Hezekiah, Conscious Porn Album Review

Hezekiah’s Conscious Porn excels through it’s progressive production and organic collaborations. Dres (from Da Beatnik’s) outlandish adlibs and Me So Horny’s (Hez’s horn section) cover of James Brown’s “Blues and Pants” provides ample distinction from Notorious B.I.G.'s‘ “Just Playing,” allowing Hezekiah to kick bars about today’s R&B queens without sounding like another hijacked remake of Biggie's classic. The same can be said for the emphatic snare and sublime arrangement behind Raheem DeVaughn’s uncanny cover of Luther Vandross’s “If This World Were Mine,” where Hez drops some of the LPs most apropos lines: “I’m forever growing / Some hate it some love it / Some artists don’t nothing really change but their album cover.”

“Movers + Shakers” featuring Poindexter wins with it’s trippy electric strings and anthemic orchestration despite the lyrical contradiction of deriding industry “whining / bitching” on the first verse then actually whining and bitching about the industry on the last. Fortunately, that brief blemish is quickly forgotten once “The Clinic’s” marching snare kicks in seamlessly and Hezekiah connects easily with vividly relatable depictions of the consequences of promiscuity -- AIDS tests and abortions -- that nicely tap into the conscience of Conscious Porn.

Tu Phace, Criss Harris and Peedi Crakk join Hezekiah in crafting a boisterously retro posse cut with hop-step snares and sick scratches followed by “Here’s To The World’s” B-boy ready beat, ingeniously placed whistles and awesome Aaron Livingston guest appearance, fulfilling the Porn the half of the album title. “Fired Up” featuring Talib Kweli and Bahamadia is a mediocre offering that does little more than fill the space between “Raining” and the Cody Chestnutt-featured “What Kind Of Cool” -- two stellar tracks bringing in Conscious Porn’s sultry conclusion.


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Von Pea, Pea's Gotta Have It Album Review

Von Pea takes ‘em to school on his solo offering, Pea’s Gotta Have It.

Literally.

Conceptually set during senior year of high school, the Tanya Morgan emcee ably sticks to the script, covering nearly every experience from the first day to Graduation.

Brick Beats‘ soulfully brisk backdrop on “The Yorker” feels as fresh as back-to-school clothes and Aeon’s airy production on “There U Were” (featuring Uzoy) perfectly supports Pea’s effortless flow and witty tale of the perils of kicking it to an anonymous “e-honey” over AIM. “The Good Life” captures the capriciousness of in-class day dreaming then transitions smoothly into “Open School” where day dreaming goes wrong, resulting in the Brooklyn lyricists removal from class. Danny! assists with a solid verse detailing his skills in altering report cards with a Sharpie.

The James Cooley produced “Ahead Of The Class” is a light hearted cypher rhyme loaded with more Von Pea wittiness. “If Rap don’t work I’ll fall back and be a doctor / So damn cool yall and I ain’t even popular.” “New Pair” (featuring Josie Stingray and Rhapsody) ingeniously samples Will Smith’s “Summertime” for it’s hook (“Yeah, I got on sneaks but I need a new pair”), fulfilling the obligatory high school sneaker obsession. While Rap songs about shoes are as stale as an encyclopedia home set, “Get Violated’s” progressive use of Andre 3000’s “The Love Below Intro” mixed with Pea’s clever account of getting hijacked for his Flights is a savvy recovery. Brizzo’s hand claps and hop step beat is exactly what is expected from “Pep Rally.” And album closer, “Outro”, pimp slaps life’s cold reality straight into the teenage consciousness. “Child support due / Rent that’s past due / Mom’s, baby moms, plus the cops harass you.”

“Dreams” is undoubtedly Pea's Gotta Have It’s standout track. Jermiside, Illyas and Spec Boogie all deliver quality stanzas and Von’s slick personification of his 16 bar verse is both pristine in delivery and conceptually engaging.

