Even though we put work in on nappyafro.com (The main site), we can’t forget about the nappyafro Forums. With almost 200 members signed up, there’s a lotta good things going on in the Forums. Plus with the new RSS feed, it’s easier now that ever to keep track of posts. So sign up, take a minute to check it out, and tell us what you think.

The Listening Room
*Why J. Cole is one of the coolest rappers you’ll ever meet
*Spit some bars son…
*So Far So Gone vs. The Warm Up
*Gorilla Zoe releases a mixtape for everyday in February
*V-G raps!

The Barbershop Room
*Trina nude pics get leaked!
*Kid Cudi is kissed by male fan…in the mouth
*Roommate get smacked over an Oreo cookie
*CAT KICKER!
*Birdman get more stars on is head
*How to live to 100
*3 Things A Woman Hillary Duff Does After She Gets A Million Dollar Ring…

*Get your music fix in The Downloads Room

*Miss Tasha, Mal Malloy, & Rikki Renee lead the The Girls, Girls, Girls Room

A little background info on this one:

Our homies over at Tha Carter Cartel (Specifically longh0rn) are always putting together these massive projects of certain artists. It could be anybody from Ryan Leslie to Kanye West but these projects contains massive amounts of music sometime tipping over the 500mb scale. I’ve always wanted to help out with getting shine for what they were doing so when I saw 2009 All Rookie Team Project (Seeing as Saule did a whole team theme recently with Hip-Hop groups), I was like; “Yea, this is the one”. Plus with the upcoming NBA All Star Game it all makes sense. All the credit should be due to longh0rn for putting together all this music; the only thing I did was slap on the banner you see above. I’ll let him explain in his own words as we look at the team and pass out the download links.

Point Guard: Drake [Link]
Shooting Guard: Big Sean [Link]

Here is the Guards of the All Rookie Team 2009. Drake is at the point position running the show for the Rooks. Big Sean is the shooting guard, dropping 3’s (punch lines). The material in these are just all of the mixtapes, random songs, and features these two Rooks did, over 700 mb together.

Small Forward: J. Cole [Link]

Jermaine Cole is the small forward on the 2009 All Rookie Team. Dude came out of my state and made it in the game. Not too long ago he was signed as Roc Nation’s first artist. He is now going on tour with Jay-Z, N.E.R.D & Lupe Fiasco. I can say everyday I play The Warm Up, it is easy one of the best mixtapes of last year but people sleep on it. Here’s my collection of his work, I’m sure I have all of it because not alot of material has been released.

Power Forward: B.o.B [Link #1 & Link #2]

Bobby Ray aka B.o.B. is your starting power forward on the 2009 All Rookie Team. Bobby Ray has been compared to Andre 3000 with his rapping style and can actually play the guitar unlike Lil’ Wayne. Like all of these rookies, he is one of my favorite artists right now. Here’s the collection of tracks I have of him, which is a lot!

Center: Kid Cudi [Link]

After dropping his debut album last year, his buzz will only continue. Also has another album dropping sometime this year, so we have that to look forward too. This includes the official mixtapes, and a bunch of random freestyles, remixes, and features CuDi has done. Before I lost all my music, I didn’t have most of these tracks and I’m a big Cudder follower.

Just in case you don’t trust me to DL this.

1. New Music From Charles Hamilton
Blaring horns, it’s an introduction, pretty decent actually. Got me into the mood.

2. Enter The Scope
(Uses the classic “I Will Survive” track in the beginning, but it’s put to decent use as it’s just sets the tone then chopped up for a pretty dope introspective trip.) He drops a really good line here also:

“Sorry I ain’t do the status quo/Sorry I refuse to star in the faggot show/Sorry I aint’ put up other rappers at the show/And sorry family when I have to go, I have to go/And as far as the women shit I brought up/Some bullshit I heard when I was brought up/To avoid avoid confusion stick to the senses/Niggas are niggas and bitches are bitches, thats politically correct.”

Damn son!

3. WorkinInTheLab
This is what I mean by wtf moments. Charles Hamiltons production has a little too much minimalism, a drum beat with some snaps … He’s trying to do a little Slim Shady in his lyrics here; doesn’t work too well. There’s some decent lines in here (Eyebrow raising things). Borderline skip.

4. Coodies
I can dig this track. The hook is weird, but not terrible considering it’s talking about cooties. Though he’s not really saying too much here, the sample (I would like to know), the kicking bass and acoustics serve me quite well here, and I prefer CH production over his “varied” lyricism. I hear a shot at Interscope right here, “I bring cool to the word retarded/Like the Interscope urban market/Hard hit.” That was funny.

5. August Rush
It’s a filler. Not a bad track, just a little average. Ad-libbing is a little annoying at end.

6. Air Agains
Bollywood/Indian sampling here with more bass. Certainly intriguing. “I’m verbally the Jim Crow laws/Because only real niggas will get my dope bars” There’s a Obama(s)/Osama reference that’s weird. The hook isn’t that bad. Once again, the production is varied & works well with him.

7. Loserville
You know these kinds of tracks by Charles Hamilton, he’s got a lot of songs dealing with his self-depreciation. It’s actually not a bad song by any means, Imma listen to this a little more to get the message. Nice beat also, though it’s the same old samples + bass

8. She’s Purrty
Much like the last track, he touches upon women a (whole f’ing) lot, considering he’s had a mixtape called Charles Hamiltons Ex-Girlfriends Worst Nightmare. WHOA, AUTOTUNE AGAIN, but at least it’s not ear-grating as I thought it would be. The production rides it over once again, it’s a little story from Charles about women.

9. Laptop Therapy (Jackie Blue)
“Even when my life in danger, I can always write a banger”
Heard this track took off the album. And damn, this has probably some of the best production I’ve heard from the dude, though it’s a piano sample, tick tick tick thing, vocals, and bass. It’s an interesting subject to touch upon, it’s about what it says, using the laptop to solve problems and a therapy. Listen for this, if anything.

10. Suicides
And we go down a little bit. He had a better track about the same subject, “Frustration And Failed Suicide Attempts” off that Sonic The Hamilton mixtape, with a real game-based production. It’s a filler once again, but it’s not terrible. It’s short, so you can bear it.

