H.E.R

The subject of Love in Hip-Hop as been present every since LL took the bold risk of recording "I Need Love" for his 1987 Sophomore album Bigger And Deffer. So because I had some "love shit" on my mind while writing, I decided to post some of my favorite videos about the Hip-Hop and the opposite sex.

Mos Def- Ms. Fat Booty
Storytelling wise, this is one of my favorite songs period. Mos vividly tells the story of the shorty who had "all the right weaponry." Also musically, if you have heard the original sample for the song, you know that producer Ayatollah chopping work is bananaz.


Talib Kweli- Never Been In Love
Keeping the Blackstar movement goin (I wish Brown Skin Lady had a video), not only one of my favorite joint from Kweli's The Beautiful Stuggle, but one of my favorite Just Blaze beats.


Jay-Z- Song Cry
Another Just Blaze And The Blazettes Presentation, featuring Young Hov. This one was on repeat when I was bumping The Blueprint back in 8th Grade.


The Roots & Erykah Badu- You Got Me
Although "Complexity" from Phrenology (which featured Jill Scott, who wrote the hook for "You Got Me" and was featured on the song's demo) gets more burn from me, you gotta show love to grammy award winning record that introduced the mainstream to The Legendary Fifth Dynasty from The Illadelph. ?uesto's Drum and Bass inspired drumming on the tracks outro is extra dope.


A Tribe Called Quest- Bonita Applebum & Find A Way
Is really neccessary for any explanation for these two selections? Bonita is still holds up to this day and Find A Way is one of the my top 5 Dilla beats. The bassline is fuckin' immaculate.



Slum Village- Climax (Girl Shit)
Another favorite Dilla Beat of my mine, and one of my favorite SV videos. Check out Gary Coleman's cameo on his "One won't do it, not enough for me no," steelo. Check out S.V's "Multiply" from their last self-titled album. That joint to me is the sequel to "Climax."


The Pharcyde- Passing Me By & She Said (J. Dilla Remix)
Sad to say, but Passing Me By is damn near the theme to my love life. The She Said remix is one of my favorite Pharcyde joint. I love the cinematography of the video.



Little Brother- Slow It Down (Live On MTV.COM)
Did I just say "Passing Me By" was the theme to my love life? Well... almost, actually, it's Phonte's verse on this LB classic that says it all.


Bilal feat. Mos Def & Common- Reminisce
Sonically, another Dilla Dawg favorite of mine. Common's verse on here I can relate to a lot, that's why, although this is not a video, I HAD to put this joint up here.


Common- The Light, Come Close, And I Want You
As far as Hip-Hop love songs go, for me, Com has the crown. Although LL started it, Com has master the craft. The Light (another damn Dilla Classic, what is this the 5th Jay Dee produced jawn on this list?), not explantion needed. I Want You, one of my favorites from Finding Forever, I couldn't stop playing this one the day I got the album. Come Close, hidden gem in the catelog of Pharrell And Chad. As a matter of fact, I didn't know it was The Neptunes until about 2 years ago, that produced Come Close. I will be using this one when I propose. So ladies, if you are dating me, and I start rapping this song to you, to quote Flava Flav, "You know what time it is."




LL Cool J- I Need Love, Hey Lover, & Hush.
Of course I had to show love the joint that started it all. Hey Lover (featuring Boyz II Men) won a grammy back in 1996. This most likely the best of sequel to Hey Lover. Hush was pne of my favorite joints from Uncle L's 11th album "The DEFintion".




I know I missed a couple (this whole post could have been filled with all LL joints honestly), but what are some of your favorite Hip-Hop Love joints? Hit me with your selections on the comment page.

And on that note... I'm out.

Things U Do (Remix)

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.

And on that note... I'm out.

Fan-Tas-Tic In '98

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....

And on that note... I'm out.

Keep Your "Cool" & "Sound The Alarm!!!!"

Saw this on Lupe's Myspace when it first premiered last night. This video is Hip-Hop 101... not to much flash, just the MC tearing it down lyrically on camera. Lupe is killing it right now! If "The Cool" is just as good or better than "Food & Liquor," then Lupe has earned a spot in my top 3 MCs living (he's already in my top 5).



Came back to this album this week. If you don't have this album, you missing out. Cop it ASCAP!!!


And since we are the subject of Detroit Hip-Hop, I thought it would only be right show some respect to master of Detroit's "Soulful Boom-Bap" sound. This is not only one of my favorite tracks from Slum, but one of my favorite Dilla beats. R.I.P. Jay Dee.
FYI- Peep the "small" cameo in the video... lol!!



T.G.I.F on some real shit!!! peAcE & one Love.

And on that note... I'm out.