"Be On You" 2 Hungry Bros & 8thW1 feat. Sleepwalkas (Dir. Shankar) from ShankarFilms on Vimeo.
"I learned spanish in North Dakota"
Curren$y, Pilot Talk 2 Album Review
With a resume thrice as long as expected from an artist who so recently gained national attention -- No Limit Records signee until 2005, Young Money until 2007, dropping a jaw-dropping 10 mixtapes since 2008 earning him a spot on XXL’s vaunted Freshmen ‘10 cover -- N.O.’s Hot Spitta has cultivated his corner of the Rap-o-sphere so potently that the aroma defines expectations. His lazy flow and unconventional rhyme schemes and seemingly train-of-thought ramblings have always been the roots of his appeal. It’s what fans appreciate about him first. It’s half of what makes Pilot Talk 2 (his second album this year) engaging despite it’s consistently limited content.
Take album opener, “Airborne Aquarium” for example, where Curren$y meanders about his T-top ’87 Corvette, smashing under his new pool table, his chick who calms his “bad nerves” so he calls her “his Ritalin” and other contextual aimlessness. The track works because of the way lines like “Emotional luggage / Nothing of it / I don’t check bags / I just carry on leave that bullshit in the past” bounce all over the track’s hopping snares and lurking flutes. The same combination carries cooled out cut, “Michael Knight”. From the dope Paid In Full movie reference that opens the first verse to the second’s unflinching conclusion (“Survive rough land / Cactus plants growing in dessert sands / Alive I stand / Left for dead though a nigga didn’t die / I got highed up so I could autograph the sky”), Curren$y survives because he floats so erratically.
“Flight Briefing”’s triumphant high hats and bluesy intonations and the presence of arguably the album’s most introspective verse adds a quick hit of celebration to PT2. It’s nearly impossible not to feel a sense of inspiration when hearing Spitta earnestly dissect his atypical path to recognition:
“With these lazy eyes I’ve seen / More than you can see in seven lifetimes / Get you on track / Got the fresh scoop from inside / Give you insight on the situation cause I’ve done it twice / Done the dotted line tight rope walk / Where the suits want results they don’t talk / Dozens of songs locked away / and rotting in a vault / No one to blame it was solely my fault / No salt thrown”
READ FULL ARTICLE @ HIPHOPDX.COM
Small Business Saturday, Support The Mom and Pops Shops
On Saturday, nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, American Express OPEN and Mayor Bloomberg will unite to promote 'Small Business Saturday' in attempt to generate consumer traffic for America's small businesses.
According to the website, "The goal of 'Small Business Saturday' is to inspire you to support the local small businesses that mean the most to you."
"For every year over the last decade, 60 to 80 percent of new jobs were generated by small businesses", says the Small Business Administration. "Small businesses employ half of all private sector employees."
'Small Business Saturday' is a national endeavor supported by agencies in cities
countrywide. Along with New York City -- Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC and Los Angeles are also promoting the latest shopping day.
"I think it's pretty great because small businesses definitely need the help," says
Barbara Leach-Lugo, owner of Diva Desires on Washington Avenue who is offering
10 percent off on purchases of $25 or more.
"Advertising is so expensive that it's difficult to compete with the Wal-Marts and Targets," said Nicole Walters, of the Divine Connections Hair Spa on Washington Avenue.
"I think it's a good idea especially for [Prospect Heights]," said Walters. "We need to bring more people to the area."
READ FULL ARTICLE AT PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
According to the website, "The goal of 'Small Business Saturday' is to inspire you to support the local small businesses that mean the most to you."
"For every year over the last decade, 60 to 80 percent of new jobs were generated by small businesses", says the Small Business Administration. "Small businesses employ half of all private sector employees."
'Small Business Saturday' is a national endeavor supported by agencies in cities
countrywide. Along with New York City -- Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC and Los Angeles are also promoting the latest shopping day.
