wrong place at the wrong time. His shit would be more accepted maybe like 10 years ago when that real gangsters were needed and he has the perfect dumbed down lyrics to go with it. Shit i applaud Sosa for still being alive because living in Chicago automatically lowers your life expectancy. Add to that being black. On top of that being in a gang and on top of that actually being a gangster i'm surprised the kid is still alive. And instead of saving countries all over the world who don't want our help why don't we do something about the 500 murders in Chicago. The place is a warzone it's not like old people are dying, young kids who are the future are the ones getting killed and doing the killing. I don't have a problem with the music he puts out because he has a lane and sticks to it and after all he is just being his hood's reporter which is what Ice Cube was for Compton and Chuck D said rap is CNN for black people. So if anything Chief Keef is bringing light onto the Chicago gang scene. That doesn't mean his stuff is good. Shit is shit and that's what his music is. It's good hype music because honestly who can't bob their head to I Don't Like. But this motherfucker either going to be dead, in prison, or irrelevant in 2 years. Kirko Bangz sucks. I know why they put him on but this dude is just a Drake copycat which is not someone to emulate for respect. Yeah Drank In My Cup got a lot of play last year but if anyone can name another song of his i'd be surprised. I don't know why autotune hooks are still around. I blame Future. Now on to Logic. First impressions mean a lot and the first song i heard from him is All I Do. I swear to god i was waiting for Mac Miller to come on any second because the dude sounds exactly like him style wise. He rapped about the same exact stuff as Mac. He looks like he works at Banana Republic, not that there's anything wrong with that, wassup John. I liked Walk On By way better than the other track but even then it's some generic shit. His flow is actually on point in this one but he isn't saying anything new or mind blowing. I do give the producer props for choosing the samples, i'm feeling them. Then I listened to Young Sinatra III and its right back to fuck this guy. 1 because Freddie Gibbs already killed that beat and 2 "i'm sipping wine while girls undress" was said right after "i'm lucky to be alive." Fuck you. I listened to one other song Tic Tac Toe and yeah i can't listen to this dude. He appeals to the same people that like Mac Miller. So if you like Larry Lovenstein you'll like this Wonderbread wizard.
It looks like XXL really was trying to come back after last years L, Roscoe Dash? It isn't the greatest list they have done but it is up there. I still think the 2010 one was the best so i put this one right behind the 2011 one in terms of number of quantity and quality of people on the cover. I know the 08 and 09 ones had some real dudes on there but that was when they only had like 3 dudes on the cover which i am not complaining if XXL cuts it back down to that number because all these dudes either will not blow up or have already done so. Support good music people. If they're broke they can't do it forever. peace.
Ask and you shall receive. I told you guys that if you want me to review something or look something over just let me know and my man told me to review Drake's Take Care. This thing is like a year and a half old and there have been many reviews for it like this or that, so ima do something kinda different. I'm going to chart his progression from his breakout tape through his first two studio albums. Now i haven't ever listened to one of his projects all the way through and i hate his nasally voice but maybe by giving him a chance i see where he is coming from and if the stuff spewing out of his mouth make sense and if he really did start from the bottom. Now just because i don't like listening to the guy doesn't mean i don't think he has talent. I mean the dude is obviously doing something right but we'll see. Or who knows maybe he does have everyone under a spell.
Like pretty much everyone else i first heard drake because of his 2009 breakout So Far Gone mixtape. He had a couple before this one called Room For Improvement and Comeback Season. If you're a fan go to datpiff and download those two. The first two songs are significant for a couple reasons. 1 is that it is actually pretty consistent with him nowadays or at least on his tracks where he isn't bragging about ridiculous shit. And 2 is that the first two songs are painstakingly boring. The first he talks about some Captain Save A Ho sucker shit so yeah he hasn't changed. There are some qualities like humbleness and loyalty that are good to keep while becoming famous but being a sucker. That is something you gotta shake when you're like 21 at the latest. I understand becoming an adult is a process but seriously dude is like almost 30 and still making it rain at strip clubs. Why? Why are you encouraging girls to be strippers? Then the second track comes in and another 2 things dawned on me. 1 is that this three and a half minute intro is the cure for insomnia and 2 is that this dude's hook writing style has not changed at all. Just repeat a couple words until it gets ingrained in your head. Brainwashing techniques. Houstonatlantavegas makes me not even wanna ever visit those cities. Captain Save A Ho. That being said i can dig Successful. Shit who doesn't want money, cars, clothes and hoes? I don't know if that's what they are saying success is or are mocking it but i can bear this homage to materialistic bullshit. He then tried to get his Houston on and failed miserably. Just because you chop and screw the hook don't mean its a Houston song. Stay in your lane, although i see where Kirko Bangz got his inspiration. Halfway through and i can't tell if this dude is trying to make an r&b album or legitly trying to show he can rap. His nasally voice just kills it for me. Best I Ever had is probably the worst song i ever heard other than Every Girl In The World. The problem i got with him is that he is obviously catering to chicks which is cool but trying to come off hard at the same time. C'mon man nobody is buying that. Stick to one or the other. You can't do everything. Not going to lie i cried when i heard Bun B on one of the tracks. Why Bun? You're a legend, you don't need to be jumping on anyones mixtape, especially one that already has cosigns from Lil Wayne who still was the biggest dude in rap at the time of this tape. Drizzy just trying to appeal to everyone i guess which is some what can you do about it shit. Sooner Than Later Came on on about halfway through i stopped listening. I just skipped the last few tracks because i had enough of it, i couldn't take it when he said "You just showered and your hair looks perfect." Dude is a real sucker, i mean don't get me wrong there isn't anything wrong with saying that to your girl, but he is trying to put his "ass on a pedestal" (his words not mine) and make himself unique acting like he is the only one that says that stuff to his girl. What i got from his breakout tape was that it was over rated. If he didn't have that Lil Wayne co-sign then this would not have broken out but props to the two sides for making it happen because at the end of the day he is successful. I do give drake credit for a couple things things. He did change the mixtape game as a way to break in to the mainstream. Before if you made your name off of mixtapes you were pretty much destined to stay there but he made it. Unfortunately people now try to copy his recipe for success which takes away the point of being an artist which is individuality. Also he proceeded to create the new genre of bitch-hop. That's just watered down rhyming to the max. Hip Hop is the music for the young generation there is no denying that. The young kids and young adults want to be part of something that is cool but the problem is a lot of rap was terrible and young people could not get behind it. Then Drake came along and was "real" with his feelings and emotions. It gave people who didn't like hip-hop a reason to like the genre and stay cool and hip. I was unimpressed with the breakout tape and believe the reason it got such huge buzz was because it was different than what was being heard at the time so for that i give him props.
