Rapped Gifts

                                                Skateboard P

Pharrel hops on this beat that apparently is ripped from a song off the Tron Soundtrack. I like this song alot and the beat is hard. Funkmaster Flex just premiered it on the radio (thats why his drops are all on it). Il upload the dropless version when its released. 

yal should stand backwards, you do so much frontin…take this sun block, you got to much son’n

The Game Has Changed posted above

                                          King.Remembered.In.Time.

What if i were to tell you that there is a rapper from Mississippi with the country vernacular of the late Pimp C, has lyrics deep and filled with hunger that remind you of J.Cole, and that he produces his own tracks with rhythms and melodies that remind you of the classics Outkast used to rhyme to? I guess your first assumption would be that there is a long lost member of The Dungeon Family. Then im sure your next thought would be, how come i havent heard of anyone like this before? The reason you havent is because there hasnt been an artist quite like Big K.R.I.T.

besides i aint rap about dope nor did i sell it…i guess the story of a country boy just aint compelling

His name is an acronym for “King Remembered In Time” and i hope that this does indeed become his fate. Krit is starting to receive some much deserved shine recently. You might remember him from his feature on Glass House off of Wiz Khalifa’s Kush and OJ mixtape. He recently was named a member of XXL’s freshman 10 for 2011 and it seems like he dropped his latest mixtape TheReturnOf4eva right on time.

A&Rs searchin for a hit, i just need a meal…couldnt afford to pay the rent but passed up on a deal…cuz it wasnt right, sometimes you gotta wait the storm…in a class of my own but i was scared to raise my arm

TheReturnOf4eva is really an album disguised as a mixtape. This tape is 21 tracks displaying all of his talent and versatility as a rapper. There are a couple power features on this tape from Ludacris, David Banner, Bun B, Chamillionaire and Raheem Devaughn. Krit is a special artist that puts his entire heart into his music. There isnt one song on this tape that was made for commercial appeal and this has even more meaning since he has yet to have a solo album. This tape shows how Krit will not compromise his artistic integrity by trying to appeal to the mainstream. It might of been an option to make a song with ankle deep lyrics and a catchy hook to gain more attention by the mainstream, but Krit continues to take the long road. That is something to be admired, a true artist refusing to compromise.

Just know that i was too considered just a dreamer…but i paid my dues and turned so many doubters to believers

Dreamin’ posted above and download the whole TheReturnOf4eva mixtape tape here: http://returnof4eva.com

                                                  Quick Song

Sorry for the lack of material the last two days. My thesis rough draft is due tomorrow so that is what ive been trying to get done. Felt like i had to post something today, so here is a track by Lil Wayne produced by Dr. Dre that some of you may not have heard or some of you may have forgotten about. After tomorrow everything should be back to normal.

and your Z’n…while im up tryna be the best MC’n…now let me in, i got me key in…..and with the them alphabets i never use P-E-N

Outstanding posted above

                                                      A Classic

Thought id bless you guys with this throwback. Lil Wayne’s Tha Mobb off of his Tha Carter II album. In my opinion Tha Carter II is his best album ever and this is his best song ever. No hook, no autotune, no features, just him goin in for 5 minutes. He also is rapping with direction opposed to nowadays he seems to rap more in tangents. Every line in this song is meaningful, take a serious listen.

i aint duckin cuz im right here, im just enough…i dont care who at the top of the stairs, im steppin up

Tha Mobb posted above

                                              Nicki > Kim ?…Not Yet          

Lately everyone really has jumped on Nicki Minaj’s bandwagon and rightfully so. Nicki has become one of the hottest female artists out. Her and Lil Kim are currently in a war of words. Lil Kim started the bantering back and forth between her and Nicki. I feel that Nicki did what she felt she had to do in response to Kim’s negative comments and diss records against her. Kim did this because she felt that Nicki needed to pay her homage. Im not here to debate who won the beef or what was right or wrong. I was just amazed at how fans were so quick to choose Nicki and dismiss Kim (as if Nicki was out of her league). It just amazes me how quick fans forget an artist’s career of work. Andre 3000 said it best in Outkast’s infamous Rosa Parks track, he states:

you only funky as your last cut….you focus on the past, your ass will be a “Has What?”

