Tuesday, February 28, 2006



Top Of The World Records have a couple shows coming up this week:

Thursday, March 2, at the 5 Seasons, with ShellBe RAW, and Ogun

Friday, March 3, at HammerJacks, opening for Juvenile

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Monday, February 27, 2006



Rod Lee's Talent search has been push backed .
The producer that brought you Tim Trees (Bank Rolls), Paula Campbell (How Does it Feel), Davon (Be Your Friend), Bossman (Oh), Natures Problem (Shake It Shorty), and 90% of the Club Hits You've heard over the years. Now He Is Looking For You!
Auditions will be held on Wednesday 03/01/06, 03/08/06 &03/15/06 at Hammerjacks 316 Guilford Ave Baltimore, MD 21202.
The Grand Finale will take place on March 28th, 2006 at Hammerjacks and it will be hosted by Pork Chop
He is looking for rappers, producers, singers, and street team members.There is also some staff position available. Pick up applications at all downtown Locker room stores.

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Sunday, February 26, 2006




Season The Microphone Mondays
Every other Monday

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Saturday, February 25, 2006



An All female Rap Revue
Going down Saturday March 4th at the Belvedere Lounge 1 East Chase Street, Baltimore MD 21202 doors open at 9:00 show case starts at 10:00. Performances by B-Fly of Brown F.I.S.H., Shellbe Raw, Kitty and Philly's own The Dox. Hosted by O.O.H of Brown F.I.S.H and DJ P-Funk will be spinning.
So come and see some of the hottest MC's in the Tri State area, Hang out with B-Fly's Cutie Pies in the hot tub, Get a massage and There will be a sneak preview of the documentary "Evan A Man can Do This" a film about females in the Hip Hop industry.

Be sure to check out the Rap Attack 2morrow nite as the Ladies from the all female Hip Hop Revue " Even A Man Can Do This" take over the Air Waves.
Sunday 2/25/06
The Rap Attack starting at 7:00pm
92.3 on the fm dial

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Friday, February 24, 2006



Hip Hop 101
Every Monday at 5 Seasons
830 Guilford Ave.

This monday, Feb. 27th:

Born King
Bosco
XO
Team 50
Dirty Hartz
Cooli Hi

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Thursday, February 23, 2006



Some upcoming shows with Tha Plague:

February 25th 2006
Ronnie’s Place Edmonson and Fulton
tha Saturday night social
doors open @ 8pm

February 28, 2006
Organic Soul Tuesdays

Plus, Symph will be competing in Super Style Warz tonight.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006



Some people might've seen this already, but there's a new official Bossman site, which doesn't have much on it so far besides a loop of "Handclap" and the bio from the Virgin website, but it's cool since the N.E.K. site hasn't been updated in over a year. He's also got a MySpace page, and C Love recently posted this new interview, which mentions, among other things, that Rockwilder produced "Handclap," and that he's got a new mixtape comin' out with DJ Envy and Big Mike called Yellow Tape, so if anyone knows how I can cop that, lemme know. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, Bossman got a Show & Prove article in XXL (the current issue with Jeezy/Cam'ron on the cover), page 86, just a few pages after an article about Gel & Weave favorites 334 Mobb.

5:21p.m. EDIT: Just saw this, Bossman feature on Allhiphop.com today. LOL @ Baltimore being called "Southeastern," though.

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Monday, February 20, 2006



Super Style Warz is this Thursday, Feb. 23rd, and it's the one you don't wanna miss. Every previous champion (Midas, Haz, Shakeen, O'Neil, Rico, E.J., Firearmz, Ab Rock, Symph, Gata Sheist, and Peej) will be competing for twice as much prize money as usual, so I'm sure it's gonna be a real elevated level of competition.

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Saturday, February 18, 2006



B. Rich - Born Rich (Sure Shot Recordings)

My review of this is in the City Paper this week. I know a lot of cats around here kinda look down on B. Rich for not representing Bmore with some real grimy hip hop or for being a one hit wonder, but dude is more lyrical than he gets credit for, especially on this album. I give him respect for coming back to the independent grind. More info on BRichMusic.com.

