EVOLUTION OF FREESTYLE BATTLIN'!
I'll battle you for respect/I'll battle you over the Net/I'll battle you for a blank check/I'll battle you with a gun to my neck/I'll battle over the toilet with my d*ck out/Drinking Gennestout/Doing a 360 spin out..... spit by Canibus!

Freestyle battles are the essence of hiphop to me. I haven't really gotten my fill of battle raps over the last few years, due to the lack of real talented MCs in the new millenium. I even watch "Freestyle Fridays" on the BET show 106 & Park to get a little battle flava, but most of them katz are lousy. The battles are a little to short with only 30 seconds to spit as well! How much pre-written punchlines can you say in 30 seconds anyway?

Recently, I found an addictive website that I frequent a lot called YouTube (www.youtube.com), which has pretty much anything you want to see when it comes to professional and amateur video clips. A lot of the stuff floating around on the site is crap, but with a little searching you can find some gems like the ones I have brought you today! You can thank me later....

Since, I am in a hiphop mood today, I decided to cycle through several video clips of cyber mess to find you these hot gemz I have linked below! Most of these clips are from the "Smack DVD" series, which is definitely on that raw & grimey underground hiphop! That's the appeal actually! Most of the battles featured on Smack have some type of wager (up to $10,000) involved for winning, so this batch of mostly unknown MCs are very serious when they spit! Some of them have clever wordplay, but it's most explicit gun talk about killing everybody but your babysitter's great grandmother! I gather the harsh words are used as an intimidation factor, but some of these guys try to come off like they are Sylvestor Stallon in "Rambo: First Blood" or something?? These are the most gun happy, drug selling, expensive car driving, diamond chain wearing, no deal having rappers I have ever heard in my life...LOL!! I did find myself laughing out loud a few times though..... Some of these katz are clever, so these clips are definitely worth watching!

Some of these dudes are popular on the mixtape circuit, but since I don't get much of those I have never really heard these katz spit. One of the most impressive MCs I heard watching these battles was this dude Jae Millz! He's a lyrical problem for real....

Aiight, get to it! Some of these clips are pretty long, so it may take you a minute to get all of these in? For all you hiphop headz out there, make sure you check these out! For all you sensative, I don't listen to explicit lyrics, don't you have any Young MC albums type folks need to pass these up!! These are for the serious headz only.......

Papoose Freestyle

Jae Millz vs. Murda Mook

Ness vs. Paper Chase

Jin vs. Verse

X-Factor vs. Nymesys (Round 1)

X-Factor vs. Nymesys (Round 2)

T-Rex vs. Young Miles (Round 1)

T-Rex vs. Young Miles (Round 2)

T-Rex vs. Young Miles (Round 3)

Jae Millz vs. Sire Castro

THE CLASSIK JAZZ SESSION 2: HIPHOP INFLUENCED!
In The Classik Jazz Session 1, I put together a mix of some of my favorite standard and contemporary jazz classics that I felt everyone should hear. There is so much great jazz in the world that it's hard to narrow the songs down to fit into one mix, so that's why I am doing a series of mixes dedicated to jazz music. Jazz has influenced most other forms of music, but one genre that has gained the most from jazz in my opinion is hiphop! From horn samples to guitar riffs, hiphop producers have taken some of the most distinctive jazz sounds and created some classic beats. Due to the competitive nature of making beats, producers rarely share their information about the artists or songs they've sampled. One of the most famous hiphop producers known for his jazzy horn samples is "The Chocolate Boy Wonder," Pete Rock! He is definitely one of the pioneers of the jazz sampled hiphop beat. Another one of the great jazz samplers is DJ Premier of Gang Starr fame! Primo and Guru took the hiphop world by storm by paying homage to several jazz greats on the track titled, "Jazz Music" off of their debut album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" back in 1989! Groups like the Roots took it to the next level by developing their hiphop sound with live instrumentation from their own band that provided MCs Dice Raw and Black Thought the perfect backdrop to spit that lyrical venom.

