The Audacity of Dope

Like any sane individual, I didn’t watch the BET Awards and I knew that anything worth seeing would pop up online later.  Sure enough, the video that had Twitter going crazy and everyone professing their love for Eminem is here in all its explicit glory.

Em’s verse is bananas and it’s funny to hear him rhyme over East Flatbush Project’s “Tried By 12” beat almost 15 years after he was killing the Rap Olympics over similar records, but like any moment that gets SO much hype…I just instinctively have a little bit of a “meh” reaction.  Don’t get me wrong, every rapper here is dope and spits crazy, but there’s just so many bars upon bars upon bars upon bars for me.  I would have spazzed about this in 2000, but now, it’s cool…plus, it’s a great look for lyrics to actually be highlighted on a network like BET.

Well done 2.0 Boys.

SebastiAn – “Embody,” directed by the always excellent So Me.  There’s a dope DJ Premier remix too, but you’ll have to search the GoogleWebs to find the mp3…

*pops and locks out of the post*

Mitch: I mean lets be real here, these cyphers are the only reason any of us even acknowledge the BET Awards. And hands down the best had to go to Kanye and his G.O.O.D. Music soldiers.

Soon after posting up last week’s SNSS on the blog, I heard the unfortunate news that the legendary Guru passed away.  While the circumstances surrounding his coma and battle with cancer have been strange, suspicious, and possibly manipulated by his business partner Solar, enough has already been written and gossiped about on that front.  Unless some new information comes to light, I’m leaving all that to the parties involved.

What I will hold on to instead is the incredible amount of quality work that Guru left us, both as a part of Gang Starr and with his Jazzmatazz projects.  No, he wasn’t the best MC bar for bar and people seemed to either love or hate the monotone voice, but his contribution to this music and culture is one that few rappers will ever equal.  Guru didn’t just talk the talk in his rhymes: he was a living embodiment of hip-hop, both the positive and negative aspects (like all great artists).  He wasn’t a perfect man, as some in the Seattle hip-hop community can personally attest to, but ultimately, I’ll remember him for his classic records and constant effort to promote positivity in his music.

There have been plenty of great tributes to Guru already, but we wanted to pay our respect by dedicating the entire SNSS episode to him this week.  We had about 400 records we wanted to play, ranging from the early Gang Starr stuff to Jazzmatazz to guest spots and b-sides, but we just ran through them live and picked ’em along with our listeners as we went.  We also dropped in a few snippets from our last interview with Guru in 2007.  Shout to the entire Elam family, the Gang Starr Foundation, and 7 Grand Records.  Enjoy the music and RIP to Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal…

Show #256 (4-25-10)
RIP Guru Tribute

1. Gang Starr – “You Know My Steez”
2. Gang Starr – “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight”
3. Gang Starr – “Ex Girl To The Next Girl”
4. Gang Starr – “Work”
5. Gang Starr – “The ? Remainz”
6. Gang Starr ft. Nice & Smooth – “DWYCK”
7. Gang Starr – “Step In The Arena”
8. Gang Starr – “Conspiracy”
9. Gang Starr ft. Inspectah Deck – “Above The Clouds”
10. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep”
11. Gang Starr – “Soliloquy Of Chaos”
12. Gang Starr – “Mass Appeal”
13. Gang Starr – “Full Clip”
14. Gang Starr – “JFK 2 LAX”
15. Gang Starr – “Skills”
16. Gang Starr – “Manifest (Remix)”
17. Guru ft. Jay Dee & Bilal – “Certified”
18. **INTERVIEW WITH GURU (7-24-07) (SNIPPET) #01**
19. Gang Starr ft. Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx – “The Milita”
20. Gang Starr ft. K-Ci & JoJo – “Royalty”
21. Gang Starr – “Code Of The Streets (Kenny Dope Mix)”
22. **INTERVIEW WITH GURU (7-24-07) (SNIPPET) #02**
23. Gang Starr – “In Memory Of”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?witiy2igvmz
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/754311037e24d58f/)
(2nd back up – http://usershare.net/yx88e5nfhqpk)

If there are any problems with the links or if you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

Nothing spectacular, but I dig this track and video from Blaq Poet and DJ Premier.  You could easily tell me this was from ’99 and I wouldn’t think twice.  Great use of Akon’s vocals…woah, never thought I’d say that.

Video swiped from OnSmash.

Have Royce and Premier ever combined for a bad, or even mediocre, song?  Nope!  This is another banger, though I think it might be the first collaboration of theirs without the signature Preem cuts in the hook.  No matter, it’s still a great beat and Royce kills it with some more introspective lyrics that remind me of his Death Is Certain days.  Shout to Rik Cordero for yet another dope video too.

Hmm, my first ever unaccredited WLotD.  I don’t know who DJ Premier used for the cuts on the new Black Milk song, “The Matrix,” but one of the lines is absolutely horrible:

“You’re in my danger field like Rodney”
–????, scratches from Black Milk’s “The Matrix”

Anyone know who’s responsible for this wackness?  He must be brought to justice.