Monday, November 30, 2009

Single: DJ Statik Selektah ft. Bahamadia - Do What I Believe




Hope you didn't forget about Mr. Showoff himself AKA Statik Selektah and his upcoming "The Pre-Game EP"...We got a new leak off it here and it's possibly the best thus far...

Linking up with one of Philly's (and the rap game's) illest femcees in Bahamadia is always gonna be a dope look IMO. The woman built her rep in the 90's underground scene and with her critically acclaimed debut "Kollage" and we all remember her when she was runnin' with early JMT gettin' her backpack on.

Selektah's production is a nice compliment to the golden ager's focused delivery and this collaboration worked out great....

We catch Baham pretty much doin what she does; kicking that sultry, dead pan flow over a slick, scratch laden Selektah rhythm....Easily her best work in years...

Here's an idea....how about after he gets done with "The Pre-Game EP", Selektah releases a project with Ms. Reed? I'd cop that cause "I Do What I Believe" too got damnit...

-BIG D O









http://usershare.net/3kpq5x0u6kop

Video: Damu The Fudgemunk Perfoms "Prosper" Beat Live



*Looks at this vid....*

*Looks over at own personal MPC 2000...*

*Dies*


LOL, once again Damu makes all of us novice MPC 2K users completely eat our hearts out...This is by far the nastiest joint I done heard all week, maybe all month...

You can DL the complete version of this and other tracks as well as order Damu's new "Kilawatt V.1" here: http://www.myspace.com/kilawattmusic

-BIG D O

Video: Felt (Murs+Slug) - Chewed Up



Who checked out that new Felt record?

If you haven't your missing out....Okay, okay, so maybe I bitched a lil' bit about that man Aesop Rock's beats, but overall it's a really cool alternative Hip-Hop record, and yo how could I not peep out a tribute to Ms. Rosie Perez AKA my fiancee for over a decade and a half....

Today we get the visuals for one of the Felt album's strongest joints "Chewed Up". Pretty psychedelic approach....I dig it heavy and Rhymesayers continues the onslaught of dope releases and video's in 09'...

-BIG D O

Video Interview: Thirstin Howl The III - Same Damn Lo Sweater

Same Damn Lo Sweater from Gasface on Vimeo.



New NYM/Gasface Interview!

This time around The insanely dope film crew Gasface links up with the Brownsville Brooklyn based MC Thirstin Howl The III while he's in the stu with Sadat X and when he takes them on a lil' spin....

In the whip Thirstin shares a crazy story about the day he was shot and how he remembers vividly that before it happened, he was up in the Soul Shack record store coppin' Brand Nubian's "Wake Up" cassette single.....

The Lo-Life head of state goes on to say that when he was recovering in the hospital and his mother asked him what he wanted from the house, he simply requested that tape and his Walkman.

Thirstin runs through his extensive tat's and also shares some of his feelings on the game being too un-lyrical these days as well, but the Pièce de résistance of the interview is definitely the tale of the day someone tried to snatch his life away in BK and his reaction afterword...

"Bring my Walkman and that new muthafuckin' Brand Nubian tape I bought"....

-BIG D O

News: Stop Frettin', The Rumors About The Technics 1200 Turntables Aren't True



Okay, so about 3 or 4 days back the internet and really, mostly Twitter started perpetrating a nasty lil' rumor that hit home with DJ's and Hip-Hop fans alike...

What was the supposed truth you ask? Well, Apparently every golden age Hip-Hopper and house DJ on the planet was sweating bullets as tons of websites, blogs and yes, the social networking monolith known as Twitter recklessly reported that one of Hip-hop's cornerstone pieces of equipment; the Technics 1200 Turntable was going to be discontinued. The real verdict however should provide some much needed relief...

As reported by my abovegroundmagazine.com brethran Tyler Hakes, the outlook is nowhere nearly as grim. In fact most of the reports are categorically incorrect and site no real viable sources from either Technics or their parent company Panasonic....

It seems that most of this hub bub got started by a quote that was given and subsequently taken out of context from a Panasonic spokesperson named Ian North about all Technics products being halted in Australia. However, once again the site that reported the quote from North, inthemix.com seems to have been the only site to have heard such and there was no official public statement made from either North or Panasonic about the matter whatsoever.

If you want the full skinny on this highly exaggerated story, peep out my boy Tyler Hakes' write up on it here:

http://http://abovegroundmagazine.com/archive/11/29/technics-1200-tradgedy-largely-untrue/

-BIG D O

Interview: Kam Moye Breaks Down Some Tracks Off "Splitting Image"



The North Click based, lyrical phenom known to the Hip-Hop world as Kam Moye (formerly Supastition) takes a moment to decipher his latest release "Splitting Image" for his loyal fans....

Sitting down with David Reyneke of http://potholesinmyblog.com/ and dropping some interesting tidbits about the tracks “Re:Born”, “Hello Karma", “Splitting Image”, “Give Out, Give In”, “Life Line” and “Nobody’s Fool”, this interview is a must listen....It sounded like it was conducted over the phone too, and them type of interviews have long been my favorites, no matter who's giving em'...

