365 Days of HipHop

2010-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Quote Me--

"Skinny Jeans and Vans is not Hip Hop." Al Goody

Sorry, just had to vent. But, I'm tired of this look. Especially the skinny jeans.

Al Goody

I'm Comin Back!!!!

2010-07-28T11:46:00.002-07:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on this. I know, I know, call me "slacker", or "lazy", whatever. I been busy on the other blog http://trapstardailynews.blogspot.com/ . But I would like to try this again. So if you've been checking me out here with out current updates - Thank You! I appreciate it! But I'm coming back with more insights for you to enjoy (or even dispute).

Be prepared....

Al Goody

Parents Just Don't Understand

2010-01-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

"Parent's Just Don't Understand"- DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, from "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper" (1988)

So, you're wondering, how does this song make any credible list? Aside from the fact that Will Smith, a.k.a. The Fresh Prince, is actually a good story-telling rapper (don't deny it), this song made Grammy history by winning the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989.

But, the story doesn't end there. Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff boycotted the awards because they were not allowed to publicly accept their award or be featured during the show's live airing. The pair instead attended a "boycott party" also attended by other prominent acts in Hip Hop at the time.

I think this song hit close to home for a lot of people because we had more than likely lived a version of it ourselves. Who didn't have one of their parents dress them in something that they did't want to wear when they were a child (read "Those courderoys make you look so handsome!"). Our do something dumb when our parents left us on our own.

Here is the video. Enjoy-

"Ghetto Bastard"

2010-01-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

"Ghetto Bastard" (a.k.a "Everything's Gonna Be Alright")
Naughty by Nature, Naugty by Nature(1991)

    This was the second single off of Naughty by Nature's self-titled debut.
Although O.P.P. was the hit song, this is the track that got me. Treach tells a tale of gettin kicked out of his house and turning to the street life. Instead of glorifying selling drugs, robbery and just basically being a menace, he gives you the gruesome details and in a moment of clarity says "Hell no, I say there's gotta be a better way".
    Depending on what kind of mood you're in, the hook ("Everything's gonna be alright") can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. If everything that he is rapping about is going on and getting you down then the hook is a smart-ass slap in the face. Everything's gonna be alright? Yeah right. Or, for the optimist, you can think of it as, if you can survive this, then "everything's gonna be alright".
    In closing Treach leaves us with a piece of advice that everybody should know-
                                "If you ain't never been to the ghetto
                                 Don't ever come to the ghetto
                                'Cause you wouldn't understand the ghetto
                                 So stay the fuck out of the ghetto"

Everything's gonna be alright.

"Brenda's Got A Baby"

2010-01-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

"Brenda's Got A Baby" - 2Pac- from 2Pacalypse Now(1991)

     I could probably do about 2 months straight on Tupac but let me start here.

     This is a classic song from Tupac's first album 2Pacalypse Now. This song tells a story about a girl who gets pregnant at 12 by an older cousin. Tupac chronicles how it "affects the whole community". He touches on welfare, selling crack and prostitution. Also, he examines how unsupportive the family is with the line-

"She tried to hide her pregnancy, from her family
Who didn't really care to see, or give a damn if she
Went out and had a church of kids
As long as when the check came they got first dibs"

     This is a great example of how Tupac became one of the greatest rappers to ever do it. I think it showcases his skills of describing his community and identifying major social issues within it.

Rapper' Delight

2010-01-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

"Rapper's Delight" by Sugar Hill Gang

   O.K. I know it's sounds kind of cliche but I figured I need to get this
one over with. If I didn't mention this song song as a "Memorable Song" in Hip Hop history then I would catch an earful and by the same token I know I'm gonna catch grief about mentioning it first.
   That being said, this record is probably not the first to feature a rapper on it but definitely the first true Hip Hop release by a rapper or a group.
   A little known fact is that Big Bank Hank was once a manager for Grandmaster Caz a.k.a Casanova Fly. This is how he got the line "I'm the
C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A and the rest is F-L-Y" because Caz actually wrote that verse. Grandmaster Caz was never compensated for it.
   The song was made relevant again by a cover performed by Def Squad( Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray)from their album "El Nino".

365 Days of HipHop

2009-12-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is my quest to give you a daily dose of HipHop.

A History Lesson of some memorable songs, albums and moments in HipHop.

Kick Off- January 1, 2010

Ride with me,
Al Goody