if it ain't candy then the job ain't true

This is old but I can't stop listening to it, because it is the fucking gift that keeps on giving. All the key suavehouse sonic trademarks are here - riffing rhodes keyboards, laid back grooves and guitar licks that make each track sound like a relaxed jam session that just happens to also be a hot track.

8ball and MJG - Just Like Candy

Something so utterly gorgeous about this slice-of-pop-life car worship. Of course it's the dreamy beat, Cameo sample, that simple bassline that MJG echoes with his opening verse - "I'm creepin' low in a flip! Flop! Drop! Top 'stang, leanin' to the left, gold daytons on that thang," and it's also the echoes of "sexual healing" in the chorus melody "cuz its good for us" (it is a love song really) and because 8ball has perspective, knows that "to some candy paint is just a fantasy." There is a guitar billowing in the background of this glimmering song of hazy sunsets glinting off the automobile fascination of American culture and Afro-American subversion of such.

Da Backwudz

I Don't Like The Look Of It

Came across this in the clearance bin and since the b-side had Bohagen on it I decided to grab it. Got home threw that shit on and found out that the b-side fucking sucks but the a-side is pretty goddamn awesome so I'm glad I copped this. I didn't know much about Da Backwudz other than they were from Georgia but with the magic that is the internet I discovered the two mc's names are Big Marc and Shownuff. They are from Decature and were on this independent, Major Way Ent., which is run by Milwaukee Black who along with The Execs produced "I Don't Like The Look If It." The best shit about the song is the beat. It's based around the fucking oompa loompas saying "I don't like the look of it." It's fucking dope how they worked it in and just to push that willie wonka shit even harder they managed to work the oompa's saying "oompa loompa" into the beat during the chorus. It's hilarious and yet badass all at the same time. Their album is suppose to drop April 18th on Dallas Austin's label, Rowdy. I don't know what it's going to sound like but they got a bunch of guests lined up so hopefully it doesn't suck.

T.I. Got Me To Jam The Original

UGK - Front Back And Side To Side

fuck riding on crown wheels, stay on chrome daytons with gold nipples and knockoffs wrapped with whitewalls, dip the parts in chrome because it's classier than shitty gold plating, at least two Red's pumps in the back and 8 switches tucked under the dash, pair of fifteens in the trunk, shaved emblems, start with the pearls and then spray so much candy that it never looks dry, lace that shit with pinstriping and one mural over the trunk, diamond cut velvet covering the swivle bucket seats with that tuck and roll all over the panels

The King

No doubt.


*DJ Boolu Master was mixing "Why You Wanna" with "Gypsy Woman" on the radio today.
*"You Know Who" sounds like RJD2.
*Last verse on "I'm Talkin To You" is ridiculous, double-time flow shit like on 8ball and MJG's "Grills."
*"Stand Up Guy" is hotter than on the prerelease.
*The Swizz track is dope, with that weird whistles-bounce-horns thing he's been rocking lately like on "Spit Your Game" and "Bring Em Out"
*The "My Life"/"Prayin For Help"/much of Trap Muzik-style reflective shit is missed, the so-so Jamie Foxx song aside.
*This album falls off hard in the last couple of tracks. My favorite part is when they bring back that 'classic' Common "Come Close" sound.
*Even the shit tracks have some redeeming verses from T.I. who is still one of the best rappers out. This LP is a notch above E-40 and Juvie's albums, which are really sort of disappointingly solid.

(Buy this Tuesday)

T-Shirts For Sale

Click each picture for larger image.

Hate it or love it, I’m selling the above T-Shirts. High quality screens and super limited quantities to make your friends jealous.

