So first, I’ll hit ya with a brand NEW live performance featuring Lupe Fiasco above! It is the FULL, 27 minute set he did in Glastonbury the other day, but trust me, it is worth the time because Lupe turns in yet another amazing performance. And not only Lupe as well because his guest stars shine just as bright with Matthew Santos and especially Sarah Green lending their talents 2 the set. I gotta say, the more I see and hear Sarah Green, especially in this video and up close, in person at the Glow In The Dark Tour, the more I am impressed by her. The way she enhances the live performances of some songs is incredible. Case in point, “Streets On Fire” - my favorite song from the live set, quite possibly because I didn’t see it at Glow In The Dark, but it is ridiculous nonetheless with Sarah Green echoing the chorus! Other favs include, “Hip Hop Saved My Life” and “Little Weapon” where he goes a capella. I was further impressed with the outdoor venue and HUGE crowd and how Lupe had the crowd going! “Hip Hop Saved My Life” AND “Superstar” especially, when DJ Simonsayz drops the beat and Lupe lets the crowd sing, that’s just chilling! It reminded me of an old school performance that I included below for Old School Sundays, featuring fellow Chicago rapper, Kanye West. When I watched Lupe’s performance, I was reminded about Kanye’s electric performance in front of an even bigger outdoor crowd from last year. All I remembered was that it was somewhere in England and he performed “Stronger” live for the first time. After a series of Google searches, I re-located this video and included the medley below! Performing in front of a crowd that large has got 2 be a thrill for the artist and such an experience for the fans that it makes me want 2 experience that atmosphere as well. This was another sweet performance by Mr. West and like I said, the debut of “Stronger” live, but also the ‘Stronger Shades’, haha! Peep the videos above and below and enjoy!
Kanye West LIVE Medley @ Concert For Diana
(OLD SCHOOL, ENTIRE LIVE SET FROM 2007 f/ “Gold Digger”, “Touch The Sky”, “Stronger”, & “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”)
Damn, how can u dislike the song above? Now that the video is out, you may like it even more, associating T.I.’s deep first-person experiences with a straight-forward video that further illustrates T.I.’s emotions in the song. The video is solid, the song is even better as the recent charges and conviction of the ATL rapper may just bring the best out of him. I hope for some more heat in the coming months as Paper Trail’s tentative release is just right around the corner (August 12th). Thankfully, there will be a boom of Nas comin’ up as his album, Untitled is due out in just a few weeks on July 15th. Nas is rightfully considered one of the all-time great lyricists and rappers overall and I’ve been impressed with all of his recent records. He’s not losing a step over time and “Fried Chicken” below is further evidence. The song was released by Mark Ronson a couple weeks ago, but it was the clean, LQ version w/ Mark having no choice but 2 shout over the track. Well 2day, the full, dirty version has leaked and u can DL it below. 2gether with another old, unreleased freestyle from Kanye West and w/ T.I.’s video above, the lyrics are at a high level and if ur in the mood 2 just sit back and listen, no better place than 2 start than right here. And 2 contrast it, take a listen 2 Ludacris’ freestyle over the Rick Ross/T-Pain hit “The Boss”. I’m a fan of Luda, but he sounds pretty weak on this, just rappin’ about his wealth and assets… same ol’ same ol’. I’ll stick 2 “Runaway Love” for my Luda fix. Anyway, enjoy!
***Boogz just dropped yet another old, unreleased track from Lupe Fiasco. Seriously, all this old Kanye & Lupe can make an album, its ridiculous, haha. But hey, can’t complain, and this Lupe track has a unique, choppy beat as Lupe goes at it pretty hard and I love the way he delivers the words in this track. Anyway, I just added it below (bout half an hour after the orig. post time), so DL and listen for urself!
“Hold your horses, like Trojan forces.”
- Lupe Fiasco “4 Real” (hah, that line just jumped out at me on 1st listen!)
