With black gloves and mask in tow, Xzibit has the rap game lined up in his scope with the red dot aimed center mass. Backed by Kurupt and 40 Glocc and in conjuction with SkeeTV, MMX is the trigger and this video is the bullet. Read the rest of this entry »

Last time we heard something official from Mr. X to tha Z, he was rhyming “concentrate” with “eat some steak” and other lines of non sequiturs. Hip-Hop was convinced he was still better than that, so he’s taking timeout from Hollywood to stake his claim as a prominent voice in the West, once again. Kind of like the album’s title MMX. The Roman numerals indicate a return to the basics while their meaning, 2010 revels in the present day. Read the rest of this entry »

In case you forgot how long the West Coast has been producing great Hip-Hop, Kurupt decided to bring together three different eras of the coast’s storied history on his latest single “In Gotti We Trust.” Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta who plays the star role is found representing as one of the pioneers who came from a time when Dre was finding inspiration in Tribe records. On the hook, Xzibit blesses the track with his gruff, distinctive vocals holding it down for the late 90’s crowd that ushered in a new era with 2001. As for the present era, Terrace Martin’s menacing composition sets the mood for Young Gotti to verbally slaughter, giving a reminder to the younger generation on the come-up that there is a past that must be respected if there is going to be a future to be built. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s still a bit hard for me sit through these days at the ol’ 9 to 5 after The Crew’s takeover of SXSW this past weekend. There are a million memories bouncing around my head, begging to be relived, and here am in a cubicle prepping sales calls. Bah-humbug. Read the rest of this entry »

Unified like the fiddy states, the Dub-E-S-T keeps their wheels in motion when Snoop Dogg is spearheading the movement. Case in point: his projects are so major, there’s not one host but three involved as evidenced on We Da West (Volume One) as DJ’s Scream, Skee and Whoo-Kid divide the pie. Throw in Nipsey Hussle, Soopafly and Tha Dogg Pound among others, and you’re dreaming of Californication with this mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of rappers speak on “killing” the track or “murdering shit,” but most of the time they only proclaim it and end up not following through. In fact, most rappers that use this kind of imagery have no kind of reasoning behind the claims, working with the “say it until it’s true” mentality that usually ends up bearing no fruit. As with every rule however, there are plenty of exceptions that make one forget the rule in the first place.

Kurupt, one of the most lyrical rappers to ever grace the mic, is definitely one of those dudes. While his consistency is somewhat questionable, Young Gotti sounds better than 99.9% of the game when he does go in. With a vast vocabulary that would make even the most educated members of our society take notice, his poetical excellence makes most rappers seem like runner-ups from a third grade spelling bee.

On “Murder Fitness,” which is a preview to Terrace Martin’s album The Demo, the Dogg Pound gangster demonstrates his ability to mutilate the drums and decapitate the melodies in a way that is beyond exceptional. Words cannot accurately encapsulate the scene of the crime. So instead of reading a recap, it would be more appropriate to become a witness.

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Download — Kurupt & Terrace Martin – “Murder Fitness”

Considering all of the insanely great material that didn’t make The Demo, I would definitely advise anybody with a taste for dope Hip-Hop to keep their eyes & ears peeled.

Earlier this week, an invigorated Kurupt held a barstool press-conference with Wu-Tang-affiliated M-Eighty, announcing the reunion of the once-unfuckwitable The HRSMN clique. Given the polka-dot reputation of these guys, I’m not holding my breathe. But, back in their heyday, Ras Kass, Canibus, Killah Priest and the K-u-r-u-p-to-the-t formed the Megazord of lyricism with their now eBay-only Horseman Project. Read the rest of this entry »

Yeah it’s that time again.

Too often do we sift through the predictable media cycle of artists yelling how “crazy” their album is or even fixing their lying ass mouths to utter the other “C” word — classic. How about these C’s: cut the crap. Each year, the allure of the album continues to decrease thanks in part to overhyped, superfluous projects that only possess a handful of good songs. Not to mention the legion of stans that will stick by anything short of a satanic message their favorite artist puts out. Not I. Air ‘em out like spring laundry. Read the rest of this entry »

It pains me as I’m sure it does every long-time Hip-Hop fan to see remnants of a crumbled dynasty. When you have the world in the palm of your hands (and the universe is your stomping grounds), it’s mind boggling on how supposed impenetrable unions can have their empire crumble from the inside out. Looking back on the powerhouse that once was Death Row, even the subordinates of the roster such as Tha Dogg Pound and Nate Dogg were superstars in their own right. Read the rest of this entry »

DJ Crazy Toones is better than your favorite Hip-Hop DJ. His work behind the boards is not only technically impressive, but he has every West Coast rapper worth knowing in his corner and he brings out the best of them whenever he utilizes his contacts. Read the rest of this entry »

Terrace Martin is far from a rookie. Yet in the grand scheme of things, 2010 will most likely be his come-out year when he drops his freshman offering The Demo. He’s already earned the co-sign from nearly every West Coast legend you can name and dropped a phenomenal mixtape last year with DJ Drama. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll be rooting for Tha Dogg Pound as long as blood still pumps through my veins and their music pumps through my speakers. Kurupt & Daz have been rapping for nearly two decades now and show no signs of stopping with their latest album That Was Then, This Is Now dropping in November. Read the rest of this entry »

Just caught this relatively old gem for the first time on MTV Jams.

This beat is the bee’s knees. It’s also somehow pleasant and odd at the same time to see E-40, Goldie Loc and MC Eiht on MTV. It’s even better to see Daz and Kurupt pop out of an ice cream truck in the middle of Hollywood Blvd. Plus, Snoop does himself kind of dirty by spitting the following unbelievably pause-worthy lines, then pointing to his (fake) Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Read the rest of this entry »

Pic courtesy of ErikVoake.com

Guys, I messed up.

A few weeks back, my long-standing request for a Smoking Session with West Coast pioneer Warren G was finally granted. As an artist I literally grew up listening to and who helped enlighten my musical taste-buds at an early age, the rare opportunity to speak to an idol was something I’d been bugging Gotty™ for since day one. So, it was quite stellar to hear that after years of waiting in the wings, our connects came through in the clutch, hooking up a phone interview to help promo his appearance in the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors tribute to his former label Def Jam, along with an upcoming seventh record from the Long Beach vet, The G-Files.

I got the call a few weeks later and, as expected, Warren was cooler than a cucumber and the interview came & went without a hitch. Until, of course…I got home to my Google Voice account and saw I’d pressed 4 an extra time on my piece-of-shit flip-phone to un-record the entire conversation/interview.

Heart. Break. Read the rest of this entry »

I would talk about Mr. Blake’s “Bushido Blade” hairstyle, but he might pop up and yell at me. And TSS is a pro-Quik organization.

Previously Posted — “Ohh!” – Review Of DJ Quik & Kurupt’s BlaQKout | DJ Quik & Kurupt – “Do You Know” Video