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Talib Kweli & Hi Tek (Reflection Eternal) - The Blast Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

People's Party with Talib Kweli arriving soon!
A weekly interview show with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics.
1st episode on Sunday, June 9th at youtube.com/UPPROXXvideo

From 2000 Album: "Train of Thought"...[Artist info below].....

Get The Music:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=reflection+eternal
&
http://itunes.apple.com/us/art....ist/hi-tek/id1627635

The duo of Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek met in Tek's native Cincinnati, Ohio, following the release of the Hi-Tek/Mood collaboration "Hustle on the Side". Kweli and Hi-Tek made their first official collaboration in 1997 on Mood's debut album, Doom, on the track "Industry Lies". That same year, the two formed as Reflection Eternal, and signed to upstart underground hip hop label Rawkus Records. The tracks from their debut single, "Fortified Live" b/w "2000 Seasons", were included on the Rawkus Records compilation Soundbombing in October 1997. In 1998, Kweli and his high school friend, fellow Rawkus Records artist Mos Def, formed the duo Black Star, and released their first, and only album, Black Star, to rave reviews. Hi-Tek provided production for a number of songs on the album, including the singles "Definition" and "Respiration". The album put the three at the forefront of an underground hip hop scene that appeared at the time to be flagging against the influence of the "Jiggy" era of hip-hop, and was followed by a number of acclaimed collaborations and albums. Kweli and Hi-Tek reconnected in 2000 for the release of their debut album, Train of Thought. Though highly acclaimed, the release did not receive a significant amount of commercial attention, despite the success of the rap hits "Move Somethin'" and "The Blast".

Following the Train of Thought album, the duo split for solo projects, beginning with Hi-Tek's Hi-Teknology, released in 2001, on which Kweli appeared. The album didn't receive as much attention or as many sales as Train of Thought, though the single "Round & Round" became a crossover hit in 2002. Kweli released his first solo album, Quality, in late 2002. In a 2002 interview he also stated that another Reflection Eternal and Black Star album would be released.[1] Hi-Tek was not involved with the project's production, instead featuring beats from artists like Kanye West, DJ Scratch, DJ Quik, Ayatollah and J Dilla. The Kanye West-produced single "Get By" became Kweli's biggest success, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003. Kweli's second solo album, 2004's The Beautiful Struggle, saw the duo working together once again, with three tracks produced by Hi-Tek. Kweli released his next album, Ear Drum, in 2007, featuring production from Tek; Hi-Tek released the follow-up to his debut, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip, in 2006 and his third album, Hi-Teknology 3: The Underground, in 2007, both on Babygrande Records and both featuring appearances by Kweli.

Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half-Steppin' Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

From the 1988 album: "Long Live The Kane"

Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap collective the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop. The name Big Daddy Kane came from a variation on Caine, David Carradine's character from TV show Kung Fu and a character called "Big Daddy" Vincent Price played in the film Beach Party.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked his song "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" #25 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, calling him "a master wordsmith of rap's late-golden age and a huge influence on a generation of MCs."

In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would co-write some of Biz's best-known lyrics. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl. Kane signed with Tyrone Williams’s (Marl’s manager) and Len Fichtelberg’s Cold Chillin' Records label in 1987 and debuted the same year with the 12" single "Raw," which was an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and despite his asthmatic condition he is acknowledged as one of the pioneering masters of fast rhyming. His sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends (high-top fades, velour suits, and four-finger rings). The backronym King Asiatic Nobody's Equal is often applied to his moniker.

He released his debut album on Cold Chillin' Records in the early summer of 1988 called Long Live the Kane, which featured the hit "Ain't No Half Steppin'". The following year Kane released his second album and biggest hit to date It's a Big Daddy Thing, which included 1970s sample throwbacks like "Smooth Operator" and the Teddy Riley-produced track "I Get the Job Done," which hit the R&B top 40 during the closing of the 1980s. He also had a memorable verse on the Marley Marl-produced track "The Symphony (song)" released in late 1988, which included Juice Crew members Craig G, Masta Ace, and Kool G Rap.

Big Daddy Kane appeared on Patti LaBelle's 1991 effort, "Burnin'". He provided the rap chorus to the single "Feels Like Another One". He also appeared on the video release "Live in New York."

He contributed the song "Nuff Respect" to the soundtrack of the film Juice, which starred Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur, further demonstrating his fast lyrical delivery.

