I copped G Frequency's Let's Begin EP on a random tip, but after a thorough listen I've found that shit's well ill. In fact, after checking duke's Myspace page, it came as no surprise that a song entitled Flight Ticket came from Ireland. Although it sounds type strange to hear someone wax poetic about traveling for three verses, this jawn is well-produced and exhibits a great sample for the hook, and the rhimes ain't too bad either.
This is by far George Carlin's most widely recognized joke, yet few are aware of the overarching emphasis this single joke had on censorship back in the '70's. Personally, I feel Carlin was one of the best at marginalizing anything large and putting it into it's honest perspective. This time he does so with the seven 'bad' words.
Hard to believe that EPMD's been in the game for over 20 years and just released an album last year. Same for Reggie Noble, these dudes got some serious longevity. If I'm not mistaken, this is one of the Funk Doc's earliest appearances on wax, and he rapps poetic as Pablo Neruda. Great sample for the hook too, shit's was well beyond it's time.
O.C. had one of the most gulliest demo tapes in modern or prehistoric history. Any true head has already heard the god on Word...Life, but that's over some polished production. On his demo Omar flashes countless instances of ingenuity over an ill Nautilus sample. It's hard to say who gets credit for the feature, because I've never heard a similar voice before, and when O.C. shouts him out at the end, he refers to him as 'Poots' or something of the like. If anyone knows, enlighten me please.
Like an true ignoramus, I doubted Cam's ability to craft another opus. Crime Pays is similar to all his previous efforts in that it's composed of half dopeness and half filler. It's like dukes doesn't age at all, his talent in creating witticisms is unrivaled. And I believe Where I Know You From to be the unrivaled best off Crime Pays. Shit's without competition.
I know most everyone has already heard this shit, but few know the context behind Wanna Be A Baller. In fact, I'm quite sure that if it wasn't for the chorus of this jawn, it'd still be relatively unknown. Besides true southern heads, no one really gets excited by the opportunity to hear Fat Pat and Yungstar trading verses. Lil' Troy was lucky to be remembered at all. Dukes had no part in writing the song at all, didn't even give his ghostwriter any credit, and then Universal took Wanna Be A Baller from a regional hit to national. Not bad press for not doing anything. Listen to Sittin' Fat Down South, you'll nah mean.
Ever since Blu & Exile crafted a masterpiece with Below The Heavens, dudes have been sleeping on Blu with a partially good reason to do so. From the outset, Blu made it known that he's an eccentric artist who never makes the same song twice. Sometimes it works, and other times it falls flat on it's ass. On Stoopid, Blu handles the production and does a seminal job. Sene hands in a few dope verses and you have an ill all-around track.
If you're familiar with Little Brother and the collective of talented, self-conscious rappers they assembled into the Justus League, you're most likely aware of Supastition. Although dukes is not mentioned as part of the Justus League, he performs countless guest features among the members albums. In '08, Supastition changed his name to Kam Moye. Maybe some alter-ego shit or something of the like. He also released a quality tape entitled The Self Centered EP. Although it's indicative of most tapes you hear from Little Brother affiliated artists, shit still bangs consistently. Below are some of the premier cuts and the dl link:
Seeing as how I already posted Wild Style, it's only fitting to dedicate a post to it's predecessor Beat Street. A write-up of any sort on this film is somewhat useless, because you can find a full summary and plot synopsis here anyway. Still, Beat Street is a hip-hop classic, that included acting roles for many of the big names of '83 and '84. Stream it below, and you can cop it at it's host page.
The first time I heard 3rd Bass' The Cactus Cee/D, I was surprised that such a weak album could be created by a 'classic' group. Shit's definitely grown on me since then, although I still can't honestly say that 3rd Bass' debut effort is worth an honest listen. There are some enjoyable jawns though, The Gas Face being the premier example. When you watch the video, note how Serch voices a 'scathing' criticism towards Jewish A&R's who get rappers to 'sign their lives away on a contract'. Ironic how Serch became one of these Jewish A&R's later on in his career. Funny how life works.
