MOG - brittanybf's Posts

New! Stream Nas' "War Is Necessary" Off "Grand Theft Autio IV" Soundtrack

brittanybf — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:37:52 GMT

Ch-check it out. Grand Theft Auto copped a new Nas song for their soundtrack. What do you think of it?

Review: Atmosphere's When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

brittanybf — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:47:58 GMT

On their sixth studio album, Atmosphere have squeezed out some fresh, new elements to their sound, without straying from the well-delivered, intimate storytelling which fans have come to expect from Slug. Meanwhile, DJ/producer Ant has concocted a different sound, the most obvious addition being his synth-heavy beats, followed by jazzier touches of piano, horns, bare guitar riffs, and featured female vocals.

Slug has often been categorized as an “emo rapper,” due to his innate ability to reveal his own real life struggles, as well as fictionalized narratives that are told so convincingly the line becomes blurred. Coming with less anger and more resolution, Slug’s taking life’s problems and doing as the album title says, “painting that shit gold.”

One of the more personal cuts, set to a simple piano melody, “Yesterday” finds Slug addressing an important person, who isn’t revealed until the end of the song. No longer having a “chip on [his] shoulder” has allowed Slug the attitude adjustment needed to gain a new perspective on emotional struggle. He grasps it as a necessity in making him the person he is today. Addressing this significant person, he shares, “I can’t even get mad that you’re gone/ Leaving me was probably the best thing you ever taught me.”

Equally as personal, “In Her Music Box” shows us Slug in real life, as Sean Daley, father to a little girl whose childhood is one where “Daddies drive around/ Mommies work night-shifts.” His daughter’s solace is found in riding around with her father, “Daddy in the front seat, frontin’ like a rap star,” singing along to the radio, napping to the “sweet, pretty sounds of gangster rap.” The dysfunctional dynamics surrounding his daughter make for a heartbreaking depiction. Sadly, it’s a familiar scenario, one that humanizes Slug to his audience; at this point in his career his fans have come to expect this.

Still present are narratives delving into the world of wayward women. The difference is the haunting mood embellished by the dissonant “sci-fi” sounds of the synthesizer. In the song “Your Glass House,” Slug speaks directly to its main character, a woman who is all too familiar with waking up in a stranger’s house: “And everything still spins/ And then the chills begin/ And then the, ‘God, please kill me right now’ hits/ And you still don't know whose house this is.”

Perhaps the most spaced-out track is “Can’t Break Away.” It opens like the battle scene soundtrack of your favorite arcade game, or on the “Tom Sawyer”-by-Rush tip. The somber, yet alarming vibe matches the sentiment, as Slug repeats, “I feel and I fear and I want and I can’t break away.”

In the past, life has handed Sean Daley crates of lemons. In previous years, over various albums, he’s expressed life’s stresses while still fuming mad and bitter. Even his fictional stories were told from the minds of characters that seemed to thrive on being unhappy and unwilling to seek resolve. When Life Gives You Lemons… exhibits a more mellowed out Slug. Longtime Atmosphere fans, have no fear. It’s not that Slug has “gone soft;” he’s merely given a bit of a spin on his perspective on life (no easy task), and the result is anything but sour.

Review: Madonna's "Hard Candy"

brittanybf — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:18:53 GMT

When I think of Madonna I think of my ’80s childhood: a toy room exploding with Barbie’s, a Fischer Price microphone stand, and Madonna’s hits blaring from the tape deck. My neighborhood clan of girl friends and I prided ourselves on our ability to combine the hard-to-match talents of Barbie & the Rockers with the vogue-ability of Madonna. We’d spend our afternoons performing from the front yard, and using a picnic table as our stage, sing our hearts out to “Express Yourself,” “Like A Virgin,” and “Papa Don’t Preach.” Some material girls we were, all right.

Once I found out about Boyz II Men and C+C Music Factory, my devotion waned. Or maybe I was just felt it was time to retire as a rock star (alias “Roxy”). And so, hanging up my hot-pink metallic, tinsel wig for the last time, I stopped listening to Madonna altogether. Hard Candy is the first Madonna album I’ve listened to since then, but it’s got me seriously considering bringing Roxy back.

The fun, club sexiness, and pent-up energy of her lead single “4 Minutes,” carries through the majority of the album. Madonna co-produced this album with the likes of dance floor hit-makers The Neptunes, who are responsible for over half of Hard Candy’s yummy goodness, as well as Danja, Timbaland, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake.

“Candy Shop,” opens the album with the a pleasing enough Pharrell-styled beat, but the real anticlimactic aspect is Madonna’s voice. Reflecting the electronic elements of the beat, her voice lies in between sounding robotic and sounding utterly unenthused. However, it’s refreshing to hear hip hop producers create a sound to fit Madge’s musical sound palette, which is currently bent towards, what I can only loosely classify as Euro dance-club music. One example is “Beat Goes On,” which has Kanye West throwing in a verse or two. Even with his larger than life hip hop presence, the deep, house-y bass, echo effects, and synthesized electronic bits manage to eat him alive.

“Give It 2 Me,” has follow-up single written all over it. “Don’t stop me now/Don’t need to catch my breath/I can go on and on and on/When the lights go down and there’s no one left/I can go on and on and on.” Madonna, approaching the big 5-0 later this year, hasn’t had enough, and all the up-tempo songs that fill up the album, are clear proof of that. The song’s breakdown is evidence of the fun she’s still having in her career, as Pharrell’s got her calling out, “Get stupid, get stupid!” In “Heartbeat,” she trades her faux British accent for a more appropriate American accent, with a little bit of street attitude. “See my booty get down!” she repeats.

Of course I should’ve expected Madonna and The Neptunes to be a good pairing, and although Timbaland produced the lead single “4 Minutes,” it could’ve been an even better decision to have only worked with The Neptunes. Regardless, the result is Hard Candy, an album teeming with spaced-out club songs and just enough ’80s appeal to satisfy my inner “Roxy.”

MAD TV's Aries Spears impersonating rappers

brittanybf — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:13:16 GMT

I'd never seen this before. Here, Aries Spears impersonates LL Cool J, Jay-Z, DMX , Snoop. This guy performs this at his stand-up shows too. My favorite is the Jay-Z impression. What do you think, convincing or not?

