Champagne n' Reefer

VIC MENSA

2010-12-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Raw. Refined. his rhymes are dimes.

Moufy Interview and Exclusive Short

2010-09-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here is the interview I did with Moufy, as you may have read on his facebook page. Since this is the first blog on Moufy, I'm not gonna write anything, I'll just let it speak for itself. Moufy has an interesting story and he begins rapping at the 2:50 mark.

Rad Anthem

2010-09-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

While this post isn't in line with what we usual post on here, this video is way too amazing to pass up. And make sure to watch through the end. A little surprise shows up around the 2:15 mark.

G.O.O.D. Fridays

2010-09-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Every Friday from now until Christmas, Kanye will be releasing a new song from the G.O.O.D. music crew (Kanye, Big Sean, KiD CuDi, Jay-Z). I'm a bit behind so here's the last 3 G.O.O.D. music tracks: Monster, a posse cut with Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj, Devil in a New Dress, and a remix to Power with Jay and Swizz Beatz. All of this is leading up to Kanye's eventual release of his next album, Dark Twisted Fantasy, and 5-track EP with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne.
Download: Monster
Download: Devil in a New Dress
Download: Power (Remix)

Bluestone's track of the Day: Down South Blues

2010-09-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Down South Blues has a catchy slide lead. The main riff is played throughout most of the song and some soloing is mixed in. What I like about this one is that it's a a lonely blues; "I woke up this mornin' and I found my baby gone," but it's hopeful, as well; "I'm goin' down South child, the weather here's too cold." Things are gonna get better. I can listen to this one when I just want music, when I'm crying, or when I'm drinking. It's got every different vibe to it, and it sounds good too. Listen to it!

Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee

2010-08-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee, most would say, play the best country blues. I'm not a big country fan, but some days a two man band, a shot of blues, a harmonica and a guitar... it's just what you need. Here they are, plain and simple, sitting and playing the blues. Easy Rider....

Summer Nights: Still Blazin Edition

2010-06-30T21:18:00.001-07:00

Download: Summer Nights: Still Blazin Edition
1. The Roots-How I Got Over
2. Nas and Damian Marley-Promised Land
3. Santogold-You'll Find A Way
4. Charles Hamilton-Brooklyn Girls
5. Big Boi-Shutterbugg
6. Jay-Z-D'Evils
7. T.I.-Shit Popped Off
8. The Roots-The Day
9. Snoop Dogg-Who Am I?
10. 50 Cent-Blood Hound
11. Wiz Khalifa-Still Blazin
12. The Game-Like Father Like Son
13. Ahmad-Back in the Day
14. Common-I Have a Dream
15. Nas feat. Lauryn Hill-If I Ruled The World
16. Stephen Marley-Iron Bars
17. Bob Marley-Lively Up Yourself
18. Electric Light Orchestra-Mr. Blue Sky
19. Styles P-My Life
20. J.Cole-Playground
21. Big Sean-Supa Dupa
22. Rick Ross feat. Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa-Super High (Remix)
23. Terror Squad-Take Me Home
24. Steel Pulse-Your House

A Little Louis

2010-06-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here is one of Louis Armstrong's versions of St. James Infirmary. The YouTube video, which sadly has only 11,000 views, is captioned, "A haunting performance from Satchmo." This version of St. James is dark and slow, it's eerie. I wonder who Louis had in mind when he sang this, it sounds so real.

If that depressed you too much, here's La Vie En Rose to cheer you up.

Summer Nights: Vol. 3

2010-06-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Download: Summer Nights: Vol. 3

1. Cam'ron-What Means the World to You
2. Joe Budden-Classic
3. Eddy Grant-Electric Avenue
4. Shawn Anthony-Beautiful Life
5. Dr. Dre feat. T.I.-Shit Popped Off
6. Passafire-Submersible
7. The Roots-The Seed (2.0)
8. UGK-Diamonds and Wood
9. Dilated Peoples feat. Kanye West-This Way
10. KiD CuDi-cudderisback
11. Tribal Seeds-Come Around
12. Lil Wayne-PMW
13. Ricky Blaze-Just You and I
14. Asher Roth-Blunt Cruisin
15. Lupe Fiasco-Make Sure U Getta Shirt!!!
16. KiD CuDi feat. Wale-Is There Any Love?
17. The Notorious B.I.G.-Hyponotize
18. Scarface-Dopeman Music
19. Jedi Mind Tricks-Trail of Lies
20. Collie Buddz-Let Me Know
21. Voicedude-420
22. Slim Thug feat. Ludacris-I Rep
23. Warren G feat. Nate Dogg-Regulate
24. K-OS feat. Saukrates-I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blue Guitar

2010-05-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

The Chicago bluesman Earl Hooker, born in 1929, was a master of the slide. He played a lot of open tunings and mixed finger soloing in with his slide. B.B. King said, "To me he is the best of modern guitarists. Period." That's a fine compliment coming from a man like B.B.
The instrumental, Blue Guitar, has a fine piano and brass section, but Hooker's lead guitar takes the cake. He plays mostly a classic blues solo and he plays it so well, throwing in a couple wild slides to make it his own. Hooker was born in Mississippi, but came to Chicago and picked up his style at the age of one. He didn't move because of a record signing, it was his parents' choice, but he was clearly destined to be great. Hooker grew up with Bo Diddley and was greatly influenced by T-bone Walker. Hooker began his career in 1946 by touring through the South with Robert Nighthawk and his band. Here's a version of Blue Guitar with Junior Wells.

Earl was a real showman, watch him live here, playing with his teeth!

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Tracks 8 and 9 of 11)

2010-05-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

The next two tracks from Jimi Hendrix's Blues are Jam 292 and Once I Had a Woman. Jam 292 is a fast-paced jam, an unconventional blues. There is just a lot going on in this song, including a lot of distortion, and it is somewhat hard to distinguish Jimi's real talent. The version I have here is called Jelly 292, which is apparently the second take of Jam 292. Once I had a Woman, on the other hand, is a slow, crying blues, that I associate with Jimi's full bend and simultaneous vibrato. He gets a lot out of simple licks in this song. It also has a harmonica part and vocals. Lord I had a woman, lord knows she was good to me in every way. Jimi definitely has a lot of fun on both of these tracks, check them out.

Summer Nights Vol: 2

2010-05-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the second edition of my Summer Nights mixtape series. Check it out and enjoy the good weather. Tracklist and Download Link below.
Download: Summer Nights: Vol 2

1. Outta Control-Rebelution
2. I'm On It-French Montana feat. Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa and Nipsey Hussle
3. L.A.-Murs
4. Vices-Tomorrow's Bad Seeds
5. Kush-Lil Wayne
6. Outty 5000-Lupe Fiasco
7. Shove It-Santogold
8. Cruise Control-Mac Miller feat. Wiz Khalifa
9. Buggin Out 2009-KiD CuDi feat. Consequence
10. Proud to be a Stoner-Kottonmouth Kings
11. Strangers-Reflection Eternal feat. Bun B
12. Drive Slow-Kanye West feat. Paul Wall and GLC
13. Worst Comes to Worst-Dilated Peoples
14. What A Job-Devin The Dude feat. Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000
15. This Joint-Slightly Stoopid
16. Wild Wild Horses-Atmosphere
17. Xxplosive-Dr. Dre feat. Hittman, Six-Two and Nate Dogg
18. Back Like That (Remix)-Ghostface Killah feat. Kanye West and Ne-Yo
19. Acid Raindrops-People Under the Stairs
20. Loud Pipes-Ratatat
21. Sunshine-Atmosphere
22. Paradise-Young Chris feat. Lil Wayne
23. Hot Wangs-Asher Roth
24. Gangsta's Life-Nipsey Hussle feat. Snoop Dogg

Bluestone's Track of the Day: All Blues

2010-05-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

All Blues first appeared on Miles Davis' album Kind of Blue in 1959. This is a jazzier tune but it is a blues. It's a regular progression excluding the bVI chord which replaces the normal V. Kenny Burrell is my favorite jazz guitarist to date. He does a great guitar arrangement here of All Blues.

My other favorite tunes by Kenny Burrell include Soul Lament and his take on Girl Talk.

Summer Nights: Vol. 1

2010-05-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

In the absence of any good new music as of late and in celebration of the upcoming summer, I've been spending the last week or so putting together a playlist to kick back and relax to. Given that it's about 100 songs, I'll be putting out a 24-track CD every couple of days to give you the full collection. Much thanks to Will Kaupilla and Aje Julien for sending me some dope tracks to add to the mix. Lemme know in the comments section if there's anything you'd like to see make the list for the next edition.

Download: Summer Nights: Vol. 1

1. Daydreaming-Lupe Fiasco
2. My World Is...-Blu
3. The Garden-Tribal Seeds
4. More Than Ever-Rebelution
5. Iron Lion Zion-Bob Marley
6. Truth Is-Brother Ali
7. Generation Lost-B.o.B.
8. A Bathing Harry-Lupe Fiasco
9. Dirty Girl-Felt
10. Sunshine-Mos Def
11. Ballad of the Black Gold-Reflection Eternal
12. Libertad-Tribal Seeds
13. Still Blazin-Wiz Khalifa
14. Good Times-Styles P
15. Cab Fare-Hieroglyphics
16. Come Around-Collie Buddz
17. Good Times-The Holdup
18. Moment of Truth-Gang Starr
19. Over the Building-Wiz Khalifa feat. Curren$y
20. Santeria-Sublime
21. She Won't Let Me...-Afroman
22. Something About Us-Daft Punk
23. Summer Nights-Lil Rob
24. Wake-Up Show Anthem '94-Nas

SRV, B.B. King, and Albert King Live!

