12. Gift Raps – Chip Tha Ripper x Chuck Inglish: Chip spit some of his best rhymes/flows in a while and Chuck should be seriously consider as one of 2011′s best producers. (Light One Up, U.A.F., Everyday Chillin, The Coldest)

11. Lost In Hollywood – Yonas Michael: The former half of U-N-I succeeded in making a genre defying album work. (Big Body Benz (Coochie Max), Lead The Way feat. Polyester & Phil Ade, Ms. Popular, Scorpio Lover)

10. Watch The Throne – Jay-Z x Kanye West: Everything surrounded the album overshadowed the actual project, but it was still very good. (Gotta Have It, Primetime, Who Gon’ Stop Me)

9. Live For, Die For – Overdoz: Party raps filled with girls, life, and weed never sounded so good. You need to soul search if you can’t have a good time to this album. (December, Pasadena, It Girl)

8. The DiV – Pac Div: The Knuckleheads’ chemistry and versatility is comparable to some of rap greatest groups. This long awaited debut was worth the wait. (Top Down feat. Skeme & Casey Veggies, Brown, Move On)

7. House of Balloons – The Weeknd: What started all the XO hype, and it was well deserved; emphasis on was. The Weeknd’s latest efforts haven’t been as good as HOB, but that is asking for a lot. (The Party & The After Party, What You Need, The Morning)

6. Covert Coup – Curren$y x Alchemist: Production wise, Alchemist made the best album of 2011. Spitta spat that Pilot Talk better than the albums of the same name. (The Type, Life Instructions feat. Smoke DZA, Smoke Break)

5. From The Westside With Love II – Dom Kennedy: The Summer’s best album makes you feel as if you’re smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles. This album may have the most quotables of any project this year. Dom stated, “I got the most game, never said I had the best flows.” It was definitely shown and proved it with this album. (Platinum Chanel, Money Don’t Stop, Ice Cream Truck, Mr. Champagne Intermission feat. Polyester)

4. L.A. Riot – Thurz: The other former half of U-N-I dropped what may be the most cohesive album of 2011. The way the album cliques is similar to Jay-Z’s American Gangster. Thurz focused on giving us an album with the seriousness of L.A. in ’92 and succeeded well in it. (Rodney King, Riot feat. Black Thought, Prayer)

3. Section. 80 – Kendrick Lamar: Snoop Dogg passed the West Coast torch to Lamar for good reasons. Section. 80 showed why he’s one of the rap game’s best lyricists. (The Spiteful Chant feat. Schoolboy Q, Ronald Reagan Era (His Evil), A.D.H.D)

2. TGTC – Fly Union: If you haven’t heard of Fly Union, you need to take a listen now. The production here is top notch and Jerreau is seriously one of the rap game’s most underrated players. Not too many albums can mesh the subject matter Fly Union does, as well as they did. (Salutation, 5000, Love For You, Don’t Call, Who You Wit)

1. The Brilliance – Jalin Roze: Roze dropped a true classic here. It gets better with every listen, it meshes together so well, and is just flat out good. Roze’s growth from “Few & Far Between” is highly evident and amazing. This is one for the ages. (F^#k That Hilfiger, Trumpets Please, For The Love, Soul Searching)

Bonus: Late Nights & Early Mornings – Marsha Ambrosius: Hands down the best R&B album this year. (With You, Far Away, Sour Times)

Song of the Year: “Party” – Beyonce x Andre 3000

Ace:  My list consists of what I’d like to look at as timeless material.  All of the selected albums/mixtapes is music from 2011 that I’m sure will continue to hold high ratings on my itunes.

10. Ambition – Wale:  Although this album received generally favorable reviews and music critics deemed this album as average,   I think that it was very well put together.  I’m not the biggest Wale fan but I definitely think that it helped him to cross into the mainstream market.

9. Talk That Talk – Rihanna:  This definitely was not one of my favorite albums from Rihanna but i still believe it deserves a mention.

8. Dreamchaser – Meek Mill:  Probably the best addition to MMG.

7. Watch The Throne – Jay-Z x Kanye West: The Promo Gods went hard with this one and many questioned if the dynamic duo could deliver.

6. Femme Fatale – Brittany Spears: Call her the Comeback Queen!  B. Spears broke her own record with this album making her still the youngest female with the most album sales. Ms. Spears is definitely one to give both Rihanna and Lady Gaga a run for their money.

5. TM:103 – Jeezy:  There was a lot of doub that surrounded not only the release of the album but many questioned the content as well.  Jeezy showed up and showed out.  Definitely the Jeezy I missed!

4. Section 80 – Kendrick Lamar:  K. Lamar proves why he’s been called a lyrical genius.

3. Sailing Souls – Jhene Aiko:  I was almost tempted to put this mixtape as my number one pick (as it should have).  Jhene really set the standards for herself with the Sailing Souls mixtape.  The production was dope, the lyrics are unmatched, and her voice is heavenly!  I am so anxious to see what Ms. Aiko has for us next!

2. Take Care – Drake:  There was a lot of hate with the drop of Take Care especially via twitter. But the album sales speak for themselves.

1. 4 – Beyonce:  Need I say more?

Song of the Year: “Racks” – YC & Future

Vern

10. 1977 – Terius Nash: We don’t get free R&B projects everyday. Terius blessed us with a quality album earlier in the year that would have been worth purchasing. Although The-Dream was airing out his ex-wife at the beginning of the album there weren’t many misses on the project at all. Standout tracks like “Ghetto” and “Wedding Crasher” kept 1977 in heavy rotation in the whip.

