Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Why You Should Always Buy iTunes Gift Cards

If you gotta buy a gift card for someone, make it an iTunes card. The other day I received a card and after downloading some great songs I realized how willing I was to buy the songs, something I don't do as much as I should. In the music industry I'm sure you all know illegal music downloading, such as p2p sharing clients (torrenting), have greatly reduced the number of songs purchased. This makes it hard for artists who aren't well known to make bank. But when you buy someone an iTunes gift card, they will download songs legally. So remember that buying an iTunes gift card for someone means supporting underground artists!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Back When Hip-Hop Was Real


This live performance 50 Cent and Eminem gave in Detroit in 2003 when they played one of my personal favorite songs, Patiently Waiting, really takes everyone back to a time when rap was real. No Bullsh**, no mapped out choreographed performances, but instead just real rap. We should have savored this time period because even though there are some great rappers out there today, they are hard to find. So for a moment, lets go back to 2003. Take it away 50. 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Worst Rappers of the Decade Pt. 2

    After a raging success in my first post about the worst rappers of the decade, here is part two! The infamous next member of this "club" is none other than Mr. YeahhH, Lil Jon! Let me ask you all a question: What is the first word that you think of (other than dead) when i say Tupac? Soul, spirit or emotion. Now let me ask that same question but instead of Tupac we say Lil Jon. The unanimous answer is  YEaAHH!! That in itself is a troubling sign folks. This man has absolutely 0, (.00000), credibility to me. He has made countless stupid songs that are the antithesis of flow. His puerile lyrics don't even match his Garageband beats, yet he still parades himself as the King of "Crunk." Well Mr. Jon, if "Crunk" is defined as having no flow, using one line over and over again, and touting yourself around with a stupid gold cup then you sir are the god of "Crunk." Do us a favor and stop making songs and take off the jewelry. I do give credit where credit is due though, Lil Jon is a halfway decent producer.



Sorry Netherlands, hes an asshole
(That is the Netherlands National Team soccer jacket)

Post by DJ WFB

Check Out Rap Up 2010 by Skillz


Skillz dropped off his annual “Rap Up” retrospective, recapping the highlights of the past 365 days over a glossy piano-laced beat. Covering everything from Kelis and Nas’ messy divorce to the BP oil spill, the MC catalogues the highs and lows of 2010, weaving in references to Antoine Dodson, Erykah Badu’s controversial “Window Seat” video, and Lil’ Kim’s beef with Nicki Minaj. Take a stroll down memory lane by listening below. Check out the lyrics so you don't miss any of the 2010 news. Don't forget to check out Skillz' other annual rap ups, they are all great and are sure to jog some memories. 


"I send a R.I.P 
to Guru, Gary Coleman and Miss Teena Marie
Apache, Eyedea, and Lena Horne the star
Huddy Combs, Hideo, and Cool DJ Lar
May they all rest in heaven" - Skillz 

Tru dat Skillz... it's nice to hear someone paying homage for the death of Guru, one of my favorite rappers.

  Download Skillz - 2010 Rap UpLink



  Original post by www.rap-up.com

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

GOOD ISH: J. Cole - "Return of Simba"

"Cole under pressure, what that make? Diamonds."


J. Cole has purposefully avoided releasing his debut album’s title for fear of inconstancy. When he receives an actual due date from his record label, he will then release the album’s title. J.Cole wants Jay-Z to be on his album, but he has not decided which record he would like to feature the rap mogul on.


