Is anybody home...?

First off I'll apologize for my absence. It's been a long time, but I haven't been hiding. I've been under wraps, but I still know what's going on in the hip hop world. Between work and falling in love... Keeping a blog up has been non existent for me. Let's see if there is a way to juggle this with the rest of my life still.

At any rate... I know I said a while back that things were going to be a little different around here, and based on the date and the time of year... well, things are different. That's about as different as things can really get for now... at least blogging wise. It doesn't matter though, because I still have some hot stuff that needs to be addressed.

There's a couple of albums that I feel are under the radar to most, and I really need to get the word out. First off, Chiddy Bang. A few blogs shouted them out back in October, and I was up on it... I just didn't come to share with the masses. You best believe though that I've been cranking this like that Superman for real!

Second up is Mr. Ali Vegas. Most folks have probably heard of the name, but finding solo material isn't one of the easiest tasks. He dropped a mixtape not too long ago and it's a piece of work as well. There's a new mixtape out from Elzhi (Shout out to Slum Village), The Kidz In The Hall just dropped something this past week. Lupe dropped his mixtape, and it was sick as expected.

There's the Blakroc joint that's hot in it's own right... you cant knock it. Buff1's It's A 1derful Life is of course something to bump to. Man, hell... This post will just consist of a few links just to show my appreciation to the readers, and to let you know that I didn't mean to ignore you. I can't promise that I'm back, but I'm going to at least stop by and say hi. Haha. Oh well... here we go, check these out.

Chiddy Bang - The Swelly Express
Ali Vegas - Wise Young Man
Lupe Fiasco - Enemy of the State: A Love Story
Blakroc - Blakroc
Buff1 - It's A 1derful Life
eLZhi - The Leftovers Unmixedtape
Kidz In The Hall - LRG Presents Kidz In The Hall - The Professional Leisure Tour

Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you on the flipside.

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A Reminder...

I know I haven't been on top of my game, but man, some of us actually have day time jobs. So, I just wanted to send you a reminder that I'm still here. Look out for a different feel though, coming soon. There's about to be a speed change around here... something that will let you really know what's going on in the mind of DocBoone. Stay tuned.

Jay-Z: Reminder


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Jay-Z Speaks On Hottest MC List & Eminem’s Absence

And this is why I think Jay-Z is one of the coolest guys in the game. Not my favorite rapper... but one of the coolest guys in the game. I can respect him for speaking up for what he believes in, and being so professional... yet informal at the same time. "Salute." Haha... I like that.

MTV, Thanx for this nod of appreciation. Although I don’t strive to be ‘hot’ for any particular year, I thank you for the acknowledgment. My whole goal is to be recognized as the best ever. I created the term ‘best rapper alive’ as a sign of respect to my fallen comrades (Biggie and Tupac). I believe I’ve allowed a significant grace period, and I believe I would not be respecting myself if being the absolute best was not my goal, and that’s why I continue to push myself until exhaustion … salute.

Sidebar: Kanye moment if I may … Eminem?!?! I think you do the credibility of this list a disservice if you don’t thoroughly explain his omission. As of this second he has the highest selling rap album of the year and a scene stealing verse on the best ‘posse’ cut of the year . (*Hands mic back to Taylor Swift … and nobody was harmed, I apologize in advance.)

Check out MTVs justification... and I still don't believe in MTV, or BET... and you shouldn't either.

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Hip Hop 4 The Soul

Here's just a few things that I'm knodding to at the moment. Figured I'd put together a whole playlist so that you fools could rock for yourselves. Oh... and I'm not the gossip type, or even the one to get into he say, she say stuff... but also I added the Joe Budden and Tahiry conversation on the Shade45 show with Angela Yee. Interesting.

Hip Hop 4 The Soul

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Duck Down- Download The Right Thing (Mixtape)

This past year Duck Down Records has remained active with a onslaught of quality releases from a growing roster of artists. Rather than force fans to scour the Internet looking for low quality MP3s on our product, we have taken it upon ourselves to provide you with a collection of music from various MCs on Duck Down through the DOWNLOAD THE RIGHT THING sampler mix cd.

Hear music from KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT, Sean Price, Kidz In The Hall, Blue Scholars, DJ Revolution, Heltah Skeltah, Random Axe (comprised of Sean Price, Guilty Simpson and Black Milk), B-Real of Cypress Hill, Skyzoo, Team Facelift, Naledge, Smif N Wessun, Marco Polo & Torae, Ruste Juxx, General Steele and Boot Camp Clik.

