REKS set to unleash R.E.K.S., Releases video for 25th Hour

Massachusetts native, REKS is set to unleash his third LP, R.E.K.S. (Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme) on March 8th, featuring production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Hi Tek, Alchemist, Nottz, Sha Money XL, Sean C & LV, Fizzy Womack and Statik Selektah.

Check the video for lead single, "25th Hour", featuring production by DJ Premier below.



Follow REKS on Twitter @therealreks

Follow The Company Man on Twitter @TheCompanyMan

High Rollerz & Old-Soulz Launch Party with DJ Premier, Amanda Diva and More

High Rollers clothing brand launch...

Old-Soulz Official Website launch...

PESU's Birthday Bash...

DJ PREMIER...

AMANDA DIVA...

All in one of NYC's livest night spots. What more do yall want?

Come Celebrate with us on Wednesday, December 15th at Soiree (199 Bowery, New York) from 11pm to 4am.

Make sure you mention Brooklyn Bodega at the door.

This is going to be the best party of the year...you don't wanna miss it!!



Wednesday, December 15th
"High Rollers & Old­Soulz.com launching party" @ Soiree (199 Bowery New York)

11:00pm ­ 4:00am

Hosted by Beyond Race Magazine, Dany Castro of Lyricist Lounge, FREEDOM PARTY & family!
- Live Art -
PESU
(Old-Soulz Ent.)
Concep
(Old-Soulz Ent.)
- DJ -
DJ Premier
(Legendary Producer/DJ/Gang Starr)
DJ Cosi
(Freedom Party)
DJ Munari
(Gekokujo-NYC)
selector ARTS
(Old-Soulz. Ent.)
Asahi Suzuki
(Old-Soulz. Ent.)
- Live Music with Asahi band -
Amanda Diva
(Old-Soulz. Ent.)
Pismo
(Old-Soulz. Ent.)
DJ Tomoko & Ucca-Laugh
- Dance -
Mari Koda
(Rock Steaday Crew, STEP UP2 & 3D) ATS (Rocksteady Crew), Dister, Mean187 (Dynamic Rockers) & Ali
- Host MC -
Mr. Jeff Dess
- Ticket -
Door : $15 RSVP : $10
RSVP via Email: rsvp@old-soulz.com
21+



Soiree, the 18,000 square-foot nightlife stadium, packs a full-service restaurant, cafe, nightclub and live music venue into its arena. In fact, instead of just being a bar or club, the venue describes itself as a “two floor entertainment megaplex.” Despite the ample space, it still gets packed, especially on weekends. Highlights include a giant 45-foot glazed oak bar, a 1,500 square-foot dance floor and various VIP rooms.

Evolving Taste - A Quotable Conversation

Theres something sexy about talking Hip Hop with a dope chick whose knowlegeable about The Culture. D and I fall into these deep, occassionally theoretical, often anger enducing conversations on a fairly regular basis. This one took place over gmail chat the week 808s & Heartbreak (click here for review) and Theatre of the Mind (click here for review) dropped, and evolves from an album-quality-discussion into album-taste-discussion. Pretty interesting. Read on.

(...begins right after reading The Quotable's review of 808s & Heartbreak.)

