Base God -Cook, Chef, Knife

This will definitely be the most awkward posting to date and maybe EVER that you will get from me. It's awkward because it deals with extreme whackness (whackness in the name of "positivity") that I would normally may not waste my time and developing arthritis to write about, but me and my inner passion for sociology, the human psyche, and Hip Hop commands that I attempt to understand what is going on in the Bay and this cat Lil B The Base God.

I knew who he was without knowing who he was when I first started hearing the buzz about him if that makes any sense. Late night You Tube or WorldStar video cruising brought me to him getting sucker punched by another young guy while doing an interview, which by the way was some sucker shit. I chalked it up to a Young Berg situation and forgot about the guy. I recently heard about him re-enacting a Kanye scene when receiving an award a little while ago and thought "I don't even know who Lil B is". The radio DJ's knew only a little bit more than me because they vaguely recalled him being in the group The Pack that made the Hyphy flavored song "Vans". At the time, I remembered the song a bit but not in much detail. The next mention of Lil B was when I was reading the XXL Freshman Class Issue and he was on the cover. I read the short piece and wondered (1) Who in the hell is this guy and (2) What in the hell is this cat doing that I’ve missed?

The first thing I did was call my 18 year old cousin who is in her freshman year in college, and made me sit down and watch every Soldier Boy and “Crank That” video there was, and there were at least a dozen of them. This was when he was killing the internet before the big breakout. She had no answer for me so I took to the internet. The first video that came up reminded me exactly of who the guy was. It was the sucker punched cat! I’m not really focused on that because isht happens and you move on. I focused on the music he was making. The tittles of some of the songs were “I’m Miley Cirus”, "Ellen Degenerous" and “Wonton Soup” which sounded interesting enough and he’s affiliated with Soulja Boy so curiosity got the best of me to take a listen. A lot of times random names as song titles go over well because there are generally creative minds behind them. I pressed play and didn’t know what to think. It was almost the most god awful thing that I’ve ever heard. The sound quality was horrible, the mix down was nonexistent, which I can deal with (Check the February archives to see the Actrite mixtape). The beat was aiight, but the lyrics were horrendous! I listened to about two more songs, but was not catching on to what was going on.

There was something that I did catch on to, and that was a style that was very reminiscent of the Bay where personality and style is the name of the game, a language that was unique to say the least that uses words like “based” and “cook” heavily in his obvious weed and whatever else induced rambling freestyles, self made videos, and a cult that follows his every move and completely understands everything that he’s saying and doing. If you’ve ever sat with a few 5 Percenters while they “build”, then you can imagine what the comment board was like on You Tube. From my description of the music, you probably won’t understand why these videos have anywhere from 60,000 to 1.6 million views. There are at least three of them that are past 1.5 million looks. Just like his homeboy Soldier Boy, the young guy killed the internet but still the same, the music that I heard was horrible.

This is where I enter sociology, the human psyche, and tie it in to Hip Hop. Jim Jones, not the Harlem-based Dipset affiliate, but the original cult leader Jim Jones was based out of Frisco. Jones had a way of captivating people and coaxing them in to following him all the way until they drank that cyanide laced Kool-Aid in that crazy mass suicide. If you know anything about the Northern California and the Bay and Hip Hop, you know that they live in their own world and are satisfied with it and proud of it. They have their own market where independents have always done extremely well. If you know this, you also know that they root hard for the home team. They have legends with cult followings. I had a homeboy who went back and forth from Oakland back in the day and put us on to M.C. Pooh, Dangerous Dame, and Mac Dre (The King of Hyphy) when he was really doing serious dirt and I thought it was for wax. Later I got Hip to E40 and the Click, Mac Mall, Coughnut and the IMP, Brotha Lynch Hung, RBL Posse, and my dude Dre Dog (The New Jim Jones). The thing that made these cats special is that they were and had characters and those characters built the solid following. This is what I thought when I was trying to find out why people like this isht. He followed the classic Bay Area approach to success. Then I thought about an old school veteran that I still listen to from time to time and that’s Kool Keith. Kool Keith starts with the Ultramagnetic MC’s in the mid 80’s but has had a solo career that has lasted as long as any “industry” veteran because his characters like Dr. Octagon and Black Elvis have a cut following that keeps him touring and a recording deal on an independent label. He’s completely random with song titles and formats much like new schoolers The Cool Kids. Sometimes, not fitting the format is what people want and flock to. Dre Dog openly professed his love for cocaine, did a cool backstroke in a pool of sins, hustling and the occasional robbery and such. The guy had a song called “Smoke Dope and Rap” where he jacked the beat in “Juice” where Q was looking for Bishop and went way to the left. It was pure entertainment.

Even after playing the role of the social scientist, I still hadn’t found out exactly what it was that made people flock to Lil B, so I did a Google search and found a website dedicated to him. It explained that he is only half serious on most of these the songs (and there are about 700 more to come), which could be a cop out for a lack of talent, but I read on. Apparently, his thing is to be “Base(d)” which is being totally free and clear minded when making songs so that whatever is on the mind at that time comes out and he is pure. It’s all about free consciousness, non-judgment, and having fun. To me, it sounds like the hippies have come back to Frisco and they have a huge stash of California’s finest! It talked about positivity and good vibes. That’s when I was like, “I get it, but I don’t really get it”. Why do the songs have to sound the way that they do in order to send that message out? Still yet, I took my reading and went back to You Tube to see if I missed something before I started blasting the young fella which, I usually don’t do because I’m one to let someone express their creative ideas – until they begin to stab my ears.

I listened to a couple of more songs and then I ran across a freestyle where my man was normal with the flow and was kinda nice. I scrunched my face and scratched my head and repeated it to make sure that I wasn’t buggin’. The very next video was much of the same as the last where the guy is spitting for real which threw me completely in a loop. The first thing that I said to myself out loud was “Why doesn’t this cat spit like this all of the time?” With that, I’d answered my own question. The website noted that he might be poking fun at the industry via an anti-establishment movement that he’s in the forefront of. It’s supposed to be far to the left and attract attention, and if you’re mind is free, then you will roll with it. This could be taken as genius, or again and excuse for whackness.

Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what to think because on one hand, there was some good mixed with some garbage. However, if the claims of being Base(d) is true, then it’s genius and it's wildly successful because my other young cousin in Dallas was at a Lil B concert this past Saturday and again, he is on the cover of XXL which is not official credibility to all, but it is a national magazine that could have chosen a thousand other young guys to be a part of The Freshman Class. Just like when everybody made a huge fuss about how Hip Hop Soulja Boy was not, my thoughts were young people are having fun like the grumpy older people are saying that they used to have. Now the older, so called rich rappers are beefing and shooting at each other. So I say, I probably won’t be downloading “Swag to the 6” but, I have to respect somebody who has the balls to simply freestyle and release it as a mixtape or album and really just do them. Also, we have to remember that there was a time when EVERYBODY outside of the culture thought that Hip Hop was garbage so, you may not like it and a lot of you won’t, but at least try to understand it.

As always, TELLSOMEBODY and hit me at www.Facebook.com/Marcus.Obrien2 or at www.Twitter.com/TheMarcusObrien

Death by the Manager

The night before last, I was invited to a watch an up and coming artist perform at a local lounge. His manager and I have mutual friends so I went to support her, see what her artist was about, and see what kind of networking I could do. The show was cool, but this is not really the story.

I’m not sure how many of you go to the lounges with the open mic/ poetry nights with the incense burning, Erykah Badu/Jill Scott spin offs that my Atlanta crew affectionately call the “Towelheads, because of the super Afro-centric head wraps, and the brothers that are the greatest at putting a thrift store outfit together, keep some organic body oils and only drink Guinness and Red Stripe. I can’t tell you how many nights I spent in those joints. My homeboy spent at least three nights a week in different spots like that while on the hunt for his big break. I call him the hardest working man not necessarily in show business. These are the places that the havens and nesting spots for tight circles of starving and struggling artist to hone their craft and hopefully make a big enough name for themselves to go on to the big leagues. The circles are real tight and sometimes getting on the list and having the MC stick to the list can make you want to forego the “love” in the place and get downright animalistic.

Over time, the “El Natural” brothers and sisters have shared some of the space with the educated and sophisticated starving artists. There is one thing that hasn’t changed though and that is the arrogance and the “I’m on the rise, so look for me at the top” attitude that these artists have. It’s really interesting how a weekly performance at the Apache Lounge converts to a 90 date European tour. Most people there are in the same position and the others are there simply to enjoy the show. This whole mindset is probably what kills the career of some of these artists before they get started.

In this case, it was the manager of the artists that may do them in. There was a band playing at this lounge; some young funky little cats that had this funk/rock type of groove. While they were playing, I thought about a friend of mine that’s a Hip Hop producer and was looking for some guys to come in and play some live bass and lead guitar on couple of songs. As they were leaving, I stopped one of the cats to ask him about “hiring” them for a studio session. Hiring is the key word here. He said to talk to his manager which is the business smart and respectable thing to do. I stopped his “manager” and asked about hiring them for a studio session. She asked me if I had a studio, which was not the topic of discussion but, I responded with the details of what my friend needed. She asked me if I had a business card and I stated not at this time but I have a couple of email addresses and a BBM that I can provide. She said that she had her business cards in the car and she would bring them in for me. Now immediately, I took this as the big blow off but she did come back. She gave the bartender big glossy photos of the band and something else. I figured that she was handling business so I waited and then I noticed that she was skating past me on the sly. This is what reminded me of that attitude that I was so familiar with from up and coming artists only this time it was from the manager.

The manager is supposed to have the best interest of the artists in mind and I suppose that being “hired” for a studio session is not in the best interest of the artist. Being hired means that you will be receiving money for services rendered; in this case playing some songs that brings immediate and possible future revenue to the artists, as well as expand their exposure by having their names posted on a piece of work in a different musical genre. Maybe she assumed because I didn’t have a business card on me that it made me less legitimate and that is understandable, but what you do is take the information that is provided or provide your information as you said that you would and then have a conversation to make an informed decision about furthering the relationship. This was a move that wasn’t very business savvy in my opinion but I hope these guys do well because I like what they have going on and their manager gets the Gas Face for offering something and then reneging. This is truly what you would call “Death by the Manager”.

As always, TELL SOMEBODY! Hit me at www.facebook.com/Marcus.Obrien2 or www.Twitter.com/TheMarcusObrien

Stalley ft. Rashad "SLAPP"

No words except for this is my new isht!

Heavyweight Title

The warning shots have been fired and the stage is being set to witness one of the BEST Hip Hop battles since Nas and Jay-Z (which in my seemingly unpopular opinion Jay won) with the possibility of a tag team match which I’ll get to later. What do you think about Jay-Z vs. Lil’ Wayne? I think I need to keep my internet game up and keep Kay Slay on my XM.

So I thought Jay might have been taking a shot at Wayne on him and Kanye’s H.A.M. with the “…really, you got baby (possibly Baby/Birdman) money, you ain’t even got my lady money” and yes, it seems that was absolutely the case. It was confirmed when I heard the interview with Wayne being asked about it and he simply stated “I can’t even box with the god about that…but I will use it to my advantage.” There’s two ways to use it to his advantage; be vocal about Jay-Z mentioning him or finding a way to use it for retaliatory purposes which I think is what will happen. We have to remember that Wayne wanted to and nearly signed with Jay until Baby backed the money truck up and they put that Young Money thing in place. Shortly after that Wayne was a little sore at Jay-Z and there were a couple of words but nothing major. Jay recognized him as being one of the best in the game. Not that Jay-Z has the say so on whom official, but it is a highly respected nod.

What we have to realize that good Hip Hop music often comes from competition, not conflict, but competition. I don’t see this as getting to the level of one of the infamous and frivolous beefs we often hear about, but it will be serious competition. What we also have to realize is that for years Jay-Z has been considered the heavyweight champ by most for years and for the past few years there have been considerable amounts of arguments that state Wayne is the young champ and in some circles THE CHAMP. It’s inevitable that this has to happen. It is interesting that Jay-Z starts hitting the body bag first. Lately, he may make a quick reference to something and let us put it together but this he openly threw a jab and said “it eat if you can”.

