Big R: This is from a press release on Soulstice's new record.  Sounds interesting, so I thought I'd post it for ya'll.  I'll hit up Soulstice and ask him if he has any leaks for the record.
 
Beyond Borders to be released on June 23, 2009 – features guest appearances from G.L.C., Oddisee, Kev Brown, Supastition and Zap Mama and more.

After releasing North By Northwest (2005) and Dead Letter Perfect in 2007 (which have led to features on SoulStice in XXL Magazine, The Source, Urb, various other key urban publications and websites and a song placement in an upcoming Warner Brothers film), SoulStice returns with Beyond Borders, which he dubs as an “international concept album.”

As SoulStice explains “the project is a collaboration between myself and Belgian beatmaker, SBe, who provides all of the instrumental music for the album. As far as the vocals, the songs are collaborations between myself and many of my favorite artists from around the world. We've got artists from the US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Africa, and Canada. The first time I ever traveled abroad was a trip I took Russia in 2000. The fact that the globalization of hip hop had reached all the way there really made an impression on me. Since then I've grown as an artist and have toured around the world, seeing firsthand how hip hop, as a US cultural export, has grown and become something new and different in these various places. Yet, the underlying theme is the same everywhere: hip hop continues to be the mouthpiece for people who exist outside of the mainstream to make their voices heard throughout society and around the world.

These songs and the ideas they contain were the result of studio sessions in Maryland, Belgium, Chicago, Paris, New York and many other places, late nights at SBe's house in Ghent, photo sessions, international phone calls and text messages, and long flights overseas to perform in Europe, Japan and Mexico.”

Beyond Borders will be released on June 23rd, 2009 and will feature appearances from G.L.C., Oddisee, Kev Brown, Supastition, Wordsmith and Zap Mama and is entirely produced by SBe.

Tracklisting and Credits for SoulStice’s “Beyond Borders”:

1.) Speed of Sound - SoulStice
2.) Chi Worldwide - SoulStice, G.L.C. (Chicago)
3.) Strange Kinda Love - SoulStice, Monique Harcum (Philly / Belgium)
4.) Unfold - SoulStice, Oddisee (Maryland), and Stef (Belgium)
5.) To The Limit - SoulStice and Brainpower (The Netherlands)
6.) Beyond Borders - SoulStice, Supastition (North Carolina) and Angelina (UK / Russia)
7.) Bird's Eye View - SoulStice and Kev Brown (Maryland)
8.) Chicago to Germany - Nico Suave (Germany)
9.) No Place Like It - SoulStice, Eternia (Canada) and Richie Filth (Ireland), and Stef (Belgium)
10.) 2 Days in Paris - SoulStice and Kohndo (France)
11.) I Found It - SoulStice, Haysoos (Maryland) and Krewcial (Belgium)
12.) Better Way - SoulStice and Wordsmith (Maryland)
13.) World Star - SoulStice, Zap Mama (Belgium / The Congo)
14.) Closer - SoulStice and Isabel Novela (Mozambique)

Return of the Boom-Bap

Only thing meaner than the grille Marco Polo has in the background, are his beats.

Maaan do Marco Polo and Torae have you covered for that boom-bap Hip-Hop heads have been fiending for!  Double Barrel won't sell as much as it will get bumped this summer, that's for sure and also a damn shame.  Why I'm buying this record - the tried and true method of one dope producer / one hungry emcee always creates great records.  Saigon got a lot of momentary applause for his effort on the stellar, yet still slept on All in A Day's Work.  Torae's effort is up there with Saigon, but I'm hoping it will have more legs for him and keep his name in a discussion of MC's to watch out for.  Marco Polo does his signature North of the Border grizzly production with stellar tracks like "Double Barrel", "Coney Island", and the epic-feeling "Crashing Down."  One knock on the record is that every beat sounds the same due to the tempo.  I think there is enough variation to appreciate and discern each track.  Marco Polo's Port Authority seems like it dropped mad long ago, but in a year he has done it again with another DOPE album filled with banging production. 

Everyone has been crying for that NY rap for years and have hoped acts like Jadakiss would deliver that banging record.  "Who's Real?" sounds like a bad nursery rhyme while Torae and Marco Polo have made a record that makes it okay to wear baggy jeans and timbs in the middle of the summer.  As soon as I heard this album, I stole a kid's ice cream and ate it in his face while doing the John Cena "You can't see me taunt."  What makes a good record great? It's the intangibles.  This album has that "I need to play this and get unnecessarily violent/aggie" kind of vibe.  It plays through great and not to be slept on from the strong production is Torae's rhyming ability. 

I was introduced to Torae through his collabos with Skyzoo.  He brings that lyrical / underground punch on "Word Play" but sounds the best when he is really talking about something.  "Crashing Down" might be my favorite song of the year, straight up.  I feel like expressing the state of being an up and coming Hip-Hop artist where no one buys albums and it's damn near impossible to get by in this economy is an extremely difficult task. Torae tackles the subject matter with strength and skill.  You can get a preview of key tracks @ http://www.myspace.com/doublebarrel08.  Also when it comes to features, it has Masta Ace (!!), Sean Price, Rock, Saukrates, Guilty Simpson, and more.  Oh yeah, DJ Premier is also dope to hear on the intro. By the way, I really feel like this will be that NY boom-bap record this year and will even surpass The Blaqprint.  I'm going to buy this as soon as I can get to Best Buy, and if they don't have it, I'm copping it as soon as I get back to my laptop.  Fantastic album, props to both Torae and Marco Polo for giving Hip-Hop heads something to get geeked about. 

A quick word on E1 [Formerly Koch Records] releases coming -  Royce Da 5'9, Joe Buddens, Crooked I, and Joel Ortiz are about to release their record together.  This has the makings of an epic record that we all wanted with The Horseman crew, except it's actually dropping.  There is no way this album can have whack production can it?   Rumored producers include the boy Alchemist.  We also have to look out for Alchemist's Chemical Warfare which features damn near everyone relevant.  I've been loving the stuff he has been doing with Evidence.  Isn't it funny we rely on him for that gutter NY sound, and he is a dude from LA?