TCM: so thats what i thought
Danielle: got it. i agreed with most of what you said.
i don't think his content is necessarily bad, i just don't think people will really listen
TCM: i didn't think the content was bad
i thought a quarter of the album was suspect
and the rest was pretty dope
its about the beats in my opinion
Danielle: i agree, but i have a feeling it wont do very well
TCM: not by his standards...i agree
it'll go plat though
i think it will expand his fan base
Danielle: b/c it has his name on it
TCM: while pissing off the core
Danielle: yup
we learned that in marketing
disruption of your core consumer base can be a problem when its a highly competitive market
TCM: but its not that competitive right now
Danielle: that's what i was going to say. lucky for him
overall i probably wouldn't listen to it more than a couple of times
i like some of the tracks and there are a few lines that i really really like
TCM: Amazing is amazing
or maybe - amazing is Amazing
Danielle: yup. amazing. love lockdown.
and heartless.
TCM: welcome to heartbreak
Danielle: it actually makes me a little sad
to be honest
TCM: me too...
thats what i like about it
Danielle: but you don't like sad stuff
TCM: i don't gravitate towards it
Danielle: no. do you really feel like you are missing something in your life not having love and family? that was a sad part of your quotable
TCM: i do. but at the sametime i don't think thats something i should rush into until I'm absolutely ready
Danielle: so you have no need to be sad about it
b/c in someways its voluntary and a product of your own personal timing
TCM: but i'm not sad about it
i didn't mean for it to translate that way
Danielle: are you going to do one for luda?
TCM: preliminary reviewing now
MVP is crazy!
i've listened to it 4 times now
in a row
Danielle: hmm. you know, i might actually take back what i said about kanye's album
TCM: what do you mean
Danielle: i agree with you. it might do well not just with the same people
but i don't know if that's a good long term strategy
sorry...always putting on the b-school approach to things
lol
TCM: thats cool though...always teaching me something
i think he'll be cool cause he's still dropping freestyles and guest appearances consistently
go hard
swagger like us
stay up
estelle's joint
he's still rhymin this isn't permanent
lollipop remix
common's new joint
John Legend's album
Danielle: listening to mvp to see what you are referring to
TCM: mvp is illllllll
Danielle: luda is always telling people how great he is
napoleon complex or something
TCM: thats hip hop
braggadacio
bravado
he can take it other places too
but freestyle tracks are my favorite
Danielle: u think still? that hip hop is still about bravado?
i don't know if i still believe that now
TCM: sure it is...
all the biggest emcees stay on that shit
its just not put out there commercially in the same way
labels steer it towards the club
Danielle: i dunno j. mvp is ok.
i don't see him doing anything really different on this track
TCM: what???
the beat is sick
luda is droppin lines on that!!
I'm going back to it right now
Danielle: the beat is cool (for me it holds the song up) but that's about it
it reminds me of a slower version of that Virgo song he did with Nas for some reason
TCM: that song was hot too
Danielle: yup. introduced you to that song
the beat is a little old school, no?
its a cool beat but...
TCM: ''damn man, what the hell you smokin' on / its ludacris, i got more cheese than provolone''
yeah...thats why the beat is dope
thats Premiere
Danielle: i swear he has said a similar line to something like that before
TCM: i love the beat
Danielle: maybe thats what not working for me with the song then
TCM: "takin' shots like Kennedy!!!!"
Danielle: tight old school beat with same luda lines
TCM: whooooaaaaa
Danielle: is the whole cd like this?
TCM: ouch
nah..theres a lot of story telling and perspective rhymes
i don't know what happened to you, D. i thought you'd love this song
i got that one all wrong
Danielle: haha. yeah. i think you thought i would like it a lot for the beat
TCM: the scratches are ridiculous
aight...here's a song you'll like
Lets stay together
Danielle: you know what it is
TCM: what is it
Danielle: i think i "hear" a lot more than i used to in the past
TCM: You'll love Do The Right Thang...infact...listen to that one now
Danielle: i like this one better
TCM: yeah...thats your ish
back on track
Danielle: maybe i'm leaning more towards conscious hip hop in my old age?
TCM: yeah...you are
i am too
its more intellectually stimulating
but i still love ill cypher rhymes
Danielle: yeah. i think in terms of order of listening
i hear what folks are sayin first
then i hear how they are saying it (ie: flow, rhyme etc)
then lastly i listen to beat
i think when i was younger that order was reversed
TCM: yeah...i can tolerate a wack beat if the lyrics are dope
but not as often the other way around
Danielle: precisely - well those are mostly club songs so you can shake ur ass to it regardless of what they say - u know "till the sweat drip down my balls" type stuff. which is maybe why i didn't gravitate to MVP. i heard what he was saying first and it just reminded me of some of his older albums
TCM: HAHAHA!!
that shit was funny
"til the sweat drip down my balls!!"
"now drown a bitch! drown a bitch!!"
Danielle: lol
TCM: yeah...but MVP isn't sweat drip down my balls type shit
Danielle: im not saying it is
what i'm saying is that i heard what he was saying
rather than listening to the beat first
whereas a couple of years ago.
i would have listened to the beat first
TCM: but what he's saying is dope
Danielle: and probably would have liked it more
i'm not saying what he says isn't good. its just typical luda
perhaps i was looking for something more?
i'm not sure what...
TCM: luda's always been like that
freestyle tracks
Danielle: i know. which is why i'm not sure why i was expecting more.
TCM: and concept tracks
and just recently started adding emotional tracks
Danielle: yeah. at first i wasn't sure how i liked luda and emotion but it works ok
if i want to think about heartache and longing though, i'll go to kanye's album
TCM: LOL
thats the truth
full circle
Danielle: yup.