9. The Brilliance – Jalin Roze: We have to show love to the hometown hero. Jalin set ablaze in 2010 and now we’re ending 2011 with the house on him. The Brilliance was true to Roze with introspective raps with that soul feel and his production was A-1. His ode to Pimp C on “Polo Fuck That Hilfiger” is the standout track on this project. Roze used Houston slang on a crazy instrumental that is not south-driven. Even though Jalin is unsigned his project is still thorough enough to be mentioned in this countdown.

8. Finally Famous – Big Sean: A lot of the hip-hop heads would say I’m being blasphemous by putting Sean on the list but I think his debut was pretty good. G.O.O.D Music is known for having a lyrical group of rappers on their roster. Big Sean is not one of them. The expectations were low for the album and Big Sean found himself being the punching bag of the internet before it’s release. When the track list and production credits dropped people began to sing a different tune. When Finally Famous dropped a lot of people were converted. Even though the album was riddled with features, (another beef critics could have with a debut album) the standout track on this album was “Ass (Dance)” which had no features. An excellent song for the club. A dope beat and a simple hook is the perfect formula for club bangers. It’s also produced by Da Internz. Most of the album was produced by No ID, which would give one the assumption that he would give Big Sean his first hit. Finally Famous is an album that every rap fan can enjoy.

7. House of Balloons – The Weeknd: House of Balloons was one of the most popular projects this year. His first installment to the trilogy made websites crash when the other two were released. Thursday and Echoes of Silence don’t compare to House of Balloons. It’s a completely different sound from what you’re use to as far as R&B. The drug references gives The Weeknd his own lane. The standout track on this project is “The Party & The After Party.”

6. Live.Love.A$AP – ASAP Rocky: Live.Love.A$AP has a noticeable Houston and Bone Thugs influence. Rocky also keeps the flashy Harlem tradition alive. All of these things were well balanced throughout the project. ASAP Rocky had everyone calling themselves ‘Pretty Motherfuckers’ out of habit. All it took was a few spins. My personal favorite joint is “Houston Old Head” but the standout joints are “Bass” and “Pesos.” ASAP Rocky came out of nowhere and is looking at longevity in the game. New York has been quiet in hip hop for a while. Live.Love.A$AP has shown signs of life.

5. From the Westside With Love II – Dom Kennedy: The west really made a strong comeback in 2011. With artists like Kendrick Lamar, Overdoz, Casey Veggies and of course Dom Kennedy, the west coast is back and here to stay. Dom is coming in at #5 for his independent release, From the Westside With Love II. This album had a collection of summer anthems and feel good music. The standout tracks on this album were “Grind’n” and “Platinum Chanel.” My copy of Westside II is on ice for the winter but it will definitely resurface around the spring.

4. Section 80 – Kendrick Lamar: Kendrick Lamar is the best lyricist from his class. Section 80 was conceptual and clever. “Keisha’s Song” and “Tammy’s Song” are not your everyday misogynistic raps, giving Kendrick Lamar an edge on originality. On the track “No Make-Up” his character, Keisha raps “It’s the beauty in me but what he don’t see is that I had a black *bleep*” and Kendrick Lamar says “To be continued. Eleven.” If you skip to number eleven it’s “No Make-Up’s” sequel, “Keisha’s Song.” I felt like I had to mention that because it took me so long to catch it. The standout tracks on this album are “Hol’ Up” and “Rigamortis.”

3. Late Nights & Early Mornings – Marsha Ambrosius: My timeline on Twitter was a buzzing when Marsha’s album dropped earlier this year. It’s usually about a rap project so after seeing her name flash across my screen a few dozen times I had to see what the hype was about. Marsha did bring it with this album from the very first song to the last. With great songs like “With You,” “Your Hands” and all of the singles that she released from the album it’s hard to choose some standout tracks. My personal favorites from LNEM are “Your Hands” and “Stay.”

2. Charity Starts At Home – Phonte: Phonte has been around for a while now and he still doesn’t get the attention that he deserves. Charity Starts at Home was released around the time J. Cole’s Sideline Story dropped and was kind of lost in the sauce. Even though Phonte only moved under 8,000 first week units he managed to drop quality music for his fans. Charity Starts at Home has wit and some comedic value. The album also shows that Phonte is just as good of a singer as he is a rapper with the standout song, “Ball and Chain.”

1. Lincoln Way Nights – Stalley: Stalley had another one of those projects that was hard to believe it was free. Lincoln Way Nights had a strong boost from it’s production. Producer, Rashad Thomas, complimented Stalley’s Common-like flow with beats that were made to rattle trunks. This mixtape has popped up in conversations all year after releasing on February 8th. The entire project can be played without skipping but the standout joints are “Pound” and “She Hates the Bass.”

Song of the Year: “Zan With That Lean” - Soulja Boy

Chalee

10. Inglorious Bastard – Gunplay Once the BAWSE’s right-hand man Gunplay has seemed to turn into the redheaded stepchild of MMG, but that didnt stop him for putting out one of the best street tapes of the year. High quality, high energy music with features from Rick Ross, Diddy and Waka Flocka. Dopest Tracks: Rollin feat. Waka Flocka; Another One Feat Diddy & Rick Ross, & Mask On isnt on the tape, but go download that anyway.