B. Rich - "We All Doin' Time" (mp3)
This is the current single, if you haven't heard it already, and it's a good example of how some of his new stuff has a real serious message. On one of my old posts about this album, the dude B E L I E V E left a funny ass comment saying it "sounds like a horrible hybrid of the lil scrappy beat and the bow wow/ciara beat," but I think it sounds alright, makes me listen more to the lyrics.

B. Rich - "Birthday" (mp3)
This is one of the 4 songs produced by L.E.S. on the album, one of my favorites. It's really short and one of the more fun songs on the album, "Today my birthday, felt strange when I wake up/tired of stale bread, no cheese on my Steak-umm/called my Muslim homey, Assalam Alaikum”.

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Thursday, February 16, 2006



Dirty Hartz, Q, and Barnes of Street Official
opening for Three 6 Mafia and Keyshia Cole
Today, Feb. 16th, at Coppin State University
2500 W. North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217
Doors open At 7pm.
Admission: Coppin Students: $12, Other Universities: $15 and Alumni: $20

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Tuesday, February 14, 2006



DNA - True Crime: Harm City, Volume 5 (Hosted by Skinny Suge)

This is a real big move. DNA's been doing mixtapes with Comp and putting occasional Baltimore artists on his mixes for years, but this is his first big Bmore all-star mix. I can't say I like every track on here but there's just so many must-hear songs on it that you have to cop it, songs by Dirty Hartz and Cooli Hi and D.O.G. and Scola that you've been hearing on 92Q, plus tracks by Bossman and Skarr Akbar and UnReal and Q and Comp. And yes, the Mullyman/Bossman beef records are on here, and no, I won't post the mp3's. I respect DNA and I'm gonna help him sell some CD's by making you go buy it at Downtown Locker Room or his site to hear those tracks. I will note that the Mullyman track is not exactly the same one that was getting played on the radio in October, it's the same vocals from the original diss with a new beat instead of the Black Rob instrumental. Anyway, check my review of the mixtape in the City Paper this week, and direct all press inquiries to C Love.

Barnes f/ Joe Budden - "Top Of The Game" (mp3)
Nik Barnes from Street Official Records with that Jersey dude, nice low key track that's been getting played on 92Q lately. Budden also did a track with Dirty Hartz on their last mixtape.

D.O.G. - "Big Business" (mp3)
"They told me you play a beat when you talk people will listen...guess I'm a rapper now." Another low key track, over a Simply Red sample, D.O.G. namechecking damn near every MC in Baltimore throughout the song. That's something I like about D.O.G., that he seems like a real humble student of the game who's watching everyone else and showing respect, like at the Ottobar show when he was one of the only rappers who I saw in the crowd watching everyone else after his set. This and his single with Jim Jones, "I Get Dough" are both on the mixtape and on his MySpace page, which also has the completed "Hello" video. I'm looking forward to the album, last release date I heard for Champagne Dreams was the 2nd week of March.

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Monday, February 13, 2006



Top Of The World Records - The Grand Opening

This here is a label comp showcasing the roster of Top Of The World Records: Amadaye, Swan Grace, Black and Gutz [A.K.], Diano, IB, Finney, and Kariz. Amadaye's been featured on Street Radio and On Da Grind mixtapes, and I got a preview of a few tracks from his album, Ghetto Soul, which is coming out later this year. Swan's performing at 5 Seasons on March 2nd. Check out their MySpace page for more info and audio.

Amadaye - "Field Of Dreams" (mp3)
Amadaye's voice reminds me of someone, I think it's T3 from Slum Village. I like some of the jazzy beats on here, sax loops and stuff, I kind of get an old school backpacker vibe off of some of it.

Black and Gutz [A.K.] - "Fight Klub" (mp3)
This might be the song I'm feeling the most on the CD, the beat's just got this forward momentum to it, it's hot. And I like the way they keep switching off back and forth between the 2 MCs.

