It seems like you can’t start a conversation about Hip-Hop without talking about one of the following: the latest hot single on the radio, Auto-Tune, and whether or not Hip-Hop is dead. Well, I’ve compiled a list of five things that we, the listeners, can do in order to save Hip-Hop.

1. Appreciate The New School
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve trashed both Soulja Boy and Bow Wow. I think both of them are cutting themselves short of their true potential. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t blast “Turn my Swag On” and “You Can Get It All”. And I have done the “Soulja Boy” dance. The point here is, the new talent that we’ve been getting is different in their own ways and we should embrace them. Not every song that Soulja Boy makes is garbage (Well, I guess that’s everyone’s personal opinion) and we should say: “Hey, he reallly did it here” when he does. Beyond that, we’ve also got a lot of new faces in the game, like Drake, Asher Roth, B.o.B., Wale, Mickey Factz, J. Cole, Saigon, etc. All of these artists bring something new to the game and it’s up to us to listen to their music with a open mind; not being so critical of them.

2. Buy The Records
You can’t expect rappers to function without sales. We’ve gotta stop downloading the album and not buying it. I mean, you don’t have to buy EVERY record but if you do download an album and you like it, buy it. If your favorite rapper drops an album and you want it, buy it. That’s why everyone was so surprised when Rick Ross only sold 160k in his first week. His album was hyped and everything, but we as a community have to buy these albums in order for Hip-Hop to be successful. Rick Ross’ album was good and it should have sold at least 300k in the first week to be completely honest that’s how hyped up it was. But because of the increasing downloading, no one actually went out to buy it. Look at the Weezy fanatics: Tha Carter III leaked almost 2 weeks before it dropped and STILL sold a million in the first week. Hip-Hop artists need fans like that.

3. Stop Comparing The Legends
2Pac and B.I.G. were two of the greatest to ever do it. But they’re dead now and they ain’t coming back. Ever. Even 2Pac’s new content sounds bad in the shadow of his earlier music. We need to move on from that. I’m not saying stop listening to 2Pac’s songs but at the same time stop taking someone like, say, Drake, and comparing him to 2Pac. “Drake’s wack, he’s got nothing on 2Pac”. That’s because he isn’t 2Pac! Just because he’s not as good as 2Pac doesn’t mean he’s bad. That’s like saying “A-Rod sucks, he’s got nothing on Babe Ruth.” If you like the man’s music it shouldn’t matter. You can still have your top 5 lists and your personal G.O.A.T., but if you like an artist that’s all that should matter, not whether or not they are better than a legend.

4. Stop Blaming The South
The South has been blamed for the quality of music that has been put out, but if anything, the South saved Hip-Hop. When rappers were in limbo, a bunch of rappers from the south held it down. T.I., Jeezy, Weezy, Lil’ Jon, Ludacris, Outkast, Khaled and his entourage, hell, even T-Pain! They came up out of nowhere, started dropping hot singles in the game and making all this money. The South and the Midwest have been holding the game down more than anywhere. The East? What was the biggest record from the east before Jadakiss? American Gangster 2 years ago! And the West is basically composed of four rappers: Snoop, who’s still barely hanging on, The Game, Ice Cube past his prime, and Dr. Dre, who may never release Detox. The South deserves credit for stepping up, so stop blaming them for Hip-hop’s condition.

5. Welcome Change And New Ideas
I ain’t gonna front, if you’ve seen my comments in the forums you know I hate Kid Cudi. It’s just too different. At the same time we should accept and welcome changes like the ones he’s made. How many different genres/types of rock music are there? You can’t name them all can you? That’s because there were so many different artists out there redefining what you could and couldn’t do in rock music, and that’s exactly what we need in Hip-Hop. Artists like Kid Cudi, Charles Hamilton, and B.o.B. along with albums like 808’s & Heartbreak, help to broaden the scope of Hip-Hop, and it allows people of all ages and musical tastes to join the community.

A few Tuesday’s ago (May, 19th to be exact) we saw album releases from Busta Rhymes, Method Man/Redman, & of course, Eminem. This was so far the biggest release date of 2009. All three acts that I mentioned are veterans in the game and well respected by their peers. Another thing they have in common: They’re all over the age of 30. If you think about it, most of Hip-Hop’s elite are over the age of 30. I guess it’s no longer a young man’s game. So I was thinking, since you see a lot of lists with titles such as “25 Hottest Celebs Under 25” or “40 Richest Under 40”, why not The Best 30 Rappers Over 30? But for this list, we got set some ground rules. #1 of course is the most obvious; you gotta be over the age of 30 (That throws out people like Weezy, Lupe, Drake, & T.I.). #2, you have to be 30 as of this list (Both The Game & Joe Budden will be 30 this year, but aren’t as of yet). #3, you got to be active and releasing records with new material that’s relevant (Rakim & Big Daddy Kane are legends but they don’t make this list). Other than that, the only requirement is being 3-0 or older. So, here’s it: The Best 30 Rappers Over 30 (Ordered from oldest to youngest). 30 is the new 20! Did I forget anybody? (Update: Fabolous replaces Beanie Sigel)

