Hyphenated at It's Best: Roger The Streetchild

Young Cat from Congo on the strings. Roger is truly a beast when it comes to what he loves. Africa ain't what y'all think man. We got cats doin' it too..Pretty much Ill Shit Right Here....Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop no matter the Language. Roger is Definitely Hyphenated. Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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CRS: Us Placers

Lupe

+
Pharrell

+
Kanye

+
Thom York

= Genius

....Nice video, concept is ill...

Peace.Love.Hlife

-J. Poakwa

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Hyphenated at it's best: Bella Love the Kids

No words..Just Fr-Fre- Fresh...Oh yes, So freakin' Hyphenated...


From her myspace:
"Hello, I am Belle the bass. I like to do lots of musical things, including playing the (double & electric) bass, beatboxing and trying to cheat the tax man. I spend most of my time gigging, or rehearsing, or practicing, or writing, or listening… usually with the many amazing musicians I have the pleasure of working with. I enjoy playing all sorts of music, particularly anything that induces the “bass face”. But you’d have to see me play to understand that. My musical climaxes usually come from harcore pelvic and grindin’ funk, swingin’ jazz with plenty of gravy, hip-hop, reggae, latin and blues, but I think it’s always good to pitch in the whole lot and cook up a range of new ripe and juicy recipes. I like to play with musicians who have their daily shot of the grooove juice and are prepared to get up to get down.

I’m currently studying jazz double bass at the Guildhall school of music where I’m learning how to rid yourself of any communication skills you may have picked up along the way, and develop an impressive nervous twitch while you’re at it. I’ve also managed to earn myself a great reputation for blowing stylish raspberries. Apparently it’s cool. If you want me to impress you with my amplified dribbling methods, contact: info@allfromthemouth.com"

Upcoming Shows
Jan 19 2008 8:00P With RD @Radley college
Jan 30 2008 8:00P the prom (with RD) @Bristol
Feb 1 2008 8:00P live and let live @surrey
Feb 2 2008 8:00P joogleberry playhouse @brighton
Feb 8 2008 8:00P riffs bar @swindon
Feb 13 2008 8:00P the Old Duke @Bristol
Feb 13 2008 8:00P the Old Duke @Bristol


Visit Her Myspace @ http://www.myspace.com/bellatrixbeats


Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa

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Pimp Free: R.I.P Pimp C.....

2007 is almost over, and still cats is leaving us. Shit s getting very depressing round here. First stack, now Pimp, wtf is going on? 34 years, couple behind bars, but the block recognize the truth when a real nigga talk, the slab still leanin' down the block, we pop 34 shots for the big homie swaggin' on top, rest in peace. Pimp Free, finally. R.I.P Pimp C...

"All y'all niggas talking about selling dope? If y'all niggas was some d-boys, guess what, man? I don't believe you niggas no more cause I'm seeing you niggas in button up shirts getting cute and pretty trying to look sexy. Nigga, fuck you. nigga, and I ain't gotta say your name. Play with me and I'll expose the niggas that was wearing backpacks with their pant leg rolled up back then in Atlanta when me and Big Meech used to be off in the club kickin' it buying each other champagne." Chad was asked about the statement in a later interview, and stated, "If I was talkin' bout Jeezy, then I woulda said his name. I ain't no pussy nigga. If I got somethin' to say about someone, I'll say the bitches name loud and clear. Chuuuch."
-Pimp C

By far one of the truest cats out, I don't care what anybody says, the pimp was nice. Real Niggas, Do Trill Things...Hyphenated in life and in death, never forget the real...uno



Peace.Love.Hlife

J. Poakwa

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Hyphenated at its best: Murs The Great

Yesterday & Today


Murray's Revenge



Peace.Love.Hlife

J. Poakwa

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Smiff-N-Wessun: The Album

From the guttas of Brooklyn, Tek and Steele of Smif-N-Wessun hit the streets with a fresh installment of ski mask music with, “The Album.” Out the gate Tek and Steele allow you to, “See The light”, an ode to staying strong through their trails and tribulations, “You wanna live this lifestyle, you gotta be tough/…The number one rule of making it is never give up.” From Smif N Wessun to Cocoa Brovaz and back again, Tek and Steele leave the listener with a “Buck Town” back hand to the face, as if to say “Nigga we ain’t goin’ no where!”



