R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON.

(1958-2009)

Wow.

Words truly escape me right now. I'm speechless. This is surreal to me. MJ was that dude. I grew up on his music. He was a staple in my life. Thriller was the first cassette tape I ever owned, back when I was 6 years old. I used to listen to it and dance around my living room, practicing my dance moves. I had the silver glove and everything...

I never thought I would see this day. Honestly. The unbelievable has truly happened. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson has passed away today at only 50 years old. Jackson was rushed to the hospital this afternoon after suffering from a cardiac arrest. He arrived to the emergency room in a coma, and was pronouced dead shortly.

Despite all the rumors, the crazy trials and tribulations, the altering of his appearance - no other artist has ever (or will ever) accomplished what Michael did in his career. I mean, he has sold over 1oo million copies of his album Thriller - that's ONE ALBUM! From the ground breaking music videos, the dance steps, and electrifying world tours, Michael truly was an artist before his time. He transcended musical genres, and was truly the biggest and most famous musician of our lifetime. Hands down.

Jackson had planned to hit the road again to perform 50 shows this summer, in what was going to be the biggest concert event of the year. Tickets for the entire series, which were scheduled to kick off July 8th, sold out in hours. 50 show dates sold out in hours. Amazing. That was a testament to his star power, and that after 40 years in the music biz he still was in enormous demand. Mike, you were a pioneer and an icon, and you will truly be missed.

Rest in Peace.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAC.

Today would be Pac's 38th birthday. Or maybe it really is, depending on your theory. Regardless, Pac was one of the most influential rap artists of all time. Whether you liked him or not, there is no denying his legacy. So pour out a little liquor for the homie today.

I imagine he's throwing a party up in heaven right now to celebrate his life, chilling with Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra, Curtis Mayfiled, Jimi Hendrix, Malcolm X, Eazy-E, and of course Biggie Smalls. Now that ain't nothing but a Gangster Party.

2Pac - "I Ain't Mad Atcha"

Bun B Interview.

Bun talks to HHO about reppin the for the south and carrying on the UGK tradition.

R.I.P. Pimp C.

UGK's final studio album, 4 Life, is in stores now. Cop something.

R.I.P. Eazy-E.

(September 7, 1963 – March 26, 1995)

Eric "Eazy-E" Wright passed away 14 years ago today due to complications from AIDS. He will forever be an integral part of hip-hop music, and a true Westcoast pioneer. As founder of Ruthless Records, he was the Godfather of Gangsta Rap. If it wasn't for him, there would be no N.W.A., no Ice Cube, no Dr. Dre, no Snoop, and no Deathrow Records in the same capacity that we have them today. He put Compton on the map. He shouted "Fuck The Police" when everybody else was afraid to, and protested the police brutality and racial profiling that was going down in ghettos across the United States. He was a shrewd business man and marketing genius who did things his way, no matter who opposed. As trust me, everybody opposed. He was officially put on the FBI's black list for advocating violence against law enforcement official. Not to mention, he single-handily made Jheri curls acceptable in hip hop. Respect Due.

Put on your locs and Raiders hat, and reminisce over Eazy.


Eazy-E - "We Want Eazy"

Draze - "The Notorious, Life After Death"

Draze salutes Brooklyn's finest with a Mixtape Movie in which Draze steps into the role of Christopher Wallace and tells his story from a first person narrative. It's actually well done, and perfect for today.

Every year at this time, the hip hop community takes a moment to commemorate the life, the genius, and the legacy of the Notorious BIG. This year, in honor of the late great emcee, Draze salutes Brooklyn’s finest with a Mixtape Movie titled, “The Notorious, Life after Death” featuring DJ B Mello.In his own words Draze says, ”

I’ve always been a Biggie fan, so this was my way of paying homage. I tried to channel his energy as best I could. The greatest honor for me was hearing someone say it was even half way believable.”

Shout out to E-Dub for the heads up.

Top 10 Biggie Videos Of All Time.

In tribute, I wanted to run down my favorite videos from the late great Christopher Wallace. He essentially took rap music videos to the next level, to a point where they started to get mainstream play on a channel that wasn't fucking with rap music (MTV). There's no question that his music videos changed the game, and influenced countless rappers (for better and for worse). With that being said, here is my list of the great V.I.D.E.O.S. from B.I.G.....and don't worry, I'm a certified Biggie Smalls expert. You can check the credentials.



10. CAN'T YOU SEE

We set it off with Total's song featuring Biggie. The video was directed by Hype Williams, who has mastered the use of flashing lights in his video, long before Kanye thought of it. Big also happens to drop one of the sickest lines in his arsenal on this one:

"My raps lines is like land mines,
One step...KABOOM...black suits fill the room."