READ FULL REVIEW @HIPHOPDX.COM

Trae The Truth, Can't Ban The Truth Album Review

After a lengthy career centered around creating positive events in the Houston Texas, community, Trae Tha Truth's 2009 annual "Trae Day" was marred by violence in the crowd. During an interview on Houston’s lone Hip Hop radio station, KBXX, 97.9FM (The Box), The Madd Hatta Morning Show on-air personality, Nnete Inyangumia, suggested that the violence in Trae’s music indirectly contributed to the violence on “Trae Day.” The ABN emcee responded with four derogatory bars about the morning show host on his 2009 street album, The Incredible Truth, to which The Box (and owner Radio One) responded to by banning Trae’s music from it’s airwaves. The lawsuits, the petitions, the severed relationships that followed in the aftermath of the “Trae Day” calamity provide the backdrop for Trae The Truth’s newest release, Can’t Ban The Truth.

On Can’t Ban The Truth, Trae is at his best when speaking plainly about his ban from The Box and the lack of support he’s received from fellow Houston rhymers. “I keep it loyal but these niggas only loyal to they self / I did it out of love / They only did it for they self” he raps over the thumping bass line on the Young Jeezy-assisted “I Got This,” then again on standout track “The Radio Won’t Play This” featuring Wyclef Jean. 'Clef’s acoustic guitar sound scape provides a sonic detour from the mostly smoke and ride ready production found throughout the rest of the project as Trae kicks his most telling bars on the incident:

READ THE FULL REVIEW @HIPHOPDX.COM

Sean Price Interview

The first two bars of Sean Price’s 2005 break through solo album, Monkey Barz open like this: “I’m better with mine / Sean Price remember this time / I’m all that / Jaw tapped, Pa / Gregory Hines”

Not only would Monkey Barz go on to propel the Emcee-formerly-known-as Ruck to heights unseen as a solo artist, earn him an Independent Artist of the Year award from Allhiphop.com, garner the most critical praise out of Duck Down’s “Triple Threat Campaign” label assault (along with Buckshot & 9th Wonder’s Chemistry and Smif-N-Wessun’s Smif-N-Wessun: Reloaded) and become the foundation of the newfound lyrical respect he’s owned for the second half of last decade — but the style noted above has been bootlegged by the biggest names in today’s industry: Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake and every one else that’s hopped on their misappropriated bandwagon.

The irony is, as Money Miz notes in this article on HipHopAndBS.com, Sean P is seldom credited for pioneering right now’s most popular style. BrooklynBodega.com asked Sean Price about his rhyme style, whether he expected Monkey Barz to be a success following Magnum Force and whether he’s really retiring after the release of his upcoming projects.

BB: How did the self-proclaimed “Brokest Rapper You Know” handle the brokest city in America? I know you traveled up there for the Random Axe recording sessions. What did you think of Detroit?

SP: Detroit is love, man! Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Hexmurda, Trick Trick — they made it really hospitable, a lot of hospitality for the God. I appreciate it, man. I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t party. We did 16 songs in, what, a week. Six days. Fourteen songs.

BB: There were six years between Magnum Force and Monkey Barz. Did you ever doubt yourself right before the release of Monkey Barz? Did you expect that to be the catalyst for a live five years you’ve had since then?

SP: I was so used to doing bullshit numbers that it didn’t matter. That’s why this one, if Monkey Barz did bullshit, I wouldn’t have cared because I knew I got busy on there! Maybe I might’ve compromised myself on [Magnum Force] listening to people or whatever — it’s still my fault because I did it — but this time it was all me. All me. So even if they were like “Your shit is the worst I ever heard”, not to me.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

CDM, Fresh Out The Box Celebrate Justt Landed

Picture one of those trendy loft-style New York venues. The kind of venue that looks equally modern and neo-expressionist, like a starter studio for Andy Warhol or Jean-Michel Basquiat. The kind where the bathrooms look like the ones in your apartment and the possibility of a bedroom lurking behind any of the handful of nondescript doors is highly likely. Picture a plethora of industry types decked in the latest fashions, sipping on those skinny black straws leading down to those little plastic liquor cups filled with free, corporate sponsored alcohol, arched like a cypher, all head nodding to the live percussion, soaking in the lyrics of that night’s God-Emcee.

And at the center of it all, grooving like Pusha-T when he’s rocking the mic, stood the Brooklyn born, Queens bred Emcee, Justt, smacking the crowd with jam after jam, owning his moment. Owning his introduction.