09. Settle 4 Le$ vol 2 - LE$ L-E-Dolla has the best beat selection in the game. His production squad Da Shit Factory always laces him with something so smooth it makes me want to try my hand at rapping, but i’mma leave that to the Boss Hogg Outlaw. I must admit that even though this tape gets daily rotation it doesn’t quite seem up to par with his last two releases The Quik Tape and The Beautiful Struggle. Settle 4 Le$ vol 2 is most definitely a fitting title because it seems more of a throwback to his earlier material. Regardless it still bangs and is worthy of the a download. Just know if you like this you’ll love his other shit. Dopest Tracks: Get What You Give, Havin’ Thangs, Smokin’ Exotic, Want It All

08. Finally Famous - Big Sean “Oh shit! We finally famous i’m ridin w/ the muthafuckin’ top down!” That is my jam! and I really should probably post this album higher on the countdown but oh well. Before this album I loathed Big Sean, but songs like A$$, Dont Tell Me You Love Me, Marvin and Chardonnay, Memories and So Much More have helped change my opinion. Sean dropped a cohesive feel-good album in the midst of all this depressing hipster rap. The dopest tracks are highlighted above.

07. Spaced Out - Marcus Manchild At the forefront of the “New Houston” movement stands Marcus Manchild. His 13 track ep Spaced Out is probably the most overlooked and under-appreciated albums of the year.  The classic Houston sound minus the repetitive bravado, Marcus managed to make one of those albums that you can just pop-in and ride to, never having to hit the “skip” button. Dopest Tracks: She Can Roll feat. BC, Never Low feat. Devin The Dude-Korey Blues & We R Not The Same feat Short Dawg & Killa Kyleon

06. Dream Chasers – Meek Mill I read that The Source crowned Ricky Rozay “Man of The Year.” If so his MMG signee deserves Rookie of The Year. One of two guys from XXL’s freshman list actually worth something, Meek did his thing with Dream Chasers. High Energy, solid production and full of hits. I mean two-words, “House Party,”  the “Meet me in the bathroom..” line is most definitely go down in history. Meek’s headed to the top and Dream Chasers was his springboard, I just hope he doesn’t ”dumb it down.” Dopest Tracks: House Party, Tony’s Story, Imma Boss, Im Me

05. Ashtray - DJ Burn One Dj Burn One aka Mr. Country Rap Tunes aka The Savoir of Indie Rappers dropped a free instrumental album this year. Burn One has produced for some of the most buzz worthy artists including Yelawolf, Rittz, KD, Jackie Chain & Starlito but his roots go as far back as Gucci Mane’s first mixtape “Chicken Talk.” An album you can either ride, roll-up or rap too, full of classic, southern influenced beats. Dopest Tracks: Live, More Mashed Potatoes, Bobbie Cox, The Last Doobe

04. Take Care - Drake I honestly dont feel like I need to explain why Take Care is on my list; he’s a platinum selling artist so i’m sure the general opinion is the album is dope. I love r&b and Drake does a good job of not letting the genre die. Too soft? Nah, you niggas just aint getting enough pussy. Dopest Tracks: Look What You’ve Done, We’ll Be Fine, The Real Her, Cameras

03. Sailing Souls – Jhene Aiko I’ve been in love with Jhene’s voice since she sung “Santa Baby” on B2k’s Christmas album. Sailing Souls fills that r&b void that has been open so long. SS is an album full of beautiful, relatable lyrics, and years from now it will be looked upon as the coming out party of one of r&b’s greats. Features include Gucci Mane, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, H.O.P.E. and Kanye West. Dopest Tracks: July feat. Drake, Hoe feat. Miguel, Higher, Growing Apart Too feat. Kendrick Lamar & H.O.P.E.

02. Section. 80 – Kendrick Lamar – The best album that dropped this year, I say that because its the only album that all 4 of us have in common. You’ve read the accolades 3x all ready no need for a 4th. Dopest Tracks: Hol’ Up, A.D.H.D., Blow My High (Members Only), Rigamortis, Spiteful Chant

01.  Step Brothers – Starlito & Don Trip My favorite tape of the year, hands down. To me this is the perfect rap album. Stepbrothers manages to mix great production, content and lyrical ability with pretentious street swag. The contrast between Lito’s nonchalant flow and Trip’s aggressive, accented articulations leaves no room for boring songs. I’ll be playing this tape for years to come. Dopest Tracks: Life, Hate You 2, In Her Mouth, Pray for Me, 3rd Song

Song of The Year – Kirko Bangz “Drink In My Cup”

Wale’s first album, Attention Deficit, was extremely slept on. It had great production, it was original and it was an even balance of introspection and fun… in my opinion. But, of course, a lot of people don’t share the same opinion as me. Besides, I was outside of Best Buy along with a crowd of people waiting to get their hands on Call of Duty Mordern Warfare 2 on the day of his debut. Attention Deficit was the beginning of a spirally slope for Ralph Folarin. The album was under-shipped and probably the cause of his disappointing sales. Fast forward to 2011 and Wale is now affiliated with Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group.

As a Wale fan, I was nothing less than nervous when he signed to MMG. Considering the fact that the biggest song of his career was “No Hands” and the biggest song on his album featured Gucci Mane, I assumed Wale felt defeated and desperate to bounce back. I expected nothing but trunk music with content based on strippers, weed and tattoos.