For his studio "debut" Thank Me Later (since So Far Gone was eventually re-released for retail and for damn sure Trey Songz and Lil Wayne weren't going to be recording in any low budget studio) i thought it was cool. I only fucked with one song on the previous but this one i mess with 3 of them: Find Your Love is cool and a perfect example of him doing some jedi mind tricks to me. It's one of the worst hooks over yet it's stuck in your head. If he didn't declare his love for Nicki Minaj on Miss Me, which almost made me puke and confirming his status as Lieutenant Save A Ho, that would of been my favorite on the album. And Fancy is cool for nostalgic reasons because of a certain someone dropping jello in the pudding at Fresh Choice. And can we get a petition to get Fresh Choice back in business because idk about you guys but i know of no other place to get your buffet on for like $11. I wish on the opening track, Fireworks, that Alicia Keys had a bigger role. Only thing she said was "all i see is fireworks" and that disappointed me because she is one of the most talented artists we have today, male or female. Then he started bragging about how he sets down his napkins and cutlery which got me wondering why Alica Keys would agree to go on then i remembered he was on her previous album Element of Freedom, so he was probably begging her to get her on the album to return the favor a la what he did to Kendrick and The Weeknd and every artist he ever "helps." Then i finally understood what the great Cocaine Biceps meant when he said Drake sounds like a rapist. Listen to Shut It Down and ladies, if that is the kind of guy you want to date don't go complaining when he stalks you after breaking up with him. And the last problem i have with the album is on Over. He complains "I know way too many people here that i didn't know last year." NO SHIT. What did the man expect? Why would anyone know who you are? Nobody watches the American version of Degrassi, why would anyone watch the Canadian version. And i have never seen that show listed anywhere on my TV guide and i got that cable package that come with like 1,039 channels and i never came across that. Plus he had the nerve to admit that he "blew up overnight" in the same damn song. So he is admitting he came out of nowhere but complains no one was with him from the beginning. I'm not even going to say anything else about that. Not only that but the punchlines are garbage. The words "rosetta stone" and "Ebert and Roper" were used in the song. that says it all. Everything else on the album is tolerable. Up All Night though almost got ruined when he said "Toodles to you bitches." Again that is something i don't have to explain. He surprised me with how much he actually rapped and once i got beyond his nasally voice i see why people like him. Last thing is fuck him for comparing himself to ODB. So he did improve quality wise from his first album in terms of rapping and less singing which is a good move for him music wise, maybe not so much business wise. I like how he generally spoke on the same topics as So Far Gone because shit what else could he have spoken on. It showed to me he was the same person even after he blew up but after this is when things went south for him.
Take Care is a terrible album. He sings way too much and i don't know why he insists on doing so. He is not a good singer. I guess its relatable because most people aren't good singers so they all relate like "oh this dude is successfull and i sing just as good as him." The first track is the worst opening track i have heard in a while. Idk if he is speaking on the perspective of someone else but i really hope he is because he is so out of character in this. He is someone who builds himself on being "real" and "true to himself" but he is saying nigga probably more than ever in his life that "Over My Dead Body" is bullshit that a deaf person could hear. Then he references Mac Dre which i know is not the only time he has so he needs to keep his name out of his mouth. He just uses it to gain more fans in the bay because we know bullshit right away and don't fuck with him. I bet he can't name 5 songs of the late great Mac Dre, TIP, and i'll spot him Thizzle Dance and Feelin' Myself. The next song comes in and he's doing his bullshit singing again. It's sucks and someone needs to tell him he is not good if they're his "real niggas." I know he makes doe but that doesn't mean he's good at singing. It's called artistic integrity. Vernon Wells makes $126 million but that doesn't he's good. Then he tries to gets his spoken word on which is cool when done right. Drake is doing it just to do it and show he is an "artist" but c'mon dude i see right through you. Just because someone dresses up a dog in human clothes doesn't make them a human. I couldn't take it anymore so i stopped listening to the album plus the fact so many of the tracks have been on the radio anyway so i've heard most of them. The only one i would listen to again is the instrumental version of Headlines. Idk maybe i just gotta be in a sad/emo/rapey mood to enjoy it because i don't see the appeal at all. And to all the bay people that like The Motto get your head out of your asses, that song is terrible. This version is better anyway. It's the song that started Yolo and for that reason only i will hate this song forever. Yolo pretty much encourages stupid ass behavior. There's a difference in spontaneous decisions and ignorant decisions though and people use Yolo as a justification to be ignorantly spontaneous if you get what i'm saying.
he's been eyeing that dress
I actually give Drake a passing grade for his first two albums but Take Care he morphed, or his true colors came out, into some creepy stalker teenage girl. I wasn't feeling that at all. He doesn't have a voice for rapping but there are moments when he does get his flow on every now and then. Listening to him actually changed my opinion on him because i thought he was just straight trash after that last album but i now know he can get busy in his own way. It definitely did not do anything to earn a rotation in the ipod and will be deleted right when the last letter of this post is typed and proceeded to be thrown out of the itunes library right onto the trash but at least i know now what he kinda was. Oh and Started From The Bottom is turrible too. If by the bottom you mean middle class upbringing in toronto with acting gigs on Degrassi to always fall back on if the whole music thing didn't work out then yeah he did start from the bottom of the barrel. Well he is successful so props to Drake for making your money just don't claim to be hip hop ever again. Claim pop or bitch-hop because no hip hop fan fucks with Toronto's favorite son. Let me know if there is anything you want me to look at, sports wise or music wise. Shout out to Pig Nasty.
First off I fully expect the Golden State Warriors to make the playoffs. They have been scuffling as of late but completely falling out of the playoff race is not something very likely because 1) they are four games ahead of the 9th place Utah Jazz with 12 games to go so that is possible but unlikely to happen and 2) i can't imagine stephen curry and david lee allowing this team to fall off the rail like that. The two of them are just too good to allow that to happen to this young team. If they do then the front office has to make some changes because they have as good a starting five as anyone in the league and two quality guys coming off the bench in Ne-Yo aka Jarret Jack and Carl Landry in addition to a solid interior defender in Festus Ezeli. Granted when they're on offense they might as well be playing 4 on 5 but there is always something valuable about a guy that could defend big men in the playoffs especially looking at the quality teams at the top of the western conference. That being said let's look at the possible matchups.
The Warriors are going to get no higher than a 6 seed and at worst an 8th seed. First let's look at their possible opponents as a 6th seed. Currently the 3rd seed is the Memphis Grizzlies and if that happens the Warriors are fucked with a capital F-U-C-K. They haven't beaten them this year in three games and i don't remember any victories against them last year either. Matchup wise this is the worst it can get for the Warriors. First off the biggest weakness they have is going against a team with a solid post game. Notice i didn't even say great, just solid. Well the Grizzlies have two studs in the only Gasol brother with a Y Chromosome and Z-Bo. The other guys rounding out their lineup is the ageless Tayshaun Prince (of the 04 champion detroit pistons), Mike Conley Jr, who allegedly played on the same team as Greg Oden but who knows if those myths are true, and the best pest in the league Tony Allen. Then on the bench they got Jerryd bayless who at one time was thought to be a future all star but then he went to toronto and you know how that's the place where irrelevancy is the city's motto. But he found his niche as a sixth man because the kid could get hot and put points up in a hurry. So the Grizzlies mix other guys in the game but go with with that main 6 man rotation and it works for them. Everyone has a designed role and the offense runs from Conley through to the two big boys. The Warriors are not going to pick up many offensive rebounds so they better not be settling for jump shots. They have to attack the basket, get to the line, get the big boys in foul trouble, and when the jumper is there knock it down. There's a difference between knocking down open jumpers and settling for jumpers so the Warriors gotta knock them down. Assuming Tony Allen guards Klay Thompson, then Stephen when Jack comes into the game production needs to come from the point guard position and David Lee needs to do his thing against Z-Bo. I figure those two will cancel each other out and put up 20-10 so Jack and Steph need to take advantage of Mike Conley. Also Bogut I know is not healthy but needs to slow down Gasol. If Gasol is going crazy then you might as well call it a series. Prediction is 4-1 Grizzlies with Warriors taking Game 3 at home. It's going to be eerily reminiscent of the Utah series from back in 07 when Boozer and Paul Millsap killed them inside.