Along with the nostalgic rhymes of Tek and Steele, reggae vocals supplied by Chuckii star bless the first single, “Gotta Say It”. Sadly this album falls short of an all around hit. Poor beat selection leaves them with no stable platform to showcase their hungry lyrics on. “The Album” will get a few spins for the guest appearances (Loudmouf Choir Church, Million Stylez, Joell Ortiz), and the few beat burst of life (“Still Fighting”, “Stomp Thru”, “Gotta Say It”), but despite the lyrical effort, “The Album” has little playback value. The album is cool, in a “this is underground” way, but from vets in the game I would expect more. If you’re into hard lyrics from the heart, I highly recommend buying “The Album”, if not cop the single, it’s Hot!







Peace.Love.Hlife

-J. Poakwa

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Hyphenated 1 on 1: J Skillz

Los Angeles-The birthplace of gangster rap finds itself taking the opportunity to strike the game with some newfound flavor.

The “New” West movement has spawned many talented MC’s whom stay true to the format of the God Fathers of Hip Hop. Ill beats and hot rhymes from the Southern California city have been catching the eyes and ears of many Hip-Hop fans around the United States. The young musicians have taken it upon themselves to not only save Hip-Hop, but also change the “Gangster Rap” stigma placed on the west coast. One of the many talented artists leading the charge against whack music is triple threat producer and Loyola Marymount Junior, Jason Madison, also known as J Skillz.

Growing up in Los Angeles is one of the main reasons J Skillz is a jack-of-all-trades. “I grew up in just about every part of Los Angeles…I’ve seen it all.” Having the benefit of being exposed to different surroundings in his early years of life has really helped mold Skillz to the triple threat artist he is today. “The people and things I was exposed to, from going to Marcus Garvey, an all black school until 4th grade, to an all white school with Priscilla Presley’s son being my best friend in 5th grade, and still living in the hood, was definitely an eye opener.” The opportunity to see life on the many different sides of the spectrums of life, allowed Skillz to figure out what he wanted to do for a living at an early age.

Like most artists on the come up, Skillz started out producing on sub-par equipment at the home of a relative. “The first [official] beat I made was probably in my grandmother's garage in the summer after my 8th grade year.” Feeling good about what his future had in store for him, Skillz began to make beats non-stop. “Around the age of 13, I started making beats in my room. I didn’t have a program where I could save them, so I would hook up a microphone and point it at the speaker after I made the beat. I would record on tape and do this every chance I got. I would go in my room close the door and just go to Work; they were really shitty.”


As Jason grew up, so did his talent; the once sub par records of his childhood, soon became great pieces of work that had heads nodding with delight. He saw his talent begin to blossom in high school when he started to sample classic soul records, a style popularized by producers like Kanye West.

This newfound success was highly attributed to his family musical connection. He began to make songs with his cousin Dom Kennedy in high school and sell the finished product to his friends at lunch. The impressive upgrade in production quality of the songs, hooked his target audience, and J Skillz began to make a name for his self as a legitimate producer in Los Angeles. Being one with a hustler’s ambition, Jason found any free time he could to promote him self as a producer. While Djying high school dances, Skillz would throw on one of his records. The feedback from the crowd was usually positive, giving Skillz the confidence he needed in order to approach the big league of producing.

“I have produced for Kurupt of the Dogg Pound, Dom Kennedy, Raquel, Rose, Lite, and I also scored a video game for my friend Gary Washington.” His early success as a DJ and producer has opened many doors for his young talent to grow. “I've been in the studio with Kanye a couple times, I worked with J Wells for a summer and learned a lot of things from him. EP who has a lot of credits on everything from Blueprint 2 to Ne-Yo is my main mentor and whom I look to whenever I have a question about anything concerning the industry or music in general. I’m influenced by all these people and every artist I’ve ever liked.”


