New Music: Coming Soon

Soooo Blogger deleted my Nark & Norah's Infinite Playlist post and a few others over the past week by the request of a label or 2. I haven't had this happen to me before. I mean, I've had people delete the sendspace links, but maybe this is the RIAA's new tactic.

Just another example of how backwards the industry is these days and they have no clue how to use the internets. Does Atlantic actually think they are going to lose millions because of some love from the blogs? If so, why did they selling Paper Trail for $3.99 on Amazon last Tuesday? Some artists (Mickey Factz, Kid Cudi, XV, Crooked I to name a few) actually know how to use blogs and the free publicity to their advantage and actually embrace it. Kanye leaked "Love Lockdown" himself for God sakes! I was lucky enough to get this comment before the post got axed:

"wow! thanks for adding city on fire to this mix! theres some really dope stuff on here.
if you need any more songs feel free to hit me up."

How cool is that? I added "City on Fire" by Che Grand to my latest mixtape, he noticed and actually thanked me for it. The game needs more artists like that. Hopefully, you'll be hearing more Che Grand in this spot in the future.

If you need Nark & Norah's Infinite Playlist in your life, e-mail me. Keep checking back for my next move. I'm contemplating switching to Wordpress, but we'll see.

Che Grand - City On Fire

Narkworthy 8/21: Nark-N-Rolla

The name certainly doesn't work as well as the last one, but it will do. Plenty of heavy hitters made the cut (Nas, Kanye, The Game, T-Pain) this go round, but look out for the newcomers (especially LMFAO) and legends (Large Professor). Of course, "Jockin' Jay-Z" had to be included. Kid Cudi continues his run of appearances and Young Jeezy put together 2 bangers (with a little help from Nas). I've been the biggest Jeezy hater around, but his new work on The Recession might persuade me otherwise. He always had solid production, but his word play never matched the beats. Finally, I can't believe it took so long for someone to jump on Coldplay's "Lost". It is the most hip-hop/Timbo-esque beat on one of the biggest rock albums of the year.

Nark-N-Rolla
1. Page - Still Fly ft Drake
2. Now On - Write Back ft Shawn Jackson
3. Young Jeezy - Crazy World
4. Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (prod by Kanye West)
5. MURS - Can It Be
6. The Game - Angel ft Common (prod by Kanye West)
7. The Clipse - Celebrate ft Joss Stone
8. Attitude - Man Right Here (prod by Danja)
9. Large Professor - Hardcore
10. LMFAO - Yes
11. Novel - Lost (Coldplay Remix)
12. Trey-C - Showboatin' ft Ya Boy, Glasses Malone & Matt Blaque
13. Slim Thug - Bitch I'm Back ft Devin the Dude (prod by Dr. Dre)
14. Nas - What It Is (Esco Let's Go)
15. Lil' Scrappy - Stand Up ft Lil' Wayne
16. The Game - My Life ft Lil' Wayne
17. Young Jeezy - My President Is Black ft Nas
18. DJ Khaled - Go Hard ft Kanye West & T-Pain
19. Asher Roth - I Love College
20. Kid CuDi - Man On The Moon (The Anthem)

The Blueprint 3 Suckas On the Way

Last week, Kanye West polished off his 2nd night at Madison Square Garden with a short monologue to the sold-out crowd. Mr. West has been doing this at all of his Glow In The Dark stops lately, so this wasn't out of the ordinary. Apparently, he was talking about how he is trying quit being so selfish and keeping all the good beats for himself. Since pride is something he doesn't have any issue with, Kanye asked the New Yorkers if they would like a sample. What they didn't know, is who the beat was for.


BLUEPRINT 3 from kwest on Vimeo.

I like it. He even throws in a jab at the bloke from Oasis. It sounds more Blueprint 2 than Blueprint, but I'll take any Jay/Kanye collabos.

