Kool Moe Dee

Well in case you don't know by now, a MAJOR figure in hip-hop, Kool Moe Dee is very ill and the family needs help with his hospital bills. Donate whatever you can via PayPal @ cindycampbell1@aol.com (his sisters paypal account).

Kool Moe Dee has been an influential figure in hip-hop since the early 70s so help the dude and his family out by donating.

A little video lesson on who Kool Moe Dee is and under it is a classic video.

From the Corner

Two undefeated fighters in the prime of their careers face off tonight at 10 on HBO. I don't remember the last time this happened (maybe Hatton v Mayweather) but for any fight fan this is a must watch.

Redman "Rockin Wit Da Best"

Check out the new Redman video featuring none other than Kool Moe Dee! Its off Redman's latest album titled "Reggie"

The D&D Studios Documentary

Alright, I usually don't promote my friends stuff on this site BUT this right here needs to happen. A good friend of mine, Dex Thibou (@unkledex on twitter), is pulling together funds to help start this documentary about D&D studios. For those that don't know, D&D Studios was like the mecca of hip-hop back in the golden age. Almost every track DJ Premier did a beat for was recorded in D&D studios and my boy Dex was either THE recording engineer or the assistant engineer for almost all of those tracks (check your cd booklets if you want proof) . Songs from artists like Jay-Z, Nas, KRS-One, Mos Def, Common, Capone N Noreaga, Snoop, Fat Joe, Xzibit, M.O.P., Gangstarr...the list goes on. This is why I fully support my dude doing this documentary. He's not some random dude that wants to go off of some he said she said stuff, he was THERE day in and day out working with these artists and producers...so you KNOW he knows his stuff and I know the documentary will be an informative/entertaining piece.

Donate what you can to help jump start this documentary...a dollar, 5 bucks...anything helps

Here's the link to donate.

Black Milk Tour

Black Milk is going on a US tour starting in February *ques applause*. I am so hype to go see them on 2/13 look for footage and pictures of the show shortly after that date.

2/09 - Boston @ Wonder Bar
2/10 - New York @ SOB'S
2/11 - Pittsburgh @ Shadow Lounge
2/13 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
2/23 - Seattle @ Nectar Lounge
2/24 - Vancouver @ Fortune Sound Club
2/25 - San Jose @ Voodoo Lounge

Talib Kweli-Gutter Rainbows

The new Talib Kweli album came out today. Go grab yourself a copy...I got mine.

Grab it here

Digital Copy: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gutter-rainbows-deluxe-edition/id413113524

Physical Copy: http://fatbeats.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=303&elvis=dfe5r44v0g1bn9e13up6hrkpi0

Palookas

Talib Kweli a #JMHO favorite drops an album tomorrow, Gutter Rainbows. Support the real and go out and cop the CD like it was the pre-napster days. Look for a full album review coming soon.

Yellow Gold *with DL link*

Promo for the tape..

YELLOW GOLD: PROMO from SHHO on Vimeo.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7re87nji7jjw3eq

Black & Yellow

By now you probably heard this song wayyy to much, but I gotta give the homie Wiz some props. Preforming at the AFC Championship is a long way from where he was a year ago. Enjoy!

Malice

Malice's Vignette # 4 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

VA stand up!

Guess that Sample

For the Marvin Gaye-Distant Lover The answer is....

B. Dolla Beats

B.Dolla is an up and coming producer out of the NOVA area. He will be dropping some knowledge on this blog real soon. To let you get familiar with his work I wanted to post his website http://bdolla.bandcamp.com/ He has a real soulful sound and I can't wait to have his input on this blog. Like always, feedback is always wanted.

Coke Rap

After that "Lupe's Fiasco" post I got a little bit of heat for me not being hip to "Swag Rap" and "Coke Rap." lol sounds funny to me, but I like any criticism because that's why we started this blog. We want our opinions to be heard, and we believe in them and will stand up for them to the death (dramatic i know). But with that said, I like all types of rap, as long as its good. I personally don't like Lil B doesn't mean I'm not hip to the new. I just wanted to drop a few "Coke Rap" songs and artists I like just for reference.

Clipse- Grinding. My friends and I probably had more ciphers over this song than any other during my high school years. I live in VA and this group is in my mind the best hip-hop artists to come out of our state. I am really looking forward to Pusha's debut drop on G.O.O.D. music.



Rick Ross- Push It. This song reminds me of Scarface and Tony Montana. Lol I know you were expecting a cliche Scarface line there but I fought the urge. Rick Ross is killing the game right now and I rated his album the 3rd best of 2010. He has great beat selection and epic add libs. Here's a throwback from his debut album.



