Last night, Juicy J and Lex Luger released the follow up to their well received collaborative mixtape, Rubba Band Business.

Unlike the original, which solely featured Lex’s production, Rubba Band Business 2 also sees the Juice man go in over some self-produced tracks, beats from Sonny Digital (”Racks on Racks“), and some production from Rostrum Record’s in house producers.  That being said, Lex Luger is still responsible for producing 18 of the 26 songs on this project.

The mixtape starts off with “A Zip And A Double Cup,” and immediately introduces listeners to Rubba Band Business 2’s overall feel.  The song’s visuals, seen below, give us a glimpse into Juicy J’s trippy life.

Juicy J – “A Zip And A Double Cup” [Prod. By Lex Luger]

Download – “A Zip And A Double Cup”

“A Zip And A Double Cup” should give you a pretty good idea of what the majority of the mixtape is about.  Here’s a quick excerpt from Juicy J’s first verse:

“Ziploc bag of kush,
Double cup, full of drank,
I get so damn trippy,
In my mind, I go blank,
The top ten get high rappers,
Number one, is my rank,
You say no to drugs, Juicy J can’t!”

That last line is hilarious!

Juicy J – “Paid For (Bitch I Own You)” (Featuring Curren$y)

Download – “Paid For (Bitch I Own You)”

There are a handful of smooth tracks thrown into the mix, one of which being this Big Jerm and E. Dan-produced collaboration with Curren$y.

Stream the whole project below.

Favorite Track?

Over the last few years, Rick Ross has developed a niche for making the listener feel like they’re larger than life.  Whether he’s thinking like Larry Hoover, Big Meech, or even Bo Diddly, Rozay has done a great job of guiding his audience’s imagination.

Lil Duval may have put it best when he tweeted: “This new @RickyRozay mixtape Got me feeling like a rich drug dealer.”

Duval is referring to the Ashes To Ashes mixtape which Rick Ross released on December 24th, successfully closing out an impressive year of music from the Miami artist.  The mixtape opens in a similar fashion to that of Ross’ Albert Anastia EP, with an introduction from Diddy.  This time around, however, Rozay added more of a Miami touch to the intro by throwing Scarface quotes and DJ Khaled into the mix.

Immediately following the intro, we get two of the project’s hardest tracks in “9 Piece” and “John Doe.”  Although not as powerful as Albert Anastia’s “BMF” and “MC Hammer,” Ashes To Ashes’ opening one-two punch does the job.  As the listener moves into the body of the work, they’re met with features from the usual suspects, i.e. Ludacris, T.I., Ne-Yo, etc, as well as a few emerging artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Chester French, Meek Mill, and Wale.  This mix of both new and veteran emcees speaks to Ross’ current reach and influence in hip hop.

The short project ends on a high note with the two Lil Lody-produced bonus cuts, ”Another One” & “Rollin.”  Keep an eye out for Lil Lody to be producing more street tracks for Ross in the near future.

If you’ve yet to give Ashes To Ashes a listen, the two tracks below are a good representation of the project’s overall sound:

Rick Ross – “9 Piece” (Featuring T.I.) [Produced by Lex Luger]

Lex Luger killed the beat and Rick Ross’ verses and hook added “9 Piece” to his ever growing list of street anthems.  Here’s Rozay’s hook:

“I’m smokin dope, I’m on my cell phone, wooooo,
I’m sellin dope straight off the iPhone, wooooo,
He want a quote, he talking nine zones,
He bought four, I front him five more,
9 Piece, straight 8 Balls, wooooo,
MJG, bitch I got 8 Balls, wooooo,
9 Piece, straight 8 Balls, ughhhhh,
MJG, bitch I got 8 Balls, wooooo.”

The currently incarcerated T.I. holds his own on this collaboration as well, spitting lines that his P.O. probably didn’t want to hear.

Rick Ross – “Even Deeper” (Featuring Barry White) [Produced by Cashousclay]

Cashousclay reworked a classic Barry White record for the production on “Even Deeper.”  The legend’s vocals were kept on the song’s hook, where Ross is also heard  repeating “money grew like grass.”  This may have been the song Lil Duval was listening to, ha!

Here’s Rick Ross’ second verse:

“Got on my Vacaron, I’m paid in full,
Linin up all my niggas, bout to pull some major moves,
Consolidate the game, and suffocate the others,
Keep it real with your niggas, and multiply the numbers,
Go to trial and never take the stand,
Every bitch was born to break a man,
I take you deeper than them other dudes,
I seen my niggas scramble chickens by the twos,
He talkin like a hoe, I’m valetin the Benz,
She actin like a bitch, while I’m taking her friend,
Ran out of one’s now I’m throwing what I got,
I took her home, time to show her what I got,
I took her tongue and took it to another notch,
I’m gettin funds, time to get another watch,
I’m having fun, fuckin let my brother watch,
I got thirty cars and headed to another lot.”

Favorite Track?

Tity Boi and Bigga Rankin’s Trap-A-Velli 2: The Residue mixtape is already being called a classic, despite having only been released last month.

