SOUNDNEXX 9TH PRODUCED IT MIXX!
Some call him Patrick Douthit, but most of us call him 9th Wonder a.k.a Mr. Fruity Loops. When it comes to my favorite’s list of top producers, 9th Wonder is definitely on it! In my opinion, Little Brother and the Justus League put life back into the rap genre that seemed to be going pretty stale before their arrival. 9th’s soul production sound was the backbone of the whole NC hip-hop movement. These guys from the country were on a mission to show that not all artists from the South only talk about trapping, riding on 24s and snap dancing. I actually think they have proven themselves up to this point. A lot of things have changed since Little Brother originally hit the music scene back in 2002 though. Over the last couple of years I have been noticing plenty of 9th Wonder bashing going on around the internet. Statements like “all of his production sounds the same” and “his style seems dated” are constantly posted all over the internet forums, blogs and web sites around the world. A lot of folks think he’s overrated, which is just another way to say that you don’t like someone without shitting on their track record in my opinion. Here’s my 10 cents on these statements…Every good producer has a production sound. That’s like their musical signature, and everyone from The Neptunes to Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to Kanye West has one. 9th normally uses his signature beat patterns and soulful hook samples when making his beats, so there will be times when some of his production sounds similar. Who cares though if the beat is tight? As far as his production style being viewed as dated, 9th Wonder's production has that throwback to what the 90’s era appeal of hip-hop used to sound like. It’s kind of refreshing to me actually, plus 9th Wonder’s sample game is on point. The way he flips a sample is unparalleled in my opinion, so he mad props for that alone. An last, but no least 9th has been given the stamp of approval by producers that I totally respect like Questlove, Pete Rock, Marley Marl and DJ Premier. Nuff said...

The only bad thing I will say about 9th Wonder is that I think he was pretty selfish to leave Little Brother. Just my opinion though. As Phonte explained how things went down in an interview just after the break-up, he and Big Pooh both wanted to take the Little Brother sound to a new level. They had no doubts that 9th could step his game up a little due to his strong background in music. When they spoke to 9th about this transition for the new album, he seemed hesitant about changing his sound. 9th makes pretty good money producing for other artists that pay him swell for his sound just way it is, so why should he change anything? Talks of change seemed to put some distance between these long time college friends. It was obvious that they were now going in different directions as artists. Sadly, change is normally the reason why most groups break-up just behind enormous egos. Phonte swears that there in no beef between them and 9th Wonder, but I guess time will tell. I don’t agree with 9th’s final decision to leave the Little Brother group, but I understand. Sometimes, a man has to do what a man has to do, so I wish him well on his future endeavors. Now, that the synergy of the Little Brother trio has shifted, I hope that 9th can keep up the good work that he’s done in the past? With both Little Brother and 9th Wonder dropping new albums in 2007, it will be interesting to hear who’s going to come out on top! Hip-Hop needs both of these projects to do well actually. Either way I am buying them both. D.M. Vol. 1 was pretty tight, so I have high expectations for his upcoming Dream Merchant 2 project as well, which hits the streets on 10-09-07! I normally enjoy compilation albums that are held down by one dope producer, so I expect that 9th will deliver a banger project for us to enjoy. Oh yeah, and for those that didn't know, there was a Dream Merchant 1 project

Dream Merchant 2 Track List:
01. "Mr. Dream Merchant Intro"
02. "Shots" - Big Dho & Sean Price
03. "Merchant Of Dreams" - The EMBASSY, Skyzoo & Torae
04. "Brooklyn In My Mind" - Mos Def, Jean Grae & Memphis Bleek
05. "Sunday" - Keisha Shontelle & Chaundon
06. "Baking Soda" - Big Treal
07. "Reminisce (Take Time)" - Big Remo & The Great Novej of the A.L.L.I.E.S.
08. "No Time To Chill" - Little Brother
09. "It Aint Over" - Jozee Mo & Tyler Woods
10. "The Last Time" - Royce the 5'9, Naledge & Vandalyzm - The D, The Chi & The Lou
11. "Saved" - Saigon & Joe Scudda
12. "Milky Lowa" - Camp Lo
13. "Backlash" - Sean Boog & Buckshot
14. "Thank You" - D.O.X & O-Dash
15. "Let It Bang" - Ness & Skyzoo
16. "What Makes A Man" - Rapper Big Pooh & Buddy Klein

Since, this post is getting kind of long let me cut straight to the mixx. I call this mixx "9th Produced It" because all of these tracks are produced by Mr. Fruity Loops himself. These joints are some of my favorites from over his production career, so if you like hip-hop music you need to put your ears on this one for sure.

