Mr.Ivory Snow - "Spirit Of The R" (Prod. by Mr.Ivory Snow)

Coming through to show love to one of the illest emcees to ever touch the mic with this musical tribute is Mr.Ivory Snow for you. Take a listen.



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DJ Low Budget - Official ROOTS PICNIC 2012 Mixtape

Mixtape artwork by DJ Underdog

Not much longer till I hit up my first Roots Picnic event in Philly. I'm psyched to say the least and with this mixtape that the homie DJ Low Budget (hilarious ass name) put together, I'm much more anxious for the day to get here. Check out the track list and then make sure you go and peep the mix.

Okayplayer Presents: The Official Roots Picnic 2012 Mixtape tracklist:

Intro
The Lesson Part III/Paid In Full blend – The Roots/Eric B & Rakim
The Next Movement- The Roots
Ego Trippin-De La Soul
Paid In Full b/w Stay cool – Eric B & Rakim
It Ain’t All Good b/w Don’t Look any Further (Low B Blend Up)- De la Soul/Dennis Edwards
Adenaline (Beanie’s Verse) – The Roots
That Tree (Low Beezy’s Midnight Mona Lisa Mix)- Kid Cudi
I Know You Got Soul b/w Slight Work (Low B Blend Up) – Eric B & Rakim/Wale/Diplo
That’s The Way – Wale & Dorrough
Express Yourself – DIplo Feat. Nicky B
Danger – Major Lazer Feat. The Beastie Boys & Santigold
Gangsta _ The TuneYards
Galactus (Emynd Remix) – Mr MF’n Exsquire
Swerve… The Reeping of All That Is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding) -Shabazz Palaces
My Melody b/w Clones (Low B Blend Up) – Eric B. & Rakim/The Roots
Oooh b/w Sister Wife Star Slinger Remix (Low B Blend Up) – De La Soul feat Redman/ Alex Winston
Freaks N’ Geeks (Star Slinger Remix) – Childish Gambino
Get Free (Why So Not Remix) w/Die Like a Rockstar (Low B Blend Up) -Major Lazer Feat Amber/Danny Brown
Wit It/Harlem Shake (Low B Blendup) – Danny Brown/Baauerr
Piss Test – A-Track, Juicy J, &Danny Brown
All Tonight – Chill Moody
City Luuks (Kid Sister x Flosstradamus x Symmetry) – The Hood Internet
Luuk Out Girl – Flosstradamus feat. Kid Sister
Horsey (Diplo) – SwizzyMack (Philly Club remix)
Hood Fantasy – Flosstradamus
Original Don (Major Lazer) – Dj Sliink (Jersey Club Remix)
Yeah (Clap-a-Pella)- LCD Soundsystem
Yeah – LCD Soundsystem
Dr. Pill – WZRD (Kid Cudi)
Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood – St. Vincent
Powa b/w Purple Swag (Low B Blendup) – The Tuneyards/ASAP Rocky

Head over to Okayplayer to bump that mix right now: Okayplayer Presents: The Official Roots Picnic 2012 Mixtape

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EVENT: Black Thought Presents: DJ ?uesto, J.Period Live Mixtape, Money Making Jam Boys, Derrick Hodge & Rakim!

Get your tickets here!


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Take Three: Kool G Rap "4, 5, 6"

"It's a damn shame, what I gotta do just to make a dollar..."

Kool G Rap is a legend in our minds and his own right. The man knew how to tell a good street story, and balance that with a verbal acrobat ability regarding multisyllabics and diction. This album is very much a crowning achievement because Kool G took what he already knew from such classics he delivered as "Streets of New York," and pretty much put that into a changing rap world that was getting more of an organized crime sensibility. In turn, "4, 5, 6" (common winning combination in Cee-Lo or dice) provided some of the apex of Kool G's creativity, in an album that largely followed up his separation from DJ Polo. If nothing else, this is Kool G's mastery of street/mafioso rap.
As usual, let's break down three selections. Take three is a chance to take albums that are already familiar and regarded highly in rap, and deliver three tracks from one album to open a new listener's ears to that said classic. So without further adieu, let's get it started (absolutely no Black Eyed Peas).

