Just picked up Del the Funky Homosapien's Future Development on vinyl. It's a little on the old side, but it's always been my favorite Del album. I've had a lot of good memories with these songs.




My favorite tracks are:
"Stress the World"
"Corner Story"
"Future Development"
"Check the Rivalry (feat. Casual)"


To hear 30 second samples of each track, go here.

EPMD is back

EPMD is back, and they mean business. I know because the album is called We Mean Business. Here's the official sampler.



Thank you undergroundhiphop.com

Rakim's "The Seventh Seal"

Hip hop legend Rakim has been talking about releasing his new album "The Seventh Seal" for over a year now. Due to problems with his record label and other unknown complications, the album was delayed. The last word we heard on the album was in an interview with hiphopdx.com, during which Rakim estimated the album would arrive this fall.

Well, here we are in December, and still there's no trace of an album. Rakim has been making music for over 20 years now, but hasn't released an official album since 1999. The anticipation is almost too much to handle for some (or just for me), but knowing Rakim's track record, "The Seventh Seal" will NOT be a disappointment. Keep your eyes peeled!

Where did the groups go?

One thing I've noticed in hip hop recently is that we don't have enough groups making music. Some of the greatest hip hop classics have been made by groups, not solo acts. I think sometimes we forget how much energy a group can bring to the table, and I personally would love to see more groups formed.

Anyway, I'm a sucker for lists, so here's a video someone made of their top ten favorite hip hop groups. My top ten would play out a little differently, but most of the important groups are represented here. So here you go.

J Dilla's legacy continues

For those who don't know about J Dilla:

J Dilla (James Dewitt Yancey) was a Detroit producer and MC who lost a battle with a deadly blood disease close to 3 years ago, right after his 32nd birthday. Some consider him the greatest beat-maker to ever touch the boards; he was part of the group Slum Village, did production almost officially for A Tribe Called Quest, and was even blessed enough to work with Tupac, Biggie, and Janet Jackson.In my opinion, he was the greatest and most unappreciated hip hop producer to ever live.

ANYWAY...

Dilla has a younger brother who calls himself Illa J. When his older brother died, Illa J talked about carrying his brother's torch, and I've been watching him ever since. Today, his first studio album, Yancey Boys, hit the shelves.


The album features some unreleased Dilla beats accompanied by Illa J's vocals, as well as some production from Illa J himself. Illa J isn't all the way there yet, but he's only 20 years old.

The album is slow and Illa J's rhyming skills are still developing, but it's exciting because Dilla's music still continues to live on almost 3 years after his death, and we're still hearing music from him we've never heard before. You can be sure that Illa J won't let us forget his big brother's name.

In the Bay

Here's a problem.

The Bay Area hip hop scene seems to be solely associated with the "Hyphy Movement." At the moment, that seems to be our claim to faim in the hip hop world. When I take a trip anywhere outside of the Bay Area, people ask me all about "going dumb" and "ghost riding," assuming that's what I'm into because I live in the Bay Area and like hip hop. If you're in that same boat, then this post is for you.

In the Bay Area we have a good amount of talented MC's, and I want to help do away with any misconceptions that "Mr. 40 Water" has created around here. So here are a few important Bay Area artists that will change your mind about our hip hop scene.


Hieroglyphics:

Casual, Pep Love, Opio, Tajai, A-Plus, Phesto D, and Grammy-winning Del the Funky Homosapien are 7 (8 if you count their manager Domino) of the Bay's most valuable MC's, and together they comprise our most valuable hip hop group. They've been in the game longer than most around here, and they have their own record label. In my opinion, they are to the Bay what Wu Tang is to New York.

Zion I:

Beats by Amp Live, lyrics by Zion(aka Zumbi)... these guys are by far the best MC/DJ duo we have around here. Zion's style is unique, and his lyrics are creative and insightful, sometimes political. Zion I represents their culture to the fullest, and are a crucial part of our hip hop scene.




Planet Asia

Planet Asia is one of the most talented solo MC's we have around here. He's worked with Talib Kweli and Ghostface Killah (to name a couple), was given Source magazine's First Round Draft Pick award, and has even been nominated for a Grammy. His lyrics are straight; he does not mess around.




There are plenty more, but these were the artists I thought were most worth mentioning, and they may lead you to other important Bay Area artists. Just remember, we're not all "hyphy hyphy hyphy hyphy" around here.

How to Write a Lil' Wayne Verse

I found a ten step process to successfully writing a Lil' Wayne verse.

My picks for most pivotal steps to becoming "The Greatest Rapper Alive" are:

-"Connect [a] verb to some sort of simile. Every single Lil' Wayne line must contain some sort of relatively obvious simile. So maybe you can 'duck like Scrooge.' 'Run like a bloody nose.' Or even 'Dodge like Kansas.'"

-"Declare that you are Weezy F. Baby. This will tell listeners who you are. Whatever you do, don't attempt to ascertain what the 'F' stands for."

-"Make some sort of obvious pop culture technology reference. Talk about IPods. Or Myspace. Or gigabytes. Something remotely technological. It will show that [you're] not completely retarded (just partially) and might have actually read a newspaper once or twice. Which clearly means [you're] a genius."

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

-"Proclaim yourself 'The Greatest Rapper Alive.' If you proclaim yourself the greatest, you will be the greatest."