9. PLAYA'S ANTHEM

The Junior M.A.F.I.A. steps in at #9....I know, this countdown is going to be thick. And why is everyone in this video wearing leather jackets?




8. GET MONEY

Back to back Junior M.A.F.I.A. In this one, Biggie takes shots at his wifey, Faith Evans, in this classic Hype Williams video. So why is this number 8, you ask? The videos losses points for the buff dudes with no shirts feeding grapes to Lil Kim and Salt N Pepa. I imagine Puff let that fly...





7. FLAVA IN YA EAR (REMIX)

Arguably, one of the greatest remixes of all time, and the way Big sets it off is unmistakable. I remember the first time I heard his verse, I rewinded that shit like 6 times in a row. I never made it to Craig Mack's verse. Sorry, Craig. Black and white videos are always dope, and this one is iconic. Biggie with the extreme close up. Puffy with the "Warriors" reference. LL Cool J with one pant leg rolled up. And possibly, the last time anyone ever heard from Rampage.




6. SKY'S THE LIMIT

Biggie's most uplifting song, and one of the most creative concepts for a music video (courtesy of Spike Jonze). Biggie had passed away, so they decided to have Biggie and all his friends portrayed by kids. The concept matches the message behind the song so perfectly. This is one of the most underrated music videos of all time. And the young version of Busta Rhymes is hilarious.




5. WARNING

Big shows off his storytelling prowess in this one, as he tells an intricate and paranoia-filled tale of a phone conversation he had about people trying to kill him. Classic. Any time you hear this beat drop, you automatically begin to chant, "Who the fuck is this...pagin me at 5:46 in the morning, crack-a-dawnin'"




4. ONE MORE CHANCE (REMIX)

Biggie links up with his wifey, Faith Evans for this classic that had all the ladies begging for another change. Biggie took his player image to the next level in this, and the image of him in the Kangol hat and Versace glasses might be his most memorable and iconic. The cameos are thick in this one, from Mary J. Blige to Heavy D.





3. JUICY

It's the video that introduced the Notorious B.I.G. to the masses and told the story of how he went from ashy to classy. This is probably my favorite Biggie song of all time, and one of the best feel good rap songs in history. Every time I hear it, it puts me in a great mood. And if ya dont know, now you know...




2. BIG POPPA

It's Biggie's personal anthem, and another hype williams classic. This is the video that made you wanna throw your hands in the air...and essentially mad slow motion a staple in every rap video ever.




1. HYPNOTIZE

It's one of the biggest hip-hop videos of all time. It had it all: a big budget, million dollar yachts, dancing honeys, and even a car chase in reverse. It was the last video biggie ever shot, and it goes down in history as his best.

Rest In Peace.

R.I.P. Biggie Smalls

(May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)

...Today is the 12th anniversary of the passing of the King of New York, The Notorious B.I.G. Personally, Christopher Wallce was one of the greatest to ever do it, so we're gonna pay tribute to him here today with a couple of Biggie posts. I mean, I named this blog after him, it's only right.

He blessed the world with some of the greatest hip hop songs of our generation, and sadly, one of the greatest funeral procession of all time too. We'll always love Big Poppa.

Slum Village.

Raise It Up.


Climax.


Fall In Love.


Get Dis Money.


Players.


Reunion.

Thank You Jay Dee, Act 2 (Mixed by J. Rocc)

This is my favorite of all Dilla tribute mixes. When it comes to Jay Dee mixes, 2 cats stand above the rest. (1) Houseshoes. (2) J. Rocc. Not knocking anybody else, but these dudes are the Official. This classic mix is from 2007, and Stones Throw offered it up as a free podcast, and now it's yours. Please enjoy this, it's a wonderful presentation of Dilla's timeless and classic music. Words cannot really describe how dope Dilla truly was, and how much he gave to our lives.

[DOWNLOAD HERE.]

Dilla Lives.

Dilla Keeps Shining.

A Classic HHO tribute to J DIlla from 2007. Cats like Talib, Pharoahe Monche, Phife share their memories of the late great J Dilla. As most of you already know, today marks the 3 year anniversary of his passing, so we continue to celebrate his life+music. I have some more Dilla gems on the way later today, I've just been mad busy so I'm laggin. Fear not.

[VIDEO] J Dilla - "Won't Do"

In memory of James Dewitt Yancey aka Jay Dee aka J Dilla. (1974 - 2006)

Daily Dopeness: E=MC2.

Dilla x Common = Legendary. Today's Dopeness comes from Dilla's posthumous album, The Shining, in which Dilla throws down one of his hardest beats ever for Common to rip apart. The dopest thing about this song, is that it's somewhat out of both of these dude's perceived character. Dilla was mostly known (to the masses) for his smoother, neo-soul beats (even though he always had slaps to rattle that trunk), and Common is mostly known for his smoother, neo-soul raps (even though he's always been a killer on the mic, ask Westside Connection). They both step out of the box for this one, creating a track that is a throwback to both of their inner beasts. It's amazing. And that sample? How the hell did he find that? Dilla is a fool for this one.

