Create a Tracklist!

Here's a creative little concept I encountered on Boxden... creating a tracklist for your favorite emcee(s). I made an attempt on Redman's rumored Muddy Waters II LP:

1. Dr. Trevis Returns (Intro)
2. Still 4 Real (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
3. Funk 'n Skunk (feat. Method Man) (Prod. by Pete Rock)
4. Fuckwhatyaheard (feat. Busta Rhymes) (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
5. Gilla House Killa (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
6. Tokyo Dro (Da Iron Lung) (feat. Method Man) (Prod. by The RZA)
7. High Times (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
8. Redd Fuxx (Skit)
9. Fa Sho! (feat. Ludacris & David Banner) (Prod. by Big K.R.I.T.)
10. B-40 (feat. E-40) (Prod. by Rick Rock)
11. Redrum (Murder) (feat. DJ Quik & The Game) (Prod. by DJ Quik)
12. Doggz III (feat. DMX) (Prod. by Rockwilder)
13. Bust Biscuits (feat. Ghostface Killah & Saukrates) (Prod. by The RZA)
14. Talmbout (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
15. Dona Juana (Prod. by DJ Quik)
16. Cluck Cluck (Skit)
17. You'z a Hoe (Prod. by Redman)
18. Soopaman Luva VII Interview (Skit)
19. Soopaman Luva VII (Prod. by Redman)
20. Brrrap! (feat. KRS-One) (Prod. by Erick Sermon)
21. Jerz (Prod. by Redman)
22. Def 4 Life (feat. Erick Sermon & Keith Murray) (Prod. by Erick Sermon) (Scratches by DJ Scratch)

Give it a shot, it's fun - if albeit totally unrealistic...

Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel - Fall of the Roc

Here's one of the highlights from Jay-Z & B.I.G. Pt. 1: it's a mix of Hov's verses from American Gangster's "Fallin'" with Beanie Sigel's beat (and select vocals) from "Run to the Roc" off his overlooked '09 album The Broad Street Bully. In the midst of Jay and Sigel's beef (which I hope either escalates or, preferably, resolves itself), this well-conceived mix is perfectly executed.

DOWNLOAD: Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel - Fall of the Roc (Mix) [MP3]

From DJ Whiteowl's Jay-Z & B.I.G. Pt. 1

Can I Get a Suuuu... for iTunes?

When you break down the catalogs and quiz me on lyrics from Jay-Z and Wu-Tang albums, my standom – this may surprise you – for Jay’s music would get a much higher score. You saw me rooting for Rae’s new album not because I dislike Jay (truthfully he’s in my top 5), but because I wanted to root for the underdog. Picking between two mainstream audience holders like Kanye and 50 a couple of years ago was one thing, but Rae vs. Jay in a SoundScan battle? It’s not even a fair fight. Still, I put my energy into highlighting the Chef’s release to, again, help out the underdog.

Once the albums had already reached their release date, I was surprised to learn that Rae was ahead of Jay on iTunes’ album chart. Huh? How could that happen? Jay-Z had two songs (“D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” and, more prominently, “Run This Town”) blowing up radio stations all across the country. Rae had a couple of underground cuts to keep the heads hungry for more. Just as far as reaching an audience, Jay’s dominance was unquestionable. So how could Rae top Jay on the charts? Well, for starters, I noticed that iTunes had two versions for The Blueprint 3 on its list: one with bonus tracks, one without. Still, I would have assumed that either of these two versions would have outsold Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II by leaps and bounds. Which leads me to my next question/conspiracy theory: Is iTunes telling the truth?

I have very little material with which to make this claim other than the fact that back in 2007, Jay-Z quite publicly made it a point that he was not selling his new American Gangster album via the Apple Inc.-operated store. I’m sure they didn’t take kindly to this decision. Now truth be told, I don’t see how denying Jay the top spot on iTunes’ albums chart would be a way to effectively counter-attack him for his move in 2007, but it still makes me wonder… Again, as big of a supporter I am for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, I can’t for the life of me explain or even imagine how it beat The Blueprint 3 for the top spot. For me, it’s still a mystery… but what do you think?