Next up is the team fans better be praying to play because honestly this is the Warriors best chance to win a best of 7 series and that team is the Flop City, shit i mean Lob City aka the disappointing son of LA basketball. UCLA has made as many more final four appearances than the Clippers have won playoff series in my lifetime and the only reason they won in the first round last year is because Emperor David Stern didn't let Chris Paul go to the Lakers. And can we stop the OMG Deandre Jordan killed Brandon Knight with that dunk. First of all he outweighs the dude by 80 pounds and has like a 9 inch height advantage or some shit plus he has crazy hops to begin with. Should i just dunk over by 13 year old cousin on a fisher price rim because that is the same shit. Don't even get me started on Princess Griffin. She better start developing some post moves or her career is going to go the way of a softer Brittney Griner, no disrespect to Ms. Griner. Only real motherfuckers on that team are Chris Paul, Eric Bledsoe, and the OG's Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill. Everyone else is overrated. You say Jamal Crawford is the best sixth man, i say make Monta Ellis come off the bench and witness a dude who doesn't start average 20. The Warriors have answers at every position. Chris Paul i give the advantage to but it can be cancelled out with the Jack/Curry combination. Willie Green, i don't even know who that is. There's nothing Caron Butler can do that Harrison Barnes can't. David Lee already put Princess in her place before and won't hesitate to again. Deandre Jordan won't be on the floor when it matters because the dude is worse than Shaq at the line and has no offensive move other than to jump with ball in hand and throw it through the net. Jamal Crawford could make a difference here. I think bledsoe's role would just to annoy the shit out of Curry so Steph better bring his A-game offensively. Jamal Crawford could go off so they can't let him get rolling. If these was two years ago i would have said Lamar Kardashian is an x-factor but its 2013. And i just wasted this sentence talking about matt barnes and that's all you need to know about him. Key to this is the Warriors keeping Crawford in check and not letting Paul completely take over because he has been known to put a team on his back come playoff time. Warriors in 6, they steal game 1 then win games 3,4, and 6 at home a la Dallas 07 playoffs.
best celebration i've seen in a while
Next up are the Denver Nuggets who if you haven't been paying attention are no joke. They took the Lakers to 7 games i believe last year and have come back this year letting the league know they are no joke. First off they got the deepest rotation in the league and every single person that they put on the floor contributes and has a purpose. They don't have any Andris Biedrins out there to take up space, every person that plays for Denver is counted on to contribute. They remind me a lot of the mid 2000's detroit pistons that were just a great team despite not having that definitive star. The difference is that these nuggets have better depth than those pistons squads. They are a young team that runs to their benefit because they have the athletes and gunners to do so. Ty Lawson might be the fastest point guard in the league, Iguodala can defend the 1 through 3 positions. Gallinari is one of those dudes that you better hope doesn't get rolling from deep and finally they got my man Kenneth Faried. The dude just does not run out of gas in his tank and if there is a loose ball you best believe he is the one that is going it end up with it. I have a feeling he is going to kill the Warriors with multiple offensive boards. Then you got the bench and my other brother Javale McGee. People clown him for making stupid ass plays but he usually will have at least one spectacular play to offset it. Props to George Karl for keeping the stupidity rate to a minimum because we have seen what we can do when he is on and if you don't know just ask the Lakers about last years first round. Then you go Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer who are excellent defenders off the bench and moreso Chandler will surprise you every now and then with a bunch of points. Lastly you got the ageless wonder Andre Miller who has looked the same since the day he was rocking the Cavaliers jersey. When you can bring a guy like that off the bench and stabilize your second unit that is just a luxury a contending team can only dream of. The Nuggets are my second favorite team to watch in the league so i'm hoping the warriors do not draw them in the first round also because they are pretty damn good. Nuggets in 5, Warriors win game 3 at home. No way Denver loses in that altitude.
please don't let this guy beat you
The only way the Warriors are going to beat the Thunder is if Russell Westbrook makes it his mission to single-handedly win the series. Other than that it isn't happening. Kevin Durant is too much of a superstar to lose to an upstart team like the Warriors. That is why it is imperative Steph Curry plays well especially in this series. Obviously he needs to be a stud in any series but if he starts going off against Westbrook then Westbrook is going to feel the need to match him shot for shot and we all know how that will turn out. Thabo can defend the crap out of any 2 guard in the league and the Ibaka/Lee battle would be a good one to watch and could potentially swing it into the Warriors favor. Bogut and Perkins pretty much cancel each other out. I don't even have to say anything about Durant. Him being on the floor tips the series on the Thunder's favor. Kevin Martin off the bench is going to provide a spark and you already know the lying sleazeball Derek Fisher is going to hit at least one dagger 3 pointer to ice the game for the Thunder. Not much to say here other than i hope the Warriors don't slip to that 7 seed. The rockets and thunder would be better for TV anyway so David Stern, make it happen. Thunder in 6 because i predict Russell Westbrook will try to out do Curry and will fail horribly then Skip Bayless will call him Russell West-Brick as if he is original. Beware any NBA players whose name has a B in their name, not that it should matter but Skip Bayless is contractually obligated to change your name to include some form of brick. Ko-Brick Bryant. Fuck it i'm sure he'll use any excuse to say it. Danillo Galli-Brick. Roy Hi-Brick. Metta World Brick. God i wonder what goes through that man's head.
Alright let's face the facts the Warriors have no chance in beating the Spurs. Sure they beat them once in overtime but what the hell, the sun shines on a dog's ass somedays too. Ginobli, Parker, and Duncan could all retire 5 minutes before tip off of game 1 and it wouldn't matter. Popovich would just go into his vault of anonymous international talent that he has stored away somewhere and pick 3 guys from belarus, cambodia, the Island of Blue Dolphins and plug them into the lineup without missing a beat. Or if he doesn't have time to go to the vault he'll pick the hot dog guy, the guy who dunks off the trampoline during commercial break, and the guy that mops the floor and boom they'll combine for 30 points right there. Seriously i don't know how Popovich does it. He took Matt Bonner and made him useful. Malik Rose was on the team for so goddam long. He baited the Warriors into thinking Speedy Claxton was worth money. Stephen Jackson somehow doesn't freak out. I don't get it. Two of the stars don't even speak good english and the other once got ejected for laughing. Would it surprise anyone if the Spurs rested Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker for games 3 and 4 yet still swept the series? And don't tell me that's not a possibility. Spurs in 4, i'm sure they would give a rat's ass how loud Oracle would get.
Well we see the odds are slim for the Warriors to make it on to the next round according to my expert analysis of espn highlights. One can only hope Steph goes off like this consistently or they get matched up with the overrated Clippers. Warriors will be interesting next year with Thompson and Harrison Barnes continuing to develop and hopefully Curry can get some titanium ankles and Bogut just stays in a bubble to prevent any freak accidents. Then Draymond Green needs to solidify himself as a defensive stopper and hopefully Festus goes to Costco and buys all the lotion he can so he can get some softer hands. And for the love of God Mark Jackson play Kent Bazemore.