Duck Down - Download The Right Thing -- Download Here

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Welcome Back

Rapper Shyne is expected to be released from prison today, as initially reported on HipHopDX this August. The 30 year-old rapper a/k/a Jamal Barrow was sentenced to 10 years in June of 2001 for charges stemming from a high-publicized 1999 shooting incident involving Diddy and Jennifer Lopez. During his eight-plus year sentence, the Brooklyn emcee was incarcerated at Riker’s Island, Woodbourne and Clinton Correctional Facility.

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Joell Ortiz - This Child

I know I should be on my way out the door to work, but these are the struggles of leaving in the morning when it's still dark outside. This Joell Ortiz track got me rocking though, and I just wanted to share it. It's way too many sperm donors who out there who got kids walking the streets lost... looking to become sperm donors themselves.

Good look on the track Shake from over at 2dopeboyz.

This Child - Download Here

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MTV’s #6 Hottest MC in the Game: Gucci Mane (Video)

Man, what the hell!? No. 6? Are you serious?! This is really going to make me get a Gucci album. I feel like I'm the dumb kid in class and I just don't get it. Or, am I the only smart kid? I have to do some reflecting now...

MTV Shows

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Open Letter To Young Warriors In Chicago

After hearing about the death of Southside Chicago, Fenger High School student Derrion Albert... Nas had this to say. This needs to be posted on the walls of every liquor store in the hood... hell, put it on street signs, paper bags, and the soles of Air Force Ones.

Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong wars! Killing each other is definitely played out. Being hurt from the lost of a love one was never cool.

Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong war! I know that feeling, that frustration with life and needing to take it out on someone, any one. But....

We chose the dumbest things to go the hardest for. I remember seeing deaths over 8 ball jackets, Fila sneakers, and name plate chains. Deaths over "he say, she say"!!!!! "I'm from this block or I'm from that block", or "my moms n pops is f*cked up now the whole world gotta pay"!!!

I remember feeling like I was the hardest "n*gga" breathing. And I couldn't wait to prove it. But let's think. What are we really proving?? And proving what to who?? Everybody knows Chicago breeds the strongest of the strong but I just feel, me, being ya brother from another state feels your pain as if I grew up with you in ya very own household.

You have the ability and mindpower to change they way we are looked at. Look who's watching us young warriors, look who's throwing us in jail constantly, look at the ignorance in the world. Look at the racist dogs who love to see us down. Loving to bury us in the ground or in jail where we continue this worthless war on one another.

Young warriors.... We are WASTING more and more time. We gotta get on our jobs and take over the world. Cuz this movie left the theaters years ago, Juice, Menace, Boys n the Hood , Blood n Blood Out, Belly!

When we see each other why do we see hatred? Why were we born in a storm, born soldiers, WARRIORS....and instead of building each other up we are at war with each other.. May the soul of this young person find peace with the almighty. I'm with you young warriors. You're me and I'm you. But trust me! you are fighting the wrong war.

This sh*t sucks !!

-Nas

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Royce Da 5'9" - October 20th

Man, Royce has been going pretty strong for a minute now. The whole Slaughterhouse mania has folks going crazy, and if you don't think so - then the devil's a lie. A little history... folks don't realize that Royce initially got put on the map with his work with DJ Premier. He later met Em and did some writing for Dr. Dre. His albums didn't really sell to well, but he has always been a hot spitter. A couple of my favorites remain the "Death is Certain" album, and the "Bar Exams."

Now with his new release "Street Hop" soon to be released he's having tracks leaked left and right it seems. It's all good, keep making your hometown folks proud of you.

Check out this new track, courtesy of Shake over at 2dopeboyz...
October 20th - Download Here

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Raekwon – Have Mercy f. Beanie Sigel (Video)

One of the coldest tracks on the OB4CL2 album... Beans and Rae the Chef do it right.



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Big Boi – For Your Sorrows f. George Clinton & Too $hort

Hmmm... this sounds... kinda... weird. But when you throw the "BITCH!" in there from Short Dog... ahh, this is pretty nice. Well at least that part. I thought George Clinton had OD'd somewhere by the way. Man, I think the whole world is waiting on the day hear what this Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Until then... just check out this track that he released with The Atomic Dog himself, and Too $hort.

Good look on the track Shake & 2dope

For Your Sorrows f. George Clinton & Too $hort - Download here

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Jadakiss - Take Me To NY

No matter how hard Kiss spits... it always seems familiar, but maybe that's what makes the dude so good. You can never get tired of Kiss, no matter how you look at it. Check this track out, courtesy of Meka over at 2dopeboyz.

Take Me To NY - Download here

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Raekwon On Method Man-Ghostface Collab Album

Say you swear! If this is really going to happen... the whole game might as well shut it down and cash in all they bottles. This is the type of sh*t that gives me buttlerflies, forget what A. Keys was talking about.

