August 1st, 2003 Big shout out to everyone at Rocksteady who copped the
HipHopGame mixtape! If you didn't go, you need to have a real
good excuse, because this was crazy. From Immortal Technique's
classic performance (and yes, I copped Vol. 2 there) to Jean Grae and Black
Moon ripping it, not to mention the one and only Bumpy Knucks. It was crazy.
Manifest Destiny was there, the Crisis Center, Wonder Twinz, DJ A-Beats, The
Double J, DJ Mor and Musik G, not to mention Pumpkinhead, Poison Pen, Breez
Evahflowin, Tonedeff, Pack FM, Icon, Kwote Scriptures, C-Rayz Walz, Kurtis Blow,
Thirstin Howl, Wordsworth, Black Panther (who I didn't recognize at first and
tried selling a mixtape to), and Mazzi of Soul Purpose, who put on one of the
best performances of the day hands down. If you?re sleeping on Soul Purpose
you need to wake up and check out "Breaking Records." Mazzi is definitely
an MC you gotta watch for to make big moves.
Check the tracklisting for yourself, this is fire, you're not gonna find a mixtape
like this anywhere else. The artwork is crazy, check the cover. For more artwork,
holla at The Gringo at bgardner@gladstone.uoregon.edu. Manifest Destiny comes through big time as they're
holding it down from the hosting position. Big shout out to Sleepy Eye and Eric,
who are holding it down on Showcase Radio, as well as getting the mixtape printed.
Holla at these guys for your CD Printing needs, showcaseradio@yahoo.com.
The Darkest Night Ever is coming!!!! This is Black Panther's
debut compilation, and it's dropping on August 12th. This is a very dope album,
it's got Pumpkinhead, Jean Grae, C-Rayz Walz, Murs, you name it. The production
of Black Panther is real tight, this is definitely gonna get heads checking
the Brooklyn Academy producer. Mark your calendars, and get some extra batteries
for the flashlight, before its too late.
The more I hear of the Longshots, the more I like them. Crayon and Rock-S are
doing big things. Put them on your next-to-blow list. For more info on these
guys check em out at www.thelongshots.net.
Did anyone else see the show on ABC "America's Black Forum?"
I was flipping through channels and I stumbled upon it, and James Brown was
hosting that, and the topic was Old School vs. New School, and the panel was
Kool Moe Dee, Lil' Mo, Ron Isley, Nelson George, and one lady who I can't remember.
It was great to have an intelligent discussion of Hip Hop on national television.
When's the last time that the networks have aired an intellectual discussion
on Hip Hop, and I know it's not on the "O'Reilley Factor." Usually
these people are never allowed to appear to the public as intelligent and thoughtful
people, so a forum and discussion like this was way overdue. Lil Mo was talking
about how the problems of today are due to a lack of respect by the kids. This
was a great panel and I was really happy to see something like this on ABC.
Isn't it kind of late to be claiming Bonecrusher stole "Never Scared?"
I mean, why not wait a little longer? And is it hypocritical of Damon Dash to
be protesting the Rockerfeller Drug Laws when he named his label Roc-A-Fella?
DJ A-Beats new mixtape hosted by Tribeca called "The Hidden
Agenda." This is one I can?t wait to hear, it?s got Ras Kass and Skillz
on a track, a freestyle by Doujah Raze (trilogyonwax.com) and Born Unique, plus
exclusives from J-Live and Planet Asia. Plus you know A-Beats will throw in
a few surprises. Big ups to A-Beats for dropping an exclusive remix to Busta?s
"Light Ya Ass On Fire" for the HHG Mixtape. Holla at A-Beats at djabeats@yahoo.com.
Big shoutouts to Musik G and the Underground Army! DJ Mor of
the Underground Army (www.undergroundarmy.com)
just put out a dope mixtape called "Never Seen Before or Heard Before Volume
8." This mixtape has a lot of dope music that you'll never hear on MTV
or BET. Manifest Destiny's "Midway Connection" pops up on this track.
