No Disrespekinazation

I'm a beast, you a bitch like Tickle Me Elmo

Here's another leak from Heltah Skeltah's upcoming LP D.I.R.T. dropping September 30th. Rock and Ruck bring their signature back-and-forth gritty rhymes here, big ups to Matt from MAC Media for the link.. Enjoy!

Heltah Skeltah - The Art of Disrespekinazation prod. Khrysis

Lyrics To Go [Part I]

Vibin' to the Black Album today in the whip, I noticed something that's been bugging me for a while about hip-hop lately - no one cares about lyrics anymore. Today it's all about hooks and beats, while lyrical content has been sacrificed as the music expands to a mass audience.

Now don't get me wrong, I love wildin' at the bar to some guilty pleasures (Ying Yang in this thang!). Plus, today's music serves a purpose - dumbed down lyrics mean it's easier for more people to get down.

But, aficianado that I am, I want to bring the focus back to rhymes real quick. So here it is, dom corleone's look back at 10 of hip-hop's most exquisite, tongue-flippin' displays of diction. Here are the first five and explanations - Feel free to comment and add to this list!



Jay-Z - Lucifer
Lyrics
Download Audio

This is the one that sparked this list. When Jay starts from the jump with "Lord forgive him, he got them dark forces in him/ But he also got a righteous cause for sinnin," his bargaining with the Creator to understand his actions instills chills. Continuing "On permanent, hi-atus as I skate/ In the Maybach Benz flyer than Sanaa Lathan" a slightly younger Hov shouts out my future wifey AND car in the same line - props!
The Kanye-produced chorus complete with signature sped-up, scratchy sample leads into Jay rockin' again "Spread love, to all of my dead thugs/ I pour out a little Louis, til' I head above/ Yessir, and when I perish, the meek shall inherit the earth/ 'Til that time, it's on and poppin, church." Jay's swag and flow is unmatachable. Threatening lines like "The more you talk, the more you irkin us/ The more you gon' need memorial services/ 'The Black Album' second verse, is like/ Devil's pie, save some dessert for us" alongside tributary momentos to his fallen friend "Curse the day that birthed the bastard/ Who caused your church Mass, reverse the crash/ Reverse the blast and reverse the car/ Reverse the day, and there you are," reveal why this Brooklyn boy-turned-mogul is a definite top 5 G.O.A.T.


Outkast - ATLiens
Lyrics
Download Audio

Not only could I have picked material from any 'Kast album, but almost any track on Andre 3000 and Big Boi's most consistent disc ATLiens (okay, maybe Aquemini too). I went with the title track on their '96 rap classic for two reasons - first, it's got two of the smoothest lines ever and secondly, the Atlanta duo's fast-paced wordplay showcase their inherent lyrical prowess, way before the shine.
The aforementioned rhymes are as follows: Big Boi's "Well it's the M - I - crooked letter, ain't no one better/ And when I'm on the microphone you best to wear your sweater/ Cause I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails" is laced with ultra swagger. 3Stack's "Now, my oral illustration be like clitoral stimulation/ To the female gender, ain't nothin' better" shows an unusually structured speech pattern that flows like lava - the perfect compliment to Sir Luscious Left Foot's country-fried pimp game.



Raekwon ft. Nas & Ghostface - Verbal Intercourse
Lyrics
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On their own, these three lyricists are among the best. United, the product is epic. Nas rips into the mic early with "Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold/ I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe/ When I'm deceased, by then the beast arise like yeast/ To conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets" and finishing it off with street scripture, "From the womb to the tomb, presume the unpredictable, Guns salute life, rapidly, that's the ritual."
Rae's Staten Island imagery then comes to the front, as he rhymes "Police questioning, rooftop cats invested in/ Tradin' in they Lexus' GS's, sendin messages/Two and two makes four, Cristal's crazily pour/ Gun wars, my crew phantom like swords."
Ghostface's bugged-out, dust-laced rants dazzle, like "What I strive for is what I live for/ Infatuated by material things, and it's wild like for war/ Like somewhere over the rainbow, I see a big pot of gold/ Future stacks, yo, I hold." All in all, you can't ask for much more.