SOUNDNEXX 9TH PRODUCED IT MIXX TRACK LIST:
01~Tightman - Welcome The Underdawgs
02~Cesar Comanche - Drought (Remix)
03~Phonte - Too Late
04~Thirstin Howl III - Old English
05~De La Soul - Church
06~Binky feat. Phonte - Ladies Man
07~Kingz Kounty - Love Is Gone (Remix)
08~Thyrday - Good Music
09~AI - Were In
10~Little Brother - For U
11~Murs - Freak These Tales
12~Keisha Shontelle feat. Chaundon - Sunday
13~Little Brother feat. Darien Brockington - All For You
14~L.E.G.A.C.Y. - Third Person
15~Median - Give A Little Bit
16~Pooh - Dream Merchant
17~Cesar Comanche feat. Joe Scudda - Up & Down
18~EA Floe - The Torch
19~Slum Village - Look of Love (Remix)
20~Little Brother feat. L.E.G.A.C.Y. - Gotta Get It
21~Boot Camp Clik - So Focused
22~Sean Price - Heartburn
23~Common feat. Macy Gray - Ghetto Heaven (Remix)
24~9th Wonder - Miss Me (Instrumental)

GET THE 9TH WONDERFUL MIXX HERE!

Oh yeah, and just in case you missed it, also checkout The Justus League Mixx I posted a year ago...

GET THE JUSTUS LEAGUE MIXX HERE!

CAN A BROTHA GET A GOOD CONCERT?
Personally, I am not a big fan of live concert performances. I guess it's nice to see your favorite artists in the flesh, but other than that it's nothing special. Out of all the types of concerts I have attended over the years, rap concerts are definitely the worst. In most cases the artist(s) hardly ever exceed or even meet my expectations during a live performance. Some seem to have to attitude like they paid me to come see them perform instead of the other way around? There are a few exceptions like Luther Vandross, Joe Sample, Eric Roberson, Michael Jackson, Brian McKnight, etc. It’s obvious that some artists actually understand the true meaning of showmanship, while most don't have a clue. In my opinion, when it comes to a live performance I want to see more than just the rapping or singing of the words. That’s boring as hell! The focus should be about bringing the music to life to make the performance something memorable. I want to feel the excitement and enthusiasm from an artist on stage. Surprise me with additional lyrics, a different beat, a break dance move or something dammit! I hate when an artist is standing on stage mumbling into the microphone swaying back and forth like they don’t really want to be there? That’s like giving me a tall glass of NyQuil and a warm bath. After 5 minutes of watching a show like that, I will definitely be snoring before the night is over. When I don't see that extra effort being demonstrated by an artist during a live performance it angers me. All I do is sit there thinking how much happier I would have been just listening to their CD instead of paying good money to watch this mediocre performance. Natural talent seems to be nonexistent for many in this new generation of artists throughout the industry today. Since, talented producers use clever production trickery to hiding their lack of talent (sometimes), performing live is usually where their flaws are revealed leaving the fans disappointed in most cases. Damn, I hate when that happens!

Luckily for me, I went to a great concert event over the past weekend. Erykah Badu was the headliner while Lyfe Jennings and Monica Blaire got the concert party started. Monica Blaire is a female soul-singer from Detroit that I have become very fond of over the last few months. She is definitely a singer that I think has the potential to be one of the great ones in the future. In a 3 song set, Monica owned the stage a like a veteran singer. Good stuff no matter how you slice it! After Ms. Blaire exited, Lyfe Jennings and his crew hit the stage. Personally, I am not a fan of Lyfe’s music. It’s nothing against him personally, but his music just doesn’t move me. Well, I should say didn’t move me before. Lyfe Jennings is a perfect example of how a great live show can actually make people want to buy your music on CD. This dude put on a helluva show to say the least, so now I plan on finding some of his music to add to my collection. Mr. Jennings told us a story with his songs that described who he was and what he had gone through to reach this point in his life. All of songs flowed well, plus the guy can actually sing! He played the acoustic version of one of his older tracks with a guitar on his lap and he ripped it! At that point I began to wonder how and why I had been sleeping on this kat for so long.

Erykah Badu is a seasoned veteran at the live concert game. This was actually the second time that I have seen Erykah live, and her performances seem effortless, but always entertaining! Forget lip gloss, Erykah had the afro wig poppin’ for real! Not only is she sexy, but she understands her audience very well. She knows what to do and when to do it! A lot of folks don’t know that Erykah had aspirations of being a rapper before her singing career took off, so whenever Ms. Badu gets the chance to spit a rhyme she will. During the performance of one of my top 5 Erykah Badu tracks “Back in the Day (Puff),” she cleverly incorporated classic rap lyrics from legends like Slick Rick and LL Cool J without missing a beat. A masterful performance no doubt, but from a class act like Erykah Badu I expected nothing less. Lyfe Jennings was the sleeper surprise of the night though! I didn’t think he had it in him, but he had us all on our feet cheering before he left the stage. I hardly ever do the standing ovation thing at concerts because it’s rarely deserved, so if I got up to applaud Lyfe he must have been pretty good! It was nice to leave a concert with a feeling a satisfaction instead of the nasty taste of disappointment that I normally have when I leave one…

Since, we are on live performances...have you seen this one yet? Why Jay Leno played my dude Dwele like just another background singer I'll never know?

Common ft. Dwele - The People Live on Tonight Show

CLIPS OF THE WEEK!

Before I saw this recent episode of MTV Cribs, I thought that the Birdman a.k.a Baby (Rapper/CEO of Cash Money Records) held the title for the most embarrassing black moment on the show, but I think Floyd Mayweather (boxer) has taken the title? Now, I totally understand what Rick James (played by David Chapelle) meant when he said the statement "They should have never given you ninjas money!" When I find the original MTV Cribs Birdman clip on the web, I'll post that one as well. These two dudes have a natural ability when it comes to bragging about how much money they have wasted, and it can only be described as brilliant! See for yourselves....

