“If you weren’t a part of it, at least you got to witness” One day (and a day, not very far off), Mr. Watts will be quoting Drake’s line from Forever to describe his own place in the game.  With the release of his birthday mixtape, entitled 24, DK steps into his grown-man shoes even more than on previous projects.

His subject matter is Rated M for Mature without being unrefined, which is what we have come to expect from the proud son of the DMV. Musically, his selections can most accurately be described as “experimental” (not the experimental genre, but that he experiments with different sounds than we are used to hearing from him). Watts tests out new lyrical styles with his faithful soul or jazzy samples, always careful to remain positive and expository. The truth about DK aka Wayne Watts is that he will never escape the posture of a teacher. Through and through, his goal appears to be personal development and passing the lessons of his own experience in generalizable ways to his listening audience.

The most exciting part about the mixtape inspired by the adventures of Jack Bauer is not what has remained consistent, but rather the things that we have not seen before. We are all accustomed to listening to the artist from “Run Route 1″ or from “Stop this Train”, but the personal reflection of “Left-Hander’s Anthem” or lyrical complexity of “24/7″ without losing the carefree attitude that rounds out his personality are what highlight the growth of DK as an artist. His departure from the cadence of his Slick Rick style for the major portions of the mixtape allows listeners to get a better view of the versatility of the birthday boy as well. The negative result of this departure will most likely prove to be the confusion of his long-time listeners in relation to his intended direction. The late 2009 version of Wayne Watts looks a little more like Will Smith met up with Wale, Drake, and Lupe for a makeover. He is simultaneously informative and positive, while remaining assertive and ambitious. The ability to express such range of thoughts with his uber-referential style will always develop into widespread appeal. He is the artist to look out for in DC/Maryland/Virginia area.

His grown-up talk, financial aspiration, and thematic changes even in storytelling give a snapshot of a 24 year old rapper who is ready to flex his muscles on the hip-hop game for those who have historically pigeon-holed his style.  The important thing to remember is that 24 is a mixtape. If this is the preview to the movie, my suggestion is to buy your tickets.

For more info on DK aka Wayne Watts: Follow him on Twitter

To Download 24: Click Here

A truthful survey of my opinion on the current hip-hop game’s climate around the time that Raekwon’s OB4CL2 came out would have included a treatise on the death of the “gangster lyric” in hip-hop. Make no mistake, it isn’t my belief that those lyrics are gone from the landscape, only that they have lost all of the minimal contact with the reality of the artist’s lives that they may have previously had. For as much as the studied observer of hip-hop music and culture may decry the general apostasy from the image and the styles that they’re used to, is it truly possible to deny the disconnect between lyrics and reality? It is the opinion of the writer that a person who has reached a certain age along with a certain level of success should show an appropriate shift in subject matter reflective of their state of being – then again, if you believe that the biggest drug kingpins in New York are 50 Cent, Cam’ron, and Raekwon this argument will continue to be lost on you. The point being, that no matter what a person used to do, the public expects an artist’s message to mature as time goes on and circumstances change.

To that point, Royce da 5’9 has consistently been a part of the hip-hop movement rooted in violence. Despite his highly developed method of delivery, his content has consistently held him back outside of Detroit (and at least partly) for that reason. However, it’s possible that his recent interactions with more lyrically genuine acts have provided the polish that his presentation needs as well as promoting him in markets and to fans that generally would not give his catalog too much consideration.

Street Hop, Royce’s latest project comes on the heels of the highly critically successful Slaughterhouse album of which he was a part. This album pulls out all of the stops with a mix some of the most popular and most venerated names being associated with production. Additionally, Mr. Montgomery is, lyrically, at the top of his game on this project not only with thought-out lines and verses but also entire songs that would seem to be the product of painstaking craftsmanship. In addition, he appears to have mastered the art of what could be called “the lyrical crossover” in which he leads one direction to get to his point with a mid-range metaphor, then switches back to a much more powerful one. (“I was hot before your first sh*t. Not your album, but before your mama potty trained ya”).

Even with that said, the lyrical high point of the album is the way in which Royce explains his role as a storyteller and does not claim to be the character from the movies that his songs portray. This refreshing bit of candor serves as the biographical apology which explains his role as associate to a street lifestyle which shares a mutual relationship of inspiration with the artist.