This means that Timbaland won't be producing Jay's next entire album. It would be nice, but I'm sure that will happen as soon as Tim and Dr. Dre work on "Chairmen of the Boards" and right after Nas and DJ Premier get back together. The Blueprint 3 is Shawn Carter's last album on Def Jam and is slated to feature No ID on the boards as well.

I don't expect this link to last longer than a day, so get it while its hot.
Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (produced by Kanye West)

Lollapalooza 2008: Day 3

DAY 3
After a rowdy Day 2 of Lollapalooza, Day 3 seemed to come as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was more than ready for Sunday though and the ladies of Ann St (Laura, Erin & Becky) were pumped to join the Waters duo and I.

Laura, Becky and I departed early for Grant Park to catch Chicago's Office at 11:30 at the PS3 Stage. I'm pretty sure they were both surprised by the size of the park as we made our first of many jaunts across the north end. After 30 minutes of what seemed to be an excruciating sound check, we were informed that the Weakerthans couldn't make the fest, so Office's show was bumped to the afternoon.

We had some time to relax, so we leisurely made our way south to the AT&T stage where female rapper Kid Sister was to perform. It was still early in the day so we were able to stand close for a good view of the show. Rage Against the Machine was the last show of Day 2 on the stage and sunglasses, pieces of shoes and dead grass were the only remnants left. Kid Sister appreciatively came out with a hype-man, back-up dancers and DJ AutoBot (Flosstradamous) on the ones and twos. Koko B. Ware hasn't come out yet, but had the crowd engaged with fun, new, dance rap ("Switchboard", "Control") and performed her biggest hit, "Pro Nails".

We met up with the rest of our crew at the sparsely filled Citi Stage for What Made Milwaukee Famous. They were serviceable, but didn't exactly wow the crowd until "Sultan" and a few closing songs. I did find out that they aren't from Milwaukee and didn't live up to all the Spoon comparisons I had heard though.

With our full group in tact we took a lunch break in the shade and headed for the Myspace stage. I had finally succumbed to the incessant promotion of Chromeo and was looking forward to them after copping Fancy Footwork a few weeks earlier. Dave 1 and P-Thugg were on their electrofunk A-game from the start keeping the crowd nodding ("Call Me Up") and dancing ("Tenderoni") in the sweltering humidity. I'm sure its nerve-wracking performing in front of thousands of people, but the Montreal based duo were one of the few acts that interacted with Lolla-goers all weekend. Aside from making the crowd bounce with "Call Me Up" and "Bonafied Lovin'", Dave and P were like a comedy duo with jokes incorporating P's talk box.

Florida's Black Kids set on the Citi stage overlapped with Chromeo, but I was able to hear a few of the hits from Partie Traumatic while the ladies took a break from the heat. Lead singer Reggie Youngblood's faux British accent got the best response on "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You". They sounded great live and probably could have played on one of the bigger stages.

We opted for shade and beer rather than G. Love and sweat from 4:30 to 5. After cooling off, we traveled north again to the PS3 stage (hearing Iron & Wine in the distance) to see Irish/punk band Flogging Molly. They had one of the largest crowds I saw at that stage all weekend and did their best to turn it into a rowdy pub. Irish flags were in the air and Dave King snarled and shouted his way through a fun set filled with banjos, accordion, and fiddles. We left after "Float", but "Requiem for a Dying Song" and other jams made me interested for more.

The toughest decision was at hand: Gnarls Barkley or Girl Talk. That resolution was much easier when we saw the crowd lined up at the Citi stage. The schedulers probably didn't anticipate it, but Girl Talk could have easily filled Myspace or PS3 stages. As the bass line for "Charity Case" played at the AT&T stage, it looked like fans were stretched back to Food Town, cutting off walkways. Gillis finally took the stage at 6:30 and made his presence known with VIPs swarming his lap top and fake cops with toilet paper guns as the intro began. The dance party was non-stop as he ran through mash-ups and samples old (Biggie/Elton, "Play Your Part") and new (Yael Naim/Khia, Daft Punk/Tag Team). It was so hectic that Gillis had to clear the stage because it was starting to bend. Nothin' like a daytime dance party. The grand finale was nothing short of epic. Birdman & Lil' Wayne's "Poppin' Bottles" played into Journey's "Faithfully" and looped as Girl Talk crowd surfed from the stage to the sound tent in a friggin' inflatable row boat. 'Nuff said.

