Archive for the 'Jonathan Birdsong' Category

I Know You Gonna Dig This - New Release Tuesday Edition

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

Nothing like new music! (especially when its on the freebee variety)

Dutchmassive - Domination Recordings - The DrumLove EP (25 minutes of pure instrumental boom-bap!) Download here: DrumLove

Common Market - New album titled Tobacco Road, set to hit stores September 9th! (What! An agricultural themed album in 2008!?! If Lil Wayne can rap about himself being like a loli-pop, then RA Scion and Sabzi can drop an allegorical album about love, life and art from a “harvesting” perspective). Song samples:

Winter Takes All  - Tobacco Road - Gol’Dust

Dj Mafioso - “3 MCs, 1 DJ” featuring Binkis Recs - Off the Dj Mafioso mixtape/album La Bodega. (ATL flava with the quick-to-slap you over-the-head lyrics of Binkis Recs)

NORE - “Still On The Run Eating” featuring Lil Wayne - (If it wasn’t for the Reggaton explosion a couple years back, NORE would be in serious ‘milk-carton’ emcee missing-in-action status!)

AZ - “The Secret” - featuring Raekwon & C.R - (This might be the first time AZ and Rae have collabed? Pray to the hip-hop gawds that it ain’t the last!!)

NY Oil - “Soldier” - featuring Chuck D - (Gotta be NY Oil’s dream to collab on a track with the godfather of social-political rap!)

More later..

                                                                                                                              

I Know You Gonna Dig This #11

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

How’s the Canibus in Muncie, (IN)?

So okay, the (above) headline is a little lacking in the cutting-edge creativity y’all are accustomed to getting from your’s truly Capt. Westside. (But, hey even the l_9e762c9da9f2eb91ce4593910ea01d4e.jpgbest can an off day, right?) But…if you (hip-hop fan) happen to be in the Ball State University/Muncie area; about 50 miles North of Indianapolis (Mapquest that ish: here), the one-time Fugees affiliate/one-time battle-rap phenom/one-time of ‘victim’ of a L.L. Cool J lyrically beatdown will be making an appearance at Mo’s Tavern on July 18th!

I Know You Gonna Dig This cause with DJ Definition on the ‘Wheels of Steel’, the Kutthroatz (in-da-buildin’) and Lyrical Lounge alumni Merc Versus also performing, the show will most certainly be for the rhythmically inclined!

None of that ‘bumblegum rap’ rules apply at this show, so don’t sleep..

I Know You Gonna Dig This #10

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

The Bi-Coastal edition:

Sounds from the Westcoast…

 

DJ Muggs (of Soul Assassins fame) teams-up with fellow Californi_0000_cover_wht.jpgan (and cold-chain swingin’ champion) Planet Asia on a full album colabo titled Pain Language. Tentatively to hit the streets on Sept. 2, the album will undoubtedly remind listeners of Muggs and GZA’s Grandmasters 2005 masterpiece. However, yearning ears wanting to hear original flows (which Asia has in abundance) and that signature ‘murky’ Souls Assassin sound should hardly dismiss Pain Language as a retread. Peep the B-side single:  “That’s What It Is”

Sounds from the Eastcoast…

The Saint continues to “save-the-day” with MP3 freebies as: “Do You Remember” is the second single from his forthcoming album About Time. untitled.jpgShout-out to Pro Se/Domination Recordings for continuing to make the strong push for that ‘authentic’ hip-hop music. And make sure you check for About Time when it drops! With Saint on the rhyme, and features from DJ Cade Money, Verses, NYOIL, Eternia (and a few other true-skool favorites) the album is bonafide live!

