OB4CL2

This is a sequel track to one of my favorite songs on the OG Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album, "Criminology." It features Ghostface and Nicnack(?). Anyway, this could be a mixtape track or it could make it to the album, but I doubt its the official cut. Also, the image displayed for the audio on the youtube video has been rumored to be the cover, or at the very least some artwork for the much anticipated album. This song, as well as "Wu Ooh" feat. Method Man & Ghostface have been leaked. I'm up on the fact that there's at least to tracks featuring Ghost. I've also heard GZA has a strong presence on the record, which can't hurt. Here's a link to download the other track...

"Wu Ooh" (ft. Method Man & Ghostface)

2008 Top 10.

1.) Work

I'm really surprising myself with the way this list turned out. It's a good exercise in assessing your year and how you've grown since years past. This is probably the biggest surprise. I could devote an entire blog and them some to everything that's whack when it comes to my job and the place I work, best believe. But aside from what I do and how we operate, having a steady and serious job with significant responsibility is good for my soul and occasionally leaves me feeling rewarded and self fulfilled at the end of the day. I've sort've realized that it's not whether or not you have a the job you went to college for RIGHT AWAY out of the gate but whether or not it enriches your core. Plus the salary is a nice upgrade from last year. We'll see what 2009 has in store for my "career."

2.) It's Alive

For all intents and purposes, this should have the number one slot. It's what keeps me looking for light at the end of the road. Without this band I would have next to no creative outlet, and nothing to really strive for from the heart. We've spent the year writing music I'm really proud. We'll be saying goodbye to '08 with a tribute set to one of our all time favorite's Integrity, and at the beginning of this new year, we'll be laying the new tracks down on wax to share our best with the masses. The icing on the cake is working with Reaper Records, the realest and hottest label on the rise in hardcore today. It's a big push forward from there.

3.) s.Bo

If and when she reads this she'll ask why she isn't no. 1. Which is what's great about her haha. So here's a nod and a wink on the personal, livejournal tip to SEB, her cat with three legs, and all the fun we've had in '08.xo

4.) Trapped Under Ice - Stay Cold

What can I say about this 7" that hasn't already been said? Hard? Check. Heavy? Check. Catchy and attitude filled? Check. It's the complete package and the most promising hardcore release I've heard since American Nightmare's debut EP. This band cannot be stopped and I'm siked to be label mates with Baltimore City's golden goose egg.

5.) iPhone (and going all Apple in '08)
This summer I bit the bullet and made the monetary plunge into getting an iMac. I haven't looked back since. iMac, iPod, and lastly the iPhone make the trifecta complete. I was doing alright with the Sidekick (still love it, would be my no. 2 choice), but everything flows so well in the iWorld I had to round everything out. Believe the hype, the iPhone will be the phone in which all others are compared to for YEARS. Blackberry, Trio, Google G1, none come close.

6.) The Dark Knight

I've never went so nerd over a new movie as I did for the Dark Knight. I think I followed sneak peaks, news, rumors, set photos, and just about everything else from the first time I saw the teaser trailer to the midnight showing I hit up in the less than awesome local theatres to ensure a ticket. Best movie of '08.

7.) Ghostface Killah
If there was any dispute that Ghostface was not only the most consistent member of Wu, but one of the best emcee's in the rap game right now, the man himself put it to rest in '08. He managed to release another great album (The Big Doe Rehab), a hilarious and entertaining spoken word CD/coffee table book, and brought the house down at Skidmore College (of all places) in the best live hip hop performance I've seen yet.

8.) Step Brothers

This is my runner up to the Dark Knight. High re watch value on easily one of Will Ferrell's best performances to date. This one was worthy of purchase on the day of release.

9.) The Cheesecake Factory
See the previous post for added proof. This may be why I'm carrying a little extra around with me this year.

10.) Metallica - Death Magnetic

You can refer to my whole tirade on this album and the critical responses surrounding it a few posts back. All critiques, hate, and love aside, personally, I think it's great to get some material from one of the greatest metal band's of all that isn't immediately worth discarding. Save your nostalgic claims of it being a tribute to what the band once was, I'm tired of hearing it.

Peace, love, and Reincarnage

K.

Best Video

Pretty Tone bringing some LOL's.

What's been spinning.

Here's some stuff I've been listening to lately...

