With any Hip-Hop group, folks tend to try to discount someone in the group. I don’t know if anyone in a duo has been more slept on than Rapper Big Pooh. When his appropriately titled Sleepers hit the streets, folks took notice. On the heels of the “new improved Little Brother” GetBack album, what kind of album would we get this time? Let’s find out.

1. Intro

2. The Comeback
Produced by Khrysis
“The Comeback” sounds like the continuation of GetBack with 808, head-nod heavy track. Khrysis provides the instrumental acrobatics and Big Pooh sticks the landing. He addresses change, haters, and all points in between. The flow and the track give this a real throwback Hip-Hop feel and give a promising intro into what the album can be.

3. It’s A Go
Featuring Torae; Produced by Dae One
The chords and keys give this one a slight Middle Eastern feel. The bass is relentless and for those that like the thump, it’s here on this track. The lyrically, this is just old Hip-Hop cipher type song. It’s all fun and it’s Saule Wright in my opinion.

4. Nothing Less
Featuring Ab Soul, Jay Rock, & K. Dot; Produced by Young RJ
This track seems to falls flat after a big intro of keys. The bass is really subdued and overall, it sounds like we are waiting for the melody or something to kick in. It just feels incomplete to me. Ab Soul (mixtape download in the forums) and his label mates Jay Rock (who sounds insanely like Rick Ross) and K.Dot join Pooh on this one and add some West Coast flava. Get familiar; we will hear a lot from these three in the future. After the thump of the last two tracks though, this one is almost set to fail. Same flows, different beat, we have a winner.

5. C.O.D.
Produced by Mickey Free
“You gon’ remember the name / so let me tell y’all why the fuck I came / just tryna’ get paid, you can keep the fame / embarrass a couple niggas that’s stakin the claim / they the best thing livin’ / respect ain’t given / put yo bifocals on inspect my vision”. Out the gate, we get heat from Pooh who seems to have a chip on his shoulder on this album. I don’t mind a bit. Mickey Free brings back the bump for us with a pretty cool track.

6. Move Featuring Darien Brockington; Produced by Phonix
Did someone call Dr. Dre? This track is so West Coast/Aftermath I expect to hear Nate Dogg sing the hook, not D-Brock. I’m really feeling this track by Phonix. This is that requisite radio/dance song, and I don’t mind this one at all. You know how D-Brock gets down by now and Pooh does a cool job of storytelling on this one.

7. Something Like Stars
Featuring Big Treal; Produced by Jake One
Would you like some White Van Music with your Delightful Bar? Jake One serves up a beat that has a little too much synth for me, but it’s still not bad. I like the variations throughout the song and the overall structure of the song.

8. Step Up
Produced by D.R.
This song is about stepping up to the responsibility that was created when you decided to Jay Holiday it with Mr./Ms. Nightattheclub. Yes, I know, we always hear about how men aren’t shit, and he addresses that too. Ladies, the first verse is for you, second verse is for the fellas. I commend him for making a song that we all need to be hearing on a regular basis. The last verse is an overall message for whoever is listening.

9. Reality Check
Featuring Big Dho, D. Black, & Mykestro; Produced by Khrysis
It’s undeniable when Khrysis is working the boards. You get that hard hitting, east coast, throwback sound. Lyrically, Mykestro steals the show on this one. The entire song is fly, but you need to hear how Mykestro does his thing.

10. Problems
Featuring Jozeemo; Produced by Khrysis
So I spoke too soon, this is certainly not an east coast track, but it IS hard hitting. This one is a lot funkier with a heavy baseline. Our man (pause) Jozeemo hits the lab again and gives us a dope flow and Pooh addresses the skeptics again.

11. Amo A Su Papi De La Barra Skit
Hey, someone translate this shit and hit us up on the forums and tell me what she’s saying. I have no idea but it sounds good as hell.

12. Roll Call
Featuring Jozeemo, Chaundon, & Joe Scudda; Produced by The Co-Op
There isn’t too much to go into with this one. You see the name, you see the features, this is a Hall Of Justice Production. It sounds like a lot of the mixtapes and they handle this one just like they old days.

13. The Life
Featuring Muhsinah; Produced by Khrysis
Okay, I REALLY spoke too soon, I don’t like this beat by Khrysis. I don’t think it’s a bad beat, but it’s not my thing. The “whistle” sound and the random tweets get annoying. This one starts to sound like a test of the emergency broadcast system. When you add to that Muhsinah’s celestial sounding voice, this track is all too “heavenly” and not in a good way. Overall, the song comes off as annoying and clocking in a 4 minutes just makes this one too much for me.

14. Rearview Mirror
Produced by 9th Wonder
You know what you get when 9th and LB connect. This one has that old soul sound to it and Pooh still sounds at home flowin’ over it. “We made a bit of magic when we did it as 3 / then we grew up, then we grew apart / that’s when I realized it was bigger than art / But grown men gon’ do what grown men do.” There is more to this but Pooh gives us a little more insight into the group and the growing pains in the business.