Some of the younger jazz musicians quickly realized that there was successful opportunity in incorporating hiphop with jazz. Since most of them grew up listening to hiphop, it seemed like a perfect fit. The first time I heard a song that was based on hiphop jazz was in 1993 by my man J. Spencer with a song called, "Hot Pants!" This single was featured on his infamous album debut, "Chimera." Spencer featured unknown rappers that blessed this track, while he played the horn! Definitely one of my favorite jazz records. It seemed like after that track did its thing, all of the jazz musicians were sharing space on their records with rappers? Some of it was good, and some of it wasn't! In the later years, some jazz musicians have tried their hand with hiphop by jazzilizing classic hiphop records, which has spawned compilations like "Hidden Beach Recordings Presents: Unwrapped Volumes 1-4," "Def Jazz," and "Streetwise Does Dre!" DJs like DJ Smash (shown in the picture above) was known for his jazzy hiphop breakbeat albums that were used to rock clubs all around the world. He never really got his just due in the states, but he is no doubt one of the pioneers of this b-bop jazz sound. If you like the hiphop feel without the actual vocals, these albums are for you. Click the highlighted links above to find out mor information about these albums and DJ Smash. However you want to play it, hiphop & jazz is a marriage made in heaven!

For all of you folks that swear that you don't like jazz, check the sample of your favorite songs to be sure? When you are bobbing your head to that tune you like, believe that there is a jazz sample fused some where in there! Jazz is for the grown and sexy, or the young and ugly for that matter......

DOWNLOAD THE CLASSIK JAZZ SESSION 2: HIPHOP INFLUENCED MIX!

EAR TEST 3: EARGAZMIK MIXX!
It's about that time for the 3rd installment of the Ear Test Mixx Series! This one is an ear full of joy! I am still in the process of trying to destroy the evil that plagues the world called, "Urban Radio!" It's an impossible task, but I'm up for the challenge. Recently, I had a conversation with a partner of mines that had worked at one of the local radio stations out here in Detroit. This dude is a genuine music lover, and he had sincere hopes of making a musical difference by working in radio broadcasting. He quickly realized that today's radio is nothing more than a bunch of prescheduled and prepared playlists of TOP 40 mess! It has nothing to do with music actually, it's about the money! That's the sad truth! To make a long story short, there is really NO chance of hearing any true independent or underground music on the radio? When unknown artists send in free CDs or vinyl to the radio stations hoping to get some airtime, it goes into a storage (trash) bin where anyone can take it! Eventually, it ends up in the dumpster if no one grabs it, never to be heard on the air. Lots of quality stuff goes to waste.

Today's DJ (Disc Jockey) is nothing more than a sound board operator with a list of songs to play. He or she has no real say in what is played! There may be a few exceptions like Russ Parr, Tom Joyner & Steve Harvey, but it's still planned out! It not like they can just the feeling, pick up a Erykah Badu CD and play track 3? My partna even told me that he wrote scripts for some of the DJs at the station to read over the air as if they were coming up with this stuff on their own?? After talking with my man, it's needless to say that I became totally disgusted..... (Turn off that B.S.!!!)

Aiight...enuff on that! Let's get on to the mixx breakdown.

As usual I am all over the place with this one! Unlike my other mixes that are usually themed...the EAR TESTS are meant to be unorthodox. I try to pick songs that are mostly unheard by artists that are not well-known for these mixes. All dope cuts though in my personal opinion! I started this mix off with a nice D'Nell electronica cut called, "This Thing." To keep the vibe going I added a little Herb Alpert and Aya! The funk you feel in the middle is Jazzanova with "Coffee," Elluud on "Open Your Eyes" and Reggie Watts vibin' nicely on "Wanna Get!" I smooth it out near the end with tracks from Science Fiction, N'Dambi and some classic Sweetback! Erro brings it home, and I put a nice underground hiphop track to finally shut the door, and cut off the lights! I don't want you to get all caught up with the names of the artists and songs titles. Just get with the music! We can get to that other stuff later. Put your ears on this one for sure!

