Benz and a Backpack

“You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far,” and I imagine nobody in the first thirty years of hip-hop did. Radio play? Yup. Magazines? Okay. Grammys? Probably. But fellowships at Harvard?

If anyone deserves a fellowship at an elite institution it’s 9th Wonder, who is one of the premier educators and practitioners of hip-hop. 9th has been teaching a soul sampling course at Duke University, and over the course of his career he has approached his music with an unparalleled level of intelligence and devotion. That devotion will be on display in The Harvard Fellowship, a film directed by Kenneth Price (who collaborated with 9th on The Wonder Years) that will document 9th’s year at Harvard, and hopefully dispel with the idea that “hip-hop” and “entertainment” are synonymous.

“The Harvard Fellow follows one of hip-hop’s most dynamic artists, 9th Wonder through a year of lecturing and research at Harvard University. While at Harvard, 9th will have an office on campus, teach a class on the history of hip-hop, complete a research project and further explore hip-hop’s history and culture in an academic setting.”

The research component to the project is especially interesting. 9th will spend the year unearthing and cataloguing the samples that make up his 10 favorite albums. For more information on The Harvard Fellow, visit the project’s website, and be sure to make even a nominal donation to The Harvard Fellow’s Kickstarter, because after all, money only grows on trees after you get a degree from Harvard.

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Rapper Big Pooh’s contribution to Little Brother’s success has been downplayed by some in the past. Not until his solo debut, Sleepers, was it made abundantly clear that his rhymes were a crucial element in the LB formula; it put the spotlight on the shrewd lyricism that gave the group a necessary edge. While you could always count on Phonte to tell it like it was, Pooh’s quick-wit cemented the group as a force to be reckoned with. Take a look at the these bars from “For You” off the groups critically acclaimed debut, The Listening; on the last verse Phonte raps, “making the crowd cheer massively/I tell ni–as ‘y’all aint wack’/'y’all just sound wack rhyming after me’” and Pooh later continues the thought by cooking up this heater, “thugs getting open to me/and yo mad hands up in the air/ like I told em to freeze.” Their contrasting styles brought 9′th’s larger-than-life production back down to Earth.

Rapper Big Pooh dropped his sophomore album, Dirty Pretty Things, at the beginning of this month. Like Sleepers, the hard-biting production showcases that signature Big Pooh sound, but it also explores more approachable subject matter. On “Right With You,” Big Pooh proves he has matured as a solo artist. Essentially his love-letter to hip-hop, clever lyrics like, “Seeing how my boys act/like they like you more than me/that kinda turn me on/it don’t evoke jealousy” are effectively applied to a laid-back beat. It wouldn’t be surprising if he appropriated a mob of new fans with the track “Around the World (ladies love),” a pleasant surprise complete with the infectious crooning of Novel. As he explains on “Interdependent,” the album is all about telling his story; “this is my struggle/this is my pain…emotionally drained/married to the game/this is chapter 2/welcome all to the change.” The beats are meticulously arranged to suit him, consistently hitting the mark and the album as a whole is really well-rounded. This could be the beginning of something much bigger, so get familiar.

As the title of this post suggests, Benz and a Backpack was fortunate enough to snag an interview with Big Pooh only a few days ago. Hit the skip to see his take on the NBA lockout, his future projects and Spotify. You’ll also find the tracklist for Dirty Pretty Things and a link to purchase the album via iTunes. Read the rest of this entry →

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With “Crying Broke,” Consequence surely upped fans anticipation for Movies On Demand III even more. With an All-Star line up of alums from ATCQ, Little Brother & Slum Village, these three super emcees bring lyrical sophistication you won’t find many other places. We are one step closer to the Cons’ highly anticipated Movies On Demand 3 (which is apparently just days away). . Produced by The Produce Section.

