Legacy Track of the Week: Lupe Fiasco - Coulda Been
“I could be startin guarding, or planting the garden, or security guarding, or I could be starving and eating out your garbage, and found stardom and starring in sitcoms with Martin, I could've been marching with Martin, handcuff, northface, over the face with no comment” At the moment the production credits are unknown but this instrumental is definitely top shelf and the creators need that recognition, and as for Lupe smh… even when he’s in cruise control he’s one of the best MCs of all time, as this one evokes that classic Food & Liquor 1st & 15 wordplay that will forever be his signature sound. On a separate note shame on DJ Booth for misguidedly slandering Lupe earlier this year, and with label trouble behind him the next album DROGAS Wave will likely be some of the best work of his career.
KRS - One - You Like Me
“As long as I’m dancing, acting, or rapping, walking around like, I don’t know what’s happenin, you like me… if I’m talking about drinking and nothin bout thinking, as long as I’m high and I never ask why, you like me…. But the second I start with the state of the economy, black leadership, black guards and black sovereignty, that’s when you can’t seem to follow me, confusion, you feel like you losing, I’m no longer amusing…” Pegged as his 13th studio album, not including the Boogie Down Production classics and other collaborative projects, KRS-One just released The World is MIND and it’s better than even his most loyal fans could imagine. Peep the delivery on this record… smh sucka MC’s take notes!
KRS - One - Same Shit
“Open your brain, the Klan and the cops are the same, slave quarters, blocks and prison blocks are the same, they only separated by name... Wall Street and Main Street, really that's the same street, drug talk, corporate talk, really that's the same speak, boom bap, boom bip. really that's the same beat, a throne or a chair of your own, really that's the same seat” Produced by DJ Desue this is heavily conscious record that’s political yet hardly politically correct, “Democrats, Republicans, it’s all the same shit”... though some would say it’s not that simple there’s still a lot of truth in those words that people need to hear. KRS-One really is one of Hip Hop’s forefathers and one of it’s greatest teachers, and here over 30 years later he’s still in the classroom kicking knowledge like he never left.
9th Wonder & Mr Cheeks ft Carlitta Durand - Early
“I play the game like drums…” Not many quotables in this but it’s all about the classic 9th wonder production with that classic Lost Boyz sound to match… proven here to be a great combination
9th Wonder & Mr Cheeks - We Miss Freaky Tah
“I miss my ***** Freaky Tah-ah-ah-ah-ah, I’m LB until I die-ie-ie-ie-ie” Press play on this and all the Lost Boyz classics that too often get overlooked, timeless records up and down their catalogue we need that Drink Champs episode ASAP! #Queens #Legends
Chris Brown ft Nas - Die Young (RIP Chinx)
"In the projects it's made, so we don't progress, experimental test, watch us kill each other, film another homicide, they tape it, nobody make it, see, he gon’ kill the same lab rat he was raised with, such and such, so and so, brother, they got right on top of each other, too close, he got a new toast to shoot close, gun go bang, talk your slang, basics, soon the whole hood gon' have cases” CB & Nas team up to pay tributes to fallen Queens MC Chinx Drugz, using the same instrumental from the original record of the same name (produced by Blickie Blaze off Chinx debut posthumous album Welcome to JFK), where Nas in particular comes correct like he always does.
Bryson Tiller - Somethin Tells Me
“I don't know why you do that, shower with the door open, why you do that?” Produced by T-Minus off Tillers upcoming sophomore project titled True To Self, this is a smooth tune that could have easily been on TrapSoul, one of the best R&B projects of 2015. Time will tell if he grows or plateaus but either way for the moment this is definitely good enough 👌
Bryson Tiller ft Young Thug - Get Mine
“Play with me, I'll have a massacre in every city, I might drive to DC and fuck with Meek Milly (Meek), take a ***** order, I want a chicken Philly (Chicken Philly), take a ***** bitch, I wanna fuck her titty (fuck that bitch)” Young Thug is definitely an acquired taste but his flows are undeniable and when his voice is coherent he’s proven to be all the more effective… this one will be played on Hot97/Power105 about a billion times before August.
Calvin Harris ft Future & Khalid - Rollin
“I've been rollin' on the freeway, I've been riding 85, I've been thinking way too much, and I'm way too gone to drive, I've got anger in my chest, I've got millions on my mind, and you didn't fit the picture, so I guess you weren't the vibe” At this point all anyone needs to know is that Calvin Harris is a Producer/DJ from Scotland who’s about to take over the world one pop record at a time (listen to the previous records here & here) - the album drops June 30th and with 10 records it looks like it’s about to have the Bruno Mars effect, nothing but smash hits making sure it’s about to be a hot summer 🔥🔥🔥
Harry Styles - Meet Me In The Hallway
“Just let me know, I'll be at the door, at the door, hoping you'll come around, just let me know I'll be on the floor, on the floor, maybe we'll work it out…” The intro off Harry Styles self titled debut album (formally from One Direction) is definitely a smooth record that sets the tone for all the emotional content that follows behind it. More than likely the album will do Taylor Swift/Ed Sheeran numbers, but like those contemporaries the music itself still leaves something to be desired.
LeToya Luckett ft Ludacris - Grey
“There's no way we can stay in the grey, we don't have to fall in love” The former child of destiny is back with her third studio album Back 2 Life, and this record produced by Andre Harris (known for CB’s Excuse Me Miss, Fat Joe’s All The Way Up & more) & Jo Blaq is definitely a heater, especially with a Luda verse that is always right on time for the summer.
LeToya Luckett - Weekend
“And maybe we can spend some quiet time, we can skip dinner if the mood is right, might make you mine after tonight, until then…” Another smooth record and one of the highlights off Back 2 Life
LeToya Luckett - World’s Apart
“Never loved anyone like you, but you never gave me a reason to, but that's why I can't find any excuse, to keep holding on to you” More strong production from Andre Harris & Jo Blaq lends itself to the best ballad off Back 2 Life, overall a decent album for one of the original members of Destiny’s Child.
Dave East - Unforgettable (EastMix)
“This what New York sound like when I be talkin' to Flex, early morning flow, Angela, Charlamagne and Envy, waking up to dawn, I'm getting brain Lewinsky, somebody tell Halle Berry that I'm lookin for her…” At this point this isn’t really what we need from East but it’s fire enough and we’ll take it all the same. Kairi Chanel was a good project but honestly how many remix records do we need from an artist who’s supposed to be Nas protege? Where’s the content? Where’s the album? Idk but either way he definitely spits on this and that artwork is 🔥🔥🔥 👀👀👀👀
KRS - One - My Dreams
“Just when I thought my dreaming had stopped, in came DJ Scott La Rock, just when I thought my dreaming had finished, Teddy Ted & Special K said let’s spin this” RIP Scott La Rock!
KRS - One - Hip Hop Speaks From Heaven
“See these saints are great, but they’re not where my heart be, when I call on the angels I’m calling on Marcus Garvey, I’d rather call on Bob Marley… why call upon the spirits of oppressors, when you can call your own angels when you under pressure, see when it comes to Hip Hop here’s the lesson, start praising your own people Hip Hop speaks from Heaven” A tribute to Hip Hop’s fallen soldiers, RIP to all the legends their names live on through music!
KRS - One - The World Is MIND
“You create your reality, the world is mind” Produced by Paul Laffree the title track off the album is both creative and thought provoking, press play and support the real