Despite its many high points, there are some disappointing aspects to this album as well. Street Hop has a distinctly non-Detroit sound and style (with the glaring exception of “Gangsta” ft. Trick Trick). From the producers that were chosen to the lyrics that he laid down, Royce doesn’t seem to have much of a connection left to his home city. This could have to do with the fact that he has lived on the road for the last year or so and has tasted the fruits of having a national fan base to a greater extent, but he must wonder at what cost these good things come. In terms of cadence, Royce has recently begun to slip into a style that listeners might recognize as distinctly “Joe Budden-esque” to the chagrin of the 5’9 faithful. Additionally, this album features the use of the recently popular Auto-Tune studio effect on “Thing For Your Girlfriend”. Despite being candid about his reasons for falling prey to the sensation, Royce is known as a member of rap’s old guard in many respects and will generally be expected to aim higher in terms of production as a close associate/friend of DJ Premier and as an artist from the city of the late J. Dilla.

Overall, the album will be remembered throughout history as one of the highest points of Royce da 5’9’s career as it garners respect from critics across the country. Additionally, it seems to have all of the necessary ingredients that it takes to be a SoundScan success as long as the promotion program was in place. Royce promised to bring us the “real Street Hop” at the end of The Revival EP and it’s safe to say the wait is over.

The Bottom Line: 8.5 of 10

SomeOne: Been rhyming/rapping since I was about 13 years old. Started taking music seriously at about the age of 19. The first music I put out was with a group called Mission Infinite back in 2000 (with Dash Eye, Eye Focus and DJ Evs) – been making music ever since, producing and rapping. I’m a part of a crew called Blah Tribe with an EP titled Blah Tribe Shamans getting ready to drop this winter on Dusty Ears Records.

– When you were trying to get into the rap world what was the process like for you?

SomeOne: In high school I linked up with a lot of like minded people who were into hip-hop music…that’s where I met L7 (Eye Focus). We chilled after school and one day we were just spitting rhymes back and forth and he asked me if I wanted to be in a group he was forming with Dash. Those two heads basically opened a lot of doors for me. Through them I met Mysteries Extinction (Blame, D-Voo, Sandy Lion, DJ Cro) Y-Test, MMW, Fallguy and many other people that were making moves in the North County hip-hop scene.

– Those connections helped with being known in certain circles; did those people also influence your style?

SomeOne: Not at all. I was rhyming the way I rhyme since before I knew any of these heads. I definitely try to be myself on the mic.

– Nice! So how would you describe your style?

SomeOne: Well – I’m from an era I guess where intricate lyrics and wordplay were what real, raw hip-hop was – at least to me. I always try to be that way in my rhymes. Always honest; I try to put my heart into everything I do.

– Who were the influential people of that era of lyricism and wordplay?

SomeOne: Das Efx was huge for me early on, Peplove, Del, Wu. I was also heavily influenced by De La Soul, LL Cool J, MC Hammer (gotta be honest), Slick Rick, A Tribe Called Quest, Mobb Deep, Nas, Blackalicious, Oldominion, Aceyalone and Abtract Rude.

– You do some of your own production as well, right?

SomeOne: I make beats and I have my own recording equipment, but anything I put out I do in the studio.

– Which do you spend the most time with?

SomeOne: Rhymes.

– Do you listen to your own music when you’re just riding around/hanging at home or do you stick to others’ music?

SomeOne: Mostly others. I get tired of my own music real quick.

– That’s honest – who do you listen to?

SomeOne: All kinds of stuff…right now in rotation I have Prolyphic and Reanimator, Jose Gonzalez, Radiohead “In Rainbows”, The Shins, Ben Harper.

– That’s a pretty broad spectrum. Do you think that the average hip-hopper has that broad of a listening scope?

SomeOne: It’s hard to say. When I was younger I strictly listened to hip-hop. I think I’ve become more open-minded as I’ve gotten older. I’ll probably say they don’t, but who knows.

– What does your average fan look like?

SomeOne: I think mainly heads around San Diego. My name isn’t really out there like that but I think mainly heads that are into Indie SD hip-hop. Hopefully spreading all over in the near future.

– Would you say that the scene in San Diego is more competitive or collaborative?

SomeOne: There is some collaboration for crews/artists in the same general area but there is a lot of competitiveness in hip-hop by nature. Battling is a part of the culture in all aspects – from Graffiti, to breaking to the music. I wish it were more collaborative than it is though. I mean, most of us are small fish in a big pond and we could benefit a lot more from helping each other out.

– In your opinion, how has hip-hop changed since you started listening/creating?

