Hip Hop's Next Generation

There it is. After a year of speculation the list has finally been compiled for the newest generation of talent in the game.

If you don't recognize the faces here's the full list:
Meek Mill
Big K.R.I.T.
CyHi Da Prince
Lil Twist
Yelawolf
Fred the Godson
Mac Miller
YG
Lil B
Kendrick Lamar
Diggy Simmons. 

Since I was so inspired by this list, I decided to do a little "up and coming talent" section but flip it GMack style. This is XXL's fourth year doing this list, so I decided to one up them by taking 5 of the top talents they've recognized  in their freshman issues and provide my opinion on which established rappers I believe they have glaring similarities to.

Note: I left the Wiz Khalifa/Snoop Dogg comparison out of this, since this is something I've heard a million times and I wanted to provide a more unique list. Also, when I use the words Old Generation in no way am I saying these artists are old, outdated, or washed up. I'm referring to them this way to  draw the line between which artist is well-established and which is up and coming. In a couple of scenarios the "Old Generation" artist is dead so please don't take any of these comparisons with disrespect.

Peep Below: "Hip Hop's Next Generation"

Old Generation: Redman
New Generation: Curren$y  

First off, there's the obvious Cheech & Chong buddy scenario. Redman had Method Man, Curren$y has Wiz Khalifa. They make amazing music together, and are both the lesser appreciated of their respective duos. Then there's this little known fact: BOTH OF THESE GUYS CAN REALLY RAP! Unless something drastically changes I could see Curren$y's career having the same tales as Redmans. He'll be an under appreciated artist who fans only truly want to hear from if he's collaborating with his bosom buddy. Rap-wise Curren$y's not nearly as skilled as Redman was in his prime, but they are both the lyrical giants of their duos who will more than likely be slept on by non-avid rap fans who prefer their more commercially successful counterparts.

Old Generation: Prodigy (of Mobb Deep)
New Generation: Nipsey Hussle

Outside of looking freakishly similar, Prodigy & Nipsey Hussle have a lot of artistic similarities. When Nipsey first dropped everyone was extremely eager to compare him to Snoop. He's from LA, he has braids, he's he's Snoop! No stupid.
Snoop and Nipsey are actually polar opposites. Where Snoop has that laid-back vibe to his music that you can party or smoke to, Nipsey spits "pistol grip poetry" with an emotion and passion that Snoop never reached nor has tried to reach in his long running career.This is where his similarities to Prodgy directly correlate. You can FEEL both of these artists pain in their music. When Nipsey says "Emani aint gon see the streets", you want to fly out to LA to make sure she's stayin out of trouble. When Prodigy adamantly claims "You can never feel my pain n***", you quickly re-evaluate the severity of whatever situation you were previously complaining about about. Prodigy's music has always told tales of violence, lost loved ones, and his struggle overcoming being dealt a bad hand in life. Nipsey's music shares the same sentiments, and I believe he's a bit superior lyrically to Prodigy. I'm extremely excited to see where Nipsey's career goes from this point forward.

Old Generation: ODB
New Generation: Lil' B

God rest the dead, but ODB was a wild dude. He was manic, crazy, and more important than anything he was wildly entertaining. ODB was an electrifying character.He was one of the most unpredictable figures in the music industry, and never seemed to do much of anything that made sense. So how is he similar to Lil' B? If you've read the sentences above you've answered your own question. Lil' B has paraded the scene with  rhymes laced with obscenities, and public statements laced in outlandish claims (On his mixtape Evil Red Flame he claims he has made the "Best Mixtape Ever" at least 16 times) This is why we love Lil' B. We don't take him seriously, but we love his foolishness just like we loved ODB's. Besides, how can you not see the similarities between "The Based God" and someone who wanted to publicly change their rap name to "Big Baby Jesus?"