"I think it's pretty great because small businesses definitely need the help," says
Barbara Leach-Lugo, owner of Diva Desires on Washington Avenue who is offering
10 percent off on purchases of $25 or more.
"Advertising is so expensive that it's difficult to compete with the Wal-Marts and Targets," said Nicole Walters, of the Divine Connections Hair Spa on Washington Avenue.
"I think it's a good idea especially for [Prospect Heights]," said Walters. "We need to bring more people to the area."
READ FULL ARTICLE AT PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
Restaurant Review: Chavella's
Considering the numerous positive reviews and word of mouth recommendations from neighborhood residents I'd read and received, a trip to Chavella's, Prospect Heights' "cafe Mexicano," seemed like a sure bet for a great meal.
Perhaps my expectations were too high.
Located at 732 Classon Avenue between Prospect Place and Park Place, owner-chef Arturo Leonar opened Chavella's in 2007.
Random cooking pots, a bouquet of dried roses dangling downward. and an inexplicable picture frame minus the picture hanging on an angle line one wall. Cockeyed certifications and other assorted clutter line another.
Seating only 25 people or so, the modest eatery is quaint when near vacant, congested when crowded. The tight confines feel as if you're literally sitting in the kitchen. That's not a good thing.
Chavella's boasts a fairly wide ranging menu featuring an array of quesadillas, tortas, tacos and main course options all light on the pocket.Prices range from $3 to $18.75.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
Perhaps my expectations were too high.
Located at 732 Classon Avenue between Prospect Place and Park Place, owner-chef Arturo Leonar opened Chavella's in 2007.
Random cooking pots, a bouquet of dried roses dangling downward. and an inexplicable picture frame minus the picture hanging on an angle line one wall. Cockeyed certifications and other assorted clutter line another.
Seating only 25 people or so, the modest eatery is quaint when near vacant, congested when crowded. The tight confines feel as if you're literally sitting in the kitchen. That's not a good thing.
Chavella's boasts a fairly wide ranging menu featuring an array of quesadillas, tortas, tacos and main course options all light on the pocket.Prices range from $3 to $18.75.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Review
Who knew Kanye West could be so humble?
Say what you will about his between album antics — the Brittney Spears outbursts, the Grammy tantrums, the Taylor Swift incident — but when it matters most, when it comes to his music, all self-centeredness is dismissed for the greater mission. He dismissed it on Late Registration by bringing on legendary composer Jon Brion as co-producer, elevating The College Dropout’s Hip Hop violins to full orchestral arrangements. He dismissed it on Graduation by bringing on producers Mike Dean and DJ Toomp and on 808s & Heartbreak by bringing on producer/song writer Jeff Bhasker (along with Auto-Tune lessons from T-Pain) to fulfill his visions. Now, for his fourth studio album, he enlists more assistance than ever, trapping the talents of No I.D., Rza, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, DJ Premier, Pusha T, Rick Ross and then some in his Hawaiian hideaway, honing in on the sound of his most ambitious LP yet, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It takes humility to ask for help and Yeezy reached out to all-time greats. The album credits alone read like amendments to congressional legislation.