Ambition drops and well………. I was kinda right. You won’t find any clever concepts like “90210” or any introspective content like “Shades” on this album. This is one of the project’s bigger flaws. The heads appreciated Wale for songs like “The Eye of The Tiger” or “Ice and Rain.” Instead, Wale took a more shallow route this time around. The DC emcee was obviously more focused on selling his album than he was on putting together quality work. It was said that Attention Deficit didn’t flow together like an album. You can say the same with Ambition. The album is split in half with joints for the ladies and songs about how underrated Wale is.

1. “Don’t Hold Your Applause” (Produced by Tone P)

The album starts with Wale demanding praise. My first thought was”Hey! This sounds like it could have been on A Mixtape About Nothing.” Wale basically touches base on where he has been and where he thinks he is. Not a bad way to start the album.

2. “Double M Genius” (Produced by Mark Henry)

This track was placed after “Don’t Hold Your Applause” perfectly. The instrumental keeps the same feeling going and Wale is still stressing his point about being underrated. Wale spits a few clever punches like “A modern day Goodfella, I’m Ray Liotta/Loud smoking so pass the L like a semi-colon.” This is vintage Wale music. The references to sports and shoes and Vic repeating his name dozens of times brings me back to those 100 Miles and Running days.

3. “Miami Nights” (Produced by Mark Henry)

Mark laces Wale for my favorite tracks on the album. Wale is assisted by random grunts here and there from Rick Ross as he paints a picture of the nightlife on South Beach. I could definitely see this being a single, eventually. If you’ve never been to Miami this joint will make you want to go.

4. “Legendary” (Produced by DJ Toomp)

There wasn’t much effort put into the hook on this joint. With that and a much darker feel in the production it’s almost unbearable to listen to this in it’s entirety. Much like Don’t Hold Your Applause, Wale still feels the need to defend his ability to rhyme and says that thinks he’s “literally top mmmm… and I’m being generous.” Ok, Wale.

5. “Lotus Flower Bomb” featuring Miguel (Produced by Jerrin Howard)

*Sigh* I mean… He needed a single and “Bad Girl’s Club” wasn’t about to work.

6. “Chain Music” (Produced by Tone P)

Wale flips the bliss of ignorance. Coming up with a conclusion of your opinion on this joint in the first minute could lead to embarrassment. I could easily see someone saying “There he goes selling out. Rapping about chains over a trunk beat.” Totally missing the point. You can’t front on homie’s wit to pull off a joint like this one.

7. “Focused” featuring KiD CuDi (Produced by Kore)

I just don’t understand this song. I mean, I get the concept and that’s cool but the beat and the hook are just too much for me to even enjoy the song. You can’t create chemistry over gmail. I feel like if both artists were together in the studio the song would have turned out much better. I also think that Wale was just desperate to show the fans that CuDi “fucks with him musically.”

8. “Sabotage” featuring Lloyd (Produced by Cloud Eater)

Lloyd sounds dope with the live band sound. It’s a joint for the ladies but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling it. Wale proves that he is serious about this No Days Off movement. His voice was nearly gone when he recorded this joint. Must have been after this phone call.

9. “White Linen” featuring Ne-Yo (Produced by Deputy)

From Rick Ross to Fabolous you can’t go wrong getting a hook from Ne-Yo. It’s a different sound for Wale. Ne-Yo singing about being large and in charge gives me the feeling that this may have been a Ross throwaway. Too bad we couldn’t have got this joint a few months ago when it was a little warmer outside. This is definitely top back music.

10. “Slight Work” featuring Big Sean (Produced by Diplo)

Instead of “Chillin’” you get “Slight Work.”

11. “Ambition” featuring Meek Mill & Rick Ross (Produced by T-Minus)

When I saw the title on the track list I assumed that it was going to be a song about girls who go to college and don’t go to clubs. I’m glad I was wrong.The beat is a little harder than what we’re use to from Wale but he is a accompanied by Ross and Meek Mill so he gets a pass. As Meek and Ross speak on why they became drug lords Wale speaks directly to his opposition.

12. “Illest B****” (Produced by Tha Bizness)

Tha Bizness laces Wale with a dope beat to help him simp a little more on the album. Nice instrumental but this is were we could have used a “Shades” or “Diary.” I mean Lotus Flower Bomb, Sabotage, White Linen, Slight Work and now this. We are all simped out at this point of the album.

13. “No Days Off” (Produced by DJ Toomp)

I remembered Wale talking about how hard he worked on “Don’t Hold Your Applause,” “Double M Genius,” “Legendary” and “Ambition.” We’re starting to get a little repetitive in content. After a few more listens I don’t know what Wale was talking about on this song.

14. “DC Or Nothing” (Produced by Tone P)

Here Wale puts on for DC. This is what “Uptown Roamers” sounds like after Wale made progression. I’m not even a DC native and I appreciate this track. Black Cobain appears to spit a few bars at the very end. If the album ended right here I wouldn’t have been mad at all. What better way to go out than repping your hometown?

15. “That Way” featuring Jeremih & Rick Ross (Produced by Lex Luger)

This song was smooth all summer long but after hearing it on Self Made and Eleven One Eleven Theory I feel like it has ran it’s course. I understand that it’s a big record and they are trying to push it as far as it can go but I’m pretty sure that “That Way” met it’s peak a few months ago.

16. “Bait” (Produced by Tone P)

The originality in “Bait” is unmatched. Wale finally got his own club banger. I have yet to hear it in the club but I could pretty much guarantee that I will be sweating and going hoarse when I do. The hard beat and repetitive hook is meshed with DC slang and braggadocios lyrics.

