Generic list post: December 2017

A post shared by Einer Bankz (@einerbankz) on Dec 28, 2017 at 4:49pm PST

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when 70th Street Carlos Unplugged happened. Catch you in 2018.

Quelle Chris ft. DJ House Shoes - BS Vibes (2017)
Frenchy ft. Gee - I Need A Lick (2017)
Boosie BadAzz - Webbie I Remember (2017)
Maine Musik - Soulja Slim Flow (2017)
Tay B ft. FMB DZ - Back 2 Back Part 2 (2017)
DJ Consequence ft. YCEE - In A Benz (2016)
Diron Animal - Don't Stop (2017)
Tove Lo - Shedontknowbutsheknows (2017)

Other notables: a very pleasant surprise to hear a Public Enemy homage in 2017 with Scarface's Black Still; fair play to 70th Street Carlos for doing an I Bet U Won't remix in the old fashioned sense of the word remix; never seen an episode of Kenan & Kel in my life, so Nef The Pharaoh's jack of the theme song is wasted on me; Step One found a good Black Rob deep cut from way back, but I've really gotta be in a certain type of mood to listen to Rob rhyme about hammering nails into someone's nipples.

The Duke Bootees of Hazard

"Every time I go out bitches notice me
BAPE hoodie zipped to the top, how they know it's me?"

Tay B ft. FMB DZ - Back 2 Back Part 2
(From AFLN King album; 2017)


Via ANU. Time waits for no one, but The Message beatjacks are eternal like East 1999 innit. The history books might never give Duke Bootee proper credit for the song he composed, wrote, and rapped on before Melle Mel added a recycled verse, but can't nobody hold that beat down.

For whatever reason, 2017 Detroit street rap makes the most sense to me within the context of beatjacking: this song, Doughboyz Cashout's This Is How We Move It, AllStar Lee's The Fresh Prince Of Brick Mile, and FMB DZ's Friday.

Devin The Rude

"Ain't nuthin' I can say to keep her away, she be on me
You treat her coochie like sushi, to me it's a buncha baloney"

Devin The Dude - Yo' Ho
(From the Just Tryin' Ta Live advance; 2002)


Upped this for someone a couple weeks back so I might as well throw it up here too. Basically, the lost Dr. Dre track from the advance version of Devin's Just Tryin' Ta Live which ended up getting removed from the retail version of the album. This one was floating around on Soulseek/Kazaa back in 2002, and later turned up under a different title on one of the cash-in albums Rap-A-Lot released in the late noughties after Devin had left the label. Maybe Dre did J. Prince a two-tracks-for-one deal in exchange for Devin's contributions to Fuck You, but I'm still confused, bamboozled and bullshitted why Yo' Ho got cast into obscurity.

Craig Level Horwood

In 1998 all Max Minelli wanted for Christmas was "12 gold teeth, a fresh candy blue jeep, and a .44 heat". In 2017 all I want to find in my Christmas stocking tomorrow morning is that remake of Dolamite's Hustlas which Big Choo's been teasing on Instagram all year.

A post shared by TheReALmrWeLIVE GameOva Music🎶 (@therealmrwelive) on Sep 22, 2017 at 7:55am PDT

It's bad enough when rappers post an Instagram teaser and then take forever to drop the song; what really takes the piss is when they post countless Instagram teasers of the same song but never actually drop the damn thing.

Bah Humrush.

Martorial elegance # 90

Comin' to the Martorialist Big Cartel store this festive period, the perfect Christmas gift for any rap fans who remember the '90s:

For a 20% discount use the secrete promo code BeatsRhymesAndFacts.

*Edit* Thanx to King Kos for this ^^^^^

Born to Audiomack: 2017 late pass! (final chapter)

Already blown my creative load describing this playlist in a previous post, so alls I'll say for this valedictory re-up is that it's an Audiomack treasure trove of new-to-me old rap songs ya host discovered in 2017. Who dat? Tracks by Biz Markie; Dru Down; Luniz; Dolamite; Teddy featuring Dru Down & Yukmouth; Eightball & MJG; Juvenile & The Big Tymers; the Dungeon Family; Mobb Deep; Fat Tone; NORE; J-Diggs; PC Tweezie & Murk; Level & Mouse On Tha Track; Valee; and Team Toon & Ya Boy Big Choo.



Dave Dreez bonus beats: props to Drake for reminding me of Max B's No Competition with this recent SoManyShrimp mix. Very welcome appearances by Rydah J. Klyde's Tell Me and AZ's City Of Gods too.

Nigerian Whip

Late pass! Another unfortunate consequence of Brexit is that Nigerian Afro-Bashment Grime is now officially better than proper British Dunkirk spirit Grime. Not a particularly impressive feat on paper since the only Legit Jam™ of the traditional British boutique-Grime revival is that Stormzy tune with the prophetic David Moyes zinger, but a banger is a banger no matter the competition and this bangs:

DJ Consequence ft. YCEE - In A Benz
(From In A Benz single; 2016)


Bit unfair that YCEE is now the Juice guy when Omo Alhaji is still his best song. Bitch, there's consequences if your wrong track blows up. *EDIT* Bitch, there's also coincidences when Maine Musik drops a Soulja Slim tribute over the Consequences beat on the same damn day I dropped this post:

Maine Musik - Soulja Slim Flow
(From t'internet; 2017)

The obligatory best rap songs of 2017 post

Question: Who is Will High's least favorite premier league footballer?
Answer: Alex Cannibal Oxlade-Chamberlain!


2017: the year when ya host went from gettin' views with the bloggin' to makin' the news with the bloggin'. The Martorialist: officially the only rap blog to inspire a Mac Dre weed carrier to record a Ludacris dis in 2017.

