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While Hip-Hop aficionados laud Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) as one of the most talented MCs the genre has ever seen, Bey has seen little appreciation among PEOPLE I KNOW IN REAL LIFE. I chose to EXCLAIM that because I know that Mos Def still remains firmly ingrained in the minds of many people to this day; however, for as much critical and fan attention as this man gets, I simply do not think it is enough!
Why am I bouncing on Beyās balls so brazenly? Thereās not many albums that I consider to be genuine 10/10s. Many come close, but the weird little Anton Ego goblin inside of my head who tells me that everything in the entire world is garbage always has something to bring up that often ends up in whatever album Iām listening to falling short of the fabled Ratatouille Realm.
And then there was Black on Both Sides.
Almost everyone Iāve met that has listened to this album in full has great things to say about it. So many back-to-back bangers that youād think you were watching Human Centipede. Fresh production combined with witty lyricism and more flows than a leaky diaper make this album truly one of a kind. Actually, I suppose every album is truly one of a kind so this doesnāt really mean anything. How about I just say that this album is a masterclass in Hip-Hop as a poetic art form? Delivering powerful political messages in a way that doesnāt bore the listener or feel overly preachy is always a difficult task, but Bey steps up to plate and knocks that shit into the stratosphere. Itās not just stuffy politics either; Mos Def knows how to have fun. Itās rare to see such a blend of characteristics in one rapper, especially during a time in which many Hip-Hop artists drew from a limited pool of subject material and remained confined to the styles of their predecessors (aside from notable mavericks such as Kanye West and MF DOOM).
If you call yourself a Hip-Hop enjoyer or just want to find a new album to listen to, please consider checking out Black on Both Sides by Mos Def.
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Upon realizing that the wind was bound to slap me in the face last night when I left home to buy groceries, I tightened my hooded sweatshirt, put on my big puffer coat, and pressed play on the music of Roc Marciano. Yes, it is the season of winter, where your hands tingle by way of the low temperature. This also means that it is Roc Marciano's season of drug talk, Black nationalism, mafia references, and expensive clothes and dinners. Marciano, or "Roc Marci" for those in the know, is a Long Island (Hempstead) rapper who functions as a specialist for New York hip-hop fans. He is an expert in the lush-sounding, lyrical coke-talk that has permeated in New York for my entire lifetime.
However, it would be a mistake to lump Marci with the rest of the old-soul rappers that are nostalgic for Prodigy. He's much more disruptive than that. First off, he spent decades being underground with Busta Rhymes's collective Flipmode Squad before breaking through without compromising any of his original ideas. Here's the difference between Roc Marci and the traditional boom bap: he is the bridge between generations. He has the flow of Kool G Rap, the ability to be cold and cool at the same time, the grit of Prodigy, but he also has the no-drum and laconic production of Cloud rap geniuses like Lil B and current rappers like Xaviersobased. This is not an annoying kid who talks your ear off about old school hip-hop; this is a sincerely cutting-edge rapper that was able to create something new and brilliant from an already-established style. (The rapper Ka, who died in October, was a frequent collaborator of Roc Marci's. Check him out too).
There's nothing like listening to Roc Marciano in the winter time. His voice is grotesquely seductive, as if he is intimidating you and whispering at you at the same time. See "Wheat 40's", where he flows over a Blaxploitation beat, and starts the song with "I have no home, I'm a rolling stone/Life's one long road, God lighten my load/On the low I might need lipo, white sold underneath the light pole/I believe police might know." Do you hear that? It is the sound of a God MC, taking what I heard growing up, and putting his own self-destructive spin on it. He has more songs that match that vibe, pure id while maintaining a veneer of style and glamour. He's a hero. So much rappers -- even rappers I adore like Conway the Machine -- took his style, and then added their spin, but it was never as good and intricate as his work. Roc Marciano is rap music. He's a trip to Brownsville while wearing a mink coat; he's a trip to the heavyweight match at Madison Square Garden in a polo jacket; he's a Five Percenter who could have been a romantic interest on Golden Girls. (Maybe that's why I connect with his music so much. That's what my vibe is, or at least the vibe I want to convey at all times).
