Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums of 2009 Continued

Here are two more albums to look forward to in 2009. I am going with a little bit of a white boy theme today.

Eminem-Relapse (May 15, 2009): Eminem left us all with a bad taste in our mouth in 2004 after release of his fifth album "Encore." Although songs like "Toy Soldier" and "Mosh" lived up to the standards we have come to expect from Em, most of the album featured Slim attempting to sing while his shot at being humorous ultimately failed. Em disappeared from the hip-hop scene until late 2008, when he announced that he had been in the studio working on his latest CD, Relapse. The single, "Crack A Bottle" boasts Em finally rapping again, so I have high hopes he will return to form and be the young, fiery MC he once was. Can't wait!


Asher Roth-Asleep In The Bread Aisle (April 21, 2009): Having been unfairly compared to Eminem ever since he appeared on the scene, only because he is skinny and white, the self-proclaimed King of the Blupmkins drops his debut album that will separate him from the Detroit great in late April. After dropping his mixtape "The Greenhouse Effect" in 2008, which I personally thought was excellent, Ash is back with his own unique style. He doesn't try to be anyone, just himself, rapping about everything from smoking weed and playing Mario Kart to asking the country to unite together. His wordplay can wow you, while his songs about being a broke college kid can be related to by anyone. I have a feeling Asleep In The Bread Isle could be a classic. I'm so nice right now!

Featured Sneaks of the Day

BOING. Remember those first Nike Shox ads? Well as I was browsing the latest selection of upcoming shoe releases, one shoe caught my eye in particular. This particular shoe is the Nike Shox BB4, the original basketball shox. These shoes brought me all the way back to my middle school years at good old Wilbur Wright. I still remember the day that these shoes caught my eye. A gentleman by the name of Eric Anderson, one of the smartest and wealthiest kids from the class below me, strolled into the food court looking to get his fill at the pasta bar wearing these kicks. He somehow managed to get the shoes a few weeks early before they were actually released, and though I acted like it was no big deal, I secretly wanted to tackle the kid to the ground, rip the shoes off of his feet, and make a run for it. Anyways, the reason I bring up this story to you as an audience is because Nike has decided to re-release these shoes in the original color scheme of white/metallic silver/lapis(blue) on April 18th. Unfortunately, Nike was dumb enough to put these at a ridiculous $140.00. I don't remember how much the shoes cost originally, but with most shox costing around 100-120, this pair really shouldn't be priced that high. Nevertheless, check em out:

ATL Shawty

So if you guys hadn't heard before, Wale and B.O.B. did a show in ATL a few days ago. If those two artists weren't enough to lure you in in the first place, the audience got a surprise geust in the King of the South himself, Mr. Clifford "TI" Harris. This all for 20 bucks. Here's a freestyle from the show, check it out:

Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums of 2009

2009 is shaping up to be a great year for hip-hop music. There are so many good CDs dropping this year, from Eminem to Wale, that I have decided to preview two or three of these highly anticipated CDs each day. Whether you download these albums for free or decided to support the artist by purchasing them, these albums are a must have this year for hip-hop heads. Let us begin!

Mos Def-The Ecstatic (June 2009): After putting out a the classic "Black On Both Sides" in 1999, Mos went on a bit of a lyrical hiatus. The CDs that proceeded his masterpiece never quite lived up to the hype, while Mos focused more on his band, Black Jack Johnson, and his acting career. While neither one of these endeavors proved to be negative (Mos is actually a pretty good actor), it is always a joy to see him back in the booth. Nahright.com posted a few snippets from his upcoming album, and Mos is spitting like he was in 1999. I cannot wait to hear Mos back on the mic, and this CD is shaping up to be another masterpiece. Here is Mos spitting over Jay-Z's "Brooklyn Go Hard" and frankly, he murders it. Just a preview of what is to come.


Curren$y-This Ain't No Mixtape (April 21, 2009)-I recently posted a blog giving you a little spotlight on the man from New Orleans. Having recently discovered him, the more I listen to Spitta, the more I like him. Curren$y has put out a few mixtapes, all which are dope, and now in April he brings you his first full length album. He has that southern drawl in his voice but is far from a typical southern rapper. "Spitta is chillin, the planes in the building, the girls like us cause they say we different." Check out this video in which he previews a song from his upcoming album. The beat is absolutely nuts as Curren$y flows right along with it. Just another up and comer in 2009...get hip to Curren$y!