2010-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 7 of 11)

2010-05-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Born Under a Bad Sign, the classic Albert King tune, is taken from a different angle by Hendrix. First of all, he plays it in a different key, a little slower, and with no lyrics. Albert typically plays a crisp style of lead guitar, which Hendrix also changes up a little. He adds more vibrato, distortion, and makes the guitar whine a little more. It's a completely different vibe. Albert sings it with an air of confidence and manliness, which Jimi's version doesn't convey. Jimi's style is a little more somber. That being said, the 7 minute 38 second track has a lot of variety, which I like. It's an informal jam. It has fast paced lead, slow, whining lead, some real rhythm to it, and some rock and roll.
Something Jimi does on this track that's great: there are no lyrics, but you hear his voice a few times. He lets out a "Yeah!" and a couple of moans. This makes the song twice as good; I feel like I'm hearing it live, I get a vivid picture of him playing. Albert King does this, too, like in I'll Play the Blues For You when he says, "Scuse me..." before his solo.
Born Under a Bad Sign - Hendrix
Albert Live 1981

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Stormy Monday

2010-05-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

I chose this track so we could talk a little bit about Eva Cassidy, likely my favorite female vocalist. She's really a folk singer, but she does Stormy Monday, so welcome to Champagne n' Reefer. Cassidy's first album wasn't released until 1992 and she died four years later. From what I've heard, she was virtually unknown when she died in 1996, but has come into much more popularity since then. Her biggest song, Over The Rainbow, got exposure in the UK three years after its release, where it blew up. She also topped charts in a few other countries. Read more about her here.
And now for a little bit about Stormy Monday. Stormy Monday was released by T-bone Walker in 1947 and became a blues standard, recorded by artists including Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Buddy Guy, and Eva Cassidy. Stormy Monday reached #5 on the charts and supposedly inspired B.B. King to pick up the electric guitar. They call it stormy Monday, oh but Tuesday's just as bad...
Stormy Monday, T-bone
Stormy Monday, Eva Cassidy
Stormy Monday, Albert King
Stormy Monday, B.B. King
Stormy Monday, Buddy Guy
Here are a few more tracks from Eva Cassidy - Ain't No Sunshine, Fever, Wade in the Water, Wayfaring Stranger, The Letter, Over the Rainbow, all worth listening to!

New Tracks: May 12th

2010-05-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

New tracks from the past couple of days. Both Stat Quo and Em tracks are pretty old, but unreleased up until today so I figured I'd throw em up anyways.
Download: Stat Quo feat. Eminem-Classic Shit
Download: Stat Quo feat. Eminem-Atlanta on Fire
Download: Vinnie Paz feat. Beanie Sigel-Kill 'em All
Download: Jhene Aiko feat. Drake-July
Download: Grafh feat. Royce Da 5'9"-My Life
Download: Big Sean-What U Doin'

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sampling Heart's 'Crazy On You', this first track might be Eminem's greatest love song. Like the rest of his romance-filled tracks, this one is dedicated to ex-wife Kim. Dropping lines like:
You're like the pillar that props me up
The beam that supports me
The bitch who never took half,
The wife who never divorced me.
You're like the root to my evil
You let my devil come out me
You let me beat the shit out you
Before you beat the shit out me.
Em really proves himself to be a true romantic on this one.

Download: Crazy in Love

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why Ludacris is not monumentally more famous. He has dropped so many ill songs over the past decade and, for some reason, just doesn't get the recognition he deserves. This track is off Theater of the Mind, and has got a crazy sample as well as a feature from Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated boxing champ.

Download: Undisputed

Here's an old school track from hip-hop duo Handsome Boy Modelling School. This song has got some crazy scratching skills goin on. Check it out.

Download: Holy Calamity

Bluestone's Track of the Day: The Thrill Is Gone

2010-05-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

This one couldn't wait any longer. I've been hesitant to write a post about The Thrill Is Gone because I don't know what I can say to do it justice, or what I can say about it that hasn't already been said. It is one of the greatest songs ever written. Roy Hawkins' original version of this song was a minor hit in 1951. He, supposedly, wrote it with Rick Darnell, but according to a YouTube comment I found, Hawkins only put Darnell's name on the track so he would help produce it; doesn't sound unlikely. Anyways, B.B. King first recorded The Thrill Is Gone for his 1969 album Completely Well. In 1970, the song reached #3 on the Billboard Singles. The Thrill Is Gone eventually earned the 183rd spot on Rolling Stones' 500 best songs ever and won B.B. King a Grammy award. So many memorable versions of this song have been recorded, but here are just a few.
The Thrill Is Gone...
Completely Well
With Eric Clapton
Live in 1970
Live in 2001

Bluestone's Hip-Hop Track of the Day

2010-05-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

I found this on another blog, looks like we were behind the curve here because this is not only an awesome track, but it has everything to do with rap and blues, at the same time. Listen to Born 2 Sin. Bad News Brown is definitely a hip-hop artist, but not just a rapper. He has rhythm and style, he's creative, he's makin' real music. I like what B.o.B. has been doing, trying to really sing and add some soul to hip-hop; this is what Bad News Brown does, only Bad News does it better. Check him out at http://badnewsbrown.com/. Go out and buy his stuff, do what you gotta do to support him. Check him out first here on Champagne n' Reefer.

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Tracks 5 and 6 of 11)

2010-05-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a double installment from the Hendrix Blues album, Voodoo Chile Blues and Electric Church Red House. I put these two together because they're similar and I have almost nothing to say about them. They just display more of Hendrix's distinctive, creative soloing ability. I like some variety, but honestly, the album wouldn't necessarily lose anything without one or the other of these tracks. Electric Church Red House is, of course, Red House in a completely different way, and Voodoo Chile Blues does the same thing for Voodoo Child. Electric Church was recorded in 1968 and features an organ; Voodoo Chile was released on the Electric Ladyland album.

Also, check out Red House on my earlier post and Voodoo Child right here.
I guess all I have left to say is, the night I was born, the moon turned a fire red!

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-10T21:35:00.001-07:00

This is an old school track from Jeru the Damaja. He tells a story about going toe to toe with Ignorance, whom he personifies as a demonic, misogynistic polygamist. Helped along by his smooth flow, Jeru definitely lays out a great story worth having a listen to.

Download:Jeru the Damaja-You Can't Stop the Prophet

Here's a song from Brother Ali off his 2007 effort, The Undisputed Truth. For those unfamiliar with Brother Ali, he's albino and (as far as I know) the only rapper with this condition. It's interesting to hear his take on growing up discriminated against, particularly because it isn't the same sort of racial discrimination that is so often described in rap music. Early on in his career, Ali often mislead listeners to believe he was black, though he has more recently come to terms with his albinism and even embraced it.

Download: Brother Ali-Truth Is

Off Eminem's Relapse: Refill, there isn't much else to say about this one. As per usual, Em kills it and even has a catchy chorus in that sing-song voice he's become so fond of.

Download: Eminem-Elevator

Weezy and Drake: The Rikers Island Redemption

2010-05-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Another ill mixtape from DJ Noodles. As with most tapes from Noodles, all the songs on this are rehashes of old verses thrown over new beats. Still, these mixes top most new material these dudes have been putting out lately so check it out. I posted my 3 favorite tracks below, featuring Wayne and Drake (plus a little Gucci) killin' some beats from Saigon, J.Cole and Rick Ross. The last one in particular is absolutely crazy.
Download-Lil Wayne-I Am Him
Download-Lil Wayne feat. Drake-Still Fly
Download-Lil Wayne feat. Drake and Gucci Mane-Push Cash

Kanye's Glow in the Dark Book

2010-05-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

I'd like to remark that Bluestone and I were both at this concert and it was, by far, the best show I've ever been to. Despite the fact that the concert was nearly two years ago at this point, I still vividly remember how cohesivly Ye put a story together with his incredible setlist, stage presence and props. I've never seen anything like it before. His new book of tour photos just recently went up for sale on Amazon and ,even if you have no intention of making a purchase, hit the following link to check out some more incredible photos from Kanye's blog.

Bluestone on The Doors

2010-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Doors covered both Crawlin' Kingsnake, by John Lee Hooker, and Howlin' Wolf's Back Door Man. These tunes are both mannish and lend themselves to Jim Morrison's baritone voice. Hooker's Kingsnake is one of his best. It's repetitive: a simple, repeated lick between lines. You caught me crawlin' when the grass was very high, I'm just gonna keep on crawlin' baby until the day I die! The Doors do what they can with this song. It's a simple song, but Hooker just had something in him that made it great; I can't say the same about the Doors on this track.

Buy The Very Best of the Doors [US Version] on Amazon.com.

On back Door Man, however, I think The Doors outdo Howlin' Wolf on his own tune. The two versions of Back Door Man are much more similar than those of Crawlin' Kingsnake, but I just don't dig Howlin' Wolf's voice here, it's harsh. Here's The Doors' versions of Back Door Man and Crawlin' Kingsnake. Realize how similar this rock band is to some classic blues guys, another testament to the foundation blues set for American music. Also, realize how similar The Doors' versions of these songs are to each other! To put it nicely, their style is very, very recognizable.

