Video: J Dilla Tribute (R.I.P Dilla)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=terRELJ2-Vo

It's been two years since hip-hop producer J Dilla aka Jay Dee (real name James Yancey) passed away from complications of the disease lupus on February 10th, 2006.

The musical legacy that he left behind will never be paralleled. This is a video tribute that gives you a brief snapshot of who J Dilla was as a producer, person and legend. If you don't know who he is, you'd better ask somebody!

FYI. The song playing in the background is "Can't Stop This" which is a track off The Roots' most recent album Game Theory using a beat from Dilla's instrumental album Donuts.

Video: Black Milk and Sean Price chilling in the Studio (Courtesy of XLR8R TV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoEcM4b8BNE

This vid is cool. Shows Black Milk and P-Body in the studio talking shop.

Video: "Abandon Ship" by Gallows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri39J_076gg

Here's a video for the track "Abandon Ship" by U.K. hardcore punk band Gallows. Their debut album is entitled Orchestra of Wolves and is out now on Epitaph. For a different flex check it out. Bring some earplugs if you see them live.

Video: "Sound The Alarm" by Black Milk featuring Guilty Simpson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDmXxQk8J18

This is a dope video and track by two dope artists from Detroit. Keep an eye out for Guilty's debut album Ode to the Ghetto dropping March 25th on Stones Throw.

Prince Po and TomC3 - "Saga of the Simian Samurai" - Threshold Recordings (2007)

When notoriously slept-on underground duo Organized Konfusion (Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch) parted ways after their last official release The Equinox (1997), no one would have expected that both wordsmiths would have taken such drastically different solo paths. Neither emcee has enjoyed great commercial success while working on their own, (Pharoahe came the closest with his speaker wrecker “Simon Says” off his debut solo album Internal Affairs (1999) ), however both have pushed out solid product since then.

Where Monch has kept closer to the conscious tip, Prince Po continues his journey out into leftfield with his latest project Saga of the Simian Samurai (Threshold Recordings,2007) where he teams up with Bay-area producer TomC3 (known for his 2006 collabo Project Polaroid with Hip-Hop’s resident freakshow Kool Keith); to make heads realize that leftfield is quite a dope place to hang out in indeed.

Simian Samurai kicks off with a short instrumental (“The Saga Begins”) that features some relaxed keys interspersed with some turntable trickery and scratching courtesy of producer TomC3. This track would sound even tighter with some accompanying wordplay however.

Po begins hitting his stride midway through the disc, which is also where he happens to pack all of the heaters that require reloads. On “Candy”, he spits some agile bars about his obsession with a woman who works in the sex industry, over a slinky guitar-lick that would have Jenna Jameson shaking her money-maker.

“Now and Then” has Po taking a trip down memory lane over a bouncy funk-inflected beat where he compares popular trends from his youth to the things that are hot today, “Street Fighter 2 / Lee Majors / In Living Colour / NBA throwbacks…..MySpace /Afros and suede Pumas….”

The chemistry is definitely right on “Apocalyptic Medicine” where Po, and special guests Kool Keith and Motion Man volley tight verses back and forth over a soundscape that gives a nod to the forward-thinking aesthetic that Deltron 3030 and the Def Jux roster share.

The only real hiccup on the album is “Roota To The Toota” which strangely brings to mind the stomach-churning audio cheese “Addams Groove” that MC Hammer produced for the Addam’s Family Soundtrack from the early 1990’s. Just hit skip and everything will be ok.

If Prince Po continues to branch further away from the mainstream on his next effort, like he has on Saga of the Simian Samurai, then he will surely cement his place in the leftfield/experimental hip hop arena as an original voice that brings the promise of something fresh and exciting each time he releases new material

Rating: 8/10.

Hell Rell - "For The Hell of It" - Diplomat Records/Koch Records (2007)

The latest release from the Dipset camp, Hell Rell’s “For The Hell of It” (Diplomat Records/Koch Records, 2007) does much to uphold the street aesthetic that the
Diplomats are known for yet little to continue with the commercial flirtation that some members (ie. Cam’ron, Jim Jones) have enjoyed in recent time. Don’t expect “Ballin’ Pt.
2” on this record, just brace yourself for Dipset’s standard bombastic production coupled with grimy, hard-hitting rhymes courtesy of Hell Rell, who sounds like he has a bone to pick with the rap game on this, his long-awaited solo disc.

Based on the cover art alone for this album (Rell looks like he sees his dentist Dr. FullClip twice a year for regular checkups), you know you are in for some typical Dipset street anthems with an added dose of malice. On album opener “Intro”, Hell Rell boasts over a panicky instrumental, “I don’t get high no more/I smoke for the smell of it/Money just a hobby/N**** get it for the hell of it!”