Cunninlyguists-Strange Journey Vol. 1 (April 24, 2009)-April continues to be a great month for new music with the Kentucky based group Cunninlyguists dropping the first part of their follow up to "Dirty Acres." Formerly an MC in the group, Kno now strictly produces, and does an amazing job. From his upbeat jam that goes along with "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)" to his much deeper and darker beats that accompany the rest of the album, Kno provides MCs Deacon and Natti with all they need as the duo come correct with the lyrics as they have done their entire career. Volume 2 drops in September, so make sure you pick that up as well. Here is the video for their single about being waaaaay too high.



Three more albums tomorrow folks!

Stepping Up Their Lyrical Game

A few years ago, when fraudulent artists posed as rappers and garbage flooded the radio posing as hip-hop, it appeared that this wonderful art form was on the serious decline. It even forced Nas to put out an album claiming that hip-hop had died. Luckily, artists from the underground and the above ground showed their faces and hip-hop was saved. Jay-Z stepped up his lyrical game, Nas put out "Untitled," The Roots dropped "Rising Down," Lupe put out "The Cool," and artists that came into the game who really had no lyrical talent began being called out. Now, as up and comers such as Wale, Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, Curren$y, Saigon, and many others wait their turn, if you don't have lyrical talent, hip-hop is not going to let you in. For me, it is sort of a Golden Age of hip-hop with so many good artists coming out and making good music again.

I find it funny though, that artists that once could get by making club bangers and simple raps woke up and realized that was no longer going to cut it. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

Joe Budden-Remember when he put out "Pump It Up"? I just listened to it and his lyrics are so simple, perfectly fitting into what all rappers were doing at the time, which was making hits for the club so their songs would get radio play. Does anyone remember the song he did with Marques Houston called "Clubbin"? His guest verse consists of our man Joe saying "Uhhhhhhhh!" and describing how he is going to get a girl home from the club. Houston is rocking a Tim Couch jersey in the video (shown at the bottom) so you know how bad this song must be. It is amazing how far Budden has come. On his latest CD, "Padded Room," Budden dives deep into many subjects, and the complexity of his raps makes me wonder where "Pump It Up" came from.



Royce Da 5'9"-As a former label mate of Eminem, you would think Royce would have always come hard with the lyrics, right? Unfortunately, Royce was not always the beast is now as part of Slaughterhouse. I found an old mixed CD at my house, and on it appeared the song "Rock City" that features Eminem. Royce has two very weak verses on the song, rhyming the same words over and over again and bragging about how tough he is, but without the lyrical creativity that he possesses now. See for yourself:



MIMS-Although "This is Why I'm Hot" became a huge radio hit, we all can agree that MIMS was not exactly the best MC in the game. In fact, the chorus is pretty terrible. But on his new song, "Move (If You Wanna)," MIMS brings some pretty creative metaphors along with an extremely catchy beat. "I am your father like Darth Vader," spits MIMS. Looks like these guys have stepped up their lyrical game!

Artist Spotlight: Curren$y

Ever since Wale leaked "Wordplay" off of his upcoming mixtape, Curren$y has been on my radar. Going toe to toe with the lyrical genius that is Wale, Curren$y easily holds his own on the track. His southern drawl and gritty style of spitting led me to do a little bit of research. "Spitta" as he is known in his hometown of New Orleans, comes hard on many of the tracks I have heard him on and I am officially adding him to the up and comers of '09. Although Curren$y sometimes is lulled into rapping about materialistic things too much, as many southern rappers do, for the most part he is very lyrically gifted. Fresh off of performing at South By SouthWest in Texas(which is becoming a mecca for up and coming hip hop artists to perform at), Curren$y's album, "This Ain't No Mixtape," drops April 21st, a day after Asher's does. So late April will give us some extremely good music followed by "Back to the Feature" on April 29th. Here is "Modern Day Hippie" by Curren$y where he spits over a techno beat I have on a mix I made like 7 or 8 years ago. Pretty wild. Enjoy and keep your eye out for this kid.

Larking on my Go-Kart

A little promotion for my boy Asher Roth...Asleep in the Bread Aisle drops 4/20!

