tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56758690147757862382024-02-18T21:25:37.486-08:00Crocs In The Amazon Sports and Hip HopSports and Hip Hip Blog Dedicated to Nelly Furtado and Rashida JonesSlim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-78673799637921179722016-06-12T21:44:00.000-07:002016-06-12T22:57:26.810-07:00NBA Playoff Seeding - Reformat!!!<br />
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One thing is clear several games into the 2016 NBA Finals. The playoff seeding needs to be changed. Right now it's the top 8 teams from each conference. There are cases seemingly every year when a really good team gets left out of the playoffs because of this. The 2007 Warriors finished the season with the 12th best record in the League but because they were 9th in the NBA standings, they missed out on the playoffs. They had a better record than 5 teams that made the playoffs. Same situation with the 2013 Phoenix Suns. This isn't the problem though. Honestly, the Suns and Warriors most likely would have been gone in the first round so it's not like it mattered. The issue with the current seeding is that means we are supposed to believe the Cleveland Cavaliers are the second best team in the League lol. The Thunder and Spurs would have been better Finals opponents for the Warriors. Hell, I'll take the Blazers over the Cavs too, shout out Rasheed Wallace.<br />
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It's ridiculous to argue that the top 16 teams should not be in the playoffs. The resisting, I'm assuming, has to be related to travel and the regular season schedule. First off, the travel. I understand if the Clippers get matched up with Toronto over a 7 game series, those are some long flights for everyone involved. Some long flights on a first class private plane with 2-3 days of rest in between games. This travel issue effects the players solely. Let the players decide if they would want the top 16 teams in the playoffs at the sacrifice of more convenient travel. I think we all know what the choice would be.<br />
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Alright, down to the nitty gritty. The real problem is the regular scheduling. Give the 2015-16 Cavs a Western Conference regular season schedule and it's safe to assume they don't have the same record. Same with the giving the Warriors an Eastern Conference schedule. Who knows if the Warriors still break the record if they play the Bucks and Celtics 4 times a year versus 2. So how can this be resolved?<br />
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Let's set parameters for an 82 game schedule (quick fix edition):<br />
30 teams<br />
6 divisions<br />
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Play each team in your division 4 times a year = 66 games left<br />
Play other 25 teams at least twice = 16 games left<br />
Play 3 teams from other divisions one additional time (rotate teams every year) = 1 game left<br />
I don't care what they do with the one extra game<br />
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Adam Silver...holla at me. Peace <br />
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<b>Cool Kids - Free Throws</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jT5sX5wIgKo" width="560"></iframe>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-55412229593544542592016-05-22T00:16:00.001-07:002016-05-22T00:18:46.121-07:002016 NBA Final Four Power Rankings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Final Four of the NBA Playoffs are getting exciting with the Raptors finally winning a game to make their series 2-1 against the Cavaliers and the Warriors head to Oklahoma City with the series tied at 1. I always hated on power rankings because I feel like it is a cop out when you can't think of anything to write and that is exactly what happened to me. Here is my power ranking of the remaining four teams and why they either will or won't take Larry O'Brien home come closing time.<br />
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<b>4. Toronto Raptors</b><br />
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NOT GON BE ABLE TO DO IT. Shout out to Jalen and Jacoby. The Raptors best player right now is Bismack Biyombo. <br />
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<b>3. Cleveland Cavaliers</b><br />
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Either everyone is hyping up the Cavs or I just so happen to only follow people who hype them up. Regardless, people who are hyping them up are enamored with how the Cavs are playing and are missing the point on their new philosophy. If the Cavs and Warriors meet in the finals (where's David Stern at to make sure it happens), Cleveland's strategy is to get into a 3 point shooting contest with the Warriors. Let that strategy sink in. I mean yeah, North Korea can get into a nuclear war with America...but who are you taking to come out on top. The Cavs are North Korea and the Warriors are America by the way. LeBron is more than capable of hitting 3's but every team would rather have him do that than drive to the basket by a significant margin so it isn't a pick your poison type of situation. Kyrie Irving can be dangerous when he is on a roll but the Warriors thankfully have multiple defenders to throw at him to break his rhythm. This means the Cavs are relying on Kevin Love, JR Smith, and Channing Frye to bring shoot their way to a championship. It sounds good when everything is clicking and they're shooting 25 3's on the Pistons but the Thunder and Warriors offer a slightly tougher challenge. Also their best shooter, Kyrie, apparently has some kind of chest injury. When they lose in the Finals, I'm not trying to hear injury excuses again. I love Kyrie but the dude is made of paper mache. There is going to come a point in time where you can't make that injury excuse if it happens every year. Shout out to the soon to be Back to Back NBA Junior Varsity champs. And while we're working on getting Lil B courtside seats for the Warrior-Thunder series, can we work on getting Kehlani and PartyInTheHall some seats as well.<br />
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<b>2. Oklahoma City Thunder</b><br />
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Whenever a team has 2 of the 5 best players in the world, they are going to have a chance to win every game. Come to think of it, the Thunder might have the most talent of anyone in the League. Their starting five consists of the #2, #4, #12, #24, and #26 picks of their respective drafts. Their main guys off the bench were the #3, #4, and #7 picks in their drafts. Shout out to Anthony Morrow too. 5 of their top 8 players were top 7 picks and the player who was selected #12 is Steven Adams so yeah, a ton of talent over there. I might be oversimplifying things here but in order to win the title, the Thunder need Westbrook and Durant to go crazy every game in addition to their role players hitting open shots. A1 analysis right there. ESPN, I'm available and I'll do it for half the price.<br />
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<b>1. Golden State Warriors</b><br />
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Honestly, the purpose of this is to try and convince myself of a reason the Warriors won't win the title. That didn't work. I have never seen a team have to ability to turn the switch on/off at will. It really does seem like they play shitty sometimes because they are bored and want to see how bad they can play while still winning. The Warriors play like shit just to entertain themselves against the best competition in the world. They do, however, know when the spotlight is on and the team happily obliges to give us a show. Surprise, this is my pick to go home with Larry O'Brien but we shall see. It's still weird to me that Warriors are good. Shout out J-Rich. Peace.<br />
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<br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-80069331638684288492016-05-20T19:29:00.000-07:002016-05-22T00:19:39.788-07:00Post Malone - Monte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Post Malone. I, like everyone else, first heard of the dude from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLsTskih7_I" target="_blank">White Iverson</a>. I initially thought White Iverson was Grayson Allen's nickname because I first heard of it right when Duke was making their championship run so I figured that is what everyone christened Yung Grayson. Grayson Allen has the most punchable face since Jay Cutler by the way. Anyways, once I found out White Iverson and Grayson Allen were two separate entities, I gave the track a shot. I liked it but it wasn't anything special. It was aiiigggghhht. Nothing original. Sounded like everything else at the time just from a different voice. Whenever it came on, I let it play all the way through and if someone were to play DJ and slap White Iverson, I wasn't mad at it. What I'm trying to say is that I could care less if Post Malone was going to be a one hit wonder or if he ended up winning 5 Grammys for Album of the Year.<br />
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When his new project, <a href="http://www.datpiff.com/Post-Malone-August-26th-mixtape.783234.html" target="_blank"><i>August 26th</i></a>, came out, I still didn't care about Post Malone. I saw it there on the website but was like "maybe I'll give it a listen eventually." It came out the same day as the new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5sapvdbEbY" target="_blank">Chance</a> tape so I was on that tip for a good minute. Funny how I came across the new Post Malone project (really just the one track if I'm being honest) so I'll tell you. Like I said, I was bumping the new Chance project and I showed my homie my favorite track off of it, Mixtape. Shout out to Chance, Thugger, and Lil Yachty for that one. We started talking about Lil Yachty aka Lil Boat and the homie showed me his most recent verse. It happened to be a feature on the Post's project called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WDG0q9b4OU" target="_blank">Monte</a>. I didn't think anything of it just by the track title so I said yeah bump that. Once I heard the words though I realized real quick it was about Monta Ellis.<br />
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For those that don't know how bad of a dude Monta Ellis was, people were legit outraged when the Warriors traded him instead of Steph Curry. Obviously I'm glad the team made the trade and it's ridiculous to question it looking back but there were reasons why fans were pissed. I can't put into <a href="http://grantland.com/features/how-annoy-fan-base-60-easy-steps/" target="_blank">words</a> how bad the Warriors were but between the We Believe team and the juggernaut they have become today. Monta Ellis was the singular shining hope of Bay Area basketball in during that period. He gave everything he had every single night for a team that was guaranteed to miss the playoffs. Monta is a top 5 player to watch for me hands down. Anyways I digress...this song is dope as hell, no one is going to convince me otherwise. However...Post Malone bruh. How you going to misspell the title of the track? This is my
only gripe with the track. Other than that, I think it's flawless. It's catchy, the beat is dope, and Post's flow is sick. Lil Yachty's verse was hella funny to me and straight comedy gold. In the last two days, I've had to of listened to this at least 200 times. And for those to say Post Malone and his project that "this isn't real hip-hop" go do something with your life and have some fun. This is a song about Monta Ellis by a white guy with cornrows and gold teeth from Dallas who blew up off a song called White Iverson. Don't listen to the song if you predetermined you were going to hate it. To sum it up, Monte might be my favorite song this year but don't hold me to it because I can't think right now. Definitely top 3. If you like the track spread the love. If not, don't be a hater and bash the guy. Use that time to find a song you do like. Peace<br />
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<br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-68341007614936124962015-05-26T21:49:00.001-07:002015-05-26T22:10:02.843-07:00In Honor Of Travis Ishikawa<br />
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Travis Ishikawa was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants the other day meaning the Giants have no need for him at the moment. It's a semi-watershed moment for fans because Ishikawa did give the franchise and the fanbase one of its greatest moments EVER. This team has been around since the 1800s and Travis Ishikawa of all people graced us with one of the greatest baseball moments of all time. If Buster Posey did it, it would be up there in terms of moments for sure. It would have been even less of a surprise if Bumgarner hit that home run. However, it would not come within the same stratosphere in terms of shock value compared to Travis Ishikawa hitting the home run. It was so shocking because it was Travis Ishikawa. Such a random player to deliver us such joy. It got me thinking as to what are some other great moments came from seemingly random Giants players over the years. My memory is terrible so my favorite moments have come in recent years.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Travis Ishikawa</b></span><br />
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Might as well finish the Travis Ishikawa story. I remember texting my friend once Ishikawa started to get starts in Left Field that it would be some crazy shit to envision "World Champion starting left fielder...Travis Ishikawa." I mean, come on. The Giants were fighting for the final playoff spot and their best option to start meaningful games in the last week of the season that carried playoff implications was a 31 year old first baseman whose career had peaked as a backup at the position. Bruce Bochy decided putting this guy in the outfield for a team that relied heavily on its defense to win games gave them the best shot at winning the World Series. And then they wonder why they get underestimated. This is why Ishikawa hitting a walk off home run to win the pennant for a team that could not buy a home run until that night off of a pitcher who was the defending NLCS MVP and is a strong Cy Young candidate this year is such a shocking moment. I mean Ishikawa was released earlier in the year by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Giants made him go to the minor leagues before bringing him up. How is a movie not being written about this right now?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Cody Ross 2010 Postseason</b></span><br />
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His October made him a legend in the city of San Francisco forever. And they got him for nothing. The Marlins released him. How many General Manager ever had this thought cross their mind..."If we get Cody Ross, we're winning the World Series." I think my guess might be a little high but I'm going to say zero. But seriously, the Giants don't win the 2010 World Series without Cody Ross. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Guillermo Quiroz Walk Off Run</b></span><br />
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The fact that this was the second consecutive walk off home run because Buster Posey hit one the night before was the cherry on top. I never heard of Guillermo Quiroz until the Giants shocked the baseball world by keeping THREE catchers on the team. Okay, it wasn't that shocking but one of the catchers was the aforementioned reigning MVP, Buster Posey. Well Quiroz earned that third catcher spot and delivered when his name was called against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Everything about that sequence was beautiful. The swing, the flip, the fist pump around the bases, the fat man run, the smile, the embraces by teammates who knew that was his one shining moment, everything was perfect for Quiroz in that moment. <br />
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<br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-56344520950822162015-05-25T22:14:00.000-07:002015-05-25T22:14:09.932-07:00What Happened To...XVCheck the first two in the series of What Happened To...<a href="http://crocsintheamazon.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-happened-to-asher-roth.html" target="_blank">Asher Roth</a>/<a href="http://crocsintheamazon.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-happened-tonipsey-hussle.html" target="_blank">Nipsey Hussle </a><br />
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I think this is a fair enough question. XV is a rapper from Wichita, Kansas who seemed primed to breakout every year. XV first emerged with his mixtape 40 Days/40 Nights where he released one song in the morning and evening for 40 days straight. Then he got some more attention with 2009's Everybody's Nobody. That is when it seemed XV was primed to become the next underground superhero. He was working with Just Blaze and signed a deal with Warner Bros. Every year, the comment section on blogs across the internet always mentioned how XV got snubbed from being an XXL freshmen. He didn't let that stop him. In 2011 he released <i>Zero Heroes</i>, a mixtape featuring the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Pusha T so it's not like he was working with strictly the underground of the underground. He was working with established guys and dudes who were set to blow up next. Still, no album though. Then the next year he dropped another mixtape, <i>Popular Culture</i> to some more rave reviews. However, still no album and then it felt like only the hardcore fans were the ones still following him. The push for him to get on the XXL cover diminished over the next few years. He temporarily slid out of irrelevancy last spring with his March Madness series but that was short lived. With this post, I'm going to try and see why and how XV seemingly fell off and how he can come back.<br />
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I have literally no idea what XV has been up to or where he is even chilling at. He's been MIA. It's kind of startling to be honest. He was supposed to be the next underground emcee to break on through to the mainstream but that was almost three years ago. I can't even find an interview written or on youtube since 2012. In an age where someone's every move, even if you are a minor celebrity, is recorded somehow there is an argument to be that the fact XV has been able to pull a Houdini is more impressive than him actually releasing an album. The only news we've gotten from him are promises that the album is coming and his <i>March Madness </i>series from a year ago. His twitter doesn't reveal anything. I haven't been able to find anything about his whereabouts on any message boards. All speculation and whatnot. So to answer the main topic of the article...My hands are up in the air about what happened to XV. He might be dead for all I know.<br />
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Say XV released his album back in late 2012 or 2013 like when it was supposed to be, allow me to offer my best oracle impression. I believe XV would have been a hit. He had catchy tracks, got co-signs from notable artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Talib Kweli, and Pusha T amongst others. Like I said earlier, Just Blaze was and for all I know is still set to executive produce the album. Just Blaze knows a little something about churning out hits. If you don't know who Just Blaze is, then wikipedia him. If you never heard of XV's music, picture a nerdy cross between J Cole and Lupe Fiasco. Late 2000's rap saw the genre move away from the gangsta rapper and ushered in acts like Kid Cudi, Drake, and the aforementioned Cole and Lupe. XV took the go against the grain approach and took it even further. He would spit about Wichita (his hometown), comic books, sample Smashing Pumpkins, and just do things out of the ordinary even for "conscious" rappers. The only question I would have for XV as a commercial artist is what kind of hits he would bring. He showed with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn8XU0DcMMQ" target="_blank">Awesome</a> that he can make a positive radio hit that could be played on commercials and self-esteem promos until the end of time but the question is whether or not he could make money. AKA make that club banger. That gets the radio spins which equals to getting the paper. XV seems like a grounded enough dude to at least try and stick to his guns and make an XV album versus making a Warner Bros album. Maybe that is what the delay has been about. Maybe XV isn't willing to compromise and that is why the album still has not come out. Who knows? But if he is really bashing heads with label execs they would have dropped him a long time ago. Labels don't put up with that. They know there are numerous rappers eager to jump at the chance to make a radio hit if that means becoming a company yes man.<br />
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Another theory I heard was that XV just hasn't been the same without longtime producer Seven. They had a falling out or something because they don't work together anymore which is kind of significant because part of the reason of how XV blew up was because of the music that he had conjured up with Seven. That's like running for President and then you and your running have beef over something and now you need a new running mate. There are obviously other candidates to replace your running mate and they might even be more talented but the replacement can't come in and replicate the same chemistry you had with the original one. It's that unspoken bond two people have that allows them to create something beautiful they can't necessarily match when working with someone else. Who knows. Maybe Seven felt some type of way about XV working with bigger names and felt he was getting left in the dust after all the work he had put in. Maybe XV was getting an ego and since he was on the move constantly, couldn't respond to Seven in timely manners. Who knows? I'm just throwing rumors out there which I am sure XV and Seven can appreciate. Oh well, free country. Maybe them seeing this will get them back into the lab together. You both aren't doing anything anyways. Might as well give it another shot. I don't even want any compensation for being the mediator. Just give the people what they want.<br />
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<br />
I really hope this helped slide XV back into your relevancy. I know I had zero thoughts about him until I came across one of his tracks while the iTunes was on shuffle. I'm pulling for him. Although absolutely every molecule of his momentum has evaporated, it would be a nice comeback story for XV to get some shine. Hell if he can crank out some hits, I think he'll actually do better than if he came out when he was supposed to because he would have more of an underdog story which we all know the media will eat up. The question then will be (other than if he ever breaks out) will be if it will be some 15 minutes of fame type stuff or was XV fooling us all and is a secret rap/mogul genius hiding out in farm country (or whatever Kansas is known for, other then perennial underachieving basketball teams).<br />
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<b>Blu- The Only One</b><br />
<b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u3Q1JufKSlo" width="420"></iframe></b> Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-4726217338620055932015-05-24T19:51:00.001-07:002015-05-24T19:51:07.588-07:00Slim's Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of All The Times<br />
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I know...I know. To all of my 8 loyal followers, I apologize. It's been a while. You know how it is, people just get caught up in stuff and that is what happened here. I've started and scrapped so many posts that if I were to die, there'd be a Tupac like level of demo-posts that other people are going to have to finish based on what they thought I would have said...kind of like all those posthumous Tupac tracks. Well I figured I kind of ease into this next entry with an oldie but a goodie. My top 10 hip-hop albums. My oh my what a difference a couple of years make. One of my <a href="http://crocsintheamazon.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-favorite-albums.html" target="_blank">first posts</a> was a favorite albums list but that encompassed all genres and was kind of thrown together in a few hours. This list was narrowed to 10 so I can speak a little more about each project in depth and try to do some politicking on behalf of some of my favorites. Without further ado, my top 10 hip-hop albums of all time. Don't hold me to it though. This list is bound to look very different in a year. <br />
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<b><i>10. Europass </i>by Elzhi</b><br />
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<br />
Here is the
random album barely anyone has heard from an artist few can recognize
each list has. Elzhi, for those that don't know, is a rapper from
Detroit, Michigan. He is bar-for-bar one of the best rappers I have ever
heard in my life. He is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper. Sean
Price said he was afraid of getting on a track with Royce Da 5'9 and
Elzhi for fear of his career ending. That is the kind of rapper Elzhi
is. <i>Europass</i> is actually a mixtape/demo that was recorded while Elzhi was touring and almost all of it ended up becoming the album,<i> The Preface</i>. I just prefer the rawer sound that <i>Europass </i>possessed.
I can't say much for Elzhi. He is an artist whose work you just have to
experience for yourself to appreciate his craft. Having someone else
tell you about how good he is doesn't do Elzhi's work justice. I'm just
going to list my favorite lines off <i>Europass.</i><br />
<br />
"what i put down in the sound coil is crown royale, it's like i dug in the ground soil and found oil."<br />
<i>"</i>you haters deprived of knowing i'm the greatest alive."<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>"</i>i took away with your breath and ran, and still left with a grand like theft auto"<br />
"to my step-dad here's 100 thou i owe, because my real dad never got to see his child grow."<br />
"it helps to release the pain i've endured 'cause when i'm spilling the illings from my brain, then i'm cured" <br />
"keep the flow top-secret, 'cause guys they might spy"<br />
"and i came a long way from being in the gutter stealin', now i'm dope as the shit that your blunt concealin'"<br />
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<b><i>9. Rap Music </i>by Killer Mike</b><br />
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<br />
I am so
happy right now for Killer Mike. He has been going on CNN, Bill Maher,
been to the WHITE HOUSE while acting as the de-facto voice of hip-hop
when it comes to political and social issues. I'm happy because I am a
fan of Killer Mike. I'm not going to sit here and say I am a day one fan
and know every verse he ever spit or some shit like that but I am a big
fan of Killer Mike. I remember first hearing them on that OutKast <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udmTfK6_aM8" target="_blank">track</a>
(which is the most underrated track in their discography) and then
forgetting about him. The next time I heard of him was when <i>Rap Music</i>
started appearing up everywhere because it was such a great album. I
remembered Killer Mike and thought "everyone is talking about the album
and I really liked that Killer Mike verse on The Whole World...I'm going
to check it out." Thank God that I did. Not a single skippable track on
this masterpiece. The run from Don't Die through the end of the album
was probably the greatest 6 track run/run to close out an album I have
ever heard in my life. The last half of <i>Rap Music</i> took the album
to another level. It went from being a very good album to a great great
album. The production was immaculate. Not even going to lie. This album
introduced me to El-P. This one album spawned two of my favorite figures
in hip-hop. That is why I am happy to see Killer Mike get his shine on
major news networks. That is why I am happy to see El-P and Killer Mike
put on the craziest shows touring as Run The Jewels. <br />
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<i><b>8. The Score </b></i><b>by The Fugees</b><br />
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<i>The Score</i> was actually the second album that the Fugees dropped. The first, <i>Blunted On Reality</i>, is nowhere near the sophomore release in terms of anything. I still refuse to believe they were made by the same people. My theory is the first album was probably created by Pras but Wyclef and Lauryn finally wised up and didn't let Pras touch anything the second time around. Shout out to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgLT7aXXw9M" target="_blank">Nappy Heads</a> remix though. That is how great <i>The Score</i> was/is. Every person gives that first album a pass. If you hold <i>Blunted On Reality</i> against the Fugees, someone needs to revoke your citizenship and deport you to Kazakhstan. That is how great <i>The Score </i>was/is. Let's be honest with this though, Lauryn Hill owned this. It was her single, Killin Me Softly, that propelled the album to its commercial success and a grammy win. They had the charts on lock. Then when listening to the rest of the album, it was Lauryn's amazing presence as an MC that took this album into anothther stratosphere. With all due respect to Wyclef (who might have had the best second banana run on an album ever), <i>The Score</i> is as legendary as it is because of the words that fell out of the mouth of Ms. Lauryn Hill. In addition to her solo album, <i>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill</i>, these two make up that legendary mystique that hangs over the head of Lauryn. She killed every track she on. Seriously, I ranked every track. Every track went Lauryn with the best verse, Wyclef with the second best, and Pras somewhere after number 2. Too many quotables, too many slick one liners, too many stories, packed into one verse per song. If Biggie can be considered an all time great after 2 albums, why can't Lauryn? Can we at least have a conversation about it. Obviously Lauryn Hill is a different type of animal than Nicki Minaj or Iggy or even Rapsody but seriously...has any female emcee in recent memory put up a verse that can even compare to Lauryn's on Zealots, or Ready or Not, or The Mask, or Family Business, or Manifest. I just gave you six verses on one album that is better than anything another female rapper has put out since <i>The Score </i>dropped. Please let me know of a better verse. And don't even say Nicki's verse on Monster. Just no. No. No. No. That's a conversation for another time though.<br />
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<b><i>7. Below the Heavens </i>by Blu</b><br />
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Everytime I
listen this poetry, it gets moved up my favorite albums list. Each time
I listen to this album, I have a new favorite song. Right now it
happens to be Cold Hearted. Ask me in two weeks, it might be Simply
Amazin. I mean, just yesterday my favorite track was Blu Colla Workers.
It's impossible to get tired of this album because I find something new
to love about it everytime it gets put on. Blu & Exile have spoiled
me with their masterpiece. The only bad thing about this Michaelangelo
type of art is that everything Blu puts out now and will always be
compared to his debut album and two things work against Blu in that
regard. The first is that <i>Below the Heavens</i> is such a Madison
Bumgarner in the postseason work of art that of course it will be hard
to top by subsequent releases. The dude hit a perfect 10 in his debut.
The second is that Blu is the kind of artist to experiment with new
sounds. Every project is different from the last and the next. <i>Below the Heavens </i>boxed
us in as to the type of sound we wanted to hear from Blu. It didn't box
Blu in however because he wants to record and release whatever he feels
like doing. How can you not appreciate an artist who takes the risk of
actually challenging himself instead of sticking to a comfortable and
successful "style." Even if I don't like several of his stuff, I can
respect Blu because he has also made a lot of stuff I can really dig. I
don't know what he will release next but I know I'm going to listen to
it because it could be the next project I love.<br />
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<b><i>6. Midnight Marauders </i>by A Tribe Called Quest </b><br />
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"Honey let me tell you 'bout my only vice, it has to do with lots of lovin' and it aint nothin' nice."<br />
<br />
To
me that represents the third album that the amazing/great/phenomenal A
Tribe Called Quest brought into this world. They're getting "edgier" to
fit in with the hardcore shift happening in hip-hop while not losing the
essence of their sound whatsoever. <i>Midnight Marauders</i> is still
such a fun album to listen to. I don't think it sounds dated at all. A
timeless sound is one of the qualifications for a classic album. Even
the lyrics stand the test of time. "Kick a slow dance like my brother R.