What Music Video Do You Want to Be In?

brittanybf — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 06:21:14 GMT

When I was little I would've said Madonna's "Material Girl,"

BUT !

That was when I was small and didn't know any better:

Nowadays, I guess I might say something as recent as "Hump de Bump" by RHCP . Loads of block party fun. And Chris Rock.

Would love to see what you Moggers might say.

Ladies, Stand UP

brittanybf — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:25:54 GMT

Remember back in the day when there were groups like En Vogue and Salt 'n' Pepa? Now it's Pussycattin' Dolls. It's not the same. Who's running it for females lately?

Enjoy this old favorite of mine.

Wake Up and Smell Yo D#&k

brittanybf — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:34:25 GMT

A few months ago I posted Riskay's single for "Smell Yo Dick," a true classic. Right. Well, after months of waiting, there's finally a video for "Smell Yo Dick." My reaction? I don't see any dick-smelling. Not even a scrunch of the nose.

P.S. Were they all outfitted by Rainbow?

Riskay feat. Aviance and Real - Smell Yo D*
Free Music Videos at Blastro

Mariah Carey: E=MC2

brittanybf — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:20:13 GMT

A month into spring, the weather is flirting with warmer breezes and sunshine so brilliant it calls for my biggest pair of MK-wannabe shades (that's “Mary-Kate”). Artists hit the radio waves with an early brightness, bartering for a chance to claim unofficial entitlement over Song of the Summer. Our ears lighten up to jam out with more playful, fluffed songs. Who else but Mariah Carey should meet us, strapped with iced coffees in each hand?

It’s the timing. Timing is everything, right? So just as things cooled from her 2005 release The Emancipation of Mimi, MC’s back with E=MC2. At fifty-two minutes in length, the album holds airy, mid-tempo songs of love/heartbreak, balanced with fun dance songs. This album is equipped to serve equally as a soundtrack to pre-Saturday-night going out and to a pre-Thursday-night date.

A Damian Marley-assisted track spices up the (otherwise unsurprising) musical palette with a pinch of reggae. Here, over Jermaine Dupri’s production talents, Mariah stylizes her vocals to resemble a seemingly, hopefully light-hearted attempt at Jamaican-accented reggae singing. The opposite of “surprise” is T-Pain’s guest appearance on “Migrate,” a club song that documents the migration, from one VIP area to the next, of girls who come in flocks. “I’m That Chick,” bell-tones and handclaps aplenty, is that disco-R&B/pop blend that recalls some “Rock With You”-era MJ (squared). “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” hits the peak of seasonally-appropriate, feel-good vibes, a song, as imagination allows, best played from a shiny convertible. “O.O.C.” shows diva MC getting loose and out of control.

Breaking from her usually guarded demeanor, Mariah occasionally offers listeners a look into the “private hell” of her abusive/destructive marriage. “When I space, am I still dreaming 'bout them violent times?” she asks herself. Once she “finally built up the strength to walk away,” Mariah’s left with the side effects. “Still little protective 'bout the people that I let inside…/ Still a little depressed inside, I fake a smile and deal with the side effects.” Young Jeezy’s appearance on this Scott Storch-produced track is superfluous, only distracting from the realness of the situation.

Where “Side Effects” falls short of matching sound to subject matter, “Bye Bye” fills that emotionally-unmatched musical gap. The song centers around the death of Mariah’s father. Having come from a nonexistent father/daughter relationship, her father absent after her parents' divorce when Mariah was three, she now finds herself never having gotten to repair the distance between them. “There's so much more left to say/ If you were with me today, face to face.”

The lack of personal material is not a problem, ultimately. The familiarity and anticipation of warm, bright weather as a natural mood enhancer comes each year, but it’s not every year we get to rely on a seasoned artist who can always deliver vocally. For this spring’s hot brand of pop/R&B sounds, it's Mariah. How refreshing! No need to funk with that formula now.

Trina: Still Da Baddest

brittanybf — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:30:08 GMT

“Put this pu$$y in yo’ jaws, now smack/Like it’s Thanksgiving and it ain’t coming back/Collard greens, neckbones, ni$$a, chew this ass,” has got to be one of the more notable lyrics from Trina’s latest Still Da Baddest from the song “Look Back At Me,” easily the most original-sounding song she’s got. The album is filled with what I see as unintentionally funny rhymes (both “LOL” funny and “Did she really just say that?” funny). Who else is going to rap about collard greens and chewing booty? Not that we needed that. I must not be her target audience,because I can’t take one second of this album seriously. LOL , Trina. LOL .

Remember when Khia came out with “My Neck, My Back”? Trina’s got lyrics that would make even hood rat Khia blush. Perhaps her sex-and-foreplay-themed songs are all a front for how heartbroken she is (and y’all know it’s ‘cause of Lil’ Wayne). Right when you’re thinking, “Damn, this self-proclaimed 'hood bitch' sure loves to brag about how much ass she’s got (“You lost a lot of weight shit, you fallin’ off fast/I feel sorry for ya/Might let you borrow some ass”) and how much better she is than all the other ho’s out there, a track like “Wish I Never Met You,” featuring Shonie, comes on to slow it down a notch: “I found a condom in your dresser, and you know how we get down.” Caught cheating? Oh no homeboy didn’t. Even the more sentimental songs are mediocre, although Keyshia Cole shines on “I Got A Thang For You.”

I’m so sick of male rappers rhyming about “getting brain,” and the many “smart/student” wordplay associations that go with it, that I’m willing to deem it a refreshing twist to hear these scenarios substituted with rhymes like, “If you don’t eat pu$$y, get the f&ck outta here.” Again, who else but Trina? Okay, Khia has probably said that too. The line can be heard in “Stop Traffic,” a song that features Pitbull providing the weak hook: “Green mean go, yellow mean slow, red mean stop, now drop to the flo’/Girl you got an ass, stop traffic like a red.” Free traffic tips, in case you happen to forget. Not even the album’s first single “Single Again” can save this album. It just sounds like a bad dance/club song with so much “techno” that it sounds outdated.

This is the kind of shit you might throw on when you’re getting “drizzy wit’ ur gurlz” but any other time would be unnecessary. Whoever told her she “Da Baddest,” I think they meant “bad,” as in bad, not “bad,” as in good. But at least I know whom to borrow some ass from, should I need it.