Last night, in New York’s NOHO neighborhood, CDM and Fresh Out The Box sponsored a mixtape release party for Justt, celebrating the artist’s latest project, Justt Landed. BrooklynBodega.com caught up with Justt following his incendiary showcase. Justt filled us in on his current project, his upcoming mixtape, Human Civilization and his thoughts on the state of New York Hip-Hop.

BB: You’re getting a great response from your performance.

Justt: I’m just happy everybody felt it. Please check out the website, www.cdmmusic.com. The mixtapes there download for free. Got some heat on there. I’m working on the EPK. It’s so fresh that I don’t even got the title yet, but the next mixtape is called Human Civilization. It’s a problem, gotta check that out too.

BB: Now, you’re from Queens.

Justt: Yeah, I’m from Queens. Originally born in Brooklyn. Shout out to Marlboro, Coney Island. Then I moved to Shadyville, Queens.

BB: For Bodega readers who might not be familiar with you, how do you describe your sound?

Justt: I’m very versatile. The record I did, the remix is “Something About Us” with Daft Punk. At the same time I can go on a grimey beat. In this day and age, you have to be versatile. Versatility is key. I love rocking on electro Hip-Hop and I can definitely jump on a Premo kind of feel.

READ FULL INTERVIEW @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

ROCK THE BELLS CONCERT REVIEW

The 2010 Rock The Bells Festival rocked Governors Island’s South Island Field in remarkable fashion, igniting New York City through a slew of epic performances by Hip Hop legends past, present and future.

The seventh annual festival series boasted a two-stage format and a loaded lineup featuring Snoop Dogg performing Doggystyle, Wu-Tang Clan performing Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), A Tribe Called Quest performing Midnight Marauders, Lauryn Hill, KRS-One, Rakim, Slick Rick, Murs, Brother Ali and more.

Headliner Snoop Dogg embraced the classic album concept most earnestly, as his Doggystyle rendition not only included every track from his seminal offering, but also showcased G Funk luminaries Lady Of Rage, Daz and Kurupt of The Dogg Pound, Warren G and several detailed video montages of the album’s interludes. He also performed fan favorites “Deep Cover”, “The Next Episode”, “Nuthin‘ But A G Thang” and The Neptunes produced, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”.

Wu-Tang Clan brought the ruckus as all eight original members along with Cappadonna and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son, Boy Jones (“Young Dirty Bastard”) eerie impersonation of his father’s savage on-stage gyrations and ubiquitous cornrows, controlled the thousands in attendance. Clearly the crowd favorites, the entire festival grounds were littered with Wu-Tang T-shirts and tattoos, signifying the impenetrable fan base the iconic clan has amassed over it’s seventeen year career. “Ws” were held high throughout the set as the Wu rocked through most of it’s culture changing debut album, “Triumph”, Raekwon’s “Ice Cream”, ODB’s “Got Your Money” and others. The raucous set concluded with Method Man kicking his verse from “Rockwilder” then crowd surfing through a sea of adoration. Rza also noted that upcoming Wu-Tang movies are currently in the works.

A Tribe Called Quest left it’s indelible impression all over Rock The Bells. The Queens quartet ripped through a number of songs from Midnight Marauders and Low End Theory, leading the masses through it’s timeless grooves. Large Professor and Main Source joined Tribe on stage, as well as Busta Rhymes and Swiss Beatz.

If there was a low point to Rock The Bells 2010, it was undoubtedly Lauryn Hill’s unfortunate sixty minute performance.

READ FULL REVIEW @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

8thW1, No Room For Dessert Album Review

As far as the AOK Collective goes, 8thW1 is a bit of an aberration.

Since releasing his stellar debut album, LoveMoneyAndMusic (2008), the Show And Prove Alum has been nearly invisible. Outside of select guest appearances (Fresh Daily’s The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes of Passion, 2 Hungry Bros‘ My Crews All Thinner, PSO’s Moontones for example) and the four one minute and forty-four second long snippets from his upcoming collaborative project with PSO, Suicide By Jellyfish, 8th remains in the shadows. It’s rare to see him lingering at any of the plethora of Underground showcases littering the NYC music scene. And judging from the events calendar on his website (lovemoneyandmusic.com), it’s even more rare to find him rocking anywhere. With a total of 8 shows, June 2009 was his busiest month in over a year.

