GHETTO D (The Re Up)

Over the years I've had a strange relationship with Southern hip hop. Despite my southern roots, I've never really had a real connection with southern hip hop. So when my friends were crowning Master P and the Hot Boys as the "hardest" in the game, I was entrenched in east hip hop somewhere lost between Enter the 36 Chambers and Reasonable Doubt. But no matter how much I resisted, when you're the only one in a car packed with teenagers that wants to listen to Illmatic instead of Mr. Ice Cream Man, there's nothing you can really do. So whether I liked it or not, I was forced to listen to Comin' out Hard, Get It How You Live, and whatever else was corrupting our young minds. Eventually I got used to it and actually began liking it to an extent. One of my favorites just happened to be Master P's Ghetto D. Apparently P is trying to relive his former years when No Limit released a new album every week and he was actually a relevant member of the game by re-releasing this hood classic. Since I've been in a list making mood, I'd figured I would round up my top 5 favorite southern classics.

1. Juvenile - 400 Degreez
2. Eightball and MJG - Comin' Out Hard
3. Scarface - Last of a Dying Breed
4. Big Tymers - I Got That Work
5. Master P - Ghetto D

Myspace Music: David Ryan Harris

Even though I am a self declared hip hop head, I don't always confine myself to one genre. When I'm not embroiled in my love/hate relationship with hip hop, I do listen to white other types of music. One of my favorite non hip hop artist is John Mayer. I really believe he is one of the greatest songwriters of this generation. So for this week's spotlight, I figured I'd step outside the confines of my hip hop obsession and feature a non hip hop artist. David Ryan Harris is a singer/songwriter that has been touring with John Mayer. When not on tour, Harris is recording his own music, which can be labeled as acoustic soul. Harris has credited Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and Coltrane as a few of his inspirations. The standout track on his page "Yesterday Shutting Down" has him channeling a little bit of the late Marvin Gaye into his falsetto. His debut Soulstice is available on itunes and from the clips that I have heard so far, he might make me come out my pocket with $9.99 to break up the hip hop monotony in my ipod.

Top 25 Ever, Period.

So apparently much of the hip hop blog world has been agonizing over creating a top 25 list of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Initially, I wasn't going to dedicate the time needed to the grueling process of compiling such a list but after reading several lists that I believe omitted certified classics I had to intervene.





1. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us back
It's undeniable. The production revolutionized the game and the content was thought provoking. Now that I'm much older this album is even more relevant.

2. Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx
The epitome of early 90's east coast hip hop.

3. Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
Cinematic. The shit plays out like a movie.

4. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
The defiant tone of this record is still unmatched. I remember being scared to listen to this. True gangsta shit.

5. Eric B. and Rakim - Paid In Full
Paid in Full, I Ain't No Joke, Eric B. is President. No explanation necessary.

6. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Consistency. Their most complete album ever.

7. Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
Grimy, NY Rap. Raw emotion condensed into an Lp.

8. Nas - Illmatic
The NY classic. Nas is so descriptive he made you smell, touch and hear QB.

9. Ice Cube - Predator
Back when Cube was relevant to hip hop.

10. Dr. Dre - Chronic
Melodic, west coast life's shining moment.

11. Redman - Muddy Waters
Pure hip hop. Redman always goes hard. 3 solid verses every time.

12. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clintele
Who knows what the fuck Ghost is saying but damn does that shit sound fly.

13. Gangstarr - Hard to Earn
Mass Appeal, DWYCK, Code of the Streets, perfect blend of boom bap and lyrics.

14. Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
The debut of a legend.

15. Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Grimy, hungry NY rap.

16. Notorious B.I.G - Life After Death
Big flaunted his versatility on this double disc.

17. Wu Tang Clan - Wu Tang Forever
The greatest group ever? I'm not sure about that, but this was definitely on the best team efforts ever.

18. Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar - Blackstar
Underground hip hop at its finest.

19. The Roots - Illadelphia Halflife
The Roots really became visible with this album and Black Thought emerged as one of the illest in the game.

20. Jay Z - Blueprint
9/11. The world changed and so did hip hop. Jay's most verstaile effort ever.

21. De La Soul - The Stakes is High
Back when everybody else wanted to be in the mob, De La went against the grain and created this classic.

