BC's Top 10, 40 - 2006

BC's Top 10 LP's of 2006

10) (tie) Oh No - Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms/MF Grimm - American Hunger - I have a tie at #10, cop out y’all. Oh No - This dropped a bit from when it came out, but it’s still a real solid producer based LP with some great guests like, Posdnuos, Wise Intelligent, Aloe Blacc and Murs. Grimm - I just had to recognize a guy that put out a triple LP, that’s 3 full albums, and they’re all good.

9) J Dilla - The Shining - A short and sweet LP from the late, great J Dilla. The production is tight and the guests include Pharoahe Monch, Guilty Simpson, and Black Thought, among others.

8) Louis Logic and JJ Brown - Misery Loves Comedy - It took me a while to get into this album, but when I did, I ran a whole through the CD. I think there’s only 1 song on this LP that I don’t really feel that much.

7) P.O.S. - Audition - Another great album all the way through from P.O.S. He seamlessly adds those punk sensibilities of his into his albums and creates great hip-hop.

6) Outkast - Idlewild - Outkast’s worst album to date, but still a real good one. There are some great songs, but there’s too much filler for this to be higher on my list.

5) The Roots - Game Theory - The Roots bring us another dope album to be added to their significant catalog.

4) K-os - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco - I didn’t know much about this Canadian artist before this LP. I liked Sunday Morning, so I decided to check out and was immediately impressed. He goes back and forth from singing to rapping, but it works. A real solid album and he has at least one more fan because of Atlantis.

3) Exile - Dirty Science - Yet, another producer led album and one of the best LP’s of 2006. Every track on here is gold. It also features one of the great up-and-comers, Blu and some established greats like Aloe Blacc and Ghostface Killah.

2) Pigeon John - Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party - Man, this is just a crazy fun album from start to finish. People may know PJ as a so-called “Christian rapper”, but you don’t get any preachy religious statements (the opposite on “As We Know It” where PJ questions all the horrible acts that happen in the world), just a fun hip-hop album.

1) Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor - Lupe doesn’t disappoint with all the hype surrounding his debut album. The LP is straight dope.

Honorable Mention: Tha Alkaholiks - Firewater, Soul Position - Things Go Better with RJ & Al, Boot Camp Clik - The Last Stand, MF Grimm - American Hunger, Cut Chemist - The Audience’s Listening, Juggernauts - Use Your Confusion, Ghostface Killah - Fishscale, Rhymefest - Blue Collar, Murs and 9th Wonder - Murray’s Revenge, Mayday! - Mayday!

BC's Top 40 Songs of 2006

40) Murs Iz My Manager - Mr. Lif w/ Murs - Murs is Lif’s manager on this funky track.



39) Jungle Love - J Dilla w/ Guilty Simpson and MED - The beat is raw and Guilty Simpson catches wreck.

38) Crowd Pleasa - El da Sensai - I was disappointed in the LP as a whole, but this song is nice.

37) Leon Phelps - Juggaknots - Breezily Brewin’ is The Ladies Man on this solid track.

36) Morning After Pill - Louis Logic and JJ Brown - Louis spits some more drunken tales on this well-produced song from Misery Loves Comedy.

35) Narrow Grave - Army of the Pharoahs - I just dig the beat a lot. Good song.

34) Sunshine - Lupe Fiasco - One of many great songs from Lupe in 2006.

33) Electric Heat - The Seekwill - K-os - This song starts off Atlantis on a good note.



32) Love - J Dilla w/ Pharaohe Monch - This song basically has Monch sing-rapping over a nice Dilla beat.

31) Things Go Better - Soul Position - This is a great song. The beat is tight and Blueprint discusses how him and RJD2 got together to make music, almost quitting, and persevering. The LP was dope as well.



30) Welcome to the Show - Pigeon John - A great beat and a great song.

29) I Can’t Win - PackFM - PackFM speaks about how hard it’s been for him to make it in the business and sell some damn records and gain a fan base.

28) Macro/Micro - Mayday! - I love the beat on this song and Bernbiz kicks some anti-war/corruption type verses.

27) One For The… - Pigeon John w/ Brother Ali - Here’s an interesting pairing, your “Christian rapper” paired with a Muslim. Dope song.

26) Mighty O - Outkast - Pretty much the only old-school Outkast type song on Idlewild. You have both Andre and Big Boi kicking rhymes on this great track.

25) Build Me Up - Rhymefest w/ Ol’ Dirty Bastard - ODB handles the chorus (Build Me Up Buttercup, just imagine ODB singing that) and Rhymefest talks about a possible female companion.