MIMS video "Move if you wanna"

Found this video on Elitaste... The video is really sweet...good to see MIMS puttin out some solid stuff

Pre-Order CunninLynguists

I was searchin through some hiphop blogs and came across one that mentioned there were only a few days left to pre-order the CunninLynguists Strange Journey Volume One, the first of two upcoming albums for the southern rap group. Since I had not done this yet, I clicked on it and pre-ordered my copy. There have been two singles let off the album: "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)" and "Don't Leave" and they have both been tight tracks, so I look forward to the album very much. If you order the album up until the 23rd of March, you can get the album way before it is released in stores (ships on March 24th when the album is set to come out in stores on May 26th). Also, the copy will be signed + instrumentals + a sticker. This is all for about 12 bucks, which already includes the shipping. I think that is pretty damn resonable. Go to the site and get it, that way you can have it before all your friends. By the way, Strange Journey Volume Two is set to be realeased on 9.08.09 and will include artists such as Sean Price, Poison Pen, J-Zone, Blue Sky Black Death, Bronze Nazareth.

http://qn5.com/cl/strange_journey/

My name Wale and I came to..

Well, today was another step towards the day we are waiting for. Today at sometime around 5, Wale and Lady Gaga premiered their new single "Chillin'" on WKYS radio. I had googled this song a few weeks ago because I couldn't wait and found a couple links that had an "unfinished" version of the song. That version was sick, but this version is even hotter. The Cool and Dre produced song features Lady Gaga (The woman who sings "Just Dance") and is a perfect compliment to Wale's ill lyrics. You can actually buy the song on itunes next week, but until then, here is a shortened radio rip:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/573523545d610dc4/

and here is a full version including the interview on the radio (song is about halfway through):

http://www.zshare.net/audio/57353086da0b5d24/

Cudi is Spiderman?

As Jordan predicted earlier in one of his blogs, Kid Cudi has announced that he is not retiring becasue "the fans need him and he needs the fans." He compares his so called retirement to a moment that Spiderman has. He says that its like when Spiderman doesn't want to be Spiderman because how it is affecting his personal life, but continues to becasue he knows he is needed. My advice to you Cudi: Man Up, Embrace your HUGE advantages that you have, and don't let the criticism get to you...you've got way too many fans to let that shit go to your head.

Check out Cudi tellin his side of the story along with performing a couple of his other well known songs in this video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxpknfPIJz4

Hot Verse Of The Day

Yesterday, I mentioned Wale and Curren$y's joint off of Wale's upcoming mixtape, "Back to the Feature," dropping April 29th. The song is called "Word Play", and you will understand why after reading Wale's verse. I do not have the official lyrics so this is going by what I hear, I will try my best to get the lines right.

Wale
"While dudes pitch verbs, or so they say
My weaponry is words, Doe Rae Me
The war's in the form of poetry
So it's straight C-4 from the thoughts I bring
Bang! Epiphany, them dudes is gimmicks to me
I can eradicate a village if you give me a beat
I'm that bomb when I hand-wright
Play me for a stepping stone, then, I land mine
Now walk to it with your land mine
I can make the clouds jealous dude I am that fly
Listen to the words I'm a wizard with it, wittier than any dude, sicker than a Wino kidney liver
Y'all riddles don't tickle a bit, y'all similes is literal, shit
Though I am the metaphor of that, my rhetoric ain't edible, the excrement means excellent rap
I make the lesser adapt"

Wale always brings the fire!

Hip-Hop Woodstock

When people think of large music festivals, names like Bonnaroo, Woodstock, and Rothbury come to mind. These are all multiple day celebrations of tens of artists, where people can escape the real world and relax and have a good time surrounded by music and people they love. These enormous parties play host to hundreds of thousands of people who are just looking to drink, smoke, and listen to music. While these festivals have a wide array of great artists (Rothbury 2008 quite possibly had one of the bets lineups last year including, Snoop Dogg, 311, Dave Matthews, Citizen Cope, Atmosphere, Modest Mouth, and many many many more), if you are looking for a great Hip-Hop focused festival look no further than The Roots' Picnic in Philadelphia. Last year The Roots assembled a solid lineup including themselves, Gnarls Barkley, Santigold, and Diplo, but this year the lineup is Stacked. The scheduled performers for this year's concert includes The Roots, PUBLIC ENEMY, The black keys, ASHER ROTH, KID CUDI, Santigold, and the Antibalas. When I saw this I was tempted to go online and buy a ticket that second. The lineup has a mix of everything, whether it is old school hiphop, up and coming artists, live bands, or one of the truest MCs in the game. This is the second year the The Legendary have put this concert together and I hope they continue to do it for many years to come. The presale is going on right now and you can get 5 dollars off. Here is the link:

