Balee Dat

Bent Twig - Exclusive

2010-04-27T22:02:00.002-04:00

This track is off the free album by Bent Twig that was recently released. The Pacific NW is where it is at, seriously though.
Download Exclusive Feat Sol mp3

Feminsist Criticism of Jay-Z's I Know

2010-04-18T22:24:00.004-04:00

Jay-Z’s last single, “I know,” from his 2007 album, American Gangster, isn’t your average love song. While on the outside it seems to be a song about the addictions of love, the whole song is essentially a metaphor for drug addiction. This interesting comparison of dependencies provides plenty of fuel for criticism. Throughout the song there is a heavy emphasis on the male gaze and dominance while females are continuously displayed as the weaker, dependent sex. Jay-Z makes vast use of metaphors and intertexual pop references to ensure his points are understood. Key symbols of power, drugs, and addiction help to provide support for the real world claims made by rhetor.

Jay-Z portrays himself as an authority figure throughout the song which establishes the idea of male dominance. This is evident right from the start where Pharrell Williams and Sean Carter maintain on the chorus that “I know what you like, everything you love . . . baby you love -- Hov.” Jay offers no other alternative to this reality and even goes as far as to silence any theoretical attempts. The key symbols used to assert gender are addiction and drugs, males are given power over their addicted counterparts through this metaphor. One of the most prevalent examples of creating social identities is in the line “I know what you like, I am your prescription; I'm your physician, I'm your addiction.” This line clearly establishes male dominance and helps to structure the identity of females as weaker and dependent by portraying the main female subject as an addict of the male gender.

The female gender is relentlessly represented as weak and dependent, “She fiends for me nightly, she leans for me.” The use of lean refers to the popular southern drug also known as Purple Drank and addiction; this is another example of the weaker feminine portrayal. Jay continues: “Now that feelin' got you trippin', you no wanna feel no differently; said lust has got you itchin'.” This line again represents male hegemony where the feeling that he gives her has her losing control of emotions, which is seen as a pitiful characteristic. Her uncontrollable eagerness for more of the sensation makes her somewhat of a salve to the drug that is the male gender. Jay once again continues the male role of dominance in the second verse claiming “I am so dope! … Like every color Giuseppe’s, your guilty pleasure is me.” Here, Jay directly refers to himself as the powerful addiction causing agent and likens its grips to the typically female obsession of shopping, specifically for (Giuseppe) shoes, that is prevalent in our culture today. This is further evidence of the lesser role that females are boxed into along with an example of the current day ideals of domestic sphere, which include shopping as a feminine chore. Jay exemplifies this argument with the claim that "It’s so much fun, you shun therapy … Shopping's like coppin', you constantly need it," once again offering an example of feminine weakness, this time for shunning therapy and not being able to help herself.

Even when thoughts of better options reveal themselves, Jay, like withdrawals, reminds the female addict that she needs him:

I keep tryin' to remind you, to keep tellin' yourself; now your conscience is interfering like "Better yourself!" Like you better get help, but when that medicine is felt? We're back together, don't ever leave me. Don't ever let 'em tell you that you'll never need me!

This section provides strong evidence of the male hegemony that still exists in our culture today, essentially claiming that the females need a male counterpart to not only be happy, but to simply function. This segment also demonstrates clear evidence of silencing women’s voices which decreases the importance of the weak role already constructed for women in the rhetoric act. Jay-Z continues to demean women, calling her his “China White” which refers to the purest form of heroin, objectifying the female gender to a prized possession which can only be useful for emotions of ecstasy.

Aesthetically, Jay-Z is a master story-teller in his own realm. His use of metaphors is almost unparalleled today in hip-hop along with his uncanny ability to relate near any subject to his targeted audience and beyond. Throughout the song Jay makes references from hip-hop and drug culture to the material world of shopping and popular culture that allows close to any modern audience to relate to even the toughest subjects such as that of love, abuse and addiction. Another dynamic that leads to the overall aesthetically pleasing experience is Jay’s choice of background for his story. Pharrell Williams crafted the perfect, laid back, instrumental for Jay-Z to smoothly layout his sinister scenario of love and addiction in a way that only the self proclaimed King of New York could over such dark synths. And just as the song tells a tale of two sides, so does the music video which offers two separate accounts displaying both scenarios in cinematic form. The combination of symbols from both the video and song offer an experience that evokes strong emotional responses that any audience can truly feel.

Psychologically the song offers different benefits for different consumers. One state that “I Know” evokes is almost an emotional catharsis to which listeners can escape into another world where the troubles of love and addiction don’t matter because as Jay-Z describes it, “She want[s] those Heroin tracks … That Black Rain will take away your pain.” As Jay cleverly points out with his word play of terminology from both worlds, music and drugs both have that supernatural power to take us far away and leave the pain an eternity behind.