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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Huli Shallone - "For My Shorty" (mp3)
I gotta give props to Mike for this, he's been leaving comments on this site for a long time and lately had been asking constantly for a copy of the Huli song that's been all over the radio lately, but finally Mike himself came through with the mp3. It's recorded off the radio, but there's only a little static here and there, otherwise sounds good. The sample on the hook is from "Inside" by Jon B. Someone left a comment on one of my old posts about Huli that they had his new CD that has this song on it, but then they haven't responded to any emails about it, so I still dunno if such a CD exists. Huli definitely needs a new album with the same kind of push It's My Turn got, it would sell like hot cakes.

Paula Campbell - "Love You Back"
New single from Paula, her first since signing with Sony, although I don't know yet if it's getting the big push from them. It's alright but hasn't really blown me away, it's kind of subtle. Funky breakbeat and some cool ornate harp playing on the outro. Reminds me of, I dunno, one of Amerie's more low key album tracks.

Scola f/ Bossman and Dollars - "Turn It Down (remix)"
Scola (no relation to local rapper Norm Skola) is the singer that joined Dru Hill on their third album. Another club & B joint from Rod Lee in the mold of his tracks with Paula and Davon, right down to Rod playing the same bitter ex over the phone that he did on "How Does It Feel," but with 2 members of N.E.K. in the Tim Trees role. It's on the new DNA mixtape (post about that coming soon), but it's a different remix with Don Brody, and they misspell his name as Skola on the credits.

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Friday, February 10, 2006



Ms. Stress album release party
Saturday, Feb. 11th
@ 5 Seasons
830 Guilford Ave.

(photo by Sam Holden)

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Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Los - "Gettin' At Old Murda" (mp3)
Los - "Get It On The Floor"/"Flipside"/"Stop" Freestyle (mp3)
Skarr Akbar f/ Los - "Da Sickness" (mp3)

There was an MTV News article about Bad Boy Records recently that mentioned that one of the new artists signed to the label is Los from Baltimore, which motivated me to go back and listen to some of my old mixtapes with Los a.k.a. Young Pittbull on them. "Da Sickness" is from The Hood Legend: The Best of Skarr Akbar Part 3 and the other tracks are both from Live From Da Bloc: The Triangle Offense, from back around 2004, when him and Skarr were both on a label called Da Bloc, Inc. There was supposedly also an album called Welcome 2 Da Bloc, but I haven't heard it. I know Skarr isn't with Da Bloc anymore, but I don't know if Los is still affiliated with them. I know they're still going, though, because Da Bloc's website went back up recently, and I saw the big green Da Bloc van on Northern Parkway a couple months ago. Los kinda has the same vicious type flow as Skarr, and they made some cool songs together. Anyway, congrats to Los on the Bad Boy deal, hopefully he can do his thing in the major label world. I know a lot of people will always say Bad Boy fell off or doesn't do hip hop anymore, but the last Black Rob album was hot, 8Ball & MJG and Boyz N Da Hood are good, Los should be able to fit in somewhere in there.

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Monday, February 06, 2006



Darkroom Productions are doing a show out in Pittsburgh this weekend with Diablo, ShellBe RAW and more. Apparently Hamsterdam and "Jail Flick" have been getting a lot of love up in PA.

Also, been working on a new Gov't Names logo, check out the one that I'm test driving at the top of the page, which was designed by ex-GN contributor Josh aka Liquorporn. Might stick with it or try some other ones, but I'm open to feedback.