If any of you ever become rich, these are examples of what NOT to do!

Floyd Mayweather on MTV Cribs


Birdman on MTV Cribs (Flashback Whips Edition)

SAMPLES, SAMPLES & MORE SAMPLES!
Personally, I enjoy listening to the classic records from year’s past. I am a music collector, so it’s always interesting to hear what producer is going to flip one of my favorite old school soul records into a hot beat. It’s amazing how some records have been actually torn apart by several producers, looped and flipped to create a whole new production sound. The late soul singer James Brown had most of his records raped and pillaged by just about every producer over the years without any compensation in most cases. Mr. Brown was not only the undisputed King of Soul, but he was also considered the King of the Hip-Hop Samples as well. With several advancements in technology over the years, music sampling has become a lot easier and harder to detect without a trained ear. Most producers take several small samples from several different songs to make one beat. With the proper overlapping, looping and skewing of these various sounds, the beats are normally seamless. When the sampling process is done well, even the original artists themselves can’t recognize their own music. This sometimes saves the new school producer from having to get a sample clearance and/or pay the old school artist(s) for the use of their music. Not every producer is so lucky though, because many of them do get caught and sued by the artists or record company for the illegal use of a sample. Back in the day when a song was found using an illegal sample it immediately pulled and never released, but the wonderful Internet has even changed that as well. In the new millennium those types of illegal records are just leaked to the public, so everyone loses except the fans of course!

If you enjoy figuring out who sampled what, then you are in for a treat today! I have provided you with not ONE, but THREE mixes of original samples for you to explore! The first is my third installment of the “SoundNexx Sample This Lessons 3” series I started a while ago. The second mix is by 9th Wonder (Justus League) and the third is by Questlove (The Roots) who has a massive vinyl collection by the way. I have posted this Questlove joint before, but it’s worth posting again! So, make sure you get all three mixes, so you can get your full overdose of original samples used in some of your favorite new school rap and soul tracks. Listen carefully and hear the track that used these samples!

Get these three mixes while you can folks!

SOUNDNEXX SAMPLE THIS LESSON 3 MIXX HERE!

9TH WONDER SAMPLE MIX (VOL 1) HERE!

QUESTLOVE SAMPLE MIX HERE!

JILL SCOTT HAS THE REAL THING!
In 2007, there are not too many mainstream type singers left that I actually gets my adrenaline going when it comes to them releasing some new material, but Jill Scott is one that does! Jill has everything that I like in a soul singer...beauty, personality, true talent and artistic integrity. I have actually enjoyed all of Jill's music since her first album, and she hasn't missed a beat yet in my opinion. It has been a minute since Jill Scott's last album, but on September 25, 2007 she will be releasing her third solo joint called "The Real Thing (Words and Music Volume 3)" for all to hear. If you have been coming to SoundNexx for any length of time, then you should've already heard the first single off Jill's new album "Hate on Me." Good stuff no doubt, but if you're like me you want to hear more of the new album, right? Well, you're in luck, because Jill Scott and Hidden Beach Records are offering fans an opportunity to hear and download portions of the album for FREE! Of course you won't be able download the whole album, but something is better than nothing. I don't know how long this preview will be available, so get it while you can.

GET NEW JILL SCOTT MUSIC HERE!

Jill Scott - Ain't a Ceiling (Def Poetry)


HOLLA AT JILLY SCOTTINGDALE HERE:

www.myspace.com/whoisjillscott

WAAJEED IS RAGING A MUSICAL WAR!
Robert O’Bryant a.k.a Waajeed is a deejay/producer representing that Detroit flavor who just also happens to be the founding member of the Platinum Pied Pipers. What I appreciate most about Waajeed is his taste in music and his humble type attitude. I have conversed with this dude on a few occasions throughout his career, and he’s always been very approachable when it comes to his fans. He’s the kind of person that will actually sit down and exchange a little verbiage with you after a gig, especially when the subject is about music. Sadly, there are plenty of artists that seem to have no time to share a moment with their fans, so when I meet the ones that do it without a problem I try to acknowledge them. Waajeed has been in the music game for a minute and unbeknownst to most, he has been working behind the scenes with some of Detroit’s finest artists. For example, Waajeed executive produced Dwele’s first underground album “Rize,” deejayed for the original Slum Village group and worked very closely with J Dilla on several early musical projects over the years. He also developed his own record label Bling 47, where several local Detroit artists call home. The best thing about being on Bling is that you have total musical freedom as an artist. Most artists signed to a record label never get to reach their full potential when it comes to having total artistic freedom, but folks at Bling 47 seem to encourage it. When you hear the music coming out of that camp from artists like J Dilla, Invincible MC, Tiombe Lockhart and Ta’raach, you realize that these folks enjoy pushing the musical envelope.

