I Have Class Tomorrow!

Fuck that! Summer is officially over, but lucky for me it's always summer in San Diego. So, the fun never really ends. I don't really have anything specific to write about here, so let's just get this thing started.

The Pack "In My Car"

I had been a little concerned about the direction The Pack was taking when I was hearing a lot of their solo stuff. It sounded kinda coked-out. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's just how I felt about it. It just wasn't quite as much fun as their older stuff. Anyway, that's all over, because I just discovered this slapper. The title is the hook and the hook is the title. No more, no less. Pack music at its finest.

Keak da Sneak "N Front of Ya Momma's House"

Keak da Sneak "The Sneak Come Out at Night"

These are the latest from Keak, and I really like the sound he's been going with lately. "N Front..." is kind of a follow up to "Hyphy Ridin '07" - which was anything but a hyphy song. He's been employing that old West Coast high-pitched whistle sound, and I'm really into it. The B-side is an update of the Whodini classic "The Freaks Come Out at Night", in case you didn't already guess that. Maybe West Coast rappers should take a tip from Keak and Mitchy Slick, and try to bring back a more Old School sound instead of using beats that sound like derivative Southern crap. Just a thought.

Sirealz "Fat Guy in a Little Coat"

I bet you were thinking to yourself, "Damn, maybe there won't be any Team Knoc in this post! That's wild!". Guess again, loser. I got Team Knoc for days. In case you don't get the reference, here it is.

Drino Man, Team Knoc, Andre Nickatina "Yummy"

Some collabos just come out of nowhere. The kid from fucking Alameda who made the "Vans" diss song alongside Team Knoc (who are friends of The Pack, right?) and Dre Dog? I'm not even that into the song, but you have to appreciate how bizarre this is.

I swear there was something else I wanted to write about, but I really can't remember. Until then, here's a Ukranian pig slaughter.

New Radio Show!

Real Quick:

Nation of Thizzlam radio returns tomorrow (saturday) night. I have a show with my two dudes, Andrew and Noah. It's at 8 (that's 5 West Coast time). Go to wbar.org to listen.

TUNE IN TO THAT SHIT!!!

Backpack Rap Go!

No, don't worry, faithful readers. I haven't started listening to Atmosphere and Jedi Mind Tricks. Me? Fer serious?

No, when I talk about "backpack rap" from now on, I'm talking about rap dedicated exclusively to backpacks. Knapsacks. Bookbags. Whatever you call 'em, they go!

Here's my new favorite:

Pole Boyz "Cereal Backpack"

That's right, motherfuckers. You can make a backpack out of a cereal box. Despite the fact that this dude (these dudes?) do not explain what a cereal backpack is (cause I'm hella tardy, I guess), or how the fuck you make them, I can break it down for you. You buy a box of your favorite cereal, or whichever cereal that has a box that goes hella hard. You eat the cereal or get rid of it in whatever fashion you feel is appropriate. Then, you attach strings to the box and pretend it's a backpack. It looks like this.



While this is cool and all, these dudes really need to consider a name change. Pole Boyz? Seriously? I'm guessing it's a North Oakland/North Pole thing, which I think I've heard before (as in - it's cold out here, blud). But - here's the tricky part - "pole" is also a euphemism for "penis", sometimes. I didn't know if you knew that. So, yeah, their name is kinda ghey, is all.

In case you somehow missed these classic Bay Area Backpack rap songs, here they are:

Team Knoc, Dora the Explorer "Backpack"

Head Bustaz "Dumb in my Backpack"

The Head Bustaz were really the first to make a song about backpacks, as far as I know, or would care to know. However, I really think that Team Knoc took the genre to the next level by sampling Dora the Explorer's backpack song. How they haven't managed to sample the the theme to Go Diego Go! is beyond me. It sounds like this:



To continue with this back-to-school theme of sorts, someone finally made a song that references the Magic School Bus. If you don't remember this from your childhood, the Magic School Bus looks like this:



They went on really tyt fieldtrips, and they never had to learn about Miwok Indians every fucking year, as far as I could tell. Back to the song, I think the guys are white. You'll see what I mean when you hear the song.

The Slap Squad "The Magic School Bus"

That's all for now, but on a final note, eskay from Nah Right actually posted something about Bay Area rap, kinda. He posted a video of Mistah FAB fucking destroying Royce da 5-9 in a freestyle battle. Unlike Royce, Fabby can hide his backpacker roots when he has to battle. It's unclear whether Royce understood he was in a battle or not. Fab did, however, spend a lot of time kissing New York ass (kind of, he also mentions that Joe Buddens brother got shot, which may be the reason that he wasn't there for the battle - not cool). Maybe he learned his lesson about insulting the audience from his battle with Jin, where he went after Jin and the car show audience (read: mostly Asian audience) for being Asian.

Here's the video of the battle.



Mistah FAB wears some ugly fucking t-shirts.

Tom Gheyhan Accidentally Says Something Good About Bay Area Rap

It's kinda hidden, but appreciated nonetheless.

It's The Big Day!

so SPE-cial... unforGITable

So I still don't really know if our readers care about anything other than bay raps. But I don't care. I don't think we could call this a rap blog without addressing the release of the Kanye and 50 albums today.

First of all I will say: don't buy either of these albums. They are available for free over the internet! (Maybe you've heard).

Also, from what I have heard, neither one of these albums will change how you feel about 50 or Kanye. For example, I am extremely ambivalent about Kanye--he makes some good beats, but goddamn is he a bag. Basically a lot of the beats are what you would expect, and he still has that irritating mix of towering arrogance and pathetic insecurity in his lyrics. And he still does that thing where he mispronounces words but doesn't pull it off. Ejemplos:

The Glory

Barry Bonds feat. Lil Wayne

Notice how Lil' Wayne, while completely mailing in his verse, still manages to pull of the mispronunciation thing.

Meanwhile, 50 Cent is still an entertaining rapper. And I don't think I am required to hate him for beefing with Cam'Ron because Cam TOTALLY MURKED 50. I think everyone would be a little happier if they dropped the anti-50 centiment* and enjoy his (good) songs. But the plodding G-Unit beats are starting to sound a little dated. Ejemplos:

My Gun

Curtis 187

As you may imagine from the titles, these songs also tread on some rather familiar territory. This song is kinda a jam though:

Come and Go

Anyway, I don't really think there is much to say about these albums that haven't been said about Kanye and 50's previous albums. Both have several great tracks on them, if you have the ability to get over yourself and listen to some goddamn mainstream rap. What does everyone else think? (Other than that we should get back to the Teamknocc).

*OMG I TOTALLY DID THAT ON ACCIDENT!!! SERIOUSLY! HOW FUNNY IS THAT?!?!

HUH?

Did anyone know about this?