Monthly Archive for July, 2008

he’s my favorite lyriciss.

Published
by
modi
on July 24, 2008
in audio/video, events, mixtapes, music and welcome to DC
. 2 Comments

you may not have known this, but young lyriciss flowz has been grinding for a minute. so hard, in fact, that 20-year old wordsmith has attracted attention from the likes of DC representers and bloggers across the nation, including the infamous 2 dope boyz. once you get that kind of love, you’re pretty much on the road to success.

the new mixtape, the hope, dropped earlier this month, and it’s in current rotation in the iTunes. i like gritty rap. don’t think you’ll be hearing murder murder and kill kill, either. he’s not embellishing or glorifying that street life in the slightest. just talking about how he lives his life. rhymes for days, flows for days. guess that’s how the kid got his name.

click the cover (or here) to get the mixtape.

bonus!

download: lyriciss - kinda, i rock (cool kids flow)

oh, and catch me, him, nando, and some other cool dudes in NYC this wknd at the grungecake crisis mag house party in queens. hopefully i’ll chit chat it up with the girl  whose picture is on the web site, because she’s pretty sexy. oh boy.

you’re invited, too.

musiq is back with a completely different swag [re-up].

Published
by
modi
on July 24, 2008
in audio/video and music
. 8 Comments

this re-up feature is incredible. all the people who got on this joint late (hey man, i’m just calling a spade a spade) get a chance to get gems. like this one.

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can you dig it!? i kinda like it. this must be the first of his changes since he dropped the “soulchild” from his moniker and began referring to himself simply as “musiq”, stating that he had not yet mastered his craft. goodness. he also gave up on neo-soul, and demoted himself to the average ranks of an R&B artist.

i still think his voice is butter on toast, all hetero. is the track hot or not!?

scoop it: musiq - radio

blackberry bold. let’s get it.

Published
by
modi
on July 24, 2008
in nerd with swag and wish list
. 3 Comments

goodbye, t-mobile. wzup, AT&T. that’s what this bberry bold will be coming out on, and that’s what i need in my life. ASAPital. august 15th is the day of resolution.

squeezed fresh (all hetero) from the guys over @ real mango juice.

raheem devaughn - text messages [video]

Published
by
modi
on July 24, 2008
in audio/video and welcome to DC
. 1 Comment

more DMV for you.

download: raheem devauhgn - text messages

5 questions with DC’s own tabi bonney.

Published
by
modi
on July 24, 2008
in audio/video, music and welcome to DC
. 3 Comments

i got a chance to chop it up with DC’s tabi bonney about a few things that aren’t typically asked in Q&A sessions. although the west african-born rapper/director/fashion guru is fairly new to the spotlight, don’t get it twisted; he’s been putting people in the pocket for a minute. with videos (one of which was nominated for a VMA) all over MTV and VH1, a high end fashion line taking over boutiques across the globe, and the swag and charisma unmatched by anybody you or i know, tabi’s enjoying life these days. enjoy.

what means more? fortune or fame? or is there something else that tops it all?

i can honestly care less about the fame. i’m really a behind the scenes type of guy and don’t like alot of attention, so i would obviously pick fortune. but the thing that tops it all for me is happiness and freedom. freedom from working for somebody.

preach! what kinda cell phone are you working with these days?

the new iPhone. had it the day it came out.

shoulda gone with the blackberry, man. speaking of which, is there anything crucial on your wish list? gear wise, ambition wise, etc.?

i wouldn’t call it a wish list, more like a goal. my next goal is to hit the 1 million dollar mark.

damn. i hear that. i’m tryna get there myself. seems like you’re already on the way. what’s it like working in both fashion and music, anyway? is there preference?

my first love is music, then film, then fashion. it’s great though. it’s like visually creating your own world and environment and having your own soundtrack to go with it. imagine being on malibu beach with a girl wearing your shirt - bonney runway, that is - and hearing your music in the background!

haha, you got it all planned out, huh. dream job? i’m doing it and living it. and i don’t even consider it a job!

and there you have it. tabi is currently working on his follow up effort to his debut LP, a fly guy’s theme. buy it here. he’s the dude in the DC to BC banner holding up the “run DMV” shirt. go figure. jam a little, why don’t you.

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download: lloyd - all around the world (remix) feat. tabi bonney

eli porter vs. envy - freestyle battle [re-up] .

Published
by
modi
on July 23, 2008
in audio/video, oh boy. and that's some bamma $#!t
. 9 Comments

quality youtube videos are lacking in the ‘08. so i had to bring this back to life. plus, ricardo said he needed it in his life…with commentary. so here you guys go.

