One thing that I probably won’t consciously do is add songs that were part of a mixtape but then had the DJ removed. It sounds like a movement, that, if allowed to continue spreading, could lesson the role of the DJ in ways that would be adverse to the progression of the art form (in my opinion). Not saying there’s no place for it EVER, but blatantly removed the DJ from songs during the cycle of the mixtape that they are promoting? I don’t know how that movement began, but like terms such as ‘DMV’ and adding the word ‘flow’ to whatever the hell you’re doing, I gonna try to avoid this one as much as I can.

The main event, the album everybody been waiting for this summer, is finally here. The upcoming album from Rozay, Telfon Don, is the album I feel is the Florida emcee’s best work to date. To be honest, once I got word of the album and I heard the first single (‘Super High’ with Ne-Yo), I wasn’t feeling it that much. By no means am I saying the record was wack, I’m just more of fan of Rick Ross’ more hard hitting tracks and not the chill up-tempo ones. Regardless, Rozay had the streets fiending for Teflon Don with the release of his Albert Anastasia EP mixtape, which was one of the hardest mixtapes of the year and a very nice tune up for the album.

I am happy that things are headed in this direction because, quite frankly, you don’t really hear about these problems in other genres. With Country, R&B and Rock, some of the biggest stars are at retirement age, still putting out albums to promote to this day. With that said, I have never really understood why heading to a certain age meant that your career had to end, especially if you are still putting out top-quality music. While there are artists that probably need to put the mic down (sorry, LL, it looks like you’re doing more of trying to keep up than setting trends), it’s talent, and not age, that’s finally playing the larger role in the music that’s being put out. And I hope it continues this way permanently.

Getting Diddy to sit his singing ass down, though, is another story…

It’s that time of the year again, when the best music is released…as Jay-Z would say of his own career: “seven straight summers, critics might not admit it but nobody in rap did it, quite like I did it”. Which artist will take the crown this summer? With several big releases, they all better bring their “A” game if they want the throne. So far, Eminem‘s Recovery, which sold 744,000 (the highest debut of the year), has been number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 since it’s been released. Some other noticeable releases were The Roots‘ “How I Got Over”, Big Boi‘s Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Z-Ro‘s Heroin, and Juvenile‘s Beast Mode.

Let’s start with Capone-N-Noreaga, who planned a strong comeback with the new album The War Report 2 while inking a new deal with Raekwon’s IceH20 Records. As you can probably see, the new album is the sequel to their critically acclaimed debut. The first single, ‘Hood Pride’ (featuring Faith Evans), shows that they are looking to retain the title of T.O.N.Y. The album will have appearances from Nas, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, and the L.O.X., with production from the likes of Alchemist, Scram Jones, Neo Da Matrix, Tha Bizness, Buckwild, araabMUZIK, DJ Green Lantern, and Just Blaze. If the duo can makes another classic album with The War Report 2, it could be enough to bring them back to the forefront of Hip-Hop.

Paul Wall hasn’t really had a thriving album since his People’s Champ, which went Platinum and debuted at   #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The new album, Heart Of A Champion, has Travis Barker doing quite a bit of the production with additional help from Beanz N Kornbread. The album will have appearances from Yelawolf, Lil Keke, Jim Jones, Raekwon, Bun B, and Jay Electronica. Paul Wall also reunited with his former friend/foe Chamillionare, who he has had a well-documented falling out with since 2007. The two rappers have also decided to tour together in the near future (more than likely after Chamillionaire releases his upcoming album).

As a teenager, Curren$y was signed to No Limit Records, who didn’t really do anything with the young artist before he left in 2005 and inked a deal with Young Money Entertainment. It was there that he created the hit track, ‘Where the Cash At’, which gained a lot of street buzz on the mixtape circuit and later became the lead single for his eventually doomed debut, Music to Fly To (the album was later shelved). He eventually left Young Money in 2007 to venture off and market his own music. For several months he released a series of mixtapes with gained him notoriety and allowed him to make a name for himself, to the point he was appointed to XXL’s Freshman 10 of 2009. In 2010, he landed a deal at Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam, where he created his latest piece of work Pilot Talk, which is his third studio album and first major label debut. The album is mostly produced by the legendary Ski (yea that one), with assisted production from Mos Def, Nesby Phips, Michael Sterling Eaton and Monsta Beatz. The album also features Snoop Dogg, newly signed Def Jam artist Big K.R.I.T., Jay Electronica and Devin the Dude.

From the success of Deeper Than Rap, Rick Ross returns with the most anticipated album of the summer Teflon Don. In May of 2010, Rick Ross announced a management/partnership deal with Diddy, while Freeway Ricky Ross was filing a copyright infringement lawsuit in an attempt to stop the release of the album (the injunction was eventually tossed out of court). The album has a wide variety of features from Kanye to T.I. to Erykah Badu with production provided by J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, No ID, Clark Kent and the Inkredibles. Diddy stated on his twitter page that Teflon Don will be an instant classic, and come 7/20 we’ll all find out if Diddy was simply selling us a dream.

The Game is back on Aftermath, the label that signed him back in 2005 and the label that he left amid his heated dispute with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The Game also stated that LAX would be his last album, but a chance to reunite with Dr. Dre was clearly hard to turn down. So they have finally reunited to release his upcoming The R.E.D. Album, which will feature the likes of Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, Robin Thicke, Drake, Beanie Sigel and Rick Ross. Dr Dre and The Neptunes handle executive production on the album and No I.D., Drumma Boy, Kanye West, Cool & Dre, Just Blaze, and Rza help with the overall backdrop. I am for one very interested to listen to a full album of Pharrell and Dr Dre sounds meshed together in one album (although on a minor scale it’s already been done before).

