L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto

Interview with Wes Blaze Part 2

Here's the second half of my interview with Wes. He talks to me about his upcoming mixtape, and drops a verse for us in closing. I want to thank Wes for sitting down with me and be on the lookout for more information on his mixtape as the release date approaches.

RIP Michael Jackson

Rear View Shaking wasn't around when Michael Jackson was doin' his thing, and it wasn't around when Rhymefest dropped Man in the Mirror a Michael Jackson inspired mixtape that was released at the end of '07. I think its definitely necessary to post at least somethin for the King of Pop. His music, dancing, and innovative style has influenced and touched millions upon millions of people, and he is going to be deeply missed. RIP MJ


Here's the mixtape:

DOWNLOAD: Rhymefest - Man in the Mirror

Shaq-Tastic

I am sure that my fellow blogmate Jordan is extremely pumped about getting Shaq on his squad. Shaq has already played with Penny Hardaway, Kobe, DWade, Steve Nash, and now he gets to play with LeBron? Talk about playing in the best company. I hope this finally does it for the Cavs. Cleveland deserves it. Heres a little taste of the musical side of Shaqovich. Enjoy

Exclusive Content...Handle With Care

In my future profession of journalism (hopefully), the word exclusive means a piece of news, or the reporting of a piece of news, obtained by a newspaper or other news organization, along with the privilege of using it first. Get The Rear View Shaking may not be an official news organization, but today I am proud to bring you our blog's first exclusive interview. I was finally able to sit down with my man Wes Blaze, and we spoke about where he started, his hip-hop influences, and his upcoming mixtape along with a few other topics. This was a lot of fun for me to do, and I think Wes really enjoyed himself. So, without further ado, I am happy to bring you part one of my interview with Wes Blaze. The video quality is not the best, and I gave up trying to figure out how to get this video file onto my IMovie program, so there is little editing. But in a sense, I like it this way. The content is much more important than the technical aspects, so sit back, and enjoy. Part two is coming later today.

Now Batting....

Here's a list of some things you can expect on Get The Rear View Shaking this week:

-On a balmy Saturday night, my good friend Colin and I took to his porch above his backyard, and armed with a six pack of Budweiser select (Only 99 calories!), a boombox, and Wale's newest mixtape, "Back To The Feature," we sat back and listened to the entire tape all the way through. So look out for a thorough review of the latest mixtape from the D.C. native. One hint: It's excellent.

-Last weekend, I sat down with Wes Blaze for an interview. Everything came out great, until the point where I had to upload the file onto my computer. My IMovie program on my Mac will not open the file for me to edit, so I have been doing some editing on my PC, which is taking forever. So I am just going to post the interview with not much editing because the content is much more important. Look for that tomorrow.

-There definitely will be a review of B.o.B's newest mixtape, I just finished downloading and am eager to give it a listen. Wale and B.o.B doing big things!

B.O.B. vs. Bobby Ray Mixtape

Well, after being relatively quiet for some time now, B.O.B. (or Bobby Ray) has released his new mixtape. He copies T.I. by naming it B.O.B. vs. Bobby Ray, however, rather than having a gangster side and a business side fighting to come out on top, the battle is more between two different musical styles. B.O.B. shows his hip-hop side, while Bobby Ray shows that he can sing, play piano and guitar, or spice up his music with some reggae. Whoever it is, the music is sure to be high quality and easy on the ear. The mixtape has a tone of features so be sure to click on the download link below:

DOWNLOAD: B.O.B. Vs. Bobby Ray Mixtape

LRG Presents Wale & 9th Wonder - Back to the Feature

Even though there were about 8 of the 22 songs that I had already heard, it has finally arrived. Download link below

DOWNLOAD: Wale & 9th Wonder - Back to the Feature

Good Music in this Biiitch

Okay, sorry I haven't been postin this week guys, my girlfriend has been in town and I haven't had a lot of free time on my hands. But, thanks to Jordan, there have still been a few posts to keep you all updated on some good things happenin this week. So when I did finally get a chance to jump onto Nahright and HipHopDX, I was hit with a slew of songs by artists I am very interested in. Like rumored, Lupe released "Shining Down," Joe Budden put out a Slaughterhouse joint, another T.I. song was put out, and the XXL freshman put out some more music. Here are some I think are worth giving a listen.

Lupe Fiasco - Shining Down Ft. Matthew Santos

Slaughterhouse - Woodstock Ft. M.O.P.

