emceein' issue two

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ISSUETWO

CHILDISH GAMBINO BUSTA RHYMES DR. DRE & SNOOP DOGG

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em·cee·in’ more than just rapping.

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GZA

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JUST BLAZE

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ISSUETWO

08 / THE MANTRAS OF KENDRICK LAMAR THE WEST COAST ROOKIE TELLS US HIS KEYS TO SUCCESS

10 / NOT YOUR TYPICAL MC WE SIT DOWN WITH STAND UP / EMCEE, DONALD GLOVER AKA CHILDISH GAMBINO

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THE ROOTS DRUMMER ?UESTLOVE ON DEF JAM AND A NEW LP.

24 / ILLMATIC WE BREAK DOWN 10 THINGS MOST WON’T KNOW ABOUT NAS’S CLASSIC DEBUT.

34 / THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS...

YASIIN BEY TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST MUSICAL ENDEAVOURS.

40 / BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE Q-TIP TALKS ABOUT HIS FIRST LOVE, DJING.

48 / CHECK OUT THE SCENARIO BUSTA RHYMES REMEMBERS THE CLASSIC POSSE CUT.

54 / ANOTHER LEVEL PUSHA T LET’S US KNOW WHAT’S G.O.O.D.

60 / REVIEWS CHECKIN’ OUT THE NEW RELEASES.

74 / STILL D.R.E. A REVIEW OF DR. DRE AND SNOOP’S SET AT COACHELLA.

86 / JUMP AROUND A LOOK AT WHAT WILL BE ON OUR FEET THIS SUMMER.

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NOT YOUR TYPICAL MC As a professional actor and standup comic, Donald Glover, a.k.a Childish Gambino, may not be the typical MC, but he’s out to prove he belongs in the cypher...

WORDS ADAM FLEISCHER

It’s a day of first appearances for Childish Gambino. He has just completed his first taping of The Late Show With David Letterman, where, following a performance of his new single single, “Heartbeat,” the 28-year-old entertainer was bid adieu by a paparazzi-induced flickering of cameras as he exited through a side door of Midtown Manhattan’s Ed Sullivan Theater and dashed towards a shimmering black SUV. The vehicle, packed tightly with Gambino’s sister and two-person PR team, is headed a few blocks away for Gambino’s second first appearance of the day, this one at BET’s 106 & Park on West 57th Street. “I’m more nervous about 106 & Park [than Letterman],” he says while cruising up the city’s west side. It’s a brisk evening in late December and Gambino is at the height of the promo run for his debut commercial album, Camp, which dropped the previous month and had already sold an impressive 50,000 copies. “Heartbeat,” the record he performed on Letterman, was the second single.

While most rappers bring their budding buzz to 106 as a rite of passage, few secure a Letterman gig, and even fewer do so on the heels of their first album and before making a appearance on 106 initially. Letterman is a nontraditional look for a hip-hop artist early in their career, but Gambino is not a conventional rap neophyte. It’s not just that he’s bucking the fashion-centric style of the majority of today’s rappers, instead donning an awkwardly fitting fuzzy red long-sleeve shirt, tight navy pants and beat-up sneakers to both TV interviews. There’s more.

Donald Glover, Gambino’s given name, has already experienced enviable accomplishments in the field of entertainment: a starring role on NBC’s ensemble hit Community, a standup comedy special on Comedy Central, Donald Glover: Weirdo, a three-year gig as a writer for the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock and a role lending his voice to the 2011 film The Muppets.

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Thanks to that versatile résumé, an array of talents and an unwillingness to be boxed into one artistic pursuit, Glover has become both hyped up and accepted in Hollywood.

His rise is made for the media, as well: In 2011, he earned mainstream praise that included a spread in the September issue of GQ, a cover story in The Village Voice (on April 13) and a nod as one of “Eight Actors Who Turn Television Into Art” in a cover story in The New York Times Magazine (on September 11).

Yet, even with these accolades for his acting, which put him in position for crossover cultural relevance that only the top-tier level of rappers are able to attain (and usually only after multiple albums and singles), Glover has decided to put a great deal of his energy toward making music.

His background, combined with intricate discussions of racial identity and romantic rejection and battle-ready rhymes in his songs, make the triple threat’s ascent a rare one. And one that’s tough for some to accept— but it has yet to slow Childish Gambino down.

“The thing that pisses me off the most is when people are like, ‘Oh, Donald Glover is just using his name to become a rapper,’” he says, protective of the time he’s spent working on music, and how much of himself he puts into it. “‘Who the fuck wants to see Donald Glover rap?’ I don’t want to see Dave Chappelle rap. Who thinks that’s a good idea? Actor-turned-rapper, I don’t even consider myself that, because I was rapping before that, how is that a good base for jumping off? When has anybody ever done that and it’s worked really well for them? They didn’t have more hurdles?”

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But what Glover may view as perceptionbased barriers, some would deem as an established opportunity for one to deliver music to the masses. No matter the point of view on his platform, though, Childish Gambino is steadily out to prove that he and his music are the real deal.

Raised just outside of Atlanta, in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Donald Glover was brought up by mom and dad as a Jehovah’s Witness in a home that included foster and adopted siblings. “We were exposed to a bunch of shit that I probably wouldn’t have [otherwise],” he says of his upbringing, which included losing a foster brother to AIDS in 1994.

Drawn to self-expression from an early age, Glover was playing around with raps at lunch by fourth grade, and by high school he was honing his artistic chops while attending DeKalb School of the Arts. In 2002, at 18, Donald headed north to New York University after scoring a scholarship for dramatic writing. Freshman year he started to record his raps for the first time, and began to put together his first project, The Younger I Get (“I don’t want anyone to ever hear it,” he says of the unreleased material.)

Though he continued to rap on the side, Glover found new interests in acting and comedy while attending college. In 2005 he and four friends founded Derrick Comedy, their own troupe, which gained an impressive following on YouTube (their breakout clip, “Bro Rape,” which Glover produced and starred in, has over 9 million views). As a result of his standout work both behind and in front of the camera, the budding comedian was hired as a writer on NBC’s critically acclaimed series 30 Rock in 2006, just two months before graduating with his dramatic writing degree.

Glover’s diverse skill set couldn’t be confined to a singular pursuit, though.

Writing for 30 Rock while also performing his own comedy didn’t quite quench the multitalented go-getter’s thirst. Donald still had a desire to rap, and in 2008 he began to release his own music free to the public via his website, iamdonald. com. The first project was Sick Boi, then Poindexter followed the next year. “They were awesome, but I was doing a voice,” Gambino says of his first releases. “They weren’t jokes, but the truth was, I was just scared.”

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Who the fuck wants to see Donald Glover rap?

I don’t want to see Dave Chappelle rap.

Who thinks that’s a good idea?

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In 2010 Childish stepped up the musical output and released three different discs: Culdesac, I Am Just a Rapper and I Am Just a Rapper 2. At the same time, his Tinseltown profile was rising on the heels of a newly cast role on Community, which had wrapped its first season in May. With newfound success in acting and growing buzz on the rapping side, Gambino started to notice he was building a true fan base and might be on the right track.

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In February 2011, Gambino posted his first video, “Freaks and Geeks”, online, which garnered over 7 million views on YouTube since its release. The following month, he delivered a five-track disc called EP, a brief but polished effort that seemed to indicate the crossover viability of his approach.

Over genre-bending self-production, he coupled creative wordplay and singing ability with brutal honesty, vulnerability and dashes of his natural humor. “I kind of look up, as a rapper, to Woody Allen, because he’s honest but it’s also funny,” Gambino says, exhibiting the oddity and nuance of his relationship to hip-hop. “I try to do the same thing with the albums, to be sincere and honest.”

EP finally drew the attention of record labels and initiated some meetings, including one with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, though nothing materialized. In April, the multi-hyphenate performer headed out on the self-funded IAMDONALD Tour, a 23-date, sold-out excursion on which he brought both music and standup to the stage each night. “A lot of people feel like I feel myself so much that I was like, Donald Glover is so dope he can do a rap album—and I don’t,” he says. “I didn’t wanna do it; I knew it was a bad idea. I went on the IAMDONALD tour, and people were just waiting for Childish Gambino to come out.”