Wayne is the competition and has been on fire non stop for a few years and has a extremely heavy following in New York and the Tri State area. Jay has to do something to keep the title, hence, “Watch the Throne”. Now this may sound like one of those crazy conspiracy theories that I often mock but the timing is right and Drake may have unknowingly or wittingly set this up. Jay-Z and Kanye’s album, “Watch the Throne” is supposed to be released within the month if it hasn’t been delayed again. The obvious is that Wayne appears to be next in line for the “throne” if you will and is the biggest competition, so on a song like H.A.M., Jay should have and had to address it if he plans to stay in that spot for a while. But, a few weeks back Drake poked and made a joke about “hearing about a couple of guys making an album together” and something in the nature of the idea may have come from somewhere else implying that him and Wayne may have been in the works on the same thing. Of course he said it jokingly, but that is just enough to let the competition begin. If Wayne and Drake put out an album together, I hope it wouldn’t be on some battle isht because Wayne would be all by his lonesome on that. Drake is nice but there’s not enough raw beast in him to go a few rounds with those Jay-Z, Kanye, and Lil’ Wayne; however, I am looking forward to hearing a response from Wayne soon and seeing how this plays out for the next few months. This is what Hip Hoppers live for! This may take it back to 40oz of Crazy Horse and Billy Dee (Colt 45).

As Always, TELLSOMEBODY and follow me on Twitter @TheMarcusObrien and friend me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Marcus02

The Epitome of The "S" Word

This is the age where the word “Swagg” or “Swagger” is SO overused and misused. The notion of just having swagger is overrated because so many people have the idea that it replaces having talent. It’s really been embedded into the minds of newer Hip Generations that “Swagg” is the end all to be a successful rapper. I even heard a radio promo a while back where they were looking for new artists and the actually formed their mouth to say “Everybody knows that the industry is based on swag”! Just to let the uninformed know, it’s not a replacement but an enhancement and a quick fix for a more serious underlying issue – Whackness! I will check into rehab after this for saying the S word so much. It’s out of hand and must be stopped. All it really means is to have style and presence.

Camp Lo is still one of my favorite duos of all time and had the S word and rhymes to pass around three or four times. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t remember the song that put them on the map “Luchini – This is it”. That came out and it was so awkward because it didn’t fit the mold for anything that was going on at the time. There was Wu Tang, Death Row, Bad Boy, Master P, Redman and others that made Hip Hop balanced. What made it awkward was their delivery of their subject matter. It’s heavy on inference and metaphors. To really understand some of the things that were going on, it was mandatory to listen a few times. There were back stories and heavy references to diamond heists and other hustles and scams hence, the album title “Uptown Saturday Night” which was a 70’s movie starring Bill Cosby and Sidney Portier who had to outhustle the big time hustlers in the city.

Bronx bred MC’s Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suade shoot slick talk in its purest form. The wordplay these two cats have is superb and it’s matched with the swagger (in its intended meaning). It’s the kind of music you really want to listen to because there’s always a new jewel to find with every repeat. I listen to it and hear about weed selling, champagne popping, and endless women, but it’s presented in such a sophisticated way that you don’t sit back and think to yourself “I’m too old to be listening to this goofy isht”. It’s some cool isht. Beyond that, these cats spit hot fire like Dylan, Dylan, Dylan. I remember pulling up at a grocery store parking lot blasting this and the white guy who was parked next to me was getting into his car and just stopped. I got out and the first thing he said to me was, “It’s not just every day that you hear somebody ridin’ around bumpin’ Camp Lo”. I wasn’t surprised that he was white at all because of the four people that I’ve had a Camp Lo conversation with in the past few years, two of them were white. I was more surprised how random it was that somebody recognized it and made an extra effort to speak on it.

I don’t know the back story on the politics of their industry business dealings and why they have at least four studio albums that with the exception of “Uptown Saturday Night” received little to no mainstream buzz. A damn shame in my opinion because if we talk about Hip Hop duo’s of all time, they’re in the top 5 hands down if the criteria is based on solid material. They also released the “Short Eyes” EP in Japan that I heard about way after the fact. That’s how you get things done; send it overseas where people appreciate you. I say, when you get a chance look these cats up and YouTube them so you can get some spiritual enlightenment. All aspiring MC’s, take note and I’m not gonna tell you not to bite because I don’t think that this can be recreated, but I will say use this as how to guide to marry skill with the dreaded S word.

As always, TELL SOMEBODY and check the archives below this post. Friend me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Marcus.Obrien2 and Follow me on Twitter at @TheMarcusObrien

Cool Breeze-Whatcha Really Know About The Dirty South?

A few posts back, I posted a GRIMEY mixtape song by Acrite called “Get Em Up”. I’m almost positive that you don’t know who he is so look in the January archives to find the video link. But there was another song on the mixtape where he jacked Cool Breeze’s “Watch for the Hook”. The lyrics, CRAZY, but it made me think about Cool Breeze and how he had one of my favorite Highway CD’s of all time. See, I’m a guy that likes to see the land and get into the landscape and enjoy the sites and stop in on places I might not see any other time. I’m talking about places like Americus Georgia, Dothan Alabama, and Bradshaw Maryland. But anyway, I refuse to get on the highway without this CD because it’s just one of those albums that you just ride to.

Cool Breeze, Cool Cutta or Freddy Calhoun if you wanna go deep with it,is 1st generation Dungeon Family, (See the Archives for Aug 2, 2009) and an MC that is awkward in the sense that he doesn’t fit the mold of what most think a southern artist is. The first thing is that he didn’t curse on the album which is a rarity in Hip Hop. Maybe I had an edited version, but it was still hard as hell. There was dope slanging, car jackin’, plenty of slanguage and references that only people who are from ATL or who have been there for a while would understand and appreciate; However, the themes were universal because the dude is dope. The second thing is, my man is nice; he doesn't fall into the sometimes hypocritical view that is given of the South. You know how it goes, it rocks the club and everybody has a good time but at the same time “it’s garbage” conversation. Cool Breeze came from a camp of real rhymers and it shows.

