Song of the Day

Flatlinerz - "Live Evil"
Happy Halloween, y'all. Here's the first single from the Flatlinerz 1994 album U.S.A. The album dropped the same year as fellow Horrorcore group The Gravediggaz who released the classic 6 Feet Deep. Horrorcore was a fun little sub genre with groups like Flatlinerz, Gravediggaz and Half-Pit, Half-Dead back during the golden age of hip-hop in the mid-90's.

Song of the Day

Goodie Mob - "Father Time"
Goodie Mob's Age Against The Machine has been growing on me more and more recently. It's not Soul Food and it does have some missteps, but the highlights on the album are enough to really stand out. On "Father Time" all four MCs go in over a great sample (which is from a movie that I can't put my finger on and it's driving me nuts!) and deliver commentary on their place in hip-hop with no hook or cheap attempt at radio spins. It's the type of song you'd expect from Goodie and it delivers in full force. Happy to have the Mob back together again.

Song of the Day

Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire feat. Chance The Rapper - "Untitled"
Saw this pairing and had to hear it immediately. Really enjoyed Chance The Rapper's "Acid Rap" mixtape. He's an acquired taste, but I find his style to be unique and enjoyable. As for eXquire, I'm a big fan, so I was happy to see him putting out new material. This song sounds more like it would've been on "Acid Rap" than eXquire's Kismet. Dope regardless.

Verse vs. Verse: Great Hip-Hop Verses of All-Time

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Kendrick Lamar caused quite a stir with his guest verse on Big Sean’s “Control” which dropped in mid-August. Kendrick called out all the up-and-coming MCs in the game, as well as some more established MCs, claiming he was out to murder them all (lyrically that is) and make all their fans lose interest in them. Needless to say the buzz started immediately as did the replies from all the MCs that were upset with Kendrick’s claim of being the “King of New York” despite being from Compton.

And then there was Kanye West taking to Twitter with this gem only a few weeks earlier: “I open the debate… The 2nd verse of New Slaves is the best rap verse of all time….meaning … OF ALL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF RAP MUSIC, PERIOD.” Which of course got everyone talking about the greatest verse in rap history. And sorry Kanye, but the second verse on “New Slaves” is not the best rap verse of all time. It’s not Kanye’s best rap verse of all time. It’s not even the best verse on Yeezus. So let’s just but that discussion to bed right now.

But Kendrick and Kanye both did hip-hop music a huge favor with their respective actions. Kendrick brought the competitive juices out in other MCs and also set the bar for artists to step their game up. There’s nothing wrong with claiming to be the best when you can back it up and Kendrick has yet to receive a worthy comeback to his verse. Kanye, on the other hand, got hip-hop fans to spout off their favorite verses of all time, which got me writing on this very topic. I’ve had ideas for this post brewing even before Kanye’s Tweet, and was ready to launch it but life, as it tends to do, just got in the way. Kendrick’s verse only added fuel to the fire for me to write as people were calling his performance on “Control” the verse of the year, while I contend that Black Thought currently wears that crown with his verse on “Bird’s Eye View” off Statik Selektah’s Extended Play.

What’s the greatest verse in hip-hop history? Who am I to say? I have my personal favorites and that’s what I’m going to share, but I can’t argue with you if you pick Rakim’s first verse on “Eric B. Is President” or Nas’ verse on “Verbal Intercourse” because they’re both classics and they both deserve to be in the discussion. What I’m gonna do is write about the verses that stick out the most to me and explain why. And no, I’m not gonna post the actual lyrics for each verse. It just takes up too much space and reading lyrics on a computer screen really isn’t that much fun. If you wanna hear the verse, just YouTube the song and you’ll not only hear the lyrics, but get to hear the way they’re delivered which can sometimes be just as impactful as the words themselves.

There’s no way I can write about all-time verses and not start with Inspectah Deck on “Triumph.” You all know the verse, “I bomb atomically/Socrates philosophies/And high prophecies/Can’t define how I be droppin’ these/Mockeries/Lyrically perform armed robbery/Flee with the lottery/Possibly they spotted me…” and so on. This verse is ridiculously good. Deck took this track and put the stranglehold on it right out the gate. It’s lyrical perfection and there’s nothing else that needs to be said about it.

Some would give Deck the nod on another Wu-Tang classic, “C.R.E.A.M.” And Deck’s verse is really good on “C.R.E.A.M.” But for me Raekwon has always been the star of the show on this track. His opening verse is the perfect representation of that gritty, raw sound the Wu had on Enter The 36 Chambers.

And while we’re discussing the Wu, let’s just jump right into Cappadonna’s verse on “Winter Warz” which some deem as the greatest verse of all time. Now, I’m not ready to crown Cappa based on this verse. Yes, it’s a classic, but some regard it as the best because Cappadonna raps his ass off for two-and-a-half minutes. Cappa brings it for the duration, there’s no questioning that, but Kendrick went in for 3+ minutes on “Control” and Termanology spits for almost 5 minutes straight on “The World Renown” so I can’t give someone the best verse of all time based on length. But Cappa does deserve his due because he never lets down and keeps you invested for the entire 2:30. And I still rap line for line with it every time I hear “Winter Warz” so there’s that.

Speaking of long verses that never fall off, I’d be remiss not to mention Canibus on “Beasts From The East” from Lost Boyz’ Love, Peace & Nappiness. “An MC so ill, I got AIDS afraid to catch me.” Canibus was destroying every verse he spit and rightfully had the hip-hop world on the edge of its seat in anticipation for his debut album. Unfortunately, Can-I-Bus didn’t live up to the hype. But Canibus’ ability to spit a classic verse has never been up for debate as evidenced on “Beasts From The East.”

Next up is Pharoahe Monch on “Stray Bullet.” Pharoahe takes us on a ride through the eyes of a bullet and describes the horror it causes including hitting a 6-year-old on a see-saw, going through the other side of her head and striking a different target. Pharoahe’s command of the subject matter, his tone throughout and the lyrics are all the things that make a classic verse. And while I’m discussing Pharoahe, I gotta point to his verse on “Maintain” in which he details every day stresses including being racially profiled while stopping at a convenience store for juice. The detail and visual that Pharoahe paints on this verse is what makes him such a gifted MC and lyricist. And since this is about my favorite verses, I’ll give you one more from Pharoahe and that’s his show stealing verse on “Oh No” alongside Mos Def and Nate Dogg. There’s no theme on this verse, it’s just a lyrical beatdown.