I Know You Gonna Dig This #9

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

The Summertime music explosion is right around the corner! While the hip-hop world feverishly awaits for new “ish” releases from Lil Wayne, Game, Nas and Ice Cube (oh yeah, O’Shea is promising a ‘hot’ Summer with Raw Footage); the Lyrical Lounge got you covered with these hearty appetizers:

JR Writer - Do Dat - Break-ups. First, the Fat Boy’s then N.W.A. and now The Dipset. Cam’s, Jimmy’s and Max B’s latestet falling out hasn’t stopped jr_small-0001.jpgJR Writer’s grind! Check out “Do Dat” from the forthcoming album Politics & Bullshit. Dipset unity or not, looks as if ”the writer of rappers” is gonna continue to drop heat! (Babygrande)

Dame Grease featuring (the recently ousted Dipset member) Max B - Connecticut Kush is the first (and prob the only) single off Dame’s goonmusik_small.jpgself-produced compilation Goon Musik! (”Light a spliff, nod your head, and zone out to “Connecticut Kush.” - Who knew the good stuff was buddin’ up in New England?)

Count Bass D - Can We Hang Out Tonight - Look up The Count’s discography and you’ll realize l7.jpgthat dude’s got enough music in the catalog to make MF Doom envious. I doubt if even Wikipedia can keep up with him! A special shout goes out to 1320 Records for putting a focus on supporting ‘real’ music! And be sure to check for Count Bass D’s new album, tentatively titled L7 droppin’ later this year..

Almost September - Love- A rather coloful collective we have here, as the visual dynamic in the group plays out like a bag of Skittles. Hip-hop meets-chic-meets-punk ???  But what the hey, l_a00fbc1cd4d46efa9d223352c18edf73.jpgthey got an industree co-sign from none other than Sleepy Brown and the Blastmaster KRS-One-on their debut single -so don’t hate on em’ to hard!! (And yes, that is MC Lyte!!)

I Know You Gonna Dig This #8

Saturday, May 24th, 2008

Sup y’all, Capt. Westside gets bombarded with free swag like you would not believe! Most of it is “all-filler-no-thriller,” but this free-bee “street album” by Nino Bless definitely got my radars up!

Album features Nino ‘blessing’ the mic with fellow hip-hop luminaries such as Graph, Joe Ortiz (formerly of Aftermath), Saigon, Styles P (LOX), mix-tape king Joe Budden and the legendary Kool G Rap!

Tracklisting w/production credits: 
1.) Intro (produced by Veterano)
2.) Da Livest (produced by Yes Sur)nino_bless_untold_scriptures_cover_art-1.jpg
3.) Peep Game (Freestyle)
4.) Times Are Hard f/Joe Budden (produced by Focus)
5.) My Piano (Freestyle)
6.) Means Of Survival (produced by Scram Jones)
7.) Going In (Freestyle) f/Grafh
8.) Name Dropping (produced by Sivey)
9.) 3rd Degree f/Saigon and Crooked I (produced by Scram Jones)
10.) When It Rains (Freestyle)
11.) Urban Legends (produced by Veterano)
12.) Ever So Subtle (produced by Gunz N Butter)
13.) Cause Of Influence (Nick’s Story) (produced by Veterano)
14.) Blame It On Hip-Hop (Freestyle)
15.) 4 In The Clip f/Joell Ortiz, Styles P & Kool G Rap (produced by Veterano)
16.) Bright Lights (Freestyle)
17.) Won’t Change (produced by Frado)
18.) Going In Pt.2 (Freestyle)
19.) My Story (produced by Blackout Movement)

Free-bee (and all legal) download here: Untold Scriptures

If You Don’t Know, Now You Know..

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Hip-Hop hilarity…from the verbally quick witted trio known as Ugly Duckling! (A little dated as the vid is from 2003’s Taste The Secret album. But, a classic piece of hip-hop nonetheless, that I’m sure only a handful of people have ever seen!) Enjoy: The Drive Thru

And if you don’t know, now you know..

