Showing posts with label the company man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the company man. Show all posts
The Company Man Show Debut, Watch The Throne Live Album Review
For a year and some months, The Company Man has had the honor of hosting Brooklyn Bodega Radio (every Friday from 1-4PM on PNCRadio.fm). It's been awesome, really. An unintended bi-product of merely seeking a financially viable life writing about rap music. Who knew it would lead to radio...and now video...and now show hosting.
Big thank you to Wes Jackson for trusting me to steer #BodegaRadio.
Big thank you to @JonnyWalkerSF for the initial co-sign and continued support.
Big thank you to @Navani, @KelliNikole, @Nikon, and @EbonyPeace for rocking with me while I figured out what the hell I was doing.
Big thank you to @Laureluxe for showing me the power of Twitter. Hosting a radio show is a lot more fun when you actually have listeners.
Big thank you @Run_P, my weekly co-host. My favorite DJ. My brother.
And after a year and some months, The Company Man has been blessed with his own show on PNCRadio.fm: The Company Man Show (or #TCMS in Twitter speak), airing every Monday through Thursday from 4PM to 6PM.
Big thank you to Alex and A King for this next opportunity.
#BodegaRadio has been successful by embracing the values of it's parent organization, Brooklyn Bodega. #BodegaRadio a true champion of the mobilizing power of Hip Hop, tackling under-discussed topics from a critical stand point while providing a platform for hundreds of independent artists to showcase their craft; to share their journey.
We launched the #InboxSessions (where we spin music by cats on the come up) to mirror Brooklyn Bodega's Show And Prove underground competition series. We're the picture of consistency and progression (never missing an airing) to reflect the consistency and progression of Brooklyn Bodega's, Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. We enjoy ourselves live on air every Friday because building something extraordinary based around something you love is infinitely more rewarding when it's also fun. We learned that from watching our parent company, Brooklyn Bodega. We've gotten better every Friday because we do the two things that consistently equate to success: show up and ask questions.
Everything I've learned from Brooklyn Bodega has afforded me the opportunity to expand on this happy accident with my own show, #TCMS. And although the format will be much more mainstream; much more accessible to those more familiar with Hova than Homeboy Sandman, #TCMS will carry those same core values embodied in #BodegaRadio.
Here's how it's going down:
Every Monday, I will guide each of you through a live album review of one new mainstream release. We'll dig into the liner notes and the quotable bars. We'll compare and contrast and diss and debate the pros and cons of each project while playing each album in it's entirety. Keeping it Honest and Unmerciful as always. Yesterday, during our debut, we dug into Jay-Z and Kanye West's, Watch The Throne. Listen below.
Every Tuesday, we'll dig into a different Top 20 list. Anything from Snoop Dogg's Top 20 Songs of all time to The Top 20 Songs of August 2001 (as we did on today's edition, which you can listen to on the next post).
Every Wednesday, we're going to run through the current Billboard Top 20 and keep tabs on what's happening in the mainstream industry. Which we'll do tomorrow, from 4 to 6PM.
Every Thursday, we'll do a live album review of a selected independent release. We'll provide critical feedback to artists most have never heard of but are talented enough to share with #TCMSGlobal.
I can't express how truly excited I am about this next challenge. I'm comfortable on air (finally), that much I know. I love talking about rap music, that much I know too. The rest will be revealed as I continue to get my reps in (word to Malcolm Gladwell).
Thank you all for rocking with The-Quotable and following my continued progression. Y'all been rocking with TCM since 2006, back when I was an actual company man slaving away for other peoples tax breaks. I am forever grateful.
Oh...don't get it confused, by no means am I stepping away from Brooklyn Bodega or #BodegaRadio. The organization means too much to me personally. The email chain that started this all -- Lupe Fiasco's Daily Quotable -- is forever tied to Brooklyn Bodega. There's still plenty of unfinished business. I'm just increasing my workload.
"Life is good. Life is sho'nuff good" -- De La Soul
#TCMS Debut: Watch The Throne Live Album Review
#TCMS AIRS EVERY MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM 4PM TO 6PM ON PNCRADIO.FM. YOU CAN ALSO TUNE IN ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE HERE: MOBILE LINK http://j.mp/fKwNRq
The Company Man Hosts Brooklyn Bodega Radio, BHF HISTORY EDITION
Friday, June 4th
Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival History Edition
BrooklynBodega.com staff writers Navani Otero, Run_P (The Free Safety) and host The Company Man along with special studio guest and Bodega Solider contest winner, Dan Ehrenreich, run through Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festivals years past.
Brooklyn Bodega founders Wes and Ebonie Jackson stop in and drop unknown facts about BHF history, the highlights, the trepidation and intriguing moments with 2008 Headliner, KRS-One.
2010 BHF performer, SkyZoo dials in to preview his upcoming performance, discusses working with 9th Wonder, Duck Down Records and his experience at the first BHF in 2005.
