RAAAAAAAAndy Mixtape

The Green Ghost

So, who's heard the new Styles P./Green Lantern mixtape, The Green Ghost Project? Thoughts?

I just finished listening to it for the second time. Overall, I like it. SP has always been my favorite of The LOX. So, even though their sound gets kinda old after a while, I can usually check out some of his new stuff. Jadakiss seemed to have the breakout star power in the beginning, to some extent. But, several lukewarm albums kind of deaded that, in my opinion. Styles always had solid bars. This new mixtape is good. But, it doesn't compare to my favorite collection of his material, The Best Of Styles P hosted by the incredibly loud and annoying DJ Kay Slay. Even he couldn't bring down this collection of great material.

The Green Ghost Project offers more of the same, but if you like SP, you'll like this one too. Though he makes a few attempts to depart from the hardcore and make some softer R&B tracks, and it doesn't really work out. Also, I'm always surprised when multiple wack rappers appear on an album, let alone one song. This is what happened on "Pablo Doe" with both Noreaga and Uncle Murda, two guys that are painfully bad at what they do for a living. I'm shocked I was able to make it through the whole song. They might as well put Tony Yayo on there to round it out.

Anyway, that's what I listened to today. Check it out if you haven't yet. Let me know what you think.

Cartoon Beat Emporium

Anyone like cartoons with their Hip Hop? This is from D/Will's soon to be released instrumental album, Cartoon Beat Emporium. Anyone else see DEL rhyming over this??

Victory

Here's a song I've been feeling a lot lately and been repeating continuously since I got it. "Victory" by Nas feat. John Legend. The wordplay on this is really nice and, in that respect, has Nas doing a big favor for Khaled by not just giving him some leftover shit.

I'm kind of annoyed, just because it's from "DJ" Khaled's album. I'm not sure what he does, I'm not sure what makes him a DJ. Maybe he doesn't mean like a hip hop DJ is a DJ. Maybe he means like a disc jockey you hear on the radio that talks a little bit and then plays a record (I do that in my living room, so I guess that means I'm a DJ).

The track is produced by The Inkredibles (who I'm not crazy about on the whole), so maybe Khaled just paid for the studio time or something, so he could put it on his bullshit album. And if you have seen the tracklisting, you know it's bullshit. But, this here is definitely worth listening to. YouTube link is below, and lyrics to the verse are below that. I'd say it's probably worth it just to download this off iTunes, and forget the actual album.



Speedboats, three tokes and pass it
Grass lit, hittin’ slopes in Aspen
No coat, just an oath to stay thorough ’til we back to ashes
Driven in fly sedans to the MGM Grand
Picture lots of sand, two blondes, implants
Remy in hand, we tryna tan, deal my cards with an honest hand
A modest man, aware of any con or scam
Palm trees, magnum Don Ps, LV monograms
Hottest girls flew from Rio
Mojitos, mucho frio, my libido
Sex so strong, without the E though
Hollow threats, we don’t see those
Higher death toll whenever we roll
That process is pivotal
My pitiful poverty struck criminals will get a Jew
Then we lounge in a Spanish-style house
‘Til it all blows over, Dolce Gabbana'd out
Contemplatin’, there is no bond with Satan
Say a little prayer for me like Aretha Franklin
For my hustlers, here’s some motivation
He who has begun is half done, why you waitin’?
I’m too impatient to pray, too much patience for stress
It’s too much paper to rest, fuck around, you face death
I know some niggas from Astoria
That’ll cut your daughter up
Like I used to cut a quarter up
Makin’ all the bucks, banana clips I bought in Georgia bucks
Kill all you fucks, easy
I be on the golf cart, sleepy
Y’all beneath me
Y’all be at the pawn shop, pawnin’ watches
Obnoxious, can’t stop us, we shottas
Say you killin’ Pablo? Impossible
Nonsense, preposterous, bizarre at best
Unfulfilled promises
I feel intelligence is my wealth
However, how enormous is Nas’ pockets is a pop quiz to gossipers
See me at the Oscars, lookin’ dreamy, hood opulent
Means esoteric, how I wore it
Exoticness makes you curious to see how serious my closet is
Shareholders wanna invest in that Nas stock, it’s just
We be on that real shit, luxury four-wheel shit
Niggas actin’ thirst on some just-got-a-deal shit
Ha, for that victory we will kill shit
Get out the way, playboy, this is real shit

