T.I. Takes A Jab At Nas...East vs. South?

My head is spinning. What is going on in hip-hop? We're on the brink of East vs. South war. First Lil' Wayne gets mad at Jay-Z because of Jay-Z coming back because he thought hip-hop needed him or was dead or whatever (check my last entry). Now...T.I. is throwing jabs at Nas in OZONE Magazine also for claiming hip-hop is dead. Here is what he said:

"I know cats were going to ask me about the lil title thing and all, I dont think he was directing that at the south, It's just his opinion, he has a lot of clout, so I can respect his opinion, but as far as the music thing goes now, I dont care about Nas, I just do me, but if he is coming at the South, then he's making a huge mistake, we control hip hop right now, he'd lose a lot of respect from his fans out here, he's smarter than that, he should just play his position, keep making his Egyptian History rap while we make our money."

Not a complete diss, but he definitely takes a shot at Nas in the end. Egyptian History rap? HAHA that's kinda funny. I like T.I., I definitely understand where he's coming from. You gotta represent where you're from, etc. The only thing is, I cannot agree. I don't know if Nas is talking about the south when he says hip-hop is dead, or what he's actually thinking because he doesn't really explain it. What I do know is that T.I., who actually has some talent, should step out of the box, remove himself from his region, and take a look at the dead-beats and talentless losers who got record deals all around you. The south IS RUINING HIP-HOP. Solid rappers like T.I. and Lil' Wayne need to simply stop blindly defending their G-d forsaken region, and admit that most of the rappers from the south are a complete joke. A JOKEEEEEEEEE. I'm sorry it's true. So I don't blame Nas for naming his record that, or Jay-Z for coming back because he thought hip-hop is in a state of emergency. The south is not running hip-hop, they never will, because if they were, hip-hop would be dead. They don't run anything, except for radio play. But anybody who follows rap music knows two things:

1. Real lyricists come from the coasts. (With few exceptions)
2. The South is poisoning the airwaves and the rap industry.

I'm not hating...I'm just telling it like it is. I don't judge regions, I judge talent. When comparing the overall talent from the south, and the quality of records, it's pathetic compared to East and West coast records...and even Midwest records are killin' ya'll with the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Kanye, Common, Eminem, Rhymefest, the late Proof, Twista, Royce da 5'9"...all are better than the 1000 southern rappers who are on the local hip-hop radio station every day. And don't make me start naming artists from the coasts, and then compare them with names from the South. It's a war you will lose. I will have more commentary on the southern problem some time soon. For now, T.I. has to just chill and face the facts. The south has got to be restrained...I think that's what Nas is attempting to do, for the good of real hip-hop. That is all.

-Doc

Lil' Wayne Has Some Words For Jay-Z...My Thoughts

The pic above is a pic of Weezy from OZONE Magazine. Just look at it. The evolution of Lil' Wayne. Evolution is the key word. I've been following hip-hop for 10 years now. As far as I can remember, I've never seen an artist evolve so drastically. Let's face it. When Lil' Wayne was starting out, he was awful. Do you remember hearing him on Back That Azz Up and Bling Bling and all the other retarded Cash Money songs? The lyrical content of those singles and albums all amounted to nothing. Zilch. It was just jibberish over some catchy beats and hooks that set the black race back about 20 years. I mean...he was a teenager. There were a lot of heavy hitters on Cash Money. Big names with no talent. Including bums like Juvenile, BG, and Turk. Not to mention the brain-dead Bigtymers. For real hip-hop heads, they were the joke of hip-hop. Most of those guys still are. What has Juvenile, BG, or any of those clowns come out with that has been of significance? They haven't even come out with anything were listening to one time just to see how bad it sounds.

We often will hear Lil' Wayne rap about his homies that left cash-money, the Hot Boyz. He talks about how he misses them, and he talks about how he's all alone. What he doesn't realize, or maybe he does, is that it was by far the best thing that could've happened to him. When all them dudes left, there was no one for young Wayne to look up to or model his content or style after any longer. All he had left was Baby, and Baby is more of a business guy than rapper. As a result, Wayne was forced to come into his own. He had to develop his style, and he had to do it without the support of the Hot Boyz behind him. He grinded out, got on some features, and slowly through guest appearances, he made a name for himself. When he released The Carter, he got people's attention. Did Lil' Wayne just come out with a quality record? Did his raps actually contain real subject matter? Could you actually gather the content out of his songs? Yes. It was weird. It was like a shift in his persona. Much more serious. People were like, alright fine. It takes a lot more than one solid record for the hip-hop community to change their opinion on your entire skill-level and persona. Then...for me...it was Six Minutes of Death off of Cassidy's album. When I heard that verse, I must've rewound it at least 10 times. His voice, flow, rhythm, on that beat, there was something about it. I was intrigued. I began to seriously ask myself, what happened to Lil' Wayne?

Then...Tha Carter 2. I never bought Tha Carter. There was no way I was going to buy it. A Lil' Wayne record, are you kidding me? Then I heard a bunch of the tracks, and I was like woah. So when Tha Carter 2 came out, I decided to cop it to see if this is the new Lil' Wayne from Six Minutes, and possibly even an improvement upon Tha Carter. To be honest, I thought it was just gonna be EH. You know...like whatever. It's Lil' Wayne, how good could it be. I started to listen...and the rest is history. Lil' Wayne made a complete 180. Wordplay? Real beats? Creative hooks? WORDPLAY? I wasn't alone. The hip-hop community began to take notice. He had a song on Tha Carter 2 called "Best Rapper Alive" obviously talking about himself. When seeing the track list, people were like "puh-leaaaase." But after listening to the record, would somebody with this type of record, have the balls to make a song like that and name it "Best Rapper Alive" if there wasn't a possibility it could be true? Would Young Joc ever release a song called "Best Rapper Alive"? What about even someone great? Would Eminem? Would Nas? Eminem has repeatedly placed numerous rappers ahead of himself, and he admits this. Nas might be reluctant because of Jay-Z. I believe that Lil' Wayne actually believes that he is the best rapper alive. And let it be known that that song is one of the best on the CD.

And that's where the controversy ends up. Who is the "best rapper alive". In a recent interview with Complex Magazine, this is what Lil' Wayne said about Jay-Z:

"I'm better than him, I'm 24 years old. ... I'm 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold."

"I don't like what he's saying about how he had to come back because hip-hop's dead and we need him," Wayne said. "What the f--- do you mean? If anything it's reborn, so he's probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, 'Yo, this is Jay's house. He's the best.' Now he comes back and still thinks it's his house. ... It's not your house anymore, and I'm better than you."

What can you say? A lot of you will be thinking...holy shit...Lil' Wayne is wacko, he's totally lost it, what a nut job. To an extent, I see your point. He obviously has someone yappin' in his ear about how good he is and it might be getting to his head. HOWEVER, to use words like that against Jay-Z...it's unheard of. The Game repeatedly threw subliminals at Jay, hoping he wouldn't notice. As soon as Jay noticed, every time, The Game retracted his statements. He was obviously terrified. What kind of moron would want it with Jigga? Beefin' with Jigga, I don't think so. Unless someone really thought they could take him. Let me tell you something about Lil' Wayne, forget what you knew about him, and how horrible he was. Since then, he's specifically borrowed Jay-Z's style, added a souther flavor to it, and adjusted to his voice and flow. There is no doubt in my mind that Jay-Z had the ability to crush Lil' Wayne if he wanted to. If you listen to his freestyles from back in the day with Big L and Big Daddy Kane, dude was sick. It was a whole 'nother story. But now? He's vulnerable. He sounded sub-par on recent diss songs "Dig A Hole" and "Brooklyn High". While Lil' Wayne has skyrocketed his lyrical prowess, there is no doubt in my mind that because of Jay-Z's "dumbing it down" for so long, he has declined. Or maybe it's his old age. But call me crazy, I think Lil' Wayne is right. I think the impossible has happened. I think Lil' Wayne could lyrically out-maneuver Jay-Z. And if you don't think so...go listen to Tha Carter 2, and then right after, listen to Kingdom Come. If you don't think that Lil' Wayne's record is simply on another level, then you're just not listening.

Now by no means am I saying that Lil' Wayne is a lyrical genius. His talent has undoubtedly improved...but a Common or Chino XL he is not. But his confidence is incredibly admirable, and he has the classic record to back it up. My one gripe with his comments are that he went at Jay-Z about the whole "hip-hop is dead" thing when really it should be directed at Nas as well. I mean it's the name of his record after all. I dunno why he's singling Jay-Z out, but I have a feeling it's a personal vendetta of some sort. I'm sure Jay-Z will see this, and I anxiously await a reaction from the so called "king".