At 1.1 hours in length, MBDTF is long and loaded with angelic choirs and layers of cascading intonations. It’s a dark celebration igniting a steady stream of political commentary, introspection and ass shaking — a trait synonymous with ‘Ye since his “Jesus Walks” days. “Hey teacher teacher / Tell me how you respond to students / And refresh the page and restart the memory / Re-spark the soul and rebuild the energy / Re-stop the ignorance / re-kill the enemy”, he kicks Pusha T-style over “Dark Fantasy”’s airy orchestration and Rza assisted hopping keys and plodding bass line. “They just stole your dreams / You don’t know who did it / I treat the cash like the government treats AIDS / I won’t be satisfied until all of my n***** get it / Get it?”, he delivers on the brooding, Raekwon featured “Gorgeous”, easily the LPs most foreboding offering. Over “All Of The Light”’s relentless drums and triumphant horns he wields his Young Jeezy flow to tackle the complications of separation:
“Restraining order / I can’t see my daughter / Her mother, brother, grand mother hate me in that order / Public visitation / We met at Borders / Told her if she take me back / I’ll be more supportive / I made mistakes / I bump my head / Court sucked me dry / I spent that bread / She needs her daddy / Baby please / Can’t let her grow up in that Ghetto University”
Stacked posse cuts “Monster” and “So Appalled” still thump despite their G.O.O.D. Friday release nearly two months ago and featuring eight different guest appearances collectively — a near miraculous feat considering the here-today-gone-today nature of the internet and the rarity of top shelf collaborations where no one falls short. The hazy “Devil In A New Dress” with it’s sublime Smokey Robinson sample and soulful electric strings feels like a conquering objection to gold diggers undermined only by a Rick Ross verse that strays completely off topic. On the flip side, Pusha T and the addition of hollowed Rick James chops and extended instrumentals lift Kanye’s ode to douchebaggery, “Runaway”, to anthemic heights while remaining firmly rooted in Hip Hop — a mashup producing the most ubiquitous track on the album, guaranteeing spins from now through Spring Break.
Even the paradigm shifts are pristine. “No more drugs for me / P*ssy and religion is all I need”, Yeezy kicks on “Hell Of A Life”, a futuristic force of fornication complete with moving orchestras and the “Iron Man” melody where Kanye describes how he “fell in love with a porn star”. “On the bathroom wall I wrote that I would rather argue with you than to be with someone else”, he delivers on the soulful “Blame Game” (featuring John Legend), aptly addressing the love / hate paradox of scorned relationships.
READ FULL REVIEW @BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM
Dee-1: "Jay, 50, And Weezy"
I like the concept for this track.
Dee-1 (or The One Man Army as he's been dubbed) is from the 504 and, according to his bio, "is often described as a mix between Common and T.I.". Lofty comparisons suck like Hoover since they rarely hold true and most are provided by sack riders trying to big up their blog by bloating an artist's actual skill. Regardless, homie's pretty fresh and packs a non-preachy message. Think: The exact opposite of Talib Kweli. Or Jean Grae. Or the rest of Bittersmith, err, Blacksmith Records with a Nawlins' drawl. No, there's nothing wrong with un-lofty comparisons.
Download Dee-1's mixtape, "I Hope They Hear Me" HERE and visit his webiste, Dee1Music.com if you're feeling the "One Man Army".
Dee-1 (or The One Man Army as he's been dubbed) is from the 504 and, according to his bio, "is often described as a mix between Common and T.I.". Lofty comparisons suck like Hoover since they rarely hold true and most are provided by sack riders trying to big up their blog by bloating an artist's actual skill. Regardless, homie's pretty fresh and packs a non-preachy message. Think: The exact opposite of Talib Kweli. Or Jean Grae. Or the rest of Bittersmith, err, Blacksmith Records with a Nawlins' drawl. No, there's nothing wrong with un-lofty comparisons.
Download Dee-1's mixtape, "I Hope They Hear Me" HERE and visit his webiste, Dee1Music.com if you're feeling the "One Man Army".
Who Is Godsilla? Interview
Acem, Truth and Powerful are their birth names. Gods’illa is their moniker. Three “physical” brothers from Brooklyn, New York and PG County, Maryland, raised on Hip Hop and the teachings of the Five Percent Nation, dropping truth bombs like Tracy Morgan. Their self titled album is loaded with ear catching bars and pristine beat selection. It’s the type of project that loiters in the dome long after first listen. Add the trios triumphant live show — one where the acapellas hit as hard as the bass lines — and the question must be asked: Who is Gods’illa?
BrooklynBodega.com spoke with the Show And Prove alums following their performance at the Duck Down versus Blacksmith showcase during this year’s CMJ Music Festival about their origins, their break though debut offering, their chemistry, and their place amongst The Nation of Gods & Earths rich legacy in Hip Hop history.