Had a blast with the bloggin' this year even though I don't understand what's going on in rap anymore: A$AP Folky Malone is bigger than ever; New York rap somehow continues to get worse and worse; the main artists who fall under the umbrella of Soundcloud-rap are almost universally terrible to my ears; mid-tempo trap beats with that same damn drum pattern are a billion times more played out than Kwame's polka dots could ever be; and people are actually spending their time watching videos of Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks argue about music rather than spend their time actually listening to music.

Oh well - at least I heard less Drake songs than any year since 2010 and didn't have the misfortune to stumble on a single KanYe West think-piece all year. And then there were these songs which made all the other bullshit in rap tolerable. As ever, no order of preference, but I'm gonna do things slightly different this post:

Best old songs which were finally released this year:
Camp Lo - Camp Lo (Bust Ya Down)
T-Pain & Lil' Wayne - Listen To Me
MF DOOM & Madlib - Avanlache

Best songs from 2015/early 2016 which blew up this year:
Level & Mouse On Tha Track - I Bet You Won't
Valee - Shell (O.G version)

Best songs of the past year:
OMB Peezy - Lay Down (O.G version)
Quelle Chris - Buddies
70th Street Carlos - Bag It Up
70th Street Carlos & WNC Whop Bezzy - Trell
Creek Boyz - With My Team (O.G version)
French Montana ft. Swae Lee - Unforgettable
Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Complex
Queen Key - My Way or Kung Fu
Baby Soulja ft. Boosie BadAzz - Dirty
Boosie BadAzz - Webbie I Remember
Migos - T-Shirt
Nef The Pharaoh - My Way (Freestyle)
Tay-K - The Race
Rich The Factor ft. The Popper - Aristocrat
SOB X RBE - Humble
Doughboyz Cashout ft. B. Ryan - This Is How We Move It
Rich Homie Quan - Word Of Mouth
Yung Cat - Killa City Party
Count Bass D ft. Snoop Dogg - Too Much Pressure
GoldLink ft. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy - Crew
Dru Down - My 501's
Poohman ft. Yukmouth, Keak Da Sneak & Dru Down - Cookies & Drank
Street Knowledge - Dru Down Flow
BallGreezy ft. Lil' Dred - Nice & Slow
Kodak Black - Patty Cake
AllStar Lee - The Fresh Prince Of Brick Mile
Lor Choc - Fast Life
Shabazz Palaces ft. Thaddillac - Shine A Light
Ralo - Calm Down Ralo
Roc Marciano - Killing Time
Que Almighty ft. 70th Street Carlos & JMM Larry - Put That On Gang
Ayo & Teo - Lit Right Now
Mozzy - Sleep Walkin'
Maine Musik - Soulja Slim Flow

Best rap song with no rapping:
8 Bit Universe - XO Tour Llif3 (8 Bit Remix)

Best songs featuring British people rapping:
J Hus - Did You See
MoStack - Let It Ring
Sneakbo ft. Giggs - Active

If you're the person who turns this post into a playlist then do it on YouTube. A handful of these songs aren't on Spotify/Apple etc in any form, and I don't cosign those jankey re-recorded versions of Lay Down and With My Team or the extended version of Shell on all the official streaming sites.

Related: the best non-rap songs of 2017 IMO.

2017's best non-rap songs IMO

Beanie Sigel didn't do much, in 2017 non-rap music didn't do much for ya host. Whether this was down to me or the music is up for debate, but a buncha my favourite artists of recent years didn't deliver in 2017: Spice fired blanks all year; Kwamz & Flava dropped a string of forgettable singles; Dexta Daps seemed to run out of catchy choonz; Tinashe ain't made shit dope since Touch Pass in 2016; Shift K3Y's best song of 2017 was merely aiight; and New Age Muzik are still stuck in Two Song Wonder limbo.

Weird thing is, I wasn't particularly arsed because it just meant the songs I loved felt like they were minor miracles, and it gave me more time to go back and discover/rediscover gems from the past. Here's 20 songs which I truly, madly, deeply lurved this year; no order of preference but Tove Lo's Disco Tits is by far my favorite 2017 song of the non-rap variety innit:

Favourite non-rap songs of 2017:
Tove Lo - Disco Tits
Fifth Harmony - He Like That
Ty Dolla $ign - Message In A Bottle
Jacquees & Dej Loaf - At The Club
Busy Signal - Go Again
Wande Coal & DJ Tunez - Iskaba
Diron Animal - Don't Stop
Donae'o - Black/Bounce (Social Circles Remix)
Jorja Smith - On My Mind
The Style Council - Long Hot Summer (Chuggz Refix)
Favourite non-rap song discoveries/rediscoveries of 2017:
The Phantom - Love Me (1960)
Al Green - Dream (1977)
The Brat - Leave Me Alone (1980)
Haircut 100 - Ski Club (1982)
Fun Boy Three - Best Of Luck Mate (1982)
Ago - Stop Your Life (1982)
Junei - Let's Ride (1987)
George Michael - Kissing A Fool (1987)
Wamdue Kids - Hypnotize (1995)
Tove Lo - Bitches (2016)

Warning: do not click that Tove Lo Bitches link if you're in work/on public transport/chillin' with your kid.

Step In The Arena

Jack The Snipper the man not the myth AKA DJ Step One. Three will forever be the magic number, so here's a trifecta of incredible and very crucial edits Step made on my behalf. Shout out to Shifty Shellshock, Doggy Dogg, and Billy Brown - we in this bitch!