Ice Cube (June 15, 1969) – 39
Jay-Z (December 4, 1969) – 39
Raekwon (January 12, 1970) – 39
Q-Tip (April 10, 1970) – 39
Redman (April 17, 1970) – 39
Ghostface Killah (May 9, 1970) – 39
Fat Joe (August 19, 1970) – 38
Scarface (November 9, 1970) – 38
DMX (December 18, 1970) – 38
Method Man (April 1, 1971) – 38
Snoop Dogg (October 20, 1971) – 37
Common (March 13, 1972) – 37
Busta Rhymes (May 20, 1972) – 37
Black Thought (October 3, 1972) – 36
Eminem (October 17, 1972) – 36
Bun B (March 19, 1973) – 36
Nas (September 14, 1973) – 35
Mos Def (December 11, 1973) – 35
Andre 3000 (May 27, 1974) – 35
Styles P (November 28, 1974) – 34
Big Boi (February 1, 1975) – 34
Jadakiss (May 27, 1975) – 34
50 Cent (July 6, 1975) – 33
Talib Kweli (October 3, 1975) – 33
Rick Ross (January 28, 1976) – 33
Cam’ron (February 4, 1976) – 33
Kanye West (June 8, 1977) – 31
Ludacris (September 11, 1977) – 31
Young Jeezy (October 12, 1977)- 31
Fabolous (November 18, 1977) – 31

This is one of those albums that will grab your attention just with the title: What better way to say America is racist than this? Back 1990, Ice Cube was fresh off of N.W.A., and let me tell you, this brother was hungry. This album alone, along with Death Certificate, which came one year later, shows that. Cube was ruthless back then, and when I say ruthless, I mean he wouldn’t be in a movie unless the rating was R. Hell, at this time, I don’t even think Cube was even concerned with acting, even though his performance as Doughboy from Boyz N Da Hood is still that of classic status. All he wanted to do was preach the evils of society in raps and just get his name out as a solo artist, which I think he was successful in doing with AmeriKKKas Most Wanted.

The album was produced by Tha Bomb Squad, known for their work with Public Enemy, and this work on AmeriKKKas Most Wanted gave Ice Cube’s album a very East Coast style sound that with Ice Cube’s storytelling and gifted lyricism, pushed him to the forefront of Hip-Hop and also gained acclaim from all parts of the Hip-Hop world. “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted”, the title track, is just amazing: the production flawless, with the way the track switches up frequently between each verse, and Ice Cube’s lyrics are fiery: “I’m smooth and slippery/They can’t get with me/Cops ain’t shit to me”. Ice Cube also displayed superior storytelling ability on the single “Who’s the Mack”, which was about a pimp and his interactions with various people. The ratings that this album has gotten from every Hip-Hop publication and website can only make this album nothing but classic.

Well, look at this. Even though King Jerm didn’t exactly love Raw Footage, you gotta give props to Ice Cube. He might not sale as much as his last album (Laugh Now, Cry Later sold 144,000 in it’s first week), but Cube’s been it the game for 23 years…and he’s only 39! Looking at it that way, 70,000 album sales isn’t bad at all. Speaking of elder rappers, I also gotta tip my hat to the GZA. Pro Tools sold 9,000 and landed at #52. I thought the album could have been better and really didn’t expect it to land in the Top 100. I also see Shwayze (From the MTV reality show Buzzin‘) is doing okay with their debut. And no, we probably won’t be reviewing that album; sorry. Oh yeah, where to fuck did Yung Berg go? He debuted at #20 last week. Dang, this guy can not catch a break. Check back next week to see how The Game’s L.A.X. did. Let’s look at this week’s numbers…

#5 Ice Cube/Raw Footage (Last Week: NA) – 69,763; Total: NA [Debut]
#7 Lil’ Wayne/Tha Carter III (Last Week: #6) – 56,820; Total: 2,263,325 (2X Platinum) [11 Weeks]
#10 Shwayze/Shwayze (Last Week: NA) – 46,584; Total: NA [Debut]
#12 Rhianna/Good Girl Gone Bad (Last Week: #9) – 39,301; Total: 1,675,974 (Platinum) [64 Weeks]
#24 Lloyd/Lessons In Love (Last Week: #17) – 15,611; Total: 88,997 [3 Weeks]
#25 Nas/Untitled (Last Week: #21) – 15,075; Total: 349,813 [6 Weeks]
#39 Plies/Definition Of Real (Last Week: #35) – 10,835; Total: 469,638 [11 Weeks]
#40 David Banner/The Greatest Story Ever Told (Last Week: #36) – 10,658; Total: 123,688 [6 Weeks]
#42 Chris Brown/Exclusive (Last Week: #37) – 10,300; Total: 1,759,300 [52 Weeks]
#52 GZA/Pro Tools (Last Week: NA) – 9,027; Total: NA [Debut]