Everyone pretty much used all of their energy at Girl Talk, so after that we retreated to tailgate-like lines for the port-o-potties. Mark Ronson and company sounded great on the Myspace stage. His throwback sound with covers (Coldplay, Radiohead, Justice) and special guests Candie Payne, Rhymefest and Kenna amassed a large crowd as well. Unfortunately, Ronson mentioned this is the last stop on their long tour (which obviously skipped Michigan).

Our group refilled on beverages and food while staking out a spot on the hill for Kanye West. I was pretty disappointed in not lining up close to the stage for the final headliner of the weekend, but I got over it after a few songs. Kanye was backed by an elaborate stage complete with bright lights, a DJ, and energetic band. After teasing the crowd with a slice of "Stronger", West greeted his hometown with "Good Morning". He ran through all the hits from "Through the Wire" to "Diamonds" to "Can't Tell Me Nothin'". After a 15 minute long, Chi-Town flavored edition of his guest spot on Jeezy's "Put On", West stated "Now we can start the show". For all of the names Kanye has earned over the years (arrogant, cocky, obnoxious), you have to give him credit for put passion into what he does. He shined throughout the his time on the main stage and was easily one of the best rap/hip-hop artists I've ever seen. Kanye showed his recent love for vocal distortion T-Pain style as he finished the last hour with rousing editions of "Homecoming", "Good Life", "Gold Digger" and more. Things got a little uncomfortable when West gave a short ode to his mother before "Hey Mama", but closed in grand fashion. He let his band get some due recognition by surprisingly covering Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" and played "Stronger", asking "is this what you've been waiting for?". Indeed.

And just like that Lollapalooza 2008 was done. An ocean of festival-goers poured out of Grant Park and cheered in the downtown Chicago streets. It was amazing seeing my iPod come to life and experiencing that many live acts in one weekend. Its hard to single out who was my favorite artist all weekend, but Kanye, Girl Talk, Mates of State, CSS, Lupe Fiasco, Chromeo and Rage Against the Machine certainly were most memorable. The bad news is that Lollapalooza was pretty much a "gateway" event that is going to make me want to go to see most of these artists at smaller venues and make Lolla (or some festival) an annual necessity.

Photos from Lollapalooza Day 3
Videos from Lollapalooza Day 3

Pre-Lollapalooza 2008: Part III

Day 3 Tentative Schedule:
Day 3 has all the ingredients to make for the best day of Lollapalooza: Girl Talk, Kanye West, and an Ann St. Reunion. I may not make it to Office's 11:30 slot, but I hope so. A little later, I'll take a requisite visit to see Chi-town's own Kid Sister, and succumb to the "Pro Nails" chorus in the process( you all will be saying it by the end of the day, ask Laura.) At first glance, it looks like Day 3 should be easy....until 3:15 hits. Luckily, many of the artists I want to see are at both Citi Stage and Myspace Stage (right next to each other). Chromeo's bouncy electrofunk kicks off at Citi, just before Black Kids at 3:30 at Myspace. Iron & Wine and G. Love & the Special Sauce have dueling sets across the park from each other (my interest in both should make that decision easy, with a coin flip). 5:15 brings the Irish-Punk of Flogging Molly just before the toughest conflict of the weekend: Gnarls Barkley, 15 minutes before Girl Talk. Do I catch a glimpse of Cee Lo & Danger Mouse's crazy costumes or get in line for the biggest party I'll ever attend. Probably a game-time decision. I'm looking forward to Mark Ronson's (special guest filled?) set to ease the tension at 7:15. Finally, what better way to close out the weekend with Chicago's son, Kanye West. I don't care what happened at Bonnaroo, I'm expecting the best show I've ever seen (no pressure).

