UGK

Spring break… a period of unaccountability for all of us. Sorry in advance if posting slows down, but we all have places to go and friends to see. On another note, Charles Hamilton puts on a great live performance and I suggest if you ever get the opportunity to go see that show. You won’t regret it!

International Players Anthem – UGK feat. Outkast

If you’ve ever been near me in person there’s close to an 80 percent chance that you have already heard this song. Andre “3 Stacks” Benjamin and Big Boi of Outkast come together with Pimp C and Bun B from UGK to drop a truly classic track.

Andre 3000 raps first, starting off seemingly talking to the audience as though he was telling a story in person. As he keeps talking, you realize that this story actually rhymes, and goes well with an instrumental which up to this point is percussion free. “Then I CC’d every girl that I’d see see round town”, he raps, illustrating perfectly Andre’s ability to use playful and creative wordplay while actually making sense in a story. It’s a take on love, but with illustrative wording to make it original. You might recognize the verse from Girl Talk’s “Feed The Animals” CD.

Pimp C’s verse comes in after an introduction from the drums. Each line ends with two rhyming syllables that make it easy to remember and catchy as hell. His verse is pretty much the opposite of Andre’s, talking about pimping rather than love, making it a funny contrast. Next is Bun B, who uses a style similar to Pimp C’s. It’s a little more sing-y with a smooth and easy to listen to flow. It definitely compliments the verse before it and also transitions pretty well into Big Boi’s verse.

The final verse is yet another take on the different final outcome of relationships of a pimping. Think of it in context with Ye’s Gold Digger. Big Boi using the Chopped and Screwed method for a portion of his verse to talk about something that’s, well, Chopped and Screwed up. “Ask Paul McCartney, the lawyers couldn’t stop the, slaughter of them pockets, had to tie her to a rocket”, comically illustrating what happens if you get caught paying child support for a woman you don’t care about.

Although the other verses range from average to pretty good, the clear shining portion of the track is where Andre 3000 raps. The production for this track is amazing all around, integrating a sample well at the end of each verse to sum up each final outcome, “I Choose You”.

UGK Feat. Andre 3000 - International Player's Anthem (I Choose You) (sharebee)

-JR

Charles Hamilton

Charles Hamilton – Pure Imagination

As anyone remotely interested in hip-hop can tell you, there has been a resurgence over the past year. Mixtape rappers are gaining increasing notoriety, and the freshman class has capitalized on this with new material as often as you can download it. By this point, most people have heard of Asher Roth, B.o.B., and Kid Cudi, but for me the artist which deserves the most respect is Charles Hamilton. He uses samples, some as fresh as Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreak, in a way different than most. Unafraid to sample anything, he uses these samples to set the tone of the song, which he tries to convey to listener. Obviously music has to sound good; otherwise, no one would listen to it. However, the similarities between Charles and other rappers’ goals stop there. He uses music as a true art form, to incite emotions in the listener. It’s not about making money, just good music. One of the hardest working musicians in the industry, he releases a mixtape of COMPLETELY NEW MATERIAL roughly once or twice a week. Seriously.

On to the track: most listeners recognize the sample in the opening from the beginning of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He then takes over the persona of Willy Wonka, welcoming visitors to his factory. From there, there is a remixed sample of the song Pure Imagination from the movie using the high notes perfectly to fit in with the percussion. The first verse simply sets up the most relaxed and laid-back tone about his encounter with a female, nothing lewd, just about their child-like emotions. The chorus is a throwback to the original song, where his high pitched and somewhat nasally voice compliment the beat. Next, Charles goes fully into the Willy Wonka personality, describing his life in the factory while simultaneously integrating a story about his relationship in real life.

The last verse is by far my favorite in the song. He opens completely from the perspective of a lonely chocolate factory owner, forcing the listener to think about a common take on a well-known figure (Willy Wonka as a crazy candyman) in a completely different light (Willy Wonka unable to find romance in his lonely life as a hard working businessman). “Even when I got my homies in here, they only my peers, I need a girl to hold me in here”, raps Charles. The rest of the verse goes on to use wordplay to tell a story of Willy Wonka and Charles Hamilton at the same time in a truly visionary light.

Listen to more of this man. Everything he puts out has a message. To quote the artist, “When I sample, I'm not just doing it to sound good. I'm trying to tell a story. To convey an emotion. If I sampled it, there is a reason I sampled it. I believe that music is based on moments, and that there are some moments that people may have missed back in the day. They may have even missed it a year ago. When I sample, I'm giving the artist their respect, while simultaneously creating something new." A true artist.

Performing at Penn State in the Hub Friday night! Free concert! I will be going! Sorry about the length, but it's worth it.

-JR

Big L

Big L – Casualties of a Dice Game

In the last post, I introduced what a multi is. Senim Silla of Binary Star is not even in the same dimension as Big L when it comes to multis. This man is one of the original and best multi users yet. Big L, one of hip-hops best rappers, had his life cut short at age 27 in 1999 when he left his apartment and was mistaken for his older and money-owing brother by two gang members. This was right around the time Nas and Jay-Z were coming up, and had he not been shot down I'm positive he'd have a place today among those names, maybe even better. He has the ability to use punchlines to perfection in rap, eliciting a grin from even the most tight-lipped hip hop head. His storytelling is amazing, with songs like "The Heist" and, today's song, "Casualties of a Dice Game".

