I like the way Pure Soul remixed this to make it appear as a duet. The O'Jays are probably the most underrated groups in the history of R&B. Not sure what happened to this group (despite their loudness).. they were certainly talented.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
ROTD: Stairway to Heaven
I like the way Pure Soul remixed this to make it appear as a duet. The O'Jays are probably the most underrated groups in the history of R&B. Not sure what happened to this group (despite their loudness).. they were certainly talented.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Did 90's Hip-Hop Soul Have Some Effect on Today's R&B?
***Long Winded alert...LOL***
We always hear Hip Hop connoisseurs speak about how Hip-Hop is on its last leg and what caused it to go into such a tailspin. What we never hear enough of are the significant changes that took place in R&B over the past 20 years. Now, two things inspired me to write this blog: one being this article brutha #1 put me up on a week ago called Did Rap Kill The Male Singer?” and secondly just noticing a pattern shift in R&B after the birth of hip-hop soul. The latter is what I believe had the biggest impact on how artists presented themselves as singers and their production choices from 92 and on. Although we do see attempts to bring a true identity back to the genre, you can’t help but notice a little too much Hip Hop influence. Just look at some of the top selling R&B albums of this decade, more than a handful had Hip-Hop elements sprinkled in somewhere. Many of the artists who tried to keep it strictly R&B seemed to get pushed way in the background, and the ones who received exposure were always the same artists (Jill Scott, India Arie, Alicia Keys, etc.). Maybe a lot has to with Hip-Hop culture being perceived as cooler to young kids who buy most of the music anyway. R&B by itself in a lot of ways became looked at as old folks music. I personally think the root began when hip-hop soul took off in 92.
During the late eighties we experienced an Uptown MCA explosion, which brought the New Jack Swing sound to the forefront and set the stage for hip-hop soul. Here we had acts like Guy, Heavy D, and Father MC merging the two worlds together and making it work. The sound made die-hard hip hop heads get into Aaron Hall and devoted R&B heads rap along to "We Got our Own Thang". The trend continued into the 90’s with 1992 being a standout year where Jodeci and Mary J Blige become the first faces of hip-hop soul. As a child I remember watching Video Music Box (local show)over summer vacation and seeing “Real Love” and “Come and Talk To Me (remix)” being on heavy rotation. What made these two particular songs different than run of the mill R&B was that these were soulful vocals over popular rap beats. "Real Love" used Audio Two’s "Top Billin'" and "Come and Talk To Me" sampled "Impeach The President" by the Honeydrippers, a sample used so much in the history of rap. Both of them were the FIRST singers to use these samples like an emcee and set precedence for years to come. In the next two years we see traces of the new sound on the music of three artists you would never expect, Janet Jackson, Patti Labelle, and Mariah Carey."That's the Way Love Goes" and "The Right Kinda Lover", both use the sample Jodeci first used for their hit. Then there’s Mariah who used "Genius Of Love" , a sample respected in the hip hop circle and collaborated with Ol Dirty Bastard for "Fantasy" …what a shock at the time. Later we see a plethora of fly by night R&B singers who kept the sound going for a few more years.
By 1997 no one used the term “hip hop soul” to describe the music, it was just the new R&B without a title. The only difference was that the sound was repulsive compared to its beginning. Hip Hop samples ran rampant and the focus on good voices began to take a back seat. There were singers (I shouldn’t even call them that) who had three minute hooks(not much of a song) featuring the hottest rapper at the time, a sample, and mediocre vocals. We had too many undeserving hits from people using this formula. As the 2000’s rolled around the samples somewhat declined, but who could forget when Ashanti dropped "Foolish" in 2002. She used what some people like to call the "One More Chance beat" and had one of the biggest tracks of that year. Considering Ashanti lacked in the vocal department, I believe the song's success came from reminding people of hip hop soul’s past, Biggie, and a connection to that era. Come to think of it, this was probably the last song of this decade to use a sample in that manner. The years that followed consisted mostly of hip hop/r&b collaborations, with Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and Usher’s “Yeah” being big tunes for both of them in 2003 and 2004. Much of this success goes to groundbreaking collabs like Mary and Grand Pupa on "What's The 411" and Jodeci's “Freekin You remix” with the Raekwon and Ghostface.
