“I get mad when I see what other artists do with a mil/Wit a couple of G’s I gave my P’s a couple of computers for real…”

New visuals featuring Dante Hawkins. Free Agent coming sooner than later.

Offtopic — That Raiders cap is flickin’.

Previously Posted — Joell Ortiz - “Memories” | Joell Ortiz - “Good Times”

“I’m poor, black, I might even be ugly. But dear God, I’m here. I’m here!”

Stray Shots

DJ_Jazzy_Jeff_and_The_Fresh_Prince-Yo_Home_to_Bel_Air-CDM-1988

DJ Smallz & P Novakane - Home Sour Home (2008)

Coast 2 Coast Mixtape Vol. 40 - Hosted By LL Cool J (2008)

Big_Mike_And_Max_B-Wavie_Crocket_(Return_Of_The_Wave)

Digital Product & DJ Ill Will Present Radio Hits Vol. 3

Trap-A-Holics & Styles P - Phantom Ghost Menace

School Daze OST (1987)

Stevie Wonder-Song Review - Greatest Hits

The D.O.C - No One Can Do It Better

The Bee Gees - The Very Best of the Bee Gees

Cherelle - Fragile (1984)

Cherelle - High Priority (1985)

Cherelle - Affair (1988)

Kid ‘N Play - Face The Nation

Prince - Hits/B-Sides

Smooth Jazz All Stars - Jill Scott Smooth Jazz Tribute

Jagged Edge - JE Heartbreak

Goapele - Change It All

Yummy Bingham - The First Seed

Lucy Pearl - Lucy Pearl (2000)

Jodeci - The Show, The After Party, The Hotel

Stray Shots

Words By K1NG

Maybe it has something to do with my California residency, or maybe it’s my infatuation with funk music sampled in hip hop, but my favorite region of the musical genre has got to be the West Coast.

Whether it’s the P-Funk inspired classics like The Chronic, Doggystyle, or Dogg Food or it’s the new-age west coast albums that keep our heads nodding such as 2001, The Documentary, or Trauma, I can’t get enough West Coast music to bang melodically off of my ear drums.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Young Maylay is the best rapper to recently come out of L.A., because that is not fair to say with rappers like Damani and Crooked I also tearing up beats left and right. What I will say is that the South Central LA spitter is definitely someone to give an hour worth of your time on the iPod. His flow is slick, his lyrics are hard, and his demeanor is smooth. ( Want more? )

With his continued fuckery, am I the only one who privately (well, I guess not so private now) wouldn’t be mad if Earl got locked up for a little while? He’s second to A.Winehouse right now in celebrities to let their habit get the best of them, headed straight downhill with no brakes. ( Want more? )

Hip-Hop doing good. *Doffs hat*

Kanye West, MTV Prep War Veterans Documentary [Billboard]

Mike signed to Jermaine Dupri? Imagine that.

Someone brought to our attention Khia’s critique of Trina’s Still Da Baddest. Realistically, Trina ain’t shit but if you got her Goose’ed up the Diamond Princess’ freestyles would run circles around Khia’s albums. So fuck it, we’re repaying the favor.

Originally, we started to break tradition and pull a blind rating, word to Maxim & The Black Crowes, no listening necessary. But, we knew that would be unfair & that you would want further explanation. Spearheaded by TC, we got together as a Crew (so that one person wouldn’t be alone in the suffering) to come up with a track-by-track assessment of said musical composition.

1. “Nasti Muzik” - Janet called… and she wants her intro back. Control this is not.

2. “My Swag” - Khia has the swag of a flamingo and this song sounds like it was a bonus track for BET Uncut’s Greatest Hits. “My swag is the best pussy ever had…” I can’t take this line seriously, especially knowing how she looks.

3. “Be Your Lady” - “I’ll fix you breakfast buttnaked while you eating me out” ??? Since when is perch served in the morning?

Really though, she kinda had me liking her in this joint - talking about cooking my dinner and folding my clothes…then, I remembered what she looks like.

4 . “Shit On Me” (Skit) - This ain’t a skit; she couldn’t squeeze another beat out the budget. I just thank God this isn’t about what I thought it was gonna be about.

5. “Like Me” - All the beats sound so much they same they’re almost running together. Cheap-ass, 1987 Casio-type beats, shitty lyrics, horrible production….I wager this was recorded on a $12 mic from Radio Shack. “Looking extra thick in a short white tee”. I’ll bet she looks “extra thick” in just about anything she wears. Wear black, Khia. I hear it has a slimming effect. ( Want more? )

The once bountiful land of apt vocalists has become creatively arid, destitute of talent and pathetically monotonous. It’s terribly easy to forget that there are artists out there with voices that do not require autotune or overpowering/generic beats in order to create a palpable melody.

I, for one, had definitely almost fallen into such a lull a few months back, having tired out the collection of the few decent R&B and Neo-Soul albums from this past year or two. I was about to pull a Nasir Jones and declare the cultures dead.

But the fat lady was yet to sing.

Pic Property of BET

Maxwell, although neither fat, nor a lady, hadn’t sung quite yet either. When he eventually did, he put the genres back onto my regular rotation. Initially, it came to me in one of those Archimedean “Eureka” moments while I was looking for a song to cap off a slow jam playlist I was working on. One of my co-workers noticed me jolt, to life and began peeking over my shoulder. She then proceeded to proclaim her adoration for the once afro-puffed crooner, and requested his discography. ( Want more? )