Conspiracy Theories

Time to get a little crazy on this post like Britney/Lindsey/(insert future pop star and apparently Eminem) without her pills.

Barack Obama spends his nights as Rap star Drake - You ever see Barack Obama out at night anymore?  He is following his primary dream of being the hottest thing in Rap music since Lil Wayne with a sunburn.  The comparisons are uncanny to some, mildly impressive to most.  Both are half-black and half-white.  Astonishing!  Both are known for their oratory skills behind a mic (paaaause).  Also, think about Barack Obama's biggest competition - an old, senile man named John McCain.  Drake's biggest antagonist is also old white people, they hate Hip-Hop.  Hip-Hop and its ability to provide heavy bass, loud curse words, and happy minorities have hurt old white people for decades.  Barack Obama's ascension is just something to be emotional over.  Remember Jesse Jackson crying at his victory celebration?  The thing with Drake's mixtape is I have a great group of friends, my health, awesome gf, a few degrees and I still just want to sit around and be emo listening to "Say What's Real."  Say word.

Raekwon has recorded Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, but the hard drive crashed - This has been how many years in the making?  He has talked about this coming out like every year for the past 6 years.  More rappers/producers have been tapped to hit the record like it was Super Head.  I feel like this is that college thesis that constantly gets lost to shitty computers.  I doubt Raekwon has been watching PC v. Apple commercials, if he had been, OB4CL2 would have been saved from Windows Vista and likely come out years ago. 

Eminem never had a pill addiction, he just can't get away with talking about stepfather rape/Christopher Reeves otherwise - And who can blame the guy?  He got away with being juvenile for so long and the only excuse he has left is drug addiction to spit some some of the craziest lyrics ever.  Here is a brief list of topics he talks about on Relapse: Drug abuse, rape by his stepfather, him raping and killing girls, performing abortions with a wire hanger, eating the dead fetus, putting umbrellas inside a girls hoo-ha, putting balloons inside their hoo-ha, random homophobia, and sadly- the list goes on.  How else can you get away with being such a lunatic? Fabricate the drug addiction!  Side note - "Medicine Ball" proves Eminem can still spit by the way. 

Cage - Depart from Mehhh

Cage comes with his second full-length on Def Jux entitled Depart from Me.  I became a bit of a Cage junkie after copping Hell's Winter.  That album had some of the fiercest production, hungry raps, with an overall banging feel.  Cage found a balance with his newfound direction and horrorcore past perfectly on that last album.  Depart From Me is heralded as a "growth" record.  As a fan/writer, I tend to think artists rely too much on this growth argument when they make albums that aren't up to par.  Maybe because it's summer and I'm in a good groove, but this album just didn't stick well with me.

"Nothing Left to Say" starts this album real strong. Cage has that weird drugged out singing-out intro to that track that was rather grating and annoying until he starts spitting and the beat flips to something nasty.  The album is a little too much of the first part of the track, and less rapping that we are used to from Cage.  While Hell's Winter sounded hype due to lively Hip-Hop production, the energy comes from someplace darker with rock influence and a seemingly strung out Cage getting at the beats.  We know his current look feels more like indie emo rock and it seems like his music is moving in that direction. 

I don't knock the growth argument for some artists, but from my point of view, the production on this record just doesn't match his last one.  El-P and Blockhead provided the beats on the last record, but Cage is going for a more grungy feel and I'm not really vibing with it.  Maybe this would be better released in winter, because it's summertime and I just want to drink lemonade and listen to RAWSE.  Cage's slow, drawn out lyrics give me more of a headache then I should.  I imagine I wasn't the target audience for this sort of album, I mean I'm not trying to hear Cage sort of sing-rap his way through honestly weak production.

"Strain" is kind of cool, he also has solid content on the Fat kids joint, but his delivery makes the track barely listenable for me.  The last 3 tracks kind of make up for the mediocrity, but it still doesn't pack a powerful enough punch.  Maybe it'll grow on me in a different season, I just can't see this being bumped in public.  This kind of music is meant for your headphones only or in groups of emo high school kids smoking cigs and contemplating dying their hair blue.  Damn, I'm coming off mad haterish.  I'm just not feeling the vibe of the album, can you blame me?

Jay Stay Paid, at least we hope so

Another posthumous record from the late and great J-Dilla.  Before popping the headphones I made sure to recognize this is his second posthumous record.  Probably the majority of the heatrocks were on The Shining, so I was just going to try to enjoy the instrumental freshness.  I was pleasantly surprised with this album with those expectations tempered.  Having the ability to scour through Jay Dilla's unreleased beats must have been a real treat for Ma Dukes and the team who put this album together.  Some of the notable instrumentals include "10,000 Watts", "Kaklow", "9th Caller", and more.  This album is a hybrid of unreleased instrumentals with lyrical guest features.  It's kind of like a mash-up of The Shining and Donuts.  "Smoke" features Blu on a rather lazy/laid-back track with a vintage nasty/ghoulish beat from Dilla.  "Make it Fast" features Diz Gabran and a dirty, filthy J-Dilla produced track.  "24K Rap" features OG's Raekwon and Havoc of Mobb Deep over another grimey piece of production.  Black Thought spits a pretty sick lyrical track that does border on kinda tool-ish because "Reality TV" just references bad reality shows.  I'm not the biggest Frank-N'-Dank fan but Frank Nitty's guest feature on "Pay Day" is pretty slick nasty. 

My one complaint with the record is that I was hoping for more lyrical features.  James Yancey has had a huge effect on the majority of Hip-Hop artists out there.  I feel like acts like Common, Kanye, and artists at that level would have contributed on the album.  Big artists aside, I was hoping for more of the new blood like Blu on the album.  Wale, Kid Cudi, and especially Skyzoo would have taken this record to another level.  Who knows, budgetary constraints are mo-fer especially in this economy.  Either way, this yet ANOTHER great release dropped this week.  Jay Stay Paid reminds you of how great a producer he was, and how lucky we are to be in the digital age that his music can still be released 3 years after his tragic passing.  Matter of fact, I'm going to pop Donuts in right now...

