WHO'S KILLIN' IT?: THE OLD HEADS

As you can probably tell, the ongoing deterioration of hip-hop is a constant theme on this blog. It is the common opinion among old schoolers that the new class of emcees are the ones who are ruining the the art form. Whereas that believe might hold a little truth, many of these pioneers and legends must share the blame. I think much like in sports, it is hard for a veteran to watch some young buck come up and do it better than he or she did. It has to hurt a little to at one time be on top of the hip-hop world and the next day be considered irrelevant.

I apologize beforehand for the constant hip-hop and sports comparisons, but under this topic I feel they are a necessary tool to help my readers understand. Lets take baseball's Greg Maddux for example. He just finally retired last year after 22 mostly successful years in the big leagues...all as a STARTING pitcher, very little if any time spent in the bullpen. In his youth, he was untouchable. He had speed on the ball that nobody could touch. As he grew older that velocity left his pitch, and his fastball wasn't as untouchable. So what did he do? Did he blame the management for not giving him the proper tools he needed to succeed? No. Did he blame the younger pitchers in the league for ruining the game? No. Did he continue to throw the fastball even though it wasn't working for him? No. He just got smarter. He adjusted his game to be successful among the new breed in the league, and was probably more dangerous in his later years than when he burst on the scene.

That is exactly what the old school rappers who still intend on making music need to do...GET SMARTER. You are not going to appeal to teenagers and young adults like you did when you were their ages. Youngsters like music made by artists that they can relate with. Don't try and hop on a Bangladesh, Ron Browz, Timbaland, or Neptunes beat because they are what's hot right now. The beat doesn't equal success, there has to be some substance behind what you are doing. Those youngsters that adored you before are now in or reaching their 30's, and they still love you, make the music for them. Didn't it always sound silly when New Edition tried to comeback making music that sounded like B2K or Pretty Ricky? Look at Madonna trying to collaborate with every young musician that is hot today, but when people go to her shows all they want to hear is "Material Girl" or "Holiday."

Jay-Z got lost with trying to keep up with Kanye for a little bit ("Kingdom Come"...ehhh), but he soon realized just to stick to his roots and make music for his fans, not Wayne's, T.I.'s, Kanye's, or Soulja Boy's. I came up listing to hip-hop where lyrics carried the beat, and now it seems to be the complete opposite. Listeners that came up in my era appreciate gritty lyrics, so give it to us, we still want to hear it.

Thats why I love it when I hear that Ghostface is going to drop a R&B album, because he always had a soulful, R&B-esque sound to his music so I think he can pull that off. To all my other favorite old school artists, instead of being bitter and making up excuses do like D.L. Hughley and Too $hort and "come back home" and "get in where you fit in."

PERFECTION!!!

Big ups to Mark Buehrle on your perfect game today against the Tampa Bay Rays. Yes, I am a
White Sox fan. SOUTHSIDE!!!

POOF: SNOW

Wow, I bet you didn't think you would hear this name being spoke of on a platform other than a cheesy VH-1 '90's countdown show. Born under the name of Darrin O'Brien on October 30, 1969 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When he started performing, his mentor handed him the name Snow, which was an acronym for Super Notorious Outrageous Whiteboy (awesome, huh!?). MC Shan, who was still reeling from KRS-One's knock-out punch known as "The Bridge is Over", liked what he heard from the non-Caribbean reggae singer and decided to co-produce Snow's debut album. He was obviously still punch drunk. He even appeared on his first single, the heavily rotated "Informer". This song was a huge hit in the United States, being that this was the only country that it went platinum in, (no wonder our education system is lagging behind). After "Informer" ran it's welcome out on radio stations, Snow tried to drop some more shit that wasn't successful and nobody heard, blah, blah, blah... Listen the only reason I'm writing this is because I just want to know what the hell he said on "Informer", or if it was even words at all. So Snow, if you are out there and you got Google alerts, get at me with the real lyrics because all I can come up with is "Informer! Youdfhaldsfhldfdslfh;sdlfh;slghsfadl....I lick you boom boom down...ldsfhlasdfhldghlsfkgjlskgjals;dgjsdlgjslkgjsalgjlsgjal.....I lick your boom boom down!"