15. Empanda Norte Americana Outro

Bottom Line:
On Facebook, I had to list my top 5 Hip Hop groups and I listed Little Brother in that top 5. I don’t know if we’ll ever get another group album, but even as solo artists, they continue to put out solid work. This album continues in that vein. I really enjoyed the album and with the beats and the feel, it plays a lot quicker than it is. I thought this album was going to be a lot more conceptual than it was, with 4 different releases of the album, 4 different covers, I expected a different album. This one is cool, but it was simply like the titles stated, some Delightful Bars, nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t blown out of the water like I was with Rick Ross’ and Jada’s album, but this album is very solid and enjoyable. Make sure you check it out.

nappyPicks: “The Comeback”, “It’s A Go”, “C.O.D”, & “Reality Check”

Download: Rapper Big Pooh feat. Big Dho, D. Black, & Mykestro – “Reality Check”

Bonus: Rapper Big Pooh feat. Jozeemo, Chaundon, & Joe Scudda – “Roll Call”

We put up the promo commercial for it yesterday, now here it is: The Good Morning Mixtape. A great concept mixtape to get you moving in the morning. As you can see from the tracklist, we mixed it up: we’ve got some classic joints from Run DMC, Ice Cube, and Brand Nubian, plus some new tracks from the young cats in the game like Skyzoo and 88 Keys. Brought to you by YourFavoriteWhiteBoy.com, nappyafro.com, & KevinNottingham.com. Check out the front & back cover and then get the mixtape. Enjoy. (Artwork by B-Easy aka me)

Download: The Good Morning Mixtape

You have to dig in the crates quite a ways back to find out when skits became big on Hip-Hop albums. If I remember it right, I THINK it was De La Soul that pretty much escorted this practice into regular status in Hip-Hop. On some albums, it’s a major player and adds to the quality and on other albums, it’s a part of the reason the FFWD button is damn near naked. Today, let’s talk about classic skits in Hip-Hop and those who have you looking forward to the skits almost as much as the albums (at least the ones that I’ve heard, so don’t come in here talking about MC Local Leonard on his Still Local 6: The Takeover Album.)

5. Lauryn Hill

Stand-Out: Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
As one of my top 5 albums of all time, the interludes on this album add to the classic nature of Ms. Hill’s first album.  The classroom setting and voice of the children set the tone as Lauryn grows up on this album in front of our eyes.

4. Little Brother

Stand-Outs: “Diary of a Mad Black Daddy”, “5th and Fashion” (Minstrel Show); “Don’t Trust Em”, “The Singing Bums”; (Separate But Equal), “Roy Lee Producer Extraordinaire” (The Listening)
I think LB could be writers or have their own Skit show on TV because these cats are fools man.  One of my favorites is 5th and Fashion that patterns itself after one of those commercials for the Big Big Expo Sale down at your local Convention Center or dome.

3. Kanye West

Stand-Outs: (Any skit from The College Dropout & Late Registration)
Ye is one of the best at using skits to complete his album.  From the (fake ) Bernie Mac intro to Broke Phi Broke, Ye has proved to be one of the purest and most complete fusions of Hip-Hop and creativity to date.  Proven to be more than just filler, this man is serious about his music.

2. Bad Boy Records

Stand-Outs: Mase – Harlem World, The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
The skits featuring the Mad Rapper were so successful, they spawned an album.  The shit was comic genius and would do even better in today’s climate of ringtone rap and one hit wonders.  Not to mention my personal number one skit of all time before “Nasty Boy” on Biggies album kept me teary each time I heard it.

1. Dr. Dre – Aftermath / Death Row Records

Stand-Outs: “The $20 Sack Pyramid” (The Chronic), “Steve Berman” (The Marshall Mathers LP)
The skits with Steve Berman, Paul Rosenberg, and Insane Clown Posse on Em’s CD’s are too funny for words.   When you add in $20 Sack Pyramid, the classic Deez Nuts, and the lead in skits on Doggystyle, I don’t know that any one producer is better at this than Dr. Dre.

Our 2nd annual nappyafro Awards week comes to a close. But , before we end this, we still got some categories to go. We still need to find out who is this year’s top producer or what was the collaboration of 2008. We also included the awards we already gave out earlier this week. Bye 2008; you wasn’t so bad.

Man Of The Year: Lil’ Wayne

Album Of The Year: Nas – Untitled

Songs Of The Year

DMF Of The Year: DMX

Best Collabo: T.I. feat. Jay-Z, Kanye West, & Lil’ Wayne – “Swagger Like Us”

Yes, I’m tired of the word “swagger” too. But love ‘em or hate ‘em,  the song featured Hip-Hop’s premier rappers.

-Runner Up: Joe Budden feat. Joell Ortiz, Nino Bless, Crooked I, & Royce Da 5′9″ – “Slaughterhouse”
-Notables:
Big Boi feat. Andre 3000 7 Raekwon – “Royal Flush”
Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West – “Put On”
DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Lil’ Boosie, Ace Hood, Trick Daddy, and Plies – “Out Here Grindin”
Statik Selektah feat. Saigon, Termanology, & Cassidy – “To The Top”

Best Group: The Roots

Not to say that The Roots didn’t earn this award (The did. Rising Down was pretty good.), but the field wasn’t really competitive. Well then again, what’s that group who made that song “Lookin’ Boy”?

