Say what you want about the “Villian”. Love him, hate him, I don’t care MF Doom is still exciting and unique as a hip hop artist. I have loved his brand weirdo cartoon super hero/villain rap for years. He seems to be losing some of his fans and friends because of sending fake Dooms out on concert stages who then are performing to a backing track. Or, just generally being an asshole.
Imagine watching the first guy lip lynch through the whole set and paying $40 to see it.
I have the solution. I think everyone should just boycott his performances and buy his records. I am excited about his new project with one of the most underrated producers in the game Jneiro Jarel called Key To The Kuffs which is slated to drop August 21st. Doom can still rap but has struggled with production when not matched with a major producer like Danger Mouse or Madlib. The producer seem to give him direction, which he doesn’t have when left alone. This should be good. I’m intrigued. Here is the first single, “Banished”. Enjoy.
If you find enjoyment in an extended discussion about this year’s NBA Draft, read this. It is Bill Simmons and Chad Ford doing a mock draft. They do not just pick the players. They are good at entertaining. They are actually good at writing. They are good at sports talking. Unlike some people. It is awesome. Enjoy.
Here or the picture below. Refrain from clicking Noah’s crotch. Grow up!
This is one of my favorite local underground Chicago emcees. Full disclosure, I know this guy. I am pushing him and I don’t care. I am not ashamed. This is my damn blog. Agent Mos, AMS, The King of the Nerds has many names, metaphors, and deep thoughts. I have always loved his delivery and the intricate wordiness of his rhymes. You might need to rewind this track and his other stuff several times to achieve full appreciation. If interested I listed links to get his older stuff. I have truly been looking forward to this new release for several years now. It is called Natural(Influence): The World and What We Made of It and I have no idea when it is going to drop. I hope it doesn’t take 3 years. Enjoy.
Last week I was busy going to see one of my favorite famous people in the world, Conan O’Brien (We’re boys) so I didn’t get a chance to do this segment so I have decided to double the dose today. I have been writing about a lot of Hip Hop lately so here is a bit of a change of pace.
First: System of a Down – “Spiders”.
I loved this band so much because they were so unique. They had political undertones and then later they had political overtones in their songs. I will still get into a mood to listen to them. I give a lot of credit to my brother for purchasing this. Their self-titled album truly did blow my mind (and the speakers on our family van). They are talented and I hear making a comeback. Good for them. Enjoy.
Second: Pantera – “Walk”
I played basketball in my basement on a mini-hoop blaring this song numerous times. It is simple, straightforward, and raw. Not to mention there is an awesome guitar solo. I was taking lessons at the time and really wanted to be able to do this type of stuff (I ended up not practicing ever). I learned then that you can’t be a natural at playing guitar. You have to practice. Rats. Enjoy.
Open Mike Eagle and Danny Brown are two of my favorite emcees. I am extremely happy that these two have worked together. Surprised? Yes. But, very pleased. I do wish this song was 10 minutes longer. They each have one verse which leaves everyone just wanting more. Danny Brown delivers a herky- jerky, slightly tame verse compared to what he has been known to do. Mike does what has made him one of my favorites, he’s clever, political, and cool. “So all the free thinkers can all your hands up!” It’s gloomy and sort of “Doomsday-ish” The synth laced and heavily layered pounding beat is a suitable content of the track and who these rappers are. Again, just upset by the length of the song and hope this is a preview of future things with these 2. 4NML HSPTL LP will be out June 26th. Pre-order here. Here is “Cobra Commander”. Enjoy
My article about: My Life As a Hip Hop Fan coming soon… Here is a taste. Enjoy.
One of the things I did that made me the ultimate “Hip Hop” fan was that I had a subscription to Complex Magazine. I loved seeing what Kanye would wear next. “Holy shit, those glasses don’t have lenses and have been replaced by plastic horizontal lines! Dope!” I liked that it was geared towards the lifestyle. I liked that people I listened to were on the cover.
They did a list of the Top 25 Rappers Under 25. Here is the Top 10 with my insightful (or not) comments. Click on the link below to get the rest.
10. B.O.B. – Weak. Hahaha. I don’t give pop/rappers a lot of credit at all. When he first came onto the scene I was excited for him but he got the taste of what it is like to have some hits ($$$$$$$) so he will never turn back and I don’t blame him.
9. Tyler, the Creator – The worst Twitter follow ever. Pretty good rapper though. I think he and Earl Sweatshirt are really talented young emcees. I know he is controversial and pretty childish. I don’t mind it. In doses.Worst twitter user ever. Ever.
8. Mac Miller – I don’t like him at all. My 20 year old self would call this whack. Me now still calls it whack. I’m not sure why he is this popular. Because he is white?
7. Schoolboy Q – Barely making the list at 25 years old. I am surprised to see him this high. No pun intended. Not that he is bad, I just didn’t realize he was respected like this. He is a member of the Black Hippy crew which gives him a leg up on the rest in my book. Though he will never have a better verse on a song than Kendrick Lamar. He might want to stop doing that.
