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| Azealia.likes.dogs. http://ohladysamantha.tumblr.com/ |
Azealia Banks is dope. As fuck. The Lazy Jay-produced “212” is an epidemic. It's one of those rare tracks that, for me personally, WILL NOT expire. Banks can spit. Her penmanship and cadence here are brilliant, yet dissimilar to the way she attacks Canadian producer Luinice's “Runnin” (a crispy banger that sounds more suitable for fellow Harlem-born newbie A$AP Copy, I mean Rocky, to lazy-rap upon). “212” is also a stark contrast to her angelic rendition of Interpol's “Slow Hands.” Versatility. You too may be in lust with everything Yung Rapunxel - especially if you fucks with any kind of house music or its 4:4 brothers and sisters. This morning I was krumping something fierce to it (which takes a bit of speed as my fellow B-boys and girls can attest to). I couldn't help it. It was my body's response to the beat-drop that follows the bridge coupled with the “WHATCHU GON DO WHEN I APPEAR?!!!” blared by the twenty-year old thespian. Her prose here is not part of a scene or parody, rather an emphatic and well executed response to Nicki Minaj, who began the name calling here around the 1:21 mark. Banks and Onika Maraj are former cohorts of LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan. Claims of the record being a dis have been denounced, yet upon careful examination, one must wonder. I've never been a huge fan of Minaj. Fader introduced me back in 2007 and I said to myself “ok...we'll see...” and what we've seen and heard is Yung Money fuckery. I mean, I guess I'm hating, but I can't get down with Wayne n' nem. Loved the Hot Boyz, Carter I, II, and parts of III (regardless of who was writing), but not so much these days. And umm, I never got into Drizzy. So...imagining Banks referring to Nicki and company when she sings “Ayo, I hear you riding with the same tall, tall tale...” only accentuates my adoration of the song. Mark my words: Azealia Banks is on it. I feel like a Peaches collab is inevitable and hopefully something with Missy as well. Banks had this to say (of Minaj) to Complex Magazine, "The butt, the hair, the this, the that, all the other shit, like... as much respect that I have for her, we've seen you do this already, what else can you do? I'm trying to be innovative, I want to be like Missy Elliott was, respected and accepted for doing her own thing."
Speaking of compelling coital raps: Bobby Strawberry has a posse. The part-time emcee/crooner, full-time Selfish Lover gets it in. Lyrically, figuratively...LITERALLY. And while his predecessors may have laid the foundation (he's more Blowfly than Mickey Avalon; more Black Face Ensemble than Riff Raff) Bobby has styles for miles, gas in the tank and plenty of 'pull' if you will. So run for the hills...and hide your hoes!
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| #Bobby #Bobby #Bobby ulovei.com |
Vibe Magazine put Eminem and Yelawolf on the cover last month under the headline: Is hip-hop finally color blind? Hmmm. I don't know Vibe, is it? Or better yet, is your publication??? Don't get me wrong. I've never confused Vibe as being an exclusive gatekeeper of information within the hip-hop universe, nor do I bother with race discussions within said universe, but with that particular question gracing the cover I half expected a piece of journalism that gave some sort of answer inside. Nope. Bland questions (begat bland answers) and dull comparisons ‒ the journalist and editor-at-large *wince* likened Yelawolf's “...dueling sides...” of “...backwoods 'redneck' and Southern B-boy ethos...” to “...Aerosmith bumping up against Run-D.M.C. In the 'Walk This Way' video.” Nice analogy. Aerosmith is from Boston. Yelawolf doesn't sing. I guess since Yelawolf is white the juxtaposition works?? More aggravating and downright
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| SMDH |
offensive was the Evolution of the White Rapper cartoon also published in the issue. The illustration is wrong on so many levels, but let's assume that the timeline itself is appropriate and mildly humorous (it is not) with the Beasties being the first primitive white-rapper-man who have now evolved into Asher Roth. Jeez, I mean is El-P somewhere in there maybe? Slug? Aesop?? Does it even matter? No, it does not. Only because it is, after all, just Vibe Magazine. And I don't own a Yelawolf
album, but am pleasantly impressed with his own white analysis on the track he jumped on with my ATX brethren and mic-ripper Kydd (who's currently tearing it up on the Red Bull Skooled Tour). In the track, “Hall Pass”, Alabama's finest plays with the words spewing,
...it's me you lookin' at like what the fuck am I doin' here/ I'm hip-to-the-hop...don't they use it for brewin' beer?/ white...hops, right? like ''Jump Around”/ got a pump in the trunk for any fuckin'chump in town.