24) Outlive the War - Jedi Mind Tricks w/ Sean Price - Another one of those dope Stoupe tracks.



23) What’s the Altitude - Cut Chemist w/ Hymnal - One of the few tracks on Cut Chemist’s album that features a rapper.

22) De La Souls - P.O.S. - P.O.S. rhymes about his life and how he lives his life over a beat featuring deep bass (possibly a stand-up bass, maybe a cello, I ain’t a musical maestro yo).

21) Fly Paper - K-os - Here’s one of those songs that mixes K-os’s singing and rapping to great effect. I could put quite a few more songs from this LP on this list, but I felt that some of them maybe weren’t as hip-hop as other songs I had for this list.

20) Kilo - Ghostface Killah w/ Raekwon - Ghost and Rae’s song about the drug trade that uses a sample from Sesame Street, or some other kid’s show (I think, sounds familiar).

19) Fire - Aceyalone and RJD2 - The stand out from Acey and RJD2’s solid collaboration.



18) Tradin’ Places - Boot Camp Clik - This LP was better than I expected and this song is the one that became my favorite.

17) Long Time - The Roots w/ Peedi Peedi and Bunny Sigler - Not even Peedi’s “It started in the bathroom taking a dump” lyric could stop this from being a stand out song.

16) Heaven Can Wait - MF Grimm - This beat is sick and the first time I heard it I said to myself, “BC, this beat is sick, perhaps ill even.”



15) Do the Pigeon - Pigeon John - What’s the Pigeon? Is it a dance? I don’t know, just do it.

14) Do It - Tha Alkaholiks - Speaking of doing it (what a segue), this song from the Liks is great. The lyrics are all over the place, from girls to being yourself.

13) Audition Mantra - P.O.S. - The beat for this was used in P.O.S.’s first LP and earlier in his second. I remember thinking it was a cool beat and I love that it was used in this song. It starts slowly and builds up to a satisfying end.



12) Kick, Push/Kick, Push II - Lupe Fiasco - Lupe’s great songs about skating and the lives of kids that grind.

11) Spittin’ Image - Exile w/ Aloe Blacc - 3 verses about people making mistakes with their lives, the last of which is about a young rapper choosing drugs over a promising career.

10) Rule By a Fool - Louis Logic and JJ Brown - Almost every song on Misery Loves Comedy was my favorite on the album at one point in time, but this one came out the winner with me.

9) Can’t Forget About You - Nas w/ Chrisette Michele - Nas getting deep about growing old and reminiscing about his younger days and just back in the day in general. Chrisette Michele has a soulfully unique voice that makes her stand out from other R&B singers.

8) Groundhog Day - Mayday! Feat. Cee-Lo - Mayday put out a real nice LP and this song, featuring Cee-Lo, is a tribute to the working man and the tediousness of the 9-5 work week.



7) Smile a Lil’ Bit - Oh No w/ Posdnuos - A positive song in which Pos asks you to smile a little bit and frown a little less.

6) Game Theory - The Roots - Try not to nod your head once the music really kicks in.

5) The Last Sunshine - Pigeon John w/ J-Live - One of the great songs from PJ’s LP. J-Live’s last verse just starts off amazingly and continues in that fashion.



4) Fly (Song of Liberation) - Exile w/ Blu - A mellow beat with a couple dope piano loops. Blu kicks some lyrics about life.



3) The Train - Outkast - What a great song. Big Boi reminisces about his life.

2) Daydreamin’ - Lupe Fiasco w/ Jill Scott - Lupe takes some shots at your favorite ignorant, thuggish rappers and speaks on life in the ghetto.

1) Morris Brown - Outkast - A funky marching band song featuring Big Boi handling the mic duties without Andre.



Junkies - Count Bass D
Right There - MF Grimm
Watch Out! - MF Grimm
Agony (No Jugamos) - MF Grimm
Metrorail Thru Space - Cut Chemist
Milk ‘Em - Exile w/ Ghostface and Trife
Second Chance - Oh No w/ Aloe Blacc - This isn’t technically a hip-hop track, as Aloe Blacc, who is a real nice MC, sings about getting a second chance after a car crash almost takes his life.
Be Easy - Ghostface Killah w/ Trife
You Know I’m No Good - Ghostface Killah w/ Amy Winehouse
Here I Come - The Roots w/ Dice Raw - This is the song that is basically the Jimmy Fallon theme song.
Here We Come - Boot Camp Clik
My Favorite Mutiny - The Coup w/ Black Thought and Talib Kweli
Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story - JedI Mind Tricks w/ R.A. the Rugged Man
Razorblade Salvation - Jedi Mind Tricks
Tear It Down - Army of the Pharaohs
Hit ‘Em - Zion I and The Grouch
Love Movin’ - J Dilla w/ Black Thought
No Gimmicks - Soul Position
Hey - Juggaknots
Caged Birdsong - Aloe Blacc
Valhalla - K-os
Captain Lou El Wino - Louis Logic and JJ Brown
The Flute Song - Tha Alkaholiks

Read More...

