Basically, the "Why Should I Cop This?" section is here to recommend singles and/or music albums from artists that are actually worth spending your hard-earned money on and giving folks what are (well, what I feel anyway) good reasons to do so.
At the very end of the day - especially in this day and age of being able to download most anything free or damned near free – this is the mark of what matters for everyone – the music artist, their label and you.
Unfortunately, the way the Music Business works is like so:
The Average Person Supporting Music with spending $$$ = Music Industry Tries (Sometimes) to Put Out More Music Like That
If the industry pays attention to what we all spend money on, then if there’s some music folks that we really like, it’s time have to support them by legally purchasing the record sometime through the store, the Internet, whatever.
** NOTE: I’m not totally on an unrealistic soapbox - I can understand getting something from the 5 for $5 bootleg man on a broke/thin wallet week when you REALLY want to listen to that album, but eventually, get that album with a real barcode up on it and whatnot – there are always sales someplace and music artists need to eat with their craft, you feel me? **
Here goes:
AZ: Decade 1994 – 2004 (Label: B.E.C.)AZ is one of the most slept on MCs out there – for whatever reason, his albums have never really sold like that (label issues, inter-artist conflict ** side eyes entire "The Firm" scenario **, on/off beef with Nas, etc.) although his guest appearances and solo joints have always been pretty consistently on point.
This independent 2 CD compilation has 47 tracks on it (which makes it worth the while alone) in kind of a blend format that gives a great overall view of how he’s evolved as an MC with some classic songs and hard to find remixes.
Should Be Liked By: Folks who like 1990s era style NYC Hip-Hop/Boom Bap, Street Lyricists
Favorite Tracks: Life’s A Bitch feat. Nas, Firm Biz RMX feat. The Firm, Phone Tap feat. The Firm, Do or Die RMX feat. Raekwon, Life Goes On feat. Common, It’s Yours MRX, The Birth feat. The RZA, Magic Hour feat. CL Smooth, The Flyest feat. Nas, Sugar Hill, Platinum Bars
AZ's MySpage Page
Camp Lo: Black Hollywood (Label: Good Hands Records)Hip-Hop group Camp Lo has been kind of quiet on the album front lately while making some appearances here and there on guest verses, mixtapes and independent 12" singles.
This is MCs Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede’s first official full length album since the 2002 independent release of "Let’s Do It Again" (which is hard as all hell to find – if someone knows where this is, then holla back at your lady over here) and 10 years since the release of the classic "Uptown Saturday Night" album.
This new Camp Lo album keeps to the old school formula of not really putting in too many tracks (kept it to 12 total) and having a main producer handling the beat duties (as a bonus, the entire album is produced Ski Beatz who handled the majority of their first album’s production and did Jay-Z’s "Dead Presidents").
Besides occasionally skipping one or two tracks, I have been bumping this album on the regular straight through. The song production is extremely solid, there is no overabundance of guest appearances to make it seem like compilation album and Camp Lo still have their flows, personalities and metaphors in tact on some "1970s Blaxplotiation movie slang while talking about modern street corner situations" vibe.
Should Be Liked By: Past Fans of Camp Lo, Folks who want to hear Street Metaphors in a not boring fashion, Those who love Soul Music sampling in Hip-Hop music, Street Swagger Lyricists
Favorite Tracks: Posse from the Bronx, Soul Fever, Jack N Jill, Ganja Lounge, Black Hollywood, Sweet Claudine
Camp Lo's MySpage Page
NYG’z: Welcome to G’Dom (Label: Year Round)
There’s been a quite a lot of "classic style NYC Hip-Hop is Dead" talk going on lately in the Hip-Hop community and this album pretty much smacks that argument dead in the face.
Now, did this release come on a Big 3 "major label" distributor? Nope, not at all (but that should be no surprise). But it came from a major Hip-Hop icon’s label (DJ Premier) and from long time Gang Starr Foundation MCs Panchi & Shabeeno (who were on the classic track "The Mall" on Gang Starr’s "Moment of Truth" LP).
The album isn’t totally narrow focused subject wise, which is cool by me since more diverse viewpoints are what’s really needed lately on albums (we all can’t be invincible drug dealers who just happen to rhyme on the side * rolls eyes *).
While it definitely is a hardcore album, NYG’z do in this what plenty of street Hip-Hop albums don’t seem to do lately – actually show the positive and the negative of what goes down on all sides of the game.
Quality production and beats aren’t even an issue on Welcome to G’Dom with DJ Premier contributing 7 beats on the album along with solid contributions by Emile, Thorotracks, Books, Harlem Fatz and Biggest Gourd.
This album has very little filler/skip track status and Panchi and Sabeeno put heart and feeling in the rhymes on each track. If you want something to head nod to and plays well in the car/portable player you use to ride the transit, etc., this is not a waste of money at all.
Should Be Liked By: NYC Hardcore Street Hip-Hop, Those Who Like anything produced by DJ Premier, Gang Starr Foundation fans, Direct and To The Point MCing, Head Nod Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Sufferin’ feat. Rave & Lil’ Fame of M.O.P., 3 Man Weave featuring Reef, Hustle & Mic Ock, Same Team No Games featuring Guru & Hannibal Stax, Get 2 Tha Point, What Kinda Life feat. Raw, What Yo Life Like featuring Jahdan, Black Buddafly
NYG'z MySpage Page
Interesting Hip-Hop Album Cuts #1 - FuseBox Radio/BlackRadioIsBack Approved:
Hezikah feat. Freeway - That Filling (Soulspazm/Rawkus)
Guerilla Black – The Life (Street Money Entertainment/Artist Garage/Fontana)
Public Enemy – See Something, Say Something (SlamJamz)
Guru feat. Damian Marley – Stand Up (7 Grand Records)
Pastor Troy - Dear Mama (SRC Recordings)
Rick Ross – Hold Me Down (Suave House)
Special Teamz feat. Devin the Dude - Long Time Coming (Duckdown)
UGK featuring Talib Kweli & Raheem DeVaughn/Beautiful Women (UGK Records/Jive)
Us3 - ABC (Us3.com)
L.E.G.A.C.Y. – Bang (TheJustusLeague.com)
Interesting Hip-Hop Singles #1 - FuseBox Radio/BlackRadioIsBack Approved:
Styles P feat. Swizz Beatz – Blow Ya Mind (Koch)
Bloodraw feat. Young Buck & FAMU Marching Band - 26 Inches (CTE)
Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra/Hip-Hop's Love Ballad (Invisible Man Productions)
Ky-Mani Marley – One Time (Vox Music Music)
Big Ken of 334 Mob feat. Rich Boy - Super Fly (White Label)
DJ Muggs vs. Sick Jacken - El Barrio (Angeles Records)
Tragedy Khadafi - Hood Ikon (Illseed Entertainment)
Trew - Go Hard (Inner Circle Entertainment)
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