I'm Black In College

If you know me, you know I'm not really into this new guy named Asher Roth and despise his new single 'I Love College' which is so uncreative lyrically it hurts. By far my most hated lyric is:

I am champion at beer pong
Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon

First of all, I bet Hakeem The Dream would suck at beer pong. His numerous post moves would be pointless. And Iverson would find a way to bring down his team. He would just be playing by himself chucking like there is no tomorrow. What I'm saying is Asher Roth and his single 'I Love College' are just not for me and the concept of a subgenre titled 'frat rap' is just terrifying. 

Luckily, a young artist named Front Page has taken the hit single and put it to good use in his remix titled 'I'm Black In College'. He takes a pretty serious issue and makes it funny which isn't easy. What makes this track all the more enjoyable is it applies so well to my alma mater Kalamazoo College. 

Can I graduate?

Or do you just want to keep me here the rest of my life?

Front Page- I'm Black In College

Heathen

A little while back, I posted a few tracks from Nickelus F in which he rhymed over some Portishead songs. Those songs were what peaked my interest in him, but he has grabbed my attention with his most recent release titled Heathen. A big part of hip-hop is being authentic and despite the increasing commercialism of the genre, it is still almost always grounded in reality and stays away from abstract lyrics that speak of abstract topics. However, while every artist tries to seem authentic, shockingly few are. 

This became incredibly apparent when it was revealed that Rick 'Officer' Ross was a former correctional officer. While I don't think all hip-hop artists have to be held to the reality of their own lives, it seems that if you are going to make personal boasts (as Rick Ross did when he referred to his cocaine peddling days) they should be rooted in some form of reality. Mainly I just love the many awesome photoshop pictures that have come from the Rick Ross correctional officer fiasco. 

Despite many hip-hop fans coming to the shocking realization that many rappers most likely have not led the lives that directly correspond to their lyrics, Nickelus F is incredibly believable throughout Heathen. Albums that are honest are often albums that are very personal. Therefore, it comes of no surprise that the best albums are ones that convince the listener that they are listening to an accurate portrayal of the artists personal life. Maybe image matters after all.

Nickelus F- Be Good

Nickelus F- Prideful

Nickelus F Heathen

Amazing

Wait, is this a Planet Earth video? Apparently Kanye and Hype Williams teamed up to shoot the new video for his song 'Amazing' in Hawaii and what resulted is another great video from Kanye. When most artists release a video at this point in time I usually don't get too excited about it. The era in music in which a great video was essential to go along with a great song are over, but Kanye always seems to come out with something new and original that no one else is doing in hip-hop. Not only is the video something new, but apparently Kanye is also trying to keep his ego in check. Now that would be something really new. Frankly, if he keeps making songs like 'Amazing', he can do whatever he wants. 

Kinda Like A Big Deal

I've been waiting on this one for a long time. I can remember checking the internets almost obsessively for this track this past winter during it's rumored release date, which I think was sometime in November. After rumors that Kanye West had Debo'd this track (which were refuted by Clipse) it finally comes to the light of day with lofty expectations in tow. It won't blow you away on first listen, but it's a great song in every aspect.  Contrary to the Malice Brothers past two albums, this isn't a Pharrell beat, instead Khalil does the production but he keeps the empty drums that were so prevalent on some of the tracks off Hell Hath No Fury. Recession rap this is not.  

It's a blessin'

To blow a hundred thou in a recession 

With no second guessin'

Clipse ft. Kanye West- Kinda Like A Big Deal

Oh and this track is unrelated in almost every way except that Mic Luter is also from Chi-town just like Kanye, but this remix is crazy. I've been looking for an excuse to put this up for a while. Mic Luter murders Lupe's 'Dumb It Down' in almost ever way. 

Mic Luter- Dumb It Down (Remix)

Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball

I've been getting back into searching for some old hip-hop classics that have eluded me and one that I have recently been listening a lot to is Main Source Breaking Atoms. Released in 1991, it is a very politically conscious album before the term conscious rapper was invented and before hip-hop was the enormous cultural phenomenon it is today. Many talk of the golden age of hip-hop with incredibly lofty language, and rightfully so. It seems that almost any album released in the late 80's to mid 90's is a classic. But as a result many discount modern hip-hop as entirely commercial. Certainly the game has changed, but not all of it is bad. With it's broader spectrum, this unique musical genre that grew like wildfire out of the Bronx as recently as the 80's has such a large impact. I could go on for days on this topic, but back to this Main Source album. 

