Hip Hop Is Read

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #55

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The Pendulum Effect by Mumia Abu-Jamal

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:05:00 +0000

The Pendulum Effect
by
Mumia Abu-Jamal
(Recorded Nov. 1st, 2009)

Disturbing: Congressman John Shadegg Uses Child as a Political Prop

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000

I don't know anymore, man... I... I just don't know...

2Pac - There U Go (Hurricane Blend '09)

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:23:00 +0000

It's been a while since I shared a remix or blend with you. This one's the result of me messing around with the instrumentals on The Tape Deck '09 Volume 53. Rihanna's beat on "Russian Roulette" (produced by Chuck Harmony) seemed to match up really well with Aaron Hall's choppy chorus on "There U Go"... and the rest is a wrap! What do you think?

Download:
2Pac - There U Go (Hurricane Blend) (feat. Kastro, Kadafi, E.D.I. Mean & Aaron Hall)

Jay-Z Is Too Commercial for Miley Cyrus

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:58:00 +0000

For the record:
Yes, I did feel like a pedophile as I was looking for an appropriate picture on Google Images

If this doesn’t validate my opinions on The Blueprint 3, I don’t know what will! In a recent interview posted on MileyWorld, Miley Cyrus tossed out an interesting admission about a memorable line from her hit single “Party in the U.S.A.”. The reference in question (“the Jay-Z song was on”) was written by songwriting team Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Jessica Cornish and was never altered. Despite the fact that she didn’t write the song, most people assumed that Miley’s Jay-Z mention was authentic nonetheless. Nope. When asked which song the track was inspired by, Miley bluntly stated: “I don't know, I didn't write the song, so I have no idea”.

Then she took it a bit further in a move I’d like to call Ether Pt. 2. Miley continued: “I've never heard a Jay-Z song. I don't listen to pop music”. And there you have it! Miley Cyrus is officially off that because she was never on that to begin with. I can only deduce that she’s an apparent Nas fan. Added Cyrus: “Maybe if he’d get back in the stu’ with Primo and Ski and bring Pete Rock and Large Pro along then I’d give it a listen”. Okay, fine… that was me.

Miley Cyrus: "I've Never Heard a Jay-Z Song" [US Magazine]

Daily Operation: November 6, 2009

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Mrs. Doc

The Rounds:

Eugene Robinsion (smart guy, great WashPo op-ed writer): Despite understandable frustrations, President Obama's record of accomplishments speaks for itself. [Commercial Appeal]

Dart Adams: The Blogger Civil War Rages On... [Poisonous Paragraphs]

Throwback Download: DJ Kid Capri’s 10/9/89 Mixtape [The Rap Up]

Google Music and the New Payola [Music Power Network] (I might elaborate/give my own spin on this topic later)

Happy birthday to the hottest girls born in November [Complex]

Malcolm Gladwell vs. New Media [Business Insider]

Recently Leaked (Google Is Your Friend):

Bekay - Hunger Pains

Classified - Self Explanatory

Daz Dillinger - Public Enemiez

Hell Rell - Live from Hell

Leona Lewis - Echo

Mic Boyd - Lost In the Woods

Rita J - Artist Workshop

Brother Ali - Us | Album Review

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:23:00 +0000

Brother Ali
Us
Release Date: September 22nd, 2009

Few emcees can claim an organic following comparable to Brother Ali’s fanbase because few emcees actually deserve it. Receiving mostly A’s from the general consensus of rap critics, the only criticisms I’ve ever heard about Brother Ali are that he’s too preachy and he’s overly-adored by the indie-rap crowd. The latter point might be true, but how is that a negative? Bottom line, I don’t feel like his praise is undeserved. The former critique has a bit more merit. After all, Us, Ali’s latest release, was originally set to be titled The Street Preacher. Preachiness can be off-putting if it’s delivered with gaucheness and transparent opportunism; you know, like the token “conscious” track that usually appears near the end of many commercial rap records. Lacking this trait of inauthentic sincerity, Ali’s music has thoroughly been soulful and full of heart.

