The Message Blog

Review - Wu-Tang Clan: Pollen - The Swarm Part III

Posted by elmattic On June 24, 2010

In 1898, the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists led the Boxer Rebellion in China. They attacked thinking that their martial arts training would make them fly, be immune to bullets and call on spirit soldiers. Guess what, that didn't work out too good. Pollen is kinda like the Boxer Rebellion. The Wu's been rolling for 17 years now, and the ancient arts of shadowboxing on their own aren't enough in the modern world. I mean, what exactly is the point of another album of the A and B team Clan over middling beats?

Review - Everliven Sound - Freedom 2

Posted by Wally $ean On June 23, 2010

With the underground hip-hop scene producing so many new artists, it’s surprising to see how many are looking at the industry with the assailing eye of veteran rhymers. Take the duo Everliven Sound, also known as emcees the UK's Skit Skam and NJ's Cymarshall Law: although both are relatively fresh-faces in the game, their attitude, style and sound are something of a throwback. On their latest project together Freedom 2, Skit and Cy once again exhibit wisdom and abilities beyond their years, despite a number of problems.

Review - Godilla - Jaguar Paw

Posted by Wally $ean On May 19, 2010

The Jaguar Warrior was a terrifying Aztec soldier who brutalized his victims and captured survivors for ritual sacrifice...With an M.O. like that, it's no wonder why rapper Godilla seemingly pays homage to them on the cover of his LP Jaguar Paw, and he does so with good reason. The Easton, PA emcee and Snowgoons collaborator is out for weak emcees' blood on this album. Although it's not a perfect, with some lackluster beats and bars, it's an inspired, cohesive album that harkens back to he golden era of hip-hop while adding a dash of Latin flavor to spice up the recipe.

Review - The Closers - Bullpen Sessionz

Posted by Wally $ean On March 21, 2009

Hardcore gutter rap is something of a rarity these days. Apart from artists like Blaq Poet and Roc Marciano, very few emcees these days spit that raw shit that sounds like the soundtrack to getting yapped for all of your personal belongings. Yet hope is not lost for fans of that hard-body, get-mushed-or-moshed-out-type steez: The Closers - a four man collective of Shabaam Sahdeeq, Red Eye and the production combo Thorotracks - are up to bat with their latest project Bullpen Sessionz, and they're swinging away like the Baseball Furies.

Review - Statik Selektah - 100 Proof (The Hangover)

Posted by Wally $ean On February 10, 2010

For the past three years, Massachusetts producer and DJ Statik Selektah has had the underground hip-hop scene firmly under his thumb. With a barrage of mixtapes, guest productions and a nearly annual onslaught of album releases, Statik has managed to transform his little Showoff Records imprint into a burgeoning success, helping to propel emcees like Reks and Termanology into the spotlight. Now, Mr. Spell My Name Right is back with his third studio album 100 Proof (The Hangover).

I'm Gone

Posted by Wally $ean On Saturday, August 14, 2010 18 comments

As if the few readers out there haven't already figured it out, your man Wally is going to be taking an "extended break" from this Blogging ish. Really, I'm just kind of sick of the whole Blog thing at this point. Between work at DX, school and jumping head-first into production, I just truly don't have to the time or energy to devote to this site anymore to do any really interesting beyond "oh look, Grand Daddy I.U. released a song."

I'm going to leave the site up and running in case I feel the desire to come back to it at some point (though it's going back to it's ".blogspot" address 'cus I'm not going to pay for the domain anymore). But that's pretty much it. Hit up DX if you really want to read some more or my shit or whatever. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and thanks to everybody that sent music and such over the years.