Snow - "Informer"

REDEEM TEAM: JUNE

Well guys and gals, June just ended and it's time for me to reflect upon who rose up from the ashes to be in this months Redeem Team.

Kobe Bryant - Kobe got redemption this month on so many levels. He finally recovered from the rape accusations from 2003, and won back the hearts of the public by winning his first Shaq-less championship. Me, personally, I wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire, but I got to give credit where credit is due. Kobe did his thing in June, and finally solidified his legacy. Props.

Kanye West - Mr. Arrogance himself held a free concert in Chicago for kids, in the name of education. Real good look, Mr. West. Did that South Park episode really have a positive affect on your attitude? We'll see if there is more of this behavior in the future.

Fight Night 2009 - When this EA Sports title was introduced as Knock-Out Kings in 1998 it was hailed as the best boxing game ever (well at least since Mike Tyson's Punch-Out). But soon it seemed the engineers got too cocky with their success and tried to improve it too much, even though it was perfect as is. They changed the name to Fight Night, and complicated the controls and the world lost interest. Now its back, with a bigger roster (including "Iron" Mike Tyson") and more relaxed and less complicated controls...I like.

Now, if losing was the new winning, these people would have earned several rings last month:

Charles Hamilton - Back to back months making the list. Now you are lying about getting Dilla on your album, and pissing off Detroit. If I were you I'd fake my own death too. Detroit doesn't play, ask Yung Berg and Trick Daddy.

The Orlando Magic - First you fuck the world out of seeing a Kobe and Lebron final, then you don't even show up to play with the Lakers...thanks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves - Somehow you guys got 4 first round draft picks in this year's draft and got absolutely nothing. Rubio will not wear a T-Wolves' jersey ever...you hear me...ever!

Michael Jackson Haters - Nothing was ever proven, parents continued to send their kids to his house after the allegations so blame them. Whatever did or did not happen at Neverland Ranch, it is not our judgement to make. Let the man rest in peace. There is only one being that can make that call now, and Jacko is probably pleading his case to him as we speak. R.I.P. King of Pop.

FRESH BLOOD

I would like to announce the arrival of a new contributor to the site. My man River will be sharing his insight on the world here at Culturally Ruined soon, so I just want to welcome him. Don't be writing no bullshit!!

YOUNG BLAZE FT. BREATHE - "That Girl Ain't Cute"

Now normally I don't do this, but Imma go on ahead and hit ya'll with an exclusive. This is from a fellow Midwesterner/Illinoian/Chicagoan named Young Blaze. I like this track, and I know all my old school house heads will recognize the beat. Its a classic house cut that I don't know the name to, but I remember spilling many a drink to bouncing when it came on. Those horns just make you want to move. Blaze's smooth flow carries really well on this beat, but you should have known that already because Chi-Town comes with nothing but quality. He's got good humor in his message, which always makes for a quality MC. Enough is enough check it out for yourself, I'm gonna dig through the net to see what other jewels Young Blaze has dropped recently...you should to. Check out his site at www. youngblazesite.com , or for those of you that still fuck with MySpace, www.myspace.com/youngblazeofchitown .

YOUNG BLAZE ft. BREATHE - "That Girl Ain't Cute"

A NEW AGE UPON US

Hip-hop is a complicated creature. The members of this culture are looked at as a whole by the outside world, but on the inside there are various sub-cultures. You got East Coast, West Coast, Gangsta, Dirty South, Hyphy, Crunk, Emo, and etc... Even in each sub-culture lie even more sub-cultures. For example, Florida, New Orleans, and Atlanta are all considered in the Dirty South category, but each region generates a very independent style and sound from its country cousins. None the less, it took time for each of these components to emerge and become recognized in the world.

Where am I going with this? I want to pioneer new styles of music I hear emerging. I want these "genres" to be recognized for what they are. Here are a few I have noticed.