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Saturday, February 04, 2006



Comp - Independence Day: Bang-A-Rang Mixtape Vol. 3 (Hosted by DNA)

So it's offical that Comp is off Def Jam, after 3 years and not much to show for it other than a video with Ghostface and Jadakiss, a few soundtrack appearances, and being a character in a couple video games. I dunno if he was dropped or just got fed up and left, but neither would surprise me, since L.A. Reid has been letting even franchise players like DMX and Cam'ron walk out on their contracts lately. Looks like it might be for the best, though, since they didn't seem to know what to do with him, and now that he's free he's really back on the grind, Vol. 3 comin' way sooner after Vol. 2 did after Vol. 1. And since being on a major put his name out there, he's in a good position to release something independently now. I was kinda critical of the last mixtape in my City Paper review because it was really heavy on freestyles and guest appearances, and most of the songs I liked were ones I'd already heard. But this one has a lot of new songs, only like one guest verse, from Grafh (not even any appearances from Boy Troy or Zist from the Bang-A-Rang Gang), and I think he's finding a good sound right now. I always kinda felt like he usually wasn't on beats that suit him or really bring out his weird, animated delivery, so it's good that he's trying different things and not messing with a bunch of industry beats. It's also got "B-More Anthem," which is an old old song produced by J Fonk (who I guess is the same person as J Funk?) from before he was signed that always gets mentioned in his bios but I'd never heard until recently. You can listen to that and some more songs at Comp's MySpace page, and buy the mixtape from DNA's site.

Comp - "Which Way I Go" (mp3)
Starts with a quick replay of that line from "Official": "everybody wanna know, what happened since 'Run,' why is Def Jam stuntin', when his album gon' come?" and then Comp addressing the current state of affairs with a real good introspective track.

Comp - "Coming 2 A City Near U" (mp3)
I don't what that beat is but I love those crazy snare triplets. Comp sounds good on beats like this. It's kinda refreshing when the last track on a mixtape is one of the best songs.

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Thursday, February 02, 2006



Labtekwon
@ Sonar
Saturday, Feb. 4th

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Wednesday, February 01, 2006



Hots f/ Raheem Devaughn - "Movin' Pretty" (mp3)
Hots is part of NEK producer Neize's 1Up Productions company, next artist coming out of the camp. He guested on a song on Bossman's independent album, "Blam Blam," which is also going to be on the Virgin album, and he's also on the hook of Bossman's "Be Easy" from the This Is A Warning and Street Radio 2 mixtapes. He had a song that got some spins on 92Q back in 2003 called "2 Step," you can check for the video here. This is his new single with Raheem Devaughn, who's a soul singer from Maryland who put out an album on Jive last year. Officially he reps D.C. but he gets down with a lot of Baltimore artists, he did songs with D.O.G. and Bossman recently too. I got this song from Neize a while back, although I've heard it on 92Q too. I'm not too clear on what the title is, the file I got was called "Movin' Pretty Clean" but I guess that just meant it's the clean version of the song.

Blaq Starr f/ D.O.G. - "Rider Girls" remix
Not to run into ground the fact that I think Blaq Starr is the shit (I am, after all, the person who picked him for the best club music producer award), but man, this song is crazy. Rapidfire synth notes more melodic than what you usually get on a club track, and another weird singsong hook (I actually heard some lady singing the chorus today while I was walking down Broadway). Plus he sings some weird verses about if it wasn't "strictly business" between him and K-Swift he would "hit it in the worst way," but "just because they riders doesn't mean they sluts." But then about last week they just unleashed the remix with verses by maybe the most buzzed about rapper in the city in the moment, plus that hook at the end with the stuttering female voice going "grind me grind me gri-gri-gri-grind me grind me," they definitely took a hot song and made it hotter. You can hear it on D.O.G.'s MySpace page.

Tim Trees - "Get Slick With It"
When I interviewed Trees a few months ago, it sounded like he wasn't planning on collaborating with Rod Lee again for his new album, but then this popped up. I think it's actually the beat that Rod Lee played when he was on Rap Attack a few weeks ago and had singers and rappers call in and audition over it. Anyway, it's cool to see them working together again, since they've made more hits for Bmore radio and clubs than any other MC/producer combo. Not the hottest song they've made together, but it's got some cool moments, like that bit where Tim says "my crew don't sing like a church choir," and then the beat drops out and someone sings a big high gospel note.

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