Ok, more posts later folks. Thoughts on my views? Get at me @ Don't forget to support real Hip-Hop buy purchasing both Double Barrel and Jay Stay Paid.

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Fresh Daily - Tomorrow is Today - Brooklyn-bred MC, Fresh Daily has released a great mixtape.  The production he borrows and provides is on that futuristic tip.  I'm loving the re-worked Gorillaz "Tomorrow Comes Today."  His next full-length LP features production from illmind, Oh No, 88 Keys, and more.  Oh yeah, MR. Fresh Dot Daily can get at a beat too.  Don't sleep on this tape, it's free, fly, and hard (pause) like a free mug hurled at your face.  That was a terrible metaphor, but in my defense it's dumb early and I'm just trying to enjoy this album!  Other notable tracks after one quick listen "Apollo 13", "Winterfresh - Flying Lotus Remix", "Universal Medicine", "Film Noir."  I don't know if it's on the buzz quality of So Far Gone, but Fresh Daily has created a mixtape that deserves to be in the conversation of best tape of the year!

Oddisee - Odd Summer (Instrumental)

Click the image, get the free freshness.

My favorite producer/emcee from the DMV and maybe in the states period provides a free instrumental CD with Put Me On It.  Click on the image to peep the source blog with a link to download the instrumental freshness.  Oddisee is also on the Fresh Daily mixtape too, he is just running my music world this 2009 between the Diamond District and everything else he is putting out. 

Back to the grind, even though I graduate, I never have time off! Have a good Friday ya'll, and I hope this music helps ya with that mission. 

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Oh you mad because Charles is styling on you

LMAO @ The Sonic Rings

Pardon the animated gif in the post, but damn...it's too funny!  Charles Hamilton is arguably a dope lyricist.  However, his douchebaggery is starting to overshadow any clout he has earned through his music.  I had a convo with a un-named artist, and he feels that Charles will not be any bigger than a weird guy who is Hip-Hop blog newsworthy.  And it seems that scene is turning on him fast.  Dissing Wale, apparently stealing beats from Black Spade, and now here he is getting duffed in the face for mentioning homegirl's past abortion.  Sidenote - Apparently Briana is his assistant and they are still cool.  Crazy folks flock together I suppose.

I've always thought the persona that Charles puts out is real dorky.  I'm literally struggling to attempt to explain how nerdcore his blog looks.  I'll put it this way - I'd have to clear that from my browsing history immediately because I'm afraid my gf would find it and think less of me.  After dissing Wale, he has kind of plummeted in a lot of people's eyes.  Every piece of news involving Charles is pretty much an L.  The "Barbara Walters" track is ehh, his  The Album is Perfect is at least a bold statement as a title. However, an even stronger statement is Interscope releasing the record for free.  Do they just not believe in him?  I've never heard of a major label releasing a debut for free.  Radiohead's In Rainbows release was legendary when it was released for free.  I guess this "debut" is more of a mixtape that's necessary to stimulate positive buzz.  Lucky for him, music normally speaks louder than your past (Rick Ross as a C.O., R. Kelly as a sexual deviant, etc.), so Chuck has an opportunity to regain that goodwill.

 Quick Album redux

Busta Rhymes is back on his B.S. - This album for me is instantly forgettable.  Realizing it's Busta Rhymes, one of Hip-Hop's most unique artists, it makes you realize how weak this album is.  Insert T-Pain hook, Insert even more robotic Ron Browz, and Lil Wayne/Jadakiss collabo to get NY's ear.  Funny how you need Lil Wayne for NY radio spins these days.  I do like "Respect my Conglomerate" mostly for that sexy, English chorus which is the really the only originality on this record.  Busta used to be my favorite rapper when I was a kid, and he could use some of that trademark energy and hypeness on his next LP.  How in the fidduck did he not include "Throw the Water On Em" on this album!?  Completely unrelated - did you guys know Ghostface's first single has Ron Browz like it's a Busta track. SMH..."Lady Killer"

Red and Meh-fid Man - My main gripe with this album is that the GEMS of the record were all leaked in advance.  "City Lights" / "4 Minutes to Lockdown" / "Ms. International" / "Ayo" were the best tracks on the record.  I didn't find many tracks outside of the intro that were this hype.  This record had unbearable hype after releasing those joints, so I was left a little disappointed.  The LP is not terrible by any measure and it's good to see Sir Reggie and Method will hungry on that rapping tip.  They apparently have two Solos coming on the way as well.  Don't get it twisted (remember that classic Alchemist track btw?), I do mess with this record.  It's kinda like "Terminator Salvation" - entertaining, but I was hoping for so much more.

Tanya Morgan sounds real attractive - Off the recent reviews I just vented on, this is the best of the three releases.  Honestly, time will tell if this will cimb to top 3 of the year.  I've been on that Curren$y sh*t recently, but this is another album worth your digital purchase.  Von Pea, DonWill, and Ilyas know how to collect beats and write tracks. "Plan B" is so honest and represents 3 views on the fear of doing what interests you vs. doing what pays the bill the easiest.  Isn't that the ultimate struggle grown ups all face?  The concept is a mythical venue Brooklynati which would be the home for Hip-Hop purists.  The production is fierce and that head-nodding shit you expect out of a group linked to Little Brother and the new movement of Okayplayer artists.  DonWill is a lyrical beast and should be getting more props.  I mess with the Blu collab, "Morgan Blu" and I enjoyed how many tracks just had smooth, crispy beats, real verses, and no hooks.  Hopefully Tanya Morgan will catch everyone's attention with this record like Little Brother did with The Listening, because these guys are good at this rap album thang. 