Raekwon
"That'd be beautiful," Raekwon reflected. "A Ghostface, Method Man and Raekwon album, that'd be exciting. That'd be something that, it'd be mean though. Like I said, I can never front on them dudes' swords, they ill with it. My thing is that when we do it, we gotta be in full-fledge ownership to that project because I feel like that's something people is really gonna go out and get and we have to recognize we're the new label, we're the new industry too. If it go down, I just wanna make sure all the 'I's' are dotted, 'T's' is crossed so we'll know at the end of the day we're making this money for our family. But it's all good, that'd be a mean album. Mef got his bounce, Ghost got his bounce, I got my bounce. Still would want to have the Clan on there, of course, but hey, if we gonna do it, let's do it. I just wanna do it right." (SOHH)

Ghostface Killah
"They been wanting to do that for a while, maybe like the past two years," Ghost revealed in an interview. "I was always with it. I think that right now, everybody is in that position to do it now. I think within the next two months, everybody will start collecting beats. Everybody goes in-- he's got four songs, I got four songs, [Meth] has four. Start coming around like that and seeing what we can do. Make a little phat tight one. I told Meth the other day, 'It's gotta be phat and tight. We don't need 16, 19 joints on there. Nah, nah, nah -- 12 phat bullets. We do it like that, and that's it.' That's gonna happen soon. It will probably be out by the end of the year or January, and that's that." (MTV)

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Newports Are Cigarette Du Jour Monday for Flint Thieves

Newports are cigarette du jour Monday for Flint thieves
By Bryn Mickle
September 22, 2009, 7:40AM
FLINT, Michigan — Newport cigarettes were targeted by thieves in two separate heists Monday.

Three men with a sledgehammer smashed through the wall of a grocery store on E. Flint Park Boulevard about 12:45 a.m. and stole Newports, cigars, white t-shirts and lottery tickets.

The break-in was captured by a surveillance camera and police are investigating.

The second burglary came about three hours later at a store on N. Franklin Avenue where Newports and cigars were taken.

The store's surveillance camera, however, was broken and police have no suspects in that case.

Straight up? So, this is what the world is coming to? Being a native of the city, this kind of caught me off guard. Not the craving for the Newports, but the fact that they're breaking into stores for them. That's a shame to say the least. This reminds me of someone who just got released from prison, and they realized that the stores sell cigarettes. No more bartering for smokes in the big house... just get a sledgehammer and bust down the joint.

Home has really gone down the drain, and I don't see any hopes of regurgitation any time soon. At least from the perspective of the neighborhoods on the north end. Downtown may be looking at a facelift, but what does that really mean in a place like this?

None the less, cigarettes are obviously a hot commodity with the state of the economy and the price of the sticks. What used to be a happening town, and a hotbed for athletes... folks now enter at their own risk, and folks exit at the drop of a dime. Willingly and unwillingly. The downfall of the black man... Newports.

Ok, maybe not, but still...

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Randomly Expected

If you're in the mood for a little humor along with some random ish that will make you say "WTF?" - you gotta check the homie's spot. It's the ultimate Random Blog... About absolutely everything, and nothing all at the same time. It's a cool spot... kind of like drinking air conditioner juice on ice.


The Random Blog About Nothing


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Charles Rogers Charged With Two Misdemeanors

Man... if this guy isn't the epitome of washed up football players - I don't know what to call him. First he does this bogus interview with ESPN... and now this? I can't even laugh at him anymore. I know us Michigan Wolverines love to see a fallen Spartan, but this is just too far. He needs to be kept off the streets. Just lock him up with the little kid who likes to do "hoodrat things" with his friends. They're sharing a brain already... so it would make sense that they were in close proximity to one another.

Charles Rogers ESPN Outside the Lines Interview

NOVI, Mich. -- Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Charles Rogers was arraigned Thursday on charges of driving while intoxicated and driving without a valid license, police said.

Both charges are misdemeanors and each carry a penalty of up to 93 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Rogers was found "non-responsive behind the wheel" of a 2003 Mercedes on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. The car was running and the vehicle was still in gear in a left-turn lane, authorities said.

According to a police report, Rogers did not respond to requests to open the vehicle's locked doors, resulting in fire officials gaining entry through the sunroof to secure the vehicle.

Rogers remained jailed early Thursday afternoon on a $50,000 cash bond.

The second pick in the 2003 NFL draft out of Michigan State, Rogers has struggled with sobriety in recent years. In an interview with ESPN's "Outside The Lines" this summer, the 28-year-old Rogers spoke of getting clean and turning his life around.

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Bryon Russell Calls out Jordan

Child please. Bryon Russell must be on that same juice that Kanye was drinking. Dude done lost his mind.