-Notables:
Atmosphere
G-Unit

Best Music Video: Something From YouTube (and other video sharing sites)

While some videos were recommended, our video of the year was, uh…

-Notables:
Young Jeezy – “Crazy World”
T.I. feat. Rihanna – “Live Your Life”

Best New Artist: No real winner. Just some notables.
Wale
Mickey Factz
The Cool Kids
Flo Rida
Ace Hood

Best Album We Didn’t Review: Black Milk – Tronic

Why we didn’t review this album still is a mystery to us. From “Give The Drumma Some” to “The Matrix” the album was one of this years best. Maybe we’ll get around to it one day…

-Runner Up: Evidence – The Layover EP

Turn Yo Headphones up Award: Danny! – And I Love H.E.R.: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The often delayed And I Love H.E.R. proved to be worth the wait with many calling Danny!’s 4th album his best.

Best Mixtape: Mick Boogie & Terry Urban Presents Jay-Z & Coldplay – Viva La Hova

The Hip-Hop mixtape game may be a little over-saturated, but it took Mick Boogie doing the a Jay-Z mash-up with Chris Martin’s group to take the award.

-Runner Up: DJ Drama & Fabolous – There Is No Competition (Gangsta Grillz: Special Edition)
-Notables:
Wale – The Mixtape About Nothing
Nas & Dj Green Lantern – The Nigger Tape
DJ Drama & Gucci Mane – Gangsta Grillz: The Movie
Little Brother – Seperate But Equal (Drama Free Edition)
Runner Up: DJ Drama & Ludacris – Gangsta Grillz: The Preview

Producer of the Year: DJ Toomp

This was so close; Don Cannon REALLY did his thing this year. But DJ Toomp edged him out with stellar production credits on albums from Young Jeezy, The Game, Ludacris, Nas, & Rick Ross.

-Runner Up: Don Cannon
-Notables:
Jake One
Drumma Boy
J.U.S.T.I.C.E League

Beat Of The Year: Lil’ Wayne – “A Milli”

Was there any doubt? Can you NAME all the people who actually rapped over “A Milli” in 2008?

-Runner Up: T.I. feat. Jay-Z, Kanye West, & Lil’ Wayne – “Swagger Like Us”
-Notables:
Nas – “N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)”
Wale – “Studio 43″
Rick Ross feat. Jay-Z – “Maybach Music”

Video Vixen: Bria Myles

Are there still video vixens? Or is this just an excuse for King Jerm to put up a pic of Bria?

At first we were gonna do a recap this year’s most notable songs featured in our Song of the Week column. But seeing how some of the songs weren’t actually made in 2008, it really wouldn’t have worked. So instead of voting for a single “Song of the Year”, we thought; “Why not just let each staff member pick their favorite 5 songs of the year?” So here they are. No voting. No debates. Just each staff member picks for their 5 favorite songs of 2008. And surprisingly, there’s a lotta Killer Mike, Jay Electronica, & Lil’ Wayne. Who knew?

B-Easy’s Picks:
Jay Electronica – “Exhibit A (Transformations)” [various artists - Fresh Cuts Vol. 3 (Music By Guitar Center Employees)]
Nas – “N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” [Nas - Untitled]
Killer Mike – “I Gotcha” [Killer Mike - I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II]
DJ Khaled feat. Kanye West & T-Pain – “Go Hard” [DJ Khaled - We Global]
Big Boi feat. Raekwon & Andre 3000 – “Royal Flush” [Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty]

Saule Wright’s Picks:
Killer Mike – “God In The Building” [Killer Mike - I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II]
The Roots – “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)” [The Roots - Rising Down]
Ludacris feat. Floyd “Money” Mayweather – “Undisputed” [Ludacris - Theatre Of The Mind]
Lil’ Wayne – “Dr. Carter” [Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III]
Nas – “N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” [Nas - Untitled]

H20’s Picks:
T.I. – “I’m Illy” [T.I. - Paper Trail]
Nas feat. Keri Hilson – “Hero” [Nas - Untitled]
Ludacris feat. Floyd “Money” Mayweather – “Undisputed” [Ludacris - Theatre Of The Mind]
Killer Mike-”God is in the Building” [Killer Mike - I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II]
Nas – “N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” [Nas - Untitled]

Guy’s Picks:
Murs – “I’m Innocent” [Murs - Murs For President]
Termanology – “Watch How It Go Down” [Termanology - Politics As Usual]
Lil’ Wayne feat. D. Smith – “Shoot Me Down” [Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III]
Wale – “The Kramer” [Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing]
Jay Electronica – “Exhibit A (Transformations)” [various artists - Fresh Cuts Vol. 3 (Music By Guitar Center Employees)]

King Jerm’s Picks:
Rick Ross feat. Jay-Z – “Maybach Music” [Rick Ross - Trilla]
Lil’ Wayne feat. Fabolous & Juelz Santana – “Ain’t Got Nothing on Me” [Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III]
Jake One feat. Little Brother – “Bless the Child” [Jake One - White Van Music]
Kanye West – “Heartless” [Kanye West - 808’s & Heartbreak]
Lil’ Wayne – “A Milli” [Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III]