It’s been 3 years since The Game dropped his multi-platinum debut The Documentary. Since then, a lot has changed for the Compton sensation. He’s beef with a plethora of rappers, gotten/covered up numerous tattoos, been seen on multiple magazine covers imitating suicide, cried publicly about Hip-Hop and Sean Bell, released a sophomore album entitled Doctor’s Advocate, and drop a bevy of songs for the streets (And the internet). You can say a lot of things about Jayceon Terrell Taylor, but one you can’t say it that he’s predictable. This may be the one of the many reasons his new album, L.A.X., is one of the most anticipated albums of 2008. As with past releases, L.A.X. comes packed with guest appearances as well as A-list producers. Will this be the album that cements The Game’s spot in Hip-Hop? Will this be Game’s last album? Is he still constantly dropping names in his rhymes? Let’s find out…

1. Intro
Featuring DMX; Produced by Ervin “E.P.” Pope
“Devil! We rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” The Game goes and gets DMX to pray for his soul on the intro. It’s works since both have a lot of similarities (You know, saying one thing and doing the opposite). It’s an alright intro, but isn’t this like getting Pastor Mase to pray for you to break away from your transvestite addiction? I’m just saying.

2. LAX Files
Produced by J. R. Rotem
This type of song is perfect for the “jump off” of the album. The songs has The Game explaining about his hometown and his environment. He even goes as far to say he’s met the real O-Dog from Menace II Society (maybe it’s just a metaphor or he’s talking about Larenz Tate). The piano driven track plus the hook deliver a success. Oh, and the name dropping meter is on high.

3. State Of Emergency
Featuring by Ice Cube; Produced by J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem turns in back to back production credits and once again constructs a well crafted track. The song could have been placed elsewhere on the album since it covers the same topics as the last. Ice Cube doesn’t have a verse but him and Game go back and forth on the hook. The song is in fact good but if I was to split hairs here, I would point out that The Game says Ice Cube had jerri curls in 1996 and Shabba Ranks performed the song “Flex”.

4. Bulletproof Diaries
Featuring Raekwon; Produced Jelly Roll
I think it’s cool that The Game actually put Raekwon on the album. The song seems like it was collaborative effort; no mailed tracks here. The production is cool with me; it would have been better if it didn’t feel off beat during the verses. Both performers don’t seem out of place on the beat even though the title is very Raekwon.

5. My Life
Featuring Lil’ Wayne; Produced by Cool & Dre
This is the official third single off the album and is the mandatory Weezy feature. The beat on this is one has a solemn yet “theme song” feel to it. While I never loved this song, I can see how some people do. Lil’ Wayne gets to do more of the vocoder singing he loves which most of the time leads to commercial success. The lyrics seem kina hollow to me for some reason. The intro to this song adds to the feel of the song and pays homage to Bigge’s “Warning”.

6. Money
Produced by Cool & Dre
When I first listened to this album, the first song I loved was this one. The Game rides this beats perfect and stays on subject. The constant sample of “money” in background adds to the sickness. The line of the song: “I used to only sell 8’s like that Laker nigga/Now I’m moving 24’s like I play at the Staple Center”. Good song.

7. Cali Sunshine
Featuring Bilal; Produced by Nottz
I most of the time like production by Nottz and while this isn’t bad, I just never gotten into this song. The Game also sounds like he just dropping names to drop names (He drops Jazze Pha & 50 Cent in the first two lines). Also, wouldn’t it be better if he got a singer who was actually from Cali? It’s not a skip though; just not for me.

8. Ya Heard
Featuring Ludacris; Produced by Nottz
At first I was shaking my head; “Please tell me they didn’t sample ‘Jam On It’”. But thankfully the beat changes up after the intro. While the beat is very West Coast, I never got into this one either. Luda does his thing though and turns in a good performance but the beat can get kinda boring after a few plays. This isn’t a skip either; just another one I can’t get into.

9. Hard Liquor (Interlude)
Produced by Ervin “E.P.” Pope
This skit gives perspective of a night at the club as The Game.

10. House Of Pain
Produced by DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp shows some versatility here as Game rides over this roller coaster of a beat. At first listen, I was moderately impressed but on further listening, I realized this is a banger. The hook is on some Dr. Dre shit too. It also shows that Game can hold it down without a major feature: “My pops wasn’t around so this bastard/Bleed California from the cradle to the casket”.

11. Gentleman’s Affair
Featuring by Ne-Yo; Produced by J. R. Rotem
This one is definitely for the ladies. I also realize that Ne-Yo does his thing on these Hip-Hop songs (Shit, his hook on “Bust It Baby Pt. 2” was the only reason the shit ever appeared on my iPod). Like I said, the song is for the women folk so I can’t really be expected to love it right. It’s a serviceable song.