Big Punisher ft. Black Thought - Super Lyrical
Lyrics
Download audio

This one's a no-brainer - hence the name. The undisputed lord of Latin-American hip-hop was in the upper echelon as far as lyrics were concerned.
It's no wonder he recruited Roots leadman Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter for a guest verse on debut LP Capital Punishment, track #3.
The tandum didn't disappoint. The ever-proficient Pun pushes the limits of verbiage with "Just call me Baby Jesus cuz lady niggaz be praisin' me/ Just for the way I blaze the beat crazily, tape to CD lasery/ It pays to be amazingly flavery/ Daze 'em to my rhymes that basically hypnotize you occasionally."
Tariq ices the cake as he schools his peers, rapping , "My instrumental's the Renaissance, no resem-ba-lance/ To nothin' you come across, lyrical holocaust/ The crowd pleaser emcees freeze then catch seizure/ They praise the Lord of rap thesis, true believers." 'Nuff said.



Notorious B.I.G. & Bone Thugs & Harmony - Notorious Thugs
Lyrics
Download Audio

Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace was arguably the best lyricist to ever hop on a mic. With a combo of street narrative, fierce battle raps and existential poetics, Biggie was a natural. Teaming up with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on this lead track from Life After Death disc 2, Frank White transcends first with, "Armed and dangerous, ain't too many can bang with us/Straight up weed no angel dust, label us Notorious" and effortlessly maneuvers through "Fuck the luck shit, strictly aim/ No aspirations to quit the game/Spit yo' game, talk yo' shit/Grab yo' gat, call yo' click/Squeeze yo' clip, hit the right one/Pass that weed, I got to light one/All them n*ggaz I got to fight one/All them hoes I got to like one/ Our situation is a tight one/Whatcha gonna do, fight or run?" Whew.
The fellas from Bone Thugs hold their ground in the great one's shadow, creating memorable verses. Bizzy sounds off with "Test me now, contender never no surrender, no pretend/Pick up my pen, in my hand/One of my trusted friend friend, hey/Open it, let's see if we're real, we all suited/Beg my pardon to Martin, Baby we ain't marchin we shootin" and Krayzie eases the stress with "Now let me get done with the grime/Gotta go purchase a dime/Put in a state to get done with the crime/Smokin the reefer to ease my mind."
But, rarely does anyone out-rhyme the best that ever did it and this here is no exception.

Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon to a theater near you!

No One On The Corner..

You can pay for school but you can't buy class

.. Has swagger like us! Off T.I.'s Paper Trail. The ultimate collabo, Enjoy!

T.I. ft. Jay-Z, Kanye West & Lil' Wayne - Swagger Like Us

Still The Genius..

Name a dude that could stop the force that I strike with
Let alone try to hold the pen that I write with
You could even chop off the fingers I type with
Those I hold the mic with, thinkin' I might quit
You didn't know? That only makes me more determined
Each labor for hip-hop, son, ask the Germans

.. And he's still got it, like he's in his prime. Wu-Tang intellectual GZA drops his 6th solo LP Pro Tools this Tuesday on Babygrande/Think Differently Music, so your boy is posting some exclusive leaks to give you a taste of what you should buy this week. The beats are certified flames and GZA's sure-fire flow and substantial lyrics are certain to satisfy any hip-hop head's craving. Support real artists, Enjoy!