The irony is that, on the low, many wondered whether 8th may be the nicest member of the AOK Collective. The indelible nature of LoveMoneyAndMusic — where he ingeniously conceptualizes three of the most generic topics in Hip-Hop (love, money and music) without straying from the blueprint or ever coming close to cliche — consistently intriguing guest appearances and a comparatively low profile inevitably added to his mystique. The assumption was that he was in the kitchen cooking up the dope, never that he wasn’t dope enough to rock more often. After nearly two years, 8thW1 returns with his second full length offering, No Room For Dessert.

Produced entirely by 2 Hungry Bros. (Ben and Deep), No Room For Dessert feels like a throwback Hip-Hop album — break beat heavy, simplistic hooks, light on conceptual consistency.

8th spreads the content in all directions. His ability to tackle common topics from a fresh perspective through easily accessible yet clever lyrics is a large part of his appeal. “Short And Sweet”, for example, attacks the high sugar content in nearly everything we consume, brilliantly flipping KRS-One’s epic bar from “Sound Of Da Police” into it’s hook: “They claim we selling crack / but you be doing that”. “Stupidface” — with it’s tales of broken friendships — somehow manages to be equally introspective, corny and hilarious. Opener, “Say My Name Right” clarifies his often mispronounced moniker. “It’s 8th-One / Not 8th Wonder / Call me 8th, that’s if you can understand that”. “Poppers” uses a “King Of Rock”-like beat and a Run DMC borrowed hook to address the masses that claim quality rap music no longer exists:

“My Hip-Hop ain’t wack / None of my rappers suck / That’s why / I don’t really wanna bring nothing back / I just wanna bring this up / And I know the radio ain’t that poppin / But it’s all good cause you got other options / If there’s more stores for you to shop in / why complain about the things you coppin? / Don’t do what they say do / The truth’s right under your nasal / So don’t let the mainstream take you / to where the masses are so ungrateful”

NRFD’s most potent cut is undoubtedly “Everyday”, and unfortunately one of few instances where 8th is able to resonate as strongly as he does throughout LMAM. Over 2 Hungry Bros sublime soundscape and angelic sample, 8th opines on appreciating the ups and the downs of whatever life tosses your way, kicking insightful bars such as “I learned more from sinning than sitting in church / and it makes me wonder which one came first” and “if you wanna get closer to God / go live in a cave”. It’s the type of track that follows you through everyday life, providing relevance in even the most mundane situations, allowing you to lean on lines like “I don’t wanna get over / I just wanna get through / I don’t want all of it / I am good with a few”. And ultimately, that’s why music is important: to provide distraction and inspiration and motivation. That’s why LMAM is a great LP. And that’s where NRFD falters.

READ FULL REVIEW @ WWW.BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM

Samsonite Man - Fashawn Interview

Fashawn reps Cali hard body.

You see it across the front of his Fresno baseball jersey or in the dozens of photos world wide web wide of him pointing to his “CAL” tat on the back of his left hand. You hear it when you hear him kick lines like “gotta adapt to the slang that’s spoke / a West Coast thang / out of town n***** get took out the frame” on “Our Way” or “To live and die in CA / from the home of PA (Planet Asia) / guaranteed to make it pop like a f*cking briefcase” on “Sunny CA” or on just about every other track on his critically acclaimed debut album, Boy Meets World. All California love. All the time.

And it makes sense.

Representing where you’re from is nothing new to Hip-Hop and is not at all what separates him from other highly anticipated “Freshmen” Emcees. For Fashawn, his environment growing up provides the lyrical fuel to his microphone melting delivery and visceral introspection. It’s the reason “Ecology” hits like a Barry Bonds swing and the imagery of “When She Calls” is immediately ingrained after first listen. It’s the reason he released arguably the ballsiest mixtape of the last ten years, Ode to Illmatic, where he courageously unleashes his personal trials and certified mic skills over the instrumentals to one of the most revered albums in Hip-Hop history: Illmatic.