SLUT POP: This is any song that is belted out by a woman who really can't sing, but they look good doing it. Another criteria of this genre is that upon hearing the first notes of one of these songs, women instantaneously stop what they are doing and move and sound like sluts. Dance floor or not. Pioneers of this type of music are Britney Spears, the Pussycat Dolls, Lil' Kim, and Cassie.

DOUCHE BAG HOP: This genre is growing more popular by the day. This is basically any song that makes a douche bag feel empowered by his douche bag-ness, usually resulting in jumping on the dance floor as they loudly recite the wack ass hook. Members of this category are LMFAO, Flo-Rida, and any thing that Spencer Pratt or K-Fed have or may produce musically. Jim Jones is quickly falling into this category.

IWANTTOBETAKENSERIOUSLY!!! MUSIC: This sub-division holds music made by artists who nobody really cares about, but 10 year old girls. These artist held on to that demographic a little bit too long, and now the consequence is no matter what they do they can't be taken seriously by an adult audience. These are artists such as Bow "I don't care how many episodes of Entourage you star in you will always be Jermaine Dupri's Mini-Me to me" Wow, Soulja Boy, Brooke Hogan, and DJ Webstarr. Britney Spears also does work in this category too.

PSEUDO-DEEP ART: Music in this category is made, excuse me, conducted by "artistes" that believe they are deeper than their music really suggests. Also, in the slim event their music actually sucks, then that just means it was above the audiences' heads and before its' time...WE DIDN'T GET IT, because it can't be garbage. When not on stage or making music, many artists in this culture hold on to a dark and overly philosophical persona, and their sometimes strong opinions are always right, even when proven wrong. Artists in this sub-culture are Kanye "Gayfish" West, Lupe "Tribe Who?" Fiasco, Lil' "Wobbly Wobbly" Wayne, Kid Cudi, and Charles "You Got Knocked The Fuck Out...By A Chick!" Hamilton.

STRONG-ARM MUSIC: This is just that shit that makes you want to bust somebody's god damn head in for no particular reason. Upon hearing the first notes, testosterone levels rise above normal levels instantaneously. You already know who's in this category. Maino, M.O.P., DMX, Redman, and early 2pac, Wu-Tang, and Ice Cube.

You got more categories? Hit me up in the C-Box or post a comment.

REDEEM TEAM: MAY

There is always a few characters in the limelight that fall from grace, but they work their way back into the public's hearts with a redeeming move or two. Sometimes they do it on purpose, other times its completely accidental and coincidental. Here is my Redeem Team for the month of May.

RON ARTEST - The man who filled Dennis Rodman's shoes in the basketball world. From breaking Michael Jordan's ribs in a pick up game to jumping in the stands to fight a fan, he has stayed a figure of controversy. He has even had his team ideology questioned when he requested time off to promote his rap album (ya'll remember Tru Warier?). When he was traded to Houston in the off-season many believed it was his last chance to stay in the league, being that he would be going to his fourth team in four seasons. It seemed like a good fit, with already two superstars in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming present in the line up. T-Mac went down with an injury in the regular season, and Yao let his persistent leg problems dead his season during the playoffs, leaving nappy headed Ron Artest to lead the Houston Rockets through their series with the West favorites Los Angeles Lakers. Many thought the Rockets were finished after game 2, but Artest helped lead this rag tag team of sixth men all the way to a game seven with Kobe's Lakers; doing it all somewhat quietly. His press conferences were funny and charming, instantly making him a playoff sweetheart for the media. Welcome back, Ron.

NICK CANNON - This may seem like an odd choice, but I think after the way he stood up for his wife and told Eminem that he would molly-whop his ass for his remarks about Mariah, I gained a lot more respect for "corny-ass Nick Cannon." That is what a real man is supposed to do: threaten to kill a cat that disrespects their woman. Much props for putting your nuts in your hand, Nick.

AL DAVIS - Maybe the old man is not so crazy. He caught hell for the way he treated and unceremoniously fired Lane Kiffin. Lane Kiffin went on to land the head football coach job at the University of Tennessee, and has acted a damn fool ever since, without even having one game coached under his belt. Talking loud about Urban Meyer, recruiting violations, and Twitter controversies have already sullied his first year. This behavior leads at least me to believe that maybe there was more going on behind closed doors, and Al Davis actually got this one right.

