A freestyle battle has two rappers going at each other for supremacy. They face them selves and spit rhymes, most times offensive lines, to the competitor. The other rapper replies back, and must times the crowd judges from all the shouts and cheers , probably from the delivery of a punch line.
Yesterday was my birthday, so i decided to take my guys out, and we went to hang out with some of my other guys in my old hood, surulere. I brought with me my rapper friend,so when the carnival that was taking place in surulere started dulling down, i suggested any other rapper in the house could battle my guy.
This guy kept making mouth about his own rapper, and when he brought the guy over, i did not know the battle would end how it did.
We started off on my car, i was clapping for beats and the guys were throwing simple lines as starters,then things started getting hitted up.
I must confess, i did not know the guy would stand a chance at my guy not to mention almost murder him lyrically. The guy had like 64 bars of written down punch lines and he kept on dropping it with enough swagger display to go with. He was not actually coming off the top of the head, but i have to say the kid had them modenine type punch lines. Lines like "if you are on a toilet seat you couldnt still drop a shit".
He would spit like 10 bars, and run, not giving my guy chance to respond, and people would have heard him and not my guy, which was very frustrating for my guy.
When my guy could not take it again, he ended his verse with a slap to the guys face.
I guess my guy had a temper problem, that is what people said, we really had to calm the atmosphere. I would say he was just frustrated, although the slap was uncalled for.
HIPHOP NEWS
Nas is ready to release ether 2, so people be ready to get another bomb. So who is he going after? I guess you would have to wait and find out about that.
Hiphopdx put together a list of the top 25 hiphop albums for 08;
2008 was a crowded year, as HipHopDX reviewed nearly 250 albums. Here is that top 10 percentile, or more specifically, the Top 25 Hip Hop Albums of 2008. Check out last year's if you like too [click here].
P.S. In order of their release date, in case you’re wondering.
Torae [click to read]Daily ConversationReleased January 29, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
It would be a travesty to call "The Young Veteran" a rookie. However, few debut albums were anywhere close to as impressive as Daily Conversation in 2008. With DJ Premier, Black Milk and Khrysis on the boards, the pride of Coney Island's rhymes spoke on the patience of his career, and why his unmistakable kindness ought not be confused as weakness. For all of his peers releasing downloadable mixtape after mixtape, Torae raised the stakes and made an album that was a rejoice for New York and contemporary rap fans, just "Click" if you need proof. - Jake Paine
eMC [click to read]The ShowReleased March 25, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
What does eMC stand for? Beyond the explanations offered on a similarly-titled song, eMC represents piercing wordplay, revealing lyrics and great music. Masta Ace, Strick, Punchline and Wordsworth–collectively known as eMC–deliver those traits and more on The Show. The longtime collaborators are witty, natural performers who are compatible in ways that supergroups typically lack. This chemistry and a performance-themed concept help The Show embody yesterday's sensibilities without distancing itself from today's style. Utilizing updated boom-bap for "Winds of Change" and "Get Some," the harmonious foursome deliver rhymes relevant in any era. – Andrew Kameka
Atmosphere [click to read]When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit GoldReleased April 22, 2008DX Rating: 4.5 [click to read]
The kings of the indie scene took their thoughtful raps and boom bap into left field for their sixth LP. With Slug ditching his diary on wax in favor of an album full of narratives and Ant giving his production a live twist, Lemons was a refreshing change for the Minnesota duo. It won't go down as their best album, but the successful pushing of their boundaries with songs like the bare bones, guitar-driven "Guarantees" ensure it will be one of their most notable. – J-23
The Roots [click to read]Rising DownReleased April 29, 2008DX Rating: 4.5 [click to read]
A delve into the darkness heard on Game Theory, The Roots had a lot on their mind and in their ears, as they made an album that was reflective more of time in the studio than their restless touring. Dice Raw (and Malik B) returning to the mix was a welcome element, as The Roots' production took an electronic turn, while ?uestlove hit the pads harder than ever, as Styles P, Saigon and Peedi made the idea of collaboration fun again. The Roots stay challenging themselves, and as tour retirement and label woes come out, can we just say, yes, we want more!!! - Jake Paine
J-Live [click to read]Then What HappenedReleased May 27, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Forever one of Hip Hop's most overlooked and talented artists, the emcee/producer/dee jay saw his stock slip after 2005's bland The Here After. Then What Happened was a fine return to form though, as J sounded rejuvenated over guest production from Oddisee, Evil Dee, DJ Spinna and DJ Nu-Mark. The Posdnous-assisted "The Upgrade" was not only the zenith of the LP, but the best one-word description of album itself. – J-23
Lil Wayne [click to read]Tha Carter IIIReleased June 10, 2008DX Rating: 3.5 [click to read]
Lil Wayne feels colossal on "Mr. Carter," and Tha Carter III validates his larger than life sentiments. Spawning an unrelenting hit in "A Milli," and cracking the floodgates of Auto-tune pseudo-rap with "Lollipop," C III was 2008's one true inescapable presence. Overflowing with cocky boasts and reflections, Weezy's raspy voice packs wordplay at every turn. Though this free flow occasionally stumbles with cringe-worthy lyrics ("I'm doing the same shit that Martin Luther King did"), Tha Carter III propels Wayne to an elite plane in music. Credited with the top-selling album–and arguably one with the most impact
Pacewon & Mr. GreenThe Only Color That Matters Is GreenReleased June 20, 2008DX Rating: 4.5 [click to read]
Slept-on by even a lot of underground heads, the debut from the emcee/producer duo was probably the best album in '08 you didn't hear. With the Outsidaz front-man returning to form and rookie producer Mr. Green proving a master of the chop, The Only Color was a lighthearted callback to the early '90s. "Four Quarters," the album's opener, remains the unofficial sequel Jay-Z and Just Blaze's timeless "Public Service Announcement." Introduce yourself. – J-23
Killer Mike [click to read]I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind IIReleased July 8, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
As America awaits its first black president, Killer Mike stresses that politics are anything but usual. Obstacles be damned, prosperity is within the working man's grasp. Buoyed by commanding vocals and thumping, operatic music, I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II is Mike's wakeup call to "git up, git out, and git something." It is all power and passion as he growls over gritty keyboard compositions and documents all aspects of the grind, be they economic or social. From the go-getter anthem "10 G's" to the overdue reality check in "Pressure," Killer Mike's fiery raps and sharp beat selection craft a "soundtrack for success." – Andrew Kameka
NasUntitledReleased July 15, 2008DX Rating: 4.5 [click to read]
With Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas entered a new period of his career. His penchant for both headline-grabbing criticism and album titles continued with Nigger, which he was later coerced into releasing with no title at all. "Queens Get the Money" affirmed that Nasir was well-aware of his critics, and the 35-year-old can easily return to the raw rap style he made famous at 21. "Sly Fox" showed a mind at work, as one of rap's superstars challenged the corporate structure that has embraced peers like Common, Jay-Z and Pharrell. "Fried Chicken" brought the metaphor back to the genre, as "Black President" will be a time capsule for the next four years. With significant appearances on albums from Ludacris, Young Jeezy and The Game, Nas was a big commodity this year. From albums, to co-headlining the Rock the Bells tour all summer long, Nas, like Jay-Z and Ice Cube, has become an artist who thrives off of reinvention and going against the system. - Slava Kuperstein
Murs & 9th Wonder [click to read]Sweet LordReleased July 29, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
It's not unlikely to hear that a producer brings out the best in a particular emcee, but it's not often that you hear about an emcee consistently bringing out the best in a producer. When it comes to Murs and 9th Wonder, this is clearly the case, with the two artists maintaining their well-documented chemistry in their third outing. Sweet Lord is brimming with charm as 9th provides some of his best work in recent memory, and Murs remaining one of the most amiable emcees around by flipping rhymes about everything from G.I. Joe cartoons to getting married. – Slava Kuperstein
Nappy Roots [click to read]The HumdingerReleased August 5, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Fish Scales, Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Clutch, Big V and R. Prophet returned with both Top 40 radio material and thought-provoking cuts–all without compromising their trademark sound on The Humdinger. Clocking in at just over an hour, their album showed the Kentucky collective equally comfortable tricking off dough at the strip club or on the porch with a jelly-jar full of liquor contemplating life's mysteries. Instead of becoming a casualty to "industry rule number 4,080," Hip Hop’s most notable representatives from The Bluegrass State bounced back with the same unique approach they displayed on Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz. – Omar Burgess
Elzhi [click to read]The PrefaceReleased August 12, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
It was already shaping up to be a banner year for Detroit before Elzhi dropped The Preface. But this solo album showcased what critics and his peers have been saying for years; Elzhi is an emcee's emcee. The Slum Village alum displayed storytelling prowess on "Hands Up," took conceptual rhyming to another level on "Guessing Game" and "Colors," and made you remember exactly what we expect from our top-tier spitters. He didn’t get close to reaching the commercial success of "Tainted" or any of the other Slum Village hits he helped create, and it appears he never wanted to. The fact remains that you can’t have a discussion about 2008's best albums without mentioning this uncomplicated approach to crafting classic Hip Hop. – Omar Burge
The Game [click to read]L.A.X.Released August 26, 2008DX Rating: 3.5 [click to read]
Hate him or love him, Jayceon Taylor is one of Hip Hop's most listened to voices. His third official effort pulled the Compton superstar away from beef and bandanas and into a feature-filled ride about sex, money and signature name-checking. It was an emotionally unstable year for The Game, as tracks like "State of Emergency" with Ice Cube and the Lil Wayne-assisted "My Life" [click to listen] allude to, getting The Game out of 50 Cent's shadow and away from Dr. Dre dependency. Like Eminem, Snoop and Nas, he may forever be compared against his debut, but The Game has never made a bad album. – Jake Paine
Ill Bill [click to read]The Hour of ReprisalReleased September 16, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Ill Bill's Hour of Reprisal is like an episode of The Wire–every moment serves a purpose; and if you don't pay close attention, you'll miss a key scene. Backed by an extremely formidable production team, which includes himself, DJ Premier, DJ Muggs and Necro, Ill Bill doesn't waste a breath. Whether it’s twisted conspiracy theories or tales of cocaine, Ill Bill makes certain you feel every furious lyric. Moreover, the hostile production and extremely aggressive lyricism alongside guests like Raekwon and B-Real ensure that this record won’t soften up over time. Hour of Reprisal is an outing that’s sure to knock you flat on your ass. – Slava Kuperstein
Z-RoCrackReleased September 16, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Rap-A-Lot Records may have lost a star in Devin The Dude, but 2008 marked an arrival point for Screwed Up Click/ABN member Z-Ro. The brutally honest Houston rapper spoke about love in a year that championed Kanye West for the same, and aired out his self-conflicts in a year that portrayed The Game as suicidal. With the epic nine-minute DJ Screw tribute freestyle "25 Lighters," and the archetypal "Lonely" outcry, Z-Ro furthered his way into the mainstream. Like its namesake, this album felt like it was cheap to make, and for stagnant big budget rappers, Z-Ro is most certainly a career epidemic. – Jake Paine
Johnson&Jonson [click to read]Johnson&JonsonReleased September 23, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
After the sneaky success of last year's Below The Heavens, Blu released two albums this year. Whereas C.R.A.C. left some a bit unsettled, Johnson&Jonson, a collaboration with rookie producer Mainframe, was the Supreme Clientele of the underground. Dynamic '70s sampling, cocky-yet-vulnerable rhymes and age-old life lessons made this reportedly shelved project from 2006 sound like brand new funk, with some revisions and updates. Blu landed himself appearances with Evidence and an XXL cover spot this year, but this gem of an album, like the one last year, went under the radar of many looking for the next worthy microphone fiend. We have now entered the Blu period. - Jake Paine
Large Pro [click to read]Main SourceReleased September 30, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
The man responsible for introducing Nas and teaching DJ Premier the chop added to his 20-year career with his most complete album to date. From its charged intro "The Entrance" to stream-of-consciousness rhymes like "In the Ghetto," Large Professor reminded us all why he was just as talented as an emcee for his tenure with Main Source. Mid-'90s stars like Jeru Da Damaja, Big Noyd and Lil Dap assisted to make this album a time-machine to slow cooked, original recipe Hip Hop, as the title and Mikey D's presence on the album established a newfound comfort in this Hip Hop hall of famer's dynamic career. – Jake Paine
T.I. [click to read]Paper TrailReleased September 30, 2008DX Rating: 3.5
Hate him or love him, Jayceon Taylor is one of Hip Hop's most listened to voices. His third official effort pulled the Compton superstar away from beef and bandanas and into a feature-filled ride about sex, money and signature name-checking. It was an emotionally unstable year for The Game, as tracks like "State of Emergency" with Ice Cube and the Lil Wayne-assisted "My Life" [click to listen] allude to, getting The Game out of 50 Cent's shadow and away from Dr. Dre dependency. Like Eminem, Snoop and Nas, he may forever be compared against his debut, but The Game has never made a bad album. – Jake Paine
Ill Bill [click to read]The Hour of ReprisalReleased September 16, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Ill Bill's Hour of Reprisal is like an episode of The Wire–every moment serves a purpose; and if you don't pay close attention, you'll miss a key scene. Backed by an extremely formidable production team, which includes himself, DJ Premier, DJ Muggs and Necro, Ill Bill doesn't waste a breath. Whether it’s twisted conspiracy theories or tales of cocaine, Ill Bill makes certain you feel every furious lyric. Moreover, the hostile production and extremely aggressive lyricism alongside guests like Raekwon and B-Real ensure that this record won’t soften up over time. Hour of Reprisal is an outing that’s sure to knock you flat on your ass. – Slava Kuperstein
Z-RoCrackReleased September 16, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
Rap-A-Lot Records may have lost a star in Devin The Dude, but 2008 marked an arrival point for Screwed Up Click/ABN member Z-Ro. The brutally honest Houston rapper spoke about love in a year that championed Kanye West for the same, and aired out his self-conflicts in a year that portrayed The Game as suicidal. With the epic nine-minute DJ Screw tribute freestyle "25 Lighters," and the archetypal "Lonely" outcry, Z-Ro furthered his way into the mainstream. Like its namesake, this album felt like it was cheap to make, and for stagnant big budget rappers, Z-Ro is most certainly a career epidemic. – Jake Paine
Johnson&Jonson [click to read]Johnson&JonsonReleased September 23, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
After the sneaky success of last year's Below The Heavens, Blu released two albums this year. Whereas C.R.A.C. left some a bit unsettled, Johnson&Jonson, a collaboration with rookie producer Mainframe, was the Supreme Clientele of the underground. Dynamic '70s sampling, cocky-yet-vulnerable rhymes and age-old life lessons made this reportedly shelved project from 2006 sound like brand new funk, with some revisions and updates. Blu landed himself appearances with Evidence and an XXL cover spot this year, but this gem of an album, like the one last year, went under the radar of many looking for the next worthy microphone fiend. We have now entered the Blu period. - Jake Paine
Large Pro [click to read]Main SourceReleased September 30, 2008DX Rating: 4 [click to read]
The man responsible for introducing Nas and teaching DJ Premier the chop added to his 20-year career with his most complete album to date. From its charged intro "The Entrance" to stream-of-consciousness rhymes like "In the Ghetto," Large Professor reminded us all why he was just as talented as an emcee for his tenure with Main Source. Mid-'90s stars like Jeru Da Damaja, Big Noyd and Lil Dap assisted to make this album a time-machine to slow cooked, original recipe Hip Hop, as the title and Mikey D's presence on the album established a newfound comfort in this Hip Hop hall of famer's dynamic career. – Jake Paine
T.I. [click to read]Paper TrailReleased September 30, 2008DX Rating: 3.5
A LITTLE CHRISTMAS POST.