Kelly....I'm Jordan with the mic, wanna gamble." You could still use
those two references today and it won't be out of place. Possible chance
it just worked out that way and is a coincidence. I'm 90% sure though
that Phife planned it that way. <br />
<br />
This was the toughest choice for me. Should I pick <i>The Low End Theory</i> or <i>Midnight Marauders</i>? Despite me liking every single track on <i>The Low End Theory</i>,
I have to choose the latter because I just enjoy it more. I would
really only skip Keep It Rollin' anyways. It was Tip doing his usual
thing and Phife Dawg at the top of his game. Phife really seemed to
tighten his rhymes down. No fluffer, just straight to the point and the
bars came out concise. "I like 'em brown, yellow, white, puerto rican,
and haitian...my name is Phife Dawg from the zulu nation." That right
there tells you a lot of what you need to know about Phifer. <br />
<br />
A
Tribe Called Quest is an important group for me because these are the
guys that opened the floodgates for me to find the rest of the golden
era/"underground" hip-hop. From ATCQ, I went on to listen to Pharcyde,
Illmatic, Jurassic 5, Little Brother, Slum Village, and countless
others. Ths is a debt I will always owe A Tribe Called Quest. Salute.<br />
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<i><b>5. Kismet </b></i><b>by Mr Muthafuckin eXquire</b><br />
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<br />
Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire. I don't know where his hood ass was found but thank god he was. Such a versatile MC in terms of subject matter and even sound. Ex has said in interviews that every project is different from the previous. I've mentioned this before but I'll say it again. I'm never going to hate on an artist for experimenting and trying new things rather than boxing themselves in and sticking to what is comfortable. How can there be any progression if no one is trying anything new? That being said, if Ex releases a follow up to <i>Kismet</i>, there will be no complaints from me if it sounds anything like the original. This "mixtape" is everything I love about Ex as a rapper. A little backstory first though. I put mixtape in parenthesis because <i>Kismet</i> was actually supposed to be his debut album for Universal. The label didn't think it was good enough to be sold in stores or played on the radio. Exquire didn't care. Ex made his album and not the label's album. After some back and forth, Exquire said "fuck it" and released it for free. Makes sense, seeing as the project never would have went to retail. I think it's safe to assume that Exquire put much time and effort into it and at the end of the day he is an artist and an artist's ultimate goal is to release their work, especially one that is amazing.<br />
Anyways, back to what made <i>Kismet</i> amazing. Even though Mr Muthafuckin Exquire still doesn't have the type of notoriety he deserves, you can still listen to the project and realize this is something unique to Ex. He isn't jocking anyone's sound and is completely original. Honestly, there isn't another rapper who raps that can combine all of the topics that Ex spits about and make it sound coherent. There is a lot of black empowerment, distrust of the government, outspokenness against traditional systems, etc. At the same time he will spit some of the most ignorant lyrics ever. "Revolutionary thoughts, Fred Hampton speeches in my ipod...conflicted as Flavor Flav...nine chains on my neck, you can weigh my pain." That is off of Noble Drew Ali. "Money doesn't change you are, only amplifies the shit." Same track. Ex is that dude who has so much knowledge about a variety of topics that he can speak to anyone about anything. He seems like someone who has the gift of gab. He's dropping all these crazy references to Noble Drew Ali or he'll call out fellow Muslims for being fake then he'll drop a track called I was Drunk When I Wrote This or Illest Niggaz Breathin and be on the most ignorant shit imaginable. INB by the way has a Lord of the Rings sample in it. One main reason why I really appreciate Ex's music is because of the point of view he raps from. On <i>Kismet</i>, he is merely rapping from his own perspective. We are listening to Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire. Not a person speaking on behalf of a group of people. That makes everything more personable, making it more relatable. This actually could be a problem as to why Ex hasn't really gotten more fans. He isn't going to try and make music in a why that everyone can enjoy. He will continue to write from his own thoughts and if people get it they get it and if not, then oh well. I really could go on but you gotta listen to it for yourself. If you never heard of eXquire, it might be a tough first listen, but if you could get past that, you won't be disappointed. <br />
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<br />
<b><i>4. Illmatic </i>by Nas</b><br />
<br />
Along with Steph Curry hitting threes, listening to Illmatic is one of the rare wonders in the world where words truly do not it justice. Just listen.<br />
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<b><i>3. Krit Wuz Here</i> by Big Krit</b><br />
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<br />
It should
come as no surprise that a Big Krit album (album quality even though it
was labelled a mixtape) appears on the list. I've spoken about him ad
nauseum on here. The only question was which one would it be. For me,
the first Krit project I heard is the best. I could throw it on today
and find tracks still relevant to me today. Even though it was not
Krit's first project, it was the one that put him on the map nationally.
As the story goes, it was actually going to be his last try at music.<br />
If it wasn't successful, Krit would have went a different route for
his career. You hear the hunger in the music. You hear the desperation
in his voice that he knows it was his last shot. Safe to say that Krit
made his best music with his back up against the wall. He has shown over
the years to be able to rise to the occasion. When his studio debut, <i>Live From The Underground</i>, "flopped," Krit released <i>King Rememberded In Time</i> to quiet the naysayers. When it came time to release his sophmore studio album, <i>Cadillactica</i>, he shut some more critics up. Anyways I digress. Back to <i>Krit Wuz Here</i>.
The first track with Big Sant, Return of 4Eva, still is in the rotation
heavy. "Young K-R-I-T, macking hoes like n****s with perms and gold
teeth." That was the first line I ever heard from him and I was hooked.
It was the perfect conconction of ignorance, cool, slick rhyming, and
imagery all packed into one line. That combination is what I love about
the album and Krit as an artist as a whole. He is so versatile that I
put him on to many of my friends because there's guaranteed to be
something there for everyone. In addition to Krit's rhyming, the beats
on the album were fire. Not only that, but he produced the whole thing
himself. I don't think any other rapper could have possibly rhymed over
the beats the same way that Krit did. The music was such a perfect
marriage between rhymes and beats. The samples were perfect, the
editing, the mastering, the sequencing, etc. You name it, Krit was on
point with it. I'm not one of those people who are like "you don't like
this then I question your intellect blah blah blah," but exceptions have
to be made. If you don't like <i>Krit Wuz Here</i> (you don't have to like Krit as an artist or think that <i>KWH</i>
was his best project) then you need to re-evaluate your life choices.
Especially after knowing the backstory and what that project meant to
his career, to me that just makes listening to it that much more
enjoyable. I mean, who else can sample Adele and make it sound that
good. If you say Childish Gambino, take a lap. Check it out if you
haven't, you'll thank me.<br />
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<br />
<i><b>2. ATLiens</b></i><b> by OutKast</b><br />
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<br />
Remember how I said picking <i>Midnight Marauders</i> over <i>The Low End Theory</i> was my toughest choice. I lied. Picking between <i>ATLiens</i> and <i>Aquemini</i>
was the toughest choice. Outkast is my favorte thing in hip-hop that
involves more than one person. So I'm picking between two of my
favorite's babies. You know how hard that is? I could have easliy thrown
both of them on here and said fuck it but that's not how we roll over
here. We get the small bucks over here to make these grand decisions
that could possibly throw off the space-time continuum. We don't run
from that challenge over here. We embrace it. I think I made the right
choice too because everything in the world is still functioning how it
is supposed to. The weather out here is still bi-polar, Dwight Howard is
still a mental midget, and the Duggar family is still somehow relevant
in 2015.<br />
<br />
Unique. I have yet to hear anything that
sounds like Outkast's second album. There are multiple reasons for that
and one of them is that it is such a distinct sound that if anyone else
were to try and duplicate the sound, it would be such a clear case of
biting that it wouldn't even be worth it to go through with it. Another
reason is that Big Boi and Andre 3K challenge themselves to experiment
and expand their sound with every subsequent release so that no project
sounds like anything they have done before. When you create such a
unique sound so-much-so that there is nothing that sounds like it, it
almost forces that project to become timeless. Timeless=classic.<br />
<br />
Whenever
someone says Andre is light years ahead of Big Boy as a rapper, I just
throw this cd on. Outkast is a duo. For a duo to be great, they have to
complement each other. That is what Big Boi and 3K do to each other.
They are two great MC's who see each other as a way to make themselves
better individually and consequently make the group better because of
the internal competition. People are still looking for an Andre 3K album nowadays but what the people really want is another OutKast album.<br />
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<b><i>1. Enter the 36 Chambers </i>by Wu Tang Clan</b><br />
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If you have heard this album before then nothing really needs to be said about it. I know I'm not the only person who has this listed as their favorite album of all time. Words still won't do it justice but I'll try and give it a shot. Why not. Since I was still running around in diapers when this album was released by the Wu Tang Clan back in 93, i can't speak to the total impact it had in regards to hip-hop at the time but from what i hear...the group of 9 MC's from Staten Island changed the game. Dr Dre and the west coast were dominating rap at the time towards the end of a second "golden age" for the genre. The Wu Tang Clan completely shifted the focus back to the east coast and the aesthetics went back to gritty rhymes instead of the sunshine and party lifestyle raps that g-funk and co were pumping out of the left coast. Hip-hop had never seen anything before like the Wu Tang Clan and quite frankly have never seen anything since (don't even compare Odd Future to them if you were thinking of doing so). These were 9 legitimate MC's (yes even U-God and Masta Killa had their moments) who came together to produce, in my opinion, the greatest record in the history of hip-hop. That is not an easy thing to do. The egos eventually drove the group apart but we witnessed what the 9 were capable of when all are on the same page. 7 of the 9 MC's went on to release amazing solo albums after <i>36 Chambers</i>. That is the kind of squad that made this album. It's like those old Boston Celtic teams from the 60's where it seemed every single player on the squad was a hall of famer. Boston had Bill Russell leading the way and the Wu Tang Clan had the RZA holding it down, being the glue guy for the Clan. Much credit should go to the Zig Zag Allah for quarterbacking <i>36 Chambers</i> to great success. He handled all the production and everything was perfect. The edits on each track fit right in with the kung-fu theme throughout the album, the skits, the beats, the transitions...everything fit like a Greg Maddux front door two-seamer on a left handed hitter. Not a single skippable track on here which is the most basic/best compliment you can give an album. I know I gave RZA a lot of the credit and deservedly so, but shout out once again to the GZA, Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface Killah. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and the late great Ol' Dirty Bastard for making the most enjoyable piece of art that fit into a 58 minute 23 second span of time to ever hit my ears. <br />
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<b>Future</b><br />
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<b> </b>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-29444174089724308382014-11-18T06:50:00.002-08:002014-11-18T06:51:32.019-08:00Who Is The G.O.A.T.?....Part 3: The Notorious B.I.G.<br />
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Back blogging live from the beautiful neighborhood of Crocker-Amazon to bring you guys the third installment of the G.O.A.T. series. If you missed the first one with Jay-Z, check it <a href="http://crocsintheamazon.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-is-goatpart-1-jay-z.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you missed part two featuring Rakim, check it <a href="http://crocsintheamazon.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-is-goatpart-2-rakim.html" target="_blank">there</a>. If you followed the first two, you will notice two different kinds of reviews. They didn't necessarily follow the same format so I'm going to be switching it up again for thus third entry. Just trying to find which writing style is the best so sorry for any confusion or any perceived lack of cohesiveness.<br />
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Now that we got that out of the way, the third person I will looking at to determine who truly is the G.O.A.T. is the one and only Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls aka Frank White aka Big Poppa aka Mr. Throw D*** to Dykes, R.I.P. He really doesn't need an introduction but I'll give one anyways just in case. Biggie was recorded two studio albums and has two classics to his name. He has one of the greatest debut albums of all time in <i>Ready To Die</i>. Big not only is one of the most revered MC's to come out of the great 90's era but it one of the most iconic MC's of all time. Jay-Z owes a lot of his career to Big from all the lines that he bites (just kidding, all Jay-Z fans please don't become enraged). I do feel Puffy owes a majority of his career to him though. Think about what Puffy has done recently. Not much that we see, although he does handle his business that is not in the eye of the public. But look at how he was able to even get to that level. The reason Puffy could branch out his entrepreneurial skills was because of his successful record label at Bad Boy. Bad Boy with Biggie and Craig Mack on his roster, not the one with Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, Red Cafe, and Los aka The Mixtape Beat Jackin Whisperer. No disrespect to Craig mack but the reason why Bad Boy was as big as it was was because of star power of one Mr. Christopher Wallace. He made the dope music to make Bad Boy a legitimate record label to be reckoned with. Big is the reason Puffy even won a grammy for I'll Be Missin' You. But enough talking about Puffy. That's for another time. I feel like I'm just giving him more unnecessary shine. Let's get to talking about the great Biggie Smalls.<br />
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It's ironic that Craig Mack was the one that was supposed to blow up for Bod Boy records but then the remix to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8pG1mG7BeI" target="_blank">Flava In Ya Ear</a> happened. Shout out to Easy Mo Bee for producing the track too. He played a HUGE part in making <i>Ready To Die</i> the classic that it is but I digress. Craig Mack was set to blow until the world heard Big's verse and all of a sudden no one really cared about Craig Mack anymore and the hype was now surrounding the husky boy whose words just seemed to fall out of his mouth. It was just a preview of the talent that Big possessed. He gave us some of what he did best which was humor and just dope bars. Spoiler alert, Big wasn't enlightening anyone with his words. He was a New York street rapper meaning how he said what he said was more important than any message he would have delivered.<br />
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If you throw the ingredients to make a successful rapper into a blender minus a social message, then Biggie Smalls is what would come out. He made up for the lack of social message by being an inspiration to those who grew up the same way that he did. Big did not make his past as a drug dealer or a crook any secret and let his listeners know that yeah, that lifestyle will bring you money and power but it won't be enough to overcome all the heartbreak and paranoia that comes along with it. On to one of Big's stronger qualities now which was storytelling. I completely underestimated that ability of his until I went back and gave him a thorough listen. It has become something of a lost art nowadays where a rapper might throw one storytelling song onto an album but Big had plenty of them and did them well. I know I'm about to say some stuff that has been said a million times but Biggie was able to paint pictures with his words and put you right there in the scene. He did so in a way that was engaging and kept you intrigued to see how each song ended. I think Biggie should be mentioned as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century but you know how this country won't give a black rapper that kind of love. Now I haven't given Slick Rick a proper listen but I believe Big can claim the title to greatest storyteller of all time. I don't know how much of it is real and how much he made up but he makes it so damn convincing that it really doesn't matter. It's weird how we blast rappers for not being authentic or what have you but we'll complain when Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't win an Oscar for playing a druggie, sleezy, Wall Street con artist. It's media. People need to sell their materials in order to put food on the table. Sometimes you have to lie to get that paper. I don't think Rick Ross really cares that people don't believe anything he says. Rick Ross would make a great WWE villain actually. There's too many examples of Big's great storytelling on two albums that I can't even go through them all, so I'll give examples of a few. Not only is the Intro on <i>Ready To Die </i>one of the greatest <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8jrHFB6RjY" target="_blank">intros</a> on any album ever but it set the stage for the album so we knew exactly where he was when <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdciOXroU9o" target="_blank">Things Done Changed</a> came on. Then he had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvL4O3uomg" target="_blank">Gimmie The Loot</a> where he is playing different characters and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lb0HImG_MU" target="_blank">Warning</a> with possibly my favorite opening lines ever with "who the fuck is this paging me at 5:46 in the morning, crack of dawning, now I'm yawning, wipe the cold out my eye, see who's this paging me and why." Then on that same <i>Ready To Die </i>album he had my favorite Biggie track in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T81QdDC1sUk" target="_blank">Everyday Struggle</a>, shout out to The Wackness. I thought I was going through the struggle right there with Biggie for a second. That is a beautiful piece of art right there. I haven't even gotten to <i>Life After Death </i>yet. But i'm going to lay off the storytelling aspect of <i>Life After Death</i> because that was a different animal compared to his debut and brought Biggie up from the ranks of a dope rapper to a star.<br />
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Biggie fans are just like any other fans in any genre. He dropped two albums and fans either like one or the other more. Fans who like actual rapping ability and a more cohesive project from front to back will like <i>Ready To Die </i>more. He had some great commercial tracks on there like Big Poppa and arguably his biggest hit in Juicy but what made him a mainstay on the radio and ensured that everyone him was the double album that was <i>Life After Death</i>. It was definitely more geared to radio plays while sprinkling in his street records. Big took 2pac's advice and made hits for the girls because that is how a rappers gets singles to be successful. That was what makes rappers like Biggie so appealing is the ability to craft songs that both "underground" rap fans and Top 40 fans can both enjoy. Who doesn't know his verse on Mo Money Mo Problems. Everyone can at least recite some of it off the top of their head. This ability to appeal to both the hardcore and casual rap fan is something that is a common denominator you see in the ones who are mentioned as the greatest of all time with the exception of Nas. You look at Jay, Biggie, Eminem, and you see Kanye nowadays mentioned in this conversation and they are because they have skill and know how to make hits.<br />
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The last reason why Biggie is considered one of the greatest is because he never released any bulls***. We all know that Big left us too early but that meant that he never had the chance to release sub par material. Every time his pen hit the pad, it was candy to the ears. Look at how much b.s. is released nowadays and it is amazing that Big didn't have any filler. If he was around nowadays, I doubt he would be a slave to the constant pressure of releasing new material because he would be at a status where he would have been above that. The time he took between releasing albums let us know he wasn't just trying to give the public his art as soon as he finished it, but he took his time crafting it. I understand the music industry, especially hip-hop, is in a different place today than in the mid-90's because artists don't have the luxury of time to wait multiple years between projects. They feel the need to constantly release something to keep themselves in the public eye. However, that separates the greats from the average ones. Look at Kendrick. He's got one major label album out, yet everyone is anticipating his follow up. He's kept himself relevant on features and dropped some stuff here and there but that first album was so good, and he has taken his time in crafting his next album that people are anticipating greatness when it does drop. Artists nowadays still can take their time and do the quality over quantity approach. They just have to make sure when that quality does drop, that it is some fire and not some dog shit.<br />
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Shout out to Christopher Wallace and his long lasting influence. He still looms large over hip-hop nearly 20 years after he passed away. Rappers coming up now and that were there before him refer to him as one of their favorite MC's ever. He had the respect of everyone and definitely had the talent to back up all the claims of greatness. Thanks for reading...peace. <br />
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<b>What's On Your Mind- Eric B. and Rakim</b><br />
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<b>Forever Beef- Lootpack feat. Oh No and Medaphor</b><br />
<b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kEdj1qeHjTk" width="420"></iframe></b>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-61640872759351918052014-06-29T17:15:00.000-07:002014-06-29T17:15:18.554-07:00The Roots: How I Got Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know it isn't new or anything like that but I've been listening to The Roots' excellent 2010 album, <i>How I Got Over</i> A LOT recently so I decided to put up a review for it. We'll file this in the classics review section for Crocs In The Amazon. It was the 9th studio album for The Roots and is my personal favorite album for the group out of Philadelphia. For those who are wondering, <i>How I Got Over</i> is #1 followed by <i>Illadelph Halflife</i> then <i>Things Fall Apart</i>. Anyways, on to the album...<br />
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1) A Piece Of Light- Just a little intro to set the mood. I usually just skip it but not taking anything away from it.<br />
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2) Walk Alone feat. Truck North, P.O.R.N., and Dice Raw- The theme of the album is people who start off in unfavorable situations growing up and achieving something with their lives. This track signifies the attitude that many who live that life and need to "get over" have. They feel like they are alone, no one quite understands them. This can either break the person or make them stronger. And "walking alone" does not have to be taken as a literal term for someone not having a support system. It could also signify that people in the ghetto who do not get that support system from the government to achieve something with their lives. They have terrible public school systems, not the finest grocery stores leading to unhealthy lives, etc. Those people are alone in their endeavor for a better life.<br />
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3) Dear God 2.0 feat. Monsters of Folk- This is Black Thought speaking to God and praying for something better. It is as if God doesn't know what is going on because he is letting God know of all the problems going on in his personal life. Black Thought is living a stressed life because of work and bills, bills and work. Black Thought still has faith in God but he just wants answers as to why things are the way they are. All the natural disasters, recession, and job cuts seem to only effect the poor. Black Thought is venting to God in hope that he hears his cries for help.<br />
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4) Radio Daze feat. Blu, PORN, and Dice Raw- One of my favorite rappers, Blu, makes his first appearance on the album and does not disappoint. He said he had more tracks recorded for the album but this is one of the two that made the cut. Blu sets the tone for the track where he details how hard it is for an underground rapper like himself to get some love and shine. He knows he is doper than everyone on the radio but because he refuses to change his style up, he realizes he will always be looked over. At the same time, it isn't like he resents anyone on the radio. PORN continues Blu's theme of the radio putting a "daze" on listeners. Because of the "petty perceptions" and "window dressing for misdirection," up and coming rappers think this is the only way to make it in hip-hop. In a way, this helps those who do make it "get over" but at the same time it fails so many more who try to go the same route and fail because they spend so much time trying to eat from these rappers when all they are feeding us is empty calories. <br />
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5) Now Or Never feat. Phonte and Dice Raw- Real good motivational song. Dice Raw's hook is simple. You have to adapt in order to succeed. You must change with the times in order to progress in life. Life won't wait for you to make that jump though. It's either you do it now or you miss the boat. Another great feature this time delivered by another one of my favorite artists, my man Tigallo aka Phonte. He looks back on his past and admits his mistakes but he isn't using that as an excuse to not progress. He using those mistakes as teaching lessons because knows he can't be doing the same shit if he wants to make it in life and get over. <br />
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6) How I Got Over feat. Dice Raw- The title track's hook quickly gets to the point. That whole "don't give a fuck" attitude is one of the dumbest things ever. You will quickly make yourself look like a fool if you live by that motto. This is the first track on the album that Black Thought is just spitting bars by himself and it is beautiful. I don't even know how many times I replayed that second verse. Black Thought isn't taking bullshit from people talking down on him or his people. He's letting them know that he has their back and wants to be the voice for them. Black Thought is the voice of reason in a culture where reason is seemingly thrown out the window.<br />
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7) Dillatude- Classy tribute to J DIlla.<br />
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8) The Day feat. Blu, Phonte, and Patty Crash- Another positive song and this time about having eternal hope. Everyday is a new day and will only be terrible if you let it. You have to wake up in the morning with a positive mind state. If not, there is no way short of winning the lotto that the day is going to be good. You gotta be like Soulja Boi every morning and turn that swag on. Solid verses all around from Blu, Black Thought, and Phonte. No quotables but that's okay because that was just a good song overall.<br />
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9) Right On feat Joanna Newsom and STS- Not feeling this track too much. The first track on the album that hit the skip button. I feel like they could have cut this one out. Or just made it an instrumental because the beat was dope.<br />
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10) Doin' It Again- Black Thought goddamn. "Unsung, underrated, underappreciated, the one the underachievers had underestimated." That's his career in a nutshell. I'm confused because I like the features that The Roots do on all their projects but when they let Black Thought loose, he goes off. So I don't know which I like more. Like Right On should have just been Black Thought spitting some raw shit.<br />
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11) Fire feat. John Legend- Once again, Black Thought is killing these solo tracks. It's some more positive, motivational bars. I don't know if the radio doesn't want to play The Roots or if The Roots don't want to be played on the radio but there is no reason this should not be on the radio. John Legend is on the damn track for god's sake. This track feels like the culmination of the album. The album started off as Black Thought being pissed at the world but now he is on top of it because he wasn't content with where he was at. He didn't wait for something to happen either. He worked his ass off along with Questlove to make The Roots a legendary group that will live in hip-hop lore forever. So he can now look at his work and all the accomplishments with a smile on his face. <br />
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I didn't review the last two tracks but whatever. I think the album should have ended on Fire so that's where I'll end the review. Black Thought was on point throughout the entire album and the features were perfect. With this album, Black Thought jumped from the rappers I thought were dope category into the My favorite rappers of all time category. He was not outshined on any of the tracks where there were features and he absolutely murdered the tracks where he was on by himself. The Roots are like the San Antonio Spurs. The band may have changing parts throughout the years but the main guys in Black Thought and Questlove have stayed the same and the band has enjoyed unparalleled success in hip-hop. They continue to drop amazing projects on a seemingly yearly basis and really have no peers at their level. <br />
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Some final thoughts on <i>How I Got Over</i>. This is a near perfect album for me. Like I said I wasn't feeling the last two tracks to close the album out and wasn't sold on Right On. Other then that, I have no complaints. It's a 9.5/10 album for me, an <b>A </b>album. It was perfect at only about 45 minutes. There were no wasted verses, the hooks were catchy and had real great messages behind them. The beats were on point. It is a project that should be played on the radio. Like I said before, I have no idea why it isn't on the radio but that's neither here nor there. If you haven't listened to it yet, please give it a listen. It will brighten up your day. Also let me know if you want me to review any album, new or old. peace<br />
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<b>Oddisee- Own Appeal</b><br />
<b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E2Snh2NZHhk" width="560"></iframe><br /></b>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-77543688914806225782014-06-28T23:24:00.001-07:002014-06-28T23:25:35.229-07:00Ab Soul- These Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ab Soul finally has released his major label debut album that fans have been clamoring for. <i>These Days</i> is following Soul's excellent 2012 <i>Control System </i>so expectations were high. Not only was <i>Control System</i> an amazing piece of work but look at the pressure Soulo is under. He has to keep the momentum going for the best label out right now in TDE. Ever since <i>Control System</i> dropped, Kendrick dropped <i>Good Kid Maad City </i>and a million features. Schoolboy Q released <i>Oxymoron</i>. Isaiah Rashad and Sza were both signed and released very solid projects of their own. No one can really remember the last subpar Jay Rock verse. The point is TDE has been on a roll and Soul is looking to keep that going. There is a lot of expectations for the album but did it meet them?<br />
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I'll just get to the tracks which I didn't like out of the way first. Hunnid Stax, Dub Sac, and Sapiosexual I could do without. Those songs I straight up just didn't like. When I see Schoolboy and Soulo on a track together, I'm expecting Druggys Wit Hoes, not the generic "fuck bitches, get money." If you're going for that radio hit, make that shit fun like Druggys Wit Hoes. I don't understand why rappers on the radio who do that money, hoes, drugs stuff take themselves so seriously. Make that shit fun to listen to that can make people laugh when they singing along to it because they know how stupid it is too, but I digress. And one last thing on Hunnid Stax, someone please get Mac Miller off of here. From what I hear on the internet, Mac has improved a lot since his <i>Blue Slide Park</i> and <i>Kids These Days</i> projects but shit, I haven't heard it. I haven't listened to his solo projects yet from from the features I've heard him on I just am not impressed. And if you somehow come across this Mac, I'm still going to listen to your solo stuff so I'm not saying you suck as an artist (you got bars as Larry Fisherman), I'm just saying I haven't liked the features you've been on.<br />