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With a palpable buzz and most notions of the “joke rap” label triggered by his pedigree all but devoid, Gambino was billed at Rock the Bells in August, a coveted slot typically offered to performers purported to represent and respect the genre’s essence. It was an acknowledgement, of sorts.

The following month, Gambino signed to Glassnote Records, an indie record label mainly comprised of rock acts distributed

by Sony RED Distribution. “He fits in with our roster because he’s alternative,” label founder Daniel Glass told billboard.com about Gambino in September 2011. One of the reasons the young artist chose Glassnote was that he was able to deliver them his album Camp as is and then they would help him deliver it to the masses. No questions asked. When Camp dropped in November, the disc sold more than 50,000 copies the first week and has moved 121,000 to date, proving both that there was a larger musical audience for Childish Gambino, and that it was a gumbo-type mix of fans.

“I like that my crowd is diverse, but it really was speaking to the Black experience,” the rapper says of his debut. That, to him, stretches beyond the streets, clubs or the specific brand of Black nerd-dom that Kanye West introduced last decade.

?uestlove—who has Hollywood familiarity of his own, thanks to his nightly gig on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon—provided drums on one of the album’s cuts, and could relate to some of the themes himself.

“You could look at it as he’s playing the odd guy out, which I don’t necessarily agree with—I see him as the cool guy,” says The Roots drummer, whose first move upon discovering Gambino’s music in early 2011 was to call Hov. “The thing that makes [Gambino] cool to me is that he’s just not afraid to just be himself. Hiphop doesn’t really present you with threedimensional figures—that’s very hard in hip-hop and hard in Black entertainment in general. What’s appealing to people is that he’s not a caricature.”

RZA, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Erykah Badu have all relayed their suppor as well, Gambino says graciously, while fellow buzzing MC Kendrick Lamar used Gambino’s “You Know Me” beat for his November 2010 record “Look Out for Detox.” And radio is catching on to Childish Gambino—a rarity for an independent rap act—as “Heartbeat” has gotten heavy spins all over the U.S., from New York’s Hot 97 to Los Angeles’ KIIS-FM. Even if he didn’t have those looks, and even as continued Hollywood success begins to feel like a given, as he’s shown

I kind of look up, as a rapper, to Woody Allen, because he’s honest but it’s also funny 14

”

The thing that makes Gambino cool to me is that he’s just not afraid to just be himself.

Hip-hop doesn’t really present you with three-dimensional figures, that’s very hard in hip-hop and hard in Black entertainment in general. What’s appealing to people is that he’s not a caricature -Questlove of the roots

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time and again, Gambino can’t leave rap alone, even if he tried. “I feel like I’m always on the verge of stopping, where I’m like, I don’t wanna do this anymore,” he says, dismissing the notion. “I think a lot of people thought I started rapping yesterday, and I did it to get a check; they don’t know that I’m losing money. When I was putting out shit before, I paid all the mixers. It was out of pocket. I just like it.”

Paid dues.

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DJ A-TRAK

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Earlier this week, emceein’ hit up the Captain Morgan Step Into the Black party in New York City. You know what was even tastier than the new Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum? Questlove of The Roots bringing his talents to the 1s and 2s. Lucky for us, we also got to chop it up with the legendary drummer, DJ, and all-around music man to find out what’s going on with The Roots.

With his pick lodged firmly in his trademark afro, Questo sat with us in his dressing room—while The Walkman were playing a set downstairs—to get the scoop on The Roots re-signing with Def Jam. He told us how constant touring has shaped The Roots sound, how he still hasn’t met the new president of his label, and what Complex list he was pissed he wasn’t on...

On The Roots Re-Signing To Def Jam Well we just renegotiated our

Jay-Z was scared to sign us, but for

contract with Def Jam. I don’t think

the wrong reasons. The album that

any label ever thinks like their artists

came before our first Def Jam album

will outlast the contract. You sign for

was The Tipping Point. [At that time]

like five records and [the label is] like

we didn’t have a relationship with

“They’re gonna be gone. We’ll sign you

Jimmy Iovine at Geffen. So we had

for four more records—alright, seven

to approximate what we thought he

more records.”

would like. So, we kind of stumbled.

We just [sign for] two records at a

Jay was like, ‘I don’t want to look like

time. We have the advantage because

the bad guy here. I don’t want to look

even if we don’t sell a gazillion records,

like the guy that destroyed America’s

there’s still a prestige left that we carry

rap group.’

that makes them look good, which

So I had to beg him. I was like, ‘Yo,

is important. I look at it like we’re a

we’ll be cool.’ He said, ‘Nah man, if y’all

prestige artist. I’m sure Joni Mitchell

do a record, I want y’all to do a real

doesn’t move millions and we’re in that

Roots record. Don’t like figure out what

plane now.

Jay-Z wants because then I’ma look like

We been without a label president

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Signing With Def Jam In 2006

the bad guy that killed y’all.’ I never

for a while. I’ve yet to meet him. In

had a label president beg me for an art

fact, I found out Joey IE became the

record before. Like, ‘Please, no radio

president of Def Jam on Twitter. Barry

singles. I don’t want no radio.’ So that’s

Weiss has always been our [point

what we did with Game Theory.

person with Def Jam] so we’ve been

Everyone has a different role in

negotiating that. It’s ironic; for all the

The Roots. A lot of the esoteric ideas

speculation that we’ve switched labels,

and the left ideas come from me.

we’ve always been on Universal.

Usually we’ll establish stuff together →

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’ T N D S AY L U H O OW W

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S A DEPR W R E ESS V O T I O G

I

“We [used to] do 200 to 300 shows a year. After playing ‘You Got Me’ for three years in a row—which is like 600 times—you want to do the exact opposite.

After doing ‘The Seed 2.0’ a billion times in a row, you want you to do the exact opposite.

It’s very yin and yang.” but then once it’s established, Black

This is just the music stage, not even

Thought takes it, rhymes over it, and

the lyrical stage. We thought of a title

it’s amazing. And then I just sit there

two weeks ago but I am not allowed to

and figure out this is what this needs.

say what it is just yet—but you’ll know

Like, we need orchestra here or or get

soon.

someone playing harp here. I usually come with the crazy stuff.

The difference between The Tipping

How Touring Affects Their Albums People always ask why we always

Point and the other 14 records is

switch our albums up so much. I think

that was the first album that I put no

part of it is because we tour and do

condiments on the burger. We just

that album night after night. We tour

made a burger and just said ‘Leave it.’

more [than the average group]. An

What’s weird is that with a lot of our

average group does three months—we

black fanbase, they like that record the

were doing three years an album. So

best. And it’s like ‘What?!?’ Because it’s

after the second year, we get tired and

an easy digestible record. But my heart

bored and we wanna do something

is more with the experimental ideas.

else. That’s why our albums are night

The New Roots Album This album coming up, I definitely

and day.

We [used to] do 200 to 300 shows a year. After playing ‘You Got Me’

know that the whole the pressure

for three years in a row—which is like

factor and the whole mid-life crisis of

600 times—you want to do the exact

How I Got Over and Undun [factor in].

opposite. After doing ‘The Seed 2.0’ a

I wouldn’t say How I Got Over was

billion times in a row, you want you to

depressing, but it was a mid-life crisis

do the exact opposite. It’s very yin and

record.

yang.

But the thing is, we gotta be honest

We don’t tour as much anymore.

about where we are. I don’t wanna be

I consider a tour doing five shows in

40 with my pants caught down trying to

a row. We’re not going back to the

do something like ‘Throw your hands in

days of 14 shows in a row. But we do

the air. Shake your ass bitch.’ I said we

get 14 weeks off and then we work on

need to make an honest-ass record and

weekends, so we totaled 14 weeks and

that’s what will determine what it is.

the weekend—and we’re still doing 28

I’ll say that at least four of the

weeks a year, which is not exactly the

submissions [for the new album], they’re

44 that we normally do. But it’s enough.

above 115 beats per minute. It’s very

I’m actually busier now than I’ve ever

high energy. Not fist-pumping, but fast.

been in my entire life.

