Like my partner (pause) Dan, I'd also like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I blame it on blunt smoke, binge drinking, bugging about graduating, and an overall lack of ambition. So to our loyal readers (do we have any?) I promise more entertainment from the 2 Man Weave. This one will be short since it's Friday and I got business to take care of, but here's some tunes to pleasure your ears for the weekend...Enjoy:
An awesome song by one of the baddest dudes ever.
If you're like me and struggling with the single life, here's the anthem for those lonely Saturday nights.
If you spend your weekend (or everyday for that matter) in a marijuana haze, here's something to jam to.
And for those of you who go to school up north, it's cold out there; so here's some heat: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1033752
Awiez Productions was started by a very, very close friend of mine over the summer, and he's been on his grind and in the studio constantly, so please support this movement.
Also Rest In Peace to J.D. Salinger, "Catcher in the Rye" was one of the first books that left me saying "wow" when I was done reading it. So thank you Mr. Salinger for having a profound impact on my life and opening my eyes to great literature.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Phenomenon that is the Female MC
The place of the female rapper has always been an interesting one in the hip hop and rap industry. The issue that arises is that women MCs write lyrics that are almost perverse, and can make the male listener feel very uncomfortable. This makes for a lack of appeal to a broad audience and continues to hold women rappers down; however, they will just not go away. I appreciate their hard work and definitely respect how much harder it is for a woman to come up in a man's world, but I really don't like to hear about their sexual acts, and how many men they have slept with, as well as how well they perform fellatio; to me that is just not what a respectable woman should be talking about.
The first Ruff Ryders record, Ryde or Die Vol. 1, will always go down as one of my favorite albums of all times. The album features incredible production by Swizz Beats and phenomenal songs from a young DMX, and my favorite rap trio of all time The L.O.X. However, there are two songs in particular that I always have to skip: Eve's "What Ya Want", and Big Pun's "Pina Colada". "What Ya Want'" has one of the best beats I have ever heard, yet, the braggadocio rhymes by female MC Eve make me borderline uncomfortable. The following lines almost make me wanna never listen to rap again out of fear that a female rapper might pop out of no where and drop a verse that will make me cringe:
Eve handcuff niggaz but I don't arrest em
Shorty-bang hear the niggaz singin, shoutin my name
Make the thuggish niggaz scream, watchin me entertain
Dicks brick when I lick the lips, just keepin it plain
Fantasizin bout this bitch, got em goin insane
Oooh's and ahhh's, 5'7" thick in the thighs
Every thugs dream wife, see the love in they eyes?
My time to shine, whole package make her a dime
The line "Eve handcuff niggaz but I don't arrest 'em" makes me question how someone can even agree to put out a song like this. To my knowledge the popular demographic among hip-hop fans is men, so how can a man rap along, or nod his head to a song that applauds S&M and a woman performing fellatio?- it's impossible. Yes, male rappers frequently rap about the women they have slept with and their sexual escapades, and unfortunately this is accepted in society, so why would a woman rap about the same things if she knows she will only be labeled as a "slut" and a whore"? It just does not make sense to me.
The Big Pun song, "Pina Colada" doesn't feature a female rapper per say, but the opening line to this song is "Where my niggaz with the big dicks?" sung by a woman, which makes me immediately hit next on my iPod. In a male dominated world there seems to be no place for the female rapper, which explains the lack of them in the history of hip-hop music. During the beginning of the music, women rappers frequently rapped about women uniting together and the problem's facing women during the time. But as time wore on, and male sexual escapades became more openly accepted, women were and continue to be seen as objects, as demonstrated by almost every single hip-hop video that has come out in the last fifteen years. So ladies, I respect your hustle, but the rap game is really not a wise career decision, so please put your talents to a better use. And, don't let me get started on Nicki Minaj from Lil Wayne's camp because she may be the worst thing that has ever happened to music.
Anyway, for those of you who started class today like myself, here is something to bop along too:
The first Ruff Ryders record, Ryde or Die Vol. 1, will always go down as one of my favorite albums of all times. The album features incredible production by Swizz Beats and phenomenal songs from a young DMX, and my favorite rap trio of all time The L.O.X. However, there are two songs in particular that I always have to skip: Eve's "What Ya Want", and Big Pun's "Pina Colada". "What Ya Want'" has one of the best beats I have ever heard, yet, the braggadocio rhymes by female MC Eve make me borderline uncomfortable. The following lines almost make me wanna never listen to rap again out of fear that a female rapper might pop out of no where and drop a verse that will make me cringe:
Eve handcuff niggaz but I don't arrest em
Shorty-bang hear the niggaz singin, shoutin my name
Make the thuggish niggaz scream, watchin me entertain
Dicks brick when I lick the lips, just keepin it plain
Fantasizin bout this bitch, got em goin insane
Oooh's and ahhh's, 5'7" thick in the thighs
Every thugs dream wife, see the love in they eyes?
