Producer: The Neptunes? - FULL, CDQ, Rumored track off upcoming album, Invincible Summer *Tibs Fav.™
“This is hip hop baby! I’m finna take it 2 the tip top baby!” - Common
MORE heat from Common and Pharrell! More of a traditional hip hop track than the previously released “Universal Mind Control”, Common and Pharrell both spit some verses over a slow, addicting, Neptunes-sounding beat. The lyrics are real nice, as u can expect from Common. They are an instant hit on your ear and it is definitely a track I’ll be listening 2 quite frequently. The song is supposed 2 be off his album, Invincible Summer, but it has since been pushed back 2 the fall, which may cause the title of the album 2 change as well. Below is a verse from Lupe Fiasco that I’ve never heard before over the Common song “The Corner”. It’s short but sweet as Lupe hits us with a dope metaphor on wrestling, more specifically the Ultimate Warrior, as well as shouting out a bunch of friends, including John Legend (my dream collabo that hasn’t happened yet is Lupe & Legend..!) So that got me all excited for no reason, but both the Common and Lupe songs are MUST-haves for ur collection! Oh, and btw, u may have seen the “Absolute Freestyle” around other blogs 2day, but that track is mad old from 2006. I’ve had it on my iTunes since then, but for all I know, “The Corner RMX” could have definitely been out there as well before 2day, but it was floating around as well 2day. That’s just a track I’ve never heard before and I have everything by or featuring Lupe Fiasco. Just thought that warrants mentioning. Anyway, below is a collabo between arguably the 2 biggest stars on the radio 2day… T-Pain & Lil’ Wayne, and u should expect more from them in the future as the rumor is that they will be working on a joint album 2gether. As GWHH visitors can tell by now, I’m not really high on either of them (not that I hate them) and I’m not really feelin’ the track, but I’m sure many of the masses will enjoy a surprising slow jam from the 2 mega-stars of music 2day. Finally down below, the video premiere of “Eat To Live” from Talib Kweli off his last album, Ear Drum! Enjoy!
A couple notes… sry for the delay on posts 2day. I’ve been out or working all thru the night and this was as soon as possible for me. More of the same 2morrow as I will be workin’ in the day and at nite, watching my hometown Bulls hopefully select the hometown prince, DERRICK ROSE! Can’t wait, but stay tuned for more NEW music and cool features…!
Producer: Bangladesh - Another “A Milli RMX” (2:31)
A boatload of NEW trax 2day, with the feature track actually being an incomplete one, haha. The latest track (supposedly) from the upcoming album, Year Of The Gentleman - in stores August 5th, has been released in snippet form. It’s produced by StarGate. Some of you may already be familiar with this equation.. Ne-Yo + StarGate = Awesome. And this one sounds like no exception with Ne-Yo dropping some pretty nice lyrics so far on the high quality (not CDQ) snippet. I’ll be excited when that full version leaks and it’ll be up on GWHH when it does! Ne-Yo is also the 79,139,322nd artist 2 jump on “A Milli” so I figure I’d post that… not really feelin’ it honestly, haha. Below is a bunch of R&B and hip hop as I’m mainly liking the R&B, especially the latest trax from Colby O’Donis, Francisco, and Timbaland’s brother Sebastian (NOT the R&B Sebastian, the Sebastian on the extended version of “The Way I Are”). DL above & below! 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!
Back again with another unique feature for GWHH - a review of N*E*R*D’s newest album, Seeing Sounds, just released in stores this week! Simply click the ‘Reviews’ tag above and check out our previous reviews! (Here I Stand,Tha Carter III, & The Glow In The Dark Tour in Chicago)
Seeing Sounds is a perfect title for the album; right away, the listener can see the hip-hop production mixed with rock, a unique element that defines N*E*R*D* with a sound unlike anything listeners have ever heard. The reason for the title goes deeper than that as N*E*R*D member, Shay states,
“It’s a mixture of senses that may cause a person to experience colorful hearing, auditory smell. For example, you might see something, and it might trigger a song. You might hear something, and it might trigger a taste in your mouth. When we created this album, it was the music we envisioned while creating it. We decided it would be the appropriate title for the album.”