Microphone check…check…check…check…
BROOKLYN BODEGA RADIO AIRS EVERY FRIDAY FROM 1-4PM ON WWW.PNCRADIO.FM
DOWNLOAD HERE
Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival History Edition
BrooklynBodega.com staff writers Navani Otero, Run_P (The Free Safety) and host The Company Man along with special studio guest and Bodega Solider contest winner, Dan Ehrenreich, run through Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festivals years past.
Brooklyn Bodega founders Wes and Ebonie Jackson stop in and drop unknown facts about BHF history, the highlights, the trepidation and intriguing moments with 2008 Headliner, KRS-One.
2010 BHF performer, SkyZoo dials in to preview his upcoming performance, discusses working with 9th Wonder, Duck Down Records and his experience at the first BHF in 2005.
Microphone check…check…check…check…
BROOKLYN BODEGA RADIO AIRS EVERY FRIDAY FROM 1-4PM ON WWW.PNCRADIO.FM
DOWNLOAD HERE
The Company Man Hosts Brooklyn Bodega Radio, HIP-HOP'S BEST STORYTELLERS
Friday, June 11th
Hip-Hop’s Best Storytellers Edition
BrooklynBodega.com staff writer Navani Otero and host The Company Man discuss Hip-Hop’s Best Storytellers.
BHF07 Alum, PACK FM comes through and kicks it with Bodega Fam as we dig into his new album I F*cking Hate Rappers. Appropriately, he explains why he f*cking hates rappers.
Also, one-Third of Savannah Boogie Music artists Those Chosen, Foreshadow, dials and the crew discuss West Coast Hip-Hop and the group’s newest release 5ive.
BROOKLYN BODEGA RADIO AIRS EVERY FRIDAY FROM 1-4PM @ WWW.PNCRADIO.FM
DOWNLOAD HERE
Hip-Hop’s Best Storytellers Edition
BrooklynBodega.com staff writer Navani Otero and host The Company Man discuss Hip-Hop’s Best Storytellers.
BHF07 Alum, PACK FM comes through and kicks it with Bodega Fam as we dig into his new album I F*cking Hate Rappers. Appropriately, he explains why he f*cking hates rappers.
Also, one-Third of Savannah Boogie Music artists Those Chosen, Foreshadow, dials and the crew discuss West Coast Hip-Hop and the group’s newest release 5ive.
BROOKLYN BODEGA RADIO AIRS EVERY FRIDAY FROM 1-4PM @ WWW.PNCRADIO.FM
DOWNLOAD HERE
The Company Man hates Lil Wayne
“Man, you don’t even look like a Hot Boyz fan.”
That’s what Troy Fluker said to me while our squad kicked Guerilla Warfare favorites back and forth, waiting for the next run of pick up hoops. I realize that The-seventeen-year-old-Company-Man worked at The Gap, and Basic button downs and Loose-Fit jeans didn’t exactly scream “I Need A Hot Girl.” But we lived in South Carolina, and they had The South on lock in 1999. Of course I was a Hot Boyz fan!
I just didn’t like Lil Wayne.
I’d go on to have an ignore/hate/respect relationship with Weezy F. Baby. Wayne’s nasally delivery and nursery rhymes locked him in a dead heat with Turk for “The Hot Boyz Worst Rapper Award.” Other than the occasional suitable hook (“Respect My Mind” for example), Wayne did nothing but get in the way.
B.G. and Juve were the show. Wayne and Turk were the side show.
CONTINUE READING @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM
That’s what Troy Fluker said to me while our squad kicked Guerilla Warfare favorites back and forth, waiting for the next run of pick up hoops. I realize that The-seventeen-year-old-Company-Man worked at The Gap, and Basic button downs and Loose-Fit jeans didn’t exactly scream “I Need A Hot Girl.” But we lived in South Carolina, and they had The South on lock in 1999. Of course I was a Hot Boyz fan!
I just didn’t like Lil Wayne.
I’d go on to have an ignore/hate/respect relationship with Weezy F. Baby. Wayne’s nasally delivery and nursery rhymes locked him in a dead heat with Turk for “The Hot Boyz Worst Rapper Award.” Other than the occasional suitable hook (“Respect My Mind” for example), Wayne did nothing but get in the way.
B.G. and Juve were the show. Wayne and Turk were the side show.
CONTINUE READING @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM
Brooklyn Bodega's Show And Prove
"Is that The Company Man right there!?"Slightly startled as I faux swagged out the cab - caught off guard by the sound of my moniker - I look up urgently to see who's shouting me out.
You see, most people call me J Hunte. Or Justin, as I'm known to my family and the government. And, although I'm accustomed to seeing The Company Man written in emails and all over The-Quotable, hearing it audibly and unexpectedly is something I'm not used to.
"Huh? What?...Who?" I muttered to myself, scanning the scattered faces littered outside of Williamsburg's Public Assembly. Its a beautiful Brooklyn night. Slightly cooler than the nights to follow. The type of night where people feel obligated to step outside for a quick nicotine fix. The type of night where non-smokers don't mind chilling with the fiends. Towering above a small collective stood the six-foot-five-inch Homeboy Sandman looking over at me with a welcoming mug.
