Maino
Maino feat Swizz Beatz – Million Bucks – This time last year we didn’t know who Maino’s haterz were but that didn’t stop this Brooklyn native from blessing us with an ode to those we feel desire only to see us fail…the Rush Limbaugh to our Obama if you may. This summer’s offering is more of a feel-good banger fuelled by fellow NY-orker and well renowned ‘One man-band man’ Swizz Beats’ unmistakable melodies and familiar crooning on the hooks. Ah – Yes, what is a summer banger without Swizzie. It may not garner the same rotation levels as ‘Hi-Hater’ but will certainly ensure Maino won’t be a one summer wonder like many that we’ve seen in the past.
Jadakiss
Jadakiss feat Ruff Ryders – Who’s Real (remix) – Who said you can’t have a hot song and an even hotter remix all within the same summer? Off what is being hailed as on of his better solo offerings thus far, the Ruff Ryder illumni of Jadakiss, Sheek, Styles P, Drag-On and freshly sprung jail-bird the X-Man himself DMX re-unite for remix of this already official banger. Eve is her usual silky best, so are the Lox members but DMX sounds like he spent his time up North homing his skills. Highlight of this track is Sheek’s jibe ala Jay Z,” “You real and you know it take the skinny jeans off,
Take off the auto-tune and stop acting all soft”…..ouch. If you didn’t here the warnings on the original and maintain the ‘hatin’ then this remix should prompt to start ackin right’. d you know it and surprise-surprise Swizz Beatz team up for this solid certified New York style ‘banger’ about filtering through the crop of ‘real’ and ‘real-not’s and how much you should despise the latter. (This would have been a great anthem during last year’s Presidential Election for Diddy and Co’s ‘Vote or Die’ campaign.) If you happening to be out at a party and the DJ does not throw this diddy on at least twice in one night he may just be one of ‘the type of people’ Swizz hates. Guranteed rotation well into late fall.
Pleasure P
Boyfriend #2 – Pleasure P – Once every two years or so appears an smooth crooning R’N’B cat that can’t get his own girl and feels breaking up (to what appears to you) a happy home and doing all those things insignificant things you fail to do like keep your woman happy, draped in the latest finery and romanced with the efficiency of horny rabbit. If you remember 2003’s ‘Splakavellie’ by Pressha then you will have no doubt picking out the similarities on this appropriately titled ‘Boyfriend#2’. It’s bad enough you’re getting laid off and your job has been outsourced but now so is your ‘lovin’ as a result of someone else servicing your Mrs. Unfortunately the song is well done and you will find yourself singing along to it. Pay attention to your lovely lady singing it though unless of course you are one of these low-life swippers and in that case you can blast this as a theme song.
Pleasure P - "Boyfriend #2" (Official Music Video)
Chrisette Michele
Epiphany – Chrisette Michele: To the promiscuous few and down-right lousy boyfriend/husbands come a real gem from Grammy-Award winning sensation and probably the most important thing to ever bless the world of R’N’B in the last few years – the one and only Chrisette Michele. This hit single from the similarly titled solid sophomore offering from Michele highlights that moment of clarity that hits all the down trodden, forgotten, dissatisfied X-BOX 360 widows (see video featuring rapper Drake) when they realize that they are worth more than just an NBA 2K9 cheer leader. A warning to all the men out there just in case you’ve heard this on repeat at the crib – there’s more this than the beautiful melody and flaw-less singing. Do not be summer statistic.
The Clipse
Kinda Like A Big Deal – The Clipse feat Kanye West & Bun B – What do you get when you put together the cockiest rapper in the game with hardest ‘we spit ishh but we back it uppers’ in hip-hop…? Well the answer is a solid hit from ‘Ye’ and the Virginia’s finest and a glimpse into what is already being hailed as hip-hop classic from the Clipse who were are informed have been working with former Def Jam creative whiz – Rick Rueben. With flows like “It’s a blessing to blow a hundred grand in a recession – with no second guessing” (Malice) and Kanye’s usual over the top but insanely hilarious punch lines the trio make an art form out of talking ‘smack’ and continue to prove that humility is for suckers. Love or hate em’ they sound good doing it.