His album, “East Point’s Greatest Hits” hit home for me because I lived in East Point for a while after I moved to Atlanta before moving to Jersey. East Point is technically a suburb of Atlanta but not really. Depending on where you’re at in the city, you may be across the street from the Atlanta or College Park city limits – both of which I once lived. From beginning to end, it hits hard. From the funky, funky, funky intro to the end, my man doesn’t just give you the average southern song that the industry feeds us; he gives classic ATL hustler/grown man talk with tight rhymes. This is the cat that actually coined the phrase “The Dirty South” on the Goodie Mob song “Dirty South” from the “Soul Food” album. My favorite song on the album besides “Watch for the Hook” and “Butter” would have to be “Hit Man” feat E.J. the Witchdoctor. The Organized Noize Production is superb like always. Yeah, It’s an old album but it’s definitely one that deserves at the very least a look on You Tube and a search on Amazon or I Tunes. Of course I’ve got a video, but do me a favor and TELL SOMEBODY about the site and follow me on Twitter at @TheMarcusObrien and friend me and like the page on Facebook.

See the archives below this article and comment by signing into Gmail or use “Anonymous”.

Say It Ain't So Kim!

I just want to believe that Lil' Kim is telling the truth about these "Black Friday" mixtape sales. I like Lil' Kim and she seems to be down to earth and respectable outside of this extremely strange issue that she has with Nicki Minaj that some people are calling an obsession. While listening to Power 105 New York, on air personality Charlamagne Tha God made the obsessive reference by saying that "when Nicki Minaj said 'which bitch you know made a million off a mixtape' that she decided to do that". He went on to talk about running with the "Pink Friday" theme and turning it into "Black Friday" which was entertaining as it flowed with his ribbing of Kim and could used to demonstrate obsessive behavior. The obsession theory could be thrown out there as one of those ridiculous conspiracy theories like the every successful entertainer is part of the Illuminati, or "there are 27 diamonds on his watch which is the date that an Egyptian ruler died so that means that he is claiming to be the ruler of a new dynasty" but there have been some instances that play into the banter. To Lil' Kim's defense, what she did makes sense in the spirit of Hip Hop Battles. Kim took the idea to rebuttal and refute.

Now that I've shed some of my thoughts, (and they are simply my thoughts) the point of this all is that Lil' Kim claimed to sell over 100,000 copies of the mixtape for $9.99 on Pay Pal in a little more than 24 hours. The price makes a difference because that is where the Nicki Minaj million dollar mixtape bitch reference enters the arena. The simple math of 100,000 x 10 = $1,000,000 gives fuel to the "obsession" fire because a parallel to Nicki is created with that. The disbelief of this feat takes a front row seat at the arena when a reported Pay Pal representative stated that one million dollars worth of transactions would trigger an audit by Pay Pal and shut down her site, and also that the site had only been visited only around 24,000 times. With that math every person who clicked in the site would have to purchase 4.16 albums. The representative did not specifically deny or back up Lil' Kim's claims, but if that information is accurate, it would be tough to believe that things happened the way her camp claims.

I have no personal stake in any of this, but it's Hip Hop, and I live for Hip Hop talk barbershop style and "this isht smells funkay". Yes, I meant Funkay with the ay cause that means a little more than funky. As I stated in previous articles about this, I don't understand why so much effort was put into this battle by Kim in the first place. But more than that, almost a year later with no significant progress, I don't know why she's still pursuing it. This would be the time to put out an album on her own accord while people are watching her and give her die hard fans something. To be real about it, "Romans Revenge" was a massacre. Kim's reply was solid and respectable, but not strong enough in my opinion. Right then is when she should have either let it be or maintained an onslaught all of the way until now; not sit back and then months later "here comes the mixtape". That's whack! She should have been killing her every Friday until "Black Friday" to put some pressure on. Nicki had no pressure and that's why no one has heard much from her about Kim since "Roman's Revenge. Again, I love Kim but, this is not a good move for a veteran and I hope that these numbers weren't skewed as the reports have been and that she just puts out some dope music.

As always, TELL SOMEBODY! Sign in with your Gmail account or leave a comment under "anonymous". Follow me on Twitter at @TheMarcusObrien

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Imjussayin

Imjussayin

A quick thought for the moment. Do you remember when people were hungry, you know starving? When everything wasn't so effortless? Every beat didn't take "about 5 minutes" to make and people did write rhymes. A time when you could hear in someone's voice that they meant what they said and it wasn't just cool to say, or people had their own style and it wasn't cool to completely sound like the next one because "that's the way the industry is movin' now"? What about when edgy was cool and it was alright to just spit and spit hard; not tough guy hard but be a beast without a dozen pauses in the rhyme like "Ah, Yeah, and other time wasting tactics. (See 6 ft. 7 by Wayne to see how to thoroughly GO IN). What about when cat's held the microphone like it meant something. You know, get in a stance like it was all out warfare instead of wobbling back and forth, and bouncing on one foot like a toddler about to piss on themselves. I quit downing people for what they do to make it in life; however, these are a few things that I'm tired of now. Right now is just a boring time in Hip Hop and it gives me too much of an opportunity to notice some of the ridiculous antics that go on. If this offends anyone I don't necessarily apologize, but it is a wake up call that I'm not the only one who feels this way so do something fly to prove us wrong. PEACE
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Lyrical Combat (Hip Hop)

Send something fly and I'll post it!

Mixtape Massacre

I remember sometime between ’92 and ’93 my homeboy and DJ went to Pittsburgh to visit family for a couple of weeks, and came back with this crazy tape of these cats on some serious hood shit with this song called “Trapped in Homewood”. Apparently, they were Bloods from the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, which is just a small part of the equation. Besides them banging on wax, they jacked the “Dwyck” beat from Nice and Smooth and Gangstarr, slowed it down, put some drums on it, and sampled what I think was Tupac saying trapped for the hook with gunshots and other crazy stuff in the background. We rocked that tape to death until it mysteriously came up missing like most of the underground tapes we had.

