Track of the day! - Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre - What's the difference (feat. Xzibit and Eminem)

Live performance from one of the best tours ever made, Up In Smoke Tour. If you have the chance to get hold of the complete video for this, do not miss the opportunity.

Denial, denial, denial!

...and it took about four days before he changed his mind.

KiD CuDi will not be retiring from the music scene. On a gig at a club on Thursday night, CuDi announced that he will keep the mic in his hand, rather than locking it up in the attic. He admits that he wasn't feeling it when he posted the announcement on his blog, but then realized that he needs his fans as much as they need him.

There you go. Never believe a quitting rapper. A Hiphop artist only retires when he Rests In Peace.

Have a look at a clip from the show where he withdraws his retirement, and please enjoy the performance afterwards:

Track of the day! - Three 6 Mafia

Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly (feat. 8Ball & MJG and Young Buck)

"I had a bad experience...!"

The versatile Mos Def has announced he is back in the studio, working on his next album 'The Ecstatic'. Some people may recognize him more as an actor, starring in movies like The Italian Job, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and, my personal favourite, Be Kind Rewind.The album is set to come out late spring/summer this year.

It's nice to have him back in the game. Let's just hope he hasn't lost any of his rap skills while exchanging the stage for the big screens.

Mos Def - Summertime

Track of the day! - Nelly

Right now I feel like a champion!

Nelly - Heart of a champion

Playlist!

Anthony Hamilton - Cool (feat. David Banner)
Youngbloodz - Presidential
D-12 - Revelation
Nelly - Batter up (feat. St. Lunatics)
The Game - My Life (feat. Lil' Wayne)
Shawn Wigs - Gotta hold on (feat. Eamon)
Houston - I like that (feat. Chingy and Nate Dogg)
Onyx - Slam Harder
Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Hurricane Chris - Bang
G-Unit - Poppin' them thangs
M.O.P - Ante up
LL Cool J - Phenomenon

L for Loser!

New day, new video, new artist.

Star in the making Charles Hamilton has released his second single, and here is the visual proof:



'Loser' is Hamilton's follow up to the hit 'Brookyn Girls'. His style can best be compared to other more laid back lyricists like Lupe Fiasco and KiD CuDi, but Hamilton is a bit more cocky.

It's a style that is spreading quick and taking up the battle with "gangsta rap". And for some reason it seems like it is the rappers from northern America that takes on this approach. E.g. Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco from Chicago, and KiD CuDi who is from the same home town as Hamilton, Cleveland, Ohio.

But I like it. So as far as I'm concerned, they can come from Alaska, Greenland or the North Pole, as long as they deliver.

Track of the day! - Roots Manuva

Roots Manuva - Witness the fitness

Review: CNN - Channel 10

It's been 12 years since CNN made their last appearence on the air, and it shows. The duo are having troubles finding their own sound. Every track of the album is different from the other. The sound differs according to the producers behind the beat, while Capone and NORE puts their rhymes on it, almost like three seas and two continents have separated them for the last couple of years rather than a prison wall.

NORE instantly takes charge of the album, while Capone just tries to keep up. But the distance is too far between them for him to catch up. We get predictable tracks and impersonal beats. Although there are a few exeptions.

The DJ Premier produced 'Grand Royal' is pure, classic New York hip hop, that will take anyone back to the 90's. Other tracks that stands out has got a clever hook, different chorus or personal lyrics. But to be fair, the album is not packed with them. With the material used we are allowed to expect straight up quality from each and every song, and espeacially 'My Hood' with Clipse, Maino, Uncle Murda and Tha Dogg Pound should be able to knock you of your seat, but I sit quite comfortably at the moment.

Best track: Channel 10

Grade: 3/5

Track of the day! - Huey

Huey - Pop, Lock and Drop it

True Story!

It's 2006. It's spring. It's just another day in paradise(?).

I'm at work as usual. Sports shop. Selling shoes. Joggers, trainers, sneakers, take your pick. Me and my co-worker David are alone in the shop so what is otherwise known as "forbidden shop music" is streaming through the speakers, placed high up under the ceiling. It's one of those fresh spring days in the end of march. On of those days you can keep the door open and it feels like summer. On of those days when the tarmac in the shade is a bit damp, but the tarmac in the sun is as dry as my dads sense of humour.

A car with the roof dropped down, probably for the first time this year, stops at the red light. We can hear what music they're playing, D4L - Laffy Taffy, and they can hear the music we're playing, The Game - Hate it or love it (feat 50 cent). The volume in the store is probably to high but who is going to find out?

The day goes by in a slow pace. The customers who make the days go by are not customers today. They are out in the sun. But the slow pace is nice today anyway. No rush, no worries.

As I wrap up one of few sales, new customers step in through the door. The anoying "pling" doesn't go off because we turned it off. However, these customers makes themselves heard anyway. They're big, they're American. They all wear baggy jeans, New Era caps, some pieces of jewelery and similar jackets with the print Wu Tang on the back.

"Whaddup man!", the man in front say to me.
I can't really squease out a reply at first. Because it just occured to me that Wu Tang Clan just stepped in to our little store on Södermalm in Stockholm. I don't even have to make sure because I know it's them, they're performing tonight, but I ask anyway:
"Are you really Wu Tang Clan?"
"Fo sho", he reply, smiling and showing of his "grill".

The 'Killa Bees' start looking around the shop. David looks at me with a surprised, astouned and happy face. The music is not loud anymore. We can't even hear it. But we can hear our famous customers asking for Timberlands. I step down to the dark basement and bring them what they want.

