Blog

My top 20 of the year so far:

01. Into The Future - Bad Brains
02. 4Eva N A Day - Big K.R.I.T.
03. Blue Chips - Action Bronson & Party Supplies
04. Control System - Ab-Soul
05. The Man With The Iron Fists OST - RZA/Various Artists
06. MA_DOOM: Son Of Yvonne - Masta Ace & MF DOOM
07. good kid, m.A.A.d city - Kendrick Lamar
08. Knowledge Is Power Vol. 1 - Akala
09. P.E.E.P.: The aPROcalypse - Pro Era
10. Attack The Block - Talib Kweli

11. Rugby Thompson - Smoke DZA & Harry Fraud
12. Vodka & Ayahuasca - Gangrene (The Alchemist & Oh No)
13. Habits & Contradictions - ScHoolBoy Q
14. K.O.N.Y. - Smoke DZA
15. I.M. 4-EVA - Big Shug
16. Ichiban Sound In 3D - Willie B
17. 80 Minute Eternity - K-Rino
18. Live From The Underground - Big K.R.I.T.
19. Russian Roulette - The Alchemist
20. Gigantic Vol. 1 - Small Professor



Below is my thoughts on each album released this year that I've heard in order of hearing them.

★★★★★ = Dope as fuck.
★★★★ = Good, replayable.
…

1. CunninLynguists - Oneirology
Label: APOS Music // Released: 22 Mar 2011
http://s60.radikal.ru/i168/1107/81/845267f3fff7.jpg
Guests: Anna Wise, Freddie Gibbs, Big K.R.I.T., Tonedeff, BJ The Chicago Kid, Tunji...
Producer: Kno
Visit: bandcamp
______________________________________________________________

2. The Roots - Undun
Label: Def Jam // Released: 6 Dec 2011
http://s50.radikal.ru/i127/1112/b0/d96ea8a1abc0.jpg
Guests: Big K.R.I.T., Phonte, Greg Porn, Truck North, Bilal
Producers: ?uestlove, Ray Angry, James Poyser, Richard Nichols...
______________________________________________________________

3. Common - The Dreamer, The Believer
Label: Think Common Music // Released: 20 Dec 2011
http://s54.radikal.ru/i144/1112/8e/f80fed555aba.jpg
Guests: Maya Angelou, Nas, John Legend
Producer: No I.D.
______________________________________________________________

4. Big K.R.I.T. - Return Of 4eva
Label: Self-released //…

sequel to http://www.last.fm/user/jensyao/journal/2011/04/07/4bebct_hip_hop_for_new_listeners

Pimps ft. Bun B & Big K.R.I.T./2 Chainz
All Eyez On Me/2Pac
2 Glocks (Feat. Bounty Killa & Wayne Marshall)/2Pac
Troublesome 21/2Pac
Str8 Ballin (Feat Danielle Sen/2Pac
Still I Rise/2Pac
"Sleep (Ft. Young Buck, Chamillionaire)"/2pac
Runnin (Feat Notorious B.I.G.)/2Pac
Road 2 Glory/2Pac
Revolution (Feat. Busta Rhymes)/2Pac
Playa Cardz Right (Female) (Ft. Keyshia Cole)/2pac
Me Against The World (Feat DJ Quik/2Pac
Letter 2 the President (Original)/2Pac
Keep Ya Head Up/2Pac
How Do You Want It/2Pac
How Do U Want It (Feat Fatal A/2Pac
Hold On Be Strong (Feat Stretch/2Pac
Help Me Change My Ways/2Pac
For My Niggaz (feat. Storm) (Unreleased)/2Pac
Fight Music (Feat. Xzibit)/2Pac
Fake Ass Bitches remix/2Pac
"Dumpin' (Ft. Hussein Fatal, Papoose, Carl Thomas)"/2pac
I'm alive 2009 /2Pac
Hatred/2Pac
21 Questions/50 Cent
You Not Like Me/50 Cent
What Up Gangsta (Instrumental)/50 Cent
…

This article was initially written for a Nas group the author created. To revert back to the group, click here
Currently has more tracks listed than that on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nas_discography)

Other Singles not on NaS albums, slept-on tracks, b-sides, featured material, rarities, and leaked unreleased material
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas16.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas17.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas18.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas19.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas20.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas21.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy199/YaoTheGreat/nas22.jpg
not done yet...still confirming dates to the best of my ability...not counting DJ mixes where the original verse was taken from another song unless the mix was better than the original Note: DJ Dirty Harry's…

This article was initially written for a Nas group the author created. To revert back to the group, click here

After Nas' arrival on Def Jam, he immediately proceeded with making some of his more controversial concepts such as proclaiming that hip hop is dead and addressing racism with his untitled album. On HHID, Nas claimed that in order to carry on tradition, one must follow the styles and creativity from the golden age of hip hop instead of selling out just to make a profit from singles and not full albums. Also, Nas addressed that people were making a career too much from beefing and decided to respond to 50 Cent's "piggy bank" with a verse on a mixtape track called "Don't Body Yourself" f/ The Game. He didn't want so-called beef to build record sales for him nor his opponent. Also, Nas felt he knew why 50 was mad because 50 was supposed to be featured on Jennifer Lopez's single, but Nas took the place due to popularity and J. …

http://twitpic.com/4j2vgi
http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/4j2vgi.jpg

(From left to right, top to bottom)
E-40
E-40
Snoop Dogg

Saigon
Lupe Fiasco
Far East Movement

Marques Houston
Chris Brown
The Foreign Exchange

Natasha Bedingfield
Britney Spears
Jessie J

Kandi
Marsha Ambrosius
Jennifer Hudson

British new comer Jessie J, who just released her debut album Who You Are, might be yet another one of those "young girls with retro soul swag," but as can be understood from the collaborations with the likes such as Dr. Luke, Oak (Knightwritaz), Labrinth (dubstep producer, for the remix of "Do It Like A Dude") and K-Gee (producer for girl band All Saints), she's also got a pop side and seems more like in the same league as Pixie Lott and, possibly, Melanie Fiona. Here on this debut set, from B.o.B-assisted "Price Tag" to self-penned folky ballad "Big White Room," uplifting funky pop "Abracadabra" to rockish power ballad "I Need This…

While plunging my toilet for the 700 millionth time this month, I was brainstorming what to say about Snoop Dogg’s latest album Doggumentary—and why our first reaction to a toilet that won’t flush anymore is to simply flush again. It can’t be coincidence, I thought. Each new album since R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece has been progressively worse (I actually enjoyed a number of songs on R & G and mistakenly hoped it’d get better), but he keeps making more of them. It’s like simply being unable to flush isn’t enough—no, he’s got to fill the toilet to overflowing.

I wonder how his wife feels about that. Or his continued pimp image album-after-album. Probably not much—they’ve been married since 1997 (minus the years between their 2004 divorce and 2008 remarriage). Eh, she probably doesn’t care. They could easily live off—well off—his endorsements, television and movie cameos, and sales of his older, better albums for the rest of their lives.

…