Come Back like Jordan wearin the 4-5... - J. Cole

"Blood on my sneakers
No remorse for the grievers
He played the corner like Revis
He shoulda had better defense"  - J Cole, Miss America Reprise





Cole on the the most difficult position to play in all of sports (corner back),  and the challenges of making a living "on the corner".

...Also the shrinking of "Revis Island"....(go Patriots!)

"...Black people prayed for JFK then...

He got blown away..." - Saigon


So I don't review videos at all but this one speaks to me on a few different levels.

For starters, full disclaimer, I have written about Saigon before and I am on the record as being and card carrying member of the Sai Giddy fan club and unabashed STAN.

Come back like Jordan wearin the 4-5 - Ka

"...Zoned out on the block, cops iso'd..." Ka





While I appreciate the line, it has a flaw. If one were really running a zone defense then isolation would be really ineffective. You can iso vs  man-to-man, not a zone. Or perhaps that is exactly what he meant...

Vomitspit - Talib Kweli

"Never looked up to see the stars in all their heavenly glory
Just straight ahead cause the peripheral is buildings with mad stories (story's)" - Talib Kweli, Good Mourning

Talib on how difficult it is to see a way out...figurative and literal...

Vomitspit - Andre 3000

Sleepy Brown feat. Outkast
I Can't Wait - 















"That just lets me know your a human being 
And being humans hard, on the boulevard..."

"VALUE, is what I'm talkin bout..." - Andre 3000

My Grandaddy Car by Scotty is a nice laid back, drive 15 MPH around the neighborhood song. But that's not all it is.

It's a statement of deference to a different period of time. Scotty simultaneously salutes his grandfather, while paying homage to classic American craftsmanship in automobiles. His measured flow does not temper his passionate delivery on both topics.

Nice song. Solid video. Wonderful concept.

Vomitspit - Talib Kweli

These cats drink champagne/and toast to death and pain/
Like slaves on a ship talking about who got the flyest chain - Talib Kweli

Africa Dream - Talib Kweli & Hi- Tek



Talib on ...um not sure what to say. Kinda Self explanatory.

Vomitspit - Ka

"Long as there’s dough to grab I’ma hold the mag
load the bag...
’Till I’m a helmet and a folded flag" - Ka

Iron Age- Ka, Featuring Roc Marci

Dope simile.

"YOU THINK HONESTY IS WEIRD YOU SON?!?!

SON, WHERE YOU FROM?!?! - Homeboy Sandman

 I was trying to find lyrics to Eclipsed by Homeboy Sandman but I could find any. I flashed back to one of my earlier rants about rappers not leaving written documentation of their works, if for nothing more than historic and archival purposes.


It was then that I remembered that the song in question did indeed have liner notes! My excitement was dampened when I realized that the PDF that Stones Throw put out with Homeboy Sandman's First of a Living Breed was protected, preventing me from copy and pasting. Grr

Vomitspit - Homeboy Sandman

"We used to beat on Bush but now he's not around so people find another bush to beat around" - Homeboy Sandman

Illuminati - First of a Living Breed



Mr Sandman voicing his thoughts on politics, the two party system, complacency and the public's inability to be objective when it comes to "their" guy.

Vomitspit - Roc Marciano

"Had high hopes for folks
That got high off coke
They used to be responsible adults" - Roc Marciano

Iron Age - Ka feat Roc Marci, Grief Pedigre

Marci on the awkward disappointment of hood mentors who eventually themselves fall victim to the pull of the streets.

West Coast Cypher

This made me smile. Where do I start?

DJ Quik beating on the table brings me back to high school. The lunchroom table is where my man Rahkii used to hold us down with the beats. His assortment of silver rings served as a perfect carrier for the high-hats and symbols which complemented perfectly the deep bass resonating from his thenar and hypothenar colliding with the faux wood table. The fact that he eventually migrated to the left coast is merely a coincidence to this post. Either way, good times...

Anyway, IMHO Snoop is a great, not good, but great, freestyle rapper.

Yeah. yeah,  his lyrics might be simple, and his flow not overly complicated but he just always seems to rise to the occasion. Fun. Appropriate. Not overdone or forced

As much as I love the "Free"styles that many of the deep and complex wordsmiths and punchline junkies alike come up with, there are times where it just comes of a too much. Like a dude that shows up on casual Friday in a tux.

A free, or "free", should be fun.

Snoop just gets it.

