ODB aka Ol' Dirty Bastard

Well it has been 5 years since the passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard, real name Russell Jones. Another tragic loss in hip hop. A student of the game, ODB was a clear standout from the legendary hip hop group, Wu-Tang Clan. What ODB brought to Wu-Tang can never be replaced. By just the sound of his "ooooohhhhhh" that electrified crowds, and the very animated, but genius style that gave Wu-Tang an edge over all the rest, made ODB one of most entertaining artists in the game. He put out some of Wu's hottest joints, such as "Shame on N*%$a", "Brooklyn Zoo", "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", and many more banging joints into the streets, clubs, and airwaves. I would say arguably one of the most unique rappers, with his unusual style of rhyming and stage presence, ODB, was and still is one of the most loved members of the Wu-Tang Clan. I was recently at a bar having drinks with some friends, and at this bar they have a dj who uses videos along with the songs he plays, sort of like a vjay. When the dj got to his hip hop set, he played a collage of hip hop videos, that were much from the radio, yawwwwnnnnn, but then "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" came on, and the entire bar erupted and came fully alive. I mean as soon as that first piano intro comes in, girls started dancing, guys started partying, and I sat there thinking, ODB will never be forgotten. Sometimes we measure hip hop artists popularity on hit records, the amount of money they have, amount of songs that get spinned on the radio, and ODB may not have all of these measurements to his resume, but he had gift that very few can ever achieve. That gift is to reach out to so many different people with just being yourself. In my book ODB was a success, and if you don't have any ODB music, please stop listening to hip hop. To you ODB, "Yes baby I like it raaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww"!

Who's the best MC?

Many of us true hip hop fans find ourselves in the mist of heated discussions, pertaining to "Who's the best MC?". Now we all know it's our personal opinion, on who we think has the best delivery, skills, metaphors, beats, rhymes, or whatever you critique mc's on. I just think that credit should be due to the mc that is consistent in delivering the hip hop culture, the package. What package? The package of consistent good rhymes, hot beats, and charisma that we all love to see our best mc's have. Hip hop can not be judged on record sales, or popularity, we know this. Much of the time, our favorite mc is not even a worldwide phenom, or a Billboard Chart topper. I just don't think that the best can be based off a few good singles, or one classic album. There has to be some depth to back up your reasoning of who the best is. Personally, I love to discuss hip hop all day, it's my personal interest that I enjoy to do. I give all mc's a chance to entertain my intellect, and give me that excitement of analyzing the lyrical content. That excitement and interest comes, when that head nods, and that face expression comes on, you know, the face, like you smell something funky. Well you do, it's that banger, that joint, that oh my god ish! Many mc's can't deliver that now a days. The best mc has to be measured over the body of work they have created over time. Hey, your opinion is your opinion, but at least be knowledgeable about who you think is the best. It all is frivolous of course in the end, but across the world, whether it's blogs, on the street corners, barbershops, basketball courts, or any place where this is the topic of discussion, you can bet to have some interesting opinions from all walks of life. That is the power of hip hop. All day and all night!!

Mr. Magic's Rap Attack

Where do I begin on the tragic and stunning loss of John Rivas, aka Mr. Magic. As this news hit the airwaves, internet, and streets of the hip hop world, we can only be saddened and reflect on his enormous contribution to the game. Just hearing his name takes me back to the days, as I sit on my bed, waiting and anticipating the world premier, with the tape on record/pause. Now old school heads know about those nights, hitting that pause button, and the excitement of having the world premier to play over and over again. It wasn't just the world premier's though, it was the whole culture, my culture, being broadcast to the world. Putting a stamp that hip hop was something that needed to be heard and payed attention to. Mr. Magic along with his counterpart DJ Marley Marl gave me many Friday and Saturday nights, that filled 90 minutes of TDK, SONY, and MAXWELL tapes. Let me not forget waking up the ext day with all the hot joints to play and brag to my friends about, which made Mr. Magic a hero to me. I used to look forward to those nights for Mr. Magic to come on, similar to how I wait for my favorite TV shows now weekly. I guess this is what hip hop is missing today, that purity, mystigue, and grime that Mr. Magic brought us. Well to those who are not true students of the game, and only follow the radio station rap that plays the same music a zillion times a day, you missed an episode that can never be reran. It hurts, because many so called dj's now a days try to emulate what Mr. Magic did, but they don't stick to the script. Mr. Magic rest in peace and you will always be relevant!

Jay-Z "Thank You"

Just to say in a few words that others haven't already said, Jay-Z is the living legend that we have in front of us. The ongoing criticism of his work by other hip hop artists only tells us that he is relevant, and will be for some time. I've listened to his new album, which is a classic, I mean how many albums have so many hot joints, that you can keep in rotation as you ride and relate to his lyrical essence. "Thank You", which is now my favorite track on the album, says it all, from the fans to the haters. "This is just how my suit is stitchedI'm cut from a different cloth, I'm just who the shoe fitsFor the Color Of Money like a Tom Cruise flick'Cept I put 8-balls in corners without using pool sticks". To put it short a lyrical genius that should be more recognized than any other hip hop artist out there, not to say some of my other favorites don't have the lyrical talent or skills, but give respect when it's due.