Time for Change?

Every now and then I have to change speeds and really let you all know what I'm thinking. Now that the week that many people believed to be the greatest moment in America is over - I have a few things floating around in my head. By now, you all know that our President is a Black man. That's fine, and congratulations Barack Obama.

And before I start trying to philosophize my thoughts... I'm going to say that I do not know half of anything political, but what I do know is what I can see or hear with my own ignorant eyes and ears.

So, during this whole Presidential Race I have held a different view... or rather I was looking through a different lens. To those who know me, I may have come across as opposed, disinterested, or just didn't care. Now that the race is over I know what, and how to explain a little more of what I was thinking and feel.

First... the Black Community.
The Black Community is ecstatic about the new President. He looks just like them. Yeah... so. It was the ignorance that had me feeling disconnected with the rest of these fans. Time for Change. Yes, that was the slogan that Obama used during his campaign, but where did that really come from? If you ask me... you can interpret that in your own words or thoughts, but the way that I interpret that is simple. Bush has to leave. He can't do a 3rd term, so he HAS to go - by the rules. It's time for someone new. It's time for change. That's all that slogan means to me. A lot of people took that slogan and made it into a monumental personal desire of what they want to see happen with the United States of America, and thats fine. Black people took that and ran with it. People are expecting a utopia now, or at least something close. That's not going to happen. The USA is so messed up right now from what the last handful of Presidents have done. Each President has had to work at fixing what the prior guy did in office. Now I'd like to straight up say that Bush number 2 was just in there clueless and had his own agenda. In the meantime he messed up even more stuff than anyone before him. Now, the current President (Shout out to Obama) has to fix stuff that Bush, Clinton, and Bush number 1 messed up. This stuff wont be fixed in two terms. Hell, that stuff wont be fixed every probably... who knows?

So, we have all these people from the Black Community saying that a Change is here. They are right, a Change IS here, but what does that really mean? Does that mean that all the deadbeats on the block are going to be educated now, and be positive, integral parts of our society? Does that mean that all the hoes on the corners and in the alley ways are going to turn into housewives? What does this Change really mean? Well in my eyes I see this Change only affecting things that are so minuscule at first that we, the regular American people wont even notice them. Obama is not going to get your cousin Ray Ray who spent 15 years of his life locked up - a job. Obama is not going to help you get a loan for that house - with bad credit. My point is... Yes Obama is going to bring some Change, but as a person... you have to make your own personal changes instead of looking for a handout. He's going to Change some things, but you wont even notice most of them. It's not going to be what you're expecting. Reparations did not come in the form of a Black President.

Just one of the ignorant things I saw on the tube during the Election on Tuesday night was a reporter talking to a voter coming out of her polling place. He asked this Black woman what made this election so special to her. She spoke of the significant things that everyone else had been saying. "This is history in the making, and I want to be apart of it." She was so excited, even though she had just made the 8:00pm cutoff time at 7:42. The reporter asked her who did she vote for. She simply said... "Baracka." Baracka. Yeah... Baracka with an A at the end. After all of this time, she couldn't even say the man's name correct on National television. Stuff like that makes me think that we need to THANK whoever forced her to get off the couch at 7:30pm to go vote. (Thank you Friend!)

White America
Racism has been the driving factor for this place we call America for as long as people have been here. Now, the people you work with everyday are almost convinced that racism is over since we have a Black President. Really? 70 people voted for Obama, and 30 people voted for McCain. I'm willing to bet that there is a great number of people from that 30 who were saying, "Fuck yall niggers" while they were filling out their ballots. The other portion were Black people, and there is nothing wrong with them making that choice - that's the power of being able to vote. But my point is that racism has not gone anywhere. White people people have created a systematic form of racism that allows them to just sit back and watch Black people get electrocuted when they try to touch that fence. Just because white people voted for Obama obviously - does not mean that we have reached what Dr. King and Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks stood (or sat) for. In some aspects, sure. There would have never been a Black President in their times, so there IS something to be excited about. It's more exciting from a historical standpoint, than from a "How will the economy change" standpoint.

Wasn't it funny, and didn't it feel funny on Wednesday when all the White people you work with were hesitant to speak about the Election results? But once you brought it up they were ecstatic to talk about it. They didn't want to assume that just because you were Black - you voted for Obama. Every White person I know had a aura around them that said we're waiting to see how you're going to respond to this Black President. They were waiting to see if I packed watermelon in my lunch. They were waiting to see if I was going to start shucking and jiving, or soft shoeing around the office. That's just the lens that I was looking through. It could have been clouded, but I doubt it.