11. Baby Says I Want
Back up! The production is very energetic actually and helps the song a lot, trust me. It’s not actually a chick song about loving her, from what I hear it’s about the struggle of this relationship he’s having (Bria: The girl that punched him the face perhaps?) If it’s something like this about Charles venting, then I dont’ mind.

12. See & Say
The tone of the production reminds of me of those lyrical relaxation tracks (Uhh, to explain that, the relaxed feel of “Bo Jackson” featuring Exile by Fashawn) I think he samples “Closer” from Ne-Yo for the guitars along with a sample, nutcracker (I think… it’s actually an instrument) and drums. It’s a good song, gotta listen to this one more though.

13. 20Hamil10

Back to that Bollywood feel again. The beginning is funny where he says “I really fucking like my name” as evidenced by the not punny title.

“They say I try too hard to be different/Well bitch, I beg to differ/Tell every hater to head for the zipper/You hate me then you were never a listener,” and “You can’t stop the flow/That’s why I put on the showstopper flow.”

Charles tries to get lyrical with us here once again, with the nice samples, banging kicks of the bass, cowbells and all of that shit.

“Oh they want that true shit/Oh, so I could’ve been the hottest in music/Then I wilded it out, or did I/For some reason, I thought that it was organized/Here we go, more them lies/Hop off the organ that resides between my thighs.”

Damn. Another one is this,

“Fact, my swagger is like a little league batter/Strike out or homerun/There’s still laughter/So whose matter, the pitcher or catcher/Answer, the dad that had to listen to you bastards.”

It’s pretty much the big middle finger to the haters, and people who didn’t think he could rap (Like me.)

Damn. Charles. You guys don’t mind me doing a more fleshed out review of this right

Let’s see I’ve actually been listening to a little of Charles Hamilton lately (Peep “Talent Entrance” with Show Tufli, off My Brain Is Alive, the productions dope as fuck can’t lie)

On a side note, the album artwork is pretty cool, better than most of the covers he’s thought up off (Example, This Perfect Life, one of the ugliest I’ve ever seen)

Download: Charles Hamilton – Normalcy [Mixtape]

*Originally posted in the nappyafro Forums

Ever since 50 Cent declared his next target would be one Shawn Carter, fans have been clamoring for the rap beef of the century. Bloggers have speculated that given 50’s ruthless nature in battle mode; its easy to see how Curtis would be one of the most formidable opponents Hov has ever faced.

But since 50 first fired a few shots over Jay’s bow, S. Dot has declined to respond. In fact, all we’ve heard from Jay has been subliminal shots – one on “Thank You” (I was going to 9/11 them, but they did it to themselves”…) and another during his acceptance speech at the American Music Awards (”Women lie, men lie – numbers don’t.”)

But other than that, Hov has given 50 the same attention as Game, Peedi Peedi and other aspiring challengers. So, what’s up? Hova fans (including myself) would welcome the opportunity to see Jay body Curtis on a track – no subliminal shots, no speculation; more like “Takeover 2″. Yet we’ve heard nothing from Jay, save for those light jabs.

I suspect the reason for that is simply because Hova is the only one of them that has anything to lose – and not necessarily on wax, either. Jay has his discography, his #1 albums, his time as label president, his clothing line – his legacy is secure. Not a lot of rappers, deceased or living, have been called “The Greatest Rapper of All Time”, whether or not Mos Def thinks its true. Hova really has nothing to prove.

Of course, 50 Cent would welcome an opportunity to boost his sales and his profile taking on a titan like Jay-Z. 50’s clearly not worried about taking an L; he’s done it before (Kanye, The Game). He knows beef I’d good for business. So its not like Curtis Jackson wouldn’t be a willing and eager participant.

No, the reason I think Jay has stayed far away from Curtis is because Jay has one area where he can lose and lose big – his life out of the booth. And I don’t mean physical violence, but someone peeling back Jay-Z’s layers of secrecy and privacy for all the world to see.

From Beyonce to Rihanna to his tenure as Def Jam President to his business dealing with Dame and Biggs, to his reputation in the streets, 50 has more to work with than any of his previous targets. And we all know 50 has the wherewithal and financial resources to conduct a full investigation in all of these areas.

And 50 Cent has nothing but time to conduct such a campaign: its not like Before I Self Destruct is lighting up the charts. This would undoubtedly be an entertaining diversion for the industry bully.

As we’ve seen with his Rick Ross assault, 50’s style of beef has absolutely no limits. He goes way beyond hip-hop. You can’t risk going at 50 if you have any skeletons in your closet – Boo Boo will find them and put them on YouTube. And 50 Cent has also proven that he won’t let facts stand in the way of a good attack, so speculation and innuendo is on the table as well.

Shawn is a smart businessman. I suspect there is very little chance we’re going to see a 50 Cent vs Jay-Z battle anytime soon. But given that 50 Cent spends more time with his opponents ex-chicks than he does writing devastating punchlines, I don’t think its a big loss for hip-hop fans.

***Yep. Once again we jack another great article from B-Double. As always, you can get more of this great stuff at yourfavoritewhiteboy.com

I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t this come out two months ago?” If you were thinking this, you’d be right. But, as you may have noticed, it’s kinda slow around nappyafro (It happens). Plus we wouldn’t want to get an ass kicking from V-G (Somebody who has been riding with The ‘Fro for a minute now). Check out this dope review of Roc Nation’s first signee’s second official mixtape (Huh?). - B-Easy

Sometimes you just know something has gone awry in the Hip-Hop universe. Judging from recent catastrophes (the formation of SlaughterHouse) to unexpected earthquakes of Richter-astounding magnitudes (Drake), we are never safe. Well about a month and a half ago, J. Cole dropped The Warm-Up. Thanks to B-Easy here at nappyafro.com, I got word of the supposed follow-up to the first official J.Cole mixtape, The Come-Up. The first thing that went through my head was “Who the f%$# is J. Cole?” Shortly thereafter, “Jay signed this dude?” No screen time, no radio play, no hype, no anticipation. So I ask myself, “Who the hell cares?” I had time to find out of course, so I downloaded the material. But before my thoughts, let me address the Drake comparisons. I find some validity on the case. Imagine if Drake had got an overdose of Nas/3000 instead of Wayne… We’d have two J. Coles walking around. Both show vulnerability in their raps and seem to have a different perspective on M.O.B. than the rest of the rap world. Most obvious though, is in the introspective angles they approach their lines with. But this is not about Drake. We have J. Cole and he has something to tell you…

1. Intro (The Warm Up)
Produced by J. Cole
Over a piano solo, J. Cole lays out the concept of the tape on the age old basis of “now or never”. He speaks on “not giving up”, “being this close”, and “I finally did it”. Nothing you haven’t heard on every other mixtape/album intro…

2. Welcome
Produced by J. Cole
One of the first things I notice is his flow. Cole obsessively double rhymes, which clutches the track and doesn’t let go. The subject matter is a scattered stream of conscious that pretty much touches on any forthcoming topic. “I let these words flow out like water from a spout.” I believe he agrees with me. Fun, simple, and introductory.