I Know You Gonna Dig This #7

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

Ain’t no music like free music (Shotgun Fam y’all know what’s up!) - See what Domination Recordings has in store:

Arsun F!st - 4-Gotten Coconut$ EP

1. Ticky-Ticky BOOM (skit)
2. Manchester United prod. by Fatman & Tropicalarsunfistep.jpg
3. Good Curses (skit)
4. Hip-Hop feat. Ayyo of Watson’s Grocery Prod. by The Unknown
5. I never meant… Prod. by J-DILLA

6. Sex in cans (skit)
7. Can a good dude cut too? Prod. by The Unknown
8. Freaky ish (skit)
9. Choppy Fiction feat. Choppy Chope Sounds Prod. by Choppy Chope Sounds

Free-bee download here: 4-Gotten Coconuts

Jon  Wayne  ”self-titled” mix-tape (no, not The Duke the ill-kid from Spacebound)

1. Cake (ft. ???) — Prod. by ???
2. The Future (ft. AVI) — Prod. by Josh Gjonwaynemix11.jpg
3. Overstand (ft. Trevor) — Prod. by Josh G
4. 1984 — Prod. by Flying Lotus
5. Lo-Key — Prod. by Bill
6. Don’t Move — Prod. by Yona
7. How Now Brown Cow — Prod. by 00Genesis
8. Pacifist — Prod. by Patch Lunch
9. What’s Wrong? — Prod. by The A3
10. Monstrosity — Prod. by Breakface
11. P.B. & Jon — Prod. by 00Genesis
12. Random Verse Snippet — Prod. by AVI
13. Tater Tots (ft. AVI) — Prod. by AVI
14. Just Another Rap Song — Prod. by JustAnotherDJ
15. Pee Wee Just Farted! — Prod. by 00Genesis
16. Definition of FRESH
a. Smooth Fresh — Prod. by Josh G
b. 80’s Fresh — Prod. by Riff Raff
c. No Fresh — Prod. by Breakface
17. Private Eyes (ft. Black Saint) — Prod. by Mozaik

Free-bee download here: Jon Wayne

WWE Wrestlemania XXIV Shotgun Roundtable Preview

Friday, March 28th, 2008

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Time to shoot on the granddaddy of them all. This time Birdsong sits in and gives his obviously pro-Hulk Hogan rhetoric on this year’s Wrestlemania. (Actually, that’s not true. This is the first time I’ve read something of his for more than 5 minutes were the big yellow-and-red cheese isn’t mentioned, and that’s not Captain Marvel either.)

Anyway, here’s the opening question for the roundtable: will Floyd Mayweather’s involvement in Wrestlemania help WWE recoup his $20 million price tag?

Jonathan Birdsong: Buyrates go up in general when it comes to Wrestlemania. In theory this is a good card, so depending on the performances I imagine DVD sales of this show will be up too. It has the potential to be GREAT, but in the same breath it also has the potential to be mediocre. There’s nobody from the International scene (Japan/Mexico) wrestling on the card, so we’re not really seeing anything new here. $20 mil, recoup…smells like Jay Leno and Karl Malone in WCW all-over again. There will be budget-cuts come Summer Slam!

The Russ: I’m not sure how much money Donald Trump made last year, but did he really do anything to help sell the show besides show up on video every so often on Raw? They didn’t even do anything on The Apprentice with any cross-promotion. At least Mayweather is heavily involved in doing appearances and physically getting involved on Raw, and his name gets a lot of run on the sports talk shows, which is WWE’s target demographic. But, you’re right… Wrestlemania is traditionally the end of WWE’s fiscal year, and April is generally when people get released. If they don’t do some Mike Tyson-like numbers, I would bet that a lot of folks will get whacked next month and they will quite rightly point the finger at this particular business decision.

(more…)

Del TheFunkyhomosapien - Eleventh Hour

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

del_170.jpg www.definitivejux.net  — $$$

Though his solo-releases have been scattered throughout the years, its a rarity for Del to “guest-spit” flows with even liked-minded emcees. More hiatus, than hibernation as he’s kept himself busy with the alt-rock-rap-anime group Gorillaz, his presence on the mic has been certainly missed.

Making somewhat of a head-turning return with Eleventh Hour, Del joins forces with indie elite label DefJux. The pairing of Heiro and Jux (in theory) is a match-maid in hip-hop heaven as artistically both institution’s think more LEFT than Mainstream, and in today’s single-driven Ipod generation of music listeners a “dream-team” pairing such as this is exactly what’s called for.