While the rhetoric act may be lacking in morality and equality, it certainly displays a harsh, but truthful reality of love and society today. Jay displays the unfortunate reality of abusiveness and addiction that continues to create serious issues worldwide in not only relationships, but all aspects of life. Mimicking an abusive relationship, Jay plays on the idea of dependency where the weaker partner typically feels the need to be with someone stronger, in this case stereotypically confirmed as the female; and once again, almost mirroring the typical form of abusive relationships, he silences any attempt at rehabilitation and independence by reassuring his power and the reliance that his subordinate has for him.

Just as in the contemporary ideology of street life, the end result justifies the means by which it was obtained. This is not your average pop love song played on the radio where everything turns out well. But somehow it cracked the charts and as Jay eloquently puts it, when that medicine's felt “You'll never be down; I know where your peak is.” The harsh realities that Jay paints for his audience are not in any way decent or ethical, yet it works. And it works well. Jay-Z is the quintessential superstar today. Coming up through the drug game in Brooklyn to become one of the richest entertainers in America, is it any wonder that this formula works? As Jay’s long time protégé, Kanye West, ponders:

Why [does] everything that's supposed to bad, make me feel so good?
Everything they told me not to is exactly what I would.

This is one of the most ancient questions of humanity going back all the way to the time of Adam and Eve, but as another significant New York rapper simply put it: “Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain.” Jay-Z has created a genre of mood music for a generation of impoverished and damaged audiences around the world and somehow through it all, managed to send messages of hope and motivation to those who need it the most. While the gloomy truths that “I know” depicts may be seen as immoral and unsuitable for mass media by some, to others it offers the perfect balance of escapism and real world guidance to use as ammunition for continuing the unyielding battles in their own lives.

Radio X: My Show

2009-11-20T18:28:00.006-05:00

As some of you know I have my own 3 hour radio show at Northern Michigan University's Radio X station. I've been meaning to record and post my shows on here for anyone that might want to listen but just haven't got around to it. I finally recorded a show today and it was a good one. I had lots of call-ins, which unfortunately you can't hear, but I had a great time in the studio today. Thanks to everyone that made it fun!

You can check out the show below and be sure to listen in live every Friday from 3pm-6pm on the website or locally on 91.5fm!

Zshare link
Usershare link

Wale&9th Wonder: Back to the Feature (Mixtape)

2009-06-20T11:43:00.004-04:00

It's finally here!

Grab it here, here or here!

LRG Backpack Tee

2009-06-20T11:41:00.002-04:00

Sick, sick, sick! Someone please buy me one of these!

Kanye Has a Big Ego

2009-06-16T02:54:00.004-04:00

And did I mention that according to Cons to the Quence:

Attached is the jpeg poster for my 1st Single Whatever U Want which features Kanye West & John Legend. We reunited “The Grammy Family” one more time for what will surely be one of the musical bright spots of Summer 09′. Please post this jpeg on your blogs, sites, Myspace Pages, Facebooks, Twitter Pages or whenever you find yourself being social online. More updates regarding my NEW LP are coming this week. Thanks for your support and get ready!!!

The RETURN OF THE REAL is Upon Us…

Kanyes verse on this >
And you better baleedat!

N.A.S.A. "A Volta" (feat. Sizzla, Amanda Blank, & Lovefoxxx)

2009-06-11T13:18:00.002-04:00

Not my favorite track off the album, but I it is my favorite video so far.

Radio X Show:Thur 6-9pm

2009-06-09T23:36:00.003-04:00

Starting two weeks ago(I know, late! Haha.), I'll be joining my friend, John Berry, on his Radio X show to play some good music, get together with friends and just talk about whatever is on our minds. And hopefully I'll be getting my own show on the station very shortly here.

Listen in live here, we'll hopefully be recording shows in the future for archival purposes and whatnot which of course I'll post here.

The Think Movement

2009-06-09T23:31:00.009-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything, but I came across j. saKiya Sandifer's blog and knew I had to throw this up. He co-authored one of my favorite books, Thank You And You're Welcome, with Kanye West and has done so many more great things. Check it out!

http://www.wethinkllc.com/blog/

Mia Cinelli: Wearable Arts

2009-05-13T17:43:00.002-04:00

Local Marquette artist and my friend, Mia Cinelli, won the award for best recycled with her Bags to Riches dress! Check it out at the website.

Electric Pop > Matt & Kim

2009-05-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

Make The Girl Dance "Baby Baby Baby" ( official video )
by placeblancherec

Mayer Hawthorne - I Wish It Would Rain

2009-04-27T00:03:00.001-04:00

I need this MP3 in my life, please.

Kanye West!

2009-04-24T13:25:00.007-04:00

This week has been pretty busy for Kanye material so I'm just going to throw everything into one post. Now that Kevinnottingham is back online, he's posted up the fifth and final (for now) version of Mr. West's Guest verses that I helped compile. Check out the the rest of the links below and see the post here.

