Big L Now or Never

Now, get ready for a more positive song from Big L. The name of this song is Now or Never. I like listening to this song on the way to school or work because it motivates me to start the day off on a good note. Songs can influence moods and emotions and listening to a song that makes you feel like you have to get something accomplished before the day is over is always a positive.

It’s time to make power moves and get the chedda.
And buy the real nice things that makes life betta.
No foolish acts, moves must be clever.
Im down for whatever, I gotta blow son, is now or never.

In the short time that Big L was able to be with us he sure made positive impacts on people’s lives. It is clear that Big L would use songs like these and the creative process that goes with making these songs as motivation to get through his day and to accomplish his goals of becoming a successful rapper.

It is tragic that Big L was taken from us so early but, it is songs like this that he has left behind that makes it feel like he is still here with us today. Good artists manage to make their music live on long after they have passed away. There is emotion and genuine feelings being expressed by L and it is for that reason including his talent that he was able to garner so much respect and notoriety amongst fans and the Hip-Hop community. R.I.P Lamont

Big L - How Will I Make It

Today we have two entries that once again showcase one of my favorite artists of all time. I’m talking about Big L of course. The is a drastic difference between these two songs, this first song being grim and realistic while in the second entry I will post today shows a more optimistic and motivated Big L.

The first song is called How will I Make It. The entire song brings you into the hardships that Big L has gone through throughout his life. The song is somber and it seems that Big L is trying to show how low a person can get if they are faced with insurmountable odds in life. The difficulties that Big L had growing up from living in poverty is a drastic difference between these two songs, this first song being grim and realistic while in the second entry I will post today shows a more optimistic and motivated Big L.

The first song is called How will I Make It. The entire song brings you into the hardships that Big L has gone through throughout his life. The song is somber and it seems that Big L is trying to show how low a person can get if they are faced with insurmountable odds in life. The difficulties that Big L had growing up from living in poverty and serving time in jail all time used to paint a picture of a harsh world that can make the most talented musicians contemplate their chance of escaping the conditions in life that have managed to hold them back.

The chorus is in question form and Big L is asking himself or anyone who is listening, can I make it and how will I manage to escape the evils that have plagued my life. It seems that Big L gets his motivation to create music from the simple fact that music is the tool that will help him make it and overcome any doubts he may have in his mind about future success and the promise of a decent life.

It seems like my life been cursed ever since I was a child
And how will I make it?
I won't, that's how
I walk around with a frown I got no reason to smile
And how will I make it?
I won't, that's how
Aiyo times is rough I had to grow up foul
And how will I make it?
I won't, that's how
I always knew that I'll end up doing time on a L
And how will I make it?
I won't, that's how

Having listened to all of the songs Big L was ever a part of I can say in my eyes that Big L made it.

Big L-Put It On

This week is going to be all about Big L. Big L was a Harlem rapper who tragically had his life taken on February 15, 1999 after he was shot nine times in the head in a Harlem neighborhood. Apparently, the death was retaliation for something Big L’s brother, who was incarcerated at the time of his death, had done or something they thought he had done. In my opinion Big L is in my top 5 rappers of all time.

It is scary to think what the game would have been if Big L who had recently signed a deal and was starting to roll out his material for his upcoming album was able to develop his career and build a catalog.

His catalog to date even before his death is more impressive than most rappers entire careers. His word play is amazing in every song I hear him on. It is clear this man took pride in putting everything into his lyrics. It shows on all of his songs, he never gets on a song and performs at a mediocre level.

Big L is always the one artist who stands alone if he is put on group song. Big L of course as an original member of the DITC digging in the crates crew was in my eyes the most lethal and consistent rapper in the group. He was also a member of the Harlem based rap group Children of the Corn alongside Cam’ron, Mase, and Bloodshed.

This track that is featured in this entry is Put it on. I know I have been talking more about Big L than the actual song but for all you rap fans that haven’t heard of Big L, you needed a proper introduction to the man behind the music. All you need to know about this song is that if you are having a rough morning and find yourself half asleep on the train or bus to work play this song and you should feel like taking on the day.

Cassidy Freestyle

We got another Cassidy freestyle for you today. I know I just posted a Cassidy freestyle but shit he is talented so why the fuck not right. Let’s get into it.

I don’t know exactly when this was filmed but it was earlier in his career because he is already signed to full surface records as Swizz Beats is at the start of the video. The freestyle is short and this post will be as well.

Like all his freestyles his delivery is always on point and his words always seem to fit together just right no matter what the beat is. Now during this time in rap there was a lot of battle DVD’s going around on the internet with guys like Murda Mook and others but, rappers who had already gotten signed like Cassidy still felt it necessary to show case their talent.

This is what rappers today lack. CREDIBILIZTY. I’m not talking about whether you do what you say in your rhymes I’m talking about stripes. Could you be signed and still battle some random unsigned and hold your own. You will never see a rapper brave enough to be signed and get into a battle because they know that if they lose the record label might drop them.

There is something about Cassidy that says he wouldn’t care about battling anyone because he is confident in his skills. So if you rap about girls, crime, or just normal everyday life maintain your credibility so that if someone questions your ability you can show them they were wrong to question in the first place.

Cassidy 8 Minute Freestyle

Well damn, that’s really all you can say after watching this freestyle from Cassidy, a rapper from Philly who most of you should know. And if you didn’t know who Cassidy was before hearing this song you get an idea of how talented he really is.