Old Generation: Cam'Ron
New Generation: Big Sean

I thought long & hard about who Big Sean reminded me of. A lot of people said Kanye because he's signed to his label, and his rhymes are laced with swagger. I couldn't agree with that since I think Sean's rhymes are 100% swagger, while Ye's (even when he was new) were 60% swag, and 40% substance. Then I thought Ludacris (I'm talking "Back to The First Time" Luda not "Battle of the Sexes" Luda). Luda was a metaphor king at the beginning of his career as well, but it still didn't seem like the right fit. Then I really thought about it, and Cam'ron was perfect. Big Sean & Cam'ron have this one glaring similarity that makes them outrageously similar. Both are phenomenal wordsmiths, but depending on a critics personal attitude toward them, you can view them as being "weak" or "corny". Both of them have one phrase or line that will haunt them forever, one line that will always be brought up when people try to dismiss them as gimmick swag artists. Cam'ron's phrase is "Rooty, Tootyrooty, tooty, fresh, and fruity, lions, tigers, bears, and a bunch of other nonsense that doesn't make up 1/3 of his catalog. Then you have Big Sean who's "Who....Her? Her?" adlib could be the death of him. I'll admit before I really started liking Big Sean I used this adlib as my main ammunition to justify why I thought he was whack.. But that's the point. With both these artists if you get caught with what's on the surface you'll miss the magic. And that's what makes them both great.

Old Generation: Tupac Shakur
New Generation: J. Cole

I already know I'm going to get the most flack for this comparison. What!? How are you gonna compare a dude with no album to one of the greatest rappers of all time! How dare you! Have you calmed down yet? Now listen.

I'm not gonna lie, I sort of stole this comparison from my dude @H_Barca . I had been thinking this for a while, but when a dude who I feel knows just about me as hip-hop (probably more) than I do confirmed my initial thought I had to run with it. When Cole came out everyone compared him to Nas. Easy comparison. Both great storytellers, both lyrical wordsmiths. But Cole's connection to Pac is deeper than his connection to Nas. Although Nas is a great storyteller, he isn't necessary the one you wanted to sit around the fireplace and have him tell it to you. Nas tells his stories in an extremely impersonal matter that almost removes himself from the scene of the crime.

Then there's Pac & Cole. When these guys tell a story, they DEMAND your attention. They spit every rhyme with passion, and tell stories with such descriptive details that you feel like you're experiencing it right there with them. You can't wait until the hook is over so you can hear the next verse and see how the story ends. These guys, live and breath their music and you can feel it with every bar. Notice I used the word feel, not hear. Those with a great hip-hop ear can hear Nas loud & clear, but any and everyone can feel Pac & J Cole's music in their soul.

Who's the NBA's Next Hero?

It all started here. Well technically, it started July 9 but this was the climax of arguably one of the biggest moves in sports history. NBA's Golden Boy LeBron James joined his future teammates Dwayne Wade & Chris Bosh on stage for their "coming out party" in Miami. Everyone witnessed the spectacle; the highfives, the handshakes, the daps, the cocky projections for the season, and an interpretation of every urban dance move known to man. This was the night we all dreaded, it was official. The NBA player who fans rooted for, loved, praised as the next Jordan, and even labeled "The Chosen One" had now officially turned to the darkside.

Lebron James had officially became one of the most hated figures in sports.

It was a sad day for basketball fans everywhere. If you weren't a Laker fan you more than likely hated Kobe Bryant. Jordans retired, and now even if you found yourself being a Dwayne Wade fan your opinion probably went sour when you saw him join forces with the King.

Then their was one player who had an opportunity to rise from Lebron's long lost shadow. A player who has consistently been top 5 in scoring, a player who has quietly went to the playoffs all 7 of his seasons in the NBA (including his Rookie season where he lost Rookie of the Year to James.) The crown was placed above his head, and all he had to do was rise to it. Carmelo Anthony was set to be the savior of the NBA.

And then the trade rumors happened.

Melo had fallen into the trap. Pleading desperately to be released from one of the best teams in the West, Melo demanded the spotlight, but not in a good way. He was acting like a crybaby, a pre-madonna, taking attention away from what could have seemingly been a breakthrough season for the Denver Nuggets. Soon after announcing during the All-Star game that he'd be suiting up for a Nuggets game on Tuesday with an opponents name that seemed to be escaping him Melo got his wish. He was traded to the New York Knicks.  He got the bright lights, he's living in the big city, but at what price? Being grouped in a category with a bunch of big name players who are more recognized for their griping off the court than their performance on it?

