Nicki’s one of those artists I go back and forth with. One day she’ll impress me, the next day I’ll wonder. But recently she’s been impressing. Before I heard her rap I heard her speak, and she got my attention. From there Roy introduced me to the “Always Love You”, and I found myself putting on for her. And then Harriet the Spy started fucking with her and it was over. But then I wonder, is she winning by default? I mean, what other female rappers are there? I think I’d win a game of 1 on 1 if I wasn’t playing against anyone. Nonetheless, Nicki’s doing it. This is my favorite slap thus far, so Nicki gets that Bowties love.
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Sorry to be a little late with this one, but it’s just necessary. The latest clip from Erykah is about as simple as it gets from a production standpoint. From a visual standpoint it’s the kind of video that just fucks with your head. Psychedelic to say the least. Half the time it’s hard to even figure out what you’re looking at. The song is now slated to be a web-only bonus, but the album, headed by lead single “Window Seat”, is due out March 30th. Expect something serious.
For those of you who missed the show, Wayne, Em and Drizzy shut it down, starting with the Rebirth collab “Drop the World” and of course, “Forever”. Cole knows better than most of us. Overall, the night, and the actual awards given out left something to be desired. After all, it was the Grammys. These three on stage was pretty iconic either way though, even if Yeezy was a no show. Don’t know if it was touching this though. As usual, GaGa went hard with the performance too, pulling a Shady and bringing out Elton John. Check below for the footage.
There’s not a whole lot of people on the planet in the same league of cool as Erykah. Something about the way she carries herself, and her creative energy; it’s just different from anybody else out there. Almost two years ago, the first installment of New Amerykah marked Ms. Badu’s return to the game with a woozy, strange and politically motivated groover of an album. Luckily for us, part two is on the way, and it looks like we’re in for an experience. “Jump Up in the Air” finds her enlisting Wayne for a collab that’s as sinister as it is soulful. This shit is too dope.
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As the year comes to a close, we thought it was only appropriate to share with you the music that inspired us most. Off top, let me make it clear that this isn’t “top” or “best” anything. Contrary to popular opinion, this music thing is not a competition. Not to mention that trying to collapse a year’s worth of music into a comprehensive playlist just isn’t really feasible. Just ask Lily Allen, Pac Div or about 100 otherartists who easily could’ve ended up on this short list. Having said that, it’s only right to pay homage to the tracks that made our life that much more enjoyable. Whether they made us sing and dance, contemplate our lives or drive way too fast in the whip, the artists behind these 25 deserve a little recognition. Consider it their gift to you.
Hyphen just laced us with some gold. A “unique” rendition of the devastatingly infectious Birdman hit, “Money to Blow.” One of those songs you can’t stop slapping, but are mad at because Birdman made it. Nonetheless, this is jokes. Already watched this shit three times.
Eskay calls it the Rebirth collabo that Weezy’s wanted since forever, since “Forever” doesn’t count. I just know collabs between legends are generally reason enough to get juiced. Tracks like “Brooklyn’s Finest” and “Renegade” pretty much set the standard for our generation, with Em absolutely destroying the latter. “Black Republicans” and “Mr. Carter” were cool too, even if they didn’t quite live up to the hype. So all judgments aside, here’s one we’ve been patiently waiting on: Wayne and Marshall. “Drop the World”. You decide.
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Wayne is pretty exceptional at talking shit, but he’s often at his best when he’s talking from personal experience. “Single” like say, “Something You Forgot” catches Wayne describing the kind of relationship problems many of us are too familiar with. Fights, trust issues. That type of shit. Set to a woozy backdrop of reversed guitars, this is one of the strangest, but also one of the more interesting tracks on the mixtape. An ode to being “single for the night”. Oh, and just to cover all the bases, you can download the full, official version of No Ceilingshere, complete with the four new tracks and higher quality audio. Personally I’m riding with “Wasted” as the hardest track. Ariel’s on the “Swag Surfin” though, and Camila fucks with “Wayne on Me”. Anybody else got a favorite?
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Something to wake up to for the folks who haven’t heard the good news yet. If you live under a rock or something, I’ll fill you in. Wayne is back. Rapping on other peoples’ beats. With minimal features, no autotune, and no guitars. For those of us who became true believers after Dedication 2, or even Drought 3, this is something to get juiced about. Likewise for those of us who thought “Prom Queen” left something to be desired. Without further adieu, let’s get to it. No Ceilings.
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I’m glad Wayne hopped on this. I wanted to slap this in the whip but Gucci and Plies don’t touch the stereo unless it’s on accident. Luckily, we’ve got Wayne. I guess the question that many of us are asking lies right before us. Has Wayne peaked? For the past 3 years we’ve witnessed the ascension, we’ve witnessed the process, but I wonder, can he really top himself? The relentless nature of Wayne’s production allows us to chart his progression song by song. He’s gotten our attention, so now we listen with a critical ear. The best artists keep us in anticipation. I wonder what Wayne will do next.
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The thing about putting the entire crew on is simply that everyone is not capable of carrying the torch. We’ve seen it time and time again. Nelly was running with the torch, passed it to Murphy Lee, he stumbled, passed it to Eminem, Em got the lead back and was front runnin, passed it to D12 and their shoelaces came undone, they threw it to 50 and he ran a lap around the competition, only to drop it back to Tony Yayo, and he fell on his face. This track is no different, Wayne & Drizzy come correct, even Nikki Minaj does her thing, but the rest of these YM bruhs leave a lot to be desired. First single off the YM compilation, whatchu think? Omarion on the hook.
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Pretty humorous to say the least. Hip hop’s biggest stars immortalized as Simpsons characters. Designed by Moxy Creative, each picture is available in hi-res for printing. The choices they make to define each character are amusing. Biggie’s Coogi sweater to Wayne’s moccasins. This is jokes.
This is how you do it. Swagga Like Us on steroids. This track is exciting. Off first listen you’re like, “Damn ok Drake, I see you, who’s next…” and it continues. It’s exciting. I hope there are more mega tracks like this in the future. So then the question becomes, who came the hardest?
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Wag came through with a gift. Something for the car. A quick reminder from Wayne. One of those tracks. Now, one may raise the question, when was this track made, was this recorded in ‘07 and released in ‘09? It would make a difference. Is this Wayne right now or old Wayne? Who knows. Perhaps we should just appreciate a dude just out here nearly redefining his craft. But this raises another question, who is running the game right now? Rebirth rattled Waynes throne, but a few tracks like this can secure the spot. Drizzy Yeezy and Jay are right there too. It’s nice. In a small way, hip hop is regaining its purity. The best rise to the top. It’s an exciting time. Everything is changing.
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