Integrity - Walpurgisnacht 7""


Killer 2 song 7'' from one of the all time greats, and one of my all time faves. Hopefully this is a good indication of where the next full length (The Blacket Curse) is headed. It reminds me A LOT of Seasons in the Size of Days, which in my opinion is a sorely underrated album in the Integrity catalogue. I would go as far as to say "Seasons..." is no. 2 if I had to rank my favorite Integrity records. Anyway, I get the same drilling, industrial-tinged metallic hardcore out of this 7'' as I do on the aforementioned full length. The riffs are very rigid and uniform when compared to classic Integrity like Systems Overload or Those Who Fear... The recording quality is top-notch, especially in the guitar tones, and the drums, which are nice and crisp. Plenty of eerie sampling and mellow interludes make for a good listen even though it's only two (albeit) lengthy songs. Definitely not something to skip over if your an Integrity fan.


Hammer Bros. -The Kids Are Dead
Simply put, this record is HARD. This is Merrimac Valley's pride and joy as far as I can understand. I've heard of these guys before but decided to check them out after stumbling upon the MVHC myspace page. This is no trick, basic, but very well written HARDcore. My favorite part of this record is how hard the vocals sound, which just add to the overall vibe of the record, as opposed to trying to keep up with the heaviness of the riffs. I'd love to catch these guys live.

Sadat X - Generation X

This is a nice break for me as far as the type of hip hop I've been listening to over the past 6 months or so. It has the indie vibe a little bit, mostly in Sadat's characteristic voice and delivery (think Pharaohe Monch), but not so much in the beats which is a huge plus for me. The first few tracks are solid repeats and the momentum carries throughout the rest of the album, which strains slightly in quality and substance but still manages to finish strong off the energy of the first 4 or 5 tracks. Definitely seek it out if you've enjoyed his previous releases, Brand Nubian albums, or Pharaohe Monch.

Honorable Mentions:

Bad Seed - Demo. Wasn't really feeling this at first but gave it another visit after seeing they've built some momentum and buzz. Pretty good Madball influenced start. Relistenable for the vocal pattern in the 2nd song verses alone, nice and tight.

Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes. Caught these guys on some double header type show in Albany a few months ago. Madball played upstairs, good time. This record is tight and well rounded but they're definately MUCH better live so if you have a chance to check them out, do so!

Coldplay - Viva la Vida. See post below.

"Notorious."

Anyone else put their hip-hop snobbery on the shelf to be really pumped for this? I haven't really come across much speculation on it one way or another so that's a good sign. Another thing this movie has going for it if your a skeptic is a relatively unknown cast (at least to me) save for Angela Basset as Voletta Wallce. You don't have to worry about Will Smith, even though I love the guy, playing Diddy or anything like that.

Based on the trailers it seems to span Biggie's entire life, making it more interesting to me. Mainstream biopic's on deceased musicians have turned out pretty well in my opinion thus far, as I've enjoyed Ray and Walk the Line immensly. The story should be pretty accurate if the filmakers have done their job, at least more accuarate than Walk the Line, considering they have a short and more recent history on their side.

I'm sure they'll be plenty of criticsm on this being "too soon," or "lame" for stupid reasons, from both reputable sources as well as hardcore kids looking to be seen as hip hop heads, but I'll be going opening night.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472198/

Nas - Untitled

1.) Queens Get the Money - A largely accapella track save for a Piano loop. This is definitely daring to open an album with. I see it more as an interlude track or even a closing track. Having listend to the album a few times through though, it's definitely effective in setting the mood for the whole album and is probably one of my favorite songs on the album. "I'm over there heads like a bulimic on a seesaw." Yea, Nas has shown up on this one early.

2.) You Can't Stop Us Now - I wonder if there's any tension between Nas and the Rza considering they both used the same highly recognizable sample on there albums that released within a month of each other, the latter using the sample on his first single. I haven't seen anything published on the innanet so I'm guessing the answer is no. Nas wins as far as I'm concerned. The Rza song doesn't really go anywhere. This song has a cool pre chorus with horns and obviously, a better narrative (Rza vs. Nas in the lyricist dept. is a no brainer).

3.) Breathe - R&B style beat with a ghetto vs. the police theme. Next

4.) Make the World Go Round (feat. The Game and Chris Brown) - I love this beat with it's subtle female vocal sample hitting on the downbeat towards the end of the loop. Neither the Game with his verse about the things the Game always raps about (nice clothes, cars, LA) or Chris Brown who sings the chorus hook and a small bridge part can ruin this song.