Jay-Z - The Purple Print | HHIR Exclusive/Download

All of this talk about The Blueprint 3 and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II – and the albums’ vast differences – got me thinking: what if we could somehow merge these two schools of hip hop thought? Suddenly, on Sunday night, a light bulb in my mind just lit up. Jay-Z’s vocals, RZA’s production: why not? I began blending Blueprint acapellas with OB4CL beats before realizing that I couldn’t properly pair up all the acapellas with the beats; so I said “f it” and used some other RZA tracks instead (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, etc.). The result is a little something I’ve decided to call The Purple Print, though if it were released on cassette it might also be affectionately known as The Blue Tape (or Only Built 4 Memphis Bleek?).

Between Sunday and Monday night, this project took me about three or four hours and I’m quite happy with the final product. It’s gritty and intentionally raw. It’s not better than the original Blueprint mixing (obviously), but it’s the aural equivalent to crossing your eyes. You know how it makes your left and right visual fields get blended into one? Yeah, this is kinda like that. Jigga on the rhymes, RZA on the boards. Something you’ve never heard before. The real best of both worlds (fuck R. Kelly).

I’ll be away for a couple of days, but over that time period I’d like to hear some feedback. This was my first remix album in two years. Am I rusty? Let me know what you thought! If you liked it, please consider purchasing Rae and/or Jay’s new album(s). Hip hop is one (even though I admittedly prefer one over the other, but shhhh). By the way: if you can tell me the name of the kung fu film I used for The Purple Print’s intro portion, I will tip my hat to you. Ha! So… cop ‘n enjoy, please! And as always… turn it up!!

Tracklisting + (Rapidshare) Download Link Below:

1. Jay-Z - The Ruler's Back (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (4:06)
2. Jay-Z - Takeover (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (4:50)
3. Jay-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:38)
4. Jay-Z - Girls, Girls, Girls (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (5:00)
5. Jay-Z - Jigga That Nigga (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:33)
6. Jay-Z - U Don't Know (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:22)
7. Jay-Z - Hola' Hovito (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:58)
8. Jay-Z - Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:20)
9. Jay-Z - Never Change (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (5:35)
10. Jay-Z - Song Cry (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:38)
11. Jay-Z - All I Need (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (4:16)
12. Jay-Z - Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Remix) (3:03)
13. Jay-Z - Girls, Girls, Girls (Pt. 2) (Hurricane Ivan's Purple Print Rakeemix) (5:44)

Ice Cube + Scarface + Nas = Hip Hop History!

If this happens, the phrase "Hip Hop Is Dead" should be eradicated from our lexicon. [LINK]

2Pac Wanted to Work with Raekwon, Method Man, RZA & ...

I found some very interesting stuff over @ Wu-Corp:




Wow... Woulda, coulda, huh?

UPDATE: Phat shouts to HipHopDX for covering this story (along with several blogs, forums and other sites) and linking up to our original post. For those that aren't familiar with Hip Hop Is Read, you might be interested in checking out one of our popular features: sample sets! Here's all the 2Pac sets we've done so far:

HHIR Petition for an AZ & Talib Kweli Collaboration

Yes, yes y'all! This is serious! It dawned on me as I was listening to Talib's Liberation album from last year that an AZ/Kweli collabo must happen... soon! How it hasn't happened by now is nothing short of a fluke. Here we've got two of the nicest emcees outta Brooklyn who have never shared the mic before (to my knowledge). Vibing to the soulful compositions of 'The Show' (track one off of Liberation), AZ's voice couldn't help but pop into my mind. I dunno why... But what I do know is that we've gotta make this collaboration happen. I'm not asking for an album (although that'd be pretty cool too; of course, I'm still holding my breath for Black Star 2). Just a song!

