KRS 1 on Kanye vs 50

Before you read this piece by KRS-1 I want everyone to give this man a round of applause. When I first listened to 50s album I was like damn, the same old stuff. Gunplay this, kill that. Then I listened to Ye's album and I had a breath of fresh air. KRS 1 says some very true things in this article. The main thing that stuck with me was when I went back to my hometown (Flint, MI) to visit family, I was listening to Ye's album. It just didn't feel right, so I took the CD out. I was just telling myself that it was wack. I popped in 50s album and for some reason it stayed in longer, but I didn't pay it any attention at the time. Then I left Flint later that weekend and came back to my home (The 'burbs). I wasn't feeling the 50 again, but I felt good listening to Ye's album. This may sound funny, and even ridiculous but it's true. Take a look at what KRS-1 had to say.

"By KRS-ONE
At the 2007 Hip Hop Honors I was asked by AllHipHop.com about my musical
preferences this year—50 Cent or Kanye West? I chose 50 Cent. At the time my answer was spontaneous and said without much thought. It was simply a quick honest answer. However, the next day I get a Google alert that somehow my comments "dissed Kanye West". This could not be further from the truth. As I've said repeatedly and on many occasions, "rap is something we do; Hip Hop is something we live", and when you
ask KRS about his musical choices his answers are going to reflect the life that he (KRS) actually lives. If I have to compare 50 Cent's album "Curtis" with Kanye West's album "Graduation" I am more motivated by "Curtis" than I am "Graduation". Of course, I
totally respect "Graduation" and what it means to and for Hip Hop. But personally, I relate more to 50 Cent's subject matter more than I do Kanye's.

I like both albums. I personally went to Circuit City and bought two copies of each album the day they came out and listened to them both. After listening to both albums I found myself rewinding several of 50 Cent's tracks—track 2, track 3, track 4, the rhyme style on track 5, track 12, the joint with Mary-track 15, track 16 and track 17. For me, ALL THAT SHIT WUZ HOT! On the other hand, when I listened to Kanye's album I found myself rewinding only track 1, track 6, and track 10. Honestly, I felt that Kanye's album related more to women whereas 50's album related more to men, maybe that's why I gravitated more toward 50's album? Maybe I'm just too "old skool?" Maybe I'm just a New York nigga at heart? Maybe I'm still stuck on that "gun talk?" Whatever. In any event, I totally respect Kanye's message and his album was clearly a breath of fresh air for Hip Hop. Even Kanye's musical production style was superior to 50's in my opinion. But for motivation, hard beats and rhymes, or when I'm driving through the "hood" for me 50 Cents album "Curtis" simply delivered more "bang" for the buck.

When I stated that I preferred 50's album over Kanye's album the Allhiphop.com interviewer seemed shocked and surprised. This caused me to think about my response a little more. Why did I choose 50 Cent? I began to think about this with more depth. First, when it comes to Hip Hop and its cultural preservation we must never equate record sales with artistic excellence. Just because Kanye out-sold 50 Cent does not mean that Hip Hop as a community has made a choice as to its cultural direction. In fact, I would argue that Kanye out-selling 50 Cent has more to do with the record buying public's demand for more soulful, thoughtful and innovative music than it has to do with Hip Hop making a statement about itself. Hip Hop is about the mood of the streets; all of it, the so-called "conscious" streets as well as the so-called"gangsta" streets. True Hip Hop (cultural Hip Hop) is not about the selling of a CD. So one must ask, did Hip Hop buy Kanye's album or did the American public buy Kanye's album?

Secondly, let us not equate the "conscious" Hip Hop movement with CD sales. Remember, we are still getting ripped-off contractually by those corporations that exploit and sell our music with nothing going back toward Hip Hop's actual preservation. Just because you put out a "conscious" album does not mean that you are a "conscious" person. Your album presentation does not make you an "activist" or a "gangsta". It is your actions in real life that determine your propensity for revolutionary thought or rebellious activity. The questions are; what have you done with your success to support and preserve Hip Hop's actual cultural preservation? How does Hip Hop's existing organizations benefit from your success? If 50 Cent actually builds Hip Hop's museum/archive with the money and influence made from his "gangsta" music and Kanye (as an example) buys more Gucci and gold chains with his money and influence who has really served the
culture? Please, let us keep things in perspective here.

Finally, let me make this last point very clear. KRS ONE is an artist that has produced both "Criminal Minded" as well as "Edutainment" and this is what I have found to not only be the key to my own professional longevity, this is also what has kept Hip Hop itself vibrant and self-sustaining for over 30 years. Hip Hop thrives upon its variety of styles and diversity of ideas. Remember, Hip Hop is a continuous international urban conversation; it is not a dictated lecture or a one-sided statement. It is an on-going urban discussion about life and living expressed through art and culture. EVERYTHING ABOUT HIP HOP IS GOOD! Our music and art reflects life itself.

When I hear artists like 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Camron, Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, etc I hear courage, fearlessness and victory over the streets. And when I hear Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, etc I hear vision, innovation, and the pursuit of life's higher ideals. ALL OF THIS IS HIP HOP! And all of it is good. ALL OF IT! Not one style over another or one style better than another. All of it together is Hip Hop, and you will not have true Hip Hop without this balance of ideas and expressions. Hip Hop cannot be one thing or it will cease to exist as Hip Hop. The key word here is BALANCE, and I am proud to say that in 2007 with the release of 50 Cent's "Curtis" and Kanye West's "Graduation" Hip Hop has achieved such a balance. The struggle now is to convince mainstream media to honor such a "balance" in its public presentations of our culture and lifestyle. Yes, I remain Hip Hop's "teacha" and authentic cultural voice; and yes, I will continue to promote both spiritual and political thought through Hip Hop. Like most people I too seek the "Good Life", but let's just keep it really real; "NIGGA MY GUN GO OFF!"

Big respect to both Kanye and Curtis!

KRS ONE—the Teacha"

Triple Lip

Big ups to Kanye West for his success on his latest LP. Big ups for handing it to 50 in the sales department thus far (in America).

Thats as far as the accolades go though. Kanye has been marked as many things over his career... some good, and some not so good. Many people seem to overlook the fact that this dude always has his mouth open complaining, whining, or feeling entitled to something. He complains when he can't perform at Award Shows. He complains when his record isn't the best. He complains when he isn't the hottest out right now. My goodness! Dude is talented, but his big headedness and cockiness has gotten to his head. Dude's album isn't even 5 mic material. It's better than 50s, and it's better than most rap music that is out today. That still doesn't give him the right to complain and cry as much as he does.

Ed Lover did mark Ye on his list. Top 10 list of people who needs to shut their mouth. I agree, and I'm glad Lover put him out there like that. Ye needs to shut that triple lip and just do his thing, because when he gets humbled down (and everyone gets at least one humbling experience in their life) he might just kill himself. He may do a Eddie Kane... or David Ruffin move. He is not as hot as he thinks he is. Dude thinks that he is Mercury on wax.

I'm not hating on the dude, I am merely stating the obvious. Sometimes I wish that 50 would have out sold him just to see what he would have done. I honestly think he would have cried to Soundscan... probably would have thrown a tantrum on TRL or something.

Kanye you are a talented dude, but you gotta get past that ego of yours. It just may be your downfall. Can that mouth of yours be wired shut again?

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

American Gangster Part II

Ok, I told you to stay tuned. This American Gangster thing seems to be blowing up pretty quickly now. The movie itself seems to be one of the greats this year. Who knows... maybe even this decade. As far as Jay-Z being inspired to go back at it, hardcore... this might be true. If you've heard Blue Magic you got a taste. In my opinion it was okay... not great, but it was okay. After to listening to more tracks I think that Jigga might have shrugged off B for a minute to go back to his roots. It's the grown up version of the old Jigga. He's even supposedly throwing shots at LL... but that's a different story. Let's go Jigga.

Check out the track Roc Boys from American Gangster. The track Dead Presidents 3 is supposedly a FIRE track as well. Uh oh... what really inspired this man? Who knows... maybe it WAS the movie. Maybe it was all these wack cats out here picking up the mic.



Jay got people waiting on November and apple cider now. Hopefully this work doesn't get highjacked to the point where Jay has to push it back. That would hurt. Or maybe there is another stash somewhere. You all can have the baking soda, and oregano, but when that real white stuff and sticky hits the streets it should cause an epidemic of people Jay flashbacks.