BB: How does it feel stepping off stage after your first performance at the CMJ [Music Marathon & Film Festival]?
Ace: It feels beautiful, man. It feels great. Just to open up for who we’ve opened up for [Duck Down Records and BlackSmith Records] — as far as inspiration is concerned — we grew up on Hip Hop music and for us to be fans, that comes first. And secondly, it just feels good to be out here with a nice Hip Hop crowd. We out here in Brooklyn, New York City. Shout out to Brooklyn Bodega. And this is [Powerful’s] home. How you feel, P?
Powerful: I feel great, man. These are our legends from my hood. They’re actually from Brooklyn. [Duck Down’s] been holding it down for over 15 years. And I’m just happy to be a part of something like this. I’m from Brooklyn, East New York. When I moved out to Maryland and PG [County], I felt so good about the vibe there that it was like my second home. Now to be back in my original home it’s great, man. To be here for music, for business, for what I love to do. This is great, man.
Truth: The stage is natural so it feels great to be on stage and see a Hip Hop crowd. To rock with Brooklyn Bodega, to open for Duck Down, 9th Wonder, Jean Grae, the whole Blacksmith camp, it’s surreal because, like [Ace] said, we’re fans first. We got to see this experience just yesterday in DC. They came to our home, now y’all invited us to your home to celebrate 15 years. It’s surreal because 15 years ago that was us with Duck Down in the tape deck. That’s real! We go word for word with them. It means a lot to be able to say Gods’illa opened for Duck Down. And we’re back there building with them and we have a relationship with them now. It’s surreal. It’s a great feeling. Thank you. Thank you Brooklyn Bodega. Thank you everybody who’s supported the album and our music.
BB: One of my favorite tracks on Gods’illa is “Who is…?”. I think it introduces you all very well. So who is Gods’illa, because a lot people have never heard of you?
Ace: First and foremost, Gods’illa is three physical brothers that grew up in a righteous way and that’s definitely reflected in our music. Other than that, we’re relative to all the people out there. We are everyday people in that sense. We relate to people. Our music reflects the struggles and triumphs of our people. So that’s who Gods’illa is. It’s three physical brothers out here speaking what we know and we live. Nothing more than that.
Truth: Indeed, that’s funny that you say that, the insight that you came with that particular question because — I don’t know how many people are Hip Hop — but if you’re Hip Hop, you remember the Redman “Soopman Lova” series or the EPMD “Jane” series. Who is Gods’illa, we plan throughout our career to continue to answer that question. So look forward to the answers to that question because the first one is “Who is [Gods’illa]? Probably just another group of rappers talking murder”. So hopefully now that the first album came out, listen for the second piece that we release and you might here that track again.
BB: One of my favorite lines, Truth, is when you said “I’m sicker than anybody with they own disease / I’m in a league with Parkinsons / Lou Gerhig’s / I’m blowing trees”.
Ace: That was sick! That’s one of my favorites too!
Truth: Thank you, man. I try to pride myself because I rhyme next to some amazing dudes. [Ace] is my big brother. Lyrically, for real, growing up — and it’s personal for me so I’m biased — but he goes under Rakim on my list. And it’s been like that way forever because I got to see his growth in what he’s doing. If you listen to Acem on the album, that’s why I gotta come like that. And then I rhyme with my younger brother, [Powerful], whose energy I couldn’t match if I tried. You can’t invent that [Brooklyn sound]. You hear Brooklyn from him. So I’ve got to come like I’m an Emcee’s Emcee. I grew up studying Emcees. I’m a big Raekwon fan, Redman, Sadat X, Ol’ Dirty [Bastard]Pharoahe Monch — these styles unorthodox styles I had to listen to because I’ve got to write to keep up with [my brothers] so I thank you because I don’t know if a lot of people are picking up on some of what I’m saying. Thanks you.
