"Dont be pushing on buttons in my Cutlass unless you cutting" - Big Kritt

Riding the beat.  A skill that is difficult to acquire and should never be overlooked. There are a whole host of rappers with content, wordplay, an concepts but are nearly un-listentenable. At the end of the day this is music, and you must be musical. This is my chief argument with folks that like to align spoken word poetry to hip-hop music. You gotta be musical, and these three young lyricists ride the hell out of this beat.

Currency

Big K.R.I.T

Wiz Khalifa

I have given all three of these dudes a good listen (I get a late pass for KRIT tho...) and they all seem to be talented. KRIT with that in your face delivery, Currency got a nice little flow, and Wiz has those things along with some swagger. 


The beat itself reminds me of some old Top Authority stuff. Good stuff.












Don't you wanna risk that ass in this glass house. 
Don't, don't you wanna risk that ass in this glass house. 
Don't you wanna risk that ass in this glass house. 
If you aint suckin or fuckin than get yo ass out. 

[Verse] 
Dash digital situation critical 
Hate to make it so blatant baby 
But I aint playing 
Maybe you got me confused 
With one of them other dudes. 
I aint none of them. 
Under they breath mumbling. 
Scared to tell them hoes what it is. 
You put yourself in that position. 
I chill with all that baller fishing 
You fucked around and you caught a shark. 
Cold hard,
Tear your feelings apart. 
I'm more focused on getting my rims powder-coated. 
One of the dopest, I'm scheduled one 
You just ibuprofen, what is you smoking? I'm focused, growing they got you choking 
The options open, you can hide with them suckers 
Or ride low and get higher than a motherfucka! 

[Chorus] 

Straight stunting, sucker niggas I take from them. 
They bitches that is, get up in the car with wiz 
They know they going to bank something, aint fronten. 
Smoking off the eighth onion 
Get it twisted because you see me on your computer screen 
Thinking because you got wireless you get as high as us 
Bitches leaving they lame niggas to ride with us 
Planes over everything in the fly we trust. 
This bottle smell is obvious 
Than my connect come from cali 
Im good long as the money piling up 
All the while im just quick lane pimping 
Big jane twisting 
Walking how I talk it bitch that's Pittsburgh pimping. 

[Chorus] 

[Verse] 
Yo I was candy coated, bendin corners 
55th really made it 
Killing with the bumper grill 
Chandelier ceiling such ? 
Is you fucking, is you sucking 
I was wondering cuz if not 
Don't be pushing on my buttons in my Cutlass 
Unless you cutting. Bitch I'm just saying 
I aint tricking is the reason that this porno flick playing 
Trunk shaking knocking pictures off the wall 
Southern mating call, 808 mean no draws 
You got friends I fuck them all 
What you mean you aint nasty 
Why the fuck you came 
Just imagine what you got to do to get up in my plane. 
Mississippi pimp, mouth piece frigid 
Dolomite out of sight 
Show you right can you feel it shawty 

[Chorus]

"I got jerked, gave away my pu---, that shit hurt...

It feel, like somebody died or shot your old earth" - Ghostface Killah

After posting a few sappy, my-boo-left-me type joints I am entitled to let go of one of the all time classic scorned lover hip-hop songs.

I always loved this song however my love grew even more when me and Hobb went to see Ghostdeni the Great, live in concert perform this joint.  He sat in a chair after receiving a pair of free custom, sky blue Wallys' from an audience member and began to talk about how fatigued he was from the tour.

"My boy used to say "man Shan i'd quit her"...

...but she seemed so happy every time I'm with her" - MC Shan


Left Me Lonely by the legendary MC Shan was one of my favorite songs back in the day. It was a tragic tale of love gone awry. For full disclosure, I am a softie when it comes to love songs of any type so I may be a bit biased. In fact, when I am not listening to shit like this, and this, I am listening to "this, and this.


With that being said, this was my favorite track off of the Down by Law album. After it's release, most of the attention was on the lead single "The Bridge", a Marly Marl produced track shouting out his hood, Queensbridge. This was largely because of Boogie Down Productions and DJ Red Alert's diss track, The Bridge is Over.


