Benz and a Backpack

Every now and then, trying circumstances arise that would put a strain on any relationship. When that strain becomes sustained, or when it shows some semblance of permanence, it’s time to put the foundation of that relationship under the microscope and evaluate whether or not it is fundamentally sound. If it is, then you break out your tool belt and work with the other person to rebuild the interior of that relationship, and move forward. If it isn’t fundamentally sound then you tear that house down and look for a different plot of land to build on.

There’s no time to waste on people who don’t reciprocate equal love and respect. Surround yourself with the people who do, because they’ll always hold you down. Keep the others at arm’s length. Dame and Jay parted ways in 2004, most likely because Dame was not a supporter of the direction HOV was headed. Now Dame is doing much cooler shit than Jay, and he’s doing it with a group of people dedicated to a singular artistic cause. Ski Beatz, Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T., and Smoke DZA are DD172 teammates featured in this week’s Mixtape Monday. Other tracks include: brand new Raekwon, Andre 3000, Styles P, Cee-Lo, KanYe, Lupe & Pharrell, as well as cuts from Detroit’s Doss The Artist & Hir-O, and Providence’s own CR The Beast and Chachi. DL link under the cut!

Benz And A Backpack Presents…Mixtape Monday – Vol. 21 by BenzAndABackpack

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There will surely be more to come on the subject, but Snoop Dogg came through Providence for Brown University’s Spring Weekend and wrecked the stage with an ease that I’ve never seen before. He was wearing his classic black shades and using a ridiculously ostentatious microphone, and it felt like the DPGC big man covered the entire stage his presence was so big. After blazing through a bunch of classic tracks (Next Episode, Gin and Juice) to get the crowd warm, Snoop brought Kurupt and Daz on stage and things really got poppin’. The three emcees rolled around the stage, oozing a happy-go-lucky West Coast confidence that permeated through the audience for a close to an hour and sent them home in a daze of contentment.

Clutch has some great post-show stories to tell, but right before he left the stage Snoop told the three things everyone should do when they wake up:

1. Brush Your Teeth

2. Thank God You’re Alive

3. Smoke Weed

Words of wisdom from one of the best performers (and as it turns out, nicest people) of our time. Hit the skip for brand new tracks from J. Cole, Lupe, Jeezy, Freddie Gibbs, Jay Elect, Blu, M.O.P. and more.

J. Cole – We On

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Gil Scott-Heron ft. Nas – New York Is Killing Me

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Lupe Fiasco ft. Alicia Keys – Love Letter To The Beat

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B.o.B. ft. T.I. – Not Lost

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One of the things I like most about hip hop right now is that the young guns and veterans alike are chillen on the grind like a rusty gear*. There’s a whole crop of young emcees bringing fresh perspectives to the game, while the mainstays continue to drop hot shit that bucks the traditional career trend of older rhymers (see: to fall off). And the best part about it? There’s room for everyone- young & old, fat & skinny, male & female, East & West, black, white, & everything in between!

This week’s Mixtape Monday features brand new tracks from Slick Rick, Meth, Rae, & Ghostface, XXL Freshmen Jay Rock, J. Cole & Fashawn, the homie XV, and more! Hit the skip for the DL link and a Wu Tang video that’ll bring you straight back to ’93.

*Shouts to the homie Element, who dropped a dope new joint last week.

Jay Rock ft. Ab-Soul – Can I Roll

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Young Chris ft. J. Cole – Still The Hottest

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Freestyle, Wordsmith, & M-Dot – Struggle

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Meth, Ghost & Rae – Miranda

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We’ve seen a couple collaborations between Snoop and CuDi of late, the most recent of which (“I Do My Thing”) was produced by none other than Dr. Dre. All old school Snoop (and tree) lovers take notice: there’s a new toker in town.

CuDi’s making waves not only in the music world but also in the realm of television. He plays the bottle-popping, easy-going Domingo on HBO’s newest hit series How To Make It In America. CuDi’s character is peripheral (so far), but the show itself taps into hip hop culture in a big way: the two main characters were raised on hip hop in New York City, and now in their late 20′s and with little direction in life they team up to start a denim line called Crisp.