If this in-depth look doesn't give you the urge to go out and cop "Splitting Image" and or just peep out more of Kam's music, I don't know what's wrong witcha...

Includes snippets of each track that Kam Moye breaks down....big time props to Kam and Potholes In My Blog....

-BIG D O







Sunday, November 29, 2009

Single: Ghetto ft. Ea$y Money - Bang Bang (prod. by MoSS)



It really is a damn shame that ST. The Squad member Ghetto didn't take more time to choose a better stage name...

I mean, nuthin against the ghetto itself, but let's face it, the kid seems a hell of a lot sharper than to pick one of the most overused and misunderstood 2 syllable noun's ever for his tag....It's also a major shame because he just so happens to display some serious promise as an artist..

As shown through the MoSS laced "Bang Bang" that is another great leak off his upcoming mixtape (that also bears a pretty generic title; "Trunk Music"? seriously?), Ghetto is capable on the microphone and has a decent ear for beats, but the man is gonna have to get a lil' more creative with the persona and alias steez if he plans on roping in anyone other than 17 yr. old's who live in the burbs and perpetrate a gangster lifestyle like it's a part time job. That said, his content might could use a bit more reflection too...

-BIG D O








DJ Khalil - Chinatown Wars Beat Tape



Lets wrap up this joyous day of NFL football and NBA action properly and look at one of the west coast's nicest beat makers....

DJ Khalil's new and exclusive beat tape for the PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has leaked and since I've been a longtime fan of His production and Self Scientific as a whole I figured this would end the day on a high note...

Some of you gamers will recognize portions of the music from actual scenes within the game, but for cats like myself that never really were into the whole Grand Theft Auto series, it's all brand spankin' baby...enjoy, as always Khalil does his thing....props to Rockstar Games for keepin' ish' proper with their soundtracks and props to 2dopeboyz for puttin' this up...

-BIG D O









http://www.thekoalition.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/The-Koalition-Presents-DJ-Khalil-Chinatown-Wars-Beat-Tape.zip

Brick Records X UGHH.com present: Blacastan - Me Against The Radio 2004-2006



If you don't know who Blacastan is than prepare to download and catch up on some of the Hartford, CT product's mandatory listening...

Widely considered one of the Nutmeg state's best kept secrets, it's Blac's back story of triumph in the wake of past mistakes that he should be proud of most....I know a lot of cats that have been tried as adults for numerous felonies at a young age, but none of them made it out of prison and within 2 years started a heady career in Hip-Hop and furthermore went on to work with respected underground names like Esoteric, Apathy, and Jean Grae, just to name a few. Duke should be proud of not only what he stands for, but how far he's come...

Now thanks to his label Brick records, one of the illest sites on the web http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/ and their two resident spin master's DJ Food Stamp & DJ JayCeeOh we have some of Blac's earlier work re-done and re-packaged for the masses. "Me Against The Radio" was released as a completely free download two days ago on Black Friday...clever eh?

This time around Blac showcases some of the joints he was working on betwen 2004 and 2006....this 21 track, fully mixed tape features Food Stamp on Side A and JayCeeOh on Side B mixing up a grip of Blac's best ish'....Production comes in large part from the ultra nice Paul Poundz....

Be sure and grab this joint and prepare for Blacastan's debut LP "Blac Sabbath", it's coming in 2010....

-BIG D O










http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/Blacastan/download.asp

Single: The Clipse - Speak Of Freedom (prod. by Sean C & LV)



As a cat that actually went out and purchased this duo's debut album I have to acknowledge that I was once very hopeful about their careers. I mean, they haven't had a bad run in the game or anything, in fact their last effort was pretty well received if my memory serves me correctly and honestly every time I see em', the two Bronx bred, VA based brothers is either at an event or dipped in the finest jewels and robes around or both. Nah, they've always done just fine in the get paid for doin music department, it's just that after "Exclusive Audio Footage" dropped I expected something much different fom em' artistically...

Today we got the first track off their upcoming LP "Til' The Casket Drops", and it's simply a banger, no other way to slice it. "Speak Of Freedom" is powered by a dope Sean C & LV beat that Pusha and Malice kick some of the best verses I done heard from em' in years over...I haven't caught the chills like this listenin' to em' since I used to bump their joint "I'm Not You", off "Lord Willin'" back in the early 2K's....Maybe it's kinda sad, and it def. says a lot about me as a person, but when they get all fatalistic, and reflective, shooting from the shoulder like this I identify with their music more so than a lil' bit.

The Casket drops on December 8th...