Still very much an oddity, Del continues with a nonconformist approach to music making. With a “definitive” flare, artistically few emcees flow with as much diction, vocabulary and scholarly banter. It’s hard to believe that Del once wrecked mics and laid musical foundations with the likes of gangsta-rap pioneer Ice Cube. Not that, that’s a terrible thing to envision, however in the ever-changing world of hip-hop music–unlike his former partner in rhyme very little has changed with Del. It’s not like he’s on some new ‘tree-hugger’ shit or rappin’ off beat strictly for the purpose of being different, with Del its all about pushing the parameters of originality.

And with “originality” in mind, that might be why Eleventh Hour comes off a little uneven. Before Andre3000 rocked a pink wig, it was Del that had the monopoly on ‘peculilarness’ in hip-hop. He and company (Ladybug Mecca on guest rap and J-Zone on boards) tease, but don’t quite deliver the full-monty. Throughout Eleventh Hour’s play the listener is besieged by quirky beats and automatic flows that sound as if they all might be from out of this world. Nothing new when it comes to Del, right? And the topics Del verbally chops threw aren’t really anything new as well–the state of music (Bubble-Pop), his stake in hip-hop (Funkyhomosapien) and other personal perspectives (Situations).

However, it would appear as if Del has outgrown his own eccentricness a bit. Not to be mistaken, Del not by a long-shot is comin’ off whack here. The rhymes are still crisp, just not blistering. The sonic-background provided is an eclectic bag-of-funk that caters towards Del’s style; but Del The Funkyhomosapien is not a New Jack, and some moments on Eleventh Hour just don’t live up to the potential. Real talk, there’s not one collab on here with El-P or any other Juxes for that matter. So instead of a colossal meeting on the minds, in the mold of King Kong meets Godzilla, we’re treated to a featurette in the same vein as Freddy vs. Jason.

Pete Rock - NY’s Finest

Monday, March 10th, 2008

pete-rock.jpgwww.nature-sounds.net   - $$$(1/2)

Don’t let the hip-hop fan boy’s fizzle for a wet dream disappoint you while mulling over Pete Rock’s NY’s Finest. No, Jigga and Nas don’t make guest appearances. There’s not one vocal drop from Heavy D. There is no Mecca and the Soul Brother reunion slated on its track listing and hell, all of the emcees featured on NY’s Finest aren’t even from New York! Just in case you’re keeping track Redman and The Lords Of the Underground forever-and-a-day rep New Jersey.

But, rather than sulk in the fact of who or what’s not featured on NY’s Finest, relish in the fact that after all these years a hip-hop producer of Pete’s caliber (y’all should be jockin’ him like you jock Timbaland and Dr. Dre), still manages to reanimate the rarest vinyl with that good ole’ mixture of hip-hop knock.

Never known for his strong flow or lyrical wit (its always kinda been about the production boards with Pete), NY’s Finest boasts appearances from a few heavy-hitters in the mic game, albeit on the mixtape circuit/underground tip, coming in the form of Papoose and Little Brother. There are collab’s on here that make perfect sense and sound twice as nice, as the Wu (Raekwon and Masta Killa) rep lovely on the up-tempo “PJ’s;” and from the ‘this should have happened a long time ago’ file, Styles P and Sheek Louch of The Lox’s strap on their timb’s and come with tight flows on the ruff-n-rugged “914.”

Pete really goes into John Walsh mode, finding milk-cartoned emcees Royal Flush (”Questions”) and a all but forgotten songstress Renee Neufville (of Zhane fame) to add to the album’s sonic output. But perhaps NY’s biggest surprise comes in the form of a collabo with Dipset members Jim Jones and Max B on “We Roll.” Bolstering a more tolerable boom-bap flow than his normal ’swag-rap,’ Jim Jones actually shows some dexterity over a jazzy horn-heavy feel-good instrumental. (Listen here: “We Roll”)

So yeah, maybe we don’t get to hear the Black Republicans drop a jewel like its 94′ again on NY’s Finest. However, full credit still goes to the Soul Brother. What NY’s Finest lacks in ’star-power’, it makes up in substance and verve.  If Pete can string together compilations like this on a regular, (at the same time make a rap from Jim Jones listen friendly) maybe the fan boys’ will get a little closer to seeing that dream fulfilled. Definitely less deferred.

