Metal Lungies

Over a year ago, blogger god (bloggod?) Noz pointed out how up-and-coming solo MCs appear less and less willing to go the group route to establish themselves, and everybody wants to jump ahead and be the next somebody, or the first themselves. A year later, and it’s the same shit, different toilet. For every unsigned MC who’s trying to grind his way (nh) to a record contract, there’s a signed MC who has a finished album collecting dust because their label doesn’t know how to market them, be they a part-time HBO star whose waited over 12 months for a sample to clear, or the next big thing out of N.Y. whose lead single has a Snoop Dogg feature. [Were those blatant enough for you? To answer my own question, yes. And I’m not trying to hate either, just stating facts.]

Strong Arm Steady’s Deep Hearted serves as an experiment in this forgotten path to hip hop respectability. SAS (and I’m not talking about those British dudes in DipSet) have been a topic of discussion at ML for a little while now, and with the release of their debut LP this week on Nature Sounds, they take their next step in advancing their movement that has been many years, and many mixtapes, in the making.

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True, stealing is dangerous.

Since beginning law school last week (which has been both fun and overwhelming), I mentioned that I’d only be around to post when I was in a “posting sort of mood”. Such things that get me into that mood include:

• seeing basketball players make cameos in rap videos
• unexpectedly receiving a promotional copy of a CD that I had been interested in hearing (check for a review tomorrow — and it is not related to the 2-headed monster that is Kanyurtis)
• feeling as if I’ve been slighted by someone with more power than me

On the front page of AllHipHop.com, they are promoting a new blog series called “Gumsole Beatdowns“, in which they present a brief bio of a famed producer, followed by a list of some of his best productions. I emphasized certain words in that sentence because, here at ML, we’ve had our own blog series for a little while now called “Beat Drop“, in which we present a brief bio of a famed producer, followed by a list of some of his best productions.

In AHH’s first installment, they discuss DJ Premier, and start it off with a brief anecdote about Common’s lyric on “The People”, where he says that he’s found “the new Primo”. In ML’s Beat Drop on DJ Premier (which was done over a month ago), we started off with… well, you probably know where I’m going with this. At least they didn’t pick all the same songs as us, although, that could also be reason to believe that our post had some sort of influence on theirs.

Now, I’ll admit to being a little sensational in what I’m writing here. I certainly have no proof that our “Beat Drop” series influenced their “Beatdowns” series, I certainly can’t claim to be the first person to express outrage over Common crowning Kanye “the new Primo”, and I most definitely can’t claim to be have come up with the idea that offering audio of some of a well-respected producer’s greatest works would make for a great post.

But, since there’s no copyrighting in blogging, and it’s certainly possible that AHH (a site with a huge readership) is generously borrowing an idea from ML (a site with 4 readers… and growing!), then I’m simply going to present it as a possibility, and let y’all take it as you wish. I’m not going to sign up for an account on AHH and post comments about how I feel like I’ve been slighted, but I’m also not going to tell any of our dedicated readers — yes, I’m talking to all 4 of you — that they shouldn’t do as much.

On a brighter note, our next Beat Drop is focused on the one-and-only Pete Rock, and should be up on the site in the next week or so. And, on that note, be sure to check for AHH’s Beatdown on Pete Rock next month. I kid because I love hate.

Respect to The Basketball Jones, the greatest podcast known to man — at least, until (oops!) unless ML gets its own podcast — for pointing out the cameo appearances of NBA players Corey Maggette and Baron Davis in Common’s new video for “Drivin’ Me Wild” (I would’ve missed it otherwise as I wasn’t really digging this song, although the video is helping it grow on me a little).

Corey’s appearance comes up as Common rhymes about a female who thinks she’s bagged a “ball player for the Clippers” (the team C-Mags plays for). As for Lord Baron, well, he’s clearly not new to this rap shit. So, these NBA player cameos aren’t all that “random” (not like, say, Jeremy “Ari Gold” Piven mean-mugging the camera). You know what is random, though? Jalen Rose’s appearance in Styles P’s video for “Good Times (I Get High)”… (at the 2:41 and 3:06 marks)

Not random because it’s Jalen Rose — after all, he did pop up for a quick second in the video for “We Gon’ Make It” — but random because he’s behind turntables with headphones on, looking as if he’s (*gasp*) DJing! Maybe Jalen’s actually got some turntable skills on the low, or perhaps his appearance is just meant to fit the theme of the video, with SP seeing things while he’s blazed. Shit, I can’t recall the number of times I’ve hit up a party, under the influence of something-or-other, and thought to myself, “Am I losing it or is that Jalen Rose on the 1s and 2s?”

One aspect about the album “faceoff” between Kanye and 50 that hasn’t been talked about is that they both have charity foundations. There is the Kanye West foundation and then there is 50’s G-Unity foundation. We think Kanye’s (which boasts only one celebrity on its Board of Directors, Aisha Tyler & has a much more polished website) wins simply because who would trust a foundation with Tony Yayo on its board of directors??  In all seriousness, props to both foundations for trying to do something positive from their powerful positions.

Following up ML Reader Safari’s comment in the Homecoming Entry, he tipped us off to something. Homecoming uses a verse from a 2002 track called Home Kanye did with John Legend. Recycled verses are kind of a bummer (but Kanye did it on his last album too using his Wack Niggas verse on Bring Me Down). We should’ve known something was odd when we remembered a good amount of the song after about 1 listen (we were big on Get Well Soon eons ago). In the big picture of things we still like Homecoming more than Home. Kanye sounds better, Chris Martin fits in better than John Legend, and the beat is more hypnotizing.

Anyway, check the original.

Kanye West ft. John Legend-Home (off the Get Well Soon mixtape) 

It’s been wayyyy to long since our last Diggin. I had to throw this one up real quick for you. One of the many unique things Outkast have pulled off, making No Doubt listenable to a hip-hopper. Check the vintage Killer Mike.

No Doubt Ft. Outkast & Killer Mike- Hey Baby (Stank Remix).

Photo credit: ViewImages.

Yes I’m man enough to admit I read TMZ almost as much as I read ESPN. Any who these 2 things from today leave me hella puzzled.

Ok being a Mixtape DJ is cool, I knew you could be modeling for karmaloop & LRG. But writing introspective R&B songs for Akon, amazing. This is like Funkmaster Flex writing for 112 or some shit.

Then there is this (don’t sift through the pics)..Floyd Mayweather is going to be on Dancing With The Stars? Is this the new jump roping for boxers?

I wonder what Royce thinks.

Kanye West Ft. Chris Martin-Homecoming (via SDSU via CnK). Chris Martin steps up his hip-hop performance from Jay-Z’s Beach Chair. This was just played 30 consecutive times here in the ML Dungeon. If you aren’t looking forward to Graduation you lost.

I somehow manage to sleep on this. This is Bloodraw’s (of USDA) single off his Def Jam debut with Young Buck & the FAMU Marching Band. This should be a theme song when you enter a church in the south (religious people: I’m only jkin).

Bloodraw Ft. Young Buck-26 Inches.

Thanks to Future Stars. Pic Credit.

Big moves comin.

Wow, who would think Screamfest would be such a spectacle?