Ras Shiloh - Coming home

One of the biggest losses in contemporary Reggae has to be the very untimely death of "Garnett Silk" in the mid 90ies, he could have become one of the brightest shining stars of the genre. Luckily we still got "Ras Shiloh" who has a voice that is very similar to the dead "superstar-to-be". It's hard to tell from listening to him but he's American, born and raised in NY. This album from 07' is one of his most recent and best.

It starts geniously whit "We need more love" who calls out for "more love" and is very critical to how we treat each other nowadays and how he's "tired of walking the streets being afraid of my own shadow", the music is very smooth and relaxed without straying too much from a distinct backbeat. This is the kinda riddim that works just as well on an British "lovers rock" song as an more conscious one, an excellent start to this album and one of my favourite "Ras Shiloh" songs of all-time.

Next up, on "Voice of the people"  he criticize the governments of the world and how they oppresses "the voice of the people"  and how that will cause 'nuff negativity such as riots and social unrest. It features Rasta/12 Tribes super group "Morgan Heritage" and is a lil bit more uptempo than the first song, it's a good song whit an important message but fails to reach the heights of the first song. A couple songs later we get "The new rising day" whit Ragga artist "Bascom X", it's similar to the first song in content but ads a bit of dancehall vibes to the preachings of love and understanding, a great uptempo roots song whit a contemporary feel.

For those who want's lovers songs he continues whit "Need your love" and "Are you lonely" who are just as smooth and relaxed as these sorta songs should be, i think it's a nice touch when more conscious, rootsy artists ad a few love songs to their albums, it softens them up a bit, ads variety and iv'e personaly always enjoyed sappy love songs done to a backbeat.

 Don't think that "Ras Shiloh" strays from the more straight religious subjects on here, "Volume of the books" deals whit the words of the bible and on "Come down Jah Jah" he pleads for god to return to earth, all over some catchy uptempo riddims. Over all i would say that this is a very good and well rounded album where Ras infuses some of his own personality into his music and shows that he's more than just a "Garnett Silk" copycat artist. I may not have mentioned every song on here but this album certainly is one without any fillers, if you're into smooth, contemporary roots reggae whit a touch of "lovers rock" you would do very good in buying this.

 Coming Home   Only King Selassie   Babylon You Doom   From Rasta to You   Melchizedek Vibes Vol. One

I'm back

I have not really cared about this blog for a long time but i got a burst of motivation and will start writing again. I might restructure it a little bit and start covering subjects i did not cover before but im still the same old guy so the focus on music will most likely still be there.

Louisiana showcase to look out for

Found a flyer for this future project, a cd/dvd will be dropping sometime soon featuring all kinda rappers from Louisiana, sounds very interesting and promissing if u ask me. Im not associated whit the project but "be on the look out" for it, shure seems promising.

C.M.N. - Bulletproof vest

Being one of the Southern cities where Crips established themselves in, the Shreveport Rap scene has always had a strong West coast influence. This can be hear in artists like "Jako James" and most certainly on this Ep from "C.M.N." which features 5 tracks of skillfully made G-funk. My first impression after looking at the cover was that this was going to be one heck of a hardcore album, it has that primitive but sinister look to it, kinda like a Louisiana version of the early Memphis "horrorcore" tapes.

I could not be more wrong, it's on the softer side of the "Reality-rap" spectrum, these cats ain't portraying themselves to be the hardest or toughest guys out there and the music is as smooth as it can be. First track is the title track "Bullet proof vest" where they advice fools to wear their bulletproof vest on if they are to survive on the streets of port city. It's a lot less "hardcore" cut than you may think but among the better on here, fans of "Warren G" and likewise LA artists will really dig this album. Their flow is perfect, lyrics on point and the beat ain't any worse.

Next up is "Last but not least", i dunno why but I'm not feeling this song quite as much, something whit the chorus that annoys me. It's not really a bad song, it's about how they have to work twice as hard for recognition in the rap game since they ain't from the "East" or "West" where all the focus is. Everything is on point in this one and I have no clue why i don't like it, chances are that you will.

If we jump one track we come to "You don't know me" who is about all these fake friends who tries to pose as if they know you since you made it big, besides having a violin loop that really don't fit this is a very good song, once again whit a perfect flow and all that. Last song is "Lyrical homicide", not bad but i have some minor issues whit the chorus again, using phrases like "lyrical homicide" and "verbal drive-by" is very corny to me. Other than that i dig it.

To sum things up, putting the minor flaws aside, this is a very good album, tite production and flow, I would label this "perfect cruising music". The back of the cover says the 5 songs have been taken from a future full-lenght Cd, "10 years in the making" but i don't think it was ever released. A great Los Angeles album, from Shreveport/Louisiana.