Get with it people.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Duel in Dallas

Ok... first I wanna say that I'm back from my leave of absence. I've been way too busy to focus on blogging. So since I've been gone, I have a lot of things that are on my mind right now. I'll try my best to transcribe and interpret them onto blogspace.

First, this Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots game. I am a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan, always have and always will be. I'm not upset that the media is all over this game. No thats cool. The thing that I'm upset with is that even though both teams are undefeated and quality teams, its getting blown out of proportion now. It's being considered this great matchup, this great duel... blah blah blah. I honestly think my Cowboys are coming for the juggular. The media is covering this from all aspects, but every analyst predicts that the Patriots are going to win. Ok, now at what point do you say, since everyone thinks the Patriots are going to win... maybe we can move on to something else? I could see if the predictions were mixed. At this point everyone is still saying the Patriots are going to win... thats what they have been saying since Tuesday, and thats what they will say on Sunday. How many times, and how many ways can you say that one team is going to beat another. Sure its the game of 2 unbeatens... and maybe it's me tired of seeing my team being inferiorated (I think I just made that word up). Maybe it's just the media going overkill on a matchup. This is not a Playoff matchup, or the Super Bowl. This game wont even determine an entrance to the playoffs... ITS WEEK 6!!!!

Enough about football now. I got that off my chest.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

American Gangster

Jay-Z to return this November as an American Gangster... Stay tuned.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Appreciation or Depreciation?

I had a conversation a few weeks ago with an educated black man about many decisions that African American or even young people of America make with their income. It made me think. We got rappers, NBAers, actors, etc. who make tons of money on top of more money, but what do they do with all that money? Are they letting it appreciate or are they making sure that it depreciates?

I almost felt like Bill Cosby in this conversation although me and the other guy shared agreeing minds. We were at a fancy hotel in San Francisco, and we were sitting out front doing some people watching. Valet was working hard parking cars, bell boys were hustling to carry bags, and the people at the register had a permanent smile. The confusing part was the type of people who were checking into the hotel. 97% of the people who we saw were of Caucasion background. It was funny, and we both questioned at first why there were no brothers or sisters jumping out of the Range Rovers? What are all the Black people doing with their money? Look at this Hip Hop industry and the people that represent it. You see the cars, the jewels, and the grills. At first glance you would be like damn, why are they wasting their money? Everything that you see has a depreciating value.

What most people don't know or see is that many of these people are actually pretty damn smart with their money. Jay Z ranks number 1 on the Forbes Hip Hop's Cash Kings list. There really is no need to go down the list of all the things that Jay Z is doing outside of music. But one person who surprises me is Yung Joc. He came in at No. 20, but still... that's pretty good for something like $10 million. Yung Joc's latest album, Hustlenomics pretty much says it all. The man is a hustler, just like most of these cats out here. How many people do you know who owns Exotic Car dealerships? Not one of them, but 2 of them? Very smart.

Now, to switch up speeds for a second. It's easy to talk about all the rappers and other entertainers, but what about the Average Joe's of America.

Even Average Joe's have some issues that need to be ironed out. We get a little money and the first thing we want to do is go shopping. Shopping is cool, but it's not the brightest investment when we just want some Sean Jean jeans, or a chain. It's always funny when I see the Cartier glasses, Prada loafers, etc, and your mom's address on your mail. It's all about how you look these days first... what you're doing with yourself doesn't always take precedent over that. If you go to a club these days and have mean swagger with some clothes that are in Vibe magazine, you're set. Doesn't really matter what your mouthpiece is like. This all means that many of us all are superficial, shallow, and ignorant. Appreciation or depreciation?

All in all... at some point us, as a race, African American... need to step it up. We need to get our priorities right. We need to stop thinking that stuff aint for us. We need to stop thinking that only White people are supposed to own stuff. Hell, we need to stop thinking that only Arabs can own gas stations. We don't even own our own neighborhoods. People who don't speak our language are the ones who own our neighborhoods, and they just got to America.

Just a thought that i felt I needed to express in written language.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

50 Cent making change.

Many of you may have heard by now... 50 Cent is losing the desire. Dude isn't burnt out, but more so disaapointed. I would be too if I was talking crazy to hype my album up, and then was embarrassed. Kanye's first week's album sales are going to smash 50's. Better yet his album sales as of now, not even a week of sales, are killing 50's. All of this has 50 just a little down. He really needs a shoulder to lean on... Young Dro, do you care to help a brother out? The man has really claimed to not have "it" in him anymore. Out of disgust from his major recording label, he plans to not promote through tours if he does put out another album. He'll be back. Dude loves money too much.

The reality of things is that 50's record label hate his guts. If you compare his pubbing to Kanye's there was no contest... not comparable. Kanye's album was getting pubbed on Monday Night Football for Christ's sake. Kanye had tracks being scored on the hit show Entourage, let alone having a cameo on the show. What was 50 doing? Sitting in a studio drinking Vitamin Water, while downloading Kanye's album off the net. Interscope could care less about 50 Cent, and that's why no one really knew that 50's album was coming out besides when he was throwing up ridiculous comments about him retiring. Confident or just strategizing? Don't know. Right now, it looks as if he was just strategizing.

As far as which album was better I listened to both albums. Many people may disagree (die hard Kanye and 50 fans), but neither album was as solid as expected. That's usually how things work though. Without a question Kanye's album is way more easier to listen to, and sounds better. 50 came with the same old shoot em up, Vitamin water making my money tracks. There was nothing new or exciting about the album. Kanye kept it Kanye with his album. Very smooth and laid back, but the album overall sounds very familiar. Personally, I'm going to hold off on buying either one of these.

Too bad, so sad... Looks like 50 better hit the lab and come up with some more flavors for Vitamin Water.

And that's all that I have to say about that topic.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

False Identity?

“Fake thug no love, you get slug CB4 Gusto, ya luck low…”
Nas – The Message; It Was Written

Why is it that there are SO many “thugs” these days? Everywhere you look there is someone with his hat bent to the left or to the right. There is always someone with his jeans hanging low. What about the cats who can talk a good talk about the streets, and what they will do if…

Where does all this come from? Is this a product of what Hip Hop produced? Maybe, but Hip Hop doesn’t deserve all of that credit. It would only be fair to disperse the fault throughout the music world and the sports world. There are probably most certainly more prospective areas to blame as well, but the two biggest are sports and music. Athletes and other entertainers have probably the strongest impact on people and their views. Everyone wants to be like 50 Cent, Allen Iverson, or Kanye West. Hell, a lot of people even wanted to be like Michael Vick at one point or another.

Some people like to believe that children are easily impacted when they aren’t properly reared. They believe that when there aren’t enough influences for children (i.e. dad locked up or dead, mom and dad working crazy hours, etc) they are easily influenced by things that may be detrimental. Could be true. May be true. Might not be true. Who knows? Does growing up in a household where your dad is absent mean anything about what you’re going to be involved in later in life, or how you perceive yourself as a young man or woman? I think it plays a part in the way you will perceive yourself growing up most certainly, but I wouldn’t go as far to say that you are destined for trouble because of it.

I don’t want to stray too far away from my original question though… Why is it that there are SO many “thugs” these days? I remember back in the late 80s and early 90s to even the mid-90s, you couldn’t as much as wear a baseball cap… let alone wear it cocked to a side. Your favorite colors had to be gray and white, or some other primary color. You definitely couldn’t wear red or blue though, and for damn sure you couldn’t wear red bottom and a red top… and likewise for blue. I am happier than anyone these days that those laws are not still around, because red and blue are some of my favorite colors. If this were the early 90s, I’d probably be somewhere beat up or shot because of my outfit. Now that those laws aren’t around anymore, people have taken advantage. White kids with blue fitted hats cocked to the left or right, black suburban kids with red and blue sweat suits with one of the legs pulled up. They all look like they just came out of a rap video with Cash Money. The part that takes the cake though is that many of these people have never seen drugs, guns, violence outside of their parent’s arguing, and many other things that these entertainers talk about. It’s just like fake studio rappers. I see your gums bumping, but I don’t see your actions coinciding.

