The President of Hip Hop

Ghettosocks - Out for Treats

2010-08-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Newish Ghettosocks track about one of my favorite things...food. This track is stupid ill. Check out the album 'Treat of the Day' if you are feeling this. Downloads available on Ghettosocks website: http://www.ghettosocks.com

Sean Price - Figure Four

2010-02-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

That boy Sean Price is back and he's spitting fire. I can't get over how dope this beat is. Sean P is straight killing it on this one.

Wax: 2010 til Infinity

2010-02-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is for my boy D-Swizzle who is adament that my lack of posting to this blog is an indication that I don't always do what I set out to do. Well guess what, I refuse to accept that. I am back, at least for the time being, and the getting is good.

As for the video...enjoy ya boy Wax and his new freestyle. Oh yeah, and stop hatin D. You know I got mad love for ya homey.

The river run beckons...

Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth "They Reminisce Over You"

2009-11-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice early 90's joint for my girl Kavita, a self-proclaimed old-school hip hop fan. Remember when you used to be able to hear dope hip hop on the radio? Seems like an eternity ago...

Daniel Joseph / Fly On Paper

2009-11-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Bobby, is this your brother man? Another Joseph spitting the hotness.

Classified - Quit While You're Ahead (feat. Choclair, Maestro & Moka Only)

2009-11-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

This beat is absolute fire. Class is killin' it right here.

Sene - WonLover prod. by Blu

2009-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here's another song of an album that is in constant rotation at casa de 12 O'clock. Blu's soulful production is the perfect backdrop for Sene's laid back flow on WonLover. This is just one of many hot tracks on A Day Late & A Dollar Short.

Fashawn "LIfe As a Shorty" feat J. Mitchell

2009-10-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

Alright man, so what is this right here? This right here? This is the realness. I've been listening to this album ('Boy Meets World') steady for a few weeks. Cop it today. You won't be disappointed.

Aceyalone - Jus Once

2009-10-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice little bite-sized track from my man Aceyalone. At only 1:37, this track is like one of those mini cinnamon swirl waffles...delicious, but not all that filling. You might have to listen to it a few times to really quell your appetite.

Sha Stimuli - Move Back (feat. Freeway)

2009-10-22T18:33:00.001-07:00

Its been a minute player, but I'm back. This is a hot new joint from my man Sha Stimuli featuring the always reliable Freeway. How sick is Freeway's beard in this video. That's some serious scruff. Yeah, I'm a bit jealous.

Eminem, The Roots & DJ Jazzy Jeff Perform "Rock The Bells"

2009-10-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is just nasty right here. Artist tribute to LL. Jazz is straight killin it on the 1s and 2s.

Nathan "Flutebox" Lee and Beardyman @ Google, London

2009-10-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ok. So my boy Bobby BigStacks sent this over to me today. This is absolutely absurd. Sit back and enjoy.

Guru - Lost & Found

2009-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

The elder statesman of hip hop, Guru, drops political verses over a cooked up version of the "House of the Rising Sun." I am really feeling this joint right here. The video is hot too.

Masta Ace & Edo G - Little Young

2009-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is for my older hip hop heads out there. You gotta love the humor this track brings to the table.

Ghettosocks - Don't Turn Around (feat. Edgar Allen Floe)

2009-10-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is a ridiculously dope track featuring my man Ghettosocks from Halifax, and Justus League powerhouse Edgar Allen Floe. Soulful, precise, and on point...this is why I listen to hip hop.

The Freshest Kids f. Brother Ali, Evidence, Toki Wright & BK-One

2009-09-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

You guys know I'm a sucka for any track with Brother Ali on it, but this one is particularly dope. Rhymesayers is definetly killing it right now. This is the official anthem of the Fresh Air tour coming to a city near you soon, as long as you don't live in Iceland or something crazy like that.

Murda Mook - Never Let U Down

2009-09-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

The battle freestyle monster, Murda Mook, is back with some hot new shit off the mixtape Misunderstood out in stores now. I love these Rocky style beats, they always hit home with me.

Mr. J. Medeiros - Holding On feat. Tara Ellis

2009-09-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

I am really feeling this video. It goes to show that a little creativity and emotion can go a long way. Mr. J is doing his thing right here.

The Roots - How I Got Over

2009-09-25T06:46:00.004-07:00

The man himself, Sir Robert Two Names sent this over to me yesterday. This is hip hop personified. Seriously, is there anyone as reliably dope as the Roots. I feel that Black Thought never really gets the credit he deserves for shredding the mic on every opportunity. He is on showcase here.

Wax and Herbal T - Low Budget

2009-09-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is a silly little video put together by Wax and Herbal T making a beat out of, as they put it, "a bunch of dumb shit." This is a truly original video that showcases the talents of these two emcees. You should check it out.

Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame 1- Flashback

2009-09-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

New Del and Tame from the upcoming collabo Parallel Uni-Verses due out October 13th. I've got high hopes for this album. Two stalwarts of the underground scene doing what they do best. The concert footage is from their recent show in Brooklyn.

Mick Boogie & Peter Bjorn & John - Stay This Way (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix) (feat. Big Pooh, Chaundon & Phil Nash)

2009-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

This video is dope. Love the old skool Nintendo graphics. Big ups to Myk Dawg for the direction and animation. And that beat homey...

Serius Jones - Keep it Funky

2009-09-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right fools. More Serius Jones. Dude is bananas.