-Doc

NYOIL-Y'all Should All Get Lynched

I should've posted this vid a while ago. It's NYOIL's first song I believe, and I heard it probably in early October, and I found the vid recently. I actually like it a little better than What Up My Wigger. I don't think everyone he's talking about should get lynched, but I definitely feel where the dude is coming from. He's basically pissed off at all these fake ass rappers making asses of themselves and their race and not even realizing it. I guess he's trying to light a fire under his race. Anyone talking about real shit and trying to improve the status of his people, nothing but respect from me. This dude is trying to be a revolutionary/Leader. And I feel it.

-Doc

What Up My Wigger

This is the second video out from this new rebel mystery rapper named NYOIL. Now the title of this video might actually sound funny, but in reality, the video is not. It's pretty serious subject matter, and he's actually trying to explain to the black race that using the "n" word is unacceptable. He uses a bunch of deragatory terms for other ethnicities and races to give listeners an idea of what it would sound like if other races spoke that way. Plus the video is featuring the Boondocks. This NYOIL cat is pretty serious, I find his subject matter rather intriguing.

-Doc

Papoose Raps About Sean Bell Incident

I'm sure all of you have now heard about what happened to a young black male, named Sean Bell, who was about to get married last Saturday. Some stupid ass cops decided that it would be a good idea to fire off 50 shots at a couple of black dudes for a reason that still has gone unexplained. I'm actual waiting to hear an explanation myself, just because I want to see how these cops can justify killing a dude for no apparent reason on his fucking wedding day. This story is just fucked up. Anyway, there is this rapper called Papoose, who is mostly known as a mixtape rapper, but recently got a major deal thanks to his mentor DJ Kay-Slay. He's become pretty well known for his opinion-laced, often politically charged rap songs. Papoose wasted no time writing a rap about it. It's less of a rap song and more so Papoose rhyming his opinions on what happened over a crappy beat. I've never been a Papoose fan because I think his style and flow is lame, and his punchlines are predictable. But...I respect the song though and any rapper who's got a legitimate opinion on current events, especially big ones such as these. Have a listen...Papoose-50 Shots (Sean Bell)

-Doc

50 Cent Calls Into Shade 45 Radio...Talks Some Serious Smack

Well...50 Cent called into a radio show hosted by his DJ, DJ Whoo Kid, on Sirius Shade 45 yesterday. Right in his comfort zone, with everyone in the studio kissing his ass, he went on yappin his trap, slowly digging himself a hole. First off, he claims that he will be making 25% off of Game's new CD, which I don't know if it's true, but it is certainly plausible. What he should be worried about is how much he isn't making off of Lloyd Banks's and Mobb Deep's CD's. He then goes on to make fun of the 24 rappers on the One Blood Remix, claiming that Game played them by telling them they were gonna be on some mixtape shit. Unfortunately, 50 apparently doesn't realize that it was mixtape shit. And yes 50, that's very realistic, the Game went and tricked 24 people into thinking it was just gonna be some mixtape shit and he wasn't actually gonna promote the remix. They were all lied to. That makes a lot of sense, seeing as how none of them have come out and said anything or claimed to be upset about it. It is obvious that this dude will say anything to discredit his adversaries, which I guess is respectable to an extent. But don't overdo it Fif, be reasonable. The point is, when listening to the interview, you can tell he was being cautious because he don't want it with that many people, especially some of the name's that were on that remix. The one funny thing about that part of the interview though...DJ Whoo Kid calling the One Blood Remix the "We Are The World" record. I like the analogy.

However, thank G-d for the next part of the interview. I know 50 and Nas have beef, but regardless, 50 finally backs my obviously valid opinion that Hip-Hop Is Dead is laaaaaame because it's the same beat as Thief's Theme. Here is a direct quote from the interview.

"How could you go through a whole album cycle and the best record you make is the single from your last album, thats tells you without listening to the rest of the record, That Sh** is Trash, Garbage"

Thank you 50. I told you it's retarded. I still don't know what the hell Nas was thinking. Although I definitely do not agree with 50 about it being the best record. I've heard 4 other records from the new album, and they're all better than Hip-Hop is Dead. Try listening to Don't Hate Me Now (The N), Hustlers (QB True G), and Black Republicans. But still, using the Thief's Theme beat? Unacceptable. He also talks about Nas being a bitch for signing with Jay-Z, which is kind of in retaliation for Nas saying that signing to G-Unit is a disgrace to hip-hop. Nas was directing this comment to his former friends and fellow QB natives, Mobb Deep, but obviously, Fif took it personally.

Fifty also went on to talk some trash about Fat Joe and saying that Remy Ma's project was mishandled, but who gives a shit about that "garbaaage" as fifty calls it. If you wanna check out the interview click here....50 Cent Calls into Shade 45 Audio Clip.

Peace.

-Doc

My Letter To Lloyd Banks...and His New Game Diss

Poor Lloyd Banks...dude sold 300,000 records less in 2 months than Game sold in 2 weeks. Feeling the pressure...he decides to release a diss song directed to Game. First off, the song is weak as hell, and he doesn't say much at all. It's fuckin pathetic because I used to respect Banks as a rapper. But the major problem is this...when he actually does say something, HE DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING WE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE. We know Game covered up his butterfly tat, we know he was on an episode of Change of Heart, we know he may have been a male stripper, and we know his bitter brother who's no longer got his hand in Game's pocket went to a website (like a bitch) and told them that Game is not a real blood. Joe Budden said it, Yukmouth said it, that nobody off of G-Unit Willy Northpole said it(you gotta be saying to yourself, who? Believe me, I've heard the diss song, it exists, and you'll never hear from dude again), most recently Ras Kass said it, 50 Cent said it at least 500 times already, and wow now Banks wants to come out and say the exact shit everyone else has been saying about Game. All these dudes tried to diss him by saying the exact same thing. Don't you see a pattern here Banks? IT'S NOT WORKING DAWG. In fact, none of that shit I listed above has even phased Game or hurt his career at all. I'm sorry, but I respect Game because he was smart about the situation. Almost like a chess player, knowing that people will say shit about him and predicting their moves, he kept releasing diss song after diss song after diss song, all of which were pure heat, so that he basically reached a level where people were either scared of what he will say, or respected him enough not to touch dude. Untouchable. So why now, after all the diss songs Game has released, and basically destroyed your career with, do you go at him with the same useless nonsense. You're embarrassing yourself. Game literally beat the shit out of Ras Kass when he ran into him over a line...and Ras Kass is a goddamn legend from the same coast as Game. What do you think he's gonna do to you for a whole song when he sees you?

Now I'm in law school and I'm just judging shit based on the evidence, and regardless of how much you say he's a fake thug and this and that, it seems to me that he's for real, just based off of his looney actions, mulitple arrests in the past year (actually past month), insane fights (physical and lyrical), crazy interviews, and don't give a fuck attitude. You would be better off chalking it up in the L column and moving the fuck on. You're basically asking Game to just come out and keep making diss songs about your record sales, which are pathetic, compared to his. Do you want that? I mean you can't really retaliate to that and as unfortunate as it is, weak record sales hurt your credibility as a rapper. Or maybe you just want him to knock you the fuck out when he sees you? He's twice your size, and he's got a track record of actually beating rappers up that he has beef with. That's insane. I mean I like Game, but he is certifiably crazy. And you are not, Lloyd Banks. I've never seen you be hard in your whole career. Plus, how do you go and wait a whole year to retaliate to a diss track? Were you waiting for Game to release his 50th G-Unit diss track so that you can release your first? Apparently. The shit just pisses me off. You are not in a position to diss. Smarten up playboy. It's over. No more Game disses. No more G-Unit disses. Done.

If you wanna listen to Lloyd Banks's newest "diss" toward Game...It's either called "Deathwish" or "You Ain't Authentic"...two different names floating around...same diss...listen here..."Deathwish (You Ain't Authentic)"

-Doc

Royce's 2 Minutes of Death

About a year and a half ago, Cassidy came out with a track featuring Lil' Wayne and Fabolous called 6 Minutes of Death off his last CD. It was a track with no hook and was straight fire non-stop for 6 minutes by three solid rappers. It was my favorite rap song of the summer of 2005 and I pretty much listened to it non-stop all summer. It also marked the arrival of the new and imporved Lil' Wayne. After I heard his verse on that song, I was like WOAH what the hell happened to Weezy? He became a little lyrical? Anyway, I was feelin' it. About two months later, Joe Budden used the 6 Minutes of Death beat to create his own version featuring Jae Millz and Stack Bundles, off of his now classic and arguably the greatest mixtape of all time, Mood Muzik Part 2. Budden's version was pretty much just as good as Cassidy's. Now...another great lyricist and rapper has found the beat to his liking...none other than Royce Da 5'9". Unfortunately, Royce doesn't use it for 6 minutes, but more like 2 and a half. Either way, from Royce, over this beat, I'll take what I can get. As usual, he's lyrical as hell and you gotta listen closely to catch his word-play. This is why I listen to hip-hop. Check it out here...Royce Da 5'9"-6 Minutes of Death Freestyle.