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About

Written by Insanul Ahmed

This year is the 18th year anniversary of Nas’ landmark debut Illmatic. Nas has made so many great songs (and a few awful ones) but still, his legacy lies in his debut. Illmatic is arguably the greatest rap record ever and an album just about anyone who calls themselves a hip-hop fan knows all the words to.

While VH1’s Behind The Music on Nas taught us lots of things about Nasir Jones most of us didn’t know (or things we don’t believe, like that whole bit about a shuffle with 2Pac) we’re willing to bet that there’s things about Illmatic that even the biggest Nas stan doesn’t know.

That’s why in celebration of the album, we dug through the archives of various articles about the album and pulled together 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nas’ Illmatic. And if you do know these things already, then congratulations you win the Rap Nerd of the Day award....

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01.

Large Professor Would Edit Nas’ Rhymes Hip-hop purists might find this hard to believe, but the lyrical masterpiece of Illmatic wasn’t constructed by just one man. Every great writer needs a great editor and for Nas it was Large Professor. Extra P would bring Nas to studio sessions during the making of Eric B. & Rakim’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em and drop jewels.

“He helped me because I only knew half of what was going on,” said Nas, to Mass Appeal back in 2002. “I knew about the pen touching the paper. Paul knew that too, but he also knew to tell me, ‘Don’t say this.

Take that out. Why would you say this? That makes you look crazy! This word don’t make no sense.’” He taught me everything.”

IT WAS WRITTEN EDITED!

02.

Russell Simmons Passed On Signing Nas Hip-hop history is filled with missed opportunities and almost moments. Kanye was going to sign to Capitol Records, Game was going to sign to Bad Boy, and Eminem was looking to sign to an underground label before Dr. Dre came calling. Turns out the same is true for Nas. Nasty was going to sign to his current label Def Jam back in the early ‘90s but Russell Simmons passed on him because he feared the album would be a commercial flop. In retrospect, it might seem like it was a short-sighted decision but Russell was right; Illmatic failed to go gold in it’s first year.

Nas later recounted the entire situation on the song “Surviving The Times” where he said he was compared to Kool G Rap, “Russell said I sounded like G, the nigga fronted.”

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03.

04.

It’s Short Because It Was Rushed

What’s crazy about “New York State of Mind” isn’t just that it’s Nas’ best song ever, what’s crazy is how many tries it took for a young Nas to get it just right.

One of the most distinct features about Illmatic is its length. At a mere 39 minutes and nine songs, it’s the type of album that proves that sometimes less is more. However, the tracklisting was more a result of rush than design.

Nas Did “N.Y. State of Mind” In One Take

“He did that in one take,” explained to DJ Premier, when we spoke to him last year for “DJ Premier Tells All.” According to Nas, the original verse was close to 60 bars which he wrote in the studio that day.

“If you listen to ‘N.Y. State of Mind’” continued Premier. “You’ll hear him going, ‘I don’t know how to start this shit,’ because he literally just wrote it.

Before he started the verse, I was signaling him going, ‘One, two, three,’ and he just goes in.”

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In the years leading up to the album’s release, the streets were so thirsty for Nas material that enterprising DJs started putting album cuts on street mixtapes and playing the songs on college radio. In fact, MC Serch once claimed they found a garage filled with 60,000 bootleg Illmatic albums before the album’s release. That’s why Columbia rushed the Illmatic’s release in ’94 and dropped their original plan of making it a larger, longer project.

05.

Nas Wanted To Sample “Juicy Fruit”

06.

Nas Begged Large Professor To Executive

Biggie’s best song “Juicy” was released in 1994 and built over a sample of Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit.” But it turns out Nas was also a big fan of “Juicy Fruit.” So much so that according to Nas, he asked producer L.E.S. to bring the record to the studio so he could sample it.

“I wanted him to executive-produce that record, but he told me that I had to do it on my own,” explained Nas. “I was like, ‘Please! Executive produce my album.’ And he said, ‘Yo, my shit isn’t even straight.’”

Before Biggie

But L.E.S. didn’t have that song so he brought The Gap Band’s “Yearning for Your Love” and looped that up instead. Once Nas heard the beat, he forgot all about Mtume’s hit and opted to rhyme over the Gap Band sample and make “Life’s A Bitch.”

Producer The Album But He Refused

What Extra P was referring to was the messy breakup with his group Main Source that he was going through at the time. Large Professor would go on say that he wasn’t interested in signing Nas and that he wanted Nas to go out and make his own money.

Both songs are great, but we can’t help but wonder what could have been.

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07.

Large Professor Almost Had To Smack

09.

Q-Tip’s Original Idea For “One Love” Was

After Large Professor pulled out from being the album’s executive producer, Nas teamed up with MC Serch. But it wasn’t all good. “Paul was with me,” said Nas. “And he had to scream on Serch and almost smack the shit out of him.” We’re not sure what the alleged almost altercation was about, but we’d much rather get the gasface than get smacked in the face.

Leading up the album, Nas wrote a record that was about sending letters to friends in prison and he wondered why no one had done it before. When he went to the studio, Q-Tip suggested the idea of doing a song where a kid reads a letter in class about what he did during his summer vacation. But Nas had a different kind of vacation in mind...

08.

Busta Rhymes Could Have Had The

10.

AZ’s Verse On “Life’s A B***h” Lead To A

Busta Rhymes once told XXL that Large Professor made the beat that would later become “Halftime” in front of him. But once Busta got the beat, he didn’t know what to do with it. He told XXL, “Then I heard it on ‘Halftime,’ and I was like, Goddamn, I was a stupid ass for not touching this beat!”

AZ was initially hesitant to drop a verse on “Life’s A Bitch” but then eventually did and it turned out to be a classic. In fact, it was so well received a bidding war began over who would get to sign AZ. In the end, AZ signed with EMI and dropped his underrated debut Doe Or Die in 1995.

The S**t Out of MC Serch

“Halftime” Beat

“My Summer Vacation”

Bidding War

Now let me take a trip down memory lane (Comin outta Queensbridge) 31

JAY-Z

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After almost two decades in the game Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, has seen many ups and downs in the ever demanding music industry without compromising his art. Due to his thought-provoking rhymes in regards to social and political issues, the Brooklyn native belongs to hiphop’s elite rhymesayers. Having recently rejoined with his frequent partner in rhyme Talib Kweli to resurrect Black Star and a new series called Top 40 is officially making its mark on the music game. We caught up with Yasiin and conversed about his latest music endeavors.

by Petar Kujundzic

What can we expect from your new series Top 40 Underdogs and what inspired it?

I am doing this for the culture. The tradition, taking someone’s song and making your version out of it, is not new to hip-hop. It is similar to dancehall music, where there is one rhythm and many artists offer their interpretation of it. Covering songs is certainly in the DNA of the culture. 50 Cent, as a matter of fact, built his name in New York for awhile doing just that. I also like the community mind aspect of it that it belongs to all of us. It basically gives and extends the life of our culture, our rhythm. Thus, this series is something that comes quite natural for me to do. I’ve done it before. Just look at “Children’s Story,” or even my version of Jay-Z’s “Takeover” in 2004. It is something that is really fun to do, you know, giving different perspectives on a familiar piece.

There are a lot of songs on Top 40 Radio, not just in current day charts, that I have been a fan of and obviously my content is a lot different from what

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people would hear on Top 40 Radio to say the least. That being said, I am a fan of music and I seek for just another opportunity to express myself and give my point of view on certain things.

Can you open up on the content of the series? Is it under one common theme or just a compilation of distinct songs?

Regarding the content on the Top 40 Underdog, I cannot open up too much on it, but let’s say it will not be just about reinterpreting or even reappropriating modern day hits. It will deal with a range of various subjects, covering socially conscious and political themes since it is a staple in my life and an expression of who I am. I am observing and experiencing life and I express it in this form.

Hip-hop to me is just one medium of expression for me. Although I am an artist and I work in various disciplines, I am enthusiastic about my culture, which is hip-hop. It is very dear to me since it started out local.

How do you feel about the global takeover?