Kanye West Guest Verses Vol. 3, 4 & 5!
Kanye x Clipse - Kinda Like A Big Deal
The Outfit (Kanye West, GLC, Timmy G & Arrow Starr) - 187th [Unreleased (from 1996)]
Kayne West & Malik Yusef - Magic Man f. Common & John Legend

101 Distribution is releasing the first authorized independent release from Kayne West & G.O.O.D. Music label. The 30 song double disc is called G.O.O.D. Morning, G.O.O.D. Night and is loaded with features from KRS-1, Twista, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Bun B and of course most every G.O.O.D. Music artist.

And here's two new videos!
Amazing (ft. Young Jeezy)

Robocop (Fan video)

A Response to HipHopDX's Review of Asleep In The Bread Aisle

2009-04-23T20:08:00.010-04:00

You can find the (2 out of 5 X's) review by Kevin Gary here, and my response below. I'm curious to see if Mr. Gary ever sees this and responds, haha.

Dear Hater,

An old cliché asks: do you listen to music, or just skim through it? From your review of Asleep In The Bread Aisle it looks like you just skimmed through it. You only reviewed seven of the twelve songs on the album, and that's not even counting the three bonus tracks, “Perfectionist,” “The Lounge,” and “Y.O.U.” Out of the seven tracks that you did review, the focus was entirely on the negative except three times, and the praise of producer Oren Yorel. I found your review to be at times – aw who am I kidding? Completely ridiculous and unfair.

Your first issue seems to be with Roth's singles “Lark On My Go Kart,” and “I Love College.” First claiming that “Roth lazily slaps words together, not caring if what he says is interesting or even if it makes any sense, . . . content to simply mention things meant to hit 20-something’s nostalgia centers, hoping that recognition of a shared memory will endear his music to them.” Oh man, how dare he try to appeal to his own age group and the kids who are like him! “Lark On My Go Kart” may seem to ramble at times, but the flow is nice, the beat is dope and he even has some nice word play in there with lines like “any Tim Duncan/spur of the moment/let the whole world know I run shit.” The man isn't a thug, hustler, or bad ass. Roth is a 20-something college kid and he stays true to his own roots on both of these singles, just a kid trying to have fun. The song is about being a lazy, partying, college kid! What else could you expect but a laid-back flow and lyrics about beer pong and passing out? Neither song is top-notch, but “I Love College” is to today's college kids as “Hustlers Muzic” is to street kids, an fun anthem. And you can't deny that.

Next up you take on Roth's more serious songs in “Sour Patch Kids,” As I Em,” “His Dream,” and “Fallin'.” Somewhat predictably, you seemed to have skimmed through these songs, too. “Sour Patch Kids” definitely isn't anything original as far as topics go and no doubt some of the lines aren't “earth shattering” but he picks it up in the second and third verses with his flow and lyrics to make a decent, granted not amazing, song. According to your review, “On 'As I Em' . . . he addresses all the Eminem comparisons, a bold and respectable move. But bizarrely, he seems to think the best way of contrasting himself with Em is to put on the Detroit rapper’s hard man persona.” In a song where Asher definitely shows some extra emotion, you discredit him because he sounds like Em? Did you miss the line, homie? “Cause we have the same complexion and similar voice inflection/its easy to see the pieces and the reach for that connection.” Yorel put together a nice background, Ash went off and the Chester French feature adds some nice finishing touches. Take another listen to his second verse: “Y'all talk all you want, never halt me from my mission/use it as ammunition, would you please keep dissin' me?/I hear it/and yeah the haters wanna hate because I made it and I'm famous/but until you take my place, you'll never know 'bout what it takes to make a record for respect/take a second to inspect/when you look like someone else then what the fuck do you expect?” Ah well, at least you gave him credit for “Fallin',” one of the top songs off the album with a sick sample from Ben Kweller.

As for the rest of the album, it's no where near as horrible as you make it sound. “La Di Da” is a great escape song that you can throw some headphones on and just vibe out to. “Be By Myself” is a catchy song featuring Cee-Lo about exactly what the title suggests that could make for one of the better singles. “She Don't Wanna Man” with Keri Hilson doesn't seem to be much but filler and is maybe the worst song on the album. However, Ash and Busta Rhymes let it rip on the track “Lion's Roar” which is laced by Yorel's band, New Kingdom. And ladies and gentlemen, with the next track, “Bad Day,” Asher manages to put together a song featuring Jazze Pha that is actually tolerable! Not an easy task considering how many songs that man has wrecked. With the bonus tracks, Roth delivers two songs that definitely would have been great for the album, “Perfectionist,” with Beanie Sigel and Rock City, along with a track off his mixtape with DJ Cannon, “The Lounge” is one of his best works. The third and final bonus track, from the UK isn't anything special but it is a fun track with a nice cameo from an old legend, Slick Rick. So give this album a full listen, because it's “Sick wit' it, game spittin' to the limits/see Asher Roth ain't no joke.”