Ms.Tee, Queen of New Orleans RAP

When it comes to female New Orleans artists iv'e always considered "Ms.Tee" the queen (not Mia X) of Rap (and "Cheeky Black" perhaps the prinsses). I realy dig her albums but it was quite some time since i heard too much from her. Lately though iv'e noticed that several new songs have popped up on her myspace page (good ones) and there has been talk of a new album being in the makings. So, check out her page and keep your eyes/ears open for a new album (I realy hope there will be one).

http://www.myspace.com/msteegirltalk

NewBounce Documentary; Ya Heard Me

I got both good and bad news for you, the good is that there actually is a documentary about Bounce music out there, "Ya Heard Me". The bad news is that i know nothing about how you can watch this movie, unless you belong to the "movie festival crowd". In it you get to see legends like "Dj Jimi", "TTucker" and "Cheeky Blakk" among a buncha others like "Kilo" and old "No Limit" artist "Mia X".

Kilo really nails it down when he tries to describe Bounce by saying "It's not gangsta music, it's not R&B music, it's project music", a truer comment could not be said about this "sub genre", it's really not gangsta (although some artists do music they describe as "gangsta bounce") but it feels just about as ghetto as it possibly can. Well, in the documentary we get to see plenty of asses shaking and we get some time in the studio where they make bounce beats.

Damn, damn, damn, gosh darn it, I want to see this documentary. I will have to try and convince the maker of this movie that I'm important enough to be sent a screener copy of it. I know I will not be able to attend any screenings at festivals and I do not wanna wait until a DVD release is available.

http://www.yaheardmefilm.com/

Hideo Out Clique - Game on freeze

There is just so much talent in New Orleans that it's almost unreal, before Katarina there was like 500.000 persons living there and it seems as if you triple that number you get the amount of great Rap albums that has been released from there. Today we gon take a closer look at one of these, a rare lil underground gem by a buncha brothas i really dunno too much about other than that it always cost quite a bit when i see it on Ebay and still attracts plenty of bidders.

Shit starts whit an annoying Intro shaped as an Radioshow (ain't those the worst?). It gets better fast though when the first song comes, "In da zone" which is sum str8 killa shit about how they ain't afraid to kill you and leave your family suffering. An aggressive, really tite song and boy can these guys flow or what? They are rappin their asses of on here, very good. They continue whit "Want some, get some" where they rap whit more rough voices and a 100% more aggressive style, it's about how you must get what you want and not sit there waiting for shit to come to you, this song is sooo freakin, good and their flow is among the better I've heard in a long, long time. These cats gotta be the hungriest rappers ever.

Adding some variety to things, the next cut is more mellow and R&B-ish "Ain't worth living" which is a heartfelt and depressing look into these guys life's full of of drugs, death and ghetto drama and how life really is not worth living that way. For y'all youngsters out there (who has watched too many ghetto flicks and is) thinking "thug-life" is cool, let these cats educate y'all. More mellowness is served on "Caught in the game" who is kinda on the same level as the previous tune. On a more upbeat level (a few tunes further in) we get "Southern girls", dedicated to all black women from the south. This is on some really positive vibes, bigging up all women instead of going on degrading them by calling them all sorta expletives and hurling insults at em. A perfect break from all the depressing shit.

Track 09, "Everybody wanna be a...." is a return to the more aggressive feel of the first few songs and is about how hard and mean they are, one of my many favourites on here. Next up is "Face down", about how all their enemies must die, laying face down. It's not smart, subtle or anything like that, this is 100% pure, in your face gangsta music, these guys are mad and won't try to hide it or anything... It might be glorifying and negative but still a catchy as FUCK tune that is bound to stick in your head like glue.

Over all i would say that this is an soooopah tite album, it's well balanced and varied while still always remaining street and gangsta. Their flow is nothing but amazing, like i said: These guys rap their asses of and each rapper bring their own style to the game that all blends into a very appealing album. It's unf. a quite rare album, if you find it on Ebay or anywhere else online, expect to pay like 50-70$ at least. No matter how tite an album might be, a lot of folks would never pay that much for any Cd but if you belong to the few who would, this one is worth it.

New Orleans videos

Aint got too much to say other than that these be some tite rap videos from New Orleans artists....... Enjoy them.

Unknown Vandals - When it rains it pours

I don't know too much about these folks or this group so don't ask me who they are, all i know is that they're from New Orleans, one of the guys on the backside cover looks just like C-Lock but they album mentions nothing about him so considering he would be a major selling point for them I assume it's not him since he's not mentioned. What i do know though is that this is an album well worth your attention.

