It’s been a long time. Some of these are older than others.

Chalie Boy – “Bumpa Grill“

from I’m Here (Mixtape, 2010)

The success of Chalies’ “I Look Good” is a blessing and a curse. It got him a deal and probably a decent amount of loot but being such a lightweight and summer record it’s pretty safe to assume that he’ll be burdened with a one hit wonder branding, which couldn’t be further from the truth (this is often the case with hip hop – ask Biz Markie and the Geto Boys). If nothing else it’s a big part of the reason we’ve been hearing booming Moe/Pat style hooks on post-snap records like “Hit Dat Hoe.” But the thing about both those guys and Chalie is that they were not just hookmen in the traditional sense. They were rappers first. His freebee street album I’m Here is a little bit everywhere, some great spitting, some straight up R&B/pop records and a lot of hybrids. He could probably carve a niche for himself a The-Dream style singer/songwriter mold which would be a good look professionally, but almost a let down musically. It’s when he hits that hybrid moment that he’s at his best, but I’m not sure how much of a market there is for that right now.

Ms. No Tonsels – “Fuck My Face“

If retweetabilism is any indicator “Fuck My Face” is well on its way to up to be the 2010 “Smell Yo Dick.” Except it’s actually a pretty good song. Or at least it’s as good as a song called “Fuck My Face” can possibly be. Strip club shit. Ms. No Tonsels(sic) is something like a cross between old style Trina sass and new school Nicki Minaj robot rap. This is record that needs a Ludacris verse on the remix. A tip of the hat to David the Shrimp for mentioning this record and then asking for a “hat tip” in this post. (more…)

Blaq Poet – Ain’t Nuttin Changed
from The Best That Never Did It (Year Round, Coming Soon)
Blaq Poet is an ageless headbuster. I mostly posted this to balance out the next selection.

Drake f/ Bun B & Lil Wayne – “Uptown“

from So Far Gone (Mixtape, 2008)
So Far Gone may be the first decidedly post-808s & Heartbreak mixtape, in fact roughly the first third of the tape sounds like producer 40 was told to “make something that sounds like ‘Say You Will’.” Drake later raps over the “Say You Will” instrumental. (Then there is a remake of June 27th freestyle on here, which just seems disingenuous, if not completely out of place.) But beat selection aside, my man is just not a very good rapper. Dude is like Wayne if you stripped him of all his charisma and style and just left the awkward punchlines. And it’s odd that, in the era of Officer Ricky, his credibility has remained unchecked. Far be it from me to suggest that someone can’t rap well (or rap/sing, as there is surprisingly little rapping going on here) simply because they are a soft handed Canadian television star, but when they actually can’t rap well and are also these things it should raise a few questions. This is the most tolerable track on the tape. (more…)

Droop-E & B-Slimm – “Think Fast“

unreleased (Droop-E.com, 2006/2008)

That 2006 is now a throwback is a particularly discomforting reality. Sick Wid It youngest in charge Droop-E just christened his new blog with “Think Fast,” a previously unheard track originally recorded for his B-Slimm’s ‘06 debut The Fedi Fetcher and the Money Stretcher.

That album remains something of a minor personal classic around these parts with the duo spitting just the stupidest high school assembly diversion punchlines – “i’m the reason your girlfriends loose / like an eight year old’s tooth;” “balling like spalding;” etc. – over Droop’s spaceships colliding production. Droop and Slimm have a running theme of absurd and demeaning sexual exploits and “Think Fast” continues in that tradition as they threaten to smack slow thinking bitches with wads of cash. Your enjoyment of this shit might hinge on your tolerance for this particular brand of ignorance.

And shout to Droop for bringing attention to this nasty Soulja Boy track (seriously).