6. Big Sean – Of the limited stuff I have heard, I am not interested. Why listen to him when he can listen to Kanye who is way better? Same delivery and content. He is at an advantage because of good production. No thanks.
5. Wiz Khalifa – He is the “weed” rapper of his generation. It is really not my thing but I can see what he is popular. I like his hair.
4. Meek Mill – Party emcee. Not my style. I have never been a big fan of this type of music. Sorry.
3. Kendrick Lamar – It is no surprise that I love this guy. I have written and posted about him several times. I think that he is the most talented and exciting emcee to come out in a very long time (See Wale). Section .80 was chalked full of standout tracks but did have a couple of duds. I am excited for his proper release and I think he is too talented to disappoint with it like some have in the past (see Wale).
(This is a perfect example of why I am excited)
2. A$AP Rocky– He sounds like he is from the South. He raps about things that Southern rappers rap about. However, he’s from Harlem. He has charisma. He has confidence. (Don’t use “swag”, don’t use “swag”, don’t use “swag”) Honestly I think his best feature as an artist is picking his beats. I don’t think he is the most talented or creative rapper, but he links up with guys that make the most creative sounds. That is why he is famous. The verses on “Peso” will do the job, but that is a production hit. A masterpiece.
1. Mr. T – O.G. He is awesome.
I do not get this magazine anymore but I do enjoy this list. I can see a young Bojan still liking it. I think they do a nice job giving love to those emcees that aren’t the most popular but are the up and coming and extremely talented. If you look at the list you can see that this genre is not dead. It has some youth and these kids are good. Enjoy.
First of all I am very upset by the Bulls not being in this championship. When I did my picks for the playoffs I had everything correct except for the Bulls (My picks were made pre-Derrick Rose injury). I am not bragging, I guess I am just frustrated by the whole situation. Damn!
Moving on…
VS.
Say what you will about the Miami Heat, but they have responded. Chris Bosh went out in that Indiana Pacers series and they responded. In games 4,5,6 they completely dominated the Pacers and even though everyone wanted it to happen, they did not lose. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade both had monster moments at different moments throughout. When the Celtics series started 2-0 I truly thought that this was going to be a sweep. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett played awesome and the Celtics gave the Heat a scare. The ESPN coverage was trying to convince everyone that the Heat were done and there was in-fighting in the locker room. It was 3-2 Celtics going to back to Boston. Then, LeBron “The Chosen One” James happened. He scored 30 points in the first half of game 6 and the Celtics could never recover. I honestly think that he could do that almost any game he wants. Cleveland days style. He must realize that he is the best player on that team and just take over.
The Thunder who just looked out of place in the Western Conference finals in the first 2 games also fought back. They looked out-classed by a San Antonio Spurs team that was unbelievable in games 1 and 2. The Spurs were hitting shots at home at an alarming rate. They shot 55% in Game 2! It just seemed like the Thunder had once again, like last year, run into a buzz saw. Then the Spurs went cold, Thabo Sefolosha locked down Tony Parker, and the Thunder just exploded. In game 3, the Thunder looked like the tiger to the Spurs elephant. OKC looked young, energetic, and hungry(Not Boris Diaw looking hungry). They just ended up making all of the clutch shots they needed to make. The Spurs played good defense on James Harden and Kevin Durant on both of those clutch shots, they just made them. I for one and glad they one. I don’t know if I could have taken the flop-fest that Ginobili vs. Wade would have been.
Now we have a “dream match-up” for the fans and one, David Stern. I bet he was going crazy when LeBron dropped the hammer on Boston in game 6. This has the potential to be an incredibly enjoyable series. I think both of these team pose mach-up problems for each other. I think they are both really good. I think they are both fun to watch.
(Raising the Roof with joy)
I will break this down into 5 key components that will decide the series. Enjoy.
#5 – Officiating
I know, I know, the conspiracy theorist. Not really. While watching the Spurs/Thunder game 6(terrible calls against the Spurs) and Heat/Celtics game 2(terrible calls against the Celtics) I realized how important NBA refs can be. They can completely and utterly shape the game and often, they outcome. The Thunder thrive on running and gunning from the outside. They are essentially a jump shot reliant team. The Heat are just the opposite. Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are at their best when attacking the rim. They will test the Thunder big men when they put them in a pick-and-roll situation or by just getting past their defender one-on-one. This in turn will put pressure on the officials. If they call every body bump, the Thunder will lose. When these calls are made also makes a huge difference. If they are called in the 4th quarter down the stretch might make the difference in the series. I think this is a huge advantage to the Heat. Not because of some David Stern/officials conspiracy but because their style of play is more aggressive than the Thunder’s. The officials will be under a lot of pressure in the series.
