Back For The Very 5th Time

After quitting rap to run charity projects, Saigon has decided to fuck the ghetto youths and get back into the booth. In a recent mySpace post, he seemed in good spirits and optimistic about "The Greatest Story Never Told," his famously delayed debut album. Among other things, he mentioned that its coming "VERY soon", features 12 legends, and has a track co-produced by Just Blaze and Kanye. He aslo says that a new single will drop around Christmas day, but then again this album was officially set to drop 15 days ago. Read the entire post here.

Album Review- "Super Gangster, Extraordinary Gentleman" - Styles P

I'm not exactly sure what to make of Styles P in 2007. His first album had the defining "Good Times" and not much else, and his '06 release "Time Is Money" wore off within days. Since then he's put out a bunch of mixtapes all of which were pretty insignificant so how would he step it up for a real album.


1. Intro

Styles pronounces himself better than all y'all mahfuckas

2. Blow Ya Mind (Feat. Swizz Beats)

The single featuring Swizz Beats ala every other mixtape rapper this year. I'd probably rather hear a loud synth beat from Swizz like he made on the second LOX album (not that he makes anything that good these days) than this soft piano sample but its not terrible. The song is about smoking, kind of like "Good Times" come to think of it.

3. Let's Go (Feat. Ray J)

Styles P raps about how he goes to the club with a gun and then wakes up hung over with the help of one of those R&B guys that performs after Sixers games.

4. Alone In The Streets

This kind of sounds like Kanye's "Homecoming" but with some sort of 808 snare (why?) and a gay voice sample. Styles just rhymes about being in the street on another uninspired track.

5. In It To Win It (Feat. Bully)

The hardest track yet and its not that bad. Styles kicks some quality shit for the first time on the album over a pretty grimey beat but this guy Bully drops possibly the worst verse evar.

6. All I Know Is Pain (Feat. The Alchemist)

The Alchemist does the hook and I assume the beat too which is pretty good but gets annoying after a while with the synth and the screams. You could take a stab at what the content is all about.

7. Got My Eyes On You (Feat. Akon)

This looks (and kind of sounds) like a radio friendly track but its actually not about a girl. Instead its about making sure kids on the block aren't about to pull some sheisty street shit on you. This Akon thing has to stop too.

8. Green Peice Of Paper

What does Styles P do for the paper? Make unoriginal rap music for one.

9. Holiday (Feat. Max B.)

This rolling guitar beat is just aight but the loud crashing snare gives it some thump. $20 for the first person who can tell me what the fuck Max B. is saying on the chorus.

10. Look @ Her

Styles raps about some chick he wants to bone over techno music.

11. Da 80's

Kid Capri, who he shouts out in the beginning and I assume does the track, kills it with the piano and the marching band drums. Styles P, who is pretty talented, fails to be the lyricisit he seems to think he is.

12. Interlude 1 (Feat. Comedian Tony Roberts)

Some guy imitating a stereotypical fake thug kid which is probably the most entertaining minute of this entire album so far.

13. Shoot Niggas (Feat. Raw Buck)

What a fucking mess! Oh, and Styles claims to have a white boyfriend. The fuck?

14. Super Gangster

This album continues to reach new lows of creativity, though Super Gangster would make for a compelling showdown with Spiderman.

15. Star Of The State (Feat. Ghostface Killah)

The "twin ghost experience." A pretty dope track and Ghostfaces' verse is funny as shit. Maybe someday he'll teach Styles how to do something like that.

16. U Ain't Ready (Feat. Beanie Sigel)

Styles and Beans go line for line on the best banger of the album.

17. Interlude 2 (Feat. Comedian Tony Roberts)

Didn't this guy get shot in the last interlude?

18. Gangster, Gangster (Feat. Sheek Louch & Jadakiss)

Finally, the LOX track. You can hear that "Make The Music With Your Mouth" sample flipped for the millionth time in there, and if this kind of thing interests you; Sheek>Jada>Styles on this.

19. Cause I'm Black (Feat. Black Thought)

A song about injustice and black power and that sort of shit so naturally Black Thought drops a better verse but still not much of a song.


Overall:

This album had its moments, but overall it was a piece of shit. I'd say that the beats were more lacking than the rhymes, but that isn't saying much since most of them sounded like anything some kid with a soundclick account could have made. My main problem with Styles here is that he's so damn unimaginative. I mentioned this a few times in the review but also note that his first album was called "A Gangster and a Gentleman" and that his last album had a song called "I'm Black".