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West's Apology on Jay Leno (Video)

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A Drunk Tongue Speaks A Sober Mind

They should have never gave you niggas money!

I wasn't going to speak on Kanye and his childish behavior, but I just can't help it. I haven't heard any pieces of a Taylor Swift track, but if she won an award over Beyonce... big ups to her. Back to Kanye... dude showed up to the show with a 5th of Hennessy. Where they do THAT at?!

It looks like somebody threw a million dollars into the monkey cage at the zoo.
- Uncle Ruckus

I'm 100% for speaking your mind, and even being an ass when you have to... but seriously... wrong time. If somebody would have come on that stage while he was up there he'd be screaming and crying like the baby that he is. Man, child please! It's about time that this dude is knocked off of his self created thrown. He's good, but he ain't 'run up on the stage while somebody's receiving an award for their craft' good. Man, I'm officially done with Kanye and his outfits from 8th grade.

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How Do You Know Your Girlfriend Is Cheating On You?

Check out Week 4 of Tony Stark's Wizdom of the Week. Real wise man... check him out.




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Music is Expression of Harmony...

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Bacon Is Good For Me!!

I really don't know why I keep getting a kick out of this. Maybe because I keep waiting for Leonard Washington from Chappelle's Show to walk in the room and slap the kid. This kid is too funny though. Homie for real packed a baby suitcase and walked out the house. Does this Trading Spouses show still come on?



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Is Jay-Z Still On Top?

Check out this article on sohh.com
FABOLOUS CO-SIGNS JAY-Z'S SWAG, "JAY AT 40 IS STILL AT THE TOP OF THE GAME LYRICALLY"

Me and Fab are in agreement on this one right here. Jay does still have skills, and to the average music fan... they wouldn't probably know that Jay is about to be 40 this December. The thing about this whole subject is that there are plenty of folks out there who feel that Jay ain't at the top of the game anymore (Especially after hearing leaks of BP3). You might hear things such as "Aww man, Jay aint talking about nothing new." "This BP3 is just an updated version of Kingdom Come." "He need to rap about something else since it's supposedly not about the money anymore." With all those things said... I begin to think about a few things.

1. Dude is 40 years old, and he's been spitting now for close to 2 decades. What else is there to rap about? Social Security? Prostate Cancer? I mean, he doesn't live in Marcy Projects anymore. He's not slanging on the block. He's kicking it with Bill Maher and Oprah. He's spooning with Beyonce at night when they're together.

2. Why are folks complaining about his subject matter when they just finished complaining about the subject matter of Gucci, Soulja Boy, and all those other cats who ain't talking about nothing at all? I thought a credible artist was supposed to be able to rap about the life/environment that surrounds him.

3. Although this album supposedly isn't better than many of his past projects... name a few cats who you hear regularly in the mainstream world - who's album or lyrics are on the same level or higher. (And I already know there's a million cats who only have a mixtape out, who are spitting way harder.)

All in all... I'm far from the biggest Jay fan, but I feel like folks are giving up on Jay. Remember, I'm not for or against in this case... just a bystander in the middle, listening.

So, give 'em to me. Name the folks who are on the same level as Jay right now, or even higher. Call me Curious the Cat.

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Jin The New Christian Rapper

I remember back in the day when I used to watch BET. Jin was on 106 & Park on Freestyle Friday, and he was something like amazing. Now, he has his career set in a different direction... A more Mason Betha type of direction. But I ain't hating.

Former battle rap champ Jin is making his way back into the spotlight as a Christian rapper signed to Universal Hong Kong.

Now a born again Christian residing in Hong Kong, Jin has changed the content of his music, but still manages to showcase his lyrical prowess.

Recently Jin released a new track titled “Welcome to the Light Club,” which is fueled by a catchy beat.

Here is an except from the track:

"I got a session booked for7 and its 6:35/ so I got 25 minutes to conjure up this rhyme/its been a long time right stepped away from the limelight/ but the breaks over Holy Spirit takeover/they say the truth will set you free if you so believe/ Jesus is the truth with Him freedom can be achieved"

Via his ayojin.com webpage, Jin chronicles his adventures in this new lifestyle and he describes one trip by saying, "Did a quick performance, gave a testimony and just enjoyed God’s presence."

Jin initially gained his popularity as the "Freestyle Friday Champ” on BET's 106 and Park, then went on to sign with the Ruff Ryders.

In 2004, Jin released his debut album, The Rest Is History, which garnered the lead single “Learn Chinese.”

He also made his acting debut in a the blockbuster film 2 Fast 2 Furious.
By Isha "Ice" Cole: AllHipHop.com

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