Basically, Lil' Peep's best song minus the guest ponce with the lisp who sounds like he belongs hosting a Pitchfork podcast about K-Pop groups. Think Lil' Peep was just the Yank mallrat version of Milkavelli? No problemo, because this Girls edit works best if you envision it as a comeback single by the Butterfly band instead.



Lady Of Rage's Afro Puffs is a perfect song which didn't require any sort of alternate mix, but that extended version of the remix with Snoop's freestyle intro is way too good to waste on a track that's otherwise superfluous. Hence, I got Step to weld the intro together with the outro where Snoop extols Rage's virtues. The result? The 2nd best Snoop song not from Doggystyle.



The strip club scene in Buffalo '66 is one of cinema's most beautifully choregraphed fusions of music and moving image, but ain't naan a non-Prog Rock fan wanna listen to Yes' Heart Of The Sunrise once the tempo switches and the eunoch from Yorkshire starts singing. Step snipped that shit off at the exact moment the song pulls its okie-doke, binned the remaining 7 minutes of gentile flotsam & jetsam, and left us with an instrumental babel which spans time, space and titties.

Obligatory annual post about some U.K Road Rap tune

"Man touch road like a cab man
Old skool, man just jump out with mad man
No tool, man just jump out and grab man
Man's been known as the bad man
Man jump out, chop, kebab man
Local, man jump out, pop and bag man
Phone call, man just boxed up and bat man
Pop up, man like Sneakbo & Batman"

Sneakbo ft. Giggs - Active
(From Active single/FIFA 18 soundtrack; 2017)


Man'll take this Jetski & Hollowman business over ALL that U.K faux-Drill bollocks. Man'd rather catch the Holy Ghost to a proper spooky vocal sample as opposed to some played-out monochromatic production with Stars & Stripes in its eyes.

PS: my last post about Giggs was a bit of a classic if I do say so meself.

Reasons why I love YouTube: Drew's Down

Cheers to Tha Barber for sending this clip my way - Dru Down performing Baby Bubba and Can You Feel Me to a bunch of confused teenagers on Teen Summit in 1996. Skip forward to the 4 minute mark unless you wanna see Mos Def trying to interview DJ Hiro and an awkward performance by some Rhode Island dance troupe:


Speaking of Tha Barber, when is Drew gonna drop an Old Rap Shit column about the Suge Knight versus Kevin Federline beef? Not so much a case of Suge playing Chris Crocker, more another instance of Suge's utter contempt for dudes who got their start "all up in the videos.. dancing!"


Bonus beats: that 2017 remake of M.C. Pooh's 1990 slap classico Fuckin' With Dank featuring Yukmouth, Keak Da Sneak & Dru Down is way better than it has any right to be:

Poohman ft. Yukmouth, Keak Da Sneak & Dru Down - Cookies & Drank
(From t'internet; 2017)

Angola's alright...

Angola's alright if you like beaches and sisters! Angola's alright if you don't like Jazz! Angola's alright if you like tropical country's which actually have seasons! Angola's alright if you like undeniable pop bangeurs built on synthetic saxobeat riffs!

Diron Animal - Don't Stop
(From Alone album; 2017)


Damn, homie - even Mystic Meg couldn't have predicted that 2017's entry in the In The Dark-core canon would be some random Afrobeats jam outta Angola which currently has less than 7 thousand views on the 'Tube.

I got a friend with a poll in the basement

G'z up, who's down for a Foe Life versus Connected For Life poll? Mack 10's best solo bam-bam versus the last classic song Ice Cube was involved in; peak G-Funk versus Mannie Fresh goes to Inglewood. Choose wisely like you're a panelist on Jukebox Jury.

"Fool, I'm a vet and you can bet
that I can dance underwater and not get wet!"

Mack 10 - Foe Life
(From Mack 10 album; 1995)


"Chickenhawk, if I see a bird then I gotta get it
So if your 'hood come up short then I prolly did it"

Mack 10 ft. Ice Cube, WC & Butch Cassidy - Connected For Life
(From Bang Or Ball album; 2001)


I'm a Connected For Life man meself usually, but Foe Life is sounding particularly formidable today. Mart 10 takes the stand, your honour I'm a changed man.

(Didn't bother to embed either song's video in this post because the Foe Life video is missing the intro, while the the Connected For Life video is the clean version. Mack10VEVO badly needs a refit.)

Generic list post: November 2017

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when the Luniz & Michael Marshall musta got a fat cheque from Müller's British department.

Lil' Jon - Play No Games (Instrumental) (2003)
Baby Soulja ft. Boosie Badazz - Dirty (2017)
Nef The Pharaoh - My Way (Freestyle) (2017)
70th Street Carlos & WNC Whop Bezzy - Trell (2017)
WNC Whop Bezzy & 70th Street Carlos - Chill (2017)
Wande Coal & DJ Tunez - Iskaba (2017)
Tove Lo - Bitches (2017)

Other notables: that new recording of Creek Boyz With My Team is a travesty (don't say I didn't warn you about 300 ruining songs!); the only part I like of the proper new Creek Boyz single is the intro over the Never Blink sample; Rude is the first 03 Greedo single I've kinda dug; been enjoying Yung Cat's Fat Tone homages this year but his Ima Getcha flip isn't a patch on its source material; on a similar Kansas City history-of-slaps-past tip, Rich The Factor's Luther is a way better song than his previous track of the same title; how is Ya Boy Big Choo gonna drop a Halloween song when he still hasn't released that Hustla remix he's been teasin' since frigging february?; Ma$e's The Oracle is some Joe Budden gossip-vlog fodder that isn't even a quarter as entertaining as his infamous Hot 97 argument with Jim Jones.