Jeremy Fish & Aesop

2009-09-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a dope little video created by Dan Wolfe showing off the amazing talent of Jeremy Fish. Jeremy is a San Francisco based Graphic Designer who created a lot of the artwork on Aesop's last album. It just so happens that this little doosey is also set to the Aesop classic "Pigs" making it all the more entertaining. I wish I could say I intended to post multiple Aesop videos in a row, but really I was just in the mood, so I did. Kinda like dem Cinammon Swirl Waffles eh Bobby.

Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass

2009-09-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know this video is a bit old, but it is one of my favorites and I didn't have a blog when it came out. What's a brotha to do?

In Memory of 9/11

2009-09-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

The events that transpired 8 years ago today were supposed to tear our country apart. They were supposed to leave us shrouded in fear, afraid to go to work or even walk outside. In actuality, they turned us into a stronger, more cohesive nation. We forgot about our differences for a while and banded together against a common enemy. Let's remember this unity today as we reflect on those no longer with us. Let's also celebrate and respect the differences that make us all so unique. This world would be a very boring place without them. God Bless.

Serius Jones - Gig

2009-09-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

The freestyle king, Mr. Serius Jones himself, spits his new song Gig, off the upcoming Life is Serius soundtrack. I love this dude's charisma on the mic, as well as the message on this track. Simply put, be yourself homey.

Old Skool - Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name

2009-09-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is for my boy Keithwan who has some slight anger issues...

PaceWon & Mr. Green - She Can Be So Cold

2009-09-10T15:26:00.001-07:00

"She asked did I have a girl and I was like neh-eh..."

Damn Pace, damn...

This Dog is a Badass!

2009-09-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

A.R.M. - Heaven Only Knows (feat. Brother Ali)

2009-09-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

The boys of African Rebel Music (MC's M.anifest and Krukid & Musician Budo) team up with the always beastly Brother Ali on this soulful joint.

The song highlights the impact success has on those around us, but these dudes ain't buyin it. As Brother Ali says in the last line of the song: "We don't wear coats that got tails, so you gonna have to hitch a ride with someone else."

Word.

Lyric the Beat God Killing It

2009-09-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

This dude is ridiculous. Big ups to my boy Bobby 2 Names for turning me on to him:

I Don't Know About You Man...

2009-09-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

but I am really digging on my boy Qwel from the Galapagos4 crew. I crashed out last night listening to his callabo with Kip Killagain and woke up this morning and rocked his new album with Maker on the way into work. He will undoubtedly be the subject of an Artist's Spotlight in the near future. Just thought I would give you guys a heads up...

Album of the week: Wax and EOM "Liquid Courage"

2009-09-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying I know this review is a little late, but I just started my blog 10 minutes ago so sue me. Where to start...

Some of you may know Wax from his many exploits on youtube, and EOM, well, you probably don't know him...yet. But judging from his efforts here, you will likely see his name surface again in the near future. EOM stands for Elements of Music, and let's just say I like the elements he puts on display here. Between his experimental beats and Wax's insane lyricism this is pretty much a can't miss album. There are a few throw away tracks, namely Slaughterhouse and Tongue Tied, but overall the results are quite impressive. The standouts here are 'Summer in the City', which borrows from the Lovin Spoonful track of the same name to tell a story of attempted robbery; 'Music and Liquor', an introspective look at Wax's two loves; and 'The Adventures of Larry and Tina', a 21st century story of unrequited love set to the tone of a sprawling circus-like beat that was actually the catalyst for the Liquid Courage project. See Wax and EOM didn't know each other prior to connecting to make one of my favorite albums of '09. EOM, anxious to hook up with an MC as lyrically talented as Wax, sent him numerous beats via MySpace, that Wax politely declined, planning to produce his own album. The beat for 'The Adventures of Larry and Tina' was EOM's last ditch effort at hooking up with Wax and let's just say the beat stuck in Wax's noggin all day long. Wax finally excepted EOM's offer and the rest is history. History I am quite thankful for.

The video for 'The Adventures of Larry and Tina' is pretty sick as well:

What will undoubtedly grab you first about 'Liquid Courage' is Wax's unorthodox ability to rhyme multi-syllabic sentence structures with utter perfection. The self titled track dipslays this quality in full effect:

"...It's Grade A material/ Upscale Maryland, Crab Imperial/If I'm not lyrical/ The earth's not spherical/ And the virgin giving birth to God's son's not a miracle..."

Wax continues his lyrical assault on 'Concerto del Muerto' where he proclaims that:

"...They need to cry me a river since/Rapper's spit soft, I bring the grimy deliverance/ No need to remind me to shiver since/ I spit the Siberian Wilderness..."

In a word: Dopeness.

With 17 tracks and a play time of about an hour, this is the perfect album to accompany you on your morning commute. So if you are in the mood for some experimental production, ridiculously fluid rhyming, and an overall different experience, check out Wax and EOM's 'Liquid Courage.' You won't be dissapointed.

90% Approval Rating

Getting Started

2009-09-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

So as I sit here wondering what to write in my first posting, the words of John Lennon seem appropriate. I know this is a hip hop blog and all but I couldn't say it better than this:

"You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."

The posts that follow will elaborate on my love for hip hop and will hopefully expose some young hungry artists to anyone who is interested. So read on hip hop heads, and prepare to be enlightened...or at least entertained.

Get at me...