Brooklynbodega.com spoke to Fashawn about the thought behind Ode To Illmatic, his sophomore endeavor, Ecology, West Coast Hip-Hop and a potential full length collaboration with BHF08 alums and fellow Cali “evolutionaries”, Blu and Exile.

BB: The first time I saw you was at a Roots Jam in 2009. I didn’t know a lot about you then. I thought you kicked it that night…

Fashawn: I tried man. It’s hard to come after Black Thought. When Black Thought passes you the mic, you just know that you’ve got to bring it.

BB: It’s an honor to have him pass you the mic, because he doesn’t just pass mics to anyone.

Fashawn: Right, he doesn’t pass the mic to “Joe Blow” from around the corner so, it was an honor to [rock with him].

BB: When I was researching you for a lead up article about you for BrooklynBodega.com so that our readers are more informed — because I think a lot of people are not aware of who you are even if they hear your name or hear about [Boy Meets World] — [the first thing I realized] is that you’re real humble.

Fashawn: Why not, man? I come from nothing. What the f*ck I’m going to be flamboyant and boastful for? I come from nothing. I’m just really happy to be here. If I wasn’t here, I’d literally be in jail or f*cking dead or some shit. I’m happy to be here and that my fans keep giving me the opportunity to come back to New York. This is my fifth…sixth time in New York in a year! It gets better every time. The crowds get bigger every time. It’s just a progression and I think I’m paying my dues. A lot of n***** are just paying cash. I’m paying my dues and getting the respect first. That’s how it should be done.

READ FULL INTERVIEW AT WWW.BROOKLYBODEGA.COM

Lupe Fiasco -- SLR (Super Lupe Rap)

Finally, an inspired track from Lupe. Editorial to come.


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Jah C Readies The Release of next EP, The Life

It's impossible to put Jah C in a box.

The Brooklyn born Emcee/Producer/Promoter has championed the essence of The Culture for the better part of a decade -- through his initial group, The Project, and ancillary crew, The New Rap Order -- crafting and promoting an eclectic range of Hip Hop music that's equally as harmonic and progressive as it is lyrical and quintessential.

Now, with his latest group, The Antidote, Jah C readies the release of his next EP, The Life, on Soulspazm Records on 10/26/10. Lead single, "Summer Love", featuring vocals by Jaison Spain, is available now for free download, just in time for Labor Day weekend.

"'Summer Love" is about capturing a moment in time filled with joy, discovery and romance. In keeping with the theme of the work it comes from, "The Life", it is autobiographical but intended to be a healing force, something for people to relate to, something for people to enjoy in life."


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For more on Jah C & The Antidote, visit http://thegreathustler.bandcamp.com/ and follow Jah C on Twitter @TheGreatHustler

Freddie Gibbs, Str8 Killa Album Review

Integrity is paramount to Freddie Gibbs.

Boasting a polished midwestern style that effortlessly shifts from rapid fire to slow flow throughout, the Gary, Indiana native laces his Decon Records debut EP -- Str8 Killa -- with unabashedly gangster tales depicting the consequences and repercussions of hustling for survival, never glamorizing the street life’s unsavory nature. “My homie’s 16 and won’t see daylight till he’s 64 / That’s how we’re living though / With limited opportunity / Twisted off reefer / Parents and teachers could not get through to me,” he raps over the Block Beattaz' stadium-sized production on album opener “Str8 Killa No Filla." The Jay Rock-assisted “Rep 2 Tha Fullest” reinforces Gangsta Gibbs’s intent on showing both halves of the dark side while quickly separating himself from other rappers publicly pimping a life they’ve never lived. “Rap is for dick suckers and divas / I don’t recall these / type of niggas living and breathing where I reside at...so little niggas go to school get right / The shit I’m doing, nigga, you could do life / Before I picked up a mic I earned my stripes.”

Str8 Killa’s highpoint comes on the appropriately entitled, LA Riot produced, “National Anthem (Fuck The World),” where Gibbs details the dilapidated conditions of his hometown, his eventual dismissal from Interscope Records, and the struggle to make music for “the midwest streets that need [his] voice” -- over a righteously anthemic beat designed to rattle trunks rolling down any highway in America. “Personal OG” provides the obligatory salute to the sticky green, while “The Coldest” and it’s radio-ready hook (courtesy of BJ The Chicago Kid) and sublime Kno production adds just as much depth and perspective as any other offering on the EP, proving Gangsta Gibbs can play in the commercial sandbox and still come out clean -- never sacrificing his message for the masses.

