I have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to Sunday night’s, Eastside Story extravaganza, at the Mayan. Mayer Hawthorne, Bilal, et. al, celebrate the music of Etta James, James Brown and a dozen other soul greats. Good times had by all. E-mail [email protected] with the name of your favorite Etta James song if you want tickets […]
| The Road to Hellfyre is Littered With Self Medication: Open Mike Eagle, Busdriver & Nocando Go Something Something | September 26, 2012 |
Open Mike Eagle’s “Self Medication Chant” is a rosary for the downtrodden and dizzy, the sarcastic and the sneering. Those who find themselves disenchanted for vague reasons but find that their votives go unanswered. To those stressed and overworked and angry. It is dedicated to his friends losing his minds. It is a Howl and […]
| Boldy James – For the Birds | September 26, 2012 |
“For the Birds” is the best song about a brick I’ve heard all year. It’s rough. It’s gutter. It’s catchy. Let’s start with the hook: “Birds of a feather flock together and you winging it / Man, this shit is for the birds and I need a brick / Quick, a twenty-eight by thirty-six / […]
| The Great Expectations of Kendrick Lamar | September 26, 2012 |
Scott Leedy usually contributes to Hardwood Paroxysm, but currently, he is surrounded by kush clouds. You can’t save something that doesn’t need saving. So where does that leave Kendrick Lamar? The gifted storyteller from Compton, the kid who writes and raps with a voice and perspective beyond his years, the rapper whose passion and power […]
| Antwon Aims to Become the Greatest Rapper Ever From San Jose and President of the Michael Bivins Appreciation Society | September 25, 2012 |
Antwon is making a serious bid to be the second greatest rapper named Antwon and potentially the best ever from San Jose. I don’t think he’s going to overtake Antwan “Daddy Fat Sacks” Patton, but he may if you’re a stickler for spelling. The only other rapper I’ve heard from San Jose is Charizma, whose […]
| Really Doe: Homeboy Sandman Keeps it Simple | September 25, 2012 |
Most rappers are dedicated to creating a cult of mystique around themselves. Homeboy Sandman is about the opposite: removing the layers between fan and rapper, but without attempting to be the everyman. He is not the everyman. He is a NBA shooting guard-sized, Ivy League scholar and the only rapper to ever rap “dominant allele” […]
| Mixtape: Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killa | September 25, 2012 |
Freddie Gibbs, the last of the Mohicans, drops Baby Face Killa today. I will refrain from a full fledged review because Deen is on it and it may be the last thing he reviews this year. Thus, is the power of Gangsta Gibbs to steer him away from whatever else drops. How good is this […]
| Curt@!n$ & Schoolboy Q Get RutHLe$$ | September 25, 2012 |
The last time Schoolboy went to church he pulled up in an Audi toting his Glock 40. No one asked any questions. But as Q started to listen to the sermon he saw how thin the preacher looked. So he dipped. Everyone knows bosses get fat. I understand the intent of the video — Schoolboy […]
| American Ratchet: Juicy J, 2 Chainz, The Imp of Trukfit & The Bands a Make Her Dance Video | September 24, 2012 |
I will defer to the YouTube commenter who claimed that Juicy J is a gangsta rap fairy godfather teaching the youth the secret to taking strippers home. Whoever wrote that is the greatest critic alive. When lexicographers study the meaning of the word “ratchet,” they will watch this video and the original gem that set […]
| Good to Go: Freddie Gibbs & Young Jeezy Ratchet Up the Intensity | September 24, 2012 |
Jimmy Ness has judged several semi-professional Twerk competitions. Gangsta Gibbs is on a roll. The ex-train robber once dropped from Interscope has since carved a niche for those who prefer gritty street tales over label-endorsed lollipop guild rap. The Baby Face Killa has recorded an album, three EPs and at least a dozen collaborations within […]
