Amoeba Music Berkeley Weekly Hip-Hop Top Five: 01:22:10
1) J-Stalin Prenuptial Agreement (Town Thizzness/SMC/Fontana)
2) Souls Of Mischief Montezuma's Revenge (Clear)
3) Mos Def The Ecstatic (Downtown)
4) Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Interscope)
5) Sene & Blu A Day Late & A Dollar Short (SW Records)
Last week the Bay Area's own J-Stalin was number one at the San Francisco Amoeba store and this week he repeats that accomplishment by topping the hip-hop chart at the Berkeley Amoeba Music with his latest official release (as distinct from his series of mixtape CDs), Prenuptial Agreement (Town Thizzness/SMC/Fontana). On this latest album the cover shows the rapper from the Cypress Village housing projects in West Oakland looking very sharply dressed. J-Stalin delivers what his fans fiend for: good quality Bay rap with catchy hooks and featuring many well known guests. The 22 track CD, which includes the two singles “Rock Day” and “Everyday My Birthday,” features such guests as E-40 (who appears on the song "Get Me Off" that also offers a cameo from E-Da Sanga), Messy Marv ("H.N.I.C."), Too $hort & Mistah F.A.B (together on "Neighborhood Stars"), San Quinn ("Posted"),
The Jacka ("Red And Blue Lights"), and Shady Nate, who collaborates on two album tracks.
2) Souls Of Mischief Montezuma's Revenge (Clear)
3) Mos Def The Ecstatic (Downtown)
4) Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Interscope)
5) Sene & Blu A Day Late & A Dollar Short (SW Records)
Last week the Bay Area's own J-Stalin was number one at the San Francisco Amoeba store and this week he repeats that accomplishment by topping the hip-hop chart at the Berkeley Amoeba Music with his latest official release (as distinct from his series of mixtape CDs), Prenuptial Agreement (Town Thizzness/SMC/Fontana). On this latest album the cover shows the rapper from the Cypress Village housing projects in West Oakland looking very sharply dressed. J-Stalin delivers what his fans fiend for: good quality Bay rap with catchy hooks and featuring many well known guests. The 22 track CD, which includes the two singles “Rock Day” and “Everyday My Birthday,” features such guests as E-40 (who appears on the song "Get Me Off" that also offers a cameo from E-Da Sanga), Messy Marv ("H.N.I.C."), Too $hort & Mistah F.A.B (together on "Neighborhood Stars"), San Quinn ("Posted"),
The Jacka ("Red And Blue Lights"), and Shady Nate, who collaborates on two album tracks.2Pac - "Dear Mama"
John Lennon performing "Mother" live at Madison Square Garden
Roger Waters & Sinead O' Connor "Mother" (The Wall Live in Berlin concert)
The Pharcyde "Ya Mama"
Jameoblog Top Ten: 08:18:08
1) Wale - "The Kramer" (10 Deep/elitaste.com)
2) Fatlip - "What Up Fatlip? (Breakbot RMX)" (Delicious Vinyl)
3) NaS "Sly Fox" (Def Jam)
4) KRS-One "Pick It Up" (KOCH)
5) Jean Grae + 9th Wonder - "2-32's" (Blacksmith)
6) Alltruisms - "Jalopy" (Gravel Records)
7) James Brown - "There Was A Time (Kenny Dope Remix)" (Verve)
8) Paris - "Get Fired Up" (Guerrilla Funk)
9) Girl Talk - "Don't Stop" (Illegal Art)
10) A.G. Cubano feat. The Jacka, San Quinn, & Matt Blaque - "I'm Winnin" (City RIch/Blackhouse Ent)
On Wale's instantly engaging song "The Kramer," off his recent Nick Catchdubs mixed-Seinfeld themed The Mixtape About Nothing album-length digital download, he jumps head in and addresses the current hip-hop driven cultural use and abuse of the N word and, to a lesser degree, the B word. The Washington DC emcee, whose name is
pronounced "Wah-Lay," uses Michael Richards' (aka Kramer on Seinfeld) infamous N word tirade, which he samples at the beginning of the track, as the jumping off point to address society's current use of the N word and its contradicting implications when used by blacks or whites-- specifically the dilemma of white diehard rap fans continually hearing the N word in their favorite music.