Now we have a new image of R&B that no longer consist of a mixed bag of singers all having room to shine. The variety is gone! During the Hip-Hop Soul era, there was still a generous amount of exposure given to acts like En Vogue, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Silk, and Mint Condition. I believe the successful marriage of R&B and Hip-Hop during this era along with the continued dominance of Rap, made it less marketable to be a straight up R&B singer. The most visible ones act like rappers, try to freestyle on shows like 106 & Park, and some even get into it with the law just like rappers…lol. I say all this to say, music needs to have its distinctions. A lot of the R&B identity is gone. It makes no sense there aren’t more Jazmine Sullivan type artists on the radio (they are out there) next to Bobby V and Lil Wayne “Beep Beep Beep” or “Blame it on the Alcohol”. I see little signs here and there showing a potential resurgence of pure R&B music with songs like "Here I Stand" by Usher and even “Since You Been Gone” by Day 26, but there's more work to be done.
We always hear Hip Hop connoisseurs speak about how Hip-Hop is on its last leg and what caused it to go into such a tailspin. What we never hear enough of are the significant changes that took place in R&B over the past 20 years. Now, two things inspired me to write this blog: one being this article brutha #1 put me up on a week ago called Did Rap Kill The Male Singer?” and secondly just noticing a pattern shift in R&B after the birth of hip-hop soul. The latter is what I believe had the biggest impact on how artists presented themselves as singers and their production choices from 92 and on. Although we do see attempts to bring a true identity back to the genre, you can’t help but notice a little too much Hip Hop influence. Just look at some of the top selling R&B albums of this decade, more than a handful had Hip-Hop elements sprinkled in somewhere. Many of the artists who tried to keep it strictly R&B seemed to get pushed way in the background, and the ones who received exposure were always the same artists (Jill Scott, India Arie, Alicia Keys, etc.). Maybe a lot has to with Hip-Hop culture being perceived as cooler to young kids who buy most of the music anyway. R&B by itself in a lot of ways became looked at as old folks music. I personally think the root began when hip-hop soul took off in 92.
During the late eighties we experienced an Uptown MCA explosion, which brought the New Jack Swing sound to the forefront and set the stage for hip-hop soul. Here we had acts like Guy, Heavy D, and Father MC merging the two worlds together and making it work. The sound made die-hard hip hop heads get into Aaron Hall and devoted R&B heads rap along to "We Got our Own Thang". The trend continued into the 90’s with 1992 being a standout year where Jodeci and Mary J Blige become the first faces of hip-hop soul. As a child I remember watching Video Music Box (local show)over summer vacation and seeing “Real Love” and “Come and Talk To Me (remix)” being on heavy rotation. What made these two particular songs different than run of the mill R&B was that these were soulful vocals over popular rap beats. "Real Love" used Audio Two’s "Top Billin'" and "Come and Talk To Me" sampled "Impeach The President" by the Honeydrippers, a sample used so much in the history of rap. Both of them were the FIRST singers to use these samples like an emcee and set precedence for years to come. In the next two years we see traces of the new sound on the music of three artists you would never expect, Janet Jackson, Patti Labelle, and Mariah Carey."That's the Way Love Goes" and "The Right Kinda Lover", both use the sample Jodeci first used for their hit. Then there’s Mariah who used "Genius Of Love" , a sample respected in the hip hop circle and collaborated with Ol Dirty Bastard for "Fantasy" …what a shock at the time. Later we see a plethora of fly by night R&B singers who kept the sound going for a few more years.