3. Can I Live
Produced by Syience
From the jump this song is good and it gets better. If you’re wondering about J. Cole, LISTEN TO THIS SONG. Homie goes all the way in. His self-assessment is utterly ridiculous. He explains himself: “This is ‘The Boondocks’/ I swear yo I’m like Huey mixed with Riley/ Thursday I be tryna save the world then on Friday/ I hit the club/ Hopin that my dick get rubbed by some fat asses” and how another person (he’s referencing someone from the “Ville”) can’t live: “Like the phone when she heard the news/ her sister on the other line talkin to her shoes/ her only son, what a thing to lose/ more blacks singin more blues”. The track is also amazing. The piano and trumpet accents the maturity found here. Jay-Z “Can I Live”? Naw homie, play that J. Cole.

4. Grown Simba
Produced by J. Cole
Cole returns to the unspecified subject matter/stream of conscious as seen on “Welcome”. Song’s good. Punchlines are there. Flow is just fine. Track delivers (I dig the sample). Hook is satisfying, but nothing extraordinary. The subject hopping takes away here, but it still is really good.

5. Just To Get By
Produced by J. Cole
Freestyle? Really? This is a no hook, non-stop, shootout. Once again, nothing extraordinary, but it’s really good. Best line: “No Soprano/Half black, half white/ I’m a piano/ I’m an animal/ My video on Discovery Channel”

6. Lights Please
Produced by J. Cole
This is what I’ve been waiting for. After “Can I Live”, J. Cole went a couple songs without a real subject matter, but here he discusses how his intellect is pushed aside for sex. Introspection is found here at its finest. What makes it so enjoyable is the relation factor. I’m sure we’ve all had dumb broads that were worth it for the game. He should have got someone else on the hook, but it is very excusable. This is what I call REAL S#!+. Plies? Who?

7. Dead Presidents II
Apparently this is his second go at this beat since some dude told him he didn’t go as hard as he should have the first time around. I haven’t heard the first, but this isn’t particularly special following what I’ve heard him spit. It seems as if Cole clocks in at his best when he has a subject to focus on. Once again, this isn’t bad in the slightest, yet nothing to speak on.

8. I Get Up
Produced by J. Cole
As I progress further, I have to note that the tracks (Which are all produced by J. Cole [except 7 and 21]) are incredibly mature. This is nothing Zaytoven would give Gucci; a good and bad thing. While I could listen to the music all day, there isn’t much appeal to it. It’s basically jazz with 808’s and snare! Of all tracks, this is by far the most lackluster. It may come across as boring, I suppose. Anyway Cole speaks on why he “gets up” and how the drive to succeed resides with him, but not in everyone from the hood. Cole is able to create hooks that are “singy-songy”, but enjoyable (Word to Chamillionaire!) Very truthful and realistic approach to the “motivational” track.

9. World Is Empty
Produced by J. Cole
J. Cole quickens the pace of his flow for this one as reflected by the bouncy track. I’m feeling the sample on the hook. “Niggas rappin about how real they are usually turn out to be the fakest ones.” I couldn’t have said it better. The first verse is warm up (no pun intended), but the second verse and third are very observant. “A wise nigga told me don’t chase that cash/ follow your heart, you’ll make that fast/ Does a stripper love to shake that ass or do she wish to erase that past?” Its damn good music if you’re questioning your thinking after the song.

10. Dreams
Featuring Brandon Hines; Produced by J. Cole
The third standout track comes here and THIS SHIT IS FIRE! J. Cole’s approach is simply amazing here. The concept here is there’s this girl that has completely taken over his thoughts and he premeditates his meeting of the girl, to the murdering of her boyfriend, to getting married to the girl. Was it just me or was anybody feeling a little 3K in there? The Brandon Hines assisted hook mails this in as single material (Imagine the video!). This is the type of music I listen for. This is timeless. Listen to it.

11. Royal Flush
Here we go again… Straight stream of conscious rapping. I can use the same description for one of the earlier songs. Lyrics are hot, flow is nice, track is from “Royal Flush”. It’s good.

12. Dollar And A Dream II
Produced by J. Cole
Ok…. This song is boring. The track is soft (piano, snares) to start, the lyrics aren’t really that gripping, and the end is stupid (what is he talking about???) This song is dispensable.

13. Water Break (Interlude)
Interlude? Best interlude EVER! This is a radio freestlye is suppose (Green Lantern “On the Spot” right?). I’ll put it like this. If I would have heard this on the radio before I heard the mixtape, I would have been on my way to Best Buy to find this dude’s album. “Thought I’d get a deal and head straight to the dealership/ but lookin at my deal I prolly can’t afford benefits!” DAMN!

14. Heartache
Produced by Elite
I wasn’t really feeling this song as a whole, but I like the track and the sample. I mean the lyrics aren’t bad, he has got some quotables here, but something was missing. This is filler.

15. Get Away
Produced by J. Cole
Not feeling the track or sample on this one. Hook is cool and lyrics are mild. More filler than anything.

16. Knock Knock
Produced by J. Cole
See track 15.

17. Ladies
Featuring Lee Fields & The Expressions; Produced by J. Cole
Whew… This is refreshing after THREE filler tracks in a row. We know what this one is about by the title and here Cole doesn’t digress. The tracks and the song go perfect together and the hook assistance makes this well worth the listen. The ending is enjoyable as well.

