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Summary: Rest in Power George Floyd.
About Artist: Over 15 artists featured.
About Song: 24 minutes long. Goes from melancholy, to anger, to sadness, to hope.
Other: So much pain, so much rage, so much injustice.
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Summary: The CD runs 77 minutes in 50 tracks featuring over 60 artists. I hope you find your new favorite song. I know we can all use a little more music in our lives rights now.
About: I wanted to create a mixtape that had a little something for everybody. The tracks are edited to be short but offer a glimpses into pop hits and odd audial obscurities and alike. A project of the quarantine.
Other: Enjoy some easy listening or get out Shazam and find your new favorite song!
DOWNLOAD MP3 JoeyBadass-PaperTrails.mp3
Summary: Some real hip hop for the hip hop heads.
About Artist: Joey Bada$$ is a young (20 years old) from Brooklyn. Joey’s released several critically acclaimed mixtapes and just dropped his debut album “B4.DA.$$” (2015). This song is also produced by longtime veteran, the one and only, DJ Premier.
About Song: This song samples an older Joey Bada$$ song “Unorthodox”, which DJ Premier also produced. This song is one song of off his debut album B4.DA.$$. While the album didn’t get crazy good reveiws, I really really really like the album as a whole and I know lots of other hip hop heads that do to. The album is a great blend of the new younger generation of hip hop with that classic boom bap of the golden era.
Favorite Part: I like how this song sounds like an old classic (lots of references to C.R.E.A.M.). More than this song though I just had to put up a track from his album B4.DA.$$ because it’s such a good coherent project.
Other:
Joey Bada$$ Wikipedia
DJ Premiere WIkipedia
Paper Trail$ Lyrics (via RapGenius)
NotoriousBIG-ReadToDieAudio Player
DOWNLOAD MP3 NotoriousBIG-ReadToDie.mp3
Summary: Throwback Thursday
About Artist: The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie) is the one and only immortalized east coast rapper.
About Song: This song is from Biggie’s debut album Born to Die. This version is from a collection of original versions, before executive producer Puff Daddy (aka Diddy) changed them before their final release.
Fun Fact: Though Ready to Die came out in 1994 the song was outlawed in the United States in 2006 due to an uncleared sample. All copies were removed the shelves and a new ‘edited’ version of the album was released removing/censoring the illegal parts.
Favorite Part: This song is a classic and I love the jazzy, tribe-like, boom bap sound of this version.
Other:
Notorious B.I.G. Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 Camron-WhatMeansTheWorldToYouRemix.mp3
Summary: The official theme song of my 2013 East Coast Tour. #ThrowbackThursdays
About Artist: Everyone on this track is a name in their own right, you can read their wikipedia pages below.
About Song: This song is off of Cam’ron’s 2000 album S.D.E. Sports, Drugs & Entertainment)
Favorite Part:
Every verse.
Other:
Cam’ron Wikipedia
Juelz Santana Wikipedia
UGK Wikipedia
Trina Wikipedia
Ludacris Wikipedia
What means the world to you Lyrics by RapGenius
DOWNLOAD MP3 Common-TheNextChapterStillLoveHERftJPeriod.mp3
Summary: A Hip Hop song for Hip Hop.
About Artist: Common has been around since the early 90s. Out of Chicago, he’s been know for his positive lyrics and his involvement in hip hop culture and community. J. Period is more of an underground producer/DJ but is well known within hip hop and is very highly respected. His innovative style works to push the boundaries of hip hop an good example being this gregshiphop post which comes from J. Period’s The Messengers Trilogy
About Song: This song is off of a J. Period mixtape called Rage Is Back. This mixtape is a soundtrack of sorts to Adam Mansbach’s novel Rage Is Back: A Novel which tells a story of a group of New York subway grafitti artists in the hip hop scene of the late 1980’s. I haven’t read the book but it’s gotten very good reviews. This song is also a part 2 of Common’s famous 1994 hit I Used to Love H.E.R which opens with the famous lines
“Yes, yes, y’all and you don’t stop
To the beat ya’ll and you don’t stop
Yes yes, y’all and you don’t stop
1, 2, ya’ll and you don’t stop”
Which is a love song of sorts to Hip Hop (H.E.R being Hearing Every Rhyme)
Favorite Part: J. Period does an awesome job on the production. And finally Common’s on a song where he’s doing what he does best and doesn’t sound whack doin it.
