Hip Hop Is Dead..

What's up guys?

Ok, so it's been a while and to be honest, I haven't really got a good excuse to why I haven't posted in so long other than I couldn't be bothered! But I do have a lot to talk about in this post, so hopefully it makes up for all the absence!

Lupe Fiasco- Lasers

Ok, so as a HUGE Lupe Fiasco fan, I was pretty crushed to hear his latest studio album Lasers has been push back indefinitely. It was actually supposed to drop around Spring 2010, but has no release date at the moment. The album is actually done, and Lupe's fan base is crying out for it to be released but for whatever reason Atlantic Records have decided to hold it back.

Lupe even tweeted about it saying:

"Lasers is out of my hands guys and gals...it's done and that's all I can tell you...when they drop it...they drop it...so drop it..."

So even Lupe seems slightly pissed off about it, that makes for two of us! Well, reasons they may be holding back, I'm Beaming the first released track off the album didn't do too well on the charts and his only real hit was Superstar feat. Matthew Santos which only peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Atlantic Records needs to realise that Lupe isn't the same type of artist as Drake and doesn't have the same crossover following, when they realise this, the better it's gonna be for us all.

He does still have a huge following though. I like to think he isn't that mainstream because he doesn't always do too well on the charts, but his lyrical content is amazing, every song tells a story, which can be said for only a few in the game at the moment. So when Lasers does finally drop, I'm more than sure the anticipation will mean it will sell well. Both Food & Liquor and The Cool went top of the Rap charts when they were released, so why they aren't dropping the album is beyond me!

So the title of this post relates to what I've been saying really, if Atlantic are going to hold back the release of an artist as lyrically gifted as Lupe Fiasco just because of a lack of hype, then Hip Hop really is dead!

Big Dilla- Big Pun, J Dilla & Cookin' Soul

Now, I came across Cookin' Soul when I downloaded the Thank Us Later Remixtape, so they remixed Drake- Thank Me Later, with the help of Don Cannon, and to be honest I preferred it to the original album, so I wanted to check out more of his work and that's where I found Big Dilla. So firstly, Cookin' Soul is a trio of Spanish producers, they do crazy mash-ups and remixes, so if you wanna check them out, go to www.cookinsoul.com

So this is Big Pun's lyrics over Dilla beats, it's pretty crazy, so I suggest you guys check it out!!!!

Rick Ross- Teflon Don 8/10

Damn, now I'm not a huge fan of Ricky Rozay, but seriously, this is a pretty great album. After Diddy called Ross "the Biggie of the South" I was almost fully put off, but this album really exceeded my expectations. Crazy features from the likes of Jay Z, John Legend, T.I., Erykah Badu, Drake, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo and many more is what I think takes this album to new heights, that together with decent lyrics make it well worth a download and a good listen to. It has a really chilled, soulful feel similar to his last album Deeper Than Rap and that makes it beautifully constructed. As much as I don't like him, I'm pretty sure this album's gonna do really well, especially for his followers as I'm sure they'll appreciate the lyrical content, smooth beats and star-studded line ups.

Lauryn Hill

So I'm really excited for the comeback of Lauryn Hill, she even hit the stage and performed across New Zealand and Australia in the 'Raggamuffin Festival' a festival known for celebrating reggae music. She performed some well known tracks from Miseducation and a couple of tracks with The Fugees.

In June, she said in an interview that she was planning to being recording again, this was later confirmed by Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers, who also said that he would be working with her on the new album, which I can't wait for!!

So best of luck to her, and I hope we don't have to wait too long for this!!!!

John Legend & The Roots- Wake Up Everybody! (feat. Common & Melanie Fiona)

I really love this song, real feel good music with a really nice message. John Legend amazing as usual, vintage Common and The Roots on the beat makes for a real good summertime track! It's actually a cover of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, with the same title. They haven't changed anything, but I think the cover does it justice. It's gonna be on John Legend & The Roots- Wake Up! album, which I recommend to all just because of Legend & The Roots!!!

ENJOY!

Take Care Y'all x

Can I Get An Encore...

What's up guys?

So because my earlier post this week was a bit 'short', I thought I might as well put out a full one.

Dr. Dre feat Jay Z- Under Pressure

So, after years of rumours, the first single from Dre's new album Detox has been released, and by released, I mean leaked. The hype of Detox has been around for years, and this track has a futuristic beat rather than the G-Funk beat that he's so well known for. It also features a sample of Kraftwerk- Trans-Europe Express. So what's been leaked so far doesn't seem to be the finished track, there's no hook but it seems Ok. Although this track might not currently live up to the hype, it's definitely good to see what type of sound he's going for.

Drake, Cookin Soul & Don Cannon- Thank Us Later Mixtape

After creating the "Red Album- Jay Z vs The Game" remixtape, Cookin Soul & Don Cannon teamed up again to a new approach to song remixing. They had no acapellas, so they used live instruments like: guitars, bass, pianos, strings and the odd synth to create crazy remixes and mash-ups. I gotta say I prefer this to the original album but I've kinda been hating on that for a while. Tupac, Biggie & Rick Ross also feature on this mixtape, so it's definitely worth checking out!

