Too tired to post anything...watching How High...

Kanye West "Flashing Lights" Live

Crazy News lady

Classic Video:Jay-Z "In My Lifetime (Remix)"

"25 Worst Rap Lyrics Ever"

25 lyrical missteps that made your favorite rappers wish they could go back in time and rewrite their rhymes

25. "Verse number 2 do the damn thang keeps on my neck pocket's full of Ben Franks."
Yung Joc, "It's Goin' Down."
Album: New Joc City
A classic case of saying...absolutely nothing.

24. "There's no need to lie folk, Why you sleepin' wit ya eyes closed?"
Timbaland, "Get on the Bus"
Album: Why Do Fools Fall in Love (Soundtrack)
Well, Tim, if I had to endure your mediocre rhymes all the time I'd definitely sleep with my eyes, ears, and nose closed as well.

23. "I can double my density from three-sixty degrees to seven-twenty instantly."
Canibus, "Funk Master Flex Freestyle"
Obviously, Canibus slept through 10th grade when they went over units of measurement.

22."Thirty-eight revolve like the sun round the Earth."
Jay-Z, "It's Hot"
Album: Volume 3: Life and Times of S.Carter
And, Jay-Z skipped his Geography class.

21. "N****s in the Bronx call me Lex cause I push a Lex, and I rock a Rolex and I lounge on Lex', and I love sex."
Peter Gunz, "Deja Vu: Uptown Baby"
Album: Make It Reign
What are the odds that Cory Gunz ghostwrote this for his dad at age 9?

20. "Never let me slip, cause if I slip, then I'm slippin."
Dr. Dre, "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang"
Album: The Chronic
Aren't we glad that he eventually decided to hire some ghostwriters?

19. "When it's hot I'm duckin' them people with my firearm Look I be straight thuggin."
Turk, "Trife Livin"
Album: Young and Thuggin'
If he's the one with the firearm, why's he duckin'?

18."My paragraph alone is worth five mics (uh-huh) A twelve song LP, that's thirty-six mics (uh-huh)"
Redman "5 Boroughs"
Album: The Corruptor Soundtrack
Apparently, Redman's calculator is miles ahead of the game.

17. 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
Kanye West, "Gettin' It In"
Album: Kiss of Death
Oh I get it: there's Libra, Sagittarius, Scorpio, and then Uranus. And you say Kanye doesn't deserve to have his image displayed next to the word 'genius' in Webster's Dictionary?

16."Hood n***a from Bankhead, I stay by Grandma Nana I lay by my banana, dumpin' and punkin' monkeys."
Young Dro, "Shoulder Lean"
With all the money T.I. makes from music and movies, you'd think he would at least invest in a decent ghostwriter for his sidekick.

15."When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets."
LFO, "Summer Girls"
Cut them some slack. These guys graduated from the prestigious Vanilla Ice Institute of Hip-Hop and decided to try their hands at random word association.

14. "Sometime y'all get crimey crimey, grimy grimy But those with a tiny hiney they get whiny whiny."
Cam'Ron, "5 Boroughs"
Album: The Corruptor Soundtrack
Someone should have informed Cam that this choppy choppy rhyme thing is silly silly.

13."I'm hungry for cheese like Hungry, Hungry Hippo."
Project Pat ("Ballers")
Album: Ghetty Green
Extra points for giving us one of the worst songs ever known to man.

12."If you don't bring back my m****f*****n money or my m***f****n dope, you can forget about Christmas n***a, cause you ain't gon even see New Years."
Master P ("Do You Know")
In Master P's universe, New Year comes right before Christmas.

11."It's like fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of a jealous a*s punk."
Prodigy ("Click Clack")
Album: Blood Money
No longer inspired by hardcore hip-hop, Prodigy turns to nursery rhymes for some equally uninspiring lyrics.

10."First family will gradually lift that a*s up like gravity."
Lil' Fame (of M.O.P.) ("Half and Half")
Sire Isaac Newton must be turning in his grave right now.

9."I like the way ya ass move to the beat You a freak, that's somethin' you can be."
J-Kwon ("Show Your A**")
Album: Hood Hop
You see, kids, that's another reason why you should stay in school.

[Could'nt find a pic on Google]8. "D.D.T. the b**ch, I can go for some hours. Let Parlae hit, together we like twin towers."
Pimpin ("Freaky as She Wanna Be")
Album: On Top of Our Game
A terribly humorless and tasteless joke. Enough said.

7."I like them black, white, Puerto Rican, or Haitian Like Japanese, Chinese, or even Asian."
Chingy ("Balla Baby")
Album: Powerballin'
As far as Chingy's concerned, Asian is a nationality damnit.

6."I'll break it down for you now, baby it's simple If you be a nympho, I'll be a nympho."
50 Cent ("Candy Shop")
Album: The Massacre
Well, what do you expect from an artist whose stage moniker in itself constitutes a grammatical mishap?

5."Thirty-two grams raw, chop it in half, get sixteen, double it times three. We got forty-eight, which mean a whole lot of cream Divide the profit by four, subtract it by eight We back to sixteen..."
Foxy Brown ("Affirmative Action")
Album: It Was Written
This holds the world record for worst mathematics on a song.

[Could'nt find a pic on Google]
4."Got a Bill in my mouth like I'm Hillary Rodham."
Ali G (Grillz)
Album: Sweat/Suit
No comments.

3."Young, black, and famous, with money hanging out the anus."
Mase ("Can't Nobody Hold Me Down")
Album: No Way Out
Now, that's the type of money I definitely wouldn't want to touch before breakfast.

2."I watch my back when I'm walkin, I watch my mouth when I'm talking. My glock cocked when I'm crawling."
Mike Jones ("Scandalous H**s")
Album: Who is MIke Jones?
What's next? I watch my ears when I'm hearing, I watch my sight when I'm seeing?

1. Now you know that I'm the Queen of Miami. All that loud talkin, lyin, save that sh*t for your mammy. Sounds like "blah, blah blah, blah bla blah-blah," I'm like uh-huh (uh-huh) okay (okay), Whassup (whassup) SHUT UP!"
Trina ("Here We Go")
Album: Glamorest Life
Actual lyrics.

Lol we should've known then....

Jay-Z BluePrint 3 Commercial

This is the first time a commercial actually made me want to buy the album.

Classic Video:LL Cool J - Around The Way Girl

Vh1 Behind the Music (50 Cent)

This Actually looks kinda interesting...Check it out on October 13.

My apologizes

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of reviews lately, I've just been busy with school, and i don't have the time to listen to a whole album, like I used to, but don't worry, the reviews will be coming. Be on the lookout for Slaughterhouse reviews, Jay-z (Blueprint 3), and more!

Enter The 36 Chambers Movie Samples Used by RZA

Don't know if anyone has seen this, but I think it's pretty interesting...

Which Is better?

As we all know by now, Raekwon is preparing to release his new album called Only Built For Cuban Linx 2, which is the sequel to the Classic album "Only Built For Cuban Linx, (I reviewed that album a while back, if anyone was wondering)any way, since its a hobby of mine to compare older things to newer things (I have such good grammar) I want your opinions on the album covers. Personally I prefer the original cover, with the snarling Raekwon, to the newer one with shows Raekwon looking like he didn't even know his photo was being taken.

Anyway aside from my rambling you've just read, what do you think about the new album cover? Does it stack up to the original?