J. Cole is back with a new track that he dropped on his twitter followers a few days ago. Any new Cole is good Cole, but he sounds particularly ambitious on this one, like he’s finally ready to live up to the praise heaped on him before his first album. Of course, as the man says on “Return of Simba,” he’s like Oprah, “well worth the weight.”
Download: Link




Heres a link for my favorite song by J. Cole - Higher
Download: Link

My Super Short Review On Beats by Dr. Dre - Studio


My Super Short Review On Beats by Dr. Dre - Studio

Pros: Great sound quality, they look swag as f**k, good warranty, impenetrable noise cancellation, & they keep their value

Cons: Flimsy, leak noise like a mother f**ker, requires 2 aaa batteries (this is actually normal for noise canceling headphones), & pricey

Overview: I have had my headphones for over a year and I am a very happy man. I bought a white pair on black friday from apple for $229.99. Its pretty crazy how their value has increased over a $100 in the past year :) (current retail price is $350). The headphones have the perfect sound and especially bass for true hip hop lovers. I tried a pair of similarly priced bosed headphones and the sound quality and noise canceling was a tad bit better but they looked like total crap. I won't lie, I sacrificed that bit of quality for how great the studio headphones looked. I would just like to mention that if your interested in purchasing a pair for yourself, watch out for the price. Monster Cable, the product creator (no Dr. Dre didn't actually make them stupid...), has been known to overprice there products so try and get a deal for at least 300 bucks. Overall I'd give them a 7.8/10 rating. Watch the video below to get a more in depth review. Also check out the new poll!



Post by DJyakobian

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Jackie Chain: A Rap Dragon




Jackie Chain aka "Mr. VIP" is a half white and half Korean rapper from Huntsville, Alabama. He has been rapping since the 5th grade. Jackie Chain had a rough childhood growing up. His mother left him when he was 2 years old and his father kicked him out of the house at age 16. He then hustled on the streets to get by which landed him in prison. Prison was where he started to take his rapping seriously and where he got the name "Jackie Chain". The story goes that the inmates called him "Jackie Chan" but because of their southern drawl it sounded like "Jackie Chain" and he kept that as his rapping name ever since. Jackie Chain has two mixtapes out: Fear the Future and Who Am I both released in 2008.


Rollin is one of Jackie Chain's biggest hits so far. The term "rollin" is a slang for being under the influence of the drug ecstasy. The instrumental of Rollin uses the sample of Robert Mile's Children. Gucci Mane on the chorus saying "Rollin, rollin, rollin, we ain't slept in weeks".  I recommend checking out the remix with Kid Cudi (CAUTION: very addictive)

My favorite song by Jackie Chain has got be Haze. In Haze you really hear the potential of Jackie Chain to start rising up the ranks. When Chain sings in the song his distinct whiney voice is accompanied by a very unique rap that hits all the right notes and tends stress the last rhyme of each stanza. You can hear the dual ethnicity (asian and white) in his voice. I believe the future of Jackie Chain beholds a spot for him on the top 100 charts. I can see his style catching on with hip pop (top 40 hip hop), especially since he makes good use of auto tune which seems to be trending at the moment. Jackie Chain has been praised by his friend and rap star, Whiz Khalifa. They have similar styles so if your a fan of one you may like the other.


Download link for Rollin feat. Kid Cudi - Jackie Chain Click Here

Download link for Haze - Jackie Chain Click Here

The actual Jackie Chain

Monday, May 23, 2011

Gangsta Rap Mondays: Best Gangsta Rap Remix


Welcome to the first addition of Gangsta Rap Mondays. This is just a quick post of my favorite gangster rap remix featuring Eazy-E, 2Pac, 50 Cent, and The Game. This remix by rogue youtuber, timamar, combines the lyrical genius of 2Pac & Eazy-E with the Dr. Dre produced track "How We Do" by The Game. If only these rap legends could actually all come together to make a track, it would truly be a site to see.


Heres a link to the download Click Here

R.I.P. 2Pac & Eazy-E

Post by DJyakobain

The Milkman Is Hear & The Milk Is Fresh

The milk is here.
Ahhhh nothing like some fresh milk in the morning and I'll show you the freshest in town. Mashup artist, Milkman, has a relatively new mix called "Sky High." "Sky High" has an addicting beat and smooth song transitions. It's great to start the morning with or for a power song during a cardio workout.

