Top 5 Hip-Hop Albums for 2006:
(1) Kingdom Come - Jay-Z - Jay came back despite the retirement, and lived up to the hype around this release. The production all around is on point, bottom line. The lyrics are classic Hov, and just when you think he may be running out of things to rap about he hits you with songs like "Beach Chair" / "Lost Ones" and "30 Something" broadening the at times clich-ish topics that frequent this genre of music. He also sends appropriate subliminal and at times blatent shots at emcees who have attacked him since his retirement. He appeals to every listeneer, and even picks up a few more along the way. He also shows that you can make a classic album without having so many features and having your album look like a who's who in hip-hop callaboration wise. The King is back!
(2) The Big Bang Theory - Busta Rhymes - Busta brought so much style, flavor, and energy back to the game with this LP it ain't even funny. This is probably the best Busta release to date, and he did it in a very hard way. Typically albums chalk full of features do not succeed as much because with so many artists contributing you never know how the end result will pan out. With production from Swizz Beatz, Dr. Dre, Don Cannon, The Neptunes & will.i.am, and lyrical skills from Floetry, DMX, Papoose, T.I., Flipmode Squad, & Q-Tip (to name a few, trust me there are more) he smashes the competition. From start to finish it is on fire, he even has a song with Rick James. RICK JAMES?!? Yes, and it's fire as well. The production for every track matches his energy, and Busta even brought the hip-hop posse cut back to the game with the "Touch It" remix. The move to Aftermath was well worth it.
(3) Second Rounds On Me - Obie Trice - I guess being shot multiple times and surviving doesn't nessasirly mean you will sell millions of records? Because Obie didn't kill SoundScan, but he did manage to murder every track on his album lyrically. From the Akon feature, to the at times boring production of Eminem, Obie struts his stuff and crafts another classic. This is only his second album, and he is setting the bar very very high for himself. I love this album, go get it, or download it!
(4) Release Therapy - Ludacris - Borrowing a formula that Busta used for his LP, Luda gets production from the top notch producers, and guest spots from some of the best emcees and more popular lyricists of today for this album. And like Busta, it worked wonders. The 3 singles he released thus far are only hitting the surface of what this album has to offer ("Money Maker" / "Grew Up A Screw Up" and "Runaway Love"). There are probably 4 other tracks on the album that are possible singles. Luda does not always get the credit he deserves, but this year I am giving it to him because this is a excellent album.
(5) The Blue Carpet Treatment - Snoop Dogg - Snoop holds the west DOWN. Like a BEAST! Some of the tracks off of this LP have me remembering old Snoop, just the hunger, and the style and swagger he shows on this proves age adds flavor. The production again compliments his style, and the first single was a perfect choise because it just works. THAT'S THAT SHIT!! Everyone is saying that I bet at the club when this comes on, just like they were when he performed at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. I love everything about this album honestly. Although I do wish "Imagine" with Dr. Dre and D'Angelo was on the LP, that might have made this album jump to number 4.
Honorable Mention: Hell Hath No Fury - The Clipse, Doctor's Advocate - The Game, Port of Miami - Rick Ross, King - T.I.
Biggest Let Downs: Eminem Presents The Re-Up - VA, Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas, Rotten Apple - Lloyd Banks
Biggest Surprises: Tru3 Magic - Mos Def, Laugh Now Cry Later - Ice Cube
(if I think of more I will update this to include those)
Showing posts with label Jay-Z. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jay-Z. Show all posts
Friday, December 8, 2006
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Is it cool to beef with Jay-Z now?
Just curious cause I'm hearin' all over the place rappers are beefin' with Jay-Z. I mean I see on YouTube, Raekwon talkin' greasy about Hov saying his album is trash. I see Lil Wayne is making comments about Hov coming back out of retirement. I hear 50 Cent & DJ Whoo Kid on Shade 45 talking about Jay's album, and you can't tell whether or not they are hatin' on him or not, like subliminal shit. The The Game one minute makes references to Hov (or at least it sounds like on "One Blood"), then he squashes the beef on BET saying "I ain't got no beef with 50, and no beef with Hov."