12. Let Us Live
Featuring Chrisette Michele; Produced by Scott Storch
The beat is classic Scott Storch as Game explains about his side of town (To me he sounds like Nas here). The bass line on this one is mean. Even though I love Chrisette Michele, I don’t know if her voice is right for this track. Other than that, the song is first-class.

13. Touchdown
Featuring Raheem DeVaughn; Produced by 1500 or Nothin’
If you are counting at home, this is the third straight song featuring an R&B artist. For some reason, I thought this song was about football. To my surprise it was another song for the ladies and what happens when your plane lands. The song could very be taken a Raheem DeVaughn track that features Game since DeVaughn seems to have more face time. The actual song screams radio play/club and does that well.

14. Angel
Featuring Common; Produced by Kanye West
This definitely doesn’t sound like a Kanye West produced track…and that’s not a good thing. I understand the theme here but the track is just boring. I was disappointed since I’m  a Common fan. Also when Game starts rapping on the second verse, turn off your name dropping meter; mine broke.

15. Never Can Say Goodbye
Featuring LaToya Williams; Produced by Ervin “E.P.” Pope (Co-Produced by The Game)
This reminds me of what Reks did with “All In One (5 Mics)”. The Game mimics three departed rappers right before their demise (2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., & Eazy-E). This track really shows Game’s creativity and since he constantly drops the names of the three rappers it makes since. The Eazy impersonation wasn’t the best due to him using a more simplistic flow. Also, isn’t LaToya Williams reliable as shit when it comes to R&B hooks?

16. Dope Boys
Featuring Travis Barker; Produced by 1500 Or Nothin’ (Additional Production by DJ Quik)
This was the song that initially got my eager for this album and is probably my favorite track off the album. With the drums of Travis Barker the beat is sick and has shades of Nas’ “Made You Look” in term that both songs are both street and club approved. Excellent song.

17. Game’s Pain
Featuring Keyshia Cole; Produced by Knobody & Dahoud Darien (Additional production by Ervin “EP” Pope)
For some reason, I never liked this song. It’s like another version Keyshia Cole’s “Let It Go”; all you need is Missy Elliott. This was the first single and I think it never really caught on. It’s not a horrible song; I just think The Game is going through the motions as he once again raps about “back in the day”.

18. Letter To The King
Featuring Nas; Produced by Hi-Tek
I just realized that this is the second straight Game album that ends with an introspective Nas featured song. As for the production, you can almost never go wrong with Hi-Tek. This is no question one of the stand out track off the album. For almost six minutes Jayceon and Nas reminisce about Martin Luther King’s legacy as well as others. This is a great way to end the album (Especially since I eat stuff like this up).

19. Outro
Featuring DMX; Produced by Ervin “E.P.” Pope
More of what we got from the intro track.

Bottom Line:
While this is no way a perfect album, it can easily be placed as one of this year’s best. Like the two previous Game albums, L.A.X. is full of all-start guest features and producers. The Game didn’t really branch out from previous outings but still maintains the quality level. I hope in the future, The Game shows more artistic growth and venture outside of his comfort zone. Besides the obvious drawbacks (See “name dropping”), the album does boast slick production; that alone is almost worth the price of admission. All in all, you can chalk another one up for the The Game, Gangsta Rap, & the West Coast.

nappyPicks: “LAX Files”, “Money”, “Let Us Live”, “House Of Pain”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”, “Dope Boys” & “Letter To The King”

Download: The Game feat Jadakiss, Bun B, Pusha T, Fat Joe, Young Buck, Keyshia Cole, & Queen Latifah – “Game’s Pain (remix)”

Outside of the very first rap album ever released, this is the most important album in the history of Hip-Hop music and culture. The effects of this monumental album live on not just in music, but in our everyday lives. There was a time when the overwhelming majority of Hip-Hop music was feel good party music, braggadocios rap, and storytelling. Enter Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella here. With their eyes set squarely on letting the world see the tough streets of Compton, they hit us with Straight Outta Compton. Everyone knew of the gritty gang infested streets, violence, and drug world, but no one was covering it. NWA blew the lid off that world and allowed everyone in on how it went down on the west side and single-handedly put West Coast rap on the map. With songs like “Dopeman”, “Straight Outta Compton”, “Fuck the Police”, “Gangsta Gangsta”, and “Express Yourself”, the crew took over white suburbia, the government, and the music industry simultaneously with its Gangsta Rap.  The album was the first to reach platinum status with approximately 80% of that being bought in the suburbs. That is quite the feat when you consider that this was done with no commercial promotion and was banned from the radio. This is, still even today, the most gangsta album ever made and by far, some of the most classic material.

 Download: NWA – “Straight Outta Compton”

Another week comes up and once again we go with newer material for Song of the Week (Stop the complaining people, I promise we’ll start back to posting some older gems…one day). Well, this week we giving you two bonus tracks from two of California’s finest (And you say we don’t show West Coast love on nappyafro.com). Actually, these two have a lot in coming with all the West Coast Connection rumors. The first is a bonus track off the recently King Jerm reviewed Raw Footage (Thanks to Obese from It’s Another One). The second is from The Game’s upcoming L.A.X. (Thanks to Derek from Tha Carter Cartel). The L.A.X. will be reviewed by yours truly; but you won’t see that until next week when it officially drops.