The beat begins with an ominous tone from a sharp note, which continues throughout most of the song, keeping the listener on edge which perfectly sets the mood of this song. Big L spins a mind-blowing tale about a day in Harlem, where he sees a dice game and chooses to play because he has nothing better to do. "The game was mad packed, mad cats pockets was fat/ they playin cee-loo, my dick gets hard when I see dough/ I bets nothin less than a G, yo, you know my sty-lo", raps Big L over the beat. He then goes on to explain in detail the crazy events that transpired after he won big in the dice game. From suspicious people from the game following him, to his boy letting him down for a girl, to a car chase, and a shootout, he keeps the listener entertained the entire time while still managing to spit ridiculous lyrics and multis. "I started blowin, they started blowin back, I'm goin all out/ I ain't holdin back, I been to jail once and I ain't goin back". No chorus, no break, Big L just sits you down and tells a story.

-JR

Big L – Casualties of a Dice Game (sharebee)

Binary Star

Binary Star – Reality Check

It doesn't get much more real in hip hop than Binary Star. This group comprised of One Be Lo aka One Man Army – Zak, holla – and Senim Silla came out with only one legit studio release. Why is that? Senim Silla was indicted for murder. The two even formed the rap group while in prison on charges of armed robbery. Senim Silla for the most part has faded into obscurity since this great duo album, but One Be Lo has continued on to have a pretty successful underground career. With rhymes as demonstrated on this track, it's a wonder he hasn't gained more notoriety.

The start of the track opens up with a sample introduction and some off-key piano with an edgy sound. Then as the piano fades, the beat comes in heavy with some higher pitched melodies. OneBeLo raps first, and spits a verse of straight lyricism. He lets the listener know that he knows the duo isn't a super pop group, and that he's completely comfortable with that. "Maybe you should grab a telescope to see my view just like astronomy/it ain't all about economy/ so the fact that all these wack emcees is makin G's don't bother me". He then goes on to give a great verse laced with tight similes and creative and funny wordplay. "Better believe this, most rappers can't achieve this/I'm bad to the bone but X-Rays can't even see this". One word describes this verse better than any other: smooth. Everything about it ties very well with the rest of the verse.

A multi is when there is more than one word that rhymes per line of beat, and Senim Silla exercises them to perfection is his verse. More often than not, artists that try to utilize this technique get the meaning of the song lost in the intricate web of multis they are trying to say in a song. While this doesn't quite exactly happen in this verse, Senim's flow lulls the listener into the zone where you are listening to the music and somewhat paying attention, but at the same time it sounds good enough with just the combination of the beat and the sound of his voice that it isn't important. If you do focus enough to make out the lyrics, they do not disappoint. "Mastermind crafty rhymes, I'll rip from drafty lines/ that chill spines like the Alpines, runnin up on Senim's nasty nines/ a close encounter of the worst kind".

This entire album is worth a listen. This group doesn't play around when it comes to making good music.

-JR

Wu Tang

Wu Tang Clan – Triumph


First to fully understand the context of this song, one must understand the period of time in which it was released. Rap music was on top of the world. Biggie was in his most popular and pop stage, releasing songs like Hypnotize. Glamour was a part of the genre, with no expense spared on music videos. Triumph is no exception. Directed by Brett Ratner, yes the same Brett Ratner that directed Rush Hour, the video is the epitome of the tip-top of hip-hop. When rap artists could drop millions on a video without breaking a sweat, or the bank. In troubling economic times like these, where such excessive spending is frowned upon, I think it's good to take a look back to a different time in rap music, a time where Rappers ruled the world, and could get away with anything.

This song, unbelievable as it may seem, was a single from the 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever. A single, as in it received radio time. A six minute song featuring nine different verses and no chorus was played in its entirety on the radio. The video opens with a faux news report featuring an introduction from Ol' Dirty Bastard. It then leads into one of the best verses that I've ever heard on a Wu-Tang song from a relative unknown, reminiscent of the verse dropped by AZ on Nas' 'Life's a Bitch'. Colorful and descriptive vocabulary mark this verse as 'Ridiculous'. "I bomb atomically, Socrates philosophies can't define how I be droppin these/ Mockeries, Lyrically perform armed robberies". And that's just how the song starts.

Each of the members of the Wu-Tang clan, with a featured verse by Cappadonna, comes in and drops a verse showcasing their individual styles, with the only notable break in the verbal assault coming in roughly the middle of the song, with Ol' Dirty yelling, "The Saga Continues, Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang". This to me is the perfect group song. Everyone brings their best, showcasing the diversity among the Clan, and the RZA does it double hard with a great verse (Program fat baselines, innovation/ getting drunk as fuck, I'm duckin five-year probation) and a hard beat, using the sample of a woman singing in the background at the perfect points in the song to set a different tone (U-God's "Olympic Torch Flaming, we burn so sweet/ the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat). This song truly is one of the high points in hip hop, and one of the best collaborative efforts in a song over the genre's entire history.