Vomitspit - Saigon

 



"As a matter of fact, what's the matter with rap?
Crackers done did it again, they jacked us for that
Same way they did Fats Domino's phenomenal chat
But i'm the rap Geronimo Pratt so (Brrat!) "- Saigon

 Whoo Kid Freestyle - Warning Shots


The Yardfather speaking on the corpapratization of rap music. Here he evokes the past practices of white artists co-opting black music to support his point.

Vomitspit - Ka

 

"Grew up with good spirited goons

 Now I only see 'em in tombs or in visiting rooms" - Ka - Cold Facts







Ka, who is about as understated and minimal as his name, speaking on the duality of living in the hood.

By the way, I LOVE the phrase "good spirited goons".

What happened to the type of spit that used to help a fellow out - Ka

 ....a simple right or left...

 Deciscions - Ka

 My latest TV obsession is First 48. It is hella depressing but I just cant stop watching it. It conjures up a bunch of stuff for me. One of the things l think about is decision making. So many of these kids just make the wrong decision and it ends up changing the lives of lots of people. Sometimes those decisions seem innocuous, routine, and in some cases, relatively innocent. When we were younger man Gil used to say "Life is all about decisions man" and those words are definitely applicable to what goes down for the suspects on that show.

Which brings me to Ka. I first heard this minimalist spitter on one of the Gza's albums. He was impressive, but did not stand out to me. His song, Decisions, from the dope Grief Pedigree album is a deeply simple rhyme that mainly consists of him juxtaposing different alternatives.  He even keeps it going through the chorus.

Combeback Like Jordan Wearin the 4-5 - Illacoin

"It's madness nikka, and there's no anecdote
There's a thin line between Jordan and Manigault" - Illacoin 

Illcoin - Keep it Street feat. Sadat X

Illacoin offering up a his views on the often elusive and subtle differences between success or failure that exists in the hood.  

Vomitspit - Common

Envisioning the hereafter, listenin to Steve Wonder
On a Quest for Love like the Proceed drummer 

I strike like lightning and don't need thunder

Inhale imagination and breathe wonder... - Common 

Invocation - One Day it Will All Make Sense


Lonnie on just some good o'l fashioned, wholesome braggadocio. Rudy Ray Moore, Muhammad Ali
, and the like, would all be proud.

"..had to tell my son 'cut that bullshit off' them ain't videos that's physcological warfare" - Phnote of Little Brother

  Lupe Fiasco - Bitch Bad

When Nas released I think I can, there were a few over-educated Hip-Hop journalists that viewed it as oversimplified and not lyrical enough. They felt as if, the last verse in particular, were addressing things that were common knowledge, and doing so in a non-complex manner. I felt as though they all completely missed the boat, and feel that many will do the same with this Lupe song.

Lupe employs a simple delivery and calculatedly non-verbose piece of work here in an effort to not have his point missed. I say to my students all of the time when they are writing, "Who is your target audience? And why isn't your tone, voice, and language a reflection of that"?

It is clear that is not a problem for Lupe. From Dumb it Down and American Terrorist, to S.L.R and that shitty song featuring Trey Songz Out of my Head , it is clear that Lupe is intentional when weather he is writing up, or down, so to speak.

I do however hope that he only employs this style and tone occasionaly as he could run the risk of beging to sound like KRS-One eventually did, sanctimomius and preachy.

I am sure however that will not be the case.

The bottom line here is that Wasalu has put together a great story that illustrates a number of issues here. First, the lack of understanding on how to raise a child. I am a die hard hip hop head, and I have a full understanding on what within the genre I can and can't let my daughter listen to, bottom line. Like Saigon once said:

"I listen to rap to but wouldn't let my kid listen to that 

Cuz if my kid listen to that, then it's a wrap

Nikkaz replaced wisdom with materialism

I get on the beat and preach about imperialism..."

Next the fact that these images and sounds are not only impacting young girls, but boys too!
Lastly, the obvious lack of overall thoughtfulness of some of the rappers who are putting out music these days.

Since his first album Lu has been transparent about his feelings about the word bitch and and it's useage in the genre.

"Now I ain't tryna be the greatest
I used to hate hip-hop... yup, because the women degraded
But Too $hort made me laugh, like a hypocrite I played it
A hypocrite I stated, though I only recited half
Omittin the word "bitch," cursin I wouldn't say it
Me and Dog couldn't relate, til a bitch I dated
Forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike
But I learnt it from a song I heard and sorta liked" - Lupe Hurt Me Soul from Food & Liquor

I happen to love the way Lu goes the extra route and shows what happens when that little confused boy and misguided girl both grow to be teens/young adults and have to learn how to interact with each other.