Before you download this dope mix, all you hiphop headz need to checkout this link from MTV.com releasing their Top 10 MCs! Also, they allowed certain artists like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim & Mary J. Blige to make a list of their Top MCs as well! An interesting read, no doubt! Is this accurate? Where is Bushwick Bill??

MTV's TOP 10 MCs!

DOWNLOAD THE "EAR TEST 3: EARGAZMIK MIXX!"

COSMIK SOUL: MALE VOICES OF OLD MIXX!
I used to do a series of mixes I called, "Cosmik Soul" back in the day, so I decided to bring them back starting with this one! My homegirls Sharnise a.k.a Shar Jones and Akua know what I am talking about!

Soul music has definitely changed over the last 30 years. I've had the luxury of being old enough to appreciate the old stuff, but still young enough to enjoy the new and sometimes innovative changes in the soul music of today. For me, nothing brings a smile to my face like some old school soul though! I don't care where I am, or what I am doing, when certain songs come on it just brings a smile to my face. Usually, it takes me back to a place in my mind when things were fun and free. The times before I had to work for my money, buy my own food and wash my own clothes! Maybe one of those times when I was a youngster outside at night playing my favorite game, "Catch A Girl, Get A Girl!" What fun that was!! Remember that Bernard???

Anyway, since Easter this weekend, I thought I would post a mix of a few of my favorite old school soul cuts sang by men. These katz are the ones I play when I want to here some good ole' soul music! They never let me down either. I may not be in the mood for rap, jazz, reggae, house or neo, but I am always in the mood this type of old school! There is a soulful richness that will never be duplicated again in my opinion. Folks a like Anthony Hamilton and Van Hunt bring the fire by today's standards, but they are really immulating these artists in their own way. I will provide a tracklist at a later date, but here are some of the artists that are represented in this mix: Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays, The Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, The Spinners, The Whispers, etc. Some of the songs I chose for this mix are not the most popular ones by them, but they are definitely classics in my ears!

Check it out and let me know what you think about these songs!

Download The Cosmik Soul: Male Voices of Old Mixx Here!

I also want to say R.I.P to my Detroit homey, Proof of D12!

TOO MUCH POSSE (CREW BATTLEZ VOL. 1) MIX!
What up peepz! I got a question for my tru-hiphop headz out there! How many of you have a copy of the not legendary Public Enemy album "Yo! Bum Rush The Show" in your possession right now? There is a cut on that album called, "Too Much Posse" that is actually one of my favorite P.E. records. For those that have this cassette or CD, put it in and checkout track No. 5! Classic material, no doubt! Anyone that has been sleepin' on the Public Enemy album or was just a stain on the sheets back then, do yourself a favor and check for it! That brings me to my next question: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRUE HIPHOP POSSE CUTS FROM BACK IN THE DAY?? Have they been removed from hiphop? I miss hearing a crew of true MCs just rippin' the mic reppin' their hood, label or team! It was an opportunity for any MC to put forth their best lines, and try to steal the show from the rest of the folks on the song! Remember, when you first heard Canibus steal the show from The Lost Boyz on "The Beasts From The East" track?? Canibus ripped that track apart at the end with some classic rewind material 4-Real!!! How about the verse from Busta Rhymes on the "Scenario" record? A star was born.....

A classic posse record comes in many shapes, sizes and forms. For example, a tight remix of a dope song can quickly become a history making event like the "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix) featuring: Craig Mack, LL Cool J, BIG, Busta Rhymes & Rampage! Can't front on that one! Another heavy hitter amongst posse cuts is Marley Marl's "The Symphony" featuring: Masta Ace, Kool G. Rap, Craig G & Big Daddy Kane. That's one of the dopest posse cuts ever made in my opinion. When katz get together on a track to rep their state, city, burrough or hood, it can be a major event as well like on the cut, "John Blaze" featuring: Fat Joe, Big Pun, Jada and Raekwon! I didn't see this collabo coming, so I was pleasantly pleased when it dropped back in 1998!