The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

"Cause this is Theatre of the Mind. / Consider it a sign / of whats to come next." - "I Do It For Hip Hop"

After 8 years and 6 studio LPs, there are certain expectations we here at The Quotable have for each new Ludacris album:

We expect him to come hard from the left with his big, baritone voice, and even bigger videos and production ("Southern Hospitality," "Roll Out," "Stand Up!," "Get Back," "Move Bitch").

We expect him to down shift into mack-mode for a track or three (a la Busta Rhymes), using his tongue-twister-slash-late-night-phone-tone to seduce the fairer sex ("Phat Rabbit," "P-Poppin," "Splash Waterfalls," "Hoes In My Room").

We expect a healthy amount of comic relief ("Ho," "Area Codes," "Blow It Out").

We expect an ill 16 bar cipher cut to open each album ("Southern Fried Intro," "Intro," "Warning").

But what keeps the respect flowing in Luda's direction is his visceral focus on lyricism. And we expect him to drop lines like 'Enter' each and every time out the gate.

FACT.

So as expected, we here at The Quotable were more than amped about Luda's sixth studio album, Theatre of the Mind. Although he's never been one of my default Emcees (artists that you listen to during those times when you don't know what you want to listen to), Ludacris consistently brings that heat when its cold outside. Does Theatre of the Mind meet the standard? Walk with us as...

The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

Theatre of the Mind is basically made up of three types of tracks: cipher cuts, chick/club songs, and concept records - all intended to provide that scene-from-a-movie feel.

The album opener, "Intro," represents the obligatory, ill, 16-bar, cipher cut where Luda reintroduces himself while laying out the premise of his latest release (a staple found on each of his LPs). Over The Runners heavy bass line, bouncing snare drums, and medieval choir, Ludacris drops one of the most honest quotables of his career - "Give me 16 bars / on another n***** song / and you know that I'm gonna fuckin' kill it!" 'Cris has arguably the hottest intros in the game. Each of his LPs opens with some big, triumphant, back-the-muttaskut-up-cause-you-can't-handle-me-lyrically intro that immediately reminds you why Luda's necessary to Hip Hop right now - because he holds every other MC accountable for his craft. "Intro" is no different, and equally refreshing.



And to be honest, this is the side of Chris Lova Lova thats had us here at TQ so eagerly anticipating this latest release. I mean, tracks like the hilarious, T-Pain assisted "One More Drink," or the club anthem, Chris Brown featured, "What Them Girls Like," or even the R&B-throwback, Scott Storch produced "Contagious" (featuring Jamie Foxx) suitably fill the chick/club track quota (none of which are bad listens). And concept records such as the 9th Wonder produced "Do The Right Thang" (where Luda and Common team up to remind cats to walk the right path or be prepared to face life's consequences), "Call Up The Homies" (featuring The Game), or the trap-certified, 808 bass-lined, "Southern Gangsta" (Rick Ross and Playaz Circle join Luda to wax poetic about their hustler credentials), or even the highly anticipated T.I. collaboration, "Wish You Would" help to round out the album. But Theatre of the Mind's true value is found in its cipher cuts.

