Hot Songs – 12/28

Reflection Eternal – Just Begun  (Featuring Jay Electronica, J.Cole, & Mos Def)

Any fan of lyricism will be all over this track from the moment they see its lineup. Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, and Mos Def have made a name for themselves with their history of impressive work, and it’s hard to think of two artists who have more respect in the underground lyricist realm than Jay Electronica and J.Cole.

Living up to their hype, the New Orleans and Fayettville, North Carolina emcees give two standout verses on “Just Begun,” which will also be featured on Reflection Eternal’s upcoming Revolutions Per Minute album.

Here’s an excerpt from Jay Electronica’s verse:

“Smile on my face, tears of a sad clown,
Feelin out of place as I whistle a cab down,
If I tip extra, can I huff a cig?
Blow my smoke out the window, droppin ashes on the bridge?
I’m in New York now, like Akeem and Semi was,
Tryna get the lobby door open from a semi buzz.
I just wanna go to the slum,
And throw my money on the floor like the Notorious B.U.M.,
Build a home, teach a class, start a revolution,
Free the mind, heal the body, talkin evolution,
This that black Elohim Anunnaki rap,
That Farrakhan Akeem Olajuwon Qaddafi rap.”

I’m impressed by how well Jay was able to work a shout out to the Notorious B.U.M. into his verse.  If you’re not familiar with the internet celebrity, be sure to check out his viral video as it’s pretty hilarious!

J.Cole walks away with the best verse and yet another outstanding feature.  For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included his verse in its entirety:

“Yeah, now here’s the memo,
I’m a rebel without a cause,
A bezel without no flaws,
And shawty, you straight, but you look way better without no draws,
Let’s sweat out this alcohol,
Bet I’m about to ball,
And never let up, look how I just crept up without applause,
Fed up with all the frauds,
And left y’all without a job,
The center of attention, this is clever, I’m Pau Gasol,
Really though, I’m LeBron,
Really don’t got my mind on this new school of rappers,
I would really go Columbine, and throw up the diamond sign,
Boy you know I’ma shine,
Flow is in Ramadan,
Cause couple years ago, the game had they pajamas on,
But now they on my dick, man, I should throw a condom on,
Ay, cause a nigga comin raw like I ain’t got one on,
And I ain’t stoppin nor coppin no pleas, I just lock and load, squeeze,
Dog, I’m on a higher level, I’m on top of nosebleeds,
Niggas say they sick, but when they write, they don’t sneeze,
Like that nigga on the block, wavin his glock but won’t squeeze, please.”

J.Cole’s line about throwing up the diamond sign after going Columbine on hip hop’s “new school” rappers is sick.  With every feature I hear, I get more anxious for the North Carolina emcee’s debut album.

Snoop Dog – Pronto (Featuring Soulja Boy)

“Pronto” is the latest single off Snoop Dogg’s tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, which despite having received favorable reviews, is one of the artist’s lowest selling releases to date (debuted at #23 in the US).

Ignoring the album sales, however, no one can deny that Snoop’s still very relevant in the hip hop game.  It seems like every week we get a few new artists spitting a freestyle to his “I Wanna Rock” track!

Snoop’s decision to team up with Soulja Boy caused some confusion with fans who brought up prior comments in which the West Coast emcee called Soulja Boy’s music “bullshit.”  In my opinion, Snoop’s original comments were taken a little out of context, and he recently met up with Soulja Boy to set the record straight.

Now even though “Pronto” will never be as popular as “I Wanna Rock,” the song’s hook will definitely get stuck in your head.  Soulja Boy uses autotune while singing:

“Pronto, you knowin how we ball,
She dancin on my draws, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin tall,
While your money sittin small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all, ciz-all,
I’m callin up my boyz, they gonna bring the noise,
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore,
I’m bout to do the game right, til my feet get sizz-ore, sizz-ore.”

In addition to laying down the hook, he also spits my favorite lines off the track with:

“Step on the scene, make the haters say damn it,
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em hottest rapper on the planet,
Ya’ girl love me and I know you can’t stand it,
Goth-em city hoes, got ya boy Batmanin’.”

It’s hilarious to hear Soulja Boy giving as many shout outs to his haters as he does his fans!  The kid doesn’t let negative comments get to him, and it seems like he’s winning the respect of everyone in the hip hop community who takes a second to examine the young rapper’s work ethic and goals.

Az & Nas – The Essence (Remix)

Over the weekend, Baby Paul of Da Beatminerz gave us a remix to the Grammy-nominated track that he created over seven years ago alongside Mike Risko.  This new version is a lot more upbeat than the original, and has been creating quite a stir with its nostalgic feel.

The original track, which was featured on Az’s fourth studio album, Aziatic, had Az and Nas taking turns with lines on every verse.  This method of rapping made the track feel like a conversation:

“Az: You couldn’t catch us in a car without the bangers,
Believe, I touched a couple of movie stars and entertainers.
Nas: Indeed, one in particular, almost started to name her (ha, ha),
I was there when you first pushed up and started to game her.
Az: Been a long journey, certain shit just don’t concern me.
Nas: They ain’t hurtin shit; we flip, they hire attorneys.
Az: Yo I’mma stay custom, til I’m old, grey, and rustin,
Reminiscin’ the number of chickens that claim we fucked em.
Nas: Bet some badder hoes than them other funky rappers chose,
I’m tryin to wife a chick, light a spliff (okay),
This might be like another part to ‘Life’s a Bitch.’”

I’m feeling this remix, hopefully we get more of its kind!