When I Got Into Hip Hop

The realization that I liked hip hop happened for me when I was in my senior year of high school, at the very beginning of the year. I didn’t like hip hop before that time because I had grown up in 90’s California in the Sacramento area and all of the stuff that I heard on the radio was west coast mainstream stuff. I heard Tupac, NWA, Snoop Dogg, and all that stuff that was blowing up over on the left side of the country, and I honestly just didn’t like it. In senior year I discovered, quite by accident, the nerdcore hip hop scene, and oh goodness, that really quickly spiraled into a love of hip hop.

At first I was laughing about how a bunch of nerds were rapping, and then I decided to take a shot at it myself, and I discovered that I was really enjoying the community (Rhyme Torrents circa 2006). I was one of them, and I identified with them. I realized that these people weren’t making fun of hip hop as much as they were expressing themselves with it. Up until then I had though in such a mainstream way about hip hop music and it never crossed my mind that there was much else to it than the drugs, money, booze, etc. This was it. This was my introduction.

I was listening to a bunch of hip hop then that I don’t listen to now, a bunch of stuff coming out of the nerdcore community that’s kind of dated already, with low production value and terrible breath control. Everybody was just trying new things out, getting a feel for it. Through all this I discovered, thanks to Doogie Howitzer, Canadian hip hop. My mind was transformed.

I was downloading everything I could get my ears on from Canada, and I discovered during that year that the East coast was putting out all good hip hop in the nineties. I heard B.I.G.’s Ready to Die, Nas’ Illmatic, Wu-Tang’s 36 Chambers, and started listening for that raw, powerful hip hop sound that really just makes you feel what they’re feeling. You can get sucked into it and understand why they're saying what they're saying.

Hip hop is an art. It took me 16 years to realize it, but there’s no doubt about it. Now I can’t help but get my greasy paws on anything that’s got a beat. Now I dig through CDs at my local music store looking for anything and everything I haven’t heard before, and I browse the internet daily hoping to open up my hip hop consciousness.

Now I’ve been awakened to a world of music I never thought existed. What else is out there that I haven’t even heard yet? I hope I stumble across something right now. I may have come into it late in the game but I'm never going to leave.

3 Things That Music Does + More or Les/Fresh Kils Video!

Sounds come out of speakers or headphones and do several things:

1) They entertain.

2) They influence mood.

3) They inspire.

At least, these things happen for me. When I'm drawing I like to listen to Spiral Like the 9 by Livestock and let the raw production and soothing, big bear vocal styles guide my Ticonderoga 2HB Soft across the page. It inspires me, helping me fall into a sort of trance and really get into the piece I'm working on.

When I'm out running around town I like to listen to Baracuda's Do Tell Mixtape because the pumping, rough-housing flow of the entire album really pushes my limits, boosting my body to a new level of physical ability.

And when I can't find a copy of The Phantom Tollbooth, I put on Burglaritis by Wordburglar, because that's the only album that can entertain my need for excessive wordplay and puns.

All this is important to me, and I need to be in different situations to reach the peak of enjoyment for each album that I have. Generally, one of these three things happens (and occasionaly, 4. They Disappoint) when I listen to music. This is why I have an endless search going for new music, I'm constantly trying to find something new to hear as I embark on my next journey.

So... enough said, let's listen to something!

This is recently out!
From Hand'Solo Records description:

More Or Les and Fresh Kils recently released their collaboration EP that is appropriately titled The Les-Kils EP. They’ve just released the video for first single, “Pop N’ Chips”, a party-having posse cut that also features Timbuktu and Ghettosocks. The song is produced by Fresh Kils. The video is directed by Darrell Faria, produced by Mike MacMmillan and edited by Jonathan Eagan.

Seriously, this is fresh, and the video is hilarious!
If you don't like this, you're a darn fool.
Enjoy!

Unlimited Versatility.

People tend to think that rapping is all about money, women, drugs, and booze.
That's only part of it.
Hip hop is a medium of unlimited versatility.
From ytcracker to Bourgeois Cyborgs to The Killaz.
It's all over the place.
Let it overtake you.
Go somewhere new.
Discover the Hidden Kingdom.

Video of the Day - We Have Come for your Children

So... I know this came out a while ago but I didn't share it with you before and I ought to share it with you now. It's got some of my favorites (Wordburglar & Ghettosocks) and the cinematography is just plain awesome. Though you can view it here, I highly suggest going to the actual YouTube video and watching it in high definition on your giant flatscreen monitors. Very flashy and nice on the eyes, yo.



Suptertoke 3 - We Have Come For Your Children
feat:
Ghettosocks
Wordburglar
Bath-o
More or Les
Odario Williams
Carl Sampson
Uncledropsi
D-Ray

TYT's Puzzle Pieces out tomorrow

Rapper TYT, who can be found on a billion and one releases through various Rhyme Torrents artists, is releasing yet another album, entitled Puzzle Pieces. You can order it on HIS SITE or if you'd like to first, check out some of the tracks on his MySpace Page.

In addition to being a cool cat, there are a TON of guest artists on this album, including, but not limited to, Schaffer The Darklord, Epidemic, Conyeezy, nYgel, and Nerraux (from the Awful Show Podcast).

Check it out!

Big Huge Truck

When is this album coming out? I can't get enough of the tracks that are on the MySpace page and I have absolutely no idea when this release is set to come out!! I first heard House on Wheels (feat. Noah23) when it was listed as a track on one of Noah's mixtapes (which was released as "feat. Gregory Pepper") and I fell in love with it. And MadadaM, ever since I heard Train Rawbers, has been one of my favorite producers of all time. And then, with the fairly recent release of "With Trumpets Flaring" by Gregory Pepper... I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS ALBUM!

If you don't know, the project is a collaboration between MadadaM and Gregory Pepper, two prolific artists, teamed up with a slew of the most wicked Canadian rappers (and probably other people as well). As you'll see on their MySpace, they've already teamed up with Noah23, Ceschi, Livestock, and Blue Blue Heron. And every song is great.

Right now I've been listening to the track Cautionary Tales nonstop, which features a genius collaboration with rapper Ceschi, and one of the best transitions I've ever heard in my life... so what am I going to do until the full album is out? I guess it's time to keep listening to the MySpace player and pray that these fantastic artists get crackin'!

Check it out:
OFFICIAL MYSPACE