PropsOverHere Presents: The Best of 2011 Awards

      As I do every year around this time, I've returned to recap the year that was in rap music. Now usually this is where I talk about how terrible a year it's been for hip-hop, but this wasn't the case in 2011. As I've mentioned a few times over the course of the year, 2011 has been one of the best years this decade as far as the quality of new music. In honor of a great year in hip-hop, I've decided to switch from a countdown format to an award show-style post in which I'll recognize some of the year's best performances. So without further ado, here is PropsOverHere's 1st Annual Best of the Year Awards.

Rookie of the Year
The Nominees:
Meek Mill- The Philly native burst on the scene after signing with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group and hit big with bangers like "Work" and "I'm A Boss".
Action Bronson- When he wasn't being a gourmet chef, this MC earned some respect from hip-hop heads in 2011 with his Ghostface-eque delivery and wordplay.
Big Sean- Despite my negative review, Sean's debut album received much critical acclaim and was a bona fide commercial success.
Maffew Ragazino- This New York City lyricist came out of nowhere to deliver some great tracks in '11 including on of my favorites, the soulful "Decepts On The L Train".
And the winner is.... Action Bronson
This guy impressed me early in the year with the terrific The Program EP and continued to deliver lyrically on tracks with Ghostface, Asher Roth, and Ragazino among others. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him in the future.

Guest Verse of the Year (The Bun B Award)
The Nominees:
Nas on Mobb Deep's "Dog Shit"
Best Line: "Freedom is a virtue/Ni**as hangin way past/They're parole curfew/Blowin' on that purple/Know my street ties/Beef-wise/I let three fly/Over ya head/Welcome home P/Let's get this bread."
AZ on Wu-Tang Clan's "Legendary Weapons"
Best Line: "Breezed on the D's when they tailed on the pike/Around the same time I exhaled on the mic/The name AZ ring bells on sight."
Freddie Gibbs on Curren$y's "Scottie Pippens"
Best Line: "Stay runnin' the rock just like I play quarterback for the Eagles/Randall, Donovan, or Michael/'Fore I picked up this mic/I was hittin' licks with some lords and did dirt with plenty disciples."
Elzhi on Phonte's "Not Here Anymore"
Best Line: "See a little nervousness/And a frown/'Cause you know deep down you know you ain't nice just a little courteous/You just runnin' game/Ni**a, we the fuckin' tournament."
And the winner is...Freddie Gibbs on "Scottie Pippens"
No one can contest with Nas' imagery and lyrical poignance, but I had to give this one to Gibbs for his delivery and for the energy he brought to that track, which was the best on Spitta's Covert Coup mixtape.

Duet of the Year
The Nominees:
"Ghetto Dreams" by Common & Nas- The lead single from Common's The Dreamer, The Believer features two hip-hop heavyweights on top of their game. While Nas is one of the all-time masters of the guest verse, the best moments had to be Common rhyming about his ideal woman, "Butt naked in the kitchen flippin' pancakes/She ain't trippin' off the dough that her man makes."
"Otis"by Jay-Z & Kanye West- On one of the biggest songs of the year and another lead single, Jay and Kanye trade verses over an extra-choppy Otis Redding sample. Jay-Z begins the braggadocio with the opening line, "I invented swag" and, not to be outdone, Kanye raps about his "Otha, otha Benz" among other things.
"Martians Vs. Goblins" by Game & Tyler The Creator- The Game and Odd Future's Tyler The Creator team up for the sinister banger that also features Lil' Wayne, but only on the hook. As if he hasn't gotten enough shit this year, both artists attack LeBron James in their verses as Game raps about fucking his mom and Tyler advises his haters to "fall back like LeBron's hairline."
"Choices" by Asher Roth & Action Bronson- In what has to be the best rap song by two white kids in decades, Roth and Bronsolino both drop a killer verse over a funky instrumental. By far the best part was Asher Roth's flow in his first couple of bars that include clever lines such as "Under a submarine/Bare as the kitchen cupboard be/Californication/Agent Mulder/David Duchovney."
And the winner is..."Otis" by Jay-Z & Kanye West
This and "Ghetto Dreams" are dead even in my book but I gave the nod to Jay-Z and Kanye for the way their verses complimented each other making it more of a "duet" in the true sense of the word.

Mixtape of the Year
The Nominees:
Purp & Patron by Game- Game teamed up with DJ Skee for two mixtapes in anticipation of The R.E.D. Album, but Purp & Patron was the stronger of the two thanks to great production by Nottz and Dre as well as appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross.
Elmatic by Elzhi- With the help of the Detroit rock group Will Sessions, Elzhi masterfully re-created Nas' classic debut album, Illmatic.
Semester Abroad by Kidz In The Hall- Long before the release of Occasion, Naledge and Double O put out some album-quality material on this mixtape such as "So Amazn" and "Moments", two of my favorite songs this year.
Covert Coup by Curren$y- Curren$y and Alchemist provided hip hop fans with some solid listening material on 4/20. In addition to the aforementioned collaboration with Freddie Gibbs, "The Type" featuring Prodigy was another standout.
And the winner is...Elmatic by Elzhi
Where a lot of MCs would have jacked the beats from Illmatic and freestyled over them, Elzhi and Will Sessions actually re-crafted the timeless album and put their own unique spin on it. The way Elzhi remakes the songs to reflect his own life experiences is brilliant as is his lyricism and delivery throughout the tape.

Verse of the Year
The Nominees:
Elzhi on "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
Best Line: "Robberies of liquor stores/Tricks and whores/Reality sick as yours/So I blow trees stronger than Sycamores."
Game on "Mama Knows"
Best Line: "But that ain't stop me/Pretending I was Apollo from Rocky/Workin on my dip game/Now nobody wanna box me"
Nas on "Nasty"
Best Line: "Maserati/Bumpin Biggie the great legend/Blastin/I'm after the actress that played Faith Evans."
Kanye West on "The Joy"
Best Line: "This beat deserves Hennessy/A bad bitch/And a big of weed/The holy trinity."
And the winner is...Kanye West on 'The Joy"
Kanye's verses on the Pete Rock-produced bonus track on Watch The Throne were pure genius and some of the best rapping of his career. I actually went back and forth on which of Kanye's two verses on this track was actually the verse of the year because either could have won. He flows perfectly over Pete's slow, soulful instrumental and drops hilarious and well-thought-out bars throughout his verses.

Producer of the Year
The Nominees:
Big Jerm- I don't know much about Big Jerm but he did some stellar work on the boards this year for Wiz Khalifa and his Yinzer counterpart, Mac Miller. His beat for Wiz, Curren$y, and Big Sean's "O.T.T.R." was one of the best instrumentals this year.
Big K.R.I.T.- The rapper/producer made a splash this year in both areas but his beat-making stood out as he produced the hit "Country Shit (Remix)" with Bun B and Ludacris as well as T.I.'s new single "I'm Flexin'".
No I.D.- No I.D. had a hand in the two best-produced albums this year, Jay-Z and Kanye's Watch the Throne and Common's The Dreamer, The Believer which he produced in its entirety.
Double O- Double O's musical creativity was a major factor in all of the great music that Kidz In The Hall dropped in 2011 including a nominee for best mixtape and best album.
And the winner is...No I.D.
This one was sort of a no brainer. Between Hov and Kanye's "Primetime", the entire Common album, and the best moments from Big Sean's debut album, Chicago legend No I.D. had by far the greatest impact of any producer in 2011.