Weekly Mixtape: Volume 2 (May 3rd)

2010-05-09T14:44:00.001-07:00

This was a pretty slow week for new music, but I managed to throw 12 tracks together for this week's tape. Tracklist and download link below. Happy Mothers Day everyone!
Download: Weekly Mixtape: Volume 2 (May 3rd)

1. Royce Da 5'9"-My Own Planet
2. Drake-One Man Show
3. Damian Marley & Nas-Patience
4. Scarface-Picking Up The Pieces
5. T.I.-Road to Success
6. Damian Marley & Nas feat. Stephen Marley-Leaders
7. Scarface feat. B.James, Monk Kaza and Rodney Grant-Get Lost
8. Young Jeezy feat. Trick Daddy and Scarface-Ride Wit Me
9. MJG & 8Ball feat. T.I.-Bring it Back (remix)
10. Bun B feat. Yo Gotti and Gucci Mane- Countin Money
11. Dead Prez-The Beauty Within
12. Bruno Mars feat. Cee-Lo and B.o.B.-The Other Side

Bluestone on Arthur Alexander

2010-05-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Arthur Alexander's music is categorized on my iTunes sometimes as blues and sometimes as R&B. Wikipedia calls it 'country soul,' and my uncle just describes it as Muscle Shoals. The fact is that he has a couple bluesy tunes, but otherwise, country soul is not far off. Arthur Alexander, along with Big Boi and Andre 3000 from Outkast, is the man that first got me interested in music. I heard him on the radio when I was about 8 years old and I bought his album, Lonely Just Like Me and then The Greatest. Arthur lived from 1940 to 1993, born in Sheffield, Alabama and a major influence on American music. He recorded his first single in Alabama, in 1960 for Judd Records. It was the mean, bluesy Sally Sue Brown. Little boys better run for cover, if you don't wanna be a broken hearted lover! In third grade, I used to say "Sally Boo Brown" hundreds of times a day, until finally my teacher made me stop. The song has a simple, catchy blues riff and Arthur sings it like he always does. In 1961, he started recording at the Muscle Shoals studio, where he first released You Better Move On. , which was covered by the Rolling Stones, then Anna (1962), which was covered by The Beatles. The Beatles always said Alexander was a major influence on their work. The Beatles also covered Arthur's incredible song Soldier of Love. According to Wikipedia, Arthur's music career fell apart so badly that he spent years as a bus driver. It's really a shame because he is absolutely incredible. he has so many hits like Where Have You Been, After You, and Without A Song. Unfortunately, I can't find the bluesy Mr. John, but please purchase his album Lonely Just Like Me on Amazon.com. Arthur is good for wooing the ladies, feeling the blues, or getting up and dancing. He was a great artist who left an important legacy behind, I love him.

Nas Co-Signs Diggy Simmons

2010-05-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Diggy Simmons is Rev Run's 15-year old son, who just happens to be a dope rapper. He dropped his first mixtape last year though didn't get a whole lot of recognition until recently with his freestyles over Drake's 'Over', and more recently, freestyle over Nas' 'Made You Look' (above).
After hearing Diggy dismantle his track, Nas had this to say of Rev's son:
“I couldn’t believe it. Rev Run is the king of rap, and for him to have a son who’s that nice? You don’t even think shit like that happens. I don’t think we’ve seen that in hip-hop yet—he’s nice and his father’s the king? That’s historic, bro. That shit is incredible. That little dude is nice.”
Seriously, this kid's only 15. Illest 15-year-old I've heard since Nero dropped this shit. I'll be keepin an eye on this kid, curious to see what happens when his voice drops.

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

First up for the day is an old school track from the hip-hop trio Brand Nubian. This is off their debut album, One for All, which dropped in 1990. This CD contains many hallmarks of Golden Age of Hip-hop, particularly on the production side with all of the funk samples. For example, 'Slow Down' uses clips from two Kool & the Gang songs and a snippet from Funkadelic. Check it out.

Download: Slow Down

This next one is in honor of Mother's Day tomorrow. This cut is from Bishop Lamont, dedicated to the woman who raised him. Lamont just recently departed from the Aftermath label, after spending five years with them and not releasing a single album. After taking 700 mastered tracks with him on his departure, Bishop's debut, The Reformation, is set to be released later this year.

Download: My Mama

My last random track of the day has already been featured in my previous article on DoSAGE but I felt the need to bring it back to the top and give the dude some recognition. This one's got a real solid beat, with synths somewhat reminiscent of 'All the Way Turnt Up' but it's lyrically much stronger. On this track, DoSAGE talks about the dangers of selling out, something an upcoming artist definitely needs to be wary of.
Download: Read the Contract

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 4 of 11)

2010-05-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the acoustic version of Hendrix's Hear My Train A Comin'. It's played on a 12-string guitar and I think this video may have been made as a promotion for the guitar. Anyways, the track doesn't really start until 1 minutes in. Hendrix starts off by talking about "gimmicks," then plays a little, then asks to start over because he's so nervous. It is bizarre. There is no audience, he's playing for a recording, I don't know why he's nervous. He's one strange guy. That is all forgotten, however, when the tune starts. His guitar seems to be tuned funny, it doesn't sound like anything at all that I've heard before. The style is just unique, I can't even describe it. It certainly is not like the Blues tracks I've posted so far, a testament to his skills. It's safe to say Jimi could have made himself a star in any genre. Apparently, he did more songs in this recording, on the 12-string, but I can't find them. Hendrix's crazy fashion sense is showcased in this video. He's got his rings, some kind of polka dot jacket, and a decorated hat: weird. I was scared as to death can i just do it one more time, one more time! Here he is.

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day: Mashup Edition

2010-05-07T21:28:00.001-07:00

Today I'm gonna use all mashup songs, with rap acapella's and rock/pop beats. Of all the rappers to be used in mashups, Jay-Z is by far the most popular. When American Gangster, Jay-Z's homage to the movie, came out, there had to have been at least 50 different mashups CDs using those acapellas alone. One of my favorites was Jay thrown over some U2 beats. My favorite off of that CD, entitled U2 Gangster, is Jigga's 'Pray' vocals over U2's 'One.' The two sounds go together so well, this song could have been on the original CD. No youtube so hit the link to stream and download.
Download: Jay-Z vs. U2-Pray

I stumbled across this next one on Youtube. Using the vocals from Joe Budden and Busta Rhyme's 'Fire' over the Red Hot Chili Pepper's 'Snow (Hey Oh)' this is just another one of those mashups that really hits its stride. The lyrics are spend up a little bit to match RHCP's quick beat and they fall in line together perfectly.

Download: Joe Budden vs. RHCP-Snow Fire

The last song of the day is called 'Technology is Right', which mixes 50 Cent's 'Ayo Technology' and Nelly Furtado's 'Say It Right'. The producer, Norwegian Recyling, muted the vocals a bit, so the track almost has an eerie sound to it. This is a great song to just sit back and let your mind wander to as the song has a sort of hypnotic effect.
Download: Norwegian Recyling-Technology is Right

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Whiskey Blues

2010-05-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a slide tune from Muddy, called Sittin' Here Drinkin' or Whiskey Blues or something like that. So far, from Muddy, I've shared My Home Is In The Delta, Baby Please Don't Go, and Champagne and Reefer, plus Hendrix's cover of Mannish Boy. Whiskey Blues is a lot like My Home Is In The Delta, not a lot like the others. It's a true crying slide tune, no electric effects, just good old blues. Whiskey Blues, another testament to Muddy's range and number of good songs, check it out.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blues Before Sunrise

2010-05-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

This tune has a piano, a lead guitar, a rhythm guitar, and some brass, but it has the vibe of a country blues. John Lee Hooker lived from 1917 to 2001, and he was from Mississippi, where he began as a sharecropper. He developed a kind of talking blues style, where he plays a lick then the only accompaniment to the lyric is the tapping of his foot. Hear it here in his famous Boom Boom. Lightnin' Hopkins does some good talking blues, too, like I'm Beggin' You. Lightnin's kind of talkin' blues is even a bit more sparse than Hooker's, which I like. They build this real relationship between the singer and the guitar, where the guitar's voice is no more valuable nor abundant than the spoken word, but I digress. Blues Before Sunrise is a sincere tune. Hooker got a little mannish with some of his songs and sounded like Muddy Waters, but not here. Blues Before Sunrise is somewhere between Lightnin' and Muddy (not a bad couple o' guys to be between.) It's just the right balance of sadness and hope, it's the right balance of music and lyrics, the right balance of guitar and piano. It's a delicately put together blues that could not have been done better. I chose the above photo of Hooker with purpose. He usually plays a hollow body jazz guitar, but he has an acoustic here. I don't know what he really plays Blues Before Sunrise with, but I picture it as an acoustic, simple and sincere.

New Tracks: May 6th

2010-05-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

Couple new tracks today. If you're only gonna grab one of these, pick up the Nas and Damien Marley joint. Distant Relatives is going to be crazy.
Download: Damian Marley feat. Nas-Patience
Download: Bruno Mars feat. Cee-Lo and B.o.B.-The Other Side
Download: Raekwon-Just 4 Laughs
Download: Lauryn Hill feat. Stat-Quo-The Hustle
Download: Bun B feat. Yo Gotti and Gucci Mane-Countin' Money

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

First for the day is Warren G and Nate Dogg's 'Regulate'. This is a real classical west coast track, from the smooth beat to Nate Dogg's smooth crooning. In my opinion, Nate Dogg is the best rap chorus/hook singer of all time and should be a role model for the rest (ie. T-Pain, Akon, etc.). This song tells the story of Warren G out hunting for women, when he's mugged and Nate Dogg comes along and shoots his friend's assailants. Fun fact to know and tell: Warren G is Dr. Dre's stepbrother.

Download: Regulate feat. Nate Dogg

Another solid west coast song right here: 'Paper'd Up' by Snoop Dogg. This song is actually a cover of Rakim and Eric B's 'Paid in Full', though Snoop definitely adds his own flavor to it, with his unique style of rapping and a new chorus. There is just something about his cool, casual flow that is just like ambrosia for your ears. Fun fact to know and tell: Snoop Dogg performs this song at Mitch's house party in the movie 'Old School'.

Download: Paper'd Up

This track is off of Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt, which was released in 1996. The content of this song fits in perfectly with the image Jay set for himself as gritty and from the streets. He describes the hardships of hustling and dealing drugs, tossing in some of his best lines to this day: "So I kept feedin' her money 'til her shit started to make sense", "We used to fight for building blocks/ Now we fight for blocks with buildings that make a killin'", and "I never prayed to God, I prayed to Gotti." For real though, you've gotta listen to this song to fully appreciate the brilliance of it.