Cooling in an early 90s purple Lakers Starter jacket draped over a black T-shirt fresh with a Murakami-esque cartoon face sporting a Louis-rag masking its mouth hanging on top of his marine-green cargo pants, Homeboy Sandman has become somewhat of a mayor of NYCs underground Hip Hop scene. His gregarious personality and passion for The Culture, along with his envious work ethic and lyrical ferocity, has garnered the respect of fellow Emcees, fans, industry-types, and the like.
Its impossible not to gravitate towards him. You want to like him.
Who else would shout The Company Man out?
We politic for a few as 'Boy Sand splits time texting and chatting it up with a slender cat rocking Malcolm X glasses, Brooklyn Emcee Fresh Daily, and a naturally beautiful brown skinned woman to be named later. The cue comes through his hand held - Mr Beatz is about to hit the stage. Brooklyn Bodega's April "Show and Prove" is about to jump off. Time to go in.
Husband and wife tag-team, Wes and Ebonie Jackson are the founders of Brooklyn Bodega, an online blogazine carrying the torch for Hip Hop since its 2006 inception. Brooklyn Bodega is the mind share behind the beautifully expanding Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. The 5th Annual BHF takes place June 18th through June 20th. The Main Day is held annually at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park in BK's Dumbo section. Ghostface Killah, KRS-One, Lupe Fiasco, Big Daddy Kane, Blue & Exile, Homeboy Sandman, Little Brother, Kidz in the Hall, CL Smooth, Chubb Rock, DJ Premier, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera have all graced the BHF stage years past. This night's event is the second leg of the Bodega's "Show And Prove" series taking place at Williamsburg's Public Assembly on March 19th, April 16th, and May 21st. Each night's winner becomes a finalist for the right to rock as the opening act in this year's BHF. Westchester Emcee Mr. Beatz, Fat Beat's own Brown Bag All-Stars, and UK Born Cymarshall Law are competing for the crown tonight. Stakes are high.
Mr. Beatz
So the five of us traipse through the dark corridor leading into the spot. Theres a five dollar cover charge tonight but the doorman stamps us through without question. Obviously, since The Tall Man is performing later, they are exempt from paying the toll. Me? I slide through with the crew and get stamped for free. What else would you expect? I'm walking with The Mayor.
We round the corner headed into Public Assembly's backroom just in time to catch Mr. Beatz at the beginning of one of his off-the-dome-live sets. He's decked more throwback than hipster (rocking a rather conservative white-T with a 'microphone + MPC = Mr. Beatz' image emblazoned across the front, black hat, and dark jeans in direct contrast to the colorful contingent filling the venue). Although this is The Company Man's first Mr. Beatz live show, judging by the crowd, the start could’ve been smoother.
But it was all love, still.
Beatz transitions into his crazy nostalgic single "Plain and Simple", immediately reclaiming the crowd. A Dope dope track (the video's cool too). He wraps with a trunk rattling, base-heavy cut that I can't seem to find online anywhere...But the hook goes "Mr Beatz is an Emcee / Movin' on the MPC" (or something close to that. Like I said, I can't seem to find it online to verify) in homage to his dual hat as both lyricist and beat maker. The track knocked. The crowd felt it. Neck snapping spread like subprime mortgages throughout the venue. The nastiest part was that last verse where he stumbles through the rhyme as if he forgot the lyrics then brings it back on time for the return of that ill hook..."Mr Beatz is an Emcee / Movin' on the MPC!" Dope shit.
Brown Bag Allstars
My homegirl Enid arrives just in time to man camera duty for the next contestants - Brown Bag Allstars. Hailing from different regions of the country, J57, Koncept, The Audible Doctor, Soul Khan, DeeJay Element, DJ E Holla, and DJ Goo all met through NYC’s ubiquitous Fat Beats record store (where the crew works). That’s right, these dudes run the shop by day, rock the mic by night.
4 Emcees. 3 DJs. Ample stage presence. Virulent energy.
BBAS bum rushed the audience almost instantly after hitting the stage. Set opener “Step down, we step up / You let down, we next up / Who the best now?? / Brown Bag, GET UP!” and the contagious “Gimme the Booze, Gimme the Booze (in a Brown Bag)!!” coerced the crowd crunk. I mean, these guys were all over the stage – weaving in and out of each other physically, sonically, lyrically, in sync, and on time. Impressive. Even their between track adlibs were dynamic enough to engage the crowd while guiding us into the next song. Unfortunately BBAS didn’t rock their anthemic “League of Intoxicated Gentlemen”, but so far they have to be the front runner for tonight’s competition. Their combination of energy, showmanship, lyricism, and crowd involvement is built for the live audience. And if I’m organizing a Hip Hop Festival, or any other live performance in any genre anywhere, that is the first thing I'm looking for.