-BIG D O









http://usershare.net/freshnewmusik/31ywru4y2xmq

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Review: O.C. & A.G. - Oasis



Throughout the 90’s Hip-Hop heads were treated to the music of a largely Bronx bred collective of emcees and producers named D.I.T.C.. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that they are one of the genre’s all-time greatest group’s with a bevy of talent that came to be synonymous with the golden age and the NYC sound as a whole. Today, we examine he new LP from two of the legendary crew’s generals that just might be a Shangra La like retreat from your everyday heap of average MC’s and wack production.

Now as we all know the bigger the clan, the harder to keep things together. Time has definitely shown some struggles to the Diggin In The Crates Crew as some of that shining luster from albums like ‘Runaway Slave’, ‘D.I.T.C. (Worldwide)’, ‘Stunts, Blunts And Hip-Hop’ ‘, ‘Word… Life’, ”Lifestylez Ov Da poor And Dangerous’ and ‘Funky Technician‘ begins to wear off and give way to more muted offerings. In fact many of us longtime fans and followers of the Diggin’ crew were beginning to wonder just when we’d get something halfway decent to bump on the regular from them…

First and foremost lets cut the fellas a small break. The death of their best friend and perennial all-world lyricist Big L, The absence of Fat Joe to pursue a (pop) solo career and the recent death of affiliate member Party Arty all has had a profound effect on these bruthas, yet like always they’ve pushed forward and put out music. It just seemed like the music they did release suffered from some serious stagnation and procrastination. Something like apathy had crept into the crew and we started witnessing less and less memorable material from them.

Enter in two of D.I.T.C.’s longest and most consistently burning stars O.C. & A.G. Having always had pretty good chemistry it seemed like a no brainer to get together and do an album. Finally the men have been able to put their longtime ambition, ‘Oasis’, out and while it comes nowhere near the indisputable classic status of most of Diggin’s early catalog it’s a far cry from being just a slouch too…




Read the rest here:
http://abovegroundmagazine.com/archive/11/28/o-c-a-g-oasis/

Single: King Magnetic ft. Termanology & Immortal Technique - Fullest Extent





One of Philly's most brooding and hardcore street cats comes through with a leak off his new tape and the rest of us are left shook in it's wake....

King Magnetic has long been a collaborator of just about every dope name in the Philadelphia Hip-Hop scene and now it seems he's spreading out a bit. Teaming with Boston's Termanology and Harlem's own renaissance revolutionary Immortal Technique, King Mag drops a seriously dope joint filled with thought and brawn alike...I could lie and say the output of each MC is equal, but I won't.....The anticipation for that "Middle Passage" record continues to grow like a Cali wildfire people...

-BIG D O










http://usershare.net/2DopeBoyz/3rbn6t63m61g

DJ Hotday - Music To Be Thankful For Mix



With so little quality Hip-Hop out there to saciate the masses during this holiday season, a lot of heads are turning to their other favorite genres of music to quell their yearnings for dope tunes at a time when they might be feeling up, down or somewhere hopelessly in between....

Legendary Queensbridge turntable jockey DJ Hotday blessed everyone with a brand new disco/groove/funk mix yesterday and had this to say about it:

Before you can become a DJ you must listen to DJs!
I became fascinated with sound systems & DJ’s when i was 9 years old growing in L.I.C./Queensbridge,… HERE IS A LATE 70’s & 80’s CLUB MUSIC MIX I Dedicate to the first DJs i heard play music when i was just a young boy, my Brother BRICE T FRANKLIN THE ORR BROTHERS & THE DISCO TWINS …i love all music and here is just a taste of my classic club set…. ALSO R.I.P. LARRY LAVAN and ALL THE DJs THAT STARTED NIGHT CLUBS IN NYC…. Enjoy Happy holidays!


Couldn't be more interested in something like this....Be sure to peep it out, over an hour and 20 minutes of some ill and obscure tunes that will knock those holiday doldrums right out or help you keep your already high spirits floating. This is the music Hip-Hop was predicated on folks, don't be a sucka and check this mix, Hotday always does his thing.

-BIG D O








http://djhotday.podomatic.com/enclosure/2009-11-26T08_43_16-08_00.mp3

Interview: Rakim On NPR's All Things Considered



Giving the God MC some much needed praise in the midst of his latest and by far his worst album ever, is National Public Radio's staple interview program All Things Considered...

At times it sounds like Ra's having a consultation with the nerdy guy from the PC vs. Mac commercials and I wouldn't hesitate to call out host Guy Raz for being an obvious Hip-Hop novice. Nevertheless, any Ra is usually good Ra (except of course we're talking new albums) and I'll always check it out when he gets some well deserved pub and recognition.

Breaking down some of his origins in the game and divulging among other notable tidbits that he had some aspirations to play Quarterback at Stoney Brook college before he linked with Eric B, there are some intriguing moments scattered throughout this and not even the boilerplate interview process can interrupt. Ra just kicks the knowledge he always kicks man. You just wish they had someone over at NPR that was actually down to handle the Hip-Hop related stuff and that would ask him some serious questions about the new album, but I digress...