Hit the skip for new CuDi X Snoop, plus a full Mixtape Monday stuffed with goodies from all over the industry (including the very first single off Drake’s upcoming official album AND the first four episodes of How To Make It In America!).

Kid CuDi ft. Snoop Dogg – I Do My Thing [prod. Dr. Dre] [prod. Watts & Ringo]

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Little Brother – Curtain Call

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Drake – Over [prod. Boi-1da]

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I am mostly of Irish descent, but I’ve come to discover that Cuban culture, in all its warmth, graciousness, musicality and plain old fun, resonates very strongly with me- kind of like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and wind but without all the shattering. Clutch, who just spent four months in Cuba and is Cuban through and through- told to me a few weeks ago that B-Real from Cypress Hill was a Cubano, so it was with particular interest that I checked the new single off their forthcoming album Rise Up entitled ‘Armada Latina,’ featuring Pitbull (Cuban) and Marc Anthony (Puerto Rico).

The track caught my ear immediately because the it samples CSNY’s ‘Judy Blue Eyes’ and the drop is drum break is ridiculous. It also struck me that Marc Anthony- who bagged the baddest chick in the game at the height of her popularity in North America- can really, really sing. Production on the track was done by Jim Jonsin (of T.I. and Lil Wayne fame).

Cypress Hill ft. Marc Anthony & Pitbull

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Just for fun…
Joe Budden – Focus

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The Audible Doctor ft. Sene – A Chance To Say

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Hit the skip for the DL link, plus a Mixtape Monday Tape flush with brand new Cole, CuDi, XV, Murs & 9th Wonder, Big Sean, and more!
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Every now and then things happen that remind us of the fragility, preciousness, and complete and utter randomness of our collective life. Recently, two incidents (both involving pedestrians, vehicles, and alcohol) stung people I love so acutely that they’ve been debilitated. It’s the height of irony that someone can serve several years of required military duty in a constantly war-torn nation, and then die when a drunk American driving too fast glances down to change the song on his iPod and forgets to look up because he’s too fucked up.

There are certain truths we all acknowledge: if you work hard in school, you’ll get good grades; if you show love to the people around you, they will undoubtedly show you love back. But many parts of our lives escape our control no matter how hard we try to grasp them. They are dictated either by the coincidental nature of the world or fate, depending on which theory you espouse, and no personal responsibility should be self-imposed by friends and family of victims of senseless tragedy, although it is often unavoidable.

What we can and should impose upon ourselves is an apologetically cliche question that nearly every hip hop artist has had to confront in his or her time: if I die today, tomorrow, or in three weeks, will I be happy with what I’ve done? BIG knew before he was 25 that his trajectory was short, and when the end came he was ready for it. Hip hop was built on the cold, hard foundation of braggadocio, which doesn’t exactly inspire love in opponents, but rather competitiveness, jealousy, and other violence-inducing sentiments. Couple that with the abnormally high presence of guns in poor, urban, largely black communities at the inception of hip hop (gee, I wonder how that happened), and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster. It’s no wonder then that death is more than a minor ingredient in the hip hop kitchen.

Hit the skip for 20 of the most recent tracks that you GOTTA have, including Wu Tang’s ‘Early Grave’ and Jay Rock’s ‘Life is a Cycle.’ Other notables: Freeway, Raekwon, & Styles P, Lupe, B.o.B. & Asher Roth, Preemo-produced Evidence, and:

J. Cole – Knock On Wood Freestyle

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Redlight Boogie ft. Sean Price – Heat [prod. Killingskills]

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Having just spent 4 months in an underdeveloped country in the Caribbean, I shudder thinking what the effects of a massive earthquake in Cuba would be like.  Haiti, an even smaller, poorer, and more politically unstable country will only be able to recover from the natural disaster with our help.  If you want to donate your first stop might be the American Red Cross.