Download: D'Evils

Bluestone on Johnny Otis

2010-05-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

Johnny Otis' Slo Fuse is the reason he must be on this blog. Otis began his musical career playing in swing bands and orchestras, but found his own band in 1945. Slo Fuse has a piano and plenty of brass, but also a great lead guitar part. The guitar soloing carries through most of the song, interrupted only by a cheesy saxophone solo. The intro, in particular, is just bad ass blues, it's great. Otis is primarily a pianist, so I don't know how much credit this is to him, but nonetheless, it's good. Unfortunately, i can't find this song in any source where i can legally post it, but buy Slo Fuse on Amazon.com.
Johnny Otis was born to Greek immigrants in Vallejo, California. Otis' family did not have a musical background and he, too, pursued interests other than music, including politics, hosting a radio show, and owning various shops and clubs. Along with all this, of course, he was a successful musician. He recorded a big band hit called Harlem Nocturne, and his biggest hit was Willie and the Hand Jive. Honestly, Willie and the Hand Jive is awful; I can't stand it. It is hokey and boring, it's a pop song as far as I'm concerned. I prefer his bolder tunes like Bad Luck Shadow and Low Down Dirty Dog Blues, which I believe is originally a Son House tune. Again, I can't find these tunes online, my apologies. I own them on the Best of the Blues: 50 Favorites CD.
Otis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 for his songwriting and producing with Elvis Presley.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Driftin' Blues

2010-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today's track, Driftin' Blues, is from the smooth singin', sweet talkin' Charles Brown. Brown moved out to Los Angeles at an early age, where the night club scene became his best order of business. The best selling Driftin' blues came out in 1945, at a time when blues was gaining credibility as a classy art form. Brown sings it smooth and gentle, he's of a slightly different breed than most blues singers. He doesn't have any harshness in his music, he's more like a jazzman in my eyes. But anyways, his Driftin' Blues is more than catchy, carried mostly by the piano, with a very simple guitar solo.
To hear my favorite version of this song, buy Best of the Blues: 50 Favorites on Amazon.com

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Baby Please Don't Go

2010-05-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Baby Please Don't Go is a blues standard and possibly the best tune ever written. It has been covered by innumerable artists and in countless different yet compelling ways. According to Wikipedia, the lyrics are derived from 20th century work songs Another Man Done Gone, Alabama Bound, Don't Leave Me Here, and Turn Your Lamp Down Low. As we already know, all blues are interconnected and derived from one another and so on and so forth and here and there and it's all the same. What is so special about this song? Don't ask me, because i couldn't tell you. Don't ask me why Bob Dylan was so successful with a terrible voice and sub par guitar skills. Don't ask me why Crank That by Soulja Boy was such a big hit. Some things are just good, they're appealing, the devil has some stake in them.
Supposedly Big Joe Williams' version was the first recorded (1935). I don't know which version he recorded first, but the one I have here is on a 9-string guitar with a first fret capo, and is absolutely brilliant. The video is a must watch. Big Joe is fat and passionate, he taps his foot, and he freakin' plays it. His vocals fade in and out in such a way that they blend together with his playing. I commented on Hendrix's blend of vocals and playing earlier; it's fascinating to note that parallel here in a completely different setting.

Van Morrison's version is a fast paced, full band blues rock. A lead guitar plays the melody over a simple bass, there's a harmonica, drums, and everything. Van sings it well, too. Although this is not how this tune began, it's well done.
Lightnin' Hopkins' version is played in typical Lightnin' fashion and is another knockout. He plays the melody then strums out a blues. Hopkins' is hilariously distant looking in this performance, but it's still good. The version recorded on his Blues Masters Compilation album of 2000 is also very good, different from the one here.
And here is Muddy Waters' version. He of course is the bridge that leads from Big Joe and Lightnin' to Van Morrison. Not quite rock, but not an old fashioned blues. Check it out.

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

When Saigon first announced announced his debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told, there was an enormous amount of hype. His first mixtape, Warning Shots, was pretty incredible and he scored a huge cameo on the HBO show Entourage. However, that was nearly 5 years ago. Since then, Saigon has basically fallen into obscurity. Still, it is an undeniable fact that some of his tracks are absolutely fire. Check out this classic Saigon cut with a huge feature from Jay-Z. No youtube of this one, hit the download link to stream it, though.
Download: Come On Baby (Remix) feat. Jay-Z

Another track from Slim Thugga. This dude just has some tracks that are straight fire. Released as promotional content for Slim Thug's last album, Boss of All Bosses, this track has got a killer beat. Check it out.

Download: AJ's

My favorite track from the rising star Nero. I spotted this dude at illroots a couple months ago and have picked up every one of his tracks since. He's got some incredibly clever lyrics and every song warrents a couple spins to pick up on some of his best lines.

Download: Rugged & Raw

New Music: May 4th

2010-05-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Young Jeezy's new mixtape dropped today. Unless you're a major fan of Jeezy, I wouldn't recommend picking this tape up. It's good background music but most of the beats/lyrics kinda blend together in an hour and a half long mix. I'll post a download link below, but I've also put up my favorite tracks off tape if you just want the choice tracks. Also, a solid new song from Royce Da 5'9" today. I can see a lot of other rappers laying down a few bars over this one.

Download: Young Jeezy- Trap or Die 2 Mixtape (courtesy of 2dopeboyz)
Download: Young Jeezy-Camaro
Download: Young Jeezy feat. Trick Daddy and Scarface- Ride Wit Me
Download: Young Jeezy feat. Bun B and Birdman-My Tool
Download: Young Jeezy- Bonus Track
Download: Royce Da 5'9"-My Own Planet
Download: J.Cole- Hot 97 Freestyle
Download: 8Ball and MJG feat. T.I.-Bring it Back Remix

Who is Weezy's Replacement?

2010-05-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a fan on the Champagne n' Reefer facebook wall raised the question: “Who will replace Weezy?” For those who don’t know, Lil Wayne has been in jail since March 9th for a one-year sentence (though will probably serve only 8 months for good behavior) on gun charges.
Wayne is easily one of the most high profile rappers of the past five years, and, in the eyes of many, the best. Although he gained some serious mainstream recognition with Tha Carter II, it wasn’t until a year later that Weezy’s produced his masterpiece: Da Drought III. Though he has undoubtedly had some good work since then, it’s widely held that Lil Wayne has been slowly falling off, a fall which has culminated in his recent incarceration.
Taking a look at history, Wayne’s stint in prison has the makings to be a career-ender. Few rappers have gone to prison for an extended amount of time (after their rise to fame) and managed to come out with the same amount of clout and relevance in the game. Just look at Shyne. When first signed to Bad Boy Records, Shyne was hyped up to be the next big thing, even drawing comparisons to The Notorious B.I.G. Until his ten-year prison sentence, that is. Shyne was released from jail a couple of months ago and has released a handful of tracks, every single one of which has been proclaimed total shit by the greater rap community.
One of the first rappers who looks like he has the potential to break the trend of jail ending a rappers career is T.I. Just out of the pen, T.I. has already jumped right back into the game with a few new (solid) tracks and an upcoming album, King Uncaged.
Back to the original question though: Who will take Lil Wayne’s throne? There are definitely a few criteria for taking the crown.

1. Recognition
2. Varied Flow
3. Clever Lyrics
4. Controversy

We’ll start off with recognition. A rapper’s gotta have a big name in order to fill
Weezy’s shoes. Though I’m a huge fan of up-and-comers J. Cole and KiD CuDi, neither of these rappers have proven themselves to have the staying power to sit at the top. Many would like to hail Drake as the immediate successor to the Young Money throne, but he hasn’t earned his place as king of the hill yet, either.
Wayne’s replacement must also have been in the spotlight recently enough for a power grab to be plausible, making a relatively short list: T.I., Young Jeezy, Lupe Fiasco, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West and The Game.
Next up is a varied flow. About the only person I can knock off here is Young Jeezy; the rest have proven to be fairly capable of mixing things up.
Third: clever lyrics, a critical ingredient to Weezy’s replacement that many of the remaining contenders lack. T.I. and The Game are knocked out right off the bat. Their lyrics are all about name/brand dropping, which just can’t stack up against the lyrics of the greats. I’ve also gotta take Jay-Z out of the running here too. Though he definitely was a great lyricist in his heyday, Jay is past his prime and too old to vie for the top spot. Jigga's had his last big encore.
So that brings us to the final piece of criteria; controversy, and Lupe, Kanye and Eminem are the final three standing. Controversy is necessary to being great in the rap world. What great rapper has ever been unanimously liked?
As great a rapper as he may be, Lupe Fiasco is not a polarizing figure in the way Weezy is. He's got a pretty loyal fan following, but the vast majority of his songs aren't radio friendly, which definitely hurts his cause. He just doesn’t draw the same type of attention that’s necessary to hold it down at the top. Looks like the L.U.P-End for Lupe in this contest.
Kanye West is undoubtedly controversial. From his “George Bush hates black people” outburst, to shutting down Taylor Swift at the VMA’s, it seems as if Kanye is constantly in the middle of a media firestorm. Unfortunately, the Taylor Swift incident may have garnered too much negative publicity, knocking him out of the public eye as of late. There are reports of a new CD being released over the summer entitled Good Ass Job, but he hasn’t dropped a new solo track in months, so the quality of his next CD is anyone’s guess making him a risky bet. And, sorry, Mr. West is gone.
That leaves only one man standing. Eminem is the most controversial character in rap history. He raps about rape. And murder. And drugs. Plus, he’s sold nearly 13 million worldwide. Oh yeah, and he's white. His next CD, Recovery, is only two months away, and he’s been dropping random tracks over the past few weeks to start building up hype. The two most recent, ‘Not Afraid’ and ‘Despicable Freestyle’, were both ill and showcased two completely differently styles of rapping. So is Marshall Mathers the next Weezy? Recognizable? Check. Mixes up his flow? Check. Clever lyrics? Check? Controversial? Check. Ladies and gentleman, looks like we have a new king of the rap game.