-Doc

THE LOST SEINFELD EPISODE (VERY RARE)

Shoutout to my boy Mike up in Harlem (not in Harlem, but the closest person I know near Harlem), for showing me this video. There are racists within every race people...so just watch this vid and enjoy, and have yourself a good laugh.

-Doc

Raekwon The Rap Critic

Raekwon The Chef, who in my opinion has delivered the greatest Wu Tang solo album in Only Built For Cuban Linx, had some choice words for Jay-Z. Well actually, he was just talking about how the new Hov album is ass. When it's true, it's true. The man is entitled to his opinion, and he knows his shit. The only thing is that Dr. Dre produced most of Kingdom Come, and Only Built For Cuban Linx Part 2 is coming out under Aftermath, which means Dre is producing it as well. I don't think Dre will be too happy with Rae's statements regarding the album he put in a lot of work on. But whatever ya'll, I can't do anything but agree with Rae. Word up to Wu fam. Can't wait for OBFCL 2.

-Doc

Young Buck IS A SPAZ

Apparently, the brainiac known as Young Buck has done some stupid ish once again. I mean it's not like he's on probation for trying to STAB SOME DUDE WITH A BUTTER-KNIFE AT THE VIBE AWARDS, or being arrested a 100 times for carrying concealed weapons. Let's face it, this dude is a flat-out dumbass. In his latest stunt, Buck was getting ready to perform at some concert event in the ATL and a certain Radio and BME DJ named DJ Will dropped Game's "One Blood." Buck, being the whiny baby that he is, similar to the rest of G-Unit, got all upset and took the DJ playing "One Blood" personally. That's what I call getting emotional. Practice what you preach you, dudes is becoming EMOOOO HAHA. So Buck came up to DJ Will, grabbed him by the shirt and was ready to throw down. Before it got down to fisticuffs, Buck's entourage must've gotten in his ear and convinced his dumbass to get out of the club and they left. Now, Buck is banned from the prosperout ATL radio station that DJ Will works for, and DJ's from across the nation, including some big names like Kay Slay and Clue, had a conference call trying to reach a resolution regarding Young Buck. It's pretty serious folks. I guess DJ's are scared that it could happen to them, because you know what? It can. With morons like Young Buck running around taking offense to a song being played, who knows what can happen. Rappers...stop being emotional and grow up pussies. If you wanna read an article on the incident...click here.

-Doc

Kill The White People

Now before all the black people start getting pissed off at KKKramer and the gay dude from Real World, take a look at this video. Let it be known that this psycho hippy deuchebag got put on TV to speak to some crowd somewhere important enought to get put on C-SPAN. On cable television, he gives a speech talking about how black people need to "exterminate" all white people. This clip is actually from the summer. Where was the media attention when this nonsense got put on cable? Yes, what Michael Richards said was absolutely horrible, but advocating genocide against an entire race is 10 times worse, ON TELEVISION. Double standard? I think so. And that is my rant...now back to hip-hop.

-Doc

MTV Real World: N Word Used

Here's another example of a dumb racist motherfucker. The whole clip pretty much confused me. I don't know the context of the situation at all, but I'm waiting to watch the actual episode to find out. All I know, is a few black dudes got pissed, for what reason, I don't know. Then this bitch ass dude, who happens to be gay, drops the N bomb. Way to go buddy.

-Doc

Nas- Hip Hop is Dead

A certain Nasir Jones has released the video for his first single and title track from his album, Hip-Hop is Dead. I said it before and I'll say it again, the beat is from Thief's Theme and Thief's Theme is way better. Sorry Nas. Although the concept for the video is kind of interesting, but the video overall is boring. That's my 2 cents.

-Doc

Record Sales For Last Week

Well...I've been up for 36 hours straight doing a torturous memorandum of law. Now that that's over...it's time to see what's going on in the wide world of hip-hop. First off...Let it be known that Jay-Z sold 680,000 copies in his first week. As impressive as that number is, with the marketing blitz that Jay-Z put on with Monday night football and the Bud Light bullshit, he was projected to do 850,000 at least after his first day. Plus with the second week drop-offs facing rappers nowadays, I don't think Jay is too impressed with himself. I mean he'll definitely go platinum, but Kingdom Come could have done much better numbers, and I guarantee it would have if the album had been better. I still love Lost Ones though.

Also in the record sales department, Game saw a 69% drop off in his second week, selling a still impressive 138,000. Being the savy hip-hop expert that I am, I obviously saw this coming. Both of Game's singles peaked long before his album came out, and they've been dying out on the radio and TV for a while now. Hear me now and hear me well, as soon Game releases his next single, which will be "Wouldn't Get Far" featuring Kanye West, the album sales will once again skyrocket. Either way, he managed to sell 500,000 copies and go gold in two weeks, good for him. I patiently await the video for Wouldn't Get Far, it should be entertaining. And you know it's gonna be a huge hit, it's tailor made to be a hit. Although I'm sure a lot of women are gonna be pissed off about it because of the context of the song. Whatever, we'll see.

-Doc

Nas CD Cover, New Track

First off...let me present to you Nas's new CD cover for Hip-Hop is Dead up above. Apparently he's visiting hip-hop's grave, hence the title. Not bad, pretty creative.

Second of all, I heard a new song by Nas ft. Game called "Hustlers." I believe the song is formally known as QB True G. I don't know why they changed the name, or if the name even really changed or if this is just a rumor. All I know is that I've been waiting to hear this song for a while, and it's finally leaked. It's over a Dr. Dre beat and it's another gem. Dre truly blessed this track, it's fire. Let me be the first to say that both Nas and Game absolutely rip it on this track. Nas has two great verses, but I think Game truly steals the show because of his story-telling ability. He talks about how in '94 he was at a record store and had to choose between buying Illmatic or Da Chronic because he only had a 20 spot on him. Wanna know what he chose? Listen to the song here...Nas ft. Game-Hustlers.

-Doc

New Royce, Chino XL, Canibus, Crooked I Verses...And My Views On Certain New Eminem and Jay-Z Tracks

Here are some new tracks from some artists that some of you have never heard of. First off, a song called "Collateral Damage" by Phantom ft. Chino XL, Crooked I, and Canibus. It's always exciting to hear from Canibus. Let me tell you, on this track Canibus brings the heat and he saves his verse for last. Not to take anything away from Chino XL and Crooked I. Chino Xl one of the livest emcees that's ever existed and Crooked I has been slept on for years. I don't know much abou this Phantom dude, but he's clearly not on par with the rest of the emcees on this song. Listen here..."Collateral Damage"

Royce Da 5'9", as those of you who read this know happens to be one of my favorites, just released another freestyle over J.R. Writer's "Grill 'Em" beat. It's called "Kill 'Em" and once again, Royce doesn't dissappoint. I actually don't think he has ever dissappointed. He's solid. All of this makes me wonder whether or not a Royce mixtape is on the way...I haven't heard anything but I'll be on the look-out. Anyway, check out the new freestyle here..."Kill 'Em"

And those of you who have not heard the new Eminem song called "No Apologies", you need to check it out ASAP. It's honestly not only one of the best Eminem songs I've heard in a long time, but one of the best Eminem songs I've heard ever. Three full verses, one great hook, and he even throws in an extra hook in the end as if he is showing us he had two hooks for the song and couldn't decide which one to use. I love it.

Oh yeah, and just to make it clear, Jay-Z's new album might be flat out awful, but it has one of the best Jay-Z songs ever on there...called "Lost Ones". In my not so humble opinion, I consider that song one of the best songs he's ever made. It has grown on me considerably since I first heard it, but the rest of the album is garbage. That is all. It has been a slow news week so far. Hopefully we'll get a little more action in the days to come.

-Doc

The Game on Wendy Williams

Personally, I think Wendy Williams is annoying, but she had Game on the show recently, which is always good for ratings. Game basically talks about how he should be crowned the new king of hip-hop and how 50 Cent can't go against hip-hop right now. You gotta love the cockiness.

-Doc

More New Nas and Eminem Tracks

Here's a new Nas song that leaked...called One More Day. It's pretty deep, and it's G-d's Son paying homage to his moms. It's good, if you're in that sort of mood. Pretty emotion stuff, listen here. Nas-One More Day.