By 1997 no one used the term “hip hop soul” to describe the music, it was just the new R&B without a title. The only difference was that the sound was repulsive compared to its beginning. Hip Hop samples ran rampant and the focus on good voices began to take a back seat. There were singers (I shouldn’t even call them that) who had three minute hooks(not much of a song) featuring the hottest rapper at the time, a sample, and mediocre vocals. We had too many undeserving hits from people using this formula. As the 2000’s rolled around the samples somewhat declined, but who could forget when Ashanti dropped "Foolish" in 2002. She used what some people like to call the "One More Chance beat" and had one of the biggest tracks of that year. Considering Ashanti lacked in the vocal department, I believe the song's success came from reminding people of hip hop soul’s past, Biggie, and a connection to that era. Come to think of it, this was probably the last song of this decade to use a sample in that manner. The years that followed consisted mostly of hip hop/r&b collaborations, with Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and Usher’s “Yeah” being big tunes for both of them in 2003 and 2004. Much of this success goes to groundbreaking collabs like Mary and Grand Pupa on "What's The 411" and Jodeci's “Freekin You remix” with the Raekwon and Ghostface.
Now we have a new image of R&B that no longer consist of a mixed bag of singers all having room to shine. The variety is gone! During the Hip-Hop Soul era, there was still a generous amount of exposure given to acts like En Vogue, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Silk, and Mint Condition. I believe the successful marriage of R&B and Hip-Hop during this era along with the continued dominance of Rap, made it less marketable to be a straight up R&B singer. The most visible ones act like rappers, try to freestyle on shows like 106 & Park, and some even get into it with the law just like rappers…lol. I say all this to say, music needs to have its distinctions. A lot of the R&B identity is gone. It makes no sense there aren’t more Jazmine Sullivan type artists on the radio (they are out there) next to Bobby V and Lil Wayne “Beep Beep Beep” or “Blame it on the Alcohol”. I see little signs here and there showing a potential resurgence of pure R&B music with songs like "Here I Stand" by Usher and even “Since You Been Gone” by Day 26, but there's more work to be done.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
ROTD: Youre Always On My Mind (Street Mix)
One of my favorite groups from the 90's. Coko Lelee and Taj set the world on fire with their debut album. It's About Time spawned hits over 3 years.. an incredible feat for a debut group. Here is a remix from one of my favorite tracks from that album... enjoy
Pretty good concept album of standards.. if you like Tweet, Bilal, Dwele, and Joy
Here's the track list -
01. MDR Symphony Orchestra - Prelude
02. Joy Denalane, Bilal, Dwele & Tweet - Midnight Train To Georgia
03. Bilal & Dwele - I Thank You
04. Dwele - Take Me To The River
05. Joy Denalane - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
06. Bilal - I Got A Woman
07. Tweet - Lovin You
08. Joy Denalane, Bilal, Dwele & Tweet - Midnight Train To Georgia (Reprise)
09. Jemma, Nicole, Sewuese, Ricardo - I'm Coming Out
10. Joy Denalane - A Song For You
11. Joy Denalane & Bilal - You're All I Need To Get By
12. Dwele - Let's Stay Together
13. Joy Denalane & Tweet - It's A Man's Man's World
14. Dwele - Me And Mrs. Jones
15. Tweet - Betcha By Golly Wow
16. Tweet & Dwele - I'll Take You There
17. Joy Denalane, Bilal, Dwele & Tweet - ABC
18. Bilal - Sir Duke
19. Joy Denalane - Everything Is Everything
20. MDR Symphony Orchestra - Prelude Reprise
21. Bilal - Master Blaster
22. MDR Symphony Orchestra - Love's Theme
23. MDR Symphony Orchestra - T.S.O.P.
24. Bilal - Love Train
25. Joy Denalane, Bilal, Dwele & Tweet - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
26. Joy Denalane, Bilal, Dwele & Tweet - Midnight Train To Georgia (Finale}
http://rapidshare.com/files/170686289/The_Dresden_Soul_Symphony.rar
Ginuwine- Last Chance
Is R&B making a comeback??
