Fell In Love With H.E.R.. Again

Nope, I'm not talkin' about a PYT in my life. Don't fret ladies, I'm still single :-D

I'm talking one of my original loves, "Hip-Hop in its Essence is Real" as Common eloquently put it on his '94 classic song. I hit up the Black Star reunited show at Nokia Times Square and it reminded me how much I really do love hip-hop despite all the hate and negativity permeating the art form nowadays.

Mos & Kweli possessed an on-stage vibe that conjurs hip-hop's glory days as they rocked tracks from the Black Star LP in addition to solo joints from their respective careers. I was one of 2000-something rhyming along with the duo during what's sure to be one of 2009's best concerts, period.

The good folks at OGHipHop posted the video up top, while YN flip-cam'd the later show to post on Rap Radar.

I'll leave y'all with the footage and suggestions of new music that's carrying on tradition. If you need help finding these projects, hit me up. Enjoy!

Check the CBox for all songs -->



J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid [Posthumous Dilla album compiled by Pete Rock]

Sneak Peak:

Fire Wood Drumstix ft. MF Doom




Marco Polo & Torae - Double Barrel [Coming out Tuesday, cop that]

Sneak Peak:

Party Crashers



Tiye Phoenix - Half Woman, Half Amazin' [Dropped last week, I love this LP !!]

Sneak Peak:

Master Plan


Mixtape of the Day:



Download T.I & MLK - A Year & A Day


Random Hits:

Check the CBox-->

Jaspects ft. Senor Kaos - Fallin'

T.I. ft. Kanye West & B.o.B - On Top of the World (Unreleased Version)

We The Lions, You The Cheetahs

I announced it before, but I wanted to remind my loyal readers about this weekend's epic concert.

This Saturday, two of my favorite MCs Talib Kweli and Mos Def will reunite as Black Star for a pair of shows at Nokia Theatre NYC. Yours truly will be in the building for the later time slot, supporting real hip-hop in its truest form.

Tokyo designer Rocksmith dropped these shirts to mark the Brooklyn duo's performance, which are available now at Karmaloop and at the shows.

Scoop up your ticket here and let me know if you want to link up at the show. Thanks to Gotty for the heads up on the T-shirts, Enjoy!

Random Hits:

Check The CBox --->

6th Sense - Thoughts

Bobby Ray (B.o.B) - Put Me On

Jay-Z - Can't Cheat Death prod. DJ Premier

Killer Mike - Man Up

Lupe Fiasco - Fire

Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Snippets)

T.I. ft. Mary J Blige - Remember Me

Torae - Lay It Down Freestyle [Double Barrel drops next week!]

A Blog For Mama

I'll keep this concise 'cause you want to spend as much time with Mom as possible today.

I know that without the love and support of my mother, I wouldn't be who I am today. Sometimes I take for granted what she's sacrificed for me and my siblings, but I really have been trying lately to let her know that I'm thankful for all she's done.

To those whose mother's have passed, I will say a prayer because I know she's somewhere smiling. Be strong.

HFTB would like to wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day. To celebrate, here are five tracks paying tribute to all the women that have given the gift of life.

Now go tell Moms you love her, Enjoy!

Check the CBox--->

1. Boyz II Men - A Song For Mama

There were so many times
Lookin back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me and tell me
I can face anything


2. Kanye West - Hey Mama

I know I act a fool,
But I promise you I'm going back to school 
I appreciate what you allowed for me
I just want you to be proud of me

3. Nas - Dance

Thinking of how amazing she was 
A angel gave me love 
I'm thankful, to ever know a women so real

4. Talib Kweli - Momma Can You Hear Me?

The rain is gone, now I can see you clearly
Momma, I love you dearly
Momma, I need you near me
'Cause the sun goes down every night
And your son don't go down without a fight


5. Tupac - Dear Mama

There's no way I could pay you back
But my plan
Is to show you that I understand

A Thousand Words..

[Edit: Unfortunately, it's come to my attention hese photos were Photoshopped. Guess it was too good to be true.]

.. Or, maybe just one will suffice - Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn.

Spotted this at yesterday at TSS, Gotty posted these shots of Panamanian chicas at a cricket game, I don't even need any more details. I felt obligated to share them with my loyal readers.

As always, let's get into some new music, Enjoy!

