New tunes from Blu’s upcoming NOYORK! album. “Doin’ Something” is six minutes of emceeing at its finest, courtesy of the West Coast. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in sixth grade, I formed my first crush. The feeling was not mutual. One-sided as it may have been, the song which enhanced that adolescent itch was Alanis Morissette’s “Head Over Feet,” from her 1996 ROY album Jagged Little Pill. Read the rest of this entry »

King Mez drops a visual for “Something’s Missing,” one of the Khyrsis produced tracks from the co-op release, The King’s Khrysis EP. Read the rest of this entry »

I grew up with Phil Jackson. Hell, both my mother and grandma love the guy simply because “he’s always so cool.” The Zen Master commanded the sidelines, winning 11 of the past 20 NBA championships and leaves the game as a living legend. And his prolific, previous success is the reason why the Lakers Game 4 backyard ass whooping felt so much like the end of an era. Read the rest of this entry »

For shame, rappers. All the holiday and pseudo-holiday themed projects you throw at us yearly and no one attempts to cover Friday The 13th? You godless bastards even dropped Easter tapes and showed your sensitive sides for Valentine’s. But no one except Catfish Billy wants to engage the Boogie Man? You bunch of sissies. Read the rest of this entry »

The dancehall contract that Hip-Hop signed seemingly expired ago in favor of watered-down reggaeton, but Rocky Rivera is revamping the vibe just in time the days of summer, shade and Sangria. This jam can be found on her self-titled debut, and all the love spread in the video is straight from the heart of the Golden State. Read the rest of this entry »

The reason why music has always been seen as a form of therapy is because of the emotions it evokes. It’s a large reason TSS decided to take on the The 30 Day Song Challenge and why the process has been so cleansing in a sense. Music, better yet good music, is the greatest scrapbook and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” happens to be a portal to the past and, what I hope, is a vision of the future. Read the rest of this entry »

The AM11′s are a nice sneakers but the first crop of colorways were bland, leaving much to be desired. But like seasonal clockwork, the Swoosh begins supplying new color choices for one of its top tier runners. Read the rest of this entry »

Need proof Satan is real? Have you ever washed your car on a sunny day only to have a bird sh*t on no more than five minutes after you finish? Yep, that’s Lucifer. Truth be told, I shouldn’t even be allowed to watch this new video from DaVinci, San Quinn and Matt Blaque since my car is in dire need of a cleaning. The three combine to convey the fruits of sporting a spotless vehicle now that the temperature is rising and people begin to spend more of their lives outdoors again. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, XXL premiered Theo’s “Last Name London” and its the usual off-the-rails affair we’ve all grown to know and love. The track’s his first single off the 11-track debut LP Timez Are Weird These Days, which he declares “captures a moment in time. It’s a reflection of what’s going on in pop culture right now.” Read the rest of this entry »

Gang culture’s foreign territory to most, considered almost passé unless you reside in a zip code where gangs are still heavily active and awareness is a must. The obvious difference between S.L. running down the blueprint from Crippin’ versus Wayne and Game attempting to do the same on a track like “Red Nation” is proximity. Read the rest of this entry »

Quick, name a celebrated group of Hip-Hop’s past where a member went on to match or top their former troupe’s success on a consistent basis. The correct answers are few and far in between and the former Slum Village pillar by the name of Elzhi is well aware that taking complete control of his solo career is a necessity for building his brand in today’s industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Ahh, the periodic releases from Rich Boy are happening more often, with only a few months passing since his last mixtape release. Gold Kilo$ looks to be a complimentary piece to 12 Diamonds Read the rest of this entry »

Uh-oh. Trick Trick, the Godfather of The D, has become The Landlord with his new mixtape and your speakers’ rent is due, motherf#%er! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll always have a soft spot for Prodigy (||). No matter how terrible, I’ll constantly listen to his new music with an open ear, just for old times sake. As a member of Mobb Deep, P helped make some of the greatest music Hip-Hop has ever seen and he created a formidable solo debut as well. Then circa 2001, Hov dropped “The Takeover” and it was all downhill from there. Mobb Deep’s next two albums released to a critical bloodbath and they re-upped with G-Unit to create 2006′s Blood Money.

The album completely exposed the QB emcee as a now sub-par lyricist armed with nothing more than shock value punch lines and a flow stiffer than the suspension of his Porsche he got as a signing bonus. As terrible as the album was, its first single “Put ‘Em In Their Place” still gets some iPod burn to this day. I have very little explanation for my defense. It’s ignorant as hell, P’s and Havoc’s raps are average at best and the beat is nothing spectacular. But Prodigy’s opening bars just wreck it.

“I was schooled by the hood, raised by the wolves
Trained by the pain, adopted by guerrillas
Gotta tank for a car, ice for a arm
Got tattoos for skin and stars for broads
Gotta buildin’ for a crib, Manhattan for a backyard
Skyscraper ladies, they f*ck me when they man gone”

Aside from these six lines, nothing about the song is repeat-worthy. Yet, I just can’t help pressing back as the beat fades out over and over again. If I start playing it, I don’t stop until I’ve heard it at least five or six times through. Why? I have no idea.

On paper, the track’s everything I ought to hate, especially since I despise 50 Cent and all things associated with him. The lyrics wear out already tired subjects like bank rolls and smashing heauxs. The production isn’t anything special either. But, for some reason, Prodigy’s first few lines make the record for me. Maybe it’s my overwhelming bias or I’m selectively tone deaf. Whatever the reason, “Put ‘Em In Their Place” is a track I’m not proud to say has remained in my iPod for over five years and will probably stay there for the foreseeable future.

Previously: Day 12 – A Song From A Band You Hate