Am I going to a record store (huh?) on August 3rd to purchase Str8 Killa? Yes, yes I will. Did I stay up 'til 2:30 AM to download Str8 Killa No Filla? Yes, yes I did. Support! Download Str8 Killa No Filla @ XXL

BIG R.I.P. to a legend. Hip hop wouldn't be the same without Melvin Bliss' amazing breakbeat on "Synthetic Substitution." As a brief primer on the track's impact on hip hop and sampling, here's a collection of HHIR sample sets that feature "Synthetic Substitution":

A few months ago, as a prelude to the release of B.o.B's debut LP, I compiled a set of 36 tracks featured on The Tape Deck from '08 to '10. For this second go-round I thought I'd feature Gary, Indiana's own Freddie Gibbs, not because of his liner notes but because I promised I would, #beleedat. Gangsta Gibbs is prepped to drop his Str8 Killa EP on August 3rd. Prior to the release, XXL will also be providing fans with a promotional mixtape titled Str8 Killa No Filla, available for free download on July 29th.

But before all that, of course, we've got Freddie Gibbs: In The Tape Deck, another 36 track romp from an emcee you need to be listening to - in case you haven't been already. I myself like to adhere to the saying "don't believe the hype." It's saved me from plenty of let downs from false prophets. But though Gibbs is a darling of the blogosphere, I can't stress this enough: he reminds me of '99-'03 50 Cent, young Bun B, and above all, 2Pac - all rolled up in one. And you know me, I'm a 'Pac stan. So yeah... "believe the hype." Enjoy... and as always, turn it up!!

Music Analysis & Reporting:

Halftime Report: The Best Rap Albums and Songs of 2010 (So Far) by Rizoh

Bloggerhouse presents 75 Backpack Bangers (1994-2000) (Dart’s 25)

Bloggerhouse presents 75 Backpack Bangers (1994-2000, Eric’s Picks)

Bloggerhouse presents 75 Backpack Bangers (1994-2000, Trav’s Picks)

Congratulations, Rick Ross: A Nation of Music Critics Loves You Now by Amos Barshad

The Str8 Killa PSA by John Gotty

Talib Kweli and the demise of the conscious rapper by Mychal Smithy

Talib Kweli says he's not 'The Demise of the Conscious Rapper' by Talib Kweli

The new, improved Talib Kweli by Byron Crawford

How Long is Too Long to Wait? by Chris H.

Juggernaut, Wolverine, Rogue and Colossus by Danny Brown

Hip-Hop Is For The Kids by David D.

R&B – Hip Hop’s Better Half by Chris H.

Album of The Week: Poor Righteous Teachers-Holy Intellect 1990 by Jaz

The 25 Greatest Boot Camp Clik Songs Of All Time by Andrew Noz

How To Get Your Mom Into Rap: A Guide to Sharing Elderly Contemporary Hip Hop Music by TAN

Welcome to Death Row by Danj!

The D-O-Double-G by Danj!

Have we been fooled by Curren$y? by Chris H.

How the Looming Specter of Viral Marketing Ruins Rap Songs About Consumer Goods by Willy Staley

Bitter, old music critic goes 2 Pitchfork Festival, pans Panda Bear, questions P4k’s brand by The Alt Report Robot

Last Night: Trae Day At Northwest Mall by Rizoh

Foe tha Love of $ by Byron Crawford

Chart Watch Extra: When Pop Meets Rap by Paul Grein

Double Time and Double Talk by Jeff Weiss

Top 10 Rap Covers By Non-Rap Artists by Rizoh

Beatmakers and Trade Secrets: Shop-Talk Elevates the Beatmaking Art Form and Tradition by Amir Said

Can You Beat The Clock?: How Long It Takes to Develop a Strong Skill for Beatmaking Depends on a Number of Key Factors by Amir Said

NORE's Notable Quotables by Robbie

A Project Where An Artist Works With One Producer? Hmm by Adam Fleischer

I’ve Got The Blues… by Dallas Penn

Chronic samples: The collected source material for Dr. Dre's opus by Jeff Weiss

Chronic summer heat: It’s about that time (like we always do) to revisit Dr. Dre’s summertime joint the Chronic by Jason Keller

Album Reviews:

What’s New In Dart’s iPod #19 AKA Delayed Reaction by Dart Adams

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty by Zach Cole

Rick Ross - Teflon Don by Jeff Weiss

Rick Ross - Teflon Don by Jayson Greene

Rick Ross - Teflon Don by Edwin Ortiz

Black Sheep - From the Black Pool of Genius by Nicholas Candiotto

Rakaa - Crown of Thorns by Remco Samaun

Paul Wall - Heart of a Champion by Sean Ryon

Godfather Don - Donnie Brasco by Michael Sheehan

Stat Quo - Statlanta by Slava Kuperstein

Trina - Amazin' by TC

Kele - The Boxer by Arika Dean

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 by Brian Hodge

Stars - The Five Ghosts by Marzelle Addy

Kenan Bell - Until the Future by Paul Christiansen

Profiles & Interviews:

Speak Ya Clout: Prince Paul on Montezuma's Revenege Part 1; Part 2 by DJ SORCE-1

Interview With Exile by J to the AAP

Artist Spotlight: Emmanuel Jal by Rizoh

First Interview with LA DJ Kutmah after His Controversial Deportation by Jeff Weiss

WTF/Comedy:

How to see a pr0n chick in person for free by Byron Crawford

Sarah Palin compares herself to William Shakespeare by Blue Gal

Gizmodo’s Right: You Should Stalk a Sexy Black Girl on Twitter by Sherri L. Smith

Politics:

These Are Our Heroes by Joey

Breitbart's Back: The man behind the Shirley Sherrod shakeup by Christopher Beam

Here's something you may not know about me: I'm a fan of the Alien film franchise. Big fan. To call myself a sci-fi geek would be laughable ('cause I'm not), but there's something about those films - particularly the first two - that always intrigued me to the point of fanboy status (*holds breath until Ridley Scott's prequel hits the big screen*). I was born in 1987, so it's not like I've got some sort of childhood attachment to the film (like I do with, say, Toy Story or the Child's Play series - yeah, my mind was warped at a young age). But when I think back to that time, some of the memories I cherish most are Super Nintendo games, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Nickelodeon shows, and yes, amongst many other things, those god-damned Mentos commercials. That ridiculously lame yet ridiculously catchy tune managed to burrow its way into my brain like a tick (speaking of which, The Tick was awesome, too). And I've got to be honest with you: as an adult, the humor in those commercials seems funnier than ever. The notion that Mentos can rescue you from any of life's predicaments, to me, is fucking hilarious. Still. Many companies have employed the same advertising formula for their products. None have reached Mentos' cult status. And with that, I present to you a mash-up of 80s and 90s nostalgia: "Aliens: Mentos Commercial". What compelled me to do this, you ask? Lack of rest, perhaps (try it some time - you'll be amazed by what a sleep-deprived mind can do). Truthfully, I was inspired by the following series of like-minded YouTube clips: Terminator 2 Mentos Commercial; House M.D. - Mentos; Saw - Mentos Commercial; Scarface Mentos Commercial. Enjoy!

Released just months after L.A.'s infamous '92 riots, The Chronic envisioned a rebirth - rising from the ashes, g-funk-blasting from every direction. For just as the riots woke and shook up Middle America to the ills that plague the hoods of the nation (again), The Chronic struck a chord in the hip hop community. Dr. Dre, along with his sidekick Snoop Dogg and a gang of cohorts and henchmen, gave the East Coast a run for their money. And what do you know, they effectively snatched up the crown and usurped the East's thrown of rap prominence and regional dominance. Dre may or may not have been the originator of g-funk, but he was certainly the sub-genre's foremost representative. The Chronic is an important album not just for its near-flawless material, but for the cultural shift it helped to create, giving legs to the West Coast, now sturdy enough to go toe-to-toe with the East. In the end, it was the South which benefited most from the East Coast/West Coast wars, but that's a story for another day. Ironically enough, The Chronic, so divested in giving the West Coast a respectable name for itself, is riddled with shots aimed at fellow emcees, most specifically towards Dre's fellow Compton native and former N.W.A. co-member Eazy-E. Like Gil Scott-Heron would sing, "home is where the hatred is." What could be closer to the truth? Amidst L.A.'s ball games, barbecue cook-outs, and block parties lies a drive-by shooter lurking in the corner, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.


In its description of Snoop and Dre's "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," the website RapGenius notes a difference between the perception of the word "gangster" amongst East and West Coast audiences and participants: "Although on the East Coast, gangster references usually indicate a violent persona, West Coast rappers are more apt to use “G” to describe a relaxed, laid-back captain of industry." Introducing raw and violent lyrics over smooth and enjoyable beats, The Chronic helped to solidify rap's place in the arena of popular music. Music writers have argued that this album in particular effectively prompted an influx of white fans into the wider hip hop audience. Dr. Dre, motherfuckers!