Young Jeezy- Trapstar. Young Jeezy is nicknamed the Snowman. He has smooth lyrics great deliver and breaks down the game like none other. I've been bumping Jeezy since the original Thug Motivation 101 #classic.

Hip-Hop on Twitter

Figured I'd make a little list of some people in the hip-hop world (rappers, producers, managers, etc) that are on Twitter and actually entertaining.

@chocboywunda = Pete Rock

@Beatminerz = Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz

@DJEvilDee = Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz

@Jarobione = Jarobi of A Tribe Called Quest

@HexMurda = HexMurda Black Milks manager/big deal in Detroit hip-hop.

@JeanGreasy = Jean Grae...dope rapper/funny as hell on twitter

@TilliamWell = Producer Will Tell. Produced for Pumpkin Head...done tracks on the lyricist lounge vol 1 CD and others)

@thatgirlmystic = Mystic (She did "The Life" and "Breathe (Better Days)) does a mini cooking show via twitter that makes for some damn good food.

@djdnice = D-Nice...started off with boogie down productions now is a photographer/DJ...always posting some cool photos

@Kno = Kno from Cunninlynguists

@phontigallo = Phonte of Little Brother

@RapperBigPooh = Big Pooh of Little Brother

@BumpyKnuckles = Freddie Foxxx...always posts some gems in the AM

@KingCokni = Cokni O'dire of Divine Styler...respected by most of those 90s hip-hoppers you're a fan of

This is just a mini-guide to make your twitter time line a bit more hip-hop. I left out quite a few people but hey, its a start.

Organized Konfusion

In anticipation for Pharoahe Monch's (follow him on twitter @PharoaheMonch) new album W.A.R., i figured todays history lesson would be about him and his rhyming partner from his old group, Prince Po

A lot of people my age only remember Pharoahe Monch as the guy that appeared out of nowhere with that song "Simon Says." Trust me, theres wayyyy more to him than just that track.

Back in the late 80s Pharoahe Monch started off in a group with another dope emcee, Prince Po (follow him on twitter @PrincePo I've had the pleasure of getting to know this guy...very cool/good dude.) called Simply II Positive MCs. At first, Prince Po was the rapper while Monch beatboxed...luckily they realized that Pharoahe was an amazing lyricist and he started rapping as well. They caught the attention of producer Paul C (RIP) who produced their demo back in the late 80s. Check out "Coolin One Day" off their demo. (oh yea, thats pharoahe on the right in the youtube photo...he was a bit bigger back then)



After the demo, Pharoahe and Po signed to Hollywood BASIC records and changed their groups name to Organized Konfusion. They released their self titled debut album in 1991 which, in my opinion, is a great album...plus its hard as hell to find.



Check out the lead single "Fudge Pudge" featuring O.C. (another artist I'll have to break down for yall one day). Also, look how different Pharoahe looks.



If you want proof that Pharoahe's lyrics were CRAZY even back in the early 90s (Po's as well) there's plenty of proof on this album. There is ONE song though that has lyrics so mindblowing that to this day im STILL trying to figure out most of them...the song is DOPE though. Check Out "Hypnotical Gasses" and make sure to check out the crazy beat change halfway through the song.



The album received high marks by critics and fans alike but due to low sales and lack of promotion it was unfairly put into the category of unknown classics.

It took until 1994 for them to come out with another album, and they did the impossible. They followed up a classic album with an EVEN BETTER album. Stress: The Extinction Agenda.



The feel of this album was WAY darker than the previous one and Pharoahes flow just becomes absolutely RIDICULOUS throughout this whole thing. Dude almost sounds possessed! Here's the single "Stress"



You can tell most of the playfulness is gone and replaced by raw lyrical power. I love when Pharoahe says "why must you believe that something is phat just because its played on the radio 20 times a day." It always bugs me out when someone thinks a song is hot just because its on the radio. ANYWAY...still need proof that Pharoahe's flow is crazy on this album? Check out "Bring It On."



Man, both of them KILLED it...oh and if you didn't know...not only do they rap on their albums, they also did a lot of the beats.

Anyway, this album also got great reviews (even getting in the Source's Top 100 albums list) but once again due to poor promotion it didn't sell that well.

Next up was their third and final album, Equinox: The Extinction Agenda.



They went on a different path here and created a concept album. Peep the single produced by Rockwilder.



Interesting video. I think the best song on the album though is the track "Invetro" where both Pharoahe and Po rap from the point of view of unborn twins. Pharoahe rapping from the point of view of the twin who wants to be aborted while Po raps as the unborn child that wants to live.



After this album, to the dismay of many fans, Organized Konfusion went their separate ways.

Let's focus on Prince Po's solo career first.

After the break up, not much was heard from Prince Po save for a verse on Pharoahe's first solo album and about one or two other tracks with artists. Finally in 2004 he released The Slickness.