Now, the Bling Leader himself has a new musical project out called “The War LP!” Waajeed was originally asked by Ubiquity Records to put together a compilation of old and unreleased material showcasing the Bling 47 artists. Due to some personal issues in his life and the loss of his good friend J Dilla, Waajeed decided to create a new musical project instead of releasing rehashed material. I am happy that he did that as well, because it’s albums like these that keep me interested in music. I actually held off doing this post so that I could totally absorb what this record was all about. If I had to choose one word to describe this album it was have to be AGGRESSIVE. The beats and the lyrical content are very hard hitting, and they both make you pay attention to the underlying messages embedded throughout. If you are looking for that Platinum Pied Piper’s type vibe on The War LP, forget about it. The War has a darker feel to it musically. This album is about raging war on the machines in this country. The War LP touches on the controversial subjects of politics, poverty and of course war. It’s nice to listen to an album that actually has some substance to it for a change. Outside of all the hidden messages throughout the album, Waajeed showcases his abilities as a hot beat maker as well. There are several instrumentals from Waajeed himself and the legendary Jay Dee throughout the album as well to keep things balanced. If you are looking for a change of pace in your music listening and you don’t mind straying from the hot garbage that has been accepted in 2007, take a listen to The War LP! If you’re not a very open minded music listener by nature, don’t expect to fall in love with this album on the first listen. It will probably take a few listens before it all starts to make sense?

Here's a clip where Waajeed talks about his start in the business:

Waajeed behind the scenes on DAP


Checkout more on Waajeed and Bling 47 here:

www.bling47.com

www.myspace.com/waajeedandthebling47group

FLOETRY FANS, MEET A. DIVA!
As a true music fan, the worst news you can ever hear other than hearing that one of your favorite artists has died is that a group you enjoy has broken up (A Tribe, Slum Village, Menudo)! I have suffered through those musical heartaches more than I can remember, and it never gets any better. Well, for those that haven’t heard already, the duo super group from London, England that we’ve all known as Floetry have called it quits! Yep, Marsha “The Songstress” Ambrosius and Natalie “Floacist” Stewart have parted ways under less than favorable terms. Rumor has it that the two had a terrible falling out during their last concert tour, which lasted over 8 months. The issues that came about during that time were never resolved, which put a definite strain on their personal and professional relationship. This strain led to their unfortunate break up with Natalie leaving the group behind for a solo venture. Marsha has retained the Floetry brand and now she has recruited a new addition to the group Amanda Diva. Even though I enjoyed Natalie’s contributions to group over the years, I think Amanda Diva is a great addition to the Floetry Remixed sound.

Most of you may not recognize Amanda Diva’s name, but her face may seem familiar to you? Amanda is a respectable writer, singer & emcee hailing from New York. What I like about her the most is that she’s seems to live in the hip-hop world. Her swagger, lingo and aura just seem to ooze that hip-hop flavor. If you’re rich enough to have HBO, you may have seen the raspy voiced Amanda dropping much knowledge through her poetry on the Russell Simmon’s HBO Def Poetry television show a few times between 2002 and 2005? Personally, I am familiar with her from her short stint on MTV2 doing the hip-hop news and special reports, basically like what Sway does on the original MTV station. Amanda is definitely easy on the eyes, so I normally paid attention to her commentary on MTV2 like any heterosexual male would? Outside of all that, she’s also a member of the DJ crew called the Aphilliates, who just happen to have a very popular morning hip-hop show on called “Breakfast at Divas” on Sirius Satellite Radio. She also does a little writing for XXL Magazine and Allhiphop.com to make her hip-hop endeavors complete.

Did I mention that she’s a pretty nice emcee as well? She released a mixtape back in 2004 called “It’s Bigger than Hip-Hop, The Mixtape: Vol. 1,” which I still haven’t heard in full just yet. I have heard several tracks from it though, and I like what I hear. This young lady definitely has some skills, which I hope will take Floetry to that next level? Amanda is currently working on her new EP “Filling the Void” that is rumored to be a new and refreshing spin on hip-hop? Maybe, she can fill the void of the missing Lauryn Hill??? We shall see…

Get more familiar Ms. Diva by checking out these clips of her diversity as an artist:

Amanda - 40 MCs feat. Q-Tip

Amanda & Questlove live @ Black Lily

Amanda Diva - Hot Sh*t (Def Poetry - Explicit)

Checkout Amanda Diva's web sites here:

www.amandadiva.com

www.myspace.com/amandadiva

Also, show some luv to Marsha as well here:

www.myspace.com/marshaambrosius

SOUNDNEXX FORGOTTEN ARTISTZ RE-MIXX
Recently, I came across a mixx I put together some time ago, and it got me thinking. There have been so many solid artists (at least I thought so anyway) whose musical careers have been toilet bound over the last few years. Some seem like they were heading in the right direction in the beginning, but eventually fizzled out? In most cases these artists disappeared without a trace leaving their fans confused about what happened. In most cases the fans never get a full explanation about why some of their favorite artists stop making music, but is that really necessary? No matter what the reasoning is for why they’ve stopped, the reality is that they’re not planning on making anymore music, which sucks! It sucks even more when the artists only have one or two albums before they give up on their careers. That leaves fans hitting the rewind button forever on old material with no hopes of getting something new. Research has revealed that the reasons most of the artists that stop their careers abruptly is because of personal life issues and/or bad record deals. Before I forget, I’d like to personally thank Puff Dummy a.k.a Diddy for ruining plenty of my favorite artists’ careers over the years!