I Know You Gonna Dig This #6

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

Back again, for the first time…with mo’ heat than a lil bit! (damn, we’re so old school!)

Introducing Mr. James Pants! sth2187cd.jpgGoing from fresh-as-a-fish intern to the new “it” guy of independent music has been one heck of a ride for this smarty Pants! How’d it all happen? A chance meeting (at a high school prom of all places) with Stone Throw’s label head Peanut Butter Wolf and *poof* JP’s first album Welcome is a reality. Checkout the electro-meets disco-80’s-groove medling style for yourself on the free-bee single, KA$H.

Majik Most: A track by Majik Most is about as funny as an episode of Family Guy. (Real Talk) And Majik’s latest web offering off his You Got Jokes LP most certainly follows suit. Peep the Johnny Carson show sample on, The Tonight Show.

Other Side Of The South: What do you get when you blend two-osotsmixcd-cover.jpghandfuls of Southern flavored underground heat, the mix-stylings of one DJ Y-Not and the emcee skills of the extra-ordinary Supastition all into one? One helluva musical ride! Other Side Of The South (or OSOTS for short) not only features two hip-hop dynamo’s in DJ Y-Not and Supastition givin’ it there all, but also a royal guess list of ‘down south rappers’ that ain’t even thinkin’ twice about tryin’ to do the Souljaboy dance! And that’s word to Lord Jazz—hit me one time (make it funky!) Download all the goodness here: OSOTS

I Know You Gonna Dig This #5

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

The Mother-Brains over at Domination Recordings ain’t playin’ around this year! Why? Well, if you’ve read that last few “I Know You Gonna Dig’s,” you’ve been privy to there 2008 sonic-assault!! Yeah, its that deep–and they aim to please, or at least make a lasting impression–with yet another round of FREE MUSIC downloads. But yo, the quality of music is ever-present, so don’t trip cause its free….some of the best things in life are free. And that’s word to Ms. Jackson!! (if ya nasty)

Saint and Muneshine remix Jay-Z’s “American Gangster”: What movie was more bootlegged than ‘American Gangster’ in 2007? Reflect on that for a minute and then answer me this—what album has been remixed more than Jay-Z’s recent classic of the same name?jayzsaintmuneshinefrontcover.jpg Check out/Download: The Resident Remixes

 

 

 

ST/MIC “Life’s Work” album sampler: Just might be ‘pre-dating’ myself here, but I remember when street-team cats would hand-out album samplers/cassette singles/promo’s after m_b0cbf0d16c3a3ad45a552abc45f33e1c.jpgthe club let out. For an artist it was good way to get the name out there, before the album dropped. ST/MIC stick to that same formula, albeit with a digital twist: “Life’s Work” 

Forthcoming album features Distruck, TAMU, Dutchmassive and (the one and only) Jazz Addixx.

Can the Ladies Get Some?: Hip-Hop Artist (with an emphasis on the word Artist), Stacy Epps makes like ice cream and Root Beer (but definitely with a smoother taste) with her latest single, “Floatin’”.   Track produced by APEX and its smoother than peanut butter…m_3e16b1717212ea565a7d09ef4927d858.jpg  

One To Grow On: ST/MIC get glutinous with their charity with anotha free-bee mix, chopped-upchoicecutcover11.jpg and sliced by DJ Skruff. “Timeless Daimyo Choice Cuts” Vol. 1 features ST/Mic, Jazz Addixx, Primo The Cinematic, Bliss, Ollie Ox Grill and a host of Domination Recording affiliates. Check for the track ‘Marijuanalounge.’ One guess on what the song is about:Timeless Daimyo Coice Cuts Vol. 1 Download  

