Remember that feeling Illmatic gave you when you first listened to it? It’s a feeling rarely felt again by hip hop listeners this day and age. While the album itself wasn’t as uplifting or bright and shiny as one would expect to get when getting this feeling (a la A Long Hot Summer, Connected), it reeked of true hip hop, and that alone, that essence of an album was always hard to come across. Enter Fashawn, a Cali native who certainly spits his heart out on every track. Tie him together with fellow Cali producer, Exile, and it is instant chemistry on Boy Meets World. Together, they evoke this feeling of real hip hop, true emotion, and genuine mannerisms through their craft.
It is a tough feat to be considered the “greatest” by any means in hip hop today. It is a term that gets applied to just about anyone and any song, really without any merit or valued source to this claim. However, Royce Da 5’9, based on his skill alone, has been able to develop a stable movement of opinions and statements asserting him as the best emcee of the last two years. Considering he hasn’t even dropped an album, the fact that this notion does indeed make perfect sense is somewhat scary (Check our Top 10 Emcees of 2008 list). So, when Street Hop was announced, hip hop minds everywhere were intrigued with the potential this album already held. Evidently only getting better, Royce took a step in defining his career as a complete emcee, since making a solid and cohesive LP had yet to be in his repertoire. Could Street Hop, which consisted of production from DJ Premier, Streetrunner, Emile, and Nottz (amongst others), be that next step to “completion” in Royce’s impressive career? Could it live up to the hype of the last 2 years of his undoubted reign on the mic?
When Eastern Philosophy dropped, heads began to turn in the direction of Apathy. For Ap, this must’ve been bittersweet considering that EP was seven years into his career and really his first official release. Moreover, Apathy was once a major label artist, inking with Atlantic, but then moving to the indie hip hop label, Babygrande. Starving for three years, Ap fans get what they’ve been waiting for in Wanna Snuggle? Producing all but 4 tracks on the long 21 track LP and bringing his lyrical A-game for most of the project, Apathy has certainly given listeners an album worth wrapping their eardrums around.
Yes, I’ve begun to be a part of the craze. I’ve finally given in and succumbed to the evils of updating my status every so often, letting people know about my life—aspects they’d definitely find uninteresting— and budding in on the lives of others, as well. I just started, and I’m gradually trying to get more followers because it is becoming harder and harder to let x amount of people know about my different pieces of work on different outlets. Moreover, I just want to intrude people’s lives and make them give a damn about KevinNottingham.com if they don’t already. Help promote the cause. Of course, this benefits everyone who is already a part of the community. If we get more readers, we get more reason to keep going and going and going, and we get more support and more attention and more everything. So, if you are on Twitter and feel like spreading the word, some particular articles, or just want to get our names out there, check the jump for the KN staff Twitter lists. Follow us; some of us will probably follow you too. It’s a reciprocal thing.
And feel free to leave your Twitter in the comments….
As flattering as it may be, does Nicki Minaj want to be best looking female emcee in hip hop, or does she want to be the best emcee in hip hop? It’s hard to tell right now. With dozens of pictures circulating the internet showing off her camel toe and booty, it is hard to say what her purpose as an artist in hip hop is. Sadly, she’s evidently not that great of a rapper. Surely, that’s no secret.
New Dragon Fli Empire video featuring Moka Only, off of their album Redefine (Makebelieve Records) and the Ride On Vinyl EP (Traveller Records). Filmed in Kananaskis Country, Bragg Creek and the Stoney Nakoda Resort in September 2009. Directed by Wal Martian for Apartment 32.
If you’ve followed Gang Starr then you’ve probably followed the whole Foundation. Once comprising of Group Home, Big Shug, Freddie Foxx, and Jeru amongst others, the Foundation was never known for their lyrical mastery, but more so for Premier’s production. On 98’s Moment of Truth, Krumb Snatcha stole the show from both Guru and Premier with his verse on “Make ‘em Pay.” While he wasn’t as strong on the microphone as Bumpy Knuckles or as scientific as Afu Ra, Krumb delivered a unique blend of skills that the Foundation lacked. His career trekked out to this point, where he is no longer Krumb Snatcha, but is now K.S. Even though he was under the radar for a bit, he’s gathered up Pete Rock, Large Professor and Statik Selektah for some help on the production. Even without Premier on the boards, could this release be one that fans of Krumb were expecting?
I usually compare Brother Ali to Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, arguably best pitcher in baseball). Roy is [one of] the best at what he does, but doesn’t really get the credit for it as much as he should. He’s good enough to be on every writer’s “Top Pitcher” list and every fan’s “Best Pitcher” discussion, but he isn’t. Halladay is overlooked, underappreciated, and will consistently be amazing at what he does. The same can be said for Brother Ali, who is unjustly left out of many conversations regarding some of the best hip hop emcees of this era. Three outstanding LPs, two near perfect EPs, various show stealing features (including “Second Time Around” from last year), a marvelous live show, varying word play ranging from blunt to clever to outrageous. The list goes on. If that isn’t enough ass-kissing for the moment, be prepared for more, because Brother Ali continues to do no wrong with his fourth LP, Us.
Ghostface Killah has demonstrated a marvelous magic trick; he has undoubtedly become the most positively consistent artist in a genre that is so littered with ever-changing criticism and unruly judgment. As if that trick wasn’t enough, he’s come back for an encore with Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, a genre crossing album done ever so tastefully and coherently that even the most skeptic Wu heads will want to touch their lighter side. While this project is hardly a stretch for Ghost, it’s the essence of the idea that may prove to be the biggest difficulty in comprehending. An R&B album? Sure, if we want to call it that. The fact is there hasn’t been an unlikely combo as fitting than Ghostface and love themed lyrics alongside softer production. Wizard of Poetry keeps Starks’ streak going and he reasserts himself not only as the best and most consistent clansman, but also one of the most versatile and reliant names in the industry.
