WHO'S KILLIN' IT?: BEEF

Is it just me or are you too waiting to go to your next hip-hop show and and see a ring on the stage with Michael Buffer standing in the center yelling "...and in this corner..." This "beef" syndrome has grown out of control. It has become an over used marketing tool, that has only proven successful to only a handful of artists. I remember when it was entertaining, only because it was real and relevant. LL vs. Kool Moe Dee, BDP vs. The Juice Crew, Cube vs. NWA, Dre vs. Eazy, B.I.G. vs. Pac, Jay vs. Nas... It worked because these men had legitimate problems with one another (money, contracts, baby mamas, bullets...), luckily, in most cases, the wax was the last resort. Now its all a game, choreographed like the WWE. Unknown people are coming out and calling out reputable veterans like a new wrestler calling out John Cena to start an episode of Smackdown. Who the fuck really cares about Lil Boosie, Shawty Lo, Plies, Papoose, Peedi Crack, Gillie Tha Kid, and so on and so on. The cats are just trying to build some pub and gain a rep. Newsflash...how about just resting on the laurels of actual talent to build a rep, crazy idea but it just might work. All this beef shit does is make it easier for an MC to be contradicted. For example, how many diss records has The Game dropped since he said "...this beef shit is for the birds and them birds fly south..." on the "Hate It or Love It" remix. The Game's career is built on beef and name dropping (shout out to Clubba Lang). If 50 ain't beefing, he ain't selling (whats good Kanye). This is not a sport, but pretty soon we are gonna need weight classes. You can only battle somebody if you have the same amount of hits as then, if not STEP BACK!!!! (big up to DJ Don Cannon). I guess what I am trying to say is if you are a young aspiring rapper and you thumb through your book of rhymes and subtract all references to beefing, crack, shooting niggas, bitches, and hos and all you got is blank pages...listen to this, and go back to the drawing board.

Mos Def - "Beef"

On that note I got another poll for you, best diss record of all time, I got some heavy hitters down there so listen closely. Which ever cut makes you say "damn!!", "hell naw!!", or "no he didn't!!" the most vote for it. Here it is, in no particular order because I love them all. Don't forget to vote on the right.

Nas - "Ether"

Jay-Z - "The Takeover"

KRS-One - "The Bridge Is Over"

Eazy E - "Real Muthaphukkin' G'z"

Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Dre Day"

Ice Cube - "No Vaseline"

Common - "The Bitch In You"

Twista - "Suicide"

2Pac ft. The Outlawz - "Hit 'Em Up"

DJ Quik - "Dollaz & Sense"

LL Cool J - "Return of The Ripper"

I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T DO THAT?

I know, I know. I said I wouldn't get involved in the exclusive game, but these are my people. This is my fam R.U.N.V.S., they consist of River, Cal-One, and Yung Dunit. Cal-One MC's and makes most of the tracks. It's a little rough around the edges because they are too broke for the studio...just playin' I love ya'll. I like this track though, the title matches the beat, you can just visualize Godzilla crushing buildings in Japan. But check it out and tell me what you think. Holla.

R.U.N.V.S. - "I'm A Beast"

THREE PEAT?

Not really a three peat since I reopened all my polls for another year, but Meth and Mary are still holding down the lead in both polls. In all fairness I never hit them with real competition...that is until now. They gotta go up against Pac, Big, Pun, Aaliyah, and ODB. Yes, they have to go up against an extra opponent this time. This is the deceased legends edition of this poll. I have a strange feeling about this, just like when that Rampage Jackson fight went to the decision. I think we might have a new champion. Ya'll know the deal, listen and vote to the right. Vote on the old polls too if you want.

6.) Ol' Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis - "Got Ya Money"

5.) Aaliyah ft. Timbaland - "Are You That Somebody"

4.) Big Pun ft. Joe - "Still Not a Player"

3.) Notorious B.I.G. ft. R. Kelly - "Fuckin' Tonight"

2.) 2Pac ft. K-Ci & JoJo - "How Do You Want It"

1.) Method Man & Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need"

EXCUSE ME AS I KISS...