"Simple ain't it, but complicated."

"I'm aiming automatic guns at nuns" Nasty Nas

 Sticky Fingaz - Oh My God

This joint is from Sticky's vastly underrated 2001 solo debut album. It came on my phone while I was jogging walking the other day. I always loved this joint, but listened to it differently this time around. I have been doing a bit of reading and watching about the universe, the law of attraction, etc.


He's not the first rapper to on this topic, nor the first to use the style of question and answer on the same song. Many have represented their inner conflicts via a back-and-forth with their subconscious, God, good, etc.

For starters, I am pulling this song out of context of the album itself. Blacktrash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones, in the spirit of Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves and more recently The Roots Undun, is meant to be heard in a progression from beginning to end. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. An incredibly well done piece of artwork. Sticky does a wonderful job of channeling the right amount of wonder, angst and desperation into the voice of Kirk as well as the authoritarian God voice.




 


Oh My God lyrics
C'mon man, oh, my fucking god man
Oh shit, what the fuck did I do?
It's all, it's all my fucking fault man, it's all my fucking fault
Fuck man, fuck am I doing man, why man?
Why God, why did you have to take her? Fuck

Why? Why? Why God why?
Everything I love always seem to die
Answer me, speak to me, I don't hear you
Answer me, motherfucker I ain't scared of you

Is there even a God? Do you even exist?
What I gotta do to speak to you, slit my wrists?
I'm talking to a God that I can't see
Can you see me? Can you see me?

Are you confused my son, and scared?
Let me make things more clear, so you're more aware
Fuck, who was that? All this shit is freaking me
It is I God, did you not say you wanted to speak with me?

Bullshit I am talking to myself, I'm going insane
You are talking to yourself, we are one and the same
It can't be, must be the drugs, I'm high
And if you are, then why are we born if we live to die?

Is there life after death? What were we before birth?
Why is this whole earth plagued and cursed?
Is killing a sin, is there life in other planets?
Is adultery wrong, did you write the ten commandments?

Excuse me my son, one question at a time
We were never born, and we will never die
In the essence, there's no such thing as death
How could I write commandments and not have them kept?

The soul is eternal you just change form
Then you come back with a new face on
You can not limit love unless you lack understanding
To answer you, yes, there is life in other planets

The future's a mystery the past is history
Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present
Life is so simple unless you make it confusing
The wise will understand this and the clever will use it

Wait God, there is so much I want to ask you
God, God, where are you? God I need to talk to you

If you could talk to God, exactly what, what would you say?
If you could talk to God, exactly what, what would you say?
If you could talk to God

Tell me, are there psychics that can speak telepathically?
Yes, but if you use more than one tenth of the minds capacity
I can't think, I feel like life going down the drain
In the streets, everywhere I am surround in pain

Don't think, your thoughts are just that thoughts
Your feelings are real, erase what you been taught
Feelings are the language of the soul, the soul is truth
I speak through you to aware the youth

But why let the suffering go on why not just stop it?
In order for anything to exist, so much is opposite
How can there be left if there was never right?
How can something know death if it never knew life?

How can you lose, if nobody won?
How can it be dark if there was never a sun?
That which is not grandeur, the soil still blessed
Form must exist for part of them self to manifest

But I never asked to be born, I hate my life
And if you are God, dammit then show me the light
And tell me, what's the meaning of life?
The process of all life is an ongoingNever-ending process of recreation of self
Is God a He or She is there one true religion?
I'm the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and Ending
We are all one and everything is living

If you could talk to God, exactly what, what would you say?
If you could talk to God, exactly what, what would you say?

"No Homo"

 Murs - Animal Style

With Frank Ocean revealing that his first love was a man, many in the media, both mass and social, were giving Hip-Hop credit for finally having an openly gay artist. Well, there are a few problems with that. Sure, Frank is a part of Hip-Hop culture, but he is not an MC. Also, he did not necessarily "come-out" as being gay. We can conjecture that he is bi-sexual but that is it. I am waiting for an MC to come out before I start to give the historically misogynistic, sexist, homophobic genre credit for being open minded.