I find it hard to talk for 8 minutes but he managed to spit written bars in freestyle for a camera for over 8 minutes and that is something that I don’t see a lot of artists doing. Maybe because they can’t do it or they just don’t want to but, this video has over 4 million views on YouTube and I can only assume that number is getting larger cause I listen to that video at least four time a week.

It isn’t just the lyrics that make this video amazing because his delivery and knowledge about his rhymes that shows when he is on camera. He acts out a lot of lines and that shows that Cassidy is a true battle rapper. Just ask Freeway, “Put a beat on.” If you didn’t get that reference Cassidy before he was signed had a rap battle against then signed to Roc-a-fella records Freeway who is also from Philly.

The battle is long and I won’t go into too much detail about it until I make it a post on this blog but, Cassidy won and after that got signed and started to sell records. So if you got 8 minutes to spare listen close and hear what Cassidy has to say.

Devlin Freestyle

We got another quick freestyle from Devlin over in the UK. This man just keeps coming with quality bars no matter what song he is on. I haven’t heard that many songs of his or songs that he is featured on that he doesn’t try hard on.

Here are some of his bars from the freestyle in case you weren’t able to get past his thick cockney accent:

I roll on the road like a tire on the street/
Im fire on the beat/
And im im goin out all guns blazin/
Like the guy from the film with a slice on his cheek/ (Scarface)
Iv’e got a guarantee that im always on my toes/
So you be dead by the time you rise from your seat/
A demonstration of forward planning/
Im predictin an awkward landin/
When I strangle a man and dangle his corpse from a fourth floor landin/

Speaking of language barriers, it was hard to figure out what these UK rappers where saying in their rhymes when I first came across the grime scene. But after time I was able to figure out all the slang words that I had never heard before and it occurred to me that once I got past that small barrier the grime artists were as deserving to be signed to huge record deals just as much as rappers from the states.

This is a short post because there really isn’t much more to say. Devlin is cold and he demonstrates that in this short freestyle. If only rappers from the states would come with constant music on YouTube for my listening pleasure but I don’t see that happening any time soon.

Eminem & Skam - Three Six Five

What’s up people today we have a track from Eminem and Skam from Eminem’s underground days in Detroit. The songs just like most hip-hop in the 90’s were centered on lyricism and how you came on a track.

Eminem went by Slim Shady back in these days and still had his same rhyme style and rhyme schemes in most of his songs. It seems that he manages to say the most outlandish things while at the same time staying lethal with his bars.

I have been listening to Eminem for a minute now and it wasn’t until I was a junior in high school did I finally discover his underground songs and freestyles that he had done before he hit the big time and got signed.

The Detroit hip-hop scene back in these days was really small and tight nit. But, the small size of its scene didn’t impact the quality of the music it produced. Eminem and Skam don’t waste any words in this song. Here is the first half of Eminem’s verse:

Yo know your spaced the fuck out like George Lucas/
When your pukus, turnin to yellow with orange mucus/
So when I grab a pencil and squeeze it between fingers/
I'm not a rapper, I'm a demon who speaks English/
Freak genuis, too extreme for the weak and squeamish/
Burn you alive till you screamin to be extinquished/
Cause when I drop the science, motherfuckers tell me to stop the violence/
Start a fire and block the hydrants/
I'm just a mean person, you never seen worse than/
So when Slim gets this M-16 burstin/
You gettin spun backwards like every word of obscene cursin/
Stoppin your short life when you still a teen virgin/
Unless you get a kidney speciman from a spleen surgeon/
In the best hospital possible for emergancy surgery/
To try to stop the blood from your rushin sternly eternally/

Now the second portion of Slim’s verse remains the coldest few bars I have heard in my entire life. And I have listened to countless songs but, none of them reach the level of lyricism and creativity that these few last bars in his verse demonstrate:

I'll take it back before we do each others name/
Run in a ultrasound and snatch you out your mothers frame/
I'll take it further back than that/
Back to lovers lane, to the night you were first thought of/
And Cock block your fathers game/

Now that is cold as hell nothing more to say and with that I leave you to listen to the song.

Common - Resurrection

Hello people, today we got a track from a Chicago mc who has been putting’ out quality music since the early 90’s. I’m talking about Common of course and his song from one of his first albums Resurrection.

This song definitely has that 90’s feel to it that makes it timeless. I don’t know what it is about music from the 90’s but it seems that no matter how many years pass hip-hop from the 90’s still blows everything else out of the water.

The 90’s was a time when hip-hop was still attempting to make a major breakthrough to the mainstream music. The determined and hungry feeling that came from rappers in that time hasn’t been duplicated since. Possibly making it into the mainstream made hip-hop lose some of it most appealing characteristics.

You can tell that the music especially in this song is from the heart and sincere. The song isn’t focused on topics that are prevalent in today’s music but rather music like Common’s song shed light on what was going on in the inner cities and in this case what was going on in Chicago.

Even the lower budget music videos from this time seem more appealing and make more of an intellectual impact on the viewer than today's over the top videos that have absolutely nothing to do with the song itself.

In the 90’s it was all about being real and staying true to hip-hop in your music. Now it is more about how much money and record sales you have accumulated. I am amazed at how far hip-hop has come but I still wish it was still and underground scene left untouched by commercial influences.

We don’t have a time machine to warn rappers about what hip-hop will turn into but, never the less this is a great song from Common. So listen and enjoy and stayed tuned for the next entry in my blog.