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Back of hiatus just to tell you big things are in the works. Green Street’s new cd Chess Moves is coming real soon so make sure you download that at http://www.greenstreet.blogspot.com
I promise you won’t be disappointed. I heard some exclusives, A-Live is a beast on the mic and Renaissance gonna have your head noddin as usual.
In the mean time, while you wait for that album, here’s some crazy ish to keep you busy. Yaaaaaah buddy.
Make sure you check for that album for more craziness.
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Yao, I’ma keep this one short cause the video is gonna do all the talking, but all I really want to say is congratulations to the group Malado from On Trak Ent. and my man A-Live from Green Street.
They put on a really good fucking show at Umass Amherst’s 2009 Battle of the Bands, and they’re opening for Lupe Fiasco at Umass on May 3rd!!
Of course BnH was there with the footage. Enjoy.
-Pops
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Yo Bars n Hooks was in the lab with A-Live from Green Street and Dabbs, Miami’s most talented MC/producer. You already know this post is gon end with something fucking incredible.
Basically it went down like this: Dabbs hooked it up with an absolute heat-rocker. He gave A the beat from his joint “Alien,” and we could tell some crazy shit was bout to go down, cause Dabbs is a good MC, but i bet alotta ya’ll didn’t know the beats are RIDIC!!! So I’m stop talking and just let this lil video do the talking. Give make sure you give due credit to Dabbs n A-Live for…well…for their dopeness I guess.
Stay up. 1. Holla. hahaha.
-Pops
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In 2008, rappers had to step up there swagger (swag for short). This trend looks as if it will continue throughout 2009.
What does the emergence of swag mean for Hip-Hop culture? Flashier clothes, crazier slang, excessive consumption, and more boasting.
Before there was swag, everybody just had their own style, and yes there is a difference between the two. Swagger is style on steroids, or better yet, swag is style on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.
Style is simply defined as “the manner in which one does something.” So in the age before swagger, people used to have to get to know you and your style. But now in the Year of the Swag, the Swaggered out cool kids have already put their confident style out there for you to observe before you get to know them.
Swag is like stye advertised; being marketed to a young consumer population looking to buy into a person. Swag is in your face. Swag is me putting my style on a billboard for all to see. It’s excessive, arrogant, and in your face. Personally I hope swagger dies in 09.
The whole swag thing strikes me as insincere. I wanna ask the swaggerific people, “Why are you trying so hard to impress people?” The reason it’s insincere is because it seems like sometimes people sacrifice their own personal style in order to create a swag that other people will buy into.
Personally I’m not buying into it. I rock the same Nikes, jeans, and hoodies that all the most swag-tacular peeps are wearing, but those of us with style don’t feel compelled to remind you all every 10 seconds that my new Levis sit prettily atop my Supras. Being true to yourself has always been classy, and if people don’t buy into that, fuck em.
-Pops
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Been busy, ya’ll know how it is. Between school, work, keepin it real in the streets, and making it rain every weekend at the laundromat have taken its toll on my communication with the hip-hop world. I’ma keep this short cause I’m sure you guys are busy typing your 2-ways while charging your cell…or some shit.
Also I present to you Funk Fada Trunk…It’s just a little 30 minute mix of some songs that you can bump in the whip/crib if you just want to throw on some beats and entertain ya homies. This is good for the fellas and chicks. Just click the link and you can listen and download if you want, ENJOY!
So I’ve already argued my case that hip hop isn’t dead in the “Hip-Hop’s Resurgence” post, but there is a different problem. Hip-Hop has turned evil. Being a philosophy student, the concepts of good and evil are important to me, but hell (no pun) good and evil are important to everyone for heaven’s sake (damn I’m killin em A).
Hip-Hop seems to have fallen into vice and state of ethical disrepair, but allow Popsates to break it all down and lay down a path for hip-hop to be good again. So naturally we qualify things by their ability to carry out their function.
Take the rapper for example. We have the rapper and the good-rapper, with the only difference being that the good-rapper performs his function, rapping, good.
So let’s take hip-hop now and now see what its function is so we can figure out how it can be good. I think Hip-Hop’s function is to make and provide music pertaining to urban lifestyles and trends.
Next we gotta identify the virtues through which Hip-Hop can perform its functions in the most excellent way. Let’s say these virtues are Creativity, Sincerity of Lyrics, Versatility, Practical DJing, Moderation. These are the Cardinal Virtues of Hip-Hop, but not the only virtues (of course there are others like Catchiness and Thuggishness.)