Above is the official track list order. Below is how I listen to Ambition.

1. “Don’t Hold Your Applause”

2. “Double M Genius”

3. “Miami Nights”

4. “Miami Nights”

5. “Miami Nights”

6. “Legendary”

7. “Chain Music”

8. “Chain Music”

9. “Sabotage”

10. “White Linen”

11. “Ambition”

12. “Ambition”

13. “Illest B****”

14. “No Days Off”

15. “DC or Nothing”

16. “Bait”

17. “Bait”

Lil Wayne goes on a rant about a whole lot of nothing topics.

October 1st marks the UFC’s  6th free show on the Versus Network. This time for the Bantamweight Championship. Like MOST “free” fights this card isn’t stocked full of jaw dropping action but there is some interesting bouts being made.

Here are my main card predictions.

Light-Weight Match: Matt Wiman (13-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) vs Mac Danzig ( 20-8-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) 

This fight is a rematch after the controversial UFC 115. Recap: Wiman had Danzig in a choke. Danzig didnt tap, nor pass-out BUT the ref stopped the fight? 0_o.. Someone should have kicked that ref’s ass!! But they didnt, instead they will have a rematch a year in the making.  Danzig hasn’t fought since December 2010, where he won Knock Out of the Night honors, and Wiman is coming off a lost to Dennis Siver.  Danzig loses to just about everyone good, and Wiman hasn’t truly been tested. I guess the question is Wiman good? I don’t really think so, but he’s probably better than Danzig. Wiman by unanimous decision.

Welterweight Match: Anthony  Johnson (9-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) vs Charlie Brenneman (14-2 MMA, 3-1UFC)

Charlie Brenneman got catapulted into the spotlight after his last-minute-replacement-victory over Rick Story at UFC Live Kongo vs Barry. Rick was starting his campaign for a title shot & Charlie, who shouldn’t have been a problem came and shut all that shit down. Now on to a bigger test. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Mr. I fight at 170 but I look like this when I’m not training.

Seriously guys he goes from THAT to this every time he fights…

GROOOSSSSSSS!!!!! But more importantly 6 outta 9 of  Big Ant’ny’s wins comes via knockout.  Yep Heavyweight Knockout power in a 170lbs frame (though he probably weighs more like 190 when he finally steps inside the ring). Good Luck to Charlie, but I think his luck has ran out. Fat Boy via 2nd round KO.

Heavy-Weight Match: Pat Barry (6 – 3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) vs Stephan Struve ( 21-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC)

I thought the UFC didnt do “freak show fights”  0_o  I kid, I kid but hey, with 1ft height difference, what type of joke am I supposed to make? Pat Barry is coming off one of the craziest knock out losses of ALL TIME. You totally cannot watch it by clicking on the video below. And the password isnt mma. Struve is pretty much in the same boat, losing via Superman Punch at UFC 130.

Pat Barry is most def a cool guy, and one of the most celebrated and lovable characters in MMA today. I always bet on him and I always lose. He has great “potential” his kickboxing record boasts 18 wins & 6 losses, but when it comes to stringing together wins in the Octagon, he’s more than a little iffy. Struve has 3 losses in his UFC record which include hard-headed Roy Nelson, Heavy-Weight title challenger Junior Dos Santos and undefeated Travis Browne. 3 losses I wouldn’t be ashamed of.

So whose gonna win? Well this match-up is tailored for Barry. If he takes a deep breath, and let go of all the nerves he should be able to kick the shit outta Struve until his footwork and movement are slowed to a crawl. Once that happens Barry’s heavy hands should make short work of the rest. Is that gonna happen? If you watched the video above then you know that anything can freaking happen. If Struve uses his height and reach to his advantage, Barry might be in for a long night. Pat is due for a win if he’s tryin to keep his win/loss pattern going but he has hurt my pockets way too much. I’m gonna have to go with Struve via 2nd Round Submission….

Bantamweight Championship: Dominick Cruz (c) (18 – 1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs Demitirous Johnson (9 – 1, 2-0 UFC)

Now this is the first free Championship match since UFC 95. Which is yaay in its self. I just watched Dominick Cruz avenge his only loss to one of my favorite fighters, Uriah Faber at UFC 132. With that being said, I still wasn’t very impressed. Outside of the Brian Bowles Doctor stoppage in early 2010, Cruz hasn’t finished a fight since ZZzzzzzzzzzz… *yawns* Oh I’m sorry, Cruz hasn’t finished a fight since 2008. Is the least respected UFC champion getting any respect here? Nope. Will he? Sure, if he puts on a show against. Demitirous Johnson.

Cruz is arguable the fastest fighter in the UFC quick, crisp stand-up with great faints and footwork. Mighty Mouse, in the odds-maker’s eyes doesn’t stand a chance. I’ll look at it like this. Dominick has 11 decision victories, 6 knock out victories, one submission victory & one submission loss. Demitirous has 4 submission wins, 3 decisions and 2 knock outs, his only lost being via decision. If the fight goes the distance, Cruz remains the Bantamweight Champion. If Johnson can cut through the stand up, be aggressive and use his grappling to his advantage, I see a submission victory for Johnson.  BUT I wouldn’t bet on it. I see this being a back and forth battle Demitirous wearing on Cruz during the later rounds, but not enough to pull off a decisive victory. Cruz by Zzzzzzz… I mean, Split Decision…

As of today, Tha Carter IV is the best selling rap album this year. CIV is the fourth installment of a series that shows us the evolution of Dewayne Carter. It went on to sell 964,000 copies it’s first week. Topping the highly anticipated, Watch The Throne. But is Tha Carter IV worth the hype?