BTW, TJ Swan FTW!!







As always, read while listening...


She used to tell me that she loved me all the time
I'd turn to her and say that, "I'm
Infatuated by your lovely smile
And some day soon we're gonna walk the isle"
She'd say, "You're my everything, my strength for life
Be the mother of your children, as well as your wife"
She used to tell me all the time, I'm her one and only
But she ran with another man and left me lonely

[ VERSE 1: MC Shan ]
Coincidental, how I met her
But when I seen her I knew that I'd get her
Can't let her step, she look too good
But my wears made me seem like a stone cold hood
I'm a lucky guy, so I press my luck
I step to her, ah what the fuck
Went her way, took a few steps past her
Got the nerve, and then I asked her
I said, "Yo baby," and she started to reach
I said, "Whoa, don't get excited, that's a figure of speech"
She told me her name, gave her number and all
And when I stepped, she said "I better call"
It took about a month, but she was finally mine
Everything was going smooth, we were doin fine
After a while it wasn't no thing
We were either holding hands or she was under my wing
She used to whisper in my hear I'm her one and only
But she ran with another man and left me lonely

[ CHORUS: TJ Swan ]
Girl, why'd you have to leave me that way?
I love you to this day
And it hurts to think of the words you used to say
Girl, why'd you have to leave for so long?
I never did you wrong
And it seems we had such a love that was so strong

[ VERSE 2: MC Shan ]
On the day she broke out, would you believe I cried?
And it hurts so much to think of how she lied
I shared everything to the very last penny
Somethin that you really can't do with many
Since this young lady was such a big winner
I'd treat her all the time to a candle light dinner
Have a violinist play a real sweet song
And she never showed a sign that somethin was wrong
My boy used to say (Man Shan, I'd quit her)
But she seemed so happy everytime I'm with her
We used to hold hands and walk in the rain
And on the days I felt down she eased my pain
This was just too far-fetched to believe
To think that my girl would just up and leave
Imagine that - I just couldn't
Cause I knew deep down in my heart she wouldn't
All of a sudden a lot of things changed
She started actin funny, I mean a bit srange
We had little squabbles, arguments, fights
Wild stories in the days and stayed out nights
I'd say, "Baby, where you been for all that time?
She cuddled me close and say that I'd
Be the one that she call her only
But she ran with another man and left me lonely

[ CHORUS: TJ Swan ]
Girl, why'd you have to leave me that way?
I love you to this day
And it hurts to think of the words you used to say

[ VERSE 3: MC Shan ]
She put it to me plain, couldn't put it no clearer
Lipstick written on the bedroom mirror
Said, 'I'm leaving you now, and I know that you'll miss me
You're probably saying: Damn, man, why she dissed me?
But you see, I felt that it was time to go
Then I packed my bags, and I'm leavin, so
You take care and I hope you live long
And don't worry, cuz there's nothing that you did wrong
You'll find the right girl someday, you'll see
Why I'm the type of woman that must be free'
I said, "Why me?" and fell to the bed
Reached for the 9 and put it to my head
And thought about the words that she once said
(Shan, you know that you're my one and only)
But she ran with another man and left my lonely

[ OUTRO: TJ Swan ]
O-o-o-oh girl, oh my girl
Why'd you have to leave?
Leave me so sad
Girl, you broke my heart
Oh, you drive me wild
You leave me by myself
All by myself
Girl, I don't know what to do
I'm so mad
Girl, you drive me wild
Ooh so wild
Baby drive me crazy
Leave me by myself
Leave me all alone
By the phone
I don't know what to do
I'm so mad
Girl, you drive me wild
Oh so wild
When I saw you leave me
Makes me want to cry
Girl, I'm breakin down
Breakin
Yo, I don't know what to do

(Love)
(Love)

"I can't talk to my mother so I talk to my diary" - Scarface

Trying to pick a Scarface song to post is sort of like trying to pick your favorite flavor of ice cream. He is one of my all-time favorite rappers.

