By DJ Fusion

This week’s show commentary focused on the recent settlement between New York City and the Sean Bell Estate & others from the major police brutality issue a few years ago (where no wrongdoing was admitted by the city), the Wikileaks document controversy of classified documents from the War in Afghanistan, media outlet UniVision getting caught up in a payola scandal, the New York Times expose about the disparity between marijuana arrests based on class & race along with some other things here and there.

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Tanya Morgan is not a group that rests on their ass. After dropping the critically acclaimed Brooklynati album last year, they’ve dropped multiple mixtapes, both as a unit and as soloists and partners with other acts. Their most recent work, The Sandwich Shop dropped to critical acclaim and member Donwill’s solo album Don Cusack In High Fidelity pushed limits as a concept album and was well received.

In celebration of achievement and preparation for Von Pea’s upcoming solo work Pea’s Gotta Have It and their group project they are hitting the road, doing shows all across the country. Opening for them is Ohio band The Kickdrums.

It was a hot, muggy night in New York and thankfully Mercury Lounge was air-conditioned. Opening act, The Kickdrums, were a talented band, their music a bit reliant on 80s sensibilities and you can recognize certain riffs and feel in their music.  The lead vocalist was a charmingly corny but it worked for the band’s feel.  They did a laudable job maintaining the audience’s attention throughout their set, the highlight of which was a track featuring MC Daytona.

The headliners took the stage, sans third member Ilyas and a DJ, but managed to get through a medley of their biggest songs without a hitch. Tracks like”Bang Bang Boogie” “So Damn Down” and the parody track “Hardcore Gentlemen”   got significant rises from the crowd. Donwill did an abbreviated set of a couple songs from his solo and Pea blessed the audience with a preview of work from his coming album. Che Grand guest performed with the group as well. They also gave an R.I.P. to Guru and a “fuck you” to Solar.

In all, it was a tight, compact show without pyrotechnics but also without late divas, a dozen pointless drunken people on stage, and forgotten lyrics. It was two rappers doing what they loved and not forcing the fans to sing half their lyrics, and mumble-mouthed hype men straight from jail. If Tanya Morgan comes to your town, you should definitely check them out.

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A change of major proportions is sweeping through Gotham’s underworld.  A shady figure known as The Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) has decided to unite and organize the city’s various dealers under his rule.  His violent campaign threatens the livelihood of the Black Mask, Gotham’s first true crime boss in decades.

Black Mask eventually enlists the help of the Joker (John Dimaggio) to maintain his rule.  Batman (Bruce Greenwood) immediately springs into action to prevent the war that will surely result.  While hot on the Red Hood’s trail, Batman realizes that he may be linked to him in a most unexpected and tragic way.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the eighth straight to DVD feature from the DC Animated Universe.  It adapts two well known storylines from the comics: the controversial “Death in the Family” and the more recent “Under the Hood”. These two story arcs are combined into grim narrative that will definitely satisfy those who prefer the darkest possible iteration of the character.

The visual palette of Batman: Under the Red Hood stays true to the aesthetic established in earlier Bruce Timm productions.  Gotham city is almost never seen in daylight, and the mood is very reminiscent of the classic Warner Brothers gangster films of the 30’s.  The villains inhabit secret meeting places, while Batman patrols the rooftops, ledges and alley ways.  It is not a total facsimile of Batman: The Animated Series, but it is shrouded in a similar mood.

Fight scenes are always a centerpiece of DC Animated Universe productions, and Batman: Under The Red Hood is no exception.  Director Brandon Vietti ups the ante in terms of brutality, offering fight scenes that will have viewers wincing in pain as Batman inflicts serious injury on his opponents.  The level of ferocity is enhanced by the quick cuts and unusual angles.  Though occasionally bloody, none of it is truly gruesome and is done in the style of adventure serial.

The story wallows in the darkest of themes and emotions, offering a Batman that is perpetually grim and racked with guilt; carrying his past sins like baggage.  It also takes a decidedly less light hearted view of Batman’s partnerships with those who have fought alongside him as Robin.  The concept of child endangerment is never spelled out in the dialogue, but it lurks just beneath the surface.  The villains go to greater lengths than we are used to seeing in American animation, administering severe beatings among other acts of terrorism.