22. Nas - It Was Written
Some will argue that this album marked the demise of Nas but, I believe Nas stuck to the script and created another classic.

23. Outkast - Aquemini
From start to finish, this cd is innovative and creative. Outkast at their best.

24. Common - Be
Be is the resurrection of Common. Kanye brought him back to his roots.

25. Mase - Harlem World
So yeah the shiny suits were corny but you can't knock the energy of this record. The soundtrack for the young, fly and flashy.

Honorable Mention: Noreaga - N.O.R.E, Mobb Deep - Murda Musik, Puff Daddy - Victory
CNN - The War Report

Kickin' it...

Here's part 1 of the premiere episode of Kickin' it by the good folks @ Nicekicks.

Thank God its Friday....

Haven't had much time to make a post worthwhile lately, so today I'll take it light with a just a video. Since I failed to do my weekly spotlight on Wednesday, here it is today. This is a video for an emcee originally from Baltimore but now reps Rock Hill, SC. His name is Verbatim and you can check him out here.

Questlove is a living legend...

If you didn't already know Pharrell has recruited Questlove to rework that warmed over garbage he released last year "In My Mind". So instead of all those damn quirky synths and shit, Quest is revamping the LP with all live instrumentation. What he has done so far is nothing short of brillant. The latest two tracks are already 1000 times better than the originals. Check out the clip below to hear the live version of "Number One" and watch Quest dumb out to it. Also head over to his myspace page to hear the live version of "How does it feel?" titled as "P and the Yessirs"

Niggas don't skate....

Looks like Jim Jones and his dipshit dipset crew have taken their rockstar persona one step past iced-out skull heads and tight ass jeans. Introducing the DipSkate crew. I know what you're thinking: "niggas don't skate!" and yes in my younger days when I had a very limited scope of the world and what constitutes what is cool or not, I would have agreed. But in today's world, when damn near every black kid in America thinks the only way they will be successful is if they play basketball and football or become a rapper, I'm happy to see rappers endorsing something other than a "wicked jumpshot". Granted, given the Dips previous history (remember Cam's pink fetish), I'm sure this DipSkate movement will end shortly after Jim and his crew find a new trend to jump on. Until then, I'm sure skaters everywhere are adding the Dips, to the list of rappers trying to exploit the skate culture. Move over Pharrell and Lupe.

Part 1 and 2 @ Onsmash

Check my footwork....

Though much of the nation suffered from the recent cold spell, the summer is still quickly approaching. Since it's been awhile since I did an update on kicks/fashion, I figured I'd highlight a few of the kicks I plan on spending my hard earned money on. First are the True Blue Jordan Spizikes that drop May 5th (same day as my graduation). I wasn't really feeling the black colorway that came out earlier this year but these are a must have for the summer.


This is the third colorway released for the Air Assault. The previous two were pretty hot but I'm feeling the yellow and blue Michigan color combo for the summer. The best thing is, you can get a pair of these for under $100.



No summer outfit is complete until there are a crisp pair of all white sneakers on your feet. Most people prefer the classic white on white AF1 and this year I'm gonna have to agree. I'm not a big AF1 fan but this summer I think I might just cop a pair.

Thank you Imus?

Black America we've been exposed. You can thank Black "leaders" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for their over zealous crusade for crucifixion of Imus, you can thank Micheal Richards' infamous on stage meltdown or you can thank the repulsive looking bigot pictured above for his repugnant on-air comments. No matter whom you thank make sure to include yourself amongst the people and events that have exposed the real truth. From what I have noticed the Imus controversy and the media frenzy that has ensued has produced two glaring issues that have once again exposed the sensitive topic of race in America. First, the days of white people getting away with saying greasy shit about black people in public has ended and we can now label Imus as the sacrificial pig. Whether you want to believe that the he was only fired because of the loss of advertising dollars or you actually believe that MSNBC and CBS were truly disgusted by the shock jocks comments, the fact remains that he has been punished for his comments and justly so. In an era where the line of political correctness gets finer by the minute, going on a national platform and spewing derogatory comments can result in some serious repercussions.

