Watch The Throne – Jay Z & Kanye West – 2011 written by SOULONE

Let’s get one thing clear.

This will not be the biased, shallow, fragmentary, take on ‘Throne’. Nope. No snark-fest here.

It won’t be,

“How they gon’ use a Otis Redding sample and not pay tribute to Otis Redding mayne??!!”

The song is called OTIS.

or,

“All they rappin’ ’bout is money..sheeeeit I ain’t rich. I cant relate…”

(see: “No Church In The Wild”,”New Day”, “That’s My Bitch”, “Murder to Excellence”, “Made In America”, and well…just listen to the album.)

This will not be “that” take. It will be fair. Impartial. Just.

Not the chew it up, vomit, one listen, polar/extremist, spit it out just to HAVE a take and actually absorb it later, *Twitter* 140 character take. Agreed?

Fact is, most hip-hop collab albums usually fall short of the mark. Usually inconsistent (The Firm), usually incohesive (Jaylib *victim of circumstance*), usually missing (Common/Q-Tip), or usually just plain “huh?” (Nas/Damian Marley). With the exceptions of OB4CL, which can be debated as to whether it’s an actual collab, or RAEKWON’S ALBUM (what up Flash? LOL), and Black Star, they also usually end up disposable in a very short time. (*note* MC/producer collabs were not included, only MC/MC)

With that being said, understandable if the idea of another MC/MC collab doesn’t necessarily excite you. Cool. Got it.
But, if you can’t get excited about the two biggest rap superstars in the world releasing a two-and-half minute, no-chorus, straight sample chop with no real drum programming to speak of, lighting in a bottle SINGLE….?? stop reading now…

Enter ‘Watch The Throne’.

Not exactly too much or too little of anything, ‘Throne’ on the surface, is the complete opposite of its reviews. Narcissistic, but not too narcissistic. Silly, but not too silly. Cerebral at times, but definitely not too cerebral ever. Many critics suggest that it’s over the top in brash bravado, and while the braggadocio IS present, it isn’t overwhelming. ‘Throne’ walks a fine line between ever getting TOO anything, good or bad included. “No Church In The Wild” is one of Jay/Ye’s best offerings chemistry-wise, over a pulsating 88-Keys backdrop (shout 88, that shit is MEAN), and “Lift Off” is the stadium status type of serving everyone should have expected from ‘Throne’ (shouts ‘Rell for the last 30secs. Classic bongos Neptunes sh*t). “Nigg*s In Paris” is much more Ye’ than Jay, (which is a common theme throughout ‘Throne’) but works, and anytime I can get Jay rhyming over this and this, i’ll take it. Swizz Beats shines (damn…who said THAT?) on “Welcome To The Jungle“, and “Murder To Excellence” is an awesome glance into black on black violence (there’s your substance snarky). BTW, is it just me, or are the beat change-ups on this album SECOND TO FUCKING NONE???

‘Throne’ has its pitfalls (‘Who Gon Stop Me’, ‘Why I Love You’), and it isn’t surprising they exist. Jay/Ye’ lack any real chemistry to speak of as MC’s, and Jay sometimes sounds a bit uncomfortable, however always inspired and focused.

Is it conceited?
Condescending?
Contradictory? (D.O.A. anyone??? What happened Hov?)

Yep. Yep. And yep.

But, one thing I’ve learned from rap music after a lifetime of disappointments and pleasant surprises is to least try to figure out what something IS, instead of harping on what it ISN’T. ‘Throne’ has much to offer sonically, and the careful listener will notice an interestingly, much more than usual revealing side of Jay-Z, and an extra human and passionate (and also hilarious) Kanye (even for Kanye).

Maybe (just maybe) the approach to making music that will be performed for and heard by millions calls for a bit of a different formula than music that (let’s face it) probably won’t. I for certain, don’t know. And although neither Ye’ nor Jay surpasses either of their previous best efforts, this experiment went relatively well. Especially solid considering the disaster it could have been. Whether or not ‘Throne’ will become another disposable hip-hop collab casualty of course remains to be seen. Hell, it’s really very unfair to “review” anything less than 24-hours after its release. But this is just a “take”. A “take” on the states of upheaval and outrage fans are for some reason in, and a “take” on the actual music. Not saying it’s classic, but it definitely is no dumpster fire. Relax.

Lyrically, if ‘my baby don’t wear no drawers,’ doesn’t make you wince in confusion at the start of the song, the use of the words hood and ghetto might be the cliches to do you in. Vocally, David Sha (though a capable vocalist) lacks the grittiness to make the tale convincing. Musically, they achieve the down home sort of groove and feel, but the vague subject, Carverdale, could have been made more real to the listener.