Summary only...

WYDU Mid Way Report Day Two: Top 5 Instrumental Albums

I've been on a BIG instrumental kick lately, for the past year and a half or so. I'm a beats first person. I haven't always been that way, in my younger years, I was all about lyrics. I could recite any of the first three Run DMC albums, LL's Bigger & Deffer, the Beasties Licensed To Ill. Somewhere along the way though, my fascination started with beats and the music. It might be because in the 80's, it was all about a drum machine and some 808, which I still love, but it's not the most intricate music ever. Beats started playing more of a roll in the actual music and I've been captivated ever since.

I think what appeals to me is I can throw an instrumental album while doing shit around the house, or at work, or in the car and I can just zone out to it. I have the tendency to get rather wrapped up in the beats though, tapping out drum patterns and humming bass lines. Great for just vibing out on a Sunday afternoon as well.

This year, the top five instrumental albums are some of my favorite projects of the year, all possibly taking a spot in my top projects of the year so far. After that though, the reason why I didn't listen to many instrumental joints before Dilla's Donuts kicks in, which means sometimes they were just beats, nothing more and nothing less. Nothing wrong with that, but these listed here today are more than just beats, they are an album. You get more bang for your buck. Any of these five could be thrown on at any time and get my head noddin'.

5. Batsauce - Spy Vs. Spy

If I had to make a list of my top five favorite current producers, Batsauce would rank right near the top on that list. After dropping 1971 and the EXCELLENT Gypsy Diaries, Bat came with the James Bond/Spy movies themed Spy Vs Spy. It's just like it sounds, music that inspires a motion picture of spies, whining dining, crashes, double crossing and love making. Batsauce executes the concept quite well and gives the project an added replay value to it. It's still got that typical Bat sound (he has a "sound", one that sounds dusty, yet funky). Bat continues to show why he should be the next "up and coming" producer (check the three beats he has on Mr. Lif's new album). The Bat to the Sauce is only going to get better and better.

http://rapidshare.com/files/224286203/BATSAUCE_Spy_vs_Spy.rar

1. Cathedral
2. Priveledged Information
3. Danger Zones
4. Assassin
5. Surveillance
6. Code Breaker
7. Antagony
8. Hot Pursuit
9. Over-Ground
10. I Spy
11. Some Secret
12. Go Beyond
13. Far Away
14. Undercover Blues
15. Medically Unfit
16. The Picture
17. Lab Rats
18. Los Alamos
19. In The Cold
20. Code of Conduct
21. Surprise Attack
22. Rio
23. Interception
24. Spy Triptych

4. Diego Bernal - For Corners

Who would have thought it, a lawyer making INCREDIBLE beats. Coming from absolutely now where, this civil rights attorney has turned in the surprise album of the year, and I'm not just talking about instrumentals. The whole project For Corners by Austin, Texas native Diego Bernal, is phenomenal. I have this in my top 10 albums of the year so far, so that goes o show you what I think of the top three albums. I don't even remember how I ran across this project or where I found it, probably HHB or something, but from the very first track, Diego's Donut (RIP Dilla), you are hipped to something that you know is going to be special. I was hesitant at first seeing the title for the first song, thinking this would be another Dilla imitation, but far from it. You can sense that Diego was inspired by Dilla (who isn't in this day of age), but Diego does his own thing, with a latin swing. Dusty samples, horns and bass lines scatter the soundscape and turn this project into an INCREDIBLE piece of work. The best of all? It's free.....BUT you can purchase a hard copy (mine is coming this week) from Exponential Records

Website: http://www.myspace.com/diegobernalmusic

About:
For Corners is the first full length album from Diego Bernal, a civil rights attorney and beatsmith, located in San Antonio, TX. For Corners is Diego Bernal's love letter to the music, cultures, era and people that nurtured him.

The music is dusty and layered with Latin soul, from the triumphant blasts of horns to the laid back groove of lowrider melodies. It is a call to return to the simplicity and integrity of hip-hop's best moment and an invitation to enjoy a slightly different kind of southern comfort. Not so much dirty south as directly south. The full album is a completely free download. Enjoy!