Anyone who voices the caped crusader will be standing in the shadow of Kevin Conroy due to his legendary work on Batman: The Animated series.  Perhaps realizing this, Bruce Greenwood opts to get in the good graces of fans by imitating Conroy’s vocal inflections.  His decision is a good one, and helps to maintain a continuity of sorts with past DCAU productions.  Neil Patrick Harris is somewhat inconsequential as Nightwing.  John Dimaggio leaves a lasting impression with relatively little screen time.  His characterization of the Joker owes much to Heath Ledger.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the most intense DC Animated original movie yet.  It’s every bit as dark and unrelenting as its recent live action counterparts.  Those who enjoyed both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight will feel right at home here.  It’s the perfect combination of substance and style, showing that animation is just as viable a form of storytelling as any other medium.

4.25 Out of 5

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By T. Love

The Jay-Z versus Nas beef was one of the more memorable head-to-head matchups Hip-Hop has ever had.  Words were exchanged, feelings were caught, and people rallied behind their pick of choice like Republicans and Democrats.  Jay-Z fired the first salvo with “Takeover”.  Nas responded with the titanium-melting “Ether”.  Regardless of which side you chose, both cuts were Hip-Hop at its finest and reminded heads that you can’t just claim to be the illest rapper, you have to prove it.

Imagine if, after Kobe had dropped 81 on the Raptors, he changed his jersey number to 81 or insisted on being referred to as “Mr. 81?” What if Kanye West decided to be called “Takeover Man?”  Ron Browz, aka “Ether Boy” has taken the proverbial dead horse and beaten it into a gelatinous pulp.  So much so that he has named his new debut album Etherlibrium .

His track record outside of that song is stellar and he should feel secure enough to not concoct an alias so connected to past glory.  More recently, Browz has produced hits for 50 Cent, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes, including Busta’s gleefully ignorant “Arab Money.”

Ron Browz doesn’t bring this hit-making power to Etherlibrium, choosing instead to prove that he can hold his own as a rapper, similar to Kanye West.  He indulges in his own aesthetic sensibilities and crafts an album that falls far short of his previous work.   While he jumped on the autotune bandwagon with everybody else, it’s conspicuously absent from Etherlibrium, forcing Browz to stand alone, often to disastrous effect.

As with most producers who have put down the MPC and picked up a mic, Browz is far from a beast and barely serviceable with a pen and pad.  The “Etherlibrium Intro” featuring Oshy is indicative of what type of lyrical journey he’s going to take you on.  The beat snatches keyboard synths from what sounds like the end credits of an 80s action movie with alternating bass kicks and snares.

“Rap niggas is poison/ promise when I got on I’ma  bring my boys in/ Harlem in garage, I’m bringing the toys in/ it’s music now, parents hold the noise in/ dope fiends used to shoot up by my/ ya’ll niggas flows is sloppy/it’s my block, you land on monopoly/used to meet papi at beef and broccoli’s”

Most real rappers can freestyle better than that on their worst day. The only thing that might decent about Etherlibrium is the beats and stating that is a stretch.

“Don’t Breathe It” is far and away the best song on the album. First, the lyrics are halfway decent and don’t ruin the song.  Secondly, the beat knocks powerfully and the only way your head won’t be nodding is if you suffer from a Stephen Hawking-type malady. Off kilter, barely on beat, thumping drums form the foundation, complemented by high hats and horns that come on strong but decrease through some kind of fader effect.  This is the closest Ron Browz gets to blacking out on a track.

“N****s used to be hot/ now I’m in the game and I’m taking they spot/if they like it or not/that every song I’m on, 50 grand a pop/came a long way from moving tan a lot/n****s never need you/you life unbalanced like an orthopedic shoe/sucks to be you”

You can’t help but think Jada or Cam would have murdered that joint.

In a strange twist, Ron Browz lifts Nas’ beat for halftime completely and decides to spit his own street knowledge.  He tries out the same kind of alternate personality gimmick to help the dialogue along that DMX did for “Damien” and Eminem did for “Guilty Conscience.”  It doesn’t work.