- Terrence Lathan

David Sha “Carverdale” Video

Purchase David Sha “Carverdale” here

In lieu of the upcoming NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, ya’ boys at The Progress Report (GrandfatherCloc aka “thats the same Benz from the “Money Earnin Mt Vernon” video!”, Soul “what time are we meeting again?” One, and Flash Gordon Parks aka “quit hating the south”), have spent hours and hours and hours (and hours) debating, discussing, and dissecting rap records from 1980-2011, to come up with a 64-field rap album tournament. Progress Report style. Of the TRILLions and (dollar)BILLions or rap records in the universe, we “somehow, someway (Organized Konfusion,anyone????)” managed to get the field down to 150.

Then it got real.

Some albums got hated on (“Mama Said Knock You Out”) by FLASH.

Some albums got hated on (“Mos Def and Talib Kweli are…”) by me…sorta. Still made the field of 64. *grumble*

One thing we ALL could agree on (yes, there was at least one) was that the idea there are only 10-15 classic hip-hop albums, is nonsense. Foolishness. And according to our calculations, the reason for this sort of ridiculous idea stems directly from the *fact* that most hip-hop artists/fans don’t ummmm, shall we say…..LISTEN TO HIP-HOP??? There is a history to this culture, and in this case, music. It is built on something. And here at The Progress Report, we want to preserve AND share that foundation.

So with a fair voting system (three-man vote, no ties fam.), a good mix of tastes, very little bias *cough*, alcohol, lots of time, even more laughs and most importantly CRITERIA…here’s how we broke it down.

“Follow Me Now” (c) Juvenile

1. Production - not just “the beats”. this category covers the album’s production as a whole, including musical arrangement (remember when rap songs had arrangements? [see: Above The Law – “Livin Like Hustlers” , integration of similar musical tone throughout the album, (i.e. ATLiens, Reasonable Doubt etc.), originality and creativity (although these are subjective and can’t REALLY be measured outside of opinion, they can still be acknowledged and credited), and attention to detail. ***mix/mastering techniques were considered, but we also did not take points away from albums for bad mix/mastering (i.e “Enta Da Stage” and “Straight Out The Jungle”, respectively LOL!)***

2. Vocal Performance – of course we didn’t want to consider ONLY lyrics, but the entire vocal performance of the artist(s). not just the raps, but the execution of the raps as well (i.e. The D.O.C. – “No One Can Do It Better“, great raps, but even greater articulation of those raps. not just the content, but how creatively it’s conveyed (i.e. Slum Village – Fantastic Vol. 2, Biz Markie – Goin Off, Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Return To The 36 Chambers, Nice & Smooth – Nice & Smooth. What they may have lacked in substance, was made up for by FAR with style). Obviously lyrical complexity and prowess was considered, as well as attention to detail (see: Rakim’s alliteration throughout “Follow The Leader”

“…My Magnum is a Microphone Muderin’ Mc’s…”
“…everytime I Stop it Seems ya’ Stuck, Soon as ya’ try to Step off ya’ Self destruct…”

Or KRS-One’s use of rap artists’ names in his dream of being a blunt on “Can’t Wake Up” from “Return of the Boom Bap”. OR Kris using his OWN voice for the police siren sound to intro “Sound of Da Police”, instead of simply using a real siren. choruses and synergy. if a group, how or do the rappers interact? do the members include each other in their individual verses? must there be a chorus after each verse, or can the members feed off of each other (see: Freestyle Fellowship “Hot Potato“? seeing as how the best writers aren’t always the best rappers, and the best rappers aren’t always the best writers….the entire vocal scope was much more important than just, “skills”, “Much More” (c) De La Soul…

3. Influence – solely how the album influenced its peer group. how the sound scape influenced the production of albums to follow…how the vocals influenced the vocals of albums to follow. for example, “Licensed to Ill” is to “Straight Outta Compton” is to “Low End Theory” is to “The Chronic”. Not only has it been said by the artists that these albums influenced each other chronologically, it can be heard through the music. “The Blueprint” (on most levels) resurrected a production style almost single-handedly. “The Chronic” changed the way rap records were recorded….

