Let this have been April 20th, every rapper with a habit in a 30 mile radius of a microphone would have a song dedicated to the world’s most popular unofficial holiday. So I don’t think anyone can be mad with the amount of sappy material floating through the Internet on the day designated for love, chocolate, cheap gifts and, in a lot of cases, sex. Read the rest of this entry »

If this is any indication of what Late Nights & Early Mornings will spawn into, the stock in box springs for beds is almost certain to skyrocket in 2011. This is some real grown folks type music right here. Leaving her vindictive feelings behind, Marsha focuses her attention to the bedroom and the fantasies that can fulfilled with the proper theme music. Read the rest of this entry »

Similar to the grandeur of the fast life associated with rappers, the concept of death is even more prevalent. Tupac’s fascination with the end still remains likely the most obvious example and one that will always define a large portion of his legacy. For Big K.R.I.T., we only pray he doesn’t meet the same fate, but rather enjoys a long, fruitful career and even longer life. That doesn’t mean the afterlife doesn’t cross his mind on occasion however. Read the rest of this entry »

“Great artists suffer for the people.” — Marvin Gaye

If there was ever an artist who had the capability to evoke so much emotion from those who listened, it was Marvin Gaye. He made music people could immerse themselves in and simply enjoy life to. He also created songs which forced the entire world to pause and pay attention. And, of course, with Marvin, he created timeless lovemaking anthems. No stone was left unturned when it came to his music.

But Marvin’s life was just as controversial as his art. Drugs, women, exiles and internal battles constantly ran in and out of his life for the better part of his career. It’s often been said the most talented are by far the most troubled – and that definitely rings true for Marv. Success and depression are a combination which have never mixed well together, and often times deadly. Which is why it is still numbing to believe over a quarter century has elapsed since his father murdered him on April 1, 1984.

It’s also crazy to believe my life has always been lived without the Motown giant. My aunt, whose birthday is today, still may be the biggest Marvin Gaye fan outside of his immediate family. To this moment, she can’t speak on him when it relates to his death. She never understood why it happened. Truthfully, she doesn’t want to know and that’s understandable. Like Michael and Joe Jackson, the relationship between the elder Gaye and his son was always (reportedly) rocky. Regardless of the success he received, it was never good enough to earn the praises of his father.

In the following clip, Marvin and his pops are shown in one of their lighter moments, contradicting the previous sentence. Just a father and son rapping back and forth about the past. It was love all the way around. And at least for this moment, Marvin’s world was in order.

Chances are the majority of people will never live the life Hip-Hop’s self-proclaimed king, Jay-Z, happens to lead. That’s not to say he doesn’t vividly portray it in his rhymes of elite  grandeur living either. Depending who you ask, it’s a cross between a sign of maturity and a sign he wants to separate himself from the very public which adores him. Regardless, the quality of his product still manages to satisfy most. Looking beyond his string of hit songs, “hidden gems” find themselves as some of his more enjoyable records. Take “Party Life” for example.

Found on 2007′s American Gangster, the song showcased a lifestyle the title alluded to. Celebrity friends, fast living and more money than one could ever imagine litter this ode to success. Slightly different from the original, a blended remixed version co-starring the late Marvin Gaye afforded the song and entirely new perspective while keeping the same feel. The nostalgic aurora allows one to bask in the glory of their own personal accomplishments, regardless of magnitude. So the next time you reach a memorable milestone in life, cue this record and vibe out. As he put it, “roll up a tight lil’ J, drink some wine whatever your vice is, ya know?”

Above all, “Party Life” authenticated Jay was right on one thing. You couldn’t knock the hustle it took to get him there.

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Download — Jay-Z Feat. Marvin Gaye – “Party Life”

I was listening to my iPod on shuffle while completely being unproductive during the Midwest’s recent blizzard. After about my third hour, I came across this rarity of a song by the king of Motown from his heart-wrenching, slept-on classic Here My Dear. The first fifty seconds gave me a chilling reflection of my first time trying lean (don’t judge) and brought me back to the song that inspired my teenage exploration, “Sippin’ On Some Syrup.”

But then, the song got interesting.

Marvin’s track is a plea to his woman on if he has given her enough. Money, that is. His conceit shows in this song with ease as he smoothly resonates over his own melodies, the horns and deep bass. The highlight of the song comes in when he says, after three minutes of complaining of the divorce judge’s verdict and beseeching his woman, “I need a smoke.” This begins a psychedelic journey that nearly requires you to close your eyes in order to envision it. Scruffy Marvin with a rainbow-colored beanie, a Zig-Zag rolled joint in his left hand and his right hand swaying. The sax weeps a sad tale, as the electric keyboard and drums ride along. Pain-fueled funk at it’s best.

Had Nas listened to this song before…never mind.