My brief hiatus is finally over, (haha, been mad busy the last couple days, sry!) and as I’m sure many ppl know by now, our hometown Chicago Bulls made it official last nite, making hometown prince Derrick Rose the number 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft! As u can imagine, I’m beyond excited for Rose (nice suit btw, Derrick) in Chicago and the entire city is buzzing about the homecoming of the best Chicago high school player in years! Yes, it’s off-topic but as big basketball and Chicago fans, it is quite an exciting day for us and an exciting weekend as well with the Crosstown Rivalry starting up again as well as the Taste Of Chicago (see below.) And Chicago remains the theme for this post as I gotcha all caught up on the latest music from some of Chicago’s finest MCs (props 2 FSD & Boogz!) NEW, unreleased (quite possibly records from years ago, however) music featuring Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West (pre-accident), Rhymefest, Mikkey Halsted, Bump J as well as Chicago’s finest R&B group, One Chance! A bunch of Tibs Favs 2 be had below, as the listener can really see the talent of Lupe & Kanye at such a young stage in their careers with the below trax. Also make sure 2 get the A-Trak / LUPE version of “Me & My Sneakers” in the post below.. straight up ridiculous! I threw up a lil’ Kidz In The Hall video as well as they just completed a tour out in Europe! Below that, MORE NEW music featuring some of the mainstream artists with Usher covering One Chance, Nas, Joe Budden, and maybe my favorite track outta that bunch, Gym Class Heroes collaborating w/ The Dream! Plenty 2 DL and plenty 2 like, so check it all out below! Enjoy!
Above are a couple Chicago tidbits with the hilarious rap battle between the famous managers of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox - Lou Piniella and Ozzie Guillen. Both are funny for their own reasons and a quick view of that 30 second commercial spot that’s been airing here will simply show u how. (Cubs lose 2day but still up 3-1 in the season series!). Also, it warrants mentioning that the world’s largest food festival starts 2day - the 28th annual Taste Of Chicago! The festival features food from the various, unique restaurants around Chicago, dipping into all forms of ethnicity, and also includes many outdoor activities. The one most relevant 2 u Chicagoland readers is the musical performers each day of the Taste (June 27th-July 6th) and the notable ones include Estelle on July 2nd, Joss Stone on July 1st, and Stevie Wonder 2morrow on June 28th! So if u are planning on going 2 the Taste, but don’t know which day yet, maybe one of those would be a good time for ya! It’s a good time for everyone and a good time 2 vacation 2 Chicago! And maybe you’ll see us there!
How awesome is Kanye’s sweet pic with the G.O.A.T. Muhammad Ali, who is rockin’ the Stronger shades?? Haha, the pic sets the tone for this post as the unreleased track (released thx 2 Boogz) is coincidentally titled “Gotta Pose”! Haha. Prepare ur ears because honestly, it sounds nothing like the Kanye West of 2day (proving the track was recorded years ago). His voice is so much deeper in this track but spits with the same flow we’re accustomed 2. It’s not a lyrically deep song, but Kanye has a lot 2 say about the ‘good life’ (cars, jewels, drugs, ladies, etc.), which isn’t the type of song I dig all the time, but with a couple lines droppin’ the Go Getters and even 2Pac, it captures my interest. Perhaps the best part about this track, however, is the beat - a nice, hard beat that is truly characteristic of the Chicago sound, and also including a typical Kanye West sample. The song is definitely more of a banger so DL above 2 add it 2 ur Kanye West collection! Below is also a video premiere featuring one of the underrated MCs in the game - Talib Kweli! Enjoy!
SEE THIS POST ON EXAMINER.COM!!! (Click Here!)Remember 2 check out our posts on the Chicago Examiner website as we may post more editorials and commentary there first before it hits GWHH (yes, that’s an incentive 2 bookmark the page :D)
Today commemorates our 1 Year Anniversary of the birth of this beautiful thing we are proud to call Gowhere Hip Hop! It’s a very motivational day for us here as we reminisce about the history, the obstacles, and the heart of what is GWHH. It began with a positive idea, and was fueled by the ambition and the determination that is Chicago; the ambition to be the best.