Then you got this all too popular Jim Jones beef, which is kind of weird to me for many reasons. First off I didn't understand why Hov responded to Jim, and not the Cam diss that was almost a year ago. But then Hov made me understand when he was on 106 & Park and basically said he did that "Brooklyn High" shit so that every time Jim's biggest record gets played, it's no longer "BALLIN" it's "BROOKLYN" alluding to the fact that people will think of Jay-Z when they hear Jim's popular "We Fly High." Which made sense. But where did all this come from, looks as if Jim wants some sales, same thing Cam probably wanted, a little bit of attention to generate a bit of sales, which it did, and Jim made the REMIX, or BEEFMIX with Hov's verse and is now using that to help his album. Then you got Cam making another diss to Hov, and then JR Writer, I mean come on, JR Writer? I understand he is a soldier for DipSet and all, and I am a fan of DipSet, but come on JR Writer is hardly doing any damage in any of this, hell Jim is barely doing any damage, actually he is doing NO damage to Hov, so JR is pretty much waisting studio time. It's almost as if he wants Jay-Z badly to acknowledge his existence, it's kinda funny.
It must be the new thing to beef with Jay-Z. Weird, are we forgetting that this man is partly responsible for the growth of hip-hop through the past few years? Are these rappers forgetting he paved the way to be a Hustler turned into a Rapper? Are these dudes forgetting that they used to recite this man's lyrics and look up to him, hell Jay is probably responsible for a few of these cats even wanting to rhyme. Hell Jay is probably the sole reason DipSet is a huge deal, seeing as the biggest DipSet album, Cam's Come Home With Me, was released on Roc-A-Fella Records.
I'm lost...........
Then you got this all too popular Jim Jones beef, which is kind of weird to me for many reasons. First off I didn't understand why Hov responded to Jim, and not the Cam diss that was almost a year ago. But then Hov made me understand when he was on 106 & Park and basically said he did that "Brooklyn High" shit so that every time Jim's biggest record gets played, it's no longer "BALLIN" it's "BROOKLYN" alluding to the fact that people will think of Jay-Z when they hear Jim's popular "We Fly High." Which made sense. But where did all this come from, looks as if Jim wants some sales, same thing Cam probably wanted, a little bit of attention to generate a bit of sales, which it did, and Jim made the REMIX, or BEEFMIX with Hov's verse and is now using that to help his album. Then you got Cam making another diss to Hov, and then JR Writer, I mean come on, JR Writer? I understand he is a soldier for DipSet and all, and I am a fan of DipSet, but come on JR Writer is hardly doing any damage in any of this, hell Jim is barely doing any damage, actually he is doing NO damage to Hov, so JR is pretty much waisting studio time. It's almost as if he wants Jay-Z badly to acknowledge his existence, it's kinda funny.
It must be the new thing to beef with Jay-Z. Weird, are we forgetting that this man is partly responsible for the growth of hip-hop through the past few years? Are these rappers forgetting he paved the way to be a Hustler turned into a Rapper? Are these dudes forgetting that they used to recite this man's lyrics and look up to him, hell Jay is probably responsible for a few of these cats even wanting to rhyme. Hell Jay is probably the sole reason DipSet is a huge deal, seeing as the biggest DipSet album, Cam's Come Home With Me, was released on Roc-A-Fella Records.
I'm lost...........
Hip-Hop is Dead; Are Mixtapes to blaim?
Aight, I have been thinking, first off Nas came up with a good idead for a LP. But I don't think Nas is nessesarily talking about candy ass bubble gum pop / hip-hop saturated all over the radio. I don't think Nas is referencing the South's rise to the top. I guess I can't really talk about what he means, but here is why I think Hip-Hop isn't as fun as it once was, not dead, by far not dead, but being hurt bigtime.
The Mixtape killed Hip-Hop, or is killing, hurting whatever you call it.
Not the leaking of album tracks per se, cause that has always been a form of Hip-Hop, the bootleggers, getting to hear parts of albums on mixtapes was always ill. Like when you'd hear a new Biggie track or Nas joint, or NORE joint bac in the day on Clue tape, a few freestyles here and there, but nothin' crazy. Now everyone is a DJ, everyone is a mixtape DJ's, DJ's who never even touched a turntable making "mixtapes" or every artist, every new artist it seems has to release a "mixtape" which is wack to me honestly.
