Wu-Tang 2013

By Ru1

With the Wu's sixth studio album set to drop later this year, 2013 has already witnessed some insane Shaolin mastery.

Czarface, the collaboration album between Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric, is already on many people's record of the year lists. It was difficult to choose just the one track off this expansive record, but we've settled for Cement 3s featuring a sick Shaolin'style beat by 7L.

Cement 3's




Earlier this year Ghostface and Adrian Younge combined to produce one of those concept albums that will stand the test of time. 12 Reasons to Die combines Ghostface's lyricial virtuosity with Adrian Younge's masterful compositions. Set in 1960s Italy, Tony Starks fights against a crime organization in an intrictate plot including a love story with the kingpin's daughter. The album definitely deserves multiple listens! Here we feature The Rise of the Ghostface Killah featuring Masta Killa and Killa Sin.

Rise of the Ghostface Killah





Although not released to much fanfare, Killah Priest's latest full length offering,  The Psychic World of Walter Reed, features KP in fine fettle. Cosmic lyrics are accompanied by cosmic beats in this gem of a record.

Ps. how sick would a Killah Priest/Jay Electronica collab be??

New Reality

R.A The Rugged Man - Legends Never Die

By Ru1

Having now listened to Legends Never Die twice over, I can almost forgive R.A. the Rugged Man for taking almost ten years to release his sophomore LP. It is truly a unique and original album that captures R.A.'s technical prowess and lyrical capability in equal measure. The beats are generally of a high standard with Mr Green hitting the mark multiple times. The feats are also spot on with the likes of Talib Kweli and  Masta Ace laying down some memorable verses.


Bang Boogie




Learn Truth feat. Talib Kweli

Best Albums and Mixtapes of 2011 - Hip Hop's Finest Speak

Courtesy of XXL, rappers and djs talk about their favourite albums and mixtapes of 2011:

Relapse - Fresh thoughts off the first listen

Yes, we're going to do it differently. There's hundreds of reviews and free downloads of Relapse available online...but we're going to review it fresh off the first spin of the album on Spotify. Call it freestlye reviewing lovely people...

So, the first thought that strikes your mind is fu*k me it's been four years but he hasn't lost his flow. The absolutely breathtaking rhyme juggling on all tracks keeps you focused on his insane lyrics throughout the minutes of the album. Is there anyone out there who can match him??

The second thought is insane. Slim Shady has always been a crazy one, but on Relapse Em takes his alter ego to the next level. He is fully aware of this, couldn't care less and has some hardcore explicit in your face fun with it. True parental advisory horror sh*t, you're warned (just in case you weren't expecting this)

The third thought is the beats. Yes it's Dre, yes of course they're good...but I don't know. Was expecting something more evolved here to carry that mad twisting flow of his.

To wrap it up, I really had no idea what to expect. What I got was an evolved top of the class flow, fun rhymes, the same ol Em lyrics (with maybe more of a drug swing this time round) and Dre's beats. It ain't new or innovative, but it ain't bad at all. Simple true hardcore headbangin Eminem rap. Go and buy it, he still is one of the best.

The Perfect 50 Cent Album - Part 2

By KNL

Track: Gunz Come Out

Album: The Massacre

Why?

Simple really. Listen to the beat and feel the sheer aggressiveness of it. Then couple such dopeness with Mr Angry himself and you got a sure fire banger. Produced by the good doctor, it leaves no guesses as to who was behind the boards. Whilst the track may be pretty mindless in certain aspects, this is essentially what 50 does best *anything is better than one of the ladies *. The chorus is also undeniably a catchy one, go on try to stop yourself from humming along…!

Killer Opening Lines:

“I do this all the time, stuck with a little shine/ Walk with a little nine, case I get in a bind/ They say I'm fuckin' crazy, they think I'm out my mind/ Cause I'm down to bust a nigga head all the time…”

Track: I’m Supposed to Die Tonight

Album: The Massacre

Why?

Here 50 takes us into dark scenery and it almost seems like a movie coming out of your stereo. The track on its own is bare and pretty ordinary as an instrumental, it’s Curtis who managed to add an undeniable magic from the catchy hook to the haunting lines, showing the bare truth of what goes on behind the glitz and glamour. Listening to this track puts you in the same mind frame that Many Men did on Get Rich…it seems 50 has never had to stop watching his back.