Overall, the CD is a mostly fun and at times serious. The lyrics are above average and the production is sick. Asher definitely has a lot of room to grow, but he put out a solid first effort that is above a lot of stuff out today even with its missteps. I'll call it a 3.8/5.

John Berry - Late Night Hawaiian Jazz

2009-04-21T19:09:00.002-04:00

Pretty chill, laid back jam right here from NMU's own John Berry. The song is on his myspace and is called Late Night Hawaiian Jazz.

Ye Guest Verses Vol. 4

2009-04-21T17:08:00.010-04:00

The last volume was a few days ago, and now here's the next one that I helped throw together with Kev. This one has a lot of 'Ye's new verses including the brand new banger, "Kinda Like A Big Deal" and some older ones too! Full post here.

Direct DL Link

Tracklist
1. Clipse - Kinda Like A Big Deal (feat. Kanye West)
2. Common - Start the Show (feat. Kanye West)
3. DJ Class - I’m The Shit (Remix feat. Kanye West)
4. GLC - Flight School (feat. Kanye West & T-Pain)
5. Fonzworth Bentley - Everybody (feat. Kanye West, Sa-Ra & Andre 3000)
6. Cam’ron - Down And Out (feat. Kanye West & Syleena Johnson)
7. Infamous Syndicate - What You Do To Me (feat. Kanye West)
8. Consequence - So Soulful (feat. Kanye West)
9. Q-Tip - We Fight We Love (Remix feat Kanye West & Consequence)
10. Kanye West, KRS-One, Nas & Rakim - Classic (Better Than I’ve Ever Been) (DJ Premier Remix)
11. Common - Go (feat. John Mayer & Kanye West)
12. Alicia Keys - No One (Remix feat. Kanye West)
13. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down (feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo)
14. T-Pain - Therapy (feat. Kanye West)
15. Cassidy - My Drink ‘N My 2 Step (Remix feat. Swizz Beatz, Kanye West & Ne-Yo)
16. Consequence - Getting Out The Game (feat. Kanye West)
17. Common - Punch Drunk Love (feat. Kanye West)
18. Sophia Fresh - What It Is (feat. Kanye West)

Kanye x Clipse

2009-04-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

It's Kinda Like A Big Deal...

Kanye West Guest Verses Vol. 3

2009-04-19T19:23:00.008-04:00

I helped to put this together by compiling all the tracks. You can check out the post here, and be on the lookout for at least two more volumes! Shouts to Kevin Nottingham!

Here's the direct link to the download.

Tracklist
1. Talib Kweli - Guerrilla Monsoon Rap (feat. Black Thought, Kanye West & Pharoahe Monch)
2. Consequence - Don’t Forget Em (Remix feat. Kanye West)
3. Rhymefest - More (feat. Kanye West)
4. Teairra Mari - Diamonds (feat. Kanye West)
5. CHOPS - Changing Lanes (feat. Kanye West)
6. John Legend - It’s Over (feat. Kanye West)
7. Common - They Say (feat. John Legend & Kanye West)
8. Kanye West, Nas & KRS-One - Better Than I’ve Ever Been
9. Teriyaki Boyz - I Still Love H.E.R. (feat. Kanye West)
10. Fall Out Boy - This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race (Remix feat. Kanye West)
11. Consequence - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (feat. Kanye West)
12. GLC - Big Screen (feat. Kanye West)
13. Common - Corners (Remix feat. Kanye West & Mikkey Halsted)
14. Jamie Foxx - Digital Girl (feat. Kanye West & The-Dream)
15. Dwele - Hold On (Remix feat. Kanye West)
16. Carl Thomas - The Way That U Do (feat. Kanye West)

774 Free Songs From Amazon.com

2009-04-18T16:09:00.004-04:00

No – but seriously. Check it out! And it's all legal.

At a quick glance I saw stuff from Flight of the Concords, Ted Nugent, Michael Franti, Death Cab For Cutie, Iron & Wine, N.A.S.A. and you know like 768 more artists! Article over at cnet.

Nyle - Let The Beat Build (Remix)

2009-04-17T17:05:00.003-04:00

Reeemix baby! This is pretty sick, one shot, a bunch of live instruments and just awesome. More info over at the dude's website.

Killa Cam on College

2009-04-17T16:24:00.003-04:00

To work for me and DukeDaGod — you gotta have a college degree . . . but I don't have a high school diploma. So what's the irony of that? And you have to take a drug test.

As funny as this is, he's got some good advice. The full article is over at MTV News.

UKNOWBIGSEAN Vol. 2

2009-04-16T19:04:00.003-04:00

Here it is!
http://www.uknowbigsean.com/uknowbigseanvol2.zip

Flo Rida to Build Green City

2009-04-16T11:27:00.013-04:00

From the article on cnet:

Florida Power & Light will spend $350 million to build a 75-megawatt photovoltaic solar plant at a planned city, Babcock Ranch. . .