I'm a fan of Ginuwine(save those remakes)and i think his coming back is a good thing.. One thing I like about G is the fact that he can entertain a crowd and he is incredibly earnest on his songs...dude sings hard..lol
I'm a fan of Ginuwine(save those remakes)and i think his coming back is a good thing.. One thing I like about G is the fact that he can entertain a crowd and he is incredibly earnest on his songs...dude sings hard..lol
Brutha #1's Worst Remakes part 1
Yeah I'm back...I really don't mind people remaking songs but they need to come close or surpass the original. The list below reflects my thoughts on some REALLY bad remakes...no real order just a list
1. All Cried Out by Allure & 112. Originally this song was done by Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. This song really didn't need a remake. The original is a CLASSIC. Allure and 112 provided a weak vocal in comparison to the original. Plus they missed the essential passion of the original. When Lisa Lisa cried.. "her body never knew such passion, her heart never knew such pain".. you could feel it. I think Allure & 112 failed miserably.
2. Tell Me If You Still Care by Monica. Originally done by SOS Band. This was a terrible remake but I think Monica's youth played against her here. I didn't think she pulled off the yearning of the original. Production wise something seemed off too.
3. Emotions-Destiny's Child originally by the Bee Gees. This is one the worst remakes ever IMO. While I give them props on the harmony.. this was just overly affected. Beyonce's wailing, Kelly trying to out do Beyonce, and Michelle sounding like a startled cat..it was too much
4. Ginuwine gave us a double play of horrible.. he had the audacity to think he could pull of When Doves Cry AND She's Out Of my Life. While the latter was better than the former I think he treaded on sacred ground and lost. Ginuwine covering MJ actually looks good on paper b/c there are some similarity but the execution was terrible. Sorry G.. you lost twice
5. Knockin Da Boots- Pretty Ricky. Quiet as kept I actually like Pretty Ricky but they must have been smoking if they think it was a smart idea to remake H-Town sex jam of 1993.
6. Got To Give It Up- Zhane. This breaks my heart because Zhane is one of my favorite acts. They are usually on point but their tribute to Marvin Gaye fell flat for me. It almost didnt even sound like Zhane. Good news not too many have heard this version. They are too talented to release such material.
7. Our Love- Mary J Blige. Sorry, vocally, Mary is just not Natalie Cole
8. Open Arms- Mariah Carey..... why oh why Mariah. The original by Journey was schmaltzy enough it didnt need the MC ballad treatment.
9. Right and a Wrong Way- Mario......sigh.......say what you will about Keith Sweat and his voice he had a way with songs and made them his own. I dont think Mario did horrible.. but some songs are so identifiable that they shouldnt be remade. This is the case with this song. It should not be remade.
10. Secret Garden- Silk.. After the 1990 original no more versions of this song. There was a female version too with Patti Labelle and Teena Marie that should be destroyed along with Silk's version.
1. All Cried Out by Allure & 112. Originally this song was done by Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. This song really didn't need a remake. The original is a CLASSIC. Allure and 112 provided a weak vocal in comparison to the original. Plus they missed the essential passion of the original. When Lisa Lisa cried.. "her body never knew such passion, her heart never knew such pain".. you could feel it. I think Allure & 112 failed miserably.
2. Tell Me If You Still Care by Monica. Originally done by SOS Band. This was a terrible remake but I think Monica's youth played against her here. I didn't think she pulled off the yearning of the original. Production wise something seemed off too.
3. Emotions-Destiny's Child originally by the Bee Gees. This is one the worst remakes ever IMO. While I give them props on the harmony.. this was just overly affected. Beyonce's wailing, Kelly trying to out do Beyonce, and Michelle sounding like a startled cat..it was too much
4. Ginuwine gave us a double play of horrible.. he had the audacity to think he could pull of When Doves Cry AND She's Out Of my Life. While the latter was better than the former I think he treaded on sacred ground and lost. Ginuwine covering MJ actually looks good on paper b/c there are some similarity but the execution was terrible. Sorry G.. you lost twice
5. Knockin Da Boots- Pretty Ricky. Quiet as kept I actually like Pretty Ricky but they must have been smoking if they think it was a smart idea to remake H-Town sex jam of 1993.