The whole event made me think of Animal Style by Murs. This is a chilling tale about two high school boys who were in love and unfortunately paid a cost for that love. The internalization of homophobia, organized religion, and societal pressure are all present in this tale. The ending however may surprise you.

Murs impeccable storytelling and skillfully measured flow are on full display over this track. The pacing, intentional pauses, and matter of fact tone make this song seem like a movie playing out in your head. The video only adds to his words and embolden his message. He even goes a step further displaying his range as a thespian and shares a kiss with the lead actor in the video.

Murs for the win.

"It's still a love song" Jean Grae

Love Song - Jean Grae

As someone for whom Soul was my primary music before the emergence of hip-hop, this Jean Grae song really really grabbed me.

The South Africa born, Brooklyn bred, spitter used the first verse from the Stylistics Stop Look, Listen as her intro, then rapped over a remixed version of the 1971 classic. She chose to adlib and respond to the falsetto stylings of lead vocalist Russell Thompkins.

I would not rate this as her best work from a technical standpoint. Jean's lyrical acrobatics have been displayed on many other tracks. This post isn't about flow though. This song is a really raw, and passionate narrative.

She really opens up on this song and accepts her missteps and naivete without attempting to rationalize her actions. She succinctly concludes each verse with a matter of fact tone, perhaps hopeful and defiant in spirit, "still a love song"

The song is also has some technical aspects. What begins as a story told in third person point of view, later slips into first person.

"She cries until the river dries and leaves her dead and cold

Packs up her things and leaves behind what I thought was gold was only gold-plated

Thinking of all the other ones I coulda just left and up and dated

Single after four years

Starting over never easy

But it takes some time to realize your own worth

Come into your own

Play your mental rebirth

She starts penning some better poems

Straighten up her bank account

Likes to take herself out

I'm getting better at it

I've had a few relationships

But still too young and dumb enough to call it quits"

She also intentionally switches from first person to third person during the last parts of the this verse only to confess later that, "Maybe it's easier to talk about this shit in third person.."

Well done Ms Grae.

"Hardcore, to make the borthers act fools"

Dead Man Walkin - Dutch and Spade feat. Beanie Mac

This record is just goes hard. I remember listening to this on a DJ Clue tape and could not stop bobbing my head. I had kind of heard of Dutch and Spade before through Major Figgas but certainly could not name a song of theirs. Having fellow Philadelphian the Broad Street Bully on the track only added to the hardcore-ed-ness of the whole affair.

The version I found on You Tube has a bit more variation in the beat than the the Clue tape version so I am trying to find a good way get that version on here.

Drake Daddy Kane?

"Why should I give off a gangster contrast
When I can rap about gettin some ass..." - Big Daddy Kane

Since my rotator surgery the only exercise I can get is walking. During one of those recent walks I was listening to a of off Drake's So Far Gone mixtape. It is a really good song set to one of the beats from Kanye's 808 songs and Drake does his thing lyrically. This is when Drake displayed more lyrical balance as an MC. While listening to it my mind went through my it's normal gyrations ...... (why doesn't Drake rap like this more often, why do good rappers get signed to a major label and lose their authenticity, bla, bla, bla... )when suddenly, I thought, Big Daddy Kane.

All of the Golden Agers that give Drake a hard time for being sweet, need to dig in their respective crates. I am not comparing Drakes skills to Kanes. Big Daddy Kane has a number of classic records and is in most people's top 7 rappers of all time. B.D.K was more transcendent, one of the main users of the multisylabic rhyme schemes during his time. The reality is that there are some grounds for comparison. They both have flow and lyrics.  Drake is no lyrical pushover and also brought something new and refreshing to the game for his era. Kane came into the game with a hardcore persona while Drake did not, both are good looking guys who have charm and charisma that goes across gender lines. Both recognized said female appeal and began to release songs aimed and that particular demographic.

Interestingly enough both never really needed to go as far as they did to capture the female audience as their original stuff already had that balance.

Additionally, they both got defensive after fans grew weary of their, ahem, "making songs just for the bitches". Drake has countless references to this in his post So Far Gone releases, and I stumbled up a Kane interlude from the 1993 release, Looks Like a Job For...

Dope rhyme, but you can hear his defensiveness throughout.

Double Trouble - Eminem and Royce the 5'9"

Nothing quite like good ol' fashion bar sharing between two MCs. I have written before about the roots of this type of exchange and how good it can sound when done well.

