Road To Total Slaughter: Episode 1 Recap

In the Road To Total Slaughter presented by Eminem, Slaughterhouse and Watchloud.com, you finally have an opportunity to watch the inner workings of battle rap. That is unless of course you don't get Fuse TV like me, in which case you're very salty about not being able to watch all of this exciting drama and rap skill take place. But wait, there is this fantastic place we call the internet where you can watch practically anything you want at any time (as long as its posted)!  So for those less fortunate to not be blessed with a Time Warner Cable connection, we'll do this little review of what happens on the show, my thoughts on what happens on the show, and a post of the actual Road To Total Slaughter episode itself. Its just too bad this is only going down for 4 weeks. Anyways, lets get right into it.

So right off the bat there is clear tension with everyone entering in the house. As soon as everyone walks in, they give an introduction to why they're here and why they deserve to be. Everybody meets each other slowly getting settled in, finding their sleeping quarters and whatnot, when the 7 contestants notice that the last contestant is not in the house. Knowing who Daylyt is and what he's known for, they're not surprised to notice him finally stumbling in wearing only a pair of boxers and boots, being very loud and obnoxious while eating all the food that has been put out for the contestants. This does not go over well with the contestants, and Marv Won and Cortez voice their opinions very clearly with the controversial battle rapper.

After everyone settles down following the Daylyt incident, they all make their way to what looks like a living room, with chairs and a chess board set up. Murda Mook states that the chess board is used to clear ones mind when tension starts to set in when living in a house full of testosterone and egos clashing. Cortez also proceeds to challenge Loaded Lux to a chess match as they playfully banter back and forth eventually leading to a Lux victory. After this, everyone seems to get a moment to themselves as Dizaster walks into a conversation being had by Aye Verb and Marv Won. Dizaster goes on to tell Aye Verb that the only fans he had in their battle were his haters, and one of the lines he came up with in the battle was "the most simple shit he'd ever heard."

So yeah, do you feel the love yet?  After this settles down Mook and Lux gather everyone in the house to the living room telling them that they will be having a special guest giving them an introduction to the circuit. It is none other than DJ Kay Slay who shows up and tells them very briefly about the competition and how it will work in seemingly less than 5 or 6 sentences. Makes me wonder if they paid him for what he said or if he will be included in the show later?  If not, very weird that it happened nonetheless, as it seemed he gave his 5 or 6 sentences and just left.

But, as they say the show must go on!  The next morning Slaughterhouse shows up unexpectedly and gathers everyone into the living  room the discuss a sort of "wild card" match up between a new battler they brought in by the name of T-Rex, and a battler of his choosing from within the house. The loser of this match is out of the tournament if they lose, and has to sleep on the couch. I really don't know if its for the night or if its the entire time they're there, but regardless all the battlers see this as a low blow. Bringing in someone unexpectedly and giving them stakes to win or lose at?  It surely didn't seem to go over well with the contestants. This definitely opened up their eyes and they knew to be prepared at all times after this happened.

So there you have it, the episode 1 of 4 recap. With this episode setting the tone in what seems to be a very tension filled house, we'll see how many surprises not only Slaughterhouse, but the battlers bring as well. A fist fight maybe?  Some more insane antics from Daylyt that the battlers seem not to appreciate?  Will we see more unexpected guests?  How about more egos clashing?  We know the latter will happen at least. Stay tuned for episode 2 Wednesday at midnight if you're lucky enough to get Fuse TV. If you do, just know that I envy you, you lucky bastards. If not, then stay tuned for episode 2 online next Monday, and a recap right here shortly thereafter.

 
(*Disclaimer: I do not own this video or the rights to it*)
      

Who is Daz Dillinger? The Analysis

Daz Dillinger is not a name many hip hop fans would know right off the top of their heads, or maybe not even a name you'd associate with music, depending what you know. See this was my opinion at first, not knowing who he was, all I saw him as was some random dude who hung out with Snoop Dogg. If you saw Snoop's movie "Reincarnated," which documents Snoop's rebirth and his trip to Jamaica to find himself, your first assumption might be that Daz is just a guy Snoop has been friends with all his life who just tags along with Snoop and smokes weed all day. But to those of us new to Daz, he is definitely much more than that.

