Fav. 5 *TIBS FAVS.™: March, 2010

The beginning of March began with a flurry of fresh new leaks from the inevitably released Land Of Make Believe album from Kidz In The Hall that hit stores on March 9th. The singular release that caught by ears above the rest from the Kidz was the instantly anthemic "Take Over The World" featuring Just Blaze and Colin Munroe. Munroe sets the motivational tone with a chorus that makes cliché cool; a catchy jingle that gets stuck in your head and stirs the adreneline. It's that rare combination of characteristics that become so powerful for anyone, creating a really special feeling. Naledge connects the hooks with a couple lyrics that contain is usual batch of witty punchlines and lyrical depth. My favorite of those punchlines is more of an allusion to one of this city's legendary sports heroes, Scottie Pippen. Naledge also does a particularly memorable job of punctuating the end of his verses. If it wasn't for Naledge's momentary Drake spaz in the second verse and a forgettable spoken addition from Just Blaze, "Take Over The World" may have jumped another level and ranked higher. But behind the strength of that motivational chorus from Colin Munroe, the Kidz give us all the feeling that we can take over the world... we'll at least be more successful than this duo with the same agenda, right?

Producer: The Passion HiFi - FULL, CDQ, Track off the Passion HiFi mixtape, The Return Of The Soul Label *TIBS FAV.™

Consider this collaboration the Butler of my final four tracks - the unlikeliest of artists to make a splash this month with an undeniably download-worthy record, when really no one should be surprised. I have followed Savant dating back to last year and like Butler's 20+ game winning streak, Savant has also chalked up the Ws with every real, lyrical track he has released (Ex: "'Til Death Do Us Part'" in the *TIBS FAVS.™ playlist on the right sidebar). He bats third (no, the sports analogies are not going to stop.) on "Say Your Prayers" letting fellow upcoming emcees LongShot and Pharsara do their thing on the prior verses, respectively. All three have differing styles that are still similar overall in containing an upbeat flow and intelligent words and messages. The trio ride the wave smoothly from one artist to the next over a booming production that still reminds me of something I would hear in the 90s. As an added form of entertainment to the track, it is always fun to rank a collaboration of three or more emcees so download the track above and judge for yourself. Ironically, I hailed "Say Your Prayers" as a favorite for my fav. 5 when I originally posted it, hah!

Producer: Ryan Leslie - FULL, CDQ *TIBS FAV.™

Coming out of the Ivy League is none other than Harvard grad Ryan Leslie with the addicting "He's Gonna Be Missin' You". But like Savant above, this shouldn't be a surprise with R-Les' track record of quality music. This leak does just enough to separate itself from a batch of R-Les tracks that are starting to sound the same behind his signature sound. And it is in large part due to an amazingly effective and infectious chorus. The piercing melody sets the tone sonically while Leslie channels upon a familiar characteristic in his songs for this one as well: repetition. The lyrics of the chorus become universal considering the ladies can apply their angst to the first half of the chorus that repeats the title of the song and the fellas can feel like the knight in shining armor when Leslie croons "And I will be lovin' you, lovin' you... lovin' you. Lovin' you until you're gone". In addition, R-Les actually intelligently tells the story that connects the hooks, while avoiding cliché, and adding substance to the record. Also warranting mentioning is the breakdown: the beat undergoes a necessary change of pace and Leslie hits some different notes before bringing it back with one more ad-libbed filled chorus. Quick tangent: who else sings JUST the ad-libs out loud? [/endtangent]. In a month where I feel like there's been an absurd amount of R&B leaked, there is only one clear record that I have been consistently bumpin' above the rest. And whether or not you're a fan of R&B, you should too; after all, it's a perfect song to ride to entering the much better weather of spring.

FULL, CDQ, Track off upcoming mixtape, Dangerous: 5-18 *TIBS FAV.™

Now, Rhymefest's "Letter" was originally released in 2009, yet it was officially released this past month in what sounds like a more popping, studio version of the record. "Letter" features vocals from John Mayer and is going to be included on the upcoming mixtape, Dangerous: 5-18. The mixtape's other leak "Familiar Faces" nearly made the fav. 5 as well but "Letter" is just a tad above "Familiar Faces" and gets the edge. It is first those aforementioned vocals from John Mayer that stir up the emotions (he has a knack for doing that, huh?) of Rhymefest to display one of his most powerful and passionate performances. 'Fest primarily uses the canvas to paint a picture of a lost best friend and then brilliantly broadens the scope at the end of the second verse to provide a more universal appeal to the casual listener.

 
"But you could go around the world and back and then
Same things happenin', fiends are crackin' and
White folks laughin' at the blacks and Africans
Til this day child, call up the state now
This is just a letter I wrote to all my soldiers that fell holdin' they guns bustin' shots for hope
P.S. Ask God if he can make some room cuz El Che is finna come here soon, until then..."

In fact, John Mayer's hook actually provides many options for any emcee to in their own direction. "I'm writing you to catch you up on all the places I've been", begins Mayer. That line alone can be interpreted for many situations, which helps explain why Wale's version's was different, while with similar lyrical depth. The possibility for an emcee to use the hook to focus entirely on the troops overseas that Rhymefest mentions above can be equally as powerful, for example. There are metaphors just waiting to be utilized with this track, both meaningful and just for fun. Yes, the parodies are out there also. Imagine The Lonely Island going off of the Mayer line quoted above for a remix of "I'm On A Boat". But either way, the official version we got is Rhymefest's, and we couldn't be in much more of a better place heading into Dangerous: 5-18.

FULL, CDQ *TIBS FAV.™

Gucci, Waka, and OJ?!?! Early candidate for the 2011 Grammys for Best Rap Collaboration, period. It's crazy that it's not just Gucci and Waka but rather, it's all three!?! Wow. To put it all in perspective, check this out..

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FULL, CDQ *TIBS FAV.™

GemStones' comeback track takes the real number one spot. We were privileged to premiere the record to the world, which has received a lot of favorable reviews across the web. It means that there's a lot of people that already recognize the genius behind the track - laden with sarcasm, pointing out many of today's biggest issues in society and in the neighborhood itself. In fact, GemStones relayed to us during last week's GWHH radio show that the track is supposed to be called "Sarcasm". But it was labeled "My Hood" when we received it. Nevertheless, it spurred a discussion amongst ourselves in that titling the track "My Hood" actually adds a shock factor upon first listen for the people. With a title like "My Hood", it indicates that it could be a track about glorifying the harsh experiences many rappers come from and have done before. But with an artist as positive as GemStones, that notion is exactly the opposite of the end product. Instead, we are treated with a thought-provoking, sometimes controversial social commentary and examination of society. From the first verse,

[Note sarcasm...]

"I wish I would stop watchin' videos, my son's a future killer,
I'm so proud of my daughter, she grew up to be a stripper.
The usual, you know, things we droppin' out of school to do,
Pop, smoke, drink, sell pharmaceuticals.
Rob, all type of grimy things that's unsuitable
I wouldn't trade this life for all the world, it's too beautiful"

Those are just the few bars. Gem relays similar sarcasm throughout the whole song and even in the ad-libs that are intertwined between an addicting, sung chorus. Scary part: this is just the first in a series of new releases that GemStones is going to share with us upon the rest of the world in the coming weeks. Until then, we can at least chant with GemStones, "Obama, holla at me!!" (especially since he totally messed up his bracket, smh... Sgt. Tibs: bringing everything full circle since 2007.)

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