AKT Aktion's Hip Hop World

It’s been 10 years since Hip-Hop’s favorite antagonist unofficially released Power of the Dollar, the introductory EP which sparked controversy with “How to Rob,” a lyrical thrill-ride that jacked the music industry elite of the day. In those 10 years, 50 Cent has had a career that is the stuff of legends. By now, you should know the story by heart, orphaned early in life, shot nine times; he became a mixtape king and then shook up the world by signing with Dr. Dre and Eminem. Music, movies, books, clothing, a fragrance, even a $100 million come-up with Vitamin Water, the G-Unit General re-wrote the Hip-Hop blueprint all the while still being the rapper you love to hate.

With the release of Get Rich or Die Trying in 2003, 50 Cent charmed audiences worldwide with a flow all his own, his storytelling skills and braggadocio were unrivaled, he returned two years later with The Massacre, the deluxe version of which launched his love affair with short videos; he made one for every song on the album. But, it was 2007’s, Curtis, that marked a turning point, some would say a decline, for Fif, losing his album sales challenge to Kanye West’s Graduation put a **** in his armor, leaving him in a position where he has been before, poised for a comeback and ready to prove his detractors wrong. With Before I Self Destruct, that is exactly what he does.

From the intro, 50 Cent sets the stage for a darker and more ominous album. He waxes nostalgic on “Then Days Went By,” reminiscing on his pre-rap days, (Keep f**king with me you gon’ turn me back to Boo-Boo/have me casing out your crib/tryin’ to pop your f**king noodle). But it’s on one of the strongest tracks on the album, “Death to My Enemies”, produced by Dr. Dre and Mark Batson, where he comes closest to the aggressive and creative threatening that made him a superstar, (I’m like Damien n***a/when I start getting loose on you/closest thing to Lucifier/make you think you got a noose on you/I make it hard to breathe/I come where you hustle, air it out/make it hard to eat.)

50 plays to his many female fans on “Baby By Me” featuring Neyo, sampling himself on the hook, he promises that conceiving a child with him will make a lucky girl a millionaire, and then he turns around and releases his anger on the one woman who actually did have a baby by him. His ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins feels the wrath on “Do You Think About Me.” (That’s why my ex is my ex/you don’t wanna be her/she used to have the Beemer/now she on the sneaker/I had her eating lobster/now she eating pizza). The song is a warning for groupies worldwide and yet still manages to pull off charisma and ghetto romance.

On “Psycho”, 50 and Eminem rekindle their familiar chemistry and the song is all that it would be expected to be, energetic and just a little psycho. 50 and Em fire warning shots at their respective enemies, all powered by a good, yet predictable Dre beat. 

With only three guest appearances on the album, Neyo, Eminem, and R. Kelly on “Could’ve Been You”, 50 puts himself and his skill in the foreground. Songs like “Crime Wave”, “Get It Hot”, and “Ok, You’re Right” are classic 50 Cent. He rides the tracks with the lyrical dexterity of a gymnast. Like most G-Unit affiliated albums, many of the producers on the album are lesser-known, making their work more important than their discographies. Dr. Dre has three tracks on BISD, Havoc, Rockwilder and Polow da Don each have one on the 16 track album, but skills on the boards and compatibility play a major role.

Not a perfect album, Before I Self Destruct, lags a bit in spots, but makes up for it in sheer effort, the album is a great offering from 50 Cent sure to quiet his naysayers… for now. Sorry, haters, but there will be no destruction here, unless it’s the enemies of Curtis Jackson.

That’s followed by The Black Eyed Peas and their chart topping album The E.N.D.  The group moves another 26,000 copies.

Well….That was depressing.  Onto dropping… 

Dropping this Week 

That charts this week were dismal.  Is that really news?  The charts have been dismal for the last few weeks (months).  Maybe somebody below will make it into the top ten for next week.  I’d say that the best bet for an artist coming anywhere close to the top ten for next week is Wale.  We’ll see…

First up, Olubawale Victor Folarin, also known as Wale, drops his debut album Attention Deficit.  There has been some decent music coming out of D.C. for the last couple of years on account of his the three successful mixtapes, 100 Miles, The Mixtape About Nothing, and Back To The Feature.  Wale’s debut features Bun B, Chrisette Michelle, K'naan, J.Cole, Gucci Mane, Jazmine Sullivan, Pharrell, Melanie Fiona, and Lady Gaga with production by Cool & Dre, Mark Ronson, The Neptunes, Best Kept Secret, and Dj Green Lantern.  Wale’s album sprung a leak last week so I know a lot of you have it, but the good news is the disc has been getting some pretty favorable reviews out there.  This one shouldn’t disappoint so, if you get a chance, go pick it up. 

Next up is MF Doom with his latest album Unexpected Guest.  This is archived material of MF Doom and guests including Talib Kweli, J. Dilla, Masta Killa, John Robinson, and Sean Price.  It’s older material but if you’re a fan of MF Doom, or want to hear what he’s all about, you should probably pick this one up.