Where @LadyBlogga will be ... ROCK THE BELLS!!

Guerilla Union… You are my HEROES!

I am Rock the Bells Junkie. I’ve been to every show, even in the rain. Last year I was there with precious cargo in tow. Rock the Bells is a day long festival for music lovers like myself and many of you. This year, the show is taking it back to when Hip Hop was just that. If you have never been to a Rock the Bells show, you need to get up, get out and get there this year. The Rock The Bells Tour line-up is takin’ it back to Old School. On the bill are legendary Hip-Hop artists performing their legendary albums… Yes you heard correctly.

This Classic show will have Wu-Tang Clan performing tracks from “Enter the Wu-Tang”, Eric B and Rakim doing “Paid In Full”, Boogie Down Productions doing “Criminal Minded”, Slick Rick will be doing “The Adventures of Slick Rick” and I am sure the bill will grow as the dates of the performance gets closer. There’s no gum drop and lollipop Hip-Hop here folks. I have attended many a show and this by far may be the best one.


I am a little disappointed that there aren’t any women on the line-up. I am sure there are some classic females they could add to the bill. Monie Love, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah… Aww hell even Salt N Pepa. But females haven’t been on the tour. Jasmine Solano broke that ice last year with her debut Rock the Bells appearance as the “First Lady Rockin’ the Bells”. Hopefully this year, they will give her a slot to shine. Since she is on tour with Wiz Kalifa right now, and Wiz is on the bill too, I am hoping the Union steps up and offers her a slot. *Okay Guerilla Union, I’ll wait for a response…*

If you are in New York City, you need to be at Governor’s Island on August 28th, rain or shine. The tour kicks off in San Bernardino's NOS Events Center on August 21, and will end in Washington DC on the 29th at the Merriweather Post Pavillion. On the side stages will be other artists including The Clipse, Yelawolf, Immortal Technique, Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean. I am telling you folks, get your cameras and be prepared to spend the day with good music and great company. If you plan on going to the show, email me at LadyBlogga@gmail.com and let’s see if we can link up. You know I only speak the truth so when I say this is not to be missed, I mean it!!

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What I'm Listening To....Rakim feat. Jadakiss, Styles P., Busta Rhymes - "Euphoria"

This isn't new but still, I'm mad this track ain't on the Seventh Seal album. Don't know why it didn't make the cut but damn it Rakim. Haha.

Rakim feat. Jadakiss, Styles P., Busta Rhymes - "Euphoria"



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What I'm Listening To ... Rakim "Walk These Streets" ft Maino

Heard this track by the almighty Rakim on the XM radio. Dope track. Can't wait for The Seventh Seal to drop.

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Rakim - Holy Are You

Just a reminder that Rakim's album titled Seventh Seal drops this fall. More of what I need musically. Hope you guys go out and support the music. Check out his new single off the album.


Rakim - Holy Are You


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MOS DEF proposes "The Battle in New Orleans"

So I get a message from @OneAndOnlyKema on twitter hitting me up on the info about MOS DEF talking about doing a friendly competition styled battle in New Orleans. According to this YouTube video (shout out to @Knowledgium for posting the link), he was previously recorded candidly and unknowing the video would get out, speaking on a few artists that proclaim that they're the greatest rapper alive. He spoke on one artist in particular. That artist is Jay-Z. His point is that he doesn't see much sense in calling yourself the greatest without really ever having to defend that claim. Especially when a Slick Rick who, quoting Mos Def, is still very alive and well, and Rakim as well. He doesn't like the fact that someone in his circle leaked the video but at the same time, he's not backing out.