Just a thought....

Is it just me, or are the New Boyz stealing the Cool Kids Style?

Classic Video:Mobb Deep "Give Up The Goods"

Feeling kinda lazy today, so enjoy.

Classic Video:Dr.Dre "Heads Ringing"

Damn this brings back memories of Friday.

Album Review:The Game "Doctors Advocate"

There's nothing better to amp a person up than listening to a cocky rapper who is great at what they do, and The Game is just that. "Doctor's Advocate" is a very solid album. In fact, it's even closer to being a classic than his first album ("The Documentary") was. As a whole, there are more enjoyable songs on this album than his first, but there is also a very confusing theme running through the whole album. In some songs (a lot actually) he's trying to sound exactly like Dr. Dre. He copies his flow and voice down to the last syllable. (Also I Changed My Reviewing system, let me know what you think of it.)

1. Lookin At You
This is a good track, with a bassy beat and a very West Coast feel. His "Dr. Dre" flow is appropriate on this track, and he ends it on a high note and a subtle shot at his arch nemesis, saying "Me and my mic can't be separated like Interscope and (*Fifty*)"

2. Da Sh**
Tracy Nelson's vocals were welcome on the first track, but two tracks in a row is way too much. Game's flow however is completely on point, but again with the Dr. Dre voice. It's too much. Game's cocky swagger riding the beat will definitely get heads nodding though. It has to be said that his spoken line at the end of the song ("One day I walked in the mother****** house and all my sh** was gone") is not needed as it doesn't fit with the subject of the song.

3. It's Okay (One Blood)
This track was recorded before Game knew there would be no Dr. Dre on his album, and you can tell. He sounds excited, hungry, and is rapping with his own voice, not Dre's. The flow (especially in Verse One) is the best I've heard from his since "300 Bars and Runnin." As soon as the song starts, Game brushes off all of the gossip that people had been hearing: "I'm the Doctor's Advocate, n***a Dre shot ya. Brought me back from the dead, that's why they call him the doctor. 'The 'Math gunna drop him and Fifty ain't rocking with him no more,' it's okay I get it poppin!" This should have been the opening track.

4. Compton
I has to be said: will.i.am is cheesy. Damn cheesy. His beat for this song is okay, but his shouts of "Where the gangstas boogie, the gangstas boogie!" are just straight corny. Game's verses save the song from being horrible, but they aren't memorable.

5. Remedy
Just Blaze's production is reminiscent of Dre, but this song isn't very memorable, aside from Game's hilarious question posed in the first verse: "Why Andrew Jackson look high as f**k on the Twenty?"

6. Let's Ride
Game's flow is on point in this song, the second single of the album. It's definitely a good album track, but it also seems too mediocre to be a single and a video. There are many tracks on the album just as good as this.

7. Too Much (Feat. Nate Dogg)
Nate Dogg's presence is much needed on this song, and it only solidifies Game's place among the West Coast bests. Game clearly doesn't need Aftermath or G-Unit to sell records. 50 Cent, no matter how much I like the guy, was wrong.

8. Wouldn't Get Far (Feat. Kanye West)
Game and Kanye work together to make a highly entertaining song much like 2Pac's "All About U." Game name drops Vida Guerra and reveals some interesting facts about her, and his verse definitely bests Kanye's. The production works well with the song, but the duo's song "Dreams" on Game's first album is much better.

9. Scream on 'Em
Swiss Beat's modest but crazy production allows Game to completely unleash with fire that we haven't seen in the man since 300 Bars. "This is that disrespectful, motherf***ing west coast, hip-hop death blow, Swizz Beats let's go!" The Game is slowly become, dare I say, a modern day 2Pac. He has the fire, the passion, and the anger. All he needs now is to stay constant with his rap voice.

10. One Night
Speaking of Pac, this track keeps it real like the legend does. While it isn't a standout track, Game's raw talent and realness is evident in the song.

11. Doctor's Advocate (Feat. Busta Rhymes)
The song is about Games feelings about the seperation between him and Dr. Dre and how much he misses working with him and how thankful he is to him...kind of gay but its a good track and really shows Games lyrical ability. Busta Rhymes plays the friend who is trying to help Game through his (Somewhat) tough time...very good song.

12. Ol' English
Along with "It's Okay (One Blood)" and the title track, this is an absolute stand-out track. The Game raps about his childhood, reminiscing about his escapades as a youngster. This is a joint to listen about in a circle, with friends, a 40, and something being passed around. (I have no idea what should be passed)

13. California Vacation (Feat. Xzibit, Snoop Dogg)
Game, again, tries too hard to sound like Dr. Dre in this song, but I can't say it takes away from the effect. The union of Game, Snoop, and Xzibit is monumental, although Xzibit sounds oddly off-point. Some of his lines are okay, but not as good as Game's and the revitalized Snoop Dogg. The Dogg seems to be at his prime once again.

14. Bang (Feat The Doggpound)
Tha Doggpound seem a bit out of place on this album, and Game's flow is the laziest I've ever heard it. There is absolutely no fire or hunger in his voice, and Tha Doggpound shine on this Jellyroll produced track, which is saying enough. There is no question, this is the worst song on the album--it should have been saved for a mixtape and replaced with the One Blood Remix, which features an insane amount of artists. That would probably be impossible to get clearance with all the labels though.

15. Around the World (Feat. Jaimie Foxx)
The track starts off with Jamie Foxx's distinctive voice, and then Game's lyrics start and they're as real as they come: "She like that Jay sh**, that's her favorite/ if it's gunna get me the p***y I'ma play that sh**." Who hasn't thought that before? The song itself is generic r&b/rap, but Game's lyrics are on point.

16. Why You Hate the Game (Feat. Nas)
I definitly expected a harder track from the Nas/Game collaboration, but it's okay. This song is decent, and Marsha Ambrosius's vocals add depth to the track but there seems to be too much of her on the song and not enough rap from either Nas or Game. I have to say though, Nas isn't at his best, but Game's lyrics are memorable in this track: "Fifteen years old/ red rag around my head, my sisters used to laugh and call me Rambo." Game ends the song on a high note, addressing the death of Proof as well,
as the situation with 50 Cent. "And I still think about my n***a (Proof) from time to time/ makes me wanna call Fifty and let him know what's on my mind/ but I just hold back 'cause we ain't beefing like that/ he ain't Big and I ain't Pac and we're just eating off rap/ One love." Great ending.

I admit, I was pretty amazed when I heard The Game's sophomore album "The Doctor's Advocate". When I heard that Dr. Dre wasn't going to be apart of this album, I wondered how is Game going to handle working with other producers. But he didn't let it affect him whatsoever, because he used it to his advantage. The Game has shown improvement since "The Documentary", and has gone through some drama between that album and this one. The fact that he was able to work with that and let it all out on this album was good. Although "The Doctor's Advocate" is nice, we still have some residue from the previous album. Of course, The Game does his name dropping. I can't count how many times he mentioned Dr. Dre or "The Chronic" on this album. It doesn't affect this album as much as his first, probably because we've all gotten used to it. Also I wasn't feeling the songs "Compton" and "Lets Ride". Other than that this is one excellent album from The Game. He didn't let any distractions phase him when he made this album. He also showed that he can carry an album without Dr. Dre's production This is one album I can recommend to your library.