MIKE TYSON - No need to go into his history, the name speaks for itself. He has a new documentary about his life and career out, he allowed himself to be used in EA's upcoming video game "Fight Night: Round 4," and he makes a guest appearance in the new comedy "The Hangover" (which I think looks damn hilarious). All this and not a single tiger or piece of ear cartilage in sight. Good look, Mike, just lose some weight now.

Best believe that with winners also come losers. Here's a short list of those on the decline this month.

Charles Hamilton - Getting snuffed hard by a chick right before your album drops is not a good look, especially when you are wearing all that damn pink.

Los Angeles Lakers - Going seven with a Yao-less and T-Mac-less Rockets squad? C'mon, Kobe, Lebron would have swept them.

Eminem - Album was ehhh.

Lane Kiffin - See Al Davis above.

Joe Budden - When you get on Meth's level, then have an opinion. That "Pump It Up" money has to be all gone now.

Lil' Wayne - Seems like you trained your replacement. Since Drake came on the scene, you have become an afterthought.

OUT OF TOUCH

I know everybody must remember back in the day, whenever you would put on that Dre or Snoop tape while cleaning your room so you could go outside without argument, your parents always had a snide comment about your choice of music. "Aw boy that ain't music...they stealin' from Parliament...they ain't even sangin'!" Then they would proceed to drown you out with The Isley Brothers or Earth, Wind, and Fire. I've began to think recently, am I turning into my parents? With all my rants about the Golden Era of Hip-Hop, have I become so stubborn in my listening ways that I can't even give this new era of music a chance? As I reflected upon this revelation, I came up with a single answer: "Hell naw!! Majority of hip-hop (if you can still call most of it that) today is straight garbage!!"

I'm a pretty open minded dude, I think I give everything a fair chance (even "808's and Heartbreak") before I decide that it is not for me, and most of the shit out there ain't for me. I don't even turn on the radio anymore unless I want to catch a game. This weekend was one of my guy's bachelor party, and I didn't know any of the songs the girls danced to at the strip club. Strip clubs play everything that's in heavy rotation and I did not recognize not one "Yung," "Big," or "Lil'" that was played over the speakers.

The average new schoolers answer to criticism of their peers is usually one of two things: 1) "Fuck them old school niggas!" or 2) "Niggas is hatin' cuz we gettin' money and they can't no more!" There are more answers, but they all boil down to disrespect of the previous class. No matter who it is, even the most respected new schoolers slip up with the disrespect (ask Lupe). I will agree with them that they are more marketable than say a Redman, or a Rakim; but fuck, so is Britney Spears, and who much actual talent does she possess besides looking cute and being able to grind on people and other objects. She's nothing more than a smart stripper.

So I guess the question I am trying to pose here is am I and other people who think like me out of touch with the new direction in hip-hop? I would have to say no. You see in my parents case, they did not want to like hip-hop or give a chance; I am nothing like that. I search out for new and innovative artists everyday through the Internet, most of the time I come up empty handed, but I have found some diamonds in the rough like Wale, Asher Roth, 88 Keys, AC, Kid Cudi, Mikkey Halsted, and etc. Money made will never equate to talent. My message to all these new schoolers who think people like me are just haters: Step your game up! Quality music will shut my mouth.

Freshmen Orientation

There has been a lot of talk about these new "freshmen" that were sent here to save hip-hop. Sounds like a BET episode of "Heroes" if you ask me. Maybe I am old and set in my ways, but is all this hype needed?

Yes, I admit that hip-hop is in a tailspin. It is more profitable to be commercial rather than artistic. The Current School has a total lack of respect for the Past School and the Old School pioneers, and the so-called best rapper of the era is nothing more than a punchline and metaphor slinger.

Can this new class really take the culture on its back and reach new heights? No...not really. I say this because nothing ever lives up to its hype (i.e. Hatton-Pacquiao, Kimbo Slice, Blueprint 2, any Joe Budden album). So far only a few of these new names have shown me something new.