Beat of the Year
The Nominees:
"Ni**as in Paris" produced by Hit-Boy & Kanye West- Despite the simple, minimalist melody, this became the most popular beat of 2011 thanks to the banging percussion and heavy bassline, not to mention the hilarious "Blades of Glory" movie samples.
"Martians Vs. Goblins" produced by Brody Brown, Lamar Edwards, & Laranee Dopson- This might be the busiest instrumental of the year but Edwards and Dopson of 1500 Or Nothin and Brody Brown pull it off exceptionally well. The main attraction here is the heavy synth bass al a Dead Prez's "Bigger Than Hip-Hop" but listen closely and you can hear violins and choirs and a whole host of weird noises that help make this one of the best, most unique beats of the year.
"I'm A Boss" produced by Jahlil Beats- This Meek Mill anthem was right up there with "Ni**as In Paris" as far as the most freestyled-over beat of 2011. Jahlil Beats provides the track that combines what has become the signature MMG sound with what sounds sort of like the old NBA on NBC theme song.
"Ghetto Dreams" produced by No I.D.- In what was the standout moment for the producer of the year, No I.D. uses an off-tune piano sample, hard snare drums, and a horn section that would make Pete Rock blush. To top it off, the hook makes use of scratches of both Nas and Common, the track's two artists.
Honorable Mention: "Mama Knows" produced by Pharrell,"Tupac Back" produced by Mike Will, "Gotta Have It" produced by The Neptunes & Kanye West, "Anti Freeze" produced by Swiff D, "Player of the Century" produced by Double O, "Born In The Trap" produced by DJ Premier, "The Motto" produced by T-Minus.
And the winner is..."Ni**as in Paris" produced by Hit-Boy & Kanye West
It was close between this and "I'm A Boss" but you can't go anywhere these days without hearing the bass from "Ni**as in Paris" blasting out of someone's car window. I even heard the panel members of ESPN's "Around The Horn" singing this beat during a commercial break and most of those guys are 50 year old white men.

Album of the Year
The Nominees:
Watch The Throne by Jay-Z & Kanye West- The much anticipated collaboration between two hip hop giants lived up to and exceeded my expectations.
The R.E.D. Album by Game- Game's fourth album was hit or miss but had a number of terrific songs including "Mama Knows", "Ricky", and "Heavy Artillery" featuring Beanie Sigel and Rick Ross.
Occasion by Kidz In The Hall- Definitely one of the most fun albums of 2011, Occasion was chock-full of party anthems.
The Dreamer, The Believer by Common- The legendary Chi-town rapper-producer duo of Common and No I.D. reunited for what has to be Common's best album in at least ten years.
Honorable Mention: Take Care by Drake, Sideline Story by J. Cole, Greatest Story Never Told by Saigon, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them by Blu & Exile.
And the winner is...Watch The Throne by Jay-Z & Kanye West
Even though all of these were very solid albums, none of them really stood a chance against Jay-Z and Kanye's epic masterpiece. Watch The Throne was brilliantly produced from start to finish and featured some of Jay and Kanye's finest work on the mic in years. This is not only the album of the year, but the best album in the PropsOverHere era.

Song of the Year
The Nominees:
"Ni**as in Paris" by Jay-Z & Kanye West- The second single off of the album of the year set the hip hop world on fire.
"Nasty" by Nas- Nas' newest single displayed his incredible flow and lyricism and proved that the wiley veteran is still on top of his game.
"I Do" by Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, & Andre 3000- In a track that's immediately reminiscent of Outkast's "International Player's Anthem", producer M16 flips the "Overnight Celebrity" sample with a Southern flavor that's fitting for Young Jeezy. As far as I know, this is the first time that rap legends Jay-Z and Andre 3000 have been on a track together which gives this one some bonus points even though their verses weren't particularly good.
"Ghetto Dreams" by Common & Nas- Two legends team up to rap about bitches over a nasty No I.D. instrumental.
Honorable Mention: "Mama Knows" by Game, "Pour It Up" by Kidz In The Hall, Bun B, & David Banner, "Enemies" by Saigon, "Dreams Money Can Buy" by Drake, "Otis" by Jay-Z & Kanye West, "O.T.T.R." by Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, & Big Sean, "Anti Freeze" by Pac Div.
And the winner is..."Ni**as in Paris" by Jay-Z & Kanye West
With respect to Nas and Common, who continue to get shafted, I can't justify calling anything else the song of the year. No song has been so widely accepted from the hood to the burbs maybe since "In Da Club" came out, and that shit went quadruple platinum.

Artist of the Year
The Nominees:
Curren$y- Spitta killed it in 2011 putting out a bunch of solid mixtapes including Covert Coup, Weekend At Burnies, and Verde Terrace, all of which are definitely worth a listen.
Kidz In The Hall- Starting with "So Amazn", Naledge and Double O put out a lot of great music this year including the terrific "Brain Candy" series and the full-length album, Occasion.
Game- Game had a prolific and successful year, dropping two great mixtapes with DJ Skee and one of the best albums of the year.
J. Cole- The up-and-comer and Roc Nation signee had a very solid debut release with The Sideline Story and his "Any Given Sunday" mixes included gems such as "How High" and "Unabomber".
And the winner is...Game
Though all of these candidates were deserving, Game was the rapper that put out more good hip hop music than anyone else this year. His Purp & Patron and Candy Corornas mixtapes were two of the best this year and the much anticipated The R.E.D. Album far exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations.


So there you have it. Congrats to the big winners and props to all the artists that helped make 2011 a great year for rap music. See you all next year.

Album Review: Kidz In The Hall-"Occasion"

Kidz In The Hall are one of my favorite new groups in hip-hop but I wasn't enamored with either of their last two albums, The In Crowd and Land of Make Believe. Despite their underwhelming releases since signing with Duck Down, I'm excited to hear this album because Naledge and Double O have been on a roll recently with the "Brain Candy" series and this album's pair of infectious singles, "Break It Down" and "Pour It Up". Does Occasion meet my high expectations or will the Kidz let me down again?

1. Real Life

An upbeat intro with heavy bass kicks, 808's, and synths out the ass. Naledge provides his signature braggadocios raps to top it off. So far, so good.

2. Occasion

A very mainstream sounding party anthem of sorts. I could see this getting some spins on the radio but then again I haven't listened to the radio in years.

3. Break It Down

This was the first single off the album and with good reason. The brilliant use of the Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O Mine" sample and thumping bass line make this one of the best songs to drop this year.

4. That Good (Feat. Esthero)

Speaking of mainstream sounding, this could just as easily be a Maroon 5 track. In my opinion these kinds of songs were the downfall of those last two albums but that probably has more to do with my propensity for '94 boom bap than anything. Or maybe this is just really gay.

5. Make It Up Tonight (Feat. Sulaiman)

Another song about going out and getting fucked up which apparently is the theme of this album.

6. Crash Dummy (Feat. Killa Kyleon)

Double O really went all out on this album. It's not even that the beats are so great but they all have crazy bass and drums and like twelve different synths that come and go at different times.

7. Pour It Up (Feat. Bun B & David Banner)

I listened to this on repeat when it came out and I still can't get enough of it. The bouncy instrumental is incredible and Naledge compliments it with one of his best verses evar. David Banner and Bun B, who was conspicuously absent from both the Drake and J. Cole albums, make guest appearances.

