This was a very interesting and helpful video. We all hear about so and so producer not being paid after the producer makes a smash hit for the artist and the label. Sad but true. Let’s be honest, these days the beats owns 80% of the record and may be the main reason you pressed play. Some producers are more famous than artists. I’m not mad at that, music production is very hard to do consistently. These guys and gals deserves every penny. Enjoy the read here.
I was shuffling through my Jay-Z playlist the other day and stumbled upon ‘Trouble’. I like this track, the production, the quality, the lyrics. There’s one particular lyric that hooked me and its around haters and how to react.
And my conscience go, “You escaped the RICO
Why throw everything away over ego?”
You paper chasin’, they paper hatin’
Billionaire Hov, you on the pace to make it
Its funny how we find ego at the center of many of our reactions to everyday bullshit. Think back to some of your recent conflicts with others, how was it handled, etc. Did ego/pride play a part? We’re all guilty to an extent. Jay-Z’s proud of it in this instance. Here’s how he ended the verse:
Fuck that, exclamation, comma
Quotation’s “I love drama”, period
I’ve been trying to take the high road for a while and its just much easier to do and not get sucked in to the unimportant shit that most do. Keep your momentum going, don’t let the naysayers slow you down. Signal, switch lanes, accelerate.
This one plays out like an intense court scene in a movie. I thought this was well done and well put together. Sticky is on trial for a homicide. You have 6-7 rappers including Canibus (prosecutor), Rah Digga (judge) and Redman (defense) spitting as a character in the scene. Spitting well, at that. No video for this track; missed opportunity. True art right here. Don’t sleep on this album either.
“8 Million Stories” is a series that showcase some of the great storyline tracks done in Hip Hop. Alot of these tracks go unseen to most as unappreciated album tracks. Anyone can tell a story but can they craft it into a great song?
YU captures this thought perfectly. This is a philosophy I adopted years back. The result is laser focus without any naysayers. Nothing against them, it’s human nature. These days, I don’t have time for negative energy. Any kind of self doubt could kill the root of your passion for the goal.
Oddisee also had a nice quote around the same thought, “So I learned to minimize ni&&as that get inside my enterprise, I find that’s the way to stay clear” -another’s grind
YU – I believe. 2nd verse
So our first submission comes from BrandonFro entitled ‘Beat01’. It’s a smooth hip hop production to bob your head to. You can tell that Dilla has influenced him in some way or another.
It feels like I haven’t done a review in ages. I didn’t really know what to expect with this album. It felt like it came out of nowhere, which is the way I prefer artists to release albums. I didn’t set my expectations high or low either, so let’s see what we’re working with… Continue reading
“Feel the vibe and listen to the vocals….”
A few years ago I did a post showing rappers who played with the phrase food for thought in some very unique ways. Some of those same rappers are also dropping some real food for thought ideas and questions that require serious consideration. Perhaps I’m different but when Im listening to hip hop, most of the time I’m looking for a gem. Give me some substance to grasp to, something to ponder on. Hip hop is a beautiful thing because people get out some of the most amazing thoughts (yea, some are bullshit) and construct it meticulously. There never seems to be a shortage, whether its a track about shaking your ass, shooting you in the face, or talking about hard times, there always seems to be a line or two that grasps my attention. Ok, maybe I’m not finding nothing from Lil Jon’s Get Low but i’m definitely finding something in Mos Def’s Mr. Nigga. So when I hear these things, I write it down (dear moleskine…). Totally opinionated questions but definitely some head scratchers. Philosophical thoughts that only you can provide an answer for. Here are some lines that I’ve gathered over the last few months. If you got anymore, feel free to add in the comments. Continue reading
So lately I have been cleaning up the inbox and taking time to respond to emails. I have been listening to a lot of submitted music as well and responding with feedback. I did notice that a group that I have listened to before called The Procussions recently released a new self titled album. I had to listen to their new project because I know one of their songs gets heavy rotations on one of my pod playlists. I was excited to hear it and at the same time I was skeptic because these days you can’t get your hopes up on receiving a solid album from new artists. I will have to tell you that I was very satisfied with what I heard and just wanted to share my thoughts on the project. Continue reading
Just My Thoughts 