John Frusciante Could've Been in The Bee Gees

brittanybf — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:51:15 GMT

Seriously. Can someone wrangle John Frusciante and throw him in a white jumpsuit, a la the Gibb brothers? His cover of this song inspired me to buy the Bee Gees greatest hits on used vinyl.

Are any of you familiar with some of the classic oldies he's covered? Fierce. Fierce.

John Frusciante Could've Been in The Bee Gees

brittanybf — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:51:10 GMT

Seriously. Can someone wrangle John Frusciante and throw him in a white jumpsuit, a la the Gibb brothers? His cover of this song inspired me to buy the Bee Gees greatest hits on used vinyl.

Are any of you familiar with some of the classic oldies he's covered? Fierce. Fierce.

Anyone up for Pictionary?

brittanybf — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:54:00 GMT

Got any? I'm up for a challenge!

Help! What Should I Listen To?

brittanybf — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:14:59 GMT

I'm finding my musical taste is at a bit of a crossroads, or maybe I'm too lazy to buy new albums. When I look at my cds now it bores me. They're favorites from another lifetime ago.

So, I look to you moggers. Have you got any stellar suggestions for me?

Lots of stuff like Hot Chip, Jens Lekman, The Raveonettes, and The Kills rub me the right way these days. As do old soul classics and reggae (thanks to Baudolino). Or any booty-shaking music is good too.

If you've got good taste in indie rock, sensitive Swedes or soul and reggae, PLEASE help me narrow my album "to buy" list by telling me what your faveys are.

Thanks!

Let's Talk Album Cover Art

brittanybf — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:39:12 GMT

What's your favorite album cover? I can't pick/my brain's temporarily dead, so here are four favorites:

Be the BAD Paparazzi

brittanybf — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:54:30 GMT

'Cause there's a plethora of heinous photos of your favorite musicians. Got any good ones? We want to see! Here's a classic to start it off:

Oopsy-daisy!

Throw up a Lyric!

brittanybf — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:43:13 GMT

Whateva you're feelin', shout it out!

"I salt and pepper my mango
Shoot spit out the window
Bingo! I got him in the thing, yo."

M.I.A. "Sunshowers"

Let's play!: Name that Band Pictionary!

brittanybf — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:58:17 GMT

After some deep thinking, I came up with a few bands and band name-related images to try to stump you guys. I think they're pretty easy. Can you guess 'em? Too easy, got more? Leave a comment!

WTF: Pickle Surprise

brittanybf — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:11:46 GMT

umm yeah, i don't know. i liked their outfits. has anyone seen this? what is it, really?

Fat Joe: The Elephant in the Room

brittanybf — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:05:09 GMT

50 Cent has good reason to be shedding tears; his previous release can’t hold a crack pipe to Fat Joe’s all-around solid streets album. Never mind “making it rain.” The Elephant in the Room marks the return of “Joey Crack.” With a track list that includes song titles like “The Crackhouse,” “Cocababy,” “That White,” and “The Fugitive,” Fat Joe brings real “street bangers” from start to finish.

Spanning his fifteen-year career, Fat Joe has seven previous albums under his belt. He’s a prime candidate for putting out an album about how hard the Bronx made him, or how he’s now a reformed millionaire, with street cred by default, and his own basketball team. No, thanks; we don’t need another “Gray-Hova.”

Luckily, his reminiscences (“I remember when I stepped in the game,” from “The Fugitive”) are few and far between, as Joey keeps it current. He’s in the streets, he’s speaking to the streets, and therefore, he’s short of paying any kind of “homage” to the streets that would lose our interest. Rather than offer contrived notions of how to clean up the ghettos, he instead lets the streets be the streets, presenting himself as an authentic street thug, one dedicated to all things “coca” (“Coca…muah!”). It’s hard not to get lost in his world of white, and frankly, it’s refreshing to hear coke raps from someone other than Clipse. Joey’s authenticity and Borinquen flow, paired with slick production (Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, Danja, DJ Khaled, DJ Premier, Swizz Beatz, The Alchemist, The Hitmen), are what make the album beat as hard as it does.

Cool & Dre produced two songs that account for the album’s raw edge. “You Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’,” backed by driving piano and grand horns, reminds us money speaks louder than anything. Fat Joe prefaces, “If it ain’t about money, it ain’t about shit, nigga.” The production duo are also responsible for one of the harder tracks, “The Crackhouse,” which features Lil’ Wayne on the long-winded, yet catchy hook. With drums and beats as fat, greasy, and grinding as these, there’s no mistaking this as anything but a loud welcome to the crack house, where there are “more bodies than the frat house.”

The catchiest drug-endorsing anthem on the album is “Cocababy,” produced by Danja. Featuring a female-sung hook — “Got trees, got lean, pop E, codeine/ Cocababy, you know it’s me” — it’s one of the flashiest-sounding songs Fat Joe has to offer, and also rumored to be the album’s next single. Similar to this is the Swizzy-produced “Drop,” full of energized claps, mamis saying, “Oww!” and the rapper/producer’s own trademark, “Showtime!”

He’s rounded up fresh producers to make fresher sounds, sounds so slick they couldn’t be stamped as anything other than “today’s” rap music. Although the slew of talented producers keep it current, perhaps even projecting rap towards where it should be, there’s still room for older samples that fit into the patchwork just as successfully. In “K.A.R. (Kill All Rats)” the sampled vocals of Marlena Shaw ask, “How do we get rid of rats in the ghetto?” Fat Joe responds convincingly, “K-k-k-kill ‘em!” Meanwhile, “300 Brolic” is a song for the street soldiers across the nation. Built off of staccato snare drums played taut, precise operatic vocals, and anticipatory string arrangements, it’s suspenseful enough to sound like the opening credits of a Puerto Rican gangster film.

With so many hard-edged songs (i.e. “That White,” “The Crackhouse,” “300 Brolic”), Fat Joe could’ve chosen almost any of them to lead his sales. He went, however, with the mediocre “I Won’t Tell,” a song about creeping around with a female (I guess when Usher’s back telling everyone they should be making love in the club, that’s what a thug’s gotta do). When there are too many songs that better represent the album’s strength, sound and message it’s hard to agree that this was a worthy single. At least this way, the singles will only get more satisfying. For now I’ll put The Elephant in the Room in the running for one of the highest-scoring rap albums of the year.