One of my favorite female artists that left me high and dry from the 90s era is Monifah. I had hopes and dreams for this talented young lady. She began her career working with Heavy D, but eventually they parted ways. It seemed like when that happened her career took a nose dive, and then she vanished. The saddest part about her leaving the game is that she had the whole package: the voice, the vocals and the look. Another female artist that showed up in the back of a milk carton real quick was Mona Lisa. Most probably don’t even remember Mona, but she came from the Monica, Brandy and Aaliyah generation of young female singers. She had a couple solid singles to start things off, but after she released her first solo album “11-20-79” in 1996 her career was a wrap. B Angie B (MC Hammer's background singer) never seemed to get her foot all the way in the door as a solo artist. It seemed like she couldn’t get from under the shadow of Hammer even when she released a solo album some years a later. I still visit all of their musical grave sights every so often to pay my respect.

Let’s shift gears from the female solo artists to the female R&B groups for a minute. I would have to say that Total is definitely one of favorite ghetto urban female groups of all time. I liked how these ladies kept that tough girl swagger about them, but they knew how to be sexy and they could actually sing! They were the one of the best at flipping the most rugged hip-hop beats into something real smooth with their sexually driven vocals. I was shocked by their abrupt disappearance, but when you are signed to Bad Boy Records that is to be expected. Then you have the ladies of Xscape that still hold the trophy for the Least Attractive Group of the 90s Award just above the runner ups SWV. Even though they ranked low on the good looks meter, these women could actually sing in harmony at the drop of a hat. They definitely had plenty catchy hits during their run, but due to internal turmoil they disbanded. Kandi Burruss left the group and tried her hands at a solo career that failed miserably. I did hear a mediocre comeback track in 2003 from the new version of Xscape that included a new addition to the group, but I haven’t heard from them since.

I know when the subject of male R&B solo artists that have come up missing, the first two names that come to mind for most are Maxwell and D’Angelo for obvious reasons, bet let’s go back further into time. How many of you folks remember Christopher Williams? This dude stunk as an actor, but he was untouchable as a singer. Other than Al B. Sure, Christopher was the main reason why light skinned dudes were in back in the 90s? I thought with a voice like his, he’d be around forever, but I was totally wrong. He did pop back up in 2001 with his forgettable independent release “Real Men Do,” but by that time he had been long forgotten. Speaking of forgotten, who remembers Horace Brown a.k.a Mr. One4TheMoney himself? He was to the 90’s what the artist Tank is today. Both rarely have on a shirt and they both can truly sing. Horace was another artist that I thought would have a few solid albums under his belt by now, but again he did the David Copperfield on us too. I can go on and on naming the artists and groups that have vanished over the years, but I’ll stop here for now. I’ll let the music tell you the rest of the story.

The mixx I present you today is an oldie, but goodie! It’s showcasing remixed versions of songs from the artists mentioned above and a few others that weren’t. I call it “ForgottenArtistzRe-Mixx.” It’s definitely on that 1990s vibe, so if you enjoy music from the era this mixx is for you! The mixx track listing is coming soon, so until then enjoy this audio journey down memory lane.

FORGOTTEN ARTISTZ RE-MIXX TRACKZ:
01-Craig Mack ft. Q-Tip - Get Down (Remix)
02-Rotten Raskalz - Alright (Remix)
03-Angie B - My Life (Eric B Remix)
04-Horace Brown ft. Fabolous - One For The Money (Remix)
05-Nuttin Nyce - In My Nature (Dem Boyz Remix)
06-Total - No One Else (Remix)
07-Xscape ft. King Just - Do You Want To (Remix)
08-Mona Lisa - Wasting My Time (Remix)
09-Sweet Sable - Old Times Sake (Remix)
10-Mista - Blackberry Molassas (ATL Remix)
11-Joya - Gettin' Off On You (Eddie F Remix)
12-Monifah ft. McGruff - I Miss You (Hip-Hop Remix)
13-Craig David ft. Mos Def - 7 Days (Remix)
14-Vanessa Williams - The Way That You Love Me (Remix)
15-Tevin Campbell - Back To The World (Remix)
16-Next - Too Close (Hoppers Extended Remix)
17-Christopher Williams - Every Little Thing You Do (Hip-Hop Remix)

GET THE 4GOTTEN ARTISTZ HERE!

SOUNDNEXX RHYTHMATIK SENSATIONZ MIXX!
One of the most diverse producers in the music game right now is none other than the lead Black Eye Pea himself, William James Adams, Jr. a.k.a will.i.am. I still remember the first time I saw the Black Eye Peas’ video for “Joints & Jam” back in 1998. At first I thought they were a fake ass Pharcyde, but I realized that these dudes were on a different vibe. Their whole vibe and style was on some retro/b-boy/break dancing type stuff that definitely worked well for them. Most folks never knew that BEP was hip-hop dance group before they ever started rapping. So, I expected big things from this group, and I was pretty happy with their previous releases until Fergie joined the group! Suddenly, they seemed to have left their hip-hop roots behind for pop radio theme music. I know it’s not all Fergie’s fault for this musical shift though. It was obvious that the group was trying to make some new musical opportunities for themselves by reaching a broader audience. Throughout the early days of the Black Eye Peas’ movement, will.i.am handled the majority of their production. Impressively, he continued producing for the group when they crossed over into the pop side. That showed me that will.i.ma has diversity as a producer, which plenty of other producers lack in my opinion.