Heres the download link Click Here

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Rakim - The Real G.O.A.T


 "I got classics which means my smash hits won't age"

       All of us ask "who the best rapper is?" and a lot of idiots will say Lil Wayne. But to us real rap fans it comes down to just a few. To me, the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time), is Rakim. Rakim has flow that is touched by no one. His lyrics incite the emotional reaction that Tupac's do making them irresistible. Rakim uses a unique ability to rhyme to therefor setting himself apart from other rappers. When you listen to a song like "New York to Cali", you truly believe that Rakim is there sitting with you guiding you on a tour. He found the common ground in hip hop that so few have, the balance between good flow and lyrics. His lyrics don't constantly refer back to sex and drugs, yet he still has perfect low that stays perfect with the tantalizing beats he raps over. There is a certain serenity that comes over someone when they listen to Rakim, and this is what really makes him special to me and many others. Rakim posses a true passion for hip hop that is share by very few, and it is clearly evident in his work. That is why I like to refer to Rakim as the "Rapper's Rapper" because every rapper has shown their respect to him, in their multiple shoutouts in songs. So please everyone take a minute and respect greatness a.k.a Rakim Allah.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ob8ut3f7b3xbal0 (Rakim Download)
Written by DJ WFB


Worst Rappers of the Decade Pt. 1

Soulja Boy
  As Ice T so eloquently put it "Fuck Soulja Boy, Eat a Di**... this nigga single handedly killed hip hop." Ladies and gentlemen, lets not kid ourselves, this man could be charged with murder for what he has done. His complete lack of rhythm, flow and comprehendible lyrics would be enough to put him on this list alone, but its what he turned himself into that has angered so many of us real hip hop fans. The man created a sensation among young Americans that's effects are still felt today. "Jerking" and "Duggying" are direct descendants of Soulja Boy and his dumbass dance. Thanks a lot asshole. As Snoop said "Soulja Man, that shit was bullshit."

Written by DJ WFB


Only douchebags take pictures of themselves in the mirror...

Saturday, May 21, 2011

What Preset Should I Put My iTunes Equalizer In?

Ya... so most of you probably didn't even know you had an iTunes equalizer. Or wait maybe I should start out with telling you wtf an equalizer is for all you n00bs out there. Your =izer adjusts the balance between different frequencies of your music. Basically you can adjust the bass, mids, and treble. Conveniently your iTunes has one of these audio miracles in it, just click window on the top bar and then equalizer. Now, I dont recommend adjusting the frequencies yourself unless you have a lot of experience in music in which case you probably stopped reading a long time ago. NO NEED TO FRET! Your iTunes equalizer conveniently has many presets to choose from, I suggest playing with around with them to find the right one. Once you find one you like, trust me going back to flat (normal) will sound like crap. I use the  spoken word preset since a lot of my library is rap, but I actually leave it on spoken word all the time because I think it sounds great with everything especially in my Dre headphones :p.

Porn With Clothes On?


WINNER for weirdest hip hop music video of all time goes to! *drum roll*.... Major Lazer and his video for "Pon De Floor". It's pretty d*mn funny though, I'm not gonna lie.


Heres a link for the download to Pon de Floor (feat. VYBZ Kartel) by Major Lazer - Click Here

Mac Miller – Wear My Hat | HYPETRAK


After releasing a new track on Thursday in celebration of reaching 400,000 followers on Twitter, Mac Miller decided to deliver new material for the second day in a row yesterday. But instead of another new song, Mac dropped off the official music video for the fan-favorite, Chuck Inglish-produced "Wear My Hat" off of his free album, Best Day Ever which came out back in March. As usual, the video was shot and edited by Rex Arrow Films and is presented by Mac's official YouTube channel, TreeJTV. If you've heard the song before then you may be able to predict how this one plays out, as the visuals follow the track's lyrics closely and bring them to life. However, the vivid shots and female co-star certainly make this video worth checking out. Press play above.

