The Official Hyphy Chronicles

Dre Dog last week, Bootcamp this week, Little Man In Between

2006-07-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dre Dog

When they said all ages they meant ALL AGES. I mean seriously it was all 15 and 16 year-olds. There was a kid there who had to be no more than 10 (rockin' the white tee). And thanks to the lineup of scrub after scrub had to get out of there before Nickatina graced the stage for his 15-minute set. Cellski was cool, but c'mon. Has anyone ever said, "I wanna be surrounded by 15 year olds watching bad rappers I've never heard of rappin over their vocal tracks because they're either too stupid or too lazy to make instrumentals?" I didn't think so. Did get the free CD from Dre Dog, "Khanthology": The best of the best of his cocaine raps. Like all great Bay Area rap moguls, when in doubt, repackage! It is a relatively dope comp though, especially because it tells you what year each song came out, so you can sorta map back your life in relation to one of your favorite rappers.

Bootcamp Clik

Playin at Slim's tonight. This is gonna be off the chain. Cannot wait for "Act Like U Want It".

Little Man

Checked it out last night at the old Metreon. So good. Exceeded all expectations. Yes I saw Little Man in the theater. Tracy Morgan plays a criminal named Percee P. Any movie that features a dude getting hit in the groin 3 consecutive times wins in my book. Hilarious. Midget Wayans did make me think of that Dre Dog show. Really, those kids were tiny. Anyways, see you at the show, if you're comin'

Beeda Weeda! Hiero gets hyphy

2006-07-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yo, so Tajai of the legendary Hiero crew stumbled upon this kid Beeda Weeda...when I first heard of the signing I was like why does Hiero gotta jump onto the hyphy train, but the more I thought about it I thought, hell, whatever, let 'em branch out. But I expected musically it would be terrible. But Tajai has proven he can keep his ear to the streets. This kid can obviously rap. Don't get me wrong, a whole album of it will probably blend in with everything else...but there's some highlights. Maybe because of Hiero he could evolve into something bigger and better, tour internationally, etc. Or maybe he'll fall by the wayside like every wannabe hyphy rapper will...

By the way, as my boy Unagi pointed out, pretty much all the bay kingpins have been around for a minute well before the hyphy movement San Quinn/E-A Ski/E-40/Too Short are all runnin' this. Whatever.

Cop the free MP3's. What?

Turf's Up/We Ain't Listenin'-Single

Beeda Weeda
Hieroglyphics Imperium

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Grab it

Homework: The Mixtape - Staring Beeda Weeda

Beeda Weeda
Hieroglyphics Imperium

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Go Dumb With The Free Download

Go Dumb Wit It

DJ Shadow and The Hyphy Movement

2006-07-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

More tracks continue to be released with DJ Shadow and various Bay Area Rappers as part of his hyphyest album yet...

I think it's a good thing, whatever, dude is talented, let him fool around...he's not selling out, he's been on Universal for years, and he wants to do something different than abstract instrumental joints. Fine. But all these whiny backpacker kids are cryin' about it and all the kids with the white tees don't know who the hell DJ Shadow is...don't think this is gonna sell much but yet the beats are ill. Again Shadow is a talented dude. Here's a new track with the God-awful Federation...man they are terrible. I like the beat though. Wow the Federation is bad. Damn. Really just garbage. But anyways, check it out, lemme know what you think: DJ Shadow feat. The Federation and Animaniaks "Turf Dancin"

The first joint was way better...but overall seems like the album might hit...

Melina Jones::The next Jean Grae?

2006-07-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe slight exaggeration...maybe not though.

So I went to this TODO Magazine party on Wednesday, normally I wouldn't check out high class shindings sponsored by fancy vodka companies at the Bambuddha Lounge, if just for their bad karma juxtaposition of a bar/club with statues of a meditating Buddha. But Melina Jones was playing. This girl is sick. I mean really just fantastic. Born and raised in the SFC, she has finally embarked on her solo career after a laundry list of musical ventures and activities. Here's an mp3 with resident bay area sample junkie Unagi on the beat...some ill neo-soul stuff for real...She had the crowd movin. Also big ups to MusicDefender.com for letting me put this up there.

Melina Jones - Wrap You Up. Enjoy!

Unagi and DJ Animal Killin' It @ Amnesia This Friday!!

2006-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Come out to SF's Mission District this Friday for some bangin old skool and underground hip hop brought to you by yours truly and Unagi, the sample fiend. Hit me up on the email for more info or check out Amnesia's site. If you're there I'll hook up the mixtape for you.

$2 cover. 7/14/06.

Peace.

Keak, I Feel Sick

2006-06-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Why must you subject your fans to this?

Even worse is this picture. What's more disturbing? Scantily clad 14-year-old chick with braces? Or Keak enjoying it?

Listen to Contact Sport to help erase the memories. Or buy Retaliation if you really need to wash your brain of this incident.

Retaliation
Keak Da Sneak
Black Market Records

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eMusic

Ise Lyfe - Spread The Word

2006-06-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

I don't have mp3's for this yet...but I had to get the word out. I never heard of this cat before the label dude handed me a promo...but now I'm lookin' forward to the album like I was lookin' forward to Super Mario Bros. 3. Serious.

Ise Lyfe is apparently a ridiculously talented rapper from Oakland who successfully blends streets and struggle (a la The Coup or Dead Prez). The beats are insane, completely varied, slow jazzy joints, upbeat party bangers, and everything in between. This is Oakland. For real. More info on Ise here. I'll drop the music for you when I have something besides the clean version...

Gay Christian Hip Hop: Why Kurtis Blow Why?