The comment section is open for debate, discussion or even a simple "mark me down for this collabo, please!" Maybe, just maybe, with enough widespread support, we can get emcees to tap into the blogs and listen to the people's wishes! Let's start right here...

Follow-up/Edit: I've gotten some responses like "Yeah, but I wanna hear Mos & Kweli; Yeah, I wanna hear AZ & Nas." Well, so do I! But AZ & Talib never collabed before. That's the sole purpose of this petition...

2Pac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. [The Samples]

Tupac: Guess Who's Back
Ivan: Oh shit! Whattup 'Pac!?!? How ya livin' down in Cuba?
Tupac: I Get Around
Ivan: That's great to hear! Yo, this past week I put together a sample set for '2Pacalypse Now'. I hope you don't mind.
Tupac: I Don't Give a Fuck
Ivan: Good ol' 'Pac! Yeah, we had a little mix-up 'round here concerning samples, clearances and all that...
Tupac: It Ain't Easy
Ivan: True indeed. Ayo, I'm posting up the samples from 'Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.' as well. You cool with that?
Tupac: I Ain't Mad at Cha
Ivan: You sure?
Tupac: Got My Mind Made Up
Ivan: Aight, nice! From now on, I'm not gonna post up the tracklisting of the sample sets on the blog, though. This way they can't be traced as easily.
Tupac: Ain't Hard 2 Find
Ivan: I know, I know. But at least this way the sample info can't be Googled. People love these sets though, so we're gonna keep posting them.
Tupac: Shit Don't Stop

Possible Artists Performing At Stretch & Bobbito Reunion

An update on what I posted last week about the possible Stretch & Bobbito reunion, straight from Konstant Kontakt, Stretch's blog. Well, Stretch also polled the readers on what artists they'd like to see at the reunion show.

As of right now, this is what the reader poll says:

Artifacts 20
Organized Konfusion 13
A Tribe Called Quest 12
Kurious 12
Natural Elements 8
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 8
Company Flow 8
Kool Keith 8
KRS-One 6
Gang Starr 6
Large Professor 6
DITC 6
Souls of Mischief 6
Nas 6
Natural Resource 5
MF Doom 5
Beatnuts 5
RA The Rugged Man 5
Black Moon 5
Arsonists 5
Main Source 5
Craig G 4
OC 4
Supernatural 4
Lord Finesse 4
Siah and Yeshua 4
Redman 3
Pharcyde 3
Talib Kweli 3
Cenobites 3
De La Soul 2
Wu-Tang Clan 3
Tony Bones 2
Jeru The Damaja 2
Ak Skills 2
Al-Tariq 2
Boot Camp 2
Mr. Live 2
Cage 2
Necro 2
3rd Bass 2
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien 2
Brand Nubian 2
Royal Flush 2
Kool G Rap 2
Akinyele 2
Percee-P 2
Mos Def 2
DJ Riz 2
Hit Squad 2

Damn, quite a list. It'd dope if all those great groups could reunite, but who knows if it will happen. I'd say an Artifacts or Organized Konfusion reunion is most likely too, out of all of these.

Wouldn't it be crazy if they got all those inactive rapper dudes at the show? Where's Finesse at these days, besides producing?

In celebration of potential greatness, here's two classic videos from two classic duos:

Artifacts- C'mon Wit Da Git Down

Organized Konfusion & O.C.- Fudge Pudge

Talib Kweli: 'What If?' Contest

Talib Kweli's Myspace Blog:

I have a new What If? Contest that I want you to join.

Basically, if you were me, what would you rap about? Would you rap about social and political issues, your love life or interests? Show me what you got by creating your own rap about an issue that is important to you. Grand prize winner will get a Zune MP3 Player and an autographed CD by me!

Enter the contest now!

AZ & Nas Reuniting in '08? ...Keep Your Fingers Crossed

Once again, that's:

O

M

G

It's even got the Michael Scott stamp of approval...

Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information.

Wikipedia page for AZ's next album

...and if the page gets edited due to inaccuracy, here's the history link with the Nas feature...

Jadakiss & Roc-A-Fella: R.O.C. Cafe 2008

Roc Cafe 2008 (Hurricane Mix feat. Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel & Jadakiss)

Throw ya diamonds up!
Jadakiss is Roc-A-Fella's latest signee!



via

I'm on cloud 9 right now...
It's a celebration BITCHES!

I



P.S. I made this blend last week, and I've been waiting for the opportune moment to drop it...
Enjoy!!!

Raida, what up!! ;-D

The Wake Up Show: Crooked I vs. Jay-Z

Totally hypothetical, Tech of the World Famous Wake Up Show posed the simple yet audacious question: Jay-Z, Crooked I... who is better?

To quote him word-by-word:
"I said something that offended a few people. I said that my man Crooked I, in my opinion, is just as good as Jay-Z, if not better..."

WOW!

Now, granted, Crooked I was in the building and he got plenty of calls from his fans... So L.A. support was steadfast...

...but it's still a really close battle.
(Jigga takes the cake in my book)

Listen to this 50+ minute-long mix (packed with exclusive blends and Crooked I freestyles)...


[zShare link] ~:|:~ [Rapidshare link]

...and give me your verdict.

I
[+/-] show/hide this post

Brighter Future for Arabs and Jews in the School that Teaches Peace

New $11m home for 410 pupils from Muslim, Jewish and Christian backgrounds

Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem
Monday October 22, 2007
The Guardian

There are some sentences rarely spoken in Jerusalem, a place forever struggling with bitter divisions between its Jewish and Arab neighbours. But yesterday in the newly built corridors and classrooms of the city's only bilingual school they were commonplace.

Jamie Einstein, 13, a bright Jewish boy with a long pony tail and his wrist in a plaster cast, talked happily about two of his Arab classmates, Moataz and Majd. "My two best friends, one of them is a Muslim and one is a Christian," he said. "For me it doesn't matter. What really matters is what they are like."

Now in the eighth grade, he has been a pupil at the school since it first started its experiment in mixed education a decade ago. Each class has both Arabs and Jews, boys and girls, all of Muslim, Christian or Jewish religion. Each class also has two teachers, one Arab, one Jewish, each teaching in their mother tongue. And the school itself is run by two co-principals, one Arab, one Jewish.

Yesterday, the teachers and their 410 pupils moved into their new $11m (£5.4m) building, funded in part by the late British Jewish philanthropist Lord Rayne. The specially commissioned steel and concrete building, with its airy classrooms, sports field, concert hall and sweeping passageways, represents their first proper facility and the latest effort to expand their vision of how a mixed school can thrive in a divided city.

It is not easily done. The Max Rayne school, sited between the Jewish neighbourhood of Pat and the Arab neighbourhood of Beit Safafa, is the only such school in the city. There are three others elsewhere in Israel - in Beersheva, Galilee and Wadi Ara - that are all part of the same organisation, Hand in Hand, which began a decade ago in the initial euphoria of the Oslo peace accords.

There has been opposition, though now dwindling, to the school, in part from neighbours anxious about noise and traffic, and in part from rightwing rabbis opposed to the mixing of Arab and Jewish children. The divisions in Jerusalem stand at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The city's future will have to be a central plank of any plausible Middle East peace deal.

Each child and parent has faced their own challenges. "Some of my friends outside school are fine about it," said Jamie. "Others say: 'What? You are learning with Arabs?' But after I explain they understand."

His mother, Tami Einstein, an art therapist who works in both east and west Jerusalem, has been involved with the school since it began. "I feel all schools should be like this," she said. "It should be normal to sit together. Jamie's friends are almost like brothers to him and now our families are very close friends. That was really the point."