I'ma just type, so if you want to read my thoughts, then keep on, and if you do not, just stop.
Do you know that "the game" and "dr dre" got high before recording "start from scratch? So i am goin to give you my thoughts for now, cos i am tipsy right now, and if you want to read my thoughts, just my thoughts, keep reading.
I can remember the intro for jay-z's blueprint album, he said he was going to freestyle his thoughts,just his thoughts, and people were hung up on that shit, so you got to read on.
I just came here to type today, cos i was feeling bad, and i guess i can type my thoughts till i start feeling good.
I had my day planned, but i had to help my mom out, and drop some stuffs off at VGC. All the traffic in lagos almost drove me crazy, but i kept myself sain by listening to nas's street disciple album, and just taking deep breaths. As i was driving out of vgc, i saw "kemistry" the radio personality, and i just shouted out her name out of instinct, and she waved back. I wonder why all her cars have funny plate numbers............Anyway, it was a cool experience. So i got home like 7p.m, and i had to take a bath, by the time i got to the party i was meant to dj for, people were already leaving..........i just asked for a bottle of wine, and downed it. By the time i saw myself on the dance floow all by myself, i knew i was tipsy................i guess that's all folks.................i got to go eat some solid "eba"
Do you know that "the game" and "dr dre" got high before recording "start from scratch? So i am goin to give you my thoughts for now, cos i am tipsy right now, and if you want to read my thoughts, just my thoughts, keep reading.
I can remember the intro for jay-z's blueprint album, he said he was going to freestyle his thoughts,just his thoughts, and people were hung up on that shit, so you got to read on.
I just came here to type today, cos i was feeling bad, and i guess i can type my thoughts till i start feeling good.
I had my day planned, but i had to help my mom out, and drop some stuffs off at VGC. All the traffic in lagos almost drove me crazy, but i kept myself sain by listening to nas's street disciple album, and just taking deep breaths. As i was driving out of vgc, i saw "kemistry" the radio personality, and i just shouted out her name out of instinct, and she waved back. I wonder why all her cars have funny plate numbers............Anyway, it was a cool experience. So i got home like 7p.m, and i had to take a bath, by the time i got to the party i was meant to dj for, people were already leaving..........i just asked for a bottle of wine, and downed it. By the time i saw myself on the dance floow all by myself, i knew i was tipsy................i guess that's all folks.................i got to go eat some solid "eba"
BILLBOARD TOP TEN RAP ALBUMS (25/12/2008)
10. THE GAME- LAX.
9. LIL WAYNE AND DJ DRAMA- DEDICATION 3. (8, 198)
8. YOUNG JEEZY-THE RECESSION.
7. SCARFACE-EMERITUS. (11, 425.)
6. LIL WAYNE- CARTER 3. (37,822)
5. COMMON-UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL
4. T.I- PAPER TRAIL.
3. LUDACRIS- THEATER OF THE MIND.
2. SOULJA BOY. (45, 507)
1. PLIES-DA REALIST. (114,438)
CHECK OUT THE ALBUM SALES WRAP UP. BY SOHH.COM.
Sales Wrap: Sales Wrap-Up 2008: Lil' Wayne Is The "Milli" Dollar Man, Chart Winners & Losers Exposed
Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:34:10 ZLil' Wayne, T.I. and a few others made big impacts on the charts in 2008. But what of Nelly, Fat Joe and G-Unit? As 2008 nears its completion, SOHH has examined this year's top selling albums along with a few that fell back and missed the big sales payday.
TOP SELLERSMaking his long-delayed return to store shelves on June 10, Lil' Wayne has continued to break records and create a buzz throughout the year, this time with the release of The Carter III. His hit records "Lollipop," "A Milli," "Got Money," and "Mrs. Officer" helped him land at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 and sell over 1 million copies his first week. The record now currently stands at No. 47 with 2,778,800 albums sold. Another big winner of the year was T.I. Facing an upcoming one year jail sentence beginning next March, T.I.'s Paper Trail landed in consumers' hands September 30. Despite rap beefs and house arrest, Tip held his own as his sixth solo project debuted at No. 1 selling over 500,000 in its first week and currently rests at No. 30 with 1,389,100 sold copies. R&B was introduced to a new split personality this year as Beyonce showcased I Am...Sasha Fierce on November 18 offering both a somber side with "If I Were a Boy" and her high-energy side via "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." She made headlines with her secret wedding to Jay-Z, and the Grammy winning singer's name gained more attention by debuting at No. 1 with over 482,000 copies sold and stands at No. 3 with 1,052,500 albums sold. Mariah Carey's E=MC2 made history on April 15 as it went on to become one of her biggest career releases. Gaining additional publicity from her marriage with Nick Cannon, Mariah's first week numbers were 463,000 helping her debut at No. 1 and allowing the album to rest at over 1.2 million copies sold. Another R&B mega star Usher gave fans a year to remember on May 27 as Here I Stand marked his long-awaited return as "Love in This Club" and "Love in This Club, Part II" began to takeover national radio air waves. Usher landed atop the charts with 443,000 copies sold and later became a platinum-certified as Here I Stand rests at No. 151 with 1,099,300 scanned units. British crooner Leona Lewis shocked United States fans as her debut Spirit has remained on the charts ever since it's debut in April. Lowis' first solo project landed atop the charts on her opening week with 205,000 scanned copies and currently sits at No. 59 with 1,330,025 sold copies.MISSED THE MARK Despite mega selling albums from Weezy and Mariah, 2008 saw a lot of noteworthy projects that failed to generate heavy sales. Nearly a decade since releasing his last album, hip-hop legend Q-Tip returned on November 4 with The Renaissance led by the tracks "Gettin' Up" and "Move." Despite a solid hip-hop following, the A Tribe Called Quest frontman debuted at No. 11 selling 34,200 copies. His second solo release currently stands at 79,700 scanned units.With group member confrontations and pushed back release dates, G-Unit's Terminate On Site (TOS) hit stores on July 1 and was met with mixed reactions. Buzzing from tracks like "Rider Pt. 2" and "I Like the Way She Do It," the group debuted at #4 with 102,000 and currently rests at just under 200,000 scanned copies. Engaging himself in a brief rap battle with 50 Cent, Fat Joe's Elephant in the Room landed March 11 and was prepped to be the Terror Squad leader's re-start into the mainstream. Appearing to do fairly well with the success of his J. Holiday assisted "I Won't Tell," the album failed to generate major numbers but did land at No. 6. It opened with 46,000 sold copies but has yet to break 100K sold. Once known for competing with Eminem's sales numbers, Nelly returned after a four-year hiatus with Brass Knuckles on September 16. The mega-platinum artist's fifth solo project secured #3 with 84,000 first week scanned currently stands at roughly 161,200 sold. Battling retailers and corporate America, Nas faced major setbacks with Untitled before it hit stores on July 15. He debuted at No.1 as songs like "Hero" helped him push 187,000 copies. Despite the ultra hyped release, Untitled currently rests at a respectable but less than astounding for Nas 407,100 moved. R&B superstar Janet Jackson made her Island Def Jam debut February 22 with the release of Discipline led by the tracks "Feedback," "Rock with U," and "Luv." Despite her established popularity and landing at No. 1 with 181,000 albums sold, Janet's latest album was unable to outdo former projects, leading to label disputes as Discipline currently remains at just over 415,000.
Written by Cyrus Langhorne
Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:34:10 ZLil' Wayne, T.I. and a few others made big impacts on the charts in 2008. But what of Nelly, Fat Joe and G-Unit? As 2008 nears its completion, SOHH has examined this year's top selling albums along with a few that fell back and missed the big sales payday.