Daz Dillinger, real name Delmar Drew Arnaud, is known mostly for his role in the hip hop group "Tha Dogg Pound," originally formed with fellow known west coast rapper Kurupt. Hanging out with Snoop so much of course wouldn't not open up doors for you, although he surely didn't need things handed to him. His real start in the industry began as a producer for legendary west coast rap label Death Row Records, where he produced multi platinum albums and singles for rap goliaths like Snoop and Tupac, along with contributions to Dr. Dre's highly acclaimed debut album "The Chronic."

I knew none of this, and of course didn't bother to do the research until now. The idea of Death Row Records and its rise to the pinnacle of hip hop always fascinated me, so I kept digging. When you think of Death Row you obviously think of Snoop, Dr. Dre, Tupac, Suge Knight and Kurupt. So where really does Daz fit into such a star studded line up of hip hop giants?  Daz got his real chance to show and prove himself once Dr. Dre, head producer of Death Row at the time, left the label in early 1996 due to issues with label boss Suge Knight to form his own label Aftermath. The rest of that story is very well documented history. *Cough Cough* where's Detox?

So this lead to nothing but great things for Daz, not only producing such hit songs as Tupac's "Ambitionz Az A Ridah," "I Ain't Mad At Cha," and Snoop and Pac's "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted," all multi platinum selling singles, but also being given the task of producing for Snoop's entire sophomore album "Tha Doggfather." But wait, in case you didn't think that was enough to believe Daz has the ultimate resume, there's much more. Would you believe me if I said the man raps as well?  Well you better because guess what; he does!

Shortly after fellow Death Row rappers Snoop, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg had left the label, Daz released his first solo album "Retaliation, Revenge, and Get Back" in 1998. Leaving Death Row seemed to open up many doors for the man, as he put out solo albums in every single year from 2002-2012, including two albums in 2005. Not only the rapping, but the production for other artists continued as well as he produced for rappers Kurupt, Soopafly, and B-Legit. It is known that Dillinger and Kurupt had a brief falling out in 2002 after Kurupt re-signed to Death Row, but they squash the beef in 2005 at a west coast unity event hosted by Snoop. Rumors say that Daz is planning to offer the new owners of Death Row Records unreleased material to re package along with re-mastered old Death Row material.

So that's that, at least for this portion. I hope you learned a lot, I know I definitely did just in this little research project of Daz. It just goes to show you a little research on someone you know little to nothing about can change your perspective about them. Now do I think Daz is just some dude who hangs out with Snoop Dogg and smokes weed all day?  Half of that is right, but I know not to think he isn't productive at least, no pun intended. Daz is just another portion of a huge segment of rap that practically defined a genre inside a genre with west coast g funk hip hop. If only we could relive those days in a way, get all the old heads together and put them on an album that will define the west coast for years to come. I'll bet it could happen, but we'd need a couple producers to work together and a few rappers to get on songs and rap about the right stuff. I wonder who we'd turn to for this project?  Hmmm.... 

      




       

Less is More: Why Musicians (Rappers) MAY Put Less Songs On Albums/Mixtapes (My Theory)

In a hip hop world where mix tapes seem to run the mill of the music nowadays, from a rapper's perspective, this is the last thing they could ask for. As an artist surviving solely on the sales of your music, I ask what is the point of releasing free music?  Well, as fans lets try to figure this out. Do we really even appreciate music how we're supposed to anymore?

Being the unique style of music that hip hop is, generally speaking, its hard to find another genre that puts out as much free music on a regular basis. Somehow mix tapes have found a way to not only be the rise of artists, but also the fall of them at the same time. However you may see it, or better yet, how the artists may see it, certainly changes the strategy of being a successful artist. My mindset on being a rapper, with multiple views of course, follows: "watch out for the mix tape coming soon, with the album coming at the end of the year." This strategy, if you notice the marketing, can definitely help. Giving your fans a sample or a gift for being patient and waiting, or just being nice and saying thank you are reasonable explanations for this strategy. Building hype for yourself is not a bad thing to do, unless of course, your expectations aren't met. But whose expectations?  The fans of course!

