DMV rapper Wale has been riding high since the release of his sophomore album Ambition. The album’s first official single/video “Lotus Flower Bomb” took the airwaves and media outlets by storm. Now hoping for another smash release off the album, Wale drops his track with Atlanta crooner Lloyd. The production here is quality. It features various instruments, a mid-tempo pace, and a smooth R&B type of vibe. The hook is on point as well. Lloyd has amazing vocals and the lyrics are interesting. The only complaint is that the instruments and vocals seem to get a little loud. Dialing back the instruments and playing Lloyd’s vocals at a gentler tone would have been nice. Not a big deal though, still a great hook. The verses are well done. Wale brings a relaxed flow, some witty wordplay, and smartly crafted rhymes. He does a wonderful job of sharing the story of his rocky relationship with a seemingly indecisive female. The details he provided really helped paint a vivid picture of the situation for the listener. It takes a truly talented emcee to do that. Overall, this is a winning track. It has a very appealing production and some solid substance. Click that link though to hear it for yourselves. As a reminder, Ambition is currently available via all music retailers. The iTunes link is provided earlier in the post. So go show Wale some love and snag a copy or two. And be sure to catch Wale live if given the chance. He is currently on tour, the info regarding the tour is available via his website.
I haven’t been crazy about Wale’s music since he teamed up with Rick Ross and company. But this track is pretty dope. Lloyd killed the hook and Wale did some nice storytelling that I feel anybody who has ever been in a relationship can relate to. Everyone has had at least one dysfunctional relationship that makes no sense. So props to Wale and Lloyd on this one. I don’t think it will be as big as “Lotus Flower Bomb” but this track definitely has the potential to be a hit. And as always, love to DJ Poizon Ivy for the music! -MinM
Last month readers were introduced to Chicago rapper Pavy (Progressive Ambitious Vigorous Youngin’) via his single/video “Triumphant.” As mentioned before the single was to establish buzz for his brand new mixtape entitled Middle Class Ignorance. Middle Class Ignorance officially dropped a few days ago and includes a host of features from artists like: Capital K, Vic Spencer, The Boy Illinois, and a few others. Pavy has spent the past two years crafting the project in the hopes that it will take: him, his fans, and Hip-Hop lovers on a musical journey to new heights. Did all of his time and hard work pay off? Click the jump for a review of a couple cuts and let’s find out.
Pure Game Entertainment, Inc is a Milwaukee (WI) independent entertainment company. The company is ran by Calleni Johnson and has been around since 2003. The company scouts, discovers, and develops up-and -coming talent in the Mid-West area. In addition to taking on artists, Pure Game also provides services in the areas of: music production, film production, marketing, studio time, mastering, and music administration (copy rights, ASCAP, etc.). Pure Game specializes in the genre of Gangsta Rap and has several quality rappers on their roster. Those rappers include: Hustle Mode Clic (H.M.C), Bill Martell, and Big Doon. Currently, the company is working on several projects featuring the previously mentioned artists.
Remember how the coverage of the Southside Hip-Hop movement began with a post on a live session featuring Rockz Solid at The Spot? Well Mike Hernandez and DJ Cell of The Young Urban Society put together another live session featuring Blaqlizt Entertainment‘s own Kia Rap Princess. This time around DJ Cell took on more of a host type role. Mr. Hernandez was behind the camera once again. Mike Angel was responsible for the tunes. And Kia did what she does best, spit some hot tracks for everyone to enjoy. She did take a few minutes to chop it up with DJ Cell though to give fans a bit of insight on who she is. Check out all the action below.
If local readers enjoyed this session, then be sure to head out to The Spot this Friday. Mike and company are throwing the Sounds From The Othaground 2 event. Kia will be blessing the mic along with Sinista New Breed and a few other local talents. And DJ Cell will be providing the music. But if readers just can’t wait until Friday, they can check Kia out on her Sound Cloud page as well. Take a moment to click that Young Urban Society link too. It explains/showcases what the Southside movement is all about.
