Every Rapper In The House Died
This[video] Donnie Klang "Take You There" LIVE
Check out Donnie performing "Take You There" during the Making The Band 4 Finale from Sunday:
What do you think? Sounds a little Timberlake-lite to me. Hopefully his album, reportedly titled Wake Up, has some better cuts than this.
What do you think? Sounds a little Timberlake-lite to me. Hopefully his album, reportedly titled Wake Up, has some better cuts than this.
DJ Leagues An Extraordinary Gentleman Mixtape
Shouts to my nigga Cyrano (aka Cy Yung) of the BPA for putting me onto this new mixtape from Brisbane's DJ Leagues. It's a pretty dope mixture of classic Hip-Hop (and a bit of R&B) right alongside some new school cuts as well. Cyrano hosts the mixtape, and contributes a few cuts as well (FYI: "Reel Hip-Hop" has been earmarked for the forthcoming rock the dub compilation), including the Leagues-produced "Hip-Hop's Forever". You gotta love when DJs take a chance to basically throw down the jams they love, as opposed to trying to hit you with exclusive fi exclusive.Grab this mix and pump it while you're at work, in the whip, getting ready for the club or out doing whatever:
DOWNLOAD: mirror 1 / mirror 2 / mirror 3
(click for larger image)DJ Cable: Mini Mix + A Refix
DJ Cable took this latest mini mix and put a Dance Hall vibe to it. REWIND SELEKTAH!DOWNLOAD
Tracklist:
01. Mr Vegas Feat. Kat De Luna & Lil Kim – Tek Weh Yuh Self Again
02. Collie Buddz - Mamacita
03. Beenie Man - Cock It Up
04. Erup – Click Mi Finger
05. Tony Matterhorn – Hey Gal
06. Vybz Kartel – Weh Di Gal
07. Beenie Man – Buffer Zone
08. Bling Dog Feat. Brick N Lace – Any Time Yu Call
09. Shane O – Drop Ah Gun
10. De Marco Feat. Styles P – Tell Dem Already
11. Jah Cure & Jnr Reid – Hot Long Time
12. Sean Paul Feat. Busta Rhymes & Busy Signal – Gun Dem Bark (Remix)
Top selection, seen!
Bonus Beats: The Temptations "Get Ready (Cable's B'More Refix)"
Cocaine Blunts
Sorry Noz, I had to.Politricks is a funny game. I had no idea that Former NY Gov. Spitzer was out there spending $4K on pretty ho's who liked to sing the R&B until a few weeks ago. I also didn't know that Blind Nigga Paterson was the Lt. Governor of NY, and heir to the throne (at least for the time being) until that time as well. Now, Paterson gets placed in the big boy chair and not only do I know that he and his wife fucked around on each other, but that he used to smoke and snort back 30 years ago. Why do we have to know all of this about this man? I mean, while I keep thinking that Paterson is a light-skinned Ray Charles, I could honestly care less if he smoked some herb, or that his marriage was in shambles. I applaud Paterson for being really real with his past, but why the fuck is this news NOW!? To quote the Beastie Boys, it's "SABOTAGE!"...
Any bets on how long he will be in office before he gets forcibly removed?
rock the dub radio: episode 017
This week's episode of rock the dub radio is sandwiched between two slabs of Fat Joe. Just in that kind of mood. No frills on this one, just split it up - went a lil' more underground-ish in the first half, and got a lil' ignant for hour 2. That's where my mind was at. Featured a few MCs/cuts from the forthcoming rock the dub compilation, and offered up some hot new bangers that have scorched the internets for the last few weeks. Check me out:rock the dub radio: episode 017
(direct MP3 dload)
Tracklist:
01/Fat Joe "That White"
02/Crooked I "Hip-Hop Weekly #49 (That White Freestyle)"
03/interlude: "Barack Obama '74"
04/Dizzee Rascal ft. UGK "Where Da G's (El-P Remix)"
05/Praverb "Urban Legends"
06/Fat Ray & Black Milk ft. Nametag "Lookout"
07/Wale ft. Bun B, Pusha T & Tre of UCB "Back In The Go-Go"
08/eMC ft. Little Brother "Traffic"
09/Drama ft. Outkast & Marsha Ambrosious "The Art Of Storytellin' Pt. 4"
10/Big Boi ft. Andre 3000 & Raekwon "Royal Flush"
11/Outkast ft. Raekwon "Skew It On The Bar-B"
12/Verbal Threat "Reality Check"
13/Ghostface Killah "Clips"
14/Rakim ft. Lil' Fame "I'm Back"
15/Big Jus "Resilient"
16/interlude: "Bust It Gangsta, Gangsta"
17/Playaz Circle ft. Gucci Mane "Can You Feel Me"
18/Rick Ross ft. Lil' Wayne, Fabolous, Red Cafe & T-Pain "The Boss (Remix)"
19/Juelz Santana & Lil' Wayne "Do My Thing"
20/SIN ft. Shelly B "Bottles In The Air"
21/Teriyaki Boyz ft. Pharrell & Busta Rhymes "Zock On!"