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A track that perfectly sums up how I feel about the album is Twact. I have no idea what that means and I love Ab-Soul's verse but please someone never let Jinx (or Short Dawg idk) near a mic again. "I stay in the lines like I'm coloring." I don't even have to say anything else about that weak ass line. I hated the song for a good three days just because of that line but I don't hold grudges so I kept listening to it and it grew on me. I love the beat, I love the hook, and I love Soulo's last verse and how he sounded on that beat. It gives me some hope that he can make it on the radio with the right feature (not that I think he cares about that). He has a chance to make it mainstream, but I don't think he can do so by himself. He needs a big name to get people's attention but the potential is there. Another example of how I think he can make it mainstream is the next song Just Have Fun. Great sequence btw since Twact is all about having fun and is some "turn-up" music, Just Have Fun's hook is "Do the Drugs don't let the drugs do you." Definitely a nice little PSA to all the ravers out there who just swallow pills and 80% of the time are lucky nothing happens to them because guarantee they have no idea what they are ingesting. My favorite line in the track was "I never paid tuition but I paid attention, that's why I gotta make it count when they pay admission." Another great message you don't hear on the radio. There's a lot of public school kids who don't pay tuition. It shows if you take advantage of a free education, people will pay you well to perform at your job whether you are on stage or sitting in a cubical as long as you take your education seriously.<br />
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Another standout from the album was Closure. A lot of people hated Closure but I liked it. I always like when artists get introspective and I appreciated this from Soulo. He is still shaken up by the loss of Alori Joh and is not even pretending that he has gotten over it. Even his rebound girl (sorry Yaris) can't help him overcome the loss. People didn't like that he was crooning the whole time but I liked the change of pace. It shows versatility.<br />
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It took me a while, but <i>These Days</i> has grown on me a lot. At first, I thought it was a good album but I was mad that it wasn't as good as <i>Control System</i>. Although I wasn't expecting it to be the same album, I was expecting some of the same content but with more radio friendly beats. After realizing how stupid I was for expecting that kind of album, I listened to it again and really couldn't believe all the hate that it as been getting so far online. This is one of the better albums of 2014 for me. It isn't at the top but it's in the top 6 or 7 for me personally. I'd give the album a <b>B-</b> <br />
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Check what Talib Kweli had to say about the album, <a href="http://music.thetalkhouse.com/talks/talib-kweli-talks-ab-souls-these-days/" target="_blank">pretty dope</a>.<br />
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Also 2014 been a pretty dope year so far for Ab-Soul features, check some of the favorites.<br />
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<b>Nitty Scott- Apex Feat Ab-Soul</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hQ3uERvLvuA" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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<b>Smoke DZA- Hearses feat Ab-Soul</b><br />
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<b>Common- Made In Black America feat. Ab-Soul</b><br />
<b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/S_JKOch1xJM" width="560"></iframe><br /></b>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-82260713293310957972014-03-02T10:04:00.000-08:002014-03-02T10:05:16.155-08:00State of the WWE...Road To Wrestlemania<br />
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Wanted to take a break from talking about hip-hop and sports and get into some other topics...like the World Wrestling Entertainment. Wrestlemania season is right around the corner which is the most exciting time for fans of the WWE. With stories, storylines, and anticipation at a high that the company probably won't reach the rest of the year, it now seems like a good time to make a State of the Union address from a fan on the complete opposite side of the country from where the headquarters are located. If I had a show, there would be a rundown of topics I will talk about but since I don't have a show or have the knowledge to do that even if I had a show, I'll just list what I will talk about: John Cena, the Wyatts, the Shield, CM Punk, Randy Orton vs Batista, and Daniel Bryan.<br />
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The biggest draw for the WWE the last decade has undoubtedly been John Cena. I was a huge fan back in the day and how could you not be. With his Thuganomics gimmick, he was something fresh and hilarious. It seemed like everyone loved him. Then he started to win...A LOT. After that, it seemed like fans were just getting sick of Cena getting shoved down our throats week after week. With Cena being the posterboy, he was always involved in the Wrestlemania spotlight. Every John Cena Wrestlemania match since 2005 (his first actual Wrestlemania match was 2004 and he won the US Title) was for the WWE title (or Heavyweight Title). I take that back, the only match in that time period that wasn't for the title was when he faced the Rock at Wrestlemania 28 in "Once In A Lifetime" part I. Also in that time period, John Cena always faced an established superstar (I'm pretending The Miz match didn't happen). This year's event appears to be heading in a different direction. Not only is John Cena probably going to steer clear of a title match he will be facing a fresh face in Bray Wyatt (at least that is the way it appears and I hope it turns out that way), which is a perfect segue to talk about Bray Wyatt and the amazing work he has done since coming onto the scene.<br />
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Bray Wyatt and his family (Luke Harper and Eric Rowan) burst onto the scene this past summer and made their mark. Bray established himself as the cult leader and gave WWE a character they have been severely lacking for a long time. I don't know if WWE will ever again come up with characters like The Undertaker, Kane, or Goldust anymore but Bray Wyatt is probably the closest thing they will get to those kinds of characters. Bray has come in and has made that character his own. Everything about him screams creepy cult leader from the blowy shirt to the tattoos to the beard to the long hair to the mannerisms when he opens his mouth to the way he paces back and forth when speaking. He is a person fans either are afraid of or absolutely love. The night he debuted the fans chanted Husky Harris because that was the character he broke in as but I do not think anyone chants that anymore and that is a credit to the job that Bray Wyatt has done. He is the best in the business right now whenever he touches a microphone because when he speaks, he commands attention. John Cena, Triple H, and Daniel Bryan may scream and shout more but no one makes an audience hang on to his every word quite like Bray Wyatt. He is the complete opposite of what John Cena is. This is the reason that this match is going to be the most anticipated match up for Wrestlemania 30. It doesn't involve a title match, it doesn't involve John Cena in a title match but it does involve John Cena. The common hate that John Cena receives is that he is such a stale character. WWE is too scared about their ratings and think that they must have John Cena be champion in order for fans to care or for viewership to stay up. That is not the case. John Cena is still the biggest draw in the company, I'm not arguing that. There are plenty of reasons for that. But the reason this match will be so intriguing is because this is a match that the John Cena haters have been waiting for. A match against a fresh superstar who is a legitimate threat to Super Cena. No one can predict how the match will end up. Bray Wyatt has a ton of momentum right now and it would be foolish to have him lose to Cena at Wrestlemania because 1) it could be a potential career killer for Bray and 2) Cena losing does absolutely nothing to hurt his own legacy. However, WWE is known to go against logic so it wouldn't surprise anyone to see Cena pull off a miracle victory while fighting off all 3 Wyatt family members. Personally, I think Bray Wyatt will score a victory but it will be because John Cena will get distracted by Harper and Rowan at ringside. <br />
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From talking about Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family, I'll start talking about the "other" trio that has been dominating WWE for the past year and some change and that is The Shield, made up of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. From the way things appear, it looks like the three are going to break up and have a Mexican stand off at the big show, possibly with Dean Ambrose's US Title on the line. Strange how things changed from the time this trio debuted. I still think they are a better team than the Wyatt Family (and I just watched their match from the Elimination Chamber again) because all three members of the Shield can hold their own and I am confident all three will have successful singles careers. But when they broke in, they claimed to have no leader yet it was clear that Dean Ambrose was positioned to be the breakout star. He was the best mic worker and had the US Title around his waist. Seth Rollins (known as Tyler Black in his independent days) was the acrobatic one who took all the hard falls, like a Jeff Hardy that could wrestle. Roman Reigns was the muscle, the enforcer. He didn't say too much. As time went on, Roman Reigns is the one positioned to be the breakout star of the group, with Rollins probably ending up with a Dolph Ziggler/Daniel Bryan-like career and Dean Ambrose will probably be forever chasing the Intercontinental Title and feuding with Kofi Kingston. I think they all have main event potential but whatever, that's not what I'm talking about here. The possible triple threat match is going to be exciting because as much as fans loved the Shield's dominance as a group, it had to come to an end sometime. The three guys are just too good to not go their separate ways and their break up will happen on the biggest stage. I predict Roman Reigns wins the match by pinning Ambrose and we'll see what happens from there. <br />
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One of the big stories (as of March 1) is going to be of someone who will not be in attendance. In the five weeks between now and Wrestlemania, CM Punk might come back to WWE but as of right now he is not on the roster, or as Vince McMahon would like to say...he is on a sabbatical. Punk left the night after the Royal Rumble and no one is entirely sure why. There have been different rumors and if I had to throw my two cents in, I think he left because of Batista winning the Royal Rumble match. CM Punk has voiced his displeasure in the past with people like The Rock getting to headline Wrestlemania and Batista winning did nothing to smooth out those feathers. I too disagree with part timers taking the spotlight from talented individuals like Punk and Bryan who have amazing crowd support plus bust their butts every show to not get their proper recognition as the stars of the company. Fans have been vocal at shows for their support of CM Punk but who knows if he will be back for Wrestlemania. I would hope he is but I do not know where that would leave him in the scheme of things. Does he insert himself into the Batista vs Randy Orton match, does he insert himself into the Bryan vs Triple H storyline? I don't think he will be back because there won't be a logical spot for him. Plus that would be hypocritical of him to quit on the company then come back right before Wrestlemania season and demand a main event spot at the event.<br />
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I alluded to it earlier but the Batista and Randy Orton is going to "headline" Wrestlemania. It is pretty sad that championship matches hardly are the spectacle they once were at Wrestlemania. Title matches are no longer guaranteed to close out the show and generally are not the focus of the event anymore despite that being the grandest prize in the business. The only other WWE Title match (I'm not counting the Heavyweight title matches) I can recall that has been met with a universal yawn was The Miz vs John Cena back in 2011. I don't know how anyone could possibly in their wildest dreams be excited about that match, which is funny because I don't know anyone can possibly be excited about this year's title match. I understand Vince McMahon's want of a big name draw to bring in those extra buys for Wrestlemania but I don't believe Batista to be that guy to bring those ratings in. At least The Rock was someone the fans wanted to see back in the ring and is a bonafide Hollywood star. Batista on the other is mehh to the wrestling fan. He was an integral part of business when he was a regular but when he left in 2010, no one was really longing for a Batista return. I'd rather see Ric Flair in the ring than Batista, and that statement is coming from a fellow Filipino. Notice how in this paragraph I didn't mention Randy Orton. No one even cared I didn't mention him. Although I will say that I absolutely loved the mannerisms he was pulling at the Elimination Chamber. He was playing the guy you just want to punch in the face but somehow always ends up on top. I can honestly see either guy coming out on top and neither is an appealing choice so I'll mix it up and say Daniel Bryan somehow gets into the match and wins the title. <br />
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Speaking of Daniel Bryan, he is the superstar that is on the biggest roll in the company. He has complete crowd support and he delivers on every match. Rich Homie Quan based his mixtape, <i>I Go In On Every Song</i>, on Daniel Bryan's wrestling style. As I just said I am praying that Bryan somehow gets involved in the title match and walks away as champion but I have been watching WWE for far too long and know that Vince McMahon would rather have his way than listen to the fans. It is ironic because Triple H keeps using the line "best for business" yet he constantly holds Bryan back when he is the hottest wrestler in the business. This long standing confrontation between the two have led to their match at Wrestlemania. I fully expect Bryan to win this match if it still proceeds but I would not put it past Triple H to have one last shining moment. I do not think that will happen though because it seems like Triple H is looking to model himself after his father-in-law. The thing that I will give Vince credit for is that whenever he showed up for a match at Wrestlemania, he made sure to get his ass kicked and then some. I don't anticipate Triple H to get a whooping but I don't believe he will steal Bryan's spotlight. <br />
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There is my way too early predictions/preview for Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans. I hope Daniel Bryan gets his proper shine at the event. I hope each member of The Shield looks strong if they do have a triple threat match. And I hope that the Bray Wyatt and John Cena match is everything I think it could be. Can't wait to "order" it and watch Wrestlemania on TV.<br />
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<b>Danny Brown- XXX</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J--rO7FP16U" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-88949579766477371252014-02-28T08:45:00.000-08:002014-02-28T08:45:20.146-08:00Who Is The G.O.A.T.?....Part 2: Rakim<br />
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I'm back for part two of the G.O.A.T. series and this one will feature the legendary, talented, amazing, trailblazing, super, God MC known as Rakim. Btw if you missed part one featuring Jay-Z, check that one <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-is-goatpart-1-jay-z.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Odds are pretty high that if your favorite rapper emerged in the 90's, there was a great chance his (or her) favorite rapper was Rakim. He influenced any rapper that has some skill on the mic. The man was revolutionary. I wasn't even alive during his reign as the best MC but that goes to show how much he meant to the game when I'm speaking of Rakim in this vain. However, because I wasn't around during Rakim's vice grip on the rap game in the late 80's and early 90's it is impossible for me to have perspective on just how much he meant to the art of rapping. I can only see what others have said about him and look at his work from my perspective. It's like when people say Jim Brown is the greatest running back of all time. You can see highlights and take other people's words for it because you weren't there, but at the same time recognize that people like Jim Brown and Rakim were also ahead of their times. So let's get down to trying to make sense of the God MC's greatness and impact on hip-hop. Btw I'm going to focus on Rakim solely during the Eric B. and Rakim days.
Why? Because it's like taking a look at Michael Jordan during his Wizard
days. I mean you could do that, but why would you. He was still better
than 80% of everyone else but no one is going to remember that part of
his career.<br />
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From what others have said about Rakim, he was the first to add complexity into his rhyming. For this alone he would be on the Mount Rushmore of rappers. People like Melle Mel was telling stories and had some weight behind what he was saying but he wasn't bending the language like how Rakim could. The Beastie Boys, Run DMC and LL Cool J mainly spoke about how fresh they were but weren't doing so in a complicated manner. What made Rakim special was that he could put messages behind his music, talk about how fresh he was, and just rap for days. If he was around today, he would be one of those guys who can lay down BARS. Also, Rakim knew how to ride a beat. For some weird reason (although probably not a coincidence) all of Eric B's instrumentals sounded like some 4th grader just starting out until Rakim jumped on the beat then they sound like the greatest thing to ever touch your ears. There is no Rakim as the God MC without Eric B and for that the DJ must get some love. That is why together they made four classic albums and once they went their separate ways, you could argue Rakim hasn't made anything on par with those first four albums...but I digress. <br />
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So what are some of the tracks that make Rakim one of the all time greats? One of my favorite hip-hop tracks of all time and one track that every rapper and rap fan no matter if you are/like a Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, or even Tyga needs to hear is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TN-kDEKxF0" target="_blank">I Aint No Joke</a>. I could base my whole argument for Rakim as one of the G.O.A.T.'s based on this track alone. He made sure that every single line hit. In that 3 minutes and 55 seconds there was not one wasted breath or throwaway line. I'll just go down the list of classic lines that Rakim put out in that song:<br />
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"I hold the microphone like a grudge<br />
B will hold the record so the needle don't budge" <br />
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"Before you know it, you're following and fiending<br />
waiting for the punchline to get the meaning"<br />
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"I wake and as I stare in your face you seem stunned"<br />
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"I ain't no joke, I used to let the mic smoke<br />
now I slam when I'm done and make sure it's broke"<br />
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"When you come up to speak, don't even lie to me<br />
you like to exaggerate, dream and imaginate<br />
then change the rhyme around that can aggravate me<br />
so when you see me, come up, freeze<br />
or you'll be one of those 7 emcees"--> which is a reference to one of his other great lines in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a91rv2vTl4o" target="_blank">My Melody</a> when he said...<br />
<br />
"i take 7 emcees, put em in a line<br />
and add 7 more brothers who think they could rhyme<br />
it will take 7 more before i go for mine<br />
now that's 21 emcees ate up at the same time"<br />
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Rakim had more quotables in one song then a lot of "lyrical" rappers have in their entire careers. Can anyone name me a Joe Budden line? *crickets* You know what, since I can't really say how great Rakim was because i don't feel like I would be doing him justice since I can't speak to the impact he had at the time, I'm just going to post links to my favorite tracks of his then you guys could make your own conclusions to his place in the pantheon. I have much respect for Rakim but I won't call him my favorite rapper just because I didn't grow up listening to him. That's why a lot of kids now a days don't have Michael Jordan as their favorite basketball player. We all recognize him as one of the greats no doubt, but he was a little before the kids' time which is why they love Kobe and LeBron. Nothing wrong with that, just as long as they recognize MJ and Rakim as one of the greats, I'm good and so should all the OG's. If I had to rank the two rappers I have looked at so far it would be...<br />
1) Rakim<br />
2) Jay-Z<br />
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Part 3 coming soon with the Notorious BIG.<br />
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Here are the links of classic Rakim songs where you can make your own judgements to his greatness. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTfI3f_WLM" target="_blank">I Know You Got Soul</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7t8eoA_1jQ" target="_blank">Paid In Full</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHXFKjfrlqI" target="_blank">Casualties Of War</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPkWYTUiPTo" target="_blank">Know The Ledge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y1Emb7Jyks" target="_blank">Don't Sweat The Technique</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95gP3m-uBHA" target="_blank">Follow The Leader</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFOeJOtq_xc" target="_blank">Lyrics Of Fury</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSobHgk6Pdk" target="_blank">The "R"</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALPH86ybA6U" target="_blank">Let The Rhythm Hit Em</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Njj2Bfypo" target="_blank">In The Ghetto </a><br />
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<b>Murs- You & I</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n745nD4F3vg" width="420"></iframe> <br />
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<b>Pink- Just Give Me A Reason</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OpQFFLBMEPI" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-71825671589407694532014-02-27T12:24:00.001-08:002014-02-27T12:26:22.393-08:00New Name ChangeAttention to all 0 of my subscribers. Changing the name of the blog from slimsamurai to crocsintheamazon. It was time for a name change. New name, same great content. Hopefully you guys don't get lost.<br />
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<b>Flatbush Zombies- 222</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JtIMhHjRS9c" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-25211621063142844682014-02-26T11:21:00.000-08:002014-02-27T12:30:54.009-08:002014 Slim Pickens/XXL Freshmen Predictions<br />
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It's that time of the year again. I'm guilty of it, you're guilty of it, hip-hop fans everywhere are guilty of it. The XXL Freshmen issue is coming soon and we will all be up in arms at the choices and we act as if XXL is the holy grail when it comes to this stuff. We all know making the cover of XXL is like winning an ESPY. It really doesn't mean anything other than giving an artist publicity and there is no such thing as bad publicity. Since I will be going over the XXL cover when it comes out, let's get it on with the 2014 Slim Pickens, formerly known as the Slim Samurai Freshmen. Check out my picks from 2013 <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/02/slim-samurai-freshmen-2013.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Let's just say it wasn't a good year for me in terms of selections. I really picked J. Pinder. I don't even remember why I picked that guy. Anyways, the way Slim Pickens works is that these are 10 rappers who I was really digging this past year (some have been buzzing for several years) who have yet to release a studio album. These guys/girls have yet to blow up and may not blow up this year, but I feel like they should get their proper recognition...as if anyone reads this blog. But if you like this blog and like the artists I will be talking about, then tell people and spread the word. I now present...the 2014 Slim Pickens<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable Mentions:</span> </b><br />
<b>Amber London</b>- check her out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCDhB70vZf8" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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<b>Kevin Gates</b>- I love his <i>Luca Brasi</i> mixatape but out of respect for how long he has been in the game, i couldn't say that he was a freshman. check <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwvo2PFH_TQ" target="_blank">Paper Chasers</a><br />
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<b>Boldy James</b>- He would have been on here if <i>My First Chemistry Set</i> wasn't an album. If I could do it over, that would have been in my top 10 albums of the year. check <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGosx170Kdk" target="_blank">Moochie</a><br />
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<b>Rich Homie Quan</b>- had a big year with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KKbdErJkiY" target="_blank">Type Of Way</a> and released <i>I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In</i>. Probably going to be on the XXL cover.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire</b></span><br />
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Here we have a 2013 Slim Pickens repeat. I will continue to put eXquire on this list until he gets his proper recognition. If you read my <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-projects-of-2013real-boy-list.html" target="_blank">albums of the year list</a>, you would have noticed that <i>Kismet</i> was my favorite project of the year. I held eXquire in high regards before that but when that dropped and gave it a thorough listen, he became one of those rappers that I will follow their every move. There aren't many rappers where I will look for every track they are on and listen to but he is in that VIP club. Please download Kismet if you have not. Here is a <a href="http://www.datpiff.com/Mr-MUTHAFUCKIN-eXquire-Kismet-mixtape.495913.html" target="_blank">link</a>. And eXquire almost didn't make Slim Pickens because according to his twitter rant, <i>Kismet</i> was supposed to be the album that he dropped for Universal but they rejected it so eXquire decided to release it for free. I don't understand why a record label like Universal would sign eXquire then expect him to be something that he's not. That is what baffles me about record companies. What is the point of signing someone and then changing them which disregards why they were signed in the first place? I still got you Mr Muthafuckin. Keep doing you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chance The Rapper</b></span><br />
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Nothing really needs to be said about Chance The Rapper if you followed rap in 2013. Chancellor broke out with one of the more divisive projects of the year in <i>Acid Rap</i>, but whether or not you liked it, he got people talking. Personally I really enjoyed it and it was on my top 10 end of the year list. I think Chance is a breath of fresh air who has already made his presence felt in the hip-hop world. If you haven't heard of him, just go download <i>Acid Rap</i> and make your own opinion. Just get over his voice, it isn't going away.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vince Staples</b></span><br />
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I've already talked about Vince Staples on this blog before. I crowned him the breakout star of Earl Sweatshirt's <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/08/earl-sweatshirt-doris.html" target="_blank"><i>Doris</i></a><b> </b>and included his collaboration mixtape, <i>Stolen Youth</i>, with Mac Miller in my top ten albums of the year <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-projects-of-2013real-boy-list.html" target="_blank">list</a>. Obviously I feel that the kid from Long Beach has had a very good year. His verse on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcDXL5Aw0o" target="_blank">Hive</a> was one of my favorite verses, if not my favorite, of the year. There is a lot of potential in Vince as the next west coast street rapper. To me, Vince Staples is like the 2014 remix of Spice 1. If there was twitter back in the early 90's I can see Spice saying some of the same stuff that Vince spouts off and I'm not even talking about their music yet. There is a believability in Vince's voice when he speaks. If he says he just robbed someone, he sounds pretty darn convincing. He is supposed to have another project coming out this year so we'll anticipate that. In the meantime you can catch him on tour with Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad. Speaking of Isaiah Rashad...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Isaiah Rashad</b></span><br />
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This is one guy I fully expect to land on the XXL cover. He dropped an anticipated project in <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/isaiah-rashad-cilvia.html" target="_blank"><i>Cilvia Demo</i></a> and he delivered on it for the most part. I couldn't say there were crazy expectations for it but at least the bar was set as to what kind of rapper the Chattanooga bred MC is.<i><b> </b></i>Btw, another reason I feel like he is going to be on the XXL cover other than being dope is that look at the trends of the Freshmen cover. Jay Rock was on it in 2010 (still the best class in my opinion), Kendrick was on it in 2011 (the second best class, TYBG), and Schoolboy Q and Ab Soul were on it last year. You see the pattern. XXL obviously likes having TDE on there and TDE feels comfortable putting their artists on there. It's a relationship. Anyways back to Isaiah Rashad. For some weird reason, when <i>Cilvia Demo</i> first came out, so many experts (aka people who post on forums) were complaining that the project was a dud and how Rashad was such a boring MC. However, once all the professional reviews started to pour in, all of a sudden the opinions changed to how Isaiah is the second best rapper in TDE behind Kendrick. Yeah, most of these opinions by internet people don't mean anything if you haven't already noticed because they will change it once they see an opinion go in the opposite direction. 2014 already started off strong for Isaiah Rashad and we'll see if he can keep that momentum rolling the rest of the year and build on it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fat Trel</b></span><br />
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Washington DC bred Fat Trel had a very fine 2013 for himself after releasing probably my favorite ignorant mixtape of the year in <i>SDMG</i>. If you don't know what that stands for, it is Sex, Drugs, Money, Guns. And I applaud Fat Trel because on that mixtape he followed that concept of SDMG very thoroughly. There wasn't any Aesop Rock lyrical dissection needed. If he said "I fucked your bitch," he meant "I fucked your bitch." That success brought him a deal with Rick Ross and MMG so i'm very interested to see if he can make an impact on the radio. Pretty much all of MMG, with the exception of Stalley and Gunplay (who ironically are considered the two best in the camp), have had their voices heard for mainstream America to hear so we'll see where Fat Trel fits into that dynamic. I'm a tad skeptical because my favorite tracks off of <i>SDMG</i> were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkS2NGPPX-E" target="_blank">No Lamez</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4RijVPjX_M" target="_blank">Thots</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIgRCkpXW2U" target="_blank">Bitches</a>. Listen to those tracks and let me know if you could hear them played on your local radio station. Even the songs I like that are not on the tape don't have radio play success ingredients in them like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGMVd4kRacQ" target="_blank">Russian Roulette</a> feat America's sweetheart Chief Keef and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNH3wnBIJnY" target="_blank">Fuk Yo Life</a>. His <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBY3TIVCcDQ" target="_blank">Started From The Bottom</a> jack did the beat justice though and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyj29eYXlR0" target="_blank">She Fell In Love</a> is a hilarious attempt at a love song I think. Speaking of She Fell In Love, the reason I stopped following Fat Trel on Instagram is because every ten minutes he would post a pic of him <a href="http://p.twimg.com/AuR4J4gCEAED-f4.jpg:large" target="_blank">kissing</a> a strippers bootyhole with #Shefellinlove and I don't need to be seeing that everytime I want to look at my feed. In addition to that Fat Trel is a part of the crew Slutty Boyz. Yeah, not exactly the recipe for radio but maybe Officer Ricky has something up his sleeve planned for him. Bottom line is that if you need trunk knockers, ignorance played at ignorant levels, and the police to come looking for you, then play some Fat Trel with the windows rolled down.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>ILLFIGHTYOU</b></span><br />