6. Got To Give It Up- Zhane. This breaks my heart because Zhane is one of my favorite acts. They are usually on point but their tribute to Marvin Gaye fell flat for me. It almost didnt even sound like Zhane. Good news not too many have heard this version. They are too talented to release such material.
7. Our Love- Mary J Blige. Sorry, vocally, Mary is just not Natalie Cole
8. Open Arms- Mariah Carey..... why oh why Mariah. The original by Journey was schmaltzy enough it didnt need the MC ballad treatment.
9. Right and a Wrong Way- Mario......sigh.......say what you will about Keith Sweat and his voice he had a way with songs and made them his own. I dont think Mario did horrible.. but some songs are so identifiable that they shouldnt be remade. This is the case with this song. It should not be remade.
10. Secret Garden- Silk.. After the 1990 original no more versions of this song. There was a female version too with Patti Labelle and Teena Marie that should be destroyed along with Silk's version.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
20 Questions
To honor what use to be my fav Magazine from 93-00..VIBE.. I'd like to present a 3Bruthas Passing Judgement 20 Questions for 90's music/pop culture.
1. Why was Brownstone so loud?
2. Why was Michael Jackson considered New Jack Swing?
3. Why did Mariah really bring rap/sing collabos to prominence in the 90s and it continues to this day?
4. Why was Veronica Webb ever considered to be a Supermodel?
5. Why did the 90's have so many damn groups?
6. Why did the 90's have so many good group?
7. Why is the 90's the golden age for Hip Hop?
8. Why was rock music so moody in the 90's?
9. Wasn't VIBE the music BIBLE?
10. Why were the Clinton years the BOMB for black people?
11. Why did rap in the 90's go from great to good to hood?
12. Why were soundtracks bigger than the movies they were associated with?
13. Why was Kelly Price the go to background singer for BadBoy?
13. How come we thought Badboy was never gonna stop?
14. Why were teen acts so talented in the 90's
15. Why was FOX the network on Thursdays night?
16. Wasn't reggae hip hop the ish in the club for like 4 years straight?
17. Why was the 90's all about the REMIX?
18. Why were jeeps so popular?
19. Where art thou' Cross Colours and Karl Kani?
20. Why was R&B so damn sexy?
1. Why was Brownstone so loud?
2. Why was Michael Jackson considered New Jack Swing?
3. Why did Mariah really bring rap/sing collabos to prominence in the 90s and it continues to this day?
4. Why was Veronica Webb ever considered to be a Supermodel?
5. Why did the 90's have so many damn groups?
6. Why did the 90's have so many good group?
7. Why is the 90's the golden age for Hip Hop?
8. Why was rock music so moody in the 90's?
9. Wasn't VIBE the music BIBLE?
10. Why were the Clinton years the BOMB for black people?
11. Why did rap in the 90's go from great to good to hood?
12. Why were soundtracks bigger than the movies they were associated with?
13. Why was Kelly Price the go to background singer for BadBoy?
13. How come we thought Badboy was never gonna stop?
14. Why were teen acts so talented in the 90's
15. Why was FOX the network on Thursdays night?
16. Wasn't reggae hip hop the ish in the club for like 4 years straight?
17. Why was the 90's all about the REMIX?
18. Why were jeeps so popular?
19. Where art thou' Cross Colours and Karl Kani?
20. Why was R&B so damn sexy?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Top Ten Rappers of All Time (Brutha #2)
As the 2nd oldest brutha on 3 Bruthas Passing Judgement, I grew up slap dab in the middle of the true school and beginning stage of hip hop’s decline. The rappers on my list seem to all be from the golden era or started out during that time. I tried to consider some of the rappers who stepped on the scene post 1999, but I couldn’t find anyone deserving to be on the list. There are a few rappers (i.e. The Game, T.I.?) who could potentially be one of the greatest after a few more albums, while others are clearly good top ten contenders for a ringtone countdown. Before I beat a dead horse with a rant dealing with the state of today’s hip-hop(maybe another blog for another day), here’s my list to round out our top 10 rappers of all time:
10) Master Ace.