Dammit Flo Rida, stealing all of my ideas! First the massive club hits, now green cities! Argh, back to the drawing board. More info at the cities new homepage.

Nickelus F

2009-04-16T00:57:00.011-04:00

Alright I just discovered the guy and so far I'm liking what I hear, especially from the video above.
After doing a quick search of 2Dopeboyz, I found out the man has a few mixtapes (and a free album!) so here are some links if anyone else digs him. I know I'm checking them out after I listen to Asleep in the Bread Aisle!

Heathen
Thank You
Thank You Version: Pi
Website

Bulldog Radio - I'm on Air!

2009-04-15T17:13:00.003-04:00

Alright so Bulldog radio might not be the best college station around, but I'm on it! So you should listen. We are currently lacking a FM frequency for those of you in the Big Rapids area, so you'll either have to tune in on cable channel 21 or listen online with the link in the top right corner on our homepage. My show runs every Wed. from 3-4pm, tune in! (For the next two weeks, haha.)

Currently the stream seems to only work with Winamp and VLC media players, however I think someone is fixing that, and if I end up staying here next year I'm definitely going to be looking at making some improvements to the station including making available an itunes and WMP stream.

You can download Winamp here, and VLC (which I recommend) here.

Don't Buy Asleep In The Bread Aisle

2009-04-15T17:11:00.002-04:00

~~Download it online!~~ For real though, I've listened to the whole CD and La Di Da is probably my favorite joint. Overall a good album though.

Best NBA Commercial In Awhile

2009-04-15T17:08:00.002-04:00

Kanye + awesome highlights makes me want to watch the NBA again, crazy! Oh, and it's the playoffs, so yeah.

Chester French - Two Normal Guys

2009-04-15T17:06:00.001-04:00

And you can download their latest mixtape here, which is a good listen if you ask me.

Chris Cooley Is My Hero

2009-04-15T17:01:00.004-04:00

I need a picture like that above my bed when I get rich and marry a hot woman.

Life is Too $hort, Would You Agree?

2009-04-08T00:13:00.007-04:00

You hear it all the time, "life is Too $hort . . ." to stay mad, not make the best of everything, drink cheap beer. All great pieces of advice right? I know I'm guilty of taking life granted almost everyday even though I try my best to stay positive and appreciative. But it's all relative, right? Sure I might live in America and be better off than a lot of kids my age, but I have this fucking test tomorrow, so FML. Why is it that in a world where life is so precious, where people die too young everyday, people still hate, still choose not to make the best of things, still take life for granted?

Well, like 50 told me (Not really, he said it in Many Men but I took the advice to heart. Close enough.), "Sunny days wouldn't be special, if it wasn't for rain. Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain. Death gotta be easy, 'cause life is hard." So maybe that's whats up with all this hate stuff. I mean after all, how could any one thing be more joyful than another if some things didn't just plain suck balls? We all get a little overwhelmed with the troubles of life now and then, but just think. If it wasn't for the fact that your parents just don't understand, your teachers all conspire against you, and your car just broke down - again, then the good things in life just wouldn't mean anything. Like hitting the last cup in beer pong, or you know, something actually constructive like winning your March Madness bracket!

So screw all those beauty pageant girls and their speeches about world peace and hunger! Bring on the hate and I'm going to do my best to stay positive and use it as motivation and do something with my life. Of course, I wouldn't be able to stay positive if it wasn't for my good friends, family, and of course

(Reeeemix baaaby!)
Life is Too $hort, how could you not agree?
That's why I'm all about my baby like it's just her and me
Phone on silent, I can't be reached today
Out spendin' money like nothing because all my problems are far away
When I'm with her, I'm high like Kanye on Mercury
'Cause she's in my soul and system

Stressed Out

2009-04-01T21:00:00.009-04:00

Yo I know the feelin', when you feelin' like a villain
You be havin' good thoughts but the evils be revealin'
and the stresses of life can take you off the right path

No doubt. Everyone knows the feeling when you try to be positive but it just seems like everything is against you. Even the littlest things don't go your way and get to you when you know they shouldn't. Everyone deals with it differently, whether it's Bone Thug style: "Me and my radio doin' 90 on the freeway no other the way to go . . . gimme a drank and a song and I'll be stress free kickin' it all night long," or like Phife Dawg: "Now a days I go see wifey just to cure me from stress/lay my head on her breast, sugar dumplin' knows best/explain' all my problems to her gettin' things off my chest."

For me, it's both. And they almost come together sometimes. Music can chill me out and relax me like no other, and so can just venting to my girl. Or the paper. A lot of the times that's when the best music seems to be made, when no one will listen and you just gotta get your frustrations out! That's when you get people like ATCQ, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, 2Pac, Blu, and countless others that makethe whole world listen and relate to their words because they're hungry to be heard.

