Unreleased Ghostface

Download: "Ghost Deini" (Original, Uncleared Sample Version)

We all know the Ghostface classic "Ghost Deini" off Supreme Clientele, but did you know that a better and gullier version of the song existed? I didn't until I downloaded acompilation of unreleased music (mostly due to sample clearence issues) made by Think Differently mainly for the original version of "The Champ" which was kinda weak. Anyhow, I was pretty blown away by this. Highly recommended.

Ahmad Jamal: The Grandfather of Hip Hop

This is the first post I've made which could be considered informative and interesting, so fucking read it. To the best of my knowledge, the breaks and drums heard in early hip hop songs were sampled from James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. But fuck early hip hop songs, right? The best hip hop in my opinion was made in the early/mid-nineties, and the guy responsible for many of that era's (and other era's) greatest beats was legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. Jamal's compositions have been sampled extensively by some of the games greatest producers.

Here is a catalogue of his sampled work to the most of my knowledge:

1. "Misdeameaner"

Hip Hop Uses: Gangstarr- "Soliloquy of Chaos" (DJ Premier)
Black Moon- "Black Smif N Wessun" (DJ Evil Dee)


2. "I Love Music"

Hip Hop Use: Nas-"The World Is Yours"(Pete Rock) (at 5:00)



3. "The World Is A Ghetto"

Hip Hop Use: Fat Joe-"Shit Is Real (Remix)"(DJ Premier)



4. "Awakening"

Hip Hop Use: Shadez of Brooklyn-"Change"(Mr. Walt)



5. "Swahililand"

Hip Hope Use: De La Soul-"Stakes Is High"(J Dilla)(at 7:30)



6. "Pastures"

Hip Hop Use: Jay-Z-"Feelin It"(Ski Beatz)(at 1:11)



7. "Dolphin Dance"

Hip Hop Uses: Deda-"Can't Wait"(Pete Rock)
Common-"Resurrection"(No I.D.)



8. "Theme Bahamas"

Hip Hop Use: Nas-"I Gave You Power"(DJ Premier)(Can't really here this one, but its in there)



9. "Poinciana"

Hip Hop Use: Binary Star- "New Hip Hop" (?, Decompoze maybe)

Album Review: "Operation Take Back Hip Hop"- Craig G and Marley Marl

This is the second Marley Marl album in as many years that would have been good in the 80's, this time with freestyle legend Craig G on the mic. The album with KRS-One was pretty much garbage but its also been obvious for some time now that KRS has lost his marbles. In any event, Craig G and Marley are far too irrelevent to ever "take back hip hop," but will this at least appease the purist types on the internet?

1. Intro

I thought Craig G and Marley Marl were going to take back hip hop with some old school flava but apparently they've built a robot to do it for them.

2. Reintroduction

Wow this is just bad all around. The beat hurts my ears, the lyrics suck, and the hook is laughable.

3. Quality Work (Feat. Will Pack & Rakaa)

I swear this is exactly like the last song, all the way down to the shittyness. An extremely annoying beat (this one full of goofy, space-sound-effect noises) and rhymes about how rap sucks now (Craig actually says "monkey see, monkey do" on both).

4. Made The Change

This one uses the Biggie voice sample. Couldn't have seen that coming. This one has a fruity flute sample on it too. What the fuck happened to Marley Marl? Or should I say, who the fuck does he send to the record store to find samples for him?

5. Deep Down

This could pass for a song from the early 90's. Not a good one, but still.

6. We Gets It In (Feat. Talib Kweli)

Talib Kweli spits the same verse he's been spitting his whole career (you know, about the "institution" and shit). For what its worth this is maybe the best song eyt.

7. Just What I Need

This is the first beat that wasn't hard to listen to. Craig G raps about the state of hip hop again. Believe it or not, "Dey Know" > shitty tracks by old rappers about how hip hop sucks.

8. All Seasons

The beat is mostly pretty bad on this its just like the same note of an organ keyboard every four beats but I like the piano that kicks in there. This song is also about money and seasons or something but most importantly not about bad rap music which is a plus.

