On Rap City: Thought In The Booth With ?uest on the wheels...
On Letterman perfoming "Rising Up" with Wale and Chrisette Michele. Peep ?uesto's shirt...
Live On DJ Green Lantern's Sirius Show performing the title track with Styles P.
And to come full circle (and showing love to album's interlude @15,) is a classic freestyle session with a young Thought and ?uest on the beatbox.
Once again, V.I.P. Records in the LBC came through again and had the album a day eariler. Needless to say, this record has been on repeat since Monday afternoon and will continue to be on repeat throughout AT LEAST for the rest of the week. I would give a full review, but I'm tired, lol. Tommorrow is a BIG DAY and I need sleep!!!More on that in tommorrow's post. Just know you need this album... period. One of the best of the year, hands down. The Legendary have done it again. I wore my Roots shirt to school with pride today, lol.
Rising Down IN STORES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(From CNN.Com) Nicole Paultre Bell bolted from the courtroom as a judge acquitted three New York City detectives of all charges Friday in the shooting death of her fiance. "I've got to get out of here," Paultre Bell said. Justice Arthur Cooperman was announcing the verdict clearing Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Sean Bell.
Detective Marc Cooper was cleared of reckless endangerment. "What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice," the Rev. Al Sharpton said later on his radio program. "Justice didn't miscarry," he said. "This was an abortion of justice. Justice was aborted."Sharpton, who has been advising Bell's family, had called for calm on Wednesday.
Bell, 23, died in November 2006 in a 50-bullet barrage -- 31 fired by Oliver -- hours before he was to be married. Two of his companions were wounded in the gunfire outside a Queens nightclub. Alexander Jason, an expert witness for the defense, sent iReport.com a video demonstrating how quickly Oliver could have fired off 31 rounds, including a pause to reload. The three officers made brief statements more than four hours after the verdict.
"I want to say sorry to Bell family for the tragedy," Cooper said. Isnora thanked the judge "for his fair and accurate decision today." Oliver praised Cooperman "for a fair and just decision." That's not how one community leader viewed it. "This case was not about justice," declared Leroy Gadsden, chair of the police/community relations committee of the Jamaica Branch NAACP. "This case was about the police having a right to be above the law. If the law was in effect here, if the judge had followed the law truly, these officers would have been found guilty. ...
"This court, unfortunately, is bankrupt when it comes to justice for people of color." Patrick Lynch, president of the New York Police Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said "there's no winners, there's no losers" in the case. "We still have a death that occurred. We still have police officers that have to live with the fact that there was a death involved in their case," Lynch said. But, he added, the verdict assured police officers that they will be treated fairly in New York's courts.
Many people outside the courthouse saw it differently. "You can't be proud of wearing that hat. You can't be proud of wearing that badge," a black woman shouted at a black police officer. "You must stop working for the masters! Stand down! Stop working for the masters!" "Fifty shots is murder. I don't care what you say. That's what it is," another woman said. Despite the evident anger and a brief fistfight, the crowd remained generally orderly.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement saying, "An innocent man lost his life, a bride lost her groom, two daughters lost their father, and a mother and a father lost their son. No verdict could ever end the grief that those who knew and loved Sean Bell suffer." However, he said, the legal system must be respected. "America is a nation of laws, and though not everyone will agree with the verdicts and opinions issued by the courts, we accept their authority."
Bloomberg also said he had spoken briefly with Paultre Bell on Wednesday and agreed with her on the need to ensure similar incidents would not occur in the future. Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown echoed the mayor's sentiments. "I accept his verdict and I urge certainly that all fair-minded people in this city to the same," Brown said. "... The bottom line is that all of us working together -- the law enforcement community, our elected public officials, our individuals who are involved -- have got to make certain that that which occurred ... is never again repeated."
In announcing the verdict, Cooperman said he found problems with the prosecution's case. He said some prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves, and he cited prior convictions and incarcerations of witnesses. "At times, the testimony just didn't make sense," Cooperman said, according to a transcript released by his office. He also cited the demeanor of some witnesses on the stand.
Bell was killed just before dawn on his wedding day, November 25, 2006. He and several friends were winding up an all-night bachelor party at the Kalua Club in Queens, a strip club that was under investigation by a NYPD undercover unit looking into complaints of guns, drugs and prostitution.
Undercover detectives were inside the club, and plainclothes officers were stationed outside. Witnesses said that about 4 a.m., closing time, as Bell and his friends left the club, an argument broke out. Believing that one of Bell's friends, Joseph Guzman, was going to get a gun from Bell's car, one of the undercover detectives followed the men and called for backup. What happened next was at the heart of the trial, prosecuted by the assistant district attorney in Queens.
Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield got into the car, with Bell at the wheel. The detectives drew their weapons, said Guzman and Benefield, who testified that they never heard the plainclothes detectives identify themselves as police. Bell was in a panic to get away from the armed men, his friends testified. But the detectives thought Bell was trying to run down one of them, believed that their lives were in danger and started shooting, according to their lawyers. A total of 50 bullets were fired by five NYPD officers. Only three were charged with crimes.
No gun was found near Bell or his friends.
Paultre Bell, Guzman and Benefield have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court that has been stayed pending the outcome of the criminal trial. Federal prosecutors will conduct a review to determine whether there were any civil rights violations, Brown said.
I don't even know what the hell to say. And honestly, I hate to say this, but the verdict does not surprise me. Sometimes I feel we can not even win within this system. Even if the evidence is standing out right dead in the face like the big "Elephant in the Room." Peace out to Sean, his family and loved ones. I send my thoughts, prayers, love, and support to all of you. And everyone out in NY, keep ya heads high. We're going to get there one day. We're going to see justice one day.
"Yesterday I heard a B-Girl girl crying/ I asked her 'What's Wrong.' She said the have been playing the same song on the radio all day long... I got something you been waiting for..."
I have been on a N.E.R.D trip for the past 2 days. I bought Fly or Die about 2 weeks ago for about $5 at my local FYE (yeah, hand me a late pass), and I've liked the singles on it ("She Wants To Move" and ESPECIALLY "Maybe" is my shit), also I own In Search Of... so I wanted to give it a shot. This song is how I feel right now. Seeing Sounds is on my to get list now.
New video for Buckshot and 9th's new LP, The Formula. The joint is called "Hold It Down" featuring Talib Kweli (The scene were Kweli gets pulled over, is the first time I've seen Kweli without a hat on) and Tyler Woods (a protégé of 9th's. Who remembers the joint he was on called "So Sinsurr" from about a year and a half ago on 9th's Myspace page? That was fiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (c) M.O.P).
Directed by Dru Ha and Rik Cordero (he's got another one. Damn, dudes is on it).
About 3 months ago on this blog, I predicted that the Lakers would finish at least 5 in the West. Never in my wildest dream would I have imagined them finishing FIRST!!!! As far as MVP, Kobe is due. As I was saying to some friends of mine, how do you... 1) Win 3 NBA Titles 2) 2 Scoring Titles 3) 2 All-Star MVP Titles 4) First Team All NBA for I believe that past 7-8 Seasons...
AND NOT AS YET BEEN AWARDED THE LEAGUE MVP!?!?!?!??!?!?! He's due. Period.
Shall I make a another prediction? Nah, because Lakers fans know to NEVER make predictions in the playoffs. HOWEVER, I will say this, if the Lakers make it to the Finals, H.F.P will be dropping a joint for Lakers. Please believe... shit that what I may call it. And DON'T ANYONE ELSE STILL THAT!!! LMAO!!!
Call Pete Rock... TODAY!!!! Back in 2003 when remixes for "The Black Album" was all over the place, there was an unauthorized remix album featuring beats from The PR floating around. How I found this was I was looking on Imeem looking for the instrumental "Take The D Train" from Pete's "Petestrumentals" album, and found the beat with Hov's vocals on it. With signature Pete Rock interlude at the end (Roc-A-Fella style).
Since were on the subject of Skillz in the last post, I forgot about this banga. This dropped around this time last year. It's off Skillz long awaited new LP, "Million Dollar Backpack." According the Skillz, when he first heard the beat he said it sounded like "What We Do Pt. 2." So, why wouldn't you get the man behind that joint to "rock the mic" with you?
And for the hell of it, because it's "So necessary right now." (c) Hov...
it's a match made in heaven like Snoop and Dre."- Skillz Part I:
This is why Jeff is my favorite DJ. He challenges the crowd and plays things you normally would not hear in a club setting. He's always on his J-O. You can tell, check the cameraman @ 2:20... LMFAO!!!!!
Check out this new article from Allhiphop.com making the case the Ric Flair was Hip-Hop. And me being a wrestling fan, I gotta agree. Ric as more "Swagger" than most of these rappers today, a balla if I hadn't seen one that was a “Limousine-Ridin’, Jet-Flyin’, Kiss-Stealin’, Wheelin’-Dealin’, Son of a Gun," has a crew, and more "bling" than Jacob could ever cook up.
"To Be the man... you gotta beat the man... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." Couldn't have said it better myself.