DJ Drama and Wyclef Jean join forces to bring us the next album From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion.  The album is pretty much all Wyclef with appearances from Lil Kim and….Cyndi Lauper.  Hey, you never know...the Lauper song might surprise you. 

About five years ago Babygrande Records released a compilation album of  The Wu Tang Clan featuring various other Hip Hop artists.  The first album, Wu-Tang Meet The Indie Culture, Vol 1, was supposed to “introduce hip-hop fans in general, and specifically, the famously large, loyal and diverse fan-base of the Wu-Tang to the burgeoning world of underground hip-hop.”  All I know is there was a collaboration on that volume between RZA and MF Doom that that needs to be heard by…well, everybody.  Now Frank Radio and iHipHop Distribution seek to do it again with Wu-Tang Meet The Indie Culture, Vol 2.  This time there is a little twist with the goal of this album being “to expose another untapped resource of underground talent, skill and artistry to this very same avid and intrepid fan-base.”  It’s Wu-Tang with dubstep or electronic music.  Sounds like it will be interesting.

Last but not least is Philly Rapper Freeway.  The former Roc-A-Fella MC returns with his new album Streetz Is Mine.  This one came out of the blue so I don’t know if it’s real or not but it does feature Young Chris and Beanie Sigel.  Someone out there give it a shot and let the rest of us know.

That’s it for dropping.  Pick up an album.

AllHipHop ChartWatch for November 4, 2009

The Hip Hop has been sparse on the charts these last few weeks with only Jay-Z and The Black Eyed Peas moving any numbers in the top ten.  Hopefully things should start to turn around as the big fourth quarter albums begin to drop.  Until then at least some rivalry will be able to hold the fans attention.  I’ll be honest…a rap beef between Rick Ross and 50 Cent never really interested me.  Even the beef between Fat Joe and 50 seemed dated and unnecessary.  For awhile there I thought the Joe Budden/Raekwon incident would produce some decent tracks from two great lyricists but all we got was youtube videos.  Granted they were entertaining videos but I would have appreciated a song or two.  I’m even starting to wonder whether Jay-Z will respond to 50 Cent’s constant poking in the media.  But Beanie Siegel….That’s a different story.  I don’t think a true Hip Hop fan can deny that Beans can hold his own with Jay-Z (lyrically) which means we might actually get a decent rap battle between two greats.  We may get an actual mainstream battle between two MC’s.  When’s the last time that happened?

Well like I said earlier the charts are lacking on the Hip-Hop side.  It’s like Michael Jackson came and knocked Hip Hop out of the top 10.  The late great King of Pop holds the number one spot with the movie soundtrack This Is It.  That leaves Jay-Z and The Black Eyed Peas holding the eleventh and fifteenth spot on the countdown.  The Black Eyed Peas sell another 29,000 copies of their latest album The E.N.D while The Blueprint 3 moves a strong 40,000.

Meanwhile, congratulations need to go out to Tech N9ne.  The Midwest MC managed to grab the number 14th spot (beating out B.E.P) by selling 30,000 copies of his latest disc K.O.D.  He was in “Dropping” last week so it’s nice to see him crack the top fifty and do some decent numbers 

Drake falls from the 23^rd to the 41^st spot but still manages to sell another 12,900 copies of his mixtape-turned-album So Far Gone. Rick Ross and Triple C's sell about 11,523. Wonder if that will make 50 Cent weep?

Sadly, there was no Hip-Hop in the top 10 and only what is up above in the top 50.  Maybe a little verbal sparring between some Hip Hop heavyweights coupled with some late year releases will boost the upcoming week’s sales.  Let’s move onto “Dropping”.

Dropping This Week

First up in “Dropping this Week” is a producer out of Switzerland.  He has produced for the likes of the French r&b duo Les Nubians, the Westcoast, underground MC Blu, and Canadian Hip Hop group Swollen Members.  Underground producer Chief finally releases his debut album.  The Swiss beatmaker drops his debut album, Collabo Collection, which is a gathering of tracks created between 2005 and 2009.  The album features some of the previously mentioned artists as well as Tha Connection, Abstract Rude, and John Robinson.  This should have a nice sound.  If you haven’t had a chance to hear any music from Chief then this album offers you the opportunity to catch up.

Kentucky Hip Hop trio return with the second installment of their album released last March.  Cunninlynguists drop Strange Journey Volume II a new album featuring E-40, Sean Price, Blue Sky Black Death, Bronze Nazareth, Poison Pen, Guilty Simpson and J-Zone.  There is also an extended version of the album being released that contains twelve instrumentals so if Cunninlynguist is your type of group you probably want to pick this one up.

Next up, Gift of Gab from the critically acclaimed duo Blackalicious, releases another solo album.  Escape 2 Mars is the rapper’s second solo album and features Del The Funky Homosapien and Brother Ali.  Gift of Gab is known for his lyrical ability so those looking to hear a complex rhyme structure that may be lacking on their local radio should pick this one up.