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This trio comprised of Chris P and Ugly Frank and a producer whose name I don't know is new and was brought to attention by my homie a few weeks back but I like what they are doing. The first track I saw of them was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aIoehTBEUY" target="_blank">Potty</a> and I love the freshness of the sound they are bringing. The subject matter is nothing to bow down to but it's how they are presenting it that makes them stick out. I can't think of anyone at the moment who spits over the same beats that these two do. This is some super underground shit though that everyone is not going to like. They don't spit anything with some weight behind it though. ILLFIGHTYOU are just some young dudes talking about how dope they are so if you need to have lyrics in your life, then these aren't the guys for you. Case in point, "I'm on a mission for pussy, money, and liquor." However, if you need something to break the rhythm of lyrical overload on all those boom bap beats then these are the guys for you. Even though they are from Tacoma, Washington don't expect Macklemore to be collaborating with them anytime soon. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Azizi Gibson</b></span><br />
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Azizi is another guy that I have already mentioned on this blog before. His mixtape, <i>Ghost In The Shell</i>, made my top ten album of the year <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-projects-of-2013real-boy-list.html" target="_blank">list</a>. So go download that tape if you have not already. For those that don't know, Azizi Gibson is an MC signed to Brainfeeder, which is the label owned by Flying Lotus. Artists there have 100% creative control over their project so <i>Ghost In The Shell</i> was a complete reflection of who Azizi Gibson was as an artist. There wasn't any compromises made as to how he should have crafted that project. The only thing I'm disappointed about is that I haven't heard any music from him outside of that mixtape. On one hand I like the mysteriousness, but I want to hear some new music from him goddammit. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNIdHctdcs" target="_blank">title track </a>off of that mixtape was one of my favorite songs of the year btw. I'll keep that on repeat until I hear some new material.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Underachievers</b></span><br />
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The Underachievers are a duo comprised of AK and Issa out of Flatbush, Brooklynand have also been featured by this blog on multiple occasions. I named their debut mixtape, <i>Indigosm</i>, as my second favorite project of 2013 at my end of the year <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-projects-of-2013real-boy-list.html" target="_blank">list</a>, and <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/11/nbarapper-comparison-underground-edition.html" target="_blank">compared</a> their rap success to the success that Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio have enjoyed. Trust me, it seemed like a good idea at the time. They dropped a second mixtape in 2013 called <i>Lords of Flatbush</i> which was not as good as the first mixtape but it wasn't really comparable because they were two different projects. <i>Lords of Flatbush</i> was more of a side project and it was just a bunch of bangers produced by Lex Luger that I didn't like at first but it eventually grew on me. Like Azizi Gibson, The Underachievers are signed to Brainfeeder so they got creative control over their projects and it shows. Along with that Brainfeeder association, they are aligned with Pro Era (Joey Badass and friends) and the Flatbush Zombies which together they form Beast Coast. UA were also featured on the new Talib Kweli album which I cannot find online for the life of me but that shows they got one of the greatest of all time in Talib in their corner. They are supposed to be dropping their studio debut this year so I'll be anticipating that and we'll see what this year has in store for the duo. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Denzel Curry</b></span><br />
<a href="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/UpuJ9dgChio/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/UpuJ9dgChio/maxresdefault.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Denzel Curry is a rapper out of Florida who I jumped on the hype train pretty late. He is a part of Raider Klan which is led by Space Ghost Purp and are still salty about ASAP Mob getting shine. Curry released <i>Nostalgic 64</i> in 2013 and that album caught me by surprise. When I hear Raider Klan, I did not expect Curry's album to sound anything like it did lyrically. The hooks and the production I saw coming and nothing he said through the first listen really impressed me. Once I went back to it, I realized that he had some skill and wasn't just spitting mindless/boring stuff that Space Ghost Purp is prone to do (honestly he just needs to stick to producing). He's got great flow, something to say, and an understanding of what is happening around him which is what is needed to become successful in music. Be warned though, if you're a generally happy go lucky person you might not want to venture into Denzel Curry. His material is pretty dark. But if you're a depressed person you might not want to listen to this because you just might go out and kill and rob people. So the only people that can listen to Denzel Curry are level headed people.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>100s</b></span><br />
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Finally the last spot on the coveted Slim Pickens list goes to none other than the His Coldness out of Berkeley, 100s. The project that kind of put him on the map was 2012's <i>Ice Cold Perm</i>. It was an underrated one yet one that if you heard it, you loved it. I don't know when it happened but he is now signed to Fools Gold, the record company founded by A-Track and home to artists such as Danny Brown, Trackademicks, and Run The Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike). 100s gained more notoriety in 2013 with appearances on the GTA V soundtrack. Players of the game might remember <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqA2RdymMY" target="_blank">Life Of A Mack</a> as one of the standout tracks of the entire game. To put it bluntly, 100s is not one of those artists you really want to listen to with your parents. It will be bound to get awkward real quick and your relationship with them may never be the same. In of the very rare interviews he gave, 100s mentioned that his next project will be on some r&b stuff and <a href="http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/2014/02/25/100s-ten-freaky-hoes/#.Uw4kC4VnQVl" target="_blank">Ten Freaky Hoes</a> could very well be a preview of what is to come from the mysterious one. When he said he was changing his sound up, I got a little scared but I'm glad to see him keeping that pimp persona that he plays so well. He really is the modern day Too Short remix. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isb8ab3qRZM" target="_blank">1999</a> will forever be my anthem.<br />
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Now onto my predictions as to who will make the XXL Freshmen cover:<br />
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Chance The Rapper<br />
Rich Homie Quan<br />
Vince Staples<br />
Jarren Benton<br />
Fat Trel<br />
Ty Dolla Sign<br />
Isaiah Rashad<br />
Troy Ave<br />
Jon Connor (that Dr Dre cosign tho)<br />
Young Thug<br />
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<b>AK feat Juice- I'm High</b><br />
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<b>Freddie Gibbs- Eastside Moonwalker</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qtl0yebLXz4" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-83629077757973219612014-02-24T22:52:00.001-08:002014-02-27T12:31:49.053-08:00Schoolboy Q...Oxymoron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After what seemed like forever and then some, Schoolboy Q finally released his "debut" album, <i>Oxymoron</i>. It's actually Q's third album released for sale but this is his first mainstream release. <i>Oxymoron</i> is also the second out of a supposedly six albums that are rumored to be dropping his year by Top Dawg Entertainment, the first being <i>Cilvia Demo</i> by Isaiah Rashad. Check out my <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/isaiah-rashad-cilvia.html" target="_blank">review</a> for that one if you have not already. Speaking of Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad, they will be going on tour and will be joined by Vince Staples so go out and support them. Anyways, back to the main focus of this post. Q's been hyping this album ever since he let news out that this is what it was going to be called. He was calling himself the best rapper in Black Hippy and how <i>Oxymoron</i> was going to be better than <i>Good Kid mAAd City</i> but anyone who has ever seen an interview with Schoolboy Q knows he was just talking mess. If you were expecting an album on par lyrically with Kendrick Lamar's debut then you need to go listen to <i>Setbacks </i>and <i>Habits & Contradictions</i>. Q and Kendrick are two completely different rappers but from the responses I have seen so far, it seemed like people were expecting Q to do lyrical gymnastics. It's like expecting Tony Romo to be clutch in the 4th quarter. I guess it could happen in theory but it just won't. What I'm expecting out of this is an album of bangers. This is who ASAP Ferg strives to be. Someone who can knock speakers and not be complete trash while spitting in the vain of <i>Get Rich Or Die Tryin</i>, an album that Q has mentioned was very influential for his style. After the success of <i>Habits & Contradictions</i>, this album has been on everyone's most anticipated list, so we'll see if Schoolboy Q delivered.<br />
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To put it bluntly, I enjoyed this album. I still like <i>Habits & Contradictions </i>more and I like <i>Setbacks</i> more as a complete project but I like <i>Oxymoron</i> more for individual tracks. Obviously I was not there for the crafting of the album but it seemed to me that Q made a sacrifice searching for the big hit versus making a top notch project from front to back. He said in his interview with the Breakfast Club that he just wants that one hit to put him in that upper echelon and there were several tracks on here where that was a clear case. However, Q still did him which is being a street dude that can make the trunk bump. He's like what Tyga and French Montana hope one day they could be as rappers, which is ironic because Q wants to reach their status as club hit-makers.</div>
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Out of the 15 tracks on the album there were only 3 that I'll hit the skip for sure. One of the unholy trifecta was Los Awesome and I have no idea what in the blue hell that was supposed to be. It was also disappointing too because that was the first time in a very long time where I feel Jay Rock did not kill his verse. He has been on a roll lately after being an afterthought with TDE, but his verse on this did not do him any favors. Keep doing your thing though Jay Rock, I can't wait for that album. I also was not feeling Prescription-Oxymoron, no comment on that. The last track on the album, Fuck LA, was the last that I skip for sure. I don't like Q on that trap sound. Leave that for everyone else Q, you're better than that. The production was cool, but I preferred the beats that he had on his previous two albums. I feel like Q's pocket is better when it sounds like <i>Habits & Contradictions</i> but at the same time, I understand he is trying to evolve and all that good stuff. Like I said earlier, this album felt more like a collection of singles more so than an album. Q has stated that there is a theme with <i>Oxymoron</i> and that is he had to do bad in order to provide good for his daughter and I could see it, but it's getting a little old for me. I know rappers stick to what they do, but it seems like Q has been saying the same thing for 3 albums now. The theme for <i>Setbacks</i> was all the bad stuff he did set him back. The theme for <i>Habits & Contradictions</i> was that his habits were contradicting the positivity he was trying to inject into his life. You see the redundancy here.<br />
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With all this bashing, it seems like I didn't even like this album. As Charlie Murphy would say in regards to Rick James....WRONG. I really do like this album. If I put all that crap aside from what I just said and just listen to the album and let it be candy to my ears, it delivers. I could go on about the rest of the tracks that I like but I'll just give the ones I go out of my way to slap: Gangsta, Collard Greens, Hoover Street, Studio feat BJ the Chicago Kid, Blind Threats, Hell Of A Night, Break The Bank, and Grooveline pt 2 (Suga Free still got it). Like I said earlier, if you're expecting Q to hit you with some Kendrick bars just because he is in the same crew, then I'm just assuming you never listened to Schoolboy Q and I'll let that ignorance slide and give you a pass. Q is doing what he does on this album. The best comparison I could come up with is a more party orientated 50 Cent. Let me know if that is way off but if you're going to tell me how stupid I am for that comparison at least give me someone who he compares to.<br />
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Completely random thought, but how hard did Trinidad James fall off. He had to create some stupid ass controversy for him just to get semi-relevant again. <br />
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In conclusion, <i>Oxymoron </i>was a good album, but not as good as <i>Habits & Contradictions</i> for me at least. People will say it's disappointing because Q was hyping it up a lot, it was the first "album" release by TDE after <i>Good Kid mAAd City</i>, and it was delayed for the longest time. I guess I would call it disappointing too but for an album where I liked 12 out of the 15 tracks, that either says I'm a Russian judge or that was how highly I anticipated the album. I don't really know where Q goes from here. Does he continue to search for that hit that just moves units or does he do a reevaluation and try to craft a solid all around project? I hope he expands his subject matter repertoire but I'm not going to complain if he can deliver trunk bangers that don't make you feel light in the ass. Anyways, if you like this album go support Q, he's got a daughter to feed. Hopefully we get those other four TDE albums this year too. peace<br />
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Forgot to give it a grade. Its a <b>B-</b>. Weird because I enjoyed 12 out of 15 tracks but it still left me wanting more. <br />
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<b>Damu The Fudgemunk feat. Raw Poetic- Hole Up</b><br />
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<b>ILLFIGHTYOU- Potty</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4aIoehTBEUY" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-25152734980455944172014-02-16T15:16:00.000-08:002014-02-16T15:16:32.291-08:00Who Is The G.O.A.T.?....Part 1: Jay-Z<br />
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If you go onto any forum that discusses rap music, there will inevitably be several threads that ask the question, "Who Is The G.O.A.T.?" If you don't frequent forums or know what g.o.a.t. means don't trip. It's simply an acronym for Greatest Of All Time. I'm going to look at the discographies of 7 MC's who are generally considered the greatest in these forums. I'm sorry to those super underground heads who believe that Slug, GZA or Aesop Rock are the greatest MC's to ever walk the earth because they are dope but they haven't had the impact that these other dudes have had. Since breaking down all 7 into one post would be like a novel i don't want to write that up and i'm sure you guys would not want to read that all at once. I'll break it up into 7 different posts to make it a little easier on the both of us. So if you're wondering who the 7 are, i won't make you guys wait for each post. The first five are Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, and 2Pac. Now these guys might not necessarily be the 5 greatest but they are usually in some order considered the top 5 in these forums that i was talking about. Whether or not you think they're in the top 5, i don't care. If you were to take a poll of all rap fans in America these five would make up the list. So apologizes to guys like KRS-One, Kool G Rap, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Black Thought, and any other great i'm leaving out. Since i'm doing a greatest MC list it would only be right to take the opinions of rappers into consideration in addition to fanboys like myself and those who post on forums. So two other rappers who are generally considered a couple of the greatest by those in the profession are Scarface and Rakim. I'll be taking a look at their work as well and the impact they had on the hip hop community.<br />
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p.s. I'm going to throw Kanye West in there just because he has 4.5 critically acclaimed albums and another that changed hip-hop so I have to give him his due. That means this will be an 8 part series instead of 7 to determine the G.O.A.T.<br />
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So let's get it started with part 1 in this series. The first candidate I will be looking at is none other than Jay-Z aka Jay Z aka Sean Carter aka Hov aka Hova aka Jigga. Let me get this part out of the way...Jay is the most successful member of the Hip-Hop community ever. He's done so much for the culture and proved that a drug dealer from the Marcy projects could be shaking hands with the president in due time. Jay did not accomplish everything by becoming a shrewd businessman. He had to have some sort of talent when it came to spitting on the mic. There was a reason the Jigga man is considered one of the greats to ever do it. I'm not too interested in his blowy shirt phase with Jaz-O so the work of Jay's that I am going to focus on is from Reasonable Doubt on.<br />
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To me, all the great rappers have an amazing mic presence. Jay is no different. He has great flow and a great voice. He can tell stories, although he doesn't do it as much as I would like, and he knows how to pick beats. It seems like having an ear for beats should be a simple attribute to have, but to be honest not all rappers have that and that separates spitters who live in the underground to those rappers who can move a million records. Speaking of moving a million records, Jay-Z is the greatest successful commercial rapper to have walked the earth. Biggie and Pac probably could have been those dudes but we all know what happened and Jay gladly was the next man up and filled the void. I tend to stay away from record sales numbers when looking at hip-hop artists because they usually mean very little in terms of actual ability but when you sell 75 million record like Jay-Z has or have 11 number one albums like the Jigga man has had, those are numbers that even the biggest hip-hop elitist can't ignore. If you include the collaboration albums that he has done with R. Kelly and Kanye, each and every one of Jay's 15 albums have gone at least platinum. Everything he touches doesn't turn to gold, it turns to platinum (this is the corniest thing I have ever said). In this day and age with fans grabbing music for free, these are mind boggling numbers. How many rappers rappers go platinum? How many rappers release 15 albums? How many musicians in general release 15 albums? The crazy thing about this is that these 15 albums have come out in the last 17 years. The fact that he is releasing mulch-platinum albums on an almost per year basis is unheard of. I asked Questlove on twitter if there is any artist in any genre who has had the run that Jay has been on, but I'm still waiting for the answer. However, like I said earlier, I try not to put too much emphasis on album when looking at who is the greatest MC but when the numbers are as astronomical like that, Jay must be doing something right. That success in mainstream America is Jay-Z's biggest contribution to hip-hop.<br />
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Jay didn't sell 75 million records out of thin air. The dude had to have had some talent. To me, Jay's best quality was his flow and his voice. He could rap in double time, he could rap slow, he knew how to enunciate his words so they came out clearly...Jay had the oral part of rapping down. As for the other qualities that make a great MC (storytelling, subject matter, and technical lyricism), Jay was great at those qualities, but he wasn't the greatest at any of them, although he was damn near the top (if not the best) when it came to puns, or entendres. If I could use a modern day sports reference, Jay is like LeBron James. People have probably made this comparison before but the similarities are closer when you dig into it. What makes LeBron so great is that he is amazing at so many things that you need to be good at in order to be a successful basketball player. He isn't necessarily the greatest at any of them though, with the exception of one. Although I haven't been watching basketball to the point where I can use the eye test on past greats, LeBron appears to be the greatest finisher at the rim in history and that is a very underrated skill. That is why his shooting percentages are so darn high every year because he takes a volume of shots close to the basket and he converts on many of them. Other skill areas like jump shooting, 3 point shooting, passing, dribbling, basketball intelligence, rebounding, and defense are things that LeBron is great at but not necessarily the best. What makes him so lethal is that he is 6'8 and 250 pounds and can combine those skills with his body to create a force never seen before in the history of the game. You can equate that to Jay-Z. He may not be the greatest rapper at packing syllables into bars or what have you, but the fact he is so good at the things that backpack/underground rap fans love yet appeals to the commercial rap audience and pop music fans, that creates a deadly combination. That is why he is considered one of the all time greats.<br />
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Now on to his actual body of work. The only three albums I was messing with out of Jay's discography were the three obvious ones:<i> Reasonable Doubt</i>, <i>The Blueprint</i>, and <i>The Black Album</i>. To me, I would rank them 1) The Black Album 2) Reasonable Doubt and 3) The Blueprint. <br />
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To me <i>The Blueprint</i> more filler tracks than the other two which is why it gets the third spot on here. I could have done without Girls and Jigga That Nigga but other than that, it was as good as it gets. Although it has been said 3 million times, but the production on there was amazing. I said earlier that one of Jay's talents is his ear for beats and he picked the right beats from Just Blaze, Kanye, and the rest of them. Plus the album gave us the term "renegade," and diss track, The Takeover. The latter was so smooth that you almost forgot it was a diss track and he was naming names. <i> </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blueprint</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<i>The Blueprint</i> and <i>Reasonable Doubt</i> had a more cohesive sound front to back than <i>The Black Album</i> (from here on out I'm abbreviating the albums), but every single track on TBA was a banger. And that's the way it should have been. At the time it was his "retirement" album, and it made sense for Jay to go out with a bang. TBA also showed me why I'm mad that Jay doesn't do more storytelling tracks. That verse in 99 Problems with the cop pulling him over taught me more about search warrants than school ever has...and they say rap is a bunch of loud nonsense. Jay also gave one of the best lines of his career in Moment of Clarity when he gave Talib Kweli and Common their props.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Black Album</td></tr>
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As for RD, that was a great debut. Jay was not a trend setter in terms of making music but when he did jump on trends he made sure people remembered him. In terms of mafioso rap, I still have Raekwon's <i>Only Built For Cuban Linx</i> as my favorite but Big's <i>Ready To Die </i>and RD are always jostling for that number 2 spot. The thing I like about RD is that it is the best display of Jay's technical lyricism. He was a rapper's rapper on his debut. When you listen to this album, you never would have expected this guy would be collaborating with a dude from N'Sync or rapping about going to art galleries with his wife. He was an animal on his debut, but knew he couldn't sell 75 million records by rapping like that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reasonable Doubt</td></tr>
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As for the rest of his discography, I don't feel like Jay made another album like that holy trinity. He had great tracks on pretty much every album like Big Pimpin, the intro on <i>Dynasty</i>, plus I really like A Star Is Born (more so for J. Cole's verse) among his vast material. People will argue for <i>American Gangster</i> but I really wasn't feeling that one. People say it was a return to the RD Jay, but I just thought it was ehhhh. Jay honestly could have just had that Holy Trinity as his entire discography and been considered one of the all time greats. How many rappers have three of the greatest albums in the genre?<br />
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So in conclusion, is Jay one of the all time greats? God damn right he is. He didn't bring hip-hop into the mainstream but his success no doubt bridged the gap from hip-hop to mainstream America. Everybody knows who Jay-Z is. I don't know if I would carve out a spot on Mount Rushmore for him at the moment but I will just have to wait and see. The only knocks that I have about Jay-Z is that he really didn't introduce anything new to the rap game and that I can't relate to any of his music at all. I will never disagree with the assessment that Jigga is one of the best to ever do it but the reason I have never been into him is because his music doesn't touch my soul in any way...pause. Before people jump on me saying "What do you mean Jay didn't bring anything to the rap game, he gave us Kanye aka the greatest thing to ever walk the earth aka the second coming aka the man who loves gold diggers and strippers," being a mogul/head of a record label and a rapper are two completely entirely different things and because of such, I can't see one thing Jay brought to the table other than being dope as hell. If I am being ignorant and am completely wrong on this point then by all means correct me on it, because that would vault Jay damn near to the top for me. <br />
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Part 2 coming soon...Rakim <br />
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<b>Jay-Z feat UGK (RIP Pimp C)- Big Pimpin</b><br />
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<b>Jay-Z- D'Evils</b><br />
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<b>Jay-Z and Big L freestyle</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OYfKMIdoJL0" width="420"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-1818503021157040462014-02-09T18:37:00.000-08:002014-02-09T20:12:26.132-08:00Blueprint To Build a Championship Team<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florida State University, 2014 BCS Champions</td></tr>
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With the conclusion of the National Football League season ending with the Seattle Pigeons vanquishing the record setting Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, a lot of deserved attention was heaped upon that whole team, specifically the defense. Even though I hate that Seattle team with every fiber in my body, I have to give credit where credit is due...the players on that team were amazing and every single one rose to the occasion. But if you think for one second that is the sole reason for Seattle winning the Super Bowl, then you're crazy. If you think Pete Carroll is the sole reason why Seattle took home the Lombardi, then you're crazy. As corny as it sounds, it truly takes a team effort to end the season hoisting a trophy. And this is not specific to football. This whole team effort it takes to win a championship crosses over to all sports and any industry to be honest. Let's take a look at what it takes to win a championship or be successful in any industry.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eddie DeBartolo, the first owner to not care how much he spent</td></tr>
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When we watch sports, we see the players performing. These people, however, are the last pieces of the puzzle. At the top of the organization is an owner. Owners are the ones that write the checks and because of that, everyone in the organization has to answer to him/her. The owners are the ones who set the culture and how the people working for him should present themselves. But another question is how to motivate employees. And it is not a complex question. Look at this past year's champions in the MLB, NFL, and the NBA: the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Pigeons, and the Miami Heat. The thing these three teams have in common is that the owners are willing to spend money. It is easier to do in baseball because there is no salary cap and John Henry of the Red Sox takes advantage of unlimited spending. Boston is annually in the upper echelon of payrolls in the MLB and the results show it. After not winning a world series in 86 years, they have won 3 in the past 10 years. Paul Allen just won his first Super Bowl as owner of Seattle. One of the biggest advantages they had was their stadium and that did not appear out of thin air. Paul Allen had to put money down to build the best home field advantage in American sports today. Obviously winning a championship is not dependent on spending more than everyone else, but you need to pull out the wallet. Look at Micky Arison, owner of the Miami Heat. When they won their first championship back in the 2006, they paid money to bring Shaq in from LA the year before. Then in the famed summer of 2010, they pulled the ultimate coup by bringing in Lebron and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade. This tandem has resulted in 2 championships in the 3 years they have been together. Speaking of bringing these guys together, this brings me to the second most important part of an organization.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat Riley, Mafia Don</td></tr>
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The next step in building a championship team is having a front office that knows what it wants to do. I mentioned how the owner should be the one to set the culture for the organization and write the checks but that is all they should do. The best owners are seen and not heard. They shake hands and kiss babies but should not be involved in the building of a team. Look at Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. They are the definition of a dysfunctional team because Jerry Jones is trying to wear too many hats. He wants to be the owner, GM, and face of the franchise. There is not enough time in the day for one man to accomplish all of these things successfully. The only owner I can think of who has a large media presence yet is successful is Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks. The good thing about Cuban is that he does not get involved with shaping the roster (or it appears so from the outside). He generates interest in his team, back his players no matter what, and leaves the important basketball decisions to those in charge of making those decisions, but I digress. It seems like every team has someone with a different title in charge of the front office. The titles could range from General Manager (GM), Team President, Director of Personnel, Director of Operations, etc. For the sake of simplicity I'm just going to call the person making decisions the decision maker. We could see how the owner and the decision maker work together in order to make their vision work. The owner sets the vision for his brand and the decision maker constructs it and attempts to bring it to fruition. The decision maker brings in free agents, drafts prospects, make trades for players, and decides who gets to come back to the team next year. They are in charge with shaping the team and must select someone to lead this group of athletes to accomplish a goal. That person who is chosen as the leader is known as the coach.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete Carroll, sleazeball</td></tr>
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The coach and the decision maker must be on the same page in order to bring in the right type of players on to the team. If they are out of sync, then the coach is stuck with a bunch of players he does not want or do not fit the coaching scheme (see Washington Redskins). You better hire a good coach too because a team can have talented players but not get anywhere if there is an incompetent coach leading them (see San Francisco 49ers under Mike Singeltary). Now a coach is the equivalent to your boss in the workplace. There are different ways to be a boss and different ways to coach but we all generally like to have the same qualities from our coaches/bosses. We like them to 1) be knowledgeable. If the people you're supposed to be following is full of it and has no idea what he/she is doing then the workers/players are going to tune them out real quick and lose respect. Number 2 is the ability to motivate. There will be days when people aren't at their best but it is up to the coach to uplift their workers/players and get them to perform the best of their abilities. Number 3 is the ability to be cool in stressful situations. It is often said that players take on the personality of the coach and although it is not a scientific fact, I believe that to be true. If your coach is pacing up and down the sideline in a nervous wreck with two minutes left in the game, how is that supposed to motivate the team. However, if the coach can make smart decisions under stress, that instills confidence in the team to perform at their best. I said earlier that the owner sets the tone for the organization as a whole, but the coach relays that message and sets the tone everyday because he is in contact with the players and his coaching staff every single day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Ortiz, 2013 World Series MVP</td></tr>