While it didn't make as many waves as Pharoahe's solo album, it was still a good album. Check out this funky track "Love Thang"



Fortunately we only had to wait two years for the next album, "Prettyblack", to be released.



Honestly I like this album more than The Slickness. The beats and lyrics just stood out more. Plus Large Professor did a beat on the album! Here's "Right 2 Know" produced by Large Pro



He clearly hasn't lost a step in the lyrics. Now, he put out an EP and a collabo album later but they didnt capture the greatness of the "PrettyBlack" album. I'm hoping his next release is going to be the quality shit that I know Po is capable of doing.

Ok, now for Pharoahe Monch. After the breakup, he almost immediately signed to Rawkus Records and started work on his solo album "Internal Affairs."



After a couple appearances on Rawkus's Soundbombing 2, the album was released in 1999 with the lead hit single "Simon Says."



Unfortunately, the beat used an uncleared sample from a track from the Godzilla VS Mothra movie causing the album to be taken off shelves. DAMN shame because the album is crazy. Simon Says isn't even my favorite track...I have to give that to the song "Queens."



A couple years later he had a small hit off the Training Day soundtrack called "Fuck You"



After few more singles, including "Agent Orange." I didn't hear much from dude until 2007 when he released another dope album..."Desire"



With dope singles like "Desire"



and "Body Baby"



It was clear that Pharoahe hadn't lost a step and was still entertaining as hell. Then there was another period where I didn't hear much from Pharoahe. Now here we are in 2011 and we still haven't had a new Pharoahe album. Well, that's about to change in a couple months with W.A.R. After hearing the two leaked songs, I'm very excited for this album.

The first single "Shine" featuring the awesome Mela Machinko (on twitter @MelaMachinko shes pretty hilarious) and produced by Diamond D (produced for Fat Joe, Fugees, Mos Def, Xzibit, and more) shows that hes STILL got it!



The 2nd single "Clap" is even better. Produced by M-Phazes with cuts by X-Ecutioners own ridiculously talented DJ Boogie Blind (@BoogieBlind on twitter) Pharoahe brings the exact dope lyrics weve expected from him.



If these two tracks are an accurate taste of what W.A.R. is going to be like, then its going to be a great album and more proof that Pharoahe is going to be around for a long time.

And there ya have it. Hopefully you learned something. If you learn anything from this page, share the info with those that you know would be interested in it. Keep spreading the knowledge.

GUESS THAT SAMPLE

I know you all are gonna be able to guess this one, but take the time to enjoy this funky ass song and beautifully corny music video. They don't make music like this anymore unfortunately..

its been a minute

unfortunately i haven't been able to give this beautiful blog the time it has deserved lately because of a potential job switch, for which those who know, is akin to jumping into a bathtub with a toaster, not fun. In the stressful days I have had in this process I have gotten my listen on YOU KNOW THIS MAAAAN(Smokey Voice), and have separated a few songs from the group that have stood out to me.

KENDRICK LAMAR-GROWING APART:

It's hard to believe that this man was unknown to me before Vinney put me on to his music a little under a month ago. Both tapes which he's come out with have been playing on my iPod non-stop, and have definitely helped me get through a few tough sessions in the gym and a few long drives home. This track, "growing apart", is the epitome of chill, as Kendrick drops some ill, DEEP verses on a beautiful jazzy beat. lay back and listen to this...

DOM KENNEDY-WATERMELON SUNDAE:

To those that saw my top 10 mixtapes list on Twitter, many probably saw the name Dom Kennedy and thought "Who the hell is this clown? What is Rogg thinking?." And yea, I'm with you, he's not the biggest name in the game and many people woulda rather seen me show love to Ross or someone like that, but Dom is NUUUTS, and deserves all the love he got. This track, Watermelon Sundae, is on some 1994 shit, the typa song you would blast on a mid-summer day in your 6 duce and a quarter, on your way to a party like the one in the I Get Around Video or the G thang video. This is a definate track you wanna remember for the Spring and Summer when it gets warmer because it is the knoooown riding song...just click the link and see for yourself...

CURREN$Y FT. DOM KENNEDY-REAL ESTATES:

ok ooook, I'm not trying to be too much of a Dom Kennedy dick rider here, I swear it's a coincidence I chose this Spitta song that he's featured on, so chill....Anywho, this track features some beautiful production from one of the best producers in the game right now (not up for debate or discussion) Ski Beats. Using a sample that reminds of the "Blah Blah" teachers voice from Charlie Brown, Ski sets up the perfect canvas for Curren$y to create another classic. Listen to this track and lay back, and if you haven't done so already BUY a copy of Pilot Talk II, save the megauplod for someone like Eminem or Akon, somebody with a lot of bread already.

