you're not the best part 2...

MTV News Hottest Mcs Roundtable

MTV sent the hip hop world and therefore the fickle, fan-turn-critic blogosphere into a frenzy a few days ago when they announced their top 10 hottest mc's in the game. A MTV panel of "experts" painstakingly churned out what they believed to be a credible list after hours of worthless debates and arguments. Since the release of said list, bloggers, fans, and just about anyone with 10 fingers has chimed in with endless commentary and rebuttals, citing the list as invalid and even blasphemous. Since creating such a list requires more thought than I would like to devote to the matter, I was hesitant to throw my two cents out into the blogosphere. But after reading Joe Budden's comments over at XXL, I realized I could just pick up where he left off. From all the posts that I have read concerning MTV's list, there seems to be one glaring fact that hip hop fans are seriously struggling with. And of course, it involves "hot boy" Lil' Wayne. To my recollection, this debate over Lil' Wayne is unprecedented. Never in hip hop history has their been a debate about an emcee's credibility or overall talent that has raged on the way that this Lil' Wayne bit has. I've already put my thoughts on Wayne out there, but I would like to very briefly relive one notion from the aforementioned post. To quote JB "you are not the best!" . And to continue along with what Budden was saying, no one under the age of 30 can rightfully claim to be the "greatest rapper alive". Anyone under 30 does not have the experience and crediblity to truly carry the weight behind such a statement. I'm all for rappers having confidence and being competitive but some of this has gone way too far. It's damn near disrespectful to make such a comment when legends like Jay, Nas, Black Thought, Common, etc are still in the game. There is a stable of very talented rappers out there (Lil Wayne and Joe Budden included) but none of them can claim to be the greatest. And besides, these types of list are practically useless. Two months from now that list can be completely different. Such lists serve only one purpose; giving people with too much time on their hands bloggers (me) something to write about. Seriously, think about it, I can make a case that Lil Boosie is the hottest in the game. He has a hit record, a mixtape and whatever else those other rappers that are in the top 10 have. How come he didn't make the list? Not that I like Boosie, the point I'm making is that being the hottest in the game is far too relative and can easily be something different based on where you live, if you listen to the radio, etc. Basically the point of this post was to show that these type of lists are completely useless and any rapper that measures their success by any type of so called panel of experts, should quit rapping.

Finding Forever...

Now that Finding Forever has been officially released, I can finally sit down and give it a proper review. Now I have absolutely no problem with d'loading music for free, but you have to admit that this "digital revolution" does have a few minor setbacks. One of which, being the fact that music is often dissected and thoroughly examined before it is officially released. So for a fan like me, that still relies heavily on the feeling I get from opening the package and reading the liner notes, it's difficult to see a record criticized or even heralded for that matter, before anyone has an official copy. When I went to my local Best Buy to pick it up, I tried my hardest to block out all the negative reviews I had been reading all week, a feat that proved to be very difficult. As much as I would love to believe my opinion wouldn't be biased after reading previous reviews, the truth is it was. Finding Forever, is not the record I was yearning for from Common. Following in the footsteps of Be, this record was up against some serious odds. It appears as though Finding Forever will be filed right alongside It Was Written, In My Lifetime Vol. 1, and all the others that followed modern hip hop classic records. But by no means is Finding Forever a failure. The record is a testimonial to the creativity and shear genius that is spawned from the chemistry between Kanye and Com. Com excels particularly as a storyteller on Finding Forever, a strength of his that is often overlooked. After all this is the man that brought us "I Used To Love H.E.R." Tracks like "Black Maybe", "Driving Me Wild" and "Misunderstood" show Com the storyteller at his finest hour. The problem I have with this record, is that it lacks that raw energy that was so evident and clear on Be. It's like he took a few steps back and returned to the nonchalant attitude that made Like Water For Chocolate come off as more of a neo soul R&B record than hip hop. Be was successful because it was pure hip hop. Finding Forever is a bit too mellow and at points mundane. "Break My Heart" is too short and boring and "I Want You" doesn't have the same sensual appeal as "Go". Scratch these two records and you have another solid release by one of the greatest to ever touch the mic. So as far as I'm concerned Finding Forever is easily better than most of the shit released so far this year. Just on the strength of songs like "The People", "Start The Show" and "Black Maybe", this will be getting continuous burn in the ipod.

start the show...

I don't go to sleep to dream...

Spotted this over at NahRight. Mr. 9th wonderful tunes is set to release The Dream Merchant 2 in October.



