hiphoplives

Today is a special Sunday Meditation. For the first Sunday, I can actually play the day’s music, rather than having you find it for yourself, or wait for the email. (By the way, you can still sign up to the email list to receive free mixtapes  through email, just send a message to hiphoplivesmixtapes@gmail.com) So to mark this historical event, I decided I would use my powers to give the people something that is kinda hard to find.

The legend Bob Marley gave us many inspirational hymns to meditate to. His albums are like lost temples of classics. So many people are familiar with the stuff off Legend, but every single album he released (Over 16 official full length studio albums, and tons of indie and other material) has at least one or two songs that would have made another artist’s entire career.

These two, are songs just like that.

The first one is “IronLionZion”, but it is a version that was unreleased until 06 when the multi-disc set Songs of Freedom was released.

The second is “Smile Jamaica”, a song that is very special. It is a song that Bob performed live on occasion, and it was famously performed at the 1st Smile Jamaica Concert on Dec 5th, 1976. The concert was famous because it was held in Jamaica’s National Hero’s Park in Kingston in front of more than 80,000 people. Political violence was running rampant, and Marley himself had been shot in his home a mere two days before the event. He performed, in spite of his injuries, a rousing 90 minute set that included this hopeful classic. He knowingly risked his life to bring people joy. He brought pure joy to a suffering, poor, overworked, stressed people, at a time when it seemed nothing could. And due to the wonders of technology, though the legend has passed in the physical sense, his music can still bring joy to you on this fine day. So enjoy, and meditate.

Buck Marley. Being a weed head, you’d think it would be easy to co-sign on Young Buck. But it took me a long time to finally give the dude a shot. And I admit, my reasons were never very good. I never hated on him or had any reason not to like him, he was just one of those people I never listened to. In fact, besides Geto Boys, Ludacris, Outkast, Goodie, and the occasional Trick Daddy or Mystical, I didn’t really check for the South in general. But Buck was one of those artists I had underestimated.

For one thing, Young Buck doesn’t just write verses, he writes complete songs. And even better, he doesn’t just write songs, he creates complete projects. His two solo albums released under G-Unit are both albums that contain a real nice balance in their themes and sound. They are quality records. If you want to hear what he sounded like before he got hooked up with the G-Unit bunch, he’s also got an indie album called T.I.P. that was recorded after he left Cash Money but before he signed with 50. While the indie stuff isn’t as polished obviously, it still shows how he has progressed as an artist, and displays his ability to tap into real emotion, rather than a caricature or dramatic posturing that is displayed to synthesize emotion. He is real, and his passion can really be felt in his music.

On top of that, particularly his second record Buck The World has some tremendous production from some of the most talented sound creators in the industry right now, including yesterday’s producer profile artist Che Vicious, Dr. Dre, Mark Batson, Jake One, Justice League, Hi-Tek, DJ Toomp, Jazze Pha, Polow Da Don, and even a track from Eminem.

His subject matter isn’t always something I ride with, but that’s what makes it a guilty pleasure. But with Buck I don’t focus on the lyrics, I just listen to the flow and the feel and let it ride. And when I’m on the train listening to my headphones and I know my daughter won’t overhear, I must admit, Young Buck provides quite a nice listen. If you need further evidence, I’ll post a couple joints for your review, and you can see for yourself. I will warn you though, they are the explicit versions, and the second song does feature 50, but I still think it’ll give ya a feel.

You know, it’s a crime that some people might not know who Che Vicious is. I do this profile, and I try to avoid the obvious ones, like Dre or Premier who everybody should know. But really, the people I profile, everybody SHOULD know. If I said The MisEducation of Lauryn Hill, you’d know what I was talking about right. But the man who helped orchestrate that classic, then known as Che Guevera, is the same man who currently highlights the liner notes of many a aftermath classic as Che Vicious. But after I did my profile of King Batson, I got an email from a reader (I won’t call you out S) who saw the picture with Dre, Che, and Batson, and asked who the man in the middle was. Well if you are like my ignorant slut of a friend, here you go.

Che Vicious grew up in Boston, then went to school in Virginia. He got into the music industry working with Teddy Riley, and moved to New York to further his career in 96. While in NY, he linked up with Lord Finesse, Showbiz, Buckwild, and Brooklyn’s own Bob Gibson. He worked with the Fugees crew on various projects, including the aforementioned MisEducation, and for the last 4 years he’s been working with the Yankees of producer teams over at Aftermath.

Now I’m an album cut guy. I love those songs on the album that are too technically innovative and interesting to ever be a single. And Che’s got those in loads. But a producer’s value in this cut-throat marketplace is determined by their ability to make hits. And he didn’t switch the name to Vicious for nothing. “Ghetto Superstar”, “Gone Till November”, “A Rose is Still a Rose”, songs so dope you don’t even need to name the artist. You already know what I’m talking about. And on top of all that, he produced “To Zion”, quite possibly the most emotionally compelling piece of music to be created in our modern times.

So like I said. It’s a god damn crime that people don’t know these things. And now you can thank me for reforming you of your criminal ways.