8. She's Smokin

Double O slows it down as Naledge hollas at his shorty. Maybe it's because I just reviewed Take Care, but this actually sounds like a Kidz In The Hall version of one of those Drake songs but with a robot auto-tune effect instead of the muffled, singing-in-a-tunnel effect. You know what I'm talking about.

9. Player of the Century (Feat. Freddie Gibbs)

Another slow-paced track, this one inspired by old school South beats complete with a chopped-and-screwed chorus. This was fucking great.

10. Star (Feat. Tabi Bonney & One Chance)

More raps about drinking and bitches over blaring trumpets. Not terrible but not a standout by any means, especially with the number of songs on this album that sound like this. However, it should be noted that Naledge manages to drop Bill Cartwright and Mookie Blaylock references in the same verse. Props.

11. Won't Remember Tonight (Feat. Marsha Ambrosius & Anton Genius)

Double O provides more horns for another one that could easily get lost amongst all these other songs about partying.

12. Friends

Another pop song, this one with a bizarre chorus. As much as I like the Kidz In The Hall in general I just can't get on board with shit like this.

13. Walk On Air

Basically the same deal here. It's a shame because Naledge spits fire but I can't appreciate it because I don't like this kind of music.

14. I Swear (Feat. Vic Spencer)

This is more like it. Naledge kills it over what kind of sounds like a louder, noisier version of Drake's "Fear". And I'll fuck with anything that sounds anything like that song.

15. Pledge (Feat. Curren$y & Mikkey Halsted)

This one has been out for a while now but it's a good one. There were a few tracks on the Semester Abroad tape that I liked more but I guess they chose this one because its got Curren$y on it.

16. Here Now (Feat. Anton Genius)

This isn't bad, but as far as upbeat synth tracks about how they "made it" go, this is only like the fourth best one on this album.

Overall: Occasion definitely had its moments but it didn't live up to the quality of the first couple singles and some of the other music they've put out in the past year. As long as they make alternative, pop sounding shit there's just no chance that I'll be able to completely get into a Kidz In The Hall album. That said, throw this shit on at a pre-game and you're good to go. I guess that's the point.

Best Songs: "Pour It Up", "Break It Down", "I Swear"

Album Review: Drake- "Take Care"

Since he gave us Thank Me Later last summer, Drake's fame and hype have only grown exponentially. Thanks to a bunch of collaborations with famous singers and "I'm On One", Drizzy has become a fixture of top 40 radio stations and one of the biggest artists in the game. Does his second album live up to the top billing or is it another commercial flop?


1. Over My Dead Body

Drake drops some choice bars on this piano-led intro in the same vein as "Fireworks",  the Thank Me Later opener.

2. Shot For Me

Like any number of Drake's R&B songs but with finger snaps. I think even the grown and sexy would have to admit that this is pretty gay.

3. Headlines

I called this hot garbage when it came out but its beginning to grow on me. Come to think of it, I didn't really like "Over" the first time I heard it either.

4. Crew Love (feat. The Wknd)

This is just an uncomfortable clash of terrible music. Every artsy kid that's into this sort of thing should be smacked.

5. Take Care (feat. Rihanna)

I have to question this one being both the title track and the Rihanna feature. I think I could compose this beat if I sat at a piano for ten minutes. I have a feeling that this will kill it in the club regardless but the duo that gave us "What's My Name" leave some to be desired here.

6. Marvin's Room

I'm sure you've heard this before but it's Drake crooning about girls over a beat that's being played backwards or something.

7. Buried Alive Interlude

This was just odd. Drake must have stepped it up to adult drugs for this album.

8. Under Ground Kings

This is tough but I'm still waiting for Bun B's verse. Maybe he'll hop on the remix.

9. We'll Be Fine (feat. Birdman)

Speaking of Bun B, this sounds just like that one song they did on So Far Gone. Nevertheless this is one of the better songs thus far. In case you were wondering, Birdman doesn't even rap he just talks at the end. Bonus!

10. Make Me Proud (feat. Nicki Minaj)

A great club banger that's even better if you cut it off right before Nicki Minaj gets on it.

11. Lord Knows (feat. Rick Ross)

Drake enlists the help of the new, unlikely duo of Rick Ross and Just Blaze. This is a bit over-the-top and theatrical even by Just Blaze standards but i'll take it any day. The beat drops for Rozay's verse which I suppose had its moments.

12. Cameras/Good Ones Go Interlude

I don't know why they made this an interlude. As far as I'm concerned this is much better than the rest of Drake's slow jams on this album. To that point, the second part of this is another god awful R&B song.

13. Doing It Wrong

Maybe these R&B songs wouldn't be so terrible if they didn't all sound exactly the same? Seriously, I thought this was just a continuation of the last one.

14. The Real Her (feat. Lil Wayne & Andre 3000)

Pretty much the same deal here except Three Stacks lends the third verse and shows Drizzy and Wayne how it's done.

15. Look What You've Done

Its been about 30 minutes since the last rap song and I'm starting to fade in and out. From what I can tell this was a love song over some elevator music.

16. H.Y.F.R. (Hell Yeah Fuckin' Right) (feat. Lil Wayne)

I'm not a fan of synth beats like this but at least it's a departure from the pillowy soft R&B music.

17. Practice

Drizzy's take on Juvenile's classic "Back That Azz Up", one of my grade school favorites. Who would've known back in '99 that Lil Wayne would be the biggest rap star in the world and Juvenile would be...well fuck if I know what he's up to. 

18. The Ride

Drake raps (well sort of) over a soulful beat and vocal sample that's reminscent of "Poppin' Tags" or something off of The Blueprint. However Jay-Z, who was on Drake's first record, does not make an appearence much to my dismay.

19. The Motto (feat. Lil Wayne)

This one took a few listens to get used to what with the crazy bassline and 808 drums but Drake and Weezy pull it off nicely. Possibly the most memorable song on the album.

20. Hate Sleeping Alone

Appropriately, here is the least memorable song on the album.

Overall: As expected, Drake's sophomore album was a mixed bag. For every good song there were two or three slow, mundane R&B songs where Drake whines about college chicks or bourgie chicks or what the fuck ever. Also, the assumed best song on the album ("Dreams Money Can Buy") wasn't even on the album. Weak.

Best Songs: "Over My Dead Body", "The Motto", "Lord Knows"

Album Review: J.Cole- "Cole World: The Sideline Story"

J. Cole went from an anonymous light-skinted kid on NahRight to one of the most highly anticipated young artists in the game, because that's just how easy it is to become a famous rapper nowadays. He also signed with Jay-Z, who I suppose has some clout in the music industry. I actually think that Cole is a talented kid with a bright future, even if his style is so indistinguishable from his rapping peers (Lupe, Drake, Big Sean, etc.) that you would think Jay-Z created him in a laboratory. Anyway, as I said in the conclusion of my Big Sean review, bring on the J.Cole album!

1. Intro

The album starts with the piano playing and J. Cole states that he is "coming for what I'm owed", whatever that means

2. Dollar And A Dream III

Admittedly I've been sleeping on J. Cole's mixtapes and shit so I've never heard part one or two. The piano from the intro transitions into this song on which J. Cole spits inspired raps about his life. This may be boring musically but the content makes it work well as a more literal introduction, being that it is the first real song.

3. Can't Get Enough (Feat. Trey Songz)

The single with the Reggae flip and Trey Songz. This isn't normally the kinda shit I'm into but it might be the most tasteful Trey Songz feature of all time.