18. Til’ Infinity
This is an absolute “meh” song. J. Cole can do much better. SKIP!

19. The Badness
Produced by J. Cole
DAMN… “Believe in god like the sun up in the sky/science can tell us how/ it can’t tell us why/ I seen a baby cry/ seconds later she laughed/ the beauty of life/ The pain never lasts/ The rain always pass/ the sun don’t always shine/ When it’s gone I’m lonely/ but when it’s there I’m fine/ I hate the winter time cause the nights come quicker/ the light make the whites think I’m a nice young nigga/ But at night they think twice and walk a little faster/ Funny, a hundred years ago I woulda called this nigga master.” Limewire, Youtube, zShare, something! Find this song. Enough Said.

20. Hold It Down
Produced by J. Cole
First off, I love this track. It’s somber and allows that introspection and vulnerability to show. The hook is great. Like I said earlier, J. Cole can make a good hook for himself (Peep game Chamillionaire!) and he doesn’t disappoint here. This song makes me feel a little better about leaving my homies for college. Nice Song.

21. Last Call
J. Cole hops on Kanye’s “Last Call’ and was as comfortable as Kanye was on the track. It’s no “Can I Live”, but it’s good. There’s a three minute speech at the end… Skip that part.

22. Losing My Balance (Bonus)
Produced by J. Cole
I’m curious as to where this track and sample came from… It’s from a genre far from Hip-Hop I’m sure, but Cole makes it work. Once again, he delivers on the hook and the lyrics are meaningful. I really like this one.

Bottom Line:
I guess it’s safe to say; the Hip-Hop world has a new problem. J. Cole is akin to global warming. It’s not going to immediately kill us, but with the right contributing factors, it’s going to get hot as hell. My main gripe here was the filler songs that were increasingly noticeable in the latter part of the mixtape. Had J. Cole dropped about 5 tracks off here, this would have been a flawless play through. No matter the case, when Cole is on topic, he is FLAME. The bumps in the road for this artist are going to come with the fight for radio play (He’s not very commercial) and against himself to stay on some kind of topic (He gets boring when he’s aimless). But overall J. Cole has the potential to stand among the GOATS. He’s is an absolute beast at his best. Like B-Easy already wrote, this is a must have mixtape of 2009. Oh yea… why isn’t J. Cole on BP3? Jay might be scared of another “Renegade”.

V-G Picks: “Can I Live”, “Lights Please”, “Dreams”, & “The Badness”

Download: J. Cole – The Warm Up [Mixtape]

I don’t even know how to intro this. I guess with the fact that he’s gone. MJ died today of  apparent cardiac arrest in his home at the age of 50. I’m hurt, it feels like family…and no I’m not being overly dramatic. I can’t think of a person who has dedicated more of his life to peace, love, and just a good time in general. He has, what is surely to never be surpassed now, the top selling album of all times. I could go into all kinds of detail about his career and all that, but I want to share a personal experience.

I was really shy and quiet as a child. One night, I went to some function with my parents and there was music and a lot of kids around, so I ventured out there…bored. I had on my blue khaki pants, my white button up shirt, and my blue and gold Michael Jackson belt complete with Michael Jackson belt buckle…the picture was the one of him in that white outfit and the yellow vest. “PYT” came on (which is tied with “Say Say Say” for my favorite MJ song) and I got busy. I had the kicks, the moonwalk, the moves, the spins, I was doing it all. The kids formed a circle around me all clapping and smiling with joy. My parents caught a glimpse of me through the commotion and came to see me getting down. I haven’t been the same since. They always tell this story when folks as them, “when did this boy start acting so crazy.” It all goes back to them…of course, crazy being a tongue and cheek term.

My prayers go out to MJ, his family, and his friends. His music was inspirational and his life was dedicated to doing what he loved. You will be missed MJ. Rest In Peace.- Saule Wright

By now, it’s common knowledge that Michael Joseph Jackson has died at age 50 of cardiac arrest. What can I say about Mike? 13 Grammy wins (8 in one night!!), 13 number one singles (5 off one album alone!!), and 6 Guinness World Records with 750 million records sold worldwide; this man got busy. I don’t care what anybody says: Michael Jackson was without a doubt THE GREATEST PERFORMER OF ALL TIME! He had the dance moves everybody was trying to copy and the voice that everyone envied. He had haters all across the world too, but all throughout that bullshit, I was there, a loyal fan. We miss you, Mike. Rest in peace. – H2O

I’m still numb after hearing the news about MJ. I know I kid A LOT about things, but let me tell you that I was one of those MJ fans that probably would have fainted if I ever met him! I had the posters of him on my walls, the jackets, the gloves, and I even had the MJ doll! The man was bigger than music and he even though his stature was small, he was bigger than life. There will never be an entertainer that can achieve what MJ did in his 42 years in the music business. NEVER! I have a really heavy heart right now writing this so I’m going to keep it short. REST IN PEACE TO THE KING OF POP, MICHAEL JACKSON! You will never be forgotten! – King Jerm

Wow. I just knew he’d make it out the hospital ya know? I’ve been on the road the weekend of his death and I find my CD player jammed with his tunes and I genuinely felt empty that the man was gone.

He was an eccentric yes…but he was OUR eccentric. His imagination, vision, showmanship, and pure talent; even at his worst; is something all artists should aspire to get to. The man has crated songs that have sound tracked our highs, lows, parties, social changes, and our overall lives in his 50 years of life.

I wish he had more to give. It sounds selfish, especially after looking at how much he gave already. I’m just saying…I’ll miss him so. His art is his legacy and at least now; he’ll have a 2nd life beyond the unjust jokes, treatment, and scrutiny. He deserves to be remembered as a legend, nothing less. - Kareem Abdul Jamar

By now you already know that B-Double drops knowledge. You already know we cool (There was this mixtape we did together a few weeks back…). Well, pull up a chair because B-Dub is dropping more science and this time he’s giving recommendations to rappers and their marketing reps. As usual, be sure to check out the dopeness that is YourFavoriteWhiteBoy.com - B-Easy

Look, I understand that the music industry is a tough place to be right now. Album sales are down, label pressure is up and every artist is expected to post Weezy numbers. In a bid to sell enough albums that their A&R still returns their calls, rappers are looking for any way to keep their name in people’s mouths and on their computer screens.