If I never hear the phrase “at the end of the day...” again it wouldn't bother me. It's right up there with “amazing”. Semantics and nomenclature may indeed be like assholes (everyone has one and you know the rest...or do you?); nonetheless these quips are so tired to me. The new one is “say-something-relevant-or-catchy-dot-com”. Of course within the window of myself that others observe and digest, I know I have more than a few words, over usages and habits of my own. I am the passionate, conscious, 'my way or the highway goat' as my lady likes to point out. The both of us were overjoyed upon seeing the NBA's thinkB4youspeak.com ad starring Grant Hill and Jared Dudley which denounces the use of the word 'gay' as a derogatory term. Yet with one glance at the youtube postings in response (not to mention other online forums); a considerable amount of humans disagree: whether in jest, ignorance or with the whole 'it's just a word' defense. I agree that at the end of the day it is indeed just a word, however I respect the idea of refraining from its usage. Period. And YAYYYYYYYY for the overturning of Proposition 8 yesterday. Seriously.
Besides releasing one of my favorite tracks of 2012 thus far, emcee/journalist/downsouthmouthpiece/allaroundgooddude Bavu Blakes is creating west coast waves with his pen, sans the rapping. Don't sleep on hiphopgrewup.com. The scope of this growing forum is timely and supremely relevant. Start here and follow. He's averaging nearly two posts a week and it's ALL GOOD.
I had a blast a few weeks back as one time ATXers Fake Hooker played the first show EVER in the basement of Divine Bar ‒ a tiny neighborhood watering hole in Bushwick. Tight Chocolate played first with fist-pumping punkery of their own. I hope to hang with these guys more and hopefully get involved in my own-damn-band very soon.
In other NYC news: I'm an avid reader of The L Magazine (bi-monthly and free), whose columns and reviews on local art, music, movies, restaurants, venues, sex, politics and BK happenings as a whole have turned into my own personal tour guide and map, as we've still only been hear for eight months. The second issue of this year broke down the 101 Secrets to Indie Rock Success. This may sound like a gag (it was indeed hilarious) but so are a lot of bands and their attempts at notoriety. The on-point analysis and 101 actual suggestions/warnings/jokes were valuable for any kind of musical outfit...regardless of the 'success' you and your bros may be seeking. Get a taste here.
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| BroBowl 2012 w/ BK peeps |
The Forever Down Bottom juke box has given PT to ScHoolboy Q, Azealia Banks (duh), Zebra Katz and Cate le Bon (thanks L Mag) as of late. I'd like to give a proper farewell and RIP to Joe Paterno, Johnny Otis, Etta James and Don Cornelius. On a brighter note, D'Angelo is back and he sounds wonderful.
I'm also thrilled to announce that B and I will be married in Austin on Saturday, 12-1-12. Save the date. I have also re-laced my coaching shoes here in Brooklyn and am happy to be out of a high school classroom and on a collegiate level of play. This may unfortunately cut into my time behind a pair of turntables and this set of keys, but it won't be for lack of want-to. These kids will once again be my focus and I can't be mad at that. So while football just ended for most of the planet, I'm prepping for spring ball. The life we lead, buddy. Until next time peeps. I'm O-U-T.
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smiznO
I'm also thrilled to announce that B and I will be married in Austin on Saturday, 12-1-12. Save the date. I have also re-laced my coaching shoes here in Brooklyn and am happy to be out of a high school classroom and on a collegiate level of play. This may unfortunately cut into my time behind a pair of turntables and this set of keys, but it won't be for lack of want-to. These kids will once again be my focus and I can't be mad at that. So while football just ended for most of the planet, I'm prepping for spring ball. The life we lead, buddy. Until next time peeps. I'm O-U-T.
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smiznO
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| Momma in them Vs |
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| The real one, mang. #THRILLED |