Download:  Ice Cube -”Crack Baby”

Download: The Game feat. Newz – “Nice”

One of the most influential persons in Hip-Hop returns with his second independent release titled Raw Footage. After selling more than 600K units with his last offering Laugh Now, Cry Later, Cube found out that you don’t have to shop your albums with the majors if your paper is straight. Cube, who has been making big money in Hollywood, one would wonder why he would continue to make music anymore. The answer to that is simply because he loves doing it. Let’s get to the music!

What is a Pyroclastic Flow?
An intro with the person that played Lauren London’s father on ATL. Nothing major here.

I Got My Locs On
Featuring Young Jeezy; Produced by DJ Toomp
First thing you notice is the topnotch production by Toomp, and the second thing you notice is how Cube has dumbed his lyrical style down. He sounds like he is a Southern rapper instead of his usual Cali flow. Jeezy makes up for Cube’s shortcomings, but the song is still HOT.

It Takes a Nation
Produced by Emile
Cube comes back with a West Coast sounding rendition of Jay-Z’s “Takeover”. Cube gets political on the song mentioning he wanted to get into a fistfight with the President. The song definitely has that West Coast sound to it, but the beat is the only thing that I like on the track.

Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
Produced by Maestro
This song came out at a time when Hip-Hop was the blame for everything. Cube actually sounds like the old Cube on this one. I am not a big fan of the hook, but I like the message on the song.

Hood Mentality
Produced by Da Beatsmith
The production on this one is different, but it’s hot in its own way. Cube goes back to the ABC rhymes on this one with lines like this one, “Everybody wanna call Michael a psycho, but he ain’t never come through the hood with a rifle.” The message on the song is dope, but the way it’s presented, will have you shaking your head.

Why Me?
Featuring Musiq Soulchild; Produced by Hallway Productionz
Cube raps over a soulful beat with the help of Musiq. I can’t front on this song, this one is real SMOOTH. Cube’s delivery is on the shaky side, but he makes it work on this track.

Cold Places
Produced by Da Beatsmith
The production on this one is good, it seems like Cube mailed this one in. He is just rambling on and on about the same topic he rapped about on the previous songs. NEXT!

Jack N the Box
Produced by Tha Bizness
Cube has some bubblegum rhymes like this one, “when I bring the noise from here to Illinois, muthafuckas love when I do what it does.” Come on Cube, you are better than that. NEXT.

Do Ya Thang
Produced by Polumbo Beats
He takes it back to the West Coast on this one, but his delivery is still the problem. He even says, “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the flyest of them all” on the song. The beat is BLAZING, but the rhymes are on the weak side.

Thank God
Produced by Da Beatsmith
The production on this song is HOT. Cube speeds up his flow a little bit, and that was the demise of the song. When given beats this good, Cube still can’t deliver the goods.

Here He Come
Featuring Doughboy; Produced by DJ Toomp
Once again, Toomp comes thru with a bass pounding beat that Cube can’t keep up with. Thankfully, Doughboy came through with some decent lyrics to save the song.

Get Money, Spend Money, No Money
Produced by Maestro
All I have to say about this song is this…SKIP! The song is boring and Cube’s delivery continues to be a problem.

Get Used to It
Featuring WC & The Game; Produced by Embeatz
Off all the good beats that he has on the album, he decided to use one of the weakest for the song The Game is featured on. Cube’s verse is atrocious, WC gives us his usual rhyme, and The Game’s verse was the only reason why I would recommend this song to anyone.

Tomorrow
Produced by Warryn “Baby Dubb” Campbell
The good production returns, but we still have the same old same with Cube. Boring topics with a weak delivery that could have been avoided by picking up another movie script.

Stand Tall
Produced by DJ Crazy Toones & David “Dizmix” Lopez
Cube smoothes it out on this song and I have to say this is one of the better songs on the album. I have no qualms with his delivery on this one because it fits with the track. BANGER!

Take Me Away
Featuring Butch Cassidy; Produced by Djay Cas & Yung Fokus
Cube closes the album with a decent song which he namedrops Obama a couple of times and continues with the boring raps. How are you going to close out an album on a weak note like that? One of many questions I had for Cube after listening to this album.