SBK’s Picks:
Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major – “Lollipop” [Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter III]
T.I. feat. Jay-Z, Kanye West, & Lil’ Wayne – “Swagger Like Us” [T.I. - Paper Trail]
Termanology – “So Amazing” [Termanology - Politics As Usual]
Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West – “Put On” [Young Jeezy - The Recession]
Q-Tip – “Move” [Q-Tip - The Renaissance]

Back in June of this year I brought Statik Selektah to nappyafro in the form of a Rewind Review of his debut release album Statik Selektah Presents Spell My Name Right (The Album). Being the underground Hip Hop head that I am, I was anticipating this album along with Termanology’s album Politics As Usual last month, especially after seeing the video for the song “To The Top (Stick To The Script)”. Now one month and one release later, Statik Selektah delivers his sophomore album entitled Stick 2 The Script. Immediately after reading the title you get the idea that Statik Selektah decided to stick with the same formula of boom-bap beats and lyrical assassins that he blessed us with on his debut. Some people say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so lets see if this formula worked for Statik the second time around.

1. Stick 2 The Script (Intro)
Produced by Statik Selektah
This is your basic intro track with Statik Selektah picking up right where he left off on his debut album. Statik produces a piano driven beat letting the listeners know that he’s back for a second round and that they should be prepared for nothing less than the best.

2. To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)
Featuring Cassidy, Saigon, & Termanology; Produced by Statik Selektah
The album kicks right off in a major way with the first released single off the project. Statik Selektah delivers some great sounding production on this track for Cassidy, Saigon, and Termanology to spit some hard rhymes over. All three emcees attack the mic with force but Cassidy shows that he hasn’t lost a step with his punchline heavy verse that steals the show. Check out the Rik Cordero video for this song, it’s amazing as he directs it Reservoir Dog style. Rik Cordero is that dude!!!

3. For The City
Featuring M.O.P. & Jadakiss; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah takes us back on this track with a hard-hitting beat equipped with the New Jack City sampled acapella. M.O.P. and Jadakiss bless this track with some nicely delivered rhymes. M.O.P. get down for the crown on this song as Jada takes a more casual approach with his verse. Statik Selektah adds some scratching at the end to complete the track.

4. Get Out The Way
Featuring Bun B & Cory Mo; Produced by Statik Selektah
On this track Statik Selektah decides to take us down to the South in Texas to hook up with the legendary Bun B and his partner Cory Mo. Statik produces a beat that somewhat fits the Texas natives, but it seems a little lacking (maybe the oriental sounds). Both emcees drop some nice verses that support the beat and make this track listenable to an extent.

5. All 2gether Now
Featuring Freeway, Peedi Crakk, & Young Chris; Produced by Statik Selektah
This is a track that a lot of people have been waiting for a while to hear. A State Property reunion track (sort of) with original members Freeway, Peedi Crack, and Young Chris. Statik Selektah delivers some menacing production on this track for the emcee to get down on. No emcee really outdoes another on this song but Freeway definitely brought some energy to the track with his flow and delivery. It was good to hear State Property back on a track together, but now we need a full reunion (where’s Beanie Mack at???)

6. Interlude
Featuring Q-Tip; Produced by Statik Selektah
This interlude track features Q-Tip doing his best Busta Rhymes impersonation as he gives a shout to Statik Selektah over a dope produced beat by Statik Selektah. With such a good beat I would have enjoyed hearing Q-Tip spit some rhymes over it but we just get a drop instead.

7. Church
Featuring Termanology; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah hooks up a soulful vibe on this track as his production lays the backdrop for Termanology to spit his signature rhymes over. Fresh off his debut album release, Termanology shows you why he’s one of the best upcoming rappers in the industry today. I swear Termanology has some crazy punchlines (“Shorty opened her legs, it smelled like Chinatown”)…wow for real?!!!??.

8. Talkin’ Bout You (Ladies)
Featuring Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, & Talib Kweli; Produced by Statik Selektah
I thought the previous track was soulful, but this one completely blows it out of the water. Statik Selektah borrows a page from 9th Wonder (I heard 9th use the same sample on one of his beats a while back) and produces a soul filled beat for the Brooklyn Connection (Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, and Talib Kweli) to talk about the ladies on. This is a real soulful track that you can just sit back and groove to while thinking about the ladies.

9. On The Marquee
Featuring Little Brother, Joe Scudda, & Chaundon; Produced by Statik Selektah
From NY we take it down to NC as Statik Selektah hooks up with Little Brother, Joe Scudda, and Chaudon. Statik Selektah really has a soul vibe going as he produces yet another soul filled beat for these emcees to drop lyrics on. This beat sounds like a perfect fit for Little Brother as Phonte does some great singing on the chorus. How could you not enjoy music like this…we need more of this in Hip Hop seriously!!!

10. Mr. Popularity
Featuring Consequence; Produced by Statik Selektah
Talk about a dark, menacing beat, Statik Selektah produces an ominous one for Consequence to deliver some great rhymes over. This song is the 2nd single off the album and it’s a good choice, as Consequence speaks much about 2Pac and his death as well as the lifestyle of somebody popular.