Random Hits

Check the CBox --->

AZ - Get Money

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Mr. President

Jabari ft. Nicki Minaj & Pusha T - Dopeman (Prod. by Cookin Soul)

Kardinal Offishal ft. Akon - Teaser

Ludacris - Grizzly (CDQ)

Reflection Eternal - Back Again - CDS

Mixtape of the Day

Download:

Raekwon - Blood on Chef's Apron Hosted by DJ Absolut

Fine Friday: Hottest Chick In The Game

[drools]

Here's Bey at the NYC screening of Obsessed, a movie I would likely never consider seeing unless she was in it. Shawn Carter, you are one lucky summabitch.

Other than that, I've got some things in the pipeline that I'll be sharing with my loyal readers over the next week or so. Stay tuned to find out what!

Hope everyone has a great Friday and thanks to Concrete Loop for the heads up, Enjoy!

Edit: Found this link to Complex Mag's choices for Beyonce's hottest pics, what a way to start the weekend!

Random Hits:

Links in the CBox --->

Kanye West ft. Malik Yusef, Common & John Legend - Magic Man

Skyzoo - ft. Talib Kweli & Reks When I Rhyme prod. Statik Selektah

Swizz Beatz - Ice Cream

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

[thought the pic was funny, not really relevant LOL]

..Okay, I've ranted about Blogger taking down my posts before, so excuse me if I repeat myself.

Actually, I'm not even gonna complain about my "A Blog Supreme" post, featuring U-N-I's and Jadakiss' new albums, getting chucked out the window today. In the back of my mind I knew it was a mistake and I'll man up to the consequences.

What I'm gonna do is keep doing what I do, with one stipulation. I'm not gonna post full retail album leaks anymore without the artist/label consent, for obvious reasons.

But I reiterate, if any label heads or artists want their music taken down from my site, PLEASE just let me know. I'll edit the post instantly and remove the material.

On to what you really came here to see and hear, some music.



I saw other blogs posting leaks from Virginia MC Nickelus F over the past couple weeks, but wanted to wait until the full version of his album Heathen dropped to listen. I'm definitely feelin the nice flow and real-talk concepts, so I got the word on Twitter to post it.

"Corner Store Music" and "Lifted" are my jams, but the whole album is consistent. Download it here, and check out NickelusF.com for some bonus tracks that even I haven't heard yet!




Another artist I wanted to put you up on is CientifiQ, Big Apple-raised and currently reppin' central Texas. Not only is he cool peoples but he makes some real good music. Controlling the MPC and on the mic, Q does the whole nine.

His voice is reminiscent of Chali 2na from J-5 but the subject matter is what grabbed me initially on tracks like "Common Ground" and "Where She At? (Hip Hop)." He's definitely a purveyor of real hip-hop - Head on over to his Reverb Nation page for a listen.


Let's round things out with tracks from (my current crush) Melanie Fiona featuring Talib Kweli, KiD CuDi with Wale, Rich Boy, and Chrisette Michele featuring Rick Ross & Juelz Santana.

And of course, some sneaks that I'd buy if I got me a government bailout, Enjoy!

Links in the C-Box --->


Melanie Fiona ft. Talib Kweli - Give It To Me (Remix)

KiD CuDi ft. Wale - Look Up In Da Stars

Rich Boy - It's Over

Chrisette Michele ft. Rick Ross & Juelz Santana - Epiphany Remix


Can I Kick It?

Black Star Reunited

.. This shit right here? One word: Epic.

I just got word from the good homie CientifiQ that the legendary duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli are reuniting for two shows at Nokia Theater Times Square NYC. He put me on to a link at AllHipHop that explains the details.

That's right hip-hoppers, Black Star will perform their classic material twice on May 30th. Tickets go on sale today at noon, available at either Nokia's website or Ticketmaster

I still feel a certain way about my Rock The Bells experience, missing the majority of Mos Def's set to stand in line for grub even as he brought out Kweli for a Black Star set.

This time? I'm waiting patiently for noon to come to scoop my tickets. I suggest you do the same, this could be historical.

I'll leave you with arguably my favorite track from the lyrical one-two punch and one of their most popular, "Redefinition." See y'all in New York, Enjoy!

Connecting The Internet

Kweli tells us to "download it and spread it around," so I'll do my part and share some brand new Reflection Eternal (!!) for y'all.