Now, I don’t want to sound like I have hated every song BEP has released since Fergie joined the group, because that’s not true. Shamefully, even some of the bubblegum type records have brainwashed my attention at times over the years. I am only human! I just don’t like as many of the BEP tracks as I did in the past. Outside of working with BEP, will.i.am has been producing for just about everybody that’s anybody in music, such as: Talib Kweli, Nas, Game, Chrisette Michele, Rihanna, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, etc. Will is definitely one of the hottest producers making beats right now, even though the masses never really give him his props! Most folks just totally overlooked his two solo joints “Lost Change” and “Must Be 21,” but hopefully with his upcoming third solo release “Songs About Girls” people will begin to take notice? Just because the dude dresses like your great grandfather on most days doesn’t mean that he can’t make a hot beat, so stop going beddy-bye on this dude…

Okay, it’s mixx time again snitchez. I’m calling this voyage of uptempo soulfulness the “Rhythmatik Sensationz Mixx!” This mixx is dedicated to keeping your head bobbin’, so don’t be fooled by the melodramatic intro. Since, the topic of the day is will.i.am, I have infused a few of his tracks that I like into this mix as well. I also added a little Dwele, J*Davey, Yummy, Common, Donnell Jones, Lauryn Hill and Davina to keep things balanced.

RHYTHMATIK SENSATIONZ TRACK LISTING:

01~Hezekiah - Hurry Up & Wait Intro
02~Pharoahe Monch ft. Dwele - Trilogy Pt. 2
03~J*Davey - Slooow
04~Chrisette Michelle ft. will.i.am - Be Ok
05~Tamia ft. Mario Winans - Mr. Cool
06~Yummy Bingham - One More Chance
07~Talib Kweli ft. will.i.am - Hot Thing
08~Donnell Jones - Feelin' You
09~Dwele - Dance With Me
10~Sergio Mendez ft. Q-Tip & will.i.am - The Frog
11~Fyza - Holla
12~Davina - Let's Stay Together
13~L-Boogie ft. Pain & Live - All My Time
14~Jeff Hendrick - Old School Party
15~Ryan Leslie - Worth The Fight
16~Raheem DeVaughn - Closer (Got Rhythm Remix)
17~Black Eyed Peas - Feel It (Jazzy Jeff Remix)
18~Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
19~Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
20~Common - Go (Remix)

Black Eye Peas - Joints & Jam (Video)

GET THOSE RHYTHMATIK SENSATIONZ HERE!

DEELISHUS - RUMPSHAKER!

Now, ya'll know that I am about supporting my Detroit brothers and sisters that are on the come up, so here's Deelishus from the "Flavor of Love" reality shows doing her thang! Now, this is what I call natural talent! The girl is going places I tell you....

TRAGEDY: THE INTELLIGENT HOODLUM!
As the hip-hop genre seems to be pulling further away from its roots every year, sometimes I have to go back an reflect on some of the classic albums of the past to reminisce a little. When I normally read lists of classic albums of the 90s, Tragedy Khadafi’s “Intelligent Hoodlum” album rarely makes the list for some reason? Personally, this joint was one of my favorites from the Golden Era. The accuracy and political power of Tragedy’s lyrics on this album were undeniable, so the real hip-hop fans took notice immediately. This was back in the day when certain rappers pushed their freedom of speech rights to the edge. Songs like “No Justice, No Peace” and “Arrest the President” were very straight forward in their content! I wish more rappers today would express those kinds of messages instead of the regurgitated non-sense that seems more comfortable for them. The legendary producer Marley Marl handled the production on the Hoodlum album, so it was even harder to deny! Remember, Marley Marl was a production guru when the Pete Rocks, DJ Premiers and Jay Dees were just stains on the sheets! One of my favorite things about the Hoodlum album is the fact that Tragedy was able to remain politically conscious without being too preachy. Plus, he also kept his street edge throughout this project, which is the basis of the album’s title. This album still gets put back into my music rotation from time to time, which says a lot!

If you have slept on the “Intelligent Hoodlum” album up to this point, I would suggest that you put your ears on it. No, it’s not as groundbreaking in 2007 as it was back in 1990, but it’s still a solid album. If you care at all, this album was re-released as a double album CD with another dope Tragedy project called “Saga of a Hoodlum” that I like a lot as well. Two solid albums for the price of one is a great deal actually. Tragedy Khadafi has released several albums over his lengthy career, so check for him when you get a minute. Other than probably O.C. (rapper), I feel that Tragedy is one of the most slept on East Coast emcees of our time. Maybe one day they’ll actually get their just due?

Let's flashback to a couple of old Tragedy videos:

Tragedy Khadafi - Grand Groove

Tragedy Khadafi - Street Life

THEY'RE COMING ON 9/25/07!!!!























All you fake rappers...BE AFRAID...BE VERY AFRAID...snitchez!!

