afsdaWhenever Eminem first started getting a lot of radio airplay – late ‘90s or so – I had a friend called ‘Earfytones.’ He wore browns, dark greens, grey and the like, but nothing brighter than that under any circumstance. Unfortunate for Earfy, or not, he bore a vague resemblance, physically and vocally, to Mr. Mathers. We thought that was pretty funny. And it was. But during that time, these were the only thoughts of Eminem penetrating the thick skulls of myself and my meager cohort. Instead, rap wise, what we focused upon were Lyricist Lounge and Company Flow. Of course, both that compilation and El-P have had an enormous impact on rap – in an underground sense at least. But this was the time that my opinion of Detroit’s shadiest character was cemented.

Read more >

He should probably just put an album out at this point...

The inclusion of some higher power in music is realistically the basis of all American styles of song. From field hollerers thinking about a promised land to blues, soul and Bob Dylan’s ill advised flirtations with being born again, religion is an omnipresent force in beats, rhymes and life. Even those trumped up award shows feature ‘thank you’ speeches that include some mention of G-d, even if it’s coming from the most unlikely of sources.

Hip hop isn’t any different. And while most folks couldn’t readily name a host of performers that are explicit in regards to their worshiping habits in song, Mars Ill comes to mind pretty easily. In that, though, a lot of those songs only include vague mentions – at least the ones that I’m familiar with – of that supposed, powerful source. Considering the talent inherent in that crew, it doesn’t matter, though.

Read more >

This is what made him on the innernets...

Being signed to Duckdown…er…Ruckdown, the Kidz in the Hall seemed to have a certain amount of respect just due to who ran and or runs that label. And somehow, the duo that comprises the group, Naledge and Double O, received a decent amount of air time for an independent act over the last year or so. I, as dumb as it sounds, never got hip to it. But after coming across the Naledge mix tape due out at the end of the month, I went back and did a bit of reading. And the story as to how the duo met is almost as good as Chicago Picasso.

Read more >

A FutureIt’s hard for a music to be created that translates to times that haven’t occurred. And I can’t say that I feel that Mandre has faired well in this transition. But being touted as an integral part of Black Rock – while I don’t think that’s a real genre – Mandre, aka Andre Lewis, has impacted a number of different kinds of music. Even before releasing tunes under his own name or pseudonym, though, Lewis played with everyone from Grant Green to the Who. He toured Europe with Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson and solidified relationships with players on that side of the Atlantic. But the composer, singer and keyboard player may me most remembered for inadvertently impacting the way hip hop is produced.

Read more >

PugsBeing figured as an integral part of any cities rap scene – it’s DNA, perhaps – while still showing up at performances simply as a fan speaks volumes about an emcee. Chicago hip hop isn’t the most well known in the country, maybe there’s reason for that – it might be Common’s tight pants and vests at this point. But maybe not. Pugslee Atomz, though, helped found the Nacrobats crew, which in its heyday included rappers, breakers, graf writers and deejays. And during sporadic crew performances it could have been considered the physical embodiment of hip hop.

Read more >

With Jay-Z turning to his own business acumen in order to eat and release music, it’s not surprising that after his announcement about leaving his former employer last month, the first signee of Roc Nation is already hitting the internets with a new mix tape. It’s actually the way by which folks get made now. There’s no album on the shelf currently, but J. Cole is still one of the most talked about emcee on the scene right now – well for the last few days at least. Google it. For real.

Read more >

A spot opening a Nas disc as a producer isn’t proffered too many times. And the fact that Jay Electronica earned that right on Untitled last year without a proper full length under his belt means one of a few things. Nas has gone crazy – that’s not it, though. It was a fluke or Jay Electro is just really that talented. We’ll go with the last one, I guess. And even if the producer and rapper’s name might hint at some sound that he has nothing to with, it makes him seem like the future of hip hop. Maybe the fact that he’s eschewed going through normal avenues to release music is a part of that.

Read more >

Mood or DoomAs the discipline that is hip hop expanded and sought to encompass every aspect and shaded corner of life, the late '90s, in a great many ways, was when some of the most base elements of not just the genre, but of humanity started to get a voicing through rap. It was an inevitable shift - hair metal perhaps being the rock equivalent - but one that met with consternation and a good bit of disbelief. A group from Cincinnati, though, created an album that meant to comment upon all of this as it was becoming a bigger and bigger problem. Of course, today, Master P is just a rich guy that no one really pays attention to anymore. But Mood - which included a young Hi Tek - met with the same fate. Unfortunately, they actually had something to say.

Read more >