This is also on the HipHopGame Radio Volume One. J-Zone's ode to his piece-of-shit
car is on this as well, that track is called "5-Star Hooptie." Right
now, J-Zone's got one of the best, if not the best, senses of humor in the game.
Prozack Turner, who is a very dope and underrated MC, comes through on "Wonderful
Life," which is a great feel-good track featuring Pete Rock production.
This is one of the best tracks on the mixtape. Craig G and Krumbsnatcha come
through on "Say Yes," a straight banger, and the Longshots come through
with "First Brick," which I am really feeling, and if ya remember
it got a good review in my last column. Son Doobie from Battleaxe Records also
drops heat with "Reinstated" and Mor goes all the way out to Michigan
for Athletic Mic League's "Got `Em Sayin." The mixtape ends with "Got
U" by Musik G and the Underground Army. This song is gonna be on the Underground
Army's upcoming EP. Holla at djmor@undergroundarmy.com to cop this.
A mixtape definitely worth copping is DJ RonDeVu's "The 4 Horseman."
This features Nas, Jay, `Pac, and Big, but in ways that you haven't heard before.
RonDeVu comes through with tight blends over classic tracks, like taking the
"Made U Look" beat with "It Ain't Hard to Tell" vocals.
There are a ton of tight blends on this, as well as just classic tracks in their
original form. This is a mixtape that is real tight, because it's got stuff
that you can't hear anywhere else. Holla at RonDeVu at www.djrondevu.com.
Showcase Radio is a radio show on in the Tri-State area every Monday night on
91.9 from 10 PM to midnight. These are also the guys pressing up HipHopGame
Radio Volume One, so if you need bulk CD's at a good price, you need to holla
at these guys (showcaseradio@yahoo.com). These guys also promote artists, and
they make mixtapes featuring that artist. So Showcase Radio Volume 6, which
is like their radio show has a lot of tracks mixed in with a lot of Fuc That
material, such as interviews and tracks. F.T. is making some noise, especially
on the mixtape scene, as Philly's Meddafore turned me onto him first. Space
of the Black Eye Records Fam, is representing on here as well with his "Phone"
single (ambush444@aol.com). This mixtape was put out a month ago or so, but
it's still got a lot of tracks that I haven't heard before, and it's good to
get some info on Fuc That as well. Holla at these guys at showcaseradio@yahoo.com.
The Cutmaster C and DJ Vlad collab, "East Coast Killa / West Coast Killa"
is a mixtape that you really shouldn't sleep on. Vlad's doing his thing out
in Cali, and he's doing it well, if you remember his collab with Dirty Harry
(B.I.G. Rap Phenomenon). That's one of the best mixtapes to be released in awhile,
and this one is quality as well. Vlad starts it off with the 50 Cent "Many
Men Remix" featuring Brooklyn of Aftermath. There's also a Biggie blend
to 50's "If I Can't" which is real hot. There's a few freestyles here
as well, by Saigon, Joe Beast, LG, and also an exclusive Ras Kass track ("Catch
Me If You Can" (which they did)). Cutmaster C comes through with some bangers
as well, but keep in mind this isn't a new mixtape, because it's got the "Get
By Remix," Joe and Busta's "Fire," and the Jay and Beyonce collab.
Sway is hosting this mixtape, and he's got a few interludes, the dopest is hearing
him talk about the Casual and Saafir battle that went down at the "Wake-Up
Show." Check this out at all the mixtape spots, and hit up www.djvlad.com
while you're at it.
Statik Selektah, reppin the Smash Squad (www.statik-selektah.com) mixed "Manhattan
Volume One." This has some older tracks, like the "Get By Remix,"
and the Joe Buddens and Busta collab "Fire." This also has the Busta
and Pharell collab "Light Ya Ass On Fire." This is a pretty good track,
and you know Busta brought the energy on this one. Beanie Sigel drops a lot
of hot lines, it's too bad for his legal troubles now, and if he really did
do it, I gotta say, he's a dumbass because he's got a lot of talent. You can
hear him on the "When You Hear That" with Dirt McGirt and Peedi Crack,
the banger "Roc-La-Familia" with M.O.P., Jay-Z, and Bleek, and on
"Come Get Me" with Lil Cease and Bleek. Gangstarr is representing
on the "Who Got Gunz" with Fat Joe and M.O.P., which is crazy. What's
dope is how Statik has Biggie shadowing Fat Joe as he bites Biggie's lines.