My time to shine, whole package make her a dime
The line "Eve handcuff niggaz but I don't arrest 'em" makes me question how someone can even agree to put out a song like this. To my knowledge the popular demographic among hip-hop fans is men, so how can a man rap along, or nod his head to a song that applauds S&M and a woman performing fellatio?- it's impossible. Yes, male rappers frequently rap about the women they have slept with and their sexual escapades, and unfortunately this is accepted in society, so why would a woman rap about the same things if she knows she will only be labeled as a "slut" and a whore"? It just does not make sense to me.
The Big Pun song, "Pina Colada" doesn't feature a female rapper per say, but the opening line to this song is "Where my niggaz with the big dicks?" sung by a woman, which makes me immediately hit next on my iPod. In a male dominated world there seems to be no place for the female rapper, which explains the lack of them in the history of hip-hop music. During the beginning of the music, women rappers frequently rapped about women uniting together and the problem's facing women during the time. But as time wore on, and male sexual escapades became more openly accepted, women were and continue to be seen as objects, as demonstrated by almost every single hip-hop video that has come out in the last fifteen years. So ladies, I respect your hustle, but the rap game is really not a wise career decision, so please put your talents to a better use. And, don't let me get started on Nicki Minaj from Lil Wayne's camp because she may be the worst thing that has ever happened to music.
Anyway, for those of you who started class today like myself, here is something to bop along too:
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Some Good Isht
In my recent quest to wet my musical palette, I have come across an extremely talented musician in Ryan Leslie. His music is a bit softer than what I'm used to- he makes the type of songs that make you just wanna hug your girl and tell her how much you care about her, plus I tend to stay away from people who have to first names- but his production skills are so superior I find myself rewinding almost every track. His self titled album has been in constant rotation recently and I will definitely be checking for new music from R.Les
After doing some research, I learned that Ryan Leslie scored a perfect score on his SATs at the age of 15, and graduated from Harvard at 19- so his credentials speak for themselves. I also stumbled across his youtube channel (RyanLeslieTv) and found out that this man is probably one of, if not, the best producer in music right now; he is an absolute beast behind the boards. Anyway here's some tracks to check out for yourselves, plus a video of him at work:
This beat leaves me in awe every time I hear it. There is so much going on that the listener really has to pay attention, or the entire song will go over their head. The beat drop into the piano solo gets me every single time. Plus, there's a feature from my man Fabolous- always a positive.
This is one of the more rugged beats he does, but he nicely shows his vocal range throughout the song.
"Gibberish" is sung in exactly that, gibberish. Leslie utilizes auto-tune for this track, and probably made one of the better auto-tune inspired songs of the era.
The making of "Addiction" is showcased in this video, and truly shows the multifaceted talents this musician possesses.
Unfortunately, with the state of music today, Ryan Leslie may never get the respect he truly deserves, but if you're into good music keep an eye out for any projects including R. Les.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Blakroc-Not to be slept on.
Recently I've been bored with the state of music, and have been left with a desire to find something new to get into; there's only so many times I can listen to the same songs over and over again (exception, Young Jeezy). However, about two weeks ago I stumbled across the Blackroc project which is headed by hip-hop pioneer Dame Dash, and a former pre-pubescent hero of mine, Jim Jones (Jooooooooooooonessssss) of Diplomats fame. I've always been a fan of Dame Dash, and have respected his work and impact on the music industry, particularly the hip-hop scene, but I was a bit wary of the Blakroc project.
The album pairs Ohio blues-rock band "The Black Keys" (whom I had never heard of until this) and many major players in the rap game, including Mos Def, Pharoe Monch, Ludacris, Q-Tip, Wu members RZA and Raekwon, and a song-stealing posthumous appearance by Ol' Dirty Bastard a.k.a Dirt McGirt a.k.a. Big Baby Jesus a.k.a. Ol Dirty Chinese Restaurant a.k.a. The BZA a.k.a..okay you get the point. After my first listen through, I wasn't really sure how I felt about the album, it sounded a bit like the mash-up between Jay-z and Linkin Park that came out a few years ago, however, Blakroc is much better done and executed much more soundly than the collabo between Hov and Linkin Park.