Killer Opening Lines:

“This is nothin' new, I been in the position before

Grandma crib, niggas outside of her door

Different day, same shit, old mac, new clip

Thirty two hollow tips, gloves, no rubber grip

I'm a boss, but niggas never show no respect

I catch 'em slippin', I have 'em tongue kissin' my tec

Wanna come, test me, pussy boy don't try it

Police response never fast enough to shots fired”

And now on to Curtis, by far 50’s biggest disappointment…musically and commercially. But nonetheless there’s some shit on there that’s worth taking note of.

Track: Ayo Technology

Album: Curtis

Why?

Yeah I know it’s a Justin collabo, but don’t deny you weren’t feeling it before you had to hear it 3 million times everywhere you went. Timbaland backed 50 with a superstar collabo that was guaranteed to be a success. Hate it or love it, the clubs love 50 and he’s going to need to keep up the pace with his commercial fans and what better than another sure fire collabo backed by a fine beat ready to hit the clubs and make 50 even more of a household name. 

Killer Opening Lines: (Not really such a killer thought…)

“She work it girl, she work the pole

She break it down, she take it low

She fine as hell, she about the dough

She doing here thing out on the floor

Her money money, she makin’ makin’

Look at the way she shakin’ shakin’

Make you want to touch it, make you want to taste it

Have you lustin for her, go crazy face it…”

Track: Man Down

Album: Curtis

Why?

So I hear 50’s coming back hard right? Those joints with Premo etc seem to see him checking his past and coming back to what made him famous…bullet proof gangster shit! And so why not push the boundaries yet again by referencing things most rappers today are too scared to put in their lyrics. This track was so explicit even the Parental Advisory labelled album had to have it censored. With references to murdering police officers, this track is almost impossible to find in uncensored form…I have it though, and trust me the kid doesn’t know when to stop!

Killer Opening Lines:

“These cocksucking police got it in for me

They flash their lights the wanna rough me up

Frisk me find my burner, then cuff me up

But history repeats itself, they never learn

The Unit’s the new people who gon be able to burst

Huh, we’ll find out when niggaz let off the rounds

And this partner screamin officer down…”

Track: 187

Album: Curtis

Why?

Because it’s the same generic hardcore shit that 50 does best, honestly the beat is fire thanks to Havoc and takes us way back to the old 50 once again. Shame the lyrics weren’t on point, but I wanna see something like this as an album filler rather than the throwaway beats 50 tends to pick these days. Lyrically this was quite a bit better than the rest of the Curtis album…with all the time Before I Self Destruct is taking, let’s hope to see something along the lines of tracks like this!

Killer Opening Lines:

“I was a snotty nose, nappy head, dirtball nigga

Sayin I can't wait 'til I get a little bigger

After niggaz jumped me, bumpin my head

Thinkin I wish I had a gun I fill a nigga with lead

Took a kitchen knife to [censored] fin' to poke me a nigga

Wishin I had a gun so I could smoke me a nigga

Sold my first five quarter gram pieces in the alley

Where Bizzy had the Bondeville and Kev had the Caddy

Now those were the days, when crime really paid

The nine milli sprayed, I got the fuck out the way

From shootout to shootout, the bricks went fast

Robberies went bad, niggaz got blast”

The Perfect 50 Cent Album - Part 1

By KNL

Ok so you don’t need to be a genius to work out that 50 Cent has an album coming out soon. With numerous freestyles and admittedly hot promotional tracks circling the internet and radio, there is much talk of the old 50 being back.

Now as much as this would be appreciated, we gotta wonder if Mr Cent can really capture that gutter-appeal magic he graced us with when he first hit the scene…some of us are sceptical, but for the most part we’re hopeful. To celebrate the fact that Mr 2 Quarters is returning to old form, I’ve decided to go back and revisit his old albums and pick the best cuts to construct my own perfect 50 cent album! I’m going to start with his pre-‘Get Rich’ days and then finish off with his last effort, “Curtis”…so let’s see what it would take to make me really Self Destruct!

Track: F*** You

Album: Guess Who’s Back

Why?