In 1991, Kane won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his performance on the Quincy Jones collaborative track "Back on the Block" off Back on the Block.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers during the "golden age" of hip hop (1986–1997), Kane's experimentation with R&B beats and his alignment to the Five Percent Nation drew criticism. Later albums, such as Looks Like a Job For…, were acclaimed, but he was never able to return to the commercial and artistic success of It's a Big Daddy Thing. However, he still tours extensively.

As an actor, he debuted in Mario Van Peebles' 1993 western, Posse, and appeared in Robert Townsend's 1993 film The Meteor Man. Big Daddy Kane also posed for Playgirl and Madonna's Sex book during the 1990s. In 1996, he collaborated with 2Pac on his song "Where Ever U R".

During the early 1990s, Jay-Z toured with Kane, and Kane helped him early on in his career - Ice-T says, "I actually met Jay-Z with Kane. Kane brought Jay-Z over to my house." Kane himself says that Jay-Z wasn’t technically his hypeman in the true sense of the term—"he wasn’t a hypeman, he basically made cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage." Jay-Z was also featured on Big Daddy Kane’s track ‘Show & Prove’ from Daddy’s Home (1994), as well as in the video.

In 1995, Kane recorded with MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur on the rap song "Too Late Playa" (along with Danny Boy). He was also mentioned to signing with Death Row East in 1996. In 1997, Kane team up with Frankie Cutlass on his third single title "The Cypher Part 3" and some of Marley Marl Juice Crew veterans. In 1998, he released his final solo album "Veteran'z Day". It received mixed reviews and did not sell well. However, Kane did not give up rapping and made many appearances in the 2000s.

Will.i.am Is Blown Away By His Fresh Pair Of Futuristic Custom Sneakers Inspired By His Career Hotney 1 Streams • 3 years ago

In the season one finale of FRESH PAIR -- the new sneaker interview show from Uproxx -- Will.i.am reacts for the first time to a pair of custom sneakers, newly created for him by hip-hop icon Just Blaze and sneaker customizer-to-the-stars, Katty Customs. The sneakers celebrate Will's eye towards the future, the Black Eyed Peas, his philanthropic efforts, and playing the pyramids -- all through the creativity of the shoe design.

In Will's own words: "I think I'm going to get in the car and shed a tear and shit."

🔔 Subscribe to UPROXX Video and ring the bell to turn on notifications for new episodes of Fresh Pair! https://uproxx.it/42sadao

👟 Watch all the first season episodes of Fresh Pair now: https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PLxo7H7n2_s1

Fresh Pair, a brand-new series starring hip-hop legend Just Blaze and sneaker customizer Katty Customs. In the series, the co-hosts sit down with some of the biggest names in culture, to talk about their passions for sneaker culture, streetwear style as well as their careers and personal journeys.

👟 Watch all the first season episodes of Fresh Pair now: https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PLxo7H7n2_s1

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:08 - Sneaker check!
1:41 - Will's Fresh Pair reveal
3:01 - Are there limits to Will's creativity?
3:37 - Will's first beat making equipment
5:13 - Needing to know the engineers
6:37 - Why Will's pair was so expensive
7:29 - Concepts for Will's design
8:11 - Influence from Earth, Wind & Fire
11:30 - Rap battles at Club BALISTYX
12:50 - Forming Atbann Klann
13:45 - Will's yellow Fiero
14:30 - How Eazy-E changed the game
16:16 - Using Pro Tools with Black Eyed Peas
19:46 - Knowing too much can halt the imagination
20:30 - The work of Will's i.am.angel foundation
22:03 - Breaking down the logos on Will's shoe
23:00 - Egyptology playing it's role in the design
23:50 - Did a young Will.i.am see this future for himself?
25:30 - The producers that Will looked up to
26:13 - Sourcing the "Oh Oh" chant on Usher's 'OMG'
28:46 - What happens when I scan the QR Code?
30:48 - Would you wear these, how much would you pay?
31:46 - Will might go shed a tear after this
32:39 - Outro

The UPROXX Family
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FOLLOW Just Blaze
➕Twitter: https://twitter.com/justblaze
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➕Twitter: https://twitter.com/kattycustoms

Technical support for Katty Customs, FOLLOW: Bryan Magedman & Drode Atelier
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Hip-Hop Heads Playlists:

90's Hip Hop ▶️ http://bit.ly/90sHipHopPlaylist
2000's Hip Hop ▶️ http://bit.ly/2000sHipHopPlaylist
90's R&B Hits ▶️ http://bit.ly/90sRBPlaylist

ABOUT UPROXX VIDEO:

UPROXX Video celebrates Hip-Hop, Style, and Creativity through a mix of original shows and music videos from the biggest artists, entertainers, and innovators from our culture.

INTRODUCING FRESH PAIR

Hip-hop legend Just Blaze and sneaker customizer Katty Customs star in a new show from Uproxx— FRESH PAIR. The series tells the story of some of the most iconic names in culture – from Jadakiss to Will.i.am to TI – through a single custom sneaker.

#freshpair #redman #customsneakers

Eazy-E - Real Muthaphuckkin G's (Music Video) Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

Eazy-E - Real Muthap***kkin G's music video feat. Dresta and B.G. Knocc Out. (4K)

🔉 Hear the greatest hits of Eazy-E: https://youtube.com/playlist?l....ist=PLYxqDU3Jbf7k_an

This track peaked at #42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Eazy-E's highest charting single as a solo artist. The track debuts brothers B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta, protégés of Eazy-E.

Lyrics:

[Intro]
Comp-ton
Comp-ton
Comp-ton

Real m****phu***in G's...
Real m****phu***in G's...
Real m****phu***in G's...

[Eazy-E]
Hey Yo doctor, here's another proper track
And it's phat, watch the sniper, time to pay the piper
And let that real s*** provoke, see you's a wannabe 'loc
And you'll get smoked and I hope that your fans understand
When you talk about spraying me, the same records that you makin' is paying me
M*****f*** Dre
M*****f*** Snoop
M*****f*** Death Row
Yo, and here comes my left blow
'cause I'm the E-A-Z-Y-E, and this is the season
To let the Real m****phu***in G's in, you're like a kid
You found a pup and now you're dapper,
But tell me where the f*** you found an anorexic rapper?
Talking 'bout who you gon' squabble with and who you shoot
You're only 60 pounds when you're wet and wearing boots
Damn E, they tried to fade you on Dre Day
But Dre Day only meant Eazy's payday
All of a sudden Dr. Dre is a G thing,
But on his old album covers he was a she thing
So n**** please, n**** please don't step to these m****phu***in' real G's

Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless
Yo, Dre, what's up? Boy you should've known by now
Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless
Yo, Dre, what's up? Boy you should've known by now

[Dresta]
Every day it's a new rapper, claiming to be dapper than the Dresta,
Softer then a b**** but portray the role of gangster,
Ain't broke a law in your life, yet every time you rap
You yap about the guns and knife, just take a good look
At the n****, and you'll capture the fact,
That the b****** is simply just an actor,
Who mastered the bang and the slang and the Mental,
Of n***** in Compton, Watts, and South Central
Never ever once have you ran with the turf,
But yet in every verse you claim you used to do the dirt,
But tell me who's a witness to your f***ing work,
So you never handle business,
So save the drama j***,
n***** straight kill me knowing that they pranksters,
This is going out to you studio gangsters,
See I did dirt, put in work, and many n***** can vouch that,
So since I got stripes I got the right to rap about that,
But n***** like you
I gotta hate you, 'cause I'm just tired of suburbia n*****
Talking about they come from projects
Knowing you ain't seen the parts of the streets G
Think you started tryna bang around the time of the peace treaty
Wearing khakis and mob while you rhyme, little f** tried to sag,
But you're flooding at the same time,
And your set don't accept you, scared to kick it with your homies
'cause you know they don't respect you,
So n**** please check nuts before you step to these, m****phu***in real G's

[B.G. Knocc Out]
Well, it's the Knocc Out, definition original baby gangster
Approach me like you hard, m****phu***er I'mma bank you
Shank you, with my f***ing shank, if I have to
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg are f***ing actors
Pranksters, studio gangsters, busters
But this time you're dealing with some real m****phu***ers
G's, n**** please, don't try to step
Because if you do, and I peeled cap is all that would be left
See, young n***** like me will break you off something,
Claiming my city, but, Dre, you ain't from Compton
n***** like you all is what I call wannabes
And ain't s*** compared to real m****phu***in' G's

Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless
Yo, Dre, what's up?
Boy, you should've known by now

[Eazy-E]
I never met an OG who never did s*** wrong
You tried to diss the Eazy-E so now, n****, it's on you and your Doggy Dogg,
Think that you all hoggin' s***
Both of you b****** can come and suck my Doggy d***
Beating up a b**** don't make you s***,
But then again some n***** think it makes a man,
Damn it's a trip
How a n**** could switch so quick from wearing lipstick
To smoking on Chronic at picnics, and now you think you're bigger
But to me you ain't nothing but a b****-**s n****
That ain't worth a food stamp, and at
Death Row, I hear you're getting treated like boot camp
Gotta follow your sergeant's directions, or get your a**
Popped with this Smith and Wesson,
Learn a lesson from the Eaz'
Stay in your place and don't step to Real m****phu***in G's

Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless!
Yo, Dre
Boy you should have known by now..
Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless!
Yo, Dre
Boy you should have known by now...
Stop him in his tracks, show him that I am ruthless!
Yo, Dre
Boy you should have known by now, Eazy does it.
--

Follow Eazy-E:
facebook.com/EazyEMusic
open.spotify.com/artist/7B4hKK0S9QYnaoqa9OuwgX
music.apple.com/us/artist/eazy-e/14852588

(C) 1993 Ruthless / Relativity

#EazyE

How The Music Business Tore Apart the Wu Tang Clan Hotney 1 Streams • 3 years ago

Of Mics and Men Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0BkI2etNQU

INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/spencercornelia1

The ugly side of the music industry is that business will always be a controlling factor in the dynamics of a group of artists. Creative differences, profit split issues, management concerns, egos, and superstars outshining other members will always be prevalent within a group of entertainers. Unfortunately, these factors played a key role in the history of the greatest rap group ever, the Wu-Tang Clan.

From the streets of Shaolin, a group of eight lyrical swordsmen became hip-hop’s hottest group in the mid 90’s. This was an all-star group of emcee’s from Staten Island and Brooklyn joining forces to become a hip-hop supergroup. There’s no tighter knit family in hip-hop than the Wu-Tang Clan, exemplified by the group still being together nearly 30 years after their debut album hit the shelves.

Despite drama, lawsuits between members, public disagreements, and disappearing acts from obligations to the Wu, the group is still close enough to this day that they can come together and not let their past issues ruin their brotherhood. While watching Showtime’s excellent documentary titled “Of Mics and Men” on YouTube, I noticed how the group’s issues throughout the years could be traced back to the business side of the music industry.

RZA was the mastermind of this new group that would become the Wu-Tang Clan. Grabbing the best lyricists from the Stapleton Houses and Park Hill Projects in Staten Island helped form the brotherhood from the start. They were family because they group up together. Creating a record just meant putting their rap battles on an official track.

RZA turns to an associate of the Wu-Tang, Mathematics, for help designing the logo. RZA pays Mathematics $400 for the logo, which was half of his rent at the time. Just imagine if Mathematics would have asked for 1% of all net income generated from use of his logo.

Protect ya neck was the group’s first single and let the world know in 5 minutes that these young rappers from Staten Island were the next big thing in music.

Steve Rifkind of Loud Records took notice and made the smart decision to sign the Wu-Tang Clan to a record deal. The music industry is shady and full of stories where artists get taken advantage of but labels still need to take a large financial risk that rarely pays off. The Wu-Tang Clan had one single, 8 artists, and didn’t exactly make radio friendly music.

Within two years, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) had gone platinum selling over one million copies. The reason why artists don’t earn as much as you’d think is that the one million copies sold means $10 million in revenue for the label. 15% royalties to the group would be $1.5 million. That gets split eleven ways. Assuming an uneven split since the original investors would want a larger share and deductions for recording costs and marketing, each artist probably made around $50k total over two years or $25,000 per year from royalties.

The Wu-Tang Clan is one of the highest selling groups of all time and was able to tour the world for years so I hope that none of the artists are struggling financially in 2021, but you can quickly see how much a group needs to sell or how much they need to make on tour in order to have an income that pays the bills. If the Wu-Tang Clan started today in an era where selling 10,000 albums the first week is the norm, they would really struggle to make ends meet.

With the album experiencing some mainstream success, it was time for each individual artist to have their own solo career. RZA incorporated Wu-Tang Records on March 9th, 1995 establishing the company that will own all recordings for the Wu-Tang Clan. What RZA did differently was allow each individual member a chance to sign a solo recording deal with different labels. This allowed each member to pursue their solo careers separate from the group and separate from Loud Records.

Power started Wu Wear years earlier but was now seeing gross sales hit multiple eight figures per year. He also helped produce the Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style video game. The brand was everywhere mainstream and the group even earned a tour with Rage Against the Machine, who were one of the largest rock bands touring at the time.

In the “Of Mics and Men” documentary, Divine said that all of the artists leaving their contract with Wu meant he was losing out on $10 million every single year. RZA wanted what was best for each artist and allowed it. I think a desire for an artist to become their own brand is inevitable in the music business, but it means splintering the group collective that existed for so long.

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