Well it was announced a little while ago that worldwide pornography conglomerate, Vivid Entertainment, got their hands on and plan on releasing to the masses an "authentic" sex tape featuring deceased rock star Jimi Hendrix. All I can say is...Wow! What people do for money. I'm sure that's what Jimi wanted as his legacy. You can peep the preview at http://www.hendrixsextape.com/ , and after I watched the preview over and over and over and over again (I had to be sure) I can't really tell if that is him. It moves kind of fast in the preview, but it looks like a black dude with an Afro wig boning two white girls in a poorly produced stereotypical 70's porn flick. They do provide the testimony of two old..really old...school groupies that provide positive confirmation of that being his penis (that don't mean shit...ask R. Kelly...digital piss homey). Fraud or not, Ray J. and Kim will soon be bumped from the number one spot, because I'm sure this shit will sell like crack among perverted Rock & Roll historians. I always heard there was talk of making a Jimi Hendrix bio-pic starring Andre 3 Stacks as Jimi, now I think you gotta re-cast it with Lex Steele (Google it for those that don't want to admit they know who he is).

So what's next, an Elvis freaky flick with a Graceland groupie? Maybe a 8mm sex romp featuring Marilyn Monroe and JFK. How hot would a Biggie sex tape be? He could have Faith, Kim, and Charlie Baltimore in it. Hype Williams behind the camera, hitting us with the fish eye lens money shot. Puffy dancing around that bed whisper yelling "take that, take that" and "Bad Boy, baby." I shouldn't joke about that because you know Puff loves a dollar and he'll try and get every one he can out of Big's legacy. Supposedly there is a Jay and Beyonce tape floating out there...Beyonce naked might make me a fan again...thick ass hips. I digress. Those of you that read this blog, hit me in the cbox or comment this blog and tell me which couple would you pay to see their sex tape, and which couple would you pay to have their sex tape burned. For example I would poke my eyes out with Bic pens rather than watch a Flavor Flav and Bridgette Nielson flick. Holla back.

SOME OF THIS AND SOME OF THAT

Well boys and girls let me start off by wishing everybody a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. On this Independence Day, I challenge all of you to rid yourselves of something you are dependant on. Whether it be smoking, drinking, or listening to Tha Carter III, really declare your Independence today.

Moving on, its time for a new installment of my polls. This time I am going to explore the what should be the best hip-hop and rock collaboration. I had to be very careful when deciding upon a criteria for this category. First of all, Run DMC and Aerosmith's hook up on the classic "Walk This Way" could not be eligible, because it is probably the best of all time, so there would be no argument. Also, "mash-ups" are not eligible because I feel both artists should be in the studio with each other at the same time for it to be authentic (Sorry Hova, Linkin Park, Ludacris, Sum 41, and Travis Barker). Lastly, the song had to have originally verses coming from both ends of the cooperative, so that scratches Kanye and Chris Martin's "Homecoming" because Kanye dropped a more soulful (and honestly a much better) version of that song with John Legend singing the hook years ago. So that leaves me narrowed down to my top five. I hit you all with the hyperlink for all of them down low, and you leave your vote on the poll. I'm even gonna hit you with that old Kanye and John Legend "Home" so you can decide which version is better and I'll put a poll up to see the results. It's a holiday, why wouldn't I hit you with a bonus poll. Oh yeah...I also reopened my other polls so feel free to vote on those too if you didn't before. Enjoy.

POLL # 1

5.) Limp Bizkit ft. Method Man, Redman, and DMX - "Rollin'"

4.) Ice Cube ft. Korn - "Fuck Dyin'"

3.) Public Enemy ft. Anthrax - "Bring The Noise"

2.) Sublime ft. The Pharcyde - "Summertime"

1.) De La Soul ft. Teenage Fan Club - "Fallin'"

POLL #2

2.) Kanye West ft. Chris Martin - "Homecoming"

1.) Kanye West ft. John Legend - "Home"

POOF: FATHER MC

The last POOF I did on MC Brains actually garnered the attention of MC Brains, well at least his manager. She commented me back with his Myspace URL and his website, and let me know that he is alive and well. He goes by the name of Brainz Davis now and is still heavy in the music game which I am glad to hear. So I put up the info for any fans who like to she what the artist formerly known as MC Brains is up to. (http://www.brainzdavis.com/ & www.myspace.com/brainzdavis) Check him out and show him some love.

So on to this installment of POOF. The focus of my attention this time is Father MC (born Timothy Brown). He was one of the first artists a young A&R named Sean "Puffy" Combs was able to sign to Uptown Records. Before stepping in the hip-hop arena, Father MC debuted as a dancehall/reggae artist. One might describe his style as kind of a poor man's Big Daddy Kane, he was real smooth with his delivery and directed most of his attention to the ladies. He burst on the scene in 1990 with his debut album Father's Day, the lead single was "I'll Do For You" which sample the Cheryl Lynn disco hit "Got To Be Real" and featured a young and unknown Mary J. Blige on back up vocals (did you ever think you would hear that sentence...Mary J. on back-up?). It was a hit, reaching as high as number 20 on the charts. Unfortunately the rest of the album did not do as well, but it did have another stand out single that provided another famous Uptown Records R&B act its platform to be heard. Father MC sampled Vaughan Mason and Crew's "Rock, Skate, Roll, Bounce" to create "Treat 'Em Like They Want To Be Treated" featuring Jodeci singing in the background.