Lyrics: B+
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: C+
Musical Vibes: A-
Overall: B+

Top 5 Favorite Tracks:
1. Why You Hate The Game
2. One Blood (It's Okay)
3. Ol' English
4. California Vacation (with Snoop Dogg and Xzibit)
5. Doctor's Advocate (with Busta Rhymes)

Honorable Mention Tracks:
1. Wouldn't Get Far (with Kanye West)
2. One Night

B.o.B - Put Me On (Reebok Classic Remix '09)

Big up to Reebok for bringing back the classics, and adding a new twist to it. (i still won't wear your shoes though)

Jordan Dmp Pack

This would have to be my favortie pair of Jordan’s that are releasing this year. Here we have the Jordan 1 DMP pack which commemorates the day MJ lit up Boston Garden for 63 points in Game 2 of their first round series against the Celtics back in 1986. These will be releasing this saturday at select Jordan retailers such as Undftd Silverlake in Los Angeles this Saturday, July 11th

Classic Video:EPMD "You Gots To Chill"

Epmd.-You.gots.to.chill
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Special Album Review:Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

I do not want to dwell on the death of Michael Jackson or his behaviour or his personality or the tabloid rumours. This is a discussion of music. But all I would like to say is that Michael Jackson will always be remembered for so many positive things through his music, videos, live performances, charity work and overall kindness. I will miss him deeply.

But as far as THRILLER is concerned, it deserves every accolade and award it received. For Michael, he was only trying to progress after the success of his previous album, OFF THE WALL. But with Quincy Jones producing and inviting the talents of Paul MacCartney, Eddie Van Halen and Vincent Price, the album had quite a pedigree before hitting the stores.

Seven singles is probably milking the cow very dry but really every song has single potential and it is a shame that the two non-singles: BABY BE MINE and THE LADY IN MY LIFE are always eclpised by the other songs.

1. "Wanna Be Starting Something"
pure funk with a verse that is hard to make out what MJ is saying. But it is a great way to start off the album and is capped off with the very memorable chorus: "mama say mama sa ma ma coo sa"

2. "Baby Be Mine"
Now this is a pretty good song and should be more known. I think it would have been a better single choice than PYT.

3. "The Girl Is Mine" (Feat. Paul McCartney)
My least favourite song is the duet between Michael and Paul McCartney. It's somewhat sugary but it is not so bad until the last minute where they have an atrocious verbal sparring. For a classic album this has got to be one of Pop Music's worst disaters. Also, as it turns out, this would not be the last time Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson would record together. On Paul McCartney's 1983 album, PIPES OF PEACE, there are two duets between he and Michael: "Say, Say, Say", which was released as a single and became a big hit, and "The Man".

(Next comes the powerhouse trio of songs that made the album a mega-seller. There were also three accompanying videos that showed how music videos should be made and everybody else has tried to emulate them ever since. From storyline, drama, backing dancers, the use of colour and choreography, Michael annihilated every video before him layed down the new rules that have been in effect ever since and no-one, including MTV dared dissent.)

4. "Thriller"
Thriller is a six minute opus written by unsung hero, Rod Templeton. Great melody, great musicianship and the most popular video ever made for a song. Throw in the wonderful lyrics and a ghoulish spoken vocal from Vincent Price, it is scary, funky and tremendous fun to listen to (and to watch!).

5. "Beat it"
"Beat it" is MJ in more of a rock mood, again enhanced with a classic video and the superb guitar solo from Eddie van Halen.

6. "Billie Jean"
If I was to pick one Michael Jackson song to take to that desert island, it would have to be "Billie Jean". This has to be one of the sexiest songs ever coupled with one of the coolest videos ever. The solo drum that kicks off the song, the classic bass guitar and those four notes on plucked strings set the mood. For all the glory that the THRILLER video receives, I still think the "Billie Jean" video is much better.

7. "Human Nature"
The one gripe about the album is that it gets anti-climatic at this point. "Human Nature" is a beautiful song and another deserved hit but it is a steep drop after the intensity of the previous 16 minutes.

8. "P.Y.T." (Pretty Young Thing)
This is a fun disco number but it is not in the same league as the three giants in the middle of the album. The "Pretty Young Thing" female vocals actually belong to Michael's sisters: La Toya & Janet.

9. "The Lady In My Life"
Another slow number but is very well done and very serene as a closure to the album.

It's interesting that of the seven singles released, only three had a video made. I do not know of any video for THE GIRL IS MINE, P.Y.T, HUMAN NATURE and WANNA BE STARTING SOMETHING. Overall though, it might have been better for Michael Jackson if this album sold half as much but that he personally doubled his capacity to deal with all the sudden fame and adulation that this album brought upon him. As much as I like the follow-up album BAD, the cover photo is very unsettling because of the change in his appearance. The cover of the Thriller album plus the music it contains will always show the real MICHAEL JACKSON to me.

Score:100 out of 100

Michael Jackson - Thriller
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Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
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Micheal Jackson - Beat It
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Album Review:Raekwon "Only Built For Cuban Linx"

The RZA is known for providing the perfect beat to fit each rapper he gives it to, and "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" is the perfect example of the amazing chemistry between him and his Wu-Tang emcees. The beats and samples are all so perfect to fit with the styles of Rae and Ghost and each song flows so perfectly into the next that they seem to be like "part 2" of the song before it.

In the mid 90s, Rae was one of the best storytelling rappers ("the story tellin rap Magellan" as he puts it) around. Ghostface could kick a vicious battle rap any time he wants, and with those two elements combined over amazing production you get some of the best group work hip-hop has ever seen. Now be warned that I was'nt even aware of this album when it first came out, being that i'm only 17, so the nostalgic vaule is a little lost on me. I do however understand what this album means to people who were around my age in the 90's and what effect it had in their lives. My opinion is unbiased (Well not entirley since im a huge Wu-Tang fan). Anyway, enjoy the review.

1. "Striving For Perfection"
An album where even the INTRO is classic, simply put, rae and ghost want the best for themselves and each other.

2. "Knucklehead"
Nice opening song. The Beat is well made, Fast tempo beat, nice piano, It's a song about three guys who go rob, and then split those money up, One of them cheats them' and finally gets shot. (That someone was U-God, who I did'nt mind not hearing on this album afterwards, since he sucks balls.)

3. "Knowledge God"
One of my favorites with a hot beat. Oh yeah, it's also a Raekwon solo.

4. "Criminology"
The intro is a sample from Scarface, which is fuckin' awesome! Ghost and Rae both drop ill verses like their lives depended on it.

5. "Incarserated Scarfaces"
The beat is pretty simple, Just a beat with some little sound in background, something like a horn of Train. Another one Rae solo, and it's pretty good.

6. "Rainy Dayz"
The bitch singing is annoying but its a hot song with hot lyrics and a hot beat. If you read the XXL interview (Or my ealier post about the making of the album), You'll know that this beat is RZA's favorite on this album.

7. "Guillotine" (Swordz)
The only "kung fu" type wu song on here, every member tears it up on here.This beat is cut from one of the skits from Mr. Meth's Tical. Ghost,Inspetah Deck, and GZA all murder this beat, and make it their bitch, Much like 50 cent treats Tony Yayo, and Loyd Banks (Cheap shot, I know).