Keeping up with the “Hell” theme as shown by his debut album For The Hell Of It, and subsequent discs Hard As Hell, and Hell Up In The Bronx comes the latest album from Hell Rell, Live From Hell.  The album is Hell Rell live.  At this point it’s hard to keep up with who is in/out/feuding with/dropping out of/just an affiliate of Dip Set.  Fans of Hell Rell shouldn’t be disappointed.  I don’t know about the rest of us but the fans should like it.

Underground Houston Rapper K-Rino releases his latest album Solitary Confinement. K-Rino has been rapping since ’83 and has been involved in the Houston underground scene for a number of years.  If you’re looking at hearing some wordplay out of H-Town then this will be the album to pick up.

Next up is Atlanta duo The Yin Yang Twins who are releasing Legendary Status: Yin Yangs Twins Greatest Hits.  Actually I don’t know who is releasing this one because it doesn’t have “Whistle While You Twurk”, “"Say I Yi Yi", and "Wait (The Whisper Song)" but it does have “Salt Shaker”.  I guess that’s a greatest hits.

 Next up are Hip Hop pioneers Masta Ace and Ed O.G who team up to release the album Arts and Entertainment.  The album features Posdanus of De La Soul, Large Professor, DJ Spinna, KRS-One, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik and Chester French. Production is handeld by Double O of Kidz in the Hall, M Phases, DJ Supreme One and Frank Dukes. 

It’s not often that a female MC releases an album these days.  Chicago MC by way of Atlanta Rita J releases her debut album, Artist Workshop, on the underground label, All Natural, Inc.  The Southern Illinois University at Carbondale graduate has worked with other artists like DJ Spinna, Digable Planets, J-Live, Jungle Brothers, Stacy Epps, Stahhr the Femcee, and Black Spade.  Fans of Hip Hop should give her a chance and take a look at the debut album.

That’s it for Dropping this Week so go pick up an album or two.

Over the weekend producers Play-N-Skillz hosted their 3rd annual Halloween Bash at the House of Blues in Dallas, TX.

The extravaganza was a “Superheros, Actors and Entertainers” themed party and featured several big name guests including rapper Slim Thug, video director Dr. Teeth, Angela Simmons, Play-N-Skillz new artist Inertia, rapper Tum Tum and Rich Minds Records.

The multi-Grammy award-winning producers who recently signed a record label deal with SRC/Universal creating their own imprint G4 Muzik, and who have a new mixtape out entitled “Recession Proof” entertained a packed house of guests that all were dressed in creative costumes, a requirement for admission to the event.

Play came dressed as a GI Joe, while Skillz, came dressed as entertainer Sean Paul and was accompanied by Angela Simmons dressed as the lovely Minnie Mouse.

Slim Thug came dressed as Jay-Z sporting a Yankee fitted hat and humorously saying, “I’m looking for my Beyonce,” while Dr. Teeth was dressed as the late Jam Master Jay and at one point broke out the running man dance to chants of “Dr. DMC” Dallas’s Lingerie Football Team also made an appearance dressed in partial uniform and New England Patriots backup QB Isaiah Stanback was spotted on the red carpet.

Play-N-Skillz “Recession Proof” features all original music and includes features from Mannie Fresh, Slim Thug, Talib Kweli, Gorilla Zoe, Pitbull, Bun B, Slim of 112 and Krayzie Bone.

The duo plan to follow up their mixtape with an album entitled “Out Tha Box” which will be released on G4 Muzik.

This past Thursday at the Nokia Theatre in New York City, three of the most notable and some would say most influential artists in their respective primes, brought the present to the past, then back to the future in style with the Wonderland High School Tour. How else could you describe it? Over 45 years of professional experience between the three, close to 20 studio albums pressed, and know by millions across the globe, Snoop Dogg, Redman & Method Man led the packed audience down memory lane, while proving that each could still hold their ground.

Redman and Method Man opened the show to immediate roars while a small squad brought out a few old school fist pumps (ala Arsenio Hall). There was electricity in the air, as well as other things. Redman was the sparkplug of the two, free roaming the entire stage from the start. While Method Man worked the crowd as well, just less animated compared to his brethren. All of this was happening before the first song was performed.

They started off with hits from the “Blackout 2”, showing off their master of ceremony skills, playing a Hip-Hop inspired game of Simon Says with the crowd. Not one command from the “high” flyers was met with a rebuttal. The audience was building their stride, anticipating what was to come. When Redman took it back to 1992 with ‘Time for Some Action’ (I know, the title was grammatically correct), the crowd exploding into one arm bouncing and tippy toe jumps at a hectic pace. Then Method Man, showing love to his Wu-Tang family including ODB (rest in peace), jumped two years ahead with his hit “M-E-T-H-O-D Man”. The classics were in session from that point on from ‘You’re All That I Need’ to ‘I’ll Be That’ to ‘How High’ and so on. And what is a Redman and Method Man performance without the stage dives. Nobody was hurt during the ritual.

