Jay-Z Recreates All His Album Covers

There are no other words for this other than "bad ass." Hova recreates all of his album covers in this promotional spot with Rhapsody. As he gears up to release the almost fully leaked Blueprint 3, this commercial just gets me pumped. Check it out. Blueprint 3 drops 9/11.

Wale - World Tour Feat. Jazmine Sullivan (Prod. Cool & Dre)

Another song off Attention: Deficit {October 20th}

DOWNLOAD: Wale - World Tour Feat. Jazmine Sullivan

Supernatural Vs. Biggie (Live)

Before this concert, I had never heard of Supernat. After seeing him at this concert, I was blown away. He was listed as the "freestyle king" and I believe it after listening to him spit killer line after killer line. In one of the portions of his show, he displayed his talent for off-the dome rhymes by taking three words from the crowd and putting them into a song. What three words did he get? Hippopotamus, Roses, and Magnificent. Supernat had no trouble at all, as he seamlessly linked all three words and created three separate verses on the fly. Later, he showed off by taking items from the crowd and spittin' some one-liners to the crowd. I even had the privilege of getting the line "You gave me a money clip with no money in it" aimed right at me when I emptied the contents of my clip before giving it to him. I'm sorry I value my license, money, and credit card alright! Anyways, in this clip he imitates Biggie Smalls and plays out a rap battle. The clip is sorta short cause I didn't really want to see the show through a camera screen.

Chip Tha Ripper Interview

Chip Tha Ripper seems to be making his rise, slowly but surely, to the upper-echelon of underground hip-hop. I didn't think Chip was all that talented when I first started listening to him, but he has definitely stepped his lyrical game up, enough so to be featured on Nah Right today in this interview with VIMBY. It doesn't have a ton of insight about who Chip is, but impressive nonetheless for Chip to be featured on Nah Right. You know I gotta support talent from my hometown. Just wish the interview was a bit more in depth. Cleveland stand up!

VIMBY - Chip Tha Ripper

Hip-Hop is Another Word for Love

I think one of the reasons I love hip-hop and am so passionate about its music is much deeper than the lyricism, the clothing, and the beats. I own a t-shirt by the company Stampede that boasts the words "Language, Culture, and Respect." Those three words embody what hip-hop and hip-hop culture is. Yet the one word that really stands out amongst the three is "respect." The people I have met that are integral parts of hip-hop have shown us fans nothing but love. The first hip-hop show I ever went to was Jedi Mind Tricks, Iyan Anomolie, and Reef The Lost Cauze when I was a junior in high school. Granted these guys are extremely underground, but they showed the crowd so much love that night. I purchased a CD from Iyan himself and he sincerely thanked me for purchasing his music. My buddy Colin gave Reef a hug because he was so blown away by his music, and Reef hugged him right back. I will always remember that night because of how genuine those artists were. The same trend continued at other concerts I attended. Kid Cudi came across so thankful that he was performing before a sold out crowd at the House of Blues in Cleveland when I saw him. I have seen The Roots twice and both times they interacted with the crowd , taking time to shake members of the audience's hands and throw out a drum head or two. Even though The Roots are giants in the hip-hop world, they still took time out to thank their fans.

All this "respect" culminated when I attended The Reflection Eternal Tour in Columbia, Mo this past Monday. Headlining the show was the always energetic Talib Kweli and his beat-making side kick, Hi-Tek. They brought with them two other acts that could headline their own show in the supergroup Slaugtherhouse and the timeless Slum Village. After Slaughterhouse performed, I saw them exit the stage to go congregate in the lobby. So naturally, I followed. The group stayed for about 45 minutes just signing t-shirts in the lobby. In one of the coolest moments of my life, I was able to shake each of the group member's hands and have a short conversation with them as they signed my Slaugtherhouse t-shirt. I told Joe Budden that the intro on Escape Route was tough, and he responded me by thanking me and telling me it was one of his favorite songs as well. Crooked I joked around with me, telling me he was going to write a novel on my shirt, which he did. He even told me Circle Of Bosses is coming to us in September. Joell Ortiz wrote his signature "Yaowa" on my shirt, looked at me to see if I noticed, and then started cracking up. Royce dapped me up and when I told him "Shake This" was my shit, he looked a bit shocked that I knew that track and then genuinely thanked me. I walked away from those guys feeling amazing, because they showed me respect like I was one of their boys. I then went outside and met Hi-Tek, and the first thing he did was thank my roommates and I for coming to see his show. But that is just how hip-hop is. It isn't the facade of guns, killing, and degrading women. It has never been that. Real hip-hop has always been about love, respect, and having fun. Slaughterhouse embodied that when I met them, and it gives me even more optimism about the future of hip-hop as it climbs towards become what it truly was meant to be. And I'm out.