8. "Can it be all so simple" (Remix)
good song but not as good as the original

9. "Shark Niggas" (Biters)
On this interlude, Raekwon and Ghostface warn a certain someone (Well Biggie To be exact), to NEVER bite the Wu, nuff said)

10. "Ice Water"
Good song, good lyrics

11. "Glaciers of Ice"
One of my favorites, Masta Killa tears it up

12. "Verbal Intercourse"
The only song with a non Wu member in it and it happens to be my favorite rapper (Nas) with my favorite rap group (DUH WU-TANG). Nas rips the SHIT out of his verse, and proves why he's considered one of the greats.

13. "Wisdom Body"
Ghostface Killah solo...could've been better.

14. "Spot Rusherz"
I'm not really feeling this song.

15. "Ice Cream"
Hot song with hot beat and good lyrics...Cappadonna shines on this one.

16. "Wu-Gambinos"
One of my favorites...Rae, Ghost, Rza, and Meth tear it up...Masta Killa really tears it up (Suprisingly).

17. "Heaven and Hell"
Nice duet with Ghost and Rae switchin back and forth most melodic/beautiful song in this album. The sample is so great, Just imagine s slow version of C.R.E.A.M.

18. Skit

19. "North Star"
A Bonus track album, Rae solo but I'm not into it.

Raekwon's debut (Ghostface gets just as much props as the Chef does for this), as said by many, is considered a rap classic. As the beats drift on, you'll start to realize that it is solid and even though some beats are not familiar with the term of "catchiness", as those on previous Wu-Tang joints, Rza had found a way to make the tracks suit the Chef and Killah's distinct flow.

I wouldn't say that the beats beat out any other Wu-Tang joints as that fact is clearly not true (see: Liquid Swords by GZA) but I would say that it is true that Raekwon's loungin' big-dick-style bravado is memorable (it's those looped Mr. Softee bells that take center stage on Ice Cream). When it comes to finalizing to the best cut, you'd best stick with Verbal Intercourse, as it features masterful lyrics by the Chef and Killah, and includes very SMART lyrics by Nas, perhaps even too smart for himself. If Incarcerated Scarfaces isn't considered crack-rock catchy, maybe the word needs to be redefined. Like the Genius' Liquid Swords, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx takes a few listens to reveal the full scope of its lyrical complexities, but it's immensely rewarding in the end, and it stands as a landmark in the new breed of gangsta rap. I also might add that if this is considered the best Wu-Tang solo joint, maybe you need to check out GZA's Liquid Swords.

Raekwon - incarcerated
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Air Jordan AF1 Fusion 4

Thanks to Nice Kicks, we have a look at what seem to be everyone’s favorite Air Jordan AF1 Fusion model, the Fusion 4. Similar to the classic Air Jordan IV “Military” colorway above, after the jump you’ll find the Air Jordan IV “Cement” and the Air Jordan IV “Blk/Red” colorways. All pairs are slated to release between July and September. Stay tuned as we keep you posted on these Fusion’s, till then check out the other colors after the jump.

Classic Video:Public Enemy "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos"

Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
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Album Review:Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool"

Lupe Fiasco's sophomore album, 'The Cool', is killer, meeting my 'sky's the limit' expectations following his brilliant debut, 'Food And Liquor'. Not content producing a bog-standard rap album, Lupe has tread into dangerous territory by recording a concept album (yes, a rap concept album!). Thankfully, he emerges untouched on the other side, and even with a few more strings to his bow. Not only does Lupe outclass his peers on their ground- in terms of beats- he repeatedly demonstrates that he possesses a keen eye for a good rhyme, producing unbelievably brilliant metaphors from his bag of tricks. We, the fans, can only hope that Lupe receives the credit he deserves second time around, and finally becomes recognized as the modern savior of hip hop/rap.

When rap started off, the focus lay on the lyrics, and yet over the years personality has been slowly sucked out of this genre, and what we are left with is a group of bland,(mostly) untalented people who drop "rhymes" about their money, girls and cars. Thankfully, these are exactly the things Lupe attacks on 'Dumb It Down', establishing himself as a variation on this theme. This album is a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by glamour and money, both of which Lupe is privy to, despite not having sold his soul by producing identikit rap. This album is almost a statement of war: both against the majority of other artists in this genre and bootleggers. If I remember correctly, 'Food And Liquor' leaked a full 6 months before it was released in September 2006. Second time around, Lupe has been more careful, but he still hasn't completely stamped out leaks; tracks from 'The Cool' have been around for a couple of months now.

Lupe album's are different in that they challenge you, just as music should. And that's just what is missing in rap nowadays. Out of the current rappers, most of the ones I rate have been around for a while: Nas, Common, Wu-Tang Clan and Talib Kweli, who focus on the lyrical content of a song, and let the beats come as a bonus. It doesn't take a genius to work out what Fiddy is talking about when he says:
"She know's just how to move to seduce you
She gone do the right thing and touch the right spot
Dance in you're lap till you're ready to pop"
A world away from this, on the other hand, lies Lupe, who crafts songs that unfold after each listening. Every time I hear the album I decipher a new rhyme, and there are many that I still don't understand... 'The Cool' is chock full of pop culture and rap references, almost like a puzzle that is waiting to be solved. It actually hurts to think about how he comes up with some of the stuff on this album, and after two intelligently executed albums there can be no doubting that Fiasco is a pretty smart guy.

In his sophomore effort, Lupe adopts a darker tone than 'Food And Liquor", and Fiasco has obviously vented his emotions over a tough few months directly into this album:
"Complex Magazine"- "So would you say that this album is darker than your first?"
Lupe Fiasco- "Oh yeah, it's much darker just on the strength of the situation that I'm in, in life right now is kind of a happy period. It's a lot of success but it came with a lot of sacrifice and having my pops pass away and just recently having an aunty pass away and then having a friend pass away, Stack Bundles, a rapper in New York who got murdered out here and then to also have my partner get locked up, to get 44 years, all that stuff came along with the situation. It made the setting for me a more darker because I'm a little bit sad."

1. "Intro"
The Cool' gets of to a relatively slow start with 'Baba Says Cool For Thought'. We are welcomed to Lupe's world by the familiar voice of Iesha Jaco, who replicates the 'Intro' on 'Food And Liquor', a cool theme which Lupe has stuck with, finishing with impact:
"Freeze- cause the problem is we think its cool too.
Check your ingredients, before you overdose on The Cool."

2. "Free Chilly" (ft. Sarah Green & Gemstones)
Doesn't have a lot of good things to its name: at this point I found myself waiting for the album to kick off, and we are deprived of Lupe for this one minute song. I'm not quite sure I understand the point of an interlude before the album has started. But hey, its got some great soulful singing by Sarah Green and Gemstones... unfortunately, they aren't who I paid to hear.

3."Go Go Gadget Flow"
Despite possessing a popular sample (from Go Go Gadget) and a repetitive hook, kicks off the album on Lupe's terms. He switches up the flow: I'd never heard him rap this fast, and its a refreshing change. The beat is solid, Lupe is on point, and whilst its not the intro I was expecting, this song still kills most of competition. Lupe's rhymes are ridiculous, and he almost out-Twista's Twista...

After track three, things start to get interesting, and you are hit by a barrage of truly brilliant songs.