Also, I heard the title track off of the new Shady Records compilation, called The Re-Up. Let's just put it this way, the song is weird. Eminem's verse is goofy as hell. 50 Cent is in the song too, and he has a line about Game in there where he claims to feel like a proud father watching Game eat off of his style. Let me be the first one to say that 50 Cent is completely warped. But at least his verse is not bad. It's always exciting to hear 50 Cent make a solid attempt at rapping, instead of goofing off like he's been doing since Get Rich or Die Tryin' came out and broke nearly ever record in terms of record sales. Maybe it's time to try again 50, your group's about to fall off. Oh yeah, and the beat switches to the In The Club beat half way through 50's verse. Is 50 trying to bring it back to the hay-day? I hope so, cuz it'll be much more fun that way. As soon as I find a link to the track, I'll post it so ya'll can listen.

-Doc

New Royce Da 5'9"...Showcasing His Artists

Hopefully you guys heard Royce's last track that I posted about a few weeks ago. It was called Street Hop, and it was fire. He just dropped a new track called "Ya'll Want What" featuring some artists that I think are on his label, The M.I.C. I've never heard of them, but their names are Controversey and Donmillion. Their flow is pretty solid, so I can't hate. I'm a huge Royce fan though, so I had to put up this track. Listen here...it could be better, but I'll take it. Donmillion, Roycd Da 5'9", and Controversey-Ya'll Want What.

-Doc

Nas Performing Hip-Hop is Dead With Jay-Z...it's Cray-Z HAHA

Man...it's almost surreal. Jay-Z and Nas on stage together, embracing each other. What in the world? Anyway, this is a video of Nas performing Hip-Hop is Dead, the title track off his new album. I like the song, I just don't get it. Why is he using the Thief's Theme beat? Isn't it weird to use the same beat that you've used for one of your singles in the past? Am I the only one who noticed this? Did he think that Thief's Theme got that badly slept on where no one will notice that he used the same beat? This is madness. Where's the creativity? Maybe this is why Hip-Hop is dying Nas...lack of creativity. People are getting too lazy to use new beats for their new songs, so they recycle them. I dunno, maybe he's just trying to make some sort of statement. If I ever run into him, I'll ask him. At least the performance is solid. Props to onsmash.net for posting the latest videos.

-Doc

New 2Pac Video...Pac's Life...Stop the Madness

This is the new 2Pac video for the first single and title track off of Pac's latest post-humous offering. Basically, they took some great unreleased verses and put them on a beat. The verses are fire...as usual. The song is awful. How can you take lyrics and flow like that and put them on a garbage track like this with Ashanti singing a corny ass hook. It pisses me off. Get Dr. Dre on there to produce a track or something. Get Nate Dogg or Akon to sing a real hook. Jesus Christ. Those verses need to be put on a solid beat, without Ashanti's ugly side-burn sportin' ass...and then the song would pure heat. Pac was always great at picking beats to fit his flow and lyrics for a certain song, and this was just horrible production. He's probably rolling over in his grave. For those who keep releasing these golden verses over piss-poor instrumentals making it into trash, may G-d have mercy on your souls. Props to onsmash.net for the vid.

-Doc

Game Performing "Why You Hate The Game" and "California Vacation"

A video of the dude Game performing "Why You Hate the Game". With who? With Nas. For real, if you like good performances...you'll appreciate this.



Game and Xzibit performing one of my personal favorite tracks off of Doctor's Advocate...California Vacation. Rappers take notes...when you perform...this is how it needs to be done. Blood, sweat, and tears. You need charisma and you gotta leave it all on stage. If you want to see the opposite of a performance like this, watch 50 Cent stand still and sway back and forth on stage. It's the lamest thing I've ever seen. Props to onsmash.net for both videos, they always got the new shit.

-Doc

Cam'Ron Goes at Jay-Z...Again

I'm almost reluctant to put this up, because I think Cam'Ron used to be pretty clever, but now he just blows. I don't even understand what dude is saying half the time. Well, he's making an attempt on this new track to one again go at Jay-Z. The saga between Dipset and Jay-Z continues. And I know Cam'Ron is damn well not going to agree to be outshined by Jim Jones in the beef. For those of you less intelligent than Cam'Ron, this song he created is clearly mocking Jay-Z by mocking his girl Beyonce's song "Irreplaceable", as Cam'Ron repeatedly says "you must not know about me" and "to the left, to the left". Listen to Beyonce's song and you'll know what the hell I'm talking about. Or you can just listen to this song...here... Cam'Ron-"You Must Not Know". If you can decipher Cam'Ron's rhymes I'll be extremely impressed, because the dude is just saying random words in his verses most of the time, at least in my not so humble opinion.

-Doc

Game Sells 380,000...Debuts at #1

Man...people take everything Game says so seriously. You dick-riders and playa-haters need to chill the ef out. If Game doesn't sell a mill just because he said he would, it's not the end of his career. Believe it or not. On every website I go to, people are flipping out because Game said he was gonna sell a mill the first week and that if he doesn't do at least 700,000 then he's retiring to rent out jet-ski's in Jamaica. Do you morons think he's serious? I mean maybe, just maybe...and I'm going out on a limb here...I know it's crazy for me to say this...but quite possibly...do you think that he was just trying to promote his new CD? Is it possible? Is it really possible that dude didn't actually think he would sell a mill or 700,000 and was just trying to promote himself? I dunno. It could be possible. And it could be possible that if he doesn't sell exactly what he said he would sell ( and he made these statements in public, which is definitely not what his real opinions are)...then maybe his career will survive? I think he just might be ok.

Now that I'm done with my little rant...back to business. The Game has debuted at number one on the Billboard charts selling close to 380,000 records his first week. These numbers are according to the website hitsdailydouble.com, which counts record sales, and they are not official. The official numbers come out tomorrow and they might be slightly different. Either way, I would say this is fairly impressive. Let's make some comparisons. There were many rap albums released in the year we currently live in, 2006. There has been one that went platinum, T.I.-King. King sold 500,000 copies its first week. The next highest selling rap album of this year...Ludacris-Release Therapy. This album sold 309,800 copies its first week, and has sold 681,744 total thus far. Then there were notable highly acclaimed releases like Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor and Method Man-4:21 The Day After, which both sold virtually nothing. Then there were the previously successful and marketable artists who released cd's, like Busta Rhymes-The Big Bang, which came out in the summer and has peaked at around 500,000 copies sold. Then there is one of Game's arch-rivals, Lloyd Banks, who only sold 143,000 copies his first week and has maxed out at around 270,000 after almost a month and a half. The market for rap music is clearly in crisis. I would say that Game's debut, the second highest rap debut of 2006 (which is likely to be surpassed by the likes of Jay-Z starting tomorrow) is pretty damn impressive. He will probably go gold by next week, and be platinum in a month. So anyone who is selling Game short, it's time for a reality check...cuz the kid did it. All I gotta say is congrats to him on a classic album both commercially and musically. Cop the album.

-Doc

New Shady Records Tracks

Here are a few more songs featuring Eminem and other members of the Shady Records camp. They are off the Eminem Presents The Re-Up compilation that comes out December 5th. On one called "We're Back", he is spittin' in a weird voice, but it's a solid verse, with a bunch of his chronies following with decent verses. On "Jimmy Crack Corn", he is goofing off and I don't even know what the f*ck he's talking about. It's like he has an on and off crazy switch. Whatever, it's eminem. The more things change, the more things stay the same, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

-Doc

Eminem..."No Apologies"...'Nuff Said

Eminem has a new joint off of the new compilation The Re-Up. The song is called "No Apologies", and I'm basically making it my anthem for the next year (because he uses the term start-shit-itis, which those of you who know me realize that I am definitely infected with start-shit-itis). It's a great song, with a great beat, and great lyrics. Eminem returns to top form and finally brings back a sense of hope that the white boy will return to save hip-hop. This song alone makes me want to go cop The Re-Up. There's a bunch of other songs that have leaked from The Re-Up, but I figured "No Apologies" deserves its own entry. Listen here..."No Apologies".

-Doc

KKKRAMER

I'm sorry but I had to post this picture from allhiphop.com. Props to Illseed for putting this up. As not funny as the whole situation is, this image is kind of humorous. I'm sorry to say, but I had that poster he's pointing to hanging up in my dorm room my freshmen year of college. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

-Doc

Kramer Apologizes for Racial Tirade

Now I'm not sure if Seinfeld was already planning on being on Letterman, or if this is some sort of freaky coincidence, but either way, it gave KKKramer a chance to apologize on national television. Jerry made his boy come on and try to make it all better...the thing is, he kept on using the term "Afro-American". Even if that flies with blacks in America, you would think that he would be careful and use the most politically correct term possible. But besides the apology, how could he be so dumb as to not realize the consequences of his actions when he was going nuts on stage...that might be one of the biggest displays of idiocy I have ever seen in my life. All I know is that if he lashed out at the Jews, he would be blackballed, banned, and on the road out of Hollywood that very night. Good luck with your future endeavours, Mr. Richards, you're going to need it.