http://www.okayplayer.com/rootspicnic/

Now, one of the reasons I came accross this lineup is also in part becasue of Jimmy Fallon's excuse for a late night show. Once again (after bringing Luda to his show for a sick tandem with The Roots), Jimmy Fallon's entire show was trumped by the geusts. On this night, he brought in Public Enemy, yes Flavor Flav, Chuck D and the whole crew, to perform "Bring the Noise" for a collaboration of epic proportions. Black Thought also had a verse to further mix one of the most influential hip-hop groups with one of the most "Legendary" crews today. The live band mixed with the old school feel made for a hell of a performance. Check out the video and see for yourself

A Great Day In Hip-Hop

I woke up this morning not ready for the bombardment of delectable hip-hop music that was unleashed on to the internet today. It is a lot to take in, but after listening to as much as I could, I have this to report to you:

1. Asher Roth hopefully shut up many of his haters by finally dropping a track where he spits like he did on The Greenhouse Effect. "Lark On My Go-Kart" is the first track off of Asher's debut album, "Asleep in the Bread Aisle," and if this what he's got to begin his album, then I can't wait for it. With drums banging on your earlobes as soon as the song starts, Asher flows about about hitting on women, Wii fit, and Go-Karts on a fun track that shows how talented he is at using alliteration. Not much serious content here but it leaves you with no doubt the kid can spit. Just a chill track with a bit of bragging and some word play. Good to see it Ash...check it out here: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7034/title.asher-roth-lark-on-my-go-kart

2. It was nice to see the resurfacing of B.O.B., who apparently now goes by the title of his actual name, Bobby Ray. After a prolonged hiatus due to apparent frustration at the music industry (Kid Cudi anyone?), Bobby Ray came back with two songs today. The first, "Mr. Bobby" (http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7033/title.b-o-b-aka-bobby-ray-mr-bobby), Bobby comes at us with a reggae flavored joint. Now, I must say, when I saw his interview on MTV about how he was back making music and just being "free," I was a bit worried. Video clips during the interview showed B.O.B singing over what appeared to be rock music played by his two accompanists, and that scared me. B.O.B. is an eccentric dude, and any direction he goes in would not surprise me. But the kid can spit, so when I heard him rhyming over the reggae beat I became much more relaxed. His second joint finds him on the mic with Nickel 9 and Canadian rapper Classified ( http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7041/title.classified-f-royce-da-59-b-o-b-they-call-this-hip-hop), and they all go in on the beat. Thank you for still rapping, Mr. Ray.

3. Crooked I gives us some lyrical fire with "I'm Still a MC," off his upcoming album "B.O.S.S." Rarely talked about besides the underground hip-hop scene, this Slaughterhouse member will soon show the hip-hop game what he is capable of.
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7044/title.crooked-i-im-still-a-mc

4. Wale gave us a little taste of what is to come from his latest mixtape, "Back to the Feature," dropping April 29th and produced by 9th Wonder. Wale is and always will be crazy with the lyrics, but Curren$y definitely holds his own on this short, teaser of a track. Can't wait for the mixtape and the album Wale!
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7047/title.wale-f-curren-y-tre-of-ucb-word-play

5. Wale assuring us that Kid Cudi is not retiring. If you ready my blog yesterday on the issue...did I not tell you this was coming?

6. Queen Latifah, yes, the Queen herself, one-upping Rhymefest on his own track? What? The chick that was in Taxi? See for yourself: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.7039/title.rhymefest-f-queen-latifah-goin-in