4. "The Coolest"
Here comes the concept. The Cool is an expansion of the same-named song on Food & Liquor about Michael Young History, or the spiritual manifestation of him as a character called The Cool (if I'm reading this print out right), who was a hustler come back to life. The other characters are The Game (a deviously sexy female with dollar signs in her eyes, no relation to the former G-Unit member) who is married to The Streets (imagine Wyclef as a wannabe rapper from the Dirty Dirty, gold fronts and all; no relation to the snarky British emcee). "The Coolest" is perfectly indicative of the macabre premise and its complexly construed cast: haunted house piano, Tim Burton violin crawls and slightly scary choirs mix for a measured amount of drunkenness.

5. "Superstar (ft. Matthew Santos)"
We've all heard this one by now, and its really growing on me. Relative unknown Matthew Santos should replace Chris Martin as rap's male vocal go-to-guy (after the horrendous 'Beach Chair' with Jay-Z and the passable 'Homecoming' with Kanye). Boldly, Lupe has obviously chosen him to sing all male vocals on this album, which is a good move IMO. The combination works well...

6. "Paris/Tokyo"
While Lupe caught some flack for his not-really-liking-A-Tribe-Called-Quest admission, it's quite obvious that his producers--mostly Soundtrakk--have heard Midnight Marauders a few times. "Paris, Tokyo" tells the tale of the newly famous's globetrotting adventures while simultaneously falling in love. Breezily floating along, it's a familiar second album story from an artist who suddenly finds himself being recognized in Japan or France after a successful debut LP.

7 "Hi-Definition" (ft. Snoop Dogg & Pooh Bear)
I've heard a lot about this one, but I really wasn't blown away by it. There is almost too much packed into 4 minutes: Lupe, Snoop Dogg, Pooh Bear, samples from Common, synths and heavy beats. Snoop Dogg slots in an amazing verse, but there's something grating about the overall sound of this song. And as good as Snoop is, Lupe still walks all over him. A possible mis-step, but disaster is averted through the sheer awesomeness of Lupe and Snoop's rhymes.

8. "Gold Watch"
Dominated by a sample which threatens to drown out everything. Has enough bass and instrumental to save the day once again. The subject matter is sensitive, concerning the effect of fame. That damn vocal sample dominates everything...and not positively. A little less volume on the sample, and this would have been brilliant- how could something so easily altered get past post-production? This and Hi-Definition are the two weakest tracks on 'The Cool'- from here on it's plain sailing.

8. "Hip Hop Saved My Life" (ft. Nikki Jean)
The story of Michael Young History, a rapper from Houston, Texas. A strong vocal contribution by Nikki Jean (a Fergie sound-a-like) and the most commendable piano instrumental (it turns up quite a lot on 'The Cool'). Lupe is dependable as ever, telling Michael Young History's with lyrics like:
"Reps north side so he rocks them braids,
1100 friends on his MySpace page,
stack that cheese got 700 plays,
producer made him take it down, said he had to pay"

9. "Intruder Alert" (ft. Sarah Green)
A really ominous song about the outcasts of society, and those with some serious issues. Someone give Sarah Green a solo album already.

10. "Streets On Fire"
I can't do this one justice: you have got to listen to it to understand how Lupe owns this song. Get over to Youtube now to listen!

11. "Little Weapon" (ft. Nikki Jean)
Produced by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, this was a very pleasant surprise. To start with, a slow-mo voice over, with some gothic chanting, had me worried that Stump had gone all emo on Lupe. What comes next, then, completely blew me away. The beat on this track is unbelievably new and unfamiliar, with a catchy snare and vocal hook. The originality of this rock-influenced track is a blessing, and its one of my favourite tracks on 'The Cool'.

12. "Gotta Eat"
A song from the perspective of a cheeseburger. Again, intriguingly fresh, this song works due to its creativity, a general theme on 'The Cool'. I hate the beat though.

13. "Dumb It Down"
This song is the most complete display of Lupe's lyrical abilities thus far. He absolutely trashes it:
"'I'm flying on Pegasus you're flying on the pheasant
Writer of the white powder
Picker of the fire flowers
Spit hot fire like Dylon on Chapelle's skit"

14. "Hello/Goodbye" (Uncool)
Another rock-rap song, produced by UNKLE, who does a great job with the instrumental. This is a really gritty song, and is one of the darker on this album. A tune in the mold of 'Little Weapon'.

15. "The Die"
Gemstones really compliments this track with his Twista-esque rapping. A continuation of the story, with a little interlude ending. Listen carefully to the radio, and you will hear 'The Cool' from Food And Liquor' playing in the background. The song ends with gunshots. On a Lupe record? Thats a new one, but its a concept album after all, and from here on the album tends towards the darker end of the musical spectrum.

16. "Put You On Game"
Sinister is the name, a classic track is the game. Lupe invades 90's rap tradition on this song, harking back to the old Wu Tang albums, and emulating their grimy sound. Its a valiant effort, and he pulls off the new (or should I say old?) sound.

17. "Fighters" (ft. Matthew Santos)
The end is in sight, and things begin to slow down, aided by Santos' melancholy vocals (which just get better and better, by the way). Lupe reveals a devoted fan's blog address at the end of the song: check it out- http://www.lupethefiasco.blogspot.com/

18. "Go Baby"
A bit cheesy, but a jubilant ending it most definitely is. Lupe signs off with a cheer, but honestly, I thought this should've been left off.

There are two occasions when the brilliance of this album is almost shattered: 'Hi-Definition' and 'Gold Watch'. Catastrophe is averted, however, and this is mainly down to Lupe himself. Convincingly pulling of a concept album is unbelievably difficult, but Lupe has succeeded in this endeavor and rewarded with a brilliantly fresh rap album, with some unassuming rap songs and interesting stories to boot.

Lupe Fiasco is a talent to watch- at the age of 25 he already possesses far more lyrical prowess than most of the other members of this genre. He is unique, bucking the trend at each and every turn. On 'The Cool', he really has something to say, and delivers on the promise of 'Food And Liquor'. It's a shame that he's retiring after his next album, LupEND; hopefully he'll pull a Jay-Z on us.

Score:90 out of 100

Lupe fiasco feat. Matthew Santos_ Superstar
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B.E.T.= Black Exploitation Television

Is it me or has BET gone mad??? As most of us know, BET shows religious based programming for the majority of the day on Sundays up until around 1PM. This Sunday was just like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" Sunday. Around 2PM I was flipping channels and I happened to see Beef 1 or 2 on there (they showed all 3 of them back-to-back-toback so I don't know which 1 it was) and I see them talking about beef between 50 Cent and some guy he used to run with or whatever. It was just a bunch of he say/he say BS over why 50 didn't bail this guy outta jail that helped him out when he was dealing drugs and blah blah blah. Anyway here is my issue: HOW IN THE HELL ARE THEY GONNA SHOW THESE GUYS WITH GUNS ALL ON TV, POINTING THEM AT THE CAMERA, TALKING ABOUT THEY GONNA KILL HIM, BEAT HIS *** ETC. AFTER THEY HAVE THEIR "MORNING INSPIRATIONS"??? ON A SUNDAY NO LESS??? I just need to know am I wrong for seeing a problem with this or do some people out there feel as to what I am saying??

Drake:Best I Ever Had "Video"

Drake's debut album, "Thank Me Later" will be in stores soon, no current release date is set, but it is rumored to be released in the fourth quarter this year.

Directed by Kanye West.

Fail Of the week:Lil Wayne On the BET Awards

Watching Lil’ Wayne rap about filet mignoning New New and Nivea’s pussies and harmonizing about fucking every girl in the world while his adolescent daughter bopped around stage was one of the most devastating moments from the this year’s EBT Awards. I wanted Don Cornelius to come back out on stage and give Young Money a lashing about the good ol’ days but that means the show would still be airing live right now.