Talk about someone who is underappreciated in the rap world. He goes way back to the Juice Crew days when he killed it on“The Symphony”. I didn’t get into Ace until he released the joint “Born To Roll” from the album Slaughterhouse, then I began to check out some of his other projects and he is amazing. He reminds me of a less lyrical Nas who has a way of making you visualize scenarios on screen when he rhymes…that’s a talent.
9) Chuck D.
Looking back at some of the rap to come out of during the late 80’s, there was a lot of socially conscious hip-hop. Many of those artists were fly by night and had no impact what so ever. It says something about Chuck if he managed get everyone to stop and listen to him worldwide.
8) Lauryn Hill.
Let me first say when I heard her kill it on the “Nappy Heads” remix in ’94...I was obsessed and knew big things were on the way. Putting aside all of the erratic behavior she began to show years later, L was once a force to be reckoned with. Every rhyme that came out of her mouth was flawless.
7) Gangstarr.
As a group they had the best chemistry. I sometimes wonder would Guru even be as successful if he wasn’t initially paired with DJ Premier to create a masterpiece like “Manifest” , “Just To Get a Rep” or “Mass Appeal”. To be honest, Guru is just an ok rapper i.m.o. and it was the Gangstarr synergy that made them an incredible group.
6) Common.
I’ve been following Common before he had to drop Sense from his name for legal reasons. The first time I REALLY paid attention to him was when the song “I Used to Love H.E.R.” dropped. It wasn’t until the album One Day It Will All Make Sense dropped that I went out and bought his album. He’s poetic without going over your head and probably one of the best REAL freestylers.
5) Big Daddy Kane.
Kane is swag’s inspiration. Before T.I. redefined swagger, Kane was the dude every rapper wanted to emulate. His wordplay still remains top notch even after two decades.…Who comes with better lyrics than this:
“Here I am, r-a-w
A terrorist, here to bring trouble to
Phony mcs, I move on and seize
I just conquer and stomp another rapper with ease
Cause Im at my apex and others are below
Nothing but a milliliter, Im a kilo
Second to none, making mcs run
So dont try to step to me, cause I aint the one
I relieve rappers just like tylenol
And they know it, so I dont see why you all
Try to front, perpetrating a stunt
When you know that Ill smoke you up like a blunt”
---Big Daddy Kane Raw
4) Jay- Z.
Jay shined the most from 1995-2001 in my opinion. I respect his ability to expand and take risks by working with artists like Punjabi MC ,Coldplay, and Linkin Park. Plus he’s a master next to Diddy when it comes to marketing himself.
3) Wu-Tang Clan (selected members).
The distinct personalities in the Wu made them stand out for me. Most rap groups before them consisted of members who seemed to all be cut from the same cloth. Wu Tang came along and brought storytelling, complex lyrics, and party hip hop together backed by RZA’s unique sound. So they rightfully deserve to be in the top 3.
2) Tupac.
This was a hard decision. I battled between choosing B.I.G. and Pac for this position. Pac’s writing ability and how he addressed issues of everyday people gave him an edge over BIG. I’ll just end there before I start comparing more…lol. Both Pac and BIG were intriguing people but this one goes to Tupac.
1) Nas.
I still can’t believe Nas was only 19 when he created the Illmatic album. Can you think of anyone today that age or even older creating anything on that level? He is hip hop at its finest. Some of his other gems were Stillmatic, God’s Son, and It was Written.