Now i don't follow either of these dudes but i just caught wind of their beef. To sum it up real quick The Weeknd didn't sign with whatever label drake runs which i think is called XOXOXO after drake put him on. Drake sent this tweet out a while back which leads people to assume he was aiming it at Weeknd "You won't get away with just a thank you...you owe me a favor." If Drake is really pissed about Weeknd not signing with him, then he needs to go fuck himself. Not only that but he really sounds like a creep for posting that tweet. Weeknd is an adult and as an adult he is entitled to do whatever the fuck he wants to do. If the only reason Drake put him on was so he can sign with his label than that just shows what kind of person he is. Most of us good people i would like to think do things for other people because we want to not to expect things in return. But i guess Toronto's favorite son doesn't see helping people like that. If he were to give money to a homeless person he probably would make him take a picture with him so he can post it to twitter and show the world how swell of a guy he is. If you forgot to bring his videogame back the next day he would charge you a dollar. If you asked him to pick you up in the middle of the night because you're stranded he would first ask for $20. If you spotted him $5 and asked him to just get you a slurpee to make things even he would remind about the time a year ago that he paid for your meal when you ran out of money on your debit card but he said it was cool don't worry about it. If he helped you on your homework he would make you do his next load of laundry because that's just the kind of guy he is. No wonder he got on Kendrick's album. After Kendrick gave him a feature on Take Care and was on that tour Drake probably begged him to get on and being the good kid that he is Kendrick let him have a feature because he doesn't want to see a grown man cry. Never ask Drake to help you out because he will be looking for something in return. Looks like we know how he got to where he is now.
El-P feat Killer Mike and Despot- Tougher Colder Killer
don't sleep on my man El-P i've said it before. And he has killer mike and despot on the track with him.
Yo crews have always been a part of hip hop from the Juice Crew to the Native Tongues Posse to Junior Mafia to Death Row to The Hot Boyz to Roc A Fella you get the point. Well recently there has been a resurgence in crews but which one is the best. Only ones that matter get to be on the list so sorry White Girl Mob fans and SODMG fans (soulja boi so raw his crew consists of himself). Aye you don't even know how close i was to putting Three Loco on here. Well without further ado let's get it on.
12. 1017 Brick Squad
name someone other than Gucci or Waka i'll give you $10
Gucci fucked up. They would have been higher, only like a couple spots though, had they not dropped Waka Flocka. The fuck is he thinking? Flocka is the only one that still crosses over, sorry Guwop, and he still feeds the streets with tapes. The man has a work ethic. I guess Iceman couldn't accept the fact there was a bigger star on his own label. Anyways that being said i could tolerate Gucci although i haven't listened to him since he dropped The State Vs. Radric Davis which is a slept on album. He had bangers on that one from Classic to Bingo to Lemonade to the crossover hit Spotlight feat Usher. I ain't afraid to say i had this on repeat because as my man Feefo from deadendhip would say "it bumps in the whip." I can tolerate OJ Da Juiceman to an extent just on the fact that the stuff he puts out is hilarious. Other than that i don't fuck with anyone else on the roster. Sorry Young Thug, Young Scooter, Frenchie, OG Boo Dirty, and Wooh Da Kid, RIP Slim Dunkin. I do give them props though because they one of the few people in the game that live the life they actually talk about in their material so props on being real motherfuckers.
11. A$AP Mob
same challenge, anyone other than Rocky
They really should be called A$AP Rocky and friends because everyone not named Rocky sucks, and Rocky ain't nothing special although he does do his thing so props there. None of the tracks off of Lords Never Worry caught my attention and my favorite track on there is not even because of A$AP Mob. I skip the dude after Drugged out Stalley and even then i don't feel inclined to listen to Rocky's verse. I'm just waiting till everyone turns on Rocky aka the hand that's feeding them and they slide right back into irrelevancy. Maybe they should of jumped ship to Raider Klan.
10. Bad Boy
Diddy just stop. We all know you make hella dough so why do you continue to put out mediocre music. Not you personally, although when you do jump on a verse i feel like slapping you, but the people you put on. What is your purpose? Why do you sign 2nd level artists and try to make them into stars? You rich as fuck why don't you just get the best that are out there? This is supposed to be the same label that made Big famous, c'mon now. Might as well sign Craig Mack since he would actually be an upgrade. The "leader" of the artists is French Montana and that says it all right there. He doesn't even rep Bad Boy to the fullest. And the posse cut they have is the worst song i have heard in a long long time. I'm talking worse than this, shout out to Oakland tho. MGK got potential because he's white and has some stuff behind his lyrics but other than that, Red Cafe? All i ever hear of Los is that he bodies other people's beats. Cassie is going to save you guys? Diddy dawg you might as well have stuck with Da Band, at least you had one of the five best rappers of all time. I'm not telling Diddy what to do because he doing fine for himself money wise but that shit is obviously not coming from music.
9. Taylor Gang
Where do i even start. For a while when Wiz was shouting out Taylor Gangi thought he was just showing love to his fans. I didn't know he actually had a crew until he signed Juicy J. I give him props for the Juicy J thing because he actually fits with the party vibe that Wiz puts out and believe it or not i think Juicy has actually influenced Wiz more so than the other way around recently. But Chevy Woods and Lola Monroe c'mon. I fuck with Berner because he's a hustler and plus he isn't even a full time rapper. he is more of the weed guy in the group and he's from SF so big ups. Krit laced Yoko tho.
8. YMCMB
Does anyone even know what the B stands for? If you want to see an in depth take on these clowns check out the homie Big Ghostand scroll down to number 1. I don't think anyone could have said it better. Yes they do have Drake and Nicki but we all know they ain't good like that. They good for sales and shit but nothing else. Tyga doing his thing too in his ratchet lane. Check out the rest of the roster and let me know if you honestly have heard one song of theirs: jae millz, cory gunz, gudda gudda, lil twist, lil chuckee. I know i'm probably forgetting some but it's not like it matters. I hear they're in the running to signing Lil Mouse and Lil Poopy too. I shamefully admit i listened to a Gudda Gudda track to see if he was as bad as Big Ghost said he is and only thing i gotta say is don't bother listening to Gudda Gudda. Weezy is a shell of his former self and not even he could save his crew from sucking ass, which i wouldn't be surprised if wayne has actually done.
7. Odd Future
you already know a crew ain't complete without a couple white dudes
These kids are an acquired taste and i still havn't found it yet but they do have a loyal fanbase who tries to be like them so much. First off the only ones i fuck with are Earl and to an extent Frank Ocean but does any really think Frank needs them or vice versa, people kinda forget he is in the group. I know Tyler got some good stuff but i just can't get into his shit. I don't know, talking about stabbing bruno mars in his throat isn't appealing to everyone but he gets props for being the leader of a cult at such a young age. I know the names Domo, Hodgy or whoever else but if you were to tell me to pick them out of a lineup i couldn't do it. If you were to ask me on Oldie which member is spitting their verse again i couldn't tell you outside of Earl and Tyler. But they do be putting out projects as much as any crew out there right now.
6. Pro Era
First off RIPto Capital Steez. It would have been real interesting to see where these kids could go if Steez was still with us. These guys have the same problem as A$AP Mob and odd future in that they are new to the scene and i really can't differentiate one from another except the most visible, Joey Bada$$. The difference is that their two possecuts that i have heard are dope. I like very much what they are doing with embracing 90's hip hop and bringing it back to the forefront. There was some really great music being made in that era and to put a modern twist over the nostalgic beats is something i can fuck with. They even got an interview with Nardwuar so you know they made it. The only dude i really got my eye on other than Joey is CJ Fly and Chuck Strangers is a good up and comer behind the boards. The rest of the dudes need to step up and make a name for themselves rather than relying on posse cuts to get their name out. Also Joey's ego is becoming a little too big for my liking so hopefully he can get back to being grounded and move away from that "i'm so in touch with my third eye that you don't understand me" bullshit.