One 4 the Britz: The Beat to Da Beat

The Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom
(From I Just Can't Stop It album; 1980)


Birmingham's alright if you like Sabbath and saxophones! People often dismiss the U.K 2 Tone scene as a buncha nutty boys over cod-Ska, but there were some spooky-arse songs to be found too. Grosse Point Blank is no Point Break let alone a Point Blank, but it does have something special both those movies lack: a John Cusack versus Benny Urquidez fight scene set to Mirror In The Bathroom.

New Age Muzik - Da Beat
(From Da Beat single; 2016)


Still the best U.K rapfrobeats song not recorded by J Hus IMHO. Bare Makosi and Anthony in the hot tub sensual vybz. Pains me greatly that this song never blew up because it deserves to be a U.K classic.

CHILL ENT.

"Bitch, you better chill just like some ice in here
You know how I roll just like some dice in here
I'll leave a n*gga blind just like some mice in here
He gon' need the Lord, he gon' need Christ in here
Revolver hold 5 like Derrius Guice in here"

WNC Whop Bezzy & 70th Street Carlos - Chill
(From Shid Who? mixtape; 2017)


Not as good as Trell, but not half bad. 70th Street Carlos & WNC Whop Bezzy over Trel Itz A Hit are sorta like the Baton Rouge equivalent of M.O.P over Dr. Period. There's a slight difference, though: M.O.P had mad soul like an orthopedic shoe, whereas WNC got mad straps like a Tevas sandal.

Right turn, 'Cyde

Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of The Pharcyde's debut album, and yet their performance of Ya Mama on the British youf TV show The Word in 1992 still hasn't found its way to YouTube. Never mind, though, because some fanboy on the 'Tube has made a video for the Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde song which was never a single but really, really, really shoulda been:

The Pharcyde - Officer (unofficial video)
(From YouTube; 2017)


Oi Terry "Tezza" Christian - remove that Nonce Harris video from your The Word YouTube channel, homie, and put the Pharcyde video up in its place.

Bonus beats: we'll always have the times Public Enemy, Onyx, Digable Planets, Cypress Hill, and Snoop performed on The Word. LMFAO @ the show's bookers choosing Craig Mack over Biggie during the 1995 Bad Boy U.K tour, though.

"It's like people die when their phones do"

As must be obvious, this is a phone hovered over by Mr. Death - an omnipresent player to the third and final act of every conversation. It's been said that what follows this conversation is one of the unfathomable mysteries: an area of darkness which we, the living, reserve for the dead — or so it is said. For in a moment, a rapper will try to cross that bridge which separates IRL and URL, and, of course, he must take the only known route, that indistinct highway through the region we call The Dating Zone:

"I felt so alone, who knew it was all just a broken phone?
Because I ain't never been with a ghost befo'
Because I ain't never been with a ghost befo'"

Open Mike Eagle - Dating Ghosts
(From Soundcloud; 2017)


Linked this in my October wrap-up post, but it deserves proper attention. Open Mike Eagle shouldn't let this one languish as a secerete Halloween Soundcloud exclusive, and shoot a video for it which explains how ghosts went from being inside the machines to being the machines making ghosts of humans.

Call me, Al

Al Green - Simply Beautiful
(From I'm Still In Love With You album; 1972)

"Hahaha you so crazy, I think I wanna have your baby!"

Salt-N-Pepa ft. En Vogue - Whatta Man
(From Very Necessary album; 1993)


There really should have been a Whatta Man remix with a Grand Puba verse singing his own praises.

Thanx 4 the beat, shout out 2 Trel

"Before I leave the house I make sure to say a prayer
Shit, 'cause all these n*ggas hatin' I can smell it in the air"

70th Street Carlos & WNC Whop Bezzy - Trell
(From Shid Who? mixtape; 2017)


Ah, so this is that, and what this/that is is some jeep beat beserker Bounce. Real Hip Hop™ is when rappers record homage songs in tribute to their in-house producers. True story - the realest shit I wrote this year was that post about the parallels between the WNC tracks Trel Itz A Hit is behind and the Just Ice joints Mantronix was in the boiler room for.

PS: when I say jeep beat plz believe I ain't talking about Dave The Ruf.

Craig Bayvid

"I met her on a monday, I called her on a tuesday
Knocked her on a thursday, and sent her on a friday
If that pussy mine Ima have her on the highway"

Nef The Pharaoh - My Way (Freestyle)
(From t'internet; 2017)


Already mentioned that I like this beatjack of Beeda Weeda & Lil' Kev's My Way more than Nef's most recent single Drop Addy, but I prefer it to Nef's latest single Poppin' Again too. New rule: from this point forward, rappers are only allowed to beatjack songs they had as their profile songs on MySpace.

Thus, today's topic: joints you had as your profile songs on MySpace? I'd alternate between classics like Spoonie Gee's Love Rap, DJ Quik's Safe And Sound or UGK's The Game Belongs To Me with MySpace exclusives like Jacka's Heavy Rain, Mic Terror's Juke Them Hoes, or Prodigy's Raining Guns And Shanks.

Generic list post: Dead Rappers Get Better Promotion

30 bona fide classic choonz by rappers who've died since ya host started bloggin' in late 2008. Meet me at the crossroads like Bone Thugs, lads.

