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Gucci Mane f/ Snoop Dogg – “Awesome” FUCKWMG
It’s really smart the way Gucci uses the word “awesome” on this song. It might be his smarterest song yet. He’s way smarter than anybody who was ever on Rawkus (except for maybe Big L because he was a drug dealer). Snoop Dogg, on the other hand, is not so smart. Maybe I will make a list of rappers smartest to dumbest. Gucci will be #1. #2 will be Azie Faison.
DJ JS-1 f/ Pharoahe Monch & OC – “Ridiculous“
from Ground Original 2 (Fat Beats, available June 30)
OC and Pharoahe Monch think they’re so smart because they use the word “ridiculous”. But Monch went to art school and listened to Sting and probably never sold drugs so I remain unimpressed by his vocabulary. Did OC ever sell drugs? If so maybe he is smarter than Monch. But probably not Gucci, who is the smartest. Either way this song kind of bangs. (via Nahright)
Tum Tum f/ Baby C – “Play No Games“
from TumThousand9 – The Grassy Knoll (Mixtape, Coming Soon)
The mighty Zilla goes in over this equally monstrous beat that was basically custom made for for school bands to cover. Why it’s taken this long for a Dallas rapper to make the grassy knoll a talking point?
6 Tre is yet another entry into your endless Huntsville rap compendium. And like everyone before him, he’s kinda nice. Shouts to Codie G, who keeps showing and not telling me that Huntsville Got Stars. This feels like a good companion to the Tum Tum track on some knocking down buildings down south shit.
Lil Scrappy f/ Bun B – “Homicide“
from Southern Smoke TV Vol. 2 (Mixtape, 2009)
Scrappy may have grown up amongst the trap rap sect but there’s always been something classically gangsta rap about his style. His construction and language are more Cube than Jeezy. Here he does that while Bun does what he does (which, at this point mostly involves rhyming “rise” with “eyes”, sad to say) And you wouldn’t even realize that Lil Jon made this beat if I didn’t just tell you. Jon is like the DJ Premier of the south, a completely versatile producer who has been so typecast in his icon sound that he’s rarely given an opportunity actually show that versatility.
Southeast Slim – “Where Is Everybody“
from The Medium (Mixtape, 2009)
I am a sucker for Nine Inch Nails rapps and this is almost as good as the time Westside Connection rapped over “Hurt”. Southeast Slim is from DC. Southeast, to be exact. HIs new tape is sounding pretty solid on first listen. Also Trent Reznor should produce the next Clipse album.
Pink Dollaz – “Don’t Need No“
The best female rap group since JJ Fad are back. Sorry about the bitrate, you know how these jerkin kids do. (via Digital Dripped)
Tracy T – “Got Damn“
from Zaytown (Muzikfene.com, Coming Soon)
There is something particularly addictive about Zaytoven’s beat. I say beat because, with few exceptions, he’s only made several thousand slight variations on the same beat. Which is weird because he seems like sort of a nasty pianist. He can make a crippled man walk and a keyboard talk. So he chose minimalism and repetition. And it grows on you. Muzik Fene is about to drop Zaytown a compilation of his productions, probably for a bunch of relatively known Atlanta rappers who are sure to be worse than Gucci Mane and it will be excellent. You might remember Tracy T as the man who started this whole SWAG MOVEMENT. I don’t even know if I’m being sarcastic when I write that.
Z-Ro & Billy Cook – “Respect Something“
New Ro is better than no Ro. This is either from the long awaited Cook/Ro R&B record or, if the tags are to be believed from something called I Am King, which I take to be a Cook solo album. That or the soundtrack to Puffy’s cologne.
Lil Boosie f/ Shell – “Dopeman“
This is just going to me my form write up for new Boosie records: “Boosie is still rapping well and honestly. He always does this but squares like to pretend that he’s some sort of Ringtone rapper who can’t write. He should keep doing what he’s been doing and maybe people will notice eventually.”
