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.

A buncha old mp3z

Iv'e always been into diggin up obscure underground rap, the artists that no one have heard about. Way, way back, like 10 years ago when the mp3 format was new there was this site, mp3.com. I loved that page like crazy, tons and tons of underground music, all availible for free, legal downloads.

No matter what the site tried though i guess they could not make it profitable and pay for the (i assume) enormous bandwith that they generated so it slowly downscaled and finaly ceased to exist. Before that happened though, i had downlaoded tons of shit from it. Just recently found some of those discs and decided to upload a few of my favourites.

I will never upload full albums and be a threat to the industry in any form but expect to find selections like this on here every once in a while, i love to share my findings.

http://www.mediafire.com/?5ciok94qvie

Kunta-Loc - Dead soldiers

I dunno too much about this artist, he's from Louisiana and has been shot a few times, judging from a song title he could be from Shreveport. There is one thing i do know though, if you want your Rap whit a hardcore Gangsta flavor, look no further cause this is about as rough as it gets. Plenty of attitude and aggression on here, Kunta ain't playing, he takes no prisoners! Another thing he doesn't do is corny intros or skits, something I'm very thankful for.

Shit starts whit "Carry me", a song about how his homie got murdered and death in the hood in general, this is a no-nonsense hardcore as fuck song that pulls no punches what-so-ever.... The chorus goes "they come to carry me, bury me, why they wanna see me dead ?" Kunta-Loc sets the records str8 from the get go, showing the world he's not joking and that this album deals whit some real, serious street stuff. The song catches your attention and has this creepy quality to it, depressing material indeed but very good.

Things lighten up slightly whit next track, "Farley" who despite still being very hardcore ain't quite as dark and serious whit it's "don't fuck whit me" type of lyrics. It's aggressive and boastful as Kunta tells the world how big and bad he is over a repetitive piano loop that works really well. Next up is "Coming" who has a similar built up beat but features an unmentioned female rapper, it's an anti playahata cut, nothing special really and just as aggressive as anything else on here.

There's not really too much more to say about this album, Kunta is angry as fuck on most of the following songs and even the love song "Graveyard love" has a street vibe to it. He kinda touches on emotions and a lil bit deeper shit on "Feel me" where he tries to explain to the world how he feels and why. Then we got "Dead soldier" who is kinda mellancholic and deals whit the anxiety that always having death around the corner brings.

Over all I would say that this certainly is a good album, the beats are very gangsta in a toned down way and Kunta seem to have gone thru a lot of shit. It do however tend to get a lil too one dimensional sometimes, it's str8 sex, violence and darkness from start to finish. One or two songs about something else would have brought some well needed diversity to the mix. Still, the album is good and has a very distinct Louisiana "gangsta" feel to it. If you can find it, buy it.

download my beats, for free

I've been messing around some whit making my own beats, here's a few.... Download em for free and put your vocals on em as you please but send me a copy of whatever you make.

http://www.mediafire.com/?lgtyyy1e4yg

Stirgus - One man gang

When it comes to the classic New Orleans labels from way back, "Untouchable Records" ranks among the best of them and has a ton of classic releases in their back catalogue. Nothing good lasts forever though and it seems as if they just quit the game after a few weaker (but still good) releases. Not for too long though as they are back on the scene whit their latest act, "Strigus". Don't ask me who this guy is as I've never heard or read anything about him prior to this release.

The first song (after the intro) is "Man up" ft. "L.O.G." and CEO "Al Rock", it has a sing-songy chorus and i guess it's some sorta city anthem as the lyrics go "....i come from the city of the cut throat guerrillas". It's not a bad cut and features one of my all time favourite rappers (L.O.G.) but i dunno.... I was kinda expecting more from "Untouchable Records", i might have had to high expectations that where impossible to live up to but the magic from 97-98 just isn't there (although this is not an extremely crappy album). It's not this sorta shit that made me a die hard N.O rap fan.