They definitely had us in the pocket with that which is the power of the mix tape-keeping in contact with the streets. I don’t mean the streets as in every mix tape is pure gangster, but artist have the ability to relax on the industry water down and do some of the things that got them into the industry, or get noticed by the industry. The perfect example of that is 50 Cent. Some people hate him now and are sick of hearing him and some people love him like when he first came out. In the past couple of years, some of his videos and singles haven’t been my favorites, but his mix tapes stay in heavy rotation in the streets and I suppose provide decent money in between albums. French Montana was killing ‘em with the Coke Waves. It’s too bad Max B isn’t here right now to enjoy the success of it, I hope things work out for him though. The Affiliates got Atlanta poppin’ on the national mix tape seen but before that, DJ Jelly of the Oomp Camp held it down. In the Chicago you got the Drama Ward, CWall, and others that drop stuff that usually keep up their regional presence.

I just like the grit and hunger when artists are letting it out on wax for the absolute love of the music and to be appreciated by fans that don’t have Sound Scan numbers and radio play on their minds although radio has played a significant role in promoting the mix tape movement in the past few years. Prominent DJ’s like Whoo Kid, DJ Drama, K Slay, and Green Lantern not only sponsor volumes of mix tapes, but also have slots on major radio stations that keep us interested with exclusive songs, remixes and collaborations with artists that may never get a chance to work together under a label circumstance. Green Lantern put out “Pablo Doe” with Styles P, Uncle Murda, and Noreaga which is still one of my favorites. I remember riding through Newark and almost breaking my neck I was nodding so hard. It’s tidbits like those that keep my Hip Hop battery charged. We just need to make sure that the mix tape scene doesn’t get as diluted as the industry is due to the record execs attempting to cash in on what we make hot, and advise on what’s hot after the fact that they didn’t want to touch it in the beginning. That’s the same way they took over and altered Hip Hop in the first place, which has its pros and cons, but that’s another topic. I say support your favorite artists and Dj’s and pick up those mix tapes and help make some noise outside of the industry and keep things moving. And somebody please put me down on sown on some West Coast siht. As always, TELL SOMEBODY!

"Get Em Up" Actrite

I'm wildin' out this week. This is one of the illest songs that almost no one has heard. It’s on a super underground mixtape that I ran across a while back. This cat has a delivery that makes every line tie together so that it’s not just scattered thoughts being put together, it’s a conversation. He probably sat down and wrote this and knew what he wanted. It’s classic Hip Hop without the watered down hooks and lyrics. I think the cat’s name is Act Rite.

“Get your hands up sky high, like a liquor store robbery,
I’m retarded, bad with the flow, curled up and slobbery,
Decrepit in this b----, you know fu---- up in the frontal lobe, and I’m in frontin’ mode, keep flows tucked and stowed away, from spineless, snake-in-the-grass a—hole bastards like yourself, break in your room and steal the weed of your shelf,
Just to piss you off, now have a f------ up day, I don’t give a s--- what you got to say, I’m like furious an your Trey, ‘Put the mic down son’, and stay away from Dough Boy,
He got that s--- to make Cam’Ron and Jus Blaze say Oh Boy, You don’t wanna go boy,
I’ll shoot your dog wit B.B. guns and point it at your boy, see he runs, he aint that hard-
He B---- like that B---- but he only got two legs, I go to parties with white boys cause they keep them two kegs, for 22 personas and I quit f------ wit coronas, they kinda like chicks who only show tits in swimming pools and saunas,
I just want little something more fulfilling,
I’m a outfielder with no glove, I don’t catch feelings
And I aint Superman either b---- I don’t catch buildings,
Don’t dance either like Lionel Rich on ceilings,
Certain dealings and mishaps keep me leery of jibber dudes,
Niccas got 13 songs and 15 interludes, while I’m making bigger moves than Tsunami’s in Asia,
Wash out whack dudes like Tsunami’s in Asia,
I don’t think you heard me dog I’m tragic like Tsunami’s in Asia, For as many times as I said it I should have got paid son,
but NOPE, certain things that I do make me raise the,
Topic of devastation,
Cause that’s the only way to explain the,
Total lack of respect and disregard of your being,
I don’t give a f--- about you and that’s what you’re not seeing,
You’re far from original and definitely not g’ing,
We can ask your girl, your moms, your pops, and they will all be agreeing,
That you should quit early before I take drastic measures,
Mess up your life just for pleasure, I’m in to harmful endeavors,
I’m Off The Wall like Mike Jack, Jack Me like Janet Dammit,
Ain’t no button to push, no one knows of your panic,
Get ‘Em Up! -Actrite “Get ‘Em Up”

Street Cred

About a year ago, I wrote an article about the new blood of Hip Hop with Drake being the focus. I stated then that in the beginning, I was unsure of where he was coming from, but had changed my mind. My stance has not changed as this cat has been consistent; So much, that on Christmas I tweeted that I was on a 24 hour Tequila diet in reference to “Money to Blow” which, in my opinion, Baby should have never been allowed in the vicinity of the studio when that was being recorded. Sorry, I’m a fan of the classic Baby and Manny Fresh combination. Those two used to compete to be the most outlandish with the overindulgence which made for great entertainment. Who speaks of stepping out with a pair of dinosaur boots with a matching coat? The answer is no one but those two which is off subject, but has a remote place in this article as I am speaking about the Cash Money Camp. I lost the "How U Luv That" CD twice and bought it three times just to listen to those cats.