“I Swear” and “Wanna Be You” are horrible songs, namely because Ron Browz sings his own hooks.  The result is almost laughable.

What most producers do when they release albums is assemble high-powered guests to rhyme on their albums, allowing them to focus on what they do best. Even Kanye West has enough guests on his album so that he doesn’t have to do all of the heavy lifting.  If Browz went that route instead of trying to prove how legitimate he is as an artist, maybe Etherlibrium would have turned out better.

out of 5

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By Odeisel

I always thought of Dru Hill as a low budget Jodeci, or at least Jodeci with silly antics.  Despite that, I had to acknowledge that they had quite the run and did a respectable job of filling that void left by the departure of Boys II Men and Jodeci, far better and longer than peers 112, Jagged Edge and the rest of those mid 90s groups. One thing about them that couldn’t be denied was their talent. Their songs were well-arranged, they could all sing, and they knew music. I’m still a bit miffed at the notable lack of thongs in the “Thong Song” video, but I digress.

The group is still around, presently starring on Centric Network’s show Keith Sweat’s (former mentor of the group) “Platinum House” reality show and poised to drop their latest album InDrupendence Day with new member Tao in tow. Last night, Centric hosted a LiveStream web conference where fans were able to ask questions (sorted by a moderator) to the group.

They showed a lot more heart, humor and integrity than many of these fake image conscious groups (off camera as well, not just in front of the camera), and there was no PR person regulating their answers. That in itself was great to see in a world increasingly focused on brand building bull. Topics include their view on downloading, when they are going on tour, charitable interests, appreciation for the fans and more.

Below are a few of the more interesting questions and frank answers from the members, who were funnier than I would have thought and very open and honest with both each other and with their fans. They changed my view. Hope you learn something new about them. Enjoy the vid and the pictures. Peace.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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By T. Love

In 1998 Big Pun crumbled a barrier for aspiring Latino emcees.  Capital Punishment was the first album by a solo Latino rapper to garner a platinum plaque.  After Pun’s unfortunate demise, Fat Joe had a string of hits, including ”Lean Back” in 2004, and he achieved one platinum album with J.O.S.E.  Aside from those two there really have been no commercially successful Latino rappers. 

Brazilian born, Tampa raised emcee Laws aims to elbow his way at to the table of this exclusive club with 5:01(Overtime).  Laws is a DJbooth.net Freestyle series alum and had an excellent feature on Dub Floyd and Wally Sparks Hip Hop Doctrine Boondocks Mixtape with “Freedom Ain’t Free.”  5:01 is basically his 4:57 mixtape with four new tracks added and he has nicknamed it “Overtime”.  That could be considered a bitch move, but considering it’s a free download I can’t complain.

Actually, I can. For those expecting more “Freedom Ain’t Free” type music, prepare to be epically disappointed. If you copped 4:57, there’s no need to cop 5:01(Overtime), which is a blatant attempt to show that Laws can make commercial songs. In the process it demonstrates why, to many, commercial  rap in this present age sucks.  The beats are average, the rhymes are average, everything about this project screams mediocrity, even by commercial standards.

The album has production from 9^th Wonder and boasts contributions from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (not to be confuses with  Little Brother related collective J.U.S.T.U.S League), M-Phazes and Apple Juice Kid.  Subtle difference in spelling big, difference in sound.

“Believer,” featuring Jason Caesar, is a prime example of what’s wrong with this album as a whole.  It’s your stock sell out song, complete with a wack ass autotune-warbled chorus. “Make me a believer/ohhhh ohhh oh/ohhhh ohh”.  Seriously.  In the midst of this nonsense, Laws attempts to go deep, touching on the economy and soldiers deployed overseas. It doesn’t work as the lyrics sound uninspired and the beat just doesn’t match the subject matter. Strikeout.

“Audio Savior” continues the corniness.  ILLMIND laces him with a ho-hum beat that sounds like it was made by Scott Storch at the height of his cocaine addiction.  High-register keyboard stabs and Dr. Dre-like low-end synth jabs.  The track is pretty simple and with Laws’ mediocre lyrics the track’s title is a misnomer.  Here’s some of the lyrics that make Laws an audio savior.