TOP SELLERSMaking his long-delayed return to store shelves on June 10, Lil' Wayne has continued to break records and create a buzz throughout the year, this time with the release of The Carter III. His hit records "Lollipop," "A Milli," "Got Money," and "Mrs. Officer" helped him land at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 and sell over 1 million copies his first week. The record now currently stands at No. 47 with 2,778,800 albums sold. Another big winner of the year was T.I. Facing an upcoming one year jail sentence beginning next March, T.I.'s Paper Trail landed in consumers' hands September 30. Despite rap beefs and house arrest, Tip held his own as his sixth solo project debuted at No. 1 selling over 500,000 in its first week and currently rests at No. 30 with 1,389,100 sold copies. R&B was introduced to a new split personality this year as Beyonce showcased I Am...Sasha Fierce on November 18 offering both a somber side with "If I Were a Boy" and her high-energy side via "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." She made headlines with her secret wedding to Jay-Z, and the Grammy winning singer's name gained more attention by debuting at No. 1 with over 482,000 copies sold and stands at No. 3 with 1,052,500 albums sold. Mariah Carey's E=MC2 made history on April 15 as it went on to become one of her biggest career releases. Gaining additional publicity from her marriage with Nick Cannon, Mariah's first week numbers were 463,000 helping her debut at No. 1 and allowing the album to rest at over 1.2 million copies sold. Another R&B mega star Usher gave fans a year to remember on May 27 as Here I Stand marked his long-awaited return as "Love in This Club" and "Love in This Club, Part II" began to takeover national radio air waves. Usher landed atop the charts with 443,000 copies sold and later became a platinum-certified as Here I Stand rests at No. 151 with 1,099,300 scanned units. British crooner Leona Lewis shocked United States fans as her debut Spirit has remained on the charts ever since it's debut in April. Lowis' first solo project landed atop the charts on her opening week with 205,000 scanned copies and currently sits at No. 59 with 1,330,025 sold copies.MISSED THE MARK Despite mega selling albums from Weezy and Mariah, 2008 saw a lot of noteworthy projects that failed to generate heavy sales. Nearly a decade since releasing his last album, hip-hop legend Q-Tip returned on November 4 with The Renaissance led by the tracks "Gettin' Up" and "Move." Despite a solid hip-hop following, the A Tribe Called Quest frontman debuted at No. 11 selling 34,200 copies. His second solo release currently stands at 79,700 scanned units.With group member confrontations and pushed back release dates, G-Unit's Terminate On Site (TOS) hit stores on July 1 and was met with mixed reactions. Buzzing from tracks like "Rider Pt. 2" and "I Like the Way She Do It," the group debuted at #4 with 102,000 and currently rests at just under 200,000 scanned copies. Engaging himself in a brief rap battle with 50 Cent, Fat Joe's Elephant in the Room landed March 11 and was prepped to be the Terror Squad leader's re-start into the mainstream. Appearing to do fairly well with the success of his J. Holiday assisted "I Won't Tell," the album failed to generate major numbers but did land at No. 6. It opened with 46,000 sold copies but has yet to break 100K sold. Once known for competing with Eminem's sales numbers, Nelly returned after a four-year hiatus with Brass Knuckles on September 16. The mega-platinum artist's fifth solo project secured #3 with 84,000 first week scanned currently stands at roughly 161,200 sold. Battling retailers and corporate America, Nas faced major setbacks with Untitled before it hit stores on July 15. He debuted at No.1 as songs like "Hero" helped him push 187,000 copies. Despite the ultra hyped release, Untitled currently rests at a respectable but less than astounding for Nas 407,100 moved. R&B superstar Janet Jackson made her Island Def Jam debut February 22 with the release of Discipline led by the tracks "Feedback," "Rock with U," and "Luv." Despite her established popularity and landing at No. 1 with 181,000 albums sold, Janet's latest album was unable to outdo former projects, leading to label disputes as Discipline currently remains at just over 415,000.
CROWD MENTALITY.
Nope! I ain't talking about the m.i song, i am sure that is what you thought i was going to be talking about. I wanna talk on the crowd mentality, not necessarily the m.i meaning to the song, but the real meaning to the saying.
I have found out that a lot people do not have a mind of their own, and not only in nigeria, it's a worlwide problem. As long as everybody thinks something is cool, some people do not want to discover by themselves why the song is cool, they just agree that it is so because a lot of people "the crowd" believe it is cool.
I have never been like that, and some times some people do not like me for that, i really do not give a flying 747 fuck. I wanted to name this post "people do not listen", but then i decided to make it a bit broader.
For example, people listen to a song, i can not even say a lot of people listen to songs, they just feel the vibe of the song, and do not care what the singer, or rapper...... is talking about. More than half of people that danced to the d-banj song "why me" do not know that half of the time he was talking about sex and the different positions of sex. If you do not know that, then you are one of them, and you need to change.
From yesterday morning, christmas eve, i had been getting calls from friends, relatives, ex-girlfirends, about hanging out with them today, but i just decided to stay at home all by myself. My sister even called me today, and begged me to come over, that she had cooked for me and all that, but i said no. Because i wanted to do what makes me feel good for now, another thing might make me feel good tomorrow. Some people go to the club, or parties, or wear clothes because of what they think other people think about it. I stayed at home and i had fun. Ask me how i had fun, i stayed in my shop, which is infront of my house, and bumped rap music, from the game to nas, to fat joe, and sipped gin and juice with a fellow rap fan. That is just what i wanted to do, and i enjoyed it. Fuck what anybody thinks is having fun.
Nigerians need to start thinking outside of the box, and be more creative.
I have found out that a lot people do not have a mind of their own, and not only in nigeria, it's a worlwide problem. As long as everybody thinks something is cool, some people do not want to discover by themselves why the song is cool, they just agree that it is so because a lot of people "the crowd" believe it is cool.
I have never been like that, and some times some people do not like me for that, i really do not give a flying 747 fuck. I wanted to name this post "people do not listen", but then i decided to make it a bit broader.
For example, people listen to a song, i can not even say a lot of people listen to songs, they just feel the vibe of the song, and do not care what the singer, or rapper...... is talking about. More than half of people that danced to the d-banj song "why me" do not know that half of the time he was talking about sex and the different positions of sex. If you do not know that, then you are one of them, and you need to change.
From yesterday morning, christmas eve, i had been getting calls from friends, relatives, ex-girlfirends, about hanging out with them today, but i just decided to stay at home all by myself. My sister even called me today, and begged me to come over, that she had cooked for me and all that, but i said no. Because i wanted to do what makes me feel good for now, another thing might make me feel good tomorrow. Some people go to the club, or parties, or wear clothes because of what they think other people think about it. I stayed at home and i had fun. Ask me how i had fun, i stayed in my shop, which is infront of my house, and bumped rap music, from the game to nas, to fat joe, and sipped gin and juice with a fellow rap fan. That is just what i wanted to do, and i enjoyed it. Fuck what anybody thinks is having fun.
Nigerians need to start thinking outside of the box, and be more creative.
A LOOK AT THE CHARTS.
Before i give you the full charts tomorrow, i would like to give you a sneak at it.
Wayne's mixtape enters the chart, dedication 3, with about 9 thousand copies sold. It's low, but its cool for a mixtape.
Plies enters the chart this week with 114,000 sold, not bad, concidering the fact that his last album, da definition was also released this year.
Wayne's the carter 3, sells 37,000 copies this week, 10,000 more than last week.
Soulja boy's album didnt do so good, selling just 45,507 copies.
Wayne's mixtape enters the chart, dedication 3, with about 9 thousand copies sold. It's low, but its cool for a mixtape.
Plies enters the chart this week with 114,000 sold, not bad, concidering the fact that his last album, da definition was also released this year.
Wayne's the carter 3, sells 37,000 copies this week, 10,000 more than last week.
Soulja boy's album didnt do so good, selling just 45,507 copies.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know tha nas's best friend, "ill will" was killed in 1992, before nas dropped his debut album "illmatic". He was shot, along with "jungle", nas's younger brother, on the stairs to the studio they were working on illmatic. Nas would have been with them, but had to get something from the car. He came in minutes later and found his best frined dead and his brother with bullet wounds.
Did you know that 50 cent had a budget of 26 million for his last album, "curtis". The money covered promo for the album, and shooting of the four video's he had (amusement park, straight to the bank, i got money, ayo technology.) All shot before the album dropped, and he could only recoup 3 million dollars back.
Did you know that the game rapped about dreaming of having sex with maya, in his third single, "dreams"
Not only did he get her to shoot the video with him afterwards, he also fulfilled his dreams, and got his wish.
A TAKE ON FAT JOE PAPOOSE BEEF.
Sometime in March of this year, papoose went all over the internet talking about how he had punched fat joe in the face, in an altercation they had. He said, and i quote "i put in some work in the middle of his face".
In my 27 years on earth, i have always believed in getting the story of the second party before i make a judgment on anything, so i deecided to wait and hear what joe had to say, and also make some findings on my own.
I am going to give you a generally overview of the situation as told by joe, papoose, and cassidy, that is the part of their different stories that had similarities in them.
There was a show holding and before it was going to kick off, all the artist performing where in their different rooms. A couple of hours before they were to get on stage, cassidy found out that papoose was in the same hotel and decided to reach out. He called pap over to his hotel room, and minutes after pap arrived with about 4 of his guys, joe comes in with about 6 of his guys.
It was said that joe asked papoose if there was a problem between them, and pap replied "do you want there to be a problem?" And then a fight broke out.
Now, i am going to stop there for the general story that is agreed to have happened, but different stories come up after that. I am going to give you three stories from the three present at the scene.
PAPOOSE:
The three stories are the same, till it got to the altercation. In his story, he says after fat joe asked if he had a problem, he replied, do you want us to have a problem, and he asked joe for a fare one, that is a one on one fight. He wanted joe's people to move out and his people move out of the room, and then they would fight. After he claimed joe didnt agree to that, he went in and punhed joe several times in the face before joe's people pulled him off.
He did not say anything that happpend after joe's people pulled him off, and in his diss to joe, he said he went down stairs to his car, and got a baseball bat and put in work with it. He said in the rap "i hit him with the bat, i hit him with the bat........." meaning that he hit a couple of joes people with the bat.
Let me also add that he said that joe came in with about ten of his people, and he had just three people.
FAT JOE.
After he asked pap if they had a problem, and he replied, he said he and his people went in on pap and his people. He said pap had about 6 people with him, his dj, engineer,and a couple more people, and that he had just about the same number of people with him.
He said pap's dj had to go to the hospital after the beat down and they could not perform again that night.
He claimed that pap came back after the altercation and wanted to get his watch back,that he had lost in the altercation, which joe said he did not know anything about.
He said they cleared all the problem with the fued, and that they went on to talk, and that pap said he was sorry and that he did not want a problem with joe. Joe agreed not to say aything about what happend to anybody. He said he kept queit about it till he went on the net the next day and and saw all that pap was saying.
Also to add, he said he heard that pap was in the same hotel,and he set out to find his room to question him on an issue that he had a problem with. He said pap was on the radio, a couple of days before with his wife to-be, and also former terror squad member, remy ma, and 50 cent, making jokes about joe and laughing out loud, so joe said he had known pap for a while, but did not understand what pap was up to and wanted to find out if they had a problem.
In case you do not know, joe has been terror squad c.e.o for over a decade.
CASSIDY.
Cassidy came up to talk about the situation because he felt that pap thought he set him up by inviting him to the room when he knew joe would be coming to the room.
He siad after words started getting exchanged, he excused himself from the room. He also said that, he felt that pap would be okay as he pap had six of his people with him.
Cassidy did not say anymore after that, he wanted to stay neutral.
Now guys, what do you think really happend? I do not want to give you my thoughts, or what i believed really happend, i want you to put two and two together.
I have to tell you that i watched about 10 interviews on youtube and read about 20 articles on this story before i concluded, but i want you to make your conclusion on what really happend.
COOL AND DRE.
There are names that bring a lot to the table in making rap what it is, and are are still helping out with a lot.
People always note the artist and forget the underground, or the guys behind the scene. The music managers, the producers, engineers, beat makers, and all that, they put in a lot of work for the success of most of your favorite artist.
Cool and dre consist of two music producers/beat makers. They are team of music producers from miami florida consisting of marcello "cool" valenzano and andre "dre" christophey lyon.
They appear in must of the artist music videos they have helped in making beats for. For example, dre sang the hook for bird man's 100 million and fat joe's "if it aint about money",you would have noticed a tall latino guy singing the hook.
Start to look out for them, because they have been making beats all over for a while now, they make beats fot the game, fat joe, and they recently made a beat on nas's new album, the song which has a video which they featured in also features the game and chris brown.
THE QUEEN OF NIGERIAN RAP.
The female rappers in nigeria just started taking there roles seriously, that is as nigerian female rappers. After i heard and saw the video of jimmy jat's too much track, that featured bouqui, sahsa, blaise and kemistry, i knew the female rappers in nigeria mean business. All of them were on point, lyrically, and delivered with mad skills.
The four are the most prominent female rappers right now, but i would say the song would have been complete with the addition of kel, the girl is skilled. Although she just started gaining some buzz this year, you can almost feel like she has been around for a while. I first heard her on the ill bliss joint, you go wound o, and she did her thing. Then she came with her own single, wa gba, and people just started really feeling her.
of her beaty, a component that none of the others have. Bouqui is okay, but she is like a tomboy, shahsa is too fat, kemistry.........i do not want to say anything. Blaise is just a simple chick,like the girl next door. So kel is the complete package.