Tracklist:
1. Intromental [prod. Dreddy Kruger]
2. Pencil ft. Masta Killa & RZA [prod. Mathematics]
3. Alphabets [prod. True Master]
4. Groundbreaking ft. Justice Kareem [prod. Bronze Nazareth]
5. 7 Pounds [prod. Black Milk, intro by Preservation]
6. 0% Finance [prod. Jose "Choco" Reynoso]
7. Short Race ft. Roc Marciano [prod. Arabian Knight]
8. Interlude
9. Paper Plate [prod. RZA]
10. Columbian Ties ft. True Master [prod. Bronze Nazareth]
11. Firehouse ft. Ka [prod. Roc Marciano]
12. Path of Destruction [prod. Jay Waxx Garfield]
13. Cinema ft. Justice Kareem [prod. Arabian Knight]
14. Intermission (Drive In Movie)
15. Life Is A Movie ft. RZA, Irfane & Khan-Acito [prod. RZA]
16. Elastic Audio ft. Dreddy Kruger (Bonus Live Performance)

I'm Livin' Like That..

.. Here's a lil' Saturday afternoon throwback. I'm uppin' one of Nas' often-overlooked gems from 96's It Was Written since I consider these verses to be some of his best verses ever and some of the best lyricism in hip-hop, period. Lyrics nabbed from OHHLA, real heads.. Enjoy!

Nas - Take It In Blood

Artist: Nas
Album:  It Was Written
Song:   Take it in Blood

"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that" (repeat 2X)
--> Kool Keith from the
Ultramagnetic MC's 'Ease Back'

[Nas]
Yo; I never brag, how real I keep it, cause it's
the best secret
I rock a vest, prestigious, Cuban link
flooded Jesus
in a Lex watchin Kathie Lee and Regis
My actions are one with the seasons
A tec squeezin - executioner, winter time I
rock a fur
Mega popular, center of attraction
Climaxin, my bitches they be laughin
They high from sniffin coke off a twenty-cent
Andrew Jackson
City lights spark a New York night
Rossi and Martini sippin, Sergio Tachinni
flippin mad pies
low price, I blow dice and throw em
Forty-five by my scrotum, manifest the
"Do or Die" slogan
My niggaz roll in ten M3's
Twenty Gods poppin wheelies on Kawasaki's
Hip-Hop's got me on some ol', sprayin shots
like a drumroll
Blankin out and never miscount the shells my
gun hold
I don't stunt, I regulate
Henny and Sprite, I seperate, watchin crab
niggaz marinate
I'm all about tecs and good jooks and sex
Israelite books, holdin government names from Ness
MC's are crawlin out, every hole in the slum
You be aight like blood money in a pimp's cum

"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"

[Nas]
Currency is made in trust of the Messiah
I'm spending it to get higher
Earth, Wind, and Fire singing reasons why I'm
up early, trustworthy is a nine that bust early
Sunshine on my grill, I spill
Remi on imaginary graves, put my hat on my waves
Latter Day Saints say religious praise
I dolo, challenge any team or solo
You must be buggin out, new to my shit, home
on a furlough
Ask around, who's laid up, sharp and straight up
Mafioso, gettin niggaz wigs sprayed up
Skies are misty, my life's predicted by a gypsy
I'll one day walk into shots drunk off champange
from Sicily
This be the drama, I'ma pause like a comma
in a sentence, paragraph's indented
Bloodshot red eyes, high, yellow envelopes of
lye
Openin cigars, let tobacco fly
Condos are tuneproof, we're looking out the 
sky's moonroof
Shittin like gin and prune juice
Yo the system wants the coon's noose, hang
em high
Courtrooms filled up, it's off the hook
while Ijust wrote a statement, like I'm facing
twenty years
in the basement - chilling on the via with
Mumia
for wearin chrome - I told the judge snakes
slither
like Sharon Stone, but like Capone I'm thrown (yo)

"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"