There are a few artists that still get down like that here and there, although they don't do the harmonize rhyming old schoolers did.

Bad Meets Evil by Royce the 5'9" and Eminem has a few examples of this type of back and forth. One of my favorite tracks is A Kiss.

If you can get past the gratuitous misogyny and violence you'll see the that these two displayed real chemistry with their flow. They also managed to slip in lots of over-the-top humor on this solid beat.

"What happened to the type of spit that used to help a fellow out?"

I plan on doing a series of posts on simple, straightforward songs. Narratives that aim to raise awareness, educate or teach a lesson. I am determined to name these series of posts after an old DOOM line but I can't remember it for the life of me! Something like, "What happened to the spit that help a brother out?"edit: my buddy found the line for me. It was from Vaudeville Villain.

Anyway, just listend to K- Solo's Your Mom is in my Business. Not his best work, Fugitive and Drums of Death were better overall songs, but this song has an important place.

This well crafted narrative is focused, clean and to the point. Cutesy world play would almost get in the way of the authors message. I love these old songs where rappers feel compelled to wrap it up with a moral or lesson.

"See, I know you girls, I know you girls, I know you girls, I know you girls
Mothers love you, and they're concerned
But if you don't solve your own problems, then how can you learn?
And guys, if you're in a relationship like this
Don't be afraid to tell your girlfriend tell your moms to mind her business"

There was always time space for songs like this years ago. Part of what made the era golden...diversity.

Delivery - Public Enemy

As a high schooler Chuck D's voice always struck me as what a mans voice should sound like. Set aside for a minute what he stood for and represented-just his voice. Deep. Rich. Bellowing. Commanding.

Then you have they way he delivered his lyrical content. He made hearing him absolutely unavoidable. You could not casually listen to Public Enemy. The Bomb Squads bassliness force you to bob your head and their samples came at you from all angles. And just when you thought things couldn't get more confusing, in comes the Rhyme Animal to grab you by your neck and spit in your ear.

From there he uses run-up-on-you delivery to drag you from track to track by said jugular. His delivery is like an angry, poetic sports broadcaster. At first his flow may strike you as one dimensional, however that is not completely true. Its true that in him, you can hear elements of MC's that came before him- playing around with intonation, lowering and raising his voice as needed. It also true that many of his contemporaries had left that Melle Mel-ish style behind. I should also note that when P.E. made their debut, Chuck was already older than most his peers entering the game.

I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention the contributions of Flavor Flav. Some may remember him as simply a hype man but if Flav had 7 words to deliver during a song he would spit those individual words with the passsion and intention. No two cents have ever been more impactful.


I decided to go with the the 3rd verse of the 4 verse Rebel Without a Pause from It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back. It captures the essence of all the parties that contribute that epic delivery of Chucks. X's scratching. Bombs Squads terrifying track. Flav's two cents. Perfect.

One of a kind.

Comeback like Jordan wearin the 4-5 - Action Bronson

"Steer the whip with one arm like Jim Abbott" - Action Bronson Midget Cough

Jim Abbot managed to get over 80 Major League wins with one hand. Additionally, this line jumped out for me because I have been re-learning to drive ever since my shoulder surgery.  Not easy...

Imagery - Raekwon the Chef

"This is Staten, captain, Lieutenant half black man

I rhyme like I'm on a slave ship selling crack" - Raekwon the Chef The Heater




Man, not quite sure what to do with this little dandy courtesy of Shallah. Could be nothing. Could be everything.

Imagery - Biggie Smalls

"I got techniques dripping out my but cheeks

Sleep on my stomach so I don't fuck up my sheets" - The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die

Vomitspit - Jay Electronica

"Man Ebola'd the land then he Small-poxed the witnesses..." Jay Electronica from My World (Nas Salute)

Jay Elec's interpretation on the destruction that humans/colonist wreaked on various parts of the world. He uses the example of the Native Americans being handed blankets infested with small pox to support his point.

In another case for the need for lyrics written in the liner notes, there is some question as to what Jay says after "Man". I have read "embroidered", "broidered", etc. While I don't hear a definitive "L" sound in the word he says, I certainly an "r" sound either. I just made the connection since he was already talking about one disease, that he had to mean the Ebola virus-just turning the word into an adjective with the "ed" or "d" at the end.

Listen for yourself. The line comes at about the 2:24 mark

Vomitspit - JD Era

"All we do is see numbers like an old school pager"

Mr. Era's reflections on the technological advances in mobile telecommunications over the past two decades.