The minute Imus' comments were plastered across every media outlet in the world Black America cried victim. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson stepped into their phone booths donned their crusader capes and rushed to save the day. But the media and several Imus supporters have managed to deflect the racially charged comments and expose an underlying issue that's been a constant hindrance to growth in the black community; why hasn't Sharpton, Jackson and supporters followed suit with the actions of the late C. Delores Tucker and try to rid hip hop of the misogyny and violence that is so often glamorized by the genre? Jason Whitlock seems to believe that there is no money involved in that fight and no way Sharpton and clan can claim victim by the hands of their own people. Whitlock is right. There is no money involved and no way to claim victimhood. The truth is, what is at stake can not be quantified into a monetary value neither can it be contrived into a plan to show that we have been victimized. The future and destiny of Black America is at stake and we can not blame hip hop solely for its demise. There is a civil war that has raged on within the black community for years and has pitted young vs. old, male vs. female, dark skin vs. light skin. I jokingly spoke about it when Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy, brought the battle between dark skin and light skin to a national stage, but this time it's no joking matter. Black America has been fighting "the man" for so long that we don't know how to handle the internal battles that are crippling our own community. So Sharpton, Jackson and supporters and whoever else has been anointed by the media as the champion for black folks are fighting "the man" mainly because they don't want to expose the internal conflicts that exist in the black community. The problem with that strategy is that these internal conflicts are magnified every time our "leaders" devote so much of their efforts to such a minuscule battle. Fighting "the man" is always going to be a losing battle. Bigots like Imus and Micheal Richards will continue to troll around America spewing insensitive remarks amongst their white colleagues. The true battle exists within the black community and the longer we wait to address it, the further we push ourselves into extinction. I want to thank DP and Jason Whitlock for encouraging myself and others to speak out about the truth behind this Imus fallout.

Greatest Rapper Alive?

Lil Wayne stirred up the hip hop pot a few months ago when he committed hip hop blasphemy by claiming he was now better than his former favorite rapper Jay Z. I've been resisting the urge to do a Lil Wayne post for about as long as the debate about his newly acquired skills has been going on. Partly because I'm sick of hearing him on every damn record under the sun and also because I don't see what the big fuss is. Lil Wayne is a good rapper. There's no denying the fact that he has catapulted himself into an elite group of rappers that have a devout following. Greatest rapper alive? No. Last time I checked Nas, Jay Z, Common and Black Thought were all still alive and breathing. And frankly, there will never be a "greatest rapper alive" because the claim is too relative. But in my book to even be considered in that top bracket, you have to acknowledge the artists' entire body of work. Clearly, Wayne is nowhere close to etching his name into my top 10. His career pre-The Carter is mediocre at best. Granted his last two efforts and everything in between has been entertaining but I'm still not ready to crown him king. The Carter III, as my homie Randy said will be a pivotal moment in Weezy's campaign. Until then I look at Lil Wayne as another rapper in an industry where talentless dirtbags like Jim Jones are praised for trivial and thoughtless records. That's not to say that Wayne is talentless but I need to hear him make some conceptual records. I need to hear his storytelling abilities. I need to hear him rap about something other than being the president of a washed up, desolate record label or about how much money he has or how much weed he smokes. Wayne has the potential to be this generation's Jay Z or Nas but first he has to more than release 50 mixtapes of him rhyming aimlessly on other peoples records. Give me a Reasonable Doubt, an Illmatic, an Only Built for Cuban Linx, a Muddy Waters, I need that classic album before I can really consider Wayne.

Myspace Music: Wale

For this week's spotlight I'm taking you to the nations capital. Introducing Wale, (pronounced Wah-Lay) an emcee from an area where hip hop struggles to hold a flame to the devout house and go-go following. When I'm searching for an artist to spotlight, I take into consideration several factors (talent, content, swagger, etc.) When listening to Wale I immediately recognized his overall talent. The songs on page so his versatility and his ability to mesh his intricate wordplay with a DC sound. Wale is supported by industry vet Kenny Burns, formerly of Rocafella fame and co-owner of the RyanKenny fashion label. He's already been featured in the Source and along with Tabi Bonney he's leading a movement to put DC on the map. Check out a day in his life.

Can I Bust?