4. Lights Please

This song has to be at least a year old at this point, but it's probably his best-known song and it still knocks so I'm not mad at him putting it on the album.

5. Interlude

In the intro J. Cole says he's gonna tell the story of the day he got signed. The first part of the story, in which he gets pulled over by an undercover and thrown in jail, is told in this interlude.

6. Sideline Story

This album is getting points already for using the intro and interludes to supplement the album, which is rarely done anymore. This track flips the piano from the last interlude into a funkier version of Consequence's "Disperse", which is pretty great to begin with. I loved every second of this.

7. Mr. Nice Watch (Feat. Jay-Z)

This much-talked about Jay-Z feature appropriately sounds like a Timbaland track from the late 90's, not a good one either. J. Cole is clearly better at making deep, introspective songs than showy, braggadocios shit like this and Jay-Z recycles his laziest flows from Watch The Throne. In fairness, this is better than I'm making it sound, it just should be much better.

8. Cole World

This is kind of a banger but the beat is just a clusterfuck of weird noises and J. Cole doesn't sound quite right rapping over it.

9. In The Morning (Feat. Drake)

Another older one, from that Friday Night Lights tape. Again I can see why he or the studio or whoever wanted to throw this on here since it's a well-received Drake feature. They should've thrown "How High" on here too, just for good measure.

10. Lost Ones

A somber ode to aborted babies or some such. I wasn't totally following along to be honest. Whatever the case, this is one of the album's more boring moments thus far.

11. Nobody's Perfect (Feat. Missy Elliot)

When I heard this slow, Southern-sounding beat I thought this would make for a great Bun B feature, but shockingly this album doesn't have one. Instead, speaking of late 90's Timbaland, it's Missy Elliot on the hook.

12. Never Told

J. Cole sort of conversationally raps over a slow, stripped-down instrumental. Think something from 808s & Heartbreak meets any number of Drake songs that fit exactly what I described in that last sentence.

13. Rise And Shine

This one begins with an incredibly apt Jay-Z clip, where he says he's gonna sign the kid thats out there eating Apple Jacks and coming for his spot. Then the appropriately triumphant-sounding beat kicks in with a heavy bass and choir like something Weezy mistakenly passed on for Tha Carter IV. 

14. God's Gift

Another skippable track. Sounds a lot like anything by the Cunninlynguists.

15. Breakdown

This starts off sounding like a Premo beat but ends up being more like everything else on here if not for the drums. Even without the choppy loop, this is still one of the best songs on here, as Cole compliments the jazzy instrumental with meaningful raps about staying strong through hard times.

16. Workout

This single was dumbed-down and disappointing but I guess it really isn't that bad. Musically there are no egregious synths or drums and the fake Roger Troutman is a good touch.

17. Nothing Lasts Forever

A piano-laced tribute to the one that got away that's very reminiscent of Ye's "Blame Game". Maybe not as good, but still.

18. Daddy's Little Girl

The album goes out with a whimper thanks to another Drake-esque song about teenaged girls that can take shots to the face.

Best Songs: "Lights Please", "Sideline Story", "Breakdown"

Comments: Yawn. I still think that J. Cole is a very good MC and this album confirms that if anything. That said, Cole World had a serious shortage of bangers and one too many piano-led, introspective songs that all sort of meshed together. "Blow Up", for instance, would have been a welcome addition to this album instead of one of the other re-hashed songs they used. Still, a solid debut release.

Backpacks On Packs On Packs: PropsOverHere's Rock The Bells Recap

    Normally I'm not into seeing concerts, but when I heard about the all-star cast of 90's rappers performing at Rock The Bells in New York City, I decided it would be worth it to make the trip. I was planning on documenting the events in real-time but I clearly overestimated mobile blogging technology. So instead, two and a half weeks later, here's a brief recap of what I saw in nine hot, exhausting hours at Governors Island.

Black Star
Rating: 4.5/5
Breakdown: Black Star was the first performance on the event's main stage and lived up to the top billing. After pleasing the huge crowd with "Astronomy (8th Light)" shit got real when "RE: DEFinition" dropped. My favorite moment had to be when they did "Children's Story" to the Slick Rick beat, because that's how lame I am. It can't be easy being the first big performer at a highly anticipated event like this but Black Star set the tone for the rest of day.

Black Moon
Rating: 4/5
Breakdown: Black Moon was also fucking great, doing Enta Da Stage with a live band and a guest appearance by Tek & Steele. After teaming up with Black Moon for "Black Smif-N-Wessun", the duo performed their own classic, "Bucktown", which might have actually been the fan favorite. I remember being impressed by Buckshot who still kills it live despite his advanced age.

Mobb Deep
Rating: 5/5
Breakdown: Havoc and P rocked the crowd with The Infamous plus just about every other Mobb Deep song you'd want to hear, including "Quiet Storm", "It's Mine", "G.O.D. Pt. III", and "Drop A Gem On 'Em", which they entered to. The one questionable moment came when 40 Glocc did his west side dedication that only served to piss of the partisan east coast crowd. Appropriately, "Shook Ones Pt. II" as the finale received the craziest fan reaction of the day.

Raekwon & Ghostface
Rating: 4.5/5
Recap: The only negative about the entire day was that Rae and Ghost were scheduled twenty minutes before Nas, so everyone had to choose between two can't-miss performances. I got nice and close to the stage for this because no one was trying to see Childish Gambino who was on before them. Luckily, the three songs I saw before heading over to the main stage were "Criminology", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", and "Ice Cream", all of which were as great as I could have imagined.

Nas
Rating: 5/5
Recap: All of the performances I saw at Rock The Bells were incredible, but this one was historic. "New York State of Mind" was as hype as expected, then AZ came out for his legendary verse on "Life's A Bitch" and the duo did "Mo Money, Mo Murder". Then Pete Rock came out for "The World Is Yours" and faced off in a DJ battle with Premier in what was one of the coolest moments of the day/my life. In addition to Illmatic, Nas did some of his earlier joints that probably hadn't been performed live in eons. He brought out MC Serch for "Back To The Grill" and Akinyele and Fatal for "Live At The Barbecue", both of which were insane.

Overall, Rock The Bells was incredible. Scheduling fuckups caused me to miss most of Liquid Swords and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, but what I did see was more than enough to make it a success. The venue was great, the atmosphere was awesome, and the performances couldn't have been better short of Biggie coming back and doing Ready To Die.  

Album Review: Game- "The R.E.D. Album"

A few weeks back, I forecasted on this site that The R.E.D. Album was going to be garbage. In the meantime, I've heard a few songs off of the album that strongly indicate otherwise. Is this the album I anticipated, full of R&B hooks about sipping Patron, or the new Documentary?

1. Dr. Dre Intro

Dr. Dre introduces Game and re-traces his gang affiliated bloodlines.

2. The City (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

A dramatic entrance full of singers and choirs and loud percussion bangs like something from "Lion King". Game, in his angriest voice, raps about being the king and everything else while Lamar does the hook and "freestyles" after the beat stops. This goes on forever too.

3. Drug Test (Feat. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)

I never thought I'd see the day when Dre monsters aren't even produced by Dr. Dre. The Game once rapped that he might "put out Detox myself", but DJ Khalil might actually be able to do that.

4. Martians Vs. Goblins (Feat. Lil Wayne & Tyler The Creator)

Besides this being a song titled "Martians Vs. Goblins", this is pretty sick. Tyler The Creator who I had kind of disregarded as just a wacky mofo, drops a memorable guest verse.