Their vision was executed very well in the music and I think fans of hip hop and rock alike will enjoy parts of this album, at the very least. The personification of this vision for the album has to lie within one of my favorites - “Spaz”. As Pharrell describes,
“[The song] ‘Spaz’ is [a] nostalgic, hip-hop feeling with some drum and bass. It becomes a big, tall monster. It’s almost like this big gorilla looking down at you. If he smacks you, he kills you. His fingers are the size of your body. That’s kinda what we’re doing. We’re facing this big monster of, of what we know is out there, of what we see, that big monster of energy.”
While the production of the album is its most consistent attribute, I would say the lyrics throughout Seeing Sounds are the most inconsistent. The track, “Love Bomb” contains elements of both brilliance and non-sense, in fact, and illustrates similar patterns seen throughout the entire album.
“Can’t you see?
This is the Truman show baby
Cuz when they fight who dies is you
Ohhhh what if you unscrew me?
We’ve got the same gear and the same tools
But how you gonna catch up with your head hanging down
Whatcha see staring at the ground?
But I believe, even without a clue
You’ve got sunlight
And it can be your guide
No more political dreams
Not another excuse
Don’t need another love song when you the love bomb..
To just blow us away
To freakin’ blow the lights out
Turning night to day
And root from other way
Just to make it right now
Fuck what the government say
We gotta save some lights now
Is it ok?”
- N.E.R.D. “Love Bomb”
The important idea to note about the lyrics, however, is that the “non-sense” I’m speaking of can actually be interpreted positively as seen above in “Love Bomb”. They spread their message with a very unique approach that I’m not sure I like, or even fully comprehend sometimes, but I definitely respect. The lyrics are quite unique, that in some cases, it provides for some deep reflecting to try and understand what they mean behind the “non-sense”. The one area I believe the lyrics can improve in is in the choruses. One of the first things I concluded after a couple listens of the album was the repetitiveness of almost every chorus. Sometimes a simple phrase is repeated every so often (See: “Everyone Nose”, “Anti Matter”, “Spaz”, & more..) that it takes away from the depth of the verses and limits the album’s lasting appeal. I still do enjoy most of the songs, but will I still feel as strongly a couple weeks, even months down the road when the repetitiveness of the choruses sway the meter higher on the annoying scale? Time will determine that, but it is one concern of the album that holds it back a little bit. Luckily, in almost all the tracks, the beats are never the same throughout and actually switch very drastically for certain bridges, which provides for fresh tracks and doubles as an effective strategy for a listener trying to perceive the group’s vision of Seeing Sounds.
Overall, this album is a MUST-BUY for any fan of hip hop OR rock as Seeing Sounds has some strong crossover appeal to fans of both genres. It is certainly one album I will be blaring through the speakers throughout the summer. As an added bonus, DL one more track from the album called “You Know What”. It was the one track that jumped out at me (and Lupe :D) as an instant classic when I popped in the album for the first time the other day. Be sure to pick up the album ASAP if you don’t have it already. If you hurry to your nearest Best Buy, Circuit City, or Target sometime today, you can still pick it up at its first-week discounted price of $9.99!
04. Hero f/ Keri Hilson (Prod. by Polow Da Don) *Tibs Fav.
05. Black President (Prod. By DJ Green Lantern) *Tibs Fav.
06. Association f/ Stic Man (Of Dead Prez) (Prod. By Stic Man) *Tibs Fav.
07. Legendary (Mike Tyson) (Prod. by Salaam Remi) *Tibs Fav.
08. Ghetto RMX f/ Joell Ortiz (Prod. by DJ Green Lantern)
09. Seen It All (Green Mix)
10. Esco Let’s Go (Prod by DJ Khallil)
11. N.I.G.G.E.R. (Slave and Master) (Prod by DJ Toomp) *Tibs Fav.
12. Be A Nigger Too RMX f/ Dante Hawkins (Prod. by DJ Green Lantern) *Tibs Fav.
13. Surviving The Times (Original Cool and Dre Version) *Tibs Fav.
14. Nas Timeline - Mixed by Statik Selektah (Nararated by Nas) *Tibs Fav.
15. Outro f/ Richard Pryor
Nas “Be A Nigger Too”
VIDEO PREMIERE!