Now in his junior year at Loyola Marymount University, Jason Madison finds himself perfecting his other areas of interest. If one were to look in the dictionary and look up the term component lifestyle, Jason Madison’s face would surely be there. J Skillz is no stranger to innovation. Like other triple threat veteran artists such as Sean ”Diddy” Combs and Sean ”Jay-Z” Carter, Skillz also, along with being a Music Producer for his label Ten West Records, he is also a Clothing Designer, and Film Director. With his clothing line Shoes Over Bitches (S.O.B) and numerous student film credits, Skillz covers all bases. As a Film major, Skillz is learning how to bring his beats to life on screen. He has directed a couple of music videos for other “New” west artist such as Pacific Division and his cousin Dom Kennedy.

At his current state, Skillz is on his way to making a big name for himself and the west coast. “I make good songs. A lot of people focus on the wrong things when it comes to music. All of that other stuff is secondary to making good songs that people like and connect with. I don’t care how that song gets made, heavy sample, no sample, whatever it may be, that’s what I do.”

Skillz is a rare breed in the music industry. Many artist become detached from the world once they make a little change, however Skillz is very grounded. When it comes to music, family and close friends come first. These family values are one reason why he is the leading producer for his cousin Dom Kennedy’s album. Avery Irvin, friend and fellow LMU student, said, “Jason is headed in a good direction. He shows hunger that other producers don’t, as well as not conforming to what’s hot. That’s what gives him his edge. His unique style and humble attitude will take him far in life.”


When asked about the current state of the music industry and his place in it, Skillz said, “All the people I used to like, I don’t like anymore. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older or what. I used to DJ for 7 years and I’ve seen a lot of trends and sounds come and go in that short span of time, but a lot of things are everlasting. Using a lot of Producers on a CD killed the game; People wanting to do everything Jay does killed it. I could really go on Forever and its kind of a loaded question but Jay said "People from a distance can't tell who is who" and that's so true, its o so true when it comes to rap music.”

The face of Hip Hop is ever changing, and with this change comes the good and the bad, the weak and the dope, the whack and the fresh. Finding an original talent is a hard task. With an overflow of gimmick rappers to the market, Hip-Hop finds it self under mass scrutiny by its loyal fans. An outcry for good music is being heard around the globe, leaving industry heads in a crazed search for new talent that will feed the hunger of Hip-Hop Heads. J Skillz hopes to be one of the men leading the charge at the end of the road, keeping Hip-Hop and good music alive.


Peace.Love.Hlife

J. Poakwa

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Hyphenated at its best:: David Sides

David Sides you are Hyphenated...



Excerpt from his myspace:

"Hi. My name is David Sides and I want to personally send my thanks to you for taking the time to visit my page. Playing the piano has been my passion ever since I was the age of 10, and I love using this gift God has blessed me with to entertain others. If any of you are wondering, I play all of my songs by ear, so unfortunately, I don't have any sheet music to share. I hope that all of you enjoy the music displayed. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message and I will be sure to reply to them as soon as possible. Thanks again, and stay tuned."

-David Sides



:::LATEST UPDATES:::

For immediate information concerning tickets, CD's, show times, venue location. or booking of future shows in your local area, please contact David's management, Visionary Consulting & Management Group, LLC at (202) 492-9877 or by email at awilliams.vcmg@gmail.com.

Purchasing a CD is not available at this time. However, when it is available we will send out information to all fans on where to purchase so please send an email to include you full name and address.

Again, thank you all for your support, and please stay tuned for more updates!

visit him at www.myspace.com/davidsides,to hear more.