But hip hop rolls on.  This Monday we are hitting you from all the angles.  We got unreleased T-Wayne over a sick beat, Slaughterhouse reps Joell and Joey doing the usual, a surprising cast remixing Empire State of Mind Pt. 2, production from Moonsatellite and more!  And if you missed it during the week, a review of the DJ that put me in a good mood all weekend. Read the rest of this entry →

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Already, twenny ten started with a bang- or, as I like to say, a bong bong! So far:

• The Reflection Eternal mixtape (featuring Jay Elect and J. Cole!),
• Raekwon’s Coke Up In Da Dollar Bill,
• Emilio Rojas’ The Natural,
• Jay Electronica’s Victory, and
• If you didn’t catch it, Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids earlier today…

What’s To Come

It will only get better; with the promise of the new Rae, Ghost, and Meth group/album, the forthcoming Strong Arm Steady album (produced entirely by Madlib), releases from Luda and Lupe, Statik and Black Milk, Random Axe, Redman, and The Roots. Em’s Relapse 2, Nas and Damian Marley’s Distant Relatives, new Kanye, Cudder, and J. Cole. And sheeit, that’s just touching the surface of hip hop!

For our indie heads, you’ve got OKGO, Vampire Weekend (…), Animal Collective (yeaboi!), and the Cold War Kids. But 2010 holds more than just the promise of good music. Next month Vancouver will hold the 21st Winter Olympics, then in May the World Expo will be in Shanghai, and on June 11th the FIFA World Cup will kick off in South Africa.

2010 marks Obama’s second year in office, and with health care tucked securely under his belt still hanging in the balance, we can only hope that there will be the opportunity to tackle other equally pressing issues like unemployment, terrorism, and climate change.

To that end, 2010 holds the promise of the US’s first plug-in electric car (courtesy of Chevrolet, called the Volt and scheduled to drop in November). To charge the Volt, one need only plug it into a standard household outlet and it will be powered for 40 miles (which exceeds the distance of the average American’s daily commute). Beyond that point, minimal gas is used to propel the vehicle 300+ miles!

Big things are already poppin’ in twenny ten, and there is much, much more to come. Hit the skip for 15 brand new tracks from the Wu Tang and Wiz, Strange Fruit Project and Statik, Ryan Leslie and Wale, Bun B and Jump-Off Joey, plus an unreleased Drake verse for his smash hit Successful.

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If you’ve spent New Year’s Eve in New York City, then you know that it’s the best. I’ve been in relative withdrawal over the past two years though since I spent last New Year’s Eve bed-ridden with the flu and two-years-ago New Year’s Eve on a 14-hour plane ride to Ghana. This time around everybody I know is converging on the City like moths to a flame; from Miami, New Bedford, Houston, Nor Cal, Taiwan, and Israel, and without a doubt they’ll make this NYE a night to remember (Walter Lord style, not High School Musical). To prep you we thought we’d hit you with 30+ tracks, both semi- and brand-new, that’ll have you ready to rumble come Thursday night (and btw we’ll be all over town: first on the Lower East Side, then uptown, and finally north of the City to rest our heads). Find new music under the cut from Jay Electronica, Brother Ali, Mos Def, Black Milk (!!), Reflection Eternal, Tanya Morgan, J. Cole, Raekwon, The Cool Kids, Nas, AZ, and more. Plus, we have a bunch of freestyles over Drake’s Fear (Styles P, Young Chris, et cetera) side-by-side with the original, so leave your comment about who hits the beat the hardest.
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Reflection Eternal ft. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def – Just Begun

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Raekwon – Happy New Years!

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Exile ft. Aloe Blacc and Co$$ – So We Can Move (remix)

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Lupe Fiasco – I’m Beaming

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Brother Ali – Blizzard Rap ’09

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For all those Doom heads who may not have seen this, you’ll be glad to know Madlib and Metal Fingers are currently working on a second album together. This week we’ve got an eclectic collection of music from all kinds of artists: Kidz In The Hall, Lloyd Banks, Sean P!, Raekwon, Nickel Nine, and Statik Selektah. Big ups also to Radio B, the Richmond, VA native who broke into the game as a battle rapper and transformed himself into a complete emcee. Hit the skip to peep his tracks, both of which are dope, as well as a highlight from this weekend’s football hoop-la that is bound to impress.

Raekwon – Crime Wave Freestyle

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Radio B – This Is My Life

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Sean P – Street Shit (off the Kimbo Price Mixtape)

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Co$$ – No Allah

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