Hip-Hop « Metal Lungies

Ashanti Beat Jacks: A Retrospective

15 Aug, 2007 4 Comments

Over the Years Ashanti (more her producer Irv Gotti) has ripped the beats off a good many classic rap tracks for her songs. Now, I know a lot of other artists do this too. But Ashanti does it a lot. A lot. Some examples.

Ashanti- Foolish:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAPOtmqio1k&eurl=[/youtube]

Notorious B.I.G. (One More Chance Remix):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHDRkO_UmXY&eurl=[/youtube]

Thats kind of an easy one. Lets Step it Up.

Ashanti- Baby:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMI2d4HaFRQ&eurl=[/youtube]

Scarface- Mary Jane:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB5hZUvNiVk&eurl=[/youtube]

Damn! She even jacked the video!!!! Wow. Lets Move on….

Ashanti- Rain on Me:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfXN9JCiv-M&eurl=[/youtube]

Jay-Z- Can I Live:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC7MJ8l73SQ&eurl=[/youtube]

I mention those because Irv Gotti produced both songs. Back when he produced Can I Live he was known as DJ Irv. They both sample The Look of Love by Isaac Hayes. Moving on…..

Ashanti feat. Black Child- Breakup 2 Makeup (Remix):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIjWo24wZe8&eurl=[/youtube]

Notorious B.I.G.- Dreams (Just Playin’):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4cYoDVRB9E&eurl=[/youtube]

That Ashanti video kinda started out like the Video for the Flava in Ya Ear Remix. I didn’t think you could make a sucessful RnB song with a song about raping RnB singers. And you can’t. Moving on…

Ashanti Feat. Paul Wall and Method Man- Still on It:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ity9YwE_QQI&eurl=[/youtube]

Masta Ace Inc.- Born To Roll:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjxBPZfvEdE&eurl=[/youtube]

I gotta thank MTV Jams for that last one. I knew that Ashanti song was taking a great old song, but it was on the tip of my tounge. They played these back to back and it was awesome.

So thats it for now. But Ashanti is working on a new album and that means there is plenty of room for some throwback beats.

No hate though. I would have never been listening to Masta Ace Inc. after all these years if it wasn’t for her.

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Fresh in my gray tee.

15 Aug, 2007 1 Comment

Good news for people who like to wear clothing — friend-of-ML and occasional commenter Peace Justice Universal (a.k.a. DJ Eurok) is selling t-shirts with the name of his blog/record label/movement, Upset The Setup, on the front in an ill design. And, if you’re not all that interested in “upsetting the setup”, the shirt also doubles as a means of showing your love for Gang Starr’s Moment Of Truth (“We grow wise…”).

Available in black-on-gray or white-on-black, only $15, and the shipping’s free. Check the above links, and PJ’s MySpace, for more details.

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Rap battles on Teleconferences? Sounds like a good contest to us.

15 Aug, 2007 1 Comment

Cassidy has a rather unique contest to promote his album B.A.R.S. You call 215-701-0998 this week and your best drop 16 Bars. Next week the same phone number will announce the 3 finalist that will battle via teleconference. If your whack or refuse to spit bars over your prepaid cell phone you can still call to vote. BTW B.A.R.S. is the name of Cassidy’s album which drops in October. It stands for the Barry Adrien Reese Story. Looks like 50 might have started a trend for rappers to use government names in album titles, oh wait Marshall did it first. Lets just hope the chronicles of Torrance Hatch (sadly, no relation to the senate OG Orrin) isn’t next.

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The Hip-Hop CNN 8.14.07

14 Aug, 2007 No Comment

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Rock The Bells, San Bernardino, CA (8/11/07) Recap.

13 Aug, 2007 9 Comments

If you were unable to make it to out this year’s Rock The Bells hip hop festival out in the boondocks of Cali better known as San Bernardino, here’s a recap to fill you in on what you missed, complete with horrible-quality pictures. The Hyundai Pavilion staff definitely called my bluff with their “No Digital Cameras” rule — I found out how easily I could’ve snuck mine in after having walked about a mile away from my car (where I left my digicam), and thus was forced to work with a disposable.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Virginia is for label politics.