Take a few moments and learn about how a 19 yr. old Ra patterned his rhyming after John Coltrane's Sax routines and went on to become considered far and wide the best ever to pick up a mic kiddies...

-BIG D O






Friday, November 27, 2009

Single: Raekwon & Method Man - Meth Vs. Chef II




Just like the first time around when The Chef met up with Johnny Blaze on his classic 1994 debut "Tical", we've gotten blessed with a concentrated, unforgettable effort in the original's sequel....We waited damn near 16 years for it, but now it's here....

Sorry about the tags, this was liberated via radio rip...

Sounds like that new "Wu Massacre" album has the clansmen hyped eh? I'm ashamed to say I haven't been posting the promo videos for it...

-BIG D O








Single: DJ Dbefekt ft. Termanology & Reks - Raised On Classics




Who said they ain't Hip-Hop over in the Czech Republic?

DJ Dbefekt proves once again that right about now central Europe probably has more worthy artistic drops for the culture than most of the cats making it big in America....

Linking up with two of Boston Mass's best in Term and Reks bodes well for any DJ who wants to hear some interesting lyrical gems over their head nodding work of art...On this jaunt, Reks and Term bless the masses with rhymes about the pleasure of having grown up with the "Classics"....sorry, if you don't know what that means exactly, but it's something that everyone that did understands fine, even those that grew up overseas...

Dbefekt, now 12 years deep in the turntablism game after starting out as a graff writer and break dancer has always been pretty mean on the boards as well and you absolutely need to peep this cat's work....he's simply nasty with it: http://www.myspace.com/djdbefekt

-BIG D O










http://usershare.net/vd930iw635u2

Video Interview: RJD2 On Motherboard TV



Just bumped into this interview with Philly based, Columbus, Ohio raised producer, musician and singer RJD2 of Def Jux and Fondle Em' records fame....

Really cool lil' vid where Rak from MBTV goes and visits RJ at his home in Philly to explore a great deal of his talents and crafts...RJ gives him a tour of his self built studio that features more than a few vintage synths, makes what looked like some pretty bomb apple and raspberry cobbler and then gives him the scoop on his work with Cali underground rapper Aceyalone and how they're "A Beautiful Mine" track became the theme song for the hit AMC program Mad Men.....

-BIG D O

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Single: O.C. & AG - Supreme Squad (prod. by Showbiz)





Here's one of the four Showbiz produced bangers off the incredibly decent new O.C. & AG LP "Oasis", that is now in stores ready for purchase or digi download on iTunes people....

Over Show's understated and uptempo drums Omar and Andre The Giant go back and forth with sturdy lyrics and one of Hip-Hop's most reprocessed and braggadocio choruses that never seems to get old....

"Supreme Squad" is a quiet triumph and a proper ode to the golden age. See, every track doesn't have to have a thousand different, complicated arrangements to be ill...These D.I.T.C. brothers show the youngin's that when you strip away all the fluff and excess what really is on display is your fundamentals, i.e. your flow and your pen game...Which one of these extremely limited new jacks has the stones to try and rock over this beat the way these two can? Not many, if any....

-BIG D O









News: Allen Iverson Calls It A Career



It was with much reluctance today that an embattled and perhaps largely unwanted Allen Iverson leaked the news to reporter Stephen A. Smith that he is set to retire from the NBA after a simply brilliant 13 year playing career.

This announcement comes on the heels of no. 3 being released from the Memphis Grizzlies after the two parties didn't quite see eye to eye about A.I.'s role on the team....

For the past week and a half there had been rumors that the New York Knicks were going to step up and offer him a contract if he cleared waivers, which he did, but after the weekend they erased those notions completely, denying that they would bring Iverson aboard. Supposedly they sided against his addition because they were worried he'd interfere with the development of their younger players...

So, just like that The Answer was without a team. After scoring 24,000 points in his career and largely becoming considered the best player six feet or under of all time no team was knocking on his proverbial door...That's when he decided to mull retiring and released this statement via Stephen A. Smith's website:


I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association. I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case.

I still have tremendous love for the game, the desire to play, and a whole lot left in my tank. I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.


For now I'm saddened that the man who I rooted for my whole life is being shown the back door. From the time he was a Hoya, to dazzling us in his rookie season crossing up MJ, to when he was winning the MVP making his lone run at the Finals, A.I.'s career is worthy of much higher regard. He's being pushed out of a league that is becoming more and more conservative by the day and that loved to falsely label him an unwilling, un-bending troublemaker.

A.I.'s poster hung on my wall while I was chasing hoop dreams throughout middle and high school and no one symbolized my struggles and generation more than him. He deserved to go out on his own terms and was thee best little guard ever to lace em' up. Helping revolutionize ball handling and putting up awe inspiring numbers all while maintaining his status as a sturdy iron man who rarely was injured, few were in his class in terms of skill or will. The NBA has blackballed him out of one final run and it's appalling...