I'm amped to say that the classic duo of sharp-tongued lyricist Talib Kweli and trend-setting producer Hi-Tek is back in the studio, on the recording grind. Their newest track is "Internet Connection" with Bootsy Collins, a big shout out to all the blogs holding down Blacksmith Entertainment and the RE legacy.

I'm dumb tired so I'll let Kweli speak for the group's future:

Kweli and Hi-Tek are in the studio working hard on their long-awaited second album. They wanted to let all their friends online know they've linked back up, so they made this ode to technology, with a throwback funk feel to it. The legendary Bootsy Collins was chillin in the studio with Hi-Tek and wanted to jump on the song as well. This is just some different stuff to let y'all know they're on the way back.

Make sure you check them at the Blue Note with a full band in NYC on March 10th and 11th as well.

Shouts to Year of the Blacksmith for the info, Enjoy!

Download:

Reflection Eternal - Internet Connection

A Presidential Weekend..

R.I.P. Lamont "Big L" Coleman
May 30, 1974 - February 15, 1999

(HFTB Disclaimer: Long Post alert.)

What's up my good people? In light of the events that transpired Friday night, I took a little break this weekend to get my shit together. The best part is that I'm off work tomorrow, so Happy President's Day all! Shouts to Barack.

I'm all ABOUT long weekends, so let's see what else is going down..

I can't believe it, but today marks the 10-year anniversary of Big L's tragic murder. The Harlem-born lyricist was one of the slickest on the mic but his career was ended prematurely after recording only 2 studio albums, Lifestylez of the Poor & Dangerous and the posthumous The Big Picture.

Still, his impact as a member of Children of the Corn with Cam'ron, Bloodshed and McGruff and Diggin' In The Crates (D.I.T.C.) with Showbiz, AG, Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, O.C., Diamond D and Buckwild plus as a solo artist reigns supreme in hip-hop to this day. I've uploaded some of my personal favorites from the flamboyant MC, showcasing his unparalled freestyle ability, punch-line stylistics and flashy, creative lyrics. Hip-hop misses you, L. R.I.P.


Flippin it to sports real quick, the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest went down last night. Nate "KryptoNate" Robinson of the New York Knicks, at just 5'9'', won his second title (literally) over last year's champ "Superman" Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Though Howard completed an insane slam on a 12-foot backboard, Nate took the cake after he jumped over the 6'11'' Howard before dunking it home. Talk about ups! Peep this link for a highlight video.


What would a HFTB post be without some new music? It'd be blasphemous, that's what it' be. So we'll keep it righteous this week with a blazing Blu mixtape, Her Favorite Colo(u)r. Download below to vibe out to the Cali native's imagery-laced poetics and heartfelt content. Big props to the wonderful homie SHE for the hook up.


Also, I scooped a fresh Talib Kweli track ripped from DJ Premier's show on Sirius XM. "My Favorite Song," produced by Statik Selektah, will be on the soundtrack to Xbox 360's Grand Theft Auto: Lost and Damned.


Before I go, I spotted some events at the homie TECHIE's blog that I'm dumb excited for. I was surprised to read that The Roots will be taking some time during their busy schedule as Jimmy Fallon's Late Night house band to take up a residency at Highline Ballroom NYC. The band's "The Jam" start Thursday, March 5th, two days after my born day, so I've already grabbed me some tickets for their residency debut. Check out Highline's site for info.


And lastly, Tri-State sneaker heads should be amped for SneakerCon NYC, a new convention for all things footwear. Taking place Sunday, March 1st at the Times Square Arts Center, SneakerCon will have around 30 vendors and feature never-before-seen Nikes and more. Save the date on the flyer below, this should be a good ass time.


Thanks to Techie once again for the event info and SHE for the Blu tape, and Eskay, Shake, and Mick Boogie and Co for the other good vibrations, Enjoy!




