RENT

i cant believe im posting this...

dj ninety - rent remix (zshare)
the tear da club up, panty dropper anthem for 2007. laaaaaaaaaadies!!!!!!!!

SLOTHS

videos got me raffing... "hire a dog to burn down a hospital / snort cocaine off america's gravestone" gawdammmmmmmm snl funniest thing i heard all week

RIGHT NOW

these songs are doing it for me. just back to back to back to back...

kardinal offishall - graveyard shift ft akon (zshare)
this and teh weezy song zoo are probly my 2 favorite beats of the summer. its just real expressive... the wire video captured it perfectly (theres a new non-wire version < akon doesnt even falsetto on dem.

the dream - shawty is da shid (zshare)
i keep bouncing between this and the "shawty is a teeeeen" version... its rare im feeling a clean edit as much as i am. every word in this song is good: the list of names, hardasarockwhenshetouchme, the hello-goodbye part, the way he says shee-id. thats the dream above. i can appreciate it.

TIMBALAND

to be honest i'm not a huuuuge timbaland fan. he's a talented producer no doubt -- he's responsible for some of my favorite beats evar -- but i think he's kiiiiind of boring and probably not as diverse w/ his beats as thinks he is. mehhh thats not really fair. i dont know what his RATE is like, he cranks out soooo much its not surprising some of his songs sound alike... i just dont get nearly as excited for a timbo beat as i do, say, a switch or a blaqstarr or even a bangladesh. i'm trying to say he's irrefutably good, but that i don't care.

BUT REALLY THOUGH fly life put together an exhaustive compilation of timbo jawns... its 5 cds of material to convince me i'm misjudging the man. (this is all bullshit really, timbalands amazing.)

a brief history of timbaland beats (link)
unfortunately all their links are megaupload or some jawn where you have to spread out you downloads by a couple hours so you gota be patient.

MY ALLTIME FAVORITE TIMBALAND BEAT:
shawnna - shake that shit ft luda (zshare)
guitar or whatevers crazy! i dont ever care that the beat never really changes, that loops flawless. theres was a blend on low-b's crunk mixtape, where he put it into twistas kill it all that i always liked too. THAT GUITAR THOUGH!!!

MY SECOND FAVORITE TIMBALAND BEAT: every one w/ missy
missy elliott - the rain (zshare)
the keys the crickets in this one... that one element that pushes the track over into a whole nother realm. i'm trying to think of another example, like the tssssss noise in the hats of the whisper song? the way it quietly says 'boom' on the last cello note in the chief rocka beat? the uh c'mon in the choice is yours? subtle things. and missy elliott is always golden.

NICE & SMOOTH

nice & smooth - sometimes i rhyme slow" (zshare)
sosososooooo fresh... up there w/ pm dawn's set adrift in terms of flawless chillarap. maybe i should lick her w/ my nine milli-mee-ter.

YUNG JOC

yung joc - play your cards (zshare)
somewhere in between "what you know" and "mr. jones" this that new anthem. i needed something to break me out of the "shawty is da shid" cycle... i listened to that jawn like 5 times in a row before i saw this. okayyyyy it just came back on AND I'M NOT CHANGING IT.

the new yung joc album comes out the 28th... really looking forward to the fixxers joint on there.

DAVID BANNER IN FADER

check the whole interview here its a great read... personal highlights?

It wasn’t just a letter to Oprah Winfrey. It was a letter to all our leaders. Once again, if they were not attacking rap, I wouldn’t have nothing to say to them. They attacking the way I eat. You know? I just got a call right now that Al Sharpton want to sit down and talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you [Al Sharpton]. Stop doing what you’re doing. I don’t care to meet you. I don’t like you. You know what I’m sayin?

Fuck with me based on what I did. So in me saying that, dude, why is it that all the stuff I done from doing the largest urban benefit concert in history, people don’t want to talk to me about that. People don’t want to talk about that I gave $30,000 cash out in the hood for Christmas. Stood out in the rain. People don’t want to talk about my scholarship program. You know what I’m saying? All that good shit. People love assholes. People love jewelry, sex, fucking and violence. I don’t give a fuck what no American says. That’s what they fucking want. Except the thing about America is they’re so hypocritical, they want to point fingers at everybody else, but if you really want to know, we the fucking problem. America is the motherfucking problem. Always has been.

When you go to Mcdonalds you want a Big Mac, a fry, and a motherfucking Coke. When people come to David Banner they want some pimpin, a little bit of violence, a little bit of God so they won’t feel bad about the pimpin and a little bit of revolution just because they know that that’s me. Past that motherfuckers don’t want shit else from David Banner.

david banner & yola da great - get money (zshare)
ok one more quote: "If a African Chihuahua dog gets pregnant in the Netherlands they’ll blame it on hip-hop." GAWDAYUMMM DAVID!!!!!

MOBB DEEP USED TO BE GREAT

prodigy - mac 10 handle (zshare)
this is still one of my favorite songs this year...