11. Interlude
Featuring The Madd Rapper
On this interlude track we see the return of The Madd Rapper as he tries to give a drop for Statik Selektah on his album but can’t quite seem to get his name right (“Frantic Inspector”…”Inspector Gadget”…”Static Cling”). I guess Madd Rapper should have listened to the debut album and learned how to spell his name right as well as say it right. Funny shit on this interlude.

12. This Is It (Showoff Remix)
Featuring D-Dot, Redman, & Black Rob; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah delivers some very nice production on this track that sees D-Dot, Redman, and Black Rob spitting some rhymes over it. Redman sounds real hungry on this track spitting some good rhymes and it’s good to hear Black Rob back in the mix of things.

13. So Good (Live From The Bar)
Featuring Naledge, Reks, & CL Smooth; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah comes right back on this track with some lively production equipped with the horns as Naledge, Reks, and CL Smooth all get down on the track. Reks and CL Smooth deliver some really good rhymes on the track, but Naledge steals the show with his free flowing verse. As always it was good to hear a Hip-Hop legend like CL Smooth dropping some rhymes.

14. Streets Of M.A.
Featuring Masspike Miles, Termanology, Reks, Slaine, & More; Produced by Statik Selektah
This is Statik Selektah’s track dedicated to his home Massachusetts along with the rappers that rep MA as well. Statik Selektah produces an average beat on this track with each emcee spitting a nice verse, but I don’t really think the singing on the chorus fits well with the song.

15. Sounds Of The Street (Interlude)
Featuring JFK; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik Selektah produces an interesting sounding beat on this interlude track by building the beat off various sounds heard on the street. It’s a pretty unique beat in it’s own right as JFK spits a short verse about not only being a rapper in the game, but also a fan of the game.

16. Destined To Shine
Featuring Torae, Sha Stimuli, & Jon Hope; Produced by Statik Selektah
This track comes on with a bang as Statik Selektah produces a very epic sounding beat that nicely accompanies the rhymes from Torae, Sha Stimuli, and Jon Hope. Each emcee spits lines about being destined to shine and patiently waiting for that time to arrive.

17. Cali Nights
Featuring Glasses Malone, Mistah Fab, & Novel; Produced by Statik Selektah
Statik has taken us from the East Coast to the South and now we travel across country to the West Coast for a stop in Cali. The beat produced by Statik Selektah on this track is such a smooth track that it’s easy to see why the Cali emcees fit so well over it. Glasses Malone and Mistah Fab drop some good rhymes over the track while Novel makes it complete with his singing on the chorus.

18. Take It All Back
Featuring Reks, Ea$y Money, Royce Da 5’9”, & Paula Campbell; Produced by Statik Selektah
To finish off the album Statik Selektah produces a beat that has a reminiscing vibe to it that allows the emcees time to think back and recall. It was kind of surprising hearing Royce Da 5’9” on the track but he finds his fit and makes it work. The singing by Paula Campbell on the song is a real nice addition and a great way to end off the album.

Bottom Line:
At 18 total tracks, Statik Selektah provides the listeners with more than enough material to satisfy their listening crave for some real Hip-Hop music. In listening to the entire album you won’t really find a weak or bad track out of the bunch and after listening to Statik’s debut album Statik Selektah Presents Spell My Name Right (The Album) you can see that he has improved on some things while being able to keep the formula the same. Statik Selektah is really showing why he has become one of the best, underrated music producers in the game with the gems that he produced on this album. Like other compilation albums done by producers, he also showed that he has a knack for matching the right artists with the right track. If you haven’t heard of Statik Selektah or taken the time to listen to his debut album or various mixapes, then you should start with this album and introduce yourself to a great producer (then go back and listen to his previous releases). You won’t be disappointed by what Statik Selektah provides and hopefully you start to realize how much better underground Hip Hop is and has been for a long time.

nappyPicks: “To The Top (Stick 2 The Script)”, “On The Marquee”, “Talkin’ Bout You (Ladies)”, “Destined To Shine”, “Cali Nights”, “Take It All Back”, “This Is It (Showoff Remix)”, & “Mr. Popularity”

Download: Statik Selektah feat. Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, & Talib Kweli – “Talkin’ Bout You (Ladies)”

Yeah, it’s me again. I think it’s time for me to take a long retirement from Song of the Week; it’s really not what I initially thought it was (It seems I’m picking a lot of new stuff lately). Don’t worry, it’s a great chance that the pick next week will be something dusty and good (Unless Jay-Z drops something with Andre 3000 on the hook). Also, it’s like five other staff members, so there’s that too. Now, let’s see what I got (All links courtesy of Tha Carter Cartel and my lazy link jacking):

Download: Joe Budden feat. Joell Ortiz, Nino Bless, Crooked I, & Royce Da 5′9″ – “Slaughterhouse”

What? I see you punks talking about us on the message boards. For some reason, people seems to think we’re all mainstream on this site. That couldn’t be farther from the truth (I personally have been bumping Royce’s The Bar Exam 2 & The Foreign Exchange’s Leave It All Behind). Well, when this song came out the other day, I’m sure the internet Hip-Hop fan boys were all busting in their pants.  One of the many lines that stands out in the song is from Royce Da 5′9″: “I gotta open window flow/I air shit out/In the D they used to call Mayor Royce/Now they call me Clay Davis/Guess why?/Shhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttt!/Cause when it come to them words you know I wear shit out.” Fans of The Wire rejoice. Since Joe Budden’s Padded Room was pushed back to Feb. 2009, I guess having Halfway House won’t be bad at all.