Before my digression, I was speaking of how the guy has the knack of saying fly shit which is what you do when you are an MC. Now we all know as one has success and rides their wave of success and “does them” there is always sideline chatter to the contrary. I am one to speak my opinion which is just that, my opinion and I do not discourage anyone from discussing their opinion unless their only purpose is to pour salt. Just like others, when I heard Drake was on the Nick TV show, in my head I thought “now what is this guy about”, and unfairly and unnecessarily doubting his street sense, as if it is going to make a difference if it would qualify him to make good music. As silly as it sounds, that is a real topic of criticism about a guy that admits that he knew he couldn’t come with a hard core image and doesn’t reference the tough guy-isms in his songs that people tend to believe is real lyricism because it wouldn’t work. I could hear less of the singing but women buy albums so hum away, I guess. Again, the guy just says fly shit and he’s good at it. Of course there’s braggadocio in the rhymes, but that is Hip Hop. Not to say that I don’t appreciate my fair share of tough guy antics, because there’s nothing like a round of “Lay it Down” by Eightball and MJG or “Dump” by 50 and Jadakiss in the morning; but the You Tube rap battles with guys describing how there bullets will do a ridiculous amount of damage to “ya mans and them” doesn’t assist me in my decision on who is actually the best as much as it decides who should move to Hollywood to be a screenplay writer.

There have been interviews where there were references to Drake being corny or Will Smith-ish, or not being from the streets. Don’t misunderstand me, I get it but, I personally don’t understand what being heavy in the streets has to do with the music you make if that life is not your subject matter. Hip Hop does reflect the realities of ghetto life, but there are countless factors that will decide if that will make it to the music. People decide not to incriminate themselves and others and choose not to tell those stories, and some chose to do so. Some choose to leave the past in the past, and some decide to tell the story to steer others away from the life. Many MC’s have the story to tell, but have a gift to rhyme about being the best on the mic and some are just not street. There are extremely hood people that make little mention of their real street status as well as people that didn’t live in the hood but have strong hood ties. There is a common misconception that you HAVE to be from the “hood” to spit rhymes. Yes, it started in the hood, but the realistic qualities within the music and culture has allowed it to grow. In that growth, it was received by some that are more fortunate than others and they have had their turn to share their realities. I really don’t give a damn where your upbringings are from as long as the artist stays in their lane, that shit is dope, and your message isn’t false. Drake’s reality is that he made money, had a lot of time to think of good shit to say and it worked for him. The “he ain’t hood” gibberish is an overrated topic of discussion because again, it doesn’t determine if it’s dope or not. It is a device of hate that should be locked away without a key to release it. This isn’t a pro Drake session, he just happens to be a good example of one that has been a victim if player-hate-ish acts committed by some who may well be otherwise player rule abiding individuals, so we can consider this a pro “let people do them” session. Follow me on Twiiter or Facebook using the links above and remember TELL SOMEBODY!

M.O.P. feat. Styles P - Bang Time

I've been in the mood to stay a far away from the radio as possible for the past few weeks. Unfortunately, NY radio is still on last fall's music rotation, and I've gone through all of the independant artists that follow me on Twitter (Keep it pushing!). I was in the mood for some "rah rah, rowdy, beast music". I wanted something the was almost absent of melody and absolutely unrefined, and who would be best to give it to me... M.O.P! Hell, I feel like hopping on a train with some Private Stock, earphones and a backpack right now. I might just shoot over to Coney Island for no reason. M.O.P is one of the last groups to give that uncut, non watered down Hip Hop that's now tailor made to touch the sensitive side of a man. Being a man, I don't particularly want to hear everyone's vulnerable points, relationship woes, and love interests. Sometimes, I just want raw Hip Hop. So, thank M.O.P. for me bringing this to you.

LL Got Murked

In the “Blood In The Water” post about Nicki Minaj vs. Lil’ Kim, I stated that I would get back you on this topic. Well, here it is. Did L.L. Cool J really defeat Cannibus in their 1998 battle? I am an old school L.L. fan. I’m talking about hooking the cable up to the back of the radio so I could tune in WGCI in Chicago and recording “Dear Yvette” on a cassette tape because besides “The Show”, it was my favorite song. I’m talking about drinking 40oz’s at my homeboy’s house and acting out the “I’m Bad” video.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. Chris Luva Luva (Ludacris) and Poon Daddy were on the air at (then) Hot 97 ATL and they played the Cannibus song. I had seen the video already and I knew there was a problem. This cat was hungry like four fat pregnant chicks having cravings, but I was still thinking to myself”how do you decide to battle L.L.?” But, when it came on the radio, it felt like the spotlight was on and he was ready for the show. That’s when I knew that he KILLED this cat. I thought that it was over with and that one of my Hip Hop idols had gone down in flames.

Let me sidetrack myself for a moment and philosophize for a moment. What we can’t do is base a decision on previous accomplishments, likings, and emotion. That’s where I bamboozled, hoodwinked, and sideswiped myself in regard to this battle. Even when it was obvious that Uncle L was not going to make too many songs for the original B-boy crowd, I rode the wave. In my early teens, when I first got serious about girls and one girl in particular, I rocked with “Around the way girl” because it was L.L. Cool J. What we have to do is just be in tune and real with ourselves.

Let’s get back to the story. I was speaking of L going down in flames but, it didn’t quite happen that way. Maybe a week or two later Luva Luva and Poon Daddy were back on the air with L.L.’s response. They made me wait through about two sets of commercials before they really got to it but, what are you gonna do? What they did was set it up as a battle, played the songs back to back and had people call in and vote. I’ll never forget Poon Daddy saying “You can’t go against no legend” and that’s al that I needed to change my mind about my idol. At that very moment, I believe that I was persuade to believe that L.L. was going to crush this little guy and remain undefeated in a battle. The song played, and in my heart I knew it wasn’t strong enough, but I ran with it for years until I saw an episode of “Beef” and they were interviewing Kool Moe Dee about his battle with L.L.. Kool Moe Dee basically said that more than potency, it was the intensity that got him over. When listening to the interviews of others through the years, the decision was based on legend status rather than how hard did he come. That’s when I decided to be real about the situation, (and this answers the question in the beginning of this) and said HELL NAW (yes, I said Naw) L.L. didn’t win. Cannibus WENT IN on this cat relentlessly! The references to the fan base and taking the Mic off of his arm is classic!

Did L go out without being a formidable competitor? No. Did he win? Absolutely not, and that battle didn’t hurt lessen his prestige because many won’t admit that he lost but here is the opportunity to set yourself free and say Can-I-Bus busted that ass. The video clip and archives are below, like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and don't forget to TELL SOMEBODY!