It is great, especially since there was no intention or ambition like this from the core group. They started it, enjoyed it, cultivated it with no ambition to dominate the world. It was an expression for us by us. And now everybody is doing it. However, growth has positives but it also has its challenges. Growth has to be managed. Like any other resource it can also be mismanaged or it can manage the people that have it. The better it gets, the better it needs to be. It is good to grow but you have to be mindful. Don’t just grow for the growth’s sake.

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You have been linking back up with Talib Kweli lately and have started to put out songs as Black Star once again. How did you get back together with him?

Talib and I have always worked on a project or song here and there ever since we started as Black Star. We always did shows together and whatnot. We have been close friends for at least 15 years now. There is no pressure whatsoever.

We didn’t form our identities as solo artists to start the group. Kweli was a solo artist, I was a solo artist and we came together and produced Black Star much in the same tradition that you have seen with jazz collaborations. John Coltrane and Don Cherry teamed up with a group of artists to do one specific project. And that was the real intention behind Black Star. I like what this guy is doing. I have always liked his approach – his skill – and I like what he’s doing and what he has to say. But now it feels like the right time for Black Star to come back. My sentiment was always like Black Star has always been a special time and space for both of us as men and artists. If we want to do it, then we have to do it for the right reasons. We don’t want to come back solely on the basis that people wanted it or a big check. In our professional and personal space we are very open and clear. Kweli is completely independent, no label, no obligation and it is good to have this full circle, having even more control to do what we actually want to do. I am excited.

What is the status of the album?

We are in the studio all the time and we will continue putting out songs on a regular basis. I appreciate the anticipation. Making an album is very time-consuming and requires lots of energy. Even recording one single song demands inner vision and takes up two or three sessions for one cut. Then comes the mixing and sound engineering process on top of that. Just keep

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in mind that both of us, we have a perfectionist streak. So yea, we are on the road and in the studio and we hope to get it out as soon as possible. It is also great to witness all the people with us in the studio being enthusiastic about it. I think it is one of the great things about Black Star because we never did Black Star because we wanted to as opposed as we needed to. Me and Kweli have one of the best working relationships I ever had with another artist. Kweli has such a tremendous amount of energy and we are getting better with what we do.

What is your working chemistry with Talib Kweli?

What Kweli and I do, we basically just hang out, taking the same space, listen to music and express enthusiasm on music, picking instrumentals. Hence, the process is pretty organic. My man and I are getting together and having a good time. Then we get into work mode which is really exciting and I think that we push each other in positive ways. Kweli is pretty much a self starter and then I get on it. I have a lot of fun working with him and I’m always surprised how it is always going better. There is never any rap star beef. Things are genuine and pleasant between us, even after a decade in the game together.

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I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I was 12 years old when I heard my first A Tribe Called Quest song. “Award Tour” came on the radio and I froze…just sat and listened. I immediately went out to buy that tape at the record store down the street from me (back then we had tapes and records, not CDs). I still rock that album like it was a gift from Santa on Christmas.

I really didn’t know what hip-hop was at the age of 12, but when I heard that song, I knew I had to hear more of where it came from. Listening to hip-hop was like listening to a bedtime story; I ALWAYS had to hear one…and I couldn’t go to sleep without one. And if hip-hop was the story, the storyteller I loved most was Q-Tip. His melodic voice and fresh rhymes kept me coming back for more. So you can understand that when I was presented with the opportunity to interview him for my first column, I jumped at it. After clearly having to compose myself and calm the screaming 12-year-old inside me, I sat down and thought, well, what am I going to ask him? And then like water through a faucet it just started to flow.

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Altice: You started out as a DJ alongside Red Alert and now several years later, after much success with ATCQ and solo, you have ventured back to DJing. Any particular reason?

Q-Tip: I just love it, and I felt like there is a void in the club scene. You can go to any club anywhere and hear all Top 40, or dance and electronic, and some cats are cool, there are some levels of creativity that go into it, but it really goes into their own personal mixes.

They stamp the party with their own mixes of current hits, different mixes, or their own creations, but so much of the stuff that it comes from, the OG stuff, is what’s been missing. A lot of open-format stuff is also hard to find.

So for many years I have been playing spots like LIFE, which I did with Mark Ronson. Then we each did our own thing at this spot Table 50 and then The Ace.

s trIed to party goIng, s where It’s cause I just ’cause ngg was mIssIng” 42

I have always tried to keep the good party going, playing spots where it’s open format, ’cause I just felt something was missing. In the long run, the reason why I still do it is because I’m filling a void.

I love it. I love doing it and watching people move and what they react to. And I use it as a way to discover new records and meld them with old and all that, and I just felt it’s a void ’cause there are a lot of guys that do the same thing.

What are your favorite recent gigs?

My favorite gig is probably the gig I used to do at The Ace Hotel. Those are really fun ’cause I got to spin a whole bunch of stuff like Lil Wayne, “A Milli” rocking with “‘Whatcha See is Whatcha Get” by the Dramatics. I did a blend of those things, it was really working. And Stephanie Mills, “Something In The Way You Make Me Feel” acapella with “Be

Happy” – Mary J. Blige. I would do different mixes down here that was really killing and the system was dope, so those parties are really fun.

What was your most memorable night as a DJ? When I was DJin’ at this spot called Mars in the city, ’89 maybe, it was amazing. Me and Ali, we DJed there, it was great.

What is your go-to equipment or DJ program, or do you still prefer vinyl?

I really do prefer vinyl but I DJ on Serato and Traktor with vinyl. I like the feel.

“I have always keep the good playIng spots open format, ’c’ felt somethIng somethIn

Do you find the advances in technology a positive or a negative for the DJ world? Some would say there are too many people out there who “think they a DJ.” Do you agree?

Yes, everybody can’t do it all. Just because you have a playlist and an iPod, you put it on when friends are over, it doesn’t make you a DJ. But on the other hand, I love the encouragement and inquisitiveness of folks into the whole world [of DJing], but you really have to submerge yourself with all different types of music. Sometimes not just your taste.

I have seen DJs, very well known DJs that people really check out, and I’ll watch them play sometimes and they will just play and don’t even read the room.

They will just play their taste, and they will kind of lose them. But we are in a society where people are so taken by celebrities and personalities that “celebrity DJs” are playing this uneducated music, people will still stand and groove with them. So they will keep going, playing the shit that only they like. And that’s not good. You gotta read crowds and understand the temperature, you gotta know

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“He is a very talented guy He likes to pusH tHe envelope meld and mix and matcH He is really an orcHestrator i would say. what records move where, if something doesn’t work how to get out of it, you set records up, sometimes you will start out with one song just to get to that fifth song. You will set it up four or five songs prior to the one you know is really gonna hit.

Some cats don’t even know how to do that. So it’s really a study, you can’t just up and say, “Oh I am a DJ, look,” you gotta really understand music and understand emotion and how to read rooms.

working with Kanye?

It was cool. He is a very talented guy, he likes to push the envelope, meld and mix and match. He is really an orchestrator, I would say. And a friend, so it was cool.

[The day I interviewed him, Q-Tip signed with G.O.O.D. Music, Kanye West’s record label. Fat Joe, a well-known rapper and collaborator of Kanye’s, said to MTV recently he believes his recent deal with Yeezy’s G.O.O.D. Music will further cement he is a musical genius. “Smartest

Some cats lean on the Top 40 crutch and only play that stuff, and it works but it’s not really any advancement of your personality as a DJ, you are just a Push n Play.

thing Kanye West ever did,” Joe said of the signing.]

Watch the Throne was one of my favorite albums of the year, so I have to ask, what was it like

Yes, it’s always good to come back home, but there is a way you have to do it. You can’t necessarily

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I personally believe hip-hop needs to get back to its roots. Do you agree?

just hop in a time machine and go back. You have to take things from then and be able to apply it with today’s finesse and vernacular, so that it could be fresh.

I am thinking along the lines of the rampant materialism that has become so much a part of hip-hop, like “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley,” “Rack City,” etc. It’s not storytelling anymore, it’s about who has the most shit.

I think it’s also a reflection of the time. I just feel society breeds those things, people are more invested in the individual than the unit. Your status in society more than your moral achievement.