2006-06-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is terrible. I mean really awful. Should we start calling him Kurtis Blow Job? Whatever. I hate this. I don't hate gays. Just hip hop shows that happen in churches with gay hip hop ministers. It's like I like pizza and ice cream and burritos but I don't want to mix it all together in a bowl. Nawmeen? Church is cool, hip hop is cool, and if you're gay that's cool...but this is kind of over the top.

Hopefully this movement doesn't reach the Bay.

Anyways, in other news, help yourself to a free track from up-and-coming Bay Area duo Mavrik (featuring DJ Platurn of the Oakland Faders). FYI this has nothing to do with the above commentary...just a new group that I like and I don't wanna split this up into 2 posts.

Walk Around It / This Music - Single

MAVRIK
SKOMAN Productions LLC

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Walk Around It (Feat. DJ Platurn Of The Oakland Faders)

Bitch I'll Slap You With A Smith and Wesson and Shit On Your Pants and Piss On Your Skirt

2006-06-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

One of the many choice lines from Kool Keith's show. It was off the chain...started off with a straight up slate of Ultramagnetic MC's heavy-hitters, and seemed oddly sane, knowing the words to every song. Last time in SF Keith and his posse robbed the box office at Slim's and they booked. He made the sly reference to that by repeatedly telling the crowd "Y'all thought I wouldn't show up". Then he started into the insane Kool Keith we all know and love. He naturally didn't remember the words to his stuff, singing choruses and freestlyin' verses, also the first time I heard a chorus mashup, where he did like 20 choruses in a row, bringin' just the heat line after line.

After this well-endowed chick from the crowd jumped onto the stage and took off her bra, couple after couple started streaming to the exit. You know the dudes told their girls not to come, or forced 'em to come out...the glares of some of the girls...wow. But did they not appreciate the 12 girls dancing on stage (including one Keith labeled "Death Rock Chick") during Sex Style? Or the fact that Keith did his new single G-Spot, twice? Or his splitting of the crowd into clit lickers and butt lickers ("Clit dudes you gotta watch out for the butt dudes cause they'll take it one step further with your girl"). Or his remarks about eating strawberries and cream out of an asshole?

The reporter from Jane Magazine took it fairly well though. But left shortly after Sex Style. Grab the free track courtesy of Threshold Recordings.

Sex Style

Kool Keith
Threshold Recordings, LLC

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Oh and Tajai's shout out to St. Pauli Girl Non-Alcoholic ("I love the flavor, hate the gut") was probably the first in hip hop history.

Quality Of Life DVD Release

2006-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

The acclaimed graffiti documentary, Quality of Life, all shot in my hood, the SFC's Mission District, is finally droppin' the DVD. Release party Saturday 6/17 at 111 Minna in SF, screening of the film and performances by Top Ramen and Tajai (Souls of Mischief). I'll be there...then walkin' the few blocks to Mezzanine to check out Kool Keith and Kutmasta Kurt doin' they thing. I'll be the dude hawkin' the $2 mixtapes. Or not. Maybe. We'll figure it out. Anyways this Saturday nite is gonna be poppin' hip hop-wise.

Diesel Truckers feat. KutMasta Kurt
Kool Keith feat. KutMasta Kurt
Threshold Recordings, LLC

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Cop the Free Joint

Diesel Truckers Theme

DJ Animal-The Streets Is Poppin'

2006-06-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Yo, check it out. The new mixtape from yours truly has finally dropped...better late than never. No shouting, talking, b.s. etc. Just a Thanksgiving dinner worth of scratching, mixing, and hip-hop.

The tracklisting:

1. Immortal Technique-Bin Laden Remix
2. Channel Live-Mr. President
3. Prefuse 73 Feat. Ghostface & El-P-Hideyaface
4. Poison Pen-Inner City Hoodlum
5. Mac Dre & Mac Mall-Cuddies Say Yee
6. Ras Kass-Bars Up
7. DJ Spinna Instrumental vs. MF Doom-Melody
8. Lyrics Born-I Changed My Mind Remix
9. Kero One-Keep It Alive
10. Edan-Fumblin' Over Words
11. Slug & Murs-Early Mornin' Tony
12. J-Live-Harder
13. Blackalicious-Rhythm Sticks
14. Jean Grae-Goin' Crazy
15. Ghostface & Trife-Milk 'Em Remix
16. The Coup-My Favorite Mutiny
17. O.D.B.-Pop Shots
18. Likwit Junkies-Brother
19. Casual-Styles
20. Beyond-Rain Sleet Hell Snow
21. Saafir-One of the Hardest

It's dope. And I'm not just saying that because I made it. I'm sure you haven't heard a lot of these joints before...email me and I'll hook you up if you promise to burn it for a friend.

JT And Snoop...Now You Know You In Trouble

2006-06-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

This is probably gonna be the best film of the year. It was nice to see JT in the Dogg Pound video, and now this? Straight fire. If JT and Snoop get together on the soundtrack it's probably gonna have all born and raised west coast fool shittin themselves.

Playaz N The Game

JT The Bigga Figga
Get Low Digital

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Cop The Free JT The Bigga Figga Track "Did You Get The Dank (Featuring Rappin' 4-Tay)" (MP3, 192kbps)

2006-04-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Bam! The first post. Hopefully more to come in the near future. Just getting things set up, but basically I got hookups for free tracks leaked, exclusives, etc. etc. all for the hyphy movement, that's puttin' the Bay back on the map...so we're focusin' on that.

However, not tryin' to limit it to just hyphy, more like just The Bay. Hyphy came out of what the Bay has been doin' for years so there's plenty to cover. Everything from JT The Bigga Figga to The Coup to E-40 to Blackalicious to San Quinn to Zion-I, the list goes on. Lookin' forward to it; PEACE.