At the End of the Day
What this is going to mean is that all you dead beats have to get off your ass still. All you dead beat moms still have to get off your ass. Nothing is going to be handed to you since the President looks like you. Hell, he may look like you, but he is still mixed with half of the White man. So, who cares what he looks like? Why not focus on getting your shit together on your own, and not wait or expect a handout? Your job is still going to be the same old shitty experience each day. If there is going to be a significant Change coming, just sit back let it happen while you better yourself on your own. We are never going to get a mule to walk around 40 acres, so stop expecting it. If you want a mule go get one. If you want 40 acres, fix your damn credit and go get it. Me personally... I don't want a mule or 40 acres. Well, maybe 40 acres, but I'm content with knowing that the sun might come up tomorrow.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone.

Royce Da 5'9" - The Album

Track Listing
1. Promise Land
2. Heat To the Streets (feat. Kid Vishis)
3. Give Up Your Guns (feat. Talib Kweli / Raekwon)
4. J Ro vs. Mike B (skit)
5. We Deep (feat. Trick Trick)
6. Rewind
7. Gun Music
8. Bad Guy
9. Let's Talk (feat. Black Milk)
10. We Everywhere (feat. Kid Vishis)
11. Been Shot Down
12. Angel
13. On The Low

From the time he spit on Bad Meets Evil with Ememin most people knew this dude was destined for greatness. A Detroit native who keeps the swagger at an all time high. Royce has been flooding websites and mixtapes as of recent. He's been working hard with Joe Budden and some other Slaughterhouse peeps. Royce has also been keeping in the family with projects with Black Milk and Elzhi, more Detroit concoctions for you.

This album/mixtape from Royce is a pretty solid pick up. Production includes Green Lantern, 9th Wonder (another cat who is submerged in the craft these days), Nottz, and Black Milk. The album is pure Hip Hop banging at its greatest. If you were feeling Rock City, Death is Certain, any of the M.I.C mixtapes... you'll bang this. Royce for some reason seems stronger these days than ever before to me though. His flow seems to have a freshness to it... Maybe it's just because he seems to be everywhere I turn now. Can't knock that by any means. Don't be fooled by the "Mixed by DJ Green Lantern" print on the album cover... Lantern did no mixing, unless he mixed the track order. He has a hand in some of the production, but that's it.

If you can bob your head to this, I'd advise you to check out Elzhi's - The Preface, Black Milk's - Tronic.

I'm going to let you all go now so that you can spend some of that good check money on this new album and spend your weekend getting the experience.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

Royce 5’9 Inks Solo Deal With ONE Records

Royce 5’9 and his M.I.C. imprint are teaming up with One Records for the release of Royce’s highly-anticipated forthcoming solo-LP Street Hop, due out in the first quarter of 2009. The album is executive produced by DJ Premier and has generated a major buzz through overwhelming critical praise.

A video for Street Hop’s lead-single, the DJ Premier-produced “Shake This,” will be released later this month. Directed by Rik Cordero (responsible for Nas’ “The N Word”, Snoop Dogg’s “Neva Have 2 Worry” & The Roots “75 Bars”), this video will be the first of two collaborations between Royce and Cordero. “Shake This” will also be accompanied by the Carlos Broady produced B-Side single and video “Part Of Me”.

Street Hop will also feature production from DJ Premier, Nottz, Green Lantern, Carlos Broady, Ski, Kay Gee and Emile, and guest appearances from Bun B, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I along with a few other surprises that will be unveiled at a later date.

Royce’s mixtapes have built anticipation, becoming a countdown leading up to the day that the actual album is finally available for public consumption. And what the public hears on his wildly-popular mixtapes is just a taste of what Royce has to offer. “This album will definitely show the world why I'm the one to watch right now. I'm happy about my new partnership between M.I.C and One Records, because it’s time to ignite the streets.”

Royce’s unwavering passion for music and hunger for the game keeps him in the studio day and night. This album will be the true beginning of a newly energized Royce, which will start with Street Hop and live through his official forthcoming solo-projects. Knowing that his finest creations are only months away from being heard, Royce exudes a swag of confidence. “I’m ready to show all these other rappers just how wack they really are.”

