Monday, March 4, 2013

Ghostface Killah & Apollo Brown - 12 Reasons To Die


I just heard the most amazing news this morning! According to Apollo Brown himself, "RZA's label Soul Temple hit [him] up to do a second official version of the new Ghostface Killah album. Coming in April." While Adrian Younge is producing the CD version of 12 Reasons To Die, Apollo Brown has been commissioned to produce the CASSETTE version of the album. I've always said that my ideal rapper/producer combo was Apollo Brown and Ghostface Killah, and now it's actually happening! This project has automatically become my most anticipated album of 2013. I can't wait!

Monday, February 25, 2013

Little Vic - This Is What It Sounds Like


If the "It" in the song's title is referring to heaven, then I agree. Producer Double Shots seems to capture all the joy and happiness in the world and uses it to craft a magical beat for Little Vic to spit his lyrics. Vic flows well over the beat, delivering some memorable lines ("I hang by myself, just like Saddam"), but I would love to get my hands on an instrumental version of this track. The beat is just that good. I'm not familiar with any of Double Shots other production work, but I imagine this track would be his crowning achievement.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Radio Los Santos


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the definitive console game for hip hop heads. From the intricate plot details to the time period in which the story takes place, the game is steeped in hip hop culture. The icing on the cake is the presence of a fictional radio station by the name of Radio Los Santos. I remember countless times playing the game where I would just hop into a car and drive around aimlessly, listening to Radio Los Santos. It is the one radio station that truly captures the essence of the game.

At the heart of San Andreas is the city of Los Santos, which is based on the real-life city of Los Angeles. The playlist of Radio Los Santos accurately reflects the music you would have heard on a West Coast hip hop station in 1992, the year in which the game is set. One thing you will notice about the playlist is an overwhelming presence of Dr. Dre, having had a hand in 8 out of the 16 tracks. This is not surprising as Dr. Dre had the Midas Touch in the early 90's, producing hit after hit after hit, and let's not even mention The Chronic. 2Pac, Ice Cube, N.W.A. and Cyprus Hill all make appearances, resulting in a rather brilliant compilation tape which you can download in it's entirety below.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Funk Volume


Funk Volume is a movement I am right behind. The jury is still out on what exactly DJ Hoppa brings to the table, but Hopsin, SwizZz, Jarren Benton and Dizzy Wright are four very talented emcees. When they all hop on a track together, it is a joy to behold.


Thursday, January 24, 2013

First Date: Eminem & Kanye West


Most people would think that Eminem and Kanye West first crossed paths in 2009 on the Drake track "Forever", also featuring Lil Wayne. However, this is not strictly the case. Nine years prior, Eminem made an appearance on The Madd Rapper's album Tell 'Em Why U Madd. The track was titled "Stir Crazy", and the producer was none other than Kanye West. Eminem got his Slim Shady on, and Kanye's beat was the perfect vehicle for it. Here's hoping that Eminem gets another chance to spit fire over some fresh Kanye production in the near future.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

When Skits Are Done Right .....


Dispersing skits throughout an album is a largely pointless exercise. For some reason, many hip hop artists seem to fancy themselves as stand-up comedians, yet the skits they plague their albums with are rarely amusing or entertaining. There is not a single album I have ever enjoyed where the skits enhanced my listening experience ..... except one.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Underrated Emcee: Shad


Shad is one of those hip hop cats that deserves to be heard by a lot more people. He is Canada's greatest hip hop export (sorry Drake), a lyrical monster capable of profound metaphors and similes, thought-provoking social commentary, pop culture references and witty punchlines. As a result, Shad's albums (particularly 2007's The Old Prince and 2010's TSOL) are chock-full of memorable tracks that will have you reaching for that rewind button, because Shad has quotables for days.


Sunday, January 20, 2013

My Favourite Donut


Arguably the greatest instrumental album of all time, J Dilla's Donuts oozes with soulful goodness. It's all Dilla, no filler. Every J Dilla fan has their own favourite Donut, but for me, it doesn't get much better than "Airworks". After a cheeky false start, a perfectly chopped vocal sample kicks in over some smooth strings and drums, and the result is a track that I can listen to endlessly.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

One Verse Wonders: R.A. the Rugged Man


I became an instant R.A. the Rugged Man fan on the day I first listened to "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story" by Jedi Mind Tricks. I'm sure that many R.A. fans were born the same way. I had first become aware of the Rugged Man when I came across his track "Cunt Renaissance", featuring the one and only Biggie Smalls.


Monday, January 14, 2013

Hip Hop Legend: Big Pun


"Dead in the middle of Little Italy, little did we know that we riddled some middle man who didn't do diddly" - Big Pun

Need I say more?

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Most Underrated Album Of 2012


Young Zee & Mr. Green - One Crazy Weekend

I think "underrated" may be the wrong word. For an album to be underrated, people must be aware that it actually exists. I'm sure the 5 people who listened to this album loved it, but the rest missed out. Mr. Green brought his 'A' game on the production tip, and Young Zee delivers entertaining lyrics and punchlines throughout the entire album. Without a doubt, One Crazy Weekend sits comfortably in my Top 5 albums of 2012.


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Song vs. Sample


The art of sampling is one of the cornerstones of hip hop. At the heart of every great hip hop track is usually a great sample. One of the things I love about hip hop is being able to track down the sample of a song you love, only to find out that the sample is just as good as the track that sampled it. Here are just 2 examples:

Friday, January 11, 2013

Top 10 Apollo Brown Beats


Apollo Brown is one of my favourite producers in the game right now. I would describe his production style as the best elements of DJ Premier, RZA and Kanye West all rolled into one. He combines gorgeous soul samples with old school boom bap to brilliant effect, and his collaborative albums with the likes of Hassaan Mackey, O.C. and Guilty Simpson have been among the best hip hop releases in recent memory. Perhaps the crowning jewel in his catalog thus far is Gas Mask, the album he released in 2010 with his group The Left, consisting of himself, Journalist 103 and DJ Soko. I could easily create a list of my top 50 favourite Apollo productions, but I will limit myself to just 10. So without further ado, here is my top 10 favourite Apollo Brown beats:

10. Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson - One Man


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Top 10 Big L Punchlines


Big L was hip hop's king of the punchline. No other emcee could make me laugh out loud with witty and hilarious one-liners like L could. Here are my Top 10 favourite Big L punchlines:

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Greatest Hip Hop Group Of All Time: Wu-Tang Clan


The debate about the greatest emcee of all time is a hotly contested one. Yet when it comes to the greatest hip hop group of all time, there is often no debate at all. Groups such as N.W.A., A Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy can be considered briefly as No. 1 contenders, but once the Wu-Tang Clan enters into the equation, the No. 1 spot is all but assured.

Hip Hop Legend: Ice Cube


Before Biggie and 2Pac, there was Ice Cube. I feel like people forget that sometimes. He dropped classic (Straight Outta Compton) after classic (AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted) after classic (Death Certificate), and yet he just doesn't appear often enough in hip hop debates about the greatest of all time. He's definitely in my Top 10, and I would pick Ice Cube over 2Pac any day of the week.