I really wish instead of reality shows shown on MTV( Music Televison), they would bring back a classic TV show by the name of YO! MTV Raps. It was a two hour televison program, which ran from August 1988 to August 1995. It was the first music hip hop show to be shown in the United States. The arrival of Yo! MTV Raps in the late 1980s was a key component to the spread of hip-hop around the world. It created a worldwide appreciation and interest in hip hop. But nowadays, as i turn my television on and turn to MTV, I start wondering where the music went. Even if there was hip hop on TV it would be that crappy "stanky legg" garbage. I just hope sometime soon that MTV realizes that they aren't really playing music that much and brings this type of show back.
For the last show Yo! MTV raps held a freestyle session with some of the greatest rappers of the time. Rappers came to support hip hop on television for the last time. Such rappers as Rakim, KRS-ONE, Erick Sermon, Chubb Rock and MC Serch, Redman, Method Man, Extra P, Craig Mack and others. There are two parts on youtube, and the first one is hard to hear but the second part is a little bit more clear.
Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) is a hip hop group with two members from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends rapper Vinnie Paz(Vincenzo Luvineri) named after boxer Vinnie Pazienza and producer DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Kevin Baldwin). In 1999 the New Jersey rapper Jus Allah (James Bostick) joined the group to record the album Violent by Design but left shortly after for reasons that remain unexplained. He recorded a song in 2006 with Jedi Mind Tricks which marked the return to JMT since the split. He returned in time to start their new released album "A History of Violence" which in my opinion is the best album they have made yet.
The title of this album is A History of Violence. So as a warning there is some cursing being done in this song.
But the song that got me hooked to Jedi Mind Tricks, was I Agianst I of the album Violent by Design. This song is still my favorite that I almost can go a day without thinking about.
This is a song off of The Pharcyde's 1996 album Labcabincalifornia which is one of my favorite albums of the 90's.
One of the craziest videos that i have ever seen is Drop by The Pharcyde which was directed by Spike Jonze. It is really hard to understand how they made this video (please watch the video first). In this video you can see the group saying there rhymes as everything in the background of Los Angeles like the people move backwards and them move forwards. The way the director did this was by putting the song in reverse, so the words are like jibberish. The rappers had to memorize this "jibberish" and say it as they were making the video forwards so it looked like they were saying actual words. Its really cool seeing them jump on to vans, water come from there clothes and fall into the sky, walking down the stairs as dodgeballs go up the stairs.
Its a shame that we dont have any creative minds that think of good videos like this nowadays. I am saying this on the videos i have seen not all videos in general. So if any of you have found some really good videos please email me or comment.
Here is another set of albums that you should really check out. I just cant stop listening to these albums. Do not look at these if you do not like songs that don't "BEAT".
My favorite of these albums is Strange Journey Vol 1 by CunninLynguists. This album is full of great "chill" beats that you could almost fall asleep to because they are so soothing. But i advise someone who likes well structured songs and a relaxing theme to check it out.
When I started listening to hip hop music I got into New York origin rappers like Notorious B.I.G. , A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, Onyx, Mos Def, The Pharcyde , Heltah Skeltah and many others. Each group or artists had their own style but it had that same East Coast "grimey" feel. Rappers who reside in New York will most be remembered for their lyrics and never their beats. One of my favorite rappers from New York has to be Mos Def. Started out rapping with Talib Kweli to form the group Blackstar. He has had four album releases(Blackstar, Black on Both Sides, The New Danger, True Magic) and working on a 5th, The Ecstatic. He mainly talks about his experiences in life, and how he feels about the rap/hip hop game.
In this particular song he talks about the value of family
Producers usually dont get as much credit as they should. Im pretty sure out of every producer, J Dilla gets the most credit for his work. One of the best that ever did it. He began rapping and producing with a group from Detriot called Slum Village. He had produced for some famous artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Pharcyde, and Busta Rhymes. Some of his most famous work was his instrumental cds that he produced including Donuts, and The Shining. Three days after his release of Donuts, J Dilla died on February 10, 2006, three days after his 32nd birthday from a rare blood disease. Some projects were dedicated in his honor. This including a mixtape of previously unreleased tracks featuring Busta Rhymes over Dilla's production, Dillagence was released in November 2007. Busta was one of Dilla's most passionate supporters. Yancey Boys, by J Dilla's younger brother John Yancey, was released in 2008 on Delicious Vinyl Records. It is produced entirely by J Dilla and features rapping by his brother, under the name Illa J. Dilla has created a big impact on the hip hop community, his name and work brought more intrest after his death, but still he is "The Best That Ever Did It"
This song and album was produced by J Dilla