The Jason White of Hip-Hop

I retire. I quit. I can't do it anymore. It is the right thing for my family. We have heard these lines and similar ones from so many celebrities over the years, just to watch them come back months later, that I think any talk of retiring should be outlawed in the U.S. From MJ to Jay-Z to Brett Favre, the definition of retirement has been stomped on and reshaped to mean "I'll be back when I can't take not doing what I love anymore." Our latest culprit is the young Kid Cudi, who has yet to even drop his debut album. This morning, on his blog, Cudi boldly stated that his last studio session ever will occur when he hits the mic to do a collabo album with fellow Clevelander Chip That Ripper, whenever that might be.
Now, Kid Cudi is no Jay-Z. When all you have to represent your body of work is a single mixtape, you are pretty much the Jason White of hip-hop. Jason White was the Hesiman winning quarterback for the University of Oklahoma from 2003-2004. White was not selected in the 2005 NFL draft. He was signed as free agent by the Tennessee Titans, but was soon cut. He then "retired" from football, citing bad knees. Kid Cudi's mixtape, "A Kid Named Cudi" is like his Heisman trophy. He has now become the Jason White of hip-hop.
Cudi was not specific when discussing why he was leaving the game after releasing only one studio album. He references there being to much drama and negative energy around him and that he has already been given critical acclaim by people he respects in the game, which is all he needs. Really? No hip-hop artist has gotten to where he or she is in this game without garnering some kind of hate. If this is how Cudi is going to react to it, by running and hiding and working on some mystery show on HBO, then perhaps he isn't ready to be an artist in the first place. I was very disappointed by this news and so was his steadily increasing fan base. Cudi was a breath of fresh air in hip-hop, not so much an MC in the sense of the word but more of a real "artist." Now he is going to stop doing what he loves because of people hating on him? Cudi, you were discovered by Kanye West, one of the most respected artists in hip-hop, a giant in the game. Why would you let anyone tell you your music is wack if Kanye is feeling it? It baffles me, especially when Cudi hasn't even put out an album yet. How can you decide you are going to quit? If you stop now, no is going to remember you as an artist Cudi, no matter how strongly you feel they will.
I personally do not believe that Cudi is going to follow through on this, especially after his album hits stores and he realizes how many people enjoy his music. His desire to continue to make good music will push him back into the studio. I have heard him talk so passionately about how hard he worked on "Sky Might Fall" and how proud he is of that song. So as Jay-Z once said, "When I come back like Jordan, wearing the 45," Cudi is going to once again stomp on the definition of retirement. Unless he truly is done making music, and in that case, I don't want him to come back at all.

Opening Statements

Here are a few things that are on my mind...

1. If you haven't picked up K'naan's new album, you probably should. Its got quite a few good songs on it and its somethin new with a raggae style added to hip-hop. (Not raggaeton) Its a good summer album.

2. Look for Saigon's release Tuesday. He is putting out an album with Amalgam Digital that is produced by Statik Selektah. They worked on it, produced it, and finished it all in 24 hours so that adds a cool element to the music. I have already heard "The Rules" and "So Cruel" and "My Crew" out of the 11 track playlist and they were all hot. Be sure to check that out tomorrow.

3. Don't ever watch For the love of Ray-J on MTV or VH1 whatever it is. He may have put out a couple good songs for the ladies but thats it. He is a manwhore and this show is crap.

4. CunninLynguists just put out a song "Don't Leave" called featuring Slug of Atmosphere and its fire. The song will be off of their upcoming Album Strange Journey Volume 1. They also have already put out the song "Never Come Down" and realeased the video. This song has a bunch of great one-liners and from what I've heard its a great song to get high too, which would make sense since it is all about that in the first place.

5. Also, Don't forget about Wale releasing the title of his album tonight I believe at 5 o'clock. If you want to make sure you see it first..check out his twitter...follow him at Waledc

There Is A Dead Nun In That Box!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nslUQvTtBYI

Please watch Coach Hines from Mad TV. Hilarious, I cannot get enough of this man

The Week of Wale

In anticipation of an artist I discovered on The Roots latest album "Rising Down" and who has blown my mind ever since then, yes it is you Wale, I will be posting some of my favorite lines/verses today and through this weekend until next week hits when Wale announces his album title and release date of his next mixtape, "Back to the Feature." This man is going to be legendary so get hip to him. We start today with a verse from his song "Work" off his mixtape 100 Miles and Running

"Flow like Howard, something like Magic
Something like masterbating I'm orgasmic
I am well fed, them wack dudes fasting
Work like a slave so them haters backlashing"

Oh Wale....stop it

Fly Kicks of the Day

Since Jordan is puttin up shirts...I figured I'd start putin up some shoes that thought were sweet. These pairs are specially made versions of Nike's LeBron VI. One is made for Akron and the other is a "Hardwood Classic Superman."

Sweet Shirt of the Day

I have to decided to bring you an awesome t shirt each day, starting with this one, made by LRG, which also happens to be producing Wale's new mixtape. Coincidence? I think not. I am feeling the boxing gloves.