Tempering expectations for Mos Def's The Ecstatic

The interwebs have been justly growing a buzz over the funky/fresh "Casa Bey".  I'm wary of what Mr. Mos will bring to the table.  Tru3 Magic was hot, sticky garbage melting in the D.C. summer.  The New Danger was cool, but now in hindsight was a foreshadowing of terrible records to come.  It seems from "Quiet Dog" and "Casa Bey" that Mos is back to rhyming.  The question is does he have an albums worth of good songs?  Like these leaked tracks are just lyrical joints which is cool, but Black on Both Sides is considered "classic" material because of the content (as well as beats, rhymes, etc).  Mos Def rhymed but wrote dope songs.  That's what separates Stakes is High from say The Grind Date.  This "Boogie Man" branding he's had for the past 5 years has kind of turned me off as Mos Def the rapper.  Isn't it sad that I look more forward to the Italian Job 2 than a Mos Def rap record? 

We'll see what the mighty mos has up his sleeve.  I've enjoyed the recent expressions of rap swagger as he claims that he could beat Jay/Weezy in a battle.  No one is doubting his lyrical prowess, but I don't think those emcees are afraid about his raps.  Let's hope he inspires some fear within the industry with the new record.  Again, I remain hesitant though.  I don't want to expect "Mathematics" and end up with (insert any song on Tru3 Magic).

Remember this is still a column...

And that means you should still expect me to still write.  Someone asked me the other day why I don't talk about everything that's going on in Hip-Hop.  Joe Budden and Method Man had an apparently interesting beef, but for some reason that doesn't intrigue me.  Maybe because I'm older than 13 or I get bored quickly when it comes to rap drama; in the end if a group/act isn't getting duffed in a face by a girl or producing good music, I'm probably not going to talk about it for too long.  However, I still do enjoy writing aobut sh*t in general, because hell, you don't quite get enough of it on other Hip-Hop sites.  Here are some random thoughts on my mind outside of the general Hip-Hop discussion of who is dissing who.

Gay Marriage? Let 'em be - Ruh-Roh Shaggy, a Hip-Hop blog talking about gay marriage and is cool with it?  I can just hear Rick Ross spitting "Batty Boyz eat Fiyah" in a condescending tone after reading that.  I'm not going to equate the gay rights movement to the civil rights movement.  That's just stupid.  African-Americans faced 400 years of slavery followed by legalized racism until only 30-40 years ago.  I'd equate this to the struggle of allowing interracial marriages.  Only 50 or so years ago, states were banning interracial marriages.  Their purpose? To make sure to keep the white race pure.  No joke, that was the reasoning!  The Supreme Court changed this up with Loving v. Virginia where they found any ban of interracial marriages was a violation of the Constitution.  In that same vein, I feel that any person who wants to get married should be allowed to marry. All we are doing is protecting people's intolerance.  We did that before with racism, and there is no reason to allow people to get away with unnecessary hatred of gay folks. 

Why is this so important to me?  Republicans harp on largely irrelevant social issues like this to take control of the country and throw is into stupid wars and run our economy into the dirt.  Think back to 2004 and Bush's election.  The citizenry paid attention to gay marriage moreso than either candidate's economic principles and well, look where we are now. 

Fixing the Economy...Ideas? - Whether it's fair or not, Obama's Presidency will be judged on his ability to get us out of this mess that Bush and Co. threw us in.  I had a discussion with a good friend about how we get out of this mess. Currently, it's spend, spend, spend to catalyze the economy.  Sometimes it feels like the Government is like an old man trying to fix the vcr by bashing it with a hammer as opposed to the skilled tacticians we need to figure something out.  My fear is that as a country, we are even apathetic about doing what's necessary to fix these economic problems.  What is going to get out of this mess?  We had WWII for The Great Depression.  My guess for what might get us out of this mess and push us back to the top?  Green technology.  Eventually, and I mean eventually we will need green technology or else the Earth is going to expire like bad milk.  That will not only promote but require the use of green technology.  That's an opportunity to create in a field which will have true global demand.  I'm hoping we'll just 'bounce' back, who wants to wish for the Earth to have get close to "Day After Tomorrow" levels before we wisen up.

Ok that's enough for now.  Gotta finish up Game 5.  I think I might write about the Cage record next time, but man, I don't know if I can find the mood necessary to really see what Cage is going for with those selection of beats.

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Raydar Ellis's "Dilla Ensemble" performing in front of Jay Dilla's mom, Ma Dukes - The homie Raydar Ellis has now added to his resume of dj/emcee/producer the job of Professor at Berklee School of Music, and he teaches a class dedicated to the late and great J Dilla.  This ARTICLE features video of his class playing "running" plus a discussion of the class itself.  I'll likely have a discussion with Raydar about the class, and I've seen some video of the class.  I'm extremely jealous classes like this weren't offered where I went to university.  Kids are at the age where they've grown up primarily on Hip-Hop, and it's nice to see the music curriculum has expanded to meet that.  Truly inspiring stuff and props to the homie Raydar!

Nothing inspires like a DJ Premier beat - Click HERE to peep 21 minute preview of Blaq Poet's Blaqprint - An entire album produced by DJ Premier? Uhh, yes please.  Every new Premo song that leaked in high school represented a high because it allowed for me and my homies to collectively wyle over his production abilities.  On first listen, it sounds like DJ Premier got back in the gutter with this one.  These are some take it back to 95, grimey kind of beats.  I'm afraid that Blaq Poet will have the same "Bang bang you're dead content", but the ending track seemed to be a tribute track so there is some hope.  Either way, we know we'll have a full record filled with dope beats.

I move with this beat - U-N-I "Land of The Kings" - These dudes keep growing as far as where their music is going.  Fried, Chicken, and Watermelon evolved into the A Love Supreme and this might be their best track yet.  I don't know who produced it, but it's layered mad tasty-like like it was a Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell.  I have no idea what LP this will show up on, but I appreciate the leak as it will be a welcome addition to my summer playlist.

Yeah, that's a quick update, but I'm on my way for a little vacation.  I"ll see ya'll soon with thoughts on Method Man & Redman, Busta Rhymes, Tanya Morgan (I like on first listen).

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Everyone's favorite drug-addled maniac is back for another ride on Relapse.  Like his apparent personality, Eminem is as bipolar/insane as ever.  To find any organization, I'm going to do a track-by-track analysis.  Some tracks/skits will be skipped because well, I'm sorta lazy.