Bottom Line:
When you are an independent artist and you’re paying most of the bill, you can do what you want. However, when you are a legend in the game and you continue to put out less than your best, then it might be time to call it quits. Cube is one of the most successful rappers of all time, but with him releasing music like this, I feel like he is Kareem in the 1989 Finals. He just doesn’t have it anymore. The window has passed and Cube has been spending too much time outside the studio. He doesn’t even have to make music anymore…so why does he keep going? Maybe he is just scratching that itch that makes him want to hit the studio, but when is he going to realize he is only hurting his legacy. Cube was an innovator, but on this album, it seemed like he conformed to what everybody else is doing today. His delivery was off, lyrics were on the dull side, and for most of the album he sounded like he was forcing the music. If you are an Ice Cube fan, you probably are going to be disappointed in this offering.

nappyPicks: “I Got My Locs On”, “Why Me?”, & “Stand Tall”

Download: Ice Cube – “Stand Tall”

From being protégée of OutKast to an independent artist, Killer Mike has always been pretty true to the first part of his name. Killer is how the mic typically sees him. His distinctive flow, cadence, and delivery teamed with his lyrical sharpness have garnered him respect and the ability to rhyme about politics and the grind without losing any love. Let’s check out his latest offering, I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II.

Intro
Produced by Brandon Bailey & Brandon “Tec Beatz” Sewell
I commend Mike for what he says in this intro. However, the part about it not being a typical rap album is a matter of opinion these days. That aside, he spits some truth and someone will really use this as motivation to hustle and better their current situation.

10 G’s
Produced by Young Sears
A Biggie sample brings us the hook over some dramatic church organ chords that relent when the rap starts. Killer lets you know where he’s been, both in his lifetime and in the music biz. “Makin’ underground money/Cause I’m on my on my grind dummy/Niggas ask me where I been/Makin ‘ fukin’ money dummy/Used to chop that grass homie/Now I ‘m choppin’ syllables/And them crackas cut me checks and pay me some residuals.” The track would benefit from some deeper and harder bass, but overall, it’s a solid song.

Can You Hear Me
Produced by CKP
More motivational music, “This music is the soundtrack to your success” quips Mike on the intro. The 80’s lend us another sample and some rock infusion here. This shit is well done but it’s been done quite a few times before. The overall production is dope and the song comes across well even with a T-Pain type hook. Mike is up to his frenzy flow tricks as usual, as he reminds us, he stayed on his grind, and now he’s a winner. I’d say this one is average to good.

2 Sides
Featuring Shawty LO; Produced by Wonder Aillo
Song 3 is just as hard as the rest of the catalogue as Mike reps his hood and city and questions those who claim to be from his area…but he’s never seen them. “Well Gotdamn! Must be 2 sides!” is seriously funny even though Shawty LO is sincere as he hits us with the hook. Care to guess who the target(s) are for this one? They may want to answer this blatant lyrical chin checkin’. This is one of my favorite songs on the album.

Pressure
Featuring Ice Cube; Produced by Tha Bizness
It Kicks off with a poignant intro of Farrakhan speaking some heat about knowing who you are as a people. The track starts and while simple, it’s definitely a head nod track. Killer opens the song with “Muthafuckas/I just bought some new chuckas/The old ones bloodied up from stompin’ out most suckas.’” Cube goes hard as hell on a track that fits his style perfectly and picks up where he left off on Laugh Now Cry Later with The same muthafuckas wanna gank you/Because they hate you and the pussy that you came through/Can anybody tell me that it ain’t true/That these muthafuckas’ out to hurt you. Both vets keep the heat coming on their last verses and basically murder this one. This song is another winner.

Big Money Big Cars
Featuring Chamillionaire and Messy Marv; Produced by Cutmaster Swiff
This is a straight up shout out to the South, Geto Boys sample and UGK influence on this track. The track is nothing but that southern syrup and bounce coupled with background ‘hey’ chant. It’s hard to ignore this one. Messy Marv steps to the mic and does his best Jeezy impersonation complete with ad libs. Chamillionaire steps in and picks the song back up with his cadence and flow all over this one. It’s almost too little too late to repair the damage done to the middle of this song by Marv, but Cham saves this one to average.

God In The Building
Produced by The Cancer & Kidz With Machine Gunz
I really have no words. This is THE best song on the album and will probably be in my top 10 of ‘08. This song is perfect from top to bottom. Production is flawless, lyrics are raw, and the hook is perfect in execution and concept. “To get to heaven I will raise hell / but before I am a servant in a white heaven I will rule in a black hell.” No shock, song seven strikes again. I’m sure we will hear a lot more from this production crew after this gem.

Super Clean/Super Hard
Featuring 8Ball & MJG; Produced by Tyrice Jones
How do you follow up that song? Easy, by getting some Southern Legends to flow over a little Al Green sample. I hate the damn word, but this is a swag special. Concept is simple, flip the word “Super” into your flow as many times as you can while kickin’ your regular lyrical glitz and game. I can’t wait to blast this one around the park on Sunday. The track is so South, can’t hate it if you wanted to…but you won’t. This one is dope.

Woke Up This Mornin’
Produced by Chris Crak
How can you not like this song? It’s laid back weekend, slow cruisin’, summer jam music. It puts me in the mind of Devin the Dude with the dro and sex lyrics and fun wordplay overall. The track is light hearted and Killer does a great job of slowing down his pace to groove with this one. Good song.

