Craig G & Marley Marl - Operation Take Back Hip-Hop (Review)




Longevity and respect are key attributes for anyone aspiring to cement a legendary place in Hip-Hop’s annals. While trends continue to come and go as the culture has become driven more by image than music, there have only been a select few (Masta Ace, Ghostface, arguably Redman etc.) who started in the “golden” era and wound up maintaining artistic relevancy throughout the years. Two decades after making an indelible mark in the game and scoring numerous accolades, Juice Crew veterans Craig G & Marley Marl have set out to drop science once more with the quite self-explanatory Operation Take Back Hip-Hop.

Craig G is to be commended as a Hip-Hop vigilante of sorts with a creative execution that extends further than strictly making music about rapping, addressing various scourges that have plagued the music industry (record labels, the internet, the radio) on “Quality Work” and impressively painting a picture of cultural armageddon with “The Day The Music Died”. Song concepts are a strong suit of this project, as Craig runs down how far he’s come from petty street crime on the autobiographical lead single “Made The Change”, serves a heartfelt love letter to music and the creative process of making it with “Just What I Need” and joins forces with Cormega to launch salvos against the ubiquity of studio thugs on “War Going On”. Good intentions aside, the album heavily falters due to Marley Marl’s stale and uninspired production, with “All Seasons” sounding like a Dr. Dre knockoff and the utter abomination of “Rock Dis”, serving a blow to the legacies of the albums main attractions as well as that of the Blastmaster KRS-One.

Craig G’s heart is in the right place as Operation Take Back Hip-Hop finds him nearly desperate in attempts of fleshing out his personal definition of authenticity. Unfortunately, most of this album’s tracks simply aren’t strong enough for him to carry forth a piece that hits on all cylinders. Long time followers will likely question both Craig’s ear for beats in this day and age and how much longer he will truly matter in the ongoing fight to keep quality music prevalent.

Rating: @@@

The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale EP (Review)



Art has begun to imitate the lifestyle of those pushing creativity’s envelope as hip (hop) culture continues thriving on all things fresh and new. The term hipster has come to be derided by detractors who place a negative connotation on the word as well as those in the life who take offense to its usage, as the prescribed faction finds no fault in believing they’re simply cooler than thou. With a group name that could double as ironic or one that takes itself too serious, The Cool Kids are at the forefront of this burgeoning albeit questionable movement. After a slew of critical acclaim and media exposure, The Bake Sale EP is the group’s latest offering in lieu of their present major spotlight.

As with most of today’s retro-sounding acts, The Cool Kids can justifiably be labeled as promoting style over substance, employing a fun yet minimalist approach not unlike that of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, or Kriss Kross in their heyday. Keeping in mind that braggadocio and self-confidence are surely nothing new in rap culture, the flaunting of fashionable footwear over strange sounding bass & percussion on “One Two” isn’t readily accessible for those outside of the insular hipster demographic. While supporters of the group cheer on the novelty of paying respect to the old school (the Rick Rubin homage “88”, and the Miami bass influenced “Basement Party” ) as well as their simultaneous focus on carving a new niche (“A Little Bit Cooler”), the group never seems to stray from a facade where they’re the life of the party whose aesthetics we should all aspire towards.

Compared to the many that perpetrate and build careers around fake imagery, The Cool Kids can’t be vilified for staying true to themselves. But all the same, Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish must suffer reproach for stylistically presenting a package that likely won’t resonate with anyone who doesn’t obsess over being a part of “the in crowd”. The Bake Sale EP would serve as a fine parody of self-deluded hipsters, but as actual product it should fail to move everyday Hip-Hop consumers who find themselves unconcerned with trendy hoopla.

Rating : @@ 1/2

Decay - The Unlikely Villain mixtape

I'm tired, but since it's been a while since I've contributed anything to this place here goes.

MF Doom is my second favorite rapper of all time after Jay-Z.
Operation: Doomsday is my second favorite album of all time after Midnight Marauders.

Decay from the Uncut Raw crew (slap yourself if you slept on last year's First Toke) has put out this tribute mixtape flipping classic Doom tracks and fan favorites, in preparation for his forthcoming album The Unlikely Hero.

Download

Young H Radio - Episode 2

Link

Shoutout to the 3 people who still care.

This life shit has been kicking my ass but I hope to be back into the swing of things with more real writing soon.

In any case, a new radio show will be done this Friday

Announcement : Knock of The Week has been formally replaced by

Young H Radio

Every Friday you'll hear me playing what I want to play and saying what I want to say.

This weeks music included Che Grand, Danny!, Wale, Jean Grae, UMCs, Cormega and more

(If I wasnt so lazy I would have painted the dude's face brown in the picture above)

You can still catch me every Sunday from 1-3 on radiovolta.org as a part of The Formula and check this blog for regular writing updates. This is just me not holding back a thing, talking almost reckless and playing everything I like, hope you enjoy.