Lil Kim had these lyrics come to life for her. Fans are quick to forget the material you have provided in your career and remember only what you have done for them lately. An artist has to stay new and current or will be viewed as a “has been” very quickly. Nicki argued that Kim was just attacking her to make her name relevant again and  that actually may very well be true. I just dont see how any real fan could say that Nicki is better than Kim already. Considering Nicki has only had one solo album and honestly has traces of Lil Kim ALL over her persona as an artist. Lil Kim was the first female MC that rapped hard lyrics like a man but still was able to have a huge amount of sex appeal.

Only female in my crew and i kick sh-t like a n-gga do, pull the trigga too…f-ck you!

Lil Kim is a ground breaking artist. Before Kim came into the scene, popular female artists focused on lyrics more than their image/sex appeal (Queen Latifah, Mc Lyte, etc). Kim started this trend and now every female MC goes for sex appeal. Now examine what else goes into Nicki’s persona as an artist. Lets start with wearing wigs. Go back and watch Lil Kim’s Crush On You video from ‘97 and then go watch Nicki’s Massive Attack video and tell me if you see the similarities. Kim also started the different color wigs in hip-hop. Then go look up the cover of Kim’s debut album Hardcore and then look at Nicki’s lollipop pic. Also consider who was the first female rap artist to wear outrageous outfits to award shows and then google what Nicki wore to the Grammys this year. Another comparison can be made to how they are both made their rise in music. Kim made her rise behind the most popular rapper at the time (Biggie) and Nicki is making her rise behind the most popular rapper of today (Lil Wayne). Kim laid the blueprint down for Nicki. There is NO denying Kim’s influence on Nicki and i doubt Nicki would even deny it. Nicki is a great artist and really only seems to be getting better as her career continues. But with all that said, i still dont see how fans could be so quick to jump on Nicki’s bandwagon and dismiss Kim, considering all the influence that Kim undeniably has had on Nicki’s career. Either you have a bad case of amnesia or just didnt do your homework.

a write a rhyme, melt in your mouth like M&M’s…..roll with the mafia, remember dem?

Queen B-tch featuring Biggie off Lil Kim’s debut album Hardcore posted above

                                  A New Single….Somebody Lied

The supposed second single off Tha Carter IV entitled If I Should Die Today leaked this evening. It sounds more like is a remix to Rick Ross’ Im Not A Star. The two songs are virtually identical and at first i thought maybe it was just a modified version of the same beat (since the recycling of beats happen all the time in hip-hop). That theory was proven wrong when i heard lyrics from Im Not A Star spoken word for word.

If i die today, remember me like John Lennon…..buried in Louis, im talkin all brown linen

In a sense i was relieved that they were not trying to hide that these two songs are basically the same, but i am disappointed if this really is the second single off of Tha Carter IV. Its been 3 years since Tha Carter III and the first single off of Tha Carter IV (6’7) is great, so you can imagine the anticipation. Wayne is the truth, so im not too worried about Tha Carter IV being a disappointment. I am just kind of surprised that Wayne would basically recycle another artist’s song and repackage it as a single. Im hoping that the rumors of If I Die Today being the next single are false. Truth be told I like Rick Ross’ original Im Not A Star better. Listen to both and decide for yourself.