In the words of Jay-Z, we're all going through the same thing, and sometimes we need someone to lean on to make us stronger: "you ain't havin' it? Good, Me neither/ let's get together and make the whole word believers." 'Cause if you ask me, all you need is love and you better balee dat!

So what are some favorites of anyone else out there? Ya know, to just vibe out, forget, and relax to? For me, there's a few songs that always do the trick below.

ATCQ - Stressed Out
Blu - Below the Heavens (Yeah, the whole CD)
Bone Thugz - Hip Hop Baby
Fashawn - Relax (ft. Thurzday)
Jay-Z - Can't Knock The Hustle (ft. Mary J. Blidge)
Jay-Z - Can I Live
Kanye West - Never Let Me Down (ft. Jay-Z)
Kanye West - Everything I Am
Kanye West - Heard 'Em Say (ft. Adam Levine)
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liqour (CD, again)
Modest Mouse - Float On
Morphine - Buena
Motion City Soundtrack - Everything is Alright
The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
Pacific Division - How We Chill
Pacific Division - Relax
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Especially in Michigan
TLC - Waterfalls

And that's juts getting started, haha.

Ludacris & Shawnna - Everybody Drunk As Fuck

2009-03-23T20:48:00.005-04:00

I could use a night like this real soon here (thur?), balee dat! Haha!

As usual, from your favorite dopeboyz!

SXSW G.O.O.D. Music Showcase

2009-03-23T15:22:00.007-04:00

I had nothing to do Saturday night since I was still getting over being sick, so I ended up watching what was probably one of the dopest shows all year... online, haha.

For those who missed it, you can download the whole show in good quality, here! Balee dat!

Amazing (Kanye West)
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (Kanye West & Consequence)
Don't Forget 'Em (Kanye West & Consequence)
Gone/Drive Slow (Kanye West, Consequence & GLC)
Big Screen (Kanye West & GLC)
Spaceship (Kanye West, Consequence & GLC)
Disperse (Consequence, Really Doe & Tony Williams)
History/We Major (Kanye West, Tony Williams & Really Doe)
Plastic (Kanye West & Really Doe)
Crack Music (Kanye West & Really Doe)
Diamonds (Sierra Leone) (Kanye West)
Getcha Some (Big Sean)
Way Out (Big Sean)
Anyone But Him - There Will Be Tears (Mr. Hudson)
Stay Up! (Viagra) (88-Keys & Kanye West)
Fonzworth Bentley Medley
Welcome To Heartbreak (Kanye West & Kid Cudi)
Sky Might Fall (Kid Cudi)
Buggin Out (Kid Cudi & Consequence)
Day 'n' Nite (Kid Cudi)
Universal Mind Control (Common)
Get 'Em High (Kanye West & Common)
The Light/Freestyle (Kanye West, Common & Erykah Badu)
Heartless (Kanye West)
Paranoid (Kanye West & Mr. Hudson)
Good Life (Kanye West)
Love Lockdown - Outro (Kanye West)

Good Morning, Fam!

2009-03-23T15:03:00.009-04:00

Start your day off right with some fresh feel good music from your favorite artists, put together by NappyAfro, YFWB, and KevinNottingham. Link.

And if you're looking for some more morning songs I included a few personal choices from my own iTunes morning playlist.


What I Got - Sublime
This Way (ft. Kanye) - Dilated Peoples
Good Day - Nappy Roots
Wake Up - Pacific Division
Beautiful Day - U-N-I
Morning Do - Asher Roth
Good Morning - John Legend
Beautiful Day - U2
Fly - Sugar Ray
1st of Tha Month - Bone Thugz
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

What does everyone else like to wake up to? Balee dat!

Skip ZShare Wait Times!

2009-03-16T20:47:00.008-04:00

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to work for many other downloading sites, if any.

javascript:var time=0

Just paste that into the URL space, hit enter and BOOM! The DL time skips to 0

Check the pick for an example of how it works + my own little button that I made to make it even faster (just bookmark "javascript:var time=0" and put the bookmark on your toolbar).

Waiting sucks, and you better baleedat!

Edit:
List of scripts to skip waiting times on sites! (I'll add stuff as I find it)
ZShare - javascript:var time=0
Rapidshare - javascript:var c=0
Megaupload - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11051

Blu Signs to Major Label

2009-02-24T12:22:00.005-05:00

Label signings usually aren't that big of a deal for me, but Blu really deserves this! There's been a lot of good* label signings lately, which is very exciting.

*my version of good may not be yours

Here's a new-ish Blu track via NahRight, too and the remix!

K'Naan

2009-02-18T15:32:00.001-05:00

I think I'm going to write a review about this eventually, that's how much I like it.

N.A.S.A.

2009-02-04T16:51:00.003-05:00

Kanye, KRS, The Cool Kids, Ghostface, Scarface, DJ AM, Chuck D, Method Man, Del, ODB, M.I.A., RZA, and many many others! What more could you ask for?