A lot of young people today don’t realize or understand what connotations the colors and the sideways hat had across the land of America in earlier times. There are even a lot of older people who still wear their hats turned to one side in representation of what they used to do, what they used to be around, or what they wanted to do when they were growing up. Even though people are not banging anymore, the colors and left and right still have a connotation. Do people still care? Not as much… depending on where you are.

Everybody’s a thug these days, or at least want to look like one. On second thought, maybe looking like a thug isn’t the right phrase. I’ll rephrase that and say that everybody wants to pose as something or someone that they are not.

Like Andre 3000 said, “You white tee, well… to me, looks like a nightgown. Make your mama proud, take that thing two sizes down.” You can still wear your white tee’s and top shelf jeans with your Air Force 1’s, but try looking a little more presentable. People don’t want to see your Hanes, and you can still be cool with a pair of jeans that fit properly. In most cases parents do not agree with what their child wears, but a fight everyday isn’t worth it. So what really can the parent(s) do?

Hip Hop is still going to exist with or without fitted hats, Air Force’s, sagging jeans, etc.

I’m still stuck asking myself, why are there so many “thugs” these days? What’s up with the false identity?

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

The Future?

Now an anonymous little birdie put a bug in my ear. They told me that if you listen hard enough, there’s a group of people who are trying to change the game a little bit. They told me… don’t worry, they rap. Then the birdie said, DocBoone… they rap to a different tune though. It’s some rock, mixed with some blues, there’s a pinch of reggae in there, and some soul added as well. When you add some pretty stable lyrical content in there you have what some call… The Future. Word is that they reside in VA. I haven’t traveled out there personally, but I have checked them out. If you not feeling rock, blues, reggae, or anything outside of Soulja Boy and the Superman… then you wont feel this. What I recommend for you though is to give The Future a listen… uncover your 3rd eye and check this out.

Future's Website

Check them out on Myspace

I just thought that I would share this with you all out there who are checking in me.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Bleeding EarDrums

The day came, and the day has gone. Now it’s time to soak this all up. Between Common, UGK, Pharoahe Monch, and a handful of other CDs that have come out this summer… it has been a great summer for music in my opinion. But then again, what does my opinion count for. My opinion couldn’t hold water if it was a Slurpee mug. At any rate, Talib Kweli released his anticipated album on Tuesday, and the man dropped harder than most probably expected.

The Beautiful Struggle was cute. It got us all by for the moment for the thirst of lyrical complexion from Kweli… it wasn’t enough though. It left many thirsting for more, pretty fast. It lacked a few things lyrically and production wise. This time around with Eardrum, Kweli made sure that everyone feasted off of his work in the kitchen. The album bangs out 20 tracks, including 3 bonuses. A lot of work went into this album… At times I could have swore that I tasted a sock while listening to this album. That’s how much umph he put into this one.

If people are arguing that no one in Hip Hop talks about anything in their music, then they haven’t listened to Eardrum. “This ain’t my full potential, only using 10% of my mental on instrumentals.” That’s what Kweli is stating on the opening track “Everything Man.” With 20 tracks total on an album you would expect there to be times of inconsistency. Production, content, and mood is consistent throughout.

One of the realest tracks of the album, “Give ‘Em Hell,” Kweli entertains you while questioning religious views. This is a deep song, and like “Jesus Walks,” this song takes a dive out there, but hits everything. It’s very filling. “Who is King James, and why did he think that it was so vital to remove chapters and make his own version of the Bible? They say that hell is underground, and heaven is in the sky, and they say that’s where you go when you die… but how they know?”

Overall this album will qualify as one of the top 3 albums of the summer once the leaves begin to fall. With production from Kanye, Will.I.Am., Pete Rock, Hi Tek, and even Justin Timberlake. Guest appearances from Jean Grae, Kanye, Raheem DeVaughn, Roy Ayers, Norah Jones, KRS One, Lyfe, and Musiq. This album has 5 mic written all over it… or atleast 4 and a half. I’m urging everyone to go BUY a copy.


Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Hot Thing

The time is slowly approaching. The release of Talib Kweli's new album, Eardrum. To most people Kweli is not someone who you would play to get a party cracking. That's cool though, because Kweli is considered by most to be real Hip Hop as well. Unfortunately, people aren't listening to real Hip Hop at the club anyway... just party music. Just from hearing a few tracks from Kweli's latest work, I'm already convinced that this is going to be another banging album. I mean, what do you expect from Kweli? I just wish that he was getting the credit that he deserves, not only as a lyricist, but as a artist.

Here, check out his video for the single "Hot Thing." It should look a little familiar once you see it.



Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Bridget Gray

I may once again be a little behind with this one, but this right here, I feel is timeless. Bridget Gray has been killing the poetry/spoken word scene for some time now. As a matter of fact, I probably need to smack myself for being in the dark for this long, but hey... what can you say? At any rate, it's always good to hear what's really good from our beautiful black women. Take a gander... er, listen to what Bridget Gray as to say to Hip Hop in this heartfelt letter.




For those of you who do not know of Bridget Gray... check out her bio. She is doing big things... and her time is coming.

Bridget Gray Bio

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

I am... Chrisette Michele

I may be a little late, but like they say... "Better late, than never." For the past 2 weeks I have been smoothfully bobbing my head to this Chrisette Michele album. This woman is the truth. Where did Jay find her? I don't know, but her mom and Nas' mom are friends from Queensbridge.

She didn't just pop up as some people would love to believe. She was featured on Jay's "Lost Ones." She was also on Nas' "Can't Forget About You." Her music is so refreshing that it makes you forget that you were thirsting for lemonade on a hot summer's day in the city. It kind of reminds you of great Jazz Vocalists from back in the day. It's clean, grown up, and HOT!

Chrisette Michele's album is without a doubt, one of the realest... and smoothest R&B joints out. It's always good to hear a new voice. Especially when that voice is able to musically massage you into a lovely coma of smooth lyrics. Def Jam has a jewel in Chrisette Michele.



Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Desire

The long awaited album, Desire, by Pharoahe Monch released earlier this summer. Not many people are up on Pharoahe Monch, or even know who Pharoahe Monch is. A pure lyricist, with the capability to paint vivid pictures through his literature. This album here may be one of the most soulful hip hop albums to be released thus far this year (next to Common's Finding Forever). Pharoahe always has been a rapper of complex rhymes and metaphors, and even listening to this album he did not sway away from that technique. I don't blame him. A big part of hip hop is being an emcee... and the man is emceeing.

I'll admit that I wasn't always a Pharoahe Monch fan, at least not until I heard "Simon Say." After that he made appearances on the Soundbombing albums. He had a track with Mos Def called "Oh No." It was clear back in the late 90s that Pharoahe wasn't your typical rapper, but he had the backpacker edge to him. Almost 10 years since "Simon Says," Pharoahe Monch seems far from a backpacker anymore. Besides the dude is well into his 30s... backpacks and homework are well behind this fella. His focus these days is creating soulful hip hop that strikes a flame in every neighborhood and street corner throughout America. Tough challenge being that people are trying to hear complexity in rap. They want the basic bragadocious style with the ass and titties. If that's not your style... go cop the "Desire" album by Pharoahe. I promise you will not be disappointed. I can gurantee that after a few minutes of listening to this album, your head will start nodding out of nowhere. This album is easily one of the top 5 this year. And that's a quote for you.



What are you waiting for? Go out and get a few copies already!!!

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

50 Vs Kanye

50 Cent is making headlines over the release of his album along with Kanye's on September 11. The day has become a notable day in the history of America, and the dropping of these two Hip Hop monster's albums creates even more buzz. As if the anniversary of the Towers collapsing isn't enough talk... these two have people in the Hip Hop world talking about something else. Or, are people talking about these two? Is 50 doing all the talking? Does Kanye even care? It would seem that Kanye would be the favorite to outsell 50 on 9/11, but 50 fails to believe. 50 believes that his album is going to outsell Kanye the first week, and for weeks after that as well. He even went as far as to say that if Kanye sells more than him, he is not going to release anymore solo albums. He may still write and work with people in his camp, but no more solo albums. That is a bold statement to make. But then again... would anyone really care? Probably so, although 50 hasn't been on top of his A game lately.

Kanye hasn't said much about this except that he isn't worried about 50's album dropping on the same day. The people are going to go out and buy what they want to listen to. Most people might be going out to buy both albums at the same time. The people will determine who sells more, but taking a look at another picture... who cares. Both artists are popular icons in the music world aside from the Hip Hop world. They both will eventually go platinum probably, but a little friendly competition never hurt anyone... record sales either.