These things have become commonplace so when guys are saying “rack city, bitch, rack, rack city, bitch,” or talking about the Benz or Maybach or

how many birds they moved and shit, is just the extension of the psychology of America. When we turn on the TV we see reality TV shows, predominantly women fighting each other, having nonsense arguments, then ones with winning prizes, competitions, one out to be the best, it’s all of this attention put on the individual in high society.

The irony is that as a society we are in the worst economic place we have been for some time and people are out of work, and America’s position in the rest of the world is questionable at times, so we here in America are living this utopia via media outlets, or TV or what have you. These things and these ideas have been perpetrated mostly by hiphop music and hip-hop artists, and that usually happens because the predominant number of hip-hop artists are black, and they come up in poor

And A friend, so it wAs cool.”

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neighbourhoods where the education system is broken, so they are forced to watch TV and listen to all these things, so it affects their voice.

I think that when they say these things, we need to examine who we are as people. I don’t think there should be a silence to that voice, but there should be the alternative voice as well – a good balance.

Where do you think the hottest women are?

Oh, wow…I have been all over – I can’t say there is one place, but Sweden, Brazil, New York, Houston...

What was the New York club scene like when you came up, as opposed to now?

It was plentiful, more places to go, laws were not as restricted. The World, Roxy, Funhouse, The Garage, Cuando, Palladium, Club 54, The Ritz, you had so many dope clubs back then that it was endless. I used to just love going out, hanging out, every night there was something to do. People really danced back then, they went out dancing, it was fun.

The first time you saw “Bonita Applebum,” was she dancing?

[Laughs] Yeah, she was certainly dancing.

Last question: will we see a show with all the original ATCQ members in the future?

Performing, you never know, but another album, no.

You just never know, it’s always a possibility.

Q-Tip’s new album, The Last Zulu, will be out on G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam next year.

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“It was plentIful, more places to go, laws were not as restrIcted. you had so many dope clubs back then that It was endless. I used to just love goIng out, hangIng out, every nIght there was somethIng to do.�

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Busta Rhymes has turned guest appearances into a sub-genre all in itself. No MC has been more prolific when it comes to making cameos and arguably no MC has a more unique arsenal or flow, vocal tone and charisma when it comes to checking in on a peer’s record.

Busta has transformed good cuts into great songs, and great songs into classics, dedicating an entire segment of his career to collaborating on other MC’s records. Though A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory was released in September 1991 this week marks 20 years since the single release of Busta Rhymes’s star-making guest spot on ATCQ’s timeless, “Scenario.” Here, the ageless vet recalls participating in one of the ultimate rap ciphers with Tribe and his former group Leaders of the New School.

As told to Shaheem Reid

I

I remember it like yesterday. The first thing, that song went through a lot of changes. The first time we did that record, [Q-]Tip came up with the beat. It was originally supposed to be A Tribe [Called Quest] and Leaders [of the New School] record.

We were at Battery studios and everybody was writing their rhyme.

We were on some real competitive shit, so niggas ain’t really want each other to hear their verses, but still wanted to go around and see how everybody else verse sounded.

At that time, when you caught a hot line, you started buggin’ out in your own corner. You get to boo hooing and everything like that in

your corner and niggas would be coming around. You’d be like, “Nah, son. Gotta wait ‘till I get in the booth to spit mine.”

So, we did the rhymes. I had the rhyme one way first. Then we left the studio, Tip was doing some additional shit to it. We came back to the studio and somehow the record evolved into a lot more artists wanting to get on the record.

The excitement of the record in its original state started to hit the street word of mouth. Black Sheep’s Dres ended up coming to the studio and putting a verse on the beat. I think De La came in there and put

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verses on the beat. The shit had a lot of different MCs on it. But the shit became overwhelming. And Tip decided to bring it back to it being just Tribe and Leaders. So at that point, you know other niggas is getting on it, you want to adjust your rhyme, you wanna change shit.

When it ended just being us again, we went back in and wrote rhymes again. When Tip heard my rhyme, he declared it official that I was going last on the song.

Tip wrote my part that I said in his verse. [Raps: “I heard you rushed and rushed and attacked/ Then they rebuked, and you had to smack/Causing rambunction throughout the sphere/Raise the levels of boom inside the ear”] He had his rhyme written and he told me to say his part. He did it in a Busta Rhymes style so when I did it, it sounded like I did it. He wanted me to come in on his part, set me up, so niggas knew I was getting ready to come after him.

He handed me the ball. He was setting me up with a alley hoop. I could just dunk the shit on niggas.

That was his idea. Once it got to the, “As I combine all the juice from the

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mind,” that was me all day. He heard that 16 bars of the verse I said, he said, “Nigga, I’m gonna set you up to come in so crazy. That verse is so retarded! Nigga, I got to set that bitch up right.” I was like, “Alright, big homie what you got in mind for me?” He said, “I want you to say this line in my verse.” I said, “Alright, cool.” Did it and went into my shit.

My life changed dynamically after that.

It definitely was an immediate change. That record was the record that pioneered features. I’ve done features prior to that, but that record made me the number one go-to guy for features after that for a long time. I was doing so well off features, that when Leaders broke up shortly after the “Scenario” record, I wasn’t even thinking about doing a solo record for the next three years. “Scenario came out in ’92 and the remix came out a couple of months later in 92. Leaders broke up early ’93 after we put out The Inner Mind’s Eye album. I didn’t put out a solo album until ’96 when I put out The Coming. For 3 years, I was on some features shit.

Eating very nicely!

Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip at The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival

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DOOM

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Pusha T, 33, has consistently drawn praise for his Pyrex-tinged rhymes. In 2010, though, Kanye West recruited The Neptunes protégé to join his G.O.O.D. Music roster as a soloist, and later that year he featured Pusha on the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy standout “Runaway,” on which the fiery wordsmith rhymed with an emotional depth he had yet to showcase. That cameo, in addition to the Virginia native’s last March Fear of God mixtape, propelled the lyricist to new heights, helping him brand both himself and Re-Up Gang Records, the label he coowns with his older brother, the other half of the Clipse, Malice.

People have been calling for Pusha T to be a XXL Freshman this year.

Were you receiving the same attention?

Yeah, people bring it to my attention, that this whole solo look for me is me in the Freshman stages. They all let me know or reminded me that I’ve never taken this platform before. But I can’t honestly look at myself as a Freshman. I been in this game, like, what, we 10 years deep now. It’s definitely a new chapter, but me being a Freshman, I don’t even think that’s too fair, to the other people who are on the cover. That spot needs to be held for somebody who is just coming out.

Do you take offense to the idea?

Nah, man. Definitely not offended. ’Cause I know where they coming from; they not calling me a new jack. Just in the sense of me never stepping on the solo platform, and that’s true. I’ve never done anything solo, ever.

Since you joined Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music crew and had success with “Runaway” and then “My God,” does it feel like your career has a clean slate now?

It really does feel like a different point in my career. I feel like my fans and the hip- hop community

in general want to see something different from me. It’s funny because at one point, I can remember feeling like, Damn, it was enough for my fans just to have a hot 16. But now they’re championing album sales for me. And it’s funny because my Clipse fans never really cared about that. But they want to see me win. I love it, man. I can only do what I can do and that’s rap to the best of my ability, and hopefully the rest pans out.

How do you handle your business differently as a solo artist?

I think a little bit more. It’s funny, because when I’m with my brother,

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he’s older, so I don’t have to think as much. And that’s the honest-to-God truth. I don’t have to. And I can say whatever I want to, and whether he agrees with me or not, he’s gonna ride. So now I have to think a little bit more just to make sure I’m playing the game a little bit differently. That’s the biggest thing, just watching my steps.

Do you ever stop and think how crazy it is to have fans clamouring for you like you’re brand-new?

I think it’s nuts. It’s crazy that people are paying attention to these things, the numbers and accolades, more. And I think that’s partly because of us, the rappers, putting so much emphasis on it. But it gives you something to strive for; it raises the bar higher and it makes you want to capitalize on all of the fanfare and [have] people go out and buy your album. All it is, is making your fans love you more and all speak in unison.