With 50’s back to the wall and constant criticism of how he’s fallen off, not to mention the fact that G-Unit’s sales have been really shit, whilst losing out in sales to foes Kanye and Wayne…what better way to strike back by putting up a middle finger and just spitting straight aggressive bars at the competition? This has got be one of my all-time favourite tracks from any artist, never mind 50 cent…it combined thoughtful and deep lyrics with a typically testosterone filled aggression that 50 Cent has become famous for. There is no better way for 50 Cent to bite back at critics and enemies alike than by saying these very simply 2 words. And even if the lyrics aren’t incredible, the flow is undoubtedly one of the best we have ever seen from the rapper you love to hate.

Killer Opening Lines:

“Either I’m tripping off of ecstacy, or I can feel the world turning/ I’m having flashbacks, I can feel the shells burning/ Coming up, I was taught never back down/ That’s why I act the way I act now/Hold the Mack Down…”

Track: Heat

Album: Get Rich or Die Trying

Why?

In my opinion, this is when we see 50 Cent at his best. He may sound clumsy on a love track, and he may look stupid when trying to relate to a pop audience…but when it comes to ‘shoot em up’ appeal, he fits his acclaimed niche nicely. This track was perfect before he spat bars, purely down to the fact the good Dr. Dre was behind the boards…50 Cent however managed to kill this track with some suitably hardcore lyrics that did this beat justice. I want to see this track so he can remind us of how good his story telling techniques once were, and how he was able to do an Andre Young beat pure justice. The track Heat is pure fire!! (no pun intended)

Killer Opening Lines:

“Keep thinking I’m caine/ Till your skull get popped/ And your brain come out the top/ Like Jack in the Box/ In the hood, summer time is the killing season/ It’s hot out this bitch, that’s a good enough reason/ I see gangsters get religious when they start bleeding/ Saying Lord Jesus help me…coz they’re ass leaking…”

Track: Life’s On the Line

Album: Get Rich or Die Trying

Why?

So I hear Lil Wayne recently mentioned Fifty in one of his tracks? Let me ask you something interesting…if we saw the old 50, the one that super-hoed Ja-Rule, do you think Weezy even stands a chance if the 50-cent of old is let out the cage? I severely doubt it. This is not only one of my favourite 50 tracks, it’s one of my favourite diss records period. How can you not love the aggressive lines, catchy hook and the way he almost seems to toy with the idea of fucking with Ja-Rule as if it really means nothing to him. With the beef with Ricky Ross getting more serious, Kanye being a constant thorn in the side and Lil Wayne referencing him yet again, we need a track like this to set the tone once again. Come on Fiddy, get them gloves out!!

Killer Opening Lines:

“I came into rap humbly/ I don't give a fuck now I'll serve anybody like niggas who hustle uptown/ The coke price go up/ Cats just come down/ The D's run in my crib/ I'm nowhere to be found/ Niggas who hustle for me/ They don't even stash cracks/ They keep it on 'em/ Right there in they ass crack/ I don't like a nigga/ I don't pretend to/ I'll Have the paramedics wrappin' your fuckin' head like a Hindu”

Track: In Da Club

Album: Get Rich of Die Trying

Why?

Look we’re not stupid, 50 needs to hit commercial success too whilst keeping hip hop fans at bay, and with nemesis Wayne currently hitting billboard charts with hits such as A Millie and Lollipop, he needs to find something that will appeal to as many people as possible. He needs Dr. Dre. He needs to get back in the club. To be honest, 50 cent hasn’t been able to recreate such a club anthem since this track (Out of Control remix came close). He was still talking tough, but he was being cheeky and chilled at the same time. The most played out song of all played out songs is still a classic in any club you bump it in, face it Wayne/Fat Joe/Camron/Nas/Rick Ross (who was ‘working’ in prisons at the time) you were all rubbing yourself over this when it came on. 

Killer Opening Lines:

“When I pull up out front, you see the Benz on dubs/ When I roll 20 deep, it’s 20 knives in the club/ Niggas heard I fuck with Dre, now they wanna show me love/ When you sell like Eminem you get plenty of groupie love..”

Track: Many Men

Album: Get Rich or Die Trying

Why?

