Ok so you got Serato. Now you need the uniform, Nike just can’t leave anything alone can they? Check this package out, Air Force 1′s Serato records and all. Will our man P Pleezy rock this???? I’m sure Keezy will. I’m not an Air Force 1 fan but, got to admit those look dope. You ain’t gonna see me in them though.
.
- Inzane
.
What do you get when you combine producer The Are (best known for his work with his group K-Otix), Oh No (Madlib‘s brother and one of the hottest underground producers, not a bad MC either), Kay (not very well known, but dope cat out of Houston, down with the Strange Fruit Project), and Jackson 5 samples? You get “Dem Damb Jacksons”, the FREE project that is being offered on rappersiknow.com, a very dope site for free underground music. I listened to this album or project, or whatever you want to call it today, and I was surprised at how dope the beats were, considering most were produced by The Are (pronounced “The R”), although it sounds like Oh No also lent his magic touch. DJs and beat-lovers, also available are the instrumentals for the album as well! And people complain there’s no dope music out… blame yourself, you just ain’t lookin’ hard enough!
.
- Vatkeezy, your friendly neighborhood sclusie-man
My favourite question: “what are you feeling right now?” uuugh. Half the time I don’t have an answer, that’s where the frustration comes from. I guess I should feel good that people are actually interested in what I’m listening to but, music has become such a blur to me that most of the time I couldn’t say what I’m feeling. I’m constantly bombarded with new music, and don’t always have the time to stop and just listen, few records make me want to anyway. Well, here’s one that did and I keep loving it more and more every time I listen to it. “Funk This” Chaka Khan’s first new album in ten years out on Burgundy records is heat! It’s been a while since I’ve actually listened to a whole R&B record, slow songs and all!
.
Production is handled by the legendary team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (haven’t heard those names in a while) which gives the album it’s funk/soul vibe. The first single “Disrespectful” featuring Mary J. Blidge is reminiscent of Amerie’s “1 Thnig” and Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”, it’s dope but, (to me anyway) the weakest song on the record. My choice cuts are “You Belong to Me” with Michael McDonald, his raspy voice goes right to my soul, her funky remake of my favourite Prince song “Sign O the Times”, the grown and sexy joint “Will You Love Me” (hopefully the next single), “Hail to the Wrong”, and “Angel” a ballad that touches on inner reflection. I could keep going but thought maybe you should hear for yourself, check my mix of “Funk This” to get an idea of what I’m talking about. It’s records like this we should be pumping, but what do I know, most records I like don’t sell millions so I guess they’re wack. Pffft! Spread the goodness people, tell a friend.
.
- Inzane.
Oh you thought we had the drop on new music only?! Naaaaaaaaaw, we thorough over here… the word sclusie does not only apply to music, believe dat! All bragging aside, I just peeped this movie last night and its undoubtedly a classic. Directed by Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington takes on the role of Frank Lucas, a country boy from North Carolina who comes to the big apple to take advantage of the Heroin craze in 1970s during the Vietnam war. Frank is all about business and quickly takes a no-nonsense approach to it by making an example of Idris Elba in broad daylight early on in the movie after Idris tries to strongarm him. Others featured in the movie include Cuba Gooding Jr. as Nicky Barnes (hustler turned snitch), Common as one of Frank’s brothers, T.I. (Common’s son [no pun intended] and Frank’s nephew), Russell Crowe as the police officer assigned to take Lucas down, and RZA as one of the detectives on Crowe’s team. This is definitely a must-see, as it shows how heroin was such a lucrative business in the 70s and the creative ways Frank used to sneak his heroin into the country. If you are a fan of crime movies, you will certainly not be dissapointed, as I believe this movie is on the level of “The Departed”, and will definitely cop an Oscar just like it
Check out snippets of the album here
1. Intro
Performed by Idris Elba
Produced by Chris Flame for Earbrain Productions
Co-Produced by Idris “Driis” Elba for HEADSHELL/HEVLAR Recordings
2. Pray
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
3. American Dreamin’
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
Co-Produced by Mario Winans for Yellow City Entertainment/The Senate
4. Hello Brooklyn 2.0 feat. Lil Wayne
Produced by BIGG D for Bigg D Entertainment, LLC.
5. No Hook
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/ The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
6. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
7. Sweet
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
8. I Know
Produced by The Neptunes
9. Party Life
Produced by DIDDY and LV & SEAN C for Grind Music/The Hitmen/Bad Boy Entertainment
10. Ignorant Sh*t featuring Beanie Sigel
Produced by Just Blaze for F.O.B. Entertainment/N.Q.C. Management, LLC and Hip Hop Since 1978
11. Say Hello
Produced by Toomp for Zone Boy Productions
12. Success feat. Nas
Produced by N0-ID for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Co-produced by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
13. Fallin’
Produced by Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions, Inc.
Co-produced by No-ID for So So Def Productions, Inc.
14. American Gangster
Produced by Just Blaze for F.O.B. Entertainment/N.Q.C. Management, LLC and Hip Hop Since 1978
15. Blue Magic
Produced by The Neptunes
Heavy production from Puffy’s Hitmen production team (Carlos Broady, Nashiem Myrick, Sean C & LV, etc.), as well as DJ Toomp (produced behind Kanye’s “Big Brother” and T.I. “What You Know About That”), Just Blaze, Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri (they say every producer has a gem, let’s hope that applies here), No I.D. (Kanye’s mentor and legendary producer), as well as some new cats, and last but not least Idris Elba (Stringer Bell on “The Wire”). Idris is also featured in the new movie of the same name, starring Denzel Washington. Apparently, according to Arcee, he is also a DJ.