Everyone, mark your calendars... September 11, 2007. 50 Vs Kanye. The CURTIS Vs The Graduation. Kanye has his GED... should 50 concentrate on his GED once this is all over?

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar At a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Still Riding Dirty

The Underground Kingz are BACK! Bun B and Pimp C, aka James Jones has released their highly anticipated double album, Underground Kingz. Listening to this album it is loud and clear that UGK are trying to prove the nay sayers wrong. Hip Hop is well and alive in the south... and they are giving one ginormous push to keep it live down there. The album opens up with a classic UGK feel with "Swishas and Dosha." Pimp C opens up by saying, "I remember when a rapper was a go getta, now all these rappes is some hoe niggas, hide behind the guards at the show niggas, dont want no pussy, homosexual on the low niggas..." What a way to start things off. Bun later in the album, "You do what you can, I do what I feel, and that there in itself the defenition of TRILL.

Think back to the first days of UGK... on hits such as "Pocket Full of Stones," "One Day," and "Front Back, Side to Side." The lyrical content wasn't as strong from Bun B then, but as of late he has been making a push to be the strongest of the group lyrically. But just as in the old days, these too Kingz go back and forth so smoothly together... kinda like Tims and fitteds in New York. As seen, the two don't really do all that well without each other though.

This album was well needed for the Kingz with the lackluster drop by Pimp C, with Pimpilation. Bun B's album was better, but still didn't do as well as some would have expected. Underground Kingz came at the right moment. The hip hop game is going through a weird phase right now, almost like an identity crisis... it's also shifting from coast to coast on a monthly basis. Any album that has Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane featured on it (Next Up - Disc 2, track 11) is without a doubt screaming "Hip Hop lives down here!!" Like Pimp C said, it started on the East Coast... then the West Coast did it a little better. Now it's the South's turn.

Everybody... show these rap geniuses some love and go cop this work. Don't embarrass yourself by downloading this. I'm going to hold off on calling this a classic, but you DO NOT WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS!!

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

He's a Hustla

Cassidy has been making the news headlines, and I'm sure you've all been reading. In my opinion, Cassidy is one cold lyricist. Just ask Freeway. I remember watching that battle on tape, and tossing my new Freeway album out the window on the freeway. I totally gave up on Freeway after that. Cass really didn't have to do that grown man like that, but he did anyway.

I know this is mad old, but all the talks of Cass going back to the battle ring, and Fight Klubbing it up made me have to bring this out. Here, check out Cass Vs Free.







Part 1


Part 2


I'm not saying that Cass is the coldest, but he is one of them. As for Freeway... the dude couldn't have known what he was getting himself into. This is funny.

For those who have not had the chance to see this before... enjoy.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

If Forever Wasn't Found, 2007 Was Surely Found.

The time that I needed for the listening of Common's new album has come and gone. I've probably listened to it 2 times a day since it came out. Tommorow marks a whole week since the release. Honestly, I was feeling the album from the time I popped it in the player. Over the past couple of days the album has been hitting like no other. I was driving home tonight when "Misunderstood" came on. I knew that I liked the song favorablely over the others before, but for some reason I had to put this one on repeat. After a couple of times not being able to focus in on the words, and creat my own vision in my head (maybe it was those two motorcycles that were speeding in front of me on the freeway), I finally locked in. DAMN! That's one real song for you. Track 11, "Misunderstood." Go check it out if you haven't. If you have... go listen to it again. Whew... boy o boy.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Who's Da Best

I have some more bars people for you to critic. This is my little brother showcasing his skillz on the solo tip. Like I said before... PLEASE GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK. If you feel it's wack, then thats what it is. If you digging it, then thanks on behalf of my fam.



Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Bet It Up

I want for all of you Hip Hop heads and junkies out there in Hip Hop world to take a minute and smell something for me. I always preach keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time. Well, I want for you all to listen to this track and PLEASE GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK. If its wack its wack... if you feeling it, you feeling it. All I'm asking is that you keep it real with yo boy.



I got some fam spitting on here... don't be afraid to hold back the criticism.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

FInding Forever. Lost or Found?

Ok the album just dropped yesterday, and I've been hearing mixed reviews. I refuse to say whether its a great CD or a wack CD until I listen to it at least 2 more times (already 3 down). So far, from what I've heard, I can say that this album is far from the other albums that have come out this year. No bragadocious lines about grills, rims, hoes, or gwap. This album was very thoughtfully put together. Almost so, that some of the tracks seem to come up somewhat short of classic singles. It's only been 3 listens so far, and I'm sure this is going to take another couple before I really get a feel for whats going on. So far, not bad, but not great either. How does it rank with other albums of '07? ...It's still up at the top somewhere. So, now go out and get your own copy and let me know what you think.

Until we Find Forever, Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Wanna Be a Baller... Shot Caller...

Looks like Pimp C, AKA James Jones... hurt somebody feelings. Lil Troy took offense, and shared his feelings as well.



Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone

Pimp C Radio Interview

Pimp C went on a tirade. Tell 'em why you mad son! He letting you know how he feel. He telling everbody that we need to straighten out the game. Be Trill in what you say and do...



Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Lucky 3 Leaf Clover...

First off I'm going to step out of the world of Hip Hop for a second and touch on my other world. The NBA.

It's been a long time coming for one of the best players in the NBA today. Kevin Garnett's departure from Minnesota and arrival to Boston is going to make basketball fun to watch this year... at least in Boston. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce have all been players well deserving of NBA Championship rings. Each of them know what it's like to have to carry a franchise on their backs, and fall short of excellence. Now each of them will have the opportunity to carry a share of a great franchise on their backs collectively. Give each of them a third, and their veteran leadership should take them pretty far.

Outside the realm of Hip Hop, but dont forget to Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Year of the Dog

Is, or was Hip Hop ever dead? DMX believes so, and that is why he will consider himself "Resurrecting Hip Hop" later this year. His new album is supposedly a response to Nas' last LP. I've said before that Hip Hop never died... just evolved. When DMX came out almost a decade ago, he was HOT. It was Dark, and Hell was definitely hot. Since then he has been on the decline with every album. I don't know one soul who could not quote at least one track from his first album. Between the robberies and the drug usage, I honestly don't know what to expect from this next album. I hope with all my might that this next album is a 5 mic album (wishful thinking). X stated that he will have guest appearances from The Game, 50 Cent, Nas, Mary J, Swizz Beats, Eve, and Bone Thugs N Harmony. Production will be taken care of by Swizz, Storch, Jonothan Rotem, and the Alchemist. There are some big names affiliated with this album... sure hope its not a bust. If you're trying to resuscitate X, don't mess this one up.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

5 mil?

MTV put out the hottest 10 MCs in the game right now, just recently. The list goes like this:

10. Jim Jones
9. Common
8. 50 Cent
7. Jay-Z
6. Young Jeezy
5. Kanye West
4. Andre 3000
3. The Game
2. T.I.
1. Lil Wayne

Set the hating to the side people and think about it. This list has little to do with how well you spit 16 bars, and everything to do with how hot you are. How ridiculous is your swagger, and how have you influenced not only the Hip Hop culture, but the world. Jim Jones has everyone yelling out "Ballin'!" Kanye West has everyone comfortable with sports coats and colorful polo shirts. Lil Wayne is just featured on everybody's tracks. From Fat Joe to Enrique Iglesias. The dude has a conglomerate of mixtapes within the last 6 months. Face it... hate him or not. Kissed his "daddy" on the lips or not... the guy is HOT right now.

His album isn't even scheduled to drop until early 2008. And even then he is anticipating moving 5 million copies. Thats a hard feat to accomplish... for anyone. Give him credit though... he has a plan. He is on everybody's album, increasing his exposure to all audiences. The only question is will he still be highly anticipated in 2008 as much as he is now? With haters and all... I think he would come close, if not reach 5 million if he dropped in '07. Besides, most haters are the first ones in line to cop the album... just so that they could hate.