#4- Chris Bosh vs. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins
Chris Bosh looked pretty good in game 7 the other night against the Celtics. I know he got 9 of his 19 points off of inexplicable 3’s. I also know he is always the guy who people consider the 3rd wheel in the “Big Three”, but he is vital to their success in the finals. If Bosh is hitting his 15 footer and is able to get those two big guys out of the paint, the Heat will win. If Ibaka and Perkins can stay out of foul trouble and inside the paint on defense, the Thunder will win. I have a feeling you will see a lot of ball-screening involving LeBron and Bosh to try and open up that area around the basket.
#3 – The Others
As the TNT crew always says, “The others are the key”. James Harden played awful in the first 2 games against the Spurs. It is no surprise that the Thunder struggled. He is not a great defender so when he had to try and hold Manu, he sucked. It wasted too much of his energy. Against the Heat he will need to be the 6th Man of the Year if the Thunder want to win. The Thunder “others” must outplay the Heat “others”, and they should. Harden, Collison, Sefolosha, Ibaka, and Fisher vs. Chalmers, Haslem, Battier, and Cole. Huge advantage OKC. This might win the championship for the Thunder. I know stars decide the game, but the supporting cast allow those stars to get a rest and perform in the clutch down the stretch.
#2 – Russell Westbrook vs. Russell Westbrook
When Russell Westbrook realizes that he is impossible to stay in front of for 48 minutes, the Thunder are unbeatable. He is an incredible scorer and finisher. But, he gets lost. He forgets that he plays with Kevin Durant who has a mismatch against his defender every single trip down the court. When Westbrook gets going he can be the best player on the court. In my opinion he is the best scoring point guard in the league and probably the best since Allen Iverson. His ability to fly around people and finish at the basket is amazing. I know people say things like Derrick Fisher and Shane Battier are the “X factors”, but honestly to win a championship, Westbrook is. No one on this Heat team can guard him. I scoff at the suggestion of Norris Cole. If Westbrook can stay focused on his role as a scorer but also not forget that he also has a lot of talent around him, the Thunder will win.
#1 – LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant
ESPN loves billing the two superstars as the real match-up. It is almost never “Heat vs. Thunder”. It is “James vs. Durant”. Well, in this case they are correct. These guys will make the difference in who will hold up the trophy in the end. They are superstars. One the MVP and one the scoring champ. LeBron showed that when it is needed he can still take over during that Celtics series. I don’t think the Thunder has anyone that can guard him if he stays aggressive the whole game. I think Sefolosha, Harden, Ibaka, and possibly Durant will guard him at various times. LeBron is a mismatch, but one of his major problems is that he doesn’t always realize it. Durant will probably be guarded by Battier, Miller, and James. I think that James is the best defender on Durant because of his size but I don’t know if Spoelstra will want to LeBron to expend that much energy on the defense. In this series I think Durant has the potential to put up huge numbers, unless LeBron guards him. I’m interested to see the coaches duel when it comes to containing these two uncontainable forces. It should be an awesome spectacle to watch these two go at it. I am excited to see superstars make superstar plays.
In Conclusion
First of all, I think the series will go 7 games. I think this is a very hard series to pick. There are so many uncertainties with the Miami Heat. This is it for LeBron. If he doesn’t win this year I think he will be hammered even more than he already is now for not being able to win it all. It is hard to predict which LeBron will show up. Passive LeBron who hides in the corner of the court or defers to Mario @#$%ing Chalmers or the guy that can score at will and shut down your best player? How will Dwayne Wade play after getting roughed up by the Celtics? Or how will a still hurt Chris Bosh perform on such a big stage? I still have a lot more questions about the Miami team even after those 3 players. I just don’t know which team will show up. On the other side, the Thunder have been the same team for the entire playoffs. They are super talented and extremely hard to guard in crunch time. When Westbrook, Durant, and Harden are on the court they are special. The Thunder know their roles. They have a set rotation. They have two very good defensive big guys to protect the basket which is perfect to combat what the Heat are good at. I think these factors will be enough for them. The Thunder are also excellent at home. That stadium has become the best home court in the NBA. This is going to be a great match-up. Two superstars in their prime going at it. Who will shrink and who will stand up tall?
All this talk about Danny Brown makes me think of Busta Rhymes. When Busta came out he was so different from everyone else that it made sense he became popular in the MTV generation. I remember thinking this was some sort of gimmick(which it kind of was). The video for “Woo Hah!” and “Dangerous” were so off-the-wall weird that it actually changed the way videos were done. This was sandwiched in between Biggie’s -“Big Poppa ” and Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin”. I give Busta a lot of credit for being different. Enjoy.
I am excited by anything this band does. Grizzly Bear is definitely not for everyone. Without sounding like a music snob, this is for those people who can appreciate incredible effort on each song made. Grizzly Bear’s 2009 album Veckatimest was a masterpiece. They have a lot to live up to. They have been awesome and because they are who they are, I expect this new effort to be just as good. Here is the first single, “Sleeping Ute”, from the untitled album which comes out in September. I have early excitement. Enjoy.
Jugo + Rada Records 