Usually when i review albums i dissect them good, commenting on at least 4-5 songs, talking about the feel of them, features and what the lyrics are about but I'm not going to do that this time. I feel it's a waste of time as there is nothing on this album that deserves too much attention. It's not that it sucks too much cause it's a fairly competent & professional album. It's just that i expect so much more from a label like "Untouchable Records".

They used to drop some of the hardest, most uncompromising gangstarap in New Orleans and this is a album full of mainstream pop rap that is more about the clubs, chicks and R&B flavored cross-over songs. Sorry, but i don't see y'all topping the charts anytime soon so alienating your old fanbase in the process does not seem like a very good idea. Nice to have y'all back but this is not what i hoped for.

A few things i don't like about Rap

I'm a major music nerd, i buy books, magazines and Cd's like there are no tomorrow and spend plenty of time finding obscure groups no one has ever heard of and my main genre (besides Reggae) is Rap/Hip hop. That does not have to mean that i like everything that goes on whit in the confines of this genre, consider this a list of things that annoys me, in no particular order.


1.Anniversary magazine issues
Seem like every major rap/urban magazine existing are very keen on finding 1 billion reasons to celebrate some sorta anniversary and look back at previous issues and pat themselves in the back (while they say the best is yet to come). This is starting to bug me, i mean there are legitimate reasons to celebrate, like for an example the 100th issue, 10 years in the industry or even your 1st year as a magazine but shit are starting to get a bit ridiculous now.......


2.Acronyms
One thing that really, really gets on my nerves is when artists claim to be a thug, gangsta, pimp or whatever and then flips the word into some bogus positive acronym (like T.H.U.G.=them healthy uplifting guys). It's like they think, "I'm gonna call myself all these cool street things and if someone criticise me for glorifying negative shit i can just claim it mean this........." Just give it up and represent what you are and nothing else. However, this is not to be mixed up whit for example religious artists who tries to camouflage their message to reach lost souls in the streets (like "I'm slanging the gospel to the Jesus fiends"), i consider that pretty clever.


3.Overused samples
Am I the only one seriously fed up whit folks who samples "Scarface" quotes in their songs? It seem like every rap album known to mankind have to include the lines "All i have in this world.....". Unf. I'm guilty myself of making beats whit samples from this movie, call it hypocritical or not but i can't stand hearing Al Pachino on every album i pick up, i way rather go whit James Brown or George Clinton samples (which is criminally overused in the sampling world as well).


4.Intros, skits etc....
De La Soul's "3 feet high and rising" may be one heck of a classic album and i absolutely love it but it was also the first Rap/Hip hop album to feature "skits" a plenty and these little things are something i hate whit a passion. Why do we have to put up whit all these phony radio broadcasts, news show segments and game shows whit lame attempts at humor? They're at the best of albums as well as the worst and are never funny so please quit it, NOW!!!!

5.Coming soon
This may not totaly fit the criteria as i don't disslike or hate this phenomenon but isn't it kinda funny looking at the inside booklet of many of the independent releases and see how many albums there is that is adverised as "coming soon" that never came for one reason or another. Seems like the rap game was not the "pot of gold" that so many thought it would be. I wonder what happened whit the folks behind all these failed labels whit grand plans that amounted to nothing......

Graveyard Soldjas - Day of execution

Man, this is quite some creepy shit we got here, these cats may be from New Orleans but it's not the usual gangsta or bounce sound they come whit. This is their first album and usually the one that fans likes the most, on their other 3 albums the released after this one they changed up their style a lil bit. If you are into toungetwisting and and horrorcore like music (not the rap/metal sorta horrorcore that they do in Detroit, like ICP, Twistid etc..) u will go crazy over this album.

After the obligatory intro comes "Natas of nos" ("Son of Satan" backwards) and while I'm 100% against satanism i gotta admit this is one heck of a strong opening and a str8 killa track where they rap about how they are possessed and kill and slaughter folks, the lyrics really ain't that different from something you would find on some sorta more extreme "Metal" album. They really got a "Bone Thugs" sound on this one though so it's more slow and creepy than rock like.

