Benz and a Backpack

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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Hip-hop is a game of patterns and cycles. First it’s the mixtape, next it’s singles from the album, then the actual album accompanied by videos for the hit singles, and finally a tour to promote the shit out of the album. Repeat. As Evidence says in So Fresh: “spend six months out the year on my hustle and grind / the other half spent plotting the next.” More broadly, it seems like every six months there is a new ‘it’ artist that captures the spotlight, only to relinquish it when someone else overtakes them or they cannot sustain themselves (exception: Drake). First it was Soulja Boy, then Asher Roth, and now it’s Young Money’s feisty female Nicki Minaj.

No matter what anybody says about her (that her dichotomous flow is annoying, that her lyricism isn’t up to snuff), Nicki Minaj is holding down the game for female emcees right now. Pretty much the only lady in plain sight, Minaj has undertaken the tall task of repping women in a game where feminism is belittled and degraded at every turn. How can a woman who has grown up with hip hop be expected to hold the mic with confidence when the entire genre tells her she ain’t shit?
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Two summers ago I was lucky enough to catch the Paid Dues Tour at New York City’s Nokia Theatre in Times Square. I was particularly excited for it because the lineup included a bunch of artists I’d never seen in concert before: Kidz in the Hall, dudes from Boot Camp Clik, Blackalicious, GZA, all culminating in what I hoped would be a satisfying set from the godfather of hip-hop, Rakim.

I remember the show with particular clarity because my boys and I endured an hour-and-a-half-long train ride that should’ve only lasted twenty-five minutes. The stifling June heat had us sweating our shirts out while we were held in station after station by train dispatchers. People in our car were fanning themselves with whatever they had: Yankees and Mets fitteds, celebrity gossip magazines, folded-up copies of the Daily News (with a picture of a smiling Barack Obama- who’d just secured the Democratic Presidential nomination- under a headline that read: ‘HISTORY!’).

Once we pulled into 42^nd Street, we bobbed and weaved through swarms of people in the station and on the fume-filled streets (hustling because we were already way late), and by the time we got to the Nokia Theatre we’d practically melted. Making it through security felt like clouds parting to allow us entrance into a very well air-conditioned heaven.
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You may not have heard of Trek Life, and that’s a travesty. Trek reps the West Coast; he was born in Los Angeles and raised in West Covina, a suburb just outside of LA. As both a DJ and an emcee, Trek has all the bases covered. His spinning is on point and has given him the opportunity to back high-profile acts like T.I., Nas, ?uestlove, Jazzy Jeff and more. His flow is energetic and his lyrics are- unlike a lot of emcees in the game today- emotionally evocative, intelligent, and thought provoking. Currently a resident of Duarte, CA, Trek is on his grind. His debut album, Price I’ve Paid, dropped to much critical and popular acclaim, and tracks from the album were featured on MTV’s ‘The Hills’ and ‘From G’s to Gents.’ He’s got three projects in the works, an EP with J.Bizness (slated to drop later this month), a full length album with Oddisee (scheduled to drop in January), and an EP with Babu (of Dilated Peoples) that will accompany Trek’s sophomore album. It’s hard to deny someone who is so buoyant and passionate about what he does. Hit the skip for the full interview, plus a little taste of what you can expect from a Trek Life track.

Benz and a Backpack: Can you recall the first moment you got hooked on hip hop?

Trek Life: My older brother & sister were into it and I can remember just rhyming with them when I was young. The Educated Rapper’s verse from Roxanne, Roxanne was the first verse I remember BUGGIN’ over.

BaaBP: How did growing up in Cali influence your musical tastes?

TL: So many ways man. People overlook the rollerskating aspect of LA. World on Wheels was where a lot of records were broken back in the day. Just the vibe of the city and the constant sunshine. The constant threat of wearing the wrong color. Subtle racism in the suburbs. Several different cultures & languages, cruising, the fake actions of people in Hollywood. Trying to find my place in all this promoted listening to music that reminded you that shit was ok LOL. I mean, Ice Cube’s Death Certificate is my #1 album of all time. I think he told it like it was from a young man’s perspective in LA. That was one of the first times I’d heard it done like that. Most other aspects were for the G’s. I started to want to hear other people’s story and from then on I could see what rappers were saying differenty. Cali has a bunch of layers, from old school funk musicians, to transplant hip hop folks. We have it all, so if you wanna learn and enjoy just about any sound, you can.
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