"Dr West"- This starts what is the beginning of GREAT skits on this album.  I love this intro mostly because Dominic West is on it (McNulty).  Jay-Z had Stringer Bell do his intro for American Gangster, and Dominic West works perfectly on this intro.  I'm waiting for all the Wire characters to show up on random albums.  Who doesn't want to hear Randy from Season 4 yelling "I'm not a snitch" on Alfamega's next solo? (Note: Alfamega is the dude in T.I.'s camp who was outted as a federal informant)

"3AM" - The single with an amazing video.  The sinus-based accent is slightly annoying, but his polysyllabic flow is something fierce.  I'm just impressed that he somehow flipped this into a single.

"My Mom" - Another track about Eminem's mother.  Heavy horns on the beat, and Eminem rhyming about how he got his valium addiction.  His popeye ending with the auto-tune kind of turns this track from annoying to pretty dope.

"Insane" - Continuing with the crazy meme, Eminem says he was born with a dick in his brain, fucked in his head.  Then he spits a verse about being raped by his stepfather.  It gets real awkward on this track.  Again though, with the horrorcore Eminem just gets aggressive with his flow/lyrics.  Eminem's ability to rap about being raped by his stepfather is a disaster worth listening to for some reason. 

"Bagpipes from Baghdad" - This was a beat that I wasn't really feeling at first.  The main attraction of this track is that Eminem calls out Nick Cannon / Mariah Carey telling him good luck with that "whore."  Nick Cannon just released a ridiculous rant where he claims he'll take out Eminem lyrically for his assaults on his wife.  Again though, Eminem in his own twisted way, goes in.

"Hello" - Loud drums provided by Mark Batson/Dr. Dre.  More stuff about drug abuse.  Again his flow on each track is fierce.  The content gets kind of tired though...

"Same Song and Dance" - More fun story-based lyrics of Eminem stalking and killing Lohan and other girls.   Eminem gets real narrative on joints like this and "3AM."  Eminem is a straight up psycho on the record, the chorus is telling a girl to shake her ass because she can't break out of the car. 

"We Made You" - Per usual, the first Eminem single doesn't really fit on the record.  The beat is infectious while Eminem is as goofy as ever.  Next track

"Medicine Ball" - More heavy drums with Eminem gets pretty aggie rapping about his vasectomy and drop-kicking a girl in her second trimester.  The rhyme patterns again, are impeccable.  The content is more of this insane Eminem we are used to by this point on this record.  Why does Christopher Reeves still get dissed by Eminem?  He does a verse as C.Reeves...does Eminem not recognize he died mad years ago?!

"Stay Wide Awake" - More murder!!  Eminem talking about opening an umbrella inside a girl and talks about disintegrating babies.  How does Eminem get away with these lyrics while still being lyrical?  Oh yeah, Dr. Dre and his production team.  I love the reference to Jawas from Star wars too.

"Old Time's Sake" - Eminem/Dre collabo.  Not as fun as previous collabos like "Guilty Conscience."  The beats on this record feel very similar.  Obviously it makes it a cohesive experience, but I preferred a little diversity.  I'd prefer to hear Eminem on that "Higher" beat.

"Must be the Ganja" - Slow, building drums with other shit added on top.  That's the formula for too many beats on this album.  A skippable effort.

"Deja Vu" - More introspective drug abuse.  Slow, heavy drums and other shit on top.  This track gets a pass because Eminem drops the fictional pen and talks about his drug abuse.  Could be a single because "of how real it is." 

"Beautiful" - Eminem loves these sing/songy ballads.  The beat is not that great on first listen and then you recognize Eminem produced it.  Sonovabitch, I miss the heavy/slow drum patterns already!  This reminds me of "Superman".

"Crack a Bottle" - This could have been the true first single.  This beat goes hard (pause) and Eminem/Dre/50 Cent remind us why they sell so many records.  I loved their last collaborative effort on Encore.  A straight forward rap track on an absolutely insane album.

"Underground" - This is a fantastic ending.  Epic production that you hoped would fill the entire album.  Eminem returns to more homophobic references like its 8th grade.  When he gets to gay-bashing I just lose interest.  However, the beat is too fierce and Eminem does get at it.  Probably the gem of the album and hopefully it's the shape of things to come for Relapse 2.

In Conclusion:  One, the skits are amazing.  Paul Rosenberg and Steve Berman say all what we are thinking.  Why is he talking about getting raped by his step-father, who cares about this rich person whining about  a drug problem, and why is he dissing Chris Reeves even though he is dead.  Overall, I really liked his effort.  I think the album is like 70 tracks too long, but I'd cut out a few tracks while keeping the skits.  They are genuinely hilarious.  Favorite tracks off the quick listen - "Underground", "My Mom", "Medicine Ball", "Deja Vu".  I was hoping for something about Proof, but I guess he dealt with that tragedy in his own way.  Eminem's Relapse is Heath Ledger's "Joker", it's an expression of insanity, murderous rage, depression, and twisted humor.  Thankfully, it's an entertaining ride and hopefully Relapse 2 will cut the extra slack.

RIP and REP D. Ellis

The New Golden Age of the NBA

Oh you just mad because Lebron is styling on you

The craziest part of all is the greatest series (maybe ever?) doesn't involve Kobe, LeBron, or any other MVP candidates.  Celtics v. Bulls has been the greatest NBA series I can remember seeing.  Game 6 ending in triple OT made me wait for more than half of the Rockets game to end.  I almost didn't want it to end and I was freaking out about my team in a close out scenario!  Rajon Rondo has grown up real fast and is now apparently an All-Star point guard.  Derrick Rose...man he is getting all sorts of well deserved propers for the way his game has developed.  While I think the real leader is Ben Gordon who can basically play on one leg, it doesn't matter because that whole Bulls team is just fun to watch.  It's hard to say which team I want to win.  I love Ray Allen's game, he is a gawdamn killer in these playoffs.  The Bulls have the "fun" factor, you just wish both could advance and you can just bring Orlando back down.  I think Game 7 will end in like triple overtime with a buzzer beater.  You know what's ridiculous...that ending is not only plausible but it truly feel like it's going to happen!