I immediately dismissed the album as a sound that I couldn't really get into, and almost deleted it from my Itunes, however, something stopped me (perhaps the album cover which looks like a city covered in the Ooze from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2), and I gave it another chance. After a second listen, I was completely blown away and realized the mastery shown by "The Black Keys" and their ability to adapt their sound to a completely different genre, yet maintain their own musical integrity. The Keys lace the tracks with heavy drums, haunting background vocals, and an overall raw sound that matches perfectly with the aforementioned rappers. Even Jim Jones, who has been absolutely terrible of late, provides some coherent verses and is actually listenable, something I was very happy about.
The album is only 11 tracks, and definitely leaves the listener wanting more, but overall it is a solid effort and a great career decision for the post Roc-a-Fella Dame Dash era. So, if you're like me and wanting something new in your music collection check out the Blakroc album, don't sleep.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
ROY?
I don't think I'll ever really be able to forgive the Knicks for drafting Jordan Hill over Brandon Jennings. Dude is a problem.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
KG and Starbury, What Could Have Been
Recently myself and Dan were having a conversation about the career of Kevin Garnett, and the how ironic it was that he and Stephon Marbury were re-united on the 2009 Celtics squad. For those of you who do not know, these two started their careers together on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and were one of the more dynamic duos during their short time together.
After a stellar freshman year at Georgia Tech, in which he was named a 3rd Team All-American, Marbury declared himself eligible for the 1996 NBA Draft. On Draft day, Marbury was picked by the Millauwke Bucks 4th overall, but immediately traded to the Timberwolves for the rights to Ray Allen and a future pick. I distinctly remember watching a young Marbury crying tears of joy after being drafted and traded to the Timberwolves because he was going to play with his longtime close friend Kevin Garnett.
Garnett had become one of the first to make the prep-to-pro jump that paved the way for many superstars as well as many busts (Kwame Brown anyone?). Garnett earned All-Rookie honors during the 1995 season, and now with Marbury running the point, and providing camaraderie, Garnett's numbers jumped during the 1996 season and the two seemed unstoppable. After just one season together, Marbury and Garnett lead the T-Wolves to their first playoff appearance in 1997, and Garnett was now being mentioned in the small superstar category of the NBA elite. The two were always having fun together, and seemed to have one of the rare relationships in the NBA where teammates actually enjoy each other's company, which almost always leads to extremely successful seasons plus a few rings.
(Please Excuse the Eurotrash soundtrack.)
However, during the 1999 lockout shortened season, the one thing that tears apart so many friends became a major issue: money. Garnett had just been signed to a ridiculous 6 year $126 million dollar contract, and this, for a lack of a better term, pissed off Marbury to the point where he disrupted the team so much he was traded to the New Jersey Nets, in a three team trade that landed Terell Brandon to the Timberwolves, and ultimately dooming the franchise.
Let's take a look at what could have been. During the 2000-2001 season, Marbury averaged (roughly) 24 points, 8 assists, and 1.5 steals a game, while Garnett averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game. In my estimation, had the two stuck together, Marbury would have averaged about 19 points, 10 assists a game, while Garnett would have had about 27 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Granted, the West was stacked this year, with the Lakers ultimately winning the Championship, with Kobe and Shaq dominating the Finals. But a small part of me believes that The Big Ticket and Starbury really could have given the Lakers a run for their money, because they had what Shaq and Kobe lacked; a true friendship and respect for each other. A lot of people may say that Kobe and Shaq's prowess would have been too much, but I like to believe that KG and Marbury would have willed the T-Wolves to a Championship, or two, or three, but these are all pipe dreams I suppose.
After the trade, these two careers could not have gone in more opposite directions. Garnett was stuck on a crummy team putting up all-world stats while letting his prime years go to waste. Fortunately, he was traded to the Celtics, and well, we all know what happened after that. Marbury went completey insane, and in doing so ruined the best franchise in basketball, The New York Knicks (bias alert!). Marbury was last seen eating Vaseline on the internet, while Garnett was bringing home Defensive MVP honors, and becoming the most important part of the Celtics championship run. However, it's fun to think about what could have been, and a shame that Marbury's ego broke up what could have been one of the best duos in the associations history.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Probably the only shine UVM will ever get on this blog.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Tebow, Nate Robinson, GUNS.