My Schedule

Day 3
Day 3
1. Office - Oh My
2. The Blakes - Magic
3. Kid Sister - Pro Nails ft Kanye West
4. What Made Milwaukee Famous - Sultan
5. The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart
6. Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin'
7. Black Kids - Listen To You Body Tonight
8. Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend To Dance
9. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
10. Saul Williams - List of Demands (Reparations)
11. Flogging Molly - Requiem For A Dying Song
12. Flogging Molly - Float
13. Gnarls Barkley - Going On
14. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces
15. Flosstradamus - Yeah Yeah (Matt & Kim Remix)
16. Girl Talk - Pure Magic
17. Girl Talk - Set It Off
18. Mark Ronson - Amy ft Kenna
19. The National - Apartment Story
20. Child Rebel Soldiers (Lupe, Kanye, Pharell) - US Placers
21. Kanye West - Touch the Sky ft Lupe Fiasco
22. Kanye West - Homecoming ft Chris Martin

Million $ Mano: Who? Mano!

"Who? Mano!". When you hear that announcement at the beginning of a song, you know something good is coming. Not to be confused with this guy, Mano aka Million $ Mano straight out of Chi-town has been burning out my i pod with catchy remixes left and right. After noticing he DJ'd at a recent Cool Kids show and insistent promotion from my favorite Chicago blog, Fake Shore Drive, I decided to check him out. The results were more than priceless.

Not to be pigeon-holed in one genre, Million $ Mano's seamlessly brings together sounds of hip-hop with elements of house, and drum & bass. His penchant for speeding up the tempo on popular hits and sparkling some drum flair and house flavors makes his works more than catchy. Mano's interpretation for Mr. West's "Flashing Lights" easily made me forget the melodrama of Kanye's much hyped video. With the help of rapper, Hollywood Holt, he managed to make indie darlings, Matt & Kim, danceable.

Aside from remixes, Mano also has produced for G.O.O.D. Music artist GLC and has a side project, He Say, She Say, with singer Drea. After recently catching the ear of Kanye West, let's hope Million $ Mano soon gets the respect across the globe, he's already getting from Chicago artists.

Look for Million $ Mano on tour with M.I.A. at the Fillmore on May 8th with special guest Holy F***.

Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Million $ Mano Remix)

Million $ Mano - Lady

Shawty Lo - Dey Know (Million $ Mano Remix)

Matt and Kim - Its A Fact ft Hollywood Holt (Million $ Mano Remix)

Lollapalooza 2008: Initial Lineup

It has been waaaaaay to long since I have added anything to this site. I was really hoping to not have one of those blogs that gets updated once a month. Hopefully, I will return to form immediately.

Whether it was a clever ploy by Perry Farrell and organizers to drum up more early ticket sales or just an innocent leak, I love it. When the "potential" early line-up for Lollapalooza 2008 leaked Friday via the Chicago Sun-Times, it only validated my recent ticket purchase. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will be amped and ready to roast in Grant Park, Chicago August 1st - 3rd. Not only were most of my hopes answered for most of the artists attending. But my recent task of scouring band websites and tour itineraries to see who had the 1st weekend of August free, made many of my guesses correct.

Here is my take on who will be joining me at Lollapalooza:

Headliners:
-Radiohead: I know the basics of their catalog, but I'm excited to have another reason to check out their catalog in preparation. In Colours seemed to be the "it" album of 2007, so no surprise here.

-Nine Inch Nails: I can't lie, I don't know the band's work. Their video for "Closer" creeped me out beyond believe in 7th grade, so we'll see about these cats.