SomeOne: Well, it’s not all about just ripping the mic nowadays. Hip-hop is evolving and taking a lot of influence as well as mixing with all kinds of different genres of music. Artists are being more and more creative and I really like what I’m hearing. I think that a lot more people are catching on a lot of indie music and those artists can now get a lot more play and benefit from it and that’s very cool to see.

– Playing devil’s advocate: doesn’t it water down hip-hop to let it blend with other genres?

SomeOne: Well – we’ve sampled other genres ever since so I guess we’ve always used other genres in our music, but I think it’s a natural progression or evolution of the music (I still prefer that raw shit, though).

– What is your take on the internet and how it affects artists and music?

SomeOne: I think it’s huge as far as exposure goes it helps level the playing field. The negative to that is that music can be downloaded free and the artist gets screwed.

– What does San Diego need to do to create some notoriety in hip-hop on the national stage?

SomeOne: Good question! I think that each artist individually, if they want it bad enough, will obtain that. I think we just need to keep pushing, touring, (I think that’s a big thing), throw more shows, and collaborate more.

For More Info and Songs from SomeOne: Visit his MySpace profile and Dusty Ears Records

Take a few minutes out of your day and listen to the words of a hip-hop legend.

Today’s hip-hop landscape looks a lot like the lunchroom at an urban high school. What began as one thing, has grown into another, much bigger, more fractured thing altogether. While the casual observer might look at the rap genre as one thing, the more dedicated listener will note the distinct sub-categories that the music has to offer. Each category, while separate, will contain a bit of overlap for two reasons. First, each artist is influenced by the art of their contemporaries and predecessors. Secondly, what makes the product that each artist creates palatable for large audiences are the cords of similarity within the biographies of the entertainers and their fans. These shared experiences, stories, and viewpoints are the intangible elements that create the culture of hip-hop.

Here are the categories and their most notable figures:

• The “Cool” Kids
• The Gangsters/Soldiers
• The Kingpins
• The Outsiders and Weird Kids
• The Disciples

Click Here to keep reading “The Hip-Hop Lunchroom – Rap’s Five Emcee Categories.” Category explanations after the jump.

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” How did a quote from the Dark Knight end up in this rap review? Well as I sit and think about the Smile, the EP by A.K.A. , I think about the mountain that he has erected for himself to overcome with this first project. I think about the classic debut albums which we have seen in the game before this one that go on to represent an artist throughout his career as the unrepeatable height of their greatness. The passion, hunger, and connectedness to the artists roots that is present on albums like Doggystyle, Reasonable Doubt, Only Built for Cuban Linx, The Documentary, and the revered Illmatic come to mind when listening to this power-packed project set to be released on May 23^rd. With that said, the biggest question that remains is whether this artist will be able to repeat this offering the next time around.

In style and message however, A.ce K.ing A.pe is more like Kanye West than Raekwon, Game, or Nas as his biography, though not without hardship, did not include a lot of the once considered necessary aspects of a hip-hop history. In similarity to the early days of Mr. West, Terrence Boyd is a producer and rapper, keeping those lines separate by using the production moniker, Lipton. Under that assumed identity, Mr. Boyd produced his own album and did so without a fault. The tracks sound something like DJ Premier and Madlib got together to handle production and let Kanye choose the samples. In short, it is smooth and musical with soulful sampling and it does not overuse voices or cut up the original sounds beyond recognition. For a person hardly considered an industry insider, the production on this EP is masterful. Even as a 10 track beat-tape, Smile would be solid gold.

But the music is only the canvas on this project and the man that you will come to know as AKA makes art out of lyrics on his debut. Beginning with “Introducin’”, we make the acquaintance of the style and delivery Michigan’s native son and he guides us through his album with confidence and ease. His flow seems to follow the methodical style of a Scarface/Brother Ali hybrid with the voice of a young, more laid-back KRS-One. His lyrics are altogether without gimmick or the obligatory pop culture references to score quick points with lazy listeners. AKA is a storyteller who comes with straightforward and honest lyrics from his own experience. In the current climate for hip hop freshmen that we see today where candor is the new cool, this album finds a way to make swag out of optimism without sacrificing its need to be genuine.

The Good: This is a CD that you can actually listen to and enjoy without skipping tracks. The rarity of that alone is worth picking it up. The production is stellar and the lyrics are on point.

The Bad: My gripe with debut albums will always be the lack of collaboration and this album is no different. An artist will always run the risk of lulling the audience to sleep if there is nothing to break the monotony of his own voice.

On May 23rd, head over to AKA’s Website and pick up the new album!

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The second installment of the latest Cam’ron album, Crime Pays…

Crime pays intro – The classic Cam’ron sound is back. Unapologetic Cam extolling his achievements that began with Crime. Tells a story to explain his thought process regarding entering the criminal enterprise in New York. Treats the drug game like the only hope with clear thoughts and well explained sentences.

Cookin’ up- begins to actually tell the story. It’s like Purple Haze but grimy; Giving his street bona fides, not rap. He’s trying to prove that he was in the street and that he is still connected. Cam is either the premiere storyteller of his time or the most delusional man in New York, but I don’t know yet

Where I know you from – This song is more affirmation of his illegal star status and a lamentation of the freeloader culture when people realize that he is coming up. He has not allowed his production to mature at all, so Cam purists will be pleased but he should not retain any hope for garnering a new fan base. It’s almost unbecoming to see a person get that big and never set their sights any higher. Reminds me of a Jadakiss line from pain and torture: “What other rapper you know blew up and stayed dealin”

F*** Cam 1 – Works on the level of explaining how much he feels hated on the one side. This is classic Cam. On his previous albums he would showcase the most ridiculous of his critics with no response

Never Ever- Brings it back to the old days. It’s a grown up fantasy life over whimsical production. I appreciate the nostalgic feeling of this track. The organization of the album feels more like SDE than Purple Haze. He hasn’t mastered the art of staying in his wheelhouse but Crime Pays feels like starting over. Cameron needs to hang out with some more elevated lyricists unless he plans to really advertise his niche of mastering the late 80’s and early 90’s flow with the basic wordplay that everyone sees coming

Curve – Off the top of my head sounds like a blinded by the light sample. Just a throwaway track about girls that he is not interested in for whatever reason. He’s attempting to start a new slang or something. Talking slick and inventing street lingo is the tough guys equivalent to inventing a dance so there you go, Cam: Superman that

Silky (no homo) – This song is the internet darling which along with the Jadakiss feature has people excited about this album. This song wins the production award without a doubt. Sampling is never a bad thing in production…I think. He went with Groove me baby by King Floyd which got a lot of people who enjoyed quality music before the ringtone era existed, but I’m just happy that he didn’t disrespect the sample. I could see my Aunt Weasy and Uncle Grover cutting a mean rug to this song. Cam speeds up the flow to an almost Bun B type cadence so I guess he’s starting to wake up. His storytelling becomes a bit more vague and figurative. He seems to actually have fun with this track…so did I

Get it in Ohio – This song is what originally got me buzzing about this album. First track I was actually happy to hear from cam. Attempting to analyze whether it’s more like a guilty pleasure (a la Hi Hater) or more of a taste of good things to come from a focused drug game tour guide is yet to be seen. This song is perfect because it explores a subject that a lot of people know but most people are unaware of: The Midwest got hit with the drug game behind New York and they have a lot of the same stories that you know from NY kingpins in their streets but much later.

Who- Has a big sound. It’s something that you might expect from the 2006 dipset crew. Sounds like a Gregorian chant in the background. He asks the question who does all of these things and obviously the expected answer is Cam. Pretty cool gimmick. It works.

Grease skit – Why does he do these skits

You know what’s up- Sounds cool at first and then this wannabe Nate Dogg jumps on the track and ruins the beginning. Beyonce wannabe is bearable. I am definitely skipping this one from now on. He spits like one verse about some graphic sex acts…hmmm ok

Spend the Night – Sounds corny right from the get-go. A couple of cool wordplays but I can’t really handle the disgusting shit that he says to women, or his sing-rapping. What is that? You need to stop, Cam!

F*** Cam 2 – ??

Woohoo – Good to see his still does biz with some friends from back in the day. I honestly felt a little bad for him because he was forsaken by all of his friends! It’s a pretty classic Cam’ron sound and it actually seems like he’s having fun again

Chalupa – seriously? A song named after a meal at taco bell. Ok let’s get past it. I actually enjoyed cam’s flow in this song. Why did he wait so long to turn it on? This is tight. He’s actually winning on this one.

Cookies and apple juice – This is a sick beat, it’s enjoyable until the chorus. This girl is spittin’ too! She has flows. Cam is going in on this beat!