Royce 5’9 is the newest addition to the upstart One Records imprint, home to the recently released Vast Aire’s latest solo-LP Dueces Wild (2008). Promoting quality over quantity, One Records owner Hanley Halem attests that his motto “One Music, One Record At A Time” is further validated by their alignment with Royce as he laments, "One Records is proud to be in business with Royce. He is an amazing talent and we feel that he has yet to reach his peak as an artist. Street Hop is a breath of fresh air, at a time when the industry really needs it and we are anxiously looking forward to releasing it.”

Royce will be embarking on a tour with D-12 and Joe Budden on November 12th thru the top of 2009, where he will be previewing tracks from Street Hop and new material from his recently released mixtape Bar Exam 2.

Courtesy of MAC Media

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

The Foreign Exchange

Talk about a great find. While you all are just becoming acquainted with the skills of Phonte and Little Brother... Just when you're thinking to yourself, "Damn, dude has skills." Then The Foreign Exchange summons from the underground to the Hip Hop world. The Foreign Exchange is a group composed of Phonte and Netherlands producer, Nicolay. The two started off by just exchanging music over message boards before ever meeting. Nicolay would put together the beat then send them to Phonte through instant messages, email, and traditional mail. Phonte would then spit to goods and send them back to be mastered. They didn't meet physically until they started touring for the first album (Connected). Talk about technology. Wow!

But wait... that's not the most surprising part. Many of you will cop the album looking to hear Phonte spitting crazy as usual, but you'd be hard pressed to find the same old Phonte. Dude is humming... harmonizing... SINGING. Without the T-Pain Tone either. Of course it wouldn't be the same without some spitting though.

Now they have completed their 2nd album together and not many people have been talking about it. It's a smooth jazz, hip hop feel that easily will be adopted by older heads. The 2nd album is called Leave It All Behind. Now the two can work in a much easier capacity as they both live in North Carolina now.

Listening to this album is like waking up on Sunday morning, and sitting on the porch on a warm sunny day. This is a testament to how creative and skilled these artists are today. Not many rappers are willing to take a risk such as this... let alone be successful at it. Shout out to Phonte and Nicolay for blessing us all with something fresh and organic. Get up on it people.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

lupE.N.D.

For all the Lupe fans, the album is dropping in '09 and word is that it's going to be a 3 disc album.

Disc 1 - Everywhere
Disc 2 - Nowhere
Disc 3 - Down Here

And together they will form LupE.N.D.

Stay on ya toes until... The End.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time
Over and Out, DocBoone.

New EPMD album drops on December 9

Since 1999's Out of Business, we all have been waiting on something else from EPMD. We failed to believe that Erick and Parrish would be done for good. There were talks that something was in the works, and now there is a concrete date for you to hit up the music stores. December 9th... a good holiday stocking stuffer. Guests for the album include Redman, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Raekwon, and KRS-1. Don't play yaself and leave this joint on the shelves.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

Cam'Ron's Rhyme Book

I know this is plenty old, and some of you may have seen this already... I can't help it though. Each time I look at this it nearly brings me to tears. I laugh just as hard every time. Cam'Ron is a lyrical genius... in his own mind, but no one's hating. Even I'm a Pimp in my own mind. So, without further ado... I'd like to present to you all... The Rhyme Book. The Killer Rhyme Book... of Cam'Ron Giles.

Oh.. and shout out to ohword.com for finding and stealing this dude's rhyme book for the whole world to see.









And there you have it folks... The power of the pen. The swagger in a notebook. Dipset, Birdgang... Oh Boy!

Hope you all are feeling the swagger as much as I am. I'm wearing pink sweat pants, purple socks, and a pink beater. WIth some Pink and Purple Air Forces... My swagger is at a hundred, thousand, trillion!

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

10 Year Class Reunion

10 years ago makes it 1998. To some, just another year. To Hip Hop Heads... it was a great year. 10 years ago the Hip Hop game was flooded with countless albums that are today considered classics. It was around the time that I was winding down my high school years... It was around the time that Def Jam and The Source were major references for Hip Hop Heads. Everything that you wanted to hear or read about was somehow connected to Def Jam or spread out in The Source. It was around the time when we were all still getting over the deaths of Pac and Big. It was around the time that Napster was just about to be up and running strong. It was around the time when today's Hip Hop Forbes members were just starting to really shine. Puff was still going by Puff Daddy, and Bad Boy was in it's prime. Jay-Z was taking over the throne in New York while sending Roc-A-Fella into lift off. And believe it or not that was just before 50 started dropping names on How To Rob in '99. Dru Hill and Sysco... DJ Clue and Funkmaster Flex... So much was going on 10 years ago. Busta Rhymes still had dreads, Snoop Dogg was testing the waters with No Limit, and Eminem was signing the papers with Dre and Aftermath.