5.) Hero (ft. Keri Hilson) - I don't care that this is the first single off the album, this is head and shoulders, the best track on the album. From the emotional ass beat, to the female vocals, to the hard hitting verses where Nas actually sounds like his standing up and spitting into a mic (a rarity on this album), rather than flowing in a reclining chair. The second verse "From 9 Berettas and moving raw..."....the beat switch under that part is my single most favorite sound on this album.

6.) America - Another soft sounding intricate track about American culture where Nas takes a hard look at his roots and how it conflicts with America's symbols of wealth and prosperity. Nas is really ingraining the political theme of this album effectively, as well as the theme of female vocals on almost every track, ehh.

7.) Sly Fox - Semi aggressive beat with a guitar sample (always a gamble in hip hop) but it's not too bad. Mentioning Myspace twice in the song and blogs once, however, is. Save that shit for Def Jux and Atmosphere.

8.) Testify - Slooow track about racism, white fans, and Nas's frustration with ignorant followers of his music

9.) N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master) - A slower, epic beat that actually work for me. The hook/chorus is really good too. Most of the lyrical content paints vivid pictures of oppressed dwellers of the ghetto. "Put rims on everything."

10.) Untitled - This is a narrative story track laced with samples mentioning the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan. It's particularly short so I'll have to listen to it a few more times to see if I can figure out the connection between the samples and Nas, beyond obvious associations with the NOI.

11.) Fried Chicken (feat Busta Rhymes) - You would think the title was a metaphorical one. Well the song is actually about Fried Chicken and all the delicious sides that go with it. Sure the unspoken connection is the association with the Black Community, but it's entertaining nonetheless. The beat is a soul inspired eerie sounding track with live drums. Another short one, I like it.

12.) Project Roach (feat. The Last Poets) - More soul beats with a heavy bass line and samples of poetry readings. Super short, skippable

13.) Ya'll My Niggas - Stomping beat but not overly aggressive. Being almost finished with the album, I've noticed a lot of these songs would probably translate really well live with a live band. Beat is a little Kanye sounding for my taste (at least that pussy doesn't appear on this album). Verses are some of the better on the album.

14.) We're Not Alone feat. Mykel - This album has enough melancholy R&B inspired songs for my taste. At the second to last track, I'm skipping.

15.) Black President - This song was making sound waves when The Nigger Tape came out a few weeks ago because, obviously, it is Nas's artistic endorsement of Barack Obama. The beat is good and energetic, and the verses are a good mix of how shitty America's shitty is, slimy politicians, and a hint of optimism if we can flip the script with the election. Sample from Tupac's "I Wonder If Heaven got a Ghetto" is taken a little out of context, and I've had numerous people ask me who listened to it, "Why does it say we're not ready for a black president if he supports Obama?" I dunno, ask Nas.

Overall this album is sort've a let down for me compared to Hip Hop Is Head. There isn't enough energy on the album vocally that I need to stay interested. It's largely intricate, moody, and melancholy in terms of the production. The verses are there on a good number of songs, and it's commendable that Nas sticks to making a socially conscious and politically charged album amidst a storm of retardation in American pop culture. But I feel like I've already heard this album from Immortal Technique, and before him from Dead Prez, and before them from Public Enemy and N.W.A. Furthermore, Nas doesn't spit as aggressively as he should on such serious content. It's almost as if it's too sad and not enough pissed given the subject matter and the opinions blatantly implied on those subjects.

Standout Tracks: Make the World Go Round, Hero, N.I.G.G.E.R., Queens Get the Money

Definitely pick it up and judge for yourself, support one of the greatest emcee's of all time.

AZ - Undeniable

This is the latest effort from "fly-under-the-radar-emcee" No. 1 AZ. With close to a dozen albums under his belt, most people would recognize AZ from his spots on Illmatic. Since then he's stayed at work consistently putting out records demonstrating an undying flow and proving his place in the narrative aspect of hip-hop.

The general consensus on this album after reading a few reviews is: great emcee, sub par beats. I guess I can see where they're coming from. The second half of the album is definitely not as strong as the first, and there's some cheesy R&B laced choruses. But the verses and standout tracks are still there. What I really love about AZ's records is that they're largely concise and to the point...a manageable amount of tracks and next to no "skits" or "interludes".

Standout tracks: The Game Don't Stop, Superstar, Life on the Line, Dead End

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