Hodgy Beats Recommendation

Note: I'm taking a break from my two biggest ongoing projects, A Short Guide to MF Grimm and A Short Guide to Wu-Tang Clan right now before launching into my next plan, where I go over some terrific hip hop concept albums (full-on concept albums at that, not just the ones following a concept so loose you wouldn't even notice it).

This is a short post with a very specific recommendation. Now I'm not too huge on Odd Future on account of Tyler the Creator (whose rape lyrics aren't shocking and offensive so much as just tiresome and completely useless), but I did receive a recommendation recently to check out Hodgy Beats' Untitled EP (2012). I gave it a listen and actually found it really cool. This boy can rap, and the production picked is fantastic. Topically he deals with drug addiction, shitty life choices, etc. I should also point out that life would probably be better for these cats if not every woman was a hoe and a bitch, but CLEARLY it's ALL the fault of the woman, and not at all the men who beat/rape/murder them. HMPH. In any case this is well worth your time, and you'll be happy to know that it's free on the Odd Future website! As always the link is included. :)

If you want a particular track recommendation, you gotta check "In a Dream," that shit really speaks to me.

http://www.oddfuture.com/collections/music/products/hodgy-beats-untitled-ep-1

MF Woolly, free album! - Operation Chrome & Ivory

Here's something neat.

MF Woolly is a hip hop duo consisting of T-Woolly (aka Granddad Woolly) and MF DOOM. DOOM handles the beats, T-Woolly takes care of the rhymes. The end project, called Operation: Chrome & Ivory (originally released 2009) ended up being pretty fantastic. Apparently no one cared, and no one listened to it. That was awfully silly of them, wasn't it! Well, recognizing this, T-Woolly very generously decided to (two days ago) give it away for free on his website with two bonus tracks (link included at the bottom). That was awfully nice of him, wasn't it!

I should also mention that despite hearing some of these beats quite regularly on different albums this is one of my favourite DOOM collaborations. T-Woolly is a fantastic rapper, and he basically carries the album from start to finish over some fantastic production choices.

http://granddadwoolly.bandcamp.com/album/the-granddad-presents-mf-woolly-chrome-ivory-5-year-anniversary-edition

Did I also remember to mention that this album is actually fantastic? Because that should be remembered.

20 Years, BIIIIIATCHH!!!

Doggystyle turns 20 today! Snoop's best album without contest should be given proper worship with gin and juice, a fat sack of chronic bud and the music that inspired it so greatly (and is featured on the album).

Here's the video of DJ Snoopadelic and Daz Dillinger (Dat Nigga Daz in '93) promoting the mixtape of the samples he incorporated in the album:

And here is a link to download the mixtape (unfortunately only one track so far, working to fix that). If you're anything like me then you've already listened to these songs hundreds of times before, probably even before listening to Snoop Doggy Dogg. DJ Snoopadelic's presence isn't unwelcome at all though, it's an awesome addition.

Doggystyle 20th Anniversary Samples Mixtape

Much love to Snoop for putting together an album as great as Doggystyle, and much love for putting together this video and the mixtape!

O.G., O.G.

Today I've been listening to the "O.G. version" of Ready to Die:

Some of the tracks are exactly the same ("Things Done Changed"). Some of them aren't as good ("Me & My Bitch"). Some are just a bit different ("The What"). There are even some songs that didn't make the final cut at all ("Whatchu Want," "Come On," etc.). You can hear the original Pete Rock version of "Juicy," you know, the one they didn't talk about in that filthy pile of lies called "Notorious." The most exciting change for me is the uncensored version of "Gimme the Loot," which has never before seen the light of day. For some shitty reason, Puffy felt that pregnant women being robbed is somehow worse than other people being robbed, so that word got cut. The other censored word is "strangled," because somehow being strangled for your bangles and earrings is worse than being shot for them. The bottom line is that these words never should have been censored (it sounds like your disc is damaged) and Puffy is a stupid asshole. Which isn't news to anyone, or it shouldn't be.

If you're so inclined, you can go to this webpage and hit up the link to get a free download of it.