Yesterday was an interesting day in the sports world that included a "holy shit, I can't believe that happened" moment that only comes around every once in a while. Last night marked the end of the Tebow/Meyer dynasty at the University of Florida as they romped the Cincinatti Bearcats in a laugher of a game. As good as Florida has been over the last four years, I for one couldn't be happier that this chapter in college football has come to an end. I know I'm probably gonna catch a lot of flack for this but, there have been few athletes as annoying as Tim Tebow. I admire his athletic accomplishments and what he has done for the game, but off the field this dude is just ridiculous, and gets way too much shine for the wrong reasons. First, the religious stuff is just absurd, keep it to yourself man I don't give a damn if you're Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, etc... but keep it to yourself it's extremely self-righteous to openly and aggressively speak of your religion, and the Bible verses on the eye black? Just obnoxious. Second, the fact that he claimed he's a virgin should not be on the front page of ESPN.com. Period. Third, the bromance between him and Urban Meyer is borderline homosexual, these two look way too happy to be around each other to just have a coach/player relationship- bets on who's pitcher and who's catcher? So Tebow, you were a fantastic college player, arguably the best of all time, but man were you an annoying media whore. So please, take your underdeveloped quarterback skills to the NFL for a mediocre career, and fade into obscurity, except your probably too big of an asshole to go out quietly and with some grace.
Alright, enough with the hate, how about my man Nate Robinson from the New York Knicks. He hadn't played in 14 games, and was in Coach D'antoni's doghouse for the last month, but last night he got a chance and made the best of it. Robinson dropped 41 points, including 11 in overtime to lead the Knicks to a victory over a very good Atlanta Hawks team. However, in doing so, Robinson put the Knicks between a rock and a hard place. The Knicks had been shopping Robinson, and it was almost guaranteed that he would not be with the team in 2010, but after being the best player on the court last night, what will the Knicks do? What if he keeps playing like a man possessed and helping the Knicks win in the process? Also, I'm interested as to what the interaction between D'antoni and Robinson was like after the game. I wonder if D'antoni gave him the "Sorry for being a prick for the last month, good playing out there." or, "Good game Nate, but get the tweezers back out cuz your ass is gonna be riding the pine until you're out of New York." Something to keep an eye on for the next couple weeks.
Lastly, the "holy shit, did that just happen" moment of the day. After getting into a heated argument over gambling debts with one another, Washington Wizards' guards Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas PULLED GUNS ON EACH OTHER IN THE LOCKER ROOM. I love stuff like this. This is just insane. As my friend Alex and I discussed, this may be the craziest thing to ever happen in the NBA, right up there with Jordan knocking out Steve Kerr during practice, and Latrell Spreewell getting on all homicidal on his coach. I have no idea what's going to happen, but the fact that there are guns in the locker rooms is alarming, yet awesome at the same time. The interviews with the players have been great so far, every Wizard looks like they just walked in on their parents having sex when asked about the situation. I can't wait to see how this plays out.
Alright, enough with the hate, how about my man Nate Robinson from the New York Knicks. He hadn't played in 14 games, and was in Coach D'antoni's doghouse for the last month, but last night he got a chance and made the best of it. Robinson dropped 41 points, including 11 in overtime to lead the Knicks to a victory over a very good Atlanta Hawks team. However, in doing so, Robinson put the Knicks between a rock and a hard place. The Knicks had been shopping Robinson, and it was almost guaranteed that he would not be with the team in 2010, but after being the best player on the court last night, what will the Knicks do? What if he keeps playing like a man possessed and helping the Knicks win in the process? Also, I'm interested as to what the interaction between D'antoni and Robinson was like after the game. I wonder if D'antoni gave him the "Sorry for being a prick for the last month, good playing out there." or, "Good game Nate, but get the tweezers back out cuz your ass is gonna be riding the pine until you're out of New York." Something to keep an eye on for the next couple weeks.
