Tanya Morgan - "So Damn Down" Video

Yeah, I know this video has been up on YouTube for over a year now, but I just saw it!! Until recently, I haven't really taken the time to watch music videos. But, a lot of artists are starting to get creative with them again - as evidenced by some of the ones I've posted over the last few months. And since they are usually just posted online, artists don't have to worry about appealing to BET/MTV audiences with the same old bullshit.

In this video from last year's best hip hop album, Tanya Morgan use the Mouthoff! app for the iPhone, and strap the phones over their mouth while they rap. I liked it, so why not share?

Speaking of Tanya Morgan, they've been busy this year. Donwill and Von Pea each have new solo material out, and they all seem to be showing up on other projects left and right.

Try to keep up!!

DJ Funktual Interviews Ski Beatz

I mentioned in yesterday's post on DJ Funktual that I would be throwing up an interview he did. Well, here it is. It's a three-parter with legendary producer Ski Beatz.

This interview is about a half hour long, but it's great because it's pretty in-depth, and doesn't just stick to the standard questions and topics. The two really just sit and talk music for a while. Plus, you get to hear about Ski's start in Hip Hop. This really surprised me because I wasn't aware of him before Reasonable Doubt, when his history actually pre-dates that album by quite a bit.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Jay-Z - Feelin' It

Here is the video for "Feelin' It" off of Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt - probably my favorite hip hop album of all time. Also, this is arguably Ski Beatz best producing effort, and he's got a lot of great tracks under his belt.

I actually don't think I've ever seen this video before today. The reason I'm posting it is not just because it's a great song. The video has a story to it, where Jay is some kind of kingpin coming to the island to straighten out someone who doesn't wanna pay up. Kind of a pre-'Streets Is Watching' video.

I was annoyed at first that the lyrics were cleaned up, but then I remembered how in the early to mid-90's, MCs would have some creative ways of taking the curse words out of their lyrics - Dre and Snoop's early songs are another good example. So, I kept watching, and I liked how he flipped his lyrics to remove the curses. It was sort of a new version of the song. But, then here comes the third verse. One of my favorite Jay-Z verses...only it isn't. Almost the entire verse is different. And, it's brand new to me! If you haven't seen this before, or even if you have, I suggest you check it out. Maybe the last time you saw it was before you listened to the song a hundred times and you didn't notice the changes then. Enjoy!

PackFM - How To Make A "Rage Edition" Video

You really gotta admire the hustle of some of these independent artists. Not only are they themselves (PackFM, QN5) putting in a lot of hard work for each order, but it's good marketing to bring in new listeners.

All of the extra swag (meaning, stuff, not style) put into the "Rage Edition" of I F*cking Hate Rappers provides an added value to the buyer, but it also turns each of these fans into a marketing machine - Pack's own, personal, traveling street team that doesn't require a paycheck. They put up the poster in their dorm room, rock the buttons on their clothes/backpacks, and put the stickers on their cars, or wherever else. Trust that a lot more people are going to see these items than the fan that purchased the "Rage Edition".

To order the album, click here. You'll like it.

Blueprint - 1988

This is a Blueprint song from five or so years ago. Great song. Plus, I love the video chronicle of 1988...especially since these are some of my earliest pop culture/hip hop memories.

Be sure to download the latest Greenhouse EP if you haven't already.

Muggs' Top 5 Hip Hop Albums

I'm posting this because DJ Muggs really caught me off guard with his top 5. Nice list.

Some Classic Hip Hop Videos

Got a busy day today, but thought I'd just throw up a few classics before I head out. I've said this before, but I really love the Internet for allowing me to look up pretty much anything I want at any time.



"Bucktown" is probably one of Smif-N-Wessun's best known songs. They're a group I listened to a lot growing up. It's actually about time I pulled out Dah Shinin' again. Don't forget they're supposed to be coming out with an album soon that's entirely produced by Pete Rock. I don't think it has a release date yet, but I'm excited.




This one from Tribe was creative when it came out and it still is today. I remember seeing this for the first time, actually. And, my brother and I taped it and watched it again and again. No other double feature videos come to mind right now, and this is definitely the first I had seen. They even stop the track and do part of "Buggin' Out" acapella. Classic Hip Hop right here.




The real version of this video took a little while to find. I'm not really sure how it all works, but some videos on YouTube are posted by some site or something called Vevo. Anyway, they fucked up this video completely by taking out all of the captions that showed up for each scene. I'm not sure why they would do that. The point of the video and what makes it great is that The Roots are making fun of all the cliches in rap videos. The captions make that clear...and hilarious. But, without them, the video just doesn't make sense and it looks stupid. "What They Do" is one of my favorite Roots songs and also one of my favorite videos of all time.

"Lost generation, fast-paced nation, world population confront their frustration, the principles of true Hip Hop have been forsaken, it's all contractual and about money makin'"

Sean Price Live Rhymes

A little while back, I posted the flyer for Sean Price's baby shower and performance in NYC. I thought it was pretty damn funny to turn a show into a shower for your kid and charge a baby gift off your registry in place of a ticket price. Plus, the flyer had me rollin'. The event just took place and here's some footage of the performance. I'll throw some more clips up if I find em' on YouTube later.

Below that, P kicks a freestyle on DJ Enuff's radio show. And, if you like Sean's style, you love what he spits. P!!!!!

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

I.B.E. - Make The Road By Walkin' Video

Nice video here for a song about working hard to get what you want in life. What a concept, huh? You will probably recognize the sample, as it was used for one of 2007-08's biggest hits. No blaring horns on this one though. The song is by I.B.E. and features Toki Wright. Toki's debut A Different Mirror was released this year and is definitely worth checking out. If I remember correctly, he spit at least part of his verse here acapella at The Fresh Air Tour in Columbus, OH last month.

I'm not familiar with I.B.E., but he's got a free mixtape called The Feel out now, so I'm about to be. Link is below the video.



http://www.zshare.net/download/66116327d89ac7be/

Idle Warship - Bedroom Lites Video

A colorful, eye-catching video from Idle Warship off their Party Robot mixtape w/ Mick Boogie, and supposedly the lead single off of their debut album.

OJ Da Juiceman Gets Booed

Ok, this is funny. And appreciated. It really brings a smile to my face when I see hip hop fans stand up against the bullshit when it has the nerve to show up on a stage. I only wish KRS was there to throw this fool off of it. Enjoy!! (I know you will).

Joe Budden On Jay-Z and "Pump It Up"

In this clip, Joe Budden explains the story behind him getting this beat from Just Blaze, the "Pump It Up Remix" that never was, Jay-Z's beat jack, and him feeling he had to take it back. This is very interesting (and not the first time I've heard about Jay being a dick to other MCs; i.e. his now-artist Jadakiss). I've never heard any kind of story behind this before now. I just remember when Jay dismantled the beat for the S. Carter collection mixtape (one of my favorite Jigga verses ever) and then Joey taking it back and bodying it again a short time later - and using NBA references the way Jay did too at one point. Shit was nuts!!! I thought it was all in fun. I guess, not really. So, check out this explanation by Budden, and see below that for the original "Pump It Up" song, and the two subsequent verses from Jay and Joey.



"Pump It Up" original video. Sorry, embedding was disabled on this one, so here's the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1G0-ddAiA

Eminem Talking DJ Hero

Here's a clip of Eminem talking about the experience of playing the DJ Hero game (whose soundtrack consists of Eminem and Jay-Z songs). I don't play video games much anymore, but I'm kinda interested in giving this a shot.