Which Way Is West

So, word is that DJ Premier will be Executive Producing MC Eiht's upcoming album, Which Way Is West and releasing it independently on his own label this summer. I'm not sure how this will turn out. I never thought of these two together at all. So, I'm not gonna get excited.

They both have classic material under their belt, so the potential is there. MC Eiht's no lyrical mastermind, but that doesn't mean he can't craft some great songs, especially with Premier and other talent like Marco Polo backing him up. We'll see what happens.

It's probably about time to break out some old CMW.

Thoughts?

Beginner's Guide To Zion I

A friend of mine saw the list I posted on here of the best albums from 2009, and decided to give Zion I's newest album The Takeover a try. He said he'd like to check out more of their work. Well, I just happened to come across this mix put together by another blogger who, I guess, is a big fan of their's.

The mix is free, and I think it's a good introduction to the work that Zion I have put out over the years. The link will take you to the blog page at BigBuffaloLarge where you can download or stream the mix. Enjoy!

http://bigbuffalolarge.blogspot.com/2010/02/zion-i-bless-beginners-guide-to-zion-i.html

Sean Price's Baby Shower + Performance

You can't tell me this shit isn't funny as hell...and clever marketing. P!!!

Blue Collar Worker

I'm feeling pretty good today despite some bad news earlier. I wrote a beautiful cover letter for an application that will hopefully get me back to work. Now, I'm enjoying Blu's theGODleeBarnes(lp) and putting together this dresser we bought from IKEA yesterday. I feel useful and hopeful.

So, here's a video I saw for the first time today for "Blue Collar Worker" off Blu & Exile's Below The Heavens album from '07. This here's one of my favorite joints off the album. Some feel good music for a Thursday. Enjoy.



Look elsewhere on this blog for a list of my favorite albums of 2007 (this one's on there near the top).

'Web' - One Of Black Thought's Best

Since I'm listening to some of my favorite albums lately, I thought I'd post up one of my favorite verses. I threw on The Tipping Point recently, and came to the song "Web", where Black Thought goes in for about 3 minutes with a single verse over a killer drum and bass track. One of my favorite verses from one of my favorite MCs ever. I think it helps to see it in print, but the audio appears below the text.

And it weights a ton
'Riq Geez motherfuckers I'm a son of a gun
Black master of any trade under the sun
Talk sharp like a razor blade under the tongue
Clear my path and come get your captain hung
Trying to breathe like Black will collapse your lungs
Young chump you could choke off the web I spun
I done cleared 'em out from the threat I brung
You done heard about what set I'm from
My nigga, word-a-mouth little rule-a-thumb
Y'all better bow down when the ruler come
I'm a real hood nigga not a hood-a-lum
The way Thought put it down be confusin' some of y'all
cats can't walk while chewin' your gum 'n all
With a keyboard got do with a drum 'n all
School 'em on stage like I'm doin' a seminar
Professional type, I'm adjusting my mic
Go to war kid I'll give you any weapon you like
Give you something to run from
bust off your dum-dum
Stop kid, that hot shit you know where it come from
It's philly world-wide phenomenon
And reinforcin' that shit is my 9-to-5
And when I finish making you recognize
I'm gettin' at a couple civilized women that's tryin' to ride
You were waitin' on the raw to come off the oil
You wanna get the bitches up off the wall
Just to see you smile and enjoy yourself
To keep you in health, this for all of y'all
I'm quick on the draw like Black McGraw
And I can't tell what y'all cats rappin' for

