Legacy Track of the Week: Fabolous, Jadakiss ft Teyana Taylor - Talk About It
“Can we talk how many died for the birth of a nation? and how this national anthem ain't worth my ovation? and if I am standin up, I'ma stand up for equality, it's brutality, we need more than that apology” Both Freddy & Jason get into introspective mode over more monumental production (provided by Mally The Martian, KidExcluzive, & Mark Henry) that reflects on all the racial injustice in America today and throughout history - where most recently pure discrimination has been conflated with patriotism (to nobody’s surprise) on a national level that has left the nation as divided as it ever was before. [Side note - if you care more about a cloth or fabric than the values that it supposedly represents - you are the worst type of clown and should have no influence or power at all - yet unfortunately these are our politicians, policemen, and our president - so here we are]. Now back to the music… did we really get Fab & Jada over the Tevin Campbell classic Can We Talk sample??? SMH 🔥🔥🔥 thank you to the Music Gods we are forever indebted.
Fabolous, Jadakiss - F vs J intro
“Be my guest, go ahead and hide, I can’t miss you, you already know I reside at Camp Crystal, Lake, dismantle your face, revamp tissue, Power from the hockey mask, James St. Patrick, three bodies in one night, that’s a hat trick” The introduction to the highly anticipated Friday on Elm Street is a grudge match of epic proportions, where nevermind the Power reference it’s really all the Friday the 13th references that makes this record scorching hot 🔥🔥🔥, where even though it was a respectable deul there’s no doubt that this one definitely goes to Jason.
Fabolous, Jadakiss ft Swizz Beatz - Theme Music
“This that theme music, some back on your deen music (talk to 'em, Fab), told Swizz gotta put the top down (hey) drive by my old school just to make my Dean lose it, hah, always said I'd be a dropout (damn), yeah, only right I bring the drop out (woo!) look, and everyday is first class, not bad for the kid who never made his first class” 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 now Freddy is starting to cook over this Marvin Gaye sampled Swizz Beatz production, 🔥🔥🔥 and even though they both hold it down and do their numbers accordingly, Freddy definitely took this one.
Fabolous, Jadakiss - Soul Food
“More passport stamps, less trips to Miami, yeah bro, we all need a little culture, a little time away from bird ass ***** and vultures, I tell you what you need to hear and not try to insult you, I'm too old to kid you I gotta adult you” Mind you it’s hilarious that Charlamagne has been calling this Adult Contemporary Hip Hop, considering that’s not only a testament to their legacy but also a reminder of how distinctive their styles truly are, a simply classic embodiment of the genre before anything else - and honestly on this record right here these legendary MCs sound better than ever. C-Sick handles the production and it’s nothing short of incredible, and even more epic is a video of him previewing the instrumental at 2 AM almost 3 years ago on Twitter, and many moons later now history has been made. To be honest I’ll call this one a stalemate between Freddy & Jason and say C-Sick murdered em all 🔥🔥🔥 one of the best instrumentals of the year hands down.
Fabolous, Jadakiss - Principles
“(Kill kill kill) nah, that's what happen when you love a ***** (love), then he end up gettin it from another ***** (uh), the wrong way is usually how you rub a ***** (yeah), sometimes for you it's just easier to dub a ***** (one)” Typical Jada bars and Fab spits the same on what’s otherwise one of the more decent album cuts on Freddy vs Jason (Friday on Elm Street)
Fabolous - Nightmares Ain’t As Bad
"You make money in your sleep, that's when your sheets feel nice, you make money in your sleep, that's the real tooth fairy, and I know the youth hear me, so I speak the truth clearly, gotta dream my *****, when you dream my *****, them nightmares ain't as bad as they seem my *****” One of the best cuts off Friday on Elm Street is the Freddy Krueger solo record that is reminiscent of Fab’s Soul Tape days… this is the Loso the game’s been missing.
Rick Ross - TipToe’n
“The bitches for the playas, guns for the goonies, I'm addicted to this way, I'm accustomed to movies, cigars in the mornin, lobsters and the omelette, your vibe not the vibe if money not the topic” On this loosie Ricky Rozay coasts over Ben Billions production and this is more of that motivation music 💪💪💪
DRAM - The Christmas Song
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose” DRAM just released a 3 track Christmas EP and let’s just say I enjoy it more than the Sia Christmas album that also came out this same week. DRAM is an interesting talent and similar to the likes of Jidenna I hope his moves remain calculated enough to give his artistry a legitimate purpose in the years ahead.