The greatest zombie movie ever is how you would simply describe “Planet Terror”, the collaboration between Robert Rodrgiuez (creator of “Sin City” ) and Quentin Tarantino. The action, character development, and acting in this movie are all top notch. Visually, the movie is stunning and the little sub-plots are interconnected really well. There are some very unncessary scenes, in typical Tarantino fashion, especially the initial scene where “another pair is added to the collection”.
.
Overall, this movie absolutely shits on it’s Grindhouse partner “Death Proof” , which I found ridiculously boring and bland. I mean, come on, Quentin, it takes more than 45 minutes of a bunch of hotties talking shit about men and weed (even though it doesn’t sound that bad, it’s not that good either), followed by a 15 minute car chase to make a good movie. Take some notes from Robert, Quentin.
Check The Unofficial for more joints from Jay Electronica, featuring production from J. Dilla and Nottz.
“Hard To Get” produced by Denaun Porter
“Dimethyltryptamine” produced by J. Dilla
“Pray”
American Gangster’s first cut, one of several produced by none other than Sean “Diddy” Combs whom Jay still calls “Puffy,” harkening back to days long past when both were members of the late Notorious B.I.G.’s circle. “[The album] starts with a kid looking into the game,” Jay explained. The beat slams ominously behind his scene-setting rhymes: “Mindstate of a gangster from the ’40s/Meets the business mind of Motown’s Berry Gordy.”
“No Hook”
Another wide-screen Puff production, full of dark organ vibes, and more rhymes from an aspiring kingpin’s perspective: “F—rich, let’s get wealthy/Who else gon’ feed we?” The mood is sneering, hungry, with Jay almost seeming to slip into his long-abandoned double-time flow at times.
“Roc Boys”
“That’s him at his height,” Jay said of his persona in this song. “It’s a celebration of the whole s—.” Exultant horns burst out on the beat (Puffy again) as the rapper revels in a lifestyle funded by ill-gotten riches: “First of all, I wanna thank my connect/The most important person, with all due respect/…Think ros/Think O.J./I get away with murder when I sling yey’.” (The song also includes a reference to “black bar mitzvahs.” Maybe that “L’chaim” was even more significant than I realized.)
“I Know”
Hard-hitting percussion and sparkling synths underly this conceptual track about desire’s many faces: “I know what you like/I’m your prescription/I’m your physician/I’m your addiction.” “I’m using a lot of heroin references,” Jay noted as he tried to unpack the song’s multi-layered metaphors. “[But] on another level, it plays as a song about relationships. And on a drunk-too-much-wine-one-night level, it plays as the game talking to me. It’s f—ing weird but the music is great.” He’s not lying.
“Ignorant S—”
Web-savvy fans may recall a purposefully outrageous outtake from 2003′s The Black Album bearing this name. “It’s one of those gems you can’t let go,” Jay said now. So he dusted it off for Gangster, complete with the unforgettably explicit hook in which he boasts, “I got that ignorant s— you like/N—-, f—, s—-, a–, b—-, trick, plus ice!” Just call him rap’s George Carlin. The song now also features a decidedly non-ignorant new verse in which Jay thoughtfully eviscerates Don Imus and all those who’ve equated the disgraced shock jock with foul-mouthed rappers plus some tight guest bars from Jay’s longtime protege Beanie Sigel.
“Success”
The endorphin rush provided by new money starts to wear off on this cut, produced by Chicago veteran (and Kanye West mentor) No I.D. “I used to give a f—, now I give a f— less,” Jay reflects over a rapidly descending organ riff. “Truth be told, I had more fun when I was piss-poor.” Jay’s former rival Nas talked him into letting him spit on this track; Nas’ verse hasn’t been mixed in yet, but Jay promises that “It’s hot. He killed it.”
“Say Hello to the Bad Guy”
Atlanta’s DJ Toomp (T.I.’s “What You Know,” Kanye West’s “Big Brother”) contributed this beat, which keeps that darkening mood going with church-like organs.
“When the Money’s Gone”
The title says it all about this one. Jay raps about the inevitable downfall which befalls even the most successful hustlers; Jermaine Dupri produced the backdrop of shuffling drums and cascading synths.
“Fallen”
Another J.D. production, and likely the album’s final track. Jay reflects on the perverse pleasure the public takes in seeing a star destroyed: “Fallen/They applaudin’.” Neosoul crooner Bilal sings the elegiac hook. It’s a cathartic ending to an emotionally gripping album.
Conspicuously missing from the evening’s playlist was “Blue Magic”, the album’s fantastic teaser single; Jay still isn’t sure yet where it would fit in, and he’s even considering making it an unlisted bonus track.
.
Anyways, Nas also went on to confirm the title of his new LP due in December. As previously reported, Nas was flirting with the title “Ni**a” and it now appears he will be using this title. I guess he just wants to piss off Bill O’Reilly a little bit more, which I applaud him for. Will Jay-Z and Def Jam step in to force Nas to change the title? I certainly think so, as I don’t see an album named “Ni**a” flooding the shelves at Walmart.