New BLU...sort of

Okay...so when I saw this I got really excited. Blu is one of the brightest shining new stars in the world of hip-hop, but he has not put out a whole lot. Unfortunately, this new material is purely music, and its very short. I know I know, why post it if he doesn't even rhyme over it, but I figured some people might want it. Hopefully we'll get an updated version with some verses on it sometime soon. Until then here is the link

Blu - NoSleepForADay

Jay Electronica - Google Eyes (Live)

Now, NahRight thinks that he performed this on his tour with Nas and Talib last year...I was there and I don't really remember it, but its still possible that he's right. Either way Jay is on point like always...the day he drops an album will be epic.

Move over "Swagger," "Forever" is here...

For now here's the download link...I'll update a little later with an analysis and comparison of the verses....After the first listen though..I definitely know its fire

Drake - Forever Feat. Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Eminem

"I'm doin it to the Maximum, Nissan"

Here's some new material from somebody who has become one of my favorite artists this past summer: J. Cole. After listening to The Warm Up for about 2 months straight, this dude has risen high on my charts. He's got the whole package: swagger, style, validity, wordplay...oh and did I mention he's signed by Jay-Z? He will be making a feature on Blueprint 3, which gives me just one more reason to get excited for that album. Also, according to Cole's blog, we could be seeing some new material soon.

"While I'm workin on the album I get urges to go off on certain beats I love. This is similar to the process of how The Warm Up originally started. I'm already sitting on some gems as we speak. I figured yall been rockin that warm up for a couple months, let's let some of them out. What's all this leading to? Shit, it ain't no tellin..
"I Came Up, I Warmed Up, the next up... "



DOWNLOAD: Back To The Topic Freestyle

New Black Milk

If you haven't heard of this guy, its about time you felt his presence. He is an extremely talented producer and he's solid on the mic too. Here are two new songs to check him out.

Black Milk - Set Go

Black Milk - In the AM

Same old Same old

If you are sitting on this site reading this, you probably already know Jordan and I's problem with the radio. Our whole message here at Rear View Shaking is to support hip-hop that doesn't follow the trend of emphasizing life's importance on sex, drugs, and all things material. Another trend that our blog tries not to follow is repetition and the radio's nature to overdo everything that hits the airwaves. I am here today to focus in on one particular artist: Drake. Unfortunately Drizzy has fallen victim to the radio's tendency to take perfectly good songs and ram them down your throat until you can't stand the thought of it any longer. This time it is the song "Best I Ever Had." Before the summer began, much time had passed since I downloaded So Far Gone. I already knew this song was hot before it came on the radio, and even told my friends that the girls would go crazy if they played it at parties or in their frat houses. If you looked at my itunes "Most Played" playlist, this song was atop the list, due to at least a couple plays everyday. Then, it hit the radio. Check my itunes now, and you would see that I have the exact same number of plays as I did the first time I heard Trey Da Choklit Jok play the song on Power 92. From that point on (even though I tried as much as possible not to listen to the radio) I heard "Best I Ever Had" side by side with "I Gotta Feeling" and "You're a Jerk" anywhere from 3-6 times a day. Naturally I never want to listen to this song anymore. This creates a Catch-22 of sorts. I am very happy that Drake is getting acknowledged and has blown up faster than you can say "I just wanna be successful." However, it sucks that I am already getting tired of hearing his songs. This is what the radio does though, whether the song is quality or not. I geuss this is the one fault of being so far ahead of the public. By the time the songs we like are on the radio, I have already been listening to it for months.