P. So

Rarely do I ever randomly click on a Youtube video and discover an artist that instantly becomes one of my favorites. This happened a year or two ago when I was doing my rounds on the internet trying to find songs that DIDN'T sound like someone taking a dump on the microphone. Luckily I ran across this dude P. Casso. The track I ran across "Mr. Hollywood" had a fresh upbeat piano beat, cool flow, nice lyrics, and an entertaining video.



Of course, it takes more than one song for me to want to grab an album, so I did a little more research and caught this track off the same album.



Since both songs were crazy, I figured I'd grab the album off itunes...it turned out to be pretty dope and made me a fan. Then he released his mixtape "EarthTones" for FREE on Bandcamp (links at the bottom of the post). Once again this dude KILLED it! Dope beats, dope rhymes, dope features...everything about it was awesome. It further solidified my belief that this guy was going to be putting out dope shit for a while.

Then...there was nothing. I never heard anything more from this dude...no new music...nothing at all. Thank God for twitter. I posted something like "wtf happened to P. Casso?" and got a response from my friend Jess (@iheartdilla) saying he changed his name to P. So. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. No wonder I hadn't heard anything from dude...he changed his fucking name! Turns out he had just released more material too! "MoonTones" "Suicide By Jellyfish" and "More Jelly." And guess what? More dopeness!

Almost Home (Off MoonTones)


The Colo(u)r of Dreams (Off Suicide By Jellyfish)


This past year, after talking to him on Twitter for a bit (@itsPSOnow) I got the chance to meet him in person at the annual A3C festival in Atlanta.



He turned out to be a very cool down to earth guy and gave an entertaining performance on stage. Of course all of his dope releases have made me want to hear even more from the dude. Last time I spoke to him he said he was working on a new album. I'm quite confident that it will be just as dope, if not better, than what he has already released.

You can get "EarthTones", "MoonTones", and "Suicide By Jellyfish" here http://psotheearthtoneking.bandcamp.com/

Definitely give them a listen and let me know what you think.

Lupe's Fiasco

I love Lupe Fiasco as a lyricist. His lines can go over many's head and we all know there has been requests for him to "dumb it down." However, for the most part Lupe has stuck to his guns. He has really uplifting lyrics that are directed to your average working citizen. I was recently looking over some footage and saw how Lupe was giving credit to a west coast coke rapper by the name of Lil B. Lil B (Based God) is the epitome of a gimmick rapper that is using his ignorance to gain followers and stardom. It's a sad thing when rappers whose lyrics are literally dumb get more respect and airplay than rappers who actually try to broaden the culture. This video is of Lupe giving this bumbaclot some credit. It's ironic to see this and it's just something to think about in the future. Is Lupe selling out by doing a song with him? Or are we as hip-hop fans to critical of artists for just wanting to do what they love, make music.



Video of him doing the infamous Based God Dance, cooking.


#Classic Lupe

Pre Wu-Tang RZA & GZA

I'm sure by now you can tell that I'm a fan of digging deep into the history of artists, producers, record labels, and anything else I can get my hands on. Some know the story of the Wu-Tang Clan and the brilliant deal RZA negotiated with Loud in regards to the members being able to sign solo deals to whatever label they want, but I'm sure even fewer know the about some of the artists Pre Wu-Tang releases. I'm going to focus on the RZA & the GZA's pre Wu-Tang output. If you didn't know, RZA, GZA, and ODB were originally in a group Force Of The Imperial Master (later renamed All In Together Now Crew). Unfortunately I can't find any audio from that time, but I was able to find a video of RZA and ODB at a talent show. RZA and ODB are hilarious in this video because after being told not to curse they both continue to keep saying curse after curse. The rapping doesnt start til about 1:30 but the stuff they say beforehand is pretty hilarious.



Around 1990-1991 both RZA and GZA signed to labels that gave them single deals with album options. RZA signed to Tommy Boy (once home to De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, and Queen Latifah) and GZA signed to Cold Chillin (once home of Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Biz Markie, and others).

Due to the fact that RZA went to jail, he was only able to release his Oooh We Love You Rakeem EP (1991).



Luckily he was able to make a video for the single which we have here for you. Notice the complete contrast between this song and the harder edged stuff that Wu-Tang released.



GZA was able to release an entire album (the only Wu member to do so prior to Wu Tang) via Cold Chillin titled "Words From The Genius." (1991).