You can find this one on 40 Cal's Broken Safety 2. Dude is well-known as a battle rapper, but not for much else. It's understandable because 40 can't really structure a song for shit, and most of his hooks are type trite. Still, you can't deny dukes' charisma and the wittiness of some of his one-liners.
Although I haven't posted any of 8Ball and MJG's shits as of yet, I bring to you a gem off MJG's solo effort No More Glory, equipped with awful album art and all. By the way, if you look close, you'll see that MJG's donning an nipple ring. I guess you can call that 'artistic expression'. Regardless, this is one of the few jawns that stands out off No More Glory. Lots of mediocrity on that tape, yet despite the type silly title, Hip Hop Voodoo is a solid joint worth a listen.
Although I'm relatively unfamiliar with MC Solaar's discography, I'm a bit puzzled why he's so poorly received in the US. Apparently, he may have employed some shady business practices when collaborating with Guru of GangStarr, but the official details are very cryptic. In fact, MC Solaar uses a large amount of jazz in his instrumentals, which provides for a great backdrop to his soothing voice.
**I was mistaken before, it's Solar the producer that is so disliked, apologies to MC Solaar, and props to the commentor who pointed it out.
I remember finding out about Illogic via Ill Poetic sometime in the past year. After being mildly impressed, I found the motivation to dig into dude's older records and find some gems. Although Celestial Clockwork is widely considered to be Illogic's premier album, Unforeseen Shadows ain't nothin' to sleep on. Favorite Things is one of the many great jawns you can find on this album. So good that Saigon had to make a remake.
A large part of the reason that I hadn't yet posted this jawn is because it's hard to fully pinpoint who was featured on this track. Rob O? Third Eye? Fuck if I know. I got this off a Best-Of tape hosted by Mister C, the tape is just b-sides, og versions/remixes and a few unreleased jawns. This is the OG copy of A Buncha Niggas, and it's some type likable but forgettable shit.
I done been hearing that Firing Squad was by far M.O.P.'s finest opus, and after a conclusive listen, I think I'll have to agree. Although To The Death features much finer production, Fizzy and Danze drop much harder rapps on Firing Squad. Nothin' 2 Lose is some slower production that could be well-suited for 8Ball & MJG, but the Brownsville Bombers handle it well and drop some type serious rhymes.
I found this EP deep in the vaults, and surprisingly it's one of the illest tapes of '09 in my most humblest. Not much time to say anything else, but check this jawn, I believe it to be some quality shit.
I'm not entirely a supporter of the Foreign Exchange's particular brand of neo-soul and hip-hop, but I can definitely show love to an instrumental like Nicolay's cut of heaven on Take Off The Blues. These boys released an all instrumental version of Leave It All Behind, probably for the sole reason that it was produced so well. Personally, I like Phonte more as a wordsmith, than an R&B song bird.
Speaking of AZ, here's a jawn off The Format. Back when he was crafting straight classics, Anthony Cruz was only dropping gems. Vendetta is an example, although the last minute or so of this jawn detach from it's overall value.
As can be expected, any project that you tie Sean Price back to is the equivalent of pure Colombian cocaine. Although Boot Camp's debut effort was a bit weak, the following albums are all straight heaters. Pete Rock laces the Clik with some type ill production, and the boys drop some deserving bars.
Wade Waters is a group made up of Haysoos and Soulstice, two dudes who have been around the underground circuit for a second. They released the album Dark Water back in '06, and it's some type predictable rapps that easily bore after the first half of the album. What makes this album worth salvaging is a miracle feature that these guys got from AZ. Nas' main accomplice rips shit something proper and the Wade Waters boys also provide a worthwhile effort over some dope production.
I got this cut via the good people at the T.R.O.Y blog, who released the dirty version of Slow Burnin' in one of their many compilations. One of the iller dedications to rapp muzik's resident herb, especially considering it was Evidence of the Dilated Peoples who produced this jawn. Some older production too, if I'm not mistaken this jawn's from the late '90's or early '00's. Either way, I'll vouch for this track's dopeness.