5. Red Nation (Feat. Lil Wayne)

Maybe it's because I'm partial to the "Zombie Nation" beat but I love this shit. Game spits some quality bars and even Weezy's chorus is great.

6. Dr. Dre 1

Another one of Dre's frightening interludes

7.  Good Girls Go Bad (Feat. Drake)

I was expecting this to be pillowy soft, because of the title, but this is a banger. Cool & Dre continue to bless Game with some quality soulful shit and Drake drops a decent verse on here. It has to be said though that a healthy majority of The Game's bars are gossip queen status.

8. Ricky

I remember Papoose did a mixtape joint where he just rapped over the "Boys In The Hood" beat, which is sort of what I thought Game was gonna do here. Instead, the movie samples transition into a dramatic banger that makes perfect use of the horns from the "Boys In The Hood" song. Game completes the track with sincere and triumphant lyrics in easily his best, hungriest performance on this album.

9. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Game tells alibis in rap form in a way that's totally fucking brilliant. The beat compliments his stories perfectly too.

10. Heavy Artillery (Feat. Rick Ross & Beanie Sigel)

This is even gullier than it sounds. Cool & Dre kill it again plus Ricky and especially Beans' contributions were very welcome.

11. Paramedics (Feat. Young Jeezy)

On the other hand Young Jeezy's contribution, not so much. That said, it's not his fault this beat is just  loud and busy and hard to listen to. The rest is just what you'd expect from a Game and Jeezy song, full of raps about hustling and "shitting Benjamins" and what not.

12. Speakers On Blast (Feat. Big Boi & E-40)

Game brings in two rap legends on this one. This is pretty cool, but it don't love this beat. A Big Boi/E-40 feature shouldn't sound like a Jay Rock throwaway.

13. Hello (Feat. Lloyd)

Holy shit, this shit is Charmin ultra soft. It's like Game's version of "Fancy" over some really awful R&B music.

14. All The Way Gone (Feat. Mario & Wale)

Not as bad as that last song, but still...just...terrible.

15. Pot Of Gold (Feat. Chris Brown)

Maybe it's the acoustic guitar or Chris Brown singing like Jason Mraz or some shit, but this has to be the whitest Game song of all time.

16. Dr. Dre 2

Dre's tales of the hood don't sound appropriate right after that string of sweet-ass R&B tracks.

17. All I Know (Feat. Lu Breeze)

Another pop song. Apparently I wasn't totally misguided in my concerns about this album. On a somewhat related note, has anyone seen this new Patron TV spot where the president of the company talks about their corporate social responsibility and shit? If this is, as I suspect, a means of distancing the brand from it's current image of rappers' cocktail of choice at strip clubs, well that's just hilarious.

18. Born In The Trap

As I tweeted when this song leaked, this Premo-produced heater actually does "save the R.E.D. Album". I may be the biggest Premier stan around, but this song is fucking great. Game seems to be inspired by the Premier collab because he drops one of the best flows of his career on this.

19. Mama Knows (Feat. Nelly Furtado)

Speaking of incredible flows, Game goes crazy over what sounds like a beat from that most recent Q-Tip album. Not even Nelly Furtado's incomprehensible chorus could ruin this for me.

20. California Dream

The Game raps about the birth of his daughter and at one point there's even a reenactment of the scene of the birth. I can't imagine why Game would have thought anyone would enjoy listening to this.

21. Dr. Dre Outro


Dr. Dre ends with a moralistic message about how being a good guy and raising a family is what's really "gangsta". I might have to disagree with him on that one.

Comments: This album was hot and cold, but good overall. I'd compare it to Ryan Howard, who normally either hits the shit out of the baseball or swings and misses completely. Like Howard, The Game's hits on this album make up for the shittier moments.

Best Songs: "Born In The Trap", "Heavy Artillery", "Ricky"

PropsOverHere Investigates: Are Rap "Beefs" a Thing of the Past?

     A few years ago, "beef" was the most popular thing going in rap, at times even more so than the music itself. Of course such rap feuds were not a new trend. Ever since the days of "The Bridge Is Over", rappers have been going at each other on and off record to air out their differences or maybe just as a ploy for attention. However, rap beef seemed to hit its peak some time in the early to mid 2000's, thanks in part to the infamous Jay-Z and Nas diss tracks, and to the emergence of a new breed of contentious rappers like 50 Cent who sought out a different artist to insult with each recording session. At some point in time, rap music had basically become a giant web of beefs that had become so chaotic and tangled up that I doubt the rappers themselves could even keep track of everyone that they were beefing with and why. Then, all of the sudden, rap beefs were as played out as spinning rims. Jay-Z signed Nas to Def Jam, The Game hit the booth and apologized to Mobb Deep and M.O.P., Shady signed and made an album with Royce Da 5'9", and now I'm hearing that Jim Jones and Cam'Ron's Fly Boys album could be next. Not to mention, when was the last time a rapper got shot? Other than The Game's attention-whoring shots at Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel's salty jabs at, you guessed it, Jay-Z, rappers nowadays seem far more interested in deading their old beefs and moving on rather than seeking out new ones. While I would like to believe that this is because rappers realize how pointless and silly these feuds actually were, it probably has more to do with the fact that beefs are no longer able to drive album sales. Or maybe it's because today's rappers are too concerned with who they're wearing or which color Maybach is the prettiest to hate on each other. So did beef go out of style, or is it simply lying in wait until it makes its triumphant return?

Album Of The Day: Hi-Tek- "Hi-Teknology"

Download*

    This was the first, and best, album by Reflection Eternal producer Hi-Tek. It features an elite guest list of MCs including Common, Mos Def, Cormega, Talib Kweli, Mood, and Buckshot over some of the Cincinnati native's finest work on the boards. One of the best albums of the Rawkus glory days. 

Album Of The Day: Elzhi- "Witness My Growth"

Download*

    This mixtape contains a bunch of unreleased Elzhi material that was recorded between 1997 and 2004, hence the title. The large majority of these songs were simply Detroit underground joints, produced by fellow Motown artists like Young R.J., Waajeed, Kareem Riggins, and the late, great Dilla. His local MC status (which really hasn't changed since, with the lone exception of his verse on The Minstrel Show) combined with his almost unrivaled rapping ability has to make him, in my estimation, the most underrated rapper ever. 

Album Of The Day: 2Pac- "Thug Life"

Download*

    It's almost impossible to believe that a 2Pac album could be underrated, but this one is. Technically it's not a 2Pac solo it's really a group effort between him, his cousin, and his homies, but Pac clearly carries this album. It features some of the more timeless 2Pac classics like "Bury Me A G" and, possibly my favorite Pac song evar, "Pour Out A Little Liquor". Even though All Eyez On Me and Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory get more hype having been released in his post-NY shooting, post-prison, Death Row era, but I'd put Thug Life second only to Me Against The World as far as 2pac albums go.  

Album Of The Day: All City- "Metropolis Gold"

Download*

I don't know shit about All City, but they were somehow able to recruit the likes of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Rockwilder, and others to produce this 1998 release. The Brooklyn duo disbanded after this album, but at least they left us with this underground gem.

Album Review: Royce Da 5'9"- "Success Is Certain"

Royce Da 5'9" has been sort of on a roll recently; joining Slaughterhouse, signing with Shady, and then dropping an album with Eminem that landed him some additional notoriety and radio airplay. I wasn't really able to get into Hell: The Sequel as was the case with all of Royce's solo albums to this point even though he is one of the best rappers around. Some of this may have to do with being on low-budget record labels, or maybe a shitty taste in beats that make his non Premo-produced material hard to listen to. Is this going to be the first Royce album that I like or just further affirmation that making a good album takes more than lyrical battle raps?