Take a look at the picture below:

Outside of Karl Malone, it's pretty difficult to put a finger on which one of these players made your blood boil. Jordan, Pat Ewing, Magic Johnson, these were all athletes who were amazing playing the game of basketball and you watched them every week hoping they would succeed. Even loud mouths like Charles Barkley were still lovable.

But that's what's missing from the game now. Respect, and the humility to realize that even if you're one of the best players in the game you don't have to act like an asshole.

If things don't change that's what we have to look forward to. A league bathed in arrogance, with a bunch of players who focus on self-fulfilling prophecies opposed to being the best player they can be and at least trying to please the fans who pay their salary.

Until Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, or Deron Williams learn how to showcase some charm what do we really have to look forward to? Another season of Basketball Wives?

So NBA I challenge you with one task, and one task only. Give us somebody to believe in and root for relenltessly. Give us a player who outside of their skills on the court we admire and respect. Give us someone who the next generation of wide-eyed ballplayers can look up to who we don't personally frown upon with shame.

Who's going to be the NBA's next hero?

Well Damn

IT'S OVER 30 DEGREES OUTSIDE, AND IT'S FRIDAY!

Let the weekend commence.

Happy Friday!

New Chris Brown: Real Hip Hop S****

Not sure how I feel about rappin "I wanna kill n****" and crump dancing simultaneously, but this joints kinda hot. Peep below:

Breezy ... Real Hip Hop Sh!t from Mechanical Dummy on Vimeo.

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	Breezy's Spittin!
	Stick to Singin' Bro
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Top 10 Mixtapes of 2010

As promised, I've gone into the cave and came out with my top 10 mixtapes of last year. For those of you that saw my list about the top albums I still think this was one of the best years in music since any given year in the mid 90's. Needless to say this was an extremely difficult task. I took a lot of things into account while making this list. I figured in lyricism, how well the tape was constructed, impact the tape had on that artists career, and even in some cases opinions of my friends. (Shocking I know) So without further adieu..here's my list of top tapes in 2010 (No particular order)

Big Krit "K.R.I.T Wuz Here" I actually found out about this tape via Twitter. I had never heard of Krit, but some of my followers from the South were praising him as the next Pimp C so I had to take a listen. This tape definitely doesn't disappoint. I think the dopest thing about Krit is that he's a hybrid of some of the dopest MC's to come out the south. You can hear the Pimp C in his slang, the Scarface in his pain, and the energy of David Banner in his voice from time to time. This largely self-produced effort is definitely worth checkin out.

Top Joints:
Hometown Hero
Children of the World
Now or Neva (Bonus Track)

 Big Sean "Finally Famous Vol. 3" A lot of my friends have been tellin me about Big Sean for a while now. I went back, researched his catalog and to be honest I wasn't really impressed. He definitely showed promise lyrically but I was disappointed with his ability to compose songs, and make a cohesive mixtape product. And to a great point my boy @Mr_SZS constantly makes, he had issues choosing a flow and sticking to it. This tape sold me on Big Sean on his abilities to be a front runner in the next class of hip-hop artists taking over the game. The moment I heard "Supa Dupa Lemonade" I was amazed at his lyrical capability and couldn't help but notice how many of today's artists had bitten off his self-proclaimed "Supa Dupa Flow" that is now rampant in the industy. (If I hear another lyric like "It's going down...basement" or "Hang it up....flatscreen", I'm going to cut my ears off...Van Gogh) Anywho..I digress. This is a great tape, and as long as Big Sean never says "Is that yo girl, who her her?" ever again he'll definitely be one of my favorite MC's in the years to come.