5. Shady 2.0
dope hat joey
These guys get the edge over pro era simply because they have been putting in the work longer and their resumes are miles ahead of the kids from new york. I don't even fuck with
Slaughterhouse too much anymore but i know they are good. regardless of
what people say they can rip the mic like no other individually and when
they come together they have potential to destroy it. The problem is
they haven't reached their potential as a group or on their individual
releases. Correct if i'm wrong but when is the last time a Royce, Joell
Ortiz, or Crooked I solo project came out. And Joe Budden, i don't see why
people like him because to me he will only be known for having hot ex's
and for Pump It Up.
The latter is not something to be proud of. And we didn't even get to
my man Yelawolf. He came out with Trunk Muzik and that was some fire. I
still bump Good To Go every now and then, shout out to Bun B. The problem was his debut Radioactive
did not do well at well commercially or critically. This in part has to
do with the time he spent on it. He mentioned he did the whole album was
made in like 2 weeks or something. You definitely gotta spend more time
on your debut dawg. He and Krit need to come out with Country Cousins already.
The talent is there for Shady 2.0, they just need to find a way to put
it together. Maybe they joined forces too late and it is harder to mesh
now than it would have been earlier in their careers who knows. If they
can put it together, man they will definitely rise up this list, if that matters to them which it doesn't. Hi Rihanna
4. G.O.O.D. Music
i like how kanye dresses everyone up in ridulous shit then dress normal himself
Kanye is weird to me. He got dudes
like Mos Def, or Yaasin Bey, Pusha T, Q Tip, and Common yet pushes guys
like Medium Sean, has Cyhi all over Cruel Summer yet the best
tracks involved dudes not even on the label. Now i understand why he
doesn't push the OG's because they're already established and all that
but they haven't released anything so why are they even on the label. To
be a mentor to Sean and Cyhi as if they're the future of hip hop. I
don't get it but they deserve recognition solely on the fact that they
are relevant and have the best individual resumes of any crew on here.
Kanye ego has gotten so big he thinks he can turn anyone into stars but
we'll see if the genius can work his magic.
3. Jet Life
couldn't find a pic with everyone in it
Curren$y and his dudes definitely get the label for most material that gets put out and its mostly due to Spitta himself. I went to one of their shows and they have a lot of motherfuckers in the crew. From veterans like Fiend and Smoke Dza to up and comers like Cornerboy P, Trademark Da Skydiver, and Young Roddy. The latter two seemed to be the proteges of Mr. Andretti. Oh and they can put on a hell of a show too that's a big part of their appeal. But the thing they do great is they know their lane and stick to it. They know what they are good at and work to perfecting their craft. They're not going to be singing any love songs or any bullshit like that. It's just going to be them talking bout weed, cars, video games, weed, hoes, money, weed, and then a little touch of weed sprinkled in. Yeah it gets redundant but what do you expect. You don't listen to a Jet Life track looking to turn your life around on some philosophical shit. It would be like going to a Raiders game and expecting it to be a playoff game, shit just is not going to happen. I didn't even mention my man Mikey Rocks formerly of the Cool Kids. He has been relatively quiet since joining so i'm waiting to see what he does. They got two compilation albums Jet World Order and Jet World Order 2, you can't expect originality from stoners, and not all the tracks are good but they got a couple like 1st Place and Lopsided. Now i admit i haven't listened to them in a minute but most tracks i heard have the trio of curren$y, trademark, and roddy on them like Hold On. Is it just me or does Roddy have the perfect voice for these kinds of hooks.
2. MMG
what is omarion doing
These dudes got the best intro to any song when that MMMM...Maybach music comes in. That being said the only dude i fuck is Stalley and the funny thing is that he doesn't even sound like the other members. Officer Ricky's roster is growing and has added Omarion, excuse me Maybach O, Meek Mill, and Wale as well in addition to dropping Pill. Gunplay has seemingly gone from weed carrier to cusp of stardom but i don't think his style could crossover to the mainstream. He is like the anti Ross since Gunplay is a cokehead who spits real shit while Ross is a fantasy drug dealer that thinks he is on top of the dope game. Now everyone and their mama knows Ross isn't about that life but what if he is comparing the drug game to the way he handles business. Think about that for a second, the shit he and MMG put out no one really wants to hear but yet is always on the radio so we are sort of addicted to the black Fat Joe. Anyways i mentioned it before but the thing that Ross does well is that he puts his guys on. Meek Mil and Wale both have had albums released and Stalley's project is coming out later this year apparently and you already know Omarion is going to put out some r&b stuff eventually. You can also tell he has a vision. Meek Mill has kept his megaphone rap style yet is able to get his hands on better production than he could have dreamed of and same with Wale and his whatever style you want to call what he does. I actually like Wale's early shit but his last album Ambition just sounded a little too generic for me. You know he was going for the radio sound and that completely went against the style that attracted him to his fans in the first place. Anyways peep Powercircle. UGGGGH
1. Black Hippy
This is the unquestioned number 1 crew, group, posse whatever you wanna call it out right now. Every single member of Black Hippy (Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and Ab Soul for those who don't know) easily could be the top dawg, pun intended, on any of these other labels if they choose to leave. It frustrates me when people always rank these dudes on who is the best or whatnot because that takes away from the ability of whoever is ranked last which is more often than not Jay Rock. He is not the worst in the group, they don't have a "worst" member, they are all raw in their own way. Do not sleep on Jay Rock. He and Freddie Gibbs are the only two legitimate gangsta rappers who have substance behind their lyrics. Their last Black Hippy cut Black Lip Bastard saw Jay Rock have the best verse on there so he is not a weak link, do not sleep on my man. Then we got Kendrick who i'm not even going to speak on because if you follow hip hop you already know this guy is the truth. If you don't know who he is stop reading and check out his album good kid m.A.A.d city and Section 80 to start then go back and check his Overly Dedicated mixtape and Kendrick Lamar EP. Then we got Ab Soul who morphed into some deep thinking cat seemingly out of nowhere and is called the human dictionary for a reason. If you haven't copped the Control System album yet definitely listen to it and if you like it support the man and buy it. Personally i like Long Term 2 a little better but that's based on the fact that i've bumped it like 1000 more times than control system. Then we got my man Schoolboy Q. He is the perfect complement to the other guys because he is the guy that would fit more into the mainstream scene today because of what he talks about but his flow is so much better than all the guys on the radio that are in his lane. If you need help getting into the Q'ster check out Habits and Contradictionsand peep Hands On The Wheel, Druggys With Hoes Again, and Blessed. But you definitely gotta check all the tracks because each of my friends have different favorites than i do and the album really shows his diversity on different beats. I'll just put links to some of my favorite songs from the Black Hippy crew. Turn Me Up Phenomonon Hood Gone Love It Money Trees Terrorist Threats Rigamortus
Let me know if my rankings suck or if i missed any crews out right now. peace
Since we're talking posse cuts here are some of the best
Wu Tang Clan aka the best Collection of MC's of all time
A Tribe Called Quest feat Leaders Of The New School
Man no matter what hip hop forum you go to or youtube video all you ever see in the comments is "hip hop is dead" "fuck lil wayne" "fuck justin bieber" (even though the little angel doesn't rap). They always say "man biggie or tupac wouldn't allow this to happen if they were alive," "Big L would be rolling in his grave right now." Why are these the only ones who have say in the matter. Why can't artists today do something about it? Why can't the hip hop pioneers of the Golden era of rap speak out against it? Well that may be for another time because that's not my point. My point is that when comments saying biggie or pac wouldn't murder these dudes on a track or something why does no one mention the greats that are still alive. All great rappers aren't dead which may shock newbies that consider themselves hip hop heads. Rakim, KRS-One, The Native Tongues Posse, and believe it or not Ice Cube and LL Cool J were once considered the cream of the crop. My generation, me included, do not do our dutifull research when it comes to the pioneers. If we need any evidence as to why we should look these guys up we just need to listen to our favorite artists today. Watch any interview that asks them to list their favorite artists and they'll be along the lines of Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Slick Rick, UGK, Scarface. These guys revolutionized the genre and allowed other guys down the line to perfect the styles they paved.