ALBUM TRACK LISTING:
1. Sirens feat. Carlitta Durand (angry song with a creepy chorus)
2. Can’t Win For Losing (neckbreaking song with weird meter change)
3. Breakin My Heart feat. Lil Wayne (song that will make core fanbase gasp in disbelief)
4. Good Clothes (produced by the Bad Ass Filipino)
5. After The Party feat. Carlitta Durand (song that features the same person who was on the first song)
6. ExtraHard (song to ride out to)
7. Step It Up feat. Dion (song that your girl will love)
8. Two Step Blues feat. Darien Brockington (song produced by the same person who produced the song that introduced you to the person on songs 1 and 5)
9. That Ain’t Love feat. Jozeemo (bittersweet song)
10. Dreams (tearjerking song)
11. When Everything Is New (the last song)

LAURYN HILL: IS SHE WASHED UP??
You would have to be a deaf mute to not know that Lauryn Hill was a true talent back in the day. If you have ever heard this lady rap and sing it’s hard to deny that she definitely had a special gift. Even though The Fugees was a rap group, it’s obvious that Lauryn Hill was the real star of the trio. That became even clearer when she released the solo project “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." That album changed the game and made Lauryn Hill a megastar. As her loyal fans were cheering for more, Lauryn disappeared from the spotlight like a thief in the night. She left her fans hopelessly waiting for her return. After several months pasted by without a word from Lauryn, rumors began to spread that she was going through a deep depression that may be linked to drug abuse? Her personal life had been turned upside down from rumors of infidelity in her intimate relationship, which supposedly led her to join a religious cult of some sort? She had basically alienated most of the friends and family from her life, including the other Fugee group members Pras and Wyclef Jean. Like me, most fans felt sorry for Lauryn during that time. We all hoped things would get better for her while we remained patient as she got tried to put her life back together.

Needless to say that her fans have been waiting for several years now for Lauryn to get her effin’ life together, but it seems to be getting worse rather than better? Lauryn’s first return that I personally witnessed was when she performed live on MTV’s Unplugged. Even though she was looking pretty tainted, I was curious to hear what she had to say in her music. I will admit that I was a little taken back by some of her melodramatic lyrics at first, but it wasn’t all bad actually. Then it happened! She broke down into tears in the middle of one the songs like a little school girl that had her lunch money stolen. I was stunned and confused at that same time? It was obvious that she still had a lot of issues on in her life that needed to be worked out. Over the next several months I began hearing news about how Lauryn was literally acting like a diva like asshole at several live events where her fans had paid good money to see her perform. I’m talking about showing up extra late for shows, cursing at audience members and walking off of the stage in the middle a performance while in a fit of rage! I tried to positively rationalize those situations as well, giving Lauryn the benefit of the doubt that maybe the media was blowing things out of proportion? The next time I saw Lauryn Hill was on the 200? BET Music Award Show where she performed with Wyclef and Pras in a Fugees reunion type vibe. I was pleased to see Lauryn as fragment ofher former self, but it was obvious that she had lost a small step vocally? I didn’t even care though because I was happy to see Lauryn back in stride again with a potential Fugees reunion album on the horizon?

Earlier this year I had been hearing even more negative rumors about Lauryn Hill acting bizarre at various live shows, leaving fans angered and disappointed. Actually, I am becoming angered too dammit! I am getting pretty tired of her shenanigans! I just heard yesterday that Ms. Hill has been accused of acting diva-ish by demanding that the staff at her live venues look away when she enters and exits the room. No one is allowed to look her directly in the face at anytime! What kind of ghetto royal mess is that? On top of that, today I just read where Pras is confirming the once planned Fugees reunion album project has been scrapped for good. Can you guess why? Of course Lauryn is the reason. Here’s a quote from Pras…”Me and WyClef, we are on the same page, but Lauryn is in her zone and I'm fed-up with that sh*t!” Pras ended his rant by saying "Here Lauryn is blessed with a gift with the opportunity to rock and give and she's running on some bullsh*t? I'm a fan of Lauryn's, but I can't respect that." After reading that statement from Pras, my Lauryn Hill pitty party is officially over people! She obviously doesn’t care about her fans anymore, so why should I keep caring about her? I’ll just continue playing my old Lauryn Hill material from yester-year like I’ve been doing, but I have officially uncrossed my fingers in hope that she will ever get back to her old self again. If that new song Lauryn has on the animated “Surf’s Up” movie soundtrack is the best that she has to offer up in 2007, I think we are headed for a world of disappointment? I don't hate the track, but I don't love it either. Is Lauryn Hill washed up as an artist in 2007, and we are all just in rebellious denial? Truth be told though, if Ms. Hill released a new album tomorrow, I would be right there buying it like the rest of the world, but until that day arrives I will remain BITTER…

Lauryn Hill - Lose Myself (Music Video)

SOUL CLASSIC: Cherelle - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On

Kneegrow History Fack: After falling in total jungle love on the set of this wonderful video, Cherelle and the big Gorilla dated for about a year before she kicked him to the curb for your favorite baby's daddy Alexander O'Neal. Thus spawned the classic tune "Saturday Love" by the couple, which was due to the fact that their first official date was on a Saturday evening. After the break-up with Cherelle the big Gorilla was devastated, so he tried to commit suicide by jumping off of a six story apartment building. Since, the Gorilla is 60 feet tall he was unable to kill himself, but he did manage to severely sprain his ankle after falling on top of a parked car located in front of the building. He was later prosecuted by the vehicle's owner and found guilty of reckless automotive endangerment with intent to kill. Come to find out that the Gorilla also had a warrant for his arrest out in California for stealing two cartons of bananas from a local fruit market. What a damn shame!