Where one’s verse falls on a song also can impact the strength of the verse. Sometimes we hear the best verse last as is the case with Busta Rhymes on “Scenario.” Now let me be clear, I LOVE Phife Dawg’s verse to start off “Scenario” which Phife opens with, “Bo knows this and Bo knows that/But Bo don’t know jack/Cause Bo can’t rap….” That verse is timeless. But Busta closed out the song with his most memorable verse ever and sprung board his solo career on the strength of his performance on “Scenario.” Other examples of classic final verses are: Sticky Fingaz on Onyx’s “Throw Ya Gunz”; Lil Wayne on DJ Khaled’s “We Takin’ Over”; Masta Ace on “Crooklyn”; Dres on Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours” (who doesn’t know “Engine, engine No. 9”?); and Sadat X on Brand Nubian’s “Claimin’ I’m A Criminal.”

Other times it’s the opening verse that proves to the best as evidenced by The Notorious B.I.G. on “Flava N Ya Ear (Remix)” Here’s a track with Bad Boy’s two up-and-comers in Biggie and Craig Mack, rhyming alongside Rampage, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes and Biggie doesn’t let anyone else have any shine on it because he owned the song from the jump with his verse. Looking at opening verses, some of my favorites include: Ice Cube on N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton”; Andre 3000 on Outkast’s “B.O.B.”; O.C. on “Time’s Up”; Imani on The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By”; Chuck D.’s opener on Public Enemy’s “Can’t Truss It” which he also reuses to close out the song; Snoop Dogg on Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”; Prodigy on Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Pt. II”; Freeway on “What We Do”; Big L on “Put It On”; CL Smooth on “T.R.O.Y.”; and Rakim on “I Ain’t No Joke.” (On a side note, the amount of classic Rakim verses could be a column all to itself. You could probably just list every verse off Paid In Full and say those are the best hip-hop verses of all time and be done with it. I went with “I Ain’t No Joke” because it just resonates with me. So many classic lines on that verse, but seriously, pick any Rakim verse on Paid In Full and you win.)

Then there’s the middle verse which Kendrick just proved can be the most potent with his performance on “Control.” Nothing Big Sean said in the opening verse or Jay Electronica said in the final verse matter because of what Kendrick did with that middle verse. Seriously, think about a time that another MC made the listener not care about a Jay Electronica verse. We get shit from him so rarely that hip-hop heads savor every minute Electronica spits. But not on “Control,” because Kendrick made Jay’s verse a moot point (which also further strengthened Kendrick’s point about making fans not care about other rappers). Then there’s Ras Kass on “Comewiddit” off the Street Fighter soundtrack. Ahmad opens the track and Saafir closes it, but neither verse matters because of what Ras Kass does with the middle verse. It’s a hip-hop classic and is probably one of the most slept on verses of all time because it was on the Street Fighter soundtrack, nuff said.

Getting back to Biggie, let’s talk about his verse on “Notorious Thugs.” No. 1, it’s an incredible verse on its’ own. But what makes it a classic is Biggie uses Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s flow and out rhymes Bone Thugs. Seriously, how many MCs can take someone elses flow, one which is not easy to mimic in regards to Bone, and not only do it better than the artists he’s stealing it from, but also make it lyrically sharp as hell. Biggie wasn’t just throwing words that rhymed together and spittin’ them fast as he can, he laid down a classic verse lyrically and then delivered it flawlessly. Since I gave y’all a bonus Pharoahe Monch verse, let me add Biggie’s first verse on “Victory.” That verse probably has a little more sentimental value since it dropped shortly after his death, but lyrically it stands up as well as any verse Biggie has ever spit.

While we’re discussing all-time great MCs, let me touch upon Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem. In regards to Hov, the conversation starts and ends for me with Jay’s first verse on “Public Service Announcement.” Jay has spit so many classic verses over his career, but his verse on “PSA” can’t be touched. As for Nas, I’d go with his first verse on “N.Y. State of Mind” as my favorite of his career. But I also need to mention the opening verse on “The Message” as I absolutely love that verse from Nas as well. And let’s not forget his guest spots on Main Source’s “Live At The BBQ” or Raekwon’s “Verbal Intercourse” both of which are classics. As for Em, there’s so many to pick from. You can go with the third verse on “Til I Collapse,” or his guest spot on Biggie’s “Dead Wrong” or Dr. Dre’s “Forgot About Dre.” Of course there’s his guest spot on Jay-Z’s “Renegade” which many consider to be the best guest spot ever. I don’t know if I agree with that, but it’s in the conversation so I won’t flatly dismiss it. But my personal favorite Eminem verse is on D-12’s “Fight Music.” I don’t think it’s Em’s greatest verse of all time, but there’s something about the way he spits that verse that makes it my favorite (remember favorite, not greatest). Lyrically it is on point and the energy he delivers that verse with is perfect for the subject matter.

Another classic verse goes to Boots Riley from The Coup for his outstanding work on “Fat Cats, Bigga Fish.” The entire song is incredible, but the opener has some of the best imagery you’ll find as Boots describes his daily grind as an everyday street hustler: “The street light reflects off the piss on the ground/Which reflects off the hamburger sign as it turns round/Which reflects off the chrome of the BMW/Which reflects off the fact that I’m broke/Now what the fuck is new?”

To close this out, I’m gonna pick two verses from underground legends that for my money are as good as any verse you’ll find. The first comes from Apathy on “It Takes A Seven Nation Army To Hold Us Back.” First of all the White Stripes sample for this song is brilliant. But Ap just absolutely destroys this track lyrically and rides the beat so well that it’s a true example of what MCing is all about. Next is Aesop Rock’s final verse on “Daylight.” Aesop is so complex with his lyrics and you usually need a few listens just to capture everything he says, but his second verse on “Daylight” is a thing of genius. “Life’s not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman/You only call her a bitch because she won’t let you get that pussy/Maybe she didn’t feel you shared any similar interests/Or maybe you’re just an asshole who couldn’t sweet talk the princess.” Got lyrics? Holy shit is that dope.

Truthfully I could write about this subject for hours and hours. I didn’t even get into R.A. The Rugged Man’s verse on Jedi Mind Trick’s “Uncommon Valor” or AZ on Nas’ “Life’s A Bitch” but those deserve their just due as well. As does Method Man’s first verse on “The What” and Method Man’s first verse on “Shadowboxin’” and Method Man’s first verse on “Bring The Pain.” Seriously, I could do this all day long.