Lastly, the "holy shit, did that just happen" moment of the day. After getting into a heated argument over gambling debts with one another, Washington Wizards' guards Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas PULLED GUNS ON EACH OTHER IN THE LOCKER ROOM. I love stuff like this. This is just insane. As my friend Alex and I discussed, this may be the craziest thing to ever happen in the NBA, right up there with Jordan knocking out Steve Kerr during practice, and Latrell Spreewell getting on all homicidal on his coach. I have no idea what's going to happen, but the fact that there are guns in the locker rooms is alarming, yet awesome at the same time. The interviews with the players have been great so far, every Wizard looks like they just walked in on their parents having sex when asked about the situation. I can't wait to see how this plays out.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Jason Bay-Please Don't Suck.
The 2009 New York Mets put on an embarrassing display of baseball playing this past season. Marred by injuries, adjusting to a new stadium, poor coaching, etc... all lead to one of the worst seasons I have ever seen as a Met fan. In fact, it was so bad that when my room mate encouraged me to root for the Yankees, I became a fair weather fan for the season...and they won the World Series. Why this can't happen to a team I actually care about, in any sport (minus Giants 2007), is beyond me, but that's neither here nor there. However, the beauty of all sports is the old saying "there's always next year" and this is what keeps me coming back year after year.
After the Yankees won the World Series and effectively and thankfully, ended the 2009 baseball season, I was looking forward to the free agent signing period more so than in the past, hoping the Mets would make some sort of splash and pick up a key player. And what did they go out and do? Signed Kelvim Escobar. Just like many other baseball fans, my first reaction was, who the hell is Kelvim Escobar? So after doing so some research I learned that Kelvim Escobar has made one start in two seasons, so my second reaction was, why the hell did we sign Kelvim Escobar? It got me truly thinking that David Wright would be the last great white Mets player, and that Omar Minaya was truly turning the New York Mets into Los Mets, which is fine with me as long as they win, but Kelvim Escobar? C'MON MAN.
Anyway, I woke up today with a bangin hangover on an unfamiliar couch in an unfamiliar apartment. After recollecting my thoughts, and finding my pants, I made my way out of the room to see my boy Andrew, which is usually great. But today was a "Bad Look Tuesday", where everything was going wrong. Couldn't find the batteries for the controller, 360 was unplayable, and we were stuck watching Jaws II, which all would have been fine if we hadn't been drinking tequila all night (Continental on the Lower East Side, 5 shots for 10 bucks of anything you want...ch-check it out.) What does all this have to do with Mets and baseball you may ask? Well, while driving through midtown I checked ESPN.com and the very first thing I saw was a picture of Jason Bay superimposed with the New York Mets logo. I immediately let out an emphatic "HELL YEAH", nearly causing Andrew to crash, and got on the phone with my son, who really didn't sound all that excited to talk to me-what's good with that?
With Jason Bay, the Mets added one of the top-two available players in baseball, a tremendous hitter who just came off a year where he hit .267 with 36 home runs, 119 RBIs and 94 walks in the toughest division in baseball. I still have a looming fear that he will turn out like so many other stars who came to New York only to fold under the immense pressure of the New York media and fans (Randy Johnson, Jason Giambi, Pedro Martinez, plus countless others). But the optimist in me truly believes that Bay will be very productive for the Mets, and be a solid outfielder for years to come. Yes, the Mets undoubtedly need to do more work and sign more players, but if Jason Bay proves to be the player he is capable of I will forever remember "Bad Look Tuesday" as the day the Mets' luck turned for the better. So, Jason Bay in the unlikely event that you are reading this awesome blog, welcome to New York, please don't suck...or we will run your ass out of town.
This has nothing to do with this article, this is just an awesome song....
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Saturday, December 26, 2009
Classic Cuts
Nas-Illmatic
Rap and hip-hop (yes, there is a huge difference) are definitely my favorite types of music, but I’m sometimes embarrassed to admit this due to the terrible state of the music today. Believe it or not, rap music used to be good. Really good. Nas’ debut album has been consistently in my rotation since the first time I listened to it about 10 years ago. Not only is this arguably the best hip-hop album of all time, but one of the best albums of all time, regardless of genre. The influence this album has had on hip-hop music is unprecedented, and it’s a shame nothing of this caliber will ever be released again. Nas put the east-coast on the map with this album, and here’s a track by track synopsis.