Above is all NEW Nas for ya - the long awaited mixtape, The Nigger Tape, with DJ Green Lantern AND the VIDEO PREMIERE of “Be A Nigger Too”. It’s impossible 2 go through and listen and hear Nas without him stirring some thoughts and emotions in you and I think he proves it once again with this mixtape (STILL bumpin’ “Hero” and will be for awhile..!), setting the stage for his album, tentatively titled Nas, in stores July 15th! Below are a couple solid trax from N*E*R*D (another bonus track… Seeing Sounds in stores 2morrow!) and One Chance! Enjoy!
FULL, CDQ, BONUS track off upcoming album, Seeing Sounds, in stores 06.10 (U.S.) *Tibs Fav.
***Apparently, the official title for the song is “Lazer Gun”, so I just made the switch now.***
Seeing Sounds in stores 2morrow!! ..And here’s a track that didn’t make the album, and well, Idk why cuz I’m really feelin’ it. Typical N*E*R*D which is a good thing cuz its got the unique beat, the unique lyrics, and an overall sick vibe. All 3 members straight up bring it and I love how the beat changes up in the verses and the chorus. MUST-DL! And as an NBA nut, I loved this… “That’s like Larry Bird 2 come school Jabaar!” Hah, DL above & enjoy!
~ Sgt. “The Laser Gun Carrying, Milky Way Mastaaa” Tibs
Some quick hit vids for ya eyes and ears. Not much else 2 say, cept Dwele… jyeaa!! Dwele is sick. He should blow up, esp after the extra exposure from “Flashing Lights”. Gotta run, but enjoy!
FULL, CDQ, Track off upcoming album, Seeing Sounds, in stores 06.10 (U.S.) *Tibs Fav.
“Really Amazing…Love Bomb, You Know What,
Sooner Or Later are all instant classics…
Windows is fun as hell…
and everything comes across even better live…
LOVE BOMB IS AMAZING…thats 3 amazings…”
- Lupe Fiasco, describing N*E*R*D’s upcoming album, Seeing Sounds
Don’t just take it from me, take it from Lupe Fiasco as Seeing Sounds is approaching release, enjoy a couple trax off the album! Lupe is dead on about “Love Bomb” as the song conveys an interesting, thought-provoking message over a mellow melody. Pharrell sings it and the song is immediately ear-catching with an attractive chorus and an instant affect lyrically. The lyrics aren’t as straight forward tho as it takes a few listens 2 grasp what Pharrell is sayin’ here. The other full track u can find on GWHH - “Time For Some Action” really displays the group’s unique production and makes for a great opening track for the album.
BELOW, check out the latest from Cleveland rapper, Chip Tha Ripper! The song has been up on his MySpace for a lil bit, but the mp3 is available for DL now! Chip definitely shows some talent in the verses, matching up with a catchy chorus that might be able 2 take off. And I’m a lil late on this (checkin’ our email, haha) but the single from Chicago R&B singer Ben One is out now and it features Shawnna (frequent Ludacris collaborator). It’s a pretty nice track and I like the lyrics above all in that song. Enjoy!
A couple of HOT hip hop bangers for ya 2day. Props 2 FSD once again for their periodic drops of old, yet unreleased material - this feature track coming from our boy Lupe Fiasco; a harder, bangin’ type track with help from a hard piano. I like it, especially with a couple well-placed name drops of Rosa Parks and rapper Fabolous in the last verse. Def a MUST-DL, as well as the latest from DMX down below. Him and Freeway flow real nicely over a unique horn-based beat that isn’t really DMX’s typical style, yet he adapts 2 it nicely. Furthermore, check out the CDQ version of Robin Thicke’s “Magic” and a Casely feature that is a nice track as well. And finally, this might be bad for Pharrell, but he pushed a dude off stage and well, its still kinda funny. Haha, enjoy!
Common “Announcement” f/ Pharrell