At Jamie's barmitzvah last year invitations were printed in Hebrew and Arabic and his Arab friends gave readings. "Just because something is rare or difficult doesn't mean it's not going to work," she said. "Someone has to make a start."

Next to her was Nehad Ershied, an Arab Israeli lawyer and the father of Jamie's friend Moataz. "It's a bilingual school but more importantly it's multicultural," he said. Some of his friends were suspicious of his decision to send his child; he told them he believed it represented their only future.

"The real co-existence we have now is only in this school and the community that this school creates," he said. "Israel is a democratic state but in practice there is discrimination on many levels. But it doesn't mean we should give up and not try to implement co-existence."

The message is everywhere. One class of excited 10-year-olds sat before their two teachers for an Arabic class yesterday morning. On the board in front of them, their teachers had written the Hebrew words shituf peula and next to them in Arabic, ta'aoun - both mean "co-operation". Underneath, in Hebrew, was written: "Two are better than one."

The children observe Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, taking time off in recent weeks for both the Jewish high holidays and Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. All three religions are taught and discussed.

One of the teachers of the three boys, Jamie, Moataz and Majd, is Angy Wattad, a Muslim Arab woman from northern Israel who a month ago started wearing a hijab. Before she did, she explained to her pupils what she was doing.

"I told them I was strengthening my belief. I told them that I would have a different look but from the inside I'm not changing," she said. "But I didn't tell the teachers, and some of them were surprised. But the beauty of the school is that we accept people the way they are." She is now one of four women teachers who wear the hijab in a staff that also includes observant Jews. In class the children discuss the history of their region, including the war of 1948, which Israel describes as the war of independence and which Palestinians refer to as al-naqba, the catastrophe.

"We teach everything and we discuss the issues and we accept it is possible not to agree with each other," said Amin Khalaf, a co-founder of the Hand in Hand mixed education project. "But we have to know both sides."

The children admit it is often difficult. "Some of it is quite hard - questions about the independent state and the naqba," said Tamar Borman, a 13-year-old Jewish pupil. "Sometimes we argue and sometimes we cry. But it's nothing too big. And if we don't face the problems we won't be able to solve them."

There is still much that the two co-principals, Ala'a Khatib and Dalia Peretz, hope to achieve. For now the school only teaches up to the ninth grade - children aged around 14. They are still applying for government permission to teach older children.

Waiting lists for the school are long and growing. Parents, who are mostly middle-class professionals, pay around 5,000 shekels (£600) a year for tuition, although scholarships are now available.

The talk is of opening many more mixed, bilingual schools in the years ahead. "This new building symbolises the legitimacy we are getting from the public," said Ms Peretz, a Jewish Israeli from a Moroccan family who is also the sister of the former Labor party leader Amir Peretz. "The school is making a psychological change in people's thinking," she added. "It should become a legitimate and well-known model for Israeli society."

ARTICLE LINK

Learn More About HAND IN HAND's Contributions Here

[Read more...]

What's on Remy Ma's iPod Playlist?

This one's purely for laughs.
Shouts to Boxden member chameleonmarke for the awesome idea...

Here's what we've got so far:

2pac - Shorty Wanna Be A Thug
Anthony Hamilton - I'm A Mess
Bob Marley - I Shot the Sherriff
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
The Clash - I Fought the Law
Dave Chappelle - When Keepin' It Real Goes Wrong (Skit)
Eminem - Kill You
Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry
Mary J Blige - I'm Goin' Down
N.W.A. - 100 Miles & Runnin'
Notorious B.I.G. - Who Shot Ya
Shaggy - Wasn't Me
TLC - Hands Up
Whodini - Freaks Come Out at Night

What If: Comm' & Cube

"Common & Ice Cube"

...'nuff said.

What If: Dream Collabos Part 2

A continuation of this post...