“Enough wit’ these muthaf*ckas bitin’ Das Efx..” (c) Casual

This line is key to understanding the influence Das Efx has on their peers through vocals (for a short period, nonetheless), and is a perfect example of how strong influence can actually be…

4. Impact – any social or cultural impact outside of hip hop. this can be a touchy category (and possibly optional), but something HAS to be said for the cultural impact “It Takes A Nation…” had on fans in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Something HAS to be said about how “As Nasty As We Wanna Be” garnered attention from Florida’s US District Court…even if that attention was a direct result of the album’s content. some of these albums were more than music, they were movements. we understood that this category can also be completely non-music related, but seeing as how ALL the 150 albums we considered are ridiculously good, this category was added as sort of a bonus…sort of. kinda. didn’t take away from any record for not having it, but definitely added points to the ones that did.

5. Age-ing-ness – simply how well the album has aged over time….some things still sound as crazy as day one (i.e. “The Diary”, “Doggystyle”) some things haven’t exactly aged as well as others (i.e. “Chronic 2001″), some have gradually sounded better over time (i.e. “Graduation”, “BE”). All of these albums are fantastic in their own right, so obviously never to say that a record was bad and became good, or was good and became bad. this is also NOT a category involving any artist or their album sound becoming “dated”…throw that out the window. Forget it because what is released in 2011 will sound dated in 2021, or at some point. this is a category strictly based on replay value due to quality. Kid N Play was considered (“2 Hype”), as was Das Efx ( “Dead Serious” ), as was Little Brother ( “The Listening” ). Each of these albums contain a sound or a vocal performance indicative of the time, but still sound extra good….TODAY. “era”, “sound of the time”, and all other things of the sort, NOT considered.

based on those criteria, we filled our bracket, and chose a champion…for the complete field of 150, bracket of 64, and elimination commentary,

“Stay Tuned” (c) Gangstarr

Written by: SoulOne

I am officially starting to get more music through my email than blogs…and I go to a lot of blogs. Perhaps the most talented people I know are just on my contacts list…but either way. When John Dew emailed me this track from fellow Houstonian Tim Ned’s upcoming project entitled SkyHigh 2-I had to share this with my fam. The track Bandit is like a Houston version of Marley Marl Symphony or a down south version of Buddy. Which makes me feel that 7 days is just too long to wait for John Dew’s mixtape STJv1.9 (Summertime Johnny version 1.9) dropping March 1, 2011. This is the second installment of this Series of Summertime Johnny Albums.Which will be feauturing notable Houston talent including J Relentlist, Nya, HasHBrown, Hollywood Floss, Kidd the Great, Rob Jay, The Boy Illinois, Moriam Lawrence, and Mic Skills as well as production from Jett I. Masstyr, DJ Don, Tim Ned, Chris Rockaway, and Beast Master. (seriously how did I not think of this name first!)As a part of the infamous T.H.E.M. Crew John Dew is no stranger to the stage having opened up for Raekwon in the past and set to open up for Blu and J Davey at Groundhall March 15, 2011.

Written by: Nibu Abraham

H.I.S.D. loves Hip Hop and it is because they love Hip Hop that they feel a responsibility to elevate it and carry it forward, which is exactly what they are doing. I went to see the brothers rock the other night at the Aloft Hotel in its poshly decorated lobby and while watching them perform, one could see the pure joy and excitement they felt and shared just through ‘rockin’. With the groove-heavy and tight backings of the live band Another Level, H.I.S.D. performed 3 of it’s most popular numbers from the new album, The Weakend, Rockin’ aka Space Up, Sheetrock, & Lando. The crowd, dressed seemingly more to suit the lounge setting than for a hip hop concert, rose to the occasion of the funk. It was great to see H.I.S.D. transform what is usually another one of Houston’s many after work chill out spots into a circle of Hip Hop lovers! Well, actually, it wasn’t just hip hop fans in the circle. There were a few people visiting the hotel who wandered into the lobby wondering what was going on and were properly schooled by Houston’s own!

Written by: Terrence Lathan

View fotos of the event here

Listen to the performance below

Download the live audio

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We the taste of Texas/Expensive for your taste. ~ Scottie Spitten

It was Savvi, I believe, who created, as a moniker for my hometown, Hueston. The word hue denotes an array of colors that are determined by the dominant wavelength of light. What better word could be used to describe my city, and even more, the members of HISD. As a lover of hip hop and a woman who unabashedly puts on for her city, I have followed the emergence and now full bask in the sun of HISD for some time. The group offers, for my candy painted, syrup sipping metropolis, a certain fancy crispness that may have been lacking before. Crisp lyrics from fantastic emcees like Equality and LDavoice, even crisper beats and scratches from an exceptional team of producers including King Midas and DJ Cozmos. I would say that the homies are up and coming, but such a comment would be quite the misstep. They. Are. HERE.