1. Legendary (Feat. Travis Barker)

A rock-inspired intro appropriately featuring Travis Barker, whose all over rap albums these days. Royce goes hard to match the energy of the track but his punch lines are very hit or miss.

2. Writer's Block (Feat. Eminem)

A high octane banger full of glitchy noises and choirs not unlike "H.A.M." but with Eminem on the hook. I assume that these are the two reasons why they made it a single.

3. Merry Go Round

The chorus on this is so incredibly corny it's a wonder that Royce Da 5'9" even let this be a part of his album. Unfortunately, it ruins a decent song otherwise with Royce reflecting on events that shaped his career path.

4. Where My Money

Royce raps about how he's going to rob hip-hop, or something, with a weak flow and lyrics that make little to no sense. Maybe being a poor, underground rapper has made him completely disillusioned with the music industry, or maybe he's just not very smart.

5. ER (Feat. Kid Vishis)

A concept track with Royce as a doctor operating on the rap game in the first verse then Kid Vishis rhyming as the game "revived" in the second. This might go back to him being a bitter underground rapper, but I don't know why Royce sounds so pissed off on every song. For the record, nothing takes the edge off of an angry verse quite like the word "Twitter".

6. On The Boulevard (Feat. Nottz & Adonis)

Nottz and Royce tell a story about the dangers of growing up in the ghetto through "Kenny", who aspired to be a track star but ends up selling crack. Or something like that.

7. I Ain't Coming Down

This one is more like it. I like this sample and Royce spits witty and occasionally heartfelt lyrics about his beefs and haters and all that good shit.

8. Security

Royce swaps his angry flow for a monotone delivery on this a dedication to Proof, like 4 years later. The first two verses about him and Proof were great but the amount of times he raps about making amends with Em and D12 on this album would make The Game blush.

9. Second Place

This isn't exactly a classic Premo record but it still thumps and it's still better than 98% of beats of out there. His tracks do tend to bring out the best in Royce, though at the end of the second verse he just starts giggling.

10. My Own Planet (Feat. Joe Budden)

I actually thought this was going to be a spoof record when I heard the synths kick in, but then I remembered what I said earlier about Royce's beat selection. Somehow this isn't totally awful, but Royce and Joe Budden just aren't meant to make shit like this.

11. I've Been Up I've Been Down

More emo babble from Royce over a Linkin Park beat to round out the album.

Comments: Royce is still without an album that I like, which I'm sure he cares a lot about. He is definitely a good rapper but he lacks the ability to pick beats and put songs together which results in mediocre albums such as this.

Best Songs: "Security", "Second Place"

Album Of The Day: 50 Cent- "Power Of The Dollar"

Download*

Before the money and the fame, 50 Cent was a no nonsense rapper from Queens with a Jay-Z flow, as exhibited on this unreleased album. Power Of The Dollar was recorded around 2000 when 50 was signed to Columbia Records, right before he famously caught nine shots and was subsequently dropped from the label. On this album, a young 50 Cent displays a creativity and hunger that is completely absent in his newer music, or really anything he's done since 2005. Between that and beats by Trackmasters, Ski, and others, I'd have to say i like this to anything else in Curtis' catalogue. 

Album Of The Day: Murs- "Murray's Revenge"

Download*

I don't remember this album getting much critical acclaim and it probably went double cardboard, but it's another one of my personal favorites. Like it's predecessor, Murs 3:16, this album only goes ten songs deep, but each are crafted to near perfection thanks to Murs' charismatic storytelling and 9th Wonder's soulful production. A good example is the song "Dreamchaser", on which Murs weaves a  precautionary tale about growing up in his neighborhood over a Willie Hutch sample flip that is one of my favorite instrumentals of all time. If you are into that kind of shit, I recommend both this and 3:16 to the fullest extent.

Album Of The Day: Outkast- "Aquemini"

Download*

Maybe it's because it is Outkast's third best album, or even fourth depending on who you ask, but I don't feel as though Aquemini ever gets the credit it deserves. In addition to the awesomely funky single "Rosa Parks", this album features classic cuts such as "Aquemini", "Da Art Of Storytellin Pt.1", and "Skew It On The Bar-B". Thanks to the musical creativity of Andre and Big Boi and the beat-making genius of Organized Noise and Mr. DJ, this entire album has a sound that is incredibly unique but tasteful at the same time. A classic in my book.

Album Review: Jay-Z & Kanye West- "Watch The Throne"

Well it’s finally here. In an inevitable move, longtime label-mates and hip-hop icons Jay-Z and Kanye West have teamed up for what has to be the biggest album to drop in the history of Props Over Here. I’m particularly excited to hear this album, not for the obvious reason of two great artists collaborating, but because I have no fucking clue what this is going to be like. Everything about this album, let alone the music itself, has been kept under wraps to this point more so than any other album that I can remember. Not only that but, while I love their bodies of work, neither Jay-Z nor Kanye have made anything that I’ve really liked since 2008 (American Gangster and Graduation), so I generally don’t know what to expect from these guys in 2011. So the time has come, is this album the next Blueprint or the next, well, Blueprint 3?


1. No Church In The Wild (Feat. Frank Ocean)

The intro hits hard but I think Kanye was a little over-ambitious on this one. This would have been just fine without ten different synthesizers and Frank Ocean’s long, auto-tune chorus. I’d have to say the rapping was the highlight here, with Hov and Kanye both dropping a monster verse.

2. Lift Off (Feat. Beyonce)

I don’t even know what the fuck this is. I know that Jay-Z and especially Kanye are looking to expand their horizons and make different shit what with their global status, but come on. This is just gay.

3. Ni**as In Paris

It figures that the first track I can really get into is not a Kanye production. Hit-Boy brings a larger-than-life banger and Jay-Z and Yeezy bring some nasty, ballin’ slow raps to compliment it. The outro might have been a bit much.

4. Otis (Feat. Otis Redding)

You’ve heard this already so I’ll spare you a review. This shit really grew on me though; to the point where I may have to take back my tweet about Masta Killa’s “D.T.D.” being a better version of this. If Ghostface was on this though...

5. Gotta Have It

Another banger, this one with the help of Pharrell, though I thought it was RZA to be honest. It might just be my love of ignorant raps, but Kanye’s whole “racks on maybachs” thing was the most entertaining moment of this album so far. They’re even able to pull of the old Run DMC back-to-back rapping thing. I might have to revise my list of the top duos after this.

6. New Day

Speaking of The RZA, this actually was at least co-produced by him but sounds decidedly more like Dr. Dre. This one is very emotional and serious; Jay-Z and Ye read letters to their unborn children and what not. It’s sad that I’d rather hear Kanye rap about Maybachs than this, but true.

7. That’s My Bitch

Yeezy and Hov spit on-fire raps about pussy over what sounds like a gangsta Salt-N-Peppa track. I mean that in the best way possible, this is funky as shit.

8. Welcome to the Jungle

Not a Guns N’ Roses sample, but Jay-Z spits some pretty brilliant, introspective raps over a guitar sampling heater. Swizz Beatz, who did the track, can be heard saying, “Welcome to the jungle” and occasionally, "God damn it".