1: Joell Ortiz & Sean Price
This one was submitted by HHIR reader t dot:
"Both are godbody. Hungry. And could complement each other well."
^I feel like there's nothing else to add to that statement... ;-D

2: Joe Budden & Jay-Z
Pleeeeeeeez! A "Pump It Up" freestyle by Jay from 2003 mixed with Joey's original just ain't cuttin' it for me. These two emcees need to step in the booth together. Pronto!

3: Andre 3000 & Lupe Fiasco
Don't ask why, but this combo came to my mind around the time both Idlewild and Food & Liquor dropped. Both emcees feature an aspect of eccentricity and/or quirkiness that I feel would mesh well together.

4: 2pac & Rakim
It is of my opinion that the two above hip-hoppers share one thing in common: they are the greatest. In my eyes, 2pac is the greatest rapper of all time while Rakim is the greatest emcee of all time. Put 'em together, whaddya got? Oh boy... Oh well... That's why I call 'em "What Ifs"...

5: Ghostface Killah & Eminem (circa 2001)
Energy. Need I say more?

Comments and/or suggestions? Go for it!

7/7/7: The 7 Day Theory & The Return of 2pac?

^ I wish.....................oh well.............

Evolution: Duets & Remix coming soon....
Featuring production by Daz, and guest appearances by Smif-N-Wessun, Buckshot, Styles P, DPG & more, this posthumous Pac album just may be, dare I say, good?
Hopefully better than Pac's Life to say the least...

What If: Dream Collabos Part 1

^ took me a 'lil while to make...I call it 'MC Kombat' ;-D

The premise: pick two emcees who have never rhymed together on the same track (remixes and blends do not count). The trick is to think of a pair of emcees that would compliment each other well in the booth. I came up with a quick ten:

1: Lupe Fiasco & Common
I'm surprised they (still) haven't done anything yet. Only time will tell, as these two planets are bound to collide.

2: Joe Budden & Nas
Current labelmates, it'd be great to see these emcees cypher up. Both emcees possess lyrical dexterity and for the most part have a shared "scene" of fans for which to please, myself included.

3: Guilty Simpson & Beanie Sigel
Two laid back cats with menacing voices and a dominant presence, this would be a great duo for just about any kind of song, soulful or heavy.

4: Planet Asia & Sly Boogy
Two of Cali's finest, to my knowledge the two have never collabed (I'd like to be proven wrong). There's nothing much to say about this pair, as each one is considered a staple in underground hip-hop out here on the West.

5: GZA & Talib Kweli
Two of Brooklyn's finest and brightest emcees, GZA (known as "The Genius) and Talib Kweli (which means "student of truth") are bound to swap verses one day. Ah, one day...

6: Ras Kass & Immortal Technique
A pair of emcees that are just as street-oriented as they are conscious, Kass-Tech would murder just about any track thrown their way.

7: Brother Ali & Krondon
At first glance, sure, this one's just for laughs, but when it comes down to it, both of these cats can spit: serious! Hip-hop's reigning albinos, Ali & 'don WILL work together one day! (please)

8: Xzibit & DMX
Another first-glancer that seems simple: "Oh, they both have an 'X' in their name." It's more than that. Both emcees epitomize ear-friendly hardcore hip-hop and would be compliment each other well with their strong studio presence. Can I get a Dos Equis?

9: Jay-Z & Guru (mandatory: DJ Premier on the boards)
This one's a no-brainer. Jay-Z, heralded by most as the greatest emcee of all time, alongside Guru, one of the most underrated as well as influential emcees of all time. The pair's varied flows would compliment each other quite well, in my opinion. Add Premo to the mix and it's a rap!

10: Eminem & Nas
"Eminem murdered you on your own track!" The words of Nas towards Jay-Z in regards to Hov and Em's collabo "Renagade" from The Blueprint album. A friend once told me he thought Nas would never collab with Eminem simply for the fear that his words might bite him back. Who cares!?!? I wanna see and hear these two in the booth! PLEASE!

Comments and suggestions are welcomed!
Also, feel free to leave some of your own "what ifs"!