I’m rushing up to Cedar Sinai, praying for a miracle, I don’t want to see my idol die… Before he did, the look in his eyes said “even though you just got here…goodbye. Those are the words from West Coast legend Crooked I on what I think is the best track off of Slaughterhouse’s newest album: Goodbye. The melodic track […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Release Date: August 28th, 2012 Record Label: Shady Records/Aftermath/Interscope Genre: Hip Hop/Rap Parental Advisory-Strong Lyrical Content This past week saw the release of one of the most anticipated albums in recent memory: Slaughterhouse’s Welcome To: Our House. The rap super-group composed of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5’9 signed to […]
Now I’m homeless and I’m freezing like the morgue… Only thing keeping me alive is the Lord… The 1996 classic from the bay area heavyweight E-40 is one of the realest songs I ever heard. I mean of ALL music, not just rap. If you relate to this song, then you know exactly what I mean by real. Rap these […]
If there’s one wish I could make true, I would shoulder that pain and take it all from you… The albino rhyme spitter on Rhymesayers is the definition of diversity. From bouncy, light-hearted tracks to something like “Babygirl” is something not many can do. The haunting track touches on such a personal subject, that it shocked me the first time […]
No drugs or alcohol so I can get the signal clear as day… The Georgia natives Big Boi and Andre 3000 are known as one of the greatest duos in rap, bar none. They have constantly stayed fresh and innovative, much like their second album, ATLiens, which dropped in 1996. Check out the title track as Outkast shows once again […]
No lie, just know I chose my own fate…I drove by the fork in the road and went straight… Jay-Z’s 2001 gem The Blueprint was an instant classic, and hit on a day nobody will forget. Released on September 11th, 2001, I remember picking up the disc and seeing the two towers being crashed into on every TV in Best […]
“I was a father before I became a man society don’t comprehend…” Bone Thugs N Harmony’s resident quick spitter Bizzy Bone dropped quite a few memorable single albums, starting with “Heaven’z Movie”. One song that stood out like the catchy “Thugz Cry” was “Nobody Can Stop Me”. Bizzy lays his life out on the track and leaves no stone unturned. […]
Maybe hell ain’t a place meant for us to burn… Maybe Earth is telling just a place for us to learn… Mississippi born rapper David Banner is the personification of southern rap. His energy, his emotion, his hypnotic hooks, it is no wonder Banner became a hit in the rap game. “Cadillac on 22’s” is a perfect example, as it […]
“Far away is the place I’m from, the place I’m from… Waiting on a day that may not come, it may not come…” Seattle’s own Common Market (RA Scion and Sabzi) broke in the hip hop scene, bringing a uniqueness all their own. Their “The Winter’s End” EP is chock full of hits, including “Escaping Arkham”. A smooth, laid back […]
“When I think about her mother… I become another number that wants you to suffer… you’re locked up for now, you have no more chances to steal the children’s laughs…and if you ever find God… better pray to her and ask that we never cross paths…” Minnesota’s own Atmosphere (Ant and Slug) have been bringing quality music to hip hop […]
“My pops wanna get away from the pain…In a better place in his brain… But the medication he takes makes him wasted… So sick he was gonna think the good lord would come take him… I’m shaking him…Wake up you son of a bitch…” When Linkin Park arrived on the music scene, they blended hip hop and rock perfectly, which […]
“I cherish my free time…but I maximize so my soul gets to unwind…” Minneapolis’s very own P.O.S. has been bringing quality music to the world since 2001. Off of his 2006 album Audition, “De La Souls” is an introspective romp through the MC’s life. With a hook by Greg Attonito from The Bouncing Souls, the song touches on a whole […]
“Some people turn to the church and search all hope…looking for that ribbon in the sky…” Blink 182 drummer turned producer Travis Barker dropped his initial album, Give the Drummer Some, and showed the world an album worth of real rap. “Just Chill” is a haunting, mellow track full of lyrics of pure realism. Beanie Sigel and UGK’s Bun B […]
“I’m from the city where 2 of the best died…Rest in peace to both of ’em, spit like I’m the ghost of ’em…” The west coast is not dead, that is for sure. California based rapper The Game dropped a classic when he released The Red Album. “The City” is one of the standouts on an already spectacular album. The […]
“It’s Eminem and him again…my sentiments exactly…” Everyone has heard the mega hit “Lighters” off of Bad Meets Evil’s Hell: The Sequel album that dropped last year, but that CD had much more than Bruno Mars. “I’m on Everything” is The Hangover as a rap song, as everything from the beat to the catchy Mike Epps hook to the […]
“Ready to ride by my side like a holster… you ready to die? Say hi to the vultures…” The Seattle based trio knows the craft, that much is apparent. Tom Pepe, Jesse Judd and Tom Wilson comprise the group known as the Knowmads, and they are a force to be recognized. Their album, The Knewbook, was a Kickstarter project that […]
, M “Memories don’t live like people do…they always remember you…” The song is a classic in the halls of hip hop. Hitting the streets in 1998, the song was the second single off of DJ Honda’s h II. The lively, smooth jam with hip hop mainstay Mos Def made waves when it was released, and even had a music […]
“Tell me lord can you feel me… show a sign…damn near running out of time, everybody’s dying…” There isn’t much more to say about the late, great Tupac Shakur. His music speaks for itself. The leader of the West Coast rap scene, Shakur is hailed as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever pick up the mic. […]
“Sometimes I feel like my whole life’s a rhyme…full of punchlines and jokes…” The Eugene, Oregon native has been providing the sound-scape to the underground hip hop since he broke on the scene in 1993 as a DJ. His albums include Dead Ringer, The Horror and Since We Last Spoke. The instrumental masterpieces of RJD2 are always unique, yet distinctively […]
“But I guess, sometimes, when you can’t breathe, there are people there to breathe for you…” These are the words at the end of one of the best rap songs many have never heard. New York born Aesop Rock has been ripping the stage since the 90’s, known as an indie legend in the industry. His style is unparalleled: strong […]