Life Is Good

By Gary Lee
I can remember being a young kid in 2006, begging my mom to actually let me a buy a hip-hop album. The moment she did let me, I rushed to Wal-Mart and bought Nas's "Hip-hop is Dead" and listened to songs like "Money Over Bullshit", "Still Dreaming" ft Kanye West and Chrisette Michele and even "Black Republicans" ft former enemy Jay-Z. Yet the most noticeable track that struck me was the song named after his latest album, "Hip-Hop is Dead". That song itself made me open my eyes and made me ask the question is hip-hop really dead? It cant be, with artists from the past like Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, ect. Then I realized maybe it was dying when one of the most famous songs of that year was "Throw Some D's on it"  by Rich Boy, even though I liked the song as a young kid. I could still tell that it wasnt comparable to "Dead Presidents", "The World Is Yours" or even "I Used To Love H.E.R". Hip-hop was trully changing and would always be changing, it wasnt the 90's anymore. Fast forward 6 years later with great hip-hop albums down the line like "College Dropout" by Kanye West , "American Gangster" by Jay-Z and "Finding Forever" by Common but no album has reminded me of how Hip-Hop used to be like Nas's  new album "Life Is Good" 

With his Ex wife's Wedding Dress in one hand and our ears in the other Nas opens up to us about His marriage, relationship with his kids, and his overall rap career. I swear I sat down with a cup of Orange Ade and a sandwich and soaked in this album, not actually a Blunt and Henny but it still had the same effect. As I sat there I felt I was listening to something from 96, something like Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" or even Nas's first album "Illmatic"

After hearing the Justice League produced intro track "No Introduction" I was told that this was going to be a classic album, with the soulful orchestra sound that the Justice league always brings to the table. Nas got off proving that he needs no introduction. I wish I could tell you my Top 3 favorite tracks but on this album it is really hard. "No Introduction" being first, the next will be "Accidental Murderers" ft The Boss Ricky Rozay. When I was listening to this song I was thinking this would have been perfect for Ross to be on and seconds later I heard the infamous Rick Ross grunt. I feel he stole the track rapping the lines "Memoirs of a rich n*gga, sweatsuits, gold chains, old drug dealer (ugh), new rims, new Benz are for show killa (whoop)" He even reminded us of his next album by saying "Pay your tides,stay alive, cant be dodging my clique( M-m-m-m Maybach Music), cut a check, use your b*tch for some bargaining chips, in a hole, sell your home, n*gga go sell your soul, this 45 and control, God Forgives' And I Don't". This has to be one of the best songs on the album. "You didn't mean to merk him, your guns a virgin". The final track I will talk about is featuring a fallen legend, the very talented and late Amy Winehouse.   

Cherry Wine is the name of the track, where Nas talks about his perfect girl and how she would be, "I want some who like the champagne I like, My a-alike, someone to talk me off the bridge any day or night, She teach me how to live, she ain’t afraid of life,Not easily impressed with the rich and famous life Cause she done been there and heard all the rumors before" and after lyrics like that the soulful Amy Winehouse sings the hook like this "Where is he?, The man who was just like me,  I heard he was hiding somewhere I can’t see,Where is he?, The man who was just like me,  I heard he was hiding somewhere I can’t see  And I’m alone, and I realize that when I get home ,I wanna go through my red and my cherry. Yes I’m alone, and I realize when I get home, I wanna go through my red and my cherry". That song itself proves we lost a great talented singer.

Those are just 3 tracks out of the 19 on the album. There are tracks like "Bye Baby" where he talks about his past marriage and the Swizz Beats produced track "Summer On Smash" where he talks about how his summers are. Nas put together a classic album here, with features like Miguel, Rick Ross, Mary J Blidge, Anthony Hamilton and more.

This is an album that many people were waiting for. An album that we all knew Nas could produce. In my mind Nas contradicted himself with the 2006 track "Hip-Hop is Dead" because he himself proved that it is alive with the album "Life is Good"

Please support this album by going out and purchasing it.

Life is Good

BUY HERE

You Are Now Driving 88

By Gary Lee

I would be a liar if I told you I've been listening to this artist for awhile but I'm not that kind of journalist. Before I wrote this, I downloaded Driving 88, after hearing that Chicago up and coming rapper Rockie Fresh had signed with Rick Ross's MMG. By Track 7, I was a big fan already. Ross made a good decision to sign the young rapper.