Did you ever think you’d get to this point of working on a solo album, especially considering the Clipse’s history of label disputes?

It was always in the Clipse’s plan to do such. ’Cause we were trying, through the label hang-ups, to brand Re-Up Gang as a label. So to expand the brand, we had to put out more product besides the Clipse; we couldn’t just be the sole entity putting out music. So we had to put out solo projects and Ab-Liva and any artists that we came across that was a part of the team. That was always a part of the plan. With all the hang-ups and all the drama, we didn’t think anything was ever gonna stop. We thought, We’re gonna fight through the bullshit and we’ll get through it.

Would your career be complete without a solo album?

Yeah. If I never had a chance to do another solo album and was doing a Clipse album, I would have been fine with that. In all honesty I would have been. People don’t realize, we were gonna start another Clipse project, but my brother decided not to, so with that being the case, it was, Okay, now I’m gonna do this. I jumped into it and it was, Oh, I like this. This is it, baby. I’m running and I love it. But it’s always been first and foremost about Clipse.

Recently, you said one of 2 Chainz’s lines in “Spend It” was your favorite of the year. You obviously respect him and are now labelmates at Def Jam. What similarities do you see in your travels and his career?

The length of time in the game. I been seeing him forever now. I’ve watched him go from Playaz Circle to listening to him on Ludacris’ albums. And I’ve watched him musically evolve as well. When people hear my album they’re gonna see the growth in the way in which I’m making songs, and he’s really capitalized on that as well. He’s put out more mixtapes, he’s made records that have been really club- friendly and bangers, and people that know him know he comes from a real rap background. He’s a definite rapper. You can watch how he’s playing both sides of the fence, from the cleverness and metaphors that come with rap, and infusing those things into a more digestible way when he’s putting out his music today than he would have back in the day.

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4EVA N A DAY BIG K.R.I.T. Big K.R.I.T. has put himself in a tough, if enviable, position. His breakout release, May 2010’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, had many anointing him as the bridgebuilder between Golden Era Southern rap of now-legends and the landscape of today’s down South music. Return of 4Eva, from March of last year, continued the pouring of praise, earning nods as one of the year’s best projects from both mainstream and rap publications and fans, while also spawning an organic radio record (“Country Shit [Remix]”).

With his Def Jam debut, Live From The Underground, slated to drop in June, Krizzle wanted to give listeners one more free body of work, so he offered up 4Eva N A Day. With sizeable critical success already under his belt, Big K.R.I.T. isn’t rethinking the lane he’s already carved for himself with 4Eva N A Day. Instead, he’s employing the same musical and stylistic components that got him to this point, once again: soulful, jazzy production; shining Southern pride; lyrical content that reflects the authentic and wide range of emotions any individual goes through.

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Even with many of the same qualities that his previous projects possessed, 4Eva N A Day stands out in its comprehensive conceptual approach. Most of the songs themselves still have concepts, as they have in the past, but, here, the entire release is tied into itself, as Krizzle takes the listener through a day with him, from waking up with the sun to knocking out just a few hours before it comes up again.

Label: Warner, Think Common Music Inc. Production: No I.D.

After the alarm goes off at “8:04 AM,” it’s time to “Wake Up,” over a beautifully mellow saxaphone by Willie B. K.R.I.T. reflects on his love for and loss of his grandmother with “Yesterday,” which includes a short sample of her speaking at the beginning. He kicks it and lights up with his patnas on “Sky Club,” then fights with his girl on “Red Eye,” before seeing locals and neighbors at the “Package Store.” The Cinematic rapper then hits the strip club and is ready to “turn this into something” on “Temptation,” and then open to the idea of reconciling with his significant other on “Insomnia.”

After a full day, he gets some sleep at “5:04 AM.”

On “Handwriting,” the Third Coast Representer considers some of the music industry politics he has faced, but also offers up some of his most telling commentary and careerrelated self-reflection: “I make albums not hits,” he raps, after recounting Def Jam asking for another single; “Maybe I’m hurting myself talking about real life instead of the fame,” he later wonders; “’Cause I rebel I might get shelved, but that’s part of the game.”

Sure, some of the sounds are derivative of his earlier work (the beat of “Country Rap Tunes” is reminiscent of that of Wuz Here’s “Neva Go Back,”

for instance), which many would say is derivative of acts like UGK and 8Ball & MJG. But that approach has been, and remains, true to K.R.I.T., and was what got him to this spot and won over fans.

It’s easy and natural to yearn for clear and tangible growth from an artist—and hearing K.R.I.T.’s soundscape expand through the use of producers other than himself could

possibly be beneficial. The multi-talented artist has indeed gotten better, steadily working towards perfecting his crafts.

But why be untrue to yourself and fans just to force and feign drastic development, or step out of your comfort zone, when it’s not really necessary.

With 4Eva N A Day, Big K.R.I.T. is doing that Big K.R.I.T. thing again. And that’s a damn good thing. Adam Fleischer

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MEDICINE SHOW #13: BLACK TAPE MADLIB Looking back on the Herculean undertaking that Madlib went through with the Medicine Show series he started in 2010, it’s just as easy to get burned out as it is to admire its scope. He threw every trick in his playbook out there, and even if he got tripped up by the rigors of a superhuman album-a-month pace that took nearly two years to wrap up, the resulting 12-part body of work is so intimidating that it’s bound to raise the kind of cultist cachet usually reserved for Grateful Dead or Sun Ra bootlegs.

It’s a project for the diehards-the kind of people who share Madlib’s rarefied enthusiasm for hip-hop as zooted prog laced with acrid weirdo comedy-- and it’s that particular segment of undying dedication that a baker’s-dozenth entry feels aimed at. A listener sticks with something like this for so long, they’ll feel like they’ve earned a little extra, even if the phrase “for fans only” threatens to come to mind for folks who distractedly tuned out somewhere around #8: Advanced Jazz and are wondering what else could be said with a thirteenth installment.

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Then again, if the faithful stuck around all the way up to #12: Raw Medicine, then #13: Black Tape might seem a bit superfluous, too. Like the bookend of the original dozen, Black Tape fuses rap a cappellas to Madlib’s own hazy, no-fi dubof-a-dub aesthetic. And even more so than Raw Medicine, it does so in a way that’s intent on showing you all the seams and bumping listeners out of sync, jostling from track to track through a series of hastily edited in medias res jump cuts and snapping ears out of focus.

At its best, there are some well-timed abrupt little starts-the way Jadakiss’ cackle at the beginning of his verse on Ghostface’s “Run” just jumps out of the firmament early on is a fun jolt-- but there are enough sudden splices, truncated lines, and inexplicable mid-verse slow fadeouts that it feels like the actual polar opposite of a mix.

What the hell do you call this?

An interrupttape?

Without those distractions, Black Tape would be a solid listen. The backing tracks are the usual engagingly odd prog/fusion/psych obscuro stuff Madlib keeps pushing out toward the constantly

Label: Madlib Invazion Production: Madlib

expanding limits of what you can nod your head to. And the interstitial comedy-record stuff doesn’t intrude too heavily, thematically disconnected as it is (though the “Beverly Hills Blues Festival” bit he used on Raw Medicine gets an encore here). But the choice of a cappellas, most of which fall into a general 1999-2004 timeframe, feels undermined by the irreverence. They seem deliberately picked out to evoke a very specific moment for hardcore hip-hop, best summarized in the verse from Blaq Poet’s 2003 B-side “A Message from Poet” where the Screwball vet knits his brow over all the beef-for-beef’s-sake

running through the airwaves (“…and the whole Roc-A-Fella wanna get at Jaz-O!”). It’s a solid selection of pivotal moments (“Nas Is Like”; “Get By”; “What Up Gangsta”) and deep cuts (“Nothin’ Lesser” from the UN, the group that gave us Roc Marciano; Eminem’s still-brilliant 1999 Rawkus oneoff “Any Man”).