Quite often I tell myself that I'm tired of Weezy F. Baby. Then I hear something new, or a new bar that he spits. Somehow, I easily become entrapped again and interested in what he has to say. Don't know what it is. No matter how much I choose to hate on the guy, I always want to hear more. So, 5 million? I don't know. It would be cool if he did it. Obviously, waiting until next year to drop it... he has to have a plan. All we can do for now is to continue listening to the mixtapes and guest appearances. We'll check back sometime next year to check the sales.

Until then... Lets Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Chi Town Stepping

When most people think of Hip Hop, New York automatically comes to mind. That's only natural, and thats cool. But today in the Hip Hop world NY hasn't been producing like another place that I have in mind. Chicago. The Windy City. Go-Town. Whatever you want to call it. The topic of discussion lately has been about Chicago being the capital of Hip Hop right now. Not yesterday, or 15 years ago, but right now. I'm not trying to convince anyone that this is true, but I do want people to think about what's coming out of the Chi. (I'm not from Chicago, and the only ties I really have to Chicago is that I am a die hard Bulls fan). At any rate, in Chicago alone you have Hip Hop giants such as Kanye West the obvisous. Common... the newly resurrected genius. Lupe Fiasco, the young, up and coming star. There are others of course, but with just that 3 headed monster alone, Chicago is definitely placing its stamp on the Hip Hop culture.



Kanye West isn't a favorite of mine, but you cant deny the fact that as a producer first he is a powerhouse. As a rapper second he even has the wordplay to make solid consistent albums. People all over, white, black, brown, and orange anticipate anything that Ye puts out. Most don't like him, because he is arrogant. They call him a cry baby. They say that he is a homosexual. I don't know anything about that man's sexual preference, and honestly don't care. I'd probably still bump his tunes if he came out the closet. Good music is good music.



Common. He has been around since early 1990, and still can make a quality, solid, and informative piece of work. Lately Common hasn't been into making LPs that have hundreds of tracks with interludes and preludes. His album's now a days are short, sweet, and to the point. Actually, you can argue that with his albums you still get way more than most other albums out there. He can preach on a track and not come off as your old uncle, or someone trying to impose their beliefs onto you. He cares about his craft, and the best way to see that is to look at his album sales. He is not your Platinum artist. He may go gold, and that's it. A true sign that his music is made to satisfy him. Especially looking back at Electric Circus (Bad album). Common can rock on forever.



Lupe Fiasco doesn't have the experience in the game as the other two parts of this Voltron, but he definitely has the ability to place his own stamp on the game. His first album really wasn't what everyone was expecting, and maybe that's due to leakage... who knows? Lyrically, you cant deny him credit. He has the ability to be around for a long time if he wants to. Only time will tell.

I wonder why that CRS group that has been buzzing, isn't these three animals.

With Chicago alone, the Midwest is making a push out here. They may not be pushing as hard as the South has been pushing, but believe you me... they are pushing. St. Louis, Detroit, Cincy... the Midwest is making some noise, but is anyone listening? Come on everyone, open up your ears. Take some time to listen, and if you don't understand what these fellas are talking about grab a pencil and some paper. Write down what you don't understand, and hit me up with your questions. I'll try my best to interpret.

That's all for today's segment.

Taking over Hip Hop one bar at a time.

Over and out, DocBoone.

Electric Boogaloo

Man. A friend sent me a link of a young Alfonso Ribeiro (Yeah, Carlton from The Fresh Prince) advertising for his "how to" breaking video. Quite hilarious:



Looking at that, I found some clips of one of my favorites movies as a child. Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. I used to watch that movie over and over and over again. I think I used to wish that somehow the dance moves would telepathically transmit trough the television and VCR. Well since they never did, I never ended up dancing background for P Diddy either (thank God... LOL).

At any rate, the scence where Turbo was dancing in the bedroom, and he hit the walls and ceiling. Homie was getting it cracking on the ceiling! Just watching this clip brought back so many memories from my childhood. Right now, at this moment, I am going to my Blockbuster account to find Breaking 1 and 2. If you haven't seen those movies... and knowing how there are so many young bucks out here faking to know what Hip Hop is... I'd advise you go and check these flicks out... along with some others:

Krush Groove:

Beat Street:

Wild Style:


Here is that clip from Breakin' 2... Check out my boy Turbo.



Aiight peoples...

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

TIP... not TI, gets upset at fan.

TIP, or TI... one of the two, got mad at a fan recently. A fan supposedly threw a cup on the stage of a pre-ESPY party show that TI or TIP was doing. I guess it had to be TIP, because he flipped out when the cup landed on the stage. He jumped down and went through the crowd. When he found the suspected cup thrower, he smacked him with the microphone. The bloody fan was then escorted out of the hotel. This damn TIP or TI character is going too far, or is this just typical TI and his bad temper. Can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing... but come on man. That's what your bodyguards are for... you supposed to stay out of stuff like that.

Just another siting of a TIP character... or TI... one of the two.



(sighing in embarrassment of the hip hop culture)

Keeping Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Common Sense

Common - The People
Uploaded by yardie4life

Thank you Erykah Badu for loosening your grip on my boy Common. Since these two went their separate ways Common has been spitting more like the Common Sense that we all initially grew to love. Yeah, he took a break with that Electric Circus. I've tried to listen to that... THING numerous times. I've even gone back and pulled it out the CD book to see if there was something that I was missing. NOPE. It still sucks... always has, and always will. Sorry Comm. Other than that mishap the man has been right on target with every album... including this new project that is slated to drop this month. If the first single "The People" is a taste of what's to come from this album, then we are all in for a treat. Nine of the 11 tracks were produced by Mr. Kanye West. I read somewhere that he feels this album will bring the flavor of College Dropout, Illmatic, and Be... all in one. Boy I hope he ain't exagerrating.

At any rate... when this project finally hits the shelves you have to go out and stock up. One for the ride, one for the bedroom, one for the kitchen, and one for when you are in the bathroom. Common is back for good, and since his daughter found Nemo, and he found the new Primo; we should have some food for thought for a while to come.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Why Do We Love Rap Music?

Since the beginning of time rap music has been getting the attention of large groups throughout the world. Political heads, trailer trash, project kids, rich people, and people who don't speak English. Whether rap music has been hated on or embraced... it has for many years been a topic of interesting debates.

My question is why do we love it?

In my opinion there are a few reasons why we love it - like being able to relate, pure love for music, and a love for poetry. Instead of going into detail about all three, I will only dwell on how well we as a culture (Hip Hop) can relate to rap music. Hip Hop is cultural as we all know, so it doesn't matter what color, or how old you are. Rap music is just a element of the Hip Hop culture which consists of Emceeing, Graffiti, DJing, and Breaking. Being that there are 4 natural elements of Hip Hop many different arts can fall into the Hip Hop culture depending on how it is presented. For example drawing isn't considered an element of Hip Hop, but when you add the spray paint, and tagging buildings and trains with unique characters... then you have graffiti. At any rate, back to why we Love Hip Hop.

Rap music has always been a form of expression for many poets, or people who just have a story to tell. You do not have to be from the projects with no father to be good at creating a rap. The thing that makes rap music so good is when there is a story that the author is trying to tell. I'm not talking about how their rims shine so bright in the sun... or how that "bitch" has a ass out of this world. I'm talking about true struggles and successes. People love to hear stories of someone who has been through, or is going through the same things as them. Just off the top of my head, there are 3 artists who are good at painting pictures for their listeners. 2Pac, Biggie, and Nas all have music that depicts pictures of their lives positively and negatively. What we get from their music is almost a sigh of relief knowing that we are not the only ones who have to sleep at night in the same bed as our mom and 2 brothers. We are not the only ones who know what it feels like to have our fathers as crackheads. We are not the only ones who have to deal with walking down the street in fear. Here are a few bars:

2Pac on Shorty Wanna Be A Thug:
"He was a nice middle class nigga
But nobody knew the evil he'd do When he got a little bigger
Get off the final blaze
While puffing on a Newport
plottin' on a another way to catch a case
Was only sixteen, yet convicted as a felon..."

Way for the Middle Class teenager to be able to relate. So many middle class teens feel the need to be down, or to show how real they are. Never realizing that they only setting themselves up for a life behind bars... and not spitting bars.

Notorious B.I.G. on Everyday Struggle:
"But they don't know about your stress-filled day
Baby on the way mad bills to pay
That's why you drink Tanqueray; so you can reminisce
and wish, you wasn't livin so devilish, ssshit
I remember I was just like you..."