Now-a-days, it seems like these lack-luster examples of so-called rappers coming together and rippin' the mic are making my ears bleed! It doesn't seem genuine anymore? It seems to be a money skeem to get folks to buy records....I mean download them! The best we get these days is when G-Unit rhymes with Mobb Deep, or the Ying-Yang Twins, Lil' Jon & Bubba Sparks come together on a record ((yarn))? My hiphop taste budds need quenching! I could even go for a little of that old Master P, No Limit Soldier type southern posse funk from back in day! Where is Mia X, Fiend and Mystikal when need them dammit?? If I am missing out on some new school posse cut magic, PLEASE let me know!

Today, I bring you some of my favorite mainstream and underground posse cuts from over the last few years all in one mix for your pleasure. I listened to this mix for about a week straight when I first put it together, just because it was great to hear some of these MCs taking no prisoners on the mic back in the day! There are a few unknown underground cuts in this mix too, so keep your ears open. This is only Volume 1 of this mix series, so if you didn't hear your favorite crew or posse cut in this mix, don't fret! It will probably pop up in one of my upcoming mixes. It's impossible to fit all of these great songs into one mix, even though I actually tried......

As always, I am interested in your opinions about this topic! If you have something to express, feel free to drop me a quick line below! If not, just enjoy the mix, and tell a friend about what we are doing over here at SoundNexx!

DOWNLOAD "TOO MUCH POSSE (CREW BATTLEZ VOL. 1) MIX HERE!

HIP-HIP ALTERNATIVES FOR THE HEADZ!

It's hard being an hiphop head! The way the industry has changed over the last 20 years has made it difficult to support all of the movements that have come about? In my personal opinion, mainstream hiphop (rap music) has lost its way, and has become very cookie-cutter when it comes to image and style. Remember when being original and different was important? Now, it's about finding the next Nas, Tupac, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Notorious B.I.G! When it comes to the rap videos these days, Snoop Dogg said it best, "Everywhere I go, I see the same hoez!" Even the hiphop underground scene has become somewhat commercial and predictable, but there are a few exceptions! Here are two hiphop albums that I feel are very diverse and interesting!

The first is Murs & 9th Wonder's "Murray's Revenge" album. This is basically Murs (MC) from the underground hiphop group, "Living Legends" and 9th Wonder (Producer) of "Little Brother" fame. This is the second time these two artists have worked together, and it pretty much follows the same format at the first album. Murs is a great story teller from the West Coast, and 9th is the soul sampling producer from the South. I think that's what makes this union so special. Songs like "Barbershop" and "Yesterday, Today" remind me of when hiphop was fresh & fun! With only 10 tracks total, "Murray's Revenge" may seem a little short, but it actually has more than enough for average hiphop fan to be satisfied. Click on the album cover to hear some samples from this album.

Next is Edgar Allen Floe's "Floe Almighty" album! Edgar Allen Floe is one of the original members of the Justus League crew. Right after Little Brother put the Justus League on the map, I heard a couple of tracks from Edgar! One of his earliest cuts is "The Righteous Way To Go," which samples Glady's Knight's.. "The Making of You." That is actually one of my favorite 9th Wonder productions. This is Edgar Allen Floe's album debut. This kat is very lyrical and he has a Brand Nubian type of positivity in his lyrical messages. He puts me in the mind of a young Jeru The Damaja actually! "Floe Almighty" is a great album, if you are looking for some fun and positive hiphop! Two of my favorite cuts on this album are, "Changes" and "Livelyhood (Remix)!"

If you are looking for drug talk, rims, gangstaz & hizzos...miss these two albums!!