-Doc

Michael Richards's Racial Tirade

KKKramer is what they're calling him now. Dude was heckled by a black-man and decided to go nuts on 'em. I would say it is one of the not smart decisions in his life. I doubt Jackie Chiles will be defending Kramer any time soon.

-Doc

Dipset's J.R. Writer Disses Jigga

Looks like Jimmy Jones, the star of every soap opera in hip hop right now, has sent one of his dipset chronies J.R. Writer to do a little diss track to Jay-Z. Fortunately, the beat is pretty nice and J.R. came to play the day he recorded this. Pretty impressive, but J.R., WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU, YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE. You're dissin' Jay-Z? J.R. Writer? Come on Jimmy, do you expect people to take that seriously? Good effort though J.R, he came hard with it I'll give him that. But first you need the credibility, it's just the way it is. Anyway, listen for yourselves, here it is...J.R.Writer-Jay-Z Diss. Feel it or not.

-Doc

Tony Yayo vs. Jim Jones...Let The Beef Officially Begin

I knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time. Finally, the Dipset and G-Unit beef that has been brewing steadily for several months is about to blow over. And it's all stemming from Yayo's "Booooorriiiiinng" comment at the concert I blogged about a while ago. Jim Jones came back calling Yayo a "dumb immigrant", which I believe I blogged about as well. Now...Yayo jumps on Hot 97 and starts making fun of Jim Jones for claiming to be "ballin" after selling 94,000 his first week. I'm not gonna lie though, Jimmy is independent, so 94,000 off of Koch is actually fairly impressive. But I guess not in the grand scheme of things. Either way, Yayo calls Jimmy "Jenny Jones" and basically goes on a little rant about him. You can listen for yourself.

Part 1
Part 2

Honestly, I dunno if Jimmy can handle beef with Jay-Z and G-Unit at the same time. That sounds kind of intense. You might wanna chill Jimmy. Now I'm just waiting for G-Unit to come out and diss Dipset and have it be done with. Dipset almost seems like the new G-Unit having beef with everyone that's already established. Whatever, let the kids play. The tension is thick ya'll.

-Doc

Soundscan for Doctor's Advocate Coming Soon...It's A Certified Classic

Ok kids...in about 1 day or two, we are going to find out Game's record sales in his first week. It is rumored that he is supposed to sell around 450,000, after selling 150,000 after just his first day. I'm pullin' for dude. He did it without Dre and 50 Cent like he said he would, and since I hate haters, I'm happy for Game. Don't forget that Lloyd Banks only sold 141,000 his first week, and Game outsold him in a day. So I would say he backed up his trash-talking. Now I am well aware that this shit should not be about record sales...well don't worry. The Game's album is the best album I've heard in a long ass time. If you don't like the album, you're either deaf, dumb, or not a real fan of hip hop. I was pulling for Banks too, but his shit was stale and it flat out flopped. Game's cd though...every song is a banger, and I mean you can listen to that shit straight through...it's all hits. It is so west coast, it is so smooth, and it so reminds me of Pac. The best part is Game is not trying to look or sound like Pac like Ja Rule once was, but his attitude is the same. It's him against the world. Sound familiar? Yeah, it does. Some of us can relate, so we ride to it. Also, I will possibly go into every song from the album and describe them, both good and bad characteristics, when I have more time. The album deserves that much attention because it is simply that good. I don't want to come off as a dickrider because I'm not. Like I said, I'm just being honest, I got nothing to gain from likin' this dude, but talent and good music prevails. It is what it is. Go cop Game's cd, it is the definition of a classic album, just like The Documentary was. This kid is becoming a living legend, and it makes me happy that we have a guy like this back in hip hop. If he's not the king, then who got the crown ya'll? Let me know, cuz I'm curious...

-Doc

The Game vs Ras Kass on BET's Beef The Series

BET did their own investigating into the fight that occurred on that infamous night in September where Game and Ras Kass were thrown into fisticuffs. A third party witness who worked at the club basically backed up Game's side of the story about Ras Kass getting knocked out by one punch from Game. Anyway, watch for yourself...it's pretty entertaining watching Ras Kass cry about it.

-Doc

Common's New Track

Common's got a new song out produced by Will.I.Am. Will.I.Am. is making his rounds ya'll, and I ain't gonna lie, his beats are solid. Well the new Common track is called "I Have A Dream". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is a reference to Martin Luther King Jr. Anyway the song is hot, and I guess Common has a new cd coming out called Finding Forever. Lookin' forward to that I think. Have a listen and enjoy.

-Doc

Lil' Wayne Gets Emotional

Lil' Wayne is not the best lyricist, but he has a way of getting his feelings across effectively. It's hard for me to respect him because sometimes his words and style are so ridiculous, but like I've said repeatedly in past entries, it's endearing to find a rapper who's willing to get emotional and talk about real shit in their lives. Lil' Wayne is one of those rappers. This is a new song, prolly some mixtape shit, where he's addressing his break up with Trina aka The Diamond Princess and also he talks about his ex-homies the Hot Boyz...Weezy F. Baby...please say the baby...

Lil' Wayne-All Alone

-Doc

Who's The Real King??? I Guess They Both Are...

On a lighter note...I recently heard a new song by Jay-Z and Nas called "Black Republicans". That's right, Jay-Z and Nas...made a song...it still feels incredibly weird to say it as the lyrics to "Ether" race through my head. The song is amazing. Jay could've used some of this heat for Kingdom Come. The beat is a sample of part of The Godfather theme, and it's very fitting. I just wish it was longer, at least one or two more verses. Maybe by the time the cd comes out the real version will be extended. I'm probably just optimistic though. Have a listen...Jay-z and Nas-"Black Republicans".

Enjoy.

-Doc

Jay-Z and Jimmy Jones Dissin' Each Other... On the Same Beat

For those of you who aren't up to date on current affairs, Jay-Z and Dipset have been feuding for quite a while now. Basically, they used to be on The Roc, then Jay and Dame had a falling out, they took Dame's side, and claim that Jay did Dame wrong and stole The Roc from Dame. First Cam'Ron release "You Gotta Love It" about 6 months ago. Now Jim Jones has been releasing a few 2 minute disses here and there that are not even worthy of me posting because Jim Jones straight up has no talent. He made one hit song in "We Fly High" and now he's dissing Jay-Z? Puh-leeeeeeeeeazzzzzzz. I'm not the biggest Jay-Z fan but I know that shit is foul. Anyway, Jay-Z, who was smart about the whole situation before, finally let it get under his skin. He released a diss song rappin' over Jim Jones's "We Fly High" beat with Jimmy still singing the chorus, but instead of the Jones trademark "Baaaaallliiiiiin'" in the background, Jay-Z is shouting "Brooooooklyyyyyyyn". Fair enough. The thing is, why let it get under your skin now. It's fuckin Jim Jones, even Jay-Z acknowledged that Jimmy had no business even saying his name. Could it be for the publicity for his album? Maybe. Does it knock his credibility beefin' with Jim Jones? Yes. Is it a great diss? Yes. Do you wanna listen? Yes. Here it is..."Brooklyn High". Regardless of the fact that Jay-Z absolutely makes Jim Jones look like a little bitch, I don't agree with the move. This is chess not checkers, Jay-Z must've had a brain fart giving this dude publicity and shit. You're promoting him now Jay. And when I say that, I'm not kidding. Jim Jones already took the Jay diss and turned it into a street remix of "We Fly High" with Hov's verse on the beat. The weirdest part is...Juelz Santana has a few lines...I dunno if he's actually going at Jay-Z, but if he is that's gonna be weird as hell because Juelz is signed to Def Jam. This shit just gets more and more complicated. They're going at each other on the same beat now...whatever it's entertainment ya'll. Anyway, Brooklyn High is better than any song on Kingdom Come, and that's the bottom line. Decide for yourselves...

