Reviews: January 2008 Archives

The most slept on mixtape DJ of 2007 is back...soon to be your favorite mixtape DJ of 2008. You know Obscene reps for Poe Boy like no other so it's only fitting he drops this and at the right time too. Flo-rida got the radio airwaves on lock as well as the Billboard charts and Rick Ross about to drop new product shortly too. This is what you call skillfully prepared proper promotion.

That Flo-rida "Poe Boy Radio intro" was serious as three naked bitches in a hotel sweet screaming your name; cuts on the hook too...shit man. I've said it in some other reviews, "The Boss" with Rick Ross and T-Pain is a hit. We'll see how the people respond but shit is looking and sounding like a winner. "Extra Nice" is that mixtape music. I don't think I ever heard Gun Play before but this joint is fly on that "your bitch chose me" type shit. I don't know if cats can clear that Curtis Mayfield sample tho. The boy Brisco stays dropping theme music for trap housed all around the country. "New Money" got that thump to it, that shit to rattle your trunk while Brisco lyrically flips a pack or two. "Journey Into Sound" is that slow ride with Rick Ross laying down bars. "Heavy sauerkraut...that's what I'm about"...I can dig it. "Helluva Day" has hit potential too; another Flo-rida joint no less. See right now there's no other MC flowing on a beat like Flo-rida and that's why he's winning; dude is on his MIC game like a vet. On that mixtape shit tho Rick Ross flipped Nas' "No Ideas Original" something fierce. Tracks like this are why I fucked with mixtapes in the first place; the shit just works. The only track that "smelled like hot dog water", to me anyway, was Brisco on "Bitch I'm Me". I was diggin' the horns and shit but that hook annoyed the shit outta me. Now watch all these young cats eat that shit up like fiends. "Killswitch" is my sleeper track. Gun Play again bringing that raw energy to the MIC; this that elbows and asshole music.

One thing is evident after peeping this project for a couple days...Poe Boy got their sound down to a T. The way Obscene presents the music is what keeps me listening tho. Dude flares, cuts and transforms on transitions and as a fan of actual DJ skills I love that shit. He's subtle with it and doesn't over do it...two key elements that every DJ should practice. I know Rick Ross is dropping soon and that's cool and all but I got my ear and those few $$ in my pocket on Flo-rida and Gun Play to take shit to another level.

Chuck T states "I Am Slangin" on this installment of the souths most repsected mixtape series. I had a cat tell me the other day that "the south fell off". Haha, you believe that shit. I was like ok, if they fell off then who is popin'? Dude couldn't tell me who and tried to say he only listened to Lil Wayne, Pac and Biggie now. Fucking lames, this was a dude who was ridin' with The Tank when they were hot and of course Cash Money when they first came out the box. You know who really fell off? Hip Hop fans fell off, thats who!

"On Sum Chrome" is my joint, I'm not even sitting on chrome but that beat got me open. Rick Ross got anthem's people. "The Dopeman" had the weed spot rockin' the other day, the funny shit was I had to tell cats where they borrowed that hook from. "Walk Wit' A Waddle" isn't really my cup of tea but the females are eating this up. I'm not mad at it, Gorilla Zoe stay with a fly hook. Nitti got a different sound with "There She Go". I mean the shit is basic as hell but it knocks without all the extra synth bullshit. It wouldn't be a Chuck T mixtape without some Carolina music. There time he got Dolla Squad hitting you with some strip club joints in "Booty Clappin" and later on in the mixtape with "Pussy Poppin"; can't hate on those titles and the music was good too. Killer Mike back out with some shit on "Top Shotta". This joint had me acting a fool in my ride. I don't know how many of ya'll picked up Scarfaces latest album but you need to go get it. I can see why "Crack" may have been left off that shit cause the beat was a little sketchy but the bars were classic Scarface.

Chuck T is one of the last mixtape DJs still getting true exclusives and at the same time breaking artists. I wonder what he has planned for volume 50? Maybe we can get a Tony Touch 50 MCs type joint with all cats from the south laying down some exclusive bars. Knowing Chuck T that shit is a def possiblity.