I do think there is some glimmer of hope that maybe his retirement will be short lived. That last sentence in his statement certainly indicates that, but if in fact he's hanging up his Reebok's for good I just wanna say this....Thanks for the memories A.I., you were the greatest, the most misunderstood and the illest all at once...see you in Springfield in five.

-BIG D O





Link to Iverson's full retirement statement:
http://stephena.com/?p=319

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Interest Piece: Hip-Hop's Biggest Turkeys 09' Edition



In honor of the fake holiday that so many in America will celebrate tommorrow, and that I'll use to catch up on some of the worst teams in the NFL, Purehip-hop takes a break from all the Thankgiving hype and profiles some of this year's biggest Hip-Hop turkeys...




Joe Budden - This year really saw the NJ wordsmith's career take off, but not so much for his rapping abilities. In 09' Budden is a Turkey for making us suffer through his incessant twittering, vlogging, silly beefs and torrid love affairs...Everything came to a head when he was literally smacked up on camera by some associates of Raekwon backstage at this year's Rock The Bells concert in Los Angeles.



Noreaga - Besides recently taking on the appearance of one, Nore is a turkey this year for A) dropping a new and atrocious CNN LP and B) getting into a fight at a burger joint in Miami...SMH...



The Game - He should be included on this list for just that rediculous red star he got tatt'd to his cheek alone (he only did that to cover up a butterfly tattoo...no I'm not joking). In all honesty, there was heaps of silliness from this character in 2009, the pinnacle of which might of been his role in that god awful Keanu Reeves movie "Street Kings". The scenes in which he was included were so sterotypical and silly I wanted to url. Cedric The Entertainer you get negative cool points for that bullshit too.



Kanye West - Do I really even need to write why? I wasn't nearly as appalled at Mr. West's rushing Lil' Ms. CMT at the VMA's as I was just by his utter and rapid personal unraveling this year. The way the man is dressing nowadays is flat out embarassing, his last album was an Auto tuned mess and his new woman is an openly bisexual, bald headed, bleach blonde egomaniac. C'mon Ye' you can do a hell of a lot betta...til' he does though, he's the king Turkey of Hip-Hop...

-BIG D O

Bored Stiff - Now More Than Ever EP



Continuing with the onslaught of EP's that I found in my inbox this morning, we have the highly dope and uber respected B.S. crew/group from San Fran dropping their new EP "Now More Than Ever"...

If your not an old school tape hound from the west coast you might not be familiar with B.S., but after listening to their newest jawn you will be a fan. They always bring quality every time they drop...

The 12 man collective is world renowned and has performed in locale's like Japan and Cuba. Reppin' nuthin' but dope, thoughtful emceeing coupled with that unmistakable bay area vernacular these Frisco legends re-appear to distribute their free EP and slap you upside the head with jazzy, head nodding beats...

"Now More Than Ever" easily checks in as the finest EP of the three I uploaded today and I strongly urge everyone to check out these bangin 4 tracks. Bringing in a heavy dose of realness and spotlighting Hip-Hop as an art form and idea throughout, this is just a step above what's mostly out there. The interludes between tracks are headier than most artists' main material and the jumpoff track "Rain" might be the illest cut I've heard in months...Jesus that ish' is proper.

If you wanna link with the Bored Stiff brethren, or just get more up to speed on who and what they're all about peep them on Myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/boredstiffmusic

Also if your actually in the 415 be sure to go by The El Rio tonite and check out B.S.'s album release party for this EP....goes down @ 10PM....

-BIG D O










http://boredstiff.bandcamp.com/no_js/download_tralbum

Mick Boogie, Terry Urban & Lamar & Dauley Presents Le Da Soul 20 Years Of De La Soul




Nuthin like burning the midnight oil over an extra greasy Double Quarter Pounder and a new tribute mixtape to one of my all-time fav. groups, De La Soul...blogger fuel son!

Long considered one of the realest and illest groups in the game by many a golden age purist, De La celebrates the 20 year anniversary of their 1989 debut LP "3 Feet High And Rising" this year. To help show the appreciation that so many of us feel toward the original D.A.I.S.Y. age reppers from Strong Island, mixtape masters Mick Boogie and Terry Urban link up with clothing line Lemar & Dauley for a memorable jaunt through some of the plug trio's illest joints ever...

Recruited to re-make some of the iconic group's all-time illest records are quite a good deal of Hip-Hop's best and brightest as well as a few legends....Dropping by to pay respects to their old friends and collaborators luminary Hip-Hop acts such as Phife Dawg, Skillz, and Camp Lo join in the festivities and accompany a hearty helping of new school emcees and producers in making a proper testimonial to Pos, Trugoy and Dave.

Truly a gripping mixtape that totally flexes the skills of some young and very talented producers, who all re-create some classic De La jams using the same samples. It's a tribute done right and names like 6th Sense, Garbs, Hasan Insane and eJones all should be buzzing like a brand new baby bee after a week of "Le Da Soul" rotating on the web. Interestingly enough, one of the most proper beats on the entire tape is the intro, that is produced by Supa Dave West; one of the beat men who actually worked alongside De La for their "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" and "AOI: Bionix" records.