Crying Broke by Consequence co-starring Rapper Big Pooh & Elzhi… Introducing Tannie J. by Consequence

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With a Los Angeles performance last night and “Straight Spittin’ 4.5″ still fresh in listeners’ ears, Rah Digga is right back to work, dropping the latest remix from Classic, her highly lauded sophomore album released late last year. This remix, for the song “Solidified,” finds the Jersey representative teaming up with North Carolina producer Khrysis, who, in addition to making up one half of the group The Away Team, has worked with artists including Little Brother, Skyzoo, Jean Grae, Sean Price, Masta Ace, and more. While the vocals remain in tact for this particular remix, Khrysis breathes new life into the song. While the original, produced by Nottz, who handled production duties for the entirety of Classic, features a smattering of funk guitar chops, rolling bass, and syncopated drums, Khrysis gives the song a more pronounced backbeat, utilizing a mix of piano stabs, synths, and steady drums, all the while allowing Digga’s lyrics shine.

Rah Digga – Solidified (Khrysis Remix) by BenzAndABackpack6

Download: Rah Digga – Solidified (Khrysis Remix) [rt/ctrl-click, save-as]
Previously: Rah Digga – Classic (Album Release)

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Suicide victims often think that their demons are put to rest with their bodies. This is false. In fact, those demons remain above ground, and the burden of confronting them shifts from the victim to the people who survive the victim: immediate family, relatives, close friends. It becomes their obligation to contend with inherited evils, evils that can fester and breed even more dangerous offspring. Deliverance from these cosmically insidious forces can only occur if family and friends are able and willing to beat them back into submission.

To me, suicide seems to be onset by an ultimate and improperly treated dis-ease with living, either manifested through or caused by destruction of one’s own body and mind. Cause and effect are moot. The two co-exist in a state of destructive symbiosis, feeding off one another and fencing their victim in the domed circularity of their minds. They coerce their victims to forget their connections to other people and the investments others have made in them.
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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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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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It’s that time of year again. The 2010 Grammy Nominations just rolled in, and as we lay expectantly in the cut we can chalk up a few small victories for hip hop in the midst of this pop-dominated music world. Although Taylor Swift, Lady GaGa, Kings of Leon, Beyonce, Kanye West and many other mainstream-pop-centric (yup, I said it, that’s where Kanye lives now) artists received a large percentage of the nominations, a few nominations in particular should bring smiles to the faces of hip hop heads ’round the world. Hit the skip for the full list of the Grammy Nominations, plus the standouts.
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To wrap up the first weekend of the NFL, the Bills and Patriots will face off tonight on Monday Night Football. What a weekend it was: Adrian Peterson proved why he is THE big man on campus, Mark Sanchez impressed just about every ESPN analyst, and Drew ‘Playing Quarterback is a’ Brees was lights out. Tune in to ESPN tonight at 7pm for Tom Brady’s return to action. Hit the skip for Drake, Brother Ali, Phonte, and Sean Price.

KRS-One & Buckshot – Past Present Future ft. Melanie Fiona & Naledge (of Kidz in the Hall)
KRS-One is signed to Duck Down…which makes no sense artistically, but from an industry stand point it’s more understandable than it seems at first glance.

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Fashawn – Lost In New York
Saw the boy Fashawn at a Roots jam this summer in NYC, and he held it down.

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Raekwon ft. Jadakiss & Styles P – Broken Safety
Off OB4CLII. The Chef + D-Block reps = GOOD

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Ghostface Killah ft. Fabolous & Shareefa – Guest House
Ghostdini’s new album, The Wizard of Poetry, drops soon. Album artwork here.

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As I’m sitting in Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in North Carolina I thought it’d only be appropriate to do a quick post on Durham-based hip hop duo Little Brother. The group is comprised of emcees Big Pooh and Phonte, and have close ties to producer 9th Wonder, who was an official member of the group before leaving to pursue a solo career as a producer. North Carolina isn’t often considered a hip-hop hot spot, but with J. Cole comin up and several firmly established veterans (note: this does not include Petey Pablo), it’s possible that the Tar Heel state does hip-hop almost as well as they do college hoops. I don’t think we’ve ever mentioned Little Brother on this site before, so with all the attention we’ve been giving J.Cole, it’s only fair to spread the word about these hip-hop vets. Their latest mixtape Get Back to Basics (July ’09) is a great place to start if you’ve never heard these guys before. Peep the whole thing below:

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