But it is starting to get ridiculous. I can’t go 2 minutes without getting a new video, song or mixtape jamming up my inbox. So, as a public service to all the other bloggers, web site owners and readers alike, here is my advice to rappers and their marketing reps. Summary: sometimes, less is more. Get me? In any event, let me serve it up:

1. Trailers for music videos
There was a time when debuting a new video on TRL or BET (when they still played videos) was a major marketing activity. It was the visual interpretation of your artist’s product and can help build buzz. But creating a trailer for your own 3+ minute video is just madness. Your director is not Francis Ford Coppola and you definitely are not Al Pacino. Let’s keep things in perspective.

2. Calling Your Album A “Classic”
The homie Guy Fawkes over at Hip Hop Head touched on this as well, but too many of your favorite rappers are putting their album title and the word “classic” in the same sentance. I realize that rap was built on bragging, but only fans can dub product worthy of such a title.

Even worse is when you’re throwing that word around and the only person who’s heard your joint is you. Its called managing expectations. And keep your label from hyping you up to fail. Who thinks Pray IV Reign fits that title besides Dame Dash? Steve Rifkind calling Asleep In The Bread Isle a Top 5 album? With a straight face? Uh, yeah.

3. Dropping Every Single Before The Album Drops
Nothing wrong with pushing out a single or two to whet the appetite, but a gang of artists right now are pretty much dropping virtually their entire album before the release date – one song at a time. I pretty much had all of Asher’s album before it came out and there must be 8 or 9 releases from Busta’s new joint.

And this isn’t just happening with signed artists. In the everyday struggle to get a record deal, unsigned rappers are throwing out singles like they’re at a gentleman’s club. Just stop it.

4. Prequel Mixtapes
I’ve seen a few of these, where artists try to build buzz by dumping old material as a “new” mixtape. This is not unlike pushing out a “greatest hits” to satisfy a label contract. If you were/are as relentless in the booth as Tupac and have a ton of unreleased material, then this is a good way to drop a gem to fans to get them buzzing about your new stuff. If you’re Jay-Z and your catalogue isn’t a little thick because studio time is as rare as a lunar eclipse, the strategy may not work. Just annoy.

5. Twitter Countdowns
If people care enough about your music to follow you on Twitter, its a good bet that they are pretty much up on what you’re doing. So its a little redundant – not to mention frustratingly excessive – to use Twitter to give us daily updates on how many days are left until you bless the public with your product. A few days notice, tops, will suffice. Its not like we don’t know where to find our local record store or there will be a mad rush on copies of your latest opus.

Sorry to break the bad news.

I told you guys before that B-Double (of YourFavoriteWhiteBoy.com) is the truth. That why we swipe his articles all the time. He breaks down the 4 ways Kanye can get his G-Card. Hilarity ensues. – B-Easy

Kanye: Now that you’ve been hit up with misdemeanor charges vandalism, grand theft and battery, you’re really on his way to growing from backpack hipster to thugged out street hustler. Even though the charges will likely result in a fine, now you got yourself a record. But why stop there? You can gain an entirely new audience by flipping the script, leave your Heartbreak behind you and get real grimy. How? Well, I’m glad you asked.

1. Hire A Goon
Your manager helping to beat down the paparazzi was cool and all, but I think if you really wants to become known as a street dude, he needs to get more muscle in his crew. You needs someone who is willing to smack up disrespectful rappers, stab your enemies and get locked up on your behalf. With T.I. going away, I understand Alfamega might be looking for work.

2. A Cup of That Purple Stuff
Forget Ace of Spades or Henny, if you wants to prove you’re in touch with that Dirty South steelo, you need a styrofoam cup of that sizzurp with you at all times. Sure, it will make it hard to concentrate and will probably damage your long-term health, but this is for the love of music. Look at Weezy – if he’s not drunk off that stuff, he’s reading the Wall Street Journal and putting you to sleep with talk about how green his lawn is this year.

3. Take One For The Team
It can’t just be all about you causing damage on others. You need to show that you’re deep enough in these streets that you’re willing to put yourself at risk. You need to get yourself shot or cut or at least put in the hospital. Now, since its not part of your natural environment, you probably will have to get one of your boys to do it. Not to worry, it doesn’t need to be two in the chest. We’ve seen you can still up your rep by getting shot in the ass , the cheek or even almost shooting your own nuts off. Now, that car wreck probably hurt a lot more than anything that your crew will do, so just close your eyes and think of Amber Rose.

4. Get Yourself A Title
“The Louis Vuitton Don” just doesn’t scream “G”. Instead, you need to adopt some kind of a mafia family ranking in order to be respected. Since “Bawse” and “Capo” are currently taken, I’m thinking maybe you should go with “Generalisimo” or, out of respect for Big Brother, “Consigliere”. Given its you, maybe you could go with “Emperor” or “Exaulted Ruler”. Kinda fits, actually.

You’re all welcome.

Damn, I was thinking about doing something like this, but I doubt it would have been half as good as this. Thomas over at KevinNottingham.com wrote up an extensive (And I mean extensive) write up about the whole beef between Nas & Jay. It has the year, songs, and even lyrics. You probably should head over there because they also got a compilation of all the tracks too (Original article). - B-Easy

Any one who has visited KevinNottingham.com knows that I’m a huge fan of both Jay-Z and Nas. I’ve always wanted to put together the musical history of the tracks that may have started the beef. From what I’ve found neither Jay or Nas have ever discussed the beginnings of the beef or discussed the perceived shots at one another over the years.