The Genesis (album intro)- a lot of listeners usually skip over the intro, however, on this album the intro tells us everything we need to know about Nas. The album kicks off with the sound of an elevated train with dialouge from the film “Wild Style” over the train, which represents New York and hip-hop culture, then goes into Nas’ legendary verse from Main Source’s “Live at the BBQ” (“Streets Disciple my raps is trifle...) The rest of the intro is Nas and his crew bulshitting over a grimy, simple beat produced by Irv Gotti (yes, that Irv Gotti), that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
New York State of Mind- Arguably the best hip-hop song ever made, and one of my personal favorites. My favorite story about this song is told by DJ Premier, who produced the song. According to Premier, Nas had no idea how to start the song and was having trouble catching the beat and figuring out how to rhyme over it. Eventually he just went in, and did the whole song in one take, which is unbelievable considering the complex rhyme schemes and story telling taking place in the song. “New York State of Mind” offers a haunting view of New York through the eyes of a 20 year old ghetto kid during the early ‘90s. Nas raps about robberies, drug use, and shootouts with acute imagery, and makes them sound poetic.
“I never sleep ‘cuz sleep is the cousin of death. Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined, I think of crime when I’m in a New York state of mind.”
Life’s a Bitch- One of the realest songs on the album, featuring a very young and still underrated AZ. The song is extremely dark, and retraces their roots and struggles growing up in one of the many ghettoes of America. Nas and AZ have a chemistry that is unparalleled, and they still continue to rock it whenever they got on a track together. After dropping a verse each, that should be envied by every rapper to get on the mic, the song closes with a beautiful trumpet solo from Nas’ father. A very interesting song, and one that I find myself listening to with my jaw at the floor.
“I switched my motto, instead of saying fuck tomorrow, that buck that bought the bottle could’ve struck the lotto.”
The World is Yours- My favorite transition on the album, Nas goes from an extremely dark, somewhat depressing song in Life’s a Bitch to an uplifting, optimistic song with The World is Yours. Nas raps about the troubles facing him, but how he keeps attempting to overcome adversity and eventually making something of himself. He talks about his son and daughter, and how he finds strength in them when his back is against the wall, and his hope that they will lead a better life than the one he chose. A beautiful and uplifiting track, and one of my favorites of all time.
“Whether cruisin in a Sikh’s cab, or Montero Jeep, I can’t call it the beats make me fallin asleep. I keep fallin, but never fallin six feet deep. I’m out for presidents to represent me.”
Halftime- when a true lyricist absolutely kills a track, you know that your listening to something special. That’s exactly how I feel every time i hear Halftime, from the very get go (Nasty Nas in your area, about to cause mass hysteria) you know shit is about to get serious. He raps with great confidence, his ability to pick up women during the afternoon and hit the matinee at night, and his refusal to get a girl pregnant because it would force him to spend money on kids instead of Philly blunts and weed.
“In ya, stereo sets, Nas’ll catch wreck. I used to hustle- now all I do is relax and strive, when I was young I was a fan of the Jackson 5. I drop jewels, wear jewels, hope to never run it, with more kicks than a baby in a mother’s stomach.”
Memory Lane (Sittin’ in the Park)- a nostalgic track where Nas raps about his life growing up in the projects of Queensbridge. The song represents the changing face and landscape in Hip-Hop during the early ‘90s. It marks the transition from the party and dance songs from the late ‘80s to the grittiness, and realism of lyrics during the ‘90s. Nothing more to say here, the song speaks for itself.
One Love- one of the coolest songs I’ve ever heard. Nas raps letters he wrote to his incarcerated friend about everything that is going on in his life, and around his neighborhood. For fans of the movie Belly, the scene at the end of the movie when Nas is smoking a blunt with the little kid with the gun is taken straight from this song- which just goes to show few can tell a story like Nas can. “One Love” offers brilliant imagery, and can really put the listener right on the corner of his neighborhood seeing everything that he is seeing and living.
“Sometimes I sit back with a buddha sack mind’s in another world thinking how we can exist through the facts written in school text books, bibles, etcetera. Fuck a school lecture, the lies get me vexed. So I be ghost from my projects, I take my pen and pad for the week hittin L’s while I’m sleepin. A two day stay, you may say I need the time alone to relax my dome, no phone, left the 9 at home.”
One Time 4 Your Mind- I always have mixed feelings when it comes to this song; sometimes I absolutely love it, and sometimes it feels like my ears are being poisoned. But I feel like that’s exactly how he wanted the song to be like, to really flip people’s minds to show that he controls the album and knows exactly what he wants the listener to feel when he’s listening. Lyrically, the song is decent, but probably the weakest on the album with no real substance, but rather just braggadocio rhymes about how great a lyricist he is (but we already know that from listening to the rest of the album.)