And there lies Str8 Killa’s lasting legacy: Freddie’s ability to delve deeper into the psychology behind the gangster life. He attacks each track with enough angst and honesty to force you to relate to his “struggle” without ever experiencing it personally. The visceral nature of his music is what makes him an artist, not just a rapper. Gibbs largely accomplishes this feat throughout Str8 Killa, but never more potently than on the Bun B-assisted, Beatnik & K-Salaam produced, “Rock Bottom...

CONTINUE READING @ HIPHOPDX.COM

Krayzie Bone, Lyrical Paraphernalia -- The Fixtape Volume 3

In sound and feel, Lyrical Paraphernalia -- Volume 3 of Krayzie Bone’s street album series, The Fixtape -- embodies some of the most resolute characteristics of not only his solo career, but of post-BTNHResurrection Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Consisting primarily of new spins on popular beats by other artists, the harmonic, rapid-fire flow with melodic, shifting cadences and an underlying spirituality ingrained since the group’s inception in 1991 is ever present throughout.

Opener, “Scrape The Block” finds the Cleveland, Ohio Emcee playing Robin Hood of the hood, kicking street logic over the beat from Cam’ron’s “Losin’ Weight.” Lines like “Harassing you / Just give me the cash or we gonna see what this here mag can do / When bullets advance at you” and “My warning shots produce victims” are not only a throwback to Krayzie’s Thug Mentality days, but are also the only overtly violent rhymes without reason on the album. With the exception of brief topical detours to opine on his unwillingness to be a sugar daddy (“Aint Gon Save Em”) and the inevitable complications that occur when a woman “Collapses [your] economy” (“Whatcha Gon Do”), the remainder of LP is heavily weighted in spirituality and introspection.

KB’s angst injected suicidal thoughts on “Suicide” are visceral enough to withstand it’s annoying hook and “One Life’s” depiction of a young man’s “decision to move with the criminals / Do what the killers do” and a young girl who’s “Thirteen going on her fourth abortion / No remorse for orphans” resonate enough to appreciate the track despite the fact that KB falls noticeably short of the standard Nas sets on the original version, “One Mic.”

CONTINUE READING @ HIPHOPDX.COM

Review: Camu Tao, King Of Hearts

Listening to Camu Tao's King of Hearts is like witnessing to the scattered musings and fractional tinkerings of an eccentric scientist possibly on the verge of a monumental breakthrough.

It's raw. It's unpolished. It's unedited. And more than anything else, it's unfortunate.

Two years following Camu's submission to lung cancer -- and a subsequently perplexing amount of label infighting -- Definitive Jux finally released the emcee/producer/singer's still in progress solo material posthumously. Rather than cleaning up his would be nationally distributed debut album, filling in what the Columbus, Ohio artist was unable to complete, the decision was made to present King Of Hearts to the public exactly the way Camu left it.

Consisting largely of Indie Rock and Rap hybrids with infused Punk interpolations and the occasional Prince and Elvis Costello channeling, the project is a stark contrast from the gritty boom-bappery of his previous work with MHz or Nighthawks or The Weathermen. As the story goes, Camu grew frustrated with the creative complacency ensnaring the underground Hip Hop scene and attempted to push past the margins. The result is something that vaguely resembles what's deemed Hip Hop, yet speaks volumes to the mind state and artistic range of a man who knew his days were numbered long before he shared his condition with the rest of the world.

CONTINUE READING @HIPHOPDX.COM

Eternia, AT LAST Album Review

The temperature gets cold in T.Dot, just like the beats and rhymes.

From Marco Polo to MoSS, Kardinal Offishall to k-os to Eternia to everyone in between -- Toronto continues to cultivate artists, producers and aficionados who put a premium on the sound of quintessential, golden era Hip Hop.