While most of you were probably printing up "Fuck Imus" T-shirts and collecting the money you betted on Birkhead being the baby daddy, Canibus was carefully plotting his return to hip hop. Step One; make himself look like a spider monkey on the cover to his new album. Step Two; create a complicatedwebsite promoting only one song from the album. Step Three; record the exhaustive "1000 Bars". As the intelligence of the average hip hop fan quickly dwindles, its becoming even harder for a rapper of Canibus' caliber to remain relevant. With that said, why in the hell did he even record this "Poet Laureate Infinity"?! I admire your effort 'Bis but "1000 bars", nobody cares. I'm hip to your jedi mind trick 'Bis. You thought since no one was buying your albums, why not just record an album's worth of material into one track. Sorry I don't think that's gonna work. The song is 50 mins long!! Who in the hell wants to listen to Canibus ramble on about a bunch of shit they don't understand. Seriously, the dude is a beast lyrically but his music never has any feeling. If you can't make listeners have an emotional connection to the record, no one will ever care.

Bill O'Reilly is an asshole...

Bill O'Reilly is an asshole. There's really no alternative description appropriate for this guy. Last night he damn near went to blows with Geraldo Rivera over O'Reilly's crusade to rid America of illegal aliens. What drives me absolutely crazy about O'Reilly is that he invites people on the show to present alternative viewpoints but never lets them even talk. What's the point of having someone on the show if you're just going to argue with them and not give them the appropriate chance to get their point across. This clip is the perfect example.

Nasty Nas...Escobar...Nastradamus...God's Son...The Streets Discpline...Mr Hip Hop is Dead...

In less than 24 hours I will be just a few feet away from one of the greatest minds in the history of music!!

Myspace Music: The Cool Kids

Wednesday's are officially designated as Myspace Music day and this week I didn't have to scourer myspace for hours looking for someone to spotlight. A few days ago the guys over at hypebeast posted a link to an interview at the brillance featuring a group out of Chi-town called The Cool Kids. I'm usually very skeptical of these kids that run around claiming to be "retro 80's babies", because most of them were born in like 87-88. Sorry, but if you were born after '83 I really don't considered you an 80's baby. Well I don't know how old The Cool Kids are but apparently channelling the essence and the vibe of the 80's is their M.O. For that simple fact, I couldn't just dismiss them as another couple of teenagers with a computer claiming to be a rap group. The whole 80's sound is a bit refreshing and intriguing. The Cool Kids won't wow you with potent lyricism or even break your neck with their production but their swagger and energy blends well with their sound. You can tell they don't actually take themselves that seriously and they are just doing what they love to do. Check out their page: The Cool Kids

Candace Parker is a champ...

For 99% of sports fans, March Madness ended Monday after the Florida Gators repeated as national champs (the first to do so since my Duke Blue Devils did it in '91 and '92). But don't tell that to the Lady Vols. Tennessee and Rutgers played a snoozer last night to determine the NCAA womens champ. Pat Summitt and her girls came out victorious, making it her 7th title at Tennessee. Due to the severe deficiency in solid post play and fast breaks, watching a women's basketball game is about as exciting as listening to the 35 tracks on the new Lil Flip CD. But I might have to tune in to a few games next season to take a better look at this Candace Parker chick. I heard about her a while back when she supposedly beat some dude in the college slam dunk contest. Which is very suspicious to me. What male college basketball player is going to lose a dunk contest to a female that is limited to a one dunk? Anyway, I realized this morning that Candace is kinda cute. Yeah she's like an entire foot taller than me and it's questionable whether she likes man meat or not but I have to admit that watching her play may bring some excitement to the game for me. So what if there's only a 2% chance that she will actually dunk in the game at least she looks cute doing it.

White rapper beef! Does anybody really care?!!

Sullee (of VH1s White Rapper Show) - Interview Dissing Jon Brown (Live At Great Scotts - Boston, MA - 2/28/07) (Video)

So the White Rapper Show wrapped its first season a few weeks ago and even though the show was quite entertaining, it was pretty obvious that none of the contestants were that talented. Paul Wall Shamrock from ATL ended up taking home the cash but it was Mr. Hallelujah Holla Back, John Brown that really stole the show. Besides getting a dildo shoved in his face by Persia, particularly every episode featured some sort of dispute between the other cast members and John Brown. Well, looks like the hate continues as Beantown MC Sullee has a few words for JB. I doubt JB will respond, I'm sure he's too busy reviving the ghetto and even if he does respond, who cares?!