4 and a half minutes broken down:

0:10: “ey dea. it’s me again. ya boy marv-o.” his swagger is incredible. he ever so slightly rocks from side to side.
0:26: the introduction of the peanut gallery. my favorite is “steven jackson, action jackson.” but do you all see marv-o’s arms up on his homie in the middle!? he’s just maxing and relaxing. but it is still ridiculous. so
0:33: “y’all already know the rules, so we ain’t gon’ waste no time on that.” that’s what marv-o just said, right? then he proceeds to tell us the rules. he can’t make up his mind!
0:59: eli is hyped. but he’s not even about to rap. but he still pumps both of his arms like he’s about to bless the beat. good grief.

do i even need to say how classic envy’s flow is?

1:10 and 1:14: this is where it gets intense. envy calls eli a cripple. TWICE! and eli’s cool with it!
1:37: envy’s haircut is similar to boosie. but just like 30 times worse. find him a barber, immediately.
2:03: marv-o’s boo (yea, the dude he felt up 26 seconds deep in the video) gives a ridiculous pose. like, a “check me out, check my swag, i’m the man” type joint. but it’s so weak, and the camera doesn’t cut away. so he just looks extra lame.
2:10: envy is confused as to how eli curses twice and is still able to rap. marv-o tells us that any cursing will get you disqualified instantly.
2:17: eli has realized his dilemma and promptly stops flowing. i don’t think i’ve seen anyone this nervous. the music even stops at 2:26, and eli has to think of something, quick. oh boy.
2:48: eli gets right back at it, with a series of “yeaa” noises like a gucci mane or a jeezy impression. i won’t even tell you how good each of his lines are, just listen to it.
3:36: eli curses again, and is so hyped. they end the competition right there, and put a heart-shape over eli. why? i don’t even know. good grief.

oh boy.

inverse! west coast rap is baaaaack.

Published
by
modi
on July 22, 2008
in audio/video
. 0 Comments

my man tunji (1/2 of the rap duo inverse) shot me over an ill video, complete with show footage and a cool ass interview. more people just keepin’ it 100. that’s what i’m talking about. check it out.

you probably came across the site on my blogroll, because he’s a blogger too. good looks, sir. what up, toby, i see you out there too.

you shoulda kept things one hunnit, ricky ross.

Published
by
modi
on July 22, 2008
in audio/video, beef, that's some bamma $#!t, tomfoolery and wait. what!?
. 27 Comments

bun b, tell ‘em what the drill is, mayne. hol’ up…

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rawrse the boss should have kept things 100.

yeah, that’s right. the mia-o’s most charismatic fat man besides dj khaled has been rocked. his career is essentially all but over.

what happened? well, fellow miami resident and OG rapper trick daddy called rick ross out, alleging that he worked in law enforcement as a correctional officer aka prison guard. AKA he is a fraud, a fake, a hoax. because no drug slinging rapper should have ever dabbled their hands in law enforcement! don’t ask me how trick daddy came up with the facts, but here was rawrse’s response:

wow. looking a bit nervous there, ricky. i gave him the benefit of the doubt, until i came across this…

ricky ross the boss. at work.

damn. william roberts? if this is for real, i smell the end of the boss’ reign. shoulda just come clean early and did some damage control. when the smoking gun is talking about matching up your social security ID with the man in that picture, you’re pretty much screwed. i’m just saying though. he shoulda kept it one hunnit.

take a page out of a legend’s book, and grab that track you hear on the top of the page.

download: bun b - keep it 100

naija boyz - lollipop [remix].

Published
by
modi
on July 21, 2008
in audio/video
. 8 Comments

everybody is putting up the lackluster “put on” video up. and i did too. until i realized the video was slum. they don’t even the crucial part where kanye breaks that joint down on that voice box. without that, i’m blown. live version is more…well, live.

so let’s get to my homies o’ and teju. aka the naija boyz. sure, they are late as $#!t remixing this joint, but they absolutely kill it. nigerians, rejoice. if i’m late, i don’t give two damns. jam it. props to tahir.

“fried plantain is betta! betta! betta! ay! ay!”

you need to know about j. cole.

Published
by
modi
on July 21, 2008
in audio/video, introducing... and music
. 6 Comments

i could easily spin this entry into a huge story about a wild and crazy night out in the bronx. but i won’t. i’ll just tell you this. in a semi-drunken stupor, i began running off at the mouth to a stranger about this north carolina rapper that my man and mentor aristotle put me on to while we were both over interning @ def jam. i don’t remember exactly what i was saying, but i probably said something like this:

“…yea man, his name is j. cole, and he flow is kinda insane. i think aris came across a diamond in the rough.”

and the man looked at me, emotionless, and said, “i’m j. cole.”

oh boy. he probably thought that i knew what he looked like, and i purposely said all this stuff around him to cise him a bit. but in actuality, i was just talking about the last thing i heard on my ipod. and by coincidence, i was talking to j. cole about himself. i felt foolish.

fast forward a few months, and mr. cole has developed into a gem. you know why i like this guy? because he doesn’t stop flowing. like on this “royal flush” freestyle. i just threw this on repeat 6 straight times, and honestly, i think he shoulda replaced raekwon on the original version.