Enough talk on looks, lets go to skills, who is the must skilled? Who deserves the crown? I would tell you who is wearing the crown right now, and i would give you reason. Bouqui is cool, but not to extra-ordinary, kemistry is skilled, at least she proved it on the jimmy song, but she aint got enough on her resume to claim the crown. Kel, as i said before is a complete package, but i do not want to say that her rap is stereo-type, untill i hear more from her.
Blaise......now that is a skilled rapper, regardless of sex, i would say she is the nigerian nas, seriously, she is deep. Even on the nokia commercial that is aired on radio, she was so deep. But i would have to give the crown to sahsa, at least untill somone snatches it from her.
She has an album, she has three videos, is called for shows, she is known nationwide, and she always tries to stay relevant, always being heard.
That is a real complete package. I aint saying she is the must skilled, i am just saying she is the must consistent.
The four are the most prominent female rappers right now, but i would say the song would have been complete with the addition of kel, the girl is skilled. Although she just started gaining some buzz this year, you can almost feel like she has been around for a while. I first heard her on the ill bliss joint, you go wound o, and she did her thing. Then she came with her own single, wa gba, and people just started really feeling her.
of her beaty, a component that none of the others have. Bouqui is okay, but she is like a tomboy, shahsa is too fat, kemistry.........i do not want to say anything. Blaise is just a simple chick,like the girl next door. So kel is the complete package.
Enough talk on looks, lets go to skills, who is the must skilled? Who deserves the crown? I would tell you who is wearing the crown right now, and i would give you reason. Bouqui is cool, but not to extra-ordinary, kemistry is skilled, at least she proved it on the jimmy song, but she aint got enough on her resume to claim the crown. Kel, as i said before is a complete package, but i do not want to say that her rap is stereo-type, untill i hear more from her.
Blaise......now that is a skilled rapper, regardless of sex, i would say she is the nigerian nas, seriously, she is deep. Even on the nokia commercial that is aired on radio, she was so deep. But i would have to give the crown to sahsa, at least untill somone snatches it from her.
She has an album, she has three videos, is called for shows, she is known nationwide, and she always tries to stay relevant, always being heard.
That is a real complete package. I aint saying she is the must skilled, i am just saying she is the must consistent.
BILLBOARD TOP TEN RAP ALBUMS.(FOR THIS WEEK, 18-12-2008)
10. Q-TIP- RENAISSANCE MAN.(6,066)
9. ACE HOOD-GUTTA.
8. THE GAME-LAX. (9,135)
7. E-40-BALL STREET JOURNAL.
6. YOUNG JEEZY- THE RECESSION.
5. LIL WAYNE- CARTER 3. (28,838)
4. SCARFACE- THE EMERITUS.(15,221)
3. T.I-PAPER TRAIL.
2. LUDACRIS- THEATER OF THE MIND.(53,078)
1. COMMON- UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL. (81,663)
9. ACE HOOD-GUTTA.
8. THE GAME-LAX. (9,135)
7. E-40-BALL STREET JOURNAL.
6. YOUNG JEEZY- THE RECESSION.
5. LIL WAYNE- CARTER 3. (28,838)
4. SCARFACE- THE EMERITUS.(15,221)
3. T.I-PAPER TRAIL.
2. LUDACRIS- THEATER OF THE MIND.(53,078)
1. COMMON- UNIVERSAL MIND CONTROL. (81,663)
A LOOK AT THE BILLBOARD CHARTS.
The new common album is out,and sorry to say, he had his worst first week sales, with exception of electric circus. I guess everybody has been affected by the recession. I was one of the people that did not feel common going all electric and trying to be commercial, he over did it with this album. The first week sales of his new album, universal mind control was 82,587.
Another new album dropping, or making an entry on the charts this week, although its not a rap album, i would like to mention it, my girl barndy. She has always been the low-key singer, my personal best female r&b act (asides from mariah carey). Anyway, she didnt do so good, but forget the numbers, the girl can sing,and the album is hot. Brandy's new album, "human" sold 72,855 in its first week.
I will come with the rest of the charts later today.
KEEP READING.
Another new album dropping, or making an entry on the charts this week, although its not a rap album, i would like to mention it, my girl barndy. She has always been the low-key singer, my personal best female r&b act (asides from mariah carey). Anyway, she didnt do so good, but forget the numbers, the girl can sing,and the album is hot. Brandy's new album, "human" sold 72,855 in its first week.
I will come with the rest of the charts later today.
KEEP READING.
JOE BUDDEN'S TOP FIVE DEAD OR ALIVE.
As i have always said, the reason i keep giving you this artist top five dead or alive is for you to get a picture of what, who your favorite rappers favorite rapper is. You can also use this list to check on rappers that appear in a lot of rappers list.
Joe budden is a new york rapper that had a short stint at commercial success in the early 2000's, with his single, "pump it up"
CHECK OUT HIS TOP FIVE DEAD OR ALIVE LIST.
1. 2Pac
Joe Budden: ‘Pac is the greatest to ever do it. It’s pretty simple. He was bigger than Rap. He was an iconic figure. His albums are better than ninety percent of these albums that come out till this day. And he could paint a picture like nobody else. I didn’t care about the beef between with him and Bad Boy. I’m just glad “Hit ‘Em Up” came out of it. I just think it’s the talent, ‘Pac was a poet. So naturally he has a way words. There is no one better of conveying a message.
Like certain people rap and others really convey a message when they write. Also he was one of the most prolific writers of the generation. As far as the order of my TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE, ‘Pac is better than all these n****s. The rest of my list is in no specific order. I couldn’t even say what’s my favorite album by ‘Pac, I would start with Me Against The World. Dam, I was such a big big big ‘Pac I would have to go with Me Against The World.
Jay-Z
Joe Budden: Let’s go with Jay-Z. I’m too big of a Hip-Hop fan to let my personal grievances interfere with my opinion on music. Jay for all his accomplishments and his achievements, his accolades; whatever he said is the way Hip-Hop went for about ten years. He just raps better than everybody; well he did for a long long time. As far as the album I f*** with most by Jay I would say Volume 2.
Reasonable Doubt is overated. I think people across the board say Reasonable Doubt is Jay’s best album because it’s the cool thing to say. Like I remember when Reasonable Doubt came out and I remember every single; the world wasn’t going so f***ing crazy. And even till this day – it’s certainly a far cry from Ready To Die which is a classic album to me.
Ready To Die is way better than Reasonable Doubt. With Ready To Die, I was waiting on that album since “Party & Bullsh*t”. I think Reasonable Doubt had some insane tracks, don’t get it twisted, it’s a great great album, but I don’t think its Jay’s best work.
Let’s clear this up; Volume 2 is my favorite Jay-Z album. If I would have to pick his best work and this is my own opinion and I don’t care what all the bloggers and all the Hip-Hop people have to say, it would be a toss up between The Blueprint and The Black Album. I think The Black Album was almost flawless and I’m one of the few to think that. If he would have went out like that, I would have been sold because that was his best album.
To tell you the truth there are a few albums I can name better than Reasonable Doubt. It Was Written was way better than Reasonable Doubt. I liked It Was Written more than Illmatic. I don’t know, I don’t really go with what everybody tells me should be what’s best.
Eminem
Joe Budden: Eminem rhymes better than anyone on the planet, wordplay, flow; everything. It’s really that just simple. It might seem like the public is trying to get sick of him now, but the guy has been away for five or four years or however long he’s been away. They are looking at his most recent work like the sh*t that just came out that sounds like he wrote for [Dr.] Dre, I just know it seems people are trying to figure out a reason to discredit or just write off Eminem.
If he never writes another rap again, he will already out rapped anybody who has ever rapped. He rhymes syllables in the middle of the middle of the bar. He just does other things that rappers can’t do. I f*** with the second album the most (The Marshall Mathers LP).
Rest Of The List
Joe Budden: After those three, after those three it’s really a toss up for me. I always alternate between Big Daddy Kane, B.I.G., Rakim, [Kool] G. Rap, Nas – but I wouldn’t say Nas off the rip. Yeah those names are the only ones that come to mind.
Joe Budden: ‘Pac is the greatest to ever do it. It’s pretty simple. He was bigger than Rap. He was an iconic figure. His albums are better than ninety percent of these albums that come out till this day. And he could paint a picture like nobody else. I didn’t care about the beef between with him and Bad Boy. I’m just glad “Hit ‘Em Up” came out of it. I just think it’s the talent, ‘Pac was a poet. So naturally he has a way words. There is no one better of conveying a message.
Like certain people rap and others really convey a message when they write. Also he was one of the most prolific writers of the generation. As far as the order of my TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE, ‘Pac is better than all these n****s. The rest of my list is in no specific order. I couldn’t even say what’s my favorite album by ‘Pac, I would start with Me Against The World. Dam, I was such a big big big ‘Pac I would have to go with Me Against The World.
Jay-Z
Joe Budden: Let’s go with Jay-Z. I’m too big of a Hip-Hop fan to let my personal grievances interfere with my opinion on music. Jay for all his accomplishments and his achievements, his accolades; whatever he said is the way Hip-Hop went for about ten years. He just raps better than everybody; well he did for a long long time. As far as the album I f*** with most by Jay I would say Volume 2.
Reasonable Doubt is overated. I think people across the board say Reasonable Doubt is Jay’s best album because it’s the cool thing to say. Like I remember when Reasonable Doubt came out and I remember every single; the world wasn’t going so f***ing crazy. And even till this day – it’s certainly a far cry from Ready To Die which is a classic album to me.
Ready To Die is way better than Reasonable Doubt. With Ready To Die, I was waiting on that album since “Party & Bullsh*t”. I think Reasonable Doubt had some insane tracks, don’t get it twisted, it’s a great great album, but I don’t think its Jay’s best work.
Let’s clear this up; Volume 2 is my favorite Jay-Z album. If I would have to pick his best work and this is my own opinion and I don’t care what all the bloggers and all the Hip-Hop people have to say, it would be a toss up between The Blueprint and The Black Album. I think The Black Album was almost flawless and I’m one of the few to think that. If he would have went out like that, I would have been sold because that was his best album.
To tell you the truth there are a few albums I can name better than Reasonable Doubt. It Was Written was way better than Reasonable Doubt. I liked It Was Written more than Illmatic. I don’t know, I don’t really go with what everybody tells me should be what’s best.
Eminem
Joe Budden: Eminem rhymes better than anyone on the planet, wordplay, flow; everything. It’s really that just simple. It might seem like the public is trying to get sick of him now, but the guy has been away for five or four years or however long he’s been away. They are looking at his most recent work like the sh*t that just came out that sounds like he wrote for [Dr.] Dre, I just know it seems people are trying to figure out a reason to discredit or just write off Eminem.
If he never writes another rap again, he will already out rapped anybody who has ever rapped. He rhymes syllables in the middle of the middle of the bar. He just does other things that rappers can’t do. I f*** with the second album the most (The Marshall Mathers LP).
Rest Of The List
Joe Budden: After those three, after those three it’s really a toss up for me. I always alternate between Big Daddy Kane, B.I.G., Rakim, [Kool] G. Rap, Nas – but I wouldn’t say Nas off the rip. Yeah those names are the only ones that come to mind.
swagger like us, lyrics.