Lily Allen vs. 50 Cent

2009-02-04T16:33:00.010-05:00

So I've been listening to Lily Allen's new album where she continues to tear anyone and anything that ever pissed her off apart and it got me thinking; Lily Allen might be the only one that could take down 50 cent right now. Seriously. 50 got beat up in sales by Kanye and his album was basically a let down but he's still wrecking whoever he feels like, for fun. No one can touch the man right now!

So I think Fif and Lily should get into it over something. Lily could destroy Curtis worse than Frankee wrecked Eamon.

It would be epic, sexy sassy british girl vs the untouchable 50 cent. What more could you ask for?

Hip-Hop Rock is Dead

2009-01-28T23:03:00.004-05:00

Yeah I said it, so what? Even MTV (or at least someone they may or may not pay to blog for them) thinks so!

The die-hard fans of the music have long complained that it’s just not hitting like it used to. Do they need a guy who can battle Slash in playing guitar? No. Do they need a guy who has a voice as harmonious as Elvis? Not really. They need that new, long-haired rebellious hero. They need that guy who might walk out of his own concert before the show even starts. They need that guy who is going to tell the world he does what he wants, and you damn well better like it. Rock needs Lil Wayne. - Shaheem Reid, MTV

I almost fully agree with the whole article, right up until the points where he mentions how cool Wanye is and that he is going to save Rock. So if rock really needs this and this then it really is dead. Who's the hottest rock band out these days anyway? Nickleback? Good joke. Rock music is dead, and you better baleedat!

Big Sean - Finally Famous

2009-01-09T22:24:00.008-05:00

I'm not sure when this dropped but I just found it, haha. I dig anything G.O.O.D. Music and this is no exception. Big Sean has the tape over at his site for free. Im really diggin' Streets on Lock, and pretty much the every other track on there!

Big Sean (along with Kid CuDi) also has a nice verse on the new Kanye West Mixtape, Sky High, that dropped today. You should check it out, and you better balee dat!

And just for funsies, here's a link to Mixtape Messiah 6 via NahRight, ya heard!

Happy New Years!

2008-12-31T13:46:00.006-05:00

I'd just like to say happy new years to all of the 1.5 readers that we have and thank you all for being part of this record year for Balee Dat. That's right, we've had a total of TEN posts this year and... let's just say FIFTEEN visitors. And you better BALEE DAT!

Edit: Because I have nothing to do with my spare time I found an Asher Roth song from 2005.

And in other news LSSU made the AP and Slashdot with this story!

A Very Skronat Christmas

2008-12-22T14:49:00.003-05:00

Skronat will be headlining a show the day after new years. Come and celebrate the holidays with the boys. We may have some special guests in the form of a Lavoy Brothers Reunion, or possibly Jacob^2 with Alex Hakola opening for us, but nothing is set in stone yet. Bring your dancing shoes and be prepared for a good time. - Skronat

I know I'll be there. So I hope to see everyone else there that reads this blog... all 4 of you! And you better baleedat!

Bailout Round 2?

2008-12-07T21:51:00.007-05:00

This should be a reality show.... called how much of your money can I waste. I mean honestly? First the banking industry, then CTI Group, now the auto companies? This is ridiculous. While I've never claimed to be politically savvy, I do know that a large majority of the $750,000,000,000 has been distributed so far. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we worse off then we were before we gave them hundreds of billions of dollars? I really don't get whats happening here.

Now that the auto companies are asking for their piece of the pie, should we concerned? Naturally. But should we at least hear them out? I say absolutely. All of a sudden Congress seems to have woken up and pulled their heads out of their ass and are now being real frugal with our money. That's good but where the hell was this two months ago?

So lets all send letters to our congressmen to thank them to thank them for blocking the Nov. 2008 vote to bailout the auto companies. Right............? Not so fast.

Maybe its the conspirator in me, but I think this is strictly class based issue. The rich take care of the rich. Many of the jobs that were "saved" by the first bailout were the white collar banker jobs (arguably, it'd do something for our financial system but that obviously was a bust). However, the jobs that would be lost in the auto company's collapse are blue-collar, factory jobs. Granted my statistics are a bit unreliable, but its something like 2.5 million jobs! That's a lot of people.

What's ridiculous to me is that these are the people who actually MAKE SHIT. The bankers, the stock brokers, sure they handle our money, but they don't MAKE anything. Also, as if the national debt weren't high enough, imagine if the United States became dependent on foreign countries for the main mode of transportation too. Would there be any money for these bankers to handle? It just doesn't make sense. To get out of this depression, or "recession", we are going to have to start selling shit to both Americans and the rest of the world.

So why not let the companies go bankrupt and re-organize? Its my understanding that declaring bankrupt would allow them to shed all debt including retirement and health benefit packages they currently pay to their past workers. Again, these are middle to lower class people who work thirty years on an assembly line and are relying on their retirement to survive. Allowing this would be bordering on Enron shit. It would also break the Unions and who know what the companies would pay their workers. Granted, I think that the labor unions have gone overboard and that paying someone $125,000 a year for unskilled labor is a bit ridiculous but these people deserve to be paid a decent salary and have decent benefits like health insurance and dental care.