1 Mr. Dream Merchant Intro
2 Shots f/Big Dho & Sean Price
3 Merchant Of Dreams f/The EMBASSY, Skyzoo & Torae
4 Brooklyn In My Mind f/ Mos Def, Jean Grae & Memphis Bleek
5 Sunday f/Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon
6 Baking Soda f/Big Treal
7 Reminisce (Take Time) f/Big Remo & The Great Novej of the A.L.L.I.E.S.
8 No Time To Chill f/Little Brother
9 It Aint Over ft. Jozee Mo & Tyler Woods
10 The Last Time f/ Royce the 5′9, Naledge & Vandalyzm of the MIDWEST WRECKIN’ CREW- The D, The Chi & The Lou
11 Saved f/Saigon & Joe Scudda
12 Milky Lowa ft. Camp Lo
13 Backlash f/Sean Boog & Buckshot
14 Thank You f/ D.O.X & O-Dash
15 Let It Bang f/Ness & Skyzoo
16 What Makes A Man f/Rapper Big Pooh & Buddy Klein

common sense x common sense

If you ask the average hip hop fan, or even the average American for that matter, who Thomas Paine is, the likelihood of you getting the correct answer is slim to none. But ironically hip hop and Thomas Paine have more in common than you think. For those of you that slept through US History, Thomas Paine is the author of a revolutionary pamphlet entitled Common Sense. This book was the spark that encouraged the colonists to revolt against Great Britian and inevitably gain independence. While listening to Common's "The People" I couldn't help but notice the similarities between Thomas Paine's words and the voice that Common has spoken with since '94.

Throughout his career Common has fashioned himself as an advocate for the people; a stance that his critics have called tired and redundant. But regardless of what "they say" (check track 10 from Be), Common has blessed the world with music that is both insightful and revolutionary. Look at his track record. Common spoke about change as early as '94 when he penned the timeless classic "I Used To Love H.E.R.", that humanized hip hop. On One Day It Will All Make Sense, a duet with Lauryn Hill title "Retrospect For Life" (one of my favorite Common songs), had Common speaking passionately against abortion. It is with this same passion that Thomas Paine spoke with when urging the colonists to use "common sense". Revolution was necessary then and there is no better time than now for revolution in hip hop. Common is the voice of reason and common sense, so let's just hope everyone begins to listen.


"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." - Thomas Paine

"If revolution had a movie, I'd be theme music." - Common

Finding Forever in stores tomorrow

am i late with this?

Just discovered this site Albumbase. Free music...is it this easy?

listen...

I'm in the process of getting a photo blog together. Here is my first pic. More to come soon...

okay i'm reloaded...

As promised, this week I'm highlighting a few of my favorites. I realized that it may appear to be a little self centered of me to believe that anyone actually cares about my favorite movies, cds, etc. So with this segment I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites that some of you may not have in your collection. So therefore if you don't have these you may need to consider getting them.


Everyone crowns Songs In The Key of Life as Stevie's magnum opus and rightfully so, but please don't sleep on Music of My Mind. This is truly a gem and you get the feeling Stevie had fun making this record.

My faves "Seem So Long" and "Superwoman"



Some of you traditional hip hop fans may not understand this record at first listen. Trust me, it may take some getting used to, but the spaced out sounds and unorthodox flow of Vast Aire gives the record a very futuristic feel. I wish half of hip hop artists today were as creative as this.

My faves "F Word" and "Vein"



Meet Esthero. I don't remember how I discovered her but I'm happy I did. She has such a calming voice and this record is perfect for relaxation. Wikked Lil Grrrls features two solid appearances from hip hoppers Andre 3000 and Cee Lo.

My faves "Gone" and "Thank Heaven For You"



If you haven't noticed already, I don't just listen to hip hop 24/7, sometimes you need something a little different to break up the monotony that is today's hip hop music. When I'm seeking refuge from the evils of hip hop, I tend to turn to Aqualung. I can't really pinpoint what exactly it is I like about Strange and Beautiful, but I can say that it is a very well written record. Listen to the words.

My faves "Falling Out of Love" and "Good times Gonna Come"

the getback...

you ready?

the breakdown

my faves...

Since moving up to the DC metro area I've had to ditch my old cell phone. I was tired of it any way but I do miss the plan (unlimited minutes for $60) you can't beat that. So I decided to go with T mobile because that my faves plan is the shit and its cheap. After getting the plan, it got me to thinking about what exactly are my faves. So this week, I'll be bringing you all my faves in a list form. For the first segment of my faves, I'm giving you my favorite cd's of the moment. Considering my mood changes as frequently as I change shoes, this list can certainly be something totally different tomorrow but as I right now, these are the records that I just can't live without.



This record taught me all I need to know about heartache and pain. If you weren't feeling Mary on this record, you must not have a pulse. This is by far Mary's best effort and a modern classic.

Fave Tracks "My Life" and "I Love You"



You heard his subtle touch added to the hook on Common's "The People", but if you really want to know Dwele, Some Kinda is the record to have. This Some Kinda record is his shining moment. The entire album is a easy listen.