Shout to the good people over at HipHopDX doing what they do and co-signing Wordsmith. Furious Styles is on the mix and you know how he gets down with his; especially when it comes to supporting those artist who aren't in the mainstream. I don't know many cats who listen to good music that don't know of Wordsmith already so we're just gonna get into this review already.

The horns from "Hip Hop In The Headlines" had me open. Demo on the beat and Wordsmith flowing on it like he was born to do it. One thing I know about Wordsmith is he's versatile on the MIC; that includes the content and the flow. "Corrupt Justice" and 'Grudge of a Madman" bring that story telling element to the table; def an element that MCs lack in 2008. If you ever questioned his MIC skills just peep "Legion of the Lyricists 2"...that spitfire music right to your soul. My favorite joint on the whole CD was "Big Boy Romp". Title sounds kind of corny but the feel good vibe is real; a little highway music for the masses. I'm listening to "Cobra Clutch" and the word play is intricate as hell. "tittie tight, tickle touch..." lol Wordsmith freaking that lyrical alliteration. "Soul Of the Muzik 3" has that bounce and rapid flow not to mention flat out raw energy.

A couple things are evident after listening to this project. Wordsmith is and will always just do him on the MIC; def a refreshing thing in todays game. When he gets on a beat by Strada the shit really pops off. I think these two have that chemistry to take them to the next level. Wordsmith has been doing this for a minute, shit is paying off literally and figuratively and whether he knows it or not he is laying down that blue print for future MCs to follow in this new world of hip hop in 2008.

You know what's funny? I have a vast array of new mixtapes but surprisingly none of them are so called "exclusive" mixtapes. What does that say about the game? Personally I can dig it. It means the ones who relied on getting shit online have been pushed to the side. You can't do that shit anymore, it doesn't work. Now you see cats building with these new artist which is good and then you have vets like Dexterity who will never be affected by that shit. He just dropped like four joints in the last couple weeks too and with this one right here (C-Shots 3) he's virtually all alone in competition.

That girl talking on the "Cum Inside" c-shots remix can still get it. When she says "you're so naughty" you just shake your head yes like she said that shit to you. Lol. R. Kelly is the only singer who could sing about "fruit and vegetables and potato's"...classic. Cats sleep on this joint when it comes to slow jams. "Nice and Slow" is another oft forgot Joedci slow jam...Dexterity is digging crates a little bit. Tracks 8-10 get the C-Shot remix treatment which for those that don't know is blending some porn audio throughout the music. I wonder how many porno's Dexterity had to watch to find the right sound clips...not a bad job really. "Threesome" by Ruff Endz is the stand out track tho. Adina Howard had some freaky ass songs man. "Nasty Grind" is the shit. How many R&B chicks singing "no one is gonna do you like me"? The freakiest of the freakiest C-Shots remix tho was "Naked", with the same girl from the first track...you gotta hear it to believe it. You're a lucky man Dex, don't front you recorded those sound bites live.

You know how you tell if a slow jam mixtape is any good? If you can really get your freak on to that shit then it's a good slow jam mixtape. Cats today play to much up tempo R&B ish joints, you gotta play those joints that make you want to sweat out a weave, make you fall off the bed and keep going, have you smelling like hot dog water and shit after the mixtape is over. That's the whole C-Shots series up to this point summarized for you and volume 3 is no different.

By Big Chew
Rapmullet.com

Welcome DJ Cashis Kay to the Rapmullet review section. I actually peeped part one of this series, Premolac aka Six Six put me up on the project. Dude has that classic blend style, a dope MIC game and a ear for what we here at Rapmullet call "third lane music". If you don't know about the third lane you either don't have a car or a drivers license.

