Kendrick Lamar - The Recipe (SPC EDITION)

So, I know I've blogged about Kendrick Lamar a few times this year. This time I want to do something a little different. The video I'm posting is a video of two of my friends Josh and Assad and myself dancing to Kendrick Lamar's The Recipe. My friend Assad recently had gotten into video making and editing when we shot this video. The dancing style we do is popping. Popping originated in the 70's during the era of funk. Also, the funk dances of the 70's such as Locking, Popping (Pop'Lockin isn't really a term :P) and B-boying paved the way for all the hip-hop dances today. Popping was primarily danced to funk music for about 20 years until the 90's with the emergence of hip-hop. Personally, I love the funk, but I've grown tired of dancing to Zapp & Roger - Doo Wa Ditty or Gap Band - In The Morning for five or six freaking years of my life. Although some poppers do dance to more modern music, a lot of the scene is very strung up with the "preservation" of the dance, so we decided to go ahead and do something a little different by shooting this video. The Westcoast has played a major role in shaping popping (aside from it being where it originated from) and we wanted to pay homage to California in particular and convey a feeling of that laid back, sunny vibe that we're known for. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Iamsu - All I Rep & Goin' Up

For this entry I thought I'd keep local and blog about a artist that's from our very own backyard. The artist I am referring to is Iamsu, born Sudan Williams, coming to us from Richmond, California. Iamsu has gained dominance in the Bay Area in the past two years releasing fun, very party friendly music. By party friendly I mean, it's fun to dance to, it's nothing to lyrical, and always has a catchy beat. Backed by his HBK gang (Heartbreak Gang), Iamsu and HBK have been making moves all over the Bay Area and have recently started gaining more national attention.

Iamsu has yet to release a studio recorded album. All his music has been free mix-tapes that can be downloaded online. Also, most of his work includes original production and some sampling, which is surprising because it can potentially involve more money. Luckily for him, he, and multiple members of HBK produce their own beats and record their own songs. I personally feel that Iamsu is really going to put the Bay Area on the map. Iamsu recently released a mix-tape entitled $uzy 6 $peed (you can download it here for free, mix-tapes are legally free) where he had Wiz Khalifa and Juvenile make an appearance, two more recognized rappers. Everyone knows who Wiz Khalifa is by now, or have heard that name. Juvenile, on the other hand, fell off the face of this planet and it's pretty random seeing him make an appearance like this, but I've liked Juvenile since I was in middle school so I'm down with it. Iamsu definitely has potential, he has shown that he is capable of being a clever lyricist, and with this exposure, he can only go up with the hopes of working with more artists from around the country.

Personally, I like music like this because of the aesthetic feel it gives off, I know it's not the most lyrical, insightful thing, but it's fun to listen to. It gets you bouncing around, it gets you off your seat. The biggest thing in Iamsu's case is that he separates himself from the other Bay Area artists. A lot of Bay rappers have a tendency to only cater to the residents here in the Bay Area, but Iamsu has clearly showcased that he can make music that anyone will like regardless of where they're from.

Here's a track off Suzy 6 Speed entitled All I Rep. I personally enjoyed the production and sampling on this song, very 80's like. Hope you guys like it!

Also, I'll add his song with Wiz Khalifa. A certified slapper. If you guys don't know what a slapper is, it's what people categorize a song as that has a lot of 808's (deep bass sounds) and sounds like it's slapping your speakers. Pretty obvious, right? Haha. 

Chronic Future - World Keeps Spinning

Recently, I found an old back up disc of mine that I had when my computer first crashed about eight to nine years ago. Curious, I loaded it up and started rummaging through the contents finding a whole bunch of old pictures from high school and a ton of the music I use to listen to. I immediately thought of this blog and a band I use to listen to that goes by the name of Chronic Future (CF's Wiki). Although Chronic Future is categorized as an alternative rock group, they are also labeled as rap rock group. Around the time of Chronic Future's success, there were not many other bands that had garnered much attention or success by incorporating rap into their musical style, with the exception of Linkin Park. Sadly, as of 2009 Chronic Future has been on hiatus and there hasn't been any buzz of them making any sort of return.

Chronic Future's lyrics usually challenged societal norms, and challenged people to stop being complacent in the modern world. Almost like Rage Against the Machine but not as brash. Being a teenager, they definitely gave me something to think about. It was artists like these that really had me questioning the status-quo. CF's music really got my mind churning in ways that I never thought I would and which is probably why I've become the inquisitive person I am today. I know I'm not verbally inquisitive, and I should be, but not a day goes by that I don't ask myself something. Whether it be why does said person have to spend $300 on a pair of jeans, or why is that girl so inclined to wear that much make up? I am in no way judging these people, but people are usually the starting point for me when  I go on what I like to call a thought journey which lead you from one point to another.

 Anyways, I know this isn't the typical hip-hop music that I usually post, but I do hope you guys enjoy it. Sadly, I only have one Chronic Future album on this CD, but I definitely recommend it to anyone that might be a fan of alternative-rock. Lines in My Face(CF's Album)

Sorry for the quality, it might be a little crappy because the video was uploaded so long ago. If anyone's interested in the album I can definitely email it over. Hit me up if you want it! Enjoy!

Ab-Soul - Empathy.

About a year ago, I stumbled upon the shades wearing Ab-Soul, a rapper from Carson, California. Aside from the great music he makes, I was intrigued by the fact that this man always wore sunglasses. Night and day, rain or shine, the sunglasses would never come off. That, and that he also refers to himself as The Black Lip Bastard, a peculiar nickname. All these attributes combined made him quite a character and made me curious to learn more about him, beyond just music. In this interview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED3QwL4dWSE, Ab-Soul brings to light some of the mysteries shrouding him. Furthermore, Ab-Soul was one of the people that actually molded Kendrick Lamar into the MC that he is today.