Download: Akon feat. Lil’ Wayne & Young Jeezy – “I’m So Paid (remix)”

No disrespect to Akon, but for some reason I’m not excited about his new album Freedom (Could T-Pain have jumped him in terms of popularity already?). Well, he pulls out the big guns for this one and supposedly a music video is close behind. The actual song is not bad at all; just a little predictable: Jeezy mentions Michael Phelps, Weezy uses the vocoder, and Akon talks about money. I guess we’ll see how Freedom fairs when it drops on Nov. 25th.

Download: Little Brother – “Passion Flower”

Last week we featured a Little Brother song from Jake One’s White Van Music; this week we give you another LB joint. Here’s a 9th Wonder produced track that will be featured the re-released and DJ Drama free version of Separate But Equal (Scheduled to drop on Nov. 4th). It feels like at this point, this shit is too easy for Phonte; all that dude needs is a bigger arena.

After taking some time to clean up my apartment, which entailed listening and going through over 100 unlabeled CD’s (I’m never making a “mixtape/playlist” CD-R ever again, it’s strictly iTunes/iPod only from now on), I decided to sit back and listen to Jake One’s latest release entitled White Van Music. Being a bigger fan of underground Hip Hop than I am of the mainstream/commercial side, I was anticipating the release of this CD after hearing about it. Not many people have heard about Jake One or know that they are probably a fan of a song that he has produced. If “I Don’t Know Officer” (G-Unit), “It’s Over” (Freeway) or even “The Time Is Now” (John Cena) is on your list of favorite songs than consider yourself in this category. Usually with compilation albums from producers, it’s more about the artists they select to feature over their tracks than their actual production. Let’s see how Jake One fairs on his debut album…

1. I’m Coming
Featuring Black Milk & Nottz; Produced by Jake One
After a brief introduction skit explaining how “music” is his drug, a sick bassline along with a background sample begin playing accompanied by drums and electric guitars. Jake One’s production on this first track immediately let you know what he’s coming with behind the boards. Black Milk and Nottz, who are also usually found behind the boards handling production for other artists’ work, deliver some bars instead on this track. Their lyrics are nicely delivered but average skill wise, a testament that they should just focus on the beats and production side where they are both amazingly skilled.

2. Gangsta Boy
Featuring M.O.P.; Produced by Jake One
This next track features some nice production by Jake One in terms of hard-hitting drums, heavy guitar, and synths. This track also features Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame of M.O.P. as they spit their signature aggressive and angry lyrics over a beat that equally matches their intensity.

3. The Truth
Featuring Freeway & Brother Ali; Produced by Jake One
On this track we get the unlikely pairing of Philadelphia emcee Freeway and Minneapolis emcee Brother Ali. Jake One provides the duo with a smooth sampled beat to spit their lyrics over and they do so in nice fashion. Brother Ali proceeds to take the track with his lyrics over Freeway’s verse, but Free did his thing as well. Brother Ali continues to show why he’s one of the underrated emcees in the underground with his slick flow and delivery.

4. Turn It Down
Produced by Jake One
This track is more of an interlude as it just a Jake One beat playing for 0:50 with some talking in the background. This is a nicely produced beat by Jake One and deserved some lyrics on it, but it just comes off too short and leaves you wanting to hear more. Contrary to the song’s title, this was a song that I was turning up and repeating a couple times.

5. God Like
Featuring D. Black; Produced by Jake One
The production on this track by Jake One is some of the smoothest that I have heard on any album released this year. The lyrics on this song are handled by relatively unknown emcee D. Black, who spits some good lyrics and shows much potential as an artist.

6. Bless The Child
Featuring Little Brother; Produced by Jake One
This track, which is one of the “Songs of the Week” here a nappyafro, features Little Brother getting down on a Jake One produced track. The soulful vibe produced on this track perfectly fits Little Brother in their style and manner. You could be confused for a second in thinking that 9th Wonder produced this track from how soulful it is produced. The singing and scratching at the end of the track is really the icing on the cake for this song.

7. Oh Really
Featuring Posdnuos & Slug; Produced by Jake One
On this track we get some bouncy production by Jake One with lyrics from Posdnuos and Slug. The production on this track is good but it seems a bit lacking from what we’ve heard previously on this album. Both emcees deliver some good lyrics with Slug upstaging Posdnuos on this song in terms of lyrics.

8. Hi
Produced by Jake One
This is another interlude track produced by Jake One that features some nice production along with some talking in the background. I’m not feeling the beat as much on this track as I was on “Turn It Down”, so this track was the perfect length and gets us right back into the album.