Cymarshall Law
The crowd thins briefly as BBAS exits the stage. Heads need to drink something. Heads need to smoke something. Heads need to step out into the tranquil evening and recap the first two-thirds of tonight’s semifinal. Enid and I snag the opportunity to slide stage right for an up close view of the third performance, England-born, NJ based, Cymarshall Law.
Cymarshall has been in the game for a minute. He's already released two full length LPs (Hip Hop in the Flesh, and Hip Hop in the Soul (review on the way)), toured the UK and the eastern US, and received Rookie of the Year honors from Sucio Smash over at WKCR's 89.9 Squeeze Radio (2004). For an artist as established as he, competing in "Show and Prove" seems a bit out of place. At the same time, its a signal of his love for the craft and hunger for The Culture. And that you MUST respect.
Decked in a black, red, and white Addidas jacket, jeans, and a black hat tilted to the left, Cymarshall opens his set by calling four women on stage for an acapella rendition of "A King With 4 Wives" - an ill extended metaphor about the four wives in all of our lives (Body, Possessions, Family, and Soul. Wife number 1? The naturally beautiful brown-skinned shortie chilling with 'Boy Sand before the show). Packed with energy and animation, this is clearly the night's most creative opening set. And to be honest, his entire set was packed with energy and animation. So much so that, by the time he reached the end, his Addidas jacket was tossed to the side, hat turned backwards, sweat pouring from his dome, and he's rocking with two mics! Cymarshall is a lyrically clever emcee - and his live show is a direct translation.
The Wrap Up
Tonight was a good night. The music was great. Each act brought its A game. The weather was the best its been in months. Brooklyn Bodega assembled a quality array of talent. Asking for more is straight Bernie Madoff (greedy).
Plain and Simple.
And although Mr. Beatz and Cymarshall Law all came tight, The Quotable's money is on Brown Bag Allstars. The crew's highly energetic live set and crowd command is bred for rocking live shows. Theirs is the type of show that the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is now known for.
A perfect fit.
And with that, I leave you as "Show and Prove" left us...with another hype performance from The Mayor, Homeboy Sandman.
****Editors Note: Brown Bag Allstars would go on to win the April 16th Show and Prove semifinal and will compete in the finals against Children of the Night and the winner of the May 21st semifinal. Congratulations to the crew.****
Carry on...
The Quotable Resolutions Report: Top 5 Albums Great Albums of All Time
"Read at least 1 book each month. To me, reading is like exercising...I hate doing it, but I love how I feel at the end. Gotta do more of it."
The Company Man's Resolutions: 2008 in High Definition - The Company Man
Yep, I just quoted myself.
But for good reason. Today I finished reading my first book of the year - The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Off to an aight start. True, this is February, but I decided to give myself a pass since I didn't drop my resolutions until half way through the January. Gotta start on a round number. Anyway, the Tipping Point discusses the factors necessary to start a social epidemic - the reasons TV shows connect with the audience, crime rates rise, styles become hot, whatever. For real, I couldn't have read it at a better time. Not only because its directly applicable with what we're trying to do here at The Quotable, but also because it should help with a project I'm launching on my nine-to-five (or better yet, my 8ish-to-whenever-the-hell-time-of-nite-the-pimp-hand-of-corporate-america-slaps-my-ass-off-the-strole. Thats right: Wall Street, Hip Hop. Maybe I should change my name to The Company Renaissance Man. Ya'll don't want to see me on Wii Sports. Trust).
Win-win.
So this mini-milestone made me check to see how I'm progressing on the rest of The Company Man's 2008 Resolutions (Here). Not bad. 1 book down. 15 Quotables strong so far. 4 tickets in hand for a New Orleans Hornet's game (they're playing at The Garden on Monday...which technically makes it a Knicks game. But I don't want to see the Knicks. I want to see Chris Paul ball live. 21 ppg, 11 assists, 3 steals, the Hornets in third place in the Western Conference - the kid is ill. Check that, I'm going to see a Chris Paul game. Another tangent. Carry on). It feels like I'm smoking and drinking less. Pretty good, pretty good. I mean, I haven't gone to church with Will yet, but I've got all year to do that.
But the one resolution I do need to get a jump on is "Write More Top 'Whatever' Lists."
[Pauses to debate procrastination]
Eff it. No time like the present. Lets start with the basics. In the era of the single, The Company Man is an album dude. No matter how tight it might be, one great song will never feed you like one great album. A great song is like a snack when you're starving - you're still hungry at the end. A great album is like Thanksgiving - you need to take a nap just to digest it all. These albums are like that:
INTRODUCING THE COMPANY MAN'S TOP 5 GREAT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME!