Eminem, Kanye & Wayne

Eminem- Talkin 2 Myself

"I almost made a song dissin Lil Wayne,

It's like I was jealous of him cause of the attention he was gettin"

"Almost went at Kanye too,

God it feels like I'm goin psychotic,

Thank God I didn't do it,

I would have had my ass handed to me"

So there was a lot of controversy about these lyrics, and in an interview he said:

" I thought, 'Man, I can do that shit. He ain't that dope," Eminem said. "I'm hearing this dude say some clever, witty shit and I'm not doing it, so I feel fucked up." Eminem opted not to release this unnamed track. "It would have been career suicide" he said. "They would have fuckin murdered me"

In my opinion, it would have been a cheap shot for Eminem to hit up Wayne & Kanye for no reason or without being dissed himself, but you never know, this may start something between these 3, you never know, guess we won't find out exactly till Wayne gets out of jail. But it makes for an interesting subject seeing as Kanye isn't far from releasing his new album later this summer.

Gucci Mane- iPhone App

Just to cap things off, Gucci Mane, yes Gucci Mane is getting his OWN iPhone app! What has the world come to? So I hear its basically like a soundboard, where you can play some of his familiar phrases. What the hell is the point of that? Like anyone even knows any of his phrases, it's like Lil Jon's where everyone knows his signature "YEAHHHHHHH". Gucci must be pretty bored and Apple must be pretty desperate if this is actually going down 8-)

And if you dont believe me....

I'll leave you on a good note, how about some Jay Z & Linkin Park?

Take Care x

Happy Times...

What's happening?

The weather is pretty amazing at the moment, so this is gonna be a quick post.

Drake: Thank Me Later- 7/10

Ok, so I have actually had a proper listen to it, and I can't lie, its a bit of a let down compared to the So Far Gone mixtape. The tracks are Ok I guess, but with all the hype I thought it was gonna be amazing, it might grow on me, but at the moment, I'm not sure. In my opinion, the best tracks are the ones that have been released, Over, Find Your Love & Miss Me. Find Your Love is a great track, shows Drake's versatility, he's not only a rapper, but a half decent singer as well. I'm not a huge fan of his videos though, Best I Ever Had was bad enough, but I'm not really a huge fan of the Over video either.

J. Cole

On a side note, I can't wait for J. Cole's album to drop, from what I hear, it's gonna be released in the summer, so I can't wait, should be insane.

The World Cup

On a even more irrelevant side-note, the World Cup has been terrible, the opening games have been boring not many goals and more importantly, Spain lost, which sucked. Lets hope it gets better with time, because if it carries on like this lots of people will be disappointed.

Germany & Argentina were impressive while Italy & Spain lacked attacking threat while England were a complete and utter failure, for lack of a better word. People have been telling me that its apparently not Robert Green's fault for failing to stop a ball that was travelling like less than 2mph, but you know, it might get better, I can't see him playing another game now.

Nas & Damien Marley: Distant Relatives- 9/10

Ok, this has been getting loads of attention, probably because one of the best lyricists in the world is on it, but yeah, the lyrical content is pretty amazing, as expected. From what I've read, all of the U.S. proceeds will be going to build schools in Africa, and for that reason I hope it sells well, definitely a cause to support. So it combines Hip Hop with Reggae which is a pretty new idea and it works well, so I recommend going out to buy it. The band that recorded the whole album live is also pretty amazing, they don't stereotype the album by having predominantly reggae beats on the tracks, but there are some pretty good rock guitar riffs that give it a good sound. So what makes this album work so well? I guess its the compromise between both artists with a sense on lyrical genius & effortless flow, one of the best albums this year, so check it out!

Good Vibrations- Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch (feat. Loleatta Holloway)

That's all for now, so much for a quick post eyy? :)

Take Care x

Is It Too Much To Ask...

Whats up guys?

Long time no post, been caught up in exams and revision, but I've had a lot of time to listen to music, so I got loads to talk about!

Kanye West Mixtape: Unreleased

Yeah, it's called Unreleased, from what I hear, it's just basically loads of his unreleased tracks, and I'm currently listening to it now. I'm pretty impressed. It has some great tracks on it! Kanye heads back to his signature style, rather than singing like he did on 808's & Heartbreak. It's really soulful compared to his other albums, which is a nice angle, it seems like it's more radio friendly compared to some of his previous stuff. Some of the tracks have a great beat, together with some half decent lyrics, so I can't complain! Some of the tracks have lyrics from some of his actual albums, but it's still pretty decent. Kanye is about to make his come-back into music this summer with his new album : A Good A** Job, so luckily I have this to occupy my musical needs till that comes out!

http://www.datpiff.com/Kevin_Nottingham_Kanye_West__Unreleased.m123764.html

Relating back to the nature of this post, Is It Too Much To Ask...that we have some music with a meaning? Like, I can't help but notice that loads of today's rappers just talk about: Girls, Money, Cars, Sex, Killing/Dying ect. I really can't stand it, like in moderation, I guess it's fine, but it comes to the point where you have ever rapper doing the same thing, and it gets boring. That's why I'm such a huge fan of Lupe Fiasco, he's a lyrical genius. I feel like his music can really speak to people, his tracks seem to tell a story, which makes them that much better. I might as well add that I probably prefer this to Kanye's version, enjoy:

Lupe Fiasco- Conflict Diamonds

Common- I Used To Love H.E.R.