Rockie

Personally, I thought the next rapper to sign with Ross would be West Coast rappers Nipsey Hussle or Dom Kennedy, but before I even finished "Driving 88" I saw why Rockie was the next up. The Chicago rap game is blowing up these days with Chief Keef getting a co-sign from Kanye West, another Chicago rapper and King Louie getting signed to Epic Records it was only right for Ross to cash in on the windy city hype and jump on this opportunity. I've heard of Rockie awhile ago but never got around to downloading his music and now I see he has crazy bars. As a journalist, I can't wait to see what the future holds for Rockie but for now all I have to say is Welcome to the #PowerCircle Rockie.

The Boss, Rockie

Download Driving 88

#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.."

Dream Collaborations

By Wayne Lee

     
     With word going around that Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole are doing a collaboration album one can only dream how crazy it is going to sound. They both have lyrics that make you think and they can be very poetic at times. It makes me wonder; if two of the game's hottest rappers can join together and make an album who else can? Eminem and  Royce are getting back together and doing an album again. We already have the Drake and Ross Y.O.L.O tape coming later 2012 and Watch The Throne  killing the game late last year, with Jay-Z and Kanye West. So I decided that I would make a list of the best possible album collaborations. I have multiple choices and I'll tell you who and why.

Jay-z and Nas

     Back in the 90's these two had major beef, throwing jabs left and right with tracks like The Take Over and Ether and to this day both tracks are two of the best "beef" songs out, but that was years ago and since then we've seen both these men share the same stage and even hop in the booth together, and honestly who out there can say that Jay-z and Nas are not legends? If they did an album together it would be something legendary.

50 Cent and Game

     Anyone reading this article should know about the 50/Game beef. Former label mates, and G-unit brothers turned bitter rivals. When Game wouldn't join with the beefs that 50 was starting at the times, he kicked him out of G-unit thus starting the GGGGG G-UNOT movement. I'll pay to hear and see these two men do it again. “This Is How We Do” And “Hate It or Love It” were good songs and I know these two could do it again.

Rick Ross And Jay-z

     I think I may be the only person who would want to see this, but this would be a game changer right here. With Maybach Music and Free Mason being two crazy collaborations, I can only imagine what a whole Ross and Jay album would sound like, it would be crazy hearing Jay-Z rap after hearing a Ross Grunt or a M-m-m-m-Maybach music sound. That would be #Flight.

2 Chainz!

By Gary Lee

With 2012 already killed with rappers such as; Rick Ross, Wale, Kanye West, Drake, and Big Sean (to name a few), there is a rapper that stands out from them, and he is 2 Chainz! With the Southern lingo, the artist formerly named Titi Boy, had really step foot in the hip hop game, with jumping on tracks with Curren$y, Big Sean, Drake, Nicki Minaj and even Kanye West.

I have yet to witness a rapper blow up as fast as this man. I first heard 2 Chainz when he was Titi Boi on a song with Lil Wayne called "Duffle Bag Boy" which was a banger. It was played everywhere but then Titi just disappeared, but I guess he was getting his skills back up because he has come back with a bang. Ever since he dropped his Gangsta Grillz mixtape : T.R.U. REALigion nothing can stop the rise of 2 Chainz. I even read in an article when Jay and Ye were making Watch The Throne that they were bumping 2 Chainz and now look where he is at now in his career You can say he's doing G.O.O.D

T.G.O.D.

By Wayne Lee

Taylor Gang Or Die is what he reps and Pittsburgh  is where he's from. I'm talking about Wiz Khalifa,who had an amazing 2011 with his release of Rolling Papers and has jumped on many songs with Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and CeeLo Green. Wiz rose to fame after his radio single "Say Yeah" hit the clubs and the radio but people only knew him as the guy who sampled Alice DeeJay's Better Off Alone and not the grinding young artist. Wiz went back to the drawing board and returned with mixtapes like Burn After Rolling, Flight School, And How Fly with Curren$y, but nothing brought him more attention then Kush And Orange Juice. That mixtape itself changed the game for the independent artist and got Wiz major deal offers. With songs like "The Statement"  and "Never Been" Kush and O.J. was one of the most downloaded mixtapes of 2010 and earned him a spot in XXL's Freshman Ten 2010 edition. After letting the world know who he was, Still signed to his independent label Rostrum Records, Wiz signed to Atlantic Records and released  Rolling Papers. With the lead single and Pittsburgh anthem "Black and Yellow" blasting through the streets of the Country, Wiz finally knew Mainstream success.

With Rolling Papers going Gold, Wiz released a joint album with Snoop Dogg, and 2 mixtapes Cabin Fever and the newest one being  Taylor Allderdice which dropped last week, Wiz is one of the biggest artists in the game. Just engaged to his girlfriend Amber Rose and starting his own label "Taylor Gang Records" Wiz has taken #Flight and I doubt this plane is landing anytime soon.
#TaylorGang
#FlightAve

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