The success of those two singles was enough for Uptown Records to release another Father MC album in 1992 titled Close To You. This album did not do as well, though it did produce two more hits in "One Night Stand" and "Everythings Gonna Be Alright" featuring Jodeci once again. His relationship with Uptown Records soon deteriorated, and Puffy did not bring him along to join the Bad Boy Records roster. He has released four more non-noteworthy albums on different labels since then (1995's This Is For The Players & Sexual Playground, 1999's No Secrets, and 2003's My). The Father also managed to pose in a full spread for Playgirl magazine in the late 1990's. In 2007 he reinvented himself with the name Fambody (whatever the hell that means) and laid plans to create more music in the near future.

I remember Father MC as being real suave, so it makes perfect sense that he would pose for Playgirl. I was a fan, yet not a fan. What I mean is I liked the songs he released, but was never intrigued enough to get his albums. From the looks of the titles of the songs, the context is pretty much the same throughout: the ladies. If he came out before Big Daddy Kane, he might of experienced more longevity in the game (maybe not because Kane was and is a beast on the mic). I wish I could write more on him, but I don't know much more. That's why I write these pieces, to learn. So Father, or Fambody, if you are out there hit us up and let your fans who have lost contact know how they can still get down with you. Hear are a few audio reminders of who this man was.

Father MC ft. Mary J. Blige - "I'll Do For You"

Father MC ft. Jodeci - "Treat 'Em Like They Want To Be Treated"

Father MC - "One Night Stand"

Father MC ft. Jodeci - "Everythings Gonna Be Alright"

I'M BACK

Wow, it's been a while. I've been dealing with some shit, my computer was doing some silly shit, and I experienced a loss in my family..."but still I stand." Though I was dealing with all of those trials and tribulations, the real reason why I wasn't writing was because I really wasn't feeling it. I guess because of my competitive nature I need competition to motivate me, and there are very few blogs out there that provide that for me. Not to come off like a cocky prick, but most of the blogs in this genre don't even bother with the commentary anymore. The exclusives have taken over. Don't get me wrong, sohh.com, gowherehiphop.com, hiphopupdate.com, and 2dopeboys.com, all do a good job of providing commentary, thoughts, and opinions, but the majority of you just post songs or talk about how great you are.

If you post a song at least tell your readers what you think of the song, where you would rate it. I think a lot of bloggers are so caught up in the race to post an "exclusive" that they lose focus in the reason they started their blog. Once again I could be wrong, that could be the sole reason they started their blog. That's like the guy that plays Cd's at his family reunion and calls himself a DJ and has never touched vinyl. So hears my challenge to all of you so-called bloggers out there: STEP YOUR GAME UP! Write something. Use your keyboard for more than just typing in a song title. Motivate me. I'm like the Tupac of this blog game, I got like 300 blogs just sitting in storage. It can be only so long that I will have the patience to play down to my competition, soon Imma have to take off and blow past you cats that ain't trying to progress. And on that note here's a little theme music for the message of this blog.

Ludacris - "Move Bitch"

DEADLY DUETS

You would think with it being summer and all I would have more time to work on this blog, but it is the opposite, but Imma still give you what I got. So last weeks poll is over with the numbers coming in at an overwhelming 2 VOTES (wow I'm great) with one vote being mine. Another dead heat, with my vote going to the Wu-Tang Clan and the other going to The Roc. Ya'll know the rules concerning a tie here: my blog, my pick wins. So congratulations to Meth, Ghost, Rae, Rza, Gza, ODB, Deck, Masta Killa, and U-God you win the meaningless award of best family cut on my site. Please don't wait by your mailboxes for any sort of proclamation, for you will be sadly disappointed. For any doubters, "Triumph" was the shit.

Since we just observed what would have been the 37th birthday of the iconic Tupac Amaru Shakur this past week, and that man has released more albums dead than he did alive, I thought a perfect poll subject would be to wonder what is the best posthumous duet. Since I believe that Natalie Cole and Nat "King" Cole's unforgettable duet of...well..."Unforgettable" is possible the greatest of all time, I am declaring it ineligible for this poll. It's also don't a representative of this hip-hop culture. I think Ms. Cole would have a fit if Lil Kim moaned in the background of her father's vocals during any attempt at a hip-hop remake of his music. I hope I get a better turnout this time, because I really like this poll topic. I really didn't know who to vote for, so I would really like to see who people think the winner is. Same format as always, I rank 'em, you listen and vote.