Vomitspit - .38 Spesh

"Its time to separate the squealers and the killers

At an early age I became familiar with the dealers

And they showed me, I made mistakes, and they told me

At the end of the day, shit, they owed me"

38. Spesh sharing his thoughts on the value of apprenticeship. This is particularly relevant as we are in a time of the top 1%, and students leaving college deep in debt. Mr Spesh is harkening to a time where learning a skill from master craftsman and working your way to the top was more valued than getting knee deep in debt while sitting in an ivory tower learning business theory.


To hear the line in context hit the jump

Vomitspit - Drake

"Kobe bout lose a hundred fifty M's

Kobe my nigga I hate it has to be him

....Bitch you wasn't with me shooting in the gym!" - Drake

Aubrey's feelings on the court system that in a divorce allow women to be awarded half of the mans earnings and assets. While the courts originally began to skew this way to protect women who have given up careers to raise family's and run the home, Drake feels its unjust. To support his argument he sites the fact that overwhelming majority of labor that went into amassing the wealth- in this case of Mr Kobe Bean Bryant- was done by him, and him alone.


To hear the line in context hit the jump

"Aww shit, another young brother hit...

 ....I better go over my man's crib and get the pump

 Cause to the cops, shootin brothers is like playin baseball

And they're never in a slump." - Large Professor of Main Source

With the recent news of an unarmed kid in Florida being shot and killed, this song immediately popped into my head. Granted, it was not a cop who shot a 17 year old who was armed with a can of ice tea and a pack of skittles, but it was a cop mentality that led to his death.

Being young, black and hoodied in some circles is reason enough to be suspicious of...

(blam) Aww shit, another young brother hit
I better go over my man's crib and get the pump
Cause to the cops, shootin brothers is like playin baseball
And they're never in a slump
I guess when they shoot up a crew, it's a grand slam
And when it's one, it's a home run
But I'ma be ready with a wild pitch
My finger got a bad twitch, plus I wanna switch --
-- sides, and step up to the batter's box
Fuck red and white, I got on Black Sox
But let him shoot a person from the White Sox
What's the call? Foul ball!
Babe Ruth woulda made a good cop, but he didn't
Instead he was a bigot, dig it
My life is valuable and I protect it like a gem
Instead of cops shootin me I'm goin out shootin them
And let em cough up blood like phlegm
It's grim (blam blam) but dead is my antonym
And legally they can't take a fall
Yo check it out it's just a friendly game of baseball

[Verse Two:]

R.B.I. -- real bad injury
But don't get happy you're in jail for a century
Just as bad as bein shot in the groin
To see who'll shoot ya, they'll flip a coin
And watch him run for the stretch
But you don't know the man is at home waitin to make the catch
So the outfielder guns you down
You're out, off to the dugout, underground
I know a cop that's savage, his pockets stay green like cabbage
Cause he has a good batting average
No questions, just pulls out the flamer
(blam) And his excuses get lamer
Once a brother tried to take a lead
But they shot him in his face sayin he was tryin to steal a base
And people watch the news for coverage on the game
Hmm, and got the nerve to complain
They need to get themselves a front row seat
Or save the a baseline for a beat
Cause television just ain't designed for precision y'all
It's just a friendly game of baseball

[Verse Three:]

A kid caught on, but I don't know where the brother went
The umpires are the government
I guess they took him out the game, and replace him
with a pinch-hitter, in the scam he was a quitter
So the cops usually torment, I mean tournament
Win em I was sayin
You can't let the umpires, hear ya speak and battle
like the other kid you won't be playin
Cause they'll beat you til your ass drop
A walking gun with a shell in his hand is their mascot
And when they walk around let it be known to step lightly
The bases are loaded
My man got out from three strikes
In the skull but the knife he was carrying was dull
Instead of innings, we have endings
What a fine way to win things
And hot-dog vendors have fun
Sellin you the cat rat and dog on a bun
And when you ask what is all of this called?
It's just a friendly game of baseball

Come back like Jordan wearin the 4-5 - Vado

"In Orlando I pass Dwight (the white), like Jameer an them...."

Very nice. Well crafted double entendre, sports/drug dealing reference. What really makes this work is the fact that Jameer Nelson is the point guard, therefore the one mainly responsible for passing the ball to Dwight Howard. Naming any other player would simply not have been enough. That is what separates a haphazard sports reference from a solid one.