Today’s special comment is simple. Be thankful for what you have. If we compare ourselves with the richest and most fortunate amongst us, we will always fall short. But if we compare ourselves with the poor and desolate, we will always feel fortunate. In Hip Hop, too many of our artists flaunt an excessive materialism in their image and lyrics. And I think it’s got the whole community acting crazy. We don’t appreciate the things we have, and no matter how much we have, it is never enough. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I present a special historical weed session, full of people who have contributed in a significant way, to the betterment of humanity. And for that, I am thankful.

Ganja     Durga Mata      (Fancy little plant named for the Hindu mother goddess of purity and strength. Known for it’s long lasting effects, rolled into a mega joint)

Location     Red Rocks Amphitheatre     (Located in Colorado, this is a natural amphitheatre where the rocks create a near perfect amplification from the area where the stage is located. It’s also in the mile high city, fulfilling the need to smoke a spliff on a cliff)

Participants

Ben Franklin (He did so much, it would be an insult to try to wrap up his accomplishments in a format as limiting as parenthesis. So I’ll just give you three random best hits. Invented the lightning rod, founded the first library, lived to be 84, and had over 20,000 people at his funeral. He was a remarkable man)

Ray Dolby (Another inventor, he was raised in San Francisco and made his fortune working for Dolby Laboratories where he invented technologies such as audio compression, and early work on video recording. Basically, he figured out how to get rid of the hiss and make audio recordings sound crystal clear. Pot heads and music fans everywhere owe this guy a debt of gratitude.)

Beulah Henry (Memphis’ own, she held 49 patents and created at least 110 inventions. Like Franklin, her ideas were all over the place. Her inventions revolutionized several industries including sewing machine manufacturing, ice cream production, mass-mailing mechanisms, and toys. She was a phenomenal woman)

and since the spliff was so huge….

Kool Herc (Jamaica’s own, he was the inventor of Hip Hop. We couldn’t have all of these pioneers together with out including the genius behind the greatest art form of all time.)

From Luda’s new record Theater of the Mind. Luda’s verse was also quote-worthy, but since he got the nod last week, I gave it to Common. Enjoy.

I been in his ear, since we were drinking beers/years we spent together, used to break up get-togethers/with a fight, every night, getting cheddar, moving white/our thing, so we had to do it right like spike/holding 40’s getting green on acres, these broads were our mules/that’s when we used to serve in front of Caldwell school/Fuel for cars and jewels, chains and tools/It was organized crime but we remain confused/Mom in the pews singing Lord protect him/You might not agree with our views, but you had to respect em/diamonds in the ruff, but what we were reflecting/a system that’s abrupt/the street’s in oppression/one morning in the mirror, I seen my reflection/A young man with good spirits, but needed direction/I guess my man’s death, was my resurrection/Cause now I hear him saying from Heaven “WAKE UP!!!”

One last note, MC Breed passed away this weekend. If I need to tell you who Breed was you are probably a youngster, and rather then do you the favor of educating your young ass, I’m gonna just tell you find out. Cause Breed was one of those guys in Hip Hop who always got respect from other artists, and love from people all over the country. In the spirit of the message we just heard though, we should also look at what caused his early death. And I’m not preaching, cause this goes for me too, but we need to take better care of ourselves. With the national holiday of over-consumption fast approaching, lets all try to step up on our temple maintenance. Do the right thing, cause there really is no future in fronting. PEACE

I usually don’t post twice a day, but I just heard this and I really wanted to spread the word as soon as I could. George Bush commuted John Forte’s prison sentence yesterday. For those who don’t know, Forte was down with the Fugees, and had a couple solo albums, including one released while he was behind bars in federal prison facing 14 years on drug distribution charges. He was arrested in 2000 at Newark Airport after accepting a suitcase that contained 1.4 million in liquid coke, and I ain’t talking soft drinks. He’s always maintained that he was set up (by two paris hilton-esque suburban chicks at that), and he has had his share of supporters including Carley Simon and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. Who would have thought Bush would be the one to set him free. Wow.

So my journey of discovery with Al Be Back is a story in and of itself. A long while back, I started subscribing to a mailing list from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in NY. (For our New York readers, it’s located north of Houston on 3rd between Ave B and C, and I highly recommend visiting sometime.) The venue has helped put me on to lots of dope underground acts, including Homeboy Sandman, Hasan Salaam, and our focus today Al Be Back. Except when I first heard of Al, I thought he was just a slam poet. I was diggin his poems, and thought they had a real Hip Hop sound to them, but I didn’t know he was taking it to the raps as well.

Fast forward. It’s Sept. 11th, 2007. Graduation vs. Curtis. If you’ve read my column at all, you know which side I rolled with. So I’m listening to my copy of Kanye’s newest record, which I happened to have actually paid for, on Itunes. A special bonus track was included on the Itunes version called “Good Night” that was left off of the store copy for some reason. In case you haven’t heard it, I posted it above for your listening pleasure. It features Mos Def and, tada, Al Be Back. It tripped me out that I was hearing this dude rap. But given Kanye’s history in the slam poetry circles, associations with poets like Black Ice, Malik Yusef, and Mos Def being on the track, it made sense.