The album flopped miserably which isn't surprising because the lead single SUCKED. I blame the label for that because it seemed as if they were trying to market GZA as a Big Daddy Kane clone. Oddly enough some of the other tracks on the album aren't too bad. It's like GZA and Easy Mo Bee made a decent album and then the label felt they needed a terrible commercial song to release as the single. Check out the single "Come Do Me"



As you can see its NOTHING like the GZA were used to. It's a shame they used that song as a representation of the album because NOTHING else on the album was like that. In fact some of the songs had some semi funky beats and dope lyrics like the track "The Genius Is Slammin"



In 1994, Cold Chillin did the classic maneuver of rereleasing the album once GZA had gained fame with Wu-Tang. They made a new cover



And replaced "Come Do Me" with an unreleased track called "Pass The Bone." Not surprisingly the song featured both GZA and RZA and was produced by RZA himself...obviously another attempt to capitalize on GZA's new fame.





I agree with GZA 100% when he says "Positive elevation always corrects errors" because after that mediocre album, he joined up with Wu and they released one of the greatest albums ever and then released his 2nd solo album "Liquid Swords" which is definitely another one of the greatest albums of all time.

If there's one thing I've learned from the RZA and GZA, its that just because your first attempt flops (like their EP and album did) doesn't mean you're done for. Sometimes you just have to dust yourself off and try something different. As you can see from the successes of RZA and GZA and all of Wu-Tang from 93 all the way up to present day, trying something different worked extremely well for them.

That Good

Snoop Dog and his protege Wiz Khalifa team up for this record of their upcoming mixtape and movie. I'm looking forward to this tape, but more so towards How Fly II whenever that's supposed to drop. Chuuuchhh

Detox is Coming!

Even the title makes me chuckle. The mystical album, Detox, gets a 4/20 release date. We here at #JMHO take this news with quite a bit of skepticism, but only time will tell. The video below says it all...

Dreamers Never Die

Happy Birthday Dr. King! For your birthday I'm gonna ask for all these wack ass rappers to stop using your name in song unless its with the utmost class and integrity. Your name is bigger than a single rhyme.

BCTV: MLK DAY 2011 from Broccolicity TV on Vimeo.

Shoutout to Broccoli City TV on the visuals.

Guess that Sample!

As you can tell from the previous post (Shoutout to Hewie) we pride ourselves on being music historians here at #JMHO. With that said we will post videos of songs that have been sampled and see if our followers can figure them out. I mean everybody loves games right?! We're gonna start this one off easy. This is my favorite artist of all time and its no coincidence that the song that sampled this track is one of my favorites as well. Good Luck!

The Cash Money Records You Aren't Familiar With

We all know who Cash Money is. Whether you remember back when they started catching on big time with Juveniles "Back That Azz Up" or you became familiar when Weezy started dropping his Carter albums, we ALL know who Cash Money is. BUT I'm sure there's a fair amount of you out there that don't know as much about their history as you thought you did. Judging by the conversations I've had with people, the vast majority believes Cash Money started out with Juvenile, Wayne, BG, Turk, and Big Tymers. Unfortunately for the vast majority, they're wrong. Yes, Baby and Slim have been on board since day one and Mannie had been making beats for them FOREVER, but the artist lineup was completely different. Artists like Kilo G (who was the first artist to release an album on their label), UNLV, Mr. Ivan, Pimp Daddy, and others. Obviously most of these dudes don't offer much in the lyric department but these songs serve as a reminder that even the most well known record labels had humble beginnings. I figured I would post some tracks from these albums. Starting with a track from Baby's (then known as B-32 aka Baby With The 32 Golds) first album called "I Need a Bag Of Dope." I've heard nowadays he pretends this song doesnt exist...I don't blame him.



Their artist Mr. Ivan (RIP) fared better lyrically and musically than Baby (what a shocker) when he dropped his album "187 In A Ski Mask" back in 94. Mannie Fresh was making more funky tracks that made for a much more entertaining listen. Check this track "How U Kill" featuring Kilo G.



The next year Kilo G, the first artist to drop an album on CMR, came out with his second album "The Bloody City" in 1995. Check this track "Release Me" featuring Pimp C.



The same year Tec 9 (no not Tech N9ne) released his album "Straight From Tha Ramp!!!" which may contain one of the WORST album covers of all time. Luckily Mannie Fresh laced him with more of the smooth shit he was hooking Mr. Ivan and Kilo G with. Check out "Ridin High"



That same year, BG released an album called "True Story." On the original album the name says "The B.G.'z" because it was supposed to be a group containing BG who was then known as Lil Doogie and Lil Wayne who called himself Baby D which makes me laugh my ass off for obvious reasons. The next year, UNLV released "Uptown For Life" which was most known for its diss to Mystikal on the track "Drag Em N Tha River"



By 1997 Juvenile, Wayne, Turk, and B.G. were all on board. When B.G. dropped "It's All On U Vol. 1", Hot Boys released "Get It How U Live!", and Juvenile put out "Soulja Rags", the buzz surrounding Cash Money had gotten to a national level which led to Universal Records signing the label and starting them well on their way to the high profile success that they have today.