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The last part that makes a team successful is finally, the players. You can't win a championship without good players. We always root for the underdog in sports but there is a reason they are the underdog in the first place, they aren't as good as their opponents. The majority of the time, the team with more talent wins. But it isn't just the individual talent that matters, it is the talent of the team as a whole to fit the scheme that the coach and decision maker has out into place. We just saw it with Seattle that the old saying rings true, "Defense Wins Championships." Denver had a record setting offense being piloted by the greatest regular season quarterback in history but could not do anything against the attacking defense of Seattle. In my opinion, defense is what wins championship in football, basketball, and baseball. Defense always has to rise to the occasion to make a stop. Look at the Super Bowl 47. It was a high scoring game between Baltimore and the 49ers but it came down to a goal line stand (and terrible/unimaginative Greg Roman calls) by Baltimore to seal the Super Bowl. The Miami Heat has LeBron James and Dwyane Wade leading their team but what makes them go is their suffocating defense. The Indiana Pacers are considered the favorites to take home the Larry O'Brian Trophy and that is because they have the defense to stop any team. Defense is the reason why the Chicago Bulls have been in the playoff chase these past two years despite Derrick Rose barely being a part of the team. In baseball, it is easier to prevent runs from scoring than to try and light up the scoreboard. Look at the 2012 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had the best hitter on the planet in Miguel Cabrera and the best clean up hitter in Prince Fielder but they were stumped time and time again by the Giants pitching staff and great defense, particularly shortstop Brandon Crawford and leftfielder Gregor Blanco. The way you win in sports is by stopping the other team from scoring and that may not be the sexiest strategy but it is the most effective. Defense is the foundation then everything else comes after that. I could go on and on but I think that would be a good spin off article.<br />
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It's seems so easy to come up with a championship team that I should just become an adviser or something and lead my team to championship upon championship but you know the politics and stuff. Back to the main point of this post is that, these four groups: owner, front office, coach, and players all have to be in sync with each other in order for the organization to be successful. Look at the past champions in football, basketball, and baseball (I don't know anything about hockey) and tell me I'm not right. If there is a champion that is missing one of the four main ingredients, then there is usually a fluke reason for that. And if you didn't realize it, these four main ingredients cross over into the "normal world" too. I guarantee successful companies like Macy's, DirectTV, and Disneyland have amazing structures which is why they are constants in our society. Start your own business and follow this to become a success and I'll be expecting that 10% of all profits wired into my checking account. <br />
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<b>Little Brother feat. Elzhi- Hiding Place</b><br />
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<b>Boldy James- Moochie</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GGosx170Kdk" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-12609169820815043192014-01-31T23:12:00.001-08:002014-01-31T23:12:03.293-08:00Isaiah Rashad- Cilvia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With Kendrick Lamar blowing up and gaining even more steam recently because of his snubs at the Grammys and with Schoolboy Q set to drop his highly anticipated and often delayed debut album, <i>Oxymoron</i>, the crew with the most to prove looks to be Top Dawg Entertainment. In 2013, the TDE crew expanded to include Isaiah Rashad and SZA joining Kendrick, Schoolboy, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul to the most potent label in hip-hop right now. For all the lovers of radio rap, TDE is better than Young Money and MMG (although Fat Trel is going to make some noise). J Cole has his start up team that is looking to make some noise (but won't). For all the underground lovers, TDE is better than Slaughterhouse, Funk Volume, Pro Era, ASAP Rocky and friends, and Odd Future. There should be no debate. TDE is reigning supreme. So after that brief jocking, let me get into what I'm trying to say. TDE is set up for a huge year because they announced all six members will release new projects this year and that Isaiah Rashad is going to lead them off. I knew absolutely nothing about the dude from Tennessee before his signing but obviously him signing to such a label meant he must have had talent. I tried not to check his stuff out before his debut EP (which at 14 tracks should have just been an album) but I ended up catching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUaqIoXGVV4" target="_blank">Shot You Down</a> and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpuI1uk6WdY" target="_blank">BET cypher</a>. He didn't wow me but I still had faith since Rashad was signed to TDE after all and they wouldn't just sign a scrub. So I present, the review of Isaiah Rashad's debut EP, <i>Cilvia Demo</i>...<br />
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After listening to this project several times, the one thing that came to my mind was that this was a very good debut for Isaiah Rashad. He didn't drop an Illmatic or a Get Rich or Die Tryin as his debut but Rashad didn't need to and no one was expecting him to do so. The bad thing about dropping a 5 star classic as your debut is that your whole career will be defined by that debut and every subsequent release will be viewed as "...but it wasn't as good as his first one." The most important thing in a debut album, for me, is to find out who the artist is. Fans have no idea who Isaiah Rashad was other than he is from Tennessee. Well we found out he has had a lot of anger and daddy issues in his life and that's good that he was telling us. The very best songs tend to be the ones that are the most emotional because they relate to us not as fans but as humans and we can hear the pain in a musician's voice. But other than the pain is his life, his music also lets us know Rashad is a very spiritual person. It seems to be a theme with the TDE artists that spirituality is a major part of their lives and it shows in all of their music.<br />
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Another thing that was great about Rashad's debut was that he seems to have a certain direction that he wants to go in with his music already. This means on future projects, he can get right into that comfort zone instead of wasting tracks and multiple projects on finding his lane. I already mentioned the anger and the spirituality, but he also rhymes a lot about past experiences which he uses to make better decisions for the future. That comfort zone I was talking about is that laid back zone. I don't know if that was his decision or if it was TDE's but Isaiah Rashad appears as if he is being marketed as the chill guy you could smoke to. This is all a part of TDE's plan to put together a strong team. The problem with a group like Slaughterhouse, for example, is that all four are dope dope dope spitters, but that is really it. There is nothing that really differentiates one member from the other. If you hear Budden, it isn't anything different than listening to Ortiz. With TDE, you have Kendrick as the Top Dog (pun intended), then Schoolboy as the party guy, Ab-Soul as the spiritual lyricist, Jay Rock is the gangster who gets hungrier with every track he spits on, and SZA is the singer who will make you think about life. Everyone in TDE has a niche and each individual is one of the top, if not the best, artists in that niche they are in. That being said, I loved the production on <i>Cilvia</i> because it matches the laid back rhymes of Rashad to create that atmosphere. Every song fit with the beat. There wasn't any track that me thinking "why did they use this beat for that track?" There was a plan in place for the sound and it was executed.<br />
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The last thing that I really liked about the project was that Isaiah Rashad did most of the hooks. That shows he knows how to write a hook (which is probably the most important component to getting radio play) and that he can handle having himself on the hooks. He does a Kid Cudi-like cadence when on the hooks but he actually sound like he prepares what he is going to say unlike Cudi. Rashad sounds good on it meaning that TDE and Interscope don't have to break the bank to get someone to sing a hook for him. <br />
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My favorite song off of the EP was no doubt Heavenly Father. I just loved everything about that song and it is in the daily rotation. Not the best part of the song but a memorable one was at the end when he was talking about the dudes who give trill a bad name. I don't know exactly which rappers he was talking about but we can all trace that whack trillness to ASAP Rocky. He gave trill a new life and even though he isn't guilty of degrading the word, he is guilty for inspiring the degradation of it. I need to know who is the beautiful voice on the hook though. Other tracks I really liked were Banana, Soliloquy of course, Tranquility, Cilvia Demo, and I loved the juxtaposition of Modest. There weren't any tracks i would have thrown away but there were a few I skip right now. My mind usually changes on that kind of stuff though so that's why I won't name them now.<br />
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My closing thoughts...it was a very good debut for Isaiah Rashad and he set himself up for improvement with his next release. You don't need a home run in your first at bat. When that happens, you try to do that everytime and kind of miss the small shit that is the most important. He hit a double with this debut, not a homerun but he is still in scoring position. Now he can fine tune his techniques, learn from the other members of TDE, and just gain experience to get home. For what it is worth i'll give the album a solid <b>B</b>. The reason why it isn't higher is because I feel like Rashad has set himself up perfectly to drop an even better sophmore release. It was a very good debut but at the same time left a little something to be desired. I am anticipating his next release will be geared towards the radio, so it will be interesting to see if he changes anything up the next time around.<br />
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I got the Broncos beating the Pigeons 24-20. I hate you Dick Sherman and everything you stand for. Earl Thomas and Marshawn Lynch are the only Pigeons I root for and Russell Wilson has to have some skeletons in the closet. <br />
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<b>Spice 1- The Murda Show</b><br />
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<b>Fat Trel- Bitches</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XIgRCkpXW2U" width="560"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-91882501372872484652014-01-04T10:08:00.001-08:002014-01-04T10:08:23.193-08:00Best Projects Of 2013...Real Boy List<br />
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I told you the real boy list would be coming real soon. If you didn't check out the preview post which has my honorable mentions and stuff i really wasn't feeling too much, check it out <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-albumsmixtapesepsprojectswhatevers.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The reason why this list is coming out "later" than other lists is because i wanted to wait until 2013 actually came to a close before deciding on a best of list. I still don't understand how you can have a Best Of list when the year isn't over. Anyways 2013 wasn't a great year for hip-hop. A lot of mediocre stuff was released. No instant classics were dropped in my opinion. A few years down the road, a couple may be retroactively considered classics but there are none at the moment. Instead of hating on the year i'll just let you read what i feel were the best 10 projects of 2013. <br />
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<b>10. Roc Marciano- <i>The Pimpire Strikes Back</i></b><br />
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Like many people i have been sleeping on Roc Marciano for way too long. He had a career revival with 2011's <i>Reloaded</i> album and i've been meaning to check it out but just never got around to it. i loved his feature on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs9T3TEX_ek" target="_blank">Pouches of Tuna</a> with Action Bronson but i was still putting off listening to him for some reason. I randomly saw <i>The Pimpire Strikes Back</i> for free on some website and decided to finally give him a listen and i was surprised in a good way. Because he is a New York rapper and he had that Flipmode Squad association i automatically assumed Roc to be some typical New York rapper where it is just bar after bar after bar. Little did i know he is some slick pimp rapper who can flow his ass off. I can't tell you how many time i've replayed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-KYV1Ui3Js" target="_blank">The Sacrifice</a> to the point where it prevents me from listening to the entire project sometimes. Since he is already a vet, i'm not expecting Roc to have a 2 Chainz-like revival this late into his career but as long as he keeps making some heat, there won't be a need to. Although Roc has bars when it comes to the production he needs to team up with Madlib and let him produce everything on a project. <br />
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<b>9. Vince Staples & Larry Fisherman- <i>Stolen Youth LP</i></b><br />
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I'll say it again and again, my favorite new rapper that i discovered in 2013 has to be Vince Staples. It doesn't happen too often that one verse can make me check out an artist but his verse on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcDXL5Aw0o" target="_blank">Hive</a> did just that. There was a grittiness to it that you just don't hear nowadays. I know the Chief Keefs, Lil Durks, and Fat Trels of the world bring violence into rap but they don't do it like Vince. The formers do it in a way where its shoot first, ask questions later. When you hear Vince Staples, you hear a kid who is self aware and socially aware and understands why he needs to act in violence. That shit is believable. He isn't some ignorant kid shooting a 9 but rather someone who has an actual reasoning for his actions. What i liked about this project is that it brought us into his world. He told us stories about his father going to jail for being a dope dealer, getting raised by a single mother, his own experiences selling drugs, and wisdom beyond his gang infested years. The tracks i liked the most were the ones he had no features on: the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6TwPSAlwVI" target="_blank">Intro</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nod4b0kTRq4" target="_blank">Guns and Roses</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgag34NOk-c" target="_blank">Stuck In My Ways</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma5Ai5IrFSc" target="_blank">Thought About You</a>, and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZPCSqw5A-s" target="_blank">Outro</a> were my standouts. The features really brought the project down with the exception of the Schoolboy Q one, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfOeB9YpmcY" target="_blank">Back Sellin Crack</a>. The Ab Soul one was cool but it wasn't my favorite and i can live without it. If you didn't know, Larry Fisherman is the name Mac Miller uses when producing and i have to say, he did his thing. He surprised me with the production skills for sure. Maybe that's what he needs to stick to but that's my opinion. I liked his production work on this more than i liked his album <i>Watching Movies With The Sound Off</i>. Looking forward to Vince in 2014, get him on that XXL cover. <br />
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<b>8. Varth Dader- <i>Tice Nitties</i></b><br />
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This album has been out for a while and i still don't know anything about Varth Dader beyond his/their music. I still don't even know if it is a group, one person, or a collective but goddamn, this project was fresh. The best part about the album is that it is Name Your Price on their <a href="http://nasa8.bandcamp.com/album/tice-nitties" target="_blank">bandcamp </a>page. You can be a cheap bastard like me and get it for free or pay a price for it because this project is worth your money. I first found out about Varth Dader on the DEHH youtube page via beezy430, shout out to the crew. When i searched him/them on youtube i found Forever Omnipresent and was hooked. I checked out the rest of the project and the first track was on some more goddamn stuff. The first half of the song sucked but once that beat changed up and he said "I forgot to turn the swagger off before I went to sleep, next morning i woke up with six naked Puerto Ricans up in my sheets," I knew it was my shit. The project was a little long for my liking but my favorites off of it were Angel Dust and Clones. Those 4 that i mentioned are the ones that i play the most. The rest of the album is cool and i definitely listen to them all but i don't go searching for each one when i have nothing to listen to. If it's on i listen, if it's not, then i don't.<br />
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<b>7. Run The Jewels</b><br />
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The self titled debut of BFF's El-P and Killer Mike is needed in 2013 and beyond. It is some hard hitting rap that gets straight to the point and is bound to cause some riots. If you're a fan of Big Sean you probably won't like this. If you're a Wale fan, no disrespect, but you probably will be turned away because the bass hurts your ears and the music makes you feel like you don't have enough testosterone. It's not like I listen to this album (released for free btw, shout out to Mike and El-P for that) every day front to back but when i do listen to it, it gets a good week in the rotation. The thing with these guys is that you don't have to be a fan of their work to enjoy their music (maybe El-P). I am in the belief that once you hear these guys, whether solo or together, they make such good music that you will become fans. Not only is it some music that will cause some riots and make your neighbors hate you, but you'll learn something from the duo. They sprinkle knowledge in there that makes you want to look further into the issues being spoken about. If you call yourself a rap fan but don't listen to Killer Mike or El-P then don't call yourself a rap fan. It's cool if you don't like it but you have to at least listen to them. I can't wait for another Run The Jewels project and solo projects from each individual. Where's that Despot album at though?<b> </b><br />
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<b>6. Kevin Gates- <i>The Luca Brasi Story</i></b><br />
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This Kevin Gates mixtape is a late bloomer for me. It was released back in February I believe but i did not start messing with it heavy until late December. The track i was feeling for the longest time was Paper Chasers. Whenever i listened to the rest of the project, the trap sound was just too much for me to take seriously. Then i stopped being an elitist and started appreciating that trap sound again and gave this listen another go around. Even though the auto tuned sound is heavy throughout the 20 plus track mixtape, it doesn't get on my nerves like Future does for some reason. Gates knows how to not sound like a pussy when rapping with autotune. And he can make those songs for the ladies as well and i was feeling them. Neon Lights, Arms of a Stranger, and Around Me are heavy in the rotation. Instead of sounding like a dying cat when using autotune, Gates uses it to get that emotion out of him and it works. Then after writing his trap love ballads, he can become that dude on the corner that has chicks working for him armed with hammers while selling that arm & hammer. Then he'll ice pick your knees if he feels the need to take matters into his own hands. I went in expecting to hate this project but i was way wrong and now became a fan of the dude. I never thought i could ever take a dude making a love ballad in autotune seriously but lo and behold, it happened. Looking forward to what he does next.<b><i><br /></i></b><br />
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<b>5. Big Krit- <i>King Remembered In Time</i></b><br />
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Anyone that has read the blog knows that Big Krit is my dude so of course i was excited to hear that he was coming out with this mixtape. The previous project he released was his debut studio album, <i>Live From The Underground</i>, which was cool but it didn't capture me at all like it did his other four mixtapes. Although i ended up loving <i>4eva N a Day</i>, it definitely took several listens for me to come around to it and i feared it was going to be the same for this self titled project. Needless to say i didn't have that same problem with this and i loved it. The production has toned down on the classic southern beats, although he still has bangers with My Trunk (where trinidad James did his thing) and How U Luv That with Big Sant. The production on the mixtape was generally very soulful with enough bass in there to make the trunk knock and Krit is matching his great production with improving lyricism. When i say lyricism i don't mean just being able to rhyme words in a dope way *cough Slaughterhouse* but rather the combination of dope to the point lyricism with stories and subject matter. I mean did anyone else notice how tracks 12-15 were all related and i guess you could throw in the Bigger Picture into that mix. Just absolutely amazing to me and Krit is without a doubt the best producer/MC in the game right now. If he was just a spitter he would be dope, if he was just a producer he would be beyond dope but he combines the two so well. Can't wait until Cadillactica comes out. Everyone needs to support this man.<br />
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<b>4. Azizi Gibson- <i>Ghost In The Shell</i></b><br />
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For me, this project came out of nowhere. I would not have heard of the dude or his music if it wasn't for the homie putting me on to him this past summer. For those that don't know, Azizi Gibson is signed to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder Label. That's really all i know about him to be honest other than he grew up around the world because he was an army brat. Getting right into it, my favorite track is the title track, Ghost In The Shell. I guess you can say that is his most serious/introspective track and you could hear in the music that he was letting us listeners into his world. Despite all the tracks not being on the same level as the title tracks, they were all dope. It was an interesting and entertaining listen. He seems like he is all over the place with his stories but at the heart of it all he wants to do is get famous, stack paper, and make romance with the finest of women. Azizi's a character and that's the great thing about Brainfeeder. Flying Lotus gives his artists complete creative control over their music and product is stuff like this. Who knows if Azizi would have gotten his small number of listens without the support of Brainfeeder. He is someone i'm definitely keeping an eye on. I will be anticipating his next project and will be having big expectations for it.<br />
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<b>3. Chance The Rapper- <i>Acid Rap</i></b><br />
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I should have seen this coming but for some reason i didn't realize that Chance is a polarizing rapper. Either people love him or they hate him. Personally, i love the guy's music. I really liked his 2012 release, <i>10 Day</i>, and that got me anticipating his second project. I feel like people that hate him can't stand his voice. That was my problem at first too because that was really annoying to no end but once i got past that and just started listening to his music, his voice not only became a non-issue but it became one of the more appealing aspects to the music. There's only a couple tracks on here that i don't like which are the intro and a few in the middle of the tape but other than that i love the rest of them. Chance has managed to differentiate himself from other rappers in 2013 at the age of 20. It isn't just because he spits bars and is "bringing rap back," but rather Chance is bringing a whole new style mixing melodies, flow, and meaningful lyrics into one package. He is far from a great singer but he sounds good on his hooks. His adlibs are annoying but they get stuck in your head to the point where you have to play the songs the minute you get back to your computer. Chance is going to be a force to be reckoned with and is one of the flag bearers for the new wave of hip-hop artists coming up.<br />
<br />
<b>2. The Underachievers- <i>Indigoism</i></b><br />
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<br />
I don't even like every track on The Underachievers' debut project but the ones i do like, i play A LOT. I probably went back to these songs more than any other throughout the whole year. There's something about their spirituality talking that gets me everytime, i don't know what it is. I pretty much listen to at least one song of theirs every day and it has not gotten old whatsoever. AK and Issa are some interesting artists because they are direct products of the internet age. With what they talk about, i can't see how they have any chance of getting radio play therefore they must rely on tours to make money. Like Azizi Gibson, they are signed to Brainfeeder and their creative control is seen in the type of music they put out. This was actually the first of two mixtapes that UA released in the year and apparently they have an album in the works for 2014. I can't even explain why i like the tracks so i'm being lazy and you gotta take my word for it. Just listen to the damn thing and form your own opinion. P.S. I'm praying to God that Issa and AK don't break up because they will probably be doomed if that's the case.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Mr Muthafuckin eXquire- <i>Kismet </i></b><br />
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<br />
This one is slept on and its a damn shame too. I first caught wind of Mr Muhafuckin eXquire when i saw his 2011 mixtape, <i>Lost In Translation</i>, pop up on the best of... lists so i checked it out. It was cool for me but i wasn't vibing with it. Although the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkANX8EbmdU" target="_blank">Huzzah remix</a> was the one though. I checked his other tapes and wasn't too impressed with it so he was kind of out of sight out of mind for me. Then I heard eXquire on that El-P track,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ed5osQYvU" target="_blank"> Oh Hail No</a>, and it was like a revelation for me. I had to keep tabs on my dude again but when <i>Kismet </i>dropped i admit that it wasn't in the rotation at first. Once it did get in the rotation however, it didn't leave. I was listening to this everyday. The dude is deep, has left field beats, and can ride those beats like its no ones business. This isn't everyone's cup of tea so it's one of those love it or hate it projects but if you love it you LOVE IT. He drops lines like "9 chains on my neck, you can weigh my pain," or lines like "can't sell records, too much complexity." Then the next song will be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bV83u4y6S4" target="_blank">I Was Drunk When I Wrote This</a> and brings the party right back. He's got the new morning anthem with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kff4y1AcQ9k" target="_blank">Illest Niggaz Breathin</a> which I play every morning along with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JfEJq56IwI" target="_blank">So Fresh, So Clean</a>. He's got the women stories with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNQGs5zaIj8" target="_blank">Cherry Raindrops</a>. He'll talk about love with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZoZLU82kBA" target="_blank">Vanilla Rainbows</a>. He's got the fuck society track with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcngDo6c4I" target="_blank">Chains</a>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsBl4Hx0a5o" target="_blank">Paper Hearts</a> is my shit. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdZVOUjwrEE" target="_blank">eXxx Studio</a> is a great way to end the project. I enjoyed this project thoroughly and this was the one i played the most front to back. He looks like he's making a push for radio play because he dropped the Mr. Muthafuckin and is going just by eXquire right now so i hope he can make it. If we can hear his stuff on the radio, that would be an amazing change of pace to what we have been hearing between all the swag rap and the i can't control my emotions rap. Support the dude. <br />
<br />
<br />
There you have it. If you're wondering why i may have some more What? choices in my top 10 it is because 1) they were my favorite projects of the year and 2) if you wanted to see Yeezus or J Cole or Jay Z or Pusha T on the list you can literally go to any other person's list and see them. I'm trying to give these dude's some shine and put a new audience onto them because if i liked them odds are that there are other people who liked or will like them too. Let me know of any comments, questions, or vulgarities you have at the list and i'll get back to you.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Big Boy's Favorite Projects of the Year (no order):</b></span><br />
<b>Rich Homie Quan >>>> everything else</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Ill Fashionista's Favorite Projects of the Year (no order):</b></span><br />
<b>Kevin Gates- <i>The Luca Brasi Story</i></b><br />
<b>Trinidad James- <i>Don't Be Safe</i> </b>(I am aware it was 2012)<br />
<b>Chief Keef- <i>Finally Rich</i></b><br />
<b>Drake- <i>Nothing Was The Same </i></b><br />
<b>Kendrick Lamar- <i>good kid M.A.A.d city </i></b>(I am aware it was 2012)<b><i> </i></b> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Girlfriend's Favorite Stuff of the Year (no order):</b></span><br />
<b>The Lumineers</b>- <i><b>Ho Hey</b></i><br />
<b>Passengers- <i>Let Her Go</i></b><br />
<b>Eminem feat Rihanna- <i>Monsters </i></b><br />
<b>Lorde- <i>Pure Heroine</i> </b>(forgot to put that on the real boy list)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lil B- Where The Game Began</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BlFcKSfUoV0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Lil B- I Own Swag</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7zJa6FB5crk" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br /></div>
Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-81555648446887644582014-01-03T10:57:00.000-08:002014-01-03T10:57:28.354-08:00Best Albums/Mixtapes/EP's/Projects/Whatevers of 2013...Preview<br />
As you can tell from the title, this is going to be a best of 2013 list of music that i was digging in these past 365 days. Now I was going to do one huge post but i decided to split it into two. This first post you could call a preview I guess. What I did was listen to as much as I could in the music world in 2013. All the projects I listened to and remembered will be on here. As I'm writing this sentence I remembered that I listened to Tyga and French Montana's albums but at the same time I have no desire to revisit them. So it's a list of the projects I want to take time out of and show some love to whether i liked it or not. This post isn't really a ranking but more so a shout out to those projects I was mehh on and the honorable mention projects of the year. The real actual Best Of list won't come until 2014 and will have rankings that have some merit in my mind but probably only mean anything to me. So for this one, tell me why i'm stupid for not liking certain projects or if you got any projects you feel were honorable mention worthy in this year of mediocre music. Here we go with the kickoff to the end.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wasn't Really Feelins<span style="font-size: large;">/<span style="font-size: large;">M<span style="font-size: large;">ehhs</span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><i>Psalms of David 2 </i>by Dee-1 and <i>Church Clothes 2 </i>by Lecrae</b><br />
<br />
Dee-1
and Lecrae dropped their projects in lateish 2013 and i just want to
give a shout out for what they're doing. Lecrae actually has a grammy
for best gospel album if that means anything but i'm giving them a
shoutout for making hip-hop music in a positive light. They don't swear,
they don't drink or smoke, they're not preachy about how they live a
clean lifestyle which is always a plus, and they try to be as uplifting
as they can. To me, their stuff is just boring. Lecrae's first <i>Church Clothes </i>mixtape
apparently was better than the sequel so i'll give that a listen when i
get the chance, but these projects didn't have any replay value for me.