Little did the crowd know that while Method Man was “walking on water” (he was standing on top of the crowd that was holding him up), Snoop Dogg was making his way into the building, rocking his Yankee blue fitted with the matching Yankees jacket. After a brief intermission, the Dogg Father was on stage and the “electricity” in the air became thicker. It was all about ‘Gangsta Luv’ from the start.

Snoop Dogg is just too cool for even himself. His swag is impeccable, and although complaints are levied against artists that perform in a box on stage, Snoop even makes the box acceptable. It’s only right that Snoop Dogg is laid back. All of his hit records are smooth and they reach across his entire career. The West Coast was definitely in attendance with Lady of Rage making an appearance, while Ice T and Coko were seen backstage. Dogg Pound representative, Kurupt brought lyrical and hype man skills to the table. The audience loved it, singing along with all of Snoops hits from ‘Gin N’ Juice’ to ‘2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” (where Snoop showed his fellow fallen soldier some love) to “Ain’t No Fun featuring Kurupt”.

Overall, the Wonderland High School Tour proved that Career Artists are just as viable now as to when they’ve debuted. So be on the lookout for more features on Career Artists in Hip-Hop.

Will “Deshair™” Foskey is a social journalist/blogger, born and raised in New Jersey. His most recent project, www.TheRacetoNowhere.blogspot.com has launched to rave reviews this past summer.

            It’s a cold, sparse week out there for Hip Hop.  There are only three acts representing Hip Hop in the top 50 with two of them in the top ten.  Jay-Z drops from three to four selling 41,000 copies of his latest disc The Blueprint 3.  The Black Eyed Peas fall a spot from five to six with their smash album The E.N.D.  The group moves another 34,000 copies.  Meanwhile, Drake is beyond the top ten but still manages to grab the 23^rd spot selling 17,000 copies of his mixtape-released-as-a-album So Far Gone.

            Some solid albums have dropped over the past few weeks but haven’t come anywhere near the top ten.  The commenters below usually say that Jay helped to clear out autotune but the question is what is left?  A lot of Hip Hop is being thrown against the top ten’s wall but none of it appears to be sticking.  Let’s see what happens in the upcoming weeks. 

Dropping This Week

            First up this week is another installment to the J. Dilla collection.  This posthumous release by the late, great Jay Dee entitled Dillanthology, vol. 3 features guest appearance by Madlib, Guilty Simpson, Black Thought, Common, and D’Angelo.  The production is, of course, handled by Jay Dee as J. Dilla.  Those that are fans of Slum Village, J. Dilla, or Hip Hop in general should go out and pick this one up.

             Next up is the new face of Ruthless Records.  Newcomer Hopsin is an actor who has appeared in Fame and That’s So Raven (If Drake can come from Degrassi then I guess this dude can come from That’s So Raven) and now is making his recording debut with the album Gazing At The Moonlight.  I don’t know too much about him except the fact that he wears white contacts and his first single is “Pans In The Kitchen.”  We’ll see if he’s going to be the one to bring Ruthless back.

            Then we come to the Rick Ross backed group Triple C’s (Carol City Cartel) with their debut album Custom Cars & Cycles.  The group is composed of Ross, Gunplay, and Torch who have been rapping together for the last decade.  Don’t know how this album is going to be because you never know what you’re going to get when rappers bring their friends into the booth.  You never know….

            Next up is Brooklyn MC Sha Stimuli who is well known for releasing a themed mixtape each month during the year 2008.  He now drops his debut album entitled My Soul To Keep.  The album feature Freeway, Young Chris, Torae, and Bellringer with production by Just Blaze.  If you have any doubts about him take a look at one of the 12 mixtapes he released last year.  This one should be sure to impress so pick it up.

            Next we come to Canadian Hip Hop group Swollen members who release their fith full length studio album Armed To The Teeth.  The album features Tech N9ne, Saafir, Talib Kweli, Everlast, and Glasses Malone to name a few.  This is the first album that the group has released in around three years so fans should go out and pick this one up.

            He was one of the features on the previous album and now he returns with his 10^th studio album K.O.D (King of Darkness).  Guest features include Three 6 Mafia, Brotha Lynch Hung, King Gordy, Kutt Calhoun, Krizz Kaliko and Big Scoob.  Fans of Tech N9ne and his Strange Music label should not be disappointed by this latest release.

            Last but not least is Houston MC Z-Ro with his the second installment of his drug inspired trilogy.  Cocaine is the rapper’s 13^th solo studio album and features the usual Houston suspects.  It comes on the heels of the Z-Ro’s last release, Crack, and before his next Heroin.  He’s really going all out with the drug theme.

            That’s it for dropping.  Go out and pick up an album.

ChartWatch for October 21, 2009

The last few weeks have had Jay-Z and Mariah Carey holding it down for Hip Hop, but this week we have a newcomer.  Well, they aren’t really a newcomers…they have just made their way back onto the countdown, but we will get to them later. 

First we have Jay-Z at number 3 with his latest album The Blueprint 3.  So far the Brooklyn MC has managed to sell well over platinum since its release September 8, 2009.  This week the album moves another 55,000 copies.

