Whats Beef ???

By Gary Lee
In 1997 Biggie Smalls dropped his second classic album "Life After Death" an album where the notorious one dissed many rappers like Nas, Reakwon and most popular 2Pac. Yet there was a track on       disc 1 of  the 2 part album that really caught my ear and not only mine but hip hop's, and that was track 8 "Whats Beef". This leads me to question what is beef and is it the same as it was in the 90's? We have had numerous beefs in hip hop in recent years. Let's talk about the ones going on currently...

PUSHA T VS LIL WAYNE

Pusha released a song featuring The Dream called Exodus 23:1. It is the 2012 version of What's Beef . Pusha rapped the lines

Throwing that flag up running around you hot sh*t
taking half of everything you get

and also

Contract all f*cked up
I guess that means you all f*cked up
You signed to one nigga thats signed to another nigga
that's signed to three niggas, now thats bad luck

It seems Pusha was taking shots at Lil Wayne and Drake saying, Wayne runs around throwing up his "Red" flag and Drake's contract is all messed up. He is not getting all of his money because he is signed to Wayne, who is signed to Birdman, who is signed to the Higher Up a.k.a. Universal Records.

Pusha T did not state names at all. While Lil Wayne took to Twitter and said:

And a day after that he released a song called Goulish which the opening words of the track were "F*ck Pusha T and anybody that love em"
The hip-hop world said the diss track was horrible and the next day Wayne said he has no time for beef.
I think he's scared. We have yet to hear a reply from Pusha-T but I can say this is going to be a good battle.

Next on our lists of beefs...

DRAKE VS CHRIS BROWN

It seemed like once upon a time these two men were friends, With Chris Brown jumping on songs with many of Young Money's artists and having Drake on the very popular Deuces Remix.








I may be wrong about this statment but like most beefs between artists, rappers, or men in general, they all start over a female and that female is Chris Brown's Ex. Rihanna. I'm not going to go into detail of the Chris and Rhianna drama because we all know what happened, but there has been signs of Drake cashing in on Chris's absence because he has been seen with her in Night clubs, Restaurants, and even the charts with Drakes single "Take Care" which featured Rihanna It seemed like things all boiled over in a Manhattan night club where Drake, MMG's Meek Mill, Wale and Chris Brown were at for the night. Sources said Chris sent Drake a bottle with a note and Drake sent it back with a reply, things blew up and Chris was hit in the face with a bottle.













Chris then put out an "I Dont Like"  by Cheif Keef Freestyle which went right out to Drake talking about the altercation and even his eye brows. Drake has yet to respond, it seems Young Money has a lot of enemies and Pusha-T and Chris Brown are down for the beef.

A photo taken of the Virginia natives in the studio together.

That's just a few of the beefs going on in hip hop during 2012 and I can say there's more to come. It may not be like how it was in the 90's but rappers theses days know What Beef Is.

#Flight

Let's Step Inside The Power Circle

By Charleco Scipio

He once said "Welcome to my power circle." and this week we got the pleasure of meeting the full circumfrence. SelfMade 2 dropped this week after much anticipation and promotion from Ricky Rozay himself. The opening track to the album is "Power Circle". Although he only does the opening and a few closing remarks at the end of the song, that is all that is needed from Ross. He could hop on any song and just do the intro and it would be dope regardless. As for his opening on this song he basically gives a shout out to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, also former basketball players Spud Webb and Dee Brown.

Gunplay is next up. He comes on the track pretty strong and bold which I liked. His lyricism isn't all that but on this track he was cool. He's like the solider you send on the battlefield first. He definitely gets peoples attention.

"We gon have it locked."

Stalley is runner up. His verse wasn't bad, not at all. I just feel it lacked aggression. I suppose it paved the way for Wale's verse which was also a little slower than Gunplay's. Yet I am still not used to Stalley's style, not yet at least. So perhaps thats why I feel his verse just didn't fit.

"They wanna be a part of the power circle."

Wale, like always, is going to say something intelligent. He holds the bridge and a verse. His verse was nice. As usual he throws some phrases and words over peoples heads. You can always expect to actually think about Wale's lyrics.

"We don't deal with weak squares in this power circle."


As for Meek, I feel he could have done better. I've heard him freestyle better than what he did on this track. He could have went way harder. Its not even that his verse was weak, he just didn't do his best.

"We the only thing to talk about."

Finally Kendrick. He killed it. His verse had to be the best. He sealed up the end. I'm still thinking about his lyrics. He is the cherry on top.

"Life in the power circle."

And so we come back full circle. Rozay does his closing: "..Tried to warn you.."
The album overall is good. I like that MMG as a group are really going hard. Rick Ross, Wale and Meek Mill are dropping albums in the very near future. Ross in less than 30 days. God Forgives, I Don't. MMG is really becoming an empire.
"Bow Down.."

Don't Hold your Applause. Seriously, Don't.

by Charleco Scipio

Wale, Pill, Ross, Mill. (From left to right)

    Wale Folarin is breathing proof of the great success Maybach Music Group has achieved, and they are just warming up. With the November 2011 release of his album Ambition, Wale is on top of the charts. With music partners like Rick Ross and Meek Mill Maybach Music Group is making it's spot high up.
    Featuring Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Kid Cudi, Lloyd. Ne-Yo, Miguel and Big Sean Ambition is the album you don't hit "skip" on. The album really promotes the feeling of Ambition. From the dance floor to the thinking bench Wale takes you through it all. A perfect Picture Painter.

"I'm on a great run."- Wale Folarin

   Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of Wale. Only a few of his mixtapes could be found in my Itunes library. Yet Ambition is an ear catcher. It's not even so much in the actual music but in the lyrics.It's been many times Ill listen to a track from Ambition and have the same line playing in my head. "F*ck how they feel I keeps it realer than a documentary." And he does. "Went away for a little, let my wisdom increase." He went off the scene for a while, and he's back. Better than before. Now that he is part of MMG there is really nothing stopping these great rappers.

M-M-M-M-M-Maybach Music