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you know i’m right.

download: royal flush (the warm up flow)

and he just jumped on that new jazmine sullivan joint! she’s about to be what lauryn hill should have been after her first album. if this is the official remix, consider him made. if it’s not, it should be.

download: jazmine sullivan - i need you (remix) (feat. j. cole)

the video for the original version below.

oh, and if anybody knows jazmine, tell her modi would love to take her out to PF changs or somewhere that she likes to eat. immediately.

soulja boy remaking hip hop classics?!

Published
by
modi
on July 19, 2008
in audio/video
. 2 Comments

soulja x sir mix a lot

hiphopdx prepared me, but sickamore cised me.

apparently, the young hip hop murderer linked up with DJ greg street to remake sir mix-a-lot’s classic, “my posse’s on broadway.” stan the man put me on this joint like 2 months ago in a facebook message, saying it was the anthem for us DC people come up to NYC on the weekends.

now i know where juvenile got that nice flow for that “what’s happenin” track. i apologize in advance for not knowing; i’m a 90’s baby, and i just wasn’t jamming mix-a-lot, ever.

fast forward to today! the remake is kinda nice…featuring cutty as well. soulja boy keeps on tellin ‘em. enjoy. good looks to sick for putting me on (no brokeback, RIP heath).

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download: cutty & soulja boy - poppin’ on myspace

the discussion of the use of the “n word” on the view.

Published
by
modi
on July 18, 2008
in audio/video, obama, politricks as usual and tomfoolery
. 11 Comments

jesse jackson is killing me, man. i remember writing a paper on him in 5th grade praising the rainbow coalition, and co-signing everything his movement was all about. well, this man apparently was throwing about the awful “n word” around during his whispered tirade against barack obama that somehow was filmed and leaked to the masses via the sly fox. everybody is frying him because he was the same black guy who spoke out against it being used publicly by rappers, as well as by black america. now he looks more foolish than ever.

the view…hmm. i think this idea of throwing 5 women together in a room and having them shoot the breeze on camera for an hour or so is ridiculous; however, this episode was had an extra solid segment. whoopi goldberg puts issues regarding the use of the “n word” in perspective for everybody, and makes her co-host spring an eye leak in the process.

how do people feel about the word!? who can use it, should it be used, etc. speak to me. we need the world to be in on this convo. i’m not posting on top of this entry until the weekend’s up, so people better speak up.

kanye on blogs.

Published
by
modi
on July 18, 2008
in oh boy.
. 1 Comment

i swagger jacked this entirely from road to zion, and i’m reposting it for those anybody who gets upset at people voicing their opinion. in the words of kanye ta-da:

“even if they’re dissing me or i’m the butt of jokes, i respect people for giving their real opinion.”

so when you hear me say something reckless on this page, it’s no diss. i’m just voicing my opinion. not shitting on anybody. just trying to give people something other than what TV and radio forces you to be on. that’s why bloggers are the new dj. that’s what i heard, anyway.

more be kanye now.

Published
by
modi
on July 17, 2008
in N*E*R*D, audio/video and wait. what!?
. 8 Comments

incredible commercial. swaggerjacked mercilessly from the homies over @ kick the habit.

hear how they bump that n*e*r*d in the background? let’s get it.

download: n*e*r*d - truth or dare (feat. kelis & pusha t)

there you go.

ra the mc is godlike.

Published
by
modi
on July 17, 2008
in audio/video and welcome to DC
. 8 Comments

i knew god was a woman.

i know, i know. i’m late. but i’m going to say this: ra the mc is the best female rapper in the hip hop game. i’m riding with that statement until the wheels fall off. come challenge me. find me a better female lyricist. i’m about to get a few believers right now. watch the clip.

oh, and she’s from the DMV. we are kicking ass and taking names. she’s also 1/2 of the duo hyll factor (which, ironically enough, features my homie, the vocalist mz. mimz). scoop the loosies, young. it’s worth it, trust me. you saw the video. i had to bring it back three straight times.

judah told me that this is what happens when you get beat A.D.D. download: ra the MC - what else

and a track i snatched from herfection a few weeks back. download: kid cudi - mastered (remix) (feat. ra the MC)