9. Trap Door
Featuring MF Doom; Produced by Jake One
In continuing with the album we get back in the mix of things in a great way with this hard-hitting track produced by Jake One. The emcee of choice on this song just happened to be underground legend MF Doom who delivers some humorous and skillful lyrics as he always does (Is it me or does MF Doom sound like Just Blaze when he’s talking?). I’m really feeling this track and wish it was longer than it is.

10. Dead Wrong
Featuring Young Buck; Produced by Jake One
This next track features ex-G-Unit member Young Buck over some production by Jake One that sounds like a mixture of the South and the West Coast. This can be considered Young Buck’s diss record towards his former G-Unit partners 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. Both the lyrics and the beat on this track come off just average and could have been done better. I know that Buck could have came harder at G-Unit on this track but maybe he’s saving that for another track (maybe a collaboration with The Game).

11. Kissin’ The Curb
Featuring Bishop Lamont & Busta Rhymes; Produced by Jake One
On the introduction of this song it sounds like Busta Rhymes is responding to Young Buck for the previous song, but I don’t think he is intentionally. Jake One provides some gritty production on this track for Bishop Lamont and Busta Rhymes to get loose on and deliver some nice lyrics over. The production on this song sounds similar to something J Dilla might have produced for Busta Rhymes (check out the Dillagence mixtape by Mick Boogie).

12. How We Ride
Featuring Freeway; Produced by Jake One
On this track we are blessed with another appearance by Freeway but this time it’s solo for the lyrics. Jake One provides Freeway with a piano based beat to deliver some lyrics about moving work and circulating that white. The lyrics from Free are better on this track than they were on the previously featured track with Brother Ali. Jake One and Freeway might be a collaboration that we start seeing more often and that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

13. White Van
Featuring Alchemist, Evidence, & Prodigy; Produced by Jake One
It was Evidence’s album The Weatherman LP where I was first introduced to Jake One and his production on the track “Down In New York City”. Evidence returns the favor on the title track along with Alchemist and Prodigy who join him for guest appearances. The beat produced by Jake One is a good one but it starts to become boring after a while. All three producers/emcees spit some nice lyrics but Prodigy takes the show as you might imagine with his verse.

14. Big Homie Style
Featuring J. Pinder, GMK, & Spaceman; Produced by Jake One
Jake One delivers some great production on this track as he produces a dark, epic sounding beat for three unknown emcees to spit lyrics over. The beat really sets the tone and mood for this track with J. Pinder having the best verse out of the three emcees. Jake One is doing a good deed by featuring these unknown emcees and bringing some new faces to the industry.

15. Scared
Featuring Blueprint; Produced by Jake One
This track features some more great production from Jake One, even better than the previous track. The piano based beat suits the lyrics from Blueprint well along with the song’s topic. Blueprint’s vivid lyrics succeed in storytelling and painting a picture in the listener’s mind that truly make this a great song overall.

16. Great Sound
Produced by Jake One
We have yet another interlude produced by Jake One in the form on an interview talking about the album and Jake One as a producer.

17. Get ‘Er Done
Featuring MF Doom; Produced by Jake One
This track features another appearance by MF Doom who spits some lyrics over another dark beat produced by Jake One. MF Doom creates a song from the famous line from Larry The Cable Guy that works well with the production. While this is a good song, I’m not feeling it as much as I was the previous MF Doom featured track “Trap Door”.

18. Feeling My Shit
Featuring Casual; Produced by Jake One
On this track we get an appearance by old school emcee Casual over an average produced by Jake One. This track is basically Casual spitting some braggadocio lyrics over the beat while naming artists that are “feeling his shit” on the chorus. This is an average track in my opinion and gets boring rather quickly in listening.

19. Soil Raps
Featuring Keak Da Sneak; Produced by Jake One
Jake One manages to deliver another smooth beat with the production on this track that features Bay emcee Keak Da Sneak. He delivers some suitable lyrics over the nicely produced beat, but I really just can’t bare his voice as it’s hard to understand at times and the tone is just ridiculous. I’m middle ground when it comes to this track as I like the beat but really don’t care for the lyrics.

20. Glow
Featuring Elzhi & Royce Da 5′9″; Produced by Jake One
Continuing their work together from Elzhi’s album The Preface on the track “Motown 25”, Elzhi and Royce Da 5’9″ show how they haven’t lost a step since then. Jake One definitely does his thing with the production on this track, as it sounds perfect for the duo. This is a beat that I could really hear Little Brother spittin’ over as well and sounding as good as Elzhi and Royce Da 5’9″ do on it. This is a great track that should be repeated a few times after the first listen.

21. R.I.P.
Produced by Jake One
This track is basically a dedication track to the influential artists, emcees, producers, and DJ’s that we’ve lost in the music industry. Jake One samples Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” for the beat on this track and it fits nicely for the song. I really hope thought that this is the last time for a while that a producer samples the song as it’s starting to get overdone.

22. Home
Featuring Vitamin D, C Note, Maine, & Ish; Produced by Jake One
This is in fact the first track that I heard off the album that really caught my attention and got me very interested in the rest of the project. The production by Jake One on this track is just incredible as he creates such a soulful backdrop for the emcees to spit lyrics on. Jake One recruits some fellow emcees from his hometown of Seattle that talk about their home. This is probably one of my favorite tracks on the album for the infectious beat alone.