"Bow down to greatness / before I get pist-n' / run up in the stands like the Indiana Pacers." - "Undisputed"



"Undisputed" and "Everybody Hates Chris" (with Chris Rock) are the albums first 2 examples, each showcasing Luda's brolic, battle-ready lyrical demeanor. The latter's lively horns and hand claps invoke an immediate head-nod while 'Cris rides the track to perfection. Then, after a brief detour down chick-track-avenue, Theatre of the Mind breaks left onto freestyle expressway. "Last of a Dying Breed" is an epic, scratch-heavy, track that Luda and Lil' Wayne use to put on an exhibition in lyrical exercise.

"Top 5 dead or alive / but really it just hit me / that 3 out of your 5's too scared to f*ck with me. / So how can I advance if you don't give me no opponents? / How can you see the future if you're living for the moment? / Hip Hop couldn't die, / I never offer my condolence. / But I offer ya'll day of atonement."

Luda's arguably at his best on the DJ Premiere produced "MVP," which is also arguably the album's best beat. Premo provides that classic boom-bap nostalgia, and Luda laces this one with some of the albums dopest quotables:

"And my delivery's invading your vicinity. / Hennessey is my remedy. / Taking shots like Kennedy. / And I been a G / for a long time. / To these streets I'm connected like I'm on-line. / On time for whatever. / And every time an album drop, / I drop B.I.G. like Voletta."

I drop B.I.G. like Voletta???? It doesn't get much iller than that!!! It doesn't get much more visual than that!!! And, since The Notorious BIG was a large muttaskutta and giving birth to him must have been exceptionally uncomfortable (Voletta Wallace is Biggie's mother), it doesn't get much bigger than that!!! Now add the fact that Luda's sold over 15 million records world wide (no easy feat for any artist at any point in history, let alone during the recent record-sales recession), it doesn't get much truer than that. Ludacris is a beast. Ludacris is a beast.

"I don't do it for the cars and the fancy drops. / I do it for Hip Hop." - "I Do it for Hip Hop."

Rounding out Theatre of the Mind's best run is "I Do It For Hip Hop" - an ill, scratch-heavy cipher cut enlisting 2 of rap's titans - Jay-Z and Nas. Another great track. Each Emcee gets busy here, but in the end, Ludacris outshines both. Jay appears to have an interesting strategy though. Rather than attempt to go straight at Luda lyrically, he instead uses an old school flow, invoking Hip Hop nostalgia to leave his mark on the track ("Hip Hop / started out in the park. / We used to do it to avoid the narcs."). My cousin Sha pointed that one out. Nas kicks a cool little bumble bee analogy to describe how he's "as live as a hive full of predators," successfully netting him 3rd place.

"And their almost extinct / so I'm sayin' it loud. / MC means 'move the crowd'" - "Last of a Dying Breed"

15 tracks. Loads of guest appearances. 0 interludes.

All in all, Theatre of the Mind is a balanced, enjoyable, LP that will have your head-nodding as soon as you press play. You can clean to it. You can pre-party to it. Might be tough to slide into mack-mode, but you can definitely drive to it. Its combination of chick/club tracks, concept records, and cipher cuts adds up to a solid, diverse listen. Theatre of the Mind is one of the year's best Hip Hop albums, and arguably the most potent of his career.