[Nas]
Lyrical, ly-lyrical mission..
Lyrical..
Yo the time is wastin, I use the mind elevation
Dime sack lacin, court pen pacin
Individual, lyrical math abrasion
Psychic evaluation, the foulest nation
We livin in, dangerous lives, mad leak and
battered wives
A lifestyle where bad streets is
patternized
Wise men build and destroy
While the real McCoy dopefiend, named
Detroit is still dealin boy
Coke suppliers actin biased
Cause rumors say that niggaz wear wires
and we liars
But every night the gat's fired, and
every day a rat's hired
I still remain the mack flyest in the phat
Kani, it's --
-- just the killer in me, slash drug
dealer MC
Ex-slug filler, semi mug peeler
Demi, bottles of Mo', yo simply follow
me flow
Put poetry inside a crack pot and blow
rough holes for cracked out pussies
and buttholes
Bring the G's and the D's roll, they
can't touch those
Why shoot the breeze about it, when you
could be about it?
My degrees are routed, toward the peasy
haired brick houses
Instead of the fake medallions
Rich niggaz transport in thousands
Foreign cash exchange amountin to millions
Doors is locked, rocks is chopped, watch
the cameras in the ceilings
Trick bitches catching mad feelings
Peelin off in the Lex Jeep, techniques
is four-wheelin
I bet it be some shit when we connect
with Stretch
When we catch them sex niggaz with the
tecs you blessed, word
So now it's on, never wasted a slug,
Time is money when it comes to mine,
take it in blood

"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that,
I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's" (repeat in background to fade)

Did You Realize..

.. That you were a champion in their eyes

As I'm set to watch Phelps go for his next gold, I had to post this video for Kanye West's "Champion" compliments of eskay - Puppets are hilarious.. Enjoy!

So Dope Boy Fresh..

Haters like, 'Hov, why you still talkin' money shit?'
... Cuz I like money, bitch!
I like fly shit, you like gossip
I let you do you, why you ridin' my zip?

.. CD quality MP3 of Jay's newest below, reminiscent of a 2008 "99 Problems." Shouts to eskay for the good quality dirty version, Enjoy!

Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh) prod. by Kanye West

Modern-Day Classic?

[it's the roc!]

.. Well it sure has the making of it. DJ Mick Boogie recently announced on his blog that Mr. West will be producing the majority of if not all of Mr. Carter's highly-anticipated Blueprint 3, the final disc on Jay's Def Jam contract. I dunno about you, but after checking Kanye's production discography, he could be the most prolific AND consistent in the game. Check out a live snippet of the first leaked track "Jockin Jay-Z" and refer to the link above for more info - shouts again to Mick Boogie!

Whatever You Like..

.. New video from T.I. courtesy of eskay - I'm so sprung on this song.. Rock The Bells NYC round-up coming soon, Enjoy!

The Experience of a Lifetime..

[More Pics coming soon!]





.. I ain't no joke, so I ain't joking here - Last Sunday at Jones Beach was something special to me as a long-time fan of real, entertaining hip-hop. Every expectation I had of the New York stop of the Rock the Bells tour was met and exceeded, from the countless special guests to the crowd's energy to the venue itself. I can't possibly expect to do the artists and DJ's justice with this short write-up, but I have to give an honest attempt at conveying the event in words. So, without further ado, here's how NYC Rocked the Bells on a beautiful Sunday afternoon on Long Island..

After a tedious journey through Jersey to Staten Island to Brooklyn to Long Island not to mention waiting in bumper-to-bumper traffic before the drawbridge on Ocean Parkway, DJ $ickroc and I finally arrived at our destination around 2:30 p.m.



In typical hip-hop fashion, the show started about 2-hours late so I was pumped when we caught the end of the Kidz in the Hall's set as they ripped through "Drivin' Down The Block" to a sun-soaked audience. Glad to see Double O is recovering from his assault the other week.



We decided to keep our attention on the main stage, unfortunately foregoing Wale and the Cool Kids among others in the process. Next up was stic.man and M1 a.k.a. Dead Prez, who battled through technical difficulties for a concise set full of rebelious rants and unadulterated rawness including the chest-thumping "It's Bigger Than Hip Hop."


Activist-rapper Immortal Technique ran through a charged set as $ick and I explored the various booths. Grabbed me two shirts pictured here and got back in time to snap a paparazzi photo of Technique dipping through the crowd.