All I know for the first time in 12 years I can see my beloved Rockets in the second round.  I'll deal with the throngs of Laker fans talking smack, but I am looking forward for the Rockets to turn their game up to compete.  I am not a huge fan of the Lakers because they just seem to get whatever player they want for next to nothing.  They stole Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown (who is where now?), that whole deal reeked of insider trading.  Whatever, Pau is soft and Kobe is a whiner.  I don't think the Rockets can beat them without the offensive creativity of T-Mac, but I look forward to a competitive series.  Laker fans are walking/talking with too much swagger like they just didn't get busted up in the Finals a short year ago.  I'm just pumped for some great Playoff basketball. 

Rick Ross makes a great album, goes #1, and then loses all respect by calling Eminem monkey/honkey
Watch Ross lose all credibility with this video - http://videos.onsmash.com/v/XvWitUUbVhetpxnI

It's videos like these that make my RAWSE stannery return to just loving the instrumentals.  Let's not get it twisted - Deeper than Rap bumps but Rick Ross is kind of a moron  The only guy who can admit being a correctional officer while denying it within a verse finds a new level of ridiculousness.  Calling Eminem a monkey and honkey is stupid on a few levels.  All that good will he has earned with fans generally gets thrown out once you start throwing out racial slurs against both black or white people.  Want to be successful in the mainstream?   Don't piss off entire demographics!  Obviously the statement has not got much press but don't think for a second Def Jam higher-ups are happy with stuff like this that gets released.

And on a lyrical level, Eminem will run laps around Rawse.  It's as fair as a race between Rick Ross and Ussain Bolt with a jetpack.  Eminem beat The Source into submission...that's an entire magazine.  Anyhow I doubt Eminem will waste his time with a diss track but this is just further evidence of Ross's hypocrisy.  Ross released a video before talking about how he wants to work with Eminem and now he is just throwing out racial slurs.  It's impressive that Ross got 50 the way he has with the quality of his album, but I think he might be reaching if he thinks he can take Eminem in a lyrical battle.  I guess the positive press of rap beef outshines his lying about being a correctional officer.  When does Deeper than Rap instrumental again?

Curren$y - Don't sleep, do cop

It seems instead of writing reviews on this page, I simply just talk about albums I really like.  When you are as busy as me and write as much as I do, writing negative reviews just don't happen.  But that's okay, I think there is enough hate around.  I didn't talk about Curren$y in my XXL freshmen post because I was waiting to cop This Ain't No Mixtape, and maaan am I impressed.  Curren$y was affilliated with Cash Money and No Limit at different times and makes a strong statement with This Ain't No Mixtape that he coulda been that dude on either roster. 

First I mess with the graphic design.  (Shouts to The Honest Ape by the way. He didn't design the cover, but he is nasty wit the graphic skills.  Check his blog at BigBadMedium).  It's to the left, and it's unfortunate that they only sell the record online because I kinda wanted a poster of this jawn.  You can buy it HERE by the way and hopefully my words will inspire a 9 dollar purchase.

Curren$y if you aren't familiar, is an emcee from New Orleans.  He's been affiliated with Cash Money and No Limit and now rolls with his own crew the Fly Society.  I picked up a leak and just gave it a listen - and after one full go round it immediately made me purchase it.  I know most purist Hip-Hop fans say they only download to preview records to then cop, but we all know there a bunch of tweener records that are dope, but you just don't know if it's 12 dollars dope.  Well, Curren$y did not have issue with me with this record.  Now let's get to why.

First off lyrically, Curren$y catches flack from fans because of his monotone style.  However CL Smooth never changed his tone and we all mess with it.  His impressive lyrics and smooth flow make him a rapper to like.   I think one skill that you are starting to see underground fans are starting to appreciate again is the ability to write songs.  Choruses aren't necessary but when done properly they can take a track to the next level.  The album starts so strong with maybe my two favorite tracks.  "Get it yaself" hit my speakers and the vibe was some hype ATCQ sh*t.  As an nostalgic eighty's baby, you know that's a high compliment from me.  Rolling horns and forceful percussion make for an incredible backdrop for Curren$y.  The next song is called "Blown Away" and I think he was trying to name the track what the listener would feel upon the moment the beat hits.  Layers of synth and heavy drums create a "futuristic" backdrop where Curren$y spits about not losing his underground soul and how he hits bags of purple that can pull Stefan Urkel, out of Urkel.  Nasty one-liner there and Curren$y's cadence matches the beat perfectly.  The beats by the way...

If JUSTICE League are making a name with Rick Ross's record, Monsta Beatz are going to turn heads with their production on this album.  I love records completely produced by dope producers because of cohesiveness of the record.  Monsta Beatz got a diverse style as they hit you smooth boom-bap on "Get it Yaself", to heavy hitting joints like "Scared Of Monstas", some K-os type shit on "Food for Thought", and the comical Jetson-theme chopped up "Jet Son."  I'm serious there isn't one disappointing beat on the album and Curren$y keeps up with the lyrics.  The beats turn Curren$y's album into kind of a hybrid, complete joint.  You can bump it in the car with windows rolled down cruising in the summer or keep it headphoned up as you walk through the city.   

I literally am about to talk about every track which makes it one of those crappy reviews, but I just bump this album so hard now.  I'll just shout to his smart choice in collabs with hungry, fresh acts like Mickey Factz, Amanda Diva, Bun B (this dude is just everywhere!), Young Chris ("Sail On" is such a fierce collab!), and his Fly Society compatriots.  A fun aspect of this album is that because of his lyrical density, you catch new things each listen.  He doesn't depend on catchy punchlines, he has more of a "peep my entire verse as I spit it, because I do it well" kinda vibe.  