Do not hesitate to pick this up...it's thee finest mixtape of the year by far...I know this is sort of cherry picking, but I must, must give huge props to all parties involved on this tape. Because of projects like this I continue to write about the music and culture...No surprise that De La Soul served as the inspiration behind this monumental effort. They deserve every bit of the praise and compliment they receive on this....

-BIG D O










http://www.divshare.com/direct/9489833-277.zip

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

News: MF DOOM At It Again? Another Report Alledging He Sent An Imposter To Perform In His Place Surfaces



The L.A. Beat Club has come forward with new allegations against renowned and mysterious rapper DOOM (FKA MF DOOM) claimng that the MC sent an obvious impostor to perform at their venue...

This practice of "imposter shows" stretches all the way back to an infamous 2007 incident at Rock The Bells and unfortunately is nothing new to hopeful DOOM fans that show up seeking to catch a glimpse of the Masked rapper onstage.

This past Saturday Beat Club officially became apart of the fraternity of show venues that have been "DOOMED"....

Apparently someone wearing the DOOM mask showed up and went onstage and was playing beats from a laptop, but not opening his mouth to recite the words or even holding a microphone. That's when audience members became suspicious and even rushed the stage demanding their moolah back...

LOL, after all the previous reports about DOOM's disposition toward this mess (he once commented to Rolling Stone that the controversy only added to his image) I don't understand why some of these kids would still pay to go to see his crazy ass? I mean going to a regular rappers show is pretty iffy most times; you usually have to wait long after the actual set time to see them, sometimes they no show, sometimes they're too drunk to really bring it, sometimes there is equipment problems etc., etc....So me shelling out some bread in a recession to see a guy that has basically stated that he doesn't give a flying duck about this foulness before is almost comical to think about. Just ain't gonna happen people...

When DOOM's label Stones Throw was contacted about this fiasco they doled out a statement via email that contained this interesting lil' quote:

"it was obvious that he [DOOM] wasn’t going to show up at a venue that fits only 200 people when his performance fee requires venues about 10 times that size."


Riiiiiiiiiiiight....Even though the label clearly expressed they don't book his shows or have anything to do with that, it'd be naive to think they weren't hip to his nonsense....C'mon DOOM, this typa shit neither adds to your rep as a "super villian" or gains you any new fans. The whole reason your a somebody is because of all these underground heads biggin up your new work after the KMD stuff...Ya know, the guys that buy your records, go to your shows and steadily keep up with your alcoholic ass career. I don't think it's out of the question to show em' a lil' bit more love than this and honor your appointments.

-BIG D O

Single: Thirstin Howl III ft. Unique London - The Crown



What would Hip-Hop be without the Polorican eh? A whole lot more predictable that's for sure....

Dropping his new freestyle over Jay's "DOA" beat Thirstin proves he's still an entertaining lyricist goin in and re-dubbing this joint "The Crown". He doesn't flex much of that witty spanglish style that he's been runnin with as of late, but rather more of the straight forward and somewhat comedic steez he was known for during his heavy battling years.

Also along for the ride is frequent Thirstin collaborator Unique London, whom you should remember if you've been ridin' with Big Vic Lo since day one. Go look through the man's catalog he's included London on every one of his albums damn near....the two don't exactly re-create the chemistry they had on "Brooklyn Hard Rock" or anything, but they still do their thing...

-BIG D O







Video: Solomon Childs, Paulie Caskets, Fes Taylor, King Just, Castro, Baker Don, Leathafase, Iron Mic – Killa Hill Anthem



Who's in the mood for some good ol' aggressive Hip-Hop from Shaolin?

Debuting the new video for The Killa Hill soundtrack/DVD a bevy of Staten Island's best and most locally known MC's come together to craft The "Killa Hill Anthem"...

If your looking for soft ass ode's to the beauty of Richmond county you'd better just keep it movin', this here is a full fledged street banger and a solid anthem for the up and coming , new generation of Shaolin spitters....

If you wnat more info on the "Killa Hill" documentary, you can peep out the trailer, synopsis and music snippets from the soundtrack here:

http://www.killahillmovie.com/trailer.html

Single: Obie Trice - I Am (prod. by MoSS)




Raucus new joint from Detorit's Obie Trice, fittingly titled "I Am".

What can I say man, I been tellin you folks about this man MoSS for years now and have myself been checking for him ever since I heard his considerable production talent on Black Moon's "Total Eclipse" Album ("Looking Down The Barrel"). If your just now starting to hear that man's name ring out, he's produced tracks for the likes of Big Shug, AZ, Sean Price, Pumpkinhead, Z-Man of Hieroglyphics, Slum Village, Ghostface, Poison Pen, Joell Ortiz and many others....

In the past MoSS has also worked with Obie before and now it seems that the great chemistry they shared on previously released 12"'s like "Well Known Asshole" and "Mr. Trice" will now be harnessed for a full length collabo LP titled "Special Reserve"...