And they come bearing gifts, three wise man style, with a new album shimmering and golden- an erotic excursion for the ears, mind and soul. When’s the last time a Hip Hop Record made you feel like Spring- fresh, new, resurrected- my answer is too long. The Weakend, released just this month has shaped up to be exactly what I need to make it through this cold winter. I’ve been patiently waiting, since the release of the lead single Lando, for the whole shebang. I’m privy to the work and dedication that the eight man crew puts into their projects, so I’ve sat anxious but unwearied. It was a great decision.

Looking at my lady like she stepped out of Harlem/Renaissance style/Like she’s Zora Neale down. ~ Equality on Lando

Speaking of Lando. The track is the perfect segue into The Weakend experience. Of course Savvi, Ldavoice, Scottie Spitten and (as mentioned above) Equality lyrically pop collars throughout. And MY GOD the track! The thing that I adore most about HISD’s production is that it is always beautifully multi-layered- so many layers in fact that each time one listens to a track (and particularly this track) she can hear a new element, a surprise. I applaud the tenacity it takes to produce like that, it reminds me of Marvin, and it ain’t easy to do.

The hue add color to the rhyme/ rainbow/ rain flow/rain blow/ your mind ~ Scottie Spitten on The Hue (Seen Green)

This track begins with Hueston’s own Chris Daddy Dave going IN on the drums. You know him- your favorite drummer’s favorite drummer- whose rhythms are so precise that they’re reminiscent of Premier banging out your favorite boom bap cut. My heart fluttered and quickened when I heard The Hue. I couldn’t stay still. I needed to move, to bounce, to catch the spirit. I grinned all the way through the first listen, initially because of the drums, then the horns, next the scratches, and of course epic verses from Savvi (who speaks of government bail outs and Swiss bank accounts), E, and Scottie are like that sweet icing on the cake your mother doesn’t want you to have because all of the sugar in it will have you up all night. I’d put The Hue (Seen Green) up against any rap record out now. This record, these boys, Pacquiano, effortlessly beating ass.

Piano/ hear the strings of the ghetto/Soprano/hear the screams in the ghetto/Herbie Han-copped the new benzo/sounded like crescendo/I mean a nigga comin up. ~ Savvi Piano Sunrise

The piano, Herbie Han-copped, you get it? I get into debates all the time with my friends from up top who question the ill flow of southern rappers. Slow drawls do not equal slow thoughts. Please believe me. Many have lost their way being confused by this. Savvi’s verses always carry the fire of truth coupled with clever jabs and wordplay. On the track also is fellow Peace Uv Mine alumni Michele Thibeaux, whose voice is Minnie Ripperton angelic. She adds a certain softness and serenity to the track. And then there are the horns, the voice overs, and of course the piano riffs. It’s sunny, Sunday afternoon, top down riding music. Its full of pretty.

I could really break each track down in this way. Incredible lyrics, epic beats, all the things that I love about hip hop live on this album. For brevity’s sake I’ll say that investing in this album is not only investing in the culture of Hueston, but even more the culture of hip hop. I could fill pages with the names of rappers whose successes make me scratch my head and slump my shoulders. It’s cool. They deserve their shine, but so also do HISD. If I have any complaint about the culture right now, it is the lack of viable alternatives to what we are made to believe are “hit rap records”. Here’s your viable alternative folks. Drink and be merry…

Written by: Jo Nubian

Upon first glance one can see that, Cilla K, has a certain star quality and it’s not just because she used to be a model. More than just another pretty face in hipster get-up, she also has something to say artistically and she does so successfully with her debut Fine Line. Assisted by such super producers as Junius Bervine (Common), Danny P (Joss Stone), Clay Sears (Lauryn Hill) and David Pattillo, Cilla K’s messages of love and life are mostly lighthearted but are told in honest, quirky and alluring ways that are sure to keep the listener intrigued. Her sultry alto voice weaves together neatly an eclectic batch of soundscapes. “Lost In You” and “Demaine” egg you on to turn them up and get lost in their summery feel. “Child of the Universe” and “Future” serves as sweet reminders of universal truths. What some of the songs may lack in lyrical depth, they make up for with sonic appeal. Fine Line has just the right mix of smoothness and bounce to make a great summer soundtrack.

You can listen to Cilla K. here

i dont wanna make all that a big deal about them. i simply wanna give you a chance to “in” yourself on the bottom flo.

ladies and gentleman: *drumroll*

H.I.S.D. (Hueston Independent Spit District)

again. despite the path that my career took my personal taste still gravitates to the basic meat and potatoes in hip hop.

chop a lil somethin

spit something ill.

rinse.

repeat.

enjoy.