My next point focuses on Drake's future. We all know that signing with Young Money Records and becoming Lil' Wayne's protege is the greatest thing Drake could have done to further his career. The buzz surrounding Drake is like nothing I have ever seen, and he is popping up on features with everybody. But, is it really good for the talents that he is being praised for to begin with? The Drake I know displays the gift he has been given by showing technique and immaculate wording on tracks like "Congratulations," which is personally my favorite song of his. The Drake I hear on the radio raps about pussy, lesbians, and f*cking every girl he lays his eyes on. If he continues to pump out tracks like "Every Girl in the World," he can say goodbye to me as a fan. I just hopes this is not a foreshadowing of what is to come, and that he rises above the influences of popularity. Please Wayne, don't do this to him, I'm beggin' you.

Here is a new Drizzy song that has surfaced today. It's not his best work, but it's something to break the monotony from the radio.

DOWNLOAD: Drake - Killer Feat. Nipsey Hussle

Oxed Out TV interviews Wes Blaze

J-Tuck comes through with an interview with Wes Blaze for his Oxed Out TV. They touch on where the name of the mixtape came from, the Cleveland hip-hop scene, and what the future holds for Wes. Good look on the shout-out at the end too Tuck I appreciate it.

Download Sound Of Somethin Different

Finally, the arrival of Sound Of Somethin Different is here. Follow the link at the bottom and listen to one of Cleveland's brightest up and coming hip-hop artists go in over 9 tracks. Please comment and give feedback for Wes so he knows what his fans like and how he can get better! Thank you!

Download Wes Blaze-Sound Of Somethin Different

Sound Of Somethin Different Listening Session

Armed with a bottle of Bacardi and a dozen Bud Lights, I sat down Thursday as the sun set on another beautiful day in Cleveland Heights to listen to my good friend Wes Blaze's debut mixtape, Sound Of Somethin Different. To get in the right mind-state, my buddy Colin and I kicked back and listened to the new Slaughterhouse album while the number of full Bud Lights began to dissipate. When Wes got there, he looked like a man who hadn't closed his eyelids in quite some time. The life of a virtually unknown, local musician is a chaotic one. When he isn't making and promoting his music, Wes is working ungodly hours at a factory out in Solon, Ohio, trying to support himself and make enough money to purchase new beat machines and studio time. Yet here he was, ready for his music to grace our ears. He sat down, dropped four copies of his tape on the table, and settled into the couch. Exhausted but excited, Wes nodded his head as the last Slaughterhouse track faded into silence. All our attention now shifted to Wes and his creation. I was fearful of being disappointed, fearful that the formula Wes used on his singles that he had put out before this tape would be nowhere to be found. Why I thought like that, I don't know, because Sound Of Somethin Different blew me away. I tried to sit through the entire tape without letting any of my bias for Wes show through, but I didn't really even need to. The tape is that good. I would swell with pride at times because I've seen Wes work and I know how much energy he put into this tape. To see the final product come out so perfectly was just an all around amazing feeling, for me and for Wes.

Wes showcases his whole arsenal on Sound of Somethin Different. It even feels like a real mixtape, as Wes introduces himself to us over an eerie piano backed by a thumping bass on the intro. Tracks like "Swag on a Hundred," "Get At Me," "Get Hooked On It," and "2 Smooth" find Wes at his lyrical best. Jabbing his audience with clever one liners like, "I have they whole body shaking like Ali," and "They never see my face like the neighbor on Home Improvement," Wes' unique voice and flow go perfectly over his self-produced, yet anything but mundane, beats. Wes moves from lighthearted to somber as he waxes poetic about the passing of his aunt towards the end of the album, finishing it off with "I Made It," a song thanking everyone who has supported him and his dreams for the future. The aforementioned songs show Wes' diversity, as he is seamlessly able to craft lyrics showing off his lyrical prowess to telling personal anecdotes that have deeply affected his life.