First of all, The Diary has to be one of the best hip-hop albums ever recorded. I could have picked from a bunch of songs but I settled on track 3, No Tears.

This is a typical Face joint in the sense that it is a gritty, violent narrative. What separates Face besides his soulful flow is the level of introspection he brings to tracks without making it seem obvious. He often makes these stories and characters seem sympathetic, troubled and in need of help. All of this while oozing bravado, misogyny and hate...a great writer.

No Tears is a short and to them point narrative about a gang hanging out after going to their homeboys funeral. Unable to deal with the emotion in a healthy way, tears, they converse about the rules of the game and plot their revenge.





Read while listening...


Now the funeral is over and all the tears are dried up
Niggas hangin deep on the cut gettin fired up
Lookin for the nigga who pulled his pistol on my homie
An eye for an eye, so now your life is what you owe me
Look deep into the eyes of your muthafuckin killer
I want you to witness your muthafuckin murder, nigga
And since you wants to kill, then your ass has got to fry
But ain't no police, therefore your ass has gots to die
We play the game for keeps and if you slept I guess you sleep
You sho nuff fucked and now your ass is six feet deep
Cause where I come from, yo, everybody's got a gat
And niggas try your ass just to see where you got your heart at
And if your shit is flimsy, then your ass is gonna bend
And like I said before there'll be no tears in the end
I'm rollin through your hood, now my heart is filled with anger
You at your sister's house and now your sister's life in danger
(By a total stranger) with the ganga (of)
Niggas wanna bang ya and hang ya
Sting ya with one up in the chamber
Let's take a trip up Holloway
So you can see how many niggas in my hood is down to die today
We standin up for our own shit
And if you outside the click, then you die, bitch
It ain't no love in this muthafucka
It ain't no love for yourself or your other brother
Because we real with this shit, so we stay true
And since we bang, we do what O.G.'s say do
I've got the mind of the man in the mirror
So I'm lookin at me vaguely
But I can't seem to fade me
I've got my pistol pon cock
Ready to lay shots non-stop
Until I see your monkey-ass drop
And let your homies know who done it
Cause when it comes to this gangsta shit
you muthafuckas know who run it
So when you put this muthafucka to the test
You gotta realize somethin, nigga: (you fuckin with the very best)
I've got this killer up inside of me
I can't talk to my mother, so I talk to my diary
I'm goin off on the deep end
I find myself face to face with myself while I'm sleepin
I see your picture in my head and my hand shake
You can run, you can hide, but there's no escape
My inner feelings show no mercy on my enemy
I got to get this muthafucka before he gets to me
So in your own blood you'll bathe
And I won't stop until I put this muthafucka in his fuckin grave
And I can say this once again
You can cry but you'll still die, there'll be no tears in the end

"Hoopin in them J's that we got good grades for"

- The Cool Kids

Funny line. Only I never could quite reach

the G.P.A. that I promised mom so that I could get these...(thank god for big feet and Jahmal's hand-me-downs haha)

For the record I have been wanting to do a Cool Kids post for a minute. I am not sure what my fascination with them is. While I liked the Black Mags jont, I thought that they might have been more gimmick than they were griots. I was wrong. From a content standpoint they keep it on their lane (American cars, girls, exclusive sneakers, weed, and their mic skills). They both have slightly above average flow but nothing ground breaking. They always mix in nice one-liners and similes but they don't beat you over the head with them like some rappers do. The beats are all dope, period. Dude has shown some versatility lately but he is at his best with trunk thumping 808 shit. Definitely in the whip music, not laptop speaker stuff.

I have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of all the above. These two have great chemistry. I have yet to hear a joint that sounds awkward and or out of place. In an era of insane collaborations and dudes emailing tracks to each other, these guys sound like they crafted each syllable and snare in lockstep rhythm.

They just seem to be likeable guys that have fun rapping.

....need to hit-up iTunes cuz I owe these dudes a couple of dollars...they work hard.