Charles Hamilton is definitely not living up to all the talk, at least in my mind. Is he scared to release an album? This cat must have like 300 mixtapes in rotation, sorry Weezy looks like theres a new mixtape king. He sounds like the spawn of a reproductive session between Ma$e and BG. He just really hasn't impressed me yet. How come he can drop a diss record on Soulja Boy, but back down to Rhymefest and Wale. Anybody can out-rhyme Soulja Boy, come at a real spit kicker.

I really haven't heard too much from Blu or Cory Gunz. Mickey Factz, Big Sean, Nippsey Hussle, Mistah F.A.B., OJ Da Juiceman, and Nicki Minaj haven't really said anything to catch my ear, so I'm not going to make the effort to search them out. First impressions are everything to me, you got to have me at hello. I still remember the first time I heard B.I.G., Nas, Wu-Tang, L.L., The Fugees, etc... Classics get you from the first line they utter.

Fear not folks, there are a few I think have promise. If there was someone I can say could be the voice and fill all the gaps, that would be Drake. The cat can sing and rhyme over any music. His only drawback for me was that he is a Wayne protege, but now it seems like the student is better than the teacher. Wale is extremely dope, I just hope he finds his niche. Asher Roth can spit his ass off when he's not fighting Eminem comparisons. Bobby Ray seems like he is budding into a genius like his ATL mentor Andre 3000. Kid Cudi, I'm still 70/30 with him. I like most of his material, but he hasn't had that one for me.

All in all, who the fuck cares. Music works in a cycle. One person is hot for a second then gets bumped from their pedestal by someone newer and fresher. I think this has been a hot topic because hip-hop itself is still so young, and for so long it was thought of as art and more than music. Every form of musical expression has gone through that metamorphosis, and now hip-hop fans must come to terms that its only entertainment.

SUMMER SCHOOL

My semester of school just ended, so that means class is back in session for you all. Nobody reads this shit, so I wasn't missed. Ha Ha! I guess I didn't make Vibe's top 50 blogs list...aw well, who reads Vibe anymore anyway. This new generation doesn't read period.

Speaking of the new generation, I recently read on SOHH.com that Ice-T and Bow Wow's favorite punching bag, Soulja Boy, wants to create a classic album. This sparked my interest because it made me think, "wow, do these fools really think there is a formula for a classic album?" If you think it, it will happen. He goes on to say that he wants Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, and Jay-Z to get on his project to ensure its' classic status. In other words he wants them to make it a classic for him.

These statements from Mr. Tellem didn't shock me at all, because he is the king of uneducated statements. What did shock me was the thought that young artists today might actually believe that you can walk in the studio with the intent of making a classic album, and just do it. Doesn't work like that young wordsmiths. I'm sure Darius Mile has the intent of scoring 3o+ points every time before he steps on the court; does that always happen...nope...in fact it hardly happens.

In my belief, Jay-Z, Nas, Raekwon, Rakim, and GangStarr want to create classics every time they stepped in the studio, but they each only did it once. Were their other albums quality? Yes! All of them classics? Hell Naw!

The word "classic" is tossed around too much. You don't know if a piece of art is classic until it stands the test of time. A lot of people tossed around the word with Lil' Wayne's "Tha Carter III." I am not a fan of Weezy myself, but he put out a solid effort with that album. Will we remember it 10-15 years from now like we do "Illmatic" or "Ready To Die," probably not. Especially with the way everybody raped the "A Milli" beat, I don't even remember Wayne's actual verses. In contrast, everybody remembers the opening line for "Juicy."

I guess what I am trying to say is just have the intent of making good music all the time and a classic might squeak out by mistake: DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, BE ABOUT IT!!!!

Since I haven't done a post in a while, and I love doing polls, here's another one for you. What is your favorite hip-hop classic? Is it Nas' "Illmatic," Biggie's "Ready To Die," Raekwon's "Only Built For Cuban Linx," Jay's "The Blueprint," or Dre's "The Chronic." If you don't like any of those 5 and have your own, click the other box and leave a comment with your favorite. Just vote....I love an argument

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.