In my opinion, Tha Carter IV is a parody of predecessors. The once self proclaimed “best rapper alive” shows us that it is pretty much factual that his prime is up.

Weezy teases us with mere silhouettes of former self on respectable tracks such as “It’s Good”, “Nightmares from the Bottom” and “Blunt Blowing.” Then, unwittingly, humiliates himself by being upstaged by just about every feature. Mostly reputed on the “Outro” and “Interlude” where Wayne doesn’t even appear. The lead single, “6’7” was an insulting to the fans’ intelligence. It was nothing more than “A Milli” taken apart and rebuilt.

So what happened to the old Weezy F. Baby? If you look back to 2007 you will remember Wayne had one of the worst year of his career. Tha Carter III saw countless push backs mainly due to leaks. The Drought Is Over series sucked Wayne dry (no homo) of his creativity. Remember when Wayne said he’ll never do a mixtape again? Vibe magazine counted down the top 77 Lil Wayne songs of ’07. Seventy seven songs in a year. That’s longer than Jay Electronica’s discography. The Leak, an EP that was suppose to work as a holdover for CIII, dropped around Christmas ’07 and collected dust on shelves across the globe. That was probably due to the fact that everyone had those songs earlier that year. All of these things, as well as the valet attendant rumor, play a part in why Wayne doesn’t deliver like he use to. I don’t think Wayne had much gas left after his continuous effort in putting together Tha Carter III.

So if Wayne is out of his prime who purchased Tha Carter IV? I’ve seen a few accusations of the numbers being fixed or the label bought them. That just goes to show… Ignorance is bliss. Why can’t an artist of Wayne’s stature have a successful first week? Again? Weezy’s albums in between the Carters III and IV, The Rebirth and I Am Not A Human Being sold 176K and 110K respectively. Birdman Jr. bounces back selling 964K, proving that the Carter is a very celebrated series. Maybe people are just fans of the series or Wayne more than they are fans of the material on the album. The first two were fan favorites and the third sold over one million it’s first week. We assume that we know what to expect when we buy a Carter album.

Even though some of us weren’t impressed with Tha Carter IV, we shouldn’t be surprised by the amount of success it is seeing.

When I first said I was going to write a post on why” Savage Life” was the best street album of the 00′s I got two responses, “Trap Muzik” and “TM 101″. In short, fuck both them niggas. But to explain, “Trap Muzik” was the sophomore effort of a light-skinned nigga backed by Atlantic Records, which nix’s its qualifications. The next is TM 101 which… yeah yeah street classic, whatever.  But that nigga look like a ninja turtle, ain’t had a hit since  ”I Put On”, and got called a FUCK BOY by a correctional officer 4+ times and ain’t do shit. He couldn’t even remix BMF better than the impostor, so that leaves Webbie. I know you niggas is out there like “Webbie aint have no Kanye feature,” “Webbie aint have no #1 ablum.” NIGGA I KNOW, he’s a street nigga, MY POINT.

Savage Life was a muthafuckin classic.   Lets go down the list.  G Shit, the intro track is as good as any, setting the tone of the album.

… Fuck another niggas business imma mind my own, ‘fore I get in another nigga’s shit imma find my own, yeah. Play wit me and bullets slang like stones. Aint no sense in wearing vests cuz them bullets catch domes. But cha know my vest i’ll never leave without that, since them pussy ass niggas try and shoot in my chest. You want that real gangsta shit, thats what the real niggas stress. Put the SAVAGE on the mic & its a a bet! Forreal…

Next up is “How You Ridin’” bad bitch, hair did nails, feet too? This was a trunk banger. Nigga, Savage Life dropped summer of ’05 I just graduated High School & this was the official swerving song of our class.

When it comes to back and forth buddy raps “Boosie & Webbie got the crown, you other niggas bow down” #BoosieSaid. I always imagined them taking shots Hennessy between verses. “Full of That Shit” is one of my fav tracks from the album.

The award for Songs I can go another 5 years without hearing goes to “What Is It”

If thats wasnt the most popular song on the album then “Laid Way Back” was.. If you’ve ever been in the hood watchin’ tv on mute, then this track was prolly playing in the back ground.

Lets see… You got the quintessential basic Bad Bitch anthem featuring Trina… Features from N.O.’s finest  & B.G. and arguably the hardest song ever made…

If you listen to this song and dont wanna break shit (and by break shit I mean throw on the girbauds, retrieve the throwaway from the alley and commit several felonies) you have no soul

PLUS! I aint even mention Gimme That. That song had every hole-in-the-wall club cracking open the back door & pulling out the extra fan.

Most good albums have about 6-7 solid songs.. I literally fuck wit about 12 songs.. Cars, clothes, money and hoes were thoroughly covered. Gunplay bravado, features from Underground Kang Bun B and Hoe’s Choice Award recipient, Trina, as well as 4 other tracks introducing his crew to the world completes a well rounded album.. Savage Life is the blueprint of the Hood Classic.

DOWNLOAD this shit. BURN it TO DISC. And go ride around on a suspended licnese…. or without insurance… or atleast without a seatbelt…. Whatever you gota do to get closer to the #thuglife

DOWNLOAD HERE

When PIDVKY first came across Dem White Boyz we were immediately impressed with their talent.  The southern hip-hop beat crossed  with a rock-n-roll attitude led us to believe that these boys were definitely on to something.  So we recently caught up with the rap group to figure out who are “Dem White Boyz” …

AcePIDVKY: Where are you all from and how did you get started?