Bang!
Produced by CKP
First things first, the bass, chant, and clap on this one are dope…the rest of this 8bit sounding track is horrible. The hook is not a good look at all with some tired sounding chick layered to sound robotic. Mike doesn’t offer anything new here and even his sharp lyrics and delivery can’t help this one. SKIP…unfortunately, because the bones of this song are good.

Grandma’s House
Produced by X.P.
I swear, that “hey, hey, hey” chant just gets me going. Anyway, the track itself is average, nothing complex or difficult about this one at all. Killer Mike tries his hand at singing on the hook and different parts of the song, but it’s done comically. He sings in a nursery rhyme type melody “I don’t give a fuck I do a thou-ou then I’m up and out/Then break that shit and weigh that shit/Distribute shit out Grandma’s house.” Mike gives us some story telling, typical dope tales here. He keeps it Mike with lines like “…you should see the fat, black boy today/Wear more Polo than Kanye/Marry me a big booty cutie like Jay…” The idea of spittin’ this one around the idea of sneaking and selling dope out his Grandma’s house is a little different concept on what has become a common theme on most albums. This one is a solid song.

If I Can’t Eat Right
Featuring Gangsta Pill & Rochelle Fox; Produced by Young Sears
Young Sears takes a page from Weezy and lets the beat build on this one. It starts off simple but as the song goes on leading to the hook, more parts are added. Then after the hook its stripped back down and the process starts again. I dig the concept of that a lot, and the execution is as good as the idea. Our first verse is Mike who puts a seat on the track and renames it Huffy. He ends his first verse with “She said I’m pretty Michael I can have any guy/I told her damn right, girl you are stunnin’/But I’m rich bitch I can have any woman.” Pill follows him up and does an okay job. He’s followed by Rochelle who offers up an average verse. The song ends up average to a little below average.

I Gotcha
Produced by Smiff & Cash
There is nothing special about the track, pretty simple all around but decent at the same time. When I first listened to this song, I turned up my nose at the use of spiritual leaders names with the subject matter, but if you pay attention to it, this shit is flat out creative. He lets us know this is street gospel, and he delivers. I don’t know that the track and the song are the best match, but the concept of the song is kinda tight. Lyrically, this song is a lot better than is comes off.

I’m The Shit
Produced by B. Don
When I read the title and heard the strings sing on the guitar on the lead in, I was excited. That soon passed. I appreciate the song being different, but the track gets old very fast. Lyrically, Mike has said this statement without blatantly saying it, but he offers up some sub par verses here, including talk of making the pussy burp. This one is not nearly as dope as the title would have you expect.

Can You Buy That
Produced by Drugs
For the second time in a row, we get a less than mediocre beat and now even Mike sounds tired. His usual bouncy flow and exuberant delivery are gone here, he does rhyme fast, but he’s muffled and sounds bored. The beat is just as exciting and makes this song skip worthy.

You See It
Featuring SL Jones; Produced by Brandon ‘Tec Beatz’ Sewell
Make that 3 times in a row. This beat literally drags and even with the up-tempo background support, the heavy chords drag the overall feel of this one way down. SL seems to have been lulled to sleep as well as his verse seems, at times, slower than the track. Mike, has a little more of his wordplay here, but his delivery is the same as the track before this one. I won’t say skip, but it’s not a good song either.

Good-Bye (City of Dope)
Produced by Malay
The beat and overall production pick up a bit on here. The parts, while still simple, work well together to give us a good beat. The hook is okay, some singing of “Kiss yo’ ass good-Bye” pipes the guy that sounds like a young Nate Dog in training. Mike paints us a picture that starts off sounding like a scene from New Jack City and ends almost as wild. He ends the album on an average note.

Bottom Line:
Most of the criticism about the first offering is that Mike could have cut out a few tracks and had a lot better album; I feel the same way about this one.  I am not the one to complain (often) about getting a lot of music on a CD, but if you do bless us with a longer CD…then bless us.  The first few songs (outside of the interlude) are probably where he could have stopped and had a really good album.  His high points outweigh the bad in the first 2/3rds or so, but once you get past that, it starts to drag and production value starts to drop pretty sharply.  You can literally take half of the album (8 songs) and make a really good EP, the other 8 should be “lost.”  I would rate the album higher if I could just rate half of the album.

nappyPicks: “2 Sides”, “Pressure”, “God In The Building”, & “Super Clean/Super Hard”

Download: Killer Mike – “God In The Building”

Kansas City’s own Tech N9ne may not have major radio airplay or frequent 106 & Park, but he has been on his grind for almost 20 years. After releasing 9 solo albums, Tech N9ne is ready to let loose his 10th (And maybe his final) album: Killer. After being independent for so long, this latest album will supposedly put him over the one million mark in sales during Tech’s whole career (Which is a great feat for an indie artist). Personally I have never been a huge fan of Tech N9ne’s music; I mean, I heard a few songs, seen him around in magazines and on various soundtracks but never was compelled to dig deeper. Well, I guess this is a good time as any because the album I’m reviewing here, Killer, is a monster double album with 32 tracks. This could go really good or really bad but either way, the cover is crazy. Get ready for our longest review ever…

Disc One

1. Dr. Frazier’s Office (Intro Skit)
The intro has Tech N9ne visiting the physiatrist’s office where he I hypnotized and asked to reveal his inner thoughts.