Yeah, I like to hear some ill hip-hop, I like to here a mufucka tear up a industry beat everyonce and a while, but let's be real, ain't too many people rippin' tapes like in the 90's, I mean really, Fab in his prime, Joe Budden & Cassidy in there prime just rippin' mixtapes, and Lil Wayne is rippin' them and has been for years, but I'm sayin everyone is releasing mixtapes, I mean rappers have like 15 mixtapes before a album, and I understand they just tryna grind, but shit Papoose ain't did ONE LP, dude got 78.2 mixtapes on the streets. I mean whatever happened to making music, and saving the tracks for the albums and shit.
This is why mufuckas ain't excited for Papoose, or any other artist who has like 59 mixtapes out, cause you feel like, man I heard that mufucka on 890 songs already, and he just aight, I mean shit there is no anticipation for these mufuckas anymore, I mean mufuckas in the streets might wanna hear that new freestyle or whatever, but these mufuckas are over-saturating the market.
Mixtapes are being overdone, everyone's doing it, it's kinda sad, cause very rarely now will Hip-Hop run into a new release, or a new artist to release a highly-anticipated album. Nowadays artists want to start off as a mogul, you have to establish yourself in the industry before you can model clothing lines, start clothing lines, get a label (I mean you might get a label, but if you are the only artist on your label that anyone has remotely heard of, you aren't really a label). Mixtapes worked for 50 Cent, and a few other select artists, but just because it worked for 50 Cent that doesn't mean it will work for you. 50 Cent also had Dr. Dre & Eminem behind him as well, so please realize, if you are a artist out there, the mixtape will not solidify your spot in hip-hop.
Make songs, complete songs. Learn how to write songs, hooks, pick good beats, don't just rap with your boys, surround yourself with good talent. Mixtapes are a good vehicle, but they are being overly-used, and are in turn only destroying slowly our genre of music. Don't follow 50's footsteps, you aren't 50, no one is but him.
This is not directly aimed at anyone, just something that was on my mind. I know where you coming from Nas, cause at times I can agree with your new album title.
The Mixtape killed Hip-Hop, or is killing, hurting whatever you call it.
Not the leaking of album tracks per se, cause that has always been a form of Hip-Hop, the bootleggers, getting to hear parts of albums on mixtapes was always ill. Like when you'd hear a new Biggie track or Nas joint, or NORE joint bac in the day on Clue tape, a few freestyles here and there, but nothin' crazy. Now everyone is a DJ, everyone is a mixtape DJ's, DJ's who never even touched a turntable making "mixtapes" or every artist, every new artist it seems has to release a "mixtape" which is wack to me honestly.
Yeah, I like to hear some ill hip-hop, I like to here a mufucka tear up a industry beat everyonce and a while, but let's be real, ain't too many people rippin' tapes like in the 90's, I mean really, Fab in his prime, Joe Budden & Cassidy in there prime just rippin' mixtapes, and Lil Wayne is rippin' them and has been for years, but I'm sayin everyone is releasing mixtapes, I mean rappers have like 15 mixtapes before a album, and I understand they just tryna grind, but shit Papoose ain't did ONE LP, dude got 78.2 mixtapes on the streets. I mean whatever happened to making music, and saving the tracks for the albums and shit.
This is why mufuckas ain't excited for Papoose, or any other artist who has like 59 mixtapes out, cause you feel like, man I heard that mufucka on 890 songs already, and he just aight, I mean shit there is no anticipation for these mufuckas anymore, I mean mufuckas in the streets might wanna hear that new freestyle or whatever, but these mufuckas are over-saturating the market.
Mixtapes are being overdone, everyone's doing it, it's kinda sad, cause very rarely now will Hip-Hop run into a new release, or a new artist to release a highly-anticipated album. Nowadays artists want to start off as a mogul, you have to establish yourself in the industry before you can model clothing lines, start clothing lines, get a label (I mean you might get a label, but if you are the only artist on your label that anyone has remotely heard of, you aren't really a label). Mixtapes worked for 50 Cent, and a few other select artists, but just because it worked for 50 Cent that doesn't mean it will work for you. 50 Cent also had Dr. Dre & Eminem behind him as well, so please realize, if you are a artist out there, the mixtape will not solidify your spot in hip-hop.
Make songs, complete songs. Learn how to write songs, hooks, pick good beats, don't just rap with your boys, surround yourself with good talent. Mixtapes are a good vehicle, but they are being overly-used, and are in turn only destroying slowly our genre of music. Don't follow 50's footsteps, you aren't 50, no one is but him.
This is not directly aimed at anyone, just something that was on my mind. I know where you coming from Nas, cause at times I can agree with your new album title.
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