The Atlanta rapper, who makes up one half of DTP’s Playaz Circle, is most well known for the hit song “Duffle Bag Boy” with Lil Wayne.  Having said that, the success of this new project is already broadening the Southside Atlanta native’s reach and bringing more demand to his solo career.

The production on Trap-A-Velli 2 is on point from start to finish, with five tracks being produced by Drumma Boy (”Loose My Mine” and “Put On“) and two more coming from the hottest producer of the summer, Lex Luger (”BMF” and “Hard In Da Paint“).  Production aside, however, it’s Tity Boi’s presence on the mic and confident flow that brings this mixtape to the next level.

This presence is seen when Tity jumps on Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag” and makes the song feel like his own with hilarious lines such as, “Hey no disrespect, but your hoes look like E-40,” and “Three phones on me, I just might call myself.”  Another example can be found on “Get It In,” where Tity Boi asks for a hand clap in the middle of his verse, ha!

Here’s a closer look at a few of the standout tracks:

Tity Boi – “Fuck Da Roof” [Produced by Lex Luger]

Tity Boi starts off the mixtape with a Lex Luger beat on “Kitchen,” a track that goes as hard as expected.  A couple songs later, however, we’re blown away by “Fuck Da Roof,” also produced by Lex.

Here’s the high energy hook:

“I got a bad bitch, she more than cute,
And bitch I’m balling, I’m talking more than hoops,
This that fish scale, nigga we water proof,”
I got into it with my car, and I said Fuck the roof.”

Ever since Rick Ross took Lex Luger’s career to the next level with the commercial success of “BMF” and “MC Hammer,” all sorts of rappers have been gettin beats from the nineteen-year-old producer (Kanye West’s “See Me Now,” Fabolous’ “Lights Out,” and Diamond’s “Hit Dat Hoe“).  A small number of the artists going after Lex’s services have been able to flow over the hard beats as well as Tity though.

Tity Boi – “Between Me And You” (Featuring Lil Keke & Gudda Gudda) [ Produced by Drumma Boy]

“Between Me And You” has Tity Boi going in on some smooth Drumma Boy production.  This beat and the song’s addictive hook create a great deal of replay value:

“Hold up, wait a minute, let me roll my sleeves up,
Hold up, wait a minute, let me roll my weed up,
Hold up, wait a minute, let me pour my lean up,
Hold up, wait a minute, let that be between us,
Between me and you, I’m gettin money too,
Between me and you, I’m gettin money too,
Between me and you, I’m gettin money too,
Between me and you, I’m gettin money too.”

Tity’s verse is solid, as he spits quotable lines such as “Niggas talk about me but they fluently wrong/  Cause I came from the block get my truancy on.”  Also, the Lil Keke feature works very well on this track as he even screws down part of his 3rd Coast verse.

Tity Boi – “Boo” (Featuring Yo Gotti) [ Produced by Drumma Boy]

Tity intros this song by telling people that his new aka is “Hair Weave Killer,” ha!  That’s hilarious.  After reading the hook below, I’m sure you can guess as to what the verses will be about:

“I just call her Boo, I don’t know her whole name
Keep it on the low mane,
All we eat is lo mein,
Came from the block now I got a whole thing,
And you better put a LoJack on your hoe mane.”

Tity Boi – “Doin Me Daily” (Featuring Cap 1)

This track with OJ on the hook has one of my favorite lines off of the tape in “All in Neiman Marcus, yellin out bingo, / My girl is from Decatur, but my car bilingual,” ha!

Stream the whole mixtape below:

Favorite Track?

Yo Gotti teamed up with DJ Drama and DJ Whoo Kid to release Cocaine Muzik 4.5, a follow up to the extremely well-received Cocaine Muzik 4. By keeping the features on this tape to a minimum, Gotti was able to focus in on the street talk which he’s become known for.

The King of Memphis and DJ Drama start off the project with a classic Jay-z sample that sets the tape’s tone.  On the intro, Gotti speaks about his music with, “This that real life, no bullshittin/  This that straight facts, no fiction/  I see hoe niggas and I just feel friction/  Give ‘em one to the head, leave they top missin.”

Making an effort to only rap about things that he’s really experienced, Gotti went ahead and named this project Da Documentary (more than just a mixtape).  Here’s a look at a few of the standout tracks from Cocaine Muzik 4.5: Da Documentary.

Yo Gotti – “Mirror”

“Who you hear and see when you look in the mirror?
If you a real nigga, you’re looking in the mirror.”

Yo Gotti put together an interesting concept with this video, as all the kids looking in the mirror see who they aspire to be.  You know what they say, “real recognize real.”

Here’s Yo Gotti’s dope boy-inspired, chest-thumping second verse:

“Last I remember I was standin on Garland,
Buying ten for the hundred outta Ridgecrest apartments,
BET material, I’m 106&Parkin,
And I’mma stay Gucci’d down, dead fresh on ‘em regardless,
I represent the dope boys I can’t say it clearer,
You’re looking at me when you’re looking in the mirror,
I motivate the trap, give the hood niggas hope,
Cause I became a millionaire and I was sellin dope.”

Yo Gotti – “Bang Bang” (Featuring Gucci Mane & Zed Zilla)

Yo Gotti, Zed Zilla, and Gucci Mane all go in on this Drumma Drama-produced track that was made to tear the club up.  Having said that, Gucci Mane had me laughing out loud with the following line:

“And when my choppa sound off,
It’s like blocka blocka,
You just like food,
A lil snacky snack for Waka Flocka.”

Flocka!

Yo – Gotti – “Thin Line”

“I see myself platinum or doin fed time,
Having dreams of ballin,
Havin thoughts of dyin.”

A lot of hustlers can relate with what Gotti is spitting on “Thin Line.”  Below, Gotti uses his third verse to speak on the lengths that he’s willing to go in order to maintain his respect.

“You’re gonna have to rob me, cause I’m wearing mine,
Every time I leave the house I’m on a thin line,
Bitch rap behind ten, duckin one time,
Reach for my chain and I’mma start firing,
I can hear the critics now, ‘he threw his life away,’
Crying shame, I’m just worried bout what these gangstas say, ha!
Well at least I went the gangsta way,
Showed another fuck nigga how the gangstas play.”

Yo Gotti – “White World”

Drumma Drama blessed “White World” with an addictive beat and Yo Gotti went in on the track about his favorite color.   Even though this song came out around the same time as Jeezy’s “All White Everything,” Gotti successfully took the concept and made it his own.  Other tracks that show Gotti’s ability to own a concept are “Where They Do That At” and “B.M.F. Freestyle.”  Unlike most artists who simply take a song’s hook and beat, Gotti took the main ideas from these tracks and ran with them.

The mixtape ends with Starlito and Gucci Mane’s “I Go Ham,” which is hard as hell.  Shout out to Yo Gotti on including Starlito’s single on the tape, that’s Memphis love.

Starlito – “I Go Ham” (Featuring Gucci Mane)

Favorite Track Off Of Cocaine Muzik 4.5?

On August 31st, Big Sean and Don Cannon completed the Detriot emcee’s mixtape trilogy with the release of Finally Famous Vol. 3.  If you haven’t already been following Sean along his journey to fame, be sure to catch up with Finally Famous Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3!

The third tape’s introduction sets the tone for the entire project, as Nick Kage and Don Cannon’s triumphant production complements Sean’s cocky lyrics and confidence on the mic.  Also, we’re even given a few quoteables right off the bat with “working graveyard shifts/ cause we finna make a killin” and “man, the life of a work-a-holic/ you’re either on your work or just working on it.”

Despite a whopping fourteen guest verses, this project flows pretty smoothly as the high number of guest emcees sounds worse on paper than on wax.  Having said that, almost half of the features can be traced back to the “Fat Raps” super remix.

The project includes Sean’s successful leaks, “Supa Dupa Lemonade,” “What U Doin Bull$#!@in,” and “High Rise,” as well as the standout tracks below:

Big Sean – “Meant To Be”

Big Sean linked up with DJ Spinz ( Travis Porter’s “Go Shorty Go” and “Get Naked“) for the production on “Meant To Be.”  Back in April, Sean told us that there would be a viral video released to support this single, and that they were hoping for the song to take off like “Lemonade” did.  Hopefully that video is still in the works!

Big Sean – “Five Bucks”

“Five Bucks” sees Big Sean, Chip Tha Ripper, and Curren$y go in over Luniz’s classic “I Got 5 on It.”  Sean starts off the track with one of the tape’s funniest metaphors:

“I’m smoking loudly, I woke them all,
I pick up that tree, when it’s not fall,
I’m gone off that tree, when it’s not tall,
I’m in love with tree, I’m a Avatar.”

That Avatar line is hilarious!

Chip and Curren$y choose to touch on the blunt vs paper discussion with their verses:

Chip: “Tried to fuck with paper planes but it’s not the same high, Cleveland niggas aint no bitches we prefer the cigarillo smoke.”

Curren$y: “This a roll paper not a blunt, you must got me mixed up with Chip cuz.”

I was expecting the Hot Spitta to have more to say on the subject, ha!

Big Sean – “Crazy”

The Olympicks killed this beat.  Here’s a quick excerpt from Sean’s opening verse about everyone’s favorite topic, crazy bitches!

“God damn you old crazy ass,
Wanna smash my Mercedes ass,
Poking holes off in the condoms, trynna have a baby ass,
All up in Saks Fifth when you deserve Macy’s ass,
Talking bout shit yea, a nigga better pay me half,
Bitch!”

This song has a lot of replay value in its smooth production and simple hook.

Big Sean – “Fat Raps” Remix

Download – “Fat Raps” Remix CDQ

There’s a lot of talent on this hook-less remix, but one emerging artist who didn’t get added to the song was Mississippi’s Big K.R.I.T. Thankfully, that didn’t stop Sean from showing love to the Southern artist, as he laid down a verse on K.R.I.T.’s hit single “Hometown Hero.”  This verse contains the following hilarious line, “I’m chasin cheese, dodging rat traps/ chasin pussy, u night end up with a Kat Stacks.”

