Legacy Track of the Week: Smoke DZA ft Royce Da 5’9’’ - Motown Playas Ball 2
“Now what’s a shark to a God? My advice to ***** is get that hate out your blood and let your heart do it’s job” 🔥🔥🔥 DZA & Royce lace the Notorious B.I.G. classic Sky’s The Limit and to incredible results, as they really did this instrumental justice and I’m sure BIG is up there vibin to this as well - keeping in mind he only checked for the real spitters and had no time for any wack MC’s!
Smoke DZA - Albany (A Little Bad Ass New York)
“That’s street play, in the game like EA, keep my main line clean, so I’m crazy on my pre-paid, these days I’ve been feeling like WeeBay, the album coming ***** sorry for the delay, bow our heads let’s say a prayer while we wait” Smh DZA flow is nothing short of immaculate, and if we were to rank the Top MC’s off strictly cadence and delivery than DZA would truly be the K.O.N.Y.
The Game ft Jeremih, Young Thug, & Sevyn - Oh I
“You got friends, they don't fuck with me like that, so in return, I don't fuck with em right back, I could have fucked one, I could have fucked two, but I'm only fuckin you, what you goin through?” Produced by The Game’s new favorite producer Bongo the Drum GAHD this is another heater from these combined talents who are quickly becoming one of the best artist/producer tandems in the game, in spite of the fact that none of the tastemakers seem to be aware of it. Yet disregarding what’s considered cool for the timeline this is more undeniable 🔥🔥🔥 from The Game who quietly has been of the most consistent artists of the last two decades.
Cam’Ron - It’s Killa
“Then Ma$e called, said ‘Yo, I'm stuck inside some bitches house’, her boyfriend at the door, could I hurry up and get him out, aight, what's the address? Homie said ‘Kingsbridge’, that was great I had some ***** right on Bainbridge, yeah, we play but believe it ain't no game kid, hopped off the elevator, aimed it at that lame lid, I ain't give a damn, yeah Cam I was gung-ho, got this ***** home and he passed me a hundo ($100 dollars?!), told him straight up I ain't feeling him, let me curve this ***** 'fore I end up killing him, I would make 80k on a lazy day, then I watched him play Pop Lotti against Baby Maine, at this time I'm moving heroin in Maryland, they both died and this ***** turned reverand!” Tales from the streets of Harlem (in this case by way of the Bronx) yet this story has definitely provoked some old feelings between old friends Cam’Ron and Mase, who since the release of this record have sparred in a friendly (or not so friendly) competition that has been both bar heavy and memorable (concluded with the prevailing thought that Mase edged the battle, in spite of the fact that Cam came with Facts over Jokes). Nonetheless this track definitely did what it was supposed to do and then some, and ultimately by itself it serves as a nice introduction to Cam’s latest offering The Program.
Cam’Ron ft Mimi - Chop It Up
“Lived by Ohio State, but never seen the Buckeyes, but I served students, ask the alumni, Ki’s of heroin, yeah Killa had em dumb high, 4-6 AM, I was done before sunrise” Over a very memorable instrumental Killa revisits his chronicles of a hustler, stories that have always been full of details and never been short of entertainment value.
Cam’Ron - Uwasntthere
“This was the 9th grade, working out with barbells, then me and Hud bought 50 grams, thought we was a cartel, that was we smuglling, I was struggling, rapping, playing ball, plus hustling, Digga did tracks for me, Big L rapped with me, AJ held the guns, he'll still clap for me, shout out to Chasity, her sister Daphony, they drove across the bridge for us yes the Tappan Zee (yes)” The outro to The Program is another trip down memory lane yet this time Cam shouts out Digga from the Children of the Corn, whom through his production played a pivotal role early in Cam’s career, and went on to produce for the likes of 50 and Jay.
The Diplomats - Once Upon A Time
“Welcome back to the hallway loiterers, I made mills off the white girl I exploited her, no disrespecting the ladies, word from my team (why), that's the reason Dame smacked Harvey Weinstein (pervert), on the set of Paid In Full y'all gave him hell about it, some foul shit happened once, Capo, tell 'em about it” Reunited with The Heatmakerz, The Diplomats are officially back like cooked cr… actually they’ll never be back until they do right by JR Writer… yet even still it’s good to see Cam & Jimmy back on good terms again.