Top Upcoming Hip-Hop Artists

Here are a list of a few upcoming artists that have the potential to become the next big things on the hip-hop scene.
1. Wale
This DC kid has got the most ridiculous wordplay and lyrical talent I have ever seen. He puts things into songs that nobody but him would ever think of. His only current single out is Nike Boots but he has much more music out there than that. He has 4 mixtapes....2 which are lesser recognized. His first was "Paint a Picture," then "Hate is the New Love," then "100 Miles and Running," and his latest "Mixtape About Nothing," which was brilliant. He is currently working on his 5th mixtape "Back to the Feature" and his new album. How could you not love this dude with lines like...
"young Ben Gordon, I play through all the bullshit"
"and you all mike Phelps, I can take you out the game and that medal won't help."
"I'll make a youngin' see like beta carotene"
or "Some good rappers ain't eatin' they olsen twinin'"

It just doenst get better than that! Here are some links to check him out..
http://10deep.com/WALEMIXTAPE/
http://www.getrightmusic.com/2008/01/11/wale-100-miles-running/

Btw..his album is supposedly droppin' this summer

2. Kid Cudi
This cleveland native caught my eye, not because of his lyrics, but of his fresh style. His sound is somethin you haven't really heard in Hip-Hop and it's good to hear somethin new. In his songs he often sings instead of really rapping, but definitely makes it work. His single Day N' Nite, which is about everyday things people can relate to, hit the charts and became a huge hit. His upcoming single "The Sky Might Fall" is off his upcoming album "Man on the Moon" and has nice chill flow. He currently has a mixtape "A kid named Cudi" out right now. Here's the link to get that:

http://10deep.com/KIDCUDIMIXTAPE/

3. B.O.B.
I haven't heard much from him lately but the content that he has put out so far has been solid. I like his style and he has a fun flow on his songs. I heard the song "Don't Break My Heart" from his new album, on which he samples "build me up buttercup" and loved it. However, its hard to find because they locked it back up after they leaked it. He also has a single out "Autotune" makeing fun of the device and it is hilarious. Check out his mixtapes and see what you think...

http://www.bobatl.com/category/mixtapes/
http://2dopeboyz.com/2008/11/16/bob-dj-scream-who-the-fk-is-bob-mixtape/

4. Jay Electronica
Pretty much the only reason I got introduced to this dude was because he was the opener for a NAS and Talib Kweli show. Let me tell you though...I was blown away by his 10-15 minute slot. His emphasis wasn't on the music behind him, but it didn't need to be. His lyrics are sick and he has a ton of talent. Look for him in the future. Here is his myspace and an article about him...there really isnt that much content on him on the web.
http://www.myspace.com/jayelect
http://www.urb.com/features/858/JayElectronicaASpotlessMind.php

5. Drake
My fellow blogger recently turned me onto this guy. He saw him open for a show for Lil' Wayne. Apparently he is one of weezy's proteges or somethin. Either way hes got some talent. Sort of like Cudi, this guy has a lot of songs where he sings as well as raps, but he has a great voice. When he does rip it though, its worth waiting for.... mixtape link:

http://2dopeboyz.com/2009/02/13/drake-so-far-gone-mixtape/

6. Saigon
To Be honest I really haven't heard a ton of stuff from this guy, that's why he's lower on the list, but what I have heard I have absolutely Loved. I have heard a few songs on hiphopdx and they have been pretty tight. He is featured in the song "Criminal" off of The Roots' latest album Rising Down. A lot of people also know him from Entourage, on which he was the unkonwn talent that Turtle signed. Here are some of his songs and a mixtape

http://www.getrightmusic.com/2007/06/17/saigon-belly-of-the-beast-the-scram-jones-files/
This song is sick:
www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6500/title.saigon-trans-atlantic-slave-deal

and this ones good too:
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6743/title.saigon-the-rules


7. Asher Rother
Jordan has already written about this dude on the blog, and it wasn't exactly a good post. Like Jordan said, he has put out some shit lately, however we see some potential in the guy. The single "I love college" is purely a track made for becoming top 10 on Itunes, which it did. Even is mixtape is has a pretty goofy and joking tone, but it definitely has some lyrical content. some lines he has:

"Spittin' Lincecum Hell yea I got a CANNON"
rapping bout doing cartoons: "Do Beauty with Beast: Eiffel Tower"
"does her bra size have to be a D at least, or can it be decreased if she real up on the beat"
"you would think that there was 2 of me, or like 10 of me, i have a tendency, as edison inventive with a pen and a sentence"

http://www.thedailykush.com/

Some of my favorite tracks on the tape are "The Lounge" "Cannon" "Cartoon Chick" and "The Sun God Free" ....give those a listen let us know what you think

Jordan's Morning Thoughts

Good morning...it is raining again in Missouri so I decided it is time to blog! Here are my thoughts on hip hop this morning.