-Rage Against the Machine: I may not be in the middle of the most pit, but I have been looking forward to a Rage reunion. My friends who saw them at Vegoose and Rock the Bells said it was insane. Count me in.

-Wilco & The Raconteurs: I know an equal amount about both bands, very little. I have been impressed with both albums by Jack White's boys and look forward to hear more from Wilco.

-Kanye West: Chicago's son comes home to rock the biggest party in the city. I expect a lot of "Flashing Lights", emotion and specials guests (could we see a CRS performance?). Cannot wait!

The rest:
-Gnarls Barkley: "The Odd Couple" may have turned away mainstreamers without a pop record like "Crazy", but it was still solid. I'm hoping to see some interesting costumes while Cee-Lo spits the Gospel.

-The Black Keys: Yes, yes and yes. These guys have been in heavy rotation in my eardrums since I heard "Your Touch" this winter. Although I'll have to skip their show in Royal Oak, it will only further my anticipation of their throwback, garage rock sound.

-The Cool Kids: Another Windy City act poise to explode from the hype that has already been bubbling. Their '80s inspired rhymes should keep the crowd in a head-nodding frenzy.

-Mates of State, Bloc Party, Office, the Go! Team: All constants on my playlists and will all be part of my plans for that weekend.

-Cat Power, G. Love, Broken Social Scene, Jamie Lidell: Research for the next few months.

-Blues Traveler: What?

-Girl Talk: Do you really have to ask? I'll be there.

Would you like a sample?

Wilco - What A Light

Gnarls Barkley - Going On

The Cool Kids - Action Figures

Mates of State - Goods (All In Your Head)

Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches

Office - Oh My

The Go! Team - Grips Like A Vice

Girl Talk - Pure Magic

2007 Wrap-Up: Commercial Hip-Hop Albums

For all of the complaining I have done about the rap/hip-hop game this year, when it was good, it was really good.

#4 Common Finding Forever
It might not be Common's best, but it was still one of the best in the game. After his most successful album to date, Be, gained crossover success, Common decided not to mess with a good thing on Finding Forever. With help from Kanye West, Will.I.Am. and DJ Premier, Common pleased pop fans and hip-hoppers alike with stellar story-telling on "Drivin' Me Wild", "The Game" and "The People". The only thing missing was a few more J-Dilla beats.



#3 Jay-Z American Gangster
Jay-Z must have been watching "Godfather III" in between viewings of "American Gangster" because just when you thought he was out, he got pulled back in. Young Hov decided to postpone retirement again and create a concept album inspired by Denzel Washington's most recent amazing performance. American Gangster easily eclipses his last effort and created a dark landscape as close to Reasonable Doubt as it gets. "I Know" is classic song writing taken from the view of heroin, while "Pray", "Success", and "Fallin'" exploit the highs and lows of S. Carter's hoodlum past.



#2 Kanye West Graduation
The ever controversial Kanye West added a sales war with 50 Cent to his resume with the release of Graduation. Not surprisingly, it lived up to the hype. "Stronger" used a Daft Punk sample to get pop fans interested, but gems like "Flashing Lights" and the earnest approach on "Everything I Am" impressed hip-hop purists and pushed Mr. West to the head of the class.



#1 Lupe Fiasco The Cool
Kanye and Common weren't the only Chicago MC's to show the world how Chi-Town does hip-hop. Lupe Fiasco's semi-concept album, The Cool barely made it into consideration for 2007, but won't be easily forgotten. He continues where he left off on Food & Liquor with the story of a mobster who rises from the grave on "The Coolest", while he introduces new characters The Streets (the gritty "Streets On Fire") and The Game ("Put You On Game"). Lupe Fiasco is particularly compelling on the intergalactic sound of "Intruder Alert" and military style of "Little Weapon" While using each verse to describe 3 different stories, "Intruder Alert" intracatly details the experiences of a rape victim, drug addict and an immigrant. The hypnotic beat by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on "Little Weapon" echoes the entrancing story of child soldiers in Africa. Lupe's composed delivery while dropping refreshing knowledge is apparent no matter who's point of view he spits from.