10) Master Ace.
Talk about someone who is underappreciated in the rap world. He goes way back to the Juice Crew days when he killed it on“The Symphony”. I didn’t get into Ace until he released the joint “Born To Roll” from the album Slaughterhouse, then I began to check out some of his other projects and he is amazing. He reminds me of a less lyrical Nas who has a way of making you visualize scenarios on screen when he rhymes…that’s a talent.
9) Chuck D.
Looking back at some of the rap to come out of during the late 80’s, there was a lot of socially conscious hip-hop. Many of those artists were fly by night and had no impact what so ever. It says something about Chuck if he managed get everyone to stop and listen to him worldwide.
8) Lauryn Hill.
Let me first say when I heard her kill it on the “Nappy Heads” remix in ’94...I was obsessed and knew big things were on the way. Putting aside all of the erratic behavior she began to show years later, L was once a force to be reckoned with. Every rhyme that came out of her mouth was flawless.
7) Gangstarr.
As a group they had the best chemistry. I sometimes wonder would Guru even be as successful if he wasn’t initially paired with DJ Premier to create a masterpiece like “Manifest” , “Just To Get a Rep” or “Mass Appeal”. To be honest, Guru is just an ok rapper i.m.o. and it was the Gangstarr synergy that made them an incredible group.
6) Common.
I’ve been following Common before he had to drop Sense from his name for legal reasons. The first time I REALLY paid attention to him was when the song “I Used to Love H.E.R.” dropped. It wasn’t until the album One Day It Will All Make Sense dropped that I went out and bought his album. He’s poetic without going over your head and probably one of the best REAL freestylers.
5) Big Daddy Kane.
Kane is swag’s inspiration. Before T.I. redefined swagger, Kane was the dude every rapper wanted to emulate. His wordplay still remains top notch even after two decades.…Who comes with better lyrics than this:
“Here I am, r-a-w
A terrorist, here to bring trouble to
Phony mcs, I move on and seize
I just conquer and stomp another rapper with ease
Cause Im at my apex and others are below
Nothing but a milliliter, Im a kilo
Second to none, making mcs run
So dont try to step to me, cause I aint the one
I relieve rappers just like tylenol
And they know it, so I dont see why you all
Try to front, perpetrating a stunt
When you know that Ill smoke you up like a blunt”
---Big Daddy Kane Raw
4) Jay- Z.
Jay shined the most from 1995-2001 in my opinion. I respect his ability to expand and take risks by working with artists like Punjabi MC ,Coldplay, and Linkin Park. Plus he’s a master next to Diddy when it comes to marketing himself.
3) Wu-Tang Clan (selected members).
The distinct personalities in the Wu made them stand out for me. Most rap groups before them consisted of members who seemed to all be cut from the same cloth. Wu Tang came along and brought storytelling, complex lyrics, and party hip hop together backed by RZA’s unique sound. So they rightfully deserve to be in the top 3.
2) Tupac.
This was a hard decision. I battled between choosing B.I.G. and Pac for this position. Pac’s writing ability and how he addressed issues of everyday people gave him an edge over BIG. I’ll just end there before I start comparing more…lol. Both Pac and BIG were intriguing people but this one goes to Tupac.
1) Nas.
I still can’t believe Nas was only 19 when he created the Illmatic album. Can you think of anyone today that age or even older creating anything on that level? He is hip hop at its finest. Some of his other gems were Stillmatic, God’s Son, and It was Written.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Brutha #1's Up and Coming R&B Song of the Week
My pick for "up and coming" this week is a artist I found on YouTube(he has some really nice songs on the Tube). I originally heard the song on Sirius and it had such a great 90's R&B sound and vocally dude is pretty good. I sometimes hate the phrase "grown and sexy" but this is a good joint to chill out to with your girl... hope you enjoy
K-Jon On the Ocean
Enjoy
K-Jon On the Ocean
Enjoy
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