Next up is the group I was speaking of in the intro.  The Black Eyed Peas manage to not only make it back into the top 10, but also to grab the number five spot.  That is an 18 spot jump coming from the 23^rd position last week.  The groups latest single “Meet Me Halfway” is most likely the reason for the boost of their fifth studio album The E.N.D.  Since its June release the album has already been certified 2x platinum and this week it sells another 40,000 copies.

What do the next two artists have in common?  Gucci Mane.  Mario enters the charts at number nine with his newest album D.N.A led by the first single “Break Up” featuring Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane.  Meanwhile, Mariah Carey grabs the number ten spot and sells another 30,000 copies of her 12^th album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel featuring the Gucci Mane assisted “Obsessed”.

Moving beyond the top ten we have Drake who holds on to the number 30 spot with his EP So Far Gone.  This week the Cash Money/Young Money artist manages to sell another 17,000 copies of his album before the album.

Finally, Kid Cudi grabs the 50^th spot with his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day.  The G.O.O.D Music artist manages to sell another 11,000 copies of the disc bringing his US total to 169,000 and his worldwide sales to 340,000.

Dropping This Week

Back in 1997 this duo burst on to the charts with a 70’s and R&B inspired album called Uptown Saturday Night.  Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede, collectively known as Camp Lo, have not been able to garner the same type of mainstream success as their debut, but over the last decade they have released some solid albums that would please any fan.  Camp Lo once again works with producer Ski (responsible for “Feelin It”, “Politics As Usual”, and “22 Twos” off of Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt along with Camp Lo’s Uptown Saturday Night) to create the Hip Hop/blaxplotation sound for which they are known on their fourth album, Another Heist.  Since the commentators below are always talking about Jay-Z affecting careers, how much of an affect do you think Jay-Z had on Camp Lo’s career by using some of their beats for his debut album Reasonable Doubt?

Next up is Brooklyn born and Queens raised MC Cormega.  His sixth studio album features Havoc, Lil’ Fame, Tragedy Khadafi, along with Hip Hop legends Marley Marl, DJ Red Alert, PMD, Grand Puba, KRS-One, and Big Daddy Kane.  Let’s not forget that the album has production from pioneers like DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Easy Mo Bee to name a few.  Cormega is another artist that has released some solid albums over the past few years so fans may want to pick this one up.

Next up is Westcoast MC Fashawn, whose debut disc, Boy Meets World, is completely produced by Los Angels native Exile.  Fashawn has a buzz in the underground, especially after the positive reviews of his mixtape with The Alchemist titled The Antidote.  That’s two well respected producers that the young MC has worked with so the music is probably on point.  You think we are moving back to the age where one producer crafts a whole album?

Keeping it in the West we come to Boss Hogg who is the first artist to be released on Mac Mall’s Thizzalmic Records.  Boss Hogg as King Creepa features J-Diggs, Crest Creepas, Holly (Black Mafia), Jamal Minix and features production by Mr. Slap, Baby Joey and College Boys.

Keeping it in the bay we come to J-Diggs who is releasing three albums on the same day.  Da Good, Da Bad, and Da Ugly are three disc that are supposed to show all sides of the artist, J-Diggs.  The trilogy features Keak Da Sneak, P.S.D., Chop Da Hookman, Vital, Lenny Williams, Baby Bash, Mac Mall, Matt Blaque, Y.S., Crest Creepaz, Coolio Da 'Unda' Dogg, Mac Dre, Dubee, Rydah J. Klyde, Jacka, Dem Hood Starz, Bleu, Pillionaire, Crest Creepaz, Duna, Glasses Malone, San Quinn, Cutthoat Committee, Mob Figaz, Money Gang, Thizz South, Thizz Latin and more.  That’s a lot of people but it’s three albums so that’s to be expected.  Fans of the Bay should be pleased this week.

Wu Tang affiliate Killah Priest returns with his ninth album, Elizabeth.  He is known for having intricate wordplay and strong religious undertones in his music.  The album is just Killah Priest with production work being helmed by DJ Woool.

You may or may not have heard of this next producer but you have undoubtedly heard some of his music.  His music is used heavily in a variety of commercial outlets such as movies, television, and video games but still manages to keep an authentic Hip Hop sound.  RJD2 is releasing a vinly box set containing a collection of his music titled 2002-2010.  The set also contains & unreleased songs by RJD2.

One fourth of Slaughterhouse releases his fourth, solo, studio album.  Royce Da 5’9” returns with Street Hop which features Phonte, Busta Rhymes, Trick-Trick, K-Young, Bun-B and, of course, Slaughterhouse.  Production is handled by DJ Premier (who actually executive produces the album), Emile, Nottz, Streetrunner, and Denaun Porter to name a few.  If you like Detroit, Royce or Slaughterhouse this will be an album to pick up.

Finally we have former Shady/Aftermath and current GMM (Grown Man Music) MC Stat Quo.  Even though he is no longer with the label the rumor is that Stat is still working on Detox so we will see what comes of that.  The Atlanta rapper returns with his second album this year, The Great Depression.  Fans of Stat and the album released earlier this year should not be disappointed by his latest effort.

I know she’s not totally Hip Hop but you can’t deny that the music has a heavy influence on her albums.  Mariah Carey is right behind Jay-Z with her 12^th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.  She sells 53,000 copies of The Dream and Tricky Stewart produced disc but takes a drop from the third spot to sixth.

Moving above the top ten we have The Black Eyed Peas at the 23^rd position.  Their latest album The E.N.D continues to move units selling 25,000 copies this week.

Next we come to Drake at the 30^th spot with his mixtape-turned-album So Far Gone.  This is a rerelease of the mixtape released almost a year earlier and containing five out of the original 18 songs. This week Drake “Drizzy” Rogers manages to sell 19,000 more copies of the EP.  So far the Canadian MC has managed to sell a little over 140,000 copies of an album that was already released and has less than half the original songs.  If that’s any indication of how his debut album will sell then it looks like CashMoney/YoungMoney will have a good year.

Kid Cudi falls from 32 to 48 but still manages to sell 12,000 copies of his debut Man On The Moon: The End Of Day.  So far the G.O.O.D Music artist has sold over 150,000 copies of his first disc and has been pretty competitive on the charts. Fat Joe and Ghostface sold under 10,000 units. of Ghostface Killah's Ghostdini: The Wizard Of Poetry In The Emerald City pushed 7,200. 73. Fat Joe Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 sold 8,300

Let’s move on to “Dropping” and see if any of the artists are going to help Jay and Mariah hold it down for Hip Hop next week.

Dropping This Week

We have a lot of duo and compilation albums coming from some well respected individuals in Hip Hop this week.

First up in “Dropping” we have members from a well known group that has worked with artist like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, Swizz Beatz, and Mariah Carey.  Bone-Ified appears to be mainly Bizzy Bone and Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.  The new album, Thug Smoke Out, features the duo plus two songs by Krayzie Bone.  I’m not sure if this is official or not but I’m sure someone in the comment section will let me know.  Any BTNH fans out there?

Next up we have another duo consisting of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & Tame One.  The West Coast MC and the New Jersey native get together to release Parallel Uni-Verses.  Tame One has been a part of the Artifacts and The Weathermen while Del has worked with everyone from Ice Cube to the Gorillaz.  This album should definitely be a display in lyricism from two well respected underground MC’s.

Keeping it underground we come to D.I.T.C which is short for Diggin’ In The Crates.  The 90’s crew consisted of Showbiz & A.G. (Andre the Giant), Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild, and the late great Big L.  Each one of these individuals has separately gone on to achieve success in the rap game in some form or another, but in the nineties they displayed their serious lyrical skill as a group.  Those that aren’t in the know and want to hear some of their favorite MC’s earlier works may want to pick up Rare and Unreleased, Vol. II or Rare Breaks: Stack Two.

Here’s another underground group that had its debut in the nineties and has been making lyrical music ever since.  People Under the Stairs returns with their seventh studio album, Carried Away.  The Los Angeles duo rap over hard hitting underground production which should please any Hip Hop head…if you’re into that sort of thing.  P.U.T.S is usually a consistent group so you may want to give this album a shot.

R.A the Rugged Man has been rapping since the mid nineties and is now releasing Legendary Classics, vol. 1.  The Long Island MC is also an accomplished writer, contributing to books and magazines directed at the Hip Hop audience.  This album is a collection of…legendary classics.  Get a sense of history and pick up a copy.

Moving back to the present we have DJ Khaled and E-Class who drop DJ Khaled and E-Class Present From the 305.  The album features Billy Blue, Red Eyezz, Bizzle, Piccalo (ya’ll remember when Tupac played Piccalo in that episode of A Different World?  This is only the second time in life I have seen someone named Piccalo), and Flo Rida.  This should be a typical DJ Khaled/Florida affair so if you’re into the sound then pick it up.

You may know him as Lil’ Sci’ but on this album he goes by John Robinson.  Sometime last year he made an album that was entirely produce by MF Doom and now he returns with J. Rawls, an underground producer best known for his work on Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar.  Together Rawls and Robinson are known as Jay Are (get it….J Rawls and J Robinson…J Are…I like stuff like that..moving on) and are releasing a new album The 1960’s Jazz Revolution Again.  The duo summarizes the album as “an education of the past that is relevant to our present times, while giving ode to a period that flourished in political activism, progressive social movements, and cultural creativity.”  It’s always nice to see creative projects like this so if you get a chance give it a listen.

Ruff Dog entertainment gets a mention this week for having a….I believe I call it an interesting…album cover.  The Package.  That’s it for them.

That’s it for Dropping This Week.  They are selling cd’s for five dollars at places like Wal Mart and on Itunes.  That’s bootleg prices.  Go pick up an album or two.

After the BET Awards’ dedication to Michael Jackson, which was met with mixed reviews, the network went back to the drawing board for the 2009 BET Hip-Hop Awards, held annually in Atlanta. In spite of the obvious skepticism, this year BET put together a surprisingly balanced event showcasing the underground, mainstream, and past stars of Hip-Hop culture.