Download: Blu - Her Favorite Colo(u)r

1. Love
2. Amnesia
3. Since
4. Morning
5. Melo
6. Wind(terludeOne)
7. When(terludeTwo)
8. Silent
9. Pardon
10. Vanity
11. Beggars’/BlackGold
12. Celln’Ls
13. Untiled(LovedU)2
14. Peace

Other Links in the Cbox --->

Talib Kweli - My Favorite Song prod. Statik Selektah

Big L - Ebonics

O.C. ft. Big L - Dangerous

Big L - MVP (DJ Premier Summer Smooth Mix)

Big L & Jay-Z - 7 Minute Freestyle

Big L - Put It On

Big L ft. Tupac - Deadly Combination

Big L - '98 Freestyle (Parts 1 & 2)

Big L ft. McGruff, I Born, C.L. Smooth - NY Freestyle

Big L - Size 'Em Up

Big L - Flamboyant

D.I.T.C. - Day One

D.I.T.C. - Internationally Known

D.I.T.C. - Thick

D.I.T.C. - Tribute [L's not on this but it's a tribute from his D.I.T.C. brethren]

Children of the Corn - Danger Zone

Children of the Corn - The Corn


Events info:


The Roots present: The Jam
Starting March 5th

Produced by: Jill Newman Productions

All Shows Start @ 11:30

Doors open @ 11

Tickets:
$10.00 in advance

$12.00 day of show.

Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th St
New York, NY 10011
Between 9th and 10th Ave

Sneaker Con
March 1st (Sunday) Noon - 7 pm

Times Square Arts Center

669 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10036
Between West 42nd and West 43rd St.

You Could Find The Abstract..

.. Listening to hip-hop
Pops used to say it reminded him of bebop

Let's bring it back real quick to the days of pagers and shell-toes with the help of the highly-anticipated J.Period mixtape The [Absract] Best, a remixtape/compilation of Q-Tip joints.

Just glancing at the track list makes my mouth water for some good music - peeping appearances from Cannonball Adderly, Stevie Wonder, Beastie Boys, ?uestlove, Nas, J Dilla, Talib Kweli, Blu and more plus plenty of ATCQ classics and remixes.

Big thanks to Honey Soul for hooking up the link below. It'd be a shame if you didn't peep this one, Enjoy!

Download: J.Period - The [Abstract] Best

Track List:

1. J.Period f. Prince Paul, Questlove & Randy Watson– Rhythm (Scratch Intro)
2. Cannonball Adderly / Excursions Intro
3. J.Period f. De La Soul – Excursions (Tribute Remix)
4. Aquarius Interlude #1: Welcome
5. Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes – Getting Up (DJ Scratch Remix) (The Renaissance)
6. Behind the Scenes: Ghetto Origins [Produced by J.Period]
7. What the Fuss f. Stevie Wonder (Shook Remix)
8. Queens Represent (Interlude)
9. Mobb Deep f. Nas & Q-Tip – Give Up the Goods (J.Period Remix) [Produced by Q-Tip]
10. Apache – Gangsta Bitch [Produced by Q-Tip]
11. ATCQ – If the Papes Come (Intro)
12. ATCQ – Check the Rhime
13. Behind the Scenes: Don’t Walk Away (Interlude)
14. ATCQ –Award Tour
15. Behind the Scenes: Award Tour (Interlude)
16. Hot Butter (Interlude)
17. J.Period f. Dres - Jazz Pt. 2 (Tribute Remix)
18. Behind the Scenes: We Got the Jazz (Interlude)
19. J.Period f. Blu– Jazz (Tribute Remix)
20. Skypager: Bob Power & Big Daddy Kane (Interlude)
21. Q-Tip f. Jay Dilla – Let’s Ride
22. Behind the Scenes: Bob Power You There? (Interlude)
23. Q-Tip – Vivrant Thing (Remix)
24. Q-Tip – Move (The Renaissance)
25. Q-Tip – Breathe & Stop (J.Period Remix)
26. Respect to Phife Dawg (Interlude)
27. J.Period f. Consequence & Kid Cudi – Buggin Out (Tribute Remix)
28. ATCQ Consists Of…
29. Behind the Scenes: The Native Tongues (Interlude)
30. De La Soul f. Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, Monie Love & Queen Latifah – Buddy (Remix)
31. Respect to Ali Shaheed Muhammed (Interlude)
32. Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes – N.T.
33. A Message From Talib Kweli
34. J.Period f. Questlove, Talib Kweli & Randy Watson – Youthful (Tribute Remix)
35. Q-Tip f. Amanda Diva – ManWomanBoogie (The Renaissance)
36. Chris Rock: Men vs. Women (Interlude)
37. De La Soul f. Q-Tip – Saturdays
38. De La Soul f. Q-Tip & Phife – Saturdays (Remix)
39. Q-Tip – She Likes to Move (J.Period Remix)
40. Dee-Lite f. Q-Tip – Groove Is in the Heart
41. Beastie Boys f. Q-Tip – Get it Together
42. Behind the Scenes: What Is Kapelka? (Interlude)
43. J.Period f. Skillz, Questlove & Randy Watson – What? (Tribute Remix)
44. Behind the Scenes: Busta Rhymes / Scenario (Interlude)
45. Busta Rhymes – Scenario (Unreleased Demo Tape)
46. Behind the Scenes: Hood R.I.P. (Interlude)
47. Hood – Scenario (Remix)
48. Aquarius Outtro
49. Behind the Scenes (Bonus): Reinvention (Kamaal the Abstract – A Million Times)