Prodigy - Keep It Thoro (2000)
The Jacka - Aspen (2007)
MCA of Beastie Boys - What Comes Around (1989)
Grip Plyaz - Ray Lewis (2013)
Heavy D - The Overweight Lover's In The House (1987)
Lil' Phat - Countin' Money (2012)
Phife of A Tribe Called Quest - 8 Million Stories (1993)
Nate Dogg - I Got Love (2001)
Young Ready ft. C-Loc & Max Minelli - 1 Rubber (2007)
Shawty Lo - Dey Know (2007)
Guru of Gang Starr - Code Of The Streets (1994)
Speaker Knockerz - Lonely (2013)
Big Bank Hank of Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (1979)
Nu$$ie - They Hate My (2008)
MC Breed ft. 2Pac - Gotta Get Mine (1993)
Govna Mattic ft. Outsidaz, Roz Noble, Redman etc - Family Day (1997)
Mr. 3-2 - Comin' Down (1996)
Fresh Kid Ice - Dick 'Em Down (Chinaman Mix) (1992)
Doe B ft. T.I. - Homicide (2014)
Mac Daddy of Kris Kross - Da Streets Ain't Right (1996)
Sean Price ft. Tek - Onion Head (2005)
Magic - What (2002)
Lil' Snupe - Ketchup Intro (2013)
Big Syke & Johnny J - Forever Ballin' (1996)
Tommy Hill of RAM Squad - Unfortunate (1996)
Bankroll Fresh ft. Travis Porter & Boochie - Walked In (2015)
Chinx Drugz - Superlight (2011)
Da Real Gee Money - Take It There (2016)
Dot-A-Rock of The Fantastic Five - Can I Get A Soul Clap (1982)
Killa Sha - Nightshifting (2011)

Nowt by Lil' Peep because the one song of his I liked was ruined by the guest bloke who sounded like someone from a Pitchfork podcast.

My momma his momma neighbour, I owe him 100 favours

"N*ggas be loudmouth until they hear that 'K buss
Potato on the barrel, I don't really like to say much
I catch him at his bitch house with his dick out where he cake up
And leave what he was thankin' on the blanket by her make-up'"

PC Tweezie ft. Murk - Pay Up
(From Palm Beach Post mixtape; 2015)


Who knew Trel Itz A Hit was lacing random Florida rappers back in 2015? Not me.

Roberto Di Matteo's Waiting

Hi kidz, do you like Venus? Wanna see me stick a middle finger up to the rap internet with Banana clips? Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? Try poptimism and drop a top 5 Bananarama Top Of The Pops performances list?


Highlight: everything! The TOTP equivalent of Mary J. Blige & Grand Puba on Yo! MTV Raps.


Highlight: 4 years into their career, Bananarama finally bothered to learn some proper choreography.


Highlight: making dungarees sexy after Dexy's Midnight Runners did the complete opposite.


Highlight: Fun Boy Three stealing the show with their proto-Guitar Hero battle.


Highlight: ILX ppl once called Girls Aloud the new Bananarama LMFAO.

Not sure this new Bananarama reunion is a good idea, tbh. Last comeback around they ruined an Italo Disco banger by Auto-Tuneing their vocals on there, and like Baton Rouge rappers, Bananarama should never use Auto-Tune - it makes them sound like everybody else when the whole point is that they're great because they sound like nobody else innit.

This new comeback also means that all the usual suspects from Pitchfork/The Guardian/Jezebel might start churning out ‘Bananarama Are The Outsider Artist Adult Pop Group 2017 Needs’ thinkpieces, and Lord knows nobody in the real world wants to read that shite.

"With 1 and a half pair of pants you ain't cool" 2K17

"See me, I'm a 90's baby
Don't care 'bout what you did, n*gga, we crazy
I'm from where if you hustle, you go a while without bathin'
No food in your house, so your breakfast's the candy lady"

Baby Soulja ft. Boosie Badazz - Dirty
(From Dirty (The Soundtrack) EP; 2017)


Some music sounds seasonal to me, baby! This joint by Soulja Slim's babby & Boosie grownazz makes way more sense to me in november than it did back when it dropped in the spring. Shit's a lesson in how to do 2017 monochromatic street rap right: add a sprinkling of piano keys for Thun-Rap ambiance, and keep the percussion to a minimum so the words can pull all the punches. If C-Loc had kept doing his Concentration Camp compilations with emerging Baton Rogue talent then Dirty has the feel of a song which'd be on the latest Camp LP.

How pissed do you think Baby Soulja is that OMB Peezy recorded the definitive From What I Was Told beatjack, though? Competition is none.

DDDDDRRRRRRRRROP!

"Trell" coming soon 🔥🔥😈

A post shared by @70thstreetcarlos on Nov 2, 2017 at 3:11pm PDT

This upcoming 70th Street Carlos & Trel Itz A Hit spazzout has just gatecrashed my top 5 Most Anticipated Songs list. The other 4? This by Foxx & Boosie, this by Ezale, this by Nef The Pharaoh & Mannie Fresh, and this by Ya Boy Big Choo.

Pour out a little Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire for the now deleted Instagram snippets of A-Wax's supposed prison demos.

Re-Up Gong

My Akinyeke deep cuts compilation was a great playlist if I do say so meself. So great, in fact, that I'm gonna jump back and kiss meself by reposting it. A masterclass in concept (life beyond Vagina Diner and Put It In Your Mouth), choonz (all killers), and content (Akinyele's redemptive character arc between Break A Bitch Neck in 1995 and Love My Bitch in 2001.) 15 steps beyond hardcore, this one will still clap your weak playlists like an encore and ask "Hoo the Ak Ha Ha want more?"



Don't thank me, though - thank Ak' for making it all possible.

Stack Troubles

Mack Trell ft. Greezy & Mac Pearl - Stacks
(From YouTube; 2017)


If Rey's Cafe is now permanently closed for business then this track ain't half a bad valediction for the Kentucky kid's last post. Song's a real grower of the Bird's/Colman's Paradox variety: where the rapping is sloppy like custard, but you can forgive any shortcomings in the delivery department because the production is spicy like mustard. The best Cardo beat that Cardo never made or wot?