-Doc

Jay-Z's Kingdom Come...Time to Throw Rocks at the Throne

First and foremost, I apologize for my absence, as I have been busy being a law student the past week. Now...back to business. I'll start off talking about this. Basically, Jay-Z's new cd Kingdom Come has leaked. How does it sound you ask? It sounds like hot smellly garbage. Now this is astounding for several reasons. First reason, Jay-Z has Dr. Dre produce a lot of the album, and the album still blows. There was a lot of hype about this track called "30 Something". It's basically Jay-Z talking about how being in your 30's is like the new 20's. Would he be saying this if he was in his 20's? No. The 30's are not the 20's. The 30's are the 30's. And I'm sure he's feeling the pressure from the young gunners in the game right now, specifically rappers like The Game, who are repeatedly asking older rappers to move on with their lives and make room for new blood. Jay-Z actually addresses Game's line from "One Blood" where he says, "38 and you're still rappin'? Uggghhhh..." in his song "Dig A Hole" off of Kingdom Come. I believe the exact line was some garbage like..."I used to think rappin' at 38 was uggghhhh, but last year I banked 38 mill." First off, it doesn't even rhyme. Second of all, no he didn't. Third of all, Jay-Z should've came harder than that, the whole song is supposed to be some sort of diss to his adversaries, and in my opinion it's kinda weak. Listen here..."Dig A Hole". What's funny is Game is kind of a pussy about it because he's obviously talking about Jay-Z because Jay-Z is 38, but Game claims he was talking about Tony Yayo in multiple interviews, when Tony Yayo is 32. Man up Game and stand behind your disses. He seems to be afraid of Hov, then again, I might be to if I were him. Now...back to Kingdom Come. The one Dre produced track that stands out is "Lost Ones", which I addressed in a previous blog. And even that is not even that nice. It's all so sub-par. You figure he'd wanna make it as impressive as possible, since it's his comeback album. Apparently he thinks he can just rap over some instruments and it'll sound hot. NOOOOPPPPEEEEE. WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU, YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE. And by people, other producers to give you better beats to match your weak ass flow on this album. Damn Hov, remember The Blueprint? I guess those days have passed. I'll have more on this album after it comes out on Tuesday, and I'll also talk about the Hangar Tour a little later...

-Doc

Updates From The Weekend Featuring Game/Cam'Ron/Jim Jones/Nas/Jay-Z/Lloyd Banks

Sorry (to the 5 people that read this) that I didn't update the blog this weekend. It was hectic. Rap news (that I found significant) was pretty slow this weekend. But I have a little heat for you (props to Illseed). First off...apparently the One Blood remix with 24 other artists on it was not enough for The Game. He is releasing a number of remixes for each section of the nation. The west coast one has already been leaked somewhere, I haven't heard it. I'll find it soon. There's also one coming out just for the ladies, I'm not quite sure what that means. Finally, he has a remix with up and coming rappers, which makes me curious who he thinks is up and coming. I guess we'll find out soon.

Next...I'm hearing Cam'Ron and Jim Jones are getting ready to release a diss song to Nas/Jay-Z. What's so special about that? In case you don't know some of the history between Nas and Jay-Z, it is confirmed that Nas's baby moms Carmen bedded Jay-Z repeatedly while her and Nas were still together. That's cold, but true. Now, Jimmy and Killa Cam wanna get Carmen on the diss. Now that shit should be interesting if they can pull it off.

Finally, there is a rumor that Lloyd Banks has a "scathing" diss directed to Game stashed away somewhere, but the powers that be blocked it's release and addition to Rotten Apple. Why? I have no idea. Either way, I don't know how scathing it could be because everything that could be said about Game has been said by either 50 Cent or Ras Kass or whoever. And it just doesn't matter, because talent always prevails. Just end the beef already.

Also...R.I.P. to Gerald Levert, Ed Bradley, and Jack Palance. It was a rough weekend where we lost some legends. That's life...which is why I'm making yours better by writing this blog, whether you know it or not haha.

-Doc

Jay-Z's One Day Nation-Wide Tour. One Day? Yep.

Think what you like about Jay-Z, you gotta admit he's a worker. Sohh.com reports that he's currently planning an unprecedented nation-wide tour. It will also be the shortest tour in the history of rap. 17 hours to be exact. That is flat out crazy. Apparently Jigga will be flying across the country like a mad-man via G5 (whatever that means), in the span of 17 hours stopping in 7 different cities. The cities will include the following: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Yeeeaahhh the Chi made the cut. The day, that's right DAY, he is doing this is November 18th, just 3 days before the release of his come-back album "Kingdom Come." That man is absolutely nuts. The tour will be called "The Hangar Tour" and the grand finale will be held in Las Vegas, who knows why. To find out how to be able to attend these concerts, click here for the article from sohh.com. I guess that's why we call him Jay-Hova.

-Doc

Murder Inc.'s Lloyd Has A New Video

Lloyd Ft. Lil' Wayne-You

I was wondering what happened to this dude. Lloyd of Murder Inc. fame has come back with a hot track. I like this song, it's pretty smooth. And I always like Weezy's features on them R&B tracks. I'm pretty sure this song at least partially samples the 80's smash "True" by Spandau Ballet in the melody and the hook. It works well. The Inc. is back on the come up I guess.

-Doc

"Fed-Ex" in Concert in Chicago Day After He's Kicked to the Curb

So like I said in one of my previous entries...K-Fed was in Chicago last night performing at the House of Blues. Props to the Chicago Sun-Times for the photo above, but what in the world are these bitches thinking? That's how you represent Chi-Town? Feder-fine? Feder-mine? Are you bitches Feder-retarded? That has to be a joke, dude does not have real fans. Whatever. 78 people showed up, which is rather pathetic, but still more than I thought would show up for K-Fed. Fortunately, I had to go to criminal law at the time of the concert, so I couldn't go even though they were giving away tickets for free and it's about 5 minutes from where I live. Apparently, they're calling him "Fed-Ex" now. I liiiiiiiiike...it's niiiiiice. Anyway, last night in the Chi was his first concert after Britney dropped the bombshell on his ass (which can be seen in a clip in one of my earlier entries). According to ABC 7 Chicago, he only made one reference to the split throughout the entire concert, saying "You know who's about be a free man?" They also reported that the crowd was treating Fed-Ex pretty fairly for a white-trash no talent gold-digging wannabe thug poser who couldn't keep the most wanted woman in the world after winning the lottery by landing her. There was at least one heckler who had to be tossed out, THAT'S A RELIEF. Here's the story if you wanna read it for yourself.

-Doc

Banks's Second Video Off Rotten Apple

Lloyd Banks ft. Keri Hilson-Help

Poor Lloyd Banks. You know dude don't want this to be his second single, but his record sales are way below expectations. Lloyd Banks needed help, so 50 told him Help. Personally, I think this song blows. And who the hell is Keri Hilson, G-Unit couldn't get a real feature? What's the deal? I was feelin' Karma as this type of song from Hunger For More, but this is way worse. This is some more of that sweetheart ish that G-Unit used to try and steer clear from. Not anymore. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I hate seeing Banks like this, and the video is just boring. And I'm sure The Game has something to say about this video, cuz we all know The Game is never at a loss for words. It might've been a good idea to try and avoid this type of single, but oh well. Who am I to judge the likes of 50 Cent in promoting his artists. Ya'll decide for yourselves.

Snoop and Kellz On Snoop's Second Single

Snoop Dogg ft. R. Kelly-Thats That Sh*t

Snoop and Kellz have hooked up to make a solid track. It's kind of a laid back club song type of feel. Nothin' to gangsta, nothing to hyped up, just a song for the fellas and the ladies to chill to. I feel it...it's obviously not Snoop's finest work...but it is what it is and it's meant to be what it's meant to be. The video reps Chicago pretty heavily...yeeaaah Chi-Town...you can almost see my building in the skyline. I'm in the 312 right now, does that mean I should holla at Kellz like he says(no homo)? I think I'll leave that up to the ladies. Enjoy.

Royce Da 5'9" Sick Wit It On The Mic

The dude Royce just dropped a new track and both the beat and the flow are sick. The song is called Street Hop. You know why? Cuz it's a street hop motherfucker. I was feelin' it for real. Those of you who know me know that Royce is one of my favorite rappers dead or alive, and he's been MIA lately, so when I was getting ready to listen to this track, I was worried he wouldn't be on point after being absent for a while. Silly me. Never be skeptical of Royce, one of the most consistent emcees ever. Best line of the song..."got a coke flow, but I'm so sober...the orignal renegade before Hova." And if you don't know what he's talking about, go download the original version of Renegadez with Royce and Eminem. And I'm glad to hear Royce say he's sober after being sentenced to a year in prison for DUI. By the way, does anybody know if he's actually going to serve that time? I hope not, I've been waiting for a new Royce record. He also has a crazy line about his ex-best friend and partner Eminem in there, but you'll have to listen to the song to find out...just click it..."Royce Da 5'9"-Street Hop"

-Doc

p.s. Oh and if you don't know about Royce's history and his relationship with the Shady Records camp and his beefs with D-12 (especially Proof) and then his reconciliation with Proof right before he died, go read up on your history. I'm just kicking knowledge.

Birdman and Lil' Wayne Gay Together? You Decide

Birdman and Lil Wayne - Make Up Sex

In case none of ya'll heard, there's a picture that's been floating around on the internet that's kind of old, but real, and shows Weezy and Baby going in for a kiss...on the lips. That's suspect. Weezy was asked about it recently, and claims it's like a mafia thing and he considers Baby his "father". But past Cash Money members such as Juvenile have taken offense to that and said that he was never over there kissin' nobody and that Cash Money ain't no mafia. The picture is featured in this video many times. Either way, this video found it's way to the internet today and it's a parody of the two's relationship and it cracks me up...you guys decide for yourselves.