Feel the Bear Love with Bearforce 1

brittanybf — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:38:43 GMT

Yes, finally!!! It's the world's first BEAR BAND , as they claim on their website. From where you ask? Why, Amsterdam, natch. Watch the video, it's going to make your weekend so much better. Plus, you'll love their fab array of polos.

In case you're wondering what a "bear" is, in the gay slang world: Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; some are heavy-set; some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators. (Wikipedia)

Kelis - The Hits

brittanybf — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:28:39 GMT

Over the past nine years, Kelis has changed her hair color countless times, showing us with every new single and subsequent video not just a new hairstyle, but new, exciting sounds as well. From orange to green to blue she’s never shied away from the bleach bottle. In The Neptunes-produced Ol’ Dirty Bastard song “Got Your Money” she debuted to the world with an orange hairdo, providing the infectious hook (“Hey, Dir-ty! Baby, I got your money”) to an O.D.B. classic. Refusing to be some chick on a hook by some dude, Kelis, who probably owes her whole career to Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, prepared to launch herself to stardom.

Her latest album, a compilation called simply, The Hits, provides a premature overview of her decade long career, but it also reminds us of her roots (her dyed orange ones, at least). With each changing hue, came revamped musical elements, and growing credits as a featured guest on songs for N.E.R.D., Foxy Brown, and Bjork. This disc incorporates a few of her notable appearances, though her label disappoints by choosing to include a song she did with no name Richard X, rather than her more famous collaborations with Busta Rhymes. Overall, however, The Hits successfully encapsulates the varying directions of her music.

In the video for Kelis’ first single “Caught Out There,” a hate anthem for dickhead boyfriends everywhere, her multi-colored ’fro was memorable enough to feel like a minor character. As she thrashes her cheating man’s room, yelling the song’s hook, “I HATE you so much right now!” her hair comes to embody the rage-fueled “AHHH!!” that ends the hook, like a multi-hued exclamation point to her utterly incensed emotions. The hit was solid enough to catch our attention, even if we were only asking each other, “Who’s that girl with the orange hair who yells about hating her bf?”

Kelis was lucky enough to get her start backed by the classic sounds of 1999-2000 era Neptunes, whose hard beats and electronic blips zoomed out of speakers at the speed of shooting stars. Her sometimes raspy, sometimes sweet vocals were so well matched to the guitar-driven, grinding beats of The Neptunes’ production that both her first album (Kaleidoscope) and her second album (Wanderland) were produced entirely by the duo.

It was during the release of her second and third singles that Kelis dyed her hair a splattered mix of blue/green/yellow. Both singles failed to garner much attention, proving that Kelis was early perceived as a pop/R&B singer, who has always possessed more ‘rock attitude’ than any contemporary black females out there. “Good Stuff” features a mellowed out bass line, tambourine, piano and stiff snares, and if it’s a little too rock, Terrar from Clipse makes a cameo. “Get Along with You” also has a lot of snare sounds, set to a ticking rhythm, but the use of strings added more depth to the song (so much depth that she went all “goth,” complete with straight, blue-tipped, platinum hair and a leather get-up, in the track’s video), but the song’s repetitiveness is still tiring today.

Kelis dropped the rainbow color hair for the release of her second album and came back with her signature orange dye job for top layers, set off by black hair poking through underneath. “Young, Fresh ’n’ New” had that same familiar Neptunes sound, making it not so fresh ’n’ new. However, all of this practice with the Neptunes can be praised when you see it as a gear-up for the song she’s most famous for. You know what it is. (Hint: It brings all the boys to the yard. It’s better than yours…)

”Milkshake,” off of 2003’s Tasty, seemed to be the most overplayed song of the year. It feels like yesterday when everyone was scratching their heads, wondering exactly what her “milkshake” referred to. Tasty marked the first time Kelis worked with producers other than The Neptunes, however it’s no shock that they produced what became the driving single off of the album, as it’s also the keystone of collaborations between Kelis and The Neptunes. Other hits include the tempting exhibitionism of “In Public,” featuring Nas, the spazzed out “Millionaire,” produced by and featuring Andre 3000, and the sexified “Trick Me,” which found our chameleon darling with a toned down, brown, braided ponytail.

In 2006 Kelis hit the ground running with the Bangladesh-produced “Bossy.” Like “Milkshake,” it sounded nothing like anything else out at the time, and no one else but Kelis (Mrs. Nasir Jones, at this point) could make it tastier. Maybe her short, jet black, asymmetrical haircut helped, but the overall sound found on Kelis Was Here was a more sophisticated version of Kelis. “Lil Star” is just one instance off the album that shows she has developed into her own. Cee-Lo Green provides the sing-along hook, and his producing hand lends a soulful air to both the song and Kelis’ persona.

Why Kelis chose this moment in time to release a greatest hits album is unclear, and maybe she didn’t, it could simply be that the record company thought it was time to cash in. Whatever the reason, it’s too bad because most of them are mediocre hits at best and three of the songs aren’t hers but only feature her vocals. Still, The Hits offers a good taste of Kelis and what she’s all about. If her current, partially buzzed haircut gives any clue, Kelis’ next album will show us a whole new Kelis.

Rick Ross: Trilla

brittanybf — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:29:52 GMT

So, how do you cheapen your album? Well, if you’re going by Rick Ross’ handbook, give DJ Khaled his own interlude midway through your sophomore effort. When DJ Khaled can nearly define your entire album in a minute and a half, without really having said anything at all, you know you’re on the way to making just another rap album.

To the regular rap listener, these shouted nothings—typical, even excusable, on mixtapes—may be all it takes to visualize the familiar scenarios presented in rap today. Among Khaled’s tried-and-true catchphrases are: “We here foreva! And we ain’t never gonna stop!”; “Rick Ross is the streets!”; and “Rick Ross is like the poor people president!” (points for the alliterative simile, Khaled). Interpreted through a rap fan’s ears, what he’s really saying is: there will be songs about Kush, Lean, “M.I.-Yayo,” movin’ weight, bitches, and of course, being way, way more trilla than you are (because, well, Rick Ross is the Boss, after all).