In 1998 Hip Hop was alive and well. There was no doubt that Hip Hop would be around forever. Everything was strong and in full effect. But what about the albums that dropped that year alone, and that's not including the album per week quota that No Limit was producing. I'm talking about the real lyrical, real musical, and real Hip Hop. Well... I guess I shouldn't say REAL HIP HIP, because one could argue that No Limit and their down south movement really meant a lot. And now that I think about it... that was some real Hip Hop type stuff for you. I wont go into details... If you can remember back in those days then you know what I'm talking about. But I want to focus on the other albums... the more mainstream events that were taking place.

Here is a list of a few albums that dropped in 1998... Of course there are plenty more, so feel free to add others.

1. Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

2. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

3. Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star

4. Gang Starr - Moment of Truth

5. Outkast - Aquemini

6. Big Punisher - Capital Punishment

7. Onyx - Shut 'Em Down

8. N.O.R.E.

9. Fat Joe –Don Cartagena

10. The Lox – Money, Power, Respect

11. DMX – It’s Dark and Hell is Hot

12. DMX – Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood

13. Redman – Doc’s Da Name

14. Scarface – My Homies

15. Juvenile – 400 Degreez

16. Method Man – Tical 2000: Judgement Day

17. Jermaine Dupri – Life In 1472

Like I said... feel free to reminisce and add any that I may have forgotten. Hopefully this will make you go run to your old cd booklets and listen to some of these classics. Back before you were downloading every album.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone

Rap City Coming to an End

Remember the days of "The Mayor" riding through Compton with NWA? What about the days of Big Lez and Joe Clair? Well surely you remember the days of Tigga and Momma Tigga. If not, then you have been trapped in a basement for real. Rap City was Church to many of us 5 days a week, and now arguably one of the biggest sources for us heads is now coming to a end.

Courtesy of HipHopDX's Edwin Ortiz

BET’s Rap City could well be considered one of the quintessential shows for promoting Hip Hop on television. Along with an organic vibe, it gives in-depth interviews and freestyles from the artists we love. Sadly, all great things come to an end.

According to BET.com’s Sound Off blog, Rap City and its two decades of Hip Hop history will be hanging its close sign up. Serving as a platform for well-established rappers and newcomers alike, Rap City made its debut in 1989 with host Chris Thomas (known as “The Mayor”), quickly becoming a must-watch for Hip Hop heads. By 1999, the show changed its name to Rap City: Tha Basement, and with new host Big Tigger, further supplanted itself as a major music source that lasted well into the next decade, with various hosts latching on to bring it new flavor.

However, recent times haven’t looked so great for the BET mainstay. After losing financial sponsorship this year [click to read] and with ratings slowly decreasing, Rap City became a question mark that wasn’t leading to any significant answers. In turn, BET has decided to replace the show in an effort to bring ratings back to a comfortable position.

The show taking its place, The Deal, has been described as a multi-faceted hour-long segment. Hosted by DJ Diamond Kutz, The Deal will begin its tenure on November 10th, following the official finale of Rap City.

Along with artist drop-ins and Hip Hop commentary, one of the main proponents of The Deal will feature a similar scheme to Vh1’s Pop Up Video, which aired from 1996 to 2002. As BET puts it, The Deal will play “the latest and great videos that include pop-up information, facts and quirky tidbits on the artist and/or the song itself,” a description closely resembling Pop Up Video’s “info nuggets.” Rap City’s most symbolic segment, "the booth," will also continue its presence on The Deal.

HipHopDX will keep you posted on any new developments concerning the end of Rap City and the emergence of The Deal.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time
Over and Out, DocBoone

Andre Benjamin to be Exact

Andre 3000 has stated that his upcoming solo album will be released earlier than expected. Expected release date is sometime before the end of the year, or early '09. Don't expect many collaboration projects on this one either, but who needs collabos when you're as talented as 3000?

3 Stacks has also stated that he doesn't like the high expectations that many give him. He'd rather you call him wack, which in turn forces him to work even harder to put out something superb. So, let's all talk about how much we hate Mr. Benjamin. Dude is wack as hell... Easily the worst MC coming out of the whole Dungeon crew.

I hope that helps.

Keep Hip Hop Alive, One Bar at a Time.
Over and Out, DocBoone