MICK and Chi Duly Pay Homage to Jay Z and DJ Premier

 

 

What happens when you take Jay-Z’s most lyrical and personal verses & juxtapose them with DJ Premier’s most dark and precise works? The result is 7:18. This mixtape is a love letter to the hiphop we grew up listening to. This is for the people who grew up analyzing the b-side of every Gangstarr and Group Home single. This is for the people who listened to Jay’s “A Million And One Questions” a million and one times.

This is music you should only listen to wearing Carhartt jackets and wheat Timbs. Do not listen to this album at a beach under a palm tree. This is music for a cold, grey day. Preferably enjoyed in a 1994 white Lexus. This is raw and uncut Brooklyn hiphop in it’s prime. A tribute to two of the best who ever did it, and in a way only we could bring it to you. We hope you enjoy this as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

 

 

You can never go wrong with DJ Premier beats, couple that with Jay Z and this already had me wanting to listen to it. Checking it out now as I post this. If you about that life click here.

Rapsody: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

In a movement of showing love to Rapsody, who dropped another great album today, Laila’s Wisdom, go download and support REAL HIP HOP and just great music, I thought I’d post this Tiny Desk Concert. On another not I think I have too many commas in that last sentence. I get at my kid about that all the time and now I’ve done it. Life

 

 

30 Year Anniversary For Paid In Full

30 years ago today the album that truly changed the game in so many ways was released. To think during the recording process a rapper was laughing at The God as he track was being played back. The fact this almost didn’t happen if Eric B would have caught up with Bumpy Knuckles.

MCs had to really step their game up after this dropped. The great iconic James Brown career was resurrected with this album. The bars and vibe are the blueprint for every single MC that came after this, even EPMD was criticized for biting. The vibe was smooth operator/ deadly assassin. The lines from this album aren’t only still ahead of it’s time but have been used by most of the greatest MCs in the game at some point in their catalog.

Word is the duo have gotten back together. If all they do is just shows the culture will good for it. This was the Albert m that made me want to spit. The delivery was unheard of for that time. Everyone saying they’re are about this culture should know this album.

Gregory Porter: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

I will admit as much I was and still am a listener of NPR I still find myself coming across stuff from them that is totally new to me. Tiny Desk Concert is one of those things. While going through things on Youtube, completely out of boredom waiting for game 2 of the NBA Finals to start, I saw Rapsody’s Tiny Desk Concert. Thought it was dope and then saw that this man had one as well. I’m Gregory Porter fan and feel his sound is needed in music.

July 18, 2016 by BOB BOILEN • Gregory Porter’s healing soul music sends a message of compassion, and he’s got a baritone voice that resonates love. When Porter visited NPR, we’d just learned that our colleague, photojournalist David Gilkey, had been killed while working on a story for NPR in Afghanistan. When Porter began singing the calmly beautiful “No Love Dying,” he may not have known how much it would mean to us. Yet this song of compassion and hope, from his Grammy-winning 2013 album Liquid Spirit, was just what we’d needed.

Porter and pianist Chip Crawford continued their thoughtful, entrancing set with “Take Me To The Alley” (the title track to Porter’s new album), a song about how we treat and think about those who live on society’s margins. Closing this Tiny Desk concert is “Don’t Be A Fool,” another new song of love, loyalty and trust. For us, Porter’s set provided a timely reminder that we can all use comfort, counsel and guidance — and that music can be serious and heartwarming without losing its sense of wonder and delight.

Set List:
“No Love Dying”
“Take Me To The Alley”
“Don’t Be A Fool”

Day 1 Of What I Thought Was Hot This Year

Non Hip Hop Album: Anderson Paak:  Malibu

First off what is crazy to me is that in a time where singers are routinely labeled as rappers Anderson Paak depending on who you talk to doesn’t fit the criteria.  Malibu is one of the best albums this year hands down. It’s soulful and deep with the essence of game peppered all over it.