I present my interpretation of the The Genesis Of Beef. I referenced wiki for the song list and OHHLA for the lyrics.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song(s): “Dead Presidents” (Original)
Year: 1996
Lyrics: “Presidents to represent me/Get money!/I’m out for presidents to represent me…”
“I’m out for dead *fuckin* presidents to represent me”
Interpretation: Jay wanted Nas on the track, but used his vocals from “The World Is Yours” (Q-Tip Remix) instead. I’ve always thought Jay caught feelings behind the snub.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song(s): “The City Is Mine”, “Where I’m From”, & “Rap Game/Crack Game”
Year: 1997
Lyrics: “Don’t worry about Brooklyn I continue to flame/Therefore a world with amnesia won’t forget your name/You held it down long enough, let me take those reigns…/I ain’t a player get it right, I’m controllin the game/From now until they blow holes in my frame/I’ma stand firm, holdin my aim, feel me?/I’m the focal, point like Biggie in his prime” (”The City Is Mine”)”.
“I from where niggas pull your card, and argue all day about/Who’s the best MC’s, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas” (”Where I’m From”)
“Somehow the rap game remind me of the crack game” (”Rap Game/Crack Game” vocal sample from “Represent” by Nas)
Interpretation: The city of New York was up for grabs once B.I.G. died as he was hailed as the King of New York by many in the Hip Hop world (July 1995 Source Cover). Jay wanted the crown and boldly stated on “The City Is Mine” that he was taking the “reigns” from B.I.G.
Jay makes another reference about Nas in “Where I’m From” and samples his voice again for “Rap Game/Crack Game”.
In My Lifetime…Vol. 1 also marks the first time Jay starts using B.I.G. lyrics: See “Friend or Foe 98′” and “Real Niggas”.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “We Will Survive”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “It used to be fun, makin records to see your response/But, now competition is none, now that you’re gone/And these niggaz is wrong — using your name in vain/And they claim to be New York’s king?/It ain’t about that”
Interpretation: This joint was off of Nas’s third album I Am, which dropped April 6, 1999. Straight forward shot at Jay. By this time Jay was in full superstar mode especially after the commercial success he garnered from Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life. Jay wasn’t shy about acknowledging he was the King of New York. Obviously Nas didn’t think so. Nas was acknowledging Jay wasn’t on his or B.I.G.’s level with these lines.

*Artist: Memphis Bleek feat. Jay-Z
Song: “What You Think Of That”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “I’ma ball till I fall what you think of that?” (Memphis Bleek) – Line from the chorus of “What You Think Of That”..
“Round here frontin like my shit don’t sound like nuttin/Like I ain’t got the crown or suttin/Like I ain’t the nigga you base ya life on” (Jay-Z)
“I guess I ain’t the reason you rhyme the way you do” (Jay-Z)
“Like I ain’t 5 mill, and what do ya joint go?/Excuse me? Nigga don’t confuse me” (Jay-Z)
Interpretation: Memphis Bleek dropped Coming of Age on August 3, 1999 with a buzz worthy single (”Memphis Bleek Is…”), but everybody from what I can remember was talking about the track he had with Jay: “What You Think Of That”. Bleek doesn’t go at Nas, but Jay takes exception to Nas questioning his “King” status of New York. Obvious answer to Nas’s lines on “We Will Survive”.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “Nastradamus” and “Come Get Me”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef?/I could let a slug melt in your hat” (”Nastradamus”)
“You don’t like me clown? Now you wanna take me down?/If I bring my face around, you gon’ do what?/You butt/Your crew knew I blew up, I been shinin – baseball diamonds…” (”Come Get Me”)
“You make hot songs, but she know you steal from me/Who ill as me?/I wild on haters in album three” (”Come Get Me”)
Interpretation: The “ball till you fall/slug melt in your hat” is a play on words from the sung Chorus” by Memphis Bleek on “What You Think Of That”. Memphis Bleek wore a tilted hat on the cover of Coming of Age, thus the “slug melt in your hat” line. “Come Get Me” was all over the place, with with lines like “you steal from me” and “your crew knew I blew up…” screams subliminal at Jay.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Come and Get Me”
Year: 1999
Lyrics: “I got, shots to give come and get me nigga/Y’all wanna rob the kid? Come and get me nigga/I won’t, part with this come and get me nigga/I worked, hard for this come and get me nigga/I got, shots to give, COME AND GET ME../COME AND GET ME..”
Interpretation: The song itself is Jay talking to rappers in general, but the chorus is a play on Nas’s “Come Get Me”. I’ve never thought the song was about Nas because Jay doesn’t believe Nas is a street dude or did any street dirt. He wouldn’t give Nas props with lines such as “I’m a crook like you, I took like you/I disobeyed the law threw out the book like you”

*Artist: Memphis Bleek
Song: “My Mind Right”
Year: 2000
Lyrics: “I’ma make you understand why I do what I do/Why I keep my hat tilt, and my doorag too”
“It’s beef I’ma see you, and bang til you hang up/Your life a lie, but here’s the truth/You aint hype to die, but you hype to shoot”
“And only a few fit in, your lifestyle’s written/So who you supposed to be, play your position”
Interpretation: Memphis Bleek addressing Nas and questioning the truthfulness of his rhymes.