5.) Big Pun ft. Donell Jones - "It's So Hard"

4.) Bob Marley ft. Lauryn Hill - "Turn Your Lights Down Low"

3.) 2Pac ft. Nas & Anthony Hamilton - "Thugz Mansion"

2.) Erick Sermon ft. Marvin Gaye - "Music"

1.) The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Eminem - "Dead Wrong"

NO LOVE?

Yesterday was Father's Day (happy belated Father's Day everyone by the way), and it got me thinking...where is the Father's anthem in hip-hop and/or R&B? Not every child in this culture was raised fatherless, so how come the daddies get no love? On Mother's Day there are a million positive songs about mothers to choose from. You got 2Pac's "Dear Momma", Boyz II Men's "A Song For Mama", R. Kelly's "Sadie", and so on. If someone chooses to write a song about their pops, its usually negative like the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", L.L. Cool J's "Father", and Shaq O'Neal's "Biological Didn't Bother." The only positive one that instantly pops into my mind is Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father." Come on now, there had to be at least one good daddy for all these musicians. If any one who happens to stumble across this blog and reads this, hit me in the Chat Box and let me know if you know of any positive songs about fathers. I really am curious because I am a father, and I need to know if I need to start grooming my daughter to be a musician so she can make a happy song about me.

THE MOLE

Well, can anyone really say that they are surprised. R. Kelly was acquitted of all child pornography charges yesterday. The evidence that created reasonable doubt...a mole that may or may not have been present in the damning video. How much did those lawyers cost...I mean damn!!! Fuck Cochran and Shapiro...there was a video and they still couldn't get him. It should only be a matter of days before LowKey debuts a song from the self-proclaimed "Pied Piper" of R&B which should proclaim how justice took place, how R. loves Jesus, his family, and his fans, how all the haters can get the dillz, new album in stores whenever, and how he wants to freak your moms in your linen closet while lines up his 40 year old, illiterate hairline. I digress. Anyway, congrats to you Mr. Kelly. Can't wait for Fiesta part 72, your confession song on the next album, and a "Best of Both Chesters" album with Michael Jackson. Let me get your lawyers' number...I just got a traffic ticket.

Jay-Z ft. R. Kelly - "Guilty Until Proven Innocent"

CLAIM YOUR SET

Ahh...another week, another poll. Meth and Mary had a close race with L.L. and BIIM, each garnering a vote apiece (god I love my fans). Since this is my blog, I make the rules, so Meth and Mary are champions again. This week the poll will center around the same collaboration subject, but this time it is the family collaboration. My definition of "family" is people under the same umbrella, or same team. Everybody has a crew nowadays whether it be the Game's Black Wall Street family, or Lil' Wayne's Young Money team. But outside of their leader do these crews have any prominence? Can anyone name me 5 songs by 5 different people in Black Wall Street? Who else is in Young Jeezy's USDA besides Jeezy? I'm talking about crews doing major things where each member can hold its own on the mic. So this week we are doing the best family cut of all time, remix or not. The crews I have selected are, or have been, crews to be reckoned with: Roc-a-Fella, Ruff Ryders, Wu-Tang Clan, G-Unit, and Terror Squad. Once again, I ranked the songs in the order I believe they are in, and placed a poll to the right for you readers (or in my case "reader"...thanks Mom) to vote on. Voting is done on Monday, so be sure to vote carefully because this means absolutely...NOTHING!

5.) Terror Squad - "Lean Back"

4.) G-Unit - "Hate It or Love It (Remix)"

3.) Roc-A-Fella All-Stars - "Champions"

2.) Ruff Ryders - "Ruff Ryders Anthem (Remix)"

1.) Wu-Tang Clan - "Triumph"

SUPER TUESDAY

June 10 is finally here, and I'm shocked. I thought I would wake up to mass rioting, babies crying, and zoo animals running wild, but it was pretty quiet. As you all know Lil' Wayne's highly anticipated Tha Carter III officially dropped today along with two other high profile albums (N.E.R.D.'s Seeing Sounds and Plies' Definition of Real). In my world Plies doesn't exist, so it was just Weezy and N.E.R.D. I wanted to see how high these two would make it up my list to the right of the top albums of 2008 so far, so I waited till midnight and listened to them both on iTunes secretly hoping there was more to them than what got leaked. The leak was it for both of them, not much more. So I ranked them both #9 and #10 respectively, they could be bumped of the list totally by the time the Game, Nas, and Busta all drop in July. N.E.R.D. I'm not so shocked in their underachievement because none of their albums have impressed me thus far, but Weezy...damn man your ad says "best rapper alive!" Still no classic for you, can't wait to hear Tha Carter IV homie.