A Second Dose

Monday, ugh. Hope everyone had a great Super Bowl Sunday and enjoyed the great finish to last night's game. While I almost predicted the score exactly, I was just thrilled to see a good game especially the 2nd half. And to those that stayed up to watch the hour-long special of The Office, we may be tired this morning but the episode was HILAAAARIOUS.

It's back to the grind now, but don't think I'd start off the week without dropping some heat. Today we've got Jersey producer Illmind's second installment of his Blaps, Rhymes & Life mixtape series presented by DubMD. The concept on this is type ill as the versatile Illmind laces bangers for artists large and small, ranging from established cats like 50 Cent, Scarface, Eminem, Talib Kweli and Dilated Peoples' Rakaa Iriscience to up-and-coming artists like Fortilive and Che Grand.

Big shouts to Illmind for giving me the heads up, peep the download link and track list below. Support real hip-hop and be on the lookout for Illmind studio albums this year, Enjoy!

Download:

Illmind & DubMD - Blaps, Rhymes & Life Volume II

01.) Mic Legacy - Larry Davis (Produced by Illmind)
02.) D-Black - Hold Up (Gangsta Shit) (Produced by Illmind)
03.) 50 Cent - Who Run It (feat. Eminem, Cashis & Lloyd Banks) (Produced by Illmind)
04.) Heltah Skeltah - So Damn Tuff (feat. Buckshot & Ruste Juxx) (Produced by Illmind)
05.) Scarface - It's Not A Game (Produced by Illmind)
06.) Thoth - MA To The West (feat. Oh No) (Produced by Illmind)
07.) Naps N Dreds - Bully! (feat. Kool G Rap) (Produced by Illmind)
08.) Diamond D - Don't Beg (Produced by Illmind)
09.) Pumpkinhead - Of The Same Air (feat. Talib Kweli) (Produced by Illmind)
10.) Fortilive - Trunk Pop Music (Produced by Illmind)
11.) Project Heights - Champion (feat. Rakaa Iriscience & Noelle Scaggs) (Produced by Illmind)12.) Sleek - Hi New Orleans (Produced by Illmind)
13.) Che Grand - Streets (Produced by Illmind)
14.) Starrs & Murph - Damn (Produced by Illmind)
15.) Bambu - Quit (Produced by Illmind)
16.) Above Ave - Root Of All Evil (Wake Up) (Produced by Illmind)
17.) Grynch - A Dream Undeferred (Produced by Illmind)
18.) Kingdom (The Movement) (Swaggerboy, Kilo & Problem Child) - Heartache (Produced by Illmind)
19.) Naturel - Love To The World (Produced by Illmind)
20.) Blitzkrieg (Bee Lavish, Quayluds, D-Minus & Contra) - Ruling Elite (Produced by Illmind)
21.) Megaciph - War (Produced by Illmind)
22.) Mister RP - Diamonds Aren't Enough (Produced By Illmind)

Before There Was Love

Mick Boogie continues his hot streak of dope ass mixtapes tonight, this time working with IllRoots and 2DopeBoyz to present Left Coast duo U-N-I's Before There Was Love.

Just from the looks of the track list I'm excited to hear Y-O and Thurzday spitting alongside guest appearances from Talib Kweli, Black Milk, 6th Sense, Donny Goines, Evidence, Fashawn, Rapper Big Pooh, Mickey Factz, and more.

Thanks to Mick and Co. for hooking up the link and track list, Enjoy!

