Yo I really looooooove finding my old stuff. Since it’s Music Monday I’ve just been rummaging through the old records (mp3 files) and finding stuff I forgot all about. Like this freestyle on Kanye’s “Family Business”. I knew so little about cadence and all that other technical jargon. All I had was rhymes and a passion to get them out regardless of who would listen/care. It was more so poetry just with a beat to add to the ambiance.
Speaking of early rhymes and Kanye West. Don’t know if anyone is up on his mixtape stuff before he blew up (Around 2003). He had some good stuff. I can’t even find the mp3′s anymore..had to youtube this for ya’ll. “I ain’t messing with them girls no more……this week”
Bump and Grind (Remix) – R Kelly And last but not least. This R.Kelly remix of Bump N Grind is one of the most slept on (punt intended) slow jams of all time.
Just a bunch of random things/people/songs I’m feeling at the moment musically. Might make this a weekly thing.
Itunes Snapshot:The top 10 songs I’ve played since I last reset itunes. Notice the dominance of RnB…I hate rappers.
On The Famous Radar:People who might be involved with The Famous Firm sometime in the near future. N.E.P.H.E.W-I got put on to Neph by his manager Rico a few months back. He comes from Chicago and has a very hard working team behind him. His music really stood out and eventually I set him up for a meeting with Sickamore in NY. After the meeting everyone called and e-mailed me saying he was one of the most talented rappers we ever encountered at The Firm. Very high praise because we hate rappers…let me not speak for everyone, I hate rappers. Nonetheless, N.E.P.H.E.W isn’t another rapper. Dude is a dope artist. Sent them this Just Blaze instrumental last week and he immediately sent this back: Listen To N.E.P.H.E.W On Just Blaze’s “Why You Hate The Game” track Neph’s Myspace Audra:Female rappers are a rarity these days, good ones even more so. The Firm worked with a good one earlier on this year;Ms Nicki Minaj of Lil Wayne’s Young Money ENT. I’m a huge believer that female rap isn’t dead, it’s just not being marketed right…actually it’s just not being marketed at all. All the top ones went to jail and the industry sort of just stopped caring. A person that can help remedy that might be Virginia’s own Audra. I found her via a good ole fashion hit up on myspace. The thing that stood out even before listening to her music was that she started up her own charity foundation to help AIDS awareness. Knowing a person has good character is half the battle, now what about the music? Well she definitely has talent. Her style reminds me of an early Left Eye kind of. She’s also nominated for some Southern Music Awards so be sure to support if you like what you hear. Audra’s Myspace
In Other Music News:Mainstream Music From My Perspective Even though she’s no longer my number 1 I still need everyone to support Keysh tomorrow. Her new album entitled “A Different Me” is in stores tomorrow.
Others That Need To Be Copped-Musiq Soulchild and Common both got new albums out and Soulja Boy drops tomorrow too I believe.
Revolution Will Be Phellavised On PH1:Music Videos That I Find To Be Compelling
I don’t know what’s up with everyone saying this was a horrible performance. Of course Kanye is a horrendous singer. I don’t think he ever claimed to be Whitney Houston. The guy is just in a zone and making whatever music he feels like making and I’m enjoying just about all of it. I thought this performance was ill. Especially the I-just-scored-a touchdown-at-the-Superbowl-and-don’t-care-who’s-watching dance.
“Unbiased these days what I throw my support in/ Chuck Hamilton headphones,Souljas recordings/ And just to prove I live in a neutral world/ I’m admiring the Donk on a Brooklyn Girl/” Phella-”So Real” (produced by J.Rob)
J.Rob has been lacing me since high school (that “Long Summer” freestyle is from 2006 I believe) but this is like our first one this year due to my loooooooooooong musical hiatus. Don’t worry, we’re just scratching the surface. 09 is gonna be INSANE!!!!!!!
“Just wait til I cut cut cut/ I’ma have you like what what what/ Never gonna get enuff nuff nuff/ That’s riiiiiight, that’s riiiiiiight/” Karim Diane-”Cut”
If you are new to this blog then you might not know yet how I feel about Karime Diane’s music. Ever since he approached us at The Firm back in April I’ve taken an interest in his career and watched him grow as a singer/songwriter. The scary part is he’s only 18. He changed his name from Kay to Karim back in the summer after encouragement from Ankh Rha (Puffy’s vocal coach for the Making The Band dudes). Ankh told Karim not to conform and that his given name was too powerful to not use.
I’m a lil biased but I really believe Karim’s going to be killing the RnB game for years to come. Get FIRMilia.
Not the biggest movie person in the world but I do have a few that I watch over and over again.