What's the greatest rap verse off all time? It's a great question and a great debate. I don't know what the answer is, I just know what my favorites are and I hope you enjoyed them. Let the debate continue...

Song of the Day

Rapsody feat. Wale - "Dark Knights"
Rapsody is one of the illest female MCs you'll find. Reminds me a bit of Jean Grae. E. Jones, part of 9th Wonder's production team, blessed her with this beat and it's dope as hell. Love the sample that loops throughout. Then there's Wale's verse to close out the track. Wale has so many slick lines in the verse. "You n-ggas lack seasoning like a torn ACL" Too dope.

Lyrical Goofs In Hip-Hop History

Lyrical Goofs in Hip-Hop History 

Hip-Hop music has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I love the genre and can’t imagine myself ever not listening to hip-hop music. There have been so many memorable verses and lines over the years, moments where you go, “Oh shit!” and hit the rewind button to hear that punchline again. But as with anything, there’s always some moments that make you shake your head and think, “Did someone really allow that on the final edit?” Seriously, no one listened to that line or misspelling and told the rapper to rerecord it? Which got me thinking about some of the worst/inaccurate lines in hip-hop history. Then I got to research a little more and found some gems that I didn’t know existed mostly because the rapper who said such line I couldn’t give two shits about. So here you go, some of the worst rhymes ever spit on the mic. Enjoy!

Chingy – “Balla Baby”
“Black, white, Puerto Rican or Haitian/Like Japanese, Chinese or even Asian”
Chingy sucks, so I never actually heard this line and I really don’t need to. But how dumb can you be to think Japanese and Chinese people are somehow different from Asians? It’s like saying New Yorkers, Canadians or even North Americans.

Greg Nice – “Funky For You”
“Dizzy Gillespie plays a sax”
Trumpet, sax, what’s the difference? I love Greg Nice, but that’s just stupid. 

Warren G – “What’s Next?”
Warren G made this list twice with two misspellings from the same damn song. Seriously, how is this possible?
“The W-A-Double R-E-and to the R”
So Warren G just spelled his own name wrong. He is now to be called Warrer G.
“What’s next, what’s next, what’s N-X-E-T?”
Um, what? You gotta stop this shit from making its way onto record.

Run – “King of Rock”
“There’s three of us, but we’re not the Beatles”
Run is a legend. Run-DMC made some of the most influential hip-hop records of all time. But you can’t get this wrong. The Beatles were known as the Fab Four. Again, who let this lyric slide?

Jay-Z – “It’s Hot”
“.38 revolve like the Sun around the Earth”
Jay is one of the greatest MCs to ever do it. He is in my Top 5 all time. Hov has had some of the most quotable lyrics in the history of hip-hop. But the Sun has never and will never revolve around the Earth. He tried to make a slick rhyme and came out sounding ignorant.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”
“For any MC in any 52 states”
In Dirty’s defense, there’s no way of us ever knowing what he was on when he wrote his lyrics. In fact “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” is full of nonsensical babble. But 52 states, really?

Boo – “Cross The Border”
“We play down in C-A-C-U-N”
A song about smuggling drugs across the border and it is one of my favorites. But c’mon, Cacun? Where is that exactly?

Master P – “Do You Know”
“If you don’t bring my muthafuckin’ money or my muthafuckin’ dope/You can forget Christmas, n-gga, ‘cause you ain’t even gon’ see New Years”
Another priceless lyric that I have never heard because Master P is just awful, but this shit is hilarious. To threaten someone that they won’t make it to Christmas because you’re going to end them before they get to New Years is just, I don’t even have words.

Foxy Brown – “Affirmative Action”
“32 grams raw, chop it in half, get 16/Double it times three/We got 48, which mean a whole lot of cream/Divide the profit by four, subtract it by eight/We back to 16”
Follow Foxy’s math and you get…4. Nice try, but next time you may want to grab a calculator.

Juelz Santana – “Black Republicans”
“Rock star, flier than an ostrich”
If only ostrichs could fly. Poor things.

Freeway – “Best @ It”
“We from two different cities, Minnesota and Philly”
Freeway must’ve learned geography at the same school as Chingy.

Lil’ Fame – “1/2 & 1/2”
“First Family will gradually lift that ass up like gravity”
Gravity does not lift you up. In fact, gravity is the reason we don’t float away into the atmosphere. I hated to include that line though, because I love M.O.P.

OJ da Juiceman – “I’m Getting Money”
“Moving in a Grand Prix, same color as thunder”
Great visual from OJ, I can see thunder so vividly. Another awful rapper that I’ve never listened to and I’m more than justified with a lyric like that. Well, that and his name is OJ da Juiceman.

Noreaga – “Banned From TV”
“I drink Hennessy straight with tomato juice”
Drinking Hennessy straight would not require tomato juice. And it sounds like an awful combination.

Game – “Dreams”
“I woke up out that coma 2001/Bout the same time Dre dropped 2001”
Game loves to name drop and he loved him some Dr. Dre when The Documentary came out, but 2001 was released in 1999.

Kanye West – “Two Words”
“I live by two words, fuck you, pay me”
Two words, four words, who’s counting?

Kanye West – “Black Skinhead”
“I keep it 300, like the Romans”
I hated this line when I first heard it. Thought it was a cheap way to rhyme Trojan and Roman and was just lazy. Then I realized how dumb the lyric really is. Keep it 300 like the Romans? Kanye is referencing the movie 300, right? Well the warriors in that movie were Spartans, from Sparta, which is in Greece. Move over Chingy and Freeway, Kanye is joining your geography class.

Young Buck – “Bang Bang”
“Just think if I ain’t empty the clip and he killed me/Would I still be living?”
I can answer this lyric in one word…no.

Redman – “5 Boroughs”
“My paragraph alone is worth 5 Mics/A 12-song LP, that’s 36 mics”
If Red meant 5 mics per song, then it would be 60 mics. If he meant per paragraph per 12-song LP then that’s over 100 easily. Red and Foxy must’ve gone to the same math class together.

Lloyd Banks – “Ain’t No Click”
“And I’ll be damned if a I co-sign an old snitch/That was gangbanging when Jaws was a goldfish”
Great White Sharks are never goldfish. I understand Banks wanted to be clever, but no. This reminds me of another terrible Banks line which isn’t inaccurate per se, but it is really dumb, “I take care of birds like an animal doctor.” Ugh.