Kanye West: "Graduation" with Honors

Kanye West - Graduation 4/5 Narks

With the massive anticipation for Kanye West's third opus, Graduation, many people wondered if he could rise to the top of the class. In the past 2 years, since Late Registration, Kanye has injected his larger than life persona into popular culture by a public displeasure with George Bush, unleashed tirades at various award shows, successfully launched his G.O.O.D. Music label with the help of John Legend and Common, and engaged in a sales competition with 50 Cent. Needless to say, these events gave Kanye plenty of material to create a colorful and inventive new album.

Kanye West continues his flavor of digging in the crates for classic samples on Graduation, but this time he infuses his penchant for soul with a futuristic/new wave sound. T-Pain assists with his trademark vocal distortion over a sample from Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." and synthesizers on the party driven next single, "Good Life". "Stronger" may not be the first time a hip-hop producer has sampled Daft Punk (see Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" helmed by Swizz Beatz), but it certainly is the best. The futuristic drum beat reverberates through the speakers while Kanye confidently rhymes his way in to space.

While most of West's best raps are boastful, bravado filled with fashion-sense and pop references (see "The Glory"), he usually includes a few tracks that give a more personal look at the inner demons of Kanye West. "Everything I Am" shines as a laid back piano sampled track featuring turntable work courtesy of DJ Premier. He addresses naysayers who chastise his actions and simply states "everything i'm not, made me everything i am". "Big Brother" gives a personal account of West's rise in the Roc-a-Fella crew and his admiration for idol/label head Jay-Z. From being too star struck to speak with 'Hova to trying to match Jay-Z's success and being humbled by Def Jam's president at Madison Square Garden, it shows West's vulnerable side.

While West earns many A's on Graduation, there are still a few spots where you can see he has a few more things to learn from the "Best Rapper Alive". "Drunk and Hot Girls" follows late night exploits of the rich and famous with promiscuous ladies with a lazy, annoying flow. "Barry Bonds" would suffice as a mixtape cut (Lil' Wayne continues his streak of hit guest appearances), but seems out of place with the sonic-soul feel of the album.

Kanye West has quickly risen to the top of the hip-hop A-list with spit fire rhymes paired with innovative production. Graduation continues the tradition with West's earnest, unapologetic approach and catchy, but soulful beats.

BTW, Curtis lost....

Kanye West - The Glory


Kanye West - Everything I Am


Kanye West - Bittersweet ft John Mayer (Bonus Track)

Kanye vs. Curtis: The Heavyweight Matchup

Everyone else has an opinion about it, why not me? Two rap superstars. 1 day. 1 winner. Kanye vs. 50 Cent. Graduation vs. Curtis. The hype surrounding the rap album showdown on Tuesday, September 11th is about to bubble over. Though my interest in today's rap game is waning (can you blame me?), this feud caught my attention. Even my favorite indie rock journal, My Old Kentucky Blog, commented on it. If you have been living under a rock, here's the run down:

50 Cent was set to release Before I Self Destruct earlier this summer. After releasing the lackluster, "Candy Shop" leftover, "Amusement Park" and street single "Straight to the Bank", 50 decided to head back to the studio. After a hilarious feud with rapper Cam'ron, where Killa Cam tried to belittle 50 by calling him by his real first name, 50 changed the name of the album to Curtis. He recruited Akon, JT, Timbaland, Nicole Scherzinger and usual contributors Eminem and Dr. Dre to beef up his lukewarm reception. These changes pushed the album back to September 11th.

Meanwhile, Kanye West had been in the lab crafting his third disc, Graduation, hoping for an August release date. Just when the street single, "Can Tell Me Nothing" was gaining steam, Def Jam decided to delay the disc until September 11th. Even though Curtis was already scheduled to drop, he had the gall to say "I hope that they see and understand what’s getting ready to happen."

