#TCMS: Phonte, "Charity Starts At Home" Live Album Review

#TCMS History was made yesterday... Phonte of Little Brother's solo rapping debut, Charity Starts At Home received a perfect score. That's right...the full ***9 Second Applause***

From Tanya Morgan To OISD - Leaders Of The True School Album Review

“I ain’t gonna front, man / my rhymes are getting better...” - OISD, "JIMINY"

Sometimes I listen to Tanya Morgan and wonder why they don’t move me more.

On paper, they’re the type of group I naturally gravitate towards -- common man content, gimmickly deficient, at least one member with an appealing octave, sonically similar to other cats I already like. Check, check, check, check, check....

Mathematically I should love them.

To be clear, it’s not that I dislike them. I certainly don’t think they’re wack. I honestly believe they’re great for Hip Hop.

They never subtract from The Culture, outwardly pimping it for financial gain.

Rather, they only add to it.

The fact that they are talented enough to have a voice in and build a life around they’re music -- never manipulating that power for the greater evil -- is proof positive that they belong.

I respect that. I forever respect that.

The problem is that I inherently compare them to other “Native Tongue” offshoots. Other derivatives that put the pieces together just a little bit better. Specifically, Little Brother.

Its not that I don’t dig their beats. I just dig 9th’s more.

Its not that they can’t rhyme. Its just that Phonte rhymes better.

Its not that their concepts aren’t tight. Its just that Little Brother’s are tighter.

Hip Hop is a sport. Its competitive. Every element.

Been that way since Clive Campbell first figured out to how to maximize the sound reverberating from his Dub system, out-blasting the speakers across the hall.

So its impossible for me not to compare. And that comparison is the basis of the most important measure for any music maker: Replay Value.

Does whatever sound you’re putting out make people want to listen again? And again? And again? And again?

Its completely subjective, varying from ear to ear. Completely personal.

And personally, Tanya Morgan gets me to 6. Seldom 7. Never 10.



I say that to say this, O.I.S.D.’s debut LP, Leaders Of The True School, is sonically impressive.

J.O., EyeQ, Khid2Che, ShowTyme, and J.Monopoly provide an undoubtably polished offering revolved around old school/Golden Era production, references and rhyme schemes, delivered with a modern twist.

Every beat is straight flame -- or Fuego Sauce in OISD speak.

FACT.

The C. Jonah produced, brooding, bounce heavy “Jiminy” is an instant standout, and J.Eazeemayxdabeats laced “Sidekicks-N-Flykicks” lovely with an ill Notorious BIG cut and emphatic horns that provide immediate cause to put your drinks in the air.

The chopped and screwed, Jay-Z sampled “Recession Report” diversifies the album sonically and contextually as the crew opines on the recent financial crisis.

“Billions from civilians is what Bernie done Madoff.”

“Untitled” is arguably the most potent cut and one of the few instances where the crew lyrically spit personal, heartfelt rhymes.

From mic to plug, the LOTTS is extremely well produced. There isn’t a suspect beat here.

And that is the problem.

The production is too good...overshadowing the Emcees.

While the beats are Fuego, the rhymes are mostly pedestrian. Lines like “My flow is rare, like blue hair” and “So Top 10, n***** gotta give me two fives” water down the content, failing to consistently match the top shelf, boom-bastic production.

Considering that OISD spends 70% of the album kicking cypher rhymes -- braggadocio raps -- rather than mixing in stories or concepts, the lyrical short comings are more apparent.

Add that to the fact that the LP's throwback theme can be immediately polarizing (either you love it or hate it depending on when you were born and how you feel about their flip on the original versions) and far from brand new (“Hipster” rappers like The Cool Kids drew loads of attention in the mid 00s with a similar angle) -- and suddenly that all-important Replay Value measure is jeopardized.

The upside is that the members of OISD are all reasonably young (all between 20 and 22 years old). So it will be interesting to see how their sound evolves as life inevitably affects their art.

Like Tanya Morgan, all the pieces aren’t quite there.

However, these five cats have correctly assembled a large enough portion of the puzzle early enough in their careers to be excited about their promise, their future.

Leaders Of The True School is a dope listen and worth the download.

Even if it rocks harder as background music.

RATING: QQQ.5

DOWNLOAD LEADERS OF THE TRUE SCHOOL HERE

Something To Think About...