Roc Marci is cool, in an era rappers where rappers are losing their cool by either being insular, emo kids (Nettspend is a star but the music is brain-dead right now, sorry not sorry), or they're weirdly collaborating with Trump and the right wing for more fame and clout. Start with 2010's Marcberg and 2012's Reloaded --- for my money Reloaded is one of the five best rap albums of the 2010's --- and then check out his new album, The Skeleton Key, which comes out this Friday (it is produced by The Alchemist).
ROC MARCI, I LOVE YOU!
Dec 11, 2024
Normally not a fan of compilation LPs
But I'm a huge Wu head from way back (I can remember taking the ferry to Shaolin just to see the first Wu-Wear store)
and I don't think Ghost (nom de reality: Dennis Coles) or any of the others repping the W really get their just due as rhyme stylists.
Banger after BANGER on this record: "Run," "Biscuits," "Holla," "Be Easy," "Killa Lipstick" and esp "Back Like That" are among the best things any Wu-dude ever did solo. Master of the non-sequitur and a guy who pretty much pulls his own lingo out of thin air, I always thought RZA's deep-soul Jones was best realized on Ghost's tracks. Hip-hop GOLD and a good reminder of how the underground became the mainstream, over time.
Mar 15, 2024
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But itās College Dropout. I know I know and I agree that guy we donāt speak of is off his shit, but as a kid nothing had ever hit me like that. My mom and Dad played nothing but R&B, Gospel and Rock. My older brother loved Rap music but it was the typical early 2000s 50 cent, Jay Z etc. I still remember the first time I ever heard a Ye song. My older brother and Dad picked me up from school and my brother pulls out this cd. He always had the newest album and he asked my Dad and I āyo can I play this, itās so goodā. I saw the bear and the cover and proceeded to clown my brother. Who wants to listen to this? its a bear bro you crazy put that back in your pocket. He ignored me and popped it in the cd player First skit, funny. Made me laugh. Once We Donāt Care began to play I legit froze. Had NEVER heard something like that. For all the people who werenāt around at that time YE was for real different. We had never heard a rapper that was mainstream rapping about kinda normal shit. That was strictly underground rap territory and for it to be soul sampled out and really good and not overly preachy and lame. It changed my view of what rap could be. I was obsessed with researching every producer on the album every sample every feature. It was just the first album I loved and obsessed over. Hate that bro is just beyond redemption because he really opened my eyes to where music could go
5d ago
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Caneās is awesome. Albeit a bit overpriced, a menu consisting of fried chicken, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, and a signature sauce, has cemented Caneās as a no-bullshit comfort food staple that is sure to satisfy on any possible occasion. From having a casual lunch with your friends, to late nights where you need a vat of grease to sober you up, this young prodigy has entered the hallowed halls of fast food royalty, walking side-by-side with titans of industry, rivaling even Taco Bell, the king of essential drunk cuisine.
Such rapid success should be commended, and is a result of a multitude of factors. Great service, solid branding, delicious food, and ā¦ wait. You donāt like coleslaw? Personally, I think itās pretty good, but for you, this might be an issue. Damn, thatās like a third of the box combo. Does this mean you donāt wanna go to Caneās with us tonight bro?
HELL NO! Caneās in all their wisdom, allows for substitution of menu items in a combo. My go-to order is naked tenders with no fries, no bread, and triple coleslaw. Could you imagine? No, itās just a basic Box Combo with bread instead of coleslaw. Why am I talking about this so much? Everybody knows about this. I know. I donāt care. This is my page! And I will talk as much as I damn please!
Anyway, to get back on track, it turns out a lot of people donāt know about the option to modify your toast to be āB.O.Bbedā (buttered on both sides). It makes the already-great toast even better, and itās completely free. Go ahead and try it. Clog your arteries a little more. Treat yourself. Honestly, thatās all this post is about. I donāt know why I included a whole yapfest about the success of Caneās and a schizo fit, but whatever. Shoutout butter š§ ā¤ļø.
Jan 30, 2025
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I was tempted to only post about things called Bobs on here. And believe me, I definitely could! Thereās so many Bobs out there and their stories need to be told! But sometimes you just need to drop the gimmick and be yourself.
What a novel concept! Rainbows!š Sunshine! āļø Even my attempts at being genuine are coated in a dense layer of viscous, sticky, absolutely-icky irony. Itās tough to get it off sometimes, but Iāll keep scrubbing away.
Feb 12, 2025