Ja Rule – “Loose Change”
“50 Cent you gon’ get shot again by the M-U-R-E-D-R Inc.”
I hated Murda Inc. Irv, Ja, Ashanti, Lloyd, they all suck. But how the hell can you threaten someone and then misspell the name of your crew?

Kanye West – “Gettin’ It In”
“Don’t try to treat me like I ain’t famous/My apologies, are you into astrology?/Cause I’m, I’m tryin’ to make it to Uranus”
Hey look, Kanye’s back. ‘Ye says astrology, I say astronomy, what’s the difference?

Lil Wayne – “A Milli”
“I’m a venereal disease like a menstrual bleed”
Sorry ladies, but it looks like Wayne has just uncovered a breakthrough. You all experience menstrual cycles, so you all have venereal diseases. Sorry for the shit news.

And we’re out…

Song of the Day

Black Moon feat. Smif N Wessun - "Black Smif N Wessun"
Had my iTunes on shuffle and this shit just came on. I haven't heard this song in years. It's so fuckin' nice. I found myself rhyming right along with Buckshot on the second verse and had to share this song with y'all immediately. This is classic hip-hop in its purest form.

Song of the Day

Statik Selektah feat. Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$ & Mike Posner - "The Spark"
The last two Song of the Day picks come from Statik Selektah's Extended Play, but I can't help it. These joints are so dope. Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$ teamed earlier this year on "B.A.R.d" which was fantastic and now they're back at it for Statik's latest project which drops tomorrow. The beat is nice and Action and Bada$$ both flex their lyrical muscle on this one.

Song of the Day

Statik Selektah feat. Raekwon, Joey Bada$$ & Black Thought "Bird's Eye View"
Statik's latest, Extended Play, drops on June 18, the same day as Kanye and J. Cole. I'm liking the tracklist for the album so I'm sure it'll be dope. But this track is on another level. The beat is good, Raekwon and Joey both bring some heat but Black Thought just proved once again that he is one of the greatest to ever do it. Seriously, this dude never gets mentioned with the all-time great MCs, but if you need proof just listen to him absolutely rip this track to pieces. It's pure heat.

New Release Tuesday

Action Bronson is back and this time you gotta pay for his project. Can't really complain considering his last few projects have been free and filled with better quality music than most albums found in retailers. The new project, "Saab Stories" is a 7 song EP produced entirely by Harry Fraud. You can download it on iTunes for $5.99 and really, why wouldn't you?! 

Wow, that was like an advertisement. Regardless, if you haven't heard "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" yet, go YouTube the video and you'll see the dope shit Bronson brings on this project. Also gotta love "The Rockers" featuring Wiz Khalifa as Bronson spits about Marty Jannety on the hook.

Song of the Day

Prodigy feat. Havoc & Raekwon - "R.I.P."
Mobb Deep never needed production help with Havoc being one of the all-time greats, but when they have handed the production responsibilities over to someone else they've always had the best results with Alchemist. Al brings it again here as Prodigy, Havoc and Raekwon go in over a raw beat. This is really dope. Makes me remember The Infamous and that's never a bad thing.

Song of the Day

Action Bronson feat. LL Cool J & Lloyd Banks - "Strictly 4 My Jeeps (Remix)"
Damn, LL came hard as hell! Haven't heard anything nice from him in a long time. Bronson of course comes correct and Banks more than holds his own. The beat is nasty. This reminds me of a mid-90's remix. Love the shit outta this track.

Song of the Day

Joey Bada$$ - "Word Is Bond"
Brand spankin' new from Joey Bada$$. How new? Statik Selektah shared the link on Twitter within the last hour. Statik on the production as Bada$$ goes in for three verses. If this is what the Summer Knights EP is going to sound like, sign me up.

Song of the Day

Reef The Lost Cauze - "Moonshine" prod. by Haj of Dumhi
I was ready to declare Action Bronson's "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" as Video of the Year, but Reef now has put his video in the race. This video is absolutely tremendous. Reef and Haj hang out on a porch in Philly, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer (big props to Reef for drinking Yuengling cans). Then the neighbors join bringing 40's, a grill and some Moonshine. Gotta love Haj's Manny Trillo jersey as well. The song is a banger and the video is a lot of fun to watch. And love that Reef ad-libs "Fuck the Celtics too."

Song of the Day

The Notorious B.I.G. - "Ten Crack Commandments"
It's Biggie's Birthday today. Wanted to celebrate with one of my favorite B.I.G. tracks of all-time. I was thinking about some of my favorite beats the other day and coming up with songs that are completely unique and this song was one that came to mind. DJ Premier's beat is so dope on this one and Biggie just absolutely destroys it lyrically. The Chuck D. sample is perfect as well. Happy Birthday Big!

Song of the Day

The Beastie Boys - "Shake Your Rump"

Today marks the anniversary of the passing of MCA. Long live the Beasties.

Best Hip-Hop Songs & Albums: 2012

Alright, so it’s almost the end of April and I’m just getting to the Best of 2012. I know, I know, a little late. But there was just so much music to listen to in 2012 and it took a while for me to really shrink down my list. Right before I sat down to write this, I made another change to my Best Songs list. So that gives you an idea of how much time I’ve spent trying to trim this thing down. As per usual, this is my list with my favorite songs and albums of 2012. Record sales, iTunes downloads, radio rotation and popular opinion have no weight on my picks. I chose the songs and albums that meant the most to me over 2012 or that I just felt were clearly above the rest of the pack. Anyway, let’s get on to it….

Best of 2012

Best Songs

20. “Oh Hail No” – El-P feat. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire & Danny Brown

El-P’s Cancer For Cure was highly acclaimed by hip-hop heads in 2012. And for all the talk I just put in the intro to this about how much music I had to get through, Cancer For Cure remains one of the few albums I didn’t get the chance to listen to. I did hear a good portion of it and this track is the standout to me. The opening 45 seconds draw you in and then El-P kicks in with, “Ever notice when you talk I just cut myself/On some ultimate fuck you, go fuck yourself.” Yeah, this song wasn’t going to get any radio play. All three MCs bring it, as I love Danny Brown’s “I’m Ric Flair/With thick hair/Yellin’ out ‘Woo’ getting head in a director’s chair.” But eXquire steals this one with the perfect flow and lyrical dexterity.