The music that accompanies Khaled’s interlude is also very telling, as it sticks to Trilla’s use of more dramatic, grandiose beats. It’s the only real departure from his debut album, a difference that can be attributed to multiple contributions from producers J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (T.I., Young Buck, Young Jeezy). While the League-produced introduction makes for a solid, moody preface, one that fits Ross’ larger than life persona, “Maybach Music” finds verses from Ross and featured guest Jay-Z perfectly aligned with the track’s classy attitude. “Luxury Tax,” featuring Lil’ Wayne, Trick Daddy, and Young Jeezy, is another strong track laced with horns and pleasing “ooh’s” in the background.

It’s no surprise that auto-tune wonder boy T-Pain is featured on Ross’ current and catchiest single “The Boss.” Teddy-haters can thank Rick Ross for his attention-commanding bass of a voice, as it far outweighs the warbling effect. As Ross repeatedly states, “I’m the biggest boss that you’ve seen thus far,” you can smell a summer hit on the rise. The Bink!-produced track “We Shinin’” could easily be a single, although it sounds much too much like a Roc-A-Fella heyday Jay-Z song (it’s one I’m thinking of in particular, but I don’t know the name. If you do, please get at me), and Ross sounds like he’s doing his best impersonation of a pre-Grammy Kanye West imitating Jay-Z. Another producer who seems to be stuck in the past is Mannie Fresh, who lends a mediocre hook to “All I Have in This World.” Although the song features tight, cinematic, and daunting string arrangements, it’s Mannie’s hook that lacks. “Japanese denim, money stuffed in ‘em,” etc. makes this sound like something he’s been using since his old Cash Money days (remember “House real big, car real big”?).

On his debut Port of Miami there was plenty of Miami bass; this sound is what differentiated him from the trillions of other southern rappers, and aside from his trademark “It’s Raaaawwwwsssss!” it’s what fans have come to associate him with. Listening to that album felt like smoothly speeding down the sunny Miami highway in a candy-painted Maybach. There could be argument that he’s branching out and not recreating the same album, but that argument could only exist if he were, in fact, branching out. Instead, Rick Ross gives us Trilla which has me worried there may be no room for switching lanes.

New Amerykah, Pt 1 (4th World War) by Erykah Badu

brittanybf — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:50:20 GMT

As the opener to her fourth studio album New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War), “Amerykahn Promise” encompasses the full flavor that Erykah Badu has to offer this time around. Without much singing from Badu, the song brings us a 1970s funk vibe, complete with wailing police sirens and an announcer’s voice promising “more action, more excitement, more everything.” Just as the music dies down, we hear a short dialogue between the announcer and a computerized voice much like, of all characters, that of Aqua Teen’s Meatwad. Taking these sounds together, their freewheeling essence is the new driving force behind Ms. Badu’s ever-evolving brand of funk/R&B/soul.

The lead single, “Honey,” misrepresents the album. As a poppy love song, it’s the most mainstream-sounding song on New Amerykah. The song appears to be an attempt at a much-needed commercial hit intended to push sales. Unable to fit in well anywhere else, “Honey” is the very last of the eleven tracks, with an introductory thank-you speech and a “Please stay tuned for New Amerykah, Pt. 2,” a countdown begins, hosted by the artist herself.

In the meantime, Pt. 1 includes musical interludes in the poetic vein (think beatniks). Listeners have come to know Erykah Badu as a smooth, fluid musician, and the addition of short “intermissions” is unexpected and jarring. The most annoying of these is the one following the (otherwise decent) song “Me.” It’s a high-pitched, autobiographical trumpet solo sing-along in the third person. On the other hand, “My People” is a chant-along, musically resembling an early Nintendo game on the tribal tip. “Master Teacher,” a flurry with special guest Georgia Anne Muldrow, repeatedly begs an answer to the question, "What if there were no ni**as, only master teachers?" before switching gears mid-song to a much more likable, mellowed out, after-hours, loungey-R&B take.

The stand-out songs of the album (“Soldier,” “The Healer,” “Honey,”) present Erykah Badu, more or less, as you know her. In her uniquely nasalized-rasp, she sings to boys in Iraqi fields, to people on the picket line, to sisters in therapy. A sweet flute loop plays as Badu vibes over it. In her voice we can hear how each improvisational note hit, each vocal flourish, plays a role in conveying the overall mood and message of the song. Badu has been known to say she lets the music take over and create itself, and “Soldier” is a good example of this. “The Healer,” meanwhile, sounds like a fusion of cultures, while Erykah Badu sings the opening verse in either a factual or fictional foreign tongue. Regardless, her voice is full of fun inflections, all of which match with the bell-chiming, sitar-plucking beat. The hook presents a Dead Prez-alluding “Hip hop is bigger than…” scenario.

After a listen to Part 1, I’m left wondering what Miss Amerykah will have for us when Part 2 drops. I only hope she’ll be much more successful in bringing “more action, more excitement, more everything.”

Akrobatik's Absolute Value

brittanybf — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:30:57 GMT

Before I knew Akrobatik as his own entity, I knew him as one third of the Perceptionists, a group that also included fellow Bostonians DJ Fakts One and Mr. Lif. Following 2005's Black Dialogue, a friend offered me a ticket to see them at Boston’s Paradise Lounge. Throughout their entire sweat-soaked set (Akrobatik is not wearing those Patriots sweatbands just for style), Akrobatik and Mr. Lif brought their supreme lyrical skills and full-force energy, while DJ Fakts One provided the beats for a crowd-moving good time.

In listening to Akrobatik’s latest album, Absolute Value, I was relieved to discover that Akrobatik is just as capable of coming raw with it in the studio as he is on the stage. Like the rotating spectacle of MCs you’d be likely to see at one of Ak’s live shows, the album’s filled with notable guest appearances from B-Real, Talib Kweli, Chuck D, Little Brother, Bumpy Knuckles, and, of course, Mr. Lif.

In “Step It Up” Akrobatik does just that, pointing out that “a rapper’s only as good as his last cut,” over eerie, organ-filled samples and enough bass to “fuck your head up.” This is one of the stronger tracks off the album, as it’s when Akrobatik has something to get off his chest that his rhymes command the most attention.

The same can be said for the album’s title track. Offering a funky, piano-and-tambourine-fueled beat enriched with heated words aimed at the current state of rap, Ak shows he’s just as pissed off as his like-minded cohorts. “Nobody got shit to rap about/ But all that’s about to change when I come out/ And I know what y’all are askin’ ’bout, ‘Where’s our absolute value from Ak?’”