In light of the post I did on S.V on Tuesday, I revisted Fantastic Vol. 1 the other day. This is not only one of my favorite tracks on the album, but one of my favorites in Slum's catalog.
"Now bob your head like someone is choking ya." - Eddie Murphy to Stevie Wonder on SNL.
The LONG awaited and LONG overdue second episode to Kweli's Youtube show "Blacksmith T.V."
That's dope that Blacksmith with started on selling some baseball cards. We usually always hear how Hip-Hop labels are alleged started by illegal means, so this is refreshing.
"Hip-Hop nurtures your soul. Cereal nutures your body." LMAO!!!! The look on Kweli's face is comedy. The magician was funny too.
From The Metro Times In The D Circa March 11, 1998 Slum Village, the mysterious crew of rappers who last summer put out an intriguing "basement" tape of beats and rhymes called Fan-tas-tic, has steadily prepared to put Detroit's hip-hop scene on the national map. The group has created a sizable buzz largely through word-of-mouth.
The recording arena has gotten sweeter for the Villagers in recent months too. The innovating trio recently inked a "help out" deal with a local promotional company to complete a follow-up to Fan-tas-tic. Presently, major labels Geffen Records and MCA are both interested in the group, according to SV's manager, Tim Maynor. And with SV's producer Jay Dee currently doing production work for industry giants Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Slum Village's credentials certainly seem in order.
Yep, things are looking pretty good for this bohemian crew &emdash;consisting of rappers Baatin (Titus Glover), T3 (R.L. Altman) and producer-rapper Jay Dee (James Yancey). Reposed around a small office of the promotion company R.J. Rice Studios Inc. and drinking fruit juices, the Villagers voice their issues with the rap industry in the nine-eight. Says the dreadlocked T3, "A lot of rappers now, they imitatin'. ... It ain't like the old school, when everybody used to come with a new sound each time they did a tape. (Now) everybody got the muffled, two-word style. ... Everybody can't do that. It was cool when Mase did it; Mase did his thing. But you can't have another Mase. We don't need another Lil' Kim. Somebody gotta come with somethin'."
Slum Village has done just that. The trio holds a unique position in hip hop as musical masters of the oblique reference. While many of the crew's lines, quotes, allusions and vocal styles come off willfully abstract and even obscure, the best element of Fan-tas-tic is that the rapping sounds so insular. For heads willing to wax nostalgic for a moment, it recalls the tonic rawness of rappers like Just-Ice, Spoonie Gee or KRS-One in his stint with DJ Scott LaRock (with the requisite '90s flavor, of course). Fan-tas-tic subtly recalls classic recordings of rappers courting the beats of drum machines as if nothing else mattered.
SV's magic, though, would not exist without Jay Dee's inspired musical guidance. The producer's sonic palette is finely tuned on "Players," the minimalist "Fat Cat Song," the crypto-soul lounge cut "Things U Do" and even the radio lite "Rock Music." On these cuts, Jay Dee's huge, vibrating bass lines actually subsume the beats. Now triple that with the melodies under those thick, modular grooves and we have what rapper Will Smith termed "a brand new funk." At its most indulgent, this mix of live jamming and expert production forms soundscapes for the rappers to play in, as well as for listeners to delight to. Melodic and dreamlike, especially on Fan-tas-tic's second half, the music is like a self-enclosed world, amenable to hip-hop purists and almost anyone else, for that matter.
Wordsmiths T3 and Baatin, each a musician in his own right, are more than happy to run wild on their recordings. As musically different from Detroit's entire rap world as can be, they, as well as Jay Dee, pepper their rhymes with enough expletives to satisfy any Ice Cube or Lil' Kim fan. From known staples like Esham to one-hit flashes such as Def Jam expatriate Boss, the Detroit sound has always relied heavily on tough-as-nails lyrics and deliveries, often with ample profanity. So it may be SV's attitude that glues it to the city's hip-hop continuum. But T3 says, "If you listen to (SV cut) 'Look of Love,' that's a really pretty guitar beat. But we're not talking about lovemaking on the beat. It's not about that. You know what I'm saying? It's straight hard lyrics on there."
Slum Village is probably more excited about the coming album than its fans are. Says Jay Dee, "We're gonna take elements from everything, basically. Some shit you won't even be able to notice, but it's gonna be the ultimate. I don't want nobody to ever say, 'I coulda done that beat' or 'I know where you got that from.' I got a goal, I'll tell you &emdash; it's people jealous now. No one will ever be able to come against me on the beats. Or SV on the rhymes."
"That's our goal!" Baatin and T3 chime in. "That's our goal!"