Sha Stimuli - Follow the Leader

Kid Cudi - Excuse My Mood (Kinda Like a Big Deal Freestyle)

Mickey Factz - Flying Balloons


T.I. - Make You Sweat

Royce Da 5'9" - D.O.A. Freestyle

Crooked I - Dear Tupac (Komplex Remix)

Today Is Gonna Be A Good Day

While I struggle to figure out how to get the interview I taped with Wes Blaze onto my IMovie program, I realize today is going to be ok. Because finally, after a plethora of release dates that never came to fruition, Wale is officially dropping his highly, highly anticipated mixtape, "Back To The Feature." Around 7 Eastern, please head over to Wale Music and join thousands of other fans as Wale gives us a live listening session to over 20 tracks of what should lyrical gold. Good music is in the building!

Warm Up!

First, I just want to thank J. Cole for staying true to his word and dropping his mixtape today. Some of you rappers, cough Wale cough, need to learn how to stick to dates, or at least tell fans what's going on if your music is getting pushed back. Ok, had to get my rant on for a second there. I am now proud to link all of you hip-hop heads to the second mixtape from J. Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Entitled "The Warm Up," the growth on this tape compared to Cole's first one, "The Come Up," is almost tangible. His lyrics are deeper, his flow has been polished, and it is exciting to watch a guy with so much talent finally come into his own. Representing Fayettville, NC, I bring you "The Warm Up," courtesy of J. Cole. Enjoy it and please spread it around!


Download: J. Cole-The Warm Up Via: J.Cole's official website

New Lupe!

Well, this is the first time that we are really posting any Lupe music on our blog. It makes me very proud to present to you "Fire" by Lupe Fiasco. Also, supposedly "Shining Down" is going to be released Tuesday...we'll see


Lupe Fiasco - Fire

Kids of the Day: Adidas Drop Top

3 Different colorways, and I like them all
I swear if only I had more money...I'd have so....many....shoes....

Wale Video

I found this while I was looking around for any signs of BTTF. Supposedly "Pretty Girls" is going to be Wale's second single off of Attention: Deficit. Its pretty poor quality, but what I can make of it sounds pretty nice.

Wale-Pretty Girls from http://thebuzzdaily.blogspot.com on Vimeo.

We Still Get It In Ohio

If Cam'ron used to get it in Ohio, then Chip The Ripper has been getting it in Ohio for years, and still is. Known around the underground Cleveland rap scene for years (the guy is huge at Ohio University), Chip is finally getting some love nationally. Being buds with Kid Cudi and having him shout you out is a huge bonus, but Chip is starting to come into his own. I admit I never really fucked with Chip, I didn't think he was all that great of a lyricist. His songs were fun to play at parties when people weren't really paying attention, and his song "Get It Girl" made me laugh. But with his previously leaked track, "No, I Said I Liked You" off of his upcoming mixtape, and now this Cleveland/Ohio anthem, I must admit I am starting to enjoy his music. Chip goes in over the Cam track and makes me proud to be a Clevelander. Bump this in the ride if you are riding through Ohio. His voice is pretty unique as well. Cleveland stand up!

Download: Chip The Ripper-Still Get It In Ohio

Checking Up On Those Freshman

I have to really credit XXL with putting me on my current hip-hop shit. I was in the bookstore of the University of Missouri when I saw my man Wale gracing the cover of XXL's latest "Freshman To Watch" issue. I purchased the magazine, came back to my house and began downloading all the music I could from the various artists that made up the cover. That issue came out in late 2008, so I decided to check up on these cats and take their temperature. The future of hip-hop is in their hands, so let's see how they are handling it.

Buzz So Big They Could Probably Sell A Blank Disk

Drake-Probably the most hyped new artist out there, and he was not even on the XXL cover. Replace Ace Hood with Drake and XXL would have been golden. Having already dropped one of the most successful mixtapes the game has seen, Drake has already been in the studio with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Pharell for work on his debut album. Sometimes it seems like Drake has been in the game for years. With a bidding war commencing between major record labels for the rights to distribute his album, with prices rumored to be as high as $2 million, Drake is pretty much set. Be on the lookout for his debut album in the fall. Drake is also rumored to be on the next single off of "The Blueprint 3" with Jay-Z.