The censored Version of If I Die Today posted above and link to listen to Rick Ross’ Im Not A Star here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC0wOOrnETs&feature=related

if i die today….it’d be a holiday

                                              Bringin Back The Feelin

Dom Kennedy really might be the underground king of Los Angeles and maybe even the prince in waiting of the west. I was put on to him by my friend (Bubs) a year or so ago and thought he was cool, but at the time it didnt really stick with me. He recently released his The Original Dom Kennedy mixtape and it didnt take me long to realize why he had such a buzz. He sounds like west coast rap back in its Death Row prime. Im not stating that his sound is out dated or not original because that is false, he just really has a real authentic west coast sound. A sound that popular artists synonymous with the west like Tyga and The Game dont even posses. 

name start with a D, but i sound like a G on it…sh-ttin on this song, like nigs cant pee on it…independent artist, but it aint nothin for free on this

After going back and re-listening to the material from the previous tapes, i definately can say he has skills. The west coast has been almost absent in the rap game lately, or at least in the mainstream.But with up-comming rappers (Dom Kennedy, Nipsey Hussle, Pac Div etc.) and with several established rappers (Snoop, Game, and Tyga etc.) already with their imprint in mainstream rap, hopefully the west coast can make another run to the top. I dont think we will have to worry about the music quality declining to appeal to the mainstream. I think America is still fascinated with authentic Los Angeles inner city stories, especially with it taking a leave of absence lately. When you look up an see Dom Kennedy blowin up, dont be surprised.

b-tch im back…here to save rap, so wheres she at?….still rep that west side, Leimert Park…..so where we at?

Goodbye off of The Original Dom Kennedy tape above and download the whole tape here: http://www.dopeitsdom.com

                                               The Fear Is Here

Pusha T’s G.O.O.D. Music debut mixtape (Fear Of God) is finally here! It is exactly what any Pusha fan would expect, greatness. The only complaint i have is how short some of the songs are, we want more! Pusha took the lil wayne mixtape approach of getting on other artist’s beats for the majority of the tape. However unlike Wayne he didn’t try to mimic the original song’s rhyme patterns at all. Pusha really delivers every verse with so much passion and aggression that is impossible not to feel what he is saying. He’s been like this his whole career and now with him going solo, fans will really start to notice.

no weapon formed against me shal prosper…hakuna matata, feet up, sippin java….scrollin up the totem pole, whats my only problem?….scrollin through my roledex, who should bare my todler?!

This tape has 4 “freestyles” and that is why the tape is so short. Fear Of God also has a few power features from Rick Ross, 50 Cent, Pharrell, and his new right hand man Kanye West. Overall this is a very lyrical tape, no song was tailored for commercial appeal. Even though making songs solely for commercial appeal is something Pusha and Malice (The Clipse) have never been guilty of, Im glad that Pusha kept it that way even after going solo. Fear Of God is a quality tape for hip-hop fans interested in lyrics and a tape that can be played from start to end. Hopefully this tape will give Pusha the buzz he deserves. #Yughhhh!!!

Alone In Vegas off of Fear Of God posted above and download the whole tape here: http://pusha-t.com

The game cant grow by just followin the leaders….you gotta be better than the ones that precede ya

                                        Lupe’s Colorful Dream

Lupe Fiasco’s latest Album Lasers has been a popular subject lately. His album is under major scrutiny by fans because it really is very different from his first 2 albums. It just seems like most people enjoy the album but it just was not what they expected a Lupe album to be music wise. Similar to how people liked 808’s and Heartbreak, but musically it was not what they expected from a Kanye album. I personally feel that the first 2 Lupe albums were superior, but this album still had a few musical gems.One of those musical gems is the song All Black Everything. This song could easily fit in any of the first 2 albums and stand out. In this masterfully creative song, Lupe examines what the world would be like if certain events in history never took place and if race were flipped upside down. Essentially Lupe is examining what the world could of been if racial inequality never existed. 

The title alone is genius but could easily be misinterpreted. Lupe is not stating what the world would be like if it were all African American or Black. He is not preaching afro-centricity. What Lupe is describing in All Black Everything is a world that has no institutionalized value of skin color or race.”Complexion is not a contest, cuz racism has no context”. Simply all black everything. He goes on to say:

We aint work for free, see they had to employ it….Built it up together, so we equally appointed…first 400 years, see we actually enjoyed it…constitution written by W.E.B. DuBois

Lupe is not undermining the importance of America’s founding fathers. He is just considering what our nation could be like if it allowed for brilliant minds, white and black alike to of had a say in the construction of our nation. The chorus is something to also examine. It further informs the listener of what Lupe is trying to communicate in this song.