Drop The Bomb Em!

Drop The Bomb Em!

Let’s just get to it. Whenever there’s a white guy that’s a MC, the comment “he straight for a white dude” is usually the first comment. I get it, sort of. In the beginning, most white people were not messing with Hip Hop, or even found it the least bit tolerable. They hated the graffiti art, had no idea what the DJ was doing, and mocked the dress and movements. You’ve seen it when they contort their faces and arms and pose like a B-Boy with cerebral damage. But with the Beastie Boys (One of the dopest groups PERIOD), white people had an entry to Hip Hop with something and someone that they could somewhat relate to. Since that introduction, many fans of Hip Hop are white so it’s only natural that generations later there are white MC’s and to me it doesn’t matter if your black, white, brown, or turquoise, dope is dope.

 What leads me to this is me and my homeboy were discussing how Eminem is probably the best MC (Not just rapper) that there is but will never get full credit because he’s white. We went into how his sales were probably increased because he’s white, and that may be true, however it comes with the territory. Because he’s white there is a resonance with Caucasians that goes deeper than music. This is the same connection that Latino and Black listeners have an inner understanding of the music an MC of their own race. This all came about because my homeboy and I were having a conversation about Emenim and how he is about the best MC (Not just rapper) that there is. I don’t care what color, nice is nice.

 The facts are that (A) He’s white (B) He breathes Hip Hop (C) He has been with black people majority of his life. Then the conversation moved into our normal frank nature that the sensitive individuals may find completely offensive. My boy said that in his eyes, he doesn’t see Em as a white dude he sees him as a quote “N Bomb”. Yes, he said “N Bomb”. We are cut from a different cloth from most so, sometimes our thoughts are deemed to be outlandish. With that being said, my homeboy said that he’s waiting for Em to drop the N Bomb on wax. I said that he will never do it and can’t do it because black people aren’t ready for that, but it wouldn’t bother me in the least. You may ask why and that is because I don’t feel that it would be in a malicious nature and I think he knows, understands, and has been a PART of black culture. In some people’s eyes that is not a pass, but I’m not easily offended. Mel Gibson didn’t piss me off and neither did George Jefferson calling people honkeys. So, the question is posed. Can Emenim drop the N Bomb? Post your comments below and TELL SOMEBODY!

Death Certificate

     Ice Cube’s “Death Certificate” was and still is one of my favorite albums. It was Ice Cube without NWA, being mentored and produced by the Chuck D and the Bomb Squad, on some everyday street isht with a positive message to it. Cube married rowdy, gangster street mentality, with Islamic ideals, common sense, and righteousness. He found a way to take one side of the album to play towards the streets who wanted to hear the gangsterism, but with that, he put it in the air that “As you listen to this, pay attention to what is being said and decide if this is what you want for your life”. The other side directly addressed the issues and plainly stated what positive changes needed to made in the Black and Hispanic communities. The two were named the “Life” and “Death” sides, a concept that was genius and allowed him to give different points of views with without being considered contradictory with songs like “Dead Homies”, Steady Mobbin’”, "A Bird In The Hand", and “Givinupthenappydugout”.


    Now let’s get to the meat of this discussion, “My Summer Vacation”. The song is FAR from “Are We There Yet?” It basically tells a story about some cats from LA spreading their love for making money by bringing dirt cheap Cocaine to St. Louis and while setting up shop, running into a few problems and converting the locals to Bloods and Crips to make the process a bit simpler. The song hit home for me because I was in St. Louis often with friends and family and had a few experiences with the gangs; some cool, some not so much. What I didn’t know until I got older is that was the real reason why every time I went to Northwest Plaza, Saints, and rode through U-City the blue and red flags were so prevalent. Ice Cube was not only giving us an oral history lesson, he was spittin’.

    It all brings back good memories of good music and good times in one of my favorite towns. Of course I have the video below, so check that out, follow me on Facebook and on Twitter @TheMarcusObrien and TELL SOMEBODY. The link to the archives are below.

Dishonorable Hip Hop Honors

Although Tony Draper of Suave House Records was snubbed when the Pioneers of Southern Hip Hop were honored last year, nearly all of the inductees to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors have been deserving that I can remember. But for the last two or three years, I've been wondering how can one of the greatest Hip Hop duos of all time has consistently been left off of the guest list. Who had one of the coldest samples of "More Bounce to the Ounce", rocked the ill fisherman caps, brought us Redman, K-Solo, Das Efx, Keith Murray, Illegal, and had one of the livest DJ's in DJ Scratch. That team would be Eric Sermon and Parrish Smith, Eric and Parrish Making Dollars or EPMD for short.

I remember when they first came out, I took the bus to the mall with my walkman and bought the "Strictly Business" cassette and rocked it the whole way home. I must've played "You Gots to Chill" a million times that night. That album went gold which was big back then. On all of their albums they maintained the "Business" themes - Strictly Business, Business as Usual, Back to Business, which was fitting since they penned their own rhymes and handled a bulk of the production. Even during a break up of the Brentwood, Long Island duo, they maintained the "Business" theme.

What VH1 should do is handle their business and give proper respects to one of the all time great Hip Hop duos. How in the hell do you honor Def Jam and only have one verse of "Crossover". People need to know that after Run DMC, there was a tag team that held it down and made a way for some of the dopest MC's that the '90's saw. Eric Sermon even helped Shaq with his first album. So, I'm thinking that until this is done, VH1 is on some bull$#!* and I'm not rockin' with them until they have sobered up from the wack juice that they have been sipping honor EPMD. I would advise all Hip Hop heads to do as I do and write them and let's see what happens. As always, TELL SOMEBODY and follow me on Twitter at @TheMarcusObrien.

2010 Are You Ready?

   Alright, so it's the end of 2011 and so much music has and news has come, passed, been forgotten, and driven through the wringer that it's nearly impossible for me to maintain any sort of chronological history or all of the events of this year so I'll just touch on a few in short order.
 
 Fat Joe came with it on a SOLID album that had one of my favorite songs of the year "No Problemz". T.I unfortunately went back to jail but put together a good package to hold us over until he comes back. Also in regard to T.I, he smashed that verse on "Fancy" didn't he?.