“They sayin’ I spit proper/ but then respect turn into stigmata/ back in the day I wasn’t responsive/now I’m responsible for this Hip-Hop shit…they wanna bring up my origins again and again/ the first lyrical Brazilian American/ my skin tone may make you think I was Puerto Rican/ but if my head was covered maybe an Arabian

The only really good track is “Shining” produced by 9^th Wonder.  9^th brings his signature compressed drums and an alto sax sample along with violins every four bars. Although it is held back by yet another corny chorus, Laws does an adequate job of spitting some dope shit.

“Cuz when it comes to rappin’/I’m like Dr. Manhattan/ I’ll make a world out of dust kinda like an addict/I make something for nothing/ but I’m still coming son/ cuz in a perfect world M.O.P. would be number one….living like Machiavelli/apparently I’m dead but someone forgot to tell me”

5:01(Overtime) is essentially a pop record. Making songs for the ladies, clubs and radio isn’t a bad thing but when those songs fail to stand out and make people take notice, the album becomes Frisbee material.  If listeners care to support a new Latino rapper, by all means download the album from DJbooth.net and spread the word to your fellow Hip-Hoppers.  Just don’t be surprised or pissed off when your friends ask you to turn in your Hip-Hop head credentials for putting them on to Drake lite.

2.25 out of 5

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In a world of scantily clad mainstream femcees, Lauryn Hill was missed. In a world of young women constantly assaulted on all sides by personal anguish and societal pressures, Lauryn Hill was missed. To the 10 million fans that supported her debut album and truly connected with her output, Lauryn Hill was missed. But that may be changing. There are always hints of Fugee reunions to which we give a “whatever.” Lately there have been more signs. 

First there was the release of an album she did in the recent past, which while not classic by any means was inordinately an improvement over that unplugged album. Then there was an interview. An actual interview, which means she’s warming up to the idea of returning to the spotlight for longer than a benefit concert. Now comes this little ditty, “Repercussions.”

The airy beat, with sparkling strings over playful, heavy drum, is not overtly emotional and certainly not the melancholy that has colored her recent output, but it’s a track worthy production.  There is a whimsical sound, which runs throughout, that adds to the lighthearted feel.

There is a warmth and a comfort in her voice that we haven’t heard in ages and a natural feel that gives her character vocally if not the same depth she carried at her height. The subject matter steers close to her center, making everyone aware of the consequences involved in making our life choices. Not too preachy but not earth shattering.

If this is the first step back to the stage then it’s a solid start.  It’s not classic or mind blowing , but it is good to hear her “happy” again and she does sound naturally content vocally on this song. It’s just enough to make you anticipate more. Hopefully this time she’ll keep it coming. Enjoy.

Lauryn Hill-Repercussions Lauryn Hill Repercussions

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By Odeisel

Many artists don’t understand the “business” aspect of the music business. A lack of professionalism can undermine even the most luminous personality. Ask Foxy Brown. Once head to head with Lil Kim as the preeminent femcees, her career has been awash in wasted opportunities, long periods out of the spotlight, arrests, public nuisance and a bunch of drama that has nothing to do with the music.

As a result, the former multi-platinum artist is now relegated to club shows and venues that previously would have been unable to hold her legion of fans. An arrest as recent as Friday was proof that perhaps even at this advanced stage of her career, she hasn’t learned her lesson. The last time she “performed” at BB King’s she showed up so late to the show that it was cancelled and she was barred from the building. Such a track record didn’t bode well and as the hours ticked past, from an 8pm show (doors were at 6) to past the 11^th hour, it seemed like a repeat was in the cards.

Fans stood for hours through a motley slew of under card performances that ranged from weak to bizarre and unintentionally funny along with DJs who, even with serato and no crates, managed to play the same songs (We get it. BK all day Biggie jay bla bla bla) and lie about Foxy being in the building and getting ready over 10 times. She finally shows up like nothing was wrong and goes about her performance at 11:30 PM with no apologies and no explanation.

