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.