WAIT, STOP THE PARTY! Swizz Beatz showed this year why he is "The Monster" by making the hit songs and remixes this year. He produced song's like "Roman's Revenge" for Emenim and Nicki Minaj which by the way was simply animalistic and made "the issue" between Nicki Minaj and Lil' Kim official. You tell me your thoughts on the results of that. While speaking of Monsters, Nicki along with Kanye, Jay Z and Rick Ross transformed into beasts for one of the biggest songs of the year in "Monster". "First things first I'll eat your brain"! Who says that?! Oh yeah the video is below.

While mentioning Kanye, although I would have not liked for him to have apologized to Lucifer himself (George W. Bush) because the prick was unappreciative of the sentiment and as always too arrogant to even want to get Ye's name right, I understood where it was coming from. Also, I would like for Taylor Swift fans and non-fans to quit bitching and tell the girl to do what is proper and cut that man a check for new found popularity. Lastly, I would like to say that this cat has again fouind a way to create great music and be the biggest asshole ever to critics without spelling it out in ABC fashion, hense "Monster"

In other Def Jam stories, again the label whose foundation is Hip Hop lacks promotion of Hip Hop. While Rick Ross had the hottest summer seen by a Def Jam artist since Jay Z which BLAZING hot singles like "BMF" and "MC Hammer" the numbers didn't add up to the expectations. Gold is not the worst but Hip Hop was spoiled with Platinum plus for a few years. Big Boi, Redman and Ghostface who all put forth great works but promotion that is less than what Def Jam is known for doing for their premier Hip Hop Artists. With that being said, that WU Massacre was on fire, you know, grown people's rap. Ludacris made sure that he kept himself and Atlanta noticed by doing what he does best and rhyming.

Luda had some help from Gucci Mane and Waka Flaka who have made a foundation for themselves amist so many negative sentiments from individuals in the Hip Hop commuity. Some who may not have embraced their efforts in the beginning, have embraced their realistic ideals, loyalty to each other, and honesty. It's almost like Soulja Boy who "swagged" his way into another infamous year whether for the good or bad.

In Young Money news outside of Nicki Minaj, Lil' Wayne came home, got right to work and hit the streets with 6"7 which was much needed for him to get back into the swing and for me as I can't listen to anymore Drake songs. Before I'm labled as a hater, let me state that I like the rapper Drake. I just need new material because there has been an oversaturation of the market that I need a brake from right now.

The biggest comeback of the year is obviously Emenim who came back larger than King Kong. Everything that he's touched this year has been spotless and that's good for him. Good to see the asshole back in the race.

Mentions go to 50 and Jadakiss for "Dump", Yelawolf for being just that awkward in perception and that nice on the mic, Joel Ortiz for being that asshole rapper that I miss in Hip Hop, Ice Cube and Rev Run and the gang for bridging the gap on the BET Hip Hop Awards, Lloyd Banks for staying down and shining in a way that I didn't notice before, Dipset for bringing it back together, Bun B for holding up after a great loss and putting in great work w/ Talib Kweli, Talib Kweli and Hi Tek for Another album, Jay Electronica for providing verbal chess matches, The Cool Kids for staying off the beaten path and funky, Cali Swagg District for getting sexy ass grown women up out of their seats and wiggling perfectly, B.O.B for doing exactly what he wants to do and making it work, Dr. Dre for finally moving his finger toward the album release button after another 10 years, and Skillz for another Year End Rap Up which I know is coming, but haven't heard yet. Like I said, I can't remember everything so there may be an update but until then, TELL SOMEBODY and follow me on Twitter at TheMarcusObrien.

Apollo Kid

I have to take the time to put a little light on a MC with enough character to pass around the room twice and still have enough to give plenty of color to the album. He's a member of the Wu who rocked the Wally's, ill robes and a 6 inch high gold eagle arm bracelet. Call him Tony Starks or Ghostface but either way, you'll get the same ill flow and swagger. Who else would do a video eating an ice cream cone? We all know him from the Wu Tang Clan, but I'm thinking about some of the solo efforts he's put forth. I have to say that "Shakey Dog" on the Fishscale album is not only one of my favorite songs on the album, but one of my favorites period. The song is about a robbery set up that didn't go as well as expected. This cat is one of the best story tellers that there is in Hip Hop. Years ago my homeboy and I started calling Ghostface "The Great Describer" because we would listen to him and notice how he could give you a verse and a half simply giving you the set up for the story which includes describing everything and everyone in the room down to the shoelace, and that's what made "Shakey Dog" on Fishscale so hot. By the end of the song, I had to know what happened with the Spanish cat and Ghostface. There's not too many MC's that can keep people's attention with a story anymore, but this guy really does paint pictures with words and has hilarious lines to keep the listener entertained.

He's been on record as saying that he likes beats with soulful samples. What I would like to see is an album with production from the RZA, 9th Wonder, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Alchemist, Pete Rock, NO I.D., and see if there could be some type of clearance for a Jay Dee tack in there. I have no idea how much case that would take, but I'm sure that the end result would be BANANNAS! The Apollo Kids album is out now and I hope people support it cause it's good isht. Check out the link to "Shakey Dog" and as always TELL SOMEBODY!

HUNGRY!

Right now, I'm feeling that Joel Ortiz is just one of the illest cats around. Who could have taken arguably the spring and summer's hottest song, Beamer, Benz, or Bentley and stripped it down to the gutter with Nissan, Honda Chevy and make it fly. He spoke on hustler practices and techniques that only people have done it for real would know. Shots out to the Mickey D's Fish and Cheese! If you don't catch on to what I'm talking about listen again, and if you still don't get it, you never will. All year he's killed every remix he's been on and rapping like this is last year living and starving. I miss rappers who sound like their still trying to get it and haven't falling into the "I'm been living in the lap of luxury for years before rappin'" mode. Sometimes it's just refreshing to hear a blue collar rapper. With a new album out, and fire in the streets, much success to Brooklyn's Joel Ortiz. As always, TELL SOMEBODY!