“Streets Gonna Love Me” is reminiscent of Cam’ron’s 2002 hit “Oh Boy”, as Rell paints a picture, over a high pitched soul sample, of the bittersweet relationship he has with the streets that don’t reciprocate the love he has for them, “It’s funny that/I love the streets/But they on’t love me back.”

Rell invites a few guests to help add some menace to this already gritty album, including Styles P, Young Dro as well as Dipset alums Cam’ron, JR Writer and Juelz Santana. Absent from the album is Dipset “capo” Jim Jones, which seems to reinforce rumours about a widening divide between Jimmy and the rest of the Diplomats fam.

“I’m The S***” featuring Killa Cam, is one of the album’s standouts with Rell and Cam spitting over this car rattler that sounds like a jam session between a ghostly choir and the devil playing the drum kit.

Rell wraps things up smoothly near the end, with “Where You From” featuring Juelz, where over a laidback, soul-drenched beat, Rell gives thanks and praises to his Harlem crew that gave him time to shine in one of rap’s most interesting collectives, “Before I run off in the sunset/I f*** with a few things/But I’m only loyal to one set!”

After numerous mixtapes and guest appearances, it is nice to hear Rell stretched out over a long-player with no gimmicks, annoying DJ catchphrases and skits; just tight production and strong rhymes. This offering makes a strong case for Rell to receive a quick promotion within the Dipset ranks from a street soldier to at least a lieutenant. Hey Jimmy, what do you think?

Rating: 7.5/10

To read this review posted on AllHipHop.com click here:

http://allhiphop.com/blogs/reviews/archive/2007/10/25/18786678.aspx

Common - "Finding Forever Tour" - September 24th, 2007 - The Kool Haus, Toronto, ON, Canada

A quick glance at the massive crowd and lines outside of the Kool Haus on Monday night were a good indication that the stock of Chi-City’s illest MC has clearly risen since the last time he touched down in the T-Dot, back in February 2006 at this very same (albeit less crowded) venue along Toronto’s waterfront.

Common, who was in town for a stop on his current tour to support his latest release “Finding Forever” brought along some lively opening acts in the form of Stones Throw artist and legendary underground lyricist Percee P and Q-Tip, whom some might remember from a little group called A Tribe Called Quest. Unfortunately, due to the lack of complete organization and a proper lineup system courtesy of The Kool Haus security staff (this is a persistent problem at this venue, and will continue to be until someone in charge gets their act together!), many concert-goers (including myself) were trapped outside steaming, listening to the muffled sounds of each artists’ opening sets.

Once inside I was immediately hit with a stifling wall of heat and humidity created by the combination of poor ventilation and the thousands of hipsters, b-boys and girls, thugs and middle-aged couples eagerly anticipating the return of Kanye West’s favorite rapper. The lights dimmed and the screaming began as vocal snippets off “Finding Forever” played over the sound system. Common bolted onto the stage dressed to impress in a white tee, expensive-looking denim and one of his trademark hats; and immediately had the floor bouncing with “Go” from 2005’s instant classic “Be” and his current single, “The People”.

A welcome addition to Common’s performance was the inclusion of a live drummer (Karriem Riggins, a producer/musician/power player who is known from his close association with the Stones Throw family); which added some sonic muscle to Common’s already dope live show. Common kept the energy of the crowd up as he played a little call-and-response with the sweaty party people in attendance during crowd favorites like “The Corner” off his last album.

The floor shook when Common unleashed a classic throwback collage in which he spit Toronto-centric rhymes (Shouting out street names, landmarks, etc.) over classic beats like “Just A Friend” by Biz Markie and Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind”. Those fans who weren’t at his last show in Toronto, wouldn’t realize that Common pulled the same trick the last time around and it wasn’t something new; however it worked like a charm nonetheless.

The energy in the building waned slightly during “Testify” during which Common left the stage to change clothes and cut the music to deliver a spoken word portion of the track to create drama; however all it did was cause the crowd to stir restlessly and complain until the beat kicked back in. The unbearable heat was surely a factor, as several people were carried out unconscious by security; but the “mini-stage production” seemed to miss it’s intended target.

Common closed off his set with a stirring rendition of one of his all-time greatest tracks “The Light” which was produced by the late production prodigy J Dilla, whom was shown love by all inside the cramped Kool Haus. He then stated that, “I always close the show with The Light and typically don’t do any more songs….however because y’all been so good, I’ll do a couple more!” The crowd roared its approval as Common bounced through the Kanye-assisted “The Food” and “I Want You” off “Finding Forever”.

All in all, Chicago’s finest delivered yet another memorable performance filled with everything you would expect from Common and maybe a little you wouldn’t. Hopefully next time Toronto is graced with Common’s fine mic presence it will be at a venue that that offers some relief from the heat being produced on stage and amongst the fans.

To view this review at AllHipHop.com click here:

http://allhiphop.com/blogs/reviews/archive/2007/09/27/18654492.aspx