Considering the beat and chorus, the video would have been an opportunity to throw on a suit and have an elegant evening out. But that ain’t Funk Doc’s steez. Redman hits the local hood spot and keeps it fly as only he can. Not crazy about the auto-tuned chorus, but this is a solid joint outside of that.
While we wait for The Game’s new mixtape, Hood Morning : Candy Coronas, to drop today at approximately 1:11 PM, enjoy this leaked track featuring Redman. Cool and Dre is once again on the boards. As you’ve guessed it, the topic is red. The track is short; we get one verse each. Now Game’s Redman shout out on last week’s “Infrared“ makes more sense.
THE GAME X REDMAN “RED”
Los Angeles, CA — Manny Pacquaio will show solidarity with Hip-Hop culture by having Miami emcee Rick Ross walk him to the ring for his May 7 showdown with Shane Mosley.
Ross confirmed the news yesterday via his Twitter account. Both men became acquainted with each other after participating in Nike’s 2010 ”Boom” commercial campaign. Last week, Pacquiao’s lifelong friend and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez endorsed Ross’ Maybach Music brand via a Youtube video.
Ross has engaged in public feuds with both Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao’s main rival, and Mayweather’s close friend 50 Cent over perceived slights in Ross’ “Mafia Music.” 50 has publicly supported Mayweather in several fights, most notably accompanying him to the ring for his record-breaking 2007 showdown with Oscar De La Hoya.
High-profile boxers have sought out rap figures to enhance their ring walks since the mid 90′s, including Naseem Hamed (Diddy), Roy Jones Jr (Method Man and Redman), Cory Spinks (Nelly) and Mike Tyson (Tupac Shakur).
May 7 will mark the first time Pacquiao has done a ring walk with a rapper. At press time, neither Pacquiao nor Ross have disclosed what music will be used.
“Hip-Hop needs an organ donor/ I’m a put my heart in it…”
Back in 2009 I interviewed Just Blaze, and asked him his opinion on New Jersey’s current rap scene. He quipped, “Does Jersey even have a rap scene, now?” In a way, you can excuse Just Blaze’s stance. Outside of Joe Budden and sporadic releases from Redman, the Garden State doesn’t get much national attention these days. But if we’ve learned anything about today’s Hip-Hop culture, it’s to never let the mainstream dictate the talent of a given region. Down in south Jersey, Camden newcomer Apollo the Great has been gradually building his name. He was featured on this week’s MTVu Best Freshman contest. His grind has resulted in him being paired with Wale for the lead single, “I Don’t Know,” off 3 Mill Production’s upcoming, self-titled compilation album.
The topics for both emcees revolve around dealing with the high and lows that come with the “fast life” of Hip-Hop. Wale indulges in the wretched excess of women and money, while Apollo reflects on the struggles of the profession (media gossip, road life, etc.). Each emcee compliments the other, and its particularly a good look for the young Apollo.
At press time, a release date for the 3 Mill Productions album hasn’t been disclosed.
3 MILL PRODUCTIONS X WALE X APOLLO THE GREAT “I DON’T KNOW”
Who else is loving this new trend of everyone dropping EPs? It reminds me in the mid 90s with Pac sparked everyone dropping double albums. The big difference now is you’re getting all this music for FREE! First up is producer Oddisee, who’s been grinding heavily this year. Fresh off his high quality work with Trek Life’s Everything Changed Nothing album, he’s links up with Stik Figa for a new this EP called From the Top. The pair will follow-up this 5 song project with a full album in 2011.
REDMAN HAS BREAKFAST FOR THE STREETS
Before you hear Redman’s Reggie album next week (December 7), check out his new mixtape Pancake & Syrup. The full tracklist follows the download link.
IMAKEMADBEATS
Why drop one EP, when you can release two? That’s the philosophy behind producer IMAKEMADBEATS’ new project Daylight, which is the first offering of a two-part series (Daylight/Nightlight). Calling both Memphis and Orlando home, his aim to have the songs speak on the “duality of life,” and he’s enlisted rappers Butta Verses (Daylight) and Midaz The Beast (Nightlight). The free versions of each project will be edited, while the later physical copies will be uncensored.
The Nightlight EP will hit the net on January 18, 2011.