Primo came through big time on that track. The last half or so of this mixtape
is the R&B side. Nas, who recently dropped the line "R and B rappers
started fucking up the ngame horribly" is pretty much turning into one
now. Check him on the garbage track with Kelis "Popular Thug." Everyone
is quick to hate on Ja, but why isn't everyone held to the same standards. As
far as I can tell, 50 (who is on the XL track "Getting Right," and
Busta (on Monica's "So Gone Remix") are both getting away with what
they get at Ja for doing. Something that got me real confused is the "La
La La Remix Remix" with Jay and Kanye West. When does the remixing stop?
This shit is getting too confusing, from now on, let's just have one remix to
a song, and if that doesn't do well, instead of making a whole new remix, how
about making a whole new song? I don't know, maybe I'm just going crazy. Statik
Selektah also comes through with a few R&B blends, my favorite being "Frontin"
with Pharrel (No Jay here). Statik uses Primo's "Nice Girl Wrong Place"
and "Skills" over Pharrel's vocals, but it cuts off before Jay-Z's
verse, which would have been cool to hear him flow over "Skills."
Hit up www.statik-selektah.com or static-selektah@tmail.com to cop the Snash-Squad
mixtapes.
DJ Russ from Charlottesville just dropped his new mixtape, "Volume 13."
He gives a lot of love to the underground on here, as he's got Ghunsmok's "Made
Of" leading off the album. For more on Ghunsmok, hit `em up at www.ghunsmok.com.
There's also a track by this cat named Zechariah Wise. I've never heard of this
cat, but he spits nice on his "Manhood" single. Team Demolition is
another crew I never heard of, but they come straight on "Strictly T.D."
There are the commercial hits on this as well, like the P.Diddy and St. Lunatics
collab "Shake Your Tail Feather." This has 106 and Park written all
over it, and listening to it once was all I could take. I am not one of those
big-time Nelly haters, that's not saying I bump his stuff, but I'm can tolerate
his crap a lot more than Puffy. If he is gonna try to rhyme, maybe he should
start writing rhymes instead of trying to get cheesecakes from BK, or whatever
the hell was going on in "Making the Band 2." I thought those cats
were supposed to be talented? Russ also throws "Ought to Know" by
the Diplomats. Another dope beat, more dopey lyrics. Ahhhhhhhhh! This has a
good collection of the biggest commercial hits along with some gutter underground
music, for more info holla at russRTB18@aol.com.
Check out Matlock at www.gbmentertainment.com. What he's doing is putting out
DVD's of battle footage, as well as doing his own music videos, where he rhymes
using different personalities for different tracks. He's got a ton of stuff
on cdbaby.com, so check it out.
Is anyone else ready for the new Canibus? I can't wait for
that to come out, hopefully he's back. The new 12", "Spartibus,"
is pretty tight with the Stoupe production (Jedi Mind Tricks). I don't know
about you, but I'm waiting for that album to drop.
Camoflauge (R.I.P.), who repped Savannah, Georgia to the fullest, has a new
single out featuring Micnificent. Over a tight beat, Camoflauge drops a tight
party track. Honestly, I never got into any of Camoflauge's material, but "Hot
Grits" is a good single, especially with the catchy hook. I can see this
single getting a lot of play in the South. Camoflauge and Micnificent are good
lyricists. They're definitely bringing more to the table than a lot of rappers
coming out of the South. For more info on this, hit up www.purepain.com.
That's all I got for you now. Buy the mixtape, 730's guarantee that you won't
be disappointed. Peace
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