And the more I think about it - I'm a bi-album Ludacris fan; meaning that I tend to get excited about every-other Ludacris album. Back For The First Time caught me off guard in a good way which made me excited about Word of Mouf (2001). But Chicken & Beer (2003), although more-than-nice in retrospect, wasn't on the priority list at the time. Then The Red Light District (2004) dropped and of course I had to cop that the first day. But I damn-near ignored 2006's Release Therapy, which is his most critically successful LP to date. Now here we are, late in '08, and for some reason I couldn't wait for this album. And thats because, for me, less is more with Ludacris. He's such a larger-than-life presence on every song, that it doesn't take much to OD. Theatre of the Mind's diverse sound scape does a solid job of minimalizing that trait, signalling replay-value potential (and it doesn't get any more important than replay value).

Furthermore, the fact that there is nothing ground-breaking, or career redefining here, or that Luda doesn't show us a new side of his person, his thoughts, his lifestyle, his anything isn't necessarily a bad thing. He still delivers a top-shelf product that embodies all of the reasons why you love Luda in the first place. His diversity. His ability to make you laugh, to make you bounce, to make you feel OK about screaming "move bitch, get out the way!" And most notably, the fact that he's a lyricist to the death - and he's got what you need. Ludacris, the last of a dying breed.

Rating: QQQQ

The Quotable Reviews: Finding Forever

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the C-O-Double-M-O-N. / Synonym for "Fresh." Truth is the emblem" - Common: "Start The Show"; Finding Forever

I can't front - as soon as the release date was announced for Common's 7th studio album, Finding Forever, The Company Man was amped.

And for good reason.

Over the past 15 years since the artist formerly known as Common Sense kicked in Hip Hop's door with his debut album, Can I Borrow A Dollar?, "Chi-Town's Nas" has continued to evolve - showcasing carniverous lyricism ("Communism"), vivid storytelling ("Testify"), and a trunk load of love raps all along the way (even if you don't know Common by name, chances are you've grooved to one of his now staple "baby-I-love-you" rhymes vibin' through your factory speakers). Never one to fall victim to creative complacency, Comm always pushed the envelope to the brink of breach with each studio release. But it wasn't until 2005's, critically acclaimed Lp, BE, that Common proved (with the aid of uber-producer/emcee Kanye West) that he could in fact create a complete album. Concise, commanding, and loaded with break-neck beats, BE, was the near-perfect combination of production and proverbs (its almost as if 'Ye and Comm were trying to one-up each other the entire time - to see who would shine more - the artist or the producer. In the end it was a draw...and one helluvan album). BE was so good in fact, that in some circles Comm's name found its way into several whose-the-greatest-of-all-time? conversations. Justified or not, Common finally made it mainstream. His stock price was at an all-time high. And one more solid album could be enough to lock him in with exclusive company. Would Finding Forever be that key? Lets take a listen.

Finding Forever opens with whispy flutes, and corny keys totalling 1 minute and 17 seconds of wasted space. No rhymes. No beats. No point. (On the plus side, this in a way serves as the albums only interlude. Silver lining). The show finally starts with (appropriately) "Start the Show." Showcasing live string recordings (violas, violins, cellos...the works) over knocking drums and snare, this cut contains some of the albums coldest rhymes ("with 12 monkeys on stage its hard to see whose a gorilla. / You was better as a drug dealer. / Feel the passion of this B-Boy rationale. / Half is what you say, and half is style. Guess its time for you start cashin' out"). "The People" picks up where "The Corner" (BE) left off - funky Kanye West produced bass-line + Common's flawless delivery = (you guessed it) lead single. 'Ye carries the hook here...once again. The Lily Allen assisted "Drivin' Me Wild" is undoubtedly the album's brightest track. Comm is at his best here, spittin' three blazin' verses opining on the lure of acceptance and the extent people will go to obtain it. Storytelling at its finest. Will.I.Am makes a notable appearance on "I Want You" (production and hook by the Black Eyed Pea himself) while Common delivers more detailed relationship rhymes. 'Ye steps from behind the boards and joins Comm in the booth on "Southside" where the duo dual 8 bars at a time in an ill cypher session showcasing both Chicago lyricist head-to-head (this is what Hip Hop is all about, muttaskuttas!). Both Emcees bring the ruckus on this one ("ain't nothin' wrong with that!"). DJ premiere shows up on "The Game" adding his classic scratches over more Kanye boom-bap production. Another stand-out track.