There were multiple reasons i came up with as to why the pioneers are overlooked today and one of them is because of the generation gap. We can't relate to time in the 80's and no matter how raw an MC's skills are we can hear more often than not hear what time period they are coming from. How are we supposed to relate to NWA talking about the LA riots or whatever when all that happened before many of the youngsters were born? Don't get me wrong i am not justifying the ignorance of our hip hop elders but am just giving a reason. At the same time the fact that we can't relate to the older generation should be even more motivation to learn about the music. When we do that we can see where hip hop started and see where, why, and how it involved into the music that we hear today. It is like learning history in school. Yeah it may not seem important what happened 200 years ago to some white dudes but without understanding what happened 200 years ago there is no way we would be able to comprehend what is going on today and how we got here.
Another reason is the amount of music there is today. Everyday and their mama has a mixtape coming out and that shit is flooding the market. With so much music it is only natural for us to want to keep up with current trends because it is more likely that your friends are going to be keeping up with Chief Keef's new shit than going back and listening to Paul's Botique.
The last reason is simply we did not grow up with it. It is way easier to follow music as you grow up with it than it is to go back and find it for yourself. Growing up in the 80's the only rap you would hear on the radio is Eric B. and Rakim, DJ Quik then you could simply hear the progression of the genre as time goes by. Think about the kids that were born in 2001 or something. Are any of them going to know about the Marshall Mathers LP or Get Rich Or Die Tryin. Hell no and the only way is if they put the work in to find them. Another thing that i think is funny is how a lot of young guys say Biggie and Pac are the greatest rappers and don't get me wrong they are up there. But i know for a fact the majority of the young kids that say that probably couldn't name more than five songs of each dude. Their reputation TO THE YOUNG GENERATION is based off of what the older generation has said about the two and no doubt their deaths have helped grow their legend to almost mythical proportions. But that is like me saying Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever. I know he is because i see clips of him and because everyone says he is the best but i never saw him play a whole 48 minutes with my own eyes because i was too young to watch him play. So when people ask me who is the best person i have seen play ball i'm going to say Lebron and Kobe and Iverson because i have actually seen them. Do the people that grew up with Jordan say Jerry West and Wilt or Bill Russell were the best, no because they did not see them play. I feel like the dudes from the 60's and 70's don't get their due because the media was not able to cover them like they could an athlete today. Tim Tebow for Christs sake has his every move chronicled. Would a backup quarterback in the 70's ever have gotten that much coverage.
My generation and i gotta do our part to learn the history of hip hop because when, and it already is starting, it is our turn to influence the next generation our influences are going to be Lil Wayne, Wiz, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys, Drake, Rick Ross, and Soulja Boy. I sure as hell don't want those guys to be remembered as pioneers so let's do our part yo. Rakim is the God MC for a reason. peace
The NFL season officially began when teams were able to sign free agents and whatnot and with it came one of the most overrated parts of the offseason, right up there behind Pro Days. Is there any scout who goes to a Pro Day and sees a performance that completely shakes up the draft. If teams change their draft boards based on warmups then shit put me out there catching Geno Smith's passes and i'll be rising up the draft board. Then again i doubt the good scouts let pro days change their opinions on players considering they have 3 to 4 years of GAME TAPE on these guys. So when Todd McShay says bullshit like Jamarcus Russell and Blaine Gabbert wowed scouts at their pro days just remember how their careers have turned out.
But i digress this post is meant to show who i think helped themselves out with free agency and which teams hurt themselves. I am in the school of thought that the good teams build through the draft and complement any missing pieces with free agency. For example, New Orleans back in 06 had all the pieces in place on offense except for a competent quarterback and ended up taking a risk in Drew Brees who had his shoulder torn off the season before and he rewarded the city with a championship. If you are a shitty team and have a bunch of holes to fill then in no way should you be trying for a quick turnaround through free agency. You are just asking for mediocrity when doing so. The most publicized example was Dan Snyder throwing money at the biggest names on the market every offseason. Let's just run down the list off the top of my head:Albert Haynesworth, Brandon Lloyd, Santana Moss, Lavernous (idk how to spell his name) Coles, the great Adam Archuleta, Fred Smoot, end of their career Deion and Bruce Smith and the list goes on. Meanwhile look at the foundation of their team who are the reigning NFC East champs: Bob Griffin, Alfred Morris, Trent Williams, Alfred Morris, Ryan Kerrigan, and Brian Orakpo, RIP Sean Taylor. All drafted guys. Shit look at the last Super Bowl rosters. The 49ers drafted Kaepernick, Gore, Staley, Iupati, Anthony Davis, Boone was an undrafted free agent, Vernon Davis, Crabtree, Willis, Bowman, Ray McDonald, Aldom Smith, Dashon Goldson, Bruce Miller, Tarrell Brown, Isaac Sopoaga. That's more than two-thirds of their starting lineup that was drafted. The only big money free agent they have on the team was Justin Smith. Everyone else they found because they were cast off from their old team or got them on a real cheap salary. Because they don't go after big money free agents, the organization is able to extend the core guys like Vernon, Willis, Bowman, etc. I'm not going to list the Ravens like that but the stars were Joe Flacco, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Ray Rice. Anquan Boldin was brought it to give them another weapon because that is what the offense had lacked for a long time. Boldin was a perfect example of a free agent signing used to complement the team. There are two different types of free agents. The first group is the headliners. These are the guys that are supposed to put a team over the hump and get the big money to do so. Rebuilding teams should not go after these guys because all it does is just prevent them from resigning a promising young core they may have coming up. The second group is the majority of free agents. They are the guys that fill out a team or are brought in to create competition. These guys aren't studs but they will either provide some stability with good play for a while or will be a plug until the team develops a guy they drafted.
Now to the recent free agency. You guys already know i'm going to start off with the niners so here we go. As much as i would have loved to see Dashon Goldson stay the reality is that they just could not afford him. They value other players too much and are going to have to give extension to Kaepernick, Aldon Smith, and possibly Crabtree soon so its understandable why they let him go. Another one i was disappointed in was Delanie Walker leaving because i feel he was big time for us despite having trouble holding on to the ball when wide open. He gave the offense so much versatility with his skill set and when he was on the field it did not give away whether the team would pass or run because he was equally as good running routes as he was a lead blocker. But he wanted a chance to start and Tennessee paid the man so good luck to D-Lay. So the only starter they had to replace really is Goldson and i'm assuming they draft someone and have competition because they are not paying CJ Spillman $2 mil a year to exclusively play special teams. I like Spillman because i think he will bring an attitude to the secondary but i do not know how his coverage skills are. They lost Sopoaga and Freaky Jean but did re-sign Ian Williams, signed Glenn Dorsey and are getting Demarcus Dobbs back from injury. Plus they have 14 draft picks and the needs for them are to find depth. They need depth along the d-line, secondary, and a linebacker or two because i feel Larry Grant is going to want a chance to start somewhere. Just please don't panic and sign Craig Dahl because that dude sucks.