*Artist: Nas feat. Various
Song: “Da Bridge 2001″
Year: 2000
Lyrics: “Oh no you didn’t, wanna know whose life Was Written/The life I’m livin/The ice the women/The kites that sendin to lifeless biddin/The streets to prison/I touch you then buck you/Heats be spittin/La-ser, AR fifteen doors come down/Jaws is broke, your whole crew is/coffin bound/Your hoe, your man, lieutenant, your boss get found”
Interpretation: Nas addressing Memphis Bleek’s shots on “My Mind Right”. Nas is not only going at Bleek, but the whole Roc fam with the last couple of lines in his verse.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “Eye 4 An Eye Freestyle”
Year: Circa 2000-2001
Lyrics: “You’re on top — WHAT?/Copy and fuck, I said it first, you repeated/Your false crown covered in dirt – defeated/Y’all niggas all hail, the King is dead/He running like a bitch with his tail between his legs/’Stillmatic’, still eye 4 an eye, wanna be God/You’re just the next rapper to die, fucking with Nas”
Interpretation: Not sure when this came out (from Clue’s – The Great Ones Pt. 2). Nas going directly at Jay about his assumption of being the King of New York.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “Stillmatic (Freestyle)”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “N Y City, grab a hold and ride with me/ Rip the FREEWAY, shoot through MEMPHIS with money bags/Stop in Philly, order cheese steaks and eat BEANS fast/And bring it back up top, remove the fake king of New York/You show off, I count off when you sample my voice/I rule you, before, you used to rap like the FU-SHNICKENS/NAS designed your BLUEPRINT, who you kidding?/Is he H TO THE IZZO, M TO THE IZZO?/For shizzle you phony, the rapping version of SISQO/And that’s for certain, you clone me, your wack clothes line/I’d rather wear Sean John, you bore me with your fake coke rhymes/And those times, they never took place, you liar/UN was your first court case, you had no priors/You master fabricated stories of streets and sound slick/Have you surrounded, you and the faggots you down with/While they riding NAS, trying to boost their careers”
Interpretation: Nas went at the whole Roc fam by name saying most of his verbal onslaught for Jay. Called Jay “fake”, “teh ghey”, questioned his street credibility, and hinted that he fathered Jay’s style. Nas went in on this joint.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Takeover”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “I know you missin all the (FAAAAAAAME!)/But along with celebrity comes bout seventy shots to your frame/Nigga; you a (LAAAAAAAME!)/Youse the fag model for Karl Kani/Esco ads/Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash/Had a spark when you started but now you’re just garbage/Fell from top ten to not mentioned at all/to your bodyguard’s “Oochie Wally” verse better than yours/Matter fact you had the worst flow on the whole fuckin song/but I know – the sun don’t shine, then son don’t shine/That’s why your (LAAAAAAAME!) – career come to a end/There’s only so long fake thugs can pretend/Nigga/you ain’t live it you witnessed it from your folks pad/You scribbled in your notepad and created your life/I showed you your first tec on tour with Large Professor/(Me, that’s who!) Then I heard your album bout your tec on the dresser/So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong/You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song/And you ain’t get a coin nigga you was gettin fucked and/I know who I paid God, Serchlite Publishing/Use your (BRAAAAAAAIN!) You said you been in this ten/I’ve been in it five – smarten up Nas/Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divide/That’s one every let’s say two, two of them shits was due/One was – NAHHH, the other was “Illmatic”/That’s a one hot album every ten year average/And that’s so – LAAAAAAAME! Nigga switch up your flow/Your shit is garbage, but you try and kick knowledge?/(Get the fuck outta here)/You niggaz gon’ learn to respect the king/Don’t be the next contestant on that Summer Jam screen/Because you know who (who) did you know what (what) with you know who (yeah) but just keep that between me and you for now”
Interpretation: “Ask Nas, he don’t want it with Hov’, nooooo!” When this joint dropped as the freestyle from the Summer Jam concert it had everybody open and wanted to hear what Jay had next.
Jay’s verse summed up the criticism Nas was receiving after Illmatic dropped. “Nasty Nas to Esco’s trash”, “…Fake thugs…”, “fell from top ten to not mentioned at all”, etc was what fans and critics were saying about Nas…that he fell off. Jay was the first to put it in a rhyme.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “Ether” & “You’re Da Man”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “That this Gay-Z and Cockafella Records wanted beef” (”Ether”)
“When KRS already made an album called “Blueprint”/First, Biggie’s ya man, then you got the nerve to say that you better than Big/Dick suckin lips, whyn’t you let the late, great veteran live” (”Ether”)
“My child, I’ve watched you grow up to be famous/And now I smile like a proud dad, watchin his only son that made it” (”Ether”)
“All I did was gave you a style for you to run with/Smilin in my face, glad to break bread with the god/Wearin Jaz chains, no tecs, no cash, no cars/No jail bars Jigga, no pies, no case/Just Hawaiian shirts” (”Ether”)
“You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan” (”Ether”)
“Shaun Carter to Jay-Z, damn you on Jaz dick/So little shorty’s gettin gunned up and clapped quick/How much of Biggie’s rhymes is gon’ come out your fat lips?/Wanted to be on every last one of my classics/You pop shit, apologize, nigga, just ask Kiss” (”Ether”)
“I don’t kill soloists only kill squads” (”You’re Da Man”)
“Now you wanna hang with niggas I hung with/Fuck bitches I hit, it’s funny I once said…” (”You’re Da Man”)
Interpretation: Check out Sean’s take on “Ether” on his Top 10 Diss Records of All Time.
Nas dedicated a whole song to Jay this go around. Once “Fuck Jay-Z” is heard you knew it was on. Nas gets a lot of digs in at Jay: Called him a Stan, questioned his street credibility, said he gave him (Jay) a style, addressed Jay’s insistence of using B.I.G.’s rhymes, questioned he loyalty to B.I.G., but now claiming to be better, biting KRS-One’s album title, etc.
“You’re Da Man” addresses Jay bangin Nas’s “baby mama” and Jay’s relationship with Steve Stoute. I believe during this time Nas and Steve Stoute had a falling out….or definitely after the “Hate Me Now” controversy.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Super Ugly”
Year: 2001
Lyrics: “With Queens niggas you know how I do/Look, I got more shooters in Queensbridge than you”
“Nigga never sold aspirin how you Escobar?”
“I came in your bentley backseat, skeeted in your jeep/Left condoms on your baby seat”
“And since you infatuated with sayin that gay shit/Yes you was kissin my dick when you was kissin that bitch/Nasty shit, you though I was bonin Vanette/You callin Carm a hundred times I was bonin her neck/You got a baby by the broad you can’t disown her yet”
Interpretation: Jay finally letting us know “…Because you know who (who) did you know what (what) with you know who (yeah) but just keep that between me and you for now”
As crude, vugar, and disrespectful as you can get on a record. Admitted Jay stan that I am….just wasn’t Jay’s style. Jay is a calculated person and this record (funny and informative as it was) screamed of knee jerk reaction. My take is all of the the gay references made by Nas made Jay goes this route…thus the apology after the track dropped.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “U Wanna Be Me”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “I think of kings who died and rappers out to dethrone me”
“And show you how to stay off my dick/That’s the thing I hate the most, can’t even call you a man/When you gotta call out my name to get you some fans”
“Realize, how many classics I gave you/Perhaps if you think back you’ll realize that I made you”
“And understand, to battle Nas not in your plan…… And you my offspring, the boss sting”
“Play me a gangster’s theme, while you entertain me/If I ain’t cryin laughin, to the lions, throw your ass in/What the fuck was you niggaz thinkin?/Guns’ll clutch if I get a inklin that you comin for the kingpin”
Interpretation: Nas isn’t calling Jay out by name, but if he isn’t talking about Jay then who….? Definitely wasn’t Cam/Dip Set or N.O.R.E.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Blueprint 2″
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “But you can’t give cred to anything dude says/Same dude to give you ice and you owe him some head”
“Can’t y’all, see that he’s fake, the rap version of T.D. jakes/Prophesizing on your CDs and tapes”
“Cause the nigga wear a kufi, it don’t mean that he bright/Cause you don’t understand him, it don’t mean that he nice/It just means you don’t understand all the bullshit that he write”
“Is it “Oochie Wally Wally” or is it “One Mic”?/Is it “Black Girl Lost” or shorty owe you for ice?”
“Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat/But I will not lose, for even in defeat
There’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me”
Interpretation: The mature answer from Jay that again attacks Nas’s creditability and the contradictions in his rhymes. I definitely enjoyed this better than “Super Ugly”.
After Nas dropped “Ether” and Jay came back with “Super Ugly” many claimed Nas the winner. Hot 97 in New York had a vote on the air and the listeners crowned Nas the winner of the battle. Jay had a good understanding that Goliath (Jay) wasn’t going to beat David (Nas) in the eyes of the public. The underdog is always cheered on.