Purchase CD: http://www.antipop.net/shop/

DOWNLOAD MP3 ALBUM AS ZIP FILE

DOWNLOAD ALBUM ARTWORK

Tracklist:
01. Diego's Donut (RIP J. DIlla)
02. Armor All'd Out
03. Bring It On Home
04. Damn You
05. Dusty Sanchez
06. Father's Son
07. Fat Sal
08. Go Diego Go
09. I Have a Long... Resume (Interlude)
10. May Day
11. Momma's Boy
12. Money Cash Woes (Interlude)
13. MC Rakim Cool Kane and the DJ Furious Boyz Crew (1986)
14. On4
15. My Friend Wants to Know (Interlude)
16. The Pause Tape Trainer
17. Velcro Flow
18. Summer's Over (Interlude)
19. The Way It Was

Artist: Diego Bernal
Album: For Corners (Digital)
Label: Exponential
Catalog: EXP-15
Release Date: February 24th, 2009

3. Exile - Radio

Exile is a producer that has steadily moved up my ranks of favorite producers for awhile now. I always dug his work with Aloe Blacc as Emanon and of course his contribution to this decade's classic Below The Heavens with Blu is something that legends are made of. My fondness for Radio comes in two parts, the first being the creativeness that went into it. Using stuff he found of the radio (read the CDs liner notes to get the full appreciation) is something that I'm pretty sure no one did before. The more I watch him do stuff like this, the more appreciation I have for what he created on Radio. Second, it's just good music.

In Love from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

2. Kid Hum - Fossil Fuel

Know the name Kid Hum, and know it well. This kid outta Denver (now residing on some tropical island out in the Pacific) dropped one of the most incredible instrumental albums I've heard in....well, a long ass while. This album got me through the slow months of January and February music wise. I would play it so much, I would wake up in the middle of the night with a beat going through my head from Kid Hum's Fossil Fuel project. I still play it on a weekly basis. There are just some catchy tunes going on, with a variety of sample sources (I'm not going to pretend I know all of them, but trust me, it's varied). I've been singing his praises since late last year when he first showed up on the scene with the Whygee & Sunkstate project Suicide Watch. The three track stretch of "Prayer", "Church", and "Bells" haunted my subconscious like nothing since Donuts. I think Kid Hum has a fan base that is just waiting to discover him. The album was turned into a vocal project, which is nice and all, but I still find myself going back to the instrumentals more often than not.

ROCK THE DUB PRESENTS... "OFFSHORE DRILLING"

FT. CYRANO AKA CY YUNG, WHYGEE, PREZZURE, SUNKEN STATE, BROWN BAG ALL STARS, JUNCLASSIC, JOULZ IL, HELLZ YEA!, L. CHANES, PUGZ ATOMZ, PRIMERIDIAN, AWDAZCATE, BRAILLE, and BLUEFACE

PRODUCED BY KID HUM

AVAILABLE NOW AS A FREE DOWNLOAD...

The Official Website for Kid Hum's "Offshore Drilling"

Download Kid Hum "Offshore Drilling"

Download Kid Hum "Offshore Drilling" (Mediafire)

Dowaload PreZZure "Never Say Never" (Produced by Kid Hum)

TRACK LISTING

1. CY YUNG "AUDOBON"
2. WHYGEE "KLONOPINS"
3. PREZZURE "NEVER SAY NEVER"
4. SUNKEN STATE "GINGIVITIS"
5. BROWN BAG ALL STARS "DISAPPOINTMENT"
6. JUNCLASSIC "ANGST"
7. JOULZ IL "FUEL (MY MICROPHONE)"
8. HELLZ YEA! "RTD ANTHEM"
9. L. CHANES "CHURCH"
10. PUGZ ATOMZ FT. PRIMERIDIAN & AWDAZCATE "THE RIDE"
11. BRAILLE "THINKING SHOES"
12. CY YUNG "CY DE B"
13. BLUE FACE (SKY 7TH & LOU SLEEFE) "50 YEARS"
14. BONUS TRACK: JUNCLASSIC "PASSPORT"
15. BONUS TRACK: SUNKEN STATE "CAVITIES"

1. Blueprint - Sign Language

It was a tight race between the top four projects. Blueprint's edged the others out, simply because I still come home and play this to wind down after a long day at work, or during those "special" moments with M.J. if you know what I mean. When you only have six tracks on your project, there isn't much room for mistakes and on Sign Language, there are no mistakes, only great, emotion stirring tracks. I have always liked Blueprint, but this release caught me by somewhat surprise. I just wish there was a vinyl release for it, that's the only thing I can fault it for.

Read More...

Summary only...