"And I can say this," Baatin adds. "We can do five albums if we want. I don't know if Slum Village will do five albums; but we can and I guarantee it."
It sounds like SV has its major aspirations sewed, as the parlance goes. According to the group, cameos by Busta Rhymes, D'Angelo, Common and the Roots are already in planning for the upcoming record, SV's next big thing. If the Villagers can manifest their greatness without yielding to rap's many present defects -- including chronic trendiness -- it may be just that.
You Say Fan-tas-suron, you say huh, what you know....
From Hip-HopDX.Com DX: You working on the next album after Finding Forever?
C: Yeah, the new album is called Invincible Summer. It will be out in the later part of June. The music sounds new. It’s really developing. I’m really happy about it. It feels good. It’s not really heavy. The Neptunes are producing a lot of it. Also a producer named Mr. DJ [is on the project]. He did a lot of work with OutKast. He did “Bombs Over Baghdad” and “Ms. Jackson.” These cats are really giving me some new, fresh sounds. I’m taking it somewhere vocally that I haven’t been before. I’m enthused. I’m really excited. I think it’ll be a great summer album. I wanna make people smile and enjoy life. As much as I wanna make them think, it’s important that they smile, too.
DX: So, there will be a couple of club tracks in there?
C: When I went on the Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour in Europe, I was overseas and just saw people partying overseas. Seeing the music that they were partying to was just a good feeling. I was like, “Wait, none of my songs are being played over here!” What am I missing in my music repertoire? You never stray away from [positive] music. You always need music that’s uplifting and conscious, but you also sometimes wanna relax and party. At a party, you might not wanna hear those things at that time.
DX: Common, why didn’t you mention Kanye’s name as a producer for this new CD?
C: With Kanye, point blank, I’m on G.O.O.D. Music. We’re always going to collaborate. If he’s not producing it, he’s gonna executive produce it and say, “Yo, Rash, we need to do these things with it.” He’ll always be a part of it, but right now he’s focusing on getting his tour together, this Glow in the Dark Tour. I always go with the flow of things. This is what I’m doing for this album. On the next album, Kanye and I will be working on it with some other new artists. But I think this will give it something fresh and it’ll give it more spice when Kanye and I get back together. Who knows? He may do something for this album, too, because I’m not finished.
Classic video from Redman, off his 1996 release "Muddy Waters," featuring partner in rhyme (and blunts) Method Man.
The other day, I posted the Pete Rock remix to this song (Erick Sermon produced the original). Someone later on, in the same post on Okayplayer posted a radio rip of the remix. Turns out it was a exclusive remix only for the Future Flavas radio show on Hot 97 in New York; a show hosted by Marley Marl featuring Pete on the wheels back in the mid 90s. Pete played new remixes every week, and they are hard to find to this day.
Come on yo, he's gotta put those remixes out, CD, I-Tunes, SUMTHIN!!! These Future Flavas joints I've heard are bananaz. But until then, we have to be happy with this...
If you search on Youtube, there are various clips of The Neptunes and Kenna with Justin Timberlake taken during studio sessions for Justified. This has to be the funny one of them all. Listen closely as Pharrell tell various stories of Chad's dad while growing up. I'm telling you, it's worth watching the whole thing. This shit is pure comedy yo.
"Get off my son you bitch!!!" ".... and all you do is beat on that hotdamn drum!!!" LMFAO!!!!
During the 90s, getting your record remixed by The PR was a way of cosigning. Much like most of the heavyweights in New York Hip-Hop during that era need a beat from Preemo. Some time Pete's remixes overshadowed the orginal, and became the definitive version of that song.
Someone posted this on Okayplayer earlier today and I flipped. I can't find it online. If anyone has this remix... PLEASE hook it up.
The 5th, and most likely last video off 'Ye's Graduation, the revamping of the John Legend featured demo track "Home" entitled "Homecoming" featuring Chris Martin from Coldplay.
At this point, I'm convinced that 'Ye and Hype are dope team when making videos. Everything they have done for Graduation has been excellent. No disrespect to Spike Jonze, who is a legendary director in his own right, but 'Ye should have let Hype take a stab at "Flashing Lights." But lets not get caught up back on that subject.
Sidenote, if there was going to be a video in Chi-town this year, I was hoping it would be this song, or "Southside" from Finding Forever. I think "Southside" would have been a great single, but I guess the album has already ran it's commercial course.
Los Angeles AKA DA Wild Wild West, California, United States
DJ Chuck "thE oLd SouL," prez & owner of The Mighty, Mighty, Honor Flow Productions and a Young Black Man with a lot of his mind that "thinks too much" (c) A.D.