Grilled cheese sandwiches with Government cheese for dinner. Hand me down clothes. Past due bills. St Ides and Colt 45. Life is hard, and when you don't know where that next dollar is coming from you start to stress. You find that almighty dollar by doing whatever it takes.

And last, but not least... Nas on Life's a Bitch:
"Don't go against the grain simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
Robbin foreigners take they wallets they jewels and rip they green cards
Dipped to the projects flashin my quick cash
and got my first piece of ass smokin blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance, niggaz I used to run with
is rich or doin years in the hundreds"

When your pops aint around, and your moms might as well not be... you out there doing ya thang. You coming in at night whenever you want. You feeding yourself, and you getting your own money. School is not a priority... and it sure aint bringing no quick cash. School has no appeal factor whatsoever for many people out here struggling to make it. For people who out here confused and don't know which way to go. People are actually going through this stuff and can heavily relate. Then you have a group of people who are just amused by these stories, but have not actually seen the lifestyle. They get a high out of listening to these stories... but have comfort in knowing that their mom is downstairs cooking supper, while dad is on his way home from the office. Whatever the case... they love the music... the art form... the realness.

The bottom line is that people love rap music because they can relate to it, or want to relate to it. If they can't relate to it, they are so amused by the stories, and the fact that they can get away from West Bloomfield without actually leaving.

Even when you decide to talk about Ay Bay Bay, Grills, Rims, and Diamonds... it lets people escape. Escape. We all want to escape something, and thats why we listen to rap music. It allows us to escape and thats why we love it.

Comments accepted.
Keep Hip Hop Alive, One bar at a time.

Over and Out... DocBoone.

Wu Tang Forever

For those of you who have been shouting S.I.N.Y. since Enter the 36 Chambers... For those of you who have been thirsting for the Wu since 2001's Iron Flag... Patience is of virtue. The Wu are planning to drop a new LP... soon. As of now the new project is called 8 Diagrams. What does that mean? I'm not sure, but knowing these cats, there is a sick meaning behind it. Bring out your Wu shirts, your Wallabees, and start throwing up your W's again. Once this drops later this year, Ghost plans to drop another solo project. These fellas seem to be back at it. Since 2001 every member has released something, and unfortunately we have lost the Dirt Man... Old Dirty. RIP.

Wu heads keep your eyes and ears open, and your head up as the Wu Returns.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One bar at a time.

Over and out, DocBoone.

TI vs TIP

I'm sorry to say this, but I'm really losing faith in this TI or TIP character, and fast. He has always been a tweener to me, and with a few songs he was trying to gain some ground. This is just my opinion, and it doesn't count for much because I know of a lot of people who really think this guy is the King of The South. Not happening people, and I'm not sorry to say that. This nigga is wack, and this split personality thing is killing it. The one song where he did the TI vs TIP thing on Trap Muzik was sweet. That's as far as it needed to go. There is nothing wrong with having an alias... Eminem has one, Redman has one, hell I even have one. No need to do a split personaility album though... we all saw what happened to Cassidy's first album. I wish I had 4 hands, so I could give that album 4 thumbs down!

This guy is a skilled rapper, and way more than most... especially that Hurricane character and these other jokes out here. I don't mind TI over a lot of people, but it would be great to see him taking more risks these day to better evolve his music. As for The King of the South... I would go with somebody like Outkast as the Kings, or Scarface, or even... nah thats it. Maybe TI is in the top 5 or 10 still, but he IS losing ground with this stunt he is pulling.

Dammit... why am I watching videos again? And why is this niggas video coming on again?! Give me a few minutes so I can watch this thing one more time to see if I'm evaluating this correctly. BRB.

Aiight I can't take it anymore... aint nothing Popping over here playa. The song is just not strong... at all. I think I've figured it out. TI has not switched anything up over the years. His music all stays the same... lyrics are not strong... and he is getting older. As a MC we should see some kind of progression, and it's not happening. Maybe I'm jumping the gun for not hearing the whole album, but I think I've heard enough. And besides, this isnt about the album totally... this is about him just being weak, and losing any creditability that he had. I don't mean to sound so harsh on the guy... I mean he is TI, and he is talented. Someone just should give him a little advice and tell him to take some risks musically.

I will give him some credit in one place. I had the chance to see ATL a few weeks ago, and I was impressed. I didn't watch it before because I just wasnt ready for another Hip Hop failure in the box office. This was a great movie though. Good job Antwoine Fisher (The Writer).

As for TI... I'm out of words. I'm just looking forward to a TI vs Ludacris fight. Not TI vs Himself.



Keep Hip Hop Alive one bar at a time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

A Bay Bay

The other day I almost lost my mind... I almost actually slit my wrist. For some reason I wanted to start back watching videos just to see what I have been missing. So as I'm straightening up and getting some dinner ready this new kid comes on the idiot box. Hurricane. Off rip the video looked silly... I thought he may have been from Alabama or something. Once he actually started spitting lyrics it was all over after that. A Bay Bay. What the hell is that, and why would someone shout that anywhere in public? I figured the world was going to come to an end after that, so I continued to watch videos. I sadly must admit that after each video thereafter I lost approximately 5 IQ points. Fortunately, I am not in school anymore, and I'm on summer vacation as so I don't have to worry about actually using my brain.



After I sat, thought, and actually downloaded Hurricane's track... I came to a conclusion. These videos that I watched that day were simply signs that Hip Hop times have changed. I can't be mad at the boy for making what the people want to hear. It's only a matter of time before A Bay Bay is a term that ends up in the Websters Dictionary. It's one of those things where, If you build it, they will come. If you make catchy music, the people will listen to it. Big ups to him and these other cats who make the music for the people. As long as it's uplifting people and making them happy... making them want to get on the floor and dance... I WONT knock it. That's my rule. I will not lose any sleep, feel left out, or even regret not listening to this guys tracks though.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, one bar at a time.

Over and Out, DocBoone.

Random Thoughts

It's late. I'm playing poker online. And I'm watching Sportscenter. I just heard something that made my heart drop. I really don't have a emotion that I can describe right now, except confused. The Chicago Bulls... MY CHICAGO BULLS, are interested in trading for Kobe Bryant. Of all people... Kobe Bryant. Kobe is a great basketball player, but I do not want him ruining my team like he did to the Lakers. Please John Paxson, call this man's references before you think any harder about this. This trade would just do so much to our team, and I don't know if its all good. For a player like Kobe Bryant... what do we give up? Deng... see you later... This is starting to frustrate me just thinking about it.

I'm sure that we would still be a good team, but do we really need a Kobe Bryant. This could spell doom for my team... maybe, maybe not. Over the next couple of days I will be trying to contact John Paxson to pick his brain a little.

Until then,
Over and out, DocBoone.

2007 MCNBA Championship

It's been a few days since I've checked in so excuse me. I had to represent for my squad. Da Bulls. At any rate...

I was sitting a couple of days ago, and I was thinking about something silly. We all have seen lists of the Top 10 Emcees and what not. I was thinking of something a little different, but along the same lines. What if we metophorically looked at Hip Hop in the sense of basketball? What would that look like? There would have to be 2 teams consisting of 5 starters, and a 6th man. Each team would have to have a Owner and a Coach. Each team would also have their own cheerleaders/hype men. How would each team of Emcees square up with one another? Betting lines have been created for each individual matchup, as well as for overall matchups (Points equal punchlines per 16 bars). Here are the teams:

The Los Angeles Lakers (14 NBA titles in franchise's history)
PG - Kanye West
SG - Nas
SF - Eminem
PF - Snoop Dogg
C - Big Pun
6th Man - Foxy Brown

Owner - Run DMC
Head Coach - Biggie
Cheerleaders/Hype Men - Outkast

The Chicago Bulls (6 NBA titles in franchise's history)
PG - Dr. Dre
SG - Rakim
SF - Jay Z
PF - Redman
C - Fat Joe
6th Man - Lil Kim

Owner - LL Cool J
Head Coach - 2Pac
Cheerleaders/Hype Men - Wu Tang Clan

Take these two teams and square em off. Lets do some analyzing.