Other:
Common Wikipedia
J. Period Facebook
RageIsBack Official Mixtape site (free download)
DOWNLOAD MP3 Wale-JumpFreestyle.mp3
Summary:Finally some new old school Wale!
About Artist: Wale is a DC rapper representing the DMV (DC Maryland Virginia). Wale was a super popular underground rapper who many, including myself, thought would be huge. However his record label did a poor job releasing his debut album Attention Deficit and put pressure on Wale for his single to be Chillin featuring Lady Gaga who at the time hadn’t reached the level of fame she has since attained. After this disappointing release Wale withdrew from the scene a bit but cam back to release a super high quality mixtape More About Nothing. This tape gave the fans renewed hope about Wale’s potential until Wale went and signed with Maybach music, the money music group headed by the boss clown Rick Ross. I fcking hate that Wale chose to go that route especially since Wale has a really message in his music contrasted with Rick Ross’ money music message.
About Song: This song isn’t part of any project, as far as a I know, but just dropped yesterday. The song obviously is a freestyle over the 1992 Kris Kross hit Jump. Click here to watch that throwback video
Favorite Part:
Finally we get a track with Wale’s fun upbeat flow. Of course I love the original track, and coupled with Wale’s rhymes make it all the better.
Other:
Wale Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 Raekwon-SilverRingsftGhostfaceKillah.mp3
Summary: Hard Wu-Tang Sound
About Artist: Both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are members of the Wu-Tang Clan. I’m not gonna get into all the details so if you really don’t know about Wu-Tang Clan read up here. Raekwon has had one of the more sucessfull solo careers with his last album
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II receiviing critical acclaim.
About Song: This song is one of the shorter tracks on the album. This track didn’t stand out as anything special but its a nice snippet of what the overall album sounds like
Favorite Part:
None really.
Other:
Wu-Tang Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 SwizzBeatz-TopDownftNas.mp3
Summary: New York’s Finest (Nas) + Horns
About Artist: Nas is one of the great NY rappers. He used to be in a contest with Jay-Z for best NY rapper but it’s hard to say that Nas didn’t lose that one. That being said Nas is still one of the most respected 2nd or 3rd generation rappers. Swizz Beatz came up with DMX and Cassidy but has managed out live the both of them as he is one of today’s premier producers producing dozens of hit singles. Swizz Beatz also has been in the public eye more lately as he recently married, and is having a child, with Alicia Keyes.
About Song: This hip hop song is part of Swizz Beatz weekly release of songs called Monster Mondays (a ripoff of GOOD Fridays, me thinks so). This song originally didn’t have Nas and was featured in Grand Theft Auto, Nas really brings this well produced track to a song worth listening to.
Favorite Part:
The Horns…of course.
And Nas brings that gritty New York feel to it.
Other:
Swizz Beatz Wikipedia
Nas Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 KendrickLamar-LookOutForDetox.mp3
Summary: Rap Rap Rap. This is how you rap!
About Artist: Kendrick Lamar is an LA rapper who has been recruited by Dr. Dre to help with Dr. Dre and LA rap’s comeback. No doubt Kendrick Lamar has crazy talent. At this point he is undoubtedly one of the best west coast rappers rapping right now. His mixture of aggressive and clever lyrics is unmatched as he brings such energy to his music. I would love to see him live. Check out some other Kendrick Lamar song on gregshiphop.com
About Song: This song was released as a youtube video as can be seen here. This song is a few month hold but just has such energy that I had to put it up. This song is definitely one where you’ll want to sit down with the Lyrics and follow as you listen.
Favorite Part:
You really have to look at all the lyrics while you listen but below are some highlight.
“I’m so appalled, with a prototype with a gotly protocol
you an amateur, they want to protocol
I damage ya on camera in Compton, in Canada
I don’t care where ya are
Just blink twice and I’m there where you are
like a shadow in the dark, you a paddle in aboat in an ocean full of sharks bout to come up short
water in the pot, throw crack rock, like bam bam n-gga have two grams n-gga pay up up,
blam blam n-gga, nigga had a the black cam, rebel up to dipset killa Cam nigga
Had a beef with raw niggas, killers, pimps you ain’t been around shit but your momma and your bitch
shoved off the portch when I was like six
uncle bobby got the house ready back in 96
kick in the door, K9s all in the kitchen way before I even heard of Mike Vick.