-Watch out for Brother Ali and his new EP The Truth Is Here. I was watching MTVU early last year and a music video with this albino guy rapping, and it sounded sick. So I bought his last cd, "The Undisputed Truth" and was hooked. This guy holds the underground down, and, as it usually is with underground guys, could kill all the "mainstream" rappers out right now. If you want good music, pick up that EP.

-I think that G-Unit may be the most irrelevant group out right now. 50 Cent fell off in my opinion after his first CD and now has to do some sort of publicity stunt every time he has an album about to drop (i.e. saying he would stop rapping if he sold less than Kanye before Curtis came out, now beefing with Rick Ross for Before I Self Destruct), now this morning Lloyd Banks had a song up on HipHopDX that was extremely mediocre. He just fits in with all those mediocre rappers like Young Joc, etc. It would be too soon if I never heard anything from this group again.

-It seems to me like Twitter has become the new Facebook for musicians, especially hip hop artists. I can't tell you how many artists I love are on there, tweeting (man I feel lame saying that) about what they are doing that day and asking other artists to come record with them. It lets you in to the life of a rapper just a tiny bit, and I think that is pretty cool. Don't hate on Twitter.

-I think that without the Roots as his house band the Jimmy Fallon Show would be truly awful. I don't think Fallon's comedy is funny in the least bit, but I watch the show so I can watch the Roots rip it for whatever artist comes on. Ludacris backed by the Roots was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I maintain that The Roots could play any type of music, be it jazz or rock and roll or hip hop, and still be extremely successful. They are amazingly talented.

-I am feeling "The Sky Might Fall' by Kid Cudi. Being from Cleveland, I have a lot of pride seeing this kid blow up like he is. I know if I ever blew up I would mention Cleveland as much as I could, and he does just that, and I appreciate it. I like people who have a lot of pride for their city like I do. How perfect is that song for that Transformers 2 teaser, by the way? Can't wait for the album and the movie, good work Cudi.

Jordan's Hot Verse Of The Day

This comes from my man Drake, also known as Drizzy, representing Canada, off of "I'm Goin In" with Lil' Wayne and Truth, posted here http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.6954/title.dj-capcom-f-lil-wayne-drake-truth-im-goin-in
on HipHopDx.com

"First off, you know what it is if you heard Drake
Making hoes wobble like a bridge in an Earthquake
Never see me out cause I live in my workplace
I give you the business so button up your shirt straight
Look at where I landed, you would think I planned it
I'm just doin' me and you could never understand it
Chicks get hammered, big dick bandit
Money flowing like a slit wrist no bandage
Blowin' purple clouds man, I'm so sky high
I ain't cutting anybodies slices out of my pie
Out of this world though, I'm so sci fi
And I don't sit still I keep it moving like a drive by
I just tell the truth and so I'm cool in every hood spot
21 years and I ain't never met a good cop
Me and Wayne lean like Kareem doing hook shots
Cover me I'm going in and fuckin' when the hook drops"


Wow...Drake leave some for the other rappers! Straight Fire!

Asher Roth....what are you doing?

Unfortunately, the only thing I feel many hip hop fans have heard of Asher Roth is his "hit" song "I Love College" which has recently made its way into the top ten on ITunes. While the frat boy anthem is quite catchy, sampling Weezer's hit "Say It Ain't So," it lyrically is not what you would expect from a kid being hailed as the next Eminem and who has made the cover of XXL magazine with the likes of Wale and B.o.B. Asher Roth is a gifted artist and has much more material than that song. But his mixtape, The Greenhouse Effect, has gone largely unnoticed by the casual hip hop fan. It may be their fault that they aren't looking deeper, but Asher has not helped himself recently. On HipHopDX.com last week, and website frequented by any person calling themselves a hip hop head, Asher dropped a few "freestyles," if you can call them that. Using classic beats, such as Jay-Z's "The Takeover" and "Song Cry," Asher proceeded to rap like any regular kid would when asked to freestlye and ruined two beats that should never ever be ruined. It was truly awful. Some of the simplest rhymes I have ever heard were flying out of the mouth of a rapper who I think is going to be the next big thing. Granted, he did actually freestyle (if that shit was written then Asher should put down the mic right now) which I give him credit for doing. I can't tell you how many rappers go on TV and "freestyle" aka spit something they wrote down and have been practicing for months now. But Asher sounded like Soulja Boi on the mic, rhyming words like "fun" and "done" and any other three or four letter words you can think of. I don't get it because the kid has talent. The Greenhouse Effect is a great mixtape, with Asher firing lyrical bullets left and right. Download that and you will see what I mean, the kid is going to be a beast in the rap game. But, Asher, put away those freestyles because they are doing nothing to get people excited about that album dropping in April.

