There's been a bit of delay due to going through lots of music and other various distracations, but folks will get back on point with this.
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? **
If you're an artist, record label, etc. who would like to be considered for review for this section, please feel free to e-mail us here at BlackRadioIsBack.com at blackradioisback@gmail.com.
This session, I'm just going to focus on a few compliation albums that I've been feeling as of late.
All of these albums are out now in the stores, internet, etc. if you want to cop them!
Due to my rudimentary skills in HTML, I had to dig around to find some music players for this article so folks can actually sample what's on these albums.
NOTE: I didn't recieve any permission to post up straight free downloads of songs for any of these albums and quite frankly, want the artist to get some money. If the artists hit folks up and give me the OK, I'll be glad to do so.
Here goes for the 2nd round of Why Should I Cop This? reviews:
Buckwild Is Diggin' in the Crates - Rare Studio Masters: 1993 - 1997
This is a double album of 39 classic '90s Hip-Hop tracks that were either on albums, released as 12" singles or unreleased that Bronx representative and D.I.T.C. (Diggin' in the Crates) member and producer Buckwild.
Some of remixes on this release I think are more well known than the original tracks (Grand Puba feat. Sadat X's I Like It RMX and Rakim's Guess Who's Back, for example) while others are a pleasant surprise and make you wonder why they were never released officially (O.C.'s Burn Me Slow and Chubb Rock's What A Year fit into this category).
Overall, this is a pretty solid compliation with very few points where I feel like skipping over a track (if I do, its not because of the production, its usually because I feel the MC on that track may be a bit lacking).
A worthy purchase for folks who wish for that "dirty", boom bap sampled production that some Hip-Hop music seems to be lacking as of late from all ends - independent or "mainstream".
Should Be Liked By: Fans of Old School Hip-Hop, 1990s NYC Style Hip-Hop, D.I.T.C. Fans, Street Hip-Hop, MCs Who Are Lyricists, Head Nod Hip-Hop, 5%/Nation of Gods and Earths Hip-Hop
Buckwild Official MySpace Page
Some Standout Tracks:
Beastie Boys feat. Q-Tip - Get It Together RMX
Chubb Rock - What A Year
Funkdoobiest - Rock On RMX
Tha Alkholiks - Daamn
4th Disciple: The Best of 740 Vol. 1 (Unreleased Classics)
4th Disciple is a music producer most popularly known for his diverse and melodic production and DJ skills with the Wu-Tang Clan from the very beginning (turntable scratches on Wu-Tang's 1st album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)), and its many affiliate groups, especially his in depth work with Hip-Hop MC collective Killarmy.
This compilation consists of all unreleased music masters from the Ohio native during mid-1990s to 2001. There is some verbal interplay with some of the Killarmy MCs (Shogun Assasson & Kinetic, specifically), but the songs that stick out the most to me are from other skilled MCs on the album who one only wonders where and what some of them are doing right now (One Man, Agony, etc.).
There is definitely kind of a serious athmospheric and heavy production vibe with most of the tracks on this album, but it all fits in well with the MCs and the subject matter.
Overall, this is a quality release worthy for folks who are down for those who like to hear some Hip-Hop music with feeling and emotion from all angles that gets the heads nodding and thinking, casual fans of Wu-Tang Clan (pick up some of the early era records, especially from Killah Priest and GZA and this is that dude who did most of those tracks) and those Wu-Tang Clan completists who need to have everything on some six degrees of seperation vibe in regards to music.
Should Be Liked By: Fans Of 1990s Hip-Hop, Fans of Wu-Tang Clan Classic Era Sound Production, Cinematic Hip-Hop Production, Previous 4th Disciple Fans, Street Hip-Hop, MCs Who Are Lyricists, Head Nod Hip-Hop, 5%/Nation of Gods and Earths Hip-Hop
4th Disciple Official MySpace Page
Some Standout Tracks:
4th Disciple feat. Agony - Time Passes
4th Disciple feat. Sneek Sinatra, HO24A & Jag - Longtime
Floyd The Locsmif: Interludez And Essentialz
Producer Floyd the Locsmif entered into my conciousness while doing the FuseBox Radio Broadcast with a really dope remix mixtape done with Jamad (Afromentals/The Aphilliates) Outskirts: The Unofficial Lost OutKast Remixes around 2003/2004.
Since then, I've been on the lookout for his releases and have been lucky to get most of them in my hands. Since that beginning, he's produced and done work for everyone from 50 Cent to 4IZE (of Disturbing the Peace) to Platinum Pied Pipers.
This production compliation goes from highlighting jazzy styles to rugged beats along with some straight up songs that have guest appearances by solid independent Hip-Hop MCs K. Banger, U George, Naledge (of Kids in the Hall) and others.
If you would like some fresh sounds coming from your speaker that keep you on your toes along with MCs and singers who don't do the stereotypical "underground/coffee shop rap performance" routine, this is something I think folks will like.
Should Be Liked By: Street Hip-Hop Fans, MCs Who Are Lyricists, Those Who Like Jazz Hip-Hop Production, Those Who Like Soulful Hip-Hop Production, Boom Bap Fans
Floyd The Locsmif MySpace Page
Floyd The Locsmif Official Website
Some Standout Tracks:
Floyd The Locsmif feat. Slick & Rose and Fishscales - Hold On
Floyd The Locsmif - Goin' Diggin
Floyd The Locsmif - Circa 97
Cornel West & BMWMB (Black Men Who Mean Business) - Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations
I will be perfectly honest with everyone - when I heard that Black academic Dr. Cornel West decided to put out an album with his group, BMWMB (Black Men Who Mean Business) on the Hidden Beach label a few years back, I didn't know whether to be curious about it or straight up worried.
Was this music going to be siddity and pretentious? Could these folks actually play instruments, produce and make coherent songs? Is this just a spoken word album? Will Cornel embarrass folks and try to pull a edutainment MC type of thing?
Rolling through FYE one day, I saw it in the R&B/Soul section and decided to check it out. Looking at the track listing, folks didn't slack on the guest appearances on there (its feels like everyone is up on here including KRS One, Gerald Levert, Prince, Andre 3000 and M1 of Dead Prez to name a few) and it looked like there would be some real talk.
Since the listening stations didn't work there that day, I risked paying my $15 and rolled with the CD back home in the whip, hoping I didn't waste my money and at least 3 days of eating out at the 9 to 5.
Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations is a good music release PERIOD, with or without Dr. West co-signing the project (though it certainly helps out promo wise).
The album is definitely on some School Daze "Waaaake Uuuuuup!" sort of vibe, trying to bring the knowledge to the people but not hammering folks in the head to the point where you feel like folks are trying to talk down to you.
There are some pretty nice mid-tempo to high-tempo grooves on here and on the tracks Dr. West is on where he is not just talking (like "The-N-Word" which goes on a bit too long with him doing a discussion with Tavis Smiley & Michael Eric Dyson like they are at the bar or something giving each other props) or doing the song intros, his spoken word game is pretty on point. I respect that he went hard to respect the craft than just go at it on some "young folks can do it, why can't I?" vibe.
Should Be Liked By: Jazzy Production, Soulful Hip-Hop Production, Boom Bap Fans, Those Who Like Thinking Man's Music, Spoken Word Fans, Soul Music Fans, Black Progressive Thinking
Cornel West & Black Men Who Mean Business Official MySpace Page
Cornel West Official Website
Some Standout Tracks:
Jill Scott - What Time It Is
KRS One and M1 of Dead Prez & Cornel West - Mr. President
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