DWB: Payne (middle)  is from Oxford, AL; Sikk (far right) is from Oxford, AL ; Skataboy (far left) is from Munford, AL

AcePIDVKY: Who are some of your musical influences and who would you like to work with the most?

DWB: Some influences are Eminem, Beastie Boys, Michael Jackson, pretty much different artists inspire us in different ways. We rock with everyone really.  We would like to work with Young Dro, Drumma Boy, Cool and Dre, Justice League, Rick Ross, Boosie, Fantasia, Mary J. Blidge, there’s too many to name lol.

AcePIDVKY:  Thats an interesting and diverse selection of artist, what do you feel sets you apart from other rap groups?

DWB: Of course our skin color, we are very diverse, each of our personalities are different which when combined brings something different to the table each and every project.

AcePIDVKY: What are some of your previous projects?

DWB: This mixtape that we are working on now is our first actual project. Before now we would just release individual songs until we felt that our full potential had been reached, that’s when we started this project we are on now.

AcePIDVKY: Being a rapper from Alabama, how do you feel it has affected your music?

DWB: It really has affected us and our music in a good way. Coming from Bama we aren’t always surrounded by the “sound of Atlanta”.  When it comes to Alabama music we are totally different from anything here also. We really do bring our own sound to the table no matter what the comparison is.

AcePIDVKY: That’s true. What are some of the sacrifices that you all have made to be in the music game?

DWB: Time with family, traveling expenses, gave up jobs, gave up school, SLEEP! lol

AcePIDVKY: lol i definitely understand!  What motivates you the most?

DWB: The fans, the money, the respect, family, God, knowing that we are different, the beats & finished products.

AcePIDVKY: Yea that’s all really important.  What are some of the projects that you all have coming up?

DWB: We are working with super producers, and major artists, finalizing this first mixtape, finalizing all the business that goes with it. We have started on our second project which will be HUGE!

AcePIDVKY: Cool that’s exciting!  Where do you see yourself in five years?

DWB: At the top of the game, Well Respected

ACEPIDVKY: How can your fans contact you?

DWB: -Facebook.com/DemWhiteBoyz;  Twitter.com/DemWhiteBoyz;  Myspace.com/OMGDemWhiteBoyz; (256) 452-0815

Thanks again guys for the interview!! Can’t wait to hear the tape!   For all of u that missed the “Mosh” video check it out http://pidvky.com/archives/2005!!

Want to stay updated? Make sure to check out Twanee Babys blog www.welcome2kfy.com

Intelligent hip-hop is the phrase I would used to describe Young Scolla’s music. His crisp flow, smooth vocals and expansive vocabulary create a unique sound that is probably surpassing your favorite mc’s. Gearing up for his first EP Escaping Reality(drops February 14th), PIDV catches up with Scolla and talks music, the message, and life as one of Detroit’s finest. AIM Interview, take one!

charliepidvky: We reviewed both your mixtapes plus the songs on SMKA’s project and the singing is what stood out the most for us, is that your first love? When did you start singing?

Young Scolla: Thank you and yeah singing came first I actually found out I could sing in kindergarten lol We had a metal tub in the classroom that was filled with pillows, where we could go and sit and read books towards the end of the day. That day I happened to be reading a sing along Lion King book and I sung hakuna matata out loud and my teacher discovered I could sing. She told my mother I should be put in Apollo, lol that never happened though.

charliepidvky: lol wow that’s a great story! so when did you start pursing a career in music?

Young Scolla: Umm, I was always entering myself into talent shows and performances even from that age but I didn’t really think about pursuing music as a career until I got to middle school, which is also when I really got heavy into my poetry and rhyming.

charliepidvky:   MC, poet, singer… what else do you?

Young Scolla: Haha Producing is another big thing but I also dabble in studio engineering, graphic design and the fashion world. We’re putting together a brand called GFS (Get Fresh Society) but I like to make sure I’ve studied my craft before I jump into it.

charliepidvky: Did you produce any of your tracks on Escaping Reality or on any of your mixtape efforts & what r u doing 2 study your craft?

Young Scolla: I actually produced a majority of the records on “Sign Of Greatness” (i.e. All I Need, Dreams To Reality, Walk In My Shoes, Don’t You Know, Let’s Roll) and On “Prelude To Perfection” I co-produced “Can I Live”. On “Escaping Reality” I didn’t do any production. The majority of the joints were done by my guy out of Rhode Island Tecknowledgy.

Young Scolla: As far as studying my craft, creativity (such as drawing and innovative ideas, concepts) & music always came easy for me, so I made sure I took the time to study the business and how you go about doing things the right way. With music it was learning about branding and marketing, publishing, the point system and how artists make their money, etc. With fashion (which I just now getting into) it’s again branding, marketing, styles, cut & sew and things of the nature. One of the most important things you have to do when divulging into a craft is research the pioneers, research the people who did it before you and find out what made them successful. You can never forget about the originals and the classics.

charliepidvky: Yes you’re definitely a Scolla! & from listening to your work it seems like your more on the conscience tip, do you consider yourself a conscious rapper?