It’s no surprise that “Beast Mode,” featuring Mr. Lif, is a standout. With a minimal beat comprised of a deep bass drum and sparse, Neptunes-esque clicks and clacks, it’s something you could imagine Busta Rhymes rapping over; nonetheless it turns out to be the perfect concoction for these two Boston MCs. Akrobatik’s deep voice booms with the bass, while the nonchalant Mr. Lif nearly steals the show. He throws his lyrics down on this beat so effortlessly, it's like he came across the rhymes by accident.

The first single “Put Ya Stamp On It,” produced by the late J Dilla, features a beat heavy on the strings, and guest verses from Talib Kweli. Then there’s “Soul Glo,” where Akrobatik finds his groove in this horn-influenced mid-tempo soul sample; this one, unfortunately, overall sounds like it could have been left off for a Def Jux compilation. “Kindred” features social commentary snippets by Chuck D and finds Akrobatik mulling over the atrocities African Americans have faced, even though they’ve descended from kings. “Ak B. Nimble” relies mostly on beatboxing, as Akrobatik flaunts his quick and nimble side.

A healthy smattering of guests, none of which distract from Akrobatik (save for Mr. Lif, who’s more like a sidekick or a brother than a rival), means there’s something for everyone. Same can be said for the live performances that Akrobatik brings to the stage; it’s a welcoming party where everyone’s invited.

Black Sheep's 8WM/Novakane

brittanybf — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:36:02 GMT

Shortly before the release of Black Sheep's 8WM/Novakane Mista Lawnge split from Black Sheep, leaving Dres to take the reigns. Although Lawnge's presence on the album is minimal, his departure doesn't limit Dres in providing an album that serves up the refreshing sounds of real NYC rap. The album packs smooth, easy-flowing rhymes, and catchy hooks backed by piano-driven, hand-clap beats; it makes you wonder if we’ll be seeing a Dres solo album before too long.

With old school samples from fellow New York MCs, Black Sheep pay homage to the good old days of hip hop before Southern rap stepped up to the mic. The first song, "U Mean I Don't," is a parody of today's crunk rap as well as a callback to "U Mean I'm Not," the gangsta rap parody that opens the duo's 1991 classic A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. In the update, he raps about everything he's pimping, mocking the prominence of it in much of today's rap music, ridiculously stating, "I'm pimpin' Santa Claus" and "I'm pimpin' oxygen." It sets the tone that Black Sheep are about the core aspects of rap, keeping it real in the fullest.

All joking now aside, Dres steps to the mic to get people to "bid the bullshit ado" in "Whodat?" a song driven by an energetic, jazzy loop and hard-hitting bass. Again, their commentary on current rap and hip hop is present. "Some people are based on charades/ They promenade with façades." Without coming across as old grandpas crankily "pushin' kids outta the loop," the song acts as a reflection on how the issues and concerns of mainstream rap have shifted.

"Novakane" brings to light the deeper side of Black Sheep, calling to mind their previous conscious hip hop efforts through their affiliation with the Native Tongues Posse. Thematically rooted in money-spending habits and the failure of seeing the big picture, Dres ponders the numbing effects of living in an environment with a skewed perspective of cash flow, where he comes to realize he was "chasing what I never needed." He's not down and out, however; he reflects and aims for positivity. "I get so numb and wonder where this road has taken me/ Has the world mistaken me? And has God forsaken me?/ Said it's deep down inside of me I know we can prevail."

On the flip side, "8WM," an abbreviation for "Women with Women with Weed with Wine with Me," brings the piano and horns to the forefront on this hedonistic overload. It's the album's quintessential party song, full of rapid rhymes ("I couldn't care if you wore Prada, Escada, or Dada/ My only aim is to get you and your girl in the Ramada/ You could be a prima donna, bohemian with a fro") and verses of wordplay that draw from the song's alliterative title ("I got seven senoritas sizzlin' just like fajitas.").

Fitting is the album's half-and-half title combination, as it references the two faces of this album. 8WM/Novakane gets you moving and you can party to it, but equally addresses real life issues. Its beats, themes and constantly on-point lyrical finesse are cohesive, but there's still enough variation to satisfy all your Black Sheep needs.

Raheem DeVaughn's Love Behind the Melody

brittanybf — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:20:02 GMT

If you've never heard of Raheem DeVaughn before, just listen to the introduction off his sophomore album Love Behind the Melody: "I go by the name of the R&B hippie, neo-soul rock star Raheem DeVaughn." Perhaps he's a hippie rocker, but more than anything he's a sincere R&B, neo-soul man, even calling to mind — or perhaps filling the void of — D'Angelo and Maxwell. The soulful brand of sophistication that DeVaughn brings to the table on this love-themed album can be heard in his vocals, which float over smooth, grooving rhythms. Love Behind the Melody is loaded with ballads, and while many of them are very good, slow love songs can only carry an album so far.

The song "Woman," which has gained DeVaughn a 2008 Grammy nomination in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, is the strongest track. Over an easy, piano-driven groove, Raheem gives a heartfelt shout-out to strong women everywhere, and he sounds quite convincing. Most R&B artists would've made this song all about a woman’s sex appeal, but DeVaughn's a sensitive crooner who appreciates the ladies for more than that. He'll big-up his baby mom "for raisin' my young man" before making it rain on some hoes.

On the whole, the album manages to stay in the same love-soaked vein all the way through. When Raheem DeVaughn runs out of ways to express love's ups and downs, he calls on Big Boi from Outkast ("Energy") and Floetry ("Marathon"). Scott Storch lends his production talents to "Energy," a mid-tempo Gnarls Barkley-esque song about the magnetic energy that can exist between two people. Big Boi's ATL flow suits the relaxed beat. He describes an "energy like Bill and Hillary Clinton," adding, "Did I mention my chicks? They 'round like a pension plan." He could be playing to the mature audience of Raheem's fans, but Big Boi sounds world's away from today's ringtone rappers. "Marathon" is for the slow-jam-loving people, as it mostly relies on the seductive rhythm to get the message across. Floetry sings about marathon love-making, while Raheem's verse focuses on catering to his lover: "I respond to her femininity." He has the ability to get away with smooth-talker lines like that; it's what makes DeVaughn a grown man's grown man.