Given 50’s clear history of violence, Many Men set the tone of 50’s struggle and a constant sense of dangerous living thanks to a brilliant beat and catchy but depressing hook. On the track 50 cent bites back at his enemies and gives a peak of life from the eyes of the man behind the gun. It would be nice to hear the same deep 50 come back, especially if the moral of “more money, more problems” is true because we all know he’s got shit loads of the good stuff. Come on 50, let us in to what’s going on in your mind again…

Killer Opening Lines:

“Now these pussy niggaz putting money on my head/ Go on and get your refund motherfucker, I ain't dead/ I'm the diamond in the dirt, that ain't been found/ I'm the underground king and I ain't been crowned…”

Track: In My Hood

Album: The Massacre

Why? 

I gotta be fair to 50, I didn’t think the Massacre was such a bad album, it just had some really shitty cuts lying here and there (Candy Shop, Disco Inferno et al)…but dig deep and skip the commercial hits and you will find that the Curtis never left. In My Hood is a deep and provocative track that gives you a sneak peak into Southside Queens and the many ills and tragedies that occur in his native hood. Despite the modern content, the beat is absolutely incredible giving it an old gangster like feel. The lyrics are on point and it seemed 50 needed this track to remind us just where he came from, I wanna see him shout out Queens again. Not in the LL Cool J way (irrelevant), but in the Nas way…and this is the way to do it. Go ahead and represent.

Killer Opening Lines:

“I'm from Southside mothafucka, where the gats explode/ If you feel like you on fire, boy drop and roll/ niggas'll heat ya ass up cause they heart turns cold/ Now you can be a victim or you can lock and load…”


Part 2 coming soon...

The 8 Most Unlikely Hip Hop Albums

Image Credit

TheRapBuzz is back, yes, yes , yes. It's been a crazy few months of mad random chaos for our hungry team of writers...but the excruciatingly long wait is finally over (aight) and good ol' KNL is riding our pages again with another one of his sparkiling written gems...The 8 Most Unlikely Hip Hop Albums....word people, more to come. Over to KNL...

With the ludicrous acts that seem to pop up every single day in the world of urban music, this post, was, kind of...inevitable.

50 Cent and Ja Rule – Curtis Atkins (The Duet Edition)

Following their troubled past and their heated battle, 50 Cent finally reaches out to his Southside native resident and decides to form a Jay & Nas like truce to end the long standing feelings and resurrect Ja Rule’s career. With Ja signed to G-Unit, 50 Cent pushes this album forward and comes up with something for the ladies with this auto-tune free album. The cleverly named “Curtis Atkins” Duet Edition features the pair singing like they’ve never quite sang before...

 

Memphis Bleak – Greatest Hits

Enough said really. An album ready for the bargain bin at your nearest supermarket. Is there even a solo ‘hit’ to put on there? (ah harsh KNL, harsh - editor's note of the day)

 

Lil Wayne and Baby – Lick my Lollipop

After the runaway success that was the auto-tune crazed Lollipop, Weezy decides that it just simply isn’t enough and claims in an online interview that, “Even after our kiss….even after we did that shit on screen, even after that Lollipop tune…enough people still didn’t get that the song was about me wanting to get on a Lollipop…it puzzles me how y’all so thick these days…” Following these comments, Weezy quickly released The Carter 19.5 and then announced a follow up album that would be a Homo-Rock-Pop-Singing-Rnb-HipHop-Album featuring mentor Baby. The witty titled Lick my Lollipop album featured hits such as “A Millie (before taxes Remix)” and “Don’t get too Comfortable (in my tight jeans)”.

 

LL Cool J and Dr. Dre – Botox

Following the superb Detox album, and the rather shit Exit 13 album from Dre and LL respectively, the duo decided to pair up and make a joint effort due to their shared love of fitness regimes, pills and questionable alterations in physique/facial attributes. The Botox album features Dre mostly behind the boards, but not without a few LL ghostwritten tracks, however it’s mostly LL who graces the mic. Hits on this album include “I’m Still D.R.E (even though you don’t recognise me)”, “Let’s Get Botox” and “Calling Dr. Dre to Surgery (for LL’s Botox)”.

 

DMX – Who Am I?

DMX has had his fair share of shit to deal with over the past year or so, but his return to form has been marked by this credible album aptly named “Who Am I?”. Whilst the name at first enchanted and attracted fans into a possible insight of why DMX had been acting as he had; it was in fact just an album with 12 tracks featuring DMX asking who he was. With great lyrics such as “Who Am I (WHAT!) Am I a Man, Am I a Dog? (WHAT!) I don’t know who I am. But I know that I can bark (ARGH!)” 11 Songs all questioning Damian’s identity must have been puzzling for fans, but there are some gems such as “Who Am I?” “Where Am I?” “How Did I Get Here” and “I’m Arrested Again.”