Knock Of The Week - Edition 11



Cru - Nuthin' But from Da Dirty 30 produced by Yogi

The Official PMP (Worldwide) mixtape

PMP Worldwide is a networking company serving the purpose of connecting industry professionals to up and coming producers cooking up heat. This mixtape serves the dual purpose of a spotlight for instrumentals from sound providers on the come up, and a tutorial on the inner workings of the business with interludes from established veterans like 88 Keys and Hi-Tek. Highlights include Countdown by DJ RAD, Samp Banger by The Kickdrums, and Yesterdayz by Aeon.

XM Radio/Subsoniq Dilla Day - Live Band Tribute



This past February 21st in our nation's capital, local artists and this band named The Players paid an incredible tribute to Jay Dee.

Download Here

Well, we've found the gay rapper



I'm not really cool with the whole Wendy Williams witch hunt thing, but dude is out and about with his on Myspace

Shotout to Brainchild on the lookout.

I'll be just fine so long as a scandal doesnt surface involving MF Doom and child pornography.

The Weekly Knock - Edition 10



Jeru The Damaja - The Bullshit from Wrath of The Math, produced by DJ Premier

(this applies to my life right now like you wouldn't believe)

Stop Sleeping Alert: School Of Beats



This is what I live for - aspirational spitting and crazy beats. If you're a fan of innovation that gives you that feel good reminder of the past, this is what you need to be checking for.

All I know is School Of Beats reps Washington DC and a few other parts of the country and they're definitely keeping it fresh for the underdogs. I plan to know more soon though as I'll definitely keep myself in the know with what they're doing.

Download their 3 projects
Lesson I : Orientation
Lesson II : Validation
Lesson III : The Progress Report

EDIT TO ADD: I bumped Lesson I today, and they've grown considerably since. I ride hardest for II & III, and I dont want any of my faithful readers questioning my ear.

Big Sean is a future superstar to look out for



Big Sean, (not to be confused with an older version of Little Shawn from the early 90’s) is repping Detroit and signed to G.O.O.D Music. You already know Kanye has a good ear for talent, but that’s if *your* ear is in fact good.

Vocally he kind of reminds me of Median, but he raps about aspirations of women, getting money, and being fresh & successful. He has flow, lyrics, wit, everything you should love in a rapper. Plus his beats are pretty fresh.

Remember where you heard it first © DJ Clue (I’m not really first, but he isn’t getting the coverage I feel he deserves and that’s the purpose this blog serves. Didn’t mean for that to rhyme.)

9 songs from his mixtape Finally Famous

The Weekly Knock - Edition 9



M.O.P featuring Lord Have Mercy - Home Sweet Home off of Warriorz, produced by Nottz

(it's hard to believe this album is going to be 8 years old in October)

This speaks for itself

Black Milk is keeping Hip-Hop beautiful

For those of you who can afford to buy albums, if you trust my ear buy this!



Black is probably running away with the title for 2008 between this album, his forthcoming sophomore solo and the collab album with Guilty Simpson & Sean Price all set for this year.

Jay-Z & Fela Kuti - Nigerian Gangster

Put out by Mike Love, a Chicago radio personality. I dont agree with dude's politics, but heat is heat nonetheless. I didn't know he was a producer, this could be a "Dr. Dre" kind of deal (what's the last song you think he really produced)

Download here

The Weekly Knock - Edition 8



Da Bush Babees - We Run Things (It's Like Dat) off of their debut Ambushed produced by Ali Shaheed Muhammad

To Whom It May Concern - It's Gilyard*



I'm not fashion conscious like that, but I know this label that Pharrell and Lupe have name dropped due to my former brief stint within the music industry.

Spun off from this site (plenty of leaks in the Through The Sieve section if you're into that sort of thing) and when my mans and them asked how to say it a few months ago.

*Unless there's a whole nother streetwear label that sounds the same that I've yet to hear of, but I'm pretty sure this is it.

The Weekly Knock - Edition 7




Pete Rock f/ Raekwon, Prodigy, and Ghostface Killa - Tha Game from Soul Survivor produced by the Soul Brother # 1, Chocolate Boy Wonder

It's a miracle I didn't become a rapper

I've always sat on the sidelines as a fan/commentator but all of the following are true:

- My dad told me a story about hanging with a crew as a teenager. One dude in the crew had a younger brother that used to tag along with them, said younger brother became Rakim.

- My aunts and uncles (on my mother's side) went to school with EPMD as kids, my grandmother calls (Parrish) "Smith" a bum to this day.

- One of my uncles was tight with Craig Mack and proud as hell when he got on.

(if you havent gathered so much yet, my people are based out of Long Island)

- My parents met in college and somehow know Olu Dara (aka Nas' father). Summer 1998 me and my mom ran into him on 125th street. I told him I was about to go to FAMU, he said "You gonna have a lot of fun, but you gotta be in them books too" - I should have listened

- It's been told to me that at age 3 my dad took me to a Hip-Hop/jazz celebration and I knew who Fab 5 Freddy was.

- Me and my mom were in the "911 Is A Joke" video. You can see me for 5 seconds if you look close. I got paid $25 and thought I was rich.