But before I finalize this last post, one last song...

news, video | Links to this post |

J57 feat. Skyzoo - "Lights Out Pt. Zero"

Posted by Wally $ean On Wednesday, August 11, 2010 0 comments

I really meant to get to this earlier today, but alas, I got distracted on some A.D.D. shit. Anyway, here's the first leak from the homie J57 (of the Brown Bag AllStars)'s upcoming debut solo LP Digital City. Shit's on some Dracula-type spooky-dooky shit. Plus, the guest feature from Skyzoo is def an added bonus. Apparently, the album is going to be completely electronic, which if it's anything like this leak, means it's going to be dope as shit. Look for it to drop this Friday.

J57 feat. Skyzoo - "Lights Out Pt. Zero"

mp3 | Links to this post |

7 Things That Are Not Hip Hop

Posted by elmattic On Friday, August 06, 2010 0 comments

I’m not one of those irritating purists who complains about what hip-hop used to be and blahzay blahzay, but you gotta draw the line somewhere.

1. Kanye tweeting about goblets and carpets. I specifically ordered persian rugs with cherub imagery!!! What do I have to do to get a simple persian rug with cherub imagery uuuuugh

2. E-mails from PR Assistants / Branded water.

Hi!! My name is Karin Wolok. I am the assistant to Alvon Miller, CEO of Burnitdown Group, and National DIrector of Marketing at Shady Records. … I have the link for the new Eminem & Rihanna video if you want it. I can put together an Eminem package for you… with the album, Tshirts, a case of Eminem “Recovery” water, etc. So let me know if you want that…

3. Acoustic bedroom Wu-Tang covers.

4. Being a cognac spokesmodel. Back in the day a lot of rappers did radio ads for malt liquor. Malt liquor is hip hop. Then cats dropped the names of the brandy or champagne they drank in their songs to show how classy they were. Bling is hip hop. But being a ‘global creative consultant’ and ‘help[ing] with promotions, merchandising and digital media campaigns for a variety of the Rémy Martin cognac marques’ is just a fucking sell-out.

5. Arguing with bloggers. Some blogger writes that Talib Kweli is no longer a conscious rapper for doing a song with Gucci Mane. Talib Kweli feels compelled to write a long-ass rebuttal. Talib, if you read this, do not respond. Get your ass in the studio and make records. If you want to prove how conscious you still are, go run for Vice-President of Haiti on Wyclef’s ticket.

6. Dissing washed up folk-rock singers for insulting your acting ability.

7. Drake. I like Degrassi as much as the next guy, but. Just go away, bitch.

Rant and Rave | Links to this post |

Cinematic Music Group x Smoke DZA - George Kush Da Button

Posted by Wally $ean On Thursday, August 05, 2010 0 comments

Apologies for not blasting this one off sooner. My time this past weekend was apprehended by the ever important activities of zoning out to "Shark Week" re-runs, downloading jazz albums and trying to get drunk off aromatic bitters. That, and making beats (more on this at a later date). Anyway, Smoke DZA finally dropped his George Kush Da Button mixtape/street album, complete with Ski Beatz on the production and Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T. and others on the guest list. I'd say bumping this and burning one would be a perfect combo, but that'd only make me painfully privy to the fact that I can't due to a deficit in supply...fucking sobriety.

Cinematic Music Group x Smoke DZA - George Kush Da Button

1. Continental Kush Breakfast (ft. Den10) [prod. Kenny Beats]
2. Sour Hour [prod. Ski Beatz]
3. Etc Etc (ft. Curren$y & Big K.R.I.T.) (prod. Ski Beatz]
4. Sounds Of The Indo (ft. Den10 & Teri Walker) [prod. Ski Beatz]
5. Code Orange (ft. Mad Max) [prod. Ski Beatz]
6. The Secret (ft. Big K.R.I.T.) [prod. Ski Beatz]
7. GoodTalk (ft. Dom Kennedy) [prod. Big K.R.I.T.]
8. I'm Saying [prod. Big K.R.I.T.]
9. I'm Your Pusha (ft. June Summers) [prod. Ski Beatz]
10. My Life [prod. Steve-O Of GFCnewyork]
11. We On (ft. Kent M$ney & Skotch Davis) [prod. Ski Beatz]
12. Lost [prod. Ski Beatz]
13. It Ain’t My Fault (ft. Mickey Factz) [prod. G14]**

mixtape | Links to this post |

Batting Clean-Up - Brown Bag AllStars Edition

Posted by Wally $ean On Wednesday, August 04, 2010 0 comments

These two tracks from BBAS' Soul Khan and Koncept came out last week, but fuck it, I got an email blast with them today, and both songs are dope as fuck. Also, if you want to see more Soul Khan/Marv Won ish, check the doubles battle they did against each other. Hilarious shit.