My name 'Riq Geez and I'm back for more
To get more chips than the corner store
with a portrait of Malcom X on the door
while I'm eatin' MCs like a carnivore
Matter fact, ease back 'fore you get harmed
Ring the, warning horn when I'm gon' perform
The first nigga that move, or disturb the groove
I'm a have y'all flicks on the evening news
Play y'all part - get on y'all P's and Q's
And when y'all think Thought, be prepared to lose
Bring money to spend and somebody to lend
And some worthwhile money not twenties and tens
Get took for your tuck right in front of your 'hens
Who coulda helped you nigga, not none of ya friends
Because, I put a black fist under ya chin
Have your physical remains found under the pen
If I'm coming up in the place, I'm coming to win
Wasn't in it for a minute, now I'm dumbin' again

'Riq Geez ak, y'all can chat what y'all please
Receive what I'm gonna give back to y'all please
'cuz y'all don't really wanna get clapped with all these
My man, you can take y'all strap when y'all leave
You see the squad come in the place, they all freeze
Ice cold…with his mellow cool breeze
MCs, never showed loyalty yet
Kool Herc ain't never get a royalty check
I do work, no question, and bomb your set
I'm calm collect, sharp like my name Gillette
RIP my man Gillette
Until I touch the mic, y'all people ain't seen danger yet
I'm a decorated vet, I regulate and wreck
Never hesitated yet, I'm gettin' heavy weighted checks
If you would dare ask if I'm dedicated - yes
I spit, live rounds that would penetrate a vest
Nigga, take ya seats I'm a demonstrate a test
How to freak the beats, so gangsta fresh
And it thump, from the east coast to Bangladesh
Big bank, willy gank smoke the thing to death
But hold tight, cuz it's not over yet
I don't even feel like I'm not sober yet
And it ring like shots in the projects New Year's Eve
And it ain't even October yet
I'm a big bounty hunter like Boba Fett
Y'all more shell shocked then a soldier get
If the prize in my sights then I'm goin' for this
Whoo whoo 'Riq Geez be the ultimate
I'm the corporate, give me the bulk of this
'Riq set it on the magnetic ultra tip
Get down how you 'posed to get
I got nothing to lose, I'm a killer with no regrets
I'm like young LL, cuz I'm hard as hell
Makin' niggaz screw face like Gargamel
Now I'm all out on my own like Patty LaBelle
Put the pimp game down on your mademoiselle




And, a live version:

'The Light' Acoustic

I have had a problem with Common for the past few years, mainly due to him putting out shitty music (hope he enjoys his Grammy nominations). But, I thought this was cool to see. Here he is with Zac Brown (just became aware of him last night - he's in a country band), and Colbie Callait (not sure who she is) performing 'The Light' at some kind of a songwriter forum prior to the Grammys. I wonder why he didn't choose a song from his most recent album? Just kidding. Enjoy.

Trophies

It's not really worth complaining about the Grammy Awards. It might as well just be the Billboard Awards - if you didn't sell a million albums (or whatever today's equivalent to a million is) you won't get noticed.

I usually prefer to tune out altogether, but since the wife likes to watch the performances, I ended up seeing most of it last night. I didn't see any Hip Hop categories televised. What a surprise!! There was one Hip Hop performance which the network edited the shit out of - not just words either. Entire portions of the performance, sometimes a full five or so seconds long were silent as we watched. What a waste.

This morning, I read about some of the Hip Hop and R&B awards that were given. Eminem won 'Best Hip Hop/Rap Album' for Relapse. It seems all he had to do was release something, anything. The album was good in my opinion. You will see it on my 'Best of 2009' list a few posts back. So, I don't have a problem with it being nominated. But it was nowhere near the best. Both Mos Def and Q-Tip were among the other nominees. I named Q-Tip's The Renaissance as my favorite album of 2008 - What the hell are the parameters for being nominated anyway? Why wasn't this included in the awards at the beginning of 2009? Mos Def's The Ecstatic was one of my favorites of 2009, and I would definitely rank it higher than Relapse. I doubt they even listened to the albums before giving it to Eminem. Bottom line, fuck this popularity contest they pass off as a legitimate award show.

Willie D said it best, so here's a Geto Boys classic to enjoy.