Best Tracks:

"Gangster, Gangster", "Star Of The State"

PropsOverHere's Top 5 Most Anticipated for December

As you probably don't remember, I made a similar post like this five months ago in anticipation for the second half of '07. Out of that top five, only one album actually dropped, (Havoc's The Kush which was #5 on the list, go figure) and the other four will not be coming out this year or ever. Will these albums repair my shattered hopes?

5. J Dilla & Busta Rhymes- Dillagence

This isn't even an album really its a Mick Boogie mixtape but its Dilla instrumentals (which i probably haven't heard) and new Busta verses. Here is the song that leaked a few days ago called Step Up which sounds kind of like a Greg Nice tribute over an Ice Cream truck but who's complaining?

4. Wu Tang Clan- 8 Diagrams

This leaked a few days ago and most of the interenets think it sucks but I'll reserve my judgment until 12/11 or until I get bored and review a bootleg whichever comes first.

3. Roc-A-Fella Records- R.O.C. Stars

I know, another mixtape, but at least this one will have the best song of ever, Dead Presidents 3 hopefully in its entirety without stupid talking. Also Jay's "This Shit Right Here" is supposed to be good.

2. Hi-Tek- Hi-Teknology 3

I really like the first Hi-Teknology and sort of like the second so I guess this can't be that bad even though he hasn't made much worthwhile in the past few years. That "Piano" track is good anyway.

1. Ghostface Killah- Big Doe Rehab

All I know about this is that Ghostface can still rap and this shit is fire.

New Wu-Tang Clan & Nas

Listen/ Download

These tracks were debuted on some Wake Up Show a couple days ago and this is a rip of the audio. These are some of the best tracks I've heard so far off of 8 Diagrams but I see where Rae is coming from with the Rza/Hip Hop Hippie thing theres as much singing and shit as rapping basically.

Download "What It Is" Snippet

I'm about as big of a Nas stan as you're gonna find and I think this is shit. Jazze Pha could make better beats than this in his sleep for fucks sake.

Album Battlegrounds: The Results

So after a week and six votes (yes that's 6 votes), the results of the head to head poll between Nas' classic Stillmatic and Jay-Z's masterpiece The Blueprint were tied, making this project completely unsuccessful. Anyway, those six votes, as they speak for the populus at large, show that both albums are equally great.

New Hi-Tek! "The Piano" Feat. Ghostface & Raekwon

Download


Straight fiyah. New Wu-Tang AND Hi-Tek on 11/11 thats wassup.

Album Review: "Spell My Name Right" - Statik Selektah

Here is another "producer album" which has become a trend in '07 much to my liking. This one is by Statik Selektah, who is known more as a mixtape DJ (Nas, Saigon, Royce Da 5'9", etc.) than a producer. Regardless, the tracks I've heard are pretty good, and the guest roster is ridiculous, but how's the album?

1. Spell My Name Right (Intro) (Feat. DJ Premier & Termanology)

A brief dialogue by Prem about how hip hop Statik Selektah is and then Termonology drops the names of all the rappers on the album and where they rep, not unlike that old Fat Joe song. The beat actually sounds like something Premier would do, which in this and most cases is a good thing.

2. Stop, Look, & Listen (Feat. Styles P, Termanology, & Q-Tip)

This beat is surprisingly good considering its like a kazoo and a flute. Styles P raps the best.

3. Express Yourself '08 (Feat. Termanology, Talib Kweli, & Consequence)

So basically a remake of the N.W.A. classic by three guys who are the exact opposite of N.W.A. Ok for what it is i guess.

4. 6 In The Morning (Feat. Joell Ortiz, Kool G. Rap, & Sheek Louch)

A song about getting up at 6 and selling crack or something with a pretty irritating beat. None of the rappers are particularly impressive on this either.

5. What Would You Do? (Feat. Freeway & Cassidy)

This beat is tight and Freeway provides a lot of energy and then Cassidy ruins it with his cornball flow. Honestly, who wants to hear the guy best known for "I'm a Hustla" enunciate and rap about chess?

6. Make A Movie (Interlude) (Feat. DJ Khaled)

Irrelevent

7. Bam Bam (Feat. Red Cafe, Termanology, & MIMS)

A remake of "Just Hangin' Out" or that one Guerilla Black song but with really heavy bass and weird sound effects. Red Cafe might be the worst rap name I've ever heard. What does that even mean?

8. G-Shit (Showoff Mix) (Feat. Uncle Murda, Sev-One, Termanology, & Jadakiss)

This beat is smooth a fuck, maybe the best yet. I'd say that Murda's 3rd person raps are probably the best on this which isn't saying a whole lot.