Top Joints:
Supa Dupa Lemonade
Final Hour
Hgh Rise

 Fabolous "There Is No Competition 2" It took a lot to sell me on this tape. I initially (and still kind of think) the production on this tape is weak. Therefore, in true Geoff fashion I tuned out the lyricism when I first listened. Simply off the love of this tape by my boys @FullCupLover , @Be_Schroeder and @Nucky_Hamson i've listened to this tape at least 7 times trying to see what the big deal was. After further analysis, i'm going to have to give Fabolous the award of having the strongest lyrical mixtape of 2010. For that reason, and that reason alone, I feel that provides a good enough reason to put him on my list.

Top Joints:
Exhibit F
The Wake
Im Raw

J. Cole "Friday Night Lights" What else is there to say about J. Cole? Dude is a beast. Friday Night Lights opens up strongly with "Too Deep for the Intro" and "Before I'm Gone" which truly set the stage for an emotional & lyrically captivating autobiographical masterpiece. I'm going to go on record and say this is definitely my favorite J. Cole tape from his catalog. If it weren't for another artist dropping a classic tape this year, it would have been my Mixtape of the Year.

Top Joints:
Too Deep for the Intro
Before I'm Gone
Love Me Not

 Nipsey Hussle "The Marathon" I'm proud to announce that the WESTCOAST IS BACK! Hussle, Pac Div, Dom Kennedy, and a plethora of other artists are setting up the groundwork for an exciting new movement of music coming out the West. The amazing thing about Nipsey is that you can feel his pain when he spits. A lot of people compare him to Snoop because of his looks and his affiliation with the LA gang banger lifestyle but he actually reminds me a lot of Prodigy from Mobb Deep. This tape is a Westcoast version of "So Far Gone" that will stay in heavy rotation once you give it a listen.

Top Joints:
Keys 2 The City
Blue Laces
Dreamin'

 Smoke DZA "George Kush Da Button" After hearing DZA all over songs with Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T, and others I decided I would give him a listen. I noticed he wasn't the strongest lyrically, but I knew his affiliation with Ski Beatz would at least allow me some nice chill beats to vibe out too. This tape was surprisingly amazing. Although DZA's not a wordsmith, he's actually not that bad lyrically and pretty much every track on here is a banger.

Top Joints:
Good Talk
We On
It Ain't My Fault

Wale "More About Nothing" After the disappointing sales & reception to his debut album "Attention Deficit", Wale burst back onto the scene with the follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Mixtape about Nothing." Wale shows a lot of growth on this tape. He has always been dope as a lyricist but his flow is getting nastier and nastier with each track he puts his vocals on. I'm excited to see that Wale has signed with Ross's Maybach Music and hope that more tracks like "Pandemonium" are on the horizon.

Top Joints:
The Breeze (Cool)
The Breakup Song
The Trip (Downtown)

Young Jeezy "Trap or Die 2" I fully typed my list, removed Vado's "Slime Flu" and added this joint on last minute. After further review I just couldn't say no to this tape (no Kobe). This reminds us why we first started liking Jeezy. He runs through some of the hardest hitting beats on this tape effortlessly, and provides us with the trap memoirs that we've all grown to love. Unfortunately this tape didn't springboard the launch of his highly anticipated Thug Motivation 103, but let's see what 2011 has in store for "Mr. 17.5"

Top Joints:
Trap or Die Reloaded
I'LL'IN
Hood Politics

 Young Chris "The Network 2" This is my infamous sleeper pick for 2011. Young Chris has always been a beast, but was always slept on due to his affiliation with the Young Gunz. This Don Cannon hosted effort showcases the Philly MC weaving through soulful samples, hard hitting beats, and outpouring of emotion as he talks about the infamous breakup of Roc-A-Fella records. Memphis Bleek even surprisingly provides a decent verse on this tape (What!? o_O) Yea I can't believe I said that myself. Regardless, give this tape a listen and you won't be disappointed.

Top Joints:
Never Left
Im Sorry
The Moon and Stars

 And my Mixtape of the Year issssss.....