BB: What stands out to me most about Gods’illa is that you put together a complete album. I run across so many albums that either provide too much or too little, that are too broad or too narrow as albums. When you made Gods’illa the album, was there a concept and strategy?
READ FULL INTERVIEW @BROOKLYNBODEGA.COM
Pequena: Appealing to the Pallet and to the Pocket
Resting on the corner of Bergen and Vanderbilt, along Prospect Heights' bourgeoning eatery avenue, is Pequena, a Mexican gem as appealing to the palate as it is to the pocket.
Pequena opened in June 2010, replacing Barrette bar, and is owned and operated by the same brownstone Brooklyn restauranteurs behind popular Ft. Greene locales Moe's Bar, Olea, Maggie Brown and Pequena's South Portland Avenue sister location.
The colorful barrage of rustic Mexican paintings and dangling Dia de los Muertos dolls adds authenticity to the ambiance, fostering an intimate yet boisterous atmosphere. With roughly 20 seats available for dining and a petite, full-service bar, the name Pequena is absolutely apropos. That's a good thing.
READ FULL REVIEW @ WWW.PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
Pequena opened in June 2010, replacing Barrette bar, and is owned and operated by the same brownstone Brooklyn restauranteurs behind popular Ft. Greene locales Moe's Bar, Olea, Maggie Brown and Pequena's South Portland Avenue sister location.
The colorful barrage of rustic Mexican paintings and dangling Dia de los Muertos dolls adds authenticity to the ambiance, fostering an intimate yet boisterous atmosphere. With roughly 20 seats available for dining and a petite, full-service bar, the name Pequena is absolutely apropos. That's a good thing.
READ FULL REVIEW @ WWW.PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
Local Coffee Shop A Symbol of Growth, Community
"I live on Eastern Parkway," said Soraya S. Meer. "I've been here for about 9 years. I love the community. I love the community spirit. [There is] just a wealth of talent and friendliness around here. On every corner there seems to be something amazing."
A mother of three "very American children," Meer and her husband moved from England to Brooklyn early last decade and started their family. As a stay at home mom, she was inspired by the grit and entrepreneurial spirit of local business owners and decided to begin her own venture: Coffee Bites, a recently-opened coffee shop on Washington Ave.
"I've been particularly inspired by [Chef Cheryl Smith] of Global [Soul]", says Meer. "I've seen [her] business grow from nothing to just an amazing, thriving business. I figure if [she] can put that much work in it and work that hard and make something then I would be able to give it a go."
Coffee Bites opened officially this past July. The location is small in size and the menu is big on decadence. It offers an array of Counter Culture coffees and raved about muffins, macaroons, cupcakes, teas and truffles.
"We're now moving on to paninis," she says. "We're slowly expanding our menu."
READ FULL ARTICLE @ WWW.PROSPECTHEIGHTS.PATCH.COM
New Van Lines Cause Headaches For Passengers, Owners
This summer, amid protests, lawsuits and public outcry, the Metropolitan Transit Authority severed five bus lines in Brooklyn and Queens as part of it's deep citywide service cuts.
Among the eliminated lines was the B71, which traveled from Prospect Heights through Park Slope to Carroll Gardens, leaving roughly 1,000 daily passengers without direct transportation through Brownstone Brooklyn.
In place arose Brooklyn Van Lines, the byproduct of an MTA and Taxi Limousine Commission agreement that enabled the private van service to retrace the eliminated bus lines. However, according to frustrated straphangers, the arrival of private public transportation has been coupled with inconsistent service.
"Unfortunately, because of a lack of a publicized schedule, riders have complained of waiting up to one hour for a van," said Assemblywoman Joan Millman, who considers the private van service a stop-gap measure while she fights for restoration of the B71.
"This is not the way to build a business," she said.
Oppositely, the owner of Brooklyn Van Lines, Sulaiman Hauq, complained that the severe lack of passangers threatens not just their ability to offer frequent service, but any service at all.