Kanye West, Lil WayneAlbum: Paper TrailSong: Swagga Like UsTyped by: Nickolye16@aol.com [Intro/Chorus 4X: sample of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes"]"No one on the corner has swagger like us""Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us"[Chorus][Kanye West]{"No one on the corner"} Mr. West is in the buildinSwagger on a hundred thousand trillion{"No one on the corner"} Aiyyo I know I got it firstI'm Christopher Columbus, y'all just the pilgrimsThanksgiving, do we even got a question?Hermes pastel, I pass the dressinMy attitude is tattooedThat mean it's permanent, so I guess we should address it, huh?{"No one on the corner"} My swagger is Mick JaggerEvery time I breathe on a track, I asthma attack itWhy he's so mad for? Why he got a habit?Cause I slaved my whole life, now I'm the masterNaaaaa-na-naaaaaHow it feel to wake up and be the shit, and the urine?Naaaaa-na-naaaaaTryna get that Kobe number, one over Jordan[Chorus][Jay-Z]Geah..{"No one on the corner"} Got a bop like thisCan't wear skinny jeans cause my knots don't fitNo one on the corner got a pocket like thisSo I rock Roc jeans cause my knots so thickYou can learn how to dress just by jackin my freshJackin-jackin my fresh, jackin-jackin my freshFollow my steps is the road to successWhere the niggaz know you're thorough when the girls say yes (yes!){"No one on the corner"} But I can't teach you my swagYou can pay for school but you can't buy class{"No one on the corner"} School of hard knocks I'm a gradAnd that all-blue Yankee is my graduation capIt's Hooooo-vahhhhhDippin different Rovers, whippin with the sodaHooooo-vahhhhhDid you even have any doubt after "Doubt" it was over[Chorus][Lil Wayne]No one on the corner has swagger like moiChurch, but I'm too clean for the choirI require, what I desireI got stripes, A-di-dasMamis scream, "¡Papi no más!"Run up in your shit, just me, no MossRunnin this shit like I got fo' thighsNo one has swagger like these fo' guysNow when it comes to styles, I got severalSharper than the swag or dagger all metalAnd my jew-els, blue and yellowThe type of shit that make 'em call you CarmeloRules as follows stay true to the ghettoWrite your name on the bullet make you feel specialHa! What the fuck you boys talkin 'bout?I know it's us cause we the only thing to talk aboutAnd I'm gone... bye[Chorus][T.I.]Yeah, hah, you think? That's right; ayYou can go see Weezy for the wordplay, Jeezy for the bird playKanyeezy for diversity and me for controversyAll my verses picture perfect, only spit to serve a purposeYou ain't livin what you kickin then you worthlessLookin from the surface it may seem like I got reason to be nervousThen observe my work to see that my adversity was worth itVerses autobiographical, absolutely classicalLast thing I'm worried 'bout is what another rapper doAin't nobody hot as meEven if they rap they ass off, blast off and have outstandin qualitySell a lot of records, I'll respect it and salute thatBut spittin real life on hot beats, I'm the truth atYou kick it like me, no exaggeration necessaryLivin revolutionary, nothin less than legendaryGangsta shit hereditary, got it from my dadFlow colder than February with extraordinary swag[Chorus][T.I. - over Chorus]Okay, yeah, that's rightOkay, yeah, so you notice huh?Hah, yeah, okay, tell 'em for me shawtyYeah, that's right, yeah[Chorus] - echoes at the
SOME GIST ON RAPPER, THE GAME.
The game has been promoting his latest album, LAX, which has been certified GOLD, by R.I.A.A, and on its way to claim the platinum status.
The album has four singles to date, "games pain" featuring keyshia cole, "dope boys" featuring tarvis baker of blink 182, "my life" featuring lil wayne, and the latest single off the deluxe version of the album, "camera phone" feat neyo.
The game was currently with the "keys 2 the city",and he let them into his diet. "Keys 2 the city" was created to give fans a first hand look into the lives and music of some of L.A'S most well known hip hop artist.
These are a few of what the game had to say:
Everybody's beefing. If you not beefing these days you not cool man," The Game explained. "Rappers come out and the first thing they do is find somebody to beef with. I think 90% of the beefs in Hip Hop and rap and music are fake. Mines are real to me. I don't know if they're real to whoever I'm beefing with or the other cat, but mines be real
"I think women in L.A. are a little bit spoiled sometimes man," The Game said. "You got the sun, the good weather. Pretty much in L.A. you go to a Clipper or Laker game and you can get married to Kobe or something like that and your life's pretty much sealed. I think, out of town women, especially women in the south are like just a little bit less spoiled and a little bit more willing to do stuff."
While eating a beef and potato burrito, The Game also explains his high metabolism.
"I eat like a fat person man and I don't never gain no weight," The Game explained. "I eat ice cream at three a.m. Hamburgers. I never gain weight man and I be wanting to gain weight."
While eating a beef and potato burrito, The Game also explains his high metabolism.
"I eat like a fat person man and I don't never gain no weight," The Game explained. "I eat ice cream at three a.m. Hamburgers. I never gain weight man and I be wanting to gain weight."
CHECK OUT SLIM THUGS TOP FIVE DEAD OR ALIVE.
It's healthy for hip hop hearing about the top five rappers of some of your favorite rappes. More like, your favorite rappers favorite rapper.
I brought you nore's list, now check out slim thugs list.
In case you didnt know, slim thug is a successful southern rapper.
2pac
Slim Thug: Man I’ve been listening to him since I’ve been real young. But it’s the reality in his rapping. The feeling he put in his music made it timeless. He put a lot of thought into it rather than just getting the club crunk or whatever.
He had songs that came from his heart. Me Against The World was the album that really got me from him. When that “Dear Momma” came out that’s when I really got hooked. I been listening to him before that “Brenda’s Got A Baby” and “Keep Your Head Up”, but with Me Against The World, I couldn’t stop listening to him.
Jay-Z
Slim Thug: Yeah Jay-Z, I’m not going to lie and say I been on him since Reasonable Doubt. Yeah the song that really made get into his music was “A Week Ago”. Yeah that song I remember listening to that sh*t over and over again man. Then after that I did the research and went back to the older records.
The Blueprint is just one of my all time favorite albums. I still think he the best rapper alive right now, that’s just my personal opinion. I like everything he do. He came in the game doing his own videos, he did the clothing line, he married Beyonce, he was the president of Def Jam [Records]; it’s like damn how lucky can you get?
UGK
Slim Thug: They inspired me more than anything since they from where I’m from; Texas. They didn’t come out sounding like anyone else. They came out the gate sounding like they were Texas; you know talking country. You know how we talk.
They represented what we were really representing out there. Bun is so lyrical and Pimp had that swag that was so crazy. He was the making the beats and everything and coming up with a lot of the concepts to the songs. Pimp was really the first dude talking about dope and all that there. You got “Pocket Full Of Stones” and all that there, it was just crazy. They really inspired me to want to rap.
[In regards to UGK getting on “Big Pimpin’” and getting a national spotlight]
That was big for me, I was real happy about that. They were finally getting that respect that they deserve. Because at that point, they had gone gold with no big videos, and were legends in the South but no one else outside of we were from knew it. When they finally got that good shine on “Big Pimpin’” and all that there, it was real good for us. We were proud of that for sure.
Lil Keke
Slim Thug: Yeah The Don. As far as inspiring me, he was closer to Houston. He from Houston and he closer to us than UGK with what I was actually doing. He had a fan base out of this world in Houston. He’s still making hot music to this day, on his new album [Hated By Many, Loved By Few]; “I'm A G” is my favorite Lil Keke song ever.
He’s still keeping up the good work. But back in the 90’s with the DJ Screw movement, he was just leading the pack. I basically followed his blueprint in the game. He started on the mixtape sh*t, then he put out that solo album. I followed his blueprint on a lot of sh*t, so I give him a lot of respect because I love his music.
Scarface
Slim Thug: It’s like ‘Face never sold out. He’s never crossed over to do commercial sh*t, he’s always done ‘Face and always kept it gangster. I think that’s why he’s never gotten the proper shine he really deserves. But he’s been a legend in our city for a long long time. We always looked at everyone else as mainstream, but ‘Face is just raw and uncut. Also lyrically he’s just out there; he can stand up with anybody. Still to this day I’m a big fan. I’m on his new album [Emeritus], and I was excited like I’m on ‘Face’s new album. So he still gets that same respect from me and a lot of other cats in the city.
[In regards to first meeting Scarface]
It was a while back. ‘Face is my homeboy. Like he actually picked out my Harley, I was like hey man I’m going to get this Harley, which one should I get? He was like “Get this one and do this to it”. So me and ‘Face cool, he always got a new nickname for me every time he see me. Real talk ‘Face is a cool dude.
CHECK OUT THIS INTERVIEW WITH AKON.
Akon just dropped his thirda labum, "FREEDOM", BUT IT IS NOT DOING AS GOOD AS THE OTHER TWO.
I got this interview from a website where he talks on his album release, and the future.
CHECK IT OUT.
HipHopDX: Let’s start with Freedom. Before we get into the album itself, let’s discuss the technology first. It’s released in two versions, a CD version and a microSD card version which will be available through slotMusic. How did the SD card idea come about?Akon: Well actually, we were looking for new ways to release records and have it available for consumers, because right now, there’s really a small amount of record stores available [from which] you can actually go and buy the album instead of just downloading on iTunes. So I wanted my consumers to have accessibility: to be able to buy and get this album however they can so the SD card came about because I wanted something that can be very compatible to digital because that’s where the new wave is going now.
DX: Excellent idea; whose proposal was that?Akon: It was my idea. We teamed up with SanDisk who actually put a thing together called slotMusic, which will actually put the whole album together now. So it’s been incredible, man.
DX: How will the slotMusic Freedom card differ from the CD version?Akon: You get more for your dollar. You get the whole album, you get two videos on it, you get a 30 minute documentary on it on Akon behind the scenes. And it’s all this on one disk that you can put on your cell phone, and view all the videos on your cell phone, and listen to the album
DX: Excellent idea; whose proposal was that?Akon: It was my idea. We teamed up with SanDisk who actually put a thing together called slotMusic, which will actually put the whole album together now. So it’s been incredible, man.
DX: How will the slotMusic Freedom card differ from the CD version?Akon: You get more for your dollar. You get the whole album, you get two videos on it, you get a 30 minute documentary on it on Akon behind the scenes. And it’s all this on one disk that you can put on your cell phone, and view all the videos on your cell phone, and listen to the album
DX: So I imagine it’ll be sold in CD stores as well as online?Akon: Oh absolutely. It’s gonna be sold all through Wal-Marts, CD stores, phone stores, there’s another store too – I can’t remember the name of it right now [laughing], but there’s gonna be a lot of places where you can be able to receive it.
DX: How has the partnership with slotMusic help further your brand?Akon: It helps in a lot of different ways. What it does, it allows people to have different access to you; it gives them so many different choices on how to actually grab the music. It benefits in a big, big, way.
DX: You stated that Freedom tells a story from the first track to the last. What is the concept of that story? Akon: Pretty much, it’s almost re-facing the stages of my life as it happened, the stages of my music as it happened, from Trouble to Konvicted [click to read] all the way up to Freedom [click to read]. Of course, more defines me as the person itself, the opportunities that I have now, free to do what I want to do creatively because of all the grind I put in from day one, know what I mean?
DX: Okay. What did you want to do with this album?Akon: I really wanted to expand it to a whole international market. Of course, I’ve learned the power of doing global music for all audiences. With this one, I really wanted to focus on every single audience; it’s a brand new album, all clean with no “Parental Advisory” sticker. It’s a way to merge my domestic audience with my European audience all in one.
DX: What are some of the ways in which you merged audience?Akon: Well, the music style has changed a little bit. I got some European-flavored records on here that can be exposed to all my domestic fans and of course, I got more records that are related to what I normally do that keeps the existing fans available. So it pretty much gives you the best of both worlds
DX: How has the partnership with slotMusic help further your brand?Akon: It helps in a lot of different ways. What it does, it allows people to have different access to you; it gives them so many different choices on how to actually grab the music. It benefits in a big, big, way.
DX: You stated that Freedom tells a story from the first track to the last. What is the concept of that story? Akon: Pretty much, it’s almost re-facing the stages of my life as it happened, the stages of my music as it happened, from Trouble to Konvicted [click to read] all the way up to Freedom [click to read]. Of course, more defines me as the person itself, the opportunities that I have now, free to do what I want to do creatively because of all the grind I put in from day one, know what I mean?
DX: Okay. What did you want to do with this album?Akon: I really wanted to expand it to a whole international market. Of course, I’ve learned the power of doing global music for all audiences. With this one, I really wanted to focus on every single audience; it’s a brand new album, all clean with no “Parental Advisory” sticker. It’s a way to merge my domestic audience with my European audience all in one.
DX: What are some of the ways in which you merged audience?Akon: Well, the music style has changed a little bit. I got some European-flavored records on here that can be exposed to all my domestic fans and of course, I got more records that are related to what I normally do that keeps the existing fans available. So it pretty much gives you the best of both worlds
MORE ON RUGGED AND MODE9
I was surfing the web and came upon something written on the situation between this 2 and thought i should put it on my blog.