The suprise of the day came from an album, I honestly didn't know was coming out. I had some tracks from it, but I just thought maybe it was a mixtape. It's Little Brother's And Justus For All. They always seem to impress me with their refreshing simplicity, just like A Tribe Called Quest used to. Phonte and Pooh might have the most consistent chemistry for any group out there, they are just themselves on a record. They debuted at #3 on my charts. So if you all get bored with "Lollipop", "Everybody Nose", and whatever it is that Plies does, check out Little Brother. I'll even hit you with a taste.

Little Brother ft. Supastition & Rhymefest - "Do It To Death"

POOF: MC BRAINS

I decided to start a new element of my blog I will call "Poof." It's dedicated to rappers who seemed like they had potential (whether it be a guilty pleasure of mine or not) but just fell off the musical map, disappeared...poof! The first artist I will highlight in this section is Motown Artist MC Brains.

Many hip-hop historians believe that it was Bone Thugs N Harmony that put the city of Cleveland, Ohio on the hip-hop map. Those historians need to check their facts and rewind back to 1992 when an unknown rapper named MC Brains (born James De Shannon) hit the scene with the infectious song "Oochie Coochie" He was discovered by Michael Bivens of New Edition and Bell, Biv, Devoe fame. Bivens had just released a string of hits with Boyz II Men, ABC (Another Bad Creation), and BBD (Bell Biv Devoe)...you know "the East Coast Family." It was only right that he drop another hit with his new protege from Cleveland. "Oochie Coochie" was the first single off of Brain's only album "Lover's Lane" and it went to number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and as high as number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song's sex driven lyrics fit in fine with the booty and hoochie heavy hits "Do Me" and "Poison" Bivens help create with Bell, Biv, Devoe. Riding high off of the success of "Oochie Coochie", MC Brains released 2 more singles off of his debut album ("Brainstorming" & "Everybody's Talking About MC Brains"). Sadly to say, contrary to the title of his third single, everybody was not talking about MC Brains, at least not outside of Cleveland, and those two singles flopped leaving MC Brains excommunicated from "the East Coast Family" and never to be heard from again.

Why did I pick MC Brains, I don't know, I was listening to an old mixtape and "Oochie Coochie" popped up between TLC's "What About Your Friends" and Del The Funkee Homosapian's "Mistabobdobelina." What old head did not groove to "Oochie Coochie" while watching Jordan win that second championship against the Blazers. Classic lines like "Oochie coochie la la la/I am the Brains and I'm up to par/Quit actin' brand new I know you fruity/Cause when you're walkin' you're shakin' that booty." What!?!?!?!? Hova what? Weezy who? This man was the truth. You can't forget his list of freaks at the end: "Lisa, Kim, Angela, Monique/Dem are some freaks with some big physiques/Pam, Deshaun, Theresa, and Judy/Dem are the girls with the ghetto booty." I think a tear just dropped from my eye from the beauty of this poetry. One last fact, this man had Boyz II Men singing back-up on a few songs on his album...yes I said it...Boyz II Men BACKED UP MC Brains vocally. Their vocals fell secondary to this MC's lyrical wizardry, who else can say they had that without signing some zeros on a check. To get you all reacquainted with MC Brains, I left 4 four of his tracks that were favorites of mine. Take a listen and tell me what you think. If you like it, go cop the album (if you can find it, lord knows I've tried) its not too late to make this man platinum.

MC Brains - "Oochie Coochie"

MC Brains ft. Boyz II Men - "Brainstorming"

MC Brains - "Everybody's Talking About MC Brains"

MC Brains ft. Boyz II Men - "Boys To Men (The Sequel)"

"YOUR SITE SUCKS!"

Thanks, I love the feedback, but to be honest, I expected that response a lot earlier in my blog career. Let me just put one thing out there, I'm not doing this like every other blogger out there is. I have respect for the culture. I'm not wasting my time trying to be the first blogger to debut a wack ass track on their site. Does anyone really give a shit about a new Maino track or a D12 mixtape? Fuck exclusives, leave that shit to the mixtape dj's. I thought blogging was a way to release a piece of your mind for the whole world to see. That's all I am trying to do, show my perspective on hip hop and to create exploratory discussions to all that care to read. So I guess what I am trying to say is if you want that new Gucci Mane diss towards Danity Kane, there are millions of other sites out there that can get that for you, but I ain't the one homey.