I can't say Juvenile's "Soulja Rag" is the first video ever done for Cash Money but it's the first video I've ever seen from them. Check out this video (the audio sucks...sorry) and then hit up Youtube and check out "HA" and see how much a difference a year and a major label distribution deal can make.



I'll admit I left out some artists like PxMxWx, Lil Slim, Ms Tee, Pimp Daddy, and Magnolia Shorty...there just isn't enough room on here to post EVERYTHING done by EVERYONE on the label.

Anyway...I hope this little history lesson taught you something you didn't know about one of the most popular labels out there. I also hope it helps remind you that even if you're at the bottom, with hard work and determination you can climb to the top. Alright...that's enough shit...I'm out!

Random Album Suggestion

Whenever I'm a fan of an artist, I like to take a look back at their history and see where they come from. Sometimes the artists back catalog is full of awesome surprises and other times it's full of garbage that is so shitty I wouldn't even let a pack of rabid wolves hump it. Luckily this time around it was the former, and the artist I'm talking about is Scarface. That dudes solo career contains an extensive amount of music BUT I'm not talking about his solo stuff. I'm talking about his group...the Geto Boys. Now originally the Geto Boys were The Ghetto Boys and the first album was done by DJ Ready Red, Bushwick Bill, and two clowns that obviously set their Xerox machine to "Run-DMC" before they stepped in the booth. An absolutely terrible album resulted, and if this stayed as the group, I would tell you to set all of the Ghetto Boys albums on fire. Luckily, the 2 clowns left, and Willie D and Scarface joined the group resulting in a new 4 man group that was 8 trillion times better than the pile of shit that was there before. They released their first album together "Grip It On That Other Level" which contained such profane lyrics that people were calling to ban the album. Like usual though, this brought more attention to the group and generated more album sales. It even caught the attention of producer Rick Rubin (Producer for Run-DMC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc etc etc) who wanted to revamp some of the track and create a few new tracks for an even wider distributed release. This resulted in one of my favorite albums of all time, The Geto Boys self titled album. You may find the production on the album to sound dated (its from 1990 afterall) especially compared to all the shit thats out now, but it still sounds raw as fuck and funky as hell to me. So if you want to take a chance on an old school classic (in my opinion) check this album out. You'll see where a lot of the stuff your favorite "gangsta" rappers got their ideas from...especially the ridiculous amount of Scarface movie references. Check out the first track on the album.

Ravens @ Steelers

This doesn't have a lick to do about music, but its our site and we can do what we want. This rivalry is the best in the NFL and here we are a little over 16 hours to kick off and I'm hyped. I'm riding with the Ravens on this one and I hope they can knock the shit out of Ben Worthlessburger. Even though Joe Flacco is a little shaky, I believe the defense is united as ever with whats going on with Ed Reeds family. In honor of #20 here is his ultimate highlight reel.

Let's Describe a Certain Female

This is one of my favorite Jay-Z songs ever! This is so pertinent to every day life and can be applied to every girl you encounter. If you need help finding out if you got a slutty scaly-wag or a wifey, this song should help. lol you can even get relationship advice on JMHO #wedoitall

Shoutout to my Constituants

I've known my homies that work with me on JMHO for a looooong time(ranges from 6-15years). The thing that brought us together is music and the hip-hop culture in general. I have gotten many music recommendations over the years and here are some notables.

Big Rizzle: 2pac- Don Killuminati 7 day theory, Jurassic 5- Quality Control

Hewie: Notorious BIG - Ready to Die, UGK-Supertight

DJ Occur: SHAD- The Old Prince, Eminem- Infinite

I Have No Words For This Except........WOW

Brazil=Beautiful

I'm planning a trip to Brazil at the end of this year.. As I think back to the origins of what made me plan this trip, the only thing I can think of is beautiful. I hope my 10 day escapade looks similar to this video except with some nakit women. Yea I said it! Enjoy..

J.Cole Favorite Album of 2010

And the winner is...


I can't argue with this at all.

Yellow Gold pt. 1

Here is a teaser for Nick Fury's upcoming mixtape Yellow Gold. Ya'll already know I think he's the truth so there's not much to say except January 24th can't come soon enough..

SHHO Presents: "Yellow Gold" Nickelus F & Ohbliv (Part 1) from SHHO on Vimeo.

Leftback

Little Brother is one of my favorite groups of all time. They make classic music with great substance. This is "supposedly" they're last studio album together. This album barely missed my top 5 albums of 2010, so instead of posting my two favorite songs I will post an album sampler. Please support the real!