[And Quotable Nation goes wild! "As if Holyfield just won the fight"]
5. The College Dropout - Kanye West 2004
On the real, Kanye West is the first rapper that I ever directly related to (other than Will Smith...his parents didn't understand, mine didn't either). FACT. Not through his message, but through his lifestyle. Homeboy grew up as a middle class kid working at the GAP, chasing his dreams. Yup, The Company Man grew up a middle class kid working at the GAP (you can't beat 50% off). I'd never heard my story on wax until The College Dropout. But not only did Mr. West's debut album directly speak to me...but it was also crazy dope. Littered with sped up soul-samples (produced entirely by Kanye himself), Hip Hop violinists, and outside the box collaborations (Freeway and Mos Def on "Two Words", Jamie Fox (before the Oscar and the R&B album) and Twista on "Slow Jamz"), TCD showcased 'Ye's work-in-progress delivery (sounding like a more animated Mase circa 1997), diverse subject matter (who else was rapping about social consciousness, self consciousness, internet-hook-ups, and Jesus all on the same Lp???), and witty content ("Got a light-skinned friend who looks like Michael Jackson/Got a dark-skinned friend who looks like Michael Jackson"). The College Dropout is loaded with honesty and replay value. Its classic and progressive at the same time. "And if this is your first time hearing this/you are now about to experience something so cold."
Rating: QQQQQ
4. Lupe Fiasco's: Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco 2006
"And so it seems that I'm sewing jeans. / And First & 15th is just a sewing machine. / So I cut the pattern and I sew its seams / and button in this hustlin and publicly I'm Buddy Lee. / Theres no bustin' him and cuffin' him is like ushering in a regime. / They want me to make Prince pants / but I withstand. I ain't gotten in to that. / A little BIG in the waist / 2Pac-ets on the back. / Call them LuVy's - OGs covered in blue dye." - "Pressure": Lupe Fiasco: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Read review HERE.
3. The Blueprint - Jay-Z 2001
So it was a typical September day in Amsterdam. I Bounced from class and headed over to The Grey Area (our favorite coffee shop...best greenery on the Prinsegraght) for an after school lift. Then over to the local record store (can't remember the name, but picture a European FYE) to cop Jay-Z's latest: The Blueprint. Up until then, I wasn't really a Jay-Z fan (my boy Sean P was ahead of the game on that one. Jay's been his dude since Reasonable Doubt). Honestly I thought his music was fairly one-dimensional; baller raps, club music, tracks for the chicks...the usual late nineties-bling-bling-era rhymes. But I was used to buying his CDs and I bumped "H to the Izzo" all summer long, so picking it up that day it dropped was a no-brainer. I bought the album, popped it into the trusty Sony CDWalkman, hopped on my bike (err...bicycle) and headed on my way.
About 1:52 seconds into the first track I was forced to bring that beat back!! A sign of something special. The Blueprint's combination of lyrical exercise and soulful soundscape forced me to recognize Jay-Z's superior skillset. I mean, after six albums Hova finally put together the complete package (at least for me anyway) - in depth personal stories ("Song Cry"), ill cypher rhymes ("All I Need", "The Rulers Back"), lean track listing (only 13 songs in length; enough to leave you wanting more), one killer guest appearance (maybe too killer - Eminem slayed Jay on "Renegade"), cohesive sound (Kanye and Just Blaze produced the lionshare of the Lp), witty wordplay ("Girls, Girls, Girls"). Big Homie delivered on all counts, and even found time to end a couple of careers (sorry for ya Mobb Deep) and resurrect another (for the record, Jay won that battle for a lot of reasons. But most specifically because he made Nas relevant by calling his slumping ass out)! Jay snatched Hip Hop's crown, tilted it like his Yankee fitted, and made you think (if only for a second) "if he's not better than BIG...he's the closest one." Classic.
I made it back to my flat around 1:30pm that day and laid down to take a nap. About 30 minutes later, my roommates annoyingly eccentric guest from Chicago came running into the room screaming "THEY'RE ATTACKING AMERICA!! THEY'RE ATTACKING AMERICA!!!" I awoke from my weed-nap skeptical...only to find out that two hijacked planes just crashed into the World Trade towers...
Rating: QQQQQ
2. All Eyez On Me - 2Pac 1996
All Eyez On Me was the first album to make me think. I mean really think. Loaded with angst injected rhymes targeted at politicians ("Delores Tucker yous a muthafucka/instead of trying to help a n**** you destroy your brother/worse than the others./Bill Clinton, Mr. Bob Dole/You too old to understand the way the game told"), followed by ubiquitous party tracks ("California Love", "Check Out Time") followed by cypher tracks with ill guest appearances ("Got My Mind Made Up" featuring Kurupt, Method Man, Redman), cuts that make you wanna f*ck somebody up ("No More Pain", "All Eyez On Me", "Ambitionz Az A Ridah") - I didn't know whether to riot or start a revolution. Pac spit with such energy and emotion and somehow never sounded contradictory. Arguably the greatest double-disk album of all time. Tweleve years later and this one is still in heavy rotation.