Fast forward again. It’s yesterday, and I’m flipping through a couple new tracks, and I see a song by Al Be Back. And on top of that, he’s allegedly dissing Wale. So I’m like. Ok. I need to find out who this Al Be Back guy is.

Rewind.

Too far. Fast forward a little.

Oh, shit. He’s the guy from ATL skating behind TI.  He’s Brooklyn, the east coast kid who moved down south.

In reality, Albert Daniels is from the Bronx. And his ambition has always been MC’in rather than stealing scenes. He worked on his poetry and rhymes as a youth, and began to make a name for himself around NY. He opened up for legends like Lauryn Hill, Rakim, and De La Soul. But his biggest industry connection, both literally and figuratively, was his cousin, the late Big Pun. Al Be started working as a P.A. for video director Chris Robinson. When Chris read the script for ATL, he immediately thought of Albert for the part of Brooklyn, and that was how most of the world found out about his talents.

Now I saw the movie, but I didn’t make the connection until I heard his newest song and did the research. His music is really dope, and doesn’t sound like how you would expect given his character from the movie. His myspace page is linked below, so check it out for yourself.

Myspace.com/albemusic

Yes, I’m talking about the dude from Da Band or 5 Figures or Dylan and the Dramatics, however you wanna call it, the original Hip Hop reality star, E Ness. His career has been a clinic in how to get thrown under the bus. He was one of the two people Puff would even consider working after Da Band fiasco, but it turns out dunn would take an extra long time to get his shine. Well, at least he’s got a mixtape out now.

And now for that. I guarantee if you liked even one verse of his from the show, you will dig the tape. It’s full of his cleaver rhymes, along with guest spots from lots of Philly’s most celebrated mixtape kings like Peedi, Oschino, and Gillie. But the problem is the depth of the line up. A couple songs are actually interesting, while some are just long and disposable. You’ll listen to it once or twice, but after you hear all the punchlines, there is nothing to make you come back again and again. And the whole second half of the tape is just Ness battle vs Mysonne which a lot of people have heard already. But still, it’s worth checkin for even if its just a couple Peedi and Ness verses that make you nod your head.

Who is Bushman you ask? Well this is Sunday Meditation, so that should give you your first clue. But just in case you still might be thinking of someone else, let me give you some info to help sort out which one of the many artists who call themselves ‘Bushman’, I am suggesting you meditate to on this fine day.

I am not referring to The World Famous Bushman, David Johnson, who is a San Francisco “street performer” who dresses up like a bush and frightens people, and then they inexplicably give him money. No shit. He once threatened to eat my daughter. According to his wikipedia page he makes $60,000 a year doing this brave work, so who’s the real nut job here. I do find it remarkable though that Mr. Johnson has his own wikipedia page, so I’ve linked it here just because, damn, you should check it out, and find out how real it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Famous_Bushman

I am also not referring to Raoul Bushman, the oldest arch rival of Marc Spector in the Marvel comics universe. Bushman was kinda an odd super villan. He didn’t have any super powers, he was just good at guerilla war, and used to live in the Sudan. I guess that made him tough enough.

I am however referring to the Jamaican reggae artist Bushman. Born Dwight Duncan in Saint Thomas, Bushman hitchhiked to Kingston as a youth, and met famed producers Steely and Clevie at a soccer match. While they criticized his football skills, they liked his singing, and the rest is history. He has released 8 albums, including 2008’s Get In Your Mind, all of which are fine mediation material. So enjoy. His website and myspage pages are linked below. And my apologies to any fans of the other Bushmen who though I was championing their cause, and mistakenly viewed this post.

http://www.bushman-music.com/

www.myspace.com/burningbushesmusic

Yo MTV Raps has been dead long enough they’ve already started making nostalgia shows about it. RapCity was canceled this year as well, and if you needed any more signs that the old generation in Hip Hop has officially retired, you need only watch a single episode of BET’s video request show 106 & Park.

It’s not just the teens and sometimes tweens screaming and carrying on over corny boy band stuff like Pretty Ricky, or even worse, 40 something R&B pervs grinding on stage, it’s the whole culture that they document. It’s not my culture anymore. It’s not Hip Hop, it’s something new. Today they had a segment on skinny jeans. What in the God Rakim’s name is going on in the hood? They had another segment where they talked about The Secret Life of Bees for 15 minutes. That was the type of thing that could catch you a serious beat down when I was a teenager.

But even though I feel this disconnect with the culture, I can’t help but watch every once in a while. I don’t know. I guess I just keep expecting dope Hip Hop to come back in style. And when it does, 106 & Park will finally stop making me feel guilty when I watch it. Until then, everytime I hear Terrance J drop the newest “it” slang, or Rocsi fake interest in some wanna-be Yung Joc, I can’t help but think, “that is 15 minutes of my life I will never get back.”