Check it out.
How you doin Java,i have copped the album too and well just typical Mode,on point hip hop wise.Though i feel e pluribus unum is a better album.Contradiction is one of my all time best,so is Turangiwa,Journey so far,SPECTACULAR and Fellow Nigerians.These present album so far,i can only feel my skin is black and Nine,maybe the rest will grow on me,just maybe, Mode is a lyricist,everyone knows that even a deaf man knows that .Will i ever compare Rugged to him?Its like comparing Ludacris and Nas.But wait,didnt Ludacris feature on Nas' Made you look? It is my way of saying these 2 artistes can co-exist without this brouhaha.Rugged is good at what he does,so is Mode.A point to note although is that Mode will not and can not end Rugged's career.Nigerian music history is replete with beefs in various genre of Music.From Ayinla epo Akara to Haruna Ishola,Barrister and Kollingthon,Shina Peters and Segun Adewale,the list is non exhaustive,and non has been able to terminate each other's career.Otherwise the beef thingy heightens sales of each party as every musician in Nigeria,however wack,has his or her own follower.What will and can end Rugged's career and drop his rep so to say is the route he follows,and he has two options which i will quickly highlight here:He can either follow's Biggie's route with life after death after the Hit em off diss.Biggie,rather than go all out for 2pac,did what we can refer to as subtle responses to 2pac's hyperventilation in various tracks of his rather than go for the kill.If he had done it and misfired,who knows,it may have been his musical obsequies.The second option is what i term as the Jarule's option.When Fiddy came in2 the scene,he destroyed Ja's sand castle with his expletives/diss at Ja.What did Ja do?He released a whole album laced with tracks efforted to get back at Fiddy.Ja misfired,thus ending his own career.Maybe if hes gone ahead with his bubble gum cookie monster vibes,maybe it will still be uhuru.Just maybe, B. T. W Is Fifty not doing what Ja was accused of then right now?So Rugged cld either keep quiet and continue is so called bubble gum jives or try to get hardcore and miss it all together.He is not and will never be Mode,he's only been himself with these songs he's been doing,the reason he claims he's being real ,and really, he's real I love this 2 artistes and i hope some Alaba marketer can capitalise on this tensed atmosphere to bring them to make a track,if it's wack,it WILL be a HIT because of this.Just my 2 cents thoughOh,and to the embolded part of your post,even Mode claimed Maintain is richer than Rugged!Is Maintain a rapper or claimed to be a hip hop head?
Check it out.
How you doin Java,i have copped the album too and well just typical Mode,on point hip hop wise.Though i feel e pluribus unum is a better album.Contradiction is one of my all time best,so is Turangiwa,Journey so far,SPECTACULAR and Fellow Nigerians.These present album so far,i can only feel my skin is black and Nine,maybe the rest will grow on me,just maybe, Mode is a lyricist,everyone knows that even a deaf man knows that .Will i ever compare Rugged to him?Its like comparing Ludacris and Nas.But wait,didnt Ludacris feature on Nas' Made you look? It is my way of saying these 2 artistes can co-exist without this brouhaha.Rugged is good at what he does,so is Mode.A point to note although is that Mode will not and can not end Rugged's career.Nigerian music history is replete with beefs in various genre of Music.From Ayinla epo Akara to Haruna Ishola,Barrister and Kollingthon,Shina Peters and Segun Adewale,the list is non exhaustive,and non has been able to terminate each other's career.Otherwise the beef thingy heightens sales of each party as every musician in Nigeria,however wack,has his or her own follower.What will and can end Rugged's career and drop his rep so to say is the route he follows,and he has two options which i will quickly highlight here:He can either follow's Biggie's route with life after death after the Hit em off diss.Biggie,rather than go all out for 2pac,did what we can refer to as subtle responses to 2pac's hyperventilation in various tracks of his rather than go for the kill.If he had done it and misfired,who knows,it may have been his musical obsequies.The second option is what i term as the Jarule's option.When Fiddy came in2 the scene,he destroyed Ja's sand castle with his expletives/diss at Ja.What did Ja do?He released a whole album laced with tracks efforted to get back at Fiddy.Ja misfired,thus ending his own career.Maybe if hes gone ahead with his bubble gum cookie monster vibes,maybe it will still be uhuru.Just maybe, B. T. W Is Fifty not doing what Ja was accused of then right now?So Rugged cld either keep quiet and continue is so called bubble gum jives or try to get hardcore and miss it all together.He is not and will never be Mode,he's only been himself with these songs he's been doing,the reason he claims he's being real ,and really, he's real I love this 2 artistes and i hope some Alaba marketer can capitalise on this tensed atmosphere to bring them to make a track,if it's wack,it WILL be a HIT because of this.Just my 2 cents thoughOh,and to the embolded part of your post,even Mode claimed Maintain is richer than Rugged!Is Maintain a rapper or claimed to be a hip hop head?
RUGGED MAN RESPONDS TO MODENINE DISS.
Nope,its not a track, he just comments on it. I knew you were thinking rugged had dropped a reply, on track, i am waiting for that too, but just read what he has to say about mode.
"All he is doing is makin noise,that is what he has been doing for d most of his career. All I do is feel pity for him.The guy is deperate n broke, he is looking to beef with me to try to sell his album, that is y I am keepin quiet for now.Just wait n see,at the right time u will see what will happen.He has no car no shit. Dnt even look at me, d 9ice he is talkin about jst came in is bigger than he will ever be.Yankee today, Jand tmorrow makin mad money,while d big mouth broke lyricist is in Lagos hustling.I don't hit a man when he is down. Instead of him to come n beg to be shown the way he is braggin.Forget it,time will tell my brother.So for now Gongo yi n so,we are party riders, I am the Opomulero, he Baraje master and O n Bangin si won leti.God bless. "
"All he is doing is makin noise,that is what he has been doing for d most of his career. All I do is feel pity for him.The guy is deperate n broke, he is looking to beef with me to try to sell his album, that is y I am keepin quiet for now.Just wait n see,at the right time u will see what will happen.He has no car no shit. Dnt even look at me, d 9ice he is talkin about jst came in is bigger than he will ever be.Yankee today, Jand tmorrow makin mad money,while d big mouth broke lyricist is in Lagos hustling.I don't hit a man when he is down. Instead of him to come n beg to be shown the way he is braggin.Forget it,time will tell my brother.So for now Gongo yi n so,we are party riders, I am the Opomulero, he Baraje master and O n Bangin si won leti.God bless. "
IS M.I THE BEST NIGERIAN RAPPER OR WHAT?
In 2001, after jay-z had dropped 5 successful albums, sold up to 5 million copies of his third album (life and times of shawn carter vol 2), performed at sold out shows, he felt there was still an obstacle in the way to greatest of greats.
He knew he was the must relevent rapper at that point, but there was something more he wanted. He would here people make comments like. "jay-z is hot, he is really paid right now, but that kid nas is something else". Jay new he had to go against one of the best in the game. He knew nas was a worthy adversary, even before he went against him. Not concidering the fact that he sampled nas on his first single, in 1996, "dead presidents", and knew through his career so far, then, that nas was a very talented rapper. But he felt he had to bury nas, for him to gain everything he wanted.
I guess he woke the sleeping lion, because we all know what happened after that. ETHER!!!
I guess that is kind of what happened in the nigerian scene recently, with mode going at ruggedman on the last track of his new album. A lot of people say rugged can not stand to mode, but what i would say is that, if he felt that way, he would not have bothered going at rugged, just like jay would not have gone against nas.
Anyway, what i want to bring out of this is that, while mode and rugged were strugling for the crown, this kid just comes from behind and snatches it from both of them.
You have to agree with me that this kid is what mode and rugged are not. He is very skilled lyrically, yet very versitile. I know mode is lyrically, but sometimes he gets boring, and sometimes rugged gets too commercial, this kid is the best blend i have heard. He is really MR INCREDIBLE. I f you do not have his album, you need to go out and get it to know what i am talking about.
I have his biography right here, check it out.
Born in the city of Jos, music immediately surrounded M.I's life. M.I was able to see first hand musicians such as Panam Percy Paul, the Winners Band and the Footsteps band. M.I's father at the time was the pastor allowing M.I to grow up around constant singing. At an early age M.I's mother taught him the sulfa notation and how it applied to a simple chorus. It was after this that M.I began to learn how to play the keyboards; on a small 7 key toy keyboard. By the age of 10, M.I could play the drums and keyboards to an extent. M.I also compared notes with Jeremiah Gyang who was a very close childhood friend. M.I discovered rap music when he began secondary schoo. It was here that M.I fell in love with this art form. Around 1998 M.I got his hands on DMX's debut album and Lauryn Hill's Mis-education album and began to write his own music and poems. While in college M.I put aside hip hop music for an acappella group but continued his writing in hopes of one day picking up where he left off. Towards M.I's senior year in college he started writing long poems with a very rhythmic tones. M.I was able to record a few of his songs which were placed on a college album.On returning to Nigeria in 2003, M.I returned to Jos, which was brimming with young rappers and hip hop producers. Through the influence of Jeremiah and another talented Jos producer "E Kelly," M.I quit his job and started to work at Inner Hub Studios and to work on producing and recording his own music.M.I was signed to Chocolate City in 2006 and came out with the hit single "Crowd Mentality" which had topped charts all over Nigeria. M.I today has continued to grow into stardom in Nigeria. He has participated in a variety of shows, worked with other Nigerian artists such as Modenine, Jeremiah Gyang, Styl Plus and more. M.I has been a part of various projects such as Bring the Noise traveling to other African Countries as well as the UK collaboarting with other artists and performing. M.I is set to drop his album this year and proves to be one of the greatest new Nigerian Hip Hop artists. His words will move you with their deep messages as well as get you up off your feet. His journey is only beginning!
Yeah that is all about M.I. Now check out some comments about him i found on his facebook page.
M.I is the real thing........after him u can add Modeeee......9, forget all d fakes such as that baba, this baba we re nt referin to adisa babba.....!!! M.I you d MAN.....fire burn them all.......!!!!!
talk about it talk about it... hot album hot album... you're on fire on fire!!!
Saw M.I perform at rhythm unplugged he murdered that show....The big booty squeezer
THIS GUY IS TOO MUCH ABEG! no doubt the best rapper naija has produced! any1 who wan contest?
first time i heard u spit flame was @ surulere when u came to nosa's studio. u are some alot of quality rap loving fans should look 4rd 2, all d best in ur pursuit of success..glad 2 knw u r finally out.
Im not really into rap music but MI gets my attention all the time. He's smoking hot and boy, does he know it! Cant wait for the album.
D illest MC d continent has seen!keep it up bro.
Bro is been a long while i have ebeen waiting for a Rapper like this in 9ja,i use to like Naeto C,but you are the Bomb,keep your Game tit,lots of love.
.I u're jus simply MagnIficent....when u go drop ur album abeg....nuf of all dis wack mcees on air. One Album n u'll flush all dem lyrical underground n overground rappers away. keep d delivery skills awake
Dis is d illest...d realest...d freshest...hottest artist with d slickest sound so far...So if u don't know, now u know...i'm definitely a big fan of urs bruv...still waiting for an album or a single i can buy...(or download...lol)...
The comments are endless, i just have to stop, this kid is the shit and the urine right now.
NEWS ON EMINEM'S UPCOMING CD.
Eminem last dropped a studio album in 2004, "Encore", and rap fans have been awaiting something new from the pope of rap, as canibus once referred him as.
About three months ago, Jimmy iovine, the c.e.o of interscope records, the parent label of aftermath, shady, shady/aftermath, g-unit, and some other labels, said that dr dre had to stop the production of his long awaited "detox" album to start work on eminem's new cd, "relapse"
It was said that em just got in the mode to drop some verses, and dre went to work on the beats. They have been in the studio since october, and i guess the album would be ready anytime soon. I am rerally waiting on the cd, but i do not buy that dre stopped production on his cd to start that of eminem's. What i believe is, dre does not know the right formula to come out with on this album. That is what i know. He wants the album to be has good as his previous two albums.
Anyway, this are a few words from eminem on his upcoming cd.
"Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man," Eminem says. "Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it. I don't have chemistry like that with anyone else as far as producers go -- not even close. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on Relapse.'We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."
BILLBOARD TOP TEN RAP ALBUMS (11/12/2008)
10.SPM- THE LAST CHAIR VIOLINIST.
9. THE GAME-LAX (8,266)
8. Q-TIP--THE RENAISSANCE. (6,456)
7. ACE-HOOD-GUTTER.
6. E-40--THE BALL STREET JOURNAL.
5. YOUNG JEEZY-THE RECESSION.
4. LIL WAYNE-THE CARTER 3. (23,358)
3. T.I-PAPER TRAIL. (38.392)
2. SCARFACE-EMERITUS (42,023)
1. LUDACRIS (65,295)
Yeah! Those are the top ten rap albums for this week.
Luda is still at the top, although he had more than a 50 percent dip from last week sales. Scarface is debuting at the charts at number 2.
T.I is gunning for double platinum status at a total of 1,342,766, total sales till date.
Wayne is gunning for tripple platinum status, with a total of 2,749,947.
The game is at a total of 600,000 on the dot, still trying to go platinum. I hope his new single with neyo propells him to a million copies sold.
M.I HAS SOLD 30 THOUSAND COPIES OF HIS ALBUM, IN JUST A DAY IN THE MARKET.
Word has it that m.i, mr incredible, has sold 30 thousand copies of his latest album, in just a few hours.
I strongly believe this, because that kid had the most ainticipated album ever by any nigerian rapper. I can stand by this because i have a shop(s) where i sell cd's, and i also hang around rap fans, lovers of rap, rappers, and everybody has been waiting for the kid to drop his album.
The album hit alaba yesterday, and was flying off the rack. You need to go out and get your copy and support good rap.
I would come with the album review soon.
I strongly believe this, because that kid had the most ainticipated album ever by any nigerian rapper. I can stand by this because i have a shop(s) where i sell cd's, and i also hang around rap fans, lovers of rap, rappers, and everybody has been waiting for the kid to drop his album.
The album hit alaba yesterday, and was flying off the rack. You need to go out and get your copy and support good rap.
I would come with the album review soon.
A SLICK PIC AT THE BILLBOARD CHARTS THIS WEEK.
The artist on the charts this week are at really dissapointing sales positions. Imagine the multi-platinum selling artist, akon, selling just 110,000 copies in his first week. That is even worse than t-pains latest album first week sales of 160,000, that i thought was a flop from an artist that is one evrybody' s song.
Else where on the charts, kanye drops to 141,000 this week, from 450,000 last week. Scarface enters at 42,000 copies in his first week in stores of the album, the emeritus.
You'll get the full charts tomorrow. Make sure you keep logging on, and reading.
Else where on the charts, kanye drops to 141,000 this week, from 450,000 last week. Scarface enters at 42,000 copies in his first week in stores of the album, the emeritus.
You'll get the full charts tomorrow. Make sure you keep logging on, and reading.
MORE ON MODENINE AND RUGGEDMAN DISS.
I am still waiting for ruggedman to reply the modenine diss track (death blow), that is on mode's current cd, or atleast comment on it. It has been 2-3 weeks since the cd, and the song dropped, and has had everybody talking about how mode ethered rugged. I think rugged has to defend himself fast. Because people always belive what they hear, so if he does not come and give his side of the story, and prove that he is also competent, then people would feel he has assumed defeat.
I know it woud not be long before he replies, probably busy with all the shows, and all the money making. But it is also very important for him to defend himself.
Here are some lines from the track, "death blow", for does that have not heard the track yet.
i didn't want to do this cos your career is already through/now look what you did to you/i'ma hop back in the lab and bring the ether to you.
you're claiming that you have dough, you're still skinny/cocoa-yam head, long kneck like a guinee/fowl, i told you before, you na go bowl.
head warmer in the sun, what are you?/don't let me 50 jaw you/end your already ending career and discard you.
wakawaka was a track nobody felt/ojb rapped better than you, you need help.
I know it woud not be long before he replies, probably busy with all the shows, and all the money making. But it is also very important for him to defend himself.
Here are some lines from the track, "death blow", for does that have not heard the track yet.
i didn't want to do this cos your career is already through/now look what you did to you/i'ma hop back in the lab and bring the ether to you.
you're claiming that you have dough, you're still skinny/cocoa-yam head, long kneck like a guinee/fowl, i told you before, you na go bowl.
head warmer in the sun, what are you?/don't let me 50 jaw you/end your already ending career and discard you.
wakawaka was a track nobody felt/ojb rapped better than you, you need help.
NEWS
LL COOL J, the first rapper to release an album on def jam records back in 1985, has finally left the label. LL has had a 24 year career in rap, the longest i know of any rapper that is till relevent today. He was bitter in 2005, when jay-z was made the president of def jam, because he believed if anybody deserved that post it was him.
He has dropped 13 rap albums since he signed with def jam in 1984, before recently saying he would completely quit the rap game.
About 3 months ago, there was rumor that rihanna was having an affair with kanye west, i do not know how true that rumor is tru, because i wonder where that leaves chris brown. Rihanna and chris brown, although have denied it, are alledgely in a relationship. Whenever they have been asked about in interviews, they claimed they are just good friends.
The new rumor circulating around is that rihanna and chris brown are planning to move into together to a virginia home. I do not know how true that is at this moment.
He has dropped 13 rap albums since he signed with def jam in 1984, before recently saying he would completely quit the rap game.
About 3 months ago, there was rumor that rihanna was having an affair with kanye west, i do not know how true that rumor is tru, because i wonder where that leaves chris brown. Rihanna and chris brown, although have denied it, are alledgely in a relationship. Whenever they have been asked about in interviews, they claimed they are just good friends.
The new rumor circulating around is that rihanna and chris brown are planning to move into together to a virginia home. I do not know how true that is at this moment.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS.
The game has finally dropped the video for his latest single, "camera phone",the fourth single off his third album, which features r&b superstar, "neyo". The single is sure to propell the sales of his latest album, LAX, which has started seeing some increase in sales lately, since the drop of the neyo assisted single.
Lil wayne, the show stopper, the must featured rapper, and one of the best rappers of his time, has been nominated 8 times for the upcoming Prestigeous Grammy Awards. I think he is worth all the norminations, and i hope he wins all, because he has worked hard to deserve them.
Since kanye has gone pop, i think the second position for the must influencial rapper of this time has to be handed to t.i, behind wayne. The guy has been consistent with his albums, and always selling platinum with every album. Hit after hit, he keeps dropping it. Recently, t.i talked about how he is thinking of signing killer mike to his "grand hustle" imprint. He said he is also eyeing former "g-unit" member, young buck.
I hope he gets buck over to his camp and give him opportunity to spit his mind, because buck has been having some problems with leaving g-unit, as 50 still has his deal in paper. If t.i is able to buy him off, then it would be cool
If you didnt know, buck has diss-associated himself from the group, more like what the game did in 2005.
MODENINE DISSES RUGGEDMAN
The diss is the last track on mode's latest album, the paradigm shift. The title of the track is death blow, i must confess, it is a death blow.
I am a ruggedman fan, but i must confess that mode went hard on him. It's clear that mode is a better lyricist, although he can be very predictable and boring when you know all to expect is mad, crazy off the hook metarphors. Anyway, i have to give it to him, this a very good diss track, and i think its healthy in hip hop right now. I just hope rugged comes with something that can match this.
I was in my shop some minutes ago, and people just kept on going on and on about how mode had buried rugged with this track. As i said before, its heavy, and i know that mode is lyrically better, but lets wait for rugged's reply.
The track started off with a sample from canibus diss track to ll cool j and he went off hard from the first verse.
I do feel this is a publicity stunt. Mode dropped the first subliminal diss, the track with banky w, "i am talking to you", because he knew rugged would reply. Then he did this wonderful diss track and adds it as a bonus on the new album. Nice work though
Lets wait and see what rugged comes up with, lets wait and be entertained. I would try my best to get an interview with rugged soon. In case you do not know, i write entertainment news for a local magazine, so i have access to artist.
Lets wait and see.
TOP TEN RAP ALBUMS FOR THIS WEEK.
10. DJ KHALED
9. Q-TIP- THE RENAISSANCE. (9, 110)
8. SPM- THE LAST CHAIR VIOLIN.
7. THE GAME- LAX. (10, 459)
6. ACE HOOD GUTTA.
5. YOUNG JEEZY- THE RECESSION. (15, 730)
4. LIL WAYNE- CARTER 3. (30,000)
3. E-40- THE BALL STREET JOURNAL. (30, 369)
2. T.I- PAPER TRAIL. (74, 792)
1. LUDACRIS- THEATER OF THE MIND (213, 493)
That's it. Luda at the top, you can see that kanye is not on this chart, because this is a rap chat, and kanye is now pop.
9. Q-TIP- THE RENAISSANCE. (9, 110)
8. SPM- THE LAST CHAIR VIOLIN.
7. THE GAME- LAX. (10, 459)
6. ACE HOOD GUTTA.
5. YOUNG JEEZY- THE RECESSION. (15, 730)
4. LIL WAYNE- CARTER 3. (30,000)
3. E-40- THE BALL STREET JOURNAL. (30, 369)
2. T.I- PAPER TRAIL. (74, 792)
1. LUDACRIS- THEATER OF THE MIND (213, 493)
That's it. Luda at the top, you can see that kanye is not on this chart, because this is a rap chat, and kanye is now pop.
NORE'S TOP FIVE DEAD OR ALIVE.
In 2002, on a remix for the song "made you look" by nas that featured jadakiss and ludacris, jada said he was top five dead or alive. People picked up the phrase afterwards and started giving their list of top five dead or alive.
You all know nore from his club banger, "nothin" in 2002, but he actually goes way back. Nas gave him a shout on a song from "it was written", nas's 96 album.
This is his top five dead or alive.
5. Grand daddy I.U
4. Biz Markie.
3. Nas
2. Big Pun
1. Li Wayne
0. Krs one.
I guess you were surprised by some names in his list. So read what he says about everybody on his list.
ON GRAND DADDY I.U
5. Grand Daddy I.U.
N.O.R.E.: You don’t even know who this is, do you (laughs)? He’s always been one of the top emcees that I’ve loved from that late 80’s / early 90’s period. If you look at Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt cover it sort of resembles that I.U.’s album cover (Smooth Assassin) where he had the same outfit on. Grand Daddy I.U. was one of the most lyrical, wordplay having emcees. Young artists like Murda Mook, Reed Dollars; they don’t understand a lot of their style was fathered by Grand Daddy I.U.
A lot of people think it came from Big Daddy Kane and Jay-Z. I.U. was one of the originators of punchlines. He had this one line “I knew a girl named Kenya / From West Virginia / Boy would I like to stick something in her.” He had so many lines I could go on for days. Another reason I relate to I.U. is because he got no credit for anything that he did. As an artist and person, I also don’t get credit for a lot of things that I’ve done.
N.O.R.E.: You don’t even know who this is, do you (laughs)? He’s always been one of the top emcees that I’ve loved from that late 80’s / early 90’s period. If you look at Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt cover it sort of resembles that I.U.’s album cover (Smooth Assassin) where he had the same outfit on. Grand Daddy I.U. was one of the most lyrical, wordplay having emcees. Young artists like Murda Mook, Reed Dollars; they don’t understand a lot of their style was fathered by Grand Daddy I.U.
A lot of people think it came from Big Daddy Kane and Jay-Z. I.U. was one of the originators of punchlines. He had this one line “I knew a girl named Kenya / From West Virginia / Boy would I like to stick something in her.” He had so many lines I could go on for days. Another reason I relate to I.U. is because he got no credit for anything that he did. As an artist and person, I also don’t get credit for a lot of things that I’ve done.
4. Biz Markie
N.O.R.E.: I know I shocked you again with this one! People made comedy records before him, but he was the first that really had fun with it. I remember hearing “Pickin’ Boogers” when he was talking about diggin’ up his nose, putting it on a basketball and passing it back; that record was funny every time you listened. I can remember the “Vapors,” “Make The Music With Your Mouth,” and “Just A Friend.” He was the first rapper where I could visualize, feel, and understand where he was coming from. And I laughed.