Rating: QQQQQ
1. E. 1999 Eternal - Bone Thugs N Harmony 1995
As much as I'd like to say that "I had to think long and hard about the number 1 Great Album of All Time" and that I did countless soul-searching and proceeses of elimination to come to to this conclusion - the truth is Bone Thugs N Harmony's E.99 Eternal has been The Company Man's favorite album since...well...since 1995. Easy choice. First, Bone is the first group I've ever loved. Not in a Brokeback-bathroom-stall-toe-tapping kind of way. But in a "these-dudes-are-killing-every-track-and-I-need-to-play-back-the-entire-album-again" kind of way. The irony is that Krazy, Lazy, Bizzy, Wish (and damn-sure not Flesh-N-Bone) weren't dropping crazy metaphors and allusions like Lupe, nor were they spitting political minded, socially conscious rhymes like Pac or Ye. And they didn't come close to matching Jay-Z's diversity. The thing about E.99 is that its cohesive from beginning to end, telling the story of a couple St. Claire thugs hustling, getting arrested, breaking of jail only to head back onto the block, collect their ends, budasmoke, then ride off into the murda-mo-murda sunset. I know I know, at surface level it sounds like 93% of the other indistinguishable rap music out today. But Bone's melodic-tongue-twister-flow (each similar in style but distinctly different in delivery), and detailed story telling, combined with DJ Uneek's horroresque soundtrack (complete with high keys and heavy snare) overshadows any potential cliches (and back then, todays cliches werent yet cliche). All four members rip through all 17 tracks like fat kids through britches. 13 years later and every song is still dope. Now thats what I mean by replay value. Bone's innovative/stylistic delivery, energy, and storytelling are what put this album a top of this list. "See you at the Crossroads..."
Rating: QQQQQ
Thats all I got for yall tonight, Quotable Nation. Let me know what you think. What albums are on your Top 5? Hit me in the comments section.
Carry on....
The Company Man's Resolutions: 2008 in High Definition - The Company Man
Yep, I just quoted myself.
But for good reason. Today I finished reading my first book of the year - The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Off to an aight start. True, this is February, but I decided to give myself a pass since I didn't drop my resolutions until half way through the January. Gotta start on a round number. Anyway, the Tipping Point discusses the factors necessary to start a social epidemic - the reasons TV shows connect with the audience, crime rates rise, styles become hot, whatever. For real, I couldn't have read it at a better time. Not only because its directly applicable with what we're trying to do here at The Quotable, but also because it should help with a project I'm launching on my nine-to-five (or better yet, my 8ish-to-whenever-the-hell-time-of-nite-the-pimp-hand-of-corporate-america-slaps-my-ass-off-the-strole. Thats right: Wall Street, Hip Hop. Maybe I should change my name to The Company Renaissance Man. Ya'll don't want to see me on Wii Sports. Trust).
Win-win.
So this mini-milestone made me check to see how I'm progressing on the rest of The Company Man's 2008 Resolutions (Here). Not bad. 1 book down. 15 Quotables strong so far. 4 tickets in hand for a New Orleans Hornet's game (they're playing at The Garden on Monday...which technically makes it a Knicks game. But I don't want to see the Knicks. I want to see Chris Paul ball live. 21 ppg, 11 assists, 3 steals, the Hornets in third place in the Western Conference - the kid is ill. Check that, I'm going to see a Chris Paul game. Another tangent. Carry on). It feels like I'm smoking and drinking less. Pretty good, pretty good. I mean, I haven't gone to church with Will yet, but I've got all year to do that.
But the one resolution I do need to get a jump on is "Write More Top 'Whatever' Lists."
[Pauses to debate procrastination]
Eff it. No time like the present. Lets start with the basics. In the era of the single, The Company Man is an album dude. No matter how tight it might be, one great song will never feed you like one great album. A great song is like a snack when you're starving - you're still hungry at the end. A great album is like Thanksgiving - you need to take a nap just to digest it all. These albums are like that:
INTRODUCING THE COMPANY MAN'S TOP 5 GREAT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME!
[And Quotable Nation goes wild! "As if Holyfield just won the fight"]
5. The College Dropout - Kanye West 2004
On the real, Kanye West is the first rapper that I ever directly related to (other than Will Smith...his parents didn't understand, mine didn't either). FACT. Not through his message, but through his lifestyle. Homeboy grew up as a middle class kid working at the GAP, chasing his dreams. Yup, The Company Man grew up a middle class kid working at the GAP (you can't beat 50% off). I'd never heard my story on wax until The College Dropout. But not only did Mr. West's debut album directly speak to me...but it was also crazy dope. Littered with sped up soul-samples (produced entirely by Kanye himself), Hip Hop violinists, and outside the box collaborations (Freeway and Mos Def on "Two Words", Jamie Fox (before the Oscar and the R&B album) and Twista on "Slow Jamz"), TCD showcased 'Ye's work-in-progress delivery (sounding like a more animated Mase circa 1997), diverse subject matter (who else was rapping about social consciousness, self consciousness, internet-hook-ups, and Jesus all on the same Lp???), and witty content ("Got a light-skinned friend who looks like Michael Jackson/Got a dark-skinned friend who looks like Michael Jackson"). The College Dropout is loaded with honesty and replay value. Its classic and progressive at the same time. "And if this is your first time hearing this/you are now about to experience something so cold."