Buzz Is Getting Louder

Wale-Since no one is quite on the level of Drake, quite a few newcomers fall into this category. We start with my man Wale Folarin, who's buzz fell off briefly a few month ago but is steadily climbing back into the forefront. After all sorts of problems with his next mixtape "Back To The Feature," Wale finally leaked a few tracks, both which were absolutely dope. Only increasing the hype of the tape, Wale also released "Family Matters," which takes a introspective look at a family made up of a prostitute and her child. Wale announced on his Twitter yesterday that the mixtape was finished, so we could have the tape in our hands tomorrow. If that happens, put Wale up in the category with Drake, for this mixtape will be epic. With his debut album dropping in July, and always killing MCs on whatever track he is on, Wale is going to be in the game for a long time.

J.Cole-The MC of of Fayettville, North Carolina has been slept on for quite some time, even after the release of his debut mixtape, "The Come Up." Hip-hop blogs such as Nahright and Onsmash have finally gotten hip to his talent, posting interviews and information about his new mixtape, "The Warm Up" which drops on Monday. My second favorite newcomer after Wale, J. Cole spits gritty, and about real life. I've said it before, but don't sleep on this kid. Warm Up!

Curren$y-After quietly putting out seven mixtapes over the years, Curren$y really helped his buzz with the release of his debut album, "This Ain't No Mixtape" a few months ago. Overall a great album (if you don't own it I highly suggest you pick it up) that showcases Curren$y's unique New Orleans flow which sounds nothing like Lil' Wayne, Curren$y has been out doing shows and most recently has been in the studio with Wiz Khalifa working on their joint mixtape which should be out by the end of June. Definitely still slept on, Curren$y is slowly pushing himself to the forefront of good music, with artists all over wanting to get a verse from him.

Waiting On Their Next Move

Kid Cudi-Although he has popped up here and there over the past months, Kid Cudi has largely been quiet of recent. By no means does that mean he has not been on his grind though. Giving us a release date for his debut album (August 25) and also working on a mixtape with fellow Clevelander Chip Tha Ripper, Cudi is poised to blow up come end of summer. Having worked with Kanye West and Swizz Beats on the album, Cudi is confident his music is going to blow people away. We shall see, but Cudi is never one to take time off. I know he is putting in work and hopefully it will pay off.

B.o.B aka Bobby Ray-Disappeared for a little while before resurfacing towards the end of May. Recording the song "Put Me On" for the Reebok Classic Series, which is an excellent song which showcases all of his talents (singing, guitar playing, and spitting) and the announcement of a new mixape coming soon entitled "B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray," look for Mr. Ray to get back on the music scene with his array of talents.

You Just Suck

Charles Hamilton-Sigh....what is there to say about Mr. Hamilton. Besides, in my opinion, being a mediocre rapper, Hamilton seems to enjoy infuriating the entire hip-hop community. Wale is on his label and doesn't fuck with him, Rhymefest hates him, and apparently his girlfriend isn't a big fan of him either. I am sure by now everyone has seen the video of Charles being punched in the face by his better half. With his awful idea of wearing a Sonic shirt over a button down, could it get any worse for Hamilton? Yes, it could. Recently, Charles Hamilton claimed that the legendary J. Dilla executive produced his album, even going as far as to put his name on his album cover. Claiming he was close with Dilla and his family in Detroit, a few hip-hop giants in the D did some investigating. What do you know, no one close with Dilla knows Hamilton, nor did Dilla have anything to do with his album. Way to go Charles, way to go. You sure are a class act.


Other rappers to grace the cover of XXL, like Blu, Mickey Factz, and Cory Gunz, I have not listened to throughly enough. That excludes Blu though, who has been very quiet of late.

Mickey Factz Freestyle

I have really been meaning to get to writing a focused entry about Mickey Factz, and just haven't gotten around to it. Ill try to make it a priority and get one out to you guys, but for now here is a freestyle at a radio show he was doin'. I don't know if it was an actual freestyle or not, but hes got some sick lines in here. At least he's not reading his "freestyle" off of his blackberry like Drake haha.