Mac Miller – Wear My Hat | HYPETRAK

The Adderall Admiral, Danny Brown - "Outer Space"

Try and imagine a funny version of OFWGKTA with a completely different voice, well you get Danny Brown. For a while now, Danny’s referred to himself as the “Adderall admiral” and yesterday he hit the interwebs with “Outer Space,” an ode to taboo topics including the aforementioned pills, reefer madness and fellatio. The song is filled with funny punch lines like “I got them penis psalms for your “Vagina Monologues, Love a feminist b*tch, oh that gets my d*ck hard” and “I’m Wes Craven with X cravings”.


Heres the download link Click Here

E-DUBBLE - A Rising Star

I have been listening to E-DUBBLE for a few months now and he never fails to give me something entertaining to listen to. I got into his mixtape called free style friday which gave fun weekly track releases. I see big things for this indie Baltimore rapper, especially after I saw that Aziz Ansari and Collegehumor created a a rap video using the rapper's track "Hampden Parks", which mixes the Parks and Recs theme song. E-DUBBLE'S new single, "Changed My Mind", is worth listening to if your into a rasp/crispy deep voice and quick rhythm. It also contains his signature vocal/melodic chorus which makes you want to sing along. The progressive instrumentals in most of his songs tend to give them a pop-ish sound at times and the music isn't very deep or thought provoking, but if you need an uplifting song to sing along to I recommend checking out E-DUBBLE.

Here is a link to listen to "Changed My Mind" - Click Here

And heres a download of my favorite song by E-DUBBLE, "Automatic" - Click Here

This is the Parks and Recs rap I was talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DAwN-kdrHo

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mainstream Rappers: What to Dig and What to Ditch

Post By DJ WeezyFucktardBaby or WFB

    Although mainstream rappers, or pop artists (like Lil Wayne and his cohorts), usually get a bad rap  (no pun intended, actually fuck yeah pun intended) on the underground, lets not forget that there are still some great rappers out there making big bucks. Albiet most of these once great rappers have fallen off, they still have some great music to listen to. This periodical will be written with several installments of "What to Dig and What to Ditch"

What to Dig:
The Eminem Show (2002)- In possibly one of the greatest albums ever released, Eminem drops too many hits to count. The songs on this album are always playing in my car or iPod because they simply do not get old.
      Best Songs:
                         Say What You Say, White America,  Sing For the Moment, Hallie's Song (One of the best songs, ever...)
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)- Before he was pulling  in cash from VitaminWater and that stupid Clothing line, 50 Cent was a somewhat unknown rapper,  but he  was an emerging star. This album typifies that. 50  dropped smooth choruses, impeccable lyrics and untouchable flow for almost every song on this album and no matter what the rest of the post says, this album, yes the entire album, is a must listen for every true rap fan out there.  One of 50 Cent's pre-fame releases was The Power of the Dollar (2000), is also worth a listen with  a few killer songs.
     Best Songs:
                        All of em except for Blood Hound.

What to Ditch (Do it ASAP):
Anything 50 Cent Post Massacare (2005)- In a much hyped album release in 2007, 50 Cent dropped a stinker, Curtis. It seemed to the rap world as if he had gotten to deep into the money making aspect of life, and boy was it true. Curtis was one of the least listenable-to albums ever. Literally every song was solely a reference to money or sex. In 2009, a much delayed release, 50 Cent released Before I Self Destruct. Although the album wasn't horrible (nothing could be worse than Curtis), it still focused on violence and dark beats.

Written by DJ WFB

Damn, you two have fallen off, a lot. Still gotta respect legends (although they have turned into cash printing moguls)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Rap Beef Fail

So B.o.B. just came out with his diss track directed at Tyler, The Creator called "No Future"...(get it haha). The song is a response to Tyler’s track “Yonkers”. Tyler raps on “Yonkers”. “I’ll crash that fucking airplane that that faggot niggah B.o.B is in/ And stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus/ And won't stop until the cops come in.” Tyler has expressed a dislike for the brand of prepackaged, pop-oriented hip-hop that is gaining popularity recently. He often complains about the similar chord progression in many of these songs. 