Fave Tracks "Old Lovas" and "Weekend Love"



This timeless classic is Jay at his finest hour. Every New York rapper since has emulated some facet of this cd. Not much description is needed for this one, we all know its a classic.

Fave Tracks "Can I Live?" and "Regrets"



If you're a true fan of R&B your collection can not possibly be complete without one Musiq Soulchild record. This album goes to show that you can sing about love and not sound too corny or too sexual.

Fave Tracks "143" and "You Be Alright"



Finding Forever still can't compete with this. From the moment I heard the intro, I know this record would be a staple on my top albums list. It's melodic, it's insightful and it's so hip hop.

"Be" and "Real People"

a day at the park...

watch out she's a killer...






photo blog coming soon...

mood music...

1/2 of Foreign Exchange...and Kay bring you...Tight Eyes ft. Oh No & Luv Bugz

I'm on my DC shit...

As mentioned in an earlier post, in 5 days I will be moving to the DC Metro Area. Since I have only visited DC like two or three times, I really don't know much about the area and culture. So I had to do some research, because of course I gotta find a new place to shop, eat and chill. So follow me through the DC Metro Area...



One thing that I hated about SC was the lack of options when it came to shopping. It was either the mall or...the mall! So now instead of shopping at the mall like everybody else I can now head over to Commonwealth to pick up new stuff. Commonwealth is the premier streetwear boutique in DC carrying the latest from brands like Supreme, Ice Cream, 10 Deep and more.



While on the topic of shopping and fashion, from what I understand everybody rocks Nike Goadome boots. And if you don't then you're a "bamma" (DC slang for lame). I don't know if I'll be getting those boots but I have heard they are comfortable.



Other than finding a new barbershop, my main concern about moving was finding a new spot to eat. I'm so hooked on my local Japanese Hibachi spot that the thought of being without it for longer than a week sickens me. But everyone that I have talked to about DC says once I try Ben's Chili Bowl and the famous mambo sauce, I'll completely forgot about hibachi. So one of my first destinations will be Ben's Chili Bowl.

More on DC in the next few days...

Funniest Blog Ever...

Phonte follows up his "N Word burial" post with what maybe one of the funniest blog post I have ever read. If you're a fan of Mike Tyson's Punch Out, check the Little Brother blog on myspace. And if you're not friends with LB on myspace add them immediately.

The Countdown (again)...

Skyzoo is finally set to release The Corner Store Classic Mixtape on Friday July 20th. If you don't know about Skyzoo you need to get familiar. Cloud 9 was a consistent banger and I'm sure The Corner Store Classic is bound to please. Check his journal over at hip hop game.

3 days left...

the beginning of the end...

A change gon' come. The inevitable is quickly approaching and my extended time as a struggling college student will finally come to an end. I will be forced to endeavor into a world brimming with responsibilty and stress. In exactly one week, my boxed belongings and I will travel to our nations capital, in search of my swagger, a better paying job and a new life. Pray for me!

To be continued...

Who You With?

Let's take a trip down memory lane...

Become Diddy's Weed Carrier...

This could actually be a good look for some thirsty cat trying desperately to break into the industry, but who actually wants to be subjected to Diddy's arrogant tirades. I'll be damned if I'm walking to Junior's for some cheesecake at 3 in the morning.

Finding Forever...

XXL has a good write up about Common's latest. For some reason I thought it was dropping today but unfortunately we'll have to wait 2 more weeks. And of course that's only if its not up on TSS next week.

The Countdown begins...

Before I discovered Wale, my exposure to go go music was limited to EU's "Da Butt" and the dreaded "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool. But after listening to Paint A Picture and Hate is the New Love by Wale I've gained a new respect for the genre. Since I featured him in a myspace music post, Wale has been touring Europe with Mark Ronson and is now poised to release his newest mixtape 100 Miles and Runnin'. It drops on 7.11.07 @ 7:11 pm...let the countdown begin.

Fresh Daily...

Just discovered this Biz Markie look-a-like Fresh Daily. Luckily he doesn't rhyme like Biz.

Drake...

This dude really needs to drop an album ASAP

I need answers...

It's 2:30 in the morning and I have a few questions burning in my mind...

1. Common's Finding Forever drops in a week. Has he escaped the dreaded leak?

2. When did Erykah Badu get an ASS?

3. Will Interscope do the right thing and release Pharrell and The Yessirs?

4. What is the purpose of Public Enemy's S1W's? Background dancers?

5. Why is T.I. vs. T.I.P still sitting in my Inbox?

6. Fuck Detox. Are we gonna get Only Built For Cuban Linx 2 this summer?

7. Gotty and the TSS crew are getting checks; what am I waiting for?