Download:

Mick Boogie Presents U-N-I - Before There Was Love

1. Mick Boogie Intro
2. Cali Soul f/ Shawn Jackson and Hope (prod. by Dibia$e)
3. See LA f/ Damani (prod. by Faahz)
4. Cast’ Em Out (prod. by Dibia$e)
5. The Press Play Show Interlude Part 1
6. On Tour f/ Bambu (prod. by Ro Blvd)
7. Think About It f/6th Sense & Vandalyzm (prod. by 6th Sense)
8. Half Off f/ Evidence
9. Run Son f/ El Prez, 310, C-San, & Casey Veggies (prod. by Ro Blvd)
10. Stakes is High (prod. by 6th Sense)
11. The Press Play Show Interlude Part 2
12. Beautiful Day Remix f/ Big Pooh, Evidence, Aloe Blacc, Kes Kaos, Mickey Factz, Fashawn, & Theo (prod. by Dibia$e))
13. Yesterday (prod. by Ski Team)
14. Hey Neighbor (prod. by Ro Blvd)
15. Wildin’ f/ Chen Lo & Tunji (prod. by Ro Blvd)
16. The Press Play Show Interlude Part 3
17. Castle Vee Re-Up f/ Black Milk (prod. by Dibia$e)
18. Arcade Fly Remix f/ Wildabeast, 6th Sense, Buff1, Donny Goines, Fashawn
19. Night Nurse (prod. by Cook Classics)
20. Relax f/ Fashawn (prod. by FredNukes)
21. Return f/Talib Kweli (prod. by Bannon)
22. Mainstream Consumers f/ Free Speech & Bambu (prod. by Ro Blvd)
23. Monster f/ Shawn Jackson (prod. by Jaguar Skills)
24. Vitamin B f/ CurT@!n$ (prod. by Bannon)
25. The Press Play Show Interlude Part 4
26. Start My Day f/ H.O.P.E. (prod. by Ro Blvd)
27. Herb f/Co$$ & Bad Lucc (prod. by Ro Blvd)

Bigger & Better

Continuing on the Biggest Day of the Year, I spotted this in my inbox a lil' while ago, and it's got me too excited to sleep.

DJ Graffiti leaked two tracks of his upcoming mixtape Astronote: Bigger & Better (The Notorious Remixes) hosted by the one and only Talib Kweli and produced by Astronote. Now I'm a long-time fan of Kweli and you already know how I feel 'bout Biggie's entire catalog, so I'm lookin forward to this remixtape.

Graffiti says about the tape:

"This mix is hosted by Talib Kweli, one of Brooklyn's finest. Would he jeopardize his career by attaching his name to some subpar Biggie remixes? Hell, would I jeopardize my almost career for the same reason? haha Astronote is the truth. Don't sleep!"

Peep game in the CBox, thanks again to Graffiti for hookin up the links, Enjoy!


Notorious B.I.G. ft. Talib Kweli - Young G's (Astronote Rmx)

Notorious B.I.G. ft. Buff 1- Niggas (Astronote Rmx)

A Lounge Called Quest

Amidst today's rap realm full of its fair share of one-hit quitters and larger-than-life personalities, it's easy to forget where the artform came from. That's why it's beautiful for a nostalgic hip-hopper like yours truly to come across well-intended throwback creations that transcend the day-to-day updates bombarding my inbox.

Mucho props to DJ Definit for his vision with A Lounge Called Quest and I know I'll lay back and relax after hitting the gym after work with this mixtape loaded on my iTunes.

I'll let his words speak for themsevles about why he made this mix of jams from Tribe Called Quest, Common, Little Brother, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes and many more..

"Experiencing the dissolution of A Tribe Called Quest was an emotion experience for me, how could they possibly end something so great? Their music was effortlessly perfect; "Bonita Applebum" took only an hour to complete, "Scenario" took two hours, and "Check the Rhime" took about 3 sessions (Q-Tip, The Source '99). Their watery landscape and drum manipulation (by using just 1/4 of a break loop) influenced a whole new style of beat making. Tribe single-handedly elevated the musicality of hip-hop without playing a single note. They were also one of the most influential...

Like myself, the artists on this album were musically influenced & emotionally inspired by the artistry of A Tribe Called Quest and will forever keep Tribe's spirit alive.