Curren$y is a lyric heavy rapper with a bit of that mainstream down-south swagger.  Think of an articulate B.G. without the destructive drug addiction and with better lyrics.  In fact, don't think about B.G.  Don't think about anyone really.  Just peep his music and I know you'll enjoy it.  I was watching a Snickers commercial which featured Master P basically clowning himself.  It made me think if Master P pushed this dude when he had the chance maybe No Limit would not have become a "has been label" like it is perceived now.   I don't make a lot of guarantees on this page but I guarandamntee this album is worth your purchase.  I don't know him personally but I will ride for him on this page like we grew up together if he continues to release albums like this. 

Also - My homie Anil let me know that Curren$y and Fly Society have collab'd with this dope clothing company Bloodbath Project.  I can't afford anything on the site but one of the founders is good friends with some of my good homies, so they get a big shout as well!  http://www.bloodbathproject.com.  Shirts look fresh!

Get Educated:
I ran across this the other day and it's a short, informative, easy to understand documentary on why the Economy is the way it is.  Peep it at http://www.crisisofcredit.com

My first week on Twitter
Oh yeah first off, get at me @ http://www.twitter.com/sumishiwrote

So I joined the internet revolution mad late but I got to say Twitter is okay from a music fan perspective.  Artists get to connect with fans and release tracks and thoughts in a very convenient fashion.  I do enjoy finding slip-up by artists on twitter though.

If you remember, Copywrite has dissed Asher Roth on a track or two.  What's funny is he kind of comes off as a huge Asher Roth fan on his twitter.  He talked about buying Asleep in The Bread Aisle which is kind of weird if he is not feeling him and he brings him up at least once a day.  The best tweet I've seen is him commenting on Asher's "Ithaca is Gorges" tweet.  For those who aren't familiar with "Ithaca is Gorges", it's a very popular phrase referencing the gorges the city has around the Cornell campus.  Asher was shouting out his location by using a popular slogan.  Then Copywrite tweets "@asherroth how does Asher love college yet can't spell "gorgeous"...".  I don't know why that simple slip-up killed me, but it did.   

Feel good music....

Tanya Morgan ft. Blu "Morgan Blu" - The Tanya Morgan trio come with it with the LA lyrical aficionado.  Brooklynati is going to be solid album it feels like. 

Oddisee X Trek Life "Cold For That" - No download link kiddies, make sure to cop Oddisee's production compilation Mental Liberation.

Method Man and Redman ft. Ghostface and Raekwon "4 Minutes to Lockdown" - Blackout 2 needs some proper promotion you Def Jam bastids!!  Every single released has been as cold as ice.

Would you look at that, actual writing.  Enjoy I'll be back as soon as I can.

RIP and REP D. Ellis

Kanye = dope?
is it me or did Kanye just get a new ghost writer? I aint really been feeling his rhymes since practicaly ever but lately he replaced the fishticks in his mouth with somer dope rhymes. First on that poker face remix, he came out with 'So, that explain why I love college/Gettin’ brain in the library cause I love knowledge/ When you use your Medulla Oblongata/And give me scoliosis until I comatoses '...then also he managed to outshine the clipse on their own shit on that kinda a big deal joint. Heres hoping he keeps rhyming and loses the autotune.
 
Deez Nutz
4 reasons why i am currently on the nutz of the D,
1.Elzhi: that new joint 'Deep' is raw. nice to hear a scratched chorus aswell. Dude already made one dope album lets hope he comes with even more heat.

2.Black Milk. best producer right now? not mad on him rhymin but at least its not singing with auto tune and he could be worse.You know a beat from him is gonna hit hard.This guy should be doing a whole wu album. or a whole nas album. or maybe all albums. he gonna be very involved in a dope project from elzhi and from my next reason...

3.Royce. last year i played that 'Revival' bootleg album as much as anything.  Dude has stopped trying to make tracks like 'blow ya whistle' and is consistently comin with dope verses.

4.Eminem. Em is on some oscar de la hoya shit, whether or not he still got it its gonna be entertainin to see and hear. Would love to hear him
over some black milk or some other nice producers tho.  
 
Finns dont like to say UUnnnnhhh
So i recently found myself in finland on holiday, pretty gully i know. I found this record shop that obvioulsy stocked up on hip-hop in the 90s and aint sold shit since. They had loads of albums with pen+pixel covers which have been gathering dust there for about 10 years. Now, people say hip-hop is dead nowadays but has it got much worse than Master P havin a song where the concept was make people say 'uunnnhh'?? You cant get much more dumbed down than making people say something that aint even a real word, just a noise.But to those of us who like some ignorant shit now and again they did make some shit that passed the time in the days before the internet was any good.Master P basically took Berry Gordy's idea of a factory churning out music and applied it to hip hop, just instead of marvin gaye and smokey robinson he had c-murder and silk da shokker. These guys bought out albums faster than charles hamilton brings out mixtapes. and with less thought a soulja boy verse. Still i miss those adverts you used to get for upcoming albums and my favourite was always mercedes 'rear end'. dont front, you looked at it too. So anyways in this little shop in finland i finally got it for 10 euros which i think is a bargain. according to wikipedia she quit after this album and went to business school. #pictures her bent over the board room table#. I also picked up slimm the skinny calhouns album which was fuckin dope.

RIP and REP D. Ellis

I had an argument with a homie about Drake recently.  I've been on dude (pause) since day 1, and I knew since "Best I Ever Had", this Canadian would be HUGE.  So Far Gone goes harder than most albums this year.  Lil Wayne affiliation or not, Drake has earned himself some respect and power through his good music.  His Hot 97 interviews literally shut down the city.  He has an upcoming collabo with Jay-Z over a Just Blaze beat that has the internets drooling.  The strength of his mixtape aside, here is why I think he is just that much stronger than the "new competition"

Asher Roth - Asleep in the Bread Aisle is somehow in competition with Deeper than Rap, which makes me think I have no idea what people listen to these days.  Is "I love College" that big?  I like Asher Roth a lot, just not his album.  "His Dream" goes hard as far as emotional joints go, but the album was kind of boring.  Asher can rap his ass off, but apparently doesn't make the kind of album for me.  He'll get the press because bloggers/media love him, but the album doesn't match the talent he has.  The pitchfork review kinda goes hard at him, and it's frankly one of the best reviews I've read in a long while.  I'm hoping round 2 will be better qualitywise.