It is refreshing to hear this kind of style in hip-hop so let's just
hope there's some kids listening that could make it interesting. It's
already an uphill battle for these guys but i like what they're trying
to do.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Untitled 2</b></i><b>- Hodgy Beats</b><br />
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Normally i don't mess with Odd Future but i saw Hodgy get interviewed by Nardwuar and thought he was hilarious so i had to check his music out. Normally i'm all about progression for the artists but when you say bukakke in a recorded interview, you're not going to drop any wisdom or say anything that hasn't been said before. And there's nothing wrong with that. Just give me a project full of tracks like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QfkCYSU0SU" target="_blank">Karateman</a> (one of my favorite tracks of the year) and that would have probably would have made the real boy end of the year list. Shout out to Odd Future though. I still don't really mess with them but they're doing their thing and its paying off for them. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Nehruvia</i>- Bishop Nehru</b><br />
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<br />
I remember listening to Bishop Nehru way back early in the year and kind of forgot about him until now. I haven't even gone back to listen to anything of his so its been out of sight out of mind. I did do a <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/04/bishop-nehru-nehruvia.html" target="_blank">post</a> on this mixtape though. I remember liking it for his flow and subject matter especially since the guy was only 16. Looking back, the problems i had with it was that he was sounding too much like Joey Badass in voice, flow, and subject matter. He is a dope rapper, don't get me wrong, but he needs to do something that differentiates himself from the pro era boys especially since this 90's enlightenment rap seems to be taking over. I know he had another project this year but i didn't check it out and supposedly he is going to do a collaboration project with MF DOOM so i think everyone is on the lookout for that. Hopefully he comes correct next year. <b></b><br />
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<b><i>Old Boy John</i>- Dumbfoundead</b><br />
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<br />
This Dumbfoundead project has the same issue i had with the Bishop Nehru project, it has no replay value for me. I liked it at the time, it was cool, but it was the perfect example of a MEHHH project. He is a guy i want to see do well because i've seen videos of him battle rapping and straight taking out fool in the alleyways of LA, so i know he has put in the time but the project didn't hold my interest. Only reason i remember he dropped a project was because i was looking through my posts from this year and i found his <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/04/dumbfoundead-old-boy-jon.html" target="_blank">review</a>. If he does drop something in the future, i'm definitely going to check it out just to see how he has progressed, but i'm not going to be counting down the days until its release. The most memorable line from the album was "I'm Johnny, Im Manziel, that freshman with the Heisman." Take that line however you want to take it. If you think it's clever...okay.<br />
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<i><b>Innanetape</b></i><b>- Vic Mensa</b><br />
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<br />
Shout out to Vic and Chance the Rapper for representing Chicago well. If you want a full in depth review of what i thought about the mixtape, click <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/vic-mensa-innanetape.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In short it was cool, but it didn't have enough replay value to stick in the itunes playlist. The only track i remember that i liked off the top of my head was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR1hMP8y0WQ" target="_blank">Tweakin</a> mainly because of Chance's verse and i played it like 30 times before going to the next track. I'm interested in seeing Vic's progression but at the same time i won't be losing any sleep if i see that i missed like 3 Vic Mensa releases in the future. <br />
<br />
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<b><i>Long.Live.A$AP-</i> A$AP Rocky</b><br />
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<br />
I hate myself for doing this because i really try not to compare artists with previous works but i couldn't shake the fact that Rocky's studio debut was not even close to <i>Live.Love.A$AP.</i> The production on Long Live was dope but other than that, nothing stood out other than <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU4OIAYwo5g" target="_blank">1 Train</a> and every rapper got busy with their verses. I want Rocky to do well and i think we're all counting the days until he breaks off from ASAP Mob and really tries to build his own brand up. I'll obviously keep an eye out for Rocky but his next actual album i'll probably only check out if it gets good reviews and stuff. Shout out to Method Man for getting on that ASAP Nast t<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xda8NvdEfA" target="_blank">rack</a> and showing some love. <br />
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<i><b>The Psychic World of Walter Reed</b></i><b>- Killah Priest</b><br />
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<br />
If you guys don't know who Killah Priest is, he is a Wu Tang affiliate best known for his appearance on GZA's <i>Liquid Swords</i> album with the solo track B.I.B.L.E. If you're a hip-hop fan and you don't know that track or that album then turn in your hip-hop card and you won't be allowed to get it back for a year at least because if you don't know that album or song, then you need at least a year to catch up just to get your card back. To the album, i'm not going to front and act like I bump this everyday because i don't. It's a double album clocking in at 2 and a half hours so you need a lot of time on your hands if you want to listen to this in one sitting. Killah Priest is a smart dude who can combine that knowledge of religion/wisdom/life lessons into his music without sounding corny. The problem is that you have to be in the mood to listen to his music. If you are in the mood, then it is perfect. If not, then it is going to be a boring listen. Also, i though the production was boring as hell. No matter how dope the lyrics are, this production can't make the biggest Killah Priests fans listen for 2 and a half hours. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Million Dollar Afro-</i> Iamsu and Problem/ <i>Kilt 2-</i> Iamsu</b><br />
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<br />
Going to do a double mini review here with two of Iamsu's mixtapes released during the year, one of them being a collabo with Problem. If you need something to play at a party, just pick any track pretty much off of these two mixtapes. You can't go wrong. It's scientifically impossible to listen to an Iamsu track and not wanna just say "AYYYE" over and over again. Problem got his ignorant on too. I think he might have a phd in ignorance. Best tracks were Bout Me, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXAiK2BTGaI" target="_blank">Return of the Mac</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkWHqD1-gk" target="_blank">100 Grand Remix</a> feat Juvenile aka the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL2txMU50CI" target="_blank">Back That Ass Up</a> guy for all those that don't remember, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoQ2L8t-up0" target="_blank">On Citas</a>. <br />
<br />
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<b><i>While You Wait-</i> Sir Michael Rocks</b><br />
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<br />
I
have no idea why but one day in October or November, i think i was
watching a Sir Michael Rocks (aka Mikey Rocks) interview and he was
talking about how rappers stole the Cool Kids (his group with Chuck
Inglish) vibe and swag without really giving them credit so you know
being the history major that i am, i had to see what Mikey was talking
about. I checked out <i>Lap of Lux</i> first and was digging the vibe. I
mean i kind of new just from the his past with the Cool Kids and his
affiliation with Jet Life that Mikey Rocks isn't going to be some
lyrical wizard that is dropping triple entendres and having metaphors
that go over listeners heads until the fifth time you hear it while
reading along to the lyrics but he is a pretty boy rapper. To me, he is
Big Sean except i don't want to hit him with a swanton bomb off a 20
foot ladder. <i>While You Wait</i> was a good listen and a solid project
but it wasn't anything special. It's almost perfect that it dropped in
2013 since the year as a whole has seen "cool but ehhh" projects get
dropped left and right. For someone that was talking about how other
rappers stole his style i
found it kind of awkward that he bit the popular Atlanta flow that seems
to be the rage right now on I<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsh8bWshKX4" target="_blank">n A Minute</a>. Mikey has the last verse and uses the flow that has been popularized by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF-hq_CHNH0" target="_blank">Migos</a> which i believe but am not too sure they got from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTT0nlnXlqI" target="_blank">Young Thug</a>
(let me know if i am wrong though for sure). He has a really good ear
for beats and i feel like the production is the thing that carries Mikey
throughout the project. I'm still a fan of the dude, don't get me
wrong, and i'll still be on the lookout for his stuff especially
anything with Jetlife. Speaking of that, i don't know of anything that
he has done with those guys in a while so i don't even know how involved
he is with them. Mikey is just one of those guys for me that i'll see
he dropped a new track or whatever but it won't be a must listen. I have
to be in the flossy mood to listen to his music and there's nothing
wrong with that, just not my main craving. Big salute though for being
an overlooked pioneer. While I wait for a Cool Kids reunion (pun
intended), i'll check in on Mikey Rocks here and there. <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Special Shout Outs to these projects:</b><br />
<b> <i> </i></b><br />
<b>Deltron 3030-<i> Event II </i> </b><b>Czarface<i> </i></b><br />
<a href="http://cdn2.pitchfork.com/news/52374/8b3bef43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.pitchfork.com/news/52374/8b3bef43.jpg" height="200" width="200" /> </a><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91MPztCN1NL._SL1425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91MPztCN1NL._SL1425_.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Starlito & Don Trip- <i>Step Brothers 2 </i> </b><b><b>Stalley- <i>Honest Cowboy</i></b> </b><br />
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<b><i> </i></b><br />
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<br />
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<b>Black Milk- <i>No Poison No Paradise </i><a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/danny-brown-old.html" target="_blank">Danny Brown- </a><i><a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/danny-brown-old.html" target="_blank">Old</a></i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.spin.com/sites/all/files/styles/style300_300/public/131001-danny-brown-old-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.spin.com/sites/all/files/styles/style300_300/public/131001-danny-brown-old-review.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b><i> </i></b><br />
<a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-foreign-exchange-love-in-flying.html" target="_blank"><b>Foreign Exchange- </b></a><i><b><a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-foreign-exchange-love-in-flying.html" target="_blank">Love In Flying Colors</a> </b></i><b>Flatbush Zombies- <i>Better Off Dead</i></b><i><b> </b></i><br />
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<b><a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/08/earl-sweatshirt-doris.html" target="_blank">Earl Sweatshirt- </a><i><a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/08/earl-sweatshirt-doris.html" target="_blank">Doris </a> </i>Action Bronson & Party Supplies- <i>Blue Chips 2</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://edge-img.datpiff.com/m18ac89b/Action_Bronson_Blue_Chips_2-front-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://edge-img.datpiff.com/m18ac89b/Action_Bronson_Blue_Chips_2-front-large.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b><i> </i></b> <br />
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<i><b>Earth To Arima- </b></i><b>Arima Ederra</b></div>
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This
is kind of awkward because this was actually released late in December
of 2012. I actually didn't know this was a 2012 release until looking
for a picture of the album cover. But seeing how all the album of the
year lists come out in early December for some weird reason, this
project probably didn't get any love. I found out about it from
HipHopFightsBack, shout out to Jake Bourey (the ultimate hip hop
elitist). Onto the actual album, it really took me several listens to
enjoy this project but i did. It really gives a Erykah Badu, Jhene Aiko
feel to it. Its ironic that she emerged too because TDE signed a very
similar artist in my opinion in SZA a few months back who i also really
like. Listening to this project kind of gives you a feeling of being in a
different dimension with the spacy beats, spiritual lyrics, and just
overall vibe to it. I have no information about her (other than her
being from Las Vegas), who she is signed with (if at all), collabs with
any artists, or plans with future projects. However, doing a quick
youtube search reveled she has a couple joints with Blu. Speaking of
Blu, there was a Blu <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U7ECtgrtco" target="_blank">feature</a> on the project which kind of reminded me of Blu's Madlib produced track, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScKpj2DbHkQ" target="_blank">Jesus</a>. Favorite tracks on the project were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JUFBAGoN9w" target="_blank">Characteristics Of An Aquarian</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q3yCssVfs4" target="_blank">Lovemological</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWgBIwRhdyU" target="_blank">Flow Chart</a>. The only track i really wasn't fucking with was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koAD6qdTotU" target="_blank"> Lovers Lane</a>
which featured Gibby. No disrespect, i just felt the verse was boring
and a lot of movements were going on but nothing was being said. All in a
all a very solid project especially from someone who i never even heard
of before and i will definitely be looking forward to her next stuff
and see if she stays in her spirituality lane or if she mixes it up.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Handful Of Dust</i>- ANTHM</b><br />
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I
first heard about ANTHM on the rapgenius forum when asking about some
humble rappers i should be paying attention to. Usually rapgenius sucks
for this kind of stuff but i never heard of the guy before and gave it a
listen. I was thoroughly impressed by him and decided to get this
project. Looking into ANTHM a little bit i found out he is a Duke
graduate who had a steady career working on Wall Street. He threw it all
away to follow his passion of rapping so you could question the guy's
sanity maybe but you can't deny he's got some balls to throw that Wall
Street career away. I don't remember if this was a free download or if i
had to pay for it but it's in my possession now so who cares. First
off, this whole project was produced by GodLeeBarnes, which is Blu's
name when he does production. I have never heard a Blu production before
so this caught me off guard with how well the project was put together.
It's an EP so it's only 7 tracks coming at just over 20 minutes. I like
projects like this because you can listen to the entire thing just by
walking to school or taking a shit. I realized when making the list that
this isn't necessarily something i go back to a lot but when i do i
usually give the project a good 3 lessons each time. There aren't any
skip worthy tracks on the EP but at the same time there isn't exactly
one i would go back to constantly if that makes sense. I'm definitely
keeping my eye on him in the future and can't wait to see where he goes
from here. Favorite tracks were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEea7gbkXI8" target="_blank">Debbie</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oycyzm_-hMM" target="_blank">Low Class</a> which uses he same sample as Masta Ace's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_My0kV5v_0M" target="_blank">Take A Walk</a>.<br />
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<i><b>Crenshaw</b></i><b>- Nipsey Hussle</b><br />
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I already kind of gave my thoughts on Nipsey's $100 mixtape <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-happened-tonipsey-hussle.html" target="_blank">here</a> but after giving it a few more listens i'll speak on it some more. My favorite Nip project is still <i>The Marathon</i> and it is going to take a lot for Nipsey to dethrone that one but <i>Crenshaw</i>
i can honestly say is my second favorite even though that wasn't that
hard to do. I like the variety of producers and artists he worked with
on the project with 9th Wonder, Officer Ricky, some of Houston's finest
in Z-Ro and Slim Thug, and of course the LA cats like Dom Kennedy and
Futuristics. I had said my favorite track was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKrkPMCd0EA" target="_blank">Face the World</a> but that has changed to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aE_O4h1GI0" target="_blank">Go Long</a>.
Everytime i see some stupid ass person do something i'm thinking "get
the fuck out my face bitch nigga go long." This was a cool project but
it doesn't have much replay value other than a few projects. If the year
wasn't so mediocre for music i do not know if it would even make the
list. The thing that i guess is disappointing is that Nipsey has been in
the game for so long that we have kind of seen it all from him. I hope
he proves me wrong but i think as listeners we know what to expect from
him in the future. I still can't believe he sold all the copies of his
mixtape. <br />
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<i><b>S- </b></i><b>SZA</b><br />
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<i>S</i> is the debut EP/mixtape from the First Lady of TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment as in the best label in the game right now for all you guys whose top 3 rappers are Eminem, Drake, and Macklemore). Although i do believe this was released before she was signed to the label. I'm not going to pretend and say I've known about SZA ever since she uploaded her first song to myspace. I found out about her when news broszake that she had signed to TDE. This was a left field choice because when you think of TDE you think of the rappers on the label: Kendrick, Schoolboy, Ab Soul, Jay Rock, Poor Man's Kendrick aka Isaiah Rashad. What these guys have in common is that they rap and rap well. SZA is not a rapper, although i thought she was about to spit during the BET cypher. Anyways, i'm going off topic. Back to the project. I liked that it was only 8 tracks which is like the perfect amount for a debut. An artist should be able to give us a taste of what they're about and leave us wanting more for their sophmore release. What we learned about SZA is that she is mysterious. She has a lot of meaning in her lyrics dealing with spirituality, never fitting in, and some other stuff that went over my head. I liked the vibe of it. Just from the sound you already knew SZA is some out of this world, thinks on a different level type artist. She probably has a third eye if you can visualize the kind of r&b she makes. Definitely looking for her on future collabs with Kendrick, Schoolboy, Ab Soul, and if Jay Rock ever does anything again. Its god for her because she will probably be the one singing on the hooks aka singing on the singles aka singing on the money makers. Favorite ones were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgpbpGh0Sis" target="_blank">Terror Dome</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4DzLwZsNo" target="_blank">Aftermath</a>. Everything else was cool and has left me wanting to here more from her.<br />
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<i><b>The Golden Age-</b></i><b> Dizzy Wright</b><br />
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I like to think I have an invested interest in Dizzy Wright since i tabbed him as one of my freshmen in the first annual Slim Samurai freshman edition which was probably the biggest flop in the history of picking the next breakout stars<b> </b>but I did pick Dizzy who actually has buzz. He is my favorite out of the Funk Volume crew, which isn't saying much, and he surprised me. The homie kept talking about his song Killem With Kindness so i looked it up and i was digging it. Anytime you sample Player's Club, i'm going to like it. I was surprised with how he flipped it but he did it well nonetheless. Those are the kind of songs that make you root for Dizzy to be successful. He lets his guard down and lets you into his world versus someone like Hopsin who gets buzz for taking shots at other rappers. That schtick is getting old and getting old fast. The main gripe i have with this project, and i know it is a problem for others as well, is that is is too long. It comes in around an hour and a half and i just got too much to do to be sitting around for an hour and a half listening to this. I feel like he should have put forth the best 12, 13, 14 tracks whatever and saved the others for a throwaway release like a month later or something. I understand he wanted to put out what he felt was his best material, but Dizzy has to understand quality is better than quantity, especially in this short attention span generation that we live in. I like The Prospective where it talked about why instagram girls only put pictures up for the likes and the self esteem boost while dudes just be hella thirsty on there. It's something i never understood but i don't have an instagram so i don't know. I also liked Welcome Home which sampled the Janet Jackson song. Its got my girl, Arima Ederra, on the hook and she sang it lovely. Props to Dizzy for giving his fellow Las Vegas compadres some love. All in all this felt like a coming of age project. I caught glimpses of his maturity in <i>Smokeout Conversations</i>, but he still had growing up to do. Now with his daughter, it seems Dizzy has a better perspective on life and it shows in his music. Like i said, he is someone you want to root for and you hope keeps getting better and better.<br />
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There are my honorable mentions of the year if you will. The real boy list is coming real soon too so keep an eye out for that. <br />
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<b>RIP James Avery</b><br />
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Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-22747475535470947622013-11-17T10:01:00.003-08:002013-11-17T10:01:51.455-08:00NBA/Rapper Comparison: Underground Edition<br />
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Basketball season is upon us already and since i don't want to do a team by team breakdown because i do not care how teams like the Milwaukee Bucks will do this year especially since they let the second best shooting guard, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G9yS2-x5sA" target="_blank">Monta Ellis</a>, go. He said that with a straight face and that is why i love monta ellis. So my preview isn't going to look at the best players at every position like i did with baseball or with football because honestly for basketball it goes Lebron, Durant, Kobe when healthy, and everyone else. So i'm going to be boring and do yet another installment of my athlete-rapper comparison series. I did one for <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/04/rappermlb-counterparts.html" target="_blank">baseball</a> and one for <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/02/rappernba-counterparts.html" target="_blank">basketball</a> previously and if you will be so kind and help me get some extra page views, don't hesitate to check them out. I can't believe there is still all these rappers and athletes who have yet to be mentioned yet in the series. Next year i'm probably going to end up being down to U-God and Marcus Camby. This time i'm adding a little twist to it. I'm going with an underground edition so you''re going to see people listed that you may not know if you're a casual fan of either hip-hop or the NBA. The point is not for me to be snobby and trying to show off any special knowledge because i don't have any but it is more of a way to get you guys to check out either the music of the artists or start following the players because i like all these guys i'm about to list with the exception of a small number. By the way, i know the season already started but if you want a team by team preview, go watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi_Q_aq-2cQ&list=PLQK6nu7nx46w8rf3b3hjEArcbZZ0-Ct2g&index=30" target="_blank">Bill and Jalen's NBA preview</a>. Highly informative and equally entertaining. GIVE THE PEEEEEOOOOOOPPPPPPLLLLEEEEEEEE WHAT THEY WANT.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNH3wnBIJnY" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNH3wnBIJnY" target="_blank">FAT TREL</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw4hbqw3J0g" target="_blank">BOOGIE COUSINS</a></b><br />
I thought <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09lIjk5-Fpg" target="_blank">Fat Trel</a> had been signed to MMG for a while now but i guess it was just made official on November 6th. Anyways if you never heard Fat<b> </b>Trel, you most likely have heard of Chief Keef. If you have never heard of Chief Keef you don't listen to rap at all but that's cool because i don't discriminate. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBY3TIVCcDQ" target="_blank">Fat Trel</a> is like a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkS2NGPPX-E" target="_blank">good version</a> of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGMVd4kRacQ" target="_blank">Chief Keef</a> to put it simply. Fat Trel glorifies violence. When people talk about what is wrong with hip hop, they will point to someone like Fat Trel. If Fat Trel had more notoriety, which he definitely will now that he is signed to MMG, then he would be up there with Chief Keef as the poster boys for what is wrong with rap nowadays. He talks his shit but he is good at it. Is there a large guy in the NBA who loves talking shit, is constantly chastised as the poster child for what's wrong with today's young players, but at the same time is damn good at what he does? Yup, and that man is Boogie don't call him demarcus Cousins. Like Fat Trel striking gold by signing to MMG, Boogie got himself a nice 4 year $62 million deal to stay in Sacramento. His game is very nice for a young player but he still does stupid young player mistakes like take his 7 foot 270 pound body away from the basket and shoot jumpers. He has a good post game, idk why the coaches don't just plant him there and let Boogie go to work. Then again that was last year, and seeing as i haven't watched a Kings game yet, i'm going to assume Mark Malone <br />
<a href="http://thefantasybroker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DeMarcus-Cousins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thefantasybroker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/DeMarcus-Cousins.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a>utilizes Boogie's talents better than his other coaches have. Shout out to these guys too for having great names. Fat is a nice alternative to all the Lils and Youngs. And Boogie is right up there with Boobie in terms of fool proof nicknames.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwleLyD43Hs" target="_blank">THE UNDERACHIEVERS</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsY7RdtKnWk" target="_blank">RICKY RUBIO-KEVIN LOVE</a></b><br />
<a href="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2012/01/21/Love-hits-3-at-buzzer-to-lift-Twolves-O7SB72B-x-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2012/01/21/Love-hits-3-at-buzzer-to-lift-Twolves-O7SB72B-x-large.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a>I know it seems weird to put up Kevin Love and his floor general Ricky Rubio on this list because they're not necessarily thought of as underrated per say but i rarely ever hear them in the conversation when it comes to top duos in the NBA. They have yet to play one full year together so we don not know yet what they can unleash onto other teams. Ricky's lockout shortened 2011 season was cut short by an ACL tear and Kevin Love was plagued by injuries all of 2012. They better get something going in the right direction too because Love has stated that he is getting frustrated with all the losing and would want to leave Minnesota if the team does not progress into the right direction soon. He would look good in a Warriors uniform, just saying. With Rubio's passing ability they already are one of the more lethal pick and roll duos in the league and if Rubio can improve his scoring ability that would make the duo even more lethal because they can do the reverse pick and roll with Love handling the ball. With all the potential these two have, i guess you can say they have Underachieved. With that terrible segue, let's talk about the duo from Flatbush who seemingly exploded out of nowhere within the past year. The Underachievers (consisting of Issa and AK) signed with Flying Lotus' label Brainfeeder so hopefully they can collab with Azizi Gibson. At the beginning of this year they dropped a very good mixtape in my opinion with <i>Indigoism</i> and started this Beast Coast Movement with Pro Era and Flatbush Zombies. The Underachievers and Flatbush especially are pushing psychedelic rap and have injected life into a stagnate rap scene in 2013. It's an unconventional style kind of like how the Timberwolves went unconventional with the all white starting 5 but that didn't end up too well for them. My concern with UA is that because of their seemingly narrow range of subject matter is that it may get old and obsolete within a few years, maybe even less. I'm rooting for them though. Case in point, their second tape, <i>The Lords Of Flatbush</i>, did not do it for me. With Lex Luger on the beats, the tape was full of bangers but it didn't have the same effect for me as <i>Indigoism</i> did. In their defense i believe the two said they were trying to just make a tape full of bangers which is cool but we need that Indigo shit
back. I'm hoping the Underachievers don't underachieve in the future and keep making them hits. Although i can see them breaking off and doing their own thing a la Kevin Love leaving Minnesota.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aE_O4h1GI0" target="_blank">NIPSEY HUSSLE</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZF9TW-_3Ts" target="_blank">DAVID WEST</a></b><br />
Now we're getting to a couple of vets who aren't quite yet OG's in the game but have been on their grind for a while. Yung Nipsino has been on his music grind since the mid 2000s and gained recent notoriety for his proud to pay campaign where he charged fan $100 for a mixtape full of throwaways. Again i don't understand who would buy it but he apparently sold all the copies so props to Nipsey and his fans. He's a smart individual and won't take any deals if it's going to cut him short. Staying independent is the reason Nipsey has flown under the radar for mainstream fans but anyone who listens to hip hop beyond the radio has at least heard his name. With his gangbangin past he is also someone you wouldn't want to get into a confrontation with. Speaking of people you don't want to get into a physical confrontation with, David West sits near the top of that list. Obviously he is a huge dude but he makes other NBA players look small. His muscles have muscles. David West too, like Nipsey Hussle has been underrated for far too long but if you watch basketball, you know David West would be a welcome addition to any team. I had no idea he actually won AP Player of the year for college basketball back in 2003, but i digress. He was stuck in irrelevancy with New Orleans where he was a on a couple of good teams but was always <br />
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overshadowed by Chris Paul which is understandable. He then moved on to the Indiana Pacers where he has taken a backseat to Paul George and Roy Hibbert but nonetheless is going to have to show up big for the Pacers to reach their goal of winning it all this year. So let's give Nipsey some love buy supporting his movement and show West love by voting him to the all star game, even if he isn't at that level this year but the all star game is a joke anyways.<br />
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<b><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otHTW_jR1Z0" target="_blank">DOM KENNEDY</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT0RWMmdpAw" target="_blank">NICK YOUNG</a></b></b><br />
SWAGGY P!!! One of my
favorite players simply for the fact that Nick Young is exactly the kind
of player that i would want to be if i still played ball. Essentially
he is a poor man's JR Smith which is actually pretty sad when you think
about it. But who cares, all he does is jack up jumpers, he is a black
hole on offense, and we are all better people for witnessing the
greatness<b><b> </b></b>that is Swaggy P. He even got a date with Iggy
Azalea. Other than his on the court talents, he is on here because he
has a distinct southern Cali look. He wears hideous shirts, has terrible
haircuts, has irrational <br />
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confidence all in the name of swag. I realized
during the writing of this comparison that it was kind of a reach but
i'm comparing Nick Young to Dom Kennedy. If Nick Young personifies
Southern Cali as a basketball player then DK personifies the region as a
rapper. He has a laid back style, good beats to ride to, and always is
fashion conscious but not in a weird ASAP Rocky kind of way. Dom just
seems like a cool ass dude in the same way Swaggy P seems like someone
you would want to chill with. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isb8ab3qRZM" target="_blank">100s</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tysfh_DKxCA" target="_blank">DEANDRE JORDAN</a></b><br />
100s brought pimp rap back with his 2012 mixtape/album <i>Ice Cold Perm</i>, which you can either buy or get fo da free by following the link on his bandcamp page. I swear it was like Too $hort had a son and 100s is what came out. The Berkeley native signed to Fools Gold in the summer so that goes to show the people over there see something in the young kid and don't see him as just a sideshow which is what i feel a lot of people see him as. 100s has this pimp persona that he played to perfection on the aforementioned <i>Ice Cold Perm Tape</i> but has stated in interviews that it is indeed a character he plays. The problem is that he could have won an oscar for that performance it was so good and even had a song on GTA V called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saOuyE-11MQ" target="_blank">Life Of A Mack</a>. 100s mentioned he wants to do an r&b album for his next project in the mold of something like Prince but we will have to wait and see if he can pull it off. That one dimentionality is the same problem Deandre Jordan faces as the center of the LA Clippers. He is an athlete. Jordan was blessed with genetics because without it, he would not be in the NBA. If he was 6'6 i feel like he would still be in the NBA, that is how good of an athlete he is. The only thing he does well is a product of how high he can jump. Like 100s, he is a part of a loaded team and has a <br />
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distinct role within the confines of the squad. Until he can develop some versatility, jordan is going to be known for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_rKW3HL9GE" target="_blank">one</a> crowning achievement throughout his whole career. I just want to say thank god the Clippers matched the Warriors offer when Golden State tried signing him a couple years ago. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7rgqlXfy8Y" target="_blank">BIG K.R.I.T.</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9-hX5_LJEI" target="_blank">EVAN TURNER</a></b><br />