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 3 of 11)

2010-05-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hendrix's version of Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy is fast paced and funky. The rhythm guitar uses muted strokes well to achieve that funk sound. There isn't much in the way of lead guitar and there aren't any real solos; this is a big change from most of the tracks on Blues where Hendrix basically solos all the way through. The lyrics are great, though, thanks to Muddy, and Jimi does this kind of falsetto at the beginning, which really shows his range. I've found myself listening to this one more as the sun has come out this spring and I've been able to roll the windows down in the car while I drive.
Stand in line, I'll make love to you... it's always time. Jimi's lyrics diverge a little from Muddy's but there good and mannish still.

Bluestone on Lucille

2010-05-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene was lit, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, which triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his beloved $30 guitar, a Gibson acoustic. Two people died in the fire. The next day, King learned that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille, as well as every one he owned since that near-fatal experience, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women. (Wikipedia.org)

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Ghetto Woman

2010-05-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a funky track from B.B. King called Ghetto Woman. I heard this track first on Disc 3 of the King of the Blues set, released in 1992. This disc is unreal, featuring The Thrill Is Gone and Hummingbird, as well. This song is addicting; notice the posts on the YouTube video. One person says he used to put this song on repeat and sit in the hot tub for hours, 'nuff said, just listen to Ghetto Woman!

Buy King of the Blues from Amazon.com

Temporary Hold on Downloads

2010-05-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

We regret to inform you that, because of legal issues, we have temporarily suspended all downloads of copyrighted materials. All mixtapes and other non-copyrighted materials will remain. Do not worry if you already downloaded something from our site; we are doing this as a precaution after better understanding of the laws. We will still be posting YouTube videos and other links, compiling info about and some sort of access to the best material, and writing.
Thank you for your understanding. Stay posted!
If you're disappointed, have some Piper Heidsieck, you'll feel better.

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-05-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

First up for the day is some classic Game. Released as promotional content for his most recent CD, L.A.X., this track features The Game going hard over a bumping west coast beat and Akon covering the hook.

Download: Gangsta Party feat. Akon

This track is off of DJ Noodles' BP3-Qual, a mixtape dedicated entirely to Jay-Z mixes. '1000 Stacks' features Jay-Z's verse from the 'I Get Money' remix, Jeezy's verse from 'I'm So Paid' and Nelly's '1000 Stacks' beat. In my opinion, this track is far better than the sum of it's parts, improving on each and every piece that went into it.

Download: 1000 Stacks feat. Young Jeezy

Yet another track from DJ Noodles, this one is off of his Drake mixtape, Ready to Fly. In my top 10 mixtapes of 2009 mixtape, I gave this tape the solid 4 spot. It takes nearly all of Drake's best rapping verses and put's them over some real rap beats, as opposed to the gentle synths that made up 99% of So Far Gone. Noodles really showcases the best Drake has to offer and reveals that his amazing potential that is continually hidden behind all the R&B tracks he insists on releasing. This particular track features the acapella from 'Replacement Girl' over Terror Squad's 'Take Me Home' beat. This is another mixtape definitely worth picking up. Comment if you want the upload link as well.

Download: Take You Home feat. Trey Songz

More on David Johnston

2010-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a fan posting on the Champagne n' Reefer facebook wall, I have found out a little more about David Johnston. He plays a weekly gig, on Tuesday nights, at Bull McCabe's Pub in Union Square, Somerville. Tomorrow, the show is at nine, so go out and support him! I haven't been able to get in touch with Johnston yet, unfortunately, and I also haven't found out who sang Honey Bee for him, but with hope, I will. Anyways, he's a great musician, buy his stuff, and check him out in Harvard Square or at McCabe's.

Live at the Coconut Grove: B.B King and Bobby Bland (1976)

2010-05-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

B.B King and Bobby "Blue" Bland's recording of Together Again... Live, from the Coconut Grove. I have about 45 minutes of music from the performance; I don't know if it's the entire set list. It opens with Let the Good Times Roll and closes with a medley including The Thrill Is Gone. I have heard some criticism of this performance, but I think it's great. Some say it's not as good as the first time they were together, live in Memphis (1975), but it's lively, with a good audience, plus B.B. and Bobby do sound great together. Bobby is, unfortunately, going through a phase where he growls during the songs, and it sounds horrible.
Although this probably isn't true, it really seems like they didn't practice for this show; the vibe is that of two guys just getting together and playing. In fact, the best part of the concert is the last track in which Bobby convinces B.B. to do The Thrill Is Gone. B.B. seems reluctant so Bobby asks the crowd, "Can he cut it y'all?" and gets an enthusiastic, "Yeah!" ... then the funk begins. Then later in the medley, Viola Jackson joins in on I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry. Bobby says to the crowd, "Let me hear it," and one response stands out. Viola says, "Feel it!" Bobby says to B.B., "Goodness, I think we got a hot one hear." Next thing you know, he says, "Sing a little bit sexy now," and she is up on stage, singin' a little bit sexy, in a low, smooth voice.

I believe there were about 16 people on stage for this performance; check out Wikipedia.org for the full track listing and personnel.

Buy Together Again...Live on Amazon.com

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day: Dirty South Edition

2010-05-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

First up for the day is an 8-minute anthem dedicated to the city of Miami. This song features vocals from Flo Rida, Rick Ross, and Brisco, as well as a crazy beat. Typical of dirty south hip-hop, the lyrics of 'Yayo' boil down to a whole lot of slang, rather than any particularly meaningful content. However, the vocals sound so clean over the hard hitting base and resounding cries of 'Yayo' in the background that it's hard to complain.

Download: Yayo feat. Brisco, Billy Blue, Ball Greezy, Rick Ross, Redd Eyezz, Bred, Pitbull and Ace Hood

This track is a remix of of 'She Luv it' which was featured on UGK's final album, UGK 4 Life, which was dedicated posthumously to Pimp C. This is a classic UGK song, with a slow beat, a heavy bass and a crooning chorus, all backing up the smooth lyrics of Bun B. This track also benefits from a verse from Slim Thug, another staple in dirty south music.

Download: She Luv It (Remix) feat. Slim Thug and Killa Kyleon

This song is product of dirty southern hip-hop supergroup, The Fixxers, which is made up of DJ Quik and AMG. This song placed on hip-hop charts across the country, as well as being featured on an episode of Entourage. Like most southern hip-hop tracks, 'Can U Werk Wit Dat' is backed by a heavy, trunk-bouncing bass and a simple looping synth beat.

Young Jeezy-I'm Just Sayin

2010-05-02T19:12:00.001-07:00

Another track off of Young Jeezy's upcoming mixtape, Trap or Die 2: By Any Means Necessary. Featuring the big-band type beat filled with horns and strings that suit Jeezy best, this song is a banger. In my book, Jeezy>Gucci Mane, no contest.
Download: I'm Just Sayin

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blues In The Ghetto

2010-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a little something from Pee Wee Crayton, it's called Blues In The Ghetto. Crayton was born in Texas in 1914, then went on to do most of his recording in San Francisco. His mellow Blues After Hours reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1948, and his upbeat Texas Hop had great success, as well. Blues In The Ghetto is just a catchy tune. The rhythm section plays the exact same loop through the entire song, as far as I can tell, and it kind of drones on. I think this is what Crayton intended to do, however, and why the song is titled the way it is.
Listen on Yahoo Music

Buy Early Hour Blues off Amazon.com

Bluestone on Lightnin' Hopkins

2010-05-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sam Lightnin' Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas in 1912. At the early age of 8, Hopkins met Blind Lemon Jefferson and got into the blues. He played with Jefferson at church gatherings, who supposedly never let anyone else accompany him. That was about it for his early music career, though. He moved to Houston with his cousin, Alger Alexander, to try and break into the music industry, but had no success. He returned home to work on a farm. In 1946, he tried again in Houston and was discovered playing on the street by Aladdin Records. Hopkins, a true Texas bluesman, got sick of recording with Aladdin in Los Angeles and returned home to Gold Star Records. Hopkins' recognition blew up in the 1950s and in 1960 he debuted at Carnegie Hall. That same year he signed with Tradition Records. After a treacherous beginning to his career, Hopkins finally became known as one of the greats.
Lightnin' appears in most photographs with dark shades, a goofy smile, and a flask full o' whiskey. He's just a guy with the blues, who happens to be really good at singing them. He doesn't play with a back up band, he doesn't need a big stage. He is, in my opinion, the best at playing bass, lead, rhythm, and percussion all together. He hammers the low E with a heavy thumb, glazes over the body of the chord, and picks out a high lead with the rest of his fingers. All the while, using his foot like a drumstick on the floor, and his palm on the body of the guitar; he's a one man show.

What's great about his style is that it's so universal. His sound is distinct, but it can also be found everywhere. The way he played his licks is only one of many; they can be applied to any blues. The Red Hot Chili Peppers even said they were influenced by Lightnin' around the time Stadium Arcadium came out.
Lightnin's sense of humor shows in a lot of his songs. Here is Katie Mae Blues; "she walks just like she has oil wells in her backyard," he sings, "some folks say she must be a Cadillac, I say she must be a T-model Ford. Yeah she got the shape alright, but she can't carry no heavy load."
Listen to Katie Mae Blues.

Buy The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins on Amazon.com

Featured Artist: Dosage

2010-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Dosage first came to my attention a month or two ago when I first bought my tickets to go see Lupe Fiasco perform in Boston. He was the opening act for the opening act (B.o.B.), so, honestly, my expectations weren't that high.
But when I saw him live, I was in for a dope surprise. First off, this kid is a showman. Starting things up, the crowd was pretty mellow but after one track Dosage collapsed onto the ground and the music cuts. The other guys on stage lifted him up, completely supporting him as if he were passed out. All of a sudden 'All the Way Turnt Up' came on blasting as Dosage jumped back up, bounced across the stage and busted out a quick verse. From there on out, things only got better. The whole time he was on stage, Dosage was getting the crowd amped up, something that is definitely hard to do when no one in the audience knows your lyrics.
Back to his music, though. Dosage has got some incredibly clever lyrics, and a quick spitting style that nicely emphasizes his best lines. His flow consistently falls into an ill rhythm, giving you some solid music to ride to.
At the end of his set, Dosage tossed out a couple of CD's, which my buddy was lucky enough to pick up. I was able to burn a copy off him and so far his tape has gotten more than a dozen spins, enough for some clear favorite tracks to jump out at me. Throughout, the beats are solid and the rhymes are top notch. 'Read the Contract', Git Up to Git Down' and 'Dream Killers' are all absolute bangers.
I've been hittin up his myspace page but, unfortunately, not too much info is available on this rising star. About all I know is that he's from Philly and unsigned (though probably not for long). He's in the group 3rd Degree, though I'm not entirely sure who the other two members are.
For real though, do not sleep on this kid. I'm throwing my three favorite tracks of his down low and will upload the whole album upon request. I've also included his myspace link so you can check him out. Dosage, if you're reading this, keep on doing what you're doing and best of luck!

Dosage's Myspace

Download: Read the Contract
Download: Git Up to Git Down
Download: Dream Killers

Weekly Mixtape: Volume 1 (April 26th)

2010-05-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting the jump on this a night early, but usually these will go up Sunday nights. Basically, every week I'm going to throw together a mixtape of 10-20 songs that particularly stood out to me this week. Most of these won't be taken from old posts from the week so this is definitely something worth picking up. Since this is the first edition, I stretched a little bit further back than a week and pulled some choice tracks off of Wiz Khalifa's Kush and OJ mixtape, as well as The Game's Red Room. If anyone has any tracks they think should have made the cut this week, leave a comment. Tracklist and download link down low.

1. I'll Find You-The Game
2. The Professionals-The Game feat. Kanary Diamonds, Menace and Mad Maxx
3. Beaming Freestyle-Nero
4. Love Letter to the Beat-Lupe Fiasco feat. Alicia Keys
5. Still Blazin-Wiz Khalifa
6. Not Lost-B.o.B. feat. T.I.
7. Good Dank-Wiz Khalifa
8. Dopeman Music-Scarface feat. B.James and Monk Kaza
9. Over Freestyle-Bad Meets Evil (Eminem and Royce da 5'9")
10. White Tees-Slim Thug feat. Boss Hogg Outlawz
11. Who Dat-J.Cole
12. Who to Trust-Jay Rock feat. Sean McGee

Download-Weekly Mixtape Volume 1 (April 26th)

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 2 of 11)

2010-05-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Johnny Allen Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington he 1942. Hendrix is in the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the UK Music Hall of Fame, the Native American Music Hall of Fame, and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It all started at the age of 15 when Hendrix laid down $5 for his first acoustic guitar, which he bought from a friend of his father's. Hendrix's first gig was with an unnamed band in the basement of a synagogue, Seattle's Temple De Hirsch. After too much wild playing and showing off, he was fired between sets (Wikipedia.org).

Hendrix grew up in a poor, unstable family. His father was in the army, and separated from his mother. He even spent time living with his grandmother in Canada, when things were bad. He took what he could get and ended up playing a right-handed guitar lefty... and being one of the greatest musicians ever.

This track is called Red House. It's another another typical Hendrix blues in B-flat, but there are a couple things I really like about it. First, the intro. It's just really good, that's all there is to it. The licks are really simple, but sound great. The second thing I like is that the song his hilarious. You have to listen to it twice, once to laugh, and once to cry about how much better he is than you. If my baby don't love me no more, i know her... sister will!

Buy Blues on Amazon.com

Here is the video of Hendrix playing Red House at Woodstock. Watch it. It's strange, he plays the intro looking incredibly focused, almost nervous. When the lyrics begin, however, his godlike persona emerges.

The Game-I'll Find You

2010-05-01T08:26:00.001-07:00

Finally, we've got The Game back on a Just Blaze beat. Even if his lyrics are still all cars, clothes, bling and women, you gotta love his flow over these drums. Supposedly a cut track off of Detox. If this is getting cut, I'm definitely looking forward to the stuff that makes it.
Download: I'll Find You

French Montana-I'm On It (feat. Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle and Wiz Khalifa)

2010-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

The line-up on this track is just too good for me to wait to post it until the end of the day. Goin coast to coast with the features on this one, French Montana definitely brought it.
Download-I'm On It (feat. Big Sean, Nipsey Hussle and Wiz Khalifa)

Harvard Square Musician David Johnston

2010-04-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

David Johnston plays a steel guitar on the upper-level sidewalk outside of Hidden Sweets, next to the red line stop. He is a fantastic musician and a reliable presence. On most nice days, he can be found in his usual spot, sitting on the street, playing the blues. On weekends, he gathers crowds, right there on the sidewalk, as the original bluesmen did. Johnston is a fine street musician, and honestly, I think he should be much more than that. I would hire this guy for gigs all the time. Johnston is fantastic with the slide and has a classic blues voice. I might classify his style as swamp blues, but I'm not sure. I am sure, however, that he is great. I could rave about him all day and night, but really, you need to get out to 25 Brattle St. in Harvard Square and see for yourself. If you can't make it out there to see him, buy a CD online. All I have electronically for you right now is this YouTube video. Johnston is the white guy on the right of the screen. The song is Muddy Waters' Honey Bee. The black guy's voice is excellent, but unfortunately, I have no idea who he is. When I get more info I'll update this post.

Check out Johnston's MySpace page.

Offthechart's New Tracks of the Day

2010-04-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Too many ill songs came out today to make posts for each of them, so I threw them all in this post. If you're only gonna download one of these, make sure to check out the Jay Electronica track. Dude is crazy. Also of note, this Sunday, be on the lookout for a collection of the best tracks from the past weeks. This is for all of you who don't have time to check hip-hop blogs on a daily basis and just want your quick fix of good music once a week.

Download: Ghost of Christopher Wallace-Jay Electronica

Download: Made-Big Sean feat. Drake

Download: The Edge-Young Chris

Download: Lose Control-Novel

Download: NewMGMGrand-Blu

Download: The Search-Drake feat. Saukrates

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-04-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

From the 3-disk Mixtape Messiah 1, 'Call some Hoes' features Kanye West and Stat Quo, as well as an awesome chorus. Although Chamillionaire didn't see any mainstream success until over a year later with his single 'Ridin', this song makes it clear that Chamillitary Mayne has always been killing it. Fun fact to know and tell: Chamillionaire's music has been completely profanity free since his 2007 album, Ultimate Victory.

Download: Call Some Hoes feat. Kanye West and Stat Quo

Off of KiD CuDi's first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. In my opinion, this tape was stronger than the album. With songs like 'The Prayer', 'Cudi Get' and '50 Ways to Make a Record', KiD CuDi had to have made one of the strongest debut mixtapes in history. Looking forward to his upcoming CD, The Legend of Mr. Rager.

Download: Is There Any Love? feat. Wale

This song is an absolute banger for your car. Released to build up hype for Slim Thug's latest CD, Boss of All Bosses, the beat on this is insane. Slim Thug consistently drops some incredible tracks, so expect to see some more of him on my random track posts. Fun fact to know and tell: Lupe Fiasco's 'Hip-Hop Saved My Life' is based Slim Thug's life.

Download: Aj's

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Pride and Joy

2010-04-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1954. He began playing guitar at an early age and dropped out of high school to move to Austin, Texas with his first band, Blackbird. He was heavily influenced by Albert King, Otis Rush, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, but he said, "Lonnie Mack really taught me to play guitar from the heart." Vaughan died in a helicopter accident in 1990.

Pride and Joy was released as a single in 1983 and is on his double platinum album Texas Flood. It's a Friday, so I wanted to post an upbeat tune. SRV plays a fast paced, heavily electrified style in this track, as in most of his hits. Pride and Joy has a distinct rhythm section, with a good baseline and fast SRV style lead. He plays a great turn around, as well (following "She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy"). Basically, this blues makes you jump up, it's an all around great song.

Buy Album off Amazon.com: Texas Flood

Update: Changing File Hosts

2010-04-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

Champagne n' Reefer will now be using Supashare to host all downloads rather than Mediafire. This now allows visitors the ability to listen to the song before downloading it. Just click the download link and the track will stream. To celebrate, I've put up one of Lupe's most under appreciated songs: 'Hustlaz Song' off the RBK Spotlights mixtape. Enjoy!
Download: Hustlaz Song

Attack of the Featured Artist

2010-04-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

This piece is my take on the whole phenomenom of "featured" artists appearing on nearly every track nowadays. I wrote it a couple months ago, though it becomes more relevant every day.Whether it's an up-and-comer trying to attract some attention with some big names, or an established star just bringing some old friends along, it's hard not to take notice of how important "featured" artists have become.
    Basically, Hip-hop is suffocating with featured artists Last year, 22 of the 25 best selling rap singles contained the word “featuring.” On the top 15 rap CDs selling right now, 136 of the 222 tracks (61%) on them have featured artists. (And as I'm reposting this piece now, the numbers are 92 out of 160 which is 64%. Does that mean things are continuing to get worse?) Rappers are no longer expected to get by solely on their own abilities. Instead, their songs are judged on the value of their featured artists—whomever they can pay enough to join them on a track.
    It’s widely accepted that the late 1980’s and early ‘90’s were the “Golden Age of Hip-Hop.” Lyrical masters such as KRS-one, Eric B, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane rocked the mic, and hip-hop classics such as Illmatic, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik were released. Even as we progressed into the late 90’s, single artist tracks were still the dominant force in the industry. Jay-Z and Nas produced incredible chart-topping albums on a near-yearly basis by their own merit, proving that artists could still climb the charts carrying their own weight.
    The early 2000’s saw the rise of the era of glamour. Hip-hop slowly started to merge with pop-music as Cam’ron donned pink fur coats and Sean Comb a.k.a. P. Diddy a.k.a. Puff Daddy a.k.a. Puffy a.k.a. Diddy started his Sean John clothing line and held his infamous “white parties” (named for the rule requiring all guests to wear only white). Yet artists were still able to move their singles to millions across the world without burdening their tracks with featured artists.
    As we’ve pushed into this era of the featured artist a rapper has become almost nothing but a brand name. Any big name rapper can bring enormous success to a song simply by allowing their name to appear next to it. Slapping Lil Wayne onto an unknown track and labeling it as a “remix” can bring it from obscurity to number one on iTunes. Relatively unknown artists such as M.I.A. and Estelle can shoot to instant stardom after years of anonymity simply because of a single song with Jay-Z or Kanye West.
    Going further into the decade, the number of “featured” tracks only grows. “Swagga Like Us,” a single from T.I.’s latest album, Paper Trail, featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne, has shown exactly how dominant the featured artist has become. What could have previously been an unnoticed track with an unremarkable beat on became the most talked about rap song in years, shooting to the top of the charts. Purely by having three of the most recognizable rappers in the industry on his track, T.I. created such a popular song.
    So the question is: are features good for hip-hop? Absolutely not. There are some benefits to the trend. For example, consumers are getting more bang for their buck with each song. Instead of paying for a single with one artist, you get to listen to four for the price of one. It also gives new artists a chance to get recognized, since a feature from a successful artist serves as a co-sign to any new talent, assuring consumers that the artist is worth their time and money.
     On the other hand, the role as a featured artist lowers the expectations for many rappers. Quantity has become valued over quantity, with the most well-known rappers jumping on every remix they possibly can. Lil Wayne is easily the worst offender. In 2008 alone, Lil Wayne was featured on 22 tracks, and the quality of his verses has been steadily decreasing, as his rhymes become repetitive and irrelevant. Gone are the days of Da Drought 3 when each line packed a punch and every track was guaranteed to impress. No matter what anyone says, the lines on No Ceilings don't even compare to Da Drought 3.
     Yet, somehow, consumers continue to buy Lil-Wayne-featured tracks. He has almost transcended ability, and is now entirely defined by his name. The name “Lil Wayne” carries enough weight to sell tracks, regardless of quality, and this can only be a bad thing for hip-hop.
     T-Pain is equally guilty. Since his first top 10 single (“I’m Sprung”), T-Pain has not done a single thing to advance his sound. As the pioneer of the auto-tune sound, which Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and the rest of the rap community so readily adopted, he has continued to be the most popular artist to grace a song’s chorus. From “Good Life” with Kanye West to “Low” with Flo-Rida and “Blame It” with Jamie Foxx, T-Pain is amazingly limited in his musical abilities, yet he continues to have his name attached to the most popular songs on the radio. Even a bad hip-hop video parody (“I’m on a Boat”) can’t slow T-Pain down.
    Features are smothering hip-hop. A lower caliber of lyricism is now acceptable, hurting the genre in the long run. If the over-saturation of low quality remixes continues, the future of the rap industry looks bleak.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Om Shakti Om

2010-04-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

Om Shakti Om was realeased on Trevor Hall's 2008 album This Is Blue. Trevor was born in South Carolina in 1986; he's a youngin for a bluesman. Well, he's not really a bluesman, but he has the voice and guitar chops for it, as seen in Om Shakti Om. Trevor's first record deal was with Geffen records, who dropped him before This Is Blue was released. He is, now, however, coming into more success than ever before. He has toured with artists including Matisyahu, Colbie Caillat, Ziggy Marley, and the Wailers. Trevor has taken a particular interest in India, to which he donates some of his profits, and has been inspired through meditation. His style is unique, an Ellis Island where reggae meets folk, percussion, and blues. Om Shakti Om is as basic of a blues tune as you will ever hear, but it's done perfectly; a simple, feel-good blues.
Trevor was schooled in classical guitar at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, and you hear some of the fingerstyle techniques in his music today.
Listen to Om Shakti Om.
Buy this album on Amazon.com: This Is Blue

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

This has gotta be one of my favorite new songs. I first heard it on HBO's show 'How to Make it in America' and have yet to find a person that doesn't love it. This is off Aloe Blacc's upcoming album, Good Things. I don't know a whole lot about this kid but have been so impressed by the few of his songs that I've heard that I'm hoping to do a full feature on him. Be on the lookout. Download link below.

Download: I Need a Dollar
Off of Bun B's latest solo effort, II Trill, this song definitely goes in. In honor of his deceased friend, Pimp C, Bun B chose to leave all talk of syrup (the drink that killed Pimp C) off of the CD. With a catchy hook and some hard hitting verses, I'd recommend picking this one up.

Another banger from the Slaughterhouse squad. This was the first street single off their self-titled debut and boasts some of the cleverest lyrics I've heard in a long time. Crooked I, in particular, shreds his verse apart:
I'm the one who wants to spear Brittany
Give Pink some black, put it near her kidneys
I'm the one who always cause an affair
So every time your bitch burp
You smell my balls in the air.

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 1 of 11)

2010-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Eventually, I will try to post all 11 tracks of Hendrix's album Blues. Unfortunately, I can no longer post free downloads, so we'll see. I'm only letting 1 slip at a time because this album is one to savor.
In 1994, MCA Records produced a posthumous compilation album of Hendrix's blues recordings from the late 1960s. Six of the eleven tracks had never been released. Why, I do not know. It reached #4 on the top blues albums in 1995, but in my humble opinion, it is one of the best ever. Hendrix, the greatest guitarist ever, takes blues to another level. He includes covers of Muddy Waters and Albert King, plus some of his own stuff. As a kid he was influenced mainly by B.B. King and Muddy Waters, but the cover the album Blues depicts Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, and many more.
The first track I'm going to post is my personal favorite, Bleeding Heart. It is a 3 minute, 27 second gem, littered with many of my favorite licks, and incredible, classic Hendrix vocals. His voice holds up well enough on its own, but he often complements his lyrics with heavy licks that seem to say almost the same thing he is; it's incredible how his guitar sings. This tune is played in B-flat and it goes like this:

Peoples, peoples, peoples,

You know what it means to be left alone.

Nobody today, Lord not even called on my telephone.

Understand it, Lord a little love is all in the world I need.

A little love and understandin' baby, is all in the world I need.

Yes a misunderstandin' and a no good woman,

Lord they both have caused my heart to bleed.

Every mornin', the willows weep and moan for me,

The birds sing the love song, and my baby

Has caused my heart to bleed.

Stay posted for the next track off Blues!

Listen to Bleeding Heart.

Buy this album on Amazon.com: Blues

Eminem-Not Afraid (produced Boi 1da)

2010-04-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

First single off of Em's upcoming CD, Recovery. Aside from the awkward singing bridge about halfway through, this song goes in. As a bonus, I've tossed in Em's freestyle over Drake's 'Over' and Lloyd Bank's 'Beamer, Benz or Bentley.' Enjoy
Download: Not Afraid
Bonus-Despicable Freestyle feat. Royce Da 5'9"

Bluestone on CHAMPAGNE AND REEFER

2010-04-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

The site is called Champagne n' Reefer so I figured I should fill you in. Champagne and Reefer was recorded by Muddy Waters and came out on his 1981 album King Bee.

Yeah bring me champagne when I'm thirsty,

Bring me a reefer when I want to get high. Well you know when I'm lonely, Bring my woman set her right down here by my side. There shouldn't be no law Against people that wanna smoke a little dope. It's good fo' your head, and it relax yo' body, don't you know?

Muddy sang this back in 1981. A Delta bluesman, growing old, singing about the same things we're hearing in hip-hop and rap today. Muddy preferred Piper Heidsieck champagne. Today, the label on the drink may have changed, but not much else has. It's been a while since the blues were born, but the way the hip-hop industry has evolved, it looks like they'll never be forgotten. My Home is in the Delta might as well be Jenny from the Block, and Champagne and Reefer isn't far off Sean Paul's We Be Burnin'.

Drake-Find Your Love (Produced Kanye West)

2010-04-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is the second single off of Drake upcoming album, Thank Me Later. When I saw the title of the track this morning, I figured that this would be another one of Drake's R&B focused tracks and, sadly, I was right. I'm not saying Drake's a bad singer, I would just much rather hear him rap. At least Yeezy is finally back behind the 808's again pounding out beats. Maybe we'll be luck enough for him to drop a verse in the future so we can hear some real rapping over this beat. Lemme know what you think and leave your comments below.
Download: Find Your Love

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day

2010-04-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

First up, is the best (and probably only) song to sample the theme song from The OC: 'I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman' by K-Os, Saukrates and Nelly Furtado. This track was initially going to be called 'On the Run', but due to an issue with the album's publisher, K-Os quickly threw together the songs current name. Shout out to Will Kaupilla for sending me this track.

Download: I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman feat. Saukrates and Nelly Furtado

My personal favorite song off T.I's fourth album, King, 'Bankhead' didn't receive a whole lot of attention due to being shown up by 'Top Back', 'What You Know' and 'Why You Wanna'. This song features T.I.'s group, P$C (Pimp Squad Click) and is about the neighborhood in West Atlanta, in which they all grew up. The beat on this song is ill and perfect for cruising around to. Definitely worth throwing on your driving playlist if you've got one.

Download: Bankhead

Though I usually regard Lupe Fiasco pretty highly, Joell Ortiz and Novel absolutely tear apart his beat from 'Fighters' in this remix of the song. Despite the fact that Novel generally regards himself as a singer, he goes in on his verse (as well as the hook). And Joell, as usual, tears up his bars. Spitting at a mile a minute, Ortiz still manages to flow perfectly alongside the beat. This is off Novel's mixtape 808's and Mixtapes, which I would suggest picking up. All current links are down but I'll re-up the mixtape if anyone wants. Just comment below.

Download: The Fighters (Remix)

2010-04-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Distant Relatives
Another 2 tracks from Nas and Damian Marley's upcoming CD, Distant Relatives, leaked today. So far 6 of the total 14 tracks have leaked 3 weeks in advance of the official release date, which is definitely not a good sign. I'm predicting the rest will drop by the end of the weekend.