When I heard "No Future" it was easy to conclude that B.o.B. was just messing around and most likely threw something together quickly to have some fun. This was apparent due to the arrogance of the lyrics and the minimal amount of actual disses in the song. I also thought to myself why would B.o.B. even care enough to honestly be offended by some Joe Shmo's rap. Turns out I wasn't to far off, B.o.B. told MTV 


"You feel flattered. I didn't take it as a dis at all. I think in the hip-hop world, the more that we accept competition ... Listen, you cannot accept competition and still be competitive."


"It's when you lose, when you're on the losing end, that's when it gets serious and escalated," he said. "But I think it wasn't really anything that serious."


The song is clearly a failure at any attempts to diss Tyler. But if you forget about how the song is supposed to diss, your left with a surprisingly great deliverance of dope rhyming. Tyler addressed the track viaTwitter: "I don't think the 'No Future' song is even a diss. But I've never heard him spit like that. Took me by surprise, cus it's tight." 


Considering B.o.B. rose up the the charts so quickly its understandable that many people often only know his pop side, but B.o.B. also has some underground releases that really blow you away. Anyways... in conclusion I think this rap beef was super lame; Tyler ended up praising B.o.B. and B.o.B. said he was flattered by "Yonkers". This beef failure leaves me wishing for the good old gangsta rap beefs of the 90's :(.


Heres the a download link for "No Future" by B.o.B. Click Here
And heres an extra link for my favorite underground song by B.o.B., "Generation Lost" Click Here

Old Grandma Reads Odd Future Tweets... WTF?!

I ran across this video and didn't know whether I should laugh or be grossed out. Let's just say this lady is a real ^G-ma.

This is why Slug is on my top 5 rapper list

CAUTION FOR TRUE UNDERGROUND FANS ONLY
Hot Bars by Felt is a song with great rhymes and rhythm, powerful lyrics, and a rap that clearly has a lot of soul put into it. I also dig listening to Slug back in the day (2005) when his style was a little different. The song's track is kinda weak so you gotta focus on the rap, thus the warning above. Heres the story behind the band and the name of the album.

Felt initially started as a joke between friends Murs (from Living Legends) and Slug (from Atmosphere) after a discussion came up during a 2001 joint tour about who would have the best chance of sleeping with Christina Ricci (picture below). They eventually decided that dedicating an album to her would be most beneficial to their cause, and the next year, Slug went to L.A. to begin working on the project with Murs, taking only eight days to write and record A Tribute to Christina Ricci, which was produced by the Grouch and released in 2002. In 2005, after they realized that their dreams of meeting Ms. Ricci might never come true, Murs and Slug decided to focus their efforts on another celebrity, and A Tribute to Lisa Bonet came out later that year on Rhymesayers (a reissue of their debut also hit shelves simultaneously)


Heres the mediafire download link Click Here


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Adam F meets De La Soul

If you want to hear something new and a bit out of the ordinary, check out Time 4 Da True by Adam F featuring De La Soul.  Yes I know, the name is shit, but you will have this bangin beat on repeat, no doubt. English drum and bass DJ, Adam F, cooks up a truly funky beat with bass lines that get your feat tapping. This oldschool jungle track gets me thinking of songs like Super Fly by Curtis Mayfield. Adam F really is to thank for the spice in this track and I hope to hear more from the relatively unknown DJ who also created the score for the movie "Ali G Indahouse"as well as several albums which are on my to listen to list. Adam F doesn't seem to be commin' up the hip hop ranks considering his first album released was in 1994 but I know my true underground fans dont give a shit. Somehow this low key DJ paired up with De La Soul and this bizarre team took the best of their worlds and mixed up this masterpiece. De La Soul  raps on the track with there typical legendary flow giving a sort of fast paced Nas rap sound which I really liked. If your lovin' the song I recommend checking out Callin' Out by Lyrics Born, the songs are similar in that they both integrate good rap with funky rhythms. Unfortunately you won't find this song on itunes for some reason so heres the link to the mediafire download