 Wiz Khalifa "Kush and Orange Juice" No surprise here. Anyone who knows me, knows i'm a Wiz fanatic. I think he has the potential to be the second coming of Snoop Dogg and could have an amazing career if he sticks to making songs that resonate with his cult-like "Taylor Gang" audience. I went back and forth about selecting this tape or Cole's "Friday Night Lights" for weeks. I even thought about giving a co-mixtape of the year, but decided I would man up and make a decision. I went back and decided this is my No. 1 tape for two main reasons.
1. This tape is the "So Far Gone" of 2011. Not by sound or content, but impact. The same way "So Far Gone" skyrocketed Drake's career to another level, this tape did the exact same for Wiz. (On the day it was released "Kush and Orange Juice" was the #1 searched term on Google, "Wiz Khalifa" was also the third most searched person on Google in 2010..enough said)
2. I can say in all honesty that I like EVERY song on this tape. Yes, every song. Even the Reggae inspired "Still Blazin" (I hate Reggae music with a passion for those that don't know)
I'm hoping that Wiz stays true to his sound so his Atlantic Records debut "Rolling Papers" can be everything I imagined it would be. Stay tuned..Taylor Gang or Die

Top Joints:
Up (The best song of 2010 in my opinon)
Never Been
In The Cut

Honorable Mentions:

Vado "Slime Flu" Outside of causing a myriad of people to refer to themselves to as an oozy green substance infamous in Ghostbuster and Ninja Turtle Movies, Vado has made quite a name for himself in the music industry this year. The second coming of Juelz Santana, slashes through each song on this 14 track effort with ease. This tape didn't make my list due to the fact that there's not any real "stand out" tracks on the tape, nonetheless Vado's got a hell of a future ahead of him "You go slime it's yo time"

Top Joints:
Council Music
Speaking in Tungs
Wake Up

Mickey Factz "I'm Better Than You" Another sleeper pick. Ever since I heard Mickey for the first time in 2008 I thought he was destined to be one of the next big MC's in the game. Unfortunately, he had MAJOR issues picking beats. A lot of his songs sounded like some Theophilus London electo-pop but not nearly as dope. On this tape I think Mickey FINALLY gets it. The beats are bangin and unique to his flow. Unfortunately his window is closing as Drake, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, and several others have stolen the spotlight that he once had a chance to claim as his own.

Top Joints:
I'm Better Than You
Trinity
Legend

Tyga & Chris Brown "Fan of a Fan" This was definitely one of my favorite tapes this year, and it pained me not to put it on my list. For those that are music heads like me, this was an official comeback for my man Chris Brown (his BET MJ performance was just the icing on the cake.) Breezy weaves between rapping, singing, slow jams, and tunes about how he likes his woman's genitals groomed without missing a beat. This tape also birthed the hilarious "No Bull***" and the smash hit "Deuces". As long as CB stays out of Lambos with beautiful women, he's gonna have the R&B game on lock for a very long time.

Top Joints:
No Bull****
What They Want
Ain't Thinkin Bout You

And there it is. The decisions made here were tough, and i'm aware they're not free of scrutiny. Hopefully you'll give everything on here a listen and judge from there. Until next time...keep bumpin that good music and stay tuned to the blog for music updates throughout the year.

Update on Me

Usually I don't use this blog to speak about my personal life, but since i've promised a post a week..here it is.

This weeks been crazy, one of the busiest i've had in a while but I can't complain. Love my life, love all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

Here are some major updates from this week:

Monta Ellis & Kevin Love got snubbed from the All-Star team. Check out Monta's reaction below (As a Warriors and Monta fan I propose we enroll Monta in Toastmasters before the 2012 season to ensure this doesn't happen again)

Correction: Since this was posted David Stern has selected Kevin Love to take Yao Ming's spot on the Western All Star team. Leaving Monta the only remaining player to be snubbed. smh




Lil Wayne released a Green Bay Packers Anthem *crickets* (I'll save my thoughts on the track, but feel free to take a listen below)




Unfortunately for Weezy & Aaron Rodgers, Omar Epps appears focused and prepared to lead his team to another Superbowl W. #blackandyellow

In other news..I'm literally 4 mixtapes away from making my top 10 tapes of 2010 so look out for that. I'll post next week..pinky promise.

Looking forward to the weekend. I've been struggling all week not to do the following: