Benz and a Backpack

The 330′s finest dropped his highly anticipated mixtape Savage Journey to the American Dream. As I’ve said before,  I was a little skeptical when I found out Stalley signed to Maybach Music Group. His feature on the Rich Forever mixtape helped clear things up, but he still has a lot to prove.Rick Ross is a major league player and I’m anxious to see if Stalley can make the jump to the big-leagues without losing his ism. I don’t think he would compromise his principles unless he felt like it was for the best, so I’m coming into it with an open mind. It’s produced almost exclusively by Block Beataz, and if you heard that track they did with G-side I posted a few weeks back, you’ll realize that these dudes mean business. I’ll give the full scoop when I get a chance!

Hit the skip for the Download link and the tracklist! Read the rest of this entry →

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Say what you want about G-Side. Personally, I ain’t too impressed, but their new-school trap music does seem to mesh well with Stalley. The duo works very closely with Block Beataz, a production team from just outside of Huntsville, Alabama made up of Mali Boi and CP. They bring that clean, yet hard hitting sound that’s hard to ignore. Somebody send Curren$y this track! (seriously). Block Beataz aside, Stalley’s verse is off the damn hook. Pumped to see what he has on deck.

Hit the skip for some more gab and goodies.

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I am one of Stalley‘s biggest fans. For one thing, the dude appreciates a clean sound. Further, his honest lyricism and raw flow consistently make up for his lack of commercial appeal. While some in today’s rap race chase exorbitant wealth, Stalley represents an interesting new wave of hip-hop artists. Artist’s who rap to make a living. This isn’t to say they’re lazy. Stalley does his job and he does it well. I mean that he’s happy with some stainless steel appliances and a nice flat screen. The man doesn’t need dinosaur eggs (see: Chappelle Show skit) or to have a waterfall in his crib to enjoy himself.

One thing that really stood out to me in “Go On” was the American flag draped across his wall. The guy appreciates the opportunities his country has afforded him and as far I’m concerned he’s living the American Dream. He’s sitting comfortably and doing what he loves. For that I salute him.

Enjoy the video and catch the link to cop Lincoln Way Nights after the skip! Read the rest of this entry →

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It’s hard to get excited for award shows nowadays. They are usually long and boring affairs that allow musicians, actors and creatives alike to fill their shelves with trophies like a little league baseball player and further validate what they charge for their time. While my friends and I weren’t exactly “hyped” to catch the VMA’s last night, we we left our friends cozy Murray Hill apartment surprised and satisfied.

Between making trashy yet engaging reality TV shows and some music-related content on the side, MTV’s greatest talent is the creation of cultural moments, and the VMA’s have become the prized asset in their production. Their pinnacle award show has broken new artists, appropriately tributed legends and showcased the best in made-for-TV performances. The archives are full of personal favorites, but in case you missed the show last night, here are some of the moments we will celebrate for weeks, months and possibly years from now:

The Performances:

Jay-Z and Kanye West perform “Otis” with a live performance inspired by Spike Jonze’s direction for the video.

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BenzAndABackpack and Coast2CoastMixtapes present the good homie CR The Beast’s latest work, a remix album of Araab Muzik’s recent LP Electronic Dream. CR is well-known as one of New England’s top live DJs, but he has also garnered recognition for his interesting concept mixtapes. This go round, CR took music from the Top 40 (Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn) and mixed them with his fellow Rhode Island-native Araab Muzik’s spacey Electronic Dream instrumentals. The combination is pretty cool.

Stream a few of the songs below, then hit the skip for the full tracklist and download.

Araab Muzik – Electronic Dream LP (Remixed by CR The Beast) by BenzAndABackpack5

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“We ain’t sending beats, we ain’t emailing beats. That’s how we gon start at least, but when it’s time to go in I’m coming to your spot.”

Earlier this year The Alchemist was on the boards for Rick Ross and Meek Mill’s single “Perfectionists,” a staple around these parts for a little while after it dropped. If that track is any indication of what a Ross X Alchemist collaboration will be like, we have a lot to look forward to.
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The buzz surrounding Massillon, Ohio’s own Stalley is enormous right now. In the wake of a wholly positive response to Lincoln Way Nights, his most recent (and still free!) mixtape, Stalley made another round of headlines earlier this week when he purportedly signed to Rick Ross’ Mayback Music Group. The rumor was all but confirmed two days ago when Ricky appeared on the remix of the title track off Stalley’s Lincoln Way Nights.

If it is what it seems, Stalley adds breadth to MMG’s roster, bringing substantial lyrical depth and a notable dedication to speaking the truth through his music (ironic, isn’t it?). No matter how you look at it, Stalley is comfortably situated in a powerful position. With a show coming up in Providence on May 7th at Industry (formerly Jerky’s), Clutch and I caught up with Stalley to talk firsthand about Creative Control splitting from DD172, keen advice for aspiring beard growers, and the possibility of collaborating with Bruce Springsteen. Hit the skip for the full interview plus a download for the remix to “Lincoln Way Nights.”

Stalley ft. Rick Ross – Lincoln Way Nights (Remix) by BenzAndABackpack6

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As I went back through my iTunes, these are the albums I found myself listening to the most, and generally from top to bottom. You’ll notice KanYe’s album is missing from my list. While I absolutely love (and have dissected) a lot of the music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I find myself too often having to tune out the lyrics in order to focus on the music. As such, the album has very little replay value for me. By contrast, Doss & Hir-O (who recently got a nod from K-Nott) crafted, to me, one of the most sonically innovative and timely albums in recent memory. If you don’t already have Computer B!ue, make sure you grab it (for free) right here.

Honorable Mention: Freeway & Jake One – Stimulus Package (Rhymesayers)

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We’ve had these last couple best-of lists waiting in the wings for a while, but major events have gotten in the way of us finishing them up. Here they go, starting with Clutch’s Top 10 Albums, and if you haven’t heard some of these make sure you listen pronto.

10. Aloe Blacc – Good Things (Stones Throw)

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In case you haven’t been keeping up, here is the full compilation, with a track list and D/L after the jump. The artwork has all been from celebrated hip-hop photographer Mike Schreiber, who recently dropped a collection of his favorite hip-hop pictures called True Hip-Hop (available via Amazon.com). Each of his pictures captures some fundamental element of hip-hop: Biz’s playfulness, Nas’ cerebral disposition, Mos’ introverted artistry, Meth’s larger-than-life persona. The release of Mike’s anthology in 2010 is just one of the reasons it was such a wonderful year for hip-hop. Here’s to an even better 2011!

Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 5]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 4]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 3]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 2]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 1]
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Juan Deuce #2 through Roc Marciano, with representatives from the DMV, Detroit, and T Dot. Includes R&B crooner Miguel, a re-established Lloyd Banks, plus Johnny Blaze, Tony Starks, and Lex Diamonds.

Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 3]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 2]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 1]
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We will not be posting this video. Not only does it not make sense, it’s gratuitous and meaningless in its misogyny and violence. The real question is: who does it appeal to?

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