I Know You Gonna Dig This #4

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Since the turn of the New Year, the “major” hip-hop releases have left somethin’ to be desired. I mean it’s gotten so bad, I’ve been bumpin’ old Mic Geronimo and Doobie Brother’s records. Anywho, thank the Lord for the underground–peep the goodness:

Domination Recording artist and Chi-town representative, Coscosmogalactus_theappetizer.jpgmo Galactus serves up the “Appetizer” ; a mix-tape prelude (if you will) to his upcoming Domination Recording LP Hunger Strike. Sounds like dude has thing for digestive themes(???)

The Wise(n) Rhymer: 

Not to be outdone–yet another Domination Recording artist hands out a few freebees, as Praverb the Wyse (gotta luv the spelling, right!) makes his latest mix-tape “The Gospel Is Free” available for gospelfront21.jpgdownload. (And what do you know its free!!) Mix features Praverb’s take/lyrics over contemporary hits and features fellow mic-mashers Billybo, JC Rymez and Change. Check for Praverb’s official debut Center Of Attention coming soon.

The One Man Army returns!

If One Be Lo’s ‘next-up’ effort, The R.E.B.I.R.T.H is anything like his last (the relatively slept-on classic from a few years back S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M) then the hip-hop sonic drought should be over! Check out: “Gray” and judge for yourself!

And one to grow on…

Queens, N.Y. emcee and graphic artist Bisc 1 will be taking the plunge into the sound game with his ‘official freshmen’ release, When Electric Nights Fall. (Sounds like a title for a great poem!) Not bisc1_cover350.jpgnecessarily a newjack in the game, as Bisc has held down on the art direction tip for a number of well-known indie’s (Aesop Rock, Murs, C-Rayz-Walz), and like every other rapper in this world his 07′ mix-tape, The Stay Up Project has made its rounds…

But even with all of that, the folks over at indie hip-hop label, Embedded Music are givin’  Bisc 1 the industry co-sign! And if that’s not enough to peak yuur interest then perhaps the first single, “Turbulence” will?

P.S. I Love You!

Nah, not really..and that had to be the lamest Hillary Swank movie ever. (???) But, ya know..a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do–especially when the better half is pickin’ the movie. But, I digress–one mo’ freebee to keep y’all amped: Clan Destined feat. Laws “Older and Wiser.”

One Be Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

One Be Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. (Retro-Hop)

http://www.fatbeats.com/ - $$$$(1/2)

As a prominent fixture within hip-hop’s underground, One.Be.Lo has always left one-be-lo.jpglisteners wanting more. Recording under the assumed name One Man Army, along with longtime collaborator, Senim Silla, the two formed the critically acclaimed group Binary Star. Hailing from the Detroit/Pontiac area of Michigan, Binary Star reached its pinnacle rocking shows with the likes of Slum Village and Eminem. After years of sharing stage time with such accomplished acts, it wasn’t until late-2000 with the debut of their full-length album Waterworld, that Binary Star finally realized ‘the props’ that every emcee salivates over. Waterworld, went on to receive regional and ‘underground’ praise but its success never quite matriculated onto a mainstream level. The group’s subsequent split further delayed One.Be.Lo’s plans of becoming a more established fixture within hip-hop music.

Having to tweak his vision from burgeoning group to up-and-coming solo artist, in-between time One.Be.Lo has supplied a solid, however infrequent body of work. Finally catching the ‘ears’ of one of independent hip-hop’s most talked-about labels–Fat Beats Records, he sets out to get even more ‘props’ with S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.

