Classic collabo 2010! Jadakiss goes innnn verse 1 and 3... that's expected. (Props to the legend!). But, 50 Cent in rare form (I'm talkin Power of the Dollar rare)... is a dope surprise. Beat bangss.. Bump Dump! :)
"Yea shorty wild, trey pounds, 40 cals, at the dice game, brand new 100s, 40 thou.. stay fly, work out, all he eat is halal, never catch him dirty cuz all he keep is a smile... When they caught him wit a gat in the car he beat it in trial, he don't say too much - never eager to style.. Remind me of Gotti, shyne with the shotty, lawyer so good - he paid a fine for a body. Heroin in B-more, crib by the sea-shore, car service to the G4, Fila velour..." - Jadakiss
04. "REP REP" - Illuminati XOriginally released on the "Capish Hip Hop Vol.1: Unsigned City" compilation of Niagara area hip hop, this freestyle got the "nickname" RIP Guru because of ONE Luxe line. In reality, the subject of the song is very generic, and the Guru reference is just a quick, slick tribute 2 a Hip-Hop legend. I added the few extra words to the outro to make the song relevant to the project it's on, and also the 'sub-theme' it's now dealing with.. We shot a video late last year too...behind the scenes and final cut coming soon!
"Uh huh fuck da cliches, save ya breath for a prayer we in peak shape, it's the uncrowned kings of the beat break, pop shit around now ya fucked like Khalid Sheikh.. Bring it back, trigger finger rap, put 'em up high 'cuz the sky where we at.. so high ask Guru - when he comin back? and we can go and wild out just 2 get a rep, and we can drive to Big Bee just 2 get a wrap, n we can call ya bitch up - just 2 get it bapped" - Luxe
AZ is my favorite rapper. He's also in my opinion the best rapper of all time when it comes to skill, consistency, album catalogue and amount of classic verses. He's no nicer in 2010 than he was in 2001, or say 1997. He's always the nicest. Period. "Feel My Pain" explains that as much as any AZ song. But no more. Or less.... U followin? ... Nicest.
"Reminsce, venemous, this is limitless, started from the Genesis, schooled on what business is.. touchdown scrimmages, targetin your nemesis, bargainin your innocence, findin out your friends-ain't-shit.. let me finish it, few niggas benefit, new niggas tend to sit or sent to the penitent. Cam style, I know now what Killa meant, no resemblance, movin off my inner strength, superb penmanship, heard that my pen was sick..." - AZ
"May I continue? I run up in you, bitches every venue like "shit, what's on the menu?". N they expen you, en you for the revenue, en you for these ends, en up laying on the avenue. All for the markets, a buck in a pocket, son they murder prophets, and profits skyrocket.. shhh, they hear us talkin, you know they watchin.. we marked from the start and the marksmen are hawkin.. If snipers on the roof knew they silencin the truth, would they disregard the order, be defiant, or still shoot?.. So much mileage on these boots, but we march on... Never silencing the truth, son we march strong, our song - the Red Brigade, we regulate the blockade, Illuminate from Bombay to Zimbabwe... the Third World do it live fuck Live Aid... Long as you and I, we do or die, so fire away... Balkan Beast Zapatista, the beasts hear to feast on the street and defeat he don't speak of, so what's your recourse? Homie I got heat for, ones like you, like the Sun high noon" - Luxe
01. "LEADERS" - Nas & Damian MarleyNas is number 2 on my favorite/greatest emcee of all time list. With that said, I have a fucked up tendency to overhype myself up every time a new Nas album is coming out. I expect so unbeliavably much out of it, that in reality - no matter what the album ends up like, at first listen it's "not great enough"... When I first bought Distant Relatives, and first took it in, I was sincerely disapointed.. Between the first listen impact and the choice of flags on the inside of the cd-case, I gave the project the worst rating of any Nas release... ever. I listened to the "teaser version" of As We Enter a billion times. I listened to Strong Will Continue a billion more. I refused to download the leaks of any other songs. I was at the Sunrise in St. Catharines first thing on release day.. I rolled a perfect blunt. I took in the album... And I put it away.. I think I might have called it "weak" at a barbershop once... I was disapointed for real!
Then, about half a year later, I picked it up off the shelf, and gave it one more listen. Only this time I had no unreasonable expectations, no particular sounds I was looking for, or Nas flow nostalgias... I just listened.
What a smart thing to do.
Another few months down the road, and I can sincerely say I rate Distant Relatives among the best Nas albums ever. Every song is hot. Every verse is a quotable. And the fucked up thing is, in my opinion Damian outshines Nas on most of the album. Song after song are full of gems. Life lessons. Subject matter ranges from politics, to friendships, to war to spirituality to personal opinions... Everything is there. I just didn't see it the first time.
I suggest to anyone thinking of actually BUYING a new album to buy Distant Relatives. It's a classic. It will be widely recognized as that in the future.