Peace.Love.Hlife

-J. Poakwa

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Album of the Week: Jay-Z: American Gangster

Is this a comeback album or what!? "Spazzing out" does not even sum up the fire Jay spits on some of these tracks. If I had some flawed rinky dink system for rating albums(Cough), then I would probably give this the classic stamp. Whoa!?!?, some of you are saying. Well hey, just be happy I don't have one of those flawed rinky dink systems for rating albums (Cough). I like the album per say, however there are Nay Sayer's out there, so I will leave you to judge the album.

Notables for my self are, well everything except Brooklyn 2.0...sorry Wayne, but...yea It Sucked. How did that happen anyway? I mean, "Heeeeeeellllllooooo, Brooklyn!!"(Low key my favorite part, but I digress). I guess money means a lot(Duh!). Well again, like always, I have beat the system, a Lil earlier than this, but who's keeping track. The album is at the bottom. If it doesn't start automatically then just scroll down to it and press play. In the words of Jay-Z, "Let That Bitch Breath"..uno


NOW PLAYING in Music Player


1. Intro [Explicit] 2:00
2. Pray [Explicit] 4:24
3. American Dreamin' [Explicit] 4:47
4. Hello Brooklyn 2.0 Feat. Lil' Wayne[Explicit] 3:56
5. No Hook [Explicit] 3:13
6. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... [Explicit] 4:12
7. Sweet [Explicit] 3:26
8. I Know Feat. Pharell[Explicit] 3:42
9. Party Life [Explicit] 4:29
10. Ignorant Shit Feat. Beanie Sigel [Explicit] 3:41
11. Say Hello [Explicit] 5:26
12. Success Feat. Nas [Explicit] 3:30
13. Fallin' [Explicit] 4:00
14. Blue Magic Feat. Pharell [Explicit] 4:08
15. American Gangster [Explicit] 3:41



Peace.Love.HLife

-J. Poakwa

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Hyphenated at its Best: D-Town Youngin'

Excerpt from his myspace:
"Bentley Green, aka…BG is a young and energetic kid who loves to rap. BG was born in Dallas, TX. An attractive outgoing child, Bentley was two years old when he started rapping. His passion for the art and his love for the beat makes it seems as if God designed him to entertain the world. At the young age of 6, Bentley Green has achieved more than the average 6-yr old. This young artist is full of versatility, talent and determination. Bentley is well on his way to living out his dream of becoming an accomplished entertainer.

An exceptionally bright youngster, Bentley excels in the classroom. He was found to have intelligence beyond his young 6-years. He is a year ahead of himself in school. He loves to swim, eat pizza and rap. Constantly on the move, it is not uncommon to see Bentley dancing all day long, making up routines and rapping as he goes along. Going from jungle gyms in the park to hot tracks in the studio, you can bet BG is definitely working on his way to being in the spotlight.

Daily you can find him working on new tracks, new beats and ways to strengthen his vocabulary. He also participated in the grand opening of the 2nd largest Wal-mart in Dallas. He performed at the Annual Hip Hop Summit and Texas Music Conference. The Dallas Maverick’s filmed Bentley performing his Maverick song and played it before all the home games during the playoffs. Recently he was a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and was asked by Disney to audition for feature film. BG is quickly becoming a household name and continues to be in high demand for performances throughout the world."



I'm really speechless right now....I love kids with talent...and this kid IS talent....minus the ghost writing and all, this kids swag is ridiculous....I was fly when I was young, but damn this nigga stuntin' on EVERYBODY...big props lil' man...I feel you with every word...Oh yes, Bentley Green, You are defiantly Hyphenated...uno...

Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa

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Missy Elliott: Pioneer...

You know I was a little skeptical about why Missy Elliott was being honored at VH1's Hip Hop honors this year. I mean, she is fairly new to the game, but After watching her segment I am convinced she deserved it....cause I mean Kerry Washington said it all, "she took the negativity out of the word bitch..and turned it in to a powerful strong word for women every..." what?? So now y'all like to be called Bitch? Man thank you Missy...Bitch Bitch Bitchety Bitch Bitch Bitch...Just Kidding, I fucks with Missy, "No Sexual". Hmm....might wanna rephrase that one ma ma....but you are damn sexy I must say...
lol..I know What you want Ma Ma....

Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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Great Poet of Our Time...A.K.A Hip-Hop Anti-Christ...

[Chorus: x2]
Soulja Boy Off In This Hoe
Watch Me Crank It
Watch Me Roll
Watch Me Crank Dat Soulja Boy
Then Super Man Dat Hoe
Now Watch Me Do
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now Watch Me yua!
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now Watch Me yua!
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)
Now Watch Me yua!
(Crank Dat Soulja Boy)

[Verse 1:]
Soulja Boy Off In This Hoe
Watch Me Lean And Watch Me Rock
Super Man Dat Hoe
Then Watch Me Crank Dat Robocop
Super Fresh, Now Watch Me Jock
Jocking On Them Haterz Man
When I Do Dat Soulja Boy
I Lean To The Left And Crank Dat thing
(Now Yua!)

I'm Jocking On Yo Bitch Ass
And If We Get The Fightin
Then I'm Cocking On Your Bitch
You Catch Me At Yo Local Party
Yes I Crank It Everyday
Haterz Get Mad Cuz
"I got me some bapes today"

[Chorus x2]

[Verse 2:]
I'm Bouncin On My Toe
Watch Me Super Soak Dat Hoe
I'ma Pass It To Arab
Then He Gon crank it up 4 sholl (sholl)
Haterz Wanna Be Me
Soulja Boy, I'm The Man
They Be Lookin At My Neck
Sayin Its The Rubberband Man (Man)
Watch Me Do It (Watch Me Do It)
Dance (Dance)
Let Get To It (Let Get To It)
Nope, You Can't Do It Like Me
Hoe, So Don't Do It Like Me
Folk, I See You Tryna Do It Like Me
Man That Shit Was Ugly

Whoa whoa...Stop Stop...hold on!!!

HUH?!!? What the Hell is he saying???

What does he really say in this song....Well go figure...can't expect much from a cat that looks like this:


Soulja Boy, you are Not Hyphenated!!!!!

Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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Behind B.A.R.S

Basically Back, Basically Sick, Nigga's is Hoes, so them Nigga's Basically Bitch....Cassidy pretty much back in the booth...



B.A.R.S on the way..be on the lookout...or wait till I bless you with it...pretty much Hyphenated.


Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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Blowin' in the wind with an Ice Grill

Pretty much Fresh...Underrated at times; If you like to place labels on people. The Cool Kids aren't your average group. These Chicago natives hit you song after song with dope rhymes over hard hitting Kicks and Snares that fight with a mean baseline; Somewhat like the hard hitting style of 80's rappers, very reminiscent of cats like Run DMC, Just WAAAAAYYY flyer. These cats got "lyrics to go"...and go they will. If you watch the entourage...you probably have heard the dope boy fresh spit on the track "Mikey Rocks".



If your not familiar by now, then you will be in due time. For all you NBA live fans, although we have diminished in number(sad to say), you can catch the Cool Kids on Live 08, delivering that 80's baby flyness on the track "88". They have also been featured on the track "Gettin' It" By Lil' Wayne. Dope can't describe them, fresh can't describe them. These dudes can only be described by words used outside of the English language. Mikey and Chuck are just Mikey and Chuck(Labels Don't Fit ya dig, hence the underground appeal). These dudes are leaving a big hand print on the P.H.A.T "video hoe" Ass of the game, and when they get to the face, Nigga's better Duck. Be on the look out for there debut album C.A.K.E. Definitely Hyphenated.

For your enjoyment: "Black Mags"(Be sure to vote for the video @ http://www.mtvu.com/video/?id=1570055&vid=177352) Props to Constance K for the vid and the lovely Photos..sick lady right there...