#1-Hairspray. Whenever I’m in a creative drought or just need to hear sounds being put together I pop this in. It has all the elements. Comedy, drama, social commentary and all that. I’ve been hooked ever since I had a chance to see the play on Broadway about 3 years ago while traveling with the George Mason basketball team. Shouts to Coach L for that ultimate put on. #2-Carlito’s Way. This one goes without saying. I basically see myself as Carlito. Just somebody trying to do right that keeps getting forced into wrongs. Add that to his struggles with his girl, battles with close “friends” and desire to please everyone and what you have is me…Phellito. Great great film. #3-A Bronx Tale. Another one I watch in large part because of the soundtrack. That whole 60′s Doo Wop sound zones me out everytime. Treat yourself to “Streets Of The Bronx” some time. I really regret not going to see it on Broadway earlier this year. All my NY heads let me know if it comes back around. My favorite line: “the saddest thing in life is wasted talent”.
I think #4 is about to be Sound Of Music once I find it. Shouts to Simone Carlene for refreshing my memory about this movie. I watched it every single day as a kid.
Everybody enjoy the weekend, I’ll Holla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“I say that reluctantly cuz I do struggle, as you see I can’t leave so I do love you”-Jay-Z “The Prelude”
In regards to the blog from two days ago about falling back from industry work a bit to enjoy “the normal side of life”? Nonsense. Like I said I’m too much of an extremist to balance “the grind” with “the regular stuff”. And despite all the ills that come with it, I got on the grind for specific reasons and can’t/shouldn’t let up till the mission is complete. Besides, what’s the point of going so hard at something for two years and then slowing up right before the finish line?
Sidenote:Shout out to a lot of the people who I’ve been back and forth with recently via e-mail/text/blogs over the last week. Lots of innovative minds out there doing lots of great things. I feel responsible, at least partly, for providing them a platform to do what they do on a solid stage. Bare with me ya’ll….I got us.
Cheers to another 2 straight years of grinding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scoring Breakdown: Physical=10pts Smile=20pts Confidence with Humility=20pts Too Confident/Arrogant=-20pts Low Self Esteem/Low Confidence=-30pts Positive Energy=+30pts Negative Energy=Stay Far Away Fashion/Style=20pts Materialistic=-10pts Ghetto Girl=10pts Classy With Ghetto Tendencies=20pts Goal Oriented=10pts Too Goal Oriented=-30pts Not Goal Oriented At All/Gold Digger=-30 pts Tainted Past=-1000000000000000pts
I decided to hit the reset button on all my crushes. Above is the criteria that I go by in Phantasy Dating. Keyshia Cole is still cool and all but she has an album coming out and won’t be able to provide the attention I need. That -30 for being too goal oriented really cost her. Bria Myles used to be front runner but she is just getting too OD with the pics she takes….cool to look at, but I don’t think I can wife something that (I know) everyone has seen. She unfortunately got a negative 1 gazillion because of her tainted past. Chicks like Sanaa Lathan are a little bit too cliche. Every dude mentions her in their top 10. Her Fantasy score is extremely high but we don’t do cliches over here. We like New New. Speaking of “New New”. Lauren London also has an extremely high score too but we need more power moves from her career wise to certify that she’s not a GD. For some odd reason I really like Rocsi off 106 and Park. Obviously she looks good but that usually isn’t the deciding factor. I think it’s because she has that “I think I’m too good” attitude that I love. 50 Cent would put her in the negative 1 gazillion category but I don’t believe Fif. She gets disqualified because she replaced, Free, the ultimate Phantasy dater. Taraji P Henson (Howard University Girl) is also back on the playing field. I hadn’t seen her in anything for a while until the Jamie Foxx/T.I. video. She’s super smart and always smiling, plus she has that sassyness that Rocsi has mixed in with some humble pie. I think she wins for now. She fits into every positive category on the list plus tons of bonus points for things not mentioned.
That’s it for Phantasy. As for real life, I always catch borderline crazy joints(that’s what I say). Or they’re normal and I make them crazy (that’s what they say). “You should see how I am around girls, I ruin them all”-Jay-Z
If anyone out there is ever feeling freaky and wants to test my pool game, you're more than welcome to catch a beatdown.
I don't go to the pool hall to play games. Just ask this gentleman (who I whooped 9 games to 3).I'm accepting all challenges. I'll even come to your city.
I’ll let my man Key from Hustle and Flow tell it:”There are two types of people: those that talk the talk and those that walk the walk. People who walk the walk sometimes talk the talk but most times they don’t talk at all, ’cause they walkin’. Now, people who talk the talk, when it comes time for them to walk the walk, you know what they do? They talk people like me into walkin’ for them. “
Christina of The Famous Firm is down here in DC working with Nike. They’re promoting the new Lebron 6 as well as conducting a tournament that features the nations top players.
Shouts to Chrissy for getting me and Jacks in VIP style. Even Roy Williams (North Carolina Head Coach) had to wait in line and buy a ticket.
The tournament is all day today and tomorrow so anyone interested in good bball or Nike should definitely attend. Lots of big hoops names in the attendance.
"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation... tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. His anxiety subsides. His inhuman void spreads monstrously like a gray vegetation."
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