19. “What It Look Like” – Curren$y feat. Wale

I’m a fan of Curren$y’s work, but an even bigger fan of Wale. This track is extremely mellow and has the perfect vibe to match both Wale and Curren$y’s styles. Wale gets things started with a verse so interspersed with intelligent wordplay that I find something new every time I hear this track. Wale flips the Chicago Bulls and Derek Rose into a line with seemingly no effort when he spits, “No bullshit, every shy bitch can get a rose/Meaning aroused, I’m sorry I’m not too good with vowels/I got 1,000 bitches, I’m not too good with vows.” Really dope mood music with intelligent MCing by both Wale and Spitta.

18. “Chum” – Earl Sweatshirt

There had been so much hype surrounding Earl Sweatshirt that I didn’t know what to expect from him. I can say for certain that I’m not a fan of Odd Future and Tyler, The Creator does not impress me in the slightest. Sure, Frank Ocean’s got a ton of talent, but he’s a singer. Then I heard “Chum” and understood all the hype. The beat is so sinister on this track and Earl just breaks down what it’s like to be a teenager growing up with no father and overcoming personal demons. It’s sincere, it’s introspective, it’s dark and it’s a head nodder all the way through. Much respect to Earl and I’m eagerly anticipating what 2013 will bring from this gifted MC.

17. “Dear Moleskine” – Jay Electronica

Speaking of underground favorites that the hip-hop world is dying to hear more from, Jay Electronica didn’t make a lot of noise in 2012, but he did release this gem. Electronica uses a “diary entry” to discuss a battle with depression with his escape being a joint and his notepad. The beat on this uses the same sample (“Free Angela” by Bayete) that De La Soul used for “Sunshine” off of Stakes Is High, but of course Just Blaze added his own personal touch to make the song unique. Jay’s verse is just over a minute long and the remaining four minutes is all instrumental, but there’s something about the impact of Electronica’s lone verse and the beat that make this song stand out.

16. “Goldie” – A$AP Rocky

I’ll admit that I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it. I was tired of Hit-Boy’s shit and because of that I blindly decided I didn’t like it. Well, I stand corrected because this shit knocks. A$AP Rocky has become one of hip-hop’s biggest stars over the past 2 years and songs like “Goldie” are the reason why. This song isn’t watered down or radio friendly, it’s unapologetic and in your face. The beat is a banger and A$AP flows effortlessly over it on some braggadocio, gangster type shit. Track makes me crank the volume every time it comes on.

15. “The Symbol” – Action Bronson

Bronson continued his lyrical onslaught in 2012. This dude loves to rap. Bronson put out two mixtapes in 2012 - the excellent Blue Chips (which may just be my favorite mixtape of 2012) and the Alchemist produced Rare Chandeliers – and made countless guest appearances. I almost chose the Roc Marciano assisted “Pouches of Tuna” for this list, but “The Symbol” is just too nasty to overlook. The beat on this track is raw. The guitar riff and Action spitting dope line after dope line are just too perfect together. Not to mention this track easily had the Video of the Year honors wrapped up. Seriously, if you haven’t peeped the video for this track yet, do yourself a favor and hit up YouTube right now.

14. “Prove Me Wrong” – O.C. & Apollo Brown

I couldn’t have been happier to get a return appearance from O.C. in ’12. Trophies will be discussed later on, but there were plenty of Best Song list nominees from that album. Not to mention the bonus track, “The Biggest Loser” which sampled Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield” to perfection. But the first track I heard off Trophies was “Prove Me Wrong” and is was the perfect introduction to a brilliant album. Apollo’s production is the perfect backdrop for O.C. to do what he does best – spit dope lyrics like, “For O.C. addicts, sorry for the wait/Tie off your arms, here’s another dose, a few years withdrawal.”

13. “Damn” – Styles of Beyond feat. Michael Buble

This is the most surprising song of the year. I heard Styles of Beyond put Buble on a track and thought there’s a reach for some mainstream exposure. But this song is completely enjoyable. Buble sings the hook and Ryu and Tak share MC duties in typical S.O.B. fashion. There’s nothing overly complex about the track. It won’t make you think like “Dear Moleskine,” it’s not in your face like “The Symbol” and it’s not a lyrical tour de force like “Oh Hail No.” But it works and it remains one of my favorites of ’12. Makes me want to hit up the bar with my crew and when a song puts you in that place, it can never be bad.

12. “Ruby ‘81” – Aesop Rock

Aesop has always had the ability to paint a vivid picture with his words (see “No Regrets”) and “Ruby ‘81” is no exception. Ruby is a 2-year-old who gets free from her parents’ view during a 4^th of July celebration and falls into the swimming pool only to be rescued by the family beagle. Aesop strikes with a two-and-a-half minute narrative that makes the hair on your neck stand up. The best song off Skelethon and there are plenty of highlights to choose from.

11. “Black Lip Bastard (Remix)” – Ab-Soul feat. Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q & Jay Rock

Then entire Black Happy family comes together to spew verbal acid over a menacing beat. Kendrick gets things jumping before Ab and Q bless the mic respectively. Jay Rock is the star of the show, however, as he rips into the beat for a solid 1:36 reminding us of Cappadonna on Ghostface’s “Winter Warz.” It’s a superb posse cut from Top Dawg’s finest.

10. “The Recipe” – Kendrick Lamar feat. Dr. Dre

Kendrick was hip-hop’s MVP in 2012 without question. He dropped his official Aftermath debut with good kid, m.A.A.d city (more on this later), blessed both Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q’s albums with incredible verses and made every appearance count. He did all this by sticking to his script and being the artist he wanted to be (much props to Dr. Dre for allowing Kendrick to be Kendrick on his debut album as well), not the artist major label execs would’ve pushed him to be. “Swimming Pools” was his biggest hit in ’12, while a lot of hip-hop heads will point to “Cartoons & Cereal” as his finest offering from the past year. But I’ll take the bonus cut that dropped well before the release of good kid, as Dre and Kendrick sound perfectly at home on the cut together and reminds me of Dre passing the torch to another up-and-coming MC much like he did with Snoop back in ’92. While Kendrick made a name for himself before having Dre’s backing, hearing this track built my anticipation for Kendrick’s album and he did not disappoint.