"It's a tough time trying to develop something that was dropped three months ago by the Transit Authority", says Sulaiman Hauq, owner of Brooklyn Van Lines.
While the B71 provided service to roughly 1,000 passengers a day, the Brooklyn Van Lines have yet to surpass their one-day peak of 12.
READ FULL ARTICLE @ WWW.PATCH.COM
Among the eliminated lines was the B71, which traveled from Prospect Heights through Park Slope to Carroll Gardens, leaving roughly 1,000 daily passengers without direct transportation through Brownstone Brooklyn.
In place arose Brooklyn Van Lines, the byproduct of an MTA and Taxi Limousine Commission agreement that enabled the private van service to retrace the eliminated bus lines. However, according to frustrated straphangers, the arrival of private public transportation has been coupled with inconsistent service.
"Unfortunately, because of a lack of a publicized schedule, riders have complained of waiting up to one hour for a van," said Assemblywoman Joan Millman, who considers the private van service a stop-gap measure while she fights for restoration of the B71.
"This is not the way to build a business," she said.
Oppositely, the owner of Brooklyn Van Lines, Sulaiman Hauq, complained that the severe lack of passangers threatens not just their ability to offer frequent service, but any service at all.
"It's a tough time trying to develop something that was dropped three months ago by the Transit Authority", says Sulaiman Hauq, owner of Brooklyn Van Lines.
While the B71 provided service to roughly 1,000 passengers a day, the Brooklyn Van Lines have yet to surpass their one-day peak of 12.
READ FULL ARTICLE @ WWW.PATCH.COM
Eating At Etons
Dumplings and Sliders and Saimin and Shaved Ice all in the same locale can only mean one thing: "Hipster Asian" has descended on Vanderbilt Avenue.
Located on 635 Vanderbilt Ave. between St. Marks and Prospect Place, Eton introduces an eclectic mix of Hawaiian-inspired Asian cuisine to the local food scene.
Owner, Eton Chan, 31, grew up in the restaurant industry, working his way from busboy to bartender to manager at his parents' fine dining Chinese restaurant in Chicago.
"I went to college at Rutgers University and came back on vacations and helped my parents out. [Then] I was the delivery boy, so pretty much they trained me to do this" said Chan.
After receiving his degree in Economics, he spent the next four years in New York City as a stockbroker, before leaving the spoils of high finance to pursue his passion.
"I went to culinary school, The French Culinary Institute. After graduating [from there], I worked over at Cafe Gray and the Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental. Then I got married."
Chan and his wife Krista, fell in love with shaved ice while honeymooning in Hawaii, and decided to bring it back home with them.
"Brooklyn needs this", he thought and quickly combined shaved ice with the dumplings he served at parties and for friends. "[My wife and I] were like, 'Let's do shaved ice and dumplings and serve some noodles with it and see how it works'. I quit my job. Had a grand opening on Henry St. [in Carroll Gardens] and just went from there."
READ FULL ARTICLE @ WWW.PATCH.COM
A Music Scene Staple Right In Our Backyard
John Legend is a regular there. So are Maxwell and Missy Elliot. The National held practice sessions for it's acclaimed album, High Violet, in one of it's spacious studios before heading on tour. Even Diddy has stopped through to sharpen his live show.
And that's just the tip of the guitar pick.
The laundry list of clients that consider Complete Music Studios home is as impressive in it's length as it is in it's range. Rappers, rock stars, Calypso artists, DJs, tap dancing groups, unsigned acts, big name musicians and after work cover bands all file through to works out the kinks.
"Citizen Cope is a client of ours. Santigold, too," says James Crawford, day manager of Complete Music Studios and a Prospect Heights resident.
Owned and operated by Mike "Big Mike" Marozas, Complete Music Studios is a storage and rehearsal facility located at 227 St. Marks Avenue, just a few steps off of Vanderbilt Ave. Big Mike first started in the music industry in 1981 working for sound companies and touring with Cindi Lauper.