I’ve been meaning to mention Chalie Boy for a minute here. The Austin emcee has been emerging as a master of post-Big Moe near yodel fat man sing song rap for a few years now. “I Look Good” is currently blowing up Texas airwaves, as I understand it. (via Austinsurreal)
55 Comments, Comment or Ping
wes
noz killed that shit with the boosie write up. boosie raps with passion and his GUT.
Jun 18th, 2009
yeugh
But now your sounding sarcastic with this gucci shit, noz……..
PS why’d he go in on Hov on that 745 jawn?
Jun 18th, 2009
noz
“PS why’d he go in on Hov on that 745 jawn?”
Hov was running Def Jam at the time. Collateral damage, I guess?
Jun 18th, 2009
thehoustongirl
Ro – ” Seem like Rap A Lot ain’t coming with the change” [uh oh! LOL]
is it me or does it seem like he getting lazy? I seen this nigga in Austin at his, Bun B and Face concert…ughhhhhh performance wise it was OK but damn can we say no enthusiam? LOL might as well play the CD
I really cut for the Boosie track :D
Chalie Boy has a video for that song…nice also
Gucci song is ok also . What is up with him and these retarded ass chains tho? LMAO
Jun 18th, 2009
MAYNHOLUP
^ fall bak mayn ro aint lazy have you seen his catalogue?
Dis new ro is serrriiouuss mayn
Jun 18th, 2009
dv
Thoughts on the War Angel street album (which Im now calling “Street Zip Files”?
Jun 18th, 2009
thehoustongirl
Mayholup I have his whole catalog even when he was with Guerilla Maab. I’m not some dumb chick that don’t know her RAP history, ESPECIALLY Houston [Texas] Rap. My range is from SPC to Street Military to Geto Boys [also Eightball & MJG Suave House days]. He’s one of my favorites btw but damn I aint gone be all on homeboy’s dick like that. Shit I can say that piece without sounding like a hater or dickrider. :/
also the mr. boomtown videos he did of Ro’s were mediocre AT THAT.
I also wanted to comment that your Ro posts are a little bit on the “text message writing” style and that shit was making my eyes hurt!!! It wouldn’t hurt to not use so much text slang please. I’m 25 dude not 15.
Thank You.
Jun 18th, 2009
TSF
New Boosie and Gucci is always welcome! But where’s the rest of that Gucci track? It cuts off after like a minute.
And Gucci’s chains are the funniest I’ve seen since Joc’s. Anyone know a good site with pics of ridiculously over the top chains? Not sure if Ghost’s Versace dinner plate counts, but that shit is the pinnacle of ridiculous neck-pieces, imo.
Jun 18th, 2009
walkmasterflex
oh fuck yeah chalie boy! i used to be real into him back in the day; he reminds me of a fucked up combination of odb and cee-lo (sprinkle a little big moe on top?) i used to have an ill mixtape he made with tite before my computer killed my external hard drive; anyone have that?
Jun 18th, 2009
noz
Gucci is fixed.
THC sort of sonned Mayn, huh?
Jun 18th, 2009
Hugo
Pink Dollaz jam is fuckin awesome. Been bumpin it heavily..
Jun 18th, 2009
David
meant to post about that Chalie Boy awhile ago … i think it actually leaked last year (!!) ill see if i can find the tj’s dj’s post i got it from
Jun 18th, 2009
paul j.
i’ll second hugo about that pink dollaz jam.
Jun 18th, 2009
ANU
yeah i need more pink dollaz in my life
Jun 18th, 2009
MAYNHOLUP
aha mayn im juss sayin ro is anythang but lazy mayn an yes we should all have de guerilla maab records doze are fire
Jun 18th, 2009
MZA
I love NIN, and hip-hop.. and never knew any artist sampled NIN before. That Westside Connection track is dope as fuck. And I agree, Trent would set the perfect backdrop for artists like Clipse who strive on minimalistic beats. Too bad the only psuedo hip-hop album he did was that crappy Saule Williams one.
Jun 18th, 2009
thehoustongirl
LOL naw its cool I wasn’t tryin to get pissy :D
yall niggas cool
Jun 18th, 2009
mark p.
6 Tre G rules. This shit right here might be my favorite beat of the year, or at least close to it:
http://dirtyglovebastard.blogspot.com/2009/04/audio-6-tre-g-ft-st-2-lettaz-of-g-side.html
Jun 18th, 2009
DocZeus
“It’s really smart the way Gucci uses the word “awesome” on this song. It might be his smarterest song yet. He’s way smarter than anybody who was ever on Rawkus (except for maybe Big L because he was a drug dealer). Snoop Dogg, on the other hand, is not so smart. Maybe I will make a list of rappers smartest to dumbest. Gucci will be #1. #2 will be Azie Faison.”
Well, somebody’s been reading the Passion Of The Weiss… and had their feelings hurt.
Jun 18th, 2009
Tray
“Awesome” actually is an awesome song. Lil Scrappy, on the other hand, is sort of what I used to imagine Gucci was before I realized he could rap, even if he is extremely repetitive/sounds retarded. I do love “Beatin Down the Block” though. As for Boosie, I don’t know that anyone claims he’s a ringtone rapper; I and others just don’t really like him. Just because you rap honestly and sort of well doesn’t make it cool to sound like a heavily accented braying jackal. Though of course he has his moments.
Jun 18th, 2009
hoodoo
Did you ever listen to that Trent Reznor/Saul Williams album? It really isn’t a rap album although it has some rapping on it, but I kind of like it.
Jun 18th, 2009
louder
Tracy T…? get outta heres
Jun 19th, 2009
Kyu
How about that new Raekwon with MOP and Kool G Rap! That’s banging.
Jun 19th, 2009
Kyu
Man. Lil Boosie is pretty crazy.
Jun 19th, 2009
walkmasterflex
“6 Tre G rules. This shit right here might be my favorite beat of the year, or at least close to it:
http://dirtyglovebastard.blogspot.com/2009/04/audio-6-tre-g-ft-st-2-lettaz-of-g-side.html”
holy shit i was hoping they’d make something out of the “one stack” interlude on starshipz and rocketz. this song is fucking amazing
Jun 19th, 2009
charlie
lil boosie has to be my new favorite rapper in who knows how long. love that shit. ill ill ill
Jun 19th, 2009
Jtc.
“i used to have an ill mixtape he made with tite before my computer killed my external hard drive; anyone have that?”
Chalie Boy & Tite All Flows is on Dat Piff, if that’s the one.
My favourite is the first Versatyle Child mixtape he did with Rapid Ric.
Jun 19th, 2009
Joseph
Sounding like a “heavily accented braying jackal” is way cool. Tary is a dope.
I made pedestrian mashup of “Closer” and “Sippin on Some Syrup” 2 years ago to impress a girl I liked. The middle is mostly just “Sippin” though.. Enjoy:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6160853328b0ff91/
Jun 19th, 2009
Jayson Greene
Correction, Tray; Lil Boosie sounds like a Trina mated with a braying jackal. And Lil Boosie right now is is staggeringly fucking awesome. Also, gorgeous and wonderful.
Jun 19th, 2009
Jayson Greene
“Also Trent Reznor should produce the next Clipse album.”
Fucking.
CHURCH.
Jun 19th, 2009
You suck
A rapper has to have sold drugs to be a good rapper?
HM okay.
Jun 19th, 2009
Hele Fitta
re: Trent Reznor/Hip hop, you guys know he did a remix of “Victory”, right? It´s not amazing, but it´s not bad at all either. Actually the beat for that would have been a great instrumental track, just didn´t fit the song that much IMHO.
Jun 20th, 2009
TSF
“A rapper has to have sold drugs to be a good rapper?”
^^ Have you ever heard of a little thing called sarcasm?
Jun 20th, 2009
Supreme Neck Protector
I fucks with these songs, but I still don’t get how or why someone like 6 Tre G has more of what you look for in rap music than, let’s say, this song does:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffFgRsqlkuE
Beat-biting aside, this is an astonishing a display of rap virtuosity as I can recall hearing, and I’m not really sure I get why you can give Busdriver his share of props for that but not some of the more traditional East Coast-style multisyllable fast-rap punchlining motherfuckers. I ride for Ortiz, Crooked, Elzhi (despite his acute case of Black Thought disease), I even still give AZ and G Rap credit for rapping good even though they’re not pushing themselves to do anything new.
I think it’s a difference of opinion in that I don’t really consider it biting to work in the Big L / Big Pun / G Rap multisyllabic fast-rap style, or to try to come across as unfuckwithable as Pharaohe, because I think that whole paradigm is an acceptable framework for rappers to carve a lane in, and then I will be mad at them if their actual raps aren’t good, but not for using the style.
Not that I’m meaning to bitch, and I know it’s not important to anyone else — I only bring it up because your logic puzzles me a bit, so it’s on my mind when I see you dismiss these guys as mediocre and give props to 6 Tre G. Plus I still disagree about Brother Ali — I don’t see much of a Pharaohe connection, ’cause he’s not really a word-blurrer and it’s emotional-resonance joints or political tracts ike “Picket Fences” or “Uncle Sam Goddamn” that are more emblematic of what he can do than any Pharaohe-resembling brag-rap, in my opinion.
I am definitely riding for the Chalie Boy and Tum Tum joints tho. Them shits is bangin’. And the Pink Dollaz beat is nasty. Those dames are kinda nice.
Jun 20th, 2009
mark p.
Wait, is there anyone here dissing Crooked I, Joell Ortiz and Elzhi? Those guys have all been responsible for some of my favorite rap music in the past few years. Who is the “you” that you’re talking about?
Comparing them to 6 Tre G just doesn’t make sense. It’d be like comparing B.G. to, I dunno, Masta Ace or something. Also, you don’t have to be a great rapper to make great songs..
You also obviously don’t have to be a “good” rapper to be a good rapper, but that’s something I can’t be bothered to get into right now.
Jun 20th, 2009
aaa
noz ho!
fick all you hos~
this canada crack
this z-ro ville
yo hos
never question the noz
lmao
love it
i dont even know
nobody knows
noz knows the knows of nobody knows
know this
hos
Jun 21st, 2009
aaa
man this fuckin RO song is fuckin SWEEEET
this is like an album cut
go zro x 2
Jun 21st, 2009
cocaine hyacinth
yo mza, please dont call rap ‘hip hop’
unless your tryna sell it
Jun 21st, 2009
Trey Stone
yo that Pink Dollaz shit is next-level
Jun 21st, 2009
Supreme Neck Protector
Mark — I’m not trying to imply that anyone is dissing those cats, but Noz isn’t into ‘em and I’m not sure I understand why not. And to whatever extent that I do understand, I don’t agree. It just surprises and confuses me that Noz doesn’t seem to think these dudes are great rappers. That’s all I’m saying.
You don’t have to be a great rapper to make great songs, true. The 6 Tre G song isn’t great in my opinion but it’s fine, dude’s not terrible, he’s just kinda lame in my view, and all the others in this post are really good. Well, except for the Gucci, but I like Gucci’s rapping, I just don’t love his delivery on this one. Or Zaytoven’s beat.
And of course you don’t have to be a New York-style lyrically lyrical motherfucker to be a good rapper, if that’s what you mean. You have to have a way with words, but Gucci has one and Elzhi has one, they just use theirs differently. And they’re both dope. I’m not tryna talk down any particular style of rap — I just think some (not all) of the modern lyrically lyrical shit is better than some (not all) of the songs Noz big-ups. In some cases I barely see the appeal. Whereas I don’t get why he wouldn’t ride for some of the shit I’m fucking with, e.g. that Royce shit I posted. And he usually has well-thought-out reasons for digging or dismissing whatever, so I’m wondering. That’s all.
And I think you can compare BG and Masta Ace. Not that they kick the exact same style, but almost all good rappers, from Boosie to Tragedy to Aesop Rock and back again, are gonna share some virtues in common — all of ‘em are gonna have a way with words. And if a BG-style rapper and a Masta Ace-style rapper are both spitting good, both have a way with words, but you praise the one to the skies and don’t care for the other, I’m prolly not gonna understand why that’s the case.
I guess I just don’t get why East Coast lyrical shit has lost its appeal for so many people. Country rap tunes are one of the greatest things ever to happen to this rap shit, but I don’t see why so many fans completely ignore the classical NY style when some of those cats are still spitting good. It’s maybe not as problematic as East Coast supremacists refusing to do the knowledge about great Southern rap music, but it’s a difference of degree, not of kind. Of course rap styles change and evolve, but Royce and Elzhi are doing more than just channeling G Rap and I think it’s great fucking rapping so I don’t get why someone wouldn’t. And the same with someone riding for a beautiful emotionally resonant song by Brother Ali and not a beautiful emotionally resonant song by Boosie. Or vice versa.
I’m one of those utopian motherfuckers who believes that the BG-type rapper should know and respect the Masta Ace-type rapper’s discography and vice versa. And then, if they decide they like each other’s style enough, and they reckon they would sound good on the same song, they should make one. The real Masta Ace is too militantly anti-South for a real collaboration of this type to work, but AZ f/ Young Dro, for example, or T.I. prod. Black Milk, could be MURDEROUS. Gucci Mane wants to do a song with Raekwon and I WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. It would be a good thing for rap music.
Jun 21st, 2009
David
I kind of agree w/ u actually & ive posted about AZ & Royce & a lot of hard core ny shit … i think the problem is that a lot of those dudes like budden & ortiz are just really boring rappers, really skilled guys who waste their talents w/ corny ‘conceptual’ joints.
Jun 21st, 2009
noz
I guess my problem with the elzhi/royce/slaughterhouse type of rap is that it’s too much about the how of rapping and not the what or why. They are too self conscious of complex lyricism on some DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST DID THERE? shit. Emotionless showboating. I can respect those dudes as talents but I just don’t check them that much.
I don’t think 6 Tre G is an amazing rapper per se, I just think that’s a real solid song. Which is what this series is about. Does Royce even make songs anymore or does he just rap endlessly over old Primo beats?
Jun 21st, 2009
noz
Does Elzhi have many songs about having wet dreams?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OI8Y8X4YkE
Jun 21st, 2009
Jayson Greene
There are way, way, wayyyy too many concept songs on that Elzhi record. Technically an incredible rapper, but in a fairly cold way — apart from some nice punchlines, not much off that album stuck to me. He seems like a completely closed-off dude, in love with his own pen and not much else.
Jun 21st, 2009
David
“Does Royce even make songs anymore or does he just rap endlessly over old Primo beats?”
this is one of the best tracks of the year. you’re sleeping:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQyIqTYG72c
& “shake this” was hardly just ‘rapping endlessly’ over a premo beat — that was definitely a ‘what or why’ joint
Jun 21st, 2009
David
and DEF not “emotionless”
Jun 21st, 2009
noz
“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQyIqTYG72c”
This is okay. Pretty cheesy, but yeah definitely not emotionless.
But at the same time it sort of embodies what im talking about – only these guys could turn a record about sexual exploits into a mathematical equation.
“Shake This” is more my speed. Awesome beat too, goes along with what I was saying about Primo and versatility the other day.
Jun 21st, 2009
August
I gotta poke my head in here, and give an example of a great recent Elzhi track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6974OB9I84
There’s some deep emotion in there as well as that technically proficient rapping.
Jun 21st, 2009
kidbristol
Yep. “Shake This” is why I’m excited about Street Hop, or whatever it ends up being called. For a bit, Royce had two modes – lyrical virtuosity and lyrical virtuosity while mad. But “Shake This” is a new side that I’m hoping he can sustain.
And that Freeway/Brother Ali track from the Jake One album is incredible – rapping because you love to rap well is great as long as it isn’t all you do.
And that Chalie Boy song is great. Does he have an album out or is it just singles for now?
Jun 22nd, 2009
Supreme Neck Protector
Kid Bristol — Yeah, I love that Freeway/Brother Ali song. I’m a sucker for rap collabos that jump across regions and subgenres as though those barriers don’t exist. Freeway sounds great alongside Ali and I’m looking forward to hearing the rumoured collabo with One Be Lo who used to be in Binary Star. And as for Ali, dude probably doesn’t realize that the ’street preacher’ talk makes him sound wildly self-important, but he’s honest, his mic presence is incredible, he’s got a gift for imagery, and his passion for rapping is obvious. Which are four things I’d respect in any rapper.
Jayson — I do agree with what you’re saying about Elzhi appearing closed-off. The concept songs feel like they’ve been overthought, and the wet dreams joint is kinda fruity.
Noz — I wasn’t meaning to insult 6 Tre G or imply you shouldn’t have posted the song. I was just using that one (the only one in this post that I didn’t much like) as a placeholder, a symbol to make my point.
I was curious to see whether you would respond to something like “Shake This”, because I find it similar to what Boosie does on an “I’m gonna be completely honest about what I’m feeling and fuck whoever isn’t with it” tip. But now I remember that you liked the last Cage album, and I guess Cage could be all about the ‘how’ if he saw fit but chose to delve into the ‘what’ and ‘why’, and I think I remember your saying in so many words that that was why you liked that album. And which is my guess as to why you (rightly, in my view) defend Aesop Rock as well.
If that’s the case, you might dig some of the more emotionally raw Ali joints. Ali sometimes reminds me of Z-Ro and Trae in terms of how unafraid he is to ‘be private in public’, which I love about Z-Ro and Trae too (they’re amazing) and which I think you once said is part of what you see as necessary to make great art.
What do you think of this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJQJesMs9s&feature=related
I also feel like Ali could absolutely wreck shop getting mad at wack rappers alongside Beanie Sigel or Jadakiss.
I guess the difference of opinion over Royce and Elzhi is just that I still get goosebumps when I hear particularly clever “ooh, did he really just say that?!” technical rapping or classical wordplay in the NY style. For similar reasons, I still check for everything AZ puts out, long after most other folks have given up on him. Kool G Rap, Raekwon, Method Man as well.
I even run around every few months looking for new Big Daddy Kane songs. He still has the world-conquering mic presence when he bothers to employ it, as evidenced by his amazing guest shots on songs for mostly uninteresting rappers like Jurassic 5 and Little Brother. I want him to recover from tired-old-man-rapper status and drop a guest appearance on the next T.I. album, hopefully stealing the show on a club banger by Timbaland or Polow or Toomp. Although if he were to do that it probably should have been ten years ago as a part of the Roc.
I see what you mean about ‘how’ vs. ‘what’ and ‘why’, in that Playboy Tre and Killer Mike (who are more about the ‘what’ and ‘why’) will probably make rap music we’ll talk about for a long time after all but the die-hards have stopped paying attention to Elzhi. But I check for him anyway, because I still have patience for excellent technical rapping that isn’t harnessed to much of anything else.
Fair point about Royce, because when he (and others like him) aren’t rhyming over old Primo beats on mixtapes, they’re usually spitting rhymes that sound like they belong over old Primo beats on mixtapes. I suppose it’s fair to chide them for not making an effort to do much besides rhyme like demons, but a lot of the time it’s really superb rapping, in my view, so I let the self-indulgence slide.
And we can hopefully all agree that Joe Budden is awful.
Jun 22nd, 2009
gordon gartrelle
That’s funny and all, but you all still praised the vocabulary of a 30 year old black man because he used “wonderful.”
Jun 24th, 2009
noz
Again, I praised him for how he used the word wonderful. Learn how to read words.
Jun 24th, 2009
p-417
yo Noz in case u havent noticed, you & your site is winning right now!
Jun 30th, 2009
bobby
aye fuck all u niggaz fuck heads
Jan 26th, 2010
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