The second strategy is much more simple, less work involved and usually is the strategy used by the biggest artists in the game, or the ones who have nothing to prove to you, if you needed to be blunt about it. Nonetheless, still an effective strategy if you've proven yourself, an example of a statement here: "look out for the album coming at the end of the year." That's all it is. Simple, effective, a very easy way to make your fans mad of course, but if it's worth the wait, it's worth the wait. Only the biggest superstars can resort to this strategy successfully. The likes of Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye, Jay-Z and Nas are really the only immediate rappers that come to mind when you think of  rappers having no reason to release a mix tape. In a sense, they have nothing to prove, and putting out free music can only hurt their reputation as an artist, or what they stand for.

I mention artists who do and do not do mix tapes because they are almost two completely different types of artists. The ones who sell records don't normally touch the free music idea, and the ones who do mix tapes normally either just do them for fun, or build up excitement around an important project. With albums it's always been known as a completely different story, every artist has their own approach to recording and song selection. An album will most likely have a theme or a story backing it up, while a mix tape will just be a collection of random songs recorded with no specific goal or theme. But, as things stand today, many people view no single song worth being paid for when you can download any album, let alone any song you want from an album.


So why is it music listeners today are so picky?  I believe it is because we have the choice to be. We very easily and almost unnoticeably take our favorite artists' music for granted, and get bored much quicker and easier than we should. The attention span of today's class of fans is much smaller because of the easy access to any and all music. With downloading, although it seems harmless to the average fan, it can hurt an artist heavily. Money is made when they sell their music; albums, singles, no matter what it may be, hard copy or digital. Our getting free music is a blessing to us, yes, but does not define being a true music fan. Buying an album you get a story, with real artists you're buying a piece of their life or how they felt at a time, you're buying someone's feelings that lie inside their head. You're buying someone's ideas, someone's pain brought into light. Does this sound like something you'd give away for free?  We'll end this discussion with Eminem venting his frustrations with these people.

     



(*Disclaimer: I do not own this video, nor do I own the rights to it*)


     

Slaughterhouse's House Rules: The Review

In a genre of music which we call a game; a genre of music that others call a fad or "trendy" for the time being; and a genre of music that is judged constantly on its cockiness, flair, and its ways of expression, maybe a change of pace can show people what it's really all about. In the current state of true hip hop, many would argue it's not anywhere near its peak. What some grew up on...the story-telling brand, and the fun, lyrical, bouncy sort of vibe we got listening to it seems to have changed into something so braggadocios. Then along comes this group.....Slaughterhouse.

Maybe I'm a bit biased due to them being my favorites in the game, but it's very hard to argue that any other single rapper or group brings to the table what these guys do. TDE, Young Money, argue who you will, but there aren't many others who can make you feel through music like these guys. They remind you with the introspective "Offshore," in which each member continues the trend of venting in songs like we're so used to hearing. Ortiz discusses the first time meeting Crooked I and the times they've had together, Crooked talks about his grandmother passing and the hardships of coming up in the game, Royce discusses coming up and his family, and Joe goes back to his "mood muzik" self while talking about his drug addiction.

One of the most lyrical, if not the most lyrical rapper out right now, Crooked I says what is on his mind, no matter what it is. He has no problem venting about the passing of his grandmother, label issues, and growing up in the hood of LBC as he continues to show his hunger in every song. In songs like "SayDatThen," "Offshore," and "Struggle," Crook's drive has never been more evident as he is rapping like his life depends on it. And I'm pretty sure if you asked him, he'd say it was.

Royce Da 5'9 raps on this tape like there's no competition visible, and is not afraid to point out those who have shunned him as a serious emcee. In his very own track "Keep It 100," he discusses the industry, and his growth in maturity along with his still keeping it real like attitude. With both being from Detroit, he certainly shows his frustration as he singles out Big Sean as not giving him any love on songs or verses. Royce certainly does "keep it 100" on this whole tape as usual, and my personal favorite verse of his is on the intro track "House Rules," where he just goes off in proper Royce fashion while showing us a hint of a singing voice in the build up, right in the middle of his verse.