Some of the tracks are done justice through this recontextualization. Draining the intensity from the original beat for “Run” for a more suspenseful, loping drone draws out the focused resilience in Jada’s voice that makes the lines about Timbs-as-Airs and asthma worries feel vicariously breath-stealing. And lifting Pharoahe Monch out of the blues-gone-g-funk of “Fuck You” for a fast-forward panic-attack pseudo-raga turns him from wiseass Denzel stand-in to a flat-out diabolical lunatic.

Others feel like they got the rug pulled out from under them just when they were going from good to astounding; there’s an obscure Redman verse filthy enough to put you off your eggnog that gets decapitated mid-bar at about the precise moment you know you want to hear more of it. On top of all that, the apparent Bush’sfirst-term flashback aspect is prominent enough to feel like an intended theme, but is undercut by the presence of a couple of remixes of some good but anachronistic recent Strong Arm Steady tracks. Black Tape has the feel of a long-shelved project stitched into something with a bit more running time and Frankensteined into an existence that doesn’t seem intent on maintaining your attention. if it means completing the most ambitious collection in hip-hop history, there are worse ways to spend an hour.

-Adam Fleischer

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BLUE CHIPS ACTION BRONSON Action Bronson has had a solid 12 months. Between his album Dr. Lecter and the critically acclaimed Well Done, which paired him with consistently onpar beatsmith Statik Selektah, Bronson has ascended into talks of one of the top-tier wordsmiths to pop up recently.

2012 looks to bring an even more packed schedule for Peter Luger, Jr., with projects on the horizon with Alchemist and others. Prior to the release of that, though, and just in time for March Madness, he treats heads to his first release of the year with his Blue Chips mixtape.

Blue Chips, borrowing its name to the Nick Nolte and Shaq film from 1994, is a tour de force for Bronsolinio, covering a plethora of subjects over beats provided by Party Supplies. Throughout the tape, it becomes apparent that the one goal of the release is to have fun. Through deft lyricism, and a laidback flow consistently drawing comparisons to Ghostface (albeit unsought), Bronson uses Chip to show an artist not afraid to let his personality shine through the tracks. Whether it with food references from the former chef, or professional wrestling

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soundbites on “Ron Simmons,” he stays true to self.

Production wise, there is a good deal of different, semi-recognizable samples throughout Blue Chips that work in unison. One strong example is the use of “Jackie Blue” by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils on the brief track “Dreamer.” Through a variety of different tempos, musical styles, and track arrangements, Party Supplies creates an entertaining and thought-out mix, allowing ample opportunity for the lyricism and song structure to vary.

Refreshingly, the guest list is kept in check and just a few aptly placed friends drop by to lend some support (Roc Marciano on “Pouches Of Tuna,” Mayhem Lauren on “Expensive Pens,” and Kool A.D. on “Arts & Leisure”). In turn, listeners get more Bronson for their buck—or free download.

With another strong release, Action Bronson picks up in the new year where he left off in 2011, as he’s on his way to stacking more than just blue chips.

—Matt Wright

Label: Fine Fabric Delegates Production: Party Supplies

24HOUR KARATE SCHOOL PRESENTS TWILIGHT SKI BEATZ On the heels of his two 24 Hour Karate School compilations, Ski Beatz drops 24 Hour Karate School Presents Twilight, another project brimming with ma jestic production, dynamic lyricism, and conceptually strong songs.

A veritable cornucopia of some of the best young talent in hip-hop, Twilight would be a good starting point for heads not familiar with some of the youth in the game now or those disillusioned by the monochromatic stylings of the few MC that get prominent radio play.

Kicking off with “Do It For The Green,” featuring Dash & Retch, and on overreliance of raps that rhyme the same word over and over again, one could suspect that this album will not reflect the same quality as Ski’s other recent compilations. All concern is immediately rectified when Curren$y grabs the mic on “Fly By.” Riding a bumping beat, guitars, and a variety of background sounds, Spitta shows why he is one of the catchiest young heads in the game. From this point forward, Twilight rarely displays any chinks in its armor.

Song concepts are the name of the game on the album, and “City Lights,” featuring Na jee, is the cream of the crop—reminiscent of a 21st century version of Kool G Rap’s “Streets of New York.” Na jee’s prominent and commanding voice captivates as he tells tales about the city where he resides.

Another thematic standout track finds Murs teaming with compatriot Tabi Boney for “Hip Hop And Love,” with a chorus, “I remember the first time we hooked up, can’t remember the last time we broke up.” Running through different memories of loves throughout their lives, and the different points where hip-hop intertwined with those situation, it’s a worthy homage.

Mac Miller, Stalley, and Rugz D. Bewler also have have strong showings on the 11-track offering.

Awkward opening track aside, 24 Hour Karate School Presents Twilight is a solid concoction and will particularly resonate with those fed up with the couple of usual suspects dominating the charts. Ski’s production is varied, moody, ambient and complimentary to each artist that flows over it. Hopefully more gems like

Label: Now City Records Production: Ski Beatz Features: Curren$y, Mac Miller, Stalley, Nicole Wray, Murs, Smoke DZA and more.

this are up his sleeves, as the veteran producer first known for his work during Jay-Z’s early days has breathed new life into his career by again working with hungry upstarts.

It sure doesn’t seem like Ski Beatz is entering the Twilight of his production days.

—Matt Wright

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FIRST SERVE DE LA SOUL’S PLUG 1 & PLUG 2 De La Soul has been delivering their Buhloone Mindstateflavored avante guarde HipHop for over 20 years, but amazingly they’ve never actually done a concept album.

Plugs 1 & 2 remedy that with their new record First Serve, which chronicles the lives of rappers Deen Witter (Dove) and Pop Life (Posdnous) through the highs and lows of their industry journey. This kind of ground was previously traveled by former De La collaborator Prince Paul on his critically acclaimed Prince Among Thieves, albeit with a different structure and story.There is a decidedly disco-powered undercurrent to the production, courtesy of French producers Chokolate and Kahlid. Don’t get it twisted, it isn’t Night at the Roxy, but various strings, rhythm tracks and grooves throughout the album are infused with that spirit. The tracks have a stunning array of speeds and paces that keep the story moving and score the narrative well. When the group is on the come up, the music is lively. When they are going through tension there is an added drama provided by the soundtrack. As the story expands and contracts (I don’t

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want to give it away here), the production duo (collectively known as 2 & 4) lays the perfect tracks to push it along.

Dove takes a larger role on this album. His natural gift for humor shines in the fantasy context set up by First Serve, His delivery and vocal timbre changes with the moods of the tracks on the album in a way that Pos, who is usually out in front as the more lyrical member of De La, can’t match vocally. He serves as the Madealike “Moms” and label head “Goon Time” as well, getting his Eddie Murphy on, playing different characters. Not to say that Plug 1 doesn’t get busy. His low key authoritative presence on De La also enjoys the day off.

In its place as emcee Pop Life stands a flashier, slicker persona that he effortlessly flaunts.

The duo flip verse back and forth like trapeze artists, always right on top of each other’s lines. There are no boring two rhyme schemes on the record nor predictable couplets but engaging, funny, precision bars that would slice moe and joe rapper to ribbons. It’s clear that being out from under the weight of the De La Soul brand

Label: Duckdown Records Production: Chokolate & Khalid

has given new life to both Plugs 1 and 2. They both spread their wings, ironically on a tightly followed concept album, free of the expectations of their legendary history. The result is an extremely fun ride.

First Serve is a funky, fastmoving, fun journey that marries retro production with classic emcee skills to create a surprisingly next wave album.

While not as elaborate as Prince Among Thieves, First Serve plays smoother and more like an album than a “Hip-Hopera.”

The approach suits not only the shorter attention spans of today’s listeners but plays more to the talents of Pos and Dove.

-Adam Fleischer

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MEMBERS ONLY STRONG ARM STEADY Strong Arm Steady was one of the first salvos in the West Coast’s resurgence as a HipHop power in the post Dr. Dre era. They maintain the hardcore grit without assigning it to gang affiliation. They were one of the first teams from the West Coast to pump out mixtapes in order to get their point to the people and classics like 2010’s In Search of Stoney Jackson along with last year’s label release Arms & Hammers has steadily cemented their presence not just on the Left Coast.

