Black Moon "I Got Cha Open"

Now that you got this page open you can listen to this Black Moon song entitled, “I gotcha open.” This song is once again a classic hip hop tune from the genre’s golden age. I currently have this song on my cell phone as my alarm it seems to always start the day off good no matter how rough the previous night was.

The remix of the song which you are hearing now was not the version you would have heard if you bought their album. They had different verses and an entirely different instrumental on the album version of this song. The only thing to remain the same was the song title.

It is also one of the coolest music videos that I have seen a hip hop artist perform in. Since the video on YouTube doesn’t allow it to be embedded, due to the person who posted the video to YouTube, I have listed the URL link as follows so you can see the video and how cold it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP2mlvJkAPY

The lyrics are good but in my opinion they aren’t as complex as the most talented of emcees. But, this in no one can take away from Black Moon or the song. Rather the instrumental and the flow he uses and his voice cadence add a lot to the song. The trumpets and strings in the song make you feel like you are dreaming while you’re listening to the song and if you follow the above link the beginning is almost set up to emulate a dream sequence. Well I’ll leave you to listen to the song and I suggest you hit replay because the song gets better every time you hear it.

Joell Ortiz "Hip-Hop"

Yo do me a favor, accidently step on your white sun glasses/
We don't wear those over here this is hip hop(that's right)/
This is Carhart jackets, Timberland boots, unlaced/
This is Champion hoodies, chicken wings and french fries/
RIP pieces on the handball court, this is us still fightin' police brutality/
This is hip hop/

Today we have a song by Joell Ortiz who in my opinion is the most talented and relatively new hip hop artist to come to the scene. He and Slaughterhouse, the rap group he is a part of, which is comprised of Joe Budden, Crooked I, and Royce Da 5’9 recently signed a deal with Eminem and Shady Records so it is good to see a group of talented emcees getting a chance to get their music distributed by a major label.

This song specifically is all about hip hop and the current state of the genre and how Joell Ortiz thinks it can be improved. You could say he wants to go back to the golden days of hip hop before money and global fame was the driving factor in artist’s creative process.

Joell Ortiz along with being lyrically talented manages to show to his listeners that he has credibility in terms of his lyrics. He has a good sense of humor in a lot of his songs while at the same time managing to put out tracks that are introspective.

The artists who are able to let the listeners into their lives and creative processes end up developing a more meaningful relationship with their fans. Their fans don’t just look upon them as artists but rather fellow human beings with a knack for being able to help them get through their day. This leads to longer careers and in most cases more money for those artists with extremely loyal fans. Hell, Wu-Tang could still manage to sell out shows because they have loyal fans that feel like they really know the artists.

All I’m saying is that Joell Ortiz is the perfect example of an artist who manages to be genuine and unique while at the same time staying true to his craft.

Mary J. Blige ft. Smif n Wessun - I Love You (Remix)

Today I got another classic featuring Mary J. Blige and Smif N Wessun. This song is in my top 20 songs of all time hands down. It is a laid back love song of sorts that Mary does a great job on in terms of her vocals.

The remix which is the version you are hearing featured Smif N Wessun and if you don’t know who they are just type their name in Google and you should find out all about their work and the boot camp click. The instrumental is a perfect match for Mary and Smiff N Wessun. There is a heavy kicks and a lot of piano which was common amongst hip hop in the 90’s which artists should go back to now days.

Below I have shown you the second verse that Smif N Wessun spit:

Hip Hop, sets out in the park/
Blaze an L, raisin' hell till the day I dark/
Got me Reminiscing back like Mary J/
When I sit back and peep the game people play/
Too High to get over/
Cause I'm rollin' through life like a soldier/
Holdin' the weight of my fate on my shoulder/
Blazin' the trees,/
With my Duck Down family/
P-N-C-One L-O-V-E/

They only have two verses because Mary is singing the other. Their two verses are unique and similar to the style of back and forth rapping that Styles P and Jadakiss have mastered. I know I have almost mentioned this in all of my posts to this blog but God Damn why don’t artists keep making classics like this. There is nothing but positive comments on YouTube and hardly any dislikes. Whenever I ask someone to listen to the song they say they loved it.

I know the flavor and style that the 90’s brought to Hip Hop can never be duplicated but it can certainly be honored. So please if you are an emcee and stumble across this blog please take what I’ve just said into consideration. KEEP THE 90’S ALIVE!!!!!

Do Or Die-Po Pimp

Do you wanna riiide?/
In the backseat, of a Caddy/
Chop it up, with Do or Die/

We have a classic or our hands today. The song I’m talking about is Do or Die’s “Po Pimp.” I can remember watching this on the Box (old music video channel, much better than MTV) in the summer as a kid. It is a showcase of the talent that Chicago emcees can bring to the table. Do or Die has put out many albums since but I think none will ever come close to how good their first album was.

This whole song along with the music video which was filmed in its entirety in Chicago just adds to the overall vibe and laid back feeling of the song. All of the members of Do or Die do their part in this song but, Twista is the obvious standout. Twista went on to become the most successful in terms of a solo career hitting the platinum eventually later in his career when he went solo.

Here is the opening few bars of Twista's verse:

Well a motherfucker might be broke and shit/
And then collecting no dough from tips/
But I be spittin mo' game than a mouthful of poker chips/
To get them hoes with the Oprah lips and the provokin hips/
And never gotta tell her many lies/
I been lookin in the city skies, get up in the kitty's thighs/
Cause I'm blessed with a look of innocence, good sex/
Peanut butter complex and some pretty eyes/

Talented artists manage to bring the listener in as soon as they start to rhyme. In my eyes Twista has done this throughout his entire career. I rarely have come across a song of his that was lack luster. The man has possibly the most innovative and coldest flows known to man that is his entirely. On top of that he is extremely complicated when it comes to the words he rhymes and how they fit together in his verse.

To all you Po Pimp’s out there still blasting this song in your Cadillac safe travels and I’ll be bringing you some more Chicago flavor in the coming days.