DEFENDING THE TITLE

I never got a chance to speak on the results of the "hip-hop/R&B collabo" poll, so I will now. I wasn't shocked at the winner, I voted for Meth and Mary myself. I was shocked that The Roots and Erykah didn't get one vote. Wow! That shit won a Grammy, man, a Grammy! Well for this post I decided to let Meth & Mary defend their belts in round two. Can they split ears like Kimbo, or get knocked out by some young bucks like the Spurs, only time, and votes will tell. I am going to list Meth & Mary along with 4 other songs down low, and you all vote to the right, I'll see ya'll in six days with the results.

5.) Mariah Carey ft. Bone Thugs N Harmony - "Breakdown"

4.) L.L. Cool J. ft. Boyz II Men - "Hey Lover"

3.) Salt N Pepa ft. En Vogue - "Whattaman"

2.) Busta Rhymes ft. Janet Jackson - "What's It Gonna Be"

1.) "The Champs" Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need (Razor Sharp Remix)"

WHO'S KILLIN' IT? PART ONE

The eminent death of hip hop has been a long and on-going argument over the past few years. Is commercialization killing this culture? Maybe its the Dirty South's onslaught on the game that is weakening the structure? It has to be a complete lack of creativity among all hip-hop artists...right? All those points can be argued until you are blue in the face, but the thing I believe to be the culprit is hip hop itself that is killing hip hop. There I put it out there. What I mean is low sales happen because people drop 12 mixtapes and purposely leak half their albums before the actual album drops. Where is the consumer's motivation to purchase an album that he or she already has most of, and once the album is released some blogger will give you the rest. Imagine what 50, Kanye, and Jay would have sold if they could have sealed their albums. Anticipation is sometimes the best marketing tool. Are you gonna ask the girl that you fuck after school on the way to your real girlfriends house to prom? No, why pay for the cow when you get the milk for free. Its sad, but many of the artists of this culture are prostituting themselves (yes even you 50). Look at any other genre of music, they all have no problem putting up big sales. You think that new Garth Brooks is gonna leak? Is Coldplay gonna put out a mixtape a month before the release of their album, probably not because they don't have to. As long as you have fans you will always sell as long as you make music for your fans. I do admit that it would be funny to drive through the suburbs and see a cat selling bootleg Carrie Underwood CDs in front of a tanning salon. I think Lil Wayne is about to find this out, he might sell well, but not to his full potential. He showed to much of of his strategy before the big game. Its like giving Belichick your play book before he has a chance to videotape your plays before the SuperBowl. I'll holla.

Common - "I Used to Love H.E.R."

AFTERTHOUGHTS OF THE LEAK

Well since my last post, there has been a significant leak of Lil Wayne's highly anticipated album "Tha Carter 3." After hearing the leaked tracks, all in all, I would have to say that I am torn. I am very impressed by the beat selection, a lot of "Southern" rappers wouldn't dare to deviate from the "plan" and rapper over beats that don't make you snap yo' fingaz or do tha dance. "Dr. Carter" was really well done, I think Black Sheep sampled the same beat Swizz Beatz did on their "A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing" album. On the same note, I think that his experimentation on this album my be his downfall. He wasn't himself, he wasn't Weezy F. Baby, I can't put my finger on it. It seems like he tried to create a classic, but you can't make a classic happen, they just happen. I never thought I'd say this, but where the hell is Mannie Fresh. It seems like Wayne is trying to impress the purist of this culture by not pigeon holing himself to the stereotypes of what a Southern rapper is supposed to sound like, but by doing that I think he lost some of his world renown swag and my end up alienating some of his life long fans. Some people still need the bounce Weezy. In no way am I trying to shit on this album, like I said I am impressed with what I hear so far, but it sounds empty. Wayne has definitely proven that he is an artist and a student of the game, but he shouldn't have to change his style to appease the naysayers like myself. So on "Tha Carter 4" throw some of that "wobbely wobbely" in there for old time sake, and go with what you know.

Lil' Wayne - "Tha Block Is Hot"

ANTICIPATION

What's good everybody. Just got back from va-ca in Orlando, Florida, and the batteries are fully recharged. Is everybody ready? Is it really gonna happen? June 11th is less than 2 weeks away and there are no talks of a push back of "The Carter III"(shocking!!!). So I guess that means its actually coming out. Will it be a five mic classic? It better be with all the hype surrounding this thing for the last two years. You would think Dre was dropping "Detox" (for real Dre drop that shit).