“Dipset” Tshirt available in: S, M, L, XL, XXL

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Paypal to emyndandbobliz@gmail.com
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Europe: $28

-e

Vakill pt. 2

I was hard on Vakill and he must have read the Shrimp because his new album is a lot better! Seriously its still very lyrically intricate but he's manned up his style, talking about Chicago's gangsta city rep on the goth-rap of "Cold War," rapping alongside real underground lyricists like Royce da 5'9 and Ras Kass, and generally acknowledging that skills can only get you so far; you need passion. Earning his full-page spot in XXL. You can hear it in his voice: he sounds hungry and fierce. It isn't about hip-hop nostalgia, there's not much NY dickriding, and there's a lot more about being Chicago and just generally this LP sounds more aggressive, like he gives a shit and has something to say and someone to say it to. He got some quality beats from the Molemen which helps - still sample-based, but they sound a lot more modern and less capital-c "Claustrophobic" a la Wu Tang, more convincingly dark, depressing, a threatening vibe that sounds more homegrown and threatens to overwhelm the listener, like the Molemen have been listening to the mid-90s Traxster/Do or Die mob sound. Vakill's lyrics are still overwritten and overthought, but he's g'd up the style. Some people might front on this, and they might be right to; where were the lines about glocks on the last one? But his voice carries force which counteracts his nerdy tendencies and makes the limited guntalk believeable. Really though this is one of the coldest, darkest rap albums I've heard in awhile, especially from a 'punchline' MC. The best tracks....

Worst Fears Confirmed
His last verse on this will give you a good idea of what yr in for: confrontational no-holds-barred reactionary battle raps.

"I hold it down for my n----z thats spendin their last days in the county
and the bitches thats sendin them work laced in the brownies
For them n----z that's popped Jess I'm raising the bounty
'Til your brains on your moms with the shell casings around me
That's real talk with the real chalk on ya, resting in a twin glock coma
The flows glaucoma, who's seeing me now? Out-MCing me now?
I win at 106 shitting on the audience with AJ and Free in the crowd
I ain't no fucking mixtape fake thug, take an ak slug in that pussy shit fake mug!
It's alright to show the late greats love
But some of y'all is riding dicks and don't know it like the date rape drug
Catch me with your little niece on the couch
Kick her out the house with no blouse, Capris on slouch
I ain't fuck I just poked at her throat like a Capri sun pouch
Point blank I'm a fucking problem capiche? I'm out

And there it is...."

Cold War
Its like Eminem-style goth rap, with minor-key bombast, chiming bells and midwestern mob-style double-time hi-hats and thumping drum kicks. Its all about how Chicago's gang history, one of those tracks that put Vakill into a long line of Chicago-gangsta-city tracks that you don't imagine him doing back when he was spitting about graf-writing himself to death. It can get you down - listing gangs and sets in Chicago, violence and conflict, "whoever told you the cold war's over? Tell them bring they ass to [echoed sample]Chicago..chicago..chicago...." The beat actually sounds kind of like a slower version of "Stomp" off Young Buck's album.

Vakill feat. Ras Kass - Introducin'
"Vakill's a rider," "What set you claim?" "Set for life, gimme the paper fuck the fame." Over blazing horns and wicky-wicky blacksploitation guitar like a pseudo-Just Blaze. What kills here vs. the last album is the momentum, the willingness to give some fucking adrenaline to the beats gives life to his rapping. "Concieved on a pissy mattress homie!" Hah ummm ok. No its good though!

Serpent and the Rainbow
Really really pretty soul/sitar sample that could've come from an underground Cool & Dre, smooth soul and Vakill spitting about staying on his grind and watching for snakes serpents to, uh, get the gold over the rainbow. Its better than it sounds! He also talk about gangstas rocking his music, shouts out all the slums in the Chi; his music aiming for the streets rather than the ciphers.

The King Meets The Sickets feat. Royce da 5'9
OK so this has the most underground-rap-sounding title but as Ethan P pointed out to me it rips the beat from Young Buck's "Bonafide Hustler"! Weird. You get to realize how much a 50 hook can make or break an instrumental though. Think about how much better this would be with 50s original hook on it. I think maybe Vakill needs to take the Buck disc out of his changer.

Man Into Monster feat. Vizion
I don't really know Vizion but I like his shit, sort of a restrained stubborn workmanlike Beanie Sigel jr. flow. The beat sounds like Alchemist jr with those weird 80s pianos that echo with reverb and that weird upper-pitched buzzy bass part that all 80s tracks had when soul went synth.