Big Sean – “Too Fake”

Chiddy Bang provided the beat and third verse for Big Sean’s “Too Fake,” which samples Hockey’s single of the same name.  Here’s Sean’s second verse that goes back and forth between Sean’s voice and that of his haters:

“Yea I know Sean, I swear that nigga ain’t shit,
Known him for forever, and he ain’t on the same shit,
It breaks my heart when all the kids be yellin,
‘You the mane big,’
He ain’t no hometown hero, he on that Lebron James shit,
Man I tell em, ‘Suck my dick then choke on a nut,’
Cause when they see me it’s ‘Oh Big what’s up?’
Man for the team and family regime,
I knock down any door open it up,
Got in and now you started acting different huh?
No, really I wasn’t fucking with you from the beginning bruh,
Here we are, here we go,
My circle tighter than a Cheerio,
People want a hand out like silver spoons,
People want a hand out like here you go,
Man the realist nigga I know is inside the mirror bro,
And these fools be tripping like a suitcase or shoelace,
They too fake, and I’m too real.”

That line about not fucking with the haters from the beginning reminded me of Yo Gotti’s “Touchdown.”

Big Sean – “Almost Wrote You A Love Song.”

On “Almost Wrote You A Love Song,” Big Sean shares the story of a dysfunctional relationship on his verses, between Suai’s beautifully sang hook.  Both this fan favorite and the following were produced by Key Wane.

Big Sean – “Memories.”

Here’s Sean’s impressive second verse:

“Are you willing to give up what you love, for who you love?
Or lose your girlfriend to groupie love?
Everywhere I go I get a group of hugs,
That’s what happens when they need connections and you the plug,
How many trends you gotta set ’til you considered great,
How many missed calls ’til you considered fake,
How many dreams ’til its considered fate,
I’m eating in a world where I’m considered baked,
A workaholic addicted to bills,
People addicted to me cuz they addicted to real,
My best friend got addicted to pills,
I can’t look at him in his eyes, you don’t know how that shit feel, mentally,
I ain’t trying to rock no shirts that say in memory,
I’m praying that he make it, wishin we could go back,
Cuz honestly all the times that we had,
Those’ll be the best memories.”

There’s a lot of lines to both quote and reflect on in there.

Things seem to be getting better and better for Big Sean, as Kanye recently included his debut album in the list of projects to be released on G.O.O.D. Music Day, his good friend, and fellow Michigan native, Mike Posner is enjoying a great deal of mainstream success, and one of the hottest emcees in the game admitted to stealing his flow!

Be on the lookout for Sean’s Finally Famous album to be dropping soon, but until then enjoy this mixtape which can be streamed below:

Favorite Track?

What keeps this body of work together and gives Pilot Talk a ridiculous amount of replay value is Ski Beatz’s smooth production. Ski (”Dead Presidents II” & “Luchini“) produced eleven of Pilot Talk’s thirteen tracks and, therefore, is as invaluable to the album as the hot spitta himself.

After hearing Pilot Talk, we see that the New Orleans emcee, who, throughout his career, was both a 504 Boy and a member of Cash Money, has finally found a fitting home with Dame Dash’s DD172.

Here’s a quick look at a few of the album’s standout tracks:

Curren$y – “Example”

Curren$y wastes no time in establishing the cocky attitude and smooth feel of the album with this opening track.  Here’s a quick excerpt from the rhymes spit in-between electric guitar riffs:

“The money made me move,
Running through my shoes,
For the day that I can kick ‘em off, relax,
I said I’d quit smoking these beats, but I relapsed.”

Curren$y – “King Kong”

The project’s first single, “King Kong,” has arguably the best concept of all the tracks on the album.  Curren$y compares his lifestyle to that of classic film’s “King Kong” on the impressive hook:

“Tearing through the city,
Snatchin bitches, top of the building,
King Kong ain’t got shit on me,
Twenty five, eight,
Going ape for the cake, nigga,
King Kong ain’t got shit on me,
Want-to-be pilots get swatted out the sky around I,
King Kong aint got shit on me,
Larger than life, they hate me because they ain’t me,
King Kong ain’t got shit on me.”

If you’ve been following Curren$y and his Jets movement, these comparisons to King Kong are hilariously on point!

Curren$y – “Breakfast”

“Breakfast” has to be the catchiest song on the whole project, as Ski Beatz took the already impressive Mos Def track and added his smooth touch.  ”Breakfast” also sees Curren$y picking up the speed of his rhymes while dropping quotables throughout the hook-less track.  At the end, however, Mos slows everything down as he begins to sing this classic Karate Kid song, ha!

The song is also home to one of Pilot Talk’s most quoted lines, “write that sickness, my ink pen sneezin.”  That image of an ink pen sneezing in Curren$y’s notebook is hilarious!

Curren$y – “The Hangover” (Featuring Mikey Rocks)

If “Breakfast” is the catchiest song on the project, “The Hangover” is a close second.   Curren$y’s lazy flow works wonderfully on this relaxed track which also features The Cool Kids‘ Mikey Rocks.