-Doc

SoundScan Duds Include Artest and K-Fed

In some funny news...the madman Ron Artest came out with a rap cd last week. That's the same dude who applied for a job at Circuit City his rookie year in Chicago just for the discount. I know that cuz I'm a Bulls fanatic. Anyway, I don't even know what his joint is called, but since it's Wednesday, that means SoundScan is out. Guess how many records he sold? 1. Not a typo. One damn record. In a whole week. And it was probably himself who bought it. I mean are you kidding? The whole world knows who he is because of the "Malice at the Palace." How is he gonna go and sell one damn record? Clown. I mean I don't care much for record sales, but that's just undeniably funny. Other records making a big splash: Lil' Romeo's greatest hits with 161 (I didn't know Lil' Romeo had any hits), Ice-T with 744 (how the legends have fallen), and K-Fed with 2,181. If you're not laughing at this point, then you don't have a pulse. Well, at least now we know K-Fed's rap career is over. That ended faster than Britney's first marriage. K-Fed was in town in the Chi tonight performing at the House of Blues, and TMZ.com reports that he was giving away his tickets for free. Yup, the dude is absolutely desperate. Don't worry ya'll, I didn't go, although it would've been funny. Fortunately, I had class (I'm making sure I don't end up like K-Fed). Props to K-ROQ in Miami for posting that pic of K-Fed and his fam up above on their myspace page www.myspace.com/kroq, it's a riot. I may have more on SoundScan later...

-Doc

Nas Interviewed On Hot 97 By Funk Flex Tonight

Last week Funk Flex had Jay-Z on the show, tonight he had Jay-Z's new best friend, Nas. Not only are they cool now, but as you can see in the pic, they even gotta dress alike? That shit's kinda corny haha. Well the whole interview is basically about the new cd, "Hip-Hop is Dead." He talks about the possible tour that Hov was talking about last week with all the Def Jam artists (the popular ones at least). And Nas takes a few jabs at Jim Jones and Dipset. They've had on and off beef in the past, and now Nas is representin' for his homey Jigga. Wow how sweet they sharin' beefs now. The funniest part of the interview...Nas, aka Nasir Jones, takes a shot at Jim Jones by calling him "Jim Ones" and telling him to "take the J out of his name cuz there's only one Jones in New York". Word. Esco also talks about G-Unit's disses being unworthy of responses from him, and Jim Jones taking shots at Jay-Z lately being a complete joke. Agreed. He sticks to his opinion that hip hop is dead, because he says the goal in the game now is not to make art, but to make money, and he agrees with it. Whatever. Read the title of this whole blog, HIP HOP IS ALIVE, and hip hop is music Nas, regardless of whether you're making money. He should know that better than anyone, cuz Nas is straight hip hop. When he started talking about Kelis and how she's "bossy", I got nauxious and almost punched my computer. Is Nas turning into a sweetheart? He's gotta tone it down with that sweety talk, you feel me? He also supposedly said that "he's cooking up a nasty track with him and Jay-Z", but it was off the air, cuz I didn't hear it. Here are the links to the interview, there's 4, but the whole thing is pretty short...listen for yourself.

Nas on Hot 97 Funk Flex Part 1
Nas on Hot 97 Funk Flex Part 2
Nas on Hot 97 Funk Flex Part 3
Nas on Hot 97 Funk Flex Part 4

-Doc

My Opinion on The Times' Review of Doctor's Advocate

I agree with most of it, and by it I mean the review, not so much the Game bashing. The whole review was more of an attack on Game's character rather than focusing on the actual album. It seems almost as if the reviewer went into the whole process with a pre-conceived notion of what he thought the album would be, solely based on his opinions on The Game's personality. It's true though. The Game has some major complexes. He has this desperate need to be loved, and that's part of the reason why he drops so many names in his songs. But I feel that it is more than just name-dropping. You can obviously tell that The Game is one passionate dude. Throughout his short career, he has stressed the fact that he is a student of the game, and respects his elders very much. The dropping of names is clearly more than just wanting to be liked, which I think the reviewer did not understand before and came to understand through this record. It IS an obsession and he honestly believes everything he says about the rappers that he mentions in his songs. In Game's mind, he is simply expressing his thoughts and opinions about these other cats in the game to his fans and to whoever will listen. Because he himself is a fan, and he wants people to know who he's a fan of. You know why? Because he respects his own opinion. I can relate, because I respect my own opinion very much. That's not to say that he doesn't want to be loved. It's exactly that need to be loved, and his own love for rap music, which makes The Game so appealing to fans. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and that's both rare and admirable in hip-hop nowadays.

In terms of the music, I would say the reviewer is correct in some respects, but not in others. I honestly don't think he's heard some of Game's features on other artists' songs enough to realize that his flow really is "nimble." Nimble might be an understatement. If you want an example, listen to the remix of Boyz N' Da Hood's "Dem Boyz" or Nas's "MC Burial" Remix and then tell me if you don't think Game's flow is nimble. In terms of his word-play, I think the reviewer under-appreciates some of the subliminal jabs and metaphors that Game throws in, or maybe he simply doesn't understand them. Since The Game is a student of rap music, maybe the listener also has to be a student of rap music to actually understand some of his word-play. You have to both know what he's talking about and catch the word-play at the same time. Not always easy. Who would've thought rap music could be so complicated, huh? I do not exaggerate when I say that he keeps you on your toes. But on the other hand, I do agree with the fact that The Game likes to keep it simple at the same time. Simple with the rhyme scheme, and often times simple with the flow. Simplicity depends on the beat, the topic, etc. You have to dumb it down to sell records sometimes, no one knows that better than Jay-Z. But Game avoids dumbing it down as much as possible on this record, and each record could be a hit both commercially and in the underground mixtape circuit. He just knows the formula, he has a knack for it. Yet, I think simplicity is key when it comes to making great west coast music. And believe me, both this reviewer and I can agree that this record was strictly a left coast record. That was something that was missing on The Documentary. It is also something The Game corrected drastically on this record, bringing in the like's of Daz, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Nate Dogg. In the end, I know why you hate the game, but I also know why you might love him. It all depends on your personality and what you appreciate in hip-hop. If you appreciate honesty and real emotion in rap music instead of only commercialized Young Joc/Dro/Jeezy style radio cuts, then you'll most likely appreciate The Game and his new record. If you don't care about that, then you probably will think Game is just trying to suck up to his predecessors and you will not like this record. One thing the New York Times review guy and I both have in common, we agree that this is by far the best record of the year, if not the best record in a long time. The review guy is clearly a Game hater and is weary of the 50-Cent beef yada yada, but he even had to give him his crazy mad props, which means go and cop it. You'll only be doing yourself a favor.

-Doc

New York Times Review of Doctor's Advocate...Times says Doctor's Advocate is Album of the Year

Why You Hate The Game? That question is the title of the last track on the new album by the Game, the petulant hip-hop star from Compton, Calif. He’s not really looking for answers, but answers aren’t hard to find. Why would anyone hate this guy? Well, maybe because he’s an overbearing braggart, a tireless name-dropper, a mealy-mouthed provocateur, a sluggish rapper, a witless wag and a shameless sycophant. For a start.

And yet, barring some last-minute surprise, he has made the best hip-hop album of the year. It’s called “Doctor’s Advocate” (Geffen), and it comes out on Tuesday. (Although pirated copies surfaced last week.) And it puts the Game’s booming voice and bad attitude front and center. He’s needy in the worst way: desperate to be loved, respected, feared. And instead of hiding that neediness, he flaunts it; the result is a riveting portrait of the artist as a wannabe.

Let’s start with that title, which is either a heartfelt tribute, a desperate ploy, a veiled insult or — most likely — some combination of the three. In 2005, when the Game released his major-label debut, “The Documentary,” he was a protégé of both 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, the producer who helped invent the sound of Los Angeles hip-hop. Then 50 Cent and the Game began their noisy feud. It often seemed they were vying for Dr. Dre’s attention: The Game claimed that Dr. Dre would contribute to his second album; 50 Cent swore the producer would not.

50 Cent was right: Dr. Dre stayed away. But the Game decided to forge ahead anyway with “Doctor’s Advocate”; it’s hard to think of another rapper who would name an album after someone who declined to work on it. And in the extraordinary title track, the Game apologizes to his childhood hero, sort of. The first verse begins with a rapper who sounds as if he’s about to cry:

Dre, I ain’t mean to turn my back on you

But I’m a man, and sometimes a man do what he gotta do

Remember? I’m from Compton, too

I saw you and Eazy in ’em, so I started wearing khaki suits

I was 12, smoking chronic in ’92

Those extremes — the plaintive “Remember?”; the defiant “I’m a man” — echo through the verses. And though neither is totally convincing, it’s hard to tell where the Game’s bad faith stops. Is he merely pretending to be contrite? Or is he merely pretending to be defiant? Or, somehow, both? The skits that frame the song make it even harder to unravel. (The Game is drunk and depressed; Busta Rhymes tries to rouse him.)