There many more points I could touch on, like how Japan built two of the most reliable car industries on the road by subsidizing them, but I really don't know a lot about most of these things.

So....What should we do? Will giving the auto companies money fix this? I have absolutely no idea.

All I know is that the loss of an industries is would not be a good thing and allowing them declare bankrupt would more than likely lower the standard of living for a majority of the 2.5 million people, not counting all the retired people who would loose their health care and retirement packages. I'm not saying that we should just throw money at them like we did with the banks, because I've already stated that I think that was a gigantic waste of money, but I am saying that we should think about treating the blue-collar workers with the same respect that we treat out upper class. Balee Dat.

-FRo

Kanye West is Funny(Awesome)

2008-12-04T11:16:00.007-05:00

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR MAKING 808'S & HEARTBREAK THE NUMBER ONE ALBUM IN THE WORLD!!!!! LOVE LOCK DOWN HAS SOLD 1.3 MILLION SO FAR ON ITUNES AND HEARTLESS AND SEE YOU IN MY NIGHTMARES SOLD OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND EACH LAST WEEK. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THIS IS A NEW FRONTIER FOR ME AND MUSIC. ALL THE MIXED OPINIONS WILL BE OVER BY NEXT SUMMER WHEN I'M CLOSING FESTIVALS AND EVERYONE IS SINGING OKAAAAY ... OKAY. OKAAAAAYEE .. YOU'LL NEVER STOP IT NOW!!!! YOU'LL NEVER STOP IT NOW!!!! OR YOU WORRIED BOUT THE WRONG THINGS , THE WROOONG THIIINGS!!!! - Kanye

He's gonna be Elvis! Also, 2dope has a new track from Elvis himself and Jamie Foxx, it's fire and you better balee dat!

F**K BASKETBALL!

2008-12-03T22:52:00.007-05:00

so yeah for the past couple days Ive been counting down to the big college basketball showdown between #12 Michigan St. and #1 North Carolina but when i heard that the Victoria Secret fashion show was going down on the same night it was an easy decision for this guy.

BOOBIES!!!!!!

I honestly couldn't take my eyes off the screen for the whole hour it was on, I loved every moment of it and i am very sad it is over. It was magical! I wish they would have these on television more because I'm definitely going to sleep better tonight. boobies are good. Balee Dat!

oh yeah.....does anyone know the score of the game?

Jerm- UNC might have won the battle, but Victoria won the war!

Plaxico Burress=Cheddar Bob

2008-12-02T21:08:00.005-05:00

The big story in the world of sports for the past couple of days has been that of New York Giants star wide receiver Plaxico Burress and how the dumb ass shot himself in the leg at a club this past friday night. As i was sitting there watching in amazement of how stupid the whole situation was i came to thinking.."i know ive seen this before" then it hit me, he did the same shit as that mentally handicapped guy did on the movie 8 mile.

Now if that wasn't embarrising enough they come to find out that Plex (as people call him) didnt have a permit to carry a weapon so he gets charged with two counts of second degree criminal possesions of a weapon which carries a sentence of a miminum of 3 1/2 years in prison. NOW YOU FUCKED UP!

With that one shot has the possiblitly of losing upwards to $24 million dollars and could spend the prime of his NFL career sitting in a jail cell. The New York Giants don't seem to be missing him to much as they improved thier record to 11-1 over the Washington Redskins this past weekend, tops in the NFC East.

God he sucks. Balee Dat!

John Berry - Glowing Skies

2008-12-01T22:29:00.009-05:00

This song is from NMU's own John Berry and features Bud Clowers(of Skronat), Julie Albrecht, and Tom LaVoy(Skronat).

This is the first song that I've sang on/written a melody for, so I'm pretty stoked. If anyone wants a CD, holler!

- John Berry

I'm diggin' it.

Here's the download.

And here's the link to John's Myspace which features the song and a few others! Don't forget to Leave some feedback for John and the crew! John likes cake, balee dat!

Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero (Mixtape)

2008-12-01T21:26:00.007-05:00

No idea who the dude is, but I like it. OnSmash premiered the mixtape so here's the link.

Best songs are Will I Stay (and the remix w/Wale!) and I Want Those Flashing Lights. However, only the Will I Stay (Remix) is on the mixtape.

Balee dat!

Go Lions!

2008-11-27T11:59:00.004-05:00

The lions might not be able to beat The Mighty Titans, but I'd put my money on that Lion wrecking that Turkey, and you better balee dat!

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Something Big

2008-11-26T01:41:00.007-05:00

This is the start of something big, we just aren't sure what that something is yet. JD- So be ready, cuz we got a lot to say and we aint holding back... and you better balee dat!