Aside from being an MC, Ab-Soul is quite the vocalist. Something that took me by complete surprise. When I first heard the audio to his track Empathy, I thought the person singing was a feature on the track. I was in shock when I saw the music video for the first time and saw that it was him. Of course you have other rappers that try to sing and rap like Drake, or Chris Brown, but the quality of this man's lyrics, his powerful voice, he undoubtedly has some soul, there's something more organic about him than other artists who take on the challenge of being a singer and a rapper.

The song Empathy is a tribute to a fellow artist from the same record label, Alori Joh, who committed suicide a few months before the song was made. The definition of empathy is the ability to recognize feelings being felt by another being. Ab-Soul is transmits various feelings through this song, which people will more or less will be able to identify. The soft, mellow, smooth beat make for a relaxed listen, with his voice complimenting perfectly. Even when transitioning from singing to rapping, the central feeling the song is projecting is never lost. An artists who is able to combine all these attributes together and a hint of mystery to themselves is not something you normally see nowadays, and sadly most rappers are typical and don't differentiate from each others most of the time. Overall, you don't have to take my word for it, you be the judge!

                                                             

Kendrick Lamar feat. Mary J. Blige - Now or Never

Alright, so I know that I blogged about Kendrick before, but I can't help but do another Kendrick track since his album just dropped today (Just incase anyone wants a little sneak peek or wants to purchase the album :). I had no problem spending the $13 and actually buying it to support this artist. The whole thing is simply amazing, all his songs elicit different tones, emotions, and lyrical styles. I think there's a little bit of something for anyone who listens to this.

In particular the one song that really stood out to me is called Now or Never. Supporting Kendrick on this song is renown R&B singer Mary J. Blige. The song is just so soulful, the second I heard the crashing of those piano keys along with the kick and snare of the drum I was automatically enticed. And overall the song is just so uplifting. You don't need to nitpick the lyrics, or overly analyze the song just to get those feel good vibes and a sense of positiveness. Also, I was surprised by Kendrick, this is the first time I've ever heard him do anything R&B like, and I have to admit that Mary J. Blige complimented him and he complimented her perfectly. Kendrick's lyrics definitely took a sweeter approach in this song, but still keep their edge. His wordplay is top notch as always, but I don't need to convince you. You can be the judge of that yourself!

Kendrick Lamar feat. Mary J. Blidge - Now or Never

Enjoy!

Wale - The Friend's Stranger

As of late, I've been on a nostalgic spree with music. Among one of those artists who I have been listening to is Washington D.C. native, Wale. Wale started gaining some prominence ever since he signed to Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group. Sadly, since his major record label deal, I don't think he's been anything like what he once was. Not to say he's bad, but just the overall content of his music and delivery was more refreshing then than now.

I re-downloaded Wale's mixtape, More About Nothing, which revolves around a Seinfeld theme. The songs in the mixtape have small little cuts and bits of dialogue from the actual show which more or less coincide with the songs. Wale is not only an amazing mc, but he's also quite the poet as well. His story telling in his songs is also duly noted, which is quite clear in his transitioning from verse to verse in this song. The subject matter of the song ranges from friendship to relationships and just the trial and tribulations that all people face throughout their different relationships in life. From girlfriends, to fake friends, to enemies, and everything in between, Wale puts everything in perspective from his point of view, but also makes it something that most people can definitely relate to. Relationships are without a doubt some of the biggest uphill battles people must endure, and by relationships I take into account friends, bosses, girlfriends, family, and so forth.

Here's Wale's song The Friends Stranger. Great lyrics, great production. Enjoy!

Kendrick Lamar Ft. Dr. Dre - Compton

All right, so I'm totally stoked to write this blog post in particular. I recently, by recently I mean a few hours ago, managed to peek a listen to one of the songs off Kendrick Lamar's upcoming album Good kid, m.A.A.d city coming out later this month. I've been listening to Kendrick Lamar, a rapper straight out of Compton, California for about two years now. From the second I heard one of his songs, I knew he had it in him; he was special. His charisma, intelligence, the delivery of his flow, his technicality, he had it all. His selection in production was also above par. For me, if the beat of a song can captivate me in the first three seconds, there's probably an 80% chance that I will like it. Not only that, but he was versatile being able to capture the ears of many listeners. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Lamar, here's a little more information about Kendrick for anyone wishing to know more.

Recently, he signed to a major record label. Which record label you may ask? None other than Interscope/Aftermath, Dr. Dre's label, a well known west coast legend. This also came to no major surprise considering that Kendrick and Dr. Dre previously released a track entitled The Recipe a few months ago which garnered success ranking well among some of the different billboard rankings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Recipe_(song). Personally, I have a westcoast bias, I have a tendency to take a strong liking to artists that come out of the westcoast, notably Los Angeles and the Bay Area. There's a certain aesthetic that some of these artists give me that is just that complete Westcoast or California feel. Cruising around with the sun beaming down on your face, laid back and relaxed.

In this song, Kendrick and Dr. Dre both pay homage to their hometown of Compton, which is also the name of the track. The song is produced by Just Blaze, a well known producer in the realm of hip-hop known for producing for artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, P.Diddy, Memphis Bleek, and a bunch more. Two points this song highlighted for me. First, Dr. Dre's rapping ability is still going strong. Second, Kendrick is on an inevitable road to success. Without further ado, I present everyone with Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre's song, Compton.

                                     

If anyone could think of any artist that could outdo Kendrick Lamar, please tell me because right now, he's number one in the game, in my personal opinion. Hope you guys enjoy, peace!