SOULJA BOY

i just got his supaman mixtape (hang on real quick: m.i.a. comes out today, so get off your downroadering ass and buy a cd) and its pretty great. boy's one of the most entertaining mc's of the past year... that throw some d's report card song was hilarious, the whole crank dat thing exploded beyond reason (don't know if he started it, but he def made it famous). this was on his myspace, he got an A+ in getting hoes out of his face:



but really though, soulja boys alright, even if he sounds like he's rapping over an answering machine. highlights of the tape include:

soulja boy - doo doo head (zshare)
this girls breath stinks so bad soulja calls her a doo doo head... bit of a heizman rip but i dont care. love that snap-a-dappppp.

soulja boy - you got mail (zshare)
well executed sample... i remember checking soulja boy's myspace before he was signed/affilliated/whatever and his top 8 was a bunch of high school jawns, and his wall and stuff was neighborhood shawtys tryna holler. he's probably like 17, taking care of unnatural business via myspace.

soulja boy - soulja boy ain't got no money (zshare)
this is pretty funny too... tell em will be an interesting album.

MF DOOM IS FAKE

via dj enki @ soulstrut...

So I ended up being the opening DJ for the MF Doom show at the Independent last night. The show started off just fine--I played, Pigeon John played, I did another half-hour or so after Pigeon John, everything went along smoothly--then Doom took the stage. Or rather, "Doom" took the stage. That dude with the mask and the mic was:
1) lip-synching
2) not actually MF Doom

The only thing that was actually live about the show was the hypeman's mic. Everything else ran straight off a recording, and fake Doom pretended to rap and walked up and down the stage doing rapper hands. He faked his way through a set of about 20 minutes, walked off the stage, and jetted out the back door.

For this, people paid $28. They were fucking pissed, booing and throwing bottles onstage and shit. I would be, too. I ended up jumping back on again because, well, somebody had to do something.

There's supposed to be another show tonight, in part because last night's show sold out so quickly. I'm not totally sure it's going to happen, though. As of right now, it is, and if it is, then I'll go play it, but I damn sure ain't gonna be hyping dude up on the mic. Unless I can do some finger-quotes action like:

We got "MF Doom" in the house, and he's going to be "performing" "live" on stage!

not suuuper surprising, he's a bit of a legendary d-bag. thats still crazy though!!! he's a fun mc its a bummer hes clearly show-shitarded. the rest of the thread is here but i had to TLDR that jawn...

K-SWIFT & SOME CLUB MUSIC

i just got the latest k-swift (myspace) jumpoff mixtape "not guilty" the other day... its more club focused than a lot of the recent ones, less high school kids rapping (no wolfpack-o). like always theres a lot of gems on here by the usual producers, with the notable exception of blaqstarr (myspace), but he gets sampled enough so you cant really tell.

for all yall non-marylanders, k-swift (who also spins baltimore club some nights on the radiostation 92Q) has an exclusive deal w/ this clothes/shoes store downtown locker room, where they sell all her mixtapes & a lot of other unruly records stuff. its a pretty solid setup for picking up baltimore mixtapes out in the shuburbs. i don't even get it really...

johnny blaze - who in here (zshare)
one of the standout tracks by one of the standout producers (site). i love the african sounding drums (its the same sample from scottie b's african chant, i think). he always gets such great throw-your-sets-up type hooks, even over a lighter song like this one.

kw griff - its nutty (zshare)
for full effect, you've got to have this one too, the next song on the tape. the vocals are chopped real well and its nice to go from the bongo-y stuff to the grittier club stuff... i mean it goes OFF from here. kw griff is another big big producer, part of the doo dew kidz (myspace) w/ booman.

i could go on for days about this stuff, but i'd better hold it in for some more posts. check out the names up there -- they're all longtime fixtures in baltimore clubs, serious og status-- try and pick up some k-swift mixtapes from her site...

PROPER ENTRANCE

my man knows how to make an entrance

KARDINAL & THE WIRE

i hyped this song a few weeks ago off a clinton sparks mixtape... the videos exactly what you need right now. WMD RIGHT CHYEAAAA!!

DAVID BANNERRRR

video for speaker (aka bullshit 9mm) above. he's an accountant or some jawn? i dont get the desk part. new new bann's below & its a good one...

david banner - so special (zshare)
david banner is crayyyy... he's going after hope-rah & jesse jackson ("raise your kids") & al sharpton ("light a match and burn his perm") and then exits on the highest note ever ("i'ma have fun w/ this shit this year, i'm filthy fuckin rich"). FAVORITE RAPPERRR... the greatest story ever told is coming oct 9 but i'll keep you up on leaks, etc when i spot them.

ARMAND VAN HELDEN

armand van heldens pretty good at what he does... ive only got a passing interest in dude though until everyonceinawhile i hear something real nice. (check out his wikipedia for actual information). im trying to say i want your soul is one of my favorite songs this summer...

armand van helden - i want your soul (zshare)
the video is pretty fun too... its a little further down the page. its just a real sunny, dancey, dont care its hot type song. i love 90s nostalgia.

armand van helden - playmate (jesse rose remix) (zshare)
my unknowledge of armand is matched by my unknowledge of jesse rose. i love this song though, it reminds me of an avenue d song but well-produced. when she sings acapella its real fun, and the bass drops in nice. its a good percolating beat... solid solid song.