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It all began 1 Year ago today, when gowhere? created his first blog site called gowhere.blogspot.com. His intentions were simple and positive; to create an outlet for sharing real hip hop for hip hop heads who got tired of hearing the same recycled music over and over again. This music was fresh at one point I might add, but it became so recycled that people didn’t care about what’s “real” anymore, but rather got used to the idea of being fed “feel good” music. There’s nothing wrong with that, but like the Oracle at Delphi said, “Nothing In Excess.”
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During this time many were saying how Hip Hop was dead, but I think it turned out for the best. Society gave the message that Hip Hop was not about the passion and the love of the game anymore, but about the money. About how to make the money, and about the best way to make it. Now by late 2006 there were fool proof formulas set in place by the music industry people of how to make a “hit” and how to make that “hit” bring in millions of dollars. They weren’t worried about quality, they were worried about quantity. How many to sell, and the best way to do. It got to the point where artists adapted to the music industry’s formula, and started putting out this “feel good” music that didn’t mean anything, but made you brainwashed by it. The originality and creativity weren’t that big of an issue, because everyone was doing it. Everyone that was “big” that is. These artists would recycle the same sound until there was nothing but a facade left. A facade that rained down money. A facade that didn’t make anyone truly happy.
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Once people started to realize this, and started to complain about the lack of passion left in the game; society gave the opportunity for “FRESH” to come back! The only city that wasn’t affected by this bland, industry corrupted formula was undoubtedly Chicago. The reason being was because Chicago had too much soul, which wasn’t ideal for the industry’s formula. It wasn’t ideal to make money that way during that time, which is why I think Chicago was slept on for so long. I mean Lupe did a back flip on the mattress that the industry slept on him on.
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The reason Chicago was put on the map, was the most simple reason of all. It is undeniable. The city is known for it’s passion, and it’s determination to succeed with the knowledge that no one will help Chicago except Chicago. This kind of environment breeds Titans. People who do it to be the best, people like Kanye who do it for the belt. The money is secondary to the positive competition to better ourselves as a human race. When you have this kind of mindset, you will not only bring a positive change to the world and open up the eyes of those that cannot see, but you will most importantly be genuinely happy. I am happy to be living now in the Age of Aquarius, my sign, the water bearer sign, which will undoubtedly continue to bring and create the NEW GOLDEN AGE that is our time for the next couple thousand years.
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We are proud to be part of this new era of CHANGE, which will transform our modern soul-less world to the passion and happiness that is life. Chicago in my eyes is the center of the world right now, and it is the catalyst that will and has already begun to manifest itself as an object of light that will revolutionize the World whether the World gives it credit or not. Chicago, The City of Light.
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We here at GWHH commemorate our 1 Year Anniversary by giving thanks to all those here in Chicago, and to all those that are with us in sharing the same passion to be the best at what you do, in order to inspire positivity, creativity, beauty, truth, and the knowledge to better ourselves as a people.
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After gowhere? created the blogspot site, it was the synergy of myself, Sgt. Tibs, and gowhere? that truly made us an unstoppable force. It is a beautiful thing when you bring a few people together who are passionate about the same ideal with the same goals to virtuously better each other. We fueled each other, and motivated one another to bring it as hard as we could with what little resources we had. GWHH is such a beautiful thing to us, because it started as an idea, which became and grew through our hard work into a positive snowball of events. For those readers and artists that have been with us since the beginning will know how much GWHH has evolved from a simple idea.
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We have spent countless hours, problem solved countless issues, dealt with constant failures, and yet we will succeed in that our goals are unbreakable. 1 Year today this is where we stand, and 1 year from now we hope to stand that much higher. Thank You to all of our supporters for being with us, and sharing your creativity, positive reinforcement, and bringing your own unique voices to our domain. We hope everyone will grow with us and celebrate the 2nd Birthday of GWHH one year from now as we continue to try and revolutionize the World as best we can. Peace and Much Love to Everyone!
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Below are some motivational lines from these Chicago greats that are the ideal examples of Humanity rising to a peak performance that no one thought possible.
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“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
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“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
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“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
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“All of us have to recognize that we owe our children more than we have been giving them.”