Then comes "5 leaf clover" which is a relaxed smoking weed song whit a very different feel than the first one, it's not my favourite song of the album but it's still good and their flow is as tite as ever. The beat on "Listen" is among the best of the album (whit it's synthetic sounding flute melody) and their toungetwisting is 100% on point, damn if i could rap like that. Whit "Sites were back to the dark, creepy shit whit "Bone Thugs" typa harmonies, would be the perfect tune for a horror movie whit it's killa typa lyrics.

I could go on and praise each and every song on this album, even though some are better than others this is one of those rare albums you could listen to from start to finish and not skip one single track. Except for the Intro there is only full songs on here, no annoying skits, not 1 million guest features that distract you or any other annoying things. If I am forced to find a weak spot it would be the lyrics, not that they are bad but pretty much every song is about the same shit, Murda, murda, kill, kill.....

For shure a New Orleans classic, full of sooopah tite songs but don't expect variety or your usual NO rap, u wont find it here and y'all better not be too sensitive to violent lyrics either. If you can find it, get it. There is a re-release out there but it's also pretty rare, worth it though....

Reggae Vinyls, R.I.P. ?

When i started buying music way back in the days, the only format that counted was Vinyl, casettes where availible but didn't feel as real so I never bought em (unless they where on sale, whit huge discounts). Time passes by and it was a long time since I stopped bying vinyl.

There has however, been a scene for vinyls long after i gave it up in the early 90' ies. The market for reggae on vinyl has been very strong among the more hardcore fans and soundsystems. Now it seem as if that is pretty much dying out, whit only extreme nostalgia buffs still being interested, or?

"The reduction in vinyl production in the West Indies has dramatically affected the way I access music," explains the legendary DJ - or selector - David Rodigan, host of the weekly Rodigan's Reggae show on London's Kiss 100 FM."

read article here:

http://music.guardian.co.uk/urban/story/0,,2242297,00.html

I miss "Pen and Pixels"

I know alot of folks tend to disslike the "over-the-top" bling bling covers from "Pen and Pixels" but oooh, how I loved them. They are getting more and more rare for each day that passes by but have they been replaced by anything better?

I dunno if it is because im kinda into graphic designing but covers play a large part in deciding what cd's i buy and i have bought countless albums, unheard simply because i loved the special fx laced "Pen and Pixel" cover whit it's cartoony Gangsta look.

That realy isn't happening too often whit todays mixtape covers or the overly airbrushed covers of recent years. Please, return "Pen and Pixel" cause i miss y'all

Best place to buy underground music

For those of us who still prefers to buy music, in it's physical shape and who prefers the unknown, upcoming talents where do we turn? This may seem as an paid, sneaky advertisement but i would have to say that Cdbaby is a safehaven for unknown but great sounding artists "on-the-come-up". You can tell this is a place run by fellow "music nerds", they even have a 5$ cd section that makes it way less risky trying out new artists that you've never heard of but that fits in your favourite genre.

As far as genres go, they got every genre covered and categorised in a multitude of subgenres (it's starting to border on too many subgenre classifications) so no matter what music you like you will easily find the local, hidden gems that would normaly go under your radar. To make shure youre getting something you like they are pretty generous whit song samples, no need to buy anything unheard, even if it's only a 5$ album. If you want unknown artists, give them a try.

http://www.cdbaby.com/

The blog previously known as "Vybes Central"

When I first started this blog i decided to exclusively dedicate it to Reggae and anything related to it, the thought was not to create the Ultimate blog read and debated on by everyone into Reggae. However, spending time creating a blog that hardly anyone reads or show any interest in is a waste of my (not always so precious) time.

This is why a change had to come, the old content will still be there and i will still cover Reggae music but hte focus has been expanded to cover everything i like and enjoy, such as movies, music, fashion, books, graphic design and whatever else I enjoy....... Hopefully this will boast the interest in this blog and motivate me to update it more often.

So, I hope y'all will enjoy the blog more now than y'all did before/Christoffer