 

Rick Ross – Diary of a Correctional Officer / Big Time Drug Dealer Guy

Following much of the controversy around Ross’s troubled past, Ricky decided to market the whole thing and document it on an album. Diary of shows Rick Ross’s life story moving as a humble correctional officer onto a drug kingpin with ties to the most powerful people in the game. Hot cuts include “Everyday I’m Struggling”, “I’m Still Fat, no Lying” and “Thug Dietician (feat. Young Jeezy)”

 

Young Jeezy – Global Warming

Quick to grab the latest trends, Jeezy knew where he was going with this one. Having heard enough bout the Recession and naming his last album after it, Jeezy releases “Global Warming” in an effort to raise awareness on the issue. Hot tracks include “My President is Black, My Lambo Pollutes” and “Pricey (Gasoline remix)” and the club anthem “I Put Out” featuring and aptly named by Kanye West in his attempt to finally push the final boundaries of homophobia in Hip Hop.

 

Fat Joe & R Kelly – Elephant in the Closet

Thanks to recent successes on both parts, Fat Joe teams up with Kells on this surefire hit album featuring Joey spitting rhymes and Kelly singing hooks. Reminiscent of the Best of Both Worlds album, Fat Joe seeks to take his storytelling abilities to the levels possessed by R Kelly. The title track, Elephant in the Closet was hyped to involve a story revolving around Joey watching drama unfold from behind a closer door. It was in fact, a story of how Fat Joe walked into a closet but could not get out; R Kelly puts it so well in his verse “So I said what the hell you doing in there…Joey said he was stuck…I said why did you go in there…Joey said, what the fuck? Why you asking all these damn questions mayne…just hurry up and call the Fire Brigade…."

Nas, The Roots and Just Blaze Remix Nat King Cole

This is beautiful. Some of the best hip hop artists and producers coming together to remix Nat King Cole, each in their own style. Nas, Will.i.am, Cee-Lo, The Roots, Cut Chemist and Just Blaze have all participated in the project, Re:Generations, to be released March 10th.

And it goes beyond the music, with graffiti artist Man One also making his contribution by adding a visual element to the effort. All supported by Nat's daughter, Carole Cole: "we want to musically and visually bridge the so-called generation gap and hopefully create mutual admiration and respect between teens, parents, and grands of every culture" Way to go.

This is definitely a fantastic way to introduce newer generations to some of the musical gems of the past by adding a modern and unique twist to them. And also, it showcases creative sampling and remixing as a true art form, something that as beatmakers we are obsessed about...

Intro to the album below, tracks can be heard here...not to be missed people

Via HipHopDX

New! NOTORIOUS Soundtrack soon to be released by Bad Boy

You'll have heard about the recent move premiere, but we now have details on the soundtrack that will follow on Jan 13th.  It will feature unreleased demos and new tracks from Jay-Z, Jadakiss and Christopher Wallace himself...

The Kanye West produced and Jay-Z single, "Brooklyn Go Hard" is already available online (track below) and if it's anything to go by, this soundtrack should blow us away. Jay-Z is tight as always and the obsessive vocal sample (btw, starting to see a bit of a trend here, a milli, swagga like us etc...) on Kanye's beat carries forward another modern Brooklyn anthem.

Full tracklist below, and if you're in the US you can get your hands on this on Jan 13th (lucky people...)

1.  Notorious Thugs (Featuring Bone Thugs N Harmony)

2.  Hypnotize

3.  Notorious (Featuring Lil' Kim and Puff Daddy)

4.  Juicy

5.  Party & Bullsh**

6.  Warning

7.  One More Chance/ Stay With Me Remix

8.  Brooklyn Go Hard (Performed by Jay-Z, Featuring Santogold)

9.  Letter to B.I.G. (Performed by Jadakiss, Featuring Faith Evans)

10. Kick In The Door

11. What's Beef

12. The World Is Filled (Featuring Too Short and Puff Daddy)

13. One More Chance/ The Legacy (Remix)

    (Featuring CJ Wallace and Faith Evans)

14. The Notorious Theme (Composed by Danny Elfman)

15. Microphone Murderer (Demo)

16. Guaranteed Raw (Demo)

17. Love No Ho (Original Demo Version

 

The RZA - Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Ah this is going to be cool...this is going to knock us out of our chairs...RZA taking care of soundtrack production duties again on series 2 of probably the best Japanese anime in the world, featuring collaborations with Sly Stone, members of the Wu, Kool G Rap and Rah Digga. Damn...