She got riders though. Her fans (enablers) were all too forgiving and when her show started they were ready to rock.  She did most of her hits and brought out Little (Grown Ass) Vicious, Spragga Benz and her Firm compatriots AZ and Cormega to assist her in closing out the show. The energy of her fans carried Foxy’s performance, as she fought to get used to using a live band in her performance.  There were spots where the band out blasted her voice and another unfortunate instance where none of the Firm members were able to improvise live on stage with the band, a definite negative with such veteran rappers.

In all, any positive things about the performance were muted by Brown’s three hour late show. As a long time observer of Hip-Hop, lateness is unfortunately part of the package, but to think that some people were there from 6 o’clock is bogus, particularly when Brown seemed to not even acknowledge. Anyway, you have the vid. Enjoy.

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Lost in the present dominance of southern Hip-Hop, principally led by Atlanta based music is Texas, one of the first consistent sources of quality music below the Mason Dixon line.

A few years ago, Houston, led by Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Z-RO, Chamillionaire and others looked primed to take H-Town to another level, but alas it wasn’t meant to be. While they haven’t faded to obscurity, they no longer pack the punch as a movement they once did. Paul Wall hasn’t stopped rocking for the boppers. His new album Heart of a Champion, brings him back to the streets with surprising results.

“Take Notes” is a lively musical construction with features Wall in full flavor, delivering with clarity over live drums. He’s getting paper and flossing, making TV Johnny rich. It slows down to that screwed and chopped speed on Lil Keke assisted “Showin Skillz.” Paul’s pockets stay “chubby like Bobby Hill” while deep- bottomed drums and digital heavy brass set the mood. The bottoms get even lower on “I’m On Patron.”

Chamillionaire stops through on “Round Here.” His lyricism and flow takes the album up a notch and is a welcome change to the a/b bar structure that confines Wall’s output. The same production style is present on “Imma Get It” but the strength of Bun B’s performance and Kid Sister’s surprising tough delivery give the song another level of power. The album returns to Earth with the retread production and blah lyricism on Wall on “Stay Iced Up.” C. Stone and Johnny Dang (TV Johnny) don’t help. In fact, Dang’s performance is too dreadful for words.

The album begins to tumble under the weight of Paul Wall’s lack of lyrical talent.  It’s not that you expect him to be dope, but these songs are the same rhymes every song. The repetition is enough to tap anyone’s stamina. You could take each of these tracks alone and probably bob your head a few times but an hour of it is mind-numbing. When you are looking for Jim Jones (“Ain’t a Thing”) to RAISE the rap level of a song, you know that you’re on an album that isn’t artistically challenging.

From there you have to look to the production to raise the level of listenability. There are beats that you have essentially heard before musically (“My City”) which can’t even be lifted by the features (Yo Gotti) and others that contain all of the retread elements we’ve been hearing in that music for the last decade.

There are highlights though. The funky groove of the Z-RO and Devin The Dude “Smoke Every Day” is smooth rider music built for top down Cadillac cruising. “Live It” with its moody horns and the hard drums push Wall to more aggressive delivery and out of his comfort zone.  The all-star collaboration team of Raekwon, Yelawolf and Jay Electronica add some well needed lyrical prowess and depth to the album. That track is followed by the high energy “Not My Friend,” which features Expensive Taste and Slim Thug. This latter album burst raises the level of the album and saves it from abject mediocrity.

In the end, you don’t expect certain things from Paul Wall but that doesn’t mean that he gets a pass. It’s a work that can survive in pieces, but as a whole it’s lesser than the sum of its parts. Not all bad and the good songs pull it higher than sea level but not high enough to  escape the splash.

2.75 Out of 5

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By Odeisel

Barry Lamar Bonds was born on this day back in 1964. While the world would like to place an asterisk on his 762 home runs, he is without a doubt, juiced or not one of the greatest and most feared hitters that ever lived. As such, particularly during the seasons where he hit 73 home runs, there was nothing that pitchers could do with him. He set records for the rate at which teams tried to avoid pitching to him, even drawing more walks than an entire team at one point.