What 50 didn't know, was the fire-starter single Kanye had in his back pocket. The Daft Punk sampled single, "Stronger" generated enough buzz to burn G-Unit offices down, getting love from the indie set and mainstream fans. 50 came back with his own scorcher, "I Get Money", but its success has paled in comparison to Kanye's first. Even the release of the JT & Timbaland assisted "AYO Technology" hasn't propelled 50 back to his lofty perch. The latest Billboard Hot 100 singles charts has "Stronger" at #2 and "AYO" at #20. "I Get Money" has made some noise in radio play, but it still can't match Kanye's heat. For those counting, 50 released 4 singles to Kanye's 2. Just wait 'til Kanye drops "Good Life" with T-Pain...

The biggest headline of the story though, is 50's claim that he will retire if Kanye sells more than him the first week. He claims that he won't release any new solo material, but will appear on other artists' records from the G-Unit camp. If that were true, he might as well start looking for a resting spot in Florida now, because Kanye's presales are already beating him.

What do I think? I definitely think Graduation will sell more than Curtis, though they will both hit big numbers. 50 Cent had his time to shine and while his fan base used to be as wide as Eminem's and Dr. Dre's, his arrogance and rap's overall sales decline will take a chunk out of his Soundscan numbers. Kanye West is very arrogant as well, but he still has the hunger to want to be #1 that 50 lost after "In the Club". 50 Cent is a marketing genius, from books to Vitamin Water to clothing. I don't even doubt the possibility that he could have met with Kanye earlier this summer and set this whole charade up. Other labels saw the opportunity and now Kenny Chesney will drop the same day. 50 just isn't as musically innovative and lyrically gifted as Kanye to remain relevant. Kanye might call himself the Louis Vuitton Don, but when he gets respected from backpackers and hip-hop heads for his beats and rhyme skills.

Winner = Kanye West Graduation

Kanye West - Stronger


Kanye West - Good Life ft T-Pain


50 Cent - I Get Money


50 Cent - AYO Technology ft JT & Timbaland


..and Kenny Chesney - Never Wanted Nothin More

Common: Hip Hop "Forever"

Common - Finding Forever 4/5 Narks

Common has blessed the masses once again with a great album. While most of the rap industry is focused on making a new dance, dropping a non-sense radio hit or selling the most ringtones, Common keeps hip-hop alive. Over and over, he has consistently dropped knowledge for backpackers, street scripture for hip-hop heads and enough eclecticism to grab mainstream listeners and Finding Forever furthers that notion. Continuing on the momentum of 2006's hip-hop album of the year, Be (arguably, album of the year in any genre), Common, with the help of usual suspect Kanye West, has created songs full of rich narrative and unrivaled soul appeal.

People who don't take time to listen hip-hop/"conscious rap" claim it doesn't keep their attention. Fortunately, one of Common's strongest qualities is the way he tells stories through song, which attributes to fans often pressing rewind. It is like listening to a spoken word poet who knows how to prophesies with rhythm. On "The Game", Common tears through DJ Premier cuts and Kanye's menacing production while speaking on the current status of the hip-hop culture. "Southside" stomps through with the hardest beat on the album. Common and fellow Chi-Town affiliate, Kanye West spit battle raps back and forth as if trying to one up each other with clever lines like: "Back in ‘94 they call me Chi-town’s Nas/Now them n***** know I’m one of Chi-town’s gods" and "Thinking back to the projects, and they way they tore ‘em all up/Like when I do a project, and come back and tear the mall up".