Let’s define the virtues real quick cause I know aybody getting bored with this college lecture bullshit.
Creativity- What does the artist bring to the table that is different than other artists out there. Or what can the artist do that is different from what he/she has already done. Without Creativity the game is just the same boring old shit.
Sincerity of Lyrics- This could also be honesty of lyrics. This virtue applies to the relationship between the artist’s reality and the lyrics. Best case: The rapper’s reality is in complete agreement with the lyrics. I think as long as the lyrics are within a reasonable distance of reality, then they are good. But saying things like you need 5000 a day to survive is just retarded Rick Ross.
Versatility – This is simply variation of flows and song types. Nobody wants to hear all club songs all the time, or all gangsta freestyles. This virtue involves mixing up whatever the artist has in his/her repertoire. Club songs, conscious songs, anthems, etc.
Moderation- Excess and deficiency destroy everything, including these virtues. Therefore it is important to be moderate. For example, an example of excess Sincerity of Lyrics would be something like “On the cell bout to put the hit out/ hadda pause quick to squeeze a shit out/” Nobody wants to hear that shit, or about you bargain hunting online for used rims to throw on the ole ’92 Civic.
Practical DJing Wisdom- Maybe I’m a little biased about this one, but probably not. DJ’s have always been instrumental to getting the music to the people. Let’s say this virtue involves playing Hip-Hop so that is appeases a broad and diverse fan base. Inevitably this needs a sort of moderation because too much T-Pain and Akon causes bitchassness and too much Wu-Tang makes the bitches scatter.
Thats my philosophic treatise on Hip-Hop for the time being. Enjoy the music too.
-Pops
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Ok so since I’ve been suspended from WTBU, I’m bringing you….(drum roll pleease)…the Bars n Hooks online edition aka websiode bka podcast. Sorry if that sounded nerdy; I tried to avoid it. I’m bout to head out to the airport and fly down to gorgeous Miami (shout out to Dabbs and Corleone records!! Keep an eye out for Dabbs and an exclusive interview with BnH), but as a departing gift I give you episode one.
The shows are gonna be about half an hour for you ADD bastids. I put it on Limelinx, so you guys can listen to it or download, or listen to it then download it, or download it and listen to it. Do whatever the fuck you want with it.
Bars N Hooks I
Here’s the rundown for the show.
1.Bars n Hooks Intro – Green Street
2. Paranoid (remix) – Kanye West ft. Big Sean
3. Ayyoooo – Mickey Factz
4. Get Up Again – Stat Quo
5. My Own Steps – T-Pain
6. Iwannabe – Musiq ft. Damian Marley
7. Grey Hairs – Reks
8. Talkin About You – Statik Selektah ft. Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, Talib Kweli
9 Pot of Gold – Wale
10. Get Fresh – Kid Sister
Enjoy…LEAVE FEEDBACK.
-Pops
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It’s been too long, my fault. I was about to make some excuses, but then I was reading my dude’s blog over at thewholedelivery.com (make sure you check that out) and he posts like everyday. He even posted on Christmas….3 TIMES!! And I’ve only got like half a post, so Bars n Hooks is starting with a clean slate and we gonna do it right.
Speaking of Bars N Hooks…aybody’s favorite DJ will not be returning for the Spring 09. The man tryna keep me down; I’ve been suspended. I might be back in the fall of 2009, either way in the spirit of hip-hop we gonna keep the show going. I’m gonna broadcast the show online, right here on this site. I’m not sure how frequently yet, so pop in every once in a while for updates.
Ite now that we got that business out of the way. Let’s talk Hip-Hop. Nas started the Hip-Hop is dead campaign in 06, but HIP-HOP LIVES IN 2008!! A lot of good albums came out this year, there’s a lot of legitimate young talent right now, and overall the future looks bright for 2009.
Let’s focus on what went down in 2008, particulary the albums you need to have and the new talent you have to check.
Actually before I get into all…. I know I left out some joints, so here’s a quick honorable mention list:
Scarface – Emeritus
Lil Wayne – The Carter III
T-Pain – Thr33 Rings
Elzhi – The Preface
TI – Paper Trail.
Also I got a little list of some of the game’s hottest prospects. Their name all have links to each artists myspace page.
Albums/Mixtapes.