Sources tell Sandra Rose that the reason for Weezy’s daughter Reginae was on stage was because she was unable to accompany her pops on stage while he accepted the award for Fucking The Most Random Women Ever To Appear On A Cover of Sister 2 Sister [maybe next year Soullow] and wanted to make it up to the youngin. Do you think Lil’ Wayne did the right thing as a parent?

Album Review:Ace Hood

Not gonna bother to review the new Ace Hood album, we all know he sucks.

Classic Video:Michael Jackson "Don't Stop Till You get Enough"

Initial Reaction:Jay-Z "Death Of Autotune"

I gotta admit, as big as a Jay-Z fan as I am, I honestly did'nt think this song was that great, but after seeing the video, and listnening to it a for a while, it kinda grew on me. Though Jay could've went into more detail about the subject, atleast he tackled the subject.

Damn......

Damn Man, when i heard that Michael Jackson was resting with the lord above, i was just...speechless. Never in a million years would i think i would be writing R.I.P. next to Michael Jackson. The world doesn't even seem the same without Mike in it, and there will NEVER be another Mike, in terms of celebrity, fame, sales, and overall attention. R.I.P. mike, you will be missed.

Classic Video:Ice Cube "Check Yo Self" (Remix)

Chris Brown avoids jail time. Gets 5 years probation & 150 hrs community service

Unbelievable....

Memo to all niggas,
If you want "real justice" become a star. You can beat women up, drive drunk and murder niggas, buy up machine guns and all types of shit. Just fall back on fighting dogs tho....First Kellz, then T.I., now this clown...I need my own reality show or something!! lol

Album Review:Kanye West "Graduation"

Well the question of whether this album was going to be better than Curtis was answered a long time ago, so I think enough time has passed to look back on it and assess it as it is; Kanye West's third studio album. To start off, the artwork is one of the best I've ever seen on a hip hop album, and it'll catch your eye every time. Also ,it's no secret: critics love Kanye West. The media loves Kanye West. Whatever wrongs he do in public are forgiven by them and each of his albums end up on some annual "Best of" list. Everybody else, however, has their own criticisms: he can't rap, he gives his best beats away, he's too cocky, etc. Well, this album, Graduation, probably won't change the naysayers' opinions but it is another well-rounded effort from Mr. West.


I'm not gonna lie, The College Dropout will always be Kanye's best album to me. Still, if you haven't yet, attend Kanye's Graduation because it's a special event.

1. "Good Morning"
From the moment I listned to this song, i knew what direction kanye was going in. This was the introduction of the "new" Kanye, where synthesizers, and hard drums dominate, and i gotta say, it was a breath of fresh air.

2. "Champion"
Kind of an odd choice for a second song, i feel that "Can't Tell Me Nothing" would've been a better choice. Anyway i do like the song, and how Kanye give his father a shoutout.

3. "Stronger"

Yea, i hate this song, but i guess it does serve it's purpose in the clubs. I do wish that kanye would've done more with the Daft Punk sample, because the way he uses the sample just comes off as lazy. I also heard that Timboland had a helping hand in getting the right drums for Kanye on this album, though i coulnd't tell the difference.

4. "I Wonder"
When i first listned to this album, this was the song that stood out to me. I guess it's because of the way Kanye Raps over the beat, but I always liked this song.

5. "Good Life" (feat. T-Pain)

I don't really know anyone who has a T-Pain album, but i do gotta admit, the man knows how to make a good hook. The P.Y.T. sample is really clever too.


6. "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

Took Me a while to appreciate it, but this became my favorite song on the album. This song sounds great live, i guess it's so operatic (Not in a snooze kinda way)


7. "Barry Bonds" (Feat Lil Wayne)
In case you readers didn't know, let me make it clear: Lil wayne is the most overexposed, overated rapper in existance, and he ruins an already mediocre song.

8. "Drunk and Hot Girls" (Feat Mos Def)

The worst song on here, and why the hell does Mos Def Never raps with Kanye?? The only good thing about this song is hearing Kanye say "Da da da da da/that's how the fuck you sound" (you gotta listen to it to find how funny that line sounds.) The production is also pretty decent too.


9. "Flashing Lights"
Correction this is the best song on here.


10. "Everything I Am" (Scratches By DJ Premier)

Good song, although i do feeln that Premier was a little lazy with the scratches. I don't know why, but i much prefer the mash-up verson with Jay-Z on the "Graduate" Mixtape.

11. "The Glory"
Kanye Originaly gave this beat to Common, but took it back. Good call Kanye


12. "Homecoming" (Feat Chris Martin)
I might be in the minority here, but i actually prefer this version over the John Legend one thats been circulating. Whether thats Bet, and MTV Jams fault is up to you.

13. "Big Brother"
I Like the Prince sample, and i like how Kanye adresses his relationship with Hova, Especially in the homophobic world in Hip-Hop (Though Lil Wayne is trying his best to change that )


Although Graduation isn't the classic that everyone claims it to be, it is a pretty enjoyable listen. If only Kanye deleted two songs, and replaced them with much better songs,(Ex. "Good Night" Feat. Mos Def instead of "Drunk and Hot Girls") then it would've been a classic (Well Nearly), but we can't always get what we want. I'll recommend a "buy"

Best tracks: I wonder, Flashing lights, Homecoming, The glory.

Flashing Lights
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Kanye West - Can't Tell Me Nothing
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Kanye West - Homecoming
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Classic Video:Black Moon "Who's Got The Props"

AIR JORDAN III TRUE BLUE RETRO

Love the Colorway..

Classic Video:Common Sense "I Used To Love Her"

Common - I Used To Love HER
ineptique -

Lost Tupac Interview (By:Davey D.)

One of the most interesting and intense interviews, I’ve ever conducted was with Tupac Shakur.. He had just hit it big with the movie Juice and and everyone wondering was he just acting or putting forth his real life persona in the movie.. Although I had known him for a couple of years it was hard for me to tell.. cause he had a loaded gun on him as we spoke…If I recall it was a 38….Pac explains in this interview his then recent encounter with the Oakland Police Department which resulted in him getting beat. I had run excerpts from this interview in a newsletter I used to publish back in the early 90s. I had completely forgotten about this interview and had misplaced the tape.

A couple of months ago while working on liner notes for Digital Underground’s Greatest Hits which recently came out on Rhino records, I came across a tape that had an old interview I did with Shock G. I flipped to the b-side and to my surprise I discovered the missing 2Pac interview from 1991.So today in celebration of his birthday we are sending off the transcript of the entire interview. We are also going to be playing the entire interview on our Hard Knock radio show. If you happen to be located in the San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere throughout Northern and Central california tune into KPFA 94.1 FM… If you happen to be listening to us up in Seattle where we are also heard tune into Radio X. Everyone else peep us out on line at KPFA.org or radio-x.org.



We will be putting excerpts of the interview up on the site tomorrow. Enjoy the interview.Tupac Shakur considers himself the ‘Rebel of the Underground’ [Digital Underground] and for good reason. He stirs things up and does the unexpected. Such a person is bound to generate excitement because they have impact on both the people and situations around them.