A classic, the song has great lyrics with a pretty powerful message in the end. The video is even genius, it shows how 'she' became gangster while Common talks about the changes that 'she' is going through. In the end, 'she' is Hip Hop and after listening to this, and knowing the actual meaning, the lyrics make a lot of sense.

But anyway, to the main point, I heard this song, called Always There, and it reminds me a lot of I Used To Love H.E.R., not only because it samples it at the start and the end of the track, but the lyrics are also pretty decent. On the other hand, I hate the chorus, it doesn't seem right in context to the song, but none-the-less, it's not too bad! Check it out...

Phil Ade- Always There

Well, that's all for the time being! I'll post again soon..

Take Care x

Good Friends, Good Times...

Hey Guys,

So today was pretty laid back, I went to my mate Kishan's house, and Charlie was there. We hadn't got together all holidays, so it was good to see them again! A little bit of music, shisha, a couple of drinks, pizza, and PS3, not to mention the stupid banter than goes on between us made for a chilled out day!

So, my most recent download was J. Cole- The Warm Up. It's probably my favourite mixtape of the year. So as far as I know, he is pretty unknown, so here's the run down...

He's an American rapper that was signed up by Roc Nation in like 2007 after Jay Z heard "Lights Please" a track that's on The Warm Up. He also features on Jay Z's Blueprint 3, "A Star Is Born", which in my opinion a fitting title. He is also on Wale's debut album Attention: Deficit on the track "Beautiful Bliss". If you guys wanna see just how good he is, I suggest you check out Dead Presidents II, out of all of the covers I have heard, this is definitely the best. He is definitely gonna be big, and I can't wait for his first official album to drop in the summer!

That's all for today, I'll leave you with a pretty sick song, the beat has a jazz/ blues feel with some of the best rappers in the game doing their thing.

Take Care x

It actually feels like the summer....

Hey Guys,

Its really hot again today, so I'm chilling out today!

So, yesterday, I decided that it would be a good idea to hook-up my fone to my speakers, so when my alarm goes off, then I would actually wake up, because I had to go into school this morning. So I was woken up by Lil Wayne- A Milli at full volume, so I had a pretty dirty headache for a while as well!

I downloaded Man On The Moon: The End Of Day, by Kid Cudi, which was completely overdue as its been out for ages, yet it completely slipped my mind! Its a great album, Kid Cudi's style of alternative Hip Hop really suits him, it's like a blend of hip hop and rnb with aspects of other genre's as well. I gotta say, I'm feelin most of the tracks; Hyyerr (feat. Chip Tha Ripper) has an awesome beat while Day n Nite, Make Her Say (feat. Kanye & Common) & Pursuit Of Happiness (feat. MGMT & Ratatat) are also stand outs.

I fully can't wait till the summer, my run down of the 5 most anticipated albums definitely have to be:

• Drake- Thank Me Later
• Kanye West- Good Ass Job
• T.I.- Untitled
• Janelle Monae- The Archandroid
• M.I.A.- Untitled

With special mention to Dr Dre- Detox, although I'm not a huge fun, I do think it's gonnna be something special.

Also, I gotta let you guys know about an artist called Dom Kennedy, he's sick! His new mixtape: From The Westside With Love its really quite good, and definitely worth checking out, you can download it straight from his myspace together with all his other mixtapes, which is http://www.myspace.com/domkennedy

That's all for today, but I'll leave you with a classic...

Take Care x

Wow, I See The Sun...

Hey Guys,

So, just a quick entry today, just so I can get the proverbial 'ball rolling'.

Its a beautiful day here in lovely Ilford, third day in a row where the weather has been this good, yet I've been stuck at home, revising...oh the fun!

But, making the best out of a bad situation, I've been banging music all day, and came across an album which I haven't heard in a pretty long time..The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

Not only that, but the much anticipated return of Erykah Badu and her comeback album New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh), and I gotta say, I was pretty impressed. She stuck to the Neo-Soul sound that she's known for. A song from her new album, Window Seat, where in the video she actually walks down a street, removing her clothes! It's pretty crazy, she appeared on BET's 106 & Park the other day, and she said that because of indecent exposure laws, they only really had the chance to film the video once. At the end of the video, she falls in the place where President JFK was assassinated, I definitely recommend you guys to check it out!

I guess that's all for today, unless I get another brain wave!

Take care x