Joell Ortiz has definitely stepped up his rapping, in my opinion the difference has been evident since the release of "On The House," the mix tape pre "Welcome To: Our House." In his own choice cut, "Life In The City," Joell goes in over some hard production courtesy of Heatmakerz, discussing exactly that. Guns, drugs, hard acting gangstas in the hood-type rhymes are all accompanied by some confident rhymes and great lines like "just because you write rhymes don't mean you rhyme write, you a light high, don't jump and become a highlight." Ortiz has never always been the stand out of the group, but he's certainly one to watch with sleeper lines like the aforementioned.

 Joe Budden, the mood muzik king of course, is certainly no slouch on this project either. Besides his missing verses on some songs for some odd reason, the man himself never gives us a bad verse. He's back to his reminiscent, venting ways on songs like "I Don't Know," where he talks about growing up in the streets, how to survive, and how he is where he is now. It's hard to determine whether or not he still struggles with drug abuse, as he has in the past, as he has said. From the sounds of this project he might still be overcoming the process. Despite any issues he might have, Budden is always entertaining and I am certainly looking forward to what he has to say on the album.

Are Slaughterhouse just diss heads whose only goals are to point out the real against the fake in hip hop?  That saying may be partially right, depending on your perspective. I believe that Slaughterhouse's true goal is to just continue the culture of real, fun, lyrical hip-hop. Some would argue they still have work to do even coming up on their second major label album. I still wonder why they have so many individual songs aimed for just one member, or why they have so many songs out that exclude one member's verse. A possible aim to release material some time in the future?  Who knows. Their production value has always been a bit of a lack to me, but with one of the greatest to ever do it at the executive spot for this album, Just Blaze, maybe they'll finally get the production they deserve. We shall certainly see, look out for their album "Glass House" set for release before the end of the year.                       

The Road to Total Slaughter: Meet the Contestants

Battle rap has not gotten the recognition it deserves. I myself would know because well, I haven't known about any of these battle rap contestants in all my years of listening. That is at least until now. If Slaughterhouse has done anything in their years of being on the music scene, its making syllabic, thought provoking rhymes relevant again, and they're about to take things to the next level. Welcome to Total Slaughter: a competitive battle rap league set to name the best emcee out there. Not only do we get the privilege of watching these wonderful wordsmiths work, but we also get to see Slaughterhouse member Joe Budden show why he deserves his spot in the most lyrical group in rap music altogether. With Budden set to battle Hollow Da Don and the headlining match up of Loaded Lux vs. Murda Mook, this is surely set to be one for the ages. But lets shift our focus to the contestants who need to earn their spot in the main event. These guys will be the focus on the Road to Total Slaughter.

First up, Daylyt. Now this guy is an interesting one. Originating in Watts, California, there is never a dull moment in the ring with him. He tells interviewers he wants to be a "gimmick rapper," and he certainly lives up to his claim. His energetic delivery, great punch lines and never taking anything seriously type attitude will definitely bring a different perspective to the league. Any battle of his will definitely put on a show, as he likes to put on a black ski mask, sometimes even making his opponents do the same, and just rap!  His skill level is what should be focused on though, and if he's not taking it seriously as he says he's not, it'd certainly be a scary result for the opponent if he finally does decide to take it seriously.

Next up is the ever confident Math Hoffa. His smooth, cool, calm and collected style is something to marvel at, and he's been called an underdog, and one who could win it all. The thing about Hoffa's style in particular is his lack of lyrical, power-packed punch lines, but he makes up for it in severity of how personal his lines hit against his opponents. Claiming he "doesn't lie in his raps," he has been said to be one to perform well with the odds against him.

Now we come to Arsenal. From Newark, NJ, he is probably one of my choices to win it all, just from seeing the emphasis of his punch lines in his battle against Shotty Horroh, as it is evident they both get more personal and more fed up with each other after every round, definitely worth a watch in my book. Arsenal is known for his in your face, kill you, murderous type battle raps as it is clear to see in the Shotty Horroh battle. He is very lyrical, and is definitely one to make you think with his lines, look out for this guy!