Mom in the bathroom poppa at work
happened on Sunday we shoulda went to Church” 0:31
“cause I’m oging out with a fist raised and a fist full of money give it to a fifth grade
drink a fifth of Hennessy and then take another fade with a democratic politician from CA
they don’t wanna see a B-L-A-C-K making some scratch like a hall of fame DJ
give us some free j’s put us in PJ’s
now we in the county jail calling for a threeway, God-Damn, your call
marketing base where the god damn barcode stuck in the street was dark like Harpo
black man tell me where your God-Damn heart go
although I’m in the land of milk and honey” 1:22
Other:
Kendrick Lamar Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 GIMME-PaperLinesftPhonte9thWonder.mp3
Summary: True and Honest Lyrical Rap about Hip Hop. For Hip Hop fans only.
About Artist: This song, recorded under the name G.I.M.M.E, was one of the very first collaboration tracks between Little Brother members Phonte and high integrety producer 9th Wonder. Both are from North Carolina and both being unmatched integrity to their music. If you’ve never heard of Little Brother I would definitely encourage you to go find a copy of Minstrel Show for some real honest hip hop.
About Song: This song was one of the first tracks created by Phonte and 9th Wonder in late 1999. This song was never released and just recently surfaced.
Favorite Part:
I like this song because of 9th Wonder’s jazzy no frills production but more Phonte’s true to hip hop tradition rap style and message.
“…create incredible words
I’m a federal felon with verbs
speaking for those who frequently talk but seldom get heard” 0:25
“I guess the point I’m makin rather elusively
is that this rap shit ain’t what it used to be
I’ve been written since before puberty…” 0:51
“(I put my lifetime in between the papers lines)
Cause most these niggas out rhyme horribly
(I put my lifetime in between the papers lines)
Can’t tell the difference between rap and R&B
(I put my lifetime in between the papers lines)
Everybody’s takin shots but nobody can score
(I put my lifetime in between the papers lines)
So many guest stars solo albums don’t exist anymore” chorus 1:12
“What Hip Hop needs, to stop these, carbon copies
is less Rappers and more MCs
Cause MCs can hold it down do an album themselves
While rapper alwasy need a guest verse from somebody else
MCs stay true to themselves and rip for they peers
While rappers be doin duets with Britney Spears” 1:32
“…number one with a bullet but who the fuck is you targetin
not me, I left your on the shelf with a smile
shit was so whack my alarm clock slept on your style…
…Don’t get me wrong yo I ain’t player hatin
But I hate when players play with what I consider sacred
but it makes me mad, stark ravin” 1:52
“…our art form is slowly becoming awful” 2:38
“…the black magic is passed we need another shawman
you know to come and really rock the mic,
I mean the calm and proper type
quote me all you want shit rapper ain’t got no copyrights” 2:58
…and the song rides out :)
Other:
9th Wonder Wikipedia
Phonte Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 1982-MoneyIsReality.mp3
Summary: Some Chill Monday Rap. For Classic Hip Hop Lovers only.
About Artist: 1982 is a two man MC Rapper duo out of the Boston area. The MC, Statik Selektah, has worked mainly on radio stations throughout his career and has the classic turntable sound I love exemplified by DJ Premier and Funkmaster Flex. Statik Selektah really brings the sound and vibe to the group, which is the main reason I like them, so I’d say he’s what really makes the group special. The rapper, Termanology, also from the Boston area, looked like he would take off in 2005 when The Source featured him as an unsigned MC; he never really took off but he’s got more than enough talent to hold his own in the game.
About Song: This song is off of 1982’s recent EP the Evening News. This song features Action Bronson though I’ve never heard of him. I like this song because it mixes a laid back jazz sound with a traditional gritty city rap sound.
Favorite Part:
I really like the classic hip hop feel. The best verse is probably the first 0:42-1:30 but the second verse does have some real good flow.
Other:
gregshiphop: 1982 – Always (Statik’s Interlude)
gregshiphop.com: 1982 – Start It Like This