...one of these people don't belong...

So I’ve been a little quiet lately. That’s mainly because my mom taught me a long time ago that if I have nothing nice to say, then I should refrain from speaking. It should be a golden rule somewhere. However, lately… things have just been getting a little ridiculous, especially since the unveiling of the 10 Freshman for 2010 via XXL.

So I’m going to try to not turn this into a bashing of OJ Da Juiceman because I’ve heard worse rappers than him. Granted, all of those rappers aren’t SIGNED to a deal, and I think compared to him, Bizarre of D-12’s a lyrical monster, but hey…

I’d rather question the motive behind XXL’s selection methods when picking their freshmen for the year. I know it’s a little late to comment on this, but I purposely waited until I heard SOMETHING from each rapper on the list in order to give all of them a chance to prove themselves. Luckily DJ Whoo Kid released a mixtape that satisfied my needs on that. I listened to the whole thing, and I can somehow see how all of the artists are on there, save for two (one being OJ Da Juiceman).

…And my opinion hasn’t changed. At all. I do not get it.

I still don’t see how XXL could pick OJ Da Juiceman to be on this list. I feel like there were others that could’ve been picked that were more deserving. Like I alluded to up top, each person I like/dislike to an extent, but I can understand why each one was featured. All of that understanding I had stopped dead when OJ was announced via his freestyle video.

Shock value? Yeah. Deserving? Maybe. Depends on the standards. If it counts to be the right hand man of Gucci, then it’s extremely deserved, but if that’s the case then I’d think Wacka Flocka Flame should be in it. As far as buzz and lyrics (which I’m informed that Flocka says he doesn’t have…no kidding…had no idea on that one…), Flocka’s (arguably, and for lack of a more descriptive term) better.

So I think it falls back into the questioning of the selection process. If MTV.com can disclose why Eminem was snubbed earlier last year concerning being one of the 10 hottest MCs in the game, then I feel a magazine as credible as XXL can at least tell us HOW and WHY certain artists were snubbed. I’d love for a full disclosure of their selection process, just so this could make sense to me.

That is, unless they’re embarrassed. But hey…that’s just my opinion…

Later.

K1ng Eljay

The Binge Vol. 3 drops next week!

Download: Tony Williams – Finding Dakota Grey

Chris Brown's new mixtape with DJ Drama's less than spectacular, but it's not BAD.

More Hits… No Pun Intended…

Chris Brown is back with another mixtape. Neatly entitled “In My Zone (Rhythm and Streets)”, C.B.’s switch-hitting (pause) and trying his hand at singing and rapping this time. If you’ve been kind of following the guy, you know that since the whole “GET OUTTA MY LAMBORGHINI” situation he’s dropped a couple of nice freestyles online, one particularly with Rock City. Regardless, he’s back with a mixtape showing off his talents.

Although the mixtape will appeal to girls for the most part, it’s some nice tracks on here that guys can rock to as well. His lyrical skills aren’t bad, as you can hear when he tackles Yo Gotti’s “Numbers Don’t Lie,” and I’m pretty sure there will be sone guys that can relate completely to some of his more explicit tracks…which I’m not going to name. Just know it’s a remix to Trey Songz “Invented Sex”…

Yeah, Chris is a little R-Rated now all of a sudden. You think that’s where Rihanna got the name from for her album? Hmm…

C.B. shows off his song-writing skills as well on tracks like “Perfume” and… Wait for it… “Sex.” Yeah…there’s a theme here…

Regardless of the “Parental Advisory: Explicit Content” label that should be slapped before each track on here, the mixtape is only average at best. It shows off what C.B. can do, but for the most part, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. Yes, Chris can rap, but it’s nothing mind-blowing to me. It adds another dimension to his music, yes, but until there’s substance, then there’s no use.

It never helps when Soulja Boy is featured on a song as well……..

This is just average.

Eljay’s Favorites

• “Don’t Lie”
• “Say Aah” feat. T. Breezy
• “Perfume” feat. Rich Girl
• “T.Y.A.”

Evening entertainment anyone? MC Puff N Stuff…

lol.