This Mack Trell lad dropped his official debut retail album last month and naturally Stack isn't on there; of course it isn't - why would a rapper do something as logical as putting his best song on his official debut retail album? Rappaz R Nfuriating.

Dance To My Misandry

Forget the PUA Righteous Teachers because the Roosh V of VladTV is back:

Even groups like SJW and TLC can't see Lord JaMRA with telepathy.

Generic list post: October 2017

A post shared by TheReALmrWeLIVE GameOva Music🎶 (@therealmrwelive) on Oct 28, 2017 at 7:51am PDT

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when New Orleans cooked up a different kind of pumpkin pie for Halloween.

Queen Key - My Way (2017)
OMB Peezy & Cardo Got Wings - Go Down (2017)
Lor Choc - Fast Life (2017)
Count Bass D ft. Snoop Dogg - Too Much Pressure (2017)
Open Mike Eagle - Dating Ghosts (2017)
Fun Boy Three - Best Of Luck Mate (1982)
Fun Boy Three ft. Bananarama - Alone (1982)
Junei - Let's Ride (1987)
Ty Dolla $ign - Message In A Bottle (2017)

Other notables: prefer Nef The Pharaoh's recent remake of Beeda Weeda & Lil' Kev's My Way to Nef's proper new single Drop Addy; Mouse On Tha Track's new album Everything On Blossom is an unfortunate example of of a Louisiana artist indulging in bland Atlanta jockhopping; Dumbtarded by the O.G GMoney & 70th Street Carlos is a song that does what it says on the tin; typically, Bag It Up and Ding Dong are both leagues better than the rest of 70th Street Carlos' new mixtape EP thingymebob.

Born to Audiomack: 2017 jams (again and again!)

Updated my 2017 jams playlist with songs by Lor Scoota, Open Mike Eagle, and Count Bass D & Snoop Dogg. What is a music blog in 2017 if not a tiny corner of t'internet to inflict the songs you like on everyone else?

Dwight Shih Tzu

Count Bass D ft. Snoop Dogg - Too Much Pressure
(From Too Much Pressure EP; 2017)


Here's a collaboration ya host never saw comin' - Count Bass D & The D-O-G-G. Turns out that Snoop's a fan and that the song's a Strictly 4 Streaky Bacon Sunsets jam. Tell ya what else ya host never saw comin' - both Pharrel and Count Bass D being a better Dâm-Funk for Snoop than the real Dâm-Funk.

Generic list post: 1 For The Team edition

There's #levelz to weed carrying and they're tricky like spelling Mississippi. Here's 40 Legit Jams™ by the sidekicks, the back-up dancers, the ghostwriters, the family members, the henchmen, the hypemen, the homegirls, the mini-mes, and the MC's who played their position in Rap's pecking order.

Fam-Lay - Skrung Owt (2006)
Stezo - Girl Trouble (1989)
Consequence ft. KanYe West - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (2002)
B-Legit ft. Too $hort - So International (2002)
Cousin Fik - Knocka N*gga Down (2012)
Big Noyd ft. Prodigy - Recognize & Realise (1996)
Gunplay - Jump Out (2012)
D12 - Shit On You (2000)
Harlem World - Cali Chronic (1999)
Loon - This Ain't Funny (2003)
Un Kasa ft. Cam'Ron - Un Casa (Intro) (2003)
A-Mafia - 1000 Grams (2010)
Beeda Weeda - Baserock Babies (2010)
Lil' Cease ft. Notorious B.I.G - Crush On You (1996)
J-Diggs - What Would Dre Say (2014)
Dana Dane - Cinderfella Dana Dane (1987)
Kam - Stereotype (1993)
Mack 10 ft. Ice Cube, WC & Butch Cassidy - Connected For Life (2002)
Jae Millz - Sober (2009)
Backbone - 5 Deuce - 4 Tre (2001)
Slimm Calhoun - Characters (2001)
Rock D The Legend ft. Big Boi - DDT (2007)
Megalon - Rain Blood (2002)
Wacko - Nolia Clap (2002)
Red Cafe ft. Pete Rock - Heart And Soul of New York City (2009)
Legit Ballaz - Ball Wit' Us (2001)
Ms. Kane - Getty Up (2002)
Big Scoob - Suckaz Can't Hang (1994)
Young Buck - Shorty Wanna Ride (2004)
Tony Yayo - Fake Love (2005)
Rittz - Like I Am (2013)
B.G. Knocc Out & Dresta - Down Goes Another N*gga (1995)
Lil' Debbie - I Do My Thang (2014)
Sauce Money ft. Jay-Z - Pre Game (1998)
Memphis Bleek ft. Trick Daddy & T.I. - Round Here (2003)
Lil' Phat ft. Mannie Fresh - Talk Some Mo' Shit (2011)
Stack Bundles ft. Jim Jones & Max B - Cold Rockin' It (2007)
Chinx Drugz - Superlight (2011)
Slim 400 ft. TeeFlii - Where The Party At? (2014)
Y@k Ballz - Home Piss (2000)

No Kool G. Rap & Nas

Lor Choc - Fast Life
(From Fast Life single; 2017)


Once ya host got past the initial shock that Lor Choc is quite literally a pre-teen lesbian Boosie, Fast Life's charms became undeniable and I was like "me thrice!" Between this and With My Team by Creek Boyz, it seems like Maryland is puttin' its own twist on Chicago Bop right about now; Baltimore's come a looooooooooonnnng way from da streetz going about their business to deep cuts by Cage and J-Live in The Wire's first season.

Added this and Brick Body Complex by Open Mike Eagle to my 2017 jams playlist innit.