2Pac in 1992 promises to have major impact in the world of hip hop. He’s kicking things off with a sensational acting debut in the movie ‘Juice‘ where he stars as the character Roland Bishop. His debut lp ‘2Pacalypse Now‘ is beginning to cause a bit of a stir on retail shelves around the country. And if that’s not enough Tupac is branching out and signing new acts to his production company including his older brother Moecedes who raps in the Toni Tony Tone song ‘Feels Good. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing this out spoken and very animated individual at his apartment where he told his tale.



Davey D: Give a little bit of background on yourself. What got you into hip hop?

2Pac: I’m from the Bronx, NY. I moved to Baltimore where I spent some high school years and then I came to Oaktown. As for hip hop…all my travels through these cities seemed to be the common denominator.

Davey D: 2Pac… Is that your given name or is that your rap name?

Davey D: You lived In Marin City for a little while. How was your connection with hip hop able to be maintained while living there? Was there a thriving hip hop scene in Marin City?

2Pac: Not really..You were just given truth to the music. Being in Marin City was like a small town so it taught me to be more straight forward with my style. Instead of of being so metaphorical with the rhyme where i might say something like…

I’m the hysterical, lyrical miracle
I’m the hypothetical, incredible…

I was encouraged to go straight at it and hit it dead on and not waste time trying to cover things…

Davey D:Why was that?

2Pac: In Marin City it seemed like things were real country. Everything was straight forward. Poverty was straight forward. There was no way to say I’m poor, but to say ‘I’m po’…we had no money and that’s what influenced my style.

Davey D: How did you hook up with Digital Underground?

2Pac: I caught the ‘D-Flow Shuttle’ while I was in Marin City. It was the way out of here. Shock G was the conductor.

Davey D: What’s the D-Flow Shuttle?

2Pac:The D-Flow Shuttle is from the album ‘Sons of the P‘ It was the way to escape out of the ghetto. It was the way to success. I haven’t gotten off since…

Davey D: Now let’s put all that in laymen’s terms


2Pac: Basically I bumped into this kid named Greg Jacobs aka Shock G and he hooked me up with Digital Underground and from there I hooked up with Money B… and from there Money B hooked me up with his step mamma… and from there me and his step mamma started making beats…[laughter] Me and his step mamma got a little thing jumping off. We had a cool sound, but Shock asked me if I wanted a group. I said ‘Yeah but I don’t wanna group with Money B’s step momma ’cause she’s gonna try and take all the profits… She wants to go out there and be like the group ‘Hoes with Attitude’, but I was like ‘Naw I wanna be more serious and represent the young black male’.

So Shock says we gotta get rid of Money B’s step mamma. So we went to San Quentin [prison] and ditched her in the ‘Scared Straight’ program…[laughter. After that Shock put me in the studio and it was on..This is a true story so don't say anything.. It's a true story. And to Mon's step mamma I just wanna say 'I'm sorry, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I'm sorry but it was Shock's idea-Bertha.. but don't worry she can get her half of the profits from the first cut after she finishes doing her jail time. [laughter]

Davey D: What’s the concept behind your album 2Pacalypse Now’?

2Pac: The concept is the young Black male. Everybody’s been talkin’ about it but now it’s not important. It’s like we just skipped over it.. It’s no longer a fad to be down for the young Black male. Everybody wants to go past. Like the gangster stuff, it just got exploited. This was just like back in the days with the movies. Everybody did their little gun shots and their hand grenades and blew up stuff and moved on. Now everybody’s doing rap songs with the singing in it.. I’m still down for the young Black male. I’m gonna stay until things get better. So it’s all about addressing the problems that we face in everyday society.

Davey D: What are those problems?

2Pac: Police brutality, poverty, unemployment, insufficient education, disunity and violence, black on black crime, teenage pregnancy, crack addiction. Do you want me to go on?

Davey D: How do you address these problems? Are you pointing them out or are you offering solutions?

2Pac: I do both. In some situations I show us having the power and in some situations I show how it’s more apt to happen with the police or power structure having the ultimate power. I show both ways. I show how it really happens and I show how I wish it would happen .

Davey D: You refer to yourself as the ‘Rebel of the Underground’ Why so?

2Pac: Cause, as if Digital Underground wasn’t diverse enough with enough crazy things in it, I’m even that crazier. I’m the rebel totally going against the grain…I’m the lunatic that everyone refers to. I always want to do the extreme. I want to get as many people looking as possible. For example I would’ve never done the song ‘Kiss U Back’ that way.I would’ve never done a song like that-That’s why I’m the rebel.

Davey D: Can talk about your recent encounter with police brutality at the hands of the Oakland PD?

2Pac:We’re letting the law do its job. It’s making its way through the court system.. We filed a claim…

Davey D: Recount the incident for those who don’t know.

2Pac:For everyone who doesn’t know, I, an innocent young black male was walking down the streets of Oakland minding my own business and the police department saw fit for me to be trained or snapped back into my place. So they asked for my I-D and sweated me about my name because my name is ‘Tupac’. My final words to them was ‘f— y’all’ . Next thing I know I was in a choke hold passing out with cuffs on headed for jail for resisting arrest. Yes.. you heard right-I was arrested for resisting arrest.

Davey D:Where is all this now?

2Pac: We’re in the midst of having a ten million dollar law suit against the Oakland Police Department. If I win and get the money, then the Oakland Police department is going to buy a boys home, me a house, my family a house and a ‘Stop Police Brutality Center’ and other little odd things like that..

Davey D:In the video for the song ‘Trapped‘ do you think that would’ve had the police want to treat you aggressively? After all, the video is very telling especially in the un-edited version where you have a cop get shot.

2Pac: Well the ironic thing is the cops I came across in that incident didn’t know about that video. The second thing is that everything I said in that video happened to me. The video happened before the incident. In the video I show how the cops sweat me and ask for my ID and how I can’t go anywhere…

Davey D:Let’s talk about the movie ‘Juice’. How did you get involved? Where’s it at? and what’s it about?

2Pac: MMM what led me? Well, we have the Freaky Deaky Money B and Sleuth [raod manager for DU]. Money B had an audition for the movie Sleuth [road manager] suggested I also come along so I went. Money B read the script and said to me’ this sounds like you- a rebel. he was talking about this character named Bishop. I went in cold turkey, read, God was with me…

Davey D:Have you ever had acting experience before?

2Pac: Actually I went to the school of Performing arts in Baltimore and that’s where I got my acting skills.

Davey D:Ok so you weren’t a novice when you went up there… So what’s the movie about?

2Pac:The movie is about 4 kids and their coming of age.

Davey D:Is it a Hip Hop movie?

2Pac:No, it’s not a hip hop movie. It’s a real good movie that happens to have hip hop in it. If it was made in the 60s it would’ve depicted whatever was ‘down’ in the 60s…My character is Roland Bishop, a psychotic, insecure very violent, very short tempered individual.

Davey D:What’s the message you hope is gotten out of the movie?


2Pac: You never know what’s going on in somebody’s mind. There are a lot of things that add up. There’s a lot of pressure on someone growing up. You have to watch it if it goes unchecked. This movie was an example of what can happen…

Davey D:Can you explain what you mean by this?

2Pac:In the movie my character’s, father was a prison whore and that was something that drove him through the whole movie…

Davey D: This was something that wasn’t shown in the movie?