9. “The Kick” – XV

XV may be underground hip-hop’s best kept secret. This cat gets no attention, yet continues to release solid project after solid project. Last year’s Zero Heroes mixtape was one of my favorite projects of 2011. XV struck again in ’12, with another top notch mixtape in the form of Popular Culture. “The Kick” plays off the theme from Inception and XV delivers punchline after punchline, while giving us introspective lyrics as well. Heard this track for the first time while sitting on the beach and it just blew me away. Can still see that beach scene every time this song comes on.

8. “Hammer Dance” – Slaughterhouse

Their second album, and the first with Shady Records in their corner, was a bit of a disappointment.  Some bright moments, but not what I was expecting with Em in their corner. Regardless, “Hammer Dance” plays to the strength of Slaughterhouse which is raw lyricism over dope production. AraabMuzik brings the heat with the beat on this one and Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Joe Budden all go off on the mic. Would’ve liked a verse from Royce, but when you have three sharp verses over one of the best beats of the year there really is no reason to complain.

7. “Autographs” – Reks

Much like Action Bronson the year before, Reks went to Statik Selektah to produce his entire album.  And much like 2011’s Well Done, Reks and Statik compliment each other extremely well on Straight, No Chaser. “Autographs,” the album’s opening track, is the true highlight of the disc as Statik uses a Beastie Boys sample to perfection and Reks shows just how talented he is on the mic, weaving hot line after hot line over classic Statik production. This was my favorite song of 2012 at one point, and only fell after I got my hands on the top 6.

6. “Same Love” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are easily my surprise artist of 2012. While “Thrift Shop” went on to be a No. 1 smash and could be heard in car stereos, TV commercials, bars, clubs and the like everywhere, it was a song that wasn’t so fun loving that truly grabbed my attention. On “Same Love” Macklemore tackles the issue of Gay Rights, something you simply don’t hear in hip-hop music. Macklemore brings a poignant case for equality and does so in truly thought provoking fashion. The hook sung by Mary Lambert is terrific and the production by Lewis – who hit it on the head for the entire album – grabs you from the first piano key. This is what makes music so powerful and like Macklemore says, “I may not be the same, but that’s not important/No freedom til were equal, damn right I support it.”

5. “Hands On The Wheel” – ScHoolboy Q feat. A$AP Rocky

Taking Lissie’s cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happyness” and flipping it for the hook on this track is brilliant. The song is as simple as the hook says, “Weed and brews, weed and brews, life for me is just weed and brews.” It’s a party song, with terrific production and a great guest spot from A$AP. ScHoolboy has gone on record to say it’s the song that he hates from his album Habits & Contradictions, which blows me away because I say it’s easily the best track on the disc. To each his own, I guess.

4. “Daughters” – Nas

Nas released one of his finest albums in 2012 with Life Is Good. You can easily argue for “The Don,” “Loco-Motive” and “Bye Baby.” But this insightful look at parenthood is my favorite track off Life Is Good. The production, provided by No I.D., sounds like it could’ve been an extra for Common’s The Dreamer, The Believer. And Nas doesn’t have to prove his lyrical chops to anyone at this point in his career, in fact he didn’t have to after 1994’s Illmatic, but the closing lines of this song are among his best. “The way mothers feel for their sons, how fathers feel for they daughters/When he date, he straight, chip off his own papa/When she date, we wait behind the door with a sawed off/Cause we think no one is good enough for our daughters.”

3. “Allen Iverson” – Don Trip

This song is going to be high on my list for the name of the subject matter alone. I love Allen Iverson. Behind Michael Jordan, he’s my favorite basketball player of all time. But naming your song after A.I. isn’t enough to land the No. 3 spot. That comes from the lyricism Don Trip displays on this song (okay, the Iverson sound bites don’t hurt either). Trip talks about overcoming adversity and being ostracized for being yourself when society thinks you should talk, dress and look like something else (get the Allen Iverson reference). Trip spits, “Please show me a king that’s never suffered a loss/Or show me a man that never suffered a scar/And I’ll show you a man that’s never given his all/I’ll show you a man that’s never given his heart.”

2. “Grown Up” – Danny Brown

This may be the most fun song of the year (sorry “Thrift Shop”). It’s Danny Brown celebrating his success as he rose from nothing to “blowing big blunts on the way to brunch.” It’s not about black cards and taking exotic trips overseas, it’s about Danny being able to eat, smoke as much as he wants and genuinely love life. The video is probably the 2^nd best of the year (after Bronson’s “The Symbol”) and the production may be my favorite beat of the year.

1. “New God Flow.1” – Pusha T, Kanye West & Ghostface Killah

When the first version of this track dropped I thought it was good, not great. After Kanye’s verse he went into a chant to close out the song that I found annoying. It just sounded cheesy. Then Cruel Summer dropped and that ending was substituted with a show-stealing verse by none other than Ghostface. After the new version dropped, I found myself cranking the volume every time this song came on and the more I listened, the more I loved Pusha T’s opening verse. Add in the Ric Flair “Woo’s” during the hook and I’m sold. The production is top notch, Pusha and Ghost deliver absolute heat and Kanye proved to be a smart business man as his finished product added a legendary MC delivering a legendary verse. Good Music indeed.

Best Albums

10. R.A.P. Music – Killer Mike

Atlanta’s own Killer Mike made an interesting musical decision by having his entire album produced by El-P. The results speak for themselves. A lot of hip-hop critics compare the pair to a 2012 version of Ice Cube and The Bomb Squad. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but there are moments on this album that certainly warrant the sounds of early 90’s Cube-Bomb Squad. The standouts on this disc include “Big Beast” featuring Bun B, T.I. and Trouble, “JoJo’s Chillin’” (which was in and out of my Best Songs list too many times to count), and “Reagan” which provides quite a commentary on the Reagan Era and the War on Drugs. I didn’t find this to be the classic that others have touted, but it’s definitely Top 10 worthy.

9. Vodka & Ayahuasca – Gangrene

It’s almost not fair to have an entire album produced by The Alchemist and Oh No. And you can tell the two had fun on this project, trying to outdo the other on the production side of things. The surprising thing for me wasn’t the great production, which was a given, it’s the MC presence of both Al and Oh No. It’s not Rakim and Nas going head-to-head on the mic, but they’re efforts on the mic certainly live up to the quality of their production. Then there’s the guest spots from Kool G. Rap, Roc Marciano, Evidence and Prodigy that puts this album over the top. It sounds like a Mobb Deep meets Dilated Peoples album, which again is no surprise given Alchemist’s past history with both groups.