Flow Fever
Ripped it! "Fuck 16, I can son you with a ringtone alone!" Buy this shit if you like hard lyrical underground rap music.

SXSW 2006

Matt's got the whole hiphop line up on HoustonSoReal, should be good times.

We Eat Soup With Forks

Forty brought it with this one. For the most part the beats on it are some next level hyphy shit. Lil John, Rick Rock, Droop-E, Studio Ton, and Bosko handle all the beats. The album opens up with this Rock Rock beat that is based around a Digable Planet's sample, "We be to rap what key be to lock" It's super sick even with the overly dramatic techno strings. Most of the beats that Rick did have a gang of sounds coming through. It's like he listened to Fantastic Damage and then went off and made a bunch of hyphy beats. 40 loaded up on the features on this album. He only does three tracks by himself. Even with all the guest he keeps it pretty bay area with it. The content tends to be on that hyphy club shit but forty does lace it with some real shit like tearing down the hood so rich people can build more ikeas. The last cut, Happy To Be Here, is his serious track where he breaks down growing up and seeing all the fucked up shit in the hood. The part of the album that I tend to skip over are the tracks about blowjobs and shit. What sucks is that Al Kapone was on those cuts and it's waste to have him rapping about getting panties wet. I want another Gorilla Milk. But even with a handful of weak tracks the ones that are dope bang so hard you don't even notice the shitty ones.

Go Hard Or Go Home ft Federation
Sometimes I can tell from a title of a song whether or not I'm going to like the track and this shit didn't disappoint. Rick Roc did this one with 40 and federation just beating up your speakers. Just blast this shit loud as hell and don't be afraid to get dummy with it.

Muscle Cars ft Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
This track comes on right after Tell Me When To Go because people need more Keak in their life. It's all about cars but shit that people actually rock today. Not like mike jones screaming about wire wheels from a ten year old screw tape. This is all about cutlasses with whistle tips and rims so big they make you're car slower.

The album drops on Tuesday. People need to monster up and buy that shit.

Three Freaks Video

shit showed up on youtube finally. the video is kind of janky with the shitty graphics but the incredible acting more than makes up for it.

So much smoke need oxygen

The best song on Duets is now a single and here's the video. Twista's King of the Chi sweater, the return of Bone Thugs to video rotation, and - shit - its a remix with 8ball and MJG!

I'm a

The Product - "I'm A..." video. Scarface's new group, off his new imprint, with a solid single, where-we're-from cut. Lots of solid albums have singles like this; understated, signifying respectable and consistent LPs. Not flashy, not really gonna bother the charts too much, and you know the single always ends up being one of the most-skipped tracks. It's not where yr at, it is where yr from, and The Product are from:

Houston - Scarface spits first, Houston is so real, "so fuck what you claimin' and fuck where you come from / you gon' respect it if not you get yr head flung" - draws his finger across his throat, finishing the fronting out-of-towners. Ends with the chorus, shouting out cities across the midwest. Jackson, Mississippi - Young Malice. "Young" = 25 years old, but with Scarface and Will Hen that is young. There's a reason his verse is in the middle - he's kindve a blank slate here, generic-ish real talk defined only by the ambition closing the verse - not his best work on the LP. Bay area - Will Hen. 30 years old. Not spitting over trendy Bay beats because a) he's with Scarface over dramatic strings, and b) he is thirty years old. He sounds like Ma$e if Ma$e was from North Cali, repping the bay with a smooth unbothered delivery. The LP itself reeks of wisdom, experience, the complexity of moral struggle in a dark environment, veteran sound. Slow rolling beats that have mournful female R&B choruses alternating with hopeful pseudo-Mayfield hooks, B Jordan's creaky voice carrying tragic, weighty intensity conveying inner turmoil and hidden strength. Hen and Malice hold their own, lyricists who understand low-key style, the importance of impressing a certain honesty, the significance of being able to say that THIS is real shit, and no one will question.