2. Like Yeah
Produced by YoungFyre
The first song showcases Tech N9ne’s usual high energy sound and fast/slow delivery. Over gunshots and heavy horns, Tech explains his success and history while going at his detractors. This is a good start into bringing listeners the world of Tech N9ne.

3. Wheaties
Featuring Shawnna; Produced by YoungFyre
I don’t know if it’s a female rapper drought, but it seems like Shawnna is getting some work lately. The subject of the song is nothing new; a girl versus boy duel about who brings it in the bedroom (So you better eat your Wheaties). The song is average but the hook is kinda weak.

4. Everybody Move
The first single off the album; obviously this song is most likely aimed at the clubs. The productions sounds dated and even though Tech has a able flow, he sometimes sounds silly; “I’m a naughty, naughty, naughty/Boy, boy, boy/When I’m in Aussie, Aussie, Aussie/Ow, ow, ow” (I know that’s his style, but dang).

5. Get The Fuck Outta Here
Featuring Paul Wall & The Popper
Over a slower and darker beat, Tech brings in Paul Wall and The Popper to get at the haters. All of the participants bring something different to the table; Tech bring his unorthodox flow, Popper brings some gangster, and Paul Wall brings…uh whatever it is that Paul Wall brings.

6. The Waitress
This track reminds me of a song Atmosphere did by the same name. It shows Tech has versatility and as Tech rhymes about his infatuation with a waitress he sees. Don’t get it twisted though, it’s doesn’t get deeper than that; it more about phat asses and big tittles than anything else. The beat is okay but it sounds generic.

7. Crybaby
Produced by Seven
Here Tech breaks down how Hip-Hop is not dead and all the detractors saying this is are “crybabies”. He actually takes a side of praising acts like Soulja Boy instead of downing them. The hook is crazy (“…them rappers sounding like waaahhh, waaaahhh, waaaaahhhhh!”)

8. Shit Is Real
Featuring Mr. Stinky; Produced by Matic Lee
This track has a Rock/Reggae feel and talks about how shit is so real sometimes that on weekends, you have to party just to stay sane (a maybe blow your whole paycheck). It’s a pretty straight forward but it gets the job down and I’m sure everyone can relate. Good track.

9. Blackboy
Featuring Brother J, Ice Cube, & Krizz Kaliko
When you have an X-Clan member and Ice Cube on the track as well and a song titled “Blackboy”, it’s a good chance they’re going to talk about the ills of being Black in America. If you know me you know I’m all for shit like this. The beat could have been better, but the subject matter is spot on; no matter how much money you got, you’re still Black. The best line of the song: “I don’t need Jena 6/For me to know America’s still on that bullshit”.

10. Pillow Talkin’
Featuring Scarface
And the O.G. rapper cameos continue. The way this song starts out, you will swear it’s still on the previous song. It deals with telling various women your dirt after sex. The best sounds like something Timbaland would have done in the past. This is one of my favorite off this album because Scarface straight rips it.

11. Paint A Dark Picture
Featuring Dirtball
Sometimes Tech N9ne gets a little dark; this is one of those songs. Complete with demonic voices and creeping beat; Tech and Dirtball spit faster on the track. It’s okay but not for me.

12. Hope For A Higher Power
This song basically talks about looking for a higher power in a sinful world. Over a dark beat, Tech paints a good picture; the hook is just awkward and silly.

13. Worst Case Scenario (Skit)
This is an intro for the next song.

14. Psycho Bitch II
Featuring Liquid Assassin
Can you figure out what this song is about? Tech N9ne returns to a subject previous covered and adds more to it. Over a ruckus beat, Tech and Liquid Assassin speaks about the tribulations of hooking up with the crazy girl (Haven’t we all been there?). Well produced and truthful song.

15. Poisonous
Featuring Liz Suwandi
I listened to this track a few times and I’m still tying to figure out if he doing a big metaphor or not. It has an Indian inspired song with a lady sing on the hook. It’s a okay song but it’s kinda short; around 2 ½ minutes. Somebody hit me up and tell me if I’m wrong or not.

16. Too Much
Featuring Kutt Calhoun
Here Tech big his label up and calls himself the king. The song has an anthem feel to it and it’s affine way to end the first disc. Can somebody please tell me if Kutt Calhoun the same one who used to be down with Cool Breeze.

Disc Two
Don’t think we went crazy and forgot to give this album a rating; click here for the breakdown of the second disc as well as the review for the entire album.