I hadn't heard of this jawn up until a few weeks back when my Biology teaching assistant put me onto it, ain't that some shit? Apparently Skee-Lo introduced the word 'baller' on I Wish, and as such I imagine Lil' Flip and Jim Jones are paying dude some serious royalty checks. To be honest, this jawn ain't that much as far as lyricism or production goes, just a light-hearted Cali ode to little man's syndrome.
I wasn't aware there were so many underground heads lurking around this blog. As such, I'm proud to say that the winner of this month's poll, which begged the question of naming the illest Rawkus release, is FunCrusher Plus. You can check the results here if you don't believe. Company's Flow premier effort is a thing of eccentric beauty. If you're well-prepared to withstand an awkward first listen, you'll be handsomely rewarded with a album that is unlike an equal. Real talk, in the underground hemisphere this album is the equivalent of Illmatic. Peep game, son:
Remember when these two had beef? Doesn't that shit seem like forever ago nowadays? Back when these two weren't beating up one another's associates and hiding their bipolarity, they collab-ed on Is This My Life. Shit's nothing more than an unreleased jawn over some truly mixtape quality production. Still, I found it worth the 2:35. You can decide for yourself.
I already posted one jawn off Edo G (& Pete Rock's) My Own Worst Enemy, but I figured I'd post another gem. Boston is a simple ode to a city that styled Edo G's hip-hop stylistics. Still, Pete Rock's production shines out and brings out the verbal intricacies of Edo G's rhyme schemes. That lyrical tomfoolery. Apologies for the lateness of this post.
James Watts is my dude, one of the few real blog rappers worth respecting. I don't know what dukes has been up to as of late, but back in '08 he got a little buzz for these two minute freestyles, where he showcased how clever he was off the top, and how he could flow to any instrumental. From there, I copped some compilation tape, and found Wish You Were Here. It's some real heartfelt and truthful storytelling on the part of James, and a poignant instrumental that really captures every word. He even got Rik Cordero to direct the video. Surprising that this jawn didn't amount to more, it should have.
At one point, me and James were writing back-and-forth, and I asked him if he'd be willing to expand a little on the characters represented in the song. Below is his answer:
"Wish You Were Here" actually is based around three ideas, each being represented in a verse. The first verse talks about the decision I made to pursue music -- obviously, it's something I love, so this verse served as a message to people who have particular passions but are hesitant to follow them. I'm saying, more or less, that I wish more people could move themselves into a space where the restrictions of life don't weigh them down from attaining the things that they really want.
The second verse is more literal -- it's about a friend that I lost at age 14 -- he was my best friend at the time, and we were just both going into high school when he passed. That was always a pivotal experience that stuck with me, so I brought it forth on the song.
The last verse was based loosely on a few friends that I have (though I rolled them all up into one character) -- it's about a young man who's been really going through a lot of drama, but despite that, he feels that as long as he's alive, he's okay. The song ends with him telling me "man, I got my health though, so fuckit, I'm fine", and I reply with "I'm there", to say that I'm attempting to live my own life the same way -- that despite hardships, as long as we get up the next morning, there's always a chance to make it better.
I found this on Jahi's album Soulhop The Breakthru, a solid album that is worth copping. Dukes busts rapps over many jazz-based instrumentals, and proves to be only mildly corny while waxing poetic about 'conscious' topics. Just Feel It is probably the cornerstone of the whole album, some real type ill shit.
Nobody was illin' like Percee P from the Patterson Projects back in the day. If you don't believe, there are countless unreleased jawns and freestyles that could convince the staunchest doubter. Lung Collapsing Lyrics is one of the lyrical exhibitions that only Percee P could accomplish. Damn, dukes caught some tough breaks in his lifetime.
I remember hearing that Bar Exam 2 was the best mixtape of the '00's when it came out. Such hype usually follows Royce Da 5'9 wherever he goes, and despite the fact that he and Green Lantern only crafted a dope tape, it goes without saying that there are quite a few gems to be found. Heat To The Streets is a song that doesn't belong on an album, but is just a ferocious display of lyrical witticisms.
