In recent months friends and various blog sites have put me on to a few new rappers or groups that have me excited about hip hop again. I was never really in the ‘hip hop is dead’ camp, but I was a lil’ frustrated at the lack of good hip hop out there for a minute. So yeah I thought I’d show some appreciation for the people on my iPod keeping me sane on my daily bus rides from Avondale to Onehunga. Whether you’ve heard of them already or not, share your thoughts.

Wale

From Washington DC and recently signed to Interscope. This guy’s got skills and through his affiliation with Mark Ronson could be destined for big things. Check this track with Bun B and Pusha T called Back in the Go Go.

Kidz in the Hall

From what I’ve read these guys are from Chicago, but are now based in Cali. They were originally signed to Rawkus, releasing an album in ’06, but are now with Duckdown. Naledge is the MC, Double-O the producer and this song is Clothes, Hoes & Liquor.

U-N-I

If you’re a Shot Then frequenter you would’ve seen me up a vid of their’s a month or two back for their song Beautiful Day. After downloading their street album Fried Chicken & Watermelon I’m convinced these guys are the real deal, they make that laidback jazzy shit a’la Pharycde. This song below, Do Wit Me is the joint… I miss summer already.

Blu & Exile

My boy Jay put me onto these guys a few months back and their debut album Below the Heavens is pretty smooth. These guys are from Cali too, nice to see the West still doing the damage. Check out this track from their debut called The Narrow Path.

Jay Electronica

You’d never guess this guy was from the Magnolia Projects in New Orleans, but the guy being touted as the next big thing after a co-sign from Nas is indeed a southern rapper. He’s on Erykah Badu’s label and while I think he’s far from the finished article, he’s definitely one to keep an ear out for. Peep Somethin to Hold on to.

Pacific Division

This LA trio are more proof that Cali iz active. Far from the gangsta image most people associate with the West, these guys are in a similar vein to U-N-I and Blu & Exile. The song below is called Paper and is beautiful to my eardrums.

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I just wanna give props to the NZ Sevens team for winning their 7th tournament in a row last night at the Hong Kong 7s. After we had a rough patch two seasons ago Gordon Tietjens has got the team back to its best. I dunno how he does it, but he must have the meanest eye for talent, especially when you consider the kind of players he’s helped mould in the past – Cullen, Lomu, Ai’i, So’oialo, Rokocoko, Messam, Masoe, Tuitavake. Now we’ve got guys like DJ Forbes, Alfred Pelenise (although not in Hong Kong) and Victor Vito on the come up. Shot boys on the win.

Now if the Warriors win tonight, my week at work will be a lot less of a pain in my life. *prays Vatuvei scores more tries than he lets in* Oh and how’s Israel Folau leaving the Melbourne Storm to play for the Broncos next season, holy heck.

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I was watching the new Ill Semantics video (posted below) the other day and something about it seemed real familiar. After talking with a friend of mine we realised it was just like a kids show, but neither of us could fully remember specific details about it. After some Youtubing though we had great success and the memories of him and other Sesame Street characters/regular features flooded back. Man I’m on my TV nostalgia buzz today.

Ill Semantics feat. Adeaze – Take It Slow:

The inspiration:

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Did you guys know Wheel of Fortune is coming back on TV? Haha I don’t really care, but it gives me an excuse to up video footage of the shamest moment on NZ television. I can barely bring myself to watch it to be honest.

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Boot Camp Clik in its heyday was the shit as a collective and as individual groups. Black Moon‘s Enta Da Stage, Heltah Skeltah‘s Nocturnal and Smif n Wessun‘s Dah Shinin are all classics in many people’s eyes and every time I see some new shit from any BCC peoples I get a little geeked. This song right chea called Go All Out is off the forthcoming Buckshot/9th Wonder album The Formula, which is the follow up to  Chemistry (which I thought was pretty lame – and can someone tell me what the Beatminerz are up to now??). The vid here is budget, as always, but I’m feeling the song. Something about Buckshot’s swag makes him cool to me, he raps so nonchalantly, almost in a ‘yeah I’m the shit, and what’ way. He could rap the alphabet and I’d think it was mean. Charlie Murphy also features in the vid, pretty crack up.

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The NRL season kicks off this week *pumps fist* I can’t wait for this shit. Being the league Stan that I am I’ve been talking with friends about who will make the top 8 and decided to get my armchair expert on and chuck up my picks here at the blog. If you’re a league head, let me know your thoughts on the ’08 season.

(more…)

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I heard this song with Peedi Crak, Dice Raw and Jazzy Jeff for the first time the other day and now there’s a vid for it. It’s a mean song if you haven’t heard it, Peedi kills it and when has Black Thought ever been stink. It’s the sorta song you need play loud to do it justice. Check out the vid below.

Oh and on a side note… I dunno about yous, but to me Philly probably has the highest ratio of mean rappers for a single city. Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Black Thought, Ab Liva, Sandman, Eve, Young Chris, Will Smith, Cassidy, Reef the Lost Cauze, The Last Emperor, all mean. Agree or disagree that Philly is top of the pile?

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I was reading online that the new vid for Gnarls Barkley‘s Run has been banned from MTV, because the risk of it causing viewers to have epileptic fits is too high. I shouldn’t laugh but the first thing I thought of was that Simpsons episode when they’re in Japan. Anyway the original (unedited) version of Run has leaked online so have a geez. If you’re susceptible to having fits when you see flashing lights n shit, don’t watch it because we don’t need a lawsuit on our hands heh.

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I’m two days late on upping this, but for the benefit of those of you  who haven’t seen it, here’s Andrew Symonds‘ hit on a streaker during the first ODI final between Oz and India. Stuff even has an article on it getting Sonny Bill‘s opinion on the hit haha.

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I’m prepared to cop some flak for this, but I like Jim Jones‘ music of recent times. I thought 06′s Hustler’s P.O.M.E was mean, with songs like Bright Lights, Big City, the Intro, Reppin’ Time and Weatherman getting lotsa iPod spins round these ways.

And now just over a year later I’m continuously playing the remix of his latest single Love Me No More featuring The Game. Something about the beat is mean to me and I like the singing too (courtesy of Cobe). Anyway, there’s a video out for it now (the o.g, not the remix) and yeah I’m fillin’ it. The second track, Byrdgang Money, is also cool, but I dunno what they were up to getting that NOE guy to sing on it. Is he the new Max B? Sounds like it.

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