You can't see me like Charlie Angel's boss

Redman - Can't Wait (Remix #2)
(From Dat Undaground Shit!!!! promo EP; 1995)


As featured in ya host's recent 60 songs Westwood put me onto post. Like Spunk Bigga's remix of AZ's Your World Don't Stop, this one is a "remix" which is actually the original version and is #actually superior to the official LP version. Your guess is as good as mine why Reggie Red & Erick Sermon felt the need to mess up Tonight's Da Night part two by adding a bunch of doo-dads and turning it into some stodgy boom-bap.

Kickin' tinny rap songs off the Earth part 2

What do Elvis Presley, Sid Vicious, Shane McGowan, Limp Bizkit, the Fat Dancer from Take That, Fetty Wap & Monty, and the Kung Fu lass Queen Key have in common? They've all rewritten My Way in their own image. And what special quality do My Way and Kung Fu have in common? Whether you're in the house like LL Cool J or in the car like like Ivan Locke, both songs will leave your speakers as nuked as Queen Key's pizza.

"Meanwhile I'm turnt as f*ck
I left my pizza in the oven, that bitch burnt as f*ck"

Queen Key - My Way
(From My Way single; 2017)


PS: Sid Vicious woz innocent! It woz the mysterious Michael lad wot done Nancy Spungen in.

Nas was a gun, Open Mike Eagle is a block of flats

"My other name is 3-9-2-5
Make sure that my story's told
Sixteen or so stories high
Constructed fifty five years ago
Winter weather, yeah here we go
Chi Town in my building code
Stood here for ten million snows
Wind is chilled and all in my bones"

Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Complex
(From Brick Body Kids Still Daydream album; 2017)


This one appeared in last month's wrap up, but definitely deserves its own post. As me nan used to say, a well executed rap song/video about a Pertinent Issue™ is worth a thousand of yer little thinkpieces. Dunno enough about Project Blowed to know where/why/how this song fits into their lineage, but I do know that it soars where most Open Mike Eagle songs are content to flap about in oblique formations under the guise of Unapologetic Art Rap.

Wish there was more eccentrics on wax who made 2017 backpack-rap as good as this and Quelle Chris' Buddies. Quite like When Cats Claw by Shabazz Palaces too.

Max Markin

Remember when the Beastie Boys' keyboard noodler transformed one of his rickety lo-fi album interludes into a U.K Top 40 hit which was catchier than herpes on a Concert Square hookah pipe? Lemme kill a whole flock of seagulls with one fact here: Hand In Your Head is empirically the best song Mo' Wax Records ever released, and, yes, that includes songs from any of their licenced U.K reissues.

Money Mark - Hand In Your Head
(From Push The Button album; 1998)


Fun fact: John "The Scouse XXXtentacion" Lennon's son played the bass on Hand In Your Head. That's his half-AZN 'Murican son Sean, not his full CAC Scouser son Julian. Another L for the city of Liverpool or wot?

Ante Down

"Look, you know whassup, it's finna go down
We both got a pistol, you better bust, this ain't no showdown
Don't even try it, I got somethin' to shut the show down
After I shot ya, whole block looked like a ghost town"

OMB Peezy & Cardo Got Wings - Go Down
(From Humble Beginnings EP; 2017)


The Overkill name stays the same, but Go Down is a whole different interpretation of Feel The Fire. This one redeems Peezy's Chinese Jordan YFN Lucci-isms elsewhere on his EP with Cardo - you're from Alabama not Atlanta, m8.

Ain't gon' lie, though - it bugs the Hell outta me that Peezy repeats lines in a row on both his verses here. Jimmy Spicer didn't rap for nearly 14 minutes on Adventures Of Super Rhyme so these lazy modern day rappers could play Jimmy Two Times on songs that are south of the 3 minute mark.

Born to Audiomack: 2017 late pass (1nce again)

I've heard things you people wouldn't believe. Fire Berner joints that aren't even off a Drought Season album. I heard J-Diggs glitter in the pen style of Andre Hicks over the Cutthoat Soup beat. All those songs lost in time like piss in the shower. Time to update:



Expanded my 2017 late pass playlist with new-to-me discoveries by Biz Markie, Juvenile & Big Tymers, Dru Down, Fat Tone, Berner, J-Diggs, and Valee. If you're out here music blogging but you're only searching out gems from the present day then you're doing it all wrong. Wake up, time to dig.

R.I.P to Bodil Joensen's dog, I had to regurgitate

It's about time Frankie Tha Lucky Dog's favourite Swedish pop diva dropped something proper naughty given that Europe Invented The Kink Pr0n™. That isn't necessarily kink pr0n in the hot sense (teenagers lezzing off with their IRL mams? NOOOOOOOO! People shagging various farmyard animals? A trillion times NOOOOOOOO!), but you've gotta respect a 2017 songstrel who takes it back to that 1977 Euro-kink essence on a Popsicle House bangeur. Probably the only time you'll enjoy a smutty video where some bork lass gallivants with a furry midget who has someone's arm up his backside.

Tove Lo - Disco Tits
(From Disco Tits single; 2017)


Bonus #1977synergy points for having a song with the word Tit in the title starring a Muppet in the video - Tove Knows!

A slightly belated happy 60th birthday to Westwood!

His jeans have gotten tighter and his polo shirts have gotten snugger, but the Big Dawg's thirst for music stays unfadeable, baby. Ya host has already written the definitive tribute to Westwood, so here's a generic list post of 60 songs I've discovered via the Big Dawg over the years - a mixture of classics, personal favourites, and deep cuts. As Westwood nearly told Rae Sremmurd, I ain't got no type, either - I'm just grateful for all these joints.