Rating: QQQQQ
4. Lupe Fiasco's: Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco 2006
"And so it seems that I'm sewing jeans. / And First & 15th is just a sewing machine. / So I cut the pattern and I sew its seams / and button in this hustlin and publicly I'm Buddy Lee. / Theres no bustin' him and cuffin' him is like ushering in a regime. / They want me to make Prince pants / but I withstand. I ain't gotten in to that. / A little BIG in the waist / 2Pac-ets on the back. / Call them LuVy's - OGs covered in blue dye." - "Pressure": Lupe Fiasco: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Read review HERE.
Rating: QQQQQ
3. The Blueprint - Jay-Z 2001
So it was a typical September day in Amsterdam. I Bounced from class and headed over to The Grey Area (our favorite coffee shop...best greenery on the Prinsegraght) for an after school lift. Then over to the local record store (can't remember the name, but picture a European FYE) to cop Jay-Z's latest: The Blueprint. Up until then, I wasn't really a Jay-Z fan (my boy Sean P was ahead of the game on that one. Jay's been his dude since Reasonable Doubt). Honestly I thought his music was fairly one-dimensional; baller raps, club music, tracks for the chicks...the usual late nineties-bling-bling-era rhymes. But I was used to buying his CDs and I bumped "H to the Izzo" all summer long, so picking it up that day it dropped was a no-brainer. I bought the album, popped it into the trusty Sony CDWalkman, hopped on my bike (err...bicycle) and headed on my way.
About 1:52 seconds into the first track I was forced to bring that beat back!! A sign of something special. The Blueprint's combination of lyrical exercise and soulful soundscape forced me to recognize Jay-Z's superior skillset. I mean, after six albums Hova finally put together the complete package (at least for me anyway) - in depth personal stories ("Song Cry"), ill cypher rhymes ("All I Need", "The Rulers Back"), lean track listing (only 13 songs in length; enough to leave you wanting more), one killer guest appearance (maybe too killer - Eminem slayed Jay on "Renegade"), cohesive sound (Kanye and Just Blaze produced the lionshare of the Lp), witty wordplay ("Girls, Girls, Girls"). Big Homie delivered on all counts, and even found time to end a couple of careers (sorry for ya Mobb Deep) and resurrect another (for the record, Jay won that battle for a lot of reasons. But most specifically because he made Nas relevant by calling his slumping ass out)! Jay snatched Hip Hop's crown, tilted it like his Yankee fitted, and made you think (if only for a second) "if he's not better than BIG...he's the closest one." Classic.
I made it back to my flat around 1:30pm that day and laid down to take a nap. About 30 minutes later, my roommates annoyingly eccentric guest from Chicago came running into the room screaming "THEY'RE ATTACKING AMERICA!! THEY'RE ATTACKING AMERICA!!!" I awoke from my weed-nap skeptical...only to find out that two hijacked planes just crashed into the World Trade towers...
Rating: QQQQQ
2. All Eyez On Me - 2Pac 1996
All Eyez On Me was the first album to make me think. I mean really think. Loaded with angst injected rhymes targeted at politicians ("Delores Tucker yous a muthafucka/instead of trying to help a n**** you destroy your brother/worse than the others./Bill Clinton, Mr. Bob Dole/You too old to understand the way the game told"), followed by ubiquitous party tracks ("California Love", "Check Out Time") followed by cypher tracks with ill guest appearances ("Got My Mind Made Up" featuring Kurupt, Method Man, Redman), cuts that make you wanna f*ck somebody up ("No More Pain", "All Eyez On Me", "Ambitionz Az A Ridah") - I didn't know whether to riot or start a revolution. Pac spit with such energy and emotion and somehow never sounded contradictory. Arguably the greatest double-disk album of all time. Tweleve years later and this one is still in heavy rotation.
Rating: QQQQQ
1. E. 1999 Eternal - Bone Thugs N Harmony 1995
As much as I'd like to say that "I had to think long and hard about the number 1 Great Album of All Time" and that I did countless soul-searching and proceeses of elimination to come to to this conclusion - the truth is Bone Thugs N Harmony's E.99 Eternal has been The Company Man's favorite album since...well...since 1995. Easy choice. First, Bone is the first group I've ever loved. Not in a Brokeback-bathroom-stall-toe-tapping kind of way. But in a "these-dudes-are-killing-every-track-and-I-need-to-play-back-the-entire-album-again" kind of way. The irony is that Krazy, Lazy, Bizzy, Wish (and damn-sure not Flesh-N-Bone) weren't dropping crazy metaphors and allusions like Lupe, nor were they spitting political minded, socially conscious rhymes like Pac or Ye. And they didn't come close to matching Jay-Z's diversity. The thing about E.99 is that its cohesive from beginning to end, telling the story of a couple St. Claire thugs hustling, getting arrested, breaking of jail only to head back onto the block, collect their ends, budasmoke, then ride off into the murda-mo-murda sunset. I know I know, at surface level it sounds like 93% of the other indistinguishable rap music out today. But Bone's melodic-tongue-twister-flow (each similar in style but distinctly different in delivery), and detailed story telling, combined with DJ Uneek's horroresque soundtrack (complete with high keys and heavy snare) overshadows any potential cliches (and back then, todays cliches werent yet cliche). All four members rip through all 17 tracks like fat kids through britches. 13 years later and every song is still dope. Now thats what I mean by replay value. Bone's innovative/stylistic delivery, energy, and storytelling are what put this album a top of this list. "See you at the Crossroads..."