By far my favorite song is 'Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball' which places police brutality in terms of the great national past time. In the song they claim the mythical Babe Ruth is a bigot and that the government are the umpires. It's a great analogy when you think about how sports has infiltrated the justice system in the form of the 3 strikes your out policy. Thank God that Major League Baseball didn't go with 3-2 count that I played with in Catholic League High School Baseball or our justice system would be even more messed up. A 2 strikes your out policy would have been even more catastrophic. 

Main Source- Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball

Main Source Breaking Atoms

Playoff Time!

In Detroit, April is by far the greatest sports month. The Pistons and Red Wings start their playoff runs and the Tigers begin their 162 game season. Not being a big hockey fan, my attention is generally turned to Tigers baseball and the Pistons playoff run. While good old FSN Detroit always tries to capture the excitement of Detroit sports in the month of April with their yearly 'April In The D' song contest, these songs always come up extremely short, which isn't much of a surprise. Last year's song was a hard rock song that featured a lead singer that was far too similar to Mystery from the unstoppable reality show 'The Pick-Up Artist'.

While last years April in the D song was a pop-metal romp with brilliant lyrics describing Detroit as a place where 'the boys are hard and the girls are pretty' this years song is equally as disappointing as FSN Detroit went with a softer indie rock snoozer. If you can watch all 2:37 of this I commend you. If you stick around a little bit, you will see one of the brief moments in which Allen Iverson is actually playing in a Pistons uniform. What a surprise, he seems to be dribbling around with no intention of ever passing the ball

At this point I obviously need  somewhere else to turn to for my April themed sports excitement. Luckily, the NBA is great at marketing and usually comes up with something awesome for the playoff time. Usually, there is some disappointing playoff commercial that markets some Hollywood action movie, but this year Kanye West's 'Amazing' is played over various highlights from playoffs past. While my Pistons find themselves in uncharted territory coming in at the 8th seed, if they can beat the Cavs in the first round there season is a success. Either way, it looks like their streak of playoff runs to the Eastern Conference finals is over. Doesn't matter, Lakers win it all this year and Kobe gets his Shaq-less championship. 

The Funk Man

Del Tha Funky Homosapien is an often overlooked west coast rapper. He doesn't exactly fit with the gangsta rap scene that in many ways defines the west coast, but he has made a career out of being totally unique, which is not as easy as it sounds. However, for all of Del's success (see I Wish My Brother George Was Here) he hasn't exactly flooded the market with music. Therefore, the fact that Del is releasing this album, titled The Funk Man, for free on his website makes this Tuesday all the more joyous. He calls it a 'stimulus package' and I usually am wary of free albums thinking can they really be that good if even the artist doesn't deem it necessary to charge. But sure enough, this album is good and has some great tracks. 

By the way, if you happen to be in the Mitten, Del himself will be performing at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on May 5th.

Del Tha Funky Homosapien- Sometimes I Gotta Get Stupid

Del Tha Funky Homosapien- Simple Satisfaction 

Del Tha Funky Homosapien The Funk Man

Road Trip Hip-Hop

I recently drove out to New York City to enjoy my post-college life and a large part of making that 10 hour drive was deciding what to listen to along the way. I already had a playlist of my favorite New York City hip-hop tracks, but needed something a little different for driving through the rocky Appalachians of Pennsylvania. 

Hip-hop in general does not lend itself well to road trips. It's city music and therefore fits in well with city traveling, but I was able to unearth a few that fit well. What's essential is that the track be laid back but not to the point where it puts you to sleep. It's a challenge. 

A real nice song with a long and smooth introduction. This one has a very nice western vibe the could keep you driving through even the most barren of landscapes. 

She Came Along- Kid Cudi (prod. Sharam)

This one is pretty self explanatory. The beat is mesmerizing and keeps you in that driving trance that allows hours to seem like minutes. 

Rollin' (Remix)- Kid Cudi

This is similar to the Rollin' track in that it mesmerizes yet it also motivates. When you destination still seems distant and you think you will never get there, this track will do the trick. 

Ready or Not- The Fugees

Perfect for driving through the countryside. While Del Tha Funky Homosapien had to dream about Sunny Meadows while smoking a little herb, you will be happy to be experiencing the real thing. 

Sunny Meadowz- Del Tha Funky Homosapien

How could the hip-hop hippies of De La Soul not be on this list? The whistles that accompany this song make it unstoppable for joyous road trips. 

Eye Know- De La Soul

Not hip-hop, but one of the all-time great driving tracks. In any setting. Period. 

Pusherman- Curtis Mayfield 

A fine mix of a laid back beat with an uptempo rhyme. Sure to relax you yet keep you up. 

Fat Cats, Bigga Fish- The Coup

A classic track. It's easier to find yourself lost in this song with it's relaxing beat and Common's beautiful lyrics. In my opinion, one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever made. 

I Used To Love H.E.R.- Common