22/Arlis Michaels "Young Ghetto Nigga Wit A Big Ass Chain"
23/Ray Cash "Itz Me (Whop It Out)"
24/Jimi Jump ft. Juvenile & Mouse "2 Pieces (Remix)"
25/Sugar Tongue Slim "Funky Ass Bitch"
26/Rsonist ft. Peedi Crakk & Jae Millz "Back 2 Business"
27/Nefew ft. Torae "I Don't Care"
28/The Roots ft. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk & DJ Jazzy Jeff "Get Busy"
29/Wafeek "Cocaine Flow"
30/Guilty Simpson "The Real Me"
31/Big Pooh "The Fever"
32/Fat Joe ft. KRS-One "My Conscience"
I hope you guys enjoy it. This is done for the people. If you have any thoughts/suggestions/etc., feel free to hit me up on the bat-phone and break bread.
rock the dub radio: URL / RSS / iTunes
[video] Portishead "Machine Gun"
Check out the new single from Portishead's Third, "Machine Gun":
You can cop this track now via their website, and it will be released physically on April 14, with Third dropping two weeks later.
Spotted over at URB.
You can cop this track now via their website, and it will be released physically on April 14, with Third dropping two weeks later.
Spotted over at URB.
Naphta Long Time Burning [review]
Dublin, Ireland: not necessarily the spot where you would expect the classic sounds of Jungle and Dance Hall would thrive, but Naphta has concocted an album full of dubby, waist-winding cuts that aim to bring back that old time feelin'. I've had this disc in my possession for a minute, and for one reason or another, didn't get around to reviewing it. I'm sober and awake, so let'er rip!"Can't Stop"
From the intro's "ready for it!" loop to the Luther Vandross samples, right alongside the crazy Amens and expertly-dropped piano loops, this one is just a beautiful Jungle gem. You almost hate for albums to come out swinging this hard, because the assumption is it can't get better than this...
"Won't Stop"
...then it does. Naphta creates an addendum to "Can't Stop", mashing up various elements of the track and creating newer, deeper riddims out of seemingly random snippets of sound, creating a hard-hitting Dance Hall tempo expedition.
"Prince Trojan"
This one showcases how Naphta is so def, he can hone in on those jazzy melodies and make them work in both a hardcore Dance Hall vibe into a more Jungle style tune. Loads of fun riding with this one.
"I Need U (Draw Near)"
This one is more of the classic, seductive Jungle vibes. Big, warm basslines, classic roots vocal samples and chanting in the background, and lovely edits to classic breaks, this is one is a time machine to 1995 Ragga styles.
"Bagman Skank"
This one reminds me of Congo Natty's Drum & Bass output circa 2000, when he started moving into the more steppin' style of DnB while still keeping his large sample library in tune to the sound.
"Jungle Republic"
Nice, mid-tempo track that dabbles in a DnB/Jungle BPM but maintains a nice, dubby vibe throughout. Love that melody in there. Just a nice, vibing cut.
"Babylon Babies"
This is an interesting tune; I want to say it's an interlude, due to the length, and the fact that it's not as fleshed out as the other cuts, but it skanks along just the same.
"Upriver"
This track sets up the next one nicely, establishing a brooding mood over the horizon, kind of like riding in one of those boats from Apocalypse Now, with the murky waters and fog and such...
"Copy Rider"
...then the ride starts getting a bit choppy, and you start seeing natives in the woods, holding spears, and all of the sudden its a battle between you and them. Weapons thrown, weapons shot, as you're paddling faster, trying to find your way out of this deep, dark nightmare...
"My Heart Beating"
...and you awake in a cold sweat to realize it was all a dream. You slept with the DVD player on all night, and your roots CD playing in a loop, over and over. What a night.
"All Kinda Style"
This track is the sounds of the tribes in the deepest parts of the wild, putting on centuries-old ceremonies, full of syncopated congas and chanting...
"Street Dancing"
...and out comes the tom-toms, and it's a full-on dance party! This cut is one of my favorites. While the bassline would fit so perfectly with a disgusting Amen rinseout kind of vibe, the tempo is more on a Breaks-style of vibe. Interesting twist.
"Soundclash 1 (VIP Mix)"
One of the other anticipated cuts is this VIP of Naphta's release for Fanu's Lightless label. This is the amen tearer that we were waiting for, and it'd delivered to perfection, aided by a wash of synths and some fat, dubby bass. Ultimate satisfaction.
"Long Story"
And the story ends. We get into the helicopter and leave this crazy Dublin town to its own wild nights and ragga stylings.
I must say, being that I am so deep into the sounds of Jungle, Dub and Dance Hall, this disc was a no-brainer. The fact is I didn't expect it to be SO varied, and was definitely impressed with how well the tracks worked off of each other. Naphta has a gift of creating these tracks that can go in so many different directions, but he also knows when to just establish that groove and ride that bitch to the end. If you are a fan of Dub in all of its differing formations, I suggest grabbing this, early.
rock the dub gives Long Time Burning 4.5 out of 5 stars. Solid execution of the styles within, and a great example of a multi-talented producer making great music and enjoying the art of manipulating sound.