Run D.M.C. - Slow And Low (1986)
London Posse - Money Mad (1987)
Juice Crew - Cold Chillin' Christmas (1988)
Marley Marl - No Bullshit (1989)
LL Cool J - Year Of The Hip Hop (199?)
Super Cat - Ghetto Red Hot (Hip Hop Mix) (1992)
Time Zone - Zulu War Chant (Remix) (1993)
Slick Rick ft. Doug E. Fresh - Sittin' In My Car (1994)
Notorious B.I.G - Just Playin' (Dreams) (1994)
Lil' Vicious ft. Doug E. Fresh - Freaks (1994)
Frankie Cutlass - Puerto Rico (Instrumental) (1994)
Mary J. Blige ft. Smif-N-Wessun - I Love You (Remix) (1995)
Greg Nice - Set It Off (1995)
Redman - I Can't Wait (Remix 2) (1995)
Aaliyah ft. Slick Rick - Got To Give It Up (1996)
Smif-W-Wessun - Nothing Move But The Money (1996)
The LOX ft. Notorious B.I.G - You'll See (1996)
The Firm ft. Half-A-Mill - Firm Biz (World's Famous Mix) (1997)
Beenie Man - Who Am I (Sim Simma) (1997)
Crooklyn Crew - Tha Franklinz (1997)
Total ft. Missy Elliot - What About Us (1997)
Faith Evans - Love Like This (1998)
Juvenile - Ha (1998)
Missin' Linx - M.I.A (1998)
Noreaga ft. Nature, Big Pun etc - Banned From TV (1998)
Black Rob - The Heist (1999)
Lil' Wayne ft. Juvenile & B.G. - Tha Block Is Hot (1999)
Lil' Kim - Suck My Dick (2000)
Lord Tariq - This Cold World (2000)
Rah Digga - Lessons Of Today (2000)
Rodney P - Big Tings We Inna (2001)
Tweet ft. Missy Elliot - Oops (Oh My) (2001)
Busta Rhymes - As I Come Back (2001)
Havoc ft. 50 Cent & Big Noyd - Bump That (2002)
50 Cent - Wanksta (2002)
Foxy Brown - Stylin' (2002)
Peedi Crakk ft. Freeway - Fall Back (2003)
Wayne Wonder - No Letting Go (2003)
Bubba Sparxxx - Disappear (2003)
Twista ft. Jazze Pha - Badunkadunk (2004)
Kano - P's And Q's (2004)
Trina - Leaving You (Big Ol' Dick) (2004)
Mike Jones ft. Slim Thug & Paul Wall - Still Tippin' (2004)
T-Pain - I'm Sprung (2005)
ODB AKA Dirt McGirt - Lift Ya Skirt (2005)
Donae'o - Party Hard (2009)
Gucci Mane - Lemonade (2009)
Cali Swag District - Teach Me How To Dougie (2010)
Giggs - Monsta Man (2011)
French Montana ft. Charlie Rock - Shot Caller (2011)
K Kutta - Lum Lum (2013)
Kranium - Nobody Has To Know (2013)
Looni - Right Now (2014)
Spice - So Mi Like It (2014)
J Hus - Dem Boy Paigon (2015)
Krept & Konan ft. Jeremih - Freak Of The Week (2015)
Vybz Kartel - Dancehall/Work (Jugglerz Remix) (2016)
Uncle Murda - Cam'Ron Voice (2016)
Dexta Daps - Chinese Jordan (2016)
Busy Signal - Go Again (2017)

Another mystery solved!

RARE #Bootleg 12" SINGLES Life Is Like A Dice Game - @nas Produced By @therealeasymobee Recorded @ #UniqueStudios1995 Studio A - 8th Floor #7017thAvenue NYC The Unfinished #Nas & #EasyMoBee 💾

A post shared by Easy Mo Bee🐝 (@therealeasymobee) on Oct 1, 2017 at 2:57am PDT

Ah, so it was Easy Mo Bee who produced Nas' Life Is Like A Dice Game. Surprised to find out it was recorded in 1995, though, because I always thought it was a pre-Illmatic demo. If I was a real Nas Stan I woulda known that already - he mentions his daughter Destiny being born on the song and Google tells me her year of birth was 1994.

Generic list post: September 2017

Oh Well They Made Me Do It 🤷🏽‍♂️#ForThePussyChallengePT.1 #5thWardWeebie & @blaqnmild All The Way Back Outchere New Music On The Way #5thWardWeebieWednesday Get Ready ‼️#YesLawd #CarterV @SnoopDogg @Tmz

A post shared by 5thWardWeebie (@5thwardweebie) on Sep 27, 2017 at 7:39pm PDT

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when J. Cole thankfully refrained from taking part in the #ForThePussyChallenge. Way too many new recruits to the Death Fresh Crew this month - pour out a little booze of your choosing for Gary Warnett, Frank Vincent, Harry Dean Stanton, Gee Money, and my mate's dog Rocco.

Dru Down - Gangstafied (2002)
Rich The Factor ft. The Popper - Aristocrat (2016)
Rich The Factor - 1000 (2017)
Queen Key - Kung Fu (2017)
Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Complex (2017)
70th Street Carlos - Bag It Up (2017)
70th Street Carlos - Ding Dong (2017)
The Brat - High School (1980)
The Brat - Leave Me Alone (1980)
Tove Lo - Disco Tits (2017)

Other notables: genuinely thought Boosie's Get Ya Mind Right was some Gangsta Musik-era deep cut I'd slept on until now; Yhung T.O's Slidin' was the song which sold me on him as a solo artist until the slight Drakeisms of some of his phrasing began to irk me; prefer this video to those two new OMB Peezy tracks; Post Malone & 21 Savage's Rockstar is everything I dislike about 2017 Atlanta rap in one song.