Even with a press & curl, Cherelle is still one hot chic!!

THE DIRTY MITTEN HIP-HOP MIXX!
For all of you non-Detroiters and Michiganders, let me briefly break down the term “Dirty Mitten” real quick. The word “Dirty” represents the underbelly and street side of Detroit City. Sadly, the Detroit has been linked with plenty of negative statistics and imagery over the years, but the reality is things were never as bad as they were presented. Truth be told though, like any other major urban city in this country there is plenty of dirt being done by just about everybody from the local politicians to the average bum on the street. The word “Mitten” is normally used to describe Michigan due to this state’s shape. If you’ve ever looked at Michigan on a map, it actually looks like a mitten. Even though Lansing is the capital of Michigan, most outsiders think that Detroit is capital for obvious reasons. The reality is that Detroit is the backbone of this state, so when we do well the state does well, and vice versa. Outside of all the things that Detroit is known for, the two major factors are automobiles and music. While the automotive industry has somewhat diminished over the years, the music scene has remained pretty consistent. No, it’s nothing like the boom of the Motown era, but the city is still developing plenty of local talents everyday.

Today, I have decided to shine some light on some my favorite underground hip-hop artists that rep Detroit pretty hard! There are several independent rap crews around the city that release plenty of underground material to keep their local fans happy, but that’s about as far as it goes in most cases? A lot of these local artists have become ghetto celebrities to many of the teenagers around the city, which has plenty of them believing that they have true talent when they really don’t! Every once and awhile though, there is a local artist that makes me take notice to the point where I am anticipating an album release. For example, I am big fans of up and coming emcees like Guilty Simpson, Finale and definitely one of my favorite female emcees period…MC Invincible (shown in the pic on the left)! While a lot of the female rappers these days have chosen to use sexually charged imagery and rhyme patterns, Invincible is a rebel that has put her thongs on the shelf for a crisp pair of Timberlands and some baggy jeans. Can you say B-Girl? Don’t let her short hairstyle and clothing fool you, because she’s all woman! She reminds me of some of my other favorite female rappers like Antoinette, MC Lyte, Sweet Tee, Bahamadia, Apani B Fly and Jean Grae. I like the type of female rappers that keep it rugged rather than raunchy. Invincible has been putting in work for some years now, but I first heard her rhyme on underground classic mixtape “Last Warning” back in 2004. She’s also a member of the Anomolies Crew, which is a 5 woman crew of emcees and producers that are trying to bring that lyrical boom-bap back. MC Invincible has worked very close with the producer Waajeed of the Platinum Pied Pipers as well. Her long-awaited solo album “Shapeshifters” will hopefully be dropping by the end of the year?

For your listening pleasure I have put together a Detroit rapper based compilation mixx I titled "The Dirty Mitten Mixx" that showcases several rap artists that are reppin' Detroit. It's a mixture of old and newer material. There are a few recognizable names and voices throughout this mixx, but most of these katz are basically locals on the come up. Since, MC Invincible is the hot topic of today's post, I have included 6 tracks in this mixx to get you folks familiar with what she's about. This mixx is very diverse in its subject matter, so prepare yourselves. Detroit is known for having pimps, players and hustlers, and some of the included tracks will reflect those types of images. Put your ears on this mixx and indulge in some real Detroit hip-hop flavor.

Get more information about MC Invincible at these sites:

www.myspace.com/invincilana

www.myspace.com/anomolies

www.bling47.com/

Dirty Mitten Mixx Track Listing:

01=Guilty Simpson - For The D
02=Ill Manored - Gorilla Pimpin'
03=Bareda ft. Mr.Wrong - I'm From Detroit
04=Illa J - Hot
05=Royce Da 5'9 - Royce Is Like
06=Waajeed ft. Invincible - Place Where We Dwell
07=Invincible - No Compromises
08=Grooveman Spot ft. Invincible - Who's This?
09=Waajeed ft. Invincible - Pick Your Poison
10=Buff1 ft. Invincible & Guilty Simpson - Supreme
11=Dabrye ft. Invincible & Finale - Viewer Discretion
12=Finale - Detroit Sh*t
13=Elzhi - Boomerang Slang
14=Blade Icewood ft. G~Rock & O~Dolla - Boy Would U (Remix)
15=Stretch Money - Takes Money To Make Money
16=Black Milk ft. Phat Kat - Lookatusnow
17=Frank-N-Dank - MCA
18=Ta'Raach - I Name (E.G.I.G)
19=T3 ft. Elzhi - Yawl
20=K-Doe ft. Juan & Royce Da 5'9 - The 4 The 5
21=Illa J - New Sh*t
22=Elzhi - Over Wit

Check this Invincible clip out too:



GET YOUR MITTENS DIRTY HERE!