Vado has a real nice flow on this joint.

FF to the 2:50 mark for the line, but the song is worth listening to.

Berries & Juices

I am not big on song titles however after hearing a few bars from this Blu and Exile joint, I had to look.




Taking inspiration from this scene from the movie Coming to America, Blu utilizes a thoughtful, lazy style flow. Paying particular attention to his word endings, which almost sounds lisp-like.

Dope Hip- Hop music. No chemicals. Just juices and berries.

Enjoy

I don't eat no ham and eggs cause they high in cholesterollll...."

...ayo Phife do ya eat'em (no) 

Tip do you eat'em (uh uhhh) not at allll" - A Tribe Called Quest


I went to see Forks over Knives when it came out at the theater. I really enjoyed it and recently re-watched it on DVD. Nice little documentary, you should check it out.  It inspired me to post a healthy food centric joints.



Enjoy.

"Boyz II Men posters, Gladys Knight fried chicken" Action Bronson

Blue Chips by Action Bronson is wonderfully written, straight spittin kind of track with an equally as impressive intro. I'm on record saying Bronson's flow in general favors Raekwon more than Ghost, however his wordplay on this joint is definitely Starks-esque. It is a fun listen.


I could not find the lyrics to this  anywhere. I am willing to sit, edit and revise lyrics for hours, however I do not have the patience to transcribe them.  Here are a few snippets.

Flow - Blu

This song could easily have a post about any of the following categories.

Wordplay 

"Blu black hearted and young"

Structure

Repeating the "Seed killer" lines at 2 different points in the song to illustrate different forms of death. Abortion and murder.

Got a Story to Tell

This is a deep, insightful narrative about his formative years. It does not flow in the way other story raps do, missing transitions and context. but his herky-jerky flow makes that lack of cohesion seem intentional.

Speaking of flow, that is precisely what drew me to this song. Blu has a myriad of flows which he employs liberally depending on the track. Here he decides to go with a hesitation, stutter step style which perfectly compliments the track as well as the aforementioned story structure.

"My nikkas take no like Kobe" - M.E.D

Now, I don't take rape references lightly however during the the aftermath of the Kobe Bryant rape case, you could see how that line really stood out from the this West Coast spitter.

Since his darts on the Madvillainy album, and other random tracks here and there, I have been impressed with the dude. His voice and delivery are two things that standout to me.


That being said I went to the record store and bought, yes, bought at the record store, his most recent album.

I have heard a one or two songs that I liked, but this purchase was not really about that. Just kind of felt like I owed him (as well as Madlib) a few dollars. He puts in an honest effort, and I have enjoyed some of his work over the years so I figured I'd throw him a couple of dollars. Even if it is just symbolic. Been trying to make more of an effort to do that kind of stuff ever since Ghost guilted the hell out of me a few years ago with his diatribe against downloading.

Vomitspit - Hail Mary Mallon

"Half Great Dane, half Great Depression" - Aesop Rock

Aesop repping one third of colabo group, Hail Mary Mallon.

"...I still do, after all these years..." Lupe

"These are just a illustration, of a few scenes that helped raise a generation"

Interesting food for thought that Wassalu has forwarded here. More importantly, he does so without placing a bias in any one direction (negative or positive).



I know for me, the power of some of these films, in some way, led me to pursue some righteous stuff with my life. Maybe, they had the opposite impact for others. Perhaps our paths were already written, and the films meant nothing at all.


I may quit teaching and begin a doctoral dissertation on the basis of this shit...word up....


One of the few cases where only "reading while listening" would interfere with the overall experience...




One more thing, beyond the obvious, what about the overlap in characters/actors in each of these films...and the way the author Lupe seamlessly interchanges their real names and character names/roles. By doing so illuminates just how different and similar they all are.

"I Love College" - Asher Roth

Looks like someone has stayed in the game long enough to free himself of genre killing, label marketing/promoting conspiracies and to find his own niche.

Freeing himself from his Solo Cup beginnings This is like the fourth or fifth joint in a row I've heard him do well on lately. Roth appears to be closing in on his own identity as an artist.

Let me find out artists are still allowed to grow in this game...who knew?


All that being said there is NO WAY this kind of stuff sells like his earlier stuff.  Sometimes as an artist you have to make that decision, become another cog in the machine, or sacrifice for your art, in the hopes that critical acclaim and riches will eventual follow.  Not an easy decision, and one that many other talented artists have decided to go the other way with.