"I said I got my SAG card baby. I'm an actor." - Common: "Break My Heart"; Finding Forever

Unfortunately, the second half of Finding Forever veers into mundane teritory. Don't get me wrong, Comm's content is still ever present. "Black Maybe's" discussion on the fate of the "black man, woman, and child" is a beautiful song, and definitely needed in today's Hip Hop landscape (especially from a newly-mainstream-artist...too bad you'll never hear it on the radio), and D'Angelo's rehabilitated guest appearance on "So Far To Go" mashes perfectly with (more) Common relationship rhymes. Not to mention that both Devo Springstein and Kanye West straight decimate the boards on "Misunderstood" and "Break My Heart" respectively. Its just that the whole vibe of the second half of the Lp crawls itself to sleep. The combination of heavy content (dope as it may be) and mello production back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back wears on a muttaskutta. Its like getting stuck watchin' white-church on TV (ironically enough) - you don't know whether to switch tracks, or take a nap. You can't even clean the crib when listenin' to the back half of Finding Forever. And if you're driving at night, you better pump the A/C, roll the windows down, and grab a Mountain Dew or you just might fall asleep at the wheel. FACT. All you want to do is sit. Not that thats a bad thing.

(The album is better when rocked on random, though).

Overall, Finding Forever is undoubtedly one of the best albums released in 2007. I can't deny it. Common's flawless delivery and common man sensibilities over Kanye West's stellar production is enough to appease nearly anyone with ears. And at a lean 11 tracks in length, its juuust short enough to stay fresh.

With that being said...

There are certain qualities that I've come to admire about the artist formerly known as Common Sense. Most notably - his drive to continue to grow and progress as an artist. Everytime a Common album dropped you knew it was gonna be Fresh...and a different kind of Fresh than his previous album. He always gave you something different without ever slacking lyrically (even his most eccentric album, Electric Circus, (during the Erykah-Badu-voodoo'd era of his career) was packed with dope rhymes despite the questionable soundtrack. No doubt). Com consistently pushed himself with every release - which is why a lot of heads started raising his name in whose-the-greatest-of-all-time? debates. He's been doin' it at a very high level for a very long time.

But Finding Forever sounds less fresh-and-new and more like BE-part-2...just not as good. The similarities are eyebrow-raising. "The People" sounds just like "The Corner" and was marketed in the same fashion. "Southside" is an ill cypher rhyme about Chicago. "Chi-City" is an ill cypher rhyme about Chicago. And both albums end with a poem from his father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn (I know its a moving gesture and all, but still an overkill. Slap him somewhere in the middle of the album at least. Mix it up a bit). Ironically the beginning of the poem starts with "...well, well, well / here we are back in the studio again." I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP.

Through all its dopeness it feels like a re-tread. Its like Comm and 'Ye gathered up all of BE's leftover tracks, re-worked a few, added some guest appearances, and sold it like new. I mean...technically its still new, but its like the new generic brand. Its like the Voit version of Air Jordans. Its like Chucks without the Converse logo. You know what its trying to be... but its not official.

"I said I got my SAG card baby. I'm an actor." - Common: "Break My Heart"; Finding Forever

Comm definitely phoned-in this one. I know he has a burgeoning film career ahead of him[1] and a lifetime supply of "basics" from his GAP sponsorship, and thats great. Get your money, Jo. Theres a recession in the music industry right now anyway. But let me know now if making albums has taken a back seat to other ventures. I mean, you'll still get my $10 bucks...but next time it'll be a movie ticket.

Rating: QQQ

[1] I haven't seen Smoking Aces, but my man Denell says he "was good...almost like a convincing actor." With that kind of review I'm sure he as bright future in Hollywood)

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.