<a href="http://nbareligion.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/evan-turner1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://nbareligion.altervista.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/evan-turner1.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a>You guys should know by now i think Big Krit is without a doubt one of the best out right now. He is my favorite artist and i've been supporting the dude since he dropped <i>Return of 4eva</i>. Krit has an all around game, if you will. He makes his own beats, and does it well. He isn't some dude who just started messing around with beats but he has a distinct sound, works samples in very well, and conveys a message without having to say anything. When he does say something, Krit has the lyrics that makes him relatable to many listeners but isn't going to wow you with some crazy new flow or switch flows up mid verse and spazz out. He will give you images, clever wordplay, and get his point across. Critics say he sounds too southern on the mic but to me that just adds to his style. He is a jack of all trades who still hasn't broken out but don't get it twisted. Just because he hasn't received more mainstream recognition does not mean he isn't dropping quality projects. Everything he drops is quality so support the man. Speaking of someone needing to breakout we zero in on Philadelphia's new alpha dog for the time being, Evan Turner. Turner was selected number 2 overall back in 2010 and with that draft position came the high expectations. The funny thing is that high expectations were bestowed upon him yet if i remember correctly his projection as an NBA player was a jack of all trades, but master of none kind of guy. With Jrue Holliday gone, Turner this season is having his best year in the pros and flashing that do everything potential promise he showed at Ohio State. He can handle the ball, dish it out, get to the basket, and i don't know how he is as a shooter but if he has stroke, then that gives him more weapons to play with. Both Turner and Krit have the ability to become difference makers, it is now just a matter of getting the right opportunity and capitalizing on it.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bV83u4y6S4" target="_blank">Mr Muthafuckin eXquire</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZj1V8CgIYA" target="_blank">Joakim Noah</a></b><br />
<a href="http://brooklynbased.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_3657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://brooklynbased.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_3657.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>This may seem kind of
weird seeing that Joakim Noah isn't exactly an underground basketball
player but i still don't think he gets the credit he deserves as a
basketball player. I may be wrong but it's just my perspective on it. I
feel like fans just see him as a hustle player which is true but there's
much more to him game than diving for loose balls and getting easy
buckets. He is a smart defender who plays his position as well as anyone
in the league despite not being the prototypical big man like a Roy
Hibbert. As a Center, he is very well at guarding smaller guys on
switches and obviously can hold his own against the Dwight Howards of
the league as well. He'll get in your face, bother you all night, and
straight up just not give a fuck if he pisses you off. He comes from
royalty, sort of, with his father winning one of the Tennis Grand Slams
(i forgot which one) and his mom being a Miss Some European country so
he grew up not needing basketball as a way out but he loves the game so
much he put forth his all his efforts to it. Which brings me to Mr
Muthafuckin eXquire who apparently only goes by eXquire now but you
gotta say the whole thing like A Tribe Called Quest or A Pimp Named
Slickback. I don't actually mind the name change because i assume that
means he is going for radio play in an effort to get more exposure. Like
Noah, Mr MFN eXquire has an underground style that isn't too sexy to
the masses but students of the game have no reason to doubt the man as a
threat. He doesn't exactly come from rap royalty or from a wealthy
family but he comes from Flatbush, Brooklyn which has always been ripe
with rap talent. So he pretty could soak in the art of rapping through
osmosis. Mr MFN eXuire doesn't back down from anyone on a track as
evidenced by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ed5osQYvU" target="_blank">this </a>and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkANX8EbmdU" target="_blank">that</a>,
plus he has multiple flows he can kill a track with. He can spit just
to show off bars, he can tell stories, and he is a very smart dude. The
intelligent hoodlum is a something i have heard to describe Mr
Muthafuckin eXquire. If you're not careful you might actually learn
something by listening to his music. If you didn't see how these two are
similar, it's cool, i just wanted to give them a shout out and tried my
best tying them together. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tRG1aXScyk" target="_blank">ANDRE MILLER</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRHLb9gySzA" target="_blank">STARLITO</a></b><br />
We got The Professor in the house and no i'm not talking about this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTFKROPkhRc" target="_blank">guy</a>. Although shout out to him because he made the after school AND 1 tour very fun to watch. The Professor i'm talking about is Andre Miller of the Denver Nuggets. The definition of a veteran/player-coach/future head coach, etc. I was not a believer in OG Miller's ability as a difference maker until the playoffs last year when he single-handedly beat the Warriors in Game 1. Anyways I've always been aware of Miller from his time with the Cavs back in the day but he had never been the GUY on a team. The latter part of his career has revolved around him being that player-coach on the floor who is there to make sure the team does not fall apart when the starters need a break. Every good team needs to have a player like Miller who is able to fill a multitude of intangible roles which is why he is still playing at a serviceable level. When he retires it won't be headline news on ESPN and we won't be carving out a Hall Of Fame bust for him but he is the kind of guy that makes the game of basketball special. You obviously need talent and athletic ability to play in the league but when Father Time catches up to you, players like Miller show you can still be effective by playing to your strengths and playing fundamentally sound while keeping your body in as good as shape as you possibly can. It seems like flying under the radar and staying true to himself was perfectly fine with Miller and the same can be said for Starlito out of Nashville. Lito is a rapper formerly known as All Star Cash Prince who was signed to Cash Money, but that time has passed and he is now on that independent grind. He flies under the radar because he isn't a guy who going to look for the banging beats or kill you with exotic wordplay but he is very straightforward yet poetic with his rhymes. He been on that grind for some time and seems to always be releasing critically acclaimed material. He just released <i>Step Brothers 2</i> with Don Trip which i still need to cop. Although Lito has said he still has dreams of making it big, he is cool with making money on tours and making music for his fanbase. He knows who he is as a man and an artist and won't be doing anything out of character because he knows what got him to <br />
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success. Lito and Miller are just two vets in the game who not only know what the game is about but know how to play the game as a means to carve out a niche for themselves. I think once they hang it up, they still will be underrated in retrospect but people will look and be like "damn they really were slept on."<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qgtQBXTI0s" target="_blank">FREDDIE GIBBS</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa32nCV_wEY" target="_blank">PAUL GEORGE</a></b><br />
Gangsta Gibbs and Paul George have been putting Indiana on the map in recent years with their quality work. Both have gone from relative unknowns to figures oozing with potential to guys who are right at the cusp and maybe need another season and album to solidify their seat at the table. Paul George was not heavily recruited out of high school which is why he ended up at Fresno State. He developed into a late bloomer however and ended up as a lottery pick with the Pacers back in 2010. George's first couple of years saw the potential start to flash but was still seen as an athlete and not yet a basketball player. Then his play last year took a significant leap with him adding a 3 pointer to his game. This combined with superior athleticism and tenacious defense made him budding superstar. In the playoffs, George took his game to another level and matched Lebron shot for shot in their seven game series which secured a max contract for himself. He wasn't content with where he was at and worked on his dribbling during the offseason to the point where he has become a true all around threat. There is nothing he can't do on the basketball court and he does everything exceptionally well. George even isn't afraid to take shot at the Chicago Bulls like when he said Chi-town's time at the top of the division is over. Speaking of the Chicago Bulls and taking shots we have the Bulls number 1 rap fan in Freddie Gibbs who had no problem verbalizing his distaste for Young Jeezy after his split from CTE. He wasn't exactly sending shots over to Jeezy but more so just telling the truth (from his perspective). Anyways before the CTE split and starting of his own label, ESGN, Freddie Gibbs was an unknown at Interscope who never saw the light of day while at the label. So they split up and Gibbs got on his independent grind and released some good projects, <i>The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs </i>and <i>Midwestgangbangcaddilactrunkmusik</i>, to acclaim while still flying under the radar. <br />
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However, those projects were enough to land him on the XXL Freshmen cover in 2010 and the magazine proclaimed him the savior of gangsta rap. And because true gangsta rap, aka not Rick Ross rap, is pretty much dead on the radio the tales of Freddie Soprano has been banished to the underground. That doesn't mater though because he is still dropping quality projects and i have said this before in that i have yet to hear a subpar Freddie Gibbs verse. The reason for this is because he has many different styles and flows that he can tackle. He can tell you stories, hit a double time flow like few others can, or just rap to show of his bars. It all is delivered with the almost perfect voice right now in the game for rapping. He has it all in my opinion and is the best gangsta rapper out right now. George and Gibbs seem to just be getting better and should be household names by now (although George is getting there) but because of where they are, playing for the Pacers and being an independent rapper respectively, they aren't getting the proper notoriety they deserve.<br />
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There you have it...the underground edition of the Rapper/NBA comparison. Let me know if you agree with it, disagree with it, who would have been better comparisons, who should have been compared, etc, etc. Just some quick thoughts on the NBA season is that the Golden State Warriors are for real but let's just hope they don't run into the Grizzlies in the playoffs. The Spurs are still going to do their thing as well as the Heat. Once Derrick Rose shakes off the rust, the Bulls have a legit threat to make it all the way. The Thunder are dangerous with Westbrook coming back but they don't have the same fear factor they flashed from a couple years ago. The Rockets are going to live and die by the three since Dwight Howard has no idea what a post move is apparently and is going to be a reincarnation of the Orlando Magic teams Dwight forced his way out of. This season is going to be unpredictable and makes for one of the better ones in a while. Also, Johnny Hedricks was robbed last night against GSP. If you are unconvinced because GSP landed more punches or whatever just look at the interviews after the fight. GSP looked like he got jumped in a dark alley, couldn't speak, and admitted he couldn't remember much of the fight. Johnny Hendricks spoke like a functioning member of society and did not have a scratch on him. If you were to look at that image, 100 people out of 100 would say that Hendricks won the fight. But that's just life when you have judges scoring a fight. Also shout out to Big Boy...Happy Birthday and can't wait until you come through.<br />
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<b>Cam'ron- Girls</b><br />
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<b>Action Bronson- Pepe Lopez</b><br />
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<b>Ab Soul- Drift Away</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wlyc271F4-8" width="420"></iframe><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-83880924553749132282013-10-26T10:58:00.000-07:002013-10-26T11:00:20.172-07:00What Happened to...Nipsey Hussle<br />
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What's up everybody, i'm back with the long overdue chapter 2 of the "What Happened To..." series. If you haven't checked out the first one featuring <a href="http://slimsamurai.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-happened-to-asher-roth.html" target="_blank">Asher Roth</a>, make sure you peep that. For the past couple of weeks i've been looking at Nipsey Hussle because he is exactly the kind of person who is perfect for this series. He was a part of, in my opinion, the best XXL Freshmen class back in 2010. Just look at some of the names on that list. Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, J Cole, Freddie Gibbs, Jay Rock. That's a stacked lists even though they put OJ Da Juiceman on there who had the sorriest i don't even know what you call it in the history of humanity <a href="http://www.daxtv.com/oj-da-juiceman-xxl-freshman-2010-freestyle/" target="_blank">opening their mouth</a>. After everyone got sick of Game, we all wanted to find the next flag bearer for LA and the Westcoast as a whole. This is pretty amazing actually considering there was this void of legit LA rappers just 5 years ago and look at what we have now. TDE, Casey Veggies, Dom Kennedy, and even Odd Future are all doing their thing in putting the spotlight back on Hollywood. Well Nipsey was the first of these rappers that was destined to bring LA rap back from the ashes. He had both a throwback look and throwback style in terms of subject matter. He spoke about the real shit in his life, which was gangbangin. Nipsey was very lazily compared to Snoop Dogg because they look alike, have the same hair, and were both crips. So what went wrong for Mr. Hussle? He had the buzz in the streets, the street cred, and the rhymes to back it up in an area that was starved for a new rap star. He even had a deal with Epic Records and a single aimed for the radio. So with everything seemingly in his favor, what in the world happened to Yung Nipsino?<br />
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I'm cheating right here because i'm going to start with the Nipsey Hussle projects that actually got him the buzz even though i didn't peep them. In the span of one year from 2008-2009, Nipsey released his mixtape trilogy, <i>Bullets Ain't Got No Names</i>. His biggest hit from that trilogy was no doubt the certified banger <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETN-8KVYOQ0" target="_blank">Hussle In The House</a>. I'm basing his BAGNN series off of this song and i could see why he got the buzz that he got. He was talking about the girls, guns, drugs, gangbangin but he had a mic presence and a charisma that set him apart from his peers. He was also able to sprinkle some introspection in there to let listeners know he wasn't just some ignorant ass Crip. He even stated in interviews that he took and passed college courses with good grades so he wanted to show that a dude can be about that life and at the same time possess book smarts.<br />
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Off the success of his BAGNN trilogy, yung Nipsino was able to score a record deal with Epic Records and the anticipation for his proper debut studio album, which would be titled <i>South Central State of Mind</i>, started. In the summer of 2010 he released a single for his debut with Lloyd called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXGmcN1eNe0" target="_blank">Feelin Myself</a>. I was actually very surprised to not hear more of this song on the radio. The hook with Lloyd was very catchy and fit in well with the swag movement that was taking place during the time. It had that crossover sound but Nipsey didn't turn into some softee on his verses. He kept saying what he had always been saying but in a PG-13 version which is what you need to do if you're a street rapper trying to make it on the radio. According to wikipedia, the highest position that the song reached was #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 Hip-Hop/r&b songs. I don't know what happened when looking back on the song because that was as radio as you can get with Nipsey and like i said earlier, i thought it did a great job of blending his street appeal and his crossover potential. Mind you this is all after Nipsey landed on the XXL Freshmen cover that spring so his buzz was at an all time high. Maybe there were some politics involved or maybe Epic didn't feel like there was another single on the album or whatever but after that song was released, the company kept delaying the album. And Nipsey being the G that he is was not going to wait for something to happen so him and Epic split up and Nipsey started his own label, All Money In.<br />
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So after leaving Epic, Nipsey Hussle released <i>The Marathon</i> in December 2010. This was actually the first time I listened to Nipsey and to say i was impressed was an understatement. It immediately became my favorite project and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI_xBZ95xsM" target="_blank">Love</a> shot to the top of my Top 25 Most Played in itunes. On the project, he seemed to be less aggressive in his delivery from Hussle In the House and Feelin Myself yet he kept the same hunger. It actually seemed like he was more hungry just because he wanted to show all the record labels that he could in fact make it independently and on his own terms. Nipsey had a vision for how his career was going to go and compromising with a label would only get in the way of that vision. <i>The Marathon</i> felt like Nipsey was telling us his dream one track at a time. He was on his grind 25/8 because he knows he has to work that much harder without the support of a major label. The project was perfect timing because he was just on the XXL cover 8 months earlier getting declared an up and comer and he was just released from his contract at Epic so this was his platform to say through his music that 1) the hype was justified and 2) he can do this music thing on his own. I don't feel that Nipsey so much has any hard feeling towards Epic or any record company for that matter but he more so wanted to do things his way. What <i>The Marathon</i> did was prove that Nipsey can indeed make great music and keep it authentic. You knew he was still a street dude but tracks like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq6wXSOzW5E" target="_blank">Keys To The City</a> showed he had the potential to make it on the radio and become LA's next big star. Mind you this is all happening right when Kendrick, TDE, and all there LA cats were starting to get more buzz but the crown for LA was still there for the taking. It looked like he was on verge of something big.<br />
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It did not go as planned. The reception to <i>The Marathon</i> sadly was not as widely received as he hoped or fans hoped. Don't get it twisted though, Nipsey was still making money because his fans are devoted and buy his merchandise which helps when you're an artist and are only putting out free material. You gotta make your money somehow. It seemed like his fans that went most crazy were overseas so Nipsey was doing what all independent rappers are doing nowadays which is touring and selling merch. His next release, i felt, would set the bar for the rest of Nipsey's career. Is he going to be just some underground dude that is raw yet his fan base will only consist of those devoted or is he going to make it big by doing his own thing and setting up a new formula for success? But before i talk about his next project, he released a track with YG and Tyga...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bm_yxsMCpE" target="_blank">Bitches Ain't Shit</a>, remaking the Dre and Snoop <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic7KH1PpbMY" target="_blank">classic</a> from back in the day. Even though Nipsey had just released <i>The Marathon</i> a few months earlier, this track refreshed everyone's memory about who Nipsey was. He was becoming a well rounded artist but Nip was also let us know he could get mad ignorant on a track and that is why the streets loved him. He was bangin in the streets like so many of the youth but he saw an outlet through music and decided to go for it. At the same time he never forgot his roots.<br />
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Nipsey came back in the fall of 2011 to release the follow up to <i>The Marathon</i> called <i>The Marathon Continues</i>. I don't know if he had announced it but this Marathon theme was obviously becoming a series and i was assuming he was going to make it into a trilogy since that is what he did with BAGNN and plus that seems like the thing to do in rap. With it being the second part of the series, the project is about Yung Nipsino enjoying some of the spoils of his success. He hasn't quite made it yet but he was way ahead of where he was when he released <i>The Marathon</i> and light years ahead of where he was with the BAGNN trilogy. Judging by how TMC went, i'm sure that means the third installment of the trilogy will be a look back on everything and be his "finally made it album" but we'll just have to wait and see. TMC had some good tracks but i still definitely preferred <i>The Marathon</i> a lot more than this one. The sequel is almost never as good as the original in most cases and in my opinion this is what happened here.<br />
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Nipsey's next release would be 2012's <i>TMC: The X-Tra Laps</i> but that was just some throwaway tracks that couldn't make an alright mixtape so i wasn't going to bother checking them out. He still had some buzz and the fact that he was still independent meant he was still a free agent. No matter how independent an artist is, if the money and the situation are right, they would jump at the chance to sign with a major. This almost happened after there were reports of Nipsey signing to Rick Ross's MMG label. I actually think that out of all the labels, MMG would have been the best fit for him, even moreso than his hometown's TDE. But the deal feel through, although there were no hard feeling on either side, after Nipsey and the parent company, Atlantic, couldn't come to an agreement. I think it was something over Nipsey not having the control he wanted over his material and since Atlantic is a major label, they would never let anything like artist creative control happen. So Nipsey said thanks but no thanks to Officer Ricky and went back on his grind.<br />
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His next project was supposed to be <i>TM3: Victory Lap</i> making it the third project in the trilogy and making my prediction of it being his "finally made it album" look like it was coming to fruition. But he decided that he was going to make it his debut studio album which i wasn't mad about at all. I guess you could compare it to Big Sean's <i>Finally Famous</i> series being that Finally Famous was his mixtape series coming up and then he named his debut <i>Finally Famous</i> after putting work in to become famous (he put in work whether or not you like his music). So what Nipsey is trying to say is that his Victory Lap of making it in the music business will be when he finally can release his studio album. But he had not released any new material for almost two years and Nipsey had stated in interviews that his fans were hungry for new stuff so he would give a "preview" of <i>Victory Lap</i> with the release of <i>Crenshaw</i>. You know, the mixtape of tracks that weren't good enough to make it on his official album that he was selling for $100. I still can't believe how he sold all the $100 physical copies and made $100,000. Another thing i can't believe is how in the world did Nipsey release a 2 disc Greatest Hits album but i digress. Jay-z gets a huge assist since he bought 100 of them but Nipey still made $90,000 from all non Jay-Z purchases. This might be a template for other artists to make more money. Don't you think Lil Wayne or Drake could do this as well now and we know how devoted their fans are. Nipsey selling and being successful at selling his stuff for $100 showed not only how devoted his fans are to his music but the connection he has with them so for that he must be applauded. <br />
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I'll be honest when an artist puts throwaway tracks on a mixtape for us to listen to, i tend to give it a throwaway listen just because i'm a hater like that. But i took <i>Crenshaw</i> with a different approach because it was a preview of his debut album. Plus it was the first new material he released in two years so i was interested to see where he had gone since TMC. Nipsey had said that when he selected these tracks for the tape it sounded very much like the vibe one would get when cruising down Crenshaw which is why he gave it that title. As a kid from San Francisco i can say that i have never been cruising down Crenshaw but from the mixtape i can picture it being a slow paced relaxed vibe. The image i get is people driving with the tops down and the trunk rattling, likely with a cigarillo in hand. The two tracks i feel exemplify the tape the best are <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diM-bw8XCus" target="_blank">Summertime In That Cutlass</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cV-B5e6RRA" target="_blank">Face The World</a>, the latter of which was produced by 9th Wonder. Real recognize real. Speaking of 9th and Nipsey collaborating, is it just me or do they need to do more shit together. That sounded tight. I don't know if that is great chemistry between the two or if Nipsey really sounds that good on those soulful beats or if 9th just has those kinds of bars on the boards but the bottom line is they need to feed us more material. I will buy that in a second. I kind of hated on <i>Crenshaw </i>the first time i heard it but the more i listened to it, it grew on me. Very impressive for a throwaway collection and it has me anticipating that <i>Victory Lap</i> album. He has no label to delay him so hopefully he gets that out by the end of the year or sometime in January. Come on Nip, we been waiting on that album.<br />
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So there you have it. If you've been wondering what Nipsey has been up to these last several years i hope this helped. His career has been delayed by labels not allowing him to achieve the vision Nipsey saw for himself. So he took it upon himself to put his vision out there independently. No one can tell an artist how their work should be. Nipsey knows it best what he wants from his music career and the white guys at Epic and Atlantic who run the label have no idea what Nipsey wants to do. They expect all artists and ESPECIALLY rap artists to just fall in line and when Nipsey didn't do so, they kept delaying his album until his buzz disappeared. We all want to see Neighborhood Nip win so if <i>Victory Lap</i> is worth the money go cop it (unless it's $100 then he could go fuck himself). Keep doing your thing Nip and release that fire. Peace.</div>
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p.s i finally updated the Weekly Page so check out what i've been listening to this past week. </div>
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<b>50 Cent- If I Can't</b></div>
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<b>DMX- What's My Name</b></div>
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<br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-21206607939570718922013-10-20T11:27:00.000-07:002013-10-20T11:27:39.276-07:00Vic Mensa- INNANETAPE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Checking Illroots like i normally do every couple of days i kept seeing a little ad on the side for this dude's mixtape. The artist was Vic Mensa and the mixtape was called <i>Innanetape</i>. I didn't think much of it but Illroots kept hyping him up on their page which somewhat means something to me. The artists that illroots push are either hit or miss. They push people like King Chip (formerly Chip tha Ripper) and Chiddy Bang. So when it comes to Vic Mensa i thought to myself i'm going to check it out and i'm probably going to like it for a week but that's it. The artists that Illroots pushes tend to be flashes in the pans for me so i was expecting to listen to this dude's tape, like it for a week, then delete it from from itunes, and listen to it again maybe a year from now. But the name Vic Mensa sounded familiar to me and i was not tripping. He was the rapper aka token black guy lead man in the PG version of The Legendary Roots Crew meets Kids Bop band called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_60ihLGHylc" target="_blank">Kids These Days</a>. I was not a fan of the band mainly because it just wasn't my cup of tea. And i hated it when Vic rapped over live instrumentation because it didn't mesh well at all. However, you could see the potential that the kid had when he did spit. Then i remembered i saw Vic's name on the tracklist for Chance The Rapper's debut mixtape <i>10 Day</i> and i was like "holy shit" because he spit on one of my favorite <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4K3-ETM3J4" target="_blank">tracks</a> off of that project. I'll be honest. Without that feature on Chancellor's tape I probably would not have given the guy's tape a peep even though it had the Illroots cosign so i contradicted myself there a little but whatever. After that long introduction i had no idea what to expect because the only thing i heard previously of his was his Kids In The Hall Stuff which i hated and his feature with Chance which i loved so who knows how this one would turn out. <br />
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My first impressions after listening to the project one time through was that it was alright. I thought it was cool for what it was but i was also expecting it to not make the next round of cuts when it comes time to delete music from my computer. The reasons i thought it was just average and nothing special was because he didn't really capture my attention. Yeah he could rap his ass off and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR1hMP8y0WQ" target="_blank">Tweakin</a> for sure is my shit but it didn't feel like he did too much to stand out. First off, you could tell he has spent a lot of time with Chance the Rapper because Vic was using the same flow that Chance was using on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRv2_zAPrhc" target="_blank"><i>Acid Rap</i></a>. Maybe Chance got the flow from Vic (probably not) but who knows. Secondly, i might just be being a hater here but it bothers me to no end when i feel like someone sounds like someone else in terms of subject matter but i can't seem to pinpoint exactly who. Don't ask me why but it does. I couldn't point a finger as to who Vic sounds like but eventually i came to the conclusion that he was a combination of a poor man's Lupe Fiasco mixed with J Cole. I say Lupe because Vic seems to be really aware not only of his environment but of himself at such a young age. Maybe it has something to do with living in Chicago because all Chicago rappers for the most part have a grasp on that kind of stuff. Chief Keef missed that day of school. I say J Cole (and i guess you could throw Kid Cudi in there) is because of his hook style. I was thinking through several of his songs that some of the tracks sound radio friendly. I don't know if that was the intention but Vic had some very catchy generic hooks like J Cole but was simple like a Cudi hook. Example of this are on Lovely Day, Magic (whose hook was so damn corny), and Time Is Money. So after the first listen, i wasn't really thinking much of it but i knew i would give it another chance.<br />
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All I can say is that i am glad i gave it another chance and am glad that i actually paid attention the more times i listened to it. Everything after Tweakin was an introspective track to some degree. The reason i wasn't feeling it the first time was because i heard <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqGaNFPJu5w" target="_blank">Magic</a> and that was some of the corniest rap i heard all year and i was my own buzzkill with regards to the rest of the project. All the other tracks i just listened for the stupid lines and was like "yup this dude is super soft." The whole time i was ignoring some of the stuff that he was sprinkling in the meantime. Once i heard <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC1eLqUZGKo" target="_blank">Holy Holy</a> with Ab Soul on there, i was like this dude means business. Schoolboy Q said in an interview that every great project has a track that gets you emotional and this is the one. I'm not going to go in depth with why this was the track, you just gotta listen to it for yourself or take my word for it.<br />
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After that track i was noticing a pattern with the track listing. The first four tracks were, i don't want to say unserious tracks but they were more happy go lucky tracks just to get the vibe going. Then he hit the skit which summed up the project as a whole and the message Vic was trying to get out. Vic was saying that he makes music in order to have fun. That's the number 1 priority. That is some of the most generic hippy shit you could possibly say because of course people who make music do it to have fun so he isn't really dropping any newfound wisdom there but i'm not hating. He's still young. Then the middle of the album up until Holy Holy seemed like it was geared for a radio sound. I don't know if that was what he was going for with the production and the catchy hooks but it was almost like a test to see how receptive those songs would be. YUNG NET SAVE PESO. Then i really like how he finished up the project. That's where he was really getting his introspective on with the aforementioned Holy Holy and i really liked <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5vFIUsSzhM" target="_blank">RUN!</a> with Thundercat. That track is so different from the rest of the project that i feel it could be a breakout song. He has a number of those tracks on here that could propel him onto the radio but RUN! was definitely the one most unlike the others. Then i really liked his outro song. It was honestly one of the better outro tracks i have heard in a while. It was a real quick summary of how things have changed for Vic since he started to receive some shine and then at the end he was shouting out all those people who have been supporting him but he wasn't doing it in an annoying way.<br />
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If you allow me to i will quickly summarize the project into three parts: First third was cool, highlight was Tweakin featuring Chance. The second-third was my least favorite but alright with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUsZWXFCob8" target="_blank">Time Is Money</a> being the highlight. Shout out to Rockie Fresh. I had previously written him off but i might have to check him out again. Then the last third of the project was definitely my favorite. I liked each of those tracks and it was getting better as the project came to a close. The rack i really could have done without was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhqZ9EhBXV8" target="_blank">Yap Yap</a>. How many times are we going to have to hear the same song. It was essentially <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z25pGEGBM4" target="_blank">No Worries</a> part 3. Part 2 was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD6AfcoG4o8" target="_blank">ain worry bou none, ain worry bou none</a>. So i'm knocking Vic off a little for that bullshit but other other than that it was a very solid project. I'll give it a <b>B</b> but it's the kind of B that you feel good about. I don't really know where Vic goes from here though. He has radio potential but by hanging with Chance The Rapper plus emerging as an artist in the internet generation i feel like VIc just as easily might stick to the underground. If he does make the radio, he will get backlash from the "purists" but i don't know if i could hate in him because to me he won't really have to change his style up too much.<br />
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In short, this project is not for everyone. If you like Chance the Rapper's style you'll like Vic Mensa. If not then you probably won't like it. If you like coming of age movies you'll like this mixtape. But this isn't some must listen to tape. It didn't change my life or anything. If you don't listen to it you're not really missing out on anything. I liked this project, but Vic didn't jump into my top 5 for current favorite rappers or anything. Let me put it this way, i'm going to follow him and definitely listen to his next project. At the same time, any new releases he has or any features he jumps on isn't going to be a stop everything i'm doing and listen to it. That is going to depend more on who else shows up on the track. Hope that helped for a Vic Mensa introduction. Peace<br />
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<b>Binary Star</b><br />
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<b>Rick James</b><br />
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<b>The Cool Kids feat Ghostface Killah</b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3jnUASsUKsM" width="420"></iframe>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-24394735729779651892013-10-16T14:38:00.001-07:002013-10-16T23:56:12.863-07:00Is Jadeveon Clowney Worth The #1 Pick?<br />