8. Straight, No Chaser – Reks

It’s no coincidence that albums No. 8-10 made the list. All three albums demonstrated great consistency and that’s thanks to having the same production team on each project. On Straight, No Chaser, Reks tabbed Boston’s own Statik Selektah to handle all the production duties. While Termanology and Statik have already formed the Boston group 1982, Reks and Statik certainly can lay claim to the Boston version of Gang Starr. Reks hits on various topics on the album, including his mother choosing against abortion to give birth to a baby boy on “Sit/Think/Drink,” growing up a fatherless child and raising a child of his own on “Parenthood,” and the Seven Deadly sins on “Sins.” Then there’s the aforementioned “Autographs” which starts the album off in grand fashion and lets you know you’re in for a special album.

7. Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color – Brother Ali

No surprise that Ali makes a Best Albums list again. I’m an Ali junkie. But that’s not to say this album isn’t deserving of this list. The music speaks for itself. Oh, and Ali followed the basic guideline that Killer Mike and Reks also used, as the album was produced entirely by Jake One. I’m used to hearing Ali spit over Ant’s production, but Jake One more than holds his own laying the soundscape for Ali’s topical lyrics. “Stop The Press” was omitted from my Best Songs list today as I sat down to write this. It’s a great look into Ali’s life over the past few years, dealing with depression, the loss of his father, the loss of his friend Eyedea, his tour DJ quitting to spend more time with his family, etc. It’s as personal a song as you’ll find.  “Letter To My Countrymen,” “Work Everyday,” and “All You Need” are among Ali’s best songs to date. The only thing holding this disc back was the amount of political commentary and not that it’s not important, but it’s not always my cup of tea. Great album regardless.

6. Control System – Ab-Soul

This album opens with a bang and after the first six songs I thought this would be a Top 3 album. Not to say the rest of the album is bad, it’s far from bad. It just didn’t hold my attention the same way all the way through. The highlights on the album are among the best you’ll hear as “Double Standards,” “The Book of Soul” and “Black Lip Bastard (Remix)” are all tremendous. I can see this album growing on me more and more over time, but it will never reach that classic status and it’s just missing that extra something to push it further. Can’t really put my finger on it, but No. 6 just seems like the right place for this album.

5. Skelethon – Aesop Rock

This is my second favorite Aesop album after Labor Days. It has all the staples of a great Aesop album with complex wordplay that takes a few listens to truly grab what he just said and unique production. When “Leisureforce” started to kick off the album, I knew I was in for a treat. Aesop doesn’t let go with standout cut after standout cut. The highlights here are “Cycles To Gehenna,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Ruby ’81,” “Crows 1,” and “Gopher Guts.” I saw Aesop perform a good chunk of this album in January and it only solidified how good this disc is.

4. Trophies – O.C. & Apollo Brown

Starting to see the theme here, one producer and one MC equals great music. Apollo brought out the best in the underground favorite. When I went back to listen to all the albums from 2012 to finalize this list no album stuck out more to me than Trophies. I knew it was great the first time I heard it, but it had such a different impact the second go round. Now, I smile every time I hear this disc. I already discussed “Prove Me Wrong,” but “The Pursuit,” “Anotha One,” “The First 48,” “Angels Sing,” and “The Formula” are all standouts. Hell, there is no weak moment on this album. It delivered in every aspect and deserves to be enjoyed by all hip-hop heads.

3. The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

This album continues to gain steam as “Can’t Hold Us” has now entered the charts while “Thrift Shop” won’t go away. “Can’t Hold Us,” “Thrift Shop” and “Wings” have all been used in commercials or NBA promos and it’s a great nod to what is the most surprising album of 2012. To pretend I knew shit about Macklemore or Ryan Lewis before 2012 would be a bold-faced lie. And after all the hype surrounding this album, I wasn’t sure where I’d stand. But it lived up to the hype for sure. Two of my favorite songs of 2012 can be found on this album in the aforementioned “Same Love” and “Starting Over.” On “Staring Over” Macklemore discusses his battle with alcoholism and his recent relapse. Macklemore doesn’t pull any punches giving full details of his fight and asks for forgiveness as he hopes to be a symbol for starting over. And while Macklemore impressed the hell outta me as an MC and lyricist, Ryan Lewis deserves the same top billing as his production was top notch from start to finish. I’ve listened to this disc more and more in 2013 and it will remain in my rotation for a long time.

2. Life Is Good – Nas

Everyone needs to get over that fact that another Illmatic isn’t going to happen. Once you do that, you’ll see just how good Nas’ latest album is. Nas sounded extremely hungry on 2011’s “Nasty” and his guest spot on Common’s “Ghetto Dreams” and it carried over on his latest album. I listened to this album for a week straight while in Long Island for work and I never reached for the eject button or scanned the radio to hear something different. The album kicks off with “No Introduction” and doesn’t slow down until the lone wart on the album “Summer On Smash.” “Loco-Motive” with Large Professor is worthy of a spot on the Best Songs list, as is “Bye Baby,” “The World Is An Addiction” and “Accident Murderers” featuring Rick Ross. Nas delivers the album we expect from him at this point in his career and then some. This was my Album of the Year winner for a long time until….

1. good kid, m.A.A.d city –Kendrick Lamar

Some are calling this a classic. I don’t know I’d go that far, but it is great. It’s deserving of Album of the Year title, hip-hop or otherwise. As I said earlier, allowing Kendrick to make the album he wanted to make and not trying to push a radio-friendly single on him gave Kendrick the license to make a complete album that is best digested from start to finish. Like Life Is Good, I listened to this album for a week straight on a trip to Massachusetts and never wanted to push eject. It’s a truly unique album in every way. It doesn’t sound like traditional West Coast hip-hop, which was obvious after hearing ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul’s albums, it’s got a sound all to itself. The highlights are the entire album and that’s rare in today’s hip-hop. Bringing his Black Hippie brethren along for the ride, as well as guest spots from Drake, MC Eiht and Dr. Dre added that extra something to the disc, all the while not taking away from the album’s true star which is Kendrick. I don’t see this having the same lasting power of Enter The 36 Chambers or The Chronic, which is why I won’t put the “classic” stamp on it. But it was a breath of fresh air in a genre that has had to endure some painful music from the likes of Trinidad James, Chief Keef and Future. The future (no pun intended) is bright with Kendrick leading the charge.