Now on to the smug pricks up north led by sleazeball Slick Pete Carrol. Can't lie the Percy harvin trade was great (i forgot to mention but shout out to Anquan Boldin). He is a slot machine who always kills the niners and they signed him to a big ass extension. They also signed a bunch of dudes to short term deals like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett to add to an already stacked defense. So it looks like they are copying the niners recipe for their recent success but what else do you expect. I can't wait for Dick Sherman to get his pompous ass thrown to the turf by Crabtree and Boldin this year. Dude has a lot of nerve to talk so much shit. He had one good year. A good year that ended in him getting burned by Roddy White yet he talks as if he is the greatest thing walking earth. I hate skip bayless but when his arrogant ass said he is better at life than him that shit pissed me off. This motherfucker said he is better at life because he made the all pro team in his second year. So let me get this straight, if that is the guy's barometer for success i am sure he would have no problem saying that statement to an Iraqi war veteran coming home to his family. That would mean he is better at life than a 22 year old single mother of two who is able to provide for her children. Is he better at life than a community activist who risks his or her life showing the youth there is more to life than gangbanging simply because Dick Sherman is recognized for his work. Get the fuck outta here with that shit. And his ignorant ass went to Stanford? His ego is almost as big as his nostrils.
Well the point of spotlighting those two teams were that the rich were getting richer. They filled holes on their already stacked rosters while not cash strapping themselves and being able to potentially keep their core. More teams who supplemented themselves were the Broncos signing Wes Welker and the Pats getting Danny Amendola. He is going to thrive in that system if he can stay healthy.
Now on to the team that failed at free agency. The Cleveland Browns, what are you guys doing? Paul Kruger, really? This is the dude that is going to turn around your franchise. I don't have the number but i know they gave him a good amount of change. No wonder the Browns have sucked ever since they came back into the league. The Miami Dolphins fell for Mike Wallace's trap. This delusional motherfucker said he wanted Larry Fitzgerald money HAHAHAHAHAHA. Not only did Fitzgerald consistently post great numbers prior to his extension but he had one the greatest postseason stretches for a wide receiver ever so yeah he is big time. What can Mike Wallace do? run really fast. That is worth $65 million. Shit Darius Heyward-Bey is still on the market and they could have gotten him for a fraction of what they gave the 60 minutes reporter. Shit who else will Tannenhill throw to, Brian Hartline, c'mon dude. Shit they might have to make Matt Moore QB and move tannenhill to wideout to give them more of a threat.
There aren't many teams right now who really have a complete team and only need a couple pieces here and there. The niners and seahwaks obviously. Then you got the Falcons, and they got a huge boost with Tony Gonzalez coming back, the Broncos will be good, the pats, i can't sleep on the Giants, the Packers need to develop dudes on defense to become formidable again. I thought the Texans were pretty quiet, they let Conor Barwin walk so idk. Watch out for the Chiefs because they were making some smooth moves too and they already had a good collection of talent there before Andy Reid. I'll give it another look after the draft to see who is winning the offseason super bowl. peace
Stalley- That Night feat Rashad
I been listening to Stalley's Lincoln Way Nights tape a lot this past week and i am impressed with the dude. A real humble guy who spits some real lyrics over ill beats, or as he likes to call it "Intelligent Trunk Music." The guy on the hook is Rashad and Stalley said how Rashad is a producer so i'm guessing he laced the track and he did his thing on the hook. If he looks familiar he is the odd brother of Rick Ross's MMG. The thing i like about Ross is that he is putting out projects for his guys. Still waiting on Stalley's debut but Meek Mill aka the human megaphone and Wale already released their albums. Unlike other dudes *cough Jeezy* Officer Ricky actually puts his dudes on.
Action Bronson- Mr. Songwriter
Here is one of Bronsolinio's early tracks off of The Program EP and if you're a football fan but have never seen The Program, watch that shit. It's got an early Halle Berry too. Action Bronson is a funny ass dude and in an odd way is a breath of fresh air despite having a throwback style. With lines like "I got better facial hair than Tom Selleck" it's hard to not crack a smile.
I admit first time i heard Childish Gambino aka donald glover aka troy barnes i was suspect of this cat. Mainly because i knew him from community and didn't give a player his fair chance saying he probably some corny motherfucker who doing this because he is one of those guys that thinks he can do anything, wassup Jamie Foxx. Now usually its musicians that break into acting or whatever and not the other way around but troy been claiming that he has been making music for a long time and you can tell when listening to him. But you gotta give it up he is talented. Like i said he's one of the main stars of Community, wrote for 30 Rock, is a stand up comedian, makes his own beats, and has been buzzing underground for a minute so yeah i'm late to the party like i just signed up for myspace but whatever. Shit maybe he sucks and it was a good thing i didn't get into him. I first heard him on Do Ya Like where he sampled Adele then i thought this soft pussy sampling adele what a bitch. Then i remember my man Krit sampled adele on Hometown Hero and i was thinking dam i don't wanna be a hypocrite so i gave the track another listen and realized the man's a clever dude. He got punchlines for days so i was thinking let me check his other stuff. That's how i came across his first studio album after his music started buzzing, Camp, so ima give it an unbiased review. I only heard a couple songs from Troy's catalog before and they were hit or miss for me so i don't know which way this album is going to go. Bouta find out.