13 Aug, 2007 No Comment

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIV1-ICkXow[/youtube]I’m sure by now everyone’s seen FamLay’s latest, “Da Beeper Record” featuring Pharrell, which hit the net late last week, and (according to The Fader‘s drop) is directed by Hype Williams. This is supposed to be the first single off of Fam’s debut album, Dat Missile. I say “supposed to be” because this’ll be Fam’s second attempt at hitting the jackpot that is official major label album release, after his scheduled-for-2004 debut Traintogo (a planned Star Trak/Def Jam joint venture), backed by the banger “Rock N Roll”, never made it out of the office. [Personally, I blame Lil’ Flip for getting on the remix of that song.]

This is just the latest in a string of shortcomings for VA’s underrated rap scene. The Clipse’s struggle to release Hell Hath No Fury could actually be seen as a “success” considering that their proper debut, Exclusive Audio Footage, was shelved permanently. (Remember “The Funeral”, featuring a pre-cornrowed Pusha T?) Ab-Liva, billed as “The Man That Will Be King” in the “Cot Damn” video, hasn’t popped up much outside of The Clipse’s albums. Timbaland’s Beat Club Records folded. Skillz was forced to make year-end “rap-up” records to keep a buzz going, and I’m hoping that Million Dollar Backpack goes somewhere other than down the tube.

Although Virginia MCs have shown talent, it seems that only the state’s superstar beatmakers can get a break commercially. Considering the currently-stale state of hip hop music, let’s hope that this changes for the better.

Download: Mad Skillz – “VA’s In The House”

Download: The Clipse – “Breakfast In Cairo” featuring Noreaga & Kurupt

Download: Timbaland & Magoo – “We At It Again” featuring Sebastian

Download: ~~Mad~~ Skillz – “Crew Deep (Remix)” featuring The Clipse

Download: FamLay – “Bang Bang” featuring T.I. & Scarface

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New Boot Camp Clik produced by Marco Polo.

11 Aug, 2007 2 Comments

Our boy Marco Polo continues to mess with the whole Duckdown crew. M Peezy provides 2 beats to the Boot Camp Clik compilation Causalities of War which drops next week on the 15th.

The first is some psychedelic sounding shit… My World.

Then on my personal favorite of the two I Want Mine, you picture this track as a theme song if you had a showdown with Boot Camp in a dark new york alley (that you would probably die in).

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East Meets West.

10 Aug, 2007 1 Comment

When you find out that ML is banned in your homeland, not even a trip to Mickey D’s can cheer you up.

Download: Heltah Skeltah – “Brownsville II Long Beach” featuring Dogg Pound

Download: Gang Starr – “You Know My Steez (3 Men & A Lady Remix)” featuring Lady Of Rage & Kurupt

Download: Talib Kweli – “Put It In The Air” featuring DJ Quik

Download: Cormega – “Deep Blue Seas” featuring Kurupt & Jayo Felony

Download: Nas – “Play On Playa” featuring Snoop Dogg

Download: Tha Alkaholiks – “The Next Level” featuring Diamond D

Download: Xzibit – “Eyes May Shine (Remix)” featuring Mobb Deep

Download: Tash – “Rap Life” featuring Raekwon

Download: Jurassic 5 – “A Day At The Races” featuring Percee P & Big Daddy Kane

Download: Planet Asia – “Coast To Coast” featuring Ghostface

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50 Cent, You Mad?

10 Aug, 2007 No Comment

According to Ms Info 50 Cent is hella pissed about his next single with Robin Thicke, Follow My Lead leaking because along with the Justin Timberlake track he now has 2 singles out with white singers.He is pissed mainly because he was going to have the Thicke track be his 2nd single once the album came out. I think the man should worry more about the fact his previous 3 singles did not catch on. A Timberlake or Thicke collabo draws in the same exact crowd, so no it’s no big deal. Anyway, Curtis is probably going to be the least anticipated album this year that we (and most people) hear this year.