The Game is clearly obsessed with the rappers who came before him, and it’s an obsession that demands a tally. In the course of 16 songs, he makes reference to no less than 44 different hip-hop stars, including two named Ice (Cube and -T), three named Lil (Jon, Kim and Wayne) and two named Young (Jeezy and M.C.). And no one comes up more often than Dr. Dre, whose name finds its way into nearly every song. By album’s end he has been invoked about 30 times; the absent mentor is everywhere.

Despite Dr. Dre’s absence, this album sounds much more like an Los Angeles album than its predecessor. “Too Much” has a typically smooth sung hook by Nate Dogg and a spot-on beat by Scott Storch, who knows how to make a track sound Dre-ish. (You’ll need a fluid bass line, some spare keyboard notes, some cinematic strings, an impossibly hard backbeat.) Hi-Tek produced the slow-rolling “Ol’ English,” a tribute to the Game’s favorite malt liquor and his favorite typeface, too. Even will.i.am, from the Black Eyed Peas, gets in on the act: he produced “Compton,” which lovingly recreates the menacing sound of old-fashioned gangsta rap.

The Game’s flow couldn’t possibly be described as nimble. (Neither could his wordplay: “Get stretched out like a limo”?) But he has a terrific voice, bassy and raspy, and there’s something enthralling about the way he pushes through to the end of the line, often falling slightly behind the beat, and sometimes straining to cram in extra words. He knows the value of negative space, so he doesn’t fill the songs with chatter and noise; he clearly loves the sound of sharp consonants and hoarse vowels over a half-empty beat. Compared with slick Southern rappers or wordy New York rappers, the Game is a minimalist, a true believer in the power of simplicity.

That simplicity has often been a hindrance on mixtapes, where you can find many of his vituperative but dull rhymes about 50 Cent. But here, the stripped-down approach serves him well. He knows how to reduce a violent story to its bare essentials: “Used to think that I was hard, so I stole my brother’s Glock/And that’s the day my life changed, ’cause that night, he got shot/Killed by another Crip over his Rolex watch.” It’s an appalling little story, but you can detect a hint of bravado in his voice, the same bravado, perhaps, that makes a boy steal a gun. If this album is a little bit less fun than “The Documentary,” it’s also a lot more memorable.

In hip-hop flawed protagonists rule; no one wants to hear a (purely) good guy rap. But the Game has an unusual flaw: his problem is that he really wants to be a hip-hop star, wants it so badly he can’t disguise it. He probably knows it’s a bad idea to call himself the “West Coast Rakim,” or to boast, “I’m B.I.G., I’m Cube, I’m Nas, I’m ’Pac,” or to obsequiously praise Snoop Dogg in nearly every song. He probably knows that thinly veiled criticisms of other rappers won’t earn him the respect he wants. (At one point he raps, “I don’t need no ‘Encore,’ no claps, no cheers,” alluding to the Jay-Z song.) He probably knows it’s embarrassing to release a whole CD about a guy who doesn’t seem to be returning his calls. But he is doing it anyway.

You don’t have to admire the Game’s approach to love this album. Even the Game’s many detractors may find themselves falling for these trunk-rattling tracks, whether they admit it or not. But the more you listen to these rhymes, the less unfathomable they seem. If the Game sounds too insecure, too greedy for admiration, too worried about how he’s perceived, well, maybe he’s not the only one. In other words, you might never grow to love that scowling poseur on the cover. But you just might recognize him.

DJ Skee and DJ Whoo Kid Collaborating? WTF?

Apparently, DJ Skee of Black Wallstreet, made famous by releasing mixtape after mixtape of Game disses to G-Unit, is collaborating with...you guessed it...DJ Whoo Kid of G-Unit? It seems that Snoop Dogg has called upon Skee, Whoo Kid, and Southern legend DJ Drama for the mixtape that will proceed the release of Snoop's new cd, The Blue Carpet Treatment, which drops November 21st. Yep, this is a Black Wallstreet and G-Unit collaboration. This is just weird to me. I've heard numerous disses by The Game aka CEO of Black Wallstreet Records aimed at DJ Whoo Kid, including the infamous 300 Bars and Runnin' (which was produced by DJ Skee). So basically, I don't know what the hell this means. Honestly, I wonder how Game could approve of this, or if he even does. Who knows. Maybe this proves beefs are just publicity stunts. Anyway, DJ Skee says to look for more collaborations on future mixtapes between Whoo Kid, Drama, and himself. Will do. If you want to read more about it, go to Whoo Kid, Drama, and Skee Collaborate on Snoop Dogg Mixtape.

-Doc

G-Unit vs. Dipset...Is a Beef Brewing?

The dude Illseed had a rumor a while ago talkin' about a concert where G-Unit and Dipset were both present. While Jim Jones and the Dipset were on stage, during the performance of "We Fly High", Jim Jones screams his catch-phrase "Baaaalliiiiiin" throughout the whole song, and someone overheard Yayo scream "Booorriiiiiiing" to mock Jimmy. Well an interviewer had the guts to bring it up yesterday and asked Jimmy about Yayo talkin' trash. Jimmy's response was, "I don't know if he said that, but if that little nigga said that he need to get his money up cause I'm balling for real, you know what I'm talking about? It's all aggressive competition to each his own, smell me? You dig? That nigga's a immigrant. He's a straight hater, he belong in little Haiti." Well you heard it here first, Tony Yayo is an immigrant. Basically Jimmy went on to say that both G-Unit and Dipset are the two biggest movements in hip-hop right now, but the difference is Dipset is on it's way up. Dayyyymn that's kinda cold. We'll see what happens with this nonsense. Here's a link to the article, check it out for yourself: Jim Jones Interview.

-Doc

Weezy Freestyle on Rap City Yesterday

Lil' Waynye aka Weezy F. Baby is absolutely hilarious in this acapella freestyle from yesterday's Rap City episode. This is for my homeboy Mike...you're gonna piss your pants. Did I hear a John Tucker Must Die reference in there? WHAAAAT? That's gangsta. Just watch, enough said.

-Doc

K-Fed Gets Played

The video above shows K-Fed on a reality TV show yesterday talking about how strong his marriage is and how he misses his kids while he's on tour promoting his record yada yada. He's a gotdaymn clown. While he's talking all that bullshit, little does he know that he's about to get a text message telling him that Britney dropped his ass faster than she dropped her baby weight. The dude basically looks like he wants to cry, takes off his mic, leaves for half an hour (probably to cry), and then finishes shooting the show. But the look on his face when he gets the text is priceless, especially after talking sweet about Britney all day. See for yourself above.

-Doc

Kevin Federline Finding Out His Marriage is Over...IT'S COLD

K-Fed was shooting a reality show and cameras following him around all day caught him finding out the bad news

The Game NEVER EVER fails to entertain

Well apparently one of the interviews with Game I posted in an earlier blog had a second part to it. In the second part (Allhiphop.com Game interview Part 2), The Game discusses everything from his lack of respect for Ras Kass to the his prom pictures that leaked to the internet. Basically, The Game is one funny dude. The prom pictures showed him smiling and not really playing the role of gangsta, which he took some heat for from hardcore rap fans, and the interviewer asked him about it. He gave a great answer by saying "who goes to the prom mean-muggin', that's idiotic." I love it. He then made fun of Ras Kass a little for being completely unkown, and it was all hunky-dory until.....the interviewer had to ask dude about JOE BUDDEN. Why did this have to happen, two of the most talented rappers in the game beefin' with one another, all because of some group that both of them now hate. Well, Busta said it best...The Game is a hard-head. The picture up-top is real old and was mostly Game being polite and squashing it behind the scenes with Budden. But in public it's a whole other story. He refuses to dead the beef with Joey and makes fun of him a little for falling out of the lime-light. But that ain't no reason to not recognize Joey's skills. Come on mayne. As for now, dreams of Joe Budden and Game reconciling and doing a track together will remain just that. Whatever though, I at least give the interviewer props for recognizing Joey as one of the best emcees out right now. Cheaaaaaa. By the way, did ya'll know that Will.I.Am. from Black Eyed Peas used to be called Will.1.X. and was signed to Eazy E's Ruthless Records? Well you do now thanks to the homeboy Game.

-Doc

p.s.
And remember Game's final words from the interview, "Fuck the world. November 14th." Enough said.