Tonight (September 7), ESPN will premiere its highly anticipated documentary “One Night in Vegas: Tyson & Tupac.”
The piece is part of ESPN’s critically acclaimed “30 for 30″ series that so far has covered cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar’s influence in soccer, and the Muhammad Ali’s final title fight against protegé Larry Holmes. Tonight’s documentary will cover the details behind the friendship between Tyson and Shakur.
Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas on September 7 after attending Mike Tyson’s title-winning effort against Bruce Seldon. Shakur was in route to an after-party when he fell victim to a drive-by shooting. The case remains unsolved 14 years later.
“He always wanted me to smoke weed with him, and I never did it, and I wish I did. That’s my biggest regret,” Tyson explained to the Associated Press when recalling his bond with Shakur. “He didn’t last long, but the time he did last, every minute, every tenth of a moment was explosive.”
The pair became acquainted while Tyson was serving time in prison for his 1992 rape conviction. Shakur regularly sent messages and letters to Tyson until his release in 1995. The roles were reversed that same year in February when Shakur began serving time for a controversial sexual abuse conviction.
“Every day, he would call me or get a chance to call me or send a message,” Tyson revealed. “He would get word to me in prison.”
Despite the adoration from fans, both men were cognizant that they were targets. They both were distrustful of associates and even long-time friends. Tupac, who had a close friendship with New Jersey emcee Treach, still did not approve of Tyson using the music of another Jersey lyricist, Redman.
Although Shakur recorded with Redman for his 1996 album All Eyez On Me (“Got My Mind Made Up”), he remained suspicious of all his peers following his 1994 shooting and feuds with East Coast emcees.
“He said, ‘Don’t you ever play those fucking songs again, they don’t give a fuck about you,’” Tyson recounted of Shakur’s warnings. “When he said that, it pierced my soul… I felt like I did something wrong.”
ESPN’s “One Night in Vegas: Tyson & Tupac” airs at 8PM ET.
Fresh off Labor Day weekend and dropping a remix with fellow Brick City lyricist Redman, Rah Digga is hitting fans again with the fourth installment of “Straight Spittin’ IV.”
Nottz crafts a rhythm reminiscient of Fab’s “Breathe,” and Digga appropriately attacks it with sharp, quick bars. It’s a quick, two minute volley that you can envision sandwiched in the middle of her upcoming Classic LP. For those who may have missed out of her solid debut Dirty Harriet, Rah lets the listeners know that she is a female artist that stands on the merit of her rhymes instead of sex appeal.
“I’m spittin’ till I’m thirsty, but I don’t need a chaser / I’ll probably be spittin’ ’till the day I meet my maker,” she rhymes. ”Straight spittin’ on it, you could call this Illimatic / Think I’m lying when I say I got a basement for an attic / I’m spittin’ for that cabbage, that scrilla, or that fetti / That hold up press rewind spittin’, I don’t think they’re ready…”
Rah Digga’s Classic, executive-produced by Nottz, drops on September 14 via Raw Koncept Media Group.
Rah Digga “Straight Spittin’ IV” (Clean)
Bonus
Here are two other tracks from the “Straight Spittin’” series and her DJ Booth Freestyle “A Few Thoughts.”
“Straight Spittin”
“Straight Spittin’ II”
“A Few Thoughts”
“I ain’t tryna pick a fight / But this ain’t a Fisher Price, Kidz Bop, Nick At Nite…”
Rah Digga
Rah Digga has recruited fellow Newark, New Jersey lyricist Redman for the remix to her lead single “This Ain’t No Lil Kid Rap.” The timing couldn’t be better. On Monday (August 30), Digga was a part of the BET documentary “My Mic Sounds Nice,” which detailed the highs and current lows of female emcee representation in Hip-Hop. There’s been a lot of debate about that topic along with the hot-button topic of whether Hip-Hop is a “young man’s game.” For Rah Digga, one needs to simply look at the most popular and critically acclaimed rappers this year (Eminem, Nas, Big Boi, Kanye West, Jay-Z etc.) to see that emcees over 30 are leading the game.
“I feel the best emcees are older and they, in fact, get better with age,” she says.
Rah Digga’s new album Classic will be entirely produced by Nottz. The drop date is September 14.