Coming all the way from the Left coast, The Pharcyde found out just how hard it is to please a New York crowd. They started tepidly but got love flowing through "Runnin'" then "Passin' Me By" to end strong.




Veteran crew De La Soul brought the heat next with a high-quality performance, rocking classics like "Stakes Is High" and surprising with special guests Dres from Black Sheep for a hyped rendition of "The Choice Is Yours Remix" and Biz Markie for a memorable "Just A Friend."



Jersey producer Just Blaze appeared to introduce Wu lyricists Raekwon & Ghostface who kept it real throughout their verses from "C.R.E.A.M.," "Be Easy," "Incarcerated Scarfaces," "Reunited" and "Ice Cream" but failed to generate the energy I expected from previous shows. No hate here at all, just an observation.

Here's where I made a mistake I'll regret for a long time. Not having eaten since Dunkin' Donuts at 9 A.M. (it was now 6ish), we made a quick dash for the food stand for a bite before Mos Def. Little did I know, we hopped in the slowest line in the whole place and ended up missing the majority of his set. To add insult to injury, I watched a TV behind the counter in agony as mighty Mos summoned Talib Kweli for a Blackstarr reunion! I was HEATED! Luckily, I ran with my 7-dollar cheeseburger to get back to my seat with enough time to catch "Get By Remix," "Miss Fat Booty" and "Travellin' Man" before the Brooklyn MC's wrapped things up.

The energy level elevated instantly when Method Man and Redman hit the stage in a cloud of smoke. These two amped MC's have phenomenal on-stage chemistry, engaging the crowd in a rapid-fire onslaught of jams like "Da Goodness," "How High," "All I Need," "I Bee Dat," and "Da Rocwilder." As the sun set and dusk engulfed the arena, Meth and Red surprised everyone by calling out EPMD and Keith Murray for an impromtu performance. revealed their intentions for a new How High movie and an upcoming sequel to Blackout.. Can't Wait!

Backed by a full band, Queensbridge vet Nas took the stage in a fury of electric guitars and revved up drums. Much to my content, my top 5 favorite MC ran through banger after banger from his entire catalog, from Illmatic's "Represent" and "The World Is Yours" to I Am's "Hate Me Now" and "Nas Is Like" to his brand new untitled LP's "Hero" and "Breathe." Talk about entertainment!

Then, just as the crowd thought it couldn't get any better, DJ Green Lantern qeued up "Success" from Jay-Z's American Gangster - and the Jigga man himself appeared! I had to hop on my seat to get a better view amidst an eruption of screams from the crowd - Nasir Jones & Shawn Carter sharing the stage for "Success" and "Black Republicans" - definitely got our money's worth! After Jay said peace, Nas finished with an emotional "One Mic," captivating everyone in attendence for all three verses.

Headliners A Tribe Called Quest had a lot to live up to, but I was certain the fathers of conscious feel-good hip-hop were more than capable. Q-Tip accompanied by Mos Def hopped on first, performing Tip solos like "Vivrant Thang" and "Breathe & Stop." Feeling it was time to really pop things off, Tip summoned Phife Dog Blogger: dom corleone's Hits from the Blog - Edit Post "The Experience of a Lifetime.."and Jarobi.

Tribe really showed why they are pioneers, sporting tracks from their 20-year catalog including "Check The Rhime," Award Tour," and "Electric Relaxation." The fellas started slow and built to a climax on "Scenario" with the final guest appearance of the night - a super-amped Busta Rhymes! Busta's presence brought the house down as he rocked his verse then into "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See." I wish I remembered which song Tribe finished with, at that point I was beyond exhausted and my brain could no longer function. As the lights came on and everyone said peace, $ickroc and I let the masses clear out first and basked in the moment - the end of a long, successful hip-hop journey.

We're There..

.. DJ $ickroc and I will be stormin' Jones Beach NYC bright and early for what could be the best concert of my 22 years on this planet, hands down. I mean, just look at all the performances and you'll understand. Who else is goin'?