DOWNLOAD: J Dilla - "E=MC2" (ft. Common)

Dilla Week continues...

J Dilla MiniMegaMix by DJ Rhettmatic.

Dilla week starts early here at the Notorious B.L.O.G. and I couldn't be happier. If you know anything about me, know that Dilla was one of my favorite producers of all time. His influence and impact on hip hop is immeasurable. His birthday is this Saturday (tomorrow) Feb 7th, and all next week is going to be flooded with dope Dilla music to reflect on his life and honor his legacy. We set it off with a MiniMegaMix that DJ Rhettmatic through together as a Pre-Birthday mix called 'WHATUPDOE 09." I'll let him explain it...

Anyways, this is a mini mega mix of some of Dilla's songs & production. I originally did this as a 10 minute mix for the mixtape project that J.Rocc, Houseshoes, & myself did with Dave New York 2 years ago to help out Mrs. Maureen Yancey aka Ma Dukes, Dilla's mother.....an incredible lady (if y'all know the name of the mix cd project, go head & get it......) So I extended this mix from 10 minutes to 35 minutes. It was pretty much impossible for me to get everything that Dilla did on this mix (he has such a big discography, it's ridiculous), especially for the fact I wanted to finish this before his birthday in such a short period of time. Of course, you'll hear some of the classic songs that Dilla has produced in the mix, but you'll also get to here some Dilla beats that you might have or have not heard before, and a live recording of Dilla performing "F*ck The Police" at one of his show in Europe (Paris, France to be exact) on his last tour ever (I was lucky & honored to be his tour dj for his last performances).

Like I said before, I don't think anyone can do a J Dilla mix as great as J.Rocco's, but here's my mix for you to download...nothing really crazy. Please feel free to share with your friends & post it up on your music blog. I hope you enjoy the mix as much as I enjoyed making this. Thanks for checkin this out.

[DOWNLOAD HERE.]

And stayed tuned for more Dilla next week...

The Story Behind Biggie's "Hypnotize"

D-Dot, the producer behind Biggie Smalls most banginest track of all time, "Hypnotize" talks about the making of the song. From the upcoming Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon DVD, which drops January 27th.

Ha, yo, sicker than yo' average...

The Notorious B.I.G. - "Warning" (Live)

From the upcoming documentary, Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon, due out January 27. Biggie Smalls is the illest.

[VIDEO] J Dilla - "Airworks"

New visuals for Dilla's song "Airworks" from his Donuts album. Rest In Peace. If you're a fan of Dilla, I got something pretty dope coming to you in the next couple of weeks so stayed for that. You'll know it when you see it.

Freestyle Friday.

R.I.P. Big Proof.

Download a 4 hour mix of Biggie Smalls.

Seriously. Do it. You cant' go wrong. It's Biggie. He's the King of New York. This is the 10th anniversary of his death tribute.

DOWNLOAD HERE: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Hosted By Juan Epstein. Mixed by Mister Cee...so you know it's good.

J Dilla interview on BBC Radio 1 (circa 2001).

Now this right here is that pure, uncut dope. This is a recording of Jay Dee appearing on Giles Peterson's BBC Radio 1 show in February of 2001. Basically, they're just playing DIlla tracks as he talks about each one and what he was aiming for with the production, as well as little tidbits and stories from behind the music. This is a must listen for any Dilla fan. Dilla, who was one of the most passionate musicians of our era, speaks from the heart about working with some of his favorite artists like the Pharcyde, Common, Slum Village, The Ummah, Q-Tip, Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu, and so much more.

Running time is 31:45, but every second is like an orgasm for your eardrums.


Do yourself a favor and LISTEN HERE...because there's no such thing as too much Dilla in your life.

Dr. Dre's Son Passes Away.

This is so sad. Condolences to Dre and his fam. Dre Jr. was an aspiring producer and musician, who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps...

Andre Romelle Young Jr., the son of rapper and pioneering hip-hop producer Dr. Dre, was found dead in his Woodland Hills, California, home Saturday morning, according to Dre’s representative. He was 20 years old.

An autopsy was conducted on Young’s body Monday, but a cause of death has not yet been determined, pending the results of a toxicology report, a representative for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office told MTV News. The coroner’s rep confirmed that an Andre Romelle Young Jr. passed away Saturday, but was uncertain if he was Dre’s son; Dre’s rep confirmed that information Tuesday (August 26).

Young was discovered in his bed at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday by his mother, who attempted to rouse him, the coroner’s spokesperson said. Young was unresponsive, so she called paramedics, who responded to the scene. After their efforts to revive him failed, he was pronounced dead at the scene.