No bullshit, the "No One" blend set it off for me. He gave that shit a lil harder edge and it worked. I never heard of Tyra B but that "Giving Me A Rush" blend was smooth...classic beats get you over every time. It's about time one of these blend cats brought Soul 2 Soul back with "Back To Life". I don't even really like the beat for "Money In The Bank" but the shit was working man. True to form he brought it way back with New Edition's "A Little Bit Of Love"...time to switch lanes people, it's getting a lil warm up in the ride. I don't even know how the original track for "Lost In Love" sounds like but I'm fucking with the Cashis Kay blend version. The only real part of the CD that had me reaching for the FF button was the "Bartender" section. By that I mean the "Nasty Boy" blend and the actual "Bartender" blend. Shit was technically on point but that's about as far as it went for me. I hate "Kiss Kiss" man, that song is like listening to grass grow but over Cam'rons' "What Means The World To You" it got that bounce...shit had nodding I can't front. Same with that Jagged Edge shit, it just worked. Shit was more then radio friendly without listening to the radio and that's what you need to accomplish when you're making that third lane music.

The mix as whole was tight. I think dude did his thing like a vet and with that MIC game he was bringing me back. I can't say the project is some collectors item classic shit but it got much burn in my ride and I don't even fuck with a lot of the original songs that are on here but that's what a quality blend DJ will do...make you listen to some shit you normally wouldn't and appreciate it. Be checking for Cashis Kay on that blend feel good music from now on people. Is 2008 the year that blend mixtapes take over "the exclusive"? Probably not stranger things have happened in this game.

By Big Chew
Rapmullet.com

If you don't already know, block muzik is not just an east coast thing...its a world wide epidemic. I say epidemic because as the mainstream support of hip hop decreases by the month all you will be left with is block muzik and its making these major labels sick...which is ok by me. This go around Rhude slaps the shit out of you with Block Muzik 8 which lets the spot light shine on everyone out side the east coast but he brings the light back with #9 and well that's ok by me too.

The beat for "On Sum Chrome" is crazy as cat shit, wasn't really diggin' Three Six Mafia like that but Bun B got it in. I had to rewind "Just Tryna Make It" by Freddie Gibbs...the flow is potent people you need to get yourself up on some Freddie Gibbs music. "Living in the hood far from Beverly Hills / momma smoking on a joint listening to Stephanie Mills"...ahhh man Crooked I is nice with his and he flipped "Boyz N Da Hood" real serious too. The punch lines get heavy with Willie The Kid on "Get Your Paper Up". That's one MC that cats don't want to see bar for bar. The other MC on Vol. 8 you don't want to see is Max Minelli. "You Gota Love Me Baby" is my shit and sounds crisp as hell in my ride. The hit of Vol. 8, to me anyway, is "Keep It Pimpin" with Freddie Gibbs and Ray Cash. If this isn't theme music for the block then I give up...and cats were switching flows like it was nothing too. Out west Ya Boy doing his thing, "Precise Gang" is that true "tommy gun and swisha" music. Good to see Phoenix Jones up on here too, "Beast Within" got that wicked word play...and a Big Chew shout out too!

DJ Rhude isn't a normal DJ man just for the simple fact he got MC Lyte hosting Block Muzik 9 and he got her on some gangsta shit...that's big. Geolani, Montega and Lady Lyric trade verses on some exclusive shit aptly titled "Block Muzik". I don't know what it is man but I can listen to "Blow Your Mind" for days and that remix is the shit. Just a dope ass song and Swizz kills the hook, I gotta give he props. The hit of Vol. 9 is Ali Vegas on "Town Bought It"...straight head not material and you gotta rewind to soak it all in. Evil Eye on "Paper Thing 2008" got me with the screw face right now...home girl murk'd that shit with ease. "My World Is Empty Without You" is the joint too. Prodigy laced it, that adversity brings out the best in cats man, no lie. That Noyd joint "Things Done Changed" is fire too...go cop his new album when it drops. I didn't like "Paper Touching" when I first heard it but it grew on me. Red Cafe one of BKs best on the MIC, gotta respect that cats skills.

Man, the young boy mixtape fans sleeping on DJ Rhude right now but it's all good. It's only a matter of time tho, your regular exclusive mixtape cats falling off quicker than Bubs finding a bag of dope on the ground. You know these projects are mixed to the "T" but if I had to pick one over the other........I'm ridin' with Vol. 8. That shit truly had me open and truth be told cats giving MC on Vol. 9 a run for their money in the lyrical department.