Current Mood: Indifferent

Back in my hoodlum days, I listened to “gangsta rap” almost exclusively. Besides the obvious N.W.A., Ice-T, Ice Cube, The Wu and Geto Boys I had one not as well known favorite. A cat from the Bay. I know what your thinking, but you’re wrong. It’s not the one trick pony Too Short, or MC Eiht, or E-40. The king of the Bay in my eyes is easily Spice 1.

I bought, stole, acquired, borrowed, and/or downloaded his first CD I’d say at least 7 times due to it being stolen, acquired, borrowed, lost, and/or pawned. A side effect of hanging with other nefarious wannabe thugs and needing money for a 40 on the weekends.

His first cd is still one of my favorite rap albums EVER. His flow and the way he could change up his styles was just great. With that said, I have 2 tracks for today as I couldn’t choose just one. These are my two favorite songs, and both are off his first CD.

Spice 1 – 187 Proof
[mp3]Spice_1-187_Proof.mp3[/mp3]

Spice 1 – Eastbay Gangsta
[mp3]Spice_1-Eastbay_Gangsta.mp3[/mp3]

Side note – Damn Jayhawks! What the hell!? Oklahoma? Seriously?

Current Mood: Indifferent

This week we have my current favorite hip-hop group. That group Jurassic 5. Only problem is, they’re no longer current as they broke up. Ego’s are a bitch. It’s a shame they never made it bigger, cuz they’re a perfect blend of old school and new. Simple rhymes that just flow into one another. No overly complicated deliveries, no gimmick, not overly produced shit. Just a simple sound with great lyricists. I guess the CunninLynguists get to be my new favorite hip-hop crew by default. I really love their new album Dirty Acres. But that neither here nor there as this is about the greatness of J5. Picking one song is impossible. So I devised a complicated system that only I and the greatest of mind’s would understand. I’m not gonna even try to explain, but it involves a blindfold and pointing…like I said, very complicated.

Without further ado I give you J5 – “End Up Like This” off their latest and hopefully not last CD “Feedback”.

Jurassic 5 – End Up Like This
[mp3]14-jurassic_5-end_up_like_this.mp3[/mp3]

Current Mood: Depressed

This week is former House of Pain member Everlast…finally. Easiest way to describe his new sound was probably best said by Eminem during their one sided feud.

“Got in touch with his roots, found the redneck in his blood
And said, “heck, country western rap records are good”

Despite the verbal ass kicking layed down by Eminem, I’m a huge fan of Everlast. Just love his sound. Had trouble deciding on a song, so picked one at random off of his “White Trash Beautiful” album. That song, “Broken”. Other than the title track, it’s probably my favorite off this CD. For the record, I love me some rock ballad’s and my taste in some music is mildly questionable…thing is, I don’t care. I’m a sensitive man dammit!

Current Mood: Sad

I was gonna put up an Everlast song, but with recent passing of UGK’s Pimp C, I figured I’d add a song of his off their latest CD. Not gonna pretend I was a huge fan and gush about his and UGK’s greatness, but they were one of the few act’s from the south I could listen to and for the most part enjoy. The first time I heard them was on the Menace II Society soundtrack. If I still had it, that’d been my choice for todays MP3 Saturday. UGK’s “Pocket Full of Stones” and MC Eiht’s “Streiht Up Menace” got endless amount of playtime back in the day. “Got a pocket full of stoooones.” Rest in Peace Chad ‘Pimp C’ Butler

Anyway, since I don’t have the above mentioned song, I give you…

Current Mood: Indifferent

This week is a group I discovered thanks to the greatness that is Dave Chappelle’s Block Party DVD. It in itself is a great movie/concert but this group stuck out the most to me. 1, cuz I had never heard of them. 2, I love their flow. 3, I’ve had a recent affinity to militant, black consciousness in my Hip-Hop. Enough talk. This song isn’t great message wise, but I LOVE the flow in it. The song is Hell Yeah(Bonus Track 2) by Dead Prez off their CD Revolutionary But Gangsta.

Current Mood: Musical

I was in Germany when this song came out so I didn’t hear all the talk about how LL had gone soft and the mini backlash of this song. I for one loved it. It’s definitely in my top 3 as far as LL goes. My favorite is “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”.

Credited as the first ever rap love song, I give you, “I Need Love”.

[mp3]045%20-%20LL%20Cool%20J%20-%20I%20Need%20Love.mp3[/mp3]

Current Mood: Musical

I figured since I had a picture of Rakim on my blog header I should probably post a song of his. In my opinion, the greatest lyricist ever. Not my favorite rapper, but can not deny his linguistic skills. Here are 2 of his more critically acclaimed songs. “Microphone Fiend” is a beast lyrically, not too hot on the beat. “Paid in Full” is one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. Beat, lyrics, flow, attitude. It has it all.

Rakim – Microphone Fiend
[mp3]Rakim%20-%20Microphone%20Fiend.mp3[/mp3]

Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full
[mp3]Eric%20B%20and%20Rakim%20-%20Paid%20In%20Full.mp3[/mp3]