"In 1985, I started a trucking company just for musicians in the city.", Marozas explains. "I made a whole bunch of connections and I was able to open a rehearsal studio in Chelsea on 26 St. in 1989. Because of my trucking connections, I was tied into many of the really big acts of that time. David Bowie, Lou Reid, Keith Richards all rehearsed at my place on 26 St., among others."
By 1993, Marozas was providing all four major industry services to his clients -- trucking services, equipment rentals, storage and rehearsal space. Around 2000, he realized that his lease in Chelsea would expire in 7 years and began plotting his move to Brooklyn.
With a little bit of foresight, he purchased his current property on St. Marks in 2001, just before Prospect Height's recent economic turnaround. " [In 2004] I moved my trucking and my rentals out there and as the neighborhood got significantly better, I opened the first set of little rooms targeting local start-up musicians", he says, "using all word of mouth, not one stitch of advertising".
"I was almost there first" says Marozas about moving CMS to Prospect Heights. "I've brought so many people into a lot of these bars that were opening up. I'm not going to say that I pioneered the area or anything, but when you bring in 100 bands a week, you know, 5 people in a band, they all go out for a beer after. Or Maxwell comes in and puts 12 people up in a hotel to come rehearse here, I'm doing my part for the neighborhood."
Marozas operated rehearsal space in both locations until, in 2006, the landlord of the Chelsea location offered to buy out his lease. "[He] basically made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I was able to build the production facility that the more recent, bigger bands all use."
The rehearsal and storage industry in New York City is considerably small. CMS is one of only three companies with studio space large enough to host major acts. Missy Elliot, for example, brings 20 to 25 dancers to rehearse, so for her and many others, space is paramount.
READ FULL ARTICLE @ WWW.PATCH.COM
Lauryn Hill -- Buyer Beware
In retrospect, it was my fault.
All the signs were there, loitering for the better part of the aughts, screaming out like nicotine warnings from the Surgeon General.
“Hazardous For Money Holder”
“May Complicate Checking Account”
“Purchase At Your Own Risk”
I should’ve seen this coming from satellite distances. I should’ve mentally prepared myself for another craptastic outing from one of the most important, yet consistently most disappointing performing artists in recent Hip Hop history.
I should’ve predicted that Lauryn Hill would shit the proverbial bed -- again -- during her highly anticipated set at the 2010 Rock The Bells Festival.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I trekked to New York City’s Governor’s Island packing a pocket full of unqualified expectations, impatiently awaiting my first live show from the Illest Femcee Ever.
And to say Lauryn Hill is anything short of the Illest Femcee Ever is asinine. It’s more than just the indelible nature of The Score and her solo, seminal offering, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. It’s more than her pristine delivery and ridiculous word play and Mike Tyson-type power punchlines like “even after all my logic and my theories / I’ll add a mutherfucker so you ignant n***** hear me” that seamlessly ooze into the air like lyrical incense yet remain potent enough to floor the most elite of emcees. It’s more than her world class vocals and her ability to touch heavenly octaves, stirring souls and shaking asses simultaneously, through every syllable sung.
It’s more than that.
Lauryn Hill’s resolute standing in Hip Hop is cemented in what her music represents. At a time when females in rap subjected themselves to extreme sexual exploitation (some more willingly than others) as a means to progress in a male dominated and rapidly commercializing industry, L Boogie sold over twelve million copies of her 1998 solo album by embodying an image overtly contra to the status quo.
She wasn’t boasting about how she can “make a Sprite can disappear into her mouth”. She was imploring women everywhere to “watch out [because] some guys are only about that thing”.
Through her uplifting hymns, visceral rhymes and the rare creative trifecta of singer/songwriter/producer, Hill defied industry pigeon holing, crafted timeless music that connected with people worldwide, sold millions of records and earned millions of dollars. She graced Time Magazine and Newsweek and landed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. She broke all kinds of Grammy records for nominations and awards. She became an international sensation while staying true to herself and the integrity of women everywhere. She kept it real.