This little gem, the Members Only EP, is a treat for their fans, comprised of six unreleased bangers that are likely to get you ready to roll. Mars of 1500-produced “So Hard” is a peculiar track with a melodic, slow-plodding composition with a gritty bottom and light strings brought together with digital distorted bleeps. The song moves without a sweeping motion but the different vocalists each add their own touch and the muffled break at the end takes the song home properly.

Nottz adds his trademark knock to “Love” with pounding drums and a skillfully woven in vocal

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soul sample. The title gives away what the track is about but that sexual hood tension is more the star here, as Krondon extrapolates on the difficulty of giving that word up. A solid track but you get used to men avoiding the L word like the plague.

Sid Roams looks through the looking glass with whimsically dope production on the Mistah Fab-backed “Join The Gang” a tale of how young men are recruited and brought into the gang life. There are many moving parts in track including the harmonized hook. Fab’s skill and delivery is evident in his tale of how romantic and delusional the entry point is when you are almost certain to die or end up in prison.

“The Warning Jacket” deals with the neighborhood snitch.

The DJ Khalil-produced melody sounds like a J Dilla record, which makes the song more interesting as they crew goes in on the cat that was in on the crime but told to avoid time.

“One Mistake” is a Lee Bannon produced problem with a loud knock and some serious downhill motion. A running,

Label: Rostrum Production: DJ Khalil, Nottz, Sid Roams, Lee Bannon + more

chopped-up soul sample runs in the background supported by a steady diet of drums and keys that perfectly fits the free form of the song.

The Art Teacher drops dirty malevolence on “Got No Gun,” a mid tempo track with a low bottom and plinking piano keys, and gat sound effects. This is that pure West Coast gangster shit, replete with choral singing tight, lyrics full of manhood challenging lyrics.

If this EP is comprised of unreleased joints, I shudder to imaging the stuff that’s loaded in the clip for the next album.

-Ralph Bristout

#THE 1ST 28 CURREN$Y & STYLES P Curren$y is back at it again, this time bringing his friend Styles P along for the ride.

Melding together their individual penchants for street smarts and flamboyancy— including their shared gusto for the best ‘green—Spitta and The Ghost connect on their spurof-the-moment joint project, #The1st28. It’s not all the time that the gimmick-free pusher SP joins forces with an artist outside of his circle—especially on a whole EP— but alongside Spitta, the chemistry is flawless.

Containing just five tracks, all recorded in a day and produced

by Monsta Beatz, the project is a package that will leave fans craving for a sequel. Exuding a nonchalant, carefree vibe, the tape finds Spitta and Ghost meeting each other halfway while still maintaing the ability to do what they do best individually. On the tranquil “Rule Book,” the two trade distinct reflective lines like Styles P’s pensive, “Used to live in the Welfare motel/Now I say farewell, leaving the hotel” and Curren$y’s braggadociodrenched wisdom, “The architecture in my crib’s a little iller than where you live, but I

ain’t downing you my nigga/I’m just telling you to go and get it.”

The two continue to coast with the hard-hitting “Jekell n Hyde,” where SP bluntly boasts, “Tell your bitch suck the dick, me and Spitta is fly.” The same can be said for the the hypnotic “Billions” and appeasing “Lean”—where, on the latter P goes at it again, roaring, “I lean on this bitch niggas with the gun,” and is soon followed by Curren$y contemplating, “Woke up this morning and came up with a way to settle the score on these old hoe ass niggas…stand on the throat of these hoe ass niggas.”

While they may come from different musical realms, both Styles P and Curren$y share a commonality in the way they deliver lines. Throughout the tape the, two display their knack for taking would-be average bars and pumping life into them with their spirited delivery. While the entire tape may to a little too short for comfort (clocking in at a mere 16 minutes) that’s some of the appeal of #The1st28—there’s not much room for error. It results in a potent package of tracks

Label: Duck Down Music Inc Production: Double O

that inevitably will have many eagerly hoping for a sequel.

Either way, D-Block and the Jets serve up one heck of a prescription. Refill anyone?

—Ralph Bristout

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Overall: When it comes to shit-talking braggadocio, this track’s got a crew of all-stars on hand. All come correct on “Mercy,” though nobody really steals the show, and Yeezy might’ve fared better by actually going in on the beat, instead of rhyming over a switched up sound for his section. Overall though, “Mercy” will be sure to build the momentum for all four MCs as the G.O.O.D. Music compilation LP approaches.

Produced by Lifted

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Lyrics: Lamborghini Murcielagos, chains the color of Akon, A-1 pericco (courtesy of Pusha’s “Duncan Heinz” line), lawyers and niggas in Jordans— those are just some of the references these four cocksure wordsmiths trickle throughout “Mercy.” The track is cooing with nothing but braggadocios and witty lines. The chemistry between the four seems fluid especially when G.O.O.D. outsider (for now?), 2 Chainz swag surfs on the track’s closing verse, spewing lines like, “Black diamonds backpack rhymin’/ co-signed by Louis Vuitton Horse power/ horse power, all this Polo on I got horse power.”

Whether its Sean Don’s shining verse (“Built a house up on that ass, that’s an ass state/Roll my weed on it, that’s an ass tray”) or Pusha’s boastful entrée (“My Audemar like Mardi Gras, that’s Swiss time and that’s excellence/Two door preference, roof gone George Jefferson”), Yeezy and the team leave the track “melted like Dali.”

MERCY G.O.O.D. MUSIC

Beats: Kanye West built his production resume on his sampling talents, and though the Chicago native didn’t produce this cut, his influence is all over it, including with the distorted vocal sample littered throughout. The ma jority of the beat is handled by up and comer Lifted, who lets dark keys drive the his creation, balancing out the concoction with a steady snare/hi-hat combo. The beat gets simultaneously stripped down and riled up for Yeezy’s part, which feels more dance-influenced, with its thumping bassline, than the rest of the track. In the end, the production here is exciting enough to match the moment of the song and its authors.

Originality: This is not the first time fans have gotten a hyped-up Friday release from ‘Ye; he perfected this formula with 2010’s G.O.O.D. Friday series.

The public may have seen this idea and presentation before, but the music is still next level. It’s fitting that Kanye could bring together this cast and execute the finished product this well. Still, Wednesday’s spontaneous release of “Theraflu” was a bit much more exhilarating both musically and dramatically.

-Adam Fleischer

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QUESTLOVE

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The main stage audience for the West Coast rap kings went as far as the eye can see, and I couldn’t imagine there was much of a crowd at any of the other stages at this point. The lights went out and the first thing we saw was a plug for Beats by Dre burst on the screen… of course.

There was a short intro and the duo arose from the stage to break out into “The Next Episode”, “Kush”, “Gin and Juice” and then the first track they ever recorded together “Deep Cover/187”.

This lead into a version of “Ain’t No Fun” with a montage of photos of Nate Dogg who passed away a little over a year ago. While the song it’self is a raunchy one, it was great to see them pay homage to their 213 brother.

A few guests did come by including Kendrick Lamar and Wiz Khalifa who both currently have singles with Dre and Snoop. But there were some bigger surprises around the corner. 50 Cent was first discovered by the Dr. and Eminem back in 2002 and came out on the main stage to perform “What Up Gangsta”, “P.I.M.P.” and “In The Club”.

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The next guest to come out is not only an icon in rap, but also dead. The much rumored hologram of the late Tupac appeared on stage for a couple of songs that was both amazing and really really eerie.

His movements, voice and look were spot on and I haven’t seen anything like it before. Starting off with “Hail Mary” was a great choice, and was then joined by Snoop for “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”.

At times the two on stage would speak to each other and even danced in sync. This was equally impressive by Snoop Dogg who took plenty of “smoke breaks”.

If that wasn’t enough, another one of Dre’s proteges came on stage. A hooded Eminem stopped by to perform ”I Need a Doctor”, “Forgot About Dre” and “Till I Collapse”.

The headlining duo came back on stage for a few more songs and closed with “Still D.R.E.”. Even though the set was 22 songs long, it went by fast. But that could only be because I still wanted more.

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PRINCE PAUL

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everyone loves a pair of fresh kicks. these are what the emceein’ team are rockin’ this summer.

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SNOOP DOGG