9. War Going On (Feat. Cormega)

For this one, I'm actually gonna predict the Prodigy voice sample. I can't prove I did that, but needless to say, I was right. Cool I know.

10. Skates

This beat is kinda chill but holy shit Craig G is bad.

11. Stay In Ya Lane (Feat. Sadat X)

Ah back to the whining about hip hop. This time, let's bring in Sadat X, because that guy sure can still rap.

12. Open Ya Eyes

This beat is alright I guess. The raggae inspired hook and Craig G yogurt references, not so much.

13. Regrets

This is just that same, over used, obnoxious horn sample over and over again. Craig G doesn't really even rap over it at all.

14. Not A Word

Pharoahe Monch would kill this shit.

15. Rock Dis (Feat. KRS-One)

KRS and Craig G trade rhymes. This would be pretty good for an interlude type thing. I'm just trying to find a silver lining at this point.

16. Don't Make Me Laugh

A failed attempt at an intimitating, gully sounding track.

17. The Day The Music Died/How About The Mic (Feat. Cold Heat)

This one I actually enjoyed and not just in a hypothetical scenerio way. The first song is about what it would be like if artists from other genres acted like hip hop artists, kind of like that one Ghostface song where cartoon characters are fucked up druggies and whatnot. The second is on that same, thug rappers can't rhyme premise, but the beat is good and Cold Ice is kinda nice. A good way to end an album, albeit such a bad one.

Overall:

Well that was just awful. The worst album I've reviewed on here by a long shot. In 17 songs it has one that I'd listen to again and about 13 that I'd kill myself if I heard it again. Neither of these guys, especially Marley, have anything to prove at this point and should just hang it up.

Best Songs: "The Day The Music Died/ How About The Mic"

Another Roots Post

Download: "The Grand Return" (Feat. Dice Raw & Wadud Ahmad)

Some heat rocks from the legendary crew. This would have been one of the best songs on the album had they put it on there but I guess since it all goes to iTunes anyway it doesn't really matter.

Album Review: "Rising Down"- The Roots

This new Roots album is one that I've been anticipating for some time now and it just leaked onto the nets. Will this be the next great Roots album or just another lackluster post-2000 release?


1. The Pow Wow


An argument over the phone that I can't understand



2. Rising Down (Feat. Mos Def & Styles P)


The best song I've heard this year hands down. The beat is great and the rhymes are generally on point, especially Black Thought's. And what's more is that Mos Def actually raps on this and doesn't just do R&B crooning on the hook or whatever.



3. Get Busy (Feat. Dice Raw & DJ Jazzy Jeff)


This one's kind of experimental because it's got that kind of live, Root's sound with the drums but also a synth bassline thing. Can't argue with the results though because the track is definitely hard. Dice Raw comes through with the hip hop quoteable "I'm kinda like W.E.B. DuBoise/Meets Heavy D. & The Boys." Jazzy Jeff on the cuts...just another great track.



4. @15


A freestyle



5. 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)


The obligatory Roots song where Black Thought raps straight through the track with distorted sounding vocals except with the same sound as "Get Busy". A pretty good track but Black could probably tone down on the N word there.



6. Becoming Unwritten


Like the interludes on [insert Roots album here].



7. Criminal (Feat. Saigon & Truck North)


The weakest beat so far and the singing on the hook is a little annoying. Being the Saigon stan that I am I was happy to see him on this album I just wish there was a more exciting track for him to be on.



8. I Will Not Apologize (Feat. P.O.R.N & Dice Raw)


This is just alright like the last one. It sounds like Talib Kweli is on the chorus but doesn't rap on this which is sort of strange.



9. I Can't Help It (Feat. Malik B. & P.O.R.N.)


This one is more synthy sounding and thus more interesting. Maybe this is the natural progression of the Roots sound or something.



10. Singing Man (Feat. Truck North & P.O.R.N.)


This is just weird. The first really skippable track though.