Bluestone on Chris Thomas King

2010-04-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

In 1964, Chris Thomas King was born to swamp blues artist Tabby Thomas, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he is still keeping the blues alive today. In 1984, he released his first album, Blue Beat, and in 1994, his 21st Century Blues From Da Hood became the first "rap/blues" album. He also has had a decent acting career, appearing in O Brother, Where Art Thou, and the movie Ray.
Chris Thomas King is a good artist, but let me say a few things about him. 1) He is a force. With album names like Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues and It's a Cold Ass World, it's hard to take him seriously. 2) I, honestly, do not see this supposed fusion between rap and blues in any of King's songs. I have seen him perform with a scratch DJ and I have heard some upbeat drumbeats behind basic blues tracks. It's all still blues though. The guy is just a bluesman, not a rapper. He can claim that he's onto some sort of fusion, but really, you can't truly embody both genres. I'm happy he went with the blues. He begins this performance of Da Thrill Is Gone by saying, "We still got the blues right here in Baton Rouge."

I praise King for carrying on the legacies of so many musicians, even during a time of change. Here, of course, he plays B.B. King's The Thrill Is Gone. It's not as good as B.B.'s many versions, but it has the same vibe (and they have the same last name...) Chris Thomas King also brings back Albert King's piercing licks in I'll Play the Blues For You and plays a decent country-style version of Come on in My Kitchen. His take on Born Under a Bad Sign even has a certain 1960s Motown feel to it. In Chris Thomas King, I hear a little B.B. King, a little Funk Brothers, some Sonny Terry, and much more. He is not a perfect immitation of anyone, nor do I personally believe he is very innovative, but he is playing an incredible variety of blues and keeping the music alive. Take a look at his range here from Ghetto Child to Red Mud, played with a slide.
(I'm not a fan of Ghetto Child, but it is a testament to his versatility and willingness to take risks.)

Review of "B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray"

2010-04-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/B-o-B-Presents-Adventures-Bobby-Explicit/dp/B003BWQDZU?ie=UTF8&tag=chanree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (Explicit)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=chanree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003BWQDZU" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/B-o-B-Presents-Adventures-Bobby-Explicit/dp/B003BWQDZU?ie=UTF8&tag=chanree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (Explicit)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=chanree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003BWQDZU" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1">

So I’ll admit, I was not a huge fan of B.o.B. I’d listened to all of his mixtapes and regularly bumped ‘I’ll be in the Sky’ and ‘On Top of the World’ in my car, but for the most part, didn’t find a whole lot to like. The samples were often awkwardly placed rock samples and most of the songs attempted to tread a thin line between dirty south rap and rock, usually without success. However, after listening to his new CD, B.o.B. has finally hit the mark and completely won me over.
Basically, The Adventures of Bobby Ray is what Lil Wayne’s Rebirth could have been if Lil Wayne knew how to play a guitar and stopped searching for rhymes at the bottom of his cup of codeine. But I digress. With the exception of ‘Bet I’, every song on the CD deviates from the dirty south style that B.o.B. had previously been trying his hand at and settles into a nice medium between pop, rock, and rap with remarkable success.
B.o.B. also managed to pull a pretty impressive lineup of features, including Weezer, Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, and label-mate T.I. And, perhaps even more impressive than the guests performing alongside him, B.o.B. manages to hold his own against his star-studded guests, proving that he can match the cool swag of the King of the South and wit of Lupe Fiasco (though I will concede that Eminem gets the better of him. Really, though, who can hold a candle to Marshall Mathers these days?) And while it becomes clear that he does have some singing talent, B.o.B. generally leaves that up to his guests, such as Bruno Mars, Hayley Williams and Rivers Cuomo. It’s nice to see B.o.B. relinquishing some of his time in the spotlight and refraining from belting out a couple verses in song, a trend many rappers are becoming fond of (i.e. The Game, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Lil Wayne).
Another gripe I’ve had with a lot of recent rap CD’s is that every song seems runs together and are essentially indistinguishable from each other save the track name. This is not the case with The Adventures of Bobby Ray. Nearly every single track has it’s own feel, as well as a distinct beat and rapping style. ‘Magic’ features a catchy chorus from Weezer and a quick snare during the verses. ‘Satellite’ is heavy on the synths and auto-tune effects. And, as most people know, ‘Nothing on You’ is just pure radio gold.
All in all, B.o.B. has put together one of the most impressive freshman outings in years. He bravely ventures into the oft-attempted, rarely conquered territory of pop-rock-rap and gives us one of the best CD’s of the year so far.

Offthechart's Random Tracks of the Day: Detroit Edition

2010-04-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

This song is off Obie Trice's final album, Second Round's on Me, while with Eminem's label, Shady Records. Dropped in 2006 after over a year of delays, Obie's album was easily one of the most under appreciated of the year. With some ill songs like 'Wanna Know', 'Ghetto', and 'All of my Life' (below), Second Round's on Me is definitely worth checking out. Fun fact to know and tell: Obie Trice still has a bullet lodged in his head from a shooting on New Years Eve in 2005.

This track is off of Eminem's second release, 1997's The Slim Shady EP. This CD served as a precursor to his following effort, the enormously popular Slim Shady LP. In fact, the majority of the songs on the EP were given higher production values and used again on the LP. The below song, 'No One's Iller' featured the introduction of Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady, which has gradually become the dominant figure in his lyrics, vividly describing rape, murder, excessive drug use, and random acts of violence. Fun fact to know and tell: 'No One's Iller' samples Hank Crawford's 'Wildflower', using the same looping beat as Kanye West's 'Drive Slow'.

The 1st song below, entitled 'The Way I Be Pimpin' is the original version of Dr. Dre's Xxplosive, ghost written by and featuring a verse from Detroit rapper Royce Da 5'9". This was one of many songs that Royce collaborated on with the Aftermath team (Eminem and Dr. Dre) before beef with Eminem and his group, D-12. More recently, Royce has become a member of the hip-hop super-group alongside Crooked I, Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz. The 2nd song below, 'Gun Harmonizing' is, in my opinion, Royce's best song, featuring fellow Slaughterhouse member, Crooked I, as well as a hip-hop version of scatting to mimic a firing machine gun. Fun fact to know and tell: Jay-Z's verse from his song 'Renegades' with Eminem, was originally performed by Royce until their fued.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: My Home is in the Delta

2010-04-27T21:49:00.001-07:00

McKinley Morganfield was born in 1915 in Rolling Fork Mississippi where he lived on Stovall Plantation, down in the Delta where the blues began. Morganfield's juke house was a hot spot for black farmers and white plantation owners alike; his fine moonshine may have had something to do with it, but nonetheless, he began to come across some success in his mid 20's (the early 1930s). Morganfield was first recorded by Alan Lomax. Lomax came through his town and offered $10 per song for recordings on aluminum discs. Morganfield took the offer; he played a steel guitar and used a true bottleneck as a slide. A broken bottle and cold, hard steel; this was the Delta. This was home to all of the early, great bluesmen, but the blues wouldn't stay there forever. Producers like Lomax brought the finest talent from the South up to Chicago for proper recordings. Charley Patton, Son House, and countless others were part of this movement, but in my opinion, none as influential as Morganfield. Morganfield first moved to Chicago in 1940, where he would eventually electrify and evolve the Delta blues without losing its raw quality. When Morganfield initially began recording in Chicago he played a reserved style, with no passion, and with no bottleneck. Chicago was intimidating. Morganfield said "I got off that train and it looked like this was the fastest place in the world." He quickly realized, however, that although he had left his home in the Delta, he could not leave his music; he had to stay true to it, which is exactly what he did. In 1947, he signed with Chess Records (called Aristocrat at the time) and played the way he always had. As the electric guitar evolved, so did Morganfield. He began recording music that would have a great influence on rock and roll, as well as blues, but he never forgot where he came from. Most of you probably know Morganfield better as Muddy Waters, christened by his grandmother for his messy play, and here is his My Home is in the Delta:
Listen to My Home Is In The Delta
Fun fact about Muddy: His MOJO that he so often speaks about comes from the Louisiana Mojo Hand. A Mojo Hand was a little red flannel bag pierced with needles that was used to curse your opponents in gambling. It could be purchased from a "doctor", and Muddy says he really believed in them.

This song has been played by many artists including Mississippi Fred McDowell. None play it better than Muddy, but many play it well. Here is another artist from YouTube: Scott Ainslie. Neither his playing nor his voice are perfect, but he plays with passion and, for a white guy, he is as close to capturing the Delta as you can find.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: St. James Infirmary

2010-04-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

St. James Infirmary is a "New Orleansy" tune said to be based on an English folk song called The Unfortunate Rake, but has changed and evolved over the years. The real author of the song is unknown, although sometimes Joe Primrose (1894-1985) is credited with its current lyrics. There are, however, many verses which artists pick and choose. The song has been recorded most notably by Louis Armstrong, Allen Toussaint, Cab Calloway, and Bobby Bland. More recently, the Doors and the White Stripes have covered it, as well. A less well known version, but my personal favorite nonetheless, is that of Snooks Eaglin. Eaglin plays a one guitar arrangement of the song, but it can be led by a trumpet, as well, played with a full jazz band, or anything in between. Snooks Eaglin (1936-2009) was a versatile guitarist from New Orleans. Eaglin claimed that he could play some 2,500 songs off the top of his head. Eaglin's version of St. James was published on his New Orleans Street Singer album of 1959. His guitar playing is good and his vocals are even better for the song.

The St. James Hospital in London closed in 1532, but the song is still being recorded today. Here, I have also included a cover by Kane Muir. He plays a one guitar arrangement of the song on a classical guitar. Muir is an Englishman who apparently plays at open mics and does small gigs, but I have come across him on YouTube. Most of his music is not blues, but his rendition of St. James is dark and brilliant.