Next up we have the one and only Aye Verb from St. Louis, MO. His style can be classified as "ignorant, braggadocios rap, as he is very cocky and confident in his abilities. He holds a lot of extra in the tank and can turn it on when he needs to. But like any good reality tv character, I expect more attention to be drawn to his personality in Total Slaughter.

This next guy is a big one, literally he is Big T from Chicago, Il. Looks are definitely deceiving, but lend him your ears and you shall not be sorry. His power packed flow is topped only by his haymaker like punch lines, seemingly every line is one to end you, and as he draws in the crowd he only gets better. His flow is endless, his wordplay is flawless and his simile and metaphor game is on point. If there's one contestant that will make you think about what he's saying in this competition, my pick is Big T. A quiet favorite of mine to win it all.

Cortez is up next, reigning from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, NY. Another deceiving contestant just from looks, but his great punch lines and energy build up by round and definitely makes him a sleeper. His energy is a big part of his rap, as his main favorite topics are street tough, killing, gansta-like raps. Another underdog who can turn it on when he needs to, in my opinion.

Next we have Dizaster, the one and only. Reigning from Los Angeles, CA, this guy's track record shows with his defeats and his experience, and his performance itself shows no limits. A very descriptive rhymer who can get to his opponent with personal content, he is very lyrical and can adapt to any sort of flow, and once he gets going its very hard to stop his energetic, in your face sort of rhymes. A decent pick to win it all if he can get the crowd on his side like he's used to.

 Last but certainly not least, is Marv Won from the dirty D, Detroit, MI. Interesting candidate due to his friendship with Royce Da 5'9, and hailing from one of the most decorated rap originating cities in Detroit. His style definitely differentiates from the rest, as he doesn't seem to use energy to get the crowd on his side. His smooth, laid back flow is a very nice change of pace. But it's best to pay attention to what he says, as his smooth, clever punch lines and underrated flowing ability are only topped by his evident confidence shown in his rhymes.

Well this here is just the intro to a battle rap fan's wet dream. Despite not being maybe the biggest fan, or having any real knowledge of the style myself, I must admit I'm very excited to see how all of this plays out, especially since the man Marshall Mathers is at the helm. Who knows what could happen?  All this ego, all this skill and intensity colliding, anything can happen. Stay tuned for more posts as the show goes on.               





 

A B.I.G Birthday: My Top 5 Notorious B.I.G Tracks

Arguably one of the best, unarguably one of the biggest to ever do it, today we celebrate the birthday of the one and only Notorious B.I.G. The ups and downs of such a life and career cannot begin to be documented in just one post. His momentous influence on hip hop still stands today and his lyricism and flow almost stand unmatched by anyone. Born and bred in the mecca of a very large portion of hip hop roots, Brooklyn, New York, from which has produced other gigantic names in hip hop such as Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and many more. But enough of all this hoopla, here are in no specific order my top 5 favorite tracks Big Poppa has blessed us with.

1. Unbelievable
Okay, so this song is simply great. Everything about it from the beat to B.I.G.'s flow, is just remarkable. His stylish, wordy vocabulary makes it almost seem as if he could keep one actual flow going the entire song.

2. Dead Wrong (ft. Eminem)
What isn't there to say about this song that you couldn't say about a serial killer?  And who better to join Mr. Smalls than the always descriptive, "don't bring him around you mother" Eminem?  A truly fantastic song by all means. The beat, lyrics, and flow all get an A+ in my book.

3. Microphone Murderer (Freestyle)
Okay, so this one might not count as an actual song to most, but as Biggie says, "spit yo game, talk yo shit." That might not have made sense, but nonetheless, I love this mix. What we have here is the actual basement freestyle from the man himself with the rapping over the instrumental from the movie "Notorious." I find in this particular freestyle that B.I.G's powerful voice shows very thoroughly here.

