New UGK album in December? Awesome! Cham's re-up in February? Cool. Flip's I Need Mine in November? Nice. But there's more to Texas rap scene than those familiar names. A few artists to keep your eyes on (no Mark Foley) after the jump.
While most other 14-year-olds were tucked in bed and fast asleep, teenage rapper Lil J Xavier was seen getting his freak on at a nightclub the other day.
Some of you were right about last week's blind item, but most guessed wrong. Does this mean folks could care less about Flip in this Mike Jones era? Top 10 hit ("Sunshine"), Signed to a major (Warner), platinum-selling rapper--it's Flipperaci alright. Look for his new album before the album, I'm A Balla at your favorite bootlegg retail stores November 7, 2006. But before you make that trip, let's get to the nitty gritty...
Concluding my unprecedented UGK week with a preview of their eagerly awaited new album , Underground Kingz. I guess the most brow-raising collaboration on this LP is a track titled "H-Town" which features two of the greatest emcees of all time, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane, and sports production by the legendary Marly Marl.
Pause.
Esteemed hip-hop beatsmith Sean Blaze -- not to be confused with that beat-biting uber producer) who has worked with 50 Cent, Chamillionaire, ESG, Lil Keke, and a host of others -- is at the forefront of a fresh web movement that will help export H-Town hip-hop to the outer limits. We're talking worldwide revolution at the click of a button. At this rate, you'll soon be able to enjoy your Houston-bred hip-hop even in space.
Aaliyah's "Back & Forth" must be on top of Z-Ro's iPod playlist right now. No? Akon's "Locked Up" sounds more apropos.
Rap-A-Lot has confirmed to me (via email) that one of H-Town's greats is back in his favorite place for an undisclosed offense. Funny thing is that Ro's long-awaited longplayer, I'm Still Living. drops in two weeks (November 7th).
"I got Bobby by the pound, Whitney by the key / DJ Screw by the gallon, the game belongs to me"
Delete "Like That" from your hard drive. The real UGK single has arrived. Haters, please whip out a large bowl and some sporks, and get ready to eat your words.
The game belongs to Bun B and Pimp C, f*ck what you heard!
Stop the violence!
"Knockin' Doorz Down" is exactly what hip-hop needs right now. A song that has absolutely no respect for conflict. Imagine if there was a "Knockin' Doorz Down" for all the feuding rappers : T.I. and Lil' Flip, Game and Ras Kass, Nas and 50, Dipsetand Jay-Z, etc... Hold up, I think that crazy Hatian rappertainer Wyclef already tried it and failed. Never mind.
Nope, having the only platinum-selling rap release of '06 (so far) come from the "A" doesn't count. If anything, it only proves that people weren't feeling the plethora of horrid rap albums that dropped this year. Hosting the first annual BET Hip-Hop Awards doesn't make ATL the king of anything either.
We all know who truly runs southern rap at the end of the day, don't we?
Actually, I'm not at all surprised about Bushwick Bill's decision to turn to God. Word has it that the 3'8" Geto Boy was annointed a minister at the age of 18. Now, Bill is taking it all the way and makiing his new album a full-fledged gospel disc. Woooowww.
J Nicks has lost his muh'fuckin' mind.
Apparently, this guy just missed the whole point. He needs his du-rag snatched to enable the seamless flow of blood through his medulla oblangata.
So, who said Hip-Hop Is Dead had anything to do with the south? Are these guys really that hungry for attention? Or is their comprehension level really that low?
You watch the video and decide.
It's funny how things can quickly change for the better. Just a few days ago, we were discussing the possibility of Flipperachi's new album, I Need Mine, becoming a commercial flop. Then he turns around and drops this monster of a song to silence his critics. Check it.
According to Overture, there were only 599 searches for Lil' Flip's I Need Mine last month. Out of those 599, more than half are probably looking to bootleg the album. Flipperachi's career is on life support right now.
Hey, don't shoot the messenger.
Yeah right.
Apparently, South Park Mexican (aka Carlos Coy) has an album coming out. Not that he'll be in your neighborhood doing any promo run for it (God forbid), seeing as he's currently locked up for messing with a kid that came to sleep over with his daughter.
You know, they say the truth is told in jest. Scratch that. Truth is best told under the influence. Case in point: No one knew how Mel Gibson felt about Jews until he was eventually caught off guard, thanks to liquor. And who can forget DMX's infamous "SMACK" clip where X cracked under the influence of whatever he was poppin' at the time and spilled the truth about his exit from Def Jam?
The latest victim of drug-enhanced confession is none other than your favorite rapper's favorite grill master Paul Wall.
Bet that.
It may come as a surprise to some of you that the only rap album to go platinum (so far) this year* is T.I.'s King. It shouldn't. King isn't the best release of '06, it's not even Top 5 at this point. But, it's hands down the most brilliant southern rap album of 2006, and southern rap is what those ever-finicky hip-hop fans are infatuated with right now.
Ain't a damn thing going on in the H but chicken wings and cold beer. Beyonce is still out globe-trotting with El Presidente. Z-Ro's back in his favorite vacation spot because he failed to take a fuckin' urinalysis test??!! (Thanks, Doc)
It gets worse.
No one saw it coming, but I'm glad she chose to make a video for "Irreplaceable" -- one of the standout cuts on B'Day.
If you haven't heard Chamillionaire's new song by now, then I got you covered. On the song, titled "I'm Back," (my thoughts on it later), Cham mentions that Universal wanted him to drop an album this year. His reply to their request?
"Aw hell nah"
Another day, another senseless killing.
As you've probably heard by now, two aspiring Texas rappers engaged in a vicious rap battle that left a 17-year old high school junior dead. How does a rap battle escalate to the point where you rap and then point a gun at your rival? What the f*ck is wrong with Smack DVD-watching wannabe gangstas these days? I also heard this incogitable rumor that some chapters of the KKK are disbanding because rap-stemmed black-on-black violence is already doing their job in much better ways than they could've imagined.
And you know what?
Cham, please stay away from crazy ol' Suge. He's known for dangling platinum rappers through the window. He's also been convicted of riding a mechanical bull. Worse still, people who hang out with him either come up missing or gone. We don't want that to be your story. Be very afraid, Cham.
Oh, the never-ending comedy that is Mike Jones. You know, I almost thought this guy was done with rap. I've got his brand new mess for you if you're feeling lucky.