Tour Dates:
10/06/2007 12:00 PM - LA Weekly Detour Festival
Main & 1st (Downtown), Los Angeles, - $35.50

2nd Annual LA Weekly Detour Music Festival featuring Bloc Party / Justice / Satellite Party / Kinky / Comedians of Comedy / Turbonegro / Teddybears / Moving Units / The Raveonettes / Shout Out Louds / Autolux / Celebrity Skin / The Aliens / The Aggrolites / Busy P / DJ Mehdi / SebastiAn / Kavinsky / So Me / Noisettes / Cool Kids / The Deadly Syndrome / Scissors for Lefty / Johnossi / Augie March / Nico Vega / Franki Chan / Travis Keller / Bruce Perdew Saturday, October 6
10/07/2007 08:00 PM - Intonation Fest. w/Flosstradamus et.al
, Chicago, Illinois -

10/13/2007 08:00 PM - Double Door w/The Go Team
, Chicago, Illinois -

10/18/2007 08:00 PM - CMJ Showcase w/Modular@ Studio B
, NYC, New York -

w/New Young Pony Club, Muscles, and Simian Mobile Disco
10/19/2007 09:00 PM - CMJ Chicago Showcase After Party@Arlene’s Grocery w/Flosstradamus, Hollywood Holt, n Mano
, NYC, -



Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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Side note For Jena

2007, and still no rights. Its a shame that we can't even sit underneath trees anymore. Something as harmless as hiding away from the shade is even off limits now. In the words of Mos Def- "The Fuck I'm supposed to tell my Children?". What can WE say? Lets not get it confused here. This is not just a Black problem, or a White problem, this is a Human problem. How are we to look each other in the face anymore. I don't even think the devil could dream up such a scenario.


Video = Mos Def and Cornell West on Bill Maher



"If a black person does something in Jena, they do more time than a white person. It's always been that way," "The white kids here can run loose, drink beer, whatever. But if you are black, don't you dare act like that."
-Melissa Bell(Mother of Mychal Bell)

Peace.Love.H-life

J. Poakwa

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It's not a Banana, I'm Just happy To see you...No Homo!

No Homo!

No Homo!

Nuff Said...

Peace.Love.H-Life

J. Poakwa

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Good Night Mr. West

No need to talk...just listen...Very Hyphenated.
Now Playing in the music player..tell me what you think about the album, and feel free to peep the rest of the articles...


ARTiST.....: Kanye West
ALBUM......: Graduation
LABEL......: Def Jam
GENRE......: Hip-Hop
TRACKS.....: 13
PLAYTiME...: 51:24
STORE DATE.: 09/11/2007
Tracklist:

01. Good Morning (Intro) 03:15
02. Champion 02:48
03. Stronger 05:12
04. I Wonder 04:03
05. Good Life (Ft. T-Pain) 03:27
06. Can't Tell Me Nothing 04:32
07. Barry Bonds (Ft. Lil Wayne) 03:24
08. Drunk And Hot Girls (Ft. Mos Def) 05:13
09. Flashing Lights (Ft. Dwele) 03:58
10. Everything I Am 03:48
11. The Glory 03:33
12. Homecoming (Ft. Chris Martin) 03:24
13. Big Brother 04:47
14. Good Night(Bonus)(Ft. Mos Def and Albe)
15. Bittersweet(Bonus)(Ft. John Mayer and Keisha Cole)


Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa

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Greatest Rapper Alive...Period!!! (A Letter to M.I.M.S)

Dear Guy with Ring Tone Fame,

It has come to my attention that you have stated some very ignorant and idiotic statements lately, and by that I mean this:

"U.S. rapper MIMS has accused KANYE WEST of stealing his hip-hop sound. The 26-year-old claims he used speeded-up soul samples on his records first - a sound that is now seen as West's trademark. He says, "I recorded my album five years ago so I did it first." Mims is due to appear at London's Notting Hill Carnival this weekend (26Aug07)."