Song of the Day

Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay-Z - "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix)"
Been listening to the shit outta this version and the Lady Gaga version over the past few weeks. Loved the video they posted of Kendrick in the studio hearing Jay spit on this track for the first time. Jay's verse is really nice, but Kendrick steals the show.

Song of the Day

Eazy E - "Just Tah Let U Know"
Today is the 18th year anniversary of the passing of Eazy-E.From his days with N.W.A., to his solo career and then discovering Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Eazy-E had a huge impact on hip-hop. There are countless Eazy classics, but I'm gonna go with a song that I loved off his 1995 album, Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton.

Song of the Day

Kid Tsunami feat. Buckshot, Chubb Rock, Pharoahe Monch and Jeru The Damaja - "The Chase"
We're seeing some golden age hip-hop coming back to life more and more and DJ Tsunami grabs a few vets to rip the mic together. This shit makes me so happy to be a hip-hop fan. I wish the radio would actually play songs like this again. It's great to hear Chubb Rock and Jeru again, but it's Pharoahe who absolutely owns this track.

Song of the Day

Brother Ali - "Work Everyday"
I always find it funny when people complain about it being Monday. I haven't worked a normal 9-5, Monday-Friday schedule in over 15 years, so the difference between Monday and Friday means nothing to me. Don't know why this hit me today, but I was relistening to Brother Ali's Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color last week in preparation for the Best of 2012 list and this song stuck with me. Just thought it was appropriate for a Monday that everyone seems to hate.

Song of the Day

Chino XL - "Father's Day"
Chino XL is one of the most underrated lyricists of all-time. He spits some of the illest punchlines you'll ever find. But this song has nothing to do with punchlines, this is some of the most personal shit you'll ever hear on record. Chino talks about his daughter's fight with cancer and shares the memories with vivid description. The first 2 verses and hook are filled with despair, but the song has a happy ending. Really incredible track from Chino.

Song of the Day

Busdriver - "Me-Time (With The Pulmonary Palimpsest)"
Went to see Aesop Rock & Rob Sonic last night (which was incredibly dope!) and Busdriver was the opening act. I hadn't heard any of his music before, but my brother described him as weird, cool, but weird. So this dude comes out on stage all by himself, no hype man, no DJ, just himself, a mic and an MPC player. And he put on a helluva show. Dude had crazy energy and his music was very eclectic. He wrecked it with this track, so I downloaded the recorded version and he really held up with the speed of his flow when he performed live. The second treat to this song is the video which I stumbled upon today. One of the best videos I've seen in a while. Enjoy!

Song of the Day

Joey Bada$$ feat. Smoke DZA & Big K.R.I.T. - "Underground Airplay"
This sounds like some straight 1995 shit. Bada$$ brought it back to the 90's with his 1999 mixtape. Now he enlists Smoke DZA and Big K.R.I.T. for some grimy street shit. All three come correct but it's K.R.I.T. that outshines the competition. Love hip-hop like this.

Song of the Day

Demigodz - "Dead In The Middle"
I'm sorry, did you say you wanted more new Demigodz? I thought so. Here's the latest video. This album is going to be fire. March 5th, hurry up!

Song of the Day

Demigodz - "Summer Of Sam"
Meant to post this song last week, but went back and listened to it again today and it's just ridiculous. Demigodz Killmatic is set to drop on March 5 and I couldn't be more excited. Apathy kicks things off which is only fitting and every MC absolutely kills it on this track.

Song of the Day

Aesop Rock - "Crows 1"
Going to see Aesop in concert on Friday. Can't wait for that shit. So in the meantime I went back and listened to Skelethon last week and forgot just how dope this song is. The production is terrific, the vocals that open the song are haunting and then of course Aesop just drops gem after gem. You need to sit and listen to absorb it all, but that's typical for an Aesop track.

Song of the Day

Blu, R.A. The Rugged Man & Tristate - "Thelonius King"
Just saw this shit on Hiphopsite and had to peep the video. This song is grimy as hell. All three come correct, but I think I'm feeling Tristate's verse the most which surprised me because I've been a big fan of R.A. for a decade-plus and Blu has been one of my favorites since Below The Heavens. This song screams underground and the beat can't be messed with. Really glad I clicked the link for this video.

Song of the Day

Murs & 9th Wonder - "It's Over"
Got to listen to a double dose of Murs yesterday with Murs & Fashawn's This Generation and Murs & 9th Wonder's The Final Adventure. I've enjoyed the Murs and 9th collabo albums and it's a little sad to realize that they won't be making more albums together. This is the closing track off their final chapter and it's really dope. The first verse deals with an ex, the second is about former friends and the final verse recaps Murs and 9th's history together. Gotta say I love the way they closed out the song, the album and their partnership.

Song of the Day

Xzibit - "1983"
I told you I'm trying to play catch up on albums and the next on the list was Xzibit's Napalm. It far exceeded my expectations. It's not Xzibit's best effort, but since he hasn't put out a project in quite some time I wasn't sure what to expect. I need to give it another listen to determine if it's Top 10 material for 2012, but this song is certainly a winner. Real talk and heartfelt lyrics from Mr. X to the Z. Xzibit breaks down the past few years of his career as well as his family relationships.

Song of the Day

Skyzoo feat. Freeway - "Pockets Full"
Just finished Skyzoo's A Dream Deferred (told you I was behind on music). It got really solid reviews and it's a good album, but I thought it got a little redundant at times. Sky is a really dope lyricist and his production is always tight, but I'd love to see him switch up his flow a little from time to time and his hooks all sound the same. That being said, I still do like his music and this was a standout on his latest. Freeway joins to rip the second verse and I love the Biggie sample at the beginning of the song. That shit got me invested immediately.

Song of the Day

Ab-Soul - "The Book Of Soul"
Yes, I'm back. I never planned to leave, but I have over 15 albums to get caught up on so I've been trying to dive into that while juggling the Holidays and everything. Best of 2012 will be late because I have to play catch up, but I'm excited about the music I've heard lately. Finally, finally got into the Ab-Soul disc, Control System. This song is so damn dope. Ab discusses his seven-year relationship with the love of his life before she passed. "You used to say I could see the future, but you were wrong because you were in it." That shit hits hard. Ab continues to spit, "Everything I love the most gets taken away, my momma and music is next/And if that happens before I turn 28, then I'm going out with Curt Kobain." The jazzy instrumental matches Ab's mood perfectly as he shows just how introspective a lyricist he is.