You can’t avoid the mic though, and over the 30 plus years of Hip-Hop, there have been some truly unavoidable verses. As an MC when you do a song, to try to come with it, but you never expect someone to unleash unabashed fury or the creation of something that will be remembered forever.

This list, in honor of Mr. Bonds contains some of the most astounding home run verses ever. Some open the song up, and some close them out and they exist all over the regional section. Some are part of posse cuts and some just exist within their normal course of recording. Of course with over 30 years of history, we will have left some out, and you know what? That’s what we depend on you guys for.  So if after you read this, you have some verse you would like to see reflected, hit us up in the comments

Ice Cube-Straight Outta Compton

If you could pick out one verse that changed the course of Hip-Hop, and music in general, you would have a hard time coming up with one more potent than this. They didn’t need radio, they didn’t need dancers. Just Jheri curls and the AK 47 bringing that gangsta shit to the homes of the east and the south and the suburbs. Nothing was the same after that. Bodies are hauled off? America’s nightmare in your headphones.

Eminem-Dead Wrong Remix

The first of Puffy’s posthumous pilfering of Biggie’s legacy was the album Born Again, which paired old B.I.G. verses with some of the the best rappers of the day. While most of these verses were old and beneath his album output, they were still good quality and had aged well with the production to which they were attached.The couplet of old mixtape verses on “Dead Wrong” sounded fresh, that is, until Marshall Mathers demolished them with reckless abandon. The furious flow, the aggressive delivery and the marriage of melody and mania were enough to stamp Eminem’s name in the top 5 rappers for what would be a decade long run.

Canibus-Beats From The East

On a track that featured lyrical legend Redman, Canibus rendered all of the dope performances on this track mute. His relentless assault on the beat, with no regard for bar structure or count, went past the confines of 16 and was an excercise in self oneupsmanship, taking metaphors and hyperbole and pushing them places many had never heard them taken. It immediately raised the bar on what was necessary lyrically to put a track in a bodybag.

Capadonna-Winter Warz

Never in the history of rap has such a verse been unleashed by someone who wasn’t considered an upper tier rapper. He was an afterthought after the original 9 Wu members, although he did shine on the original purple tape and the Iron Man album. But on “Winter Warz” there was just bar after bar of lyrics of fury flipping the Shaolin slang, his own particular style and that raw Hip-Hop that the Clan was known for putting down.  No he’s not an all time great but find 5 verses ever that went hard like this and I’ll buy you a beer. Out of the park home run.

Sticky Fingaz-Bichasniguz

Before the Death Row/ Badboy era there were a few gruops and artists that really held it down for the underground.  Onyx was in the forefront and on this track Sticky Fingaz is at his spine chilling best. The malice encased in this verse is full of murderous intent and there is nothing sweet to be extracted. There are threats made on this record that don’t feel like a movie or like a cartoon but have every bit the feel of legitimate danger.  Before camera phones and Youtube, we were left to our own imaginations and Sticky’s cleanup verse made a whole lot of MC’s back the fuck up.

Kool G Rap-The Symphony

On a track filled with all world rappers, the Kool Genius of Rap went for the jugular with a verbal assault that, over 20 years later, stands firm in accomplishment.  Metaphors, similies, multiple flows and bar constructions propel this verse into the atmosphere. It is rumored that G Rap rhymed until the end of the 2 inch tape (old schoolers know) and in truth, the video cut a significant portion of his assault out of the final cut. There isn’t a single wasted word in this from set up to execution. Rappers were in danger. And this wasn’t the opening OR closing verse.

Lil Wayne-We Takin’ Over

On a track full of veterans an heavyweights, Lil Wayne drew blood and staked his claim for supremacy over them all. There weren’t many slouches on this record (minus Baby’s intro to Wayne) and the beat bangs immensely but as soon as Wayne got on the mic, it was over. By the end of his verse, he had put a “king” in his place, outrhymed a “boss” and dropped lyrical “crack” on the streets. Doubters had to eat their words, pushers got mad, and another guy had to come out of retirement or else be wiped out of the public memory.

Stay tuned tomorrow for part two of the home run derby. Peace

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