Emcee/Producer duo Eternia and MoSS’s Fat Beats Records release, At Last, fits right in with the city’s rich tradition. E flexes her extensive mic skills straight out the gate, opening with four rugged cypher cuts in a row. Her vocals spill confidence, ripping through “Any Man” and “32 Bars” as if she’s on a mission to extinguish any stereotype ever placed upon white and/or female rappers, kicking lines like “I bet you / Only see one thing when you see me / I love it / Y'all stupid for that / You make it easy” and “Tell me that I’m too late / Too wordy / Too white / Tell me what you want / The world tells me that I’m too nice” (respectively) over MoSS’s basement ready boom-bap soundscape. Lead single “BBQ” feels refreshingly nostalgic, as golden era lyrical titans Rah Digga and The Lady of Rage join Eternia in decimating the high-powered, eighty-miles-an-hour backdrop. Digga’s nimble flow and scathing summation of the dwindling presence of women Emcees -- “Chicks are a hot mess / Fergie all we got left / Sad story / Even the awards done dropped the category / These rap bitches corny” -- shines brightest of the three.

Proof positive of Eternia’s Emcee skills occurs on the Joell Ortiz-assisted “It’s Funny” . After Joell bodies MoSS’s scratch-heavy beat with “And the broads y’all stress / I done had mami nude / And I was butt-ass myself so we meshed like Dr. Goo / And the rest is a given / Nah, fuck that, I’ma tell you, man / Her neck was in rhythm then we sexed in the kitchen / Tryna tell you that’s what you get when you’re fresh with you’re spittin / So in New York or not, I’m still next to a pigeon,” E shuts it down with:

“Your bitch ain’t as nice as me / That’s 'cause I ain’t a bitch / I’m the grown woman that bitches aspire to be / That cats try to see on the low / They tell their chicks that they’re going to check a show but it’s me that they’re checking for / And they tell me that they don’t want the wife / They want a life with a rapper chick / Grass in greener shit / That’s why I’m celibate...I roll with one army / That’s me, you can’t harm me / Or what I live for / God, music and family / All three out of reach bitch please understand me / I’m untouchable so don’t be Sean Connery / Pops was a gangster / Mother was God’s property / That makes me sort of something special like an Odyssey...”

Not only does Eternia immediately separate herself from the stereotypical idea that women in Hip Hop or otherwise are worth little more than getting “sexed in the kitchen,” but she highlights the omnipresent undertones of At Last as a whole: God, music, and family.

CONTINUE READING @ HIPHOPDX.COM

De La Soul Interview

Pete Rock and CL Smooth were there. So were Greg Nice and Smooth B and Dres and DJ Premier. Masta Ace and Craig G were milling about just after performing, right next to Marley Marl and Large Professor. Even Edwin Birdsong and Michael Rapaport were there breaking bread with Hip-Hop’s living history; the cultivators of The Culture.

It literally felt like a family reunion in the BHF10 Artists section. Like one big Golden Era family reunion (minus the matching T-shirts). Daps and hugs went around like cyphers. Cats couldn’t wait to catch up — to reminisce for a spell — with fellow flag bearers.

And at the center of it all stood that day’s head lining act, De La Soul, just as elated as every other legend.

Pos, Mase and Dave have seamlessly crafted a twenty-one year career laced with a laser aimed focus on artistic reinvention and genre pushing creativity. They’ve bucked industry pressure to conform to commercial trends, and in the process, consistently redefined the look and sound of Hip-Hop. Most impressively, they’ve never disbanded.

As Mase and Dave tell it, the reason that De La’s remained united since 1989 is simply because, before everything else, they’re friends. Before the classic albums and world tours and international accolades, Plugs 1, 2 and 3 were just high school homies who loved making Hip-Hop music; who loved the atmosphere and natural high that came with working together towards a common goal. While most of their contemporaries broke up over misunderstandings, individual aspirations and industry bullshit — Pos, Mase and Dave continued to build on the bond formed back in Amityville, Long Island by maintaining the foundation of their legacy: friendship.

BrooklynBodega.com spoke with each member of De La Soul — in between the daps and hugs going around the Golden Era Family Reunion — about stylistic influences, why Tupac dissed them on Makaveli, the reasons why the Native Tongues reunion never happened and how they’ve managed to remain unified since the first Bush administration.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AT BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM