Posts in Category/Tag: Lyrical

Talib Kweli & Z-Trip – Congregation (ft. Black Thought, Ab-Soul)(Prod by J Rhodes)

October 17th, 2012

TalibKweliZTrip-CongregationftBlackThoughtAbSoul
DOWNLOAD MP3 TalibKweliZTrip-CongregationftBlackThoughtAbSoul.mp3
Summary: This track is the 2nd track I’m posting from an awesome mixtape called Attack The Block. Download Attack the Block Mixtape. While I like this song I’m putting up this post to represent the whole mixtape which I highly recommend.
About Artist:  Talib Kweli is an established very well respected artist in the game who is a member of Madlib and one half of Black Star with Mos Def. Z-Trip is a DJ who really blazed the trail of many mashup artists behind him. While not well known outside of the Hip Hop community he is respected as a DJ on the very top of his game. Black thought is of course one of the founding members and lyrical base for the The Roots. Ab-Soul really holds his own in this one but he is known mainly for being part of Kendrick Lamar’s rap group Black Hippy and part of the Top Dawg Entertainment crew.
About Song: This song is just one of the tracks off of this phenomenal mixtape.
Favorite Part:
I like the church inspired track but I also love the lyrics
Check out the Lyrics on Rap Genius
You really have to look at every line because unlike some ‘Hip Hop’ these verses have meaning.
Other:
Congregation Lyrics on Rap Genius
Download Official Attack the Block Mixtape
Talib Kweli Wikipedia
Z-Trip Wikipedia
Black Thought Wikipedia
Ab-Soul Wikipedia

Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle (Prod. By Hit-Boy)

October 16th, 2012

KendrickLamar-BackseatFreestyleprodbyHitBoy
DOWNLOAD MP3 KendrickLamar-BackseatFreestyleprodbyHitBoy.mp3
Summary: Another instant classic brought to you by Kendrick Lamar. Look out for “Good Kid, Mad City” dropping Monday October 22nd (AND HE’S GONNA BE ON TUCSON THAT DAY!)
About Artist:  The new prince of the west coast, Kendrick Lamar is carrying the torch for LA with all the style, grit, lyricism and originality that LA has been known for. While is legacy is still in the making Kendrick has all the makings of a king. His authenticity and pure talent vaults him into discussions of ‘best rapper alive’ and he shines as a beacon that Hip Hop is still alive!
About Song: This song is a track that was just recently released here on soundcloud. It is one of the tracks off of Kendrick’s first commerical album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. The first single off of the album Recipe I really really like but it never blew up on the radio (my guess because it had the word Weed in the chorus). Following that single was Swimming Pools (Drank) which I do hear on the radio a lot. Anyway, back to this song, it ir produced by Hit-Boy which, coincidentadnly, produced another jam that I was totoally into and posted on here a couple days ago Higher.
Favorite Part:
Well first off the track is dope! The f-ing bell-chime things and the arrindindin arrindindin get me hyped!

Lay on Kendricks flow over that and it just goes hard!

Kendrick doesn’t go off lyrically like he somtimes does but check out the Rap Genius link below because there are some crazy references.

Other:
Kendrick Lamar Wikipedia
Good Kid, m.A.A.d City
Hit-Boy
Backseat Freestyle Lyrics at RapGenius

Lupe Fiasco – Strange Fruition (ft. Casey Benjamin)(prod. by Soundtrakk)

October 2nd, 2012

LupeFiasco-StrangeFruitionftCaseyBenjamin
DOWNLOAD MP3 LupeFiasco-StrangeFruitionftCaseyBenjamin.mp3
Summary: Based on the song Strange Fruit popularized by Billie Holiday. Lupe really lets his lyricism shine while blending message AND emotion
About Artist:  Lupe Fiasco is well established lyrical mastermind who was only focused more and more on his message as his careers gone one.
About Song: Lupe moved away from his lyrical basis in his last album Lasers but Food and Liquor 2 brings the best of both worlds with the message and amazing lyricsl skill. I also have to say that the production of the track is really well done the hook plays an integral part to making the song work and the lyrics on the hook could not sound more haunting.
Favorite Part:   First just look at the chorus
“Made in pain, the strangest things you ever seen
Oh, look at how they swing, would you look at how they swing?
They ain’t dead though
No I ain’t die y’all
I cut myself down
Admire my fall”

Other:

Lupe talks about his album on YouTube
Lupe Fiasco Wikipedia
Strange Fruition RapGenius

Gift of Gab – Protocol (ft. Smantha Kravitz)

July 8th, 2012

GiftOfGab-Protocol
DOWNLOAD MP3 GiftOfGab-Protocol.mp3
Summary: This is a fun upbeat creative flow summer song.
About Artist: Gift of Gab is half of Blackalicious who always comes out with positive quality fun stuff. If you like this song you should check out Blackalicious and other posts by both Gab and Blackalicious on this blog.
Favorite Part:  I really like the hook but of course Gift of Gab’s flow is awesome throughout.

Other:
Gift of Gab Wikipedia
Blackalicious Wikipedia

Yelawolf – Hard White (remix)(ft. T.I., Slaughterhouse)

March 16th, 2012

Yelawolf-HardWhiteremixftTISlaughterhouse
DOWNLOAD MP3 Yelawolf-HardWhiteremixftTISlaughterhouse.mp3
Summary: Here’s a song where some very talented MCs just go hard.
About Artist: Gotta keep it short today. Basically Yelawolf is a young Eminem protege from the south. T.I. king of the south. And Slaughterhouse the four man crew of Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden and Royce 5’9.
About Song: This song is origianly off of Yelawolf debut 2011 album Radioactive. The original featured Lil Jon so obviously this official remix is a million times better.
Favorite Part:  Finally a song up here that is good for its straight rapping.
Read the full lyrics here

Other:
Yelawolf Wikipedia
Hard White Remix Lyrics
Slaughterhouse Wikipedia
T.I. Wikipedia

Jay-Z Kanye West – Murder To Excellence

August 29th, 2011

JayZKanyeWest-MurderToExcellence
DOWNLOAD MP3 JayZKanyeWest-MurderToExcellence.mp3
Summary: Real fans say this is the best song off Watch the Throne.
About Artist: Jay-Z and Kanye West. If you don’t know who they are I don’t know what to tell you. One thing you may not know if you’re not into Hip Hop though is that Kanye West got one of his first big breaks producing for Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint album. Jay-Z pretty much was the one that gave Kanye a chance and made him famous.
About Song: This song is a song (not yet a single) from Jay-Z and Kanye’s collaboration album Watch the Throne. While the album has recieve positive (but not stellar) reviews I think it really work as an album as a whole and is a rare true collaboration between two Hip Hop greats. Murder to Excellence has two distinct parts, the first produced by Swizz Beatz and the second by S1. The song talks about black on black crime and social mobility in the African American community. This song has more a message and conscious than other tracks on the album which is why is may have received such a positive response from fans (the song is also just a great song). I LOVE the beats to both parts of the song, especially the guitar, chorus and hook of the first part, and the lyrical compliment it very very well.
Favorite Part:
“No shop class but half the school got a tool” (1:02)
“Plus his little brother got shot reppin his avenue, it’s time for us to stop and redefine black power 41 souls murdered in 50 hours” (1:07)
“Is it genocide?
Cause I can still hear his mama cries
Know the family traumatized
Shots left holes in his face about piranha-sized
The old pastor closed the cold casket
And said the church ain’t got enough room for all the tombs
It’s a war going on outside we ain’t safe from
I feel the pain in my city wherever I go
314 soldiers died in Iraq, 509 died in Chicago” (1:34-1:58)

The ooohs at 1:58 as Kanye ends and Jay-Z come in is so so good.

“I arrived on the day Fred Hampton died
Uh, real niggas just multiply
And they say by 21 I was supposed to die
So I’m out here celebrating my post-demise” (1:58-208)

Transition at 2:42 is great.

“Black excellence, opulence, decadence
Tuxes next to the president, I’m present
I dress in Dries and other boutique stores in Paris
In sheepskin coats, I silence the lambs
Do you know who I am, Clarice?
No cheap cologne whenever I “shh-shh”
Success never smelled so sweet
I stink of success, the new black elite
They say my Black Card bears the mark of the beast
I repeat: my religion is the beat
My verse is like church, my Jesus piece
Now please, domino, domino
Only spot a few blacks the higher I go
What’s up to Will? Shout out to O
That ain’t enough.. we gonna need a million more
“Kick in the door” Biggie flow
I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go” (2:52-3:42)

“In the past if you picture events like a black tie
What the last thing you expect to see, black guys?
What’s the life expectancy for black guys?
The system’s working effectively, that’s why!
I’ll be a real man and take care of your son
Every problem you had before this day is now done” (3:52-4:09)
Other:
Watch the Thone Wikipedia

Kendrick Lamar – Fuck Your Ethnicity

August 26th, 2011

KendrickLamar-FuckYourEthnicity
DOWNLOAD MP3 KendrickLamar-FuckYourEthnicity.mp3
Summary: Kendrick Lamar is the best up and coming rapper. Bring the West Coast back with a vengance.
About Artist: Kendrick Lamar is a young Compton rapper who has been hailed as the next king of the west. He has amazing lyrical ability and speaks truth with an unmatched authenticity. Kendrick Lamar is currently my favorite rapper. I got to see him recently in his hometown of LA and was blown away. His live performance had so much energy and he was even better live than he sounds on his records. The show started a little late only because Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg showed up to watch. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kurupt, Game, Big Sean and Snoop all graced the stage to come out and support Kendrick who has very quicky gained the respect of the entire hip hop community.
About Song: This song is the intro to Kendrick Lamar’s recent and highly regarded project Section.80.
Favorite Part:
“Fire burning inside my eyes
This the music that saved my life
Y’all be calling it hip-hop
I be calling it hypnotize
Yeah, hypnotize

WATCH Kendrick Lamar in LA Clip

Trapped my body but freed my mind
What the fuck is you fighting for?
Ain’t nobody gonna win that war
My details be retail
Man, I got so much in store
Racism is still alive
Yellow tape and colored lines” (1:03-1:22)

“I mosh pit
Had a microphone and I tossed it
Had a brain, then I lost it
I’m out of my mind, so don’t
You mind how much the cost is
Penny for my thoughts
Everybody, please hold up your wallets” (1:45-1:53)
Other:
Kendrick Lamar Wikipedia
Fuck Your Ethnicity Lyrics