Burn Deez: "Can't Stop", "I Need U (Draw Near)", "Soundclash 1 (VIP Mix)", "Street Dancing"
Naphta's Long Time Burning is available NOW for purchase. Hit up THE FEAR STORE for more details.
www.myspace.com/djnaphta
www.thefear.ie
www.weareie.com
Janet Jackson Discipline [review]
You gotta love how Janet Jackson came out the gate with her first Island Def Jam release, Discipline, and hit #1 in its first week. Was it truly a #1 album, though? Let's rock a sober track-fi-track on this album:"I.D."
Quick intro. Kind of on some futuristic shit, but it's essentially Janet typing into a PC and getting the album going. What's the point, though - Janet on that next level?
"Feedback"
Sadly, this just misses the mark for me. That "first day period" line was just a tad too raunchy, kind of like when Michael Jackson dropped that "kike" line years back. Can't help it - it's hard to see these stars grow old when you still see reruns of Janet as Penny on Good Times... this is kind of like NC-17 Ciara.
"Luv"
This one hits me nicer. Nice electro-bop to this one, Darkchild did the damn thing on this one. You would wish that more artists would tempt that new-er sound but still maintain their singular personality, and I think Janet hits this one on the mark.
"Spinnin'"
Why does Janet keep doing these less-than-ten-seconds interludes?
"Rollercoaster"
Sounds like all of the similies and lines 50 Cent didn't use in "Amusement Park" made it into this track.
"Bathroom Break"
Janet and her girls talkin' girl-talk in the potty. "What yo' name is?"
"Rock With U"
"Sensual Seduction" + 4/4 kicks - the wit and soul = "Rock With U". Kind of surprised she didn't invoke MJ, who had a classic jam of the same name.
"2Nite"
Another electro-infused number. You'd think after a few of these not working, Janet would decide to try something different. Hopefully we get more sounds in the later tracks...
"Can't B Good"
Weird track, lyrically. Homegirl is fallin' in love, and the assumption is that she's been hurt before, so she's telling herself this feeling just isn't right. I like that take on it, because you don't hear those emotions dropped so simply, especially over such a cool, calm track like this.
"4 Words"
Another short interlude. Yawn.
"Never Letchu Go"
And another yawn at a snoozer of a track. That Isley Brothers/Santana-lite guitar in the beginning was unnecessary, and the rest of the track comes off like Timbaland trying to be Prince. Just a waste of space.
"Truth Or Dare"
While I'd love to play truth or dare with Janet, I don't need an interlude for this...
"Greatest X"
The-Dream and "Tricky" Stewart contribute to this project, and it's definitely not as hot as lot of the tracks they've done in the past. Janet lamenting on a great ex doesn't really amount to much, especially since there's no real resolution come the end of the track.
"Good Morning Janet"
Wakey, wakey Janet. Stop doing these asinine interludes.
"So Much Betta"
This is the track for the chicks who are the other woman in a relationship. Jermaine Dupri produces a minimal track that I actually felt right from the jump. It's not in the liner notes, but I swear that loop throughout the track is from Daft Punk's first CD. This one is a bit different - still on the current sound, but twisted a bit for the average listener. I wish it was a bit longer, too, but so be it...
"Play Selection"
Hi computer person, end interlude.
"The 1 (ft. Missy Elliott)"
Kind of a subdued version of Amerie's "1 Thing", this one could be a lot hotter than this, it seems. I like the percussion, and I even dig Janet's playful vocals bouncing all over, but it just feels like it's missing something.
"What's Ur Name"
Janet talkin' that slick talk to the nameless cat walking down the street. Oh God, she said swag. Next.
"The Meaning"
What's the meaning of discipline? Janet gives you her favorites. I wish she could discipline herself to stop making pointless interludes.
"Discipline"
Lyrically, this one plays like a Penthouse letter - teasing, enticing and, for lack of a better term, cum-drenched. Seductive pace, all slow and heavy, with twinkling keys and beautiful harmonies. Sad thing is, you'd wish she did more tracks like this...
"Back"
The last interlude. Thank God.
"Curtains"
Simple bounce on this one. Janet hitting that higher octave nicely over a basic bop. The metaphor of the show is a nice touch.
At the end of the day, while I admire Janet for stepping up and really trying to come out with the sound of now, it comes off as forced and uninspired. The reason tracks like "Umbrella" or the Justin Timberlake/Timbaland collaborations work is because they sound more fun that "attempts to make money". We get glimpses of that here, but with a CD that's packed with these mid-to-up-tempo electro Pop tracks, it just doesn't work as a Janet Jackson CD. It does get it right a few times, and that is appreciated.
rock the dub gives Discipline a 3 out of 5 stars. What it gets right, it gets all the way right. And while more tracks miss the mark than they should, they can still be enjoyable for the diehard Janet fan. But those interludes have got to go!
Burn Deez: "So Much Betta", "Can't B Good", "Discipline", "Curtains"
Janet Jackson's Discipline is available in stores now.
Bonus Beats: Discipline DVD preview
"Feedback" LIVE on Good Morning America:
www.janetjackson.com
Rhymageddon