“The parlayer, I’ll make ya heads bop Pah, I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop’s car. From day to night, I play the mic and you’ll thank God. I wreck shit so much, the microphone’ll need a paint job.”
Represent- the most aggressive song on the album. Nas raps about his transformation as a young child committing petty crimes, such as breaking into the candy store, to carrying a gun and committing robberies with his crew. “Represent” is a shout out to all the people living below the poverty line in New York City, who have to commit crimes just to get by.
“Cold be walkin with a bop and my hat turned back, love committin sins and my friends sell crack. This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue- the school dropout, never liked that shit from day one. ‘Cause life ain’t shit but stress, fake niggaz, and crab stunts, so I guzzle my Hennessy while pullin on mad blunts. The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator, the type of nigga who be pissin in your elevator.”
It Ain’t Hard to Tell- just when I thought Nas had already used up all his best lines on the previous 9 tracks, the album closes with a song so quotable that it almost puts the rest of the album to shame. Every time I listen to this song, my face gets completely blown away; in fact I’m listening to it right now and my ears, nose, eyes, and mouth are now scattered throughout the room. Few albums end on a better high note, and even though my favorite song changes almost daily, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” will always hold a special place in my heart.
“I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps. Deep like the Shining, sparkle like a diamond, sneak a uzi on the island in my army jacket linin. HIt the Earth like a comet, invasion, Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, Half-man, Half-amazing.”
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Even though I have listened to his entire album thousands of times, I never get sick of it, and like a great movie, I notice something new every time I listen to it. It’s important to pass along this album to every one, before it gets forgotten in the shit storm that is auto-tune, Hip-Pop, and all the other horrific music coming out these days. So please, do yourself a favor, sit back, light something up, and listen to this album....often.
Rap and hip-hop (yes, there is a huge difference) are definitely my favorite types of music, but I’m sometimes embarrassed to admit this due to the terrible state of the music today. Believe it or not, rap music used to be good. Really good. Nas’ debut album has been consistently in my rotation since the first time I listened to it about 10 years ago. Not only is this arguably the best hip-hop album of all time, but one of the best albums of all time, regardless of genre. The influence this album has had on hip-hop music is unprecedented, and it’s a shame nothing of this caliber will ever be released again. Nas put the east-coast on the map with this album, and here’s a track by track synopsis.
The Genesis (album intro)- a lot of listeners usually skip over the intro, however, on this album the intro tells us everything we need to know about Nas. The album kicks off with the sound of an elevated train with dialouge from the film “Wild Style” over the train, which represents New York and hip-hop culture, then goes into Nas’ legendary verse from Main Source’s “Live at the BBQ” (“Streets Disciple my raps is trifle...) The rest of the intro is Nas and his crew bulshitting over a grimy, simple beat produced by Irv Gotti (yes, that Irv Gotti), that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
New York State of Mind- Arguably the best hip-hop song ever made, and one of my personal favorites. My favorite story about this song is told by DJ Premier, who produced the song. According to Premier, Nas had no idea how to start the song and was having trouble catching the beat and figuring out how to rhyme over it. Eventually he just went in, and did the whole song in one take, which is unbelievable considering the complex rhyme schemes and story telling taking place in the song. “New York State of Mind” offers a haunting view of New York through the eyes of a 20 year old ghetto kid during the early ‘90s. Nas raps about robberies, drug use, and shootouts with acute imagery, and makes them sound poetic.
“I never sleep ‘cuz sleep is the cousin of death. Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined, I think of crime when I’m in a New York state of mind.”
Life’s a Bitch- One of the realest songs on the album, featuring a very young and still underrated AZ. The song is extremely dark, and retraces their roots and struggles growing up in one of the many ghettoes of America. Nas and AZ have a chemistry that is unparalleled, and they still continue to rock it whenever they got on a track together. After dropping a verse each, that should be envied by every rapper to get on the mic, the song closes with a beautiful trumpet solo from Nas’ father. A very interesting song, and one that I find myself listening to with my jaw at the floor.
“I switched my motto, instead of saying fuck tomorrow, that buck that bought the bottle could’ve struck the lotto.”
The World is Yours- My favorite transition on the album, Nas goes from an extremely dark, somewhat depressing song in Life’s a Bitch to an uplifting, optimistic song with The World is Yours. Nas raps about the troubles facing him, but how he keeps attempting to overcome adversity and eventually making something of himself. He talks about his son and daughter, and how he finds strength in them when his back is against the wall, and his hope that they will lead a better life than the one he chose. A beautiful and uplifiting track, and one of my favorites of all time.