"Are love songs gay?"

If Drake were smart he'd point to this track whenever anyone started clowning him about being terry cloth soft.
 





Its is no secret that I am a card carrying member of the sensitive male club. My first music experiences included some of the most sappy, powerful love joints of the 70's. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Blue Magic, and the Stylistics raised me. So while I understand the overall Drake criticisms, I do think it can be a bit much at times, especially considering his genealogy.

I mean c'mon, Drake is a Graham! His uncle is Larry Graham, his uncle was part of Graham Central Station! He grew up in this stuff!

Instead of rapping/singing about girls, or his feelings, I suppose they'd rather him rap about real shit...like his homies.




Here are a few other love-ish songs I like below, after the jump. But everyday is the 14th for me. I don't need a random holiday for me to post love raps, shit matta fact, I got three already in the chamber ready to go!

Content - Mos Def

"It's hip hop music, its good enough to speak for itself, and you gotta do right by it..."

Listen, beef is not what Jay said to Nas, beef is when the working folks can`t find jobs

steady tryna find niggaz to rob, tryna find bigger guns so they can finish the job

Beef is when the crack babies cant find moms cuz they in a pine box, or locked behind bars

Beef aint the Summer Jam for Hot 97, beef is the cocaine and aids epidemic

Beef don`t come with a radio edit, beef is when a judge is calling you defendant

Beef, it comes with a long jail sentence, handed down to you in a few short minutes.

Beef is when your girl comes through for a visit, to tell you that she`s pregnant, by some other nikka

Beef is high blood pressure and bad credit need a loan for your home but you too broke to get it

And all you little kids is doing is getting bigger, your trying not to raise `em around these wild nikkas

Beef is when a gold digger got your seed in her, a manicured hand out like `pay me nikka...or I'm tellin' your wife or startin' up some foul rumor that'll ruin your life
Beef is when a gangster ain't doin it right, another gangster then decided what to do with his life

BEEF is not what these famous nikkas do on the mic...beef is what George Bush would do in a fight

Yeah, beef is what Jah said to 50 but Ro and Irv not being here with me

When a soldier ends his life with his own gun, Beef is trying to figure out what to tell his son

Beef is oil prices, and geo-politics, beef is Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Some beef is big, some beef is small but what ya`ll call beef is not beef at all

Beef is real life happening every day, and it`s realler than those songs that you gave to Kay Slay

This has been a real nikka, P.S.A., from Mos Def pretty Flaco, Black Donte and the Black Star Embassy B to the K! - Mighty Mos Def

"Hardcore rap and Mary J Blige records"

Hahaha, Sean Price makes old heads like me smile and feel relevant. I wanted to do a P post but could not decide on which verse/song to use. Lots of B.C.C. era joints from Tall Sean that I could have opted for as well.


So, I am just mailing it in with this joint. Basically because he starts the rhyme by saying "Botswana"


P!

"I'm in the park doing reps, you in Bally's"- Pharoahe Monch

I remember hearing Erykah's version of The Healer first and absolutely loved it. Simple. Powerful. Beautiful. Then I heard Monch's version and it became a different song. Through his deft lyricism and energy he managed to transform the track into a revolution song.


Hope this Monch post makes up for my other one.

7 MCs - Jay Electronica

"Yeaaaah, get nervous now

I'm a fucking animal with the verbs and nouns

I'm a fucking cannibal in a herd of clowns

You nikkas look like heaps of steaks and burger mounds"

Vomitspit - J. Cole

"Like we always do at this time...C-C-C-Cole blowin’ your mind

Hey dummy, this no accident, all of this was designed

T-t-t- took my time, c-c-c-crept from behind

And I opened up your blinds, rise and shine, Cole World

Same nikka used to drive around with yo girl

In my mama’s Civic, now I’m our here tryna get it

I ain’t like you lame ass nikkas, boy I spit it how I live it

So when you see me in the streets, man I ain’t gotta mimic

Cause I ain’t got an image to uphold, this real shit

I ain’t got a gimmick I just flow, that niggas went nuts for

The boy that set fire to the booth

In a game full of liars it turns out that I’m the truth

Some say that rap’s alive, it turns out that I’m the proof

Cause the ones y’all thought would save the day can’t even tie my boots

The ones y’all thought could hang with me can’t even tie my noose

Let these words be my bullets nigga, I don’t rhyme I shoot, bang!"