Common trades some of the pop-tinged songs of Be for soul on Finding Forever. His deep voice has never sounded better intertwined with samples looped by way of producers Devo Springsteen and the late JDilla. D'Angelo sufficiently guests on "So Far To Go" where Common shows appreciation and lust for a lady for bettering herself. The peak of the album is the aptly titled, "Misunderstood". Once again, Common weaves haunting tales of lost souls in the ghetto over the lush, Nina Simone sample. Its as if he has cast himself as the narrator as an AIDS-stricken young man and a young stripper wander through lives spiraling out of control.

Another standout track is the radio-friendly, "Drivin' Me Wild", surprisingly featuring Lily Allen. Although the song doesn't make uses of Lily's sly humor (though her voice is very recognizable), it does showcase Common's storytelling ability at its finest. While he lyrically disects a female narcicist ("Had a body, A body that you can't pay fo'/That mean she had some Ds on her but they wasn't fake though") and a playboy with too much money ("Spendin cash at the bar to get credit/Drinkin Chaundon just because BIG said it"), Lily uses breathy vocals to get the point across. The chorus, "It's this thing now, that's drivin' me wild/I gotta see what's up before it gets me down/No it's not a mystery, it's everything", explains how meaningless obsessions can take over one's life.

Finding Forever is another classic album by Common that should appeal to fans of all kinds. While it lacks some of the pop appeal of his last album, it fills the void with insightful, soul-filled tales backed by some of the year's best production in hip-hop. Look for Finding Forever to rack up a number of accolades before the 2007 is over.

Common ft Lily Allen - Drivin' Me Wild

Common: Top Of "The Game"

I have pretty much abandoned rap on this blog. Frankly, there isn't much to get excited about anymore. There are an abundance of great producers, old (Timbaland, DJ Premier, Neptunes, Just Blaze, Kanye, etc.) and new (9th Wonder, Danja, RJD2, Hi-Tek, Cool & Dre), who craft eclectic and head-nodding beats, but there is a lull in the MC department.

The past favorites that I grew up with are still around, but their output has waned tremendously. Kingdom Come was better than most of 2006's offerings, but was nowhere near Jay-Z's best. 50 Cent has been basically phoning in his bars since his debut and his G-Unit cronies are just as bad (Lloyd Banks' The Rotten Apple was self-explanatory). Eminem has fell off the map (but due for a comeback), trading in lyrical lessons ("Stan" and "Renegade" to name a few) for club songs ("Smack That" and "Shake That"). Little Brother broke up after knocking out two classic hip-hop records (The Listening and The Minstrel Show). OutKast decided to make movies, instead of groundbreaking albums. Andre 3000's verse on "Walk It Out" is the best guest appearance in years, but just makes me want more. Lil' Wayne, TI and Kanye are leading the charge by gaining credibility and stellar album catalogues. The Carter III, TI vs. TIP and Graduation should only bolster their resumes in 2007.

The new crop of commercial rappers doesn't seem to bring much hope. Young Jeezy is a poor man's TI, with amazing production, but a horrible lyricist. Rich Boy was blessed with hit single (although overshadowed by Kanye's hilarious remix), but the album failed to yield the same results. The only bright spot is Lupe Fiasco, who had one of the best albums of 2006 with Food and Liquor. He is currently crafting the follow-up, with hopes of collaborating with Kanye and Pink Floyd (what?).

But is that it? Was Nas right when he titled his gem of 2006, "Hip Hop Is Dead"?

Fortunately, there is one rapper who has consistently defied that statement, and continues to impress with age. Common, one of Chi-Town's finest, has been on fire since hooking up with fellow Windy City alumnus, Kanye West. Their work on 2005's Be, resulted in one of the best hip-hop albums in years and best of any genre that year. Favorably, they decided not to mess with a good thing and continued their relationship on Finding Forever. Guest includes British songstress Lily Allen, D'Angelo, Will.I.Am, Dwele, posthumus production by JDilla. If the first single, "The Game", is any clue as to what is to come this summer, Common's 7th album could be his best.

Here is the first single and one of my all time favorite songs from Be:

Common ft DJ Premier - The Game


Common - Be