I hate my job – Cool piano on this beat. Cam is attempting to appeal to the common man and it works because for some reason I believe this more than the drug talk. It seems so natural, but not exactly what you would call hot in the streets

Homicide –The second half of this album, he is on his shit. I wish he would have just put out a 12 track album without the beginning part. He is starting to lose the whole nursery rhyme thing. l Good for you cam. But as this cadence, there is not wordplay and storytelling goes out the window. Give me both!

F*** cam 3???

Get it for cheap – Cam’s favorite producer. It’s basic, nothing special except that nobody else is really doing this sound right now. Again telling war stories, do we believe you or do you need more people?

Get it Get it – Sounds like Killa is trying to be self reflective and almost inspirational. But if you’re going to do that, actually address the issues that are actually occurring. Remember dipest??

Bottom of the P***y – Just a weird song. Sounds like a personal apology but this guy is being unnecessarily graphic. Did he something weird as a child that makes him act this way?

F*** Cam 4- This is getting ridiculous

Let’s talk about ft. Jadakiss – Straight fire! First rapper to talk about swine flu! Leave it to Jada to teach you how to end a CD. This album really works hard to redeem itself.

However, that rant aside, this album has some qualities that cannot be challenged on the basis of their biographical mendacity. The CD caters to Cam’ron purists who were originally captivated by the simplistic nursery rhyme flow and grimy subject matter for which Giles is known. Fortunately, Killa goes back to his production wheelhouse which utilizes very basic drum patterns and melodies. This allows the listener to focus on the words while this son of Harlem takes us through a day in his life. The production is solid (but not spectacular by any stretch), featuring highlights like “Silky”, “Who”, and “Woohoo”. Lyrically, the album is adequate but fails to WOW because it takes so long to get started like a train when you rev it up (or me in the morning). It is rare that you will hear me say this, but Crime Pays could have used a few well-placed guest spots from people who we actually enjoy listening to. I was proud that he actually attempted to do something introspective toward the end but it amounted to being too little, too late when viewed in comparison to the overarching theme.

Overall, this album falls short of Cam’s best work but in the light of his hit and miss career with albums, it is still tied for being his second best studio project. I would not expect it to blow anyone away in sales but it will likely serve to re-energize his music and pave the way for some very solid mixtape work.

Be on the lookout for Part II of this post, where we will provide a track by track analysis of the album.

The mixtape, set to be released on May 5th is a candid look at the life of an hungry young hip-hop hopeful with the perspective of a man who has been in the game for years. Nolan offers an open window into his life and the issues that he encounters daily, packaged in the warm sounds of Jazz and Soul samples. His lyrical style is reminiscent of a young Talib Kweli without the NY swagger and the wordplay of a Food & Liquor-esqe Lupe Fiasco. On top of that, Chasing Cool managed to corral a group of young producers under the idea of the late 90’s and early 2000’s neo-soul sound that seems to be his forte.

The first track eases you into what to expect during your listening session as Jamar freestyles off the top of his head and accepts the unpolished product of such an ambitious idea. The result is that he manages to land on a level of introspection generally reserved for the likes of Joe Budden and Eminem. From there, Nolan who hails from Atlanta, explores a distinctly Chicagoan sound as he raps over bass guitar driven melodies accompanied by soft piano and organ sounds. On “96″ which is the 4th track of the mixtape, we hear the lament of the loss of what hip hop sounded like a few years before the turn of the century (when the artist was still in elementary school!). He delivers the lines with such clarity of knowledge and impassioned sense of loss that one might think that he was there! “Nice guys finish last” and “3rd time’s a charm” showcase J’s ability to draw us in to his story and personality. The title track, “Chasing Cool” is an obvious nod to Lupe-inspired concept of coolness and it’s disconnect from reality. “Let it Go”,  “Motivation to Live”,  and “My Team Supreme” are the songs that feature the best of this artists lyrical abilities and (probably by no accident) some of the best beats as well.

The Good: Chasing Cool features J.Nolan at the top of his game with witty lines, level-headed social commentary, stylistic and thematic consistency, and fantastic production.  If you were a fan of hip-hop before the game got A.D.D. and every rapper had to make up a dance, then you will like this project

The Bad: Time will provide more polish to his game, but hopefully not water down his content. The skill is there, but it needs a little something. There is also a distinct lack of voices on Chasing Cool with only a couple of guest features.

Overall: The album is fresh, soulful, and musically solid. On May 5th, head over to J.Nolan’s MySpace profile to pick it up.