It seems that in all honesty, he's just defending some of the pioneers that are still able to put it down on the mic. No beef. And in a friendly competition to showcase these MCs talents, they can get a chance to prove their claim. Personally, I think it's a very, very great idea and would probably do so much good for hip hop. Maybe with the state of music this game is in, some of these artists should consider it. Tell me you wouldn't watch a battle featuring Morgan State vs Grambling for the Battle of the Bands, Kid Capri vs Biz Markie for DJs, Kanye vs Swizz for the Battle of the Beats, the Battle Royal is a 5 man team which he says he'd be a captain for that consist of Black Thought, Jay Electronica, MF Doom, Nas, and Jay-Z could put his team together for a $10 million dollar pot. Why would you turn that down? Unless.........you can't back it up.





Regardless, I should start campaigning to get this event started. Somehow. Someway. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and marking my calendar! You ready? The BOOGIE MAN is! Haha.


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Throwback Thursday – Eric B & Rakim “Juice - Know the Ledge”

So do you remember where you were the night the movie Juice came out?? I do. And I remember being hyped up after watching the flick. Even though this movie is not Academy Award material, I enjoyed it and it has meaning to all the people growing up in the ‘hood. To this day there are young men in the hood trying to be the “Bishop” and end up the same way he did. Tupac did his thing and so did Omar Epps. But who better to do the anthem than my all time favorites, Eric B. & Rakim ... Enjoy!!!




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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE: Biggie and Pac, the best?

From time to time we're going to allow some other heads speak via the blog. Dam is a friend of The Mad Bloggers and dude definitely goes at in on different issues. He'll be featured from time to time on the blog with his thoughts.

We know the following is a controversial statement. Soon as I saw this posted as his FB status I knew cats were going to come for him. I quickly jumped in with, "You know heads are coming for you son! Haha! They about to murder your email. Blow up the cell. They coming son! They coming!" But we strive to post real things from real people. It's a thought provoking statement

From Dam's FB status, "Since we keeping it 100. Can we honestly say in 2009 that Biggie and Pac were the best that ever did it? Biggie to me was decent... clever and witty punchlines, but definitely had fast foward material. Pac was and will always be wack to me. I never liked his music and I felt he was one of the biggest frauds and hypocrites in hip-hop. I never had neither of these cats in my top 5, or even top 10. But that's just me.."

See, told you it was a controversial statement. Other heads quickly joined in and offered names like KRS-One, Kool G Rap and Rakim as the best. And the B.I.G. fans and Pac fans definitely joined in saying dude was crazy not to include them in the top 10 of the best emcees, if not calling them the greatest.

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Twenty-five minutes after the original post, Dam responded to folks saying he was just seeking attention with, "Ask anybody who knows me, I don't say shit for attention I say exactly what i feel, people either agree or they don't. I never ever ever ever ever liked Tupac. I was a BIG fan, but in retrospect, he wasn't that great. I can think of many artists who were better than Pac and BIG and still are better. Biggies subject matter was limited. To be honest, I was a backpacker and still am. I like my shit underground. I had major issues with commercial shit back then and I still do today."

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Then forty-five minutes after we posted this joint another friend, Ced, joined in on the debate. Dude knows and appreciates good music. I had to update and give you his side.

Ced joined the debate with, "Man I had to stop breathing hard to answer this. Pac actually had a variety of meaningful content. In his early days he was more like an activist poet than a rapper. His lyrics really addressed issues rather than just intricate poetic devices about shallow things. Your friend hasn't said much about who is better than Pac and why. I think your friend should take a class on poetry and storytelling and read the lyrics for me against the world. Some people just aren't smart enough to catch what's being thrown.

Btw... Pun's mechanics are untouchable... Eminem has tried... listen to the Infinite album... and if u notice he still using a lot of rainman shit in his videos and music... its code bro. Kool G Rap's style changed my life... when I first heard Road to the Riches, I listened to it like 27 times in a row. Kane is who got me into poetry in the first place. Rakim had emotion filled content with an emotionless flow.

All that being said... I would like to know WHY dude feels the way he does. because it sounds like he's just talkin to talk. And he must of forgot all the albums before All Eyes on Me. Cause I don't know anyone who can really go toe to toe with him content wise... and he may not have always been consistent but he was real. There is no one realer in the mainstream, period."

Where are you at on this debate? Join in and comment below!

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