She kept it Hip Hop.
But a funny thing happened on the way to ubiquity.
Before Lauryn’s stardom swept the globe, her own personal sideshow crept into the rumor mill. Reports of a torrid love triangle between fellow Fugee, Wyclef Jean -- whom she “clandestinely dated” for years while in the group -- and former University of Miami linebacker, Rohan Marley, raised eyebrows across the industry. When word of Hill’s pregnancy spread -- as this 2003 Rolling Stone investigation describes -- “the Fugee camp wondered whether the baby was Marley’s or Jean’s”.
At the same time, a rift formed within the group. Following the success of The Score, Pras and Lauryn supported Clef’s solo project, The Carnival, “emotionally and creatively”, with both members making guest appearances. But when Lauryn began working on a project of her own, Clef failed to return the same support. Not only did Clef’s disinterest frustrate Lauryn, but reportedly, it drove her to stamp an end on the creative battle the two maintained since first teaming up by crafting the ultimate album, free and clear of her bandmate’s assistance. That album was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and not so ironically, it settled the score.
But where Lauryn Hill of the 1990s was exalted for her timeless talent and trend bucking bravado while her personal demons remained on the fringe of her reputation, "Ms. Hill" of the 2000s has pulled a complete image 180. Her otherworldly talent is now on the outskirts of her career, supplanted by a completely puzzling void of new music, a perplexing array of enigmatic (re: poor) showings and enough speculation into her personal life to render her timeless music almost an afterthought.
Her 2001 MTV Unplugged No.2 “performance”, for example, offered less of the empowered individual who exuded confidence in every bar previously and more of a broken spirit embattled by the confines of extreme success. Not only was her unhinged performance released as a twenty-two track double disk that, to this day, remains a commercial failure (moving less than 600k units in eight years); not only was it contextually lathered in self-loathing and industry resentment and depressing enough to invoke thoughts of suicide from the listener -- but from a talent perspective, Ms. Hill appeared to be a fraction of her former self. Her voice was excessively raspy, if not broken throughout, and her acoustic guitar playing was overtly amateurish, seemingly relying on the same three chords for the duration of the album.
And that was just the beginning.
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Devin The Dude, Gotta Be Me Album Review
You can almost picture Devin The Dude blunted out on a black leather couch somewhere rocking out to The Commodores, reflecting on a life filled with women and weed when listening to Gotta Be Me. The Odd Squad rapper’s seventh studio album (and second this year) is laced with mounds of cannabis-appreciation and hilariously crass commentary on females and fornication and -- excluding “When Will I Win,” a pensive ode to the traps of hustling backwards -- nothing else.
Normally, such contextual limitations signal the onset of redundancy, but in Devin’s case it’s an asset that never depreciates because of his honest contradiction. He proudly accepts being a “dick for hire” on “Come & Go”, because, as he says, “both of our schedules are kind of busy but we manage / Ro scratch that itch and then we leave” then reassures that the relationship is more than just a convenient quickie on the sublime “I Like What U Do”: “You’re my queen to be / and you deserve the best...and everywhere we go / they’ll know you’re not a hoe." The times have changed, but this is the same Devin that was Rap-A-Lot Records' best-kept secret for nearly two decades before going independent.
“Excuse my behavior but right now I need / That other good stuff / I already have weed” he delivers over “No Need To Call’s” breezy backdrop, deriding women that call only to talk. “You’re the reason why I’m leaving my old ways / My black book is gone and I forgot where them hoes stay,” he confesses on the sultry “Gimme Some,” pleading for something more significant. Devin exalts self-assured women who know exactly what they want and are honest about who they are on the mack-mode ready “You So Real,” and holds no regrets against a relationship marred in equal infidelity on “Aint Goin Nowhere.” Then on the thumping “Fuckha” he hilariously informs her new dude about his girl’s scandalous past:
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