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Some of these are a few weeks old. I ain’t blogging too slow, y’all just listening too fast.
TNT f/ Raheem Devaughn & Wale – “W On The Fitted“
I hate to admit it but watching Wale’s “Chillin’” fail has been a particularly rewarding experience. You know, the supposed to be the ambassador for my city coming to the table with some lifeless faux hipster Lady Gaga shit that has nothing to do with his home. If Interscope was wise enough to admit that unapologetically regional music still matters, they might want to buy out “W On The Fitted” and make it his street single. (Come on now, my man is just not radio hit material, not in 2009.) The track could use a less awkward chorus, but it is a very DC record with just enough in the pocket go-go signifiers to keep the locals happy but not actually alienate anyone else. TNT also have a nice joint with Bun B up on their myspace.
Gucci Mane – “Gorgeous“
Gucci finally drops some real heat since getting out of jail. You’re either sold on dude by now or you are an idiot, so I’m not going to make that case again today. “Gorgeous” finds him walking the line between language and commerce obsession by way of voices in his head. We’ve heard the balling as a compulsion defense but never the full on insanity claims.
iLLiE – “Liquified Dopeness“
The jerk movement continues to move, these are kids on a more willingly old fashioned punchline bent.”Drop more racket than a simpleton at Wimbledon”. We may have finally found the missing link between Jerkin and Project Blowed. At the very least they list Nocando in their myspace top friends. (via Digital Dripped)
Max Minelli – “Piranha Bait”
Max Minelli – “Robot Army“
from Backpack Dreams And Hip Hop Wishes (Mixtape, 2009)
A carry over from old guard pre-Jigg Baton Rouge, Minelli has been quietly dropping great records closer in design to vintage No Limit than Boosie. This is his “backpack rap” tape, except his definition of backpacker loosely covers any new york record from the past two decades, so he is rapping over everything from “Incarcerated Scarfaces” to decidedly unbackpacky shit like Nas’ “Street Dreams”. He sounds excellent over all of it. This should’ve been the tape that got him through the guarded gates of the nah rightish NY rap taste maker mafia. But it hasn’t even though he’s quite clearly a better rapper than, say, Young Buck. I don’t think “Robot Army” is a backpack rap instrumental at all, unless it’s some lesser known El-P thing that I’m missing. It’s some great space age shit and sounds weird as hell next to “I Used To Love” her, but whatever, Minelli can play both sides of that fence with ease. The whole tape is outstanding.
Illogic f/ Ill Poetic – “Crash“
from Diabolical Fun (Weightless, 2009)
More backpack dreams. Columbus OH’s Illogic is as good as or better a rapper than his melanin free peers – Aesop Rock, Slug – who have gone on to gone on to greater successes. His debut, 1999’s Unforseen Shadows was a near classic of thinking man’s battle rap that I should write about in more detail one day but he’s had a sort of spotty catalog since then, filled with underproduced or over conceptual duds. His latest, Diabolical Fun loses the pretense and just focuses on Pharoahe Monch style tongue twisters, which is what he does best.
Lil Boosie f/ Locco – “I’m So Tired“
from Thug Passion (Mixtape, 2009)
Like Gucci, I’m talking in circles about Boosie by now. If you are not listening to him then he is the best rapper you are not listening to and “I’m So Tired” is the best song on Thug Passion, his best tape since his last great tape.
Rhymefest f/ CL Smooth & Haffa – “Deal’s A Deal“
from The Manual (Mixtape, 2009)
Three top-to-bottom great tapes in one post? Rhymefest is an old guard dues paying battle emcee who is no doubt confused in watching his career get trampled by blog buzz and crybaby hipsters and all that labyrinth/maze business. But if you can’t join ‘em beat ‘em. The Manual is an axe to the grindstone real rap tape from a real rapper. Scram Jones’ production is completely utilitarian boom bap shit. It’s littered with guest spots, but no hot new kids, only legends – CL, Sadat X, Latifah, Greg Nice. Basically he is just summoning all the folks that he probably dreamed about rapping next to as a kid and loving it. CL sounds Smooth as ever on this, dude has a god given rap voice and should use it more often.
Prynce – “Georgia“
Prynce is Greg Street’s new artist and presumably signed to Def Jam through Akon’s Konvict label, if his mixtape cover is to be believed. Okay. “Georgia” has vaguely frat boy vibe to it (Burnone compared it to Incubus which is not a good sign) but not overbearingly so. The rapping is good and the vibe is mellow. Really, has there ever been a bad song titled “Georgia”?
Doeshun f/ Young Dro & Fabo – “Woop Woop“
Dro & Fabo used to be label mates on Raheem’s Tight 2 Def records, but I think this is the first time they’ve worked together in the second half of the decade. It’s a solid cut, not outstanding, but probably a required mention considering that both of them are NRM regulars. Doeshun sounds pretty good as well, with so much ice around his wrist his wifebeater got sleeves. (via Muzikfene)
23 Comments, Comment or Ping
SukedowN
I will never understand the widespread appeal of Gucci. He is perhaps the most underwhelming and generic rapper/performer in this millenium. There is no go-to facet or backbone that he can rely on in his raps. He is that rapper that has never been checked by anyone close to him, and therefore he will just stay on this low plateau he has seemingly been on his whole career.
Apr 22nd, 2009
chronwell
Wale is not the dude DC gonna rally round. That dude has to come out of an established hood, went to a public school, be known in shady circles and have a connection to the gogo scene. This mystery DC rapper hasnt shown up yet though its about 50 guys who have CDs out who fit the decription!
Apr 22nd, 2009
MAYNHOLUP!
Boosie > Gucci, by far in mah mind mayn.
Apr 22nd, 2009
skinny412
“robot army” is incredible but it would terrible if dude didn’t sound so country.
are you gonna put that dro track up for download?
Apr 22nd, 2009
Jay Deff Kay
Thug Passion is ridiculous, especially considering the fact that the recently leaked Superbad was solid. What’s going on there over @ Boosie’s camp? Is this some sort of last minute hype-building push before releasing the album ? Or is he somehow frustrated at red tape/label politics of some sort and just leaking all this? Pretty incredible stuff we’re getting for free
Apr 22nd, 2009
duncan
yea thug passion is all i listen to these days
Apr 22nd, 2009
mark p.
Cosigned on Thug Passion being Boosie’s best tape in a minute.
Apr 22nd, 2009
Straight Gangsterism
that Gorgeous is tight
Apr 22nd, 2009
ANU
I <3 young dro
apparently “take off” is the first single from his new album.
Apr 22nd, 2009
walkmasterflex
glad to see you picked up on the iLLie track, heard that a few days ago on digitaldripped and thought it was definitely worth some talk. dude’s got some nice rhymes and the beat is sick, i just wished this stuff would start getting produced better
you know anything else about this SMKA track “Caddys”, or anyone involved in it past what Fader’s mentioned about it? i dig it a lot, reminds me of that new Big Boi track “Dubbz” and not just because A. Leon Craft sounds EXACTLY like Big Boi on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhbK99qQ8iI
Apr 22nd, 2009
kidbristol
The verses on that Prynce song are really nice, but that backing track and the singing are horrible. There’s a guy you hate picking out the chords for that one so he can sing it for his bros at the next kegger as we speak. Guaranteed.
Apr 23rd, 2009
tommy
Dro was on an amazing Fabo song that never took off called “How You Do That” a couple years ago. I have a shady mp3 of it at home. Hit me up and I’ll post it. Or better yet, someone else post a decent rip.
Apr 23rd, 2009
BLAST
That Dro and Fabo track was on the Geek’d Up tape they put out with DJ Teknikz (I think). Pretty great song.
Apr 23rd, 2009
noz
“That Dro and Fabo track was on the Geek’d Up tape they put out with DJ Teknikz (I think). Pretty great song.”
Yeah I completely forgot about that tape. I don’t remember it being very good though.
Apr 23rd, 2009
faux_rillz
I’ve been meaning to hassle you about that “Chillin’” embarassment.
Maybe the worst piece of recorded music I’ve ever encountered.
Apr 23rd, 2009
Patrick
Talking of DC gogo – stuff seems pretty interesting but I can’t seem to find any on the net. Possibly to do with my almost total ignorance about it I’ve no routes in.
Any pointers?
Apr 23rd, 2009
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Apr 25th, 2009
b-psycho
When that Max Minelli drops an album I’m definitely checkin’ for it.
Apr 25th, 2009
ross
include some curren$y next time.
Apr 27th, 2009
D.O.
That Gucci song is great.
Apr 28th, 2009
sATaLyte
Stage name Gucci…code name chilly.
Gucci’s rhymes seem ignant, but are well thought and obiously written.
He has his own style and can ride southern beats better than anybody else on earth (yes, earth) right now.
Stop drinking that hip-hop kool aid niggas. Gucci doing his thing right now.
Apr 30th, 2009
Deecizzy
your on point about chillin. I love wale but that song is awful. He built up all his buzz by making music with a d.c. sound to it and then put out a single that had nothing to do with it. Nobody wants to hear that bullshit
May 2nd, 2009
Lil' Blackie
Everyone who hates on Wale is probably too stupid to comprehend his deep lyrics. Listen to Hate is the new love, go read a book then give it a re-listen, you just might learn something.
Anyone who thinks “Chillin’” is a failure is mistaken 1.) The album hasn’t even dropped yet and 2.) Less skilled artists have gained popularity off tracks 1000 times worse… Lollipop comes to mind.
May 3rd, 2009
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