Really? You invented That? I never knew that... I guess your gonna make it after all! So all you people out there that were unaware of this guys talent, now you know. M.I.M.S + Soul Samples Speed Up = before your time yougin'... I officially retract my statement that Plies is the greatest rapper alive! I know, sad to see him go, but with statements like this I can't help but say M.I.M.S holds the crown now. Congrats...you freakin' Idiot!


Sincerely,

J.(I never Doubted your Genius)Poakwa

Peace.Love.Hlife

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Back In The Days when I was Young...

What the heck happened to our music....I don't wanna wipe, crank, or snap anymore...What happened to just...well...Jumping?



This was the Hip-Hop that I Loved...and still do. Lyrics, Beats and Style...that's all it was and all you needed. But now...I mean..what the heck is yuling? It ain't Christmas mayne!!!

Instead of great musicality such as:
Kris Kross


or even this...
Another Bad Creation....I mean...these guys were Fly....




we got mutha fuckas like this...
Soulja something..I don't even care...



I mean...WTF! America...step your knowledge up please....I'm afraid for our youth...seriously...stop it!

For educational purposes I leave you with one of my all time favorite Hip-hop music vids ever.... a time when there was no rap...just Hip-Hop....and of course the Late great J Dilla had his hand in this one folks...

The Pharcyde-Drop





Peace.Love.Hlife

J.Poakwa

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Finding Forever :A Soulful Rehab (Album Of The Week)

Like a kid on Christmas day, the arrival of Commons "Finding Forever" at my desk filled me with glee that only materialism could produce. I expected nothing short of delight, and delight is what I received. The melodic jazz intro left me salivating at the mouth and the transition to the Kanye West produced "Start The Show" left me in a diabetic coma. The radio friendly "The People" feat. Dwele, awoke me from this slumber. Following the same format as his last piece of art, Common takes the listener through a 12 step dope fiend's anonymous program, where the dope are ill beat breaks and the crack is sampled goodness. Other notable tracks are the funk lounge like Will-I-Am featured and produced "I Want You", the ode to a Black man's struggle "Black Maybe" feat. Bilal, and the very clever "Break my Heart", on which he claims his new found acting credits with:

"She said you look like you Rap, Where's your Blingay?/And your clothes is tight, but you don't seem gay/I said naw, That's dude from N'syncay/She wasn't Married, kept her ring on her pinky / She said you know I don't be datin' Rappers/ I said I got my S.A.G card, Baby I'm an Actor".

Striking gold once again with the late great J. Dilla, Common takes us on a classic love journey along with D'Angelo on the beautifully composed "So Far To Go", which you might recognize from J. Dilla's final Album "The Shining". As was evident on his last album, Common leaves the listener with an extravagant outro perfectly titled "Forever Begins", on which his Father lends some words of wisdom.


Finding Forever is an experience like no other, and is a great add to his ever growing catalog. The continued success of Common's music is no surprise. In the words of Phonte of Little Brother, "Dope Beats+ Dope Rhymes= Dope Music".

Peace. Love.H-life

J. Poakwa


NOW PLAYING in Music Player

Track Listing
1. Intro
2. Start the Show Feat. Kanye West
3. The People Feat. Dwele
4. Drivin' Me Wild Feat. Lily Allen
5. I Want You Feat. Will-I-Am
6. Southside Feat. Kanye West
7. The Game Feat. DJ Premier
8. Black Maybe Feat. Bilal
9. So Far to Go Feat. D'Angelo
10. Break My Heart
11. Misunderstood
12. Forever Begins

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Video of The Week: T.I.-"You Know What It Is"

This track combines the unlikely duo of T.I. and the production style of Wyclef Jean to make a nice Reggae/ Hip-Hop bounce. Not the best track off the album, but it is one of the few "bangers" off the album. This is definitely a "T.I." track. Enjoi...



Peace.Love.H-Life

-J. Poakwa

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Rapper Says: "Stop Snitching"...We Say: "We ain't Tellin'"....Problem Solved

If Snitching was a job and had a suggestion box, this is probably how it would look...Props to TheStranger.com. Who knew Seattle was so funny?...

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