Like a Lupe Fiasco or a Mos Def, one of Brother Ali’s great skills is the ability to walk the thin line between partying for the right to fight and fighting for the right to party. As such, Ali can seamlessly interweave his moralistic homilies alongside his buoyant, blue collar anthems. At this point, I’m convinced that it can’t simply be a coincidence that many of today’s well-known observant Muslim rappers are amongst the elite in the game – but that’s a topic for another day.

Us finds Brother Ali in a celebratory mode like never before. On “Fresh Air”, Ali quips about his emergence to indie stardom, reflecting and rejoicing in jest: “Not two years ago I was homeless/ I mean crashing on the couch of my homies/ Now I’m crashing in the couch with Conan/ Signed a mortgage and bought my own shit/”. Once again backed by producer extraordinaire Ant of Atmosphere fame, Ali also invited an in-house band to provide an appropriately lush backdrop for his heartfelt raps. Shedding a bit of the grit from his breakout record The Undisputed Truth, Ali’s latest project counters with a slew of surprises and a wider stylistic scope. Building off of the blues-centric backdrops of his previous LP, Brother Ali tests his skills atop new soundscapes. On “The Preacher”, Ali combusts with a high octane flow over a frenetic ska rock beat to set the tone for the album. Whiplash suddenly kicks in as he follows up with the smooth and anti-climactically jazzy rhythms of “Crown Jewels”. Just like that, Ali snaps his fingers and takes you to a new plateau of his conscious’ focus. While The Undisputed Truth boasted consistency in abundance, the sitar strings of Nate Collis and Steve Roehm’s vibraphone – just to name a few of the album’s backing musicians and their instruments – allude to the trademark of Us: fluidity and range.

Brother Ali’s lyricism and narratives show great depth as well; on “House Keys” for instance, Ant’s haunting vocal loops perfectly suit Ali’s dream sequence-like narratives which scream of Hitchcock-esque Rear Window influence. Ali makes light of the scenario with a humorous conclusion that evokes the notoriety of “Niggas Bleed” by Biggie. By and large, lapses are few and far between on Us – but they’re there. For example, the Freeway and Joell Ortiz-assisted “Best at It” is great as a standalone track; nonetheless it damages the feel of the album’s one-man-show theme and as such feels unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Truthfully though, it’s not enough to knock the overall value of the album which rarely strays from being infectious and memorable. Us is yet another entry into Brother Ali’s steadily growing, quality-driven discography: must-hear music for soulful hip hop purists.

Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra | The Midnight Hour

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Check out this funky video from the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra via our HHIR affiliate over at Vinyl4Giants. Watch as homie and crew drop some ol' Gnarls Barkley-type steez over at Wax Poetics' Midnight Hour.

Russel Fong & DJ Matt Cali - Sample Junkies | Download

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:05:00 +0000

I just found this mixtape in my inbox twice (thanks, Dom) and I've gotta give it a nod. What've got here? Classic hip hop samples and break beats! Russel Fong compiled the tracks and DJ Matt Cali flipped 'em into 15, 20 and 30 minute segments. If you like our sample sets but wish Hurricane Ivan had some mixing skills (ha!) then you'll enjoy this. Turn it up, burn it up:

Daily Operation: November 2, 2009

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Go Yankees!

Listen:

DJ Premier's "Live From HeadQCourterz" 10-30-09 Playlist & Link (w/DJ Eclipse) [MP3]

DJ Eclipse's "Rap Is Outta Control" 11-1-09 Playlist & Link (w/R.A. The Rugged Man) [MP3]

The Rounds:

The top 1 habit(s) of amazing writers [Kung Fu Grippe]

7 Must Read Productivity Steps to Finally Getting Things Done [Dumb Little Man]

Lieberman circa 1994 vs. Lieberman circa 2009 [Think Progress]

Rosa Parks is laughing at this one: Rudy Giuliani has to give up his seat for Michelle Obama at the World Series [TMZ]

Having fun with the Google search box [Slate]

John Conyers goes after Barack Obama (and he's right!) [Crooks and Liars]

Music pirates are more likely to purchase music legally... really! [Independent]

Artie Lange says what we've all been thinking (me, at least) [Contact Music]

Recently Leaked (Look for 'Em!):

Gift of Gab - Escape 2 Mars

Jay-Z & Eminem - DJ Hero: Renegade Edition

DJ Premier - Golden Years (1989-1998)

Kool Keith & Denis Deft - Bikinis 'N Thongs

Jaysaun & DJ Revolution - Game of Breath

Serani - No Games

Manu Ginobili Bitchslaps a Bat

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Krazy! Word to Gucci... PETA will be on his ass in a second, mark my words.