For the longest time, I wanted to let people know about this album from Detroit veteran, Big Tone. No slouch on the Detroit hip hop scene, Tone has appeared on Dilla’s Welcome 2 Detroit (“It’s Like That”) and holds a steady rep amongst the city. He released an album in 2005 entitled The Drought that got heavily overlooked, thus, releasing this project on Tres Records. He raps, but he also produces, and he’s very good at both. Gathering names like Guilty Simpson, Blu, and Ta’raach for this album, The Art of Ink succeeds in various degrees leading from ideas of growth, passion, prosperity, and inspiration. It’s a feel good record loaded with soul and meaning behind it’s tattoo based theme.
The greatest asset of wisdom is said to be experience. With our recent week highlighting Jay-z, most saw how good an “older” emcee is and can be when reflecting on the x amount of years in the game. While Hov is an exception to plenty of hip hop rules, Buckshot and KRS are certainly amongst the wisest in hip hop, even though not as prolific as Shawn. Still, under a different spotlight, it’s safe to say that Buck and Kris never hinted at the type of caliber they showed during earlier moments of their career through their recent performances. Buck has sounded uninterested and has been forgettable, while KRS has been unbelievably repetitive. This duo venture, entitled Survival Skills, sponsored by the great people at Duck Down, seems to have lifted not only the spirits of the two respected emcees, but also their momentum, ferocity, and hunger. Survival Skills outlines all that it takes to be a great emcee in the cut-throat, fast moving industry, and it is this return to the blueprint that sets the stage for the most impressive record from both Buck and Kris in a long while.
“Supergroup” is a word that is seldom justified in hip hop. Sure, they may start off a supergroup, but end up being a superdud. Perhaps it is hype that surrounds the compilation of a multiple high profile hip hop act that puts a damper on the product at hand, or perhaps the product itself really isn’t that good. Look at the New York Rangers, the New York Mets, hell, 80% of New York sport teams; all contain remarkable talent, individual talent that cannot succeed as a group. Enter Slaughterhouse. Royce Da 5’9, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I: a prime emcee with leadership quality, a multi-facet wordsmith with fire in his belly, an ambitious, rugged newcomer, and a savvy and seasoned veteran respectively. These are the ingredients for the success that is the self-titled debut from the now-proven supergroup.
If neo-soul had a grandchild, its name would be Slakah the Beatchild. I say a grandchild because, while he remembers all the core values, beliefs, and systems of the once-upon-a-time in style genre, he also takes the important elements of neo-soul and elevates it into a sound of his own. While he is compared to the likes of Raphael Saadiq, Dilla, and Q-Tip, Slakah (also an emcee and director when not producing) stays loyal to the craft by forever changing it. Working with no-slouch artists like the current “it” kid, Drake, amongst well respected emcees, Shad and Tona, as well as high profile singers such as Nelly Furtado, Ray Robinson, and Melanie Durant, this Sarnia born, Scarborough raised, multi-talent musical and visual jack-of-all-trades is also one half of duo, Art of Fresh (with MC, D.O). Talking about everything from his hometown, to his worldwide tours, to the big names he’s met in studios, to why we should all give a damn about Slakah the Beatchild, KevinNottingham.com gets this sensational interview with an up-and-coming hip hop gem.
Call it being patriotic, but I love my city. I love Toronto. I love everything about it. So, it’s not uncommon for me to geek out when someone from Toronto turns out to be a big (or moderately big) star. Sure, we got the Drake’s, the Michael Myers’, the John Candy’s, but a girl like Melanie Fiona? That’s kind of special. It’s just a tad bit more special to see the origins of her superstar here on KevinNottingham.com, as we were one of the first sites to really spotlight her and give her some shine! [artistspotlight]. Regardless of her geographical location, this lady has the total package from talent, looks, co-signs, and music making. Those aforementioned co-signs came from the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and ?uestlove; pretty important people if you ask me. In fact, ?uesto dug it so much that he remixed a handful of Melanie’s live joints for her: (Melanie Fiona: Meets The Illadelphonics). The expectations for The Bridge were high right from the get-go and Miss Fiona had a lot of people anxiously waiting to see if she could smash out a Jazmine Sullivan/Adele/Duffy like breakout album. Would this project suffice?
This last little while, Jay-Z has been the talk of the town. A town of music that he runs laps around, an industry he has by the throat, a genre he has at bay. However, Jay-Z the musician gets overlooked many times. If not for the talent he possess, then for the talent he has shown in the past, even in some of his darkest moments. Whether it was on a soundtrack, an unreleased single, a 12’’, someone else’s album, or even on his album, Jay rarely had material that was infamously slept on. The dude’s whole life is documented and praised, so why wouldn’t his music be?
Keezy from The Real Frequency fam concluded that we should take on the challenge and design a “Most Slept On Jay-Z” list. Being the list maker that I am, I had to take him up on that offer. We’ve each compiled a list of 15 songs. Which one do you roll with? More importantly, what are we missing? What on the list isn’t slept on? What concludes being slept on?
For our lists, it was a mixed bag of unreleased tracks, joints people just simply don’t appreciate enough, or songs that don’t get spins (that probably should). We came to our own conclusions of what Slept On meant. Enjoy it for what it is.