New Boyz
Jerk – New Boyz – From time to time (and more frequently over the past couple of years) comes an artist or act fuelled by raging teen age hormones and chemical imbalances from adolescent acne medication that bless us (or over-burden us) with and annoying dribble of a song that if played 200 times a day in constant rotation grows on us reluctantly. Remember Soldier Boy Tell’Em’s ‘Crank that Soldier, or rather everything else that he’s followed that up with, well this year is no exception. My first exposure to this song was at the BET awards and since then I believe I have heard that song no fewer than 400 times on TV and radio. You know you’re gone when you sustain an ankle sprain from attempting that ridiculous hop-back-hop forward dance in the video. So this song makes this list on the basis that if I have to suffer the indignation of mass marketing media so should. So go ahead and call me ‘jerk one more time’.
Chrishan
Trick look At Me Now – Chrishan – Hell hath no fury like a man who scorned by his ex, ridiculed and told “I would never amount to nothing”. Well the day of retribution is here and a guest cameo from Lil Wayne doesn’t hurt this giant bitch slap to exes of the past. Aptly titled ‘Bitch Look at Me Now’, newcomer Chrishan delivers velvety smooth verses so well you even forget the theme of revenge and bitterness resonating through the song. Wayne is his usual outrageous best but Chrishan more than holds his own on this one showing a lot of promise which we hope will lead to decent run in the industry for the young crooner. This track will most likely end up on ‘repeat’ in your car’s CD changer because face it, we all have the ex-someone that used to believe you had the potential of a snail and now that are successful, wish could kiss your rear-end in recognition,,,”Trick Look at me now!”
Drake
The Winner – Drake – The 2 million dollar Toronto kid not shooting a jumper for a living is back with the freshness. With a total of 4 joints that are either his or he features on, and just when you thought the market could hardly take any more Drizzy, he blesses us with a true summer jam to compensate for the lousy weather we’re having. Justifying the pennant donned on him by the likes of Jamie Foxx and anyone with a respect for good music, Drake announces that his acceptance speech will go, “I deserve this shh… I deserve this shhh…” You can say a lot about the boy but you cannot deny his level of hustle and the effort he puts in all he puts out. The delivery still comes across as smooth and this song has the feel of the good old hip-hop days reminiscent of the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince or Naughty by Nature circa 1991-1993. This may not be his greatest offering of all time but this track is appropriate for this summer and producer The Bizness does a create job making a simple beat come off good. Jay Z’s DOA warnings were obviously not heeded on this joint but no one can ever accuse Drizzy of using Auto-Tune in bad taste right? I’ll leave that up to you.
Mary Mary
The God In Me- Mary Mary – Whether you’re a ‘believer’ or a part time heathen who needs to bump something on the way to church with a respectable beat for your bass and twitters, this joint is most definitely for you. Some people have even dared to call this a cross-over track but something tells me that despite the heavy rotation on both religious and mainstream radio this track is a stand-out piece and a legit hit. I’ve always loved the sisters and this more of song that everyone can relate to regardless of your attendance record at church. So long as you understand that there is a driving force in you to thank that is greater (than your boss) yourself than you can more than relate. You should have this in your top 10 play-list or I should have guilted you to with the threat of looming Armageddon and a life in hell. Take your pick.
Drake
Forever – Drake – And you thought we couldn’t pick yet another Drake song for this countdown…highly unlikely. Mainly because we’ll always cheer for hometown heroes and because the song is fire! Re-ignite the Lil Wayne-Drake ghost writing rumors kids because this time ‘The Heart-Break’ kid is pretty blatant about it. Case and point,” I write your favorite records, you sing ghost, 20 thousand for a verse, our routine quote…” Way to dead the smell off that drail Drizzy. Boi-1da did a great job with production on this one which I guess would be more street and harder than some of the more mainstream stuff out there or his auto-tune infused ballads. Expect this to ring out at the clubs and bars but don’t expect it to have as much mass-appeal as ‘Best I’ve Ever had’ or ‘Successful’. I just love that it’s a banger and shows the kid still has some edge to him and has something to offer head bangers too.
Jay Z’s BP3 release upon us, a Kanye West album in the works and possible another Drake mix-tape or album makes for a pretty interesting fall that could perhaps redeem the obvious lack of quality hip-hop that evaded us as well as the actual summer season. Look forward to our next installment. Keep it Hip-Hop!
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