Unfortunately, this year security was very strict about any type of cameras or recording materials. Of course, this couldn’t stop people from furiously tweeting throughout the show.

The festivities kicked off with an orchestral ensemble of drums and string instruments backing Young Jeezy, who came out promptly for the Blueprint 3 track “Real As It Gets.” Jeezy was shown love as a hometown favorite, but it was almost as if the crowd didn’t expect Jay to appear. When he did, there was a huge ovation as both men spit their verses in matching black outfits and mist effects behind them. In an allusion to his stolen MTV Awards moment last month, Jay hit his b-boy stance again, and thankfully this time pint-sized spoiler Lil Mama was nowhere to be seen.

Mike Epps was solid in the role of host, never going overboard with any jokes and keeping the crowd amused after being forced to repeat a segment several times for mispronouncing “choreographer.” (“I know how to say choreographer! You didn’t have to bring the white man out here.”). Of course he had Lil Mama jokes as well, explaining that she was really 46 years old, and just hopped on stage to check on her grandkids.

For 2009, this event’s theme was “Hip-Hop giving back.” Here, emcees got to answer the ever recurring question of what they were doing for their communities. The acknowledged organizations included 50 Cent’s G-Unity Foundation (http://www.gunityfoundation.org/), Busta Rhymes with the Orange Rock Corps (http://www.orangerockcorps.co.uk), Young Jeezy’s Street Dreams Foundation (www.usda2day.com), and Jim Jones with the Entertainers 4 Education (http://www.e4ea.org).

Gucci Mane’s presence was the musical centerpiece of the show. The east Atlanta representer was a part of several performances, first starting with his verse on Mario’s hit single “Break Up.” His appearance was treated like a big event, and pyro flashed in the background as Gucci strutted on stage clad in a garish fur coat. His audience reception was bigger than Jay-Z’s and after Mario and his dancers vacated, Gucci went into “Wasted,” and OJ da Juiceman ran out to another huge ovation. It came across very good live, but we’ll see how it translates on TV.

Later, Gucci returned for protégé Soulja Boy’s “Gucci Bandana.” SB’s collection was determined by tweet requests from his over 1 million followers. Gucci was still the most popular rapper among the performing trio (SB, Shawty Lo, Gucci), but Shawty Lo’s appearance was the most memorable courtesy of an outfit ensemble featuring a Mary Poppins-esque umbrella and galoshes. Finally, Gucci ended his night hitting the stage with Wale and go-go band UCB for “Pretty Girls.”

The first great moment was Kid N Play coming out to hit their classic dance steps after the New Boyz claimed that “Hip-Hop needed a change” and they were bringing dance to the culture. Kid N Play brought everyone to their feet with their kick, spin routine, and encouraged the New Boyz to keep cultivating their sound.

Undoubtedly, the main reason to watch this show is for the three cyphers. DJ Premier was on the boards for all three, and the first featured Wale, Nipsey Hussle, G-SAN, and KRS-One. The preceding three did well, but as a veteran freestyler it was the Blastmaster who emerged with the best verse. The second group featured Nicki Minaj, Buckshot, Crown Royal, and Joe Budden. Minaj surprised many in the crowd with an engaging verse highlighted by a clear, precise flow, and several vocal inflection changes mimicking the chipmunk soul sample effect and the snobbish accent of an aristocrat. The flair and energy Minaj showed had everyone thinking she took this round. That is, until Joe Budden ended matters.

The controversial Jersey lyricist casually strolled front and center and shut down the mic. Even though this type of Atlanta crowd wasn’t familiar with his history, his bars were too good and an audience that was previously going wild over Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane was mesmerized by his performance. Even with the physical assault from the Wu and scrutiny from other vets like Melle Mel, Budden didn’t hesitate to throw a few subliminals their way (“I said something that got the vets upset/But I’m a student of the game/Not a teacher’s pet.”). There were further nice lines about artists needing majors to succeed, while he just needed the “Ethernet,” which was juxtaposed with the classic diss “Ether.”

And when everyone thought the cyphers were done, we saw Premier again flashed on the screen surrounded by Mos Def, Black Thought, and Eminem. Before they said a word, the crowd started buzzing and clapping (especially among press row), because anyone with a semblance of Hip-Hop awareness knew what was about to go down.

Mos started first, and ripped it with a verse showcasing veneration for Islam and its offshoots like the Nation of Gods and Earths. Midway, Mos started going back and forth between traditional rhyme schemes and the Jamaican toasting that originated Hip-Hop, eliciting claps from the audience. Black Thought went in next, and brought his usual rapid-fire, flawless flow. He spit longer than Mos, and got the crowd even more engaged as Eminem stood next to him nodding and taking in the bars. The crowd buzzed anytime Em appeared on screen, no doubt anticipating a great closer as each emcee’s verses built further anticipation.

