Friday, September 30, 2005

NEW Team / NEW Too Short / Lay Low

The Team - Good Girl
Off the upcoming album, World Premiere, this isn't hyphy, but its a perfect example of The Team's ability to create hit songs. Its a very feminine song, ambient female r&b vocals join at the seams with twinkling piano over a slow 808 bass beat. Kinda cheezy, but cute.

Too Short - She Know What it Is
Unreleased, from his upcoming album. Nothing exceptional here, typical Short Dog vocals. Some other rappers on here that I can't ID. The beat has an old school feel to it, very clean kicks and handclaps, cowbells everywhere. It does have some hyphy sounding synths, but the beat is too slow to be hyphy. Putting this up for posterity more than anything, really.

Lay Low (feat. Federation) - What the Fuck?
This is the fucking slump of the week right here. Law Low is some up'n'coming 16 year old emcee from Vallejo, this song is from his album Deep Waters, which is out but nearly impossible to find. Regardless, this is a fucking BLAP. Federation spit hella hard, stealing the limelight. The beat is insane, a staircase of synths create pure energy.

Sorry for the downtime in posts, I got a bunch more shit to throw up on here so keep checkin back!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

NEW Federation NEW Hoodstars

Federation - We Ain't Wid That
I originally thought this was a Droop-E beat, but now this song is featured on Rick Rock's myspace page... No matter, its an interesting song, the vocals are mastered way higher than the beat, which is actually a good effect here. The beat is simple, a little bit bubbly but anchored with a three note synth progression and some crunchy drums lifted straight outta the Neptunes- 'Grindin' beat. This track is off the Yay Area's Most Wanted: Strikes Back mix cd that just came out. It took me a while to get into this, but now I'm feelin it.

Federation - Favorite Drug
This was ripped off KMEL back in 2003. It never appeared on the Fed's album or any mixtapes that I am aware of. Unfortunately its a clean version (does a dirty version exist?), but its a classic Rick Rock slapper that just shows off Rick's production skills. "Ricky got it sounding like a village in Kenya." No hi-hats, no snares-- just high pitched 'ethnic' drums and menacing synth brass.

Hoodstars (feat. Keak Da Sneak & San Quinn) - What It Do My Nig
This also sounds like a Droop-E beat, but again I have no confirmation. Its unreleased, though I'm assuming its going to be on the upcoming Hoodstars album which drops sometime in October. Its the clean version, but Keak and Quinn shine, taking on the first two verses (Keak does the hook as well). Playful sound effects and drums keep the beat simple but fun.

Hoodstars (feat. Keak Da Sneak) - Can't Leave Rap Alone
Sean T flips a slumpin beat and Keak just glides over it. Hoodstars do their best to overcome mediocrity, and manage to achieve that half the time. Sean T is the star here-- the drums keep the beat sounding like a traditional slap, but the plucked electric guitar intertwined with glittery synth chirps suggest a slightly more futuristic direction.

Mistah F.A.B. Exclusives

Mistah F.A.B. was on KMEL last night and previewed two new tracks, which I just so happened to record. They're off his upcoming album Yellow Bus Ryda which is set to drop "Novemberish". Apparently FAB is also at work on another album coming out after that, called The Furley Ghost. When asked if he would do any posthumous tracks with Mac Dre, FAB said he doesn't want to do "one of those Biggie put-together tracks" and that he "don't wanna keep capitalizin off [Mac Dre], thats for real." He also dropped some info about upcoming DVDs including Treal T.V. 2 which is gonna drop Nov. 22nd, and The Freestyle King DVD which features Fabby battling a bunch of others (most notably the rap-battle where he KO'd Jin at Hot Import Nights-- "in front of his people, literally" ... ). That drops sometime next month. Heres the new tracks:

Mistah F.A.B. - Metros and Chirpers
Produced by Droop-E, who's whistle seems fitting on a song about cell phones. The lyrics are straight silly, making fun of bad reception, phones falling out your pocket whenever you stand up, cracked screens, taking calls after 9, etcetera. Its a fast paced song, with a catchy hook.

Mistah F.A.B. - The Furley Ghost
Produced by Trackademics, who did a buncha tracks on FAB's Son of a Pimp album. "Let Dre get in your soul and lose control", The Furley Ghost is another take on the thizz dance, but this track opens it up so that anyone, even straight-edge cats, can get down because now its not about being Eeed out your skull, its about "dancing with your spirit". Which is really what the thizz dance was always about anyway, but people just assosciated it strictly with E because of the word "thizz". The beat slaps in a slow-motion-gangsta-stoner kinda way.

On the new Federation track-- I'll put it up later tonight, along with another older Federation track that never actually ended up appearing on any albums.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Block 4 Life + Club Talk

Okay, everyones been requesting these two songs, but i've been sleeping on it while waiting to get the CD quality versions for you guys (the originals i put up were radio rips). You can thank me by clicking my ads on the lower right side of the page.