Charles Hamilton - Another big XXL shout out, this Interscope signee has recently beefed with Rhymefest ('fest destroyed him on "Chucky Cheese") and that whole maybe stealing a beat from Black Spade thing.  Also, if you look at his blog, he looks like he is a 14 yr old Korean high school girl with his obsession with Sonic, the color pink, and Pokemon related motifs.  Seriously, he is like the guy I'd bully and I grew up nerdy and asian.  Although dude can rap, and had a pretty good song with "Brooklyn Girls."  But he falls short of Drake because his first single for Interscope is a rather boring "Barbara Walters."  The beat is ok, the lyrics are cool, and the chorus is kind of awful.  Charlie could learn a thing or two from the peopl he disses (50 Cent), on how to make a catchy single for Jimmy Iovine. I commend him for going with a lyrical, albeit poorly produced first single.  Takes courage to assume your lyrical ability can attract enough sales to justify this chorus.  This is probably the "street single", let's hope for his album sales sake.

B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray - Been on a chorus or two, but simply hasn't done enough quite yet to make a judgment.  I see his name mentioned all the time, but I haven't really peeped his music so I guess it's ultimately my fault.  He rolls with T.I., so he has the cosign necessary to do big things. 

Kid Cudi - He might have the highest ceiling because of the Kanye co-sign.  Like Drake with Weezy, Cudi has yeezy. "Day n' Nite" is solid, but that "Pokerface" joint isn't that fresh.  Cudi like Drake is a dual talent in singing/rapping abilities.  However, I think he'll fly as far as Kanye's beats take him.  Personally, I'm more interested in GLC's album at the moment with that banging "Big Screens" joint. 

Blu - Arguably the guy with the best record out out of all them, Blu has signed to WB is now recoridng his major label debut.  Blu is unbelievably nasty with the lyrics, and has an appeal to anyone no matter their walk in life.  Below the Heavens gets heavy appraisal, and to be honest he is the most proven of the Freshmen.  I'd bet top dollar his mainstream album will be a success, I just wonder if he'll break away from the chemistry he has with Exile.  Never sleep on an album with dope amounts of cohesive production.  I have a feeling he might have the strongest debut record out of all the Freshmen apointees.  Truthfully, I don't even know if Drake has anything on him.  I just felt like blu should get some shouts b/c he is so dope!

Wale - The buzz was tremendous after A Mixtape About Nothing, and you've seen him do college shows which is impressive for a dude w/o an official debut.  The Lady GaGa single is kinda weak however, I was hoping Mark Ronson would provide some "Roc Boys" like production due to his affinity for horns.  Instead, we got kind of an awkward joint that went by the wayside for many fans.  Wale can rap, we all know this.  I just wonder if he has what it takes to pick the right singles to create a dope album.  That mixtape had banging beats thanks to Mark Ronson and The Best Kept Secret, but will he have the total package?  Wale has the entire city of DC behind him, so you know he has a solid fanbase.  His ability to also conjure up tracks inspired by the raucous nature of Go-Go pulls in his favor.  Drake is maximizing his mixtape potential with these Hot 97 visits, so I think his major label debut will make a bigger splash. 

Rick Ross just released the Summer Album of 2009

Enough Drake slobnobbing, and onto more stanner of RAWSE.  Can I start this by saying, I told you so?  Deeper than Rap, I'm sorry, is dope as hell.  It doesn't pack the lyrical punch like an underground disc, but man is it fun to listen to!  Maybe I'm just past being an underground head sometimes, but this Rick Ross album is just fun.  Run DMC had fun with boom-bap Hip-Hop, Ricky is making fun/entertaining tracks revolving around drug deals and epic soul samples.  The beats, are you serious?!  The Inkredibles who lace "Mafia Music" and "Usual Suspects" need to be exploited immediately.  The two hottest beats on the record arguably are from relatively unknown producers.  The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League are making a name of themselves with "Maybach Music 2"  (this beat is what's in my head when it's go time with the lady friend) and "Magnificent."  "Rich off Cocaine" pffft, that's just something on the next level. 

Let's not get it twisted, the beats makes this record. But Ricky got some flow.  "Mafia Music" goes so hard (pause) as a 4 plus minute track without any chorus.  The Inkredibles, JUSTICE League, The Runners, DJ Toomp, and others construct a masterful soundtrack for Rick's pathological lying lyrics.  That's right, we all recognize the dude is a joke.  He loves his "drug dealing past" and  he'll talk about being an officer on "Valley of Death" as a lie, THEN AS HIS JOB in the same verse.  He is sort of a d-bag in that aspect.  You just wish he didn't lie about it and talk about how taking a legit job was a good look.  Can't knock that health insurance and dental...plus that 401(k), balling!  Of course, it's street Hip-Hop so if it ain't materialistic it ain't the future.  Which brings me to the next problem - Rick Ross's lyrics are what I hate about Hip-Hop but I love this album!

I thought I'd just ignore the lyrics, but man I mess with Ricky for some reason.  You know a record has hit you lyrically when you randomly shout lyircs to your homies like "Roofing be bad for your skeeeeen."  I shout out lyrics off this record to friends around my way like it was the Chronic 2001 back in high school.  Rick Ross's slow, deliberate style is easy to remember and spit back...which helps his bottom line.  I'm obsessed with the beats on the record, his flow (peep how he says "THE BLUEST OF WEED"), and how he spits nonsensical / lying / materialistic lyrics because it's so god damn fun.  I know guys, Rick Ross is a fat fraud.  But damnit, he withstood 50 Cent to drop the most listenable mainstream record on Def Jam in years (sans The Roots).  Oh and 50, Rick Ross did what 50 antagonizers should do... create an awesome album. 50 hasn't done that since 2002.  I'm going to be chugging cheap beer all summer to this album, and I recommend it to you if you are down for great beats, great flow, and hypocritical lyrics!  BAWSE.

I'm on Twitter!

Now I'm up on the times.  Http://www.twitter.com/sumishiwrote

Back to finals! RIP and REP D. Ellis