H.A.M.

I am not as critical on this song as most of the blogs and twitterverse has been over the past 24 hours. For a single I think this song is as great as we can expect from these two artists. Its just witty lines about money clothes and women which is the key to radio songs now days (not saying I agree with it). The best part of the song is having Lex Lugar produce the track. He is known for producing more of a gangsta rap (Waka Floka, Rick Ross) feel than what Ye and Hov have been rapping over lately. For that I give them props for trying something new. On singles you see very little experimentation and I think by the beat choice they went above and beyond. Not a classic collabo that I was hoping for but definitely enough to keep me Watching the Throne.

Its Cold

Its Cold - Saigon


In welcoming the snow of 2011 I thought it be nice to start with a little theme music, its damn cold outside, but what you gonna do about it.

With the North Pole moving I thought people could use some pretty chill music for the week. So I hope you enjoy.





Artists you've never heard of (maybe):
Das-rascist - Luv it mayne
Atma - Who feels it knows it
Mos Def & DJ Honda - Travelin' Man
Specifics - Beach of Life (tribute to Nujabes)
Mac Miller - Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza
Damu the Fudgemunk - Panacea - Colorful Storms (remix)
Damu the Fudgemunk - LB

Ginger

If I woulda come out with a top 10 list of the most slept on mixtapes of 2010, L.E.P. Bogus Boys (Weird name I Know) release, "Don't Feed the Killas Vol. 3" woulda easily been high on it, if not at the top.

The L.E.P. BB, come outta Chi-City and offer a harder, more gritty sound then many of the MCs that have come out of Chicago in recent years (i.e. Kanye, Lupe, Common). My favorite track on the Tape, "Ginger" talks about a girl that is a dime but is also a trick and only cares about the money, a biiiiig problem with girls in the game right now.

Check the video, its produced by Creative Control, who always do a sick job with their productions.

All Lat

Nickelus F has been on the hip-hop scene since getting inducted into the 106th and park Hall of Fame for winning 7 freestyle fridays in a row. He's still in the underground and his sound has become more mature with age but his lyrics still pack a punch. He is also on record as saying AZ is his favorite rapper so, he gets much respect from me. Here is a song (All Lat) from his Season Premiere tape that dropped this summer.

Watch the Throne

In honor of watch the throne, the new Jay-z and Kanye EP dropping 1-11-11, I thought I would post some classic collabs by the two moguls. If you havn't heard of this tape bust your knees with a sledge hammer and take part of the running of the bulls in a wheelchair. Harsh I know, but this EP has the potential to reach legendary status.

Cyhi Da Prynce

When I watched the B.E.T. cyhper from this years B.E.T. awards I was in awe by the G.O.O.D music freestyle- Don't lie you were too! One thing that I couldn't get over was who was the new guy repping Rosewood.. After doing a little searching on the blogosphere I found out it was in fact Cyhi Da Prynce. Despite being a Prynce I have never heard of, I decided I would give his new mix-tape, Royal Flush a chance. I must say Kanye does it again. Cyhi is a quality artist that just makes feel good music ( no pun). He is a very clever lyricist except for the occasional corny line (very few people are immune to the corny line syndrome). Here is one of my favorite songs from the tape and it's definitely worth a listen



Going in on a Toca Tuesday Freestyle

Zion I-Always

My quick post today has to do with Zion I. For those that don't know, Zion I consists of Zumbi behind the mic and Amp Live behind the boards. They released their latest album "Atomic Clock" back in November. Yes, it came out 2 months ago but who cares? Dope music is dope music even if its not BRAND NEW fresh out the box. Anyway, the beat starts off with something as simple as a dude hitting a snare, but as the other instruments slowly start creeping in, the beat becomes something of an epic presentation. A great song is nothing without dope lyrics though, and like usual, Zumbi delivers. Plus the video is awesome. Check it out

one more before i crash.

Big K.R.I.T. Ft.Curren$y & Killa Kyleon: Moon and Stars (Remix)

This track which has been featured on both Curren$y's "Return to the Winners Circle" and Big Krit's "Krit Wuz Here,"mixtapes, has been one of my favorite songs of the last month and can be heard blasting out of my whip at least once a day....

If you don't like this video, kill urself.

something to chill to....

When it comes to my hip hop, its no secret that I am a huge fan of funky-ass bass lines,smooth slow tempos and heavy synthesizers, basically the type of sound that has historically come from the West Coast and the Dirty South.

To introduce myself to the future followers and readers of this blog, I feel like there would be no better video to post then K Dee's legendary classic, "Hittin' Corners".