Let's Celebrate."

Props to 2DopeBoyz for the link, Enjoy!

** Download DJ Definit - A Lounge Called Quest **

Lyrics To Go [Part II]

For part Dos in this series, I stayed true to the original criteria - songs that exemplify lyrical prowess before the hook-and-beat era took hold. Have ya thesaurus as we take trip into time..

Black Star - Definition
Audio Download
Lyrics

Ultimate ceremony masters Mos Def & Talib Kweli are unique dudes - both feel underground but spit at par with the best of all time and entertain in the same breath. This jam from '98 is just one specific example of the skill each exhibited during the Black Star years.
Mos meticulously pronounces "From the first to the last of it, delivery is passionate/The whole and not the half of it, vocab and not the math of it/ Projectile that them blasted with, accurate assassin shit/ Me and Kweli close like, Bethlehem and Nazareth" then Kweli articulates "Brooklyn New York City where they paint murals of Biggie/In cash we trust, cause it's ghetto fabulous, life look pretty/What a pity - blunts is still fifty cents, it's intense/Tree scents is dominant can't be covered with incense."
The duo dominates through the remainder: Mos' diction during "When the cock crows, my crop grows, enable me to rock flows/Strivin for perfection ever since I was a snot-nosed/Colossal, true original b-boy apostle/Standin on the rooftop with the Zulu gestapo" and Kweli's prolific wordplay with "Consider me the entity within the industry without a history/
f spittin the epitome, of stupidity/ Lovin' my life, expressin my liberty/It gotta be done properly/My name is in the middle of e-Kweli-ty" lead up to the big finish.
As a finale, Mos silences the critics "In miles or kilometers, most cats cannot proceed us/In the jungle with the leaders we the lions you the 'cheaters'." Damn, those were the days.


Wu-Tang Clan - Triumph
Download Audio
Lyrics

Words cannot describe this Staten Island flame-broiled lyrical onslaught. Well, maybe Wu-Tang words can.
Inspectah Deck's eccentric intro "I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies/And hypothesis can't define how I be droppin' these" or Meth's stone-cold demeanor on "As the world turns, I spread like germs/Bless the globe with the pestilence, the hard-headed never learn/It's my testament to those burned/Play my position in the game of life, standin' firm" that catches you. Though Cappa and U-God wander a little, they hold it down on lines like "My deadly notes reigns supreme/Your fort is basic compared to mine/Domino effect, arts and crafts, paragraphs contain cyanide" and "A jungle junkie, vigilante tantrum/A death kiss, catwalk, squeeze another anthem/Hold it for ransom, tranquilized with anesthetics/My orchestra, graceful, music ballerinas" respectively.

Then, like an arsenal of martial art weapons, RZA, GZA, Masta Killa, Ghostface and Raekwon slice. The Abbot's enters: My beats travel like a vortex, through your spine/ To the top of your cerebral cortex, Make you feel like you bust a nut from raw sex." The Genius follows suit: "War of the masses, the outcome disastrous/Many of the victim family save they ashes/A million names on walls, engraved in plaques/Those who went back, received penalties for the axe" Masta intrigues: "Givin' sight to the blind/The dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum," Ghost dices: "Sound convincin', thousand dollar court by convention/Hands, like Sonny Liston, get fly permission/Hold the fuck up, I'll unfasten your wig, bad luck/I humiliate, separate the English from the Dutch." And Rae executes: "The swift chancellor, flex, the white-gold tarantula/Track truck diesel, blaze the weed God, substantiala/Max mostly, undivided, then slide in, sickenin'/Guaranteed, made em jump like Rod Strickland" to finish the listener - fatality.

