2) The Madlib Medicine Show 1, Before The Verdict featuring Guilty Simpson (Stones Throw)

3) Oh No Dr. No's Ethiopium (Stones Throw)

4) Thavius Beck Dialogue (Mush)

5) Eligh Gandalf's Beat Machine Level 3 (Legendary Music)

The terms "highly anticipated" and "long overdue" each accurately apply to Lil Wayne's Rebirth on Cash Money / Universal, this week's number one hip-hop album at Amoeba Music San Francisco. However, it seems the term "disappointing" could also apply based on the overall negative review the album has received since its release earlier this week. The artist's seventh studio album and the follow up to his 2008 multi-platinum full-length, Tha Carter III, Rebirth is (as written about here) a repeatedly delayed release that should have come out almost a year ago. Due to one thing or another (many speculate that Lil Wayne's label insisted it needed more work & hence postponed its arrival in stores) the release date for the popular rapper's rock/hip-hop hybrid album (with Carter on the cover posing with electric guitar on lap) had been postponed about a half a dozen times in all. But now that Rebirth is finally available, what is the consensus on the music? Overall not good.

Pop quiz: what Oakland rap act was featured prominently in a television commercial spot during Sunday's big Super Bowl event? If you answered MC Hammer, you would be partially correct, as indeed the long fallen-from-grace (and riches) bygone Oakland pop-rap star was featured along with another former big baller, Ed McMahon, in the funny (but in a sad/tragic way) Cash4Gold commercial in which Hammer and McMahon are seen selling off their worldly possessions to get some needed cash.

But also on Sunday there was another Oakland rap act featured, or rather their music was featured, in the new series of always anticipated Super Bowl commercials.

New up-and-coming Oakland hip-hop group The High Decibels' song "That Dude" was prominently featured in the "Sphere of Summer" Super Bowl Commercial spot for Budweiser's new Bud Light Lime line of beer. The commercial, which aired in the game's exciting final quarter, was one of many anticipated new TV commercials unveiled during Super Bowl and which famously cost advertisers $3 million per 30 second spot to run on NBC but are viewed by tens of millions of potential customers.

Considering that the High Decibels are a relatively little-known group with only one album out on a small indie local label, I was curious as to how they landed their music on such a major TV spot. So yesterday I caught up in person with the group's mainman/guitarist KC, who I hadn't seen since I did an Amoeblog profile on the High Decibels back in October when they had just put out their debut album HD on Rolling Jack Records and were doing a record release party in SF. In addition to putting together the hip-hop band, whose two emcees are Duke and Chief, KC also oversees the management and business of the group.

          

Unique new Oakland hip-hop group The High Decibels, whose recently released debut album HP on Rolling Jack Records melds rap, rock, and blues, are playing a must-see show tonight at the Element Lounge at 1028 Geary Ave. in San Francisco. At this evening's show the group's two front men/emcees, main-man Duke and his back up/hype-man Chief (above), will be joined by the tight High Decibels live band led by group founder & album producer KC Booker who will be playing electric guitar, along with Aaron Taunton on electric bass, and Deane Jenkins on drums. Unfortunately superswift DJ Gordo Cabeza, who does a stellar job cutting it up throughout the new album, will not be joining them for tonight's show, but no matters, it should still be an off the hook concert.

I have already seen the High Decibels perform twice in the past few weeks and each time they exuded a level of professionalism not normally associated with a local hip-hop act who have just dropped their first record. Each of these recent shows were semi-informal and were attended by only a handful -- one in KC's North Oakland living-room for a Imeen.com video taping & the other (also in North Oakland) was a live remote WFMU radio broadcast that I produced last week. At each of these performances they connected with the few in attendance and remarkably (especially for live hip-hop) sounded even better than on their record!

Expect the set for tonight's show to be drawn exclusively from their 13 track album and to include such favorites as"Duke Gonna Get Em," "Crash With No Cushion," "Who Knew Duke," and "Miss Cindy." At tonight's show they may or may not be sharply dressed (like on the album cover, left), donning their stylish suits, shirts, and ties. "They [suits] get too hot to perform in sometimes," laughed Duke. And what about that classic large 1988 model boombox also featured on the album cover? "We bring it round with us always to play beats off it," said Duke. But they will not need to bring it for tonight's High Decibels show.

                             Amoeba Music Hollywood Hip-Hop Top FIve 09:12:08
1) The Game LAX (Geffen/Interscope)

2) Young Jeezy The Recession (Def Jam)

3) The Game LAX (deluxe edition) (Geffen/Interscope)

4) GZA Pro Tools (Baby Grande)

5) Lil Wayne Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)

Special thanks to Marques at the Hollywood Amoeba Music for this week's top five hip-hop albums, which includes hometown artist The Game's new album LAX twice. "The number three on the chart version of The Game is the deluxe edition of LAX which has three extra songs on it," notes Marques of the second (more limited pressing) version of the album that also costs a bit more to purchase. Other chart entries include the recently released Young Jeezy album The Recession, Lil Wayne's current hot seller Tha Carter III (sure to be on many year end lists), and the latest from GZA, Pro Tools. Meanwhile GZA's Wu-Tang buddy RZA (who supplies some production on the guest heavy Pro Tools album) will be one of the many performers at the upcoming We The People Music, Arts, and Cultural Festival happening at Los Angeles State Historic Park (1245 N. Spring Street) on Saturday, September 27th. Others scheduled to perform include EPMD (pictured), Fishbone, DJ Premier, Les Claypool, Suicidal Tendencies, Z-Trip, Dilated Peoples, Eeek-A-Mouse, Barrington Levy, Bassnectar, Free The Robots, B-Side Players, Roots of Creation, Markus James, Look Daggers, Tom Morello, and Flying Lotus, whose recent Warp release Los Angeles is one of the best albums of 2008. 

                                       JAMOEBLOG HIP-HOP TOP TEN: 08:27:08                                             

1) Homeboy Sandman "Opium" (Homeboy Sandman)

2) NaS feat Eban Thomas "You Can't Stop Me Now" (Def Jam)

3) Lee "Scratch" Perry  "$hine" (Narnack Records)

4) The High Decibels "Miss Cindy" (Rolling Jack)

5) Paris "Don't Stop the Movement" (Guerrila Funk)

6) Murs "Can It Be" (Warner)

7) Double Dee & Steinski "Lesson 3" (Illegal Art)

8) Foreign Legion "Come To The City" (Hunger Strike)

9) DJ Spinna "The Spirit of '94" (Colt 45)

10) The Bug "Freak Freak" (Ninja Tune)

The number one on this week's Jamoeblog Hip-Hop Top Ten (a subjective song-based chart) is from up-and-coming Queens, NY emcee talent Homeboy Sandman, whose totally unique flow and style is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise overcrowded sea of cookie cutter rappers. So far only available through his website, as well as at a few select East Coast record stores, Homeboy Sandman's self-released debut CD Actual Factual Pterodactyl offers up hip-hop like you've never heard before, with great songs such as the slow-mo flow of "Opium" or the funny uptempo rapid fire delivery of "Food Glorious Food" which draws its hook from the Oliver! soundtrack.