As they walk out 25 minutes later, the music goes back on. A few new customers come in, and a few new customers leave. But I don't move. Neither do David. But yet we walk around in the footsteps of Wu Tang Clan. Then we realise; David's Wu Tang shirt is on the counter, completely forgotten, completely unsigned.

Track of the day! - Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco - Paris, Tokyo

Unexpected!

Quick turns in life, and just as quick in the music business.

He barely just got started in the business, but KiD CuDi seems to be changing his mind as often as you would change your shorts. XXL reports that after the success with 'Day n' nite', which peaked at number 27 on Billboard's Hot 100 list, CuDi has simply decided he doesn't want to be a Hiphop artist any more. His debut album 'Man on the moon: The Guardians' will his first and last contribution to the charts.

Apparantely, people in his surroundings are saying that he has changed after getting the spotlight pointed at him. And this doesn't fly high with CuDi, who decided to quit and focus on his acting career.

First of all: If it's true, it's a shame for a young talent to throw the mic in the trash after just one album.
Second: Is it true? We have heard this sort of announcements before. And they have most often been false.

Been there done that. 50 Cent said that if his album 'Curtis' sold less than Kanye West's album 'Graduation', he would step back and enjoy the retired life with a walker, reading glasses and lots and lots of money. But despite losing the battle, his next album is set to come out later this year. This is just one example. The list is so long I can't be bothered mentioning any more of them.

Why would this be false then? It's simple. PR. KiD CuDi's debut album is highly anticipated, and if it will be the last album he ever makes, and by that the only album, sales will go through the roof. Then, a year or so later, he finds the mic deep down in the bin and everyone will want to hear the mighty comeback of the One Album Man.

Track of the day! - Plies

Plies - Put i on ya (feat. Chris J)

Brief Update!

Slow weekend, that's pretty much all I have got to say. I'm waiting for some new music to be released, and when waiting for it I, in a way, feel like a tortoise who really, really need to use the toilet. Desperate to get there but it takes forever.

So what do we have to work with? Well, rumours say that Barack Obama bans Hiphop music from his daughters' iPods. I'm not surprised, some music is better of kept away from the ears of young children, especially ears that are in the same family as the president's ears. A lot of rap artists have backed Obama in his campaign, but there should be no hard feelings despite that.

Other than that we have a few new tunes on the streets but nothing even worth mentioning. By the way, Busta Rhymes album in apparenty postponed until May now, so we're going to have to wait some more for that. One good thing though, CNN's album 'Channel 10' will very soon be in my possesion.

Track of the day! - Clipse

Clipse - When the last time (feat. Pharrell)

Track of the day! - Petter

I'm going to finish of this Swedish day with the song that got me to buy one of my first Hiphop album. The artist is Petter and the song is namned 'Saker och ting' which came out in 1999.

These days Hiphop is often a very shallow business, but it wasn't like that back then. At least not in Sweden. Lyrics meant more than it does today. To listen to some old stuff ones in a while is good for you, to mix it up a bit.

So here is the sounds of Stockholm in 1999:

Petter - Saker och ting

Blue and yellow!

I feel very Swedish today so I'm just going to help myself to announcing this day the Swedish day in this blog!

Electro inspired Hiphop is very big in Sweden at the moment. I've already mentioned Adam Tensta and Lazee, and now it's time for more. I'm talking about Maskinen (or The Machine, in English).

It's basically a group of rappers from other groups forming a new group. We have a lot of groups in meatball-land. Maskinen has become masters in creating Hiphop tracks out of electro music, which makes them very popular in the clubs with their controversial lyrics. For instance, their first track called 'Alla som inte dansar är våldtäktsmän' (Everyone who doesn't dance is a rapist), caused a lot of stired up feelings in the nation.

So it's a bit hard to accuse them of being completely serious, but nonetheless, they make well good music for the party, club or just your own speakers.

Maskinen - Segertåget

Nordic noice!

One of the most popular hip hop groups in Sweden the latest year has been Afasi & Filthy. It's a duo that combines clever lyrics with heavy beats that is really different to other acts. I definitely like it, and I think more people should get into them as well.

The rap is in Swedish, so even if you English people are afraid of everything that is not fried, drenched in salt and vinegar or chocolate, you can listen and hear what it sounds like in my part of the world, despite not understanding the language.

Afasi & Filthy - Glider

Just a reminder!

Who knew a stolen flower pot, some wood and some oven bars would make a perfect grill?

While the people back home is struggling with -3 degrees celius and snow storms, we were having a barbecue in the garden last night. Believe it or not, that actually makes me feel quite alright. Call me a gloat, I'll just sit back and happily take it.

In between eating half burnt miniature burgers and blowing up cans of deodorant, we were listening to some DJ from the housemate's hometown. Can't remember the name, but he was amazing. You got mixes of old school Hiphop, funk, soul, featured rap artists and I don't know where to stop. I'm going to try to find it so I can throw it up here so we all can ejnoy it.

During the endless track, at exactly 13 minutes and 54 seconds into it, "the best thing in music ever", were supposed to come. At least according to my housemate. And it was good, but it wasn't that good.

But it reminded me of something. Something that has been a bit forgotten, somewhere deep, deep down in my iTunes library. It came out in 2001, and I recall sitting for hours in front of the computer, listenning to it and playing solitare over and over again. They're both equally addictive.

That something is:

Wu Tang Clan - Gravel Pit


More from Wu Tang Clan will come. I have a personal encounter with them to report about.