Curren$y – “The Day” (Featuring Jay Electronica & Mos Def)

Curren$y brings his normal attitude to this track, as we see on the first verse:

“I’m so sorry, if I don’t look happy to be here,
In your label office, but they said I can’t smoke weed here!”

Those lines had me cracking up!  If you haven’t figured it out by now, Curren$y is obsessed with smoking weed.  What makes this track standout, however, is Mos Def’s hook, which sounds like it’s coming down from a high school intercom, and the guest verse from the ever-elusive Jay Electronica.

Curren$y – Address” (Featuring Stalley)

The clean visuals for “Address” gave Curren$y and emerging artist Stalley some great face time on MTV Jams.  Here’s Curren$y’s impressive first verse:

“Nigga for what? Get down with them suckers when I’m high as fuck,
And they under us, catch a crook in your neck from tryin to watch the jets,
Mr. Tokyo Drift, spend Yen on the Vette.,
Looking for your bitch? Fool, take one guess,
She caught up in the rapture,
Wakin and baken, Anita greatest hits blastin,
Pedal mashin, paper twistin, scrapper engine, Rad Racer,
No 3-D glasses, just a high ass rapper,
Spitta, nigga, in the building, nah I’m on the roof chillin,
The pool up here, couple chicks I grew up with,
Bottles in the cooler, if u don’t know how to do it homie, ill school ya,
Barroll roll, loop to loop, Top Gun maneuvers,
Making hot wheels outta hoopties,
Holding it down like balloon strings.”

Those final lines about making “hot wheels outta hoopties” and “holding it down like balloon strings” are hilarious!

The major disappointment on Pilot Talk came in the form of underwhelming features from both Snoop Dogg and Devin the Dude.  Especially since upon first glance at the album’s track-listing, these two artists would appear to be the highlights of the weed glorifying project’s guest verses.

Below is footage of Curren$y performing the entire album at a recent show in Brooklyn, Jet Life!

Thoughts on Pilot Talk?

Marcus Krzastek Twitter: @marcusKRZ

If you’ve been paying attention, you knew that Big Boi was capable of putting out this album. Although Andre 3000’s half of Speakerboxxx/Love Below is more discussed due to the eccentric direction he took it, Speakerboxxx stands on its own as one of the better releases of 2003. When “Royal Flush” leaked over two years ago (it’s really been that long), the hype machine started up for this release. Subsequent leaks of songs like “For Your Sorrows” and “Shine Blockas” only served to increase the anticipation, with each song finding ways to top the last. A few great songs don’t make a great CD, however, and the onus was still on Big Boi to deliver on the promise the leaks indicated.

To say that Big Boi succeeded is an understatement. Sir Lucious Left Foot isn’t just the front-runner for best rap album of the year, it’s a classic that people will be listening to in ten years. Through this CD, Big Boi has delivered a powerful statement to anyone who attributes Outkast’s success primarily to Three Stacks. From front to back there isn’t a single song that deserves skipping, and even after multiple listens, the only aspect of the album that grows old are the skits (which are actually pretty good). Big Boi attacks the soulful “Hustle Blood” with the same success as he does the frantic “General Patton“, showcasing the lyrical dexterity and sharp punchlines that have become his signature as an MC.

Big Boi – “Follow Us” (Vonnegutt)

While “Daddy Fat Sax” and “Turns Me On” are both great songs, when the first few bars of “Follow Us” hit, it’s obvious that this CD is going to be serious.

“With one stroke of the pen,
I tune in to your satellite radio or FM station,
I’ve been patiently waiting to an end,
Been under construction for two years,
But now it’s ’bout time I double-dutched my way in,
Left-foot, right-foot,
Stepping over biters,
It’s like the game is haunted cuz there’s so many ghostwriters.”

The way Big Boi dances through those lines over the plucking guitar notes that make up the beat sets the tone for the album.  It also showcases Big Boi’s talent for switching up his flow to complement a track. The rap landscape is littered with failed attempts at rock choruses over the past few years, and the fact that Big Boi integrates Vonnegut in this track so easily is a testament to his own and producer Salaam Remi’s talent. Which brings me to the next big theme of the album, production.

Big Boi – “Shutterbug”

If you had asked me at the end of 2009, who the 25 most likely producers to make the hottest beat of 2010 were, Scott Storch wouldn’t have even been an honorable mention. There’s no denying Shutterbugg’s production, however, as it channels Zapp and Roger to create the funkiest beat hip-hop’s seen in years. Big Boi’s ear for beats is on-point throughout the album, bringing the best out of the project’s producers including Lil’ Jon, Mr. DJ (whose credits include B.O.B. and Ms. Jackson), and of course, Organized Noize, who contribute four beats to the effort.

Big Boi – “You Ain’t No DJ” (Featuring Yelawolf)

It’s not just Big Boi by himself on the album, however. He brings in some friends along the way, including Yelawolf on the ridiculously frantic “You Ain’t No DJ”.

“My momma gave birth to a 10 pound, 6 ounce dream,
And god said,
Look for the burning bush,
Now it turned to weeds,
So I jumped in my Chevy when I saw my momma burning trees,
Hard white, I trickle nickle bags,
Ice cold crew shit,
In the booth with blue lips,
In the grave like a tulip,
In the bar like a pool-stick,
808 Toomp Shit, magic mike, poof bitch,
Aint nowhere to rest, nowhere for you to sit,
I stole your couch and I took your truck to move it with,
Sofa (so fer’), any one of you who wanna get to’ up,
Imma tattoo, Kodak you, close up,
Aint no UFO, no, Yeller’s a supernova,
Dogs are barkin’ as soon as that trooper roll up,
30 ought six, momma don’t gotta load up,
‘Cuz I’m from the varsity it may be hard to get narci cola.”

Yelawolf makes sure his hype keeps growing as he battles the beat on “Ain’t No DJ” like he’s trying out for the next season of The Jersey Shore. His raw, rapid-fire flow acts as a perfect complement to Big Boi’s smooth effort, leading to one of the album’s best tracks. Other guest highlights include T.I.’s verse on “Tangerine” (which also features an addicting drum break and Khujo Goodie in a small cameo) and Gucci’s verse on “Shine Blockas.”

Big Boi – “The Train Part II”

Big Boi isn’t just an empty flow, as he demonstrates on one of the album’s later tracks “The Train Part II.”  The track doubles as a fitting follow up to its successor, the best song on the Idlewild soundtrack. On the track, Big Boi discusses Outkast’s contributions to hip-hop before diving into a second verse that delivers an indictment of the current state of the game.

“Look up up and I pray,
Channeling that heavenly energy,
There’s plenty we can say,
See the Anime is winning cuz your punk ass be afraid,
But I spray what’s on my brain to educate and entertain,
KRS he said it best,
I learned from listening to the tapes,
Before iTunes came out and made a CD obsolete,
‘For reality TV would seem to be that big mistake,
Now big brother’s got these cameras deep in each and every state,
While each and every rapper claims to be the heavyweight,
‘Cuz he mention cocaina and ’bout everything he make,
And then wonder why them people try to pin him with that case,
Cuz his blow was dixie crystal pistol play was just for play, fake,
Just for play, play, got them babies,
Believing that bullshit,
I said just for play, play, got them babies,
Fucked up.”

Plenty of people have expressed similar sentiments, but very few have backed it up by putting out an album that raises the bar. Big Boi talks the talk, but he also walks the walk. At 35 years old, Big Boi has laid down the gauntlet for the current crop of upcoming rappers. How they respond is up to them.

I could spend another 1000 words going into every other song on the album and breaking them down, but I’ll stop myself here. The only two things that could have made this album better would have been Jive not acting like donkeys and allowing “Royal Flush” and “Lookin’ For Ya’” on the album as well as a verse from Mike Bigga. Of course, the two songs with Andre 3000 are available online, and I can also enjoy “Flip Flop Rock” and the rest of the tracks that Big Boi and Mike Bigga did together before their falling out (and thankfully, reconciliation). Big Boi has mentioned in interviews that Sir Lucious Left Foot is dedicated to the memory of his deceased father, and it’s undeniable that the ATLien has succeeded in honoring him fittingly.

Minus “Super High,” all of the EP’s tracks were new and most of them featured big named artists.  This provided the fans with a good deal of free content two months before Ross’ album release date. Taking full advantage of the situation, Rick Ross’ team made videos for roughly half of the songs on the project.  When it was all said and done, The Albert Anastasia EP seemed more like a dvd with all. the. videos. it. produced!

By focusing on these free songs instead of album cuts, Ross was able to build anticipation while keeping fans in suspense as to what the actual album would sound like.  As with every music release, however, Teflon Don eventually began leaking to the public. Having said that, Def Jam impressively managed to keep the leaks spaced out enough for fans to digest each. track. as. they. became. available.  This added to the hype and also made Ross’ face a common sight on hip hop blogs for the past month.

Now, with the album in stores, fans have a chance to show their appreciation for the elevated street music that Ricky Rozay is bringing to the game.  “Elevated” because most of the tracks are aimed at those actually getting it in, rather than the broke people out there still trying to establish a hustle.  That being said, all rap fans with an imagination can enjoy the album as Rozay gives us a glimpse into the mindset of a glorified mob boss, the Teflon Don.

The Jay-z and John Legend-assisted “Free Mason” track will undoubtedly make an impact on mainstream radio this summer, as will “Live Fast, Die Young” featuring an impressive verse from Kanye West and the smooth “Aston Martin Music,” featuring Drake and Chrisette Michele.  It’s sleeper singles like these that will pro-long the life of Ross’ Teflon Don and help grow his album sales for months to come.

Rick Ross – “Free Masons” (Featuring Jay-z & John Legend)

Download – “Free Mason.”

As always, Jay-z drops some nice lines on his guest verse, “Bitch I said I was amazing, not that I’m a mason,” ha!  Don’t sleep on Ross’ lyrics though.

Here’s a quick excerpt from Rozay’s first verse:

“New Rolls Royce, guess you made it nigga,
All white neighborhood, you they favorite nigga,
My top back like JFK,
They trynna push my top back like JFK!
So, so I JFK,
Joined forces with the kings and we ate all day.”

A lot of critics would cringe at Ross rhyming JFK with JFK multiple times, but given his flow these lines sound perfect.  Shout out to The Inkredibles on the beat.

Rick Ross – “Tears Of Joy” (Featuring Cee-Lo)

Download – “Tears Of Joy.”

After the opening quote from the Black Panters movement, Rick Ross reflects on his accomplishments in one of Teflon Don’s most motivational tracks.

Here’s Ross’ first verse on the No I.D. produced track:

“Looking in the mirror but I don’t see much,
Still running the streets, so I don’t sleep much,
Watching the snakes, so they don’t creep up,
But the way I’m getting this money, niggas can’t keep up,
You niggas can’t keep up,
Niggas got beef but it can’t be much,
I’m still walking through the crowds like I can’t be touched,
Top back all black, Gretzky puck,
Ice skate, a little later might let me fuck,
Damn, she might let me fuck,
Last night I cried tears of joy,
What Did I Do To Deserve This!
Vacheron on my wrist,
A year ago I didn’t know the bitches exist,
Quarter milli for the motherfucker,
No insurance on the motherfucker!
Ain’t life a bitch?  But you gotta keep her wet,
Keys open doors, so I gotta keep a set,
Everybody know that I’m a lot of people threat,
Biggie Smalls in the flesh, living life after my death,
Yesterday I read my horoscope,
Tell me Lord will I be poor and broke,
Tell me Lord, will I be dealing dope,
I wanna take my momma to the Poconos,
But only Lord knows.”

There’s a lot of motivational street lyrics in there.

Outside of the reflective verses, we see Cee-Lo absolutely kill the soulful hook and drastically add to the song’s replay value.   In a similar fashion, Erykah Badu guides a powerfully orchestrated “Maybach Music III,” the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League ( Rook, Colione, and Kenny Barto)-produced track which completes Ross’ Maybach Music trilogy.

Rick Ross – “All The Money In The World”

“All The Money In The World” shows a rare side of Rick Ross, as he speaks on his family and late father.  As is often the case with emotional tracks, this cut produced by The Olympicks proves to be one of the album’s hidden gems.

Here’s Rozay’s powerful first verse:

“You know geting money..
Becoming a young millionaire…
You can lose sight of the things that’s important to you..
I’d never trade my old girl for all the money in the world,
I’d never trade my daughter Troy for all the money in the world,
I’d never trade my only boy for all the money in the world,
I put my last name first…
I can hear my daddy sayin lil nigga go get ‘em,
Passed in ‘99, cancer all in his liver,
Shit difference is we last spoke your son a lil richer
I’d never rap again if could tell em that I miss ‘em,
Why the fuck I own the world when I can’t share it with ‘em.,
Bust his ass his whole life, just wanna break bread wit ‘em,
Crying in my mansion as I’m holdin on his picture,
It’s a cold and lonely world, I’m flying solo on you niggas,
Being the only boy, definition of a man,
All the money in the world, still not a big enough advance,
All the money in the world, still not a big enough advance,
For me to turn my back on me being the man that I am.”

More personal tracks like this will help Ross build a solid fan base, as  I can see a lot of people relating to this song’s message.  Also, just like Cee-Lo did on “Tears Of Joy,” Raphael Saadiq delivers an impressive chorus that adds a great deal to the song.

Teflon Don marks Rick Ross’ fourth solid album in the last five years ( Port of Miami (’06), Trilla (’08), Deeper Than Rap (’09)).  Get ready for a summer full of Maybach Music!

Favorite Song Off The Album?

Amidst the new material, we find the title track for Gucci Mane’s upcoming album, The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted. While the album doesn’t have a firm release date, Gucci did premiere this trailer before his performance at Birthday Bash.

Fans of DJ Drama’s mixtapes will be happy to hear more of Barack O’Drama’s humor mixed in between songs as well.  This tape’s best DJ Drama interlude comes at the beginning of “Cowards and Soldiers,” where Professor Drama informs failing rappers that this will be yet another year where they get left behind, ha!

The following standout tracks give a good taste of the mixtape’s sound:

Gucci Mane – “Stove Music” (Featuring Waka Flocka and Yo Gotti)

Waka Flocka Flame starts “Stove Music” off hard, and Yo Gotti brings it to a close in proper fashion.  After all, what would a rap song dedicated to the stove be without a feature from Mr. Cocaine Muzik himself?