*Artist: Nas
Song: “Last Real Nigga Alive”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “Jigga started to flow like us, but hit with ‘Ain’t No Niggaz’/Had much Versace swagger B.I.G. admired the Brooklyn knight and it took him in as Iceberg the rapper/Today don’t know nothing, about this bullshit/There’s more shit than wanting to be this King of New York shit”
“She hit the streets, later on she hittin the sheets/With a rapper who wanted me on his songs, thinking he strong”
“The Gift and The Curse? Fuck that shit, the first shall be last/I’m the man’s man, a rapper’s rapper/G-O-D S-O-N, they’ll be none after/I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo/It hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo..”
Interpretation: What I respected about Nas through this whole “beef” was he went at Jay (and the Roc) and Cam (Dip-Set) dolo. None of his crew (not that Jungle or Grand Wizard could help him lyrically) stepped up to go to battle with him. Nas addresses Jay sleeping with his “baby mama”, but hints that he only did it to get closer to him. Nas has always claimed throughout this beef to have “fathered” or “designed his Blueprint” and the Scarface/Manolo analogy sums that up perfectly.

*Artist: Nas (with Bravehearts)
Song: “Quick to Back Down”
Year: 2003
Lyrics: “First of all this is Nas I’ma Braveheart veteran/And y’all already know who I’m better than”
Interpretation: By this time the beef had died down, but Nas got a quick stab in on this joint.

*Bonus Tracks*

These songs and lines could be interpreted as disses or subliminal.

*Artist: Jay-Z
Song: “Don’t You Know”
Year: 2002
Lyrics: “Young’n, you are my hijo/My son dula/I clean the cess pool up/Rap stinks/You cats are the sphinx/You cut off your nose to spite your face/Bet you like it that way don’tchya?’

*Artist: Nas feat. Jay-Z
Song: “Black Republican”
Year: 2006
Lyrics: Nothing obvious or subliminal, but historic in the sense that two MEN that went at it can put differences aside and do business today and publicly reconcile differences.

*Artist: Jay-Z feat. Nas
Song: “Success”
Year: 2007
Lyrics: “Worst enemies wanna be my best friends/Best friends wanna be enemies like that’s what’s in/But I don’t give a fuck walk inside the lions den”

*Artist: Ludacris feat. Jay-Z & Nas
Song: “I Do This For Hip Hop”
Year: 2008
Lyrics:
Nas – “Pardon the rest of my niggaz…but I’m the best who’s ever did it!”
Jay-Z – “That’s why I took the number one slot/The realest shit in rap comes from my voice box”

They say confession is good for the soul. Today we YFWB offer another installment of The Confessional, an ongoing feature on Your Favorite White Boy, where your man B-Double will be confessing certain things that he would not dare bring up in the company of his Hip-Hop brethren.

Bless me Reverend Run, for I have sinned.

It’s been 14 days since my last confession.

I’m tired of mouthing off subliminally, so I’m just going to come out and say it: most Hip-Hop blogs are unoriginal clones that really contribute nothing to the online rap community.  What do I mean by that?  I mean that ever since the New Music Cartel started to provide the majority of new music and video content out in the raposphere, there have been a million Nah Right Jrs and OnSMASH orphans that popped up to clog our bandwith.

As a blogger that strives to bring new content, fresh ideas and relevant opinion to the table, I get heated when I see “authors” promoting the same videos, the same music and the same content as about 400 other blogs out there.  For the life of me, I have no idea how they get any traffic.  Why would I go to your stupid-ass site when I can go to one that posted it in the first place?

Blog readers and viewers should respect and support websites and blogs that bring new ideas or offer their views on artists and their music.  It is an incredible challenge to post new ish day after day.  Don’t get me wrong:  I’m not complaining -  I love doing this.  It’s not work to me.  And sure, I’ve been known to post up a song or a video if it catches my eye.  But that’s the minority of posts.  Other sites?  Not so much.

There is some fantastic content out there from people who love Hip-Hop and post thoughts and opinions worth being part of the ongoing dialogue of this thing called rap.  These sites have given me a different and often hilarious and/or dope perspective of their own Hip-Hop experience(s).  We need more of these kinds of sites.

But too often, site administrators just grab code from whatever big site they visit and then post it on up.  In fact, in compiling the list above I saw the same damn video and downloads again and again and again.  Just so we’re clear:

1. If the video you post can be found on 50+ other sites, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
2. If your site looks like an unofficial member of the NMC, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
   
3. If you post any download you find regardless of whether you like it, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
4. If you been blogging for 6 months and have never written an album review, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
5. If you can’t string a coherent sentence together, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
   
6. If you don’t comment on other sites and add to the general discussion, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
7. If you’re offended by this post, STOP BLOGGING NOW.
   

So, in summary: if you just post videos or zSHARE links that you took off of other websites, your blog sucks, my dude.  We all know there are a lot of rappers our there that shouldn’t be rapping.  The same goes in the raposphere: just because you can create a website, doesn’t mean you should.    Do us all a favor and delete that thing.  Leave it to real Hip-Hop writers.

Wow.  I feel a lot better.

In the name of God’s Son, the Father MC and the Holy Ghostface.