2Pac: Yes, they deleted this from the film. Anyway this just wrecked his [Bishop's] mind. You can see through everybody else’s personality, Bishop just wanted to get respect. He wanted the respect that his father didn’t get. Everthing he did, he did just to get a rep. So from those problems never being dealt with led to him ending four people’s lives.

Davey D:Do you intend on continuing making movies?

2Pac: It depends on whether or not there are any good parts. I want to challenge myself.

Davey D:What is your philosophy on hip hop? I’ve heard you say you don’t to see it diluted?

2Pac: Well when I said that, it made me think. It brought me to myself. Now I have a different philosophy. Hip Hop when it started it was supposed to be this new thing that had no boundaries and was so different to everyday music. Now it seems like I was starting to get caught up in the mode of what made hip hop come about. I would walk around and hear something and start saying ‘That’s not Hip Hop’. If someone started singing, I would walk around and say ‘That’s not Hip Hop’. Well, now I’ve changed my mind. That could be Hip Hop.As long as the music has the true to the heart soul it can be hip hop. As long it has soul to it, hip hop can live on.

Davey D:I guess my question would be, how do you determine what’s soul and what isn’t?

2Pac: Well you can tell. The difference between a hit like ‘Make You Dance’ [C&C Music Factory] and ‘My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me’ [Geto Boys]. You have to ask yourself, ‘Which song moves you’.

Davey D: Well actually both. Both songs move me

2Pac: Really? well… ok there you go

Davey D:So they both would be Hip Hop, right?

2Pac:I guess so, at least in your opinion. ‘The Make You Dance’ song didn’t move me. But the Geto Boys song did move me

Davey D:Well for the record Bambaataa says both of them are Hip Hop. I asked him what he thought about groups like C&C Music Factory. He said they were part of the Hip Hop family…But that’s his philosophy on things. So what’s your plans for the next year or so?

2Pac: To strengthen the Underground Railroad. I have a crew called the Underground Railroad and a program called the Underground Railroad…I wanna build all this up, so that by next year you will know the name Underground Railroad…

Davey D:So what’s the concept behind The Underground Railroad?

2Pac:The concept behind this is the same concept behind Harriet Tubman, to get my brothers who might be into drug dealing or whatever it is thats illegal or who are disenfranchised by today’s society-I want to get them back into by turning them onto music. It could be R&B, hip hop or pop, as long as I can get them involved. While I’m doing that, I’m teaching them to find a love for themselves so they can love others and do the same thing we did for them to others.

Davey D: How many people in the Underground Railroad? Is it a group that intends to keep constantly evolving? Also where are the people who are a part of Underground Railroad coming from?

2Pac: Right now we’re twenty strong. The group is going to be one that constantly evolves. The people that are in the UR are coming from all over, Baltimore, Marin City, Oakland, New York, Richmond-all over.

Davey D: What do you think of the Bay Area rap scene compared to other parts of the country?

2Pac: Right now the Bay Area is how the Bronx was in 1981. Everybody is hot. They caught the bug. Everybody is trying to be creative and make their own claim. New York just got to a point where you could no longer out due the next guy. So now you have this place where there isn’t that many people to out due. Here you can do something and if it’s good enough people will remember you. So that’s what’s happening. here in the Bay Area, it’s like a renaissance.

Davey D: In New York the renaissance era got stopped for a number of reasons in my opinion. What do you think will prevent that from happening in the Bay Area?

2Pac: Well at the risk of sounding biased, I say Digital Underground. They are like any other group. I’ll give that to Shock G. He made it so that everything Digital Underground does it helps the Bay Area music scene. It grows and goes to New York and hits people from all over the country. That helps the Bay Area. Our scene is starting to rub off on people. We want everyone to know about Oakland. When other groups come down, like Organized Konfusion or Live Squad and they kick it with Digital Underground, they get to see another side of the Bay Area music scene.It’s a different side then if they kicked it with that guy… I don’t wanna say his name, but you know who he is he dropped the ‘MC’ from his name [MC Hammer].

Davey D: So you think Digital Underground will be more strength to the Bay Area rap scene because they help bring national attention. What do you think other groups will have to do?

2Pac: What we have to do is not concentrate so much on one group. We have to focus more on the area. It’s not about just building up Too Short, Digital Underground and Tony Toni Tone and say; ‘That’s it. They’re the only groups that can come from the Bay Area’. We have to let the new groups come out. Nobody wants to give the new acts a chance. Everybody wants to only talk about Too Short and Digital Underground…We have to start talking about these other groups that are trying to come in that are coming up from the bottom.

Davey D: When you say ‘come up’ what do you mean by that?

2Pac: It’s like this. Instead of letting them do interviews where nobody ever reads them, let a good newspaper interview them. Instead of putting them on the radio when nobody is ever going to hear them or where nobody is going to hear them, have them where people can hear them and get at them where they had a better chance, just like if they were Mariah Carey.

Davey D: Do you find the Bay Area sound is being respected? Do you find that people are starting to accept it around the country?

2Pac: I feel that the Bay Area sound hasn’t even finished coming out. It’s starting to get respected more and more everyday.

Davey D: Your brother Moecedes is a rapper for the group Tony Toni Tone. What’s the story with him? Are you guys gonna team up?

2Pac: He’s in the Underground Railroad. He’s also about to come out with another guy named Dana.

Davey D: Who produced your album and are you into producing

2Pac: I co-produced it with the members of the Underground Railroad which is Shock G, Money B, Raw Fusion, Pee Wee, Jay-Z from Richmond, Stretch from the Live Squad. It’s really like a life thing-this Underground Railroad. It effects everything we do.

Davey D:Is there anything else we should know about Tupac?

2Pac: Yeah, the group Nothing Gold is coming. My kids are coming out with a serious message…NG is a group coming out that I produce.. All the stuff I say in my rhymes I say because of how I grew up. So to handle that, instead of going to a pyschiatrist, I got a kids group that deals with the problems a younger generation is going through. They put them into rhymes so it’s like a pyschology session set to music. It’ll make you come to grips with what you actually do..

Davey D: What do you mean by that? Are they preaching?

2Pac: No they’re just telling you straight up like Ice Cube or Scarface. They’re being blunt and it comes out of a kid’s mouth. If you’re a black man, you’re going to really trip out cause they really call you out and have you deal with them…NG will make us have responsibility again. Kids are telling you to have responsibility…

Davey D: What do you think of the current trends in Hip Hop like the gangsta rap, Afrocentric Rap, raggamuffin and the fusion of the singing and rap? Some people call it ‘pop rap’.

2Pac: I think all the real shit is gonna stay. It’s gonna go through some changes. It’s going through a metaphorphis so it will blow up sometimes and get real nasty and gritty, then the leeches will fall off and Hip Hop will be fit and healthy. Hip Hop has to go through all of that, but no one can make judgments until it’s over.

Davey D: What do you think the biggest enemies to Hip Hop are right now?

2Pac: Egotistical rappers. They don’t wanna open up their brain. Its foul when people are walking around saying things like; ‘Oakland is the only place where the real rappers come out. New York is the only place where the real rappers come out. They booty out there or they booty over there…’ All of that just needs to die or Hip Hop is gonna have problems. Its gonna be so immature. Thats just conflict in words. We can’t be immature we gotta grow.

Davey D: Cool I think we got enough out of you 2Pac.

2Pac: yes I think you got enough

Davey D: Peace.

Happy Birthday 2-Pac


1992 interview