Out on Jan 27th, series 2 soundtrack tracklisting and "Who da Man" from the 2007 series 1 soundtrack below. If this is anything to go by, "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" will blow us away.

1.   Combat (Afro Season II Open Theme) - RZA; P. Dot

2.   You Already Know - Kool G Rap; Inspectah Deck; Suga Bang

3.   Blood Thicker Than Mud "Family Affair" - Reverand William Burke; Sly Stone; Stone Mecca

4.   Whar - Kool G Rap; Ghostface Killah; Tash Mahogany; RZA

5.   Girl Samurai Lullaby - Rah Digga; Stone Mecca

6.   Fight for You - Thea Van Seijen

7.   Bitch Gonna Get Ya' - Rah Digga

8.   Bloody Days Bloody Nights - Prodgical Sunn; Thea Van Siejen

9.   Kill Kill Kill - Rugged Monk

10. Nappy Afro - Boy Jones

11. Bloody Samurai - Black Knights; Dexter Wiggles; Thea Van Seijen

12. Dead Birds - Killah Priest; Prodgical Sunn; Shavo

13. Arch Nemesis - Ace; Moe Rock

14. Brother's Keeper - Reverand William Burke; The RZA; Infinite

15. Yellow Jackets - Ace; Moe Rock

16. Take the Sword pt. III - 60 Second Assassin; Leggezin; Crisi; Christ Bearer; Rugged Monk; Tré Irie; Kinetic; Reverand William Burks; Bobby Digital

17. Number One Samurai (Afro Season II Outro) - The RZA ; 9th Prince

Snoop Dogg - Xmas...

Ehm...right

J Black feat Snoop "Xmas" released exclusively on MySpace music, check it out here

This is the first single from the upcoming holiday album, "Snoop Dogg presents Christmas in tha Dogg House".

While it's undeniably cool that the single has been released as a preview on MySpace, we're not quite so sure about the track. J Black does his thing singing about the "lovely xmas feeling" on a synth and sax "relax me while I sip my mulled wine" beat...but Snoop rapping (in the last 30 seconds of the track) about Santa and xmas trees??

Maybe we're bad people and we don't get this xmas hip hop stuff...but this ain't the mf'ing snoop we have loved since 93...!

Oh well, lets wait for Christmas in tha Dogg House. It'll also feature the Dogg Pound, and Kurupt wearing a red nose...

One love  ;-)

EPMD - We Mean Business Free Sampler

Oh yes they're back. Rapping from the crowd into Erick Sermon's mic while the duo were performing "Da Joint" was probably a monumentally life changing experience for us young enthusiastic bboyz (ah, memory lane).

Anyhow, album came out on the 9th of Dec. Check out the sampler (right click and save as), an initial listen definitely promises hotness. There's still that Erick Sermon raw funk in the beats and in 2009 they still sound crazy fresh. Would've been tempting for them to go down the fashionable electro/dance rap/rnb route, but the E has kept it more than real. Call us nostalgic (yes, we grew up in the 80's) but if you miss the 90's sound with an EPMD twist, this album is out there waiting for you.

Download the full sampler now, or check out Yo feat. Redman below

Emeritus - Face is back!

Finally the new Scarface album has dropped!

Although not a classic like ‘The Untouchable’ or ‘The Fix’, Scarface stays on point throughout the offering with tight rhymes and his perfect flow. Tracks like ‘Can’t Get Right’, ‘Still Here’, ‘It’s Not A Game’, ‘High Note,’ and ‘We Need You’ stand out from the rest in my opinion, especially the beats.

Overall ‘Face once again produces another good effort and it’s definitely a creeper, growing on me after each listen. One thing’s for sure, if he’s really gonna stick to his decision to retire then the game has lost another great one…but lets hope he’ll do a Jay-z on us!