"Rap is really funny...But if you don't see that its funny, it will scare the shit out of you."
- Ice T; Rolling Stone, August 1992

This lady I work with bum-rushed my desk today, militantly declaring that I needed to "delete all the rap music from my iPod because Hip Hop is going down!" She apparently watched Oprah's Hip Hop Townhall last week and feels all the "booty shakin'" and "b*tches" and "hoes" is "out of line" and "has gone too far" and "Hip Hop is to blame and should be shut down!"

"Word?"

Look, "bitches", "n*****", and "nappy-headed hoes" being common-place in today's society is not Hip Hop's fault.

FACT. Simple and plain.

Hip Hop itself is too vast to lump into one bucket. The 4 (primary) elements (B-Boying, Grafitti, DJing, and MCing) aside, rap music alone is too diverse to point a blame laced finger at. The problem is that the most controversial/offensive/destructive forms of rap music dominate the airwaves.

And Hip Hop doesn't control the airwaves. Media companies do.

Remember when there used to be a balance? Remember when Ice Cube, and Digable Planets, and Bone Thugs and A Tribe Called Quest would play back-to-back on your FM dial and it wasn't a big deal - it was the norm? Remember how C. Delores Tucker, Tipper Gore and the rest tried to shut down "Gangsta Rap" back the mid-90s (pioneering the same tactics Rev. Al Sharpton plans to use during his crusade), but failed because - Gangsta Rap included - Hip Hop's message was too apparent, too tangible...too relevant?

Now? There's too many "b*tches" and "hoes" - and subsequently (like Chris Rock said) "its too hard to defend."

There are thousands of different artists out there with thousands of different perspectives who aren't bangin' the on radio, or knockin' on Mtv, or BET. And the reason they aren't is because the industry (media companies, record labels, program directors, and the like) consciously selects what will and will not be heard.

Its not that people (overall) prefer b*tches and hoes and gang culture over their own relateable lives (Kanye and Outkast are testiments to that; both multi-platinum artists with largely positive messages). It is because in the end - like my boy Will says - people like what they know (as long as the beats hot). Everyday-people will continue to say what they want to say. You can't stop a regular cat walking down the Ave from objectifying women and degrading himself. Its a losing battle. But media companies can stop offensive behavior from appearing over public airwaves - just like they stopped Don Imus.

If rap on the radio is truly too vulgar, spin more Lupe Fiasco. If thre are too many b*tches and hoes in different area codes, rock some Little Brother. If there's too much ass-shakin' on the TV station, throw a Sean Price video into the rotation.

My point is, Hip Hop is too broad to pigeon-hole. A variety of options are out there - just like they were in the 80s and 90s. The real question is, why are they no longer on radio, and video?

Just something to think about.

Carry on...

And Then There Were 2: Producer 9th Wonder Leaves Little Brother

Looks like the rumors were true...

Underground uber producer 9th Wonder has officially parted ways with North Carolina based rap group Little Brother. In an interview with HipHopGame.com, Little Brother MC Rapper Big Pooh had this to say on the split:

"Little Brother has decided, in the best interest of the group, for Little Brother and 9th Wonder to part ways. There are no hard feelings and no beef. This is just a decision that had to be made so all three of us could move forward and continue to provide the world dope music."

Big Pooh continued, addressing rumors that the group was dropped from its record label, Atlantic Records.

"First, I want to say that Little Brother has not been dropped from
Atlantic. At this time we are in the process of negotiating our release from the label due to a difference in philosophies."

"We asked to be released," LB manager Big Dho added. "I think we may just put the album out on Asylum to close our deal, but it's definitely a wrap for us at Atlantic. We weren't happy with how things were going and we decided we wanted to leave and on their end, they decided that they didn't want to deal with that either. Nobody on our end is mad or has any ill feelings towards their company."

So what does the future hold for Little Brother and 9th Wonder?

LB's third full-length Lp, Getback, is scheduled to drop in 2007 but currently does not have a set release date. Nottz, Alchemist, and possibly DJ Premier are rumored to provide production in 9th's absence.

To hold us over, LB will release its latest mixtape, And Justus For All, as a free download on February 13. Mark your calendars.

9th Wonder is currently working on production for a third album with California MC Murs.

A couple of LB videos to send you on your way...

Allegedly, BET refused to play the "Lovin' It" video because it was too intelligent...

Looks like a regular rap video to me.



A rare one here..."Speed" was the first track the trio created. Crazy homemade. Hip Hop to the core.



LB and Big Daddy Kane...always payin' homage to those that came before.



I'm gettin' nostalgic over here. 2 to 1 LB officially breaks up by January 2008. Phonte is too nice not to go solo.