By Odeisel
Welcome to the first edition of Lazy Sundays. Part history lesson, part mixtape, all an exercise in sharing music that I think people should hear. It’s not old school or new school it’s totally random. The only rule: no run of the mill singles! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Black Jesus-Ghostface Killah Ironman
From the classic Iron Man from Ghostface Killah we have Black Jesus.
The angelic Cornbread, Earl & Me sample (Check the movie out with a very young Larry Fishburne and Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes (At least one positive Laker moment this month).
Ghostface and Raekwon tag-team over a Wu-banger.
Nowhere near as famous as the other joints on this album but it certainly bangs in any situation. Don’t ask me what the heck they talking about in the beginning.
“Give Up The Goods”-Mobb Deep The Infamous
The Mobb and Rapper Noyd spazz out on an airy, yet potent track. This album was a total surprise from the former Poetical Prophets. I remember giving the gas face to my boy who recommended it. Back then they didn’t have that track record. You had raw beats, and Prodigy was looking like the next great emcee. No chorus, just beats and rhymes, and for Christ’s sake, no singer on a wack hook.
“Bout It Bout It 2”- Master P feat. Mia X Ice Cream Man
The Colonel came with heat over a lazy synth-powered beat supported by the snare. Before his morphing into a Tupac wannabe with his style, Master P was a solid rapper in his own right. Mia X comes on and rips this to pieces. Without this song, there’s no Cash Money, no Lil’ Wayne, no Hot Boyz, nothing. Then they had I’m Bout It: The Movie, which was a hood classic. Real crack heads smoking crack, a three legged dog, and the first national look into how it goes down in the NO. Even before Katrina, it wasn’t all good.
Nothing But The Gangsta –Mc Eiht feat. Spice 1 & Redman We Come Strapped
Back when East/West collabos were not commonplace, this one was particularly strange. You wouldn’t think that Redman, who at the time epitomized that East Coast gritty feel, would be close enough to the feel of that Compton heat but it was a solid joint. The chilling piano and strings. The cross-continental hardcore, and the murderous Spice 1 dropping that Bay Flavor. Appropriate title.
“Real N****z Don’t Die-N.W.A. Efil4zaggin
People love the chronic and in fact it changed history, but Dre’s REAL quantum leap came with Efil4zaggin. This particular song was just urban nihilism at it’s most potent. The relentless, hard driving guitar, MC Ren, the Immortal Eazy-E batting cleanup, this song made you go “Ice who?” This album just took the whole game musically to the next level. If you don’t like it, you played yourself…or maybe it just ain’t your style.
Black Magic- JD ERA Feat. Drake Coming To America Mixtape
I hate new rappers. I find most of them talentless or incomplete packages. It’s not the old school hater, it’s a guy who has seen many cycles in this music and is generally hard to impress. However this joint fresh from north of the border is a prelude to what could be a full scale Canadian invasion in 2008. Fresh from his Nike Battle victory, ERA has the skills and the personality to pay the bills. Riding shot gun is Drake (wheelchair Jimmy from Degrassi). Before you raise your eyebrows, Drake has held his own on tracks with Wayne, the Clipse, and a bunch of other MC’s you sweating. T-dot in full effect, Look out for Canada Week in July.
“You Ain’t a Gangsta, You A Phoney”-Corey Gunz Feat. Game
Man, when you’re talking tools the young dude got many of them. The rapid fire flow a la Big Pun, the almost forgotten BX swagger, and even Hip-Hop lineage. Corey and Game get busy over a retread beat. Waiting on that album baby boy. Time for some new blood in the game. No pun intended.
See you next week succas. For any suggestions email : odeisel@allhiphop.com, Enjoy your lazy Sunday at least until football season starts.