Taylor Swift - Call It What You Want
“All the liars are calling me one, nobody's heard from me for months, I'm doin' better than I ever was” This is one of the promotional singles off Taylor Swift’s new album reputation, and similar to some of her other past singles this one’s actually half decent and better than most of it’s contemporaries. In fact now that she’s about 10 years in I could honestly say Taylor Swift is as legitimate of a pop superstar as they come, and although I don’t look for her music I’ve halfway become a fan of her work all the same. Honestly the Britney Spears of the world should have played their cards like Swift and maybe they’d still be around, whereas I’m still trying to figure out what happened with Christina Aguilera 👀
Eminem ft Beyonce - Walk on Water
“It’s the curse of the standard, that the first of the Mathers discs set, always in search of the verse that I haven’t spit yet, sill this step just be another misstep, to tarnish whatever the legacy, love or respect, I've garnered? The rhyme has to be perfect, the delivery flawless” And the truth be told 90% of Eminem’s music hasn’t even been tolerable since The Eminem Show, yet he’s still maintained enough relevance and mystique to pop up every few years and make a significant impact, which of course alongside Beyonce is certainly no different this time around with the lead single off his new album Revival. Honestly to his credit Eminem is likely a more healthy and stable human being than he was in his prime (when his charisma was likely drug induced hence his Rehab, Relapse, and Recovery), yet ever since he’s got sober he no longer has the confidence or effortless delivery, even though his lyrics on paper remains light years better than your average mumble rapper (if that means anything at all). With that being said this Rick Rubin / Skylar Grey produced record serves it’s purpose and a lot of credit is seemingly owed to Grey, who did a fine job replacing Beyonce in that SNL performance on national TV.
Pitbull ft Fifth Harmony - Por Favor
“I already seen mama need a TLC, and I ain't too proud to beg just like TLC, I got a good head on my shoulders, if you know what I mean, that's when I called her over and told her ‘Mami, ven aquí’” A nice spanish/english dance record that’s everything that it’s supposed to be and more, this one’s actually catchier than a most and nothing less than a certified heater, I’m booking my flight to Miami now ✈️ 🔥🔥🔥
Jennifer Lopez ft Wisin - Amor, Amor, Amor
“Cuando hacemos el amor, amor, amor, amor, vuelvo a la vida, siento que vuelo, cuando hacemos el amor, amor, amor, amor, vuelvo a la vida cuando toco tu cuerpo” J Lo back in her salsa bag and I’m here for it! 💃🏻
U2 - American Soul
“It's not a place, this country is to me a sound, of drum and bass, you close your eyes to look around” Sound familiar? It should as this was the same record that was interwoven in Kendrick Lamar’s XXX record release off his latest classic album DAMN. (which is now being released with it’s tracklisting reversed, interestingly enough), and has now been reworked as a new single to U2’s own new album entitled Songs of Experience that was just released.
Massari ft Tory Lanez - Number One
“Moving slow, at your pace, speed it up, I know you want to, got my hands, on your waist, you can tell, that I want you” As I’m just finding out Massari is a Lebanese/Canadian who apparently has some heat to his name, which is evident in this particular record that interpolates a very familiar reggaeton classic from Mr. Vegas, which leaves none of us surprised that this one features Tory Lanez as well.
Big Sean ft Metro Boomin & 21 Savage - Pull Up N Wreck
“And motherfuck the camera time, I need family time (yeah), I need ‘go see Uncle John in Atlanta’ time (John), I'd probably never get it but it's cool to fantasize (it´s cool), just like I do by old girl and these hands of mine (whoa)” The first single off Sean & Metro Boomin’s compilation album Double or Nothing, and on this one they both do their numbers.
Jay Z - Marcy Me
“Back when ratchet was a ratchet and a vixen was a vixen, and Jam Master Jay was alive I was mixin, cookin coke in the kitchen back when Rodman was a Piston, Mike was losin to Isiah but he soon would get his sixth one” A trip down memory lane and this is Sean Carter at his finest, where unlike the other visuals this time the concept actually works.
Jay Z - Legacy
“My stake in Roc Nation should go to you, leave a piece for your siblings to give to their children too, TIDAL, the champagne, D'USSÉ, I'd like to see, a nice peace-fund ideas from people who look like we… Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, black excellence baby, you gon let em see” Jay finally released the visuals to the best record off 4:44, which really is a mini-movie and not a music video at all considering the record doesn’t actually play until the credits, and honestly I think the visual concepts of this album were far too abstract to ever make any meaningful impact at all. With that being said however this record is nothing short of profound, and you can read it’s full review here to truly understand its greatness.