At this point in my life, my record collection is the most expensive thing that I own …..If you ever stepped foot in my crib, the first thing you would notice is the over abundance of vinyl in every direction…A common question I hear is, ” How and the hell do you make beats here, your records are taking up all the space ” ?….Or….” Do you really need all these records ” ?….And my personal favorite, ” What the fuck are you gonna do when you have to move ” ?…..To set the record straight folks, I am still searching for that perfect beat….It’s a life long quest, a life long commitment, a life long drive to unveil that old dusty magic…
And on that note, ” Behind The Beat ” { Ginko Press } is a interesting book indeed…..You get a inside glimpse into the home studios of Madlib, DJ Shadow, Spinna, Thes One, Beatminerz, Fat Jack, and Premier just to name a few…The books author { Rafael Rashid } , deserves much props for bringing something different to the coffee table….2 Thumbs up
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House Shoes takes us on a ride through ” Dilla’s ” crates on the first chapter of the ” King James ” mixtape series…..On January 9, you can purchase these limited mixes directly from ” Shoes ” yourself…..

So be on the lookout for 5 volumes of that ” Dilla Dog ” freshness…….Major shout out to “FSN”…
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This is some live beat shit that you need to to peep….Check in folks…

D.J Mystery and Y.G.C. just put out this G. Rap collabo mixtape to start 09 off with a BANG BANG….G Rap bodies everyone who tries to rhyme alongside him, but ” Big Pun ” and ” Nas ” come in a close second…Download this immediately, and study one of the best to ever do it….
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Are you tired of seeing sucker Dancehall dj’s at the disco?….Well, next time your in that situation, run up on that RASCLOT selector and tell them to read this book…..” Dancehall ” : The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture, by Beth Lesser….It is a in- depth piece of work….A lot of ground get’s covered, from ” King Jammy ” and ” Channel One “, to lesser known soundsystems like ” Volcano ” and ” Starward “…..Interviews, excellent photos, and ill stories make this a book to check for……
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Where and the hell did 2008 go ? This was the fastest year of my life, it flew by in a flash….Heard a lot of wack rhymes this year, with sappy ass beats to match…Watched the ” dickrider ” syndrome reach an all time high, with the ” Autotune ” bandwagon attack……What else happened this year ?…A lot of rap ninjas simplified their rhymes to the point that any mental midget with half of a personality could do better……Robbing peoples chains became popular again in 08……Ahhhhh, ” P Bros ” and Chicago rhyme monster, ” Selfish ” put out the best albums of the year…….Black Presidents, hipsters/hippies, corny promoters, counterfeit Hip Hoppers, retro savages, mixtapes { without blends }, undeserving idol worship, and the best of all folks, the New Year’s Eve funkfest starring ” George Clinton “……….That was the perfect way for me to cap off a crazy year, now my battery is officially charged up…….Prepare for a gang of post..

The first time I heard ” Skills ” doing this rap up shit was 2002….And with each following year the jokes get funnier and funnier..A lot of people got caught slippin last year, and ” Skills ” takes full advantage…
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I’m back on the set for the 2009 era, and things are about to get dramatic…..This joint { The System } is off ” Reks ” new album { More Grey Hairs }….Be on the lookout for it when it drops …
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What up party people ? Pull out your Egg Nog and Henrock, and check out this new ” Shabaam Sahdeeq ” { Along With Me } featuring ” Planet Asia” and ” The Evangilist “……..Produced by { Kaylee And Zaire }
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Just in time for the holiday season….A podcast featuring Blu, Amir, House Shoes, Exile, Twilight Tone, Rhettmatic, etc….Time for you to check in for yourself……Shouts 2 ” A Sides “, for keeping it live….
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Self Scientific just released a new joint called ‘ 4 The J’s “, { Featuring Krondon and Phil The Agony }….I was impressed with the concept of this record….A lot of trendy fools try to rock Jordan’s and fitted’s, but don’t have a fuckin clue what it was like back in the day…..If you weren’t official, more than likely you would get caught out there…..Straight up….If your from Cali like me, you motherfuckers remember the Starter jacket, ” Season Of The Vic ” era…..HaHa-Heee…..Anyway, check in for yourself cousin…

What and the hell is a ” Iomas Marad ” ?……Well, I will tell you folks…..He is a dope M.C. from Chicago that deserves more shine..
His album ” Deep Rooted ” showcases his ability to drop heavy science, but without sounding preachy and self-righteous…And in the beat department, ” The Molemen ” handled the bulk of the production duties {Dope}…….I recommend you check for his material, and everything else from the ” Family Tree ” camp….

It’s been a minute since I hit you off with another ” Milkcrate Jewels ” banger…….My schedule is a little hectic these days, all this holiday shit, has a brother running around like a fullback………..But don’t trip fam, I got your weekend convered…..Today’s jewel comes courtesy of ” Scott Lark “…….This joint { Natural Bliss }, came out in 95, and ” Scott ” sounds like a combination of ” Buckshot ” and ” Wayne- O “, which isn’t a bad thing at all……I’m not quite sure what the 411 is on this dude, this is the only record I have of his…………2 thumbs up….

After the ” Lootpack ” released the ” Antidote, it seems as if D.J Romes went off the radar….I heard a couple break beat records he did for ” Stones Throw ” but not much else……Well the wait is over folks, here is some new ” D.J. Romes ” shit to get your holiday season pumpin…..
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Against ODB’s families wishes, I went out and bought ” Jaime Lowes ” book ” Diggin For Dirt “………It took me one day to read this corny attempt at Hip Hop journalism…..First of all ” Jaime ” appears to be a ODB groupie, instead of a determined writer, hell bent on getting to the bottom of what made ODB tick…….Secondly, this book tries it’s hardest to convey ” Dirty ” as a helpless victim who has no control over his life….And last but not least, why didn’t she allow the people closest to ” Dirty “, express their personal opinions of the man, and what type of person he was……..I didn’t want to really get the book after I heard of his family boycotting it, but I am such a ODB fan I had to check in……But I knew better……Wait for somebody from the Clan to release a ODB book, doesn’t that make more sense……Thumbs down…..