Hip Hop Album: De La Soul: De La Soul and The Anonymous Nobody

Even though we the public knew De La Soul was working an album. No one could have known that the album would have been so different in a good way. Let’s be real the highlight alone is the track with 2 Chainz. De La continues to grow as artists and this album is the newest testimonial to that.

RSIEH: Jesse Williams Speech At The BET Awards

 

I don’t watch anything on BET and last night was no exception. Waking up the real news wasn’t who won what award or who killed it on stage but what was said by Jesse Williams. The was so evident that when I googled his name and BET and every news site has a story and footage of the speech. I’m personally glad someone spoke to our people and that it was on BET, and not just BET , but a few other channels as well. It’s something should be applauded as well as something that should soak in the minds and souls as those who heard the speech. Maybe BET is started to change the way things work at the channel or maybe they had no idea what Williams would say and to cut him off would be more harmful. In any event , it was a great speech that needed to be heard by all. As I type this , BET and Viacom  have went above and beyond to not have the speech online. Youtube has deleted every upload of the speech and BET.com is showing an interview of Jesse Williams and not the speech while highlighting the performances. The truth is there and BET needs to jump on board a movement that will soon target them as a brand if they continue to choose to straddle the fence. I downloaded this from Steven Rodgers youtube account, salute to Steven Rodgers

 

 

 

 

Ice T: Final Level: Episode 53: DJ Chuck Chillout: A Podcast Dedicated to Prince

 

This week on the Final Level podcast with Ice T and Mick Benzo, Ice and Mick are joined by producer and New York radio legend, DJ Chuck Chillout. Mick, Ice and Chuck talk about the recent death of Prince, what that means for the future of music, the death of Billy Paul, Tom Clancy’s The Division for Xbox, this summer’s The Art Of Rap festival and how DJ Chillout became a New York radio legend

The Combat Jack Show: The Willie D Episode

 

It’s been a minute since I posted any podcasts I’ve been checking out. Of course I been trying to keep up with The Combat Jack Show and here is the latest one I;ve heard.

 

Geto Boy and H-town legend Willie D, on the wave of dropping his incendiary song “Coons” discusses his contribution to this culture, the importance of rapping about social issues and gives us one of the realest interviews ever.

This week’s Documentaries To Check Out

Iverson

Of course I’m going to say watch this one. I’m from Newport “Bad Newz Va and just knowing someone from where I’m from, who lived in the same part of town as me made me a fan, even back when he was playing in Georgetown. If Jordan influenced how players played and changed the way endorsements were handled then Iverson changed the look and vibe as well as forced The NBA to make rules to keep things marketable to those fans not from the hood, like how I said that without saying that. Great Documentary about a Hall Of Fame player who deserves so much more respect from The NBA.
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?

This is a documentary about all the confusing that went into the making of Superman Lives. The move would have had followed the death of Superman comics and starred Nicholas Cage and directed by Tim Burton. The documentary is great and just watching it makes me want to see actual footage of the film. I don’t think Superman Lives would have been as well received as the Batman movie Burtaon did which brought The Caped Crusader back.
The Other Dream Team

This documentary is about the epic story of the Lithuania team that played in 1992 ‘s Olympics. The story dates back to stunning defeat of The USA team in 88‘ by Russia which had Lithuania players on it. The story goes even beyond basketball as the movie starts out more political and that fight for Lithuania’s independence rides side by side with rise of Lithuania’s players becoming globally recognized so much so that two players from the team were drafted in the NBA.

Ice T: Final Level Episode 50: Full Force; Producers Extraordinaire

 

What does artists such as: Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, UTFO, Doctor Ice, Samantha Fox, Patti LaBelle, Jasmine Guy, The Force M.D.s, Britney Spears, James Brown, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, La Toya Jackson, and Selena have in common? They’ve all worked with the great producer/music group, Full Force. Two of the group’s members, B-Fine and Bow-Legged Lou, joined Mick and Ice T to talk about their extensive production credits, career, the first meeting with The Kangol Kid, how The Police influenced the track Roxanne, Roxanne, the passing of Nancy Reagan and Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone in the new movie, Nina.