9. Who Gon Stop Me

This one samples dub step, or what the fuck ever, which I hate the idea of. I mean some of this was cool but call me out-of-touch, I just don’t think I can get into this.

10. Murder to Excellence

This one starts with a beat that was kind of overdone and full of instruments and a choir and shit then switches up to what sounds like a College Dropout-era Kanye banger. However, Jay-Z’s raps carry this track in my opinion, with respect to Ye who’s been holding his own on this album.

11. Made In America (Feat. Frank Ocean)

This one goes out to baby Jesus. This was just very awkward and contrived, but I did like Jay-Z’s bit of storytelling about cooking crack in his grandma’s kitchen.

12. Why I Love You (Feat. Mr. Hudson)

Jay-Z's rock ballad/"I'll be the the bigger man" diss record produced by Kanye and what I can only assume are a bunch of Italian DJs. Shots fired at Beanie Sigel, Dame Dash etc. I’m interested to hear the response to this.

13. Illest Motherfucker Alive

Kanye sings about how he needs a slow motion video and then raps about Russell Brand and fashion among other things. Jay-Z then compares himself and Kanye to The Beatles and over-emphasizes how much money he has. I guarantee they will sit front row at the Grammy’s if only because Jay said they will.

14. H.A.M.

The anthemic Lex Luger banger that’s been out since earlier this year. It’s not the best song of all time but it originated or at least popularized the term “ham” plus Mr. West references the legendary Eli Porter. Respect: earned.

15. Primetime

Jay-Z and Kanye both kill it over a great piano sample and hard-hitting drums on one of the best songs in a while. For what it’s worth, Russell Simmons is listed as a producer credit on this.

16. The Joy (Feat. Curtis Mayfield)

Pete Rock blesses big brother and little bro with an extra soulful flip of the old Curtis Mayfield sample which was also used on that Masta Killa album, though I might be the only person who finds that interesting. This was hip-hop as shit, a great way to end the album, or at least the fancy iTunes deluxe version.

Comments: This album was fucking crazy. Some of it was too out there musically for my liking, and some of these songs were totally questionable, but overall I like what they’ve done here. From the musical end, this album had so much variety and, even though I didn’t like every song, the production as a whole was excellent. Added to that, both Jay-Z and Kanye brought their A-game lyrically and displayed impressive chemistry on the mic. You can tell that they really went all out on this album and not even I can hate on that.

Best Songs: “Otis”, “Gotta Have It”, “Ni**as In Paris”, “Murder To Excellence”

PropsOverHere Presents: Before The Throne

Download

With Jay-Z and Kanye West's highly anticipated project Watch The Throne just around the corner, I've dedicated this mixtape to some of their best collaborations to this point. One can only hope that the material on Watch The Throne is half this good. Tracklisting below.

1.Takeover
2. Lucifer
3. Brooklyn Go Hard
4. Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
5. Song Cry
6. Heart Of The City
7. This Can't Be Life (Feat. Beanie Sigel & Scarface)
8. Never Let Me Down
9. Jockin' Jay-Z
10. Never Change
11. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)
12. Encore

Album Of The Day: Mobb Deep- "Hell On Earth"

Download*

Mobb Deep's iconic The Infamous is appropriately hailed as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the '90s. However, their follow up, Hell On Earth, receives no such praise for reasons that are beyond me. Released only about a year after The Infamous, this album still catches Havoc and P in their artistic prime and is one of the darkest, gulliest rap albums ever made. So if you thought that there was no debating The Infamous as Mobb Deep's best work, guess again.

Album Of The Day: Inspectah Deck- "Uncontrolled Substance"

Download*

Inspectah Deck is the one guy from the Wu that deserved the mid-90's RZA treatment but didn't get it. While GZA, Raekwon, Method Man, Ghostface, and ODB all dropped classic albums with RZA at the helm, Deck maintained his role as "one of the group" despite lyrical skills that rivaled any of the aforementioned. His solo debut, Uncontrolled Substance, didn't drop until 1999 and features only two RZA beats and, while I wouldn't put it next to Liquid Swords, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and so on, it's still a solid album. Despite the lack of in-his-prime RZA brilliance, the production is quality thanks to Wu-affiliated beat makers True Master, 4th Disciple, and Mathematics plus one track each from Pete Rock and Large Professor. Well-known as an incredible verse writer, Deck doesn't have the kind of range and subject matter that can effectively carry an entire album, which likely explains why his solo career was so low on the group's list of priorities. Nonetheless, on sheer lyrical skill and production alone, this album still ranks highly on the list of Wu-Tang solo efforts. 

Album Of The Day: Joe Budden- "Mood Muzik 2"

Download*

Joe Budden is best known for "Pump It Up", the Just Blaze-produced jam of 2003. That single helped establish Budden as a well-known rapper, but made him seem like a dumbed-down mainstream artist, only capable of writing songs for the club. On this my favorite mixtape evar, Budden shows his true colors as a hungry, introspective lyricist that is nothing like the "Pump It Up" MC that Def Jam wanted him to be.

Album Of The Day: Da Youngstas- "No Mercy"

Download*

   Da Youngstas were a Philly-based trio that made some quality hip-hop in the early '90s as teenagers. Not that I'm all too familiar with their catalogue, but this is my favorite album of theirs thanks to their energy on the mic and production by greats like Marley Marl and K-Def. Mad props.

PropsOverHere Presents: The Best Of The Game & DJ Skee

Download

I have a strong feeling that Game's upcoming R.E.D. Album is going to suck ass, and I don't think I'm alone in this. For the last year, Jayceon has been trying too hard to make a radio smash, hence abortions like the Timbo-produced Gucci collab "Krazy"and the Pharrell-produced Chris Brown feature, "Pot of Gold". These failed attempts at a hit single have greatly lowered my expectations for this album, even though I've been satisfied with all of The Game's albums to date. Assuming I'm right, and the album is terrible, his mixtape material with DJ Skee over the last year or so serves as an acceptable consolation. Between The R.E.D. Room, Brake Lights, Purp & Patron, and Hood Morning: Candy Coronas (which just dropped today), there are more than an album's worth of great songs, to the point where it almost doesn't even matter anymore how bad the real album may be. With that in mind, I've taken the best songs from the Game/Skee tapes and assembled a sort of greatest hits collection for your enjoyment. Tracklisting below.

1. Drug Test (Feat. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)
2. Soo Woo (Feat. Lil' Wayne)
3. Out Of Towner
4. The Kill
5. Gangs Of New York (Feat. Jim Jones & Jadakiss)
6. Taylor Made (Feat. Wiz Khalifa)
7. Slangin' Rocks
8. Uncle Otis
9. Grave Yard
10. Hahahahaha
11. Ashed To Ashes (Feat. Rick Ross)
12. Red (Feat. Redman)
13. The Ocean
14. Never Stop Hustlin' (Feat. Fabolous)
15. R.I.P. Story

Album Of The Day: Diverse "One A.M."

Download*

 On One A.M., Diverse, who I admittedly know nothing about, displays virtuoso rapping skill and some substance to go along with it. The beats by the likes of Prefuse 73, Madlib, and RJD2 are very solid, making this one of the few new-ish underground albums with significant replay value, at least for me.  

Album Of The Day: Juggaknots-"Clear Blue Skies"

Download*

The Juggaknots are a group headlined by Breezly Brewin, a great underground MC. This 2003 album is unquestionably their best work but apparently it never caught on because I hardly ever see it mentioned. If you were born in the late '80's/'90's, you might have heard the song "Trouble Man" since I think it was featured on one of those immensely popular Tony Hawk skateboarding video games. Everyone's got that one friend that just ran train in Tony Hawk. Anyway, download this album.