HOW TO CRANK DAT

i know some yall still behind the curve on this so GET FAMILIAR. the acc finally came out so heccccccka remixes coming up. before this gets too played out, here's some good ones:

soulja boy - crank dat (dave nada club remix) (zshare)
probably my favorite so far. i love the beginning when it sounds like soulja's revving his mouth-engine. i can't wait to spin this one, its got the most surprise without being inappropriate. yah its def the best of the bunch.

soulja boy - crank dat (ben tactic remix) (zshare)
basically the flo-rida low beat sped up a bit. i guess dave's was the same idea, but this comes off a little less HARD... i think i would rather hear the original beat, but this fits good too

soulja boy - crank dat (cousin cole remix) (zshare)
a sped up clubby remix. i like the redone "uh-oh crank dat crank dat" chorus, and it takes just the right amount of beat elements from the original. that one orchestral hit is crucial. i don't know though you lose soulja's verses a bit, buts its an original instrumental on the back so bonus points to cole.

soulja boy - crank dat (pop rawkus remix) (zshare)
a baltimore club remix. i like this one a lot, its probably my second favorite. the redone steel drums are real good, and he's the first one who did the "i got me some bathing apes" repeat like i've been waiting for. the first verse in particular is real good, where the bass kicks first come in & the break is cut out.

soulja boy - crank dat (zshare)
god forbid you don't have the original yet...

WEEZY & JEEZY

dj 31 degrees - weezy & jeezy mixtape (rapidshare)
newish wayne-o mixtape w/ jeezy & friends. i always feel like these 1/2 & 1/2 tapes are on some discount bullshit though... featuring an artist on half a mixtape just seems lazy. if i'm not getting an hour of weezy i'd rather the dj went all the way and mixed it up a little more (in other words i fast forward through everything but wayne).

there's some good stuff on here, though. highlights are probably lookin at the game & gangsta's prayer. and the fantasia remix, that songs still up top of my summer list.

fantasia ft young jeezy, bg & remy ma - when i see u remix (zshare)
remy ma's real annoying so ignore that bit... she sings which should never happen. i like fantasias new verse though, the phone ring parts sick, and jeezy does a good job ("remix for the radio, so i can't cuss"). actually he does a realll good job too bad its the last verse, they should of started w/ that little gem.

its no drought 3, but its got the predators picture up on it.

OK I'M BACK

well i made it. no carjackings or nawn, just hecka tabloids & lil weezyana. souths hot as sheeit... i can see why the geto boys were so mad all time.

fergie ft sean kingston - big girls dont cry remix (zshare)
awww right so im building up my massive list of tracks i've missed over the past week. i usually write fergie off as hard as possible, but for whatever reason (sean kingston) i got a hold on this and its quite quite good. im working on a blend going from uffie's first love into seanies verse and a beefed-up drum version of the smiths some girls are bigger than others. or something like that.

keyshia cole ft ti & young dro - let it go remix (zshare)
my favorite part is when missy yells it was all a dream. the remix isnt super necessary, and neither rappers verses are great (or very long) but i'll take it. i saw keyshia and kanye west on b.e.t. last week, and kanye called this the song of the summer, which is completely absurd because its not by lil wayne.

lil wayne ft bun b - tell me you need me (snippet) (zshare)
he meant to say this. and its only a minute and a half. [/hyperbole]

VACATION TIME

hang on, ive got to take a week off... i'm round-tripping nawlands via atlanta so expect some southern slaps when i get back on this.

BONUS ROUND: a little grab bag to consider in the meantime:


strawberry switchblade - since yesterday


loveline - dr drew's urban crank call


armand van helden - i want your soul


ray charles - georgia on my mind


m.i.a. & buraka som systema & blaqstarr - bird flu remix


tay zonday - chocolate rain


windows 386 rap


real mccoy - another night


geto boys - my mind is playin tricks on me

CHUCK E CHEESE

PREFACE: this is beyond absurd. i'm in awe.


plain white t's - hey delilah


evanescence - lithium


fergie - london bridge

DJ MARLBORO

dj marlboro (myspace) aka the ambassador of funk... baile funk or funk carioca or rio baile funk whatevahhhh. he's like dj brazil's king old head. windish's bio says "Marlboro is considered almost an institution in Brazil, appearing on many television programmes, from serious dramas to children’s TV, and in national films" which sounds like some real og status. i havent seen preemo on sesame street, but i guess funkmaster flex had that car show on spike tv.

the bonde tesao video above (produced by marlboro) is via one of the best, masala... heres another one of my favorite marlboro jawns (i dont know if he really produced it but it was on his bem funk mixtape):

tiago e diogo - pegação (zshare)
a real unique funk song... its rare, at least in my world, that theres real singing. i love the guitar and the guys voice, its just a real pretty song, even if he's probably singing about rusty trombones or some other unmentionablessss.