The PG Matchup
Kanye West VS Dr. Dre: This matchup can be pretty even, because they are Producers first. Pretty good producers at that. The gap begins to widen as the Producers start to spit. Dr. Dre becomes the underdog due to his limited lyrical ability compared to Kanye West. Although Kanye's lyrics are not a clear cut run away, he is the favorite. For their teams, they each are able to provide dime after dime, album after album. They are the top two best dishers in the league's history.
Line:
Favorite - Kanye West
Underdog - Dr. Dre
Points: +5 (20)

The SG Matchup
Nas VS Rakim: This matchup pits Mr. Miyagi against Daniel Son... teacher vs student. It is known that Nas idolized Rakim in his early years. The two styles and swaggers closely resemble. Nas over the years has polished his skills and worked at coming out of Rakim's shadow. He has done that. He now is a perenial All Star, and with his ability to take over on the court at his own pace... he is the true favorite. Rakim does not slouch or back down regardless of his age. With his age comes wisdom, and he will make Nas work for his.
Line:
Favorite - Nas
Underdog - Rakim
Points: +3 (25)

The SF Matchup
Eminem VS Jay-Z: This may be the most intriguing matchup of the series. You have battle rapper Eminem versus Hip Hop Mogul, Jay-Z. This matchup would be a battle for the whole 48 minutes with neither Emcee letting up. Back and forth like a tennis match. Words as powerful as church on Sunday morning. Jay-Z wins the experience being 38 years old, and closing in on retirement... again. Eminem still has his youth, but at the same time an abilty to be crafty and punchline driven. He does not make a mockery of Jay-Z, but he will quietly triumph in the final seconds.
Line:
Favorite - Eminem
Underdog - Jay Z
Points: +2 (28)

The PF Matchup
Snoop Dogg VS Redman: Two Emcees in a matchup not of chopping, splitting, filling, rolling, and lighting. Rather a matchup of lyrical domination. Redman brings to the table his uncanny ability to keep the fans into the game with his humorous delivery. He is rugged and grimy out there. He's the kind of guy who shows up to the matchup in his Tims, sweat shirt and sweats. Then after the matchup goes home to his 2 bedroom apartment. He really does not care, and he spits with an enthusiasm that can't be matched by Snoop. Snoop knows that he is overmatched lyrically, but does not back down. He fiercely spits until he runs out of wind. Short on witty punchlines compared to Redman he takes backstage.
Line:
Favorite - Redman
Underdog - Snoop Dogg
Points: +5 (21)

The C Matchup
Big Pun VS Fat Joe: Big Pun is obviously the Bill Walton of the game, but maybe better. The two overweights battle it out while representing their hometown roots. Two Puerto Ricans holding the paint down like it was the block. Fat Joe approaches the mic definitely influenced by his big brother Pun. Each of these Emcees well matched across the board. All the way down to the wire they battle it out. Although Pun is potentially better, Fat Joe fights with a desire to get out the shadows. He has been practicing and it shows.
Line:
Favorite - Even
Points: +1 (20)

The 6th Man Matchup
Foxy Brown VS Lil Kim: This matchup will not be a boxing match. The two would actually have to spit. They hate each other, so expect some really mean things to be said here. You got grimey versus plastic. That does not take anything away from their skills though. Kim was raised by B.I.G. and the other hooligans from Junior M.A.F.I.A., while Foxy studied under Jay Z. Interesting. In a street fight I'm taking Foxy. In this lyrical matchup I'm taking Foxy as well. It would be close, and on any given day this matchup could swing for the underdog.
Line:
Favorite - Foxy Brown
Underdog - Lil Kim
Points: +3 (17)

The Halftime show would also be a great matchup. Kind of like the Battle of the Bands in a football game. Circle City Classic or something. Outkast VS Wu Tang Clan.

This halftime show would be one to stay for. Outkast and their ability to switch up the tune and spit to a foreign sound. While Wu Tang Clan and their influences from martial arts. Method Man once said that Wu is the sound that a sword makes cutting through air, and Tang is the sound the sword makes against a shield. Clever. Outkast is a two man band with many different styles for years. Whatever style they bring to the halftime show the fans are sure to get a treat. Wu Tang Clan they bring a army of 9 to the center court, but a entourage of over 300 in the stands. Even with their 300 plus in the crowd against the Southern Drummers this is an exciting halftime show. No winners here folks. Just enjoy the show and don't spill your popcorn.

Overall Winner of this Championship Match...

Favorite - Los Angeles Lakers
Underdog - Chicago Bulls
Points: +3 (131)

That is my analysis of the MCNBA Championship for 2007.

Tune in on June 16 for the action.

Over and out, DocBoone.

For Women

I was just chilling at the crib... cleaning some chicken... listening to some music. Then it hit me. My boy Talib Kweli was on the iTunes, and the joint was "For Women." If you ain't heard this track then you will have to go out and find it. It is a old track from Reflection Eternal, but it's a banger and he spits some real life stuff that some of you all might not be able to grasp. There is no mentioning of rims, drugs, guns, or degrading of females. Whenever you listen to this please make sure to grab your pencil and notepad, because this is a true history lesson for many of my young brothers and sisters who are lost out here.

At any rate, I'm sitting here cleaning my chicken, right. And it hit me. This song is what true hip hop is all about. A message, and being able to broadcast it to the masses. Who is really listening though? The first verse goes like this:



I got off the 2 train in Brooklyn on my way to a session
Said let me help this woman up the stairs before I get to steppin'
We got in a conversation she said she a 107
Just her presence was a blessing and her essence was a lesson
She had her head wrapped
And long dreads that peeked out the back
Like antenna to help her get a sense of where she was at, imagine that
Livin' a century, the strenght of her memories
Felt like an angel had been sent to me
She lived from nigger to colored to negro to black
To afro then african-american and right back to nigger
You figure she'd be bitter in the twilight
But she alright, cuz she done sseen the circle of life yo
Her skin was black like it was packed with melanin
Back in the days of slaves she packin' like Harriet Tubman
Her arms are long and she moves like song
Feet with corns, hand with callouses
But her heart is warm and her hair is wooly
And it attract a lot of energy even negative
She gotta dead that the head wrap is her remedy
Her back is strong and she far from a vagabond
This is the back of the masters' whip used to crack upon
Strong enough to take all the pain, that's been
Inflicted again and again and again and again and flipped
It to the love for her children nothing else matters
What do they call her? They call her aunt Sara.

How many of your favorite rappers can switch it up like this and speak something real? Not many. Talib Kweli... pure hip hop and there is no denying it. It's funny because I tell my students who some of my favorite rappers are, and when I get to Talib they laugh at me. Some of them don't even know who the cat is. That always brings my world to a complete halt. I wish that everyone listened to music for the actual words and the message. Instead of for the beat or the hook. Thanks producers, but you guys are working too hard. You are getting too much attention. What would hip hop be like with no producers? All acapella. I'm telling everyone once again... open up your third eye and dead the blindness. Maybe Talib Kweli will never get the respect that he deserves. One day my brother... one day my brother.

Over and Out... DocBoone

It's about that time.

It's about that time for a new Black leader. This Al Sharpton guy is starting to get on my nerves now. I'm glad that he feels the need to step up and be a voice for our community, but now he is trying to take away things that are important to some of us. Some of us look at hip hop, rap, crunk music, hyphy music, whatever music as a way to float off to another place where we can freely express ourselves. Not only express ourselves, but also to pick ourselves up when we are down. To provide us joy when we are sad. A lot of us take this hip hop stuff to heart and really appreciate it. Tell me, where would this society be without Hip Hop?? Answer that for me. Who would have been the person to rock the fat laces in the Adidas if Run DMC hadn't done it? Who would have thought it was cool to rock the fat dookie gold chains if Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, and the likes weren't rocking them? What would Jay Z, Nas, 50 Cent, Kany West, and the boat load of other artist be if there weren't people like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Master Flash, Kurtis Blow, and KRS 1? Would they still be on the block supposedly slanging? I say supposedly because I don't know honestly how many of these cats are really out there making it happen. What I'm trying to say is that Hip Hop has molded and created this society that we live in. Turn on your "idiot box" and just watch the commercials that come on. Then tell me how many of them have your favorite rap song instrumental playing in the background. This is something that is just killing Mr. Sharpton so badly that he needs to go out and try to buy share in top Record Labels in an attempt to voice his opinion on raunchy and sexist lyrics. To be honest, I don't think it's worth it.