In my short write-up on the Doggystyle sample set, I mentioned that while I enjoy that album more overall, The Chronic takes the cake in terms of cohesion, stylistic innovation and cultural significance. At the end of the day though, it's safe to say that these albums simply belong together... and so do the sample sets! There's a fair amount of overlap between the two sets. Gylan Kain's frequently-sampled "like we always do about this time" snippet off "The Shalimar" makes an early entrance once again, as do a slew of staple g-funk source material provided by Parliament, Funkadelic and all things George Clinton. Want my suggestion? Scoop up both of the sample sets, throw them into your playlist on shuffle and just kick back for six and a half hours. Yeah, that much. Enjoy! And as always... blaze it turn it up!

Music Analysis & Reporting:

The 75 Greatest Tunnel Bangers by Cipha Sounds

10 Best Rap Albums of 2010 (So Far) by Rizoh

Things I Learned from Diddy at Peter Rosenberg’s “Noisemakers” by Paul J. Cantor

Hood Passes and Left Feet by Jeff Weiss

Ya’ll Need a Time Out by ClassicMaterial

The New Style of Simile is Dope—Idiot by Adam Fleischer

15 Years Of Duck Down: Boot Camp Clik's Cycle Of Greatness by 'DX Staff'

Why Lil Wayne's Grammy 'Album of the Year' Near Win Is Still a Good Thing by Amir Said

Rambling by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Rambling, Cont. by Ta-Nehisi Coates

When Did We First ‘Rock the Mic’? by Ben Zimmer

The Devil Wears Rocawear by Byron Crawford

What Happened To The Tunnel Banger? by Meka

George Clinton, We Want You Back by Harriette Cole

Diplo goes “on record”, calls M.I.A. a lazy, rich, careless human being

The Maturation of Hip Hop by ClassicMaterial

Historic Histrionics by Noz

Bun B, "Let 'Em Know," And Aging In Rap by Dave Bry

I Love The ’90s Pt. II: 1994 Pt. II by Eric

Chico Dusty would be so disappointed by Byron Crawford

Hip-Hop History: Oakland Rap's Early Years by Billy Jam

RIP Bawse by Joey

The Best Bawse That We've Heard Thus Far by Joey

Hip-Hop Word Count: Visualized by TAN

J Cole a.k.a Therapist by HL

Group Therapy, Pt. 2 by DANJ!

M.I.A. Returns, With A Darker, Harder 'Maya' by Oliver Wang

The Lost Age of the Full Album Experience by Adam Fleischer

King of the beach by Byron Crawford

She & Him's M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel pick their musical love letters to California by Todd Martens

Week 38: Waylon Jennings, Nashville Rebel by Nathan Rabin

Album Reviews:

Eminem - Recovery by Craig Jenkins

Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report 2 by Amanda Bassa

Curren$y - Pilot Talk by Luke Gibson

Black Sheep - From the Black Pool of Genius by Andres Vasquez

Marco Polo - The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo by Marcus Moore

Eternia & MoSS - At Last by Fred Castano

Juvenile - Beast Mode by Andres Vasquez

M.I.A. - /\/\/\Y/\ by Matthew Perpetua

M.I.A. - /\/\/\Y/\ by Kathy Iandoli

Kelis - Flesh Tone by Luke Gibson

Viernes - Sinister Devices by Erik Stabile

Profiles & Interviews:

The Self-Made MC: How Freddie Gibbs went from pimp to Pitchfork by Miles Raymer

Everything You Think You Know About Mike Tyson Is Wrong by Ivan Solotaroff

Food for Thought: Conversations with Ice Cube

These Are Our Heroes: Greg Nice by Jake Paine

Old To The New Q&A – NYOIL by Ryan Proctor

RTD Interview: Tamara Ramos by Khal

Grand Daddy I.U. - The Unkut Interview by Robbie

I've Got Rent and Bills to Pay: An Interview with Willie Green by Zach Cole

WTF/Comedy:

Philosophy of Beauty: Is Natasha Leggero the Fergie of Comedy? by Tan

Some Universal Truths About Men And Women by Panama Jackson

Great Job, Internet! Digital drugs through headphones, OMG! by Alessandra Calderin

‘Not a word’ is not an argument by Stan Carey

Obituary:

R.I.P. Trouble T-Roy: Family & Friends Still Reminisce 20 Years Later

Harvey Fuqua: The Undersung Legend by Oliver Wang

R.I.P. reggae and dancehall pioneer Sugar Minott by Sean O'Neal

RIP, Vernon J. Baker by T. Rees Shapiro

Harvey Comics by Phil Nugent

Bop City (in Memoriam Harvey Pekar) by Joe Sarno