I posted one of the jawns off Superstar Quamallah and Taj The Infinite's AllSouled Out a little while back, and had to post another, if only to re-encourage dudes to cop that album. Real talk, All Souled Out, is one of the best rapp album acquisitions you will make in your whole lifetime. Niggah Song is exactly what you thought it would be, but over a beautiful production equipped with an immaculate jazzy riff.
Although I'm not much for Kweli, I will admit that dukes truly has his moments. Particularly when the producer (who will not be named for fear of this post getting taken down) crafts one of his few gems, and Kweli rolls with the punches in creating an solid concoction.
Reef The Lost Cauze has had an interesting career, based on his essence as a hip-hop artist. If you listen to dukes albums and tapes, you'll hear an fairly simplistic emcee with an strong resemblance to Obie Trice. Despite all the straightforward overtones of his lyricism, Reef The Lost Cauze has managed to feature on countless Jedi Mind tracks and landed a spot among the overlords of complexities, Army Of The Pharoahs. Seems type strange to me, but what do I know? Sound of Philadelphia is the lead single off Reef's 3rd album Feast or Famine.
I've read that DJ Honda is all sorts of dick and an extremely unpleasant person to interview. Due to all of dukes' poor reception among the hip-hop press, I've always seen him in some sort of a pseudo-villain role. Still, DJ Honda is well-styled behind the wheels of steel, and always come through with some ill production. You can expect the same on Straight Talk From New York, although Grand Puba's 'straight talk' may be interpreted as slightly homosexual adoration towards Honda.
This is a track off Roc Marcy's Strength And Honor, released back in '04. I'm not sure why, but Marcy decided to collab with his own group on his solo album. You don't see Rae doing a collab joint with all the members of the Wu on his own album. Despite the odd logic, this jawn still knocks more than proper. That LI flow, nahmean? Lastly, check for Marcberg on 4/20 (you don't need to leave anymore comments Jazz). Personally, I'll have other business to take care of on said date, but to each his own.
I can't even count the number of times that I've heard a jawn produced by Swizz Beatz and thought to myself how dukes ever landed a career as an producer. Turns out that back in the day Swizzy used to make dope instrumentals, and eventually sold his soul for riches. All For The Love derives from The Lox's Money, Power, Respect and is basically two Jada verses, without much help from Sheek or Styles. Still ill.
This was the intro track to Strictly Leakage, a promo tape that Atmosphere released a year or two back. Because I don't have the patience or hard drive capacity to dig for quality jawns on the Bad Clown series, I bring you YGM. The instrumental sounds a little too pithy to be accredited to Ant's gritty repertoire, but it's definitely a stand-out as far as Strictly Leakage. Same can be said for Slug's punchline-heavy rhymes, but this track definitely works despite the differences in styles.
There's a version of this jawn on L's posthumous The Big Picture, but that version doesn't include Biggie's verse. I found this cut on The Archives 1996-2000, which is more or less the premier tape for L rarities and remixes and the like. Deadly Combination is surprisingly dope for the great possibility of failure associated with making two (maybe three) legends share the mic. For that reason alone, don't sleep.
You can find this one on Grynch & Two Good Men's Something More EP. I believe it was offered as a free download from BandCamp or something of the like, so you can cop that shit on the free and legal tip if you're so inclined. Regardless how you cop it, make sure you do so, this EP is some truly ill Seattle shit. I'm A Dreamer is equipped with an dope instrumental and remarkable guest features. The only downside of this jawn is the incredibly corny hook. Still, don't let that stop you.
I copped G Frequency's Let's Begin EP on a random tip, but after a thorough listen I've found that shit's well ill. In fact, after checking duke's Myspace page, it came as no surprise that a song entitled Flight Ticket came from Ireland. Although it sounds type strange to hear someone wax poetic about traveling for three verses, this jawn is well-produced and exhibits a great sample for the hook, and the rhimes ain't too bad either.