Til' you get the high quality and special brew that I know "Special Reserve" will be on Dec. 15th, sip on "I Am". This joint has everything you could want from these two...Obie's still the most lyrical asshole in the game and MoSS's sample based, boom bap laced gems compliment his brash bars better than ever...

-BIG D O












http://usershare.net/osam0sdicnt6

Video: KRS-One & Buckshot - Survival Skills



Giving us a wildly original new video for the title track off their new LP, Buck and Kris display the blueprint for longevity in a game full of secret traps and pitfalls.

I know a lot of heads will try to clown the futuristic look of this joint, to them I say you ain't opening up and getting with the vibe properly...

C'mon kiddies, every vid ain't gotta be apart of the repetitive garbage that is currently destroying the landscape on BET or MTV....Like the true legends that they are, Buck and The Teacha take a risk and think outside the box for their presentation and I happen to believe it's ill...No formulaic posing, no predictable cameos and definitely no shot at radio airplay...just how I like em'!

The album "Survival Skills" has been in stores for a minute...go cop that.

-BIG D O

Video: Kurious - Wake Up



Here's thee latest vid from ya boy Kurious Jorge's newest album "II", that I found as a whole a bit too far removed from my favorite Kurious type music, but admittedly enjoyed this cut, titled "Wake Up".

Taking a break from the album's overall party vibe and light hearted demeanor, Jorge kicks some serious truths to his audience about how the govt., politicians as well as the system in general got us twisted and hopefully the day we all say enough is enough...

The vid is the lowest quality joint he's shot since maybe that "Questions" jumpoff with Doom a minute ago, and it definitely don't sport the same creativity. Unfortunately the budget (and the females) he got for "Brand New Day" or "Sittin In My Car" are non existent on "Wake Up"...I don't get it Amalgam Digital, you shellin' out the dough for the radio joints but stiffing the conscious record?

go buy "II", available now...

-BIG D O

Monday, November 23, 2009

Interview: Peanut Butter Wolf & Charizma On KZSU In 1992




Via stonesthrow.com we have a new, old interview that Wolf and Charizma (R.I.P.) did back in 92' on Stanford's radio station KZSU...

Really interesting Interview and one of the small few that I've ever heard Charizma do...

The host chats with Charizma and PBW about many topics, including their Hip-Hop influences, how they felt about the west's sound at the time and the origin behind Charizma's stage name...

To cap things off Charizma busts a freestyle...

-BIG D O








http://www.stonesthrow.com/jukebox/charizma-pbwolf-1992-interview.mp3

Single: Phife Dawg - Pease Porrige 09'



Oh snap! The Five Foot Assassin is back with some ole' funky ish'...

That's right children, one fourth of A Tribe Called Quest is hittin' us with some of that golden age goodness for Mick Boogie, Terry Urban and Lemar & Dauley’s De La Soul tribute tape, which is due out in about two days or so....

This is fresh and a very good indication that the De La tape is gonna be off the meat rack...I know I should probably give the details on that project, but on the real, the only thing I wanna know is when "Songs In The Key Of Phife" is droppin'?

-BIG D O











http://usershare.net/ed87d3ho8xqn

Video: Large Professor Visits Amoeba Music



Have a seat for 2 minutes and enjoy the one and only Large Pro go through some of the records he picked up while visiting the world famous Amoeba Record store in San Fran....Yo on the real, I own that second Gloria Gaynor and the Paul Horn album(s) he picked up...

Also featured: Pro breaks down his mentor, Paul C's impeccable way of keeping records....R.I.P. to that man...was a legend.

-BIG D O

Ras Kass - Ras Kass Quarterly Mixtape



When Razzy first started droppin' a song every week and promised this tape about 2 or 3 months ago my hopes were high. Although there were some marked absences with the whole "drop a single every week" idea, I'm still happy to have Mr. Austin's newest offering, cause hey, a lil' bit of somethin' is always better than a lil' bit of nuthin'. Word is bond...

So here you have it a brand new mixtape from the cat I consider L.A.'s version of Nas. Some of the joints you should have heard by now, others will of course be new.

Guest spots from Killah Priest, Krondon, 40 Glocc, Stacee Adams and production from Veterano, Thayod Ausor, Da Riffs, Sir Jinx and more...

-BIG D O










http://www.mediafire.com/?mgjmqdmizyf

Single: Beanie Sigel - How I Can Kill Jiggaman



Continuing on with the morning chalk full o' disses lets get into the new Jay-Z diss from Beans...

This actually started floating around as a radio rip over the weekend and when I first heard it I have to admit I was a lil' amp'd...Sorry, blame it on me being a big time Cypress Hill fan back in the day..that and well I always thought that this would be a dope song for anyone with some skills to unleash a freestyle diss over...

In actuality however Beans came off a lil' sterile here and his complaining is wearing a bit thin on most heads.