PREVIOUSLY: Mickey Factz - Do My Do Ft. Kid Cudi

Swag On A Hundred

He's back at it again. You have seen postings about Wes Blaze on here before and I maintain that his lyrical ability is just as good as a Big Sean or a Wiz Khalifa, and I mean that when I say it. You may remember Wes dropped a track exclusively for our blog called "Get At Me" a few months ago. Well, Wes is back. He brings his deft wordplay to his new track entitled "Swag On A Hundred." Just more lyrical genius from Wes. Hit the link at the bottom to see the video along with the song off of Wes' Facebook. I know I said I was going to have Get The Rear View Shaking's first interview up a few weeks ago, but it had to be postponed. I am hopeful to get it done this week with Wes and he gets set to drop his mixtape "Sound of Something Different" and show people what's really going on. So, support good music and stay hip to Wes Blaze. Mixtapes and shows are on the way.

Wes Blaze-Swag On A Hundred

Previously: Wes Blaze-Get At Me

Jay-Z Death of Autotune

Yesterday, I had a great time going to a Sox/Indians game for my cousin's bachelor party. There was only one majorly horrific problem. The kid that was driving was the first person I have ever met in my life that actually owned a soulja boy CD. The actual CD. Not a song or two burned on a mix. The actual fucking soulja boy CD. Yes, this means I heard songs "Kiss Me Through the Phone" and "Gucci Bandana" ft. Gucci Mane about 4-5 times each. On top of this I (a 6'1" growing man) was squeezed in the back of a Chevy Aveo behind the drivers seat. As I sat there with my ears bleeding, all I could thihnk of doing was complaining to co-blogger Jordan via text message. He responded, "If you die, I blame Gucci Mane." Anyways, I managed to somehow make it through without opening my door and throwing myself onto the highway. When I got home, I needed some recuperation through real music. Luckily the mastered version of "D.O.A." (Death of Autotune), a street single was all over my favorite blogs. It was just what I needed to get back into the flow of things. The No I.D. produced track is not the real first single off his upcoming album. That is said to feature Drake and be released in July. It is also been said that Hov will be dropping Blueprint 3 on 9/11.

Download: Jay-Z - Death of Autotune (Prod. No I.D.) CDQ

Eminem Teaches Jimmy Kimmel

This shit is hilarious

Truck North Is Back!

Fans of The Legendary Roots Crew may recognize the name Truck North. He appeared on the critically acclaimed "Rising Down" in 2008. His verse on "Criminal" was absolutely dope and I remember hoping that I would hear more from this kid in the future. Any rapper being raised by The Roots is going to be a good one, and Truck North makes that point known. Here he is with his debut mixtape, "Truck Jewels," courtesy of OkayPlayer. Ironically enough, his track with Wale is the best one of the mixtape, and they both appeared on "Rising Down." Two amazing, young emcees making 2009 their own. You have to love it. So download "Truck Jewels" and spread the good music. You can download it here....shouts to OkayPlayer.

Shirts of the Week

I think I did this once when the blog was in its early stages, so I thought I would continue it. People that know me know my love of shirts. I have always said that if I had more money than I needed I would spend it all on dope shirts. I would have 300 shirts, but only two or three pairs of jeans and maybe one or two pairs of kicks. Recently, with the very limited funds I posses, I decided to purchase two new shirts to the add to my slowly growing collection. They come from two of my favorite brands as well, so props to those companies for continuing to make quality apparel. The first t-shirt I bought is called "The Championship Ring Tee." Crafted by Lifted Research Group, or as it is better known, LRG, this shirt definitely stood out to me in their collection. In the middle of the graphic we find a towering championship ring, engraved with the companies name and the years they "won" the ring. With years ranging from 1947 to 3010, this shirt embodies the clever concept of winning the clothing war, from the past all the way into the distant future. The plane logo that fills out the bottom of the graphic also looks dope to me. You can find this shirt on Karmaloop.





My most recent purchase comes from the minds behind Crooks and Castles. I love this brand, yet only own one shirt of theirs, so, I felt it was time to make another purchase. I selected the "Gothic Ring" t-shirt for the design and the colors. I have always admired Crooks and Castles' interlocking Cs logo, which you can find in the middle of this shirt. The surrounding logo, a circular patter of one C in side of another, is also very dope. Top it off with their cursive insignia at the bottom, and you have yourself a masterpiece. I also really liked the cream and teal mix, I have too many just plain white and black t-shirts in my wardrobe. This shirt is also available in alternate colors. I picked this one up at Heart and Sole on Coventry, if you live in the Cleveland area check them out, if not, click on the store name for the website.

New Tracks

Mos Def - History Ft. Talib Kweli (Produced by J. Dilla)

-Good To see Black Star hookin up again. You know its always gonna be good when they get together. The Ecstatic is supposed to drop next week...