People have marveled at Eminem’s verse of “Forever.” It you were impressed with that, just make sure to tune into this award show. I gave up trying to write down what he was saying because the flow was too nasty and fast for my hand, but I can verify the crowd went crazy when he brought an assonance heavy rhyme scheme that brought together several Arabic names to highlight how he was mixture of several figures like Barack Obama and Saddam Hussein. Honestly, once he finished the show could’ve ended right there.

Ice Cube was honored with the “I Am Hip-Hop Award,” acknowledging his achievements as an emcee, actor, and film producer. Chuck D introduced him, and Cube had words for both Hip-Hip newcomers and veterans.

“We gotta do what we feel. We can’t be slaves to video programmers, labels, or networks,” Cube explained. “To the veterans, don’t let yourself be pushed out… If you have a tongue, you’re not too old to rap.”

The closing performance was from the newly reunited Goodie Mob. Cee-Lo began the two-song set with a piano melody before going into the classic single “Cell Therapy.” ATL fans knew their history, and rose to their feet to sing along with the influential collective. They ended with Big Boi joining them for “Get Rich to This” to close out the show. While originally maligned by fans when it was released, fans gave the track love, and Goodie looked rejuvenated and ready for their just announced nationwide tour.

All in all, the BET’s 2009 Hip-Hop Awards has something for everyone. The award winners won’t be spoiled here, but the real meat and potatoes of the show are the cyphers and Ice Cube’s award win. In addition, the show will have an all-star remix (Snoop, Jim Jones, Soulja Boy, and Nipsey Hussle) of Dorrough’s “Ice Cream Paint Job,” Fabolous and the Dream (“Throw It in the Bag”), new tracks from Ludacris and Lil Scrappy, and Snoop Dogg featuring the Dream (“Gangta Luv,” “Gin N Juice”).

The BET Hip-Hop Awards will air on October 27 at 8PM.

What do Jay-Z, Drake, The Black Eyed Peas, Ghostface Killah, and Kid Cudi have in common?  They are all in the top….fifty.  Over the last couple of weeks there has been a surge in the release of Hip Hop albums.  We have had everything from Brother Ali to Playaz Circle in “Dropping this Week”.  A few of them, like Kid Cudi and Drake have managed to make it into the top ten but it looks as though now the only representative for Hip Hop in the upper digits is Jay-Z…unless you want to count Mariah Carey.

The “Obsessed” singer enters the charts at number three with her latest album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.  This is the R&B Diva’s 18^th album (if you include greatest hits and compilations) and features writing by Tricky Stewart and The Dream.  Although Carey did work with producers Timberland and Jermaine Dupri during recording those particular songs did not make the final tracklisting.  Hey, at least she got Gucci Mane for the remix.  That’s a good thing…right?  Although there is not a lot of Hip Hop represented on the original album expect some of her more popular songs to be remixed and feature the latest flavor of the month from the rap world.

Meanwhile, the owner of Roc Nation (and occasional Mariah collaborator) Jay-Z, drops from two to six with his latest album The Blueprint 3.  The album sells a steady 86,000 copies after entering the charts a few weeks ago.

That takes care of Hip Hop in the top 10.  Drake grabs the number 18 spot with his mixtape-released-as-an-album So Far Gone.  The Cash Money/Young Money artist moves 32,000 more copies this week and continues to build up anticipation for his debut album, Thank Me Later.

At the twenty third spot are The Black Eyed Peas who continue to sell more of their monster album The E.N.D.  This week the group moves another 29,000 copies.
Cudi’s, Man on the Moon: The End of Day sells another 17,000 copies and lands the number 32 spot.

I don’t usually endorse an album but if you haven’t picked up Ghostface Killah’s Ghostdini The Wizard Of Poetry then I just don’t know what you’re doing with your life.  This week he picks up the number 30 spot.  The album features duets with R&B artists including Shareefa, Raheem DeVaughn, Jack Night, Estelle, John Legend, Lloyd, Ron Brownz, and Ne-Yo.  It’s Ghostface!  When was the last time you heard a Ghostface album and went “Uhhhh……it was ok” (I’m not counting that 718 compilation album).  Go to a store people.  Get an album or something.

Dropping This Week

Depressing album sales aside, there have been some solid albums coming out in this section for the last few weeks.

I’m going to be biased and start off with Joe Budden.  One fourth of Slaughter House releases his sixth official studio album, Escape Route.  You may love him or hate him but can you really say dude can’t rap?  As a matter of fact, I have rarely heard anyone that has listened to the Mood Musik series say he can’t rap.  His latest album has Slaughterhouse, Young Chris, and Wale on it so it should be an interesting listen.

Don’t tell him autotune is dead.  Harlem’s own DJ Webstar releases his latest album, The Rooftop.  The album is actually a collaboration between Webstar and Jim Jones and features Juelz Santana, Brucie B, and Styles P to name a few.

            I’m going to finish of the week with BK representative Fat Joe.  He releases his ninth studio album Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E 2) with guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Ron Browz, Akon, Pleasure P, T-Pain, Lil Kim, Raekwon, and Swiz Beatz.

            Told you guys it would be a short week.  We’ll see if the numbers get better for next week’s ChartWatch.