He's been posturing as if he's got some major dirt on Jay, but has yet to drop a recording with any truly damaging lines. Whatup wit that? Hell if I know...One thing I am sure of is that I'm only giving the Broad Street Bully one mo' chance to get it right and drop a proper diss before I pack it in and start ignoring him and his qualms much in the same fashion that Jay is and has been doing.

-BIG D O











http://usershare.net/2DopeBoyz/ao8z3an69ymh

Single: Canibus ft. DZK - Eminem Diss



Hmmmm...Monday morning comes and what do I hear floating around? That's right a new Canibus diss aimed squarely toward Mr. Shady himself....

Complete with a guest spot from a guy named DZK and some random D12 verses he added, Bis' does a good job of pointing out some of Em's shortcomings...I mean it's a number of years after their original battle was supposed to ensue but hey, it is what it is....

Royce Da 5'9" and a bunch of Em's other minions have already been tweeting it up about this jawn...personally I didn't feel it was that strong and I'm not really interested in a new Eminem battle with anyone....

On a side note, who remembers when Bis' dissed Beanie Sigel all them years ago?

-BIG D O











http://usershare.net/2DopeBoyz/2nz13gvq783l

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Interest Piece: Hood Cinema Stars...Where Are They Now?







I grew up in the 90's; a time when the "Hood Classic" type of films were being doled out by the boatload. Some people my age and older look back at those films with disdain and contempt, but just like many of the movie goers that came before me in the 70's that loved the riskay edginess of Blaxploitation films, I never looked for the negative, just what was relate-able and what I thought was truly fly.

I think that the earlier, better Blaxploitation films were pre-cursors for many a hood cinema flick and actor in the 90's and so maybe that broad influence is why some of the people I mention had that lil' dose of magic surrounding their performance...See, back then, CGI and all this other stuff wasn't developed kiddies...actors had to bring it with they dramatic performances or otherwise face gettin' clowned on by more than just Siskel and Ebert. The whole hood would be snappin' on you for sure if you wasn't reppin' right on the big screen. Don't believe me, just ask LL Cool J about his role/Music video for "Deep Blue Sea".

We applauded the lil' cameos many a cool rapper would garner like Snoop's role in "Half Baked", but moved on to root for seriously talented cats like Larenz Tate who nailed his performances in films like "Menace II Society", "Dead Presidents" and "Love Jones". This post is dedicated to all the people in that same vein. Actors and actresses that were stealing the spotlight back then and what exactly has happened to em' since their finest moments on the silver screen....

They all hold a special place in my heart and mind. Some of them you laughed with, some you cried with, some made you feel empowered and some you imitated well past the height of their career's were gone. In any case, most of the time they felt like family and the VHS copy of their timeless performances sit nicely around your entertainment center. While many would just dismiss most of these faces as "black C-list actors/actresses", I saw and still see much, much more...

-BIG D O





De'Aundre Bonds (Get On The Bus, Sunset Park, The Wood, Tales From The Hood)


This budding film actor was well on his way to working more extensively in Hollywood in the late 90's after turning heads with a stoic and true to life delivery in movies like "Sunset Park" and "Get On The Bus". Unfortunatley Bonds' life took a tragic turn in 2001 when he was convicted of manslaughter. He is currently serving his 11 yr. sentence in a California Rehab Center.


Sharron Corley (New Jersey Drive, The Substitute, New York Undercover)


After a sterling and lifelike performance in New Jersey Drive, Corley only made two more credited performances, one being on the hit television show "New York Undercover". Over the years Corley has appeared in a sorted few street DVD's, but has strayed far away from the silver screen and by the late 90's had discontnued his career as an actor.


Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins (Lean On Me, Juice, Bullet, Phat Beach)


Best known for his performance alongside Tupac Shakur in "Juice" and Morgan Freeman in "Lean On Me", Hopkins started out as 14 yr. old actor and soon rose up to be involved in a few classic films and did some TV appearances as well. Today, Hopkins is married and raising his son, after it was heavily rumored that his bids to play The late Notorious B.I.G. in the biopic evaporated.


Taral Hicks (A Bronx Tale, Belly, Subway Stories: Tales From The Underground)


A stunning beauty who's role in the film "A Bronx Tale" helped vault her into a career in movies, Hicks went on to sign a recording contract with Motown records in 1996 and had a few charting hit singles. By 2005 she had resumed acting briefly, but now mainly lives as a married teacher in New Jersey raising her son.


Antwon Tanner (Sunset Park, The Wood, Never Die Alone, Coach Carter)


Another promising star that emerged from the cast of "Sunset Park", Tanner has worked within' movies and TV often since his debut role as a basketaball player, which is one he has duplicated quite a bit. Unfortunately, the decent amount of work that Tanner found on-screen didn't derail him from falling into trouble with Federal authorites. On August 20th, Tanner pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal court to selling more than a dozen Social Security numbers for $10,000 a piece. Tanner's sentencing is set for next month.

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