This track, which was recorded in 1994 during the golden age of West Coast Hip Hop, has always reminded me of those old school summer days when you had nothing else to do but kick it and watch music videos all day. It also hits close to home because it is featured in one of my favorite movies of all time "Friday" during the scene where Craig and Smokey are high'd up chillin in Craigs house. (Hint: its the music video playing in the background)

Anyways, before I continue to ramble on and on about it, Lay back, relax and check out this clip:

And for those lookin for a more modern version of this track, my mans Curren$y just dropped a couple verses over it on his very solid "Return To The Winner Circle" mixtape (which everyone should definitely check out as well):

Henny- Im Faded

This song has been out on the internet for a little while now, but the video just dropped. Here is a local VA artist that's trying make a name for himself in the game. His mixtape "Get Em Drunk vol. 1" comes out in the near future.

A Few New Music Picks 1/4/11

Nice sample on this, with a smooth flow, just my type



Another nice compilation track! Does it live up to the name "pandemonium" though? I think not, but still a quality track.

Jay-Z "Decoded"

You KNOW something is wrong in the universe when I take my ass to a bookstore to purchase one of those crazy things out there called BOOKS. After hearing at least 4 bazillion (according to spell check, bazillion is a word...dope!) different people tell me that I absolutely NEED to go grab Jay-Z's new book "Decoded", I finally broke down and bought it. I'm glad I did.

Today was the first day in the history of the world that I bought a book, started reading it, and finished it all in the same day. The book is awesome. I honestly felt like I was sitting in a room with Jay while he was telling me the story of his life and breaking down the lyrics in his songs to me. Well, I pretty much felt like that, in all honesty if I was sitting in the same room with Jay I'd probably be nervous as fuck and feeling a trickling warm sensation going down my pants. ANYWAY...Jay and co-author Dream Hampton really put together something special here. Like I said, it feels like Jay is there talking to you, so the writing feels like a natural flowing conversation between him and an old friend. The real treat is the way the book is laid out. For most of the book, Jay tells stories from his life, then breaks down lyrics to songs that have to do with what he just talked about, then goes back to telling stores, and so on and so on. It sounds a bit jarring but it actually flows brilliantly.

I don't want to delve too deep into the book because, knowing me, I'll give away everything in the book and then there will be no need for you to buy it. But for real, go grab a copy of that book. If you're a Jay fan then you really have no excuse not to buy this book unless you're blind (go find it in braille) or illiterate (go get a pop-up book).

I think it's a dope book that any fan of Jay or hip-hop in general would enjoy BUT, that's just my humble opinion.

Sledge's top 5 mixtapes of 2010

On twitter (@sledge_mylez) I recently went over my top 5 mixtapes of the year 2010. This was very hotly contested, because this was a quality year for mixtapes and music and general. After hours of listening and reviewing the contenders- here is my list.

5. Mood Musik 4 - Joe Budden

This was a great mixtape and lived up to the hype. I have been a fan of this series and I consider Joe Budden a highly underrated MC. Most people remember him for "rap beefs", his ex-girlfriend Tahiri, and his hit single pump it up. He raps with so much emotion and doesn't hold back from spilling his personal trials and tribulations on the tape. I can relate to him on so many levels with this music/message.

Standout Track: If all else fails

4. Kendrick Lamar - Overly Dedicated

If this tape came out earlier in the year it would've been in contention for the top spot. I am impressed with the variation of beats this Compton MC spits on. Just incredibly lyrical and I put him over Neighborhood Nipsey when it comes to the title of " who will bring the west coast back"

Standout Track: Heaven & Hell

3. Big Krit- Krit wuz here

This tape is what southern rap should be about! No stupid dance tracks and screaming ignorance on tracks, this is just quality music over crunk beats. I went to go see Krit at the waken baken tour this summer and I came home and immediately downloaded the tape, since then I've been bumpin it in the whip.

Standout Track: Voices

2. J.Cole- Friday Night Lights

I think Cole World is the leader of the new school. I am just concerned about his ability to live up to the hype the underground community has put on his shoulders. This tape is flawless and 1ups last years near-class tape the Warm Up. As he says in Villematic "name a fucking song I ain't threw up on?" I have yet to find a answer to that question..

Standout Track: Farewell

1. Wale- More about Nothing

I think Wale is one of the best lyricist out. He is one of the only rappers I have to look up metaphors on Google to understand the meanings. He raps on so many different beats and isn't scared to go outside of the box. The sample choices are incredible as well. Wale has all the potential in the world I just hope he can hone his skills onto a great sophomore album.
Standout Track: Breakup Song

Welcome

Welcome to the JustMHOpinion blog! We are just some young 20- somethings that enjoy all genre's of music. We will be updating this blog regularly with or thoughts and insights on mix-tapes, albums, and songs of the current and past. You may not agree with our posts - but they are just our humble opinions.