You think Lil Wayne is a lil nervous right now? He's got a lot of pressure right now, this album better be track to track heat. I am in no way a fan of Lil Wayne, but I will say that all the hype and hoopla has got me intrigued to hear what the album sounds like. I will listen to it, not purchase it. The title "best rapper alive" carries some responsibility, need at least one classic album to put yourself in that ranking, and even then you have to show consistency. For example, all of Kanye's albums are considered classic, or at least close to classic, and in no way would I consider Kanye to even be in the argument for best rapper alive. Not while "the R" and "the Teacher" are still breathing.

Well Wayne, I guess what I am saying is good luck, I hope you can back up all of your talk. If not this whole thing was brilliant because I'm sure you will still have high first week sales off of hype alone. Anyone remember when the XFL started playing games or the "Godzilla" remake starring Matthew Broderick? Precisely.

Sean Combs ft. Jimmy Page - "Come To Me"

...ALL ON THE SAME TRACK!?!!?!?

Thank you all for the overwhelming number of votes we got back from the R&B/Hip-Hop Collabo poll. With a whopping eleven votes in (ten more than I expected) Meth and Mary took home six of them, giving them the title. I called it, what can I say...I'm that damn good. I liked that last post so I'm gonna do another one like it, this time I want to see what the greatest all-star remix is. I have once again picked five of my personal favorites, ranked them, and set up another poll to your right. Listen to each one and vote so we can crown a champ.

5.) The Game - "One Blood Remix"

4.) Usher - "Confessions Pt. II Remix"

3.) Talib Kweli - "Get By Remix"

2.) Busta Rhymes - "Touch It Remix"

1.) Craig Mack - "Flava In Ya Ear Remix"

FEATURING....

Sorry Supaman, I had finals this week, I had to fall back from the blog for a minute, but I'm back. Today I want to talk about the lost art of the R&B/Hip-Hop collabo. I don't know if the industry is over saturated with them so we just don't notice them anymore, or they just plain suck most of the time so we don't care. I'd like to think its a little of both.

Back in the 80s they were rare because hip-hop was still thought of as fad so a lot of prominent R&B stars shied away from incorporating rappers in their music. I think it was around 87 or 88 when the first real collabo banger came out with Jody Watley's "Friends" featuring the god himself, Rakim. A match made in heaven. That just got the ball rolling. Soon we saw Heavy D. and Al B. Sure link up, Tony, Toni, Tone hook-up with Tupac's brother Mocedes The Mellow (a.k.a. MoPreme) on "Feels Good", and Father MC and a then unknown Jodeci got together a few times.

Then in 1995 came possible the ultimate style mash-up: Method Man and Mary J. Blige's "You're All I Need." One word: Classic! I mean the shit won a Grammy, man. The Grammy committee even installed a hip-hop/r&b collabo category in the yearly ceremony. After that it was full steam ahead. Every rapper needed a R&B singer on a track. Mary J. guest starred on many a hip-hop album. That was the Fugees whole gimmick. Common and Chantay Savage, Jay-Z and Babyface, LL Cool J and Boyz II Men, and the list goes on. Rappers even started to sing (Ja Rule...still waiting on "The Mirror" to drop homie). It seemed as collabos became common, the less both artists on the track seem to care about the quality of the song. It became a lost art.

So here is my challenge to all you hip-hop and r&b stars, take out Mary and Meth from the number one spot, and be in the studio at the same time so you can vibe off of each others creative energy. Right now Estelle's "American Boy" with Kanye West has brought some of that back, but don't let it end there. Lets see Common and Alicia Keys, Kanye and John Legend, Mos Def and Amy Winehouse, or Lupe Fiasco and Erykah Badu. There it is, the challenge is out there. So the two people that actually read this blog (hi mama), get the word out and maybe it will get back to these artists so we can hear some heat this summer.

Here are the top 5 Hip-Hop/R&B Collabos of all-time...according to me of course:

5.) Nas ft. Lauryn Hill - "If I Ruled The World"

4.) Lupe Fiasco ft. Jill Scott - "Daydreamin'"

3.) 112 ft. The Notorious B.I.G. & Ma$e - "Only You Remix"

2.) The Roots ft. Erykah Badu - "You Got Me"

1.) Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need"

I posted a poll on the side too, so vote and let me know what you think the top dog is.

FINALLY!!!

After years and years of red tape, TV show parodies, and bad songs (I wish he would have trapped his ass in the closet for real), the R. Kelly trial is finally underway. I can hear the grunts and moans from the deepest parts of every hood worldwide: "Kellz ain't guilty...you can't put him jail...we didn't get to hear Fiesta part 58 yet!!! Why is there such an outcry for this man's innocence? He makes music, that's it, some good, some bad. Can I Believe I Can Fly really wash away a man's sins. He is a child molester, plain and simple. And he videotaped it, nasty bastard. I know he struggles with illiteracy, but come on man Ray Charles could have told you that girl was way too young. When you ask a girl for i.d. and she shows you her B2K fan club card, there might a slight problem. Maybe I could have understood if it was a one time thing, a single lapse in judgement, but no, Chester had to go and hook up a threesome with her and another chick who was of age. What?!!?!?! An old African proverb states "mistakes are not to be repeated," this cat repeated, rewinded, and Tivo'ed his mistakes.

I hate to see a black man go out like that, but guilt is guilt. He exploited the trust and admiration of a young, really young fan, and that is not acceptable or respectable (getting my Jesse Jackson on). He needs to be punished, but we all know no matter what the verdict is this man's freedom will never be at stake, he will cop a plea and drop a lot of loot to assure that. It's a damn shame too, I hear the Cook County Correctional Facility has an excellent phonics program for his illiterate ass. Here are a few treats that are fitting for this upcoming trial.

The Roots ft. Patrick Stump - Birthday Girl

Dave Chappelle - Piss On You

Dave Chappelle - Piss On You (Remix)

GENIUS IS BLIND

Just to let some of ya'll know, Jodeci didn't write "Lately", Donell Jones did not originate "Knocks Me Off My Feet", Red Hot Chili Peppers didn't just stumble across "Higher Ground", and Will Smith and Sisqo didn't...well I think you get it. Today marks the 58th birthday of, in my opinion, the second best song writer in my lifetime (sorry its hard to top Prince): Stevie Wonder. Countless hits spanning from decade to decade, songs that made the whole world sing, and a musical influence that spans from genre to genre, country music to hip-hop. With the beautiful imagery he creates in every song, its so hard to imagine that this man was born blind (and ya'll are impressed with R.Kelly because he's illiterate..."Read a B-O-Okaaaaaaay!!!"). Happy Birthday Mr. Stevland Hardaway Judkins, and thank you for blessing us all with your talents and visions.

Stevie Wonder - "Overjoyed"

CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION

I guess this is my first official blog. The first step in defeating the enemy is to know what you are facing. Sometimes to accomplish that all you have to do is look in the mirror. We as a people can no longer afford to accept what others perceive as our image to represent us. They are not laughing with us, they are laughing at us. Flavor Flav and New York are our modern day "Steppin & Fetchit". We gotta stop being intrigued by these cultural demigods and tell the powers that be that those images on "Soul Plane" & "The Maury Povich Show" are not us, nor do they represent us in any way, shape, or form. Why do all the shows that seem like they are trying to expose us to some educational value (i.e. - "American Gangster") glorify criminals that thrived on destroying families in our communities. Why can't BET put on a documentary about Jean Baptiste Du Sable, Frederick Douglass, or W.E.B. DuBois? Big up to Rap Godfathers for this one. No disrespect LowKey, I know they are your new bosses, but they [BET] ain't paying me so I can do what I want. Download this and enjoy the next 22 minutes. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something. (Where have you gone Donnie Simpson?)

The Boondocks - Season 2 - Episode 15 "The Uncle Ruckus Show"
http://www.sendspace.com/file/afzus6

BIGGER FISH TO FRY

Wow, is it really that serious. Bloggers falling into the same trappings as hip-hop. I see a 50 - Game hug coming in the near future between Lowkey and YoungKingz. Enough is enough, its petty. Ya'll ain't even the ones making history...it's the people ya'll are writing about, don't ever forget that. And don't let anyone stop your shine YoungKingz, keep posting for your pops, love for hip-hop, and most importantly you. Whoever reads this is probably saying "who the f*@k is this guy!?!?!?!"...and your right. I don't know either.

Black_Men_United_-_U_Will_Know

INTRO

Welcome, this is blog numero uno here at Culturally Ruined. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and the site. I am Pe$o, a self-proclaimed hip-hop purist. This site is going to be about all that I...let me repeat...I (meaning me, Pe$o, "this guy right here") love and hate about hip-hop. Although I will hit ya'll with some exclusives, this site is not about that. My goal is to educate, re-educate, introduce, and re-introduce true fans to true hip-hop based on my definition. I will also attempt to decry anything that I see as an attempt to desecrate this culture I love so much, so watch out now. Now that I got that out of the way...ENJOY!!!

(P.S.--I go to school full-time, work full-time, and have a 4 year old daughter so please don't hate me if I can't post as often as you like...I see how ya'll do LowKey.)