Let it be known that even though this most certainly is street/gangsta these guys are on some intellectual/political shit and they go out hard str8 from the start whit "Sinners prayer" who has a slow, very melodic beat whit a bluesy guitar. It's basically about them wanting to change their lives but they dunno how or how it became so messed up to begin whit. People who are against gangstarap and claim it promotes violence needs to hear this, real gangstarap ain't promoting SHIT!!! A very good start of the album that sets the tone for what is to come, if y'all are looking for easy chewable entertainment full whit sex, violence and machismo this ain't the album.

If i have to choose a favourite among the many great songs on here it would be song 3, "Hear where I'm comin from" which is a plea to the world to understand them and an explanation why so many ghetto youths are actin the way they do. I dunno if I'm just a too liberal middle class kid whit a "bleeding heart" but songs like this really, really moves me and I find it deeply disturbing that there are folks who has to live like this. This one is also pretty laid back and smooth whit a sung chorus "....hey do you hear me, somebody here where I'm coming from. Ain't no way i let you get near me I gotta keep from getting done. Always gotta watch my back, gotta stay strapped. Got me living by the gun, is it because I'm black, they got it like that ?......" Ain't got anything else to say other than that this song is pure genius.

Next up is "Can't stop a player", a song they could just as well have cut out of the album. It's a str8 pimp track whit played out samples like "...everybody can control a woman's body...." It's like they listened to the songs they had so far and got a lil bit embarrassed and scared that folks in the hood would think they're too soft and just went on whit sum str8 negative shit bout bitches,hoes bla, bla bla.... It's not that it's a bad song but you've just come to expect more out of "Unknown Vandals" whit all the deep, thoughtful songs prior to this one.

Luckily there is not too many songs like that, things get back on track a few cuts later whit the R&B-ish "It haven't been easy" featuring Ruth Robinson, a really slow, melodic track whit plenty of piano, flute and singing. The song is about how tough it has been to get anywhere in the music business and how much drama and sacrifice it has takes them to even get as far as they did (which isn't that far, to my knowledge they never made it big, even though they deserved to). Another favourite is "End of the world" that is on some doom/armageddon tip, ain't gonna go for a essay on this song but it's good and they are really spittin some deep stuff on here.

I could go on and on about how neat this album is, about their lyrics and stuff but I'm goin to try and sum things up. This is a very good album, it has that gangsta feel to it but at the same time these cats are very deep, emotional and political. They may be street cats but at the same time these guys are very smart, has thought about things and actually has something to say. They do this over some smooth, very tite R&B-ish kinda beats, things are very laid back and chill. Just go and get this album, it has dropped considerably in price the last few years so y'all can actually buy it and not be broke for the rest of the month......

Hard Head - Self titled

Except for the almost unreal success stories of "No Limit" and "Cash Money" the folks at "Big Boy Records" has always been among the biggest when it comes to N.O rap. In the mid to late 90ies they where unstoppable and the classics kept on coming. They where the ones behind acts like G-Slimm, Black Menace and J-Dawg and did also release the first albums by Fiend and Mystical. Then, like so many other labels they kinda fell from grace (although they never totally disappeared) to return around 2005 whit a coupla releases to reclaim their former glory.

I was never that impressed by the release from "Block Burnas" and I'm yet to hear the album by Dangerfield but let's forgett about them and get into the first cut on the album, "I'm a big boy" which is a boastful club sounding track that is just as much about mentioning how good his label is as it's about how good he is himself since he signed whit the best label in the world. The beat is kinda stripped down and relies heavily on a short synth loop. After that comes a skit that introduces us to the next tune "I want Ice" who is about how much diamonds Hardhead has and want which is dropped over another stripped down but more bouncy beat than the first track.

One of my favourite songs on here is "I'm drunk", the subject is self explanatory and this is just the perfect party song, could see this work real well at a frat party or something... Although this is not an all out funny track it had me laughing at times and i can relate to the subject (who wasn't partying and sometimes drinking too much in their teens ?). One of the few more thugged out tracks is "Trigga man", produced by legendary producer "Sinista", it's good but i think he does the partying, feel good tracks a lil bit better.

Another favourite is "Focusing on the wrong thing", probably the most personal song on here and is about his family, friends and things that seem to be wrong in Hardheads life. It's nice to get a glimpse into his life, beyond all the partying and swagger that is very much the focus on the rest of the Cd. Another more thugged out track is "2 step" whit label mates "J-Dawg" and "Dangerfield", not bad but not the best on here either.

Summing up this album i have to say that it's really good and it surprises me that I like it, although it's kinda streets (whit it's fair share of thug tunes) this is not quite as hard and dark as the stuff I'm used to listening to. It's more light hearted, more about partying and clubbing and less about depressions and personal demons needing to be exorcised. He has a very nasal flow that might anoy some but i like it and it works perfect for the album.

This is not like the old "Big Boy Records" releases of the past that I'm used to and loves. It was released in 05 and is already getting rare (if you are to believe the prices it sells for online), if you can find it, get it cause it's a good album.