I always felt I was a mixture of Grand Daddy I.U., Biz Markie, and Kool G. Rap. Anytime you hear me on a record having fun or saying something funny, the credit always goes back to Biz Markie. I have a lot of respect for him.
I like all his sh*t, so I can’t boil it down to one album. He was so refreshing. For example, look at the movie Belly. The reason I felt that movie didn’t work was because there were only one or two scenes of comedy in the movie, and the hood is not that serious. I mean don’t get me wrong it can be serious, but there’s always something funny that happens, like the crackhead that calls you a wanksta or tries to buy a nickelbag for three dollars. Biz brought that comedy, and I like the vast majority of his work.
N.O.R.E.: I know I shocked you again with this one! People made comedy records before him, but he was the first that really had fun with it. I remember hearing “Pickin’ Boogers” when he was talking about diggin’ up his nose, putting it on a basketball and passing it back; that record was funny every time you listened. I can remember the “Vapors,” “Make The Music With Your Mouth,” and “Just A Friend.” He was the first rapper where I could visualize, feel, and understand where he was coming from. And I laughed.
I always felt I was a mixture of Grand Daddy I.U., Biz Markie, and Kool G. Rap. Anytime you hear me on a record having fun or saying something funny, the credit always goes back to Biz Markie. I have a lot of respect for him.
I like all his sh*t, so I can’t boil it down to one album. He was so refreshing. For example, look at the movie Belly. The reason I felt that movie didn’t work was because there were only one or two scenes of comedy in the movie, and the hood is not that serious. I mean don’t get me wrong it can be serious, but there’s always something funny that happens, like the crackhead that calls you a wanksta or tries to buy a nickelbag for three dollars. Biz brought that comedy, and I like the vast majority of his work.
3. Early Nas 1991-1994
N.O.R.E.: With the Untitled album, once I found out that the corporate companies let him not use the n word, it took away from the actual material. The Hip-Hop Is Dead album was phenomenal. But if in the middle of the promotion he had changed it to Hip-Hop Ain’t Dead No More, it would have killed the material.We were all going crazy on the internet about the album. We all understood the corporate reasons, but it did take away. But I’m definitely still a Nas fan.
I haven’t spoken to Nas in a long time. But for the rest of my life I’ll always look at him as a big brother. We’ve had our ups and downs. I’ve never had hate for him and it was just a misunderstanding. I was young at the time, and so was he when he threw me under the bus that one time. We were both at the Rock The Bells concert but I performed with Redman and Method Man and kept it moving. I didn’t know if it was a good time for us to see each other and talk. But I would love to put it behind us.
N.O.R.E.: With the Untitled album, once I found out that the corporate companies let him not use the n word, it took away from the actual material. The Hip-Hop Is Dead album was phenomenal. But if in the middle of the promotion he had changed it to Hip-Hop Ain’t Dead No More, it would have killed the material.We were all going crazy on the internet about the album. We all understood the corporate reasons, but it did take away. But I’m definitely still a Nas fan.
I haven’t spoken to Nas in a long time. But for the rest of my life I’ll always look at him as a big brother. We’ve had our ups and downs. I’ve never had hate for him and it was just a misunderstanding. I was young at the time, and so was he when he threw me under the bus that one time. We were both at the Rock The Bells concert but I performed with Redman and Method Man and kept it moving. I didn’t know if it was a good time for us to see each other and talk. But I would love to put it behind us.
2. Big Pun
N.O.R.E.: Hands down with no equivocation is my brother Big Pun at #2. His first album meant so much to me as someone that is Black and Puerto Rican. I never tried to be more of one than the other, but he made me proud on the Latin side. Before him, people would say “oh he’s dope for a Puerto Rican.” Pun eliminated that factor. He was a dope emcee, period. When I heard that “packin’ a mac in the back of the Ac,” I was like what?
I knew him personally, and he breathed hard even for a big guy. So for him to go in the booth and rhyme on “Twinz” “Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn’t do diddily,” and not punch in? As a Hip-Hop artist I can hear the exact spot when someone punches in. But with Pun I listened hundreds of times and couldn’t find it simply because he didn’t punch in. For y’all that don’t know, it’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re spitting a hard or fast flow. Pun was the best at that.
Very seldom do you meet someone and say they’re a legend. I didn’t know Pun would be a legend, he was just my friend. But for him to pass in 2000, we’re almost going on ten years of no Pun. I’m honored to have known him and I’m going to rep him until the day I die.
N.O.R.E.: Hands down with no equivocation is my brother Big Pun at #2. His first album meant so much to me as someone that is Black and Puerto Rican. I never tried to be more of one than the other, but he made me proud on the Latin side. Before him, people would say “oh he’s dope for a Puerto Rican.” Pun eliminated that factor. He was a dope emcee, period. When I heard that “packin’ a mac in the back of the Ac,” I was like what?
I knew him personally, and he breathed hard even for a big guy. So for him to go in the booth and rhyme on “Twinz” “Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn’t do diddily,” and not punch in? As a Hip-Hop artist I can hear the exact spot when someone punches in. But with Pun I listened hundreds of times and couldn’t find it simply because he didn’t punch in. For y’all that don’t know, it’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re spitting a hard or fast flow. Pun was the best at that.
Very seldom do you meet someone and say they’re a legend. I didn’t know Pun would be a legend, he was just my friend. But for him to pass in 2000, we’re almost going on ten years of no Pun. I’m honored to have known him and I’m going to rep him until the day I die.
1. Lil Wayne
N.O.R.E.: People are going to choke the sh*t out of me (laughs)! You know what though, I have to be honest. Look at the emcees I’ve put him with. Lil Wayne has been rapping since he was fifteen or sixteen. I can recall songs of his that I did not like.
I was one of the first artists from New York to work with Wayne. Check Melvin Flynt and the track “Play That Sh*t.” I can honestly tell you that before working with him all his material I did not like. He got on my record in my studio and went straight in! I don’t think he even asked to be on the record [laughs]. From then on I liked the words he kicked and I told Baby “yo this dude is a beast.” I didn’t see him write sh*t. I heard B.I.G. and Jay did that, but it was the first time I’ve seen it.
But for an emcee to go from me not liking them to actually loving their music is a big thing for me as a fan. This is not Noreaga the rapper, this is Victor Santiago the fan of Hip-Hop music speaking. You very rarely switch opinions in this game. When you don’t like someone you don’t like their music forever! How often do you say “oh sh*t, I like this guy’s music now.”
Before I wasn’t running to get a Wayne album; I liked Juvenile, B.G., and Turk but never Wayne’s stuff. Look at the way he worked before this album came out. He got out everybody’s f*cking record, bodied them, and then dropped a classic album. That is unheard of! He is definitely deserves a Most Improved award like they do in baseball. As of right now I give him the #1 spot.
I know the comments are going to go crazy from people who feel they are “real” Hip-Hop fans. But if you love real Hip-Hop, Tha Carter 3 was a classic album. See a lot of times previously the person that bodied everyone on records came out and dropped a completely wack album. That’s because they wasted everything doing classic mixtapes and features. Wayne’s an emcee you’ve got to respect.
[Look at Canibus] He blew everyone up on their records and by the time we got to his album… it wasn’t garbage, but it wasn’t what we wanted to hear from Canibus. Nature, one of my best friends in Hip-Hop, was doing the same thing. He was bodying n****’s records but by the time we got to Nature’s album (For All Seasons), it wasn’t fully what we wanted and everyone turned their backs on him.
And in this day and age it’s very hard to do what Wayne’s done. You’re under a microscope every single second. Every record you do is going to be on youtube and AllHipHop and be overanalyzed. You can’t recycle anything. This man Wayne did not do that.
N.O.R.E.: People are going to choke the sh*t out of me (laughs)! You know what though, I have to be honest. Look at the emcees I’ve put him with. Lil Wayne has been rapping since he was fifteen or sixteen. I can recall songs of his that I did not like.
I was one of the first artists from New York to work with Wayne. Check Melvin Flynt and the track “Play That Sh*t.” I can honestly tell you that before working with him all his material I did not like. He got on my record in my studio and went straight in! I don’t think he even asked to be on the record [laughs]. From then on I liked the words he kicked and I told Baby “yo this dude is a beast.” I didn’t see him write sh*t. I heard B.I.G. and Jay did that, but it was the first time I’ve seen it.
But for an emcee to go from me not liking them to actually loving their music is a big thing for me as a fan. This is not Noreaga the rapper, this is Victor Santiago the fan of Hip-Hop music speaking. You very rarely switch opinions in this game. When you don’t like someone you don’t like their music forever! How often do you say “oh sh*t, I like this guy’s music now.”
Before I wasn’t running to get a Wayne album; I liked Juvenile, B.G., and Turk but never Wayne’s stuff. Look at the way he worked before this album came out. He got out everybody’s f*cking record, bodied them, and then dropped a classic album. That is unheard of! He is definitely deserves a Most Improved award like they do in baseball. As of right now I give him the #1 spot.
I know the comments are going to go crazy from people who feel they are “real” Hip-Hop fans. But if you love real Hip-Hop, Tha Carter 3 was a classic album. See a lot of times previously the person that bodied everyone on records came out and dropped a completely wack album. That’s because they wasted everything doing classic mixtapes and features. Wayne’s an emcee you’ve got to respect.
[Look at Canibus] He blew everyone up on their records and by the time we got to his album… it wasn’t garbage, but it wasn’t what we wanted to hear from Canibus. Nature, one of my best friends in Hip-Hop, was doing the same thing. He was bodying n****’s records but by the time we got to Nature’s album (For All Seasons), it wasn’t fully what we wanted and everyone turned their backs on him.
And in this day and age it’s very hard to do what Wayne’s done. You’re under a microscope every single second. Every record you do is going to be on youtube and AllHipHop and be overanalyzed. You can’t recycle anything. This man Wayne did not do that.
0. KRS-ONE
N.O.R.E.: This man is beyond honorable mention or a number ranking, KRS-One. He’s my number zero [laughs]. Hands down he’s my favorite emcee, especially early KRS-One.
Me being born and raised in Queens for eighteen years, I can remember when he said “I didn’t hear a peep from a place called Queens!” I can remember living the “South Bronx,” “Criminal Minded,” “My Philosophy” and “Love’s Gonna Getcha.”
I had always wanted to beat up KRS for dissing Queens [laughs], but at the same time I looked up to him. So the first time I met him I told him “one part of me wants to hug you, and the other part wants to snuff you for Queens!” And he just bust out laughing. I loved what him and MC Shan had. Without Shan, there may not have been a KRS because Shan made him relevant.
You can’t limit KRS to any one album. He had so many classics from Return Of The Boom Bap to tracks like “Mad Izm.” I recall being on tour with him and in the middle of his show he stopped and began giving a lecture. Everybody would listen. You could hear a pin drop or a mouse pissing on a piece of cotton. To this day I’ve never seen another emcee have the clout to be able to do something like that, to have the whole crowd in a therapy position.
KRS-One is Hip-Hop. We should always show this man respect and roll out the red carpet for him. He is the alpha and omega.
N.O.R.E.: This man is beyond honorable mention or a number ranking, KRS-One. He’s my number zero [laughs]. Hands down he’s my favorite emcee, especially early KRS-One.
Me being born and raised in Queens for eighteen years, I can remember when he said “I didn’t hear a peep from a place called Queens!” I can remember living the “South Bronx,” “Criminal Minded,” “My Philosophy” and “Love’s Gonna Getcha.”
I had always wanted to beat up KRS for dissing Queens [laughs], but at the same time I looked up to him. So the first time I met him I told him “one part of me wants to hug you, and the other part wants to snuff you for Queens!” And he just bust out laughing. I loved what him and MC Shan had. Without Shan, there may not have been a KRS because Shan made him relevant.
You can’t limit KRS to any one album. He had so many classics from Return Of The Boom Bap to tracks like “Mad Izm.” I recall being on tour with him and in the middle of his show he stopped and began giving a lecture. Everybody would listen. You could hear a pin drop or a mouse pissing on a piece of cotton. To this day I’ve never seen another emcee have the clout to be able to do something like that, to have the whole crowd in a therapy position.
KRS-One is Hip-Hop. We should always show this man respect and roll out the red carpet for him. He is the alpha and omega.
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