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #54

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #53 (Instrumental Edition)

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Sample Set #150: OB4CL Pt. II

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Well, you already know how I feel about this album (the greatest release, in my opinion, of this relatively lackluster year). Big shout out to everybody who contributed to the "sample set project" post. I procrastinated a bit with the release of this set, but I wanted to get as much content for it as possible; this meant having to watch 2 Champions of Shaolin (first time), The Killer and Shaolin vs. Lama (my second time for both) so I could snatch up all the necessary audio snippets. The result is a 34-track collage of the gumbo mix of Wu that is OB4CL Pt. II. Enjoy... and turn it up!! (Sorry for keeping y'all waiting on this one!)

Daily Operation: October 28, 2009

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:05:00 +0000

"with the hat to match"

Headlines

Rocsi says she "never had to lay on [her] back to get where [she] was”. Maybe that's because she likes it on top? [Dr. Jays]

MP3: Tavis Smiley interviews O.Genius Malcolm Gladwell [PBS]

Bol's got the scoop; Shakur's got the clap [Byron Crawford]

DOOM and 'lib are working on Madvillainy 2 [Pitchfork]

My hometown Lakers earn their rings. Forget Shaq; Kobe can't win a championship without Derek Fisher. [YouTube]

Google is gonna save the music industry. Maybe. [NPR]

It's a conspiracy: 7th-Grader proves that Barack Obama is related to all but one American presidents. [Pimpin Turtle]

"You lie" is catching on [Think Progress]

Arnie accidentally flips us off [Tech Crunch]

Recently Leaked (Google Is Your Friend)

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct (Advance)

Weezer - Raditude (Deluxe Edition)

Masta Ace & Edo G - Arts and Entertainment

El Da Sensei & The Returners - The Money EP

Shwayze - Let It Beat

Triple Cs - Custom Cars and Cycles

Sean Price - Kimbo Price (A Prelude to Mic Tyson)

Download

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #50

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #51

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #52

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #52

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:20:00 +0000

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #51

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #50

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Coach Ace Reminisces on the Juice Crew Days

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Courtesy of Gasface, check out this interview with (Coach) Masta Ace, reflecting on his early days hooking up with Marley Marl and the crew.

Nine - Whutcha Want | Insomniacs Club

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Gravediggaz + Onyx + a little bit of Method Man = Nine

Where are they now...?

Lord Finesse, Buckwild & Pete Rock | Insomniacs Club

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:35:00 +0000

The OG mix is nice, but I'm partial to Buckwild's remix. Peep the steez:

Instru-Only:

Does this ring a bell:

'90's > _____

Blood of Abraham - Stabbed By The Steeple | Insomniacs Club

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Beasties, 3rd Bass, Whooliganz, High & Mighty.... Don't forget about Blood of Abraham!

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #49

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0000

The Tape Deck '09: Volume #48

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Playing Catch-Up: October '09

ivan1087@gmail.com (Ivan) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:35:00 +0000

DOWNLOAD:
Beatnick & K-Salaam - Never Can Say Goodbye
Chaundon - Black Dynamite's Revenge
DJ Cinema - The Stimulus
Last Emperor - Science Team Go!
Mick Boogie & Terry Urban Present: The Noisettes - Wild Young Heartbreaks
One-2 - The Leak Mixtape, Volume 4
Web - Web's Great I.D.e.A
Wu-Tang Clan - Freestyle Tape Volume 1
Wu-Tang Clan - Freestyle Tape Volume 2
Wu-Tang Clan - Freestyle Tape Volume 3