With only nine tracks, Sound Of Somethin Different leaves you yearning for more from the talented vocabulary of Wes Blaze. The first and last songs leave something to be desired. I was left expecting another verse on both tracks and was disappointed when the beat faded out without another 32 bars from Wes. Yet the talent is so tangible, it is hard not to get excited about where Wes could end up. I look forward to the next mixtape, tentatively titled "Crack On Campus," from Wes, but in the meantime, everyone needs a copy of his current effort. Because the Cleveland native, with some luck here and there, is on a path to make good music for a long time. The download link for Sound Of Somethin Different will be up soon, and if you are in Cleveland, find me to get your free hard copy.

Felt

Alright, so this past week and a half have been extremely busy with my last week of work, moving back down to school, and spending a weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks where I didn't even have a computer. Though this has caused an absence, Jordan has kept up with a few posts and I appreciate that. This summer, we haven't really both been on the blog at the same time very often, but we definitely hope to be in full force now that we will be reunited back here at Mizzou.

Anyways, I stop in today to share with you a few dope tracks from some lesser known lyricists in the game. The first is off of Naledge's Chicago Picasso which came out this summer, and it features one of my favorite lyricists, Jay Electronica. Unfortunately, pretty much NOBODY knows about Jay, because he has almost zero material. I am just waiting for the day when he releases an album, EP, mixtape or anything.

Naledge - Cool, Relax Ft. Jay Electronica


The next track I am very excited to bring you. This song features Murs and Slug from Atmosphere, two of the most concious rappers out there. They have joined together to make Felt 3, a tribute project to somebody yet to be named. Murs has discussed that he has a line of new material coming out, which I am pretty excited about and more Slug is always good too.

Murs and Slug (Felt) - Protagonists

What Your Car Needs

Here are the five CDs that I am currently bumping in my beautiful, yet problematic, Ford Escape. If you consider yourself a hip-hop fan, and don't have any of these, you may want to reconsider what you are listening to.

1. Slaughterhouse-Self Titled. The self proclaimed king of the West Coast teams up with Brookyln's finest, Jersey's loudest, and Motown's toughest to form a modern day super group. There hasn't been anything like this since Wu-Tang was doing it. With all the hype surrounding their debut, Joe Budden, Crooked I, Royce Da 5 9, and Joell Ortiz take turns lyrically murdering each track they are on. In stores now, go pick Slaughterhouse's debut up immediately after reading this. You can also read a very on point review of the album by HipHopDX right here.

2. Joe Budden-Escape Route. As the post below me states, Joey has just put out a hidden gem that a lot of people are going to miss because everyone has been caught up in his other group's hype, and rightfully so. But do no not sleep on this EP, because it is even better than his CD that dropped in January, Padded Room. He even samples Frou Frou on a track, I mean honestly, what more could you want. Turn the intro up extra loud and I guarantee multiple people will ask you what that song is making your entire car shake. JOEY!!!

3. Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa-How Fly. Two chronic weed smokers come together to make an mixtape complete with songs you would expect from potheads; laid back, chilled out beats and head bobbing music. Curren$y clearly out shines the lyrically weaker Khalifa on this joint, with his smooth flow and creative word use (he even raps about Nintendo 64), and the mixtape falls off a bit beat-wise towards the end, but it is good enough that is is mandatory to have this in your whip.

4. Wale-Back To The Feature. I don't have to give this tape much press, you bloggers already know how I feel about Mr. Folarin. His wordplay shines on his latest mixtape, especially on the finale track, "New Soul." A precursor to his debut album, Attention:Deficit (which sadly has been pushed back until October), if you want to know how dope Wale really is, all you need to do is slide this tape into your CD player. Oooo, that sounds dirty.

5. Pac Div-Church League Champions. I have been oozing about this up and coming West Coast group's latest mixtape, but please allow me to ooze some more. After multiple listens, this mixtape has made a home in my car, always there to make me bob my head after a long day of work. Get to hip to these kids, because they have a bright future ahead of them. As bright as a California summer day. No homo.