I thought this was another good session. I liked the fact that Kia not only showed off her crazy rhyme skills but that she blessed viewers with some of her vocal work as well. She has a nice little singing voice. And her and DJ Cell had a cool vibe going. It would be dope to see them do a mixtape or at least a track together. I know they read these, so think about it guys! On another note, major props to the Young Urban Society for the positivity and spotlight they are bringing to the Milwaukee Hip-Hop scene. That’s a good look! -MinM
Been showing the Southside a lot of love lately and they been giving it right back. However, had to bring it back to the home team for a second and shed some light on the fam Kia Rap Princess and her new track “WTF U On,” which gets the crowd extra hype every time she performs it. The production here is hot. There is a light instrument type sound at work, a solid bass line, and a street/hood vibe. The hook is on point too and extremely catchy. Kia brings her signature laid back delivery and the lyrics are real. The verses are sick. Kia went in from start to finish. She continued her mellow flow and her rhymes are witty and sharply crafted. Check it as she spits: “Yeah the princess in the building. Let ‘em know it’s I. I’m sorry hater I can’t hear you, cause I’m up too high. Ho don’t act like you ain’t notice. B—h you know I’m fly. And you don’t own a pair of these, so ho don’t even lie. Party in the VI. They hating, I can see why. Because I paid my dues and now they paying just to see I. Don’t worry bout my b.i. I got it locked like T.I. If it ain’t bout money, it don’t event get a reply.” Those lines are wicked dope! Overall, this track is a sure fire banger and should be on every true Hip-Hop heads’ playlist in the hood. But don’t just go by the review alone, click the link and bump the track for yourself. Want to see what Kia is on live and in person?
Beloved controversial underground rapper Tech N9ne is getting ready to embark on the longest tour of his career. The tour is called the Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour and will involve the rapper knocking out 90 shows in 99 days. He is going to be a pretty busy individual. But he will not be going on the journey alone. He is bringing some of his Strange Music family along for the ride including: Krizz Kaliko, Mayday, Prozak and Stevie Stone. If that isn’t enough to peak fans’ interest, Tech is bringing one more crazy rapper on board. Who is that lucky emcee you ask? It’s beloved Cleveland native and newest Bad Boy Records member Machine Gun Kelly. Yes Tech N9ne and MGK will be sharing the same stage, lookout. Kelly is ready to go and very grateful for the opportunity. He is lacing up for the tour as we speak and promises to bring his signature wild energy to every city to ensure that fans get a very memorable show. Tech is excited about the upcoming tour as he has been on the grind for over ten years now, working to accomplish such major history making feats as this one. To date, the rappers gets in about 200 shows per year. So the tour will help him meet almost half of his quota very early in the year. Reps from Strange Music are happy about the tour as well. They stated Tech has come a long way since the beginning of his career; where it was extremely hard for him to even book shows, let alone put together a record setting tour. The Hostile Takeover 2012 Tour is scheduled to hit numerous popular cities like: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and more. Readers can get more details about the tour and ticket information via Tech’s website. The takeover begins March 22, peep the promo video below. Then click the jump to see who else may be coming to a city near you.
The name Sinista New Breed of New Breed Entertainment has been coming up a lot lately in posts related to the Southside movement. And that is because he has his hand in all aspects of the movement, as he does a little bit of everything. Originally from Texas, Sinista would eventually find himself on the Southside of Milwaukee (WI) where he would turn to music to help him deal with his life experiences. Using his pain and struggle for motivation, Sinista has become known as a real and diverse emcee with high credibility who is well respected in the streets. He has done several mixtapes and features, leading up to the release of his first official album. But music isn’t Sinista’s only gift. He has a way with the camera as well. Which readers got a chance to see with the first all female Milwaukee Cypher and with the promo video for Sounds From The Othaground 2 event. And if that wasn’t enough, Sinista is all about using the Southside movement to create positivity. For example, he was able to convince rival gangs to put aside their differences in order to participate in one of his videos. That is pretty impressive. On a mission to make his mark in the game without conforming to typical industry standards, Sinista is doing all he can to be heard and recognized. And he is well on his way to achieving his goal. As he has a strong following in both the Spanish and English speaking communities by those who see/hear his endless artistic potential. Now that readers know a little more about Sinista and have seen his video work, let’s check out his music. Click the jump for a review of his track “Maserati.”