“Whether cruisin in a Sikh’s cab, or Montero Jeep, I can’t call it the beats make me fallin asleep. I keep fallin, but never fallin six feet deep. I’m out for presidents to represent me.”
Halftime- when a true lyricist absolutely kills a track, you know that your listening to something special. That’s exactly how I feel every time i hear Halftime, from the very get go (Nasty Nas in your area, about to cause mass hysteria) you know shit is about to get serious. He raps with great confidence, his ability to pick up women during the afternoon and hit the matinee at night, and his refusal to get a girl pregnant because it would force him to spend money on kids instead of Philly blunts and weed.
“In ya, stereo sets, Nas’ll catch wreck. I used to hustle- now all I do is relax and strive, when I was young I was a fan of the Jackson 5. I drop jewels, wear jewels, hope to never run it, with more kicks than a baby in a mother’s stomach.”
Memory Lane (Sittin’ in the Park)- a nostalgic track where Nas raps about his life growing up in the projects of Queensbridge. The song represents the changing face and landscape in Hip-Hop during the early ‘90s. It marks the transition from the party and dance songs from the late ‘80s to the grittiness, and realism of lyrics during the ‘90s. Nothing more to say here, the song speaks for itself.
One Love- one of the coolest songs I’ve ever heard. Nas raps letters he wrote to his incarcerated friend about everything that is going on in his life, and around his neighborhood. For fans of the movie Belly, the scene at the end of the movie when Nas is smoking a blunt with the little kid with the gun is taken straight from this song- which just goes to show few can tell a story like Nas can. “One Love” offers brilliant imagery, and can really put the listener right on the corner of his neighborhood seeing everything that he is seeing and living.
“Sometimes I sit back with a buddha sack mind’s in another world thinking how we can exist through the facts written in school text books, bibles, etcetera. Fuck a school lecture, the lies get me vexed. So I be ghost from my projects, I take my pen and pad for the week hittin L’s while I’m sleepin. A two day stay, you may say I need the time alone to relax my dome, no phone, left the 9 at home.”
One Time 4 Your Mind- I always have mixed feelings when it comes to this song; sometimes I absolutely love it, and sometimes it feels like my ears are being poisoned. But I feel like that’s exactly how he wanted the song to be like, to really flip people’s minds to show that he controls the album and knows exactly what he wants the listener to feel when he’s listening. Lyrically, the song is decent, but probably the weakest on the album with no real substance, but rather just braggadocio rhymes about how great a lyricist he is (but we already know that from listening to the rest of the album.)
“The parlayer, I’ll make ya heads bop Pah, I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop’s car. From day to night, I play the mic and you’ll thank God. I wreck shit so much, the microphone’ll need a paint job.”
Represent- the most aggressive song on the album. Nas raps about his transformation as a young child committing petty crimes, such as breaking into the candy store, to carrying a gun and committing robberies with his crew. “Represent” is a shout out to all the people living below the poverty line in New York City, who have to commit crimes just to get by.
“Cold be walkin with a bop and my hat turned back, love committin sins and my friends sell crack. This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue- the school dropout, never liked that shit from day one. ‘Cause life ain’t shit but stress, fake niggaz, and crab stunts, so I guzzle my Hennessy while pullin on mad blunts. The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator, the type of nigga who be pissin in your elevator.”
It Ain’t Hard to Tell- just when I thought Nas had already used up all his best lines on the previous 9 tracks, the album closes with a song so quotable that it almost puts the rest of the album to shame. Every time I listen to this song, my face gets completely blown away; in fact I’m listening to it right now and my ears, nose, eyes, and mouth are now scattered throughout the room. Few albums end on a better high note, and even though my favorite song changes almost daily, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” will always hold a special place in my heart.
“I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps. Deep like the Shining, sparkle like a diamond, sneak a uzi on the island in my army jacket linin. HIt the Earth like a comet, invasion, Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, Half-man, Half-amazing.”
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Even though I have listened to his entire album thousands of times, I never get sick of it, and like a great movie, I notice something new every time I listen to it. It’s important to pass along this album to every one, before it gets forgotten in the shit storm that is auto-tune, Hip-Pop, and all the other horrific music coming out these days. So please, do yourself a favor, sit back, light something up, and listen to this album....often.
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