As an artist rooted in neo-soul, DeVaughn skillfully sticks to what he knows without trying to integrate too much of today's flavor of pop-infused R&B music. At the same time, radio-friendly "Friday (Shut the Club Down)" is the track that could help him score many more fans. DeVaughn is best at making songs that sound like throwbacks, more or less following the R&B/soul rulebook. Here, he directly draws from the past with "My Girl" by The Temptations as the main sample. Raheem interpolates the original hook into a light-hearted weekend jump-off ("What can make me feel this way? Friday, Friday").

DeVaughn has managed to create a cohesive, though at times unexciting, album, that emphasizes the many forms love takes. The album is only an hour long, but by the later half of Love Behind the Melody he's already gotten his message across. Perhaps Raheem DeVaughn would benefit by conjuring up his hippie rocker side next time around.

Album Review: Beanie Sigel The Solution

brittanybf — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:13:33 GMT

Having spent nearly a year in jail on federal weapons charges, Beanie Sigel has returned to rap with The Solution, an album that filters stories of hustling through a dark, gritty lens, while at the same time letting listeners in on Sigel’s introspective moments, an all-too-rare occurrence in today's grill-obsessed, mainstream rap albums. The split personality of the album makes The Solution a stand-out from its competition.

A fitting opener, "All the Above" functions partly as club song and partly as celebration of Beanie's return to the game as he raps, "Mr. Beat the Case is back/ Got acquitted, stitch fitted in that gangster hat/ Now I'm back, sick with it with this gangster rap." The typical club song aspect of the track presents itself in the hook, where all the tired rap themes are present: proclaiming how hood one is, stacking paper sky high, and passing bottles of bub. R. Kelly lends his voice to the hook. He boasts, "I'm hood, I'm street/ Still standin' in the middle of the beat/ I'm a mack, I'm a thug/ I'm a pimp I does all the above." This ego-boosting (or boasting) song will surely have ballers diggin' deep into their pockets.

But Beanie Sigel gets more serious as the album progresses. Tracks like "Prayer" and "Dear Self (Can I Talk to You)," which unexpectedly samples James Blunt's "No Bravery," expose a realer side of Sigel. He throws aside the façade of his monstrous rapper's ego to address his own ignorant ways. In "Dear Self" he cautions himself, "Please come off that high chair you're sitting in/ Before you snatched from it, or strapped to it/ Ya body used as a conduit/ A thousand volts flow through you/ Ya life gone over something foolish." Meanwhile, "Prayer," offers a contemplative, albeit depressing, look into Sigel's mind. "How long I been stuck? They dreamin' at this light/ Wonderin if that's a sign how I been moving through life/ Reckless abandon, a accident just waiting to happen."

Even songs that aren't intended to be serious find Beanie invoking a powerful tone. Although "Shake It for Me," featuring Diddy, Ghostface Killah, and Peedi Peedi, might appear to be just another ode to ass-shaking females and one-night stands, the raw force and stern attitude which saturate all of Beanie's verses are enough to make listeners momentarily forget he's simply looking for a shorty to take home. With a beat built around a slow, pounding bass, as if the beat itself is readying to pounce, the song becomes an eerie reflection on dark club nights transitioning to morning-afters.

Musically, the biggest surprise is found in "The Day," which samples Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," a song originally written in protest of the Vietnam War. Beanie Sigel proves his lyrical prowess by producing a tight flow over the unlikely inspiration of metal guitar riffs. His imagination takes hold as he awakes from a dream fearful his judgment day has come. He explains, "I'm a Muslim by nature, a gangster by circumstance." He sees Biggie and Tupac, both of whom are mentioned several times throughout the album, and offers interpolations of their lyrics to show his utmost respect for them.

The Solution presents a self-aware yet still troubled Beanie Sigel. It's refreshing to hear a rap album that's lyrically serious, though at times a bit depressing. However, a good amount of melodic hooks ("Go Low," featuring Rock City, uses a reggae-infused hook) and head-bobbing beats ("'Bout That (Let Me Know), "U Ain't Ready 4 Me," featuring Styles P) keep the album from feeling like it's completely driven by Sigel's regrets and failures.

Album Review: Birdman 5 Stunna*

brittanybf — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:33:39 GMT

With 5 * Stunna Birdman, aka Baby, hasn't made anything legendary, but he has made something hood-worthy. He rhymes about the usual mainstream rapper topics: hustling, bitches, cars, and poppin' bottles. But with tightly-produced tracks, Birdman's delivered a hot winter soundtrack for the hood.

Take, for example, "I Run This," the album's second song. It's a bass-thumping banger, its beat expertly paired with a hypnotic,driving loop that squeals and threatens like a siren. This song sounds best when driving to your homeboy's cousin's crib in the hood, in an over-packed car with tinted windows, while everyone's screaming out Weezy's hook, "I run this bitch and I'ma keep runnin'/I'ma keep runnin, but I'm never runnin' outta money!" With speakers turned up so loud the windows rattle, the beat is soon etched into your memory, a memory worth reliving whenever the next blizz is passed around.

Birdman looks to "B.M., Jr." Weezy to provide catchy hooks on a few other tracks, one being "Make Way," featuring Fat Joe. Over synth and drum rolls, Lil Wayne delivers his lines in his newfound reggae singing voice. "Me come for murder dem all the cowboy way/Me lick a shot sprayed from me set/Me make way! Make way!" Has Lil Wayne been vacationing in Jamaica, or has he been spending too much time with reggae artist Sizzla (who guests on Wayne's "The Only Reason")?

"Pop Bottles" is another standout. "Father" and "Son" are at their best here, each taking turns delivering rhymes of celebratory baller-status circumstances, all of which are deemed worthy of bottle-poppin'. Birdman's rapping technique doesn't involve much ("Went from sittin' in a cell to sittin' on a jet/From sh--tin in a cell to sh--tin on a jet."), and it's Weezy's opening verse that is the highlight. Even Birdman knows: "Junior is the best."