Young Scolla: Lol no. Nothing against the title “Conscious Rapper” or anyone who may feel that they personally fall into that category but I feel that I make “Life Music”. Everything that I write about comes directly from my life and my environment. I make do that because I only know how to be myself and I feel that people can Identify with honesty. There are more people in the world who can Identify with the common man and his troubles and successes than a person who is so far gone from their realities. Everyone isn’t a millionaire and everyone isn’t a drug dealer, but I’ve live on both sides of the line (well not as far as a millionaire lol) and I can understand the stories of people from both arenas of life.

charliepidvky: I like that you outta coin the term “life music”! You spoke about how your environment influences your music. How was it growing up in the D and how would you compare your style to the rest of Detroit’s upcoming lyricists?

Young Scolla: I just might do that! I’ve done a lot of moving my whole life (due to my fathers various jobs) but Detroit is forever will be my home and has been that for almost 15 years out of my life and being in that environment you get exposed to a lot. I’ve lived in the city as well as in suburbs around it and you come to learn the struggle is struggle irrelevant of the situation. It also taught me to be a survivor, develop a tough skin and to never see “losing” as an option. Even in recession the people of my city still find ways to make it.

Young Scolla: As far as my style in comparison to the other artist, I think a lot of variables come into play that separate me from them. I fuse my singing along with being a lyricist in a large majority of my music and the content (not to knock any one else) but it’s vast because of the various environments I’ve lived in and the fact that both my parent are Cameroonian. So I was exposed to wide array sounds and visual as well as rules to life and morals.

charliepidvky: So what do you hope people will learn most from your struggle & your music?

Young Scolla: To have an open mind. I make music in hopes that not only can you enjoy it and escape in it but that it can also be a reflection for you. I want to be able to put my life into those lyrics and bring up certain situations so that when you listen you feel like, “damn, I’ve been through exactly that same thing and if he made it out ok then I have hope. I want people to be able to come to realization when they listen as to why certain things are the way they are or better yet why certain people are the way they are. And at the very least be an inspiration to the next individual who wants to be in my shoes, or better yet has bigger shoes to fill.

charliepidvky: Great answers!  Now lets talk about this Album, Escaping Reality. Whats behind the title?

Young Scolla: “Escaping Reality” is exactly that. The project describes and individual that is in area in his or her life where nothing is going right and they feel like the world is against them, but on another hand they have these lavish dreams of a better life. A life where they can fully live out all that they aspire to be. The first record, “Runaway” (Prod. By Syrenn) sets the initial tone for the project.The character wishes they could escape the reality they’re living in to a world that is exactly like their dreams. It then goes into my single, “Decisions”. On this record it goes deeper in the detail of the characters life as well as two other individuals in totally different circumstances that face similar struggle and it gives you insight as to why they have to make certain “decisions”as the project goes a long the character finally is finally fed up with their situation and decides to do something major about it and as the story progresses it takes you up to where my next project, “Renaissance Dreams” will begin.

charliepidvky: So is this album a collection or work, or does it play out (for lack of a better term) like a book or movie?

Young Scolla: Yeah it’s definitely still a short album (EP) and you get a range of emotions and sounds but it plays like a movie and the visuals are going to be very movie-like.

charliepidvky: i’m excited, sound like a great project! What song on this EP was the most fun to make & what do you do to get in “character” before a studio session?

Young Scolla: LMAO thats a hard one because if anyone really knew the process I had to go through to get this project finalized, they’d realize that it wasn’t fun by the end. All in all though, I loved the creative side of the project and I think “Decisions”, “Runaway” & “The Future” are probably the most replayed right now on my itunes.

Young Scolla: There really isn’t a process before I get into the studio. I always have ideas and melodies floating around my mind so it just a matter of hitting the studio and just vibing to beats and if I’m inspired by the joint, I write. Having food and a few doobies in there with me doesn’t hurt either. lol

charliepidvky: lol

Young Scolla: hahaha

charliepidvky: I also wanted to touch on that SMKA project, that album features some of my favorite artists like Yelawolf, Pill, & Nappy Roots, how did you get involved with that?

Young Scolla: Yeah big shoutouts to SMKA (Mike, 808 Blake, Rob & 7King). Last year they got a hold of my music via my manager Barry (Fab 5 ENT) and they liked it so much they invited me to perform in the A3C Festival they hosted down in Atlanta. It was during that time that I found out about the 808 Experiment series and that they were working on the 2nd volume and were interested in featuring me, so I actually got the chance to get in the lab with 808 Blake & Rob to begin work on my solo record “What It Seems” and by chance opportunity lace the hook for Pill.

charliepidvky: You did your thing on both tracks! Well, Escaping Reality is dropping V-Day, after that we’ll be blessed with Renaissance Dreams what else does Young Scolla have on his plate?

Young Scolla: I have a lot of big surprises for everyone but I’m really focused on the success of both those projects and then I’m gonna get back to work on my album with Tecknowledgy called “Confessions Of The Soulful”. I’m also getting ready for my performance in SXSW (South By SouthWest) this year, so I’m excited about that.

charliepidvky: Your definitely business minded and on the right track. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Young Scolla: Thank you and I hope to see myself fully established and continuing to make what I think is great music and pushing the envelope.

charliepidvky: I think that about wraps it up, thank you for your time & the interview will be up within the next few days.

Young Scolla: Not a problem, thank you for the opportunity.  That was a great interview and dope just keep me posted.

Cop Escaping Reality 02.14.10

Listen to Prelude to Perfection

DOWNLOAD THE 808 EXPERIMENT VOL 2

www.twitter.com/youngscolla

www.scollasworld.com