B-Legit feat. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Clyde Carson - Block 4 Life

EA-Ski feat. Keak Da Sneak and E-40 - Club Talk

E-40 feat. Keak Da Sneak and Turf Talk - Flamboastin
Got a couple requests for this one too, this is actually that Adam's Family beat I didn't know the name of. CD quality on this bitch too.

More tracks coming soon (including a new Federation track)

Friday, September 16, 2005

Dopegame 3 / Traxamillion / San José



Dopegame 3 came out on tuesday, the third album from the bay supergroup which this time around focuses primarily on Frank Sticks and Killa Klump, both of whom can hold their own with their style. Keak, Lee Majors, and Verstyle only make one appearance each, while BA is on two songs. But no doubt this is pure Dopegame, the trend of thick juicy synths over firecracker beats continues. My two cents:

Frank Sticks - Shake Ya Face Up
If you haven't heard this one already, listen NOW. Traxamillion outta San Jose produced this, the single, and its fucking SLAAPPPIN. I already upped it a while ago, so this re-up is for those who missed it.

Keak Da Sneak, Frank Sticks, and Killa Klump - Nigga RAH
More Dopegame heat right here. This is the only track that Keak is on and he fucking runs it. Kill Klump is a new name, and I don't really know that much about him, but his voice is tough and he comes gangsta all over the whole album.

The Hoodstars - Grown Man On

This isn't Dopegame, but it is a new heater from Traxamillion. Its nice to see him continue to lay down dope beats after producing Keak's mega-hit Super Hyphie. Getting your grown man on basically means dressing up nice, the antithesis of white tees. Hoodstars, as usual, rap fair to middlin, nothin spectacular. The beat is real club, sounding like something Ciara should be on. Certified slump.

Having lived in San Jose for the past 5 years, its good to see the bay rap scene is fucking with cats down here cause Traxamillion's got heat and he'll continue to produce heat. On that San Jo tip, also check out my girl Marian Liu's blog (and podcast) over at the San Jose Mercury News website. She's the pop music writer there and has penned some informative articles on the local music scene (check out her recent interview with E-40).

Saturday, September 10, 2005

BAY BRIDGES comp (ALL Droop-E production)



So, here it is, the new compilation from Sic Wid It records, "presented" by E-40, and featuring production from Droop-E on all 16 tracks. Its an interesting concept, but it just doesn't work. Droop-E's production is consistently elementary, with many tracks suffering from a serious lack of creativity, which gets really fucking repetitive. There ARE some slappers, but you've already heard them, notably: The Mossie - Get Ignant and E-40 - Da Dummy, which were previously posted up. Here are a few other choice cuts:

Tha Hoodstarz (feat. E-40 and Turf Talk) - Bullshit
Twiddly horn descends into slappin ass beat. Vocal sample prominently crushes into the drums, sounding like someone saying "bullshit" but compressed into more of a whoosh than a word. Synth brass comes in sounding like the doorbell of Dracula's castle. Vocal delivery is hard as fuck, but don't be fooled by the features, e-40 and turf talk are only on the chorus-- this is hoodstars' track.

Keak Da Sneak, PSD, and Mistah F.A.B. - Show Me the Deer Foot
Quite possibly the worst sexual allegory in a song title. I really like the beat on this one, its somehow downtempo but with bounce. No synth brass, and the whistle takes the backseat to clicks and pops and dings and hisses. I really think Droop-E should put more of a focus on making beats like this, as it allows him more room to experiment with.

Mistah F.A.B. (feat. (feat. Turf Talk, E-40, Droop-E, Keak Da Sneak, Mac Mall, B-Legit, G-Stack & The Jacka) - Super Sic Wit It (Remix)
This is NOT on the Bay Bridges compilation, but it is produced by Droop-E. This one's been on the radio too, it is, obviously, a remix of F.A.B.'s Super Sic Wid It, but featuring a whole bushel of bay area rap stars. Obviously, this knocks. The production is standard hyphy, but what keeps this from getting bogged down in repetition is the infectious chanting chorus and varied vocal delivery of F.A.B. et al.

Whew, i'm Droop-E'd out. More tracks coming real soon, from different producers.

Friday, September 02, 2005

NEW B-Legit + Re-Ups

B-Legit (feat. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Clyde Carson) - Block 4 Life
stupid slap right here. jazzy plucked guitars slide into high pitch synth stabs over some west coast trunk funk drums. b-legit and jadakiss come gangsta and clyde carson (from the team) comes clean as fuck. this shit knocks. also-

selected re-ups for the fashionably late :

Kinsmoke (feat. Federation and Rick Rock) - On One

EA-Ski (feat. Keak Da Sneak and E-40) - Club Talk


The Team - Its Getting Hot (Remix) [feat. Too $hort, Keak, Richie Rich, and HAMMER]


The Team - Bottles Up


San Quinn - The Bay is in the Area

E-40 - Da Dummy