Stayed in Africa, we aint never leave…..So there were no slaves in our history…Were no slave ships, were no misery, call me crazy or isnt he?…See i fell asleep and i had a dream, it was all black everything

All Black Everything is simply the title of Lupe’s dream. He then goes on to leave the listener wondering, what if activities and occupations (like being a rapper) that have become synonymous with race today, were flipped upside down? Lupe describes this in these next few lines.

Eminem fitted in but then again, he inspired a black rapper to mimic him….and thats what really rose up out of Michigan, the sign of white rapper by the name of 50 cent

This is a brilliant line because it really leaves you wondering what if hip-hop was America’s predominant music. What if rap was a caucasian dominated genre like rock or country music? How would the world digest hip-hop culture and music if it was not the mysterious fantasy it is to them today? Lupe is using 50 Cent to represent America’s stereotypical prototype for rappers. The hardcore rapping black man who rose from poverty, sold drugs, and encountered violence. A lot of mainstream America’s intrigue with hip-hop artists stems from the fantasy it alows them to invison. Listeners are able to view an artist and listen to their stories of violence, drugs and pain of growing up in harsh environments but from the comfort of their suburban homes. So what if those stories were not aspects of hip-hop? Lupe states:

“everybody rappin like crack never happend…crips never occured, so no bloods to attack them…matter of fact, no hood to attack in”

The concept of this song is amazing. It is typical Lupe painting intellectually charged images with impeccable flow and delivery. He is the most known underrated rapper out there and probably will retire that way. He seems content with delivering his messages and not too content with the mainstream popularity contest hip-hop sometimes can become. Lupe is really an artist to be revered.

Lupe’s All Black Everything posted above…..

When those color lines come we cant see between….we just close our eyes until its All Black Everything

                                               Music As Medicine

A element of hip-hop that often gets over looked are its power to heal or its power to motivate.No matter what genre of music you prefer, everyone is going to go through the same typical human emotions. Hip-hop often gets viewed as a genre fueled by flash and lavish stories of making it from poverty to prosperity. Rarely is attention paid to the music of their inner struggles, not as being a “wealthy” rapper, but as simply being a real human being. Everyone has times where they feel like everything is going wrong, so they just wake up bracing for the worst. Sometimes you dont want to talk to anyone about it and that is where music can become powerful. Hip-hop can also serve as a medicine. This is why hip-hop fans hold Tupac with such high regard, he was able to make music that everyone could identify with and delivered such powerful messages.

Make in elementary, i thrived on misery….left me alone, i grew up amongst a dying breed…inside my mind couldnt find a place to rest, until i got that THUG LIFE tatted on my chest…tell me do you feel me!

The power and passion Tupac delivered in every line of his songs is just amazing. His music is true poetry and often his messages were up lifting. He was a master of describing pain and struggle in his music and this also allowed his music to transcend so many barriers and reach so many people. His messages of struggle and perseverance are far to real for the listener. This allows you to feel that he is talking to you or about you sometimes. That is why he was so great. He really had the power to heal people in his music. Im not saying he was describing everyone’s problems but he described something that every human can relate to, struggle in general. He wasnt afraid to let the listener into is own world of struggles and make himself appear human. Unlike most rappers who wanted to appear as god like as possible. He was able to really make the listener feel like he knew what they were going through because he is still going through problems himself. His music was and still is medicine and his messages are still the most powerful.

Now that im strugglin in this business by any means, label me greedy gettin green….but seldom seen

One of my favorite songs of his posted above. Shed So Many Tears

                                          Are You Missing Something??

“Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?”…A quote from Jay-Z and Eminem’s classic song Renegade. That is how I feel when Jay-Z is brought up and people dont give him his deserved acclaim. Even if you arent going to acknowledge what he has done for hip-hop as a culture, you have to acknowledge him as one of the greatest rappers ever, PERIOD. I really feel like the ones who do not feel this way simply dont understand his rhymes. So ive decided to break down one of his best raps of all time. Keep in mind that its a freestyle done live on the radio!…I will cover a few of the lines that i feel most listeners might not of understood. Lets Go.

Hov got flow, though he’s no Big or Pac but he’s close…how am i supposed to win, they got me fighting ghosts

This line is brilliant because it is so true. The reason people want to say they are the best rapper alive and not the best rapper ever is to pay homage to Big and Pac. If Jay already has proven rappers like Lil Wayne calling him the best living. Could he now never compete to be the best rapper of all time because his competition isnt living? Is it Jay’s fault?…              

next line:

Everybody wanna be the king when shots ring and you are layin in the balcony with holes in your dream or you are Malcom X’d out gettin distracted by screams…Everybody get ya hand out my jeans!

Jay is referring to the MLK and Malcolm X assasinations but also referring to people trying to take his crown as the king of hip-hop. Everyone knows Dr.King’s famous “i have dream speech” and when Malcolm X was assasinated a person in the crowd caused a distraction by screaming that someone was stealing from their pocket. Jay brillantly restates all this while plugging hip-hop in at the same time. He is saying you might want to take his crown as the king of hip-hop but your dream will be shot down. He then states “or you are Malcolm X’d out gettin distracted by screams” , reffering to being eliminated by focusing on your hype (screams). Then he wraps it up by people stealing his style by screamin “everybody get ya hand out my jeans!”….AMAZING

next line:

im gettin courted by the bosses,The Edgars and Doug Morris-es-es, Jimmy I’s and Lyors-es…its gotta be more than the choruses, they respecting my mind now….just a matter of time now..Operation:take over coorporate…make over offices-es, then take over all of it

Jay is referring to people now commemorating his business skills and how he is about to make an impact in the business world. “The bosses” he is reffering to are: Edgar Bronfman Jr (former CEO of Warner Bros and Vice Chairman of Universal Music), Doug Morris (CEO of Universal), Jimmy Iovine (the CEO of Interscope), and Lyor Cohen (CEO of Warner Music Group). Jay is stating how its more than just rap ability now causing him to get their attention and how it is a matter of time until he takes over the corporate world.

next line:

The more successful, the more stressful, the more i transform to Gordon Gekko…in a race to a billion, got my face to the ceiling, got my knees on the floor…please lord forgive him….has he lost his religion? is the greed ‘gon get him?…hes havin heaven on earth, will his wings still fit him?

I know most listeners didnt get this line upon first or maybe even 4th listen, because I didnt. Gordon Gekko is a fictional character from the movie Wall Street. He is a greed hungry man who seems to lack most moral principles. Jay is stating how the more money he makes the more he transforms into him, but he uses a play on words with transform and Gekko/Gecko (like the lizard). At the end of these lines Jay asks if his “wings will still fit him?”. He is asking will the greed and new found success lead to him not belonging in heaven. Once again AMAZING…

In the end, I find it a 100% impossible to say that Jay-Z isnt good great. His lyrics are complex and always require the listener to go back and review to completely comprehend. Plus dont forget that all of this is done live on air, with mess ups and over a beat that was not his. Jay really is just too good.