Mickey Factz - Do My Do Ft. Kid Cudi
Mickey Factz is a dude that we haven't talked about much on our blog, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on. A lot of people forget he was included with the likes of Wale, Cudi, and Asher in the XXL Magazine upcoming freshman issue.



Naledge - Flow From the Go

Naledge - Eye of the Beholder
You may know Naledge from the Kidz in the Hall. The kid has a lot of talent. These are a couple tracks over some Dilla beats.


Wu-Tang Clan - Harbormasters Ft. Ghostface, AZ, & Inspectah Deck
The first leaked song off of their upcoming album Chamber Music

Jay Rock - LA Song
Jay Rock gives us a song to get us all ready for the NBA finals that begin on Friday. I don't know if ya'll saw on twitter, but Shaq officially said today that he hopes Kobe gets #4. We'll see what he can do going up against Superman

More Wale

If you aren't the biggest Wale fan, I apologize, because I have been puttin up a lot of Wale posts in the past month. But really, you should thank me, because maybe my favoritism towards Mr. Folarin will turn you into a huge Wale fan, which is what everybody should be. The material we have today is more from Back to the Feature and Pt. 2 of Zune's tour video about Wale. The first video is about a song entitled "Family Affair." From seeing Wale's twitter, you could really tell this was a very deep and important record for him. The song comes from three angles: A prostitute, A Pimp, and the prostitutes child. The song is sorta like a conversation about the views these three people have and the psychological effects and influences that prostitution creates. These kinds of tracks are exactly why I love Wale. He discusses a taboo topic of the dysfunctional relationships between these three characters and provokes thought, all while maintaining the impeccable word play and metaphors he is known for. He discusses this Best Kept Secret produced track with Rik Cordero (who is making the video for it) in the first video. Download at the bottom of the post.





Zune Attention: Deficit Tour video Pt. 2




DOWNLOAD: Wale - Family Affair

The Kickdrums-Just A Game

The first time I heard about the Kickdrums, it was from more of a producer standpoint. Hailing from my hometown of Cleveland, OH., the production duo of Alex Fitts and Matt Pentilla have produced beats and remixes for the likes of Saigon, Joe Budden, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and many other big names in hip-hop. They put out an excellent mixtape last year called "Smash The System," on which they produced "Move On" for Joe Budden and Joel Ortiz, a classic track that previews a bit of what we can expect from Slaughterhouse's album this July. Needless to say, Fitts and West have earned their stripes. Today marks the official dropping of their first EP, entitled "Just A Game." I have not given it a full listen yet, but from the tracks I have heard, this is a definite must-have. Though not 100 percent hip-hop (in fact it strays more towards a Coldplay, Radiohead, alternative rock kind of feel), their hip-hop influence can definitely be heard throughout their drum patterns. If you are a fan of hip-hop, but also listen to The Fray, Coldplay, and other bands along those lines, you will love this CD. The Kickdrums are making Cleveland proud. You can download it off of Itunes by following this link off of Onsmash.

Morning Updates

It's Monday morning and apparently I am grounded, so while I sit in my room I have scoured the internet for what's coming up this week and later in the world of hip-hop. I stumbled upon these tasty tidbits:

-Pushing back their projects seems to be all the rage these days for rappers. First it was Wale with his latest mixtape, and now, unfortunately, it is one of my favorite newcomers, J. Cole, announcing the push back of his new tape, "The Warm Up." Via his blog, J. Cole says that due to some last minute kinks he had to work out, the tape will not be dropping today. But he at least gave us the final release date for the project, which is now June 15th. If Wale sticks to his word, which is highly unlikely, and drops his mixtape before June 13th, there is going to be some amazing music coming out that week. Don't sleep on J. Cole, he is absolutely dope. He did drop a video for his song, "Simba" (he really likes the whole Lion King theme) so check that out and just listen to him flow, I think he is amazing.

Update: Can't post the embedded link for the video here, so click on the link to J. Cole's blog up above to check out the video. Sorry bout that.


-This morning on Twitter, Wale leaked K'naan going in over Cudi's " Day N' Nite" beat. He speaks on the situation with the Somali pirates that went on a little while back. K'naan is so versatile, look out for some tracks he and Wale did in the near future.

K'naan-Dayless Nite


Those are your morning updates, I will be back later with any other news.