am i the only one that thinks its hella funny Troy Barnes makes music that is Parental Advisory
Ratings right here: 0- never playing this shit again or just hitting the next button 1- if it comes on i'll let it play 2- i go out of my way to play this
p.s. i decided to give the final rating of the whole albumin a grade form so here is the other reviews i did so you guys don't have to go back
Kid Cudi- Man On The Moon: B-
Atmosphere- You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having: B+
Kanye West- The College Dropout: B+
Apparently Gambino grew up in the hood. That right there sets him apart from white America because we all know how they look down on people from the hood. Not only was he looked down upon by white people, which he mentions in the second verse going to the white schools, but he didn't fit in to the hood because he wasn't a g like all the others so he was always on the outside looking in. But the moral of the story is that there is a whole other world outside of the hood. just because you live in the hood doesn't mean you have to live the hood life and ultimately make your family succumb to that. Good intro giving us introspective as to where he is from. 2
2) Fire Fly
I don't understand why Troy is picking the worst titles to tracks ever but i guess he just doing that in his own lane thing. Second he be making a lot of references that i know be going over people's heads mine included and it is annoying to look them up. But when you do that shit is full of information and everything makes sense so i give mad props to Troy for being a dam good punchline rapper unlike some people whose names rhyme with Fake and Smedium Jean. Cmon now these two were arguing over who was the one to put hashtag rap or some shit on the map and despite the fact that it was neither of them they were verbally punching each other with their eyes closed while everyone else was standing back thinking "that shit sucks anyway, why the fuck would you wanna claim that bs."Gambino on the other hand uses his punchlines intelligently so you can appreciate the connections he makes when he spits them. Anyways he is saying that his hip hop shit is forreal and isn't some actor rapping for a joke, nah he serious and he brought his big boy gloves to box the beats. 2
3) Bonfire
Right here Troy Barnes is just tryna show he can spit and flex his aforementioned punchline prowess as almost every bar ends in one. Not my thing because i could handle punchlines in moderation but not for a whole a track, just not my preference. My favorite line though is "Chillin with a Filipina at ya local Jolibee" because if you know filipinos you know they love their Jolibee. And if you ain't never been there find the closest one to you and grab the three piece fried chicken combo with rice and hella gravy and a side of spaghetti. Shoutout Jolibee for that free press right there. Line i ain't care for though "made the beat then murdered it: Casey Anthony." Cmon son that shit is too soon, gotta be a grieving period. I may be wrong but i don't think there were OJ jokes right out the gate. Clever line but unnecessary. Anyways all his punchlines were on point some corny but definitely look them up if you didn't know what he is talking about. Wonders what a Community college education can do for a rapper. 1
4) All The Shine
Man he coming with that Kid Cudi i'm so lonely bullshit but that's what he is. He talking about how he is going to stay being him and not compromise his artistic integrity to sell out and become something that he is not. And because he is not the prototypical rapper he gets hate from outlets or magazines and whatever. Troy is smart because he doesn't have to change his artistic approach to music. Even if he gets blacklisted for some reason in the music industry he still has other lanes to explore. I mean he is still best known for his work on television so he doesn't have to pander because his career isn't based on music. It would be interesting though to see how his shit would come out if his career depended on this. 1
5) Letter Home
This some borderline drake shit right here. He's writing a letter or texting or talking an old girlfriend professing his love all while being drunk. If i was the chick's boyfriend i knock him upside the head with a right uppercut throat stomp the motherfucker like Bruce Lee then lock him into the Walls of Jericho till he taps. 0 fuck this
6) Heartbeat
Coming with some dubstep or whatever the shit is called Troy is playing off the the previous interlude. Pretty much talking about how he can't get over his ex no matter how much he tries. Bruh either move the fuck on or get back with your ex. He coming in with some female emotions and shit when he needs to be a man and take control of the situation. I'm getting a Taylor Swift but not as crazy vibe from him and that's the shit i don't like, shout out to Sosa. Lowkey tho i fuck with the beat, but i can't stand the pussy shit he is spitting. 0
7) Backpackers
Troy Barnes coming in with that wordplay and puns. I think he is the best new rapper at using puns and shit. Shout out to Big Pun and Big L tho, RIP. His shit is getting repetitive though talking bout how everyone fucking hated on him for trying to rap. As my man Big Ghost would say he be spitting those deja vu bars. Mix it up a little bit. Artists need something to inspire them to write and if that is his inspiration then so be it but there is going to be a point in time either either A) people ain't going to be doubting him no more so he needs to come up with something different or B) people still going to be doubting him and he needs to go back to the drawing board because what he is spitting obviously ain't working plus his fans don't wanna be hearing the same things over and over. For someone who is so versatile with their career you would think he could switch the subject up a bit. 1
8) Les
And right on queue he switches up subject matter so i may have jumped the gun and bashing him for lack of variety. Ima wait till the end of the album though to see i needa change the rating on that last track. The difference between Troy and other people that when he be talking about girls is, at least on this track, he is telling a story about a relationship. He's not just talking bout how many bitches he slammin or how many hoes is on his dick which is taking brag rap to another level of arrogance. Brag rap nowadays is something completely different than what it used to be. It used to be boasting about how raw you were on the mic and yeah maybe talking how good you are with the ladies might slip in but when that's all you talking about, c'mon ain't no one believing your wannabe having aids ass. Especially when they sprinkle in swag at the end of every line, soulja boi i'm looking at you. Only dude that could get away with that is Lil B because he is the BasedGod and he can spit when he wants to, whattup Joe Budden. TYBG. 2
9) Hold You Down
My man is starting to put some ooomph behind his shit and i'm liking it. He putting out messages that need to be heard. Don't get it twisted he ain't the first by far to touch on the subject of racism but his fans are a different demographic so he is reaching out to new people on an old subject with a twist. He mentions many times he was never accepted by white because he was black and never accepted by blacks because he was perceived to be white. He gets put down by blacks all the time but when it comes down to it, white America sees all blacks as the same so he is actually stereotyped with killers and thugs. I could do without him singing the hook though, i know he didn't want other people on his album but you if you going to have a hook that requires singing might as well get someone who can sing, i'm sure Shirley coulda stopped by, not like she busy. 2 he killing my variety criticism
10) Kids
Fuck the hook dawg. Troy is trying to get his inner singer on but it don't work. Either find a sound that works for you like Cudi or just stopped singing it almost makes me wanna skip the song. Plus the beat is sounding like some shit you hear as you go up for Communion during Sunday Morning mass. If you don't know what i mean it sounds like it was the rejected theme for 7th Heaven, shout out to Jessica Biel. This shit is his fuck you to the broads that gave him no play while he was a nobody. I don't know shit maybe he just looking in the wrong places but whatever. Then he made it big and now girls chase him rather than the other way around and Troy knows he gotta be on top of his game. When he is hooking up with a girl he can't be taking any risks and ensures the girl ain't getting pregnant force feeding her plan B and shit. Multiple children with multiple women is the formula to going broke, Travis Henry. 0 i ain't fuckin with the beat at all
11) You See Me
One of the more ignorant tracks here bruh. I ain't feeling that fucking trumpet in the background cut that shit out Troy. I'm diggin his flow but he ain't saying nothing here though so i'm not fucking with it too much. If i had some 12's in the trunk i'd bump it. 0
12) Sunrise
I'm feeling this shit. It's definitely my favorite off the album so far and seeing as its the second to last it most likely will end up being the favorite. He coming with the flow, the clever punchlines, a dope hook with a choir or some glee club in the background. His punchlines are crazy like i said before. Troy know for sure that not everyone knows what the fuck he is talking about so he wants us to look up the references and so we get a better understanding of Donald Glover as a person. This shit goes. 2
13) That Power
Remember how i said the last track was my favorite, i spoke too soon this my shit right here. When he said "i could make a cripple crip walk" i was just awww goddam how did i never think of that shit. The verses were cool but the ending is what had me. He ends it on some spoken word stuff talking about summer camp and the bus ride back pretty much telling the story of how he professed his love to a girl and got denied then proceeded to get made fun of. He closes it out by explaining the purpose of the album and why he does music in the first place. I'm a fan of this stuff right here. He doesn't just end the album he adds a proper conclusion to it. 2
Final Grade: B
The album grew on me a lot. I thought the beginning was just meh then he picked at the end and finished strong. Like i said in the intro his shit is real hit or miss with me but i did like the album. It ain't going to the recycling bin and it definitely earned a spot in the coveted ipod rotation. I don't just be letting trash take up my memory, only so many songs i could put on there. Going to check his other shit out for sure now. Aye yo and props because i believe he handled the production on it too. I don't know where he finds the time to be doing all this but goddam whatever he is dong is working for him. peace. Zo! & Phonte- Return of the Mack
I mentioned in one of earlier posts that Phonte got bars when comes to singing and his Mark Morrison cover proves it. If you still ain't convinced how many people could hit that high note on Take On Me. Check his shit out with Foreign Exchange if you want some original r&b but if you prefer covers of 80's songs check his other stuff out with Zo!
Phonte- The Good Fight
The man got bars when it comes to rapping too. The best rapper/singer that is out right now. This track is off his debut solo album, Charity Starts At Home. Much respect if you knew his opening monologue came from a Chris Rock bit. The album also has the track Life Of Kingsfeaturing Big K.R.I.T and Evidence (of Dilated Peoples) and Phonte's mama makes a cameo and spits in the video. If you new to Phonte check out the group he came up with called Little Brother. In the group with Phonte were Rapper Big Pooh and just some producer called 9th Wonder. Check them out.