S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’s blueprint is flawlessly executed. With Fat Beats ‘purist’ stamp of approval and production handled by Decompoze, sonically the listener is treated to a plate of “jazz meets hip-hop” styled beats. Categorically, his music is a bit bohemian in nature, but the essence is old-school inspired. As for lyrics, its One.Be.Lo’s clever rhyme schemes and witty punchlines on tracks like, ‘Back On The Scene’ that stimulates on an intellectual level.  Provided with a certain bombastic bounce, One.Be.Lo takes it back to 88′ with a battle inspired flow on, ‘Follow My Lead’ .  Everyday man themes of emotions and addictions are discussed as ‘True Love’ speaks on matters concerning the heart, as well as things we “think” we love as ‘Can’t Get Enough’ tackles the trials of materialism.

He’s definitely an emcee that isn’t afraid to make a statement or take stance. Nor is he apprehensive on showing his more personal/vulnerable side as he does on ‘The Future.’ Letting invigorating subject matter be the driving force behind the album, very candidly he addresses the problems within the Black community on cuts like ‘Axis,’ a position he again very starkly explores on ‘The Ghetto’. Still, making S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. somewhat of a soapbox affair, the very up-beat ‘Sleepwalking’ and the pitfall story of the dope game on ‘Decepticons’ further distinguish him from the normal standard-fare rappers of today.

As complimentary as it may be to plainly dismiss S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. as a collection of jazz-inspired tunes that hearken the early 1990s rap music’s renaissance, truly limits what One.Be.Lo has accomplished with this release. Giving full credit (or ‘props’) where it’s due, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. could easily be intermingled and debated upon amongst the classics of that era. From a present day purist perspective, very few rappers–even in the underground–put more emotion into a record. Aside from his personal perspective, conceptually One.Be.Lo does not cover any new territory. However, one would be hard pressed to find such a dynamic and diverse amount of material on one album. The themes of love, hate, fear, joy, anger, life, death, politics, religion and time all play a part into making the record a worthy listen. Multidimensional in his delivery and possessing an equally expansive subject matter that hits on multiple levels, One.Be.Lo gives an outstanding performance.

I Know You Gonna Dig This #3

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007

With soooo much music currently flooding the market, I tell ya it’s just like Christmas! Oh wait..it is Christmas! Well, without further delay, here’s some Holiday MP3 goodies from ya boi Capt. Westside:

Big Noyd - “Things Done Changed” ft. Kira Off the Noyd’s latest noyd.jpgproject titled, Illustrations. Executived produced by noneother than Lil Fame of M.O.P.! (Fiyahh!!) Well all be damned, Lil Fame gettin’ his muscial mogul on! Watchout Puff..

 

Amy Winehouse - Has been all up in the news this year–I mean that gal seemingly channeled negative energy in 2007. But, unlike truth-soul.jpgtabloid media, the Lyrical Lounge does not make a habit of gettin’ into folks ‘biddness’ like that. With us its all about the music and the pure entertainment value that it can potentially bring. Blah, blah, yeah I know, get to the point - Remix guru’s and jazzy appreciators Truth and Soul took a minute to mash things up a bit on A Dubs latestest single, “Love Is A Losing Game”  Straight vintage yo!

Guilty Simpson - Ahhh man! Can an emcee have a better name! I gs.jpgmean its clever, tip-toes the boundaries of good/bad taste and prolly pisses a few people the hell off! Oh, and the dude can rhyme! Checkout the grimy: “Getting Riches” off the Ode To Ghetto album..

 

Junk Science - A truly odd couple–(I mean they gotta record titled Gran Dad’s Nerve Tonic for goodness sake) are back at it again, this timejunkpuritytestb-01.jpg around they raise the spirit of Tom Cruise (minus the coach jumping) and drop an ode to those who are fed up with their 9 to 5’s on “Jerry McGuire.” Funny stuff..

 

Musab - Hiero affiliate (Westssside!) trumps everybody on the freebie tip!! As he delivers not one, not two, but three MP3’s off his album Slick Box. mo-slick-box.jpgAnd the dude got more sides than a value meal at KFC. Muslam, father, pimp! Thats gotta be the rap-personae triumvirate. Guess it ain’t called the season of giving for nothing, peep: “Baang”; “Hat and Shoes”; and “Kool Aid (Gettoe Juice)”   Thanks Mo!