4. Notorious Thugs (ft. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)
This one has a quite different feel to it, but there is no reason it shouldn't make my list. Starting off with a chilling piano going into those vocals we all got to know and love from Bone Thugs, Big has no problem expanding his range and sound and it shows in this cut. What I love most about this song is its range. You can chill to it, party to it, or even get a nice pump up out of it if you need it.

5.Victory - Puff Daddy (ft. Notorious B.I.G & Busta Rhymes)
Even though this isn't necessarily a Biggie track, he surely claims this song like a proper emcee does. With more of his endless wordplay and rhythm, he destroys this track punch line after punch line. I personally love this beat, and Busta's constant energy throughout the hook just adds that much more. With Biggie delivering what are allegedly his last verses ever recorded, this video also stands as one of the most expensive music videos ever made, or at least at that time, with a production value of over $2.7 million.


Well that about sums it up in this edition of paying homage to "the real life Frank White." No, I don't even know who Frank White is or even if he's a real person or some sort of movie character. But we do know Notorious called himself this at times, at least multiple times in the last song. Anyways, thanks for reading, and feel free to let me know your favorites Biggie verses in the comment section below. We must keep the spirit alive. Brooklyn!


(**Disclaimer-- All the video links above were taken from Youtube. I do not own any of these videos, or the rights to them.**)




    

Unreleased Music: Importance and Intrigue

So imagine this hip hop heads...you get online to do your daily music updates. Songs are in a debatable word "ehh".  You got your soulja boy here, your kevin gates there, oh lil b just came out with his 5th mixtape in 4 months? No disrespect to loyal lil b fans of course, but, well, you see a guy like me finds no interest in that. So you scroll and scroll until you believe you've lost all hope in the day until just then; BAM!  Herpes (No I'm kidding of course, Family Guy reference, sorry). But anyways, BAM!  A new (technically old) Eminem video of him at age 25 surfaces on the web and you get more excited than Royce Da 5'9 when he touches his rifle's butt.

So what brings this excitement you ask?  Well that my friends is what we are here to discuss. I can't be the only one when I say I absolutely love unreleased music, and with respect to all genres of different sizes and shapes of artists. It seems hip-hop takes the crown when we discuss unreleased material. A big reason for this possibly being the case could be the passing of arguably the 2 biggest and best to ever do it, Tupac Shakur and the literally big in his own right Notorious B.I.G. While the work ethic of both is seen differently; for example, an interview with Dr. Dre says being in the studio with Tupac is like making a whole album in one night (at least that's how I picture it, see Dre interview below starting at 3:55). Where as something new (old) from Notorious is definitely not as expected at this point, but from other's perspective might be something way more special.

Change happens in music. Sometimes its for the better and sometimes for the worse!  But nonetheless it happens. For example, the old, insane Eminem that could give the Joker a run for his money. Many people would find this Eminem more descriptive, more lyrical, and funnier in what he says (depending upon your taste in humor). Now, when we talk about the new post-Recovery Eminem, it almost seems like a different person (not saying I'm a conspiracy theorist who believes the real slim shady died many years ago and they replaced him with a clone. No really...look it up. Isn't it crazy what people can come up with?). Recovery was a good album of course, but not what fans were expecting. The opera heavy lead single "Not Afraid" to me sounds like him walking up to a church pastor on a sunday morning, snatching the mic from him, handing the church choir lyrics sheets, and just letting it all out (cue "AMEN" from the crowd).

A breath of fresh air to an old school Eminem fan could possibly be something like stumbling across a 20 year old freestyle, or an interview, enjoying the old blonde Slim Shady we all grew to know and love. These hip hop artifacts if you will, are very key pieces to seeing the growth of an artist, the struggles they go through, and who they were before they really became "somebody" as they say. The process of becoming a name in the music industry is just that; a process.

So enjoy who your favorites artists may be now, enjoy what they're currently doing, and understand that no matter how big they may get to be, they probably do deserve their come up because they worked for it, and paid their dues. Everybody loves a throwback Thursday though, and who knows what the next big release may be, or even when it drops. So, be on the look out for new Tupac 2015!!