You see male Hip-Hop Cyphers all the time. But very rarely do you get to see female emcees do their thing. And never has there ever been an all female emcee Cypher in Milwaukee, WI. That is until now. Sinista (New Breed) had the genius idea to round up some of the dopest femcees from around the city for the first ever all female Cypher. He dubbed it Femme Fatale and it includes the likes of: Rockz Solid, Kia Rap Princess, Miko, Beanz, Annie Mae, Autumn Rane, Davie, and Alexis. Peep the video below to see the ladies doing their thing.
I thought this was a good Cypher. I think all of the ladies did a great job of showing off their skills. I was especially impressed by the younger ladies in attendance, they held their own. Props to Sinista for giving the femcees the opportunity to shine. And congrats to all of the ladies involved for making Hip-Hop history in Milwaukee, that’s a good look! -MinM
The Southside of Milwaukee, WI is embarking on a Hip-Hop movement that is generating more and more buzz everyday. In effort to show support and promotion for that movement, wanted to start sharing content from some Southside artists and events. This will be one of many posts to help make that happen. Mike Hernandez and DJ Cell hold live sessions at a local venue called Tha Spot. The live sessions are to help give local artists the opportunity to shine. This live session features femcee RockzSolid. Rockz reps hard for Brewed Fresh Records and her Southside home. Also, Rockz isn’t just a rapper. She’s a mother, student, business woman, and the list goes on. Check her out below as she does her thing with simply a microphone and a deejay.
I like Rockz a lot. Her music is something different and she has a nice little flow about her. Plus, you can tell she has a genuine love for what she’s doing. And these days with all the rappers in the business for the wrong reasons, it’s good to see somebody who is truly about the music. Want more with Rockz? Stay tuned for the first ever all female Milwaukee Cypher, its insane. And a live session with Kia Rap Princess is coming up as well. So be sure to check back! -MinM
The success of the original “Strange Clouds” track was so great, it sent B.0.B back to the studio for an all star remix with two of Atlanta’s top rappers. The production on this track is the same as the original. It does dial down a bit for the verses but that is the only difference. The hook is the same as well. The verses are solid, all three rappers held their own. Young Jeezy kicked things off on the first verse. He came with his signature flow and some okay rhymes. He could have been a tad more creative though. B.o.B created brand new original material for his part, which is the second verse. He retained that cocky almost angry tone to his flow and his lyrics were respectable. He too could have given it just a little something more to make it pop. The beloved T.I. wraps things up on the third verse. He came with a very relaxed flow and fair wordplay. But it wasn’t his best work either. Tip was almost too chill on this one. He could have definitely cranked it up a notch. Overall, this is a decent remix. However, all three rappers fell a bit short on their lyrical game. All of them are more than capable of making insane cuts and have done so with numerous past singles. So this is a little disappointing. But readers are encouraged to give it at least one listen before going back to bumping the original. Or if readers want some completely new B.o.B material check out “Play The Guitar” F/ Andre 3000 or “How Bout Dat” F/ Future and Trae Tha Truth. As a reminder all of the new cuts are being dropped to generate buzz for B.o.B’s upcoming album Strange Clouds. The album is scheduled to drop sometime this year, so be on the lookout.
I liked this remix but the original was way better. I love both of the other tracks. “Play The Guitar”is my favorite lyrically. B.o.B and Andre 3000 went IN on that joint. “How Bout Dat” is a good hood joint. The production on that track is insane. So B.o.B’s next album is shaping up to be a nice little project. Anyone else care to share their thoughts? Drop a line in the comments section. And shout out to DJ Poizon Ivy for hitting me with the new music! -MinM
