Benz and a Backpack

Looks like Jim Jones is gonna have some serious competition in the upcoming Converse Band of Ballers Tourney in Atlanta on May 1st. Participants include Pill, Donnis, OJ Da Juiceman, Shawty Lo, So So Def, Jay Electronica, Sean Price, and of course, last year’s winner, Jim Jones. Check it out (and peep highlights of last year’s tourny here).

Jay Electronica:
“What’s gonna set us apart is that our basketball ability is magic. Not skill, not hard work, it’s not hustle, it’s none of that. The only reason we’re here is to teach Jim Jones a lesson. See, he’s relying completely on skill, you can’t rely completely on skill. Luck is the key word.”

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It looks like Oprah has finally solved the mystery of da Juiceman for me. For so long I had been troubled by the antics of southern rapper and XXL class of 2010 “most flashy” freshman. First, I had to get beyond the highly paradoxical(1) name – real name Otis Williams Jr. ‘OJ’ makes sense as a nickname, and maybe he just likes his juice. Then I had to come past the obscure, sometimes abstract lyrics:

im a sniper rifle like a soldier in the desert/ a eagle on me boy im known to tote a desert/ i sack a ounce up before i sold a record/ he want a brick i told him meet me by the checker/ i sack a pound up before i sold a record/ he want a bet i told him meet me by the checker

I broke those lyrics down and realized it was classic, Shakespearian pentameter(2) with off-patterned sequencing, and obvious implementation of antithesis!(3)… let’s just say the man knows his literature. But what about that signature call out of his?

You all know it. If you’ve listened to any Juiceman, there’s no chance you haven’t been enamored by the clever, if not a bit subtle, melding of anaphora(4) and assonance(5) in most of his tracks. Hit the skip for the audio clip and the answer to Juiceman’s mystery…

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As a whole, this mixtape is only as good as its collective parts. And though Nipsey Hussle, Big Sean, Freddie Gibbs, Wiz Khalifa and J. Cole throw down on tracks 3-8, DJ Whoo Kid makes sure to remind all of us why the artists are always better than the DJ when he’s on the joint. Yes, whooooo kiiiiiid, we know its you, we know you like cutting in with little kids in the playground and horror noises, but da Juiceman has said “bread in the kitchen” enough… there is no need to “throw that shit back.”

Highlights are a dope beat on track 6, Fashawn going in on track 4, and J Cole showing his NY state of mind on “Who’s World.” All in all, its a good product from 10 esteemed young artists.

Since datpiff doesn’t want to tell you the artist order, and since its an incomplete version of the tape, we’ll post it below the jump for you. Download the full tape at XXLmag.com

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