23. Hurt U
Featuring Pharoahe Monch & Kardinal Offishall; Produced by Jake One
This is a bonus track for the iTunes version of the album that features Pharoahe Monch and Kardinal Offishall. Jake One produces a bouncy type beat that should have been included regularly on the album. Kardinal Offishall spits some good lyrics but it’s Pharoahe Monch that really gets down on this track and makes it his own. This was a nice extra feature for the album and ends it off in a good way.

Bottom Line:
As the debut album for Jake One he produces a solid offering in terms of this compilation. There aren’t really too many bad tracks on this album aside from a couple tracks and that really shows the strength of this project with a total of 23 tracks. Some people said that this album was too long and could have been condensed, but I think it’s a good length to really showcase Jake One’s skill and ability as a producer as well as his diversity for producing various types of tracks. Underground fans will really appreciate this album and new listeners will come to realize how good of a producer was sitting right under their noses without really knowing. I think people will start to look out for Jake One as a producer and he’ll start appearing on a lot more artists’ projects delivering great beats and production.

nappyPicks: “Home”, “Glow”, “Bless The Child”, “Trap Door”, “Scared”, & “I’m Coming”

Download: Jake One feat. Vitamin D, C Note, Maine, & Ish – “Home”

Okay, where are the real nappyafro everyday visitors? I see a few hands…Well if you have been coming to this site for a while, you remeber one of our first interviews was with Phonte. In that interview he said something about releasing an EP of 80’s covers soon with Zo, entitled Zo! & Tigallo Love The 80’s! Here’s the cover (Which is crazy), if you want one, you better get it fast when it’s released July 1st. They are only pressing up 2,500 copies. Do your thing Phonte!

Before we began, let’s be clear about it; I already reviewed this album last year. Yep, Little Brother released this Mick Boogie powered mixtape last year and I gave it 3 Stars (Back before we stopped reviewing mixtapes). Matter of fact, go ahead and check out the original review first. Go ahead, I’ll wait…okay you back? Good. The only thing I’m covering today is the new tracks added for the official release of And Justus For All. After releasing 3 great albums, I don’t think this “official” mixtape will actually get them the notice they deserve. But, they still make good music though. Let’s check out the new material for the album.

Too Late For Us
Featuring Tiye Phoenix; Produced by DJ Spinna
After you hear the first new song of the album, you know right away that it’s not a throw away track. Phonte does some more moonlighting by singing on the hook and the song turns out to be a great duet about lost loves. Tiye Phoenix does a good job of singing/rapping while countering Phonte. The beat is laid back and fits the mood. Pooh doesn’t show up for this track but I’m sure he’ll show up later.

Cool As Fan
Produced by Khrysis
Speak of the devil. Big Pooh starts off this track and starts it off right. Phonte comes next and kills it; “Niggas talking major/But they got no flavor like white folk’s Kool-Aid”. No hook, just two verses. The song clocks in at about 2 ½ minutes, but it’s straight Hip-Hop.

Lose It
Featuring Jozeemo; Produced by Khrysis
It’s nappyafro’s favorite rapper! What up Jozeemo? Naw for real, I can’t really say anything bad about the dude. Besides the bias bullshit; he does good on the first verse; “Wanna dive off the stage/But I weigh 250/I ain’t fucking up my threads/Cause I’m way too jiggy”. The song deals with the feeling they get when they perform on stage. The beat is kinda redundant after a while; but it works.

Stylin’
Featuring Oh No; Produced by Khrysis
Khrysis surprised me and changed up with this electronic themed track and surprisingly the track works (I see dudes freestyling on this one all day). This track has Rapper Big Pooh and Oh No going on about what happens to the people around you when you start getting a little fame and wealth. I never really checked for Oh No liked that, but his verse wasn’t bad at all.

Time Of Your Life
Featuring Carlitta Durand; Produced by Designated Hitters
This is not really a new track per se. It was on last year’s GetBack (Which we gave a 4.5 Stars). It’s still a great song though (If you got that album, pull it back out and listen to it).

Black Light Special
Produced by 9th Wonder
It’s funny, the only new song on the album that was produced by 9th Wonder and I really didn’t like it. It’s not bad; it just could have been better. Pooh (Who goes on this one solo) tries to work with the beat but something just doesn’t feel right.

Bottom Line:
Even if you downloaded the free version of And Justus For All, you still might wanna pick up the official version; the songs are mastered, DJ free, and sound clearer. Plus the new songs adds something to the album. If you never heard this album, it’s not a bad addition to any Hip-Hop collection. Don’t get me wrong, some songs like Phonte’s “Last Day” are not here and are sorely missed. But the new songs compensate for that and are at least worth an extra ½ of a Star Rating. In recent interviews with Little Brother, it was hinted that this might be the last “official” album from Little Brother. If this is true, fans might wanna show some love to a truly slept on Hip-Hop group. (*Rating for this review is based on the previous review also)

Download: Little Brother feat. Tiye Phoenix – “Too Late For Us”