Jidenna - Boomerang
“Bang, bang, boomerang, do you love or hate me now, babe, bang, bang, boomerang, I can't believe it all began with a joke and champagne, I really never cared about it…” Jidenna is back with another infectious dance record (he’s now got a few to his name) and this one highlighted by the creative video is definitely true to his roots and a great example of his vibrant charisma. [It should also be noted that this is the title track of his new EP, which unfortunately doesn’t follow up this record with any others really worth mentioning]
Smoke DZA - 65 In Providence
“All you lil ***** is dusty, just out here looking musty, no hustlers a bunch of just custies, got a bunch of bad bitches that’s trying to fuck me, and all my old bitches still tryna get lucky, this the first class sitter, gas roller upper, right hookster I’m like Clubba” DZA floats on this very familiar instrumental with a play on an even more familiar cadence and this is two minutes of pure 🔥🔥🔥
Smoke DZA ft Sheek Louch - Thuggin Dolan Out The Garden
[no stream available]
“This that Hip Hop *****, that run up in your gym get your shit rocked *****, this for my lit spot *****, Charles Oakley vibes not the Rick Fox *****” Honestly this could have even had more of a Knicks theme and due to DZA’s charisma and patented flow it would have worked, yet nonetheless even though it doesn’t quite live up to it’s title it’s a still a tough record complete with Mike Epps excerpts and a rather decent verse from ⅓ of the LOX.
Cam’Ron ft Don Q - Hello
“He know killers, y'all know Killa, fast cars, speed boats, all sorts of villas, bad girls, jewelry, drive-bys, chinchillas, R-I-P to Mike but I'm the real Thriller, I'm done with that though I ain't beefin with the family man, shit I'm still in the PJ's like candy man, with dudes sellin whole halves of candy yams, despite that the garage look like Candy Land” Killa Bars in all their glory and only a hater couldn’t respect it.
Cam’Ron - Coleslaw
“Kanye got on stage, what he do? Played Jay-Z out, what he do next? Check into the crazy house?” Before Mase came out of nowhere and responded to the album’s intro detailed above, the most notable track off The Program to that point was this record with it’s Jay Z, Kanye name drops… and honestly this one’s cool but for it’s material it could’ve been a lot more clever.
Cam’Ron - Lean
“I'ma warn ya in your circle don't mean that they in your corner, almost was a goner 10 years for marijuana, only thing I ever said in court, ‘I plead the fifth,’ ‘Hell no,’ and ‘No, your honor’” leave it to the honorable and always classic Killa Cam to sample the Lean on Me record, and honestly if you’re familiar with his work then there’s nothing more that needs to be said.
Wiz Khalifa - Figure It Out
“Sometimes things ain't gon work out, how you think you want it to go, sometimes you gotta keep going, when you think you can't no more, sometimes you can't depend on, who you think you can no more, sometimes you gotta try, gotta try and figure it out” A nice lil motivational record that’s one of the standouts off Wiz Khalifa’s latest Laugh Now, Fly Later, which unfortunately really isn’t saying too much. [Wiz has fallen off almost entirely since the height of his artistry with Kush N Orange Juice, and his complacency - despite his success - has been one of the great disappointments in many years.]
Wiz Khalifa - No Dirt
“I want some of that damn KK man, some of that Khalifa Kush, man, y'all ***** smoking OG Kush, I want Khalifa Kush, man” Produced by Sledgren this is one of the only other standouts off Wiz latest album, and to be honest with you I’d just go back to the classics and call it a day.
Cam’Ron - Fuck Outta Here
“Your bullshit, I ain't in the mood for it mama, so through the sunroof of the coupe where I holla I never get used to this guala, I grew up on anything that was 2 for a dollar, blunted with some hash, because I stunted on my past, fronted on the cash, every car I bought in the last ten years had two hunnid on the dash” One of the best instrumentals on the tape is provided by AraabMuzik and Cam is definitely in his bag on this one.
Cam’Ron ft Sen City - Dime After Dime
“Let it snow cook it low I don’t need consignment, I’m goin… dime after dime…” Killa Cam over the Cyndi Lauper classic… enough said…