Project Pat
“Choose U”
from Layin Da Smack Down

This is one of the most ignorant joints I’ve ever heard. The first verse is about how your best friend should let you tap his baby mama. Added bonus: the liner notes of Layin feature a demonstration of the North Memphis Handshake.

Cage
“Too Much”
from Movies for the Blind

Undeniably tight, shermed-out lyrical brilliance from the man whom Eminem is scared to battle, all over a creepy track from Columbus, Ohio’s godfather of beats, RJD2.

Phantom Planet
“California”
from The Guest

I liked these guys back in 1998, before drummer Jason Schwartzman was in “Rushmore.” I don’t care that this song is three months old, it still rocks.

Clipse
“Grindin”
from Lord Willin

Quite possibly the best beat ever made. Plus emcees Pusha T and Malice’s drug talk make “Traffic” look subtle.

Ma$e
“Feel So Good”
from Harlem World

Since his departure from the rap game for more spiritual pastures, I can’t really say I’ve missed Murda Ma$e. Puff Daddy is enough, we don’t really need two monotone idiots on Bad Boy talking endlessly about haters and dough. But “Feel So Good” slipped through, somehow, and Ma$e actually sounded half decent on this one. And the beat is nice.

Non Phixion
“Rock Stars”
from The Future Is Now

For those of you who don’t know about Non Phixion, this would be a good place to start with everyone’s favorite thugged-out trio of Jewish Brooklynites. DJ Premier laces these kids with one of his best tracks in years, and they spit what could only be described as “that ill shit.”

Biz Markie
“Tear Shit Up”
from Weekend Warrior

The Biz never really had a style, so it never gets old. “Funky like ring around the collar, doo doo on the sleeve.” Fo sheezy!

Fatlip
“Story of Us”
from The Lonliest Punk

Remember The Pharcyde? You know, “Passin Me By?” Fatlip used to be one of them. He’s been doing the solo thing for a couple years now, and not half badly. The Alkaholiks’ J-Swift hooks up Fatlip with some smoothed out west coastish production, and Fatlip drops nostalgia and common sense about his ex-wife. The kind of joint that makes you nod your head and go “yeah…I feel it.”

Bill Cosby
“Abuse”
from Badfoot Brown and the Bunions Band

He can’t sing for shit, it’s more like wailing. But that didn’t stop him from releasing, like, five albums of music throughout his career. Bill doesn’t kick in until about halfway through the song. In the middle of a drum solo, Bill starts into it. “Here comes the dope pusher! He has a bag of things…that will make you feel…beautiful!” Later he breaks it down: “I don’t need no bad drugs…sing it with me!” This is also found on his album Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs. Yo, if Bill Cosby had been my drug education, I probably would have listened more.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 10th, 2002 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.