Rating: QQQQQ
Thats all I got for yall tonight, Quotable Nation. Let me know what you think. What albums are on your Top 5? Hit me in the comments section.
Carry on....
Rhythm's: Me Against The World
"Me Against the World"
September 13, 1996. It was a warm (still Summer) day, as I recall. Most people don't really consider September a summer month, but it is. Just up until a day or so after my birthday, actually.
I was in the 10th grade, and life was pretty uneventful. I was a colorguard in the marching band, and most of my friends were borderline outcasts (I said "marching band," didn't I?) who thought we were cool for not being cool (yeah, true geeks we were). Not my boyfriend, though. He was an athlete. Not a star athlete, but an athlete nonetheless. He was actually pretty good, but he was the new kid, and the school already had its stars. But I digress. New Kid was my boyfriend. And I liked him. He was cute (braces and all…guess I'll always be part geek no matter how fly I am now). He was funny, and we were actually a lot alike.
Until he killed [insert slain West Coast rapper here].
It's almost blasphemous to even type his name, so I won't. But it's all new kid's fault he died.
September 13, 1996. It was a warm (still Summer) day, as I recall. Most people don't really consider September a summer month, but it is. Just up until a day or so after my birthday, actually.
I was in the 10th grade, and life was pretty uneventful. I was a colorguard in the marching band, and most of my friends were borderline outcasts (I said "marching band," didn't I?) who thought we were cool for not being cool (yeah, true geeks we were). Not my boyfriend, though. He was an athlete. Not a star athlete, but an athlete nonetheless. He was actually pretty good, but he was the new kid, and the school already had its stars. But I digress. New Kid was my boyfriend. And I liked him. He was cute (braces and all…guess I'll always be part geek no matter how fly I am now). He was funny, and we were actually a lot alike.
Until he killed [insert slain West Coast rapper here].
It's almost blasphemous to even type his name, so I won't. But it's all new kid's fault he died.
Allow me to explain.
New kid, New Kid's Best Friend (let's call him…"Adam"), and I were hanging out after school. It was a Friday, which meant I had to be at the football game (marching band…you keepin' up?) and New Kid and Adam were probably sticking around to go to the game, too.
At this point, I guess I should back up and explain that before New Kid was my boyfriend, he had asked me to hook him up with my friend (let's call her "Not As Cute As Me In The First Place, Geek Or Not."
At this point, I guess I should back up and explain that before New Kid was my boyfriend, he had asked me to hook him up with my friend (let's call her "Not As Cute As Me In The First Place, Geek Or Not."
Or "Cheerleader" for short.
Come to think of it, why was I friends with a cheerleader anyway? Again, I digress). New Kid and Cheerleader kicked it for about a week or two, but it didn't pan out. I can't really remember why, but they end up back together a few chapters later, so that detail isn't that significant. Meanwhile, Cheerleader and I fell out about something or other, so when New Kid "saw the light" and "picked me" (think: Meredith in the stairwell with McDreamy. Okay, it didn't happen like that, but it's a good reference), I obviously had no point of contention about it.
Back to the afternoon of the infamous football game…New Kid was trying to get my attention (and boy did he) by calling my name over and over. Thing is, it wasn't my name. It was Cheerleader's. And for whatever reason, I still didn't hear him (probably because it wasn't my name). But Adam kindly pointed it out…out loud:
Back to the afternoon of the infamous football game…New Kid was trying to get my attention (and boy did he) by calling my name over and over. Thing is, it wasn't my name. It was Cheerleader's. And for whatever reason, I still didn't hear him (probably because it wasn't my name). But Adam kindly pointed it out…out loud:
"New Kid, you mean 'Hot Geeky Band Chick,' not 'Cheerleader.'"
It's quite funny all these years later. But at the time, my ego was bruised. We argued, and (ever the professional) I left to perform my critical duty to my band, my school, and my country.
During halftime, just after the greatest marching band performance of all time, I got the news. West Coast Rapper had died. That was the last straw. I think I actually fainted.
During halftime, just after the greatest marching band performance of all time, I got the news. West Coast Rapper had died. That was the last straw. I think I actually fainted.
Soon after, I ended my tumultuous 2-week relationship with New Kid. We eventually reconciled and became great friends, and he ended up with Cheerleader. Several cheerleaders, actually. And to this day, I'm still the flyest geek he knows.
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