Here’s Gucci Mane’s impressive verse, dedicated to the trap:

“Rap game in a suplex,
Trappin out a duplex,
Working with the work, I ain’t talkin bout bow-flex,
Fish scale flake, iced out my Rolex,
Call my landlord, cause this my complex,
Standing by the pot, right there where the dough at,
Three months still ain’t bought no clothes yet,
No sofa, no bed or hoe yet,
Everyday all day, staying where the coke at,
Talking to the plug like homie where the blow at,
Georgia where the sun, East Atlanta where the snow at?
A hundred to the lawyer, I ain’t even been to court yet,
Dope like enough, I ain’t hit it with the fork yet,
Stove work good but the AC bullshit,
Thrill head, young bloods waiting on the dope case,
Still stay in Zone 6 smoking on some good shit,
Gucci Mane out and he back on some hood shit,
Knockin at the door and they really don’t want shit,
Feds tapping lines, who you talking on the phone with?
Still cooking up early, five in the morning,
Brick buffet, feed a nigga like Shoney’s,
Price go up, blow up in the drought,
Green coming in, soft white goin out,
Trappin in style, it ain’t never goin out,
Work’s stocked up, we ain’t never runnin’ out,
It’s Gucci!”

That line about Shoney’s was hilarious!

Waka Flocka and Yo Gotti account for four of Mr. Zone 6′s five feature verses.

Gucci Mane – “Normal”

Gucci Mane linked up with Motion Family for the video to this Drumma Boy produced track, where La Flare describes how abnormal his life is.  One of my favorite lines from the tape comes when Gucci speaks on his girl:

“My girl got on piranhas, that’s abnormal…
She’s a snake charmer, anaconda,
Real man eater, like Jeffrey Dahmer.”

Jeffrey Dahmer is disturbing as F#@K!

Gucci Mane – “Long Money”

DJ Scoob Doo has been releasing some entertaining visuals as of late, and this in-studio video is no exception.  Here’s the hook to arguably the catchiest song on the project:

“Jacuzzi on the roof,
Ugly hoes don’t get the time of day,
Cheifin on some teeva, smell the reefa from a mile away,
Pistol in my coup,
Try my troops, you’ll get blown away,
Gucci Mane got long money,
Bitch that’s all I got to say,
Gucci Mane got long money,
That’s what them bitches say,
Gucci Mane got long money,
That’s what them bitches say,
Gucci Mane got long money,
That’s what them bitches say,
I ain’t even got to talk, my money conversates.”

Gucci Mane – “Making Love To The Money”

Gucci Mane personifies currency with this triumphant song about “making love to the money like a sex tape.”

Here’s Gucci’s second verse about his favorite lady:

“I gotta take her everywhere cause these niggas crazy,
Only leave her by herself on special occasions,
I love making love cause she so amazing,
When I bring her to the club, them hoes be going crazy,
Every nigga in the hood wanna fuck my lady,
Can’t wait for me to slip so they can take my baby
She get me out of jams and tight situations,
Love ain’t got no cut off point, it ain’t no limitation,
She got me in that thang sittin on them thangs,
It’s great cause now them hoes don’t look at me the same,
Well fuck it they aint gotta fuck with me at all
I pick my baby up and took her to the mall.”

I’ve included a full stream of the mixtape below, and suggest that you skip to “Koolin,” as its been stuck in my head for weeks:

What’s Your Favorite Track Off Of Mr. Zone 6?

After hearing Tiron’s impressive Ketchup project, Boston-based hip hop clothing label, Society Original Products, decided to sponsor the artist’s MSTRD mixtape.  In addition to getting their logo on the mixtapes of artists whom they believe in, a number of Society’s products have been spotted on emerging emcees such as Wiz Khalifa and J. Cole in the last month alone.

Released in 2009, Tiron’s Ketchup project served as a means to bring listeners up to speed with his music, while also releasing a handful of new tracks.  Now, with his first release of 2010, Tiron gives us a project as artistic and creative as its name, MSTRD.

TiRon – “60901″

Dowload – “60901″

TiRon uses “60901″ to introduce himself to new listeners and a great deal of fans who may not of known about the L.A. emcee’s Midwestern roots.  60901 is the area code for Kankakee, Illinois.  If you’ve never been to the small Midwestern city, hopefully TiRon’s lyrics can paint a vivid picture for you:

“Closer to drama, no daddy’s just baby mommas,
And miles away from Obama’s hood,
And I ain’t grow up in the same neighborhood as Lu,
Or Ye, but niggas did move Ye to get the loot,
Cause the city ain’t a city,
Just a bunch of folks sitting on a shitty situation,
If you are legit, you ain’t really satisfied,
And that’s the norm, watch TV, sit, and fantasize,
Too stuck to even dream, or even have a grind,
Safe to say it ain’t the best place to be,
but I claim it like my own, that’s my city that’s my home,
And I know that once I’m on, I’mma take em round the globe.”

It sounds like relocating to the West Coast was a good move for Tiron and his family.

Tiron – “For Your Smile”

Download – “For Your Smile.”

“For Your Smile” is an obvious female fan favorite, as you can tell from this live footage.  Having said that, I know a lot of guys can relate to the lyrics while vibing out to the smooth beat.  Another track off MSTRD with a similar female appeal is “Ms. Right.”

Tiron – “Boys & Girls”

“Boys & Girls” is perhaps the most creative track off the project, as Tiron explains the slippery slope of dysfunctional relationships.  His sped up rapping over the quick beat adds to the chaotic and confusing story line.

Stream Tiron’s MSTRD mixtape.