Is He For Real?

If you are reading this blog, then I'm sure you know who T.I. is. You probably also know that he is currently is a bunch of legal trouble and has been in the past as well. In recent interviews, stories, and also portrayed in his latest album Paper Trail, T.I. has said that he has learned from his mistakes, understands what he has done wrong and will be a better person because of it. My question to everyone is: Do you believe him?

T.I.'s legal problems began in 1998 when he was convicted for problems dealing with a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. This was when he was put on probation. From then till 2006 T.I. was charged with numerous crimes for things such as possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. In 2007, T.I. was hit with his biggest arrest just hours before the BET Hip-Hop awards (a show he was supposed to perform at). He was charged with two felonies: possession of three unregistered machine guns and two silencers and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. T.I. was hit with a $3 million bond and was required to be confined to his home until sentencing. In early 2008 T.I. pleaded guilty to the court for federal weapons charges. He will begin his year sentence in jail in March 2009 after completing the sentenced 1,000 hours of community service.

During the past year or so, T.I. has made some public efforts in attempt to show that he has become a better person because of his past and this will all be a changing experience for him. One of these includes his 6th and most recent solo album, Paper Trail. There are a couple particular songs I'd like to discuss. 1st is "Ready for Whatever." In this song, Clifford tries to explain why he had the firearms in the first place. In addition to having a pretty smooth beat, the song offers some insight into his thought process and why he had the guns in the first place. According to TIP, he feels all sorts of pressure mentally worrying about his life and his security. After seeing his partner and best friend Philant Johnson, he felt like it was absolutely necessary to be "ready for whatever" and to protect himself in a manner he thought necessary: with guns. He adds that he spends about $500,000 on security to insure that nothing happens to him. While he says, "But I'm wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant," the rest of the song gives you the vibe that he is doing exactly that: giving excuses. He says that he didn't break the law maliciously (aka along the lines of robbing or killing somebody), which may be true, but does it really matter? He still committed felonies, and while he may be in more danger than the average person, does this make it right? He also adds the lines about "father to my son, asset to my community" which is there to sympathize more with him. What all of this sounds like to me is that he knows he is doing something wrong and flat out doesn't give a shit. He knows he was wrong but did it anyway in his own self interest. Is that $500k on security still not enough?

The second song I'd like to discuss is "Dead and Gone," which has recently shot up the charts after a great performance with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy's. In the first verse of the song Harris discusses some ordinary occurances in the hood. He talks about people gettin' shot becasue of nothing more than their Pride. He says it happens becasue of gangs, money and drugs, and talks about how you could get shot and die anyday. He ends all of the verses with these lines: "No more stress, now I'm straight, now i get it now I take, Time to think, before I make mistakes just for my family's sake, that part of me left yesterday the heart of me is strong today, no regrets I'm blessed to say the old me dead and gone away." And this is exactly what I'm writing about. These lines seem pretty sincere. He is getting older and is possibly realizing that it's time to put away the more rough side of himself (T.I.P) for good and get used to the life of T.I. as a business man and family man.

He certainly is starting to put out that image. He currently has a show on MTV called T.I.'s Road to Redemption, where he is helping younger gangbangers and kids in the hood. He is trying to get them out of that lifestyle at a younger age and steer them in a direction that will better their future. While the couple of episodes I have seen do seem a little fake, that could just be becasue it is on MTV and its a TV show. Above all, he is doing something good to help kids who could use a rolemodel like him to show them that there is a better way of living and doing things.

Though it seems that he has turned the corner and made a decision to live a better life, I just don't see his attitude changing that much. He felt that he needed the guns to live before, so how is that going to change from being in jail for a year. I would like to believe that he won't have anymore problems after he gets out of the cell, but I just don't see it happening. To be honest, if it keeps him making more albums like Paper Trail, and he isn't causing anybody real harm, let him do it. Cause no matter what, he's gonna do whatever he likes.