- JR

Cyne

When you think about the word Rap what images come into your head? Radio songs, music that has mass appeal, abusing women, and drugs, gold chains and jewelry. You get the idea. The group Cyne disagrees with that notion completely. You've probably never heard of this group, and they're perfectly fine with that. Cyne raps in the way that is defined by the acronym R.A.P.: Rhythmically Accentuating Poetry. That's what the emcees that make up Cyne are, Poets.

Pronounced "Sign", the name Cyne itself is also an acronym, standing for Cultivate Your New Experience. As a group, Cyne is comprised of two emcees and two producers. Cise Star of Florida and Akin of West Africa joined together to drop imagery on the mic. Producers Spock and Enoch always combine a melody with a smooth rhythm to form a one of a kind sound.

Cyne – Running Water

The beat starts out simply with no percussion, building up, and by the time the drums come in this is a full, complex beat that is captivating. There is no silence, much like listening to the sounds of running water.

Cise Star comes in hard, reminiscing about how he used to be much worse off. "I used to let the stress get the best of me/empty liquor bottles litter the floor/ before was my enemy", and you can almost feel the pain he's conveying over the beat. Past traumas, things that have affected him, and how all of it is water under the bridge are tied together in this short, untraditional verse packed with complex wordplay. "A fallen angel/ flip the L and E to make it angle/ my mind ain't RIGHT because my mind aint STABLE, get it," and "Like Icarus becase I'm close to the sun". The last line is one of the most impactful lyrics I've heard listening to hip hop.

The next verse showcases Akin's talent in telling stories using only a few lines, while still managing to paint a reverberating picture in the listeners mind. He also sets himself apart from the mainstream even further in his verse, referring to Ja rather than God as though he were broadcasting his differences. He speaks about how obsessing to stay popular makes the act of enjoying life itself seem boring and not interesting, "Where vanity be so real that life's dormant". Akin also ties the beginning and end of his verse together beautifully by reusing the same lines to illustrate that it's the same thing that's happening, and uses the verse to paint the picture of differing circumstances.

I'm taking Creative Writing this semester. My teacher explained to me the difference between a simile (all too commonly referred to as a metaphor in hip hop (ex: Put the red dot on you like a Japan flag- and all Papoose actually) and an actual metaphor (ex: Heaven opened up its doors and I fell through a cloud). Don't get me wrong, similes are short, can be funny, and definitely require a little thinking. But a metaphor has the power of being interpreted by the listener, making it much more powerful. Cyne is one of the best groups at utilizing this, period. No doubt I'll cover them again in the future.

-JR

Cyne - Running Water (mediafire)

When I Rock

First off, I would like to thank DJ BK for extending me this opportunity. As anyone that knows me well can tell you: I like music. Rap music. Every facet of rap that you wouldn't typically hear on the radio. Enough about me, here's the first review.

Spectac – When I Rock (featuring production from 9th Wonder)

When you first listen to this song undoubtedly the first thing to grab your attention is the beat. 9th Wonder is one of the most respected producers in the industry, and has worked with Jay-Z, The Game, Lloyd Banks, along with a lot of underground heads. He earned his reputation by giving his best on every track, and this is certainly no exception. The beat comes in with an introduction that leaves the listener with a clear image of 9th Wonder himself actually in front of a mixer, making the track (Think Lupe Fiasco's Sunshine).

Spectac's first verse revolves mainly about how he is a talented rapper, and proves it through his creative wordplay and metaphors. "You know the fact is; Spec shoulda been signed/ metaphors got more kicks in 'em than Finish Line," being a colorful display of all three. He comments on his mass appeal to everyone across the country. This is not unfounded. It's almost impossible to not like this song. "Spectac, droppin you gifts just like it's Christmas/ really doesn't matter if you mister or misses".

9th Wonder chooses to open the second verse with a sample from a Biggie song before the lyrics. It's as though Spec wanted to make you think that it was Notorious himself about to come in with a hot line, but instead Spectac replaces Biggie with his own lyrics, which is symbolic when the song's subject matter is how great of a rapper you are. Spectac talks about what makes him a great rapper, and how he is in no way affiliated with the pop jewelry obsession. His lyrics stay relevant to a more realistic lifestyle which helps relating to him. "Them Platinum chains is so costin/ I'd rather spend it on my seedy ass knuckle head kids/ I do it so often".

The next verse Spectac transports the listener to his childhood in South Carolina. He also drops some witty wordplay, with one of the funniest lines that I have heard in a while in a truly original delivery. "I blow like the orca whale, tippin your scale/ plus I write jams like Howard I guarantee I Could-Sell", referencing both Dwight Howard and Howard Cosel, the former reporter. This track is full of great wordplay, with Spectac's imagery and 9th Wonder's on point production taking the listener into another world of hip hop.

And for those of you that don't like an overly long review, at least it's something to read while you listen to good music. Happy Thirsty Thursday everyone, enjoy your weekends.

-J.R.

Spectac - When I Rock (Produced by 9th Wonder) (sharebee)