Sometimes I think these dudes' contribution to hip-hop has been forgotten & lacks recognition.
(Did I see Lord J on The Sopranos a few weeks ago or was I trippin?)
When it first dropped, I wasn't checkin for it because this was during the very beginnings of hip-hop's West Coast gangsta movement.
But my man Cookiehead kept tellin me to listen to it & would play the shit daily.
Once I put it in the Walkman, it would never leave and I was officially hooked.
The mix of styles here was ecletic with Grand Puba usually outshining all but perfectly offset with Sadat's deep-voiced smooth flow & Jamar's gruff sound.
Stylistically, these dudes, especially Puba, brought namedropping clothing labels to the game & pretty much cemented the hip-hop's loyalty to select brands, Hilfiger & Polo to be exact.
Before Wu, they brought 5% Godspeak to the masses in a digestable, interesting form. I remember once I began studying under the Gods & Earths this album straight became the soundtrack & daily inspirational music like church folk love gospel.
And straight up...with their pro-Blackness, these dudes made you want to pick up a fuckin book, which is a nonexistant contribution by today's artists for the most part.
Times change though...Puba seems to have bowed out gracefully, Lord Jamar has been on the small screen & behind the scenes and Sadat...well Sadat has still be wild cowboying, pulling pistols and such.
But this album is a solid classic without a doubt.
Click picture to download.
I always love these...
VA - Promo Only Urban Club May
Disc 1
01-Trap Squad - What's Happenin' (Explicit Version)
02-T-Pain Feat R.Kelly,Pimp C,Too $hort,MJG,Twista & Paul Wall - I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper) 2 (Tha Remix - Main)
03-Purple City Feat Sheist Bub 'The Emperor',Jim Jones & Un Kasa - Trap (Explicit Version)
04-Cherish Feat Sean Paul Of The YoungBloodZ - Do It To It (Main Radio Version)
05-B.G. Feat Webbie & VL Mike - Ain't No Bitch
06-Bone Crusher Feat Chamillionaire - Get Up On It (Main Mix)
07-Ali & Gipp Feat Chocolate Tai - Go 'Head (Dirty Version)
08-Cam'ron Feat Lil'Wayne - Touch It Or Not (Explicit Version)
09-Kelis Feat Too $hort - Bossy (Main Mix)
10-Mila J - Complete
11-Juvenile - What's Happenin' (Explicit Version)
12-Majic Massey - Devil's Advocate
13-Lil' Wayne Feat Birdman - I'm A DBoy (Album Version)
14-Do Or Die - Get That Paper (LP Version)
15-Megan Rochell Feat Fabolous - The One You Need
16-Mary J.Blige Feat Brook-Lyn - Enough Cryin' (Main Mix)
17-DJ Khaled Feat Lil'Wayne,Paul Wall,Fat Joe,Rick Ross & Pitbull - Holla At Me
18-Cheri Dennis Feat Jim Jones & Yung Joc - I Love You
19-Beenie Man - Hmm Hmm (Explicit Album Version)
Disc 2
01-Juvenile - What's Happenin' (Instrumentalz)
02-Purple City Feat Sheist Bub 'The Emperor',Jim Jones & Un Kasa - Trap (Instrumentalz)
03-Cherish Feat Sean Paul Of The YoungBloodZ - Do It To It (Acapellaz)
04-Cherish Feat Sean Paul Of The YoungBloodZ - Do It To It (Instrumentalz)
05-Cam'ron Feat Lil'Wayne - Touch It Or Not (Acapellaz)
06-Cam'ron Feat Lil'Wayne - Touch It Or Not (Instrumentalz)
07-Mila J - Complete (Acapellaz)
08-Mila J - Complete (Instrumentalz)
09-Trap Squad - What's Happenin' (Instrumentalz)
10-Majic Massey - Devil's Advocate (Instrumentalz)
11-Ali & Gipp Feat Chocolate Tai - Go 'Head (Instrumentalz)
12-Do Or Die - Get That Paper (Instrumentalz)
13-Megan Rochell Feat Fabolous - The One You Need (Instrumentalz)
14-Mary J.Blige Feat Brook-Lyn - Enough Cryin' (Acapellaz)
15-Mary J.Blige Feat Brook-Lyn - Enough Cryin' (Instrumentalz)
16-Cheri Dennis Feat Jim Jones & Yung Joc - I Love You (Instrumentalz)
Why?...
1. Because I like to point and laugh at radio like "You're just getting ready to play that? We been up on that shit!"
2. I like to hear what to expect to be inundated in the clubs & radio over the next few months.
3. I just enjoy hearing them to see which label's payola campaign is the strongest & for which artists.
Nah, seriously, I enjoy seeing the list & hearing what the industry thinks is next, which sometimes greatly differs from the rest of us.
VA - Promo Only Urban Club May 2006
An interesting read here, Blender's "50 Worst Things To Happen To Music" if for nothing more than the fact that Suge ranked so high as a villian even outside of hip-hop.
5 Reasons Why Hip-Hop's Bluto Should Be on Permanent House Arrest...
1. For fanning the East-West rivalry flames at the '95 Source Awards with the classic words "If you don't want the owner of your label (translation: Puffy) all up in your videos, come to Death Row …"
2. For stealing the shine from legitimate artists by getting shot at Kanye's VMAs after-party in Miami. (Note - LOL @ blaming the man for gettin shot!)
3. For allegedly hanging Vanilla Ice upside down from a hotel window, causing the rapper to lose control of his bodily functions (See Big Red from 'The Five Heartbeats.')
4. For signing vulnerable rappers to Death Row for publicity and then never releasing their albums, e.g. Petey Pablo, the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, MC Hammer, etc.
5. For causing the embarrassing melee at 2004's VIBE Awards that tarnished hip-hop's already damaged rep. Rumor has it that Suge paid a man $5,000 to punch Dr. Dre as the producer was accepting his lifetime achievement award. In turn, G-Unit's Young Buck allegedly stabbed the man with, of all things, a fork.
Blender's "50 Worst Things To Happen To Music"
Salute!
Gotty™
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Stray Shots
O'Jays - Love Train: The Best of The O'Jays
Earth, Wind & Fire - The Eternal Dance Set
Stevie Wonder - At The Close Of A Century (4 Discs)
Lenny Kravitz - The Best Of Lenny Kravitz
Michael Jackson - Bad
Ramsey Lewis - Funky Serenity
Cutty Ranks Live In Germany (2003)
Jhelisa - A Primitive Guide To Being There
Brotha_Lynch_Hung_Presents_G-Macc-Tha_Graveyard_Shift-2006 [Retail]
WC & Madd Circle - Ain't A Damn Thang Changed
Das EFX - Dead Serious
MC Shan - The Best Of Cold Chillin'
Diamond and Psychotic Neurotics - Stunts Blunts & Hip Hop
Scarface - Mr. Scarface Is Back
Bounty Killer Live In Washington D.C.(2005)
Brand Nubian - In God We Trust
Spice 1-Life After Jive (The_Best_Of_2000_To_2005) [Retail][2006]
Nature Sounds Presents: Natural Selection (Pete Rock, Rae, Ghost, Ras Kass, etc.) [Retail][2006]
4.23 Text File Download
4.23 Changelink Page
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