Now I know that Al Sharpton is upset with the degrading lyrics (Bitches and Hoes), but whats new? It's not like hip hop created those terms, or the way that they are used. Before rap there were Pimps and Hustlas using those terms. I'm sure Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and even Al Sharpton have called people "Bitches" and "Hoes." What about the movies? Go back to the Rudy Ray Moore's and Max Juliens' and Ron O'Neil... more "Bitches" and "Hoes." I am not saying that these terms are perfectly fine for everyday use, but they are not making or breaking this society or our community. What is breaking our Black community is the abundance of ignorance that the rappers and the listeners have. What's breaking our Black community is these crazy white men who are helping bring in these drugs to sell in our communities. I have always been upset with the way that rappers use their platforms. They have everyone's attention, but yet they choose to put down instead of uplift most of the time. Now I'm getting off track. But the raunchy lyrics are not bringing our community down. Those raunchy lyrics were around before 50 Cent existed. Even back before crack rock was invented and introduced to a neighborhood near you.

One person who I am glad to hear something from is that Obama cat. He let it be known that we can't just single out the rappers. He made it clear that he had heard offensive words in other places than rap music. Thats cool. I respect him for making that statement. There's a honest man who cant deny calling some chick in college a "Bitch."

This is truly a situation where Al Sharpton is running out of battles to fight. So now he is choosing battles that are exerting too much energy for little change. Do you really think that Time Warner, Sony, and Universal Music are going to revoke contracts or whatever Sharpton wants them to do just to not promote these raunchy lyrics? I mean these companies are bringing in millions of dollars off of these albums. That would be stupid, especially since these same offensive words are global. Everybody else is making money why not continue making money and tell Sharpton to beat it? If he wants to be the Big Black Leader, then he need to find another mountain to climb up instead of this mole hill.

I'll leave Mr Sharpton alone for right now.

Over and Out... DocBoone

Mayweather Vs Sherk... Not Shrek.

I have heard over the past couple weeks an interesting debate. The whispers have been floating around about who would win in a fight, a professional boxer or UFC competitor. That is interesting because here you have two different types of fighters. Both can be deadly in their own right, but which one would come out on top against the other? Boxers are trained at their craft, and they can be very skilled. Boxing truly is an art. Now getting in that octagon is a little different. I remember back in the day when I first tried to watch UFC fights. It was back when Ken Shamrock was that deal, and the sport was still kind of underground. UFC fighters are trained professionals as well. Many of them are trained in several arts of fighting, along with boxing. Kickboxing, Ju Jitsu, Wrestling... so they are just as athletic as most boxers if not more athletic. The octagon can be argued as more brutal, and besides the ref ain't jumping in as quickly to stop the fight if you have a guy's face oozing in blood. In boxing the referee can jump in and stop the fight on his own judgement leaving some fans feeling cheated out of some loot.

The real question though, is who would win in a fight between the two? In my opinion, its hard to say. I guess it depends on which domain they are fighting in. If you bring a UFC fighter into the squared ring against the 37-0 Floyd Mayweather, and make him actually box with the gloves on for 12 rounds... I'm taking "Pretty Boy" all day. Now if you take the same fighters and go inside the octagon... I don't know. Although it still takes discipline to fight in UFC... it's more of a free for all. This allows for each fighter, each man, to release the animal inside of him and go full fledged at the other man. Of course no biting gentlemen.

Mayweather has been going back and forth with UFC President Dana White, a former UFC fighter himself. Mayweather believes that he will crush any fighter in his weight class of course, and White believes that Weathers would get his block knocked off. I'm almost an inch away from saying that a Professional boxer would get crushed in the octagon. And here is my reason why. If you take a UFC fighter, a man who makes a living from fighting in an octagon ring. A man who takes punches and kicks to the chin, eye, nose, and head that boxers aren't used to taking. I'm not taking anything from Floyd's haymaker, jab, hook, or upper cut, but these UFC guys more than likely can take a shot... and a good one at that. If that first, second, third, or even fourth punch doesn't lay him out it could be over. Anything on the mat involving submission, wrestling, grappling... or whatever... the boxer loses. So unless you have a mean one hitter quitter in the octagon, you better be ready to fight a different kind of fight.

Mayweather has been compared with the lightweight champ of UFC, Sean Sherk. Not Shrek like the movie, but Sherk. He is 155 lbs compared to Mayweather's 154 lbs. Mayweather stands at 5'9" and Sherk stands only at 5'6". Sherk has been trained and mastered several fighting styles, including Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Kickboxing, Wrestling, and BOXING. This would be a very interesting fight, and I would love to see Mayweather come out on top just because I am a "Pretty Boy" fan. Sorry to say it though, but Mayweather does not win in a fight against this guy... in the octagon. In the squared ring Mayweather comes out on top 100 out of 100 fights against this guy though.

What do you think?

DocBoone.

Teaching you the Theory of the Game

The Roots have always been a sharp cornerstone of hip hop in America, especially on the East Coast. They have always brought nothing but heat with banging drums from ?uestlove and fire from the fire breathing dragon called Black Thought. I'll admit that I wasn't feeling The Roots from day one. I didn't start bobbing my head until "Illadelph Halflife" And even then I was just aware. Once "Things Fall Apart" dropped, I was open. The whole album came from a different angle than what I was used to. It grew on me daily, and pretty soon I had to get a new CD because it wore out. After that The Roots could not have done any wrong. Regardless of fans not appreciating these boys and giving them the respect that they deserved, and Black not being recognized as one of the coldest MCs... they still did their thing.



Game Theory is one of those CDs that I had to listen to seriously 5 times all the way through before I appreciated it. Each time there was something else that stood out to me. At first I felt that the production was lacking being that Scott Storch, the long time keyboardist of the group was missing. Then I hit the back button and started from the top again. All I kept hearing was Black spitting as usual, and that wasn't enough for me. Around that 4th and 5th time I was rocking, and the production was on point. I'm probably one of the few who feels that "The Tipping Point" was a quality album, but this album right here reminded me of what The Roots really were. They touch on most worldly topics in this album while at the same time flaring strings and guitars over slamming drums. They get political with "False Media." They let you know that something over at Geffen Records just "Don't Feel Right." Peedi Peedi spits nasty green phlegm all over "Long Time." And they even close the album out with a tribute to the great J. Dilla. The album actually is a complete Roots album. This IS a album that should be spinning a lot, and it could very easily be one of the highlights of Def Jam in recent years.

So, if you can uncover your third eye and open up your ears you might find yourself able to really appreciate the best Roots album since "Things Fall Apart." Go cop this, and beware that THIS IS TRUE HIP HOP AT ITS FINEST!

Over and Out DocBoone

Red Has Gone Wild!

It has been a long, disappointing, and anxious 6 years since the Brick City bred and raised lyricist gave his fans that Jersey heat. Redman, The Funk Dr has come back to reclaim his spot as a consistent lyricist and to help put Jersey back on the map. Since his last album Jersey has been shouting for attention with Joe Budden, the deep and personal lyricist. Redman is back and he is on some grown-up stuff, and definitely with something to lose now. After a so-so album for even The Funk Dr, he has completely gone wild now. In a hip hop world where you make a radio friendly track in order to make a buck, the essence of the art has been lost. Red is bringing that back with witty punch lines and hardcore flavor that makes you chuckle while nodding your head as if you're stuck saying yes. He may get one or two tracks at most on the radio air waves, but it's not Redman like to have radio heavy albums. Straight gutta music from the bricks.



Red Gone Wild starts off with hard pounding beats and strong lyrics on "Fire," and the LP goes on throughout with power. With tracks like "Walk in Gutta" featuring the old crew (Keith Murray & Erick Sermon), bangers like "Blow Treez," and all the way to the finale with "Suicide." And of course no Redman album would be complete without the oh so hilarious skits from W.K.Y.A Radio (We Kicking Yo Ass). Red admits to losing focus during periods of Malpractice, but it is apparent that he started off focused and stay focused througout on Red Gone Wild. The producers even brought it all on every track as well (Rockwilder, Erick Sermon, & Scott Storch). Guest appearances include members of the Gillahouse Nuthouse, Erick Sermon, Keith Murray, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Method Man.

If I'm The Source, I'm obviously giving the Dr 5 mics. If you don't have this album in your CD player or iPod... GO GET IT NOW!

Over and Out - DocBoone