*Don't blame me if this download gives your computer a virus, I did not upload that shit.

Album Of The Day: Kidz In The Hall- "School Was My Hustle"

Download*

Today's album is Naledge and Double O's debut effort, School Was My Hustle. I had never heard of Kidz In The Hall until I read up on how Just Blaze threw the "Rumpshaker" horns on one of their songs and used it for Jay's then-new single "Show 'Em What You Got". Still having never heard any of their music, I checked this album on a hunch and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was totally fresh, pure hip-hop from front to back.

*Don't blame me if this download gives your computer a virus because I did not upload that shit.

Dream Albums Do Come True...Maybe

According to VladTV, "50 is Patiently Waiting On Kanye for Joint Project", an idea that I pitched on this very site right around the time of the Graduation vs. Curtis album sales showdown. Since then, Fiddy's popularity as an artist has plummeted and his Sleek headphone venture was a flop, so he's turning to Kanye presumably because he's all out of ideas. Between label politics and Kanye's better judgment I kind of doubt that this album ever materializes, but if it does I hope that they at least consider the title He's The D-Bag, I'm The Rapper.

Album Of The Day: Lake & Cormega-"My Brother's Keeper"

Download*

With not much happening in the rap world, I've decided to add a new feature to the site called "Album Of The Day" where everyday I'll give shine to a different, underrated album. The first is Lake and Cormega's My Brother's Keeper, a collection of street tales from two Queensbridge hustlers turned inmates turned rappers. From what I can piece together through various songs, Lake and Mega grew up together but had a falling out at some point, possibly when one or the other went to prison. Eventually they settled their differences and reunited to make this album, back in '06. Only about half of the songs on this are any good, but it still comes highly recommended for fans of East Coast street shit such as myself.

*Don't blame me if this download gives your computer a virus because I did not upload that shit.

PropsOverHere Presents: The Remixes (Pt. II)

Download

It's been a while since I posted a download, so here's another one of my famous mixtapes with more remixes. Tracklist below.

1. A Tribe Called Quest - "Oh My God" (Remix)

2. AZ & Nas - "The Essence" (Remix)

3. G-Dep - "Special Delivery" (Remix)

4. The Firm - "Affirmative Action" (Remix)

5. Junior M.A.F.I.A. - "Player's Anthem" (Remix)

6. Lord Finesse - "Hip 2 Da Game" (Buckwild Remix)

7. Large Professor - "The Radar" (Marco Polo Remix)

8. Smif-N-Wessun - "Wrekonize" (Remix)

9. AZ - "Gimme Yours" (Remix)

10. Das Efx - "Jussumen" (Pete Rock Remix)

11. Artifacts - "The Ultimate" (Showbiz Remix)

12. M.O.P. - "Handle Ur Bizness" (Premo Remix)

13. Slum Village - "Players" (Pete Rock Remix)

14. Jay-Z - "In My Lifetime" (Big Jaz Remix)

Album Review: Jay Rock- "Follow Me Home"

I profess that I don't know much about Jay Rock. I didn't even know that he was from Cali until I consulted Wikipedia just now. What I do know about him is that he dropped the Cool & Dre produced single/Weezy feature "All My Life" in 2008 a la Saigon, but I still bump that shit from time to time. The next leak from this album, "Hood Gone Love It", is almost as good and cracked my top 10 from the first half of the year. Does the rest of his debut album match the quality of the first two singles or does it all go downhill from there?

1. Intro

Jay Rock is interviewed about a drive-by and welcomes us to “Guttaville”.

2. Code Red

Sort of a continuation from the intro, this one is about how real shit gets in Watts, naturally over an imitation Dre beat. Jay even brings in a guy that sounds like Snoop Dogg to do the chorus.

3. Bout That

More tough guy gangsta raps, except this one is more of a mess musically than the last song. This sounds like a throwaway from a Game tape.

4. No Joke (Feat. Ab-Soul)

At this point its clear that Jay Rock isn’t gonna do anything that hasn’t been done before, based on all of the interchangeable verses about the hood so far. Not necessarily a bad thing, since that’s clearly what he’s best at. I like this track to the first two thanks to the chopped up piano sample though I could do without Ab-Soul on the hook.

5. Hood Gone Love It (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

I talked about this track in my intro to this review and in that “Halftime” post but it bears repeating, this is great. I’m glad J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League gave this to Jay Rock now that Rick Ross only raps over different variations of the “I’m Not A Star” beat.

6. Westside (

feat. Chris Brown)

Considering this is a Breezy feature about banging hoes, I’m not mad at this. It’s not a very good song, but I hope it gets Jay Rock some airplay.

7. Elbows

Here’s another fake Dre track though this one, unlike the first, is well worse than the real thing. Jay Rock brings an extra raspy, aggressive flow that, combined with the Dre-like production, invokes a Restless-era Xzibit.

8. Boomerang

This is the least inspired moment of this album so far, which says a lot since there was already a Chris Brown, girl track.

9. All I Know Is

Some more unoriginal, West Coast gangsta rap but this time, instead of a guy that sounds sort of like Snoop, they got a guy that sounds sort of like Nate Dogg to do the hook. Rest in peace.

10. I'm Thuggin'

I know I said that Jay Rock’s lack of ingenuity wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but at this point it’s almost embarrassing. I mean the hook on this is him repeating “Bitch, I’m Thuggin’”. Come on now.

11. Kill or Be Killed

Tech N9ne, who I’ve never been able to get into, lends a guest verse on a song about shooting people. For what it’s worth, Jay’s verse describing a dude getting rushed off to the hospital and shit might be his best lyricism so far.

12. Just Like Me (Feat. J.Black)

A somber track about the ugly side of ghetto living, basically the opposite of “Hood Gone Love It”.

13. Say Wassup (Feat. Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, & Schoolboy Q)

Jay Rock brings in the rest of “Black Hippy” for this the best song in some time. Even though the gangbang shit might be in Jay Rock’s element, the best songs on here are the ones that are the least gangsta sounding, but that might just be my personal preference.

14. They Be On It

Jay spits braggadocio raps about cars and bitches and whatnot. This is alright but I wouldn’t care if I never heard this again.

15. M.O.N.E.Y.

This is a lot like the last song that this guy J. Black sang on. I get the sense that every time Jay Rock feels like he has something really serious to rap about he calls up J. Black, finds a dark piano beat, and hits the booth.

16. Finest Hour (Feat. Rick Ross & BJ The Chicago Kid)

This J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League track sounds like some of the beats they’ve done for Rick Ross in the past, so it’s no surprise to find Rozay on here. I think if they handled all the production on this album it would be an entirely different story.

17. Life's A Gamble

Here’s another dark piano beat, probably the best yet. I think I’ve heard this one before and there was a video for it if I’m not mistaken. This is pretty chill but not really anything special.

18. All My Life (Feat. Lil' Wayne)

This song is still terrific but it’s old news. They might as well have put "California Soul" on here too. I mean if you haven’t heard this by now then definitely go do that.

Comments:

Eh. This album had its moments, but also had lots of filler, which I guess is to be expected since there were 18 songs on there. Like I said, with better production value I think Jay Rock could put out something much better, as evidenced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Cool & Dre tracks.

Best Songs: "Hood Gone Love It", "All My Life"

1.