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“The American people are tired of liars and people who pretend to be something they’re not.”
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“You show people what you’re willing to fight for when you fight your friends.”
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“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
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“If you want your life to be more rewarding, you have to change the way you think.”
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“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
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“What we’re all striving for is authenticity, a spirit-to-spirit connection.”
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“What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you.”
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“KNOW YOUR WORTH! People act like they’re doing more for you than you’re doing for them. Ask yourself this question, “Why would they do that?” Obviously, you bring something to the table for them to even do business with you.”
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“Life is 5% what happens, and 95% how you react!”
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“You should be Happy right? I refuse to accept other people’s ideas of happiness for me. As if there’s a “one size fits all” standard for happiness. Regardless of your position in life, no one but you is qualified to determine your happiness. I think it’s great to never be completely happy or satisfied in life. If I ever became completely satisfied with the work I put out as an artist…that is the moment I would suck!”
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“They tryna censor the influencer. Makes me sicker, influenza.”
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“I’m just trying to do the opposite of left, as long as there’s the opposite of death, ya know? Yes, ya test and I just might bring the opposite of life, til’ there’s no one the opposite of right.”
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“From the cradle to the cage, we bring our sons up to get gunned down.”
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“I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.”
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“Heart is what separates the good from the great.”
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“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.”
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“I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . Failure always made me try harder next time.”
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“Be true to the game, because the game will be true to you. If you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you. If you put forth the effort, good things will be bestowed upon you. That’s truly about the game, and in some ways that’s about life too.”
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“To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don’t isolate.”
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“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
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“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
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“I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.”
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“I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.”
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“I’d say it’s been my biggest problem all my life… it’s money. It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true.“
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“Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream.“
Another hip hop beef is on our hands with old school rapper Ice T taking shots at Soulja Boy (and a slight jab at Hurricane Chris) when asked about the state of hip hop. It came out harsher than he intended I think and Soulja Boy came back at him pretty harshly as well, with some good points at the end of his video, yet also some immature responses in the beginning. Finally, Ice T came back at him one last time 2day, recognizing he was a little bit wrong and apologizing, yet also emphasizing that he thinks Soulja Boy’s music is garbage and his 15 minutes of fame are up. It was definitely an interesting back-and-forth (that contains some rated R language) and while I think both made some valid points, both were also wrong or irrational on some points as well. Ultimately, I have a feeling in the back of my mind that beef is dumb as hell, but also very interesting 2 the naturally curious mind. I’m eager 2 see if the beef ends on YouTube or spills out onto some tracks, especially if some West Coast cats come after Soulja Boy. I’m betting the latter actually happens (as opposed 2 T.I. & 50) but who knows anymore? This lil’ beef also provoked Kanye 2 say these controversial statements about Soulja Boy below:
“Soulja boy is fresh ass hell and is actually the true meaning of what hip hop is sposed to be. He came from the hood, made his own beats, made up a new saying, new sound and a new dance with one song. He had all of America rapping this summer. If that ain’t Hip Hop then what is? A bunch of wannabe keep it real rappers that ain’t even relevant, recycling samples trying to act like it’s 96 again and all they do is hate on new shit? Niggas always talk about the golden age but for a 13 year old kid, this is the golden age!!! That song was so dope cause everything he said had a hidden meaning… that’s Nas level shit… he just put it over some steel drums which is also some Nas shit if you had the 2nd album cassette with the bonus track “Silent Murder” on it. In closing… new niggas get ya money$$$$$$$$$$ Keep this shit fresh and original…. ain’t no fuckin’ rules to this shit and that’s what real hip hop is to me.” - Kanye West
Interesting, indeed. The Nas comparison is a stretch, but I know what he’s trying 2 say. Anyway, enough about that, ya’ll should check out Frankie J below, with his NEW track and video called “Pictures”, a slow jam with some nice lyrics that I like. Be sure 2 DL the NEW T.I. track, GemStones’ mixtape, and scroll below for any updates u may have missed! Enjoy!