To end the summer, September 14, 2010 aka G.O.O.D. Music Day will be a big day in hip-hop and could go down in history, as label head Kanye West and label mates Consequence, Kid CuDi and Big Sean will all be releasing their album on the same day.

• Kanye has being lying low since he went on stage at the MTV Awards and stole the moment from Taylor Swift. Good Ass Job has been rumored to feature Drake, Nicki Minaj, Dwelle, and Big Sean. Production is rumored to come from Kanye West (of course), No I.D. (another given), DJ Premier, Q-Tip, RZA, Pete Rock, DJ Toomp, Madlib (surprise), and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em (….). Kanye will bring his A game for the new album and the streets can’t wait for the release. 
• Kid CuDi, coming off the success of his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (which debuted selling over 100,000 copies and landed at #4 on the Billboard 100). Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager will have features from Chip Tha Ripper, Ratatat, Cage, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. Production for the album will be provided by Kid Cudi, Kanye West (who also serves as the executive producer), Emile & Plain Pat (who is co-executive producer) and the Neptunes. Kid CuDi has made a name for himself in hip-hop and has many waiting to see if he will break the sophomore curse. 
• In 2005, while Kanye West was in Detroit doing a radio interview, he ended up meeting the up and coming Big Sean. Ever the determined, he managed to get a chance to spit 16 bars as Kanye (after declining several times) was leaving, also leaving a demo-tape in high hopes. Well, it eventually worked; Big Sean became signed to G.O.O.D. two years later. Since then he’s released two mixtapes (Finally Famous Vol. 1 & 2), with intentions to release a 3rd volume and the end of the summer. The young rapper will also be performing at Rock The Bells this year. So if you don’t know who the Big Sean from Detroit is you will when his debut album Finally Famous is released on 9/14 (Jon’s Note: I don’t see any of this working, except for the already established artists, sans Consequence. Take a look at Big Kuntry King’s career for an example).

Some other noticeable summer releases:
• The Gates Mixed Plate by Tech N9ne
• The Darkside Vol. 1 by Fat Joe
• Villa Manifesto by Slum Village
• Trill O.G. by Bun B
• King of All Kings by Pastor Troy
• The Rehab by Young Buck
• Ready Set Go! by Roscoe Dash
• Crossroads 2010 by Bizzy Bone
• South Central State Of Mind by Nipsey Hussle
• Too Cool To Care by New Boyz
• The EP by Slaughterhouse
• Back On Money by Kane & Abel
• Armando by Pitbull
• The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted by Gucci Mane
• TM 103 by Young Jeezy
• Nothing by N.E.R.D.
• W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) by Pharoahe Monch
• Album of Year By Black Milk
• There is No Competition 2 EP by Fabolous

Okay, my first album review….not sure why the hell I’m reviewing anything on a blog I’m still trying to build, but maybe we can show you just how serious to are when it comes to both studying the in and outs of this music industry while also showing our true undying love for it…but anyway…

So, before I start the review, let me first say that I 1) was a HUGE fan of Juve and his crew during the Hot Boy days, and 2) I can’t honestly say that I been really heavy on post-Reality Check Juve. Aside from the very hot track “We Be Gettin’ Money” (while not taking away from “Gotta Get It“), Cocky & Confident was a bit of a continuing decrease in my eyes.

So now we have his new album “Beast Mode” (Atlantic/UTP) which, if one were to judge a book by it’s cover, we not put it off to the greatest start. To paraphrase it, it’s a very unoriginal (maybe I shouldn’t call it that, given how long he’s been in the game providing this music), monotonous, formulaic-sounding album that touches on the usual topics of sex, drugs, and generally living life like a rock star.  With that said, after a few cups of cognac and a couple blunts, this album will probably satisfy every rock out moment in the modified system of your car on the way to and from the (strip) club.

Too simple read the title of each song on the tracklist tells you plenty. Most of the tracks are too similar to even really separate, include the first track, “Go Hard Or Go Home”, and the tracks “I’m Da Man”, “Nothing Like Me (which features a Juve Jr.?)”, “No Team” and “Lights, Camera, Action”, which are all pounding minimal beats filled with braggadocio layered in between thought of violence and triumph. For the more adult subject matter you need look no further than “Drop That Azz” and “Pussy Cat”. You also have the straight party music (“Drinks On Me”) and well as the obligatory didn’t-Lil-Wayne-already-do-this-but-better get-high track (“La La La La La”).

As far as lyrical ability, this is probably Juve at his strongest as he continues to master his craft, completely with southern countrified lines like “got flavor like steak sauce” and “shit stains on my tennis shoes, I be kickin ass'”, lines that only he and a few other emcees could even pull off without sounding completely laughable.

To close out, as said before, this album is great for getting to amped to party, wherever that may be. It’s also great for riding music in the whip. But at the end of the day, you may find yourself breaking out the old Cash Money records as a reminder of when Juve was definitely at his prime.

“Drop That Thang (Drop That Azz, Edited)”

You know, I’m probably going to go off on a tangent here, but…first off, there’s really not a whole lot more you can say about this individual…Michael Jackson has been a part of everybody’s life pretty much (even for the younger generation). When I saw the news and everyone’s tributes today, I came to a realization (correct me if I’m wrong), but we as a people really do seem to celebrate on the day of death for an individual over that persons actual birthday (which I admittedly had to look up…).

With that said, I will never forget him and will continue to rock to his music, not just on days to remember him.

::steps off soapbox::

Smooth Criminal

Source: MTV News