Audio for Grammy Family Freestyle posted above

Theres never been a n-gga this good, for this long

                                                Biggie AND Tupac

In a high speed chase with the law, the realest mother f-cker that you ever saw

                                                        Curren$y is Money

Curren$y is the captain of the “Jets” crew, a mixtape legend, a braggadocio weed connoisseur, and has been on a roll lately (pun intended)….Those who have been hip to Curren$y for a while understand that this new buzz was not created over night…Curren$y was signed to No Limit back in its heyday and had a brief stint with Young Money before they developed their super roster. As an independent artist he began to flood the market with material (similar to lil wayne in 06-07). Curren$y would put out a mixtape every month and the material was QUALITY. His lyrics consist of life in New Orleans, muscle cars, sneakers, staying true to himself as an artist, and (of course) weed. His content really gained him quite an underground following. 

aww naw…here ya man go with his same old songs about chevys and gettin stoned

Curren$y’s buzz really picked up when he teamed up with (now superstar rapper) Wiz Khalifa for their How Fly mixtape in ‘09. This allowed for a broader audience to get a glimpse of Curren$y’s unique off beat flow. After the How Fly, Curren$y began to release digital albums independantly with the help of Roc-a-fella pioneer Dame Dash. Curren$y just recently signed with a major label, but do not expect anything to change. You can still expect the same unique flow and content that his followers have come to expect from the Jet captain. 

That crowd cool but i just couldnt get into it…im too big homeboy simply couldnt fit…was offered multiple incentives, but i couldnt switch

“soundbombin” off of his upcomming project “Muscle Car Chronicles” is posted above… #jetlife #jetlife

              If this is too deep for the intro il find another use, but in case

                                         its perfect….let me introduce

Hip Hop has a bright young star “young simba” and his name is J.Cole. A rapper that has the subject matter of an underground MC, the flow and delivery of a punchline rapper, and the main stream ability to have his hooks in your head all day. He truely appeals to all and his skill is undeniable. Sometimes with rappers its not what they are saying but more so the passion in their delivery, other times its not what they are saying but the flow and melody in which they say it. J.Cole is the total package, the flow and passion in his delivery with lyrics that make you go back and rewind like,”WOAHH”. He truly paints pictures with his lyrics and captures you in his stories before you even realize it. He shows amazing skills in word play and use of diction while always having a point to his rhymes. 

 Me im like a young simba, couldnt wait to be the King

He is being compared to Nas in his Illmatic era. A comparison that would make any MC blush inside, but I think he is something different. People say hip-hop is dead because it has moved away from its original composition but J.Cole is the answer for that. He has the ability to make a clever verse like in “rather be with you” and then make a song like “2face” highlighting his imperfections.He is still representing the new school as a member of XXL’s freshmen 10 of 2010 and has been quietly playing the back ground as new school rappers like Wiz Khalifa and Drake blow up. It all seems like he is just waiting for his turn in line but i feel like once its his turn, he wont let it go. He signed with Roc Nation (Jay-Z’s label) so we can expect great production and resources available at his disposal. He has been releasing about a mixtape a year and has been featured on many popular rapper’s songs and dominating their tracks. Only time will tell if he will eventually be the King of hip-hop but it seems like he has no ceiling.

i thought that real sh-t is what yal been feenin bout, what you been prayin for, what you been screamin bout…ironic u been sleepin on the one that u been dreamin bout

The song “Villematic” off of his latest mixtape “Friday Night Lights” is posted above. #ColeWorld

                       “They Prayin I Never Go Solo”

Well i guess those prayers weren’t answered as Pusha T prepares to drop his first solo mixtape since signing with Kanye’s G.O.O.D. music label…Hes been everywhere since performing with Kanye @ the VMA’s and appearing on most of his Good Friday leaks…I always felt Pusha was the better rapper out of the Clipse duo and now we can look forward to more verses from him as a solo artist… You arent going to meet many people who think Pusha isnt a good rapper, infact most people would tell you how underrated he is…Now that he is a solo artist and backed by arguably the biggest music icon out, taylor swift Kanye West, we can expect great music and for Pusha to get more notoriety as an artist…”My God” is the first song released from the tape and it is getting great responses on the blogs…We can expect the tape entitled “Fear of God”  to drop in the next 2 weeks…”My God” is posted above… “UGGHHHH!!” (pusha voice)

they’l be no waitin, I have no patience….this is the end for all my unrecognized greatness