Producer: The Neptunes - Freestyle over the Common single, “Universal Mind Control” *Tibs Fav.™
LARGE update here so here’s some thoughts… first and foremost, Bullet.. straight up stepping his game up. DL his ridiculous freestyle of Common’s latest single “Universal Mind Control”. Perfect beat for Bullet 2 shine on with his fast, twisted Chicago flow and they got creative with chopping up his voice in a couple instances. (Not 2 mention Common killed this as well…) He’s on the verge of being the next big thing out of the Chi so don’t sleep. Below, a TON of NEW trax f/ the long-awaited return of Lil’ Wayne on “A Milli”, celebrating his million copies sold of Tha Carter III in the first week. Some more big names of hip hop and R&B featured below like Nas, The Game, Day26 as well as quality trax from some lesser known names like Mickey Factz & The Cool Kids, Dwele, & perhaps my favorite song from the batch below, “Can’t Do Without Ya” by R&B singer, Francisco! Scroll below and you’ll find somethin’ u like and u can also check out some videos featuring Bun B, The Roots, Bobby Valentino, & MORE below! Enjoy!
And for all u Chicago visitors, GemStones is throwin’ a bday bash and mixtape release party TONIGHT!! All the info is on the flyer at the very bottom with GemStones himself performing at midnite (along with some FNF friends, maybe Lupe??). Thanks 2 KayCee and hopefully Max G. & I will be there 2 see ya there! Also, last-minute addition of the K-Salaam & Beatnick RMX of Common’s “Go” & Lil’ Wayne “On Me” that u can DL below (spotted @ HHU)! Enjoy!
FULL, CDQ, Old, Unreleased track from the album, World Record Holders*Tibs Fav.™
FSD just dropped the latest, old, unreleased track from the album, World Record Holders, and this one is by Kanye West featuring Mikkey Halsted & Miss Criss… along with some DMX on the chorus (not credited I suppose..) Either way, its definitely a nice track and surely some vintage Kanye, while I actually enjoy Mikkey Halsted’s verse a lil’ more, both flow well over a very nice beat. Below, check out the latest from Three 6 Mafia & Akon, along with another Lil’ Wayne feature (pretty good on this one IMO) as well as a Nas interview with Angie Martinez. With his album, Untitled, hitting stores next month, expect 2 see a lot more Nas content in the near future! Enjoy!
Producer: Alicia Keys, Kerry “Krucial” Brothers, & Dirty Harry - 2:28 Freestyle over the Alicia Keys Hit *Tibs Fav.™
Up above is the latest from NBA Baller and upcoming rapper, Ron Artest as he comes through with a freestyle over Alicia Keys’ mega-hit “No One”! He has clearly stepped up his skills on the mic as he has something 2 say about his experiences in his hometown of Queensbridge, NY and various analytical lines in his lyrics, name-dropping President Lincoln and Rudy Giuliani, for instance. I think the freestyle gets better toward the end, when u keep waiting for him 2 run out of gas, but instead, Artest increases the energy and flow. Judge for yourself above and expect more from Ron Artest here on GWHH in the near future! Below is a Kanye West request, “You Know”, which I have had credited to Kanye in my iTunes library… Kanye f/ Whiteboy Belo & John Legend - a track off of an old mixtape. Definitely a solid track that u should add 2 ur Kanye/JL collection! And finally, check out a video interview with The Roots! Enjoy!
Old School Sundays: Lupe Fiasco & Kanye West LIVE
but still up 3-1 in the season series!). Also, it warrants mentioning that the world’s largest food festival starts 2day - the 28th annual Taste Of Chicago! The festival features food from the various, unique restaurants around Chicago, dipping into all forms of ethnicity, and also includes many outdoor activities. The one most relevant 2 u Chicagoland readers is the musical performers each day of the Taste (June 27th-July 6th) and the notable ones include Estelle on July 2nd, Joss Stone on July 1st, and Stevie Wonder 2morrow on June 28th! So if u are planning on going 2 the Taste, but don’t know which day yet, maybe one of those would be a good time for ya! It’s a good time for everyone and a good time 2 vacation 2 Chicago! And maybe you’ll see us there! 