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Although Johnny Manziel is still number 1 in college sports in terms of making headlines on and off the field i never would have thought someone could actually challenge him and take some of the spotlight off of him. Think about it. Other than Johnny flashing money at Rice Owl defenders, Johnny Football has been on the straight and narrow ever since the season started. Sure he had the "confrontation" with coach Kevin Sumlin but that seemed to me like it was blown out of proportion. Coach Sumlin does not seem like someone you want to back talk to no matter if you are the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. The man who has challenged Johnny Football in the college football headlines this year has been the University of South Carolina's stud defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. It's ironic that he forced himself into this conversation of most talked about college player because of his play on the field and nowadays it seems like people only talk about the kid for his perceived lack of play on the field. For someone who is talked about a whole lot he must have some type of ability that draws people in to want to watch his every move. But is he worth all the hype? Not only is he worth all the hype currently but is he worth all the hype as an NFL prospect. That is what i will attempt to answer as you guys read this. Is he for real or is he a fabrication of this one play?<br />
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Before this one play, Jadeveon Clowney was already someone that opposing college coaches feared. They knew the physical talent that Clowney had and were forced to gameplan accordingly. There was a reason that he was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTkmiBdoBDc" target="_blank">Number 1</a> prospect coming out of high school. He stands 6'6 and weighs 274 pounds of muscle. If you were creating a defensive end on Madden, this is the type of player that would come out. That year, Clowney had set the school record for sacks in a single season as a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrDGmnQXLgE" target="_blank">sophmore</a> so he was already on his way to becoming a star but that hit on January 1, 2013 made Mr. Clowney a superstar. After that highlight was shown approximately 4 billion times on ESPN Clowneymania was in full effect. Stories came about his early life came about, interviews were to be conducted, he got to walk the red carpet at the ESPY's and won the award for best play later that night. Think about that, how many times does a college defensive end get to walk the red carpet at the ESPY's (not saying it's prestigious or anything but you get the point). He was second in popularity in all of college sports behind reigning Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel. And he was probably the most liked college athlete because he didn't do any of the antics Manziel did off the field. Once again, how often is a defensive end in the argument for most popular college athlete? Trey Burke won player of the year in basketball and wasn't as talked about as Clowney. Other than Manziel, the only other college athlete to get as much pub as Clowney was Kevin Ware of Louisville and that is because he had the most gruesome injury possibly ever seen on TV (God bless his soul btw, great testament to the kid's character that he is going to play again). I keep bringing up the point of how rare it is for someone like Clowney to be receiving all the pub because it shows just how special the kid not only is but has the chance to be and people like ESPN were capitalizing on it. ESPN has the features on him, they write articles on him, and seemingly talk about him at least once a week on First Take. But is he worth all the hype? If we just look at the statistics from this year then no he is not. But that is being super lazy and ignorant so let's not do that.<br />
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So here are some basic stats. After six games the South Carolina Gamecocks stand at 5-1. Jadeveon has played in only 5 of the games this year sitting one out with a ribs injury which i am sure Steve Spurrier would be all too thrilled in telling you about if you asked him. Clowney himself has 14 total tackles on the year, 9 of them of the solo variety. He has 3 tackles for a loss (meaning he tackled the ball carrier before they reached the line of scrimmage), and has 2 sacks. Not exactly once in a generation talent type numbers. But like i said, looking at those stats is lazy and ignorant. What you have to do is look at the film. Now i'm not going to sit here and pretend like i've been watching their games all year because in reality i have only seen the opener against North Carolina. In that game, my eyes were solely focused on number 7 the whole game. He did not come out of the game with any flashy stats but that was not his fault. The North Carolina gameplan was all about either running to the opposite side of Clowney or throwing the ball before Clowney could even get any momentum towards the QB. There is no way a pass rusher can have an impact on the game when the opposition's entire offensive gameplan was made to neutralize any effect they could possibly have on the game. Even when North Carolina tried those quick passes Clowney still got several pressures on the quarterback forcing errant throws. But for some reason, after the game he was subject the criticism and analysts were talking about how he is a facade and this and that. The biggest knock they had on him was conditioning. That's how you know none of those analysts played sports because they would have known that you are not in your best shape in the 1ST GAME OF THE SEASON. Not only was it the 1ST GAME OF THE SEASON but the humidity was off the charts because it was still a summer night in South Carolina. I have never been to South Carolina in the summer or the South in general but typing the words "summer night in South Carolina" made me sweat. So now Clowney's talent was not the topic of discussion, it was his desire.<br />
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That whole desire topic is a lot more concerning than talent could be. You could have all the talent in the world but if you lack desire than it is useless *cough Jamarcus Russell cough.* And it can easily work the other way around. There is no way that Wes Welker should have 800 receptions but he does. Personally i think the lack of desire talk is a load of bs. First of all, we don't know what is going on in Clowney's head so it's wrong for us to tell everyone in the world what he is thinking when no one talks to him other than those close to him. You could say you can read his body language out there on the field but i don't think it is a lack of desire. I think it is more frustration than anything. For a player who is athletically superior to anyone he lines up across and has proven to be able to do anything he wants, he hasn't been able to do anything this season through no fault of his own. That can get frustrating when you are touted as the next big thing in a sport but are rendered helpless because opposing teams are scared of you. That actually should make the Clowney narrative grow stronger rather than ripping the kid.<br />
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However, the one thing that i did not like about Clowney this year was him sitting out the Kentucky game with a rib injury. I understand if your ribs are hurt it's hard to breathe. Playing in a football game no doubt makes it worse. On the otherside, i would have to believe there were players both on South Carolina and Kentucky playing in that same game with far worse boo boos than young Jadeveon. That was strictly a business move which he has the right to make. Coming in to the year he was the projected #1 overall pick in next year's draft and when you are projected to go that high your stock can only go down which we were all witnessing happen to him. He did not want his stock to drop any further with a sub par game against against Kentucky, which if you don't know is labeled as a basketball school for a reason. Although i guess i am contradicting myself because i am not in Clowney's head i am calling it how i see it. Just like how i said his "lack of desire" is actually frustration building up. I don't know if that is true, that is just my opinion based on what i see. This rib injury incident is concerning for teams looking to draft him because they do not know if he is going to pull the same stuff at the next level. Is he going to put his status over the good of the team. It sounds like a douchebag thing to say that i'm criticizing him for wanting to make sure he is 100% healed before coming back to play but it's not a torn ACL he was dealing with, shout out to Philip Rivers. It's not a concussion. It's not a broken face, shout out to Anquan Boldin. His ribs were hurt. I would gladly take a Clowney with hurt ribs playing versus whoever his backup is, no disrespect. When you are portrayed as a Hercules with an Adonis body, it doesn't look good to sit out a conference game against Kentucky with some hurt ribs. But again, in my opinion he was protecting his investment of himself. A business decision.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">frequent Clowney comparison</td></tr>
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With all that being said do I think he is still the best player in the upcoming draft? Of course. I truly believe Jadeveon Clowney is a once in a generation talent. Keeping in mind that he is playing against college players, it is still remarkable how he can truly dominate at times. He throws 300 pound offensive linemen to the side like a bully. He wants his lunch and he isn't going to stand in line for it. They compare him most to Mario Williams and Julius Peppers because of the kind of athlete he is and we know how good they are. The thing i want to know is can Clowney continue to develop the fundamentals to reach his athletic potential. He is about to go to the NFL where even Julius Peppers and Mario Williams can't dominate every game. His athleticism is going to deteriorate at one point or another so can he be a force in the run game? Can he stop the zone blocking schemes? Can he keep his discipline on the read option? Can he work around NFL double teams and people like Frank Gore looking to blow him up in the backfield because he won't be forced to beat the chip block of a 5'10, 190 pound 3 star recruit out of Whosville, Mississippi. I believe he will because every athlete has the need to prove the naysayers wrong and with the help of NFL coaching, Jadeveon Clowney can turn any perceived question marks into strengths just like that. I said Clowney is the best player in the draft but does that necessarily make him the #1 overall pick.<br />
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I'm going to take a look at the Number 1 overall picks taken since the year 2001 and they go as follows:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another Clowney comparison</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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2001: Michael Vick, QB Atlanta<br />
2002: David Carr, QB Houston<br />
2003: Carson Palmer, QB Cincinnati<br />
2004: Eli Manning, QB New York Giants<br />
2005: Alex Smith, QB San Francisco<br />
2006: Mario Williams, DE Houston<br />
2007: Jamarcus LOL Russell, QB Oakland<br />
2008: Jake Long, OL Miami<br />
2009: Matt Stafford, QB Detroit<br />
2010: Sam Bradford, QB St. Louis<br />
2011: Cam Newton, QB Carolina<br />
2012: Andrew Luck, QB Indianapolis<br />
2013: Eric Fisher, OL Kansas City<br />
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There is a pattern going on here and that pattern has to do with the position of Quarterback. Every single number 1 pick since 2001 was selected either to quarterback the team to the Super Bowl, protect the quarterback, or sack the quarterback. That shows how much value is placed at the quarterback position. Mario Williams was the only defensive player selected number one in that time span and he did not help Houston make any noise in the playoffs. They made it there one year out of the six he was there and they were bounced in the first round. Looking at that list actually is pretty sad because the only team to actually get Super Bowl victories with their number 1 pick is the New York Giants, and they acquired him in a draft day trade with San Diego. The only teams that I would say are currently happy with the selections that they made are the Giants, Carolina, and Indianapolis. Every other team sort of whiffed. But that goes to show not only how much of a gamble that the Draft is every year but how important scouting is. The best player taken in the 2011 draft was selected at #11 and that is JJ Watt. Although the 2011 draft is turning out to be one of the most successful in history, I have a hard time believing JJ Watt would not be a top 3 pick if it was re done. Just because Jadeveon Clowney is a freaky, once in a generation type talent does not mean he should be the first overall pick. Look at how the New York Giants won their two super bowls. Obviously Eli Manning had A LOT to do with it but the constant pressure they were able to force on Tom Brady by using just their front four was something every team dreams of. Correct me if I am wrong, but on those two championship winning teams, I believe the only first round D-linemen were Michael Strahan and Jason Pierre-Paul. And both if you were wondering, neither was selected first overall in their draft class.<br />
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After establishing the whiffs known as the number 1 draft picks let's take a look at recent Super Bowl Winners:<br />
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2013: Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco MVP<br />
2012: New York Giants, Eli Manning MVP<br />
2011: Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers MVP<br />
2010: New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees MVP<br />
2009: Pittsburgh Steelers, Santonio Holmes MVP<br />
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I just took a smaller sample size over the last five years but I think you get the point. The last five Super Bowl MVP's have been offensive players and four out of the five have been quarterbacks. We hear all the time from analysts that this is a quarterback driven league and it has never been more true. To win the Super Bowl, you need to have elite play from the quarterback position. That doesn't mean they need to be elite, see Joe Flacco, but they need to be playing at an elite level. The last team to win the Super Bowl without elite play from the quarterback position was the 05-06 Steelers when they had second year Ben Roethlisberger leading them over the Seattle Seahawks. When you look at Pittsburgh's opponent you can see why they did not need Big Ben to be elite. My point is that the quarterback position is far more valuable to winning a championship than a game changing defensive end. A defensive end can be a part of a strong defensive effort but they won't be the sole reason a team wins a Super Bowl. The only time i have ever seen a defensive linemen take over a game with a championship at stake was when Nick Fairley was toying with the Oregon offensive line while at Auburn during the 2011 Natty. And he was a defensive tackle and not a pass rusher. Like I said before, an elite pass rusher can be completely neutralized but a quarterback is touching the ball on every play. <br />
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Let's look right now at the teams in running for the top pick of next year's draft. First we have the sorry sight that is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert are not anyone's answer at Quarterback. I feel like they take a QB with the top pick because they desperately need one. Your more likely to find an elite pass rusher later in the draft than you would a QB. Tampa Bay could end up with that pick too. I'm assuming Greg Schiano is going to be fired because he shouldn't be an NFL coach and that means a new regime would be coming in. That new regime probably is not high on Mike Glennon because no one is high on Mike Glennon other than Greg Schiano. I predict they would take a QB over Clowney. If the New York Giants somehow end up with the top pick the only reason they don't take Clowney is because their offensive line is that bad. Eli Manning is not going anywhere and the franchise has shown a knack for reloading that d-line. There is potential there for them to take Clowney though because i feel like his talent trumps that of any of the offensive lineman that will be available. The Raiders are in a tough place. Terrelle Pryor is for sure showing progress as a Quarterback but no one really knows what his ceiling is. We all can see the potential but no one knows if he will ever reach it. So if they end up with the top pick, the question will be whether or not they believe in Pryor as the QB of the future. If they believe in him they take Clowney. If they don't believe in Pryor then they take a QB. Or maybe since it is a deep QB class, they take Clowney first overall, hope that Pryor continues to develop, and take a QB in the later rounds but that is very risky too. That's why i'm not paid to make these decisions. It will be interesting to see next April (or did they move the draft to May already) how much value teams see in Jadeveon Clowney. <br />
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So in conclusion, although i do believe Jadeveon Clowney to be not only the best player in the upcoming draft but a once in a generation type talent, i do not believe he should be the first overall selection in the upcoming draft. It depends though on which team is drafting first overall however like i said before. If a team truly believes Clowney will help their team get a championship more so than Terry Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota (assuming the two come out early), Jake Matthews, or Taylor Lewan than yes whoever is picking first should take him. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But this is a quarterback driven league and if you don't take a QB first in next years potentially loaded quarterback classes you better either have a QB established on your team, are highly confident you can find a QB in later rounds, really like Clowney that much, or really don't like any of the QB's that much. And if anyone was wondering, which i am sure you're not, I would right now take Marcus Mariota number 1 overall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mariota from Oregon</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Starlito and Don Trip</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Fcq2Hkt_D-w" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Run The Jewels</b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JBf4vvtaCDw" width="560"></iframe>Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-28067339708198041182013-10-14T22:52:00.000-07:002013-10-14T22:52:36.822-07:00The Foreign Exchange- Love In Flying Colors<br />
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If you haven't heard of The Foreign Exchange, don't trip. I only heard about them a while back so it's not like i've been a fan for years considering their first album dropped in 2004. I have made a mention of them in the blog before as a dynamic MC-Producer combination but they are not a hip hop tandem, but rather an r&b pairing. The duo consists of Phonte and Nicolay. Nicolay hails from Europe and is the producer who i have no idea about his other work. The first and only time i heard Nicolay's work is from The Foreign Exchange catalog. Phonte on the other hand is definitely more well known in the states than his partner but still is not too popular. He got his beginnings as part of the North Carolina trio called Little Brother with Big Pooh also rapping and 9th Wonder handling the boards. The group made great underground music and have arguable classics in their first two albums, <i>The Listening</i> and <i>The Minstrel Show</i>. They broke up eventually due to creative differences of course and decided to do their own things. 9th if you haven't heard has gone on to become one of the best hip hop producers of the last decade while Big Pooh and Phonte are always applauded for their work but have not received the type of recognition that 9th has. The first two Little Brother albums saw Phonte not only show off his skills as a damn good MC but he showed that he has bars as a singer too. And not the sounds good on a hook or with autotune kind of singing but he can sing his ass off. Peep <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwSffIIjfb8" target="_blank">this</a> and ask yourself how many rappers can hit those notes. Not to sound like i'm jocking him but idk of many rappers who can sing and rap as well as Phonte. Lauryn Hill hasn't dropped anything in forever but she may be recording new music out of prison. Hate Nicki Minaj all you want but we all know she can rap and sing well. She just has yet put together something good. Your Love i guess was the closest thing to it but that sucked. If you try and convince me Future can sing well i'm going to punch you in the face. After that digression i'm going to get into the 4th album from The Foreign Exchange. The only expectation that i have for this is that it's going to be good so the bar is set high on my expectation meter. Let's get into it.<br />
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The Foreign Exchange's sound to me has always been classic r&b with underground hip hop influences. You're not going to hear anyone call them this new age r&b and lump them together with Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Miguel. Phonte isn't going to tell you stories about how drugs has permanently damaged his love life as a teenager or whatever it is that the Weeknd talks about. This album, if you couldn't tell by the title and by their previous projects, is about love. Finding love, falling in love, maintaining love, etc. It's weird how one subject could be so repetitive yet we always want to hear more love songs. I mean shit, everyone is tired of gangsta rap but Taylor Swift can keep singing about her exes all she wants, i don't get it. Well this is how this album goes. Every single track has something about love but i'm not mad because 1) it is what i was expecting. 2) it is an r&b album. 3) it's Phonte writing the songs. And 4) being mad about this album being all about love is like saying McDonalds gave you too many fries. It's what they do.<br />
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That being said the production by Nicolay was damn good. Some of the best production work track to track over the course of a whole album that i have heard all year. I mean there have been other projects where there has been great production on all tracks, but Nicolay's work on here all flowed together and never seemed out of place with the exception of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWMHPwC-tf4" target="_blank">Listen To The Rain</a> which i thought was just too damn sad. But then again that was the 5fth track in a 10 track album so i'm assuming they inserted that one there just to break it up. All the beats added to the overall message of the album which i took as finding the love of your life is more than likely right in front of your face and to not let go of that love so easily. And normally i am not a fan of the "euro pop" sounds which Nicolay featured on every track. I don't even know if it is called euro pop but every track i was expecting to hear <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc" target="_blank">this</a>. But i did like how he incorporated that euro sound with a little of what i think was live instrumentation and maybe some mpc work. Anyways props to Nicolay for holding his end of the deal.<br />
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Now on to Phonte. Saying the album is about love and all thought is true but also is the generic cop out answer. Or maybe that is what Phonte is trying to get at. That love isn't all that hard and we just make it that much harder on ourselves who knows *kanye shrug.* I like the second track, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykNWPBJcjc0" target="_blank">Right After Midnight</a>, because Tigallo is speaking for all males. Ladies...it is okay for the woman to make the first move every once in a while. I know "tradition" has it that guys make the first move and go to the ladies but shit you can't cherry pick on what things you want to stay traditional and what you want to modernize. Shout out to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imZ52DHBtug" target="_blank">Bill Burr</a>. That one was my favorite track off the album if anyone is interested. That's saying something too because 9 out of the 10 songs i really do like and have it on repeat. He touches on a lot of subjects with regards to relationships over the course of the album. The main thing i got from it was that once we find the person that we love, we need to cherish that person because no one is going to have the perfect relationship. The best we can do is try our best. It sounds simple and a lot of people have made songs regarding this but it's weird that Phonte does it as well as anyone. I know Drake touches on these types of subjects (and if you didn't know Phonte is Drake's favorite rapper) but Phonte just has this certain something that makes him more enjoyable to me. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it has to do when does r&b he sticks to r&b and when he does rap he sticks to rap. Maybe he showed his skills as an MC with his Little Brother projects. Maybe he just does his music without caring what people on the internet have to say. I don't know but i digress. The only one that i didn't like was the 5th track, Listen To The Rain. It just seemed sad to me especially when compared to the rest of the album. The other nine tracks seemed to be full of optimism and this one just brought my spirits down and Nicolay's production definitely conveyed that. Maybe they were trying to say in the course of a happy and successful relationship there are going to be bumps in the road but there is always a brighter side when coming out of it. But that is just one half ass critique of a damn near flawless album. And that critique is on some personal hating so it's not even a legit one.<br />
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In conclusion, if this is your first introduction to The Foreign Exchange i hope you are pleased with the album and that it will encourage you to check out their other stuff. Their second album, <i>Leave It All Behind</i> is still my favorite but i also have listened to that waaaaay more than i have this one. But LIFC right now is my second favorite release of the duo. If you want to hear Phonte actually spitting over Nicolay beats then check out their first album, <i>Connected</i>. That one is definitely has the heaviest hip hop influence in their discography. And the r&b tracks on that album have a poor man's D'Angelo feel to them if you want a lazy comparison. So check it out, if you like it buy it and be sure to tell your friends about it. If you just listen to hip hop then mix it up with The Foreign Exchange. If your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't like hip hop meet them in the middle with this. Peace and let me know if there is anything you want me to review/speak on.<br />
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<b>The album gets an A- btw</b><br />
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FYI, great month for new music. Deltron 3030 just released their second highly anticipated album. I haven't listened to it yet but i've heard it's great. Black Milk just released his album today i believe so check that out. Nipsey Hussle's <i>Crenshaw </i>dropped last week. The one he was selling for $100 whch i still don't believe he actually sold all 1000 copies. Although shout out to Jay-Z for copping 100 of them. Plenty of good music out there. You just gotta keep your ears and eyes open.<br />
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<b>Random Axe (Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Sean P)</b><br />
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<b>100s</b><br />
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<b>Azizi Gibson</b><br />
<b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/evNIdHctdcs" width="560"></iframe></b><br />Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675869014775786238.post-51208994346590277362013-10-03T21:06:00.003-07:002013-10-21T09:17:48.567-07:00Danny Brown- Old<br />
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I'll be honest, i never got into Danny Brown's music because his voice was too much for me to take. However, i did like the stuff of his that i did check out like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHfWY0is3rE" target="_blank">Grown Up</a> and his feature on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_71q5lVEjc" target="_blank">Terrorist Threats</a>. Those two tracks were really the only Danny ones that i ever listened to and that was it. It seemed i liked him more for his interviews than his music because he seemed like a funny ass dude who was genuine in everything he said no matter how outrageous it was. For real though, if you need a laugh just go watch a Danny Brown interview on youtube. Then i heard him on E-40's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kCf2nGOhds" target="_blank">All My Niggas</a> track and i had to do sort of a re-evaluation on his music because his verse was that sick. I didn't get crazy with it but i did check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCt7ZxMoQyo" target="_blank">Blunt After Blunt</a> (directed by ASAP Rocky). I was like cool, let me check out his mixtape XXX. I knew that was considered one of the best mixtapes of 2011 and i always meaned to get around to it but just never did. SO i finally checked it out and my assumptions about Danny were completely wrong. He wasn't just some party rap dude (although i should have picked that up from listening to Grown Up and Terrorist Threats) but he was a man with a story to tell and he told it the way he wanted to. I always got respect for people who not only do things their way but are successful at it too. If you haven't checked out XXX, check that out. Well listening to that got me anticipating his album, <i>Old</i>, which is what i will be reviewing if you haven't figured that out. I went in with some expectations so let's see if they were met.<br />
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You'll notice as you listen to the album and look at the tracklisting that it is split into two parts: Side A and Side B. The first half is Danny rapping more over traditional hip hop Detroit style beats. This is reminiscent of XXX because he is telling stories here. Danny is letting us into his mind and his life. If this is your first listen of Danny, it most likely is a shock to the system especially if all you know about him is the stories you hear about him or the interviews you watch or read about him. We here a theme beginning in the first track of the album that obviously has been bugging Danny ever since he blew up after XXX. He is pretty much venting that too many people want the "old Danny Brown" back meaning they want the underground rapper who spits lyric after lyric, bar after bar. They want him to be a "traditional" hip hop artist rather than the weird nasally high pitched Danny Brown we receive today. He addresses in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXzQEeS9eAo" target="_blank">hook</a> that he's moved from that. Not that he can't rap like that because he does go back to rapping "traditionally" for the first half of the album but the reason he rapped that way was because of how his life was. He was selling drugs, serving a stint in prison, unafraid to let it fly on anyone who stepped on his turf. That was the old Danny Brown and he is saying that he has no reason to be rapping like that anymore since he is in a different place now. But it's funny that Danny is saying he is going to do what he wants yet he won't hesitate to give the fans what they want. He is rapping like the old Danny Brown through the first half of <i>Old</i> but he isn't talking about the same stuff. Which transitions beautifully into the next track, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1GfD3wnEWA" target="_blank">Return</a> featuring Freddie Gibbs. If you didn't catch it, it is a sequel of sorts to the Outkast track, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXSWwsrSZ9o" target="_blank">Return of the G</a> off the classic album <i>Aquemini.</i> People want the old Danny Brown back because they feel like he turned into this weird drugged out hippy that got out of Detroit and lost touch with the hood. If you thought that way about him, Danny is quick to remind he won't hesitate to take the gun out and shoot you. He has stated in many interviews that people get him wrong all the time and forget that he was a drug dealer in Detroit and that kind of personality doesn't just leave a person because they make some more money. Of course Freddie Gibbs comes in with yet another cold verse. I've said this before but i'll say it again...i have never heard a bad Freddie Gibbs verse. He does what he does and does it well.<br />
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After looking back i'm realizing i'm just recapping the album song by song and i don't want to do that and i'm sure you guys want to read about it so i'm just going to give my thoughts on the first half of the album as a whole. In short, I liked everything about it. If he had just done the first 9 or 10 songs as an album, obviously it would be too short but it was so good that i would have nothing bad to say about it. It was as flawless as it could be. Honestly, if Side A was its own album it would be in my top 2 albums projects that were released in 2013. I can't say anything bad about it and i'm not even jocking Danny Brown. It wasn't groundbreaking but he did everything so well. he got his point across that the old Danny Brown isn't coming back because he has grown as an artist and is going to keep doing him since that is what got him to the next level. Look at what he says on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xI1NUyw3X4" target="_blank">Red 2 Go</a> which is the last track of Side A and the transition between Side A and Side B, "Did it my way, i ain't nobody's hoe, bout to pimp the rap game." He is reiterating again he is going to do it his way because that is what got him to where he is at today.<br />
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Speaking of what got Danny Brown to where he is today, that is what the second half of the album, Side B is. It is Danny rapping over EDM beats or dubstep beats, i don't know what you're supposed to call them. I <strike>normally don't</strike> never listen to these kinds of beats but i actually like what Danny did. He did party rap over party beats. If you didn't follow the path he took over the course of the album, Danny Brown did "hip-hop" for Side A, and Side B was the experimental hip-hop. I definitely like the first half more but i wasn't hating on the second half. My favorite tracks on Side B were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKAt34SRekc" target="_blank">Smokin and Drinkin</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZa2lY9CFyM" target="_blank">Dip</a>. Honestly there's no need to go in depth on these tracks other than he subtly shouts out A Tribe Called Quest on Smokin and Drinkin. I was surprised to hear the Ab Soul feature on Way Up Here because i have never heard him over these beats and i wasn't feeling it too much. It's not like it was bad but i definitely prefer him on those TDE beats. Side B wasn't my favorite but i still fuck with it nonetheless. The only thing i'm scared of is now there is going to be a bunch of trash rappers going over edm beats so that is going to suck.<br />
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I'm going out on a limb here and am going to say this album is a game changer. I don't think there has been a rapper who has the love from so many different types of people and has dabbled in the types of sound that Danny Brown has before. It took me a while to get used to Side B because that is not the type of music i ever listen to but i finally got the bigger picture. Danny Brown has spoken before about progressing hip hop and he is right. With so many people clamoring for the "old danny brown," they want him rapping over 90's type Detroit beats and there is nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that if Danny Brown sticks to that and doesn't attempt to go for something new then who knows how long it would take for someone else to rap over these edm beats. Even if this project fails at least rappers would now know not to rap over these types of beats. Danny Brown is looking at hip-hop not only as music but he is looking at the culture as a whole. If all rappers stick to the same script there is no way for hip-hop to progress. Nothing against Joey Badass because i think he is a very talented individual but he isn't doing anything special by doing his whole 90's revival thing. All he is doing is going backwards and by doing so he can't go forward. With his ever growing fanbase digging what he does, they too would clamor for that 90's revival stuff meaning there would be less of a demand for progression. Although i haven't listened to Yeezus, from what i hear it is even more experimental than Side B of <i>Old</i>. Even if it sucks it at least pushes the boundaries and takes hip hop into new directions. So if we don't give Danny Brown a listen because of the beats he raps over like i used to, then hip-hop won't be able to progress as a genre of music or as a culture. Peace<br />
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Just found this <a href="http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.25636/title.danny-brown-says-miley-cyrus-supporters-in-rap-are-disingenuous" target="_blank">interview/article</a> where Danny Brown talks about his goal to progress rap. I can't believe i actually understood the album like that and was right for once. <br />
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<b>Gang Starr</b><br />
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<b>Nas and Damien Marley</b><br />
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Slim Samuraihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05242870266122627789noreply@blogger.com1