9. Back Against The Wall (Feat. Royce Da 5'9", Cormega)

This one opens with these goofy horns but then the loop kicks in and its actually pretty tight. Royce and Cormega don't bring their best stuff.

10. Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) (Feat. Reks & Termanology)

I feel like if you're gonna use a Biggie voice sample its got to be a better track than this. The beat sounds like something off a T.I. album except Reks & Termanology are coherent.

11. No Mistakes Allowed (Feat. a shitload of DJs)

This I gather to be a nod to the 80's what with the repetitive loop and all the scratching. Kind of like an old posse cut or something. Not the best idea in my opinion.

12. Knockin' 'Em Out (Interlude) (Feat. Clinton Sparks)

An intro to...

13. Punch Out! (Feat. Big Shug)

This beat samples the theme from the old video game "Mike Tyson's Punch Out!" Not that this was the greatest idea to begin with, but Madlib did it already this year with some old school Atari game (and much better at that). At least he wasted it on Big Shug.

14. The Good Life (Give It Up) (Feat. Lil' Fame of M.O.P.)

So they gave Big Shug over 2 minutes to babble over some video game but Lil' Fame 1 minute with this smooth shit? A strong track but it's a shame it's just an interlude.

15. Big Dreamers (Feat. Reks)

This is probably Statik Selektah's best instrumental yet and it's pretty impressive. Reks raps about his pipe dreams of being a rap star ala every other rapper ever. Good shit.

16. No Holding Back (Feat. AZ & Cormega)

There's no holding back a stiffy listening to this shit. This alone makes the album worthwhile, but then again I'm kind of biased towards both MCs .

17. Got Me Goin' (Hip Hop) (Feat. Slum Village, & Granite State)

I don't even know who's in SV anymore nor what Granite State is at all but this is another smooth cut anyway.

18. Time To Say Goodbye (Feat. Evidence & The Alchemist)

Statik actually manages to form a pretty good beat with just drums, bass, and a voice sample kind of like 9th Wonder might do. Evidence & The Alchemist both rhyme like they always do.

19. It's Over Now (Feat. Termanology & A.G.)

This beat, unlike the past few, is actually too laid back. A.G. clearly has nothing left to say but Statik makes nice use of the Big L, "It's over now, leave the game." thing.

20. Talk To Me (Feat. Jon Hope, Reks, & Skyzoo)

This sounds like one of those Fort Minor songs that was popular for a while except with a Marvin Gaye (or at least Marvin Gaye-like) voice sample. This Reks guy is actually kinda tight, better than Termanology anyway.

21. Did What We Had To Do (Feat. KRS-One, L Da Headtoucha, Large Professor)

Another good beat from Statik to round things off. The rapping is solid overall except KRS-One is off-beat but what else is new.

Overall:

Wow. That was good! It started off sounding like some compilation mixtape what with the old school remakes but the end of the album was heat. Had the rapping been any good or had the beats lacked that sort of mixtape quality this would have contended for my album of the year.

Best Tracks: "G-Shit", "Big Dreamers", "No Holding Back"

Wu-Tang Clan: "8 Diagrams" Update

That's the badass cover for the new album. They also dropped (or will drop) a new mixtape with some tracks from 8 Diagrams and a few that they found in ODB's underwear drawer. Here are snippets from the mixtape that you can download at Loud.com but I think you need a subscription or something.

Album Battlegrounds 1: Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" vs. Nas' "Stillmatic"

This debate has probably been beat to death. In fact, so has the head-to-head album premise but what the fuck. Nas vs. Jay-Z is a timeless debate, and these two albums are worthy for comparison as they came out at around the same time and they're both really fucking good. Listen to the songs of significance then vote in that cheap ass poll at the end. Next week I'll reveal the winner, and if nobody votes then I decide.

The Intro: "Stillmatic (The Intro)" vs. "The Ruler's Back"



The Anthem: "Izzo (H.O.V.A)" vs. "Got Ur Self A Gun"

The Diss: "Ether" vs. "The Takeover"



The Worst Song: "Jigga That Nigga" vs. "Destroy and Rebuild"



The Best Song: "You're Da Man" vs. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)"

Jemini: "Ghetto Pop Life"

Download

Before MF Doom and Cee-Lo, it was Brooklyn's Jemini (The Gifted One) who collaborated with Danger Mouse for a full LP. Jemini isn't the greatest rapper but he is pretty good and Danger Mouse gives the album great musical value. A very good listen.