As far as I can recall, this song marks for the first collaboration between Digga and Redman. And they both are still sharp. Enjoy
Rah Digga feat. Redman “This Ain’t No Lil Kid Rap (Remix)”
“On that Diamonds Remix I swore I spazzed/Then my big brother came through and kicked my ass…” Kanye West “Big Brother”
It appears Kanye West had that dubious memory in mind when he laid verses for his new “Power Remix” with “big brother” Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz. New York’s Funkmaster Flex premiered the track earlier this morning on his Hot 97 radio show.
Jay-Z’s lead verse is uncharacteristically defiant; not at his usual targets (assorted haters in certain fans and colleagues), but of the mainstream’s media treatment of himself and West. Jay metaphorically frames the dispute as two “prophet’s” struggle to prevent from being silenced. This stance has implicit criticism of how Kanye was dogged in the press last year for interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech. In fact, Jay gives his strongest support to date for West’s move (which was inspired in support of his wife Beyonce) by essentially declaring Swift’s embarrassment as collateral damage.
“To be continued we on that Norman Mailer shit/In search of the truth even it goes through Taylor Swift/Tell her this [chorus],” Jay spits without remorse.
West takes over with three verses to close out. The first two are standard ‘Ye fair with an occassional witty line (“Keep Flex out of Korea because you know he drops bombs”) to keep you from completely zoning out to a beat cluttered with louder guitar riffs and R&B crooning.
The real treat is Kanye’s final verse. The beat abruptly switches to an updated, frenetic version of Snap!’s classic 1990 single “The Power.” Despite his apology to Taylor Swift, you’ll be able to pick up West’s feeling of triumph now that he’s been prominently invited back to this year’s MTV VMAs.
After having to endure months of damning comments in media editorials and even from the President, West retains the defiance that Jay-Z kicked off the track with. The wordplay is clever enough to go over the heads of casual listeners, but it rings loud and clear to Hip-Hop fans who pay attention to lyrics. And the rapid-fire delivery West utilizes only adds more potency to the words.
“Now Jay my big brother and B my little sister/And excuse me but you can’t see my little sister,” Kanye raps. “Not only that they showing pictures of my Cali plates/My Maybach in NY but it still got the Cali plates/All my old girls know that I’m the one who got away/I think about ‘em Christmas and play some Donny Hathaway…”
And in the last ode to the past, Swizz finally urges Kanye off the now smoking mic in the same manner as Redman at the conclusion of “Tonite’s da Nite.”The first half of the song is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. But after hearing what Kanye did with the final beat and verse, it makes you wish both he and Jigga had used it for the entire song.
Kanye West has finally gotten his “revenge” for being outshined by Jay those five long years ago on the “Diamonds Remix.” On this song, there’s no question who has the power.
Kanye West feat. Jay-Z, John Legend and Swizz Beatz “Power Remix”
Download LINK
Video game distributor Konami has revealed more names and songs for its anticipated “Def Jam Rapstar” title.
The game, which was first announced last year and displayed at the 2010 E3 conference, puts a microphone in the player’s hand and allows them to give their best karaoke rendition of classic and current Hip-Hop tracks. The title also utilizes Playstation’s Eye and Xbox’s Live Vision cameras to ensure the entire performance is evaluated before a score is determined.
The developers 4mm Studios and Terminal Reality have placed a huge focus on the game’s social networking aspects. Other gamers will be allowed to vote on your performances which will be chronicled on a Billboard-styled chart. The stat prize feature awards badges that can be sported on a player’s profile. In addition, theses accolades will be viewable by area code to allow players to verify the best performers in their region.
“Def Jam Rapstar” boasts 45 songs spanning Hip-Hop history from artists such as Ice Cube (“It Was a Good Day”), Nas (“Hate Me Now”), Public Enemy (“Fight the Power”), Diddy (“It’s All About the Benjamins”), Pete Rock & CL Smooth (“T.R.O.Y.”) and Drake (“Best I Ever Had”). Original instrumentals from producers DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Danja and others will be available for gamers to record original rhymes over.
The total list of confirmed tracks can be viewed at http://defjamrapstar.com/def-jam-rapstar.
“Def Jam Rapstar” will be available October 5th on the Playstation3, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles.