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Download — Marvin Gaye – “Is That Enough”

Before this year, I hadn’t heard too much about Beatnick & K-Salaam.  But after their mixtape Where The Streets Have No Name held my car’s stereo down for a solid week, they were officially on my radar.  Now the production duo’s back with their latest effort Beatnick & K-Salaam Present… Never Can Say Goodbye, where they took on the arduous task of remixing songs by Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye.  Usually when you hear the words remix attached to names of that magnitude, you’d instantaneously cringe at the thought of these standards being desecrated.  Beatnick & K-Salaam do the originals justice though.

Link and track list are one click away. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Jesse H.

I’ve tried nearly every home remedy to cure bouts of insomnia; those periods of sleeplessness that keep you up wondering about the fate of humanity and asking “big” questions that have the mind running like a gerbil on a wheel. I’ve tried monotonous measures like counting sheep and extreme tactics like imbibing a few strong mixed drinks. After numerous tests, I’ve come to the conclusion there is no cure more effective and healthy for one’s mind, body and soul than the music of Marvin Gaye.

Marvin never relied heavily on complex lyricism to deliver his message, instead focusing on transcendent, universally applicable themes that he delivered in a free-spirited style of crooning. Simply looking at his lyrics on paper, they may Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Jason Hortillas

Maybe the boneheaded rookie move by DeSean Jackson overshadowed Monday Night Football’s horror of a national anthem, but Kat DeLuna needs to call it quits. Known for that “Whine Up” track which was total pop bullshit, she tacks on to the legacy of a wack career by butchering the “Star Bangled Banner.” Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Contraâ„¢

“If Rap was alive, we’d be trying to be the best rappers ever…

“…not the best rappers alive.”

If you listened to the first one, you’ve been fiending for the sequel. Read the rest of this entry »

A sickness of the bubonic mediocre strain has descended on the houses of Hip-Hop and TSS. In the case of Hip-Hop, artists are chronically regurgitating albums slightly better than listenable, and in the case of TSS… well… TC is forcibly bleeding the lot of them of their 3 Cig just desserts.

A plague on both our houses.

To brighten team morale, the TSS crew opened a discussion of albums worthy of the perfect 5 Cig rating. We tried to stay away from the conventional Illmatics and Aqueminis of the world, and dug into our visor CD-holders to pull out OUR top picks (Read: Personal favorites). These are the albums that deserve all the superlatives we could muster, all the accolades we could award and all the “yadamnrights” we could hurl in defense of their excellence.

Ladies and Germs…

Crew Love: The 5 Cig Edition

Chris “Preach” Smith

D’Angelo – Voodoo (2000)

Few artists can follow up a great debut album with an even stronger sequel. D’Angelo succeeds with this album, running the gamut from sensual love ballads (“Untitled/How Does It Feel”) to head-nodding Hip-Hop infused songs of reflection (“Devil’s Pie”), to wistful odes to the Motherland (“Africa”) all with an ease of a master showman. From the Zora Neale Hurston inspired album covers to D’s impeccable smoky voice, Voodoo is an album that lives up to its name literally and figuratively.

Contraâ„¢

Soprano – Puisqu’il faut Vivre (2008)

Language barriers aside, Puisqu’il faut Vivre is everything to expect from a Hip-Hop album today. Instead of succumbing to the trends set by Booba and other 50 Cent-like, anger-management-needing rappers dominating the scene, Soprano stayed true to his definition of what an artist should be, resulting in a heartfelt, intellectually stimulating, insightful, exciting and enjoyable chef-d’oeuvre. He exhibits unparalleled cadence, especially on the profound intro to “Tant Que Dieu (Remix)” and outstanding thematic consistency in every single track, earning each and every cig that this album gets, and setting the bar extremely high for his sophomore effort. I doff my hat to you Mr. Soprano, and congratulations on the birth of the little one.

Darius Sinclairâ„¢

John Legend – Get Lifted (2004)

Telling the truth never worked for me in relationships. But considering the awesomeness in writing and real-life storytelling on Get Lifted, I can keep on lying because this is telling it all. An excellent raconteur, John Legend (and co.) put together a comprehensive fuse of rhythmic soul and quiet storm sounds with love lyrics that would make Marvin two-step in his grave. Impeccable production and a variety of sounds make for an impressive debut, and a timeless display of rhythm and blues at its best. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a good thing we’re beyond the days of the cassette tape. Don’t get me wrong, I love and sometimes miss tapes – the way they tick-tack rattle when you hold them, the way that quiet sssshhhh white noise makes them sound so rich – but do you know how many tapes I ruined back in the day?

Tapes got eaten, thin and stretched with constant playback. And I do play some joints back and back…and then, back again.

The other day, it was Devin the Dude’s “I-Hi.” I dropped the fam off at the airport and ran that track all the way home. I played it once while they were in the car, and was antsy the rest of the way because I just wanted to hear it again. You can’t do too much rewinding with other people around – it’s some weird, unspoken rule. Read the rest of this entry »

So, my mom put me on game the other day.

When I stopped by her house to get my free grub on, she was watching Law & Order, and told me that the man above was going to be playing Marvin Gaye in an upcoming biopic, called Sexual Healing. Read the rest of this entry »