Truthfully, I felt like hearing something stupid, that made fun of like every rapper I could think of and all the DJs that scream over tracks..

And I found this.

No words. New content later. LOL.

K1ng Eljay

Regardless of what you think of HIM personally, he has fun doing music. You can just tell. That's a good look.

K1ng Eljay - Looks like T-Pain’s been making moves quietly, assembling him a squad that could do some considerable damage as far as record sales within the next couple of years. The All-Star Squad (according to T-Pain at least) consists of Young Ca$h, Sophia Fresh, Travis McCoy (of Gym Class Heroes), Tay Dizm, One Chance, and newly recruited female lyrical monster Shawnna.

If you’re thinking that Shawnna’s with DTP, you’d be incorrect. Turns out, something happened and now she’s with the Nappy Boy umbrella. The interesting thing about this mixtape is that on a couple of songs, Shawnna seems to take a couple of really slick shots at her former labelmate/boss with lines like “Yeah, them hatin *ss n*ggas threw a curve ball… but I threw it right back” followed by a laugh that sounds EXTREMELY SIMILAR to the way Ludacris laughed in his song “Everybody With Me” that was on HIS Conjure Cognac mixtape that I actually reviewed earlier.

Not to mention in the intro song she says “Now I’m down with Nappy Boy, nah I ain’t with ‘dude’ and them / Oops, wait a minute, I hope you ain’t offended…”

HMMM…

REGARDLESS of the story right there, this mixtape will give you a feel for what talent (or lack of) T-Pain has assembled. Travis McCoy and Shawnna seems to be the purest hope for hip-hop out of the group, Sophia Fresh is catering to the women/club songs that are the thing on the radio, and T-Pain is (of course) STILL on his Jack-of-all-trades grind.

I shouldn’t be surprised, but Pain is a better rapper than singer. Every song he’s featured rapping on, he completely kills. ESPECIALLY The One Chance track “Get Off Me”. His punchlines on that particular song was just hilariously animated and clever (“They say P’s been havin’ a ball, you’d think I’d have the same logo as the Pacers”).

Solidly mixed and blended, ad surprisingly cosigned by Adult Swim (seriously), if you’re interested in any of it, check out the mixtape. It’s not as bad as people make it out to be, and it’ll give you a feel for the stable of artists that Pain’s got coming soon…whether you like it or not…

Eljay’s Favorites

• “Left Hand Girl” (T-Pain and Travis McCoy)
• “Forever” NB Remix (T-Pain and Young Ca$h)
• “Get Off Me” (One Chance and T-Pain) (note: T-PAIN’S KILLED HIS VERSE…)
• “Nappy Boy” (Shawnna and T-Pain)

(Download It Here)

Just in case you thought I was misguided about the cosign...check the bottom... IS THAT AN ADULT SWIM LOGO??? Yes. Told you.

Laws. Cosigned by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Don Cannon. That's two HUGE co-signs...

K1ng Eljay - I had never heard of this guy until I literally got tired of at his face on every single music blog I went to. I think I was on one and I happened to glance at the track listing and saw production from DJ Khalil and The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (which are easily two of my favorite producers). I also then noticed that he was co-signed by Don Cannon…

That was enough to interest me, but there’s something about Laws complete package that’s just dope. Truthfully.

The Good:

From what I can find out, Laws has been in high demand in certain places, and after hearing the mixtape, you might be able to understand why. The lyrics in place are legit, and are a nice blend between substance, punch-lines, and not-so-lowkey cleverness (“Kids are sleeping on me, first-period homeroom style”). You can also pick up on a sense humor and confidence as he raps at certain times (“Just shut the **** up and go remix ‘A Milli’ again” ). The man is a dope rapper, and there are some songs on here that kept me hitting repeat.

One of the best verses I heard from him was on the track “This Is Me” where he says he’s become all of his favorite rappers combined, and then proceeds to include all of them in his last verse. Extremely original. As I listened to him, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine him becoming a staple in certain hip-hop circles. That’s a good look.

And, as I hinted on above, the production is just strong, whether it’s channeling rock, or if it’s two completely different beats in one song. Featuring soundboard assistance from TN2 Productions, L.A. The Craftzman, Feb. 9, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, 9^th Wonder, DJ Khalil, Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Benjamin Plant, and more, it is safe to say this mixtape SOUNDS NICE.

The Bad:

Sometimes, his hooks were a little bit too manufactured. Some songs suffered because of the lack of strength of the hooks, but a lot of times his lyrics won me back over. If he can strengthen that part of his writing to be more consistent, the sky could be the limit for Laws.

Bottom Line:

Once again, here’s a person that I was sleeping on (music-wise, don’t pause me) and I’m glad to be awakened now. I’m interested to hear his older stuff now, because for the most part, this mixtape is DOPE. Check this one out.

Eljay’s Favorites:

• “Hold You Down”
• “This Is Me”
• “Murder”
• “So Nice”

I would've respected it more if Tiger would've came in, quoted Ludacris: "Stay the **** up out my BIZNESS!" and walked out. Truthfully.

So just in case you’ve been living under a rock (which is possible…I guess), Tiger Woods’ is in a little bit of hot water. Basically he cheated on his wife and tarnished everything good that was associated with his image. So in order to restore his name, Tiger attended a sex clinic for a while, and when he called a press conference to atone for his sins.

Sounds legit…let me rewrite it for you though.

Woods cheated on his wife relentlessly and purposefully and got caught, which tarnished everything good that he had gone out of his way to build with his image. So in order to get back in good standings with his fans and his business partners, he attended a sex clinic (in which later in private he said was a waste of time) and then hosted a press conference with hand-picked press representatives to restore some of his image with the stipulation of no follow-up questions being allowed.

Look, regardless of if he has an actual STD or not from all of this (he did mess with a couple of pornstars…), he has set the standard for screwing up so bad that I coined a new term for people when they put themselves over everything: the S.T.D., or Selfish Tiger Disease. Simple, but effectively titled if you think about it.

At the very least, it’ll work for this J.O.K.E.

Let's just say...he won't be giving any marriage counseling. Ever.

Of course, Tiger has made a life out of doing this, especially within the last few years. I would hate to say that it started when his father died, but we as an audience never knew anything about Woods except for what he wanted us to know, so it’s possible…

The main point is that Tiger went out of his way to build and upkeep the image of a good guy that everyone had of him. Because it was hypocritical and a fake façade, people will never think of him the same way again. And it’s completely his fault.

Even with all of that, you would think Tiger would learn that honesty and emotion is the best policy to win back his family and THEN his fans, in that order. But no, Tiger literally got it backwards… It’s almost like he doesn’t care, which is a sign of S.T.D in any case.

See, Tiger cheated on his wife with three handfuls of people, literally. He went as far as to call the girls and ask them to cover it up from his wife. He got caught. After being caught, then all of this happened. He holds the press conference. But yet, the first thing he does in his first moment with a microphone and half the world watching to see what he says is apologize to his fans instead of his family. Even that would be overlooked if it didn’t seem like Tiger was a robot, devoid of all emotion.

The guy wasn’t sorry or apologetic. He was just sorry he got caught, which is another symptom of the S.T.D. that he’s infused himself with.

(As a sidenote, all of this is really none of our business. This didn’t affect his skill level in golf, so technically his apology should be his wife, his kids, the kids that look up to him as a role model, and the women he’s plowed during his marriage…which is currently double-digits. He’s definitely scored more than Antawn Jamison in his first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers)

If you believe that he was sincere, then it’s cool. Nike and the PGA Tour will tell you they thought it was heartfelt as well, so you’re not alone. To each his or her own opinion.

But for me? Woods came with a pre-written speech that he READ like a robot. Even during his apology, he’s still trying to further his agenda of getting back in right standings with the people that make him money: his fans and his business partners. Completely heartfelt…ok, sure…

...It looked like he even had the hug between his mother scripted...

Some people just don’t learn… but hopefully that will change over time. Maybe the S.T.D. is curable in this case. And…if applicable, in both cases (the selfishness, and the other thing)…

Later.

K1ng Eljay

Just got around to posting this, got it earlier today and its definitely a tape to check out!

Download: Prote-J – Good Hip Hop Meets Radio [Mixtape]