"I'm a Stunna" recalls those good old Mannie Fresh-produced Cash Money records. It's a tried and true formula: Birdman's easy, New Orleans-accented delivery over "trap star" drum rolls. It's no wonder this song's structure seems like it could've been built off of Birdman and Mannie's Big Tymers' hit "Get Your Roll On" (I Got Work,2000). Big Tymers rapped about "gator boots with the pimped out Gucci suit," while here Baby's gone ga-ga over "livin' with the gators on the seats." I guess a bit has changed; his pockets sure got a lot fatter. Incidentally, that same Big Tymers album has a track called "#1 Stunna," so while the similar-sounding beat's been tweaked and updated, it's definitely an old subject for Birdman to proclaim himself as the #1 Stunna. Then again, who's really paying attention to the lyrics when the album's production is this (dare I say) stellar?

The same way you don't drive around the hood listening to one album all the way through, you don't want to listen to all the tracks on 5* Stunna in one sitting. Twenty-two tracks (including bonus tracks, an intro, outro, and three interludes) is too much; the monotone quality of Birdman's voice starts to grate. As the CEO of Cash Money, he’s made a smart move by putting himself, and just himself, in the spotlight for only eight of the albums songs. Lil Wayne’s many contributions were necessary, not only to help sales, but to offer those catchy hooks over instrumentation that will keep your car bumpin’ as you pass through the hood.

Album Review: Mary J. Blige Growing Pains

brittanybf — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:52:05 GMT

Two years after The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige is back. This time the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has arrived to reassert her womanhood, with an album centered around female empowerment and the ups and downs of her relationships. Such are the usual ingredients of Ms. Blige's albums, but whereas 2005's The Breakthrough marked the initial celebration of putting her troubled past behind her, with 2007's Growing Pains Mary comes across as an assured, grounded and proud woman. It's no wonder Growing Pains hit #1 on the Billboard charts during its second week of release.

Appropriately enough, the album's second single "Work That," opens the album to offer an anthem of confidence for women everywhere. "Work what you got. It's gonna be fine," she sings. It's hard not to believe her, considering she's a woman whose inspirations come from what she knows.

"Grown Woman," is a harder hitting song, featuring a weak, somewhat annoying, rap cameo from Ludacris. Asserting her grown woman status, Mary boldly states, "I keep it covered up cuz I'm a lady. I know how to show a little somethin' somethin'. You can't see what's under there 'cause I'm a grown woman. I'm so sexy." Take that, all you scantily clad females!

"Just Fine," a track co-produced by hitmaker Jazze Pha, is the most radio-ready song on the album. It might take a little getting past the sheer corniness of the song ("Girl power!" is written all over this one), but once you do you'll be celebrating Blige's successes right along with her, perhaps taking her words on as your own self-affirmations.

The Neptunes-produced track "Til the Morning" conjures up a glittery, sweat-filled night on the dance floor. It harkens back to disco days, and if there's one thing MJB can do, it's bring the funk. The Neptunes, of course, know how to provide that funky rhythm that Mary hasn't been heard on enough. "Hurt Again" is another track that brings more of an old school, soulful feel to this album, an element that was missing on her previous release. Harmonizing hooks make this a classic sounding R&B slow jam. "What Love Is" presents itself as a bit of a throwback tune, with lyrics explaining love to be joy, pain, sunshine, and rain. Rob Base surely knows this. "Smoke," falls into the realm of slowed down, soulful goodness from Ms. Mary, sounding at times like a Stevie Wonder-assisted song, but it must be Ne-Yo's songwriter's touch.

Too much crooning and Mary loses me. Such is the majority of the end of the album. A few too many songs saying the same thing, over not so innovative beats (Sorry, Ne-Yo. "Fade Away," just didn't do much). MJB would've been wiser to leave off a couple of these, slow songs, so as not to bog down the end of Growing Pains. However, she rounds it out nicely with "Come To Me (Peace)" to bring the album's message full circle, as she puts her heart on the line, proclaiming she's ready to mend a relationship. "I'm here to make peace," she sings.

While The Breakthrough, was a showy, at times over-produced album that dealt with Mary triumphing over her demons, Growing Pains finds our star presenting herself in a cohesive, triumphant light as the grown woman she knows she finally is.

Boston Hip-Hop; That's What's UP!

brittanybf — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:03:46 GMT

Check out Slaine. He's a rapper hailing from South Boston, or Southie if you're local. Slaine had a small role in "Gone Baby Gone," playing a drug-dealer. A role which I'm guessing he didn't have to take too many acting classes for.

Slaine is one member of the group La Coka Nostra, which is comprised of all the House of Pain boys. Remember them? La Coka Nostra has a debut album on the way. In the meantime, here's Slaine's video for "Rich Man, Poor Man."

Big ups to Genrepoza for keepin' me in the loop!

R U Riskay?

brittanybf — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:44:49 GMT

This is Riskay, y'all. She's made a song called "Smell Yo Dick." Take a listen. It's HILARIOUS !!!! And you can even download it free from her myspace page.

"Why you comin' home, 5 in the morn? Somethin's goin' on. Can I smell yo dick? Don't play me for a fool, cuz that ain't cool. So what you need to do is let me smell yo dick."

Krispy Kreme is also rather notable.

www.myspace.com/riskaydramaqueen
www.riskaymusic.com

Jiggaman caught stealing?

brittanybf — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:39:33 GMT

According to Allhiphop.com, the "Blue Magic" beat may have been stolen from a Dutch rapper called Scep Kendallovic. Is this really stealing or is it more like 'going dutch'? Zing!

Take a listen to the comparisons.

Who taught Southern rappers how to ROCK?

brittanybf — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 08:23:25 GMT

"Party like a rockstar" wasn't bad enough. Now you can "do the rockman, do the-do the rockman" thanks to montana da mack (uh, who?) featuring unk.

You know who's to blame, don't you?

TRAVIS BARKER ! Look at Lil Wayne, the friggin' king of the rap game. His (jacked, lil') body is tattooed all over, just like WHO ? TRAVIS BARKER ! Somewhere during the south's rap 'takeover,' Travis started popping up in rap videos galore. His cameos include videos for Three Six Mafia ("Side 2 Side," "Doe Boy Fresh"), Dem Franchize Boyz ("Ridin' Rims"), Outkast ("Morris Brown"), and Paul Wall ("I'm Throwed").

And oh yeah, since everything this year-for whatever reason-seems to relate back to Soulja Boy, it's worth addressing the "Crank Dat" remix. Who's responsible for that?

...TRAVIS BARKER !

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Album Review: Birdman 5 Stunna*