Drag-On & Twista - Twisted Heat
Audio Download
Lyrics

On the often-overlooked Ruff Ryders 2000 compilation Ryde or Die Volume 2, Chicago newcomer Twista and virtual unknown Drag-On went bar-for-bar and wouldn't back down. Twista sets the stage "Thugs with the Chevy's, thugs with the trucks/ The real gun runner never run when he bust/Henny and he mobs in the front, smoke a 'dro blunt/sippin' with a fifty sack under the nuts" and "Cause I be squeezin' ass/ That'll make a full glass disappear like a genie/Move to the LOX and Beanie, while them hoes backin' that thang up on my weenie."
Drag-On then steps up properly with "All I rock is E-N-Y-C-E, in the NYC with the white T/All I really do is R-U/Double F, R-Y-D-E, D-R-A-G, to the dash O-N/Catch me, smokin' potent, bet I leave y'all/ Niggaz soakin' with your insides open."
Just as the energy subsided, Swizz Beatz drops and turns the already frantic instrumental to warp speed. 8 bar verses from each MC ensue, as Twista opens "Whether murder or bouncy beat, my flow be philosophical/ Smokin' on tropical, achievin' all Missions Impossible" and Drag terminates with "I'm tired of silly clowns/Spittin' out weak shit, sound like me shit/You gon' make me pull a all nighter/Standin' infront of your crib with that gasoline and that lighter/That way we won't miss ya, Drag-On and Twista." The definition of adrenaline.

Big L - Ebonics
Audio Download
Lyrics

This one gets a nod not just for his lyrics but the concept behind the song - for this late great Harlemite (R.I.P.) to to illustrate the language of slang just as the millenium hit.
Schooling the novices, Big L breaks it down with phrases like "A radio is a box, a razor blade is a ox/Fat diamonds is rocks and jakes is cop/And if you got rubbed, you got stuck/You got shot, you got bucked/And if you got double-crossed, you got fucked," "The food you eat is your grub, a victim's a mark/A sweat box is a small club, your tick is your heart/ Your apartment is your pad, your old man is your dad/The studio is the lab and heated is mad."
Topping it off with urban education like "The iron horse is the train and champaign is bubbly/A deuce is a honey that's ugly/If your girl is fine, she's a dime/A suit is a fine, jewelry is shine/If you in love, that mean you blind/Genuine is real, a face card is a hundred dollar bill/A very hard, long stare is a grill."

Labor Day Round-up

Strictly Business & Still a Mile High..

.. While I'm handling grown man business for a week in Denver, I'll bless my loyal subscribers periodically with fire like this. First up we've got two unreleased bonus tracks from Talib Kweli's masterpiece Eardrum, then a new Green Lantern-produced heater from Styles P, a remix to Mickey Factz's Leak 27 by Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, and finally the two-part critique of hip-hop's current state from Jersey's own Jumpoff Joey - who truly ain't afraid to speak the truth. Enjoy!

Talib Kweli ft. Little Brother - Getting My Grown Man On

Talib Kweli ft. Marsha Ambrisious - Take It Back

Joe Budden - Who Pt. 1

Joe Budden - Who Pt. 2

Naledge - Incredible

Styles P - Go prod. Green Lantern

So Far, So Good..

It was written on the walls that success is a process
No matter how hard I fall, I know where there's some progress
-Common

.. Now this is what I call a collab! Fresh off his upcoming The Million Dollar Backpack, Virginia MC Skillz (a.k.a. the dude that brings annual industry rap ups, year in and year out) linked up with Talib Kweli and Common for this heater.

Head on over to Okayplayer for an album sampler & thanks to eskay for hooking up this track.. Enjoy!

Skillz ft. Common & Talib Kweli - So Far So Good Remix

See Ray Run..

Congrats to rugged RU running back Ray Rice, drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2nd round, #55 pick overall. Can't wait to scoop that all-black jersey and see Willis & Ray-Ray do big things in the league.. Best of luck, homie.

Got some new jams for your Saturday night listening pleasure, Enjoy.

Kidz in the Hall ft. Pusha T, Bun-B & The Cool Kids - Drivin' Down The Block Remix

Lupe Fiasco ft. CL Smooth - Paris, Tokyo Remix

The Roots - Lost Desire ft. Talib Kweli & Malik B

Fresh Monday Medly..

Spending spring break applying for jobs and reviving last year's Soulive disc, I felt the urge to update you with some fresh material from The Roots' new album Rising Down, The Game's new album L.A.X., and Talib Kweli's mix-tape with Mick Boogie the MCEO Mixtape. Gotta hit the weights/cardio now, 'til next time.. Enjoy!


[roots]

The Roots ft. Styles P, Mos Def & Dice Raw - Rising Down (Hum Drum)


[game]

The Game - Big Dreams


[kweli]

Talib Kweli ft. Novel - I Am

Talib Kweli - D'Evils 2008 prod. 6th Sense