- Statik Selektah – Stick 2 the Script
- Wale – A Mixtape About Nothing
Illa J - Yancey Boys
Nas - Untitled
Illa J - Yancey Boys
Nas - Untitled
Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
The Game - LAX
Black Milk - Tronic
Dwele - Sketches of a Man
Jake One - White Van Music
Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
Downloads for you knotty headed suckas! (Wale Mixtape dl is with the picture above)
Joe Budden Mood Muzik 3
Joe Budden - Halfway House
10 Deep/ DJ Benzi - The New Deal
Mickey Factz - The Leak Volume I: The Understanding
Drake - Heartbrake Drake
Marsha Ambrosius - Yours Truly
That’s all I got for you guys and 2008. I’ll see ya’ll in 2009 with a much improved Bars n Hooks. Shout out to A-Live, Ren, Dabbs, Wild Man, P. Funk, Tyson, and any of the other 3 people that read this.
Pops.
Yaaaaooo, my president is black….ish. The whole race aspect of Obama’s election is absolutely stunning, and I give him props. He hasn’t done anything as a president yet, and hopefully he can be as successful a president as he was as a campaigner. I wasn’t expecting a man of color to be our nation’s leader at this stage in my life, and I’m not sure if our generation appreciates it as much as some older generations, but regardless, everyone understands the significance.
The craziest aspect of this past election was how Obama became a fashion icon in a sense. Obama shirts sold like crazy at many “Urban clothing stores.” His campaign also inspired quite a few hip-hop songs from artists like Nas, Trick Daddy, and Will.i.am. It’ll be interesting to see what impact he has on hip-hop especially when politics is often infused with the music in a negative way, with artists often criticizing our country’s leadership.
Speaking of impact on hip-hop, let’s talk about Green Street. They might not be the easiest on the eyes, but luckily they put out good music. Yah I said it.
The group is comprised of one half A-Live (left) on the mic and one half Renaissance (right) taking care of the beats. It’s not quite fair to call Green Street a group….more like a soulful movement. I’m convinced with their talent they can do anything, hip-hop, jazz, soul, and probably some electronica if they really felt like hookin it up.
Real talk though, A-Live and Ren are both what we like to call “Ill Dudes,” so if you aren’t already moving with the movement, you fuckin up son. Make sure you check out their blog and myspace, conveniently located in my links section…and also in this post.
Be sure to check out those two sites, stay tuned for their music on Bars n’ Hooks (including the Bars n’ Hooks intro song). Hopefully I can get these guys to come in and do another show with us. Ite ya’ll.
-Pops
Yo aybody listen up! I got great news: HIP HOP IS NOT DEAD. Unfortunately, radio and BET have died for the most part, or at the very best they are both in vegetative states waiting for somebody to euthanize them.
Hip-hop on the other hand has a future. It’s not dead, but cryogenically frozen. I hate to make a Star Wars reference cause I know thats not whats poppin in the streets right now, but it’s fitting.
Remember when Han Solo was cryo-frozen in The Empire Strikes Back? Of course. Then he comes back in Return of the Jedi and helps nail the Death Star. Hip-hop has a few gun-slingers creepin up to stop all this nonsense that started with awful Akon hooks ad-nauseum and hopefully ends with Plies shitty chick-targeted singles.
The two premier rappers are my boy WALE reppin DC and BLU coming from Los Angeles.
As far as I know Wale has been on the scene for the past few years, and the dudes brings it all to the table. He’s got energy, content, witty lyrics, and a ton of mainstream pop appeal. His style is kinda like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco combined. He’s got a lot of…although I can’t stand this word…swag.
Wale – Breakdown
Wale- W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
Blu also spits with a lot of energy and passion. His flow is ridiculous, and his content deals with everyday life as a regular dude. He reminds me of Common, but with a more energetic flow.
“but for me it’s even harder, cuz I ain’t got a car to pick them up in
some chicks already think they put enough in
plus I’m kind of cute so it’s hard for them to trust him
asking what I’m doing every night like I be screwing every night, what?”
Blu – Blu Colla Worka
These guys are the future of hip-hop. I encourage you guys to check out their music. Tomorrow, I’m gonna post up some links to some Wale mixtapes and Blu’s Below the Heavens.
-Pops
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As I have promised, I have this past Wednesdays show available for download. I had to split it up into three parts, but enjoy. I’m going to try to find a better way to archive the shows, but we just gonna keep it low budget for now.
http://www.zshare.net/download/50769288fcd25081/ Part 1 of 3
http://www.zshare.net/download/50771279f630fe5e/ Part 2 of 3
http://www.zshare.net/download/5077150956b08ba3/ Part 2 of 3
-Pops
"It's not the wack joints ya used to" 