So please do yourself a favor and acquire these delicacies of hip-hop. Insert CD, turn the volume up, and your car will do what the name of this blog is. GET THE REAR VIEW SHAKING!

Escape Route

Lost in all the hype for Slaughterhouse's debut album (which lives up to the hype, the term "supergroup" rings true here) is Joe Budden's newest EP, Escape Route. Dropping the same day as Slaughterhouse did, we find Joey at his lyrical best over twelve tracks. Joey is the deepest MC in Slaughterhouse, and here we find Jumpoff as deep as ever. The introductory track is one of the best I have ever heard, as Joey spits fire over a beat that is a sample of one of those pump up songs you hear when the PA is trying to get the crowd going at sporting events. You will know when you hear it. Buy it off of www.amalagamdigital.com or download it for free, either way, get your hands on this EP, because Joey goes in.

How Fly Is Here

Finally....here it is....enjoy.




Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa Present-How Fly

How Fly Artwork+Track Listing

Have been waiting on this mixtape for a while. The Jets and the Taylor Gang are in the building as we take a look at the artwork and track listing for Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa's joint project, How Fly. Whoever made the cover, props, because the artwork makes me want to download this tape without even hearing a song. But then you realize Spitta and Wiz are on every track together, and you already know how good of a tape it's going to be. Through Spitta's Twitter, the tape should be dropping today, so check back later for the download link. For now, enjoy a little taste.

We out there Hyperizin'!

This video is hilarious...M0-Will, KD and Iggy kill it

Hot Verse Of The Day

Thanks Tony for bringing back the verse of the day. This is the first verse off of Pac Div's "Knuckleheadz" off of their excellent Church League Champions mixtape. That CD has been in constant rotation in my car.


I'ma never learn, do it it till' the leather burn, steer let the Lexus turn, Trina it's a Lexus term
At ease, let me roll back my sleeves, bring your Mom with you she can roll back with me
Half coquettes and tee, minutes like Dennis', at school looked for shit to stick my teacher's dentures in
Bars like GZA and them, west like Peneltons, kuncklehead ni##as permanent, never penciled in
Earth to kid, women friends caddy but they get it in, always knew I had to ride the wheels till them shits was thin
Learn ya quick, simpleton, swerve all middlemen, if you wanna bark I let my dogs out the kennel then, sick em
New Air Max watch me flip em, been dope pen coke Cognac sipper
High class, fly ass, live rap ni##a, felines go crazy trying to find that Twitter

Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 7

The day has finally come...Here is Cham's last mixtape (not last musical album) of the Mixtape Messiah Series. Should be excellent. Enjoy the musical feast he has given us

DOWNLOAD: Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 7 (DISC 1)

DISC 2: Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 7

How Fly

Another Trailer for the How Fly Mixtape that Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa are putting out. They have been pushing back the date for a while now, so I stopped trying to geuss when its coming out. You'll find it here when it finally does...

Quest - Broken Headphones Mixtape

Alright, so last week I came across this mixtape Broken Headphones by dude named Quest. What intrigued me most is that it said it was presented by HipHopDX and 2DopeBoyz, two hiphop blogs that I frequent every day. Plus the artwork looked pretty nice and well put together, not like one of those stupid Gucci Mane covers with 5 cars, diamonds, alcohol and half naked women on the front. Anyways, I decided to download it and check it out even though I had never heard of him. I figured it had to be good if both of these legit websites were supporting him right? Well I have done about 4-5 listens all the way through the tape, and I was pretty happy with what I heard. The guy doesn't have unbelievable wittiness in his punchlines or incredible similies, but he lays out whats on his mind, and it works great with the selected beats. His flow is smooth and the writing is well put together. His voice also really reminds me of Lupe Fiasco's so that's a plus too since I love Lupe's voice. He talks a lot about his relationships with the women he has dealt with throughout his life, and just talks his experiences, no bullshit. I think its well worth the download.


DOWNLOAD: Quest - Broken Headphones

Thanks to 2dopeboyz and HipHopDX for puttin this together. There's also a really nice article about him here: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/dxnext/id.122/title.quest

TM