Soul Khan feat. Marv Won - "Thunder in Paradise"

Koncept - "The Game"

mp3 | Links to this post |

Grand Daddy I.U. - "Rhyme After Rhyme" x "Hustlin'"

Posted by Wally $ean On Tuesday, August 03, 2010 0 comments

You know it's going to be a good day when Grand motherfuckin' Daddy I.U. comes throught with not just one, but two new songs. And one of them features Dat X! DX got the debut of the first of these yesterday (the one with X, that is), but Unkut was the first to come through with download links. I.U. is definitely one of those vets who's managed to not lose a single step along the way. Same with Freddie Foxxx. Just some hardbody hip-hop shit. Off I.U.'s upcoming Grown Man B.I..

Grand Daddy I.U. feat. Sadat X - "Rhyme After Rhyme"

Grand Daddy I.U. - "Hustlin'"

mp3 | Links to this post |

Joell Ortiz - "80's Baby" x "Sing Like Bilal" Freestyle

Posted by Wally $ean On Tuesday, August 03, 2010 1 comments

Joell Ortiz double times it on this latest leak off his upcoming mixtape with Green Lantern YAOWAH. This shit really goes hard. Green's beat is pretty damn hardbody, and Ortiz is simply bankers on it. But c'mon, where the fuck is Free Agent? Wasn't that supposed to come out this month? Damn man...regardless, at least we get a Joell and Joe Budden mixtape this October. Also, as a bonus, I included Joell freestyling over Premo's "Sing Like Bilal" beat. SSure, it came out last week, but it's still that amazing.

Joell Ortiz - "80's Baby"

Bonus: Joell Ortiz - "Sing Like Bilal" Freestyle

freestyle, mp3 | Links to this post |

Vado feat. Cam'ron - "Speakin' in Tungs" Video

Posted by Wally $ean On Tuesday, August 03, 2010 0 comments

And I'm back! Really, I should've been back by Saturday, but I've been on my production shit the past few days and I wasn't abut to interrupt that. Plus, it's "Shark Week." Anyway, first up for today is the long-awaited video for Vado and Cam's smash "Speakin' in Tungs." Honestly, there really aren't any artists killing it like Cam these days. Dude went from getting clowned on by Curtis to the top of the proverbial New York barrel. And where the fuck is Fiddy at? He really needs to stop hocking those shit movies to "The View" and shit.

Vado feat. Cam'ron - "Speakin' in Tungs"

video | Links to this post |

Central Services (El-P & Camu Tao) - Free EP

Posted by elmattic On Friday, July 30, 2010 0 comments

This is somethin' for the Jukies...

Free EP of unreleased Central Services joints from '04-'05, with Camu Tao & El-P. Click here.
You can pre-order Camu Tao's posthumous "King of Hearts" here. Drops 8/17.
Stream the whole of El-P's "Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixx 3" on the Myspace.

Looks like Def Jux ain't dead yet.

EP, mp3 | Links to this post |

Bloody Monk Consortium - Burden of Truth EP

Posted by elmattic On Thursday, July 29, 2010 0 comments

Yikes. If Killarmy spent three years locked in a dark basement, smoking PCP and listening to Chinese opera, it would probably sound like this.

Warning: Not to be listened to by pregnant women, those with a heart condition, epileptics or soft mahfackas. You must be as tall as Raekwon to listen to Bloody Monk Consortium.

Ready? OK, let's go.