11. Unwritten (Feat. Mercedez Martinez)


Another interlude, this one with rapping.



12. Lost Desire (Feat. Talib Kweli & Malik B.)


Maybe the worst of the synth beats but still a good track. The singing on the hook here is better than on the other songs and the guest spots are nice too.



13. The Show (Feat. Common)


Think of this as a blend between the new, electronic Roots and, say the Phrenology Roots. Still one of the best tracks since the beginning of the album.



14. Rising Up (Feat. Chrisett Michelle & Wale)


This song is kind of weird but I think I could get used to it. It's a nice switch up all the hard, synth beats and stuff. Def Jam is really pushing this Chrisett Michelle, huh?



15. Hidden Track


An old freestyle or something.



Overall:

This is a no brainer when you look at the lack of quality albums to drop this year. For a reference point, I like this to the Roots last two albums, at least on first listen.


Best Tracks: "Rising Down", "Get Busy", "75 Bars"

New Heat From Nas

War Is Necessary

I'm back people, sorry for the layoff, I hope some people still visit this blog. Anyway Nas has had some stuff leak to the nets this week including "Be A N- too" which I think is gonna make the new album. This one, which is more to my liking, will be on the new GTA.

Back With More Dream Albums...

Since my last series of photoshopped dream albms got such a positive response, I went back to the lab and made some more. Without further ado:

Crooked I- The Boss

Crooked I is the nicest lyricist on the West Coast, maybe ever (Ras Kass was probably better). Anyway, he signed with Death Row but never put out an official album there. He continues to drop mixtapes and those weekly freestyles but still no album. Hopefully one is in the near future. You know what this is based off of but here it is anyway:

The Fab Five- Fab Five Forever

This isn't technically a dream album since it was a shelved project years ago and could still happen. For those who don't know or can't tell by the pictures, the Fab Five was Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. as one group. Here is Wu-Tang Forever for comparison:

Fabolous & Just Blaze- Optimus Rhyme

Fabolous deserves some hate for the R&B duets and Young Jeezy collabs and whatnot but he has undeniable talent. Based off of 2004's "Breath" produced by Just, the two are more than capable of making a classic street album together. The original album is Lord Finesse's Funky Technician:

Auditions For The Biggie Biopic

For those who don't know, the part of Biggie was given to another fat rapper from Brooklyn called Gravy. I guess Anthony Anderson was busy. Anyhow, here are some clowns auditioning for the part:

Photoshop Dream Albums

At first I was just gonna make a post about the rumored Nas and Jay-Z project, The Kings of Hip Hop, which would be monumental. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a part of that album? Anyway, I thought it would be cool if they went with that "nod to the old school" album cover theme like these:

So I made this:

For Comparison:

Phenomenal Right? Anyway, after making this, I thought about utilizing my incredible photoshop skills to make other dream albums of mine. Here are the rest:

50 Cent & Kanye West: He's The Dbag, I'm The Rapper

You backpackers may whine about this one but this album would have some serious shit plus it would sell at least one billion copies. Again for comparison:

Cormega, AZ, & DJ Premier are De La Street- The Rotten Apple

I don't think they've done a track all together before but in 2006 there was Cormega's "Dirty Game" and AZ's "The Format", two ridiculous tracks both produced by Premo. Plus their collab on the Statik Selektah album was great too. I'm sure they could come up with something better than De La Street but I tried to fuck up as little text as possible there. Based off De La Souls last release (not old school but a legendary crew anyway):

Bishop Lamont & Dr. Dre: California Minded

Unlike that last one, this one has a legit shot happening just as soon as Dre gets in the studio and gets to work. Never. Here's a snippet of a track called "I Dominate" which sounds like a monster. And of course, Criminal Minded:

Nas- "What It Is" Snippet Pt. II

A while back I posted an awful new song by Nas called "What It Is." Well, it's resurfaced months later and, well, its good! DJ Khalil lays down the real beat for the track and plays it here at some kind of computer beatmaking convention.

Nas What it is first listen Dj Khalil
by Bounce2dis